Monday, August 12, 2013

#38: Harvest of Rubies


I recently signed up with bookbub.com, a site that daily sends e-book selections at either reduced prices or even free ones.  Harvest of Rubies, by Tessa Afshar, is one I downloaded (for free) when I noticed that it loosely based on the story of Nehemiah...a Kelly Minter study I participated in last summer.

In this Christian fiction, we meet Sarah, a scribe, who, at the encouragement of her cousin Nehemiah, uses this talent that results in her working for the Queen, who later arranges a marriage for her with Darius.

This novel perfectly portrays the grace of God who always is there, waiting, when one drifts away from Him. Through her hardships and challenges, she again leans on Him and renews her relationship with the Lord.

Tessa Afshar, a writer of Christian historical fiction, converted to Christianity in her twenties, after having been born in Iran and raised as a Muslim.  Her desire to increase women's awareness they they are loved...please read more here from her in a letter she has written to her readers.

If you are a fan of Christian historical fiction, then please consider reading this one.  AND...good news!...only after finishing and continuing to read the author's notes at the end did I learn that this is a series which continues with Harvest of God...just released last month!  Yay!

Saturday, August 10, 2013

Books 15-37...Behind!

Admission...guilty!  In writing book reviews, I simply got behind and that mole hill soon became a mountain!

Over summer break, I will say I did enjoy reading two series by Charlaine Harris:  Aurora Teagarden and Lily Bard...they are two of my favorite fictional ladies, and I highly recommend both series.

The only young adult novel I read was The Twelve-Fingered Boy...and was glad to learn this is the first in a trilogy!

Note:  both above authors are from Arkansas!  That did seem to be a theme for me this summer!

For our faculty book club, I read The Ender's Game and really look forward to seeing it on the big screen this November!  Note to self:  re-read  City of Bones (coming to the big screen this month!)...now have it sitting beside me.  One more thing about books going to the big screen....I did watch The Host by Stephanie Meyer.  Loved it!  I read the book a couple of years ago, and I appreciated how close the plot line it remained.

As always, anything by Richard Paul Evans is simply fantastic...as was his newest release in The Walk series:  A Step of Faith, which continues the journey of Alan as he continues to heal from his emotional wounds from the loss of his wife.
“We must all walk in faith, for to live without is to live frozen in circumstance. Even if the faith, or dreams of our past have been shattered, as they often are, we must gather up the shards and dream again– for achieving dreams is not a single act of will, but, like the felling of a tree, a process of small, steady blows. It is the short footfalls of a great walk.”
Have I quit reading?  No!  I currently have six books going...two for church, two for school,two on the Kindle, and one for our faculty book club...and now a re-read of City of Bones.  AND I promise to resume writing reviews!

I would recommend your reading this article "14 Books to Read Before They Hit the Big Screen," of which I have read six.

Please share...what have you  read good this summer?!