Hello Readers! I am happy to be jumping back into my weekly post - Flashback Friday! Hopefully I shall be more consistent this time around! ;) Today I bring to you two very recommendable books that I've read recently.
Historical Aspects:Easily making it onto my top 10 all-time favorite books is an excellent story that will transport you back to Tuscany, Italy, and not only teaches a lot about Italy in the medival ages, but also allowed the reader to easily compare their customs to those of today! I absolutely loved this novel and soaked up every moment of it. I really enjoyed taking a dive into medieval Italy in this amazing book by Lisa Tawn Bergren. Keep an eye out for this one!
Christian Aspects:This week I had a lot to choose from, but ended up deciciding to go with one of my new favorite books - Sir Quinlan. I absolutely loved the story and the lessons within were amazing -- teaching that self-doubt must be put aside when we are called to fulfill what God has instructed. Another thing I liked was how he added in a twist at the end and incorporated a parable Christ told - but I don't want to give too much away! These and many other exceptional lessons are what made me choose Sir Quinlan as this week's Christian Aspect book! Definitely one I highly recommend!
For this week's historical aspects it was quite easy for me to choose the book I would feature. I finished it only days ago and by the end had read and learned a lot about ancient Persia. Jewel of Persia was an excellent historical novel, and even though I had already known about many of the events as I am co-authoring a book right now only a few decades later, I was still soaking in information I'd never learned and loved all of the research and thought that went into the story. Roseanna has truly created a masterpiece here! If you've ever wondered what life was like in Persia during Xerxes reign and before and through the story of Esther, than this is definitely a book for you!
I had been looking to read Bad Girls of the Bible for a long time, so when it came up for review I was eager to grab it and dive in, and I was not let down! What an excellent book it is. I love how Liz Curtis Higgs writes it out, first with a fictional retelling and then with an in depth study, verse by verse. This book is highly recommended by myself to teens and young adults - it has great lessons and morals in it!
I finished 
a few days ago and loved how much I learned about medieval culture in Oxford, England. Not only did I learn a lot by just reading the book, but I also ended up researching Oxford and used the information I found for our weekly 
I had finished this book only minutes before sitting down to write this post and knew it would be perfect. 
was an excellent story with numerous lessons in it - I can't even name them all! Lessons on forgiveness, true beauty, the fruits of patience...I was amazed at how many awesome morals Cindy Woodsmall packed into this amazing novel. If you ever have the chance to read this book, I highly recommend you don't let it pass up! Purchase this it 
a while back and was amazed at the thought that Janette Oke and Davis Bunn put into this book. Taking place right after the death of Christ, the history in this book is astounding and interesting. I loved learning about the culture in the early roman empire and was happy to find this book informative and at the same time a sweet story. 
was a great book that I finished last week. Karen Kingsbury really did a great job on this one!The message of forgiveness and faith in God was very strong in this story. I was crying through many parts of the book and was touched by the simple message of moving on, forgiving without a thought, and trusting the LORD with all one's heart. I highly recommend this book. Purchased it 
by T.L Higley which I borrowed from my dear friend, Katy. This book was chock full of interesting historical information and took place in the wondrous city of Petra. This book was easily added to my list of historical favorites and proved to be very resourceful. If you've never heard of Petra, I'd encourage you to read a history post Katy did on our Book Ponderings blog 
was a marvelous book that held a great lesson in the results of lying. I was worried at the beginning that it would be one of those "Lying is ok if it's for a good reason" books and was happy when it turned out to be the opposite! Marguerite learns a good lesson about lying and how wrong it is, setting a model for people today. 
Hey Readers! I'm going to start trying(note the word 'trying' is stressed. lol) to post a Flashback post on Fridays, in which I will be writing about two recent, or not-so-recent, books I've read that I think should be pointed out. The first mainly for it's historical aspects and the second for it's Biblical aspects. Many people these days are tired of the simple love stories and want something to learn from when they read, whether it be a neat historical fact/event or a book filled with Christian ideas that will make you ponder your faith. I completely agree so it shouldn't be too hard for me notice books that fit either of the above, as they naturally stand out to me.
by Kathi Macias and Susan Wales. This book took place in the Roman age during Emperor Diocletian's reign. It was chock full of information on many true events that happened during that age. I had never heard of any of the people in the book(besides Constatine who was a side character) and loved learning about them and what went on in their lives. This book also had a very good Christian aspect, as the two wives of the Emperor and the Ceaser were Christians and were married to pagan men. 
Their stand for their faith was very inspirational, as were the martyrs that died because of their refusal to participate in pagan sacrifices. All around this book was a wonderful read, though for older teenagers and adults, and I encourage reading it. :-)
by Tosca Lee made me ponder Biblical events so much that I ended up having a long discussion with Katy about it, as she had just finished it also. The story of Eve and Adam was put extremely well in Lee's recent novel. Contemplating what it might have been like for Adam and Eve having suffered the immediate punishment for disobeying God and eating the fruit was easy to do when reading Havah, the story of Eve. Written from Eve's perspective, you will not be able to not stop and ponder the thoughts of Eve as she lives through her life with the weight of guilt from eating the fruit and giving it to her husband and the heartbreak of losing her son to her elder son's jealous hand. This book was very well written, and though I would encourage it to only more mature teen readers and adults for it's suggestive content, it was an amazing read that will truly make you ponder the past. Huh. I guess this fits the Historical Aspects too. :-P
