Monday, November 14, 2016

Book Review: Gilt Hollow by Lorie Langdon


Willow Lamott has spent the past four years trying to be invisible, but that is about to change as her best friend has just been released from Juvie. He was convicted of manslaughter, but there is some question as to whether he is really guilty or not. Ashton has returned to Gilt Hollow, bent on revenge or justice – one can only guess! His turbulent return sparks the beginning of various sinister occurings, and Willow is not sure what to believe as she rekindles her old friendship and suddenly isn’t so invisible any more.

Gilt Hollow is a delightful blend of mystery, young (clean) romance, and suspense. The book is young adult fiction, but as a thirty-something reader I thoroughly enjoyed reading it! As a fan of Langdon’s collaboration with Carey Corp, the Doon series, I couldn’t pass this book up and I’m glad I didn’t. The book is not overtly Christian, but is written from a Christian perspective, so it doesn’t contain any content inappropriate for the target age group.

Langdon also has a way of making you fall in love with her characters. It’s the little details about Willow and Ashton that make them easy to relate to. As I said, even as a not-so-young adult I can connect to the challenges they face as the story progresses.

All in all, it’s a great read, and I look forward to more from this author!



I received this book for free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers <http://booklookbloggers.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review and the opinions and thoughts I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

Saturday, September 24, 2016

Book Review: Forever Doon by Carey Corp and Lorie Langdon


The authors of the Doon have done it again with their exciting conclusion to the four-part series! I was so looking forward to this book and was not disappointed. Forever Doon picks up where book three left off: the citizens of Doon scattered and Jamie believed dead. The witch of Doon has stolen the throne and both sides are preparing for battle. Our four heroes, as well as the rest of Doon, have to pull themselves together and put their faith in the Protector in order to save their kingdom, families, and friends.

Forever Doon follows the other books in the series as an allegorical hero story with plenty of action, suspense, struggles, and a touch of romance. Although the series is written for young adults, I enjoyed every chapter, and finished this book ready to start the series over again! The character development is excellent, and the story is brought to a close without going overboard on tying up every detail. The book also has Christian overtones without being overwhelming. It takes after other allegories where characters and events are representative.

I really cannot recommend this book, and the entire series, enough. I will read it again and let my children read it when they are older. It would also make a great movie or mini-series.



I received this book for free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers <http://booklookbloggers.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review and the opinions and thoughts I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

Game Review: Punderdome, created by Jo Firestone and Fred Firestone


I have several family members who like to make puns all the time, so I figured this game would be a hit! Players take turns being the “judge”. The person whose turn it is draws a card from each of two stacks, and players have 90 seconds to come up with a pun that combines the two terms or concepts. The judge then chooses their favorite. The winner keeps the prompt cards and is the next judge. The goal, of course, is to collect the most prompt cards and win the game!

I had fun playing Punderdome, but I learned the game is not for everyone. One person I played with loves to make puns but has a hard time doing it on command like that. Of course, what makes it fun is that you come up with the first terrible pun that comes to mind! You can’t over think this game or you won’t do well at it. I played with 5 players and only 3 of us participated. The other two couldn’t come up with anything and gave up.

So it is a game that some will enjoy and others may not. I do recommend starting with more than 90 seconds while everyone is learning the game as it may take some time to get warmed up.

Overall I enjoyed this game but found that not everyone will. I also think the more players you have the better, because that way if not everyone comes up with a pun you still have enough to pick from.


I received this book for free from the publisher through the Blogging for Books blogger review program. I was not required to write a positive review and the opinions and thoughts I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

Saturday, June 18, 2016

Book Review: I Believe in Jesus by John MacArthur, Illustrated by Dominique Mertens



I Believe in Jesus is a wonderful resource for parents in leading their children to the Lord. As the mother of two small children, I wanted to go ahead and add this book to my collection now so I can use it when my girls are old enough.

The gospel is presented in a simple, straightforward manner that is easy for young children to understand. The gospel is not particularly difficult to begin with, but some might have difficulty figuring out where to begin or how much detail to go into when talking through the Bible. The simple language and progression make it easy!

The illustrations are beautiful, and will draw children to the pages! Each set of facing pages contains a simple explanation and a Bible verse or two. Many of them also contain references to other verses the parent and child can look up together. I really cannot say how much I love this book! It is simple and beautiful, and I will definitely be reading it to my children!

I recommend this book to any Christian parent, or anyone with children they care about in their lives.



I received this book for free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers <http://booklookbloggers.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review and the opinions and thoughts I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

Book Review: Spy of Richmond by Jocelyn Green


Sophie Kent finds herself caught between her convictions and her circumstances when war breaks out between the states. With her mother recently deceased, and her father a confederate soldier and prisoner of war, she makes a decision that could have devastating consequences.

The fourth and final installment of the Heroines Behind the Lines series wraps up the stories of characters introduced in previous books, as well as telling Sophie’s story. I was hooked on this series after the first book and I’m glad I had the chance to finish all four! I would recommend reading them in order, or there are situations and interconnected stories that won’t make sense, especially by the time you get to this final installment. Spy of Richmond includes characters introduced in all four books.

Spy of Richmond, like the proceeding books in the series, is a wonderful blend of history, romance, and faith that comes together to form quite an enjoyable piece of historical fiction. Characters are well-developed, and harsh realities of that period in our nation’s history are brought to light. It was very well-researched and includes many true historical figures and events. I would definitely recommend the book (and series) to those who enjoy historical fiction. It’s not a book for very young readers, as it contains some violence and a few adult themes.


I received this book for free from the publisher through the Moody Publishers blogger review program. I was not required to write a positive review and the opinions and thoughts I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

Monday, May 30, 2016

Book Review: Spiritual Warfare for Your Family by Leighann McCoy


Spiritual Warfare for Your Family is a book that sets out to teach the reader how to fight spiritual battles. As the mother of two small children, I figured it would be a useful book for me. Unfortunately, the first two thirds of the book were pretty useless. A few useful things were said, and a few statements that I’m not sure how she could back them up with the Bible. I had a hard time getting through that portion of the book (parts 1-4 of 6 parts), because it seemed like a bunch of talk. I also had a problem with the fact that every time she quoted a Bible verse, it seemed to come from a different translation or paraphrase of the Bible. I’m always suspicious of intentions when I see authors switch around among translations to try to make it serve their purposes.

However, I trudged through, and found the last two sections to be more helpful. In those sections, she goes more specifically into parenting children at different stages in their lives, and dealing with various issues and situations commonly faced by families today.

I’m not sure I would recommend this book to friends, but if they really needed some help in this area, I would tell them to start at the beginning, and flip to Part 5 once they got bored. I was glad at that point that I stuck with the book because it was definitely more of what I hoped to find on the pages. I wish I could give the book a higher recommendation, because I did have high hopes for it and it was helpful toward the end, but I couldn’t get past the first two thirds easily.



I received this book for free from the publisher through the BethanyHouse Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review and the opinions and thoughts I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

Saturday, May 14, 2016

Book Review: The Pediatrician’s Guide to Feeding Babies and Toddlers by Anthony F. Porto, MD MPH and Dina M. Dimaggio


The Pediatrician’s Guide to Feeding Babies and Toddlers turned out to be very informative on more than just feeding little ones. It covers different types of allergies, disorders, and diseases related to food and eating, as well as growth and development. I thought the book would be most helpful as a reference, but it was quite educational to read the whole book first. Now I can go back to specific areas relating to my children’s stages.

The book is largely in a question and answer format, with questions as headings to make it easy to find what you are looking for. Each chapter covers a different age group: 0-3 months, 4-6 months, 7-8 months, 9-12 months, and the toddler years. At the end of each chapter are a collection of recipes useful for that age, with adaptations for adults or older children.

I currently have a two month old and a toddler, and although I have already navigated feeding the toddler up to her current age, I found the earlier chapters to be rather eye opening. I discovered that some of my toddler’s social behavior is more normal than I thought, and gained insight into ways to get her to eat better.

A few comments about development had me shaking my head, however, like where it says 4-6 month olds should be sleeping 10-12 uninterrupted hours every night! I think most parents know that only happens before the 4 month sleep regression and then sometime after a year. Other than that I found the book to contain sound information and advice, including alternative diets and research based nutritional info. The charts and references at the end of the book were also helpful.

I definitely recommend this book to parents of babies and young children, and will be referring to it again as my children and my family keep growing!



I received this book for free from the publisher through the Blogging for Books blogger review program. I was not required to write a positive review and the opinions and thoughts I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

Thursday, May 12, 2016

Book Review: Yankee in Atlanta by Jocelyn Green


Caitlin McKae is stranded in enemy territory. Having survived a gunshot wound while fighting for the Union army, she is mistaken for a Confederate and taken to a hospital in Atlanta. If she reveals who she really is, she would end up a prisoner, and would never return to those she loves. But it looks as though she might find a new love in the South.

Ruby O’Flannery is working to better her life for the sake of her young son, and to piece things back together after the events of the previous two years. But her past secrets and struggles threaten to mar her future.

Yankee in Atlanta is the third installment of the authors Heriones Behind the Lines series, historical fiction set during the Civil War. The history behind the story is very accurate, with several real supporting characters. The characters are well-developed and the story is uplifting, as the main characters learn to rely on God during very rough times.

I enjoyed this book as much as I did the previous two books in the series, and loved the fact that it brought in some characters from the first two and tied them into the story. I would recommend at least reading book one, Wedded to War, before beginning this one. I also must add that this series is really geared towards a more mature audience, with content not suitable for younger kids.
If you enjoy historical fiction and romance you will LOVE this book!



I received this book for free from the publisher through the Moody Publishers blogger review program. I was not required to write a positive review and the opinions and thoughts I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

Thursday, April 21, 2016

Book Review: Adventure Bible Wild About the Bible Sticker & Activity Book from Zonderkidz


Wild About the Bible is a kids sticker and activity book for ages 4-8. It is just over 30 pages long, which is ample room for entertainment compared to many sticker activity books I have seen. In addition to sticker and drawing activities, it provides mazes, dot-to-dot drawings, crossword and other word puzzles. The Bible stories presented are from the Old and New Testaments, and some of the activities require the child to look up the story in the Bible in order to complete them.

The illustrations and stickers are colorful and engaging, and the activities are varied and challenging enough to entertain the target age, although my 20 month old daughter desperately wanted it for her own purposes. (probably the stickers!) As I previously mentioned, some of the stories reference the Bible. There was some recap of stories, but the activity book does not stand alone to tell them. The back cover mentions that it features art from Adventure Bible I Can Read stories, so I would guess this is a good companion to the Adventure Bible.

I would recommend this sticker and activity book for 4-8 year olds. I think it would provide entertainment for them while reinforcing Bible stories in an engaging manner!



I received this book for free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers <http://booklookbloggers.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review and the opinions and thoughts I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

Thursday, April 14, 2016

Book Review: Thirty Days in the Land with Jesus by Charles H. Dyer


From a barnyard manger to the Sea of Galilee, Charles Dyer takes readers on a 30 day devotional journey through the land of Israel. We get to imagine stories in the Gospels in the context and location where they actually happened. It’s easy as an American in modern culture to take things for granted, or to not realize the intimate setting where an event took place or how incredible something was because we see it through the filter of our own culture.

Thirty Days in the Land with Jesus is a theologically sound and eye opening devotional. The passages examined are all familiar stories, but the author sheds new light on them with pictures and descriptions of the geographical area and context of when they took place. Clues in the passages that are usually overlooked give detail I never saw before. I finished the book with a strong desire to visit the Holy Land someday, even though much of the area has changed, including boundaries between countries.

I can easily recommend this devotional to any Christian! It is only a 30 day devotional so it isn’t hard to get through at all! I do suggest starting each devotional by actually reading the cited Biblical passage as it sets the scene. It’s tempting to skip them, as the stories are familiar, but I gained so much more by reading them first. I could also see using this book as a family devotional for a month, discussing it with my children afterwards.



I received this book for free from the publisher through the Moody Publishers blogger review program. I was not required to write a positive review and the opinions and thoughts I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

Book Review: The Barefoot Queen by Ildefonso Falcones


A young gypsy girl finds herself close friends with a recently freed Cuban slave who has ended up in Spain. Set in the mid-1700’s, The Barefoot Queen portrays many of the harsh realities faced by slaves and is not a book for young readers. It can also be a little hard to read at time considering the fact that it was written in Spanish and translated to English. It does move rather slowly, and quite frankly took me a long time to read. I found myself putting it down for long periods of time and having to re-read bits of it to remember what had happened.

The Barefoot Queen is a well-written book, but incredibly difficult to get through. I probably would have had a much easier time reading the ebook format on my Kindle, but I have the hardback. As the mother of two small children, it’s hard to read such a large book and keep it away from little hands, or to hold on to it while nursing a baby.

With that said, I enjoyed this book. It does not sugar coat anything and is full of tragedy, but I enjoy historical fiction. The Barefoot Queen allowed me to expand my reading of that genre to historical fiction set elsewhere besides the United States.

If you are a mature reader and have the time and interest for this type of book, then The Barefoot Queen is for you (although I recommend the ebook). However, younger readers and most casual readers will probably be better off looking elsewhere.



I received this book for free from the publisher through the Blogging for Books blogger review program. I was not required to write a positive review and the opinions and thoughts I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

Thursday, March 24, 2016

Book Review: NKJV Apply the Word Study Bible, Thomas Nelson Publishers


Those who know me are aware that I love Study Bibles. When I do my daily Bible reading I like to challenge my mind further by reading notes and taking time to learn from the scripture. To that end, when another opportunity arose to review a Study Bible, I jumped at it. The Apply the Word Study Bible is much simpler than what I am used to in a Study Bible, and I would recommend it more to those who don’t want something too in-depth but still want a framework to apply the Bible to their lives and need some help focusing on certain aspects of the text.

Format, Layout and  Content

The Biblical text is presented in paragraph form as opposed to verse form, and the notes are in the form of articles instead of annotations. Some of the articles focus on a theme, some a geographical area, and some study the meaning behind a name. Many of the articles end with questions to get the reader to think about applying the lessons in the Bible to their everyday life (thus, Apply the Word). The Biblical text is fairly uninterrupted and the pages are not so busy that the text is lost. There are no center references, which cleans up the page and makes for easier reading. However, those who were hoping for those cross references might be disappointed. The Bible is hardback and thread bound with full-color pages and words of Christ in red.

Review of Content

I was personally a little disappointed in the lack of annotations, but I did find the Bible great for focusing on the text with some occasional extra reading. As I said before I would recommend the Bible more for someone not ready for an in-depth study just yet. I do find this Bible to be appropriate for everyday use though, or to take to Church. I enjoyed the historical background given in many of the articles, and as long as I don’t approach it like I would most Study Bibles I find the content to be informative and helpful.

I recommend the Apply the Word Study Bible to those looking for more than a pew Bible but not quite wanting the in-depth annotations typical of most Study Bibles. Of course, those looking for concrete ways to apply the Bible to their daily life will be happy with it as well! Especially considering that seems to be a major selling point of this Bible!



I received this book for free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers <http://booklookbloggers.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review and the opinions and thoughts I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

Book Review: Exploring Christian Theology, Volume II: Creation, Fall, and Salvation by Nathan D. Holsteen and Michael J. Svigel, General Editors


Exploring Christian Theology, Volume Two continues to look at areas of Theology, focusing on creation and the fall, and Salvation. Part One focuses on creation, humanity, and the fall. Part Two turns things around a bit to focus of salvation. Both parts also give facts and principles with Biblical support and go into various pitfalls to avoid when studying these doctrines.

After having read Volume One, I knew a little of what to expect as far as the approach this book would take. I was able to get into this one a little more quickly, as it’s not exactly easy reading. Part One is very convicting of course, as it should be since it is talking about sin. It’s impossible to get through without examining your own life. Part Two focuses on salvation, a much needed reprise after reading about the fall! All credit is given to God for the redeeming work He performed on the cross! Each part ended with an extensive list of reading selections with descriptions for those looking to study further.

I appreciated reading Exploring Christian Theology, Volume Two, as it furthered my self-study of Theology without getting too difficult. I look forward to reading Volume Three, and so far can say I recommend the first two volumes for those looking to enhance their knowledge or references on topics in Theology.



I received this book for free from the publisher through the BethanyHouse Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review and the opinions and thoughts I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

Thursday, January 14, 2016

Book Review: Parables by John MacArthur


As an admirer of John MacArthur's works, I was delighted to get the chance to read and review his new book Parables. MacArthur explores Jesus’ reasons for speaking in parables, as well as the ongoing turbulent relationship He had with the Pharisees and Sadducees. Each chapter focuses on expositing a parable or collection of parables and examining the meaning behind it. MacArthur puts each parable in the context of Hebrew culture at the time, and explains how it still applies to us today.

All of the parables in the book were familiar to me, but I learned quite a bit from the in depth discussions, and I feel the lessons within those parables are much more clear now! He explains that there is a fairly simple explanation for each parable, and why they are NOT supposed to mean something different to everybody.

One thing I didn’t expect to gain from reading this book was a sense of conviction. Some of the parables have to deal with the Gospel and how to be saved, while others deal with Christian living. They teach how we should treat each other and behave while we await Christ’s second coming. Reading through them with open eyes allowed me to examine my own life and see things I need to change.

I highly recommend this book for every Christian. It isn’t difficult to get through at all and I think Christians in every stage of their walk with Christ have something to benefit from it!



I received this book for free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers <http://booklookbloggers.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review and the opinions and thoughts I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255