Friday, September 25, 2015

Instant Happy Journal by Karen Salmansohn

 I love me a good journal. This instant HAPPY journal is one of the cutest ones I've come across. It's a year-long journal with prompts for each page. It isn't dated though so if you miss a day you just fill in the date and keep going. Its bright and cheery cover will make you reach for it time and again. The interior will give you reason to reflect and spur your thoughts as you reach for your favorite pen. Take a few moments and write down your thoughts. I've learned that it's not just therapeutic, but fun to look back on and see how much you've changed.



This book was provided for review by Blogging for Books

Never Said by Carol Lynch Williams

 Never Said by Carol Lynch Williams is the story of teen twin sisters Sarah and Annie. One is a former beauty queen who is now eating her way into obesity and the other is the one used to being on the sidelines. This story is told in only a matter of a few days. Annie's side of the story is told in a poetic style and Sarah's is narrative. The back and forth between the two flows effortlessly and makes for an interesting read. 
The story, while not Christian fiction, is a clean read and addresses topics that teens face and that families may have to deal with. This is some deep reading and may shock some readers.
The way it's written makes for fast reading and I was able to fly through it in a matter of hours. If you have a teen in your life who is struggling with self-identity then you may want to gift this to them.
This book was provided for review by BookLook

The Memory Weaver by Jane Kirkpatrick




The Memory Weaver by Jane Kirkpatrick is based on a true story that took place during the mid 1800s. The story is told alternately between young Eliza and her deceased mother's journal. Eliza also has flashbacks during her telling of the story. These three different telling a didn't work well for this reader and while I finished the book it really didn't captivate me. I found it to be very slow moving and rather dull. I have enjoyed other works from this author and wouldn't hesitate to read her again.
This book was provided for review by Revell.

Friday, September 18, 2015

Bathsheba by Angela Hunt

 Angela Hunt has always been one of my favorite authors. She is in a category of her own and is a master storyteller. Bathsheba is a look into the life of one of the most famous women in the Bible. It's a fictional account of a true story and it left me in awe.
Told from the point of view of Bathsheba and the prophet Nathan, this will take you into another time as you imagine how things might have been. I learned a lot from this novel and it made the Scriptures come alive to me. Angela Hunt made me ponder the stories and that, I suppose, makes it worth it all. When a book points you to the Bible and to the Creator then it's worth the time to read.

Provided for review by Bethany House

Monday, September 14, 2015

5 in 5 by Michael Symon

 Chef Michael Symon has been a favorite in our home for several years due to The Food Network. We've watched him mature into a fabulous TV chef and now he's the cohost of ABC's The Chew. 5 in 5 is his latest cookbook and what I like about this book is that everything takes very little time to cook. What is better for us? We all live on the run but we want to eat good food. 
Look at some of these pictures:


 This is good food and real food for real people of any level of culinary skill. He opens the book with a list of pantry must-haves and then the book is separated into four sections, spring, summer, fall and winter, so you can use the ingredients that are fresh during those times of the year. This is genius. Not only that, but you will find yourself using different things that you'd never thought of trying. Grilled skirt steak with radish and blue cheese. Kale and apple salad with maple cider dressing. Turkey cutlets with almonds and dates.
Yes, you want this book.

This book was provided for review by Blogging for Books

Sunday, September 13, 2015

New King James Version NKJV Foundation Study Bible

The New King James Version has been my favorite for decades. I love the beauty of the language of the KJV but not the confusion of the out of date words, the New King James Version keeps the poetic words but updates it so you can understand it better. 

This edition includes handy cross-references, study notes, as well as a concordance (my favorite tool!), maps and the words of Jesus in red letters.

It comes with a dustjacket to protect the cover, the cover itself is an understated grey with simple wording. Very nice edition of the world's best selling book.

This was provided for review by BookLook

Tuesday, September 8, 2015

It's Good to be Queen by Liz Curtis Higgs

Liz Curtis Higgs is known for her solid Biblical teaching and her latest It's Good to be Queen is everything that we've come to expect from this seasoned author. In this volume Liz takes us into the life of the Queen of Sheba, a little mentioned character in the Bible, and shares the story of the accounts that happened between her and King Solomon. 
Entertaining and informative, this book would be perfect for a ladies Bible study or Sunday school class. 

This book was provided for review by Blogging for Books

Wednesday, September 2, 2015

Intersect DVD

We'd planned to use this as part of our Wednesday evening Bible study in a way to encourage the attendees to start having conversations with unsaved people. We found that it wasn't exactly what it claimed to be. It is geared towards really small groups, like the size that would comfortably fit in your living room and from what we watched, it didn't seem like it was for the already-saved person to watch. More like it was for the unsaved to watch with the saved. To get them talking together. We were a little disappointed in it because it seemed like it would have been a great resource.

About the DVD:
Intersect DVD (Awaken Movement, July 2015)
Follow the journey of five individuals as they tell authentic stories of circumstances that have forced them to examine how God might fit into their lives.

This five-week small group resource helps spark spiritual conversations. Starting spiritual conversations with those outside of the church is a worthy, yet often difficult and intimidating task. Intersect was designed to help overcome those barriers. It is an easy-to-use resource, perfect for sharing with co-workers, friends, neighbors, and family to enter into meaningful conversations.

Each film is accompanied by thought-provoking questions designed to encourage participants to examine the world in which they live and the life they are pursuing, always ending with a conversation on how Jesus intersects the current topic. Allow this powerful new film resource to engage those you are in relationship with and then propel them forward in their next step with Jesus.


This was provided for review by LitFuse