#AtoZChallenge Cedar Fort Books

Cedar Fort Books are actually responsible for the birth of this blog. I have another blog that usually houses my book reviews for adults, over at Andi's Book Reviews. That was my original book blog. Some of the books, though, can be somewhat racy. I don't mind a variety of books like that, but some readers and authors do. So, to be respectful to the authors I love over at Cedar Fort, and to readers who do not want the spicier selections, I created Uplifting Reads.

What I love about Cedar Fort books is the wide variety that are available. Yes, they are an LDS community, so many books are available on Christianity and Mormon beliefs. You'll also find books on parenting, chapter books for kids about history and fantasy, young adult books about good vs. evil, and historical romance. You'll even find some great cookbooks by Wendy Paul. I use her ice cream book in my classroom. I honestly haven't met a book that I didn't like.

Visit their website and take a look around. You'll also find guest posts by authors and interviews. Bloggers can sign up to join blog tours and get some great free reads in return.

Happy reading! 

#AtoZChallenge Nonna Bannister

I was going to go in a different direction for today's B post, but then an intriguing book came across my feed from Inspiring Reads. That is the part of Pixel of Ink that shares Christian freebies and bargains every day. One particular book caught my eye. Lo and behold, the person's name begins with a B. Nonna Bannister kept diaries during the Holocaust, and shared them to demonstrate how her life was changed by the concentration camps. Yes, the Holocaust is depressing, but there are often many stories that have come out of it that can be inspirational and teach so much.

I love reading about it and hearing stories from this time. My brief tangent is how much I loved reading and rereading The Diary of Anne Frank from childhood on. I have even read other books about her, as well as expanded versions of the diary. I was lucky in college to meet and listen to a presentation by her childhood best friend Hannah. That experience has caused me to read others' stories, as well.

This book is FREE today (April 2nd) on Amazon. I don't know for how long it will stay free. I have it downloaded and will eventually get to it. What are some of your recommended Holocaust readings?

Book blurb from Amazon:

Nonna Bannister carried a secret almost to her Tennessee grave: the diaries she kept as a young girl experiencing the horrors of the Holocaust while learning compassion and love for her fellow human beings. Nonna's writings tell the remarkable tale of how a Russian girl, born into a family that had known wealth and privileges, was exposed to the concentration camps and learned the value of human life and the importance of forgiveness.

Download it here.

#AtoZChallenge: Amish fiction: 'Abram's Daughters' by Beverly Lewis

Uplifting Reads is a newer blog that wasn't around for last year's A to Z Challenge. I decided to try to enter it this year and see what I can do. Unlike some of my other book blogs, I don't really have a particular theme, beyond that of the blog, itself. I hope that together we can find some interesting inspirational reads together!

I decided to kick things off today with a shout out to Amish fiction, which is one of my favorite genres. I don't know why I like it so much, but I do. Perhaps it is because it is a refreshing change from all of the sex and craziness that exists in so many books today. I need a bit of variety in my reading world. 

There is so much innocence in the Amish books, but plenty of mystery and betrayal and naughtiness, as well. 

I am currently in the middle of reading the 'Abram's Daughters' series by Beverly Lewis. The first book in the series, The Covenant, was free for Kindle for a while. I liked some of her other books and figured I could give this one a try. Before I had a chance to read it, though, I came across the entire set at my favorite local used bookstore, for just $30. Plus, I had coupons. 

I have a mountain of other reading that I am doing for all of my reviews, so I sneak in a chapter here and there. I am almost halfway through the second book in the series. I am also hopelessly addicted to it. A) I enjoy holding a real book in my hand for a change. B) It is just that good.

So, click on a book cover to find out more about it. I have included the Amazon book blurb next to each cover, but you may also want to see what others have to say about it. 

Book 1 of Abram's Daughters series from bestselling author Beverly Lewis. Years of secrecy bind the tiny community of Gobbler's Knob together more than the present inhabitants know, and the Plain folk who farm the land rarely interact with the fancy locals. So when Sadie is beguiled by a dark-haired English boy, it is Sadie's younger sister, Leah, who suffers from her sister's shameful loss of innocence. And what of Leah's sweetheart, Jonas Mast, sent to Ohio under the Bishop's command? Drawn into an incomprehensible pact with her older sister, Leah finds her dreams spinning out of control, even as she clings desperately to the promises of God. The Covenant begins a powerful Lancaster portrait of the power of family and the miracle of hope. 

Book 2 of Abram's Daughters. Spanning three generations, the Abram's Daughters series paints a powerful family portrait of four Amish sisters growing up in Gobbler's Knob, Lancaster County. In Book One, The Covenant, when oldest sister Sadie is beguiled by a handsome, dark-haired "Englischer," it is younger sister Leah who suffers from her sister's shameful behavior. In Book Two, The Betrayal, Leah and her beloved Jonas are separated for half the year when he accepts a long-desired carpenter's apprenticeship in Ohio. They are confident that by letter and heart-felt promises, their love is strong enough to survive the temporary separation. But never could they have foreseen the bitter test facing them and their families.

Abram's Daughters book 3, the sequel to the bestselling The Betrayal. This powerful family saga features four Amish courting-age sisters growing up in Lancaster County Pennsylvania, beginning in the 1940s. Life in Gobbler's Knob was all Leah Ebersol ever wanted until her older sister Sadie abandoned faith and family, leaving Leah no choice but to believe the worst, that Sadie--and her own beloved Jonas--had betrayed her. Now, two years later, Leah still misses both Sadie and Jonas keenly. Because of her sister's shunning, she cannot contact either of them but hears through the grapevine that they are married. Loyal neighbor Gid is still biding his time, but on the verge of accepting his courting invitation, tragedy befalls the Ebersols and Leah must again choose between her own happiness and her family. Mary Ruth dreams of becoming a teacher, but it has gotten pushed to the back of her thinking when a nice young Amish boy comes courting. Twin Hannah yearns for her sister to attend baptismal classes with her, but Mary Ruth is not ready to take her & vows. How will this family in turmoil & peace?

In The Prodigal, Leah Ebersol knows all too well that the truth can be thorny, even heartbreaking. But when an alarming secret is brought to light, she must make another difficult choice, one that could be further complicated by a prodigal who few expected to return.

 In The Revelation, Jonas Mast has given Leah Ebersol reason to hope again. Yet events threaten that might force Leah and her sister Sadie to reveal their closely guarded secret--a secret with the power to split the Mast and Ebersol families even further apart, this time forever.







What are some of your favorite Amish reads? 

Thanks for stopping by!