A Plain and Simple Christmas

 

I was very excited to see this book show up in the mail a few days ago.  It's hot and humid here in Virginia in August so what better time than to turn the ac up and pretend it's snowing.  

I always love my "visits" to the Kauffman Amish Bakery.  You see a lot of familiar faces and check in on characters you have gotten to know. 

This book focuses on Anna Mae.  From the excerpt: 

In the tradition of her widely popular Kauffman Amish Bakery series, author Amy Clipston tells the tale of Anna Mae McDonough who was shunned by her family four years ago when she left her Amish community in Lancaster County, PA, to marry an “Englisher” (non Amish) man and move with him to Baltimore. Now, eight months pregnant when her first child, she longs to return home for Christmas to reconcile with her family, especially her stern father, who is the religious leader for her former Amish church district.

So Anne Mae writes a letter to Kathryn Beiler, her brother’s wife, to enlist her help. Kathryn asks her husband, David, if she should arrange Anna Mae’s visit. David cautions her that a visit would cause too much stress in the family and instead suggests they visit Anna Mae and her husband in the spring. However, Kathryn arranges the visit anyway, believing in her heart that it’s God’s will for the family to heal.

When Anna Mae arrives in Lancaster for Christmas, the welcome she receives is nothing like what she had hoped for.

A book filled with love, the pain of being separated from one’s family, and the determination to follow God’s will regardless of the outcome, A Plain and Simple Christmas is an inspiring page-turner that will keep you guessing what happens next … right to the very last page.

I enjoyed getting a chance to read this story.  As I said, visiting familiar characters is always fun and the book was a quick and easy read (I'm a fast reader and had it done in a day but it's a quick weekend or holiday read if you can wait that long;) )

Anna Mae wants nothing more than to be part of her family again.  She is having a baby and wants to make piece and mend the broken bond.  She enlists her sister in laws help to make that happen.  Kathryn spends time praying and believes that God is leading her to help with the reconciliation.  

I don't want to spoil the book and give everything away but things don't always go the way the characters want.  Anna Mae's father is stubborn and not all the members of the family are ready to welcome her back with open arms.  The story kept me guessing as to what was going to happen and I was cheering Anna Mae on the whole book.  

The story was full of life and I loved the interactions between the feisty Kathryn and her family.  The message of listening to God and forgiveness echoed through the book.  A great holiday (or August) read.  Pick up your copy today and Happy Reading!  

Betrayed by Amy Clipston

I like finding hidden gems.  One thing I enjoy is when you have read an author for a while and then find out they wrote other things before they found a niche.  

That's the case with Amy Clipston.  I found her pre-Amish book Betrayed in my library a few weeks ago.  

Amy Clipston is know for Amish fiction and the Kauffman series.  I have really enjoyed them.  When we were at the library a few weeks ago my awesome son pointed out this book.  While I insisted there were more Amy's in the world he equally insisted that this was one of her books.  My son is a pretty smart cookie.  I made the mistake of putting the book on a table while I was helping the kiddos check out and the next thing I knew the book was gone!  I had to go on a wait list.  But this book was well worth the wait.  

Betrayed tells the story of Lacey, the daughter of a NASCAR team owner who has been in love with Reese for as long as she can remember.  Reese is driver on the team and had grown up with Lacey. He sees her as a kid sister an grew up with her.  He also dates around a lot. 

When Lacey's stepmother and father were killed in an accident she begins to suspect things aren't quite right.  She turns to Reese to help figure out what happened.  The story moves along at a good fast pace keeping you involved and guessing what will happen right until the end.  Will Reese and Lacey learn to trust each other?  Will they uncover what really happened to her parents?  Well, I'm not going to spoil it for you. 

Now I really enjoyed the book but I do want to give fair warning, this is a departure from Christian fiction.  If you are looking for bonnets and buggies you won't find them here.  It is a fiction, mystery, romance combination.  I'm glad my son found this little treasure and that it is still enjoying popularity in my neck of the woods.  Pick up a copy and enjoy!  Happy Reading!  

The Gift of Love One Woman's Journey to save a Life

This summer my son and I are making a point to read more non-fiction this summer.  We both challenged each other to get out of the fiction and into different literary venues this summer. 

So I kicked back and picked up an Amy Clipston book.  She not only writes fantastic Amish and youth fiction she has an amazing story of her own to tell. 

In The Gift of Love, bestselling fiction author Amy Clipston shares her story of almost losing the love of her life to kidney disease and the ultimate sacrifice that kept their family together. An ordinary woman who cherishes family above all else, Amy was challenged in every way―from her strength of character to the depths of her faith to the close-knit family that surrounds her. Enduring the good, the bad, and the really bad, she was determined to help her husband once again be the husband and father their family needed.

Amy’s story will give hope and encouragement to anyone who finds themselves waiting on God. Staring down adversity, Amy and her family received the most important gift of all, the gift of love. And regardless of your situation, this gift can be yours too.

An inspirational story of strength and determination, The Gift of Love is the triumph of one woman’s faith against all odds, and a soul-filling reminder that no matter how hard life gets, it is worth fighting for.

This was a great read and hard to put down!  Amy tells the story in a fantastic way.  She weaves together a car accident and God watching out for her.  I felt like we could be sitting down for coffee (or tea in my case) and talking and following the journey.  

I loved how she was so real throughout the whole story.  How she described the ups and downs they went through and the road that led to the transplant.  Amy's love for her husband shines through.  

This book also shows the importance you can make in another person's life by giving of yourself and becoming an organ donor.  It's such a simple thing to do and can be life changing for someone else.  

So pick up a copy of the book and become an organ donor!  Happy reading!   

A Simple Prayer book review

One thing I love about Virginia is the changing of the seasons!  It is truly majestic here.  The thing I don't love is that everyone around here gets sick at the changing of the seasons! Normally I manage to stay healthy, but unfortunately I have succumb to a nasty virus.  

I hate being sick!  But while I'm down for the count I get to do one of my favorite things.  Read!  I am sitting in bed surrounded by tissues, meds, clear liquids and lots of books!  I'd take a picture but I have been quarantined in my room and I don't think you want to see my piles of tissues, lol.   

While my new Kindle is fired up and at the ready I still find myself reading "real" books.  There is something very comforting about the feel of a good book on your lap and a cat curled up on your toes when you are sick. 

My book of choice the past few days has been A Simple Prayer by Amy Clipston.  This is the 4th book in The Hearts of Lancaster Grand Hotel Series.  

Here is the book Blurb: Life has taken much from Linda Zook. Now she dares to hope for a chance at love and a new beginning.Linda Zook, 32, works part-time at the Lancaster Grand Hotel. As the sole survivor of a buggy accident that left her orphaned at age four, she was raised by her unwilling Uncle Reuben. Linda longs to be worthy of someone, but the life-long effects of her injuries and her upbringing under the care of her embittered uncle have destroyed her self-worth.Aaron Ebersol, 32, left the Amish community 17 years ago when he could no longer bear the restrictions or the constant tension with his father. He d written too many unanswered letters to his mother and found himself incapable of putting down any roots in his new home in Missouri. Success in work could not replace the family that denied Aaron, even after all of these years.Aaron hastily returns to the Amish community of Paradise, PA, after receiving word of his mother s stroke. Hesitant to get too close to the family he was once a part of, he decides to stay at the Heart of Paradise Bed & Breakfast. He soon encounters Linda, working there part-time, and they begin to develop a friendship.Aaron s return allows him to reconnect with his family as he jumps into home improvement projects, hoping to make his parents house more accessible to his handicapped mother. But before long, he is enraged to learn that his brother, Solomon, had hidden all of Aaron s letters to their mother.
Linda and Aaron must each learn to forgive the family members who have deceived and forsaken them. And Aaron must also show Linda that she is worthy of his love.

I really enjoyed this book.  Being part of the Bakery Bunch I got provided with an advanced reader copy.  Plus lots of time to read it!  

Amy does a fantastic job with her research and presenting the lives of the Amish.  Linda was someone that you cheered for the whole time.  She works hard and is treated horribly by her uncle.  She feels alone and unworthy of love and attention.  

Aaron left the Amish after he made an awful mistake.  He spent years writing to his family only to find out that the letters had never been received.  He comes back home after his mom becomes ill and is greeted with a lot of tension and resentment from his brother.  

Aaron and Linda meet at the Bed and Breakfast and form an instant connection.  They are both experiencing heartache over the way their families are treating them.  They find friendship, forgiveness, and well, you're just going to have to read the book yourself to find out the rest! 

There were many things I liked about the book.  As with all of Amy's books you can read them in a series or as a stand alone.  She does a good job on researching the Amish way of life as well!  The characters were well thought out and the story moved at a really good pace.  This book was a fantastic read and it will be available around the beginning of May. Pick up your copy today and happy reading!  

An Amish Cradle book review

So first I want to say that it has been way too long since I posted!   It has been a much harder winter than I had planned.  Everyone has been so sick.  We are just getting done with the flu!  Ugh!

I am so happy to see March and spring.  I'm a winter girl at heart, but frankly I'm happy to see this past winter just go.  The only good thing that came out of being sick is I got to do lots of extra reading (when you sit at doctors for 2 plus hours you'd better have entertainment!).

I was so excited to read An Amish Cradle.  This is a great book by four very talented writers with four very different short stories.

My son insisted my daughter "model" the book.  Just like my life the women in these stories had their lives change with the arrival of a new little one.  And things just don't always go as planned, like my "photo shoot".  As you can see someone was not quite enthusiastic about it!

In His Father's Arm's by Beth Wiseman leads off the stories in the book.  Ruth Anne has spent her whole life just wanting to be a mama.  When her son is born with Down syndrome her life is turned upside down.  Having two special needs kids I really connected with Ruth Anne.  I think I cried through a good part of the story.  Ruth Anne struggles to find peace and a place for her and her child. She meets unexpected friends along the way and finds strength she didn't know she had.  Beth Wiseman did an amazing job with this story and I would have to say this is my favorite one she has written.  

A Son for Always by Amy Clipston is the second story.  Carolyn became pregnant out of wedlock with her first child, Benjamin.  She has worked hard her whole life to make sure that he is supported. When she married Joshua and they found out she was expecting she is very unsure that her husband has room in his heart for her first son.  She worries and worries because that is what moms do.  I loved how this story showed that even in the Amish world they still have problems and are not perfect people.  The characters were easy to relate to and a really great read! 

A Heart Full of Love by Kathleen Fuller comes next.  Ellie became blind in an accident many years ago.  When she becomes pregnant her mom, who is already incredibly hovering, kicks into high gear. She insists her daughter can't handle twins and moves in.  The tensions rise and it becomes a battle ground.  I rooted for Ellie when she stood up for herself.  But finding out the reason why her mom couldn't cut the apron strings was heartbreaking.  Another home run in this book.  

An Unexpected Blessing by Vannetta Chapman is the last short story in the book.  Etta thought she was finished having children, but God had other plans.  She finds herself pregnant at 42.  She is missing her son David, who has left the community and also worried about the future of her farm. Will she ever find peace and be reunited with her son?  This story was a great end to a really good book.  

An Amish Cradle was a fantastic read with four very talented writers.  Pick up, or check out this book!  You'll be glad you did!  

Book Reviews on Roadside Assistance and Destination Unknown

I will admit most of my Kindle and bookcase are taken up with Amish Fiction or natural disaster stories and biographies(the latter ones are the hubs, I can't get into how nuclear reactors destroy the world, lol).  Fiction is solace and escape for me in a busy crazy upside down world.

I was so privileged to meet Amy Clipston a few weeks ago!  She also brought me books!!  And since I had a million hour car ride (at least it felt like that with two small kids!) I was able to burn through a few of them.  Since I had been lucky enough to have the third book in her ya series I decided the logical place to start was to go back and read the first two.  They were fantastic!  I felt really drawn in right from the get go.  Plus it really made a difference for me.  You can read them as stand alone books, but they really are better as a series.  You really can get a better appreciation of the characters in the book.   Both books did their job of telling a great story, character development, and a nice paced moving plot.

In Roadside Assistance Emily Curtis' life is turned upside down by her mother's passing and her father loosing everything they had. They are forced to move in with family that Emily isn't happy about. From the aunt that criticizes every last thing, the grandma that only seems excited about her cousin, the uber perfect blonde cheer leading cousin who has it all. Emily has lost a lot including her faith in God. The only place she finds solace is under the hood of a car repairing things. 

The story moves along at a good pace, the characters are really likeable. When Emily meets Zander and starts making friends in her new life she slowly learns that not everything is as it seems. I won't go too much more into it because I think you should read the book:). 

In Destination Unknown Whitney Richards seems to have it all on the surface. Blonde, cheerleader, popular, the right neighborhood, money, and dating a football player. 

But then her life starts to unravel. She gets a D in calculus and her mom goes in to panic mode and hires a tutor. Taylor enters the picture and life changes. 

Whitney starts to question who she is as a person and pushes hard against a mother that seems determined to control her every waking second. From what she eats to who she associates with. Whitney has to push back hard. And she does! This girl is no slouch and she shows that she is capable of fighting against what society expects and becoming what she is called to be. 

Both books will appeal to many different reader groups.  It's great for bookclubs because it has some awesome discussion questions that could spark some lively conversation.  Young adults will enjoy these books because the characters are so easy to relate to.  These are also fantastic vacation and unending car ride reads!  Grab them and enjoy!  Happy Reading!!

Pattern Blocks and Boards by Melissa and Doug

We are back after a week away in Florida.  It was great vacation but we were greeted by a really big (for Virginia) snow.  My son was supposed to go back to school today but with a whopping 4 inches the world sort of comes to an end.

So after a week away I wasn't going to have them sit around today.  I already had work on the docket for Cary Lynn but it was easy to include Marvin in many things.

One thing I think is an absolute necessity to have in a Montessori home school or school are materials that can be used in multiple ways and in multiple places in a classroom.  The more use the more bang for your buck.

One of my all time favorites is Melissa and Doug's Pattern Blocks.  I can't say enough good things about them!  They are beautiful, sturdy, and can be used in multiple ways in the classroom.

The shapes are lovely as are the boards.  They are nice, wooden, and very well loved in this home.

The ways you can use this are endless.  In Practical Life you could take two of the shapes and have the child sort them with tongs or tweezers and separate them.  In Sensorial you could use the boards and shapes for puzzles (or Practical Life).  You could just put out the shapes in an attractive basket and let the child make patterns.  I found by letting them have open ended activities in Sensorial that they used the tower of cubes and the broad stairs the appropriate ways.

Please ignore the mess we are still getting unpacked.  But as you can see Marvin enjoyed building them on and off of the boards.  

My daughter was exploring the yellow blocks sensory wise until she figured out I had a camera.  

In Math you can explore the names of shapes, count and pattern.  

In language you can play I spy to make sure the child understands the name of the shape.  

In the Culture area if you are studying a butterfly and you just want a simple extension exercise for your littles put out the butterfly board.  You are only limited to your creativity on this product.  

I was able to catch a good sale on Amazon and this will last for years!  Hope this gives you some ideas!  Happy Teaching!