Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Susie's Hope DVD

Warning: this is a tear-jerker. I started crying at the beginning and the tears really didn't let up until it was over.
If you've ever loved a fur baby then you will love this film. Based on a true story it is about love, loss, and learning to trust again. There were some scenes that may not be suitable for young children as they are quite graphic. The dog attack is re-enacted and could be quite scary. The images of the abused dog could also make one feel queasy.
Overall this was a very good film with a good message. Bad circumstances don't have to have bad outcomes. Visit the website for Susie's Hope to learn more or to donate. 
If you have young children you will want to watch this with them so you can discuss the different scenes.
About the movie: Run time 105 minutes
Based on the true story that successfully passed Susie’s Law in North Carolina, which seeks stricter punishment for animal abusers, Susie’s Hope brings to life the inspirational relationship between pit bull attack survivor Donna Lawrence and Susie, a pit bull-mix puppy found beaten, burned and left for dead. Recognizing reflect and abuse were to blame for the tragic attack that nearly claimed her life 10 months earlier, Donna resumes the battered animal and accepts her as family. Together, they learn to heal, love and forgive as thyey lead a historic effort to seek justice and protection, not only for Susie, but all animals. Starring Emmanuelle Vaguer (40 Days and 40 Nights), Burgess Jenkins (Remember The Titans) and Andrea Powell (Ender’s Game, The Twighlight: Breaking Dawn Saga: Part 2), Susie’s Hope is an incredible story of love, loss and redemption.
About Susie:
Susie was found nearly dead in Greenfield Park in Greensboro, North Carolina on August 20, 2009. Just a puppy, Susie had licked the face of her owner’s newborn baby. Her owner became violent—she was beaten so severely her jaw was broken. That wasn’t enough, though. She was then set on fire and left for dead. Incredibly and against all odds Susie survived. Donna Lawrence adopted her two months later. Susie is now a trained therapy dog and event won the American Humane Association’s American Hero Dog this year!


This was provided for review by FlyBy Promotions.

Monday, November 24, 2014

Books to Bully-Proof Your Kids

Dr Dan and Bli Dugi have put out a new series of children's books designed to help them stand up for themselves and not be bullied.


 The Principle Gang's first two books Don't Judge a Lizard by His Scales, and Wizard Lizard Rides the Subway are bright colorful stories that will keep your kids attention while you read. They are short stories and are easy for little ones to understand.
The first book addresses the issue of being friends with who you want to be friends with and not who people think you should be friends with and not to judge a book by its cover. The story centers around a lizard and a fly.
The second book finds our two friends again, this time taking their "No bullies allowed" message to New York City where they promote their friendship and their cause.
This is a cute series that can help kids understand each other.

 This was provided for review by PR By the Book

My Yellow Balloon

 My Yellow Balloon by Tiffany Papageorge is an excellent book for teaching children how to deal with loss and grief.
Little Joey goes to a carnival and gets a yellow balloon. It's his most prized possession and they do everything together until one day when the balloon floats away.
Joey goes through the stages of grief and can't seem to get out of his slump.
There are many children who could benefit from this book, not just those who are faced with a death of someone that they love.
There are hurting children everywhere and this book can help them deal with the things that they are feeling.
Beautifully illustrated with pictures that are reminiscent of another time, this is simple to read and even has a large fold-out in the middle.
This book was provided for review by PR By the Book

Saturday, November 22, 2014

Love Without Limits by Nick Vujicic with Kanae Vujicic

I've seen clips of Nick before but I wasn't overly familiar with him. I picked this book because I thought it would be an interesting story, and it was at that, but it was not what I was expecting. This is so much more than the love story of Nick and Kanae, it's a love manual. They offer up advice for the dating couple, the engaged couple, the newly married couple, the new parents, and more. This would make a great gift for a young couple. I wasn't blown away with their love story as I thought I would be from the back cover copy, it is certain though that God directed them to each other. If you're looking for an inspirational read or are worried that you will never find love yourself then pick this up. 

This book was provided for review by Blogging for Books.

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Trading Secrets by Melody Carlson

 Trading Secrets by Melody Carlson is not your average Amish fiction. If it was I wouldn't read it. This is teen fiction and it's the story of a girl named Micah who has been pen pals with an Amish guy named Zach, they've been writing to each other since the 5th grade and she's never disclosed that she was a girl. When the opportunity arises for her to travel to his farm to help with the planting she jumps on it, realizing that she'll have to come clean at some point.
This is a sweet story that deals with what happens when you live a lie, how it hurts people and how the truth is always better.
Very easy to read and, as I've come to expect from anything by Melody Carlson, engaging. It took me a little over an hour to read this book. I'd recommend it to any young reader. It's clean and interesting.
Here's the back cover:
This book was provided for review by Revell.

The Christmas Cat by Melody Carlson

I'm generally a lover of anything that Melody Carlson puts out, she's written over two hundred books and is like a machine. The Christmas Cat started out adorable and engaged me right away. However towards the end I just wanted it to be over, it was predictable and I glanced through the last twenty pages or so just to be finished with it. Definitely not my favorite of her books. 
It is just over 150 pages and will make a quick read so if you're wanting a sweet little Christmas story you may want to check this one out.

About the book:
After years abroad, Garrison Brown finds himself at the home of his beloved grandmother who has just passed away. He must sort out her belongings, including six cats who need new homes. While he hopes to dispense with the task quickly-especially since he is severely allergic to cats-his grandmother's instructions don't allow for speed. She has left some challenging requirements for the future homes of her furry friends.
Can he match the cats with the perfect new owners? And is it possible that he might meet his own match along the way?

Melody Carlson is the award-winning author of over two hundred books with sales of more than six million. She is the author of several Christmas books, including the bestselling The Christmas Bus, The Christmas Dog, Christmas At Harrington's, as well as The Christmas Pony and A Simple Christmas Wish. She received a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award in the inspirational market for her many books, including the Diary of a Teenage Girl series and Finding Alice. She and her husband live in central Oregon. Visit her at www.melodycarlson.com

This book was provided for review by Revell.

Christmas at Rose Hill Farm by Suzanne Woods Fisher


I tried, really I did. I tried to get into this book but I couldn't. It didn't capture my attention at all. I thought maybe it was because it was a Christmas story and since it's October--maybe it's just too early to read a Christmas book? But that wasn't it as I was able to pick a different one up and get right into it.

About the book:
Billy Lapp intends to leave Stoney Ridge by Christmas-but crossing paths with a newly engaged Bess Riehl may change his mind.

Suzanne Woods Fisher is the bestselling author of the Lancaster County Secrets series, the Stoney Ridge Seasons series, and The Inn At Eagle Hill series, as well as nonfiction books about the Amish including Amish Peace. She is also the coauthor of an Amish children's series, The Adventures of Lily Lapp. Suzanne is a Carol Award winner for The Search, a Carol Award finalist for The Choice, and a Christy Award finalist for The Waiting. She is also a columnist for the Christian Post and Cooking & Such magazines. She lives in California. Learn more at her website.

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Roaming Reindeer by Angela Meju

 Look at how adorable this Roaming Reindeer activity kit is! You get the book and two reindeer inside a nice box set.
The book tells the story of the reindeer who need to lend a helping hand to Santa, Reindeer One and Reindeer Two sit in your house and while Two is always around, One will run away if he sees bad behavior (because someone has to tell Santa!)
Is that not the cutest thing? And also a nice alternative to the creepy little Elf on the Shelf fad.



The book is filled with colorful illustrations that are sure to keep your child's attention while you read together.

This was provided for review by PR By the Book

Monday, November 17, 2014

The Plush Bible NIV by Zondervan

 Is this not the cutest Bible? The Plush Bible by Zondervan is soft and fuzzy, pink and glittery, and leopard print--all in one. My teenager said, "Mom, I don't want this, why did you get it for me?" I replied, "I didn't get it for you, it's for me." Seriously, I love this thing. It's geared towards younger teens, but I think it's perfect for this 45 year old. The NIV is a version that is easy to understand too. The print is of a good size and the Bible lays flat when you open it, it does have a hard cover beneath the bling. I recommend this to anyone who wants an updated fun Bible to carry.

This book was provided for review by BookLook

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

The Kitchn

 To call this book a cookbook is understated. The Kitchn by Sara Kate Gillingham & Faith Durand is so much more than a collection of recipes. In fact, the recipes don't even start until page 129. What you'll find in this book is everything you need to know to cook a meal from start to finish. Beginning with setting up your kitchen, what kind of cookware to use, when to get rid of cookware, how to keep your kitchen clean, storage solutions, growing food inside, organizing, and so much more.
This book is not only full of helpful hints, but gorgeous pages. I learned so much from this already and I've had my own kitchen for over twenty years.
Once you've got the basics down you can begin cooking. There are some pretty amazing recipes included in these pages. Sweet potato and caramelized onion hash with baked eggs. Roasted garlic and lemon hummus. Skillet-roasted whole chicken (the one I will try first!) And the end of the book tells you how to have a party from start to finish.
This is a pretty amazing book and it all started with The Kitchn blog.

This book was provided for review by Blogging for Books

Surprised by Love by Julie Lessman


Isn't that a beautiful cover? Surprised by Love by Julie Lessman  is the third in her The Heart of San Fransisco series and while I thoroughly enjoyed the first two books in this series this one fell short for me. I found that I just couldn't get interested in the storyline here. All the while I had the sense that I knew exactly how it would all pan out.
If you're looking for a really good historical I suggest checking out the first two books in this series.

This book was provided for review by Revell.

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

At Bluebonnet Lake by Amanda Cabot

 At Bluebonnet Lake by Amanda Cabot is the story of four people who descend on Rainbow's End, a broken-down resort in the Texas hill country, and how their lives intersect. Kate and her grandmother visit because her grandmother has fond memories of the place. Greg is there to get his life back together after selling his multi-million dollar company. Roy is a town local who retreats to the resort for meals. There they find more than what they were looking for. 
This was a sweet book, sometimes a little sappy. If you're looking for a good, clean romance then this is perfect for you. By the end I was just ready for it to be over because it was also a little predictable.
This book was provided for review by Revell.

Monday, November 3, 2014

A Mom's Prayer for her Son by Rob & Joanna Teigen

 The back cover says, "From the moment your little boy was born,  you knew you were going to be doing a lot of praying."
Yes. This is true. As a mother of a (now twenty-one year old) son I sure had my moments when pray was all I could do. From the time he locked himself in the freezer that I had just installed child-safety locks on as a three-year-old, to the time he was broken down on the highway as a teen driver. And many other times in between.
This book has 77 topics of what to pray for different situations. The table of contents at the beginning is very informative and will help you find exactly what you're looking for.
This isn't just for little boys. There are prayers for when he's preparing for marriage, prayers for managing his money, when he needs to find rest, when he needs to tell the truth, and many others.
A valuable resource for parents of boys of any age.
Just because they grow up and leave doesn't mean we stop praying.
I highly recommend this book. It also has stories from other parents, stories that will encourage you to keep praying for him.


This book was provided for review by Revell.

The Promise by Beth Wiseman

 The Promise by Beth Wiseman is insanely good. I devoured this book. Based on a true story that I can't even fathom.
Here's the back cover:

I'm sure that the fictional aspect of this book is all too true for many women who have found themselves trusting men like Abdul. Life is different in Muslim countries, very different than what we know here in the USA. 
The only part of the book that bothered me was when Abdul called the women a curse word. I'm sure that happens all the time, but one reason I stick with Christian fiction is to avoid things like this.
Once again, Thomas Nelson is compromising.

This book was provided for review by LitFuse.

Sunday, November 2, 2014

A Lifelong Love by Gary Thomas

 Not your average marriage advice book, A Lifelong Love by Gary Thomas delves deeper into what marriage is and can be. A few of the many things I  gleaned from this book I think will stick with me for a long time. 
One being, remember that your spouse is a child of God. As a parent we get upset or elated with how other people treat our children. How do we want our future sons and daughters in law to treat our children? That is how we should be treating our spouse. 
Another chapter that I enjoyed was the one about having a marriage worth of your calling. There is so much depth in that statement. 
This book is full of wisdom, another bit being that your marriage is unique. You will not be like another couple so quit comparing yourselves to them. Be who God made the two of you together to be.
Love it.
I recommend this book to married couples of all ages. 
This book was provided for review by FlyBy Promotions

Saturday, November 1, 2014

Motherless by Erin Healy

This book is unlike anything I've ever read, and to be honest, I didn't like it at all. I found it very hard to get into, found the following of a ghost telling the story to be odd and just plain weird.
Truth be told I couldn't make it all the way through this one. It was just a little too out there for this reader.
I have enjoyed some of this author's books in the past, but after the last couple I think I'm finished with her works.
About the book:
Guilt may be the most dangerous motive of all.
On a rainy night seventeen years after his wife's presumed suicide, Garrett Becker sees her walking down the street. A car accident snatches him away from this world before he can reach her.
Marina has spent her whole life mothering her brother, who suffers from an anxiety disorder. After their father's accident, they face losing their home-the only place Dylan's fears are held at bay.
Crushing debt is just one of their father's secrets. Old keepsakes lead Dylan to believe their mother is alive and lives nearby. Sara Rochester is a successful chocolatier who doesn't dwell on her past and never expected the resurrection of its ghosts. But after Dylan confronts her, Sara consents to parent the only way she knows how: with money, chocolate, and a gross deficit of experience.
Sara's hesitant presence divides Marina and Dylan. Marina doesn't believe that Sara is their mother. The woman's paper-thin lies suggest she might even be responsible for their mother's death. When Marina's suspicions spark an investigation, no one is prepared for the tragic truth or the powerful redemption that Marina's actions expose.
Narrated by a storyteller with more to lose than any other character, Motherless is a richly layered mystery about the power of perception-and deception-among people seeking forgiveness for irreversible sins.
This book was provided for review by BookLook.