Book Review: A Wreath of Snow

A Wreath of Snow
By
Liz Curtis Higgs

Watch the trailer below to learn more about A Wreath of Snow

My Thoughts:

This novella is a quick and easy read, but I felt that it lacked depth. Of course that could be due to the fact that it’s a novella and and not a full blown novel. All that aside, it is a great story of forgiveness and redemption. If you’re looking for a quick read to get you into the holiday spirit try this on for size, it might be just what you need!

Buy the Book:

This book can be found at Amazon and Barnes and Noble, as well as many other retailers.

Disclaimer: A complimentary copy of this book was provided for review. All thoughts are my own and I was not required to post a positive review.

Book Review: The Christmas Singing

The Christmas Singing
By
Cindy Woodsmall

About the Book: (from cindywoodsmall.com)

Three years ago, at Christmastime, Mattie Eash’s life was everything she could hope for. That is, until her childhood sweetheart, Gideon, betrayed her.

Heartbroken, Mattie retreated to her brother’s home in Ohio and poured her life into the dream of running her own cake shop. There, she found someone unlike Gideon. Someone safe.

But a devastating situation forces her back home…and right into the path of Gideon Beiler.

Will learning the truth behind his rejection restore her Christmas joy—or open the door to even deeper heartbreak?

This holiday season, Mattie’s best gift might just be the harmony of unexpected truth and reconciliation.

Spend Christmas with the Amish in this story of love, romance, heartache, and restoration in The Christmas Singing.

My Thoughts:

As I’ve mentioned before, I’ve recently become a big fan of Amish fiction. I always enjoy reading books by Cindy Woodsmall and this one was no exception. It was super easy to fall in love with these characters and find myself totally immersed in their story. I’ve never been to Amish country, but as I read I felt as though I was  right there alongside Mattie and Giedon.

Because of her connection to the Amish community, Woodsmall always fills her stories with little facts and tidbits about the people. For example, in this book I learned that while most Amish groups do not allow members to have telephones, they are permitted to have phones in their businesses.

I only have one complaint about the story, it’s on the shorter side and because of that it almost feels as if parts of the story are rushed and skimmed over. I would have loved for the story to go a little deeper into Mattie and Gideon’s story and would gladly have read another 100 pages to do so. Other than that minor detail, I loved this story and look forward to reading more by Cindy Woodsmall.

Excerpt:

If you’d like to read an excerpt from The Christmas Singing, click here.

Buy the Book:

If you’re interested in checking out this book you can find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble, as well as many other retailers.

Disclaimer:

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for this review. All thoughts are my own and I was not required to write a positive review.

Book Review: Then Sings My Soul – Special Edition

Then Sings My Soul – Special Edition
By
Robert J. Morgan

     While many people are familiar with the lyrics and melodies of great hymns, few know the stories of the songwriters and their music. This book seeks to reveal the stories and the wonder of some of these hymns, specifically those associated with Christmas and Easter. As you thumb through this book, you’ll find the words and music on the left hand side of the page spread and a story associated with the hymn or the songwriter on the right hand side.

     I enjoyed reading the stories associated with the hymns in this book, but it’s not a book I could sit and read for long periods of time. Each story is, at most, a page long and sometimes contains lyrics from the song that can be found on the opposite page as well. At time it felt as though these lyrics were repeated simply to fill up space. This book would be a great addition to a sheet music collection because it includes the written music for each hymn. In fact, I will probably display this book atop my piano. I probably wouldn’t buy another book like this, but it is nice to read the stories of some of the world’s greatest hymns.

This book can be found at Amazon and Barnes and Noble as well as many other retailers.

Disclaimer: A complimentary copy of this book was provided for my review by Thomas Nelson Publishers.  The views expressed are my own. 

Book Review: Little Star

The Little Star
By
Anthony DeStefano

Since we were out of town, I didn’t receive this book in time to read it to the kiddos before Christmas.  I did, however, make sure that we read it before we put our Christmas books away for the year and I was glad that I did.

This book tells the story of a little star who always feels left out and ignored. All this changes when he hears that a king has been born and uses all his energy to be the brightest star in the sky on the night of the king’s birth. Although the other stars warn Little Star that he will burn himself out, he shines his brightest that night and everyone in the heavens and on Earth notices. Little Star does burn himself out that night, but he will never be forgotten; he is the reason many people place a star at the top of their Christmas trees.  The star helps us to remember Little Star and the way he pointed others toward a tiny, newborn king so many years ago.

This book is well written and easy for children to understand.  The illustrations are wonderful and my children were excited to see what was on each new page. Though the story connects past and present, the connection is seamless and my children were able to make the connections quite easily.  This book will definitely be one that our family reads for many years to come.

This book can be found at Amazon and Barnes and Noble, as well as many other retailers.

Disclaimer: A complimentary copy of this book was provided for review by Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers. All thoughts are my own and I was not required to post a positive review.

Book Review: The King’s Christmas List

The King’s Christmas List

by

Eldon Johnson

     In this children’s book, Emma gets an invitation to the King’s Christmas birthday party.  She excitedly prepares herself and a gift to give the King. Along the way to the castle, Emma has encounters with people in need and gives them all she has; she is left with no coat and nothing to give the King. When she arrives at the King’s party she is surprised to find people exchanging gifts with everyone but the king. When Emma approaches the King to ask what is going on, she learns a valuable lesson: whatever you do unto others, you do unto the King. Children of all ages will love this story and the lesson it teaches.

     As soon as I received this book in the mail, I opened it up and read it with my children.  We all loved the story, the illustrations and the lesson learned. The story is written in language even my youngest child could understand and it provided us an opportunity to talk about how we can honor the King of Kings by helping those in need. This story seems to be written as a modern-day parable for young children. The illustrations are bright and cheery and “wintery”. I would encourage any family with children to read this story and discuss the ways that we can help others. At the end of this book, there is a link to website where you can go to find opportunities to help via organizations such as World Vision and Blood:Water Mission. This book has inspired me to create a new Christmas tradition in our family, the tradition of giving to others in need. Read this book today and let it inspire you as well.

You can find out more about this book here.

This book is available at Amazon and Barnes and Noble, as well as many other retailers.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”