52 Weeks Of Gratitude Journal Review

 

Title: 52 Weeks Of Gratitude

Author: Ink and Willow Publishing

Genre: Nonfiction, Journal, Spiritual, Gratitude.

Plot: If we have ever needed a guided journal to focus on gratitude, 2020 is the year for it. This journal is a hardcover with a gorgeous design and it id divided into sections inside. Each section, Home, Community, Faith, and Beauty cover the different areas of our lives that we can find gratitude in. Each themed week has a Bible verse, a paragraph to reflect on, a section to journal, and a tip to build gratitude into your daily life. At the back of the journal is a daily gratitude list for the entire year where you write down one thing a day you are grateful for.

All in all, a very elegant and simple journal with a straightforward layout and goal in mind.

Likes/Dislikes: The paper is nice, very smooth and just the right thickness. Some of the reflections might be harder than others but over all, this is a good journal to create and build the habit of gratitude. I quite like it, especially the daily list at the end.

Rating: G-all ages, geared more for adults though.

Date Reviewed: November 14th, 2020

I received a copy of this book courtesy of the publishers for my honest opinion and wasn't required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed in the above review are my own.

She Believed Book Review

Title: She Believed

Author: Jean Fischer

Genre: Children, Nonfiction, Inspirational, Biography, Christian.

Plot: Girls today need strong feminine role models to look up to and this collection of twelve stories provides girls with twelve historic women to admire and look up to.

Written in short concise entries, girls are introduced to Gladys Aylward, Clara Barton, Catherine Booth, Amy Carmichael, Fanny Crosby, Florence Nightingale, Edith Schaeffer, Mary Slessor, Corrie Ten Boom, Mother Teresa, Sojourner Truth and Harriet Tubman.

Each entry is beautifully illustrated and accompanied by a Bible verse that helps to anchor the story in the Word of God for readers.

Likes/Dislikes: I really enjoyed this little book. The stories are short, concise and to the point without being overly long. I read it to my three girls who are 6, 3 and 18 months. The baby lost interest when she wasn't allowed to eat the book or rip out the pages but the older two listened to the stories and seemed interested. I feel like it is missing the story of Joan of Arc though which was a story I always grew up with as a girl and which mine would adore because swords are popular in my house right now. All in all, I liked it.

Rating: PG-all ages

Date Reviewed: February 27th, 2020

I received a copy of this book courtesy of the publishers for my honest opinion. I wasn't required to write a positive review and the opinions expressed in the above review are my own.

100 Words Of Affirmation Your Husband Needs To Hear Book Review

Title: 100 Words Of Affirmation Your Husband Needs To Hear

Author: Lisa Jacobson

Genre: Nonfiction, Self-Help, Marriage, Husbands, Christian.

Plot: Straight forward and simple, pastor's wife Lisa Jacobson lists one hundred words or phrases rather which your husband needs to hear from you. These range from "You are my protector" to "Thank you for supporting our family" and "You are one handsome man."

Lisa and her husband Matt have been married for over 20 years and she has learned through trial, error and experimentation exactly what her husband needs to hear. This book is a product of those years of effort, love and learning that you van now apply to your marriage and affirm your husband in a loving and God-honoring way.

Likes/Dislikes: One of the things I really enjoyed about this book was that Lisa dived right into the things to say to your husband and didn't waste time telling us who this book was for, how to save your marriage, or why you should fight for your marriage in an abusive or otherwise uncomfortable situation like other marriage books I've read have done. While those books have their place, they all end up feeling preachy or guilt-tripping me for not doing enough or sacrificing enough. This book by Lisa made me feel like getting into the habit of affirming and loving my husband every day is something easy, fun and simple to do. The doable aspect was very appealing and I started texting my husband while reading the book.

For those of you curious, there is a companion book on ways to actively show love to your husband and the flip side to those books for showing love and 100 affirming words for wives. They make a great bundle for a wedding or anniversary gift.

Rating: PG-15 and up, mainly for reading level and content (it's a marriage book)

Date Reviewed: January 22nd, 2020

I received a copy of this book courtesy of Netgalley for my honest opinion. I wasn't required to write a positive review and the opinions expressed in the above review are my own.

It's A Love Story Book Review

Title: It's A Love Story


Author: Lincee Ray

Genre: Christian, Nonfiction, Memoir, Humor, Sequel

Plot: If Hollywood is any reliable indicator, we all love a good love story. If there is rain, a tall dark handsome hero and chocolate thrown in, all the better! We could spend our whole lives surrounded by things we love, enjoying the people we love and doing the activities we love.

So why don't we? We enjoy those things for a reason and they make us happier than other things. Why not own up to the factor that we are addicted to Cadbury eggs and can only watch The Bachelor in our fuzzy socks? Those things that we love make us who we are and ultimately, the ability to love these things comes from the One who loved us so much that He gave the ultimate sacrifice. Trying to fill that void inside with cookies and concert tickets is a temporary band-aid for the true love we are all looking for. But until we get that unconditional love, we can at least enjoy those other void-fillers.

Likes/Dislikes: I enjoyed I Hate Green Beans quite a lot more than I expected to so I got very excited to see a second book by Ray. This book doesn't go on about The Bachelor in fine detail; instead, it covers lots of things that Ray loves. Concerts on summer nights, fishing with her niece, watching humanity come together after a horrific hurricane and the simple joy of a classic Disney princess movie. All of these little pieces make up Lincee Ray and prompt us to examine the little pieces that make us up. We might be over the moon for brownies or enjoy walks by the beach with amazing sunsets in the background. We were designed with the ability to love because our God loves us and wants us to be able to love. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to more by Lincee Ray.

Rating: PG-14 and up, mainly for reading level

Date Reviewed: May 7th, 2019

I received a copy of this book courtesy of Revel Bloggers for my honest opinion. I wasn't required to write a positive review and the opinions in the above review are my own.

The Warrior Maiden Book Review

Title: The Warrior Maiden

Author: Melanie Dickerson

Genre: Fiction, Fantasy, Fairy Tale Retelling, Christian, Romance, Action/Adventure, Series

Plot: Mulan is 18 years old and resigned to the fact that she will have to marry someday to take care of her mother. But Mulan has big dreams to see the world and do more with her life than just cooking, cleaning and having babies. She wants a different existence than that of her long-suffering mother. So when the opportunity arises out of unfortunate circumstances, Mulan doesn't miss a beat and takes it. But will her risk be worth it or would it have been better to marry the butcher's son instead?

Wolfgang is the son of a duke but on the battlefield he is just a 20 year old boy trying to prove himself just like all the other soldiers. Like the short archer who nearly bested him in the competition, Wolfgang has his secrets and holds them close. But when he accidentally discover's Mulan's secret, will he be able to add it to his list of secrets or will everything collapse around him?

Likes/Dislikes: This is the 9th book in a series with an established world and characters peppered from previous books. That being said, this book reads like it is a stand-alone so we shouldn't get too lost. Unfortunately, this book was not at all what I was hoping to read. I adore the story of Mulan and really wanted a cool retelling where the character is just as butch, tough and feminine as the original. This version of Mulan is frustrating. She is the stereotypical unusual beauty who doesn't fit in with her little village and is clumsy. She overthinks the littlest things. Furthermore, the story itself was frustrating. They all meet up for some random competitions and then immediately go out to battle followed by another battle and then another one in such rapid succession that there is hardly any breathing room. In that span of that week, Mulan crushes hard on the only handsome dude around and her secret gets discovered by him.

Needless to say, this was not the right book for me to enjoy from all of these minor but annoying plot decisions and I did not finish the story.

Rating: PG-15 and up, mainly for reading level (nothing graphic)

Date Review Written: April 27th, 2019

I received a copy of this book courtesy of Booklook Bloggers for my honest opinion. I wasn't required to write a positive review and the opinions expressed in the above review are my own.

Book Girl Book Review

Title: Book Girl

Author: Sarah Clarkson

Genre: Nonfiction, Christian, Reading, Educational, Books, Reading Lists, Family

Plot: Influenced from a young age to love books and reading, Sarah Clarkson became a book girl. Now, in her own book with a little book girl of her own on the way, Sarah explores what it means to be a book girl and how to apply the lessons learned in her books to everyday life.

The book is divided into ten chapters with their own little theme and two or three accompanying book lists which fit that theme. There is a chapter on making reading lists with advice on ways to maximize your reading (don't just binge on all those yummy mysteries or romances―throw in some poetry, nonfiction and a biography or two). There are also chapters on taking action in life, cultivating the soul and healing the soul after a great grief.

For each chapter, Sarah draws on her own experience and what books taught her about life before giving her recommendations for our own future reading.

Likes/Dislikes: This book strongly reminded me of my childhood and teen years wrapped up in the classics and devouring everything I could find. I'm a bit more picky about what I read now though I do binge-read whatever attracts my interest at the time. I liked a lot of the reading lists in here, especially the one for children and the one on books to help navigate the current culture. I did have a tricky time reading this book though as it is very obviously written by someone who is college educated and used to writing very long wordy and repetitive essays to convey her point. This type of format is all fine and dandy but not my preferred format of reading and I zoned out several times as she went on and on about something she had already mentioned several times before. Other than that, I really enjoyed this book.

Rating: PG-14 and up, mainly for reading level

Date Review Written: April 4^th, 2019

God Bless Our Christmas Book Review

Title: God Bless Our Christmas


Author: Hannah C. Hall

Genre: Christian, Children, Christmas, Series, Animals, Board Book

Plot: Christmas comes only once a year. With all the anticipation, sometimes we can get a little too wrapped up in waiting for it and then enjoying to remember what it is supposed to be about. So here is a little book to help with that.

From the polar bear family to a fluffy little owl, each family gives thanks for their own special Christmas day as well as the greatest gift of all. From gift wrapping with care to snow angels and hot cocoa with friends and baking delicious cookies with grandma, Christmas is a magical time for everyone.

Likes/Dislikes: This is an adorable book and my kids loved it! My only complaints are that on the very first page, a line is written in red ink and then highlighted in white to make it look special but it just makes it hard to read, and the whole story takes place on Christmas day rather than having a couple of pages leading up to it. But all in all, adorable and I highly recommend it to everyone.

Rating: G-all ages

Date Review Written: January 8th, 2019

The Devoted Life Journal Book Review

Title: The Devoted Life: A Creative Devotional Journal


Author: Marjorie Jackson

Genre: Christian, Nonfiction, Journal, Devotional, Spiritual, Creative, Self-Help,

Plot: The market for devotionals is a very large one. We can search and find just about any type of devotional for every walk we might find ourselves on. There are devotionals for teen guys and girls, young adults, senior adults, kids, moms, for busy people, for the dark days of our lives, for gratitude and many other areas of life. Some of these devotionals come with built-in spaces for journaling our thoughts - usually just a few lines at the end of the chapter. Some come with companion journals but that is an extra purchase.

Enter Marjorie Jackson's little creation. Here we have, in a gorgeous dusty rose faux leather cover, a complete devotional journal. There are thirty-one sections with their own unique cover picture for us to color followed by a brief story or encouraging thoughts. Then come the fun journal prompts. After that comes another hand-drawn picture for us to fill in. At the back of the journal are some creative pages for us to do with as we please. And finally, what journal isn't complete with a lovely ribbon marker to keep our place?

Likes/Dislikes: I love journals. I have something of an addiction to smelling them, touching their gorgeous blank pages whispering of potential and hunting down the loveliest covers. So getting a hold of this extra special journal was a must for me. I really like the journal/coloring book combo that is going on here; it is unique and really makes me want to color all the pictures in. The introduction was admittedly two pages too long in my opinion and I feel like the space for each journal prompt is not enough. I like the 365 Questions journals even though the spaces are tiny in those, but I wanted longer journaling space with this. All in all, lovely but not really the journal for me.

Rating: G-all ages, geared more toward teens and adults.

Date Review Written: January 5th, 2019

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review. The opinions expressed in the above review are my own.

Inspire Catholic Bible Review

Title: Inspire Catholic Bible


Author: Tyndale Publishers

Genre: Catholic, Christian, Bible, Religious, Journaling, Art, Creative,

Plot: Studying our Bibles is something we are told to do and which we should do, as good and faithful Catholics. But in this busy day and age, we don't always have the time or inclination to do so. On top of that, there are so many other distractions demanding our attention that Bible reading can get a bit squished to the bottom of the priority list.

If there was a fun and creative way to study the Bible, many of us would happily sign up and hop on board. Enter the first ever Catholic journaling Bible! This unique creation combines the allure of popular adult coloring books and our own sturdy Bible to produce this lovely one-of-a-kind book where we can read the words of Scripture and use our God-given creativity to make a memorable keepsake. Studying the word of God just became our favorite activity of the day!

Likes/Dislikes: I'm not personally a big fan of the New Living Translation but I love everything else about this Bible! The cover is smooth faux leather in a gorgeous dusty rose shade. The inner cover is smooth and sturdy enough for colored markers to make an especially lovely beginning to this Bible and the interior pages are thin with a nice texture to them. They will not hold up to colored markers. The ink bleeds through very easily; I tested to make sure. Colored pencil works beautifully however so no worries there. I didn't try watercolor but I assume it would be too wet for the thin pages. The pages themselves alternate between a plain ruled writing space and a picture to fill in. Sometimes the picture is simply one word like faith or believe which isn't something I particularly like but that's okay. There's enough to doodle that a few stray repetitive words to color shouldn't be too bothersome. If anyone was wording, the words of God are not printed in red ink. All in all, a lovely gorgeous Bible!

Rating: PG-all ages but geared toward teens and adults

Date Review Written: December 23rd, 2018

I received a copy of this book courtesy of Tyndale Publishers for my opinion and I wasn't required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed in the above review are my own.

Parenting With Heart Book Review

Title: Parenting With Heart

Author: Stephen James and Chip Dodd

Genre: Christian, Nonfiction, Parenting, Self-Help,

Plot: Parenting is hard work. There are numerous styles, methods and techniques that all vary among themselves in subtle ways but they all have the same single-minded goal at the end: we want the best for our kids. We want the best living conditions, education, clothes, food, etc. We want them to thrive socially and emotionally. We want them to be healthy and wise when they are grown up. And most of all, we want our kids to be happy.

The stress of trying to make that dream a reality for ourselves and our kids can and often does take a toll on us. In this break-through book, authors Stephen James and Chip Dodd teach us that our kids don't need perfect parents to be happy and thrive. They need authentic parents who let themselves make mistakes but keep going after that end goal of happiness.

Likes/Dislikes: Both the authors are respected therapists who have seen plenty of parents in the same situations as us and have helped those parents succeed in their parenting lives. This adds credibility to their methods and weight to their names. The writing style is a tad dry but that rather comes with the territory in regards to parenting and self-help books written by professionals in other fields. There are questions at the ends of the chapters for further self-reflection to help us grow and the book dives into a lot of interesting material. All in all, a very interesting read.

Rating: PG-15 and up, mainly for reading level (its a parenting book).

Date Review Written: November 3rd, 2018

I received a copy of this book courtesy of Revell Publishing for my honest opinion and wasn't required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed in the above review are my own.

The Bride of Ivy Green Book Review

Title: The Bride Of Ivy Green


Author: Julie Klassen

Genre: Christian, Historical Fiction, Romance, Series, Regency England

Plot: Mercy Groove has closed down her precious little school and anxiously awaits the arrival of her brother and his new wife from their honeymoon. Life soon settles into a new uncomfortable groove for them and Mercy decides to take the only option left open for her. So she moves to Fairmount House with Mr. Drake and his newly discovered little daughter as the governess. This position puts her closer to her handsome carpenter crush. Sadly, he doesn't seem to have much time for her right now and Mr. Drake does.

Meanwhile, Jane is torn between the man she loves and the inn she rebuilt and depends upon. But when a tragic accident occurs, Jane must make her decision before she waits too long and misses her one chance at happiness again.

With so much life crammed into one small village, not many secrets are left to spill. But one newcomer might just change all of that. The conclusion to the many intertwined adventures in Ivy Hill will have readers swooning.

Likes/Dislikes: I loved this book! It was so good to be back in Ivy Hill and I really hope more books set here will be forthcoming. I loved having Mercy as the main character more so than Rachel this time, and so pleased with her happy-ending. Jane was a touch annoying to me; she procrastinates her decision and then changes her mind so fast I'm surprised she didn't give everyone whiplash. Thankfully (as with all clever writings), her story ends beautifully. I liked Victorine but was confused by her arrival in the beginning and didn't care for the circus tie-in. I hate circus stories. All in all, a wonderful story!

Rating: PG-14 and up, mainly for reading level and content (some veiled discussion of pregnancy, miscarriages and a brutal assault on a minor character several years ago in the story's history but nothing graphic).

Date Review Written: December 22nd, 2018

I received a copy of this book courtesy of NetGalley and I wasn't required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed in the above review are my own.

The Innkeeper's Daughter Book Review

Title: The Innkeeper's Daughter


Author: Michelle Griep

Genre: Christian, Historical Fiction, Romance,

Plot: Johanna Langley is 25 and runs the Blue Hedge Inn with the occasional help from her ailing mother and rambunctious ten year old brother. Business isn't exactly booming and the inn has seen far better days but Johanna is determined to keep it afloat because if she doesn't, she could end up in the workhouse and separated from her family who depend on her heavily. With this type of stress on her shoulders, Johanna doesn't have time for Alexander Moore.

Alexander Moore is an officer in the Bow Street Runners and has accepted an incredibility dangerous undercover mission to expose a high stakes plot against the British crown. His life depends on his mission and he never thought a pretty face would complicate things quite so much as Joanna's pretty face does. While he would love nothing better than to swoop in and save the day for her, his crucial mission must come first or a great many lives will be lost.

Likes/Dislikes: 1808 in England is an exciting time for historical fictions and this story does not disappoint. It does take a little bit of a slow boil at times and is a squeaky clean romance so if you want something a bit more passionate then best look elsewhere. On the flip-side I would have no problem letting my tweens and teens read this if they wanted to. All in all, a nice little story. This is the second in a series but it is a stand-alone story which is so nice.

Rating: PG-13 and up, mainly for reading level.

Date Review Written: November 3rd, 2018

I received a copy of this for my honest opinion courtesy of Barbour Publishing group. I wasn't required to write a positive review and the opinions expressed in the above review are my own.

Risen Book Review

Title: Risen

Author: Angela Hunt

Genre: Christian, Historical Fiction, Biblical Retelling, Novelization,

Plot: It is dangerous times for everyone in Jerusalem and Roman Tribune Clavius is very aware of this fact. He is sent to qualm a riot caused by Barabbas and then off to close up the crucifixions for that day. The man in the middle of a trio is quite clearly dead but he still has his men double check before taking down the body. A job nicely done.

Or so he thought. When the body goes missing, Clavius is sent to search for it. Many of the Jewish leaders claim that the man was calling himself the Son of God and suspect his followers of stealing the body to further propel this theory. Clavius goes on the hunt and begins his investigation in the halls of Herod Antipas and ends up in the Garden of Gethsemane. He meets many colorful characters and the reality of what happened to the body will shake his world to the roots.

Likes/Dislikes: For me, biblical retellings can be hit or miss and this was definitely a hit. I have not yet seen the movie (with three kids under five, we are knee-deep in Disney and anything animated right now), but it is now most definitely on my must-see list. I was a but disappointed to find out that Rachel didn't make it into the movie due to time constraints but that makes the book even richer for me.

Rating: PG-16 and up, mainly for reading level and content (mostly a love affair and some death, obviously).

Date Review Written: November 3rd, 2018

I received a copy of this book courtesy of Bethany House Publishers and wasn't required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed in the above review are my own.

Where We Belong Book Review

Title: Where We Belong


Author: Lynn Austen

Genre: Christian, Historical Fiction, Egypt,

Plot: Growing up in the rough and tumble of the Chicago streets in 1892 is hard on orphaned sister Rebecca and Flora Hawes but they make it work and they survive. From there, their unconventional personalities and love of adventure propel them out into the world to do good deeds and impact the people around them for the greater good.

Traveling from Chicago to Cairo and thence into the great Sinai Desert is a long journey peppered with many dangers, new sights and smells, and incredible experiences. But soon the sisters - along with their sturdy young butler Soren and a plucky young girl named Kate - find themselves trapped in a fierce sandstorm and must wait to see if they will survive the danger or perish at the end of their journey.

Likes/Dislikes: The main attraction to this book for me was the idea of another exciting adventure in Egypt. I love reading books set in Egypt, especially in this time-period. But this book is dense and very long, written in a rambling manner and the bulk of it is all in flashbacks from all four of the main characters which can get a bit confusing after awhile. There isn't a lot of time spent in Egypt like I'd imagined either. I really don't have much interest in Chicago during any time-period. Oh well, better luck next time.

Rating: PG-14 and up, mainly for reading level.

Date Review Written: November 2nd, 2018

I received a copy of this book courtesy of Bethany House Publishers and wasn't required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed in the above review are my own.

Begin Again Book Review

Title: Begin Again

Author: Leeana Tankersley

Genre: Nonfiction, Christian, Self-Help,

Plot: When you are stuck in a place in your life where you feel you have hit rock bottom and there's nothing else around except for some rocks and a hard place, life can seem pretty down. Nothing ever works out for you and the past just keeps hanging around, dragging you down and burdening you with its unbearable weight and pocketfuls of regret and despair. But there's still hope. A very tiny thin stream of hope to light the way. All you need to do is be brave enough to reach out and touch it.

Having been through her own hard times, author Leeana Tankersley shows us how to be brave enough to grasp that thread of hope and begin again, drawing ourselves out of our personal pits of despair and leaving behind the past with its pain, regret and darkness. When we begin again, we can finally let go and rest in peace without all the anxiety and inner torment we've been dealing with for so long. And that is well worth it.

Likes/Dislikes: Admittedly, I took a shot at reading this because the cover was pretty and it sounded very intriguing. I've been in some tight places and have spent the last year and a half or so reshaping my life and changing it. So this sounded like the perfect book for me. Unfortunately or fortunately, I was already past the point where this book would've been necessary and I found it to be a bit stale and repetitive instead of helpful. But that is just me. All around, a pretty solid book.

Rating: PG-15 and up, mainly for reading level.

Date Review Written: October 21st, 2018

I received a copy of this book courtesy of the publishers for my honest opinion. I wasn't required to write a positive review and the opinions expressed in the above review are my own.

On This Christmas Book Review

Title: On This Christmas

Author: Zondervan

Genre: Nonfiction, Journal, Christmas, Personal, Religious

Plot: Every year at Christmas time we get swept away in gifts, shopping, baking delicious cookies we only have once a year, decorating the house and numerous other little things that all add up to one big celebration on the 25th. Then we spend the remaining week in a daze, feeling glad that it is over and relishing in the new memories we created. And every year we always insist that we will remember this Christmas because it was the best Christmas ever.

But slowly, over time, those fond Christmas memories fade or blur together into one big happy Christmas memory. In order to keep the memories clear and concise, we have this adorable journal designed perfectly to record five years of fond Christmas memories. We can track how the little things like gifts and favorite songs change over the years. And this journal makes a perfect gift too.

Likes/Dislikes: I love journals and collect them whenever I can. This one is an absolute must for any journal enthusiast or writer. It smells divine and has a nice layout to really get down deep and record details about each Christmas, rather than a few sentences on a cramped space. There are lovely quotes and gorgeous Christmas photography sprinkle dresses throughout the book as well and the cover with its background of black is simply beautiful. All around, love this journal and highly recommend it to everyone this Christmas!

Rating: G-all ages, geared more for teens and adults.

Date Review Written: October 19th, 2018

I received a copy of this book courtesy of BookLook Bloggers for my honest opinion and wasn't required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed in the above review are my own.

The Love Dare For Parents Book Review

Title: The Love Dare For Parents

Author: Stephen and Alex Kendrick

Genre: Christian, Nonfiction, Parenting, Spiritual

Plot: Ever since the Christian film Fireproof came out, everyone has been interested in doing the love dare for themselves. But once our marriage is all set and fireproof, what else in our lives can we fireproof as well? Most of us immediately think of our children and this book is for exactly that purpose.

Using Scripture as the guide, this little book helps to turn the parents toward the children and enrich the relationship as the children grow and learn to survive in the world on their own. Designed to fit into a busy parenting schedule, this is dare everyone should try at least once - especially if we feel we are struggling in connecting with our children in this busy day and age.


Likes/Dislikes: While I loved the idea behind this book, the actual writing style was a turn off for me and I wasn't inclined to finish reading the book. On top of that, I have toddlers and this book seemed more geared toward older children. Maybe I'll pick it back up in a few more years.

Rating: G-all ages, geared mainly toward parents

Date Review Written: August 27th, 2018

I received a copy of this book courtesy of Netgalley and wasn't required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed in the above review are my own.

Little Book Of Thanks Book Review

Title: Little Book Of Thanks

Author: Jean Fischer

Genre: Children, Christian, Gratitude, Precious Moments, Board Book, Autumn

Plot: With the changing seasons come cooler weather and a focus on gratitude and being thankful for what we have in life. We can be thankful for the big things like a roof over our heads and the little things like toys to play with and fuzzy socks. The habit of being thankful for what we have is a healthy one and we can start at any time. We are never too young to begin expressing gratitude for what we have.

This adorable board book uses the classic Precious Moments children to illustrate the lesson of being grateful to God for what He has provided us with. Little readers will delight in the pictures and rhyming stories of things they can find in their own little worlds to be grateful for. The perfect book for autumn and the Thanksgiving season.

Likes/Dislikes: This is such a cute little book! I didn't know it was a board book when I saw it but I love that it is one! And Precious Moments are adorable. The words flow really well. My only observation is that it is about six pages too long for the 2 yr. old's attention span but with some practice she will get there.

Rating: G-all ages, highly recommended

Date Review Written: September 25th, 2018

I received a copy of this book courtesy of Booklook Bloggers for my honest opinion. I wasn't required to write a positive review and the opinions expressed in the above review are my own.

A Sherlock Holmes Devotional Book Review

Title: A Sherlock Holmes Devotional

Author: Trisha White Priebe

Genre: Christian, Nonfiction, Devotional, Spiritual

Plot: In a world filled with devotionals for everyone in every walk of faith at every age and written for every schedule type, there are a few that stand out as unique and this is one of them. Using the classic mysteries which have entertained and fascinated us for over a century, Trisha Priebe delves into the mysteries of God with a detective's enthusiasm and comes up with some surprising insights into our favorite detective as well as some words of truth and encouragement which have stood the test of time.

And since this is such a unique devotional, it is perfect for the novice Sherlock reader and the die-hard fan alike as well as fitting in perfectly with a season of time with the Lord or a unit study on Sherlock Holmes and the Victorian era.

Likes/Dislikes: While I didn't finish this book (I had a baby which can really take away from book reading, sadly), I did enjoy the first half and fully intend to revisit it again. And when my kids are older, I'm going to go all homeschool mom on them and incorporate this into their Sherlock Holmes/Victorian era faze for maximum benefits. I liked how there were new insights into Sherlock which I missed or didn't remember when I read the mysteries. So cool.

Rating: PG-12 and up, mainly for reading level. Geared more toward teens and adults.

Date Review Written: August 24th, 2018

I received a copy of this book courtesy of Netgalley and wasn't required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed in the above review are my own.

Pumpkin Spice And Everything Nice Book Review

Title: Pumpkin Spice And Everything Nice Coloring Book

Author: Julianne St. Clair

Genre: Nonfiction, Adult Coloring Book, Creative, Autumn, Christian

Plot: Autumn is just around the corner and her loyal fans are already searching for the first hint of her arrival on the breeze. We're itching to dig out warmer clothes with comfy hoods and tall boots. We're eyeing the shelves while shopping for our favorite seasonal treats and waiting very impatiently for those treasured pumpkin spice lattes to appear on the menu once again.

While we wait, we can indulge our love of this wonderful season with this delightful coloring book. The perfect gift for any coloring or Autumn enthusiast and sure to enchant all who draw near with colored pencils or markers in hand. With pumpkins on nearly every page, beautiful scripted pages as well as full scenes and delightful little images all begging to be brought to life, this book has a little something in it for everyone. Better stock up on pencils and markers this year!

Likes/Dislikes: I love Autumn. Love, love, love it! And this coloring book is so perfect! Each page is a delight to behold and once I'm done coloring in it, it'll be a real beauty to grace my shelves. Toward the back of the book there are several sunset scenes which I'm not too sure of (having fully enjoyed all the hot chocolate, pies, pumpkins and owl pages much more previously), but I'm sure they'll look beautiful just the same. All I need now is a nice rainy day, a hot cup of tea, that rare two hour nap my kids take once a year and new coloring pencils.

Rating: G-all ages. You might not want to share though.

Date Review Written: August 24th, 2018

I received a copy of this book courtesy of BookLook Bloggers for my honest opinion. I wasn't required to write a positive review and the opinions expressed in the above review are my own.