New Books

Hadassah: Queen Esther of Persia—Book Review and Giveaway!

July 11, 2019 // Esther Filbrun 1 Comment

I’m always curious when I see books about my namesake, Esther, Queen of Persia. I was given one years ago—an abridged version of the original, to be sure, but without the original’s awful scenes—and loved the picture it painted of Esther. A young girl, stripped of the life and dreams that she had, placed in a position where the King had absolute power over her life—and he was the one who would decide whether she would languish, alone, in a world not her own, or live as the wife of the most powerful man in the land. What odds! And, when God’s hand is in the works, what a job!

So when I saw a new book by Diana Wallis Taylor come up for review, Hadassah: Queen Esther of Persia, I knew I wanted to try it out. In stories like this, you generally either strike out, sorta-like it, or find a story that fits the original pretty well. Thankfully, this one was the latter!

Some links in this post may be affiliate links. Thank you for supporting this reader’s bookworm habits! Also, I requested a free review copy of this book from CelebrateLit, and this is my honest opinion of it.

About This Book…

Book: Hadassah
Author: Diana Wallis Taylor
Genre: Christian Historical Fiction
Release date: July 2, 2019

One of the great heroines of the Old Testament, Hadassah was a beautiful, graceful young woman who put her faith in God and her guardian, her cousin Mordecai.

She dreams of marrying Shamir, a tall, handsome, studious young man who is the rabbi’s son. Her heart beats faster when she hears the sound of his deep voice as he reads the Torah. And she hopes that he will visit Mordecai soon to present a betrothal request.

Then, an upheaval in King Xerxes’ palace changes everything. Queen Vashti has been banished and an edict goes out for all qualified young virgins throughout the empire to be taken to the palace as he searches for a new queen.

Fear strikes in the hearts of many, including Mordecai, as he realizes Hadassah will be taken. To hide her identity as a Jew, he tells her to go by the name of Esther. Since he works as a record-keeper at the king’s gates, he can keep tabs on how she is doing.

Hadassah: Queen Esther of Persia imagines what life was like for the woman who saved her people—and perhaps found love in the process.

What I Thought…

I’ve been pretty familiar with Esther’s story for years, so it was interesting to read through an authors interpretation of her story. I was also highly impressed—I only remember noticing one or two small mentions of things that made me ask, “is this really the way it happened in the Bible?” —But even of those, I’m pretty sure at least one thing doesn’t get a mention in the Bible, so it would be up to the author’s guess as to where it would fit.

What I loved, though, and what was one of my favorite aspects of this book, was how the history was brought into it. I remember hearing something about the correlation between Xerxes’ feast and his failed campaign that included the famous Battle of Salamis (thank you for that unforgettable picture, history books!), but I’d never studied up on that particular history behind the history in the Bible before. I loved seeing how all of that played out in here, as a result.

I feel like Hadassah was a good retelling of the Biblical story. I believe the author did a great job weaving in history, honoring the cultural customs of the Jews at the time, and telling Esther’s story in a way that was memorable. There was at least one time that the history actually caught me off-guard—Esther was telling Jonah’s story, and I had no idea that it actually happened 300(ish) years before Esther’s time! With what she had, Diana Taylor did a great job. The writing did feel somewhat stilted at times, but it did get somewhat better as the story went on—it never went all that quickly, but it kept up a good rhythm. If you’re looking for an interesting, but factual, retelling of the Biblical story, you might just enjoy this book.

About the Author…

Diana Wallis Taylor was first published at the age of twelve, when she sold a poem to a church newsletter. After receiving her B.A. in Elementary Education at San Diego State University, she was an elementary school teacher for twenty-two years. Diana has also sold real estate, opened two coffeehouse/used book stores, and was a conference director for a private Christian college.

She has an extensive portfolio of published works, including a collection of poetry; an Easter cantata, written with a musical collaborator; contributions to various magazines and compilations; and several books, including Lydia, Woman of Philippi; Mary, Chosen of God; Ruth, Mother of Kings; and Halloween: Harmless Fun or Risky Business?

Learn more at www.dianawallistaylor.com.

The Giveaway!

To celebrate her tour, Diana is giving away a grand prize of a $20 Starbucks card and a surprise book!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops (below) for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Go here to enter (or click the image above).

Next Blog Stops…

Aryn the Libraryan, July 10
Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, July 10
Through the Fire Blogs, July 10
Lights in a Dark World, July 11
Mary Hake, July 11
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, July 11
Splashes of Joy, July 12
Simple Harvest Reads, July 12 (Guest post from Mindy Houng)
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, July 12
Bigreadersite, July 13
Pause for Tales, July 13
Texas Book-aholic, July 13
Creating Romance, July 14
A Good Book and Cup of Tea, July 14
janicesbookreviews, July 14
Older & Smarter?, July 15
She Lives To Read, July 15
A Reader’s Brain, July 15
For the Love of Literature, July 16
Just the Write Escape, July 16
Inklings and notions, July 16
Henry Happens, July 17
Hebrews 12 Endurance, July 17
Little Homeschool on the Prairie, July 17
Library Lady’s Kid Lit, July 17

What was your most favorite recent Biblical fiction read?

Chosen People: A Review of Robert Whitlow’s Latest Book

April 3, 2019 // Esther Filbrun Leave a Comment

For years, I’ve enjoyed reading mystery stories of all kinds—starting out with Encyclopedia Brown (which, unfortunately, I was never able to solve without reading the answer at the back!), and slowly advancing up to more adult mysteries with Chautona Havig and Alana Terry’s books. Enter Chosen People by Robert Whitlow. I hadn’t heard of the author before, but this mystery was well worth a read!

Note: I received an advanced reader copy of this book for free from BookLook Bloggers. Thank you, BookLook! All opinions expressed below are entirely my own, and I was not required to write a positive review. Also, some links on this page may be affiliate links. Your purchase through these links helps to keep this blog going; thank you!

About the Book:

Bestselling author Robert Whitlow returns with an international legal drama that speaks to critical issues of our day.

“Whitlow’s timely story shines a spotlight on prejudice, race, and the pursuit of justice in a world bent on blind revenge. Fans of Greg Iles’s Natchez Burning will find this just as compelling if not more so.” —Library Journal, starred review of A Time to Stand

You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation . . .

During a terrorist attack near the Western Wall in Jerusalem, a courageous mother sacrifices her life to save her four-year-old daughter, leaving behind a grieving husband and a motherless child.

Hana Abboud, a Christian Arab Israeli lawyer trained at Hebrew University, typically uses her multi-language skills to represent international clients for an Atlanta law firm. When her boss is contacted by Jakob Brodsky, a young Jewish lawyer aggressively pursuing a lawsuit on behalf of the family under the US Anti-Terrorism laws, he calls on Hana’s expertise to take point on the case. After careful prayer, she joins forces with Jakob, and they quickly realize the need to bring in a third member for their team, an Arab investigator named Daud Hasan, based in Israel.

To unravel the case, this team of investigators goes from the streets of Atlanta to the alleys of Jerusalem, a world where hidden motives thrive, the risk of death is real, and the search for truth has many faces. What they will uncover will forever change their understanding of justice, heritage, and what it means to be chosen for a greater purpose.

My Thoughts:

Have you ever found that you have to see something about a book several times before you take a good look at it? Or maybe it’s just me. Chosen People came up in one or two of the book review sites I use, but I didn’t pay a lot of attention to it until I saw it on BookLook Bloggers, as well. When I took a closer look at it—after the clean, but nice cover caught my eye—I thought it might be an interesting read. Even though it didn’t match my normal reading genres, I was interested in finding out whether I liked legal fiction or not!

And what a story! If one would expect a thriller when picking this book up, they might be disappointed. In my opinion, it was more the level of a very well developed mystery.* I was kept guessing until the very end about one character in particular—cringing when the main character was with them, trusting them, and yet wildly hoping they would turn out good in the end!

There were quite a few different elements of this story that were among my favorites. One of them was the setting in Israel; I didn’t count, but probably at least half the story is based in Israel. As a Christian, I am deeply interested in where Israel is at this point, and although we often hear conflicting news from that direction, I still believe that country has a special place in the grand scheme of things somehow. “Seeing” the country, and especially the city of Jerusalem, with both the historical context and where they are today through the lens of a novel, was fascinating. I’d love to read more books with a similar setting.

I also greatly appreciated the faith element in this story. It was quite different from what I’d call modern “American” Christianity in some respects, and I had to wonder what other influences the author had here. The focus on trusting in and relying on Jesus was a blessing, and the emphasis on a personal prayer life was also encouraging.

I can’t say I came across a lot I didn’t appreciate in this story. Yes, there was the terrorism element, which is what the main mystery centered around. It’s not nice to read about people being evil, no matter what their reasons are. I also don’t really like the fact that it sometimes (or often?) took lying by the investigators to figure out what they needed to—and it especially bugs me when Christians do that. I understand why, I just don’t think it really lines up with what the Bible teaches.

In all, as a portrait of Christians in the modern legal system, as a mystery set in modern Israel, and a Christian fiction with a slight side of romance (which wasn’t as big as I feared, and ended up being a welcome change from my normal reading fare in itself!), Chosen People was a good read.

I’m giving it four out of five stars, because while I really enjoyed it, it didn’t quite hit the “aah! that was amazing!” level for me. 🙂

*I do want to insert the disclaimer that under normal reading circumstances for me, this book would have been more gripping—it just so happens that when I read it, I wasn’t in a very good reading “mood”. If I had read it at a different time, it probably would have felt more like the thriller it’s supposed to be.

What was the last mystery you read? What is your opinion of “legal thrillers”?

Shelter of the Most High: Blog Tour and Giveaway!

December 4, 2018 // Esther Filbrun 2 Comments

After years of reading very few Biblical fiction stories, I think I’ve come across an author I’m going to love. Cossette writes in such a way that you are drawn into the story, and held captive there until you reach the thrilling conclusion. And one major bonus point in her direction is that while her stories have a lot of romance (something I struggle with at times!), the rest of the story outweighs it so much that I still have to give it a high rating even though I might not have otherwise! She’s an expert at the craft, and I’m thankful. (She’s also Biblically accurate, as far as I can tell, which is another huge bonus point!)

Today, I have the privilege of sharing the second book in the Cities of Refuge series with you. As I mention in my review, I loved the first book in the series as well (hopefully that review will go up on the website sometime within the next couple months), and this is a great continuation. I do recommend reading the first one before this second, because of spoilers.

Some links in this post may be affiliate links. Thank you for supporting this reader’s bookworm habits!

About This Book…

Book: Shelter of the Most High
Author: Connilyn Cossette
Genre: Christian Biblical Fiction
Release Date: October, 2018

The daughter of a pagan high priest, Sofea finds solace from her troubles in the freedom of the ocean. But when marauders attack her village on the island of Sicily, she and her cousin are taken across the sea to the shores of Canaan.

Eitan has lived in Kedesh, a city of refuge, for the last eleven years, haunted by a tragedy in his childhood, yet chafing at the boundaries placed on him. He is immediately captivated by Sofea, but revealing his most guarded secret could mean drawing her into the danger of his past.

As threats from outside the walls loom and traitors are uncovered within, Sofea and Eitan are plunged into the midst of a murder plot. Can they uncover the betrayal in time to save their lives and the lives of those they love?

Click here to purchase your copy!

What I Thought…

Shelter of the Most High is a delightful story! Having read A Light on the Hill earlier this year, and loving it, I couldn’t wait until this one came out! And as soon as I saw it was available for review, I requested a copy.

What a story! And what a setting! I’ve come to love Ms. Cossette’s idea of Ancient Israel—I haven’t found anything so far (that stands out to me, anyway) that is unbiblical, so that makes the story worth even more to me.

As far as the story itself, it was very well-formed.

There were quite a few times I was completely at a loss as to what would likely happen next. With two different concurrent storylines, there was a lot going on, and fairly often the tension got to a place where I had to make time to read a few chapters to get past whatever was happening then.

One thing I appreciated about this book were the different spiritual journeys. One I especially enjoyed was a character dealing with intense grief; though I felt like it might not have been quite as intense as it is in real life, I liked the place the character came to in seeing even terrible incidents as guidance from the Lord and Him using those circumstances to draw them to Himself.

In all, I enjoyed this story—in some ways, it wasn’t quite as good as the last book in the series (at least, I didn’t feel quite as sucked into it as with the other one, but it might be my season of reading right now), but all together, it was another excellent story. Some people who struggle with romance in books may find this a little much for them, but otherwise, I recommend it!

I requested a review copy of this book from CelebrateLit, and this is my honest opinion of it.

About the Author…

Connilyn Cossette is the CBA bestselling author of the Out From Egypt series. Her debut novel, Counted with the Stars, was a finalist for the Christy Award, the INSPY Award, and the Christian Retailing’s Best Award. She lives in North Carolina with her husband of twenty years and a son and a daughter who fill her days with joy, inspiration, and laughter. Connect with her at www.ConnilynCossette.com.

Giveaway!

To celebrate her tour, Connilyn is giving away…

Grand Prize: All five of Conni’s novels, including Shelter of the Most High, plus AHAVA Dead Sea Bath Salts

Three other winners will receive a copy of Shelter of the Most High!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Go here to enter.

See the other stops on the blog tour here.

Let’s discuss: What was the last historical Biblical fiction you’ve enjoyed reading? Who is your favorite author in the genre?

Kiera: Worst. Distraction. Ever. (Book Review & Blog Tour!)

June 20, 2018 // Esther Filbrun 4 Comments

One of the most fun things I’ve done in the internet world for the last few years is following authors, really enjoy reading their blogs, and then getting to read their books. I don’t think there’s anything quite as special as finding your newest favorite authors that way! Most recently, I saw a signup form for a book tour for a book called Kiera coming from a blog I read on a pretty regular basis. I figured I’d probably like it, so I signed up—without reading the synopsis, or anything (rather dangerous, yes!).

I also had another couple review books going at the time, so wondered how it would all work out—having four reading deadlines within a month isn’t always a great idea for me. BUT! I wanted to read this, so I signed up.

And I am so glad I did.

Legal jargon: I received a complimentary copy of this book. A positive review was not required. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.

My previous three stories leading up to this one involved ancient history, a modern-day Christmas story, and Biblical historical fiction—each excellent. So when I started Kiera and hit a “radiation storm”, my brain went reeling—until I found myself fully immersed in a futuristic America with some terrible problems!

After the first chapter, though, the action ramped up and I had quite the struggle focusing on work. I knew I wouldn’t have any time the following day to read, so that made it extra-tempting to keep going once I had started, aside from the fact that disentangling myself from the story for any length of time was well-nigh impossible (I’m sorry, family).

It was so bad—this trying to forget the book while I focused on writing and editing other reviews—that I sent a letter or so to the author complaining. I tell ya, it doesn’t happen often for this girl, so I was really enjoying it, despite not getting anything else done!

Anyway, this book. First of all, being set in a futuristic America was super neat. It took a little time for my brain to rearrange to fit that after the books I had been reading leading up to it—something like what happens when we play the card game Dutch Blitz the normal way, and then change to one of our crazier variations! But, once I had made the switch, I fell in love with the setting. And instantly began worrying for Kiera.

I don’t think I ever prayed for the characters throughout the day it took to finish this book—not quite. But oh, the temptation was there! (Is that wrong? I don’t know. I don’t think I’ll be asking, either.)

The characters in this story? Each one was special in their own right, and every single one came across very realistically. The plot? Deeper than I expected, and with a few perfect “I didn’t see that one coming!” twists that made me love it even more.

The thing I loved the most was the love shown in this book. I know that probably sounds convoluted, but that was one of the best parts to it, in my opinion. The characters showed genuine Christ-like love to each other, and that was beautiful. It wasn’t always easy—sometimes, it was really hard—but they made choices that would be better for everyone in the long-run. The results of their choices were beautiful.

I did struggle with a few things—like trying to figure out what was going on with the politics in the book, or what kind of technology they were actually using, or who the main character’s family was. I think I got most of it near the end of the book, but it wasn’t very clear—people were mentioned, but the connections weren’t necessarily explained. All of these things, while they aren’t huge problems, did make it a little harder to connect with the overall setting, because mentions were vague—but the plot and writing style carried the story so well that it didn’t matter as much to me as it could in other books.

One of the biggest things I enjoyed in this book was the depth of the main conflict—both physical, and spiritual. Several different major themes in this book were ones that could be applicable in many different situations, and it was good to see how they played out here. Whether it was choosing to do the right thing over having personal comfort, or loving expecting nothing in return, or being a good manager of what you’ve been given, there was a surprising amount of depth in this story. I loved the different applications of those themes—it was very encouraging!

In all, despite perhaps a few world-building issues, I thoroughly enjoyed this story. I’m looking forward to re-reading it in the future, and hopefully getting my own print copy one day. It was that good! (And please, oh please, let there be a sequel soon, because I can’t wait!)

(Please note that this story isn’t for younger readers. There are a few things mentioned like abortion and death that, while handled very tactfully, could be disturbing to those younger than early-mid teens.)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Kate Willis has been homeschooled her whole life in a loving family that values the Gospel of Jesus Christ, creativity, and thoughtful conversations. She is inspired by red shoes, a good story, little children, and chai tea. It is her desire to serve God in the home having a family of her own in the future. She is the author of The Treasure Hunt, The Twin Arrows, Kiera, and two short stories Enjoy the Poodle Skirt and Red Boots.

GIVEAWAY!

Unfortunately, this book isn’t up for sale yet (otherwise, I’d be linking to it…because you really should check it out!). It will be releasing next Friday, Lord willing! BUT, there is a giveaway going! Enter here.

Other tour stops and extra-special things from author Kate Willis can be found on her blog here!

Let’s discuss: What was the last futuristic book you’ve read lately? Or, if it’s been a while, which one is your favorite?

The Texting Book Story – A Guest Post

September 29, 2017 // Esther Filbrun Leave a Comment

When I signed up to review Where Dandelions Grow, I also had the option of Lydia guest posting on my blog. Today, I’m excited to share with you a part of the backstory for the book—who the real people are. This was something I was curious about, as I saw a mention of this “texting book” in the story, so I’m interested to hear a little more about how this story came about today!

Welcome, Lydia!

– – – – – – – –

Only the bestest of cousins could inspire a story like Where Dandelion Grow, and my cousins happen to be the inspiration.

Alexa and Aubrey are close in age to my sister, Helena, and I, and we did everything together. Right after I turned eighteen, Helena and I got an opportunity to go help some missionaries in South America—only we’d be leaving in two weeks and we’d be gone for two months, including missing out on the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.

Texting Book Story — The town where Lydia and Helena stayed.

When we told Alexa and Aubrey they rearranged their schedule so they could come and spend a couple days with us before we left. We lived out in the country and their cell phones didn’t work out at our place. All throughout the visit, the girls kept scribbling stuff in a notebook that they were carrying around. When Helena and I asked about it, they told us it was their “texting book” and since they couldn’t text from our place they were just jotting down all the texts they wanted to send, so they could do it later when they had service.

We obviously knew they were joking, but it wasn’t until later that we found out what the book was really for. They’d written us a note for each and every day that we were going to be gone. That way, whenever we felt homesick, we could just open the book and read a delightful memory, joke, story, or piece of encouragement from them.

That was one of the best gifts I’ve ever received. I read and re-read the book many times while being gone—especially on the holidays when I was missing home the most. The book helped keep homesickness at bay and made me feel loved. Each time I read the “texting book” it was like getting a hug from my cousins. I still keep that book tucked away in a special place and pull it out from time to time.

At the end of Where Dandelions Grow I’ve included some of the special entries Alexa and Aubrey put into the “Texting Book.” I’ll forever be thankful they took the time to do that, and in a way, inspired Where Dandelions Grow through their kindness.

About the Author:

Lydia Howe (aka Aidyl Ewoh) is a twenty-something adventurous author who is partial to hiking in the mountains of Asia and South America, building life-size models of dinosaurs, taking road trips across Europe, visiting friends in Africa, growing up in a barn and everything in-between. She currently works in a coffee shop during the day and concocts stories by night. Find her online at her blog, Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, and Google+.

– – – – – – – –

Read my review of Where Dandelions Grow here.

Top Ten Books on My To-Read List

September 13, 2017 // Esther Filbrun Leave a Comment

A week or two ago, I set about trying to make a list of all the books I’ve been given for review or borrowed over the past four months. I was prepared for a decent-sized list, but I admit I did have to gulp a little when I saw the full extent of it. I’m a little more behind than I thought. However, since making this list, I can see progress! My hope is that by November, I’ll be mostly through this stack. There are thirty-two books altogether there so far, with fourteen of them being physical copies and the other eighteen being ebooks, mostly “e-review” copies, which means most of them were given to me in exchange for my honest review (and, obviously, the authors hope that I’ll get it done in good time!).

Top 10 To-Reads

My want-to-read list, however, isn’t just contained on this page. If I would write out all of those, I’d easily have somewhere between 1 and 500 books written down!

However, the top ten books I’m looking forward to reading over the next couple months are as follows:

Note: Some links are affiliate links. Your purchases through these links will not cost you any more, but will help support this site—thank you!

#1. Love Lifted Me by MarJanita Geigley. Borrowed from my aunt’s shelf, this is a story of two people from tough pasts finding the Lord. I love salvation stories, and I think I’ll love this!

#2. Savior, Like a Shepherd by Faith Blum. I read the sequel, All the Way My Savior Leads, and participated in the blog tour back in May. When I was sent the latter book, Faith kindly included Savior as well, and I can’t wait to read it. I really enjoyed All the Way!

#3. Such a Tease by Chautona Havig. I read the prequel to this story, Sweet on You, back when it was released—and got this one to read and review at this one’s release, but I haven’t gotten to it yet. Seeing as it’s written by one of my favorite authors, and I loved Sweet on You, I can’t wait to read this as well!

#4 and #5. None So Blind and Will Not See by Chautona Havig. I’ve been eyeing the first book in the Sight Unseen series for months now, and just this last month the second book was released! Which is so exciting, but now I’ve got two stories to read instead of one (yay!). Next time I’m ready to lose my afternoon to reading, I’m planning on picking one of these up.

#6. The Last Jew of Rotterdam by Ernest Cassutto. World War II story? Jews? Hope in the midst of despair? Yes, please! Another book borrowed from my aunt, I can’t wait to dive into it!

#7. They’re Rugby Boys, Don’t You Know? by Natalie Vellacott. I’ve been following this author’s blog for a while, and wanting to read her books, and I was absolutely delighted when she contacted me one day after I added several to my Goodreads want-to-read list, asking if I’d like to read them. What? YES, PLEASE! Can’t wait to pick these up!

#8. Dreams and Devotion by Sarah Holman. Although this hasn’t been my most favorite series by Holman, I do enjoy getting to read her books, which are generally very clean and family-friendly. According to my brother, who happened to read this before me this time, it’s very good.

#9. Outlining Your Novel by K.M. Weiland. I’m really wanting to improve my writing, especially in the plotting/outlining area. To that end, I’ve started reading this book, and also bought the workbook to go along with it. Although I’ve only made it part-way through the second chapter so far, it’s excellent!

#10. The Savvy Solopreneur’s Guide to Content Creation by Karen Banes. I’m always looking for ways to better my knowledge of writing, online basics, etc., and I’ve sort-of followed along with Karen Banes for quite a while. I can’t say I’ve learned a lot from her (yet!), but I’m looking forward to what I can learn from this book!

And a bonus: #11. Where Dandelions Grow by Lydia Howe. Okay; I admit—I just finished reading this book Monday. But before that, it was at the top of my list. This book was so good. A young adult book without a romantic element, a family story without being too ridiculous or tedious, and a Christian story with a fairly good Christian element without feeling preachy or too “fluffy”—one character, especially, was excellent this way. Overall, I loved it. Can’t wait to share my thoughts about it at the end of the month when the book releases!

Although it’s hard to choose what my top books are, these are the ones that I believe I’m most looking forward to at the moment. Five fiction, three biographies or biographical-type books, and two non-fictions. The non-fiction titles will probably be the hardest for me to get through, but I’m looking forward to what I’ll learn from them. And if I mix them up with the other books, it’ll definitely be doable!

What books are on your to-read list right now?