Tag: net galley

The Miracle in Music City: A NetGalley Review

Grace-Filled Writer

This sweet series about the Glimmer Girls is fast becoming a favorite around our house! The trio of siblings are relatable and sweet in our home full of girls! Natalie Grant has a fun writing voice that engages preteen girls in a fun way.

The girls travel with their musician mother all around the world. In this novel they travel to an American city and look for adventure. Their mother wants them to learn how to make a difference in the world even at a young age and they all become involved with a charity auction.

Young girls will find this title to be witty and fun, full of life and enjoyable to read. The girls feel like real girls of today and in no way pretentious or too perfect. Their fun adventures will keep the young lady in your life engaged all while knowing she is reading something that will encourage her in her faith.

Disclaimer: I received this e-book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. I as not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

My First Knitting Book: A NetGalley Review

Grace-Filled Writer

Rose is 11 and loves to try new things! She was very excited to try out this new title, My First Knitting Book. I would highly encourage obtaining a hard copy of this book rather than the e-book version. Sometimes the formatting was a little off and in the case of a crafting type book I have found a hard-copy to be much preferred.

My daughter enjoyed searching through the projects, but unfortunately I am not a knitter. She struggled to really be able to complete anything because I am not skilled in this area. I think this book would be ideal for someone who is learning to knit alongside an experienced knitter.

The pictures are beautiful and colorful, engaging the reader quickly, especially young readers! There are lots of step-by-step instructions which I think are probably very good, but because I do not have the experience to help they were not all clear to my daughter.

If you are looking for a good first-knitting book and you have someone to walk alongside you during the process I think this is still an excellent choice.

Disclaimer: I received this e-book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. I as not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

A Haven on Orchard Lane: A Net Galley Review

Grace-Filled Writer
A Haven on Orchard Lane - By: Lawana Blackwell  
My mom introduced me to the author Lawana Blackwell many years ago through The Gresham Chronicles. I’ve loved her ever since! It has been a few years since she has published a new book, so I was very excited to read A Haven on Orchard Lane. I was not disappointed!

The story centers around the rekindled relationship of an estranged mother and daughter. While I do not relate to that specifically, I did enjoy the interchange and growth which occurred throughout between the two characters. While this is the main story, out from it come many branches and side stories which are intriguing and carefully crafted. The setting is a quaint seaside English village. As I read I felt as if I were walking the streets and left me with a desire to visit one day!

One of the unique and enjoyable aspects of Lawana Blackwell’s stories is the abundance of colorful characters and the intertwining of their lives. This beautifully written story focuses mostly on two women, but the many wonderful characters leaves you feeling as if you are a part of the charming community. Characters are artfully crafted and feel very realistic. You will feel as if you know each one personally as you read.

As with every book I’ve ever read by Mrs. Blackwell I was sad to get to the final page. I hated to say goodbye to the quaint village and charming characters. I dearly hope this is not the only novel about them!

Through the Shadows: A Net Galley Review

Grace-Filled Writer
 
Through the Shadows is a tale which takes place at the beginning of the 20th century. The King family is highlighted once again in this third book of The Golden Gate Chronicles. Karen Barnett is a new author for me and I have not yet read the two previous books in this series. This book focuses on the corruption and intrigue which followed in the aftermath of the great San Francisco earthquake of 1906. 
Elizabeth King, the heroine of the novel, is seeking redemption for a sinful past. She is moved by the accounts of Donaldina Cameron who runs the Presbyterian Mission and saves young girls from the orient who are brought here to live a deplorable life. Elizabeth participates in several rescues and teaches at the mission in the hopes of erasing her guilt ridden heart. The longer she is at the mission, the more she realizes she must confront her guilty heart and allow the grace of Jesus Christ to make her clean once again. 
Circumstances surrounding the King family investments bring a young man into Elizabeth’s path. As she is trying to navigate her own remorse as well as question the truth behind claims of her father’s investments, she is drawn into a friendship with Charles McKinley. Charles must decide whether to follow his dream of litigating those who need help the most or making a name for himself in his uncle’s law firm and as a politician.
I personally find this time period intriguing as my own great-grandmother was born in 1903. I was very close to her and loved hearing stories of her childhood and early years which were rather difficult. Because of my own personal interest I very much enjoyed the historical references within the book although I think many of them would have made more sense if I had read the first two titles in this series. 
This novel is well written and interesting, but did not grab my attention quite as others have. I didn’t feel the same connection to the characters as I often do. I did enjoy it enough that I intend to read the first two books in the series when I am able.  
Disclaimer: I received this title from Net Galley in exchange for my honest review. I was not compensated in any other way. I was not required to write a positive review.

From This Moment: A Net Galley Review

Grace-Filled Writer
Elizabeth Camden is one of my new favorite authors! I recently finished her novel Against The Tide and instantly fell in love with her writing. I was very excited to have the chance to read another novel. 
From This Moment is set at the same time as the construction of the America’s first Subway in Boston. The heroine, Stella Westergaard,  is seeking answers about her sister’s death. She is convinced that her death was more than what is being reported. In order to investigate she leaves her world of artists in London in order to investigate in the same building as her sister worked when she died. 
Our hero, Romulus White, is the head of a scientific magazine along with his sister. He is fascinated by all things scientific and has built what was once a fledgling publication into a well respected serial. For years he had been contacting Stella West, her artist name, in order to commission her to create illustrations using the latest artistic technology. 
This novel had a number of unexpected twists and turns. I rather enjoyed the unpredictable twists and turns in the plot. There were unexpected relationships and turns in the story line that left me up waaay past my bedtime so I could see what happened next. This lengthy novel kept my interest. It was quite light hearted in many regards, but not in a flippant way as many modern authors tend to be. The banter between the characters was fun and enjoyable. 
I look forward to reading more novels from Elizabeth Camden soon!
Disclaimer: I received this title from Net Galley in exchange for my honest review. I was not compensated in any other way. I was not required to write a positive review.

The Gallaudet Children’s Dictionary: A Net Galley Review

Grace-Filled Writer
 
The Gallaudet Children’s Dictionary would be a fabulous addition to any family’s library. This beautiful full-color dictionary  shows very clearly how to create over 1,000 signs. A DVD is included, but as I reviewed the e-book version I did not receive that, so this is just a review of the book. 
Each page is beautiful. Most pages have three words, some at the beginning and end of a letter section have two. Included with each word entry is a sentence, picture, and clear demonstration of how to create the sign. Some words include synonyms as well.
What is great about this particular dictionary is that even if you have a child that is not reading yet, they should be able to mimic the pictures for signing while associating it with the illustration. I think this makes it one of the best resources for young children who are interested in signing whether out of curiosity or necessity. 
In addition to the fact that children can use this easily, I think this would be highly beneficial for adults just beginning to learn as well. The directions for how to sign are very clear with each color illustration having a second black and white overlay with it to show motion and direction. Besides in-person instruction, I’ve yet to see another book as clear. 
I would highly recommend this particular book to any family looking to learn the basic words in sign language. 
Disclaimer: I received this title from Net Galley in exchange for my honest review. I was not compensated in any other way. I was not required to write a positive review.

Fairy Houses All Year: A NetGalley Review

Grace-Filled Writer
We have recently redone our the landscaping area directly in front of our house. It used to be all bushes, which I have never liked. Something about how meticulous they have to look in order to be attractive has never appealed to me. I’ve always been partial to more of an English cottage garden, less structure, more natural growth. I’ve been planning this new area for a couple of years and fell in love with the idea of miniature gardens and houses.
This sweet little book gives ideas for anyone, young or old, who want to build miniature gardens or houses throughout every seasons. One of the neat ideas is to keep a journal throughout the year where you can write down ideas for materials that you find. They also suggest noting if you think fairies have visited. While our family does not have a problem playing make believe this is not something I would encourage my daughters to do because we try to make a clear distinction between reality and make-believe. 
The photographs of children creating houses and pictures in nature are delightful. They are beautiful and fun. The children are clearly just having fun and creating, definitely not posed, which makes it more fun to read.
I really love the step-by-step guide right in the beginning for building simple enough for children to follow. I also like the suggestions for what to collect for each season. There are also some fun activities to make like dandelion chains and candied violets. 
The only downside to the book in my opinion is the encouragement to fully believe in fairies. I know not everyone will agree with me on this, but we have always tried to distinguish truth from fiction. Is there any harm in children hearing fairy tales? I don’t think so. We love telling fictional stories to our kids, especially ones that reflect truth from Scripture like The Chronicles of Narnia. At the same time we make a clear distinction between make-believe and reality because we never, ever want our children to think we have told them a make-believe story about Jesus and the miracles He performed, most importantly His death and resurrection which provides our salvation. 
So, I did enjoy this book, but read with caution if you are concerned about how your children will perceive this book. 
Disclaimer: I received this title from Net Galley in exchange for my honest review. I was not compensated in any other way. I was not required to write a positive review.

Channing O’ Banning and the Turquoise Trail: A Net Galley Review!

Grace-Filled Writer
When I was a kid I read constantly. I’m so excited that my own girls are becoming avid readers! They are incredibly excited every time I have a new book to review that is just for them.
The Channing O’Banning series is a new book series by Angela Spady which has captured my oldest daughter’s heart! Channing is a 4th grade artist extraordinaire whose adventures are recorded in these engaging books. The Turquoise Trail is the first in the series. I asked my daughter to read and write her own review. Here is what she had to say! 
“Channing O’Banning and the Turquoise Trail is a really fun story. I really ike it because there are a lot of cool history facts. Chan, as her friends call her, is sort of like me. I really like to draw and I have two younger sisters. I really liked this story and I hope to read more Channing O’Banning stories soon!” – Rose, age 10
As she was reading, Rose would stop and say, “Mommy! Guess what?” And tell me all sorts of things she had learned from the book. She loves that Channing is an artist as that is her main passion. Her big dream is to become an art teacher overseas. She almost always has a drawing pad and pencil along with her. This story opened up her imagination and for several days after reading I found her outside even more with her sketch pad and drawing supplies.
It is so wonderful when I can find books that are engaging and age appropriate for my girls. So much of what is published today for young girls is too mature in content and we try to guard them from experiencing too much too soon. This is a delightfully sweet series that really grabbed my own pre-teen’s imagination. 
Disclaimer: I received this title from Net Galley in exchange for my honest review. I was not compensated in any other way. I was not required to write a positive review.