Friday, December 24, 2010

A Man's Heart - Lori Copeland



A Man's Heart

Lori Copeland

Jules suffers from a fear of marriage, even though she loves Cruz very much. After Jules postpones the wedding twice (only days before the wedding) Cruz cancels the wedding completely, actually he cancels their friendship completely.
Jules heads off to collage again, but just day's before her graduation her life is altered in a very drastic way. Jules and Cruz must find a way to get a long, if just for the sake of their friends and families.

My Thoughts

My heart hurt for Jules :( All of the pain and suffering she went through, and the love she sought and . . . Oh.
This is the second book in a few months that involved farming, and that's not a topic I had seen a lot of before (unless we're talking pioneer books, which I'm not), so I appreciate the author stepping out of the normal topic and going with a less popular setting, but one that was very interesting all the same!!
I think the book was pretty realistic in its portrayal of betrayal and forgiveness. That does make it a bit more painful to read though, as you wish for an easier resolution.
Lori Copeland is a name I've heard many times, but I don't think I've ever read any of her books. I think the next time I'm at the library, I'll check out another, to get a better idea of her style!

* Note: This book was provided free from Zondervan, and I was asked to write a review, it is my own opinion, and I was not asked to write a positive or negative review.

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Two Tickets to the Christmas Ball - Donita Paul


Two Tickets to the Christmas Ball
Donita K Paul

Cora and Simon are coworkers, who don't know each other, or rather Simon doesn't know who Cora is.
When both Cora and Simon stop at a shop near their work to find a few last minute gifts they are both given tickets, to an exclusive Ball. Tickets to a ball that very few people have ever heard of. Simon isn't planning on going to go to the ball but his sister who has Downs Syndrome wants to go, so he decides to get her a ticket too, but how??
The tickets give Cora and Simon something in common and Simon finally notices Cora. In just a few weeks their friendship grows, and Simon and his family show Cora what a real, loving family looks like.


My Thoughts
Cute, fun, easy read. This book was pretty short, with an easy read format. Something that would be easily finished during your holiday break (sorry it took so long to get my review up, guess I needed the break too ;) )
The whole book is based around Wizards, and if you look that up in Merrium Webster dictionary, the definition is a wise man or sage. There is a lot of magical, unbelievable things that happen, many of them seem like they could just be misunderstood things, but it's just a lot of little magical things. Two of the shop owners often make mention of doing what He asks of them, and the references all point to God.
Over all, a fun read ( a bit different) but certainly fun and easy.



This book was provided free from WaterBrook(Blogging for books), and I was not asked to provide a positive or negative review, just to give my honest opinion. Links to Amazon, are simply for your ease in finding the book, and I have not been compensated from Amazon.

Friday, November 19, 2010

Stories Behind the Greatest Hits of Christmas - Ace Collins



Stories Behind the Greatest Hits of Christmas

Ace Collins

Thirty four of the greatest Christmas songs and how they became great!! Who sang/wrote them? Why? This fun book gives many of the songs that you have know and love for such a wonderful holiday.

The stories range in length from 6-10 pages each, and gives the time frame when each song was written. The whole book is written in order of when they became popular. This gives an interesting history lesson, as you discover that many of the hits that have lasted became popular around war times, and some of the emotions that surrounded the wars are probably why they lasted so long.

These short stories are a great way to get into the holiday spirit, and you can easily read on during a break at work, or while your car is warming up, or grab a cup of hot tea and a warm blanket (fire place if you have it) and enjoy a night or two of your favorite Christmas music!!



Note: This book was provided free , from Zondervan, for review purposes. I have not been paid to write a positive or negative review, all opinions are my own!

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Naomi and her Daughters

Naomi and Her Daughters

From the cover:
From master storyteller Walter Wangerin, Jr. comes this familiar biblical saga told in a fresh, transfixing way. You'll feel you've never heard it before! Melding historical accuracy with imaginative detail, Wangerin uses the biblical books of Judges and Ruth to explore themes of love, faith, grief and community set against a backdrop of war and political instability.The widow Naomi grieves the deaths of her two adult sons after the shocking murder of a beloved adopted daughter, while pondering her responsibilities toward her Moabite daughters-in-law. Ancient Israel is in chaos. When her daughter-in-law, Ruth, begs to return to Israel with Naomi, events are set in motion that will change the course of history.But wait...this isn't the tame, flannel graph story you heard in Sunday School. In the tradition of Anita Diamant's The Red Tent and Elissa Elliott's Eve: A Novel of the First Woman, Wangerin imbues his tale with strong female characters and an earthy realism that gives the timeless Old Testament narrative so much power. You'll find echoes of contemporary issues throughout: deceit, heartbreak, loss, war, and, of course, the power of love. Naomi's combined strength and tenderness becomes the pivot upon which a nation turns; her decisions ultimately lead to the founding of the family lineage of Jesus Christ.Breathtaking descriptions, shocking violence, and inspirational courage make this spellbinding novel by a beloved award-winning author a story you won't soon forget. It's the perfect novel for your book group, and a satisfying read for those who love thoughtful biblical fiction.

My thoughts:
First let me tell you two things: 1) I didn't read the description above very well the first time, just skimmed it, and was excited about hearing a good story about Naomi,Ruth, and Boaz. 2) I didn't finish the book, and I'll tell you why.
1. The story was very 'broken' in my opinion, most scenes jumped very quickly, making it hard to keep track of what time frame you are in, and who you are with.
2. There were some very vivid descriptions from a birthing room. . . (Naomi "checking" the mother is given in detail-if you don't understand that, ask a mom what I mean)
3. Boaz is portrayed as a hotheaded teen (in earlier mentioned birthing scene). Let me explain why this bothered me. It has nothing to do with expecting bible characters to be perfect, because we all know that Christ was the only perfect human. But, Boaz is called the kinsman redeemer (an example to the old testament people of what our kinsman redeemer would be like) and because the Bible doesn't give us anymore details on Boaz's character, I think it would be best to leave his image a positive one, not perfect, but positive, because he is an old testament example of Christ.

So, my main reason for not finishing this book was his 'vivid descriptions', but the artistic license that the author took cemented my lack of desire to finish this book.

*Note- this book was provided free from Zondervan, and I was not asked to write a positive or negative review.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Unlocked - Karen Kingsbury


Unlocked
Karen Kingsbury

From the Cover:
Before You Take a Stand ... You Got to Take a Chance. Holden Harris is an eighteen-year-old locked in a prison of autism. Despite his quiet ways and quirky behaviors, Holden is very happy and socially normal---on the inside, in a private world all his own. In reality, he is bullied at school by kids who only see that he is very different. Ella Reynolds is part of the 'in' crowd. A cheerleader and star of the high school drama production, her life seems perfect. When she catches Holden listening to her rehearse for the school play, she is drawn to him ... the way he is drawn to the music. Then, Ella makes a dramatic discovery---she and Holden were best friends as children. Frustrated by the way Holden is bullied, and horrified at the indifference of her peers, Ella decides to take a stand against the most privileged and popular kids at school. Including her boyfriend, Jake. Ella believes miracles can happen in the unlikeliest places, and that just maybe an entire community might celebrate from the sidelines. But will Holden's praying mother and the efforts of Ella and a cast of theater kids be enough to unlock the prison that contains Holden? This time, friendship, faith, and the power of a song must be strong enough to open the doors to the miracle Holden needs.

My Thoughts
Autism is such a sensitive topic, and Karen showed all sides of it. The side of Holden's mom, his dad, their best friends (and daughter), the school mates, and Holden. Karen showed each person's struggles and pain and joy.
Unlocked covered many more topics than just Autism too, it included bulling, lost friendships, separation of spouses, prejudice, and a very unexpected twist.
An emotionally packed book with lots of sadness and lots of triumphs.

At first I felt like Unlocked was a little unrealistic, but if you read the authors notes at the end of the book, you will find out that Karen knew a young man who was 'unlocked', the real young man was much younger, and his unlocking took longer than Holden, but the situation had many similarities.
This book was another great book by Karen, and handled yet another delicate topic tactfully.

*Note, this book was provided by my mom ;) Who also loves to read these books (thanks mom), Zondervan, Karen Kingsbury, nor my mom have asked me to write this review, and I have not been paid to write a positive or negative review :)

Friday, October 15, 2010

Adventures In Odyssey Cause & Effect


Adventures in Odyssey

Cause and Effect
Focus on the Family


Adventures in Odyssey is a kids program that teaches biblical lessons in a fun and adventurous setting!! Geared to young school aged children it teaches lessons it teaches real life lessons.
Each of the 12 25 min stories has a different twist.
1-2 The Mystery of the Clock Tower
Why is the Clock tower counting down?? A reminder that your actions will effect the future, one way or the other.
3 Wooton's Broken Pencil Show
When Connie has to leave the air, Wooton takes over for her. Wooton helps show that 'entertainment should have a point'
4 Stage Fright
Everyone is excited about the newest play, but all of a sudden everyone is unreasonably scared.
5 Fast as I can
A description on fasting, its uses and the types of things you might fast from.
6 Opposite Day
Even opposites can be friends, their friendships just might look different
7 The Owlnapping
When you believe in something more than Someone
8 Square One
What to do when you break someones trust.
9 A Thankstaking Story
Think A Christmas Story only at Thanksgiving ;)
10 An Agreeable Nanny
When presented with a new nanny, the Parker kids decide to take advantage of the situation. Listen to find out what they learn.
11 The Malted Milkball Falcon
When Milkballs go missing from a fundraiser, the kids at Whits End try to solve the case, and are surprised by the truth.
12 Grandma's Christmas Wish
A busy episode about the busyness of Christmas.


My kids hadn't really heard Adventures in Odyssey a whole lot before, but now they are very excited to hear even more. They love the excitement and suspense of the episodes, with out being too scary.
This new CD came out in October and would make a great addition to any traveling this holiday season!! or even as a fun stocking stuffer or Christmas gift!!

*Note, this CD set was provided by Tyndale House free for review purposes. I was not asked to write a positive or negative review.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Tales from the Pantry: Soccer- Patsy Clairmount

Tales from the Pantry: SoccerPatsy Clairmount

Patsy Clairmount

Soccer is a little mouse who lives with his parents in a forgotten box of Christmas Candy. Soccer’s friend Tipsy (a spider who lives behind a Jelly Jar) tells Soccer about a ‘new cat’ in the house. There has always been an older cat to chase the mice, but now there is a new one, a younger one, who was “Wild”. but unfortunately Tipsy had not seen Whomp (the wild cat) with her own eyes, neither had the two people before her. Soccer’s mom tries to remind him that we shouldn’t believe everything we hear.

Eventually Soccer meets Whomp, a tiny little mouse who is afraid of Soccer. They talk for a bit before Whomp asks Soccer to be his friend (and Soccer asks his parents :) ) Also at the end, Tipsy apologizes, because her friend came to tell her that she also misunderstood, and Whomp is not a wild cat but a mild cat!!

My favorite stories for kids are ones that teach lessons. The moral of the story, “You can’t believe everything you hear” and don’t spread rumors!! My son is 6 and he has read all 5 of the Tales from the Pantry stories many times, he loves them!! I love that he’s getting healthy stories. (2nd grade reading level)

*Note: Patsy Clairmount doesn’t know who I am, and has not paid me to write this review. I just enjoy doing kids book reviews so you can find great books for your kids too!!

Thursday, October 7, 2010

The Way Home - A Movie Review

The Way Home
A movie review
Randy Simpkins (Dean Cain "Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman") and his family are packing for vacation, when Randy leaves his two-year old son outside playing while he 'checks his work email real fast'  When he returns Joe is gone.   But where?  As a workaholic, Randy is often busy, and his wife is sick of t, and fully blames Randy for Joe's disappearance!!
When the Simpkins pastor puts out a prayer chain the entire community pulls together to look for the little boy.   The community unites in prayer, love and searching.
My Thoughts:  Wow, an emotional powerful movie!!  The producers did a fabulous job of showing the gaumant of emotions that the parents would be feeling, and all of the friends/family and how they would also feel.  I also gained more appreciation for the technical trials of searching for someone, and the complications and procedures that would need to be followed.  It had enough details to make it feel accurate (movie based on a true story), but not so much that it was bogged down.
This movie is a clean movie, and safe for the whole family if mom and dad are willing to answer questions.  *note, I always recommend pre-watching all movies, but especially with this one, you want to know if you really want the questions (I won't personally be letting our little people watch it yet).  The Sheriff and other a few other people talk about the possibilities, ie: 'two year old body floating face down' etc.

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.”

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

The Boy Who Changed the World - Andy Andrews

The Boy Who Changed the World

Andy Andrews

Released Aug 31,2010
I first heard this story in Andy Andrew’s book The Noticer (well actually at Women of Faith, so I first read it in The Noticer).  It is a story about a boy who grows up and saves thousands, but was it him who changed the world, or the one who taught him to love learning and who taught him to want to help people.  or maybe it was the person who. . .  well, I don’t want to give the story away, so I’ll just say that the ideas behind this story is that old saying about butterflies and how they can make changes to the weather on the other side of the world.  Your little bit does make a difference.
The drawings are simple, and cute. I love the ‘hidden’ butterflies that are on most of the pages (look for them!!).  The story line is neat, but might need to be explained to children.

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.”

Monday, September 6, 2010

Why Does My Child Hate to Write - Carol Barnier eBook

Why Does My Child Hate to Write
Carol Barnier
an eBook from TOS $1.95
Carol Barnier gives ideas on how to make writing less painful for your active child.  Explaining that active children (with active imaginations) can often get bogged down with the difficulty in producing written words.
I read this guide without knowing how applicable it would be to my family.  We are in our 4th week of school, and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve said, just write it down and you will be done.  I’ve called friends to see if they had ideas, and then I came across this, and thought, well my seven-year old isn’t writing stories yet, so this probably won’t help.  But it can!!  She gives great ideas that I can’t wait to try.  Hopefully tomorrows lessons won’t be so much of a chore!!
Note:  This eBook was provided free from TOS, I was not asked to write a positive or negative review, nor was I compensated for this review, all opinions are my own.

Friday, September 3, 2010

Shades of Blue - Karen Kingsbury

Shades of Blue
Karen Kingsbury
Brad and Emma made a bad decision followed by an even worse one.  Now 10 years later, and only weeks before his marriage, Brad decides he must go back.  Back to Emma and apologize for his part in their decisions.  But will this ruin his relationship with Laura?? Will Brad fall in love with Emma again??  Will Brad and Emma be able to put the past behind them??
This book is  about abortion, and post abortion syndrome.  I am very prolife I think Karen did a wonderful job of showing how easy it would be for a young woman and her partner to feel like they ‘had’ to have an abortion, even with both of their hearts crying NO.  Because it is such an emotional topic (Karen Kingsbury is the author) it was without a doubt a very emotional book.   This book opened my eyes a bit wider to the hurt others have suffered after having had an abortion.
I am going to give away my copy of this book, I know that I won’t be reading it again, but I know that it might be something that someone else needs to read, or you know someone who might need to read it.  Leave a message telling me your favorite Karen Kingsbury book (or that you would like to read this) and your name will be entered to win this book.  (make sure you leave me a way to contact you!!)
*Opps, I forgot to tell you when, I will draw for this on Friday September 10th, and notify the winner on Saturday the 11th.

* NOTE – This book was provided to me by Zondervan free for review purposes.  I was not asked to write a positive or negative review, all opinions are my own.

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

The Edge of the Divine- Sandi Patty

The Edge of the Divine

Sandi Patty

The Edge of the Divine is Sandi Patty’s story.  The story of how she allowed God to change her life.  She was overweight, and stressed out with so much going on in her life.  She was having health problems, and knew that her life must change.  After seeking council from her family and her Dr, Sandi decided to make a life change.  Diet, exercise, forgiveness, and the lap band all played into the changes made in Sandi’s life.
Sandi is very open in her book about her past, and the things going on in her life right now (or when the book was written).  She tells of some sin issues the Lord has helped her with and given her strength to overcome.
The book is all about keeping your eyes open for the times where the Lord is going to make a change in your life (kinda like a threshold to a door way).  Sometimes you can see it before, sometimes after.  About how we are moving and allowing the Lord to work in our lives!
Congratulations Sandi, on your hard work!!  I know that you put a lot of work into your weight loss!!

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.”

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

The Yada Yada Prayer Group - Neta Jackson

The Yada Yada Prayer Group
Neta Jackson
From the back cover :
What do an ex-con, a former drug addict, a real estate broker, a college student, and a married mother of two have in common?
Nothing, or so I thought. Who would have imagined that God would make a group as mismatched as ours the closest of friends?
I almost didn’t even go to the Chicago Women’s Conference–after all, being thrown together with five hundred strangers wasn’t exactly my “comfort zone.” And being placed in a prayer group of twelve women from such diverse backgrounds seemed completely awkward.
But something happened that weekend to make us realize we had to hang together. The “Yada Yada Prayer Group” was born, and we decided to meet regularly to pray for each other: knocking off each other’s rough edges and learning to laugh and cry along the way! And when I faced the biggest crisis of my life, God used my newfound girlfriends to help teach me–Jodi Baxter, longtime Christian “good girl”–what it means to be just a sinner saved by grace.
My thoughts:
Ok, I have to admit (I didn’t really want to read this book, cough).  Don’t get me wrong, it has a super cute cover, and looked like a lot of fun. . .  but I just could NOT get into it.  I think it took me two weeks to get past the first 3 chapters. . . BUT then in the last day and a half I finished it, and I can’t wait to see if the library has the second book.  I think the part that was the hardest part for me is that there are soo many distinct personalities, and I have a hard time keeping up.  There were a lot of surprises, and it was a lot of fun.  I’m glad I stuck with it. (p.s. I am very conservative, so the way some of the gals worship was a bit much for me, but not wrong in my opinion, just more than I’m used to ;) )
Note:  The author, publisher, and amazon.com have no clue who I am, and have not asked me to write this review.  I wrote it because a friend loaned it to me :) Thanks!

Monday, July 19, 2010

How to Get Your Child off the Refrigerator and on to Learning - Carol Barnier

How to Get Your Child off the Refrigerator and on to Learning

Carol Barnier

*From the back of the book

Which child is yours?  The super-wiggly? The highly charged? The focus-challenged? The impulsive? The spirited? The passionate?
However you define the qualities in your special child, it’s obvious that the methods used to teach quite, compliant children don’t work for these energetic or just plain distracting kids.
. . . .
Direct those wandering thoughts and bodies into educational success with:
  • Creative reproducible activity aids that you’ll want to use right away
  • a phonics program where every lesson is a quick game kids love
  • instructional games, manipulatives and motions that will help you work with, not against, your child’s learning style
  • math strategies that make even a workbook fun
  • many more effective, fun solutions to the daily dilemma, “how do I teach my child tomorrow?”

My thoughts

First of all, let me say that I have 5 children, and I’m only officially homeschooling one (but working with two more, and playing with the others).  And my oldest is a mild version of the super-wiggly, highly charged. . .  so this book will help us, but we are by no means dealing with ‘on top of the refrigerator’ energy.  Second, I heard Carol Barnier speak at our local homeschool convention, and knew that some of her ideas would really help us out, so I went and bought it.  Many of her speaking ideas are in the book, just with a bit more detail.
The book has lots of ideas for helping with learning, but all are very ‘mom intensive’, so get ready to work!!  Most can be reused, but all will take time to set up. Lots of tips to make games that help make learning fun and actually happen!
I liked the chapter “I can’t take him anywhere” where she talks about how energetic children multiply the energy of the kids around them! (Mine does that, even just with siblings, which is why we tend to keep a tight rein on energy levels)
There are 13 different pages that have reproducible pages (some of them are two pages to one activity) but they are all activities that she talked about in the book.
If you have a distractable child, then this is a good resource for you.  not all of it will be useable for everyone, but I’m sure you will find something to help!!
*Note:  This book was purchased by me, and Carol Barnier, Emerald Books, and Amazon.com have no idea who I am.  This review was written because I wanted to :)

How to Get Your Child off the Refrigerator - Carol Barnier

How to Get Your Child off the Refrigerator and on to Learning

Carol Barnier

*From the back of the book

Which child is yours? The super-wiggly? The highly charged? The focus-challenged? The impulsive? The spirited? The passionate?

However you define the qualities in your special child, it’s obvious that the methods used to teach quite, compliant children don’t work for these energetic or just plain distracting kids.

. . . .

Direct those wandering thoughts and bodies into educational success with:

  • Creative reproducible activity aids that you’ll want to use right away
  • a phonics program where every lesson is a quick game kids love
  • instructional games, manipulatives and motions that will help you work with, not against, your child’s learning style
  • math strategies that make even a workbook fun
  • many more effective, fun solutions to the daily dilemma, “how do I teach my child tomorrow?”

My thoughts

First of all, let me say that I have 5 children, and I’m only officially homeschooling one (but working with two more, and playing with the others). And my oldest is a mild version of the super-wiggly, highly charged. . . so this book will help us, but we are by no means dealing with ‘on top of the refrigerator’ energy. Second, I heard Carol Barnier speak at our local homeschool convention, and knew that some of her ideas would really help us out, so I went and bought it. Many of her speaking ideas are in the book, just with a bit more detail.

The book has lots of ideas for helping with learning, but all are very ‘mom intensive’, so get ready to work!! Most can be reused, but all will take time to set up. Lots of tips to make games that help make learning fun and actually happen!

I liked the chapter “I can’t take him anywhere” where she talks about how energetic children multiply the energy of the kids around them! (Mine does that, even just with siblings, which is why we tend to keep a tight rein on energy levels)

There are 13 different pages that have reproducible pages (some of them are two pages to one activity) but they are all activities that she talked about in the book.

If you have a distractable child, then this is a good resource for you. not all of it will be useable for everyone, but I’m sure you will find something to help!!

*Note: This book was purchased by me, and Carol Barnier, Emerald Books, and Amazon.com have no idea who I am. This review was written because I wanted to :)

Friday, July 16, 2010

The Protector - Carla Capshaw

The Protector

Carla Capshaw

Quintus was a successful merchant before he was arrested for his faith in Jesus, but now he is a servant and a gladiator forced to fight against difficult odds just to live.  Adiona is the widow who turns the heads of all the men around her, and she in turn gives them an icy glare.  When Adiona’s life is being threatened she must depend on Quintus to protect her, when she would rather not depend on anyone, let alone a male.
As a ‘monthly reader’  this book was a big surprise.  First of all, it was long!! (almost 300 pages) and it was very well written.  This was the second book of what appears to be a series, but you don’t feel lost if you have not read the first (which I have not).  There were a few twists and turns in the book that I didn’t predict at all, making it very a surprising read.
*Note:  The opinions of this review are my own, and I have not been asked to write this review by anyone, including the author or  publisher

The Protector - Carla Capshaw

The Protector

Carla Capshaw

Quintus was a successful merchant before he was arrested for his faith in Jesus, but now he is a servant and a gladiator forced to fight against difficult odds just to live. Adiona is the widow who turns the heads of all the men around her, and she in turn gives them an icy glare. When Adiona’s life is being threatened she must depend on Quintus to protect her, when she would rather not depend on anyone, let alone a male.

As a ‘monthly reader’ this book was a big surprise. First of all, it was long!! (almost 300 pages) and it was very well written. This was the second book of what appears to be a series, but you don’t feel lost if you have not read the first (which I have not). There were a few twists and turns in the book that I didn’t predict at all, making it very a surprising read.

*Note: The opinions of this review are my own, and I have not been asked to write this review by anyone, including the author or publisher.

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

The Hands on Bible:NLT - Tyndale

The Hands on Bible – NLT

Tyndale

Tyndale sent me the Hands on Bible to review.  It is a complete bible with descriptions in the margins that help young readers understand more of the time frame and some customs in Bible times.   Many of the side margins give ideas for sharing Jesus with friends and family, in ways that young people can do. It also has about 8 activities for young people and a friend to do.  Best for 8-13 year olds.
There are Introductions to each Book with cool facts and info from that book. Hands on Experiences with ideas  of things to do.  Bible Bios with info about people in the bible, written as if it were straight from them.  And Hands-On Bible activities (see the give away at bottom for more information).
This Bible is great when you are looking for extra ways to help explain points to kids, but I think it would be distracting for regular use.  I particularly liked the information in the side bars!

Two possible ways you can get this free!!

1. Leave a comment on this post telling who you would like to share this bible with and I will randomly draw one winner on Friday July 23. The winner will recieve a certificate good for a free bible which they must take to your local christian book store.  (US only, the winner will be responsible for any taxes and please remember to leave a way for me to contact you)  Enter before Noon Friday and I will have winner posted sometime before 5 pm Friday!!     

Using Random.org, the random winner is number 1.  thearcherfamily.   I will contact you to get you your gift certificate!!  Thank you for entering!!

2. Go to http://www.newlivingtranslation.com/05discoverthenlt/hands_on_bible_contest.asp this will also show you a few pages on the inside.  you have until Aug 16, 2010.
*Note Tyndale sent me a copy of Hands on Bible for my family and a Bible certificate to be given away.  All  reviews on this bible are my own opinion, not those of the publisher or writers of this bible

The Hands on Bible - NLT -Tyndale

The Hands on Bible – NLT

Tyndale

Tyndale sent me the Hands on Bible to review. It is a complete bible with descriptions in the margins that help young readers understand more of the time frame and some customs in Bible times. Many of the side margins give ideas for sharing Jesus with friends and family, in ways that young people can do. It also has about 8 activities for young people and a friend to do. Best for 8-13 year olds.

There are Introductions to each Book with cool facts and info from that book. Hands on Experiences with ideas of things to do. Bible Bios with info about people in the bible, written as if it were straight from them. And Hands-On Bible activities (see the give away at bottom for more information).

This Bible is great when you are looking for extra ways to help explain points to kids, but I think it would be distracting for regular use. I particularly liked the information in the side bars!

Two possible ways you can get this free!!

1. Leave a comment on this post telling who you would like to share this bible with and I will randomly draw one winner on Friday July 23. The winner will recieve a certificate good for a free bible which they must take to your local christian book store. (US only, the winner will be responsible for any taxes and please remember to leave a way for me to contact you) Enter before Noon Friday and I will have winner posted sometime before 5 pm Friday!!

Using Random.org, the random winner is number 1. thearcherfamily. I will contact you to get you your gift certificate!! Thank you for entering!!

2. Go to http://www.newlivingtranslation.com/05discoverthenlt/hands_on_bible_contest.asp this will also show you a few pages on the inside. you have until Aug 16, 2010.

*Note Tyndale sent me a copy of Hands on Bible for my family and a Bible certificate to be given away. All reviews on this bible are my own opinion, not those of the publisher or writers of this bible.

Monday, July 12, 2010

Take Four - Karen Kingsbury

Take Four – Above the Line

Karen Kingsbury

Keith and Dayne are getting ready to make a new movie about the book Unlocked (Karen has actually wrote this book, and it will be out October 12, 2010), and this story is about the filming of that movie. Bailey has many choices to make about relationships, and is offered a surprising job, which allows her to be of great influence. Andi must make a tough choice about the baby she is carrying, will she give it up for adoption or raise it herself.

Take Four is the final book of the “Above the Line” series, and I really enjoyed the book, love the characters, but the book didn’t have a real end in my opinion. She gave it a ‘closing’, but I felt like the story was left hanging. This is not a story you will want to read ‘by it’s self’, because you will need to finish the next book/series to have an end. I am excited to read the next series (the Bailey Flanigan series), but this series just did not seem complete.

Baxter Fan Club extra chapter: A month or so ago I mentioned that my mom and I became members of the Baxter family club, and with that you are mailed the book, and it has Karen’s signature on the cover. Also included is an extra chapter that is emailed to the ‘club’. I was super excited to get this, and actually got the email while I was out, so I was very anxious to get home and read it!! I was slightly disappointed though when I read it. The extra chapter really had nothing to do with this particular book, but was about the Baxter family only (which is neat) and really it was just a recap of the reunion that Karen had of all of the fan club in Indianapolis in June. I’m sure that anyone who was able to go to it was excited to read this chapter, but I found it a bit of a let down for my expectations.

*Note: This book review has not been paid for. Amazon.com, Karen Kingsbury and zondervan have no clue who I am. All opinions are my own.

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Read and Share Bible

Read and Share Bible

Life and Miracles

Life and Miracles

A simple DVD containing many very short stories about the life of Jesus, miracles He performed and His life. This DVD would be good for young children up to 10 years old.

I liked this short DVD. It did a good job of showing lots of his miracles in easy to understand words, and allow the kids to see a lot of Jesus’ miracles. After that (10 minutes or so) it started to slow down and showed more details about what was going on. The message of Christ was clearly shown.

I liked how they portrayed Judas also. They didn’t show him as a bad guy in the beginning, but as a guy who turns upon pressure.

The time frame for the whole movie was from right after his first miracle up to the Lord’s Supper.

I would recommend this to anyone with young children (my 4 love it) and would be very interested in seeing others from this series.


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.”

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Facing the Giants - A movie review

Facing the Giants

Sherwood Pictures

Head coach Grant Tyler has a 6 year loosing streak. He and his wife have been trying for years to have a baby. . . and can’t. The entire team has a bad attitude. For years one man has prayed for the revival of the school. That man comes to Grant and tells him that God is going to use him.

Facing the Giants is the second movie produced by Sherwood Pictures (The first is Flywheel a movie about a used car dealer. movie budget $20,000*). By movie standards it is still very low-budget $100,00*, but with much more of a real movie feel.

Facing the Giants is a movie designed to have you think: about the ‘Giant’s’ in our lives, the obstacles that seem to be unbeatable, mountains unclimbable. But that if we put our trust in God, He will give us strength. I do think the movie makes it look like all dreams come true, but I do know that God will provide all of our needs, even if He doesn’t provide all of our dreams.

I give this movie a 5 out of 5, because of family friendliness, story line and ability to relate to many peoples lives.

By the way, did you know that Sherwood Pictures has a new film coming out in 2011 and that it is in production right now?? Courageous the movie is about 4 policemen fathers. Check it out to see what’s going on!!

* Budget amounts are provided by Wikipedia.org

**Note: This movie review has been done because I wanted to. The makers of this movie, Amazon, nor Wikipedia have paid me.

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Toward the Goal: The Kaka Story - Jeremy V Jones

Toward the Goal

                *  The Kaka Story

Jeremy V Jones

Kaka is a young Football (Soccer if you’re from America) player from Brazil.  He loves sports & he loves God.  When he is seriously injured as a young teen,  the doctors were surprised he wasn’t paralysed, and were sure that he would never play sports again.  But God is bigger than injuries, and Kaka went on to play football, in fact playing football very well!!
This book is written for preteens(9-12), with a great message of faith.  It also talks about working hard for your goals.  I like how the book is set up with story and background information.  Without seeming like a ‘school book’ the author adds a few paragraphs at the end of each chapter about different topics (Brazil, history of soccer, world cup records ect), so you learn something new!! It was very fun.  I also like how the author added the first round info for the 2010 World Cup, letting you know that Kaka’s story isn’t finished yet!!  If you have a preteen that likes sports, check out this book!! (I actually checked into it because I have friends who have a preteen, and they are missionaries in Brazil!!, makes me feel a bit closer to them :) )
* NOTE – This book was provided to me by Zondervan free for review purposes.  I was not asked to write a positive or negative review, all opinions are my own.

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

White Chocolate Moments - Lori Wick

White Chocolate Moments

Lori Wick

Archineh (Arcie) is 11 when she is in a car accident that kills her parents. She moves in with her Grandfather whom she adores and who adores her.  But now she must deal with a very jealous cousin, who finally drives a wedge between them.  She finally decides to leave, and runs away at the age of 18.  She learns to work, and works very hard, living a life completely different from the one she grew up.  Arcie grew up very privileged when her parents were living, and even more so when she moved in with her business tycoon Grandfather.
White Chocolate Moments covers more than 13 years of Arcies life in a very detailed way.  You feel like she is one of your best friends, and that you have watched her through the years, seeing her triumphs and her struggles.
* Note: This review has not been paid for. Lori Wick, Amazon.com,  & Harvest House have no clue who I am, and have not asked me for this review.  (and now I really want some White Chocolate!! Yumm)

The Ultimate Gift - A movie review

The Ultimate Gift

Trust fund baby, Jason Stevens (Drew Fuller) hates his grandfather, in fact everyone in his family can’t stand him. So when Red Stevens (James Garner) dies, his family is happy to see him go, and leave his billions to them. Only each person gets just part of what they want, there are stipulations to how they can use it, or something else, that makes them madder still.
But Jason, comes out of the reading of the will with . . . a gift, not money, but instead Jason must do something. And it keeps going like that. Getting ‘gifts’.

This movie shows the huge difference between the rich and the poor (could it be that life might actually be easier for some poor people than some rich people??) The theme of the movie is living life to its fullest in every way, not just buying material things. And friends, money will buy them, they just won’t be there to support if you if you need it.

Mild swearing(H— and BS), and Jason’s girlfriend ‘slips into something more comfortable’. But other than that I have no complaints.

A family movie, that I really enjoy watching!

* Note: This movie review was written because I wanted too, and I was not paid to write this review by anyone, including the makers of the movie or amazon.com

Friday, June 18, 2010

Fireproof - the book

Fireproof

Eric Wilson
Based on the screenplay by
Alex Kendrick and Stephen Kendrick

Based on the movie by Sherwood Pictures, this book was written after the movie, so it follows exactly how the movie goes. Yeah!! But not only do you have the story and message of the movie, you have all of the background information that you wondered about but didn’t know. Details that give the story more feeling and more emotion and more substance (and they did a great job on doing that with the film).

Fireproof is the story of young fire Caption Caleb Holt and his wife Catherine. Caleb and Catherine are married, but leading very separate lives. The are both living for their own needs, apart from God and each other. With a divorce in the near future Caleb’s dad asks him how willing he is to save his marriage. and challenges him to take the next 40 days to do a “Love Dare” and learn to love his wife. Caleb takes the challenge grudgingly and we get to watch as he changes over the next days and weeks.

I LOVED the movie, so when I saw the book, I wasn’t sure what I would think of it, but I decided to give it a shot, and see what it was like. I really liked it!! I love how I could see the movie in my mind as I read it, but I wasn’t correcting it. I would recommend this a great weekend read!!

* Note, this is a book I found at the church library, and decided to share with you :) Sherwood Pictures, its author, the Kendrick brothers, Amazon, Thomas Nelson, etc have no clue who I am, and have not paid me to write this review (positive or negative)

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Breastfeeding Diary for Microsoft Windows Mobile-app

Breastfeeding Diary for Microsoft Windows Mobile

$1.99

With my new phone, and a new baby, what other product could I possibly need but a breastfeeding app. I actually looked for one about 2 months ago, but didn’t find it until last week (new app) right after I got home from the hospital with him!

This app is designed to help you keep track of when you feed your baby, which side you started on (so that you can start on the opposite next time) and let you know how long your baby ate.

What I liked.

No real set up, you can go in and change the name easily, and that is all you need to do.
Easy to figure out. a left/right button starts it up, and you let it run while you nurse.
Pause button allows you to burp baby, and ”Switch” changes it from Left/right right/left
It takes very little memory, so you can leave it open all of the time (I’ll tell you why I had to later)
It totals your time for the entire feeding (Left 17, Right 12 = 29)
Allows you to see either all the details for each feeding or just the total time and start side
You can use other programs or the phone while it keeps working

What I didn’t care for

Every time you open the program it opens it up to “New Baby” and so you have to open up your babies profile (so I just left it open running in the background all the time)
It only shows todays stats and yesterdays.
If you forget to stop your feeding (Which I did often) you can only mark it as incorrect, you can’t edit it

What I wish it had

Ability to add diaper change info
Ability to correct feedings

Note: This reveiw was not paid for, and I purchased this app on my own. I will probably not use this program long, but for the few weeks that I did/will use it, it has been very helpful to get my schedule set.

Friday, June 4, 2010

Potty Training 123 - Gary Ezzo

Potty Training 123

What Works, What Doesn’t and Why

Gary Ezzo

A book designed to . . . you guessed it, Potty train, this book gives:

  • helpful advise on how to get started – tools and general guidelines
  • timing – are you ready, is your child, is the rest of the family, ect
  • incentives – they recommend food which I struggled with, but ‘input=output’. They also give suggestions on which food treats might work the best. Another thing that he recommends is a cheering section (grandpa and grandma, a favorite aunt or uncle, older siblings.)
  • when to give the incentives – rewarding more for ‘clean and dry’ than for ‘going’

The book is short, and detail packed, easily readable in one night, or snuck in over a few lunch breaks.

With 4 children (3 of which I have potty trained) I have to say I like this book! I did not use it with my first, I just guessed (it took him forever to get it). With my second I bought the book after a false start, and we had a bit of a problem, but he got it soon after I restarted with the principles of the book. With our third, I had already read the book, but I reread it, and jumped in excited to get it done fast!! We were accident free in about a week. (there were occasional accidents, but about 1 a week, so I would consider that accident free). I will soon (July or August probably) be training our fourth, and I am only waiting until then because baby makes 7 and I don’t want to false start with him. I don’t anticipate problems, and I am excited to work with him (even more excited to save the money that his diapers cost, and only need to purchase diapers for the new baby).

** Note: This review is being done because I want to. It was a book I purchased a while back (3 years ago) and have used with 2, soon to be 3, of my children. No one has paid me to write this review. I would highly recommend this book. Good Luck!!

Friday, May 28, 2010

Lies Homeschooling Moms Believe - Todd Wilson

Lies Homeschooling Moms BelieveTodd Wilson

Todd Wilson

With Homeschool Convention season around the corner, I’m sure that at least a few of you will meet Todd Wilson. My husband and I met him last year at our homeschooling convention, and he had us both laughing at ourselves (really me) and the things that homeschooling mom’s feel.

With a section of “Lies” and a section on “Truths” this book tells us that what we are thinking, we aren’t thinking alone :)

Just a few of the “Lies”, Everyone elses kids are better, everyone elses home is cleaner, everyone else can do it all, every other mom loves homeschooling (and more) Each section goes through the lies and shows us, why they are lies with cute little comics to help you laugh even more!!

Backed with some “Truth”, You are not alone, God gave your children exactly the mother they needed (struggle here), You can’t do it all, Those perfect homeschooling families are not real.

I love how Wilson gives you permission to be your own family ( I don’t need to grind my own wheat & bake my own bread, nor do I need to have all of my children playing a musical instrument by the time they are 7, playing sports. . . if it works for the whole family. The Lord calls people to homeschooling, and He gives us each different abilities. My job as mom is to do what the Lord wants of me, not what ‘all the other homeschooling moms’ are doing!!

If you want to laugh at just a few of Wilson’s comic’s check out his encouragement cards http://www.familymanweb.com/encouragement

*Note: I got this book at a Homeschooling Convention last year, and really needed it, laughed and cried my way through it. Todd Wilson has no clue who I am, or that I have written this review. I have not be paid by Todd Wilson or Amazon.com.

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Baby Signing Time "Lets be Friends" - Two Little Hands

Lets Be FriendsBaby Signing Time “Let’s Be Friends” - by Two Little Hands

I have always used ‘meal’ time signs with my kids, just taught them some things that I found in a book. Things like: more, please, drink, and eat. They have all picked that up before 12 months. While at the library the other day I found this DVD, actually this one and “A New Day”. I picked them up for my 3 1/2 year old, just so she could do “school” when her brothers were. All four of my kids LOVE these videos!! (20 months – 6 1/2 yrs).

Of the two, I would pick this DVD, it has lots of sharing type signs.

A list of signs include: Friend, play, share, nice, feel, happy, laugh, sad, cry, hot, cold, yes, no, me, dirty, clean, apple, pear, carrot, peach, juice, bubble, Balloon, telephone, music, and game. There are also some signs from other shows, that you might recognize.

The part that the kids love the most is that each section of words has a new song, and so they sing as they sign. I’m sure that it also helps that most of the videos are of toddlers (probably between 18-36 months).

I love teaching the kids Sign Language because they are able to ‘talk’ to me so much earlier with that than speaking it. I’m going to be on the look out to see if I can snag these on sale somewhere!! I would love to have all of them here all the time!!

*I have not been paid to write this review, it is a DVD that I borrowed from the library, but would love to have in my personal library.

Monday, May 24, 2010

Webster the Scaredy Spider- Hermie and Friends

Webster the Scaredy Spider- Hermie and Friends

Max Lucado

Webster is a spider, who is afraid of everything. When Webster arrives at the Garden he doesn’t realize that Spiders are not welcome, because everyone there is afraid of spiders. Hermie and Wormie are the only ones to give Webster a chance, and they want to remind Webster that God is there for him.

Hermie and Wormie try all kinds of ways to trick everyone into giving Webster a chance, but everyone is just afraid of him. Until Hailey and Baily (lady bug twins) decide to see if he really is friendly and leave to find him. They end up getting stuck, and heading down a river. Wormie is scared, but he takes a leap of faith and helps them. After that, everyone decides that Webster might not be so bad and they take time to meet him. Webster thanks God for giving him bravery to save the twins.

I don’t think I’ve ever read a Max Lucado children’s book I didn’t like. The Hermie and Friends are kind of simple, only because they are based on a movie. My kids enjoy these books, and they can watch the movies to get extra bits of the story.

*Note, Max Lucado, Thomas Nelson, and Amazon.com have not paid me to write this review, and I only write it because. . . well, I wanted to :)

Friday, May 21, 2010

Happily Ever Laughter- Ken Davis

Happily Ever Laughter

Ken Davis

with Jeff Allen, John Branyan, David Dean, Chonda Pierce, Kendra Smiley, Daren Streblow, Bob Stromberg and others.

A fun little book made up of a bunch of short stories (30 Chapters) and none of them are more than 6 pages long. There is no real rhyme or reason :) just fun stories that make fun of the problems we encounter in marriage, and help us to see the humor in the problems (cause if your married, there are going to be problems. . . . come to think of it, if you are in any kind of relationship, there will be problems ;) )

This little book is perfect for the diaper bag or purse, or to leave in the car. With it’s really short stories, and bursts of humor, you can get through one or two (sometimes more) while you wait for those appointments. And if you set it down for a week or a month, you won’t be at a loss, because they are all independent stories.

Of course, I found some of the stories to be funnier than others (probably because I related to them so much) but they are all tasteful stories that come from the adventures of marriage!!

I Review For The Tyndale Blog Network

*Note: This book was provided free to me, by the Tyndale Blog Network so that I may review it. Tyndale Blog Network, Amazon, nor the author have paid to write a review that was positive or negative. All opinions are my own.

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Contractuib Calc - Blackberry

Blackberry (we have 8330)

When in labor, don’t search for paper, just use your phone :)

I like contraction timers because they do all of the math for you, and if you’re having hard contractions you don’t have to think as hard.

This program has a lot of the same features as most contractions timers “StartTime”, “EndTime”, “Duration”, & “Frequency”. It is easy to start and stop the timer for this program, simply hit the space bar and it starts/stops, and then does the calculations for you.

One of the really neat features of this program is in the Settings and is that you can add your name, your ”Expected Due Date”, “Frequency Leave Time” and “Time Format”. The one I really like “Expected Due date, because then every time you open it up, it tells you how many days until your due date!! “Frequency Leave Time” allows you to tell it when you think you should leave, and when your contractions get that close it will pop up and tell you to leave for the hospital (of course, good judgement should be used, if you think you need to go to the hospital before this pops up. . GO)

The colors are non-annoying, if a bit hard to read. Dark pink squares with black letters (Results) and then a light blue area telling the name of the program and Due Date Countdown at the top.

This program was $2.99 and you can find it here. Of the two programs I tried (one on each phone) I liked the extra features and colors on this program better.

*Note: I am at 34 weeks when I wrote this review, and have already had lots of Braxton Hicks contractions to test out my timers on. The owner of this program has not paid me to write this review, and has no clue that it is here.

Friday, May 14, 2010

Hearts Awakening - Delia Parr

Hearts Awakening

Delia Parr

Thirty-one year old spinster Ellie has just moved in with her cousin, and begins working for Jackson, who is a recent widower with two boys. Because of the scandal of his first marriage, Jackson decides to propose to Ellie. After rejecting his offer, she prays and goes back to accept his offer, but that is just the beginning of all of their struggles. gossiping neighbors, two little boys who desperately want their mother, pride and fear all have the marriage on rocky ground.

I found a lot of good story line in this book, with some confusing areas. It was not exactly what I expected when I picked it up. Their marriage was very rough up until the last chapter, so I almost don’t feel like it had the ‘happily ever after’ even though they are both commited to the marriage by the end of final chapter.

Spiritual content: It bothers me when books portray everyone as saved and going to heaven. Ellie does a lot of praying!! but beyond that there is very little in leading to Christ.

*Note: this Free book was provided by Bethany House Publishers for review purposes. I am not required to write a positive or negative review, but to simply state my opinion.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Contraction Timer - HTC Touch Pro 2

Contraction Timer handango.com

HTC Touch Pro 2

My husband got me a new phone a few weeks ago, and right after the new phone came a new program. A contraction timer (At 32 weeks, I had already had a chance to use it a few times). My husband had a Blackberry, and I’m going to post a review on that one next week!!

Contraction timers. . . tell how far apart your contractions are!! :) This timer gives start time, stop time, how long they last, and how often they are happening. All pretty standard for a contraction timer, but I really think the app is much easier than trying to write it down (When you are in pain, you don’t want to be finding the clock, and focusing hard enough to get the time right, and then finding the paper you wrote the last contraction on, my phone is always there)

Things I like: Easy to push start/pause, the button is huge, so it’s easy to hit!! The main screen only shows the last contraction, which means you’re not trying to figure out if the newest number is on top or bottom of the list. The history button on the bottom (SHOW, SEND, or SAVE) SHOW allows you to see a list of all your contractions from beginning to end including the duration and frequency of them all (No averages though :( ), SEND allows you to send a text, email, picture or video message, which will be handy to send to your hubby or ride or whoever might need to know that they really are coming that fast and that constant. Save. . . um. save ;) (Location is “File Explorer” “Program Files” Contractions Timer” and whatever you named it (I used the date)

What I don’t like: The colors, the background is black (with a thin red clock) with a hot pink start/pause button, and the information box is green. There are no averages. And this is a phone setting, but my phone goes into standby to save battery, so I just plug it in when I’m having lots of Braxton Hicks contractions (with this being my 5 pregnancy and a history of fast labor, I”m paying attention to all of them: and family, don’t be concerned, the dr’s aren’t ;) )

The program only cost us $1.99 (you can get it here) which is a lot better than the $19.99 of some programs (but they did have graphs and stuff showing where your contractions are going. . . ) I think it’s worth the two dollars to not have to do it the paper/pencil route!!

*Note: I was not paid to write this review, I did because I like to know how things work before I buy them :) Thank you Hunny for downloading this for me :)

Monday, May 10, 2010

Sixteen Brides - Stephanie Grace Whitson

Sixteen Brides

Stephanie Grace Whitson

Fifteen women (Sixteen if you count the stow away) set off for the west to take up land. Free land that the government will give them if they live on the land for 5 years or more. Only the man who set it all up knows that there is no land at the end of their ride, but plenty of men looking for wives (men who have paid for brides).

When one of the ladies learns of what is really going to happen at the end of the train, she decides to get off early, and take land in a nearby town, where she can actually accomplish what she set out to do.

Romance stories for more than one couple can be a bit confusing, this story has FIVE!!! plus the stories of a few other people mixed in. Each of the ladies who left the Bride Train early have a different story, different reasons for wanting a new start in the west. Each widow has her own hurts and past, and they learn to work and grow together. Ultimately falling in love towards the end of the book.

This book is a ”Christian Fiction” book, but other than it being clean (which I would expect from any christian publisher) and an occasional reference to prayer, there is nothing in the way of spiritual growth. I will say that there is a part of the book that talks about forgiveness, but it is forgiveness towards another person (very good) but nothing by means of forgiveness from God. I found nothing inappropriate in the book, and it was a fun read, I have always enjoyed reading about this time era, but other than it being clean, I don’t have any recommendations for it as a ‘Christian’ book.

*Note: this Free book was provided by Bethany House Publishers for review purposes. I am not required to write a positive or negative review, but to simply state my opinion.