When Do I Love you? by Maria Cabrol

Different animal mamas and papas tell their child how much he/she is loved.  From a lizard who is loved in a blizzard to a moose in a caboose the meaningful text combined with adorable and fun illustrations make this a great gift item.  It's a board book so will appeal to the younger child yet the texts are four lines long with rhymes to delight the preschooler.  The first two lines are the catchy, fun and fanciful phrases.  The last two lines have the deeper emotional impact of showing a child how much they are valued and adored.  This is a very sweet, very loved filled little book.

I received this book from the publishers and was not required to write a positive review.

We Hope for Better Things by Erin Bartels

This book absolutely will not disappoint!  The story travels from present day to 1960s to 1860s as it reveals family secrets.  Present day journalist Elizabeth Balsam is given an unusual assignment that intrigues her.  Little does she suspect that it will lead to unearthing deeply kept family secrets and to solving a mystery that's fifty years old.  Written in a first person narrative this book is verbally scrumptious and you will not want to put it down.  Vivid, heart rending stories from the civil rights movement will stun and shock you.  Then as the reader travels down the road back to the Civil War days the unrest, terror and uncertainty of the times will feel very real.  Elizabeth is an endearing and multi-faceted character that deserves exploring through the pages of the book.  Through these characters the hard choices those trying to make an end to slavery and racial injustice faced come to life.  And one must ask the question what would I do for love?

I received this book from the publishers but was not required to write a positive review.

The Voice by Sandi Patty

If you've ever heard Sandi Patty sing you'll never forget it.  Once you read Sandi Patty's words in this book you will never forget it either!  I anticipated that this book would be interesting but wondered if it would be a bit depressing as she expressed "hidden" parts of her life story.  It was anything but a downer.  I was so uplifted by this book I was in tears half the time.  As Sandi shares vulnerable, authentically and without excuses God's powerful love is the overwhelming theme over and over in this book.  The story is extremely well written - beautiful heart soul reaching language - and the depth of openness is amazing.  Each chapter tells a bit of her story from preschool Sandi to grandmother Sandi.  The detailed way God has led and loved her at each stage of her life can't help but inspire and bring the reader to her knees.  It gave me a sense of wanting to know God deeper and trust Him more fully for everything, absolutely everything in my life.  This book is a fascinating story but so much more.  It is a devotional book with journal type questions and a scripture at the end of each chapter.  It is can be a tool to helping someone find the professional help they need for emotional support or to overcome addictions.  It is a spiritual balm that reinforces the Biblical promise that God is for us and not against us, that God not only forgives but redeems and gives new life.  What a blessing that Sandi Patty was willing to share her story without reserve to help others see the God of love she discovered.

I received this book from the publishers but was not required to write a positive review.

Indivisible by Travis Thrasher

This true military romance and spiritual restoration story is about Darren and Heather Turner.  Their story was embraced by film makers and made into a novel by author Travis Thrasher.  I liked how the story was presented.  The beginnings of the their love story and family and military career with strength and positive energy.  Then the harsh realities of deployment with a combat unit not just for Darren but for his family at home.  This is followed by the section on re-establishing their connection as husband and wife and with God when Darren returns stateside.  Finally the book ends with their testimony of what a mighty God they serve.  The narrative of the book is interspersed with emails between Darren and Heather and journal entries from Darren.  This makes the reading intriguing and gives a lot of emotional details that might otherwise be left out.  This is a brave story told in very real terms.

I received this book from the publishers and was not required to write a positive review.

Love Does for kids by Bob Goff and Lindsey Goff Viducich

WOW!  This devotional book is really different!  Better!  So interesting it grabbed my attention immediately and I'm an adult.  In fact the very first story brought tears to me eyes.  Listen to this line:  "So the next time you make a mistake, just think to yourself:  I am loved, and I am God's..."  That is a powerful message!  And all the stories are like that in this book. Filled to the brim with goodness - God's goodness and His love.  The stories are told in an appealing manner with catchy phrases such as "it's like God leaves you room rent and can't wait to see how we'll use what He's given us".  These stories just make you stop and think and stop and think some more.  This book will help children think about God in a positive light and help them understand that He is for them 100% and not against them at all.  I really enjoy and appreciate how the authors consistently point to a God who is looking out for our best all the time and who never stops loving us.

I received this book from the publishers but was not required to write a positive review.

The Year of Living Happy by Alli Worthington

From the beautiful cover with a handful of bright yellow blossoms to the back cover asking "How would your life be different if you were just a bit happier every day?" - this book seems to have revitalizing power.  Author Alli Worthington has touched on something that every woman probably wonders about while thinking everyone else has it all together.  The book is divided into 12 sections:  Made to be happy, Holiness is happiness, Happiness in the here and now, Good friends and happy hearts, Finding your happy thought, Happy in a world of crazy, When happiness is hard, Healthy-Happy-Whole, Choosing Happiness, The power of happy words, A happy heart is good medicine and Building a Happy Life.  Inside each section are seven to ten spiritual pep talks.  Each contains a short story with Biblical application and a short exercise for the reader to participate in.  Fun things like thinking about your idea of happiness, listing unique qualities about yourself, describing one thing in your life that is imperfectly wonderful, ask God what seeds He's given you to plant and think of a situation where you could chose compassion for yourself instead of self-criticism.  The short readings help it not feel overwhelming or daunting.  But don't be misled by this into thinking this book is just fluff.  It is not!  There are deep truths and thoughts you'll ponder long after shutting the pages of the book.  I really enjoyed that there was an action the reader was invited to do after reading the story, thoughts and scripture encouragement that was given.  This made the book more personal and more impactful for me.

I was given this book by the publisher but was not required to write a positive review.

The Sound of Thunder by Jan Drexler

I know some people think all Amish books are alike but I can assure you this book is a very different sort of Amish themed story.  The young hero, Jonas has a lot of thoughts on what is truly the way to serve God with all your heart.  To complicate matters he is engaged and the Civil War is is full swing.  Amish traditionally do not engage in any type of warfare.  Yet Jonas feels compelled to help in the cause of abolition.  Is becoming a soldier so wrong if it is for the right cause?  Would God expect him to let others take a risk he himself isn't willing to encounter?  His convictions are
mish-mashed with doubts as he thinks on his love Katie.  Where does duty begin and end for one's country?  And how does God fit into all of this?  Jonas and Katie are authentic characters that Drexler makes the reader feel compassion and angst with.  Her descriptions of home and frontline of war are realistic and heart rending.

I received this book from Revell but was not required to write a positive review.