The Best Books Ever

40 Ways to Get Closer to God By Keri Wyatt Kent , Jerry MacGregor Published by Bethany House Published on September 1, 2011 Summary Taken from Goodreads : Sometimes faith demands action. This practical book gives Christians ideas for how to adjust their hearts to get closer to God. Each chapter contains a unique challenge and a brief explanation that puts the challenge in context. Exercises include acts of service to others, extended prayer, Scripture memory, fasting, a day of gratitude, media fasting (no TV or Internet), evangelism, and much more. The challenges are broad in scope, allowing people with varying personality types and learning styles to benefit from them. Here's my short and sweet review: I love this book. If you are looking for some practical ways to work on your relationship with God, I definitely recommend this book. There are a lot of really great suggestions for things to try in here that you may have already thought of before, but this b...

Married Mom, Solo Parent By Carla Coroy About the book: For married women who feel like single parents. Bookstore shelves are full of parenting resources for moms who are newly divorced or widowed. But where do moms turn if they feel like a single parent--but they’re not? Whether he is away on business, deployed in the military, or obsessing over a computer game, dad may not be available for a variety of reasons. Moms who parent in this situation still need help and don’t necessarily relate to the advice given in divorce recovery or single parenting resources. Married Mom, Solo Parent is a common-sense, down-to-earth look at the struggles wives and mothers face when their husband is not actively involved in family life. Writing from her own experience as a married single mom, Carla Anne Coroy will help wives and mothers sort through their questions, such as: Can I do this alone? How do I raise kids to honor their father? How do I give my children a healthy perspective of marri...

My First Hands- On Bible Published by Group Publishing Published on July 15 2011 Summary taken from Goodreads: My First Hands-On Bible is the preschooler version of the popular Hands-On Bible , which has sold over a half million copies. Jesus taught with hands-on lessons and illustrations; My First Hands-On Bible uses the same experience-based learning to communicate God’s Word in an active, understandable way. My First Hands-On Bible is a fun and simple yet meaningful way to engage preschool, pre-K, and K children (ages 3-6) with the Bible while helping them build a solid faith foundation. Each lesson focuses on a specific Bible point through a variety of activities in order to reinforce and help young children remember the stories and lessons. Using common household items, you can help your children have a “hands-on” learning experience while engaging them in 85 key stories from the Bible. My First Hands-On Bible doesn’t just retell the Bible stories; it also includ...

The Chocolate Diaries By Karen Linamen Published by Waterbrook Press Published on May 3rd 2011 Summary from Goodreads.com : Karen Linamen dishes up a satisfying blend of moxie and mocha, sharing stories from dozens of women who reveal savvy strategies for embracing a sweeter life—even while traveling rocky roads. If you’re hungry for more joy, reasons to laugh again, ideas to help you heal, and reliable hope leading to a sweeter future, this journey will leave you satisfied. Funny, transparent, and uplifting, The Chocolate Diaries is like taking a road trip with good friends who are wise about life. And while you’re at it, indulge (just a little) in the quirky recipes for concocting chocolate delights out of whatever ingredients you can round up in your kitch. The road may still be bumpy, but you’ll be having too much fun to care. I wasn't sure what to expect with this book- was it a self help book?  a humor book?  a devotional?  Technically, the b...

Stumbling into Grace By Lisa Harper Published on:  August 2, 2011 Published by :  Thomas Nelson Summary from Goodreads: Humorous yet poignant stories from Lisa's life help readers relate to spiritual truths found in the life and ministry of Christ. Stumbling Into Grace is the diary-devotional of one woman's honest, ongoing, bumbling journey of faith and how she finds encouragement through a deeper understanding of Christ's time on earth. Within each chapter she alternates her often humorous memoir with stirring portraits of Jesus and his own encounters as recorded in the New Testament. Both intimately relevant and refreshingly inspirational, this book will help readers to jettison the theological misconceptions, guilt, shame, and hypocrisy they struggle with, exchanging them for a vibrant, passionate relationship with Christ that results in a more abundant, joyful life. This is a sweet devotional.  I love the cover- it is girly, pink...

Love and War By John and Staci Eldredge Published by Doubleday Religion (first printing 2009) Summary from Amazon.com: The pair addressed men and women separately in   Wild at Heart   (John) and   Captivating   (Stasi) and now put that knowledge together in a book on marriage. Christianity, they say, is a love story set amid war, with marriage a living, breathing portrait laid out before the eyes of the world so that they might see the story of the ages. For them, marriage is the perfect storm that brings together basic differences in men and women, individual styles of relating, sin, and brokenness. The Eldredges offer sound advice on topics such as the delights of companionship, understanding the enemy is Satan and not your spouse, finding your marriage's mission, taboo topics, and, yes, sex. They are honest and forthright, never skirting a difficult issue; instead, they offer hope, insight, and their own lives as examples of what God can accomplish. Thei...

Growing Up Amish By Ira Wagner Published by:   Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. (June 28, 2011) Summary from Amazon.com One fateful starless night, 17-year-old Ira Wagler got up at 2 AM, left a scribbled note under his pillow, packed all of his earthly belongings into in a little black duffel bag, and walked away from his home in the Amish settlement of Bloomfield, Iowa. Now, in this heartwarming memoir, Ira paints a vivid portrait of Amish life—from his childhood days on the family farm, his Rumspringa rite of passage at age 16, to his ultimate decision to leave the Amish Church for good at age 26.  I have been reading a lot of Christian fiction that deals with Amish communities.  I was very curious about this book- mainly because I have become a little obsessed with the Amish population, especially in PA.  It was a good book- I am not really sure how you could call and autobiography anything but good.  The author is a talented writer- and I found ...

Have you read this book?  No?  Go get it.  Now.  Go here . It will change you. Change. You.

Kaleidoscope Seeing God's Wit and Wisdom in a Whole New Light By Patsy Clairmont This is the latest book that I reviewed for Book Sneeze. com.  I was originally attracted to this book by its cover- it is so colorful and inviting.  I also knew that Patsy Clairmont is a Women of Faith speaker, and I love their Bible Studies.  I thought that this book was one completely piece- I was surprised to find that it was actually a devotional of selected Proverbs, broken down into 2-3 page increments. The book was easy to read, I found I could read many of the devotionals in one sitting.  The author is light and funny, while still driving home important points.  She has chosen some of the Proverbs that have the strongest meanings. The set up of each devotional is:  Title of the chapter/ theme verse for the chapter, humorous narrative, and then a section called Bits and Pieces with questions to provoke thought, as well as a final section for addition...

The friendly folks at WaterBrook Multnomah Publishers have invited me to take a sneak peek at the book Radical: Taking Back Your Faith From The American Dream by David Platt. Here is an explanation of the book from WaterBrook Multnomah: "It’s easy for American Christians to forget how Jesus said his followers would actually live, what their new lifestyle would actually look like. They would, he said, leave behind security, money, convenience, even family for him. They would abandon everything for the gospel. They would take up their crosses daily…  But who do you know who lives like that? Do you?  In Radical , David Platt challenges you to consider with an open heart how we have manipulated the gospel to fit our cultural preferences. He shows what Jesus actually said about being his disciple—then invites you to believe and obey what you have heard. And he tells the dramatic story of what is happening as  a “successful” suburban church decides to get serious abou...

Summary Provided by Booksneeze.com: "A 365-day devotional featuring the actual spoken words of God as presented in the Bible. Too many times the impact and grandness of the actual words God spoke, as recorded in the Bible, are lost in the telling of the story. In A Year with God, the primary focus is to allow the scriptures that contain God's dialogue and the revelations of himself to uniquely speak to the reader. The author follows each reading with insights and applications to help explain the context and nuances of the text. The unique titling of each meditation and the nontraditional themes and organization help bring God to our daily lives. Topics include: Hope and Fear Love and Hate Perseverance and Quitting Faith and Doubt Loyalty and Betrayal Companionship and Isolation Mercy and Judgment Forgiveness and Anger Joy and Sadness Peace and Conflict" I  don't think that I read the part of the summary where it described the devotional as a completely Old Te...

I was provided with Love and War Devotional for Couples by John and Stasi Eldredge to review by the Blogging for Books program.  The opinions in this review are mine alone and do not reflect the opinions of Blogging for Books or the publisher. I knew my choice of this devotional was controversial for me.  My husband and I had read Wild at Heart and loved it and I had read Captivating and couldn't stand it.  I knew I had a 50/50 chance of liking this book. The set up of the book is very good- it is in different sections- different parts of your eight week journey with your spouse.  I found the daily topics to be deep and profound, and I found the Bible verses appropriate.  I did however wish for more meat.  I enjoyed the short paragraphs in each devotional, but I was looking for at least one discussion question to help direct conversations after reading the devotional. I would reccommend this devotional to any married couple, but especially t...

Wow,  this may be the worst book I have ever read.  I have read a LOT of really bad books.  Before I tear the book apart here is the summary provided by booksneeze.com: " In this entertaining, highly readable book, couples learn that a fabulous marriage can be the outcome of learning to pray together, causing a 20 to 30 percent increase in romance, conversation and happiness. Best-selling author Squire Rushnell and his wife, entertainer and talk show host Louise DuArt, take readers step by step through The 40 Day Prayer Challenge™ in which couples commit to praying together five minutes a day for forty days. Backed by compelling research from Baylor University and Gallup Poll, the true-life experiences of 24 test couples, including Denzel and Pauletta Washington, Kathie Lee and Frank Gifford, Donna Summer and Bruce Sudano, Scott and Tracie Hamilton, reveal that daily prayer is a "life changing experience" in which most couples report positive outcomes in less than t...

Wow,  this may be the worst book I have ever read.  I have read a LOT of really bad books.  Before I tear the book apart here is the summary provided by booksneeze.com: " In this entertaining, highly readable book, couples learn that a fabulous marriage can be the outcome of learning to pray together, causing a 20 to 30 percent increase in romance, conversation and happiness. Best-selling author Squire Rushnell and his wife, entertainer and talk show host Louise DuArt, take readers step by step through The 40 Day Prayer Challenge™ in which couples commit to praying together five minutes a day for forty days. Backed by compelling research from Baylor University and Gallup Poll, the true-life experiences of 24 test couples, including Denzel and Pauletta Washington, Kathie Lee and Frank Gifford, Donna Summer and Bruce Sudano, Scott and Tracie Hamilton, reveal that daily prayer is a "life changing experience" in which most couples report positive outcomes in less than t...

I am an avid fan of the Top Chef series.  Now that my brother is a chef- I am really fascinated by everything they have to do. I do know from past readings, however (I'm looking at you Drew Brees), sometimes autobiographies can seem a little choppy or uninteresting.  I have to say I was drawn into this book.  The author is a great storyteller.  I felt as though I was reading a work of fiction instead of someone's actual life.  It astounds me how much the author has been through! I enjoyed the recipes at the end of each section.  I also enjoyed how the author wrote in a conversational manner- I felt as though he was really telling ME the story.  I especially enjoyed the section of color photos in the middle of the book- and playing "Where's Waldo" with all of the famous chefs in the pictures. This would be an excellent book for someone starting out as a chef or for someone interested in getting into the cooking industry....

An Army of Ordinary People   by Felicity Dale I was given this book to review by the Tyndale House Publishers.  If you would like to review for Tyndale, please go to : http://mediacenter.tyndale.com/X_TBN/6_J oin_Network/Join.asp I will be honest (because if nothing else I promise to be honest about what I read.)  This book was just okay for me.  I really enjoyed the stories and reading about how God can create something from the hearts of willing (and sometimes unwilling) people.  But it didn't have relevance to me.  This book strongly supports the church planting movement (which I absolutely agree with), but it wasn't what I expected. Each chapter shares a different story and a different journey on the path to creating a successful church.  This book would be excellent for lay people, people disillusioned with church or those who are church planting.  It was a good read, but not one I would read over and over again. I w...