What a Son Needs from His Dad: How a Man Prepares His Sons for Life by Michael A. O'Donnell.

I think the goal of every parent is to give their kids the tools they need so that they can be normal people.  This book focuses on the relationship of a father to his son(s).  Each chapter goes into details on the subjects of working hard, having fun, friends, developing a relationship with Christ, being a good citizen and sexuality/marriage.  The author used passages from scripture and from other books to offer good ideas and stories to enhance his points in each chapter.

I think the thing that I realized most about this book, and from watching our kids, is that being a good example has got to be the most important part.  You can tell them all kinds of things that they should do, or ways that they should act, but if you don't back that up yourself, it's somewhat pointless.  That's kind of an eye opener and should be a constant reminder. 

For a parenting book, I enjoyed it.  It wasn’t a book that you burned through the pages because you couldn’t wait to get to the end, but I suppose that wasn’t the point.  It was meant to be a book to read and consider.  I would say that it was a success in that regard. 

I received this book from Bethany House as a part of their book review program. 

Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo with Lynn Vincent

Heaven is for Real is about the experiences of a 3yr old boy that went through a serious medical issue and the stories he told afterwards about heaven.  Colton Burpo seems like any normal young boy who likes animals, bugs, and good guys and bad guys and super heroes.  He gets very sick partially due to a misdiagnosis, and meets the ultimate super hero...Jesus.  The story goes on to tell of Colton's detailed description of heaven and the people he met there, including people from Biblical times and people from Colton's family history that he's never met, and how those experiences changed his family.

I know many people who have read this book and said how good it was, so I was anxious to read it.  I really enjoyed it as well.  I think the best thing about it was that it reminds us that it takes faith like a child.  I think too often we get wrapped up in theology and trying to decipher the "hidden" meanings of what the Bible says, when maybe it's as simple as how a child would describe it.  It also reminds us how little we really know about heaven and brings up questions asked in the book about the concept of time in heaven, what people will be like, and the end battle.  I'll say I was skeptical when I started the book, but I'm not sure how a 4yr old would be able to talk about the Trinity, Satan being cast into hell, and why Jesus had to die, unless his dad was just making it up, which I find hard to believe.  So, I choose to believe it, and I think it was good story that I would recommend to others

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://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 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Heroes & Villains of the Bible: Real Stories, actual Bible Text compiled by Tama Fortner

Heroes & Villains of the Bible: Real Stories, actual Bible Text compiled by Tama Fortner is a collection of most of the well known stories from the Bible.  Each story is either about a Hero or a Villain.  It uses actual text from the Bible to tell the stories of each individual.  The message of this book is to show how God works not only through the Heroes in the Bible, but also the Villains as well.  I think this book is appropriate for all ages, but may be better for older children who are able to read, as it is not full of pictures that smaller children can look at.

I did enjoy how the book was laid out, and wasn't expecting it to be over 300 pages long.  I was hoping for a book for small children with lots of pictures, but the pictures are only at the start of chapters showing the Hero or Villain.  The pictures seemed to be computer generated and s ome were more realistic than others.  Some just looked weird.  The message of the book was clear as stated above and was taken straight from the Bible.  I would recommend it to others, but again, I think it would be better for older children who could read it on their own.  There is a lot of material in this book, and might be good for bedtime reading with kids for the basic Bible stories.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://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 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Lion of Babylon by Davis Bunn

Lion of Babylon by Davis Bunn

The story follows Marc Royce, a former intelligence officer from the United States, called to Iraq to find a friend who has recently gone missing.  He works across national, political and religious lines to bridge gaps and try to find his friend before it’s too late.  The story is set in Iraq amidst the rebuilding of the country and the struggle for power in the new government.  Marc meets new allies and finds new enemies in his quest.

I thought this was an interesting book with a  good story and some good action chapters toward the end of the book.  I think it was a little light in character development as it felt like the author gave a brief overview of the main characters, but didn’t get real deep.  One other thing that I thought was interesting was after Marc had some success, the religious leader was quick to say that all Americans were good.  I’m not sure this is a realistic scenario, but I think the author was trying to convey a theme of looking past differences and seeking common ground.  I enjoyed the story line of the book, but would have liked to go deeper into the characters that were portrayed.

I received this book as part of Bethany House Publishing review program.  My review is my own and has not been influenced in any way.

Night Night Blessings by Amy Parker

Night Night Blessings by Amy Parker and illustrations by Marijan Ramljak is a bedtime prayer book for kids.  Throughout the book it goes through a list of things that the little girl is thankful for, like pancakes, bubble baths, and the stars in the sky.    It is a good book to help kids with nighttime prayers in a book format.  It's really a devotional book for kids.  The illustrations complement each page as you go through the prayer, and my child laughed at some of the illustrations that accompany the rhyme.  This book is probably best suited for toddlers and small children.

I thought it was a good book and my 3yr old really liked it.  She especially liked the parts about the pancakes, doggy kisses, and bubble baths.  I think it was a good book to remind kids and parents of all they have to be thankful for throughout the day.  I would recommend this book to anyone with small children as it is a good way to do night time prayers in a fun way that keeps the kids engaged in what is going on.  I think your child will enjoy it and hopefully remember all they have to be thankful for.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://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 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Earthen Vessels: Why our bodies matter to our faith by Matthew Lee Anderson

This book takes a look at our bodies and how they relate to issues like the world, tattoos, sex, homosexuality, death and worship.  It is a pretty high level read and the first few chapters are pretty philosophical, so I didn’t get a lot from those chapters.  As the book went along, I think it began to get more interesting, or maybe I was just more interested in the topics. 

The main thing that I took away from this book, which I think was the lead sentence in the conclusion of each chapter, is that our bodies are not our own.  They belong to Christ.  I found the last few chapters the most interesting when it explores our bodies and worship, and the church body and worship.  He wrote about technological advancements and what I’d call e-Worship using the Internet and streaming sermons.  I think he raises an interesting point that while I think that they can beneficial, there is something to be said for gathering as a church community together that adds an element that can’t be found on your own. 

I enjoyed portions of this book, but I wouldn’t recommend it if you are looking for light reading.  I didn’t understand some of the first few chapters, but that might be my own limited understanding of philosophy.  I agree with his epilogue that it may have raised more questions than it answers, but that might not be all bad if he’s trying to start conversations as it seems he is.

Disclaimer:  I received this book as a part of the book reviewer program from Bethany House.  My review is my own and was not influenced in any way.

Gabby God’s Little Angel by Sheila Walsh, illustrated by Marina Fedotova

Gabby God’s Little Angel by Sheila Walsh, illustrated by Marina Fedotova is a Children's book about a Guardian Angel named Gabby that is getting her first assignment to watch over an active girl name Sophie.  She follow’s Sophie throughout her day and protects her through her activities.  Gabby is a free spirit like Sophie, and has a lot to learn, but is up for the challenge.  The message of the book is that God cares so much for us that he sets angels to watch over us.  It is appropriate for young children.

The message of the book was clear from the telling of the story and fit naturally in it.  God loves us and wants to protect us, so he sends angels to watch over us and protect us.  The illustrations fit in well with the story and I think children looking at the pictures will enjoy them.  As I mentioned earlier, I think the author blended in the spiritual message well in the story, as it didn’t seem like it was forced into it.  I would recommend this book to anyone with small children, especially little girls.   If you enjoyed God’s Little Princess Devotional Bible, I think you will enjoy this.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://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 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”