The Sound of Distant Thunder by Jan Drexler

Katie Stuckey dreams of the day she can marry her sweetheart, Jonas Weaver, and move into their forever home as husband and wife. But Katie's dream world is shaken when Jonas goes against his Amish teachings and joins the war efforts. Jonas feels like it was his only choice to step in and take his brother's place as his name showed up on the draft list. Katie struggles to accept Jonas's decision and tries to muddle through life without him as she prays for the day of his return.

This book does a great job of focusing on a nearly impossible decision. When is it okay to go against what you've always known as right to sacrifice for the greater good?

I enjoyed the thought processes of the characters and appreciated the excellent historical research by the author in this book. I did feel like the beginning and middle of the book were better than the end. The end felt rushed to me, but it could just be because there is another book to follow in this series. I still look forward to reading the follow-up and finishing the journey with Jonas and Katie. Thank you very much to Revell for giving me the chance to review this book! These opinions are all my own.

Everything She Didn't Say by Jane Kirkpatrick

In 1911, Carrie Strahorn wrote a series of books that detailed her life and experiences as a woman out west. In 2018, Jane Kirkpatrick read between the lines of Carrie's memoir and told the things she didn't say the first time around. Kirkpatrick's work is based on Carrie's true story and it is absolutely fascinating.

Carrie's life was one of great adventure and devotion to family, but it didn't come without challenges and hardships. As a wife to a railroad husband, Carrie traveled constantly as she supported her husband's dream. She did things that a lot of women wouldn't dare to and charmed many with her determined and hospitable spirit. Carrie was also a very talented writer as she proves in the writings that inspired this book. Jane Kirkpatrick has done an excellent job of showcasing this important historical figure and her contributions to the growth and development of the west as we know it now. Be sure to read to the very end of the book for more insight and important facts about this true tale. Thank you to Revell for sending me this book to review!

Welcome to Adulting by Jonathan Pokluda

This book is a must read for twentysomethings! I've been an "adult" for a while now and I still loved this book and was absolutely inspired by it. I found myself wishing that this book was around when I was trying to figure things out as a young adult. (I'm still trying to figure things out, but aren't we all!?!) The author offers up so much helpful advice for emerging adults and he does it in such a non-judgmental way. He openly admits to mistakes that he has made in the past and shares wisdom and insight for readers so that they don't make the same mistakes. He gives practical advice in almost every important category including dating, work, finances, and most importantly, eternity. There are scripture references included that make this book Biblically sound and accurate. This book is gold and should be a literary staple for young adults. Thank you to BakerBooks for the chance to review this book! 5 star read!

Parenting with Heart by Stephen James and Chip Dodd

Parenting with Heart is not your typical parenting guidebook. This book focuses on "embracing the clumsiness" and realizing that you are a "good enough" parent. By using their counseling training and real life experiences, the authors provide a great grasp on the wonderful and challenging world of parenting.

Each chapter in this book brings something new to the table and even provides interesting conversation starters for parents to use with their children. By following God and the heart, parents can guide their children to express their emotions in a healthy way and become well adjusted adults who can, in turn, raise children of their own one day.

This book was soothing and inspirational and gave so much great advice that I can use as I parent my children. I read quite a few parenting books and this has been one of my favorites. The only thing I didn't like was the style of writing that was used for the author duo. It was distracting to be reading from one author's point of view and have to switch gears to hearing about the other author's family members. It would have been a smoother flow to contain each author's experiences to a whole chapter or section at a time. Nevertheless, I can definitely overlook this and would recommend this book to eager to learn and grow parents. Thank you to Revell for sending me an advance copy of this book to review!

Second-Chance Dogs edited by Callie Smith Grant

Second-Chance Dogs is a compilation of thirty-six stories about "the dogs we rescue and the dogs who rescue us." These are true stories written by some familiar names and some who are not so familiar. But they all have the same central idea which is the endearing love transferred from a dog to its owner and vice versa. These stories are ones of hope and refuge and the sometimes surprisingly wonderful experiences dog owners experience. Animal lovers will cherish these moving stories and will relate to each one. The stories are short and simple yet sure to inspire. Thank you to Revell for sending me an advance copy of this book to review! These opinions are all my own.