 Reviewer: Camille Murray
What first drew me to this book was the topic--I don't think I'd ever seen, much less read a book on the topic of mankind's dominion. Plus the cover has an amazing sword on the front, which gave me the impression that this was not going to be a laid back message. I read the entire book in two hours. Not because it was easy to read, but because The Battle of Identity presents real food, not your typical feel good candy. The sword on the cover spoke truly of a heavy hitting and challenging message. The only reason I gave this book four stars instead of five is because it could really use an editing run by someone whose first language is English. I plan on reading this book again in the near future. 3/27/2017 Nothing to Fear
 Reviewer: Kelly Miller I love reading scripture into the lives of our children and grandchildren and when I saw the front cover of the book, Nothing to Fear, I was drawn in. The baby on the front is sweet and it's hard not to have an "Awww" moment. The 'story' is the scripture, 2 Timothy 1:7, with the author's added phrasing "I know I have nothing, nothing to fear, nothing to fear, when Jesus is near" 4 times throughout this small book. All the pictures within the book are of babies and toddlers and although they are cute, they could use better editing to make them brighter and clearer. Each picture also has a little bumblebee picture logo (for lack of a better word) on it. When reading the book with my 2 year old granddaughter, that little bee became quite troublesome. With "What that bee doing?" and "That bee bite the baby?" being repetitive questions. Although I thought that the cuteness of the babies in each picture would be fun for my grandbabies to look at, they were quite disinterested in the book and kept trying to flip the pages to get to the end. I think the scripture verse that was chosen was above the level of toddlers who really don't have a strong concept of what fear is or what it means to have a sound mind. The writing did not flow in a natural sing song manner as seemed to be the author's intention, judging by the back cover write up, and I struggled to find a rhythm when reading it out loud. This book would be wonderful for infants who don't have questions and would just enjoy the pictures of the babies.  Reviewer: Margaret Welwood
What a beautiful rendition of some very comforting Scripture! And what could be more appropriate than pictures of happy babies on every page, along with a happy dancing bee? I'm so glad I have this book to read to my young grandchildren--the poetry and the pictures are a hymn of praise to the God of all comfort, and a message of joy and safety to little ones. 3/26/2017 Dreams of Tamar
 Reviewer: Mary Hosmar When I read the back cover blurb of this book, I thought this might make an interesting read. Unfortunately, for me, this book did not live up to its promise. While the story premise has merit, the way in which it was presented, disappointed. I had a hard time finishing the book. Perhaps, because of this, I may have missed some references or forgotten some details. For example, the back cover blurb talks about Diedra, the main character, hearing about the stories of two women named Tamar in the Bible. These women both suffered rejection and shame. The connection with Diedra was not clearly established. Yes, Diedra was rejected by the father of her children, but this seems to be glossed over rather than become an integral part of the story. As a matter of fact, the most prominent time Tamar is mentioned is when her name is spoken by someone in the prayer ministry at church who was praying over Diedra’s friend and not in connection with Diedra herself. At the beginning of the book Diedra is very upset with James, her husband because of his attitude and unwillingness to help around the house. Then, seemingly without a lot of struggle or time passing, it seems all is changed and James becomes a perfect example of a loving and helping husband. There were several more inconsistencies in the story which I found confusing. One of the first things that turned me off were the many grammatical errors. The story does have the potential to speak to people and needs to be told, but it would be much more effective if the author used show rather than tell on more occasions. Both the grammar and writing could benefit from a good editor. There is a very strong and clear message of Christ’s love and redemptive power throughout the story. Sometime, though, I found those passages so long they detracted from the story. I know some people will love this story, and each reader needs to make up his or her own mind.  Reviewer: Sabrina Wade
Impressive. While this book is not a style of writing I favor, the author most certainly kept my attention and drew me into each scene on purpose. From a Christian standpoint there were many things throughout the book that I do not agree with as biblical. Nonetheless, because this book is listed as fiction, all beliefs put aside, I thoroughly enjoyed Dreams of Tamar. Pryor wrote this novel in a way that both read as a novel and a personal devotional. I truly felt as though the words came off the page and spoke directly to me. Mind blowing. The Good Lord’s Word without addition or subtraction has a way of doing that. Readers picking up this book with just the intent of passing time will be taken aback. Dreams of Tamar had me experiencing every emotion each character experienced and left room for me to introspectively examine my own past and my future. Forget about Diedra, YOU THE READER will walk away equipped to speak life into your trials and troubles. You will look at the people within your circle and question whether they are supporters or drainers. Get your copy and experience a journey of fictional characters that will without a doubt collided with your real life. 3/22/2017 Throne of Grace
3/21/2017 Fear Fighting Author: Kelly Balarie Genre: Christian Living/Self-Help We all live with fear. It hangs around, whispering in our ears, reminding us of all we can't do or will never be. But that's not the end of the story. We also have a God who draws close to say, Fear not. I am with you. This Spirit transforms us into fear fighters--women breaking free of trepidation to find bold dedication to God's peace-, purpose-, and joy-filled callings. With remarkable compassion born from personal experience, Kelly Balarie shows women how to pull back the curtain of fear so you can find the beautiful woman God created you to be.
 Reviewer: Laura Thomas Kelly Balarie takes the reader by the hand and with a friendly squeeze, she encourages us to step out of our fears and comfort zones in order to see what God has in store for us: “…stopping and stepping into unsafe forces us to receive God’s new safe.” In a very personable, honest voice she discusses subjects such as comparison, worry, people pleasing, and rejection, always with a practical application and “something to chew on” at the end of each chapter. With personal anecdotes and verses of Scripture, there is plenty to consider—not least, the Twelve Week Fear-Fighting Challenge in the form of a study guide at the end of the book. One of my favorite quotes: “If you spend your whole life grasping for happy in the future, you’ll end up missing God’s transformation in the present.” A good read for any woman battling fear or desiring to step boldly into the fullness of life as a daughter of the King. This book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.  Reviewer: Sabrina Wade
Honestly, this book has been a difficult read. I have trudged through a few chapters. I was not quick to quit reading it simply because fearless is my word for the year 2017. I wanted to believe I can grasp something from the author. Each section of the book that I have read has been too wordy. Most times leaving me in a whirlwind of confusion. I found myself rereading pages to get a better understanding quite frequently. On the plus, as a non-fiction devotional book, I like how the author made the book personal. Carefully and purposefully incorporating her own struggles of fighting fear day to day. I do believe with a considerable amount of patience, when the reader overlooks the wordiness of the book a pot of gold awaits. A pot full of things like faith, hope, courage, and an understanding that you don't have to have it all together to walk in Christ. And maybe more. This book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. 3/20/2017 Transform Your Life
 Reviewer: Edwina Cowgill
In preparing to write “Transform Your Life: 7 Steps to a Better Life,” Dr. Nella Ann Roberts spent months reading, researching and interviewing people who have transformed their lives. From this, she developed the seven steps that will help every reader to transform his/her life. The steps are easy to understand, however, those who want to transform their life must 1) know what in their life they want to transform; 2) plan the steps of their transformation; 3) be committed and disciplined in their body and mind to have a successful transformation. The beauty of the program is that the steps can apply to all areas of one’s life: weight loss, improved relationships, obtaining a new job, buying a new home—the list is endless. This book is based on Biblical principles, sharing the wisdom of the ages on transformation of our lives. Dr. Roberts shares stories of people who, for various reasons, needed transformation in their lives. She also shares from her own personal experiences, helping the reader to understand they are not alone in their need for transformation. At the end of each chapter, Dr. Roberts has included a section titled “What About You?” wherein she motivates the reader by asking questions based on the chapter. She then offers exercises to help the reader to begin and carry through on their personal transformation. If I could only recommend one book for 2017, “Transform Your Life: 7 Steps to a Better Life” would be the book. It is a must read for anyone who wants to live a better life. 3/17/2017 YesterCanada
 Reviewer: Laura J. Davis Who knew that our first Prime Minister's wife was such a formidable woman? Or that Manitoba had a haunted horse? Or that Nova Scotia had its very own Noah's Ark? These are just some of the stories author Elma Schemenauer shares in her book YesterCanada. These historical tales of my country had me enthralled from the first page and I wondered why I had never heard about them in school when I was growing up. I mean, who wouldn't want to know that Sir John A MacDonald's wife perched herself on the cowcatcher of a train just to get a better view of what was up ahead? Or that her husband, much to the horror of those in charge of his safety, joined her? The author has included factual stories as well as folklore, that I found incredibly intriguing. This will be a book that I recommend to many and hope that it is one that ends up in Canadian schools everywhere as "required reading". I wasn't even going to read this book because of the cover, but when I read the back story and another reviewer's opinion of it, I knew I had to read it. And that is the one thing I fear will keep people from reading this book - the cover - and that would be a shame, because this is one book every Canadian should read.  Reviewer: Kelly Miller
I enjoyed this book so much more that I thought would be possible. I was a student who despised History class through all my school years, finding it dull as dirt, however, when I read the back cover synopsis of this book, I was intrigued. All I can say is, it would be wonderful if all history educators used this book, YesterCanada – Historical Tales of Mystery and Adventure, in their classes. History would be SO MUCH FUN! Such an exciting and amazing trip through unknown and little known facts about Canada and the mysterious, wild, brave and arguably crazy people who lived here. From a Prime Minister's wife riding on cow catchers, all the way to unmanned ships sailing alone, this book is a page turner from beginning to end. Despite the fact that the cover itself, sadly, does not draw you to the book, the contents very quickly make you forget that from the outside it looks like one of those uninteresting school books that we were forced to read. Elma Schemenauer presented each tale in an easy to read manner that instantly drew me into the stories. Many times I didn't want the story to end and just as many times, I found myself on my computer looking up more historic details that surrounded these accounts. I couldn't put the book down, and I haven't stopped sharing these historic tales with family and friends since. I highly recommend this book for history and non history lovers everywhere. 3/12/2017 Rust Bucket
 Reviewer: Michelle Holmes Having been a missionary kid in Asia, I was interested to read Rust Bucket, which is about Pakistanis and human trafficking in North America. There was lots of Urdu language mixed in for effect and translated for understanding. I enjoyed the few words I understood. One word I knew was spelled two different ways a couple pages apart. Wright seems to understand the Asian culture and portrayed it well. An example of this would be how the women were shy about interacting with males. He definitely put a face on the huge problem of human trafficking and the difficulties and dangers in fighting it. The book flowed well, except for the details of what Josh Radley ate at every meal, which seemed a bit list-like. There were a couple of places where a fast food place turned into a diner and a cell phone turned into a computer, but they weren't very obvious. The biggest problem I see in this book is that the hero doesn't appear to be a man of integrity. The author puts doubt in the reader's mind (especially in the first part of the book) as to whether Radley will stay faithful to his wife or not. He tells his wife he is a "one-woman-man" and a couple of pages later we learn that, when his marriage had problems, he made friends with another woman. He had apparently been looking for an affair since we learn later that she still "set his pulse racing", and yet through most of the book he kept in contact with her more than his own wife. At one point he wonders if the other woman is interested in being more than just friends. Later he tries to witness to her. That didn't seem to fit together. I also felt that he was willing to risk his marriage for a story by visiting a prostitute in order to rescue her, without at least mentioning it to his wife first. I think this smudge on Radley's integrity distracted from the message of the book, namely, the horrors of sex-trafficking. There are enough sexual references to do with Radley that I would say that this book is for adults. Good knowledge of subject matter. I liked the ending,"Now if only I could persuade Steph to bring me my laptop."  Reviewer: Kelly Potts
“Rust Bucket” is the third in a series written by Eric E Wright. The book delves into the dark world of human trafficking. The main character, Josh Radley goes beyond his journalistic duties to assist Canadian authorities in rescuing the men and women kidnapped from Pakistan to be used as slaves in Canada and the U.S. Josh’s passion for saving the unfortunate makes him an easily likeable character. I found the book to be an exciting read, right down to the last page. “Rust Bucket” quietly blends Christian faith into a suspense novel. Though the continual negative commentary regarding Canadian Authority (CSIS, Immigration, police) is disturbing, I realize that the author needs to describe the plight of those affected by human trafficking and the loop holes and bureaucracy that hinders progress. Nadia and Captain Weber could not be the only good people working for Canadian Authorities. I am looking forward to reading the first two in this series. 3/8/2017 Denine
 Reviewer: Gee Dixon Denine touched my heart. As a mom of a special needs son it gave me courage to keep holding on through the rough times when you feel you just cannot do it. It was heartwarming seeing the baby steps that Chris took to become one of trusting The Lord and giving all to him. Trusting through the good and not so good. Ken, Chris’s husband has a hard time dealing with the disabilities that Denine has and distances himself, later though becoming a Christian. Denine will really touch your life. She touched mine. It will make you cry so get your kleenex out. You will know Denine through the eyes, words and Denine’s life through her mother. Thank you Chris for sharing your precious Denine. I do hope your story will touch others the way it has touched mine.  Reviewer: Mary Hosmar
It was the description of this story which initially attracted me. Chris Forster tells the story of her eldest daughter, Denine, in a factual, apparently dispassionate, manner. Yet there is no doubt of her passionate love for her daughter. She is honest in relating how having a ‘severely disabled child’ affected her, her family, her marriage and her trust and faith in God. She admits to bouts of sorrow, depression and despair but also the joy of realizing God had chosen her to be a mother to a special child . Yet this is not a depressing story. Chris’s great love for Denine comes through each page and incident. And when she finally realizes that she needs to give everything over to God, Chris, herself, experiences God’s love and peace. Never having had a disabled child, I knew I could not understand the trials and trauma that parents of a special needs child undergo, so reading this story was, in part, to educate myself. The other reason for reading the story was to learn more about God’s mercy and grace. I was not disappointed on either count. Is this book great literature? No. Is it worth reading. Definitely. 3/3/2017 In the Shadow of Denali
Allan Brennan travels to the Curry Hotel to be an apprentice of a seasoned Alaska mountain guide. Ever since his father's death climbing Mt. McKinley, he's worked to earn enough money to make the trek to the Alaska territory himself. His father's partner blames their guide for the death of his father, but Allan wants to find the truth for himself. He finds an unlikely ally in Cassidy, and as the two begin to look into the mystery, they suddenly find that things are much less clear, and much more dangerous, than either could ever imagine.
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3/29/2017
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