Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary

Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary is the most comprehensive and up-to-date Bible dictionary available. With a fresh new look and updated photographs, this new and enhanced edition is a wealth of basic study information with more than 7,000 entries plus more than 500 full-color photographs, maps, and pronunciation guides.

Features include:

• Cross-references to major translations
• More than 7,000 up-to-date entries
• More than 500 full-color photographs and maps
• Enlarged type size for easier reading
• Visual Survey of the Bible from The Open Bible

My review:

  The first thing I noticed about this book when I took it out of the box was how big it was and how heavy it is. It comes in at 1224 pages plus maps. And it covers everything and everyone imaginable. If it is in the Bible, it is in this book, all arranged alphabetically.

  As the title suggests, this is an illustrated Bible dictionary. It has tons of pictures, along with diagrams and other illustrations and diagrams. Each book of the Bible is listed with information about it, along with a study and teaching outline.

  This is an impressive book and a useful tool for preachers, teachers, and anyone else interested in studying the Bible in more detail and learning more about what they are reading. Not every word has a lot of detail, and not every word needs it, but some of the bigger subjects do have more detail and space dedicated to them.

  I obviously did not read every word of the book before I posted this review, but I read enough of it and looked through it to be able to say it is worth having. This is a top notch book, and very well done. 

About the Editor and Contributors

Ronald F. Youngblood is Professor of Old Testament and Hebrew Emeritus, Bethel Seminary San Diego.

F.F. Bruce (1910-1990) was Rylands Professor of Biblical Criticism and Exegesis, University of Manchester in England.

R.K. Harrison (1920-1993) was Professor of Old Testament at Wycliffe College, University of Toronto.

Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary is available from Thomas Nelson Publishing.

Thanks to BookLook Bloggers for the review copy.

Forever Christmas by Robert Tate Miller

This Christmas will change Andrew Farmer's life forever.

Andrew can't remember the last time he spent Christmas away from work. The end of the year is crunch time for literary agents. But when your career is your life, your life starts to suffer . . . beginning with your marriage.

When a heart-wrenching accident in a Christmas Eve snowstorm jars this high-powered agent from his obsession with success, a Christmas miracle will give him a second chance at love, life, and gratitude, but only if he can put aside his own ambition and learn to appreciate each moment.

Sometimes it takes a tragedy to change a man's life--and to teach him to treat every day as if it were his last.

My review:
   I love Christmas stories and have read a lot of them over the years. Any time I get the chance to review one, I take advantage of the opportunity, even if it is an author I am not familiar with, as was the case with this one. It would seem this is the author's second book, and if he continues to write books like these, he will go far.

   This book is set during Christmas, as one would assume by the title and description. It combines the themes of second chances, forgiveness, and sacrifice in such a way that it makes an unforgettable and moving novel. It is difficult to give this book the review it deserves without giving spoilers away, but I'll try.

 I really liked the main character. He is a bit arrogant and self-centered at the beginning of the book, but he really comes through by the end of the book. The plot was excellent. I thought I knew where it was going, but the author pulled a couple of twists that I didn't see coming. The setting was great. It made me want to visit this the hometown of the couple in the book during the Christmas season, as it sounded so magical.

 The book aroused many emotions in me: the wonder of Christmas, the awe of a God who does indeed give second - and many more - chances, and other emotions I won't bother to list.  When I ended the book, I found myself wiping tears from my eyes and thinking "wow, what an awesome book." Mr. Miller has done himself proud with this one, and is a book I will highly recommend.

About the author:

Robert Tate Miller began his writing career with homespun essays of small town life that were published by Reader's Digest, The Christian Science Monitor, and the Chicken Soup for the Soul book series. He moved to Los Angeles in the late 1980s and wrote successful family-oriented telefilms for NBC, ABC Family, and the Hallmark Channel. Robert lives in Northridge, CA, with his wife Gina and stepdaughter Chloe June.


Forever Christmas is available from Thomas Nelson Publishing.

Thanks to BookLook Bloggers for the review copy.

My Breaking Point, God's Turning Point by Ricky Texada

God Gives Us Hope in Crisis
Everyone faces heartache and disappointment at some point in life, but when there is profound loss and tragedy you may feel helpless and hopeless. You may even find yourself questioning everything you have believed about your future and about God's love and His plan for your life.

Ricky Texada shares his own story of unexpected loss and personal devastation, offering new perspective on God's amazing ability to restore. Would God reveal Himself in the midst of the darkest days of his soul? Could He be trusted after allowing so much pain? Was it possible for the sorrow to be turned into joy, allowing Ricky to run the race of life again with purpose and determination?

My Breaking Point, God's Turning Point demonstrates that hope can be found in the midst of devastation. As you join Ricky on this journey, you will find that God hears those who seek after Him, and that in the midst of loss and heartache, He reaches out . . . and restores.

My review:
  This book isn't listed as a biography, but it is very biographical, and I rarely, very rarely read biographies. But this book is worth reading.

  It is easy to look at some people and think they are problem free, especially those in the limelight. The author of this book is one of those people who would seem to have to have it all together, yet he experiences incredible loss in his life, losing his wife in a terrible car accident.

 In the book, he tells of how God brought him through that, and then he uses the lessons he learned to help others apply those lessons to their lives to help them through whatever they are going through.

 The book is interesting, and very helpful. It isn't one to read through quickly, but is one to read over slowly and think on. Each chapter ends with a "Restore and Renew" section that has some questions and things to think on and put down on paper. It is followed by "Reconnect and Revive", which is a prayer.

  I'd recommend this to people who have had a tragedy in their life or tough times.

My Breaking Point, God's Turning Point is available from Bethany House Publishers, part of the Baker Publishing Group..
Thanks to Bethany House for the review copy.

About the author:

Ricky Texada serves with his wife, Cyd, as pastor of Covenant Church in Colleyville, Texas, one of the four Covenant Church campuses in the Dallas/ Ft. Worth area. Throughout his 20 years of ministry, Ricky has challenged and inspired thousands around the globe to pursue a deeper walk with Christ. Ricky and Cyd share an incredible testimony of God's faithfulness in the midst of tragedy and difficult circumstances. They are the parents of two sons. Visit rickytexada.com for more information.

Where Treetops Glisten by Tricia Goyer, Cara Putman, Sara Sundin

The crunch of newly fallen snow, the weight of wartime

Siblings forging new paths and finding love in three stories, filled with the wonder of Christmas

Turn back the clock to a different time, listen to Bing Crosby sing of sleigh bells in the snow, as the realities of America’s involvement in the Second World War change the lives of the Turner family in Lafayette, Indiana.

In Cara Putman’s White Christmas, Abigail Turner is holding down the Home Front as a college student and a part-time employee at a one-of-a-kind candy shop. Loss of a beau to the war has Abigail skittish about romantic entanglements—until a hard-working young man with a serious problem needs her help.

Abigail’s brother Pete is a fighter pilot hero returned from the European Theater in Sarah Sundin’s I’ll Be Home for Christmas, trying to recapture the hope and peace his time at war has eroded. But when he encounters a precocious little girl in need of Pete’s friendship, can he convince her widowed mother that he’s no longer the bully she once knew?

In Tricia Goyer’s Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, Meredith Turner, “Merry” to those who know her best, is using her skills as a combat nurse on the frontline in the Netherlands. Halfway around the world from home, Merry never expects to face her deepest betrayal head on, but that’s precisely what God has in mind to redeem her broken heart.

The Turner family believes in God’s providence during such a tumultuous time. Can they absorb the miracle of Christ’s birth and His plan for a future?

My review:

  I don't often review romance novels, but I am a sucker for Christmas books and will review any that I get the opportunity to review, so of course I grabbed this one.

  There are three stories in the book, each by a different author, and each centering around a different sibling in the same family. The whole book is set during World War II, with military figures playing a big part in each story.

  All three stories were extremely well written, and the authors did such a great job that it is not obvious that the stories were written by different authors. They read like they could be from the same author. As with most romance novels, they did tend to be a bit predictable: boy meets girl, boy and girl fall for each other, boy and girl get married. However, that did not detract from the story. The combined backdrop of Christmas and wartime made an excellent combination and there was still that unknown part as you wondered if it was going to come out the way you wanted it to.

  I'm not a big World War II buff, but to my mind, it seemed the authors did the historical parts right, and I know at least two of them have written novels set during that time period before. Their research paid off.

  If you're looking for a great Christmas novel to read this Christmas, and don't mind three somewhat predictable novellas, I highly recommend this book. I felt my time reading it was well spent.

About the authors:

TRICIA GOYER is the author of 35 books and has published over 500 articles for national publications. CARA PUTMAN is the author of twelve novels and two novellas including Shadowed by Grace, and she is the winner of the 2008 Carol Award for historical fiction.SARAH SUNDIN is the author of the Wings of the Nightingale series and the Wings of Glory series. 

Where Treetops Glisten is available from Waterbrook/Multnomah Publishing.

Thanks to Litfuse for the review copy.

The Promise by Beth Wiseman, and a Kindle HDX Giveaway

Most authors draw from life experience when writing a book. However, for best-selling authorBeth Wiseman, the inspiration forThe Promise came from encounters most readers could never imagine happening in their own lives. Inspired by actual events, Wiseman describes her latest release as the largest project she has undertaken since her first book was published in 2008. 

Mallory Hammond is determined not to let her boyfriend, parents, or anyone else get in the way of her #1 goal---to save a life. She had that chance when she was a teenager, and the opportunity slipped away, leaving a void she's desperate to fill. Then a new friend she met online offers her the chance she's dreamed of. But she'll have to leave behind everyone she loves to take it.

Tate Webber has loved Mallory for years. He understands that Mallory's free spirit has to fly, and when he gives her the space she needs, he hopes that when she lands, the two of them will be in the same place and can marry at last.

In a bold move---and with lots of resistance from Tate and those closest to her---Mallory decides to travel across the world to fulfill her dream. Tate begs her not to go, but Mallory embarks on the dangerous journey to Pakistan anyway, only to discover how swiftly and easily promises can be broken. Her new friend isn't who he says he is. And Mallory can only pray she'll make it out alive.

My review:

  I don't usually read Beth Wiseman's books, as she mostly writes Amish books, but this one sounded more along the lines of what I usually read, so I requested it for review. It also intrigued me that it was based on a true story.

  Overall, I liked the book. It had its moments of suspense, which appeals to me. I liked the characters, and the fact that the main character was determined to save a life to make up for the one she couldn't help, even though she got in over her head, and how her boyfriend did all he could do to bring her safely back to the USA.

  I don't know how much of the book is fiction where the author took license, and what is based on fact, but I am assuming the parts about the main character being duped into helping a sick girl, then getting trapped in a Middle Eastern country and being forced to become the second wife of a Muslim is based on fact. Regardless of which parts were real, it made for an interesting and entertaining read.

 What I didn't like: Mallory's boyfriend, Tate, prays for her often and tries to win her to Christ, yet it is inferred a couple of times that he is trying to get her into bed. It isn't said if they are sexually active or not, but it bothered me that the author would write that into the story - a Christian guy trying to get his girlfriend to God while also trying to get her into his bed. Also, there was one use of the derogatory curse word often used for women. It had no place in a Christian book, and I was disappointed and disgusted at it being included. I seriously doubt the author would insert it in one of her Amish books.

  Other than those two issues I had with the book, it is a good read.

About the author:

Beth Wiseman is a Carol Award Winner, Inspirational Readers Choice Winner, INSPY Winner, and the best-selling author of the Daughters of the Promise series and the Land of Canaan series. All of her books have held spots on the ECPA (Evangelical Christian Publishers Association) bestseller list and the CBA (Christian Book Association) bestseller list. She grew up in Houston, Texas and now resides in a small town west of Houston with a population of around 300. She lives with her husband, two dogs, two cats, two pot bellied pigs, two chickens and a pygmy goat. Her two grown sons also live in Texas. Beth has been writing in some capacity for most of her life. She's a former award-winning journalist with eleven honors, including 'First Place News Writing' for The Texas Press Association. However, writing love stories with a spiritual message is where her heart is. When Beth isn't writing (which is seldom these days) she enjoys traveling, cooking, fishing, reading, or just settling in for a good movie. Her best times are spent with family and friends! 

Find Beth online: website

   

Thanks to Litfuse for the review copy.

In a daring new novel, Beth Wiseman jumps way outside the box. The Promise will take readers far away from Amish country and small Texas towns to a dangerous place on the other side of the world. Inspired by actual events, this is the book Beth has been working toward for a long time.

Curious? Click here to read the reviews, and be sure to enter Beth's Kindle HDX giveaway!
One grand prize winner will receive:

• A Kindle Fire HDX
• The Promise by Beth Wiseman

Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on November 9th. Winner will be announced November 10th here.

Quilted by Christmas by Jodie Bailey

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Quilted by Christmas Abingdon Press (October 21, 2014) by Jodie Bailey

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

A note from the Author: Well, I’m a regular ol’ person. Who just happens to write. A lot. Probably more than I should. I firmly believe that God created me to be a writer. From the time I learned how to string letters together into words I’ve been making up stories. Believe me… I have a very rich imagination. I used to think I was weird; now I know God just put me together that way. I can’t even watch commercials without expanding them into stories in my head. I am humbled and honored all at the same time that God looked down from heaven on me and said, “Jodie, do what you love.” Wow… how awesome is that?

I have always loved to write. I have stories that I wrote when I was in first grade. I used to sit at my grandmother’s yellow electric typewriter for hours, banging out my own little stories. When I was eleven, she bought me a typewriter of my own (It was 1984, okay?) and I would write and write on it. I wrote stories out by hand, and they ran to hundreds of pages. I got my first computer when I was eighteen, and the first thing I did was write a story on it. I wrote for school. I wrote for fun. I wrote for my friends. I’d get them on the phone and make up stories for them. (I earned the nickname “Dreamweaver” for that one. Nobody calls me that anymore, but it still stands as the coolest nickname I ever had.)

ABOUT THE BOOK

Taryn McKenna believes she’s easy to forget. Abandoned by her parents and left behind when her high school sweetheart joined the army, she vows to never love again and throws herself into her love for the outdoors and the pursuit of a college degree—something no one else in her family has ever accomplished. Her goal, as a young teacher in the hills of North Carolina, is to leave a legacy in the lives of the middle-schoolers she teaches. When Taryn’s grandmother Jemma, the only other person who ever held her close, has a heart attack that reveals a fatal medical condition, Taryn is corralled into helping Grandma work on a final project—an Irish chain quilt that tells the story of her history and the love Jemma knows is out there for Taryn. As the pieces of the quilt come together, Taryn begins to see her value. Can she learn to believe that God will never leave her behind even though others have?

If you would like to read the first chapter of Quilted by Christmas, go
HERE.



This is one I want tor read, but I've not had time and the date crept up too fast. Will try to post a review later

The One Year Hearing His Voice Devotional by Chris Tiegreen

This year, learn to listen for the voice of the One who loves you most. We know for sure that God speaks to His people. Throughout the pages of Scripture, time after time, He guides, instructs, corrects, inspires, encourages, and reveals. Inspired writers even call Him “the Word.” He has always been vocal, and He always will be.

But what does He say to you? How does He say it? How can you know when you’ve heard Him? In The One Year Hearing His Voice Devotional, Chris Tiegreen will help you discover patterns and practices you can adopt to hear God better. Listening to God is a process, a journey, and an adventure. He promises that those who seek Him will be rewarded with His presence and His voice. And the words of the living God are powerful and life-changing.

My review:

  I have looked at the other devotionals in this series before, and thought they looked good, but never bought one. When I saw this available for review, I decided there was no better time to try it.

  As the title would suggest, this is a 365 day devotional. They go from January 1 through December 31. Each devotional starts with a Scripture verse, followed by a devotional, and ends with a short prayer.

  I have not read the whole devotional, but have been reading it daily for a couple of weeks and looking through ones that precede the month of October. I would not have thought it possible to write a 365 day devotional all about hearing God's voice, but the author has done so. And they are great devotionals. I have read some devotionals in my life that were shallow, but these, although they are interesting and short, are not shallow, but are the kind that can inspire and help one on their walk with God, which is what a good devotional should do.

 I like the devotional well enough that I am going to check out others in the series, which are by the same author. I'd recommend it for men or women.

About the author:

Insightful and thought-provoking, Chris Tiegreen has inspired thousands of

people through his popular One Year devotionals including The One Year Walk with God Devotional, The One Year At His Feet Devotional, and The One Year Experiencing God's Presence Devotional. He is also the author of Unburdened and several other books. His experiences as a missionary, pastor, journalist, and university instructor bring a unique perspective to his writing. He is currently an editor at Walk Thru the Bible.


The One Year Hearing His Voice Devotional is available from Tyndale Publishing.

Thanks to Tyndale for the review copy.