Review of Wildwood Creek by Lisa Wingate

There are actually two parts to this story. In alternating chapters, we learn about Bonnie Rose from 1861, and Allie Kirkland from the present day. Allie's story is largely intertwined with Bonnie's and much of the mysteries surrounding Bonnie Rose is revealed through Allie.

Bonnie Rose and her sister Maggie Mae are just looking for a place to start over after the horrible ordeal that took their parents and younger sister from them 5 years ago. Their past seems to follow them everywhere they go no matter how hard they try to shut it out. They welcome the chance to begin a new life in a new town and so they immediately take Mr. Delevan up on his offer to move to Wildwood Creek, where Bonnie Rose will become the new school teacher.

But all is not as it seems in this small gold rush town, and people soon end up missing without a trace. Ridiculous rumors start milling around town that Miss Bonnie Rose is responsible for the heinous crimes, and that she's some sort of witch. People begin acting strange around her and some even stop sending their children to school in fear of her. Will Bonnie Rose be able to clear her name before it's too late?

Allie Kirkland is a college student just looking to follow in her father's footsteps to have a career in theater/film. She has worked on various small productions in the past, but when she is approached to work on the set of a docu-drama based on the story of Wildwood Creek, she jumps at the opportunity. Something of this magnitude could alter her career.

Despite the fact that Allie was only hired to work behind the scenes, she ends up working as one of the main characters on the set and becomes consumed with finding out the town's secrets. What happened to all of the town's people? Wildwood Creek seemed to have just disappeared into thin air and no one ever solved it's mysteries. Allie soon finds herself in more trouble than she ever imagined and caught in a mystery of her own.

I was expecting this book to be just historical fiction. What I wasn't expecting was how much mystery and suspense it contained! Mystery and Suspense are two of my favorite types of books, so I immediately fell in love with Wildwood Creek. I loved how the author built the story up to a page-turning edge-of-your-seat kind of plot! Though I felt it ended somewhat abruptly. I think I would have preferred the ending to be spread out a little bit and not have all of the secrets be revealed all at once. I did, however enjoy the way that the secret of Bonnie Rose was finally revealed and it was finally explained what had happened to her once the town was gone. I was kind of disappointed though that not much was mentioned of Maggie Mae. I would like to have learned where her story ended.

All in all though, I really enjoyed this book. I found myself taking this book with me everywhere I went just because I wanted to know what happened next. I stayed up many nights past my bedtime to try to get more reading in. ;)  I rate this book as 5 stars and would definitely recommend it not only to someone who enjoys historical fiction, but also mystery, suspense and romance.

I received this book for free from Bethany, a division of Baker Publishing Group in exchange for my honest unbiased opinion.

101 Color & Sing Bible Stories by Stephen Elkins

I am always eager to review anything by Stephen Elkins because I absolutely love the books I have gotten by him! This book was completely different from some of the others I have reviewed of his but I think this one may just be my favorite yet!

Not only does this Bible storybook include 101 Bible stories that are perfect for preschool age, it also includes a song and a coloring sheet to accompany each story! Making it the perfect resource for homeschooling momma's like myself, or even as a curriculum for Sunday School or Mini Church!

This book is aimed at 3-6 year olds, but my 2 year old already loves it. It is the perfect amount of writing for children of such a young age, and the illustrations are adorable! The songs that go along with the stories are very simple- most of them are only one or two sentences, so it's very easy for children to remember. The CD that comes with the book also includes printable coloring pages. You can see examples of each coloring page with each story.

I was super excited to review this book, and I was definitely not disappointed! This is an invaluable resource that I will be using for years to come. To purchase a copy, please visit Tyndale! I would highly recommend this book to anyone who works with preschoolers or who has children of that age. I rate it as 5 stars!

I received this book for free from Tyndale book publishers in exchange for my honest unbiased opinion.

"Made By God Curious Creatures: 4 Books in 1" Review

"Made By God- Curious Creatures: 4 Books in 1" Published by Zondervan" is an adorable Level 2 reading book! This is one large hardcover book approximately 9 x 6.6 inches and includes four separate books:

Rainforest Friends
Jungle Beasts
Polar Pals
Curious Creatures Down Under

Each animal section includes photos of real life animals with bonus facts to go along with each animal description. The pages are easy to read and perfect for early readers. The book is 123 pages long and includes information on 21 different kinds of animals.

I think this book is adorable for a wide variety of children! My two year old loved looking through the pages and asking me to read it to her, and my 7 year old (although a bit beyond level 2 reading) enjoyed reading about the many different types of animals. I think this would be an excellent resource to use as a read-aloud in homeschooling preschoolers, and also as a fun Science book for 1st-2nd graders depending on their reading level.

There are certain aspects of this book that I would not read to younger audiences (ie my two year old). For example, in the section on Anacondas, it explains how the snakes catch and squeeze their food until it stops breathing. It also goes on to say that the snake swallows it whole. Perhaps necessary information for older readers but certainly not toddlers or preschoolers.

I rate this book as 4 stars.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers <http://booklookbloggers.com> 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 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

A Promise in Pieces by Emily T. Wierenga

This lovely book "A Promise in Pieces" by Emily T. Wierenga is the story of a young woman named Clara Wilson who volunteered herself as a nurse in World War II much against her parent's advice. She remains a War nurse until the war ends and sends her back home. Before she heads back to her hometown and greets the parents she isn't sure even want to see her, she must travel to New Orleans to deliver a letter to a woman named Mattie, who lost her husband in battle. She had promised the dying soldier that she would deliver this last message to his wife, and it was a promise Clara intended to keep.

Clara is surprised by Mattie when they meet. Although Clara was delivering a letter to Mattie, it seems like Mattie is the one comforting and helping Clara through her troubles. She requests that Clara take a large baby quilt with her, since she won't be using it to wrap any future children in now that her husband is gone.

When Clara returns home to her parents, she is surprised by what she sees. Her father quickly embraces her even though growing up, he showed her very little physical contact or any attention at all. He seems to sense that life is fleeting and that he needs to let his daughter live her own life and make her own decisions. Clara also sees that her mother's health has taken a turn for the worse since she left and her father doting on her mother, trying to get her to eat, drink or even talk.

After a few months of life getting back to normal, Clara decides it's time for her to look for a job and get out on her own. She finds out that although she is not the least bit interested in having children of her own, she is an excellent midwife and learns to birth many babies. She ends up using the quilt that Mattie gave her as sort of a tradition for each baby born. She even hand stitches each child's name into the quilt.

Eventually, Clara begins to wonder whatever happened to Mattie, and even begins to think that God has more in store for her than just delivering babies.

So far I haven't found a book in the Quilts of Love series that I didn't like, and this book was equally as exciting as all of the rest! For one thing, I love the way the story of Clara is told. The book actually begins as Clara telling her life story to her grandson Noah on a long car ride.  I love the way she speaks as if she's reminiscing, and the chapters alternate between the present and the past. I had a very hard time even putting this book down! I kept wanting to read more and more of it to see what happened. This is a book I will most definitely be reading again, and would highly recommend it to others!

I rate this book as 5 stars. I received this book for free from Litfuse in exchange for my honest unbiased opinion.

Hope Runs by Claire Diaz-Ortiz & Samuel Ikua Gachagua

"Hope Runs" by Claire Diaz-Ortiz and Samuel Ikua Gachagua is the story of an African boy named Sammy who is opened up to a world of possibilities through the orphanage matrons God places in his life, and also through two unlikely heroes: Claire Diaz-Ortiz and Lara Vogel. Claire and Lara are travelers. Throughout their early 20's, they rarely stay in one place for too long. They visit Alaska, Mexico, Italy, and many other places before they end up in Africa, where they will eventually end up spending an entire year and then visiting many times after.

When Claire and Lara meet Sammy, he is a 15 year old boy who has already lived at the Imani Children's Home for several years. His father died when he was just a small boy, and his mother struggled to make ends meet. Finally, one day when he was about 9 years old, Sammy's mother left and never came back leaving Sammy and his older brother, Muriithi to care for their 4 year old sister Bethi. Bethi eventually was taken in by family, but the boys were sent to an orphanage as their family did not have enough food for all of them.

Claire and Lara quickly form a bond with Sammy and see something extraordinary in him. They find a way for him to finish his high school years in America, and somehow become his guardians even though they don't live anywhere near him. It is under somewhat strange circumstances as Claire and Lara are not old enough to adopt him themselves, but yet they are responsible for him as mother figures.

To me, Claire and Lara seem like such an unlikely pair of friends. Claire is a Christian. Lara is not. In a way, I feel like this could be very confusing to Sammy as he does not understand how a lot of things work. The girls have to teach him many things about life as he is understandably somewhat naive.

Another thing I thought was really interesting were the differences between Claire and Sammy's cultures. You really don't have any idea how different they act and think until you hear them speak from their point of view. For instance, Claire once asked Sammy in front of a group of people if he was in the 8th grade. Of course Claire didn't mean anything by what she said, but to Sammy it was highly offensive. To him and the other 9th grade boys in their culture it meant that he was immature and not yet a man.

Another interesting difference occurred when Claire and Lara brought over 100 pair of shoes for the students so that they could get involved in running. Many of the orphans were grateful for what the girls had done, but many of them refused their shoes because they felt those shoes were not the best and they wanted to have the best with what little they did have. To you and I, we may think that sounds crazy. They have so little. Shouldn't they be thankful for what they have? It is just another one of the differences between our cultures. They view things differently and may not be able to express all of those reasons in ways we understand.

All in all, I really enjoyed this book and afterwards I found myself thinking about it often and asking myself questions. Wondering why certain events turned out the way they did, or what motivated some of the girls' choices. It was truly an inspirational read that I would recommend. There wasn't an incredible amount of spiritual content as I would have expected, and I wondered if that had something to do with Lara not being a Christian, but I could be wrong. The book also ends with Sammy returning to Kenya. I will be curious to hear more about him in the future to see what God has in store for him.

I rate this book as 5 stars. I received this book for free from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group in exchange for my honest unbiased opinion.

KnowOrphans by Rick Morton

"KnowOrphans: Mobilizing the Church for Global Orphanology" by Rick Morton is an invaluable resource for anyone looking to adopt. Not only does Rick Morton dive into why families should adopt, but also what the church's role should be with so many orphans around the world. Namely, how the church is responsible for equipping and supporting families before, during and after the adoption process.

The Bible calls Christians to care for the orphans of this world. So as believers, why aren't we doing more? Rick Morton is quick to point out that adoption is not for everyone, but you can still care for orphans without adopting.

What I like best about this book was that Rick Morton offers many ways that we as Christians can help take care of orphans. There are many options available besides choosing to immediately adopt although that would ultimately be the best option in the long run.

Personally, I really enjoy reading books on topics of orphans and adoption because my husband and I both have an immense desire to adopt in the near future. We feel that God is leading us in this direction, although we don't know how or where it's going to happen yet. Books like this one are excellent resources to families like my own, with adoption in their future.

I received this book for free from Litfuse in exchange for my honest unbiased opinion.

Miss Brenda and The Loveladies by Brenda Spahn and Irene Zutell

After Brenda Spahn nearly went to prison herself, she felt God calling her to prison ministry. After just a few visits to the Tutwiler Women's prison in Alabama, she knew God wanted her to do more...she just didn't know what. She found that many of the women she ministered to in the prison were repeat offenders. Meaning that soon after they got out of prison, they were back to their old habits and ended up right back at Tutwiler. Brenda thought this was ridiculous and looked into what type of programs were available for the women once they were back onto the street.

What she found surprised her. There were little to no programs available for these type of women. There were halfway houses that provided a bed and 3 warm meals a day, but they didn't offer any kind of counseling, or rehabilitation to get back on their feet. The women that entered these halfway houses often went back to their old friends, old ways of life, and eventually back to prison. Brenda knew there was a better way.

Her husband, Jeff was in real estate and Brenda owned a Tax company, so money wasn't really an issue. She and her husband had plenty to spare even though they had planned to use that money to retire. So Brenda decided to open up one of her homes to house the first 7 ex-convicts. This is where the book turned a little humorous at times. Like the time the first 7 women showed up to Brenda's house and she refers to one of the women as "Shaved Head" because she was so stinkin scary looking! She thought for sure she had made a terrible mistake and these women were going to kill her in her sleep.

But throughout the first year, she learned so much from these women. She learned that yes, she was helping these women get their lives back, but they were showing her something about herself that she never would have known about. And most importantly, Brenda learns the importance of letting God direct her paths instead of her just doing what she wants. After just a few years, Brenda's program is helping 450 women and children per day! What an incredible ministry!

From the moment I saw this book was available for review, I was interested in it. I found it to be a serious book, yet it was also full of humorous stories and conversations between the women. At times, the chapters were heartbreaking as they alternated between the points of view of Brenda and some of the different women including Shay (Shaved Head), Tiffany (Suga Suga), and Stephanie just to name a few. It was horrible to think about the abuse that some of these women suffered as children. It was interesting to see how many of those women were arrested in development at such a young age. So many of the women came to look at Brenda as their own mother because they had no relationship with their own.

It was encouraging to see how much God worked in each women's life while they were in the Lovelady House. Many of them were able to reestablish relationships with their children and in a way, were able to start all over.

I rate this book as 4 stars and would definitely recommend it. I received this book for free from Waterbrook Multnomah  Publishing Company in exchange for my honest unbiased opinion.

Maybelle in Stitches by Joyce Magnin

"Maybelle in Stitches" by Joyce Magnin is a historical fiction set in Chester, Pennsylvania in 1943 during World War II. Maybelle is a young wife, only married for a weekend before her husband, Holden left to fight in the war. In the meantime, Maybelle lives with her mother, Francine and works at Sun Shipbuilding to do her part in the war effort.

Maybelle soon receives word that Holden is missing in action. Maybelle is understandably distraught and is beside herself with worry. About this same time, Maybelle finds a quilt her mother started for her. A quilt that tells her family's history but is only half finished. Her friend, Doris convinces her to finish the quilt if only to keep her mind off of Holden. The trouble is, Maybelle doesn't know the first thing about sewing! Since Doris' husband is also away at war, they begin a quilting circle of war wives, and soon find that their circle is a healing place for all of them.

I love the books in the Quilts of Love Series and this book was no exception! It was very interesting and had no trouble keeping my attention! I felt like this author really did her research with this book. In the back of the book, Joyce Magnin explains how she learned about Sun Ship and how the character Doris was actually inspired by a real life woman, Jeanette E. Swift.

I thought this book was fascinating and not like most historical fictions I have read. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I rate this book as 5 stars.

I received this book for free from Litfuse to give my honest unbiased opinion.

Dancing With Fireflies by Denise Hunter

You know that one book you wait MONTHS for and can't wait to read? After reading "Barefoot Summer" by Denise Hunter, this was the book I was waiting for. "Dancing With Fireflies" by Denise Hunter is the second book in the Chapel Springs Romance series. It follows the story of Jade McKinley, the younger sister of Madison McKinley from the previous book.

Jade is back in Chapel Springs after living in the big city for a year. Everyone is surprised to see here, including Daniel, a family friend who has always been like a big brother to Jade. But she's terrified to let everyone know the secret she holds...of what happened while she was away from home.

As Jade spends more time at home, she finally confides in Daniel, albeit accidental. She plans to tell her family, but it seems like something bad happens every time she tries. Meanwhile, Jade begins seeing Daniel as more than just a big brother figure, although she refuses to admit it. She has been hurt one too many times and refuses to give her love away again. She is oblivious to the fact that Daniel has actually loved her for many years. Will Jade be able to overcome her past so that she can consider a future with Daniel?

I absolutely loved this book! It was the perfect sequel to Barefoot Summer and even periodically mentions Madison and Beckett, which I love. This was one of those books that I had trouble putting down, because it was just that good! I read it in a matter of two nights!

I have become a huge fan of Denise Hunter since reading the first book in the Chapel Springs series. I think of her as somewhat of a Christian Nicholas Sparks. She writes amazing, page-turning, glue-you-to-the-seat books but without a hint of inappropriate content. I think this definitely sets her apart as an author, as she has quickly become one of my favorites! I am most definitely looking forward to the next book in the series and wondering which McKinley sibling it will be about!

I rate this book as 5 stars. I received this book for free from Litfuse to give my honest unbiased opinion.

Gods at War Student Edition by Kyle Idleman

This week I had the privilege of reading and reviewing "Gods at War: Student Edition" by Kyle Idleman!

The Ten Commandments. Most people can name a few of these, or maybe even all of them, but do we really understand them? Most people misunderstand the meaning of one of the most important commandments, "Thou shalt not make for yourself an idol." They think about Bible times and how people actually worshiped a golden calf or a pagan god, but rarely do they think of it as still being a problem nowadays.

Kyle Idleman has written a fantastic book explaining why we need to be wary of the idols in our lives. They're not simply things of the past. They could very well be relationships, entertainment, materialism or our own appearance. I admit, I never even thought about God's commandment that way, but I certainly do now! Idleman writes with conviction and at times, humor. I think this book was put together wonderfully as a student edition.

At the end of each chapter is basically a think-it-through section called "Idol ID" where readers are asked 3-4 questions on what they just read and how it applies to their life. Immediately following is a quick synopsis of the chapter for quick referral.

I would highly recommend this book to students between the ages of 13-18. I think the author did a fantastic job and I am now eager to read more of his work, especially the original edition of this book. I believe this book would be beneficial to go through as a Bible study or perhaps even during a Sunday School quarter. I rate it as 5 stars.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers <http://booklookbloggers.com> 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 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Young Women of Faith Bible

There are so many different types and versions of Bibles available out there, so it's hard to know which one is the right pick for you. This week, I had the privilege of reviewing the "Young Women of Faith Bible" with devotionals by Susie Shellenberger. You may remember her as the editor of Brio magazine! She is also the author of many books including "Girl Talk with God" or more recently "The Smart Girl's Guide to God, Guys and the Galaxy" which is set to release on April 1st!

I really enjoyed this pre-teen Bible for many different reasons! It's aimed at girls ages 8 on up, which is perfect for my oldest daughter. She was so very excited when I presented her with it! She has had numerous Bibles in the past, but to her this Bible had a little bit more of a grown up feel to it. The inside is full of bright pink flowers, butterflies and a fun font. Throughout the Bible verses, there are "Journal" entries which are usually a sample prayer to God or a reflection time to think about what was just read. There are also small sections entitled "If I were There..." which gives an opportunity to think about the Bible story and to imagine that readers were actually a part of the story.

The author has also made the beginning of the Bible chapters and interesting experience! Each chapter begins with a series of questions after the name of the Chapter is listed. Examples of the questions are
Who wrote this book?
Why was this book written?
What happens in this book?
What do we learn about God in this book?
Who is important in this book?
When did this happen?
What are some of the stories in this book?

Also in the back of the book is the appendix of course, and then a measurement chart which explains the difference between measurements quoted in the Bible and the measurements we use now.

I found this Bible to be excellent and will not hesitate to recommend it to anyone I know with pre-teen girls! I rate it as 5 stars.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers <http://booklookbloggers.com> 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 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

A Dad's Prayers for His Daughter by Rob and Joanna Teigen

For the last couple of weeks, I've been reading through "A Dad's Prayers for His Daughter: Praying for Every Part of Her Life" by Rob and Joanna Teigen. I didn't want to simply rush through this book as it is meant to be a 90 day devotional.

I loved the titles of the devotionals, because if there was something certain I was looking to pray for, I could just browse through the book and find it easily. There are various types of prayers included in this book. "For when she's Afraid", "When She needs Comfort", "When She Considers Dating", and "When She's Pressured to Fit In" just to name a few.

I found this Prayer Devotional to be a bit different than most other Prayer Devotionals because not many I have seen focus solely on the Dad's Prayers. Generally I have seen books that are for both parents. When I requested this book, I knew it would be perfect for my hubby as he already has two daughters and one on the way! We are continually praying for our daughters, but like most parents sometimes we just don't know what to pray for.

This book is an excellent resource for any parent, not just dad's, but my hubby is really looking forward to reading it now that I've told him what a great book it is. :)

About the Authors:
Rob Teigen has been a publishing professional for more than fifteen years and is the author of three joke books, including "Laugh-Out-Loud Jokes for Kids" (under the pseudonym Rob Elliott). He and his wife, Joanna Teigen, are the parents of a teenage son and three young daughters. They are the authors of "88 Great Daddy-Daughter Dates" and live in West Michigan. Find out more at www.strongerdads.com.

I received this book for free from Baker Publishing Group in exchange for my honest unbiased opinion.

"Real Women Leading with Proverbs 31 Values" by Lisa Troyer and Dawn Yoder

In "Real Women Leading with Proverbs 31 Values" by Lisa Troyer and Dawn Yoder, the authors explain how to use ten values from Proverbs 31 and how to implement them into our daily lives in the marketplace.

One of the points these authors are trying to make is to inspire the upcoming generation to be Proverbs 31 women, and to show them that womanhood is a gift...something to be cherished. The Proverbs 31 woman is not merely something from women of the past. It can be daunting to try to live up to the expectations of the Proverbs 31 woman. She can do it all! But it is possible to live that way today, and these two authors show us how to do just that.

This is not a type of book to be read lightly. It holds a wealth of important information that cannot simply be read by browsing through. Also, at the end of each chapter is a set of questions on what was just read, and steps to follow to implement these values into our own lives.

I think this book is an excellent read whether or not you are engaged in the business world. It is also an excellent resource for mothers, church volunteers, and women from any background. I rate this book as 5 stars.

I received this book for free from Litfuse to give my honest unbiased opinion.

Don't forget to enter the contest below! :)

Real Women Leading: With Proverbs 31 Values is a must-have leadership resource for today’s Christian woman. Lisa Troyer and Dawn Yoder are celebrating the release of their book with an iPad Mini giveaway and a Facebook "Leading with Values" author chat event on March 20th.

  One winner will receive:

• An iPad Mini
• Real Women Leading by Lisa Troyer and Dawn Yoder

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on March 20th. Winner will be announced at "Leading with Values" Facebook Party on March 20th. Connect with Lisa and Dawn for an encouraging discussion on how we can lead (at home and in the workplace) effectively and with biblical values. Win prizes, connect with other leaders, and be inspired.

So grab your copy of Real Women Leading and join Lisa and Dawn on the evening of March 20th for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book, don't let that stop you from coming!)

Don't miss a moment of the fun; RSVP today. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 20th!

"Princess Ever After" by Rachel Hauck

"Princess Ever After" by Rachel Hauck is the second book in the Royal Wedding Series.

Regina Beswick has the perfect job after ditching law school and her job at a prestigious law firm. Restoring classic cars! It's better than she could have ever dreamed of, but yet sometimes she finds herself wondering if this is all that God has in store for her.

Tanner Burkhardt is the Minister of Culture for the Grand Duchy of Hessenberg, and is sent to America to tell Regina of her true identity. She is the long lost princess that Hessenberg has been searching for! Regina has no idea of her true identity and is reluctant to agree to anything. It is up to Tanner to convince Regina to make the trek overseas and to take the oath to become the legal heir to the throne.

While I loved the first book in this series (Once Upon a Prince), I was not a big fan of "Princess Ever After". The story was compelling, but I felt that there were a lot of loose ends that didn't get tied up. It was also somewhat predictable, lacking the mystery and suspense that I love so much. I felt that the story was rushed and it didn't get to build up to an exciting ending.

With that said, I still think "Princess Ever After" is a cute romance book, perfect for a trip to the beach or any other instance where you would want a light read. I was encouraged to see Regina's faith grow throughout the book, as she finds out who God intends her to be. I also love that Rachel Hauck writes novels that I would feel comfortable sharing with my daughters once they are old enough. She writes beautiful stories where the leading lady is truly a woman of character and someone to look up to.

I rate this book as 3 stars. I received this book for free from Litfuse to give my honest unbiased opinion.

The A-Z of C.S. Lewis by Colin Duriez

I have always been a huge fan of C.S. Lewis's work, but there was so much I didn't know about him! In "The A-Z of C.S. Lewis" by Colin Duriez, readers are introduced to every aspect of Lewis's life, in Encyclopedia form! Although I definitely wouldn't consider this a light read, I greatly enjoyed reading this book in it's entirety!

Duriez gives readers a glimpse into C.S. Lewis's life including the circumstances surrounding his marriage to his wife, his adoption of her two sons, his friendship with J.R.R. Tolkien, and his many literary accomplishments. The author also explains characters, places and themes in the different books Lewis wrote, as well as Lewis's life before he came to know God. I had no idea that for a good portion of his life, Lewis was an atheist.

Probably what drew me to this book more than anything was my love for "The Chronicles of Narnia" series. I was eager to find out more about this author that had written my favorite books from childhood. Books that are still my favorite now that I am an adult! I feel that I learned so much about C.S. Lewis's character and his life just from reading this book. There is so much content in it, that I will most assuredly go back and re-read much of it! This book is truly a treasure to any C.S. Lewis fan, and I would highly recommend it! I rate this book as 5 stars.

I received this book for free from Litfuse to give my honest unbiased opinion. To purchase a copy, please visit http://ow.ly/tzmgH. 

About the Author:

Colin Duriez was a commissioning editor at Inter-Varsity Press UK for many years. He has subsequently appeared as a commentator on Peter Jackson's DVDs "The Lord of the Rings" and BBC television's "The Worlds of Fantasy". He is also the author of "The Inklings Handbook" (with the late David Porter), "J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis: The Story of their Friendship" and "Tolkien and the Lord of the Rings", and has contributed to definitive reference works relating to Tolkien such as "The Tolkien Encyclopedia" (Routledge).

Riley Mae and the Ready Eddy Rapids by Jill Osborne

"Riley Mae and the Ready Eddy Rapids" by Jill Osborne is the second book in "The Good News Shoes" series, and is aimed at 8-12 year old girls.

Riley Mae is just an ordinary 12 year old girl when she gets the opportunity of a lifetime and her own line of shoes! But being famous is a lot harder than Riley ever thought and most of the time she finds herself wishing she never signed that contract in the first place. Through it all though, Riley learns that God has a plan for her life and although circumstances may not be what she expected, God is using her in extraordinary ways. Riley makes friends with another 12 year old named Rusty and is able to share Jesus with her.

In "Riley Mae and the Ready Eddy Rapids", Riley meets a little boy named Sunday who is dealing with his own set of problems and Riley realizes that maybe she doesn't have it so bad after all. She also gets the opportunity to ride the river rapids of Montana for a shoe photo shoot! It will be so much fun! What could go wrong? She will learn a lot throughout this adventure, and we'll learn where her next adventure will take place!

Although it's not specified on the outside cover, you really need to read these books in order. The first being "Riley Mae and the Rock Shocker Trek" and this book being the second in the series. I think this is a fantastic series for young girls! The books are not filled with "fluff" or boy-crazy talk, which I absolutely love! It's so hard to find a book like these for my 7 year old daughter! I have found myself scouring the bookshelves at our local bookstores desperate to find one appropriate for my daughter's age, but have mostly resorted to choosing books I read when I was a little girl. Now I know I don't have to worry with "The Good News Shoes" series! They are Christian books which contain morals and values and although the girls are pre-teens and may start to be interested in boys, they are not boy crazy! I would highly recommend this book series and look forward to reading many more of these and sharing them with my daughter!

I rate this book as 5 stars!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers <http://booklookbloggers.com> 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 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Bible Stories for His Beautiful Princess by Sheri Rose Shepherd

My little girls are always so excited when I'm able to review a children's book, but a Princess Bible Storybook was especially exciting for them!

This Bible storybook is absolutely perfect for my two year old! The stories are easy to understand, and are explained in the same kind of way that I would explain something to her. Each lesson begins with a Bible verse, followed by a short story. The short story is usually about 7 or 8 short and easy to understand sentences. The story is followed by a "Princess Prayer" which is short but sweet, and usually consists of something like "Dear God, Thank you for making me so special. I love the way You created me! Amen." The lesson concludes with a "Princess Jewel" which sums up what the lesson was about.

I found "Bible Stories for His Beautiful Princess" by Sheri Rose Shepherd to be absolutely adorable! The stories were the perfect length for a child of 2 or 3 years of age, and I feel that the stories make sense to a child of that age.

This is not the first book I have read by Sheri Rose Shepherd, but it is the first children's book of hers that I have read. She has such a beautiful way with words, and you can tell that God has really laid these words on her heart. The whole idea behind the title of this book is that every little girl is a Princess because she is the daughter of a King. I love that my girls will listen to these stories and know that God has a great plan for her life.

I rate this book as 5 stars! I received this book for free from Tyndale Publishers to give my honest unbiased opinion.

A Road Unknown by Barbara Cameron

"A Road Unknown" by Barbara Cameron is the first in the Amish Roads Series and an absolute pleasure to read!

Elizabeth Bontrager is a young 20 year old woman trying to decide what to do with her life. She knows she needs to leave home in Goshen for awhile since she doesn't have much of her own identity there. Her parents have 8 children younger than Elizabeth, and she is always busy acting as a second mother to most of them. Along with helping with her siblings, Elizabeth helps out with any other household chores her mother needs help with.

When Elizabeth first decides to leave home, she can't decide where to go. She has an Englisch friend in Paradise, Pennsylvania who has offered to let her come stay with her, and Paradise sounds much like Paradise to her! Elizabeth is simply looking for a fresh start and her own life outside of her parents and siblings, but when two very different men express interest in her, Elizabeth realizes leaving Goshen wasn't as easy as she thought it would be. Life won't be easy no matter where she lives.

This was the first book I have read by Barbara Cameron and I actually have another of hers on my To-Read pile which I am now eagerly awaiting! :) I love this author's style of writing and how her story just seems to flow. There wasn't much about it that was super suspenseful, but it's nice to heave a light read once in awhile that doesn't demand all of my energy. I really enjoyed the characters and couldn't help but cheer when Elizabeth made the right choices, or cringe when I felt she made the wrong ones. I was really happy with the way the book ended though and I am definitely interested in reading the rest of the books in this series!

I rate this book as 5 stars! I received this book for free from Litfuse to give my honest unbiased opinion.

Smitten Book Club Book Review

Although I have never read the first 2 books in this series ("Smitten" and "Secretly Smitten), I greatly enjoyed reading "Smitten Book Club"! I think what I found most fun of all was that this book was written by four separate authors, separated into four separate "books" but each story comes together to make one big book!

"Smitten Book Club" is written by Colleen Coble, Kristin Billerbeck, Diann Hunt and Denise Hunter, but my favorite parts of the book were definitely the stories by Diann Hunt and Denise Hunter! To me, the first two stories were a lot of "fluff" reading, and the last two stories had much more depth to them, but it still worked out very well together.

Each author writes from the point of view of one of the friends: Heather, Abby, Lia and Molly. After Molly's husband passes away in a tragic fire fighting accident, she and her 8 year old son are left with insurmountable bills, a failing business, and the possibility of losing their family home which has been in the family for hundreds of years.

When Heather finds an old book by Pearl Chambers (an ancestor of Molly's deceased husband) called "The Gentlewoman's Guide to Love and Courtship", the girls each take turns finding meaning out of Pearl's outdated words and apply them to their own love lives. In addition, the girls find a handwritten note inside the book implying that there really may be a gold treasure hidden somewhere on Molly's property, though no one has ever found it. Will the girls be able to find the treasure and save Molly's house and business, or will Molly have to rely on the charity of her Smitten like she has been doing for the past year?

I rate this book as 4 stars. I received this book for free from Litfuse to give my honest unbiased opinion.

"Rachel" by Jill Eileen Smith

When Rachel's cousin, Jacob visits from a distant land, she finds favor in his eyes immediately. He is smitten with her and agrees to work for her father, Laban for 7 years in exchange for Rachel's hand in marriage. But through a deceitful act on Laban's part, Jacob marries Leah instead. Rachel is understandably distraught. Leah was 10 years her senior and the two have never gotten along. Now Leah has stolen her husband! Jacob is equally as distraught and immediately confronts Laban. Laban allows Jacob to take Rachel as his second wife only a week later, but Jacob must pay the bride-price for Rachel which is another 7 years' worth of work! Jacob willingly agrees to this because of his love for Rachel, but he secretly wonders if God is punishing him for his past faults and deceits.

But can Rachel live with the thought of being a second wife always coming in second to her older sister?  Does Jacob have enough love in his heart to love two wives? And can Jacob bear the constant bickering coming from two sisters who have never gotten along?

Biblical fiction has easily become my favorite book genre now that I have had the opportunity to read more of them! In my opinion, "Rachel" by Jill Eileen Smith is one of the best I have read yet in this genre. I absolutely loved everything about this book. I found myself disliking Leah almost instantly. It made me sick to think that she could actually go along with Laban's plan, but I suppose back in those days, women were probably not given much of a choice.

I felt like the author did an excellent portrayal of this story, and at times I felt like I was in this book right along with the characters! I felt Rachel's jealousy towards her sister, and Leah's loneliness at the thought that although she was Jacob's wife, she would never have his love like Rachel did. I cannot even imagine living in a time where it was normal to "share" your husband with another woman. Or that you could be married to someone who may never love you. This is one of those books that really gives you an insight into what life was like in those days.

I would highly recommend this book and rate it as 5 stars! "Rachel" will definitely remain a favorite of mine for years to come.

I received this book for free from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group to give my honest unbiased opinion. To find out more about Jill Eileen Smith and her other Biblical fiction books, please visit http://www.jilleileensmith.com/.