My Little Pet Dragon..Review 36

My Little Pet Dragon by Scott Gordon

Very cute little e-book who's story is told by single pictures of him on each page. The Illustrations by Julien Tromeur and Dimitar Marinov are rich in detail, with a plain white background that allows the dragon, named "Ness" to shine. The dedication at the end to a little girl in a neck brace is very sweet as well. My 3 year old granddaughter liked it even though "You know grandma, dragons can be mean! But this dragon is nice."

No isbn# found

Dragons in a Winter..Review 35

Dragons in a Winter Wonderland By P.A. Woodburn

A cute little children's e-book from Amazon. Sweet story about a brother and sister dragon who fall through a door between worlds, from their hot summer one, into our cold winter one! They are found by a father and daughter out to cut a Christmas tree. They take the very cold dragons home, warm them up, then put them on a sledge and take them back to the door. The father and daughter visit the dragon's world and invite the Dragon family to spend Christmas with them in our world. A good story about how very different creatures can still be friends and enjoy learning about each other. The illustrations are fanciful and look like an older child's drawings. My 3 year old granddaughter liked it very much.

I couldn't find an isbn#

Spider Bones..Review 34

Spider Bones By Kathy Reichs

One of my favorite authors, Reichs has again combined fascinating science with a suspense filled story of choices, consequences and loss. Many in this book die young and not until the very end do we discover who certain characters are, really. In the end many mysteries are solved, old questions answered, the dead vindicated. But not all can be made right. I love her use of obscure science even more when it is obscure science I already knew about as in this case! A little slow in the middle, but absolutely worth the read.

ISBN#978-14391-0239-8

If Walls Could Talk..review 33

If Walls Could Talk by Lucy Worsley

What a fascinating look at the history of what many would consider the mundane. I thoroughly enjoyed finding out about how bathrooms, kitchens, and homes have evolved into what we have today. Lots of fun minutiae! Did you know the King getting dressed was a social occasion? How about bedrooms being scary because you were afraid of being murdered there? Learning how to control your servants like an admiral was a task women had to learn if they were not to be embarrassed among their peers. Being afraid of cooking smells because they could kill you? It is wonderful to look back and see how much has changed and how much remains the same!

ISBN# 978-0-8027-7995-3

The Quakers of New Garden..review 32

The Quakers of New Garden, a Four-in-one collection by Jennifer Hudson Taylor, Ann E. Schrock, Claire Sanders & Susette Williams.

I very much enjoyed these three stories. Each was different, but all were compelling in their own way.

The First, New Garden's Hope by Jennifer Hudson Taylor, is the story of Ruth and Josiah, an engaged couple and the trials, tribulations, heartache that come from how we all can misunderstand the actions of another. Without asking for an explanation (or not being willing to listen to one) Ruth sets the stage for what is to come.

New Garden's Crossroads by Ann E. Schrock was next, with it's story of Deborah, a Quaker involved with the underground railroad, and Nathaniel, a slave hunter who has come a far piece from his own Quaker roots. Can he change? Can Deborah learn to trust him?

New Garden's Inspiration By Claire Sanders follows Leah Wall as her Uncle, who's family took her in after her parents died, arranges a marriage between Leah and a farmer, Caleb Whitaker, who was widowed, and now is joining the Civil war and needs a new wife to care for his family while he is gone. Leah wants a true marriage. What does Caleb expect from his new wife? Caleb is wounded in the war and Leah must care for him. Will this be enough for them to build a true marriage relationship?

New Gardens Conversion by Susette Williams Beginings with Catherine taking care of a young man who was shot. Through him she meets Jaidon Taylor, a young Lawyer who volunteers at a youth center in a bad part of the city. Catherine finds herself volunteering at the same center. As their relationship becomes closer, she confides to him her promise to her late father, that she would never marry a man who wasn't a Quaker. What will they do when her church refuses to let Jaidon join?

ISBN#978-1-60742-824-4

How to Market Your Book..Review 31

How to Market Your Book By Mary D. Scott

If you are a new writer, you need this book! It takes you from how you are going to publish it to Marketing strategies and the in's and outs of how to promote your work. Very thorough and detailed. Templates for a full marketing plan, you can just plug in your books information. Set goals, a budget, how to target your market. A great reference book.

ISBN#9781463761813

Spirit Driven Events..review 30

Spirit Driven Events By Mary D. Scott

Fascinating, factual accounts of "Spirit Driven Events" with lots of photos. The spiral binding works really well as it allows you to lay them flat and study them at your leisure.

I found it especially interesting that in one section the author was actually trying to "fake" the photos with techniques that have been touted as how people fake spirit photos. They didn't work! She was unable to recreate the effects in her true photos, and couldn't do it!

A great book to read if you are interested in this area!

ISBN#978-0-578-05937-2

Gritty Grace..Review 29

Gritty Grace by David Rust

A compilation of newspaper columns from 1994 to 2001. I very much enjoyed hearing these ruminations and memories from this man of my father's generation. His are very different than those stories I heard from my father and grandfather, as my family is a plain one, from one of the historic "peace churches" and therefor, served the government in alternative service rather than the military. I very much enjoyed hearing this authors point of view and am glad he took the time to write it down! I fear we will soon lose many of these memories as this generation departs for a better place. I read it in a couple of sittings, but it could easily be read in "bites" as a coffee break book.

ISBN#978-0-9791957-1-6

Her Only Hero..Review 28

Her Only Hero by Marta Perry

Laura McKay was a widow with a deaf daughter, trying to make their way in a world that seems big, cold and expensive! Ryan Flanagan was a firefighter, trying to find his own way in a family of firefighters, afraid to make a mistake that could hurt someone. Both had turned away from God in their own way. Laura struggled to turn the old building into a saleable apartment and shop so that she could pay for Mandy's cochlear implant surgery. There's an arsonist afoot, can Ryan find out who it is and stop them before his new boss arrests Laura?

I found this book interesting, having friends on both sides of the cochlear implant debate.

ISBN#0373873239

Gods and Fathers..review 27

Gods and Fathers by James LePore

A chilling look at politics and consequences in our modern day world. A man's son rejects him, is framed for rape and murder. All to avenge another man's son. For Country, and faith, but really just for power and blood. There are no happy endings here. No happily ever after. Some life goes on, yes, but it is a pale, washed shadow of what life is meant to be. Chilled me to the bone, but like a spectacular wreck on the freeway, I could not look away.

ISBN#978-1-61188-030-4

'Twas the Night..review 26

'Twas the Night By Sandra Hill, Trish Jensen, Kate Holmes

What an amazing book! You won't believe that it was written by three different authors. These authors have done the impossible, crafted a cohesive book, encompassing 3 (and more!) separate stories, that still reads like it was written by a single skilled storyteller. Sam, Stan and Kevin started out as three boys alone, held together by their "outsider" status. The only adult who believed in them was George, or so they thought. When fate brings them all together for Georges wedding, well, things get really interesting! A group of merry, senior Santa's, a huge snowstorm and a few short days craft together 3 happy endings. Each man finds something really special, and not just Love. I thoroughly enjoyed all the twists, turns and sparkin' heat along the way. You will fall into this story and not surface until the last page.

ISBN#9781453882276

Banking on Love..Review 25b (oops!)

Banking on Love by Janice A. Thompson

Kellie Fisher is the picture of success. She and her husband Nathan are both successful, busy and moving up in their companies.

But things soon change. Kellie's father is hospitalized and may not survive. Kellie and Nathan rush to his side, and things look bleak. As time goes on, Nathan must return to work in the city. Eventually, Kellie starts working on line from her hometown. Soon they feel like they are living separate lives. Can their priorities line up again? Nathan is a city boy, it's what he knows and loves, Kellie is thriving back in her small hometown. Do they love each other enough to make it work?

I felt like the resolution was a bit too easy, but I won't spoil it for you. I still enjoyed traveling along the journey with them.

ISBN#1-59310-842-7

Don't Let the Goats Eat the Loquat Trees..Review 25

Don't Let the Goats Eat the Loquat Trees By Thomas Hale

What a fascinating peek inside the life of an American Surgeon in Nepal. I always really get enthused by learning about another's life from the inside, but I found this especially enjoyable since my father grew up in a foreign country, the son of missionaries and I grew up two blocks from a community of retired missionaries. Having worked in medicine most of my life as well, I could appreciate the medical intricacies also. Going from our life of plenty and excess into a society on the edge of survival is a type of culture shock I can only imagine. Add to that the desire to do your best for the Lord and the pressure becomes unimaginable I ached through the loss of every patient who died and cheered along when one was saved. A captivating book, full of personal insights and honest accounts of personal struggles. This is a special book. A must read for anyone considering missionary work.

ISBN# 0-310-21301-0