Women of the Bible

The Most Important Women of the Bible

Arron and Elaina Sharp

The Bible is full of stories about women who changed the lives around them in profound ways. The authors has chosen 31 women that have amazing stories filled with love and faith. Each chapter begins with a quote that will tie in with the subject. The authors share the scriptures that they pulled the story from. Then they give a brief biography about the lady. The chapter ends with two sections - By the Numbers and Things We Wondered. The numbers section shares information such as how many children the leading lady had, how many miles to cities mentioned, how old she was, or other pertinent information. The last section is unanswered questions that reading about this lady brought to the author's minds.

I really enjoyed this book. It was well laid out, full of information, and well written. The writing flowed well and wasn't bogged down with the tiny details, since these were shared at the end. I loved the concept of pulling important women from the Bible and showcasing their role in history. This book would work well for a women's small group as well as for personal devotions.

I received a copy of this book from Bethany House. All thoughts expressed are my own.

Too Far Down

Too Far Down

The Cimarron Legacy #3

Mary Connealy

Cole returned to his father's ranch because of the stipulations in his will. But he's more at home running a business, so he focuses on the gold mine. But when an explosion that is obviously planned ends in murder, Cole accepts the help of Melanie, a woman from a neighboring ranch.  He'd thought the troubles at the ranch were all in the past, but clearly they haven't weeded out the true culprit or they wouldn't be fighting to save their ranch.

I really enjoy this author. She writes descriptive plots that include humor, faith, romance, and mystery. I enjoyed the conclusion to this series, but was also slightly sad to come to the end.The mystery at the mine was my favorite of the three stories. I also loved the relationship between the two main characters. And I won't spoil the plot, but there is a super sweet part with a little boy that I just love. I am kinda hoping the author writes a story about his mother next. Overall, I really enjoyed the conclusion to the series and look forward to the next book she writes.

I received a copy of this book from Bethany House. All thoughts expressed are my own.

Lord Hunter's Cinderella Heiress

Lord Hunter's Cinderella Heiress

Lara Temple

Helen is wonderful with horses and can hold her own with anyone in that area. But place her in front of her shrewish aunt and bullying father and she crumples. But finally one day she snaps and stands up to her aunt's hatefulness. The next day she rushes back to school, unaware that the man she met the previous day, when showing him a horse, will be the person to save her from her awful family.

This was a unique twist on the whole Cinderella plot; no sisters or glass slipper involved. The characters were well defined and fit well with the story. The author did a great job of capturing the time period and I felt the chemistry between the main couple was romantic. This is the first book in the series and I look forward to reading the next ones.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts expressed are my own.

First Line Friday

 

Welcome to First Line Friday, hosted by Hoarding Books.

Grab the book nearest to you and leave a comment with the first line!

Today I am posting a line from  -

Make Room For What You Love by Melissa Michaels

 

"Your home should be your sanctuary, your safe haven in this crazy world."

Let me know what you are reading this week. And don't forget to post the first line in a book.
Happy Weekend!

Total Christmas Makeover

Total Christmas Makeover

Melissa Spoelstra

The Christmas season can leave you feeling rushed and frazzled. While a lot of the things we fill our season with are important, we can easily become distracted and lose the focus of why we celebrate the season. The author has written a devotional that will redirect the reader in the direction of celebrating Christ during the holiday season. The book is divided up into three sections - Ritual, Relationships, and Rest. Each devotional consists of the author's thoughts on the topic of the day. At the end are question for reflection and an idea on how to put the thoughts into a practical application.

Each day is short enough to allow for some quick reading. But the questions and application part make for a meaningful, thought provoking devotional. I really enjoyed the practical application. This devotional would make an excellent gift for the holiday season. But I think everyone should get their own copy.

I received a copy of this book from Litfuse Publicity. All thoughts expressed are my own.

Descriptions and Perscriptions

Descriptions and Perscriptions

Michael R. Emlet

As Christians we often view mental illness incorrectly and either dismiss medicine completely, or forget the faith that plays such an integral part in our lives. Some people feel that taking medications for a mental illness is of the devil, while others take or advise taking the medicine blindly without any regard as to the side effects, reasons for needing the drugs, etc. The author has taken a Biblical approach to show both the benefits and downsides of both approaches. His desire in writing the book was to give Christians a look at both perspectives with a hope that the reader can see the middle line and choose something that will fit them and their Christian lifestyle.

As a person suffering from a mental illness myself, I was intrigued with how the author would conclude his perspective. I've had Christians on both sides of this "counsel" me and I was looking forward to seeing his conclusions. 

The book is very thin (98 pages), so will make for a quick read. I was surprised at how technical the writing was. If you aren't very medical, it will be very easy to get bogged down in the first few chapters. The author uses several stories to help tell what he is talking about so this does lighten up the depth a little. He concluded with the idea that there isn't a right or wrong, but rather a mixture of the two with regards to every single patient being different and therefore needing different things. The concept is great, but I finished with the feeling that I wasn't really helped in any way. And that the author's real feelings on the matter were that the ultimate goal was to not have to take any medication if at all possible. So while the theory was probably correct, this book didn't really help me at all. I think this book would be better suited for a person who works with mental illness and not a patient in search of the correct balance.

I received a copy of this book from Litfuse Publicity. All thoughts expressed are my own.

Christmas at Carnton

Christmas at Carnton

Carnton #.5

Tamera Alexander

Aletta is war widow. She's trying to hold onto her home and raise her six-year old son. So when life forces her to take another job, she jumps at the chance to make some extra money. But she'll need the help of an injured Captain. He's staying at the Carnton Estate at the request of his boss while he waits on healing so he can return to the war. 

 This is the prequal to a series that will be coming in the future. This book wold work well as a stand-alone, since it doesn't leave the reader hanging. I wasn't even able to tell who the next book would feature. The characters were authentic and fit well together. My favorite was actually a minor character, a cook on the estate. The story was shorter, but sweet and fits perfectly with the Christmas season. I've read books by this author before and this book falls into her normal category of well written, thought provoking, faith themed, and had elements of romance. I enjoyed reading this start to the series and look forward to seeing what comes next.

I received a copy of this book from BookLook Bloggers. All thoughts expressed are my own.