August Reading

What is a children’s book that reminded you of Beatrix Potter? What’s your favorite graphic novel? Tell me in the comments!
Books for MKs is a charity organization that donates books to missionary kids on the foreign mission field all over the world.
Donate now at http://www.gofundme.com/booksformks to help these children get reading material!

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Book Review: Laugh-Out-Loud Pocket Doodles for Boys

Laugh-Out-Loud Pocket Doodles for Boys
Laugh-Out-Loud Pocket Doodles for Boys by Rob Elliott
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This hilarious book of jokes has partial illustrations that you can doodle on and fill in the rest of the picture with your own imaginative drawings!
I really liked that the author has included a “Humor Code” in the beginning of the book, that includes rules like “Don’t make jokes at other’s expense.” I love that these jokes are clean and remind us that we can still be funny without hurting, teasing, or bullying others. Continue reading

Children’s Book Review Batch

Peter's Perfect Prayer Place

Trunk or Treat!

Here are reviews for four Christian children’s books that I was given by publishers and authors in exchange for a free and honest review! All of these books are for young children, and have a strong Christian message while also telling a cute story! Some I liked. Some I didn’t like. Check out the reviews below, and you can also click on the links to see the book on GoodReads! Continue reading

Book Review: A Sherlock Holmes Devotional

A Sherlock Holmes Devotional: Uncovering the Mysteries of God
A Sherlock Holmes Devotional: Uncovering the Mysteries of God by Trisha White Priebe
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I adore this devotional based on lessons from the works of Sherlock Holmes! Each chapter focuses on a particular quote, or a quality of Holmes and Watson, or one of their adventures, and weaves a similarity between that concept and the Christian life. Although Conan Doyle was not a notable Christian and Holmes is somewhat ambiguous about his beliefs, there are still lessons to be learned from the stories! Continue reading

Books for MKs Charity

Books for MKs is a charity organization that donates books to missionary kids on the foreign mission field all over the world.
Donate now at http://www.gofundme.com/booksformks to help these children get reading material!

Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE, LIKE, and COMMENT!

GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/thekai05
WordPress: https://booksformks.wordpress.com/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/booksformks
Instagram: http://instagram.com/thekai05/

Graphic Novel Reviews: 2048 and Echoes of Eden

2048
2048 by Marvin Olasky
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I liked this futuristic graphic novel about half-human genetically-engineered “bumans”. The story centers around one Christian senator who is struggling to find the truth about bumans, whether they have souls or are just animals, and whether they have the ability to function in society. Then he has to make decisions about how his stand for freedom and mercy will affect his political career.

I loved that it’s not just a story about politics, but there is a personal side as Continue reading

Book Trilogy Review: Giants in the Land

The Way of Things
The Way of Things by Clark Rich Burbidge
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I liked this book pretty well! In this story, the friendly giants who have always helped the townspeople suddenly disappear, and only one man has the courage to journey into the wilds to locate the giants and find out why they left. The main character, Thomas, grabbed my attention right away, and I liked seeing him deal with each crisis as it comes up in the story, gathering courage and wisdom as he journeys along. He’s a good character!

The writing is blatantly preachy, but still inspiring. I liked how the spiritual message is gradually unfolded, but I wish Continue reading

Book Review: The Wide Road

The Wide Road by Kim Balogh
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

I was disappointed in this book. I was excited to read a Pilgrim’s Progress type of story told from the sinner’s POV, but there are so many problems with the writing that the story doesn’t come through. It desperately needs an editor. I only read the first 20 pages, and I just couldn’t continue.

The writing is extremely verbose and redundant. There are multiple problems with sentence structure, punctuation, and even word usage. For example, the word “self-perseverance” is used, when I’m pretty sure the author meant “self-preservation”. The word “nowhere” is written as two separate words “no where”. There’s a sentence that talks about the “faucets” on jewels instead of the “facets”, and another says how beautiful the “pedals” on flowers are. I even saw the words “their selves” instead of “themselves.”

I like the idea of retelling Pilgrim’s Progress from another viewpoint, but this book needs some help before it is reader-ready.

Disclaimer: I received this book from the author in exchange for a free and honest review. The opinions here are my own true thoughts and are not influenced by anyone.

View all my reviews

Book Review: Anne of Green Gables, My Daughter, and Me

Anne of Green Gables, My Daughter, and Me: What My Favorite Book Taught Me about Grace, Belonging, and the Orphan in Us All by Lorilee Craker
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book weaves together the stories of several orphans, both fictional and real. Lucy Maud Montgomery was abandoned by her father, left with her grandparents, and grew up feeling orphaned, which inspired her to write her famous Anne stories, one of the most beloved orphan girls of all time. The author, Lorilee Craker, was also an orphan, given up for adoption and raised by her adopted Mennonite family. Lorilee went on to adopt a daughter of her own from Korea. Four orphan stories from widely different times and circumstances, but all with one central message- The Love of God heals us, chooses us, delights in us, and adopts us into a heavenly family. Continue reading

Book Review: Alexander the Good Dragon

Alexander the Good Dragon Alexander the Good Dragon by Fred Wolf My rating: 1 of 5 stars

“ALEXANDER THE GOOD DRAGON … a stirring tale of long ago battles between good and evil, men and dragons… Sean is tormented by guilt when his father is kidnapped by a malevolent dragon. Unable to simply sit still and wait for the king and his men to come to the rescue, Sean sets out on a long and perilous journey through the Cumbrian Mountains to seek the help of Alexander, a great and benevolent dragon who has proven to be a defender of men. But lately, Alexander is nowhere to be found. Can Sean find the reclusive Alexander?” -GoodReads Description

This book was only okay. I do love stories about dragons though! This book has the basics for a good dragon story, but just needs some better structure. The characters are one-dimensional and the story needs some further development. There’s almost no sub-plot at all, and it ends pretty quickly instead of having a third act climax and then denouement. The main character has almost no Continue reading