Whatever is Lovely: A coloring book for reflection and worship

Whatever is Lovely: A coloring book for reflection and worship is so far my absolute favorite adult coloring book. It is filled with scripture to reflect upon while you are coloring the page. Each illustration is done by a different person so they each have a unique style while they still remain cohesive to one another.

The illustrations are one sided printed on very thick pages. The back side tells who each illustrator is and some include versus, scripture and poetry. I have some adult coloring books which are very tedious and not really relaxing this one is the opposite. The images are not difficult to manage and color and it is easy to reflect upon the scriptures as you are coloring them. Some designs are very simple and others are a little more intricate in nature. This is a very well done coloring book and very nice quality.

This is a must have coloring book if you love the Word and love to color!!!! I received this book at no charge from www.bloggingforbooks.com in exchange for an honest review. You can purchase a copy here.

Faith Builders Bible

I am slightly disappointed in the Faith Builders Bible. It may be good for a child around 9-11. The font is tiny and I felt the building block verse pages were lacking. The illustrations/pictures of block creation seemed small.

At the beginning there is an illustration with blocks showing the names of each book in the bible. Then there is a “can you build” page that gives 3 small activities: a cross, a fish and a lamb. On the pages with the building block verses there is a building block creation (basically Legos but the book never references Legos at all). The picture takes approximately half the page then there is a description of the story being depicted. Below that there is a “building block verse” that goes along with the story.

I believe a lot more could have been done with this bible. There really are no study materials to go along with the illustrations, no elaboration and no real teaching tool. I was really hoping for more. In today’s world of internet it would be nice if maybe there had be instructions or some kind of guide to building some of the structures so that they could be used as teaching guides. It would’ve been very easy to add these little details. Printables could have been made available via internet or instructions could have been added at the end. A lot of the illustrations aren’t much more than mini figures standing on platform boards.

I did love the ABCs of Salvation  and the Lord’s Prayer pages and I will keep this bible for my child when he is older but as of right now he is way too young for it. It is a very basic bible with no reference notes or no study guides but is a version that will be easier to understand by a child. If you are looking for a child’s bible for someone who absolutely loves legos or building blocks that is just below teen level this might be a good choice but if you are looking for a good study bible or teaching tool you may want to find something else.  I would suggest picking it up and looking through it before making a choice. I received this bible at no charge from www.booklookbloggers.com in exchange for an honest review. I don’t believe I would’ve purchased this particular bible at this point otherwise. It isn’t horrible but just doesn’t meet my wants or needs in a bible for a child.

 

Happy Cooking

Giada De Laurentiis’ Happy Cooking cookbook is a beautiful cookbook full of wonderful photography. It is full of recipes including breakfast foods, snacks or small plates, salads, soups, pastas veggies and sides as well as sweets plus more. The recipes seem to be pretty healthy looking. There are also a few recipes for detoxing. She has added “cooks notes” throughout  with helpful hints and suggestions.

I’m not sure this is a go to cookbook for me but there are a handful of recipes that I would like to try. Not all of the recipes are pantry friendly and will require shopping at least for me. I will not have most of these ingredients on hand and it will take some planning on my part. It also requires a lot of herbs and spices for her recipes, again something that I don’t always have. That being said if you want to plan a meal ahead of time you will probably find plenty in this cookbook. I personally prefer using cookbooks that I can grab things I have on hand and get to cooking. I don’t have a lot of time to meal plan.

I would suggest checking out some of the recipes for yourself before purchasing this book to see if it is worth it to you. I will keep it in my collection because I do believe at some point I will use it. I received this book from www.bloggingforbooks.com at no charge for an honest review. You can purchase it here.

 

The Hot Bread Kitchen

 

Next to sweet stuff my weakness is bread. I love all bread so I couldn’t wait to get The Hot Bread Kitchen Cookbook by Jessamyn Waldman Rodiquez and the bakers of Hot Bread Kitchen.

“The tasty corollary of this social enterprise is a line of authentic breads you won’t find anywhere else”  There It begins with Primordial breads or better known to me as flat breads and ends with some sweet breads. It gives you bread baking tips and storing your bread tips. It appears to me that all of the ingredients are easily found. The cook book is beautifully illustrated with wonderful photography. Most recipes include a photo but not all of them. Savory breads, sweet breads, stuffed breads, rolls are all included. I can’t wait to try out a few recipes. It’s not just bread either there is a recipe for Crispy Chicken Schnitzel, Summertime Tomato and Tuna Bread Salad, and a Grilled Cheese French Toast just to name a few.

I believe that if you want to bake some yummy bread you will enjoy this cookbook. It looks advanced enough for the experienced baker as well as easy enough for a novice. I received this book at no charge from www.bloggingforbooks.com in exchange for an honest review.

 

The Surprising Imagination of C.S. Lewis

The surprising Imagination of C.S. Lewis was intriguing to me. It is written by Jerry Root and Mark Neal. “This book is an introduction to C.S. Lewis’s published work. To understand Lewis well requires a frasp of his uses of the imaginations. Lewis said so himself.”

I really didn’t know much about C.S. Lewis and not really much about his works. I am somewhat familiar with his Chronicles of Narnia series but that is about the extent of my knowledge of his works.  I really enjoyed learning about him and the way his imagination worked. I didn’t realize he had claimed to be an atheist prior to his salvation.

This book isn’t something that is a really quick read and is kind of a study of the different literary imagination styles of C.S. Lewis. It shows how important imagination is in our lives. His imagination has made a difference in many lives. I believe this book is more of a textbook type study book and not a “story” type book. I plan on using in later in a home school curriculum as a study in literature.

I enjoyed this book but it did take some time to get through.

 I received this book a no charge from handlebar publishing in exchange for an honest review.

 

NKJV Prohecy Study Bible

 

 

If you are looking for a bible that explains prophecy I would highly recommend the NKJV Prophecy Study Bible, with commentary by John Hagee. I’m so excited about this one!!!!!!

I wouldn’t say this is the easiest study bible I’ve ever used but neither is it difficult to figure out. It’s not just a normal study bible to study scripture but it is one that focuses on prophecy. The bible starts out with explanations and studies of the end times. There are charts and time lines to help you understand. There is also information to tell you how to use this bible.  John Hagee has done a wonderful job explaining prophecy.  It is a very difficult subject to understand and many have different beliefs on what the end times mean exactly.  I tend to agree with John Hagee and how he interprets scripture.

I can’t even begin to tell you everything in this bible but I will try. Each book includes information about the book, who the author is, the time line of the book. Some of them also include “evidences”  and stories to help explain the chapter. There are beautiful colored maps in the back and a history of Israel.  It is also a red letter words of Christ bible.

I have to say I absolutely love this bible and cannot wait to delve into it deeper.  I think this is probably one of the if not the best prophecy studies I have come across. If you are wanting to learn more about end times and prophecy I think this is the one for you. I have read some reviews that say it is missing books but I have not found anything missing maybe this was in earlier editions or maybe some mistake in the printing. As far as I can tell this is a complete bible.

I received this bible at no charge from www.booklookbloggers.com in exchange for an honest review.

Food52 Baking

I have a sweet tooth the size of Texas so I was so happy to get Food52 Baking cookbook. It has 60 different recipes all of which look awesome!!!!! Each recipe has a beautiful picture of the finished product. The book is broken into sections to help you decide which recipe is for the occasion that you are wanting to cook a delectable dessert for.

Some of the recipes have seemingly long ingredient lists but as I browse through them it appears that much of the ingredients are things that are readily available in most pantries especially if you bake any at all.  Each recipe has a tip or trick listed at the bottom.  For example there is a tip on how to make homemade buttermilk if you don’t have some in your refrigerator, there is also info on how to cut in butter for the more inexperienced cooks, there may be variations on how to change the recipe for a different flavor and even ways to turn the sweets into something savory.

I’ve been looking for a good Dutch Baby recipe and there is one in this cookbook, Buttermilk Dutch Baby with Caramelized Pears, that I can’t wait to try. As well as a blueberry scone recipe that made my mouth water. While the majority of the cookbook is all about the sweets there is a section of savory dishes such as no kneed pizza dough and grilled flatbreads among others.

I really like the last section of the book. It is called “Baking for Any Occasion” it tells you which recipes are good for different occasions. An example is the recipes that are easiest to commit to memory or maybe good recipes for bake sales.

I would definitely recommend this cookbook for the baking nut whether experienced or even if you have never baked a thing. This is surely one of my favorites.

I received this book at no charge from www.bloggingforbooks.com in exchange for an honest review.  You can purchase your copy here.

The Time Garden: A Magical Journey and Coloring Book

 

 

The Time Garden: A magical journey and coloring book by Daria Song is an adult style coloring book which is all the rage right now. It is a way to bring your inner child out and enjoy coloring once again. This coloring book is much more than just a coloring book. It has beautiful pages but it also is a little girl’s journey through an old German cuckoo clock. Each page is a glimpse into her journey. The book starts out with a written story about a little girl with wild imagination whose father purchased the old German clock. Then you fill your imagination with the rest of the story through the coloring pages.

I have loved coloring since I was a child and even as an adult I could sit for hours with a coloring book. Now finally I have my very own coloring book without taking one of my kids haha. Grab yourself a nice set of coloring pencils or markers and grab this book for hours of relaxing fun. It has different levels from very intricate to not so intricate. I received this book at no charge from www.bloggingforbooks.com in exchange for an honest review. It can be purchased here.

KJV Foundation Study Bible

I loved the KJV Foundation Study Bible. I have several study bibles and am glad to add this one to my collection. It has Christ’s words in red letters. It includes a concordance and a Theological notes index by title section. It also includes very nice colored maps

Each book starts with a notation about the author and about the theme of the book. Also, a key verse and timeline is included in the introduction. One thing I really like is each study note also has references to other biblical text. I have a few study bibles that do not do this. I really like to see where the information is coming from and where it parallels with other scripture. At the bottom of each page is a section that lists study information and at the end a list of cross reference bible scriptures.

The only cons I can come up with are the version I got is a hardback bible which makes it difficult to carry with you. I prefer leather bound so this will be a stay at home study bible. And the other is the print is very small for my eyes. These are very minor issues for me and wouldn’t deter me from purchasing the bible.

I’m really glad I have this bible and can see it being one that I will use frequently. Some study bibles can be very complex and difficult to use this one is straight forward and very user friendly.  I would recommend this bible to anyone looking for a nice study bible. I received this bible at no charge from www.booklookbloggers.com in exchange for an honest review.

 

The Realism Challenge

I am not the artist in my family. My daughter loves art and is learning different techniques all of the time. When I saw this book I thought it would be perfect for her. The Realism Challenge by Mark Crilley is a step by step guide on creating art that is very realistic looking.

He keeps supplies really simple and doesn’t encourage going out and buying the most expensive supplies. He suggests purchasing descent products and goes into detail what types of things you will need. I loved his lessons were step by step and he explains things to the point even I feel like I could do it.  He begins with basic techniques and starts with a non complex sheet of paper. The next lesson is the same concept but he adds a few wrinkles to the paper. Each lesson gets progressively more difficult.

If you love art and want to learn to do more realistic artwork then I would suggest this book. I believe it is a great resource for beginners. My daughter hasn’t had the time to work on anything yet but I’m looking forward to seeing what she will do with this. 

The book is well laid out and beautifully done. It’s a nice hard backed book full of color illustrations. I really liked everything about it.  I received this book at no charges from bloggingforbooks.com in exchange for an honest review.

You can purchase a copy of it here.

Learning to see Creatively

I love all books from Bryan Peterson and this new edition of Learning to See Creatively is no exception.  I also own the previous version of the same book but there is enough in this one to make me glad I have it too. “Fully revised with all new photography, this updated edition of veteran photographer Bryan Peterson’s popular guide takes a radical approach to creativity by explaining how it is not just an inherent ability but a skill that can be learned and applied.”

I love the way Mr. Peterson explains things that everyone can understand. He writes his books for all skill levels but I think one thing that sticks out the most to me about this book is not only does he show you the “creative” photo but he pulls back and shows you the entire scene. It makes you think a little more outside of the box. The final product might be a postage stamp size section of an entire scene. He helps you “see” and become more creative.

I would recommend this purchase for any photographer, skilled or new, who wants to get more out of your pictures. He explains using different lenses, composition, he explains what our eyes see and then explains how to hone in on things that aren’t necessarily the things that automatically stick out so basically he is teaching us how to see outside of our vision to become more creative.

I received this book at no charge from www.bloggingforbooks.com in exchange for an honest review. You  can purchase this book here.

The Plans I Have for You

The Plans I have for You written by Amy Parker is a wonderful children’s book based on the scripture Jeremiah 29:11. For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (NIV).

This book is bright and beautiful. I adore the quality of the illustrations and the story is so inspiring. I can’t say enough good about this book. I do believe it is one of my absolute favorites in our children’s library. It gives such a wonderful message to children letting them know he formed them and has big plans for them. They are here for a purpose.

This is a must have in your child’s collection!!!!!!! Jeremiah 29:11 is one of my favorite scriptures and this book does a great job bring forth the message of the passage.  I received this book at no charge from www.booklookbloggers.com in exchange for an honest review.

Straight up Tasty

Straight Up Tasty cookbook by Adam Richman is a beautiful cookbook. And it is full of recipes from his travels. Many of them look absolutely wonderful. I haven’t used the cookbook yet but I can’t wait to try the Lemon Ricotta Pancakes and the Spaghetti Pie.

The quality of the cookbook is excellent. The pages are thick and bound in a hardback cover. It is full of gorgeous photography of food that will make your mouth water.  There are some recipes that I am not at all interested in trying but there are enough that would make this a keeper.  There are breakfast recipes, sandwiches or lunch meals, snacks, dinners, sides and salads, sauces and of course sweets.

I would say there is enough diversity that there a recipes for many different pallets. If you want to add a cookbook to your collection I would recommend this one.

I received this cookbook from www.bloggingforbooks.com at no charge in exchange for an honest review.

You can purchase a copy here

 

 

Jesus Calling for Little Ones

I loved this little devotional book for the wee ones. It is a board book with the cutest illustrations. There are 13 devotions with scripture that covers 2 pages. They are easy to understand and kept my 2 year old still while I was reading them to him. I am so glad I got this one for him. He loved the pictures and the book is very sturdy and very high quality. its the perfect size for little hands.
I feel like this is a good way to start introducing devotions into the little ones lives. I believe it could extend beyond toddler years to children a little older too.
I received this book at no charge from www.booklookbloggers.com in exchange for an honest review.

Willie Out West

This was a cute book. Wille is bored and in my opinion whiney but maybe we can say most small children will experience the same thing from time to time. I have to say the book somewhat held my toddlers attention. I wish it could have been an interactive story but the illustrations were descent.

His mom sends him to "relax" by watching TV where he falls asleep and dreams he is helping fight crime in the Big West. when he wakes up he wonders if his adventures were just a dream or if they were real.

It is a cute story that teaches kids to be happy with what they have. I have to say it was good but not the best that I've ever read

I received this book at no charge from www.booklookblogger.com in exchange for an honest review

Twenty Dinners

I enjoyed this cookbook. I has included recipes and plans for 20 dinners from beginning to end including drinks. I don't believe this will be my go to cookbook though. There aren't a lot of recipes that look appealing to me and not necessarily my taste but I'm sure many will like them. It is a very nice hardback book with beautiful photography throughout. If you are a foodie I believe you will like this one. I personally have a southern pallet and this doesn't cater to that. Maybe I will venture out of my comfort zone and find a recipe that I like.

 

You can purchase this book here

Daily Painting

 

Daily painting by Carol Marine is an instructional art book. She wants everyone to enjoy their painting. I chose this book because my daughter loves art and is always looking for things to help her learn more. The author of this book really seems to want to reach out an help artists whether they are just beginning or have painted for years. Her book is broken into different sections she explains things such as value, composition, proportion and many more. She also discusses the rule of thirds. I found this interesting because I’ve never thought about in the form of doing painting I have learned to use this concept in my photography. It was a duh moment for me.

The author tries to help those who may be suffering from painters block due to painting becoming more of a job than a joy. She is teaching the concept to paint small and paint daily choosing art that can be finished quickly. She has listed materials that she uses and gives a lot of tips and techniques throughout the book. The illustrations are gorgeous and are really well done.

My daughter is really enjoying this book so I would definitely recommend it to those who paint or want to learn. I received this book at no charge from www.bloggingforbooks.com in exchange for an honest review. You can purchase this book here.

The Great Big Pressure Cooker Book

I love my pressure cooker and I have been looking for a good cookbook with some really good recipes that even I would like. This cookbook has 500 recipes in it. There are several I really want to try but there are a lot that I probably will never make. That being said it is worth it to have it.

The first part of the book is dedicated to explaining how to use a pressure cooker and helping people to get over their fears of using them. I really enjoyed this part of the book. The one thing that I didn't see in the recipes is how to adjust the recipes to the different sizes of pressure cookers. I have a smaller one and I'm afraid that some of the recipes will be too much for my cooker. Maybe I over looked the instructions pertaining to the size. The cookbook is full of information. I will go through it again and look.

The recipes are broken up into types of foods. There is a section for beef, chicken, pork, soups and desserts etc. I'm glad to have this cookbook in my collection and look forward to making some of the recipes. As of right now I haven't fixed anything from the cookbook so it is hard to say how the food will turn out but looking at the ingredients and with what experience I do have with pressure cookers I believe the recipes should be pretty descent.

I received this book at no charge in exchange for an honest review from www.bloggingforbooks.com.

Prison

 

 

I wasn’t sure about the book Prison by Toni V. Lee when I first saw it but decided to read it. I’m glad I did. I really enjoyed the story and wasn’t disappointed.

Sonja Gray is an undercover detective in narcotics. She attends a church where a drug dealer has set up his “business” thinking the cops wouldn’t suspect a thing. Sonja is paired up with Max Trent another detective that really gets under Sonja’s skin. They start their investigation in her church him posing as her nerdy fiancé.

Sonja doesn’t have any family but 2 elderly ladies have “adopted” her and are her aunties. These 2 women are so funny and they tend to butt in everywhere. They even “force” the drug dealer “Rock” to attend services by taking him in Sunday after Sunday.

I know that the book had to get a lot of things but there were a few things that probably could’ve been left out. There were a couple of characters who were introduced and then just dropped maybe they were there for a sequel I don’t know but I felt like too much emphasis was put on them only to be left out of the story in the end. Also, there were a few things that weren’t what I would call believable but overall the book was enjoyable and I would recommend it to anyone who likes a little action and a little romance

I received this book at no charge by www.booklookbloggers.com in exchange for an honest review.

 

 

Serving Up a Sweetheart

Serving Up a Sweetheart is a Novell by Cheryl Wyatt. It’s a story about Meadow Larson who owns a catering business and Colin McGrath who just moved back to Havenbrook. He and his friends tormented Meadow when she was in high school and now he is living right across the street from her.

Meadow’s kitchen is destroyed by a cave in and Colin comes to her rescue offering her his kitchen and offering to repair hers. She is skeptical but allows him to do so. This is your typical wedding novella. I loved the characters. And I liked the fact that the author showed us through God and with his help we can forgive others.

This is a short read only requiring a couple of hours but it was enjoyable just as most of the others in this series have been. I like these books when I need to clear my mind and just need something light to read. I would recommend it anyone who loves romance stories.

I was given this book at no charge from www.booklookbloggers.com in exchange for an honest review.

Genius Recipes

Food 52: Genius Recipes by Kristen Miglore is a beautiful cookbook. It is filled with recipes from various chefs in one collection. Each recipe includes a brief introduction to it and a “genius tip”. I haven’t prepared a recipe yet but it appears that most recipes are straight forward and easily followed. The ingredients are readily available in most grocery stores.

The cookbook includes 100 recipes that have somewhat unique techniques to make them “stand out” quality. Professional chefs who have found tricks to make their food taste better and they are shared with us in this cookbook.

It is beautifully illustrated with delicious looking photos that make the food look mouth watering. I can’t say that this will be my everyday go to cookbook but it will definitely be one that I keep in my collection and plan on using.  I would recommend it to anyone who loves to cook. It has plenty of recipes in it that look great. Unfortunately at this time I’m going to have to depend upon the “looks” of the ingredients and not my actual experience of the taste.

I received this book at no charge from www.bloggingforbooks.com  in exchange for an honest review. You can purchase this book here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Easter Stories

 

 

Easter Stories: Classic Tales for the Holy Season is a collection of stories by various writers. Some are well know like C.S. Lewis, Leo Tolstoy, and Oscar Wilde and some are less known at least by me. The collection begins with a poem by Jayne Tyson Clement called Carol of Hope and it is followed by 27 more short stories that make great devotionals leading up to Easter but could also be enjoyed any time of the year.  They are written like fables and have an underlying meaning about Christ and his love for us. One of my favorites was Robin Redbreast by Selma Lagerlof. It was a story about a Robin waiting on its red breast and wondering why he was gray, a story about God completing us when He is ready.

If you are looking for a good family devotion to teach your children the true meaning of Easter, to teach them it’s not about eggs and Easter bunnies this would be a great book. Each story is short enough that it doesn’t take a long time to read and discuss. It is also good for an individual devotion time just to prepare your heart and a time to reflect on just what Christ has done for us.

I received this book at no charge from Handlebar Publishing in exchange for an honest  review.

Trisha's Table

Trisha’s Table: My Feel Good Favorites for a Balanced Life by Trisha Yearwood has some wonderful looking recipes in it. I haven’t prepared anything from the cookbook yet bet there is so many recipes in it that I want to try.

Now this cookbook isn’t what I would typically think of when I watch her cook these recipes seem to have a little more of a healthy twist to her southern cooking. Some of which I probably wouldn’t care too much for myself. This probably wouldn’t be my go to cookbook but that’s not to say that there aren’t plenty of recipes that I want to try.

It is very well illustrated with beautiful photography of the prepared dishes. And most look mouth watering. There is a black bean chili and rice recipe for those who want to eliminate meat from a meal, oh and a wonderful looking slow cooker Georgia pulled pork barbecue for the meat lovers.  I believe this cookbook that is offering healthier versions of what normally could be not so healthy comfort foods. Then there are some yummy desserts: chocolate angel food cake with strawberries, brownie batter cookies, key lime cheesecake with raspberry sauce. Okay so not all of it is healthy haha.

I would recommend this cookbook to others. I received this book from www.bloggingforbooks.com at no charge in exchange for an honest review.

Still Life

 

Still Life by Christa Parrish left me a little uncertain about how I feel about this novel. It is a novel about Ada who was raised in a strict, religious sect who married an outsider, Julian Goetz and a lady Katherine who has a troubled marriage. I didn’t hate this book but it probably isn’t one that I absolutely love either. It was just an okay read for me.

First, the description of the book doesn’t quite add up to the story inside but it’s close.  It was a little misleading. I maybe expected something a little different. Ms. Parrish wrote this book in a format that is a little different than most books that I have read which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I kind of enjoyed the format. The characters were pretty believable but it seemed there wasn’t much of a connection made. It is almost as if the story includes too much information trying to be crammed into one book. I would have probably enjoyed the book more if I felt the characters connected with each other on a more personal level throughout.

Secondly, I felt heartbroken that such a weak woman lost so much in such a short period of time. It was nice to be able to feel the characters and follow them. I just wish their story was a little deeper and we were allowed a deeper insight to their lives. I believe the concept of the storyline is a good one. It needed to be pulled together just a little better.

I wish the ending had been a little more detailed and pulled together. It was almost as if the book was made to end just a little too soon and didn’t get a proper finish. It probably needed a prologue with the way it ended. I would have liked to have seen Katherine and Ada to come together a little better.

I’ve listed several negatives but the book still had its good points. I read it pretty quickly and did enjoy the characters. The overall plot was a good one and I did find myself wanting to keep reading it.

I received this book at no charge from www.booklookbloggers.com in exchange for an honest review.

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John Shaw's Guide to Digital Nature Photography

John Shaw’s Guide to Digital Nature Photography has some beautiful photography throughout. This book is full of useful information for anyone who is new to photography. I’m not sure it has much in the way of new information for people who have a lot of experience in photography.

The book is broken into 6 sections or chapters beginning with gear. The rest of the chapters are: Getting Started, Lenses, Composition, Close-ups, and The Photographer at work. Mr. Shaw goes into detail about the type of equipment that is out there. He uses Nikon and uses a lot of Nikon examples but you by no means need to be a Nikon user to enjoy this book.

The one thing that may or may not be a negative about the book is to me it is very “textbook” like. There are a lot of definitions and explanations but not a lot in the way of how to implement those things he tells you about. Yes he explains the different lenses, filters, etc. but really doesn’t go into what situations would these thing be beneficial. It is more explanation and less application. I’m thinking his intentions is to give you all of the information to understand the mechanics of photography and your job to figure it out.

I would recommend this book to people who have some knowledge of photography and those who are beginning to delve into dslr cameras and photography. It does have a lot of useful information and is beautifully laid out.

I received this book at no charge from www.bloggingforbooks.com in exchange for an honest review.

 

The Postage Stamp Vegetable Garden

The Postage Stamp Vegetable Garden by Karen Newcome is a revised guide to gardening.  A guide for gardening in small and limited spaces. “To accommodate today’s lifestyles, a garden needs to fit into an extremely tiny plot, take as little time as possible to maintain, require a minimum amount of water, and still produce prolifically.”

I am so glad I got this book. We have a very small yard. We have had a very small 4x4 spot for a few veggies and herbs that was semi productive. I just felt like we couldn’t yield enough to make it worth our time. This book has renewed my hope. It is full of wonderful information from planning to harvesting in small spaces as well as container gardening.

It begins with planning and gives diagrams of some small garden plots.  There is information on preparing your seeds, soil and gardening spot. There is a lot of detail written in very easy to understand methods. One sections explains when and where to plant and there is even a section that explains watering properly.

The advice given on what crops to grow range from planting tips, crop stretching, recommended varieties, typical problems, harvesting, and storage. I am not a very experienced gardener at all and this book makes me feel like I can actually do this. Spring is right around the corner and planting season will start in just a couple of months. I can’t wait to try out some of the ideas in this book.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is the least bit interested in gardening but may feel like you don’t have the space or the time to invest. I feel like this book takes a lot of the guess work out of it and should help to have success come harvesting season.

I was given this book by www.bloggingforbooks.com in exchange for an honest review.

 

Hope Crossing

I loved Hope Crossing The complete Ada’s House Trilogy by Cindy Woodsmall.   This book includes 3 novels: The Hope of Refuge, The Bridge of Peace and The Harvest of Grace.  I am not a huge fan of Amish fiction but every book I have read by Cindy Woodsmall has been wonderful and this one is no exception. Plan on spending time reading this one since it is three novels in one it is over 1000 pages. The good thing is they all keep your interest.

The Hope of Refuge introduces us to several characters Cara Moore isn’t Amish but finds herself fleeing from a bad situation that lands her in Hope Crossing. There is a little mystery as to who she is and how she ends up here. The characters were fun to get to know and this book shows struggles among both the English community as well as the Amish community. At first I got frustrated at the way the Amish acts toward outsiders but Cindy does a good job at explaining why.

The Bridge of Peace continues the characters that were in the first book but focuses more on Lena and her struggles with the life she is dealt being marked with a birthmark on her face. Then she faces criticism from other members because of things that happen at the school where she teaches.

The Harvest of Grace introduces us to new characters as well as bringing forth the characters we have grown to love in the first two books. This book focuses on forgiveness.

If you like Amish novels you will definitely enjoy this one. If you are looking for something that will take you a while to read and take you away you will enjoy this one. If you want something that is quick for a weekend or vacation read pass on by. It is a larger book and somewhat cumbersome I prefer reading on an electronic reader in this case. These books have a little romance, mystery, conflict and resolution. I always enjoy Cindy Woodsmall’s books and I’m glad I chose this one. It is a good value since it is three in one.

I received this book at no charge from www.bloggingforbooks.com in exchange for an honest review.

You can purchase this book here.

 

Watch for the Light

 

As much as I wanted to love this book I just didn't.  It had some good points and some good devotionals but I guess my expectations were a little different than what the book offered. The Christmas season is a busy season for me and I really wanted to be able to sit down and do a daily devotion to keep in mind what the season is really for. I found many of the passages too long, not that that is a bad thing but not what I needed at the time. I was looking for something I could get through quickly and reflect upon it. I wasn't looking for another project that was going to be time consuming. Some passages I had to skim through and to be quiet honest I ended up skipping some due to the lack of time. This devotional wouldn't be bad if you have the time to sit and really ponder upon what is being said. Maybe now that things have settled down I will revisit and even though it is designed for advent I can still glean from it.
I received this book from handlebar publishing at no charge in exchange for an honest review.

The Bracelet

I couldn’t put The Bracelet by Dorothy Love down. Set in Savannah just before the Civil War in 1858 the author did an awesome job describing the setting and pulling you in with her secrets and mystery. The Browning family is a prominent family that finds themselves shrouded in family secrets and lies. Celia Browning is in love with Sutton Mackay and has been since they were children. The secrets threaten their relationship and the Browning family’s social standing. Celia receives threats and a bracelet that represents a deadly message.

The author did such a wonderful job introducing her characters. I could imagine the homes, the sounds and the smells of the time. I could see the imagery that she portrayed. All of it served to keep me interested. I would find myself staying up way too late reading. She throws in crime, mystery, history, romance and scandal. This book is well rounded and could appeal to a number of readers who enjoy such.

I would recommend this book to others. I received this book at no charge from www.booklookbloggers.com in exchange for an honest review.

A November Bride

November Bride by Beth Vogt was one of my favorites. This is the final installment of the series and it was a complete joy to read. Sadie McAllister is a personal chef for a family who wants a chance at a TV series but when she bombs at her first attempt she isn’t sure what is in store for her. And on top of it all she is dumped by her boyfriend via text message. Her friend Erik Davis has commitment issues with his relationships. He and Sadie are friends since childhood. When he suggests they go on a date Sadie reluctantly agrees. They have some baggage from the past but is there more on the horizon for them?

I loved the characters and it was fun getting to know them. I could imagine their lives together as childhood friends and the struggle they had to remain friends throughout the years when there are underlying feelings that both are afraid to express. I wasn’t left feeling the novella was rushed and it felt complete. I always wish good books would go on a little longer but this was a perfect little evening read.

This was a wonderful ending to the series again if you love these types of novellas don’t miss this one. I was given this book at no charge from www.booklookbloggers.com in exchange for an honest review.