Book Review: Share the Bounty

I received the book Share the Bounty by Benita Long for review from Thomas Nelson Publishing. This is one of the most beautifully put together cook books I have ever seen. This is a fairly large book and would be great on the coffee table book. This would be a great gift for a hospitable woman who shares her home and meals with those around her.

This book includes 5 categories of recipes: luncheons, festive occasions, convivial dinners, for the very young, and international. Each recipe includes a picture, an easy to read recipe, and inspirational quotes/scripture. I love pictures in my cook books, and I just love how this book incorporates not just meal ideas, but also home decor ideas as well. I would recommend this as a host gift.

Book Reivew: The Southern Foodie

I received the book The Southern Foodie by Chris Chamberlain for review from booksneeze.com. I am a self proclaimed foodie and thought this was a great road map for a food tour from Virginia to Texas! I wish I had this handbook of the best places to eat through out the south during the past few years during long road trips back and forth throughout the south! Each southern state has 6-10 featured restaurants. Each restaurant features includes their famous recipes. I like how the author writes about what makes the restaurants special and makes you want to visit, not only because of the food, but because of its uniqueness.

The recipes are for fairly easy to follow, but this would not recommend anyone trying to lose weight or have high blood pressure, or high cholesterol. The recipes are very heavy. Even so, this is a very fun book to look through with lots of pictures of the recipes to make. I definitely will be checking out the restaurants listed in the book when I am in the neighborhoods!

Book Review: Perfect Lies

I received Perfect Lies by Jennifer Crow from Tyndale Publishing for review. Jennifer Crow talks about 9 commonly believed lies that we believe which can cause us to suffer spiritually, emotionally, and even physically. The first part of the book covers Jennifer's own story. She is very candid about her own breakdown, physically and mentally, and the steps she took to come out of that state. She uses scripture to back up her beliefs.

In the second part of the book, each chapter covers a lie. She includes ways we can detect the lies, the antidote to the lies, her picture prayer experience, an exercise for the reader in picture praying, statements for the reader to ponder, and scriptures for the reader to ponder.

The 9 Lies covered:
1. I am Unloveable
2. I am Worthless
3. I am Unacceptable
4. I am Unable
5. I am a Target
6. I am not Angry
7. I am Bad
8. I am in Danger
9. I am Deprived

If you can relate to the statements above, then I would recommend this book, or if you are feeling depressed, completely hopeless, or suffering from low self-esteem. I could not relate to the lies, and had a difficulty keeping my interest.

Book Review: Running for My Life

I receive the book Running For My Life by Lopez Lomong with Mark Tabb for review from Thomas Nelson Publishing. This is the incredible story of U.S. Olympic runner Lopez Lomong's escape from the Sudanese Civil War to live the "American Dream"! You will be captivated from the very first page of this book! The story being with his kidnapping at age six from his home church and being taken to the rebel camps. He accounts his memories of being in the camps, the escape, the refugee camps he lived in, the faith  that carried him through to the United States. His life story is amazing, and his faith even better. This book will definitely makes you appreciate the life we live in the United States. I would highly recommend this book to everyone! It will give you a reality check of our world, the hope we have in God, and the inspiration to go and achieve your dreams as well.

Book Review: Inescapable

I received Inescapable by Nancy Mehl for review from Bethany House Publishing. I was immediately drawn to the book since it was set in a Mennonite community! This is the first book of a series called Road to Kingdom. Lizzie ran away from her Mennonite hometown, Kingdom, 5 years earlier when she gave birth to a baby girl out of wedlock and feeling rejected by not only the community, but mainly by her parents. When she receives threatening notes and a mysterious man keeps following her, she runs back to the last place she felt the stalker would find her, Kingdom. Back in her hometown, she must face old relationships with friends, members of the church, the mother that never stood up for her, and her angry father.

There were so many aspects of the book I loved, but mostly the dealing with difficult relationships.  She has to heal from what she perceived as rejection from her father, figure out her feelings for her childhood friend Noah, as well as learning to trust in God again. I also loved Lizzie's relationship with her daughter. I would highly recommend this book!

Book Review: The Widow of Saunders Creek

I received The Window of Saunders Creek by Tracey Bateman for review from Blogging for Books for review. After losing her husband to the war in Iraq, Corrie moves to her husband's home town and grandmother's home in hopes to connect with her deceased husband. Her home is being haunted by who she believes to be her husband. While in Saunders Creek, she get's to know her husband's cousin and extended family and is forced to address many new feelings as well as coping with her past.

I absolutely loved this book! The characters were well developed and very lovable. The issues Corrie deals with are real and relatable to many military families/widows, as well as anyone who just enjoys a great love story. This book does cover topics of witchcraft and spirits/demons, but has Jesus as the focus of how to address those issues. I would highly recommend this book for all Christians! I loved it! I honestly could not put the book down!!!

Book Review: Moon Blood

I received the book Moonblood by Anne Elisabeth Stengl from Bethany House Publishing for review. I was a bit disappointed by the book. I didn't realize this was the 3rd book in the Goldstone Woods series, so the lack of character development was very difficult for me to follow the book. I would highly recommend readers to read the first two books before reading this one for sure! I usually love fantasy themed books, but I didn't find this book captivating (then again, it probably had a lot to do with the fact that I didn't read the first two books).