White Christmas Pie by Wanda Brunstetter

I've had the flu for three weeks so I have a few Christmas books that I read that I need to post about it.  I just read White Christmas Pie by Wanda Brunstetter.  I love Amish fiction.  I  find it very interesting to learn about other cultures and religions.  The book is about a young man who was abandoned by his father when he was six years old.  Will was raised by a childless Amish couple who raised him as their own son.  Will loves his "parents" but he still has a lot of resentment towards his birth father that he needs to work through.  He is engaged to be married to a sweet young Amish girl, Karen.  The book is about the struggles they face emotionally because of his resentment and how he needs to learn to forgive before he can move on with his life.  In the book, Will's favorite pie is White Christmas Pie, which is where the title of the book comes from.  Mrs. Brunstetter included a recipe for the pie in the back of her book.  I baked the pie and posted the recipe on my other blog here:  http://missyscakesandaprons.blogspot.com/
If you would like to buy the book you can buy it here:  http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/easy_find/1159947132?Ntt=white+christmas+pie&N=0&Ntk=keywords&action=Search&Ne=0&event=ESRCN&nav_search=1&cms=1
it is on sale for $1.99 right now so hop on over and order yours today!
Happy Reading!
Missy

Boo Humbug by Rene Gutteridge

Boo Humbug is such a cute, funny story!  It is the fourth book in the "Boo Series" by Rene Gutteridge.  I have not read the other books, but I was still able to follow along easily.  The title might turn off some people (Boo), but the book is not what you would expect.  The story is about a crazy old lady who decides to put on a Christmas Carol Play as a horror story.  Everybody tries to tell her how crazy that is, but she won't listen.  The story is about a man who can't figure out why he is so unhappy and what he needs to do to be happy.  We all know the only way to find true happiness is through our Lord, Jesus Christ.  The ending is totally unexpected and will make you smile.  I would definitely recommend reading this book.

Happy Reading and Merry Christmas!

Missy

http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/easy_find?Ntt=boo+humbug&N=0&Ntk=keywords&action=Search&Ne=0&event=ESRCN&nav_search=1&cms=1

The Best Christmas Ever by Cheryl Wolverton

I finished The Best Christmas Ever by Cheryl Wolverton a few days ago.  I've been sick, so I have been reading faster then I can blog!  It is a small novella about a little girl named Mickie.  All she wants for Christmas is a new mommy.
Sarah is Mickie's aunt and wants to heal past wounds and needs to learn how to forgive herself and not to feel guilty about stuff that is not her fault.  She believes the housekeeper/nanny job working for Justin, her deceased sister's husband, is the way to do that.
Justin is happy with the way his family is.  He wants to show Sarah forgiveness, will he learn how to not only forgive her, but treat her as part of the family?
I don't want to give anything away, so I won't give anymore details about the book.  It is a short, quick read.  Cheryl does a good job teaching what the Bible says and keeping on track with it.  She is very biblical with the way her characters conduct themselves and explaining what God would expect also.
I would definitely recommend reading this book.  You will have to get it from either your library, a used book store or from one of the used bookstores online.  Here is a link to one of them:
http://www.alibris.com/booksearch?qisbn=9780373870479&qwork=645384#search-anchor
Happy Reading!
Missy
P.S.  Yes you will be seeing a Christmas theme in the books I am reading this month.  Don't you just love Christmas and what it stands for?

Two Tickets to the Christmas Ball by Donita K. Paul

I got a new book to review from Waterbrook/Multnomah.  I have never read Donita's books before because she deals in fantasy.  The book was very well written and had a cute story line but she tries to justify wizards as okay with Christians.  She claims they are not the same as witches, this is not true.  Wizards and witches both have powers that are given to them from Satan, he (Satan) just wants you to think that it is okay to be a wizard.  That is how the serpent(Satan) deceived Eve, by saying "it's okay to eat the fruit, you won't die".  Here is an excerpt from the book ""Usually we associate wizards with God's mandate not to have anything to do with witches and necromancers."
"Of course I'm not in favor of witches and goblins and dealing with the dead.  Actually, the Anglo-Saxon term 'wizard' simply refers to older, wise people, as in 'wizened.'"
Donita is obviously trying to justify having wizards in a Christian book.  The story line is about a Wizard's Christmas Ball held every year.  There is a street that does not exist with a lot of fanciful shops lining the street and the wizards who run the shops match up people they think should get married and give them tickets to the ball so they will fall in love at the ball.  The dresses are "magical" and only the intended person can wear it or it will turn to rags.  Only the "right" people can see the street and shop there.  The buildings are sometimes there, and sometimes not.  The Bible says: 
Leviticus 20:27 "A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to death: they shall stone them with stones: their blood shall be upon them."
Deuteronomy 18:10-12"There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.  For all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord:  and because of these abominations the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee."
The Bible is very clear not to have any thing to do with wizards and using a different version of the Bible to make it agree with what you want is wrong!
I would not recommend reading this book even though it has a cute story.
 
"I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review"