Book Reviews – Page 38 – LDS Women's Book Review

Written on Our Hearts by Emily Freeman – Blog Tour

Posted by Shanda Blog Tours, Book Reviews, Shanda's Reviews

Oct 282013

Written on Our Hearts: Invitations from the Old Testament

Author: Emily Freeman

Publisher: Deseret Book

Published Date: September 2013

Hardcover: 180 pages

Genre: Religious Nonfiction

ISBN# 978-1-60907-595-8

Reviewed by: Shanda

FTC FYI: received a free review copy in exchange for an honest review

Summary (from jacket)

If you have ever found the Old Testament intimidating, you’re not alone. The less-familiar history, themes, and language, coupled with the length of the book, make it a difficult read for many. But author Emily Freeman loves the Old Testament, and as she shares some of the wonderful things she has learned in her study of this book of scripture, you will find yourself coming to love it too.

Written on Our Hearts is not a commentary or an intensive doctrinal study. Instead, Emily writes about the stories of the Old Testament, stories of trusting and overcoming and enduring and believing. Within these stories are all kinds of applications for the challenges we face today.

“There will come a moment in your life,” the author says, “when you or someone you love will struggle with a challenge so great you will wonder how you will make it through. In that moment you will long to better understand the Savior’s role as the Deliverer, and to do that you must go to the book of scripture that describes that role the best—the Old Testament.”

Discover the delivering power of the Lord yourself in the pages of this book—and experience the scriptures in a new, more personal way!

Review

Written on Our Hearts is full of spiritual messages and questions that pierce the heart. Emily shares her talent for inspiring others through her heartfelt words and lovely artwork in this thought-provoking book.

Each section is only a few pages long, and these sections are grouped by books of the Old Testament. The size of each section is perfect for a personal morning devotional, family home evening, or revisit during a tough day when seeking inspiration or reassurance. There are beautiful sketches depicting Old Testament scenes sprinkled throughout.

Every single section of this book offers something that touches my soul and fuels my desire to become a better person and to draw closer to Christ. It’s difficult to single out a favorite section, but I will list some that really stood out to me personally:

“Empty Your Sack”
“My Whole Soul”
“That Which Doth Cost Me Nothing”
“I Will Heal Thee”
“Filling the Empty Places”
“Hope in Thine End”

I have always been overwhelmed at the thought of an in-depth study of the Old Testament. Written on Our Hearts has shown me that there are wonderful things to be learned from such a study. I highly recommend it, both as an addition to your personal library, and as a gift as well. After all, Christmas is just around the corner.

Find Written on Our Hearts:

DESERET BOOK | DB BOOKSHELF EBOOK | KINDLE | GOODREADS

Friends and Traitors (Slayers #2) by C.J. Hill – Blog Tour

Posted by Shanda Blog Tours, Book Reviews, Shanda's Reviews

Oct 232013

Slayers2 Friends and Traitors (Slayers #2)

Author: C. J. Hill

Publisher: Feiwel and Friends

Published Date: October 15, 2013

Hardcover: 400 pages

Genre: YA Contemporary Fantasy

ISBN# 978-1-250-02461-9

Reviewed by: Shanda

FTC FYI: received a free softcover ARC in exchange for an honest review

Summary (Back Cover)

In C.J. Hill’s action-packed sequel to Slayers, the group of teens known as Slayers have been betrayed—but they won’t give up without a fight.

Tori’s got a problem. She thought she’d have one more summer to train as a dragon Slayer, but time has run out. When Tori hears the horrifying sound of dragon eggs hatching, she knows the Slayers are in trouble. In less than a year, the dragons will be fully grown and completely lethal. The Slayers are well-prepared, but their group is still not complete, and Tori is determined to track down Ryker—the mysterious missing Slayer.

What Tori doesn’t bargain for, however, is the surprising truth about her powers. She isn’t just a Slayer, she’s part Dragon Lord, too. How can Tori fight to save her friends when half of her is programmed to protect dragons? And with a possible traitor in their midst, the Slayers will be divided in more ways than they ever imagined.

Review

I loved reading Slayers, so it was great revisiting these characters again in Friends and Traitors. After a key member of the Slayers’ team is revealed as a traitor, two new dragon slayers join the team. Adventures are had, battles are fought, and relationships are forever altered.

I haven’t read a lot of YA involving dragons (only the Slayers series, the Dragon Slippers series by Jessica Day George and the first book in the Firelight series by Sophie Jordan), but it’s interesting to see different aspects of dragon lore portrayed in various ways in each one. If you like dragons, you will probably enjoy all three of these series.

The Slayers series is a lot of fun. I appreciate reading about a strong yet feminine lead character, as well as a group of teens working together as a team for the good of society. Both young men and young women, as well as their parents, will enjoy Slayers and it’s sequel, Friends and Traitors.

Visit C. J. Hill:

BLOG | WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | GOODREADS

Find Friends and Traitors:

AMAZON | KINDLE | BARNES & NOBLE | NOOK | GOODREADS

For the full Friends and Traitors Blog Tour schedule, visit the Fire and Ice blog.

About the Author: CJ Hill is a pen name for a YA author who is best known for writing romantic comedies. (Slayers will be her 18th published book.) Her writing has shifted away from the romantic comedy genre, so her editor thought a pen name would be a good idea. (New books will include: dangerous dragons, time travel to dystopian worlds, and flesh-eating beetles.) Since the publisher refused to let her have the pseudonym : The Artist Formerly Referred to as Princess, she chose a name to honor her mother. CJ Hill was her mother’s pen name, or at least it would have been if her mother had published. Her mother wrote a few children’s books and a middle grade novel but was taken by cancer before she had fully learned the craft.

(Most writers’ first novels aren’t publishable. CJ Junior’s first novel wasn’t, but somehow was published anyway. Now, even though it is out of print, it remains forever available on Amazon, where it taunts her with its badness. This was another good reason to use a pen name.)

CJ Hill has five children, three of whom like her on any given day depending on who is in trouble. She has lived in Arizona for the last half of her life, but is still in desert denial and hopes that one day her garden will grow silver bells and cockle shells or maybe just tomatoes.

A Portrait for Toni by Annette Lyon

Posted by Mindy Book Reviews

Oct 232013

A Portrait for Toni

Author: Annette Lyon

Published: September 4, 2013

ebook: 279 pages

ASIN: B00EZFOM7S

FTC FYI: Received a Kindle copy in exchange for an honest review.

Reviewed by Mindy

Goodreads Summary

Toni has no idea what she’d do without her best friend, Carter. Who else would she be able to vent to about her parents, her job at the dance studio, or her latest relationship woes? When Toni’s father lands in the hospital, Carter, as always, is there for her.

That is, until he starts questioning Toni, saying he thinks she has an eating disorder. Then she starts dating Clint, the hot new guy at the studio, and somehow that puts a deeper wedge between her and Carter. When she’s hospitalized after an on-stage collapse, and Carter stupidly starts in with advice about food and weight, she sends him away—then instantly regrets it.

One night after a performance, Toni tries to mend the hurt between them. She goes to visit Carter at work, in his art classroom at the high school. She doesn’t see him there, and instead, she stumbles onto proof that he has feelings for her that go way beyond those of a friend. Toni is left with the very real prospect of losing Carter forever, unless somehow she can return his feelings—but that’s impossible.

My Review

I really enjoyed this book. I loved the way the story was told. The point of view would change from Toni’s and Carter’s and I loved seeing their side of all that goes on in this book. Toni is a character that has been through a lot emotionally through her life. That is why, I feel, she turned to anorexia and bulimia. She feels unloved by her father, as he has been overly critical of every aspect of her life. She felt control by starving herself or binging. Carter has been hiding his feelings for Toni for many years. He stetches, paints and create portraits of Toni to help him with his feelings for her. Every time he works up the courage to tell her how he feels, something always stops him. He tries to move on, dating someone else, but Toni is always on his mind. Can Toni forgive Carter? Can Carter just forget about Toni and move on with his life? You will enjoy the journey these two take to find each other.

4 out 5 stars. Annette is the author of many awesome books. Band of Sisters: Coming Home has been nominated for a 2013 Whitney Award, and A Portrait for Toni has as well. I can tell when I’m reading Annette’s books, she is very smart and knows exactly what she is doing in this writing field. She is also one of the authors in the Newport Ladies Book Club series. Her newest installment in that wonderful series, Ilana’s Wish, will be out next year. Annette also contributes to the Timeless Romance Anthologies. These are very enjoyable novellas with different themes: Winter Romance, Spring Vacation, Summer Wedding, Autumn Collection, and coming soon is the European Collection.

Author Links

Goodreads / Website / Twitter / Facebook

Purchase Links

Amazon / Barnes and Noble

I, Spy by Jordan McCollum

Posted by Mindy Book Reviews

Oct 162013

I, Spy

Author: Jordan McCollum

Publisher: Durham Crest Press

Published: June 2013

ISBN13: 9781940096001

Paperback: 310 pages

FTC FYI: Received a PDF from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Reviewed by Mindy

Goodreads Summary

Canada is probably the last place you’d expect to find an American spy. But even idyllic Ottawa has its deadly secrets–and so does CIA operative Talia Reynolds. She can climb through ventilation shafts, blend in at the occasional diplomatic function, even scale buildings (small ones). But there’s one thing she can’t do: tell her aerospace engineer boyfriend Danny about her Top Secret occupation.

It worked for a year, keeping Danny in the dark, keeping him away from danger, keeping her secrets. And then Talia finally catches a hot case: Fyodor Timofeyev. Russian. Aerospace executive. Possible spy?

She can make this work, too–until Danny needs her at the same time her country does. And when Fyodor targets Danny? Suddenly her schedule isn’t the only thing suffering. Now to save her country and her secrets, Talia must sacrifice the man she loves.

My Review

I knew by the first page that I was going to love this book. I absolutely loved Talia’s inner voice. She loves being a spy, and she is doing her best to keep her relationship with Danny. So many clever lines filled with lots of snark and heart. Everything about this book is enjoyable. I even learned Russian. :) Jordan did a great job of explaining the Russian and worked in the phrases and abbreviations that could have been confusing, and did it well. I loved Talia the most, but all of the characters were well-written and memorable. Elliot and Danny were fav’s too. The plot is enjoyable and I loved the action! I really could not guess what was going to happen next. There were so many surprises at the turn of each page, especially during the climax, it didn’t matter what time it was, I had to finish.

5 out of 5 stars. I, Spy has also been nominated for 2013 Whitney Award. There is a prequel short story out called Mr. Nice Spy that I can’t wait to read. In I, Spy, there was a hint of something between Elliot and Talia in the past. This prequel is about that… Also Spy for a Spy should be out this November!

Author Links

Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads

Purchase Links

Amazon / Barnes and Noble

Consider the Blessings by Thomas S. Monson – Blog Tour

Posted by Shanda Blog Tours, Book Reviews, Shanda's Reviews

Oct 142013

Consider the Blessings: True Accounts of God’s Hand in Our Lives

Author: Thomas S. Monson

Publisher: Deseret Book

Published Date: September 2013

Hardcover/Kindle/Nook/DB Bookshelf: 160 pages

Genre: Religious Nonfiction

ISBN# 978-1-60907-716-7

Reviewed by: Shanda

FTC FYI: received a free hardcover review copy in exchange for an honest review

Summary

If you ask people what they love most about President Thomas S. Monson’s teaching style, chances are they’ll say something about the personal experiences he relates. The accounts President Monson shares are always true, taken from his own life or the real lives of other people. Those warm, memorable accounts have truly become a hallmark of his messages.

Who can forget the woman who saved one of the two sticks of gum Elder Monson passed out to youth in postwar Germany? Or the neighbor who returned a box of baseballs to young Tommy as a thank-you for his kindness to her? Or the father who declined to attend a “Mormon” meeting with his family but had his heart softened by a message he heard on a radio that was actually broken?

In celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of his call as an Apostle, Consider the Blessings presents fifty of the true accounts President Thomas S. Monson has shared over the years. With beautiful photographs and heart-touching content, this is a book to treasure with the whole family.

Review

In honor of the 50th anniversary of President Thomas S. Monson’s call to apostleship, Deseret Book has released Consider the Blessings, a compilation of 50 true stories shared by President Monson throughout the years.

I have heard President Monson share some of these stories previously, but many I had not. Some are simple, based on service to others. Some are miraculous, amazing answers to prayers. There are lovely and relevant photos throughout the book. Each story is short, anywhere from one to four pages long. I’ve listed three of my favorites below:

“You Are Our Brothers and Sisters” (page 7): This is an excellent and moving example of loving our fellowman beyond boundaries, both physical and religious.

“No More Strangers” (page 81): I love the way these Italian members distinguished new members, ensuring they would be recognized and fellowshipped.

“You’re My Primary Boy” (page 135): Another example of the loving service President Monson excels at giving that has touched and inspired me.

Consider the Blessings is available as a jacketed hardcover, perfect as a gift or for use in Family Home Evenings, as well as in ebook format. I will be referring back to several of these stories in the future, and look forward to sharing them with my children.

Find Consider the Blessings:

Blog This by Cami Checketts-Blog Tour Review

Posted by Sheila Blog Tours, Book Reviews, Sheila's Reviews

Oct 112013

Product Details

Title: Blog This
Author: Cami Checketts
Paperback: 326 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (September 21, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1492322504
FTC -FYI: I received a review e-copy in exchange for an honest review

Book Description:
Will protecting children throughout the world cost Natasha her own family?
Devastated by the loss of her brother, Natasha Senecot works to expose the dangers of Matthew Chrysler’s violent video games, succeeding in bankrupting and humiliating him.
Chrysler retaliates and sends a hit man after her. Natasha is forced to fake her own death to protect her children, but after witnessing another tragedy, Natasha won’t hide any longer.
In a race against time, can Natasha expose Matthew Chrysler before his assassin murders her family and shatters her world?

Excerpt from Blog This:

His gaze locked on hers. His eyes were so cold. A chill wind swept over her, but the branches on the trees didn’t move.

“Can I help you?” She clutched her gloved fingers to stop the trembling.

His eyes darkened. His lips stayed in a tight line.

“Did you, um, get lost?” Natasha forced an unsteady laugh and arched her eyebrows. “Easy to do in a town of less than three thousand people.” He didn’t crack a smile so she released her own, pointed toward the front yard, and stiffly recited driving directions. “Highway 89 is less than a mile east of here. The fastest route is to drive straight out of the neighborhood and then take two-hundred s-s…”

His right arm rose—a black pistol molded to his palm. Heart thudding, Natasha’s voice sputtered and died. She raised her hands and backed up a few steps. Her gaze darted to Jace and Lily.

“Mom!” Jace pulled Lily against his side.

Natasha felt colder than the snow clinging to her boots. The only lucid thought she had was the overwhelming need to protect Jace and Lily. I have to say something, do something. “Please, please don’t hurt us.”

The lines in his face hardened, anger seeping from his dark gaze. The hand holding the gun remained steady.

Natasha’s mind raced, trying to comprehend a man pointing a gun at her with Jace and Lily feet away. Was there any way to keep them safe?

“Look,” she began, her voice trembling on each word, “I-I’ve got some cash in the house. I can give you my credit card and the pin numbers for my debit card. The credit card has a hundred-thousand dollar limit.” It was a lie, but might buy her children’s safety.

He shook his head. “I’m not after your money.” His voice was barely above a rough whisper.

Then why are you here? She cast a nervous glance at her children. Jace clung to Lily, watching his mother bargain for their lives. What else could she do to protect them? Why was this guy pointing a gun at her?

Suddenly, the latest e-mail threats played through her mind.

Stop your blog or I will send someone to stop it.

Is any cause worth dying for?

The corner of the man’s lip quivered. His voice dropped. “I am sorry.”

Blinking to clear her vision, Natasha wondered if she’d heard him correctly. “Sorry?”

No. She shook her head. Oh, no. Realization came like a moldy dishrag snapped in her face. He was here to fulfill the threats. His apology. That brief flicker of regret in his eyes. This man had been sent by Matthew Chrysler to kill her.

“I’ll stop the blog.”

He shook his head once. “It’s too late.”

My Review:
Blog This doesn’t mess around when it comes to the action from the get-go. I wasn’t quite expecting that, but what a way to start with a bang…literally! When single Mom, Natasha Senecot, is playing with her two children, her fun afternoon is interrupted by an assassin. With her strong views about violent video games on her blog, she has made a ruthless enemy of a video game maker tycoon. Now he wants Natasha stopped. You actually feel the same level of panic as Natasha does while she is being stalked in her own home by Alex, the assassin.There are so many creepy things that happen, that it’s better to read this book during the day than at night.

I could relate so well to the feelings of Natasha, as a mother who would do anything to protect her children. Poor Natasha is also dealing with her feelings for her handsome ex-husband and the rugged and charming detective investigating the case.

Blog This is so suspenseful that you will be questioning every person who comes in contact with Natasha, except her kids and her father. You will go back and forth throughout the book until the end. This has to be one of my favorite books that Cami Checketts has ever written. You will want to put this one down on your to-read list today.

Go check out the great price on Blog This for your Kindle that you can get right now at Amazon.

Praise for Blog This:
From the very first chapter, Blog This grabs your gut and your heart with surprising action and touching moments. Cami Checketts blends suspense, humor, and good clean romance into a story that will stick with you.
Daniel Coleman, Author of Gifts and Consequences

Loved it. Loved it. Loved it. Have read all of Cami’s books but Blog This is on the top of my list. Read it twice and enjoyed it just as much the second time. Just when you think you know what is going to happen you’re led into a different direction. Had a hard time putting the book down and was anxious to see how it was going to end.
Elsa Akinason

Blog This will be $2.99 during the blog tour – September 30th – October 16th. Click here to purchase or read the first few chapters.

Blog Tour Schedule

About the author

Cami is a part-time author, part-time exercise consultant, part-time housekeeper, full-time wife, and overtime mother of four adorable boys. Sleep and relaxation are fond memories. She’s never been happier.

Please refer to her website – http://www.camichecketts.com for more information about her books.

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