Note Takers Bible

NASB Note-Taker's Bible

Age Range: Anyone 

Genre: Bibles

Hardcover: 1072 pages

Publisher: Zondervan

Source: From publisher via Booklook Bloggers

My Rating: 3 of 5 stars

About the Book:

Finally, a hardcover Bible that has plenty of room for taking notes during public or private worship, small group fellowships, or any other time or place readers feel the need to make comments in their Bible. No more cramped writing in tiny margins—the NASB Note-Taker’s Bible makes it easy to stay organized and neat. Readers will be able to personalize the text of God’s Word to their lives like never before and will treasure it as a record of their spiritual journey. Includes the complete text of the popular New American Standard translation.

Features:

• Deluxe wide margins for note takers
• Complete NASB text
• Double column text for easy reading
• Words of Christ in red letter

My Thoughts:
    
I have read many different kinds of Bibles all through my life. I have at least three that I use on a regular basis. That is becuase they are different  versions. I gravitate towards NLT, NIV, and ESV versions. When Book Look Bloggers had the NASB Note-Taker's Bible available for review, I decided to give it a shot. One reason is because I have been taking more and more notes in my Bible and found the Bible Journaling Community, and the other reason is to see how different it is compared to the other versions I have.

I found that the margins in the Bible, each page had at least 1.5 inches of space for notes. The space is on the left, right and bottom of the pages. The pages are thin, like a normal Bible and I was worried that if I started drawing and scribbling, painting, and gluing,  the pages would rip. 

The other thing I found was that I didn't really like the style of the wording in the Bible. I may be biased beacuse I use the the other versions, but this version of the Scripture was not to my liking. If you like NASB and like note taking then this Bible is for you. 

I recieved this Bible from Book Look Bloggers for free in return for my honest review. 

Daily Painting

Daily Painting by Carol Marine

Age Range: Anyone that wants to broaden their artistic design

Genre: Painting and creativity

Paperback: 192 pages

Publisher: Watson-Guptill (November 4, 2014)

Source: From publisher via Blogging for Books

My Rating: 5 of 5 stars

About the Book:

A unique system for jump-starting artistic creativity, encouraging experimentation and growth, and increasing sales for artists of all levels, from novices to professionals.

Do you want to bring the joy back into your art? Have you landed in a frustrating rut? Are you having trouble selling paintings in galleries, getting bogged down by projects you can’t seem to finish or abandon, or finding excuses to avoid working in the studio? Author Carol Marine knows exactly how you feel—she herself suffered from painter’s block, until she discovered “daily painting.” The idea is simple: do art (usually small) often (how often is up to you), and if you’d like, post and sell it online. Soon you’ll find that your block dissolves and you’re painting work you love—and more of it than you ever thought possible!

With her encouraging tone and useful exercises, Marine teaches you to:

• Master composition and value
• Become confident in any medium
• Choose subjects wisely
• Stay fresh and loose
• Photograph, post, and sell your art online
• Become connected to the growing movement of daily painters around the world.

About the Author:

CAROL MARINE is an artist and the creator of the popular blog A Painting a Day (or Almost). She is a member of Daily Paintworks, a distinguished group of daily painters, and she teaches daily painting workshops around the country. Marine lives in Eugene, Oregon. Visit www.dailypaintworks.com.  

My Thoughts:
   
I have read my fair share of art books beacuse I've wanted to branch out more into different mediums. I have to say, I really liked the style that Carol used in order to bring this book to life. This book is great for any artist that is just budding or an expert. She goes over some great content. I think I thought like a lot of artists and thought you had to paint BIG in order to "make it". I love how she helps you bring out different things in yourself and your medium, whatever it is. This is a great how-to to experiment with different mediums. 

I never really thought about blogging and selilng my art before. I just did it for fun. But, after reading her steps, and how easy it seems to get things going (mind you, she DOES specify that things don't happen over night....) on a blog to sell your work. I think this is something that I'd like to venture in to.

I highly recommend reading through this book and take up some of the techniques for yourself!

I received this book for Blogging for Books in return for my honest review. 

NIV First-Century Study Bible

I've read/skimmed my fair share of Bibles in the past. I thought this Bible would be a nice edition to my collection. I write in my Bibles, so I have a tendency to run out of margins or coloring on the pages.

I got this book as an eBook. While the text is the same as any NIV, this Bible incorporates lots of different studies for words and text amongst other things. There is a lot of different learning tools that can be utilized in this Bible.

The only downfall I found with the eBook was that it took forever to load. I tried it on three different things: my phone, my tablet and my Nook Color. They all seemed to load very slowly, sometimes not at all and all I got was the spinning wheel of death. While having an eReader or eBook is nice and handy, I much prefer to have a real, solid book in my hand. There is something more appealing to me. I would have loved to seen this Bible in physical form.

The Woman Who Would be Queen

I'm a sucker for Ancient Egyptian history and have been since I was a child. When I found out this book was available to review on Blogging for Books, I didn't hestitate to grab it up.

I have never read anything really on Hatshepsut or from Kara Cooney, so I was excited to dive in. At first when I started reading, I was a little worried that this was going to be nothing more than a romance/fiction from the styling of the first chapter or two. But eventually, it got more into the "real" stuff and explained the reign of Hatshepsut.

I found this book very easy to understand and follow. Sometimes, authors use jargon that isn't familiar with an audience who is interested in learning about it on a more plain level. While there was still scholarly information, it was still easily understood. While I know a little about Ancient Egyptian life, I tried to come from the angle of an person who does not understand this amazing society of ages past. And I found it to be very easy to percieve. I would recommend picking this up if you are interested in learning about one of Egypts greatest pharaoh's and women.

Barracuda

I like to read. I like to try to read other genres and branch out. I'm usually scared at first because my attention span sometimes gets the best of me and I find myself thinking about other things as I'm "reading" the words on the page. This leaves me "thinking" that I'm reading a book when in reality I can't remember things that happened on the pages. Sometimes I stop reading a book because of this process beacuse I feel like I'm not engrossed enough.

It was slightly different with Barracuda from Christos Tsiolkas. I was brought in by the words on the page and quickly became engrossed in the storyline. Barracuda is thought provoking, psychologically challenging, and definitely something that I normally would not have read before. I'm glad that I took that leap and dive in.

Fiddler on the Roof

I have always loved Broadway and Fiddler was one of the ones I enjoyed the most. It's a classic. And it was so nice to be able to get a copy of this book. It is the script of the musical. Call me silly, but I followed along with the book while watching the movie. It's always interesting to see things come to life, whether it be on screen or live stage. And reading it all by myself put a different spin on the characters as well. 

Great gift for any theatre junkie. 

Pink Bible

I have read many versions of the Bible. I happened to be thinking the other day, "What if I run out of room with all the notes that I put in my Bible???" Low and behold, I was able to request a copy of this Bible.

This is an NIV version, with devotionals spread out across to help those that are going through breast cancer or are a survivor. I am neither,  but my mother passed away from Kidney Cancer, so this is partly the reason that I got it. I really liked reading the little devos that were included. It spoke right to my heart about things that I have had to deal with while mom was going for treatments.

Let's All Be Brave

I couldn't wait to get this book. I first learned about it because I am part of a group of women (and men?) that is an online bible study called She Reads Truth. I remember seeing this book and as soon as I got it I dove into it. Annie shares her experiences with being, and lack of being, brave. Everyone has their ups and downs with being brave and this book gave some good insight into how to be brave in those challenges. As a Christian, I am faced with not conforming to the world and being brave in my faith. As a human, I face many challenges that test my knowledge, morality, and being. This book will lift you up and encourage you.

What Color is Your Parachute? Interviews

I was on the search for a book that would help me with intereviews. Things were going well I thought when I was on them, but for some reason I wasn't getting the job. What was I doing wrong? What was I doing right? This is a fairly quick read and most of the tips in the book are ones that I've used already before. Some were new, but mostly for me, it was a refresher. Let's hope that I get the job after reviewing this!

I Just Graduated...Now What?

"I just graduated...now what?" I'm sure that is a question a lot of graduates ask after they complete college. They are stepping into a new world and unforeseen territory. So...what happens next?

Katherine Schwarzenegger has brought to us a collection of stories. This was not was I was expecting. I thought it was going to be some manual on how to look for, get, and keep a career. Instead I got something surprisingly different.

Can I just be honest for one second?

I was kind of disappointed in this book. Not going to sugar coat it. We all can't be pleased with things we read, or feel personally attacked because someone doesn't like what we say. Aren't we entitled to an opinion?

It is a collection of people; from celebrities to politicians. It shows their stories from where they graduated and with what major and how that stepping stone moved them into their lives they have now. A lot of them took VERY different paths than what they originally graduated with.

While that's all well and good, I could have found very similar stories with people that I know in my own community. I didn't need "famous" people to tell me how they "got famous".

I'm not saying that's bad either. Some people will feel encouraged by these stories. I just personally didn't.

**NOTE: I received this book for free from Blogging for Books in return for my honest review. All thoughts are mine.***

Child of Mine

I have always loved Beverly Lewis. This book is slightly different of hers from what she normally writes.

Instead of taking place in an Amish community, this book takes place in the "Englischer" world. It was a nice variation of hers.

I don't want to give too much away. This book has twists and turns all through it. It kept me guessing. It was a little slow to start for me, but once it got going, then I whizzed right through it. Normally, I can tell what is going to happen in the end with her books. I kept making the wrong guesses though.

Good, clean reading. Romance, suspense, and light hearted laughter from a little girl. I would recommend this book to anyone that likes to read about those things.

Butterfly and the Violin

This story has two stories that meet together: one from the past and one from present day. The past is about a promising violinist that helped smuggle Jews during the Holocaust and she too is taken to a prison camp. The other, is about a woman who is in the search of a rare painting of this promising violinist. 

The Butterfly and the Violin, is the first book in Kristy Cambron’s debut series "A Hidden Masterpiece". This book is about the story the painting tells, and the impact the story has on Sera James.

The book switches between both time periods with ease. I was never confused as to which era I was in. Kristy Cambron writes with a clarity and authority on her subject matter. Even though this book is classified as Historical Christian Romance, anyone, regardless of their reading preference, will certainly love this story. I am looking forward to the second book in the series when it releases.

**NOTE** I received this book for free in return for my honest review from BookLook Bloggers

The Ecstasy of Surrender

Now...from the looks of the cover, you may be thinking that it is about sexual ecstasy. However, it is not.

If you have read "The Secret" or the "The Power" from Rhonda Byrne, this book is in a similar genre. A lot of the concepts I read in "The Power" are in this book. But Dr. Orloff goes a little deeper in depth.

Dr. Judith Orloff, MD, writes twelve ways of how letting go can empower your life. When we hear the word "surrender", we think about submission or giving up. However, that is not the case here. Surrender means of letting go...letting go of things that are holding you back from your full potnetional in life. Situations that have caused you great pain, and they have crippled your belief, esteem, spirit, and more.

The book is divided in to five sections: Power and Money, Reading People and Communication, Relationships/Love/Sensuality, Mortalitiy & Immortality: Cycles of Light, and Embracing Ecstasy. From there, the 12 surrenders are broken down into their correlating   parts.

What I also like about this book is that Dr. Orloff gives examples from her life as well as some from her patients. It shows that no matter where you are in life, no matter what you are struggling with, surrender really can be attainable.

NOTE: I received this book for free from Blogging for Books with the intent of giving my honest review. All reviews are mine, and my opinion of the book. 

A Mother's Secret

Yet again, I pick a book that is part of a series. Here I thought this was a stand alone book but it's the second book in the Hearts of Lancaster Grand Hotel series from Amy Clipston. 

I get into these phases of only reading certain books. This happen to be my phase of reading Amish love stories. I think I need a break.

They are all starting to mingle together and sound the same. While each have their own characters, I think it's time I take a break from reading the Amish stories for a little while. 

With that being said, I liked this book. I was so moved by its message. It's a story of love, forgiveness, God's grace, & God's will. We all make mistakes, but people seem to forget that. And they forget that we are in no position to pass judgment on others, regardless of what their mistake has been. Instead of being forgiving and moving on, we dredge it up, over and over. This is the core of Carolyn's story and what she has to deal with every day, and it's the core of A Mother's Secret.

Cuffed, Tied, and Satisfied...

First thing I thought of when I got this book, was "50 Shades all the way..."

This book is very detailed in the life of BDSM. It's a great book for those that are curious about it, especially after hearing about or reading the Fifty Shades of Grey Trilogy. It will help open your mind to the world of "kinky sex" whether you or your partner enjoys it or is curious about it. It goes through role playing, and different ideas that can be used. Everyone has their own ideas for BDSM, while there are rule involved: the relationship is safe and consensual. The safe words help the dominant and the submissive in knowing where the lines are and where they should not be crossed. Mistress Jaiya is very thorough throughout the book in explaining all the different facets of BDSM. 

The Loving Kitchen

Good, down-home cooking. That's what brings happy memories to my mind. And as this books suggests, most of the recipes remind me of times I've gone by friends houses, visiting my grandmother, or making them at home (I still cannot master making home made bread...maybe someday!)

A lot of the recipes were fairly easy to follow. Just looking at the ingredient lists, most of the stuff you have at home already. The instructions were easy to read too. There were a lot of the recipes I have used, or very similar to, so to me it reminded me of a regular "down-home" cookbook.

One thing that I notice about myself is I love to look at the pictures of the recipe being made. I get an idea of what the final product is supposed to look like. While there were probably plenty pictures for most people, I would have loved to have a picture of every recipe. Maybe that's why I love Pinterest so much. Finding the recipes, seeing what they look like, and then going to the person's blog and reading about the process and seeing the recipe in motion.

Overall, if you are looking for a good home cooking cookbook, you will like this one.

Urban Watercolor

I love art. I love to paint. I am new to watercolor and I was excited to get this book.

Urban Watercolor Sketching is a great instructional for anyone who is just beginning to learn watercolor to the person that is a seasoned artist looking for a new angle on how to approach the medium.

I love the beginning on how watercolor was birthed. I didn't know this and I have a better appreciation for the medium.

The text is visually paired with colorful images. This book is not a how-to paint a picture with instruction. It is a guide on the materials used- from paper to brushes. It is a book that helps you expand on your imagination, changing the perspective of a view, and helping the artist grow. It is a about the art of storytelling through painting.

I putzed around with some of the guides and found it very easy and understood more about watercolors versus watching a video. Which is not like me....I'm a very visual learner, and this book helped me dig into myself and pull out feelings and expressions that I didn't know I had.

I received this book from Blogging for Books in return for my honest review of the product. I did not get paid for my review, but got a free copy of the product. 

Shadow Hand

When I saw this book was available, I knew that I would like it because 1) It has the Irish/Scottish/Celtic history 2) It is a fantastical place 3) The cover looked pretty (hey....sometimes a girl has her priorities)

What I didn't know was the book was the sixth book in the Tales of Goldenstone Wood Series. Knowing that, I still ventured on.

For me, it took a bit for the book to get started. While some people read it from cover to cover in a couple sittings, it took me a little bit to get into it. Also, sometimes life got in the way.

This is a story about blood and love, and the many things that lie in between. By her father's wish, Lady Daylily is betrothed to the Prince of Southlands. Not the prince she loves- handsome and dispossessed Lionheart- but his cousin- the awkward and foolish Prince Foxbrush. As her wedding day dawns, Daylily flees into the dangerous Wilderlands, her only desire to vanish from living memory. But Goxbrush, determined to rescue his betrothed, pursues Daylily into a new world of magic and peril. A world where vicious Faerie beasts hold sway a world invaded by lethal parasite, a world that is hauntingly familiar.

Anne Elisabeth Stengl writes with such imagery that is is hard not to get drawn in to the world of fantasy.

I Quit Sugar

Where do I begin? I happen to love sugar. I sympathize with you, Sarah, I really do. However....can I completely give up sugar all together?

When I first started reading this book, I thought I'd give it a shot. Now, I'm not so convinced that  I could ever do it. I love fruit and I adore honey (both of which have, you guessed it, sugar.) But I dug in and took a deep breath.

I like her honesty in the beginning. She was a sugar addict. I can't say that I am a sugar addict. I don't eat a lot of sweets, but I love fruit (as I said) as a snack. I never really ate a lot of candy, but there are lots of foods that have hidden sugars in them, and if you can make it yourself (almond milk...I love almond milk, and there can be lots of hidden sugars in almond milk from store bought brands. If you make it yourself, so much better. She includes a recipe in the book that seems fairly simple....)

The book starts out with stats about sugar and then goes in to an 8 week "sugar free detox". While there are lots of great tips, I don't think I'd EVER make it past day two without wanting a strawberry. I'm obsessed....I love strawberries. Sorry, Sarah.

Then, there are the 108 recipes. Oh my goodness, I want to try so many of these. I made a few and they are extremely simple. Sarah explains in the beginning of the book that she does not like to waste, likes simplicity, and doesn't consider herself much of a "cook". So the recipes have very few ingredients and are quick and easy. While I do this already, she shows you how the freezer will become your new best friend for stocking up on things. While people may feel it's more time consuming or expensive, in the long run, it's going to save you time and money when you freeze your own stocks and sauces.

I don't think I could quit sugar. While I'm going to incorporate a lot of these recipes in to my cooking and life to have a healthier body, mind, and spirit, I could never ever turn my back on my fruits and honey. But if you have the willpower and stamina, GO FOR IT! I'd love to hear your results. Sarah also has a website: I Quit Sugar that you can check out as a companion with the book.

**NOTE: All my views are mine alone. I am receieved this book from Blogging for Books in return for a fair and honest review of the product shown. I am not getting paid to review this book. **

Capturing Love

Now....some of you might be thinking, "Oh my goodness, what is this she is posting..." because this is not my typical book that I would blog about. HOWEVER, I am SO SO SO grateful for Blogging for Books for their new opportunity for bloggers to branch out and try different genres of books. It makes blogging SO much more fun!

When I first saw this book, I saw it was about photography. Now, I am in so shape or form a professional photographer, but I'm a sucker for a good photograph that captures the essence of a moment. That was what drew me to this book. 

I thought it was going to be about all pretty pictures....that was what I was excited about. But this book was so much more than that. While this book is geared toward the photographer and helping capture the special moment between the same sex couple (this is what they refer to the couple as throughout the book) with amazing images that took my breath away, it is a great in depth "instructional" if you will. There are so many great tips and techniques for any photographer. It's chock full of different ideas. Whether you are shooting gay or straight sessions....anyone can learn from and gain from this book. Focusing on different angles, settings and emotions for the couples is an important part of creating the mood and capturing the couple in any photography session. This gives added advice on "general" portraits.

I also had a new perspective on the same sex marriage. I think they are beautiful and this book captures the moment for each couple beautifully. 

Martie Maguire (formally of the Dixie Chicks) states it wonderfully in her Forward about what this book is really about: "...this book not only offers an amazing collection of images of love between two people, their families, and friends, it also offers a practical and insightful step-by-step instruction for photographers on how to capture these unique wedding moments. It breaks down a million and one reasons why approaching a nontraditional wedding may require a different set of skills and considerations, and in the this book lie many ideas and solutions."

I hope you take the time to look at the amazing pictures and maybe learn something in the process. 

***This review was done solely off my own views of the subject matter. I received this book free from Blogging for Books in return for an honest review of the product. I am not getting paid to review these books.***

Silenced

When I first got this book, I was intrigued. I started reading it and the first sentence got me hooked. However, I started the second chapter......looked at the spine of the book, and didn't realize it was the fourth book of a series....

The only downfall to being a book blogger, is the company's don't always tell you that a book is part of a series...or silly human error on my part that I didn't bother to read more in to it before I started reading it.

But...I kept on hoping that I would understand. And honestly...the book did a good job of doing that for me. I may not have known who all the characters were at first, but like meeting new people, you eventually get to know them.

Now I'm almost tempted to go back and read the other books to learn more about everyone...from the beginning.

10 Days Without....

What would you do if you went 10 days without something you thought to be essential? Would you be able to survive without your phone, iPad, computer...? What about shoes? Or a coat?

Daniel Ryan Day did just that...amongst many other things. He went 10 days without shoes, 10 days without furniture, 10 days without a coat....to help raise awareness for many of the world's problems. Things we take for granted. He shared his story with us and he challenges the reader to take that step and go 10 days without something.

Sounds pretty simple doesn't? I tried it and I didn't even make it one day without my shoes. JUST THE FIRST CHAPTER ALONE! It's not as easy as it sounds. In the 1st World...we are spoiled. We take so much for granted....we are so dependent on so many things.

This book should be a regular in churches, businesses, etc....to challenge people to open their eyes and help humanity.

The Queen's Handmaid

I have never read anything from Tracy L. Higley before. What drew me to the book was the fact that it took place in Ancient Egypt. I've been fascinated with Ancient Egypt since I was a child.

I enjoy historical fiction books and I was glad I picked up this book. It helps when the author takes time to do research of the time period. This story was wonderfully told. I could visualize the events taking place as if I was actually there. It's also nice that it a good, clean read.

If you like historical fiction, I would recommend picking this up.

Passion

I will never forget the first time I ever heard Louie talk. It was on the Indescribable Tour with Chris Tomlin. His message still lingers in my soul, reminding how small I truly am in this vast universe, but how much more I am loved by this great God of the universe.

I've always wanted to go to Passion Confreneces. Every year I told myself I would go. I had a friend that went every year. The only thing holding me back was money: traveling to GA seemed like a bit of a stretch for me when I was having barely any money to live and pay bills as it was.

I've listened to all the Passion artists from Chris Tomlin to Christy Nockels. I have been involved. It was great to see that they streamed this years conference I think that I know of for the first time. It had so many wonderful artists and speakers. One of my favorites: Beth Moore.

Now she is one of the speakers that are included in this book. When I first got it, I didn't realize it was going to be a bunch of different speaker/artists talking about the passion movement for younger generations. While I'm an "older" younger generation, I was still moved by what these stories had to say. It gave me inspiration on how to involve the generations to come. These people have really made an impact for Christ in younger hearts and I want to be one of those people too.

Ragamuffin Gospel

So many of my friends have read this book and reread this book. It has taken me till now to read it. It was well worth the wait. I have read many, many, many, Christian "self-help" books, and many i have questions and went "huh?" or "what did i just read?" or "seems i've heard all this before..." But this book was a challenge. It was hard to dig deep inside of myself and admit certain things to myself. But I did it. In order to have a better relationship with God, there are some things that I am going to have to understand that are difficult. But with God's grace and mercy, I can get through them, and this book helped me see that. No matter how broken and torn we are, God's grace and mercy is ALWAYS enough for us.

Cloak of the Light

I normally don't read books like this often. I don't read "sciency-y" or "supernatural" kind of stuff often. I seem to gravitate towards the "romance" novels or ancient egyptian-esque stuff. I know. call me weird. honestly, i was more drawn to the cover of the book than the title and the description, but i decided to give it a chance.  i was a little apprehensive at first, because, like i said, i normally don't read these kinds of things, but once it got into it, i actually enjoyed it. the story took a little bit for me to 'get' in to, but once it got going, the story started to take on a different dimension in a good way.

Veggie Tales: Pirates, Mess Detectives, and a Superhero

ARGH!!!!

So, if you are a kid, or a big kid like me, you might have heard of a crazy group of veggies that love to sing, dance, and tell amazing stories of life and the Bible.

This book is no exception to the rule. I LOVE Veggie tales. This is a Beginner's Reading #1 in the Zonderkidz I Can Read Series. There are 5 levels: My first, and 1-4. This book is a one.

The font is very big and easy to read for the newest of readers. The pictures are vibrant and add a great aid to the reading. The stories are fun and have the timeless Veggie Tale themes. It was great to see all the same smiling faces that I grew up on when Veggie Tales firs came out many ions ago!



 Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers  book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255  : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The Daniel Plan

Without God’s power in your life, you are just running on your own energy. God never meant for you to do that. It’s like having a laptop that’s unplugged; the battery will eventually drain and shut down the computer. Why would you live like that when God created you for so much more?

This is an excerpt from the book "The Daniel Plan" by RickWarren, Daniel Amen, and Mark Hyman. I have read "The Purpose Driven Life" and "40 Days in the Word" by Rick, so I was looking forward to reading this.

For the most part, it's very similar to other healthy "plan" books. The exercises and diet regulations and advice are all very similar to so many other books out there. But it adds another element: God. God created us, God created food we eat. He did not create all the trash that most American's put in their bodies. So having this parallel with a lifestyle plan helps. I liked some the recipes that were in the book and I'm looking forward to trying it. The plan seems overall pretty easy to follow.

Andi Unexpected

This was a cute book. Very short read for me. I was able to read this in one night.

I know I'm an adult, and this is a children's novel, but sometimes, you just have to let the brain rest. And this was just what I needed.

Andi and her sister Bethany move in with their aunt. Andi (or Andora as we find out) is named after someone in her family. While living with her aunt, her new friend, Collin, and her spend time together cleaning out her aunt's attic to make room for Andi's new room up there. They end up going on an adventure after finding an old box. What's in it? Why is her name on it?

I would recommend this to anyone looking for a new book for their child to read. It's a wonderful little tale. One that I could even see being made into a movie.

Lovology

What does love really mean?

"Love is a noun and a verb."
"'Love' is a junk drawer we dump all sorts of ideas into, just because we don't have anywhere else to put them. Example, I 'love' God, I 'love' fish tacos. See the problem?"

John Mark Comer has a way to reach the human heart and mind. Some might find some of the things he says as crass (example would be when talking about the desire for porn he says "jacking off"), but honestly, he is using lingo that many people use in every day talk.

He helps us see what love is. From God coming to Earth as a human, to gay relationships. And everything else in between during a relationship about a man and his wife. They are your friend, partner, and lover.

I love when "Christian" authors aren't afraid to talk about sex and marriage and how they are so important and entwined. GOD MADE IT. It's NOT a taboo. After all, Song of Songs is a love poem dedicated to a man and a woman and their romance and desire for each other. I grew up in a home where sex was NOT talked about and was told how 'bad' it really is. I have a very open relationship with a man that has become my best friend and we have a long distance relationship. While we may not have the physical implication between us, we do have very intimate talks about sex. He is the only one that I have felt safe talking about things like that. I don't feel embarrassed. I think that is what God wants for us when we find our mate.

Also, I love how John Mark talks about singleness as being a gift. I remember for the longest time wanting to get married and have children. I still do, but at the same time, that intense waiting was the WORST! But, the waiting brought a very special man in my life as well a stronger relationship with God.

This book is for everyone: single, engaged, married, gay/straight. We are all in need of love. And this book reminds us what it is to love and be loved.

On the down note, the only thing that I had a hard time with was the pink pages with white writing. once my eyes adjusted to it, it was a shock to switch from the pink to a plain page! But over all, this was a very quick read and suggest it to everyone.

Burning Sky

Based during the 1700's, Willa Obenchain was a fourteen year old girl abducted by Mohawks and taken as a captive and was given the name Burning Sky. She married a warrior, has children. When her husband and children die, she decides to return to her family. But will they remember her?

Burning sky is a stunning story about heartache, struggle, and love. It is a story of real hurts and pains and you relate well with the characters. The visualization of the land and the people draw you in and create a story around you. There is beauty in knowing that from the ashes we can rise again.