Plain Proposal by Beth Wiseman

In the genre of Amish fiction, there comes another book, Plain Proposal.  In this book, the main character Miriam is coming of age to make her own decisions when her English cousin Shelby moves in.  The two girls couldn’t be any different.  Plain Proposal takes you on a journey with Miriam as she moves from girl to woman and discovers her own life. 

I usually enjoy reading Amish fiction.  I have read a book by this author before, and this time, I can’t say I was disappointed, but at the same time, the book did nothing for me.  It was very repetitive and filled with quite a bit of space fillers.  There were many times where the writer rehashed what the characters were thinking or feeling, over and over again.  The book probably could’ve been quite a bit shorter if all of that were taken out. 

If you have read any of my other reviews on Amish fiction, you will know that I personally know Amish families in Lancaster County and have spent time with them.  Some of the aspects of Amish life in these books are true to life, and others are a bit far-fetched and elaborated. 

Overall, this is a wholesome book with a sweet story.  It isn’t a page turner, nor is it entirely entertaining. 

*Disclosure of Materials: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com  book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255  : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Do You Want to be RADICAL??

All over the world, people are living in “radical” ways, and too many times, Christians see themselves as ordinary. We look at Hollywood, we look at the news, and we look at reality TV and think that those people are doing such “cool and radical” things in the world.  But, a truly radical life is one that is wholly devoted to Christ and His Gospel.

In his book, Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream, David Platt explains how a life surrendered to Christ is nothing less than an extreme and awesome experience.  This book will open your eyes, it will challenge your thoughts about your life, and will motivate you to truly follow the Gospel of Christ. 

Radical is convicting, it is inspiring, it is a must read for anyone claiming Christianity. 

This book has made me think about how I live my day-to-day life.  How am I using my time? How am I making a difference in a way that really matters? 

Do yourself a favor and get this book!! You will not regret it! It will change your life and propel you into a great adventure!

Read the first chapter here!

*Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book to review by Multnomah.  I was not required to write a positive review.*

Voices of the Faithful

Voices of the Faithful is a daily devotional written by missionaries serving around the world.  It is organized by different topics for each month and each entry is written by a different missionary.

I found this to be a great daily devotional.  The readings are thoughtful and just the right length.  I did notice that some of the writers did not include their names, I'm assuming for fear of the governments where they are serving.

Overall, I would recommend this book to someone who wants to supplement their daily devotional or someone who is short on time.  I think this book is great for someone who is missions-minded.  It will also ignite an interest in missions for those who do not know much about it.
*Disclosure: I received this book for free from Thomas Nelson Publishers in exchange for a review. I was not required to write a positive review of this book.*

Sun Stand Still

Sun Stand Still is a call to live with audacious faith.  Pastor and author Steven Furtick uses Joshua as an example to propel us into a new dimension of faith where we are brave enough to ask God for that which seems impossible. 

I chose this book because I thought it would be a book that helps increase my faith and moves me to a new level.  I did not get that out of this book.  While the message of this book is relevant to todays society, for me, it wasn’t as motivational as I thought it would be.  Don’t get me wrong, this book is an excellent book.

I would highly recommend it to a new believer who has questions about what faith is and how to increase it.  This book is Biblically based and is filled with wonderful examples.  However, if you have been a believer for awhile, and are looking for a deeper challenge, then I would not recommend this book for you.

Sun Stand Still is a great book to help you realize that God is calling His people to ask, seek and knock and to look for His hand in your impossible situations.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book to review by Multnomah.  I was not required to write a positive review.

My NOOK!!

My reading experiences are taking on a whole new adventure.  I received a color Nook for Christmas.  I am so excited about it that I'm not sure I will be able to sleep tonight!!  I can't wait to download my first book and get reading.  BUT, I am going to wait until I buy a case for it.  Does anyone else have a nook? What do you think of it??

Then Sings My Soul

Then Sings My Soul by Robert Morgan is the perfect book for those who have fond memories of hymns and classic church songs.  This book contains the music sheets and lyrics along with a background story about the song.  The hymns are broken down into categories such as Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving.  The songs that are featured are church classics and reading through them brought back so many wonderful memories. It is awesome to read the lyrics of songs that have been sung by generations.  The most interesting thing is to read the background stories about the songs.  This is the perfect book to add to your home library or to give as a gift.             * Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”*

In His Image NLT Devotional Bible

I received this Bible to review from Tyndale a few weeks ago.  It took me awhile to post a review because I am not sure how to write a review for a Bible, but I will try. This Bible would be great for a new believer or someone who needs a basic understanding of the names of God, and who enjoys a translation that is easy to read. It is the New Living Translation, which I find is a good resource if you need a verse explained in "current" language.  I still prefer the NIV. 

This Bible has small sections that give definitions of the different names of God used in the Old and New Testaments.  They are on (almost) every other page.  Sometimes it is quite repetitive.  It also has prayerful readings on the sides of the pages, which explains a bit about God's character and gives simple meditations and prayers; I thought that was a nice touch, until I noticed that many of those are repeated also. 

In the beginning of each chapter is an introduction to the book.  It explains what the book is about, how to find God in that book and some key areas of the book.  I thought that was great, especially for someone new to reading the Word, until I saw that in the book of Joshua it calls Joshua a "character".  I understand that to us, the men and women in the Bible are "characters", however, I think that term is misleading and will cause some to view what they read as fiction.  That was my main disappointment.

Overall, I feel that this Bible would be a good resource for a new believer or a teen that is just starting to dig in.

* Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Tyndale Publishers as part of their book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255  : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”*