Tag: net galley

The Hashimoto’s AIP Cookbook: A Net Galley Review

Grace-Filled Writer
NetGalley

In July of 2013 I had thyroid surgery after a nodule was felt and then seen on ultrasound. This picture is from about 2 weeks after. You can still see my bandage! Although my thyroid labs always came back with the numbers within the normal range, the surgeon observed that I absolutely had Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, an autoimmune disease in which my body attacks my thyroid. I had never heard of this nor did I know what it meant for me! I was put onto thyroid medication shortly after surgery and my health began to improve dramatically, but not fully. 


Over the years as I have researched symptoms of Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis I began to see many of my health problems were most likely related to this disease. It was a mom of 3 young kids and so I chalked up my exhaustion to that. Moms are always tired, right? Finally, in 2018, I read about the connection between food an thyroid function, especially for those suffering with an autoimmune disease. Since my stomach has nearly always given me trouble off and on over the years, my husband encouraged me to make some diet changes to test and see if it would help. WOW! I first stopped eating gluten. Then I began to limit dairy and found out just how healthy I could feel! 


This cookbook is an excellent resource for understanding how to help your body heal from and stay healthy in spite of Hashimotos Thyroiditis. The Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) diet is encouraged for several autoimmune diseases, but this cookbooks focuses specifically on Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis and the foods known to trigger problems. This book is based off the paleo diet as well. I’m personally not a promoter of this type of diet just for the sake of eating this way. It is excellent, however, if you are faced with an autoimmune disease and need to figure out what foods are causing more harm than good. 

There are some wonderfully delicious recipes throughout this cookbook. If you are already used to cooking for yourself, they are quite simple and easy to manage! The ingredients focus on remaining free of gluten and grains, dairy, eggs, legumes, nightshade veggies, nuts, seeds, sugar, alcohol, and processed oils/artificial sweeteners. At the same time these foods are eliminated, foods such as blueberries, turmeric, sweet potatoes, and zucchini, known for anti-inflammatory properties, are added in.

If that sounds a little overwhelming don’t worry! The idea is to eliminate these from your diet for a time, then introduce them one at a time to see if any of these trigger your symptoms. This means you are not looking at long term deprivation of these foods. I have found that gluten and lactose are triggers. I can, however, have dairy as long as it is lactose free or I use lactose pills. I consider myself quite fortunate in that my diet is not so restrictive. 

I have found that stress due to busyness, illness, or travel tends to cause my Hashimoto’s to flare up. Earlier this month I experienced this after having a week at summer camp, a week’s worth of illness, and then a week traveling to Florida. For me the symptoms come on all of a sudden and it often takes me by surprise because I will feel fine one day, then the next day I won’t. When a flare up happens I am very strict with what I eat focusing on veggies and meats to help me heal faster. 

Some the recipes I’m excited to try from this cookbook are: 

Baked Herb Zucchini Boats
Sauteed Zoodles in Alfredo Sauce
Balsamic Roasted Mushrooms
Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken

There are soooo many recipes in this book that sound amazing! What’s even better is even though you are eliminating certain foods, the ingredients are still easy to find and use. I also think it would be fine to use ingredients that do not bother you (like lactose-free milk for me) as a substitute for the coconut milk once you have added those foods back in. 

If you are like me and had not yet found a way to fully heal from your Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis consider giving this cookbook a try. It might just be the answer you are looking for! 
Disclaimer: I was given this title through Net Galley in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

A Perfect Silhouette: A Net Galley Review

Grace-Filled Writer
NetGalley

It’s been a while since I picked up a title by Judith Miller. I have always enjoyed her writing and I was not disappointed with A Perfect Silhouette! 


One of the things I enjoy about Judith Miller’s storytelling is the constant theme of redemption. No one is ever beyond forgiveness or repentance and this is beautifully represented in her novels. 

The main character, Mellie, is a sweetly innocent girl thrown into the necessity of working in a mill town. She’s used to living a comfortable life, but she finds must help her sister meet financial needs because of her brother-in-laws misdeeds. Morgan, the hero, is not who he presents himself to be. Things become quite complicated faster than Morgan is able to deal with them, especially as the two begin to realize their feelings for one another.

I love how their innocence and honorable behavior is portrayed. We need more pure love stories that stir the emotions without leaving the reader blushing. Judith Miller does a wonderful job of this in a way I would be completely comfortable allowing my daughters to read her writing when in middle or high school. 

I also admire the progression of her characters. Even though both begin with high moral standards even in the beginning, they grow in their faith and maturity throughout the chapters. 

*Slight spoiler…but not too much!*
My favorite part of this books is as I mentioned before, no one is beyond forgiveness or repentance. Two characters in particular show this played out. One is Mellie’s roommate. I love how forgiveness leads to a repentant heart. I know it doesn’t always work out this way, but seeing this gives hope for a real-life answer to prayer such as is given in the story. 

The second character who shows this example is Morgan’s mother. I honestly was surprised at the turn of events at the end of the novel and it was nice to be surprised in a pleasant way! It is lovely to read a story where there not true villains in the sense of most literature, merely souls who need to be reminded of the love of the God most high. 

This is again and excellent read and I highly recommend it for anyone looking for something to capture your heart and give a happy ending. This is one I would love to see created into a television series or movie! 

Disclaimer: I was given this title through Net Galley in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

I Give Up: A Net Galley Review

Grace-Filled Writer
NetGalley

What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy
What if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are your mercies in disguise


These words penned by Laura Story left me in tears the first time I heard them. I was at a women’s conference one weekend with ladies from all over our district. A dear international worker shared the mental health struggles her daughter was facing and that had brought them home early from the field. Then she sang this song and I was left speechless and tear-filled. At the time, I was facing my own hurts, my own health struggles, and questioning God’s goodness in it all. Yes, He had seen me through, but why in the first place?  


Fast forward several years. I had the opportunity to hear Laura Story speak at another women’s conference in Lancaster, Pennsylvania in the fall of 2018. This time it was not merely our district gathering, but women from across the nation. I had never heard her testimony nor realized the source of those beautiful lyrics. I listened as she candidly spoke about seeking God in the trials and all the ways He had taught her through her husband’s brain tumor and the after effects of the trauma from surgery. 

I was so excited to have the opportunity to read this part Bible study part biography part conversation with a friend over coffee. What struck me so deeply about Laura as she spoke was the genuineness of her faith and of who she is. She is honest and raw about things that are difficult to be honest and raw about. We want to hide and say everything is well, when it is not. 

In reading this beautifully crafted work Laura Story easily weaves in and out of storytelling, first her own story, then a story from Scripture. This seamless intertwining drew me into read more.

While of course our paths are different, she has struggled with many of the same questions I have. How do you walk in complete surrender when you have lost control? How do I daily surrender in the face of the unknown for one I love deeply? For Laura it was her husband. For me it is my daughter. We have many unanswered questions regarding her health. Today she is stable and living a healthy active life, but we have an understanding there is something lurking beneath the surface and we do not know when it might rear up again. There are more questions than answers and the doctors are mystified. This particular book helped me to answer, “Yes,” to the Lord in how I will choose to surrender to Him. 

I highly, highly recommend this title to anyone who has ever gone through a struggle or thinks they might one day. It will be give to my children as they enter into adulthood. I plan to reread it myself when I’m once again struggling to surrender. 

Disclaimer: I was given this title through Net Galley in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

Romeo and Juliet – A Shakespeare Children’s Story: A Net Galley Review

Grace-Filled Writer
NetGalley
Confession: I’m an English teacher and I do not like Shakespeare’s plays. 
I honestly don’t even know if that is legal. I fondly remember my high school English teacher dramatically portraying Shakespeare. I happily enjoyed both Honors Sophomore English and AP English my senior year with Mrs. Moore. As much as I loved her and her class, I never loved Shakespeare’s plays. Still, I acknowledge his immense importance to the furtherance of language and literature so I want my children to be familiar with his plays. So I look to wonderful resources like Romeo and Juliet: A Shakespeare Children’s Story by Sweet Cherry Publishing for their first experience. 

Image result for shakespeare for children romeo and juliet

Now if you remember the story of Shakespeare, you may not find any of it fit for young children as is! I certainly did not. However, Sweet Cherry Publishing has done an admirable work in crafting a kid-friendly version that is both entertaining and true to the text while leaving out some of the more sordid and explicit details. 

One thing I greatly enjoyed was the line sketches throughout. They were darling, yet not too child-like. I liked that they were black and white sketches so they both added to the storytelling without distracting the reader so much they lost track of the story. 

I also liked the reading level which it is geared towards. Very young readers can be introduced to the stories of Shakespeare in a way that is appropriate and gentle. This is such an excellent first-experience for anyone! And I’ll let you in on a secret…if I had read stories like these first, I may not have disliked Shakespeare so much!
Disclaimer: I was given this title through Net Galley in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

The Captain’s Daughter: A Net Galley Review

Grace-Filled Writer
NetGalley

New books and new authors are like a treasure to me! I always have authors I love, but finding a new one to admire and enjoy is always a treat! The Captain’s Daughter, by Jennifer Delamere, is definitely one of those treats!

Image result for the captain's daughter jennifer delamere

I’m always a fan of historical fiction and especially of the time period of this novel, the Victorian Era. I was also intrigued by the premise of following one of the residents from George Muller’s orphanage. This was a new spin on this particular setting and I couldn’t wait to settle into the title!

I loved that this particular series would follow a set of three sisters who depart from the orphanage. Being a mother of three girls myself I found it fun to see their various personalities. This first title focuses on the oldest of the three sisters, Rosalyn. 


I found the characters in this story to be intriguing and compelling. I appreciated the personal journey Rosalyn moves through and how she grows as a person. This historical atmosphere and background including George Muller was a wonderful bonus! 

The hero of the novel, Nate, is another enjoyable character. The author effortlessly flows between the two character’s perspectives in a lovely example of 3rd person limited as is used in modern literature. He is a young officer who has earned the respect of his commanders. I appreciate the he was never presented as perfect, but definitely as honorable. 

If you enjoy historical fiction and a good, clean romantic historical story, this is a good one for you! 
Disclaimer: I was given this title through Net Galley in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

Bonhoeffer Student Edition: A NetGalley Review

Grace-Filled Writer

There were many martyrs of the Holocaust, but few have had the theological significance as Dietrich Bonhoeffer. His life sets an example for old and young of how to live out ones convictions even in the most difficult of circumstances.

I will have my oldest daughter read this year as we study other literature written about the Holocaust. I think it is highly valuable to learn about many different perspectives when studying history, especially very difficult periods such as the Holocaust.

The book itself is geared towards the middle school reader. The historical information is provided in a clear and interesting way. Even if the reader has not been made familiar with the intricacies surrounding World War 2 prior to reading this, they will have no trouble understanding all that happened leading up to and during the war. It is especially insightful to understand how the everyday citizen felt about what Germany’s leaders were doing. 

Individuals are famous for their brief moment in history, but we cannot understand the individuals completely without first knowing what led them to those moments. This biography is an excellently written description of Bonhoeffer’s early life and how he became who he was. The clear writing will engage readers fully and hopefully help them think critically about not only World War 2, but also be more aware of all that is going on around them politically and socially.

Now I do want to make it clear that I do not agree with all of Bonhoeffer’s theological beliefs. That being said, I believe studying his life and his thoughts on Scripture are still very valuable. If you also have the opportunity to read the original book by Eric Metaxes written for adults I strongly encourage that. It is excellent and will fill in any of the gaps you may feel was missing in this title.

Disclaimer: I received this title from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. I was not compensated in any other way. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

A Secret Courage: A NetGalley Review

Grace-Filled Writer

One of my favorite periods of history to read about is World War 2. My own grandfather served in the war and I’m sure this is what fuels my interest in this period. A Secret Courage is the first fiction title I’ve read from Tricia Goyer. I was very excited to give this novel a try and I was not at all disappointed!

A Secret Courage is set in war-time England and centers around the covert operations of the war. Wars are fought and lost upon the backs of the dedicated men and women willing to risk their lives to uncover the secrets of the enemy. It is hard, often overlooked work because of the need for secrecy. I loved learning about how covert photos were taken and analyzed in secrecy. It was a fascinating side of the war I was unfamiliar with prior to this book While the history fascinates me, I do not enjoy reading fiction books which end up feeling like a history text. The author skillfully weaves in the historical information with accuracy and grace so that I was engaged through every page. 

I also liked the slightly different take on the love-story. As with most historical, romances I had a pretty good idea from the beginning which characters were going to get together, but rather than the usual cat-and-mouse game authors tend to give their readers, these two quickly came together. Now every good love-story needs some challenges to overcome, and they are definitely present, but I won’t tell you about those and spoil the book for you!

I was also surprised by the ending. Again, I do not want to spoil it, but it was anything other than a neatly wrapped-up story. What I can assure you of is you will not be disappointed. It was one of the best historical fiction books of the World War 2 era I have read in a long time.

Disclaimer: I received this title from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. I was not compensated in any other way. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

The Good Book for Kids: A NetGalley Review

Grace-Filled Writer
One thing I desire for my children is that they want to learn the word of God on their own. I pray for their souls to hunger for His truth. As children this often just looks like enjoyment from going to church on Sundays. As they grow older it is important they spend time studying God’s Word alone. My oldest two already do this as a part of their homeschool studies and I appreciate the habit it is building. I am always looking for solid resources and The Good Book for Kids is exactly the kind of tool they can use! 
This engaging title invites pre-teens and older to dive deeply into the Word of God for themselves. Larger passages are assigned for reading, there is some thoughtful devotion, and then there are questions intended for the reader to use to seek more about what is in the Scripture. The theology is solid while the writing is geared toward the correct audience. It is not simplified down in anyway, but written in what I like to call kid-speak. The author does not attempt to emphasize theological terminology, but rather just teach what truth is in the Word. 
My oldest daughter has begun using this and told me just how much she has enjoyed it. I love that it contains a sweeping overview of the Bible so she can see how it all relates together. In addition to getting into the text of the Word, the author also seeks to give historical and cultural context to the Bible. This is incredibly important as we learn more about the Word of God. We must know the full context of the words written centuries ago. 
I highly recommend this title to anyone with a child who is ready to study the Word of God more deeply. 
Disclaimer: I received this title from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. I was not compensated in any other way. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

Advent in Narnia: A Net Galley Review

Grace-Filled Writer

One of our Christmas traditions is to celebrate Advent. We do different things for this including reading books, listening to radio dramas, using a Jesse Tree, and more. Every year we try to choose something a little different. This year I was excited to have my own personal celebration of Advent using this book, Advent in Narnia: Reflections for the Season by Heidi Haverkamp.We are huge fans of The Chronicles of Narnia. My girls even have a Narnia themed bedroom! C.S. Lewis has so beautifully captured the essence of childhood imagination in his series. I was very excited to relive this novel as I also focused my heart for Advent.

28 devotions carry you through the novel alternating between excerpts from the novel and Scripture for the entire Advent season. They are thought provoking and intentional, yet easy to read. I originally thought I would use this with my girls as it is advertised as a family devotion, but as I began reading myself I felt it was better suited for middle school or older. My oldest would have gotten something out of it as she is in 6th grade, but I think most of this would have gone over my youngest two daughters’ heads. They are avid readers and comprehending literature far above their grade levels, but I still felt they would have found much of this devotional a bit boring.

I am a bit cautious with this author because her denomination’s view of Scripture differs greatly from mine. I think it is important to recognize authorship and how that impacts the view of the devotions written. I did not come across anything which was concerning to me specifically in this title, but when it comes to devotions I prefer to read authors who I know hold the same view of the Word of God as I do.

I do think some interesting aspects of the book was the inclusion of information for having a Narnia night at church and working through the study as a church family. Most  devotions do not structured to include your entire church family and I found this rather intriguing.I also do not think this need be a devotion strictly for Advent. It could be read anytime of the year in an effort to draw closer to God.

After reading through it, I do not think I will use this with our family in the future. 

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

A Stranger At Fellsworth: A Net Galley Review

Grace-Filled Writer

Sarah E. Ladd is one of my favorite authors! I was only introduced to her writing in the last year, but since discovering the grace with which she weaves story I eagerly anticipate her newest release. A Stranger at Fellsworth is her newest release in the Treasures of Surrey series.

In this story Annabelle, a young lady who has lost virtually all prospects due to her father and brother’s inability to protect the family fortune, seeks help from an essentially unknown uncle, her mother’s brother. He willingly helps her escape a dangerous situation and create a new life for herself. While settling into her new way of life she frequently runs into the gameskeeper, Owen, a man who was integral in helping Annabelle escape her old life. It does not take long for Annabelle to realize she is not as safe at Fellsworth as she assumed she would be.

As with the first two titles in this series (The Curiosity Keeper and Dawn at Emberwilde) I could not put this book down! The characters are delightful and believable. I love how the ideas of faith and following God are seamlessly woven into the story. The characters grow and develop naturally as the story unfolds. I appreciate how effortlessly Ladd changes from the perspective of the heroine to the hero. She has a gift for conveying emotion without directly stating it. I hated to see this novel end!

I highly recommend this series as well as all other written by Sarah Ladd. You will be delighted by her ability to craft an intriguing story often filled with mystery and danger. She easily weaves her faith throughout her stories without it sounding forced. I’m so happy to have found her books and I think you will be to!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.