Book Review - The Rise of Aredor

 Although I don't read nearly as much as I used to, (or as much as I would like too.) I do still find time occasionally to read. I got this book last year in the Indie Author Sale and wanted to share this review with you guys.

The Rise of Aredor, by Claire M. Banschbach

   The story is compelling as it follows the life of Prince Corin, the second son of the King of Aredor. At twelve years old, Corin's life goes from the common routine of his education to a life of hardship and pain when he's kidnapped and brought to a far country as a slave. As the years go by, and Corin has no hope of ever making it home again, his memories of life at the castle, and his family fade. After eight years as a slave to the cruel lord Balkor, he's given the opportunity to take on a new life. No longer a slave, but still unable to go home, Corin settles into his life. Trying to push the pain from his past aside, Corin makes friends, and is trained to become a special guard for a wealthy lord. While battling wars, sickness, and his own past, Corin becomes a confident soldier who is fiercely loyal to his friends and the man who saved his life.

   Then one day, word comes that his home country had been taken over by the very lord Balkor that he had served under for eight years. If he stays in his new life, he knows he will regret not having done something, but what is there to return to? Can he ever be victorious in bringing his country back to freedom? And what of his family? His parents, and brother and sister haven't been seen since the invasion. Are they still alive? Will he find his family or will he lose the one position he has been given? Can he handle having friends on both sides of the war?

    Living in the forest as an outlaw isn't exactly the way that most prince's live, but it's better than being a slave, and when his past returns, he knows that there is hope. Hope for his family, and hope for his beloved country Aredor.

     Loyalty, friendship, intense action, and adventure are woven into the pages to make one compelling book! The beginning was a little hard to get into, but once I got started, the characters made you like them. I look forward to seeing more of her books as she continues to improve as a writer.

    As far as content, there is not a lot of spiritual content, some violence, (battle scenes etc.) and clean language.

      From November 24th-30th a huge selection of discounted books is available at indiechristianbooks.com. You can also join the Indie Christian Authors for a week long Facebook party during the same dates.

The Frencolian Chronicles need our help!

  I know I ought to be doing a 'New Year's post' but, (although that may come eventually) I decided against it today.
     For today, I need help with one of my absolute favorite sets of books. The Frencolian Chronicles by Carolyn Ann Aish.
     
   For those of you who aren't familiar with them, there's six books in the series so far.  Which is why I'm posting this today. I read the first six books years ago. (and many times since then) and ever since I read them, I've been looking forward to the next book coming out. After years of waiting, the next book may be coming soon if it gets enough nominations. So if you have an Amazon account, I would love it if you could go to the this link and nominate it.

   If you haven't read the first six books, I highly recommend them! My only caution is that if you're a younger reader, you might want to read with caution as there are some intense scenes. The book below, Treasures, was the first book I read in the series and I was totally hooked from page one. Following the life of Jobyna and her brother Luke, Treasures is filled with drama and excitement. Through captivity, cruel treatment, and trials of all sorts, Jobyna learns what it means to have the peace that comes from God. I was really encouraged in my spiritual life by Jobyna's example and her dedication to the Bible. We never realize how precious our Bible is until it's taken away. As I read it, I found myself asking myself if I would have been brave enough to stand up for the truth in the situations that Jobyna is in.

So please, go nominate the next book so that we can find out what happens in Secrets!

An Inspirational Read!

       Now I know a lot of you are just trying to finish school, stay out of trouble, and do the next thing. If that's the case, then you probably won't find this book as fascinating as I did. However, if you ever decide to try to sell something, get an audience, or just a bigger following on your blog . . . this book is a must-read.

           Platform - Get Noticed in a Noisy World by Michael Hyatt, is a book that my publisher recommended to me when I first signed my contract with Ambassador International. I wasn't really excited about it but, as soon as I started reading it, I changed my mind. I absolutely LOVED it! Not only was it full of excellent advice on marketing any product, it had a LOT of good advice for bloggers! Since I know some of you have blogs, I thought I would recommend it to you so that you can be blessed by it as well! 

          One of my favorite things about the book (besides the fact that it was full of good advice:) was the fact that it was written in an enjoyable style. I tend to be more of a fiction reader than non-fiction and, if a non-fiction book is boring, I put it down. This book, however, kept my attention with its' personal style and humor. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to get an audience!

Book review of Ned Franks

  A few years ago, one of my sisters told me I needed to read the 'Ned Franks' series by A.L.O.E. but I thought they looked boring. I did eventually pick up the first one and before I was done with the first chapter, I was challenged by this one armed sailor and was ready to admit that I was wrong and it was a great book! I read the trilogy and think everyone else should read them as well.

  Ned Franks is one of those characters that you can't help but like. He's a true gentleman who loves everything that is right and good. After losing his arm and being forced to leave his life as a sailor, Ned Franks tries to make the best of his new and challenging life. The books follow through the ups and downs of his life and you can't help but be challenged to draw closer to God when you see Ned Franks steadfast faith. I think book two was probably the one that convicted me the most as it talks about 'Sheering off from the shoals of sin' and not letting little sins drag you towards bigger ones but steering clear of them all. Book three deals with the power of a good name, and doing the right thing even when others don't seem to care if you do.

   So yes, I highly recommend the series! They're entertaining, challenging, and suspenseful. Until next time, this is Priscilla J. Krahn reminding you to stay thankful!

De-junking!

   When you read that title, you probably have one of two responses. 1. "I love de-junking!" or 2. "I don't think I want to read this post!" Don't worry, if you're in either of those categories, I agree with you. I don't like to de-junk, but I also don't like things to be cluttered. With this warm weather we've been having, it makes me think of spring cleaning and going through closets and de-junking.

     In high-school, Mom had me read Clutter's Last Stand by Don Aslett.

    Honestly, I really enjoyed the book, and it motivated me to do some de-junking! Now I'm still not a clutter free person, but I've learned that there's certain areas of our lives that we can't afford to let get cluttered. For example, we can't let our minds get cluttered to the point where it's difficult to think on the Lord without getting distracted.

    This past week, I had a good conversation with a friend on de-junking books. Proverbs 23:7 says "For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he:..." My question for you today is what are you thinking about?  Because what you think about, is who you are, or will become. What kinds of books are you feeding yourself with? Are there books on your shelf that cause you to think in an ungodly way? Or do you read books that make you think godly thoughts? If you put godly things into your life, you'll get godly things out of your life, but if you put ungodly things in, you'll get ungodly things out.

     It's important for us to remember that just because a book is a "Christian" book, doesn't mean it's filled with the kinds of things we should be thinking about. People justify certain books by saying 'it's a Christian book,' or 'most Christian's have read it,' but that's not the point. I didn't ask you what kinds of books other Christian's read, I asked what kind of books YOU read. If you honestly trust the Lord with your reading life, you may find that you're getting rid of books that "all the Christians read," but it will be worth it.

     Go ahead and de-junk your bookshelf with the Lord's help. Don't compare your shelf to other people's, just think about what God wants YOU to be thinking about. It doesn't matter if people think you're weird for getting rid of certain books, what matters is what You're thinking in YOUR heart... because "as he thinketh in his heart, so is he..."

Favorite Non-fiction

     I came across a list the other day called 'Five Books Every Christian Should Read,' (or something like that.) Anyway, it got me thinking about the books I've read that have challenged me.
   Obviously, the Bible is the most powerful book anyone can read. I've never found a problem yet that the Bible didn't have an answer for.
   After the Bible, I think the following books are probably some of the books that have impacted me the most.
(Disclaimer: Just because I recommend the following books does not mean I fully endorse or agree with them from every point of view.)

    1. Do Hard Things - by Alex and Brett Harris

I first read this book at a time in my life when I was really struggling with doing anything that was hard, or out of my comfort zone, and God really used it in my life as a wake up call. I still need constant reminders to get busy doing things for Christ, but this book was a huge encouragement to me and very convicting. I highly recommend it.

      2. The Teenage Years of Jesus Christ - by Jerry Ross

I'm not sure how old I was when I read this, and honestly, I don't remember that much about it. All I know, is that after I read it, I felt convicted, and challenged. I remember feeling guilty when I finished reading it because I hadn't been living with the passion that I knew Jesus wanted me to have.

       3. How to Win Souls and Influence People for Christ - by Ray Comfort

We all need motivation to be bold and share Christ don't we? I know I do, and when I read this book, it lit a fire under me. I don't know about you, but I find it really easy to sit back and never approach anyone about Christ. It's easy to make excuses and to walk through life ignoring the lost, but this book will totally slaughter all of your excuses. It's been a while since I read it, but it's definitely a convicting book and totally worth your time to read.

   4. Will Our Generation Speak? - by Grace Mally

Much like the above book, this book was an extremely convicting and challenging book. It does a great job motivating you to share the gospel and she has some great ideas and tips to make it easier!

       5.  Ten P's in a Pod - by Arnold Pent III

This book was a real challenge to me in a lot of areas, but it especially challenged me to know my Bible. Not only is this book full of challenges, it's also very entertaining. I highly recommend it for the whole family! I actually read this one out loud on a road trip and it kept us all entertained.

              Okay, now that I've started, I can think of a lot more books that I could put down here. Maybe sometime I'll add some more. These aren't necessarily in order of importance and there are a lot more I can recommend as being 'life-changing', but for now, there's a few to keep you busy! Until next time, this is Priscilla Krahn reminding you to stay thankful! (In EVERYTHING!)

  (I'm curious, what are your favorite non-fiction books? Go ahead and let me know by leaving a comment.)