If I Run by Terri Blackstock

 I could not put this book down and stayed up way past my bedtime in order to finish it. If I Run is (unfortunately) the first in a trilogy and opens right in the middle of the action where Casey is running from life as she knows it to protect herself and uncover the truth about secrets buried deep. I say it's unfortunate that it's the first in a trilogy because of the waiting between books. This one leaves the reader hanging at the end and the waiting is worse than a cliffhanger between seasons of your favorite television show. 
Terri Blackstock shows us again why she has such a devoted following as she continues to write stories that are new and different. I've lost interest with many of my previous favorite authors because the stories are all the same. Blackstock never stops growing as a writer and her work is proof. She is in a different class and this is one book not to be missed.
Highly recommended.

                                    
This book provided for review by BookLook

The Life Giving Home by Sally & Sarah Clarkson

 From the back cover:
In our deepest hearts we want home to be a place where our spirits are filled. A lifegiving haven of warmth, rest, and joy that will encourage everyone who enters it; a welcoming respite in an isolated culture.
Join beloved authors Sally and Sarah Clarkson to discover the path to a lifegiving home - from a mother who's known for creating one and her daughter who was raised in it. This is their story; a story about a home where a real family learned to flourish, grow, and belong. Together they offer a treasury of wise advice and spiritual principles to help you create a place for all that is beautiful, good, holy, and foundational to life.

My thoughts:
I found this more uninteresting than anything else. Perhaps it's just my place in life right now. I couldn't concentrate on it and ended up not finishing it (I put it down and forgot about it until I found it under a magazine on my dresser this morning). Just not my cup of tea.

This book provided for review by Tyndale

The Indian Family Kitchen by Anjali Pathak

 Indian Food is a favorite in our home. Unfortunately, we have to travel to get to restaurants that serve it. This book, The Indian Family Kitchen, is the answer to my problem. With ingredients that are readily available at most grocery stores, the recipes are easy to prepare and full of the deep flavors we love. One thing I really like about this book is the inclusion of beef. 
The recipes are for any level of cooking expertise. No need to be intimidated by cooking Indian food, the spices do most of the work for you. 
The book has several chapters:
Light Bites
Big Bites
Feel-Good Factor
Veggies Galore
BBQ Indian Summer
Those Little Extras
Sugar & Spice
Cocktail Time.

The author even does an Indian spin on the classic creme brulee dessert, calling it chai brulee. Can you imagine?

She also includes a classic chai recipe which appeals to the chai lover in me.

Sharing family photos is another lovely part of this book. This is a treasure. 

Check out these food pics:

this book provided for review by Blogging for Books

Risen by Angela Hunt

 Angela Hunt is one of my all-time favorite authors. She lends her skills to the novelization of the book Risen, based on the story by Paul Aiello and Screenplay by Kevin Reynolds and Paul Aiello. I wasn't sure if this book would pull me in and keep my interest, but master storyteller Hunt did it again. The story is told from a Roman soldier's point of view and it is beautiful. I truly could not put this book down and devoured it in just a couple of hours.
As always, more people will watch the movie than read the book, but I feel that the emotion in the book and the meaning is much deeper in written word than what will play out on the screen. In the book we get to be inside the character's heads and see what they are thinking. 
Fantastic and highly recommended

This book provided for review by Bethany House

The 4 Dimensions of Extraordinary Leadership by Jenni Catron

Learning about leadership from someone so well-versed in it and willing to share her experiences is priceless. In the 4 Dimensions of Extraordinary Leadership, Jenni Catron reminds the reader that the basis of Godly leadership is to remember what Jesus Himself told us to do: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul and love others. Once we get that down we are able to lead others to do the same. It sounds simple but life gets complicated. Jenni freely shares stories of her own struggles and helps us learn ways to grow stronger as a leader, all by using Godly principles. This book is good for anyone who not only wants to strengthen their muscles as a church leader, but for those in any leadership position. 

About the Author

Jenni Catron is part of the central leadership team at Menlo Park Presbyterian Church in Menlo Park, California. She served for nine years as the executive director of Cross Point Church in Nashville, Tennessee, where she led the staff and oversaw the ministry of its five campuses. Prior to joining Cross Point, she worked as an Artist Development Director in the Christian music industry for nine years. She lives in Menlo Park, California.

This book provided for review by BookLook

The Chasm by Randy Alcorn

 The Chasm by Randy Alcorn is a small volume that was a brief escape from the mundane. At only 110 pages, it whisks you away to this other world where the strange is the normal. Through the addition of several pictures included in the book we are given a real glimpse of this world imagined by the author. Reminiscent of Pilgrim's Progress and Hinds Feet on High Places, this book will cause you to reflect on  your own life and your own purpose here on earth as we watch the traveler wrestle in finding his own answers. 
Though it is a stand-alone novella, it is recommended (at the end of the book) to read Edge of Eternity to find out Nick's story before he entered the chasm.

This book provided for review by BookLook