When God Made You (Review)

This review is for the book "When God Made You" by Matthew Paul Turner. My kids absolutely love these types of books and stories, so I had to get this one for them. This book is really cute. The illustrations are beautiful, creative, and colorful, and my kids loved them. The book talks about how special each one of us is, which is a really important thing for kids to grasp. The book rhymes, which of course usually is more entertaining for kids and more fun for us adults to read out loud! And what a great premise - that God made us exactly the way He wanted us. I love it. Perfect for the kids in your life!

Thank you to Waterbrook Multonah for a copy of the book.

Daring to Hope (Review)

This review is for the book "Daring to Hope" by Katie Davis Majors. I love her story so I was really excited to read this book. Katie moved to Uganda, founded an organization and adopted several children all while she was barely an adult herself. In this book she shares many of the struggles she has been through. She has such a compassionate, servant's heart, but that means that she is in the position often to get her heart broken. For example, there is a family she takes in and the mother ends up dying. Katie's heart is broken for the loss of her friend and the fact that the children have to go somewhere else to live. Katie is honest about her struggles and fears and doubts and sadness, but she finds great comfort in her faith as well. I love her outlook and I really enjoyed reading about her story.

Thank you to Waterbrook Multonah for a copy of the book.

The Kindness Challenge (Review)

This review is for the book "The Kindness Challenge" by Shaunti Feldhahn. I absolutely loved this book. I cannot WAIT to put it into practice. In this book, the reader is challenged to think of a relationship that is tough, or strained, or could just be better in general. Feldhahn asserts that we can make small steps to improve these relationships.

What is really amazing is how much this book made me self-reflect. I consider myself a very kind person, but I realized that I can definitely improve in a lot of areas, especially towards my husband and children. For example, one of the chapters talks about thanking my husband for the little things - washing my car, mowing the lawn, etc. These are the things I take for granted that he does. But when I thank him, it's an affirmation of love for him. I also realized that there are times I will thank someone in my family for something and then show exasperation right after. For example, "Thanks for changing the baby's diaper, but I really like for the tabs to be fastened this way", or "Bonnie! You know we don't do it that way!" These things make us lose perspective.

I could go on and on about the tips found in this book and the realizations I've had from reading it, but it would make this review really long. Please grab this book and try it for yourself.

Thank you to Waterbrook Multonah for a copy of the book.

You're Saying It Wrong (Review)

This review is for the book "You're Saying It Wrong" by Ross Petras and Kathryn Petras. When I saw this book I just knew I had to get it. This book is a guide to pronouncing the top 150 most commonly mispronounced words. It even gives a background on the words. I am such a word geek, so this book is one that I am keeping for myself but also buying for my word geek friends for Christmas!

The book is alphabetical and contains words that I didn't even know I was mispronouncing, such as "bruschetta" and "spit and image" (I always say "spitting image")!! As you can see, it also includes phrases. The book even contains some names, such as "Thames" and "Beijing". Also, sprinkled throughout the pages are lists such as British names, names of authors, and names of wines.

I absolutely love this book. Any writers, readers, and word lovers out there NEED this book in their lives! I highly recommend it!

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of the book.

God Gave Us Thankful Hearts (Review)

This review is for the book "God Gave Us Thankful Hearts" by Lisa Tawn Bergren. I will be honest. We have almost every book in this series that Lisa Tawn Bergren has created ("God Gave Us...") and our family absolutely loves them. I am never disappointed with the books.

In this book, Little Pup, a fox, is bummed because he knows that winter is coming and that means hibernation time is close. His mother encourages him to think of things to be thankful for in every season. When Little Pup complains about poison ivy, his mother tells him to be thankful he knows how to avoid it. She teaches him to focus on the things that make us happy, rather than the things that don't.

This is the cutest book as Little Pup's mother and father take him through the things that seem to be disappointments and help him turn them into blessings. It's really a great lesson for all of us! I highly recommend not just this book, but any of the books in this series. They are fun to read and they teach great lessons in a really simple way.

Thank you to Waterbrook Multonah for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

Vinegar Girl (Review)

This review is for the book "Vinegar Girl" by Anne Tyler. I have heard so much about Anne Tyler but I have never taken the opportunity to read one of her books. In this book, Tyler takes on Shakespeare's "Taming of the Shrew" and twists it into a modern story that you won't be able to put down.

Kate Battista is stuck in a rut. She is in her mid-twenties and feels that she has no life plan. She never finished college, she still lives at home taking care of her absent-minded scientist father and bothersome little sister, and she works in a job at a daycare that she really isn't very good at, or enjoys very much. Then her father concocts this crazy plan to have her marry his assistant, Pyotr, just so Pyotr can stay in the country and continue working with her father. Kate scoffs at the plan at first, but Pyotr seems to actually like her, and he's very different from any other man she's been close to.

The story is fun, sweet, witty, and fast-paced. I loved it. I read the whole book over two days. I really enjoyed the characters and storyline. Although I'll be honest - I don't remember anything about Shakespeare's story, so that was meaningless to me. Anyway, I highly recommend this book.

Thank you to Waterbrook Multonah for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

BatDad (Review)

This is a review for the book "Bat Dad" by Blake Wilson. I got this book for my husband, who follows Bat Dad on Facebook. He used to show me the videos all the time and he thought they were so funny. So I got him this book thinking it would be some extra jokes or pictures or something. It was okay, but it didn't seem like there was any new material in the book. I really think that the Facebook page is much funnier because you get to see the reactions of everyone in the videos and you hear the tone of voice and everything. The videos make everything so much funnier. In my opinion, he should stick to videos and not try the book avenue again.

Thank you to Waterbrook Multonah for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

Moment of Weakness (Review)

This review is for the book "A Moment of Weakness" by Karen Kingsbury. This is the second book in her Forever Faithful series. I did not realize that this was a series or I would have started at the beginning. Fortunately, you do not need to read the first book in the series to love and enjoy this book.

Jade Conner and Tanner Eastman were best friends until a family tragedy tore them apart. They found each other almost 10 years later and spent a summer falling in love. In a moment of weakness, they lose track of their faith. When Jade is feeling the consequences of their actions, she goes to Tanner's mother for advice since Tanner is on a missionary journey. She takes his mother's advice, although it stems from lies, and immediately goes and marries a guy who has been chasing her for years. When Tanner comes home, he is diverted from finding her based on lies his mother gives him.

Later in life, Jade's son is taken from her because her husband doesn't share her Christian beliefs. Her custody battle needs the best law firm possible, and it just so happens that she has to turn to Tanner.
This book is intriguing, and although it didn't seem realistic to me, it sadly probably IS realistic in these modern times. I enjoyed this book and the characters. If you have liked other Kingsbury books you will definitely like this one as well.

Thank you to Waterbrook Mulnomah for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

Little Miss Overshare (Review)

This review is for the book "Little Miss Overshare" by Dan Zevin. This is part of the parody series which pokes fun at the old "Little Miss" and "Little Mr." books. I loved those books when I was growing up, and now my kids love getting them from the library. I had high hopes for this book because I also really enjoy parodies.

Little Miss Overshare is a little too disclosing to her friends and perfect strangers. You may have guessed that by her name. She shares information from her bathroom habits to the issues she has had with her dry cleaner.

I will say that although there are no outright vulgar words, the language and topics in the book are very crude. The reason I felt it was so funny is because with social media, I have found that people are oversharing more and more. So I think this is a timely book.

Thank you to Blogging for Books for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

The Martian (Review)

This review is for the book "The Martian" by Andy Weir. Honestly, I did not know what to expect from this book. Based on the title I thought it was going to be some outlandish science-fiction novel, which I don't really enjoy. Instead, I was met with an intriguing, exciting book that kept me on the edge of my seat.

This book begins in the journal of Mark Watney, an astronaut on Mars. In a freak accident, his fellow crew members left him, thinking he was dead. But he's not. And now he's alone - on Mars. Fortunately, Watney is an engineer. An insanely good engineer. He is determined to find a way to survive on Mars and try to find a way home. This book is his story and his journey.

I loved this book. It had my attention from the beginning. There were a couple of nights I was reading and my eyes were heavy as rocks, but I just had to see what was going to happen next. I was rooting for Watney for the entire book! I hear this is a movie now, and I am excited to see it, although I happen to love books more than movies. The book does contain some crass language, so be aware of that.

Thank you to Waterbrook Multonah for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

God Gave Us Sleep (Review)

This review is for the book "God Gave Us Sleep" by Lisa Tawn Bergren. This is the fifth or six book in the "God Gave Us" series that my family has read together. My kids absolutely love this series, and to be honest, I do not really tire of reading the books to them. I think these books are great ways to introduce topics on the level of a child. This book is about the importance of rest, in order for our bodies and minds to feel refreshed. If you are a parent, there is going to be a fight over bedtime at some point! You will be able to relate to this book, as Little Cub doesn't want to go to bed, but when she doesn't get enough sleep, she is very grumpy the next day.

My family loves seeing these same characters over and over again. We read the books repeatedly. I highly recommend not just this book, but the whole series.

Thank you to Waterbrook Multonah for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

Things I've Said (Review)

This review is for the book "Things I've Said to My Children" by Nathan Ripperger. This is a really funny, silly, easy read. The entire book is quotes that Ripperger has found himself saying to his children over the years. He took the quotes and put them to original illustrations. The quotes are all child-appropriate and off-the-wall. For example, he has to remind his children that the cat does not want to wear lipstick, and watermelon should not be rubbed on your arm.

This is a great, light-hearted read that parents and non-parents alike will enjoy. And hey, you may have said one or two similar things to your own children!

Thank you to Waterbrook Multonah for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

It's Good to Be Queen (Review)

This review is for the book "It's Good to Be Queen" by Liz Curtis Higgs. If you are not familiar with other works by Higgs, she excels in researching ladies in the Bible and explaining them in extraordinary (and interesting) detail. This particular book details the story of the Queen of Sheba, as she journeys to meet King Solomon. The story of "Sheba" (as she is widely known) is very short in the Bible. Higgs is such a talented author and researcher, and she was very able to pull so much meat out of such a short Bible passage.

This is a very easy, down-to-earth read. You will enjoy it and learn a lot from it. Also included in the book is a study guide with discussion questions. I highly recommend this book, as well as all of her other works.

Thank you to Waterbrook Multonah for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

I Take You (Review)

This review is for the book "I Take You" by Eliza Kennedy.

I usually love British novels, especially "chick" novels. They are usually the type of book I cannot put down or stop laughing. This one, for me though, was a bit too much.

In this novel, Lily Wilder has accepted the proposal of her boyfriend, Will. He's a brilliant archaelogist, and she has everything going for her as well - job at a law firm, great friends, and a hilarious but incredible family. The problem is that Lily can't seem to bring herself to stop sleeping with every handsome guy she lays her eyes on. This book begins only one week before the wedding and in the first chapter she is already sleeping with one of her coworkers. Her family and friends know her reputation and actually spend most of the book trying to get her to break off the wedding. Her future in-laws even hear about her reputation and try to blackmail her into walking away. In the end, there are lots of secrets that come forth between Lily and Will. I won't give away the ending, but the book definitely did have me wondering what the big secret was going to be.

I think I'm just too old-fashioned for books like this. Ten or fifteen years ago I probably would have loved this book. But now I look at it as ridiculing the sanctity of marriage and laughing in the face of monogamy. It just wasn't up my alley. But I do think the author had a great writing style. I would try to read another of her books in the future.

Thank you to Waterbrook Multonah for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

What You Left Behind (Review)

This review is for the book "What You Left Behind" by Samantha Hayes. I read my first book written by Samantha Hayes about three months ago and I loved it. I loved the twists and turns in that novel and I really liked her writing style. So I was looking forward to reading another book by her. This one did not disappoint me.

In this book, Lorraine Fisher has come to Radcote just for a simple vacation with her sister. The city is still healing from a rash of teenage suicides when it looks like more suicides are beginning to take place. Lorraine is a detective inspector, so her police instincts set in. She begins investigating.

There are tons of suspicious characters - homeless teens, an autistic son, and plenty of other people who are just plain creepy. While reading the book you can prepare to suspect just about everyone of foul play. The ending is twisted and you won't be able to guess it. I love books like that. I look forward to reading another Hayes novel in the future.

Thank you to Waterbrook Multonah for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

No More Excuses Diet (Review)

This review is for the book "No More Excuses Diet" by Maria Kang. I will admit that I began reading this book with a little bit of judgment. After all - no excuses? How about the flu? Homeschooling your kids? Working two jobs? So I was really happy to realize throughout the book that Maria Kang isn't talking about life situations like that. She's talking about excuses like you love food too much to give it up, you don't have enough energy, or you don't have enough time.

Maria gives a full account of her background in the beginning of the book. Her lifestyle and knowledge have come after years of hard work - this was not a quick fix for her, which made me like her from the beginning. I was also concerned that she was going to focus on a low-calorie, low-carbohydrate, lots of cardio type of diet. I am so glad that she proved me wrong on all these accounts. She follows a method of flexible dieting which I love, and she encourages cardio (if you love it) but primarily weight-lifting as an exercise method. She also encourages exercise such as hiking or riding bikes with your family, keeping track of non-scale victories (such as upping your weights in the gym or accomplishing a marathon), and even different forms of mental "stretches" like prayer and meditation.

The book is full of meal ideas and workout ideas, pictures included. I was really impressed with this book and I'm happy with the information in it because I think it can be helpful to a lot of people. I would recommend this book for anyone who is searching for a lifestyle change and needs a little push.

Thank you to Waterbrook Multonah for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

Until You're Mine (Review)

This review is for the book "Until You're Mine" by Samantha Hayes. I have to admit, I have read so many books that I often feel that most thrillers and suspense novels are just another read for me. This book, though, is one of the best books I have read in a long time, and my favorite non-faith fiction book so far of 2015.

In this book, Claudia is pregnant, and while this is thrilling for her, she has to be extra careful due to some pregnancy issues she has had in the past. Her husband, as a sailor who is gone frequently, wants a nanny to be hired to help out around the house, and with Claudia's two stepsons, as well as after the new baby arrives. Claudia and James hire Zoe, who comes with glowing recommendations and seems to develop a great relationship with the boys right away. But there is something about Zoe that Claudia can't seem to trust, although she can't put her finger on it. Soon, there is a rash of violent attacks on pregnant women which makes Claudia even more nervous.

I couldn't put this book down. I was reading it every free moment I had. If Samantha Hayes' other works are as good as this book, I'm going to be reading them immediately.

Thank you to Waterbrook Multonah for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Shovel Ready (Review)

This review is for the book "Shovel Ready" by Adam Sternbergh. This is part of his "Spademan" novels. I had not ever heard of Sternbergh, or "Spademan", but I love a good thriller/suspense novel. One thing that pleased me about this book is that it gave plenty of background eased into the storyline. I knew plenty about Spademan without having to read other books by the author. I liked the story and found it pretty interesting. I did think some of it was odd because obviously the story takes place in New York in another time/dimension. The reader is let in on the fact that there are no movie theaters anymore... no Wall Street anymore... and eventually the reader is told what exactly happened to the state of New York.

I felt that some of the story was confusing, particularly the part about the "limnosphere" and the famous preacher. I also felt that the story was a bit harder to read because there were no quotation marks, so for me it was hard to imagine who was saying what phrase in the conversations, and which statements were thoughts.

It's still an interesting concept and I'm sure most people who enjoy suspense novels would like this style of writing.

Thank you to Waterbrook Multonah for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

*Not a faith-based novel.*

Furry Logic (Review)

This review is for the book "Furry Logic: A Guide to Life's Little Challenges" by Jane Seabrook. This is the 10th anniversary edition of the book. This is a cute book that is short, but will lift your spirits. Seabrook has created beautiful watercolor illustrations to go along with well-known quotes, such as "The quickest way for a parent to get a child's attention is to sit down and look comfortable."  To be honest, most of the quotes were not new to me and they seemed too familiar to be very funny, but I loved the illustrations Seabrook provided. This would be a cute gift, particularly for an animal lover.

Thank you to Waterbrook Multonah for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

In This House (Review)

This review is for the book "In This House We Will Giggle" by Courtney DeFeo. I love Courtney's blog and her writing style, so it only makes sense that I enjoyed this book immensely. In this book, she goes through 12 very important virtues, such as forgiveness, patience, respect and humility, telling her struggles and her victories, and giving great advice throughout each chapter. Every chapter has stuff throughout that helps you implement. Here is an example:

For the "respect" chapter, there is a memory verse to hold on to. There are ways to practice respect with your kids. There are "catch phrases" for respect (such as "Small gestures often show great respect"). There is a definition for this virtue which makes it easy for kids to understand. There is a story in the Bible that correlates. There are discussion questions. There is a specific prayer about this virtue. There is a family activity, and then other optional activities. This book has everything!

I am going to be putting this book into action next year for sure. It is full of great wisdom and lots of activities that would be great for our family.

Thank you to Waterbrook Multonah for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.