"Sanctuary" by Molly Noble Bull

"Sanctuary" by Molly Noble Bull was intriguing to me because it deals with a topic, period and era of time that is not dealt with very often. Here's the blip -

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High

shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

-Psalms 91:1

In 1740, Rachel Levin's loved ones are murdered, and she flees her French village with

a Huguenot, Pierre Dupre. They take refuge in a church until the military captain who killed

her family arrives. The captain wants Rachel as his mistress or he wants her dead. Rachel and Pierre agree to a marriage of convenience and manage to escape. Will they reach Scotland

as planned? Or will their lives end on an English countryside?

This was a really great book that not only was a beautiful romance with lots of adventure, but it really opened my eyes to alot of things that happened in that time period. I never really understood the Huguenots and what went on back then, but one of the biggest revelations to me was the persecution that the Jews were undergoing at the same time. The story was well developed and I am really looking forward to the 2nd book in Molly Noble Bull's "Faith of Our Fathers" series. This book is definitely one to read and enjoy and it will also make you think!

"Murder By Mushroom" by Virginia Smith

"Murder By Mushroom" by Virginia Smith, published by Love Inspired Suspense was an incredibly fun read. Here's the blip -

A Killer Casserole

Serving up murderous munchies at a church potluck social wouldn't win any popularity contests, as Jackie Hoffner discovered. Someone had laced the casserole she brought with poisonous mushrooms...and the deadly dish had fellow churchgoer and town fussbudget Alice Farmer pushing up daisies. Now the gossip-hungry townsfolk suspected Jackie of foul play. To prove her innocence, she decided to conduct her own investigation, and Trooper Dennis Walsh's helpful efforts and boy-next-door charm were welcome. Meanwhile, the town's mysterious poisoner seemed to have more victim's in mind...

This is what I considered a fluff book (a quick, fun, light book with not a lot of depth but still satisfying somehow), until I read it. It turned out to not only be very fun and highly enjoyable book that kept me guessing til close to the end (although I did figure it out before it was revealed :-) but it also had a lot of meat to it and really hit home in some areas too. It dealt bluntly with the issue of church gossip and how it can really hurt when people assume and rush to judgement, but without being preachy. The heroine is NOT perfect, but is willing to ask forgiveness when she messes up. I finished the book with a smile and a resolve to think a little more before I judge and to be a little quicker to ask for forgiveness when I mess up. What more can you ask from a quick read - enjoyment, suspense, romance, comedy and some real meat in the middle. Pick it up and give it a read!

Book-Aholic's Anonymous

It is official - I am addicted to books, all kinds of books -

• children's books
• young adult books (the advantage of having my 5 kids is I have a "reason" for reading all of those books :-)
• fiction books
• non-fiction books
• parenting books
• homeschooling books
• educational books
• books for fun (fluff books)
• Christian fiction books
• Christian non-fiction books
• Christian books for improving your relationship with God (books by Benny Hinn, Bill Johnson, Joyce Meyers, etc...)
• books because I like that particular author!

That is just a sampling of the kind of books that keep me wrapped up. The only good thing about having an addiction is that if you are really, really good at that addiction then you can share your knowledge and help others in their addictions as well. Growing up I always took pride in the fact that I didn't have any vices, I didn't drink, do drugs, listen to Rock 'n Roll or drink coffee, I didn't even have pierced ears let alone other holes in my head, belly button or elsewhere, and the only ink I had was in the pens I wrote with, not on my body. So now that I have finally awakened to the fact that I do have a vice in my life I am ready to admit to the world - "I am addicted to books!" Since I have only one vice in my life, I do think that I am somewhat of an expert in my area. I started reading at age 3 and haven't stopped since, how many people do you know that have developed their expertise over almost 30 years? Anyway, I will be sharing my expertise in this area to help you find authors that maybe you weren't aware were out there or that you had overlooked. Let me know if you have some favorites out there that others might not know about. I figure the one way to strengthen myself in the middle of my weakness is to help others :-) So join me as I share my bits of wisdom regarding books and other interests in my life - children, homeschooling, God, dance and anything else God puts on my heart!

Homeschooling 5 At A Time

Have you ever wondered how to homeschool multiple children at the same time and make sure that they each get the time and attention they need? So have I, so if you figure out the answer, please let me know! Just kidding (kind of). My kids range from 3 to 11 years old and it does present a challenge. One tip I do have is to do as many subjects in a group setting as possible - for instance we do our Bible Devotion, Read Aloud, Science and History all together. Then we do Math and Language Arts a little more one-on-one. Now obviously the 3 & 5 year olds are not going to retain everything that the 7, 9 and 11 year olds will, but thats okay. Its amazing how much they do learn through osmosis (just being in the same room where the learning is going on). Never underestimate the little ones. Then when the older ones are doing their math and writing, I'll break off with the younger ones and do simple math and reading. It can be done with some creativity!

Welcome to Nebraska!

We are the Ryan family of Grace and Mercy Academy and we will be introducing you to Nebraska - the great Cornhusker state!