Monday, April 23, 2012

A Garden of Love

"A Garden of Love" by Thomas B. Clarke is part picture book, part plant and flower description, and part Bible verse. At first, you wouldn't expect these three parts to form a coherent book, but somehow it works for this book. In these pages, Clarke ties in beautiful pictures of flowers, and connects each with a different Biblical principle. He gives us a description of the flowers that makes you feel like you are standing in a meadow, looking at them firsthand. He connects the flowers with principles such as obedience, love, joy, patience, and kindness. This is also connected with specific Bible verses to reinforce that particular principle. I found this to be such a unique way to present Biblical wisdom, and really enjoyed it. The book is larger than a typical paperback, and each flower has about two pages dedicated to it, which would make this easy to read as a devotional, as well. This would make a wonderful Mother's Day gift, in my opinion. I really enjoyed it, and would recommend it.

FTC DISCLOSURE: I received this book for free from BookCrash.com, in exchange for an honest review. I was not obligated to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own. 

Being Kind & Caring (DVD)

"Being Kind & Caring" is one of many in the Paws & Tales series of animated stories for children. "Being Kind & Caring" has two separate stories - "The Hullabaloo at Hunker Hill" and “The Great Go-Kart Race". What I really appreciated about this particular DVD is that each story offers up important Biblical truths, such as kindness, caring, and forgiveness. The characters are adorable, and inviting, and my daughter easily got into the story. There is also upbeat, fun music that goes along with the story, which my daughter really enjoyed. As a bonus, the DVD can also be inserted into the computer, and contains bonus material you can print for your children. I like that this is something my child can enjoy, but I love the wisdom and truth that it is teaching her as she has fun watching it. This is a great DVD, and I would highly recommend it to parents who want more out of children's programs.

FTC DISCLOSURE: I received a copy of this DVD for free from Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for an honest review. I was not obligated to write a positive review.

God Gave Us You

"God Gave Us You' by Lisa Tawn Bergren is an adorable children's story about a polar bear family - Mama, Papa, and Baby. In this book, Mama answers the question of where baby polar bear came from. This is a cute book, because it explains how children are a gift from God, when kids inevitably ask, "Where did I come from?" Mama polar bear talks about how baby polar bear grew inside of her, and how happy both Mama and Papa were, how Mama visited the doctor so they could check up on their baby, and finally how they raced to the hospital when baby polar bear was ready to be born. Mama reinforces how special baby polar bear is on nearly every page, by telling him that "God gave us you". Adorable book - my three year old loves it! I would highly recommend it to anyone with young children. I also really liked that it was a board book, so safe for very young children to have. The illustrations are vivid, and beautiful, as well. All around I would give this book a 5/5! Loved it!


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. 

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

The Beauty Book

"The Beauty Book" by Nancy Rue is a wonderful resource for young girls. The book itself is jam packed with beauty tips like polishing nails, caring for hair, makeup tricks, and skin care, which is great for a teenage (or tween) girl. What I really liked about this book is that each chapter discusses a different topic of "beauty", and starts out with a Bible verse about beauty from God's view. This book gently reinforces Biblical views, such as treating our bodies like a temple, not getting tattoos, and understanding that every single girl is beautiful in their own special way. This book acts as a confidence builder, helping girls to feel comfortable in their own skin through an understanding of their beauty to God. I would highly recommend this book to anyone with a young girl in their home. It's so important for young girls to understand their value, and for us as adults to help them feel confident and comfortable in their own skin. This is truly a great addition to the bookshelf of any teenager (or tweenager).

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

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Man Alive

"Man Alive" by Patrick Morley is a book primarily for men, that discusses the 7 primal needs of men, and how those needs can drive you to have a stronger and more powerful spiritual life. This book is broken up into relatively short, easy to read chapters, with each chapter discussing one of seven primal needs that men face. Each chapter has Bible stories as well as personal stories that illustrate the main theme of the chapter. Morely also includes a summation and explanation of how to make those needs bring you closer in your Spiritual walk. Included at the end of each chapter is a set of questions meant to reinforce the chapter's reading, relevant to your own life and personal situation. I thought this book was great, as it was geared for men. I would definitely buy this for the special man in your life - it would make a great Father's Day gift!
FTC DISCLOSURE: I received a copy of this book for free from Water Brook Publishing in exchange for an honest review. I was not obligated to write a positive review.

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

As One Devil To Another

"As One Devil To Another" by Richard Platt is one of the most interesting books I have read recently. This book tells the story of two devils - Scardagger, who is a new Cadet, and his mentor and uncle, Slashreap. The book is written in a series of letters from Scardagger to Slashreap, directing him in the ways to corrupt and manipulate people. We only see the letters to Slashreap, but can easily infer what Slashreap's letters said based on the responses that Scardagger gives in his. "As One Devil To Another" is interesting as it discusses the ways in which these devils work at separating us from God. It's almost a playbook for the ways that these devils work. This book is written in the same style as classical literature, which does make it slightly harder to read if you aren't used to that particular style, but I really loved it. I think this book was clever, insightful, and original.

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

All Things Are Ready

"All Things Are Ready: A Bride's Complete Christian Wedding Planner" by Amy Hayes is a great tool to help Christian couples in the planning of their wedding. This planner comes in a large binder with full size pages, organized with tabs to separate the various chapters. I liked that the book came in this format because it makes it easy to move pages around. I also liked that there were many pages where I could fill in my own information, such as the wedding party information, and master list. I liked that these were easy to remove from the planner in order to make copies of the information for the wedding party. This planner goes through every phase of the wedding preparation, from engagement through honeymoon, and I also enjoyed that there were tidbits of information scattered throughout this planner. This would make a great tool in organizing and planning any wedding. I absolutely love it, and would highly recommend it to any couple who are planning their own ceremony.

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

He Chose The Nails

"He Chose the Nails" is yet another home run by Max Lucado. What I absolutely love about Lucado is his ability to intertwine his own personal stories with absolute Biblical truth to make it feel so much more relevant. The stories of the Bible aren't just old, out of date stories - the way that Lucado ties together the principles of Bible stories to circumstances we can easily relate to add to every book that he pens. "He Chose the Nails" is no exception, written wonderfully, detailing God's sacrifice, love, and redemption, and God's promises. This book is well-written, relevant, easy to read, and Biblically referenced. "He Chose the Nails" is a great book, and details the events of the cross with the understanding that God sacrificed in order to win our hearts. I loved this book, and I am sure that you will too!

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 above is solely my opinion.