Sisterchicks in Gondolas by Robin Jones Gunn

This was my first Sisterchicks book to read. It was a very sweet story full of friendship and travels. Very great details on Venice.  It made you feel like you were there with them. I appreciated the friendship between Jenna & Sue. This is a great uplifting read that is refreshing "chick lit". Great read!

I received this free from Waterbrook Multnomah in exchange for my review.

Real Life Real Miracles by James Garlow & Keith Wall

This is a compilation of real life stories that involve miracles. While some may say they are just coincidences the authors make a compelling statement with the amount of miraculous experiences people told them about. Each chapter is about a different person. The majority are experiences of complete healing from something that was otherwise impossible. While I don't think this book would lead you to a saving knowledge of Christ, if your looking to figure out if there are still miracles in America today this would be an encouraging book. This is also a good book to take your time with since you can easily read one story at a time.

I received this book free from Bethany House in exchange for my review.

A Christmas Home by Greg Kincaid

I personally was not a fan of this book. I thought the character development was weak and the story was rushed. Perhaps its because the character development happened in another book so I missed out since I didn't read that one but this book didn't make me want to read the first one to find out. I love dogs and I love sweet stories so I thought I would like this book but it just didn't do it for me. Everything was predictable which isn't bad if you are enjoying the characters. I hate to give a bad review, especially when the cover is so cute, but the best part of this story was the prologue.

I received this book free from bloggingforbooks.com in exchange for my review

Radical Question & Idea by David Platt

This is a very short introduction to his first and second book Radical and Radical Together. It is a very quick read but it has a powerful message in it. I think it does a solid job of introducing you to his other books. I love the opening example of how the church meets in a closed country in Asia where being a Christian can get you killed. These people gather to worship God and pray together no matter the cost. I think he does a good job getting his point across and it is a powerful message to remember the church is about people, not buildings and programs. The church can get caught up in materialism the same way we can personally while we pursue our "American dream". A good, challenging read.

I received this book free from Waterbrook Multnomah in exchange for my review.

The Fourth Fisherman by Joe Kissack

I didn't know much about the story of the three fisherman who survived 9 months on the open ocean. What an amazing story of survival that is. Mr. Kissack weaves his story in along with the story of the fisherman and while I was wondering how they were intertwined it did become obvious in the last half. It's amazing how two stories can be so different yet have obvious parallels. While the fisherman were desperately clinging to their faith to survive, Mr. Kissack was trying to figure out how to survive his "successful" life without faith. It wasn't until complete brokenness he called out to God and was rescued. As he began pursuing the story of the fisherman it took a whole lot of faith in God to continue, especially when it didn't make sense to others. I was inspired by this story but I would love to hear more about the fisherman's side. This book felt more like an intro to the bigger story that's coming soon.

I received this book free from Waterbrook Multnomah in exchange for my review.

Sinner's Creed by Scott Stapp

I really enjoyed Scott Stapp's memoir. It was definitely revealing and from the heart. I was impressed with his writing. You can tell he is a poet and and his heart is in the writing. The environment he grew up in was quite terrible and its no wonder he was confused with who he was and who God really was.  Having a father who beats you and puts himself in a position of him and God being one and the same would definitely cause some confusion in one's life. Scott sure has a firm knowledge of the Bible. He kept trying to reconcile the God He knew from the Bible and the God that was displayed through his step-father and Christian's he knew. I love that his song writing reflects his knowledge of the Scripture. I do find it interesting that their band took so much heat for being called a "Christian" band just because of some of his lyrics. It's so clear to me that his lyrics were filled with brokenness and searching. He is very candid about his struggles with addiction, depression and not being the Christian he knew he should be. This is a great read for anyone who has struggled with depression or feeling like you have to be perfect in order to please God.  After reading this book, I had to find my old Creed music! I'm glad to know the band is back!

I received this book free from Tyndale publisher in exchange for my review.

Unstoppable by Nick Vujicic

To Read an excerpt from the First Chapter of Unstoppable please click here: Chapter 1 Excerpt

The River by Michael Neale



The River is a very touching story about a boy who lost his father to a drowning accident while he was trying to rescue a kayaker. The story chronicles his life and how this event affected his life. The River is the central theme as he begins his early life loving The River as it was his father's love as well as job guiding tours down The River. Once his father dies, the boy becomes fearful of The River but is drawn to it as well. I really appreciate the symbolism in this story and the way the boy became a man and has to face The River again. This is a beautiful story of forgiveness and breaking free from fear to be the person he was made to be. Well done, Mr. Neale on your debut novel!

Breaking Free From Fear by Kay Arthur

 

I love Kay Arthur and her studies and this one did not disappoint. I thoroughly enjoy how she takes you through scripture so you can clearly see from many examples what it means to Fear the Lord. I also appreciate how she takes you through the opposite of the Fear of Lord which means you are fearing man. This study is meant for group study and discussion with others and since I did it on my own I missed out on the group discussion but it was still very valuable information. It was encouraging for me to do this study and realize that if your worried or afraid you are not fearing the Lord. He is in control and is our refuge and strength.  It's amazing how much scriptural content is in such a small book! I highly recommend this study or any of the 40 minute studies.

I received this book free from blogging for books in exchange for my review.

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

I really enjoyed this story about Louis Zamperini's life. I will say I really had no idea who he was before I read the book but his life's story was quite amazing. i thought the book flowed nicely not spending too much time on any one stage of his life. The resolve this man had to survive was truly inspiring. It is hard to imagine the conditions the POW's were living in during WWII. It really was comparable to the concentration camps in Europe going on at the same time. I still have a hard time believing he survived through all those beatings he took especially when his body was starving at the same time. The fact that he was able to forgive the man who caused most of torment was truly an act of God. Even though this isn't written from a Christian author and his conversion to Christianity is only touched on you can still see how turning his life over to Christ finally gave him the freedom to forgive and he went on to help others.  Mr. Zamperini really has an amazing story and I would recommend this to anyone.

I received this book free from blogging for books program in exchange for my review

From the Library of C.S. Lewis by James Stuart Bell

This is a collection of works by writers who influenced the life of C.S. Lewis. I found the compilations quite interesting. The selections are laid out nicely and there is an index guide in the back. This is a great resources to have if you are researching C.S. Lewis. I will say its not something you necessarily want to sit down and read straight through but would be a great addition to any personal library. I would have liked to see a little more about how it influenced his life and spiritual journey along with the selections of writing that inspired him. All in all i would recommend this for any C.S. Lewis enthusiast or to use to aid you in research about his life and works.

I received this book free from waterbrook multnomah in exchange for my review.

Redemption by Bryan Clay

This is a story of Bryan's life and how he was redeemed out of a life of anger and violence and through the encouragement of some key people in his life was able to channel that energy into something positive. Bryan became a great track and field athlete in high school and continued on through college and competed on all the various levels including winning a gold medal at the 08 Olympics. I appreciated Bryan's insight at how he was doing everything for himself and to relieve the anger he felt inside but as he grew and through many people praying for him he came to trust God and compete for His glory instead of His own. I thought this was a very inspiring story and I can see how his life story could definitely help influence teens in a very positive way. I think it's wonderful that Bryan has a passion to help youth who come from broken homes just like he did. All in all, I say this is an inspiring story to read.