MONDAY: Revolve 2010

Summary

Magazine-format New Testament geared to teen and pre-teen girls. Content includes the Bible verses as well as "interviews" with Bible characters, verses in "text"- like spelling, stories of real teens that relate to Bible messages or are inspiring on their own, and Bible-related pieces by famous teens.

Full-color layout includes reprints of key phrases, like you would find in a magazine article.


Review

I have had this on my shelf from the publisher (I am a reviewer for Thomas Nelson) for a year. Now that I have taken the time to go through it, I am sad that it took me this long to read and review it. This is a very clever concept. Visually appealing, comfortable layout, and just plain cool. I would give this to my nieces or to the girls I teach and I think they would love it. In fact, I plan to take my copy to school so my writing students can check it out. Not only is it a good New Testament resource, but the layout and sidebar ideas could give them ideas for their own writing projects.



4.5 out of 5 stars

Recommended for: teen and pre-teen girls, youth pastors/youth workers for small group study or to have on a table for students to peruse.


Cautions: none





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WEDNESDAY: The Noticer

[I am a reviewer for Thomas Nelson Book Review Blogger Program. I received an electronic copy of this book to read and review with no promise of a positive review.]

Jones is a mysterious man. He's there for awhile and then disappears. He always has on the same clothes, and carries the same briefcase. No one knows where he lives. He knows so much about so many people. He has an easy way about him - casual, approachable. But he is also very direct. He sees right to the heart of things and offers fresh perspective to long-term problems. It isn't a surprise that people are drawn to him, and that those he helps are so pleased to see him when he returns.

I was not a fan of this book. There were touching moments in some of the interactions Jones has with characters who are struggling, but I felt they were only loosely tied together into a "story." I kept wondering where it was all headed and couldn't pin down a structure. Some of the interactions seemed lifted right out of those emails people are always forwarding to one another, like the one about the person buried with the fork in his hand. Another section loosely rehashes love languages. It felt unoriginal. I did like the messages about perspective - reframing how we look at life's difficulties, seeing things through the eyes of others, etc., but those weren't enough for me to give this a positive review. If I were giving stars, I would give this book 2.5.

WEDNESDAY: Find Your Strongest Life by Marcus Buckingham

Trading days again this week! Come back Wednesday for a picture book review.


Ladies, are you feeling overwhelmed? Looking for balance? Wondering why you aren't happier with your life? Marcus Buckingham would say it is because you aren't playing enough to your strengths. Find the experiences where you feel at your best, most energized, most "in the groove," and capitalize on them. Cultivate MORE of them and change how you are feeling about your life.

This is the sort of book that catches my eye at the bookstore. I am always looking for more insight into who I am and what I should be doing with my life. For others looking for that sort of book, I highly recommend Find your Strongest Life. I found a lot of statements that spoke to my experiences and the things I want for my life. I would have liked it if he would have used more examples of women who stay home with kids who are also looking for their "strongest life." I also would have preferred a place to write answers to the questions he poses in the chapter summaries. The faith angle was also very minor, which surprised me from a book published by Thomas Nelson. But those are minor complaints compared to the things I enjoyed. This is the kind of book I would give to friends for Christmas to encourage them in their own journey.

There is a "test" that you can take here to find out what your leading and supporting roles are. I love that the test is free (you just need a copy of the book to know what the results mean and how to apply them). The questions were difficult for me to answer at times. Some dealt with work situations that were outside my experience, even before I started working from home. I also wasn't convinced that my results were accurate when I first got them and read the names of my two roles. When I read the descriptions, though, I was surprised at how close they were.

I am a reviewer for Thomas Nelson and I highly recommend this book. [I received a free copy of this book to read and review with no expectation of a positive review.]

WEDNESDAY: Fearless by Max Lucado

Yes, I know it is Tuesday. No, I didn't make a mistake in posting a book about faith today, when I should be talking about a great book for kids. Today is the release date for the new Max Lucado book, Fearless and as a reviewer for Thomas Nelson, I needed to post my review today. So, come back tomorrow to hear about a fun children's book my son and I enjoyed this summer.


Fear. It paralyzes. It discourages. It holds back. It robs. Fear can keep us from enjoying the life God has given and it can keep us from venturing out on any new adventures with Him. Max Lucado's latest book, Fearless, hopes to challenge readers to leave behind the life of fear and keep our eyes on Christ.

For me, it succeeded. I was challenged and inspired by Fearless. There were portions of the book that seemed written just for me and brought me to tears. Each chapter examines a different sort of fear (fear of insignificance, fear of death, fear of violence, etc.) and gives recommendations for dealing with that fear. Each chapter includes trademark Lucado Bible analysis. I love how he breaks down a Bible story in a way you may not have seen before (my favorite in this book is a discussion of the Transfiguration). I believe this is a book I would read regularly, to refocus my eyes off my fears and onto Christ. It comes with discussion questions for groups or individuals looking for ways to dig farther into the material.

[I am a reviewer for the Thomas Nelson Book Review Blogger program. I received a free copy of this book to read and review with no expectation of a positive review.]

WEDNESDAY: Rick and Bubba's Guide to the Almost Nearly Perfect Marriage By Rick Burgess and Bill Bussey

(I am reviewing this book for Thomas Nelson as a Thomas Nelson Book Review Blogger. I received a free copy of this book to read and review with no expectation of a positive review.)

Billing themselves as the "two sexiest fat men in America," Rick and Bubba take on the subject of marriage in this book of top 10 lists and family anecdotes and words of wisdom. They cover a variety of topics including marriage vows (what they really mean), the three sides to every story (hers, his and the truth) and money matters. ("No matter who the major breadwinner is, the money belongs to both of you. So do the bills.")

The lists in the chapters were my favorite parts - things like the Rules of Engagement, Top 10 Things NOT to Say on the Way to Your Honeymoon, and Rick and Bubba's Surefire Ways for Guys to Know She's the One (btw, I failed miserably on their scale and had to inform my husband that I was not "the One"). If you are looking for some serious commentary on marriage, this is not the book for you. I didn't walk away from it feeling like I had discovered any new insight into the hard work of marriage. But I don't know that I was their intended audience, either. It's possible that male readers, and the newly engaged and/or married might get more out of this than I did. If you see it and it sounds fun to you, check it out. I'm sure you will find something to chuckle about.

WEDNESDAY: Notes from the Tilt-a-Whirl by N. D. Wilson

(This is my first review for Thomas Nelson as a Thomas Nelson Book Review Blogger. I received a free copy of this book to read and review with no expectation of a positive review.)

Wilson likens life to a Carnival and explores philosophical and faith issues in a stream-of-consciousness style. He endeavors to make sense of the world and our questions about it. The chapter called “Unwomb the World,” for example, has some interesting and challenging thoughts about God and how evil can exist in the world.

When I like a non-fiction book, there are often notes in the margins and passages highlighted or underlined. And there were a few places in this book where I made those sorts of marks, like when he wrote “Change this world. Use your body like a tool meant to be used up, discarded, and replaced. Better every life you touch.” (pg 154) Overall, though, I found this book difficult to read and difficult to like. There were pages where I read and read, but couldn’t pinpoint what the author wanted to say or wanted me to understand. This was just not my style of non-fiction book, although I have a few friends who would love it.

[Sensitive readers may be surprised by some word choices the author makes and how often he talks about sperm for a Christian book that isn’t about sex. Everything fit with what the author was communicating, but it may catch some readers by surprise.]