The 25 Cent Miracle by Theresa Nelson

I originally read this book when I was in the 4th grade, and I love it as much now as I did then. For a young adult book, I felt the subject matter was something that many kids could relate to: Family, and more specifically that families come in many forms, but are always there when you need them. I felt the characters were also very relatable.

I know that some reviews I have read previously for this book have indicated that they feel the 'over' use of hyphens (-) and ellipses (…) are not needed. I do disagree with this, as the author was trying to utilize these to indicate the slow drawl that a Southern accent would have, including these characters who were from Texas. Anyone who is from the Southeastern US or spoken to someone from the Southeastern US, understands that we speak slowly and we have an accent that accommodates our drawn out speech patterns. The author is merely using these punctuation marks in the capacity to which they are afforded, in this instance, to show the long pauses and drawn out words that the Southern dialect utilizes.

Overall, this book is a great read, regardless of age, and I highly recommend reading it for yourself!

Comments

After the Shadows by Amanda Cabot

Disclaimer: Please note, I did receive this book from the publisher at no charge for my unbiased, honest opinion. When I read the publisher's synopsis of this book, I selected it on a whim. I wasn't sure if I would enjoy reading it, but I decided to select it anyway. Even after the first chapter, I was unsure if I would be able to finish it. However, the more I read, the more the story developed into a book I absolutely loved! It had elements that provoked surprise, compassion, frustration, and so many other emotions. It was a good example to show how everyone deals with grief and life's obstacles differently. Further, it is a good example of how a small, southern town in America really is: how isolating it can be; how important family and reputation can be in these areas. Neighbors really take care of each other (depending on who you are) or they may completely ignore you. If your reputation is tarnished they will ostracize and abandon you. Between hoping Em...

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12 Faithful Men by Collin Hansen and Jeff Robinson

I did receive this book at no charge from the publisher for my unbiased, honest opinion. Disclaimer: I am not this books target audience. The target audience for this book is specifically for pastors, deacons, or other (mostly male) heads of the church. Here after all heads of the church will be grouped together under the term Preacher. The book boils down to one main premise: that all preachers who are truly called to be servants of God as preachers tend to have a somewhat tragic life in some form or fashion. All of the biblical scriptures and each of the ’12 Faithful Men’ mentioned are examples to back this belief. He gives examples of how even in biblical times, the Apostle Paul had to experience tragedy, and how in many of Paul's letters, he mentions that to truly be a good teacher of God’s word then you would need to go through many tragedies not only to test your faithfulness but to be a better preacher. Paul (and thus the author) further explains that through...

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