Forever Faithful: The Complete Trilogy

"Great is Thy faithfulness!  Great is Thy faithfulness!  Morning by morning new mercies I see.  All I have needed Thy hand hath provided; great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me!"

Forever Faithful: The Complete Trilogy encompasses Waiting for Morning, A Moment of Weakness, and Halfway to Forever.  The three stories follow the same group of characters.  Hannah has lost her husband and oldest daughter to a drunk driver.  Matt is an excellent attorney, but carries loss from his past.  Jade is living with the sins of her parents upon her.  Tanner is searching for his happily ever after.  Each of them believes in God, but will their faith be strong enough to see them through loss, life-threatening illnesses, and the other trials life brings?  Is God faithful?

When I finished reading, I admit, I felt that I did not completely care for it.  As I read, I felt the losses of the characters more deeply than I felt their joys.  I do not know if this is due to the writing style or my personal interpretation.  In Waiting for Morning there was not enough detail as to the passage of time.  I often wondered just how much time passed between events.  It left a disjointed feeling.  I felt the last book, Halfway to Forever was the strongest of the three.  This was my first Kingsbury read, so perhaps my expectations were too high.  I am keeping this on my shelf and will give it a try again.  For now, I am giving 3 out of 5 stars. 



Karen Kingsbury lives in Nashville, Tennessee with her husband and six children, three of whom were adopted from Haiti.  She has written over 50 novels, 10 of which have been number one on national bestseller lists.  Several of her books have been or are being made into movies.  Somehow, she even finds time to travel around the country speaking to churches and women's groups. 

Forever Faithful: The Complete Trilogy, by Karen Kingsbury, published by Multnomah Books

To Be Perfectly Honest

"My friend Regi called today and wants to have lunch early next week.  You don't suppose he would ask about the ----.  Naw"  Or so Phil Callaway hoped.  Why?  Because if Regi asked, Phil would have had to tell the truth as part of a promise to not lie for one whole year.  As he waded through a year of family gatherings, financial investments, and travelling for work, he had to be honest with others about everything!  He kept notes as the year passed and wrote them up for To Be Perfectly Honest.  It's hilarious at times because there were people who were determined to not let him off the hook....on anything.  Sometimes, telling the truth wasn't easy and keeping quiet wasn't an option. 



This book is definitely amusing.  Most people do not realize how many "small lies" they tell through the course of a day.  Phil didn't either.  His revelations challenge you to look at your life and see how truthful you are with others and yourself.  The accusatory finger is not stern, but questions you with humor.  There are discussion questions in the back of the book to challenge yourself or use with a book group.  The Ruminating Reader awards 4 out of 5 pieces of bacon.


Phil Callaway is the writer of over 20 books that have been translated into numerous languages.  He is known for his humorous view of life.  In addition to writing, he travels as a speaker to encourage and inspire people as well as make them laugh.  He married his high school sweet heart and they have three children.

To Be Perfectly Honest by Phil Callaway.  Published by Multnomah Books

River's Song

   
Very often things happen in life over which we have no control.  We do the best we can with the circumstances.  Sometimes we are fortunate enough to have the chance to make a change.  This is what is before Anna Larson when River's Song begins.  When she was young, she fell in love.  Leaving her family on the river behind, she went to be with her husband.  When war changes everything, Anna stays with her husband's family, acting as more of a servant than daughter in law.  Her mother's death adds to her unhappiness, but it offers her the chance to go back home to take care of her parent's things.  When Anna gets there, she finds few reasons to return to the life she's been living.  A whole new world opens up to her on the river.  She finds there is healing there, for her and others.

This is a very smooth read.  There are no shocking twists and turns, no jarring tragedies.  I found that to be refreshing.  This story of a woman's life coming full circle will draw many readers in.  The journey Anna takes to healing is compelling.  River's Song is a good choice for this time of year when many people feel like starting over.  A good book to curl up with as the weather changes and we seek comfort in blankets and hot tea.  The Ruminating Reader awards River's Song 4 out of 5 pieces of bacon.

Melody Carlson has written more than 200 books.  She has been nominated for a Romantic Times Career Achievement award.  Her book Homeward won a Rita Award.  She and her husband live in Oregon near their two grown sons and their families.

River's Song written by Melody Carlson.  Published by Abingdon Press