Christian Book Reviews hosteb by Bring It On! communications

April 9, 2013—Hello bloggers, reviewers, and book lovers!

We know-this site is looking a little rusty. We had to set aside our book reviews for several months in 2012, but we are back and hoping that you will join us!

In the weeks to come, many new reviews will be rolling in and when they do, we will be posting them to our new site which is nearly ready to launch. You can visit us at www.TellUsTheTruthReviews.com

So....out with the old.....in with the new! Thank you for being a fan of books! We love what you have to say!

Monday, October 31, 2011

"I loved being able to visualize where the characters were while they raced to solve the clues to the puzzle. Not only was the story entertaining, but I also enjoyed the Disney trivia and folklore that was scattered throughout the book."

The Key to the Kingdom, by Jeff Dixon
Reviewed by Christina at There's Just One Mommy


  • Paperback: 272 pages
  • Publisher: Deep River Books (December 1, 2010)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1935265245
  • ISBN-13: 978-1935265245
After experiencing the magic of Walt Disney World this summer with our kids, I was really excited to discover a mystery book that revolves around the theme park.  After reading it, I have to say my initial expectations were surpassed, and I’m now looking forward even more to future visits to Walt Disney World.

What book am I talking about?  The Key to the Kingdom, by Jeff Dixon.The main character of the book is Grayson Hawkes, a minister with a penchant for Disney trivia.  Hawkes gets pulled into an intriguing and complex puzzle while trying to figure out the mysterious disappearance of his dear friend, Farren Rales, a Disney “imagineer.”  Before disappearing, Rales gave Hawkes a very unique key, the Key to the Kingdom, and told him to not only treasure it, but to use it.  This key becomes a central piece to unlocking the pieces in the puzzle.

Jeff DixonDixon’s characters are well written and fun to travel with through the course of the book.  Each evening as I read, I found myself drawn into the storyline a little more, trying to solve the clues alongside Hawkes. Having been to The Magic Kingdom recently, I loved being able to visualize where the characters were while they raced to solve the clues to the puzzle.   Not only was the story entertaining, but I also enjoyed the Disney trivia and folklore that was scattered throughout the book.

So, would I recommend this book?  Definitely!  In fact, I told my husband it has to be next on his reading list because I really want to be able to talk to someone about the story.

If you are looking for a quick, fun read you can find Jeff Dixon’s The Key to the Kingdom at Deep River Books or on Amazon for $10.87 at the time of this review. Also available on Kindle and Nook.

**I received a free copy of this book from Bring It On! Communications for review purposes.   I was not monetarily compensated in any way for this review.   All opinions are my own.

Monday, October 24, 2011

"Can be used as a great counseling manual for anyone wanting to get married, build their marriage, or save their marriage."

Beating the Marriage Odds 
by William R. Campbell
182 Pages
ISBN 10:   1935265032 ISBN 13:   978-1-935265030
Publisher:
VMI Publishers/Deep River
Price: $11.69

This book caught my attention just by simply reading the back cover. The book can be used as a great counseling manual for anyone wanting to get married, build their marriage, or save their marriage. Although the book is written for Christians, it can be used for anyone. The book offers tons of principles that can help create healthy relationships. The book is backed up by statistics, examples, and scriptures. As Mr. Campbell states, in a marriage you work together as a team. I agree with that statement. As my husband and I have issues as any marriage, I love the fact that we work together as a team. From parenting to finances, and bonding.

He uses the example that I find so true: "If you were buying a car and the dealer told you that it had a 50% chance of being a lemon, would you buy it anyway?" Each chapter in the book has such great topics, real-life examples and scriptures that your and your spouse will find so helpful.


About the book: 
The statistics are staggering. One out of every two marriages today will fail. What is the cause of such staggering statistics? What, if anything, can be done to keep couples together? This book offers concrete principles for building and sustaining a sound marriage. It outlines the most common causes of marriage failure and offers sound principles to avoid or correct such problems. Those who are considering marriage as well as those who have been married for years will benefit from real life examples and principles that they can apply to their own marriages. Beating the Marriage Odds also provides a valuable resource for pastors, small group leaders and counselors.

About the author: 
After graduating from Bradley University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration, William R. Campbell went on to have a successful career in publishing. After retiring to a rural Montana Community, he returned to Seminary where he earned a Master of Arts in Religion with an emphasis on counseling from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He has also earned a certificate in biblical counseling from the American Association of Christian Counselors.

Buy: you can go here and order from Amazon for $11.69.

Disclosure: I was sent products for free to review for my honest opinion, from either a PR agency or a company. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Sunday, October 16, 2011

"Wonderfully inspiring book about a mother's journey with an autistic child and her faith in God"

Lonely Girl, Gracious God
By Lauri Khodabandehloo
Reviewed by Laura at Adventures at Greenacre
 
Published by Deep River Books March 2011
264 pages/Non-Fiction/Autism
 
ISBN-10: 1935265466
ISBN-13: 978-1935265467

Chicken Soup for the Soul contributor Lauri Khodabandehloo takes us on a journey down the broken road that leads us to the truth of God's overwhelming faithfulness, and His promise to never leave us as she shares the special bond between those who are challenged with a developmental disability and the people who love them.
"From the moment of her birth, Farema was not like her sisters. She didn’t respond normally to sounds or the touch of a hand. She was different. Embrace this mother’s deeply personal account of tragedies and triumphs, along with joys and sorrows of raising a child with the devastating disability of autism.

When lives have been turned upside down and we have nothing left to cling to, God offers amazing grace to find encouragement and authentic hope in the face of overwhelming confusion and grief."

I had the privilege of reviewing this wonderfully inspiring book about a mother's journey with an autistic child and her faith in God to help her through it all.

Knowing from pregnancy that something was wrong and fighting what she knew deep down inside is a testament to the intuition we all have but need to listen to more often. Reading how she ultimately dealt with the diagnosis and found the inner peace to accept it was very motivational. I highly recommend this book to anyone who finds themselves wondering why.

I received a copy of this book free, in exchange for my honest opinion.

Saturday, October 15, 2011

"[The illustrations] are very bright and colorful, and really make the story come to life."

Smoothie Rock-A-Teller on the Whopper Stopper  
by Dr. Gerald Mittmann
Reviewed by Brenda of Brenda's Handmade


Illustrated by Gregory Cannone. 
Published in 2011 by Fish Pond, a division of Deep River Books.
ISBN 10: 1-935265-78-4
ISBN 13: 978-1-935265-78-8
 
Smoothie Rock-A-Teller is a children's book about David and Goliath, told from the perspective of a rock. There are 5 chapters and each chapter ends with a Devotion Time. The first chapter is about being made by God, the second chapter is when we meet Goliath, the third chapter is when we meet David, the fourth chapter is when David goes to the Israel camp, and the fifth chapter is when David defeats Goliath.

Each devotion time at the end of each chapter asks questions about the story and ends with a prayer. Since this book is told from the perspective of a rock, the rock re-names everything according to it's perspective. Here are some examples of the rock's new names: a fish is called a "wiggle-mover," people are called "talking-walk-abouts," and sheep are called "baa-baa-mini-cloud-walkers."

It took my 4 year old son and I a couple of months to read this book. It is 52 pages long, and I don't think it's appropriate for a 4 year old. Since the rock re-names everything, it's very difficult to follow who's who in the story, especially if there's some time gaps in between the days when you read it. Also, 4 year olds are already trying to figure out the right name for things, so when things are named the "wrong" thing, it makes it difficult to keep everything straight.

The questions at the end of the story are great, but again, my 4 year old wasn't able to answer most of them. I did really like the illustrations in the book, though. They're very bright and colorful, and really make the story come to life. I think we will try reading it again when he's at least 6 years old. I think my son would be able to appreciate and understand this book much better then.

If you would like to buy this book for your own boy or girl (I do recommend ages 6 and up), it sells for around $10 on amazon.com.

Have any of you already read this book with your child? What did you think?

I received a copy of this book for free, in exchange for my honest review.

Thursday, October 13, 2011

"I love this book! Full of pretty pictures of teacups."

Tea Cup Art ... and Reflections
by Joyce Wilkens
Review by Carol at Song Berries
Hardcover: 122 pages
Publisher: Deep River Books (November 1, 2011)  
Language: English 
ISBN-13: 978-1935265818



Like art, life can be splashed with expected and unexpected curves and colors, offering chances to take a good long look, simmer on your reflections, share your thoughts, and to listen to others…to learn to respect and appreciate our diversity, especially when blended with the perfect symbol of hospitality, the teacup.

Teacup Art . . . and Reflections is a dazzling display of teacups from around the world that are steeped with stories. Photographed with flair and uniquely showcased, artist and photographer Joyce Wilkens ignites your imagination beyond the porcelain on the page. Each image sparks mystery, wonder, laughter, and feelings of peace, and might even make you cry as you reminisce about your own stories. . . where you have been, where you are going, and what inspires you. 
I love this book! Of course that could be because I collect teapots and I adore teacups! This book is full of pretty pictures of teacups. This book is also full of great stories and is a very fun easy read.
You can purchase TeaCup Art at Deep River Books.
~I received a product sample in order to write my review. I received no monetary compensation. All opinions expressed are mine.

Thursday, October 6, 2011

"This book is a powerful tool that should be read by every single looking to tie the knot"

Beating the Marriage Odds By William R. Campbell


Reviewed by Amanda at Graphoniac

ISBN: 1-935265-03-2
VMI Publishers, © 2009
$11.69 @ Amazon.com

Overall Grade: A+
Great prep course for the engaged, refresher for the married
It's no secret that America's divorce rate is 50%. What may surprise you is that this is true, even of Christian couples, those who vow before God to stay together "until death." It's shocking and sad.

But it doesn't matter whether you are Christian or not. If you have the average American mindset, and you're thinking about getting married, you've got a 50/50 chance of staying married.

Whatever happened to lifetime commitment? Is it possible to stay married, and never divorce? In his book, Beating the Marriage Odds, William R. Campbell says, resoundingly "Yes."

But wait a minute. Mr. Campbell has already been divorced... so what does he know?

Well, I read his book, and I'd say he knows a great deal. I've only been married since 2008, but that's already longer than many of my peers. And I'd state, without hesitating, that I have a solid marriage. How? By the training of my own parents, and the counsel of long-married couples in my church, before we wed, my husband and I read a book similar to this one.

If I were to sum up what this book advocates into just one word, it'd be Teamwork. In my own experience and observation, I'd say Campbell's right. No marriage--or other relationship, for that matter--can survive without teamwork. That means truly honest communication between partners, unqualified mutual respect, and determination to make it work. As Campbell points out, if you go into marriage thinking of failure, you're highly likely to fail. If failure isn't ever an option, you're much more likely to succeed.


Each chapter in this book focuses on one principle that any marriage--Christian or not--must have, in order to last. Actual examples illustrate the concepts, and Scripture and statistics are used to support them. In the back of the book are study helps that can be used by counselors or by a couple to help take each of these principles and apply them to real life.

This book is a powerful tool that should be read by every single looking to tie the knot.

Pros:
  • Solid tips based on Scripture, statistics, and personal experience
  • Tell-it-as-it-is approach
  • Easy to understand
  • Practical applications
  • Quick read--doesn't trail on and on
  • Study material and other helps in the back

Cons:
  • Can't honestly see any, unless you have a hard time reading books about marriage written by a previously divorced author. I personally like his unique perspective.

This product was provided, free of charge, to Graphoniac for review. All opinions are my own.

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

"...Comes with an audio CD. This is such a well-done accompaniment...the background music provides just the right amount of mood for the story."

Pookster & Bubs and the Unloose Tooth By Rhonda Funk 
Reviewed by Sarah at Homeschool Blogger 
  • Reading level: Ages 4-8
  • Paperback: 16 pages
  • Publisher: Fish Pond Kids (2010)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1935265407 ISBN-13: 978-1935265405
Meet Pookster - a little girl who just happens to think that teeth are highly overrated and keeping them in too long can be hazardous to your health. Meet Bubs - her big brother who would be perfectly okay if a tooth NEVER came loose! Too bad Pookster has to learn the hard way that sometimes it’s better to wait on God than it is to do things on your own!

It’s funny - she wanted so badly to lose them….now she just really wants them back! This lesson on patience will make the young reader laugh and the old reader recall the days of loose teeth, dental floss, and a doorknob….need I say more?

My Opinion:

Almost all children who get a loose tooth become impatient to get it out whether they believe in the tooth fairy or not, it’s like a rite of passage, get the tooth out at the first wiggle.  Using verse Isaiah 40:31 “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” to tie in the theme of patience brings a wonderful story back to the Lord.

Colorfully and cartoonish-ly illustrated this book will appeal to all ages, all three of my children enjoyed and I even found myself enjoying the pictures and the story as well.  I can still remember the time that I had a very loose tooth and I wanted it out – so my dad tied it with string or maybe it was dental floss to the foot of the rocking chair and had one of my brother’s rock it.  The tooth stayed in but I was in a lot of pain. If only I’d had Pookster and Bubs to teach me the value of being patient when waiting for a tooth to fall out.

This paperback book comes with an audio CD that is narrated by the author, Rhonda Funk with help from Ryan and Rylee Funk.  This is such a well done accompaniment to the book, the background music isn’t overpowering and it provides just the right amount of mood for the story.  It’s perfect for listening to in the van on long trips or even short trips.  Oh and for anyone who is wondering, there is no tooth fairy just praying to God and learning to let Him remove the tooth.

Order Pookster and Bubs and the Unloose Tooth here.

**To read more reviews like this one, go to: Tell Us The Truth Reviews

**I was given a copy of this book from Bring It On! Communications in exchange for my honest opinion, no other compensation was given.