The Icecutter's Daughter by Tracie Peterson

I'm a little behind. This is one of three reviews I'm cranking out tonight.

The Icecutter's Daughter tugged at me. I haven't read many of Tracie Peterson's books, but she's quickly becoming a favorite of mine. From the beginning, I was frustrated with Rurik's situation. Svea, his supposed betrothed just irritated me beyond belief. I was shocked towards the end to find her brother was as crooked as he was. My goodness. The whole story captivated me, though. I loved the simplicity of Merrill. She's so strong, yet every bit the woman she needed to be to snag Rurick. Perhaps it was a tad predictable at times, but the story was so real and appealing. I highly recommend this one and have already passed it on.

The Pioneer Woman: Black Heels to Tractor Wheels...A Love Story

Confession....Couldn't read the February book club book. It was not my cup of tea. At all. I replaced it with a good one. The Pioneer Woman's book, not cookbook. I am in the middle of cooking through both cookbooks, so I thought I'd give this book of hers a try. It was hilarious! I went to a book signing last spring and met her. She's every bit as funny in real life. The book chronicles her move back to Oklahoma, dating Marlboro Man and first year of marriage. The things that happen to her....
I especially enjoyed her take on her first pregnancy. I'm in the middle of my second pregnancy and it just cracked me up. Five weeks after the honeymoon, they find out they're pregnant. Oh. My. Goodness. If you get a chance to read it, do. She's definitely a country club, city girl turned ranch wife. It's an easy, super fun, hilarious read.

Book List for 2013

This year, my goal is to read 24 books. That's an average of 2 a month. I realize this may be difficult one the baby comes, but I'm going to try. I have twelve for sure because of my monthly book club. Here is a list of some others. I'm hoping to update once/month with what I've read. I'm also attempting to read through the bible again this year. This list does not include the books I hope to get ahold of for reviewing from Bethany House Publishers. I'll be over 24 if I can get more of those. Yeah!

The Bible
January Book Club
February Book Club
March Book Club
April Book Club
May Book Club
June Book Club
July Book Club
August Book Club
September Book Club
October Book Club
November Book Club
December Book Club
I Knew Jesus Before He was a Christian   Rubel Shelly
Revolution in World Missions    K. P. Yahannan
Baby Wise Book One (reread)
Baby Wise Book Two (reread)
7 Things Kids Never Forget   Ron Rose
Understanding World Religions in 15 Minutes a Day   Garry R. Morgan
The Secrets of Biblical Wisdom   Kyle Searcy
What to Expect When You're Expecting (reread)
The Non Runner's Marathon Guide for Women (reread)
1,000 Gifts   Ann Voskamp

And 2 others that I'll figure out as I go. If you have suggestions for my final two, let me know!

Back at it and flu shots

Clearly, I've been a little busy. It's been almost four months since my last post. I'm hoping to change that in 2013. We moved in with my inlaws in order to rent our place and then moved into our house 7 weeks later when we finally closed. My little one had a horrible stomach bug and two weeks later spent the weekend in the hospital with croup. On top of it all, the first trimester of pregnancy hit me hard and I was very sick. So, I'm hoping the next four months will be calmer and I'll be able spend more time keeping this going.

For starters, let's clear some things up. Doctor J has asked me to pass on some information from the doctor world.
1. The stomach flu and the flu (influenza) are NOT the same thing. Technically, they're not related. One hits your digestive system and the other your respiratory system.
2. The flu shot protects against influenza or respiratory related flus. It will not protect against the stomach flu.
3. Yes, you will sometimes get influenza even with a flu shot. They can never put all the strains in a single shot. Most times, they have to guess which will be the worst and hope they're right.
4. Your doctor's office will typically order a set amount of shots and sprays. When they run out, they run out. Reordering usually happens just at pharmacies that give the shots.
5. If you think you do have genuine influenza, go to the doctor. DON'T call him expecting tami flu over the phone. That won't happen and antibiotics can't kill the flu. Go to the doctor. They can also run a test to see if that's really what you have.

Questions? Leave me a comment.

Book Review: Over the Edge

Over the Edge, by Mary Connealy

Apparently, this is book 3 in a series and I would love to read the first two. It was pretty good. There were so many surprises in the first 75 pages, that I had to keep reading. I think maybe the storyline with the surprise brother was a little unnecessary, but it was still good. Heath added a fun dynamic to the already crazy Callie and Seth love story. Callie was one tough cookie and I admired her from the beginning. I can't imagine leaving my home to find the husband that abandoned me. I really can't imagine my husband forgetting who I was and abandoning me, though. There were so many tough breaks that brought Callie and Seth together. It was a beautiful love story and I'm looking forward to reading the first two books in this series.

Book Review: Word, Spirit, Power

Word, Spirit, Power: What Happens When You Seek All God Has to Offer
        by R.T.Kendall, Charles Carrin and Jack Taylor

This book was full of great information and thoughts, but I had a difficult time reading it. It was drier than I am used. I had a very hard time staying with it to finish it. It took me several weeks. I did appreciate the way each author focused on one of the subjects, the Word, the Spirit and Power. That made it a tad easier than each of them tackling each subject. Honestly, it was just too dry for me.

Book Review: Touching the Sky by Tracie Peterson

I've heard for years that I should try reading Tracie Peterson books, but have never given in. I'm glad I chose to review this book. Touching the Sky takes place in Corpus Christi, TX, just after the Civil War has ended. Level-headed Laura watches her sister marry a Confederate soldier only to have her life tumble down the drain. I loved and understood the struggle between letting someone you love make life-changing mistakes and supporting them through those mistakes. I loved the connection between Laura and her Captain Brandon. I am a hopeless romantic and loved the way he swept her off her feet from the beginning. I was desperately afraid things were going to end badly. I was convinced and couldn't put the book down towards the end. I had to know what happened.
The depiction of the continuing struggle between Union and Confederate soldiers even after the war, especially in the state of Texas, was also a good history lesson for me. It was very well-written, entertaining, and I will be looking for more Tracie Peterson books to lose myself in.