A Nest in the Rocks

Building a nest on the rocks of faith and family

Amy

“A.D. 33” by Ted Dekker

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They call her the Queen of the Outcasts. Maviah, a woman whose fate was sealed on her birth by this world-unwanted, illegitimate, female, a slave-subject to the whims of all. But then she met a man named Yeshua who opened her eyes. She found strength in his words, peace from the brutal word around her. Because of what he taught her, she has gathered her own traveling kingdom of outcasts deep in the desert, wielding an authority few have seen. But when her growing power threatens the rulers around her, they set out to crush all she loves, leaving her reeling as a slave once more. She must find Yeshua to save her people, but when she does, she will be horrified to discover that he faces his own death. Enter a story full of intrigue, heart-wrenching defeat, uncompromising love and staggering victory-one that re-examines everything you thought you knew about the heart of Jesus’s stunning message and the power that follows for those who follow his easily forgotten way.

AD 33 Book Cover

Dekker pens a stunning conclusion to Mavia’s story in A.D. 30: A Novel‘>A.D. 30, this sequel opens onto a chilling scene.  Mavia spends the rest of the book trying to rectify the problems created in this opening. 

Dekker puts his signature spin on Mavia’s journey.  While Mavia struggles to follow the Way, Yeshua’s words are never quite what you expect – even for the modern reader who knows the end of His story.  I like this aspect of the story; while it is often personally difficult to do as He leads, Dekker shines a spotlight on His words.  The meaning stands out in stark relief to how we normally operate in our comfortable, everyday lives.  These provocative messages are guaranteed to make any reader ponder Yeshua’s words long and deep.

My favorite aspect of any Dekker story is the way that he slides a total plot shake-up in just when you least expect it.  He excels at describing the unexpected and giving the story myriads of twists and turns.  I am never able to predict the ending of any of his stories, and lest you think that this series is an exception to that rule, I can assure you that it’s not.  While the story of Yeshua remains Biblically accurate, Dekker throws several curve balls in through Mavia’s actions.  The responses that he imagines the Disciples and Yeshua’s followers might have are heart-wrenching to read, and that only pulls the reader deeper into the story.

I love the story of

“The Methuselah Project” by Rick Barry

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Nazi scientists started many experiments. One never ended.

Roger Greene is a war hero. Raised in an orphanage, the only birthright he knows is the feeling that he was born to fly. Flying against the Axis Powers in World War II is everything he always dreamed—until the day he’s shot down and lands in the hands of the enemy.

When Allied bombs destroy both his prison and the mad genius experimenting on POWs, Roger survives. Within hours, his wounds miraculously heal, thanks to those experiments. The Methuselah Project is a success—but this ace is still not free. Seventy years later, Roger hasn’t aged a day, but he has nearly gone insane. This isn’t Captain America—just a lousy existence only made passable by a newfound faith. The Bible provides the only reliable anchor for Roger’s sanity and his soul. When he finally escapes, there’s no angelic promise or personal prophecy of deliverance, just confusion. It’s 2015—and the world has become an unrecognizable place.
Katherine Mueller—crack shot, genius, and real Southern Belle—offers to help him find his way home. Can he convince her of the truth of his crazy story? Can he continue to trust her when he finds out she works for the very organization he’s trying to flee?

Thrown right into pulse-pounding action from the first page, readers will find themselves transported back in time to a believable, full-colored past, and then catapulted into the present once more. The historical back-and-forth adds a constantly moving element of suspense to keep readers on the edge of their seats.

The Methuselah Project is a wild ride through WWII and modern American history.  You’ll fall in love with Captain Roger Greene on Page One and you’ll cheer him on through every twist and turn after that.  He’s determined, brave, and funny; you can’t help but admire his spirit.

Katherine is just as likeable.  She’s a bit naïve but is determined to start steering the ship of her own life – against her domineering uncle’s wishes.  She’s loyal to family, smart, and doesn’t let life get her down.  I admire the way that she jumps into life full force.

The plot itself is reminiscent of Forever Young.  Since that’s one of my favorite movies, this plot structure was fascinating to me.  I love the time travel idea – or, living longer than usual and experiencing another era for the first time.  Actually getting Roger from his capture to 2015 took a much bigger chunk of the book than I expected, and since the re-entry aspect is so exciting to me, I would have liked more detail about this part of Roger’s life.  The succession of the Nazi regime and Roger’s relationship with his captors was interesting, although it moved a bit more slowly thank I would have liked at times.  Still, the detail described in this portion of the book played a large part later and was important.

Before reading, I expected this story to be one of great interest to teens.  I still think that could be true, although because much of Katherine’s  early thoughts are related to romance and love, I think it best suited for older teens and adults.  The violence is minimal for a WWII story, but the true historical atrocities are alluded to, particularly in reference to Dr. Josef Mengele.  That harshness only ups the realistic quality of the story.

The Methuselah Project was a great read.  I look forward to reading more of Rick Barry.

Click here to read other reviews on this bloggy hop or here to purchase your own copy now.

Rick Barry is the author of Gunner’s Run, another World War II novel, Kiriath’s Quest, and over 200 articles and fiction stories. In addition to being a World War II buff, he is the director of church planting ministries at BIEM, a Christian ministry operating in Eastern Europe. He holds a degree in foreign languages, speaks Russian, and has visited Europe more than fifty times. Rick lives in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Connect with Rick online: website, Twitter, Facebook

 

I received a free copy of The Methuselah Project from LitFuse Publicity in exchange for an honest review.

Hearts for Home Blog Hop – September 30, 2015

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A Nest in the Rocks is now one of the co-hosts for the weekly Hearts for Home Blog link-up, which means that every Thursday you’ll find lots of great tips, recipes, and other family-friendly ideas listed throughout this post. If you’re a blogger, we’d love to have you link up your posts and join us. You can find information about the other co-hosts of this hop here.

The most clicked post from last week were Learning Spanish with Foreign Languages for Kids – Review.

Some of my favorite posts from last week were:

– Take A Hike! Leave Electronics Behind

– FREE Greek Mythology Coloring Book | Homeschl PreK

– 50 Upper Elementary Writing Prompts

If your post is listed above, please grab one of our ‘Featured Blogger’ buttons! Congratulations, and thanks for writing such inspiring posts.

Hearts for Home Blog Hop

Link up your family-friendly blog posts below. Please add our button to your post to link back to this one. Happy hopping! Hearts for Home Blog Hop


Great Science Stories for Elementary Readers

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My kids love science, but they love to read, too.   They get especially excited when those two subjects collide.  These are some of our very favorite science-based adventure books.

Great Science Stories for Elementary Readers @ A Nest in the Rocks

Currently, there are only a few books/series on this list – because I have very high standards.  While science can be pulled into many, many books, the ones on this list are focused on hard science.  They’re the best that I’ve found so far.

 

Edison’s Gold is a fantastic book about the fictional great-great-grandson of Thomas Edison and his efforts to uncover secrets buried by his ancestor and a secret society.  Tom uses his scientific knowledge to unravel secret codes and dig his way out of trouble spots, much like McGuyver on the old TV show.

Nick and Tesla’s High-Voltage Danger Lab: A Mystery with Electromagnets, Burglar Alarms, and Other Gadgets You Can Build Yourself is a part of the Nick and Tesla series.  Written by a pair of scientists, each book in the series contains several sets of experiment plans.  They’re written simply but are very engaging to kids.  The books themselves are exciting but written simply; however, they’re easy to read and convey fun scientific information – definitely worth a read.  New books continue to be written in the series:

Nick and Tesla’s Robot Army Rampage: A Mystery with Hoverbots, Bristle Bots, and Other Robots You Can Build Yourself

Nick and Tesla’s Special Effects Spectacular: A Mystery with Animatronics, Alien Makeup, Camera Gear, and Other Movie Magic You Can Make Yourself!

Nick and Tesla’s Secret Agent Gadget Battle

Nick and Tesla’s Super-Cyborg Gadget Glove: A Mystery with a Blinking, Beeping, Voice-Recording Gadget Glove You Can Build Yourself

Copernicus Legacy (3 Book Series) is an exciting, Indiana-Jones style set of books.  The Kaplan family stumbles upon a centuries-old mystery involving a machine built by Copernicus and hidden by other scientists of the era.  There are great pieces of historical and scientific information between each action-packed scene.

The Copernicus Archives #1: Wade and the Scorpion’s Claw is a novella connected with the Copernicus Legacy.  There is a Copernicus Archive book, which is much shorter in length than the Legacy books, that was written between each Legacy one.  These are just as good as the longer books and also feature historical scientists.

 

What would you add to this list?

“The Mistress of Tall Acre” by Laura Frantz

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The American Revolution is finally over, and Sophie Menzies is starved for good news. When her nearest neighbor, General Seamus Ogilvy, finally comes home to Tall Acre, she hopes it is a sign of better days to come. But the general is now a widower with a small daughter in desperate need of a mother. Nearly destitute, Sophie agrees to marry Seamus and become the mistress of Tall Acre in what seems a safe, sensible arrangement. But when a woman from the general’s past returns without warning, the ties that bind this fledgling family together will be strained to the utmost. When all is said and done, who will be the rightful mistress of Tall Acre?

"The Mistress of Tall Acre" @ A nest in the Rocks

The Mistress of Tall Acre: A Novel‘>The Mistress of Tall Acre down.

Frantz’ characterization of Sophie and Seamus is excellent.  The pair make a great couple.  Their romantic longings are clear and yet modestly described.  Despite it all, their ties are not physical but are based on much deeper reasonings, making this book rank far above most romantic stories.  The great lessons and historic research only up this ranking.

Having been in Williamsburg, Virginia, only last week, another aspect of the setting excited me.  Several specific historical places were named in the story that I saw last week.  Raleigh Tavern and Bruton Parish Church are still on the Duke of Gloucester Street, where it’s easy to imagine how life must have looked and smelled and been all those centuries ago.  Reading about those places in this story brought it all to life again and made the story that much more exciting for me.

Hearts for Home Blog Hop – September 23, 2015

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A Nest in the Rocks is now one of the co-hosts for the weekly Hearts for Home Blog link-up, which means that every Thursday you’ll find lots of great tips, recipes, and other family-friendly ideas listed throughout this post. If you’re a blogger, we’d love to have you link up your posts and join us. You can find information about the other co-hosts of this hop here.

The most clicked posts from last week were DIY Elsa & Anna Costumes.

Some of my favorite posts from last week were:

– Methods for Integrating Writing

– Natural Ways to Treat Migraines » Just Another Mom

– Creative Girls Gift Basket Giveaway

If your post is listed above, please grab one of our ‘Featured Blogger’ buttons! Congratulations, and thanks for writing such inspiring posts.

Hearts for Home Blog Hop

Link up your family-friendly blog posts below. Please add our button to your post to link back to this one. Happy hopping! Hearts for Home Blog Hop


Learning Spanish with Foreign Languages for Kids – Review

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When we started homeschooling, one of the biggest benefits I anticipated was the opportunity to study a foreign language at an elementary age.  My education professors in college drilled into us the many benefits of doing so, but they’re not taught in our local public schools.  I didn’t realize how difficult it would be to make this happen, however.

 

That’s why I’m so excited that we’re learning Spanish with Foreign Languages for Kids by Kids.  This video-based, immersion curriculum is both fun and easy.  The kids and I are learning new words together every day without stress, struggle, or tears (like in other programs we’ve tried).

We log onto the website each morning at breakfast.  I put our laptop at the end of the table, and we start the video while we eat.  Each one is an average of 5 minutes long, so sometimes we watch more than once or go back and watch earlier ones if we feel the need. 

The videos are expertly made.  I love that they begin with a review of recently-learned material before moving on to new concepts.  The format is reminiscent of ‘Sesame Street’ for big people.  Each video features kids as they go about their day.  After a short verbal exchange, the screen changes to show the new vocabulary words.  Sometimes there are funny skits involved to demonstrate the meaning of the words being used. 

My kids both love the videos.  They walk around throughout the day, singing the words and phrases to themselves.  They talk along with the videos as they play, and they anxiously await their turns to use the online workbook. 

After not quite three weeks, we’re on Lesson 8.  The kids are picking up the vocabulary quickly and they’re eager to learn new words.  When we watch a new video, we watch it for several days in a row until both kids are confident in their ability to remember the new vocabulary and concepts.  Because the videos are so funny, even I’m picking up new words.

The program includes an online workbook and quizzes.  Both kids took the first set of quizzes last week and aced them.  The new information that they’re learning is definitely being retained.

I’m glad that we’re using Foreign Languages for Kids by Kids this year.  If you want to check it out, click on the banner below.   It’s definitely worth a look!

I received free access to this curriculum in exchange for an honest review.

“Tiger Heart” Giveaway

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There’s a new book on the market, and it has a most important message.  Check it out:

In TIGER HEART: My Unexpected Adventures to Make a Difference in Darjeeling and What I Learned About Fate, Fortitude, and Finding Family Half a World Away (October 2015), Katrell Christie tells her remarkable story – how an impromptu trip to India inspired her to house and educate the country’s displaced young girls. Katrell never intended to visit India. In fact, her dream getaway involved a tropical beach and a margarita. But when this former art student turned roller-derby-rebel-turned-tea-shop owner met three teenage girls at a crowded Buddhist orphanage in Darjeeling, Katrell knew she had to help. What began as a trip on a whim proved to be a life-altering experience that would change the fate of these displaced girls, and others to follow.  Katrell soon would find a new purpose in India, and in the most unlikely way, her life would be eternally entwined with women from a whole new world. TIGER HEART is beautifully written and offers a shot-gun seat on an inspiring trek across the globe, capturing the essence of India: its quirks, its traditions, and its people.  It examines the ties that bind us, the power that each of us has to make a difference, and the way we live, love and find meaning in our lives.  

While in Darjeeling, Katrell learned that the girls in this orphanage would soon “age out,” without any place to go and that the fate of many of them was bleak.  At 16-years-old the girls are “evicted” from the orphanage and left to fend for themselves in a society where one’s family is the vital support network. Many of these girls faced grim futures as laborers or domestic servants. Some might have been relegated to lives of sexual exploitation.  When Katrell learned about these “throwaway” girls, she couldn’t walk away. Instead she moved forward–on a mission to help in any way, and once back in Atlanta, founded The Learning Tea, which today has offered scholarships to 11 young women in Darjeeling.  By selling tea, cupcakes, scones, and other items, Katrell raised enough funds to provide life necessities for the girls, providing them with life necessities — a safe home, an education, uniforms, medical care, as well as music lessons, tutoring, computer classes, and other extracurricular activities — all because of one unlikely hero and her tea shop.

TIGER HEART recounts Katrell’s riveting adventures in India, through the chaotic streets of Mumbai, to tiny villages with roadside tea huts and hot samosas, to elephant crossings and snow-capped mountain switchbacks of the Himalayas–an unexpected backdrop where Katrell fell in love with a country that was gorgeous and heartbreaking all at once, where tragedy, humor, resilience and kindness were inextricably bound. Katrell has readers sipping tea with her at roadside tea huts and tasting hot samosas. The smells from small villages waft from the pages as readers accompany her on her riveting and sometimes hilarious adventures across the globe in her mission to empower the young women who have become a part of her family. Katrell dodges feral monkeys, slams shots of whiskey to win acceptance at a local Rotary Club, and forges lasting friendships with the people who step up to help her cause.  Katrell will inspire readers as she shares her story and her mission to make a difference through the power of educating girls.  Fate may have led Katrell to a tiny spot on a map, but it was a kinship that brought her back home a half a world away.

 Tiger Heart is not only important, but it’s life-changing.  That’s why we’re giving away three copies of this book!  Enter by September 27 using the widget below.  Good luck!

 

“A Wedding at the Orange Blossom Inn” by Shelley Shepard Grey

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Emma Keim was heartbroken when her husband, Sanford, passed away, leaving her to raise three young daughters alone. Though several years have passed, her relatives have made it no secret that they expect Emma to remain a widow, mourning Sanford indefinitely. But when she meets Jay Hilty—a handsome widower with three young sons of his own—Emma is delighted to have a new friend who understands her struggles. Still, she is dismayed that her family is so opposed to their friendship—and the idea of it ever becoming anything more. She honors her husband’s memory every day, but is she destined to be alone forever?

Emma’s gentleness with Jay’s boys stirs something in his heart that’s been quiet for far too long. But when his oldest son becomes engaged to a local woman, suddenly Jay, Emma, and their children are swept up in wedding preparations. Witnessing his son’s joy, Jay wonders if it’s time for him to move forward, too, and find happiness again.

Once again, love has come to Pinecraft. But can these two parties of four become a happy, healthy family of eight?

The Orange Blossom Inn has never been so beautiful – and the old-fashioned romance so appealing.  There’s more than one romance in this story, too, which only makes it better.  Emma and Jay have big, adult issues to work through, while Tricia and Ben are caught up in the bloom of young love.  The contrasts are appealing.

Emma’s ties to her old life are strong, and her family doesn’t want anything to change.  She’s ready to move on, however, and I love the way that she honestly and kindly speaks with those concerned.  She’s much more patient than I could be, and her emotional struggle add both spice and sweetness to the plot.

Frankie is pure fun.  A beagle with a penchant for pizza, he adds his own brand of humor to the story at all the right moments – and sometimes the wrong ones.  I love the way that Gray takes a serious emotional story and keeps it so approachable with episodes like Frankie’s escapades.

A Wedding at the Orange Blossom Inn is fun, and like the other books in the series, the characters are close and realistic.  I can’t wait for the next installment in the series!

Click here to read other reviews on this bloggy hop or here to purchase your own copy now.

Shelley Shepard Gray is a two-time New York Times bestseller, a two-time USA Today bestseller, a finalist for the American Christian Fiction Writers prestigious Carol Award, and a two-time Holt Medallion winner. She lives in Southern Ohio, where she writes full-time, bakes too much, and can often be found walking her dachshunds on her town’s bike trail.

Find Shelley online: website, Facebook, Twitter

 

 

I received a free copy of this book from LitFuse Publicity in exchange for an honest review.

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