The Girl's Still Got It by Liz Curtis Higgs

I just love the chatty, sitting-down-at-the-kitchen-table feel you get with the way Liz Curtis Higgs writes.  You truly feel like you're still right across the table from her as she's telling you her book.  It gives her book a warm personal feel right from the start.

In her book, The Girl's Still Got It, Higgs give a re-telling of the book of Ruth, but she has a way of making these characters come to life...they literally pop off the page!  You'll ache with Naomi in her losses, you'll feel such a sense of pride in Ruth and her devotion (who wouldn't want a friend like that!) and you'll be swept away by the hope offered through Boaz (he truly understands redemption...look at who his mother was.)  Throughout her writing, Higgs always brings every thing back to the glory and honor of God.

Personally, I loved how Higgs went line by line through the Book of Ruth to teach what each part of the scripture meant and showed how it related in the lives of the characters....how they grew, changed, how their lives were impacted, the culture of their area of the world...it drew you in and let you experience what life was like in their day.  This also showed how thoroughly she researched for this book.  Often in books where authors try to do an expansion/retelling of a bible story, they take 'creative liberties' and tend to fictionalize the story more than sticking to the basics...not so here. 

This was enjoyable trip back into biblical times.  An excellent book!

Thanks to WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group, through there BookSneeze blogging program for the complimentary copy of this book for my review.

Annie's Truth by Beth Shriver

I have read a lot of Amish fiction over the years, each have held a special place in my heart.  Beth Shriver is a new author to me and this was the first book from her that I've read.  She truly impressed me with her writing, her characters, her pace of story....let's just say she impressed me in many ways.

Annie's life changes in an instant when she finds out a secret about her birth recorded in a family bible....there is a month and a year, but no day.  When she questions her parents, she learns that the reason is she was adopted....found in one of her daed's fields late one night when he was awakened by the sounds of coyotes.  Annie's parents can't seem to fully understand why Annie wants to find her birth mother, when she should just be thankful that she was taken in, cared for and loved, but Annie feels different inside - like she doesn't really know 'who' she is.  Annie finally decides that she needs to know something, anything about the woman who gave birth to her.  She takes a bus to Harrisonburg to look for answers.  It's the first time she's ever ventured from home and what awaits her in the 'real world' makes her long for her quiet Amish life.  After searching through agency after agency turns up no leads, Annie decides she should just give up and go home, but the family that takes her in during her search encourage her to give it just a little more time.  Eventually, Annie is reunited with the woman who gave birth to her and she gets her questions answered...but they weren't what she was expecting!

I highly recommend this book.  The only downfall is having to wait until 2013 for the second installment in the series...but if it is anything like this book, it'll be worth the wait.

Thanks Charisma House for the complimentary copy of the book for my review.