Called to Pray

Called to Pray, Astounding Stories of Answered Prayer by Linda Evans Shepherd is a great story for anyone who is looking to be uplifted or who feels like their prayers go unanswered. The book has different stories that are amazing!! They show how a person may feel the strong need to pray for someone at the exact time they are going through a crisis or difficult time in their life. One story that really stood out to me was how a pastor was flying his plane, just about to run out of gas and suffer a crash landing, when a member of his church felt the need to pray for him. Another story told about a woman who felt compelled to sit at a different place at church, and that led her to pray for a man she had never met before who had cancer. It’s worth reading to see stories like this, and what happened during and after the individuals prayed.

 

This is a very inspirational book, and it can be read in a few sittings, or one short story at a time. I will be recommending this book to some of my family members, as it’s a great testament to the power of prayer.

 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher, Revell. 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."

The Christmas Joy Ride

If you’re looking for a cute, short book to put you in the Christmas mood, look no further than The Christmas Joy Ride by Melody Carlson. When 85 year-old Joy decides to travel her RV across Route 66 to her new home in a retirement community, her neighbor Miranda can’t help but be nervous so she agrees to tag along and help with the trip. Joy has plans to stop at different locations and spread some Christmas cheer to those who need it most. Throughout the trip Miranda and Joy meet many different characters, and it’s nice to read about how their little bit of Christmas spirit helps others.   

 

This was a really cute book, as are all of the stories I’ve read in the past by Melody Carlson!!

 

This book was provided by Revell in exchange for my review. 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.”

Proverbs Prayers

Proverbs Prayers by John Mason covers a chapter of Proverbs for each chapter, and it can be read as a 31 day devotional. The first section of each day is the particular section of the Bible. The second component of each day is a prayer that relates to the Bible reading. This really helps you think about what your reading and better relate Proverbs to your daily lives. I really liked the format of this book, and the fact that Proverbs is a great book of the Bible to study.

This book was provided by Revell in exchange for my review. 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.”

Vendetta

 

Vendetta, a book in the Nikki Boyd Files, set Nikki Boyd on a dangerous journey to find a missing girl, while also trying to unravel why this kidnapping seems to have the same signs as the kidnapping of her sister 10 years ago. While Nikki works through the details of this case, many characters are introduced, and I couldn’t help but question each of their motives and intentions for becoming involved in the case. Since this investigation hits so close to home, it has Nikki questioning if her position on the Tennessee Missing Person Task Force is really where she belongs.

 

I liked reading the relationship between Nikki and her friend Tyler. I think that in future books their relationship will continue to grow as Tyler begins to recover from the grief and guilt he feels over the death of his wife. I enjoyed this book, and I’ll be looking forward to reading future books in the Nikki Boyd Files.

 

This book was provided by Revell in exchange for my review. 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.”

Why Not Me?

Mindy Kaling is one of my favorite actresses right now, so when I saw she came out with a new book, Why Not Me?, I knew I wanted to read it immediately! Mindy has such a great sense of humor, and you can really see that in the short essays she writes for her book. She covers topics like her dating life, how her life has changed since she became famous, and what a typical day in her life looks like. This book is written like she's talking to a friend, which makes it a very fast read. It's also nice that you would be able to just pick the book up every once and awhile to read one of her short essays in a very short sitting.

Although I liked both of her books, I would have to say I think the first book was more interesting and entertaining. If you are trying to decide between which of her books to purchase, I would definitely go with the first book she wrote.

This book was provided by Blogging for Books in exchange for my review. 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.”

Isle of Hope

Julie Lessman is one of my favorite authors, and I am always extremely excited when I get a chance to read her newest books. I recently had the opportunity to read her newest book, Isle of Hope, and it was a wonderful book with characters that leapt off the pages. The main theme of this book was forgiveness: forgiveness for long held secrets, past marriage indiscretions, abandonment, and childhood upbringings.


Lacey Carmichael and Jack O’Bryen were meant to be together. They were teenage sweethearts, who grew up as neighbors with parents as best friends. Their ordered life was thrown into disorder as Lacey started hanging out with a new crowd, and eventually she left Isle of Hope and her past relationship with Jack behind. Also, the family friendship quickly disintegrated after actions the Carmichaels and O’Bryens could never have imagined. Fast forward eight years, and Lacey is finally coming home to face her past. Lacey has a long list of people she left behind that she has to make amends with, but everyone in Isle of Hope is not how they were when she left. Some of their lives have been filled with anger and bitterness at the past. The book really looks in depth at forgiveness, specifically the forgiveness she is able to give and receive through her newfound relationship with Christ. Almost every character in Isle of Hope has a backstory that needs resolution, and it was interesting to read how the histories of these two families are so intertwined.


The characters in this book were so realistic, and I felt like they could be a next door neighbor or family members. I also liked the interaction between the siblings in this book. Although they were older, they seemed to have a very close relationship, and seemed to really care for each other, which is nice to see! The romance in this book was also a great relationship to read about. Although both characters were flawed, they were able to move forward with their lives through Christ’s forgiveness. Since I loved this book so much, I am hoping there will be future books in this series that might focus on Jack’s twin sisters or others in the community who were introduced in the book through the church or the hospital where Jack worked!!! 


This book was provided by the author in exchange for my review. 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.”

Murder at the Courthouse

Michael Keane never imagined that when he moved back to his hometown of Hidden Springs he would face anything close to what he saw as a police officer in the city of Columbus. Michael was completely wrong when mysterious murders begin happening in the book Murder at the Courthouse by A.H. Gabhart. The book begins with a stranger being discovered, shot on the front steps of the Courthouse. As Michael works through solving the mystery of who committed the murder, he must face his past and the death of his parents. There is a very small amount of romance involved in this book, and it was a secondary topic to the murder mystery.

 

I really liked this book, and I liked the fact that it wasn’t a difficult read. I was able to finish it in only 2 days, which was perfect for me because I wanted to find out who committed the murders in this small town! I’m looking forward to reading future books in this series, since the setting of the book, and the characters introduced in this book, were very entertaining.

 

This book was provided by Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, in exchange for my review. 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.”