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 Box of Awesome Things Memory Game Review

Wee Society has made a cute little game. My son and I set it up without looking at the tiles to start with and it was so much fun being surprised by the awesome things that popped up. The box is of great quality. The one thing I would say I dislike about it is the fact that the lid is just a flap. It has nothing to help it stay closed. I do like to store my board games vertically, but this one will have to stay flat unless I rubber band it. The tiles are high quality and have a very nice matte finish. The artwork is modern and fun. My favorite picture was lightning. My son really liked the s'mores. A couple of the pictures seemed overly simplistic, but overall the illustrations were very nice. 

I have been wanting a memory game for our family for a while now, so I hopped at the opportunity to review this one. I am glad I did. It is a high quality board game and the pictures are great for all ages, not just small children, i.e. cartoon characters. I would definitely recommend this one, especially if Wee Society can come up with a solution to take care of that box flap in future prints.

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

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Inside the Test Kitchen: A Book Review

While I do most of the main cooking in our family, Adam loves to experiment in the kitchen. He says, "if it is good for you in any way Michelle probably made it." Inside the Test Kitchen is all about experimenting. You open it up and you feel like you just opened up someone's high school notebook. This cookbook is so relaxed that you just can't help but want to dive in.

The first thing I always notice about a cookbook are the pictures. This book is filled with photos and I love that! Not just a photo for each recipe, but photos of the process. They are accompanied by "handwritten" notes. The recipes are unique plays on classic comfort foods like mac and cheese and green bean casserole. There are discussions on the best type of ground meat to use for hamburger and which cheeses are the stretchiest. I am delighted to have this book in my new kitchen when we move in 50 days from now.

Tyler Florence has really created something special in this book. It is as fun to read as it is to cook from. It's so easy to follow and I can actually find the ingredients. There are many recipes that are gluten free, which is a major plus for our family. I can't wait to surprise my darling husband with this super fun cooking experience this Christmas. My taste buds can't wait either!

365 Pocket Prayers for Mothers: A Book Review

365 Pocket Prayers for Mothers is a beautiful little book. I don't think there are many women's pockets that it will fit in, but it is a great size to keep in your purse. Inside it's ultra soft lavender cover are prayers for every day of the year. There is a wide variety of prayer topics for moms. You can go through the entire book day by day or peek in the back to find prayers for specific needs. I really like that the days are simply numbered and not dated by day and month. The prayers are beautifully eloquent but also simple.

This book is perfect for moms who are new to prayer. It also is great for those times in every mom's life when you simply do not have words to speak. When those difficult times come it is nice to have words to express with. I like this sweet little book. It would make a great gift for a mom in your life or just for yourself.

I received a free copy of this book from Tyndale Blogging Network in exchange for an honest review.

My Perfect Pantry: A Cookbook Review

My oh my, I cannot wait to have my own kitchen in less than 3 months! Thanks to Geoffrey Zakarian and his fantastic cookbook, My Perfect Pantry, my mouth is watering and I have the cooking bug. I am really impressed by this book. It has everything I like from a cookbook and more.

The introduction shares Geoffrey's view of the pantry from childhood to cook and is a very sweet start. He shares his list of must have pantry spices and ingredients. There are a total of 50 ingredients that he talks about. Each section includes information about the ingredient. I really liked this bonus information. I learned a lot about BBQ sauce that I did not know and will have a lot of fun sharing with my BBQ sauce lovin' husband. Then there are 3 recipes using the ingredients. This is my favorite part, there is a picture of every single dish! I really like to see the dish before I make it and so this feature alone would have made me happy. He includes so much more and that is what makes this book worthy of making space in one of our moving boxes for.

The recipes are so easy to understand and use ingredients I can actually find. I can't wait to start cooking with this book and experiencing some new flavors!

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



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The Kitchen Ecosystem: A Book Review

A large box came in the mail. What is this?! it was The Kitchen Ecosystem by Eugenia Bone. The box and mounds of bubble wrap were a bit much, but the book did come in pristine condition. It is quite the heavy tome. The cover is beautiful and the pictures throughout are wonderful. The introduction was very inspirational. It really got me thinking about how I have and can use so many of the food things I tend to toss out from bones to carrot tops. Eugenia talks about creating your own kitchen ecosystem where your meals are interconnected with each other and where there is less waste. I love the concept. I can't wait to implement it in my own kitchen, when I finally have one again.

I know many people who would love this book. It has creative recipes and they look mouthwatering. The problem that I have is that so many of the "staple" ingredients in her book are not available in our small town grocery store. Corn, check. Carrots, check. Chicken, check. Lobster, duck, fennel, not so much. The likelihood that I would be able to make many of these recipes is very slim. The one thing I really liked in this book was the variety of broth and stock recipes that can use leftover bits and bones. It is an awefully big book to keep around for that handful of recipes though.

I am inspired by the concept of this book. I plan to take Eugenia Bone's advice and create an ecosystem in my kitchen. I plan to use my own recipes with the foods available in my area. She doesn't recommend simply following her recipes, she wants you to create an ecosystem of your own and is simply showing how she has done it. In concept I give this book a 5 out of 5, but if I had purchased this book for myself, I would have been sorely disappointed. So, I will average it out with a midrange 3.

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

Lost in Translation: A Book Review

Lost in Translation by Ella Frances Sanders is a beautiful little book. I was expecting a large coffee table book, probably paperback. Instead I opened my package and found this adorable hardcover book that is not much bigger than a steno pad. The cover really describes it well when it says it is "an illustrated compendium of untranslatable words from around the world."

Each two page spread is set up the same. The first page is a solid block of color with a short paragraph describing what the word means and the language the word comes from. The second page contains original artwork from the author with the word and the definition. It is very interesting to see which languages feel it necessary to have words for certain things like a third cup of coffee or the way your heart beats before leaving for an exciting adventure.

This is a great coffee table book, and it won't even take up your whole coffee table. You will enjoy the artwork and learning a little something about the languages of the world.

 

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

Let Us All Eat Cake: A Book Review

Cake, it is not normally Gluten free and that is a problem for our family. Let Us All Eat Cake by Catherine Ruehle with Sarah Scheffel is devoted to gluten free cake. How can you not want to peek inside with a scrumptious cover like that?

When the book came in the mail I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was hardcover. It is a beautiful and well constructed book. There are so many recipes for cakes, frostings and sauces. Plus there are tips and instructions for decorating your tasty treats. The photographs in this book are simply stunning. They are not always of the recipes though. I love a cookbook that has photos of each recipe. I want to know what it is supposed to look like so I know if I have screwed up. This book has many pictures, but way more recipes than pictures. The recipes also include vegan ingredients so I assume that they may be vegan recipes as well.

Over all, it is a gorgeous book. My husband loves to bake and I know he will be thrilled when I surprise him with this book. I also know I will enjoy the fruits of his labor. I give this book a 4 out of 5 stars because I really want to see what the food looks like, less pictures of peaches and spoons, more cake slices.

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

The One Year Devotions for Active Boys: A Book Review

Get ready for this unique devotional that is available on October 1st. I am so happy I had the chance to review it. Each page of The One Year Devotional for Active Boys is jam packed with impactful devotionals and activities that keeps your active boy engaged by what he is reading. The activities include hands on crafts and science experiments, interesting weird facts about our world, word puzzles and more.

Each day is different in it's message and activity. The lessons are applied so well to a boys life, too. The book could be used well by about any boy but I feel like the reading and activities are geared to rough ages 9-14. To walk you through a day I will give you a tour of January 24, which I found especially interesting. The first half of that day's page is the story of Stephen being stoned to death for his faith and how he could have prayed for them to stop but chose to pray for those attacking him instead. There are some deep questions about how you react to being mistreated. Then there is an experiment in which we replicate a crocodile stomach and see how the stones they eat can crush food. Ultimately learning about how rocks can really destroy things, like poor Stephen. At the end there is a prayer prompt and a Bible verse. Each day is laid out in a similar manner. There are stories of serving others, both biblically and in the present, mighty warriors, health, generosity, and having faith in God every day. This is a fantastic devotional designed to run from January to December and is labeled for each day. I highly recommend it, and just dive right in with your active boy!

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

Money Saving Mom One of My Favorite Blogs

I have been blogging for a long time (9 years) and my favorite blogs have come and gone. Right now one of my favorite blogs is Money Saving Mom! If you haven't seen this blog yet, get on over and check it out.

The writers at Money Saving Mom share tons of printable coupons, information about earning money from home, and freebies galore. Last year I got tons of free goodies to add to my Christmas gifts over the course of the year. It is where I heard about Craftsy's free online classes, Blogging for Books and Tyndale Blogging Network (free books for blog reviews), and have gotten so many free Kindle books that I may not be able to read them all! I don't find something every day but it has been totally worth a peek on a daily basis for me.

Check it out! You'll be happy you did.

How to Survive a Sharknado: A Book Review

Have you been concerned about your ability to survive a Sharknado or other unnatural disaster? Now you can be prepared with Andrew Shaffer's book How to Survive a Sharknado. I have been seeing this movie everywhere, online, Netflix, Amazon. The whole idea is so absurd that I thought I'd never watch it. Seeing the book really piqued my interest. I signed on to review the book.

I wanted to be prepared and to give the book a fair review, so I watched the movie. It is totally absurd! So absurd that it is downright hilarious. Now I was psyched to read the book. I was not disappointed. How to Survive a Sharknado has a letter from Fin at the beginning and one from his ex-wife at the back. Both are characters from the SciFi film. Shaffer also peppers the book with actual facts bringing the book to life for the readers.

The appendices are not to be missed either. Two different supply lists are included. There is a quiz to find out how well you would do in the case of an unnatural disaster. And excerpts from other scifi books. My favorite part of the whole book was in a highlighted section of the Cave Bear information. He quotes Stephen Colbert's opinion on bears and it was hilarious.

I was impressed by the full page illustrations for each topic. The layout of the whole book was incredibly well done. Plus I am prepared for the inevitable icenado we are likely to get this winter.

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

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Dear Luke: A Book Review

Dear Luke, We Need to Talk, Darth is the long and crazy name of the book I am reviewing today. Written by John Moe, it is a satirical collection of letters, e-mails, and other communiques from many notable areas of pop culture. You would be hard pressed to find an adult, and it is very much a book for adults, that does not find something that makes them laugh. Whether it is the journal of Bruce the shark (from Finding Nemo) falling off the bandwagon and inadvertently becoming the shark from Jaws, the CIA log of Gilligan studying the effect of stranding people on an island, or the Welp reviews of such notable stops as Moe's Tavern, Bates Motel, and Bronto Burgers in Bedrock.

This book will be a hit if you enjoy dark comedy. It is quite cynical most of the time. As I tried to think of a way to describe this unique book I began to think of The Stinky Cheese Man. For those who aren't familiar with it, it is a picture book which sheds a cynical and comedic look at popular fairy tales. Dear Luke is like a grown up version of the popular 90's picture book.

Overall I would have to say that I truly enjoyed about half of this book. The book is clever and well put together. I do like a good dark comedy from time to time and this was no exception. At times it went a little too far, funny to uncomfortable in a matter of sentences. The other half of the book I was not familiar with the references to or were completely uninteresting to me, like the numerous Super Bowl Half-time ideas that peppered the entire book. The thing that bothered me the most was the gratuitous foul language. I am an adult, the book is for adults, and a little language here and there isn't necessary but not a deterrent. There are times, like in Dorothy's letter to Glinda, that the "F" word shows up several times in each paragraph. I thought the idea for Dorothy's letter was hilarious and witty, but the over use of swearing destroyed the youthful innocence of the character instead of playing upon it.

I am happy I read the book. I had many a good laugh. My recommendation is to enjoy the sections that are funny to you and simply bypass the stuff you don't get or don't like.

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

 

Epic Grace: a Book Review

Epic Grace: Chronicles of a Recovering Idiot, I simply love the title. Kurt Bubna has a fantastically conversational writing style. Reading this book is almost like having a chat with him, a one sided chat, but a chat nonetheless.

I related so well with this book. We all make so many mistakes in our lives and it is nice to see that someone else is right there in my shoes. One part that touched me the most is the story of how he became a pastor. He didn't think he would ever be a pastor and never wanted to be. Yet, God called him to be a pastor, and now he is. I certainly never thought I would be a missionary. It was not even on my radar. Now here we are preparing our family to leave the country on mission. It is simply amazing to see where God guides your life and how He uses your mistakes. Thank the Lord that His grace is abounding because I don't know what I would ever do if it wasn't.

This is a lovely, touching book. The cover is beautiful and very soft to touch. I definitely recommend reading it.

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2nzOhRtsvA        

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

You Can't Make Me: Book Review

I have been reading You Can't Make Me (But I Can Be Persuaded), Revised and Updated Edition by Cynthia Ulrich Tobias. I was excited to get it, as my little guy is quite the "strong willed child" much of the time. I got about half way through and I was sort of feeling iffy about the stories written and advise given. Then I got to a section where a man tells the author that Bible tells us to be obedient to God and our parents. What I took away from her response was that God made most people strong willed and so He most likely doesn't want us to go against our nature. A red flag popped up for me right there. Strong will is a matter of trying to exert your dominance over someone else and not let them win no matter what. Determination and drive are valuable, but I agree with the man, God doesn't want us to be willful and stubborn. We are born as sinners and many things, such as strong will, are passed off as "the way we were born" and we are told to embrace it. God clearly says in His word that they are being tempted by a sinful nature and need to turn to him for guidance and correction.

The following section is titled Rules are basically guidelines, in which she gives this example:

"If I drive into the school parking lot for an evening PTA meeting and the closest parking places are marked "Bus Zone - No Parking," I interpret that sign to mean, "if the buses need those spaces, you can't park here. However, if the busses don't need them, you can park here." It's a guideline! On the other hand, you won't find a stronger advocate than I am when it comes to making sure "Handicapped Only" parking is strictly enforced twenty-four hours a day."

I have a huge problem with the thinking behind this.  If I park in that bus zone it shows my kids that we only need to follow the rules when someone is watching. How am I to know that there isn't a sporting event that is out and will need that space in the evening. Picking and choosing what rules to follow is part of the reason that so many followers of Christ are confused about what the Bible teaches. It is a slippery slope to slide down and it is where I stopped reading the book.

If you want to raise your children in a Biblical way, I do not recommend this book. If you want a quick fix to "tolerate" your strong willed child, then this will help. It will not however, get you to the root of their will and help them to grow to maturity as Godly young men and women.

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

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Restaurant Love

Welcome to the blog hop! If you are just joining in you can find the starting line here: http://www.supporting-artists.com/. Get the whole code and you will win a set of Supporting Artists designed recipe cards. Keep reading to find out my letter in the code and where to go next...

I love going out to eat! We don't do it very often but we just came back from vacation and got to go a lot. We went to one of my favorite places, Rainforest Cafe.

Normally I prefer not to hit a chain restaurant but there is just something about Rainforest. They have got the most fun atmosphere. The thunderstoms while you eat, the moving animals, the aquariums, they just make it so memorable. Plus with our 5 year old, there is never a dull moment and the Cafe keeps him well entertained.

On this visit my husband, Adam, and I shared the Honey Mahi Mahi and Shrimp. Oh, yum! It was big enough to share and was fantastic. It was made up of bite size chunks of fish and shrimp battered and glazed with a sweet honey sauce. To be honest, the mahi mahi was kind of strange with the sweet sauce. The shrimp on the other hand was absolutely delectable. It may be one of my new favorite foods. The dish it pretty pricey ($20.99) and is on their special menu right now, but is so worth trying if you find yourself there.

Now that you are hungry, lets keep you moving along on this food themed blog hop...

My letter is: U

Now head on over to http://ourchildrensearth.wordpress.com/2013/06/20/edible-eco-friendly-play-dough/ to get the next clue in the code. Have fun and here is a peek at the card I designed for the package.

Kindergarten Curriculum Review

We are almost done with the school year and I thought it was high time I shared my thoughts on all the curriculum we were using. I should mention that we will not be using any of these choices again next year but that is not because we didn't like them. One main reason is that we want to be more compact for our move into the mission field. 

The Sonlight core curriculum has been mostly good. There were a handful of readers that Mister did not really get into but we did find some new favorites. I would definitely use Sonlight again and plan at least get some of the readers from future years. Their book list is very good.

 

All About Reading Level 1 was a big hit at our house. Mister loved the hands on activities and it all stuck. It is very slow paced compared to Alpha Phonics, which we switched to when he finished level 1. We have been very happy with Alpha Phonics. It is very basic but he has already advanced past what he would have learned over the course of a year in All About Reading level 2 and we are still doing kindergarten at our house. Plus, Alpha is available on the Kindle so that is great for compactness!

I have to say I am not a big fan of All About Spelling. Some of the beginning activities helped him get started, but it would be just as easy to just have him spell words as he learns to read them. I don't think I would do a spelling curriculum again for Mister.

SonLight science was okay. I was disappointing to find that there was a box of supplies that needed to be ordered separately on top of the box that was included. I did not order the extra box. We are nearly done with all the science and have added a large pile of science books besides as we read them all faster than the schedule suggested. I would skip Sonlight Science in the future.

We ended up skipping Horizons math (shown above). Instead we went with Math U See. Mister got it and whipped through the workbook with ease. He did not like the math blocks and we started using Squinkies instead for much more fun and homeschool happiness. I wasn't feeling the Math U See groove this year and with the added fact that they are conforming to common core standards, I will not be purchasing from them in the future.

Handwriting Without Tears was done quickly. It lasted about 1/2 the year but Mister loved it and his handwriting is looking great, when he makes sure to do it correctly and not just mess around. This was a great choice and I am glad that we were able to use it. I would absolutely buy HWT again!

Little Passports got cut in November and we started doing our own series on the blog (World Travels on the side bar). Little Passports was fantastic and I highly recommend it. We just felt that we could spend less and focus more on what we wanted him to learn if we created our own. Plus the goodies we buy are just for him and are things we will actually use and he will love.

Dance also got the boot. We felt Just for Kix was way to commercial. Every dance class they were trying to sell us stuff (t-shirts, bags, ect.). It was hard for Mister because it was all geared toward girls. We did start using some awesome workout apps on the kindle and we have been walking and biking every chance we get.

It has been a great year! We still have a couple of months to go since we are schooling year round. Most of his curriculum is going to be finished this week though. We are going to do a long unit on Little House in the Big Woods. Mister loves the book as far as we have read it and we will be incorporating lots of activities too. 

Want to know what we are using for 1st grade? Joins us again tomorrow to find out!

Hunt For the Devil's Dragon: a Book Review

Hunt for the Devil’s Dragon by Marianne Hering and Wayne Thomas Batson is the first book for young readers that I have had the privilege to review and I must say it was a fantastic way to start. I read this book with my 5 year old son and he was thrilled to find out that there were more in the series. As a 5 year old, he isn't quite read to read this book himself. I love that it says right on the book that the reading level is grade 2.2. That makes it easy to know if this book is at your child's level. He also loved the action . He didn't want me to stop reading at the end of any chapter. We only took a breather because 14 chapters is a lot to read out loud in one sitting.

From my mom's perspective, I liked that the type was large for young readers and that there were beautiful illustrations dotting the book. The series is very similar to The Magic Tree House series. It is so much more in depth though. Instead of simply going on a mission to retrieve an object the go into history to learn valuable life lessons. Their connections with the characters they meet are meaningful and go beyond the surface.

The series is also Christian themed but not all the characters are Christians. In this book Georgius is a Christian Roman guard. We get to see the difficulties he faces being the only Christian in the story. He is also a wonderful example of the way that Christians should behave. Georgius is kind and forgiving even to those who are mean and hurtful. 

We will absolutely be getting more of this series. It is also available on the Kindle which is great for our trying to downsize for our mission trip. I hope the e-book is as stunning as the paperback was. 

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

A Season for Tending: a Book Review

I am a huge fan of Amish romance novels! I was so excited to have gotten a free copy of A Season for Tending by Cindy Woodsmall from Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing to review. My copy was on my kindle, so my review will be based on the e-edition.

I actually had a very hard time getting into this book initially. It wasn't till I was half done with the book that I started getting interested at all. It did not have the feel of the Amish books I am used to. My favorite are Beverly Lewis' books and books that have a similar feel to hers. This book is not rich in the tradition of the Amish but instead has a very unique cast of characters. Rhoda is an Amish woman who has premonitions and is rumored to be a witch. Jacob is an Amish man that has a dark past and is a whiz at mental math. Leah is an Amish teen who starts the book getting sloshed at a party and wakes up in Rhoda's garden, thus tying the families together.

About halfway, things start to tie together really well. It peaked my interest and kept me moving forward. By the end of the book, I couldn't put it down. When I reached the end, I was sad there wasn't more! I wouldn't put this book at the top of my favorites list, but I would happily read the next book to find out what happens in King's orchard. I expect that book 2 would leave off where book 1 ended and there would be no need for the slow start.

On a technical note, The kindle version had terrible formating. Many of the speaking portions are grouped together in the same paragraph. That makes it very hard to keep track of who is speaking. If this were fixed it would be much easier to really be absorbed by the book as I wouldn't have to come back to reality to decipher who is reading. Out of 5 stars I give this a 4 because it left me wanting more, but I have to take a star off for the weak start and technical issues.

Upside-Down Prayers for Parents - A Review

Upside-Down Prayers for Parents by Lisa Bergren is a wonderful parent's devotional. Inside its covers are 31 devotionals. Each devotional starts with something you should pray for your child. These are not your run of the mill prayers for happiness, safety, and wonderful spouses. These are prayers that will result in great spiritual growth, for example:

I pray you will...

• suffer loss so you can see how God can use all things for good
• face hardships so you can see how the Lord provides
• get so weary that you will give up and learn that through submission to God comes great strength

After this short prayer suggestion is a short bible verse. Then it gets to the meat. Lisa spends roughly 2-3 pages discussing the reasons behind the prayer. She writes in a way that is completely relatable and I saw myself in nearly every page of this book. Next is a prayer to pray. I noticed right off that these prayers are just as much for the parents as for the children, if not more.

God put this book in my hands today. It could only have been His timing as it has been sitting on my dresser for about a week.. It was a rough weekend and Monday. God used this book to speak to me today. That's right, today I went through the entire book. Nearly all of the devotions and prayers related to the specific difficulties that I have been struggling with over the past 3 days. I needed this book today and am grateful to have had the chance to read it. It may have made its way onto my exclusive list of books to bring on our mission trip.

That is not were the devotion ends though. There is a small area to record your thoughts on the questions about the theme of the day's devotion. Also, there are questions to ask younger kids or older kids to help them understand the topics and help apply them to their lives. This is a book I plan on returning to time and again. I highly recommend it!

I would like to thank Water Brook Multnomah for providing me with a free copy of this book to review as a part of the Blogging for Books program.