Love Changes Everything by Micah Berteau

Part of what drew me to read Love Changes Everything was the fact that Micah Berteau drew upon the story of Hosea and Gomer. Its a fascinating story that seldom gets told. And I appreciated how Berteau talked about God’s love with that story as a framework. Truth be told, I would have enjoyed a little a little more unpacking of the Hosea and Gomer story.

Berteau has good things to say in Love Changes Everything. Indeed, he gets at the heart of what the Good News actually is. Persnally, I wanted the message to impact me more. This could be because I’ve grown up hearing the message of God’s love since I was a baby. It could be that reading it wasn’t going to be how I needed to hear it. But while it wasn’t as impactful for me, I feel the message that Berteau is telling about how deep God’s love for us is and how we shouldn’t settle for fake love is important. It would be a great book to share with those who feel they aren’t loved.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.

Fish Sandwiches by Troy Schmidt

Outside of Jesus’ resurrection, the only miracle told in all four gospels is the feeding of the five thousand. Troy Schmidt presumes this fact makes the story an important one, and so it becomes the focus of his new book, Fish Sandwiches.

Troy Schmidt uses the story of the feeding of the five thousand to talk about the promises God has for us. He asserts that the story shows that God promises to know our needs, to provide, to give spiritual health, and to give us community, fulfillment and blessing. Above all, he says the miracle shows God’s promise of eternity.

While Fish Sandwiches didn’t speak to me personally, I believe Schmidt has some things of value to say–especially to those who are spiritually hungry. I think he has some good insight into the miracle.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.

Placemaker by Christie Purifoy

Trees, gardens, and homes are the springboard of Christie Purifoy’s thoughts in her recent book Placemaker. Purifoy reflects on her life and where she has lived: from Texas to Pennsylvania, from Chicago to Florida. She and her husband (and eventually children) have lived in rural, urban, and suburban settings, in apartments and houses. As she reflects on places she has lived, she realizes how cultivating a good and beautiful place can become a meaningful and holy pursuit.

Her desires to cultivate the land  and share her places with others speaks to an inward, spiritual pursuit. Trees and gardens become holy spots, not in a new-age way, but in the belief that God invites us to tend/steward the earth He created. In doing so, we look beyond ourselves to others and to future generations. Placemaker is a thoughtful and insightful book for anyone who wants their being–their residence somewhere–to make a lasting impact.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.

Sacred Questions by Kellye Fabian

I did not expect Sacred Questions to be the book it was. I expected a book about questions of faith; instead, it turned out to be a daily devotional. And it’s a pretty engaging devotional. Each devotion can easily be done within twenty minutes and contains opening and closing prayers, a biblical passage, and reflective questions.

I appreciated how the questions were engaging and focused helping the reader looking deeper inside. The devotions are divided into sections around themes like Grounded, Rooted, Centered, Surrendered, and Empowered as well as sections for Christmas and Easter.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

Lethal Target by Janice Cantore

Drugs start to tear down a small town in Oregon. The suspicious murder of a high school boy sends the town into a tailspin. Police Chief Tess O’Rourke is in the middle of it all. The investigation only gets more complicated as things progress, and Chief O’Rourke’s integrity and abilities as a police officer are called into question.

Lethal Target is a compelling read, full of drama and intrigue. Author Janice Contore is a retired police officer herself, weaving knowledgeable insight into the story. Through it all trust and faith are at the forefront. While billed as a romance of sorts, the love story is minimal and doesn’t distract from the action (for those who might be put off by a romantic police drama).

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.

The Crescent Stone by Matt Mikalatos

Madeline can’t breathe. During one of the rare times she is able to attend school, she passes out during science class. Her lab partner Jason (Wu Song) carries her out to get help, running into Madeline’s ex-boyfriend who drives them to the hospital. While the doctors are trying to figure things out, a mysterious stranger appears with an offer: he will help Madeline breathe in exchange for one year of service from her in fighting a war against their enemy.

Madeline takes the offer and finds herself in another world where she is in service of the Elenil. They are a nearly-immortal race of people whose seemingly perfect lives are fueled by magic. Jason has managed to join her (in exchange for daily pudding). They find themselves trying to learn the culture of the Elenil and their neighbors while learning how to protect them from the Scim, their enemies. Everything seems straight-forward until Madeline’s former boyfriend, Darius, shows up fighting for the other side. It turns up that the Elenil’s magic is powered by the Scim. In order for Madeline to be able to breathe, a little Scim girl has given up her healthy breathing. Madeline struggles with the blatant oppression that is taking place to make one group of people better off–including herself.

Matt Mikalatos’ story is a well-crafted fantasy that is entertaining while being thought-provoking. I recommend it for young teens and adults.

When Through Deep Waters by Rachelle Dekker

I made the mistake of starting this book while watching my kids at the pool. Right away in the first chapter the main character, Alicen McCaffrey, goes to answer her mother’s phone call only to return to find her daughter face down in their swimming pool. A parent’s worst nightmare has come true. Alicen’s world is turned upside down.

She escapes the haunting reminders of failure in California to return to  where she grew up in Montana with her childhood best friend. But in getting help from a retreat center, Alicen’s life becomes even more muddled as she begins to hear voices and see children. The staff and her family thinks she’s crazy. To top it off, her grandma suffered from similar “delusions.”

But are things what they seem? Is Alicen crazy or is there more to what’s going on than meets the eye? Memories of her grandmother from her childhood come flooding back to her. Her grandmother insisted that she wasn’t crazy, but that God was sending messengers to help her find the right path in life.

The book reminded me of a cross between The Shack and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. I recommend this book to most anyone who enjoys a good fiction tale woven with intrigue.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.

Where the Fire Falls by Karen Barnett

This is not my typical book choice as it came across in the initial description as a bit of a romance. However, I was pulled in by it being a part of a vintage national parks series. Specifically, this story takes place in Yosemite National Park in 1929. It focuses on the stories of two individuals whose stories join together in the park (so, yes, there is a love story element involved).

Olivia Rutherford is an up-and-coming artist whose image is a facade designed to get her places as well as to escape her past. An offer by a national magazine for her watercolor landscapes takes her to Yosemite where a man named Clark Johnson is assigned to be her guide. Clark has a past of his own. A disgraced pastor, he now works in the national park, seeking direction for his life while trying to avoid the entanglements of women. Faith is a front-and-center part of the story, but it flows more naturally and isn’t force.

The story drew me in as two people learned to be real with themselves and God. I appreciated the national park setting and learning about the historical Yosemite.

The publisher provided me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

The Rescue by Jim Cymbala

People can dispute the facts of Christianity or that Jesus is the Messiah, but it is hard to dispute personal stories. In The Rescue Jim Cymbala and Ann Spangler share the stories of seven different people. Actually, it is more like the people are sharing their own stories, as they were shared with the authors originally. The seven people come from different backgrounds and walks of life. Their stories are different and unique. They are also quite dramatic. Many share stories of abuse to themselves or abuse by themselves of drugs, sex, or alcohol. Some involve homelessness or depression. But all have one thing in common: the tale of their rescue from their depths of darkness. And every story points to Jesus as being the only One who could rescue them.

I found the stories compelling. It felt as if the individuals were telling me the stories themselves. This is a great book to share with people who are in tough times, or know of people in tough times, or have been through tough times, and would benefit to hear of others being rescued.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.

The Gardener’s Log Book

The New York Botanical Garden has created the Gardener’s Log Book: A 5 Year Planner.  It is a handy resource for the beginning or experienced gardener. It’s waterproof pages let you record what you plant and when you harvest it without worry of of having it outside with you. It contains a season-by-season journal for noting the signs of spring to building a catalog wish list. The log also has grid pages for planning your bed.

For large space gardeners to container or raised bed gardeners, The Gardener’s Log Book is a useful resource for anyone who enjoys raising their own plants. It also contains a few pages of resources for composting, pest control, pruning, and disease control.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.