"Under The Sea - Holy Bible" Book Review and Giveaway

How cute is that cover. You can't really tell from the picture but the fish and anemones are glittery too. Sparkly! I'm already sold.

As you can see from the top of the cover, this particular Bible is New International Reader's Version. In other words, it's NIV in easy reading style. Here are a few examples:

Romans 5:1
In original NIV - Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ

In NIrV - We have been made right with God because of our faith. Now we have peace with him because of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 11:7
In original NIV - By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

In NIrV - Noah had faith. So he built an ark to save his family. He built it because of his great respect for God. God had warned him about things that could not yet be seen. Because of his faith, Noah showed the world that it was guilty. Because of his faith he was considered right with God.

Psalm 27:1
In original NIV - The LORD is my light and my salvation - whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life - of whom shall I be afraid?

In NIrV - The LORD is my light, and he saves me. Why should I fear anyone? The LORD is my place of safety. Why should I be afraid?

I haven't read through this entire bible but of all the passages I read, with my NIV in hand, I thought the substitutions were appropriate and still accurate to the meaning of the verses. Plus, as you can tell from the examples given above, it makes it easier for younger readers to understand. Of course, some of the richer, deeper picture meanings may be lost (as in the case of 'place of safety' replacing 'stronghold') but by the time a child is old enough to appreciate the subtle ancient cultural metaphors, they would likely no longer wish to be reading from a sparkly fish Bible anyway.

There are no marginal notes, concordance or cross references. However, when an Old Testament passage is quoted in the New Testament, as it frequently is in the gospel of Matthew, the original reference is given in parentheses. There is also a 5 page dictionary in the back as well as 2 page list of where to find well known stories such as David and Goliath, and The Flood. The "Under the Sea" Bible also has a few colorful pages throughout the text that match the cover and talk about prayer, love, 10 commandments etc.

All in all, I'm pleased with this Bible and would definitely feel comfortable giving it to a child to read. So here's the good news:

YOU CAN WIN A COPY!!!

Happy Dance! I'm having a draw March 29th. (my birthday - just sayin') Winner will get a free copy mailed from the publisher. Comment below if you want in. Good luck.

"Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.

Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway.  If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller / FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, you are not eligible to win.  Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.”

"Glimmer Girls" Book Review and GIVEAWAY

As I read book 1 and 2 in the "Glimmer Girls" series by Natalie Grant, I kept having the same thought over and over. This is like a Christian version of Polly Pocket. I mean that in a good way. It's hard to find books for 9-12 year old girls that aren't full of sorcery. One big upside to the Glimmer Girls series over Polly Pocket though is that Glimmer Girls isn't focused on fashion and makeup. While I love a great tube of lipstick, I don't want it to be the focus - especially for young girls who are trying to figure out who they are and what's important.

"London Art Chase" is the first in the series and follows three sisters, daughters of a professional singer, as they tour around London, England. During their time their they unravel an art theft mystery.  Kindness was spoken of often as was prayer but not in a preachy way. (Spoiler alert) The only pause I had about this book was that one of the sisters sneaks out by herself and in the end solves the mystery. While she did get in trouble, my concern is that this glorified running away since nothing bad happened to her during her escapade and in the end she's treated like the hero. However, what Disney or Juvenile Fiction doesn't portray the kids as being the ones to solve the mystery?  Likely a harmless outcome.  And truthfully, if that's the worst thing I can say about the book, it's a pretty quality piece of writing.

"A Dolphin Wish", book two, builds on book one so you'll want to read it first. It follows the girls to San Diego where another mystery needs solving. The themes of selfishness, proper motives and prayer are tastefully interwoven into the story. I enjoyed the little factoids that were nicely placed into the story lines as well.

I highly recommend these books to anyone with a 9-12 year daughter! There's a little something for everyone - adventure, wishful thinking, moral teaching, and silliness. Both books remind the reader about the importance of turning to God when you're struggling with feelings typical of girls in this age group - like not fitting in and feeling unimportant.

Now for the exciting part:
I have a copy of these two books to giveaway.  YAY!  If you'd like your name entered into a draw on Mar 22nd, please leave a comment below.  Good luck.

"Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.

Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway.  If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller / FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, you are not eligible to win.  Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.”

"One Dress, One Year" Book Review

"One Dress, One Year" chronicles the life of Bethany Winz for one year as she tries to raise awareness and funds for Human Trafficking by wearing the same dress every day for one year. For anyone, this type of commitment is admirable. In a 16 year old girl, it's quite uncommon and to be applauded.

Human Trafficking is deplorable and in the past I too have joined the fight to end it. Therefore, I would not want to say anything ill of this book. However, I think the cause and Miss Winz have more value than this book when it comes to inspiring others to get involved.

It isn't that the book isn't enjoyable per se. It's just that it's like reading the diary of a 16 year old because that is what it is. It's cute, it's sad. But it didn't grip me. Truthfully I didn't even finish it. It would be interesting to know what 16 year olds thought of it since I'm a middle aged woman and perhaps not the intended demographic. However, I did enjoy the facts about Trafficking given throughout the book.

This criticism isn't to be taken to heart Bethany Winz! I'm just one person with a big mouth. You continue to shine!

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc."

"Annabel Lee' Book Review

They say you can't judge a book by its cover. You can with this one. Dark, mysterious, twisting, so good.  I.loved.this.book. I don't even know how to give a quick plot synopsis so the following is the press material for "Annabell Lee".

Fourteen miles east of Peachtree, Alabama, a secret is hidden.
The secret's name is Annabel Lee.

She doesn't know why her enigmatic uncle has stowed her deep underground in a military-style bunker. He's left her with a few German words, a barely controlled guard dog, and a single command: "Don't open that door for anybody, you got it? Not even me."

Miles away in Atlanta, private investigator Trudi Coffey is visited by a mysterious older man calling himself Dr. Smith. He's been trailing a man for a decade--a man she met through her ex-partner Samuel Hill--and the trail has led him to her office. The last thing Trudi wants to do is to contact Samuel. But it will take both of them to unravel this mystery--before it's too late.

Still doesn't do it justice.

I'm afraid I wasn't the best parent while reading this book because I couldn't put it down and more than once hid in my bedroom to finish another chapter uninterrupted. At one point, while reading on the living room couch, I happened to look out the window and saw a pickup truck driving slowly by our house. I knew "Annabel Lee" had me under its spell when my first thought was, "That pickup is up to something!" Perhaps I'd better read a comedy next.

There was nothing overly gory in this book but it was violent and there are some dark parts to it. And while it doesn't happen in the story, sexual violence is alluded to. My mystery loving young teen daughter took one look at the cover and started reading it before I had a chance. Upon finishing, she said it was too much for her. And truthfully, if I'd read it first, I would have suggested she wait until she was older.

Author Mike Nappa - you have managed to write a novel that I'm tempted to reread sometime. That is no small feat.

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc."

"A Treasure Concealed" Book Review

When we the last time you gasped while reading a romance novel because something so shocking took place?  I'm betting your answer is never. I can no longer answer that way. I'm not going to give anything away, but will admit that I honestly gasped out loud once while reading "A Treasure Concealed" By Tracie Peterson. Not only that but the author did a great job of introducing new plot twists.

"A Treasure Concealed" is the story of the daughter of a poor gold miner who hides her beauty from the world. A dashing geologist, who also happens to be a rich heir, happens into their lives and the drama begins.  One thing I like about Tracie Peterson's writing is that it isn't smutty at all. There's plenty of adventure and heart fluttering but without all the unnecessary 'heavy-breathing'. (If you get my drift.)

I have nothing at all negative to report about this book. It was well written, the plot kept moving and I never felt frustrated by the main woman in the story. Next time you're looking for light reading material, I suggest "A Treasure Concealed".

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc."

"A Fool and His Monet" Book Review

There are times in life when you look out the window at the grey drizzly sky and think, "Nuts". There are other times in life when you look out the window at the grey drizzly sky and think, "Yes!" Once I started into "A Fool and His Monet" by Sandra Orchard, my perception on the value of our miserable weather changed dramatically. What an enjoyable book.

In the past year, I've read about 10-12 mystery novels and for the most part enjoyed them. However, they often just sort of, well, end. There's no real trail of clues that you can follow. Instead you're handed dead end after dead end and then all of the sudden, It's Professor Plum in the kitchen with the candlestick. The end.
Oh, wait, what?

However, in "A Fool and His Monet", the author artistically led you through the process of narrowing down the list of suspects. And then instead of just ending with, "It was so and so", she started unravelling the why and hows. Thank you Ms. Orchard for that!

"A Fool and His Monet" is the tale of an FBI Art Crime Team officer tracking down two stolen pieces from a museum heist and I thoroughly enjoyed a couple of the characters too. Every time the character named Aunt Martha came onto the scene, my mind started to smile because I knew it was about to get good. I also enjoyed the self-deprecating inner dialogue the main character has with herself - quite humorous.

There is a bit of violence but nothing graphic and certainly nothing to shy me away from allowing my young teen daughter from reading this novel next.

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc."