You Carried Me by Melissa Ohden

You Carried Me by Melissa Ohden in the story of a young woman and the journey she has taken after she discovered she was the survivor of a botched abortion attempt.  When she was fourteen she discovered the early part of her life story that was unknown to her - she knew she was adopted, but was not aware of the circumstances of her birth.  The book chronicles her response to learning this, her early attempts at coping with it, and her subsequent search for her birth parents and more information about her past.  It also includes the role faith has played in her story and how she is now actively working and using her voice to defend the unborn and speak for those who have no voice.

This book was a fantastic read, and very smooth and personal in it's delivery.  The author did a great job of sharing how these life events impacted her as she grew up, and the positive and negative challenges of her life - such as when she became pregnant with her own children.  Melissa intimately invites readers into her pain, but also allows them to share with her in the joys she discovers along the way as she comes to terms with who she was and more importantly who she is today.

I am a member of Handlebar Publishing and in exchange for a review I received this book for free.  I am not obligated to give a positive review - just an honest one.

One Lost Sheep by Rhonda Gowler Greene

One Lost Sheep by Rhonda Gowler Greene is a beautifully illustrated children's book based on Jesus' parable in Luke 15:3-4.  "Suppose one of you had a hundred sheep and loses one of them.  Doesn't he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?"  The writing in the book flows effortlessly, and the pictures are stunning, yet incredibly inviting to little ones as Rhonda Gowler Greene sends the Shepherd all over the hillside, looking for his one lost wayward lamb.

My children absolutely love this book.  My two year old is particularly taken with it due to the fantastic sing-song nature of the writing, as well as the bright, vibrant and inviting illustrations that accompany each page.  As a parent, it is wonderful to be able to find stories that teach Biblical truths in ways that are easy to share and explain to my children.  My favourite page comes at the end of the book where Rhonda Gowler Greene writes "Like that shepherd, God above, keeps us in his boundless love.  The Lord God is our shepherd too, watching over… me and you."  Due to the themes of the book, this is certainly a piece of literature that can be enjoyed by children of all ages.

I am a member of Book Look Bloggers and have received this book free in exchange for an honest review.

Samson: A Savior Will Rise by Shawn Hoffman

Samson: A Savior Will Rise by Shawn Hoffman is based on true stories of the horrors endured by the Jews at the hands of the Nazi's during World War II.  It follows the Abrams family from their life in occupied Poland to their enslavement in the concentration camp at Auschwitz.  The main character Samson, an Olympic boxer is forced to fight for his life where if he wins he gets extra rations, and if he loses, he is sent to the gas chambers.  While at the camp, Samson meets a Polish Catholic priest named Maximilian Kolbe who becomes a sacred friend and helps Samson wrestle with the question of "Where is God in the face of such evil?"

I found this book incredibly difficult to read and review.  The story itself is gripping, but the brutality of the events is certainly not blunted or sugar coated.  If I didn't have to read the entire book to review it, I likely would have put it down because it was so disturbing.  At one point, about half way through, I had to skip to the end of the book to see if there was any hope or justice given, because if there wasn't, I would have been unable to continue.  The fact that the book is based on true events is heart wrenching and distressing, but I kept reading holding out hope that something good was coming.  It did, but not in the ways I had hoped for.  This book is a good read for someone who wants to have their eyes open to the horrors of war, but be prepared to be consumed with thoughts about the book and the horrors of the holocaust that will last much longer than the story - and perhaps that's not a bad thing.

I am a member of Book Look Bloggers and have received this book free in exchange for an honest review.

The Prodigal by Brennan Manning and Greg Garrett

The Prodigal, by Brennan Manning and Greg Garrett is a story about a mega-church pastor who is caught in an affair with his personal assistant.  It is about the fall from his high position and the journey he goes on when he finds himself back in the small town he was born and raised in.  He has a lot of questions to answer and relationships to restore, and this story uncovers many of the different dynamics and complications from the choices he has made in the past.  It is a story of redemption, consequences and plenty of grace.

The Prodigal is a fun, quick read that still carries some great spiritual significance.  It took me a while to get past the overtly stereotypical characters at the start, but once I got deeper into the story, it was really quite easy to get wrapped up in the book.  The book has a certain amount of predictability in it as it follows the framework of the parable of the prodigal son in the Gospels, but my favorite part of the story was seeing the unconditional love of the Father towards his son.  I always enjoy books that take Biblical truths and present them in a different format to give fresh perspective on a familiar story.

I am a member of booksneeze.com by Thomas Nelson Publishers. In exchange for writing a review, I received this book for free.

Peace on Earth: A Christmas Collection by Mary Engelbreit

Peace on Earth: A Christmas Collection by Mary Engelbreit is a beautifully illustrated picture book that includes a variety of poems, readings and Christmas songs.  There are current and contemporary writings included, as well as older poems and songs that capture the true meaning of Christmas.  It contains a nice mix of well known and maybe not so familiar songs and writings about Christmas.

The illustrations are really something special, and my children love to snuggle up on the couch with this book after supper together and read through it and sing the songs together.  It helps to have a book like this to re-focus on the importance of Christ as the centre of Christmas.  Even though it is a children's book, I think it has an appeal that would stretch far beyond childhood.  I can see how this would be a book that would actually appeal very much to those blessed with long life as it could bring back some great memories of Christmas' gone by.

I am a member of booksneeze.com by Thomas Nelson Publishers. In exchange for writing a review, I received this book for free.

Unglued by Lysa TerKeurst

Unglued by Lysa TerKeurst is a refreshingly honest read about the world of raw emotions.  She describes 4 different reactions that women can have when we experience a flood of emotions that have the potential to rob us of the joyful life that God intends for us (two different kinds of exploders and two different kinds of stuffers).  Her vulnerability and openness about the struggles and progress in her own life is an encouragement to women everywhere who want to change but don't know how.  She continues to cover a variety of other related topics to raw emotions such as managing jealousy and negative inside chatter.

Lysa provides hope and encouragement and realistic steps towards forward progress throughout the book.  The thing I appreciated the most about this book was the understanding that perfection isn't the goal, but progress in the right direction is.  Her real life stories are incredibly relatable and make women feel like they are not alone in the struggle to control their emotions, and she brings this often hidden topic into the open and makes it something easy to talk about.  A great book with lots of real life application.

I am a member of booksneeze.com by Thomas Nelson Publishers. In exchange for writing a review, I received this book for free.

Boundaries for Leaders by Dr. Henry Cloud

Boundaries for Leaders by Dr. Henry Cloud is an excellent book with a very apt title.  Dr. Cloud explores the challenge of why some people get results and others don't.  He spends the first part of the book exploring the brain science behind success and then explains a program to help steer companies in the right direction of developing a culture that is conducive to growth and productivity.  It is a very well laid out book with a lot of very practical explanations to help leaders in a variety of situations to get the most out of themselves, out of their employees and all the other individuals they work with.

I can see how this book would be incredibly helpful for someone in the corporate world or as a leader in a church environment.  As a stay at home mom with an interest in leadership development, at times it felt quite over my head, but I did enjoy the read and found many relevant tidbits of information that could be applied to the different situations and interactions I find myself having with others.

I am a member of booksneeze.com by Thomas Nelson Publishers. In exchange for writing a review, I received this book for free.