Review: NIV Holy Bible for Girls Journal Edition

The NIV Holy Bible for Girls Journal Edition has a fun, hard cover that mimics the look of a journal, complete with elastic wrap. The pages are about the usual thickness, the text is small, but easy to read, and the book itself has a nice flat lay to it. The Bible includes lines on the edge of each page for notes, but depending on how many notes you take, you may have to write very small to fit in your thoughts. There is no commentary or additional notes to go off of for your study, either (if there were, the book would be much larger than its easy to handle size). I found that this is a good Bible to take with me to Bible studies or to take notes in as I read other Bibles with larger commentary. It gives me the opportunity to have all the points that stand out to me in other books and Bibles in one place.

*I received this book from BookLookBloggers. All opinions are my own.

Fiction Review: When Love Arrives by Johnnie Alexander

Dani accidentally gets caught spying on Brett. She hopes to find a way to embarrass him after he spoke ill of her mother's pilot career in an interview. But can she maintain bitterness when he asks her on a date? Johnnie Alexander provides an relaxing read in "When Love Arrives," but not without a few flaws.

Dani's motivations felt unrealistic. Perhaps it might have been more believable if her mother had committed suicide after the plane crash or if she had made more of a connection between her step-father's mistreatment and the crash. Dani's emotional response to her father's harsh words and actions is more interesting, but is treated almost entirely separate from her motivations for revenge and plays a very small role in her character growth. I did, however, relate to the character's insecurity.

Brett's character arc is also worth the read. Readers don't really get a solid conclusion on one plot point, but Brett's desire to be a better man and take responsibility for his child (outside of wedlock) is inspiring. Other character names can get a little confusing, but their stories are moving and made me want to read the first book in the series. This book stand well on its own, but I liked it enough to want to find out what happens next, especially in a subplot romance.

*I received this book from Revell Publishers. All opinions are my own.

Nonfiction Review: Christ in the Sabbath

What is the Sabbath? Does it mean "to cease"? Or is it meant to reflect a life lived under God's blessing? Rich Robinson lays out basic principles behind the Sabbath that most anyone can agree on: The Sabbath is a day to remember and sanctify. The Sabbath is a communal and humanitarian day.

In his book "Christ in the Sabbath," Robinson gives an overview history of the Sabbath - first as a blessing guarded by refrain from work, developed into a regular time in which the land itself rests for a year, brought into the New Testament period in which various sects had differing views on what was allowed or not allowed, and "completed" in Jesus Christ's own jubilee ministry. The book also includes a few chapters on relevant New Testament passages, focusing on what Jesus and Paul said about the Sabbath. According to Robinson, Jesus invites the weary to himself and fulfills all the kinds of rest of which the Old Testament speaks. Where God is, we find rest.

Other topics include the Sabbath among modern Jewish practices, the development of Sabbath practices within the Christian church, and modern arguments for and against Sunday worship. Robinson's points on how Christians began to worship on Sundays were particularly insightful.

Of course, with so much to cover in one book, there is much that is not covered. The book felt more like an overview of the Sabbath, rather than specifically of Christ in the Sabbath. I was disappointed that groups like the Seventh Day Adventists were not explored in more detail. The chapter with modern viewpoints was short and quick. The final chapter with suggestions for how to apply the Sabbath to our own lives also seemed somewhat contrived. But Robinson's own Jewish background added a nice personal touch, and anyone interested in a history of the Sabbath will get a lot out of this book.

*Disclaimer: I received this book from Moody Publishers. All views are my own.

Devotional Review: The Bard and the Bible

Now here is a devotional I can enjoy! Bob Hostetler pairs short Shakespeare quotes with Scripture verses and fun facts. The one-page devotions themselves are interesting to read, even though some pairs seem a stretch. Also, the devotionals are organized by each work of Shakespeare, rather than by topic. Perhaps I would have found more depth in my daily devotions if they had been organized by topic to reinforce what I had read previously.

*Disclaimer: I received this book for free in exchange for my honest review.

Astronomer David Bradstreet does a wonderful job of laying out the universe in clear language. But although his aim is true and straight - to reconcile science with religion - his book "Star Struck" is more of a very basic history and explanation of the "wonders of creation" than a specified list of ways those wonders line up with the Bible. That's not a bad thing. It's all fascinating information. But very little of it will actually help me defend my faith.

A bit disorganized in its chapter order, "Star Struck" covers:

- Ancient cosmology,
- The "goldilocks" location of Earth and its place in the universe,
- An overview of the planets of our galaxy, with a chapter focusing on the Sun and the Moon, and another chapter on Mars (and Martians),
- A history of the Telescope revolution, Galileo and the Catholic church,
- The age of earth (Bradstreet believes in an old-earth),
- Asteroids, stars, and dark stuff,
- Aliens and life on other planets,
- The future of space travel,
- How galaxies are formed and how far they are from the Earth,
- The Big Bang Theory,
- And end of the world scenarios.

The few Faith applications include:

- Scientists like Galileo and a Catholic priest, who discovered the orbit of the earth around the Sun and the expansion of the Universe from a Big Bang,
- A brief consideration of Atheism and Deism,
- A few chapters on God as creator and sustainer,
- The encouragement to separate Biblical prophecy from Astronomy, with a mention of a few possible real-world scenarios that could fit end-time prophecies,
- A chapter on God's calling for Christians to consider both science and religion,
- The theory that the dust mentioned in Genesis (which man is mad from) could be star stuff,
- And binary star systems as another example of how God uses community and complementarity.

Overall, "Star Struck" will give Christian readers a greater appreciation for God as creator. The book is a quick and easy read, which features multiple photos and illustrations, including some color inserts.

*Disclaimer: I received this book for free in exchange for my honest review.

Fiction Review: A Lady Unrivaled

I've really enjoyed taking the journey with Roseanna M White's Ladies of the Manor series - and I don't really recommend reading "A Lady Unrivaled" without having read the first two books - you can, but it might take some time to get the backstory straight, and besides that, when familiar characters from previous books make small appearances or find new redemption, the read becomes all the more satisfying having read the entire series.

White's first book was an enjoyable romance with a slight thrill, but her second book in this series showed improvement with darker themes and more intriguing characters. Now in this final installment, we have near perfect plot development - albeit with a somewhat quick finale - and a very gratifying conclusion. I particularly enjoyed the character of Kira, a Russian ballerina sent to spy on Rushworth and Catherine for information on the Fire Eye red diamonds. White includes a servant's viewpoint in each book, a nice counterpoint to the richer society at the forefront of the stories. Kira begins as someone who wants to gain independence and material wealth and ends as one who appreciates the people around her and the God who sustains her.

Lord Cayton also goes through a spiritual journey as he forgives himself for past sins, embraces his young daughter and falls in love with the optimistic Ella. And Ella is bright and entertaining in her pursuit to stop the curse of the Fire Eye diamonds once and for all. Where those diamonds end up after violent encounters and kidnappings is also a wonderful way to end the series. Although, I confess, I am sorry to see these beautiful characters go.

*Disclaimer: I received this book for free in exchange for my honest review.

Fiction Review: The Christmas Angel Project

The weather is beginning to feel like fall, and it's the perfect time for a heart-warming Christmas novel. Given the length of short feel-good stories like "The Christmas Angel Project," and given my previous experience with Melody Carlson, I expected an interesting premise with little character development but was pleasantly surprised.

Of course, there's not much space to delve into each character, but Carlson's 2016 holiday novel progressed at just the right pace, with a dash of romance toward the end and enough time spent with each character to "wrap" you up in their tales. (Although it did take some time to get each of the characters straight, since the story is told from all four girls' perspectives.)

Here, we have a small book club that bonds together after one of their own suddenly passes away. But their friend left behind special gifts for each of them. Inspired, the ladies find ways to give back to their community and grow out of their own circumstances.

The redemption found is quite beautiful and would work well for a film. The conclusion involves a few Bible passages, but other than that the spiritual themes are not very strong and the women who find romance never stop to check to make sure their men are believers.

*Disclaimer: I received this book for free in exchange for my honest review.