God Gave Us Angels by Lisa Tawn Bergren

God Gave us Angels by Lisa Tawn Bergren is another wonderful addition to the God Gave Us series.  The story is just wonderful with an honest Biblical view of angels. This is a sweet loving bear family, and Little Bear has many questions for Papa Bear after the bunnies tell her that there are angels everywhere.

I am truly impressed with the way solid scriptural lessons were made so clear for very small children in this little book.  The questions that Little Bear asks sound exactly like the questions a child would ask.

The illustrations by Laura J. Bryant are beautiful with soft colors very nice details.  This is a beautiful 40 page book with a wonderful message about God’s love and protection.

Suicide Pact by Judge Andrew P. Napolitano

Suicide Pact: The Radical Expansion of Presidential Powers and the Lethal Threat to American Liberty is a chilling look at the erosion of our freedom and constitutional rights, lost not suddenly, but slowly over time. A Former Judge and law professor, Judge Andrew Napolitano spells out clearly and concisely how our country's leaders have eroded the freedoms that were established by our founding fathers. 

The book covers from the very beginning of the United States, through the major wars, 9/11 and the global war on terror, to our present day events. I learned so much about events I thought I knew all about, including when the US began spying on its own citizens and how the implementation of Executive Order 9066 with the imprisonment of US Citizens without trial came about.

I highly recommend this book as a must-read.  

Bones Never Lie by Kathy Reichs

Bones never lie by Kathy Reichs was just an OK read. It is not a bad book, just not exactly a page turner. While it did hold my interest enough to finish it, I found the writing style odd with her use of short, choppy sentences. I could understand using that method for the dialog, but not for the narration.

Another issue I had was keeping track of large number of characters.  With all of the police, criminals, victims, victim’s families, and odd other added characters, I was quite frequently lost in the weeds.   I though the character of Tempe’s mother was entertaining, and kept wondering why the department didn't hire her and fire Tempe.

Death Never Lies David Grace

After suffering a head wound in the same incident that killed his partner, Kane finds his investigative skills are improved, but his interpersonal skills have suffered.  I always expect interesting characters from David Grace, and Death Never Lies did not disappoint.

In the beginning, the character of Kane is difficult to like. He has had a change in temperament following a head wound, and he seems unable to work with others. His character unfolds slowly, and he becomes much more likeable. Two plots are intertwined, and one with a family connection for Kane. There was also a little romance that links two fractured people.

The entire book is good, but Chapter 23 was so entertaining, I read it twice. Kane decided to use his skill in reading people during a conversation with Senator Denning only to get the same in return from the Senator.

This is another great book by David Grace.

Captain No Beard and the Aurora Borealis by Carole P. Roman

In this Captain No Beard the crew is ready for a new adventure.  They are heading north, and it is getting cold. Icebergs are floating by, but the crew decides they don’t like Captain’s new mission.  He wants to take something that doesn’t belong to him. 

This one may be my favorite Captain No Beard adventure yet.  In this adventure they learn about the North Star and the Aurora Borealis. There is also a good message about not taking something that isn’t yours.  The children all know it is wrong and reinforce that message with Captain No Beard.  The story also reinforces the idea that using your imagination is a fun way to spend the day.

Once again, the illustrations are colorful and even take on the icy feel of the story.  This is another great Captain No Beard adventure!

The Kitchn Cookbook by Sara Kate Gillingham and Faith Durand

The Kitchn Cookbook by Sara Kate Gillingham and Faith Durand is a two part cookbook.  The first part covers setting up the perfect kitchen, tools you will need, and caring for the kitchen. I liked the way they do not describe a perfect kitchen, but instead gave ideas so that you can create what you think is the perfect kitchen.  This section explains the work triangle, storage ideas, and budget kitchen renovation. They also introduced with photos different styles of kitchens. I really didn’t like any of them, and not once did I see a style feature I would like to use. 

The second part of the book is on stocking the pantry, essential skills, and the recipes.  One of the first things I look at in a cookbook is how available are the ingredients going to be for those who do not live in the city. Not every town or rural area has a Whole Foods within a reasonable driving distance, and there were a few recipes that had ingredients not readily available. I was also amused by the recipe for Fresh Tomato Pizza Sauce because it called for canned tomatoes.

Although it might be fun to thumb through once or twice for a beginning urban cook, it is not really enough to be considered a reference cookbook.   While it is a pretty book with nice pictures, it doesn’t have enough to earn a spot on my permanent cookbook shelf.

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