I really liked Miriam, the second book of the Treasures of the Nile series. Mesu Andrews does a wonderful job of making Biblical characters come alive. I have read about Miriam in Exodus many times, but she was always a two-dimensional person. Andrews adds the third dimension for me.
Mesu Andrews uses the Bible itself as her primary source, but also studies historical sources for details about food, dress, customs of Egypt, etc. Then when she adds in her imaginings of how people would have felt, loved, lived, and mourned, it makes for a fascinating read. In her note to the reader at the beginning of the book, Andrews says that she wants her reader to compare her fiction to the truth of God's Word, and she gave me just such a desire. That to me is good Christian fiction!
Miriam is such a passionate, gifted woman. We first meet her in the pages of Scripture as Moses' older sister, sent to watch her baby brother when his parents launch him into the Nile in a basket, in order to save his life. When she grew up she was a midwife, skilled with herbs and plants and knowledge of their healing properties. She was also a prophetess of El Shaddai and a leader among the Israelites, especially the women. Miriam was also a worship leader and song leader. What an amazing woman and a godly example for all believers.
I'm sure you will enjoy this book as I did, as well as the first book in the series, The Pharaoh's Daughter. I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review.
Tuesday, February 9, 2016
Saturday, January 9, 2016
The Mexican Slow Cooker by Deborah Schneider
I was really excited to receive The Mexican Slow Cooker. I have a slow cooker (or crockpot) that I use sometimes, but every time I do I think, "That was so easy and delicious, why don't I use it more often?!" But then, I put it away and don't use it again for a good while. My husband and I love Mexican food, so I figured this would be the perfect way to make food that we enjoy and to utilize my slow cooker more.
However, when I read through the cookbook, I thought it was great. The author, Deborah Schneider, takes the time to explain Mexican cooking terms and ingredients, which is helpful to me. In case the reader has never used a slow cooker, she explains how to use the appliance. Deborah includes some very pertinent information, like a chart showing the different kinds of chiles used in Mexican cooking, which dishes they are typically used in and how hot they are. There is also an index in the back of the book of other common Mexican ingredients.
The Mexican Slow Cooker features recipes for soups, main dishes, street foods (like tacos and enchildadas), side dishes, and desserts. Very thorough. However, when I actually began to read the individual recipes, I was no longer quite so enthused about the book. Many of the recipes, I dare say most of the ones I was personally interested in trying, call for first making either chicken or beef broth (caldo de pollo or caldo de res). That means first using the slow cooker to cook the meat for the broth for 8 hours, then cooling it, straining it, and chilling it before you can even begin another recipe in which you use the slow cooker for another 4-8 hours. Way too much time and effort! I use my slow cooker for EASY meals.
So, my overall assessment of The Mexican Slow Cooker is that I probably won't be making very many recipes from it. Not that they don't sound delicious, but because they are much more complicated that I am looking for. I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review.
However, when I read through the cookbook, I thought it was great. The author, Deborah Schneider, takes the time to explain Mexican cooking terms and ingredients, which is helpful to me. In case the reader has never used a slow cooker, she explains how to use the appliance. Deborah includes some very pertinent information, like a chart showing the different kinds of chiles used in Mexican cooking, which dishes they are typically used in and how hot they are. There is also an index in the back of the book of other common Mexican ingredients.
The Mexican Slow Cooker features recipes for soups, main dishes, street foods (like tacos and enchildadas), side dishes, and desserts. Very thorough. However, when I actually began to read the individual recipes, I was no longer quite so enthused about the book. Many of the recipes, I dare say most of the ones I was personally interested in trying, call for first making either chicken or beef broth (caldo de pollo or caldo de res). That means first using the slow cooker to cook the meat for the broth for 8 hours, then cooling it, straining it, and chilling it before you can even begin another recipe in which you use the slow cooker for another 4-8 hours. Way too much time and effort! I use my slow cooker for EASY meals.
So, my overall assessment of The Mexican Slow Cooker is that I probably won't be making very many recipes from it. Not that they don't sound delicious, but because they are much more complicated that I am looking for. I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review.
Friday, December 18, 2015
Whatever is Lovely: A Coloring Book for Reflection and Worship
Whatever is Lovely is the most lovely coloring book I have ever seen. I have wanted an adult coloring book since I first noticed the trend and starting spotting them in book and craft stores. I've looked at many of them, but had not yet purchased one for myself. So, when I had the opportunity to review this one from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review, I jumped at the chance.
Many of the coloring books I looked at were nice, but I did want a Christian themed book, so that narrowed the field quite a bit. Still even among the ones with a Christian theme, not all the pages contained Scripture or were Biblical. Whatever is Lovely fits the bill of every thing I wished for and so much more! It goes way beyond just coloring an illustrated Bible verse or a picture of a Bible store. It is really intended to be, as the subtitle reads, for reflection and worship. I love that!
The introduction, titled Color Your Way to Peace, instructs the (reader? user? colorer?)...worshiper that this book was designed to be a way of "quieting our minds, spending time meditating on the words of the Lord, and entering into a time of quiet reflection and worship.". How cool is that? Way, way better than what my first intention was when I first saw adult coloring books: something to do to relax or to keep my hands busy while watching TV.
Each page of this gorgeous coloring book contains beautiful hand-drawn and lettered pictures to color with Scripture verses, quotes from Christian authors. teachers and pastors, or hymn writers. There is even a link included for a Whatever is Lovely Spotify playlist to further enhance your worship.I really can't say enough of how great I think this coloring book is. Check it out, I'm sure you too will love it.
Many of the coloring books I looked at were nice, but I did want a Christian themed book, so that narrowed the field quite a bit. Still even among the ones with a Christian theme, not all the pages contained Scripture or were Biblical. Whatever is Lovely fits the bill of every thing I wished for and so much more! It goes way beyond just coloring an illustrated Bible verse or a picture of a Bible store. It is really intended to be, as the subtitle reads, for reflection and worship. I love that!
The introduction, titled Color Your Way to Peace, instructs the (reader? user? colorer?)...worshiper that this book was designed to be a way of "quieting our minds, spending time meditating on the words of the Lord, and entering into a time of quiet reflection and worship.". How cool is that? Way, way better than what my first intention was when I first saw adult coloring books: something to do to relax or to keep my hands busy while watching TV.
Each page of this gorgeous coloring book contains beautiful hand-drawn and lettered pictures to color with Scripture verses, quotes from Christian authors. teachers and pastors, or hymn writers. There is even a link included for a Whatever is Lovely Spotify playlist to further enhance your worship.I really can't say enough of how great I think this coloring book is. Check it out, I'm sure you too will love it.
Saturday, December 5, 2015
Tough As They Come by SSG Travis Mills
I loved Tough As They Come, the story of SSG Travis Mills. Travis "Big" Mills is one of only five soldiers who has survived a quadruple amputation from combat injuries. Tough As They Come is Travis' story, and it is a fascinating story indeed.
Travis is one of the toughest most courageous soldiers I have ever been introduced to. He was a Staff Sargent in the 82nd Airborne Division of the US Army and saw three tours of duty in Afghanistan. A natural leader, Travis inspired others of both higher and lower rank through his own work ethic, never quit attitude, and sense of humor. He gave his all in everything and anything he did. I have deep admiration for this man and the way he served his country and I am grateful to have people like him defending my freedom every day.
Only days from his 25th birthday, SSG Travis Mills, led his men out on an ordinary patrol, not different from their patrols any other day of their duty tour. Yet on this day, an exploding IED planted by Taliban fighters, would change Travis' life forever. This explosion led to Travis losing all of his limbs, numerous surgeries, pain beyond agony, and hundreds of hours of rehab. Yet, Travis triumphed. He determined that he would learn again to sit up, to feed himself, to walk, and to drive. He vowed to keep fighting, not on the battlefield, but in the hospital. This time not for his country, for his men, but for himself and for his wife and daughter.
Tough As They Come is inspiring, heartwarming and funny. I highly recommend it. I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review.
Travis is one of the toughest most courageous soldiers I have ever been introduced to. He was a Staff Sargent in the 82nd Airborne Division of the US Army and saw three tours of duty in Afghanistan. A natural leader, Travis inspired others of both higher and lower rank through his own work ethic, never quit attitude, and sense of humor. He gave his all in everything and anything he did. I have deep admiration for this man and the way he served his country and I am grateful to have people like him defending my freedom every day.
Only days from his 25th birthday, SSG Travis Mills, led his men out on an ordinary patrol, not different from their patrols any other day of their duty tour. Yet on this day, an exploding IED planted by Taliban fighters, would change Travis' life forever. This explosion led to Travis losing all of his limbs, numerous surgeries, pain beyond agony, and hundreds of hours of rehab. Yet, Travis triumphed. He determined that he would learn again to sit up, to feed himself, to walk, and to drive. He vowed to keep fighting, not on the battlefield, but in the hospital. This time not for his country, for his men, but for himself and for his wife and daughter.
Tough As They Come is inspiring, heartwarming and funny. I highly recommend it. I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review.
Saturday, November 21, 2015
Michael Symon's 5 in 5 for Every Season: 165 Quick Dinners, Sides, Holiday Dishes, and More
I received this book from Blogging for Books for free in exchange for my honest review. Michael Symon is one of the hosts of ABC's The Chew, a show I enjoy watching if I'm home during the day. The show is a fun approach to cooking, so I thought this would be a great addition to my cookbook library. Plus who wouldn't love the concept of 5 in 5? 5 in 5 is based on a speed cooking segment that Michael does on the show. 5 ingredients = a prepared dish in 5 minutes. Sign me up!
Michael Symon's 5 in 5 for Every Season is a nice cookbook. The size is good, not too large and not too small. The cover is colorful and attracted me right away, it's also glossy which is nice for wiping away food spills. Michael has arranged the recipes according to season. The first category is spring, it works through each season and ends with holidays. He is a big proponent of using fresh produce that is seasonal. The spring section, for example, includes lots of peas, asparagus, mushrooms and ramps.
The 5 in 5 concept is for fresh ingredients. There are also pantry items and spices included in most recipes. Michael gives a nice pantry list in the beginning of the book to help the cook. It's a good list for almost any cook of items to have on hand to make meals with. They are shelf stable products that will keep for a good while. Still, even with including those additional items, the ingredient lists for each recipe are short, which to me translates to easier.
I have not yet prepared any of the recipes in the book, but have several marked to try. My only complaint from my initial reading of the book is that I wish there was a color picture of each recipe. There are a lot of attractive photos in the book, but not one of each dish. I received this book from Blogging for Books for free in exchange for my honest review.
Michael Symon's 5 in 5 for Every Season is a nice cookbook. The size is good, not too large and not too small. The cover is colorful and attracted me right away, it's also glossy which is nice for wiping away food spills. Michael has arranged the recipes according to season. The first category is spring, it works through each season and ends with holidays. He is a big proponent of using fresh produce that is seasonal. The spring section, for example, includes lots of peas, asparagus, mushrooms and ramps.
The 5 in 5 concept is for fresh ingredients. There are also pantry items and spices included in most recipes. Michael gives a nice pantry list in the beginning of the book to help the cook. It's a good list for almost any cook of items to have on hand to make meals with. They are shelf stable products that will keep for a good while. Still, even with including those additional items, the ingredient lists for each recipe are short, which to me translates to easier.
I have not yet prepared any of the recipes in the book, but have several marked to try. My only complaint from my initial reading of the book is that I wish there was a color picture of each recipe. There are a lot of attractive photos in the book, but not one of each dish. I received this book from Blogging for Books for free in exchange for my honest review.
Wednesday, November 11, 2015
2 A.M. at the Cat's Pajamas : A Novel by Marie-Helene Bertino
2 A.M. at the Cat's Pajamas wins two awards in my book: weirdest and worst read ever. I find it impossible to believe that it was named one of NPR's Best Books of 2014. Seriously? I had to force myself to finish it and the only reason I did is that I committed to review it for Blogging for Books and felt I couldn't review it honestly without reading the whole awful thing. Thankfully received this book for free from them and didn't waste my own money buying it, although I'm sorry they wasted theirs sending it to me.
When I chose this book, I thought it would be a lovely way to start out the holiday season since it takes place on December 23, or as the author, Marie-Helene Bertino calls it, Christmas Eve Eve. Ha! Lovely is a word I would never use to describe this book. It is, in my opinion, awful. The main character is a nine-year old girl names Madeleine, who speaks with a potty mouth, spouting swear words left and right. If that sounds like your idea of a Christmas story, then perhaps you WILL enjoy the read.
The other characters were mostly depressing and depressed. They were all desperately seeking love or money or recognition or fame that mostly eluded them. There is one particular scene where one of the characters meets a woman in a strip club and moments later has a quickie with her in the club bathroom, which the reader is privileged to read about in great detail. Now, isn't that sweet?
The back cover of the book quotes it as being vivacious, charming and moving. Sorry--I just don't see it.
When I chose this book, I thought it would be a lovely way to start out the holiday season since it takes place on December 23, or as the author, Marie-Helene Bertino calls it, Christmas Eve Eve. Ha! Lovely is a word I would never use to describe this book. It is, in my opinion, awful. The main character is a nine-year old girl names Madeleine, who speaks with a potty mouth, spouting swear words left and right. If that sounds like your idea of a Christmas story, then perhaps you WILL enjoy the read.
The other characters were mostly depressing and depressed. They were all desperately seeking love or money or recognition or fame that mostly eluded them. There is one particular scene where one of the characters meets a woman in a strip club and moments later has a quickie with her in the club bathroom, which the reader is privileged to read about in great detail. Now, isn't that sweet?
The back cover of the book quotes it as being vivacious, charming and moving. Sorry--I just don't see it.
A Moment of Weakness by Karen Kingsbury
I'm quite sure my opinion may not be popular, and obviously doesn't represent the masses of readers who love Karen Kingsbury books, but I just don't. , so honest I will be. I have read many Karen Kingsbury books over the years, but had really decided they just aren't for me. The only reason I decided to review this one is that I thought it was a brand new book, and that perhaps I should give the author another chance. As it turns out, this is just a re-release of a book that she wrote years ago and I read it then. I believe I did like it back when I read it the first time, but I feel now that Christian fiction has come a long way. I've grown past books like this one.
So, here is my problem with A Moment of Weakness, as well as Karen Kingsbury's other books. All of her characters, including the two main characters in this book (Tanner Eastman and Jade Conner), are always BEAUTIFUL. There are no ordinary looking people, and certainly no ugly people. No one is ever obese or even overweight, heaven forbid. Granted, they do have problems (in this case Tanner and Jade fall into the temptation of having sex before marriage--a very common problem), but their problems are never just ordinary problems. An ordinary problem might be that Tanner and Jade fell into temptation and their families are not happy about it. Tanner and Jade are very embarrassed, but they swallow their pride and confess their sins. Some people don't want to forgive them, they'd rather take the high ground and keep pointing fingers. Maybe Tanner and Jade feel forced to find a new church. Tanner and Jade get married and they do struggle. Marriage is hard and it's even harder when you have a baby right away. But, by the grace of God they manage to overcome. They have a good marriage and a great family. The end.
In A Moment of Weakness, however, there is much much more melodrama. Jade becomes pregnant that one time they have sex, but when she discovers this, Tanner is off on an overseas mission trip. Jade calls Tanner's mother to see if she knows how to get a hold of Tanner. Mrs. Eastman guesses what the emergency might be and lies to Jade, telling her that Tanner doesn't really love her and that he has fathered many other children. Of course, Jade believes all these lies, runs off and marries another man, and leaves the state (all in the 3 weeks that Tanner is gone) . I won't give away the entire book, but trust me when I say that the rest of the story is just as melodramatic.
I like books where I can relate to the characters in some way. I really can't relate to BEAUTIFUL people who don't even communicate with each other, they just draw all the wrong conclusions and run away. This seems to be a very common theme among many Christian authors and I just plain don't like it. On the other hand, if you like BEAUTIFUL people and melodrama, then I'm sure you will love this book since it's full of both. I received this book from Blogging for Books for free in exchange for my honest review.
So, here is my problem with A Moment of Weakness, as well as Karen Kingsbury's other books. All of her characters, including the two main characters in this book (Tanner Eastman and Jade Conner), are always BEAUTIFUL. There are no ordinary looking people, and certainly no ugly people. No one is ever obese or even overweight, heaven forbid. Granted, they do have problems (in this case Tanner and Jade fall into the temptation of having sex before marriage--a very common problem), but their problems are never just ordinary problems. An ordinary problem might be that Tanner and Jade fell into temptation and their families are not happy about it. Tanner and Jade are very embarrassed, but they swallow their pride and confess their sins. Some people don't want to forgive them, they'd rather take the high ground and keep pointing fingers. Maybe Tanner and Jade feel forced to find a new church. Tanner and Jade get married and they do struggle. Marriage is hard and it's even harder when you have a baby right away. But, by the grace of God they manage to overcome. They have a good marriage and a great family. The end.
In A Moment of Weakness, however, there is much much more melodrama. Jade becomes pregnant that one time they have sex, but when she discovers this, Tanner is off on an overseas mission trip. Jade calls Tanner's mother to see if she knows how to get a hold of Tanner. Mrs. Eastman guesses what the emergency might be and lies to Jade, telling her that Tanner doesn't really love her and that he has fathered many other children. Of course, Jade believes all these lies, runs off and marries another man, and leaves the state (all in the 3 weeks that Tanner is gone) . I won't give away the entire book, but trust me when I say that the rest of the story is just as melodramatic.
I like books where I can relate to the characters in some way. I really can't relate to BEAUTIFUL people who don't even communicate with each other, they just draw all the wrong conclusions and run away. This seems to be a very common theme among many Christian authors and I just plain don't like it. On the other hand, if you like BEAUTIFUL people and melodrama, then I'm sure you will love this book since it's full of both. I received this book from Blogging for Books for free in exchange for my honest review.
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