Through Rushing Waters

Through Rushing Waters, written by Catherine Richmond, tells the story of Sophia Makinoff in 1876. Sophia is originally from Russia, and she finds herself teaching French in New York City, ready to marry a US Congressman. When she learns that the Congressman has proposed to her roommate, she takes the first opportunity to leave the city and become a missionary teacher. She is soon working at the Ponca Indian Agency in Dakota Territory where she learns that the children in the community need food, shelter, and clothing as much as they need to learn about history, science, and math. While teaching at the school, she meets many new people, including Will, the agency carpenter. Will has an attachment to the Ponco people, and he has learned their language and takes every opportunity to teach them carpentry as well as show them that Americans can provide assistance to the tribe.

I loved the character of Sophia, as she was tough and she did not get scared by those who threatened to harm her. She also grew in her faith during the time she spent in Dakota Territory. She was a great teacher, and was very dedicated to teaching the people. She also showed initiative by reaching out to others in her home community asking them to send supplies to all of the needy Ponco people. Sophia also learns about her relationship with Christ. When she first came to the agency, she didn’t even seem able to pray without the help of her prayer book. As time progresses, Sophia is able to pray on her own and she actually does it at many opportunities. Will was also a great character; he was always trying to do his best for the Ponco people. In addition, he really cared about Sophia. He always put her protection before his own and spent his time to make her life as comfortable as possible while in the Dakota Territory.

This was a great book, and a quick read. I would definitely recommend it to others.

I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” 

Stress Point

Although I’m not quite in my 20s yet, both of my sisters are in their mid-twenties, so I was excited to read Stress Point: Thriving Through Your Twenties in a Decade of Drama by Sarah Francis Martin. This book was set up like a devotional and looked at the topics of money, love and dating, body image, jobs, career, bank accounts, and many more issues that are especially important to someone starting a new phase in their life. The book gave readers the opportunity to write in a journal-like format after reading a particular topic.

I really enjoyed reading this book, and I will be giving it to my older sister to also read. I think this book will be helpful to me in the future as I start a life away from home, and continue to rely on God for all of the difficulties and struggles I may face.

I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

The Beauty Book

I have to admit, the cover of The Lily Series book, The Beauty Book, was what made me really want to read this book and then pass it on to my younger cousin. I have red hair and my family members all have red hair, so I thought this book would be the perfect gift for my middle-school aged cousin. I am so happy I selected the book by Nancy Rue for review. The book is formatted as a Question and Answer, and it asks questions about skincare, shaving, clothing, braces, nail polish, and many other topics that are of interested to tween-aged girls. There are also quizzes, the Lily pad where you can fill in certain questions, and the “talking to God about it” section.

I think this book will be great for girls in Middle School, as it talks about topics all girls worry about, and it does it in a Godly manner. There are also cute little drawings, and as I mentioned before, I love the cover art. J I think the tips contained in this book will help with things from clothing selection to steps on how to do a manicure and pedicure.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Books. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

From Blaw to Awe

I recently read From Blah to Awe: Shaking Up a Boring Faith written by Jenna Lucado Bishop. I was very excited to have the oppotrunity to read this book, and I was not at all disappointed with this book. The book was divided into two separate sections which consist of Why Do I get Bored with God and Does God Get Bored with Me? Throughout the book there were real life stories which showed examples and personal experiences.

This book was written in a way that I found very relatable. Sometimes books seem to talk down to teenagers, but I felt this book seemed more like a friend talking to me than someone just telling me what to do and what to think. Also, I liked the journal portion and questions, as they really made me think more about what I was reading. I think this book would be the perfect read for a small group of friends who want to get stronger in their faith.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255vf: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."  

Alienation

Alienation, A C.H.A.O.S. Novel, written by Jon S. Lewis, is the second book in the C.H.A.O.S. Trilogy. I didn’t have the opportunity to read the first book in this series, but since this was recommended for people who liked The Homelanders series, I decided to give this book a try. Overall, it was very different from anything else I have ever read. The book deals with the main character, Colt, beginning to get ready to attend military school with his friends to learn about battling aliens to protect Earth. When Colt finds his name on a list of people to be killed, he finds himself questioning who he can trust in addition to keeping the world safe.

As I said before, this is the first time I have read a book like this, but I enjoyed reading it. It wasn’t too difficult to follow the story, but I would have preferred to have read the first book in the series. I liked reading about the friendship between Colt, Danielle, and Oz, and the fact that the book was a quick read was also a plus. I think this book would be more geared toward science fiction fans, but I found myself rooting for the characters and wanting to learn more about their fighting aliens.    

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelseon Books. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Smitten

Smitten by Colleen Coble, Kristin Billerbeck, Denise Hunter, and Diann Hunt is a different kind of story than I have ever read. The book looks at a time in the life of four best friends who are trying to save their town of Smitten after the closing of a local mill. The book is different in the aspect that each character in the book is written by a different author. Each author writes as an individual best friend trying to save their town and manage their relationships. The relationship aspect was also good, as each character remained true to their faith and focused on their faith as they brought life back into their small town.

I already gave this book to my cousin to borrow, as I think anyone my age will be extremely interested to read this relatively quick read. Since each character was so different, anyone can read this and related to at least one character.    

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements  

His Steadfast Love

His Steadfast Love by Golden Keyes Parsons looks at the time of the 1861s during the Civil War, and the choices families were forced to make when one person they loved decided to fight for the North while another member fought for the South. Along with the daily difficulties that came from running a plantation, Amanda also had to continually worry about the whereabouts and health of bother her brother and the man she planned to marry. Throughout the book, Amanda faces many difficulties, and, at times, she finds herself thinking that God chose not to care about her family or answer her prayers anymore. Although she went through times of doubt, she continually returns to her faith throughout the work.

I really enjoyed this book. For the first few chapters, I did not think I would enjoy the book, as I didn’t really know where the story was going. I feel like the book really began to pick up after the first 40 or so pages, and I became really invested in the character of Amanda. For those who have seen Gone With the Wind, she sort of reminded me of the Scarlett character…except she didn’t seem to be at all spoiled. She was the one left to hold her family’s home together after tragedy struck. Throughout the book, she remained strong in her resolve to look after her siblings and ensure they had a roof over their heads.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.