Review: Angels At The Table

Angels at the Table: A Shirley, Goodness, and Mercy Christmas Story by Debbie Macomber
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Shirley, Goodness and Mercy are back for another eventful season! And they have a new member of the clan, an apprentice, Will. From Psalm 23:6, " Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever." So there you have it! A new angel in training.

All of our angels mean the best in their actions, but sometimes they don't understand that God gave us humans free will. In addition we are stubborn. So on New Year's Eve when our 3 angels show Will a bit of Earth and he sees two humans that are standing alone and need someone, and "helps" them things are off course. Will has messed up what was already planned. How will our fiercesome foursome fix it? Will Gabriel clip their wings after all the shenanigans they pull?

Lucie and Aren kiss each other on New Year's Eve after "bumping" (with help from Will) into each other. They hit it off and spend 4 hours talking in a local diner. They plan to meet in 7 days to see if they really like each other. But Lucie is unable to make it, her mom had fallen and broke her arm.

They were really supposed to meet when Aren visits Lucie's restaurant and writes a review -- but unknowingly he ends up getting the worst dish yet and writing a review that wasn't too kind. However it isn't under his name but a pen name, Eaton Well. Lucie can't believe the review, Eaton Well is the meanest person she thinks and she would love to tell him, possibly ruining her restaurant like that!

You will find a cute, cozy love story in this gem. However, what struck me is when Will says aren't they supposed to help the ones that are in pain and are suffering. Their answer is they are Prayer Ambassadors and someone has to pray for her. And when he asks well can she? And the answer was that some of us are prayer warriors and others only basically call on God in times of need. How can we really expect God to answer a pray only when we need Him? If someone who only talked to you when they needed something, are we likely to keep wanting to help? Although our Father is not that cruel, sometimes it is out of His hands.

Beautiful CHRISTmas story! Grab yourself a cup of hot cocoa, light a fire and cozy up! You will enjoy the few hours spent reading this delight!

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Review: Miss Me When I'm Gone

Miss Me When I'm Gone: A Novel by Emily Arsenault
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When you read, what do you look for? I love a bit of mystery, a good friendship and maybe some romance. Well this book has 2 out of three. How far would you go for a friend? Would you try and solve who murdered them, while you were pregnant? Well Jamie does just that! Her best friend Gretchen was found at the bottom of some stairs, dead. Who would kill her? Gretchen's mom and dad (aunt and uncle) ask Jamie to be her "literary executor" and read her notebooks and laptop, figure out what Gretchen was up to in her second book.

I loved the mystery, because not only is it a mystery as to who killed Gretchen and why, but also who killed Gretchen's real mother and why. Find that killer and I think you might find Gretchen's killer as well. Thrown in are a bunch of different country singers and songs and various facts. Also another mystery is who is Gretchen's dad. Personally, I thought that one of the candidates would have been the killer.

I won't ruin it for you but if you love a good read, don't delay and purchase this one RIGHT away! Emily Arsenault is a fantastic writer, building up to such a spectacular ending I could have never dreamt up! Hooray for a good writer!

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Review: With My Body

With My Body by Nikki Gemmell
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

VERY painful to read. Many times I wanted to give up but I despise not finishing a book, even if it is terrible. Short little snippets of mindless nonsense fill each page, making me thoroughly confused, bored and restless. A GOOD book should have you wanting to turn each page to find out what is next, this book made me want to pull my hair out, strand by strand and only turn the pages to see it come to an end, the quicker the better.

To even really say what it was about would be a lie. What started out promising, a woman has married and is raising children. We all know after awhile your self feels hidden because you are busy taking care of everyone else and I thought this book was about her discovering and finding it. Not really sure how or why the teenage story snuck in. But it did. And it went downhill quickly.

Maybe for some it might be a journey they understand, but not for this reader. I would have preferred more of something, and for the lesson to match what might be written in that part!

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Review: Smart Girls Get What They Want

Smart Girls Get What They Want by Sarah Strohmeyer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Being reviewed as a teenage book, even though it is Sarah Strohmeyer, I had my doubts. First 40 or so pages in I wanted to put it down. However, it ended with a slam dunk for me. Gigi was brilliant, no pun intended! Gigi and her 2 best friends are VERY smart. But what they discover is that might get you somewhere in the adult world, it won't in high school, especially with boys.

When Gigi is thought to have cheated with Mike, even though it wasn't founded it would go in her file, she decides to run for student rep to help overturn these kinds of decisions. Even though no one knows who she is, and she really really detests public speaking. Who would run when they know that if they get up to speak they are going to vomit? Makes for some hilarious and nail biting scenes.

Also, we have some crushes running through the pages between all 3 girls. I am rooting for some in particular, and some not so much. Won't tell though, you have to read to find out who kisses who!! LOL Enjoy, Strohmeyer is wickedly brilliant once again!

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Review: Leaving Egypt

Leaving Egypt: Finding God in the Wilderness Places by Chuck DeGroat
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Grab your Bible, grab this book and prepare to dig in. Chuck DeGroat goes in depth with you, figuring out what your Egypt is, and although painful sometimes to really think of those things, remember one word. GRACE.

I enjoyed the quotes, I enjoyed the Discussion Questions. Talk about looking and examing everything, trying to figure out if you are holding yourself prisoner.

However, my complaints would be, at times I felt as if it was jumping all over the place thoughtwise, and I was reading a lot of repeated quotes etc.

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Review: The Care and Handling of Roses with Thorns

The Care and Handling of Roses with Thorns by Margaret Dilloway
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Dilloway really moved into my target zone with How to Be an American Housewife, so I sat and patiently waited when I heard The Care and Handling of Roses with Thorns was due to release soon. Getting an early copy was a bonus. Dilloway did it again, and even surpassed my expectations. Gal is a character like none other, like me! Unique, with a dry sense of humor and very candid, you will fall in love INSTANTLY.

Gal is a single woman, who works as a teacher and all of her other time spent pretty much is working with or thinking about her roses. Her kidney failures come into play a bit, but her love of roses comes out instantly. She made me want to run out and work with mine, and find out more.

Gal has an irresponsible sister, who sends her daughter Riley to live with Gal, even though Gal had no heads up. How can Gal take care of a teenager, when she never had any children and with her doing dialysis?

Read this extraordinary book, released just in time for a bit of autumn reading -- Dilloway makes a new bench mark for all authors to reach.

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Review: The Unseen

The Unseen by Katherine Webb
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

As always, you have to delve deeper into the book, and once you do that, you get bits and pieces to put a whole puzzle together that Ms Webb has made for us. This time we have the past, 1911 and the present 2011. I sure did LOVE the past! Hester was so intriguing. If I was her I would really have a complex. Why wouldn't Bertie sleep with her? What in the hay!

The present wasn't as interesting but I sure did love the way this bit of mystery, thriller and romance came along. At first I really didn't care for Cat, I was thinking yes, something bad has come into your house but the further I got into the story, the more my dislike passed onto Robin Currant. He is a real toad.

Webb draws you into a story, doesn't give everything up front. You have to work for it, each page getting closer and closer to solving the puzzle. I am forever a fan, she hasn't strayed me wrong yet. Looking forward to her new one coming Nov 22, 2012, A Half Forgotten Song. So if you love her books as much as myself, PREORDER it!!!

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