Book Review: Passport to the World

 Passport to the World

Your A to Z Guided Language Tour

By Craig Froman

This is another FANTASTIC children's learning book from New Leaf Publishing Group. Stephen and I LOVED this! It is a book probably best suited for older elementary aged children and it explores 26 different languages and cultures (one language for each letter of the alphabet). The book includes so many neat features - a removable passport with stickers for each language/country studied, maps, country stats, popular phrases and pronunciation guides, interesting cultural facts and pictures, name that flag/country games at the end, and a list of ways that kids can be involved in helping others around the world. So many great features and presented in a fun manner that should draw children into the adventure of learning about other cultures. I can see Passport to the World being a favorite in our family once our kids are old enough to read it! I must say that I've read 2 books now from New Leaf Publishing Group and have been blown away by the great mixture of Biblical worldview, education, and fun in each. I would highly recommend these books to other families.

I received this book for free from New Leaf Publishing Group in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: True Religion

True Religion

Taking Pieces of Heaven to Places of Hell on Earth

By Palmer Chinchen

True Religion is a Christian Living book about missional living and getting out of your comfort zone to share Christ in the hard places. Author Palmer Chinchen focuses on God's heart to relieve poverty and injustice, and His desire to use believers to be His hands and feet in this battle. He also highlights the fact that believers who choose to step out of their comfort zones by reaching out to others often find their own lives impacted in huge ways.

This book was a challenging read for me. There were many parts I found myself wholeheartedly agreeing with, but also many parts that I had issues with. This book is filled with emotional true stories of human injustices taking place in our world today. I found myself drawn to these stories - shocked, amazed, saddened, and wanting to be a part of helping. Yet Chinchen focuses largely on getting you to step up, get involved and do something to fix problems, and seems to miss the fact that true, ultimate freedom comes through Jesus Christ and the Gospel message. He spends so much time motivating you to ACT, that he overlooks the importance of sharing the Gospel. This is dangerous ground to walk on in today's culture of social action. As believers, we must remember that simply alleviating an oppression or injustice without focusing on the saving of souls leaves a person in only a better position here on earth while leaving them to suffer an eternity without God.

I did appreciate Chinchen's appeal for believers to participate in international mission trips. He spent a lot of time discussing the life change that takes place when we find ourselves out of our comfort zones in an international context. Having experienced this numerous times myself, I agreed with him and was thankful for his compelling arguments to get believers onto the mission field.

Overall, I found True Religion to be a great motivator to get someone to take action and step onto the mission field, but I really wished the book focused more on God's purpose for missions, which is NOT just to solve social problems. I would be very careful with who I recommended this book to and would make sure the person already had a solid understanding of God's heart for missions.

I received this book for free from The B&B Media Group in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: Unlocked

 Unlocked

By Karen Kingsbury

Unlocked is a Christian Fiction book by popular author Karen Kingsbury. It’s the story of Holden Harris, a teen with autism, and Ella Reynolds the girl who finds herself drawn to Holden and to helping him emerge from his prison. It’s a story of challenges and hope with an inspiring message of looking beyond the exterior of a person and seeing the beauty within.

I enjoyed reading Unlocked. It’s a well-written story and really demonstrates the difference one person who cares can have on another. I was surprised by the many difficult topics this book tackled. From autism and the challenges of single parenting a special needs child, to teen suicide, bigotry and bullying, Kingsbury weaves a story that also digs into the lives of those surrounding Holden and his high school. I think this would be an enjoyable read not only for anyone who knows someone affected by autism, but also for teenagers who want to make a difference in their schools.

I did wonder at times how realistic the portrayal of severe autism was and whether or not Holden's outcome was possible. From what I could tell with my very limited knowledge, it seemed that the majority of the book was fairly accurate. But I would love to get my mom’s thoughts on this book, as she has worked with children with autism her entire career and she’s the closest thing to an expert I know. I passed the book along to my mom when she was here for Christmas, so I'm looking forward to hearing her thoughts on it.

I received this book for free from Zondervan in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: Charlie & Trike in the Grand Canyon Adventure

Charlie and Trike in the Grand Canyon Adventure

By Ken Ham and Karen Hansel

This book is AWESOME!!! It might be one of the coolest children's books I've ever read. It is a great combination of an adventure story, natural history facts, and biblical truth. And best of all, each page has some kind of interactive part - pop-out pages, treasure maps, little interesting fact books, etc. I love, love, love how this book combines all those elements to make learning fun, and also takes a very direct approach to teaching children creation truths. In The Grand Canyon Adventure, Charlie and Trike tour the Grand Canyon and learn how God flooded the earth during Noah's time - that's why there are sea creature fossils at the top of the Grand Canyon. This is a very educational, yet fun and interactive book. I will definitely be looking for more Charlie and Trike books!

I received this book for free from New Leaf Publishers in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: The Baby Bible Christmas Storybook

The Baby Bible Christmas Storybook

By Robin Currie

This cute board book tells the story of Jesus' birth in short, simple stories. The book says that it's for ages Birth to 3 yrs old, and I must say I was a little skeptical at first how my almost 1 yr old would like it. What I wasn't expecting (and liked) about this book was after each line, they give you an action or sound to do. It's a fun, interactive little baby book, and apparently there's a whole line of Baby Bible books.  This would make a cute Christmas present or shower gift.

I received this book for free from The B&B Media Group in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Adventures in Odyssey - Cause & Effect

Adventures in Odyssey

Vol 52: Cause & Effect

Produced By: Focus on the Family

I was thrilled to have the opportunity to review a volume of the Adventures in Odyssey stories. These  children's audio stories have been around since I was a kid and combine great stories of adventure and mystery with a biblical lesson to be learned from each. I loved listening to Adventures in Odyssey as a kid, and still enjoyed listening to their newest volume - Cause & Effect. This was a set of 4 CD's with 12 different stories. I didn't even know you could purchase Adventures in Odyssey, as I'd only ever heard it on the radio, but it's great to know that they're available to own. They make great road trip listening for children!

I received a free copy of this CD set from Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: The Lightlings

The Lightlings

By R.C. Sproul

The Lightlings is a beautifully illustrated children's story by theologian R.C. Sproul. Sproul is a well-known and respected Reformed Christian author and speaker. He's written some great books for the adult audience, and so I was excited to read one of his children's books, expecting that it would convey Biblical truths on a child's level. 

Summary: I think The Lightlings is a good children's book. It's an allegory of the creation, fall, and  redemption of mankind. It tells the story of a little boy, Charlie, who asks his Grandpa why he is afraid of the dark. Grandpa tells a story about the Lightlings, who are created by the King of Light to shine just as He does. But they choose to disobey the King of Light, and being filled with shame, they flee their garden to hide in the darkness of the forest. One day they see a light shining in the distance and discover that it is a baby, who is the son of the King of Light. They worship the baby, and the King's light is once again reflected in them. They then take their light into the rest of the forest, where some lightlings choose to accept the light and some stay in the darkness due to fear. The story ends with Grandpa telling Charlie that when he thinks of the dark or the light, to remember the King has given us a child to bring light to the darkness and we don't have to fear any more.

The book seems to be written towards a 4-8 yr old audience. The pictures are beautiful, and there is a section at the end with questions for parents to discuss with their children, showcasing the Biblical truths found in the allegory.

The book doesn't go into depth explaining sin, Christ, or salvation, but simply gives an overall picture of God's redemptive plan. Even though I would have personally liked more detail and explanation those things,  I still think it's an excellent book to read with your child. As our family grows, I want our home to be filled with engaging stories that convey Biblical truths, and The Lightlings does just that.

I received this book for free from Reformation Trust in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: Solitary

Solitary

By Travis Thrasher

Solitary is marketed as a teen, Christian suspense novel and I found it really entertaining in an edge-of-your-seat, light verses darkness, uncomfortable sort of way. I loved the way Thrasher narrates this book, making you feel like you're in the head of a teenage boy rather than just reading about a teenage boy.

It's about 16 yr old Chris, who has just moved to the town of Solitary, NC with his mom after his parent's divorce. Chris is immediately drawn to a beautiful loner, Jocelyn, who has some pretty dark secrets. Come to find out, the whole town has some very dark secrets and this book (the first of the series) only begins to touch the surface of all that is going on in Solitary.

This first book is somewhat dark - I have a feeling the series will become a true battle against the light and the darkness (good vs evil), but the main character has yet to really embrace the light/truth and is simply uncovering the mysterious evil going on around him. It's not a book for your grandma, but would probably be really popular with teenagers. I liked it a lot and would like to read the rest of the series as it comes out. The ending really shocked me (in a way that very few books do) and left me with a ton of questions that I'm assuming will be answered in following books. Good job Travis Thrasher - you've got me hooked!

I received this book for free from The B&B Media Group in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: That's Where God Is

That's Where God Is

By Dan & Ali Morrow

I loved this children's book! It's the story of a little boy who asks his Grandpa where God is. His grandpa tells him to look for God during the week and let him know what he finds. Each page then shares one day of the week and how the little boy finds God in the activities of his day. 

I loved the way this book teaches children to find how God is at work all around them. It also has a scripture that goes along with each way the little boy finds a part of God displayed around him (I loved the scriptures included).

At the end of the story, the little boy reports back to his Grandpa, who then shares with the little boy about how God can be with him everywhere he goes by being in his heart.

This is a great story, easy to read and relate to with children. The pictures are beautiful as well. I have a feeling it will become one of our favorites as Caleb grows older - I can see us reading it over and over. Great conversations could be had over the way this little boy finds God working around him and how we can see God working in our day as well.

I received this book for free from The B&B Media Group for my honest review.

Book Review: The Last Operative

The Last Operative
By Jerry B. Jenkins

Genre: Christian Fiction

Jordan Kirkwood is an intelligence agent for the NSA. As he gets ready for a long overdue vacation with his wife, he gets word of a national security risk. This information rocks Jordan's world, as it implies someone on the inside may be involved, and his own family gets caught up in the whirlwind it causes. The chase to hunt down the truth takes the reader on global adventures with twists and turns at every corner.

I enjoyed this suspense novel by Jerry B. Jenkins. It was entertaining and kept me guessing as to what exactly was going on and "who done it," although I had had my guesses (which ended up being correct) all along. It was a good, easy summer read, and that's just how I would recommend it. Nothing to write home about, but definitely enjoyable. I'd give it 4 out of 5 stars.  :-)

I received this book for free from Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: The Mailbox

The Mailbox

By Marybeth Whalen

The Mailbox is a Christian fiction book about second chances. Teenage lovers Lindsey and Campbell are grown up now and find their separate lives far from what they had dreamed of. Lindsey returns to peaceful Sunset Beach, the location of her fondest memories, to regain her identity after signing divorce papers. Campbell finds himself bringing his estranged, anorexic daughter home with him to heal at Sunset beach. Both Campbell and Lindsey discover God has a great plan for their broken lives and has given them opportunities for second chances.

This Christian love story would probably make a good beach read. It's the debut novel of author Marybeth Whalen, and while it's definitely not one of my favorite books, I thought she did a great job on her first novel. I found myself somewhat nervous throughout this book as both the main characters are divorced (from different people), have children, and are seeking to rekindle a flame they once had with each other. Lindsey's husband tries to come back to her at one point in the novel and there was a blurry line of wanting her to be with her "true love" Campbell versus wanting her to reconcile with her ex-husband. Some dangerous ground to walk in my mind. The saving grace was that both Lindsey and Campbell were married to non-Christians who cheated on them and left them, so finding new love seemed justifiable in the end. 

Overall, this was a decent book and I would probably enjoy another book by this author, but I'd read the back cover carefully to make sure the plot is not morally compromising (which The Mailbox ended up not being, but I had to process it some before I was completely ok with it).

I received this book free from The B&B Media Group in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: Busy Mom's Guide

The Busy Mom's Guide To A Happy, Organized Home

Fast Solutions to Hundreds of Everyday Dilemmas

By Kathy Peel

I got really excited about this book. As a brand new mom with a full time job, I would definitely place myself in the "busy mom" category and I LOVE books about domestic things like managing your home, organization, meal planning, etc. Apparently Kathy Peel is a pretty well known and renowned "Family Manager" and has written a lot of books and articles on the subject - I had no idea!

Overall, I liked this book. It's more of a reference guide at 300 pages, split into chapters based on the different "departments" a mom manages: Time & Scheduling, Home & Property, Food, Family & Friends, Finances, Special Events, and Self Management. There's so much info that it's a little overwhelming, but taken just a chapter or section at a time, I think it could be very helpful. It definitely wasn't a book I could sit down at one time and read (because I'm a busy mom, you know), but I don't think that's how it was meant to be read. Definitely more of a quick reference with a great Table of Contents for quickly finding info on a specific subject.

I'm hesitant to give a big recommendation for everyone to go out and buy this book due to its length and wondering how often I will actually reference it, but I definitely think this is a book I will like more the more I use it. I just need to keep it handy rather than setting it on a bookshelf and forgetting about it. We'll see how that goes....

I received this book for free from Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: Mind Your Own Mortgage

Mind Your Own Mortgage

The Wise Homeowner's Guide to Choosing, Managing, and Paying Off Your Mortgage

By Robert J. Bernabe

So, before I read this book I knew absolutely nothing about mortgages except that you need one to buy a house, and you'll probably be paying for it the rest of your life (which I think is crazy!). I figured Stephen and I will more than likely purchase a house in the next decade or so, and so it would be wise to learn a little about what will probably the biggest purchase we ever make. With that background in mind, I thought this book was AWESOME! As I read it I found myself stopping to tell Stephen how helpful it was and asking him to read it when I was done. And it's not just for the first-time home owner - it spends a lot of time addressing refinancing and paying off existing mortgages as well.

I first love the overall mindset Bernabe has toward debt and living within your means. It reminded me a lot of Dave Ramsey and stresses being a good manager of your money to pay off debts quickly rather than constantly buying more and digging a deeper and deeper hole. With that frame of mind, he gives a thorough explanation of how to choose a mortgage based on PRICE and not payment, and then how to pay it off well before the final pymt date (which is typically 30 yrs or even more if you are not careful with your refinances - yikes!). The book is very readable and he used terms that I could understand for the most part, although I had to pay attention and read somewhat slowly to take it all in. It's a decent sized book at nearly 300 pages, and it got a little repetitive at times, but I'm glad I read it through to the end.

The only thing I DIDN'T like about the book is that Bernabe makes a pretty strong sales pitch throughout the book for an online membership to his book's mortgage managing website. He references forms on this site in nearly every chapter, but doesn't mention you have to pay a $29.95 membership fee to access them. Not cool. If someone buys your book and you base whole chapters around using specific forms, you should include those forms in the book for free.

As I said at the beginning, I'm so glad I read this book. I feel informed and confident about what to look for in a mortgage and how to manage it in a wise way that will hopefully allow us to pay it off early rather than pushing it further into the "retirement years." I will definitely reference it down the road when/if we start the journey to buying our first house.

I received this book for free from www.booksneeze.com in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: Plan B

Plan B

By Pete Wilson

I'm mixed in my feelings regarding Plan B by Pete Wilson. The book is based around the question of how do you pick up the pieces of your life when the plan you had for it falls apart - thus the title Plan B. A primary observation I had is that Pete leans heavily on stories/experiences to convey his ideas rather than basing them on direct biblical truth. This lends itself to being an easier read, but left me hungry for God's Word. However, I kinda got the feeling this book may have been written more for the person who has grown up in church their whole life and done their own thing and all of a sudden reaches a point where they either a: realize their life hasn't turned out the way they thought it would, or b: had something tragic happen and are now questioning where God is in the midst of that hard time. This would probably be a fine book to help them through that time as it does point you back to God and His plans and purposes for our lives and how they don't always match up with our own. But I felt like it was a very light book and only scratches the surface of God's sovereignty over our lives and His ultimate purpose for mankind - to bring Him glory. I don't have a major problem with this book, but as I said, it left me wanting more; wishing he had delved deeper into God's Word and truth.

I received this book for free from www.booksneeze.com in exchange for my honest review.

Rick & Bubba's Big Honkin' Book of Grub

It's time for another book review! I just finished reading Rick & Bubba's Big Honking Book of Grub. When I requested this book, I thought it was a cookbook by two of my favorite radio talkshow hosts who call themselves "The Two Sexiest Fat Men Alive." I was a little surprised to find that it was actually a book about food - specifically Rick & Bubba's thoughts on food - with a small selection of recipes at the end. I listen to Rick & Bubba on the radio every morning on my drive to work and I think they're pretty funny. This book is obviously meant to be comedic, but I honestly didn't think it was that funny. I kept thinking that if I heard them saying these things on the radio, it would be great, but reading it on paper just isn't the same. I liked that each chapter was split into short sections, so you could pick it up and read small sections at a time. I would use this book more as a time-passer - stick it in the kitchen or on an end table to grab for a few minutes at a time. I will say this though - knowing how much these guys love food, I'm looking forward to trying a few of their favorite recipes in the back of the book!

I received this book for free from www.booksneeze.com in exchange for my honest review.

John Bunyan Book Review

John Bunyan
Christian Encounter Series
by Kevin Belmonte

I enjoyed reading this biography of John Bunyan, part of the Christian Encounters series by Thomas Nelson publishers. This book gives a great overview of Bunyan’s life and the circumstances surrounding his writing of The Pilgrim’s Progress. I’m not a huge biography reader, and so this book was just the right size and had just the right combination of historical facts and storytelling to keep me engaged through the end. The book is 142 pages long, plus a few ending sections (appendix, notes, etc).

I loved reading about Bunyan’s conversion to Christianity, his endurance and dedication to preaching the Gospel even in the face of certain persecution, his young wife’s bravery and defense of his calling, and I especially appreciated the brief summary of both Part 1 and Part 2 of The Pilgrim’s Progress. I would recommend this book to someone who is interested in The Pilgrim’s Progress or learning more about John Bunyan. It’s not a hugely in-depth look at Bunyan’s life, but just enough information to feel like you know who Bunyan was and what inspired him to write one of the most widely recognized pieces of English literature, The Pilgrim’s Progress.

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program.