The World Almanac

The World Almanac and Book of Facts 2015

Sarah Janssen - Editor

Would you like to know all the results for the 2014 Elections? Do you wonder what the top news stories for the year were or how the world changed during 2014? All of these answers and many more are included in this information packed book. Sports, History, Science, and Statistics are just a few of the topics that are covers. Bright, colorful pictures throughout the book add visual appeal.

This thick book would make a wonderful gift for the knowledge hungry person in your life. College students, schools, and the home library would all benefit from having this book on the shelf. My son poured over the book when it arrived and kept reading sections to me that interested him. I was impressed with all of the subjects that were covered and how thorough the information was. Definitely a book worth keeping.

I received this book free of charge from The Rosen Group in exchange for my honest review.

Watch For The Light

Watch For The Light

readings for Advent and Christmas

There are very few Advent devotionals out there. So the creators of this little book have picked from some well known authors and speakers and complied a devotional for every day of Advent. The purpose of the book is to bring the true reason for Christ's birth back into our thoughts as we celebrate this beautiful season.

First, I love the cover of this book. Also this is a pretty impressive line up of authors. Several of the devotionals touched my heart and convicted me to spend more time on the meaning of the season. But some of the days had incredibly long chapters and the thoughts were a bit too deep or complicated for me to share with my children. I was hoping for a shorter devotional I could read to the whole family. This book is more for the Bible scholar who would like some deeper thoughts for the Advent season. It is a really nice book and would make a great gift as long as the concept is for deeper study and not a family devotional.

 

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

The Bachelor

The Bachelor

Plain City Peace Book 2

Stephanie Reed

Betsie is home in the Amish community where she feels she belongs. But things are rapidly changing. Taking care of her siblings, as well as an Englisher girl can be overwhelming. Confusing thoughts about two completely different men, troubles with her siblings, and worry about her parents all pile on top of the tons of work that needs to be done almost overwhelming her. Can she decide where she wants her life to go while filling the ache in her heart?

I have the very bad habit of picking a book without realizing it is the middle of the series. This happened once again. The book is definitely not a stand alone. So be sure to read the first book before picking this one up. That being said, it starts off well and is entertaining. It follows the typical Amish pattern with conflicts about religion and distractions with the English community. The book hints at some endings, but leaves the reader hanging in anticipation for the next book in the series.

I received this book free of charge from Book Club Network in exchange for my review.

Adventures in Glendragon

Adventures in Glendragon

Mike the Knight

HIT Entertainment

Mike the Knight and his sister Evie live in a castle in Gledragon with their mom, Queen Martha. Mike has a horse named Galahad, and Evie has a pet frog named Mr. Cuddles. Together they go about the kingdom trying to perform good deeds. They also enjoy playing with their friends, Sparkie and Squirt, the dragons, and Mike, the troll. 

Readers can join the siblings as they try to fix their magic mistakes. The book is designed as a coloring book and activity book that also tells a story. Each page is filled with plenty of coloring space and activities that children will love. The book is geared towards pre-school to kindergarten age and has activities such as matching games and counting. The answers are included in the back of the book. The book also includes forty colorful stickers. The activity book is based on a popular set of videos. There are also books that can be purchased to accompany this coloring book.

I received this book free of charge from Children's Lit in exchange for my honest review.

The Daniel Plan

The Daniel Plan

40 Days to a Healthier Life

Rick Warren, Dr. Daniel Amen, Dr. Mark Hyman

Pastor Warren was baptizing a lot of people one day when it dawned on him - Americans are fat, grossly fat. But it also hit him that he was right there with them. So he made a plan to lose weight. He spoke with his congregation and thousands of people joined him in his pledge to not only lose weight, but to become more healthy. This book is the team effort of Pastor Warren and two doctors to make a Biblical plan to become healthier.

This book is a massive, almost 400 page book, packed full of tips, recipes, menus, exercise plans, and scripture to help the dieter get on track and lose weight. The plan is set out to encompass every aspect of a persons life. I had a love/hate relationship with this book as I read through it. I'm a list maker and a planner. So all of the charts, graphs, and menus were wonderful. But the book was so large and detailed that I quickly became overwhelmed. I honestly don't think I would ever start with this challenge. It was just too huge and confusing. Warren did stress the importance of doing this challenge with friends or family to keep you on track and accountable. So maybe if I'd read this in a small group or with a friend it wouldn't have been so daunting. All in all, it is a great book, I'm just not sure how many of us overwhelmed individuals will be helped by the tons of information presented.

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

Love Without End

Love Without End

A Kings Meadow Romance Book 1

Robin Lee Hatcher

Kimberly has lost almost everything. Her husband died unexpectedly, leaving Kimberly and her daughter Tara homeless and destitute. They move to Idaho to live with Kimberly's best friend while they try to regain their footing. While there someone gives Tara a horse. But since they don't have the space or knowledge to take care of the horse they hire Chet, a local horse trainer, to help them.

I absolutely loved this book. The author wove two beautiful stories together so seamlessly. She created such wonderful word pictures that now I want to go visit this town. I've read other books by this author and enjoyed them, but this one really resonated with me. Real life can be hard and sometimes it's hard to separate the desires of our heart with what God might want for us. Hatcher addressed this issue in the story and wrote about the necessity of prayer. Yet the book never had a preachy feel to it. It just flowed together with the story and seemed a part of their lives. I liked that she didn't sugarcoat the difficulties of ranch life, all the time making it seem so appealing. She also touched on the importance of family and its importance to us. It is an all around beautiful story that has made me impatient for the next book in the series.

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

Shooting the Rapids in a Wooden Canoe

Shooting the Rapids in a Wooden Canoe
Real Life Stuff for Couples Navigating Transitions

Tim McLaughlin

Marriages change often and sometimes unexpectedly. How you weather those changes says a lot about your marriage and you as a person. This little study book walks couples through different transitions and how to weather them together. Each chapter begins with a thought from the author called the beginning place. It's a place to begin thinking about that particular transition. Each chapter varies from here, but sections called Read have stories that relate to the subject. After each Read section there is Think, which is questions that get the reader to thinking about what they've read. There are also sections called Live scattered throughout the book that take the lessons learned and give ways to apply them to the readers life.

I really enjoyed reading through this book. The thoughts the author presented were thought-provoking, but weren't dry or boring. This would be a great book for a small group study or for a couple to study together. There are three other books that go in this study. I liked how the author offered practical advice and didn't sugar coat the issues. Every couple is completely different and will face different issues in life. The chapters seemed open to adapting to the differences in couples, and didn't come across as judgmental of the choices that some might make. Definitely a book I can recommend.

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