Shades of Doon

Well...I may be a 30-something adult female...

But there are times you can't resist YA fiction.

I flew through the first two books when I got them and I and I (not-so) eagerly awaited the arrival of the third book. Again, I read through the other two to make sure I remembered everything that happened in the previous two.

Shades of Doon did not disappoint. We continue on with Vee and Kenna, and their two Scottish princes, Jamie and Duncan. Vee is continuing her reign as Queen when some strange things begin to happen in the Kingdom.

For some reason, I still picture Duncan to look like Kellan Lutz. Strange, I know. Anyway, looking over the cliche teenage "speak" that the girls (mostly Kenna, since I vision her to be a little less mature than Vee), it's easy to get sucked up into the story again.

If you look for an easy read, like I do when I need to "relax" my brain, this adventure continues to be a great one. Looking forward to my next Scottish "visit" in 2016 when the series concludes.

Lazarus Awakening Book Review

I was able to receive the Study Guide/DVD for this book and I really enjoyed it. I was able to read through the book now. The Study Guide and DVD were excellent on their own but they were better understood while being able to read this book. It brought my thoughts on life to a whole new level and I will definitely be doing it again.

NIV Teen Study Bible- Girls: Growing in Faith, Hope, and Love

I love getting Bibles. One can never have too many, especially when you are jotting notes down all the time. Over time though, it can be hard to review it, when you've read the same thing over and over again.

What I like about this Bible, is that it is geared to the young girl. The book includes, Book introductions, character profiles of the women of the Bible, daily reading geared specifically for teen girls by popular Christian Author/sArtist, Concordance, and highlight verses for promises from God.

Even though this Bible is geared towards teen girls, as a thirty-something woman, I found that a lot of the extra "goodies" tucked in between God's Promises, was well worth the wait on receiving this.

Lazarus Awakening

Awhile back, I was given the book, "A Mary's Heart in a Martha World" from Joanna Weaver, from a friend because I was struggling with some very uneasy feelings in my heart and no matter how I prayed about it, they wouldn't seem to go away. I loved that book.

When I was given the chance to receive a copy of the Lazarus Awakening Study Pack from Blogging for Books, I was excited.

The Study Guide is very well put together and is usable for either personal/single study or group study in eight week sessions that are easy to follow. I decided to give it a go on a personal study level first.

The bundle does not include the actual Lazarus Awakening book, and at first I was concerned that I would need the book to go along with it. I started the first week and felt that it was not necessary to have the book to work with the companion study guide,  but I think it might explain things a lot better if you had that as well. 

Each chapter has a short lesson and then a Bible verse to memorize. Then there is a section called "Word Time" which is a one-page tidbit on applying the Bible to our lives and ways to understand it better. Next is "Israel Moment" which describes a little bit of life in Bible times. After this, there are a few reflection questions, and then the actual study where you will use your Bible to look up answers to the questions. The chapter closes with a "Who I am in Christ" statement and another video clip.The DVD is filmed in Israel with exquisite scenery that brings you into the moment, without distracting from the teaching.

I would recommend anyone to read this, study this, and be embraced by this. 

7 Secrets to an Awesome Marrigae

7 Secrets...

I am not currently in a marriage, or a relationship for that matter, but it does not hurt to learn about how a marriage should work, right?

I was hoping the best for this book. To me, it felt like all the other "self-help" marriage books out there, just broken up into 7 different categories. I didn't feel like there were any secrets that have not already been discovered by other authors, or the Great Author himself.

This is just my humble opinion.

Second Street Nation Review

I like reading all sorts of books. I like reading historical fiction...as long as it is historically accurate. I had a hard time getting through Second Street Nation because Mary Hadley is a modern woman in 1888, however her vulgar language reminds me that of a woman of the 21st century or a poorer ranking woman in the 19th century. She also lives in a one bedroom apartment with running water (she turns the faucet on to soothe a burn while cooking). I don't remember there being running water in an apartment, especially that of a bad side of a town.

I really wanted to like this book considering this is Lawrence Levy's first novel. However, do to the discrepancies, it was difficult for me to get through without making some sort of comment every few sentences.

The Good, The Bad, and the Grace of God

I was never really a fan of Duck Dynasty. I did, however, admire their faith in God and willingness to share it. Especially being on television where religious views aren't always openly accepted. It was a breath of fresh air to read this and learn about the family behind the popular television show. I have a new found respsect for the Robertson clan.

Jep Roberston, the youngest member of the Dynasty family, and his wife, Jessica, open up about their marriage, their family, and their faith in God. Most biographies I've read have been very "on the surface", but the Robertson's were not afraid to open up about their lives. It's a quick read, and anyone would learn something about themselves.