88 Great Daddy-Daughter Dates by Rob & Joanna Teigen

Your children are only young for a short period of time. As parents, you have the greatest influence on your children from the very youngest of ages. Why not maximize that impact by being there to make great memories with your children and teach them important lessons along the way.

Each date lists the things needed, many of which are things that are likely already in the house, or easy to find. Some do cost money and/or require going out somewhere such as getting ice cream, going bowling, or working at a food pantry/soup kitchen. Secondly, all the dates give you an idea of what to do, helpful ideas, and reminders to encourage your daughter during the activity. Then there is a section entitled, “Grow” in which you sit down with your daughter to talk about what you did, and share some godly wisdom with her. Some of the lessons are more serious than others, such as explaining why you have rules to protect her, while others are just a time to encourage your daughter and have some fun.

This is a great gift for any father who wants to connect with his daughter. Often times, its not the desire that is lacking, but the ideas. And this book gives dads 88 different ideas to do. Some of these will be treasured memories for dads and their daughters and may even become family traditions. While the book is meant for fathers and their daughters ages 6-12, I could easily see dad’s starting some activities at a much younger age and continuing long after they are out of the house.

I received this book free from Revel for the purpose of this review.

27 in 27

1. Find ways to celebrate the little things

2. Find an avenue to use the ASL I am learning (signing during worship, teaching others, etc) * look up worship songs in ASL

3. Pay off one of my student loans

4. Read through the bible chronologically

5. Read some things just for fun, without blogging about the books.

6. Paint things for my apt

7. Learn to play the piano

8. Pay off 4 bills

9. Have a fondue party

10. Do a photo challenge

11. Make 24 meals from pinterest (2 per month)

12. Make some crafts from pinterest

13. Help someone plans wedding

14. Put together my collection of favorite recipes

15. Keep a notebook of questions I have when reading the bible

16. prayer walk

17. Go on a road trip

18. learn a new game

19. Continue with Prepare - Enrich

20. do something fun with Jaime a few times

21. Cook with friends

22. Surprise someone with food

23. Plan a girls night out (at least every other month)

24. Paint ceramics somewhere ( maybe as a girls night out) 

25. Finish MPC ppt slides ( both versions)

26. Buy a car

27. Move out of my parents home

The Mailbox by Marybeth Whalen

Lindsey Adams first visits the Kindred Spirit mailbox in Sunset Beach, NC as a teenager. She continues to go back each year and write a letter chronicling her year. She shares the good and the bad, the joys and the disappointments with the Kindred Spirit. 20 years after her first visit to the mailbox, Lindsey is there at the beach with he kids as a divorced woman. Lindsey finds herself face to face with her first love, Campbell Forrester who still lives at Sunset Beach. Will she be able to offer and accept forgiveness for all the hurts in her life? Will she be able to trust again?

The Mailbox is a book about second chances. We all need second chances to make amends for our mistakes. This book paints a beautiful picture of these second chances in the lives of Lindsey, Campbell and those around them. I very much enjoyed reading this book and would love reading it again. Go stick your toes in the sand, and enjoy this great book. When you finish reading, may you be inspired to write a letter to Kindred Spirit. What would your letter say?

I give this book 4.5 stars.

I received this book free from David C. Cook for the purpose of this review.

Illusion By Frank Peretti

From the back cover of the Advance Reader’s Edition:

Dane and Mandy, a popular magic act for forty years, are tragically separated by a car wreck that claims Mandy’s life--or so everyone things. Even as Dane mourns and tries to rebuild his life without her, Mandy, supposedly dead, awakes in the present as the nineteen-year-old she was in 1970. Distraught and disoriented in what to her is the future, she is confined to a mental ward until she discoveres a strange magical ability to pass invisibly through time and space to escape. Alone in a strange world, she uses her mysterious powers to eke out a living, performing magic on the streets and in a quaint coffee shop.

Hoping to discover an exciting new talent, Dave ventures into the coffee shop and is transfixed by the magic he sees, illusions that even he, a seasoned professional, cannot explain. But more than anything, he is emotionally devastated by this teenager who has never met him, doesn’t know him, is certainly not in love with him, but is in every respect identical to the young beauty he first met and married some forty years earlier.

They begin a furtive relationship as mentor and protegee, but even 

Since I don’t want to give anything more away than the back cover gives the reader, that’s all the summary I will give. This book was amazing. I will rate it as one of the best books that I have ever read. The story had a depth to it that I never expected and a complexity that kept me turning the page wondering how it all fit together. For the first half of the book, I was wondering how all the pieces fit together. Then as Peretti started brining the pieces together, I wondered how they would all work out. I raced through the last 100 pages still trying to figure the story out, and until it ended, I still wasn’t sure what was going to happen and how. This is only the second Peretti book that I have read, the first being Tilly (c 2003) and now I am curious about his other books.

I give this book a resounding 5 stars! This will most definitely be on my list of top books of 2012!

I received an Advance Reader’s Edition free from Handlebar Marketing for the purpose of this review.


Giveaway Announcement:
Handlebar Marketing gave me a second copy for a giveaway. Again, I choose to reward one of my followers with the giveaway copy. Congratulations to one of my newer followers, Dennis for winning this great book!

Lillies In Moonlight by Alison Pittman

Lilly Margolis is a door to door saleswoman selling Lillies in Moonlight, a body creme by Dalliance Cosmetics. But she is having a hard time even selling one jar. That is, until she gets to the Burnside’s home where she meets Betty Ruth, a very rich widow who buys everything Lilly has on her. Just days later, she finds herself at the same house after going to a party and falling over the wall into the backyard of the Burnside’s home. There she stays as a guest while recovering from her fall, and gets to know the family. Betty Ruth has dementia and leads a lonely life until Lilly comes along, and Betty Ruth’s son, Cullen, a former baseball player who went to fight in the Great War before coming home disfigured. As Lilly gets to know the family and they get to know her, all of their lives change.

This is a fun story that had some unexpected turns and a satisfying ending. Lillies in Moonlight is the first book by Alison Pittman that I have read and I look forward to reading more of her books.

I give this book 4.5 stars.

I received the book from Waterbrook Multnomah for the purpose of this review.

More Beauty Less Beast by Debora M. Coty

About the book:

With her own offbeat brand of wit and near-wisdom, inspirational humorist Debora Coty addresses heart needs of women struggling to tame that out-of-control inner beast that unexpectedly pounces, roaring and shredding, as it threatens to destroy the divinely beautiful princess hidden within. In More Beauty, Less Beast, women will find simple, practical techniques for embracing the true beauty rightfully theirs as cherished daughters of the King. Whether jaded by emotional wounds, unrealistic standards, or lack of confidence, this laugh-out-loud, girlfriend-to-girlfriend encouragement will help women transform their destructive inner beast into the exquisite beauty they were always meant to be.

My Review:

Society has its own standard of beauty, which is the complete opposite of God’s standard of beauty. This book challenged me, made me think, and made me laugh. Coty is able to take a serious and sometimes uncomfortable subject and bring some light heartedness to it. I started reading this book while I was in the doctor’s office and I had to laugh out loud when I started chapter 2, and the author was talking one of her own doctor’s appointments.

I enjoyed reading this book. The chapters are very short and the book as a whole is a quick read. I give this book 4 stars. I received this book free from Litfuse for the purpose of this review.

About Debora Coty: 

Debora Coty is an occupational therapist, a piano teacher, and a freelance writer. She's also involved in the children's ministry at her church and is an avid tennis player. Debora began writing to fill the void when her last child left for college, and it has since become a passion. Debora has a real knack for getting across sound biblical concepts with a refreshing lightheartedness as attested in her monthly newspaper column entitled "Grace Notes: God's Grace for Everyday Living." 

Visit www.deboracoty.com for more about Debora and her books. 

Link to buy the book: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1616263474/ref=as_li_ss_til?tag=sprightly-20&camp=0&creative=0&linkCode=as4&creativeASIN=1616263474&adid=1AE0QCKRNXKRH61AMMQH  

Enter Today and Save the Date-3/22!

 

Using Biblical advice and her trademark humor, Debora Coty urges women to conquer guilt and re-institute hope in More Beauty, Less Beast. Celebrate with Debora by entering to win a $150 Visa Cash Card!

One "beautiful" winner will receive:

• A $150 Visa Cash Card (Treat yourself to a spa day or weekend get-away!)
• A Debora Coty Library (More Beauty, Less Beast, Too Blessed Too Be Stressed and Everyday Hope)
• Chocolate (Every good things begins with chocolate!)

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends 3/22/12. Winner will be announced at Debora's "Divine Beauty" Facebook Party on  3/22. Debora will be hosting an evening of chat, fun beauty trivia, laughter, and encouragement - bring your friends! She'll also be giving away some GREAT prizes: gift certificates, books, and a book club prize pack! (Ten copies of the book for your small group or book club and a live chat with Debora via Skype.)

So grab your copy of More Beauty, Less Beast and join Debora and friends on the evening of March 22nd for an evening of fun.

Don't miss a moment of the fun. RSVP TODAY and tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 22nd!

The Measure of Katie Calloway by Serena Miller

From the back cover:

Her heart seeks sanctuary in the deep woods. But will trouble find her even here?

The Civil War has ended, but in Katie Calloway’s Georgia home, conflict still rages. To protect herself and her younger brother from her violent and unstable husband, she flees north, finding anonymity and sanctuary as the cook in a north woods lumber camp. The camp owner, Robert Foster, wonders if the lovely woman he’s hired has the grit to survive the never-ending work and harsh conditions of a remote pine forest in winter. Katie wonders if she can keep her past a secret from a man she is slowly growing to love.

With grace and skill, Serena Miller brings to life a bygone era. From the ethereal, snowy forest and the rowdy shanty boys to the warm cookstove and mouth-watering apple pie, every detail is perfectly rendered, transporting you to a time of danger and romance.

My Review:

This is another book that I really enjoyed reading. Having worked in camps, I know how much food is needed to feed a large group. But what it takes to do it with a cookstove used more than 100 years ago is beyond me. However, Katie Calloway’s character shows a determination to survive and thrive that was much more common in those living on the frontier or in the west than it is today. This is a book that I really enjoyed reading and would love to share with others.

I give this book 5 stars.

I received this book from Serena Miller for the purpose of this review.

The Maid Of Fairbourne Hall by Julie Klassen

From the back cover:

To escape a scheme to marry her off to a dishonorable man, Margaret Macy flees London disguised as a housemaid. If she can remain unwed until her next birthday, she will receive an inheritance, and with it, sweet independence. But she never planned on actually working as a servant. And certainly not in the home of Nathaniel and Lewis Upchurch--both former suitors.

As she fumbles through the first real work of her life, Margaret struggles to keep her identity secret when suspicions arise and prying eyes visit Fairbourne Hall. Can she avoid a trap meant to force her from hiding?

Brimming with romance and danger, The Maid of Fairbourne Hall takes readers inside the fascinating belowstairs world of a 19th-century English manor, where appearances can be deceiving.

My Review:

This is my first book by Julie Klassen that I have read (I do have two of her other books on my kindle waiting to be read). I loved how it was not the typical Regency England book. It did not focus on the upper class, although they were certainly part of the story, but it focused on the lives of the servants within the house. It was a very well written book that really captured my attention. I read the whole book in less than 24 hours (even reading it when i was supposed to be doing a few other things....) I loved Margaret Macy’s determinedness to succeed in her new life as well as the secrecy and irony of her new life.

I give this book 5 stars, and with the popularity of shows like Downton Abbey, this book should be very popular.


I received this book free from Bethany House for the purpose of this review.

Miracle For Jen by Linda Barrick

About the book:

On the night of November 5, 2006, the Barrick family was driving home from church when their van was struck by a drunk driver. Fifteen-year-old Jen suffered multiple skull fractures and severe brain trauma and was not expected to survive the night. But against all odds, she did. As she lingered in a coma, doctors warned that if Jen ever woke up, she would be cursing and screaming in confusion due to her brain injuries. Instead, after five weeks she opened her eyes and began praying and praising God. Jen didn’t remember her middle name, recognize her parents, or recall that she had a little brother—but she remembered Jesus and every word to every praise song and scripture she had hidden in her heart before the accident. As any loving mother would, Jen’s mother Linda wanted God to heal Jen—make her like she was before. Normal. But a loving God had something else in mind—instead of making her normal, God is making Jennifer—and the whole Barrick family—extraordinary, miraculous. Miracle for Jen is the remarkable true story of a family who overcame tragedy and learned to trust God’s plans for their lives in a whole new way.

My review:

This is one book that I was so happy to get. I was a student at Liberty University at the time of the Barrick’s car accident. I was one of those thousands of students praying for this precious family. Later, I was a teacher’s assistant in classes in which Jen was a guest speaker. There story is truly a miracle, in so many ways. While Jen was the most severely injured, all 4 members of the family were injured that night, and were taken to 4 different hospitals. Their physical recovery was not easy. But they have allowed God to use them, and their story. The miracle of this story is not just that this family survived this horrific accident, but that they have allowed God to use it, and them to glorify Him.

While I had a special connection to this book being a Liberty University student, I think others will still be inspired and encouraged by this story of the Barrick family.

I give this book 5 stars!

I received this book free from Tyndale Publishers for the purpose of this review.

For more information about the book and the Barrick family’s story:

www.miracleforjen.com

http://hosannasjourney.blogspot.com/2012/03/about-book-on-night-of-november-5-2006.html

I was given a certificate for a giveaway copy of this book. Because it is such a special book, I choose to not do a traditional giveaway but to reward one of my followers with it. So the winner is Jen.

 These two pictures of Jen Barrick with Joni Eareckson Tada are used with permission from the Barrick Family.

Off The Record by Elizabeth White

Judge Laurel Kincade is running for chief justic of the Alabama Supreme Court.

Journalist Cole McGaughan is a religion reporter with the New York Daily Journal received a call from an old friend asking for McGaughan has been asked to help dig up dirt on the race. Judge Kincade had a seemingly impeccable reputation. Is that really her, or is it just a facade? But the questions don’t stop there. With Cole’s own history with Laurel, will he be able to help keep her secret at the risk of loosing his job, or will revealing he truth set them both free.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a look at a life I had not considered. To run for a position means that one’s whole life is under scrutiny, even one’s personal life. Every decision, every moment of life can be called into question. It is not just about having your resume under scrutiny. And in choosing to run, you are choosing to let your life become an open book and be judged, whether you like it or not. Nothing is hidden from the public’s eye. White’s book was a clear look at this life, while providing a satisfying story that I loved reading.

I received this book free from Zondervan for the purpose of this review.