Izzy's Pop Star Plan

I recently read Izzy’s Pop Star Plan by Alex Marestaing with the plan of giving it to my cousin to read since she loves to sing and play instruments.
The book is written from Izzy Baxter’s point of view in the form of an Internet Blog which can be read as a daily devotional. Each day is about two pages long, and it covers 90 days, so it’s ideal for a child to read a chapter each day. I also liked how each chapter had comments that were Bible Verses.

The main concept of the book is that Izzy enters a singing competition, called the International Pop Star Challenge, after years of dreaming of becoming a famous singer. She begins to travel around the world to pursue her dreams. At the end of the book, there is a note that you have to check a website to see who won the competition. I especially liked this since I tend to read the last page before I finish the book to find out what happens, and this makes sure no young reader does the same thing 

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

The Shelter of God's Promises

I have always wanted to read a book by Sheila Walsh, as I have heard rave reviews of both her speaking and her books, and I was excited to read The Shelter of God’s Promises by Sheila Walsh. The book details God’s promises, and each promise is a chapter within the book. In addition to explaining God’s promise, there is a Bible Verse which relates to the promise God has for people. Some of my favorite promises in the book include Confidence: When we can’t see God’s Plan in this pain, God Promises that in All things God works for the good of those who love him, as in Romans 8:28, Hope: When we’re broken God promises to love us and never leave us as in Hebrews 13:5-6, and Home: We have a future and the Bible says There are many rooms in God’s house for us, as in John 14:2.

I also liked the personal aspect as Shelia Walsh intertwined personal stories that made the promises detailed in each chapter more personal. I think this book would be a great Bible study or devotional, as it’s format is conducive for discussion. There is also a Bible Study at the end of the book that contains important verses to read and questions to ask oneself.

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.”

Save the Date

I recently read and completely enjoyed the book Save the Date by Jenny B. Jones. This is the first book I read by Jenny B. Jones, and I look forward to reading more of her books in the future. She makes very believable and likeable characters. I was really convinced of their relationship as I read the book, and I was rooting for them.

Lucy is dedicated to the running of a non-profit girls program which is in desperate need of funding. Alex, a wealthy man, is looking for a seat in Congress, but he wants a financee to help him win the votes. They both decide to use what the other has in order to get what they want.

As other reviewers indicated, it was easy to predict what would happen in the book. Even though that was the case, I still really enjoyed the book. It was not only appropriate for reading by a younger audience (teenagers), but I think they would actually enjoy the book. So many times, I find Christian Romance books are geared more toward adults with their length and historical content, but I think teenagers and adults alike can enjoy this book.

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."

Love on Assignment

Love on Assignment, a book by Cara Lynn James, was a great read over the Christmas Holiday Break! It focuses on Charlotte Hale, who is a secretary for the Rhode Island Reporter with dreams of becoming a real reporter. Her employer places her within a family under the guise of being a governess in order to have her act as a spy; she thinks this is the perfect opportunity to show her reporting skills and move up within the business. Little does Charlotte Hale know, the family she is living with is not what she was told by her employer. Throughout the book, she struggles with her deceit and tries to justify her lies as necessary since she is doing what she must to keep her family going during difficult times.

I really enjoyed this book and the focus of forgiveness it shows. I also liked how, although it was the second book in a series, you did not need to read the first book to follow the story. I will definitely be reading more books in the series, and I cannot wait to learn more about the families who spend their time at Summerhill.

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."

An Amish Love

An Amish Love contains three stories which are all, as the title indicates, dealing with individuals who are Amish. A Marriage of the Heart is by Kelly Long, What the Heart Sees is written by Kathleen Fuller, and Healing Hearts is written by Beth Wiseman. All three stories are around 100 pages and focus on relationships which are being tested within the Amish community.

A Marriage of the Heart focuses on Abigail Kauffman and Joseph Lambert, who are in a marriage that allowed Abigail the opportunity to escape from the life she lived with her father. They struggle with various issues that are looked at within the extremely short first story. This story was a very quick read, and had me wanting to read more stories by Kelly Long.

What the Heart Sees focused on the characters Ellie Chupp and Christopher Bender. After becoming blind in a car accident at a young age, Ellie begins to befriend Christopher, who was also gravely affected by the accident that took her sight. Their relationship plays out within the pages of the story by Kathleen Fuller.

Healing Hearts is the final story in An Amish Love. Lavin and Naaman Lapp have been married 30 years and Naaman leaves for an extended period of time. The story focuses on their reconnecting after he returns home.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I liked that I could read a whole short story in one sitting, and they were similar enough to tie the book together, but not too similar to make me feel as if I was reading the same story three times.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze 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."

The Truth of the Matter

The Truth of the Matter by Andrew Klavan is the Third book in the Homelanders Series. The book again takes us into the mystery of Charlie West’s last year of life which he is unable to remember. His last moment of clarity is going to bed one night and waking up a year later being tortured. He does not remember being jailed for his best friend’s murder, falling in love, and becoming a wanted criminal.

Charlie is attempting to clarify his missing year by looking for the one person whose name he can remember: Waterman. Upon contacting Waterman, trouble ensues as the Homelanders continue to close in upon Charlie. Charlie continues to struggle to remember his missing past as well as stay hidden from the Homelanders and the police.

I really enjoyed this book, and finally starting to see some clarity on what happened the last year of Charlie’s life. I think this book would really be enjoyed by a middle school aged boy, particularly one who is interested in non-stop action. The book is continually going, and there is never a boring moment as we are brought along with Charlie on the roller-coaster his life is turning into.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze 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."

Dining with Joy

Although Dining with Joy was the first book I read by Rachel Hauch, I plan on reading many more of her books in the future. It was a very enjoyable read, that I found hard to put down, as I was brought into the romance between Joy and Luke.

Joy finds herself hosting a cooking show on television after her father’s untimely passing. The only problem is...she can’t cook! She is relatively successful in keeping this fact hidden until Luke, a recently bankrupt chef of a Manhattan restaurant, joins her show. Her relationship struggles with Luke, along with her inability to cook being revealed to all on television by Wenda Devine would be enough to cause any person to question their faith. Throughout all of these disasters, Joy must rely upon her faith and her close friends to help her get through her struggles.

This book was a very quick read, and I will definitely be adding it to my list of gift ideas for friends and co-workers. I also want to read other books by Rachel Hauck, especially to learn more about Joy’s friends and her family.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze 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."