Prayers for the Stolen by Jennifer Clement

Engrossing, well-written prose. I was totally sucked into this book on the first page. The author does a fantastic job of creating empathy between the reader and the characters right off the bat. I was transported to LadyDi's mountain, I felt her anguish and her plight. I absolutely loved the way the author narrated this, omitting dialogue tags and quotations. It was beautiful and flowed well. Her prose was perfect for this unique and well-written story of a girl who could be any girl in Mexico. I was a bit frightened after reading this and solidified my previous choice of never stepping foot in Mexico again. I highly recommend this book!

I was given this book for free in exchange for an honest review. My opinions 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".
Click here to purchase on Amazon. 

Limitless by Nick Vujicic

This devotional will uplift and inspire you! My teen daughter went to see Nick at an event in our town. She was blown away by Nick and requested his book. My daughter has never requested a Christian-themed book (or devotional) and I was ecstatic. Nick's message is inspiring for all ages. His devotional is perfect for any level of contemplation (including for a teen). There are fifty devotionals in this book, all short and sweet. They each begin with a scripture, include input from Nick, and end with a summary statement or challenge. I highly recommend this devotional, you will not be disappointed. 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 God's Word for your life by Kathi Lipp

This is really an awesome little prayer devotional book. There are two parts to this book: Preparing for Prayer and Prayers for your life. Each chapter is around four pages, and they are power-packed! I loved the chapter about your relationships with others. The author gives a few scriptures to meditate on, and then she delivers a powerful exhortation and message about why it is so important to pray for your relationships. I especially appreciated that she addressed conflicts because what relationship is without conflict? I love this book, and was very blessed by each short but applicable message in each chapter. If you are looking for a book to strengthen your prayer life and get you on the right track of spending more time in prayer, this is the book for you! 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". Click here if you'd like to buy the book! By Christy Hovey contact: christyhovey@gmail.com

Free book giveaway! Praying God's Word for your life by Kathi Lipp

This awesome prayer devotional will be released June 1st 2013 but CM Book review is giving away one free copy to one Amazon monthly subscriber of this blog. The first person to email me at treasurevalleywriter@gmail.com will receive this book free in the mail! This book graciously teaches you to just spend five minutes a day in prayer and gives you bible scriptures to pray specifically for certain topics to see powerful supernatural results in your life. Chapters such as, "Your relationships with others" gives you scriptures for praying for your friends, and prayers for relationship conflicts. Click here to reserve your copy on Amazon today! Not an Amazon subscriber yet? Click here to subscribe!

Airel by Aaron Patterson and Chris White

Although Airel by Aaron Patterson and Chris White is listed on Amazon in the YA (Young Adult) genre, this book was quite appealing to me. My instincts were correct, and I was beyond pleasantly surprised with this book. The protagonist, Airel, at first appears to be the typical teen. Airel begins to encounter problems in her life that become quite atypical and dramatic and the reader quickly discovers (along with Airel) that things are not what they seem. A love interest is introduced and it was very fun for me to feel young innocent love again when I was immersed in Airels perspective on life and love. This book has a strong supernatural element (angels and demons) but is not done in a way that glorifies the demonic realm. Airel's story runs concurrent with a story in the past that has great impact on her life and becomes an integral part of the outcome. I don't want to give away any spoilers, but Patterson and White have taken an interesting spin in this book on the Nephilim topic that Christians love speculating about. If you are looking for a clean, fast-paced, and engrossing book for yourself or for your teen, I highly suggest this book. My teenager was very impatient for me to finish it so that she could have it. This is a great alternative to the Twilight series, as it presents a good message intertwined with an interesting topic. I highly recommend this entertaining book. Buy the book

Echoes by Robin Jones Gunn

Echoes is a christian contemporary romance. This title is a little dated (2004) but I still enjoyed it. The protagonist gets dumped by her fiance' and goes through somewhat of an identity crisis. Her brother brings her a computer, and she learns how to use the internet. She bumbles through learning how to send emails, and accidentally starts communicating with a male who seems to have the same interests as she does. The story is a simple romance, with a clean and cute premise. I was a little bored with the pace of the novel and the characters were a little two-dimensional, but if you are looking for a cute, clean, and fast read, this novel is the ticket! I have not read any of the other books in this series, but was able to pick it up with no problems. 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".

Girls with Swords by Lisa Bevere

I was so excited to receive this book in the mail! The title alone just gets the reader excited! Lisa always packs a powerful punch in her books, but this book is her BEST! Lisa succinctly shows how women are being attacked from all fronts. With sex trafficking and gendercide taking place all over the world, Lisa challenges women to take up our swords and FIGHT and not lay dormant. She teaches the reader about swords - how they are made, what they have been used for and how we can use them to symbolize what Christ is doing in our lives and how to change the world with our "swords." I love Lisa because she is my kind of girl. She is one who presents the facts in an enlightening and entertaining way and then once she teaches you she challenges you to go out and teach others and make a difference! Too many women are too timid, too fearful, and lack any desire to (figuratively) wield a sword in any capacity! This book is empowering and calls women to wake up and fight (in a good way)! If you buy any book this year for yourself or someone else - please buy this one! 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".