The Field Guide to Sports Metaphors by John Chetwynd

I love sports, and I love metaphors, so this should have been the book for me. The experience of reading it cover to cover, though, was not unlike reading a dictionary; it felt like more than I bargained for. The complimentary thing to say would be that the book is thorough and well researched; in actuality, the narration about almost every metaphor exceeded my interest, as it was filled with dates and citations that at times made it read like an encyclopedia. My opinion is that this little book is a good reference to keep on the shelf until one thinks, “I wonder how ‘no harm, no foul’ came to be part of everyday language?” That’s the time to look things up in the very handy index. But reading the book cover to cover feels like reading answers to questions not being asked, not a pleasant experience. I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

Young and Beardless by John Luke Robertson

While the title leaves a lot to be desired, the book itself is remarkable. Nineteen-year-old John Luke Robertson, the oldest child of Duck Dynasty’s Willie and Korie Robertson, demonstrates a well-grounded perspective and maturity. He is eminently sensible and thoughtful in his approach to life, having profited from the very apparent nurturing and guidance he has received from a host of relatives. John Luke encourages the reader to consider self and the world with a long lens, with introspection, consideration for others, courage, curiosity, and love. Woven throughout the book are excellent questions encouraging reflection as well as brief reviews of the author’s favorite books. John Luke’s love of reading is touted and reflected in his writing. The author knows the Bible and quotes it effectively throughout his writing. He takes the Word of God seriously as the basis for his life, and it shows. I highly recommend this book. It was refreshing to read and would have been outstanding no matter the author’s age. The fact that it is written by one so young whets one’s appetite for more of John Luke Robertson’s writing. I received this book for free in exchange for my unbiased review through the Thomas Nelson BookSneeze Program.

The Longing in Me by Sheila Walsh

I have read a number of Sheila Walsh’s books, and this one struck me as the best of the bunch. Sheila draws wonderful parallels between her life and that of David, both in triumph and in trial, and she fills in some blanks a reader may not even have realized were missing, dating back 20+ years. For the first time, she talks about some of the foundational reasons for her psychiatric hospitalization and reveals some of the circumstances of her life that she has never mentioned publically. Sheila also talks about more recent events that were implied but not revealed during her talks at Women of Faith. These two areas of revelation really bring Sheila’s life into focus for the reader, and they help readers know they are not alone in facing great, and even current, trials. Sheila tells how the longings in us for, among other things, protection, control, the past, and happiness all indicate a deep longing for God, and she talks about how each of these longings are met in God. This is Sheila’s most open and honest book. It is impossible not to identify with her when she talks about the longings in us. This is a book to revisit repeatedly for the encouragement it offers. The author did an outstanding job of weaving stories together with Scripture to offer encouragement. I received this book for free in exchange for my unbiased review through the Thomas Nelson BookSneeze Program.

Where the Light Gets In by Kimberly Williams-Paisley

The author’s mother was diagnosed in 2005 with a less-common form of dementia that results primarily in language loss. This book is the story of the author, her parents and two siblings through the still-ongoing battle to support Linda, who is now living in an assisted facility. The journey has been excruciating, changing the relationships of everyone with Linda. Kimberly Williams-Paisley writes with great honesty into the changes she experienced, grieving her hopes and expectations of Old Mom and learning to not just live with but join and celebrate New Mom. It has been anything but easy every step of the way. The book is well written; the author is articulate and insightful, a combination of traits that allows the reader to easily understand and sympathize with the family’s journey. She is also gracious and kind. The author is a well-known actress, but that is a tangential fact in the book’s approach. This book would be well worth reading no matter the author. I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for my review.

The Water-Saving Garden by Pam Penick

I have a water-saving garden, having replaced the lawn on our corner lot a few years ago. I used a landscaper for guidance on plants and planting, and, while I am satisfied with the results, I was interested to read my first book about such a garden. Pam Penick’s work is an excellent resource, as it starts with the rationale, descriptions and illustrations of well-established water-saving gardens in different parts of the country. Section two describes the process of designing the garden, including planning for water retention, use of proper materials, how to irrigate and choose soil and/or mulch, and where to add windbreaks in the form of trees, hedges, walls and fences. The last three sections concern choosing plants and when to plant them, as well as how to create the illusion of water if that is desired. This book is an excellent overview of the why and how of a water-saving garden. Having been through the experience of planting one, I found this book thorough but not overwhelming. I recommend it highly. I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

Remnants: Season of Glory by Lisa T. Begren

I chose this book because I loved this author’s writing 20 years ago, when she wrote romantic fiction aimed at women. To say the least, she has since shifted gears. Season of Glory is the third and final book of a series. That alone made for a challenging read, as this book picks up where the last left off, with no background given about time, place or people. I gathered that this series is aimed at adolescents or young adults, as the writing consists of much more dialogue than the average novel does. I never did understand much about the time, place or people, although it was evident that it is an imaginary place. The culture was unique, as demonstrated by the language used about it. For example, where we might say a couple was engaged, the characters said they were “bound”. There are knights and royalty involved, so you know it’s a hierarchical society. There are places such as a Citadel, so you know there’s a military system in place. The cause is called “the Way,” and “the Maker” is authoritative. There is a love triangle where two men are interested in one woman. The dialogue itself is rather stiff, as if it’s a Star Trek script. The characters say such things as, “She communicates with our enemy. Stop her from doing so again, would you, my brother? I will address the emperor.” I think only those who start with the first book of the series and enjoy it will want to read Season of Glory. It’s not for everyone. I received this book for free in exchange for my unbiased review through the Thomas Nelson BookSneeze Program.

A Fifty-Year Silence by Miranda Richmond Mouillot

The author’s maternal grandparents, Anna and Armand, met in 1936, married in 1944, separated a few years later and never spoke again after 1955, although Anna lived until 2010 and Armand until 2015, she in America and he in Switzerland. Mouillot felt the silence between her grandparents as a heavy shadow, in part because she was close to her grandmother, incorporating the rift as part of her personality. From her teenage years on, the author came to know her grandfather through periodic visits. Eventually as a young adult, Mouillot lived in an abandoned house in France which belonged to her grandparents and made it her quest to piece together the history of their life together, tracing their meeting, their mostly separate journeys through World War II and what little she could unearth about their marriage and subsequent life. Anna appears to have been an open, grateful, and expansive woman, while Armand comes across as guarded, defensive and even crotchety. While the differences in their personalities may well have driven them apart, the back cover of the book says, “As she reconstructs the overwhelming odds her grandparents braved together and how the knowledge Armand acquired at Nuremberg destroyed their relationship, Miranda wrestles with the legacy of trauma, the burden of history, and the complexities of memory.” The book is as much about Mouillot’s own life and her journey toward uncovering what she believes to be the whole story as it is about her grandparents. It makes for an uneven pace, as chapter after chapter serves as foreshadowing. There were times when I felt as if I was deeply into the book with little movement toward the truth of the situation. It is not until page 240 of this 267-page book that the first mention of the trials at Nuremberg appears. Suddenly, like the accelerated pace of adding the last pieces of a puzzle, the author ties her theory together that Armand’s role as a translator at the trial affected him so deeply that it drove a permanent wedge between Anna and Armand. By that time, the reader has been so steeped in the narrative of the differences in their personalities and perspectives, it seems coincidental that Armand’s job was traumatic to him, and it is almost hard to imagine that his role had that great an effect. Because of what felt like a very rushed ending, the story felt unsatisfactory to me, leaving me with a different perspective than probably the author intended, which was that the grandparents’ marriage was on shaky ground from the start--the author acknowledges that no one really knew why they married; even the grandparents themselves were not clear--so any challenge might well have driven them apart. This is not a book I would recommend, as its very uneven construction results in the story feeling uneven also. I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.