Live Loved

Life is so good!!! I had the wonderful opportunity to review two new Max Lucado books in the same month!!. I am a HUGE Max fan so this was like Christmas to me.

Live Loved is his latest devotional and different in many ways. This devotional is not dated so you can start and stop anytime. This book also have collections from his latest books so it is completely different from his other three devotionals. The layout is a short story, then a prayer and two to three scriptures to end the devotional. Here is a sampling of the chapter titles: Loved with a Steadfast Love, Loved with a Perfect Love, Loved with a Wise Love, Loved with a Merciful Love, and Loved to Love Others.

I have all three of his other devotionals and read them every day so now I have four inspirational daily reminders of God's love written through the pen of Max. If you are a Max lover like me you will NEED this for your collection-it is a winner!!

Thank you Thomas Nelson for this free copy just for my honest opinion of this book.

Bound by Guilt

I tried to win this book from Tyndale when they were having their giveaways and was not able to. The storyline intrigued me so much I picked this up from the library.
This book by CJ Darlington is one of my top 5 books-it was fabulous.
The book centers around the plot of rare books and what people will do for the rarest of books. I never realized that first editions of books claimed huge monetary rewards which makes them a thief's greatest prize.
This story deals with complicated characters that you won't soon forget, but it also deals with guilt, rejection and loss in a storyline that offers hope and healing through forgiveness. Your heart will be broken by Roxi whose life is in shambles when someone comes in and offers love with no strings attached. Just like God does with us with forgiveness.
This was hard to put down because I wanted to see just how Roxi would end up and the ending did not disappoint me.
I now have her first book Thicker than Blood on hold at the library. That book deals with a few characters in this book but you can read them on their own.

Max on Life

I am thrilled to review Max Lucado's newest book-Max on Life. I am a huge Max fan-I own everything he has ever written and he is my all time favorite non fiction writer. This book is a new concept for him and he has written a winner. The subtitle is-Answers and Insights to Your Most Important Questions. The chapters are: Hope, Hurt, Help, Him/Her, Home, Haves/Haves-Nots, Hereafter with questions to Max about life and his answers. Loved the format where I could pick the book up and read a few pages, put it down and then go back to it. There are questions about doubt, pain, big questions about life and faith, heaven and hell. What I love most about Max is his way to make things "make sense". He is always practical, bible- based and just interesting to read. There are 172 questions in this book and it is one enjoyable read. Here is a sample: I was born to worry. What advice do you have for us fretters?
Max answers each question and keeps you looking toward to One who is the ultimate Answer to all our hows and whys and wheres and whens.
This book is a must read for non Christians, Christians and anyone who needs biblical answers to problems.
Thank you to Thomas Nelson for this free copy just for my honest opinion.

Judgment Day

Just finished Judgment Day by Wanda Dyson-it was not just good-it was really, really, really good!!. This is the first book I have ever read 200 pages before I just had to stop. When they call this a page turner, they were totally correct.
Christian suspense is my favorite genre to read and this author was masterful in weaving an interesting tale of corruption, greed, murder and even harvesting organs for sale. Suzanne Kidwell has a weekly cable show called Judgment Day and she exposes people for the lies they tell, often with shoddy investigation tactics. Her car has been rigged to explode but her boyfriend is killed not her. Then she is arrested for murder and hires her ex-fiance Marcus and his partner Alex. They take the case and realize there is more here than just a murder charge and that is where the suspense starts. The investigation into what is going on and how both Alex and Marcus deal with each other and the case kept me reading trying to figure out just how this was going to end. The plot was very fast paced and the ending was both good and bad. You will have to read for yourself to figure out what I mean by that statement. The whole idea of harvesting organs for money was unbelievable to me but I am sure this goes on. The author does a good job of exposing this to her readers. This book is a keeper, I just wish I had not read it so fast!!.
Thanks to Waterbrook/Multnomah for sending this free just for my honest opinion

Promises to Keep

I received Promises to Keep by Ann Tatlock free for my honest review from Bethany House Publishers. I have not read anything by this author and was very impressed by this book. This was one "sweet story".
I liked that the story was told in the first person of Roz who at age 11 is struggling with so many family issues. The story takes place back in the late 60's when the Vietnam war, free love, drugs and craziness was happening. Roz's mother flees from Minnesota and an abusive husband along with her three kids to her hometown. Her dad helps her buy a house but the owner Tillie keeps coming back wanting to live there. She wants to die in that house since she and her husband built it. Tillie is finally allowed to live there with the Monroes' to help the family with cooking and babysitting. Tillie's character was crafted masterfully along with Roz and Mara's character. Mara is a Negro and she and Roz become friends and share a secret with a "cross my heart and hope to die " pledge. This story took me back to a place of innocence, childhood friendships that I experienced in that era . Also a husband and father wants to reunite his family and will stop at nothing to accomplish that. The storyline takes so many turns and that kept me reading and trying to figure out where the author was going and how the story would end.
I absolutely loved everything about this book and highly recommend it. I am off to the library to pick up more books by this author.

God's Promises for the American Patriot

Absolutely love the Booksneeze program from Thomas Nelson. I received this book by Dr Richard G. Lee and Jack Countryman to read and review. This is my second book by them. I reviewed In God We Trust devotional earlier and loved it so I requested this book and was not disappointed. It is a small gift book with a beautiful flag cover with only 195 pages.
I have a daughter in the military and have become more interested in history and how our country has evolved.
This book enhanced how our country was founded by biblical principles and why it is so important that God directs our steps. Each page has an interesting tidbit of history or a historical person who has shaped America on the promises of God. On the other page are three scriptures that coincide with what was on the opposite page.
Loved the page where Ronald Reagan said on his famous "Shining City Upon a Hill" speech. We were indeed-and we are today-the last best hope of man on earth. Another interesting page is the Bible and the American Presidents and their quotes about the bible. This is something I never knew about President Lincoln. During the ravages of the Civil War, President Lincoln declared a National Fast Day on March 30, 1863 and explains why.
The authors have put together a wonderful book of stories of past and present heroes who have shaped America on their beliefs of God and the bible.
Excellent book for anyone who loves this country and what it stands for and how God's word is so important. This book will help you appreciate our history and God's promises.
Thank you to Thomas Nelson for sending me this book for my honest opinion of it.

The Final Summit

The Final Summit by Andy Andrews was excellent!!!. I knew it would be since I have read all his other books. He is a writer than inspires me to dig deeper into history with the characters he researches in these books.

Each of his books are a little different and this was no exception. The concept of putting history's biggest and best minds to uncover a solution to the question of finding the principle that will save humanity but time is running out. David Ponder , from the authors previous book, has aged and lost his wife along with his will to live is visited by Gabriel enlisting his help to uncover the answer. David along with hundreds of his fellow travelers put there heads together and come up with an answer but is it the right one?

Loved the stories of Joshua Chamberlain, King David and the story of Eric Erickson who was instrumental in curtailing World War II by what he did. I have never heard this story and it was fascinating. I can't wait till Andy writes another book-these are books I will reread again and again because of the story lines

Thank you Thomas Nelson for sending this copy to me free for my honest opinion of this book.