“Mr. Pipes Comes to America” by Douglas Bond

Mr. Pipes Comes to America 

by Douglas Bond

Synopsis: 

This novel is the third volume in the Mr. Pipes series. It provides readers with a wealth of inspiring information regarding the lives of famous American hymn writers. Annie and Drew continue their action-packed adventures as Mr. Pipes visits America and teaches them about great hymns from American history. Grades 7-10.

My Review:

⭐⭐⭐⭐ & ❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎

4 stars & 4/10 hearts. I don’t love this one as I love book one. It is highly hilarious and does have some good quotes and thoughts. I don’t agree with all Bond’s ideas, but I love reading the beautiful hymns, the reminders of God’s watching over us, and seeing Dr. Dudley, Drew, and Mr. Pipes. ;) There is so much humour in this story!

Purchase this book: 

Canada | America

“Christmas Eve at the Backdoor” by Rebekah A. Morris // 12 Days of Christmas Blog Party

Christmas Eve at the Backdoor
(Christmas Collection)

by Rebekah A. Morris

Synopsis: 

The Great Depression is in full swing, and Mrs. Kabrick hopes to make Christmas a special time for her children even though they don't have much. With the back door constantly opening and shutting, time flies bringing cold air, visitors, and a very special Christmas Eve.

My Review:

⭐⭐⭐ & ❤︎❤︎❤︎

 3 stars & 3/10 hearts. As always, Rebekah Morris’ descriptions enabled me to envision the setting perfectly in my head. The little twists in the story constantly surprised me, and I enjoyed the sweet, family love.

A Favourite Quote: “Every year the Kabrick family had made it a point to give at least one gift to a family less fortunate than themselves. ‘We may not have much,’ Mrs. Kabrick had often told her children, ‘but there are others who have even less. And we have something that money can’t buy; we have love.’ Her children all seemed to catch the true spirit of Christmas, for their first talk of gifts in December were not about what they wanted but about what they could give someone else.”
A Favourite Beauriful Quote: “The sun was slipping farther towards the west, leaving Christmas Eve in dusky, wintery light.”
A Favourite Humorous Quote: “For a moment Mrs. Kabrick could only stare at the gifts on the table in bewilderment. ‘Surely, Reverend, there must be a mistake.... These don’t all belong here.’
“‘Well, if they don’t, you’ll have to find some other Kabrick family to give them to, for I know of only one in the entire town and surrounding farms.’”

Purchase this book: 

Canada | America

Aaaaand now... check out Faith's post. ;)

There's also a 12DoC giveaway this year! There’s two prizes, and each winner will receive a paperback copy of Behold by Faith Potts, a pair of fuzzy Christmas socks, a Christmas ornament, and a few other small goodies (magnet, candy, something like that). The giveaway will open on the 14th at 12am and close at 12am Christmas morning. Winners will be announced in Faith's post on Christmas Day. Click here to enter! 

“For My Good” by Sarah Holman // 12 Days of Christmas Blog Party

For My Good

by Sarah Holman

Synopsis: 

It is Christmas time, but nothing is like it is supposed to be. Can a chance encounter help Janet to find joy and meaning despite her pain?
A short story of Christmas, finding hope, and faith.

My Review:

⭐⭐⭐⭐ &  ❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎

4 stars & 4/10 hearts. I really enjoyed this book and thought it was well-done. I was expecting a thoughtful, quiet story and suddenly I was projected in the midst of excitement! It was very realistic and a pleasure to read. The message was not only for children whose parents have divorced; it is excellent for everyone. We all need to be reminded of it.

A Favourite Quote: “‘Yet, what men meant for evil, both his brothers and Potiphar's wife, God meant for good. Everything that happened to Joseph happened so that he could save a nation and his own family from starving. Not even his lowest moments were without purpose. Neither are yours.’”
A Favourite Humorous Quote: “‘Look, I understand this cannot be easy for you.’
“‘Try extremely disconcerting, and frazzling.’”

Purchase this book: 

Canada | America

Ya know what I'm gonna say...  >> Faith's blog. 

There's also a 12DoC giveaway this year! There’s two prizes, and each winner will receive a paperback copy of Behold by Faith Potts, a pair of fuzzy Christmas socks, a Christmas ornament, and a few other small goodies (magnet, candy, something like that). The giveaway will open on the 14th at 12am and close at 12am Christmas morning. Winners will be announced in Faith's post on Christmas Day. Click here to enter! 

“Christmas Quilts” by Rebekah A. Morris // 12 Days of Christmas Blog Party

Christmas Quilts 

(Christmas Collection)

by Rebekah A. Morris

Synopsis: 

Memories. Gifts. And so much more.When her beloved grandmother suffers a heart attack, Olivia pours her love, fear, and grief into a new quilting project, rekindling the passion they once shared. But only through a very special Christmas does she come to see the true significance of her gifts . . . and the legacy they carry.

My Review:

⭐⭐⭐⭐ & ❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎

3.5 stars & 4/10 hearts. If there’s one thing Rebekah Morris can do well, it’s setting. I’ve been in snowstorms like Olivia’s, though it never got that bad, and the setting was accurate and drew me in so well. The plot was interesting and I enjoyed this story.

A Favourite Humorous Quote: “‘I love snow, but getting stuck because of two snowstorms was not on my want-to-do-sometime list.’”

Purchase this book: 

Canada | America

Run over to Faith's now! ;)

There's also a 12DoC giveaway this year! There’s two prizes, and each winner will receive a paperback copy of Behold by Faith Potts, a pair of fuzzy Christmas socks, a Christmas ornament, and a few other small goodies (magnet, candy, something like that). The giveaway will open on the 14th at 12am and close at 12am Christmas morning. Winners will be announced in Faith's post on Christmas Day. Click here to enter! 

“Emmanuel” by Angela R. Watts // 12 Days of Christmas Blog Party

Emmanuel
(Infidel Books Short Story)

by Angela R. Watts

Synopsis: 

"Make safe the way that leads on high, and close the path to misery. . ."
In dystopian America, with civil unrest and wars among the states, illegal activity is rampant and only the strongest survive. Reese Burns is one of the strong fighters. He doesn’t need Jesus to fight, either.
Ezekiel, a ten-year-old child living in a fight dome, insists he get the answer about the story of Christmas. On Christmas Eve, Reese sets out to find the boy the best gift he’s capable of giving. The story of Jesus. The story only brings Reese pain at first, but then he’s forced to make a choice when a miracle happens. Can Reese choose faith in an unseen God in the midst of chaos?

My Review:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ & ❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎

 5 stars & 5/10 hearts. Okay... I love this story. It’s so dramatic and redemptive and... sweet. It’s my first of the author’s works but it makes sense and there was enough information for me to piece together the gist of what was going on. At first I was a little wary because Reese’s explanation of Jesus’ birth & of salvation was a little off... but then I realized that he didn’t know any better. I wouldn’t hand it to an unsaved person, but anyone who knows the Gospel would know where Reese’s theology had gaps. ;) I LOVED the ending... and I loved Reese and Ezekiel and Shiko... (Reese & Ezekiel’s relationship was so sweet!!!) and I loved how God’s power was revealed to Reese. I loved the message of the book. I just love this story so much and I want to read the rest of the series so badly!! 

A Favourite Quote: "'I wish you could see them, Reese. I wish you weren’t so scared of dying and pain, that you can’t see Jesus and the angels.' ...

"'I will. One day, kid, I will.'

"'You did today.' ...

"'I…' Reese grew quiet. He had found Ezekiel as good as dead, yet, here the boy was, breathing and speaking of Jesus. Reese had faced ice and snow like a foolish man and hadn’t frozen to death. He had witnessed slave fighters work together for the first time to help save a life instead of take one.

"'I did see them.'"

A Favourite Beautiful Quote: "'Nothing’s ever that easy.' Ezekiel hugged his knees and stared at the papers, eyes heavy. His cold voice made Reese stiffen. Reese hated that look and what it meant. He wanted to give the kid some hope."

Purchase this book: 

Canada | America

Now head over to Faith's. ;)

There's also a 12DoC giveaway this year! There’s two prizes, and each winner will receive a paperback copy of Behold by Faith Potts, a pair of fuzzy Christmas socks, a Christmas ornament, and a few other small goodies (magnet, candy, something like that). The giveaway will open on the 14th at 12am and close at 12am Christmas morning. Winners will be announced in Faith's post on Christmas Day. Click here to enter! 

“The Romance of a Christmas Card” by Kate Douglas Smith Wiggins // 12 Days of Christmas Blog Party

Hi friends! Today is the start of a blog party hosted by the lovely Faith of Stories by Firefly. I will be posting every day of the party except Sundays on this blog & my other blog Little Blossoms for Jesus. I hope you enjoy! Be sure to head over to Faith's to read her post and see the other participants' posts. :)

There's also a 12DoC giveaway this year! There’s two prizes, and each winner will receive a paperback copy of Behold by Faith Potts, a pair of fuzzy Christmas socks, a Christmas ornament, and a few other small goodies (magnet, candy, something like that). The giveaway will open on the 14th at 12am and close at 12am Christmas morning. Winners will be announced in Faith's post on Christmas Day. Click here to enter! 

The Romance of a Christmas Card
by Kate Douglas Smith Wiggins

Synopsis: 

Can a Christmas card be the means that brings two wanderers home to love? 

The minister's son, Dick, has left Beulah because his harmless mischief was exaggerated constantly by the gossips of the village. His best friend, David, has left the village and found himself in an unhappy marriage,  then widowed and burdened with twin babies. The care of the children falls to his older sister, Letty, and David returns to the world to struggle out a living. The minister's wife dabbles in painting and poetry, and this Christmas she decides to paint Letty and her little cottage and add a few verses. Her cards are strewn across the United States. Will the mention of "the old folks at home" and Letty's wistful face touch the two young men?

My Review:

⭐⭐⭐⭐ & ❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎

3.5 stars & 4/10 hearts. This story is already pretty nostalgic to me, for I’ve read it a couple of times and usually around Christmas! It’s quaint and very beautiful and humorous in parts, though I do not agree with everything. :)

A Favourite Quote: “‘There is always so little spare money in the village that we get less and less accustomed to sharing what we have with others. I want to remind the people that there are different ways of giving, and that the bestowing of one's self in service and good deeds can be the best of all gifts.’”

A Favourite Beautiful Quote: “Winter had melted into spring, burst into summer, faded into autumn, lapsed into winter again,—the same old, ever-recurring pageant in the world of Nature, and the same procession of incidents in the neighborhood life. The harvest moon and the hunter's moon had come and gone; the first frost, the family dinners and reunions at Thanksgiving, the first snowfall; and now, as Christmas approached, the same holiday spirit was abroad in the air[.]”

A Favourite Humorous Quote: “‘Ossian said to Luther the other day: “Maria ain't hardly to blame, parson. She come from a gloomy stock. The Ladds was all gloomy, root and branch. They say that the Ladd babies was always discouraged two days after they was born.”’”

Purchase this book: 

Canada | America

“Beyond the Horizon” by Jesseca Wheaton

Beyond the Horizon 

by Jesseca Wheaton

Synopsis: 

Eliana longs to see the world beyond the mountains that tower above Salzburg, Austria, but knows that dream will never see such adventure--and neither will she.
Surrounded by a world of cruelty, she lives for the weekly visits of Aron, a boy she met on one of her rambles through the countryside.
But as the years pass and she begins to grow older, a new and unwelcome world is opened up to her.
On a fateful night at a party she vowed she’d never attend, she comes face to face with a shocking truth.
As the world around her teeters on the brink of war, Eliana struggles to figure out just where her loyalty lies; a decision that will drastically change the course of her life. Will she ever be free to see what lies beyond the horizon?

My Review:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ & ❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎

4.5 stars & 5/10 hearts. This story was a little weaker in writing style (the  language was slightly too modern), but that hardly bothered me. The thing that did bother me was a lot of touching—dancing, kissing (nose, forehead, hair), hugging—before the characters were even engaged. This took off .5 stars. But the Cinderella twist was very good, and I loved how the title works into the story so well—and how the cove does too!! I loved Aron, and the S.S. part was unexpected but I completely loved it. The spiritual part was very good, and again, tied in very well. The romance was a little over my taste, but I have read the author’s newer works and her romance improves a good deal. Overall, I loved this book.

A Favourite Quote: “No matter what the future held, she knew Who held the future. And what He willed would come to pass.”

A Favourite Beautiful Quote: “The road stretched out in front of her; a thin, brown ribbon fading into the mountains that loomed on the horizon.”

A Favourite Humorous Quote: “Perhaps if I stay far enough behind, they will forget I am supposed to go with them. She knew it was a rather useless idea, but she clung to it. Maybe, just maybe...

“‘Eliana, child, what is taking you so long?’ ....

“Well, so much for that idea.” 

Purchase this book:

Canadians | Americans

“At the Christmas Lodge” by Rebekah A. Morris

At the Christmas Lodge 

(Christmas Collection)

by Rebekah A. Morris

Synopsis: 

When Desirae Richey agrees to go home with some college friends for Christmas, she expects a small family gathering. Instead she is taken to the Christmas Lodge in the snowy mountains of Canada to a noisy, fun loving, adventurous group of family and friends who welcome her as one of their own. Everything seems to be going as planned until an unexpected snowfall occurs.

My Review:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ & ❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎

5 stars & 5/10 hearts. What a sweet story!! I found tears in my eyes at the ending. This author has an amazing gift of transporting you within the story. I saw and felt everything Desirae did. The winter feeling and Christmas feeling was beautiful. <3 (Can we also just mention how perfect the hymn verse is?? I love that touch!!) The romance was so sweet :) and I enjoyed the humour too. ;) The snow sculpture was very true to Des’ and Dunny’s nationality (though as a Canadian I was slightly annoyed). ;) This was just such a sweet, sweet book!! <3 I look forwards to more of this author's works. :)

A Favourite Beautiful Quote: “...by the light of the Christmas lights and the lamp out front, she could see flakes, large and small, silently sifting down, swirling now and then when a gust of wind sent them dancing, adding their own flakes to the millions already blanketing the ground, the trees and everywhere. It was all so pretty, so different than anything Desirae had ever seen before that she forgot all else in the wonder of the wintery night.”
A Favourite Humorous Quote: “Why, this is fun!” Lesley exclaimed. “I want a pair for Christmas!”
Joe laughed. “Where would you wear them? On the beach?” He knew that Lesley lived in Southern California where there was no snow.
“I’ll just have to move up north, or,” she added, as she stumbled, “maybe not.”

Purchase this book: 

Canada | America