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 Minimalist Home Book Review

Title: The Minimalist Home


Author: Joshua Becker

Genre: Nonfiction, Christian, Organizing, Minimalist, Lifestyle, Self-Help,

Plot: One day Joshua Becker was elbow deep in cleaning out his garage when his neighbor remarked that he needed less stuff. This caused a light bulb to go off for Becker and he immediately went inside his house and began to minimize. He didn't just organize, tidy and declutter. He actively got rid of duplicates, broken items, useless items and things that he no longer had any need or emotional connection to.

By the time he was done, several years had passed and he had relocated his family to a smaller house. The amount of personal freedom and satisfaction Becker gave himself is immense and he wants to share his findings with you. In this handy little guide he takes us from room to room (beginning with the easiest rooms to declutter and moving onto the harder ones to boost our confidence levels and skills at throwing out useless junk), giving us step-by-step instructions for what to look for when minimizing and how to use our homes to shape the goals we ultimately want out of life. There is even a section on how to maintain our neat new look when we are all done minimizing. So what are you waiting for?

Likes/Dislikes: I have read a lot of organizing and decluttering, tidying and cleaning books. Some have been great like The Magic Of Tidying Up while others have been lacking - such as, Decluttering At The Speed Of Life. All of them have their own viewpoints and key aspects of interest and create a nice study in the different ways there are to manage our possessions in a manner that best suits our own personality types. This particular book is just so, with a strong hint of The Magic Of Tidying Up with the author's own experiences thrown in. As he states, "Minimalism, as I'm referring to it, is not about taking something away from you; it's about giving something to you." That sounds rather nice, doesn't it?

Rating: PG-12 and up, mainly for reading level.

Date Review Written: November 2nd, 2018

I received a copy of this book courtesy of WaterBrook Multnomah for my honest opinion. I wasn't required to write a positive review and 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.