Christmas Book Review: The Reindeer Keeper by Barbara Briggs Ward

Abbey senses something special about the little man tending to the reindeer who, along with a century-old farmhouse, a barn full of animals, and fields abounding in woods and pasture, was a gift to Abbey from a stranger. Abbey and her husband, Steve, move in just before the holidays. They have been together since the '60s, eloping when Steve returned from Vietnam. Now with Abbey's cancer in remission, they're looking forward to their boys coming home for Christmas.


Turns out this Christmas proves to be more magical than anticipated as Abbey realizes an understanding never thought possible through the rekindling of a belief rooted in childhood. Of course it's who delivers this gift on Christmas Eve that gives Abbey and Steve the strength to face their greatest challenge.

The Reindeer Keeper was sent to me by the author to review. This is the kind of book that makes me grateful to be a book blogger.  I never would have picked this book up on my own (probably never would have even heard about it).  I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and was drawn into the story. 

Barbara Briggs Ward has written a wonderful holiday read.  This book is touching without being cheesy.  I had tears in my eyes more than once while reading it and felt the spirit of Christmas within it's pages. Perhaps I could relate to this story more than others might because I lost one of my parents far too early in life.

Reality meets fantasy in this wonderful mix of family life with all its struggles combined with the magic of Christmas.  The characters in these pages came to life and I felt their joy as well as their pain.  
 
I would recommend this beautifully written story to anyone looking for an uplifting Christmas read, especially to those of us who are a little older and have experienced many of the joys and trials that come with life.



Content: Basically a clean read.  Sex is mentioned but there are no details.

Rating: 4 Stars

Source: From author for review

Christmas Book Review: The Christmas Jars by Jason F. Wright

Where had it come from? Whose money was it? Was I to spend it? Save it? Pass it on to someone more needy? Above all else, why was I chosen? Certainly there were others, countless others, more needy than me...

Her reporter's intuition insisted that a remarkable story was on the verge of the front page.

Newspaper reporter Hope Jensen uncovers the remarkable secret behind the "Christmas Jars", glass jars filled with coins and bills anonymously left for people in need. But along the way, Hope discovers much more than the origin of the jars. When some unexpected news sets off a chain reaction of kindness, Hope's greatest Christmas Eve wish comes true.

The Christmas Jars by Jason F. Wright is a heartwarming Christmas story. More than once I had tears in my eyes while reading the touching book.

Focusing on giving during Christmas instead of getting, I loved the message of this story. I admit it does fit somewhere on far side of the unbelievability scale and is a little sappy. However read as a feel good, remind me what Christmas is all about reason, this is a great holiday book.

I'm thinking we'll start a Christmas Jar of our own this year.

Content: Clean

Rating: 4 Stars

Source: Library

Review & Giveaway: True Miracles with Genealogy by Anne Bradshaw

"True Miracles with Genealogy ~ Help from Beyond the Veil" is a collection of family history research stories written by ordinary people with extraordinary experiences. Each account is unique. Each is a miracle. Each will inspire readers as they come to the heady realization that family history work is of great consequence, and there really is a world of spirits.

All are invited to visit this website to learn more.

I was thrilled to be offered a review copy of Anne Bradshaw's newest book True Miracles with Genealogy. Family History is something that is dear to my heart. I have a file with over 48,000 family names my mom compiled prior to her death. I haven't done much with these names lately and was hoping this book would reinspired me to start again on my genealogy.

I'm inspired!

This book if filled with dozens of personal accounts of individuals who have received divine help while researching their family history.

This quote from the books summed things up perfectly:

These incidents could be attributed to sheer coincidence. Personally, I find it impossible to dismiss such consistencies as anything less than inspired. They are too many, too often, too consistent, and too remarkable to be mere serendipity.

Anyone interested in Family History is sure to enjoy this wonderful book.

Content: Clean and Inspiring.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Source: From Author for Review

I'm passing on my gently used copy of this book to a follower of this blog who would love to read it.

Giveaway Details:
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Giveaway ends 11/3/10.
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This Giveaway is Now Closed. Thanks to all who entered.

Children's Book Wednesday - Grandma's Gloves by Cecil Castellucci

A child who loses a beloved grandparent finds comfort in carrying on the activities they shared in this sweet, genuine look at a universal rite of passage.

Grandma is always on her knees in the dirt, with her gardening gloves on, talking to her roses and laughing with the birds-of-paradise. Her home brims with plants and blossoms, and on hot days, she waters her granddaughter, her “most special flower of all,” with the garden hose.

But a day comes when Grandma is no longer there to care for the little girl, who feels sad and small and alone until she remembers all that her grandmother taught her — and all that she now has to teach.

Full of light and life and the solace of green growing things, this moving and beautifully illustrated picture book explores a timeless bond with warmth and joy.

It's not very often a children's book brings tears to my eyes but this one did. Beautiful illustrations and simple text make this the perfect book to share with a child who is dealing with the death of a loved one. In her first picture book Cecil Castellucci used her memories of her own grandmother's love of plants as an inspiration for this touching book.

This book along with a pair of gardening gloves would make a perfect gift for a child who has lost their grandparent.


Childrens Book Wednesday is a feature started by The Crazy Bookworm. Since I adore children's picture books I'll be joining The Crazy Bookworm by sharing at least one picture book each week.

Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Luke has never been to school. He's never had a birthday party, or gone to a friend's house for an overnight. In fact, Luke has never had a friend.

Luke is one of the shadow children, a third child forbidden by the Population Police. He's lived his entire life in hiding, and now, with a new housing development replacing the woods next to his family's farm, he is no longer even allowed to go outside.

Then, one day Luke sees a girl's face in the window of a house where he knows two other children already live. Finally, he's met a shadow child like himself. Jen is willing to risk everything to come out of the shadows -- does Luke dare to become involved in her dangerous plan? Can he afford not to?

It's probably been a decade since I first read Among the Hidden. This is the first book in Margaret Peterson Haddix's Shadow Children series. Aimed at the middle aged reader this made a great family read aloud.

Although this book didn't make me cry it did make my daughter cry. She's my tenderhearted child and the ending of the book upset her. My 8 year old loved it and after finishing it he retold the story to his father. My 4 year old kept asking questions - "Why could they not have 3 babies?" "Why is he hiding?" - it was a little beyond her comprehension but she was listening because the questions were endless. Already my 12 year old is reading the sequel while my 10 year old complains she wants a turn to read it. Sure signs that this book was a hit among my children.

Content: This is a clean read. Appropriate for ages 8 and up.

Rating: 4 Stars. I'll be reading the next book in the series to see what happens next.

Being Sixteen by Allyson Condie

Juliet Kendall has been looking forward to her sixteenth birthday for what feels like forever. At first, it seems like being sixteen will be as perfect as she dreamed---she has great friends, a cute almost-boyfriend, a spot on the varsity girls' basketball team, and even a car of her own. But, as the year goes on, she discovers that her sister Carly, is hiding a secret and realizes that, in fact, being sixteen may be her hardest year yet.

Being Sixteen is a coming-of-age story about two sister and their different struggles. It addresses what it means to have a testimony, what it meant to be a friend and a sister, and what's involved in the dealing with and overcoming an eating disorder.

Being Sixteen is well done LDS fiction. This is the first novel by Allyson Braithwaite Condie that I have read and I will definitely give her other books a try. Being Sixteen delves into the dynamics of a less than perfect LDS family who are doing the best they can. A touching story that brought tears to my eyes. Unlike many books in this genre Being Sixteen is not overly cheesy or preachy. A realistic look at some of the challenges an LDS teen faces.

Content: This is a clean read recommended to LDS readers ages 13+.

Rating: 4 Stars

Shadow of the Giant by Orson Scott Card

Bean's past was a battle just to survive. He first appeared on the streets of Rotterdam, a tiny child with a mind leagues beyond anyone else. He knew he could not survive through strength; he used his tactical genius to gain acceptance into a children's gang, and then to help make that gang a template for success for all the others. He civilized them, and lived to grow older. Then he was discovered by the recruiters for the Battle School.
For Earth was at war -- a terrible war with an inscrutable alien enemy. A war that humanity was near to losing. But the long distances of interstellar space has given hope to the defenders of Earth -- they had time to train military geniuses up from childhood, forging them into an irresistible force in the high-orbital facility called the Battle School. That story is told in two books, the beloved classic Ender's Game, and its parallel, Ender's Shadow.
Bean was the smallest student at the Battle School, but he became Ender Wiggins' right hand. Since then he has grown to be a power on Earth. He served the Hegemon as strategist and general in the terrible wars that followed Ender's defeat of the alien empire attacking Earth. Now he and his wife Petra yearn for a safe place to build a family -- something he has never known -- but there is nowhere on Earth that does not harbor his enemies -- old enemies from the days in Ender's Jeesh, new enemies from the wars on Earth. To find security, Bean and Petra must once again follow in Ender's footsteps. They must leave Earth behind, in the control of the Hegemon, and look to the stars.

I finally finish all the Ender's Books. It took me over a year to get through all 9 books in the series. My husband and I listened to most of them on audio together.

I made the mistake of reading Ender in Exile before reading Shadow of the Giant. Don't make that mistake. A good portion of Shadow of the Giant is summarized in Ender in Exile.

Even knowing a lot of the storyline I enjoyed this book! I admit it is really slow in places. There is so much strategy, politics and war games. That part didn't hold my interest as much as the relationships did.

This book actually made me cry near the end. I don't cry very easily especially while reading Sci-fi books but my mother's heart ached while reading parts of this book and the tears just came.

I think when the next and I think final book in the series comes out I will take the time to reread this series.

Orson Scott Card is a phenomenal writer! I'm amazed at how much he was able to interweave between books.

When I started the series I wasn't sure which order to read the books in. You can read them chronologically or in the order they are written in.

My recommendation is to read the series in the order they were written:

Ender's Game

Speaker for the Dead

Xenocide
Children of the Mind

Ender's Shadow

Shadow of the Hegemon

Shadow Puppets

Shadow of the Giant

Ender In Exile - Don't read until after you have finished the other 8 books.

Content Warning: If you've ever read an Orson Scott Card's book you know what to expect. There is mild language throughout the book. This is war so there is violence but I didn't find it to be graphic or gruesome. There is also some innuendo. I think this series is appropriate for ages 16 and up. I know it is read by those much younger but I will wait until my boys are 16 to suggest they read this series. My son's 12 year old friend read Ender's Game and told me it was "so bad" in places due to the language, crudeness and innuendo.

Rating: A solid 4 star book and series. I highly recommend this series. Orson Scott Card is a phenomenal writer!