Chock Full of Tons of Useful Tips -- makes a great gift!

 Wanda E. Brunstetter’s Amish Friends Life Hacks is a great gift choice in so many situations – for the newly married; for the new homeowner; for the grown child moving out on their own; and for those who simply love to absorb all kinds of useful facts!  I fall into that last category, and love the fact that I can open the book to any section (and there are several: cooking, housecleaning, gardening, and health, to name a few) and immediately read quick tips that I find myself referring back to and sharing with family, friends, and co-workers. Interspersed between all this useful knowledge are beautiful photographs containing inspirational sayings and biblical words of wisdom – perfectly placed words of encouragement just when you seem to need them the most!  If you’re looking for a compilation of useful everyday tips to make your life easier, this is the book for you!  If you’re looking for a glimpse into the everyday life of Plain people (who were the contributors of these tips), this book provides a glimpse of easy tips from plain-living people.  This is a book you will find yourself going back to time and time again.  I received a copy of this book in exchange for my review.

Letters of Wisdom, Book 3 of The Friendship Letters Series

The third and final installment in The Friendship Letters series by Wanda E. Brunstetter is “Letters of Wisdom.”  It follows the story of Irma Miller as she deals with previously suppressed childhood memories of abuse at the hands of her stepfather, Homer.  While these memories have lain mostly dormant, upon Homer’s death and Irma’s trip back home for his funeral, they are awakened.  Irma finds herself suffering from tormenting flashbacks as she finds herself struggling  to control her own  escalating anger towards her children. She turns to her friend Doretta for advice.   Doretta writes to Irma, encouraging her to seek help.  It is only by working with a Christian counselor that Irma finally breaks the cycle of abuse.  While this may be a triggering book for individuals who have suffered similar abuse, as you read through Irma’s story, you may also experience healing as she did, by following the steps she did. Kudos to Ms. Brunstetter for tackling the tough issues. I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.