WHY I CHOOSE THIS BOOK There are so many girls - especially teens - who have trouble with worry and anxiety, especially in today's world. Therefore, I WHY I CHOOSE THIS BOOK There are so many girls - especially teens - who have trouble with worry and anxiety, especially in today's world. Therefore, I thought it'd be a good idea to give this book a read so I'd possibly have a better understanding of what people who struggle with worry and anxiety are going through. Plus, the author's last name is the last name of another author I like, and I thought perhaps they were related. ;)
WHAT I THOUGHT ABOUT THIS BOOK
It's gold. I'm giving it five stars, and we all know I don't give out that rating easily. I thought perhaps the book would be unbalanced or just be like "You can do anything because you're awesome" etc... and in a way, it did say that. But it was more like "God created you with the tools you need to beat this worry, and here these tools are." I am so on-board with the approach this book took, and it makes me want to read the rest of this author's work.
The book was split into three sections: Understanding, Help, and Hope. It talked about why and how girls get anxious, signs of how anxiety plays out, definitions of commonly-thrown-around-words, and how the words should actually be used. In addition to the emotional side of anxiety, the author delved into the logical and scientific areas of anxiety, which was incredibly helpful and eye-opening. It's so hard to triumph over something that you can't understand or process correctly.
The author went a step further and talked about the spiritual side of anxiety and how the Enemy is the Father of Lies and will use lies against you. She talked about how we combat those lies with the Truth, and how important it is to acknowledge the lies and not give into believing them.
The book then gave incredibly practical ways to work through anxiety. The way she presented the information made it feel both doable and worth trying. I really appreciated how she gave facts and reasons to back up the advice she was presenting, instead of just expecting girls to take her word for it.
While reading the book I learned a lot about how the brain works. Although I don't struggle with anxiety (it's not that I never worry, it's just not something that I do a lot), I think the things I learned while reading this book can help me in other areas of life. CONCLUSION Since anxiety isn't my struggle there were some aspects of the book that I'm not sure if I agree with fully or not, but overall I really like the book. (Obviously.) I highly recommend this book and would enjoy hearing your thoughts on it if you've read it. (Especially if anxiety is something you're working through in your life.) RATING I’m giving Brave 5 out of 5 stars. Thank you to Bethany House Publishers for sending me a copy of the book so I could post this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. ...more
It was a quick read, and there were certainly some gems in it. I didn’t fully agree with a few of the premises (that we deserve good things like acknoIt was a quick read, and there were certainly some gems in it. I didn’t fully agree with a few of the premises (that we deserve good things like acknowledgment and that we only see good in others when we have that same good in ourselves), but I do agree with praising people.
Being thankful and expressing it - especially in front of others - makes a huge difference and I’m thankful I was raised in a family that did that.
Overall the book (although short) felt too long for the subject matter. It did contain a lot of good information though. ...more
This was a great book and a timely read. It’s hard for me to let go of my desire to be perfect and to try new things that I might get wrong, but that’This was a great book and a timely read. It’s hard for me to let go of my desire to be perfect and to try new things that I might get wrong, but that’s such an important part of learning and growing.
Recently I’ve been doing a lot of things that I’m unfamiliar with, and giving myself permission to not always be right, but to learn from my mistakes, is important.
I highly recommend Sometimes You Win, Sometimes You Learn and think it’s one of the best John Maxwell books I’ve read. ...more
**spoiler alert** I enjoyed this book - not as much as the first book, but I very much wanted to keep on with the series and was disappointed when I r**spoiler alert** I enjoyed this book - not as much as the first book, but I very much wanted to keep on with the series and was disappointed when I realized there were only two books.
I listened to it as an audiobook and pretty much guessed what the ending would be. I would have preferred it being a totally cold case like the last book, but wasn’t surprised that it wasn’t. The storyline was interesting and well-written.
When I listened to the first book I didn’t realize that Evie was the main character of the series, and seeing more from her perspective gave me a much wider-angle-view of who she is as a person.
Again, I wish 1) That there would be more books in this series and 2) That the cases would be more Cold. ...more
This story wasn’t what I was expecting - much more character focused than plot driven. I wanted to find out what was happening, and the writAudiobook:
This story wasn’t what I was expecting - much more character focused than plot driven. I wanted to find out what was happening, and the writing was good, but probably wouldn’t read a sequel....more
Why I Choose This Book If you've been around my blog for any length of time, you'll know that it's no secret that Connilyn Cossette is my favorite authWhy I Choose This Book If you've been around my blog for any length of time, you'll know that it's no secret that Connilyn Cossette is my favorite author of Biblical Fiction. Her dedication to details, thoroughly developed characters, exciting plot twists, and delightful writing style keeps me coming back for more. In fact, I've had the honor of reviewing every single one of her books as they've been released. I talk about her books a lot online, and even more often in real life. WHAT I THOUGHT ABOUT THIS BOOK Not every book can be a favorite, you know? And that's okay. Just because a book didn't hit the elusive five-star-rating I was hoping it would, doesn't mean that it won't for someone else. (In fact, over on Amazon the book has a 4.8 out of 5-star rating with over 115 reviews - that's impressive!)
I read the book in one day while on a 72-hour work quarantine due to being exposed to someone who was exposed to someone who tested positive. Ah, the joys of 2020! It took me a total of six and a half hours to read, and although I'm only giving the book a three-star rating, it did make tears come to my eyes at one point, so maybe my rating should be taken with a grain of salt?
For this review, I'm going to go with 3 Pros and 3 Cons.
The Pros: As always, Connilyn Cossette's writing style is impeccable. It draws the reader in, paints beautiful pictures, and makes the story world come alive. Her vocabulary is expansive, describing ordinary things in a way that makes me want to look around me more carefully and soak in the nuances of the every-day things surrounding me. Arisa, the main character, was my favorite part of the book. I could relate to her thought processes, understand why she lived life the way she did, and longed to simply wrap her up in a hug. She definitely grew on me as the book progressed. The way she cared for her family was my favorite part of the story. The story delves into a time in the Bible that we don't know a lot about. I hadn't thought much about how the Children of Isreal lived during the early years of Samuel's life, and although there's no way to know what actually happened, Connilyn Cossette's ideas are facinating.
The Cons: My main issue with the book was that I felt there were descrpeinces between the story and the Bible. One of the reasons I've always liked Connilyn Cossette's books so much is because of how well she follows the Biblical account, and in this story that didn't seem to be the case. Maybe I simply misunderstood? I read the Biblical account several times to see if I was getting it wrong, and I'm still confused. Most of the things were little - like the fact that the Levities were the ones who cleaned up the dead bodies after God struck them for looking in the Ark. But the Old Testiment is very clear that the Levities weren't supposed to go near dead bodies. I know that probably seems petty, and I could be missing something completely... But there were several instances where something like that happened, and therefore took the rating of the book down for me. The story was also a bit slow getting started. Again, that's perfectly fine, just currently I'm in the mood for fast-paced stories. There were a lot of characters who didn't play a huge part in the story, but were mentioned fairly often (family members, etc...). It was a bit confusing keeping all of them straight. CONCLUSION This book has less violence and death than some of this author's other books, although it's still mentioned. (It is Biblical fiction, after all.) The story is mostly clean and sutiable for mid-to-older teens, as well as adults.
Although this wasn't my favorite book of Connilyn Cossette's, I still enjoyed it and look forward to continuing to read her books as they're released. I highly recommend her stories, and feel honored to be on her review team. RATING I’m giving To Dwell among Cedars 3 out of 5 stars. I received a complimentary copy of the book from the author/publisher and wasn't required to provide a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone. Thank you to Bethany House Publishers for sending me this book!...more
WHAT I THOUGHT ABOUT THIS BOOK Between when I read the back-cover blurb of this book and when I received it I completely forgot what it was about - othWHAT I THOUGHT ABOUT THIS BOOK Between when I read the back-cover blurb of this book and when I received it I completely forgot what it was about - other than the fact that it took place in West Virginia relatively close to where I grew up in Ohio. Going into a book blind is one of my favorite things, and I was pleasantly surprised by this one.
The story is in third person and follows the perspectives of all three of the family members (parents and teenage son). The son - Loyal - is the main character. I liked him right away and thought he was brilliantly written. Even though the other characters had depth, the plot was interesting, and the setting was detailed and delightful, Loyal stole the show.
I've had several friends who are deaf, and I've read several books that include a deaf character, but never one where the deafness is woven into the story so well. Loyal would have been a solidly written character even without exploring how deafness affected his life, but when you add in that element, I was very impressed.
The characters all had issues and things they needed to work on, so they felt very real. Each one of the main characters had a solid plot arc which I always deem important in books.
The plot wasn't what I considered to be the star of the show, but it was still well-written and felt very true to the era. Nothing that happened surprised me much, but that didn't detract from the book since the main focus seemed to be on the characters and setting. There was a person murdered in the story (not a spoiler since the back-cover says as much), but there were no gory details.
I read in another review that the reviewer was confused by the setting and era because it didn't seem consistent, but having grown up near Beverly, West Virginia it was totally something I could imagine. I thought the author captured the feel of small-town West Virginia very well and immersed the story in a well-researched setting.
CONCLUSION My favorite part of the book was how we got to see the world through Loyal's eyes, as well as watching him and his father reconnect. Although the pace stayed consistent with the era and setting, I did find it to be a bit slow, hence the 3.5 stars rather than 4 stars.
I would like to read more books by this author in the future.
RATING I’m giving The Right Kind of Fool 3.5 out of 5 stars. I received a complimentary copy of the book from the publishers and wasn't required to provide a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone. Thank you to Bethany House Publishers for sending me this book!...more
WHAT I THOUGHT ABOUT THIS BOOK I read this book back in March and promptly forgot that I had received it for review. (I get a lot of ebooks from librarWHAT I THOUGHT ABOUT THIS BOOK I read this book back in March and promptly forgot that I had received it for review. (I get a lot of ebooks from library apps like Overdrive and Hoopla, and thought this was one of those books.) I realized recently that A Gilded Lady was for review, so I get to treat y'all with my thoughts regarding this story which makes me happy because I enjoyed it immensely.
History is something I've always found fascinating, but I have huge gaps in what periods of history I'm familiar with. Obviously, I studied President McKinley at some point during school, but it wasn't until I started reading this story that I realized how little I knew about his life. In fact, other than the fact that he was president, I couldn't have told you anything else.
As usual, while reading a historical fiction book I didn't do any research regarding the period of history because I didn't want spoilers. Therefore, I was basically on the edge of my seat at times, trying to figure out what was going to happen next and how everything would end. I was caught off guard a lot with this book. If you're familiar with the president (like I should have been) then you know the basics of the story, but if you're not, then there are several plot twists that I didn't see coming. The book was fantastic, the plot moved along at the perfect pace, the characters were fleshed-out, and the writing was superb.
Generally, I have a pretty good memory for what annoyed me in a book, even months after reading it. But, in this case, I don't recall anything negative. I know I didn't like the main character very much because I felt like she went about solving her problem in the wrong way, but that didn't lessen my enjoyment of the book because the character was still so complex and multi-layered and captivating.
Learning about Ida McKinley was exceedingly interesting. I had no clue that one of our First Ladies had such a personality, and reading about all the ways the main character covered for her to help keep everything running smoothly was both funny and eye-opening.
Having the main male character be the head of the Secret Service - right when the Secret Service was beginning - was so cool. I learned so much while reading from his perspective. I also enjoyed him as a character and could relate to him a lot more than I could to the main female character.
This book was so engaging and interesting that as soon as I finished it I read the first book in the series (this is the second). The third book doesn't release until early in 2021, but I'm looking forward to reading it when it comes out. CONCLUSION Since it's been a while since I read this book I don't remember if it had any questionable content, but as far as the story and writing goes I enjoyed it a lot. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if it's one of my next re-reads. RATING I’m giving A Gilded Lady 4 out of 5 stars. NetGalley gave me an ebook copy so I could review it for y'all. I wasn't required to provide a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone. Thanks, NetGalley!...more
WHAT I THOUGHT ABOUT THIS BOOK This is the third and final book in the series, so I went into it with excitement as I'd been awaiting the story for a lWHAT I THOUGHT ABOUT THIS BOOK This is the third and final book in the series, so I went into it with excitement as I'd been awaiting the story for a long time. I'm pretty picky with my series endings, and they quite often disappoint me, so I was a little bit nervous to pick up the book and dive in. Recently I've not been in a readerly mood, so most of the books I've read in the last few months have fallen short of my expectations, so I was also a little worried.
Then I started reading. And, Roseanna M. White did it again - she wrote a book that was delightful, fully immersive, had complex characters, and a plot that kept me wanting to read.
Due to life being really busy I had to read the book throughout a couple of weeks, but it's the kind of story I could have easily swallowed in one sitting. Every time I picked the book up I was sucked back into the story, eagerly anticipating what would happen next.
Although the storyline was very interesting, it wasn't exceedingly fast, which means I was able to get to know the characters and really delve into the time period, instead of just wanting to flip pages as fast as possible. The plot covered the topic of propaganda and (essentially) photoshopping photographs which is something I didn't realize was happening back during the first World War. That was interesting to read about, and the author did a great job explaining it in an easy-to-understand way that also just blended into the story.
The characters were ones I enjoyed reading about. I especially enjoyed watching Lily (the main female character) and her sister, Ivy, interacting. I'm one of five sisters and reading a book that correctly portrays a good sister relationship makes me happy. Their bond was so deep and even amid war, they were able to find joy and laughter together.
While we get to watch Lily and her sister's relationship, we also get that with Zivon (the main male character) and his brother. (Which is funny because I didn't realize until just now how the stories parallel each other.) Zivon spends a good portion of the book trying to find his brother - who he's not even sure is still alive - and we get to see how much he loves his brother.
Another side of this book was getting to read from the point-of-view of two not-so-great characters. We got to know them a lot better than we normally get to see this author's "villains" and I enjoyed that and the character arc that they went through. CONCLUSION I liked it a whole lot. I lent the book to a friend literally as soon as I finished it so that she can read it and I can have someone to discuss the story with.
You'll get more out of the story if you read the series in order, but I do think this book could be a standalone if you wanted to read it that way. RATING I’m giving A Portrait of Loyalty 4.5 out of 5 stars. I received a complimentary copy A Portrait of Loyalty from the publishers. I was not required to provide a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone. Thank you to the author and publisher for sending me this book!...more
WHAT I THOUGHT ABOUT THIS BOOK The author did a great job of telling about his life without making it seem glamorous or going into too much detail. I aWHAT I THOUGHT ABOUT THIS BOOK The author did a great job of telling about his life without making it seem glamorous or going into too much detail. I appreciate the balance that he struck, and how I got a clear view of where he came from and the enormous change that took place in his life, but without getting bogged down in the lifestyle he lived.
I really felt like I got to know the author. He didn't try and make his life look good or justify what he did and how horrible of a human he was. He got involved with drugs and gangs when he was just a kid, and his life spiraled out of control from there. From juvie, to eventually becoming a big-time New York drug lord, and then finally finding God while in prison, his story kept my interest and made me want to know what would happen next.
This book was a good reminder that God is at work all over the world and in various situations and that no one is too far past God's love and forgiveness. It was also encouraging to see how the author allowed God to totally change and redeem his life. It was obvious that the author and his brother were a fantastic team, and to see them go from being drug lords together to serving God in prison together was neat. The author's story was inspiring and a good reminder to not stop praying for people, even when it feels hopeless. CONCLUSION This book talks a lot about bad things - violence, drugs, unfaithfulness, alcohol, crime, running from the police, etc... But it does so in a way that is vague and doesn't glorify that lifestyle. RATING I’m giving Shifting Shadows 3 out of 5 stars. Thank you to Bethany House Publishers for sending me this book to review on my blog....more
What I Thought: The title and cover of the book do a good job of conveying what the story is about - a languid and flitting story that delves deep intWhat I Thought: The title and cover of the book do a good job of conveying what the story is about - a languid and flitting story that delves deep into the minute details and focuses on the little things.
If the story was a song, it would be a piano instrumental piece. If the story was a painting, it would be a sun-dappled peaceful stream scene. If the story was a day, it would be a Sunday afternoon right in the heart of Summer.
Nothing was wrong with this book, but it wasn't what I was in the mood for during this time in my life, which is unfortunate. Therefore, I'm going to go for the three pros and three cons approach for this review.
Three Pros: The book explored a subject that I don't know a lot about, and I've only read one other author who delves into the world of entomology (the study of insects) in her stories. The book was well-researched and the characters stayed very true to what I would imagine an entomologist to be like. I was impressed by the level of detail the author went into without making the book boring The main characters were varied and well-written. I liked Owen a lot - he was sweet, kind, and I could imagine having a friend like him in real life. Although I didn't like Nora (more about that in the cons section) she still was well-written, had a good character arc, and had many details making her feel complete The setting was beautiful - every time I read I felt like I was out in the wilderness. I could nearly feel the heat, and watch the bugs, and reach out to touch the butterflies. This book was filled with nature and that was peaceful Three Cons: Nora, the main character, wasn't someone I liked. I know this is completely subjective, but I couldn't relate to her and - sadly - found her annoying. Except in regard to one person, she always had to have her own way. She was headstrong and rude. I get why she was that way. And she was well written. I just didn't like her The writing was too flowery for my tastes. Some people would really like the style, just not me. There were also a lot of similes and metaphors that didn't completely make sense to me I really liked Owen, the main male character, but there were times when the way Nora related to him bothered me. It felt like she was too focused on how he looked, and little romantic scenes would be thrown in at times that didn't make sense
Snippets: These were sentences I marked as I was reading because I felt like they did a good job of showing the pace and writing style of the book:
She felt the languid pace of her new home seep into her pores and thicken her blood so that it traveled through her veins as unhurried as the Indian people who lived life without any clocks. (Page 133)
They studied the ponderous movements of a green beetle and watched a brilliant blue flycatcher eat a dragonfly and tripped over moss-covered rocks that made stepping-stones across transparent creeks. (Page 144)
Dryness filled her mouth, and her heart - which had spent the previous six years sheltered beneath barely-there veneer of phlegmatic constraint - twisted so violently, she though the pain must rival being stung by a thousand ants. (Page 154)
The trail wended up Mount Nebo, and soon they stood overlooking the mist-enshrouded trees surrounding Kodaikanal. The waxing moon, pregnant with the desire for completion, poured its ghostly light over the houses trailing down the hill. (Page 258)
Conclusion: I didn't have anything morally wrong with the contents of this book, except there was a feminist bend to the story that I don't agree with. There are, however, a few things that are dealt with in the book that wouldn't be suitable for young readers.
Spoilers Below
The book talks about child prostitution and abuse in the Indian temples (it doesn't go into detail). The main character's father dies before the story and she deals with that throughout the whole book. The main character has a hostile and manipulative relationship with her step-father. There are a few mentions of gambling, a child born out of wedlock, a suicide (mentioned, no details), and a few scenes with slight violence. There are also multiple times that the two main characters sneak out to look at bugs together in the middle of the night.
Rating: I’m giving Mosaic of Wings 3 out of 5 stars. I'm thankful to Bethany House Publishers for sending me this book to review. ...more
I'm actually exceedingly blessed to have super good relationships in my family - something for which I'm very thankful and don'tWHY I CHOOSE THIS BOOK
I'm actually exceedingly blessed to have super good relationships in my family - something for which I'm very thankful and don't take lightly. Still, this book looked interesting and of course, I can always learn something new.
WHAT I THOUGHT ABOUT THIS BOOK
Is it dramatic to say this book is small but mighty? Because that's the way I felt about it. The first couple of chapters had me kinda nodding my head, but not sure what I thought about it. The author had some good points, but since he's a new author to me, I had to develop some rapport with him before I felt like I could really get on board with what he was saying.
I'm not sure where that point in the book happened, but partway through the 187 pages, I found myself eager to pick up the book and learn more. The author does a great job of finding balance between using the Bible, examples from his own family, and examples from people who he's known, in order to produce a solid book.
One of the big things I look for while reading nonfiction is how practical a book is - if a book makes good points, but has no practical application, then what's the point? Also, as a relational person, I don't like books that seem impersonal. The author covered both these facets really well. I felt like I was actually getting to know the author and learned a lot from his life as I read. He wove his story throughout the chapters, drawing me in and making me feel the pain he experienced, and ultimately the joy when things went well.
This book is one I consider to be simple. It's not a hard read. It's not got huge words and a vocabulary that will make you pull out your dictionary. And, while I do enjoy books that stretch my understanding with large words, for the purpose of this book having one that was easy to read and understand was important and a good choice.
CONCLUSION
There were a few small things that I didn't agree with the emphasis that he put on it, but overall I really appreciated this book and the author's point of view and stance. He brought up several things that I feel are really important and most people skip over in life. (Like praying through generational issues.)
This is a book I would recommend to people who are struggling with family relationships. RATING
I’m giving Healing Family Relationships 4 out of 5 stars. Thank you to Bethany House for providing me with a copy of the book so I could tell y’all about it. ...more
Quite simply because the Afterward is by Max Lucado, and he’s an author whose work I really appreciate.
Several times as I was reWHY I CHOOSE THIS BOOK
Quite simply because the Afterward is by Max Lucado, and he’s an author whose work I really appreciate.
Several times as I was reading the book I saw what felt like influences of Mr. Lucado’s writing style, but still done in Miss Paula’s own voice, so that was a plus for me.
WHAT I THOUGHT ABOUT THIS BOOK
I’ve watched the news, but I don’t watch the news. As in, it’s not an everyday activity for me. I’m familiar with the words ABC News, but don’t know much about them, and I’d never heard of The View. So, I really had no clue who the author was, or why it was such a big deal for her to change her job. Therefore, it took me a bit to get into the book, but once I did I really enjoyed it and learned a lot from its pages.
The Pros
-The book is interesting and the author is a good communicator. She takes lessons she’s learned both from her life and the lives of people she’s interviewed at her job to produce a book full of wisdom. The stories she sprinkles throughout the book were intriguing and I was never bored as I read. She’s also honest in her approach – sharing openly where she’s messed up, which takes a lot of courage. The book is practical as well, which is always something I look for while reading nonfiction.
-There’s a difference between your vocational calling and your life calling. I grew up being taught that, but according to this author the distinction isn’t widely known, so she does a good job distinguishing the two. She then goes on to explain how they can work in tandem with each other, and why it’s so important to get this aspect of life right.
-I don’t think the book was written for a Christian audience. This can be a plus because it can reach far more people than if it had a nitch market, and I think that the message she shared was important and can help many people. She’s also open and shameless about the fact that she is a Christian – talking about how God slowly changed her heart over the years and citing Bible verses to back up what she’s saying. For the most part, I appreciated the balance, but this does lead me to my first con.
The Cons
-Although the author does a fantastic job of sharing her faith in Christ, there were times when I felt like it seemed as if she gave other religions just as much credence as Christianity. For the most part, the book felt balanced, but there were times when it seemed to lean towards the “of you’re sincere, then you’ll be fine” type of mindset. I don’t think that’s what she was actually meaning to imply, but it was a bit of a gray area.
-Mostly I liked her writing style, but there were a few times where she seemed redundant, or something that was supposed to be funny fell flat for me. That’s entirely a preference thing though, so it didn’t bother me too much.
-I wasn’t a big fan of the way she formatted some of the book – with interviews from various people over the years. The interviews were great, but how they were added to the book wasn’t my favorite. But, this was a very small con for me.
CONCLUSION
I don’t agree with everything the author said and did – when have I ever? But overall, this book was a win for me. It was well-written, the message was one I’ve worked on my whole life, and the author was very real and honest which seems like it would take a lot of courage since she’s a public figure who is already a household name to many Americans. RATING
I’m giving Called Out 4 out of 5 stars. Thank you to Bethany House for providing me with a copy of the book so I could tell y’all about it. ...more
-The writing was beautiful, lyrical, peaceful. I didn't read the book - I soaked it in, takiWHAT I THOUGHT ABOUT THIS BOok: 3 Pros and 3 Cons
The Pros:
-The writing was beautiful, lyrical, peaceful. I didn't read the book - I soaked it in, taking time to breathe deep, savor the words, and really think about what the author was saying. I felt rejuvenated each time I picked it up and paused my crazy world to read for a few moments.
-The author had a way of drawing the reader in, sharing her deepness, her faults, her triumphs. It was like sitting down and listening to a well of wisdom be spilled out along with enough craziness to remind you that the person in front of you was human, full of mistakes, and searching for the perfect way to live life, just like everyone else. I felt like I was with the author, feeling the dust from the trailer park by the river, standing in the corner watching the strangers spin in and out of her parent's home, sitting in her small, newly-married apartment, as she realized yet again that she'd forgotten to take out the trash. Relating to an author is something that really helps me remember the message behind the words I read, and this author pegged that feeling.
-Emotions aren't bad, but so often I think they are. I choose the ones I want to call my own and steadfastly refuse to acknowledge, accept, or dwell on the ones that I don't like. And while there's some merit to this way of living, mostly it creates a battle within me as I lie to myself over and over again, convincing myself that whatever I want to be true is, when that's not the case. This book was all about accepting and owning your emotions. Which is so important, and something I need to get far better at. But, that's also what leads me to my first con.
The Cons:
-When it came to the message of the book, I felt like it was too one-sided. Yes, emotions are important and it isn't healthy to simply push them away, but I felt like the author didn't have enough balance in her message. While accepting the emotions and processing them, I think it's important to also be careful with how much power you give them.
-The author talks multiple times about how her only purpose in life is to be loved by God. And while that is part of the equation, loving God is also very important (which highlights the above point about the book not being as balanced as I like).
-There were various small mentions of things that I don't agree with.
CONCLUSION
Obviously, my cons list was way smaller than the pros because I really liked this book. I do plan on re-reading it in the future and hope to read other books by the same author.
At the same time, the things that did make it to the cons list were big enough that I'm (sadly) dropping the book to three and a half stars. RATING
I’m giving Stay 3.5 out of 5 stars. Thank you to Bethany House for providing me with a copy of the book so I could tell y’all about it....more
In my never-ending quest to be more like Jesus, learning to rest in His presence is high on my list of things I'm learning to doWHY I CHOOSE THIS BOOK
In my never-ending quest to be more like Jesus, learning to rest in His presence is high on my list of things I'm learning to do. This book's about The Secret to Experiencing the Joy of God's Presence so it sounded perfect. WHAT I THOUGHT ABOUT THIS BOOK
On the second page, the author wrote something in caps and followed that up by saying "And your inner grammar nerd was very disappointed that I left the cap locks on?" and then went on to explain why he did. That had been exactly what I'd been thinking - rather than focusing on what he was saying. And what he was saying did need to have the caps lock on when I went back and re-read it. I knew at that moment that this book was going to be a winner for me, and it was.
This guy. He's real, hilarious, challenging, and someone who I want to learn more from. He writes a truth-filled book in a way that makes it easy to read and hard to put down. I laughed more while reading this book than I have in a long time, and that's saying a lot considering its nonfiction.
The book has funny little sketches and an abundance (but not overabundance) of footnotes that insert a level of humor into a message that people need to hear.
It's easy to forget the purpose of life. To get so caught up in what is going on around you, that it suddenly feels like the stuff that's happening is the reason for life. What the author points out is that everything in life should point us - as children of God - to God. That means that the good should remind us of Him because every good and perfect gift is from above (James 1:17) and everything bad should remind us of Him, because He works all things together for good to them that love Him and are called according to His purposes (Romans 8:28).
The book is chocked full of practical examples and laughable examples, and nod your head in happiness examples. God is here, with us. And because of that, we don't have to be dependant on the things around us in order to dictate how we feel. That's a huge lesson I've been working on learning, especially during this quarantine. I'm not doing as well as I'd like with putting that into practical usage, but I am getting better.
When it comes to negatives, the list for this book is short. The only things I remember sticking out to me were: 1) He says we can trash talk the devil, which I think is very unscriptural. And 2) He talks various times about drinking wine. I don't think it's wrong for some people to drink wine, but I think it needs to be talked about carefully because it can be a stumbling block to some people, and I felt like the way he was talking about it here could cause some people to stumble. CONCLUSION
This is one of those books that I'll be recommending, re-reading, and continuing to learn from. I realize his writing style might not be everyone's, but it is mine and I can't wait to read more of his books.
RATING
I’m giving 3 Words that Will Change Your Life 5 out of 5 stars, it was delightful, helpful, and a shoo-ine-in for re-reading. Thank you to Bethany House for providing me with a copy of the book so I could tell y'all about it. ...more
As soon as I saw Jocelyn Green had released another book I requested it from NetGalley. Miss Jocelyn has a way of making historyWHY I CHOOSE THIS BOOK
As soon as I saw Jocelyn Green had released another book I requested it from NetGalley. Miss Jocelyn has a way of making history come alive in the most dynamic ways, and I've learned so many cool facts from her books.
WHAT I THOUGHT ABOUT THIS BOOK
Once I had downloaded the book and actually paid attention to the cover, I was struck by two thoughts 1) That the cover was one of my favorite of all time and 2) That the book must be about the Great Fire of Chicago. It turns out I was right (which I would have known if I would have read the back cover), so I put the book away for several months so I could get into the right mood to read it. I'm not sure why it is, but the Great Fire has long been in my top three least favorite periods/events in history to read about.
Eventually, I felt ready to delve into the book, so I began reading and was reminded once again why I like Miss Jocelyn's writing so much. Much like when I read A Refuge Assured, this book was able to take a time period that I intensely dislike, and turn it into an interesting story.
We have four points of view that we follow, and the story is written in third person. We follow passionate and loyal Meg, logical and then infatuated Sylvie, calm and inquisitive Nate, and high-strung and desperate Stephen. Meg's story was the main focus, although she only gets a little more page time than the other three.
There are so many little details in the story that makes the time period come alive - like how dead birds, overcome with smoke, fall from the sky during the fire. Reading that description transported me from a cold spring day in Ohio to a dark night surrounded by chaos and flames in Chicago. I highlighted a couple of other descriptions as I read them, delighted by Miss Jocelyn's word choices.
Clouds of dust turned her skirt a sepia tone below the waist, as if she were climbing out of a daguerreotype. and
The moment of his need and her meeting it was embroidered on her memory in shining thread.
In addition to her lovely writing, Miss Jocelyn's books always stand out to me because of how well researched they are. Plus, her plots are never dull, filled with enough momentum to keep the reader intrigued but never enough to overshadow the character's growth and development. There's a whole mystery to delve into, plot to uncover, and truth to find. The plot twists didn't shock me, but they were well-written.
Based solely upon personal preferences, this book was not one of my favorites. I'm very aware that each element I disliked is probably a reason someone else would like it, and that's the beauty of reading a wide range of books and authors.
The things I disliked in Veiled in Smoke include: -Stephen's narrative. He has great character growth, and I see the importance of his story, but it wasn't for me. -One of the characters is hurt in the fire, and although I think it added a very important element to the story, was tastefully written, and assuredly did not add too many details... Well, I'm very squeamish about little things like the words scar tissue (yes, that's silly of me, I know), and so that part of the story made me grimace. -As mentioned before, the time period isn't one of my favorites, so that sadly took the book down in rating for me. That doesn't mean that I think the book isn't well-written, researched, or executed, it just lowered my enjoyment of the story.
CONCLUSION
Although this story wasn't a personal favorite, it was clean, free from too many details regarding violence and destruction, and tackles some pretty serious things with grace.
It takes place during a huge fire, there's chaos, people die (and are killed), there are injuries, homelessness, pain, suffering, one of the characters has some pretty serious PTSD from the Civil War. Plus, the book features an insane asylum. Despite all that, the book isn't overly dark - although obviously, it isn't light and fluffy.
RATING
I’m giving Veiled in Smoke 3 out of 5 stars, although if I didn't dislike the time period so much it probably would have gotten a higher rating. I'm thankful for NetGalley for sharing a copy of the book with me. ...more
In an act of unprecedented first-glance-book-cover-judging, I took one look at this book when it showed up in my inbox and decidWHY I CHOOSE THIS BOOK
In an act of unprecedented first-glance-book-cover-judging, I took one look at this book when it showed up in my inbox and decided it wasn't for me. For some crazy reason, my brain instantly slotted it on the Nonfiction-Prepare-For-Marriage-Advice shelf and I didn't give it a second thought. Therefore, I missed out on the chance of requesting a physical copy for my bookshelves. (Which I'm now sad about.)
Fast forward a few days and I was browsing NetGalley (an e-book review site) and this book popped up again. I took the time to actually look at it this time and not only is the cover simple and beautiful, but the premise is intriguing. A book about a single lady wanting to adopt? I instantly downloaded the book and started reading.
WHAT I THOUGHT ABOUT THIS BOOK
It was in the evening when I began reading the book and I seriously didn't want to put it down. The rollercoaster of emotions that I went through as I read the first two-thirds of the book makes me want to read more by this author.
As a single person myself - just a few years younger than Lauren, the main character, - I found that sometimes half of my brain was engaged with what I was reading, while the other half zoomed around trying to figure out if I ever could do what Lauren was doing. What would it look like if I, too, adopted? Although I've never felt strongly that I will adopt, it's always been something I've considered a possibility, and this book felt like a scarily realistic view of what the process would look like. The details and emotions were so clear and well-written that I wasn't at all surprised in the author's note to discover that the author has an adopted child.
There are so many things I want to discuss about this book and I was going to include a spoiler section until I remembered that the book isn't even published yet (it releases next month). So, I'll just keep my spoilers to myself since I can't discuss them with people who have already read the book. (If you buy the book, you should message me so we can talk together.)
Lauren was frustratingly unlike me. Except for her emotions surrounding adoption I couldn't relate to her at all. Partway through the book she makes some choices that really annoyed me - keep in mind, she was totally staying in character and I think the author did a fantastic job writing her. Just, she made me want to clap my hands in front of her face and be like "No!" It was also about this time that I had to put the book down (after hours of reading) so I could go to sleep.
My annoyance at Lauren and a time-hop the book took (one of my least favorite things in fiction) made me kinda dreading finishing the book, so I didn't pick it back up for a couple of weeks. And that, in turn, lowered my rating from 4 stars to 3.5, but this is purely subjective and something that probably won't bother most readers.
All in all the story is packed full of emotions, has a worthy storyline, and has interesting and unique characters. CONCLUSION
The first two-thirds of the book was magic. I just wanted to read for forever and was completely immersed in the story. The last third wasn't my favorite, but I don't think that's any reflection on the story or the writing, it's just a preference thing.
All in all the book is clean (it has a few kisses, but nothing inappropriate that I remember), void of violence, and doesn't use bad language. RATING
I’m giving Before I Called You Mine 3.5 out of 5 stars. I’m thankful for the generosity of the publishers for giving me an e-copy of this book so I could review it for y'all. This is a fantastic read for anyone who is considering (or knows anyone considering) adoption, or if you're looking for a heart-tugging and beautiful read. ...more
Friendship - I'm learning more about it. The ins, the outs, and what place it has in my life.
WHAT I THOUGHT ABOUT THIS BOOK
TheWHY I CHOOSE THIS BOOK
Friendship - I'm learning more about it. The ins, the outs, and what place it has in my life.
WHAT I THOUGHT ABOUT THIS BOOK
The first half of the book was solid for me - I would have happily given it four stars and was looking forward to continuing to read. Then the second half of the book ended up not really hitting the right chords for me and I had a harder time getting through it.
Three Pros:
-The author writes in a real, amusing, identifiable way. She has hard-hitting truths, funny anecdotes, practical advice, and biblical examples. She seems like she's lived an interesting life, and I felt like I got to know her through the pages of her book.
-The first half of the book talks about what friendship is, the importance of friendship (including looking at what the Bible has to say about it), how to be a friend, and things we can work on in our own lives. I flew through this part and appreciated it a lot.
-The overall message of the book was an uplifting look at friendship and how we can build deep and enduring friendships in an age when "friends" are sometimes considered to be a number on social media. She also talks a lot about what it means to love in the way that the Bible tells us to, and that was encouraging.
Three Cons:
-The second half of the book is when I stopped nodding my head and agreeing with most of what I was reading. She talked about friendship like a menu where you choose your various friends like you'd choose a meal in a restaurant. Her example probably has merit and holds up when you dig deeper, but it just felt really weird to me and I didn't like the idea behind it.
- Most of the time I felt like she had a balanced view on friendship, but sometimes in the second half of the book it seemed like she was saying "Be a good friend so people will be a good friend to you". And while there isn't anything wrong with wanting people to be a good friend to you, I felt like the attitude behind why we should be a good friend felt off.
-She talks about "Covenant Friendship" like what David and Jonathan had. And, while I agree with some of what she said, she went to an extreme that I don't agree with. CONCLUSION
I appreciate the first half of the book, but I don't agree with everything in the second half. I wouldn't discourage people from reading it, but it's not a book that I'm giving a huge recommendation. Still, it's a neat look at friendships. RATING
I’m giving The Art of Friendship 3 out of 5 stars. I’m so thankful for the generosity of Bethany House Publishers for sending me a copy of this book so I could review it and share it with y’all....more
Learning and growing and becoming more of who God wants me to be is a never-ending pursuit of mine. Learning to listen better seWHY I CHOOSE THIS BOOK
Learning and growing and becoming more of who God wants me to be is a never-ending pursuit of mine. Learning to listen better seems like a perfect step to take while continuing on this journey. Plus, with my job I sometimes get to do various types of leading, so this book seemed very applicable to my life.
WHAT I THOUGHT ABOUT THIS BOOK
Short Answer: I really liked it.
Longer Answer: Hello, friends. I have a book that I really like and would be delighted to tell you about. In fact, I’ve already started recommending it to my friends at work. I told my boss all about it – mostly because he’s one of the best leader-listeners I’ve ever met and so the book kept making me think about him.
Every chapter in this book covers a topic that I think would be helpful for anyone – not just the leader, although that is the main focus. The authors (a husband and wife team) share candidly from their own lives, letting us learn from their mistakes, as well as see their victories.
Reading the book will help you discover how you can become more self-aware without becoming self-obsessed (a huge difference), figure out how to view and engage in conflict in a constructive manner, ask helpful questions, and show people that they’re valued. Each chapter ends with a list of questions that you can ask yourself and other people to gauge where you are and help you grow to where you should be.
The last chapter talks about how we should take the time to stop the busyness of life each day and listen to God. I was delighted that they included that, because no matter how successful you are as a leader (or person) and no matter how well you listen to people, if you’re not listening to God, then your life will never be all it can be. CONCLUSION
I really enjoyed reading this book. It helped me grow, inspired me to listen better, and made me want to give out a dozen copies to friends. It’s equipping, easy to read, and quotes the scriptures to back up the points they’re trying to make. RATING
I’m giving Listen Well, Lead Better 4 out of 5 stars. I’m so thankful for the generosity of Bethany House Publishers for sending me a copy of this book so I could review it and share it with y’all....more
Last year I read A Mom's Guide to Lies Girls Believe and it was amazing. I wrote a five-star review, have recommended it to manyWHY I CHOOSE THIS BOOK
Last year I read A Mom's Guide to Lies Girls Believe and it was amazing. I wrote a five-star review, have recommended it to many people, and have even pulled it out multiple times to read quotes to friends. It was in my top three books I read in 2019, and since I read over 120 books, that's saying a lot.
When I realized I had the opportunity to read this book and share my thoughts about it with y'all, I was delighted.
WHAT I THOUGHT ABOUT THIS BOOK
I am a very honest person. Or, at least I thought I was. Recently though, I've been realizing I lie to myself a lot. Would I lie to someone else? Of course not. But, when I lie to myself I can easily justify the whys and swallow the believable excuses I hand myself. I tell myself that it's okay because no one is getting hurt, when in reality I'm hurting myself by living as if the lies I believe are truth.
As I read this book, I realized that I not only believed the lies I told myself, but I also believe lies that are prevalent in our culture today. Identifying the lies, and then combating them with the truth from God's Word can make a world of difference in how I live and what I do with my time and energy.
Some of the categories the lies in this book fall into are Lies Women Believe About: -God -Themselves -Sin -Emotions -Sexuality -Priorities and -Marriage
Some of the specific lies the book talks about are: -I can't control my emotions -I don't have time to do everything I'm supposed to do -My sin isn't really that bad -If my circumstances were different, I would be different -I have to have a husband to be happy -I need to love myself more -I should not have to live with unfulfilled longings
Each of the lies is discussed, described, and then combated with God's Word. It was so refreshing and enlightening to see what God has to say, compared to what the world is throwing at us.
Reading this book not only helped me identify areas in my life that I need to change but also reminded me about how amazing it is to serve a God who knew what lies we'd be facing long before we were ever born. God's Word is full of wisdom, help, answers, and loving commandments about how we're supposed to live our lives to bring God glory and honor. CONCLUSION
I can't say enough good things about this book. I highly recommend it. There were a few minor things I didn't agree with, but they didn't take away from the overall message of the book at all.
RATING
I’m giving Lies Women Believe 5 out of 5 stars. I’m so grateful for the generosity of the publisher for sending me a copy of this book so I could review it and share it with y’all....more
When I moved from Ohio to Kentucky last year, besides leaving my family, the hardest part was leaving my church. It was a churchWHY I CHOOSE THIS BOOK
When I moved from Ohio to Kentucky last year, besides leaving my family, the hardest part was leaving my church. It was a church that pulled together, worked together, and that I felt was making a difference in our little country community.
The next seven months were spent trying to figure out exactly what function church played in my life. I knew it was important. I knew I needed to go to church consistently. I knew the church I would end up staying at would be one the stood firmly on the authority of God's Word. Other than that though, I had a lot of variables to consider and categorize in order of importance.
So, for the last few months, I've been thinking a lot about churches, having conversations (both with God and humans) about what place they should have in my life, and reading books and listening to sermons discussing the church.
Hence the reason I read this book.
WHAT I THOUGHT ABOUT THIS BOOK
The page number might be small, but the words pack a punch. I can generally read through a book fairly fast, but this volume doesn't allow for skimming. There's a lot of information in this book that I agree with and found myself nodding along with as I read.
Post-Christianity is not pre-Christianity; rather post-Christianity attempts to move beyond Christianity, whilst simultaneously feasting upon its fruit.
Post-Christian culture attempts to retain the solace of faith, whilst gutting it of the costs, commitments, and restraints that the gospel places upon the individual will. Post-Christianity intuitively yearns for the justice and shalom of the kingdom, whilst defending the reign of the individual will. Post-Christianity is Christianity emptied of its content. (Pages 15 & 16) The author points out how churches need to be careful to make sure that in their fight for relevance they aren't trading the truth of God's Word for the draw of being like the culture. And I wholly agree. I don't think the church should refuse to change, but it's scary what direction a lot of the churches in America are heading in. We aren't called to fit in. We're called to be salt and light. When we trade our salt and light for numbers, then we have a problem.
There are also various claims made by the author that I've not studied, and therefore can't adequately give my opinion on. The book did give me a lot to ponder, and I spent many mornings reading through it and challenging myself to re-think how I currently view the church compared to what God's Word says. CONCLUSION
The author asks a lot of questions, quotes a lot of people, and doesn't shy away challenging the reader to re-think their stance on the church. It helped me better define what role church plays in my life, and I'm thankful for that.
RATING
I’m giving Disappearing Church 3 out of 5 stars. I’m so grateful for the generosity of the publisher for sending me a copy of this book so I could review it and share it with y’all....more
The cover is cool, the synopsis is intriguing, and we were approaching the Christmas season, so I thought Why Not?
WHAT I THOUGHTWHY I CHOOSE THIS BOOK
The cover is cool, the synopsis is intriguing, and we were approaching the Christmas season, so I thought Why Not?
WHAT I THOUGHT ABOUT THIS BOOK
Sadly, I found why not; it's because Biblical fiction is a big hit or miss for me, and so, therefore, I shouldn't have ventured into the land of a new Biblical fiction author while getting a book for review.
First off, let me clarify, it's not as if there's anything wrong with this book. It didn't appear to disregard the truth of the Bible at all, nor was the plot silly. The details were well written, and it's clear the author excels at his craft.
Just, this book wasn't for me.
If I hadn't gotten it for review, I wouldn't have continued reading, simply because it's not the style I like. It's more about the adventure and less about the plot or character development. We follow the main character as he escapes danger and joins a trade caravan, then most of the book takes place traveling across the desert.
Plenty of action happens along the way - although not with an excessive amount of gory details, so that's a plus. There were a few places where the characters were fleshed out, but by the end of the book, I still didn't feel like I knew any of them very well - although I could tell you how to become an expert archer while riding a galloping horse.
There were a few slight things I had issues with, but mostly that's because they took all the things I always imagined about the magi, and totally flipped them around and totally changed them. But, the keyword here is that they did that with the things I imagined, not the things that were clearly spelled out in the Bible, so that's not actually a problem.
One thing that I didn't like is mentioned down below but is a spoiler, so read at your own risk.
(SPOILER: The way the magi got the gifts they gave to Jesus was by stealing gold from the royal treasuries. Now nowhere are we told in the Bible that this didn't happen, but it doesn't seem likely to me, and seemed to make the gift less special.)
CONCLUSION
This seems like it would be a great book for a teenage boy looking for an adventure story. Obviously, girls can read it too, but it seems like it's aimed more at guys, especially since there are only three female characters in the whole story (I think), and one of them is a bloodthirsty queen.
I don't plan on reading more by this author, but I'm sure a lot of people would really enjoy his writing style.
RATING
I’m giving The End of the Magi 2 out of 5 stars, although Amazon and Goodreads I'll be rating it 3 Stars, because there really isn't anything wrong with it. I’m thankful to Bethany House Publishers for sending me a copy so I could review it for y’all....more
I was on a road trip and was looking for something fast, easy, and amusing to read. Also, I’d kinda given up on this author’s boWHY I CHOOSE THIS BOOK
I was on a road trip and was looking for something fast, easy, and amusing to read. Also, I’d kinda given up on this author’s books, deeming them not my style, but then earlier this year I read a book of hers that I actually enjoyed, so I thought I’d give this one a go. WHAT I THOUGHT ABOUT THIS BOOK
“Oops, I probably shouldn’t have requested this book for review” was what I thought about the book.
My disclaimer is this: I’m not the target audience for this author, and therefore I’ll refrain from requesting more of her books for review in the future because I don’t feel like my reviews give a fair picture of her writing.
Miss Jen writes over-the-top, crazy instances that wouldn’t actually happen in real life, especially during the time periods that her books take place. Her characters are also generally fairly unrealistic. I understand that this is on purpose to create amusement in the reader and that’s great. I know it’s a talent to be able to write like Miss Jen does and she’s good at her job. It’s just not a style I enjoy.
The first half of this book was going to get a solid two stars from me, but then the second half of the story snagged my interest and I upped my rating to three stars. Once again though, this is completely subjective and has a lot more to do with me rather than the writing or plot.
CONCLUSION
My conclusion is that this review is going to be wholly unhelpful for y’all because I’m pretty much just saying the book wasn’t my style and so, therefore, it drove me slightly crazy to read it. But, that it’s not a reflection of the book itself. So helpful, right?
Really though, I’d be delighted to hear from you as to if you like this style of book?
I do sometimes enjoy reading something along the lines of this story – mainly if I’ve had an incredibly busy and mind-numbing week, and I need to just relax. This book was very comparable to Hallmark movies.
RATING
I’m giving Diamond in the Rough 3 out of 5 stars. I’m thankful to Bethany House Publishers for giving me an e-copy so I could review it for y’all....more
In July of 2017, I received the first book in The Silent Years series for review. It’s titled Egypt’s Sister and totally intriguWHY I CHOOSE THIS BOOK
In July of 2017, I received the first book in The Silent Years series for review. It’s titled Egypt’s Sister and totally intrigued me. I’d never read a book that took place during the Silent Years before, and I right away set about researching that time period.
Over the last couple of years, I bought books 2 (Judah’s Wife which I gave three stars) and 3 (Jerusalem’s Queen which also got three stars from me) when they were released. The crazy thing I was didn’t even really like the storyline of either of those books, but the writing, world-building, and research were so well done that I kept going with the series. When this book was released I jumped at the chance to review it.
WHAT I THOUGHT ABOUT THIS BOOK
My admiration for the author is strong. I can’t even imagine the number of historical documents she had to shift through to write this book, nor how much notetaking she had to commit to in order to keep everything straight. Considering the sheer amounts of Herod’s, Alexandra/Alexander’s, and Mariamne’s that were mentioned in this book I’m amazed by how smoothly the storyline flowed and how well I was able to understand what was going on. Seriously though, why did everyone use the same names? (Actually, not seriously, I understand why.)
As far as storylines go, I thought the author made a bold (and wise) move by having the story be from the perspective of the “bad guy” – although you never feel like that when you’re reading. Most of the story is told by Salome, the sister of Herod, a person who was very loyal to him. Therefore, as we read about the atrocities that Herod committed, it’s through the eyes of someone who’s only seeing his best and always justifying his actions. If you were reading the book just paying attention to tone instead of content, then it would seem that everything that is going on is perfectly normal and acceptable. It’s only when you stop and consider what is actually happening that you realize how terrible it really is.
This perspective was well done and made the story flow in a way that I’m not used to. Instead of focusing on emotions that you’d normally feel while reading about someone in history doing horrible things, those violent acts were just stated as facts and then you move on. For instance, when King Herod had someone he’d loved very much be executed, he then went crazy for a while. Since we’re reading from the perspective of Salome, we focus on her sadness that her brother is having a hard time, and the way she tries to help him, vs. the fact that the man is a brutal, savage madman.
Because of this lack of emotion and the way Salome merely recites facts (“And then he had 300 Jews killed in a mad fit, but hey – the guy has to protect his throne.”) it made the book a lot more bearable to read than if it had gone into how horrible everything was. If this story was merely fiction I wouldn’t have liked the approach at all, but since it’s based on true facts I appreciated being able to read and learn this way.
The other perspective is from Zara (a made-up character) who is Salome’s Jewish handmaid. Her chapters weren’t very often, but she did provide an interesting balance to Salome’s cut-throat and scheming ways. Since her perspective isn’t really prevalent in the story I felt like we didn’t get to know her well as a character, but I have nothing bad to say about her.
The book covers about a 30ish year period of time, which isn’t something I generally like, but for the sake of this story, I think it was well-done.
I’ve learned so much through this series, and I find myself being satisfied with King’s Shadow as the final book.
CONCLUSION
There’s a lot of horrible stuff that goes on in the book. So much plotting, killing, torture (not in detail) scheming, lying, and un-holy relationships.
But, nothing was written in detail (probably about as much as if you were reading the Bible), and I think the author did a really good job of making the time period come alive without saying too much. I think I would recommend this book to people fifteen and older.
RATING
I’m giving King’s Shadow 4 out of 5 stars. I’m thankful to Bethany House Publishers for giving me a copy so I could review it for y’all. ...more
I regularly read books that I hope will challenge me and help me grow more into the person who God has created me to be. This boWHY I CHOOSE THIS BOOK
I regularly read books that I hope will challenge me and help me grow more into the person who God has created me to be. This book seemed like it would be perfect for the job.
WHAT I THOUGHT ABOUT THIS BOOK
To keep things simple, we’re going to go with a list of things I did and didn’t like for this review.
What I Did Like:
-The author did a good job of speaking the truth with passion and not shying away from calling this generation of Christians out on what we’re doing wrong. I agreed with a lot of what he said about how we need to go back to being passionate about obeying and serving God. He mentioned that America is pretty much a Third World country when it comes to how spiritual (or non-spiritual) we are, and that seems like a really appropriate description. -The books is full of enlightening, practical ways to serve God better and more fully. It doesn’t just tell us what’s wrong in the Church today, it then helps us go to the Bible to find solutions. -It was an easy to understand book – meaning it spoke in layman terms and although it challenged my thinking, it didn’t challenge my brain to try and figure out what the author was trying to say.
What I Didn’t Like:
-I didn’t agree with a lot of what the author had to say. Yes, there were nuggets in the book that challenged me and helped me in my walk with God, but there were also things that I really don’t agree with, and therefore I won’t be recommending the book or reading more by the same author.
For Instance: *At one point the author is talking about dreams God has given us, and he says “When God gives us a dream, we are usually nowhere near the full manifestation of that dream. But through the pits of life, God’s dream will never leave us. As a matter of fact, it is what sustains us through every trial. Your dream will make a way.“ (Emphasis mine.) Um, excuse me? I do agree with the basic concept of what I think the author is saying – when we’re focusing on what God has called us to do that helps us push through the hard times, etc…. But it’s God’s grace, God’s mercy, and God’s love (etc…) that sustains us and makes a way, not a dream He’s given me. *The author has a section about how God will do this and that, etc… where he names multiple things that God will do in your life after you have the right attitude and belief about giving and receiving. And, while I believe that many people are not receiving God’s full blessings because of a wrong attitude or belief about God and His nature, I also didn’t agree with the dogmatic approach the author took while talking about this subject. (Yes, the promises in the Bible are true, but there are some promises who were made to certain people, and not to all generations of Christians.)
-There were a lot of other small instances throughout the book that left me shaking my head, disagreeing either with the tone, the conclusion, or the example given in the book.
CONCLUSION
I got some good things out of the book. It challenged me to seek God with more passion and reminded me that God has got to be first place in my life, no matter what. This book also helped remind me to study what I read and match it against God’s Word to see how it lines up. Because of the discrepancies I found, despite the fact that there were some really good parts of this book, I won’t be recommending it.
RATING
I’m giving Fire! 3 out of 5 stars. I’m thankful for the publisher for giving me a copy so I could review it here....more
I dislike it when people refer to Biblical accounts as stories (which in todays lingo brWHY I CHOOSE THIS BOOK
Plain and simple: Because I was curious.
I dislike it when people refer to Biblical accounts as stories (which in todays lingo brings to mind fiction, which the Bible obviously isn't), so I nearly didn't request the book. But then my desire to see what "stories" (aka, accounts) from the Bible were included in the book made me request it after all.
WHAT I THOUGHT ABOUT THIS BOOK
The book was a pleasant surprise to me. I think the title is a misnomer and not entirely true anyway, but other than that I only had a few minor disagreements with the book.
I think a better way of marketing the book would be to tout it as an overview of how the Bible works as a cohesive whole - and that's kind of what is talked about on the back cover blurb.
The book is short, and the chapters only a couple pages long. Therefore, it was easy to sit down and take a few minutes to breeze through the book. I read it over the course of a couple of days and greatly enjoyed how one chapter flowed into the next - complete with a timeline, a paragraph about how the two accounts connected to each other, and a thought to ponder at the end of each segment. (Some of which I agreed with, some I didn't...)
It was a bit confusing to me trying to figure out who the book was designed for - a Christian who understood the Bible? A new Christian trying to figure out what the Bible was all about? An unbeliever? There were times when I felt like the wording was a bit confusing for someone unfamiliar with the Bible, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing because hopefully that would make them find an actual Bible to dig around in and get answers.
As someone who grew up reading the Bible, I really enjoyed the new perspective of how things fit together, as well as the way the authors told the accounts. They weren't trying to quote the Bible word for word, so it was more the way that you would imagine someone sitting down and regaling you with an account in their own words. Because of that, I got to see the Bible through someone else's perspective which was interesting.
CONCLUSION
There were a few places I disagreed with how they interpreted something from the Bible, but that's not uncommon in books (or life). I probably won't be re-reading the book, but I did enjoy the chance to get new perspectives on how everything flows together.
Also, obviously the title, but we already went over that.
RATING
I’m giving The Most Important Stories of the Bible 4 out of 5 stars. I’m thankful for the publisher for giving me a copy so I could review it here....more
What can I say? Parenting books are incredibly intriguing to me. I've read dozens of them and still find them to be some of the WHY I CHOOSE THIS BOOK
What can I say? Parenting books are incredibly intriguing to me. I've read dozens of them and still find them to be some of the most interesting books I pick up. I find it very enlightening to see the concepts behind the why and how parents are raising their kids.
(Disclaimer: I'm not married, I'm not a mom, and I'm very aware of the fact that I don't have the whole parenting thing figured out. I'm not one of those annoying single people who think I know how to raise kids. I just like reading about how others raise their kids and figure that my reviews of these books give an interesting perspective since I'm not the intended audience.)
WHAT I THOUGHT ABOUT THIS BOOK
This book isn't a book about how to raise kids.
This book is about how to be a good mom.
There's a big difference between the two and I was impressed as I read this book. My dad (who's done a fantastic job raising nine kids) has told me before that he never really liked reading parenting books written by people who's kids were still little, because how do they know that what they are teaching really works? And that makes sense. This author's kids are still young, but her approach isn't about what to do with the kids, it's about how to respond as a mom.
I really liked this book. It was encouraging, uplifting, honest, and so practical. The author talks about how she, as a mom, is working on learning to change her mindset, control herself, and become more Christ-like. Although this book was about how to be a better mom, it's applicable for pretty much anyone.
It's so easy for people to blame their reactions on other people, but this book highlighted the fact that we are responsible for how we respond to situations. The author does a fantastic job of helping the reader think through why they respond the way they do to certain things, then offers solid, Biblically-based answers for how they can change.
When I read this book I was inspired by how I can change things in my life to become more Christ-like. It also made me excited about being a mom one day if I ever have kids. From my very non-experienced viewpoint, I felt like the author did the perfect job of being inspiring, encouraging, honest, funny, and hard-hitting. She doesn't hold back from the truth, but she delivers it in a way that's easy(ish) to accept.
CONCLUSION
There were only a very few things in this book that I had an issue with which isn't common. As usual, I don't recommend or un-recommend parenting books, but I did really like this one.
RATING
I’m giving The Cranky Mom Fix 4 out of 5 stars. I'm thankful for the publisher for giving me a copy so I could review it here. ...more
Overall I’d say I’m good at telling people no. But, that only applies to people who I feel ‘equal’ to – my peers, etc… When it cWHY I CHOOSE THIS BOOK
Overall I’d say I’m good at telling people no. But, that only applies to people who I feel ‘equal’ to – my peers, etc… When it comes to my bosses, managers, or pretty much anyone in a position of authority, I have an overwhelming desire to do any and everything I can to please them.
Thankfully I work with a great team who actually cares about me and looks out for my best interests, but I figured I should probably start curbing my management-pleasing-side now. After all, it’s Jesus I want to please most of all, not just my boss. (Although I’m convinced that if I’m pleasing Jesus, then the right boss will be pretty happy with me, too.)
WHAT I THOUGHT ABOUT THIS BOOK
I read this book over about a three week period of time, which considering how short it is means I crawled through it. But, it felt like one of those books that’s supposed to be nibbled at instead of gulping down. That way, I was able to process what I was reading, let it sink in, and figure out what I needed to apply to my life.
The two authors switch back and forth, each writing one chapter at a time. The varying personalities and points of view helped make the book well-balanced and made me feel like it could apply to a lot more people than if it would have had a single author. They also did a fantastic job of bouncing off of each other and building on what the other had written, versus being redundant and/or contradictory. It was clear that they planned the book well and the flow was surprisingly smooth for having more than one author.
As with all books, there were several things I didn’t agree with, and there were a few times that I thought I’d give the book a lower rating, but as I continued reading I was really impressed with the things I learned.
It’s hard for me to read a book that talks about loving ourselves because I feel like that terminology is way over-used and generally not glorifying to God. In this book though, I felt like they had a balanced view of the matter. They talk about how God made each one of us for a specific purpose, and we need to be content with who God has created us to be, instead of trying to become someone else in order to please people. That is a concept I can totally stand behind.
I could relate fairly well to one of the authors and had a few lightbulb moments while reading her chapters. For instance, she talked about how she consistently (starting in school) would subconsciously look for the “most important person in the room” and then try to please them. This meant she was always trying to please teachers, bosses, etc… When I read that it made me laugh – not because I could relate to it, but because it was the first time I realized that not everyone felt that way. Because, as I mentioned earlier, pleasing people in mangament – aka the “most important person in the room” – is my default setting. Realizing that a mindset or behavior isn’t necessarily normal helps me to then stop and think through it and figure out why I do it and pray about if it’s something I need to stop doing.
This book is great for moments like that. Like it says on the back cover blurb, the book was written to help ladies realize who they are in God, and learn what things in life they need to lose in order to live their one life well.
CONCLUSION
There were a few things in this book – mostly wording, etc… – that I didn’t really like, but when I took it as a whole, considering the overall message I’ve come to the conclusion that I really do agree with most of what the book is saying, just not exactly the way in which it says some of the things.
Also, the tips on how to breathe deeply in this book are seriously good.
RATING
I’m giving Exhale 4 out of 5 stars. This book is a great way to stop, check where you’re heading, what you’re subconsciously believing, and get your life back on track for what God created you for. ...more
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