Ready for another giveaway? Here are a few new titles for you to check out, plus a chance to win one!  The books were sent to me for review; this post contains affiliate links. Of course, these are just my opinions!  If you’re wondering what to read this weekend, I hope you’ll consider reading one of these.

In the book When Grace Sings, we find out how desperate some media personnel can be when it comes to digging up scandal.  The story starts off a bit shady as we realize that Briley has some ulterior motive for digging around in the Amish community.   I’m afraid that the shadiness doesn’t wear off as the story runs, and it’s difficult to bear that anticipation.  Sawyer’s characters tend to have deep emotional roots, and that’s true of When Grace Sings as well. Ambition, jealousy, and pride are heavy hitters in this novel.  It was interesting how each person held fast to their stereotypes of each other; it made the interaction awkward just like it might be in real life.  The story really veers from the traditional Amish novels I’ve read.  The bed and breakfast business aspect brings in English visitors, so that makes a difference in the typical banter that helps the story to develop.  When you reach 2/3 of the way through the book, make sure you have enough time to finish it in one setting. You won’t want to stop for a moment!  One tiny detail to note…the chapter pages have these beautiful floral sketches in the corners, almost like a doodle. I wanted to color them like a coloring book!

Briley would have loved to read The Heart of the Amish by Suzanne Woods Fisher. Speaking of Amish books, this non-fiction collection contains life lessons using true stories and reflection questions. Rather than hiding the imperfections in the Amish community, this book brings awareness to the human character regardless of religious beliefs or lifestyles. The chapters are very short, usually only 2 or 3 pages each, so they’re perfect to use as a daily devotional. You could also incorporate this book into a small group study. Take a few chapters each week and ask your small group members to apply the life lessons to daily activities. The story that hit home with me was the one titled “When Parents Make Mistakes.” At school, I’m all patience and kindness, but sometimes that supply is gone by the time I reach home with my own kids. My temper can get the best of me, and I’m ashamed to say that my voice might be raised or sharp words might be spoken. Asking forgiveness from my child is a humbling experience, yet it’s necessary for my children to see that I make mistakes, too. Giving them the power to forgive helps to build that connection between mercy and grace. Check out the chapter titles in The Heart of the Amish. Which one do you think you’d most like to read?

Finally, Honey the Dixie Dingo Dog is a great title for middle grade kids. This book highlights Honey, Champion of the Strays. Initially, I thought this book would be best suited for elementary students because of the low number of pages, but later determined that it would be best for tweens and above. it This book just begs to be read aloud! Set in the swamp and complete with low-country dialect, young readers will eat up every page of this story. The tale is written from Honey’s perspective, which is a unique way to see the world. Colorful figurative language, especially onomatopoeia, make the story swoop and swirl through the imagination. One reason that a parent or teacher might want to read this book aloud is due to some strong content that’s not typically found in children’s books. For example, Honey experiences a dangerous brush with death, and must escape her captors to avoid being shot. This might be frightening to younger children, and reading the book aloud would make it simple to avoid such perilous parts. There were several profanities printed in the story (unnecessarily, in my opinion.) When reading aloud, words such as “helluva” can be easily skipped without changing the tone of the story. Did you know that the Dixie Dingo is an actual registered breed of dog? I didn’t! Author Allen Paul has an interesting personal story that inspired Honey the Dixie Dingo Dog, and it makes the book all the richer.  Honey’s story is unique and has the makings of a bookshelf favorite. You can even follow her posts on Allen’s blog!