Book Review: Every Perfect Gift by Dorothy Love

About the Book: Ethan and Sophie long to share a future together. But the secrets they’re not sharing could tear them apart.

Sophie Caldwell has returned to Hickory Ridge, Tennessee after years away. Despite the heartaches of her childhood, Sophie is determined to make a home, and a name, for herself in the growing town. A gifted writer, she plans to resurrect the local newspaper that so enchanted her as a girl.

Ethan Heyward’s idyllic childhood was shattered by a tragedy he has spent years trying to forget. An accomplished businessman and architect, he has built a majestic resort in the mountains above Hickory Ridge, drawing wealthy tourists from all over the country.

When Sophie interviews Ethan for the paper, he is impressed with her intelligence and astounded by her beauty. She's equally intrigued with him but fears he will reject her if he learns about her shadowed past. Just as she summons the courage to tell him, Ethan’s own past unexpectedly and violently catches up with him, threatening not only his life but their budding romance.

My Thoughts: An enjoyable book that managed to be both easy to read yet deal with some difficult topics at the same time.  A book that reminds us that our past does not need to define us and in fact, can be used to shape our character for the better if we allow God to use it to refine us.

Love's ability to describe both scenery and the majestic resort transports you back in time.  Often when I read historical books it makes me thankful that I didn't live back then, but this book almost made me wish I could've been there.  Almost :)

Thank you to Booksneeze for providing me with my complimentary e-book review copy.

Book Review: The MoneySmart Family System by Steve & Annette Economides

About the Book:  Is it possible to raise financially responsible kids of any age in a society filled with consumerism and entitlement?

New York Times best-selling authors Steve and Annette Economides raised their five kids while spending 77 percent less than the USDA predicted. And the money they did spend was also used to train their children to become financially independent. The MoneySmart Family System will show you how to teach your children to manage money and have a good attitude while they’re learning to earn, budget, and spend wisely.

Learn how to: *Get the kids out the door for school with less stress. *End the battle over clothing—forever *Teach your children to be grateful and generous. *Inspire your kids to help with chores as a member of a winning team. *Prepare your kids for their first paying job. *Help your kids pay for their own auto insurance, and even pay cash for their own cars. *Employ strategies for debt-free college educations. *Truly help your adult children when they want to move back home. *Be prepared to deal with your adult children when they ask for bailouts.

With clear steps for children of every age, The MoneySmart Family System proves that it’s never too early, too late, or too hard to start learning financial responsibility.

My Thoughts:  I liked some things about this book and other parts just missed the mark for me.

The system seems really rigid to me.  The basic idea is that each child has age appropriate expectations for every day including morning routine, chores, school, etc.  For each item that is done (and done well, and done with the right attitude) they are given a point.  At the end of the week the points are tallied and cash is handed out based on how many points they received, and how old they are.  There are opportunities for bonus points when kids show initiative above and beyond the regular expectations and if they hit a certain mark they get double pay.   The money is then split into different areas, again, depending on age.  At the earliest ages they are split into giving, saving and spending.  As they get slightly older they split the spending into both a spending and clothes category.  And even older the savings gets split up into more specific categories.

The basic idea is good, I just think it's too rigid for most families, and goes too far in some areas and not far enough in others.

I do not like the idea of tying almost everything in your family life to money.  I don't want my kids to have a good attitude about doing their chores or getting ready for the day because they get paid for it (or technically, earn points which are then traded in for money).  I want them to learn to do that because it's the right thing to do and is a way in which they can glorify God and love our family.  I don't want my kids to only show initiative around the house because they know they will get rewarded monetarily for it, but because they have a heart for the members of our family, desire to serve one another, and simply see something that needs doing and they do it.  I don't want them to decide to simply not do any work one week and forgo the $4 they would've received because they've weighed the cost and decided a one-week vacation is worth it.  Obviously our children do not this attitude on a consistently regular basis (nor do I!) and it's something we'll all need to continue to work on basically forever.  I just don't like the idea of tying everything to money.

Although this is directly against the advice given in this book, we give our children allowance as a privilege of being in this family.  And they do chores as a responsibility for being part of our family and because everyone needs to contribute to the running of a household.

This doesn't mean that we just give them whatever they want, whenever they want it, or that we foster an attitude of entitlement, which is the Economides' (I find their last name hilarious considering the book topic!) concern with giving allowance without tying it to responsibility.  And it doesn't mean that we can't take money out of their allowance to pay their siblings for doing the work they should've done for themselves.

We do have the My Giving Bank that they mention in the book and I really like it.  It's one piggy bank split into 3 sections - church, bank and store (same categories they listed above).  It helps keep their money divided and, as it is slightly transparent, they can visually see it accumulating.  I do agree that it won't be long until they need to move onto another method that's easier to get the money out of - in this book they do cash envelopes and balance them like a cheque book.

I do like their focus on saving and teaching our children how much those Guess jeans actually cost.  I definitely like their focus on the fact that teaching our children when they are young means that their mistakes end up being much less costly.  They have a 5/50/500/5000/50,000 rule which basically  means that when your toddler makes a mistake with money or wastes it on an unnecessary purchase, that will likely cost only $5.  When your slightly older child makes a similar mistake, it might cost $50.  When your teenager makes a mistake, it could cost $500.  And when your college age child makes a mistake it may cost $5,000.  And your adult child, could mess up to the tune of $50,000.   This is very true and is definitely something to keep in mind.  We need to be proactive about teaching our children about responsible financial management (and model it ourselves!!) and the younger you start the better. So that's definitely something I agree on from this book.

I was disappointed that they didn't mention God throughout the book (because they are Christians - I don't expect every book to mention God!), not even in the giving section!  As a Christian, to me that's the most important part of money management. Recognizing that God has given us everything we have and that we are to be stewards of what He has given us, for His glory.  Without that focus, it's just money management tips that anyone can use - and maybe that was their intent, but it's just something that I found lacking.

Thank you to Booksneeze for providing me with my complimentary e-book review copy.

Book Review: One Call Away by Brenda Warner

About the Book: Brenda’s life has taken twists and turns that are stranger than fiction. It always seemed as if she was just one phone call away from the next explosive change. Each time her plans fell apart, she had a choice: would she give up, or would she press forward and learn from the unexpected? One Call Away is the inspiring story of a woman who has prevailed through many of the circumstances that discourage women: tragedy, poverty, betrayal, and humiliation. But unlike most women, her life has been on display in the media.

Brenda’s faith and God’s strength enable her to face challenge after challenge: an accident that leaves her son blind and brain damaged, a crumbling marriage, a tornado that kills her parents, a new relationship with promising football player Kurt Warner, and the pressures his sudden success brings to their growing family.

Through food stamps and funerals, Super Bowls and serving others, Brenda’s strength is unwavering. Her determination to dream new dreams, willingness to learn from her mistakes, and commitment to giving back to her community make her a role model for women of all backgrounds.

Her dreams haven’t materialized as she had imagined, but Brenda has found that God has a much bigger plan for her. Conversational and candid, One Call Away invites readers facing their own difficulties to trust God and discover hope in the future.

My Thoughts:  I like football (though I do prefer the CFL over the NFL, eh) and I like autobiographies, so this book was very appealing to me from the get go, and I was not disappointed.

I was captivated by Brenda's incredible story and how she did not allow her circumstances to crumble the tenacity of her faith.  I love how candid she is about her mistakes, and the way she faced adversity head-on.  She seems like such a down to earth woman that anyone would be proud to call friend.

I did find that throughout the book I had some questions that were not answered, but overall, I really enjoyed this look into the life of someone who is much more than just another rags to riches gal.

Thank you to the Booksneeze program for providing me with my complimentary review copy of this book.

Book Review: Cherished by Kim Cash Tate

About the Book: How can she believe God cherishes her when she can't forgive herself?

Kelli London once dreamed of being a songwriter. As crazy as it seemed, she hoped that God would use the lyrics that came to her while she slept. She dreamed about Brian too, that the love they shared would be a forever kind of love. But choices she'll forever regret upended her hope . . . and turned her dreams to dust. When those dreams come knocking once more, she's forced to deal with the pain of the past.

Heather Anderson's life has spun out of control—first, an affair with a married man, then a one-night stand with the drummer of a popular Christian band that left her devastated. Broken and alone, she cried out to the only One who can save her. And He did. But that's just the beginning, because now she must leave behind the only life she's ever known.

Two women with shame-filled pasts form an unlikely friendship. What does God's forgiveness look like for them? Will they ever believe that He loves them . . . and can still offer them a life where they are cherished?

My Thoughts: This book was a light read even though it dealt with some serious issues. I loved how it explored the practical side of living in the light of God's forgiveness, while never minimizing the seriousness of sin or it's consequences.

I did feel like issues were usually resolved a lot quicker than they would be in real life, and that certain characters instinctively responded much more godly than the "average" Christian would - which perhaps says more about the average Christian (myself included) these days than the book itself.

The book showed the good, the bad and the ugly of Christian circles - from the hypocrites (those professing to believe but who knowingly living the opposite lifestyle with no sign of remorse - IOW not true believers), to those struggling to live out their faith, to those making mistakes (like everyone does) but restoring their relationships with those they've offended and with God by repenting in true humility, to those mature in their faith and discipling those around them, and everything in between.

I really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it.

Thank you to Booksneeze for providing me with my complimentary e-book review copy of Kim Cash Tate's Cherished.

Book Review: Don't Check Your Brains at the Door by Josh McDowell

About the Book: “Seven in 10 Protestants ages 18 to 30—both evangelical and mainline—who went to church regularly in high school said they quit attending by age 23, according to the survey by LifeWay Research.” (USA Today)

Don’t Check Your Brains at the Door gives teens answers that make sense, even for the toughest of questions. Internationally known defender of the faith Josh McDowell and co-author Bob Hostetler offer clarity laced with humor to expose common myths about God, the Bible, religion, and life to show how Christianity stands up to the test of fact and reason. Teens will be better equipped to stick with their faith as they begin to understand why they believe and why it’s important to make a lifetime commitment to Christ and the church.

My Thoughts: This book is an apologetics book geared to young teens and presented in a short devotional style format.

The book is divided into different types of myths such as myths about God (such as The Father Christmas Myth), Jesus (The Good Teacher Myth), the Bible (The Holey Bible Myth), the Resurrection (The Swoon Myth), Religion and Christianity (The Unscientific Myth), Life and Happiness (The Conformist Myth).

The authors use current and age focused examples (such as Star Wars) to help illustrate their point, and use Scripture, history and logic to debunk the myths and explain what the truth really is.

Each short chapter ends with a section of "Brain Food" - study questions and scripture for the reader to dig a little deeper on the topic themselves.

Great apologetics book for young teens!

Thank you to Booksneeze for providing me with my complimentary e-book review copy of Josh McDowell and Bob Hostetler's Don't Check Your Brains at the Door.

Book Review: A Reluctant Queen by Joan Wolf

About the Book: An inspiring re-imagining of the tale of Esther, a young Jewish woman thrust from a life of obscurity into a life of power, wealth, intrigue . . . and tender love.

See the story of Esther in an entirely new way—with all the political intrigue and tension you remember, but told as a passionate and tender love story between a young man and woman. Misunderstood by many, King Xerxes was a powerful but lonely man. Esther’s beauty caught the eye of the young king, but it was her spirit that captured his heart.

Imagine anew the story of Esther, one of our faith’s great heroines, destined to play a key role in the history of Christianity.

My Thoughts: Like many girls/women, Esther has always been one of my favourite books of the Bible. And one of the few that doesn't actually mention the name of God - though His fingerprints are clearly seen throughout the story.

This book is a work of fiction and the author definitely takes liberties with the Biblical narrative, but it is written as a love story and it is a beautiful one at that.

Just as I expected, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and was instantly captivated by the Cinderella-esque tale of the little Jewish girl who became Queen of Persia, a strong woman who risked everything to save her people.

Definitely don't use this as a theological commentary on the book of Esther, but enjoy it for what it is - romantic historical Christian fiction.

Absolutely 2 thumbs way up!

Thank you to Booksneeze for providing me with my complimentary review copy of Joan Wolf's A Reluctant Queen.

Book Review: Beyond all Measure by Dorothy Love

About the Book: Unless she can trust God's love to cast out her fears, Ada may lose the heart of a good man.

Ada Wentworth, a young Bostonian, journeys to Hickory Ridge, Tennessee, in the years following the Civil War. Alone and nearly penniless following a broken engagement, Ada accepts a position as a lady’s companion to the elderly Lillian Willis, a pillar of the community and aunt to the local lumber mill owner, Wyatt Caldwell. Ada intends to use her millinery skills to establish a hat shop and secure her future.

Haunted by unanswered questions from her life in Boston, Ada is most drawn to two townsfolks: Wyatt, a Texan with big plans of his own, and Sophie, a mulatto girl who resides at the Hickory Ridge orphanage. Ada's friendship with Sophia attracts the attention of a group of locals seeking to displace the residents of Two Creeks, a "colored" settlement on the edge of town. As tensions rise, Ada is threatened but refuses to abandon her plan to help the girl.

When Lillian dies, Ada is left without employment or a place to call home. And since Wyatt’s primary purpose for staying in Hickory Ridge was to watch over his aunt, he can now pursue his dream of owning Longhorns in his home state of Texas.

With their feelings for each other growing, Ada must decide whether she can trust God with her future and Wyatt with her heart.

My thoughts: The book (technically an e-book for my Sony Reader) was an enjoyable read but I admit to being somewhat disappointed. The saying "you can't judge a book by it's cover" probably applies well here. I loved the cover of this book! I love historical romance and the cover just made it look like a well-written, well-developed story. And though it was definitely an enjoyable and easy-going read, I just felt like it didn't do enough with the potential that was there.

I thought that both Wyatt and Ada's stories had more potential than the author took advantage of. If they had been fleshed out more it would have made the characters more realistic and the reader more empathetic. Both of the main characters are extremely likable, but some of Ada's decisions are not clearly explained and therefore seem slightly unbelievable, like they were made for the sake of the fairly predictable storyline.

I did like the whole millinery angle as I have a minor fascination with hats (though I rarely wear them myself, and certainly not the styles described in the book), so I found that intriguing. I also felt that the book did a good job of describing the tension between the north/south and the emotions and aftereffects plaguing both "sides" after the end of the war. I just felt that Wyatt and Ada's characters themselves could have been more well-developed.

Thank you to Booksneeze for providing me with my complimentary e-book review copy of Dorothy Love's Beyond All Measure.

Book Review: Nick of Time by Tim Downs

About the Book: Tying the knot may be the toughest thing Nick Polchak has ever tried to do.

Nick Polchak is comfortable with bugs. Their world is orderly. He knows where he stands and exactly how to interpret the signs they give him. But a fiancée and an upcoming wedding? Not so much.

That's why—a mere four days before the nuptials—Nick finds himself driving to Philadelphia for the monthly meeting of the Vidocq society. Being among a group of forensic professionals consulting on cold cases will surely allow him to feel useful and normal.

But while there he discovers that a close friend has been murdered . . . and in classic Nick style, begins to follow the trail of evidence rather than returning to his fiancée. Fearing that his one-track mind won't lead him home by Saturday, Alena and three of her dogs go to track him down.

When she finally finds him, nothing is as Alena expected . . . because the twists in this case will surprise even the most dedicated Bug Man fans.

My thoughts: I knew by page 2 that I was going to love this book! The author's sense of humour had me laughing from the get-go and had me thoroughly entertained the whole way through.

The author also wrote the two main characters so convincingly that I really felt like I could empathize with them and relate to them - which is amazing because both of them are absolutely nothing like me. I'm not a bug person and I'm not a dog person - yet I found both of Nick and Alena's jobs and passions to be thoroughly interesting. Tremendous feat!

The book also tackles the HUGE difference between planning a wedding and planning a marriage. The fact that there is a difference and that one is far more important than the other (hint: it's not the wedding) should be simple common sense, but in reality, I don't think it is. I think usually women get so caught up in planning this wedding they've dreamed of their whole lives, and men try to just survive the onslaught (I realize I'm stereotyping here!) - that the marriage itself takes a backseat at a time when it needs to be front and centre.

And then amongst that all is a thrilling murder mystery with a twist I certainly did not see coming. Normally, I love it when I can't see the twist coming, but in this case, I wasn't overly impressed with the twist itself.

This book is considered Christian fiction, but, though the book is absolutely consistent with Christian morals, it is definitely not overtly Christian.

This is the first book I've read by Tim Downs, but you can be certain it will not be my last!

Thank you to Booksneeze for providing me with my complimentary review copy of Tim Downs' Nick of Time.

Book Review: Daddy Dates by Greg Wright

About the Book: Daddy Dates gives the average Joe easy steps to actively and successfully engage with his daughter and raise a confident woman-to-be.

When faced with the reality of raising four (4!) teen daughters, Greg Wright went on a soul quest.

He came back with a mission: Don’t Screw Up.

This funny, insightful, and relatable book poses the wildly original concept that should be a “duh” for most dads—but isn’t: In order to raise a confident woman-to-be, show your daughter what it feels like to be treated with love, respect, and true interest by a man who loves her.

Daddy Dates shows the average father how to actually do that. It is written in an original voice and will appeal to both men and women. It is the kind of action-oriented “how to” material that guys enjoy, and so many others will recommend to other dads.

My thoughts: Our culture does not respect the role of the father very much these days. In pretty much any sitcom you watch, the dad is often the butt of the jokes and simply a lazy and uninvolved parent while Supermom pulls it off without any help from Loserdad. Society has made it seem like the role of the father is not that important.

But nothing could be further from the truth. Daughters learn how men are supposed to treat them by the way their father treats them. A girl's relationship with her dad will have a huge impact on her self-esteem and how she sees herself as a person in general and a woman in particular. (A father's role in his son's life is just as vital, but the book is geared to father/daughter relationships so I'm not getting into that here).

Unfortunately, many dads (and moms for that matter) simply don't know exactly what to do. If that's where you're at, this book is for you!

A quick and easy read, this book is filled with great ideas about pursuing a relationship with your daughter.

From the book....

I believe it's the job of every husband and father to understand that his job - perhaps his most important job - is to be the pursuer. Not just at the beginning, but all the way through... Doesn't matter their age. Girls want us to discover their specialness, praise it, and treasure it.

Wright's solution was to pursue daughter knowing (getting to know her as a person, what she thinks about things - which means how she feels!) by dating them - showing them how a sincere guy treats a girl he's genuinely interested in getting to know.

The book includes date ideas, as well as a personality quiz to help father's get to know their daughters and what types of dates would be special for them, as well as their personality type's strengths, weaknesses, communication style and needs. This includes doing a lot more listening than talking. And recognizing that girls do not want their problems solved, they want to share their problems with someone they trust.

Talk + Action + Time = Trust

Once you've built a solid relationship with your kids and they know they can trust you, it will make it easier in those times when you need to exert your parental authority, especially when they are in disagreement with you.

The Wright family has determined that they don't allow dating in high school - "In high school we don't have boyfriends. We don't do ownership. We do friendship, and that's it". When his daughters turn 13 he takes them on a very special date where he presents them with "a pretty ring to wear on her left hand so she will remember that I am giving her my heart (in a parental way), promising to be her guide in life, and will take care of her financially and emotionally until she's an independent woman or married". When her future husband asks permission to marry her, that's when the ring will come off - symbolizing a "transition of care".

This book is an easy read, geared to men, and not very long. Though written from a Christian perspective, it is not preachy and would be valuable for parents of any/no faith. I highly recommend it!

Thank you to Booksneeze for providing me with my complimentary review copy of Greg Wright's Daddy Dates.

Book Review: Outlive Your Life by Max Lucado

About the Book: These are difficult days in our world's history. 1.75 billion people are desperately poor, natural disasters are gouging entire nations, and economic uncertainty still reigns across the globe. But you and I have been given an opportunity to make a big difference. What if we did? What if we rocked the world with hope? Infiltrated all corners with God's love and life? We are created by a great God to do great works. He invites us to outlive our lives, not just in heaven, but here on earth. Let's live our lives in such a way that the world will be glad we did.

My Thoughts: I have enjoyed all of Max Lucado's books and this one was no exception. In fact, I think it may be my favourite of them all.

It gives practical inspiration for how we can really live out lives to make a difference, especially as we strive to be like the One in whom we profess to believe. It is a call for us to truly and practically be a light in a fallen world, as we have been commanded to do in the Word.

Based on the first twelve chapters of the Book of Acts, this book inspires us to live out our lives the way the first believers did.

Here's a quote from the book....

When your grandchildren discover you lived during a day in which 1.75 billion people were poor and 1 billion were hungry, how will they judge your response?

What if we rocked the world with hope?

Thank you to Booksneeze for providing me with my complimentary review copy of Max Lucado's Outlive Your Life.

Book Review: Immanuel's Veins by Ted Dekker

About the Book: In the 1700's a Russian soldier, Toma Nicolescu, is sent by the Queen of Russia to protect the Cantemir estate in Moldavia. While there, he and his partner are drawn into a battle of good vs evil. This books is for everyone, but not everyone is for this book.

My thoughts: I have to say that I was disappointed in this book. I have read several of Dekker's books and I have definitely liked some more than others. This was definitely my least favourite.

Part of it was probably the vampire storyline which rubbed me the wrong way as it just seemed to be a jumping on the Twilight phenomenon bandwagon move. Vampires are also not my favourite storyline to begin with.

I did not find the writing to be as good as his previous works. This felt redundant and frustrating to read.

For a Christian book, it is very sensual, and I would definitely not recommend it for younger readers.

That being said, there are numerous reviews out there by people that absolutely loved this book. In fact, my opinion seems to be in the minority. "This book is for everyone, but not everyone is for this book" probably sums it up very accurately.

Thank you to Booksneeze for providing me with my complimentary review copy of Ted Dekker's Immanuel's Veins.

Book Review: Love, Charleston by Beth Webb Hart

Love, Charleston revolves around the lives of four main characters - sisters Anne and Alisha (Lish), their cousin Della and a widowed priest named Roy.

Anne is single but is holding out hope for love based on a promise from God she heard years ago. Her hope is waning and her sister and cousin urge her to move on.

Anne's sister Lish seemingly has the perfect life, but her health struggles combined with her husband's career ambitions threaten to destroy this picture perfect family.

Their cousin Della has become disillusioned with the life she's made with her husband and the return of her former fiance to Charleston is making her rethink her life choices.

Roy loves ministering to his flock and struggles to understand why God would call him and his daughter to pretentious and superficial Charleston.

Roy's passion for the Word is contagious and inspires you to grow in your faith. Anne's flagging hope is a reminder that God's promises will be filled in His time, not ours. Lish's story reminds us that our hope needs to be placed in God alone. Della's struggles shows us how easy it is to fall for Satan's lies especially when our focus is on ourselves instead of God. All of their stories are excellent reminders that God's plan for our lives is perfect, even when it doesn't make sense to us. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Thank you to Booksneeze for providing me with my complimentary review copy of Love, Charleston.