It Happens In A Book

The Heart of a King by: Jill Eileen Smith     King Solomon could - and did - have anything he wanted, including many women from many lands. But for all of his wealth and wisdom, did he or the women he loved ever find what they were searching for?     In this engrossing novel, find yourself whisked away to ancient Israel, where you'll meet four remarkable women: Naamah the desert princess, Abishag the shepherdess, Siti the daughter of a pharaoh, and Nicaula the queen of Sheba. As you experience the world of Solomon through his eyes and theirs, you'll grapple with whether this king's storied wisdom ultimately benefited him and those he loved...or betrayed them. Although this is a fictional account of the life of people in the Bible, it was really interesting to read and think about what life really could have been life for King Solomon and his wives. The details, descriptions, and overall writing in this book were awesome and really put a picture in m...

On a Summer Tide by: Suzanne Woods Fisher    Sometimes love hurts--and sometimes it can heal in the most  unexpected way.    Camden Grayson loves her challenging career, but the rest of her life could use some improvement. "Moving on" is Cam's mantra. But there's a difference, her two sisters insist, between one who moves on . . . and one who keeps moving.     Cam's full-throttle life skids to a stop when her father buys a remote island off the coast of Maine. Paul Grayson has a dream to breathe new life into the island--a dream that includes reuniting his estranged daughters. Certain Dad has lost his mind, the three sisters rush to the island. To Cam's surprise, the slow pace of island life appeals to her, along with the locals--and one in particular. Seth Walker, the scruffy island schoolteacher harbors more than a few surprises.     With On a Summer Tide, bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher begins a brand-new contempor...

Our blog title is Pages, pets, and pianos. Today it is time for a piano post! Tonight is the spring recital for my piano students. There will be 15 students performing. They have prepared well; they have invited friends and family; they are probably nervous! I remember the butterflies in my stomach before piano recitals, yet there is a sense of accomplishment when it is over. I try to encourage each student that this is an opportunity to share a song that they have prepared- to share their music with the other students as well as friends and family. It will be a fun night of music and nerves! ~Jennifer

The Next Right Thing by Emily P. Freeman    Nothing gets our attention like an unmade decision: Should I accept the new position? Which schooling choice is best for my kids? How can I support my aging parents? When we have a decision to make and the answer isn't clear, what we want more than anything is peace, clarity, and a nudge in the right direction.     If you have trouble making decisions, because of either chronic hesitation you've always lived with or a more recent onset of decision fatigue, Emily P. Freeman offers a fresh way of practicing familiar but often forgotten advice: simply do the next right thing. With this simple, soulful practice, it is possible to clear the decision-making chaos, quiet the fear of choosing wrong, and find the courage to finally decide without regret or second-guessing.    Whether you're in the midst of a major life transition or are weary of the low-grade anxiety that daily life can bring, Emily helps create ...

The Refuge by Ann H. Gabhart When Darcie and Walter Goodwin hear of a new cholera epidemic sweeping the area, they join the Shakers whose villages seem immune to the disease. It's meant to be a temporary stay, but Walter is killed in a riverboat accident. With no family and no money, Darcie has little choice but to stay with the Shakers. To complicate matters, she is expecting a baby conceived before she and her husband came to the Shaker village. Marital relationships are considered sinful in this celibate community, putting Darcie in a unique--and lonely--position. Can the arrival of widower Flynn Keller and his headstrong daughter offer Darcie the hope of happiness  . . . and family? Ann H. Gabhart returns to the enigmatic world of the Shakers in this emotional exploration of the power of love and the bond of family. Although I thought the plot got a little slow and boring at times, it was kind of interesting to learn about a group of people, the Shakers, that I had nev...

The Crimson Path of Honor by M. B. Tosi There was a lot that I loved about this book, but also a few things that I didn't. The Crimson Path of Honor is a story about a young, kind of spoiled girl, Luci, who longs for adventure and independence away from her rich family in Boston. Her parents want her to marry for money and position but she decides to avoid marriage by running away to be a teacher in the West. On the way, though, her plans are shattered when the stagecoach she was traveling on is attacked by Indians. She being the only passenger still alive, is captured by the Indians. She learns to adapt to a whole new way of life with the Lakota Indians and, very early on in the story, winds up falling in love with her captor. The overall writing of this book is very simple and easy to read, but I couldn't put it down! I liked how this book showed the day-to-day life of the Lakota Indians without being boring and hard to get through. It showed the daily struggles and tr...