The Daisy Field

The Daisy Field

Amy Sutton

Lily is a lonely elderly lady and Presley is a foster child in an unloving home. A love of flowers and music draws them together. But life either of their homes is not the best, nor are they in the best part of town.

This is a beautiful story about love, acceptance and miracles. The story caught my attention at the very beginning and kept me interested the entire time. I couldn't wait to see what would happen next. The characters are so likeable, especially Presley. I enjoyed the way the author highlighted the love between children and the elderly and the benefits to both age groups.

The ending was sweet and probably not realistic, but so fun. I liked this book so much that I recommended it to my book club.

I received this book free of charge in exchange for my honest review.

Run Barefoot Run Healthy

Run Barefoot Run Healthy

Less Pain More Gain for Runners Over 30

Ashish Mukharji

I was over at Goodreads looking at the giveaways and saw this book. I had to enter. One of my book clubs had just finished reading Born to Run and since I'm a runner the subject is very fascinating.

The book is all about how to run barefoot and get rid of the countless injuries that seem to plague the running world. It's written clearly, in slightly larger print, and has tons of pictures and drawings.

The book has illustrations and references to back everything up. It's not confusing and actually very convincing. I would highly recommend it for any runner out there, especially those heading into their 30s. I'm not sure I'm ready to go barefoot, but will definitely be looking into some minimalist shoes when it's time to purchase new ones.

I received this book free of charge in exchange for my honest review.

The Call of the Christmas Pecan Tree

The Call of the Christmas Pecan Tree

Edna Stewart

A small town city council decides to cut down an old pecan tree. The town people are upset and set about trying to save the tree.

The book was written in a flowing way that reminded me of poetry. It jumps all over the place from topic to topic, person to person. The tree is given human characteristics, as well as other non-human things.

I'm not a huge poetry fan so that may be the reason I couldn't seem to follow the story. It jumped topic so often that I was left confused for the entire book. There are quite a few spelling and grammar errors that also make the story difficult to follow.

I received this book free of charge from Dorrance Publishing in exchange for my honest review.

Shooting Star

Shooting Star

The First Attempt By A Woman To Reach Hawaii By Air

Richard DuRose

Mildred Doran wanted to be the first woman to reach Hawaii by air. A school teacher and an aviation enthusiast she decided to make the flight to Hawaii during the Dole race in 1927. The publicity was astounding, but the race and it's participants soon forgotten.

A sentence at the end of the book sums it up very well.

"No matter how spectacular, we do not remember a "Shooting Star" for long. Nor, has the public remembered Mildred Doran. I hope this book will make a difference.

I'm not a huge fan of history books so wasn't sure what to expect. The book was full of facts and details about the Dole race, but it didn't get bogged down or become boring. I appreciated the fact, that while written by her nephew, it was factual and not filled with sentiment and guessing.  My husband, a pilot, naturally enjoyed the book more than I did. But it was a good book and will make a great addition to our library.

I received this book free of charge in exchange for my honest review.

Wilderness Heart

Wilderness Heart

Jacqueline Hopkins

Lyn is a trail guide at her father's company. She takes hunting groups out into the woods and helps them bring home elk, bear, etc. Almost every trip she deals with male egos who don't want to admit that a female can be a good guide or hunter.

On her next trip she meets the most frustrating man to date. Nic's good looking and sets her heart racing, but he can't stand the sight of a female on a hunting trip. But his money can't be refunded and he's not really there to hunt anyway. So he grimaces and begins the hunt.

Lyn and Nic clash almost the entire time, but soon the sparks are more of the relationship type instead of the fighting type. Lyn feels that Nic wants to change who she is as a person and this causes conflict. It doesn't help when she finds out that he's lied to her about who he is and why he's on this hunt.

I liked reading this book for the most part. The pluses for the story - The story line was unique. the story moved quickly and the characters were interesting. The facts about the Idaho mountains made them come alive in my mind. The negatives - There were quite a few grammar and spelling issues and the dialogue between the characters seemed very stiff and forced at times. Somehow this made the story feel choppy. I also didn't care for the details during the sex scenes. It seemed a bit over the top.

In summery I liked the book, but I didn't love it. For a first book I think she did a great job. I will probably read another book by this author in hopes that her skills grow as she writes more.

I received this book free of charge in exchange for my honest review.

Shadow In Serenity

Shadow In Serenity

Terri Blackstock

Carny grew up traveling with the circus. She learned at an early age to con people out of their money. But she grows tired of the games and running and decides to plant roots in a town named Serenity.

Logan comes to town spinning dreams and charming Serenity's citizens. But Carny can spot a con a mile away and isn't letting him steal from "her" town.

Change is hard. Both Logan and Carny find out that God can help and no matter what the fault He will forgive and make new. It was a new look at how God can take anyone and restore them in His image.

This book was different from anything I've ever read. It was real, refreshing and fun. The story line is unique and real. The characters, despite their faults, make you fall in love with them.

It's been a while since I've read anything by Terri Blackstock. But that is about to change. This book was not what I was expecting and the change was refreshing. Definitely a must read in the world of Christian fiction.

I received this book free of charge from Shelton Interactive in exchange for my honest review.

If We Dare to Dream

If We Dare to Dream

Collette Scott

This is one of the books in the blogger contest. Check out my Christmas contest page for instructions on how to win this and many other books.

This is book I in the Evans saga. It follows Jamie, the youngest and only girl in a family of five. A chance encounter with someone will change everyone's life forever. It's hard to imagine that just a small act of kindness or a short conversation can be someone's saving grace.

Jamie very briefly meets a man at a bar on her last night in town. She's headed out the next morning to begin her new life. He will be charged with murder the next day.

Collette Scott delivered another great book. This is her third book and I enjoyed it as much as the first two. I don't want to spoil it for anyone so I'll try to be vague. The main characters were fun and easy to like and relate to. The story flowed very smoothly and while I knew almost from the beginning who the murder was, it didn't detract from the book at all. In fact, I'm not even sure it was supposed to be a secret. The main part of the book for me was not trying to figure out who the killer was, but watching how the characters dealt with the issues they were handed.

 It was a great book and I can't wait to read the next book in the saga, due February 2012.

I received this book free of charge in exchange for my honest review.