Wildflowers from Winter Christian Romance in the Midwest

Title: Wildflowers from Winter
Author: Katie Ganshert
Genre: Christian Romantic Fiction
Publisher: Waterbrook Press

Summary: Twenty-eight-year-old Bethany Quinn has overcome her small-town, trailer park upbringing. Working at a prestigious architectural firm in Chicago, and on the verge of moving in with her lawyer boyfriend, Bethany gets sucked into her past by circumstance – the death of her best friend’s husband and the waning health of her beloved Grandfather. As she returns to the hometown of her discontent, she tries to run away from the past pain to bury herself in who she’s become, but God has other plans.

Despite the melancholy of the main character, Bethany, this is a decidedly light, come-to-Jesus romantic novel. Bethany is angry with God – a place most of us have been. But her anger is decidedly masqued in the pain and sorrow of her upbringing. She’s prickly. Despite having a boyfriend in the beginning of the book, Bethany seems to have little love flowing through her life. Or perhaps she has mistaken it for achievement. Although she believes she has overcome, she has yet to confront the true thing that keeps her from moving forward.

Bethany is a hard character to identify with at the beginning of the book. She is very closed, and although she wears her pain on he sleeve, her silence distances the reader from her. But we are rewarded with her love interest, Evan, who is open and passionate. Healed from his own pain, he confronts Bethany again and again. And while she is on the run, we gradually see his influence affecting her as she makes her way through this story.

The tale is full of small-town Midwest charm – Farms and fairs, the place where everyone knows your name and your business. The clear message of faith in Jesus, is present. Bethany is truly battling her faith and the false belief systems that has been instilled in her childhood. Other characters are building blocks to God’s plan in this story.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. It’s message, although not unique, was a nice reminder of the sorrow we face on the path without God and that a perspective change makes all the difference. The characters seemed to grow on me as much as they grow in the story. Highly recommend for those who love Christian romance.

I was provided a complementary copy of this book by the publisher. All opinions expressed are mine.

 

When Literature and Life Meet

I have long been meaning to return to this space. I love writing, but life as a full time home school mom is daunting. By the end of the day, my brain is sapped and I usually curl up with a good book instead of vent my day. My life with my e reader has opened up a whole new world of reading. I love exploring new authors, and old favorites. But sometimes, my reading ventures into my home school life. I have read many books this past year that will help me in teaching my kids about history.

I am in the homestretch of reading the Pulitzer Prize winning book – Washington, A Life by Ron Chernow. I have actually been battling the book since October, back and forth with getting the eBook from the library. In the last couple of weeks, I’ve settled in, determined to finish before my next expiration. So far, I’ve been amazed. It’s funny that although our favorite President in so many ways, Washington’s life has been mostly fictionalized and the important parts left out. Although what do I know? I am sure I don’t understand what the public schools are actually teaching about him, but only what I’ve been taught and what we see in the general media.

But there is so much more!!! I will share a full review here after completing the book.

As I have been working my way through the stories, I have felt compelled to take my kids on field trips to Washington related locations. Our first stop was the Yorktown Battlefield and the location of Washington’s camp. It’s strange to think that a plantation house stood on the now vacant grounds. All that remains is a square that was the family cemetery, and the open ground where Washington’s tent’s stood. Could we almost here the drum beats?

Next on our list is Mount Vernon. I have been surprised by how much I have missed on his estate, and had now idea it is what it is. (www.mountvernon.org) I can hardly wait to see inside and walk the grounds, in my imagination see the places I have read about. This is what excites me about non-fiction. I love the real people, the real places, and the stories that could be nothing but true.

And the story of Washington? One that no American should miss!

 

Back to the Books

I got a NookColor as a late Christmas Present. And I’ve been on a reading tear ever since. Although January is usually a big reading month for me anyway. But here’s what I read in January:

A Bad Beginning and
The Reptile Room by Lemony Snickets
I hear of a lot of kids reading these Lemony Snickets books, so I decided to check them out to see what the hub bub was about. I personally did not like them. They are horribly gloomy and someone is murdered in The Reptile Room. I don’t get all the darkness in kids literature.

Open by Andre Agassi – I enjoyed this bio mostly. I liked the early years better. As he became a celebrity, then I had a little more distaste for him. But really enjoyed reading how he approached matches, the things that toppled him and the things that inspired him.

Choosing the See: A Journey of Struggle and Hope Mary Beth Chapman – The story of her life as wife of Christian Contemporary Artist, Steven Curtis Chapman and particular emphasis on the tragedy of the death of their young daughter Maria. Inspiring read at times. Mary Beth seems just like an ordinary person vs. the above bio.

The Prince of the Mist by Carlos Ruis Zafon. Zafon is of course my favorite author in recent years. And this is a rerelease of a teen book he had written some years ago. Same suspenseful, story, but much shorter and drawing to a conclusion much more quickly.

Committed by Elizabeth Gilbert. This is the lady who wrote Eat, Pray, Love. This starts where EPL left off. Liz and Felipe are planning to getting married, mostly because Felipe will be deported if they don’t. Liz shares the story of their journey through getting a visa to marry and explores world marriage customs, offers her opinion on how marriage destroys women and other fun marriage related stuff. Liked the first part, but it deeply saddened me to see that she could not fathom how the “independent woman lifestyle” is not necessarily a satisfying choice for all women. Oh, and she waved her politics around,too. I know it is her memoir, but once she waves that flag, it’s kind of pushes away any ability to identify with her that I had left. Hated it.

Life on the Refrigerator Door by Alice Kipers – Very quick read. The story of a mother and daughter through the notes they leave through each other on the refrigerator door. Eh.

Boyfriends, Burritos and an Ocean of Trouble- Teenage Christian novel. A teenager in an abusive situation, finds a way out, but still needs to get through the legal side of her abuse. Jesus is one the one who can help her, along with her Grandmother – a renowned surfing instructor. Despite the topic, this was a quick light read, and took place in Virginia – which is always interesting to me.

Ghost Hunter by Jason Hawes – TVs ghost hunters share some of how they got their start, their first cases, and what happened as they delved into their own show.

Ghosts of Gettysburg: Walking on Hallowed Ground by Dave Oester. Oester outlines the basic details of the three day battle and links the sites that have “known” ghost activity. He and others share stories of their experiences.

Remix by Lexi Revellion – Neat story – a presumed dead rock star returns from the dead to try and clear his name in the murder of a former bandmate. A little love, a little mystery…

The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo by Steig Larsson – You know the suspenseful components of this story were great, but some of the details were kind of yucky. S&M, sexual predators, serial killer….not my thing. But everywhere I go this book is staring me in the face, so I thought I’d give it a shot. Will not be reading the others.

Fearless: Imagine You Life without Fear by Max Lucado -I really enjoyed parts of this book. But I find Lucado good at identifying the hurts, the aches and the problems, but usually just offers the usual – follow Jesus solutions. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but sometimes a person just needs more.

Jimmy Stone’s Ghost Town Another indie author. Jimmy Stone lost a lot of things in his life, and by rights is kinda just hanging in there, but now there’s a whole nother dimension out there who needs him. And he’s got to find out what its all about. I think this is the first of what should be 7 books geared for middle school aged kids.

Three of these books were real books. All the rest e-books. 4 of the ebooks were from a library. Many of the others were freebes. Let me tell you, there are a lot of freebes in the ebook world.

I will probably check in about my new Nook sometime soon. I have 150 books on it – so far. So, I like it. I definitely like it.

 

Reading List Updated

I have updated my reading list – through today. I read an awesome book Bread of Angels by Stephanie Saldana. It is the best book I’ve read in a while. I tend to gravitate toward light fiction, simply for the escape component of it all. I do enjoy deeper reading, but with all the busyness of the day, light fair usually suits me better. This book is not light, and will make you think differently about how your approach your relationship with God. I highly recommend!

 

June Reading List

I slowed down a little in June. Really, 4 books read the first week and 4 the last week. Two weeks of no reading. Weird for me, but so busy with homeschool and summer and just enjoying time being, rather than being somewhere else.

Weekend Sewing by Heather Ross – Lots of projects here. Not much that interested me. She seemed to have plenty of clothing projects and good ones, too. But in general, not my taste or my preferred sewing.
Water for Elephants by Sarah Gruen – This was kind of a weird book. As the circus gets ready to come to town, a 90 y.o. man remembers his time under the big top. It’s quite a tale of mystery and intrigue and sadness in many ways. A boy, a girl and an elephant, a formula for something.
Dog On It: A Chet and Bernie Mystery by Spencer Quinn – Cute little mystery told from the dog’s perspective. Lot’s of rabbit trails based on the dog’s interest. Not a super imaginative ending, but a fun read if you like dogs.
Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen by Susan Gregg Gilmore – A young gal dreams her whole life of leaving her small town for the big city, and finally gets her chance. But there’s untold stories yet to be told and a powerful force calling her back to that small town.
The Eat-Clean Diet by Tosca Reno – Lots of good ideas in this book. The idea is that you eat 6 smaller meals with protein and complex carbs as the emphasis. If you’ve ever tried to eat healthy, you will know lots of these tips, but Reno gathers it all together in one book and throws in a few recipes to boot.
Called out of Darkness, A Spiritual Confession by Anne Rice – Despite it’s short length, this book seemed to be the longest one ever. This is author Anne Rice’s spiritual journey from pre-Vatican 2 Catholicism to atheism back to Catholicism. I’m not sure that Protestants will truly understand the complexity of the Catholic matrix in early America, but this will help to show you. I find it interesting that she returned, especially as she shares the details of her life.
The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein – Another book told by the dog. As Enzo’s life seems to be slipping away, he looks back on where he came from to where he is. A sad and yet heartwarming story. I liked it.
The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls – This is a memoir, and as I read it, I thought, can it be possible that people actually lived like this? Walls shares the story of her disfunctional family and their journey to survive in America in spite of her parents’ inability to consistently provide a stable living environment. Too interesting to toss aside.

My favorite books this month? The Art of Racing in the Rain and The Glass Castle. Different, but good.

 

Review: Jari Love, The Rest of the “Ripped” Series

Last week, I wrote a review on Jari Love’s, Get Extremely Ripped workout DVD. Today, I’m just going to give a brief overview of the rest of her Get Ripped Series.

Unless otherwise noted, for all workouts, you will need dumbbells, plates or a barbell and an aerobic step

Get Ripped - (The original)
Time – About 45 Minutes
The Workout – This DVD is the perfect introduction to at-home weight training, and the very foundation of the entire ripped series. It starts with a warm-up and works through all the major muscle groups with basic weight training moves including chest presses, squats, lunges, dead lifts, biceps, triceps, abs and more. Workout is low weight, high reps – meant to tone your body and not build bulk. The “Rippers” demonstrate the exercises using various modifications for all fitness levels. Love leads the workout and provides detailed instructions on how to do each exercise correctly, to avoid injury and maximize results.

Get Ripped Slim and Lean
Time – About an Hour
The Workout – In Slim and Lean, Love takes over where she left off in the original “Ripped”. Again, she presents a low weight, high rep workout that will work all major muscles groups. Many of the exercises include “pulse” options and isometric holds – different from the last dvd. Workout finishes with abs and a stretch.

Get Ripped to the Core
Time – About an Hour
The Workout – This Ripped workout takes the same high rep, low weight approach, but instead uses compound exercises in every segment. What’s a compound exercise? It’s designed to work multiple muscle groups at the same time. For example, one exercise segment has you moving from a deadlift (works legs and back) into a bicep curl. In another, you will do step ups and shoulder raises. Incredibly, it seems like you’re not doing much, but they do work. You will sweat and your heart rate will elevate as you move through this routine. And again, it’s all about modifications, as the rippers demonstrate different weights and variations for all fitness levels.

Get Ripped 1000
Time – About an Hour
The Workout – Aerobic intervals combine with compound exercises, is the concept behind this workout. It’s designed to burn lots of calories. After your warm-up, you’ll do a 2 minute simple aerobic segment that will get your heart rate pumping. Next will be a weight segment, typically with a compound exercise. Then it’s back to aerobics. The workout is similar to previous workouts with a high rep, low weight concept and multiple modifications on the exercises. One ripper demonstrates the various moves and exercises without a step to assist.

Get Ripped and Chiseled
Time – About an Hour
The Workout – Similar to previous workouts, except exercises are grouped according to muscle groups. These groups are worked to exhaustion and you might find yourself lightening up your load by the time your reach the last exercise in a particular group. The rippers again, show you how to get it done, no matter your fitness level.

My Thoughts -
Overall Impression – I have been doing these workouts for more than two years, and have really enjoyed them and seen results by using them. I had never done weight training workouts at home before I picked up my first Ripped workout. I find them challenging, and fun. I enjoy Jari’s personality and seeing the diversity of the “rippers”. Love gives a lot of good information on how to do exercises correctly, which has helped me tremendously. While these workouts are similar, there is some diversity here, really something for everyone. Many of the DVDs include great bonus features about how to do exercise correctly, what’s behind the Ripped workouts and even recipes.

Shelly’s Ripped Tip List
My Favorite - Ripped and Chiseled
My Least Favorite – Ripped 1000 (Mostly because my bunion is irritated by some of the aerobic moves, totally personal)
Best for Beginners – Original “Ripped”
For Functional Exercises – Ripped to the Core
My Usual Workout – Slim and Lean

When using these workouts, you must make sure that you challenge yourself. That has been my downfall here. After a shoulder injury 18 months ago, I have been hesitant to increase my weights and push myself through. Challenge yourself with these and don’t be afraid to take breaks. I made the most strides when I did that type of workout.

One Thing I Wish Was In the Workout - Someone Using Resistance Tubing. I’ve recently done some workouts with resistance tubing instead of dumbells. And it is fantastic. Wow. Many of the exercises could be modified to include a resistance ripper. Bands are an inexpensive alternative to having to invest in weights.

The Last WordLove the workouts. Great alternative to going to the gym for those who prefer at-home exercises.

You can watch previews of all of these workouts on Love’s website.

Note: I was not paid to provide a review of these workouts, and have no affiliation with the Get Ripped program. These are my opinions based on my own experience with the above products.

 

May Reading Review

It was an up and down month for reading. I went in spurts, really. Some great books this month.

Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout – Better than I thought it would be. One woman’s story told through a series of short stories. Some of the stories are told through her eyes, and others have her as a minor character – and shows how she influenced others.

The Note by Angela Hunt – A note is found after a plane crash with a final message, but it’s not clear who its for. One reporter seeks to find the recipient. What will she find out about the crash? What will she find out about herself?

Sunday at Tiffany’s by James Patterson – A little bit of a weird story. As an adult, the main character of the story meets her childhood imaginary friend. She is at a breaking point in her life. What will happen to her? Will he be able to stay and help?
Doesn’t She Look Natural by Angela Hunt – This is book 1 of the Fairlawn Series. I’ve already read 2, 3. I felt like I had to go back and read the first one and find out how it all started. Love this series.

The Middle Place by Kelly Corrigan – Non-fiction, Corrigan tells her story of discovering breast cancer and fighting it, linking it back to her childhood and family and particularily her father. Didn’t care for this book too much. Corrigan is a liberal, and there was a fair amount of cursing, and just the difference in world views, which is evident.

Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg – Want to make the same kind of great bread that’s been showing up in your grocery story bakery? Here’s a fast and simple way to do it. It’s so simple, even I can do it. Really good and delicious. Lots of recipes.

Suzanne’s Diary for Nicolas by James Patterson – A jilted girlfriend reads the diary of her “boyfriend’s” wife to discover why he left and why he was with her in the first place. A very emotional story. Really like it.

The Well Adjusted Child by Rachel Gatercole – As a homeschooling mom, if you’ve ever had to answer that question about socialization, this is the book for you. This book explains that socialization, regardless of schooling choices, is the responsibility of the parent. Often times, traditional schools give children the opportunity to make contacts. But there are equally good ways to make contacts in the homeschooling world. A decent book, but lots of repetitive information.

The Novelist by Angela Hunt – The worst Angela Hunt book I have read. The main character is a renowned novelist teaching a class on writing novels at a local community college. As the class helps her write a novel, she is living her own drama with her young adult son. Is the story a reflection or a prediction of her own situation? The novel she was writing is revealed as well, and although chock full of Biblical significance, just did not appeal to me.

The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry – An Irish matron who has been institutionalized most of her 90 plus years faces the possibility of release. As she is being evaluated by her psychiatrist, she writes the story of how she came to be there. What is the secret she hides, and how is it relevant?

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruis Zafon – The best book I have read in a while. It takes place in the 50s, post WWII Spain. The main character is boy who discovers a book with a mysterious author. As he grows and tries to find out more about the writer, he stumbles upon a mystery that he feels he must solve. Lots of twists and turns, confrontations, surprises, romance, tragedy. It was a real page turner.

I also started Liberty and Tyranny by Mark Levin. Although I did enjoy the few chapters I read, the subject matter was just too heavy for me at this time. And too depressing.

I’m hoping to slow down this month some. YTD, I have read 49 books.

What have you been reading?

 

April Reading

Here’s my list of books for April 2009:

• The Face by Angela Hunt – A young woman is a CIA “behind-the-scenes” computer geek, and has a mysterious past along with a facial deformity due to a childhood illness. Her last remaining family discovers her existence and tries to get in touch with her.
• She Always Wore Red by Angela Hunt – This is book two of the fairlawn series. Jennifer has inherited a funeral home and goes through the struggle of adapting to a new life in a new state managing her family and her new business.
• Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell – Bell, a pastor at a Michigan mega-church, writes about faith in the 21st century. Lots of different ways of looking at our lives. I’d like to read this one again in a few months, and take some notes. Lots of good “one liners” with revelation.
• She’s in a Better Place by Angela Hunt – Book 3 in the Fairlawn Series. Jennifer must deal with a whole new set of problems in her life. Will she pass her boards to become a licensed mortician in the midst of it.
• The Shack by William T. Young – Finding God in the agony of our daily situations. Good book. Great book.
• Split Ends by Kristin Billerbeck – This is Twentysomething Christian fiction. A stylist moves from Wyoming to Hollywood to train under a well know Salon. She carries her faith with her. How will it impact her daily life as she struggles to leave behind her alcoholic mom and the past of a small town girl.
• The Elevator by Angela Hunt – 3 women trapped in an elevator in Tampa during Hurricane Felix all have connections to one man. As the storm descends upon them, will they be rescued? They share pieces of their lives, their fears, their mistakes. What will happen when they realize their other connection.
• Magdalene by Angela Hunt – A historical novel retelling the story of Mary Magdalene. (It’s no Da Vinci Code. Not that I’ve read the Da Vinci Code, but I’ve heard of it.)

I also started but couldn’t finish, The Ten Year Nap by Meg Wolitzer

My favorite this month, The Shack. I may even purchase a copy of that one and read it again.

I’m moving right along here. I have 8 books in my book bag. I hope I can get them all done. I kind of went on an Angela Hunt thing here this month. She’s a Christian author who writes all kinds of stories. Faith is always a part of it, but on different levels, many times more subtle. But, I think there are 4 of her books in my bag. She’s written a lot and my library has many of them.

If you want to read more on my reviews, click my “goodreads” button in the sidebar.

I’m always looking for reading suggestions. What are you reading?

 

February Reads

Harry Bentley’s Second Chance by Dave Jackson *** 1/2 – The story line for these Yada Yada like books is not quite as appealing for some reason as the originals. I read Where Do I go? – which is a parallel story written by wife Neta, and it just confused me some.
Sisterchicks do the Hula by Robin Jones Gunn *** – Okay I got stuck on the Sisterchicks. I got 4 of them on reserve from the library before I had read one. They were light and fluffy books, for the most part, stories of different female friends hooking up in unlikely circumstances for a trip somewhere to discover themselves and God in a new way. I think they appealed to me merely because I have absolutely zero chance of that happening in my life right now.
Sisterschicks in Sombreros by Robin Jones Gunn *** 1/2
Sisterchicks OOOH La La by Robin Jones Gunn ** 1/2
One Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini **** 1/2 – This was easily as good as The Kite Runner. The characters were so compelling. I couldn’t put it down.
Searching for God Knows What by Donald Miller *** 1/2 – Not as good as Blue Like Jazz, but still a lot of interesting things to think about – such as “Cool is a Myth.”
Sisterchicks in Gondolas by Robin Jones Gunn *** 1/2 – My favorite of the Sisterchicks books, set in Venice.
So Brave, Young and Handsome: A Novel by Lief Enger **** 1/2 – Although I loved Peace Like a River, I wasn’t sure about this one. It took a few pages in developing. In the end, I think I liked it better than Peace Like a River. It was a different story, very different than PLAR.
Sisterchicks Go Brit by Robin Jones Gunn **-My least favorite.
Eat. Pray. Love by Elizabeth **** – I thought I was going to hate this book when I started. It’s the one year journey of a woman to rediscover herself after her divorce. She travels to Italy, India and then Indonesia. I actually went through my own divorce all over again in the first section of this book. It then started to appeal to me more. Despite her Yoga connections with God, I saw and identified clearly with many of her struggles. Her trip to Indonesia was the thing that turned me off a little. I won’t spoil it for everyone, but the end of her journey did not make sense to me.
The Knitting Circle by Ann Hood **** – Just finished this one. A mother’s journey to find herself after the death of her young daughter through the therapy of knitting. As each of her new acquaintances shares the tragedies of their lives, the main character fumbles through her own grief and loss. Better than the Friday Night Knitters.

My favorites this month:
A Thousand Splendid Suns
The Knitting Circle

 

January Books

I’ve been wondering why I haven’t finished any sewing projects this month, actually since early December. It’s because I’ve been reading so much. Here’s my book list for the month and some thoughts.

Knit Two by Kate Jacobs – I liked this one better than the first because there seemed to be more depth to the characters and we got to know different characters. After reading, I invested in some knitting needles, and have tried knitting. So far, not much progress.

Found Dogs by Elise Lufkin – A nice little book with short stories and pictures of rescued dogs and their owners. Some excellent stories.

Sisterchicks on the Loose by Robin Jones Gunn – The Sisterchicks books are fluffy to me. They are much lighter than the Yada Yadas. I always seem to like the characters, and am saddened that we don’t keep following the same gals through all the books. I like the travel element as I don’t much like traveling and they have given me a little peek at some new places.

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini – I loved this book. Incredible and moving.

Yada, Yada Prayer Group Gets Decked Out – Book 7 by Neta Jackson – My library finally got this book so I could finish the series. It tied a few things up neatly. I think I liked this one the least of the series.

Gardenias for Breakfast by Robin Jones Gunn – I really like parts of this book, and didn’t like other parts. Was glad when it was over.

Blue Like Jazz by Don Miller – Another book I just loved. Miller is talking my language in this one, as I am trying to figure out the balance in how to deal with faith in every breath.

Sisterchicks Down Under by Robin Jones Gunn – Chicks in New Zealand and Australia. Kind of fun. Liked this one better than the first, but still fluffy.

Pawprints of Katrina by Cathy Scott – Love. Love. Love. I had no idea what went on in the wake of Katrina in the animal rescue world. This is the view through the eyes of the Best Friends animal sanctuary. Some very heartwarming stuff.

Peace Like a River by Lief Enger – Another great book. Of course, the midwest twist always sucks me in. But seriously, this wound a lot of elements together and is still leaving me thinking about components of it.

Be a Pack Leader by Cesar Millan – I’ve been watching a lot of dog whisperer shows this month, so had to get the book to see his approach on paper. Although his methods are supposedly controversial, I think he has a lot of good ideas in here. I always love the stories though of the dogs turning around.

So that’s all for the month. I would say there were 3 excellent books in there -

The Kite Runner
Blue Like Jazz
Peace Like a River

But, Pawprints from Katrina was also good if you’re an animal, and especially dog lover.