I Feel So Unnecessary

Wilderness Rising: A Church Builder Novel By: A.L. Shields Genre: Christian/ Thriller Publisher: Zondervan, 2015 352 pages Beth Barclay is on the run from The Wilderness- a powerful cabal bent on ruining Christianity. They murdered her best friend, framed her, and kidnapped a teenager she was protecting. To get the girl back Beth must find the Pilate Stone, a relic from the federal century that might not even exist. But she's not the only one searching for it. Will she find it, save her friend, and defeat the Wilderness? A thrilling adventure with fully realized characters that keeps you on the edge of your seat. So, I'm giving it... 3 stars LISA

Genre: Non-fiction/Memoir 208 pages Publisher: University of Minnesota Press, 2015 In this moving memoir Bruce Kramer writes of his life after being diagnosed with ALS. He decided to live life even though he was facing death. Cathy Wurzer's was facing her own struggles as her father was descending into dementia. Together, they teamed up to write this amusing, uplifting, and wholly gratifying memoir. I recommend it. 4 stars ( Author photos courtesy of Michael Ekern, University of St. Thomas and MPR News) Three signed copies of the book are being given away. To enter just leave your name and e-mail in the comments. Lisa

Bathsheba Bathed in Grace: How 8 Scandalous Women Changed the World By: Carol Cook Genre: Christian 227 pages Publisher: West Bow Press, 2012 Adultery, lies, deception, scandal, murder, cover-up, heartache, pain, and loss—stories with these sordid elements are relevant today. And women with shady pasts—labeled, shamed, and linked with tragedies—are part of our heritage. Bathsheba, a victim or temptress, Eve outside of Eden, Tamar posed as a prostitute, Leah stole her sister Rachel’s fiancé…Sarah gave Hagar to her husband and Rebekah masterminded a grave deception. How well do you really know the women of the Bible? An interesting read about the women of the Bible who possessed questionable morals. It provides a new perspective on their actions. I found it to be a fascinating read. 3 stars * I was provided a complimentary copy from the publisher via BookLook Bloggers in exchange for an honest review. Get it: Amazon Lisa

"[Women served by Thistle Farms] would be dead by now if it weren't for a remarkable initiative by the Rev. Becca Stevens to help women escape trafficking and prostitution." —Nicholas Kristof, The New York Times New Book by Famed Women’s Advocate Exposes “Fair Trade” as a Myth, and Offers Justice to Women Survivors Becca Stevens is a White House Champion of Change, and founder of Magdalene and Thistle Farms, two of the nation’s leading social enterprises for women. Now she shares how their latest initiative—a café that employs women recovering from prostitution and addiction—is fueling a worldwide movement to bring fair wages to women in her new book, The Way of Tea and Justice: Rescuing the World’s Favorite Beverage from Its Violent History (Jericho Books/Hachette Book Group, $22.00 hardcover, November 4, 2014). Stevens opened the Thistle Stop Café in Nashville, Tennessee in 2013 to empower women survivors. But when she discovered a connection b...

A Killer Collection A Collectible Mystery # 1 189 pages Genre: Cozy Mystery Publisher: Beyond the Page, January 2015 Book Source: Publisher via netgalley In the world of antiques and collectibles, it helps to have a sharp eye for quality, a good ear for gossip, and a nose for murder. Molly Appleby is a young writer for Collector’s Weekly , and when the attractive reporter isn’t covering auctions and antique shows all over the South, she’s trying to get her new relationship with a coworker off the ground. When her latest assignment takes her to North Carolina pottery country to cover an exclusive kiln opening, she’s certain the show promises surprising offerings and rare finds. What she doesn’t expect to find is a dead body. George-Bradley Staunton is known throughout the antiques world as a very wealthy and very ruthless collector, and when he drops dead just after the opening, there are all too few mourners and a seemingly endless list of suspects. When the local ...

Traceless by Joanne Clancy My rating: 3 of 5 stars I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.  Genre: Mystery/ Thriller 235 pages Published: September 2014   Adam Stoltz vanishes in the middle of the night. His girlfriend, Darcey Ackerman, is the last person to see him alive. An international manhunt and police investigation ensue, but Adam remains traceless. Darcey is obsessed with finding out what really happened to Adam, but someone is watching her, and she is about to discover that there is a fine line between love and hate... Traceless - some people should never be found. Even though there were some flaws such as confusing time jumps- overall it was a good mystery. I also enjoyed the ending. I wasn't expecting it. View all my reviews

Stranger Child by Rachel Abbott My rating: 3 of 5 stars Kindle edition 326 pages Publication Date: Feb. 24, 2015 Genre: Suspense     When Emma Joseph met her husband David, he was a man shattered by grief. His first wife had been killed outright when her car veered off the road. Just as tragically, their six-year-old daughter mysteriously vanished from the scene of the accident.  Now, six years later, Emma believes the painful years are behind them. She and David have built a new life together and have a beautiful baby son, Ollie. Then a stranger walks into their lives, and their world tilts on its axis. Emma’s life no longer feels secure. Does she know what really happened all those years ago? And why does she feel so frightened for herself and for her baby?     When a desperate Emma reaches out to her old friend DCI Tom Douglas for help, she puts all their lives in jeopardy. Before long, a web of deceit is revealed that shocks...

Witchcraft Couture By: Katarina West 312 pages Genre: Fantasy Publisher: eBook Partnership, November 2014 * I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review. Oscar Pellegrini is a very talented fashion designer. He only has one problem- his mind. He's plagued by self-doubt so he ends up being self destructive. Because of that his once promising career has been troubled by one firing after another. When he's given another chance by his ex-girlfriend he ends up running away to Russia where he ends up drunk and on a bizarre journey. There he ends up with a mysterious machine that might save his career... or will it? At first I was a little annoyed with Oscar because he kept sabotaging himself. But after a while he grew on me. He is a fully realized, realistic character. The book kept me interested and had an interesting twist. It's a an original work and well worth the read. The cover is also really beautiful. So, it's getting... Buy th...

Playing Saint By: Zachary Bartels Genre: Christian Mystery/ Thriller 352 pages Publisher: Thomas Nelson, October 2014 I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via BookLook Bloggers. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated in any other way. Yesterday, Parker Saint’s only concern was his swiftly rising star power. Today, he’s just trying to stay alive. Parker Saint is living the dream. A cushy job at a thriving megachurch has him on the verge of becoming a bestselling author and broadcast celebrity—until life takes an abrupt turn that lands him on the wrong side of the law. To avoid a public scandal, he agrees to consult with the police on a series of brutal murders linked by strange religious symbols scrawled on each victim. Parker tries to play the expert, but he is clearly in over his head. Drawn ever deeper into a web of intrigue involving a demanding detective, a trio of secretive Vatican opera...

A Soul's Kiss By: Debra Chapoton YA Paranormal Romance Published by: Creative Prose Publishing, March 2015 252 pages I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review. When a tragic car accident sends Jessica’s comatose body to the hospital her spirit escapes. Navigating a supernatural realm is tough, but being half-dead has its advantages. Like getting into people’s thoughts. Like taking over someone’s body. Like experiencing romance on a whole new plane – literally   Jessica learns an amazing truth as she struggles to return to her body before the doctors pull the plug, only she can’t do it alone. Now the only people willing to help Jessica’s splintered soul – the two she has hurt the most – must guide her soul back to her body before it’s too late.   An entertaining ya novel that's suitable for adults too. It was a paranormal romance that also tackled the topic of bullying in an effective way. I enjoyed reading it.So I'm giving it... ...

The Innkeeper of Bethlehem: The Story of Santa Claus By: Scott Roloff Genre: Christian/Children/Fantasy 115 pages Publication Date: September 2013 * Book Source- Complimentary copy from author in exchange for an honest review. This book will permit families to enjoy Santa Claus and the other secular customs of Christmas within the Christian celebration of Jesus’s birth.  For little children, Santa Claus becomes a real person delivering presents to them from Jesus.  The tale begins with Shai and Adi, the childless owners of an inn in Bethlehem.  When Shai rents out their bedroom, they must sleep in the stable.  During the night, Joseph and Mary arrive and Adi helps Mary through a difficult labor.  They bond, and when an angel appears telling Joseph to flee to Egypt with Mary and Jesus, Shai and Adi go with them and become Jesus’s uncle and aunt.  The book then tells of Jesus growing up with his friends Mary Magdalene and John, his ministry...

Andi Under Pressure Andi Boggs # 2 By: Amanda Flower Genre: Children's Mystery 176 pages Publisher: Zonderkidz, September 2014 Twelve-year-old Andora 'Andi' Boggs and her new best friend Colin Carter couldn't be more excited to attend the prestigious science camp at the local university in Killdeer, Ohio. Unfortunately, Discovery Camp's curriculum appears to include much more than just chemistry and biology. From day one, the university is plagued by a series of pranks---missing markers, loose crickets, and stolen scales. Campus security blames the mysterious janitor Polk, but even though Andi agrees he's acting suspicious, she can't believe the gentle old man would do anything illegal. Then one prank goes too far and their chemistry professor is injured by an explosion in the lab, upping the stakes of the investigation. Andi and Colin must unravel the secrets behind the chemistry department and Polk's dark past before danger closes t...

The Ship of Brides by Jojo Moyes My rating: 3 of 5 stars 1946. World War II has ended and all over the world, young women are beginning to fulfill the promises made to the men they wed in wartime. In Sydney, Australia, four women join 650 other war brides on an extraordinary voyage to England—aboard HMS Victoria , which still carries not just arms and aircraft but a thousand naval officers. Rules are strictly enforced, from the aircraft carrier’s captain down to the lowliest young deckhand. But the men and the brides will find their lives intertwined despite the Navy’s ironclad sanctions. And for Frances Mackenzie, the complicated young woman whose past comes back to haunt her far from home, the journey will change her life in ways she never could have predicted—forever.  Source: Complimentary copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review. An engrossing novel based on historical events. I felt I was traveling on the ship with the women and was emotionally engag...

I received all three books from the author in exchange for an honest review. The Faded Trilogy is a YA paranormal romance series. Series Overview: You only live once ... unless you're Hunter Emmerton. A half-spirit girl. An irresistibly charming ghost. The beginning of a timeless first love. A town terrorized by evil ... and dark forces who will stop at nothing to tear them apart. But how can they be together if they can’t even feel each other’s touch? Faded The Faded Trilogy # 1 392 pages Published: 2012 When seventeen-year-old Savannah Fraser and her three friends are killed in a car accident, they are given a second chance at life by a group of century-old earthbound spirits who need their help. Savannah learns she is a Chosen One, which means she can switch between human and spirit form, heal people, and control the weather—and she is also now invincible. The Chosen Ones are the only ones who can defeat The Forces—a trio of evil half-s...

Mortom by Erik Therme My rating: 3 of 5 stars Genre: Mystery/Thriller 294 pages Publisher: CreateSpace, February 2014     Mortom: population 986.   On the outskirts of town, 33-year-old Craig Moore is found drowned in the lake. A loner and town eccentric, few attend the funeral. One week later Andy Crowl arrives in Mortom, still stunned by his cousin's death and equally confused why everything was left to him. The two hadn't spoken in years and shared little outside of fierce childhood competition. But Craig hardly did him a favor. The estate amounts to little more than a drained bank account and a property overridden with junk. When Andy finds a dead rat under the refrigerator with a key in its mouth, he thinks it's some sort of sick joke. Then he finds the letter left by Craig, written two days before his death . . . detailing the rules of "the game." Book Source: Author A mystery with many twists and turns. It certainly was an interestin...

Mermaid By: Kate O'Connor Genre: Sci-fi 65 pages Publisher: Musa , 2013 Book Source: Author in exchange for an honest review Harvesting seaweed for World Food Co. is the only life genetically engineered sea drone Coral has ever known. Nothing in her short, monotonous life prepared her for a chance meeting with a boatful of strangers who force her to question everything she is. When the opportunity arises to change her place in the world, Coral finds herself caught between a powerful company and the family she was so desperate to leave. Struggling to unravel the tangle of politics and love, time is running out as she fights to learn the hardest lesson of all – what it means to be truly human.   An inventive retelling of Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid told with a sci-fi twist. I like Coral and her quest for more freedom for the drones. It's a well written, enjoyable novella.One with a twist at the end I didn't expect. I'm giving i...

Hilltop Sunset Brynn Bancroft Mysteries # 1 By: Joyce T. Strand Genre: Mystery Publisher: McCloughan and Schmeltz Publishing, November 2014 296 pages Book Source: Author A mystery set in wine country pitting financial exec Brynn Bancroft against a determined stalker, a troubled love interest, and career clashes. Brynn Bancroft learns that a former employee who beat her nearly to death has returned to stalk her and her friend, Jillian Hillcrest, also a former victim.  Recently divorced, Brynn turns to a new love interest only to encounter additional unwelcome issues. Meanwhile, short-timer Brynn, who has resigned from her Silicon Valley company, becomes bored fulfilling her remaining responsibilities there. She begins to prefer supporting the launch of her ex-husband’s new hilltop winery while waiting to move to her next position. Between her stalker and her new love interest, Brynn faces a series of life-changing events. While Brynn bothered me ...