Hello everyone! After Amanda Tero released her newest book, A Strand of Hope, I was eager to read the rest of the series she had helped to co-author! So I was excited for the chance to read Book 2 right away! Today, I’m reviewing the book, so let’s dive in!

I Love to Tell the Story
By Faith Blum
The Librarians of Willow Hollow #2
(2020)
Series Rating* || 2.5 Stars || Solo Rating || 3 Stars
|| Amazon || Author’s Site ||
*Compared to the other books in the Series*

Bored with her life in Castle Town, Montana, Lillian Sullivan follows her friend’s suggestion and joins the horseback librarian program in rural Kentucky. Not only does she anticipate sharing her love of books, but she also wants to spread the gospel among the mountain people.

However, Willow Hollow presents her with one trouble after another and she struggles to step outside her shyness to share the gospel.

What will it take for Lillian to share her love of the Best Story? Can the power of the gospel overcome the shyness of her own heart?

This novella is part of a series with different authors, but can easily be read as a standalone.

Faith Blum is an author of multiple books in various genres. She loves to write, read, play piano, knit, crochet, sew, watch movies, and spend time with her husband and infant son. She lives in Wisconsin in a small town with her husband, son and cat where she can write to her heart’s content during the day. Faith’s goal in her writing is to encourage Christians in their walk with Christ.

I was a bit disappointed with this book. After reading Ms. Tero’s, I was expecting more from this story. Lillian was a sweet character, and I enjoyed learning about her mother through her memory journal, even though the excerpts had little or nothing to do with the furtherance of the story.

The book was supposed to be YA, but the style was more middle-grade level, in my opinion. It was disjointed and choppy. Solutions to issues were far too fast. (Ex. Problem is presented, and the next paragraph or page solves it.) And all through the book, it was asserted that Lillian was shy, but the only shyness I saw in the story was were the Author happened to mention she was shy.

The Stuarts were not consistent with A Strand of Hope, coming off rough and domineering. And the head librarian didn’t feel consistent either. Lena, however, seemed the same, and I was glad for that.

The book is titled after the song I Love to Tell the Story, but the song is not referenced in the book. Also, with how juvenile the style of writing was, I was surprised the author decided to mention things that were not suitable to a young audience. (If you have questions, please contact us.) And the ending was quite abrupt. I was left confused and thinking, “That’s it?”

The spiritual lesson of the book was confusing, as well. It was supposed to be about pride and how that keeps us from sharing the gospel and insinuated that that was Lillian’s struggle. But it wasn’t. Which made no sense. Also, the scriptures were not King James, so I don’t even know if the verses were used in context.

The best scene in the book was the librarian meeting. It was smooth, and it was fun meeting all the characters, though Ivory kept dropping swear words, which I found shocking for Christian literature.

Sadly, I couldn’t hand this over to a sibling with a clear conscience or without a lot of explanation. I’d recommend a reader be at least 16 before trying it, but I honestly can’t recommend it.

In Christ,
Ryana Lynn
Jude 22

I mentioned this book to my subscribers a few weeks ago, and I promised a full review, so today, that’s exactly what I plan to do!

Euphonics for Writers by Rayne Hall
(2015)
3.5 Stars

Learn how to touch your readers' subconscious with subtle tricks.

Certain sounds have certain effects on the mind. By using words which include those sounds, you influence how the reader feels

Rayne Hall is the author of the bestselling Writer's Craft series. Her short stories have been published in many anthologies, and some of her books have been translated into several languages.

 *I cannot recommend anything else she writes as I have either not read or would never read them*

I found out about this book through this article, and I was truly intrigued. I had a free Kindle Unlimited Subscription, so I decided to check it out. The concept of using specific sounds to evoke a setting for a scene was fascinating to me and something I certainly plan to play around with. Like the author said, too much can ruin the story, but a light sprinkling can make your story shine!

I didn’t appreciate some inappropriate adult-rated content that was in the book (she was using this for all genres, and some aren’t fit for anyone’s eyes and got skipped!), so I wouldn’t just hand this to a young reader without editing it first. There were also two short stories at the end that are inappropriate (horror and ghost stories) that I skipped. Other than that, I think it was a useful manual and one that I would like to have a print copy of so I can censor it and put it to use!

Have a blessed day!
Ryana Lynn
Jude 22

Well, It’s time for another book review. I had mentioned this book in my Summer Reading List, and I just now got around to writing this. I wanted to like this book. Let’s find out if I did or not.

All Manner of Things by Susie Finkbeiner
(2019)
1 Star

When Annie Jacobson's brother Mike enlists as a medic in the Army in 1967, he hands her a piece of paper with the address of their long-estranged father. If anything should happen to him in Vietnam, Mike says, Annie must let their father know.

In Mike's absence, their father returns to face tragedy at home, adding an extra measure of complication to an already tense time. As they work toward healing and pray fervently for Mike's safety overseas, letter by letter the Jacobsons must find a way to pull together as a family, regardless of past hurts. In the tumult of this time, Annie and her family grapple with the tension of holding both hope and grief in the same hand, even as they learn to turn to the One who binds the wounds of the brokenhearted.

Susie Finkbeiner is the CBA bestselling author... She speaks at retreats and women's events across the state. Susie and her husband have three children and live in West Michigan.

As you can see, I didn’t like this book. I will start with a disclaimer, I only read 37% (partway through chapter 20, page 160 of 448) of the ebook, so maybe it got better, I don’t know. But I couldn’t get passed all the messed up/unbiblical relationships, ungodly behavior, and then on top of it all, they decided to toss in the Civil Rights movement, which is an era I never care to read about. It’s so often misrepresented, and this was no exception. I appreciated that it was set in Michigan, so the story didn’t blame all the insanity on the South. The main character was telling lies or deceiving her mom in just about every chapter, and it’s not clear what anyone thinks about the Vietnam war. I couldn’t connect with the main character at all. It’s an overall disappointment. I had to stop reading; I was too afraid of where it was going. So yeah, I don’t recommend this book to anyone.
 
Sorry today’s review wasn’t a positive one. I much prefer writing those kinds. Hopefully, my next review will be better! Why not check out my reviews of O To Be Like Thee, Iron Scouts of the Confederacy, or Let’s Roll!?

Hope you have a Blessed Week!
Ryana Lynn
Jude 22

Hello! Welcome back to Life of Heritage Corner! Today I have a lovely story to share with you from an Indie published author that I have come to enjoy! If you like history, family trees, and westerns, then I have a story for you! Let’s dive in!

Woodbreak
By Rebekah A. Morris
Woodbreak Series Prequel
(2020)
5 Stars
||Amazon||

Who holds the key to Woodbreak's hidden past? When Ryan and Robin decide to search out the history of their family's ranch, their quest leads them to an old box filled with curious artifacts. Who was the mysterious Anna? What brought her west? And what connection does she have to the strange name carved into the log? A peek into Anna's diary reveals a few answers but even more questions. Is there anyone who can show them the truth of Woodbreak?

Rebekah A. Morris has lived her entire life (as of now) in Missouri. Being home educated during her school years was great, except for writing. That was the worst subject (along with math) that she had to do. It wasn't until after she graduated that she discovered the joys and wonder of writing. Now she can't write enough. After spending six years in research and writing, she completed her first book, "Home Fires of the Great War," a 500+ page, historical fiction about home life in the United States and Canada during the First World War. Since then, she has been an avid writer and always has more than one story going on at once because only one story at a time got tiring and dull.

This book was so sweet! I instantly fell in love with the characters, Anna and Eddy, mainly. The story was written in modern-day with diary excerpts from 1872 sprinkled throughout. This is the backstory to the series, so it actually didn’t have a powerful western flare to it. But it had enough to make me want to read book 1 as soon as I can! The book is 5 chapters long and can be read in about half an hour, a nice quick read! Suitable for all ages. Please note there is mention of an accident that injures a character, and *spoiler* kills three people *end of spoiler*, but there are no details given that would be upsetting to sensitive readers. It describes the lasting effects it has on the one injured, and that’s it! And even though the story was quite short, I mourned for the characters and already felt a connection to them. And the aspect of why God allows trials in our life was very well presented. Highly recommended for all ages.

*I received a complimentary copy of Woodbreak from the author for promotional purposes. I was not required to write a positive review, and all thoughts are my own. *

That's all for now! Have a Blessed Day!
Ryana Lynn
Jude 22

I love trips down memory lane. This book was just that. Back in 2006, as a 9/10-year-old girl, I was introduced to this series. My oldest sister started reading this book to me, and as things got busy, she gave it to me. I was instantly hooked, even if I somehow turned the name Michael into the name Mitchel 😊 I just reread the first book in the series and I am excited to share my review of it with you today! Without further ado, let’s get to the review! *This Review is not Sponsored*

Escape to Murray River
By Robert Elmer
The Adventures Down Under Series #1
(1997)
|| Amazon || Thrift Books ||

Alone in a wild land, thousands of miles from home…

Twelve-year-old Patrick McWaid’s world is turned upside down when his father is framed for a crime and sent on the last prison ship to Australia in 1867. Desperate to keep his family together, the McWaids decide to find passage on another ship headed “down under.” But leaving Dublin, Ireland, means leaving the only home they’ve ever known. And what will they do when they reach Australia?

Then Patrick learns his grandfather was sent to Australia thirty years earlier. No one has heard from him in years, but perhaps the senior McWaid might help them—if only they can find him. Their hopes high, Patrick and his family set sail. What kind of new life will they find?

Robert Elmer is a former reporter and ad copywriter who writes part-time from his home in the Pacific Northwest. He is the author of over fifty books, including nine contemporary novels for the adult Christian audience, two nonfiction titles, and seven series for younger readers… Among kids, he is best known for his "Young Underground" and "Adventures Down Under" books. When he's not at the keyboard, he enjoys sailing and hiking with his wife, and spending time with their three kids--plus a growing number of little grandchildren.
*From Amazon Author Page*

This book! Where do I even start??? With it starting in Ireland, I was instantly intrigued. I’ve never been a fan of how England treated…well, any of their properties, and Ireland and Australia are no exception. While the story is fiction, it was interesting and exciting to see what might have happened if an innocent person were accused of treason. The setting, the characters, the plot, it was all expertly done! The action was believable and well set up.

Jefferson, though not the main character, was probably my favorite, even if a particular person in the story thought he was a know it all. 😉 And little Michael and his fascination with animals was just darling!

The spiritual lessons taught were light and certainly not shoved down one’s throat, but personally, I would have liked a little more. It was present and never far from the main story, but not as strong as I prefer in stories. That said, it was well done!

My only complaints were a hint of romance and mentions that the sister turns many a head with her natural beauty and that the scriptures were not transcribed correctly. They were supposed to be King James but sounded like a paraphrase. They also insinuated that because Jeff was southern, he thought he was too good to address a black boy, which was not accurate or practical, especially since he made it clear his family didn’t own slaves. Perhaps there will be some more backstory to this attitude, though it was resolved with that particular character he mistreated in this book.

I loved this book even better than when I was a child, and highly recommend it to readers of all ages, especially as a family read!

That's all for now! Hope you have a lovely week in the Lord!
Ryana Lynn
Jude 22