The Pirate Queen by Patricia Hickman

This ia a novel about a woman who was going to leave her husband because of his unfaithfulness and the same day finds out he has cancer. On top of that he wants to go to their 'getaway cabin' together that she had decided to go to alone. The story also tells about their 3 children and how they cope with their Dad's illness.

I was really anticipating a captivating story but was really disappointed in the first chapter. I felt the author threw in way too many details that did not pertain to the story at all. In the first chapter we get in the middle of this Southern Living party at their house when Saphora, the main character, sees that she forgot to shave her legs. Hello?? Who would forget that and if you did, who would put that down for all to read!!

In the second chapter their son comes to their house and wants to leave their grandson with Saphora and Bender to take care of for a couple days. Never mind that Bender just found out he has cancer. Saphora couldn't even tell each of their 3 children about their Dad's cancer. I found that extremely odd.

WaterBrook Multnomah Publishers provided this book to me for an honest review, favorable or unfavorable. Please do not stay away from this book on my account. It just wasn't the type of novel I was anticipating.

Voices of the Faithful Book 1

This is a book that tells about inspiring stories of courage from Christians serving around the world. It is a book of devotions for every day of the year with an introduction by Beth Moore to begin each month.

Since I received this book in December, I have been reading the daily devotions for this month. The theme is 'Christmas Around the World' and missionaries have shared stories of events they have experienced during the Christmas season in another land. Themes for other months are: compassion, God's grace, persecution, contentment, to name a few.

I look forward to reading more of the stories by missionaries that serve the Lord around the world. These are missionaries that serve under the Southern Baptist International Board and the profits of this book go 100% to the Lottie Moon offering which supports all of the Southern Baptist missionaries that serve abroad.

Disclaimer: Thanks to Thomas Nelson for sending me the featured product for review purpose. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

The American Patriot's Almanac

This book is a daily source of inspiration and information about the history, heroes, and achievements that sum up what this nation is all about. It is authored by William J. Bennett and John T.E. Cribb.

I was excited to get this book because I am familiar with William J. Bennett's works and I know he loves our country. And I believe one of his passions is to share his love with his readers in teaching and sharing with us the values that have made this country strong. This book does not disappoint. It is full of true stories of men and women who have fought for our country to give us the freedom we so enjoy today. There are some great trivia facts at the bottom of each page. One cannot help but gain knowledge from reading this book.

The book is actually written, not as chapters, but as daily readings. If you love history and love this country, this will be a wonderful addition to your library. You will not only benefit from the courageous stories, but I encourage you to share it with your children and grandchildren so they may learn from it also.