Wednesday, October 12, 2011

The Christmas note

I love these type of books, Heartwarming stories that seem to bring out the best in people, and it's perfect for the Christmas season!
The book focuses around Gretchen McCray and a young woman name Melissa, Gretchen moves into an apartment complex to be close to her elderly mother and meets her new neighbor Melissa, who seem either uncaring or horribly shy! After Melissa's mother passes away Gretchen offers to help her clean out the apartment, but no one is prepared for what happens next!!
While the book is a really heart warming book, I also enjoyed that it had bits of suspense and mystery! The writing was well done and the book had a great flow! I would highly recommend this book!!

Wednesday, October 05, 2011

NO wonder they call Him Savior


I love reading books by Max Lucado, he has some fantastic insight into the Scriptures and nature of God. I always come away feeling encouraged, empowered, and faith filled!
This book was no exception and one of those books that I'll be picking up for friends and new converts at our church. It was such a good book that really gets to the heart of why Jesus deserves our devotion, and admiration and love. We get taken on a journey of Jesus from the cross to the ressurrection, we see Jesus' stark honesty in the the Garden of Gethsemane and celebrate his ressurection in the tomb! Really this book meant so much to me, as Christians, (especially long time Christians) sometimes our faith tends to get stale and we forget the gloriousness of what Jesus did for us. We forget how absolutely astonishing and wonderous Jesus truly is. This book reminds us of that.
I love this book, I highly recommend it!!

Tuesday, October 04, 2011

Stuck

Click to Close (Stuck DVD-Based Study by Jennie Allen)
I loved the idea of this Bible study when it was first offered up for review, as someone in leadership in our women's ministry, I like to check out new resources and find that I'm really enjoying the dvd based studies. They not only give the information, but when paired with the work book give us a chance to apply it to our lives and have it open to discussion.
I like this Bible study, I found it really easy to follow and it was interesting (which I find sometimes many of these "group" type studies lack).  All of us have struggles in our lives and moments where we find ourselves stuck in those places. The Bible studies in this series not only acknowledge the fact that we can and will experience these times, but it almost gives us the freedom to not feel condemned for feeling them! But more than that, it also gave easy to use and valuable tools to get out of those stuck moments in your life! I loved this Bible study, I learned so much from it!! I highly recommend it!!

"Samplers of the Book and DVD have been provided courtesy of Thomas Nelson and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. DVD-Based Study available October 2011 at your favourite bookseller from Thomas Nelson".  

A Confident heart

Confident Heart, A, Renee Swope, 978-0-8007-1960-9
I usually start out these reviews for devotional/self help books by saying how I normally don't like them, but I'm thinking I may just have to eat my words, lol. The last few books I've read have been fantastic, and this book "A confident heart" was no exception!
I think in this day an age when there's so much confusion about religion and who we are in Christ that books like this are so important!
I really enjoyed reading this book, but more than that, I found myself really benefiting from the read as well. What I appreciated most I think is that the author didn't try to give a specific "formula" or mold that people needed to fit into in order to be living "God's way". I tend to have a personality that is nothing like the proverbs 31 woman, so I struggle often trying to understand how I and my personality work within my Christian walk. I loved that the author gave us the freedom to know that our personalities are God-given too, and left it open enough that there wasn't a feeling of having to assimilate in order to be "right". But also, we weren't (in the book) allowed to use that as an excuse to not move forward in our walk, or to become more like the person Christ wants us to be. I loved the concept she introduced of seeing beyond who you are to who you are becoming in Christ. How powerful!!
Again, this will be a book I'll be recommending to my women's group! I think so many will benefit from reading this book!!

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.


Available at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group".

The Colonel's lady

Colonel's Lady, The, Laura Frantz, 978-0-8007-3341-4

I love historical novels especially when they have a strong female as a lead character, so this book was right up my alley!
I've read a few other Laura Frantz novels and have enjoyed every one of them, so I had big expectations for this one as well!
The book is about Roxanna Rowan and after circumstances necessitate it for her to join her father in a remote Kentucky fort, she travels and faces danger at every turn only to find that her father has been killed. With no where else to go she is forced to remain on at the fort and find ways to keep herself and the women she travelled with busy. As she makes friends with many at the fort, she also finds herself drawn to the Colonel, who is hiding a secret that could devastate her.
I really enjoyed this book, it was well written and had a really easy style to read. The Characters in the book had a lot of depth to them, which I really appreciate And over all it was very entertaining. It didn't read like a "romance" novel but contained enough adventure and danger to make it appeal to a wide range of readers!!
I highly recommend it!!
"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.


Available at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group".

Amish values for Your family

Amish Values for Your Family, Suzanne Woods Fisher, 978-0-8007-1996-8I love reading about the Amish, so I figured I would really enjoy a book that shows us what we can learn from their simple lifestyle!
I very much respect the way that the Amish raise their children, it isn't often you hear of Amish children getting into too much trouble. I enjoyed reading about how much they value their family time, not just the quantity of it, but also the quality as well! One thing I really appreciate was how they are determined to follow God and place that example before their kids. By being so determined to follow what they believe is the lifestyle God has for them, they are setting a great example of faith, integrity and hard work for their children.
There was so much in the book that is easily adaptable into the general population (the non-Amish)
There were some great ideas and concepts presented that while they should be common sense, it seems like too many overlook them. (Like spending time with your children. If your not spending time with them and helping mould them, then someone else will!)
Great book that I highly recommend!!

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.


Available at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group".

A most Unsuitable match

Most Unsuitable Match, A, Stephanie Grace Whitson, 978-0-7642-0881-2

I LOVED this book. IT was not at all what I had expected when I picked it up! I had figured most of it was just be a story of blossoming romance between two unlikely figures. But it was so much more! The book was full of adventure, suspense and humour. The main character was written well and I found her while sometimes naive to also have strength of character and a willingness to adapt. I really enjoyed reading this book, my favorite types of books are historical fiction, and especially ones where people are traveling to more "frontier" type places.
This book was great, well written, excellent flow and very entertaining! I'd highly recommend this book, regardless of what type of books  you like to read, this has something in it for everyone!!

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.


Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group".

Out of Control

Out of Control, Mary Connealy, 978-0-7642-0911-6

While I enjoyed the book and found it quite entertaining I had a really difficult time liking one of the main characters. Julia Gilliland (The female main character) was too flippiant for me. I found her character (While was written in depth and the author gave her a form of "depth) was a little too shallow in her behavior. I know at the time that the book was set in, it was a very difficult time for women to have any form of respect and rights. So I understand the reasoning behind the characters actions. But I also found her too self-centered and flippiant about the danger she put others in, or the pain she was causing them by her wants and actions.
However like I said I really enjoyed the book still (Which I think is a great indicator of a good book. When you can dislike a character but still have a book that is entertaining and enjoyable)
It was a great book, and I would without a doubt recommend this!!

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.


Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group".

Everything the Bible says about Heaven

Everything the Bible Says About Heaven, , 978-0-7642-0896-6

I liked the idea of this book right when I heard about it. There are so many misconceptions out there about heaven and people tend to take the topic of heaven and "Develop" it on feelings rather than actual fact or looking into God's word to see what it says. So right away, I was glad that someone came out with a book that would let people know exactly what the Bible DOES say about heaven.
I enjoyed the book. I found it quite informative and just really like how nicely all of it was laid out. The Scriptures given paired with the commentary really helped to clarify and give an easier understanding of what the Bible does say about heaven.
I think eveyone should read this book, Christian or non-Christian, the book clears up misconceptions and lays out in easy to understand way exactly what the Bible does say about heaven. This will be one of those books that I'll be recommending our church pick up to give out to new believers. It will be a great tool in both the church and personal life.

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.


Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group".

Jesus, My Father, the CIA, and me

Jesus, My Father, the CIA, and Me: A Memoir of Sorts   -     
        By: Ian Cron

The book was not really what I expected, and I'm torn a bit on liking it or not. I enjoyed Cron's humour throughout the book, I think he took a really rough life situation and has used it to reach out to others, which I really respect. The part however that bothers me is how much "blame" (I don't like to use that word, but can't think of one that aptly fits) he puts on his father for his problems in adulthood. I'm a big believer that regardless of upbringing we are all responsible for our own actions and choices. And that to blame others is a cop out.
I did enjoy the book in the sense that I do like Cron's writing style and humour, its a style that I enjoy reading. I hate to say it "entertained me" just because it was a book of some one's painful memories, but I did find the writing entertaining in a sense. For that reason I probably would recommend this book to others. It was quite well written and had great flow. And again, I really enjoyed the humour of the author.

"Book has been provided courtesy of Thomas Nelson and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.


Available at your favourite bookseller from Thomas Nelson".

Project Dad

Project Dad, Todd Cartmell, 978-0-8007-1999-9








I"m not ususally a huge fan of self help books, I find them to often be too unrealistic in their approach or they use just common sense ideas that everyone ought to know already. Fortunately this book was nothing like that! I actually really enjoyed reading this book and then passed it on to my husband to read. Both of us thouroughly enjoyed the book and got a lot out of it! I found that the book wasn't so much of a "This is how you ought to parent" type books, but more of a book encouraging fathers to be the best they can be. I loved the section talking about the impact of a father's word on their children. I thin its such an important thing, and am really glad that the book addressed it!!!
I would truly recommend this book for anyone looking to improve their relationship with their children. (Even if you're not a Dad, I think that Mom's would get so much out of this book too!!!

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.


Available at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group".