Animal Print Collection Bible

Genre:  Bible

Publisher:  Zonderkidz

Publication Date:  August 20, 2013
Rating:  3.5 Out of 5  Good
 
PROS:  Smaller size for little hands; Colorful and eye catching covers

CONS:   Small print

 
The Animal Print Collection Bible is perfect for tween hands!  Not only is it easy for them to hold, it's a great size for carrying and transporting back and forth from church services!  Roughly 5” x 7” in size, this would even fit perfectly in a handbag or small tote! 

The covers are eye catching, made to look like different animal prints.  Italian duo-tone, there are several styles to pick from.; a pink leopard print, a black and white zebra print, and a blue and brown giraffe print.  Tween and teen girls will be drawn to the wonderful covers, and there is even an elastic closure to keep the Bible closed!  No more bent soft covers from putting them in your purse!

The NIV has become one of the bestselling versions on the market today.  It's easy enough for children to read and understand, but yet does not lose it's meaning in the translation.  Another great aspect I loved?  The lay-flat ability of the Bible while reading the pages.  There is nothing worse for a  reader then the pages flopping back and forth as they are exploring the chapters.  Guess what else?  The little ribbon used to keep your place or mark where you left off?  Brightly colored to match the outside animal print of the Bible!  Every little detail was captured to enhance the beauty of this book.

While the size is perfect for transportability, the downside to this is that the print is awfully small.  While this may not be an issue with older teens who have been reading longer, younger ones may find themselves squinting as they try to read the words.  These would make great gift Bibles to be used for carrying back and forth from church, but you may want something a little bigger for studying at home.

This is a typical Bible from Zondervan, with everything included we have come to expect from them.  The beginning of the Bible has a table of contents for a quick page reference for the specific book you are looking for.  There are 2 ways for tweens/teens to look up the books; first using the contents page which is divided by the Old and New Testament, or by looking on the contents page that is structured alphabetically.  The back of the Bible has a page for the Table of Weights and Measurements, for those children that like to dive deeper and know the specific facts!  Giving this Bible as a gift?  There is a colorful first page where you can write the child's name, date given, and who is was given by!

 

**I was give copies of this product in exchange for my honest review**

 

 

An Open Heart by Harry Kraus

Genre: Books; Christian Fiction Suspense

Publisher: David C Cook

Publication Date: 06/01/2013

Rating: 3.5 Out of 5 Good

PROS: Thought provoking; fast read

CONS: Writing style a bit confusing; spiritual warfare; lacks character developement

Dr. Jace Rawlings, and his wife Heather, both Missionary Kids (MK's) having grown up overseas, first met at college, where they felt they didn't fit in. The American culture was new to them, albeit exciting, and they were still learning how to navigate the waters, rocky that they were. Their common ground drew them together, and it seems that things were meant to be from the start.

Dr. Jace Rawlings now finds himself working as an open-heart surgery specialist, saving patients that hang between life and death. He has worked on famous people, including the Governor. Things have not been going as planed in the states, Jace is under suspicion for behavior he cannot confirm nor deny, and Heather needs some time to think, to figure out her feelings for Jace and what she believes. Jace soon realizes that he needs a change of scenery and heads back to his homeland of Kenya, without his wife.

Once in Africa, he is back to operating on heart patients, only this time he receives messages from beyond the grave through several of his patients. A skeptic in the beginning, all that starts to change when he realizes the truth behind the statements. There is a deep spiritual warfare that takes place throughout this story, with Jace in the center and at the heart of the matter. Will his marriage, career, and life still be intact at the end of the battle?

Harry Kraus, MD, is a board-certified surgeon and a medical missionary to East Africa. It seems only fitting that he write a novel of the same. His medical knowledge appears to be spot on, and he definitely knows his way around Kenya, where he lives with his wife and their youngest child.

The story starts out with great excitement and vivid imagery of the land. The intro is gripping, quickly drawing you in to the story. That soon changes with the development of the characters, little is told to the reader about Jace and Heather's younger days, except that they were both MK's. Some background on the main characters would have been helpful; instead, the author chooses to write throughout the novel switching from the present to going back to Jace's younger years, telling his story bit by bit over time. At times it is hard to focus, the reader may need to really zero in and pay attention to which storyline is taking place.

Another downside for me? The spiritual warfare that takes place throughout the story, with those that “speak” to Dr. Rawlings, giving prophet like advice about what is to come in the future. At times this may seem innocent, but mostly, I just felt like a heavy cloud was hanging over me as I was reading this book. Not entirely what I was expecting, and therefore, a few stars lower than what I was anticipating to give it.

**I received this book in exchange for my honest review/opinion**

The Haven - Suzanne Woods Fisher

 

 About the book...

On a warm spring day, Sadie Lapp returns home to her quiet, unassertive life in Stoney Ridge after spending the winter in Ohio.

Gideon Smucker, an awkward schoolteacher, has been in love with Sadie since childhood and eagerly awaits her return.  But does Sadie feel the same about him?

Will Stoltz, a charming and impetuous college student, has been banished for a semester and sent to babysit endangered peregrine falcons nesting at the Lapp farm.  He'd rather be anywhere else...until he befriends Sadie.

As the hops and ambitions of these three young people converge, life in stoney Ridge many never be the same.

My thoughts...

I usually enjoy a good Amish Christian Romance, regardless of the storyline.  This one, however, came up short.  Maybe it was the book's synopsis...in my opinion, it didn't portray the story as well as it could have.  Maybe it was the writing.  Maybe I have read a bit too many of these type of books and my standards are higher than they should be.   

Suzanne Woods Fisher is a talented writer, and I have come to anticipate the release of her novels.  With that being said, I would direct new readers to some of her previous novels, The Haven would be my least favorite out of all she has written.  Does that mean I didn't enjoy reading it?  No, it was not a total loss.  I did find my self skimming some of the pages trying to get ahead to see where the story was going.

While I liked the characters of Sadie, Will, and Gideon, I didn't feel they ever reached their full development.  Just as a thought or plot was taking place, we were tossed in to another situation or scenario. Sometimes the original was revisited, other times I was just left wondering. 

A truly great story will allow for a reviewer's words to flow freely...while a mediocre one will leave the blogger struggling, as this one did.  If you're a fan of Suzanne Woods Fisher, you may want to read The Haven to continue on with your favorite characters from The Keeper (first book of this series).  If you are newer to her books, I suggest starting with her Lancaster County Secrets series first!

This book earned 3.5 stars.

**I received this book free in exchange of my honest review**

A Vision of Lucy (A Rocky Creek Romance) - Margaret Brownley

"Trouble follows Lucy wherever she goes."  

Wow, what an accurate statement that is!  While this was a slower read for me, I still enjoyed the main plot of the book.  

Lucy Fairbanks is a hard one to tame, and that is if you can even get her to close her mouth and stop talking for longer than 10 seconds.  While I enjoyed following some of her mischievous behavior,  I more enjoyed reading about her growing relationship with the town "wild man", David Wolf, and her loving actions toward her brother, Caleb. 

From the moment Lucy meets David, after a runaway stage coach and robbery mishap, Lucy seems intent on capturing his picture and sharing his story with the townspeople.   If she happens to land a newspaper job while working on the story, so much more the better!

Caleb's lifelong dream to become a doctor will never happen without his sisters help.  His dad is so set against the town doctor, that he refuses to hear Caleb's plea to leave the family business.  Lucy knows her brother has an amazing gift given to him by God, and will do everything in her power to see that he becomes a doctor.

While I was highly anticipating the arrival of this book, it did leave me a tad disappointed.  Never the less, I give this book 3.5 stars.

**I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.**

Plain Wisdom - Cindy Woodsmall & Miriam Flaud

I love reading books about the Amish, even though I am from a place in Indiana where the Amish are easily accessible.

I was looking forward to this book, not fully having done my research though, and was expecting a christian fiction piece.  After reading the back cover, I quickly figured out this was not what I was expecting, but it was rather 2 friends (one Amish, one "English") who chose to write about their life lessons together to show the similarities and differences in their lives.

I have to admit, I was disappointed to an extent.  I read this book in one sitting, but feel it may better be appreciated if read as a daily chapter book.  Often times I felt as if things were not linked together very well, there was just an abrupt change of topic and writing whether between chapters or the difference of the ladies writings.  Needless to say, I did enjoy learning more about the Amish ways, and I LOVED the recipes the ladies shared in the book.  I am already looking forward to trying many of the recipes with my family!

Overall, I would give this book 3.5 stars. 

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group and was not required to post a positive review.