Buy it Here
Recommend for: All ages, mild sci-fi lovers, those looking for a short read, those wanting to support homeschool authors.
From the back cover:

Can I be honest? I don’t read a lot of Sci-Fi because I don’t like most of it that is out there. I know, this is hard to believe coming from a science fiction writer, but it’s true. Red Rain was a resounding exception.
One day, while working on Homeschool Authors, I found out about Aubrey Hanson. When I stumbled on her website, I saw that there was a free audio book. One day while I was busy mindlessly entering data into the computer at work, I put on my head phones and started listening to the book. I was hooked from the first few sentences. In fact, I stayed up late when I got home (even though I had to get up early the next morning) to finish the book.

A week or so later I bought the Kindle book and thrust the Kindle at my twelve-year-old sister, telling her she would love this book (my twelve-year-old sister is one of the few people in the family that will sit and watch corny old sci-fi movies with me). She brought the Kindle back to me the next day declaring that the book had been too short. “It was such a good book! Why didn’t you make it longer?”


What I didn’t like:
Does too-short and wish-there-was-more count?


I encourage you to listen to it for yourself and then, if you like it, show your support and buy the book.

Buy it Here
Warning: I do not recommend this book for anyone under the age of 15 due to some of the subject matter.
Recommend for: Young adults, Homeschoolers, Those looking for faith building and faith challenging fiction.


There are very few books that are life changing. For me, this is one of the few.

When I first read Catherine Marshall’s Christy, I was fifteen, the youngest age my mom would let us read it at. I was captured at once by the plight of the mountain people, and cheered as Christy worked so hard to make their life better. The last third of the book though forced me to ask myself the question: “What do I believe?”

This book caused me to figure out what I believed about my faith apart from parents, pastors, or anyone else. It also made me face the fact that outside my nice home bubble, there was a hurting world. I couldn’t live in the bubble forever; it was only there to prepare me to reach out.

What I liked:
I liked the fact that this book got me thinking. Without being preaching, just through the story, I learned so much. Christy and I had so much in common, except for the fact my parents are doing a better job to prepare me for the outside world.

This book is based on real people and real events and you can feel that. The cast of characters are colorful and deep. There are no flat characters in this book. All of them have depth and feel so real.

What I didn’t like:
Some of the things that were hard were also what made the book so powerful. Probably the hardest part of the book was Miss Alice’s story. A man she trusted took advantage of her and she had a child out of wedlock. She tells the story of what happened to Christy in enough detail to make most of my readers squirm. This is why I think anyone under the age of fifteen shouldbe cautious about reading this book.  If you wish to avoid the story (which is a pivotal part of the book), or if parents would like to preview it, it is chapter 33 in the book.

I recommend this for: curious minds, those dissatisfied with church as it is, adults

From the back cover




This books digs back into church history and asks a very simple question; where did the practices of the modern day church come from. If you want to read this book, prepare yourself to never look at the church the same way again.

I was amazed at all the research that went into this book. I have read many books written by the emerging church leaders, but none of them is so well researched. Even if you think that the emerging church is a bad thing, this might be a good read for understanding where people in the movement are coming from, from an academic stand point.

What I liked about this book.
As I said before, I loved the extensive research put into this book. It is amazing to find out how some things got started, practices that are not found in the New Testament. This is the best history currently available of where church practices came from.

Also, for me, it was a faith building book. Sometimes I need to be reminded that my faith is in the Living God, not in rituals of the church. Sometimes I need to rethink why I am doing what I am doing and make sure it is in line with what God wants. This book made me think.

What I didn’t like.
This book was a little dry and hard to get through. I also think the author fails to see that, for some people, the institutional church can be a blessing. Although my ideas of church are more closely aligned with the emerging church, I have seen too many people who have been blessed by the institutional church to completely say it is wrong.


I recommend this book for anyone who is searching for answers and has an open mind. Book are written by fallible people, and no books should be taken as gospel truth.

“I will take it,” a strong, masculine voice said.  

Two very patient people over at Homeschool Alumni taught me a lesson a couple weeks ago. A lesson that is very fitting to share during the March of Books.

I am one of those people with very high standards when it comes to books. I am also one of those people who tries to allow people have their own standards. I found out that, sometimes, I am not as tolerant as I thought I was.

When it comes to certain books, I just can’t understand how Christians justify it. All I can think about when I hear someone tell me they like the Harry Potter books/movies is all the verses in the Bible condemning witchcraft; that and J.K. Rowling’s anti-Christian rants. When someone tells me that the Twilight books are so romantic, I want to throw up. When they tell me what wonderful lessons Hunger Games has in it, I shake my head and wonder why they would want to put such a gory depressing story in their head.

I got into a discussion with two very patient people, I think I mentioned that. One of them made me sit and really think about my book bashing. And I realized something; maybe I am the one in the wrong.

Before you panic, I do not plan to read any of the books mentioned above. However, I have come to the conclusion that bashing books rarely helps, and maybe, just maybe, God can use the very books I disdain to teach the readers lessons. Maybe I shouldn’t jump to the conclusion that, just because I shouldn’t read the book, no one should.

God calls us to live in harmony with each other. You know, that outdated idea of live and let live? Somehow, we lost that in our quest to be right. We are so busy trying to be better and holier than others that we have forgotten to be loving and kind to them.

I am going to endeavor not to do anymore book bashing. This does not mean when asked that I won’t share my thoughts on a book, it just means I won’t actively tear down a book. Will you join me? I know that book/movie bashing is popular in some blogging circles, but I hope you will join me in showing some restraint.

I love my life.  I love those days when I sit for a few hours on my computer writing, editing, blogging and Facebooking, then take a walk for an hour.  I love it when a sibling grabs me and hugs me, just because, then I chase them down the hall.  I love helping my sisters in the kitchen and watering the plants in the green house.  Everyday life is the best.  That is why I am thankful for...