The Comic Book Story of Video Games Review

I love gaming (board and video) and I love non-fiction comic books like Maus, so I was excited to have the chance to review this book. I wasn't entirely sure what I was getting into. I hoped for good artwork and well written information. I was very pleasantly given both! My favorite part of this book was how the video game characters are plugged in throughout the whole history. It keeps a lighthearted view on some of what could be fairly boring bits of information. I love this book and would love to see a comic book history of board gaming from them...just a suggestion.

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

Tora Fright Patches Things Up Review

While the writing style is not my favorite, I really like this little picture book. The artwork is beautiful and fairly similar to my style. The quality of the book is very high. The shining star is the message of the story though. Tora's baby brother breaks her prize winning sculpture. She has to learn to forgive and does so in the sweetest way. I am not sure I would pick up another in the Prayer Monsters series. If there is another with an issue that pertains to my family, I would certainly consider it as the subject is presented in such an understandable way.

Tyndale House Publishers has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book

The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up: A Book Review

I love the feel of a tidy home! I didn't grow up in one and neither did Adam. It certainly doesn't come "naturally" for us. We have spent years purging unnecessary stuff and each time is the wonderful result, a tidy home. We have also seen the emotional impact of doing this. Our entire family is happier in a tidy home. Even now as all our things are packed and we are ready to move to the mission field in a few weeks, we are ready to go through all our possessions again and make one final purge.

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo really sparked my interest. I knew right away that this book would be up my alley and I couldn't wait to get it. Chapter one did not disappoint. I love the stories of her years of experimenting with tidying and organization. They remind me of my own. Goodness knows Pinterest is full of ideas for organizing. Marie talks about why we can't seem to keep our houses tidy, how to go about discarding your belongings, tidying by category instead of location, how to properly store things, and how a tidy home will transform your life.

The book is so easy to read and I was so absorbed that I couldn't put it down. The cover is beautiful. It is simple and the watercolor art is wonderful to look at. The best part is that I am so psyched to go through all of our moving boxes again that I can't even express it! I am really glad I had the chance to read this book. I am having a hard time deciding if I want to keep it forever or share it with someone else. This is definitely a must have book for anyone that needs to work on their tidying. I would give this book a 6 out of 5 stars, if only I could!

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

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Dad is Fat: A Book Review

Jim Gaffigan is one of our favorite comedians! I was so excited to have the opportunity to review his book. Dad is Fat is such an easy read. Each chapter is a different tale of parental hilarity. That makes it very easy to pick up and put down as your parenting needs vary. One of my favorite things about Gaffigan is that he helps us to laugh about the less enjoyable aspects of parenting. As a parent I love this book. It is great to sit and read the whole thing at once, or, more likely, in quick bursts between crying kids.

I read this fantastic book on my kindle and it translates very well into the digital format. I didn't notice any major technical issues. Plus, it takes up no space on my bookshelf which is great because it is currently packed for our move.

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

Seasons of Tomorrow: A Book Review

Seasons of Tomorrow by Cindy Woodsmall is the fourth and final book in her Amish Vines and Orchards series. I was so happy to have the chance to review this last book. Back at book one I wasn't sure I would like it till about 75% of the way through the book. With the series complete I must say that this was a fantastic series. I had just a sliver left of the book and I didn't think it could be enough space to finish it off, but Cindy did finish it, and well.

As far as Amish fiction goes, this book is like no other. It is by far to most "worldly" Amish book I have read. As I described some of the exciting plot twists in this last book to my husband, he said, "I thought you were reading an Amish novel." Yes, yes I was. I was riveted from beginning to end. I would definitely read more from Cindy Woodsmall in the future and highly recommend the series!

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I received this book for free from Blogging for Books for this review.

A Life of Miracles: A Book Review

When I saw the description of this book I knew I needed to read it. What I didn't know was that God would use this book to speak to me and my family. Most good books I simply devour, but this one has not been the case. God has put on my heart when to read this book and when not to. I have simply been following His nudges.


Don's family is following God's calling in their lives. As a missionary preparing to leave for the field I relate so much. In the book Don says, "God puts yearnings in our hearts that we cannot always define, and He brings these longings to life in His time. But, to be honest, it can be pretty depressing and miserable as we wait." This is where we are at right now. I entirely agree with Don. Sometimes I, as he does in his book, wonder why on earth God needs me in a certain place at a certain time or why we can't just go to our Montreal mission field now, because we are ready. This book has been a great reminder of how important it is that we continue to follow and obey God every day, even when we would rather go back to a "normal" life at times.


I am not done with the book, though I am about two-thirds of the way there. I look forward to finishing it so I can share it with my husband. When I was having conversations with God about another child, he led me to a chapter with a similar story (more about this event here: http://www.morgansbubble.com/hope-for-a-child/). When I felt like no one else has ever had to struggle with moving back in with their parents, there was another chapter of this book. It has been such a blessing and encouragement to have had the chance to read this book. My hope is that God would use this book to encourage my husband and others as well.


Tyndale House Publishers has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book.

Girl at the End of the World: a Book Review

"Elizabeth Esther grew up in love with Jesus but in fear of daily spankings (to “break her will”). Trained in her family-run church to confess sins real and imagined, she knew her parents loved her and God probably hated her. Not until she was grown and married did she find the courage to attempt the unthinkable. To leave.
In her memoir, readers will recognize questions every believer faces: When is spiritual zeal a gift, and when is it a trap? What happens when a pastor holds unchecked sway over his followers? And how can we leave behind the harm inflicted in the name of God without losing God in the process?
By turns hilarious and heartbreaking, Girl at the End of the World is a story of the lingering effects of spiritual abuse and the growing hope that God can still be good when His people fail."


This is such an interesting book from beginning to end. Elizabeth has a writing style that is very fluid and easy to read. I found myself relating to many of the small stories in Girls at the End of the World. I learned a lot about fundamentalism too. It is a word I hear thrown around once in a while, but I never really understood it.


The back of the book includes discussion questions which are fantastic. There are many ideas in the book that this religious group took too far, such as disciplining children and gender roles. I was concerned that the questions would be biased against those things. In actuality the questions ask you to think about the pros and cons of such topics and ask you to determine for yourself where the lines should be drawn.


There was also a great interview in the back with Elizabeth Esther. She goes into some detail about what fundamentalism is and her experience writing the book. I don't know that I would say that I enjoyed the book. It isn't the kind of story that you "enjoy". It was very much worth reading though and I do recommend it. It was well written and the bonus goodies at the end were a great addition.

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I received this book for free from Blogging for Books for this review.

The Wayfinding Bible: A Book Review

I think I have a new favorite reading Bible and it is The Wayfinding Bible. This Bible is incredibly well done. I am so impressed by all it's features. The Wayfinding Bible has many reading paths for you to choose from. Each path is color coded throughout the Bible so you always know where the passages on your path start and end. You can choose from a short overview of the Bible in 54 readings, a medium length run through with 215 readings, or the scenic route which goes into more depth with 386 readings. I had such a hard time choosing and finally went with the scenic route, which covers all the important stories but leaves out quite a lot of genealogy and repetition. You can also take in the whole Bible with the reading plan in the very back of the book.

The reading plans are not all this Bible has to offer though. Throughout the book there are timelines, pictures and maps. There is information about what was happening in the world as the story is happening. There are pictures and diagrams of important structures and how they may have looked. For instance, there is a fantastic diagram of Noah's Ark, including how its size compares to other famous ships. At the beginning of each book of the Bible there is a section that shows how Jesus is connected to the story within.

This Bible does a fantastic job of pulling the reader in and helping them to be absorbed by the word of God. It is put together with the New Living Translation, which is not my favorite, but is so easy to read. It will not replace my favorite versions for deep study, but for simply reading and enjoying the word of God, it is fantastic. I am also partial to hardcover so I am not digging the softcover on my copy. Even the soft cover cannot take away my overall love of this Bible though. I will be reading and rereading it for years.

I received a free copy of this Bible to review from Tyndale House Publishers.

The Wayfinding Bible book trailer: http://goo.gl/9qpoal