God Loves Broken People

"God Loves Broken People" by Sheila Walsh is a book that focuses on how we can turn our own brokenness into a closer walk with God. I liked the premise of the book, after all, nearly everyone has felt some sort of heartache. The topic of the book was easy to relate to - hurt, disappointment, anger.. We have all felt those things. However, I felt like Walsh's chapters in this book dragged on and on, without offering up much in the way of useful Bible based advice. I felt like this book was mostly a book of personal stories, rather than an inspirational and encouraging read. I would give this book a 2/5, as it just did not live up to the expectations that I had when I opened it up. 


FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from Thomas Nelson Publishers in exchange for an honest review. I was not obligated to write a positive review. 

The Scent of Cherry Blossoms

"The Scent of Cherry Blossoms" is a novel by Cindy Woodsmall that centers around a forbidden love. A Mennonite girl, Annie, and an Amish man, Aden, whose vows to their respective churches prohibit them from being together, must decide if their love is worth breaking the rules. Woodsmall weaves some of the beliefs of the Amish into this story, which make it a little bit easier to understand the church and their ways. I thought this story was well written, but just had a hard time really getting into the story itself. Things seemed to fall into place just a little too easily, and it seemed a little bit unrealistic, honestly. I liked Woodsmall's style of writing, though, and would definitely try another book by her in the future. I would give this book a 3/5. 


FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from Water Brook Publishers in exchange for an honest review. I was not obligated to write a positive review.

Our Favorite Sins

Todd D. Hunter's book, "Our Favorite Sins" is a book that can truly speak to anyone who picks it up. Hunter tackles the topic of temptation and sin with an honest tone, and practical, Bible based solutions to dealing with them. Hunter recognizes that not everyone sins in the same way - we all struggle with different temptations, from lust to anger, to selfishness. The main struggle is our will versus our desire, and Hunter offers real advice on how to face our temptation and walk away victorious. Hunter pursues such practices are pursuing good, practicing seeking the kingdom of God, and aligning ourselves with God. I really enjoyed this book, and would definitely recommend it to anyone who is interested in a closer walk with God through aligning themselves with God's will. 





FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from Thomas Nelson Publishers in exchange for an honest review. I was not obligated to give a positive review. 

The Founders' Key

"The Founders' Key' by Larry P. Arnin is a book about the two most important documents in American history - the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Arnin makes the case for that these two documents have been "divorced" over the years, with Americans, historians, and even politicians picking and choosing which values are relevant and discarding those that they believed to be outdated or out of line with their own personal mantra. This book gives a short crash course on both the Declaration and the Constitution, which makes it easy to follow and understand even if you aren't a history buff. Arnin makes a good argument for uniting these two documents as one whole document, thereby ensuring entire freedoms for all. I thought this book was good, and made some very valid points. I would recommend this to anyone who has any interest in history or politics. I would give it a 4/5.

FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the BookSneeze program from Thomas Nelson publishers in exchange for an honest review. I was not obligated to write a positive review. 

From Blah to Awe

"From Blah to Awe" is a book designed for teenage girls in an attempt to help them seek out a stronger relationship with God. I would say that this book would be appropriate for high school aged girls, or older, because there are brief mentions of women who had turned to prostitution etc. In this book, Jenna Lucado Bishop, intertwines stories of young women of faith, bible verses, and commentary to help young women discover their own faith. I thought some of the stories of other young women in this book were inspirational, but I really didn't like the overall layout of the book. This could have been broken down into small devotionals or smaller chapters. To me, the book just felt a little choppy, and some things felt out of place. The bible verses were a wonderful addition as a tie in the Scripture for young women. Some of the commentary was a little bit redundant and long, as well. I would give this 3/5. 



FTC DISCLAIMER: I received this book for free from Thomas Nelson Publishers through their Booksneeze program. I was not obligated to write a positive review.