The Legendary Library

Disclaimer: Please note, I did receive this book from the publisher at no charge for my unbiased, honest opinion.  When I read the publisher's synopsis of this book, I selected it on a whim. I wasn't sure if I would enjoy reading it, but I decided to select it anyway. Even after the first chapter, I was unsure if I would be able to finish it. However, the more I read, the more the story developed into a book I absolutely loved!  It had elements that provoked surprise, compassion, frustration, and so many other emotions. It was a good example to show how everyone deals with grief and life's obstacles differently. Further, it is a good example of how a small, southern town in America really is: how isolating it can be; how important family and reputation can be in these areas. Neighbors really take care of each other (depending on who you are) or they may completely ignore you. If your reputation is tarnished they will ostracize and abandon you.  Between hoping Em...

I did receive this book at no charge from the publisher for my unbiased, honest opinion. Dr. Jennings addresses Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease that are plaguing our elderly in ever increasing rates. He discusses how we might live longer and more healthily if we address our lifestyles and choices. He explains how stress and poor diet, among other things, exacerbate the issues old age presents and how these same habits, stress and diet and others, lead to a higher chance of developing dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, especially for those when a predisposition for either ailment. He further explains steps you can do to help prevent dementia and Alzheimer’s disease from developing. I felt that although he is only reiterating many of the same things uttered by many in the medical community, he further backed up his standpoint with well laid reasons and breaks down everything so that it is easy to understand. I, too, have a history of Alzheimer’s disease in my family, and I f...

I did receive this book at no charge for my unbiased, honest opinion. This book: When God’s Ways Make No Sense by Dr. Larry Crabb, was a hard read for me. Not in that I couldn’t read it, but that I found it hard to view the subject matter from his viewpoint. Though this book covers a common subject matter that many try to tackle, it came at it from a psychological standpoint. The examples Dr. Crabb provided: Jonah, Saul, and Habakkuk, were all well research and good examples, but for me it lacked a connection to the scripture that I had hoped would be presented, and came through as more text book or essay like rather than theologically based.

I did receive this book at no charge for my unbiased, honest opinion. I absolutely loved this book! While it is listed as an adult fiction, it could easily be a great read for Young Adults as well. Abra is fearless! She is a wonderful lead character who is dynamic. I loved reading about her overcoming hear fears in order to do what she knew was right. Without a doubt, she is one of the best female characters created in a heroine/lead role. The characters were also just as relatable. The storyline was easy to follow and excellently detailed. I thought it was brilliant how the author incorporated history and legend/folklore into the story. It afforded the narrative a sense of realism that is otherwise otherworldly tale. It was incredibly imaginative story and an overall great read!

I did receive this book at no charge from the publisher for my unbiased, honest opinion. This book is fantastic! As someone who struggles with anxiety and depression, I can absolutely see the benefits that this book will bring for many years to come. It is not your typical book that you read once and are done with it. This is one of those books that you can read and re-read, over and over and always get something new and helpful from each time. The author outlines 12 mindsets that we all at sometime or another get stuck and how to correct these mindsets to make our lives better. Each chapter is gives an example of how someone has struggled with that mindset. She breaks the examples down so they are easy to follow and understand. She goes over how each issue has different points of view (or mindsets) that you could view the issue and how each of those points of view provides different possible outcomes. It helps you to understand your options in similar situations, and since each...

I did receive this book at no charge from the publisher for my unbiased, honest opinion. Disclaimer: I am not this books target audience. The target audience for this book is specifically for pastors, deacons, or other (mostly male) heads of the church. Here after all heads of the church will be grouped together under the term Preacher. The book boils down to one main premise: that all preachers who are truly called to be servants of God as preachers tend to have a somewhat tragic life in some form or fashion. All of the biblical scriptures and each of the ’12 Faithful Men’ mentioned are examples to back this belief. He gives examples of how even in biblical times, the Apostle Paul had to experience tragedy, and how in many of Paul's letters, he mentions that to truly be a good teacher of God’s word then you would need to go through many tragedies not only to test your faithfulness but to be a better preacher. Paul (and thus the author) further explains that through...

As a mom to a little girl, I am always looking for books to build my daughter and show her that girls can do ANYTHING, and this book is one of our favorites! It follows a little girl named Rosie and her quest to become a fantastic inventor. I would hate to give spoilers, but suffice it to say, she is very creative and determined. This book is wonderful to show such drive in a young girl and how she (and ultimately the book) breaks boundaries by showing girls involved in STEM fields (STEM=Science Technology Engineering Mathematics). Women (and girls) are historically absent, or completely barred in some instances, from pursing education and careers in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. With limited role models in these areas, many young girls grow up believing that they shouldn’t pursue those disciplines as a direct result, as well as general societal pressure to pursue a historically acceptable role for females. Luckily, it is books such as ROSIE...

I originally read this book when I was in the 4th grade, and I love it as much now as I did then. For a young adult book, I felt the subject matter was something that many kids could relate to: Family, and more specifically that families come in many forms, but are always there when you need them. I felt the characters were also very relatable. I know that some reviews I have read previously for this book have indicated that they feel the 'over' use of hyphens (-) and ellipses (…) are not needed. I do disagree with this, as the author was trying to utilize these to indicate the slow drawl that a Southern accent would have, including these characters who were from Texas. Anyone who is from the Southeastern US or spoken to someone from the Southeastern US, understands that we speak slowly and we have an accent that accommodates our drawn out speech patterns. The author is merely using these punctuation marks in the capacity to which they are afforded, in this instance, ...

I did receive this book at no charge for my unbiased, honest opinion. Let me start by saying this is part of a series, which I did not realize when I ordered the book. However, even though this is part of a series, it was easily read even without the context of the other books in the series. It is definitely a story in the same fantasy genre as LOTR, Narnia, or Harry Potter. Very well written with great detail, it easily allows you to imagine the journey on which the characters embark. There are only 2 real complaints I have: 1] that the story line jumped around a bit; I feel like the author could have made it a bit easier to realize when the story jumps to another character's leg of the journey as it was a little hard to follow from one jump in the story at times. And 2] while the story isn't numbered or if (like me) you miss the small note in the upper corner of the cover indicating that it is part of a series, as  the reader, you have no idea there are books before it; t...

Daily Encouragements For the SMART Stepfamily by Ron L. Deal with Dianne Neal Matthews As a mom and stepmom, I can absolutely see the value in this book for myself and my family. This daily devotional can be implemented at any time with the ability to pick up with whatever day you are starting. And although this devotional is geared toward stepfamilies and the prismatic dynamic of those relationships, many daily passages could easily apply to a nuclear family or other family group dynamic. It contains nuggets of thought perfect for individual reflection or family/couple reflection. While geared toward the parental units of the family, several of the passages are 'kid' friendly. The author encourages the reader to share these passages with their children, with consideration to the age appropriateness of each passage. Each page is a useful tool with insights for that days reflection and from page 1 gives the reader ways to look at things from more than just 1 persp...