Review of The One Year Devos for Teen Girls!

Note: I do not own this image

The One Year Devos for Teen Girls by Dannah Gresh and Suzy Weibel is a great devotional for teenaged girls who are finding their way in the world and tackling some big topics associated with growing up and becoming a young woman of God. There is one topic per day, and the reading is relatively short with really great content. It starts with a Bible verse which the topic is based around and ends with an application challenge. The authors of the devotional do a great job of incorporating the big topics girls are faced with and interested in—everything from social media, world issues, dating, fame, drugs, self-image, to money, and more in a biblical context and what being a Christian should be in the environment of our modern and rapidly changing world. These topics are great in the fact that they not only give a biblical perspective but also leave many things open for the reader to think about and form her own opinion.

This is an excellent premise for parental discussion, especially with a mom. I believe this devotional is perfect for girls aged 12 to 15 to converse with their mothers about what the Bible says and what they believe about it. It opens topics up for discussion that a mother and daughter may not necessarily discuss in passing. The pre-teen and teen stage are a time of great change, not only physically and emotionally. There’s a huge spiritual and intellectual growth that takes place, and its critical that the adults in a girl’s life foster growth. As a college student, I know these kinds of discussions (either with a parent or adult a girl looks up to) are essential to developing critical thinking skills in evaluating one’s worldview and the worldview of others and compare them to Scripture. This really helps the process of helping a girl transition from child to woman, and I believe this book is a great method of opening up conversation and fostering that transition.

The devotional is well-written, easy to understand, and very much geared towards questions, concerns, and attitudes teen girls may have. I give a five out of five for this one!

Note: Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book for reviewing purposes.

Blessings,
Prism

Dead Come To Life!!!!

Song addiction of the month! :)

Shadowhand Cover Reveal!

I am super, super super pumped to be a part of the cover reveal for Anne Elisabeth Stengl's latest book, Shadowhand! Shadowhand is book 6 in the Tales of Goldstone Wood series. You can see my reviews for books two, three, and four by clicking on the links. I am a huge fan of the books- they are so fantastic and transport you into another world that is absolutely enthralling!

Blurb about the upcoming book:

"She Will Take Your Own Two Hands

To Save Your Ancient, Sorrowing Lands."

  

By her father's wish, Lady Daylily is betrothed to the Prince of Southlands. Not the prince she loves, handsome and dispossessed Lionheart, but his cousin, the awkward and foolish Prince Foxbrush. Unable to bear the future she sees as her wedding day dawns, Daylily flees into the dangerous Wilderlands, her only desire to vanish from living memory.

But Foxbrush, determined to rescue his betrothed, pursues Daylily into a new world of magic and peril, a world where vicious Faerie beasts hold sway, a world invaded by a lethal fey parasite . . .

A world that is hauntingly familiar.

 

For the official cover reveal site and for fun things about the upcoming book, go here: www.shadowhandnovel.blogspot.com.

Are you ready?

Here it is!

 

Isn't it absolutely gorgeous? I love her expression and how the background brings attention to her. Her dress is absolutely gorgeous and well-detailed. The bird is also a great touch and adds to the intrigue of the book.

This is just another addition to the absolutely breathtaking covers from the series. Props to whoever drew/designed them. So beautiful!

Here's the book lineup:

 I just can't pick my favorite one! They are all so great!

Also, the author is having a giveaway for a Tales of Goldstone mug!

Enter by clicking the link: a Rafflecopter giveaway

You can get more entries by liking the authors FB page, following on twitter, ect.

I hope you all are able to read the books in these series. They're on my "favorites" shelf at home, so I highly recommend them.

Blessings,
~Prism~

 

Review of Rescue Team!

Rescue Team by Candace Calvert is the second book in the Grace Medical series. Nurse Kate Callison, who we met in the first book, has move to Austin to serve as a temporary ER director at Austin Grace Hospital, filling in for the previous director. Kate is struggling. The previous director seems to have been the angel of the department, and Kate feels as if she is in a losing battle if she tries to compete with the memory of the last director.

Things get worse.

A terrible tragedy takes place in the ER, and Kate soon finds herself drowning professionally and personally. The event has brought much scrutiny to her ability to run the ER, and it has shaken her to the core. Her mysterious past is revealed, and the reader is able to see why this case is so hard for her.

Enter Wes Tanner, the hero. Literally. This search-and-rescue volunteer enters at the same time as the tragedy and soon finds himself intrigued with the ER director, much to her dismay. His life has revolves around rescuing those in need ever since he was a young boy, and he can't help but feel as if Kate Callison is in need of some rescuing. Soon, his respect and desire to help her turns into something more, and Kate finds herself starting to think that maybe she can let her walls down.

However, a startling discovery shakes their already rocky relationship. Wes and Kate both come to question their relationship. Can Kate overcome her past? Will Wes be able to?


The Good:
This book is well-written. I liked how each book in the series has a different hero and heroine. You don't have to read the books in succession and can pick up anywhere. Even though the books can be standalone, the main character of the next book is introduced in the current book. For example, we first met the mysterious Kate Callison in Trauma Plan, but we didn't get to fully know her and this built up for suspense in the this book.

Although most romance novels have similar general plotlines, the author brings in a twist with the medical and search-and-rescue occupations. Kate's job in the ER made me feel as if I were in the ER with Kate. Wes's personal experience with search-and-rescue and his different missions was also a great addition and worked to endear the reader to the hero.

The characters are well-written with flaws that they work with throughout the book. The secondary character cast is diverse and add perfectly to the story; I did not feel as if they were in excess or meaningless. The secondary characters helped push and pull the main characters towards each other and God.

I love how this book faced some tough topics and had a well-written romance without turning to the overt or crude. I love medical fiction that makes the reader feel as if they are there without making them feel as if they entered a medical textbook. The author provides a good blend of excitement, romance, and a glimpse into life in the ER.

The Bad: Nothing major. There's a major twist in the story that I can't divulge without spoiling. Somehow I never felt as if there was complete closure on the issue. I realize this book isn't intended to be a mystery book, but the mystery of how the plot-twist initially happened is never figured out.

The Ugly: Nothing! A great, clean read!

All in all, I rate this book four out of five stars!

Specifics:
~Length: 379 pages
~Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. (April 19, 2013)

Note: Thanks to the publisher for providing me with this book for reviewing purposes.

Blessings,
~Prism~

Review of Starflower!

Starflower by Anne Elisabeth Stengl is the fourth book in the Christian fantasy series Tales of Goldstone Wood. You can read my reviews for the second and third books by clicking on the links.

A furious dragon vs. a man-cat and a mortal girl. Doesn't seem like a fair fight at all, does it?

When the beautiful Lady Gleamdren is kidnapped by a fairy queen turned dragon, the amorous poet of Rudiobus, Eanrin, is quick to pledge to save her, as is his rival who is equally determined to win Gleamdren's heart. The two decide to race each other to save the beautiful lady, but Eanrin gets sidetracked when he attempts to escape a terribly frightening white hound that has been pursuing him and when he saves a mortal girl, trapped in sleep, from a river. He saves her out of the goodness of his immortal heart, but little does he know this girl has power unexplainable- the power of courage and love. Starflower, or Imraldera as Eanrin calls the girl, joins him in his noble quest. As the story unfolds, Imraldera's true story is revealed, and the dark powers pursuing her and her ability to aid Eanrin instead of hinder him becomes more and more evident.

Although the girl has much strength, does she have the fortitude to stand up to the dragon witch and the dark force after her? Will Eanrin rescue his lady-love? What is this white hound, and will he harm Eanrin?

As with its predecessors, Starflower is a story as imagination-inspiring and beautiful as its cover. This book can be a standalone book, without knowledge of the characters from previous books. This book is set as a prequel to the previous three books in the series, so we delve into the past of characters such as Eanrin, who we first saw as a feline protector in the first book, Heartless. He gives the book its breath of lightheartedness but also contributes in deeper ways- I absolutely loved learning more about the mysterious man-cat from the previous books. The lead character, Starflower, is strong and captivating, quite representative of the cast of characters we have seen in the author's previous books. She is bold and self-sacrificing, as shown by her actions and love of her sister. I love the depth of emotion in this book- it is a book with heart. Parents will also appreciate that it is a clean book with strong morals and spiritual truths.

I highly, highly recommend this book. Brilliant, captivating, a must-read!

Note: Many thanks to the publisher for providing me with a free copy of this book for reviewing purposes.

Blessings,
~Prism~