Coffee with Kel

Building relationships, encouraging hope

Blog

Book Review – Lullaby by Jane Orcutt

By Leave a Comment

Lullaby by Jane Orcutt.


Two stories intertwine in this novella by Jane Orcutt – the story of Merrilee, a pregnant 15 year old, and the story of Steven & Nora Rey who have struggled with infertility and who are seeking to adopt a baby. Again, I can’t say too much about the plot for fear of giving too much away. What I will say is that this one captivated me right from the get-go. I bought it on Saturday morning and finished it on Saturday night. I just did not want to put it down. One of the reviews on the back cover said to have tissues handy and I thought “Okay, sure…” and, well, I could have used them. No, I didn’t bawl my eyes out, but it really did touch me. The story is really touching telling of how God works through His boundless grace even in the midst of the most difficult situations. I loved this one. Absolutely loved it. It really touched my heart in many ways. I absolutely recommend this one!

Book Review – Solemnly Swear by Nancy Moser

By Leave a Comment

301631: Solemnly Swear Solemnly Swear
By Nancy Moser / Tyndale House

Patti McCoy, a kitchen worker at a local resort, is accused of killing her boyfriend, Brett Lerner, the restaurant’s maitre d’. But was she simply in the wrong place at the wrong time? It’s up to the jury to decide. Each member comes from a different background, but one in particular has a lot at stake by being on this jury. Her husband was actually the last person to see the victim alive. The circumstantial evidence against Patti, however, is piling up, and the jury–although torn–has no alternatives. Will the real murderer be discovered before it’s too late?

***************
Kelly’s Review:

Solemnly Swear is the second book I have read by Nancy Moser. The first was The Good Nearby which I loved!! This one did not disappoint for one second. An excellent read!

This book is about a murder trial and several members of the jury. I don’t know how to tell too much about the plot without giving it away. That’s what I find hard about reviewing, really. Basically the story opens with a prologue from the point of view of the murder victim, but, of course, we don’t know what all happened or exactly how it happened from there. The victim’s pregnant girlfriend is on trial for his murder. We come to find out through the story several details that twist the plot and point to the guilty party. I actually had this one figured out for the most part before it was all revealed, but it didn’t dull any of the moments for me in reading this book. It was a real page turner for me and I found myself not wanting to put it down until it was all resolved. I won’t say it was the best book of its kind that I’ve ever read, but it was a great read nonetheless. And, I am fast becoming a fan of Nancy Moser.

Book Review – A Crooked Path by Annette Smith

By Leave a Comment

A Crooked Path by Annette Smith.


This is the second book in the Eden Plain series by Annette Smith. I read the first book, A Bigger Life in 2007 and I really enjoyed it. That introduced me to the works of Annette Smith and led me to read her Ruby Prairie series which is easily one of my favorite sets of books ever. So, I have high hopes for Eden Plain based on my past reads. I think I might have had too much anticipation for A Crooked Path, actually. I think I might have set it up too much in my mind because I liked it, but I didn’t love it. I just never felt entirely connected to the characters. It had a great message, but it never really had me tied to it at any point.

The story revolves around Manny Ortego who grew up extremely poor in Mexico, especially after his father abandoned the family. Manny eventually sneaks into the US, but gains a lawful work Visa and continues to live and work in Texas. This story is mainly about his relationship with Owen Green who is an old rancher who is set in his ways and has many open prejudices that he frequently spouts off. Manny is loyal to Mr. Green and takes care of him through an illness. Mr. Green’s daughter comes to live at the house and once it is discovered that Manny and Mr. Green’s daughter are in love, we see Mr. Green’s prejudices really flare. It’s a story about overcoming hardships, being true to your word and overcoming old ways. For those reasons, I enjoyed it. But, for some reason, I just never got very invested in the book as a whole. Still, I’d recommend the Eden Plain series or any work by Annette Smith. Good reads. I just have higher hopes for the next installment.

Pollen, Pollen…EVERYwhere!

By 2 Comments

It’s that time of year. Allergy season. Some call it spring, but so far spring hasn’t properly sprung around here. So, therefore, it’s just allergy season.  Vehicles are coated with pollen. Our deck has a nice yellow-green tint to it. The pollen is everywhere. And, our area just happens to have one of the highest pollen counts in the country, or so we’re told. Bring on the Claritin. 😉 Fortunately, it’s also such a beautiful time of year. The trees and flowers are all a’bloom, the birds are singing, the bees are busy buzzing around – new life is springing up everywhere. What a blessed reminder of God’s grace. To come through the coldness of winter into the fullness of spring is amazing. When I look out our windows now I see so much green where just a couple of weeks ago there was brown. I’m just in awe of God’s creation. Especially when spring is beginning to spring. Yea, it’s allergy season and with that comes congestion, sniffles and sneezes, but it’s worth it. To look around and see everything just perked up with life again is amazing. So, pass the Kleenex and thank God for being made anew!

Kindergarten Registration

By Leave a Comment

I registered our oldest daughter, Macey, for kindergarten today. It’s so hard to believe that the time has come to do that already.  She will turn five in July and will start kindergarten on August 11th. Unbelievable. We have an orientation at the school on May 2nd where the kids and their families come in for an hour to have a look around have refreshments. Macey will be so excited when I tell her about that! The PTA is doing a cool thing by matching up new families to the school with families who have been around awhile as mentors. And, they are hoping to match up kindergarten kids in the same neighborhoods so they can get to know one another this summer if possible. Things are just clipping right along, that’s for sure.  But, we still have several weeks of this preschool year left and we have a full summer ahead of us, so at least there’s THAT. i don’t have to send my girl off to “big” school just yet. 😉