Monday, November 25, 2013

Stones for Bread by Christa Parrish


From the back cover:
Liesl McNamara's life can be described in one word: bread. From her earliest memory, her mother and grandmother passed down the mystery of baking and the importance of this deceptively simple food. And now, as the owner of Wild Rise bake house, Liesl spends every day up to her elbows in dough, nourishing and perfecting her craft.
But the simple life she has cultivated is becoming quite complicated. Her head baker brings his troubled grandson into the bake shop as an apprentice. Her waitress submits Liesl's recipes to a popular cable cooking show. And the man who delivers her flour-a single father with strange culinary habits-seems determined to win Liesl's affection.
When Wild Rise is featured on television, her quiet existence appears a thing of the past. And then a phone call from a woman claiming to be her half-sister forces Liesl to confront long-hidden secrets in her family's past. With her precious heritage crumbling around her, the baker must make a choice: allow herself to be buried in detachment and remorse, or take a leap of faith into a new life.

My thoughts:
I kept waiting for something to happen. For a peak of some sort. This book didn't have much to make me want to keep reading it, though it did manage to continue to the end. There wasn't anything in it that jumped out at me and I found it to be somewhat forgettable.
It was laced with memories which didn't really detract from the story, but then there were these random bread facts scattered through the pages. I learned pretty early on that they didn't add to the story--they were just weird. 
There were also some recipes incorporated into the book, I skipped those parts too. 
I think that this book was somewhat depressing. I wouldn't recommend it. I didn't enjoy it.

This book was provided for review by LitFuse.
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Thursday, November 7, 2013

The Daniel Cure by Susan Gregory

If you've ever done the Daniel Fast then you've probably heard of Susan Gregory. She gave us the original Daniel Fast book. She's back with another one, this one may well likely change the way you eat for good.
We've all heard that junk food is bad for you and that healthy food is good for you, but perhaps you've never quite understood why. Then you need to grab a copy of this book for  yourself and learn exactly why your body  needs the good food.
This book includes over 75 recipes (including shakes & smoothies, pancakes, fajitas, soups, and even ice cream!) of healthy good-for-you dishes that won't make you feel like you've missed something. 
Eating healthy requires a lifestyle change that many people are afraid to commit to, but once you give it a try you'll find that the benefits outweigh the apprehension.
I found this book to be informative and exciting. I hope you'll get a copy for yourself.

This book was provided for review by BookSneeze.

About the book:
 One of the most popular fasts in recent years has been the Daniel Fast, a 21-day period of prayer and fasting based on the Old Testament prophet's fasts recorded in Daniel 1 and Daniel 10. The Daniel Fast is a partial fast, in which certain foods are restricted and others are consumed. This fast is similar to a 'purified' vegan diet; in addition to the exclusion of all animal products, no additives, preservatives, sweeteners, caffeine, alcohol, white flour, or processed foods are allowed. With the Daniel Fast people can eat as much Daniel-Fast-friendly food as they would like. Though most people begin the Daniel Fast for a spiritual purpose, many are amazed by the physical transformation that takes place. Many with high cholesterol experience a drop to healthy levels; people who have wrestled with weight issues are suddenly able to lose the pounds. The vast majority of participants following the Daniel Fast report a general sense of well-being and increased energy. Recent published scientific studies of the Daniel Fast have confirmed these findings, with additional benefits, such as a reduction in systemic inflammation, a reduction in blood pressure, and an improvement in antioxidant defenses. The Daniel Cure will help readers take the next step by focusing on the health benefits of the Daniel Fast. By following the advice in this book, readers will convert the Daniel Fast from a once-a-year spiritual discipline into a new way of life that can begin any time of the year. In a nation suffering an epidemic of obesity and its resulting ills, The Daniel Cure may be just what the Great Physician ordered. The Daniel Cure includes a 21-Day Daniel Cure Devotional, four chapters detailing the lifestyle diseases of obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and inflammation, eleven chapters of recipes and meal planning advice, a recipe index, complete nutritional guidance, and an appendix detailing 'The Science behind the Daniel Fast.'

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

To Know You by Shannon Ethridge & Kathryn Mackel

I've not heard of Shannon Ethridge before reading this book, but I've read Kathryn Mackel's adult fiction and have really enjoyed her so I thought I'd give this one a shot.
The story did a lot of back and forth between characters and decades and felt a little choppy in parts. I didn't like being left on edge in one characters story to go see what the other ones were up to. I like a story that flows smoothly and this one kept annoying me.
The story itself was good though. I think it could bring healing and hope to people who are going through similar situations. One thing I didn't quite understand was the whole "Baby Doe" thing and why the main character thought she was redeeming the baby. It was an odd placement.
The book was a good reminder that people are just people, that we all mess up-no matter who we are or what we are.

From the back cover:
Julia and Matt Whittaker's son has beaten the odds for thirteen years only to have the odds-and his liver-crash precipitously. The only hope for his survival is a "living liver" transplant, but the transplant list is long and Dillon's time is short. His two older half-sisters, born eighteen months apart to two different fathers, offer his only hope for survival.
But can Julia ask a young woman, someone she surrendered to strangers long ago and has never spoken with, to make such a sacrifice to save a brother she's never known? Can she muster the courage to journey back into a shame-filled season of her life, face her choices and their consequences, and find any hope of healing?
And what if she discovers in her own daughters' lives that a history of foolish choices threatens to repeat itself?
Julia knows she's probably embarking on a fool's errand-searching for the daughters she abandoned only now that she needs something from them. But love compels Julia to take this journey. Can grace and forgiveness compel her daughters to join her?
In To Know You, Shannon Ethridge and Kathryn Mackel explore how the past creates the present...and how even the most shattered lives can be redeemed.

This book was provided for review by LitFuse.

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