Remembrancy

Live Your Life for Half the Price by Mary Hunt

March 2, 2015 by Suzie Waltner 4 Comments

****Family Christian provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review. All opinions expressed are my own****

Life is expensive. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could find ways to make it less expensive? Oh, I know what you’re thinking. “I don’t have time to clip coupons” or “I don’t want to give up my (fill in the blank).” One of the top New Years resolutions people make every year is to get out of debt. The people who are successful are those who take time to plan, the people who live within their income instead of exceeding it every month. There are so many places people can cut expenses. Some you may have heard of (clipping coupons, doing away with credit cards) and some you may have never thought of (all of those excessive charges on your cell phone bill).

In Live Your Life for Half the Price, Mary Hunt provides strategies for reducing your debt and spending less. From grocery shopping tips (yes, coupon clipping is involved but her suggestions and helps will keep it from becoming tedious) to saving on insurance, from cleaning out your closet and building a basic wardrobe to car buying tips, Hunt offers solid advise on how to trim your cost of living. Hunt offers readers many tools to make cutting your expenses easy (websites, phone numbers, books, recipes, and more). In addition to her suggestions, she tells her own stories. She has been where you may be now. She and her husband struggled with credit card debt, and she now makes a living helping people get out of debt. Readers don’t feel like they’re alone in their struggle to bring their expenditures within their income (Hunt suggests living on 80% of your income, giving away 10%, and saving 10%).

<em>Live Your Life for Half the Price has sound advice for anyone wanting to reduce what they are spending. You may not want to drive that old clunker another year, but what’s more important to you, driving the newest model car or providing your children, spouse, parents, etc with a future that isn’t clouded with debt?

The single greatest money-saving strategy I’ve learned over the years is this: When I run across something I think I have to own, I just wait a little while. -Mary Hunt in Live Your Life for Half the Price

Found money is always nice so Family Christian is offering one lucky person a $25.00 Customer Appreciation Certificate. Use this in stores or online. You can purchase this book to help get you started on making a plan for getting out of debt or perhaps you need a gift for something that has come up unexpectedly. Enter for your chance to win.

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Novel Interiors: Living in Enchanted Rooms Inspired by Literature

March 1, 2015 by Suzie Waltner Leave a Comment

It should come as a surprise to no one that I love books. My favorites are Pride and Prejudice and Persuasion by Jane Austen. So when I saw Novel Interiors written by Lisa Borgnes Giramonti and photographs by Ivan Terestchenko, I wanted to see what it was all about.

This beautifully illustrated books has pictures on almost every page of rooms inspired by the works of several classic authors. Just a few of the names included are Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, Elizabeth Gaskell, Edith Wharton, D. H. Lawrence, and Oscar Wilde. Giramonti states at the beginning of the book that she is providing the basis for your design. “Remember, we’re all a bit of everything–chances are you have a little bohemian spirit in you even if you prefer the underpinnings of a traditionalist style.” From comfortable, lived in, and cozy to minimalist and earthy to extravagant and glamorous, there is something that will inspire every reader.

I found a few things to try in different sections of this coffee table book. And the book itself will make a beautiful addition to the living room. If you’re looking for design ideas or just interested to see how to bring your favorite book into your home, this book will inspire.

***Blogging for Books provided me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Lethal Beauty by Lis Wiehl and April Henry (Contributor)

February 27, 2015 by Suzie Waltner Leave a Comment

Mia Quinn is the prosecuting attorney for what seems like an open and shut murder case, but when the jury comes back without an agreement, she is forced to find a reason to re-file the case. Dandan Yee was murdered but the man who stood trial claims she attacked him. Bo Yee, Dandan’s mother, is convinced a member of the jury was paid off and takes it upon herself to seek justice. Mia’s own investigation leads her to a group of Chinese immigrants who refuse to talk to her. There is more going on with this group than meets the eye. Kenny Zhoung, the owner of a Chinese restaurant wants to protect all aspects of his business at whatever the cost. How do all of these paths diverge? When Mia’s family becomes involved, things take a personal turn.

As you can probably tell, there was a lot going on in this book—many different perspectives and several characters. Once the main players are introduced, the reader is able to follow along well. Wiehl delves into the world of human trafficking in the U.S. (a timely read considering police in my hometown just arrested seven people for this exact thing and freed five others). Readers get a peek into the lives of the immigrants, the police investigation, and the justice system as well as the family life of Mia. This is the third book in the Mia Quinn series, but you will not be lost if you pick this one up first. Great mystery with almost no romance if that’s what you’re looking for.

Available March 3, 2015

Thomas Nelson provided me with a copy of this book (via Netgalley) in exchange for an honest and fair review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Deadly Echoes by Nancy Mehl

February 25, 2015 by Suzie Waltner Leave a Comment

Sarah Miller has made a life for herself in the small town of Sanctuary, Missouri. When she was a child, her parents were murdered, and her sister’s investigation has led to her murder. As Sarah tries to welcome her niece into her home and solve her sister’s murder, she’s unsure who she should trust. The circumstances surrounding her sister’s death are similar to those surrounding her parents’ murders.

I didn’t love this book and I’m not sure why. I think it was a combination of several things. First of all, it was predictable. I knew who the murder was right away. The first person point of view only allowed character development for Sarah. I would have loved to read more about Paul and his thoughts. And Paul was another issue I had with the book. There wasn’t a whole lot of development of the romance between Sarah and the Sheriff’s deputy who wanted to help her solve the case. It’s like they flirted, acknowledged their interest, and Sarah was all of the sudden in love with the guy. All of that said, the book was an easy and fast read. It was a nice change of pace from the historical romance I finished before this one.

Available now.

***Bethany House Publishers provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Spy of Richmond by Jocelyn Green

February 22, 2015 by Suzie Waltner Leave a Comment

In 1861, Richmond, Virginia became the Confederate capital. A city that differed from other Virginia cities could have easily been swayed to the Union side until the attack on Fort Sumter, South Carolina. Sophie Kent grew up with slaves but, like her mother, believed owning them was wrong. In an effort to help the Union, Sophie takes on the huge task of passing information on to the Union through secret messages. But she can’t do it alone. Bella Jamison comes to the city of Richmond from Gettysburg when she learns her husband is imprisoned there and her twin sister, Daphne, is living there as well. On her deathbed, Daphne begs Bella to take care of Sophie Kent, her mistress. Harrison Caldwell is a newspaper man determined to write the next great story. In his attempt to atone for a wrong done to Bella, he accompanies her to Richmond and hopes to learns news about Libby prison and the treatment of the prisoners there. Of course, when he learns Sophie Kent is also there, he has even more incentive. As the network of spies grows, so does the danger and chance of being caught and hanged. Can this group of people survive not only the war but disease, starvation, and more?

There was so much happening in this book it was difficult to keep track of who was who at times.. Spies of Richmond would have been a better title. I didn’t realize the book was a part of the Heroines Behind the Lines series until I pulled up the book on a retailer site. This is a well written book with names of people Civil War buffs may recognize (Elizabeth Van Lew, Robert Ford, and Erasmus Ross) along with the fictional characters. Jocelyn Green denotes many of the story arcs were inspired from other accounts. Green’s research for this book pays off and brings readers into Kent House, Libby Prison, Castle Thunder, the city of Richmond, and even the front lines of a couple of battles. For fans of Historical fictions, this book draws readers into a captivating story sharing both the heartache and pain of slaves and both sides of the war.

****Moody Publishers provided me with a free copy of this book (via Netgalley) in exchange for an honest and fair review. All opinions expressed are my own.