the Accidental Feminist

the Accidental Feminist

Restoring Our Delight in God's Good Design

Courtney Reissig

 Not every woman considers herself a feminist. But the feminist movement has changed or influenced every one of us. Our culture and how we were raised play a large part in how we, as adults, view and interact with the world around us. The author, wife and mother, writes Biblical counsel for the women today as they encounter feminism and helps to answer the question about what it means to be a Christian woman in today's world. At the end of each chapter are some questions for further reflection.

The style of writing and many stories made this an easy book to read. The author liberally sprinkled scripture and illustrations to bring out her point. I enjoyed the book. And while I didn't agree with absolutely everything she said or some of the conclusions she came to, I did learn some things and the book gave me some concepts or thoughts to ponder. I would recommend this to any Christian woman who is struggling with where she fits in her role as wife, mother, Christian, etc.

I received this book free of charge from Crossway in exchange for my honest review.

Women's Devotional Bible

ESV Women's Devotional Bible

Crossway

The first thing that drew me to this Bible was the beautiful cover. It is calming and serene. The numerous contributors have done a great job of writing devotionals that apply to women. They are uplifting, scriptural thoughts that are encouraging and convicting.  The devotionals inspire more Bible reading and draw the thoughts closer to Christ.

This would make a wonderful gift or addition to any morning routine. The layout works well with reading through the Bible in a year. Each devotional is short enough to read on the run, but is paired with scripture for a deeper study. The back of the book has additional articles and resources. There is also a website and app for the Bible.

I received this book free of charge from Crossway in exchange for my honest review.

Women of the Word

Women of the Word

How to Study the Bible with Both Our Hearts and Our Minds

Jen Wilkin

Lost about how to really study the Bible and feeling like what she knew barely scratched the surface, the author started on a journey to learn how to study the Bible more effectively. She begins by pointing out several hit or miss methods and shows how they can be inadequate. She then outlines five steps to learning how to read and study the Bible with purpose. The next five chapters follow these five steps. The book ends with a conclusion how how to studying the scriptures points us to our Savior.

I have often fallen into some of the "unhelpful habits" that the author mentioned. This little book really helped give me perspective and clarity. I enjoyed her friendly, common sense approach. It felt more like a chat with a friend than a lecture. The points that she brings out are not only helpful, but spot on in terms of getting the scripture to apply to our hearts AND minds. It's definitely a book I'll be keeping and sharing with others.

I received this book free of charge from Crossway in exchange for my honest review.

Treasuring Christ

Treasuring Christ When Your Hands Are Full

Gospel Meditations for Busy Moms

Gloria Furman

Moms are very busy. It doesn't really matter whether you have a full time job outside the home, homeschool your kids, or just brought your first child home from the hospital - you are incredibly busy. And often we tend to put aside things so make room for those wiggly little bodies. But one of the most important things we put aside is our relationship with Christ. The author has written this book in hopes that we'll find moments in our day to treasure Christ.

The book reads more like a prayer journal with some diary entries thrown in, instead of the devotional I was expecting. If you are super busy, one chapter can't be read all at once. But that one tiny thing aside, this was a wonderful book. The author clearly has children and so therefore can relate to the things I'm experiencing right now. Each of her thoughts and stories points me back to Christ and developing a relationship with Him. I really enjoyed reading the book, but was also touched and convicted by several things she wrote. This book will make an excellent gift for a mother at any point in her life.

I received this book free of charge from Crossway in exchange for my honest review.

Glimpses of Grace

Glimpses of Grace

Treasuring the gospel in your home

Gloria Furman

Every mom faces the challenge of balancing her home, work, and relationship with God. Sometimes God and His grace can appear to be lost in the shuffle of life. Where is God when we are waking up in the middle of the night with a child or facing loads of laundry? Where is God when the plumbing needs to be fixed or the refrigerator is completely empty? The author takes her life experiences and writes about how she found grace in her home to encourage and uplift the every day mom.

The author's style of writing is simple and straightforward. It feels like the reader is sitting at the author's kitchen table amidst the dirty dishes and leftover breakfast sharing a cup of coffee while discussing grace. The chapters include topics about friends, contentment, pain, and grace. Sprinkled throughout are stories or antidotes from the author's life to illustrate the points she is trying to make.
It's a good book for any mother struggling with the overwhelming parts of parenting and housework.

I received this book free of charge from Crossway in exchange for my honest review.

Biblical Books of Wisdom

Biblical Books of Wisdom

A Study of Proverbs, Job, Ecclesiastes, and Other Wisdom Literature in the Bible

James Efird

 The title explains the book well. Each chapter deals with how to cope with different situations in life. Pulling from the three books mentioned  in the title and a couple of other books it tells the reader how to deal with tragedy, but also normal, everyday life.

The book was easy to read and very informative. My only complaint would be the tiny print. It made reading the book difficult if done for more than a few minutes. Otherwise this is definitely a book I would recommend reading.

I received this book free of charge from WIPF in exchange for my honest review.

Test of Faith

Test of Faith

Spiritual Journeys with Scientists

Ruth Bancewicz

J.I. Packer

Many people believe that science and faith are not compatible. If you believe in God than science is a myth and the reverse. Test of Faith shares ten scientists thoughts on how God created science, therefore it is very compatible.

I didn't choose this book to review. Science has never been my thing. But since I was sent the book I figured I'd check it out. Science STILL isn't my thing. I could barely make it though the book. It is very well written and easy to understand. My complaint would be only that it bored me to tears. But for the science lover who wants to learn how to link God and science, it will be a great book.

I received this book free of charge from WIPF in exchange for my honest review.

Pursuing Peace

Pursuing Peace

A Christian Guide to Handling Our Conflicts

Robert D. Jones

Sadly Christians have conflict just as much as non-Christians. Jones takes the issues that we face and breaks down why and how we need to resolve our conflicts. He begins with examining our hearts and finding peace within. Then he breaks down the different types of conflict we will potentially face and gives Bible verses and practical advice on how to get through and overcome each obstacle in our lives.

The smooth writing style, plenty of Bible verses and practical advice are all good reasons to read this book. The book is detailed, but very simple to read. I didn't feel like I needed a degree in theology to wade through it. Since everyone has conflict, this book is for every Christian.

I received this book free of charge from Crossway in exchange for my honest review.

No Ordinary Marriage

No Ordinary Marriage

Tim Savage

Marriages are failing miserably. Even marriages that don't end in divorce are often floundering in stagnant, meaningless relationships. Savage wrote a book that takes the spouses to a level of marriage that is both God based and self-less.

I just couldn't get into this book. Savage brought out some really great points. But it just seemed to be very repetitious and overdone for me. If you enjoy reading about relationships than this book might interest you enough to glean out the occasional gems. It's lots of reading without any practical advice and this is what I usually look for in a relationship book. It wasn't a bad book. It was just too much writing without enough how-to for me.

I received this book free of charge from Crossways in exchange for my honest review.

Date Your Wife

Date Your Wife

Justin Buzzard

This is a husband's guide to dating his wife. Most men stop dating their spouse when the marriage vows are said. Mr. Buzzard wrote this book to encourage men to step up and begin dating their wives again.

I'm the wife, not the husband, so wasn't sure what this book would be like from my perspective. But it was really well written. I enjoyed the stories and his basic way of encouraging men to step it up. It is a relatively small book so men (like my husband) will not get bogged down in the details. It has easy "instructions" to follow and is fun to read. At the end of the book is a small chapter written by Mrs. Buzzard to the wives. I'm passing this book on to my husband in the hope that he will enjoy it as well.

I received this book free of charge from Crossway in exchange for my honest review.

A Woman's Wisdom

A Woman's Wisdom

How the book of Proverbs speaks to everything

Lydia Brownback

The author takes the book of Proverbs and applies it to women. It's probably not a new concept, but it's a great one. I enjoyed the practical applications and how each section and piece of wisdom was broken down into something we could use and apply today.

This book would make a great study guide for a women's Bible study group. The chapters are relatively short and a study guide is included in the back. There are nine weeks if using this as a weekly study guide.

I think my only minor complaint is that at times it felt a little dry. It wasn't often, but enough that I remembered it at the end when thinking about what to say for the review. It's a great book and well worth the occasional slow spots.

I received this book free of charge from Crossway in exchange for my honest review.

Lit!

Lit!

A Christian Guide to Reading Books

Tony Reinke

The purpose of this book is to encourage non-reading Christians to read and to educate them on how to choose good books and to enjoy what they read.

Part one is the theology of books and reading. I have to admit that this really bored me. I LOVE to read and I just couldn't get into it. Once I moved on to Part two - Some Practical Advice On Book Reading - it became easier reading and the advice presented was thought provoking.

Some of the subjects that he hits on are how to find time to read, what books to chose and why, how to raise your children to be good readers and what the marks of a healthy reader are.

I enjoyed the second half of the book and gained some insight into reading from a Christian perspective. But I doubt that a non-reader is going to pick up this book if they don't enjoy reading. Nor do I think they would enjoy it, if they did chose to pick it up. But it's a great book if you are a Christian reader.

I received this book free of charge from Crossways in exchange for my honest review.