Simba's book review

"A mother and daughter"s love is never seperated."  Viola Shipman Many times your hear the saying,  "Daddy's Little Girl",  but that bond between a mother and daughter, while fragile, is one that really has no words.   As both a mother, and a daughter I can relate amd feel this way.   My own relationship wirh my mother has always been tumultuous.   Looking back, as a moneith three daughters, two of whom have left the nest, I have a bit more grace and understanding.    Karen Schaler does an amazing job of portraying the struggles and joys of this special and wonderful relationship in her newest novel, A Ruff Roual Christmas, scheduled to be released September 30, 2025. Karen takes us to the kingdom of Skydovia where we meet the prim, proper, duty-bound Princess Ava.  Determined please her late father, Princess Ava is set to Marry a duke.  She was always led to believe, that her mother Queen of Skydovia, needs to be kept gro...

Psalm 10:14 "But you do see, for you note mischief, and vexation that you may take it into your hands." Living in a fallen world, we are faced with evil all around us.  Why does a good God allow bad things to happen?  Why do innocent people suffer so much?  Why do rapes, children molesting, kidnapping, murder, and much more run rampant in our world?  These questions run through our minds,  as we are tasked with living life in a fallen world. Blackstock deals wirh these questions and much more in her "If I Run Series (Zondervan publishing).   Readers will fall in love with main characters Casey Cox and Dylan Roberts as they are bombarded and faced evil head on in this fast-pace page turner.   As a 12 year old child, Casey comes home one day and finds her father's body in what appears to be a suicide.  Deep down she never believes her beloved police officer father committed suicide.  Fast forward many years later, Casey once again fin...

Luke 8:17 Esv. "For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light." Back about 15-18 years ago I fell in love with Amish fiction.   Authors such as:  Beverly Lewis, Wanda Brunstetter, Marta Perry, and Amy Clipston drew me in with simple stories of faith, family, love, and forgiveness.   Busy as a young mom with 4 kids,  I loved reading about young Amish women and their faith journey, with some romance sprinkled in.  I loved that faith, family, and forgiveness were woven into the fabric of their every day life.  These books, and the struggles the characters faith,  helped me in my own journey to see that all are humans, all struggles with sin, and we all need a savior.  I began to see, that even the simplicity of their life did not guarantee happiness.   I have learned that families, just like people are not perfect, and through God's grace we are being molded a...

Received copy from Netgalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) to read for an honest review "Precious memories, how they linger How they ever flood my soul"  (Precious Memories Lyrics @Emibaapril Music Inc.   Songwriters Dp/Johnnie Robert Wright) As a first time mother, amd lover of all things Christmas, I was so excited to pick out that all important baby's first Christmas ornament.  It had to be the best,  so of course, off to the local Hallmark store we went.  I will always remember that little train with a bear that says baby's first Christmas.  And of course, it came as part of a set for the next couple of years (Which we proudly collected).  Twenty-five years qnd four kids later, we still make the annual trip to the store for that perfect keepsake ornament.  We have collected Disney princesses, Harry Potter, Superheroes, Charlie Brown, and many more.  All showing likes or what was important that year.  But for this mama's...

Psalm 32:7. "You are my hiding place, you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. " A small child growing up with trauma (physical, psychological, emotional abuse or neglect) is so hard for us to process.  For the child, there are scars they will carry throughout life.  Many times those cars will be picked over and bleed a bit more til they scab over again.  Many times we question and ask where God was in the midst of all this and why did He allow this to happen?  The people who are supposed to love and protect this innocent child, are the ones hurting him causing great pain.  I am no theologian and I do not understand the why, and I sincerely believe we won't understand it this side of heaven.  As a victim of childhood trauma, I can tell you that looking back, I see God's hand and protection throughout my childhood.  These painful experiences have made me who I am today, and God has used them to help me reach out to chi...

3 John 1:4      "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in truth"  ESV        As an avid reader I am always looking for that piece of fiction that touches my heart,  has memorable characters, and has life lessons.  As a follower of Christ, it is even more meaningful when that work of fiction presents biblical truth in a profound way with a mixture of grace and truth.   This book did all that and so much more!      WOW!   What a beautiful story of: forgiveness, love, grace, family, reconciliation, and most importantly redemption.  This story begins with Emma, one of the main characters, as a young girl deciding she wants to walk away from her faith to have fun.  After the introduction, on her wedding day, Emma becomes a widow and turns her life over to the Lord.         Tracie Peterson handles Emma's redemption story with great depth and understandin...

Growing up as an only child,  with older parents,  made for a very lonely childhood.  Books became my best friend.   My parents were always afraid to let me be play outside, and there were not many kids My age to look forward to.   Weekly, or sometimes bi-weekly trips, to the local library became the highlight of my days.   I would come home with stacks of books that would allow me to escape into a world filled with possibilities.  From the Babysitters Club, to Ramona and Beezus,  Mary Lenox in the Secret Garden, and Fern in Charlotte's web, I would lose myself for hours in a world where I felt safe and confident.   These characters became some of my closest "friends" and helped me to escape from a lonely and isolated childhood.   I was a fast reader and devoured so many books, I couldn't begin to name them all.   As an adult, I still love to read and find myself identifying with characters in my novels...