Book Review: Being Creative

 

BEING CREATIVE

by Laura Bartnick

BooksGoSocial

Christian  |  Self-Help

Christian 

Self-Help

Pub Date 14 Apr 2021

I am reviewing a copy of Being Creative through BooksGoSocial and Netgalley:

In Being Creative we learn how being Creative comes from God.  Using compelling Biblical references, BEING CREATIVE shows how an artistic soul is a breath of God, how creativity is a medium in which we encounter God, and how being creative is a means for bringing more life into the world. 

We are reminded that mediums such as storytelling, songwriting, singing or other artistic endeavors can used to draw us closer to God.

Being Creative is a unique Christian geared toward writers, makers, creative adults, college arts and academics, and those who nurture them.

The author shows us how using language, pithy logos, and communication skills relate directly to the Biblical theology of creation, anthropology, and God's will. When the stakes are high, these ten game rules presented in ten chapters will lead the way and anchor a communicator's creativity as the priority.

We will learn how the creative capacity is a direct result of God's own priority to create. When a great communicator uses the art of language and art to influence others, they are using the Creator's own "logo". Readers are invited to think rationally, write emotively, and become cunning authors of the finest material.

I give Being Creative five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!

Book Review: Live Like Sean

 

Live Like Sean

Important Life Lessons from My Special-Needs Son

ByTJ Nelligan

Published: January 19, 2021

Publisher:  Greenleaf Book Group Press 

I  was invited to review Live Like Sean: Important Life Lessons from My Special-Needs Son through Greenleaf  Book Group Press.  Here is my honest review:

After T.J  Nelligan’s Son was born with Special Needs, he and his wife heard Sean would never be normal, so they mourned the life they had once imagined for him.   But it wasn’t long before they realized it was Sean teaching them lessons, like how to give the gift of your present, giving your entire attention to who you are with.   He showed others the importance of giving your full attention to who you are with.

Sean also taught others how to turn a stranger into a friend, as well as to make any moment into a memory.  The way his life touched others became evident following his death at the age of twenty nine, on Father’s Day of 2019, when many of his former classmates took the time to tell others what a good friend he was.

Live Like Sean is a story of great loss, but it more a story of the lessons taught by a young man named Sean, and the impact he had on the lives of the people who knew him.

I give Live Like Sean five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!

Book Review: Leisha’s Song

 

Leisha’s Song

by Lynn Slaughter

Melange Books/Fire and Ice 

 Teens & YA 

Pub Date 22 Jun 2021

I am reviewing a copy of Leisha’s Song through Melange Books/Fire and Ice and Netgalley:

Leisha knows something is not right.  Her beloved vocal coach at boarding school would never have resigned and disappeared like this in the midst of preparing her prize students for a major vocal competition.    Leaving Leisha determined to find her and make sure she’s okay.

Cody who is a sensitive cellist, insists on helping her.  It isn’t long before Sparks fly, clues multiply, and romance blossoms, despite the disapproval of their families.

When Leisha desires to be with Cody and pursue music rather than medicine puts her on a direct collision course with her grandfather, the only parent she’s ever had.  But an even more immediate threat looms, because as Leisha draws closer to the truth about her teacher’s disappearance, she ends up putting her own life in danger.

I give Leisha’s Song four out of five stars!

Happy Reading!

Book Review: A Distant Shore

 

A Distant Shore

A Novel

by Karen Kingsbury

Atria Books 

 Christian  |  Romance 

Pub Date 27 Apr 2021 

Eliza was a child who has been caught in a riptide on the Caribbean Sea.  Jack Ryder was a teenager from the East Coast on vacation with his family. He dove in to save her, and that single terrifying moment changed both their lives forever. 

A decade later Jack Ryder is a daring secret agent with the FBI and Eliza Lawrence still lives on that pristine island. She’s an untainted princess in a kingdom of darkness and evil, on the brink of a forced marriage with a dangerous neighboring drug lord, a marriage arranged by her father. 

When they meet the second time Jack and Eliza have a connection neither of them can explain. Both their lives are on the line, and once again, the stakes are deadly high. Can they join forces in a complicated and dangerous mission, pretending to have a breathtaking love…without really falling? 

There are some miracles that happen not once, but twice…along a distant shore.

I give A Distant Shore five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!

Book Review: Learning to Be

 

Learning to Be

Finding Your Center After the Bottom Falls Out

by Juanita Campbell Rasmus

InterVarsity Press 

IVP

 Christian  |  Religion & Spirituality 

Pub Date 15 Sep 2020 

I am reviewing a copy of Learning to Be: Finding Your Center After the Bottom Falls Out through InterVarsity Press and Netgalley:

It felt as if every nerve in her body was popping. It felt like large strong hands were slowly applying pressure while breaking a family-size package of uncooked, dry spaghetti.  Only Pastor Juanita was the spaghetti, breaking down one piece at a time.  This is how Juanita Rasmus begins the wise, frank, and witty account of what she later called "The Crash" and what her counselor labeled "a major depressive episode

In this book the author reminds us that depression  is more than just a diagnosis; depression becomes the mind’s default program. It becomes the way that the body and mind seek to cope in crisis. Depression is the result of a complex set of byproducts affecting the brain, including chemical imbalances, faulty mood regulation by the brain, or genetic vulnerability. 

In addition to exhaustion and depression, on the spiritual front she experienced a dark night of the soul. When everything in her life finally came to a stop, she found that she had to learn to be—with herself and with God—all over again. 

I give Learning to Be five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!

Book Review: How to Eat Your Bible

 

How to Eat Your Bible

A Simple Approach to Learning and Loving the Word of God

by Nate Pickowicz

Moody Publishers 

 Christian 

Pub Date 05 Jan 2021 

I am reviewing a copy of How to Eat Your Bible: A Simple Approach to Learning and Loving the Word of God through Moody Publishers and Netgalley:

In How to Eat Your Bible we are reminded that the Bible is far more than a book, it is the word of God, and studying it, reading it, praying over it, can change our spirit, regenerating our spiritual life, it can change our mind through the knowledge it gives us, and it has the power to change our emotions, it can change our will too.

We are reminded that Loving God means Loving His Word.   That when we feel distant from God, it is because you’ve been ignoring God’s word?  Maybe you don’t know where to start.  Maybe the long books and strange names feel overwhelming. Maybe you just don’t like reading. Whatever the case, How to Eat Your Bible will help you cultivate an appetite for life-long study of God’s Word.

In How to Eat Your Bible you will find practical guidance for overcoming the hurdles that have kept you from making Bible study a regular part of your life. You’ll also become encouraged to pursue God’s Word by learning how other Christians throughout time maintained this crucial practice. 

Pastor Nate Pickowicz includes a unique Seven Year Bible Plan so that you can apply what you’ve learned and continue drawing near to God as you consume His Word.

I give How to Eat Your Bible five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!

Book Review: A Burning In My Bones

 

A Burning in My Bones

The Authorized Biography of Eugene H. Peterson, Translator of The Message

by Winn Collier

WaterBrook & Multnomah 

WaterBrook

 Christian 

Pub Date 23 Mar 2021 

I am reviewing a copy of A Burning in My Bones through WaterBrook & Multonomah:

Eugene H.Peterson had a lifelong hunger, a burning in his bones, he had a hunger for something radical.  His longing for God ignited a ferocity in his soul.

In A Burning In My Bones you will encounter the multifaceted life of one of the most influential and creative pastors of the past half century with unforgettable stories of Eugene’s lifelong devotion to his craft and love of language, the influences and experiences that shaped his unquenchable faith, the inspiration for his decision to translate The Message, and his success and struggles as a pastor, husband, and father. 

Author Winn Collier was given exclusive access to Eugene and his materials for the production of this landmark work. Drawing from his friendship and expansive view of Peterson’s life, Collier offers an intimate, beautiful, and earthy look into a remarkable life.

Winn Collier was given exclusive access to Eugene and his materials for the production of this landmark work. Drawing from his friendship and expansive view of Peterson’s life, Collier offers an intimate, beautiful, and earthy look into a remarkable life.

I give A Burning In My Bones five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!

Book Review: Amanda: A Sweet Romantic Comedy (Sewing in SoCal Book 4)

 

Amanda

A Sweet Romantic Comedy (Sewing in SoCal Book 4)

by Sarah Monzon

BooksGoSocial 

Christian  |  Romance 

Pub Date 22 Apr 2021

I am reviewing a copy of Amanda: A Sweet Romantic Comedy (Sewing in SoCal Book 4) through BooksGoSocial and Netgalley:

“The Devil made me do it” it’s a phrase that I will never let pass my lips.  Why would it when I have Delores, my undiagnosed autoimmune disorder, to make all my decisions for me? (I named her myself since the doctors couldn’t do it for me.)  If I have a get together with my friends and Delores says no, I don’t go.  Instead I’ll have my prescheduled daily afternoon fever and fatigue at that time.

There are two biggest regrets I have with having Delores direct my fate? One, my family thinks my illness is all in my head. And two, I set the love of my life, Peter Reynolds, free from my anchoring tether so he could fly.   I never thought I’d see him again, but five years later he’s soaring in the limelight as one of the most talked-about defensive players in professional football.  And did I mention he also happens to play for the team my boss just assigned me to as a social media manager?

If you are looking for a fun, often comedic Christian Romance to read let me recommend Amanda :A Sweet Romantic Comedy (Sewing in SoCal Book 4).

I give Amanda:A Sweet Romantic Comedy (Sewing in SoCal Book 4) five out of five stars!

Book Review: How to Write A Mystery

 

How to Write a Mystery

A Handbook from Mystery Writers of America

by

Scribner 

 Nonfiction (Adult) 

Pub Date 27 Apr 2021

If you are looking for a book on how to write in the mystery genre from some of the most successful writers in the business, may I recommend How to Write A Mystery then How to Write A Mystery: A Handbook from Mystery Writers of America is the one I would recommend to you.

Mystery Writers of America (MWA) provides unparalleled resources on the craft, art, and business of storytelling, helping writers of all levels improve their skills for nearly a century. This new handbook will help authors to navigate a publishing landscape that is always shifting.  It also provides everything from pacing, plotting, the business side of publishing, to the current demand for diversity and inclusivity across all genres, and more.

This book features essays from a new generation of bestselling experts on various elements of the craft and shorter pieces of crowd-sourced wisdom from the MWA membership as a whole, the topics covered are as follows:

Before Writing (rules; genres; setting; character; research; etc.)

While Writing (outlining; the plot; dialogue; mood; etc.)

After Writing (agents; editors; self-pub; etc.)

Other than Novels (short stories; true crime; etc.)

Other Considerations (diverse characters; legal questions; criticism)

In this collection you will also find essays from MWA published authors including Jeffery Deaver, Tess Gerritsen, and Charlaine Harris—selected by bestselling authors Lee Child and Laurie King and arranged thematically answering, “What piece of writing advice do you wish you’d had at the beginning of your career?”

Highly anticipated and incredibly useful, this new and trusted guide from MWA’s experts provides practical, current, easily digestible advice for new and established authors alike.

I give How to Write A Mystery: A Handbook from Mystery Writers of America five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!

Book Review: She Lost Her Muse

 

She Lost Her Muse

The Maypole Artists, Book 1

by June Rollins

June Rollins

Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members’ Titles

New Adult | Teens & YA | Women’s Fiction

Pub Date 14 Apr 2021

I am reviewing a copy of She Lost Her Muse through Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA):

Poppy feels as if she nobody without Meagan, her best friend since childhood.

They are college roommates, both majoring in fine arts with high aspirations of becoming successful artists. But when Poppy is suspended a semester before graduating her world is shattered.

Pastor Wayne, her controlling father sends her away to live in her mother’s abandoned, soon to be condemned, homeplace while it’s being repaired. The same homeplace he’s forbidden his wife to visit, except for funerals, since they’ve been married.

Alone in a new town, in the rural mountains of North Carolina, Poppy struggles to begin again. She finally convinces her reserved, quiet Mother to share stories about her family’s past. She visits a nearby art gallery and develops a schoolgirl crush on the owner. She attends a local watercolor class, makes new artist friends and is dismayed by the instructor. She tells no one of her reoccurring dreams, but with the help of Liam, the town handyman, she begins to face issues leading to her own healing.

Will Poppy find a way to stop living in Meagan’s shadow, develop her own beliefs and accept her true muse hidden away in long-buried family secrets?

I give She Lost Her Muse five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!

Book Review: Whole By His Grace

 

Whole by His Grace

3-Minute Devotionals for Women

by Various authors

AdventHealth Press 

 Christian  |  Religion & Spirituality 

Pub Date 06 Apr 2021

I am reviewing a copy of Whole by His Grace through AdventistHealth Press and Netgalley:

Life can be hard at times, there’s no doubt about it. The challenges and conflicts we face every day can beat us up, as well as wear us down.  But even we are to the point of exhaustion and read to ready to give up, Jesus is always there, extending a loving hand to pick us up and heal us. You see, Jesus is in the business of taking broken human beings and making them whole.

We have done nothing to endure God’s Grace but he gives it to us anyway.

Whole by His Grace is a devotional written by women who are sharing the real struggles, triumphs, and lessons they have learned to inspire you with hope and courage as you face each day.

In each of the 72 devotionals you will find:

 A daily Scripture reference

  A short reflection that is quick to read

An encouragement for women by women at all stages of life

 You can start each day with a story of hope or finish your day with a sense of His wholeness. Whole by His Grace will be a treasured volume for you as well as a meaningful gift for the special women in your life.

I give Whole By His Grace five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!

Book Review: Healer of the Water Monster

 

Healer of the Water Monster

by Brian Young

HarperCollins Children's Books 

Heartdrum

 Children's Fiction  |  Middle Grade  |  OwnVoices 

Pub Date 11 May 2021

I am reviewing a copy of Healer of the Water Monster through HarperCollins Children’s Books:

Nathan knows that when he goes to visit his Grandmother Nali, at her mobile summer home on the Navajo reservation, he knows he’s in for a pretty uneventful summer, with no electricity or cell service. But he enjoys spending time with Nali and with his uncle Jet, though it’s clear when Jet arrives that he brings his problems with him.

While lost in a nearby desert one night, Nathan comes across someone extraordinary: a Holy Being from the Navajo Creation Story, a Water Monster and the water monster is in need of help.

Nathan must now summon all his courage to save his new friend. With the help of other Navajo Holy Beings, Nathan is determined to save the Water Monster, and to support Uncle Jet in healing from his own pain.  

I give Healer of the Water Monster five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!

Book Review: Love Me In the Waiting

 

Love Me in the Waiting

Trusting God's Purpose When You're Longing for What's Next

by Krystal Ribble

Dexterity 

Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members' Titles

 Christian  |  Nonfiction (Adult)  |  Religion & Spirituality 

Pub Date 13 Apr 2021

I am reviewing a copy of Love Me in the Waiting through Dexterity and Netgalley:

In Love Me In Waiting we are reminded that in the middle of a trial or storm, we seldom think that God is positioning us for our safety.  But the truth is our safety is paramount to him. 

This book also points out the possibility that the storms we face, may very well be what is preserving you.  It also reminds us of the possibility that the storm we are in may be suspending us in time because of who we are and the parts of us God wants to keep us safe?

In Love Me In Waiting we are reminded too that the Lord longs to give us a firm foundation of steadiness.  He wants to give us an unwavering peace.  He wants us to position our hearts to receive the peace that comes with his presence.

We are reminded too that only God can fulfill the meaning of your name.  Only He can make a meaning come to Life.

We are reminded too that no dream is to big for God.  We are reminded too that our purpose in life will be where the needs of the world, our talents and God’s we meet.

If you are looking for a book that reminds us of how God works in our waiting periods then Love Me in the Waiting is a book I highly recommend.

I give Love Me In the Waiting five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!