Wonders of Creation coloring Bible

 

 

 

I love all things coloring and all things journaling. I couldn’t wait to receive the NIV Wonders of Creation Bible. I have an adult coloring book that is called Wonders of Creation and this looked similar. I was correct. It is basically some of the same illustrations.

I have several journaling bibles and coloring bibles. I love them all and the Wonders of Creation Bible is no different. I love it too.  I will say this is not a journaling bible there isn’t anywhere to journal at all so just know it is only a coloring bible. One thing that specifically stuck out to me is the pages that are coloring pages are much thicker than you expect in a bible. I really like this about this bible, the pages are almost as thick as card stock. Some of my coloring bibles the pages are so thin you can see through them. I wish more publishers would make the coloring pages thicker.

The images are quite whimsical not realistic looking animals and but very fun. The spaces are larger and not so intricate that it would make it difficult to color. I haven’t tried yet but I’m thinking a water based marker would probably work without bleeding but test to make sure. There is a bible verse included with each picture so that you can ponder the Word as you color and relax. There are over 50 pages to color.

I would think this would make an excellent bible for a teen or pre-teen girl. The lettering of the bible is quite small I have a hard time reading it without readers. The bible isn’t a study bible of sorts, there are no notes or study verses as you go. There are no reference pages or concordance included. If those things are important to you then you may want to stay clear of this bible. Otherwise I found this bible enjoyable.

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

Doodletopia Fairies

 

I chose to add Doodletopia Fairies to my collection. I already own two others by Christopher Hart and really loved them so when this opportunity arose I couldn’t resist. I love the step by step instructions he includes in his books they are very easy to follow and are great for those who want to learn to draw.

In Doodletopia Fairies he has included so many impish characters that look so fun to draw. There are female and male characters.  The book begins with drawing heads and accessories then leads into different bodies and poses. Throughout the book he adds details a little at a time to get you used to drawing and adding features as you learn more. I noticed in this book compared to the other two I have there is a little less of background drawings. There is a section at the end that includes cute little fairy houses. I look forward to trying a few of these.

This is another one of those books that I will keep in my collection that I will hopefully end up using to help my children who have an interest to learn to draw.  It is that easy; easy enough for a child or tween to use but not so cutesy that an adult wouldn’t want to use it.

If you have an interest in drawing cartoons, fairies, or just for doodling fun I would suggest this one too. They are very quality productions with thick pages, easy to follow instructions with wonderful illustrations. 

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

 

Everything Beautiful

Everything Beautiful: A Coloring Book for Inspiration and Reflection is done by various artists. “”Open this coloring book and be reminded of splendor everywhere. Beauty abounds in the extraordinary and the ordinary… and even in the mundane.”  This coloring book allows you to reflect using spiritual Christian quotes. This book is very similar to Whatever Lovely.

It is beautifully done single pages but the back side includes scriptures, songs, or poem to go along with the picture on the other side. It also includes the illustrator. The paper is very thick almost a cardstock thickness. The illustrations are perfect for those who don’t like tedious or small spaces to color in. The lines are bold. Some of the pages are more detailed than others but pretty simple. Pencils work well and if you don’t mind bleed through with markers they will work well also. Markers will not harm any other picture if you place a sheet between pages but it will mar the scripture or verses on the reverse side. Water based markers probably won’t bleed through but I haven’t tried.

This coloring book is perfect for those whose vision may be a little poor and perfect for reflection. A great way to color, relax and reflect on God. It is Christian based so keep that in mind if that isn’t something you enjoy. Myself I absolutely love it!!! Whatever Lovely has been a strong go to for me in the past and I’m sure this one will be too. I believe both of these books are probably the best quality books I have as far as coloring books go.

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

NIV Beautiful Word Coloring Bible

I absolutely love adult coloring books and journaling so my next review is will be a journaling bible that is also a coloring bible. It is the NIV Beautiful Work Coloring Bible. This bible brings together two of my favorite things, journaling and coloring.

The bible has pages with quotes that you can color as well as a few full pages to color. There are also plenty of blank spaces to do your own journaling and art work. The pages are thicker than usual bible pages to enable coloring. I would suggest using micron pens or pencils. Water color will buckle the pages but if that doesn’t bother you it makes from some very pretty journaling.  I don’t think I would use any kind of marker but that is just my opinion. I have seen some people coat the pages with gesso or something similar to keep bleed through from happening.

The word art and art work throughout the book is done by various artists so there is a variety of styles. There is an index listing the artist and their pages at the end of the bible.  I will say the scripture is quite small and a little hard on my older eyes. There are no really study sources in the bible such as a concordance or anything similar. It is basically scripture with coloring spaces and journaling spaces and that is about all.  There is a table of measurements included.

If you like journaling and coloring as well as NIV you will probably like this version. I have a KJV coloring and journaling bible that I actually prefer but I really like that I have this one too. I received this bible from www.booklookbloggers.com in exchange for an honest review.

The Night Voyage

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The coloring book “The Night Voyage” by Daria Song is a “magical journey of a little girl who joins her toy train conductor on the eve of her birthday to distribute gifts across the globe, from Paris to London to Granada.” This unique coloring book is not only for coloring but it also is a story. I love Daria Song’s books. I also have The Time Chamber, which was my very first adult coloring book. I have to say it was very intimidating to me. But The Night Voyage doesn’t seem as daunting to me. I don’t know if I’m just used to the coloring books or if it isn’t quite as intricate.

The images are whimsical as the little girl flies through the night. Her magical journey is taking her through the skies. The book is full of happiness, twirls and swirls, a mountain of fun. And if you are a cat lover there are a lot of pages with adorable cats.

The pages are double sided but very thick, quality paper. The images range from very simple to very detailed so you have a very nice variety. I’m thinking that pencils or water based markers will work best in this book because if you use alcohol based will bleed through and ruin the page on the backside. This is a very nicely done coloring book and exceptional quality. It is among my favorites.

If you love sweet stories and adult coloring books full of fun and whimsy grab this one!!!!  I received this book from www.bloggingforbooks.com in exchange for an honest review. You can purchase a copy here.

NIV Cultural Background Study Bible

I received the NIV Cultural Background Study Bible to review. I really looked forward to receiving it and learning more about the culture of the Bible. I have many study bibles but none that really explain the culture behind the books.

I have the hardback version which really in my opinion only lends itself to home study. I don’t believe I would really want to carry it around with me.

The beginning pages include: Presented to page, Title Page, Quick Start Guide, Table of Contents, Author Introduction, Acknowledgements, About the Authors Page, Abbreviations (General, and Old and New Testament Bible book abbreviations), Preface, Hebrew to English Translation Chart, Ancient Texts, and Old Testament Chronology.  Ending pages include: Table of Weights and Measures, Index of Articles in Canonical Order, Index of Articles in Alphabetical Order, Concordance, Index to Maps (with codes listed), and colored maps (each map is numbered and includes letters and numbers to locate rivers, mountains, towns, etc from the Index to Maps listed). And the books of the Bible are divided up in sections of: 1) The Torah, 2) Narrative Literature, 3) Wisdom of Hymnic Literature, 4) Oracles of the Prophets, 5) The Gospels and Acts, 6) The Letters and Revelation.

As others have noted the notes area is printed in light gray but this wasn’t an issue for me. The print is really small but had it not been the bible would be too thick to be able to handle. There are some really nice colored illustrations and photography throughout as well as charts and maps.

I believe the “cultural” part in my opinion is kind of minimal at the beginning of each book. Maybe I’m missing something but it is just a quick synopsis although it does help understand more of what may have been happening during the time.  I focused on the book of Esther because that is what we are studying in my Sunday School class at this time. I haven’t had the chance to dive into a lot of the information so it may get deeper as I study more. Overall I am really pleased to have this study bible in my collection and I think it will be helpful. I am sure I will reference it frequently when studying.

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

Pop Manga Coloring Book

 

Adult coloring books are all of the rage right now. I received Camilla d’Errico’s Pop Manga Coloring Book: A surreal journey through a cute, bizarre and beautiful world. It is indeed cute and bizarre as well as beautiful.

First, it has some of the cutest illustrations throughout. The artist begins her book with a preface telling you why she draws. She encourages us as the colorists to think out of the box and to color outside of the lines. In other words there are no coloring rules, just have fun. This is how this book is designed.

I’m not sure how crazy I can get because I’m used to coloring inside the lines but that’s just my personality. The book has double sided printed pages. They are very thick and will lend itself well to most color media. I probably wouldn’t use alcohol markers because they will bleed through. I haven’t tried watercolors or water based markers yet but I think both should be okay. The book has a dust jacket that can also be colored on both sides. The cover itself is very slick and blue so it probably can’t be colored. 

There are a mixture of double page spreads and single pages.  The artwork is loose and looks mostly freehanded and very adorable. Whether you are a fan of pop manga or whimsy you should enjoy this coloring book. It is a very nice quality.

I received this book at no charge from www.bloggingforbooks.com in exchange for an honest review. I absolutely love it. It is different than what I normally buy because I normally like more realistic looking images but I am super excited to have this one in my collection so that I can get outside of my box. You can get your copy here.

God Gave Us Thankful Hearts

I love the God Gave Us books so I was excited to review God Gave Us Thankful Hearts by Lisa Tawn Bergren.  I love the illustrations in this book don by David Holm.  They are so pretty and well done. They are a fun way to discuss the story as we are reading it together.

This book teaches children to be thankful no matter the situation. It teaches us to find things to be thankful for even when we feel disappointment in situations around us. It is good for everyday thankfulness but also a good supplement for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday.

The cover is a beautiful hard cover and the pages are printed on nice thick paper. It is very well made and will make a cute addition to your child’s library.

I highly recommend this book to anyone with small children who wants to teach them to be thankful. It is a Christian themed book. I received this book at no charge from www.bloggingforbooks.com in exchange for an honest review.

The Drawing Lesson

The Drawing Lesson: A Graphic Novel That Teaches You How to Draw by Mark Crilley is just that. It is a graphic novel that will draw the attention of budding new artists. “Mark Crilley brings his easy-to-follow artistic instruction to aspiring artists in the form of a comic book.”

It begins with David running into a lady in the park who is drawing. He stops to see what she is doing and suddenly decides she should give him lessons.  Not sure if she is thrilled with the idea she tells him she is no teacher but gives him a short lesson.  She’s a little harsh with him but he is soon learning. Again and again he comes across her path. Becky continues to give him lessons covering various areas of drawing from perception, shading, sketching, etc. Even teaches how to hold a pencil.  This is easy to follow along with simple to understand instructions. 

I can see that this would appeal to anyone who wants to learn to draw but especially to middle school kids. I will say Becky scares me a little, haha. But overall I enjoyed this instructional book and I will keep it in my library for future use for my youngest child. I would suggest if you want to learn to draw or know an older child who wants to learn then this would be a good way to start. The illustrations are all done in a sepia tone so it doesn’t have distracting art. The figures are simple line drawings and very pleasing to the eye.

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

One Big Turkey

One Big Turkey written and illustrated by Anne Vittur Kennedy is a beautiful board book. It is very colorfully illustrated and is full of different animals. It is a counting book that goes to the number 10. It would be a very good book to teach children to count and identify numbers up to 10. It would also be good to help them identify animals and different foods available during the harvest season. It also introduces Thanksgiving. The animals although are cartoon type illustrations look very realistic at the same time.

I would say this gook is geared toward toddlers and even early readers. It is a very durable board book and great quality. The cover is embellished with foil outlines.  It is very bright and colorful and will make a wonderful addition to any child’s library.  I absolutely love the illustrations and have flipped through several times just to admire the work. I received this book at no charge from www.booklookbloggers.com in exchange for an honest review.

The Spiritual Warfare Answer Book

 

The Spiritual Warfare Answer Book by Dr. David Jeremiah “answers your questions about protecting yourself against Satan’s attacks. Scripture tells us our adversary, the devil, walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” In Dr. Jeremiah’s book he  teaches us how to protect ourselves against spiritual warfare going on all around us.

In today’s world we can see Satan working overtime to destroy this world and it is so important for Christians to protect themselves by using the full armor of God. God gives us instructions in the bible on how we fight the spiritual battles. Dr. Jeremiah breaks it down into easy to understand teachings. He shows us it is important to know your enemy and how to learn about him appropriately. He also teaches us how to ready ourselves.

If you are battling a spiritual battle as I’m sure many of us are I would highly recommend The Spiritual Warfare Answer Book. It is pretty quick to read through but it is full of great teachings. Easy to follow and understand.

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

 

Doodletopia Manga

 

I recently reviewed Christopher Hart’s Doodletopia Cartoons and loved it so I was excited to see Doodletopia Manga. I am not disappointed. “ From dressing up super-cute chibis to designing your own manga mazes to completing manga scenes and creating manga inspired crafts like bookmarks, stationery, and more, the opportunities for creative expression are endless.”

This book is filled with cute manga characters, cute animals and scenes. There are step-by-step instructions that are easy to follow. There are sections to suggest ways to finish your drawings by adding scenes to make them into a story and more interesting.  I’m not sure I would consider the bonus section to really be “crafts and cut-outs” as it is just book marks that you can draw on and cut out but they are cute and a way to practice, and also some stationary pages to finish.  There is also a practice page included in the back to doodle on. He has includes pages to practice finishing scenes and such.

I plan on keeping this in my collection for future use. I think it would be good for anyone who may be interested in the manga characters and drawing cartoon figures. It would be great for older kids to get started with drawing also.

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

Oil Painting Essentials

Oil Painting Essentials: Mastering portraits, figures, still lifes, landscapes , and interiors by Gregg Kreutz  shows “how a multi-genre approach can dramatically improve your painting skills. Arranged by category, each chapter covers both the essentials specific to that subject matter and those that apply to all genres.”

This is a beautifully done book. And as the description says it covers several genres of oil painting so that no matter your specialty or preference it is likely covered. This book isn’t for the beginner oil painter. I’m not the artist in our family. My daughter loves art of all kinds so I passed this book to her and let her look at it. She expressed it was way over her current abilities. He gives step by step techniques for different approaches. I would say that if you are a well honed artist looking to improve your skills this would be a good resource. Again, it isn’t for the beginning artist in my opinion.

The book itself is filled with gorgeous pictures of oil paintings. It is chocked full of useful information to help improve your skills. I would recommend it to an experienced artist looking to improve. Whether you love portraits, landscapes, still life, etc. you can benefit. It kind of reminds me of a text book when reading through it with very comprehensive information. It may be overwhelming to the beginner.

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

Simply Calligraphy: A Beginner's Guide to Elegant Lettering

 

Judy Detrick’s book Simply Calligraphy: A Beginner’s Guide to Elegant lettering is just as it says a beginners guide to calligraphy. “This little guide to hand lettering proves that calligraphy is as easy as picking up pen and paper.” The books starts with giving you an idea as to what tools you need to start. The information is very basic and it is kind of left up to you to research exactly what works best for you. The rest of the book is instructions that start with basic lines and curves to form the letters. It begins with the easiest lower case and progressively leads up to the hardest uppercase letters.

I would say this book is very good if you have never been introduced to calligraphy. It is very basic in my opinion and easy to understand. It should give you a foundation to start with. I wouldn’t think it would be beneficial for intermediate or beyond. It doesn’t get into the fancier or more artsy calligraphy. It does include swirls and such at the end that you can add to what you learn.  I have some knowledge of calligraphy but it has been years since I did it. It is going to be fun to practice and see if I can pick it back up. It would have been nice if maybe some practice sheets would have been included in the book so one could start right away. I suppose you could start on plain paper but I remember having practice paper that helped you get the right angle and slope to the lettering, not just lines.

I would recommend this to anyone who wants to get started with calligraphy but not for anyone who already has knowledge of calligraphy. I do wish it had included a few more examples or exercises for some more advanced writing.  I received this book at no charge from www.bloggingforbooks.com in exchange for an honest review.  You can purchase a copy for yourself here.

Little One, God Made You Special

Little one, God Made you Special written by Amy Warren Hilliker and illustrated by Polona Lovsin is a cute little board book that will make any toddler understand that God made them special. The book is very durable for little hands and I absolutely love the illustrations. The animals all look so sweet and cuddly it makes you want to smile. “God made you special, little one. There’s no one like you – no, not one!”

Perfect little book to teach your baby and toddler just how special they are. My little one loves to read it together over and over.  I received this book at no charge from www.booklookbloggers.com in exchange for an honest review.

Understanding Exposure

Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson 4^th edition “has taught generations of photographers how to shoot the images they want by demystifying the complex concepts of exposure in photography.” Bryan Peterson explains how to move from using your camera in fully automatic mode to fully manual mode to get the most from your camera.

In this book you will learn fundamentals of light, exposure, shutter speeds, apertures and all written in easy to understand methods. He uses many of his own photos as examples and his instructions are very clear. I own an earlier edition of this same book and was curious to see how if any had this edition. The biggest difference in my opinion are the photographs he uses. The methods and explanations are basically the same so either edition is nice to have.  I didn’t really notice any big changes.

If you are wanted to get the most out of your DSLR and are a beginner I would highly recommend this book. I have read a lot of photography manuals and Bryan Peterson is by far the easiest for me to understand and I have learned so much from all of his books. I would suggest beginning with this one and then moving on to others that he has available.

In this book you will learn how to adjust your camera to make your shutter speed and apertures to work together in order to get the effects you want. You will be able to become more creative. Learn how to adjust you aperture to blur your background or adjust your shutter speed to show movement in your pictures.  Your photography will definitely improve if you use his techniques. I love his analogy on how to get correct exposure using the “Sky Brothers” and their cousin “Mr. Green Jeans”

He also gives you tips and techniques to adjust your settings in tricky lighting situations such as night time cityscapes and high contrast situations. He talks some on using flashes and filters and what you can do to get the most out of them.

I believe novice photographers will get the most from this book but just about anyone can learn something from it from the extreme beginner to the expert.  The book is full of beautiful photography, the paper quality and print are exceptional and will lend itself to being read again and again. I often find myself needing a refresher and I’ll pick it up and read through it again and again.

I highly recommend anything by Bryan Peterson but I have to say Understanding Exposure has probably helped me the most. I received this book from www.bloggingforbooks.com in exchange for an honest review. You can purchase a copy here.

Wonders of Creation

 

Wonders of Creation: Illustrations to Color and Inspire by Cindy Wilde and Pimlada Phuapradit, over 90 pages of detailed line art designed for you to “sit back, relax, and experience amazing flora and fauna from around the globe.”  When reading the description for this particular coloring book I assumed that it was more of a spiritual or Christian themed coloring book. But upon receiving it it really doesn’t convey any Christian inspirations throughout although it does depict animals and plant life created by God. The only real mention of anything remotely Christian is in the beginning introduction that mentions God’s creation. Other than that there isn’t any scriptures or any inspirational quotes.

That being said the book is lovely. It kind of reminds me of books such as Millie Marotta’s Tropical Wonderland or others that are similar except this one is slightly more whimsical and not very tiny details. So if you really like those books but are intimidated by the tiny details then this may be more your speed. It’s slightly more whimsical and not as realistic as others, it’s almost cartoonish. The lines are thicker and the spaces are more open and wider. The pages are double sided again like many of my other reviews I wouldn’t recommend markers because of bleed through. I used cheaper Crayola pencils on this one and it took the color very well. The pages are thick cardstock and have a very smooth feel to them. The pencils went on smooth and very bright. It probably is one of my favorites in this respect.

I think this would be a good book for those who have issues with sight and have problems seeing tiny lines.  The lines in this one are very bold and easy to color in. It would probably also be good for those who have issues being able to stay in the lines on more detailed works. The beauty of it these attributes of this book doesn’t change the aesthetics or make it less appealing at least not to me.  I’m very glad to have this in my coloring book library and would recommend it to anyone who likes to color. Especially those who want something a little easier to work in. I do believe the description should be changed if it hasn’t been already. I don’t believe it is very accurate in leading you to believe this is an “inspiration” type coloring book that typically would have scripture or inspirational quotes.

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

Wonderland

Wonderland by Amily Shen an adult coloring book that is based on Alice in Wonderland. Amily Shen is Taiwanese  illustrator who has really outdone herself with this book. I really like this coloring book. An excerpt from the book: Do you know Alice’s story? Do you draw pictures in your head while reading” Strange conversations with a strange cast… has the story been transformed? If you too jumped down the rabbit hole, who would you meet? What colors would you encounter? Take up your colored pencils, and together let’s make a book. Read with your colored pencils and give Alice a new adventure.

This coloring book is a coloring book and story combined. Left to color by your imagination. I wouldn’t say it is what we typically see Alice depicted as. It isn’t the traditional looking or Disney looking Alice in Wonderland. I really like that aspect of the book.  It is broken into 9 chapters In chapter 3 there is an activity that helps make the book interactive. I’ll leave that for you to discover. Don’t worry the answer key is in the back. There are so many different aspects to this book. It isn’t your ordinary adult coloring book.

The book itself has a very nice dust cover that can be colored. The actual book has very interesting cover but I’m not sure it would lend itself to coloring with just any media. Maybe markers but I haven’t tried them. I think it is way too slick for pencils.  The pages are all double sided and printed on very thick pages. There is a slight tooth to the pages. I would be afraid to use markers for fear of bleed through and I wouldn’t want to damage the reverse side page. I will stick to pencils with this one. There are several types of drawings some more detailed than others and some being double page spreads. The pages have lots of details without being extremely tedious to finish. There is a little bit of everything in this book: mandala style pictures, animals, flowers, buildings, etc.  The pictures are quite whimsical and fun. It is going to be a fun book for me to color.

This will make a great addition to your adult coloring book collection especially if you love Alice in Wonderland. I received this book from www.bloggingforbooks.com at no charge in exchange for an honest review. I love this book and you can purchase your very own copy here.

The illustrated Compendium of Amazing Animal Facts

I didn’t really know what to expect when I ordered “The Illustrated Compendium of Amazing Animal Facts” by Maja Safstrom. I can honestly say I love this little book.  It is a small book much smaller than I expected. I haven’t measured it to get exact measurements but I would guess it is 5x7. It is a hardback book with black and white line drawings throughout.

The illustrations are kind of childlike drawings but still very appealing. There is approximately 100 animal and facts about them in this book. My teenage daughter came in and picked it up and said: “I really like this.” I was shocked. The facts are just cute little things such as “If a snail doesn’t like the weather it can go into its shell and hibernate until it gets better.” For up to three years.  Who knew?

I know adult coloring is very popular right now. This book isn’t intended for that purpose but I can see potential colorist wanting to color it.

I plan on using it in homeschooling just for some fun ideas during animal and unit studies. I don’t believe the facts are going to be life changing knowledge but who knows zoology might be in someone’s future. It makes a cute conversation piece. The book price of $14.99 might be a little pricey but if you can get it at a discounted price it is worth it.

I had reservations before ordering wondering if I would like it or not, or if it would be a waste of my time.  I am so glad I ordered! I received this book at no charge in exchange for an honest review.  You can purchase a copy for yourself here.

 

Country Cooking from a Redneck Kitchen

 

Country Cooking from a Redneck Kitchen by Francine Bryson and Ann Vokwein is my kind of cookbook. It is full country cooking and being from the south we love country cooking here. Many of the recipes I am familiar with but there are some that are new to me and I can’t wait to try them out.

Some of the categories are: Redneck Whatnots (dips and salads mostly), Yardbird (for all of you who don’t have a clue that’s chicken), Enough to feed a crowd (living in the Bible Belt we have a lot of after church dinners), Sides, ‘taters & ‘Maters among others.  There are 234 pages of recipes but I didn’t count the number of actual recipes. The food is beautifully photographed although not all recipes have a photo.

I love cornbread salad and the recipe in this book looks wonderful. There are so many recipes I could never list them all but a few that I can’t wait to try: Bacon and Cheese Stuffed Burgers,  Blue Cheese Spicy BBQ Burgers, Chicken Casserole, and surely can’t forget the desserts Brown Sugar Pie, and Oreo Brownies. I’m personally not a big fan of fried green tomatoes but there is a recipe in it for them and if you are looking for something to do with those green tomatoes fresh out of the garden many people love them.

If you are looking for a vegetarian cookbook you may want to stay away from this one. And I would say that if you are looking for low-fat this one isn’t for you. But if you are looking for some good southern comfort food grab it quickly. I wouldn’t suggest eating out of it every day but some indulgence is good for the soul. I believe this is one of my new favorite cookbooks and I will be using it frequently.

I received this cookbook at no charge from www.bloggingforbooks.com in exchange for an honest review. You can purchase a copy of it here..

Pressing Pause: 100 Quiet Moments for Moms to meet with Jesus

 

Pressing Pause: 100 Quiet Moments for Moms to meet with Jesus by Karen Ehman and Ruth Schwenk is a devotional for mothers who need some encouragement and quiet time with God. “Pressing Pause offers you a calm way to start your day, to refresh yourself in Jesus and drink deeply of His presence so that you are ready to pour out love, time, and energy into the people who matter most to you.” Karen Ehman is a Proverbs 31 Ministries speaker and Ruth Schwenk is a pastor’s wife and mother.

This book has a beautifully done hardback cover. The devotions are short enough for the busy mom but contain enough encouragement to help you through your day.  There are 100 devotions that include a bible verse, the devotion and a prayer. At the end of each devotion there is a question section to help you think about the devotion and then each devotion has a few lines to write notes. The bible verses are from different bible versions . I noticed NLT, HCSB,  and ESV the others aren’t labeled.

I love the messages throughout the book the only thing I wish were different some of the note sections only include a small area to journal in. I wish there was at least a half page or an entire page to jot down thoughts.

If you are a busy mom looking for a few minutes to spend with God to renew your spirit each day I would recommend this one.  I received this book at no charge from www.booklookbloggers.com in exchange for an honest review

Sweeter of the Vine

 

Sweeter off the Vine: Fruit Desserts for Every Season by Yossy Arefi is a cookbook of desserts using fruits of the season. It is a beautiful hardback book filled with beautiful photography. The recipes are broken into seasons so that you get the freshest in season fruits for your desserts.

Springtime might bring rhubarb and rose galettes, summers a delicious blueberry skillet cobbler when the blueberries are just right, fall may bring caramelized apple fritters and in. the winter’s cold a cranberry bread pudding to satisfy all. I  can’t say that all of the recipes would be something I would be interested in and I did have to look up some of the ingredients but for the most part ingredients should be readily available. The recipes are straight forward and easy to follow.

The last chapter you will find year-round essentials that is a collection of recipes that can be used all year long such as pie crusts, pastry dough and other essentials. It also  gives descriptions of different flours used throughout. The one thing I wish it had but doesn’t is nutritional information but I guess it is desserts and it includes fruit so it has to be healthy right haha.

If you love desserts and fruit I would say you will like this cookbook. I received this book at no charge from www.bloggingforbooks.com in exchange for an honest review.  You can purchase a copy here.

 

 

 

 

Mother's Day Blessings

 

Another great Bearenstain Bears book by Mike Berenstain. Mother’s Day Blessings. “Mama Bear is the best mama in all of Bear Country and the cubs know just how to show her how much they love her. But Mama shows brother, Sister, and Honey that all mamas are very special too!”

This is a great little story to teach kids about Mother’s Day. It helps to bring awareness to children that all moms are different but are to be honored.  As the children plan a lunch for their mother and grandmother they are made aware that some mothers are working hard even on their special day. They all enjoy a morning in church together.

So as Mother’s Day approaches if you have a little one who you want to teach about Mother’s Day this would be the perfect book to show not only a mother’s love but also a way to teach about the love of Christ. There is a short discussion section to help get your children to thinking. It also has a good point that maybe it’s not always just a mother who is taking care of you. It could be a grandmother, aunt or other special person.

I sure hope there is one for Father’s Day. I love this books and highly recommend them. I received this book at no charge from www.booklookbloggers.com in exchange for a honest review.

Cravings

Cravings: Recipes for all the food you want to eat by Chrissy Teigen is a very nice hard covered cookbook filled with beautiful photography. “With more than 100 recipes and Chrissy’s inimitable wit and stories, you’ll learn the importance of chili peppers, the secret to cheesy cheeesless eggs and life tips like how to use bacon as a home fragrance, the single best way to wake up in the morning, and how not to overthinking men or Brussels sprouts.”

She begins with a section called “Before  you start cooking” in this section she gives a description of her commonly used ingredients that is in the cookbook and what brands she typically uses. There is a breakfast section, salads, soups, main, meals etc. I wouldn’t say this will be a book that I will personally use often and if you are looking for exceptionally healthy food I don’t think this would be your go to book either. But if you want to satisfy some of your comfort cravings you will likely love this cookbook.

You will find mostly chicken recipes as well as beef and veggies. There were a couple of fish recipes and a few pork recipes. Sorry sweets lovers there isn’t a dessert section in this one. Again this is not a cookbook that I will probably be keeping in my collection I will pass it along to someone who will more likely use it than I will. But I would suggest looking through it to see if it suits you. It is a very nice cookbook and very well done

I received this book from www.bloggingforbooks.com in exchange for an honest review. You can purchase a copy here.

God Bless our Country

 

 

God Bless Our Country by Hannah C. Hall is a children’s board book that is beautifully illustrated by Steve Whitlow. It is a book celebrating our great country. I absolutely love the illustration of the American eagle kneeling and praying with the Stars and Stripes waving above his head and his 2 grand babies by his side.

This book is a wonderful teaching tool for those who want to teach their children God gave us this wonderful land. It’s a great way to teach patriotism to small children. I can’t say enough good about this book. My toddler loved it.

If you home school or want to teach things that will not be ordinarily taught in public school to your small children this book would work well for different holidays including Independence Day, Veterans Day, Flag Day, etc. This is a Christian based book and very God centered. “God showers goodness on this land” one of my favorite lines in the book.

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

Doodletopia cartoons

Christopher Hart’s Doodletopia Cartoons: Draw, Design, and Color your own super-fun cartoon creations Is “your first stop in this paradise of creativity?” “The world of cartoons. Your tour guide Christopher Hart is ready to introduce you to the interactive, artistic possibilities of creation your own exciting, hilarious, off-the-wall cartoon characters, gags and more.”

The author starts you with an introduction and warm up exercises then goes on to show you how to fill in the silhouette all the way to completing the cartoons. All through the book he gives advice and hints to make your drawings successful. He makes his instructions clear and easy to understand. Most of the left hand sides of the book are the instructions and hint pages. And the right hand side of the book is practice pages to practice and draw illustrations. He goes step by step through the process so that anyone can be successful.

The majority portion of the book focuses on drawings of people or animals but the last section gives instructions on cartoon lettering.  If you or someone you know would like to learn how to draw cartoon characters this would be a good book to start with. The drawings may be advanced for younger children but if you have a preteen or teen I believe they could easily follow this book. I plan on keeping this book and adding it to my art curriculum for home schooling in the future.  It is very nicely done. The paper quality is nice and thick. It   is definitely a quality book.

The book description also eludes to the fact it includes “doodling” I’m not sure that doodling is an accurate description because in my opinion it is more cartoon drawing and not much in the way of what I would describe as a doodle. You may feel like drawing a figure doodling I feel more like it is just designs. So I will leave that up to interpretation.

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn cartoon drawings. You can purchase this book here.

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

The Berenstain Bears: Easter Sunday

I just received The Berenstain Bears: Easter Sunday. I have to say I love this children’s book and will be purchasing more Berenstain Bear books in the future. I absolutely love the Easter message in this book. It is perfect for children and is a very simple message. It allows a parent to elaborate more or leave it as is. There is also a section that explains Easter eggs. It does so in a way that no one is condemned but also explains it isn’t in the Bible. There is an alternative activity illustrated in the book that would be great to teach the kids in church, the treasure hunt, but you will have to read it yourself to see what it is. I believe many different things could be applied and stories taught using this activity.

I highly recommend this book for small children and young readers. The illustrations are so beautiful and the book is very nice quality. I received this book at no charge from www.booklookbloggers.com in exchange for an honest review. I love it!!!!!

Cats in Paris A Magical Coloring Book

 

 

I just received Cats in Paris: A Magical Coloring Book by Won-Sun Jang It wasn’t exactly what I expected but it is a nice quality coloring book. The cover is really pretty and there is a page inside the coloring book identical so that you can color it the way that you want. It is also a dust cover jacket and you can color the inside of it. It’s very nicely done.

The pages are double sided some are a two page coloring image. The pages are very thick and have a nice feel too them with a smooth tooth. Pencils lay down nicely. The first 10 pages or so are actually more what I expected of the entire book. They include cats that are located in places in Paris such as cityscapes, stores, cafes etc. but the rest of the book is just cats. I really hoped it would be more things like the beginning and not just pictures of cats. I couldn’t see inside images when ordering.

The next thing I’m not absolutely crazy about is the line drawings look a lot more like sketches and crudely done in my opinion. Which is okay if this is the look that you like they are nice images I just like a more refined look. If you love to color and love cats this will be a nice addition to your collection. If you are looking for Paris in this book you will not find much. I’m still going to enjoy this book but it’s probably not something I would’ve purchased for myself if I was standing in the store looking at the pages. It is a wonderfully good quality coloring book though. Not cheaply made at all. Check it out for yourself and see if it is your style. It is very nice just not me.  I received this book at no charge in exchange for an honest review from www.bloggingforbooks.com. You can order a copy here.

The Word of Promise New Testament NKJV Audio Bible

I absolutely love The Word of Promise New Testament audio NKJV Bible!!!! I wasn’t sure what to expect but figured it would be like so many other audio bibles. Someone reading the text in a monotone voice or overly theatrical voice but this one is different. 

It consists of 20 cds and is read by various artists. Very well known actors such as Marisa Tomei, Richard Dreyfuss, Louis Gossett, Jr, Lou Diamond Philipps, Luke Perry, John Schneider, and Michael W. Smith just to name a few. It is presented in “Dramatic Audio Theater” It is like listening to an onstage theatrical play without being able to see the actors. It follows along with the actual bible but is done in a way that it comes to life. There are special effect sounds in the background to go along with the scripture.

I put the first cd into my computer and it immediately grabbed my attention. I was able to listen to quite a bit of it and hated to have to turn it off to finish what I was doing. This isn’t your typical audio bible. I’m not sure if the Old Testament is available but I’d love to have it too if it is. I am sooo glad I got these cds. If you are looking for a great audio bible I would highly suggest getting this one. You will not be disappointed. 

I received this audio book from www.booklookbloggers.com in exchange for an honest review.

Brunch @ Bobby's

“Bobby Flay may be best known for his skills at the grill, but brunch is his favorite meal of the week.  Brunch @ Bobby’s has 140 recipes that will tempt anyone who appreciates brunch. It has 8 sections: Coffee, Tea and Cocktails, Spreads and syrups, Pancakes, Waffles and French toast, Egg dishes, Pastries and breads, Sandwiches, Fruit dishes and fruit salads, and Savory side dishes.

A lot of the drink recipes include alcohol and I don’t drink so for the most part they didn’t interest me and I didn’t spend much time in this section. Now there was a delicious looking pancake recipe “Pineapple upside down pancakes” that I hope to try soon.

The recipes throughout look easy enough to follow and are clearly written. I’m not sure I would always have the ingredients available at all times and some shopping may be required before preparing a dish from this cookbook. It does appear that most ingredients can be found in well stocked super markets.

This book is full of beautiful photographs of prepared foods.  Most of the recipes have a photograph but not all.

If you want to prepare a nice brunch I would say this is a wonderful cookbook for that. Even if you are just looking for some good breakfast foods I think you will find it here. It looks like you will need to prepare ahead and give yourself plenty of time to cook. Some of the recipes take awhile to cook. Most of the recipes tell you when it is best to serve after cooking and how long you can wait to serve.  He also gives some menu ideas at the end of the book so that you can tell what will pair well with each other.

Overall I enjoy this cookbook and it will be one I will keep in my collection.  You can purchase a copy for yourself here.  I received this book at no charge from www.bloggingforbooks.com in exchange for an honest review.