Jesus, My Father, the CIA, and Me: A Memoir … of Sorts by Ian Morgan Cron

I was disappointed with Jesus, My Father, the CIA, and Me. The description and title caught my attention, but the book failed to keep it. In the book, Cron details the rollercoaster that was his life – in a mostly true format. The book was an okay read, but I really had to push through the rough beginning to get to the better content. Cron’s writing style was not my favorite, but other readers may really like it. Personally, I would be hesitant to recommend this book to others. This book was not a favorite of mine.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

JOLT! Get the Jump on a World That’s Constantly Changing by Phil Cooke

In JOLT!, Phil Cooke covers twenty five different “jolts.” He looks at five different categories of jolts – jolt your direction, jolt what matters, jolt your potential, jolt your heart, and jolt your future. This book challenges readers to break free of the norm and pursue their dreams and to appropriately handle the curveballs life throws. It is written in a down to earth way, but conveys a powerful, encouraging message. Statistics are incorporated throughout the book which adds to the credibility of the “jolts.” I really liked how quotes were used as well to drive a point home. Overall, I found this book challenging in its message, but worth the read. In the uncertain times in which we live, being prepared to adapt to changes is essential.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Praying for Your Future Husband: Preparing Your Heart for His by Robin Jones Gunn and Tricia Goyer

I recently read Praying for Your Future Husband and I absolutely loved it! As a twenty-something single girl, I found this book to be both encouraging and challenging. I loved the mix of personal stories from both authors, the way quotes and Scripture were sprinkled throughout, and the real life stories from other women. The fact that prayers for both my future husband and me were included was a fantastic treat that really set this book apart from other books on the topic of preparing for marriage. The discussion questions that were included were an added bonus. The topics to pray for vary widely – some are common, but others are not. This would be a fun book to read through with some girlfriends or a mentor and I would definitely recommend it.

Please note: I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review, but the opinions expressed in this post are mine.

Unleashed: Release the Untamed Faith Within by Erwin Raphael McManus

In Unleashed, McManus attempts to motivate readers to move beyond tamed Christianity and to embrace a life of faith and risk for the sake of Christ. A nice mix of personal stories, movie references, and Bible verses, Unleashed issues a challenge to readers. Will you read this book and return to your normal life or will you seek to follow the “barbarian” way? The choice is yours.

At one hundred and forty one pages, this book was an easy and fast read. McManus did a good job of holding the reader’s attention and the personal anecdotes really added to the story and drove the point being made home. Overall, I would recommend this book to someone seeking more out of life than safe, worry free Christianity.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The Take Action Bible

The Take Action Bible is a New King James Version Bible that includes stories of people involved in ministry around the world and around the corner, personal note pages for reflections, and 52 ideas of how to put God’s Word in action. The added, full-color sections include the following topics: go, serve, give, heal, and teach. Overall, I enjoyed reading the stories of what people are doing to proclaim the Gospel around the world and found the ideas mentioned to be thought-provoking.

My only complaint about this Bible is that the paper is really thin, which makes underlining or highlighting impractical. Other than that, I think this is a great Bible to have personally or to give as a gift.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Max on Life: Answers and Insights to Your Most Important Questions by Max Lucado

In Max on Life: Answers and Insights to Your Most Important Questions, Max Lucado writes in a relaxed, conversational style. The book covers a wide variety of questions on a myriad of topics ranging from hope, to hurt, to the hereafter. One hundred and seventy two separate questions are answered with raw honesty and the occasional personal anecdote.
This book was an interesting read, as it is written in a different style than other books I typically read. Though it does not flow as a cohesive story, Max on Life offers insight and experience from Lucado’s years of ministry. The short answer style makes this book easy to read and the wisdom contained within is profound.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The Fight of Our Lives: Knowing the Enemy, Speaking the Truth and Choosing to Win the War Against Radical Islam by William Bennett and Seth Leibsohn

“The Fight of Our Lives” aims to help the reader refocus on the threats America faces in the present age. To emphasize the points being made, countless examples are given from history and quotes from various Administration officials are cited. Recent events are included in the book as well. As someone who enjoys the political scene, I found this book to be an enjoyable weekend read. While I do not necessarily agree with all that the authors stated I found the use of current examples to be helpful. In the introduction the authors state that they wanted to focus on the nature of threat and response, as opposed to the specifics. I’m not sure they fully achieved this goal, but it didn’t deter from the book as a whole too much. I have two main complaints about this book, and they’re both style issues, as opposed to content issues. The sentence style used was hard for me to follow at times. However, if I re-read the par t in question I was able to understand what the authors were trying to say. My second complaint is that on numerous occasions the same quote was used multiple times throughout the book. I found that to be somewhat redundant. That being said, I found the book to be a decent read and would give it 3 out of 5 stars.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”