Heartbeat Magazine : books

Showing posts with label books. Show all posts

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Book Review, To Know You by Shannon Ethridge and Kathryn Mackel, WW

I finished my book from Booksneeze this week titled, To Know You by Shannon Ethridge and Kathryn Mackel. It was a whirlwind of a story and I felt like I was going full speed to try and figure out who would be able to help the main character Julia's son. I really enjoyed learning about Julia and her families life and I felt her pain as a parent of young kids. The cover of the book caught my eye, a perfect fit for The Heartbeat Magazine Blog!

In To Know You, Shannon Ethridge and Kathryn Mackel explore how the past creates the present . . . and how even the most shattered lives can be redeemed.

Julia Whittaker’s rocky past yielded two daughters, both given up for adoption as infants. Now she must find them to try to save her son.

Julia and Matt Whittaker’s son has beaten the odds for thirteen years only to have the odds—and his liver—crash precipitously. The only hope for his survival is a “living liver” transplant, but the transplant list is long and Dillon’s time is short. His two older half-sisters, born eighteen months apart to two different fathers, offer his only hope for survival.

But can Julia ask a young woman—someone she surrendered to strangers long ago and has never spoken with—to make such a sacrifice to save a brother she’s never known? Can she muster the courage to journey back into a shame-filled season of her life, face her choices and their consequences, and find any hope of healing?

And what if she discovers in her own daughters’ lives that a history of foolish choices threatens to repeat itself? Julia knows she’s probably embarking on a fool’s errand—searching for the daughters she abandoned only now that she needs something from them. But love compels Julia to take this journey. Can grace and forgiveness compel her daughters to join her?

My mother was adopted and this book is a great support for those that may have been adopted to understand why their mothers made the decisions they made. It also gives hope to people that one day may meet their parents and other siblings and connect with them. Lastly, for those of you that have ever had relationship problems this book shares how each person deals with their troubles and resolves their situations.

What book did you just finish or are reading now?

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xoxo,

Nicole Flothe

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Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Summer Books Worth Reading

How do you choose a book to read? I admit, I love reading books. My mother loves shopping at thrift stores and I find myself drawn to the book section. This last weekend, I found five books for under $10 dollars. Bargin!

Can't wait to read these books!

I recently received my cousin's Gail Hedrick's book, Something Stinks! What a great story! I was captivated from the beginning and didn't want to put it down until the mystery was solved.

Click Here for Chance to Win!

Emily Sanders is a typical seventh grader – reluctant to see the summer end, she is dealing with BFF drama with her friend Leanne as she heads back to school in her small Virginia town and discovers that, well, Something Stinks!. When she stops by to see her Uncle Joe and Aunt Sylvie, Emily gets a whiff of something nasty. Her uncle tells her that now and then scores of dead fish clog the river near his apple orchard. He can’t figure out why and the local authorities haven’t taken much interest in helping him. Once school starts Emily joins her school newspaper and begins looking for stories beyond the middle school world of football and bad cafeteria food. The adventure begins as she explores the science of the river and the businesses that line its banks.

I loved the part where Emily had to start thinking about an apology. She says, "Apologies were supposed to come from the heart. Right now, my heart felt squeezed out like a used-up sponge. And definitely not apologetic." Don't you ever feel that way? I know sometimes when I ask the kids to apologize it takes them a while to mumble an apology. They probably feel similar to the way Emily felt.

Some people Love to read and others find it boring. I love to go on an adventure and what an easy way to do that with a book that shares all about the special location. I also enjoy books that share ways to live a better life!

What are your favorites?

This post is part of the Sharing is Caring Summer Blog Hop hosted by Life With Lovebugs , Powerful Mothering, and A Spectacled Owl!

All of the blogs listed below are sharing Summer themed posts as part of this event, so click on one or all of the links below to find some great recipes, tutorials, crafts and more!

Friday, February 1, 2013

Lovelier than Daylight by Rosslyn Elliott

I just finished reading Lovelier than Daylight by Rosslyn Elliott. It's funny, when I read books at first I wonder if I'll ever be able to finish them but then the story captures me and I can't wait to continue to read. I guess that's the magic of a good book. It was an intriguing story about a girl that was about to start college and before she could begin she finds her sister and her sister's children missing. This tailspins the story into a mystery which combines alcohol, saloons and family beliefs from the 1875s into the mix. I really loved in the book Description how they said, "If she can find a way for her head and her heart to be in harmony, a future lovelier than daylight awaits her." I find this to be so true in life, when we aren't judging people but helping others we can build a stronger friendship and community. The book has many ups and downs with struggles to find the children and the orphanages made my heart ache with love for my kids. It makes me so thankful for the things we have at this moment. If you enjoy a good romance or mystery than I would highly recommend this book!

Book Description

Susanna is a lady of principles who values family above all. Johann seems to represent all she despises . . . but appearances can be deceiving.

In 1875, Susanna Hanby is headed off to college in Westerville, Ohio, when she discovers her sister Rachel and Rachel’s children have disappeared. Susanna suspects that Rachel’s alcoholic husband knows more than he’s saying and she vows to uncover the truth.

Johann Giere is heir to a successful German-American brewery in Columbus, but longs for a career in journalism in New York City. When Johann signs on as the supplier for a new saloon in Westerville, his and Susanna’s paths cross and sparks fly. A fiery temperance crusader, Susanna despises Johann’s profession, but she cannot deny the attraction.

When Susanna learns that Rachel’s children have been indentured to orphanages in the city, she despairs that her family will be fractured forever. But Johann makes Susanna an offer she can’t refuse—pitting her passion and her principles against one another.

If she can find a way for her head and her heart to be in harmony, a future lovelier than daylight awaits her.

Lovelier than Daylight is a story of love and faith based on the Westerville Whiskey War of 1875, a dramatic real historical event featured in the 2011 documentary Prohibition by Ken Burns.

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