"Cloak of the Light" by Chuck Black

An accident leaves a bright college student blind and causes a good friend to go missing. What happens when Drew's sight returns and he begins to see people others can't see? Are the invaders real or just a figment of his imagination?

Drew is a young man who struggles through life. Nothing seems to come easy or just go his way. He has two good friends, Ben and Sydney, and as much encouragement as he gets, Drew always feels behind them. College is the chance to change that, until a physics experiment goes horribly wrong. Drew finds that he is blind and that Ben is missing. Drew's sight does return, but now he can see people that others can't see. Who are they and where is Ben? Drew soon finds out that these "people" are not as they appear and he has to not only look for Ben, but also try to stay safe. Can he keep them from finding out that he can see them? Can Ben trust God to help him navigate this difficult spiritual battle?

This is a wonderful young adult book. The beginning is a little slow, but the book picks up and makes you want to know what will happen. Teen boys will especially like Drew and the way he works through things. This is the first book I have read by Mr. Black, but it won't be my last. I received my review copy from the Blogging for Books Program in exchange for an honest review.

"A Lady's Honor" by Laurie Alice Eakes

Elizabeth Trelawney is trapped in London in an arranged engagement and away from the home she is to inherit. Her heart really belongs to another, but she doesn't really accept or acknowledge that. In her haste to get away from her fiance, she accepts help from Rowan Curnow, someone from her past. Will she be able to live in safety?

Elizabeth is supposed to inherit Bastian Point, but instead ends up making a very difficult choice. That choice is between duty and her heart. She is engaged to someone she doesn't love, but finds herself in the "arrangement" anyway, but she longs to be in Bastian Point. So, she runs away. While it's not safe, Elizabeth doesn't feel any safer in London. She does reluctantly let Rowan help her, but her fiance and some smugglers are after her. Will Rowan let Elizabeth know how he feels? Will love win over class? Will Elizabeth be safe in Bastian Point or taken back to London? 

I love stories set in this time frame and this one didn't disappoint. The characters and story line are well done and invite readers to join them on the adventure. At times I was rooting for Elizabeth to keep running and be safe, and other times to be settled and fall in love. I recommend this book to all readers of historical fiction. You will enjoy it. I received my review copy from the Book Look Program in exchange for an honest review.

"100 Tough Questions about God and the Bible" by Stephen M. Miller

Reading the Bible can create questions in your mind. You might automatically look for the who, what, when, where, and why. But, there are other questions with answers that may elude you. In this new book by Stephen Miller, many of those questions are posed and answered.

Have you ever wondered if God was ok with polygamy? After all, many great Bible heroes had more than one wife. Why were children stoned to death for disobedience? Are there inconsistencies in the Bible? No, but why does it seem that there are? Are Heaven and Hell real places, and does God pick and choose who goes where? These are just a few of the questions Mr. Miller offers Scriptural and historical information as an answer. Open the book, I'm sure you will find questions you have wondered about but didn't quite get the answer.

This is an interesting book. None of us will agree with all of the answers, but there is time and thought put in that will cause every reader to search out answers for themselves. It is a base, a place to start. It is clear that the author did his research and wrote from what he learned. I received my review copy from Bethany House in exchange for an honest review.

"The Waiting" by Cathy LaGrow

The year is 1928 and in Aberdeen, South Dakota a 16 year old girl is raped. That rape led to the birth and subsequent adoption of a baby girl.  In this new non-fiction book by Cathy LaGrow, readers will delve into that story of Minka and the baby girl she gave up (Betty Jane).

It happened at a picnic. Minka couldn't imagine anything as horrible as that rape, but then she found out that she was pregnant. It was a shame on the family in 1928, so Minka was sent away to live with family, then to a Lutheran House of Mercy. She couldn't imagine raising her daughter as an unwed mother, so reluctantly, Minka gave her precious baby girl up for adoption. While she was named Ruth by her adoptive family, Minka always thought of her as Betty Jane, and never stopped longing to meet her. Ruth had children, and decided to search for her biological mother when her son wanted information about his medical history. The reunion happened seventy seven years after the birth, but the bond was still there. Love never dies.

I really enjoyed this book, not just because of the story line, but I loved the characters. Non-fiction doesn't appeal to everyone, but this book should. The care with which the author handles the story, the love that fills the pages, is what will capture your attention and encourage you to read on. It is a book that I will read again. I received my review copy from Tyndale PR in exchange for an honest review.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHptRkdOm4U

"A Promise in Pieces" by Emily Wierenga

Clara and Mattie, two women changed by WW II and a baby quilt. Would time heal their war and personal wounds? 

Clara was in the Woman's Army Corp during WW II and saw/heard many things she wanted to forget. But one young soldier's story and dying wish grabbed her heart and he made her promise to tell his wife how much he loved her. As difficult as it was, Clara kept that promise. Mattie knew of his love but also knew she wouldn't have his children, so she gave Clara the baby quilt she had. Clara also told Mattie something that hurt their relationship and they parted.  As the years went by, many babies were wrapped in that quilt and the love it represented. Then one day, Clara and Mattie met again. Would there still be a connection between Clara and Mattie? Could they move past the hurt and pain of their last meeting? Would Mattie finally be able to wrap her own baby in that quilt? Had time offered each of them some healing?

This book is a wonderful addition to the "Quilts of Love" series. Each book ties to the others with the threads of quilting, then they take on a life of their own. This touching story with its wonderful characters set in WW II that will grab your heart. It is a story filled with topics like love, loss, hurt, betrayal, and friendship; and I think that reading groups will enjoy the discussions that will occur. I recommend this book to readers everywhere. I received my review copy from Litfuse Publicity in exchange for participation in the blog tour.

Book Info

About Quilts of Love: Quilts tell stories of love and loss, hope and faith, tradition and new beginnings. TheQuilts of Love series focuses on the women who quilted all of these things into their family histories. A new book releases each month and features contemporary and historical romances as well as women's fiction and the occasional light mystery. You will be drawn into the endearing characters of this series and be touched by their stories. About the book: A baby quilt touches many hearts as it travels from family-to-family and through generations. After the end of World War II, Clara Kirkpatrick returns from the Women's Army Corp to deliver a dying soldier's last wishes: convey his love to his young widow, Mattie, with apologies for the missed life they had planned to share. Struggling with her own post-war trauma, Clara thinks she's not prepared to handle the grief of this broken family. Yet upon meeting Mattie, and receiving a baby quilt that will never cuddle the soldier's baby, Clara vows to honor the sacrifices that family made. Now a labor and delivery nurse in her rural hometown, Clara wraps each new babe in the gifted quilt and later stitches the child's name into the cloth. As each new child is welcomed by the quilt, Clara begins to wonder whatever happened to Mattie---and if her own life would ever experience the love of a newborn. Little does she know that she will have the opportunity to re-gift the special quilt---years later and carrying even greater significance than when it was first bestowed. Learn more about this book and the series at the Quilts of Love website. About the Author: Emily Wierenga is a former editor, ghostwriter, freelance writer and staff journalist, a monthly columnist for The Christian Courier, and the author of Save My Children(Castle Quay Books, 2008), Chasing Silhouettes (Ampelon Publishing, 2012) and Mom in the Mirror(Rowman & Littlefield, 2013). Emily resides in Alberta, Canada. This is her first novel. Learn more about Emily at: http://www.emilywierenga.com

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Landing page:  http://litfusegroup.com/author/EWierenga

"Monday, Monday" by Elizabeth Crook

How would you react to being involved in a mass shooting? Would there be someone to help you? In this new book by Elizabeth Crook, she examines the lives of three students in just that situation. 

What started out as a normal Monday at the University of Texas turned into a terror filled day as a man shot innocent bystanders from the tower. Lives were changed immediately, some with a finality that was stunning. In the end, sixtteen were dead and thirty two were wounded. Wyatt, Jack, and Shelly were just three people who had to make sense of their lives after the shooting. Would their lives turn out well, or would the crippling effects of the massacre cause them to make bad choices? Would any of them get the help they needed to move on with their lives? 

This story is well written and, at points, tough to read. Ms. Crook approaches her topic and characters with care and concern. Everything is important, and everything will make you feel something for the character or situation. If you like books that seem to come from the headlines, this book is for you. It is filled with moments that will make you think. I received my review copy from FSB Associates in exchange for an honest review.

MORE ABOUT THE BOOK:

Monday, Monday: A Novel
By Elizabeth Crook
Published by Sarah Crichton Books
Hardcover: 352 pages
April 29, 2014; $26.00 US/$30.00 CAN; 9781621451457

Description
In this gripping, emotionally charged novel, a tragedy in Texas changes the course of three lives

On an oppressively hot Monday in August of 1966, a student and former marine named Charles Whitman hauled a footlocker of guns to the top of the University of Texas tower and began firing on pedestrians below. Before it was over, sixteen people had been killed and thirty-two wounded. It was the first mass shooting of civilians on a campus in American history.

Monday, Monday follows three students caught up in the massacre: Shelly, who leaves her math class and walks directly into the path of the bullets, and two cousins, Wyatt and Jack, who heroically rush from their classrooms to help the victims. On this searing day, a relationship begins that will eventually entangle these three young people in a forbidden love affair, an illicit pregnancy, and a vow of secrecy that will span forty years. Reunited decades after the tragedy, they will be forced to confront the event that changed their lives and that has silently and persistently ruled the lives of their children.

With electrifying storytelling and the powerful sense of destiny found in Ann Patchett's Bel Canto, and with the epic sweep of Jess Walter's Beautiful Ruins, Elizabeth Crook's Monday, Monday explores the ways in which we sustain ourselves and one another when the unthinkable happens. At its core, it is the story of a woman determined to make peace with herself, with the people she loves, and with a history that will not let her go. A humane treatment of a national tragedy, it marks a generous and thrilling new direction for a gifted American writer.

Author Bio
Elizabeth Crook, author of Monday, Monday: A Novel, is the author of three novels, The Raven's Bride, Promised Lands, and The Night Journal. She has written for anthologies and periodicals, including Texas Monthly and the Southwestern Historical Quarterly, and has served on the council of the Texas Institute of Letters. Currently she is a member of the board of directors of the Texas Book Festival. She lives in Austin with her husband and two children.

For more information please visit http://elizabethcrookbooks.com and follow the author on Facebook

Reviews:
"This rapturous novel starts with one of the most heinous shootings in history, yet every page shines with life. Crook follows three students who endured the tragedy as they grapple with the past, struggle to navigate their futures, and discover that who and what saves us is nothing like what you imagine. Brilliantly realized and so vivid the novel seems to virtually breathe, Monday, Monday is a stunning achievement."
-- Caroline Leavitt, New York Times bestselling author of Is This Tomorrow and Pictures of You

"Elizabeth Crook has written an extraordinary novel -- an eloquent love story born from an act of random violence, a tale of destruction and redemption. It's about making a whole life out of a damaged one, and about holding on and letting go. The characters are as real as people you know; their story is subtle, startling, and wise."
-- Sarah Bird, author of The Yokota Officers Club and Above the East China Sea

"Monday, Monday begins by throwing us into the midst of one of the worst mass murders in American history, a scene painted with such harrowing exactitude that it leaves you wondering how the characters can possibly survive and how the author can possibly sustain such a high level of narrative momentum and emotional insight. And yet Elizabeth Crook pulls it off. This is a brilliant and beautiful book."
-- Stephen Harrigan, author of The Gates of the Alamo and Remember Ben Clayton

"The Third Day" by Alex Webb-Peploe (Illustrator)

Written for teens, this graphic novel illustrates the events of Luke 22 - 24. The change from "comic book" to graphic novel has been interesting, with graphics and text being honed for specific age groups. Christian publishers are finding, and filling, the need for Christian young people to have this type of novel for their own. Through the text and illustrations, teens can get a realistic feel of Easter, for the crucifixion of Christ;  a feel that may help bring its reality to life for them. This is a Bible story told in a new and different way and is only about 48 pages long.  

I wasn't sure what I would think about this book when I signed up to review it, but found myself drawn in differently to the story I know so well. I wasn't sure if I liked the idea of making the Bible into a graphic novel, but I was pleasantly surprised! It was fun to read, touched my heart, and conveyed its message. Isn't that what we want when we ask our children to read the Bible?  If you have young people in your home who enjoy graphic novels, this would probably be a great selection for you. And, with more to hopefully follow, it could provide the beginning of a library your teens will love to revisit.  I received my review copy from Cross Focused Reviews for an honest review.