Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Book Review - "Healing Sands"

Coming back from a pointless photo shoot, Ryan Coe, photojournalist, is called to the scene of an accident. What Ryan does not know is that the person surrounded by officials and being accused for committing a hate crime is her son, Ryan's 15 year-old son whom she has not had much contact with over the past year. "Healing Sands," by Nancy Rue and Stephen Arterburn, is the third novel in the Sullivan Crisp series. From the first page, the reader is drawn into Ryan's life which is so like many women's lives today. Ryan is working in a position that is not that fulfilling for her, however she is there for the fact that she is able to live closer to her two sons who have chosen to live with Ryan's ex-husband. Filled with anger and searching for something Ryan seeks counseling with Sully, however it takes time to work through things. Will Ryan be able to get to the bottom of the crime that her son is thrust in the center of and will she be able to find what she is missing in life?
I have not read the other two books in this series, but after reading this book I am curious to read them and discover the approach that Sully takes in these in counseling. This book is not one of those "warm fuzzy feeling" books from start to finish, it is thought-provoking, but may not be as easy to read through for some people due to this fact. I found the book to be interesting and I was pulled right in as I work in the counseling field and enjoy some suspense in the novels I read.

Friday, November 13, 2009

Book Review - "Read and Share: The Story of Christmas"

Do you wish to share the true meaning of Christmas with your children? If yes, then the latest "Read and Share" book is for you! "Read and Share: The Story of Christmas" published by Thomas Nelson and written by Gwen Ellis shares the story of Christmas - the complete story portrayed in the Bible, however this is geared specifically for young children. The pages are filled with vivd pictures and simple sentences that are easily read and understood by children helping them to learn at an early age what Christmas is really all about. As a bonus, a DVD is included that runs for about 15 minutes, the perfect length as it can be easily watched in one setting. Also included on the DVD are animal coloring sheet making this truly an interactive book for children.