David Sticker Book by Karen Williamson and Amanda Enright

My kids really liked this book.  I did it with both my 4-year-old and my 2-year-old and it took them a few days to complete the entire book.  The book itself isn't big or long at all, but it has a lot of stickers to fill the pages.  It was easy to put the stickers on and move them if they put them in the wrong place.

The story was the biblical account for kids about David and Goliath.  My favorite part of the book for me was reading the story in the Bible to them.  I really liked that they put the book and chapter that the story can be found at the very end.

The pictures were very eye-appealing and my kids liked both the pictures and the drawings on the stickers.  It was very bright and colorful.  This is a book that I would definitely purchase for kids.  It would be a great quiet time book, or one that you can do if you want to spend some alone time with your child.

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I received this book free from Kregel Publications in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

Picture Perfect by Janice Thompson

Janice Thompson is an author that I think that I can easily spend all day reading her books.  In fact, I went out and got her other books this past weekend.  They are light, refreshing, and quite humorous.  In fact, I think of them as the perfect book to take on a vacation or to the beach.  But beware....you will laugh out loud and cause people to look your way!

 

Picture Perfect is her first book in her new series, Weddings by Design.  I'm assuming that her previous series focused on Bella and D.J., but they are back in this series, as well.  I immediately liked Hannah McDermott.  It's quite possible that the fact that she was Irish endeared her to me, since I'm part Irish.  I could easily relate to her dad and routine! 

 

My favorite part of the book was the Bing and Bob party.  I found that whole idea funny and could see the Irish attitude coming out full fledged in this party.  I also liked the feud between the McDermott's and the Kincaid's...not that it's still in place at all.  I thought Drew was such a nice, sweet guy and was very likable. 

 

At times, I felt like Hannah complained a little much of her routine life, but I find myself doing the same thing in real life.  I like routine, but sometimes I wish I was a bit more unpredictable.  I did think that their dinners were quite boring and I'm certain I would never be able to eat the same thing every day!

 

I am highly anticipating the second book in this series.  Hope I don't have to wait too long!

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I received this book free from Revell Publishers in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

Revelation by Sue Edwards

I have done another Bible Study by Sue Edwards and knew that I definitely wanted to do her Revelation study.  I love Bible Studies that make me dig in the Word and that have me figure out for myself what the text is saying. 

Revelation is a difficult book of the Bible to read and understand.  Her notes really helped and were very specifically placed so that you dug deeper yourself before consulting any other commentary notes.  I appreciate that in a study.  I feel like sometimes we get so used to being taught by people that we don't allow time for the Holy Spirit to stir our spirits and speak to us and help us see things the Lord wants to reveal to us.

Another thing that I like about this study is that it's perfect for those who are both beginner Bible study students or those who are more advanced and want to dig a bit deeper than just the basics.  I like to dig deeper, so I really enjoyed that section of the Bible Study.  I felt like it shined an even better light on the chapters.

Something I've never seen before in a Bible Study was a QR code.  You can scan the code and see little videos to get extra information on each chapter.  I think that is such a smart idea!  I've always had to purchase the videos if I wanted them, but I'm so glad that it was easily available for me to watch.  I also liked that it posted the time so I knew if I had time at that moment to watch it or if I needed to go back later to watch it.  I hope more Bible Studies add this to theirs.
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If you would like to purchase his book, go to http://ow.ly/hpLmf.

Join the online Bible study here.

Meet Sue:

Sue Edwards (MA, Dallas Theological Seminary; D.Min., Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary) teaches full-time in the Christian Education Department at Dallas Theological Seminary. She has more than twenty-five years of experience teaching, pastoring, and directing women's ministries. In addition, Sue speaks at retreats, conferences, and seminars across the country. She is the coauthor of Women's Retreats and New Doors in Ministry to Women, and the author of the new Sue Edwards Inductive Bible Study series.

For more reviews on this study, go to http://litfusegroup.com/author/SEdwards .

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I received this book free from Kregel Publications and Litfuse Publicity Group in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

Rebekah by Jill Eileen Smith

This series has been so much fun for me to read.  I have been going through Genesis for the past 6 months and really studying it and learning it and committing it to heart.  So when I saw this book about Rebekah, I knew it would be a fun book to read since I had just spent so much time learning about her and being so impressed with her character qualities.  Really....who would water 10 camels at approximately 83 trips WITHOUT complaining or huffing or puffing?!

I think Isaac and Rebekah are so easy to relate to because of how they love each other, but still mess up and argue, and forgive.  Rebekah knew the prophecy about Jacob, as did Isaac, but Isaac still chose to favor Esau.  I think its a beautiful picture of God carrying out His will even when we try to get in the way and manipulate a little to give us our desired outcome. 

They are even more easily to speak to parents because I think we can have a tendency to favor one child over another depending on days, attitudes, circumstances.  This story always reminds me to look at my children and see them each for who they are...children of God....both with positives and negatives, but still the qualities I love.

Jill has such a wonderful way at making Rebekah come to life.  Although it is a biblical story, it is a fictional book and she stays close to the biblical account.  However, she does have her own opinions about conversations and thoughts, as any fictional book does.  I feel she has spent much time pouring over Rebekah and really thinking about her and that's why her writing comes to life so easily for the readers. 

This is the second book her in Wives of the Patriarchs series.  I am looking forward to the third book in this series!

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I received this book free from Revell Publishers in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

To Honor and Trust by Tracie Peterson and Judith Miller

I have somehow missed the Bridal Veil Island series in the past.  I'm not for sure how because it's written by two authors that I really enjoy reading.  I'm glad to say, though, that I am now a proud owner of all the books in this series as I found them at a discounted store and happily bought them.  This was such a good book to read, especially with Valentine's Day coming up and the extra emphasis being put on love.

I felt swept away in time while reading this book.  I love books that I can pick up and immediately feel so relaxed by reading it.  I was taken back in time to the 1900s and transplanted into the problems between the wealthy and the middle class.

I felt like Wesley and Callie were discussing very real issues that were prevalent at that time.  The dialogue flowed so easily, just as a normal discussion would.

The thing that amazes me about books with more than one author is how you can never tell where one author has left off and another has picked up.  I think that takes a lot of talent and cooperation to pull off.  Job well done, ladies, because I couldn't tell at all!

I hope these two authors write more together.  Until then, I'm off to read the other two books in this series that I found.
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I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

Under the Summer Sky by Lori Copeland

Lori Copeland is now one of my new favorite authors.  I have only read one other book by her and now I am hunting down her other books.  She is such a wonderful author that has you serious one minute and cracking up laughing the next.

I enjoyed Trinity and Jones and the circumstances in which they meet.  I found the first chapter quite hilarious when she was thrown in a barrel in a river.  I like how spunky she is and how she never came off as rude, even to her great-great grandmother. 

Pauline was a lady that I grew to love, as well.  She wasn't my favorite character at first because she could be so harsh, but she grew on me.  By the middle of the book, I had come around to enjoying her.

And good old Jones.  Just Jones.  He has a tender heart overall, so don't let the first couple of chapters fool you!  I like how he doesn't swoon over girls, even though he is apparently quite the catch.  I like his ruggedness that I have pictured in my head, along with his humor.

I'm very much looking forward to reading more by Lori Copeland.  I can hardly put her books down!

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I received this book free from Harvest House Publishers in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

Risk is Right by John Piper

I admire John Piper and love his sermons.  He is challenging, counter-cultural, and very biblical.  He doesn't tell you what you want to hear and isn't a teacher who teaches prosperity is promised to every believer.  I appreciate his knowledge on the Bible and how he challenges believers to risk everything the sake of Christ. 

Culture says we should hoard and be comfortable.  The Bible says we will have what we need and if we don't have it, perhaps we don't need it.  I liked how he talked about the passage in Matthew 6:25, 31-33 and compared it to Romans 8:35.  I hear that passage in Matthew used a lot and out of context.  Many think that God will give them clothes and food galore, but that's not what it says.  I was glad Piper pointed out that He will give us "enough so that you can trust him and do his will." 

Another point I liked had to do with affliction.  Paul made affliction his slave and conquered it.  I had never quite heard it explained like this, but the whole section about affliction was beautiful.  You can't help but see the mercy of God even in affliction when you know that the enemy wants you to die in pity and denouncing Christ.  I found that section so encouraging and hope that I will always think of affliction in this manner and can even share it with others. 

Above all, Piper reminds us that we face risks everyday.  None of us know when our time will come to perish, but what we choose to do with our lives is up to us.  Will we take the risk for Christ and make our lives count or will we choose to waste our life--living for our fleshly desires.

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I received this book free from Crossway in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

5 Days to a Clutter-Free House by Sandra Felton and Marsha Sims

As soon as I got this book, I couldn't wait to read it.  The cover made me want to get to work right away and simplify my house and make it look clean and fresh.  I have read many of Sandra Felton's books and have enjoyed all of her tips.  They are easy to incorporate and have kept me somewhat organized.  I had not heard of Marsha Sims, but am now intererested in learning more tips from her, too.

I like their idea on a team approach.  I think house cleaning would be so much more fun with friends.  I actually did use this tip when we were staging our house to move and it was easier to let go of things because they would remind me that I didn't need to keep it or that it wasn't as important as my emotional self thought it was.

I also enjoyed the section on resisting the excuses for keeping things.  I use many of those excuses and am trying to get better at it.  I did some of their plan this week, in very small chunks because of my little children, but I tried to challenge those excuses with their ideas.  It helped me realize I should just get rid of it.  It felt so good and freeing to be decluttering.

Since I probably won't have 5 consecutive rows to declutter my house, I decided to take it in small increments and do what I can each week.  I figure it still will get decluttered and I won't have missed time with my children.

The Manage Your Home chapter inspired me to label, label, label.  I went through and labeled all of the bins for my children and am hoping to continue that in many other rooms.  It was fun doing it with my son, too, because he's just now learning how to organize things and group things.  Hopefully it will also make it easier for him to pick his things up.  I still have a little more to do, but I think this tip alone is going to help me a lot.

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I received this book free from Revell Publishers in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

New Home for Lily by Mary Ann Kinsinger and Suzanne Woods Fisher

I think that the pictures on the covers of the first two books in this series are absolutely beautiful.  The little girl, who is on both the front and the back of this book is adorable and it just makes the book desired to be read.

I know I said it in my review about the first book in the series, but I can't wait to read these with my daughter when she gets just a little bit older.  They remind me so much of the Little House on the Prairie books and are definitely ones that will be read over and over with such fond memories, I believe.

This book picks up where the last left off.  Lily has now completed her move and is finding herself trying to make new friends, fit in with a new community, along with several other changes to their family life.  I thought it very interesting that when they moved communities, they also had to change dresses.  It kind of reminded me of the English way a little because Lily just didn't feel like she fit in with her other clothes from her last community.  I could relate to that, and I think every little girl could too, because we don't always feel like we fit in with our clothes.  I liked those little lessons that were throughout the book, whether they were intentional or not!

I am looking forward to Book 3 in this series, which I'm hoping comes out soon.  These are books that I hope to be one day reading to my grandchildren....a long time from now, of course!

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I received this book free from Revell Publishers in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

One Sunday by Carrie Gerlach Cecil

I absolutely love the style of this book.  It was refreshing because it read in a way that many of my latest books haven't.  It set it apart, in a sense. 

I liked the flashbacks and the honesty in which this book was written.  I enjoyed the humor and even the darkness that plagued Alice.  I can't relate to her life but I hurt for her.  I found her adventures and her thoughts in church hilarious.  It wasn't sacrilegious at all.  I thought it pretty well depicted what many non-believers feel about the church today. 

The only problem that I had with the book were the few instances that less-than-pleasant words were used, like "hell" and "d***."  I don't personally use those words and since reading Christian fiction is something I like to do because I don't have to censor what my eyes see or my ears hear, it was a little disappointing to me to find those words in there.  I completely understood the context and understand that she was a non-Christian, but they could easily have been left out and the meaning not change at all.  You still would have gotten the fact that Alice was a rough girl with a rough past.  Many people don't mind those kind of words in a book, but I just really like letting my guard down in reading, which is why I specifically chose to read Christian fiction.

The message of the book is still wonderful and the storyline grips you to make it quite hard to put the book down.  I do look forward to reading more by Carrie Gerlach Cecil.

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I received this book free from Howard Publishers in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

The Dilemma of Charlotte Farrow by Olivia Newport

I liked everything about this book.  I had read the first book and forgotten some of it, but as soon as I saw the Ferris wheel on the the cover, I immediately remembered the story from the first book in this series.  You don't have to have read the first book in the series to understand this one because this book focuses on a totally different character.  Charlotte, who is Lucy Banning's house maid and mostly tends to the needs of Lucy, has a baby and only Lucy knows about this baby, Henry.  The story highlights Charlotte and Henry and her husband, along with a coachman, Archie, who has eyes for Charlotte.

With the setting of Chicago, you get to have a glimpse into the higher society life, but that glimpse is coming now through the eyes of the maids and servants.  The first book in the series tended to focus on Lucy and the life of the higher society. 

I love that the World's Columbian exposition of 1893 is brought into the story again.  I found it fascinating to hear the different opinions of the Ferris wheel and it made me think about how much faith it took to get on that ride.  We just jump on it now without even thinking about it, but at that time, it was a major deal.  I appreciated the history behind this book and the exposition.

I really look forward to seeing what the next book in this series is going to be in this series, The Avenue of Dreams.  I'm having a hard time guessing who the story will focus on, but I know it will be just as well-written as all of her books are.

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I received this book free from Revell Publishers in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

The Tutor's Daughter by Julie Klassen

This cover is probably one of the most beautiful covers I have seen.  I knew right away, without even opening the book, that it would involve a beautiful estate overlooking water.  It set in my mind the picture I was to think of when the estate was mentioned.  I immediately could see this beautiful, breathtaking place that was almost indescribable in words.

I liked how the twists came even in the first chapter.  When Emma's father would go missing for long periods of times, she thought it was to visit her mother's plot in the cemetery.  I'll admit that I thought that, too.  However, that was really the reason why he was away from the house so much.  Once I understood the reason, I saw that they both needed to go away.

I'll also admit that I thought from the beginning that Phillip seemed like a good person for her to end up with.  I mean, they were friends before he graduated and left their school, so why not pick up and continue that relationship.  I appreciated the twists on this relationship, too.

I have read almost all of Julie Klassen's books and she writes with such beauty.  She creates vivid word pictures so that you can easily envision yourself at that place at that specific time.  She does a lot of research in her books and you can tell.  She is not only telling a story, but telling a story of a real time in history.  I think, for that reason, that is why most of her books tend to be a bit longer.  I've come to appreciate that about her.
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I received this book free from Bethany House and Litfuse Publicity Group in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.  For more opinions of this book, go to http://litfusegroup.com/author/JKlassen.

Love Finds You in Glacier Bay Alaska by Tricia Goyer & Ocieanna Fleiss

I feel like I've just returned from a trip to the most beautiful, solitary place in Alaska....at least in my mind, I have.  I can easily picture Bud's and the quaint little coffee shop.  I can see very vividly the plane crash and the historical museum.  I felt like I was the one learning of the love story between Ellie and Clay.  I did thoroughly love the story of Ginny and Brett.  With all of the nice things people said about Brett, I liked him from the beginning and thought Danny was just using Ginny.

I have always wanted to travel to Alaska, and thanks to this book, I now long to go to Glacier Point.  It sounds beautiful from their descriptions and if it looks anything near like what the cover of this book is, it has to be something that you stand in awe of.  The cover is absolutely beautiful, in my opinion.

My favorite part of this book has to be the story within the story.  I really enjoyed the second story of Ellie and Clay.  It was such a neat idea to include love letters to each other and to include other letters of correspondence.  I came to look forward to each time the letters appeared again and had a hard time not skipping to read the next letter!

Written by two wonderful authors, you cannot tell at all where one author starts and the other finishes.  Their communication for this book had to have been very intense and I like how their descriptions include some of their own thoughts about when they visited this area.  It made this book very personable, I think.

To view other opinions of this book, please go to http://litfusegroup.com/author/Tgoyer .

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Tricia Goyer is the award winning author of over thirty books including Beside Still Waters, Remembering You, and the mommy memoir, Blue Like Play Dough. Tricia is a regular speaker at conventions and conferences and is the host of Living Inspired. She and her family make their home in Little Rock, Arkansas where they are part of the ministry of FamilyLife.

Find out more about Tricia at http://triciagoyer.com.

Ocieanna Fleiss is a published author and editor. She lives with her husband and their four children in the Seattle area.

Find out more about Ocieanna at http://ocieanna.com/.

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You can buy this book at http://ow.ly/gQiNn.______________

I received this book free from Litfuse Publicity Group and Summerside Press in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.