A Book Review: A Good and Perfect Gift

I read through A Good and Perfect Gift, by Amy Becker, in about 2 days. It was captivating. It's the story of a family who didn't find out about the special needs of their child until AFTER the birth. The author writes about her excitement for their first child, the emotional roller-coaster they went on after the news, and the love that grew in their hearts toward their little girl.
  I enjoyed the premise of the book. While I am glad I read it, and the reminder of how precious life is, I'm also glad I didn't read it while pregnant. I don't think emotionally I could've handled it very well.
    The book maintained my interest for the first few chapters, then I wished the author would move through the story faster in the middle. She spent a lot of time in the 6-8 month age range, which from reading, you could tell alot happened, but at the same time, it felt a little repetitive. I enjoyed the "ending" of the book, but had to go check out her blog because I really wanted to see pictures. (Which I did)

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers as part of their blogger book review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."*

Book Review: The Baker's Wife

The Baker's Wife, by Erin Healy, was the first suspense book/mystery book I read in a long, long time. As a fiction title, it definitely caught my interest, and held it till the end of the book.
  This was also my first time to read an e-book. Let me tell you, that's not my favorite way to enjoy a book, but it was conveinent.
    While a little on the unbelievable side, the story plot is captivating. I particualrly liked the setting of the bakery and the detail that went into that. The characters were maybe just a bit predictable, but for an afternoon read, it was fine.
    I did not find the conclusion much to my liking, it seemed like maybe it was a bit hard to wrap up.
Over all, I might try this author again, but it's not on my must-read list.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."*

Book Review: It Couldn't Just Happen

I'm very glad I had the chance to review It Couldn't Just Happen, by Lawrence Richards. It's a topic I am highly interested in, and therefore was a book right up my alley so to speak.

Overall, this is a book I plan on keeping on my shelf, and I do recommend adding it to yours as well.

I was happy to see the format of the book was geared toward kids/youth, with lots of pictures and easy-to-read font. Mr. Richards does a great job of explaining scientific things in an understandable way without sounding silly or childish. It reminds me a lot of the science text books I used in school.

I especially liked the beginning chapters of the book. The author addresses many of the common hypothesis mentioned in today's science books (well, on that I must mention that I'd like to research that myself by actually looking into an elementary science book). I really appreciated the way he didn't take issue of calling scientists with different beliefs "ignorant" or use any of the all-to-common "slams" against the "other-side." I was able to read along with him objectively on each issue without feeling he was leading me toward a bias.

At the end of each chapter he adds extra projects, research questions, activities you can do with your kids that go along with each topic. It must be personality, because some I thought very appropiate, and some very un-interesting.

Near the end of the book, he does get into theology more than I expected, as in, he devotes a whole chapter to the fufillment of prophecy by Christ. It's about 4 chapters in the end it's only about the Bible and Christ, and not so much on science stuff. It's interesting, but I would've been fine without it in the book because I find it a whole different topic of study.

So all in all, I give the first half of the book a 5 star rating, but the second half of the book a 3.5 rating.

If you'd like to read a copy of this book, you can buy it on Amazon.com or CBD.com (or get it from your local library possibly)

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."*

Book Review: PrayerWalk

Yes, another book review. I haven't read all these books at once, just am a bit tardy on posting the reviews.

Anyway, of the books I've read recently, this book by Janet Holm McHenry is my favorite. At first, I was skeptical of the book, title and all. Prayerwalking....who goes prayerwalking. How over-the-top! Yet, as I read it, I was interested and found many neat ideas and thoughts stimulated by the author.
   I like the straight-forwardness, simple talk, and practicality of this author's writing. She is a high school teacher out west, and has many down-to-earth stories and points to make in the book.
    Her main points are:

• Prayer is important
• We should make time to Pray
• Exercise is important
• We should take time to exercise
• Combining both CAN be an act of faith

The book does not force you to feel you have to Go walking and Pray, but she offers her experiences, reasons, and practical tips throughout the book.

I like one of the things she says about habits:

It should be 3 D's. It should be a daily, disciplined descision.

And I agree with the quip even on the back of the book: It's time to exercies your prayer life.

You can find a copy of this book on Amazon.com or CBD.com

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Waterbrook Press as part of their blogger book review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."*

Book Review: The Blessing

The Blessing, by John Trent and Gary Smalley, was a bit dissapointing to me.
 I received this book from BookSneeze, and was looking forward to reading it for some time. Yet, I had a hard time reading much at a time, and had to force myself to finish.
   The book follows the premise (for me) of the Five Love Languages. It does have lots of stories in it, which is helpful and maybe the most interesting part to myself.
   The overall premise feels a bit stretched to me....of emphasizing Big lessons from Small verses in the Bible. I struggled with that aspect, feeling like it was an okay opinion, but a bit shaky to persist in it's importance.
   The book deals with "blessing" or loving/accepting your children by words, action, touch, and tone. The vaild point of the book is, as children, we want our parents to love us unconditionally and accept us. That I agree with. Yet as far as needing to "Bless" our kids, I got a bit lost in the authors jargon.
   I suppose, overall, I am showing my "Minnesotaness" and would rate this book as a bit too "feely" or "froofroo" for my taste. I learned valuable input from the book, but am not likely to pass this on to any other parent.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."*

Book Review: The Sweetest Thing

The Sweetest Thing, by Elizabeth Musser, was the first fiction book I've read in a long time. (Well, reading through books has been kind of put on a back burner for a while). Still, I was pleasantly captivated....at least when I got past the first few chapters.
  The story line is set in the American Depression era, but focuses on the life of the rich more than the struggles of the poor during that time. I found this interesting, yet puzzling too. I have never (I think) read any books or information from that time period from this perspective. Therefore, while I found the story entertaining, I also found it hard to believe. It made me curious to dig up more information and biographies of the rich during that time. (Which I haven't done yet, so my review is still baised toward the unbelieveable...sorry).
   The writing is smooth, though I found it a bit wordy. This author was new to me, and I laughed when I read her acknowledgments where she mentioned "Thanks for helping me cut this book down to a readable length." Because, even though she cut it I guess, I would say there was still that feel of a lot of extra detailing and descriptions that I could've done without. Therefore, to actually get into the story plot took me about 3 chapters.
    So, in all, it was interesting, spurred my interest in studying some history, and was entertaining. But, it is not a book I will keep on my bookshelf long. There are others that I find more enduring and classic.

You can find a copy for yourself from Amazon.com if you'd like.

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers as part of their blogger book review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."*

Book Review: To Be Perfectly Honest

I was really looking forward to reading this book by Phil Callaway. He is one of my favorite funny authors (with books like, "Who put my life on Fast-Forward?" and "How to make life rich without any money.")

Also, the premise of this book, To Be Perfectly Honest, looked to be very interesting.

After reading the book, I am still 50-50 on it. The funny-factor was on the dissapointing side. It was written in journal-style, making it easy to pick up and put down (which I was hoping for a book I couldn't put down). Of his books I've read, this one does not rank in my top 5.

The preimse of the book was as interesting as I hoped, though he didn't take it in the direction I thought he would. I still found the idea challenging to me...to live perfectly honest for one whole year. I find it challenging to think of all the areas we skip or fudge or exaggerate....that these too should be under a truth radar. That idea in itself was worth the read for me.

If you'd like to find the book to read, first I'd suggest your local library. Otherwise, you can find it on Amazon.com


*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Waterbrook Press as part of their blogger book review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."*

Book Review: The Final Summit

The last book I read by Andy Andrews, was Heart Mender. That was a keeper. I was really looking forward to this book, The Final Summit, and honestly was a little dissapointed.

First, it was my mistake. I didn't realize this was a sequel, and so for the whole first part of the book, I was lost.

As a sequel, this book does fine. On it's own, it seems to jump here and there and not finish any thoughts for the first couple chapters. It gets better after that...if you can make it that far without loosing interest.

It was not as riviting a fiction as I had hoped. I tended to loose my place frequently, though that might be because of all the distractions and interruptions in our household right now, and it was difficult to keep picking it up and wondering what had just happened in the story.

Once I figured out what the book was about, I actually wasn't too interested in the topic as a whole. The idea of finding a two word answer for civilazation just didn't pique my interest. My favorite parts were the historical tidbits/biography portions in the book.

If you'd like a copy, you can find the book over here at Amazon.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."*

Book Review: Family Life Bible

Here is a nice gift book for newlyweds. This Bible has a whole section in the front for recording family things....geneology, marriages, births, special dates etc.

Then, throught the Bible there are little insets with notes and insights from the Raineys on marriage and family life. If you've listened to their radio program, you know they have some good wisdom to share.

The pages are a bit thin, so be careful. But the font size is fine.

As far as a Bible goes, I guess there's not much more to say :) A Bible is a Bible.

You can find this one on CBD.com

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."*

Book Review: God's Wisdom for Mothers

I was looking forward to reviewing this book. It turned out to be a perfect fit for my morning reading routine. I was looking for something that summarized topical verses in easy-to-read sections. Perfect.

I am pleased with the book. I like the topics they summarized, even the titles of each section is simply a good reminder of what God would like to see in a Mother: wisdom, cheerfulness, patience, joy, compassion, discernment, honor, and respectfullness. I read a little bit each morning along with a chapter from Proverbs, and 3 pages of another book at the moment.

This book is just a collection of verses from the Bible arranged under each topic. Very simple. The verses are taken from the New King James Version. While most of the verses are really nice in this translation, I did compare them to my NIV version, and am not sure ALL are quite as accurate as they could be. Therefore, I'm a little cautious in my reading them without double checking them in another Bible.

I personally am really glad I have this book now, and will continue to read it often. It's a nice compliment to any "quiet time" needs. And for me, as a young mother, it's a perfect fit.

If you think you'd enjoy a book like this, you can find it here on Amazon.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."*

Another Book Review: From the Library of A.W. Tozer

I was really excited when this book became available to review. Between M and I, we are always looking for more interesting sermons and articles to read, and have found we prefer older stuff to newer. This book has selections all the way back from 354 AD.

This book is really a collection of excerpts from different writers and theologists from 354 to 1945 AD.  The pieces are taken from longer essays or books, and while given a heading, really are just a snippit.

It still is/was helpful to me, since I could read a small portion of an author and decide if I want to find the complete work to read. I can get a sampling of the different authors that way.

The print is nice and easy to read. The selections are kept short, maybe between 1 and 3 pages. The introduction is helpful and informative about the man A.W. Tozer himself.

It's a nice book to have on hand for a quick take on stimulating sermons etc. It can be a quick read....just reading quickly through the whole book at once, front to back. Personally, I think it's best used in short, where you read one or two essays on a subject, and then just think about them or study them out more.

The book is divided into topics, where it has a collection of essays on, say, Worship or Prayer. This makes it easy for topical study/discussion.

If I were to compare this book to a meal (silly perhaps), but it wouldn't be the Main Dish (heavy and filling) and it wouldn't be the dessert (light and sweet), but more like a side of mashed potatoes (A nice compliment to a meat, somewhat filling but you'd be hungry if that's all you ate).

I'm sure if you'd like to check it out, the library might have it, but CBD.com does for sure.

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers as part of their blogger book review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."*

A Book Review: God's Promises Devotional Journal

I have another book to review :)

I received this book to review from BookSneeze.com (Have I mentioned yet how I love their program?!) I was looking forward to reading/using this book since I've been trying to do a study on God's Promises.

The nice thing about the book, is it goes by day-of-the-month but no year, so you could use this at any year (doesn't get outdated). It's divided up into monthly journal sections, with one verse at the top, a short essay by different Christian authors, a question or two to get you thinking, and then 10-20 blank lines to record your own thoughts.

If you're looking for something short and sweet, pretty easy to keep up with on a daily basis, this book is for you. It doesn't contain enough lines for writing for the likes of me....but that's because I write big and write alot. There is just one page per day, and only one third of that page is for writing.

The essays by the different authors read much like a Max Lucado book (considering he is one of the authors, that makes sense). They are simple and quick to read. I think the essays were collected, and then a verse found to go along with the essay to print at top. Personally, I wish it was the other way around, since it would feel a little more like a Bible study then, rather than just Christian thought/opinion.

I believe it's a nice gift book, and really good for beginning Christians or Christians who are looking for a quiet-time help in a simple way.

It's not terribly over-bearing, and is about 400 pages thick (1 inch). The binding seems to be sturdy, and doesn't look like it will fall apart with use.

If you'd like a copy, you can find it on Amazon.com


*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."*

Books I recommend

There are some great kid's books on my shelf that I thought I'd share (in case you are looking for a book  to read)

In no particular order, here are some of Sunita and my favorites right now:

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

I like this book for it's fun simplicity and good pictures. It also teaches the life of a butterfly. My only gripe is that it actually isn't accurate.....on the last couple pages it calls what the caterpillar makes a "cacoon." If the caterpillar is going to be a moth, that would be correct, but since it's a butterfly, it should be Chrysalis. I know, I know, it''s picky. But I guess it matters to me, because I took a marker and crossed it out in the book :) Yes, yes I did.

 God Loves me More than That

I reveiwed this book earlier on my blog. At first, I thought I wouldn't read it much, but it has become one of my favorites. My favorite line is, "It's nice to know that my whole life through, God loves me more than that." I like to read it to Sunita so that she knows, no matter what, God loves her as she grows up.

Five Little Ladybugs

Another bug book. I'm partial to these ;) This one is just fun and has little "bugs" to touch and push.

 Guess How Much I Love You

This book is a classic, and just a "warm and fuzzy" read.

 The Carrot Seed

For a book that doesn't have many words, I sure find this one amusing! (So does my 5 year old neighbor) It's one of our favorite reads for a laugh. Plus, it's a board book so has easy-to-turn pages. My neighbor loves it because she can quote it herself. (i.e. read it to me)

Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes

I love how this book reads. It talks about babies from all over the world, how they are the same and how they are different. I enjoy reading it to Sunita especially because of having relatives in India. I like reminding her that everyone is special, no matter what part of the world they are born in.

Goodnight Gorilla

This book is an all-time-favorite of mine (and every kid I've babysat). Not sure what it is, but it's a keeper. This book actually has no words, but I've "read" it so long, I have a standard "story" that I read aloud now. Our favorite two pages are the black ones (if you read it you'll know what I'm talking about). The one that has all the "goodnights" (read in many different voices) and then simply the two eyeballs ("Who's in my bedroom with me?!")

Even if you don't necessarily have a kid to read all these to, I'd personally say you could get away with reading them yourself :)

I'm sure you could find them all at the library.

Or, you could get them from Amazon (where these images are from)

Book Review Time: Kid's Book

I am tardy in posting this review. I read it about a month ago, just haven't taken the time to get on the computer and write about it....sorry about that!

I picked this book to review because I already had another book from this series (God Gave Us You). The books are definitely one style, and if you like one, you'll love this collection "God Gave Us So Much." (It's 3 books in one.)

However, I don't think these books are my favorite style.

The content of the 3 books is great, and is written to answer some big questions for little kids, like What is Heaven? and What is Love? I find the theology fine, but it's a bit wordy. (How do you cover those questions without being wordy I don't know!)

Even though they seem to be little kid books, I'd say they're more readable and appropriate for the 8-10 age range. This is mostly because any kid younger than that will not want to sit through all the reading. The pictures aren't interesting enough to keep a small child's attention long enough to read one page. The pictures are nice, I'm just saying for the amount of words on one page, it doesn't seem to keep the attention of the kid yet, and they want to turn the page sooner than I'm done reading.

So, if you like the, what I call, "lovey-dovey" style of art and pictures, you'll like these books. I'm not partial, so I think I'll skip out on any more books by this author and artist.

If you like it, I'm sure you can find it at the library, or on Amazon or CBD. (Or you can ask me for my copy)

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Waterbrook Press as part of their blogger book review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."*

Book Review: God Loves Me...

Recently I received another book in the mail to read. This time was kind of exciting because it was a kid's book! I read it in about 5 minutes. Then, I thought that's not fair, I'd better read it to some kids too, to see if they liked it or not. So, I was glad it was Christmas weekend...there were lots of kids around to "test" it out :)

First, it's a nice kid's book in that it is NOT wordy. Some books have too many words per page. Not this one. Plus, it's written in rhyme which makes it fun.

The pictures were a big hit.....from Elephants dancing and hippos in mud puddles, to girraffes sticking out of a semi-truck. Those were the kids' favorites.

It's basically a book emphasizing that God's love is MORE than anything we can imagine....bigger, deeper, wider, heavier, softer, and higher. It's based off of Ephesians 3:17-19, "how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ..."

I do like how at the end of the book, it reminds us that not only does God love us, we should love Him back too, and that His love lasts our whole life.

So, I guess I'd describe it as a "Sweet" book. Maybe not the most theologically deep book you'll find, but depending on the reader, it can lead you to some great reminders and thoughts.

Every kid I read it to (ages 2-5), easily sat through the whole reading, and enjoyed the pictures. Is it one of their favorite books? I don't know. I think it's one they would hear again, but maybe not the kind they'd choose off a bookshelf of other choices. Only time will tell that part!

If you'd like to find this book, it is sold on Amazon here.


*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Waterbrook Press as part of their blogger book review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."*

Book Review: The Strategically Small Church

Another book I've had the pleasure of reading recently is The Strategically Small Church, by Brandon O'Brien.

This book is very well written making reading it a breeze. I believe it only took me a couple days to finish it. (Plus I was very interested in the topic presented)

The book is written with the purpose of encouraging those in small churches to look at the positives rather than the negatives. It also is written for those in ministry, to stimulate a different approach to traditions, standards, expectations, and programs.

I found his interviews and opinions quite intriguing, and wrote down many quotes for me to think about and "chew" on later, such as,

I very much enjoyed this book, and have already shared it with a couple others. I am curious as to their opinion on it, since I wonder if it was so relevant to me since it was a very familiar topic to me since childhood.

Either way, you can check it out of course either at Amazon.com or CBD.com.

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers as part of their blogger book review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."*

"...every community has needs. Loving our neighbors means considering their needs - not just adopting the latest trend - before we launch our ministry initiatives."

"We must recognize and acknowledge that God is at work even when and where our church is not."

"If a small church finds out that the key to success for a larger church in town is short, exciting sermons, they shouldn't give up their long an dweighty sermons simply to attract new people. These are important issues that are a matter of remaining faithful to God and His commands. If we change the way we understand these things, it should be because our convictions about God's revelation have changed and not because current trends are now leading in a new direction."

"As a small group, look at what you CAN do because you are small rather than what you CAN'T do."

Book Review: Beyond Opinion

Okay, so I have some Book Reviewing to really catch up on!

Here's one that was a hard read, but good too: Beyond Opinion by Ravi Zacharias.

If you know anything about Ravi Zacharias, you know that he is a Christian apologist and deep thinker. We've enjoyed watching some of his debate clips on YouTube.com, where we were first introduced to him.

Anyway, he and his team wrote this book about Living the Faith We Defend.

It's broken into chapters per topic addressed, such as Hinduism, Atheism, Post-Modernism, etc. and is basically a book written about answering the difficult questions we all have in a thoughtful, logical, and gentle manner.

This book is NOT a fast read, nor light reading. Hence the late review! It's the kind of book that I will keep on hand and re-read again, since it takes a while for this sort of writing and argumentation to sink into my brain.

It is on my recommendation list though. If you'd like to find it, you can purchase it on Amazon.com or CBD.com.

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from BookSneeze.com as part of their blogger book review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."*

Another good book from BookSneeze

      Mind Your Own Mortgage, by Robert Bernabe was a good book to review. Valuable information? Yes, I think so. If you can plow your way through the middle, the beginning and end of the book are very helpful.

      For a finance book, it is well written in plain language. The author is definitely of one mind set in the mortgage area, very adamant that fixed rate mortgages, shopping around, and buying a mortgage based on total price are the ways to go. He details these points with examples, “how-to” steps, and personal stories.

      This book was a helpful and informational read. It presents useful details and opinions on the mysterious mortgage market out there. I believe the author is well versed in what he writes, though very adamant in his viewpoint. For me, it was a good starting point for understanding and formulating a plan on mortgages. I think if I was already in a mortgage, I might be a little depressed from reading what “I should have done.”

    From the book, I branched off and was able to do my own research and understand what I was reading. My only grippe was that in the book he kept referencing his downloadable worksheets and calculators, but when I went online to check them out, you have to pay a yearly fee to access them. I wish that it was made clear in the book that they weren’t free. Or, if someone paid for the book, maybe they’d have automatic membership to his tools.

   If you’d like to access a copy of your own, it’s available at Amazon.com. (or check your local library, or me!)

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from BookSneeze.com as part of their blogger book review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."*

Bread Recipes

I got Mary Gubser's "America's Bread Book" from the library the other day....and had to renew it twice just because I loved going through it. I marked quite a few recipes to try and have only completed a few so far.

Really, it's a fun book!

I guess these recipes are collected from every U.S. State. It's fun to read the stories and history along with each recipe.

But now I had to return it. And you know what, I didn't take any pictures of the bread I've made so far! ha

But, I typed out a few more to try, and I'll make sure to document.

So I guess, this is really a shameless promotion of the book. If you like to bake, you'll like this book. Check it out from the library and see :)

Fiction Book Review: Somewhere to Belong

Thanks to Bethany House Publishers, I had the opportunity to review Judith Miller’s book, “Somewhere to Belong.”


Let me just tell you, it’s been a long time since I’ve read an adult historical fiction book!

The story was set in a quite Amana Church Colony in Iowa. The plot centers on two young ladies and their character building struggles. While the summary makes it sound very uplifting, I guess I expected a little more depth to the characters and to the relationship to God they were supposed to have. You can definitely tell it is book one of a series, with the many un-finished conversations the characters have.

The book is fairly detailed in the mannerisms, lifestyles, and customs of an Amana Colony, and it is nicely woven in with the story so as not to bore you with facts. It is an easy to read story.

Personally, I thought it barely squeaked by into the “Christian” fiction category. It certainly was clean, nice and sweet, but it lacked the depth and development I was hoping to find in a Christian cast of characters.

You can find the book here at Amazon.com or CBD.com

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers as part of their blogger book review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."*