The Girl in the Glass Review

The Girl in the Glass

By: Susan Meissner

 

The Girl in the Glass was a beautifully written story. I loved the plot and the surprise of it all. The characters in this story were well developed from start to finish.

Meg, works for a Travel book publishing company and has dreamed of visiting Florence, with her father. Due to circumstances beyond her control she gets to Florence on a whim and is able to meet up with Sofia, a woman who is attempting to get a Memoir on her life in Florence published and one of her Photographers for the Florence travel books, Lorenzo. Meg has the time of her life in Florence, seeing places and images that she has longed to see her entire life.

There are many challenges and obstacles that Meg, Sofia, and the book begin to face. The story unravels in interesting and unique ways.

The only thing that I did not enjoy about this book was the way the digital copy came through on my Kindle. It made reading parts of the story difficult as many words were squished together. I am sure this was just a digital copy error, and did not hinder the actual enjoyment of the story.

This was truly a great story to read. Can't wait till I get to go to Florence! :)

Starring Me Book Review

Starring Me

By: Krista McGee

 

Starring Me, by Krista McGee was such a fun read! It was definitely written for the younger generation, teens and young adults, but I truly enjoyed it. When you have a busy schedule and just need something fun to read, it is nice to be able to pick up a book like this that is fun, fresh, and easy!

Kara McCormick (also a character in the First Date, starring Kara‘s friend Addy Davidson, which I read and enjoyed) is trying to get started with an acting career and has the opportunity of a lifetime to do so with a new Comedy Show. When she gets the chance to audition, she heads to Florida (home of her friend Addy) and begins the audition with many girls who have their noses stuck up in the air (to put it nicely). Kara stays true to herself throughout the auditions, and never gets a “big head”.

Chad Beacon, who just won America’s Next Star, a singing competition similar to American Idol is going to be the male lead in this new comedy show, even though many say he is throwing away his career. His parents want a Christian girl to be his co-star, and the search begins.

With whit and humor, the book unfolds. I was able to make pretty solid predictions throughout, however, I was engaged in the story the entire time. The characters are very enjoyable and you find yourself wanting the best for each of the characters.

I don’t want to give anything away. If you want a fun read or have a teenager who simply is searching for a newfound relationship with God, this is a great book for you or them.

Thank you Booksneeze for the opportunity to read this book.

Live Fully Alive

Fully Alive

By: Ken Davis 

Fully Alive: A Journey That Will Change Your Life, by Ken Davis was not exactly what I had expected. It was written like a “self-help” book and this is not what I was preparing to read. The author, Ken Davis, even said at the beginning of the book, “This is not a self-help book,” which for some it probably wasn’t. I really wanted to skip over the chapters about exercising and eating right in order to be “fully alive”, because I am a fitness instructor and found this part to be dry. However, when I look at it from other perspectives, I can see the benefits of writing chapters like this.

The overall theme of the book, Living Fully Alive is a great one. Ken Davis talked about if you are not living Fully Alive, you are living Fully Dead. This can be an eye opener for anyone, no matter where you are in life.

I read someone else’s review before choosing this book, and they mentioned that this book was funny. I did not see much humor in this book, but to each their own.

As mentioned, this book was not what I was expecting, but the overall message of living your life Fully Alive was a powerful one.

Thank you Booksneeze for the opportunity to read this book.

A Fun Read!

The Scent of Rain

By: Kristin Billerbeck

The Scent of Rain by Kristin Billerbeck was a fun story with a unique plot.

Daphne is a “Nose”. Her job is to sniff and create product based on her sense of smell. At the beginning of the story, Daphne is about to be married to the man of her dreams. However, when she is ready to walk down the aisle, the groom is nowhere to be found, and there are no guests on the groom’s side of the church. Daphne is devastated and with that devastation she loses her sense of smell. She isn’t ready to move on, but she must. She has quit her dream job in Paris because she and her fiancé were going to work together in Dayton, Ohio, so this is where she heads, even though she doesn’t have a sense of smell in order to do her job, create household products that smell good.

Daphne meets her boss Jessie who instantly has an attraction, and being one who enjoys reading girlie books, I knew something would develop here.

Daphne soon realized that she was not going to get her sense of smell back any time soon and simply had to face the idea of moving on with life, leaving the past behind her. When she determined to do this, she found that God’s mercies are new every morning, a theme in the book.

I really enjoyed reading this story, compliments from Booksneeze. 

Grace

Grace

By: Max Lucado

 

I know I have mentioned before in my reviews that I love reading Max Lucado’s books. I have not changed my mind! Grace; More than we Deserve, Greater than we Imagine, by Max Lucado is one of my new favorites by him. It is one of the most simple yet profound book I have read. I was able to read it in two days, but could have sat on the couch and red the whole thing from start to finish had I not had other priorities. It read that well.

Max Lucado takes the time to explain Grace. Not just Grace for the moment, but Grace for a lifetime. With each chapter, Lucado gives a real life story that gives you a picture of what he is speaking about, something you can relate to or have heard in the news or from a friend. Stories that provide you with examples of Grace, God’s Grace.

Lucado has a way with words. He always has and that hasn’t changed. There is something about the way Lucado writes that draws you in from the first page and makes you want to keep reading.

Do you need to be reminded of God’s Grace for your life? Do you need to be reminded of how much God Loves You? This is a wonderful book to read for that very purpose.

Thank you Booksneeze for the opportunity to be filled with Grace.

I Exalt You, O God!

I Exalt You, O God

By: Jerry Bridges

 

I Exalt You, O God, by Jerry Bridges is a devotional type book that is great for rookie and veteran Christians of any age and place in their walk with the Lord.

The book is broken into three parts. Part One is “For your Greatness, O God, I Exalt You”. This part of the book talks about the Lord’s greatness; greater than the nations, greater than nature, infinitely great, etc. It is a section of the book that really helps the reader capture God’s greatness and majesty. Part two is “For your Holiness, O God, I Exact You”. This part of the book talks about God’s holiness; his perfection, purity, luster, brilliance, mercy, etc. This part of the book helps the reader delve into the Holiness of God and really take some time to reflect on what God has done for them. Part three is “For your Wisdom, O God, I Exalt You”. This part talks about how God has orchestrated everything and He simply wants our trust. Part four is “For your Love, O Lord, I Exalt You”. This section focused on God turning his wrath aside for me, and you, because He Loves.

Each Day there is a new reading, for 31total days. A great month long devotional. The devotionals are easy to read through. As a reader, you can combine one day with additional readings from the Bible, or journal writing to reflect on each reading. Or, you can simply read the book straight through.

I enjoyed Jerry Bridges’ writing, and I am looking forward to the next book I just purchased by him! Thank you Waterbrook Multnomah’s Blogging for Books Program for a copy of this book!

Song of the Brokenhearted

Song of the Brokenhearted

By: Sheila Walsh and Cindy Coloma

Song of the Brokenhearted by Sheila Walsh and Cindy Coloma was a very good read. Since I have personally been dealing with a broken heart in many areas of my life I was looking forward to reading this book. It has helped me to read books that deal with brokenness during my times of trial as a way to keep the promises of the Lord close to my heart.

Ava, appears to have it all together. She has a loving husband with a good job, a daughter about to get married, a son who she has a great relationship with, and an outreach she leads for those who have had a difficult time. Little does she know, she is the one who will need the most help.

Ava is always the one encouraging others to pray and seek the Lord, but as her life starts to fall apart in different ways, she finds others leading her to the Lord through prayer and their grace towards her.

The book flowed really well, and it was easy to read and get into the plot. I have read several other books by Sheila Walsh and have found them to have a similar flow.

Thank you Booksneeze for the opportunity to read this book!