Pages & Pursuits

I love this book! Joel Rosenberg's The First Hostage  is an excellent book. It is the second in the series, the first being The Third Target. I have read several of Rosenberg's books and have loved all of them. This one did not disappoint! The First Hostage  continues the story of ISIS's terror attacks in the Middle East. The first major attack depicted in the first book in the series was during a peace conference at which several of the world's leaders were attending. The second book shows the aftermath of this attack.  The First Hostage  is full of suspense. Readers are taken along on the journey of responding to a terrorist attack. Rosenberg created this story as fiction; however, it is extremely relevant to what is going on in our world today. Although it is fiction, all of the events that take place seem as if they could happen today. I would not recommend this book for young readers. However, I believe that it is an excellent book and would recommend it to anyon

Secrets She Kept  is a historical Christian fiction book written by Cathy Gohlke. In this book, Hannah Sterling has recently lost her mother and embarks on a mission to find out more about her. She had always had a strained relationship with her mother and really did not know too much about her. After her death, she found a few things that led her to an unknown Grandfather in Germany. Over time, Hannah discovers quite a bit about her mom and the life she left behind in Germany. She also discovers more secrets that lead both her and the readers on an incredible journey. I really enjoyed this book. I love historical fiction and mysteries. This book combined both of those and it was amazing. Not only was there suspense, but I also gained a new perspective on some of the historical events portrayed. I would definitely recommend this book. It was clean, well-written, and I could not put it down. If you enjoy history and mystery, then I would encourage you to try this book out! I received

Prayer. It often is seen as the thing we do before we eat, or as a safety net for when we mess up or need help. Sometimes, we wonder what good it actually does to pray. If God knows all things, then doesn't He already know what we would pray about anyway? In War Room,  Miss Clara gives the answer. She explains that "the point of prayer is not to get what we want. Prayer changes the person who prays" (Fabry, 126) and that prayer brings glory to God. As Miss Clara ministers to her real estate agent, Elizabeth Jordan, she also teaches readers many things about prayer. I found this book to be an easy read, yet enjoyable and challenging. It left me questioning whether my prayer life was "hot, cold or lukewarm." It challenged me to pray more, to talk to God, and to be open to where He leads. I would definitely recommend this book to just about anyone. Whether you are going through some sort of struggle or not, I believe everyone will benefit from the lessons taught i

       To be honest, when I selected this book for review, I was not entirely sure what the book was. I thought it could be a novelization of the tv show, or possibly something to be read along with the show. However, I was wrong! This book is actually the New Living Translation of the book of Acts with added notes from Dr. David Jeremiah. It is the story of Jesus' followers and how the church began. It describes their hardships and their successes, their persecution and their sacrifice.        A.D. The Bible Continues: The Book of Acts was an easy read and quite understandable. Though I do not normally use the New Living Translation when reading my Bible, I thoroughly enjoyed reading it in this book. It provided an easy flow and different insights to the book of Acts.  The tv show has given millions the chance to see the book of Acts played out. Now, this book is giving us yet another view point. I would definitely recommend this book even if you have already read thro

To go back in time is something many wish they could accomplish. Whether it is to right a wrong, or to escape the present, traveling in time is simply not physically possible. However, some books make it possible to travel in time mentally. Carrie Turansky’s book, The Daughter of Highland Hall, is one such book that provides readers with this possibility. I had waited months for this book to be released. Finally, there it lay, packed in a box just a few feet from my hands. A layer of tape was all that separated me from an afternoon of pleasure. After fighting with the packaging for what seemed like an eternity, I finally retrieved my prized possession. I sat down on the couch, snuggled in, and opened The Daughter of Highland Hall . Instantly, I was transported from my couch to Katherine Ramsey’s home in early 20 th century London. Katherine, the protagonist of the story, was in the midst of preparing for her first season, in which she and many other young women her age wou