[The White Horse King] by Benjamin Merckle

This latest book I received to review is Benjamin Merckle's The White Horse King. This book tells the story of King Alfred, know as the Great. During Alfred's time (late 800's AD) Vikings from the North swept down upon England, raiding, torching, murdering and destroying everything in their path. Everyone was affected by these bloody intruders.

At a time when things looked most desperate, an unlikely hero arose. King Alfred stepped forward to rid Britain of the Vikings. Though it took much time, King Alfred plotted, prayed and prepared to oust the Vikings from his country.

I had a hunch I would like this book before I even cracked the cover. You see, I'm kind of a history person. I love learning about past events. And King Alfred was not a historical figure I knew much about. So I dived eagerly into this one.

Though not a novel, I feel like the book read well, because it is King Alfred's story. I found some chapters a tiny bit dry (I can only handle so many battles), but not enough to keep me from enjoying it. Alfred accomplished some amazing things in his lifetime. In fact, he laid foundations for some of Britain's later glories.

Overall, I think this book would appeal more to a history buff like me, but would not be a trial to finish for anyone else.

I received a copy of this book to review from Thomas Nelson. All opinions are my own, and I received no monetary compensation.

November Reading

I can hardly believe that today is the first day of December! You know what that means? It's time to see what I've read in November:

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Cat Among the Pigeons

by Agatha Christie

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Tidings of Great Boys

by Shelley Adina

(I won this book in a giveaway, and I don't mind saying that I wouldn't necessarily recommend it. Purely my own opinion, however.)

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Sarah

by Orson Scott Card

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Tears in a Bottle

by Sylvia Bambola

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The Courtship of the Vicar's Daughter

by Lawana Blackwell

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The Dowry of Miss Lydia Clark

by Lawana Blackwell

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The Jewel of Gresham Green

by Lawana Blackwell

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Rebekah

by Orson Scott Card

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Rachel & Leah

by Orson Scott Card

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Sad Cypress

by Agatha Christie

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The Secret Adversary

by Agatha Christie

(This is one of my favorite Agatha Christie's of all times, and I've just about read them all.)

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The Sittaford Mystery

by Agatha Christie

So tell me! What have you been reading?

[The Language of Love & Respect] by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs

Dr. Emerson Eggerichs' best-selling book, Love & Respect, is followed up here by The Language of Love & Respect: Cracking the Communication Code With Your Mate. Communication between couples is a huge marriage issue. Why? Because they're speaking two different languages and may not even know it! In this book, Dr. Eggerichs  gives a practical approach to communication between husbands and wives. They speak distinctly different languages; for him, respect. For her, love.

I will tell you right now that I am not actually married, but I am in a very committed relationship, so I could learn from this book as well. I very much enjoyed Dr. Eggerichs' stories and examples from his own life, and reading this book really helped me to realize just how differently men and women think and speak. The steps given for better communication seem applicable and certainly not impossible. I think this book has helped me to stop and think before getting upset over something my sweetheart did (or didn't) say.

My one problem with this book? It did feel slightly repetitive. It may just be to really get the principles into your head, but it was distracting to me. Overall, I did enjoy the read.

The Language of Love & Respect on Amazon.




**I received a review copy of this book. I was not paid/reimbursed in any other way. I read the book and gave my honest opinions.**

October Reading

I read quite a bit. I have a lot of time to devote to it, so that makes it easy for me to finish more than a few books a month. I started writing down everything I read in January of 2007, and I thought it might be fun to list the books I've read at the end of every month. Let me know what you think! =)

• The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks
• Winter's Heart by Robert Jordan
• The Whispering Statue by Carolyn Keene (still love the classic Nancy Drew!)
• Less Than Dead by Tim Downs
• The Haunted Bridge by Carolyn Keene
• The Clue in the Crumbling Wall by Carolyn Keene
• Refiner's Fire by Sylvia Bambola
• The Mermaid in the Basement by Gilbert Morris
• The Widow of Larkspur Inn by Lawana Blackwell
• Crossroads of Twilight by Robert Jordan

What have you read over the past month?

[The Tallest of Smalls] by Max Lucado, Illustrated by Maria Monescillo

In Max Lucado's latest book, The Tallest of Smalls, 6:00 in the evening is a very important time. It's when everyone gathers to see who will be chosen to get a new gift...a pair of stilts.

You see, if you get a pair of stilts, you really are pretty cool. Classy. Special. Important. Everyone wants their own pair of stilts.

A little boy named Ollie wants a pair. And finally, his day comes! However, stilts aren't all they're cracked up to be. And then Ollie meets someone who shows him why he's special without stilts.

Even though I'm not a kid anymore, I enjoyed this book. I believe it's message is important to all ages! I know the 5 year old in my house will love it. I love that the story really represents life. If you're not cool, you're not good enough. But no one needs a pair of "stilts" when they are loved by the Savior!

Maybe your child is struggling with feeling insignificant or unimportant? I'd encourage you to pick up The Tallest of Smalls and enjoy reading it together. Max Lucado's words really are an encouragement!

**I received a review copy of this book, but I was not paid in any way for my review. The review is my opinion of the book. Thanks!**

[Green] by Ted Dekker

First there was Black. Then Red. And finally White. But now you can go full circle with Ted Dekker's latest, Green.

The Circle has lost hope. A cherished son turns his back on his father, gathering evil for a final battle. And his father is desperately seeking the one elusive hope that just might save them all.

I will tell you right now that I am an avid fan of Ted Dekker. As in I've-read-every-single-one-of-his-books-at-least-twice-but-I-read-them-again-anyway. It's pretty bad. I loved the original Circle Trilogy. So when I found out about Green, it was definitely on the top of my "must read" list. And I can't say I was disappointed.

I think the most appealing thing about Green is it's versatility. You've read the Trilogy? Great! You haven't? Dive in anyway! You won't get lost because you haven't read the other books.

I also found the story to be engaging. It's a classic "good vs. evil" kind of story, but in a different light. You won't want it to end. But when it does end, you'll want to continue the Circle; which is probably the point.

[I am a Book Review Blogger for Thomas Nelson]

**I received a review copy of this book, but I was not paid in any way for my review. The review is my opinion of the book. Thanks!**

[A Million Miles in a Thousand Years] by Donald Miller

Stories.

We read them, watch them, read them, dream them, write them...

And we live them.

Donald Miller's latest book, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years, is a story. About his life. He is given the chance to rewrite a book he wrote into a movie. Basically, he edits his real past into his movie past. And then he decides that he needs to change the story he's living now.

I'm honestly not quite sure how I feel about this book. I found it to be an interesting read, to see someone else's point of view. But there are some things that I just don't agree with.

For example, Mr. Miller relates his experiences as he is living his story. And they amaze me. It also made me feel that if my life is not necessarily amazing and exciting, then I need to change my story.

But really? Does my story really not matter unless I bike across America, or go hiking in Peru, or dig wells in Africa?

Of course, that may not have been what Mr. Miller was trying to convey at all. I think that I may give this book a second shot. But I'm not sure it'll have a permanent place on my bookshelf.

You can purchase A Million Miles in a Thousand Years here.

**I received a review copy of this book, but I was not paid in any way for my review. The review is my opinion of the book. Thanks!**

[Faces in the Fire] by T.L. Hines

A pair of shoes. A catfish. Black Tar. Fire. 1595544534.

Seemingly senseless. And then it all comes together in the end.

Four people. Living four very different lives. You'll meet Kurt, a truck driver and sculptor who can't remember his past. Corinne, an email spammer with a deadly problem. Grace, a tattoo artist with an addiction. And Stan, haunted by his terrifying gift for killing.

I had never read any of T.L. Hines work, so I honestly had no idea what to expect when I received this book. But it blew me away. It was different than books I've read before. And yes, at first I was a little confused. But once I found myself immersed in the story, the rest was easy.

There are four distinctly different stories in this book. Each character finds his/her own problems, solutions, fears, addictions, etc. And then you realize that the more you read, the more it fits. I began a guessing game of how the stories intertwined. As I neared the end, I think my heart began beating a bit faster, excitement building to the very last page.

All in all, I enjoyed this book. I'm planning on reading it again sometime to catch some of the subtleties. Perfect if you need a little suspense in your reading adventures!

You can purchase Faces in the Fire here.

**I received a review copy of this book, but I was not paid in any way for my review. The review is my opinion of the book. Thanks!**

Welcome

The name says it all. To read and review. I read a book, and then I write what I think. Simple as that. =)