Posts Tagged: book reviews

Book Review: ‘When Stone Wings Fly,’ by Karen Barnett

Posted September 18, 2023 | Christy Hoss

When Stone Wings Fly: A Smoky Mountains Novel

Kieran Lucas’s grandmother is slipping into dementia, and when her memory is gone, Kieran’s last tie to the family she barely knows will be lost forever. Worse, flashbacks of her mother’s death torment Granny Mac and there’s precious little Kieran can do to help.

In 1931, the creation of the new Great Smoky Mountains National Park threatens Rosie McCauley’s home. Rosie vows the only way the commission will get her land is if they haul her off in a pine box.

When a compromise offers her and her disabled sister the opportunity to stay for Rosie’s lifetime, her acceptance sets her apart from the other mountain folk. And the bond she’s forming with ornithologist and outsider Benton Fuller only broadens the rift.

Eighty-five years later, Kieran heads back to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to find answers to her great-grandmother’s mysterious death and bring peace to Granny Mac before it’s too late. Park Historian Zach Jensen may be the key to locating both the answers.

But what Kieran needs clashes with the government regulations Zach is sworn to uphold. Can she trust God for a solution to heal this generations-old wound?

My Thoughts

As a former park ranger, author Karen Barnett has found her writing niche. Using national parks as her novel settings comes naturally.

Having moved a short drive from the Smoky Mountains, the setting of her latest novel, Barnett’s carefully crafted words make me feel like I am hiking through the forest with her characters.

From the beginning, the main character’s conflict drew me into the story. She has a disabled sister whom she loves but can cause unwanted troubles adding to financial issues, making for real-life struggles, all wrapped up in a beautiful setting.

The mystery of the past, intertwined with the troubles of the future and a little romance added into the storyline, makes this a recipe for a book that once you start reading, you don’t want to put down until you have reached the last page.

Aiden loves Karen’s mascot, Ranger Bear. Check out Aiden’s blog post, “Ranger Bear Gets a Ride.”

About the Author

Karen Barnett, the award-winning author of eight novels, writes historical romance that sweeps readers into the beauty and adventure of our national parks. A former park ranger and naturalist, she worked at Mount Rainier National Park, Oregon’s Silver Falls State Park, and Northwest Trek Wildlife Park.

She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, two kids, and three mischievous dachshunds. When not writing, Karen enjoys photography, hiking, public speaking, and decorating crazy birthday cakes.

In 2016, she was named Writer of the Year by the prestigious Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference. Oregon Christian Writers (OCW) honored her with the Writer of Promise Award in 2013 and a 2014 Cascade Award for her debut novel, Mistaken.

Learn more about Karen at KarenBarnettBooks.com

The Author Reads – Book Review of ‘The Hem of His Garment: Reaching Out to God When Pain Overwhelms,’ by Dr. Michelle Bengtson

Posted August 7, 2023 | Christy Hoss

Hope for When the Pain Won’t Quit

Everyone experiences pain at times. It can manifest physically, emotionally, relationally, or spiritually. It can follow tragic accidents, great loss, sudden betrayal, or unexpected and unwanted change.

Often it is temporary. But what do you do when it isn’t? When the pain just won’t go away, when healing does not come, when the grief and hurt settle in?

Drawing on her own experience of chronic pain and her years as a board-certified clinical neuropsychologist, Dr. Michelle Bengtson provides a countercultural perspective on pain.

Offering hope without any false promises or empty platitudes, Dr. Bengtson unwraps the complex emotional aspects of dealing with pain. She gives you permission to question God, helps you identify the lies you’ve believed about your pain, and reorients your perception based on the truth of God’s Word.

Each chapter ends with a recommended playlist, reflection questions, and a prayer. Your pain may not change, but your experience of it can.

My Thoughts

Dr. Michelle Bengtson has a heart to help people, especially those who are hurting, both physically, mentally and emotionally.

This is clearly the message found in her previous books, and she has done it yet again in The Hem of His Garment.

Bengtson has written this book despite her own physical pain. She offers to link arms with those in pain, bringing hope. The choice is to hang on to it and Bengtson offers objective ways to put hope into action so one is not just reading about a solution but taking action upon one.

Chapter topics include how to focus, lamenting, relating to God and dealing with His silence.

Anyone looking for relief from any type of pain can find something to bring them hope through reading this book. Bengtson shares her heart with her readers so not one of them should feel alone in their pain.

About the Author

Dr. Michelle Bengtson entertained several dreams in her life: becoming a doctor, having children and writing a book.

She studied neuroscience, becoming a board-certified neuropsychologist almost 30 years ago. A few years later, the birth of her first son brought her second dream into reality.

God planted the third dream in her heart as a young girl. A few years ago, she published her first book, multi-award winning Hope Prevails: Insights From a Doctor’s Personal Journey Through Depression.

Since then, she authored three more books including the award-winning Hope Prevails Bible Study and award-winning Breaking Anxiety’s Grip: How to Reclaim the Peace God Promises. Today Is Going to be a Good Day: 90 Promises From God to Start Your Day Off Right, released through Revell in May, 2022.

She expanded her vision and became an international speaker, podcast host, and coach with a mission to restore hope, renew minds and empower others to live in their God-given identity.

Learn more at drmichellebengtson.com

The Author Reads – Book Review of ‘THAT End of Lilac Lane,’ by Sharon Schuller Kiser

Posted July 24, 2023 | Christy Hoss

About the Book

That End of Lilac Lane

Five-year-old Sarah Emily is abandoned under the sharp-pointed black iron letters ORPHAN ASYLUM OF LANDER. Timothy, a scruffy orphan boy, finds her on the doorstep, coaxes her inside—and a friendship begins.

Growing up under the cruel hand of the headmistress has left Sarah Emily desperate to find out if an orphan is worth anything to anyone. And why was she abandoned? She and Timothy will be pushed out into the world and wonder what life will hold for them.

The only clue to her past is one picture of her parents in an old mahogany box. But when a new crime opens the door to an old one, Sarah Emily discovers a terrible truth. She’ll do anything to keep it to herself—even from Timothy. However, secrets have a way of causing trouble…and danger.

My Thoughts

For those who love to read historical fiction, this is a must-read.

This is Sharon Schuller Kiser’s debut novel, and it is the first in a series. Kiser has crafted an excellent story, fully researched, that brings the reader to the era with a mere one-line description. It is like walking in the characters’ shoes or right beside them.

In a time long before bullying was recognized as a problem, Kiser’s story brings in the ultimate bully, who uses her position to oppress the children of the orphanage in her charge.

Sarah Emily possesses a bright and contagious positive attitude that, despite the difficulties thrown at her, helps her conquer and move on.

This is not just a story of a poor little orphan girl. It is a page-turner full of surprise challenges and impossible odds. I laughed and cried all in one chapter. It is a wonderful summer read I highly recommend.

Buy the book on Amazon.

About the Author

Sharon Schuller Kiser and her husband happily live in a tiny speck of a town in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains. After having hundreds of non-fiction magazine articles published, she finally listened to the characters whispering in her ear wrote her first novel.

Sharon is also a speaker, a storyteller, and for six years she hosted a motivational syndicated radio show.

She wants her words to inspire people to believe in the power of prayer and for them to know their lives and value are complete in Jesus.

If she’s not with friends and family, you may find her on the porch sipping sweet tea and letting the majestic mountains refresh her soul.

The Author Reads – Book Review of ‘Runaround Sue,’ by Jennifer Lyn Cary

Posted June 12, 2023 | Christy Hoss

About the Book

Runaround Sue

She gave away something precious. He lost a part of himself.

Can they find a way to help each other heal?

Sue is hiding out until she is sure her former reputation won’t destroy what she’s trying to rebuild. Unfortunately, that means this brilliant wordsmith turned semi-hermit is working beneath her potential and dealing with stress every time her office door opens.

The last thing she needs to do is greet some biker guy who sets her nerves to jumping just by being in the same room. And if his hairy face isn’t enough to put her off, the mere fact that he’s male is.

So why does she keep ending up in his presence?

Mac is home from Viet Nam and if he never thinks about that place again, it will be too soon. Instead he’s returned to his music that got him through his teen years, his exotic senior trip overseas (thanks to his Uncle Sam), and the deep wound that he brought home with him.

Using his GI bill to further his music understanding has pushed him outside his comfort zone, but the leggy secretary at his professor’s office is tempting him with other ideas he thought he’d shelved for good.

Even if she gets flustered every time he runs into her.

What will it take for her to give him a chance? Or is she more wounded than he is?

Return to 1972 Kokomo, Indiana, for the third installment of The Weather Girls Wedding Shoppe and Venue series—Runaround Sue—and what happens when people discover who God has called them to be.

You will love Runaround Sue, inspired by Dion and the Belmonts’ 1960s hit song, because everyone understands about facing fears with a do-over.

My Thoughts

I loved following the characters Jennifer Lyn Cary created in her Weather Girls series and now she takes the adventures and shenanigans farther with Runaround Sue.

You will be transported back to the seventies and the music will spin around in your mind as you read page after page. The descriptions will create a movie for your mind from page one to the last word. This is another page-turner. Any book – or all of them in this series – makes for a great summer read. Take your pick.

About the Author

Historical Christian romance author Jennifer Lynn Cary likes to say you can take the girl out of Indiana, but you can’t take the Hoosier out of the girl.

She is also a direct descendant of Davy Crockett, which, along with her Indy upbringing, adds fodder to her sweet/clean books.

She and her husband make their home in Arizona where she shares her tales of heritage and small-town life memories with her grandchildren.

Contact Jennifer at jenniferlynncary.com.

More Reviews of Books by Jennifer Lynn Cary

Sunny: The Weather Girls Series, Book 1

Stormy: The Weather Girls Series, Book 2

Sylvia’s Mother, The Weather Girls Wedding Shoppe and Venue series, Book 2

Book Review of ‘Handpicked,’ by Serina Marshall

Posted May 22, 2023 | Christy Hoss

Allie Rose always knew she was unique, but she is about to find out just how special she really is. See, Allie was adopted!

And no matter what anyone says about her new mom and dad, Allie will learn the importance and the magic of being specially HANDPICKED. Sometimes, all it takes is a little love and sunshine to grow – and it helps to know that “home” is the garden where you are lovingly planted and cared for most.

My thoughts

Adoption is an important part of keeping society afloat and there is always a need for adoptive parents. In the second book of The Rubber Band series, (The Rubber Band Stretches: Rock’s Story) Rocky hopes to be adopted one day by his foster parents.

Handpicked is a story based upon the author’s actual experience. Serina Marshall was adopted by her grandparents in her preschool years. In our world today, grandparents sometimes step up and raise second families.

This cheerful and colorfully illustrated book will be a great resource for adoptive parents to introduce the subject of adoption, and will certainly inspire confidence in adopted children. It will be a great resource to any library or children’s counseling groups.

About the author

Serina Marshall has spilled words across the writing spectrum. From newspapers to magazines, to anthologies, to speeches and blogs; she puts ink to her thoughts.

Born and raised in the foothills of East Tennessee, Marshall came back to Tennessee and her roots by way of Orlando, Florida, after working as an entertainment lead and trainer at Universal Studios. Marshall views every day as an adventure and every experience as a story.

The Author Reads – Book Review of ‘Over 50, Even More Defined,’ by Shel Harrington

Posted October 3, 2022 | Christy Hoss

Feeling old and need a good laugh?

Check out Over 50, Even More Defined, by Shel Harrington.

This book is filled with ROTFLOL belly laughs and giggle-snort moments, written by a humorist for a “chronologically” mature audience.

A giggle-snort might describe what Shel Harrington calls a “quinbloit,” or a word that is not yet in the dictionary.

Not to give spoilers, but two of my favorite quinbloits are:

BOOKMOCKER | book-mok-er (noun) A book labeled “historical fiction” that begins in the year you graduated from high school.
GUESTGUST | gest-guhst (verb) To get more cleaning done in the ten minutes before guests arrive than you usually do in a month. (My husband loves having guests since it forces me to clean house.)

Over 50, Even More Defined, is the second book in Harrington’s series of snort-worthy, eye-rolling laughs, defining words for those of us who have over-fifty moments that we can’t quite put the right word to, but those of our age would understand.

“After reading this book you’ll be equipped to communicate with your over-fifty buddies in shorthand. It’ll be like having your own secret code! As you read through these pages, you just may recognize yourself and others who are journeying through this special season of life with you. I hope having the words to accurately describe the adventure makes it more fun!”

-Shel Harrington

Contact Shel on her website or her Fat-Bottom-Fifties Get Fierce Facebook page.

Need I say more?

This book will make a great gift for the hard-to-buy-presents-for person in the 50 or older crowd and I am certain they will LOVE it.

Harrington’s books are available on Amazon.

The Author Reads – Book Review of ‘Forgive the Trespassers,’ by Vickie Phelps

Posted September 12, 2022 | Christy Hoss

About the Book

Betrayed by his fiancée and best friend, he left forever. When Jake Reynolds left Archer Springs, Texas, in June 1957, he planned to return at the end of the summer, but that was before he found out his best friend and his fiancée had eloped together. Devastated and betrayed, he never returned to his hometown.

Fast forward twenty-five years. Jake receives a letter from a local land developer stating the property willed to him by his aunt and uncle will be destroyed and used for other purposes unless he returns and sells the land and house. A long-ago promise to his aunt and uncle that he would always keep the property in the family comes back to haunt him.

Now he needs to return and keep his promise, but that means coming face to face with the two people who betrayed him twenty-five years ago.

Buy it on Amazon

About the Author

Vickie Phelps is a native Texan and has been writing since 1988. She loves to mentor other writers and in 2009 founded the East Texas Christian Writer’s Group which meets monthly for the purpose of encouraging and instructing writers in their pursuit of publication.

When she’s not writing, Vickie loves nothing more than reading a good book or discussing them with other readers. She spent eighteen years working for an independent bookstore, first as a bookseller, then as manager and buyer for the store. She retired from the store in 2012 and writes fulltime from her home in the piney woods of East Texas.

My Thoughts

If you like romance filled with suspense, then this book is for you. As I got involved with the characters’ lives, the historical setting of morals and values made me long for simpler times when your word was your word and sweethearts fell in love and were committed to each other no matter what.

It’s a little bit historical romance mixed with modern troubles. It becomes a page-turner as trouble compounds from the size of a lit match to a raging inferno.

Prepare to anticipate the unthinkable as good and evil battle due to miscommunication and assumptions from years gone by.

I give this book five stars.

The Author Reads – Book Review of ‘The Most Misunderstood Women of the Bible,’ by Mary DeMuth

Posted April 25, 2022 | Christy Hoss

It’s easy to feel unheard and misunderstood in today’s age of hyper-speed communication.

But guess what? Feeling misunderstood is nothing new.

In this unique book, Mary DeMuth tells the stories of ten women in the Bible who were misunderstood in their own time (and often still are).

This book offers real-life conversations about what it means to endure the pain of being misunderstood and reminds you that there is always One who understands you perfectly.

My thoughts:

Mary DeMuth has always been an author who knows how to address tough subjects with grace.

As a woman, I feel misunderstood and underappreciated all the time. I struggle with feelings of inadequacy and not being good enough.

How wonderful it is to have a book that gives insight into the lives of Biblical women who went through the same feelings women go through but may not talk about. Those hidden feelings are universal and though women may experience them differently, this book gives camaraderie to modern women from relatable women of a different era.

Biblical women helping women deal with issues only women understand. I am reminded that we are not meant to be alone in this world.

DeMuth has crafted this book with great care to encourage and strengthen women in spirit and faith. It is worth every minute of a misunderstood woman’s time, or, if you happen to be a man, read it to learn more of how women think and feel.

The Most Misunderstood Women of the Bible – purchase on Amazon

The Author Reads – Book Review of ‘Sanctuary,’ by Patrick Barrett and Susy Flory

Posted April 11, 2022 | Christy Hoss

Patrick Barrett grew up on the back of a donkey. In the small village of Liscarroll, the young boy helped his family run a sanctuary for abandoned and abused donkeys.

Struggling in school, Patrick only felt truly accepted in the presence of these funny, fuzzy, touching animals. It was like magic, how he and the donkeys understood each other. He became a true “donkey whisperer”—reading their body language, communicating with them in ways they could understand, and teaching himself how to “speak” in their distinctive calls.

But when Patrick was of age, he shipped out with the Irish Army and encountered unimaginable wartime horrors in Lebanon and Kosovo. In the aftermath, he returned home a broken man, sinking into the depths of PTSD and addictions. He believed nothing could save him. But he hadn’t counted on the donkeys.

Sanctuary is the remarkable true story of how faith turned one lost man’s life around with the help of the rescue animals who loved him. It’s an antidote to despair and a call to hope, revealing the beauty and wonder of Ireland as you’ve never seen it before.

My Thoughts:

This true story of an Irish village, a man who lost his way and the rescue donkeys that led him home should be recommended reading for all those in recovery programs of every kind.

Patrick shares his raw, honest emotions at every stage in his journey, from childhood alcoholism to humble submission to God’s call on his wayward heart. His open sharing of his experience evoked a range of emotions within me from sorrow to joy, frustration to clarity.

Woven within the story by analogy is his love for rescuing and relating to donkeys and their personality traits. Animal lovers will enjoy this read as Patrick truly has a soft heart for his four-legged friends and should be known as the ‘donkey whisperer.’

Patrick Barrett and Susy Flory, co-authors of Sanctuary.

Sanctuary will encourage and uplift an addicted heart to seek help, reminding the reader that God’s love is unconditional. I enjoyed this true story of rebellion and redemption and highly recommend it.

Purchase from Amazon

Purchase from Tyndale – This link includes a free excerpt and a free sample of the audiobook (the voice actor has a great Irish accent!)

The Author Reads Book Review: The Lady’s Mine by Francine Rivers

Posted February 21, 2022 | Christy Hoss

Francine Rivers’ latest novel, The Lady’s Mine, is true to Rivers’ writing form.

You’ll be in California Gold Rush days from page one to the end, feeling like you’re living it. Rivers’ detailed style draws the reader into that era with flair as you feel every bump on the washboard, dusty gravel roads, to slipping around on mud-slathered streets. Calvada, though fictional, is true to western settlements of those early California-Nevada days.

Then, just for fun, Rivers builds an unlikely romance between the main characters. Like the back cover reads, she’s new to the lawless mining town and he’s one of its most prominent citizens. Neither wants anything to do with the other. It will tug at your heart strings and have you laughing one minute and crying the next.

Yet another Francine Rivers novel you can’t put down.

Even Aiden is enjoying it!

For more on Francine, check out her website, francinerivers.com

Read Aiden’s blog post about attending the Redeeming Love movie premiere

Check out the Redeeming Love movie trailer