Review: Wind Chime Point

Wind Chime Point (Ocean Breeze)

About the Book:

Facing a personal crisis, ambitious and driven Gabriella Castle retreats to the welcoming arms of her family. Everything she's worked for has been yanked out from under her, and she seeks the serenity of her grandmother's home on the North Carolina coast. With difficult decisions to make about her future, the last thing she wants is an unexpected love.

Wade Johnson fell for Gabi the first time he saw her. It's not the only time he's found himself in the role of knight in shining armor, but Gabi isn't looking for a rescuer. To get her to stay, Wade will need a whole lot of patience and gentle persuasion…and maybe the soothing sound of wind chimes on a summer breeze.

My Comments:

I really liked Wade; Gabi, not so much so.  Gabi had spent her adult life in a career chosen to garner the approval of her emotionally distant father.  She had been dating a man who barely missed her, and who she barely missed when she left town for an extended family visit.  When she loses the job and the man in short succession over the same incident, she re-evaluates the type of life she wants to lead.  Still, at least to me, she comes across as "me" "me" "me".  Wade on the other hand, has spent his life doing for others and in the process of course has built a solid network of people on whom he can depend.  

This book is the second in a series of at least three books which are set in a North Carolina beach community.  There is no explicit intimate activity.  It is definitely a "beach read"--breezy, fun, light. 

I'd like to thank the publisher for making a review copy available via NetGalley.  Grade:  B.

Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival

Hello, and welcome to Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival. We are a group of Catholic bloggers who gather weekly to share our best posts with each other. To participate, go to your blog and create a post titled Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival. In it, discuss and link to your posts for the week--whether they deal with theology, Catholic living or cute Catholic kids. I'm mostly a book blogger so my posts are generally book reviews, some Catholic, some not. Make sure that post links back here. Once you publish it, come back here and leave a link below.

We also have a yahoogroup; signing up for it will get you one weekly reminder to post.  Click here to sign up.

I only have one post this week:  Postcards from Misty Harbor.

 

Blog Tour: Postcards from Misty Harbor Inn

Seaside Harmony (Postcards from Misty Harbor Inn series)

About the Book:

When Caroline Marris joins her sisters, Gracie Gold and Sam Carter for a Nantucket Island getaway, she has no idea how it will change her life. The sisters stumble upon Misty Harbor Inn, the place their late mother loved so much, and Caroline talks her sisters into buying the beautiful but dilapidated inn. But can free-spirited Caroline stay focused enough to make opening the inn a reality? Hand-drawn old postcards draw the sisters into the mystery of Hannah Montague, the young widow of the original owner. Can the sisters uncover the fate of this woman who disappeared in 1880? As Caroline and her sisters work together to make their mom's dream a reality, they bond in ways they never expected.

Readers will delight in the inviting setting and be enthralled by the adventures of these sisters who reunite to bring their mother's Misty Harbor dreams to life.

Sunflower Summer (Postcards from Misty Harbor Inn series)

About the Book:

Misty Harbor Inn officially opens, and Gracie Gold, the middle Marris sister, wrestles with an overwhelming decision. As the sisters learn the day-to-day workings of running an inn, Gracie counsels its first guests, newlyweds whose honeymoon seems to be ending before it begins. Meanwhile, Sam's discovery of a clue in a secret room sheds unflattering light on Hannah Montague, who vanished from the house more than one hundred years ago. And as Gracie and Caroline welcome guests to the inn, they are delighted to see how God uses it -- and them -- to deepen relationships and transform lives.

Readers will delight in the inviting setting and be enthralled by the adventures of these sisters who reunite to bring their mother's dream to reality.

My Comments:

These books were delightful! They have romance and mystery.  They not only focus on the relationship between the sisters but also on the other relationships in their lives.  The sisters range in age from the early fifties to the early sixties.  One is a single mom who recently became an empty nester.  Another is a recently widowed grandmother. The third is a single career woman who has never settled down.  As they work to acquire and open the inn they have to explore what is important to them in life and how they want to spend their later middle years.  They learn new talents and to appreciate those they've always had.

While classified as Christian fiction it is on the milder  end of the spectrum and only those who hate any mention of God, faith or religion should have a problem with the religion in this book.

I'd like to thank the publisher for providing a complimentary review copy via Litfuse.  I look forward to reading other books in this series.  Grade B+

Guideposts Books is celebrating the release of their new Postcards from Misty Harbor Inn series with a fun giveaway and a Facebook party on May 9th.

One fortunate winner will receive:

• A Nook HD
• Seaside Harmony and Sunflower Summer by Evangeline Kelley

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on May 8th. Winner will be announced at the Postcards from Misty Harbor Inn Author Chat Facebook Party on 5/9. Connect with Patti Berg, Pam Andrews, Barbara Hanson, and Camy Tang (who collaborated together under the pen name, Evangeline Kelley) for an evening of book chat, trivia, and fun! There will also be great giveaways (gift certificates, books, and more) as well as a sneak peek at the next book in the series!

So grab your copies of Seaside Harmony and Sunflower Summer and join readers just like you on the evening of May 9th for a chance to connect with the authors and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the books - don't let that stop you from coming!)

Don't miss the fun. RSVP today and tell your friends about the giveaway via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 9th!

The Winner

This Little Light of Mine: Living the Beatitudes

About the Book:

This Little Light of Mine: Living the Beatitudes makes ordinary time extraordinary! This book explores the foundations of a child's faith through the Beatitudes and the 10 Commandments. Through this connection, children can learn the true way to live a Christian life. Topics range from gifts and fruits of the spirit to learning about Saints. This book of faith formation helps children learn the values of their Catholic faith in their everyday lives. They can learn to live out their faith throughout Ordinary Time, focusing on everyday faith instead of only during the Holiday seasons.

The Winner:  

The winner of my Giveaway of This Little Light of Mine is Noreen, who blogs at Rosary Mom.  Noreen, send me an email with your snail mail address.

Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival

Hello, and welcome to Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival. We are a group of Catholic bloggers who gather weekly to share our best posts with each other. To participate, go to your blog and create a post titled Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival. In it, discuss and link to your posts for the week--whether they deal with theology, Catholic living or cute Catholic kids. I'm mostly a book blogger so my posts are generally book reviews, some Catholic, some not. Make sure that post links back here. Once you publish it, come back here and leave a link below.

We also have a yahoogroup; signing up for it will get you one weekly reminder to post.  Click here to sign up.

Please send up vehicle prayers for us.  The one my son had an accident in a couple of weeks ago is back in the shop and we giving serious thought to replacing it.   It's an older "boring" car with low mileage but how much money do you pour into something?  We tend to drive them till the drop and always wonder if we'd be better off fixing what we have, but still...

I have only three posts this week for you.  Rescue Team is a Christian romance.  The Apple Orchard is a general market romance.  I also announced the winner of This Little Light of Mine.

Rescue Team: My Review

Rescue Team (Grace Medical)

About the Book:

Tired of running from her past, nurse Kate Callison intends to become Austin Grace Hospital’s permanent ER director and make Texas her home. Despite staff friction, she’s moving ahead. Then unthinkable tragedy wraps the ER in crime tape, bringing swarms of media, legal chaos—and a search-and-rescue hero who seems determined to meddle in her life. 

For Wes Tanner, nothing beats finding someone who’s lost; he’s known that helpless terror firsthand. So he’ll expand his team’s lifeline of hope: K9 tracking, swift water rescue, even horse-mounted searches. He’s ready for anything—except Austin Grace’s prickly and dismissive ER director. 

As Kate and Wes discover more about each other, new respect becomes something deeper. Kate wonders if her heart might have finally found a home. Then an unsolved missing persons case—and a startling new one—become catalysts that threaten the loss of all she and Wes have found.

My Comments:

While more religious than some of Calvert's other books, Rescue Team showcases a heartwarming romance between two people who have been both loved and abandoned in their lives, and who have made major decisions in their lives based on the abandonment.  Both need to learn to trust each other. Both need to realize that God won't abandon them.  

Kate's dad is a recovering alcoholic going through the twelve steps, including making amends to those he has hurt.  I cheered for him as he dealt with Kate's understandable detachment.  

Candace Calvert used to be a nurse and manages to put a lot of detail into the hospital scenes.  While I have no idea how accurate the scenes dealing with search and rescue are, they are interesting to read.  

The book is Christian fiction and we watch Kate make peace with God after a lot of years of fighting Him.  However, I wouldn't call it a preachy book and unless religion in books is an automatic turn-off, I don't think there is enough religion here to turn off those looking for a clean romantic read.

I'd like to thank the publisher for making a review copy available via NetGalley.  Grade:  B+

Book Review: The Apple Orchard

The Apple Orchard

About the Book:

Tess Delaney makes a living restoring stolen treasures to their rightful owners. People like Annelise Winther, who refuses to sell her long-gone mother's beloved necklace—despite Tess's advice. To Annelise, the jewel's value is in its memories.

But Tess's own history is filled with gaps: a father she never met, a mother who spent more time traveling than with her daughter. So Tess is shocked when she discovers the grandfather she never knew is in a coma. And that she has been named in his will to inherit half of Bella Vista, a hundred-acre apple orchard in the magical Sonoma town called Archangel.

The rest is willed to Isabel Johansen. A half sister she's never heard of.

Against the rich landscape of Bella Vista, Tess begins to discover a world filled with the simple pleasures of food and family, of the warm earth beneath her bare feet. A world where family comes first and the roots of history run deep. A place where falling in love is not only possible, but inevitable.

And in a season filled with new experiences, Tess begins to see the truth in something Annelise once told her: if you don't believe memories are worth more than money, then perhaps you've not made the right kind of memories.

My Comments:

For most of this book I loved it.  I loved watching Tess as she traded the convenient relationships of work for the deeper relationships of family and love. I liked the flashbacks to WWII and the 1980's.  I smiled as  Tess met and fell in love with a wonderful guy, and when she was willing to sacrifice that love for the good of a family.  However, at the end the book became very unrealistic and too many unlikely things had to happen in a short period of time for everything to work  out well.  

I'd like to thank the publisher for making a review copy available via NetGalley.  Grade:  B

Blog Tour: Sweet Sanctuary

To celebrate the release of  Sweet Sanctuary Kim Vogel Sawyer is giving away a Cupcake Club membership (monthly cupcake delivery!) from the amazing Magnolia Bakery in New York and hosting a Facebook Author Chat party {4/30}!

One "sweet" winner will receive:

• Cupcakes from NYC’s Magnolia Bakery delivered to your door every month. (Eat them all yourself or share!)
• Sweet Sanctuary by Kim Vogel Sawyer for you and four of your friends. (Start a book group — cupcakes and a "sweet" read!)

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on April 29th. Winner will be announced at the "Sweet Sanctuary" Author Chat Party on 4/30. Connect with Kim, get a sneak peek of her next book, try your hand at a trivia contest, and chat with readers just like yourself. There will also be fun giveaways - gift certificates, books, and more!

So grab your copy of Sweet Sanctuary and join Kim on the evening of April 30th for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book - don't let that stop you from coming!)

Don't miss a moment of the fun, RSVP today. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 30th!

Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival

Hello, and welcome to Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival. We are a group of Catholic bloggers who gather weekly to share our best posts with each other. To participate, go to your blog and create a post titled Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival. In it, discuss and link to your posts for the week--whether they deal with theology, Catholic living or cute Catholic kids. I'm mostly a book blogger so my posts are generally book reviews, some Catholic, some not. Make sure that post links back here. Once you publish it, come back here and leave a link below.

We also have a yahoogroup; signing up for it will get you one weekly reminder to post.  Click here to sign up.

A relatively "normal" week here, whatever "normal" really means.  Tomorrow my older daughter and I are going shopping for prom dresses.  She only has ten days of school left (short spring break at the end of next week, plus a trip to Washington DC at the end of the month) and high school is history.  It's so hard to believe.  

Lots of blog posts this week.  Stress Test is a Christian thriller.  I read a children's book on St. Francis.  Hidden Mercies is Amish fiction.  Blessed Beautiful and Bodacious is about women's spirituality.  Don't forget to enter my giveaway for Kathleen Basi's book about the Beatitudes.

Blog Tour: Stress Test

Stress Test

About the Book:

Dr. Matt Newman thought he was leaving his life as a surgeon in private practice for a better one in academic medicine. But the kidnappers who attacked him as he left the hospital at 2 a.m. have no such plans—they just want him dead. Bound and in the trunk of his car, Matt’s only thought is fleeing with his life. He does escape, but at a price: a head injury that lands him in the ICU . . . where he awakens to discover he’s being charged with murder.

Sandra Murray is a fiery, redheaded lawyer who swore she was done with doctors after her last relationship. But when Matt calls, she knows she can’t walk away from defending someone who is truly innocent.

Matt’s career is going down the drain. His freedom and perhaps his life may be next. But with the police convinced he’s a killer and the kidnappers still trying to finish what they started, finding the truth—and the faith to keep going—will be the toughest stress test Matt has ever endured.

My Comments:

Richard Mabry has written another fast-pasted thriller that should keep readers on the edge of their seat until the sweet conclusion.  Unfortunately I found the resolution part of the story completely far-fetched.   The basic story of the bad guys was believable.  That Matt escaped them once was a little incredible, but I supposed it could happen.  That he escaped them twice, or even...well, it was obvious this book had to have a happy ending.

The book is Christian fiction and in this case, I think the Christian part came off primarily as a commercial--something that had little to do with the main action of the story, little to do with why the characters (with one exception) acted the way they did, it was just stuck in there or so it seemed to me.

As noted above, one of the main characters is a criminal defense attorney.  The legal details were not quite right either.  An assistant District Attorney talked about attending a deposition.  Criminal depositions are the exception rather than the rule--in 20 years in the criminal defense business, I've heard of two, both for extraordinary reasons.  

In short, while I enjoyed most of the book, the last few chapters just got more and more incredible.

I'd like to thank the folks at Litfuse for making a review copy available.  Grade:  B-   

Richard Mabry is celebrating the release of Stress Test with a Nook HD Giveaway! Enter today.

One winner will receive:

• A brand new Nook HD
• A $15 gift certificate to BarnesandNoble.com

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on April 27th. Winner will be announced on 4/29/13 at Richard's blog.

Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning.

St. Francis of Assisi: My Review

Saint Francis of Assisi

About the Book:

Saint Francis of Assisi is one of the most beloved and inspirational figures in the history of Christianity. The stunning illustrations of award-winning author, Demi, bring to life the story of this son of a rich merchant, who abandoned all his worldly goods in order to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ. Inspired by the remarkable example of his holiness, Saint Francis is venerated by millions of Christians around the world, no matter their denomination.

My Comments:

This is a beautiful book and I'm going to put in on my nine year old daughter's Kindle Fire and see what she thinks of it.  However, from my perspective it spends a lot of time focusing on the miraculous in St. Francis' life and little focusing on his actual deeds and teaching.  Still, most of what I just read on Wikipedia about St. Francis made it into the book.  

There are large drawings on each page, which are done in such a way as to appear to be framed artwork.  While there is not a tremendous amount of writing on any page, the vocabulary is above that generally used in books for young children.  At 60 pages I believe it is too long to be read aloud at a single sitting, however there are no chapter breaks or other logical stopping points.  Therefore I would recommend it for kids in the 9-12 age group--old enough to read for themselves and to have the necessary vocabulary.  

I'd like to thank the publisher for making a review copy available via NetGalley.  Grade:  B

Review: Hidden Mercies

Hidden Mercies: A Novel

About the Book:

At seventeen, Tom Miller smashed his car into a tree, killing his brother only four hours before he was scheduled to marry Claire Shetler. Unable to live with his father’s bottomless grief and anger, Tom left the Amish church, ran away, and joined the Marines. Twenty-seven years later, Tom returns to Mt. Hope, Ohio, a wounded, decorated Marine helicopter pilot, and rents an apartment over Claire's workshop. A widowed Amish midwife, Claire is struggling to support her family, and despite her unresolved anger toward Tom, she sees the money as a Godsend. She never dreams that she will end up falling in love with a battle-scarred soldier.

As Claire and Tom fight their way through the traumas of the past, they discover the tender mercies God has hidden along the way—one of which is a loving father who has been praying for his prodigal son to come home.

My Comments:

I enjoyed this novel that brings together the wounded combat vet and the Amish midwife.  I'm not sure how realistic it is as most of my knowledge of the Amish comes from books like these but I have a hard time seeing such an insular society taking in strangers as happens in this book.  

In some ways though this story reaches beyond the Amish/English world and shows the universality of the struggles between spouses, the struggles between parents and children and the struggles of aging.  It shows how forgiveness brings people together and how not forgiving hurts both the one who should forgive and the one who needs pardon.  

All in all, this was a quick, easy sweet read that I thoroughly enjoyed.  Grade:  B+

Thanks to the publisher for providing a complimentary review copy.

Review: Blessed, Beautiful and Bodacious

Blessed, Beautiful and Bodacious: Celebrating the Gift of Catholic Womanhood

About the Book:

Pat Gohn draws on decades of women's ministry experience, her popular Catholic women's podcast Among Women, and her own story as a wife and mother, proclaiming the Church's compelling vision of every woman: you have dignity, you are gifted, and you have a mission.

The lively and unforgettable Gohn guides readers through moments of her life that have shaped her identity and understanding of womanhood--abiding love and talent for music, breast cancer in her thirties, and coming to understand true feminism in light of Church teaching and Mary's example. More than a mere memoir, Blessed, Beautiful, and Bodacious offers readers insight into the writings of Blessed John Paul II, which articulate four gifts unique to every woman: generosity, receptivity, sensitivity, and maternity. With humor, faith, and the open-hearted tone of a trusted mentor, Gohn shares how she became empowered to embrace her blessings, beauty, and bodaciousness, and how readers can do the same.

My Comments:

There are things that bring to mind fingernails on a chalkboard (and I guess it won't be long before that comment dates me).  "You sound like a little girl" or "Quit being a sissy" are comments that irritate me beyond belief. Am I a mom who bought Barbies for my son or encouraged him to wear pink so as to embrace his feminine side?  No, what aggravates me so much about comments like that is the suggestion that being feminine is somehow less than being masculine.  The tomboy who wanted to do what the boys did was admired; the "sissy" who wanted to be like the girls, not at all.  

Pam Gohn encourages her readers to embrace femininity but not  a weak, passive or manipulative femininity. She describes the terms "generosity", "receptivity", "sensitivity" and "maternity" and talks about how women have those traits and use them to honor God.  She uses the Blessed Mother as an example but remains very down-to-earth and practical.  Pam tells us about the development of her own spiritual life and reminds us that all of us are "Blessed, Beautiful and  Bodacious" because we were created by God.  

I enjoyed the book, and ended up highlighting far to many passages to quote here.  Thanks to the publisher for making a review copy available via NetGalley.  Grade:  B+

Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival

Hello, and welcome to Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival. We are a group of Catholic bloggers who gather weekly to share our best posts with each other. To participate, go to your blog and create a post titled Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival. In it, discuss and link to your posts for the week--whether they deal with theology, Catholic living or cute Catholic kids. I'm mostly a book blogger so my posts are generally book reviews, some Catholic, some not. Make sure that post links back here. Once you publish it, come back here and leave a link below.

We also have a yahoogroup; signing up for it will get you one weekly reminder to post.  Click here to sign up.

Hope everyone had a blessed Easter.  We went to my Dad's parish for mass with him and then over to his house for dinner.  My brother and his son came over for a while so the kids got to hunt eggs and play.  The weather here in the middle of the week was rainy and miserable.  Unfortunately my son hit a puddle and hit a guardrail, taking out the transmission and radiator in the car.  Fortunately, he is fine and he didn't hit anyone else.  Yesterday the painters started working on the exterior of our house. We've been in this house fifteen  years and the only major work we've done is a kitchen renovation thirteen years ago, so it is fun seeing stuff change.  We have a bunch more work we plan to do in the near future, and so far the paint job looks great so I'm getting excited.  I  just have so much stuff to pick out and I'm not really good a visualizing what I cannot see.  

Blogging-wise, I've had several posts this week:

This Little Light of Mine is a book on teaching your children the faith during Ordinary Time.  It is written by Sunday Snippets regular, Kathleen Basi.  I'm also giving away a copy.  

A Tapestry of Fortunes is about several fifty-ish women who are living together.

Last Chance Bookclub is a romance in which the characters to to church and to bed.

Oh, and something else, I've started participating in New Evangelists Monthly, which is a link-up of Catholic bloggers where people submit their best monthly post.  I haven't started reading the posts yet, but I saw one familiar face over there--Hi Ellen!

Last Chance Book Club: Book Review

Last Chance Book Club

About the Book:

After a painful divorce, Savannah White wants nothing more than to find her happy place. So when she gets the chance to pack up her life -and her son - and move to the idyllic town where she spent childhood summers, she jumps at the opportunity. Last Chance is just as charming as she remembered. She's even invited to join the local book club, where talk soon turns to Savannah's plan to bring the ramshackle downtown movie theater back to life. A new challenge is just what Savannah needs to move forward.. . . 

Dash Randall wants to put his fortune to good use, but he remembers Savannah as the bratty "princess" who descended upon him each June, causing no end of trouble. But the teenager he remembered has grown into a gorgeous and generous woman, and it isn't long before Dash finds himself wanting to make brand new memories with Savannah. But first, Dash and Savannah will need to make peace with their pasts to find a new chance for love.

My Comments:

Like the other books in  this series, Last Chance Book Club is a fun romantic novel full of quirky small-town characters.  Like the other books in the series, it includes both church services and a steamy bedroom scene.  Like the other books, it ends in happily ever after.

Savannah's parents never had time for her when she was a child, but her grandfather, who she visited each summer, made her feel cherished and special.  What she didn't realize as a child is that love is not finite--giving love to someone doesn't mean less love for someone else. When her grandfather took in Dash, she felt threatened and strikes out at the interloper.  Now they are meeting as adults.

Characters from the other Last Chance books make appearances but the book stands well on its own.  

I liked the way Dash tried to be to Savannah's son what Savannah's grandfather had been to him--a man who did "guy" things, a man who showed him by actions how a man should act.  Dash is also a recovering alcoholic and now that he has learned to live without drinking, he needs to learn how to live his life away from alcohol.  

I'd like to thank the publisher for making a review copy available via NetGalley.  Grade:  B+.

Review: This Little Light of Mine

This Little Light of Mine: Living the Beatitudes

About the Book:

This Little Light of Mine: Living the Beatitudes makes ordinary time extraordinary! This book explores the foundations of a child's faith through the Beatitudes and the 10 Commandments. Through this connection, children can learn the true way to live a Christian life. Topics range from gifts and fruits of the spirit to learning about Saints. This book of faith formation helps children learn the values of their Catholic faith in their everyday lives. They can learn to live out their faith throughout Ordinary Time, focusing on everyday faith instead of only during the Holiday seasons.

My Comments:

Most Catholic parents who are intent on passing on the faith have favorite family religious traditions during Advent, Christmas, Lent and Easter.  However, those weeks cover less than half the year.  The rest of the year is Ordinary Time, green vestment time.  How can parents use those weeks to help children live the faith?  That is the question that Kathleen Basi attempts to answer in This Little Light of Mine: Living the Beatitudes.

In a nine chapter book Basi uses the framework of the Beatitudes to cover the topics of Living in Humility, Suffering Freedom and Sin, The Gifts and Fruits of the Holy Spirit, Liturgy and the Liturgical Year, Putting the Focus on Mercy, Sacraments and Private Devotions, Celebrating the Saints, Persecution in the Modern World and Putting It All Together.  Each chapter has a section for adults, a section for children and a section called "Just Live It" which gives ideas for family activities based on the topic at hand.  For example, the chapter on Putting the Focus on Mercy deals with the fourth through the tenth commandments.  Dealing with the commandment on adultery, Basi admits that most of us will never commit adultery, but she points out that fidelity in marriage does not end with staying out of other people's beds but includes honoring each other and treating each other during conflict with the respect we want to receive.  The "Just Live It" section includes a suggestion to devote one or two nights to couple time, turning off the TV, computers and phones after the kids go to bed and spending couple time together working puzzles, talking, or reading together.  The kids' section says that adultery is when married people break their promise to be faithful to their spouse.  It tells the kids that they can practice by being faithful to friends and family members, and that when you talk about them, say only things you wouldn't mind them hearing.

I liked Katheen's concrete ways to make the faith relevant to today's life.  I liked her adult explanations of the Beatitudes and the Commandments.  The book is a good basic guide to Catholicism, easy to read, hits the highlights and relates them to daily life.  I'm less fond of the instructional sections for kids.  I just can't see reading that much verbiage to my nine year old or to a younger child, especially as there are no pictures in the book.  I can easily see incorporating some of the "Just Do It" ideas in our lives.

I'd like to thank Kathleen and her publisher for providing a complimentary review copy.  Kathleen is a regular participant in Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival, which is a weekly gathering of Catholic bloggers which is hosted here.  I've previously reviewed her books on Advent and Lent and you can read her blog here.  Grade:  B.

Giveaway:
I have a copy of this book to give away to one of my readers (US only).  To enter the giveaway, leave a comment saying why you want the book, and including your email address.  For a second entry leave a separate comment telling about a faith-sharing activity you do with your family during Ordinary Time.  For a third entry, (or second if you don't do the other) participate in Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival on April 6-7.  You can participate as a blogger by linking up a relevant post and then leaving a comment here saying you did so or as a reader by commenting on three of the linked posts and leaving a comment here saying you did so.  Finally, you can get an entry by spreading the word about this giveaway either by way of your blog (leave a comment with a link) or by way of Facebook (leave a comment telling me you did).  

A Tapestry of Fortunes

Tapestry of Fortunes: A Novel

About the Book:

Cecilia Ross is looking for a change. She has decided to take time off from her job as a successful motivational speaker and sell her home. She moves in to a beautiful old house in St. Paul, Minnesota, complete with a big front porch, a wild garden, a chef's kitchen-and three roommates. The four women are different ages, but all are feeling restless, and want to take a roadtrip to find again the people and things they miss. One woman wants to connect with a daughter she gave away at birth; another wants to visit her long-absent ex-husband; a third woman, a professional chef, is seeking new inspiration from the restaurants along the way. And Cecilia is looking for Dennis Halsinger, the man she never got over, who recently sent her a postcard out of the blue. This novel is classic Elizabeth Berg-a portrait of how women grow through the relationships that define them, and a testament to the power of female friendship.

My Comments:

I enjoy stories featuring the relationships between women, and I've heard good things about Elizabeth Berg so when Edelweiss offered this galley I grabbed it.  I enjoyed it, though it wasn't much like my normal reads. Yes there is romance, but it really isn't the focus of the story; the women are.  Another thing  I liked about the book is that it featured women my age, an age at which many of us are starting, whether we like it or not, new parts of our lives as children grow up, jobs change or people die.  The only problem  I had with the book is that none of the characters struck me as people I'd like to have in my life--not that I hated them, I just didn't get the warm fuzzies for any of them.  Grade:  B.