Offworld

by Robin Parrish

First I’d like to thank Bethany House publishers for providing this book for me to review. I would never have read or even heard about this book otherwise.

Offworld falls into the genre of science fiction, which typically isn’t a genre that I fancy. This book, however, is extremely well written. A crew of astronauts that are on a mission to Mars return to Earth to find that every living thing has vanished! We follow the crew as they try to figure out what has happened. Each chapter has a new twist and I found this book hard to put down. As with many books, there were some predictable parts, but not so many that you know the ending before you get there. The imagery in the book is phenomenal. Robin Parrish describes the scenes in such a way that you feel as though you’re standing right there with the crew. I’d highly recommend this book to any sci-fi fan, but also to anyone looking to break into the sci-fi genre. Happy reading!

How God Makes Babies

by Jim Burns

This is another of several books in the Pure Foundations series by Bethany House Publishers. These books are geared towards specific aged children with this particular book being for 6-9 yr. olds.

I really like the books descriptions of how “A husband and wife show their love for each other in many ways.” It doesn’t just start right out with sex; it talks about living together, encouraging each other, praying together. All of these are values we want to teach our children from a very early age.

This book addresses the fact that both boys and girls have private parts that are not to be touched except for by a Dr. during a check up or when you are young by a mom or dad helping to keep you clean. I like that the book does say that no matter who it is, touching of private parts in not acceptable and you should tell a trusted grown up right away. Unfortunately, in this day an age, anyone can be a sexual predator so this is an important lesson to teach kids.

I love that in the description of the birth it talks about both a doctor and a midwife as a person that helps deliver the baby as well as talking about baby getting nourishment from a mother’s breast as well as that sometimes a baby needs formula. I appreciate that the book has a picture of a breastfeeding baby as most books will show a baby being fed from a bottle.

This book also addresses adoption and how it fits into God’s plan. Overall this book is a great resource for parents trying to teach their children about sex in a healthy way.

God Made Your Body

by Jim Burns

This is one of several books in the Pure Foundations series by Bethany House Publishers. This particular book is geared towards children age 3-5. The purpose of the Pure Foundations series is to teach children about sex in a healthy home environment. This can deter a child from only having a media eye’s unhealthy view of sex and sexuality in general. It also incorporates how God made each child special and this can also lead to a healthy self-image.

I really enjoyed the interactivity of this book. As the book describes how God has created everyone special, it also asks the child questions such as “What color are your eyes?” and “What are you good at doing?” The book really facilitates conversation between the reader and the child.

This book also brought up conversation between my husband and I. Since our little girl is only 18 months at the moment we were able to discuss the use of certain terminology. The book is very medical in nature in that it uses the words penis and testicles as well as vagina and womb. This got us to thinking about whether or not these are words we want our daughter taking off with her to school. Is it appropriate for a 3-5 year old to use those terms or would we like to use something different? However, the book isn’t 100% consistent in its “grown up” talk as it then goes on later to talk about mommies fixing “owies”.

I really like that the book talks about both doctors and midwifes delivering a baby as well as those families that are blessed with adopted children.

The book concludes with a short prayer of thanks and a scripture passage. Overall the book really is great for gradually introducing a child to the differences between boys and girls as well as for introducing the concepts of “making love” and the development of a baby.

Busy People's Fast & Frugal Cookbook

by Dawn Hall
Who doesn’t need a cookbook that has recipes that can be ready in 30 minutes or less? In this day an age, anything that can be done well in less time is a bonus. This cookbook is laid out very well. The chapters target specific parts of a meal (i.e.: Appetizer, Salad, Soup/Chowder, Main Meals, Side Dishes, etc.). Each chapter has its own mini index at the beginning of it breaking down the meals based on the time they take to make. This is great if you are looking for super quick meals on the busier nights of the week.

The recipes are broken down with separate instructions for preparation of the meal and the actual cooking of the meal. Also, the recipes tell you the important nutritional info including calories, total fat, cholesterol, fiber, etc.

My favorite part of this recipe book is that it also has suggestions for what to pair up with certain main dishes to make a total meal. I always struggle with this part of meal planning so it makes planning well balanced meals MUCH simpler.

Another great feature of the recipes is that they have both a supplies list and a grocery list. Also, it categorizes the ingredients that should be in your pantry to make it easier to do that quick check for those items before heading out for your groceries.

My favorite recipes are in the breakfast/brunch, breads and biscuits, desserts, and beverages sections. I didn’t find many recipes that appealed to my tastes in the other sections, which was a little disconcerting. However, every person enjoys different flavors and it could be your gold mine!

What's He REALLY Thinking?

by Paula Rinehart

I decided to review this book because what woman wouldn’t want to know what the man in their life is REALLY thinking? This book was broken into two sections each with 3-5 subcategories. The two sections were titled “Understanding the Man You Love” and “Loving the Man you Understand”. Topics that were touched upon were:

Why Men Hurt

How Men Change

Respect

Conflict

Intimacy

All of these topics would be of great interest to a woman. I, however, found that the chapters lacked the ability to draw me in as a reader. I found the examples used were a bit stretched for and didn’t always fit the situation. I would’ve liked to have heard more stories about real people as those were the parts I found most interesting. Overall, I didn’t find that this book taught me a whole lot more than what I already knew, and I found myself simply reading it to review it instead of enjoying and taking from it important information.

Fearless: Imagine Your Life Without Fear

by Max Lucado

Fearless: Imagine Your Life Without Fear published by Thomas Nelson Publishers and written by Max Lucado is a book that poses the question of, “What would your life be like if you could live without fear?” Lucado takes the reader through several key fears that most people face day to day and reminds them about what Jesus and the Bible have to say about dealing with those fears.

Some of the fears this book tackles are:

Fear of Worst Case Scenarios

Fear of Life’s Final Moments

Fear of Not Protecting My Kids

Fear of Not Mattering

This book is an easy to read look at how Christians approach the fears in their lives and what we should do to overcome them. One of my favourite parts of the book is the list of 8 Worry Stoppers that Lucado gives his readers. You’ll have to get the book to find out what they are. I can, however, tell you that they spell out the acronym P-E-A-C-E-F-U-L, which I found highly appropriate. The other thing I really enjoyed about this book were the real life stories interjected throughout the chapters. This broke up the deep parts of the book to make it easier to read for long periods of time.

This book also has a study guide for either group or individual reflection on a chapter by chapter basis. The questions presented really stop and make you think and to examine your life. I highly recommend this book to both new and old Christians as EVERYONE deals with fear in their life and it’s high time we knew what to do about it!

The I Believe Bunny

by Tish Rabe and Illustrated by Frank Endersby

The I Believe Bunny published by Thomas Nelson Publishers is a children's book about a little bunny, a rainy day adventure, and the power of prayer. The little bunny faces a dilemma in which he is in desperate need of help. He calls out for help and no one comes. He then prays to God for help. I would recommend this book for kids of any age, but the message may better be understood for kids 2+.

This book is beautifully illustrated and the story couldn’t be sweeter. The messages that this book conveys are two-fold. The first being to give glory/thanks to God for what he has given you. The second is that you should call upon God for help. I really liked the introduction scripture of Philippians 4:13: “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” What a great message to convey to any child.

This book is written in poetic form which makes it a fun book to read through. Tish Rabe brings the characters to life with the help of illustrator Frank Endersby, and she really conveys the desperation and urgency of bunny’s needs. I highly recommend this book.

God’s Little Princess Devotional Bible, ICB

God’s Little Princess Devotional Bible written by Sheila Walsh and published by Thomas Nelson Publishers is a great devotional Bible geared specifically towards girls and their mothers. The scripture selections are from the International Children’s Bible and are very easy for young readers (and adults!) to understand.

I really love how this Bible has numerous features that help children to apply scripture and God’s teachings to everyday events in their lives. This Bible teaches girls that they are God’s princesses and then continues to teach morals/values to the girls that help them to be the best princess they can be. One highlight of this Bible are the sections that have the mother and daughter act out scenes from the Bible and then has questions that review what happened in the scene. What a great way to make sure the child is comprehending what she’s reading and to really make sure that God’s message gets across to her.

There are many features within this Bible that are great for young girls in today’s society. This Bible has sections called “Beauty Secrets” and “Princess Charming” that teach girls, through examples, about inner beauty as well as teaching them about manners and respect for others.

This Bible is very durable and uses a large font which makes it easily readable. I highly recommend this book to any mother of girls from ages 3+.

Just Starting Up

Well...I recently decided that I really enjoy reading books and with the inevitable spare time I'll have while breastfeeding baby #2 I figured I should start reviewing books as a hobby. I am hoping to hear soon that I have a new book to review.

Right now I am reading 3 different books! I'm reading Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris (great book for anyone that enjoyed the Twilight series), The Secret Life of a Slummy Mummy by Fiona Neill (very humorous book about life as a mom), and The Power of a Praying Wife by Stormie Omartian (wonderful book to read over the course of a month).

Stay tuned to this blog for future updates on books I've read and/or am currently reading.