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".