The Scribe's Portion

  "The Master Craftsman" by Kelli Stuart SPOILER ALERT: this historical fiction novel is not a romance novel. So if you're looking for romance, look somewhere else. I was very intrigued by the summary of this book when I was offered it for review. I love, love history, and the Romanovs, and the Russian revolution are some of my favorites to study. So I went in with high expectations.  My short opinion is that it was just okay. I learned more about the Faberge eggs and about Faberge himself. Prior to reading this, I knew nothing about the Faberge eggs. All I knew was that they were Russian and I associated them with a pagan fertility symbol. I still retain that opinion but at least I know now that they meant a little more than that, though I have to admit that they are beautifully crafted and ingenious.   This is a dual-time story taking place in the early 1900s-1920s Russia and the present day. I give the historical part a 4/5 and the present timeline a 3/5. I didn't...

  "Before The Throne: Finding Strength Through Prayer in Difficult Times" by Crickett Keeth This is an 8-week Bible study on prayer. The author focuses on biblical stories and figures each week and applies them to the subject of prayer. These include; Moses, the Psalmists, Jonah, Hezekiah, Habakkuk, Jesus, Paul, and the Revelation saints. I found these interesting choices to study, I would never think of Jonah first when thinking about prayer but it is a good thing because the study makes me consider points of view I hadn't before.  Each week consists of 5 days. It has an introduction, 8-10 questions broken into different sections like reflection, life application, etc., and a quote at the end of each day. There is a leader guide at the back of the book making it perfect to use for small groups. The questions themselves, for the most part, are not as in-depth as I would have liked, requiring very short answers. I personally like deep stuff so to me this study is pretty li...