Book Review: "The Chocolate Diaries" by Karen Scalf Linamen

I recently received a complimentary copy of the book "The Chocolate Diaries: Secrets for a Sweeter Journey on the Rocky Road of Life" by Karen Scalf Linamen from Water Brook Multnomah as part of their book review program.

In this book, Karen Linamen shares many stories from women from all over who show us how to live a sweeter life when the road may seem bumpy or rocky. There are many different chapters and sections with great, funny, and uplifting stories to cheer up your day. There are also some chocolate recipes at the end of the chapters that sound very delicious. This book's stories inspire you to laugh again no matter what rocky road of life you may be on today. It reminds us to have joy in our day to day lives no matter what situation we may be in. We need to look on the brighter side of life and look for a sweeter side to our problems. This is the encouragement you will find in this book. I would recommend it to all chocolate lovers as it correlates life's ups and downs to the sweet we all know and love!!

Book Review "The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney" by Susan Veness

I recently received a copy of the book "The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World" by Susan Veness from Adams Media as part of the Booksneeze book review program. "The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World" takes a deep look into all four theme parks at Walt Disney World. It gives you little hidden things to look for and how they secretly do things in each park. From history to the underground workings of these parks, you will find all of the answers in this book. If you are planning a trip to Disney, this would be a great book for you to take in the park with you and try to find some of these hidden secrets. Also, if you are a Disney regular this will give you some new things to do and seek in the parks. We are planning a trip to Disney this year and I have thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and discovering some very interesting facts about Walt Disney World. This is a book we will take with us on our trip.

Book Review: "Max on Life" by Max Lucado

I recently received a complimentary copy of the book "Max on Life" by Max Lucado from Thomas Nelson publishing as part of the Booksneeze book review program. The opinions listed below are my honest opinions of the book.

Max Lucado's books are always written so well and communicate to the reader in a way that makes you understand God's Word better. In "Max on Life," Max takes many of the questions people and readers have asked him and he gives a Biblical answer for each. It covers topics from the big questions on faith and heaven to the more personal questions we may have about managing our money or raising our kids. The book is divided into topics to help you find the questions you may have quicker. You could read this book all the way through or simply look up an answer to a question you may have had for awhile. What I love about this book is Max Lucado's simplistic yet knowledgeable way of communicating the Bible to help the reader better understand a topic. I found many questions and answers to be very helpful to me and one of the things I love is how much scripture he uses to reference his answers. They are not just his opinions, but he gives God's Word to back up his answers. This is a wonderful book to add to your library.

Book Review: "The Final Summit" by Andy Andrews

I recently received a complimentary copy of "The Final Summit" by Andy Andrews from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of the Booksneeze book review program. The opinions below are my honest opinion of the book.

This is the story of David Ponder who was introduced first in Andy Andrew's other book "The Traveler's Gift." In "The Final Summit," David Ponder is called to a meeting with others in history such as Winston Churchill and Joan of Arc. They must work together with only five chances to come up with two words that will save the world. The world has seen centuries of greed, pride, and hate and is headed toward utter disaster and this is why the mission to save the world must be met. Time begins running out and David Ponder and the historical figures must quickly work together to solve this mystery. This was an interesting story line. I normally do not read many stories with history involved; however, Andy Andrews has a way of communicating to his readers that make you remember and love the lessons you learned in history class. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a great read.

Book Review: "When Sparrows Fall" by Meg Moseley

I recently received a complimentary copy of the book "When Sparrows Fall" by Meg Moseley from Waterbrook Multnomah as part of their book review team. The opinions below are my honest opinion of the book. This is the story of Miranda Hanford who is a widow and mom to six children. She lives a very private and quiet life and attends church with a very close-knit church family. Mason is the leader of the church she attends and when he decides to move his entire congregation to another state, Miranda sees this as her chance to remove herself from Mason's controlling ways. Mason does not want that to happen so he threatens to unearth secrets from her past. She feels the need to protect her children and is forced to do what Mason says. Her oldest son, Timothy, contacts their Uncle Jack who is a college professor. Timothy informs Jack that Miranda has been hurt and while she gets better, Jack will be their legal guardian. Jack falls in love with the children and brings life back into them. He does challenge their conservative lifestyle which makes Miranda upset at times. Miranda longs for freedom, safety, and love and this story is her journey to reclaim these things for not only herself, but also her children. This is a wonderful story of hope and love and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading Christian fiction. Meg Moseley tells a wonderful, engaging story. You can go to this link to read an excerpt if interested.

Book Review: "How to be God's Little Princess" by Sheila Walsh

I recently received a complimentary copy of "How To Be God's Little Princess" by Sheila Walsh for a book review from Thomas Nelson Publishing as part of the Booksneeze review team. The opinions of the book are my honest opinion.

Sheila Walsh is the popular author of the Gigi series "God's Little Princess." Both of my girls just love Gigi so I was super excited to do a review on this book. Upon receiving it in the mail, my 5 year old was so happy and couldn't wait for me to read it to her. What little girl doesn't love a book on how to be a princess? This book goes through different sections from how to dress like a princess to how to be a good friend like a princess. I love that this book covers the heart of a princess and not just the outward appearance. It gives cute tips on manners, etiquette, and includes little quizzes and games and activities for your daughter to do. This will be a book that my daughter will keep and read for a long time. We read a few pages each night and she loves it. I know when she is able to read on her own, she will want to read it again on her own because she loves this book that much.

Book Review: "Love Food and Live Well" by Chantel Hobbs

I recently received a complimentary copy of the book "Love Food and Live Well" by Chantel Hobbs from WaterBrook Multnomah as part of their book review program. The opinions of the book below are my honest opinion of the book.

Chantel Hobbs is a life coach, personal trainer, marathon runner, wife, and mother of four who previously lost 200 pounds and has kept the weight off. This book tells about her 80/20 rule for eating and how you can apply it to your life to keep the weight off. This rule basically says that 20 percent of the time you can splurge on the foods you love and the remaining 80 percent of the time you eat only based on fueling your body and giving it foods for ultimate health. This book is wonderful in my opinion. Many times most diets totally cut out all foods that I love and this one allows you to splurge for special occasions and celebrations without feeling guilty. She also incorporates exercise and recipes into the book. It even has illustrations of all the exercises she recommends so that is quite helpful. I plan to use this book as a resource book when I start trying to lose my baby weight after having my third baby one month ago. You can go here to read an excerpt from the book if interested.