Book Review: The Corruptible by Mark Mynheir

Ray Quinn has a dilemma. He is a Private Investigator, yet he is still missing his old job as a homicide detective. He had to have a medical retirement, and his hip causes him pain every waking hour. He is hired for a job that could put him out of his current financial dilemma, but it may cost him more than time. As he digs deeper, he starts to question who the victim was and who the suspect should be. Meanwhile, he is falling deeper and deeper into his alcohol addiction. Can anyone rescue Ray?

I loved:

• The witty remarks. There were plenty of laughable remarks made in this book. All books need a few jokes.
• The scam artist. I won't spoil anything, but I thought Ray's interaction with the email hacker was quite hilarious.
• The easy-to-understand layout. When I requested this book, I didn't realize that it was the sequel to another book. Fortunately, it is written in a way that you cannot tell it is the second.

I didn't love:

• The swear words. Sadly, even as a Christian book, there were a couple of swear words. Given, they weren't horrible, but that doesn't mean that they were necessary.
• The predictability. Usually, suspenseful books have a huge plot twist at the end, so sadly, this one just didn't quite have that factor. I think the author just might have dropped a few too many hints!
• The lack of redemption. I kept thinking the end would redeem itself, but tragically, it really didn't have much hope.

Overall, I probably wouldn't recommend this book to too many people.  Although it has benefits, it also has quite a few drawbacks. I think, if the third book has  more redeeming quality, I just might recommend it.
Waterbrook Publishers gave me this book for free to review honestly

Book Review: Crazy Dangerous by Andrew Klavan

Jennifer is trapped. Her days are filled with people making fun of her, and her nights with tormenting voices taunting her. It seems that she is the only one who hears them.

Sam Hopkins is an average Pastor’s kid, but he has fallen in with the wrong crowd, and now he is about to pay for it.

In an interesting twist of fate, Sam befriends Jennifer, and oddly, starts to believe her. He thinks that she may be the only one who knows what is going to happen to their small town. It might just be a horrible deed worse than anything they have yet seen.

I loved:

• ·         Sam’s wit. I laughed out loud when he responded to the bullies. It was hysterical.
• ·         The first person writing style. It suited this book perfectly, and made reading it really enjoyable.
• ·         The character description. Although not done in the typical way, you could see how the characters looked, as well as their tone of voice. Although it may seem odd, I loved how Andrew described the characters.
• ·         The mystery. It is not often that you can find a book that is hilarious, easy-to-read, and suspenseful.
• ·         The twist at the end. I won’t let out any secrets, but it is pretty awesome.

I didn’t love:

• ·         A little bit of theology. Barely any, but you know how it goes; “Eat the meat, spit out the bones.”
• ·         It was a tad gruesome. I would not recommend it to anyone who is under 15. It wasn’t necessarily bloody and gory, but there is still a lot of death.

Overall, I think it was a very intriguing book.  Very different from anything I have read before. This book is, although 324 pages, a very quick read. I sat down and just kept reading. I would definitely buy  this book as a gift for anyone who likes a good, funny read.

This book was given to me for free from Thomas Nelson Publishers for this review.

Book Review: Psalm 91 Military Edition

Fear. Fear is wracking the world. Fear of terrorism, sickness, and death are among the millions of fears out there. In the military, you can never feel safe… as an unbeliever. God has promise our protection in the Bible numerous places, but His divine protection is found significantly in Psalm 91. In this fantastic book, Psalm 91: Military Edition, Peggy Joyce Ruth shows how easily Christians can walk in God’s all encompassing protection. This book includes many stories of men and women who prayed Psalm 91, and were rescued from perilous circumstances.

I ♥

·         The (true) stories.  I could not believe how incredible they were. It was amazing. I would share them here, but I don’t want to spoil them for you!

·         The verse-by-verse approach. Peggy took each verse in Psalm 91 and dissected it, so that you could really understand how vast God’s protection is.

·         The size. This book was the *perfect* size to give as a gift. In fact, I gave it to someone who was leaving for Basic training.

·         The personalized Psalm 91. In the back of the book, Psalm 91 is printed out with blanks where you fill in your name.

I didn’t ♥

·         Zilch. I loved this book.

Overall, I feel this book is a great addition to anyone’s library, but especially that of someone in the military. I plan on buying Peggy’s original book as well.

I received this book for free for this review from Charisma House.

the oatmeal cookie saga.

Yesterday, I had a hankering for an oatmeal cookie. A really chewy oatmeal cookie. That wasn't hard. That is what I truly desired. The last time I made oatmeal cookies, they were more so oatmeal hockey pucks. So I looked for a super soft oatmeal recipe. I found one, and started cooking!

The dough was fantastic. It was just as good as the baked cookies. Almost.

 This is about halfway through the cooking time. They smelled dee-licious.

Finally, after six songs (not including the two I skipped) the cookies were done. To my horror, when I pulled them out of the oven, I found this:

I decided that part of the batter wasn't mixed well, because the other three batches turned out normal. The mutants tasted fine, regardless.
I ate one with my sister Shiloh (I was babysitting her)

I started cleaning up, (while checking Pinterest. I know you want my multitasking skills.) and this is what I see.

Whatever could it be? Turns out, warm cookies and milk is a sleeping pill for two and a half year olds.

That my friends, is what a successful day looks like.

Quigley and Clancy

I would like to introduce you to my family's newest additions. Quigley and Clancy.

They are Anatolian shepherds. They are hysterically funny. And oh-so-clumsy. For being almost twelve weeks old, they're huge. When fully grown, they will be 150 lbs. Each. I am wagering we will have to buy a couple of saddles in a year or so. No joke.
You may be wondering where there names came from. Well, they came from my dad's two favorite movies. Ironically, both of the movies were about Australia. Yet these are Anatolian dogs. I think that is a win, albeit an ironic one.
I love my dogs.

Movie Review: October Baby

 {The trailer}

Hannah's world has turned upside down. at 19 years old, she has just found out that not only is she adopted, but she was a survivor of a failed abortion. Going on a road trip to discover who she really is, she must learn to choose forgiveness, and learn to forgive herself.

I ♥

• The immensely pro-life story line. I cannot even believe how wonderful it is. Really. It presented abortion in a way that did not condemn those who have had one, yet it showed the injustice. That is a difficult balance to keep.
• The plot. Even if said from a secular viewpoint, this movie had a fantastic plot, with plenty of twists that you don't see coming.
• The tear-jerking scenes. It may seem funny, but some movies you just need to have a good cry. This movie was one of them. 
• The true story that inspired this movie. There is actually a woman named Gianna Jessen who is actually an abortion survivor.
• The music. Even though most of the music was more in the background, I LOVED it. Actually, one of the songs {Ocean Floor}is one that Gianna Jessen is singing. 

I didn't ♥

•  One scene. There was a scene where, due to unforeseen circumstances, Hannah and  Jason are forced to share a hotel room. Nothing super inappropriate happens, and they end up not even staying in the room. But still, a bit inappropriate.

Overall:
This is a fantastic movie. I urge you to go see it. I believe it is in theaters for another week or two, and I would definitely take anyone 13+ to this movie. I would love to support this movie as much as possible. Truly.

What's up. {April 2012}

What's up? This new {monthly} post. I am going to post it, well, monthly! :)

Blog news:

• I will be posting  a review for the October Baby sometime this week, I can't wait!
• I will be posting my Senior pictures either late April/early May
• I am going to start posting all my book reviews on the same day. Separate posts, same day. 
• I am going to be posting more than just book reviews. Get ready for some pretty deep posts. I looked at my archives, and realized I barely ever post "normal" posts anymore. I will be working on posting all my blog reviews on the same day, and including a variety of other posts during the rest of the week.
• More guest posts. I am looking for a few one-time guest posters to write a fun post sometime in June. A little early I know, but I will write a post in a few days with more info.

Personal News:

• I am graduating on May 18th at 7 pm! Yay!
• I bought a FANTASTIC graduation dress from eShakti.com {pictures to come. Think "red", as well as a bolero from kohls.com.
• I am thinking about hosting an online modest fashion event. Let me know if you would join :)

I think that is just about all for May!

Sincerely,
Libbi H.

sunlight joy

Why Should I Worry?

So why should I worry? 

There are a million reasons to worry.

There are a million reasons to fret. 

There are a million reasons to doubt God.

Not one of them is valid.

 

God has promised to never leave us. He isn't going anywhere. 

He promised, and when God makes a promise, I believe He is going to come through. 

Jesus said He has overcome the world. The world includes any problems I am having. 

He overcame them. It is already done.

He will supply my needs according to His riches and glory.

By His wounds I am healed.

We have not been called to a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind.

We are no longer slaves to fear. We have been freed.

 

There aren't any reasons to worry.

There aren't any reasons to fret.

There aren't any reasons to doubt God.

So why should I worry?

Easter Happiness

{Dress: Old Navy-Sandals:Target- Bolero:Kohls-Headband:Cato- Bracelets + Ring :Kari Jobe}

 For Easter, my entire family loves dying eggs. It is one of our {favorite} traditions

About two years ago, I discovered how to "batik" eggs- and since then, me and my sisters love doing them! {we use tape and dye :) }

I think this is one of my favorite traditions! I am known as the "Egg Jedi"  because my eggs are always take the longest, and I usually try and eat my sisters' eggs so that I will not have to crack mine.

My Easter was so great. We went to church, and many people gave their testimonies. We then went to my grandparent's house, and ate ham, scalloped potatoes, and about 546 different forms of sugar. I ate a lot of Peeps. Which are mi favorito. I am so blessed.

What was the best part about your Easter?

Tips for Writing Reviews

I was looking back this week in my archives, and I stumbled upon the first book review I had written. I almost puked.  The sentences were disjointed, run-on, or difficult to understand. I hope to think that I have learned more than I knew a year ago! I decided to compile a list of things I have noticed in the past year about writing reviews, as well as a few pointers I personally enjoy. I hope these tips can help you! If you have any tips for me, just leave them in the comments.

Do this:

• ·         Be honest. Please, please, please be honest when writing a review. You can be honest without being cruel. I think being dishonest in a review is like a telemarketer being dishonest in a sales pitch. After reading a review full of praise for an item, people will trust that the item will be beneficial to them. If they end up buying the item, they may find out that it was much more violent then they had read. If nothing else, writing a dishonest review will cost your readers time and effort.
• ·         Show the good and the bad. This tip goes right along with the last one. You need to be honest about the book, but you still need to say if there was anything, you did enjoy. I have found the easiest way to do this is to have four paragraphs: the first to give a synopsis of the book, the second to say what you liked, the third to say what you disliked, and the fourth to give your overall impression. Make sure to be specific in your likes and dislikes, and tell the truth about how much you dislike something. Be certain to give an accurate account of the good and bad, and do not blow things out of proportion.
• ·         Keep it simple.  Not everyone needs to have a novel-length book review. If it takes more than 5-10 minutes to read your review, it is probably too long.

Don’t do this:

• ·         Don’t copy the book. Want to know how to irritate me? Copy the book’s description (the one on the back cover of the book) word for word in your review. I have seen this time and time again, and it irritates me to no end. If I wanted the publisher’s thoughts on what the book is about, I would have just read the back of the book. I want what YOU, the consumer, think the main points of the book are. For example, the author may say, “This book is about Jane trying to find a reason to laugh.” You, in fact, think the book is about Jane complaining about her miserable life for half of the book. Just say so! If I take the time to read a book review, I want to hear something about the book that I cannot find out on Amazon.com.
• ·         Don’t write a one-sentence review. Most blog review programs require that you write 200 word review, and I have found 200-400 words is the perfect amount for a book review.  Not too short, not too long. Perfect.
• ·         Don’t use bad grammar. Please, for the love of English type your review onto a program such as Microsoft word. It is disappointing how many times I see a fantastic post, but cannot share it because of the awful use of grammar. I know everyone makes mistakes, but seriously. At least run spell-check.

If you have a recent book review you have written, leave me the link, and I will make sure to check it out!