Friday, July 19, 2013

Fired Up: A Review

I love Mary Connealy's books.  She is one of my top christian authors.  This being said this book left me a little disappointed.  I love the character of Dare Riker.  This strong compassionate self-proclaimed doctor was a great hero to cheer for.   I also liked Glynna.  She was rescued in the last book from an abusive husband.  Now widowed with 2 children she must learn to provide for her family.  Glynna opens up a diner in town which proves to be very popular.  There is one catch she can't cook.  The men in town keep coming twice daily for the inedible fare and a chance to see Glynna.  Dare is getting more business from the charred food in the way of patients.

*Spoiler Alert*
There were several action scenes that I thought dragged on to long and went over the top.  The avalanche  that kept going... stopped and then more stuff came flying at them.  The other part that irritated me was when Dare was stabbed in the back and found in a pool of his own blood.  He some how revives enough to propose and sweep Glynna in his arms and have quite a dialogue with his lady love.  These two parts of the book let me down a little.

I still look forward to the next book in this series with the hope that Ms. Connealy will return to writing quality christian fiction and leave the action sequneces to the movies....

I was given this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions are my own...

You can find this book at http://www.christianbook.com/fired-up-trouble-in-texas-ebook/mary-connealy/9781441262776/pd/40309EB?item_code=WW&netp_id=1142758&event=ESRCG&view=details

Monday, July 8, 2013

99 Mommy Approved reads for Kids




Going to the library with my kiddos should be a relaxing and fun time but alot of times it isn't.  As soon as you get inside they start pulling books from the shelves.  Their criteria... pretty covers...mine quality content.
I feel like I'm playing a real life game of Minesweep.  Remember that one.  Check the box.. safe... check the box safe... check the box BOOM!  I asked several people who share the same passion for good children's books from a broad spectrum.  Here are the recommendations.  
 
Harry the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion
Rubia and the Three Osos by Susan Elya
If  You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett
Click Clack Moo Cows that Type by Doreen Cronin
The new Adventures of Curious George collections
Will God's Might Warrior by Sheila Walsh
The Grandma's Attic books by Arleta Richardson
Stuart Little and Charlotte's Web by E.B. White
Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard & Florence Atwater
My Father’s Dragon by Ruth Gannett
How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell
If you decide to go to the moon by Faith McNulty
Zack’s Aligator by Shirley Mozelle
Danny and the Dinosaur by Syd Hoff
A Chair for Baby Bear by Kaye Umansky
Norman the Doorman by Don Freeman
The Black Lagoon series by Mike Thaler
Goofy’s Big Race – A Walt Disney Beginning Reader book (old)
The Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder
The Tale of the Three Trees by Angela Hunt & Tim Jonke
Reader's Digest's The World's best Fairy Tales
Mrs. Piggle Wiggle's Magic by Betty Macdonald
Chronicles of Narnia Series by C.S. Lewis
The Adventures in Odyssey Imagination Station Books
The All of A Kind Family by Sidney Taylor
The Ordinary Princess by M.M. Kaye
The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Banks
Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Mongomery
The Sugar Creek Gang series by Paul Hutchens
Little Britches by Ralf Moody
The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary
Encyclopedia Brown series by Donald Sobol
The Biggest Shadow in the Zoo by Jack Kent
A Porcupine Named Fluffy by Helen Lester
Are You My Mother by P.D. Eastman
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by Frank Baum
Robert McCloskey books including picture books and chapter books
Elsie Dinsmore books by Martha Finley
 Horse books by Mageurite Henry
Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes
Black Beauty by Anna Sewell
Five children and It by E. Nesbit
Missionary story books by Dave and Neta Jackson
Native American series by Kenneth Thomasa
Pilgrims progress by John Bunyan
Gail Carson Levine books (ella enchanted)
Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish
Night of the moonjellies(picture) by Mark Shasha
Down, Down the Mountain  by Ellis Credle
Scrambled Eggs Super by Dr Seuss
Everyday graces by Karen Santorum
William Bennets book of America/virtues
The Velveteen Rabbit By Margery Williams
How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World by Marjorie Priceman
The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf
The Story About Ping by Marjorie Flack
A Pair of Red Clogs by Masako Matsuno
Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans
Owl moon By Jane Yolen
Shoes by Elizabeth Winthrop
When Dinosaurs Came with Everything by Elise Broach
Skippyjon Jones by Judy Schachner
Kevin Henkes books (lily ones) 
Frances books by Russell Hoban
Winnie the Pooh by AA Milne (not disney versions)
Beatrix potter books
Follow My Leader by James Garfield
Little Pear by Eleanor Lattimore
Henry Huggins by Beverly Cleary
Stone Fox by John Gardiner
Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
Chicka Chicka 123 by Bill Martin Jr., Michael Sampson & Lois Ehlert
Hank the Cow Dog by John Erickson
The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth Speare
The Read A-Loud Handbook by Jim Trelease
Dinosaurs for Kids by Ken Ham
The Castle in the Attic by Elizabeth Winthrop
Dad’s Dinosaur Day by Diane Hearn
There’s No Such Thing as a Dragon by Jack Kent
Adventures of Young Buffalo Bill by E. Cody Kimmel
How Doofus the Dragon Lost His Head by Bill Peet
Goodnight Goodnight Sleepyhead by Ruth Krauss (board book)
The American Boys Handy Book by Daniel Beard
The Little Fish that Got Away by Bernadine Cook
Big Red barn by Margaret Wise Brown (board book)
Fifteen Animals! By Sandra Boynton (board book)
The Big Hungry Bear by Don & Audrey Wood (board book)
Meghan Rose books by Lori Scott
Treasures of the Snow by Patricia St. John (not the revised version)
The Adventures of Harold & the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson
Frog & Toad by Arnold Lobel
Magic Treehouse Books by Mary Pope Osborne
Cowgirl and Cocoa by Erica Silverman
Incredible Journey – Shiela Burnford
Boom Chicka Rock by John Archambault
Cul-De-Sac Kids Books by Beverly Lewis
Mandy Books by Lois Gladys Leppard
The Usborne Children’s Encylopedia

Head to the library and enjoy :)