Talk about Tuesday Book Review - Truth-Stained Lies by Terri Blackstock

When truth doesn’t make sense, will lies prevail?

Cathy Cramer is a former lawyer and investigative blogger who writes commentary on high-profile homicides. When she finds a threatening note warning her that she’s about to experience the same kind of judgment and speculation that she dishes out in her blog, Cathy writes it off as mischief . . . until her brother’s wife is murdered and all the “facts” point to him. The killer has staged the crime to make the truth too far-fetched to believe. Working to solve the murder and clear her brother’s name, Cathy and her two sisters, Holly and Juliet, moonlight as part-time private investigators. Juliet, a stay-at-home mom of two boys, and Holly, a scattered ne’er-do-well who drives a taxi, put aside their fear to hunt down the real killer.

Stakes rise when their brother’s grieving five-year-old son is kidnapped. As police focus on the wrong set of clues, the three sisters and their battered detective friend are the only hope for solving this bizarre crime, saving the child, and freeing their brother.

It's been awhile since I read this book, but I never got around to writing my review about it.

What can I say? I love all of Terri Blackstock's books, and this is no exception!
A few things I enjoy about her writing: the books are suspenseful, easy to read, and well thought out.
This is book one in a trilogy, which I also enjoy because it means the story keeps going.

This book in particular has an excellent balance of all the characters, with good family dynamics and a bit of romance thrown in there. If you have a hard time following a lot of characters, then you might not like this one, but I thought it was well written and a fun read.

If you like suspense books, then this is one I would definitely recommend!

~Sela

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from NetGalley as part of their book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Some links are affiliate links, which I may receive a small compensation from in connection with their affiliate program.

Mosaic Review–Classical Historian Ancient History Go Fish

 

A few weeks ago, we received this awesome Go Fish game. What makes it different you ask? Let me tell you!

 

This one deck of 50 cards with the answer key teaches the following skills through four fun games: Basic historical facts, Chronology, Geography, Association, and Social Skills required to follow the rules and play games with others.

Four Games in One:
A. Go Fish
B. Collect the Cards
C. Chronology
D. Continents

While it would have been nice to have had this game throughout the year for our study of Ancient History, it is great to have it now too. When we played, it was a great review of the things that we learned all year long.

The cards are beautifully done. Each card features a picture of the object as well as the title, and they’re color-coded to make matching them that much easier.

I had Kahlen (who is 6) play by herself and Nate (who is 4) and I were a team. He helped me with the numbers while I held them, so it was a great family game. Kahlen won the first time we played, and immediately wanted to know if we could play again. We only were able to play the Go Fish way because of the age and skill levels of my kids, but the other ways to play look really fun too, and I’ll be glad in four years when we come back to Ancient History that we’ll have this resource.

Here’s a synopsis of the four ways to play:

Go Fish

Players try to collect all four-of-a-kind cards from the following categories. The player who captures most sets wins.

Collect the Cards

Players use historical facts (hints) to try and guess the image on the card. If a player guesses correctly, he wins the card.

Chronology

Following the Answer Key instructions, shuffle the cards necessary for the chronology game. When one player signals, the other player assembles all cards in chronological order, as fast as he can. The fastest time wins!

Geography

Place the Continents cards at the top of the playing field. Shuffle the other cards. When one player signals, the other player assembles all cards under the correct continent, as fast as he can. The fastest time wins! Answer key provided.

This game was a big hit, and I’m considering buying the Medieval History Go Fish game for next year, since we’ll be studying that portion of history next!

You can go here to read other reviews, both of this game and of other products. Or you can go here to purchase this and other products. The Go Fish games retail for just $11.95!

~S

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book through Mosaic Reviews. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Some links may be affiliate links, which I may receive a small compensation from in connection with their affiliate program.

Speak Up Saturday–Book Review–Jennifer: An O’Malley Love Story

Ohmygoodness! When I got the review copy on this novella, I was ecstatic! Good thing it was short, because I don’t think my husband or my kids would have been very happy with me for ignoring them for more than a day :-)

Jennifer: An O'Malley Love Story (or go here to get the ePub version right now, before the official release date!)

From the Publisher:

It's a summer of change for Jennifer O'Malley.
The busy physician has a pediatrics practice in Dallas, Texas, and meeting and falling in love with surgeon Tom Peterson is adding a rich layer to her life. She's sorting out how to introduce Tom to her family--she's the youngest of seven--and thinking about marriage.
She's falling in love with Jesus too, and knows God is good. But that faith is about to be tested, and in a way she didn't expect. The results will soon transform her entire family.

Why was I so excited to get this book? It completes the O’Malley series by Dee Henderson. This series was one of the first ones I read after getting a relationship with Jesus. This novella is about the only one of the O’Malley siblings that didn’t get a full length book, and for good reason which I will not divulge because it is part of the plot of the series.

What appeals to me about the series? The characters are believable and their emotional struggles are real. They are fun to follow along because they are more, well, celebrity for lack of a better word. I mean, they all have fairly high profile lives, but it’s fun that way. If you’re going to read a book, might as well make it something that is fantastical.

The part that I enjoy the most, however, is their stories of faith. How each one, especially Jennifer as told in this novella, come to know their Savior is powerful and awesome. Jennifer is the one who prompts the others to examine their lives and what they really believe, so to learn how her conversion came about was great.

I read this book in one evening, good thing it was only a novella! It prompted me to want to read the entire series again :-)

~S

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from NetGalley as part of their book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Some links are affiliate links, which I may receive a small compensation from in connection with their affiliate program.

Speak Up Saturday–Book Review–A Voice in the Wind by Francine Rivers

I told you to watch for a blast of reviews…

A Voice in the Wind: (Mark of the Lion #1)

From the Publisher:

This classic series has already inspired nearly 2 million readers, but both loyal fans and new readers will want this 20th anniversary edition of a Christian classic, which includes a foreword from the publisher, a letter from and Q & A with Francine Rivers, color map, an illustrated glossary, and discussion questions suitable for personal and group use.

The first book in the bestselling Mark of the Lion series, A Voice in the Wind brings readers back to the first century and introduces them to a character they will never forget—Hadassah. Torn by her love for a handsome aristocrat, this young slave girl clings to her faith in the living God for deliverance from the forces of decadent Rome.

I mentioned in my last review that The O'Malley Series by Dee Henderson was one of my favorite series of books. Well, this book, A Voice in the Wind, is the first book in my favorite of all times series! I can’t believe that it’s been 20 years since she wrote this first one, wow.

I think I first read this book about 10 years ago, and I’ve read it probably five more times since then. I figured I was about up for reading it again, so I was very happy to receive this 20th anniversary edition for my kindle.

What do I love about it? It’s so masterfully written. It’s well researched. It’s about a difficult, yet well documented, time in ancient history. The emotion that it pulls out of you is simply astounding. The characters are so deep, so developed, that it’s so easy to fall into this story. I don’t think my kids like it very much when I read this book because I get drawn so far into the story, I have a hard time paying attention to anything else!

To break it down as the synopsis has done misses so much of the story. It’s set in about 70 ad, just as Jerusalem is being sacked by the Romans. It’s about Roman culture, slavery, love, corruption, but most of all, true and tenacious faith in the one true God.

One warning: this is the FIRST book in a THREE book series. Don’t stop here…keep reading! This one ends with a gut punch, but reading the next one smooths it out. Francine Rivers uses that technique in the Marta's Legacy Series too, which is very effective, got me to read the second one in that series too!

Have I mentioned yet that I love this book?!? Go, get it, read it! If you want to borrow mine, let me know! I now have two different kindle versions plus the paper version, and I am happy about it :-)

~S

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from NetGalley as part of their book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Some links are affiliate links, which I may receive a small compensation from in connection with their affiliate program.

Speak Up Saturday–Book Review–Full Disclosure by Dee Henderson

Full Disclosure

From the Publisher:

Ann Silver is a cop’s cop. As the Midwest Homicide Investigator, she is called in to help local law enforcement on the worst of cases, looking for answers to murder. Hers is one of the region’s most trusted investigative positions.

Paul Falcon is the FBI’s top murder cop in the Midwest. If the victim carried a federal badge or had a security clearance, odds are good Paul and his team see the case file or work the murder.

Their lives intersect when Ann arrives to pass a case off her desk and onto his. A car wreck and a suspicious death offer a lead on a hired shooter he is tracking. Paul isn’t expecting to meet someone, the kind that goes on the personal side of the ledger, but Ann Silver has his attention.

The better he gets to know her, the more Paul realizes her job barely scratches the surface of who she is. She knows spies and soldiers and U.S. Marshals, and has written books about them. She is friends with the former Vice President. People with good reason to be cautious about who they let into their lives deeply trust her. Paul wonders just what secrets Ann is keeping, until she shows him the John Doe Killer case file, and he starts to realize just who this lady he is falling in love with really is . . .

I realized that I have not written my review yet on this excellent book, slacker!! I received this as an Advanced Reader Copy back in August, I think, and finished it very shortly after I received it.

I loved it!!! One of my favorite series of books that I have read since becoming a Christian is the The O'Malley Series by Dee Henderson. I love the family dynamic, I love the suspense, the romance, the intertwining of the plots. Full Disclosure brings those characters back in glimpses while bringing in new characters that are equally interesting and a joy to get to know.

Dee Henderson is a master storyteller. She can teach you all about a person and their personality without making it laborious and while adding in other plot elements to sweeten the deal. The interactions between the characters are believable, true to life, yet pure and inspiring. The characters in her books, and Ann and Paul are no exceptions, show many characteristics that inspire me to be a better God-follower. Ms. Henderson brings their personal traits into focus, so you can see the good and the bad from their personalities and how they can really relate to me and my relationship with God.

Aside from all that, the story was fun! I truly enjoyed the plot, the characters, the visits from old friends from the O’Malleys, the new relationship between Ann and Paul. I will definitely read it again! Right after I get it back from the second friend that I loaned it to…

~S

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book in exchange for an honest review from Bethany House and Dee Henderson. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Some links are affiliate links, which I may receive a small compensation from in connection with their affiliate program.

Speak Up Saturday–TOS Review–Music Together CD & Songbook

Music. I think all kids like music. At least all the ones that I know. Young ones especially love to make random noises (vocabules) with their mouths and turn it into music. My kids do, anyway, do yours?

Enter Music Together. I was given the opportunity to review their Music Together Family Favorites CD and Songbook for Teachers.

Here’s what they say about Music Together:

Music Together is an internationally recognized early childhood music and movement program for children from birth through age 7—and the grownups who love them. First offered to the public in 1987, it pioneered the concept of a research-based, developmentally appropriate early childhood music curriculum that strongly emphasizes and facilitates adult involvement.

Music Together classes are based on the recognition that all children are musical. All children can learn to sing in tune, keep a beat, and participate with confidence in the music of our culture, provided that their early environment supports such learning.

As soon as we received it, I popped the CD in the car CD player, and the kids instantly *loved* it! From the first “Hello” song through the catchy songs using nonsense words like “Biddy Biddy Bum” and classics like “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad” all the way to “Goodbye, So Long, Farewell”, it’s been an instant hit and much requested by my kids. And, honestly, me too. I find myself singing the songs as I go about my day with the kids.

After I had been listening to the CD for a few weeks, I finally got to reading the songbook, and found another amazing resource! The songbook starts with pages about how to teach a variety of types of students with practical suggestions for class as a whole as well as specific songs. Then it moves into the songs that are included on the CD and suggestions for activities for each one. It also includes a bit of background for each song, which I found interesting.

With the amount of thought that obviously went into each song chosen for this CD, I was intrigued and went to find a bit more information about the classes. At about the same time, I received a flyer for classes in my area…what a coincidence! I contacted the director of the local Music Together studio and here’s what she had to say:

The Music Together Program in its entirety contains 9 different CD and songbook collections (so three years worth of material!) Music Together Directors/Teachers also take in-depth/ongoing training so a class experience offers a deeper understanding of musical development and the music itself. I have had homeschoolers in my classes before and would be happy to offer an introductory discount to homeschooling families. I offer classes in Boulder and Fort Collins. I am also happy to coordinate a class just for homeschooled families if there is enough interest. Families can contact me, Jane Smolens, at www.mountainsongmusic.com or (303)413-1120 or (970)495-1120. Families can contact me to find out the coupon code to waive the registration fee as an introductory discount.

So with all that said, you can guess that we give this product 5 stars :) The songs are fun, musically interesting, and well thought out. The whole program looks amazing, and I am really considering joining a class with my kids. Oh, and did I mention that they could all take a class together? Bonus!

You can get the Music Together Family Favorites CD for $9.99 download version or $14.95 plus shipping for the physical CD.

The Songbook for Teachers is $29.95 plus shipping OR buy the set for $39.95, which is a $5 discount.

They have several other products available for purchase as well, like egg shakers, rhythm sticks, and other CDs, so go check it out!

~S

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this product through The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Speak Up Saturday–TOS Review–Family Time Fitness

Okay, so I know Kahlen is only five, but I’ve been thinking about how to help her with coordination and develop her large motor skills. She is active and fairly athletic, but lacks coordination. Enter Family Time Fitness. Now, I don’t see myself as not being able to teach PE, or come up with ideas, but it certainly is nice to just have a well-laid out plan and be able to follow it with very little prep. Especially since I have a tot schooler and a baby around, I just don’t have the time to come up with well-rounded, well-prepared PE lessons. Nor do I want to just sign her up for classes or sports since that will actually take more time, driving back and forth, etc.

Here’s what they say about their program:

Have you ever asked yourself...

Can I teach physical education, even though I don’t know anything about it?
Family Time Fitness says: Absolutely!

The Fitness 4 Homeschool Curriculum allows homeschool parents to teach physical education without previous knowledge of physical education and athletic development. Our program, designed by experts in fitness training, nutrition and body movement, is designed to suit every age and ability level while affordably fitting into your budget. Our program combines flexibility and fun with a comprehensive curriculum to give your children a foundation for strong bodies and minds.

We created the Fitness 4 Homeschool curriculum because of a lack of fitness programs for homeschoolers. We started this program because we couldn’t find any at all! With the child obesity epidemic on the rise in the U.S., now is the time to give our children the exercise guidance they need while building the skills necessary to stay fit for a lifetime.

We believe that a PE curriculum is absolutely essential for a balanced homeschool classroom. Our expertly designed program has been created to maximize the benefits of spatial awareness, body awareness, environmental awareness, enhanced neurological development, mind-body coordination, stress reduction, social engagement, poise and confidence.

Each lesson has a one-page summary that you can print to use while you are doing the lesson as well as a detailed description of the lesson/session that includes links to demonstration videos. There are 260 lessons! The lessons are designed for K-8th grade, can mostly be done inside, and take about 25-45 minutes. Each lesson has a warm-up, activity or game play, a cool down, and an outside activity that can be done for as long as you or the student wants to (for example, the first one is jump rope). There is also an assessment test available which you can use to measure progress over the course of the year.

For us, this program will be a ton more useful when I can include Nate in the sessions as well. So many of the activities are way over his skill level for the moment that it made it hard to find a time to do the sessions with just Kahlen. There were some of the activities that I could adapt to make them more useable with a 5 and 3 year old, but some of them are just over both their heads. Kahlen enjoyed the variation within each lesson and from lesson to lesson. She’s not one that likes to keep doing the same thing over and over again, unless of course it was her idea ;) I liked the ease of setting up each lesson and that we could do most of it inside or outside with very little equipment needed.

This curriculum will be something that we will continue to use, and probably for several years. Even if the kids are in sports, that’s not going to be every day and it’s not going to teach them other ways to move their bodies, which is so very important for long term health. I also feel like it’s a good thing for me to do with them! As a mom, I don’t always feel like I have time to get in the physical activity I should be getting for my own well-being. If I do 30 minutes of activities WITH my kids, what better use of my time could there be?

(Sorry, no pictures. It’s hard to take pictures of them while walking like a crab myself)

You can purchase the Fitness 4 Homeschool - Core 1 Physical Education Curriculum K-8 Curriculum for just $57! It is downloadable PDFs which you are free to print or put on your tablet or just look at on your computer.

~S

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this product through The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Speak Up Saturday–TOS Review–Speekee TV

 

Today I am reviewing Speekee TV, an online video-based Spanish program for kids 2-10 years old. I will be the first to admit that we didn’t get to use this as often as I would have liked since we received it, as I have heard great things about it around the blogosphere. But with the end of summer (vacation!) and the beginning of 1st grade and tot school (yep, I’m leading a co-op of 5 kids under 4), it just got pushed to the middle of the pile instead of the top. That said, though, we have really enjoyed what we did try out!

Here’s what they say about their program:

Speekee TV is designed so that children can learn Spanish in their own time and at their own pace. Available only via the web, Speekee TV is loved by children and their parents around the world.

• 10 episodes of Spanish
• Over 150 minutes of pure Spanish learning
• Learn Spanish from real Spanish children in real Spanish locations
• Features songs, animation and puppets
• Optional subtitles in Spanish and English
• Free activity sheet downloads
• Great fun and extremely effective
• Created by specialist language teachers
• Free optional curriculum
• Songs you can't stop singing

This program includes not only a video series, but also has a weekly FastTrack email lesson plan to help you with other activities and specifics to help “maximize your child’s Spanish learning experience”.

The interface is easy to use and navigate. If you click through the emailed FastTrack, you can get to the web-based version, which has the links to specific video clips within the main video for the week as well as any printable activity sheets that are available.

The thing that I liked most about this program is that Nate (who is 3) and Kahlen (who is almost 6) enjoyed watching the videos together. Nate really liked it that he was included in Kahlen’s schoolwork, and I felt like the videos were simple enough for him and not too babyish for Kahlen.

I enjoyed the pace of the videos as well. I think a lot of the Spanish programs I have tried thus far try to teach too much in a lesson for this age of child. Speekee did not do that, and I am grateful.

The only complaint I have is the time commitment, which is absolutely nothing against Speekee! Learning Spanish isn’t one of my utmost top priorities right now, and with everything else we are trying to cram into our new school year, it has just really fallen behind. I think to truly use Speekee to it’s full potential, you’d have to commit to four 1/2 hour times per week, and I just don’t have that available right now. Again, though, that’s no fault of Speekee TV, and I think that with half that time, you and your children could still benefit from this program, just not to the full extent that it was designed for. It’s easy to use and requires little to no preparation from you!

Subscriptions to Speekee are $7.50 per month or $60 per year, which is incredibly affordable! This includes the FastTrack lesson plans, access to the videos, and access to supporting printables such as worksheets and flashcards. Also, they offer the first two weeks free with no obligation to continue.

~S

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this product through The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Speak Up Saturday–TOS Review–Homeschool Spanish Academy

Homeschool Spanish Academy is a high quality online Spanish language institution committed to the growth of young home schooling Spanish students and to providing best-in-class solutions for any parent.

Experience and learn Spanish through interactive immersive lessons with with 1-on-1 instruction from native Spanish-speaking professional instructors, via Skype video conferencing. We have focused programs for all ages from teaching young kids to adults. Perfect for home schoolers, or as a tailor made
alternative to Rosetta Stone.

Homeschool Spanish Academy was very generous in giving us a half semester worth of classes to review their services. This means 7 25-minute sessions with a Spanish teacher live from Guatemala! We had the pleasure of being taught by Nora, one of their competent and friendly teachers.

The first thing they did was have a tech call us to get everything set up before our first scheduled class time. The lessons are completed via Skype, so the tech made sure that my computer was working correctly and helped me to set up everything.

When it was time for the lessons, I just had to open Skype, and our teacher would initiate the call. At the beginning of each lesson, the instructor asked how we were doing and made small talk for a minute before starting the lesson. She had a PDF document on her computer that she shared with us and walked through everything on the lesson. She was very patient and gave just enough prompting for Kahlen to be able to learn the material.

I was very impressed with the service, the lessons, and the instructor. Kahlen really learned the material better and was able to retain at least some of it from lesson to lesson. I also appreciated that Nora emailed me the lesson PDF after we were done so we could review them between lessons. I also liked that I got to set the time for each lesson, and it didn’t have to be the same time every week.

Kahlen was funny about the lessons. When we weren’t doing them, she would say how much she loved them. When it was almost time for her lesson, she would say that she didn’t like it. But I did figure out why…she told me that it was a lot of work for her, almost hard. So I think it was good for her. Especially during the summer, she needs a bit of “work” in her day.

She is sad, and so am I, that our lessons are over. We may decide to use this service again, but I haven’t talked to hubs about the budget for schooling yet this fall

Their pricing is very reasonable for what you get. This is the early language pricing, but they offer classes for any age (5+). You can also choose their 2-on-1 option, which you can see pricing for here.

We love this program and would definitely recommend to anyone wanting to really learn Spanish!

Sign up for a free trial class here. And like their Facebook page or follow them on Twitter for $5 off!

~S

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this product through The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.