Pages on the Shelf

7 Money Rules for Life by Mary Hunt

2012-01-24T07:33:00.000-08:00

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It outlines 7 financial principles that, when applied as a whole, will help anyone discover a life of financial freedom. I read this book with my computer (financial software) beside me, ready to make changes to the budget as needed. It was SO good.

Hunt comes at some topics with a Christian perpective which, for other Christians is helpful, but which, for non-Christians could easily be ignored and the book could still be found helpful. What I'm saying is that while this book does have Christian values, it is not an overtly Christian book. It would be a valuable read for anyone.

I typically enjoy books of this nature (and this is no exception) but even someone who has no interest in financial topics - but who perhaps needs a few financial hints - would find this book an easy ready. It explains the "rules" plainly and thoroughly so that anyone could easily see how they could apply them to their life.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who handles money in any way, whether they are up to their eyeballs in debt, or living paycheque to paycheque, or sailing through life without a second thought financially. It is that good.

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group".

(I was under no obligation to provide a positive review)

Real Marriage: The Truth about Sex, Friendship and Life Together by Mark and Grace Driscoll

2012-01-18T10:53:00.000-08:00

You'll either love it or hate it. That's how I feel about this bookafter spending an evening with it. Where do I come out? Well,you'll have to keep reading to find out.
I was warned about this book and it didn't take me long to find outwhy. By page 29, I was banging my head on a metaphorical wall, trying tofigure out how I was going to make it through the rest of the book with an openmind.

Driscoll is fairly opinionated about specific gender roles and makes theseopinions very clear. In his chapter written to men, Driscoll tells mennot to be "dumb" and to act like men. Ok, fair enough. Men should be men. I agree. But he also says that it is the man'sjob to provide enough income so that the woman does not have to work, butrather has everything she needs to stay at home with the children. Iquote, "A wife who finds a way to make money from home or withoutneglecting her first God-given responsibilities of Christian, wife, and motheris acceptable. But men, you should make money. You should feed yourfamily." He also tells men that if they want other men, their wives,and their children to respect them, they need to pay the bills. Simple asthat. Well, life isn't always as simple as that. This chapter isfull of this and other "wake-up calls" to men that yes, are worthconsidering, but perhaps would do more harm than good to read.

Throughout the book, Driscoll includes Scripture references. Wonderful! I love when authors, pastors, TEACHERS back what they'resaying with the Bible. I took the time to look up many of the referenceson my trusty iPhone Bible app and was blown away by the interpretation of someof the passages. Some of the verses were taken completely out of contextand seemed to be stretched and twisted to somehow fit what Driscoll was tryingto say. I urge you to do your own research into the passages used andstudy the context surrounding them to understand what they are reallysaying. Find a good commentary...

I noticed a few instances where something Driscoll writes contradicts withsomething earlier in the book. For instance, Driscoll says that amarriage is about being mutually loving and then later in the book he says thata wife should submit to her husband because the husband is the head of thehousehold (not SHOULD be the head, IS the head). This gets quiteconcerning in sexual matters, as it isn't quite clear what this would mean whenthe husband and wife have different opinions on such topics.

I was cringing when I reached the "Sex" portion of the book, notreally knowing what I would find inside. I was pleasantly surprised, forthe most part. Driscoll's ideas about sex seemed fair and worthconsideration. At times he seemed to go a bit far, such as when hesuggests that one should have sex with their spouse, despite not wantingto. At the end of the book, there is a section that goes through varioussexual acts and Driscoll lays out his thoughts (and "biblical"groundwork) on each. I won't go into detail, but please, PLEASE read thesewith a grain of salt and talk to someone you trust such as a pastor orspiritual director if you are unclear or uncertain about anything that you seehere.

Overall, I wouldn't say that this book was a COMPLETE waste of my evening,but I wouldn't say that it was the best use of my time either. I foundmyself frustrated, annoyed, and disappointed that this book is getting all thepress that it is. With all of its contradictions, poor biblicalinterpretation, and unfair gender stereotypes, I find that even the good andhelpful parts of this book get lost in the harmful and distinctly wrong ideas, leaving it doing more harm than good. There are better options out there in terms of books on marriage (ask yourpastor for suggesions), but if you want to read this book and see the "carcrash" for yourself, by all means...

"Advanced Reader's Copy of the book has been provided courtesy of Thomas Nelson and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.
Available at your favourite bookseller from Thomas Nelson".

Love You More by Jennifer Grant

2012-01-12T20:04:00.000-08:00

Love You More by Jennifer Grant is a beautifully written book that tells the story of the author's personal walk through adoption. Every adoption story is worth hearing and this one is no exception. Grant starts at the point where she heard/felt God telling her that their family would be growing and walks through the process, highs AND lows, and continues through to having her daughter home in her arms.

As someone who has considered adoption myself, I thoroughly enjoyed this "sneak peek" into someone else's adoption story but I would also recommend this book to those who have never considered adoption for themeselves. While this book is not written as an "instruction manual" for adoption, it does have a few tips for navigating the process, but it is also just a beautiful, interesting story of a growing family.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys hearing other's stories. It is well written, a good read.

I received this book from Thomas Nelson's Booksneeze program but am under no obligation to provide a positive review.

Smack-Dab in the Middle of God's Love by Brennan Manning and John Blase

2011-10-04T13:20:00.000-07:00

This book is all about letting kids know how very much they are loved by God. Smack-Dab in the Middle of God's Love is a story about a middle aged couple who has children into their home and who tells the kids about how much God loves them though stories, their actions, and telling them about Jesus. It is a fun little story that kids are sure to love.

Throughout the book, the phrase "smack-dab" is repeated in different ways, which I found a little awkward and annoying, but I imagine it is fun for kids. It does drive home the point that you are right in the middle of God's love...he couldn't possibly love you more than he already does!

I received this book from Thomas Nelson's Booksneeze book review program and am under no obligation to give a positive review.

Money Secrets of the Amish by Lorilee Craker

2011-06-03T15:49:00.000-07:00

First off, let me just cheer a little because this is the first book I've read, cover to cover, in over a year! And in two days, no less! This past year of being pregnant and then with a new baby, I've started many books and made it about halfway through before the books just seemed impractical and I would lose interest. (What new mom has time/energy for anything less than practical?!) Despite promising myself that I would not review any more books with more than 20 pages (aka nothing but kids books), when Thomas Nelson's Booksneeze program was offering this one, I went back on my promise and requested it right away. I was not disappointed.

To write this book, Lorilee Craker dives into Amish culture to see what she can learn about how the Amish deal with money. She'd noticed that, when the rest of America was in a financial tailspin, the Amish were managing to thrive and her aim was to find out how. Craker uncovers "secrets" of the Amish that can be pracitcal even in our "fancy" lives and that can help us put some money in the bank and live with less stress while doing it.

I found many of the secrets to be things I do already, but having grown up in a down-to-earth Mennonite home may have something to do with that. I imagine not everyone would be doing these things already. And despite some of these tricks not being new to me, I still found the book inspiring and a helpful reminder to be intentional about where my money goes.

A downside to the book is that Craker is a journalist by trade and, as a result, I found there to be many "catch lines" and "hooks" that are so common in journalistic writing. It does come across a bit cheesy at times. It also seemed that there were a few repetitions of information in the book, almost as though Craker didn't have quite enough material to write a whole book rather than just an article on this topic. That said, it didn't detract too much from the overall content of the book, which I found to be interesting and fun to read.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone hoping for a few tricks to help them save money, or even to anyone who just plain enjoys reading a bit about the Amish culture.

Adventures in BoogaBooga Land - Volume 2 DVD

2011-05-10T17:18:00.000-07:00

Adventures in BoogaBooga Land is a children's DVD series with short "episodes" based on different parables. Marty the Monkey and Gerard the Giraffe are humorous kids characters that help tell the stories.

While the idea is good (having cartoon animals sharing Jesus' Good News with children), I found that the quality is perhaps lacking - it's no Veggie Tales - and the story messages are perhaps a bit hidden. I'm not sure that children would grasp the meaning behind the stories and may just view this as entertainment. That is not necessarily a bad thing, but if you are looking for something that will be obviously biblical for your children, this is probably not it.

On a theological level, I wasn't sure about what I was watching. The majority of it was fine, but the part of the story where they catapult a guest without an invitation ("sinner") to the Island of Losta Soula and have the God-character simply say "Splendid!" caught my attention. Is God truly happy when he sees one of his children suffer? I had a few questions rise to the surface as I watched this scene...

My son is only 7 months old, but I'm not sure this dvd will still be around when he is old enough to watch. It wasn't terrible, but in my opinion, there are better options out there for children's spiritual entertainment.

I received this dvd free from the Thomas Nelson and am under no obligation to provide a positive review.

In Constant Prayer by Robert Benson

2011-01-18T10:10:00.000-08:00

I have always been intrigued by the ancient spiritual practices. The sense of depth and history within them draws me. To pray without ceasing or "Never stop praying" (1 Thes 5:17) has always both interested me and intimidated me. I knew a little about the daily office but wanted to learn more so I picked up this book.

I expected a technical or theological book (or both!) that was quite dry, that took some time to absorb but, hopefully, with very good content. The read was easier than I'd anticipated. Robert Benson writes as though he is speaking to a small group of people or, better yet, as though you are just sitting down with him, one-on-one, having coffee. He is very down to earth. I appreciated that the material presented in this book was easily accessible and actually fun to read.

Benson acknowledges that praying the daily office can be intimidating at first and suggests that you start one step at a time. He outlines a few ways to do this and has a few recommended resources to get you started. I found this helpful as, without these suggestions, I would probably have steered myself to the type of book that would have left me overwhelmed and discouraged with the practice.

Another point that Benson makes, one that truly stood out to me and that I have been trying to apply to my life in more areas than just prayer, is that we don't do it for ourselves. We don't pray because of what we hope to get out of it just like we don't go to church for what we hope to receive. Benson is quick to point our attention to the real reason why we are called by God to "never stop praying"...and it has nothing to do with us.

I found this book clearly written, entertaining to read, and an encouragement to my practice of prayer. I would highly recommend this book to anyone, as all God's people are called to prayer.

I received this book from Thomas Nelson's Booksneeze blogger book review program and was under no obligation to provide a positive review.

Good Morning, Lord by Sheila Walsh

2010-12-02T17:28:00.000-08:00

Good Morning, Lord by Sheila Walsh is a daily devotional book. I began working through the book hesitantly because I often find devotional books quite basic and shallow with little to chew on and challenge me. Initially when I wrote this review, I had been through a few weeks of devotionals and was pleasantly surprised. I found this book to be simple enough for a new believer, yet challenging for someone who has been a believer for a while as well. If you've been a Christian for a while and are looking for a book that will open your eyes to new truths daily, this is not the book for you. But, if you give this book just a few minutes a day and take the time to apply it to your life, it can be a great encouragement for your daily walk with Christ.

That said, since I posted this review initially, I did run into a few devotionals which O felt oversimplified common questions that Christians have about suffering and pain. These are questions which I have been wrestling through personally lately and I felt that the book saying "everything happens for a reason" and "everything is part of God's ultimate plan" was a slap in the face. I found that my questions went deeper than the book was willing to dig and it was enough to make me put this book on the shelf.

Initially I gave this book 4 stars out of 5, but after running into a few disappointing devotionals, I would now give it 1 or 2 stars. Would I recommend this book? Well...there are probably other devotional books I would recommend first.

I received this book, free, from the Thomas Nelson "Booksneeze" blogger book review program and am under no obligation to give a positive review.

One Hand, Two Hands by Max Lucado

2010-09-07T18:00:00.000-07:00

I hadn't read any of Max Lucado's children's books before, but the upcoming birth of my first child has me scouting out books to share with my little one. I was not disappointed with this one!

The book begins with fun descriptions of things that our hands can do. As I was reading, it occured to me that it could be very easy to involve the child by doing physical actions with our hands to go along with the book. While the book wouldn't necessarily need anything additional to keep kids' attention, doing actions might help even the most squirmy preschooler interested. Even toddlers could enjoy this book as it is simply written without too many words and such deep content. It is a simple, but very important message.

Toward the end of the book, the story shifts its focus to things that we can do with our hands to help others. This is the main theme of the book: the ways we can help with our hands". It encourages children to have helping hands and to think of ways that their hands can help people.

My husband and I will definitely be reading this beautiful book (both words and images are wonderful) with our son or daughter. I would recommend this book to any parents/grandparents who are looking for a book to teach about being helpful and kind. It would also be a great book for a church nursery or preschool.

I received this book, free, from the Thomas Nelson "Booksneeze" blogger book review program and am under no obligation to give a positive review.

same kind of different as me. by Ron Hall and Denver Moore

2010-08-13T10:42:00.000-07:00

“same kind of different as me.” by Ron Hall & Denver Moore gets all five stars from me. I finally read a book that was a great story (true, by the way) and well-written too. This is the story of two men who grew up in vastly different worlds and had their worlds collide, resulting in a strong, family-like bond. Though this is a book written by Christians, and includes strong themes of ministry and how one person can make a huge difference when they choose to obey God, I wouldn’t consider it a “Christian” book. It was beautifully written in an honest, personal way that simply shares life stories and is refreshingly not cliché. I recommend that each of you go out and get your hands on this book. I can certainly see how it earned the title of “New York Times Bestseller.” Well done.

I received this book from the Thomas Nelson Booksneeze book review program and am under no obligation to give a positive review.

"Mind Your Own Mortgage" by Robert J. Bernabe

2010-06-08T19:07:00.000-07:00

I have always been fascinated by all things finance. Well, ok, that might be a bit of an exaggeration. But when we're talking personal finance, I'm in! I saw that this book was up for review and I jumped at it. I absolutely soaked in the first few chapters. It describes how mortgages work, what sorts of things to watch out for when purchasing a mortgage, and what you should be focusing on when shopping for a mortgage. When my husband and I purchased our mortgage a few years ago, we really didn't know what we were looking for beyond cash to buy a house. This book explains the ins and outs of mortgages and helps both the beginner and someone who has had a mortgage for years understand what is happening in the industry.

After the first few chapters, the book shifted into more specific advice about shopping for a mortgage and about managing your mortgage. I found this section a bit repetitive and felt that I'd already grasped the principles being applied here when they were outlined in the first section. Overall, it is a fairly straight forward book and I will certainly use parts of this book for reference the next time my husband and I are shopping for a mortgage.

Being from Canada, there were times when I wasn't sure how relevant the book was for me. I wasn't familiar with many of the "antics" surrounding mortgages and wasn't sure if Canadians have the same options as Americans do. If I was looking at purchasing a book to guide me through my next mortgage, I would probably steer more toward a book written specifically for Canadians. But that said, this book does have a lot of general information that would be helpful to anyone, no matter where they live.

At times, I felt that the author leaned a bit too far toward the conservative side. There were a few comments in the book about using discretionary income to pay down your mortgage instead of buying a new tv (or whatever else). While this is a good thought, it is unrealistic to think that every home owner will completely pay off their mortgage before buying things like new furniture or a big screen tv. If taken with a grain of salt, the underlying principles are good ones, and would be valuable if applied in any credit situation, not just with mortgage debt.

Overall, I would recommend this book especially to Americans who are thinking about buying a house or who already own a home but feel that they would like to be mortgage free sooner. It is well-written and the author is obviously knowledgeable about this topic.

I received this book from Thomas Nelson's Booksneeze blogger book review program and was under no obligation to provide a positive review.

"Sixteen Brides" by Stephanie Grace Whitson

2010-05-27T15:02:00.000-07:00

I have had this thing lately about wanting to read books that I would have loved to read back in junior high. Old books about prairie brides. So when I keep receiving offers to review these types of books, I jump at the chance and end up bored out of my mind.

Sixteen Brides is an interesting idea for a book. It is set in the late 1800's. Sixteen war widows are conned into becoming mail-order brides when promised free land and a new start out west. It is the tale of these women who sacrifice everything they have in life (which, admittedly, is very little for most) for a chance at a new beginning.

I felt like this book would have served to entertain me well at 11 or 12 years of age, but after reading books with much more challenging themes since my preteen years, I felt that it was alot of fluff, not to mention quite predictable. Now, if heritage prairie, Christian novels are what you enjoy, I would absolutely recommend this book to you. It is exactly the sort of book you would expect to find in your church library. But if you enjoy picking up on underlying themes and reading between the lines, searching carefully for what the author may (or may not) be saying, then this book is not for you. This book is written at the level on which it is meant to be understood, which makes for a great Sunday afternoon read for some, but it is definitely not for everyone.

This book was received from Bethany House Publishers and I was under no obligation to provide a positive review.

Captivating by John & Stasi Eldredge

2010-05-12T11:39:00.000-07:00

The book Captivating, by John & Stasi Eldredge, is a good, read that encourages you to look at your own past and deal with what you find there. It is an easy read academically, while at the same time challenging your heart and spirit. John and Stasi Eldredge have written this book to shed light, using Scripture, on the way that the Enemy has attacked women's femininity and to pour truth on the lies that we, as women, have been led to believe. Every woman is captivating, and this book helps the reader find confidence in her own, unique, captivating beauty.

I would recommend this book to every woman, but especially those who have been hurt or abused, and who have a hard time finding themselves worthy or beautiful.

I received this book from Thomas Nelson's Booksneeze book review program. I am under no obligation to provide a positive review.

"Not A Sparrow Falls" by Linda Nichols

2010-03-27T16:11:00.000-07:00

"Not A Sparrow Falls" is a story about a woman in her mid-twenties who has found herself in a life that she would never have chosen. In a desperate attempt to be free, she flees and finds herself making a new life for herself in a new place, as a new person. Just when things are seemingly perfect and she has almost forgotten about what she left behind, the past catches up and she is forced to face it. This is a story about faith and hardship...about being washed clean and experiencing true freedom in Christ.

I found the beginning of the book to be a bit cheesy and expected this to be a typical "Christian novel", filled with all the cliche Bible verses and "perfect" Christian characters. While it does have some of that, I found myself enjoying the story and feeling along with a little bit of what the characters were experiencing.

If you are looking for a book to cozy up with on a Saturday afternoon, this is a good option. It's an easy read, and well written.

I received this book from the Bethany House Publishers book review program and am under no obligation to write a positive review.

Rick & Bubba's Big Honkin' Book of Grub by Rick Burgess & Bill "Bubba" Bussey

2010-03-26T13:11:00.000-07:00

Alright, I must admit that when I requested this book from the Booksneeze book review program, I had never heard of Rick & Bubba and I was fully expecting a cookbook. And with pictures of onion rings, pizza, burgers and fried chicken on the cover, it had to be good food!

When I got the book I was disappointed that it is not a cookbook at all! Sure, it has some recipes in it, and a few of them look really good, but if you are expecting a book full of down-home good cooking, this is not the book for you. If you've never heard of Rick & Bubba before, they are a pair of comedians (I think?) who have a radio show and have written a few comedic books. This is a book talking about how Rick & Bubba look at and experience food ("Hey, you gotta live") and it is good, clean humour...even including some biblical references! This is more like the type of book I would give as a gag gift or have sitting in my bathroom than one I would have on a bookshelf. But that said, it was entertaining to read, and I can only imagine what Rick & Bubba would be like live!

I received this book free from the Thomas Nelson Publishers "Booksneeze" book review program. I was under no obligation to provide a positive review.

The Flowering Cross by Beth Ryan

2010-03-11T14:43:00.000-08:00

The Flowering Cross by Beth Ryan is a well-written book, that gets across the true meaning of Easter while teaching some other solid Christian principles along the way. Loving your neighbour, obeying your parents, and finding joy in Jesus are among those "bonus" values.

The book is about a little girl who shows the love of Christ to her neighbour. The flowering cross is an image that is used for the new life that comes from what Christ did on the cross.

Additional "Faith Imprint" notes are included for the adult reading the book. These are helpful suggestions for further explanation, included to help you share the story of Easter with a child. Many pages also include a Bible verse that goes along with what's happening in the story.

I would definitely use this as a resource in teaching my children about the real meaning of Easter (aside from all the candy and the Easter bunny), and I believe children would also just enjoy it as a story, aside from intentional further teaching. It is a cute story, packed with deeper meaning and Christian principles.

I received this book free from the Thomas Nelson Publishers "Booksneeze" book review program. I was under no obligation to provide a positive review.

The Selfless Gene by Charles Foster

2010-02-21T16:02:00.000-08:00

The Selfless Gene by Charles Foster was not my favorite book of the ones that I've read this year. It does have an intriguing balance between creationism, God, and evolution. If you are someone who enjoys science and the study of how the world began, I do recommend that you read this book, as it is well-written and seems to be sound in content. That said, I found myself struggling to pick it up...it did not grab my attention or keep me coming back for more. It was a little dry...a little like a textbook. So, if you are looking for something to use as a resource for a personal study on the beginning of the world, this could be a book well worth picking up. But if you are not someone who enjoys science and theories, you'll probably want to skip this one.

I received this book free from the Thomas Nelson Publishers "Booksneeze" book review program. I was under no obligation to provide a positive review.

The Gospel According to Lost by Chris Seay

2010-01-13T11:30:00.000-08:00

“The Gospel According to Lost” surprised me in the depth and theological solidity with which it was written. I was preparing myself for the Gospel being stretched to somehow fit Lost. I was pleasantly surprised. The author writes through each character in detail, and it was both enlightening and inspiring to read. Now, I’m not sure that someone who hasn’t watched a good deal of Lost would really grasp everything that the author is saying, but for any avid Lost fan, this book will open your eyes to yet another layer of the already intriguing story. Definitely a must read!

I received this book free from the Thomas Nelson Publishers "Booksneeze" book review program. I was under no obligation to provide a positive review.

Book Reviews

2009-12-26T12:04:00.000-08:00

Welcome to this new blog...this will be where I review books that I am reading so that you can follow along and make decisions about what you will or won't read. Feel free to become an official "follower" (right sidebar) so that you can be notified whenever there is a new review up. Hope you enjoy!