When I get a little money I buy books; and if any is left I buy food and clothes. Desiderius Erasmus

This quote by Erasmus describes what I wish could do with my money but as reality requires us to be practical and economical I have found a couple ways to get free books. First of all, if you have an e-reader check out Christianbook, this online site lists a free e-books under their e-book page and it can change daily. You can always look up the same books mentioned under your preferred store and they are often free on there as well. I also follow Bethany House Publishers on Facebook which also has a link for discounted e-books. You can also sign up for email lists on publishers websites like Tyndale House Publishers. I also have a list of Christian publishers that I keep on hand so that I can search library websites to find new books.  Under an advanced search if they offer a publisher search option use that coupled with the current year and you can find new books by authors you have never hear of.  Here is my list:
   Thomas Nelson
    Bethany House
    David C Cook
    Multnomah
    Zondervan
     Revell
    Tyndale
    Waterbrook
    Summerside Press
    Westbow
    Harvest House
    Baker
    Howard books
   Abingdon Press
    Barbour
     B& H Press

I keep a list of books on request at the library so I always have books coming in.
                                                Have a good read, Nina

The Whole Story...

 In this time when the facts are just a click away we are inundated with both facts and questions. When listening to news we always have to wonder if  we have the whole story? This is something I have been thinking about after having seen the movie Captain Phillips. The movie was excellent and I would recommend it for those who can deal with suspense and the fact it was based on a true story. The first thing people would say after I told them I had seen the movie is the fact that there are questions about the validity of the story. For example, people are saying that Captain Phillips had been warned about staying farther away from the Somalian coast and he ignored that warning. The crew is now suing the company who they worked for for pain and suffering incurred by Captain Phillips' decisions. While unless we actually witnessed everything and could read minds I don't know if we will ever know the the whole story of what happened. The one thing I know to be true is that God knows the truth and the fact that God works out everything for our good. This might appear to be a trite phrase but it is the only way we can live with this uncertainty . God is the Truth and the lens by which we must view everything.
                
                             Have a good day, Nina

False Humility

False Humility, which was addressed in today's Gospel, is a subject that I have found myself continually learning from.  In The Bluebird and The Sparrow, Janette Oke's main character Berta must learn this lesson as she finds herself in the "shadow" of her sister Glenna.  Berta grows up constantly comparing and distancing herself from her sister.  With each passing year these choices cloaked in Berta's need to be "better" than Glenna poison Berta's mind and soul. Berta sets up a good life working at the library, helping out with Sunday school, and playing with her nephew and yet she still feels unfulfilled. It takes love, loss, and real life for Berta to realize that her jealousy harms only herself. You might have seen the Love Come Softly movies but I would highly recommend checking out her other books as well.
                                                          Have a good read, Nina

Nada Te Turbe

Happy Feast Day St Teresa of Ávila!!! I was blessed to visit Ávila a few years ago with two of my best friends. It's a beautiful old walled city and I was able to go into the church that St Teresa would have attended growing up. We also visited the chapel associated with the convent she entered. Right next to the chapel there was a small gift shop and in the back, a small room full of reliquaries. You can find one of St Teresa's fingers with a ring on it. But one of the things I will always remember is memorialized on three plaques with the Nada Te Turbe prayer which I think is especially relevant in light of the revelation of more priest scandals. In English it says
                                                          
                             Let nothing disturb you.
                             Let nothing make you afraid.
                            All things are passing.
                           God alone never changes.
                           Patience gains all things.
                           If you have God you will want for nothing.
                            God alone suffices.
                                 -Teresa of Ávila
Humankind will always fail us but God never will.
      
                                                    Have a blessed evening, Nina

Into The Whirlwind

Who should you marry? This is the question Mollie Knox asks of herself against the backdrop of the Great Chicago Fire in Into The Whirlwind by Elizabeth Camden. Owner and manager of 57th Illinois Watch Company which employs a number of wounded veterans who fought with her father in the Civil War. In an effort to keep her company relevant and viable after her factory is lost in the fire she meets up with two very different men who offer their help, Colonel Richard Lowe and Zach Kazmarek. I really enjoyed this story and would recommend it to lovers of historical fiction.
                                 Have a good read, Nina

Not by Sight

Not by Sight by Kathy Herman deals with the expectations and the fruits of faith. Abby Cummings has recently turned over her life to Christ despite the fact that her younger sister and father had disappeared 5 years earlier without a trace. Her faith leads her to follow a clue that could lead to the whereabouts of her lost sister despite the doubts and fears of her family.  As Catholics and Christians we know that faith was often the key ingredient for the miracles performed by Jesus during his time on earth. Still we know that God does not always answer our faith with the desired outcome. Abby grows in her understanding of faith as we follow on her search. I really enjoyed the story and I could not put it down.
                                           Have a good read, Nina

On Distant Shores..

On Distant Shores, by Sarah Sundin, is the second book in her series Wings of the Nightingale. This book follows Georgie Taylor and Technical Sergeant John Hutchinson who both have familial and personal expectations to live up to, and down. Georgie has always been considered a fragile Southern rose and surprises her parents and fiance when she signs up to follow her best friend Rose into Flight Nursing. She also has to fight her own self doubt about her abilities and her place in this elite squadon of nurses. Technical Sergeant John Hutchinson is fighting for more stringent training and measures in the pharmacies as it is run by officers who have no knowledge of proper pharmaceutical practices and fellow soldiers who have had a few months training and are put in charge of dispensing and preparing medication for the soldiers on the front. John is a trained pharmacist who decided to enlist instead of attending Officer Candidate School in order to work in the pharmacy where he had been trained.  John is providing the American Pharmaceutical Association with the data and stories needed to convince Congress of the need for a Pharmacy Corps. Add to that a fiance, who constantly questions his faithfulness and John has a full plate. All this takes place against the backdrop of Operation Husky as the Allies move into Italy. I would highly recommend this book and I can not wait until the next book comes out.
                                                    Have a good read, Nina