Distortion

Juliet Cole’s life has been dismantled by the murder of her husband. She doesn’t know who—or what—to trust when everything she has believed to be true about her marriage has been a lie. When Juliet Cole’s husband of fifteen years is gunned down in a dark parking lot before her eyes, she thinks it was a random shooting. Devastated and traumatized, she answers hours of questioning. When she’s finally allowed to return home to break the news to her boys, she hears a voicemail that takes the situation from a random shooting to a planned, deliberate attack. "Mrs. Cole, we know you have access to the supply and the money. If you don't turn fifty million over to us and give us the codes, then you'll be burying more family members."

Suddenly, Juliet realizes that she and her children could be in danger. She teams up with her sisters and PI Michael Hogan to dig into the sham Bob has been living for years. The more she learns, the worse the betrayal. A drug trafficking history, a fortune in cash, and a secret family all emerge to turn Juliet’s belief system on its head, and threaten the things she loves. Are she and her sisters skilled enough as sleuths to get to the truth?

I really like books like this, the plot isn't predictable and there are always new turns. I really like reading Terri Blackstock books because her plots are engaging and readers are never bored. I personally could not put it down and start homework because I wanted to find out what happened next. This book and grad school does not mix! 

If you want to read this book, you must wait until March 11th, 2014 for it to be available to the public. 

The Faith to Make the Sun Stand Still

In Sun Stand Still, Pastor Steven Furtick challenged us to ask God for the impossible—to live, every day, with the same faith in the miraculous that we see in the Bible. In this daily, personal guide Steven leads you deeper into Scripture as you begin to live the life God created and saved us for.

Over the next forty days, you’ll have the opportunity to see what audacious faith can look like in your own life. Through daily scripture readings and teachings, this book will give you the chance to change your perspective on prayer. If you have the ability to ask, God has the ability to act - and transform the ordinary into the extraordinary.

In this devotional, you will learn daily how to develop your faith, walk in the confidence of Christ, and dare to believe God for the impossible.

This devotional challenged me to think of life as another angle. People used to tell me that I should live like Jesus is coming back tomorrow. How do I apply that in my life? I live in a nice suburban neighborhood. I go to classes once a week and work the other days. 

How, then can I live my life to the fullest when I don't go anywhere outside of those mundane things? This book challenged me to do so.

Read this book and it will also change your life!! 

Heaven Is For Real

“Do you remember the hospital, Colton?” Sonja said.“Yes, mommy, I remember,” he said. “That’s where the angels sang to me.”

When four-year-old Colton Burpo made it through an emergency appendectomy his family was overjoyed at his miraculous survival. What they weren't expecting, though, was the story that emerged in the following months—a story as beautiful as it was extraordinary, detailing their little boy’s trip to heaven and back.

This true story, retold by his father but using Colton’s uniquely simple words, offers a glimpse of the world that awaits us, where as Colton says, “Nobody is old and nobody wears glasses.”

Heaven is for Real will forever change the way you think of eternity, offering the chance to see, and believe like a child.

Bonus material in this special movie edition includes:

• Photos from the movie set
• Updates from father, Todd, and son, Colton, on recent events including the making-of-the-movie experience
• “From the Set” Q&A’s with the movie’s filmmakers and actors

This book was so heartwarming for me. I loved every page of this book and couldn't put it down. Maybe it's because I've been to parts of heaven in visions or maybe because it's in the perspective of a four year old. Whatever the cause is, I'm so glad that I've had the privilege of receiving the book from: Booksneeze. 

The Bible Through a Toddler's Eyes

Children love the soothing sound of rhyme! And now they can enjoy ten classic Bible stories retold in delightful read-aloud rhyme in The Rhyme Bible Storybook for Toddlers. 

From the story of creation ("In the beginning God made the light. The light was for day. The dark was for night.") to the resurrection of Jesus ("All his friends were happy then. Jesus was alive again!"), this is the perfect choice for parents who want to introduce their toddlers to the Word of God. 

Newly updated illustrations and classic stories told in vivid verse make this padded cover board book a sure favorite that will entertain young ones and teach them biblical lessons that last a lifetime.

I was so amazed at the storybook when I saw it. I wish I had such a thing when I was a toddler and now I can't wait for my little one to use it even though it will be a few years before he/she is a toddler. 

Pursuit of Tamsen LittleJohn

Frontier dangers cannot hold a candle to the risks one woman takes by falling in love
 
In an act of brave defiance, Tamsen Littlejohn escapes the life her harsh stepfather has forced upon her. Forsaking security and an arranged marriage, she enlists frontiersman Jesse Bird to guide her to the Watauga settlement in western North Carolina. But shedding her old life doesn’t come without cost. As the two cross a vast mountain wilderness, Tamsen faces hardships that test the limits of her faith and endurance.

Convinced that Tamsen has been kidnapped, wealthy suitor Ambrose Kincaid follows after her, in company with her equally determined stepfather. With trouble in pursuit, Tamsen and Jesse find themselves thrust into the conflict of a divided community of Overmountain settlers. The State of Franklin has been declared, but many remain loyal to North Carolina. With one life left behind and chaos on the horizon, Tamsen struggles to adapt to a life for which she was never prepared. But could this challenging frontier life be what her soul has longed for, what God has been leading her toward? As pursuit draws ever nearer, will her faith see her through the greatest danger of all—loving a man who has risked everything for her? 

This book spoke to my heart about love. Since it is already Valentine's Day, I will say that love is mutual. If not mutual, it is exhausting. If you do not love the one you are with, it is better to let go than to hold on. Waiting until something better comes along is not the solution to holding on to your 'special' someone now. 

Even though I have no experience with love, I have seen it happen many times through all my undergrad roommates. 

Alas, this book is not available until April 15th, 2014.

Miracles in the Modern Era

Some things in life have no earthly explanation.

Miracles are not reserved for the characters in the Old and New Testaments; they happen to everyday people.

Series creator Don Jacobson and K-LOVE Radio have joined together to produce one of the most remarkable collections of modern-day miracles ever compiled. From angel appearances in hospital rooms to a mother saved from a would-be assailant in Hyde Park, from a young autistic girl becoming a beautiful ballerina overnight to a young backpacker who walked away from a terrorist attack, It's a God Thing presents some of the most amazing stories of God's hand on our lives.

Be motivated as never before to look for and witness the incredible ways that God is interacting in your life and the lives of those around you.

I knew that there were miracles in life now, apart from the Bible. It totally amazes me the miracles that were transcribed in this book. I loved how everyone gives the glory to God.  

My goal in life is to witness a truly great miracle on my life. Once that happens, I will write it here as a testimony for God. Stay tuned for more! 

Echoes of Mercy

Sometimes a secret must be kept for the truth to be revealed. 

When a suspicious accident occurs at the famous Dinsmore Chocolate Factory in Sinclair, Kansas, Caroline Lang goes undercover as a factory worker to investigate the circumstances surrounding the event and how the factory treats its youngest employees—the child workers. Caroline’s fervent faith, her difficult childhood, and compassionate heart drove her to her job as an investigator for the Labor Commission and she is compelled to see children freed from such heavy adult responsibilities, to allow them to pursue an education.  

Oliver Dinsmore, heir to the Dinsmore candy dynasty, has his own investigation to conduct. Posing as a common worker known as “Ollie Moore,” he aims to find out all he can about the family business before he takes over for his father. Caroline and Oliver become fast friends, but tension mounts when the two find themselves at odds about the roles of child workers. Hiding their identities becomes even more difficult when fate brings them together over three children in desperate need. When all is revealed, will the truth destroy the love starting to grow between them? 

I felt as though I was in the action the whole entire time. The characters were most believable and I felt as though I could see the actions through my mind. I love these kinds of books where the action is believable, capturing the moment in history. 

It was probably also because of Lesley, Lank and Letta, the three children in the plot. They pulled at my heartstrings and my heart fell for them. 

Avenged

 I really love these type of thriller books. They keep you on the edge of the seat until the book is finished. I really enjoy reading this series and I hope to get the next title through my blogger program: Tyndale.  But you probably do not want to hear me blab about how this book is good and you probably want to hear what this book is about.

When Officer Carly Edwards finds three young gangbangers shot execution style, she and her husband, Sergeant Nick Anderson, head of the gang unit, fear Las Playas may be on the verge of a gang war. The Las Playas PD is put on high alert as tensions escalate between rival gangs, especially after Carly confiscates weapons from a gang leader and learns they were stolen from a military base along with explosive devices.

But something isn’t adding up, and Carly suspects there might be more going on. As she prepares to testify at a major trial, Carly’s reputation is shredded by a reporter apparently trying to discredit her professionally. Facing pressure on all fronts, Carly must rely on faith and trust God in a deeper way during one of the biggest struggles of her career.

1st Born

Where does a firstborn girl fit in a world dominated by men?

When Tiadone was born, her parents had two choices: leave their daughter outside the community to die in the wilds, or raise her as male and force her to suppress all feminine traits. Now, as the first female living as male in her village, Tiadone must prove her father didn’t make a mistake by letting her live.

As her male initiation approaches, Tiadone knows every eye on the community is on her, and desperately wishes to belong and finally be accepted. But at every step, traditional feminine gifts and traits emerge, and the bird she's been twined with is seen as a sign of the devil.

Worse, as Tiadone completes her rites, she finds she is drawn to her male best friend in ways that are very much in line with the female gender.

Confused and desperate, Tiadone tries to become what she must be while dealing with what she indeed has become: a young woman who may be able to stand up to her despotic rulers and uncover her real purpose in life.

This reminded me of hunger games and a little bit about the Chinese culture. So this book was exciting to me.  In the Chinese culture, many parents want a boy, so oftentimes, a girl is abandoned under the one child law. For me personally, I have a grandma who thinks girls are worthless. Whenever she calls my house from China, she always wants to speak to my brother and she will go so far as to hang up on me if I talk to her instead. 

So I can kind of relate to Tiadone in the book and together, we went on a journey. 

This book isn't available until Feb. 4th, 2014!