The Beer Drinker's Guide to God by William B. Miller

Genre: Essays

Pages: Soft Cover

Publisher: Howard Books

Jags: 6

Pop a top, or twist off the cap of a cold one and take a sip, because Father William Miller, a priest at St. Michaels and All Episcopal Church in Kauai, Hawaii, takes you on a laugh out loud journey about God and libations. 

In this humorous and somewhat pointed conversation about religion, beer, and most importantly, God, Father Miller introduces to what he believes is a sound argument to enjoy one of the greatest gifts from the Lord; alcohol. He puts together beautiful and insightful reflections as his explorations into his faith take him to deep conversations with Trappist Monks, to a one-week Celtic pilgrimage across the Emerald Isle, a stoning from some Palestinian teenage boys, right up to his current position as a Priest/bar-owner in Marfa, Texas. Father Miller explains the importance of spiritual generosity and sacrifice, with a shot of tequila. 

The Beer Drinker’s Guide to God is the perfect beer drinking companion to not only Christians, but to anyone who enjoys a cold one after a Sunday service. A toast to the marvel of The Lord. 

The Jag Review has received a free copy of this book from Howard Books, for our honest review. The opinions expressed here are our own. 

Fair Play by Deeanne Gist

Fair Play by Deeanne Gist

Genre: Fiction/Christian/Historical 

Pages: Soft Cover

Publisher: Howard Books 

Reviewer:  Jean Eastwood

Jags: 7

Set in 1893 at the World’s Fair in Chicago, IL, this love story will keep you reading until you are finished with the book. Dr. Billy Jack Tate is a woman doctor in a time when women as doctors were unheard of.

Dr. Tate tried to get in the Women’s building at the fair where she was to give a speech through the front door, but the Centurion guard would not believe she was a lady doctor and refused to let her in. Some women took her around to the back, to the basement window and propped it open for her to sneak in that way. After managing to get in without hurting herself, she finds herself face to face with another Centurion guard (Hunter Scott). She manages to get away from him and up the stairs to the room where she delivers her speech. She has no idea that this guard she ran away from will find her again and fall in love with her, and she with him.

The guard (Hunter Scott) is a Texas Ranger, temporarily on duty as a Centurion guard at the Chicago’s World Fair when he finds an abandoned infant boy. He turns it over to Dr. Tate to see if she can find the parents and/or provide a home for the child. They both took him to the Hull House which served as a temporary orphanage for some of the children, but it was in the slum areas of Chicago. Hunter and Dr. Tate soon took an interest in cleaning up the slum area and built a playground for the children. The infant boy whom Dr. Tate called “Joey” was adopted one day and Hunter did some research to find the boy was adopted by a millionaire. 

Hunter and Dr. Tate get involved in saving and adopting a 9-year old boy (Derry) who was wrongly accused of murder. Hunter and Dr. Tate get married and move to Texas with the boy. They have a total of 5 children and Hunter becomes a sheriff in a small town in Texas. Dr. Tate still practices medicine in Texas after a prominent person puts in a good word for her with the locals.

The author has a way to keep you interested by subtle humor from the main characters, both adults and children alike. I enjoyed it very much!

The Jag Review has received a free copy of this book from Howard Books, for our honest review. The opinions expressed here are our own. 

Sing For Me by Karen Halvorsen Schreck

Genre: Fiction 

Pages: Soft Cover 

Publisher: Howard Books 

Jags: 7 

New York durning the Depression was anything but forgiving, especially for a young woman with a gift. Rose Sorensen knows the music coming out of her neighbor's windows and on the radio isn't what her Danish Baptist family would consider godly, except Rose has a secret. Not only does she know the lyrics to these songs, but she can sing them as beautifully as the performers. 

At first, Rose was content to hold this yearning deep down inside, until one random night, her cousin convinces her to sneak away and go to Calliopes, a jazz club in Bronzeville. What happens next is nothing short of miraculous. Rose enters a world where praising The Lord isn't just confined to hymns on Sunday, but also on stage performing in front of an audience. 

Sing For Me is a beautiful story exploring the bonds of family, societies norm, and the very notion of following your dreams. Karen Halvorsen Schreck has woven together memorable story that allows you to connect with the characters from the first page, right down to the last. 

The Jag Review has received a free copy of this book from Howad Books for our honest review. The opinions expressed are our own.

Fearless Hope by Serena B. Miller

Genre: Fiction/Amish & Mennonite 

Pages: Soft Cover

Publisher:  Howard Books/Simon & Schuster

Reviewer:  Jean Eastwood

Jags: 8

This is a captivating and wonderfully-written fictional story about an “Amish” woman named Hope who lost her husband in a tragic farming accident and falls in love again. This book holds your interest and you can’t seem to put it down, wondering what will happen next. 

The story takes place in Holmes County, Iowa. Since her husband died, Hope needs and starts a part-time housekeeping job for Logan, a writer from New York who just bought one of the old “Amish” homes. He starts to have “déjà-vu” feelings about the town, the house next door and the community in general. 

Logan has a fiancé (Marla) back in New York but that relationship does not last very long once he realizes he has fallen in love with Hope and her two children. He goes back to New York to break off the relationship with Marla and catches her cheating on him. He evicts her and puts his New York apartment (worth millions of dollars) back on the market again.

The ending is quite surprising in that we find out the main character Logan was actually kidnapped when he was a small boy while on vacation with his family in Sarasota, Florida. His name was Joseph then. Logan’s mom makes the long trip back to Iowa with him to apologize to the family next door for kidnapping their son and after a very emotional conversation with the family she is forgiven.

Hope and Logan get married and have their own child. Logan tries to learn the “Amish” ways to go back to his “Amish” roots and fit in within this community.

The sporadic insertion of the “Amish” language throughout the book helps the reader visualize the “Amish” culture. Their beliefs are very strong and they rely on the opinion of their Bishop for the moral decisions they need to make in life. This was a great read! 

The Jag Review has received a free copy of this book from Howard Books for our honest review. The opinions expressed here are our own. 

The Traitor's Wife by Allison Pataki

Genre: Histoical Fiction 

Author:  Allison Pataki

Publisher:  Simon & Schuster

Reviewer:  Virginia Armstrong

Rating:  9

The Traitor’s Wife is a story of war, hope love and betrayal.   As America is fighting for its very freedom during the Revolutionary War, Socialite Peggy Shippen, swayed by thoughts of royalty and riches, has placed her loyalty with the Brits.

After being abandoned by Major John Andre, she sets her sights on General Benedict Arnold.  A man crippled from war and twice her age, Arnold falls for her cunning and deception.  After they are married, Peggy becomes even more calculating as she teams up with Major John Andres once again.  Believing a life of royalty awaits her, she convinces her husband to betray America and the freedom it offered.

Clara Bell, Peggy Shippen Arnold’s maid, is privy to the conspiracy.  With her belief in the nation at hand, and refusing to lose the freedom it offered, she must risk everything and intervene in the plot before the Red Coats take control of West Point and capture General George Washington. 

The Traitor’s Wife is a very good read.  It merges fact with fiction, keeping your mind open to various aspects of Benedict Arnold’s life and the events that led up to his act of treason.   The question being, was Peggy Shippen Arnold the mastermind behind it?  Perhaps we will never know, but Allison Pataki  does an excellent job of humanizes and bringing about another perspective into Arnold’s life. 

The story is filled with engaging characters and universal emotions that can never be dated.  Everyone should read this book.

The Jag Review has received this book from Howard Books, for our honest review. The opinions expressed here are our own. 

What’s so funny by Tim Conway with Jane Scovell

Genre: Memoir

Pages: Hard Cover

Publishers: Howard

Reviewer: Joe Dekyser  

JAGS: 7

Release Date: October 29th 2013

 

Rarely will a comedian make Television history, or span a career for more than 70 years. In Tim Conway’s memoir, “What’s so funny?” he explains just that. As an only child, born in a small town in Ohio during the Great Depression to what he considers slightly askew parents with odd tendencies, he grew up with a love of horses and the dream to one day become a jockey.

Known as a prankster throughout his years in school, Tim went on to Bowling Green State University before he went into the army. His break into entertainment was the year 1958, where he started as a Disc Jockey for KYW-Cleveland playing records and telling jokes. Shortly after, a job opening for regular TV spots featuring Rose Marie from the Dick Van Dyke, which ultimately landed him a role on the Steve Allen Show. He was then casted as a regular for the Dean Martin Comedy hour. All these minor rolls lead up to the role that would make Tim Conway a television legend, the coveted part on the new Carol Burnette Show. Looking back on his whole life, Tim realizes how wonderful, unpredictable and blessed his life was. “What a ride!” as likes to say.

What’s so funny, is a memoir describing a life well lived. The humor was laugh out loud enjoyable in certain parts, but dry in others. Knowing, and watching the comedic styling of Tim Conway’s TV career, I found myself enjoying more of his expressions, characters on screen than in the book. Overall, Tim Conway is, and will always be one of the funniest men in show business.

“We received a free copy of this book from Howard Books, for our honest review. The opinions expressed here are our own.” –The Jag Review