This thing of ours by Cammy Franzese

How faith saved my mafia marriage... the subtitle automatically catches your interest, doesn't it? I literally could not put this book down, it was so interesting. I honestly could not believe that the author was so naive as to not see that the man she was having a whirlwind romance with (Michael Franzese - with whom would become her future husband) was tied to organized crime, despite many hints and obvious red flags. I suppose Cammy was too young and inexperienced to have the wisdom to discern she was marrying a mobster, and the book attests to this. The story is in essence the consequences that she had to live with by marrying someone attached to the mob, how she fell in love, lost him to the prison system, and had to raise their children by herself. The wonderful redemptive part of her story is that her husband eventually came to know the Lord, and she (the author) learned to fully and completely rely on God for everything - with eventually getting to life the latter part of their lives together. I really liked the book and loved how Cammy kept telling the reader that she made the choice (although unintelligent) to marry her husband, and because of her choice, she had to live with the consequences. Although there are no interesting facts about the mob or any organized crime stories relating to her or her husband, I think it's a great and interesting read, especially for those who have made poor relationship choices and would like to hear of a redemptive story. I received this book from the publisher. 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.

Awakening by Stovall Weems

Awakening: A New Approach to Faith, Fasting, and Spiritual Freedom by Stovall Weems is a book about the power of fasting, and is in essence a 21 day guide to revolutionize your relationship with God. The author speaks to the reader on how to get your spirit on fire for God (again) and how to get the zeal and craving for God back (if you have lost it). Stovall speaks on the power of prayer alongside of fasting, and how to ignite a passion in your walk by becoming in alignment with God. I loved his statement in the book about how "this will be your best year ever - if it is your best year spiritually", and he teaches the reader how to do this by the act of fasting and praying. In the back of the book, the author outlines 21 days of devotionals and tips on fasting during those days. Overall, I felt like the book had the right idea, but I really wanted more substance, i.e. amazing stories (to his credit the author does have true life testimonials that are sweet but basic) that would just bowl me over.. but didn't. The best part of the book was the part at the end that gives the reader devotionals and tips for fasting for a 21 day period. These devotionals are thought provoking and true to the theme in the book of drawing the reader closer to God. This would be a great book for a new Christian or someone who wants to learn about fasting and how to fast in a practical way. Seasoned Christians may find the book a little boring - but it definitely can be used as a teaching and learning tool as there is also a small group learning guide in the back of the book. I received this book from the publisher. 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.

Three Cups by Tony Townsley and Mark St. Germain

This is a wonderful childrens book teaching the concepts of saving, spending and giving. It is in an easy to read and understand format, and teaches children how and why they should save, spend, and give. It is shown in the story by parents giving their son three cups, and showing him how to divide his allowance into the three cups. The boy takes a trip to the bank, learns about interest, and growing his money. He also learns about the joy and excitement of saving up for a new toy that he wants to buy, and most importantly, he learns that by putting money into the giving cup he can help others. This book really is a great tool to teach children about money and Godly money management, and I would recommend it to any parent. I received this book from the publisher. 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.

Weeknights with Giada by Giada Laurentis

(this will be released March 27th) This is a wonderful cookbook for those who are always wondering: "What should I cook for dinner"? These recipes are all family friendly and seem to be fairly easy to put together. The recipes are not standard though - they are interesting and different.. giving the reader new ways to prepare food for their family. The book is broken down into soups and salads, bruschettas, sandwiches and pizzas, pastas and grains, meat, poultry and fish, breakfast for dinner (my favorite) veggies & sides, and desserts. She also has a section called "change of pace" that has lots of fun recipes like Spicy Mint Beef and Thai Turkey Lettuce Cups. There are lots and lots of great pictures, and each recipe has a small personal intro beforehand along with cook's notes with helpful hints and information. She has meat dishes, but also has vegetarian dishes, with a huge variety in between. I honestly could not wait to make the Chocolate Mascarpone Pound Cake recipe - her desserts are amazing! I read a lot of cookbooks, and I really loved this one. I loved the pictures that she put in the cookbook of her family, and I also loved that the recipes were healthy, family friendly, and flavorful but not too intricate to cause frustration. I would not recommend this to a beginner, but if you enjoy cooking and especially are looking for a robust cookbook to enhance your weeknight cooking, this is the cookbook for you! I received this book from the publisher. 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 Christmas Singing

Here are some links for a great Christmas read!

http://bit.ly/vvg9mc

http://scr.bi/uJkucX

Special Offer!! 30% off and free shipping on The Christmas Singing (and any other title) when your readers use promo code
CHRISTMAS11 at checkout on WaterBrookMultnomah.com.
The coupon code expires on December 20th, 2011.

The Names of God Bible - Anne Spangler General Editor

This is a great Bible for those who want to have a deeper understanding of the Bible in relation to the specific Hebrew translation used for the name of God in each specific passage of scripture. For instance, instead of saying "God" this translation will use the specific meaning used and highlight it in brown such as "Yahweh Nissi" (Lord my banner) or "Magen" (Shield). There are wonderful introductions before each book and each key name used for God within the book being introduced is listed along with it's definition for greater understanding. Also within this Bible are two paged details of interest devotionals centered on the Hebrew descriptions of God, and promises within the Bible associated with each term. The reader comes away with a more in depth understanding of God and His nature and character and attributes. I recommend this Bible translation to anyone who is interested in learning more about the specific names of God and the meaning behind each one. I really like this translation and will use it often. Here is a link for more information on this translation: http://www.godswordtranslation.org/ME2/Sites/Default.asp?SiteID=87ADA8B8A8474F90A93883C58F52923F.

I received this book from the publisher. 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 :