Jesus Invites Me

Jesus Invites Me

Knowing My God Series

Callie Grant

The colorful board book uses bright pictures and Bible verses to explain the plan of salvation that Jesus gives to everyone. Each page opens ups to a picture on one side and a Bible verse and thought about the picture on the other. The invitation that Jesus gives all of us is made simple and easy to understand with this fun little board book.

The message in the book, while simple, was beautifully explained. My kids enjoyed reading the book and understood everything I read. The message on each page ties in perfectly with the picture and helps the child to grasp whatever is being read to them. I would recommend this book as a great gift to anyone with small children. 

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

Every Waking Moment

Every Waking Moment

Chris Fabry

Treha has a very special gift. She can reach the elderly when no one has heard their voice in months or years. She's considered handicapped, but can somehow get these people to talk. Her boss, Miriam, has allowed a documentary team into the retirement facility to capture the stories of the elderly before they are lost. But as they follow the residents they find Treha. Her story is something that is haunting and mysterious. Soon her story involves everyone around her as secrets are brought into the open.

Several stories were all being told at once. The author did a good job of weaving the stories together and connecting all of the dots without drowning the reader in too many details. The story had a bit of an Erin Brochovich feel as the reader was given clues as to why Treha was different. It is a story of hope and forgiveness all wrapped up in a thought provoking work of fiction. The author had a great style of writing, but I could not get into the story. The characters didn't interest me. But I appreciated the way the author put everything together and enjoyed his style of writing. So I will be checking out his other books.

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

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A Plain Disappearance

A Plain Disappearance

An Appleseed Creek Mystery Book III

Amanda Flower

Chloe is beginning to feel at home in Appleseed. She's enjoying her roommate Becky and her new relationship with Timothy. But trouble pops up again on their first date. They find a young Amish girl, murdered, by a barn. Chloe's life seems to get a little bit complicated as she assists the police in looking for the murderer while still trying to maintain her relationships with friends and family.

I haven't read the previous books in this series or anything by this author before I picked up this book. And while reading the first book would definitely make this book clearer, I do think it can be read alone. The characters were realistic and enjoyable. Even the more disagreeable characters were interesting and had depth. I really enjoyed the way the author had the story flowing at a fast pace without losing any of the mystery feel. The romantic parts of the story were clean and well written. It is difficult to pick up a book in the middle of the series and still have it grab you. Usually the author grabs you in the first book and then just finishes the story in the rest of the books. Not so with this author. I am definitely hooked and plan to purchase the previous two books in the series.  Will be keeping this author on my radar.

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

52 Ways to Grow Your Faith

52 Ways to Grow Your Faith

Connect With God in a Busy, Noisy World

The 52 Series

Gregg Peter Farah

If your faith is feeling dead or slightly stale, then check out this book. The author has created 52 different ways to rejuvenate, invigorate, and revitalize your faith. Each chapter begins with the idea of how to put some life back into your faith. It is followed by a Bible verse, a story that relates, a key quote, a "try it" section that explains how to make it work, testimonials from people who tried the idea, and lastly a prayer to wrap it up. There is also a section to write down some thoughts or prayers.

I really enjoyed reading through these chapters. The ideas were sometimes fun, sometimes thought provoking. Each one made me stop and think about what I was doing in my faith walk that I could improve on. It is definitely a book that I would recommend. Even if you don't feel like you need a jump start, there is always room for improvement. And it's always great to see things from a different perspective. Looking forward to reading other books in this series.

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

Jesus Shows Me

Jesus Shows Me

Knowing My God Series

Callie Grant

 The colorful board book uses bright pictures, Bible verses, and facts about animals to show little children how much their heavenly Father loves them. Each page opens ups to a picture of an animal on one side and something about the animal and how it relates to Jesus on the other side. 

My children and I really enjoyed this book. The verses and thoughts are short enough for their little attention spans. The pictures are captivating and entertaining. The author has done a great job of bringing the love of Jesus to a simple level that they can understand.

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

Fashioned to Reign

Fashioned to Reign

Empowering Women to Fulfill Their Divine Destiny

Kris Vallotton

Women have been powerful and prominent throughout history. But the author believes that we are still being repressed and misrepresented in today's world, especially in the church. His focus seems to be on showing how women can be great and be groomed to "reign".

The idea for the book is great. So I was excited to see how the author put these ideas on paper. Almost from the very beginning I was turned off. The presentation just wasn't working for me. There were quite a few things initially that I didn't agree with either. The author seems to use scripture very loosely and, I felt, often incorrectly. He kept urging the reader to stay with him and finish the book.  I finished the book. I was left with very mixed feelings. The idea was great. The history was great. The battering ram approach just turned me off. While I enjoyed parts of this book, I honestly can't say that I would recommend it to someone wanting to read about this issue.

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

Made to Last

Made to Last
Where Love Begins Book 1

Melissa Tagg

Miranda is the star of a very popular home building show. But she's been hiding a secret for three years. When she applied for the show she might have accidentally told them she was married. And now for three years she's been making references to her husband on the show. The show is in jeopardy and her manger feels it necessary to manufacture a fake husband to save the show. Only problem might be the journalist who is coming to shadow her. This story could make or break his career, so he has a vested interest in her secrets.

I really enjoyed the author's style of writing. The story was fun, humorous, thought provoking, and romantic. All of the characters, even the secondary ones, were real and likable. The author did a great job of showing the human side of the main characters while still making me fall in love with them. My only complaint was the short courtship at the end when the couple got together. I would have preferred this to be lengthened a bit. But it certainly didn't detract from the story. I'll definitely be checking out the author's next book.

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