A Hope Undaunted by Julie Lessman & My Review

The 1920's are drawing to a close, and feisty Katie O'Connor is the epitome of the new woman - smart and sassy with goals for her future that include the perfect husband and a challenging career in law. Her boyfriend Jake fits all of her criteria for a husband - good-looking, well-connected, wealthy, and head-over-heels in love with her. But when she is forced to spend the summer of 1929 with Luke McGee, the bane of her childhood existence, Katie comes face to face with a choice. Will she follow her well-laid plans to marry Jack? Or will she fall for the man she swore to despise forever?

A Hope Undaunted is the engrossing first book in the WINDS OF CHANGE series from popular author Julie Lessman. Readers will thrill at the highly charged romance in this passionate story.


**Available September 2010 at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group**


My Review:
I love all of Julie Lessman's books!
This one was really good because it shows them all as very human and flawed, but they all still love each other and work through things. I thought it was interesting that Katie felt that her father loved the other two more than her. I found it interesting because Charity also felt that in her book (A Passion Redeemed).
I loved Katie. She was silly and headstrong, but I felt like I identified more with her than the others.
I wouldn't recommend these to anyone under 17 or 18, but I love recommending them to older girls :)

Making Waves by Lorna Seilstad & My Review

When spunky Marguerite Westing discovers that her family will spend the summer of 1895 at Lake Manawa, Iowa, she couldn't be more thrilled. It's the perfect way to escape her agonizingly boring suitor, Roger Gordon. It's also where she stumbles upon two new loves: sailing, and sailing instructor Trip Andrews.

But this summer of fun turns to turmoil as her father's secrets threaten to ruin the family forever. Will free-spirited Marguerite marry Roger to save her father's name and fortune? Or will she follow her heart - even if it means hurting the family she loves?

My Review:
I picked up this book not expecting much, and I was blown away! It was written well and I got lost in the story. I found myself getting frustrated at Marguerite for not breaking things off with Roger, but I felt sorry for her because her mother was quite opinionated and all about keeping up appearances. I got quite frustrated with her mother because she didn't seem to really understand Marguerite, so it was probably good that she's not a major player in the book.
I'm so glad that I read this book! I can't wait for more books by Lorna Seilstad.


**Available September 2010 at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group**

The Berenstain Bears and the Gift of Courage by Jan & Mike Berenstain; and My Review

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

Today's Wild Card author is:

Jan & Mike Berenstain

and the book:

The Berenstain Bears and the Gift of Courage

Zonderkidz (April 9, 2010)

***Special thanks to Krista Ocier of Zondervan for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

Stan and Jan Berenstain introduced the first Berenstain Bear books in 1962. Mike Berenstain grew up watching his parents work together to write about and draw these lovable bears. Eventually he started drawing and writing about them too. Mike is married to Andrea, and they have three children. They live in Pennsylvania, in an area that looks a lot like Bear Country.


Visit the authors' website.


Product Details:

List Price: $3.99
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Paperback: 32 pages
Publisher: Zonderkidz (April 9, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0310712564
ISBN-13: 978-0310712565

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My Review:
This is a great kids' book. The moral of this story was clearly portrayed in an interesting, fun way. Once again, these books are great to do 'voices' to because there's enough characters for variety, but not too many that you run out of 'voices' :P
I would recommend buying this series, and I'm seriously thinking about buying them for my own library!

The Berenstain Bears and a Job Well Done by Jan & Mike Berenstain; and My Review

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

Today's Wild Card authors are:

Jan & Mike Berenstain

and the book:

The Berenstain Bears and A Job Well Done

Zonderkidz (April 9, 2010)

***Special thanks to Krista Ocier of Zondervan for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

Stan and Jan Berenstain introduced the first Berenstain Bear books in 1962. Mike Berenstain grew up watching his parents work together to write about and draw these lovable bears. Eventually he started drawing and writing about them too. Mike is married to Andrea, and they have three children. They live in Pennsylvania, in an area that looks a lot like Bear Country.


Visit the authors' website.

Product Details:

List Price: $3.99
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Paperback: 32 pages
Publisher: Zonderkidz (April 9, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0310712548
ISBN-13: 978-0310712541

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My Review:
I loved this book! It's a really good story to read to a 3-year-old or older. Preferably a kid that isn't going to ask you to read it 3 times in a row (because it's not a quick, short story :P).
However, it's really fun to read and do different voices for it. And it's also interesting for you (or whoever reads it) to read to the child :) or for a child to read it for themselves.
Good morals with a fun storyline.

Touching the Clouds by Bonnie Leon & My Review

 

Touching the Clouds

by

Bonnie Leon

Kate Evans is an adventurous and independent young woman with a pioneer spirit. She pilots a mail delivery plane in the forbidding Alaskan wilderness, the lone woman in a male profession. But even that seems easy compared to finding true love. She likes a fellow pilot and would even consider marrying him - if it weren't for Paul, a mysterious man on her mail route with a gentle spirit and a past to hide. Can Kate break through the walls Paul has put up around his heart? And will her quest for adventure be her demise?


**Available July 2010 at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group**

Bonnie Leon is the best-selling author of more than ten historical fiction novels including To Love Anew and The Heart of Thornton Creek. She stays busy teaching women's Bible studies and speaking at writing seminars and conventions. She and her husband, Greg, live in Glide, Oregon.






My Review:
I really enjoyed this book. It was well-written, and I felt a lot of sympathy for Kate. She wasn't an idiot or reckless, but she was brave and courageous. She was willing to do what needed to be done, and she made sure that she did it as safely as possible.
A very good read :)

Premiere by Melody Carlson & My Review

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!



You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

Today's Wild Card author is:

Melody Carlson

and the book:

Premiere

Zondervan (May 7, 2010)

***Special thanks to Krista Ocier of Zondervan for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Melody Carlson has written more than 200 books for teens, women, and children. Before publishing, Melody traveled around the world, volunteered in teen ministry, taught preschool, raised two sons, and worked briefly in interior design and later in international adoption. “I think real-life experiences inspire the best fiction,” she says. Her wide variety of books seem to prove this theory.





Visit the author's website.







Product Details:



List Price: $9.99

Reading level: Young Adult

Paperback: 224 pages

Publisher: Zondervan (May 7, 2010)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0310717868

ISBN-13: 978-0310717867



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My Review:
Wow! Melody Carlson has produced another outstanding book!
This is extremely well-written, and something that will appeal to a wide variety of teenager girls :)
Full of teenagers, fashion, and drama, this is a really good read.
It's clean without being boring or cliche.
My only regret is that I missed out on reviewing the next book in the series because of an oversight on my part :(
Once I finished Premiere I really wanted to continue on and read the next book, so when it comes out in Australia I will definitely be buying it!!

The Skin You're In by Nancy Rue

I am so sorry that this is so late!! I've been away this week without internet access (which I didn't realize was going to happen).
I enjoyed this book and the way that it was set out. I think that because it's an ongoing story that it will grab the attention of girls more than a book that might not appeal to how they feel about things :)

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

Today's Wild Card author is:

Nancy Rue

and the book:

The Skin You’re In: Discovering True Beauty

Zonderkidz (April 9, 2010)

***Special thanks to Pam Mettler of Zondervan for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Nancy Rue has written over 100 books for girls, is the editor of the Faithgirlz Bible, and is a popular speaker and radio guest with her expertise in tween and teen issues. She and husband Jim have raised a daughter of their own and now live in Tennessee.


Visit the author's website.


Product Details:

List Price: $7.99
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Paperback: 144 pages
Publisher: Zonderkidz (April 9, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0310719992
ISBN-13: 978-0310719991

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