Kingdom Family Devotional by Tony Evans & Jonathan Evans

The Kingdom Family Devotional by Tony Evans and Jonathan Evans was released on January 1, 2017. What a great way to start a fresh new year off on the right foot! This simple, but beautifully bound hardcover devotional will delight readers who would like to grow in their faith and/or draw closer to God. The devotional spans for an entire year with a page for each day. There is an introduction by Tony and Jonathan Evans, followed by a wide range of weekly study topics ranging from "Priorities" to "Greatness," and everything in between. Each day starts with a scripture passage to read and a corresponding devotional story and challenge to follow. This would be a great gift for a family hoping to spend more quality time together. I would highly recommend this book. 

Tyndale House Publishers has provided you with a complimentary copy of this book.

The Importance of Good Deeds in Board Book Format

Where Does Love Hide by Mary Manz Simon is a well-put together board book with lift-the-flaps. The illustrations are simple, but meaningful. The book's colors are bright and cheerful. Each page has a lift-the-flap showing a good deed that children can do, along with a corresponding Bible passage for children to learn. This book would make a wonderful gift for a child or a Sunday school, or Christian preschool teacher.

Thank you to Tyndale Blog Network for the review copy.

Whimsical Picture Book about the True Value of Friendship

Flash is a loveable, inventive donkey with a large imagination who likes to create things. Sometimes he goofs up along the way, but that's okay. He presses on with the help of some newfound friends, a goat, a pig, and a chicken. Flash and his friends turn ordinary moments into adventures. Kids will love the whimsical illustrations of these barnyard animals and their fearless leader, Flash the donkey. I would classify this as a Christian children's fiction picture book because of the message and bible verse at the end of the book. Also at the end is a bit of background information about Flash and the author, Rachel Anne Ridge. Flash is based upon a true story of a homeless donkey who was given a home and named Flash.

Tyndale House Publishers has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book.

Beautiful Christmas Devotional & Coloring Book All-in-One!

All is Bright is a wonderful month-long devotional perfect for both individual and family devotion time. For each day through the month of December, there is a devotional with biblical passages and a corresponding coloring page. The pages could easily be copies so that more than one person could color after sharing the devotional information together. At the back of the book is a family activity section and a bunch of reproducible coloring images with a Christmas theme. This is a beautiful book and it would make a wonderful gift. Thank you for the opportunity to review this book.

Tyndale House Publishers has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book.

All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

All the Bright Places is at its heart a story of an unlikely friendship and then love between a girl named Violet and a boy named Finch. However, it's not your average YA romance, and there are richly created scenes and moments. It has been compared to The Fault in Our Stars, but I found it to be so much more than just another story dealing with loss. I chose to read this book after a recommendation from a good friend who loves YA. The story takes place in my home state of Indiana, which is where the author grew up. I appreciated the amount of research the author completed about the different "bright places" of Indiana, as well as the way she wove in so many passages and quotations from famous literature and writers. This was a beautifully written, touching story, and I would recommend it wholeheartedly. The story touches on so many important issues which teens unfortunately may face on a daily basis: loss of a sibling, survivor's guilt, grief, abuse, mental illness, bullying, and suicide. Both Violet's and Finch's narration captivate the reader, and both have important stories to tell. After reading, you'll have a new appreciation for Post-it notes and teenagers. Read it, read it, please read it!

The Blue by Lucy Clarke

The Blue by Lucy Clarke will be published on August 4, 2015.

This book had a little bit of everything I look for in a quick read: suspense, mystery, romance, twists and turns in the plot, and adventure. Lana and Kitty, best friends since childhood decide that they have nothing holding them to their current lifestyles and set off for adventure and a carefree life. They find exactly the thing when they happen upon The Blue, a yacht with a crew of young, beautiful, and intriguing people. However, as the weeks at sea become months, Lana soon gets to know the crew and wonders if they made a mistake diving into this lifestyle with a bunch of strangers. Aaron, the skipper, has a carefree attitude about ship safety, but strict rules about relationships other crew members. The other crew members are Denny, Heinrich, Joseph, and Shell. It's interesting to see how Lana's various relationships develop with each of them, and even how things change with Kitty, who she thought she knew so well. If you are in for a fast paced adventure on the sea, this is the book for you. I really enjoyed the characters and the story line.

Ashfall by Mike Mullin

Ashfall is the first in a 3, and planning to be 4 book series by Mike Mullin. Mike Mullin is an Indianapolis based author, whom I met at an ALA conference last year. He is well spoken, super smart, and the most down to earth guy. After reading his first book, I have even more respect for him and his awesome talent. The book was published in October, 2012. However, I finally got around to reading it after hearing my students rave about how amazing it is. The book is written for the YA crowd, but there are certainly many adult themed scenes. I enjoyed the book very much, for the suspense, and the non-stop action which kept the story propelled forward as if the reader was actually there with Alex and Darla making their way through the ashfall. The story supposes that the supervolcano under Yellowstone National Park erupts with no warning and ash covers the earth for thousands of miles around the eruption site, including Alex's hometown while he is home alone for the weekend. Alex is determined to get to where his parents are and reunite with his family. The readers can assume it will not be easy if only for the ash covered landscape and extreme weather fluctuations, but there are so many other obstacles Alex must face which make for a nail-biting read. This is one of my all time favorite YA books so far. I couldn't put it down. Well done, Mike. I look forward to reading Ashen Winter, Sunrise, and the upcoming 4th installment.