Reckless Heart... a book review

by Amy Clipston

ISBN: 978-0-310-71984-7

Zondervan Publishing

YA fiction / Christian

Publisher description:

Lydia Bontrager's youngest sister is frighteningly ill, and as a good Amish daughter, it falls to Lydia to care for her siblings and keep the household running, in addition to working as a teacher's assistant and helping part time at her grandmother's bakery. Succumbing to stress, Lydia gives in to one wild night and returns home drunk.

The secret of that mistake leaves Lydia feeling even more restless and confused, especially when Joshua, the only boy she's ever loved, becomes increasingly distant. When a non-Amish boy moves in nearby, Lydia finds someone who understands her, but the community is convinced Lydia is becoming too reckless. With the pressures at home and her sister's worsening condition, a splintering relationship with Joshua, and her own growing questions over what is right, Lydia could lose everything that she's ever held close.

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I love reading about the Amish - their culture, community, and faith.  Reckless Heart did not disappoint!  Amy Clipston has penned a wonderful, heartfelt story inviting us, the readers, into the lives of Lydia and her family.

Although Reckless Heart is written toward the 'Young Adult' crowd, I had no problem relating to the emotional roller coaster Lydia (age 16) was on caring for her family in her mother's place.  And as a mother, I could only imagine the difficulties of raising and loving a chronically ill child as Lydia's mom did.  Amy so wonderfully crafted a novel showing the importance of family, following God's leading, and forgiveness into this book.  This novel has something for everyone... young and young-at-heart!

Click HERE to read Chapter 1!

I received a complimentary copy of Reckless Heart from Z Street Team and Zondervan Publishing for my honest review.

Blessings,

     Ellen

wordless wednesday

Blessings,

     Ellen

Shift... a book review

Shift by Kim Curran
ISBN: 9781908844040

Available: September 2012

Strange Chemisty Books

Shift... the thought of changing realities to make-up for bad choices sounds very appealing. Undo your bad decisions and make a new reality where only good decisions live.

This is the premise of Shift by Kim Curran. She introduces us to Scott Tyler who learns at age 16 he is a shifter. Not knowing what it means or how it will impact his life, he voluntarily enrolls with the government agency to learn about his special gift. What he finds there is not only overwhelming, but also dangerous.

Can he handle his new-found power? Does he fall on the 'right' side of the fence? If you can only change your own personal reality, can he (or other shifters) be able to affect large scale problems?

* * * * * * * * * * *

I was excited to read a book with so much imagination as being able to 'shift' your realities. But, as I found out, laying the groundwork for such an idea proved difficult. The beginning of the book was choppy and hard to follow at times. The characters didn't fully become 'real' until mid-way through the novel. I never was fully involved in the plot or characters. 

Shift is geared towards ages 13-18.  Most likely, the more simplistic, sometimes choppy, writing style will not be a problem with them.

Kim Curran has a wonderful and creative mind. I'm sure her novels will come together better with each passing book.

My rating: 2 out of 5 stars

I received a complimentary copy of Shift from Angry Robot Publisher and NetGalley.com for my honest review.

Blessings,

     Ellen

Early Summer Garden 2012

The garden has been producing a lot of wonderful zucchini and yellow squash.  The cucumbers are beginning to come in along with the tomatoes and peppers.  I see some great eats in our near future!

Last week I planted 15 green bean and 15 snow pea plants.  Once they break through the soil, I will set up the poles for them to climb.

The tomato plants are HUGE!  I think I finally found the right amount of garden soil, compost, and manure.

The pepper plants are doing well with the exception of leaves falling off.

See below...

HELP!

I just have one puzzling problem?

Why are the leaves falling off of the yellow pepper plants?

Cucumber blossoms!  Beautiful!

Our first cucumber of the season...

A flowering zucchini...

Sunday's harvest...

We are finally enjoying some yummy mountain strawberries.  Unfortunately, these are not from my plants.  Our local wildlife have been eating my strawberries right off my porch!

Mary, Mary, quite contrary,
How does your garden grow?
With silver bells, and cockle shells,
And pretty maids all in a row.

Happy Gardening!

This post is linked to Tuesday Garden Party and Bloomin' Tuesday.

Blessings,

     Ellen

Broccoli and Bacon Salad

This is one of my family's favorite fresh salads for summer. 

It doesn't hurt that it contains BACON, either! 

Anytime my husband's office has a potluck/picnic, this is what he offers to bring. 

It is easy to set-up ahead of time and then combine it fresh for all to enjoy.

Ingredients:

8 cups fresh broccoli florets (give or take!)
2 cups mayonnaise
4 TBS cider vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 lb. cooked, crisp bacon
1/2 cup red onion


Directions:

1)  Cut broccoli florets.  Rinse and drain well.

2)  Cook bacon until crisp and place on paper towels.  Once cool, crumble the bacon.

3)  Combine the mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, bacon, and onion well.  Add the broccoli and mix well. 

4)  Chill in the refrigerator for an hour to combine the flavors.

5)  Enjoy!


NOTES: 

To prepare in advance: 

1)  Cut the broccoli florets and place in ziplock bag or container.  Cook and crumble the bacon and place in a separate container / bag.  Combine the mayonnaise, vinegar, and sugar and put in its own container.  Dice the onions and store in a separate bag.

2)  About an hour before serving, combine ALL ingredients well and return to refrigerator.

3)  Serve and enjoy!

As you can tell from my photo, I did not use a red onion.  For this batch, I used a Vidalia onion which I had on hand.  The salad was still terrific!

Play with your vegetables!  I have combined broccoli and cauliflower to make this.  Also, fresh peas and/or finely sliced carrots are a great addition!  Oh, don't forget snow peas!



This recipe may be linked to THESE terrific food blogs.

Cook Family Recipe Book, Chef Ellen

Blessings,

     Ellen

Venus: a transit across the sun

An extreme ultraviolet picture of the sun from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory shows the planet Venus in transit, as well as dramatic swirls of solar activity.

Venus can be seen at top right, beginning to cross the face of the sun, in a picture of the transit taken from Manhattan's West Side.

Photo credits

This is an exciting event!  The next time Venus will pass in front of the sun will be in 2117.  I will be searching the web for more great pictures and video feed!

Blessings,

     Ellen

Skip Rock Shallows... a book review

ISBN: 978-1-4143-3914-6

Publisher: Tyndale Fiction

Available: June 11, 2012

by Jan Watson

Fiction / Christian / Historical

Publisher's Description

Lilly Gray Corbett has just graduated from medical school and decided to accept an internship in the coal camp of Skip Rock, Kentucky. Her beau, Paul, is doing his residency in Boston and can’t understand why Lilly would choose to work in a backwater town. But having grown up in the mountains, Lilly is drawn to the stubborn, superstitious people she encounters in Skip Rock—a town where people live hard and die harder and where women know their place. Lilly soon learns she has a lot to overcome, but after saving the life of a young miner, she begins to earn the residents’ trust.

As Lilly becomes torn between joining Paul in Boston and her love for the people of Skip Rock, she crosses paths with a handsome miner—one who seems oddly familiar. Her attraction for him grows, even as she wrestles with her feelings and wonders what he’s hiding.

*   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *

"I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever; yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O Lord my God." 

~  Jonah 2.6

In 1908, women physicians were not as well received as men.  Add in a superstitious mining town with its first female physician, and you have a backdrop for many story lines.  Jan Watson has woven a beautiful novel of commitment, respect, and love with the harsh realities of a coal miner's life.  As much as we have read idealized accounts of a miner's life in the late 1800s and early 1900s, this book brings the real life drama of mining disasters and the cost to each family and town to life.

Click HERE to read Chapter 1!

I love a well-written historical fiction novel.  I know the author brings the characters to life, but the historical time in which they live is based on true events and time periods.  In Skip Rock Shallows, I learned more about the people who lived and breathed life into the coal mining industry.  They lived a hard life with many superstitions and fears. 

How would my life have been different if I had been born and raised in Skip Rock during this time?  Would I be helping to raise my siblings because my father died in the mine?  Would an education be only a dream for the very few fortunate ones?

This is Jan Watson's 6th novel.  I look forward to reading her other books as well!

I received a complimentary copy of Skip Rock Shallows from Tyndale House Publishers for my honest review.

Blessings,

   Ellen