Out of Control

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

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

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

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".

The Queen

This is the second book I've read by Steven James in the Patrick Bowers series and I'm beginning to become a fan!

The book was full of suspense and a really great read! Patrick Bowers is leading a team trying to find the killer (or killers) of a small town family. Suddenly what looked like an easy case starts taking some big twists and those who they initially thought were guilty seem to be the innocent ones!

This was fantastic! I was guessing straight till the end of the book and was on the edge of my seat till the last page! (Seriously I stayed up till 2 in the morning to finish this book, lol, I just couldn't put it down)

"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".

Have a new teenager by friday

 

I don't have a teenager but boy did I find this book helpful!!! I have a 9 year old son and some days I think he's aged a few years and straight into the the whole teenage attitude!

Dr. Leman gave so many  useful insights and tool to connect to your kids and begin to get them to see the need and use for showing respect. I loved so much of what was written, I found most was just common sense that although we "should" know it, we tend to forget! I loved how willing he was to just be forthright and completely unshy about getting into the really gritty areas of parenting!

I enjoyed this book and once I finished reading it I handed it straight over to my husband, lol, it had some great advice for how parents are treating each other as well as their children!!
I very much recommend 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".

Grace for the good girl

I surprisingly found myself really enjoying this book! I get weary of a lot of the self-help books out there that seem to be more about excusing lifestyles/behaviors than truly helping someone live a grace filled and glorifying life in God. This book however was filled with some great insight and practical and useful ways to apply Biblical principles to your life.

I think as women we seem to fall into that "Proverbs 31" mentality that we need to do it all in order to be the kind of women that God wants. (And I don't fit into that mold, lol).  Freeman essentally gives scripture and insight and releases women from this trap of not only trying to keep everything together but also doing it with a bright smile and sunny disposition. We're given the right to know that we don't have to have everything together, it's ok if we're a bit of a mess (or even a large mess, lol). We have grace and we have a God who loves us no matter where we are in our lives!

I loved this book and will be recommending it to our ladies group and pretty much any woman I meet, it was that good!!

"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".

Wings of a dream

I LOVED this book, I love historical books so I was qutie eager to be reading this one as well! The book had a great flow, and enough suspense and twist that it kept me quite entertained right to the end.
the book focuses on Rebekah Hendricks, when Rebekah learns of her aunt falling ill she sets out to take care of her for a short while. When she gets there she's suprised to find that her aunt is caring for a group of children who's father is away in war and who's mother passed away. Rebekah takes on the responsibility of caring for the children until their father is home and begins to settle in to the little family.
I really enjoyed this book, while it had some romance aspects to it, it wasn't overly in there and it wasn't corny either so I vey much liked reading this! I highly HIGHLY recommend it!

"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".

The doctor's lady

In all honesty, I'm a little torn on this book. There were many parts I liked and all in all it was a highly enjoyable book. However one of the main characters (the Doctor) I had a hard time liking him! I found him arrogant and condescending a lot of the time. But I also realize that those kinds of attitudes towards women were quite common to the time so the author stuck quite true to the historical period I suppose!
The novel focuses on Priscilla White and her desire to become a missionary and serve in India. When she's told by the missions board that she'll need to be married in order to become a missionary she finds herself forced to marry into somewhat of a "business arrangement". We read all about her struggles and the difficulties of being among the first women to make their way into the west.
Over all I did like the book and look forward to reading more from this author!

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

To have and to hold

I've read books by both Tracie Peterson and Judith Miller before so I had some high expectations for this book and I was glad it didn't disappoint!
The story mostly centers around Audrey Cunningham and her father who moved back to their ancestral home on  Bridal veil island. Unbeknownst to them their Aunt had fallen behind on her taxes and Audrey's father kept this to himself till it seem too late. With a large debt looming over them and the prospect of loosing the family home Audrey readies herself for work. With a few twists of events and a sale of a portion of the island they find a way to keep their Island and bring in extra money. When someone on the island starts sabotaging the buildings it begins to put everyone involved on the project in danger.
The book was full of twists and quite enjoyable. I very much enjoyed this and would highly recommend it!

"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".

The Relms thereunder

I have to start out by saying, that I was rather unsure of this book at first. I found the first few chapters rather confusing and hard to follow. However once I picked up on the flow and layout of the book I was really able to enjoy it! By the end of the book I was absolutely in love with it and Cannot wait to read any sequels!
The story begins with two friends who stumble into a secret world while on a class trip. They end up spending almost a year struggling through this new world in order to find their way out again. Then we catch up to them later in life and again see these events of this secret world unfolding before them!
I thought the book was fantastic, it was kind of a mixture of "lord of the rings" and a Frank Paretti novel. It was quite entertaining, and really thought provoking as well.
I highly recommend!

The Boy Who Came Back from Heaven

I really enjoyed "The boy who came back from heaven", which is a true story about Kevin and Alex Malarkey and Alex's journey (Not only back to health, but his spiritual one which led him {Temporarily} to his Savior's side).
The book focuses mainly on Alex and the accident he was in with his father, where he physically died for a little while and could see and describe exactly what was going on outside of the small area he was in. Plus he spent time in Heaven with Jesus, and was scripturally accurate in what he described.
The book was quite well written, and faith filled. I found it so encouraging to read all that God was doing for this family and through this family. They have an amazing story of many miracles, angelic visits, and prompted prayers that lead to healings! I would really recommend this book to anyone wanting to increase/encourage their faith.

God's love letters to you

When I first saw this book, I loved the very idea of it. I think people today don't quite understand God's unending, unconditional love. And I have to say once I read the book, I loved it even more!
We're taken on a 40 day journey by Dr. Crabb to experience and begin to understand the amazing love our God has for us! The letters are formatted in the way that it is made to look like they come directly from God Himself. I thought this book was fantastic, it brought me into a deeper understand of God and His love and it really got me back into reading the Scriptures! I think Crabb did a wonderful job showing the heart of God in this book. This is something that I WILL be purchasing for new converts in our church, or just as a gift for others! I would highly recommend this book!

The Blessed

I'd previously read the book "The Seeker" By Ann Gabhart and very much enjoyed it, so I was thrilled to receive another book written by her! I've found (From the few books of her's that I've read) that her books not only are an interesting story but there is so much to learn in them! (I love not only enjoying a good read, but to also walk away knowing something new!)

The blessed focuses around Lacey and the circumstances she faces when she's first forced into a marriage she doesn't want, and then made live in a shaker village as well. As she struggles to not only live by the many rules imposed on her, she is also dealing with the heartbreak of being separated from a child that is in many ways her own.

The book was so well written, I read the entire thing in one sitting  once I picked it up I just couldn't put it down!

This is so typical of Gabhart's books, I am definitely a fan of hers! Highly recommend it!

My Life and Lesser catastrophes

I'd actually heard about this book before I received it to review, so I was very excited to see this in my review pile!

The book fully lived up to my expectations, Christina Schofield's struggles, and her ability to maintain her faith through these trials really blew me away! Even when facing some really horrific circumstances she was able to trust and look to God to be her strength and hope. This book was very encouraging to me and really spoke to me in my own walk. (not that I've faced anything close to what she did, but it put me to shame to see her level of faith in the big things, when the small things get me quaking!) 

I loved this book and it will be one I'll be recommending to the rest of my church! I enjoyed and learned so much from the spiritual journey that Christina takes us on!

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. 
Available at your favourite bookseller from Chosen, a division of Baker Publishing Group".

Pattern of Wounds

One of my favorite things when reviewing is getting to read a sequel to books I've review previously, so I was quite happy to see a new Roland march Mystery up for review!

I enjoyed the last book very much so I had some high expectations for this one as well! I'm glad to say that this didn't disappoint at all! The book was full of twists and turns and kept me on the edge of my seat till the last page! 

The story focuses on Roland March's attempt to try and find what appears to be a serial killer, not only that but one who he (thought) he had sent away long ago! As he struggles to find out if the killer is a copy cat or if he sent the wrong man to prison March is taunted by the killer.

This really was an enjoyable read, the story moved well and was very well written! I highly recommend it!

"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".  

Lion of Babylon

To be perfectly honest, I found the beginning of this book horribly confusing, there were so many Characters and changes in the story that at first I found it hard to follow. The book however did turn out to be a very good one, and once I got all the characters figured out it was easier to follow!

The story follows Marc Royce and his travels to try and find a missing CIA agent and three others. We're able to follow his struggles as he tries to get through government agencies to find out what happened to these four people and hopefully rescue them! I enjoyed reading about the other cultures in this novel, (and although I don't know much about the Baghdad culture, it seemed quite realistic to me.

For the most part I really enjoyed the story, it was pretty fast moving and had a lot of suspense in it! This is something that I would really recommend to pretty much anyone!

"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".  

Falls like lightning

I Loved this book! My favorite kinds of books are the Christian suspense/ mystery type books, so I was super excited when I saw this book up for review!

The book was very well written, it was quite fast paced and kept momentum throughout the story! I think the only small complaint I could have (and it's a very small one) was the moments of seemingly unrealistic solutions to their problems. 

The book is mostly focusing around a smokejumper named Silas and his pilot (and ex girlfriend) named Elle. When facing a very large fire with few resources Silas and Elle are forced to work together, after the engines blow, Silas and Elle are both struggling to survive and find that the crash was not the biggest danger they'd be facing!

I enjoyed this book, it was a noticeably Christian book, without a preachy feel, which makes me really comfortable to recommend it to non-believers. I highly recommend!

"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".  

A great catch

To be a bit  honest here, I was expecting the story to be a bit too cutesy and quirky for my tastes (I'm not too into the whole "Corny" feel many romance stories have). Thankfully I've re-learned that lesson to not judge a book by its cover! This turned out to be a fantastic story! And while it did have it's moments of romance (And really, it was a historical romance, so I guess it had to have been in there, lol) it was actually very intriguing and though provoking!
The story focuses around Emily Graham, she's not only in the midst of the suffragist movement, she's leading her own little local pack! As she struggles to prove that women deserve the same rights as men, she also is dealing with some meddlesome family members, and to top that all off she meets a local ball player and finds herself in a whirlwind of romance vs. obligations!
The story was cute, but it also had a lot of "bones" to it, so I very much enjoyed this one!

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


Available at your favourite bookseller from Revell

Chasing sunsets

This book started out fairly rough (in an emotional way), we start the beginning of the story in the midst of the personal struggles of Kimberly Tucker. Her marriage has fallen apart and she is now struggling with raising two son's and trying to find ways to work with their father while at the same time keeping the peace. After facing a great deal of time alone during the summer she decides (or is convinced, lol) to spend some time at her family's cabin at Ceder Keys. While there she discovers not only who she is again, but also begins to find that love that she once thought was lost. We meet some great characters (including an elderly next door neighbor who I thought was fantastic!) and learn some great lessons throughout the 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".

A Killer among us

I love getting books to review from a familiar author, and even more so I love it when it's a book from a series!! This third book in the Women of Justice series is very much a reflection of the previous two! In the way that it too was very well written, easy to follow and overall was just a great read!
This time the story focuses on Kit Kenyon who we've met in the previous book (I'm not going to give away the story or connection she has, you'll have to read it yourself!) she's a hostage negotiator with a good reputation for getting the job done well. When she finds herself with a new (and somewhat challenging) partern Kit struggles to both focus on her job and keep the peace! As they (Kit and her partner) track what appears to be a serial killer, they are stunned to find that he is also hunting one of them!
The story has plenty of twists and turns and keeps you guessing straight till the very end of the story!

"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 Lady of Bolton Hill

This was a very thought provoking and challenging book! (Not challenging in that it was difficult to read, {It wasn't it was really easy to read} but that even though this was a fictin story, it taught some great truths! I love books where the main character(s) who turn out to be examples in faith have the rough starts and aren't your typical "giant in the faith"
For me this was one of those books, I very much emphasised with the main male character Daniel Tremain and his struggle to find forgiveness for those who wronged him. I also enjoyed hearing about and learning from the main female character Clara Endicott, You know it's a great book when a simple one line quote from the book can change your perception on faith and forgiveness!!
I very much enjoyed and would highly recommend this book!

"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".

the sweetest thing

This is hands down one of the best books I've read! It wasn't just a good book that provided a few hours of entertainment. The author and characters in this book take you on a journey of faith that will not leave you the same!
Honestly, there are not enough good things I can say about this book, it was exceptionally well written, very easy to read and very heartwarming!
The store focuses on Perri Singleton and the privileged live she was living until tragedy struck her family. Now not only must they deal with the loss of a loved one, but also are finding themselves in a struggle to make ends meet. With having to give up her lifestyle of privilege Perri finds an unexpected friend in the new girl in town Mary Dobs Dillard (or "Dobs" to her friends!)
I loved that the main character of faith (Dobs) had her moments where she had her own doubts and struggles, it made it so much easier to relate to the story!
I love this book, it has quickly become a favorite in my bookshelf and will be very well read in the years to come!

"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".

New Kid Catastrophes : TJ and the Time Stumblers

When I saw this book up for review I signed up for it quick, it looked the like the perfect book to read with my son (He's 9). I was right!! The book was perfect for his age group/reading abilities and I loved the message and actions of the kids portrayed in the story!

I love that the main character in the story (TJ) is considered "Unpopular" I think it builds character in our children when they can learn from and see the struggles from others. The book was easy to read and quite cute, there were many instances (or accidents/disasters) in the story that at time had my son laughing hysterically.  This is one of those book series that we'll be on the look out for from now on! Highly recommended!

Heaven is for real

If you haven't read this book, you NEED to pick up a copy! I had heard quite a bit about the book from others, but was kind of still hesitant about reading it. Usually the books that I have read that involve parents speaking about their child's spirituality come across as very arrogant and self righteous. I am happy to say though that this book is none of those things! What a boost it gave to my faith! There were so many different things that I read in the book that absolutely blew me away. (I don't want to give away what's in the book, but seriously, go pick up a copy.) This is one of those books that I'll not only be recommending to basically everyone I meet, but I'll be re-reading it repeatedly.
The book basically focuses on a young boy named Colton who during an emergency surgery spends some time in heaven. We hear about how Heaven looks through the eyes of a child (and how what he {Colton} saw and said lined up with scripture). Honestly, this is a life changing book, you need to pick up a copy. I cannot think of another book that affected me as much as this one.
 It was an absolutely wonderful read, a good flow, and while from a child's point of view was very intelligent. A must read!!

MomSense

This book made me feel all kinds of better about my abilities as a mom! Like mentioned in her books, we're surrounded by so many blogs, books, tv personaities, etc... that all try to tell us how we as parents ought to be raising our children. So many of these places raise the expectations so high that it's almost impossible to fulfill them!
I loved how Jean Blackmer gave really open, honest, and truly common-sense approaches to parenting, the idea's she presented were simple, well explained and highly attainable! But even more than that, I loved that she also made room within her suggestions to let people know that their own parenting style, that their own ideas of parenting are still ok! We weren't asked to become these cookie cutter type mom's who should all only live one way, parent one way in order for us to raise our kids the "right way".

"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 heart divided

I liked this book, a lot, so much so that I've started hunting around for other books written by Kathleen Morgan that I can purchase! This book was much more than a simple romance, it was filled with a lot of drama and thought provoking situations! The story mainly focuses on a feud by two families, the Caldwells and the Wainwrights, who both believe that each family has done the other wrong. In the middle of this feud is Sara Caldwell, who sits apart from the anger that seems to engulf the rest of her family; and Cord Wainwright who comes home to help save the ranch, but feels that his life is outside of the simple country town and ranch.
When circumstances bring them together they both are fighting to protect their families/homes, and through many mis-steps, trials and suffering they begin to find themselves drawn to each other.
I really enjoyed this book, I would recommend you pick up a copy at the soonest opportunity!

"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".

To win her heart

This is again another one of those books where I initially didn't like the main character of the book! The female character Eden Spencer starts off behaving in an almost snobbish and arrogant manner. However the book was very well written, so I was still enjoying the story very much. I'm glad to say though that by the end of the book we can really see her character take shape and she becomes much more likeable! The story mostly focuses around Levi, who is fresh out of prison and looking to find a quiet life with as little trouble around him as possible. That however seems impossible after he meets Eden and begins to see her as more than a friend. With this budding romance he begins to have trouble find him in the form of the town's sheriff (who happens to want Eden for a wife). While Levi faces many challenging situations throughout the book, we can really see his strength of character and he shows himself to be quite likeable to the reader! I would definitely recommend this book!!

"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".

An unlikely Suitor

To be honest, I was pretty excited to read this book, I love anything that fits within the "historical fiction" category so I had some great expectations of this book! Like I mention quite often, I'm not a huge romance reader, a lot of those types of books seem to be just a little to corny and gushy for my tastes. And while there were some "romantic" twists in the plot, the book was definitely more than that!
At first I found myself really disliking the main character Lucy Scarpelli, I found her to be rather bossy and almost smug. However, even with that initial dislike, I was still loving the book, and by the end of it I very much enjoyed reading about each of the characters!
Basically the story centers mostly around Lucy Carpelli who befriends a slightly handicapped socialite named Rowena. With this friendship comes many new life experiences for Lucy and her family. I enjoyed reading about the girls' struggle to be friends while still remaining in their separate and distinct social classes.
This was a pretty fantastic book, and I'll be adding this author to my lists of favorites!

"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".

Amish Prayers

I love this book, and without trying to sound flippant, I find it utterly adorable. we took a trip recently and spent a lot of time on the road, so I had an arsenal of books to entertain me, and this one was included in the group! Its a nice small size, so it was easy to pack and take with me, but it was also pretty sturdy which was nice!!
Honestly, I didn't much expect to get anything out of reading the book, I figured it would be rather mundane prayers and simple doctrine. But truly, this book has really impacted my prayer life and the way I try to live my life! (I have no plans to turn Amish, but do love many of their attitudes towards others). While the language of the prayers is fairly simple, the idea's behind them and hugely meaningful and very insightful. Really I would fully recommend this book to everyone, it's insightful, simple and easily applicable!

"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".

Max on life

I generally enjoy all things Max Lucado he is my absolute favorite non fiction writer, so I was pretty excited to have a chance to review his newest book!


There was a lot about this book that I really did like, I love that he's taken questions from real people and set answers to them. There were quite a few of the questions that I found applied directly to me! (I'm a worrier, lol) However at the same time, because he's covered so much in one book I felt at times that his answers and the scripture he provided didn't go as deep as I've come to expect from him. Lucado usually has fantastic insight into Scripture and with this book I don't think we saw enough of that. For me it was just too much at once, I would have rather seen him cover less questions but with more depth to them.

All in all though, I would have to say I did enjoy this book, and even though I would have liked more I did learn an awful lot! So on that basis, I would totally recommend this book!
 
"Book has been provided courtesy of Thomas Nelson and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.


Available at your favourite bookseller from Thomas Nelson".

Live Loved: Experiencing God's presence in everyday life

There were a number of things I loved about this book by Max Lucado, (I'm a huge fan of his writing, its easy to grasp and easily applied in life!) but I truly loved how he put this book together. As a full-time mom and a full-time employee my spare moments are few and far between,  so when I try reading a devotional book, generally I just get lost, and struggle to keep a good pace. With this book the devotions aren't too long, they're too the point and simple. I was easily able to understand and apply what Max was talking about in my own life. I really loved this book.
However, I think the bigger review/recommendation would come from my husband! He's one of those guys who dislikes reading and unless it's something that's a part of his job, her rarely does. He saw me reading "Live loved" and when I finished he borrowed the book to look at. That was a couple of weeks back, and I haven't been able to get my hands back on it since, lol. He enjoyed reading the book and really got a lot out of it too!
I would totally recommend this book, especially for those who don't necessarily like reading, I think with this book you'll be pleasantly surprised!

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


Available at your favourite bookseller from Thomas Nelson"

Unsinkable: A Young Woman's Courageous Battle on the High Seas

I'm a bit on the fence with this book, on one hand, I love the story and drama surrounding Abby Sunderland and her struggle to and perseverance to survive. I think its a great lesson for so many people, but especially one that I'd love to share with my son! I love her faith, and how often it's expressed throughout the book, and in that view, I really did enjoy this book. However, I found it such a struggle to keep up with all the terms and to understand most of what she was doing (boat-wise). For someone who is incredibly unfamiliar with boats and sailing this book was a bit of a struggle to get through!
All in all though, once I was able to kind of put aside and pick up on some of what was talked about in the book I did really start to enjoy reading it.
This is one of those books that I would probably give to some of our youth, I think it's a great message that regardless of age, nothing is impossible with God!


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


Available at your favourite bookseller from Thomas Nelson".

The Watcher

If I'm being honest here, I did struggle a bit with this book. While it was well written and had an interesting and thought provoking storyline, it was a bit more work to read it. It took me about the first 3-4 chapters before I could really get a good grasp on the story and get into it.
The story focuses around Kathryn Ellison, she was assaulted and abducted because of a mistaken identity. After being miraculously "rescued" she struggles to get beyond the pain, hurt, and anxiety. To top it off though, during the court case she meets the brother of the intended victim and realizes that this is the man she loves and belongs with. As she struggles to get passed all of this and finally come to the point of accepting love she is also facing threats from the would be killer that he's coming to finish her off.
The book is well worth the work to get through, the storyline was well written and very intriguing!

The Deepest Waters

I was so excited to see another novel by Dan Walsh, all the books of his that I've read have been absolutely amazing! I have to say though, that this one is my favorite of his!! It's a heart wrenching story that is both beautiful and tragic, and you won't be able to put it down until the last page!
The story focuses around Laura Foster and her new husband John, after both finding love later in life (or "later" in those times, lol) the couple are married and set out on a ship to enjoy their honeymoon and visit John's family. After tragedy strikes and the couple are separated, Laura faces a life living without her recently acquired love. In this book (Which is based on a true story, which absolutely Blew my mind!!!) you'll find love, romance, heroism, and miracles. It's a book that will touch your heart and increase your faith!
Do yourself a favor and read 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".

Love amid the Ashes

First off I need to say how very much I enjoyed this book, it was beyond wonderful! And one of the things I appreciate about it the most was that the book gave me a new perspective on a Biblical story that I hadn't looked at before!  (tricked me into learning something when I just thought I was enjoying a wonderful book! lol) I loved hearing about the story of Job from a different perspective!
Mesu Andrews stuck very close to the Biblical story, (meaning there weren't any theological/crazy add ons) while producing an absolutely breath-taking, suspenseful, and thoughtful read!
In this book we're looking at the story of Job through the eyes of Dinah, we read about the struggles of not only Job, but of his wife, remaining family, and friends.
You need to read this book, you'll fall in love with 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".

Lady in the Mist

I think I've found a new favorite author, this book was absolutely wonderful! While it somewhat reads as a romance novel the book is full of enough suspense and intrigue that the whole romance part seems to fall to the side (which is A-okay with me, lol). I love historical types of fiction and this book fulfilled that love completely!
The book focuses mostly on the main character of Tabitha Eckles, the town's (and surrounding area's) midwife. As a midwife she is more aware of the town's secrets than most people, and because of that she now finds herself in a rather precarious situation!
When the town's men are going missing with no one sure who is behind it, Tabitha sets out to help figure out who is behind these disturbances.
I truly enjoyed this book, and would highly recommend it to anyone and everyone!

"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".

When Life's Not Working

Like I mention at the beginning of every non-fiction book I review, I'm not overly into reading any kind of self-help, non-fiction type books. Life is busy enough that I'd rather just read for enjoyment, and I don't usually find these types of books enjoyable.

That's said though, I really did actually enjoy this book, and not only that my husband (who is a pastor) also did! It's one thing when I find a book that I love, and find to be a great resource, but it's quite another when I find one that will also help my  husband in his ministry!

I don't think there is one person out there that can say that they've never faced a difficult time in their lives, and Bob Merritt addresses these situations and how to handle them properly, with out undue stress!

I think one of the subjects that he wrote about that spoke to me the most, was rather than doing many things poorly, do a few things well. As a minister's wife this is one area that I really struggle with, when you see a need it's hard not to try and fill it, even if it means stretching yourself too thin. And one of the harder things to admit while reading this book is that I really have taken on more than I should handle, and those ministries suffer when I do that. I'd rather take on only a few ministry projects and do them well then try to fill all the spaces and do them poorly!

Ministry family or not, this book was fantastic and I think will really bless any reader!

Highly recommended!!

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


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

Plain Proposal

I absolutely love Beth Wiseman books, She is an amazing writer who really knows how to capture a story and present it in a way that makes the reader feel a part of it. Her book "Plain proposal" is no different, it's the story of Miriam Raber and her feelings for another individual within the Amish community. As she struggles to both honor her heritage and God, and still be with the man she loves.
I really enjoyed this book, once I started I couldn't put it down till I was done, it was that good! Like always, Wiseman did a fantastic job, and this book will be high on my shelf to be read again and again!
I Highly recommend it!

The first escape

When I saw the book up for review I thought it would be a great book for me and my son to read together. (he's 9, and while he likes books, he does tend to need a little motivation). I loved that the book was in a comic book format for parts of the story, it did break it up a little and kept him interested. With that said however, I had to stop reading the story with him part way through. Although it looks like a children's book, it most certainly was not (at least not in the way that I would choose to have my son read). Usually I feel pretty safe that any book I get from the various Christian book blogging sites will be fine for myself and my child to read over. This book though was not. It dealt with séances {and while it's eventually seen to be fake, it's really not something I want my child exposed to} and and through most of the story dealt with people trying to harm children. The publisher's say it's intended audience is 8-12 years, and that really floored me! There was no way this was appropriate for a child that young.
I did finish the book on my own, and there were a few things that I did appreciate. I did like how the sister's cared so much for one another and were willing to sacrifice for each other. The illustrated format was eye catching and I believe would have held my son's attention throughout the book had it been more appropriate.
I disliked that for a book from a Christian publisher that there was virtually no reference to anything Biblical (I noticed only one instance that referred to a creator, perhaps I may have missed some though?).
All in all, I'm sorry to say I wouldn't recommend this book for children. Perhaps a young adult reader (13-15yrs) but even then I didn't find the story to be something I would want my child reading.
I think had the story line been different my child would have very much enjoyed the format of the book. I think the idea was great, sadly the story just seemed inappropriate.

Angel Sister

My, what a heart wrenching story! This is the second time I've read a book by this author, and I know she's made her way to the top of my list. This story was beautiful, even with all the anger and tragedy surrounding it. There were points in the story where I found myself laughing along with the characters, and at other times, I would be reading it with a tear in my eye. The story presents itself in a way that you being to associate with the characters and then beginning to sympathize with them.  This is one of those books where I will continually be reading and re-reading it. The main story line is of Kate Merritt, who is forced to grow up too fast while she strives to keep peace in her family and to keep them together. When she encounters a small girl abandoned on the church steps Kate takes it upon herself to provide for and protect this small child. We experience with her the joys she has, and the sorrow she faces as the adults in her life seem to work at tearing apart the small sense of family she has.

"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".

Stars Collide

I love getting books by authors that I've read before, so when I saw that that the same author who wrote the "Weddings by Bella" series also wrote this book I began really looking forward to reading this book! As I've mentioned many times in the past, I'm not much of a romance reader, I find they tend to get a little hokey and ridiculous. That said though, Janice Thompson is one of the few romance authors that I really actually enjoy reading. Her story's are quite interesting and do have that romantic quality to them but lack the corniness of most romance novels!
Again, Thompson didn't disappoint, the book had a fantastic flow, and while sometimes the characters were a little "Wild" they were still within the realm of possible.
The story focuses around Kat Jennings and her budding romance with a co-star, while at the same time showing the struggles she faces caring for an aging and sick grandmother. The situations they found themselves in really had me cracking up at some parts, and I literally gasped at some parts of the story (Some big surprises in this book!) This was a great read, and one I'll be highly recommending!

"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 Search

I was beyond excited to read this book, having read the previous two in this series I have been waiting like crazy to get a chance to read this one too!! I love Suzanne Woods Fisher's books, I love Amish books period, but her books seem to have an extra something special in them!
At first I kind of found myself disliking a bit the grandmother (Bertha) and the direction of the story, however as it (the story) progressed I found myself enthralled. When I got to the point where I understood Bertha's motivations, I found that I actually really began to like that character! What I loved (and found to be unique especially among Amish fiction) was the strong woman that she (Bertha) portrayed. I loved her strength of character and her stubbornness.
Also, I love reading the books and spotting the names of the characters in the previous stories, it's almost like hearing about old friends! This entire series was absolutely amazing, there isn't one thing in any of them that I would change! I highly HIGHLY recommend this book, whether you like Amish fiction or not, you will Love 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".

Secrets to parenting your adult child

To be honest, when we received this book I was wondering how I would be able to give a proper review on it. I'm a parent of a young child, so I didn't think there would be much in this book for me. And while at time I found that some of the stuff written was beyond me, I also felt like I was being empowered for the future. There were some great tools in the book for parents, and I feel like I'm that much more prepared for when I face the task of parenting an adult child! I don't feel like there is much I can say on whether the book was spot on or not, since I haven't got the experience of having adult children and am far from it yet. However I will say that I very much enjoyed the tone of the author, it was like reading a conversation with her and I like that. There are so many times that books like these seem to take on an arrogant almost condescending tone when speaking of "How" to parent. I'm happy to say this book didn't do that. There are a few people I know who are facing the task of raising adult children, and I will definitely be passing along my recommendation for them to read this book!!

"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".

A Heart Most Worthy

I love Siri Mitchell's books, The first one I read was "She walks in beauty" and absolutely fell in love witht he book! So I was so excited to have the opportunity to review another of her books! First off, I need to start by saying this book was nothing what I expected it to be! I had expected this book to be much the same style as the last book. However (and its a good however!) this book read compeletly differently, the characters and settings were completely opposite of what the last book had! A few times I had to check back and really see if it was by the same author! That said though, the one way that both these books were compariable, is in how absolutely wonderful they were. The book was well written and held my attention from the first sentence to the very last page.
Mostly the book focuses on Madame Forza's gown shop where she has three young ladies working for her. Throughout the book we follow the lives of these ladies and their struggles (which are neumerous) and their joys. It was a really unique book that flowed nicely together! Even though there were three different stories being told in one book, they worked well together and complimented each other wonderfully! I completely will recommend this book to anyone and 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".

Soul Surfer

I cannot wait for this movie to come out, it looks fantastic!!!

Voyage with the Vikings

When I saw this book was up for review (From Tyndale Media Center) I excitedly signed up to review it!  My son (who is nine) loves the Odyssey audio series and is just getting into reading chapter books. So this book was perfect for him!
He and I read it together and immensely enjoyed the story, it was filled with enough action and suspense that it really held his attention throughout the entire book! Also I appreciated how the book included actual historic references, it made for a much more interesting read when I informed my son that some of the characters in the story were real life people. He (my son) now is reading anything he can find to learn about vikings, the book sparked such a big interested in him to learn all he can about the Viking era. I think that's one of my favorite things about this book, that it really encouraged him to learn more. I also LOVE the website, and how he can get more into the books through there!

God's promises devotional journal

I really love this book/journal, I love that it gives us a devotional and allows us to 'respond' in a way afterwards. I also love the length of the devotionals, I find this journal to be a great way to start off my mornings! I tend to work early in the morning and don't have time for some of these devotional books that are pages and pages long. The devotions in "God's promises Devotional Journal" are right to the point, insightful, and heart-tugging. When I read them in the morning I find myself dwelling on the truths presented throughout the rest of the day! And the Collection of authors in it; Goodness there are so many favorites in this one book! From Max Lucado and Ann Graham Lotz, to Catherine Marshall, and so many more! Its a fantastic book, a perfect gift (Or a great addition to your own library!) for friends and family alike!




I Highly recommend this book!

The heart revolution

I think I need to stop starting my posts with "I normally don't like these kind of self-help books" considering there have been so many lately that I've enjoyed, lol.
This book is no exception, and I really think it has the chance to greatly improve your walk with God if applied!
This book is basically a 40 day (40 chapters/40 days) challenge to increase your own understanding of Christ and who you are in Christ.  One of the biggest questions that I think every Christian, seasoned or new, struggles with; "How do you keep your heart turned toward God rather than letting the circumstances of your life dictate your destiny" As a pastor's wife I'm aware of how drastically oppression can effect a person's life and their understanding of themselves.
I absolutely loved chapter 7 that talks about "the supremacy of Christ", I love how Da La Mora puts a big emphasis right at the beginning that "There is no circumstance or situation we could ever face that Jesus himself did not face and overcome while he was on the earth" I know its something we should all know by now, but for some reason its one of the hardest things to comprehend. I love the term he used "Liberating power to overcome", how often we forget all the Christ has truly done for us!!
This was such a great book that we're looking into doing a Bible study around it with our small groups! HIGHLY recommend!!
"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.


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

If God, why evil?

This is one of those books that help answer one of the toughest questions out there. As a minister's wife the question is asked quite often, and I honestly struggle to find an appropriate answer at times. How to explain evil to a fallen world?
Geisler does a fantastic job of going through the Bible and openly discussing all the "Controversial" questions that no one seems to want to answer. Also, one of the things I truly appreciated in his book was how he equipped the readers regarding the debates of evolution and creation. Honestly, I don't fully understand all there is to know about evolution and it's hard to find an author who's willing to take that step out there (with intelligent points) and discuss evolution along side intelligent design. I really enjoyed two sections of his book, one was in the chapter "Evidence for the existence of God" where Geisler talks about microbiology and the complexity of it that indicates (and I believe proves) that there is intelligent design.
I also really enjoyed reading in the third appendix about his problems with the book "The Shack". I think I'm one of the few Christians out there who just didn't get into this book. I tried reading it a few times and it really rubbed me the wrong way. Geisler really gets to the heart of why parts of the book could while sounding nice, are doctrinally dangerous.
"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".

Larkspur Cove

"Larkspur Cove" begins with one of the main characters Andrea Henderson who after having to survive a humiliating and incredibly upsetting year, moves back to Larkspur Cove to begin a new life with her teenage son. After a little while of being at her job she is faced with the task of finding ways to help take care of and care for a little girl who suddenly appeared with the town recluse. As she gets more involved with this child she also begins to have feelings for the game warden who's been helping keep in contact with the family. While trying to balance everything (Her job, her new client, new feelings, and new surrounds) she suddenly finds herself thrown into a dangerous and scary situation!
I really enjoyed this book, it was thought provoking and well written. There were parts (especially towards the end) that really had me sitting on the edge of my seat! There was enough suspense in the story to make it interesting, but not so much that it took away from the enjoyment! I highly recommend this book!

"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".

Promises to keep

First off, this is hands down one of my favorite books that I've had the pleasure of reading. It is heartfelt, heart wrenching and heartwarming all at the same time! So many times through the book I was nearly brought to tears by the emotions shown in the characters. I loved the character Tillie and her eccentric ways, how outright honest she was and straightforward. I also loved her courage and sacrificial love that she had for the other characters in the book. The story focuses mainly around Roz Anthony and her mom and brother moving away from an abusive father. It shows the struggles she (Roz) went through and the scariness of living in an abusive home. When Roz promises to keep a secret she doesn't realize the effect it can have and the danger it will present to the rest of her family.
This book is fantastic, honestly, I couldn't put it down till I finished the entire book.
I really do recommend this book to anyone and 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".

Another Dawn

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, although I in no way lived the same kind of lifestyle as the main character (Or even necessarily agree with her) I still felt like I could really relate to what the character was going through. I really appreciated that the author didn't push the views of the main character into almost a platform to tell others how to live. I think its a fine line when writing these kind of stories, how to add depth to your character without making it sound like you're on a soapbox. (I'm happy to say the author did a remarkable job of this!)
The story really revolves around Grace Graham and how one of her choices ended up effecting (in a very bad way) the lives of many others. Through all the discouragement and heartache though, she's able to find friendships in the most unlikely people! She doesn't just learn new things about those around her but learns through this trial a lot about herself!
I thought this was a great story, it was well written and highly relatable! I definitely recommend it!

"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".

Seek me with all your heart

I have to start off saying (like always, lol) How very much I love Amish fiction! Beth Wiseman is one of my very favorite authors in this genre (Her and Suzanne Fisher Woods are at the top of my list!!) her books are always thought provoking and heartfelt!
This book in no way disappointed me, the main character Emily and her family face a situation that is difficult in most regular settings, but in the Amish community its very nearly unheard of!  The descriptions in the book of life in the Colorado mountains was both beautiful and though provoking! I was impressed with the details she (Beth Wiseman) thought to include in the book when describing it! (But again, this is common with Wiseman's books, to include beautiful descriptions and details that give it a very real feeling!).
I don't want to talk too much about the actual story line, its so focused around a certain event, that I don't want to ruin it for those that are looking to read it! However I will say that this is another great book by Beth Wiseman, and I KNOW you won't be disappointed in this story!