Gone South..

Gone South (which I wish I was doing right now), by Meg Mosley  was  great read Tish McComb moves to Noble Alabama to move into the house built by her many great grandparents.. She meets up with a lot of prejudice from her new neighbors as she is an ancestor to a couple Nathan and Letitia McComb, who Tish happens to be named after. Nathan and Letitcia who had been labeled Yankee carpetbaggers who made money of the "misfortune of the South". CoiIt also does not help that the previous owners were forced to sell because of money problems. This story follows Tish as she tries to make her way in this town. Add a young antique dealer who does not care for antiques, the town prodigal, and a dog who thinks Tish's home is still hers and you have a great story.
                                              Have a good read, Nina

Where's the line to see Jesus?

Where's the line to see Jesus is a song song by Becky Kelley about the true meaning of Christmas. I was reminded of the song when I went to a communal penance service this evening. There were four priests and four long lines as people waited to participate in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. In this Sacrament we meet Jesus in the person of the priest as we confess and are absolved of our sins. It is never easy but always worthwhile and the best present that we can give to God.
                           May you have a blessed Advent,
                                                 Nina

Our Lady of Guadaloupe

Happy Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe!!! I finished reading Two Brides Too Many by Mona Hodgson a story that includes the work of Sister Mary Claver Coleman and the Order of the Sisters of Mercy in the town of Cripple Creek, Colorado. While the story focuses on two sisters Kat and Nell Sinclair who have journeyed to Cripple Creek as mail order brides and face about every difficult situation they could run into as they try to make their way in a mining town. I enjoyed the story very much but it is another one I would check out from the library and not purchase.  Sister Mary Claver Coleman reminds me of Mother Alfred Moes who was integral to the founding of St Mary's Hospital and the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. If you are looking for deals on good suspense books Lynette Eason's Deadly Reunion series. The last two books are on sale as ebooks right now.
                                                      Have a good read, Nina

Rejection

Fear of rejection is something we all experience and is a central theme in A Bride for Keeps, by Melissa Jagears. Julia Lockwood is scared that the only benefit that she could bring to a marriage was a pretty face, something that has only been reinforced by her past acquaintances. Everett Cline has tried to get married 4 times and he has not once been successful. They join together in a marriage of convenience in an effort to protect their hearts and the results are both heartbreaking and hilarious. They have to learn that God asks us to love without counting the cost because only in loving selflessly can people really experience God's love through us.

                                                  Have a good read, Nina

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Christmas is coming...

My favorite hymn this time of year has always been O Come O Come Emmanuel. It is a song of hope and patient waiting for God to be with us. עִמָּנוּאֵל, Emmanuel is Hebrew for" God is with us".  I always tend to forget that like Lent Advent is a time for fasting and prayer in preparation for Christmas. It tends to be harder to give up food or things during this season with all the parties and get togethers so why not add something to your routine such as prayer to your daily routine. Around Christmas I always read The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson. This story is not only a great reminder of what Christmas is all about it is an absolute hilarious read.

 I have also recently finished What Once Was Lost by Kim Vogel Sawyer it is a story centered around four main characters Christina Willems, Levi Jonnson, Tommy Kilgore, and Cora Jennings. Christina Willems had taken over the Brambleville Asylum for the Poor from her father who had passed away. After a fire destroys the building Christina has to turn to others in town to help find lodging for the residents. Tommy Kilgore and Cora Jennings are two of these residents each with their own burden to bear. Tommy Kilgore has been abandoned by his father after he is blinded in an accident. Cora Jennings is pregnant out of wedlock and trying to hide her pregnancy for as long as possible. Levi Jonnson is a last resort for Christiana who has not been able to find anyone willing to take Tommy in. When troubles continue to prevent the Brambleville Asylum for the Poor from being rebuilt it draws them all closer to God and each other. I enjoyed the story but I would not buy it, rather,  I would get it from the library.
                                         Have a good read, Nina

Free today only... Made to Last by Melissa Tagg

Oh! what a tangled web we weave/When first we practice to deceive!- Sir Walter Scott

Made to Last by Melissa Tagg is available as a free ebook today only!! Check it out at your preferred ebook retailer. Miranda Woodruff is the star of own home improvement show, but she is living a lie, she does not even have a husband. What started out as a slip of tongue during her tryout for the show has become an essential part of her show. Fast forward a few years and in an effort to keep her show on air she not only has to hire a fake husband but she has to do it with a reporter following her around. It's a great story with the moral, that lies will always find one out.
                                                         Have a great read, Nina
       

When in the Course of human events...

 When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent res espect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.  The Declaration of Independence


 Treason is something we look at aghast, with good reason, but if our forefathers did not dare to commit treason against Britain we would not be here today. Rebellious Heart by Jody Hedlund is set in 1763 more then a decade before the Revolutionary War began and it give a glimpse into the powder keg that would start the Revolutionary War.  For Susanna Smith this question of treason comes wrapped up in the person of Benjamin Ross and a runaway indentured servant. Benjamin Ross is a former acquaintance who Susanna had snubbed as a child as being of lower class and now he  is is an up-and- coming lawyer whose beliefs challenge Susanna's long held trust in British law.  Susanna also meets a runaway indentured servant and is drawn into helping her even going against laws she had always believed in. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it.
                                  Have a good read, Nina