Real Talk, Real Life Through the Old Testament by Scott Sorenson and Ganel-Lyn Condie #ComeFollowMe #Religion

 

Real Talk, Real Life Through the Old Testament by Scott Sorensen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Source:  Received to Review

Genre: Religion

Book Description: Ganel-Lyn Condie and Scott Sorensen are known for their unique approach to gospel study, combining deep conversation about Come, Follow Me material with real-life application. Now you’re invited to take your own deep dive into the Old Testament with this engaging guided journal designed to be used in tandem with any other scripture resources and the weekly Come, Follow Me lessons.

Brimming with quotes, scriptures, and insights into weekly gospel topics, this valuable resource allows you to chronicle your personal experiences learning about the people, events, and doctrines of the Old Testament. By investing a few minutes of each day to jot down your thoughts, you will forge a lasting connection to the words of the ancient prophets without feeling overwhelmed by the effort.

My thoughts: I hate to admit it, but I am not good at personal scripture study. I tend to rush through it and call it good without pondering the principles and stories that I have read.

For someone like me, this is a great tool. This is a scripture journal. The authors help me to take a closer look and figure out how the scriptures take a role in my life. At 5% into the book, the question is asked "What role does tolerance play in letting God prevail in how you interact with others?" Wow! What a powerful concept to ponder in the world we live in today.

This is a fantastic resource to add to your personal study of "Come Follow Me". I plan on using it throughout the year as I try to increase my spirituality.

Source: I received a complimentary digital copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Online Purchase Links:

Amazon  * Deseret Book * Seagull Book

Additional information: There is a Real Talk podcast that follows the weekly lessons for Come Follow Me.  You can also join the Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/realtalkcfm

Let's Learn Together - Old Testament by Rebecca Irvine

 

Let's Learn Together Old Testament: Conversations Starters and Activities to Enrich Your Family's Study of Come Follow Me by Rebecca Irvine
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Source: Received to Review

Genre:  Religion

Book Description:  Delve into the doctrine of the Old Testament with Let's Learn Together, an engaging and thought-provoking collection of 150 gospel study cards on topics relating to weekly Come, Follow Me lessons. Designed to enhance understanding for children and adults alike, each card includes simple subject summaries and supporting scriptures, along with accompanying questions, conversation starters, and activities sure to spark impactful discussions among any age group. Whether used as part of your family's weekly worship or as a more frequent reference, these conversation cards will inspire more meaningful discussion of gospel principles in your own home-centered study of the Old Testament.

My thoughts: I don't know about you, but the Old Testament is a little confusing to me at times. I've read it a couple of times, but I can't say that I have retained most of it. This little collection is exciting to me. It takes principles and stories from the scriptures and simplifies them. I love the idea of using the card to start a conversation at the dinner table with my family.

I've included a couple of pictures to show the format of the cards and how how they work.

Source: I received a complimentary copy. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

About the Author:  Rebecca Irvine is an author and a communications professor at Mesa Community College. In her not-so-recent past she served a mission in England for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and she is now married and the mother of three fabulous kids. Reading, making to-do lists, and going to Zumba class are some of her favorite hobbies. Other books by Irvine include Follow the Prophets, Adventures with the Word of God, and Family Home Evening Adventures.

Online Purchase Links:

Amazon * Deseret Book * Seagull Book

Of Daggers and Deception by A. L. Sowards #giveaway #bookreview #historicalfiction #medievaladventure

 

Of Daggers and Deception by A. L. Sowards

Rating: 4 of 5 Stars

Source:  I received a review copy and purchased a kindle copy.

Genre: Historical Fiction

 

Book Description:  After years as a soldier and mercenary, Rasheed has retired from battle to run the bathhouse in Thebes with his friends Gillen and Eudocia. The simple life suits them, so when Venetian strangers come to town looking to hire the renowned crew, their answer is no. But when one of his friends is abducted, Rasheed is left with no choice but to take up his weapons and join forces with the Venetians, including the beautiful and clever Cecilia, whose betrothed has also been seized by the unknown foe. 

As the reluctant allies face ambushes and the looming threat of capture, Rasheed and Cecilia forge a surprising connection. But as the party races to rescue their friends, Rasheed discovers that nothing is as it seems. As his trust in Cecilia begins to waver, he realizes that in the end, they will both be forced to make a choice between love and duty.

My thoughts: A. L. Sowards has a gift at bringing characters and historical periods to life.

I loved the first book in this series, Of Sword and Shadow.  This book features one of the characters that I loved in the first book.  Rasheed is a formidable soldier who has ended his time as a mercenary soldier.  He has a place to call home and friends that he can count on.

Everything changes when strangers come to the bathhouse inquiring about their services.  Everything changes when his friends are attacked and one taken hostage.  It becomes a personal issue when they join forces with a group they do not trust.

I was very excited to revisit the characters in this series.  A. L. Sowards wrote them in a compelling way that I wanted to find out what happened to them. This story carries the element of mystery, suspense, and romance that I have come to love in her books.

If you love stories that are intriguing, are historical fiction, and have great characters.  You should pick it up.  You can read this as a stand-alone, but I recommend reading them in order.  You will be glad that you did.

Online Purchase Links:

Amazon * Barnes and Noble * Deseret Book * Seagull Book

About the Author: 

A. L. Sowards is the author of multiple historical fiction novels, with settings spanning the globe from the fourteenth to twentieth centuries. Her stories have earned a Whitney Award, several Whitney Finalists positions, and a Readers’ Favorite Gold Medal. She enjoys hiking and swimming, usually manages to keep up with the laundry, and loves it when someone else cooks dinner. She currently lives in the beautiful state of Alaska with her husband, three children, and an ever-growing library.

Find her at: 

Website * Instagram * Facebook * Newsletter * Goodreads

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Keepsake Christmas Stories #Christmas #BookLovers #ChristmasStories #TabernacleChoir

Christmas Keepsake Stories: Holiday Favorites as Performed with The Tabernacle Choir

Book Description:  A commemorative collector's edition celebrates twenty years of the Tabernacle at Temple Square's beloved Christmas show, which is a beloved tradition enjoyed by millions, both live on stage and through the holiday season broadcast on PBS stations.

My thoughts:   It is hard to come up with a Christmas gift for some members of my family.  As I perused through the pages of this book, I found beautiful pictures and inspiring stories.

Every year the Tabernacle Choir on Temple Square performs a beautiful program.  Stories are told by well know narrators.  They know how to present a story!  The narrators featured in this book are Hugh Bonneville, Kristen Chenoweth, Tom Brokaw, Jane Seymore, David McCullough, and Richard Thomas.

If you are looking for a present for the hard-to-gift person on your list, or want to read positive messages this Christmas, this would be a good one.  This one will go on the table by my recliner.  That way it can be enjoyed by my family or anyone who comes to visit.

Online Purchase Links:

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Book Depository * Deseret Book

(Pick up in a store near you.  Guaranteed delivery from Amazon and Barnes & Noble by Christmas.)

 

An Accidental Romance by Karen Tuft #BookTour #Giveaway #RegencyRomance

 

An Accidental Romance by Karen Tuft
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Source:  Received to Review

Genre:  Regency Romance

 Book Description:  Rebecca Jennings’s first London Season has been absolutely ruined, and one person alone is responsible: Mr. Ben Fortescue. If her new neighbor hadn’t startled her, she would never have broken her ankle, leaving her bored and frustrated at home in the country while her sister enjoys the London Season alone. Although, it was rather gallant of him to carry her home.

For his part, Ben feels terrible about the role he played in Miss Rebecca Jennings’s accident. In the days that follow their first disastrous meeting, he finds himself inexorably drawn to the surprising young woman—first out of guilt and then out of a stirring affection. But Ben hides a secret: he has not been completely forthright about his identity or about the dark secrets of his past that would make it impossible for romance to blossom with Miss Jennings. Despite his love for her, he knows he must let her go. With her ankle finally healed but her heart now broken, Rebecca is left with little choice but to throw herself into the Season. With eligible men circling this late addition to the Marriage Mart, it seems that Rebecca will have no shortage of suitors. If only her heart were free to give.

My thoughts: An Accidental Romance is an emotional rollercoaster. There are a lot of highs, lows, and everything in-between.

Rebecca Jennings has waited two years to participate in her first season. Her plans drastically change when she is startled and breaks her ankle. Her hopes are dashed in one moment.

Ben Fortescue, aka the Earl of Winton, inherited the property next to the Jennings. He needs to get lost from his past in a place where he and his circumstances are not known.

This book is one of life not going as planned, but turning out better than you hoped. The path from beginning to end was not an easy one for either character. There was a lot of growth that had to happen for a happily-ever-after. It was entertaining/interesting to see how the story progressed and when both characters accepted the changes to their lives.

I enjoyed this story and the characters from previous novels making an appearance. This book can be read as a stand-alone.

Source: I received a complimentary copy. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Online Purchase Links:

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Deseret Book * Seagull Book

About the Author: Karen Tuft was born with a healthy dose of curiosity about pretty much everything, so as a child she taught herself to read and play the piano. She studied composition at BYU and graduated from the University of Utah in music theory, where she was a member of Phi Kappa Phi and Pi Kappa Lambda honor societies.

In addition to being an author, Karen is a wife, mother, pianist, composer, and arranger. She has spent countless hours backstage and in orchestra pits for theater productions along the Wasatch Front. Among her varied interests, she likes to figure out what makes people tick, wander through museums, and travel whether it's by car, plane, or paperback.

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A Nutcracker Christmas by Laurie Winter #BookReview #BookTour #Giveaway #ChristmasStory

 

On Tour with Prism Book Tours

A Nutcracker Christmas

By Laurie Winter

Sweet Contemporary Romance, Magical

Paperback & ebook, 210 Pages

October 11, 2021 by Champagne Book Group

Suddenly let go from her news anchor position, Aria Roberts heads north to stay at her late Great-Aunt Clara’s house. She has many good memories there and wishes to give Clara’s Christmas Shoppe, which is located on the first floor of the Victorian mansion, one final holiday season. When Aria arrives, she finds the special gift Clara left for her—an antique nutcracker with a poem hidden under the back lever. Aria reads the poem out loud. At sundown that night, those words magically bring the nutcracker to life. 

 

Kort Zellner awakes inside the familiar surroundings of Clara’s house but learns she has passed away and now her great-niece resides there. The curse placed on him three hundred years ago traps him in the form of a nutcracker but allows him to return every December 1st through midnight on Christmas Day—only between sundown and sunrise. 

 

After some convincing, Aria believes Kort’s strange story. She helps him experience life as he is gifted so few hours alive and in doing so, falls in love. He knows his curse makes it impossible to give her the constant relationship she deserves. His plan to leave her forever on Christmas Day collides with Aria’s desire to build a future together, even if for only twenty-five nights a year.

My thoughts:  This is a fun book to read during the holiday season.  I loved that the characters were in their middle ages and it was a story about learning to love again after heartbreak.  Kort's heartbreak came from losing his wife and children to centuries cursed to come alive from December 1st through 24th.  Aria is divorced and fired from a job she loved.

The novel has several humorous parts.  The nutcracker disappears from where he was placed and found in the most unusual places.  It was cute to see how Aria dealt with the mystery.

Kort is wary about who to trust with his secret.  He wants Aria to figure it out on her own, just as her Great-Aunt Clara did.  While being a cute holiday story, it is a bit of a tragedy.  The common element is Aunt Clara.  She plays a vital role in their decisions and bringing them together.

I enjoyed this story.  

Source: I received a complimentary copy from Prism Book Tours.  All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Rating:  4 of 5 stars

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Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Champagne Books

About the Author

Multi-award winning author Laurie Winter is a true warrior of the heart. Inspired by her dreams, she creates authentic characters who overcome the odds and find true love. She keeps her life balanced with regular yoga practice and running with her dog, Shadow. When not pounding the pavement or the keyboard, she's likely fueling up on wine, cheese curds, and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.

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One winner will receive a print copy of A NUTCRACKER CHRISTMAS or ONCE UPON A PRINCE by Laurie Winter, $25 Amazon gift card, and a nutcracker Christmas ornament (US only)

Ends December 8, 2021

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