Wednesday, June 29, 2016

Good Fictional Book

Submerged was an adventurous and fun book to read.  Dani Pettrey has written a fun fictional book. It's a suspense drama with a little romance. 

As the book progressed the suspense increased and there were twists and turns and at times the unexpected. 

I felt the plot line was good and the characters were well developed.  She also did a great job in helping the reader to identify the town in which the story takes place.

Overall, I found this to be a very good fictional book.


This is a book from Bethany House Publishers.

Monday, June 27, 2016

Very Good Teen Study Bible

I really like this new NKJV TEEN STUDY BIBLE.  It has a number of unique features - -
  • We Believe: Unpacks the Apostles Creed to reveal the biblical foundation of faith
  • Panorama: Keeps the big picture of each book of the Bible in view
  • Key Indexes: Help with in-depth Bible study
  • To the Point: Reveals what the Bible says about pressing issues
  • Dear Jordan: Offers biblical advice for teens
  • Instant Access: Tells what God says to you personally
  • Q&A: Tests your knowledge of Bible trivia
  • Bible Promises: Highlights Bible verses worth remembering
  • Book Introductions: Provides an overview for each book of the Bible
I prefer the NKJV or the ESV as the best literal translations to read.  Especially for teens, these versions are very easy to understand and the original meanings are not compromised.

I also liked the size of the Bible.  It is thick, but it is a manageable size, meaning it is not too wide to handle for the youth.

If there was one additional item I would want from this Bible, it would be study notes on the bottom of the pages.  I think this would help the teens when they have questions when reading the Bible.  

Overall, this was a very good Bible and I would recommend this for teens. 

I received this book from http://www.booklookbloggers.com in exchange for an honest review.

Spiritual Balance in a Digital World

In her book, The Wired Soul:Finding Spiritual Balance in a Hyperconnected Age, Tricia McCray Rhodes has written an interesting book.  Her point is that we are so engaged in technology that we have difficult finding balance and centeredness. 

The fact that I am on the computer a great deal of the time led me to request this book.  Initially I was drawn into the book, then I became frustrated as I moved along.  I think it was partly the fact that the book was written more from a Lectio Divina perspective.

By this I mean, there were 4 main sections ~

Lectio - meaning to read
Meditatio - meaning to meditate
Oratio - meaning to pray
Contemplatio - meaning to contemplate.

What was really nice in the book was the effort taken to give practical examples, and about 3-4 pages at the end of each chapter giving a game plan to attempt to put these practices into daily use.  This is a book I may return to in a different season of life, and my hope is that it will speak to me more at that time, then it is now. 

Overall, though, this is a very good book, informative, easy to read, and practical.

I received this book from http://tyndaleblognetwork.com in exchange for an honest review.

Know People!!!

In his newest book, The Art of People: 11 Simple People Skills that Will Get you Everything You want, Dave Kerpen has written a very practical book, filled with a great deal of common sense wisdom which most people do not follow.

The book is broken out into 11 sections with about 4-5 short chapters in each section.  Chapters are only 3-5 pages.  They are easy to read and filled with plain language and illustrations.  At the end of each chapter is a section called FAST - First Action Steps to Take.  They are simple steps to remind the reader of what they need to do in order to put that chapter's lesson into action.

In the end there is an Appendix which includes a lengthy Enneagram, which the reader can score themselves.  After that is another section of inspirational quotes on a variety of topics which is a nice resource to have as well.

Overall, this an an excellent book, and a good one especially for all people who are interacting with others.

I received this book from Book from www.bloggingforbooks.com in exchange for an honest review!

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Thursday, June 02, 2016

Excellent College Prep Book

My first child is getting ready to head off to college.  So, when I saw this book, I knew I had to get it so we could both read it.  In College Rules, How to Study, Survive and Succeed in College, 4th Edition, by Sherrie Nist-Olejnik and Jodi Patrick Holschuh, I found so much information, I felt I was in a class and being overloaded with notes.  I like the fact that both authors are professors, and have a good handle on college life.

This is an excellent book to prep your soon to be college student.  Even though I have been to college, way too many years ago, this book if filled with tons of information.  Lots of basic information and stuff I never would have thought about.

They have not left anything untouched.  I like the sections on the syllabus, on technology, how to study for different types of exams, and so much more.  The book is written in an easy to read, straight forward manner.  There are some anecdotes about mistakes other college students have made, so that you won’t make the same mistake.  The authors end each chapter by listing the top ideas from that chapter.

This is an easy to read book, but it is over 300 pages, 314 to be exact, with 25 chapters.  So, it’s thicker than you might think, but it’s worth the read.  This would make for a great graduation present or an extra Christmas present for the student who is a Junior in High School.

I received this book from bloggingforbooks.com in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

Blog? Want free books? Let's chat.

Wednesday, June 01, 2016

Becoming a VIP

I was very interested to read this book by O.S. Hawkins, entitled, VIP: How to Influence with Vision, Integrity, and Purpose.

This book really intrigued me because I believe the 3 areas Hawkins talks about are vital to effective leadership.  If a leader, or anyone wishes to influence others they must exhibit vision, integrity and show purpose.

Hawkins has been a pastor and is presently the leader / President of GuideStone Financial Resources.

Mr. Hawkins is guided by his faith as a follower of Christ, and he uses his faith as a guide and shares that with the reader.  He also refers to scripture to help prove and demonstrate his points about influencing others. 

In order to help the reader understand his points, Mr. Hawkins uses stories from the Bible, along with personal stories and illustrations to help the reader better move forward in the challenge of leading and influencing others.  

While the book is only 116 pages, it is not necessarily a quick read.  It is meant for the reader to consider and muse on the various points Mr. Hawkins has made.
 

Overall, I found this to be a helpful book as I move forward in leadership.  It would also make a nice Father's Day present, since that holiday is fast approaching.

I received this book from Booklookbloggers.com in exchange for an honest review.

Fun Kids Devotional

God Gave Us the Bible: 45 Favorite Stories for Little Ones is a very well done, hardcover introductory Bible for parents to read with thei...