Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Simply Grilling by Jennifer Chandler

"Simply Grilling" is a great cookbook, filled with a wide variety of recipes that you can make on the grill. This book has the usual grilling favorites, like steak, chicken, pork, and lamb. It also boasts tons of yummy recipes that you wouldn't think can be made on the grill - desserts, salads, and appetizers! What I really loved about this cookbook is that each dish featured in the book has a photograph, so you can see what you are making. And I have to say that every single photograph of the various dishes look absolutely delicious. This is the perfect cookbook for the summer, entertaining guests, and barbecuing. I am so excited to add it to my collection! I'm sure I will be using it quite a bit! I would highly recommend this book!
FTC DISCLOSURE: I received this book for free from BookSneeze.com in exchange for an honest review. I was not obligated to write a positive review.

Monday, March 26, 2012

Farm Fresh Southern Cooking

"Farm Fresh Southern Cooking" by Tammy Algood is a awesome cookbook with tons of practical, fresh recipes for everyday cooking. All of the recipes in this cookbook are all based on southern cooking styles, featuring dishes such as tomatoes with cornbread stuffing, paprika cornbread, and dilled crawfish salad. All of the recipes in this book look and sound delicious. All of these recipes are relatively simple, using classic farm fresh ingredients. I am so excited to try some of these recipes! The book has appetizers, soups, salads, side dishes, entrees, desserts, and breakfast/brunch. The directions are easy to follow in the recipes, and it utilizes fresh foods. Yum!

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

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Spirit Wars

"Spirit Wars" by Kris Vallotton is the personal story of a pastor who had become a target for demonic torture, and his story of deliverance. Vallotton was essentially living his very own ghost story type of fear and torment from the spiritual realm, which severely impacted his ability to function in his daily life. He battled anxiety and fear on a day to day basis until God helped deliver him. Vallotton offers up some advice on how to be prepared for the spiritual battles, and understanding how these demonic forces attack us in our own lives. I thought this book was interesting, and I did like the premise of the book. I believe that there are dark forces at work in our lives, trying to pull us away from God and into the darkenss. Vallotton's story itself was so extreme that it was hard to process - it literally was like something you might see on television. But his story of deliverance is touching and he offers up some great personal advice for winning the spiritual battle. I would give this book a 3/5.

FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for an honest review. I was not obligated to write a positive review. The above opinions are entirely my own.

Angels Are For Real

"Angels Are For Real" by Judith MacNutt is a book all about angels. Judith uses Biblical text combined with personal accounts from a variety of people to make the case that angels really do exist, and come to us in a time of need. Not only is this book interesting, it is also educational - giving Bible based answers to some of the most common questions about angels. Judith discusses the different classifications of angels, how angels appear, and how they take an active role in our everyday lives. I loved the personal stories of others who have encountered angels in their lives, and really enjoyed this book. I also appreciated that Judith used Scriptural referenced to angels as a basis for this book. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about angels. 



FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for an honest review. I was not obligated to write a positive review. The above review is entirely my own opinion.

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

King Of Glory

"King of Glory" by PD Bramsen is a simplified and illustrated retelling of some of our most beloved Bible stories. The book is a mix of both Old and New Testament Bible stories, told in simple, easy to understand language suitable for most children or even young adults. I found this to be a great book! The stories range from God's creation of the world, through Adam and Eve's sin in the Garden of Eden, to Moses, Noah, Abraham, and into Jesus' ministry on Earth, and his ultimate death and resurrection. This book is true to Biblical scripture, and would be a great tool for children who are not yet ready for a real Bible, or as a partner resource with a Bible. I have a young child, and am thrilled to be able to add this book to her bookshelf. I think it will make a great tool for her for many years to come. The illustrations are beautiful, and relative to the story - and each story is only one page long, which makes it easy to turn this book into a devotional type of book, reading one story every night before bed. I absolutely love this book, and would absolutely recommend it to anyone with children.

FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free through BookCrash.com's blogging for books program, in exchange for an honest review. I was not obligated to write a positive review. The preceeding review is my opinion.

Monday, March 19, 2012

Eye Of The Storm

"Eye of the Storm" by Alexander Kumpf is a book about how to handle the disappointments of life. There are a lot of books out there right now that deal with this same topic, but "Eye of the Storm" is one of my favorites. Kumpf uses stories from his own life, references to Biblical truths, and Scripture to walk us through how we should handle the storms of our lives. From preparing for the storms, to faithfully waiting on God, to the power of God's word, Kumpf writes clearly and plainly about managing our own pain and hurt in our life. I really thought that this book offered something that anyone could benefit from. I would highly recommend this book to anyone - everyone has been through hard times, and it would be easy for anyone to relate to.

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

1000 Days

"1000 Days" by Jonathan Falwell is a book that follows Jesus in the last three years of his life, through his ministry. Falwell takes Biblical text and allows us a more in depth examination of some of the most important days of Jesus' ministry on Earth. Falwell adds his own commentary and opinions, some of which were great additions to the text, and some of which weren't quite so useful. One of the most interesting parts of the book for me was the discussion about the Biblical text of Jesus' temptation by Satan, during his 40 days of fasting. I thought that this book was well written, and Falwell makes some great points and observations about important Biblical events. There were a few topics that were thrown into the book that I didn't feel like they really went with the theme, such as the idea of temporary Heaven and Hell. Overall, a good read, though, and I would give it a 3/5.

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

The Creation (Children's)

"The Creation" by Janice D. Green is a simplistic, kid-friendly retelling of the Biblical story of the Creation. The book goes through the seven days of the story of Creation, in simple words, explaining how God created the world, and everything in it, and how He rested on the seventh day. The book also tells the story of Adam and Eve, and their exile from the Garden of Eden. Each page of this book has prompts for parents, with questions such as, "Why do you think God made so many animals?" or "What happens when you plant a seed?" to help open up a conversation about the stories. The illustrations are simplistic, but correlate well with the message of each day of Creation. I would highly recommend this book to parents (or grandparents) of young children, ages one through six. This book is an easy read for parents, and easy to understand for children. I loved it, and so did my three year old daughter!

FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free through BookCrash.com's blogging program, in exchange for an honest review. I was not obligated to write a positive review of this book.

When The Hurt Runs Deep

"When the Hurt Runs Deep" by Kay Arthur is a book about managing the disappointments of life. I was actually really looking forward to reading this book, as I have previously enjoyed her book, "As Silver Refined". Kay has such a way of relating to the reader, and giving such great Biblical advice. "When the Hurt Runs Deep" focuses on getting through the hard times in life, even as we wonder why God is putting us through this, or if God even cares. It is so important to have faith that God is there, even in these hard times, and Kay gives great personal stories as well as Biblical events that show that just because we are hurting or suffering, God has not betrayed us. I think that this book is wonderful. I love that Kay has such a gift for understanding the pain of others, and wanting to encourage them. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is dealing with painful situations in their life - this book is enlightening, inspiring, and encouraging. Wonderfully written!

FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from Water Brook Publishing through their Blogging for Books program, in exchange for an honest review. I was not obligated to write a positive review.

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Great Day Every Day

"Great Day Every Day" by Max Lucado is the perfect antidote for those days when you feel like you should have stayed in bed. We all have days where it feels like the world, and sometimes even God, is against us. Max Lucado gives inspiration in the midst of those days in his book, "Great Day Every Day". The main premise for this book is learning to rejoice in the midst of our toughest days, with an understanding of God's grace and presence. Whether we are bitter, angry, afraid, exhausted, or grieving, Lucado compiles sound Biblical widsom to inspire. I really liked this book - it is the perfect book to remind us that in our daily lives, from the mundane to the miraculous God's presence is still with us. As Lucado points out, yesterday is gone, and tomorrow is not here yet. All we have is today, and with God we can rejoice in the day, no matter what personal obstacles we face. Great book, would highly recommend it to anyone who can use a pick me up. 



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