The SoNo Baking Company Cookbook

: The best sweet and savory recipes for every occasion

by John Barricelli

This is a beautiful book with lovely, full-page photos for many of the recipes. Most of the recipes are for sweets but the seventh chapter is Breads and the eighth is Savories. The recipe instructions are clear and easy to follow. They are not, in general, quick and easy recipes but the average home baker should not have difficulty making them.

I made two of the cakes: Apple Spice Cake with Brown Sugar Frosting and SoNo Chocolate Ganache Cake. They were both delicious, but the brown sugar frosting just tasted like sweetened butter so I scraped it all off the cake, added 1 1/2 cups icing sugar and spread it on again. It was much better. The Chocolate Ganache Cake (photo on right) was rich, chocolaty and wonderful. It would serve quite a few because you really can't eat a large piece. All in all, a great cookbook.

White Doves

by Shannon Taylor Vannatter
Hayden Winters is raising his paraplegic nephew, Brady, when he meets Laken, the attractive new postmaster in town. Turns out, however, that her brother is Brady's father who left town and Hayden's sister before the boy was born and claims never to have heard about her death or their son. Now that he knows, he wants to move to another state with the boy but Hayden is completely against the idea. And Laken and her brother want nothing to do with their rather notorious parents. As Hayden and Laken begin to fall in love, he wonders whose side she is on. The dilemma is solved only when people give up their rights and begin showing love and compassion to others.

This was a fun book to read—and the funny thing is that I was filling in for the local postmaster when I read it! The story was interesting and the characters were well-developed and lifelike, except for Hayden who was a little too perfect. I couldn't imagine how the problem of what would happen with Brady would be solved but I was glad when it all worked out without anything strange happening to the story. The lessons of forgiveness and selflessness come through clearly without being preachy.

Thank you to the author for sending me a copy to review. Visit her website at http://shannonvannatter.com and her facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/shannontaylorvannatter.

The Heart Mender

by Andy Andrews

Lt. Josef Landermann,a German U-boat officer in the Gulf of Mexico during WWII, is shot and washes ashore on the Alabama coast. Helen Mason is a young widow who lives alone in a cottage on that coast. She is bitter and angry at everyone, but especially the Germans who killed her husband. When she finds the wounded officer on the beach, her first impulse is to kill him, but for some reason she doesn't. She delays telling the police about him until it is too late and her own life is in jeopardy. How she solves her dilemma and what happens later makes an engaging tale.

I thought this was an excellent book and would highly recommend it. It includes something for all tastes: history, romance, mystery and adventure. According to the author's note, it is mostly true. The characters were very realistic and easy to visualize. Although the story is told from several different points of view, it is still easy to follow. The lesson and necessity of forgiveness are very clear throughout the book. I was fascinated by the events recounted and would even be interested in reading more about this time in history because I so enjoyed this book.

*Note: I received a free copy of this book from Thomas Nelson Publishers to review.

501 Decorating Ideas Under $100

from Better Homes and Gardens

This book has lots of lovely ideas and inspiring photos. The instructions for making several projects are included.

A distant melody

a novel by Sarah Sundin

Heiress Allie Miller and pilot Walt Novak meet at a mutual friend's wedding. They are both considered rather homely, but are attracted to each other although Allie is already in a relationship. They begin a correspondence which increases while he is in combat overseas in WWII. Because of Walt's lies to and about her, they almost end their friendship.

I usually enjoy wartime novels and this was a good one. The main characters were both Christians, but far from perfect. The story was entertaining and thought-provoking. The timing was especially appropriate for me since I read it during Remembrance Day week. The lessons on truthfulness and obedience were clear without sounding preachy.

This was the author's debut novel and I think she did a great job.

Shepherd's fall

by W. L. Dyson

Bounty hunter Jake Shepherd is part owner of a fugitive recovery business, left to him by his father. The business is not doing well, his marriage has fallen apart, and his teenage daughter is rebelling. Jake has always been confident in his abilities, but when a convict who has threatened to hurt his daughter escapes from prison, Jake can't keep all the balls rolling anymore.

This story was suspenseful and fast-paced, well-written and believable. It goes into the world of crime and drugs without being explicit. I appreciated the way the main character returns to his faith at the end. Recommended.

Denim by design

by Barb Chauncey

This books has a number of accessory projects to make with denim; a few use old jeans and others use flat denim fabric. There are detailed instructions and patterns are included.

I was disappointed with this book because I had expected more ideas for using worn-out jeans. I also didn't like what most of the projects looked like.