Friday, March 25, 2016

Hairstyled by Anne Thoumieux

 Hairstyled by Anne Thoumieux is a beautiful book with page after page of inspired selections for hair of any length. There are pictures and easy to follow instructions for each look. If you are easily bored with your style or just want to update your look without a drastic change then this book is the tool you need. These are simple things that won't cost a lot (sometimes nothing at all) that you can do yourself for a night out or even for work. This would be a great book to bring out at a sleepover or girls night out. A fun way for friends to try new styles on each other. Very classy styles and even some retro ones. Lots of fun in this lovely book.



Book provided for review by Blogging for Books

Wednesday, March 23, 2016

I Want it All by Gwen Smith

 I Want it All by Gwen Smith is like sitting down for a long chat with one of your best girlfriends. Written in a style that is easy to understand, Gwen shares from her heart and will motivate the reader to reach for more of God. Broken into three parts:
All the Faith
All the Power
All the Impact

I Want it All guides the reader into a closer relationship with Christ. With funny anecdotes from her own experiences, she teaches with grace and authority. Perfect for women in any stage of their Christian life.

Each chapter has questions at the end for the reader to reflect on and there is a study guide in the back of the book. This author doesn't shy away from the tough subjects and even tackles some that most people are afraid to talk about. 

Strikingly honest, you will walk away from this with more insight into your own heart as you take a deeper look at life.


Monday, March 21, 2016

That's Not Hay in My Hair by Juliette Turner

 I haven't read juvenile fiction since I was a juvenile, but this looked like fun so I thought I'd give it a whirl. Aside from the fact that it's written for children (with a heroine who's 5th-6th grade during the course of the book) I found it very sweet. There were some references that I'm not sure a girl of this age would "get" but otherwise it's a nice book. Clean fiction that is appropriate for children is always a good thing. This has some minor girl-conflict but nothing that isn't true to life. The story starts in NYC and moves to Texas when Jules and her mom make the cross-country move. It's pretty fast paced and at one point I didn't realize months had gone by until Jules was heading back to school. There are minor inconsistencies but none that a young reader would notice.
I was amazed when I finished the book and read the back cover copy about the author. Seventeen years old! What a great accomplishment. She should be proud of herself. 


This book provided for review by Book Look and ZonderKids

A Powerful Secret by Dr. Kevin Leman & Jeff Nesbit

 A Powerful Secret by Dr. Kevin Leman & Jeff Nesbit is the second installment in The Worthington Destiny series. I got about eighty pages into this book and put it down. It didn't capture my attention and I think it's because it's more geared to men. The storyline was hard for me to follow and I wasn't engaged with the characters. I put this book down and picked up another to read instead and that's never a good sign for me.
Not to say that this won't be a good read for other readers, it just wasn't what I prefer to spend my time reading.
Provided for review by Revell

Monday, March 14, 2016

Sweeter off the Vine by Yossy Arefi

 Sweeter off the Vine by Yossy Arefi is a wonderland of fruit inspired recipes. Separated into sections according to season, you will find delightful sweets for any occasion. Ice cream, sorbet, tarts, pies, cakes, and some I can't even pronounce. This book has a picture for every recipe (which as a cook I love because I get an idea of what the finished product is supposed to look like). This could even classify as an end-table book because the pictures of the foods are all so lovely. It's a delight for the senses. There's also an index in the back so you can look up desserts by fruit. 
 Strawberry short cake
 Fresh mint ice cream with cocoa nibs

 Citrus fruits are included in the winter section

This book provided for review by Blogging for Books

A Fool and His Monet by Sandra Orchard

 A Fool and His Monet by Sandra Orchard is my favorite book this author has written. I loved everything about it. The FBI spy girl, the fact it's in first person, the wit, the movie star references (Cary Grant and Pierce Brosnan!), and the crazy aunt. Twists and turns and plots I never saw coming. This is why I love reading. This is the perfect book for me and I'm thrilled that it's the first in a series. Can't wait to read the rest. 


Provided for review by Revell

Thursday, March 10, 2016

The Hearts we Mend by Kathryn Springer

 I was underwhelmed by this book. It was nice. That's about it. It didn't grab my attention. I quit reading with only fifty pages left because I didn't care about the characters. There wasn't much conflict. It was too nice.
It was clean and had clear Christian values and undertones but it didn't move me.

This book was provided for review by Book Look