Rock Harbor Search and Rescue by Colleen Coble and Robin Carroll

(Review written by my 10-year old)

I enjoyed this book because while I’ve never been put in a circumstance like this, the main character is kinda like me.

Emily O’ Reilly dreams of becoming a a part of the Rock Harbor Search-and-Rescue team and her dad and step-mom are even willing to pay half of the cost of a dog–if she will pay the rest.  Emily is thrilled! But then when an expensive necklace goes missing at the Fall Festival, all the clues point to Emily.

She sets out to find the real culprit. But with the clock ticking it looks like her puppy and reputation are lost forever. And to top it all off her mother, who tried to kill her little brother, is up for parol in a month.

Will Emily find the real culprit before time runs out? You’ll have to read it for yourself and see!

My thoughts….

I have not actually read this book. Both of my children have however. I love that the moment it arrived in the mail my 10-year old was all over it. Not only was she excited to get it she had it read by the next afternoon!  She does love to read but is not one to sit down and read for long periods of time. She needs to get up and move around. I’m pretty sure she gets that from me.  

I also love that Tommy Nelson publishes books I don’t have to wonder if they are appropriate for my children. I love being able to hand them a book to read and review and know there is nothing objectionable in them.

We are giving away one free copy of this book! Yay!!! Please enter below using rafflecopter. The winner will be announced on Wednesday, May 8th right here on the blog!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And to increase your desire for the book, I’m including the book trailer!

 

The Bare Naked Truth by Rebekah Joy Martin

image from amazon.com

The Bare Naked Truth is a hard-hitting, soft touch book about purity. Namely purity for girls. Author Rebekah (Bekah) shares funny personal stories to aid in getting her point across. Namely that girls do have a choice and there is only one right choice.

By “right” I don’t mean to alienate anyone who has made other choices, but by “right” I mean there is only one right choice without nasty consequences.

Each chapter is based on 10 lies girls believe about sex. They include:

• I have all the sex facts
• Waiting is for wusses
• Guys won’t want me it I’m not experienced
• Sex is Okay as long as it’s safe
• I’m the perfect virgin
• It’s okay to have sex as long as you’re in love.

Even though I’m well into my 4th decade of life, married with two children I enjoyed this book. I plan on using it in discussions with my children. Bekah uses stories and analogies I had not thought of on my own.  The book is an easy enough read for pre-teens, although the subject matter on  some chapters might be better suited to older teens.

The one thing I was confused about in the book was the tone seemed to be geared toward 8-12 year olds, but sometimes it seemed geared more toward girls in college or even post-college.  The subject matter on most chapters I would say is not for girls under 12. I have a 12 year old myself and I’m not sure I’ll hand her my nook and have her read the book on her own.  However, I do think it would be a great book for a mom and daughter to go through together.

At the end of each chapter, Bekah has a short multiple choice quiz. She calls it “The (Un)Scientific Quiz” and some questions for the reader, with space to answer.

The book doesn’t officially release until next Tuesday, May 7th, but you can pre-order it on amazon.com.

I received a free copy of this book for the purpose of review. All opinions are my own.

Secrets by Robin Jones Gunn

Secrets by Robin Jones Gunn is the story of Jessica Morgan and Kyle Buchanan. Jessica born into affluence but has decided to turn her back on it all and pursue life in a small town as a high school English teacher.

She goes about it in rather the wrong way. She runs away from home just before her 25th birthday. On her 25th birthday she would come into her trust fund and also become a Vice-President in her father’s company. Only she doesn’t want it and so she disappears to Glenbrooke, Oregon.

Her first day there she has a car accident and meets a nice firefighter, enter Kyle. He’s smitten and she’s aloof.  He’s a Christian and she’s not.

The book is their story. They both have secrets that want to hold them back. His previous fiance dies from AIDS, not pneumonia like the townspeople think and she is really a wealthy young heiress. Can they trust each other enough to share their secrets?

The story was cute. I didn’t care for the lies the characters felt they had to tell to be loved and accepted. I thought Kyle’s character didn’t sound too manly, more like a woman writing the dialogue for a man and that’s what it was.

I have read books by Robin Jones Gunn in the past. I’m a big fan of the SisterChicks series. But this book, and it is one in series, didn’t grab me like other books have.

I give it 3 out of 5 turning pages.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher for the purpose of review.

SisterChicks In Gondolas by Robin Jones Gunn

Jenna and Sue are sisters-in-law and they are set and ready for adventure. Sue spends her days caring for her husband Jack after a debilitating accident. On the surface of things, she’s a happy girl but under her joyful exterior beats a heart in pain. She’s angry at God for allowing the accident when He could have stopped it.

Jenna is a divorced woman. She has gone through counseling and knows the tricks and rules to help her but still she struggles.  She was asked by an old friend, Sam, if she would come to Venice and serve as a cook for a retreat Sam was putting together.  Of course she says yes. She invites her sister-in-law to come too because well, Sue can actually cook.  They spend a week in Venice, cooking and touring the sights.

SisterChicks in Gondolas by Robin Jones Gunn is more than a good story.  It’s more than the story of Jenna and Sue’s wild ride through Venice, complete with mattress surfing down three flights of stairs. It’s the story of God ruthlessly pursing His children.

I have read several other books in this series and each one is a blessing. Each one has a little  tidbit I need to know.  There is so much teaching about God in the pages, I almost think I need to start underlining.

This is not a new book, it was released in 2006, but it was new to me. If you’re looking to get lost in a good story, get lost in this one. If you’re looking to read a good book and learn, read this one.

 

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher for the purpose of review.

Illuminated by Jackie Castle.

(From my 12-year old.)

Illuminated is the first book in a series by Jackie Castle, the White Road Chronicles. I really enjoyed the book and would recommend it to anyone, especially Christians who need a little motivation in their walk with Christ.

The main character is, in essence, a girl without a past. Princess works at the evil Lord Darnel’s castle in Racah as Lord Darnel’s daughter/slave/pawn. She has  no recollection of her childhood outside of the castle.

But then a captive named Dean the Messenger enters the scene. She is drawn to the man’s calm, unwavering faith in the face of death. Dean sacrifices his life to give Princess a chance of escape. But the way is hard and the white path she must follow to safely reach the great King Shaydon’s throne in Aloblase is often difficult to stay on. She embarks on a journey to redemption, and it often seems that she will be unable to continue. Can she ignore Lord Darnel’s hold on her past and allow the mysterious Issah and majestic King Shaydon to redeem her?

I absolutely love this book! One of the things I liked about Illuminated was the ever-altering cast of characters surrounding Princess: Dean the Messenger, a frightened dragon, a surprising Okbold, stone-faced Jerin, a squad of Albernium warriors….the list goes on and on.

I also loved the way Mrs. Castle portrayed Issah, a guardian of the White Road. His gentle welcoming spirit toward Princess is soothing to her and weary heart.  He also shows us that being great has nothing to do with your social status.

My favorite character was probably Lotari, a stubbornly kind centaur. Despite being shy of humans, Lotari musters his courage and chases Princess through the forest, helping her reach the beautiful city of Aloblase.

The people of Many Rivers also provide uplifting entertainment. Kind and quick to share, they welcome Princess and her band of travelers. But they also are a little mischievous.

I’ll give this book 4 out of 5 turning pages.

 

 

I received a free copy of this book from the author for the purpose of review.

Fully Alive

“Ohhhh. Your friend here is only mostly dead. There’s a big difference between mostly dead and all dead…Mostly dead is slightly alive. With all dead there is usually only one thing you can do. Go through his clothes and look for loose change.” ~Miracle Max

“Bible belt folks think living is a sin, so they are started dying from the day their born-again.” ~Steve Taylor.

“I have come that you might have life and have it to the full!” ~Jesus Christ.

The book by comedian Ken Davis, Fully Alive, A Journey that will change Your life, is the perfect book to read in mid-December as one year is closing in and a new one is on the horizon. This time of year always brings about a time of reflection, at least for me. A reflection on how I lived in the previous 12 months and how I hope to live in the coming 12 months.  I think on what I need to change in order live better.

Ken Davis had a “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO” photo that changed his life. He was obese, depressed and knew if anything happened to one of his grandchildren he would be completely unable to help.  He calls it his “nooooooooooo” picture, he says he looked like a walking Manatee, he was afraid to lie on the beach. He thought the environmentalist would mistake him for a beached whale and roll him back to the water.

Fully Alive is his journey to a place of healing, health and restoration. He shares how he got physically fit, emotionally, mentally and spiritually fit. And it all involves risk.

I like to think of myself as a healthy person. I’m in my mid-40s and I exercise at least twice a week. I was shooting for 3 times but life happens.

Hah! No more. I wasn’t challenging myself. I just read a book written by a man who is 65 years old and he exercises for ONE HOUR 6 days a week. I thought I was doing good with 90 minutes of exercise a week. (Please know, I KNOW 90 minutes a week is not bad.) I am an active person throughout the week but I could be better.

I am now on a mission to be FULLY ALIVE in all aspects of my life. And I’m starting NOW!  I do not want to be a person who died at 25 and wasn’t buried until I’m 75. I want to live, fully alive, fully engaged in all that God has for me. I want to be willing to risk. I want to challenge myself. I want to deepen my love and my relationship with the God who created the universe. I want to deepen existing friendships. I want to gain new ones. I want to make sure I have at least 6 friends, close enough to carry my casket when I slide into death, completely used up.  Okay to understand that, you’ll have to read the book.

Who is with me? Who wants to quit being the living dead and start living life to the full?

If you’re looking for another weight loss and diet book with a magic wand to make you instantly a healthier, trimmer you, don’t read this book. If you’re sick of books promising amazing results with little or no effort on your part, if you’re willing to work, and work hard, this is the book for you!

Here’s to living fully alive in 2013! But because I am not a procrastinator, I’m not putting this off for two weeks. I’m starting today.

Just let me grab my tennies…I’ve got a hour to run!

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher for the purpose of review.

Real Church

Fifteen years ago or so, I was in a Christian bookstore in a small town outside of St. Louis, Missouri when my eye was caught by the title of a book, written by an author I hadn’t heard of before. The book title was “A Cup of Coffee at the Soul Cafe”. The author was Leonard Sweet. I read that book in a devouring sort of way. I quoted it. I loved it. That book still ranks near the top of my all-time favorite non-fiction book list. I will probably never get rid of my copy and will probably often peruse its pages, still gleaning truths.

I have since read several of Leonard Sweet’s books. Soul Salsa, The Gospel According to Starbucks, Nudge and now Real Church in a Social Network World.  Mr. Sweet has become one of those authors that when I see his books I automatically think I have to read it. I love the way he challenges my thinking, urging me to action and not complacency.

Real Church in a Social Network World, from Facebook to Face-to-Face is both soul-satisfying and soul-challenging.  Often as my eyes read the words on the page, my soul shouted “YES!” or “Exactly!” or even “Wow!”  I highlighted many paragraphs, too many to even share some of them here.

I found this book to be one of the best books I have read in a long time. That isn’t to say every other book I’ve called “the best” has paled in comparison, not at all. This book though is good because it will be a book I will find myself reading over and over again.

What I love about the book:

• It challenges me to a better, deeper relationship with Jesus.
• It constantly points to Jesus
• It offers no “one-size fits all” approach to relationship
• It values relationship.
• It showed me areas I was settling in my walk and challenged me.

This book often moved me to tears. I cried tears of joy because I was doing something right! I also cried tears of great sorrow because I wondered how much I had hurt the heart of my Savior, because on some issues I had really missed the boat.

The book isn’t long. Six chapters and less than 100 pages. I read it last evening and I realized anew that I should never start a good book after supper. I had to stay up late to finish it. And like any good book, I cried at the end, not because it moved me but because it was over.

What the book lacks in length, it more than makes up for in depth. If you are looking for a book that will revolutionize your spiritual life, one that “will spur you on to love and good deeds” look no further than this one.

 

(I received a free copy of this book for the purpose of review.)

 

Knowing God

It’s Fall. Have you thought of what Bible study you’re going to start?  If you haven’t started one, I would love to recommend one to you.

The Power of Knowing God by Kay Arthur is a six week study with no homework. Now if you’re doing the study alone, of course the whole thing is homework, but if you’re doing it with a group, it is designed to be done all together with the group. 

It says it is a 40 minute Bible study, but if you are doing it with a group, there is no way you can get it all done and discuss anything at all in 40 minutes. I would highly suggest if you do this with a group that you plan on taking at least 2 weeks per lesson.

This will work well if your small group is a Sunday school class and your church rotates classes every quarter.

I enjoyed the study as I did it on my own. I will say I struggled to get it done in 40 minutes. If you’re not familiar with Kay Arthur’s method of studying, she is the Bible marking queen. She gives you the passage (and in this study the verses are printed off in the margins) and then tells you what words to mark and how.   I love to write and mark in my Bible but the markings Kay wants you to do gets a little tedious to me. I find myself focusing more on marking and getting all the words marked than in really hearing what the passage is saying.

Having the passage written in the margins is perfect if you’re doing the study with someone who is either searching or is a new believer and not able to find the passages easily. However, if the latter is your situation, it might also be a good idea to use your Bibles so they become familiar with finding the different passages and plus then you are able to view it in it’s context.

So if you’re looking for a new study to do alone, with your Bible study friends, or with a Sunday School class, check out this study! It might be just what you need.

 

I received a free copy of this book for the purpose of review.

Grace, Grace

Grace.

A girl’s name. A book’s title. An attribute of God. A character trait we all need. Something we extend to others because God has extended it to us.

Max Lucado has written, and Thomas Nelson has published, a book entitled simply, Grace. It’s subtitle is: More than we deserve. Greater than we imagine.  You have to believe me when I say this book is phenomenal and a must read for everyone who names the name of Jesus. Those who need need grace and those who revel in it’s power in their life.

This book revolutionized my life and my thoughts on grace. I’ve heard about grace, I’ve sung songs about grace, but I’m not sure I spend much time contemplating what grace really means. I know I haven’t given near enough thought on how I can use grace in the lives of other people.

I learned things like:

• When grace happens, Christ enters.
• Grace is everything Jesus.
• Grace is a God who stoops.
• The fruit of grace: saved by God, raised by God, seated with God.
• Jesus Christ is what God does, and the cross is where God did it. (Frederick Buechner)
• Sin is not a regrettable lapse or an occasional stumble.
• Sin tells God to get out, get lost, and not come back. Sin is insurrection of the highest order, and you are the insurrectionist.
• Grace is not blind.
• Grace is simply another word for God’s tumbling, rumbling reservoir of strength and protection.
• When grace happens, generosity happens.
• Trust God’s hold on you more than your hold on God.
• Grace fosters obedience.

Eleven chapters. One conclusion. Profound thoughts. Simple thoughts. Amazing grace.

I loved this book because while the concept is complex, the words are simple. Max Lucado put grace in words we can all relate to and understand. He peppered each chapter with personal stories and anecdotes these increased my understanding of grace.

There is a study guide at the back of the book that would be very helpful whether you are doing the study alone or with a group.

My prayer for me is that I will allow the truths of this book and THE Book to infiltrate my heart and become such a part of who I am that when others see me, they really see the God who gives grace.

To read more of my thoughts on this book, click here.

(I received a free copy of this book from Thomas Nelson publishers for the purpose of review.)

The Mustard Seeds (pt. 1)

The Mustard Seeds, by Karen Mueller Bryson, is a story of faith, hope and perseverance. You will follow 16-year old  Elliot White on a journey involving his aunt, Amaryllis Long; a fourteen year old  Navajo girl, Hope Lovejoy, fifteen year old Leopard Woolsey, Wallace Jones and Mustard Seeds.

I am 12-years old and quite enjoyed the book. Elliot and his friends form a band but they cannot find a place to perform. Their school’s principal, Mr. Winters, is willing to strike a deal. The kids work hard and accomplish a great feat, winning over Mr. Winters and performing at the school.

A few things bothered me about the book, however,

• Elliott’s Aunt Amaryllis seems to deviate from a more Protestant relationship with Jesus that I am used to.
• The teenagers deliberately hide the fact that they are raising money for the performance from Mr. Winters, which seems wrong to me.

Overall, I quite enjoyed The Mustard Seeds and would recommend it as a good book.

 

(We received a free copy of this book for the purpose of review.)