Book Review: "The Tears of Dark Water" by Corban Addison

Original review posted: http://godsdanceralwayz.blogspot.com/... I've been putting off writing up a review on The Tears of Dark Water (Thomas Nelson), by Corban Addison, and I couldn't really tell you why because it was a very good book. I expected it to be; I have yet to read a book published by Thomas Nelson that I do not like. This was the first novel I've ever read about a pirate hijacking. A man whose family is falling apart decides to follow a sailing dream as a last stitch effort to save h  I've been putting off writing up a review on The Tears of Dark Water (Thomas Nelson), by Corban Addison, and I couldn't really tell you why because it was a very good book. I expected it to be; I have yet to read a book published by Thomas Nelson that I do not like. This was the first novel I've ever read about a pirate hijacking. A man whose family is falling apart decides to follow a sailing dream as a last stitch effort to save his son and hopefully his marriage. Off the coast of Somalia their boat is hijacked by pirates. The brilliance in this novel is not taking a common headline and molding a story from a few words. The brilliance is in including every side of the story. Addison let's you into each family members' story, the FBI, the attorney, but most interestingly the pirate. The pirate's story is what pulls everything together and makes it interesting; makes sense out of the madness. It isn't as suspenseful as one might think. It's a story about hope, forgiveness, and reconciliation. It's a story about the nitty gritty dirty little details of life. Addison is a great story teller and I can't wait to read more. I'm so honored to have been asked to review this novel. The Tears of Dark Water was published on October 13, 2015. I received this ARC from Thomas Nelson/Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. All thoughts are my own.

Book Review: "The Progeny" by Tosca Lee

I DEVOURED Tosca Lee's newest novel The Progeny: A Novel (Descendants of the House of Bathory)  (Howard Books) in just about 2 days!  This novel is fast paced and completely riveting. 

Emily pays to have her mind erased to forget her past and ends up in the run of her life to save herself.  With her memory gone she does not know who to trust.  She however does find out that she is a descendent of the worlds most notorious female serial killer, and because of her blood she is now being hunted.  The action does not stop as she traverses the world to unravel the secret she has hidden from even herself.  The information she held had to be of major importance if she was willing to erase everything she knew from her memory for it.

I have not read a book that has sparked my imagination like this one has in quite some time.  Tosca Lee is a brilliant storyteller.  I found myself googling Elizabeth Bathory just to try to find out how much of the story was truly imagined.  Lee does a phenomenal job at blurring those lines.  I CANNOT recommend this book enough!  RUN to your local bookstore in May and pick it up; better yet just preorder it now!

The Progeny: A Novel (Descendants of the House of Bathory) will be released May 24, 2016.

A copy of this book was provided to me for review by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Book review "A.D. 33" by Ted Dekker

     If you haven't read Ted Dekker's A.D. 33: A Novel (Center Street), his follow up to last years A.D. 30, it is the perfect time to devour it.  What a perspective to gain right before Easter!  
     In A.D. 33: A Novel we still follow Maviah and other characters introduced in the last novel.  Maviah has been restored as queen, has adopted a son, and is successfully leading a people when everything goes wrong.  Follow Maviah as she journeys to save her people, her son, and herself.  Maviah knows that after experiencing the presence of Jesus that she can't do this without him.  She searches for him and is present during intimate historical moments like when Jesus was arrested and at the foot of the cross.  The love Maviah develops for Jesus is what I would imagine would happen if just any one of us could look into his eyes for just a moment.  She is a woman overcome and wildly in love with her creator.  If only we didn't forget who we are so often, we would feel the power of that love all the time.  She learns to put 100% trust in Jesus during the most trying time of her life, after an intense battle with herself to take up the fight on her own.
     This novel is thought provoking, imaginative, and so close to the truth it's scary.  Your heart will fall and soar, and fall and soar along with Maviah's.  I definitely recommend this series to every reader.

A.D. 33: A Novel was released October 6, 2015.  What experience has taught you to better trust Jesus?

A digital review copy was provided for me by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.  All thoughts are my own.

http://godsdanceralwayz.blogspot.com/2015/02/review-ad-30-by-ted-dekker.html

Book review: "An Endless Christmas" by Cynthia Ruchti

Christmas books are not my thing.  So when I got Cynthia Ruchti's newest novella, An Endless Christmas: A Novella (Worthy Publishing), I was a bit confused as to why I had agreed to be part of this blog tour.  As the stories' Binder family let's go of Christmas traditions each year to just live and enjoy each moment, I'm glad I let go of mine of not reading Christmas stories.

Only grandchild of a large family, Micah Binder, invites his girlfriend to his family's week long Christmas festivities in northern Minnesota.  As if staying with your boyfriend's family for a holiday week, in a tiny technology free cottage in freezing cold Minnesota for the first time wasn't stressful enough, Katie gets proposed to immediately upon walking in the door.  She tells Micah NO, in front of his entire family.  The novella follows Micah and Katie's journey as she toughs out Christmas week and becomes acquainted with his family.  Seemingly perfect, the story just brushes over the little facts pointing out the Binders' flaws but never really telling you what they are.  The story runs similar to this, a little rough around the edges, lacking in some basic plot building, but magical when all is said and done.  It is cheesy in all the right ways.  As I was reading I was picturing a made for TV Christmas movie and wanting a family holiday of my own like that I was reading.  So much seems to go wrong throughout the week, but the way the family bands together and accepts one another's differences (and they are wide) is beautiful.  I found myself thinking about their story long after I closed the book.  If there were a follow up novel or novella I would definitely read it.  I guarantee you, you will find part of yourself somewhere in these pages, and I hope when all is said and done...you yourself will celebrate an endless Christmas.

And shout out to the author who lives in a pretty cool state! ;)

An Endless Christmas: A Novella will be released TOMORROW October 13, 2015.  I strongly encourage you to grab yourself a copy of this quick read!

What is your favorite Christmas tradition?  I've always loved putting out the nativity set!

Note: This novella was provided to me for review as party of a First Look Blog Tour by Worthy Publishing in exchange for a fair and honest review.  All opinions are my own.

Book Review: "Justified" by Varina Denman

Choosing to review Justified: A Novel (Mended Hearts Series Book 2) (David C. Cook), by Varina Denman was a risk I was willing to take having not read the first installment of her Mended Hearts series.  The past and future installments have skirted there way to the top of my to read list.  In no way did I feel the story was slighted from having not (yet) read Jaded.

Fawn Blaylock's life is experiencing a season of upheaval due to her untimely pregnancy.  Unwed and ostracized by her small town, local church, and well-to-do family she has to learn not only how to fend for herself, care for her future child, but also who she is outside of the titles implemented upon her by her small town society.  Fawn learns to hope in her future, in grace, in love and romance, and in faith.  As past choices, not only her own but those of her parents, haunt her she is shaped not only by the consequences of those choices but by what those choices teach her.  Denman has brilliantly woven together honest characters.  Your heart will fall and soar as you follow Fawn's journey.  As she finds her faith you may find some new truth revealed in your own.

I definitely recommend this read.  It's a light and quick but the story has enough depth to keep you interested and on the edge of your seat.  I think I may be becoming a fan of Denman, I felt pretty attached to these character quit a few days after finishing reading and didn't want to let them go!  Purchase your copy on Amazon

Justified: A Novel (Mended Hearts Series Book 2) was released June 1, 2015.  What's the most recent truth you've learned from a novel?

Note: I received this book as part of the Justified  blog tour from Radiant Lit.  I received no compensation for this review and only received a copy of the book for review purposes.

Review copy provided by the publisher for Radiant Lit Blog Tours.

Book Review: "If You Find This Letter" by Hannah Brencher

Dear Hannah Brencher,

     Your book If You Find This Letter: My Journey to Find Purpose Through Hundreds of Letters to Strangers (Howard Books) is poignantly beautiful.  I've sat on this review for months not knowing what to say.  There aren't words to accurately describe the beauty of this book.  Hannah, you are an exquisite writer, and the fact that you used that gift to anonymously reach out to others is amazing.  It's those simple acts of beauty, the things that are so innately us that we don't truly believe they could really make a difference that often mean the most.  Little handwritten notes tucked in secret places, because who doesn't like to find little treasures and who doesn't like to receive hand written notes.  Hannah, thank you for pouring out your words on the page in the most human way you could.  Thank you for showing your fears, failures, insecurities, and your heartbreak.  I highlighted your words, and posted them for the world to see as my heart felt understood.  I cannot describe how much your words have meant to me.   This is the most phenomenal memoir I've read in some time.  I think it describes the millennial generation to a "t."  Keep on writing, even if no one ever knows it was you.

Another girl who used to be in love with October, but death made it feel hollow,
Tabitha.

If You Find This Letter: My Journey to Find Purpose Through Hundreds of Letters to Strangers was published March 10, 2015.  Instead of leaving a comment here, go write something with a paper and pen for someone you know or don't know...it doesn't really matter...just go leave your beautiful words somewhere.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: "The Tomb: A Novel of Martha" by Stephanie Landsem

When I was asked to review Stephanie Landsem's latest, The Tomb: A Novel of Martha, (Howard Books) I was thrilled.  The first thing I'll say is, even though this is part of a series, don't feel like you have to read them in any certain order. I stumbled upon one, then read this one, and have yet to read the first and I honestly don't feel as if I've gained less from the experience because of it. I should have posted this review in March, I just didn't have the words to say what I needed to say (and I'm still not sure I do). Growing up in the church, I thought the story of Martha, Mary, and Lazarus was par for course, but as I talked about this novel while reading it I discovered many people don't know.  That makes this the perfect read for them.  Everyone will relate to one of the characters.  I had always understood Mary more, and maybe it's the season of life I'm in, but I sooooooooo get Martha.  Every time she lamented that "there's much to do" my heart broke a little in understanding.  The desire to do what's "right" and the heavy weight of responsibility that she gets so lost in is incredibly relatable.

The way Landsem weaves her imagination into a story that doesn't have a lot of details is intriguing. I implore you to journey through Martha's journey.  Maybe see her and her siblings through some fresh eyes.  Your new insight may just take your breath away.  I mean how could your life not change after you saw Jesus raise your brother from the dead?  Everything would change, and to explore the possibilities of how she could have been before hand with so little knowledge of her is so intriguing.

Perhaps Martha was not as prim and proper as she seems.  Landsem takes us through the journey of a mistake that perhaps Martha made.  This mistake not only changed Martha's life, but her entire families.  One choice seems to haunt and define her, driving her "need" to do everything by law.  Her mother's death early on first put a huge responsibility on Martha as homemaker and caretaker.  As her father passes on when her brother is not quite a man that only increases these responsibilities along with the desperation of keeping her mistake a secret.  While her secrets eat at her she finds them necessary not only to keep her families standing intact but for survival.  Then Jesus comes.  Martha has that inner war so many of us do.  Will she let Jesus change her, or is there always too much to do?

The Tomb: A Novel of Martha was released March 17, 2015.  What part of the Martha, Mary, Lazarus story do you relate to the most?


This book was provided for review by Howard Books/Stephanie Landsem.  All thoughts are my own.