Swipe

Swipe, written by Evan Angler, follows the life of Logan as he nears his 13th birthday at some point in the future. Upon reaching the age of 13, each child is given a mark which enables them to take part in society. They can get a job, buy food, ride a hoverstick, and anything else you can think of. Although Logan is excited to get his mark, he is also nervous due to the children who have not had good results after their mark surgery. Although it will be denied by the government, there are those people who never return after their surgery. Add to the fear of the surgery, the fact that Logan feels as if he is being followed and someone is spying on him. As he begins to investigate those who are watching his every move, he meets a new friend Erin whose father has access to top-secret materials and facts which Erin shares with Logan. I really liked this book, and I read it while thinking about the book of Revelation and the Mark of the Beast which will be required as per Revelation. I think this would be best for middle-school age kids who are interested in reading sci-fi type books, and it may also help them become interested in learning more about the end times. Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Books. 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 Accidental Bride

The Accidental Bride is a book written by Denise Hunter in the Big Sky Romance Series. I have read some books by Denise Hunter in the past, and I was very excited to have the opportunity to read the most recent of her books. Shay Brandenberger and Travis McCoy, high school sweethearts, have agreed to take part in their Founders’ Day wedding reenactment in the town of Moose Creek, Montana. Little do they know, their good deeds end up changing their lives as the acting is, in actuality, a real marriage. In order to keep their lives running smoothly, they agree to stay married for six months in exchange for Travis helping her in running her ranch. As one could imagine, romance and troubles ensue.

I enjoyed this book as I do all those written by Denise Hunter. I really found myself caring about her characters, and I was rooting for both Shay and Travis. Although the accidental marriage seemed a little far-fetched, it was still a cute idea to see what can happen when two people find themselves in a situation they could have never imagined. The romance was fun to read about, and I really felt like there was real chemistry between Shay and Travis. I liked this romantic, quick-read, and I will be recommending it to my friends and family.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Books. 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."

Cliques, Hicks, and Ugly Sticks (The Confessions of April Grace)

Cliques, Hicks, and Ugly Sticks (The Confessions of April Grace) is a book by KD McCrite which I recently had the opportunity to read through the Thomas Nelson Booksneeze Blog Program. Although I am older than the reading demographic for this book, I still found myself enjoying the book set in 1984. I found myself understanding the 80s references0, but I don’t know if teenagers who are reading this book will understand these same references.

The setting is just a minor point of the book, as it did look at the universal problems young teens go through, no matter the generation. School, friends, and family are all the topics looked at in this book. Throughout the story, the main character April Grace Reilly remains true to herself, and I found her to be a great role model for those who read 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.

The Lucado Inspirational Reader

Recently I read Max Lucado: The Lucado Inspirational Reader, Hope and Encouragement for Your Everyday Life. This book contains everything from short quotes to short stories. The book is broken into various chapters which look at the topics of Creation, Faith, Family, Forgiveness, Peace, Purpose, Worship, Second Chances, Grace, Heaven, and various others. I really liked how the book contained quotes from his other books along with Bible verses. Also, the format made it easy to find out more information on a particular topic. This isn’t the type of book you want to sit down and read in a traditional way since it is over 400 pages long, but it’s a great book to read a few pages at a time or to have as a “coffee table” book. This would also be a great book to give to friends and family as a Christmas gift.

Disclosure of Material Connection: 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

Heaven is for Real for Kids

Heaven is for Real for Kids tells the story of Colton Burpo, who at 4 years old went to Heaven during a surgery. Colton miraculously recovered, and when he talked to his family after the surgery he told them of the things he saw in Heaven, which would have been impossible for him to know unless he did, in fact, go to Heaven. Through his story, Colton shows other young children that there is such a place as Heaven that they too can look forward to going to one day. The book was written in a way that young children can understand, yet it’s not scary as to make them nervous about spending time in hospitals. Rather, it gives children hope about all of the things they will see and the emotions they will experience when they are in heaven, or when they are trying to understand how other young children can be taken to heaven.

The pictures in this book were also cute, and I think young children who cannot yet read will enjoy looking at the photos of what Colton remembers Heaven looking like. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and am sure all young children will be impressed by not only the photos, but also the story of what happened to Colton.

I received a copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through their Booksneeze program. I was not required to write a positive review.

Just In Case You Ever Wonder

Just In Case You Ever Wonder is a cute children's book written by Max Lucado and Illustrated by Toni Goffe which looks at how much God loves everyone. The book is written for young children, probably in the age range of 2nd-3rd grade. The book talks about how every part of us was created by God in a perfect way. It also shows how God placed children with a loving family to take care of them and teach them more about Jesus' love.

I really thought this book was cute, and I can't wait to pass it on to one of my young nieces. I am sure they will love the pictures as the drawings range from winter pictures with small animals hidden in the background to summertime walks. The focus of the book being on God's love is a great thing for young children to read about, and have shared with them by their parents.

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

Surprised by Oxford

Surprised by Oxford is a Memoir written by Canadian Carolyn Weber which looks at her life during her graduate degree studies at Oxford University’s Balliol College. As she attends Oxford she begins to question many things in her life, and she begins on her quest to find answer to some of her questions about life.

I found this book a little long, and it took me longer to read than most books. I really liked learning about her studies at Oxford and also the relationship with an American student while at Oxford. I was not the biggest fan of her poetry used throughout the book, but that is definitely just to the fact that I don’t enjoy poetry.

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