Sibley Birds of Land, Sea and Sky Postcards

Whether you are a birdwatcher, art enthusiast or lover of nature, Sibley: Birds of Land, Sea and Sky Postcards is something you are sure to love.

The 50 postcards come in a very nice and sturdy box.  The box is so nice, with colorful birds displayed on front, that I will be displaying it on my book shelf.  The postcards feature original bird paintings by David Sibley.  They are in vertical format and rendered in watercolors.  Within the box they are divided by tabs separating them by type (sea birds, birds of prey, songbirds).

These would be great for mailing to friends and family.  You could use them as gift tags.  Or you can use them like I will...for inspiration in my own artwork.  I love to sketch and I plan on using these beautiful watercolor paintings as my inspiration.

This is a great set that I would highly recommend.  It would make a great gift or you could just treat your self to this beautiful set!

***Thanks to bloggingforbooks.com for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

If I Live - Book Review

If I Live is the third and final book in the If I Run series by Terri Blackstock.  I was so excited to get this long awaited book.  This has been one of the best suspense series that I have ever read and the way the Author wrapped up the series was perfect.

The story continues in the third book and we are still following along with Casey as she is fleeing the law.  She is wanted for a murder she didn't commit.  There are sever "dirty" officers on the force and they want her dead.  She is arrested and she has to fight for her life like never before.

You definitely need to read this series in order.  It is not meant as a stand alone book.  The good thing is that now all three books can be read and you don't have to wait for the release of another book.  That was the worst thing for me.  Having to wait.  Each book was so good I could hardly wait until the next book release.
I would highly recommend the whole series.  In the final book there were still a few surprises and a lot of action that keeps you turning the page until the very end.

***Thanks  to booklookbloggers.com for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

When God Made Light - A Children's Book Review

When God Made Light is a sweet children's  book that focuses on God's wonderful creation. More specifically when He created light.

The story is brought to you in rhymes, which is sure to keep your child's attention. The illustrations are bright, colorful and very creative.

It shares with the child the many things that can be done during the light that God creates. For instance, when the sun is shining you can "go skipping or flipping or down a slide slipping". When the stars are shining you can "sing songs around campfires, make marshmallow s'mores, let grandpa tell stories, wage flashlight wars".

To end the story there is a perfect timed message as to not be fearful of the dark and how the child can shimmer and shine and be the light that God made them to be.

This is the perfect book to include in your child's library or to give as a gift!

***Thanks to blogging for books for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Phoebe's Light - A Book Review

Phoebe's Light is the first book in a new series by Suzanne Woods Fisher called "Nantucket Legacy".

After caring for her father for years, Phoebe yearns for an adventure of her own.  Finally her dreams are coming true as she marries Captain Phineas Foulger.  As they prepare to sail away from Nantucket, Phoebe's father gives her the journal that belonged to her great grandmother.

Phoebe soon learns that the adventure she craved is not so easy. She's lonely and disillusioned so she turns to the pages of her great grandmother's journal and finds within the pages a secret that can change the course of everyone on the ship.

I am huge fan of historical fiction and I love reading about the Quaker lifestyle so this book was a joy for me to read.  It has a dual storyline that jumps back and forth between Phoebe and Mary the great grandmother.  The characters are all well developed and I quickly connected with them all. What was a surprise to me was the twists and turns in this book.  I did not expect page turning suspense and was well pleased with the excitement of this book.

I can't wait to read the next book in this series!  Definitely a book to read if you are a fan of Quaker life and historical fiction.

***Thanks to Revell for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A Passionate Hope - A Book Review

The Bible story of Hannah is one that is well known.  Her words "for this child I have prayed" are heard and seen all around.  They are used at baby dedications, whispered by mothers, hung as wall decor in nursery's...but have you ever thought much on the women behind the words?  Do you ever wonder what she was really like?

Jill Eileen Smith does a beautiful job of feeling in the gaps for us.  We know what the Bible tells us, but in A Passionate Hope we can read a fictional account of what the life of Hannah may have been like.  The book will transport you back to biblical times and you'll feel like you are write there experiencing the sadness, patience and hope that Hannah deals with.

I know that some people are hesitant to read biblical fiction.  I have read some novels in this genre that I was sorry I ever picked up, but that is not the case with this book.  I think it is important to remember that this is just a fictional account based on true events.  If you keep that in mind, this book will give you a deeper and better understanding of a well loved woman of the Bible.

This was the fourth book in the Daughters of the Promised Land series.  You do not have to read the books in order.  I haven't read any of the previous books, but I will definitely be checking them out now!

***Thanks to Revell for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Judah's Wife by Angela Hunt

Leah has had a hard life.  Her father is abusive and she has watched her mother suffer at his hands for years. When Judah seeks Leah's hand in marriage she sees it as a way of escape from her home life.  Judah's family is nothing like her own and Judah is a kind and loving husband.  For the first time in her life Leah has peace in her life, but that peace is short lived.

The king has decreed that all Jews are to conform to Syrian law or risk death for following the laws of Moses.  Judah's father resists the decree and he does so without shame.  He does not hide the families prayer time, or things such as circumcising their children. He does them open and without shame.  Soon war breaks out and Judah's father commands that Judah pick up his sword and fight.  Leah struggles with her husbands decision to fight.  All she wants is peace in her life.  She will soon learn that love sometimes requires courage and sacrifice.

I really enjoyed the first several chapters of this book.  I loved the story line of Judah and Leah, but after they were married and the fighting started it got boring and drawn out for me.  Those areas of the book seemed too long and detailed.  I know it was an important part of the story, but it seemed to consume too much of the story.  The love story of Judah and Leah was beautiful and I found myself skimming over a lot of the other drawn out details just to get to the parts that I found more interest in.

I did enjoy that this was a biblically based story with fictional characters.  I thought it was a really nice portrayal of history during that time period and the author definitely did some great research.

***Thanks to Bethany House Publishing for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.