Book Review: The Code of Love and Heartbreak

 

The Code for Love and Heartbreak

by Jillian Cantor

Inkyard Press 

 Teens & YA 

Pub Date 06 Oct 2020 

I am reviewing a copy of The Code for Love and Heartbreak through Inkyard Press:

The Code for Love is born, when math genius Emma and her coding club co-president, George, are tasked with brainstorming a new project.

George does not agree with Emma’s idea of creating a matchmaking app, accusing her of meddling in people’s lives. But all the happy new couples at school are proof that the app works or so it appears at first.

Emma’s code is flawless, so why are these perfectly matched couples breaking up?  Why are the wrong people falling for each other?  Why are Emma’s own feeling defying any algorithm.

I give The Code For Love and Heartbreak four out of five stars!

Happy Reading!

Book Review: What You Said to Me

 

What You Said to Me

by Olivia Newport

Barbour Publishing, Inc. 

Shiloh Run Press

 Christian  |  General Fiction (Adult) 

Pub Date 01 Nov 2020

I am reviewing a copy of What You Said to Me through Barbour Publishing Inc/Shiloh Run Press:

After fifteen year old Tisha Crowder gets caught shoplifting, attorney Nolan Duffy tries to protect her from consequences that could rattle her already troubled life. But his daughter, Jillian feels like she’s the one being punished instead—by having Tisha assigned to work with her on a backlog of genealogy files. Tisha doesn’t seem interested in taking the job seriously, and Jillian’s patience wears thin. 

Everyone  in Canyon Mines knows the Crowder family has experienced generations of brokenness. Then a sliver of hope turns up in long-ago words in plain sight, challenging shrouded assumptions about Tisha’s family. Now Jillian is the one who can walk with Tisha back to 1893 and uncover where everything went wrong in the first place—and save her from the past. 

What You Said to me is the fourth book in the Tree of Life series.

I give What You Said to Me five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!

Book Review: Unexpected

 

Unexpected

Devotions and Prayers for a Delighted Soul

by Valorie Quesenberry

Barbour Publishing, Inc. 

Barbour Books

 Christian 

Pub Date 01 Dec 2020 

I am reviewing a copy of Unexpected through Barbour Books and Netgalley:

This book includes 120 devotional readings as well as prayers and scripture selections.

In this devotional you will be encouraged to spend purposeful one on one time with the Creator which allows your soul to be stirred.

Unexpected will help you through those unexpected times in life, times when we are struggling but searching for delight in him.

This book reminds us that  sickbed rest is forced rest, interrupted rest, unplanned rest. But it is rest. I used to hear people say that God had to “put someone flat on his back” to get him to rest. Maybe that’s just a colloquial way of saying that the person wouldn’t rest unless he or she was sick. But I think God sometimes uses illness to get us to rest our bodies.

It is also pointed out that What marks Christians is not the absence of conflict but the way in which we handle it. The love we have for one another is to outshine our desire to win. In fact, if the desire to have our own way is so dominant, we may need to seriously examine our surrender to the Spirit’s control in our lives. In his letter to the Philippian church, the apostle Paul urged two Christian women to reconcile in the name of Jesus.

We are reminded too that; woman  is inherently strong because God made her. Eve became weak when she listened to the serpent and doubted her Creator. And that’s what weakens women today.

This book deals with some of the harder aspects of life, as well as some other unexpected moments, and offers hope and encouragement throughout.

I give Unexpected five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!

Book Review: The Anne of Green Gables Devotional

 

The Anne of Green Gables Devotional

A Chapter-by-Chapter Companion for Kindred Spirits

by Rachel Dodge

Barbour Publishing, Inc. 

Barbour Books

 Christian 

Pub Date 01 Nov 2020

I am reviewing a copy of The Anne of Green Gables Devotional through Barbour Publishing and Netgalley:

If you are a fan of Anne of Green Gables, The Anne of Green Gables Devotional is one that I would highly recommend to you.

The Anne of Green Gables Devotional uses the pages of L.M Montgomery’s novel as beautiful inspiration to explores the theme of God’s love and faithfulness.

L.M Montgomery’s beautiful classic Anne of Green Gables has been cherished by readers for generations.  

Every devotional reading corresponds with a  chapter from the book and invites you to embrace God’s redemptive plans for your life as His very own adopted daughter in Christ.

This forty day devotional includes original artwork throughout, and each reading includes examples from the novel, scripture, life application, prayers, and discussion questions perfect for groups, book clubs, or personal reflection. It’s perfect as a personal read or gift for a bosom friend!

I give The Anne of Green Gables Devotional Five out of Five Stars!

Happy Reading!

Book Review: 60-Second Refreshment: Power Prayers for Women

 

60-Second Refreshment: Power Prayers for Women

by Compiled by Barbour Staff

Barbour Publishing, Inc. 

Barbour Books

 Christian  |  Nonfiction (Adult) 

Pub Date 01 Mar 2021

I am reviewing a copy of 60-Second Refreshment: Power Prayers for Women through Barbour Books and Netgalley:

If you are a woman who is busy, with career, children, or Cari g for others but still want to spend time with a devotional, these 60-Second devotions may be just what you need.  

Just a moment in conversation with a God who cares can lift a spirit and lighten a care for women of all ages.   These 60-Second prayer pick me up’s are drawn from the the bestselling Power Prayers series, readers will find just-right-sized inspiration to fit into the busiest schedule in 60-Second Refreshment: Power Prayers for Women.  Everyday’s entry includes a personal, thoughtful prayer that's readable in about a minute. 

Book Review: The Gold Digger

 

The Gold Digger

by Liz Tolsma

Barbour Publishing, Inc. 

Barbour Books

 Christian  |  Historical Fiction  |  Mystery & Thrillers 

Pub Date 01 Dec 2020 

I am reviewing a copy of The Gold Digger through Barbour Books and Netgalley:

Ingrid Storset travels from Norway to support her grieving sister who owns a farm in LaPorte, Indiana. Well-to-do widow Belle Gunness has lost two husbands and several children.  

Belle Provides Ingrid with enough money to start a small business Ingrid is confused by the string of men Belle claims to be interviewing for her next husband.  When Nils Lindherud comes to town looking for his missing brother, who said he was going to marry Belle, Ingrid fears her sister has been up to no good.

I give The Gold Digger five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!

Book Review: Rain Is Not My Indian Name

 

Rain Is Not My Indian Name

by Cynthia L. Smith

HarperCollins Children's Books 

Heartdrum

 Teens & YA 

Pub Date 09 Feb 2021

I am reviewing a copy of Rain Is Not My Indian Name:

Six months ago Cassidy Rain Berghoff’s best friend, Galen, died, and she has succeeded in shutting herself off from the world. But when controversy arises around Aunt Georgia’s Indian Camp in their mostly white midwestern community, Rain decides to face the outside world again, with a new job photographing the campers for her town’s newspaper.

It doesn’t take long for Rain to decide how involved she wants to become in Indian Camp. Does she want to keep a professional distance from her fellow Native teens?  Despite her grief will she be able to embrace new friends and new beginnings?

I give Rain Is Not My Indian five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!

Book Review: The Shape of Thunder

 

The Shape of Thunder

by Jasmine Warga

HarperCollins Children's Books 

Balzer + Bray

 Children's Fiction 

Pub Date 11 May 2021

I am reviewing a copy of The Shape of Thunder through Harper Collins Children’s Books:/Balzer + Bray and Netgalley:

Cora hasn’t spoken to her best friend in a year despite the fact they live next door to each other.  They are both living in their own worlds of grief, Cora lost her sister in a shooting, and it was Quinn’s brother who was the shooter.  Quinn carries great guilt for what her brother did and both misses him and hates him at times.

When Cora turns twelve Quinn leaves a box on her doorstep with a note. She has decided that the only way to fix things is to go back in time to the moment before her brother changed all their lives forever and stop him.

Despite herself Cora wants to believe so the two friends begin working together to open a wormhole in the fabric of the universe. But as they attempt to unravel the mysteries of time travel to save their siblings, they learn that the magic of their friendship may actually be the key to saving themselves.

The Shape of Thunder is a beautifully written and heartfelt story, perfect for Middle grade readers and above:

I give The Shape of Thunder five out of five stars!

Book Review: Hurting Yet Whole

 

Hurting Yet Whole

Reconciling Body and Spirit in Chronic Pain and Illness

by Liuan Huska

InterVarsity Press 

IVP

 Christian 

Pub Date 08 Dec 2020

I am reviewing a copy of Hurting Yet Whole through InterVarsity Press and Netgalley:

If you are dealing with Chronic Pain or Illness, I’d highly recommend hurting Yet Whole.

What if the places we fear the most about our bodies, the vulnerability to illness or pain is the exact place where God meets us most fully?

The author Liuan Huska went through years of chronic pain herself and wondered wondered why God seemed absent and questioned some of the common assumptions about healing. What do we do when our bodies don't work the way they should? What is healing, when one has a chronic illness? Can we still be whole when our bodies suffer? The Christian story speaks to our experiences of pain and illness. In the embodiment of Jesus' life, we see an embrace of the body and all of the discomfort and sufferings of being human. Countering a Gnosticism that pits body against spirit.

In this book Huska takes her readers on on a journey of exploring how healing is not an escape from the limits of the body, but becoming whole as souls in bodies and bodies with souls. As chronic pain forces us to pay attention to our bodies' vulnerability, we come to embrace the fullness of our broken yet beautiful bodies.  She helps redefine what it means to find healing and wholeness when you are experiencing on going pain.

I give Hurting Yet Whole five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!

Book Review: Charitable Writing

 

Charitable Writing

Cultivating Virtue Through Our Words

by Richard Hughes Gibson; James Edward Beitler III

InterVarsity Press 

IVP Academic

 Christian 

Pub Date 15 Dec 2020

I am reviewing a copy of Charitable Writing through InterVarsity Press in Netgalley:

Charitable Writing is a writing guide, but not in the typical sense; this book examines how we think about writing as well as how we go about it. In both respects, the conceptual and the practical, this book argues that our spiritual commitments can and should provide bearings for our academic and professional work.

This book reminds us that; Writing is a social and rhetorical activity • Writing involves making ethical choices • Writing speaks to situations through recognizable forms • Disciplinary and professional identities are constructed through writing • Writing enacts and creates identities and ideologies • All writers have more to learn.   

We are reminded too that to recognize that writing not only can be but also should be a hospitable practice has profound implications for Christian writers. To write hospitably requires that we use words and genre conventions that our reader will recognize and understand. To write hospitably requires that we take the time to edit our writing so as to make it approachable. To write hospitably requires that we actually think about who are readers are in the first place. Above all, to write hospitably requires that we recognize writing as a gift.

Charitable Writing reminds us that our words carry weight, but unfortunately in today’s climate our words are often laced with harsh judgments and vitriol rather than careful consideration and generosity. But might the Christian faith transform how we approach the task of writing? How might we love God and our neighbors through our writing? 

What this book isn’t is a style guide, but what it does is offers a vision for expressing one's faith through writing and for understanding writing itself as a spiritual practice that cultivates virtue. 

I give Charitable Writing five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!

Book Review: Ghost

 

Ghost

The Justice Chronicles Book 1

by Michael Jack Webb

BooksGoSocial 

Christian  |  Mystery & Thrillers 

Pub Date 22 Oct 2020 

I am reviewing a copy of Ghost through Books Go Social and Netgalley:

Kate Justice is the FBI’s youngest profiler and she has been assigned to find serial killers with supernatural abilities.

The killer is cunning, elusive and seems to be invincible.

Kate finds herself having to race against time to discover who or what is behind the gruesome murders and prevent another brutal killing.  She soon fears she’s in over her head as stunning revelations about her mysterious ancestry surface.

Soon Hunter became the prey as the Ghost in the Darkness killer plays a vicious cat and mouse game, drawing Kate into a deadly confrontation.

Kate must uncover the truth will challenge her beliefs about the world around her and her understanding of what is real, what is a myth, and what is something in between.

This is a powerfully written novel!

I give Ghost five out of five stars! 

Happy Reading!

Book Review: The God of Possible

 

The God of Possible

Devotions and Prayers for Life's Trying Times

by Janet Ramsdell Rockey

Barbour Publishing, Inc. 

Barbour Books

 Christian 

Pub Date 01 Dec 2020

I am reviewing a copy of The God of Possible through Barbour Publishing and Netgalley:

The God of Possible Reminds Us That With God anything and everything is possible:

This Devotional deals with things such as Perpetual Grief or Constant sorrow, something that occurs during a long term illness or after the loss of a body part.  Death is final but Chronic illness can seem to go on for an eternity, and frustration follows. 

We are reminded too that we can find hope in our forgiveness.  We are reminded too of the importance of Clinging to God, that he is faithful.  

It is pointed out too that God is greater than our struggles, that he wants to help us through the difficult times in our lives.

If you are looking for a devotional that can help you through the trying times, then I highly recommend The God of Possible!

Five out of five stars!

Happy Reading! 

Book Review: When Faith Is Forbidden

 

When Faith Is Forbidden

40 Days on the Frontlines with Persecuted Christians

by Todd Nettleton; The Voice of the Martyrs

Moody Publishers 

 Christian 

Pub Date 02 Mar 2021

I am reviewing a copy of When Faith Is Forbidden through Moody Publishers and Netgalley:

This book allows you to take a forty day journey to meet brothers and sisters who share in the sufferings of Christ.  When Faith is Forbidden introduces us to a Chinese Christian woman who called six months in prison “a wonderful time.”  We also meet an Iraqi Pastor and his wife just eight days after assassins' bullets ripped into his flesh, and others from our spiritual family who've suffered greatly for wearing the name of Christ.  We meet former Muslim Teens whose families kicked them out onto the streets after coming to Christ.  

Every one of the stops on this forty day journey offers inspiration and encouragement through the story of a persecuted believer.. When Faith is Forbidden also has space for reflection as well as a suggested prayer as you grow to understand the realities of living under persecution and learn from the examples of the bold believers you'll meet.

Todd Nettleton (host of The Voice of the Martyrs Radio) has traveled the world  for more than twenty years, to interview hundreds of Christians who’ve been persecuted for the name of Christ.   He opens his memory bank as well as his personal journals to share his journeys with us.

I give When Faith is Forbidden five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!

Book Review: The Joy Switch

 

The Joy Switch

How Your Brain's Secret Circuit Affects Your Relationships--And How You Can Activate It

by Chris M. Coursey

Moody Publishers 

Northfield Publishing

 Christian 

Pub Date 05 Jan 2021

I am reviewing a copy of Joy Switch through Moody Publishers/Northfield Publishing and Netgalley:

Life can be hard when you don’t feel like yourself.

Why is it that at times we feel more connected in our relationships, than we do at other times?  There are times it is easy and even exciting to spend time with our loved ones.  There are times though that especially when things don’t according to plan, you feel incapable of connecting in conversations.  It is those times we often feel as if we are far and distant.  What if staying connected to your relationships has been right inside your head all along?

The Joy Switch allows you to discover the simple switch in your brain that activates—or deactivates—what you most need for relational connectivity.  This book helps the reader learn to flip this brain switch either  and enables you to remain present for those around you or causes you to become overwhelmed—and ultimately inhibited from being your best self—when problems arise.  You will learn how to maximize your relational brain and how to recognize when your brain’s joy switch is flipped, and how to take steps to restore your relational sweet-spot.   In this book you will find help in learning how to stay connected with one another while being the best version of who you are meant to be.

I give The Joy Switch five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!