Tag Archive for: WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing

“The Chocolate Diaries”

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Book Review for “The Chocolate Diaries—Secrets for a Sweeter Journey on the Rocky Road of Life,” by Karen Scalf Linamen, WaterBrook Press, 2011

I love Ms. Linamen’s light, yet deep approach to life’s difficulties. She is genuinely honest and reflective as she shares her and other’s tough experiences. The book is filled with practical lists and fun interjections such as “don’t forget to add eat chocolate today at the top of every list.  No matter how many things I fail to accomplish, I can always cross at least one of them off my list.” 

Each chapter begins with a witty quote and ends with a Q & A: What’s your secret to a sweeter journey on the rocky road of life?  The chapters end with reflective questions and a delightful chocolate recipe.   

I’d recommend this book to anyone having trouble digesting life right now and desires unbiased personal insights coupled with a few good laughs. I appreciate the fact that Ms. Linamen gives credit to God who can wipe away our tears when chocolate alone won’t do the trick. She reminds the reader that power, wisdom, and help can be found in Scripture.

WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group provided this book to me for free in exchange for this honest review as part of their Blogging for Books program.

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Review of “Lioness Arising – Wake Up and Change Your World”

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I was eager to discover the meaning behind the word “Lioness” and how it fit in with females in today’s world. Ms. Bevere’s walks the reader through the concept of a woman’s awesome strength and beauty, and how God purposely places women in key roles in history, the family, and in community.

In the first chapter, Ms. Bevere tells of her dream about a lioness. During this dream, she hears an audible voice, “with the birth of this son, you will awaken a lioness.” I have to admit the dream threw me off a bit. Ms. Bevere’s desire is for each of us to realize our unrealized possibilities. She longs to “awaken something wild, wise, and wonderful in you.” She uses challenging questions to spurn women on to greater heights in order to reach their fullest potential.

Ms. Bevere ended strong with her last two chapters, “Walking with a lion,” and “From a whisper to a roar.”  Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “None of us will ever accomplish anything excellent or commanding except when he listens to this whisper which is heard by him alone.” One of the author’s comments that stood out for me: “Don’t ask others to tell you what you alone can hear. In doing so, you give them power over the God-whisper within your heart. Honor what God whispers, and take the time to listen to what he imparts in excellence to you.”

As women, we have what it takes to succeed—strength, beauty, power, spiritual awareness—in whatever task God assigns us.  

It was difficult for me to keep coming back to complete the book—I’d recommend condensing the book.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Waterbrook Multnomah book review bloggers program, “Blogging for Books.”

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Delightful, whimsical storybook

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Review of Little Star, by Anthony DeStefano, illustrated by Mark Elliiott.

Little Star’s illustrations are beautifully detailed in life-like fashion. My 4-year old granddaughter, Liberty, and I read the book several times. She listened and sat still for the story two times in a row. 

Little Star wrestles with the issue of peer pressure when the other stars ignore him due to his small size and different beliefs. My granddaughter felt sad for Little Star when the other stars didn’t pay attention to him and he didn’t get sparkled and dusted by long-tailed comets like they did. The other stars didn’t agree or believe a King would be born poor and in a lowly manger.  Little Star didn’t listen to the other stars, but instead did what he knew to be right and true by burning brighter and brighter to warm the newborn baby even to the point of burning out.

Liberty recalled her Sunday school class Christmas program from a year ago when the innkeeper said there was no room for baby Jesus in the Inn and began to recite the words to the song she had memorized.  Later, while when we visited a friend’s house, she commented about the star on top of their Christmas tree and immediately said, “That’s like Little Star!”

One suggestion: I would have liked to read about Little Star pointing the way for the wise men to come worship baby Jesus making the story truer to the actual biblical account.

 Little Star is a delightful story for the young and the young-at-heart!

(Note: I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.)

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