Encyclopedia of Goddesses & Heroines by Patricia Monaghan

Encyclopedia of Goddesses & Heroines by Patricia Monaghan features more than 1,000 goddesses and heroines from around the world. This is an excellent resource to use but also a fun read. Not many books sold as an encyclopedia would I want to read cover to cover, but this one I did, and I’d want to read it again!

Book Description

“Groundbreaking scholar Patricia Monaghan spent her life researching, writing about, and documenting goddesses and heroines from all religions and all corners of the globe. Her work demonstrated that from the beginning of recorded history, goddesses reigned alongside their male counterparts as figures of inspiration and awe. Drawing on anthropology, folklore, literature, and psychology, Monaghan’s vibrant and accessible encyclopedia covers female deities from Africa, the eastern Mediterranean, Asia and Oceania, Europe, and the Americas, as well as every major religious tradition.” – Encyclopedia of Goddesses & Heroines

My Thoughts

Encyclopedia of Goddesses & Heroines is a well researched and easy to read encyclopedia about Goddesses and Heroines in mythology. It has the ones that you likely have already learned about such as Athena, Brigit, and Cleopatra. However, it includes so many that you have likely never heard about, such as Niamh, Vasilisa, or Selene?

Goddesses & Heroines are divided by their location in the world, making it easier to find ones that you may be searching for, or learn about a particular culture at a time. If you know the one you want to search for, that is easy to do too, just look in the index. Think you might be named after one of these ladies? Take a peek, I won’t tell!

This is a must-have reference for all mythology fans. It is also great for someone who writes fantasy stories that needs some inspiration for characters. As a gamer, I’d also say it would be great for character names that are unique and can provide meaning to your digital self. I highly recommend it.

* Thank you to the publisher of Encyclopedia of Goddesses & Heroines, New World Library, for providing me with a copy of this book for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

The Pearl That Broke Its Shell by Nadia Hashimi

The Pearl That Broke Its Shell by Nadia Hashimi is a look into the lives of two women from Kabul, Afghanistan in 2009. Hashimi presents the readers with the customs of the Afghan people and current standards to which women are still held up to portray. Although it is a fictional story, it is timely and is similar to many situations these women currently face.

Book Description

“A luminous and unforgettable tale of two women, destiny, and identity in Afghanistan

Kabul, 2007: The Taliban rules the streets. With a drug-addicted father and no brothers, Rahima and her sisters can rarely leave the house or attend school. Their only hope lies in the ancient Afghan custom of bacha posh, which allows young Rahima to dress and be treated as a son until she is of marriageable age. As a boy, she has the kind of freedom that was previously unimaginable . . . freedom that will transform her forever.

But Rahima is not the first in her family to adopt this unusual custom. A century earlier, her great-great-grandmother Shekiba, left orphaned by an epidemic, saved herself and built a new life in the same way—the change took her on a journey from the deprivation of life in a rural village to the opulence of a king's palace in the bustling metropolis of Kabul.

Crisscrossing in time, The Pearl That Broke Its Shell interweaves the stories of these two remarkable women who are separated by a century but share the same courage and dreams. What will happen once Rahima is old enough to marry? How long can Shekiba pass as a man? And if Rahima cannot adapt to life as a bride, how will she survive?” – The Pearl That Broke Its Shell

My Thoughts

The Pearl That Broke Its Shell is a very different novel than I have read before. The characters and situations in it are in Afghanistan, and shows how being a woman or a girl there is actually like, and it isn’t pretty. We know this from news reports we may have watched, head about, or read in an article. However, none of that gives you a feel for what it is like for these women. Nadia Hashimi does an excellent job portraying how their lives are like by weaving it into a beautiful story that illustrates much more than I could ever give it justice in a review.

The main character of Rahima, takes on the “bacha posh” which means she’ll get to dress up and act like a boy, until she is of age to be sold to be married. She is given freedoms that she never otherwise would have had growing up as a girl. Her great-great-grandmother Shekiba also did this, a century earlier, and even served as a guard to the King’s harem.

The overall story was exceptionally well written, and I would even re-read this one again. I learned a lot from the characters in it, and found a new appreciation for women of this country, and ones under similar circumstances. I highly recommend it.

* Thank you to the publisher of The Pearl That Broke Its Shell, William Morrow, for providing me with a copy of this book for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Ember Island by Kimberly Freeman

Ember Island by Kimberly Freeman is a moving story that puts two brilliantly crafted female characters, in different eras, and seamlessly tells their stories. Ember Island is about hidden secrets, starting over, and the courage to follow your heart.

Book Description

“In 1891, Tilly Kirkland is reeling with shock and guilt after her tempestuous marriage ends in horrific circumstances. Fleeing to the farthest place she knows, Tilly takes a job on Ember Island in Moreton Bay, Australia, where she becomes the governess to the prison superintendent’s precocious young daughter, Nell. Tilly knows she must keep the past hidden in order to start a new life, but she doesn’t know that Nell is watching her every move and writing it all down, hiding tiny journals all over their rambling manor home.

More than one hundred years later, bestselling novelist Nina Jones is struggling to complete her next book. A reporter asking questions about her great-grandmother sends Nina retreating to her family’s home on Ember Island, where she hopes to find her lost inspiration somewhere in the crumbling walls. 

Though they are separated by years, both Tilly and Nina must learn that some secrets never stay buried, but what matters most is learning to trust your heart.” – Ember Island

My Thoughts

Ember Island is a book where the two main characters from a different ere connect, not through past life, but through diary reading. The main characters of Tilly and Nina are both likeable in their own right, but I enjoyed reading about Tilly more. Tilly wasn’t actually the owner of the diaries that were written about her, it was the young Nell, Nina’s great grandmother who wrote about her.

Freeman’s passion for storytelling is not just with the characters that inhabit her novels. She also pays attention to detail in the setting, so it brings the reader into the story to feel like they are there with the characters, living their story right along with them. I love this about her novels, and it is one of the main reasons I can finish her stories in a day. I highly recommend this book for you to read, especially if you enjoy setting oriented and detailed characters that will leave you thinking about them long after you finish the last page.

* Thank you to the publisher of Ember Island, Touchstone, for providing me with a copy of this book for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Seal Team Six: Hunt the Jackal by Don Mann

Seal Team Six: Hunt the Jackal by Don Mann is a fast paced, exciting read that takes fans of the series, and new ones, on a wild adventure of military ops that most of us will only ever read about.

Book Description

“Real-life SEAL Don Mann brings all of his insight and experience to the next installment of the SEAL Team Six series.

When a senator’s wife and teenage daughter are kidnapped, Thomas Crocker and SEAL Team Six are sent to Mexico’s lawless countryside, where federal agents protect instead of hunting down violent narcotics kingpins. The two women have been kidnapped by the Jackal, a drug lord drunk on power and influence. He also happens to be a self-styled modern Che Guevara, who has undergone plastic surgery to disguise his looks and justifies his brutal methods and Machiavellian drug empire with the politics of social revolution. The Jackal is as ruthless as he is colorful, and he must be stopped.

Crocker and the SEALs have only a matter of hours to track down and rescue the two innocent civilians held at the mercy of this madman. With dirty cops, dangerous cartels, lavish tropical estates, double-crosses and plenty of bullets, Hunt the Jackal places the team in perilous new territory and demonstrates how elite warriors can adapt to and fight in any situation.

With insight into sensitive intelligence so top-secret it can only be hinted at in fiction, Mann and Pezzullo’s extensive knowledge has for several books offered a look behind the curtain at the life-or-death, black-ops missions executed by only a handful of the bravest soldiers. Now, with Hunt the Jackal, the authors focus their lens even closer to home upon the dangers that lurk just across the U.S. border in a pulse-pounding thriller that ups the ante even as it sheds light on the real-life heroes and villains of the fight against narco-terrorism.” – Seal Team Six: Hunt the Jackal

My Thoughts

Seal Team Six: Hunt the Jackal is a well written and captivating story. This is the type of book series that truly puts the reader at the heart of the characters, and makes them feel thankful that while their job is highly interesting, it is one we only want to read about, and not take part in. It is also the type that makes us thankful that there are people out there, such as the author, who put their life in danger to protect us and our country.

If you really want to see what the elite warriors that protect and serve our country do, this is a great book to read. I’m not going to ruin the plotline and give away details like that. The characters and plotline are genuine and will engage you to want to continue reading, and likely grab the other books in the series, too. I highly recommend it.

* Thank you to the publisher of Seal Team Six: Hunt the Jackal, Mulholland Books, for providing me with a copy of this book for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

“The Crown” and “The Chalice” by Nancy Bilyeau – Now in Paperback!

Historical novels can be exceptionally well written, and are truly captivating when reading in this modern age. One of my favorite authors of this genre is Nancy Bilyeau. Two of her best-selling books are now available in paperback, and if you haven’t read these yet, I strongly urge you to!

The Crown - Book Description

“An aristocratic young nun must find a legendary crown in order to save her father—and preserve the Catholic faith from Cromwell’s ruthless terror. The year is 1537. . .

Joanna Stafford, a Dominican nun, learns that her favorite cousin has been condemned by Henry VIII to be burned at the stake. Defying the sacred rule of enclosure, Joanna leaves the priory to stand at her cousin’s side. Arrested for interfering with the king’s justice, Joanna, along with her father, is sent to the Tower of London.

The ruthless Stephen Gardiner, Bishop of Winchester, takes terrifying steps to force Joanna to agree to spy for him: to save her father’s life she must find an ancient relic—a crown so powerful, it may hold the ability to end the Reformation. Accompanied by two monks, Joanna returns home to Dartford Priory and searches in secret for this long-lost piece of history worn by the Saxon King Athelstan in 937 during the historic battle that first united Britain.

But Dartford Priory has become a dangerous place, and when more than one dead body is uncovered, Joanna departs with a sensitive young monk, Brother Edmund, to search elsewhere for the legendary crown. From royal castles with tapestry-filled rooms to Stonehenge to Malmesbury Abbey, the final resting place of King Athelstan, Joanna and Brother Edmund must hurry to find the crown if they want to keep Joanna’s father alive. At Malmesbury, secrets of the crown are revealed that bring to light the fates of the Black Prince, Richard the Lionhearted, and Katherine of Aragon’s first husband, Arthur. The crown’s intensity and strength are beyond the earthly realm and it must not fall into the wrong hands.

With Cromwell’s troops threatening to shutter her priory, bright and bold Joanna must now decide who she can trust with the secret of the crown so that she may save herself, her family, and her sacred way of life. This provocative story melds heart-stopping suspense with historical detail and brings to life the poignant dramas of women and men at a fascinating and critical moment in England’s past.” – The Crown

My Thoughts

The Crown’s main character, Joanna Stafford, is a very intriguing character. She is a nun, and yet she is quite opinionated, takes charge, and really fights for what she believes in. This is no stereotypical nun, so don’t think that a novel about a nun is necessarily boring, because this one sure isn’t!

Bilyeau is able to create the settings in such detail it really does make you feel like you are walking in this part of history through the story. Sometimes authors use of descriptions are boring and quite honestly, I just skim over it. Bilyeau’s text doesn’t make me want to skim over it. She is able to draw the reader in, and wants to read more, which is a true talent!

The Crown is an extremely well researched historical fictional novel. I don’t pretend to be overly knowledgeable on this part of history, but from what I remember from college history courses (and looking up things online that are in the book), it does remarkably well.

Overall, the text is a little drawn out in some places, but it is a very enjoyable read. The main character is fabulous, and is a very worthy read. I recommend it for all historical fiction fans to read, especially those who also enjoy watching The Tudors.

The Chalice - Book Description

“In the midst of England’s Reformation, a young novice will risk everything to defy the most powerful men of her era.

In 1538, England’s bloody power struggle between crown and cross threatens to tear the country apart. Novice Joanna Stafford has tasted the wrath of the royal court, discovered what lies within the king’s torture rooms, and escaped death at the hands of those desperate to possess the power of an ancient relic.

Even with all she has experienced, the quiet life is not for Joanna. Despite the possibilities of arrest and imprisonment, she becomes caught up in a shadowy international plot targeting Henry VIII himself. As the power plays turn vicious, Joanna realizes her role is more critical than she’d ever imagined. She must choose between those she loves most and assuming her part in a prophecy foretold by three seers. Repelled by violence, Joanna seizes a future with a man who loves her. But no matter how hard she tries, she cannot escape the spreading darkness of her destiny.

To learn the final, sinister piece of the prophecy, she flees across Europe with a corrupt spy sent by Spain. As she completes the puzzle in the dungeon of a twelfth-century Belgian fortress, Joanna realizes the life of Henry VIII as well as the future of Christendom are in her hands—hands that must someday hold the chalice that lies at the center of these deadly prophecies…” – The Chalice

My Thoughts

The Chalice is the story of Joanna Stafford, an aristocratic nun whose life is crashing down around her, thanks to King Henry VIII. She is highly intelligent, cunning, and has an outstanding personality that makes the reader truly care about her as a character. She gets highly involved with plots for political and religious power, but the choice of her actions is all hers.

The author did excellent research for this book, and you can really tell she took time to know what she was writing about as you read it. You’ll get an amazing story form her, but you will also learn about the royal court, ladies in waiting, religion, prophecies, and much more in this book.

This is marvelously crafted book that will keep you reading until you have to put it down, so be sure to set large amounts of time away before you get started! I love this book and definitely recommend it to all historical fiction lovers, and those who just like a good book.

* Thank you to the publisher of The Crown and The Chalice, Touchstone, for providing me with a copies of these books for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

The Solomon Seduction by Mark Atteberry

The Solomon Seduction by Mark Atteberry is a book that aims at showing us how many enticing things that are thrown at us are not necessarily good for us, and in fact, can be quite bad for us. Read this book and be guided on the better path, and bypass the temptations that may lurk around the other corner.

Book Description

“Have you found yourself in circumstances you never envisioned, tangled up with people you never approved of, and doing things you never imagined?

It seems impossible that the valedictorian of the entire human race would ruin his life by making dumb choices, but Solomon did. Solomon was better equipped to see through Satan’s deceptions than any man who has ever lived, other than Jesus. But in the end, he became just as blind to them as everyone else.

Pay attention to the news and you’ll see that it’s not just the numbskulls that fall into Satan’s traps. It’s also the best and brightest of America’s fathers, husbands, and sons. Many smart guys who love God end up being ashamed and humiliated by Satan’s seductions. With humor, grace, and a pastor’s heart, Mark Atteberry seeks to offer practical suggestions on how to avoid a similar fate. His prayer for readers is to experience a wake-up call to move forward and determined on an upward path.” – The Solomon Seduction

My Thoughts

The Solomon Seduction is a very wise book for men in today’s society to read. Of course women can also read it and learn quite a lot from it, but it would especially help men to read it.

People today believe that having the most of stuff is better, having the pricier options is better, having many women is better, etc. Life isn’t meant to be lived like that, and steps from this book can really help to open the eyes of even the most materialistic person you might know.

Chapters (or wakeup calls) include:

1. Sin seems like a good idea
2. God's commands seem out of touch
3. Your glory is more important than God's glory
4. You're more influenced by enticements than warnings
5. Sin management seems like a better choice than repentance
6. Your faithful friends are troubled by your behavior
7. Your drinking glasses cost more than some people's houses
8. There are a thousand women lined up outside your bathroom
9. The throne of your heart goes from being a chair to a sofa to a sectional
10. God draws a bull's-eye on your chest

If you or someone that you know needs a serious wakeup call in their life, this is definitely a book that you should have them read. I definitely recommend it.

* Thank you to the publisher of The Solomon Seduction, Thomas Nelson, for providing me with a copy of this book for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Spirit Bridge by James L Rubart

Spirit Bridge by James L Rubart is book number three in the “Well Spring” series. If you have read this series up to now, this is a must-read book in the series for you! Also, if this is the first time you’ve even heard of the series, this is a great book to read, but it would of course, be best to read the prior two before this one.

Book Description

“The Warriors Riding have battled in astounding supernatural realms, set captives free, and awakened thousands of hearts. But now their only chance of survival depends on calling for The Spirit Bridge.

Reece, Dana, Brandon, and Marcus have achieved staggering success in the spiritual realm . . . but each is reeling from vicious attacks. They need rest. A break from the war.

But the warlord Zennon is raging and will give them no quarter. The demon holds what he believes to be the trump card—a hidden strategy set in motion before Warriors Riding even began—that will detonate the team from the inside out. And he's just set it loose.

The street magician Simon—finally free of Zennon's alternate reality prison—is racing to remember his past before his ignorance obliterates his destiny. Then there's Miyo—a brash young warrior with advanced knowledge of spiritual realities and supernatural armor even Reece doesn't know about. These two will be pivotal in the final war.

If only the Warriors knew which side Simon and Miyo are truly on. If only they knew how to fight against Zennon's final assault.

The Spirit Bridge is the epic conclusion to acclaimed author James L. Rubart's Well Spring series, which will propel each of the Warriors Riding on a quest of true identity, ultimate freedom, and a final battle that will leave them changed forever.” – Spirit Bridge

My Thoughts

Spirit Bridge is an adventurous religious story that is actually a really fun and engaging read. The characters are intriguing, and part of a group that is known as the “Warrior’s Riding” which goes into the spiritual realm to do battle with evil.

This big evil that they face is Zennon and his demons, who wants to destroy this group of spiritual warriors. This is a true battle of good vs. evil, and is quite a storyline to go an adventure with the characters to battle it out.

I hadn’t read the other two books in the series before reading this one, and I really wish that I had read the prior two first. It didn’t necessarily take away the enjoyable experience of reading this one, but it would have definitely been better to read the first two before this one.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this novel and definitely want to go back and read the previous ones in the series. I definitely recommend it!

* Thank you to the publisher of Spirit Bridge, Thomas Nelson, for providing me with a copy of this book for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Outnumber Hunger

Did you know that 1 in 6 Americans is struggling with hunger? That is more than 49 million in the United States of America, or about 13 million families.

Thanks to General Mills who has teamed up with Feeding America, Big Machine Label Group, and Target, we can help to “Outnumber Hunger” in your community. It is simple to do, and you probably don’t even have to do or buy anything extra to help. Simply purchase the specially marked General Mills products and enter in the code online at www.outnumberhunger.com. For each code that you enter by January 31, 2015, General Mills will donate 55.5 cents to Feeding America – which is enough to secure 5 meals for the local food bank.

When you buy 5 of the select food items (with codes) at Target, you’ll also receive a free Outnumber Hunger Now CD ($4.99 retail value, while supplies last), featuring artists from the Outnumber Hunger concert, listed below.

• Florida Georgia Line: “Cruise”
• Rascal Flatts: “Changed”
• The Band Perry: “DONE.”
• Cassadee Pope: “Wasting All These Tears”
• Thomas Rhett: “It Goes Like This”

The Concert event for it was great, too. If you missed it, check it out on YouTube, or watch below.

To view more on how you can help to outnumber hunger, watch this video on YouTube…

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by General Mills via Platefull Co-Op.

The Power of Your Angels by Isabelle Von Fallois

The Power of Your Angels by Isabelle Von Fallois is a powerful 28 day program that is designed to help the reader stop destructive behavior patterns. If you have a challenge in your life that you want to turn into a positive one, this is definitely a book you should read to help you overcome the challenge.

Book Description

“Accessible and effective, this succinct guide reveals a 28-day program designed to correct toxic behavior patterns so that readers can connect with their true essence. Positing that it takes 21 to 28 days to break old habits, this personal journey features a daily, channeled angel message for each step of the curriculum. Offering exercises, rituals, and case studies, this step-by-step process increases daily contact with personal angels and helps to form a more positive belief system, so that synchronicities and miracles become a standard part of life. Complete with meditations, real-life examples, and pragmatic suggestions for action, this dynamic tool is for anyone hoping to realize their dreams.” – The Power of Your Angels

My Thoughts

The Power of Your Angels is a practical program to help you with anything from conquering your addiction to chocolate, smoking, lose weight, or anything else you are struggling with giving up.

This book has 28 chapters that you use one day and chapter at a time to create a lasting change in your life. Each day of the program contains a channeled angel message, suggestions, meditation, and stories to help you along your path.

I read this book in whole before starting the program. I personally like to read guides like this before getting fully into the program. If you don’t want to do that though, that is perfectly fine. I then used it to help enhance a certain part of my life, for 28 days, as suggested. After I finished the 28 days, I saw an improvement in that area, not necessarily something drastic, but a small change that has continued to be improved upon, which is ultimately the goal.

Overall, I think that this book presents the reader with a set of tools that they can use to help improve their life, if used with the intention of doing so. I definitely recommend it.

* Thank you to the publisher of The Power of Your Angels, Findhorn Press, for providing me with a copy of this book for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

The Girl Who Came Home by Hazel Gaynor

The Girl Who Came Home by Hazel Gaynor is a historical fiction novel about the Titanic. It is based on a real story of a group of people form an Irish village, and the author creatively weaves fact and fiction to tell a truly memorable tale about a part of history that many of us have been captivated by.

Book Description

“A voyage across the ocean becomes the odyssey of a lifetime for a young Irish woman…

Ireland, 1912…

Fourteen members of a small village set sail on RMS Titanic, hoping to find a better life in America. For seventeen-year-old Maggie Murphy, the journey is bittersweet. Though her future lies in an unknown new place, her heart remains in Ireland with Séamus, the sweetheart she left behind. When disaster strikes, Maggie is one of the few passengers in steerage to survive. Waking up alone in a New York hospital, she vows never to speak of the terror and panic of that fateful night again.

Chicago, 1982…

Adrift after the death of her father, Grace Butler struggles to decide what comes next. When her great-grandmother Maggie shares the painful secret about Titanic that she's harbored for almost a lifetime, the revelation gives Grace new direction—and leads both her and Maggie to unexpected reunions with those they thought lost long ago.

Inspired by true events, The Girl Who Came Home poignantly blends fact and fiction to explore the Titanic tragedy's impact and its lasting repercussions on survivors and their descendants.” – The Girl Who Came Home

My Thoughts

The Girl Who Came Home is an excellent historical fiction that is well researched and engages the reader in a memorable journey with the Titanic and characters who could have been on it.

Hazel Gaynor does a beautiful job creating and sharing her characters in this story. The setting is rich in detail without being overly done, and the characters that live in it, make for the type of book that can be visually seen in your thoughts as you read it. The story takes the reader back and forth between  1912 and 1982, while still being able to cohesively tell the tale of Maggie and Grace.

For many people, the very real story of the Titanic is something we want to learn more about and when it comes to historical fiction, this is one of the best I’ve read that is based on this historic journey. If you love reading about the Titanic, this is definitely a book that you’ll want to read. I highly recommend it.

* Thank you to the publisher of The Girl Who Came Home, William Morrow, for providing me with a copy of this book for review. All opinions expressed are my own.