Lillies in Moonlight by Allison Pittman

Hi! I just got a book from Multnomah’s Blogging for Books program- “Lillies in Moonlight” by Allison Pittman. Before I get started, I have to say that I received this book for free from the publisher. Anywho, now, this is a really good book- it’s set in (I think) about the 1920’s- the age of the flapper:) Actually, the story is focused on a young flapper girl, Lilly Margolis, and war veteran, Cullen Burnside. After a night of craziness, Lilly twists her ankle and finds herself in the backyard of a wealthy family, the Burnsides. As she gets to know the family, she finds that she is attracted to Cullen. But each have a painful past- and when Cullen insists that she return home to her past hurt, their budding romance seems to die. They go, but what will each find at the end of the trail? This book is very good- I think it’s part of a series, because there were parts that seemed to reference past characters that I didn’t quite get, but this fact didn’t diminish this book. The 1920’s is not a period that is written about a lot in historical fiction, and I find that I am falling in love with that decade. I would definitely recommend this to the person who loves history, romance, and a good dose of fun:) I give this book five out of five stars:)

The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World by Susan Veness

Hi- I just got a new book from booksneeze- “The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World” by Susan Veness. Before I start talking though, I need to say that I got this book for free from the Booksneeze program. Okay? Okay. Now, let me tell you that I am a complete and utter Disney-o-phile. I was raised going to Walt Disney World in Florida and I have Mickey pumping through my veins. Figuratively speaking. Anywho, when I saw this book for “sale” (i.e, for free on Booksneeze), I had a bit of a spaz attack. I got it and began reading, and reading, and reading. The idea for this book is a very good one, but poorly executed. A lot of the “secrets” are outdated, commonly known, or just plain untrue. This is not a Christian book either- while it has no outright “Anti-Christian” message, it contained trace amounts of secularity- it mentions evolution a few times (such as when talking about dinosaurs in the Animal Kingdom park) and emphasizes the “prayer flags” that dot the Asia part of Animal Kingdom- flags that the Buddhist faith uses to get prayers to the heavens. Also, in different country pavilions in EPCOT, there are numerous references to other religions (such as Islam in Morocco, Buddhism in Japan, etc.) that the author glorifies. Yet any reference to Christianity the author almost demeans. Also, the author seemed EXTREMELY fond of the phrase “symbolically”- the word appeared on nearly every other page. It seriously started getting on my nerves. I would not suggest this book to anyone who does not know Disney very well- if you knew Disney things well, you might be able to work around the incorrect facets to find the few-and-far-between gems that might be true (such as backstories to rides and whatnot- the backstories for the different rides are one of the few things that the author got right.) Anywho, I am glad that I got this book, because it got me excited for future Disney trips and whatnot. But overall, I’d give this book only a two out of five stars.

Thank You, God, for Mommy by Amy Parker and Frank Endersby

Hi there again- I’ve just gotten the CUTEST book from booksneeze. But before I tell you about it, I need to let you know that due to some long legal thing, I don’t need to give this book a good review. So whatever kind of review I give it, it’s how I really honestly feel. Okay, Thomas Nelson is pretty good about having visually pleasing books, but this book, “Thank You God, for Mommy” by Amy Parker and Illustrated by Frank Endersby is really just ADORABLE! When I first read it, I was kind of worried about how I would write a 200 word review for a book that hardly even had 200 words in it. But as I looked at the illustrations, I was blown away by the quality. The pictures are sweet scenes of a young panda and his mommy doing everyday things- playing, cleaning, getting ready for bed, each accompanied by a short poem listing Mother Bear’s virtues. This padded book is wonderful for any toddler to read with a parent- the kind verses and the sweet pictures will surely be a hit with any kid under the age of 3. I give this book a nice five out of five stars:)

A Heart Most Worthy by Siri Mitchell

I’ve been doing the booksneeze program, which works through the Thomas Nelson publishing group, for a while now, and I’ve enjoyed it so much. Honestly, I don’t have the money to go buy new books for me- especially since I eat through them like they’re Turkish Delights:) When I learned that Bethany House Publishers had a comparable program, I was über excited. I love Tracie Peterson and authors like her. When I got the e-mail that listed a Siri Mitchell novel, “A Heart Most Worthy” among the latest new books, I was thrilled. Siri Mitchell is one of my favorite novelists- along with Ted Dekker:) What a pair, huh? I received the books and it really is a fantastic book. “A Heart Most Worthy” takes place in 1918 Boston- in the midst of the Great Italian Emigration. Quite a few of the characters are Italian or of Italian descent. There are Italian words sprinkled in- almost like how Amish words are sprinkled in an Amish fiction novel. The novel revolves around three seamstresses that work in Madame Fortier’s opulent dress shop. Julietta, in my own opinion, is a bit of a flirt; Annamaria is really shy (pretty different from Julietta), but she falls in love with the wrong guy. And Luciana is secretive with a mysterious past. With plenty more original characters and a wonderful plot, “A Heart Most Worthy” earns 5 out of 5 stars and would be recommended to any romantic or historic reader:)

Oh, by the way, because of the law thing (the one that applies to the booksneeze books as well), I didn’t have to give this book a good review. I received this book for free from the publishers. So there’s no conflict of interest. I just really really like Siri Mitchell. The whole “free” thing was like the cherry on top:)