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Non Fiction Review: The Bible In 52 Weeks

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The Bible in 52 Weeks by Kimberly D. Moore
The Bible in 52 Weeks: A Yearlong Bible Study for Women
by Kimberly D. Moore

5 out of 5 stars


This Bible reading plan guides you through an entire year of reading the Bible! There is a list of Bible chapters to read for 6 days, and you can use the 7th day in the week to catch up if you fell behind. Each week has an encouraging few paragraphs to point out Biblical truths and lessons to look for.

Then there are “Points to Ponder” with some questions you can answer in a journal style, writing in your thoughts about the reading for that week.
Each week ends with “Actions for the Week” that gives you prompts on how you can apply the lessons you read to make your life more joyful, peaceful, and positive.
Some weeks have a “This Is My Prayer” section, with a prayer written out that you can pray for yourself.

I love how this book talks about going after your dreams in faith, relying on God for every need, trusting His purpose for your life, and releasing stress and bitterness to embrace peace and joy. The writing prompts and action for the week are really thoughtful and help the reader to be more mindful with their reading. It’s really inspiring, and makes me want to pick up the Bible and read and pray! Continue reading →

Non Fiction Review: Yin Yoga

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Yin Yoga by Diane Paylor
Yin Yoga: Essential Poses and Sequences for Balanced Energy
by Diane Paylor

5 out of 5 stars

This book is divided into chapters for Yin and Yang poses (still or moving poses), with special chapters for rising energy, grounding, seasonal practices, and targeting specific areas of the body. It begins with an explanation of Yin yoga, how to harness the energy of your breathing, how yin yoga helps your ligaments and joints, and how to quiet the mind during yoga.

I really love that each pose comes with instructions for modifications and variations, so that the yogi can choose what feels best to them in the moment. There are also warnings for poses that could affect old injuries, or would not be appropriate for the elderly or for pregnant women, so that the reader can practice poses safely.

Each pose has clear instructions with options to use props like a bolster, blanket, yoga strap, or pillow. You can make the pose deeper if you are ready for more of a stretch, or you can make the pose easier if you want less pressure or intensity.
Continue reading →

Classic Review: Madame Bovary

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Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert
Madame Bovary
by Gustave Flaubert

2 out of 5 stars

I really hated this book. Madame Bovary cheats on her husband and hides her adulterous affairs and runs up a lot of debt. I hated her character. She has a very complex and deep character, and her story is excellently written, but I hated her as a person.  The one good thing about this book is the lovely writing style. The descriptions are very powerful and the emotions of the characters are clear. There are really vibrant scenes with vivid words that plunge the reader into the story. Too bad I hated the subject material.

Classic Retelling Review + Giveaway

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Pippa Park Raises Her Game review on GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show…

http://www.pippapark.com

Enter the Giveaway: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/disp…

Rules:

1. Must be 18 or older, or have parent’s permission.

2. USA and Canada ONLY.

3. Giveaway is open from Feb 2- 16.

4. Must be subscribed to this channel.

 

Book Review: Mary Poppins and the House Next Door

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Mary Poppins and the House Next Door by P.L. Travers
Mary Poppins and the House Next Door (Mary Poppins, #6)
by P.L. Travers

5 out of 5 stars

A new neighbor has moved into the house next door on Cherry Tree Lane, and the Banks family are horrified. Only Mary Poppins has the magical wisdom to deal with the drama that threatens to engulf the whole street.

I love the whimsical writing and the funny magic! Mary Poppins is perfect as always, and the Banks children are silly and adorable. The plot has some interesting turns, and I love how all the neighbors on Cherry Tree Lane have their own little additions to the story.

Mary Poppins is just the right mixture of sweet and strict. She plays games with the children, but also lays down the law in the nursery. I love how she reacts to each twist in the plot with grace and elegance.

Non Fiction Review: Logic Puzzles for Clever Kids

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Logic Puzzles for Clever Kids by Molly Lynch
Logic Puzzles for Clever Kids: Fun brain games for ages 4 & up
by Molly Lynch

5 out of 5 stars

With sections for Sequencing, Comparisons, Abstract Thinking, Patterns, Analogies, Deduction, and Critical Thinking, this book has simple puzzles and activities to help a young child learn to put things in order, analyze information, and choose the next step.

Each page has a simple activity for a child to do, like coloring in the pattern, circling all the shapes, or choosing which pictures match each other. The designs are colorful and bright, drawing attention to the fun exercise.
At the bottom of each page there is a prompt for the parent to use, asking the child a question or giving them instructions to complete the task.

This book is wonderful for parents and little kids to have fun together learning and enjoying the puzzles! Continue reading →

Non Fiction Review: Awesome Brain Games for Kids

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Awesome Brain Games for Kids by Tori Cameron
Awesome Brain Games for Kids: STEAM Puzzles and Facts for Curious Minds
by Tori Cameron

5 out of 5 stars

Broken into sections for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math, this book gives challenges, questions, factoids, word problems, puzzles, word search activities, mazes, crossword puzzles, secret codes to crack, and dozens of other activities! I especially liked the games about music and note values, since I am a musician.

Each game is worth a certain amount of points, and you can tally up your score for each section. In case you get stuck, the answers for each game are in the back of the book, along with a glossary for some of the larger words. Continue reading →

Book Review: The Skull of Truth

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The Skull of Truth by Bruce Coville
The Skull of Truth
by Bruce Coville, Gary A. Lippincott (Illustrator)

3 out of 5 stars

Charlie is a liar. He meets the Skull of Truth and is cursed to always tell the truth, and his life changes in unexpected ways. Telling the truth gets him into a lot of trouble, and the curse begins to affect other people around him.

I didn’t enjoy this book as much as some of the others in the Magic Shop series. I thought some of the plot points didn’t quite fit in with the rest of the story. There were some radical leftist political ideas that I didn’t agree with. I was surprised to find them in a children’s book.

I was pleased to find that the skull himself is not scary at all. He’s a humorous and silly character, and there’s nothing frightening or creepy about him other than the fact that he’s a skull. Continue reading →

Book Review: Tales from Earthsea

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Tales from Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin
Tales from Earthsea (Earthsea Cycle, #5)
by Ursula K. Le Guin

3 out of 5 stars

These short stories add to the folklore and stories of Earthsea. They range from ancient tales of how the Wizarding School of Roke was first founded to more recent tales that fit in with the timeline of the rest of the Earthsea books. Some are parallel stories to the main books in the series that tell of other characters with similar magic and how their experiences dovetail with the main character’s stories although the characters may never meet.

The writing is excellent and the stories draw the reader into the world of Earthsea. Some of the stories are very sad and full of violence, but others are bittersweet and beautiful. The author does a wonderful job of describing a setting and a new character in a few well-chosen words that immediately connect the reader to the story.

I enjoyed these stories, and they are a wonderful addition to the Earthsea books!