"God's Smuggler" by Brother Andrew with John and Elizabeth Sherrill

This book really took me by surprise.  I am neither evangelical nor Christian, but I found myself turning the pages and wondering what would happen next.  The book follows the life of Andrew.  Readers experience his childhood, his military life, his time in Indonesia with locals and monkey, his first love, his marriage to an unlikely beau, his conversion to Christianity, and his call to the missions field.  I should note that the parts of the book that focus on Andrew's beau and wife are written in a classy manner.  There is nothing graphic, and it is appropriate even for young readers.  The innocence of true love is conveyed and nothing more.  As for the missions, readers feel as if they are on a CIA mission as they follow Andrew through several communist countries.  Places where Bibles and preaching are illegal make the book even more suspenseful.  Most intriguing of all are the small coincidences that lined up with Andrew's prayers.  This book is a must-read for people of all faiths.  Also included is an interview with Andrew about more of his travels and even a section of photos.  While there are no graphic details, the book does mention people dying, so sensitive readers should be warned.

"Girl Meets Change" by Kristen Strong

This book is all about women not only facing change in their life but also embracing it.  Several Biblical stories such as the story of Joseph, Ruth, and Esther are given as examples.  There is also heavy emphasis on Jesus and his story, giving this book much of a Christian undertone.  In terms of the real-life examples from modern day, those were spot on...for certain people.  The examples were interesting, but they just didn't hit home for me.  Being a young working professional, I could not relate to the change of marriage, divorce, children leaving the home, and so forth.  Still, that does not mean I did not enjoy the book.  The book did hold my attention was kept me thinking about how others in the world are going through so much (even if it is not the same change I am going through).

"The Sabbath" by Abraham Joshua Heschel

This book is an essential must-have for anyone curious about the Sabbath.  In this short book of quick easy-to-follow chapters, readers begin to understand what the Sabbath is all about.  Through carefully woven language, each page is almost a work of art.  Speaking of art, there are beautiful black-and-white illustrations throughout that are quite thought-provoking.  The biggest concept I got out of this book is that the Sabbath is centered around time instead of space.  Space is ordinary, while time is holy.  During the Sabbath, man is blessed with a taste of eternity.

"The Time Garden" by Daria Song

This is a wonderful coloring book for artists of all ages.  While the story follows a girl in her dream thru time and space, females may find this book more suited for them.  Besides the images themselves, there is some text to walk colorers through the story.  The coloring pages themselves are quite intricate and take a bit of time to color--hence the title of TIME garden.  Still, this book is quite relaxing and enjoyable.  Whether there is a rainy day or just an early morning, this book is great for passing the time.  The patterns are intricate enough to make you think what color patterns to use but not so detailed that you get frustrated trying to color in the lines.  On the left is an example that this book reviewer colored.

"Thank You Lord for Everything" by P J Lyons, Tim Warnes

This children's book is simply adorable.  The little teddy bear is quite grateful, and readers of all ages see that.  From the basic needs of food and nourishment to the joys of friendship and family, this little teddy is thankful.  The full-color illustrations are cute and get the story across in a fun manner.  There are several animals throughout the book, so kids see not only bears but also other wildlife.  Since the teddy bear thanks Lord for everything, there is a religious feel to the book.  There is a chapel in an illustration, so the book leans more towards Christianity.  Nonetheless, the overall theme of being thankful for life's blessings is central.  The book is hardcover, and the pages are thick and more wood-like than paper.  It is a durable book that can take lots of reading and dropping!

"Life on the Edge: The Coming of Age of Quantum Biology" by Johnjoe McFadden, Jim Al-Khalili

I am fascinated with quantum mechanics, so this book immediately stood out to me.  How does quantum mechanics relate to biology?  Obviously, there are quantum particles such as electrons in living matter.  However, these authors really take it a step further to explain and postulate how quantum mechanics aids in common biological processes.  From photosynthesis to enzyme action to the concept to the soul, and more, this book dives deep.  Of particular interest was the idea that quantum mechanics is responsible for the compass in creatures such as birds and butterflies that allows them to migrate on precise magnetic headings to their migratory destinations.  Also fascinating was the concept of how quantum mechanics works with the sense of smell in creatures.  This book was great.  My only criticism is that it could have had more pictures.  When discussing complex chemical phenomena, sometimes words alone can not convey the whole story.  I work as a rocket scientist by day, and even I had to read many paragraphs multiple times before I got the gist.

"The Chase: Trusting God with Your Happily Ever After" by Kelsey Kupecky, Kyle Kupecky

This is a delightful book from a husband and wife about waiting for God's best for your life in terms of marriage.  Both give their opinions and share their stories.  Readers will hear of heartbreak from the authors themselves, as well as from the authors' friends.  Cutest of all is how both talk about praying for their future spouse and how they met.  The font is a nice size, and there are embellished (artistically, not verbally!) quotes throughout to make readers smile.  The book goes by fairly quickly and is a great conversation starter.  While both authors are Christian, they do not force their views on others.  They talk about what they believe, but I did not feel they were forcing me to believe everything they believed.  Rather, they were just sharing their story...and part of their story is their religion.  Overall, this was a great book.  There are even some wedding photos at the end, which is adorable.  This book does talk about sex and waiting until marriage.  It is in no way graphic, so parents may decide for themselves whether or not this book is suited for their children.

"Thankful" by Eileen Spinelli and Illustrated by Archie Preston

This adorable book is all about gratitude.  From firefighters to gardeners to dancers to artists, all chip in to say what they are grateful for.  However, there are not real firemen and gardeners and so forth depicted.  Rather, the brother-sister protagonist duo pretends to be most other people person.  This hardcover book is well made with nice glossy pages.  The illustrations really make this book what it is.  They are clever and cute and oh-so hilarious.  From the little boy running for mayor with a sign about abolishing bedtimes to the father rolling his eyes as he presents high-tea desserts to the little girl queen, this story is sure to have you giggling.  The book is not overtly religious.  There is a church with a steeple in the background of an image, plus a pastor who is grateful for God's Word included.  However, no one religion feels pushed on the reader.  This book is just a fun read for people of all ages to remind them to be more thankful for the blessings they have.

"The Plans I Have For You" by Amy Parker and Illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton

This adorable book takes Jeremiah 29:11 and brings it to life.  Children are depicted in magnificent full-color images of them following their dreams.  Some are doctors, some work at zoos, some are scientists, some are pilots, and so forth.  It is emphasized that each child is unique and special and that no path is superior to any other.  So, a doctor is just as loved as a store clerk in God's eyes.  What's nice is that there are kids of all ethnicity shown.  Stereotypes are broken as readers see that anyone can be whatever God as in store for them.  This hardcover book is a treasure for children and adults alike that should be read over and over.

"Wild in the Hollow" by Amber C. Haines

Starting at her own childhood and ending at the childhood of her sons, this book follows one woman's life journey.  The text reads like a memoir with its brutal honesty and poetic license.  Amber tells of her shameful past she regrets of chasing after men.  Readers then follow her as she converts to Christianity and eventually marries her holy-roller husband.  The struggles of marriage, affairs, and such are described.  When kids finally enter the picture, Amber is honest with her insecurities and anxieties of postpartum depression as her own baby holds on for dear life in the hospital.  This is a religious book in that it talks about Christianity and the church.  Due to the sensitive nature of this book in describing the author's sexual encounters, I would not recommend it for young readers.  The book is not graphic, but it does allude to mature matters.  There is no swearing in the book.

"Spinster" by Kate Bolick

Given the fun title and cover, how could I not read this book?  Starting off with the historical definition of spinster, this book hits the ground running.  Afterwards, I was surprised to realize that the author analyzed five writers from years gone by.  All these writers were women similar to Bolick.  Interestingly enough, not all of Bolick's heroines were really spinsters in the truest sense of the word.  Some of them even married.  Also surprising was the fact that Bolick writes of her dating life.  With a title like "Spinster," I was expecting some sort of feminist book that shuns all men.  However, Bolick writes of her boyfriends and even near-engagements with clear honesty.  Thought-provoking and insightful, this book is a nice respite for a sunny day.  Since Bolick is so honest in her dating life, I would not suggest this book for young readers.  This is not a graphic book, but still it is not good for youngsters.

"The Hiding Place" with Elizabeth & John Sherrill

World War II hits Holland like a ton of bricks as Corrie and her religious Christian family must decide how to help their Jewish neighbors who are being hunted down.  With a large estate, the Ten Boom family converts a large bedroom into a small bedroom and a small hiding place.  There, Jews hide from the police.  All is well until the Ten Boom family is found out.  Corrie and her family are first sent to prison and eventually to concentration camps.  As a children's edition book, this story does not get incredibly graphic.  However, there is still enough information to convey the suffering--inadequate food supplies, poor sanitation, flea infestation, etc.  Amidst all the tragedy, there is hope in the book.  Corrie learns to forgive a soldier who she hates, and even fulfills her late sister's wish for healing concentration camp survivors.  There is an ending in this book.  Whether or not readers will find that ending happy is something that only they can decide.

"A Human Error Approach to Aviation Accideent Analysis" by Douglas A. Weigmann and Scott A. Shappell

This book focuses on the human factors analysis and classification system as is relates to aviation.  While commercial aviation and general aviation are discussed, there is more research provided on military / naval aviation.  Both fixed-wing and helicopters are studied.  This book does not cover light sport aircraft, hot air balloons, gliders, etc.  The text is written in such a way that the information is conveyed without being too messy.  There are less tan 200 pages in the book, and the figures are quite easy to follow.  Respected authorities in the literature are cited frequently.  The authors are free from bias and honest when critiquing their own methodologies.  Readers will learn about visual flight rules, instrument flight rules, crew resource management, controlled flight into terrain, modeling, simulation, training, and more.  Overall, the book was interesting.  My favorite part was the case studies that took students right to accidents as they learned what went wrong and what could have been prevented.

"Seven Spoons" by Tara O'Brady

This is a fun cookbook with lots of recipes.  It is not my favorite, but the recipes are pretty good and versatile.  I made two cakes from this book, and they came out rather well.  This even included me swapping out ingredients and halving the sugar.  I made the coconut plum cake and the blueberry poppy seed cake, and both were delicious.  As to why this is not my favorite cookbook, there are a few reasons.  Firstly, there is a lack of pictures--I mean, there are pics, but just not as many as I would like.  Additionally, this cookbooks has paragraph steps in tiny font instead of numbered steps.  This makes it incredibly difficult to follow along, especially after going to the cupboard and then coming back to try and find where you left off.  Also, some recipes I found unusual.  There was a grape dessert in the book.  The pic and directions had the cooked dessert with the grapes still on the vine, even though the grapes were cooked to the point where pulling them off manually would be messy.  That was a bid odd, but who am I to say?  :)

"Thief of Glory" by Sigmund Brouwer

Many books are written about European concentration campus, but this is the first I've read about the camps in the Dutch East Indies (now known as Indonesia).  The protagonist Jeremiah writes the story in first-person.  Readers travel with him from his pampered upper-class life to his starving destitution under Japanese rule.  We go from a luxuriously open home to a house crammed with twelve families and an overflowing sewage system.  Hygiene and compassion go out the window as the Dutch succumb to cruel soldiers.  Throughout the book, Jeremiah writes of his childhood love Laura and his quarrels with Georgie.  The book is not graphic but can get sad at times due to the historical context.  The end of the book has a twist that readers did not see coming as Jeremiah is in his eighties looking back on what happened post-World War II.  Beautifully written, this book is a masterpiece.

"Shadow of the Mountain" by Cliff Graham

The Biblical account of the Exodus and desert wanderings does not mention Caleb much in terms of life history.  Very little is known about this courageous warrior.  This is where Graham comes in and dramatizes the life of Caleb with fascinating back-stories.  The author is careful to note that much of what is written in his book is purely fiction to help readers understand the culture of ancient Egypt and soldiering.  The book currently has Caleb as an old man.  The story of life in Egypt, the plagues, and so forth is set up as a series of flashbacks.  Caleb's nephew asks his uncle about his past during a rainy day, and so the tale begins.  Where the Biblical account is sufficient, it is quoted directly as Caleb says something along the lines of  "read what Moses has already written."  Since the author is a veteran, the battle scenes tend to be graphic.  They are not vomit-inducing descriptions, but I will say they give more detail than one may be comfortable with.  That being said, I do think this book would be a good gift for men.  Many biblical fiction books are geared towards women, and this book shows the aspect of warfare that men may enjoy better.

“Devil’s Pass” by Sigmund Brouwer

Sigmund Brouwer is one of my favorite authors, and he has not disappointed me with this book.  Action-packed and well-written, this adventure novel is sure to keep readers guessing what will happen next.  This book is part of a series.  The other books in the series are written by different authors and focus on different characters.  Reading this book, it never felt as if there were details left out of that it was necessary to read the other books in the series.  This book focuses on Jim Webb, who likes to just be called Webb.  When his grandfather passes away, he leaves Jim a cryptic set of directions.  Desperate to fulfill his late grandfather’s wishes, Webb sets out on his adventure.  He meets friends and foes—mostly foes.  Webb is in the wilderness and encounters wild animals, harsh climate, and many more deterrents.  The style of this book goes back and forth between the past and the present.  This gives the reader enough detail to have some fun but not so much as to leave everything predetermined or obvious.  This book has nothing inappropriate in it, so it may be suited for younger readers.  There is a violent stepfather and an unearthed corpse in the book, but the details are not graphic; readers may use discretion.  While Webb comes off as a little rough-around-the-edges, Brouwer paints him as a truly good guy who has kindness in his heart.  Throughout the book, Webb pushes aside his hatred for his life’s circumstances to find that kindness.  Overall, this is a great read full of both thrill and emotion; it has depth. 

"I'm Happy for You (Sort of...Not Really)" by Kay Wills Wyma

Written in fun speech that will feel like you are talking to a long-lost friend, this book is sure to get readers pondering about the vice of envy.  With plenty of real-world examples, quotes, stories, and more, Wyma explains how playing the game of comparison steals the joy from life.  While Wyma is a wife and mother, readers of all life stages will glean wisdom from this book.  The humorous yet sobering anecdotes from Wyma's children are sure to resonate.  There is the son in a swim match who is swimming slow because he wastes too much time looking left and right to see how other swimmers are doing compared to him.  There is the daughter who reflects on not being selected for a sports team when her friends are and the emotions that come with that.  There is the author herself who compares her marriage and parenting to other families she knows.  The list goes on, but at the end of the day and the end of the chapter, we all realize that it is better for everyone to just focus on being happy for others and not worrying about how good everyone else is compared to ourselves as long as we are doing our personal best.

“Cookie Love” by Mindy Segal with Kate Leahy

“Cookie Love” by Mindy Segal with Kate Leahy is a massive cookie cookbook.  From drop cookies to sandwich cookies to rugelach to biscotti to shortbread, this book has it all.  The hardcover book is very nice with the full-color pictures.  Unlike most cookbooks I review, this book has a picture of almost all the recipes it includes so readers know what the final product should look like.  That aside, there are some criticisms worth pointing out.  The bulk of the recipes are for 40+ cookies, so the average reader has to do some division to get smaller portions.  Additionally, the recipe font is a tad small, and there is no numbering system.  Rather, small paragraphs are just in order with directions on how to make recipes.  Due to the unusual layout of the recipe page (with the author’s comments on her opinions of each cookie, sometimes with a family member), the directions tend to spill onto extra pages.  This is often the case with a recipe starting on a right page and continuing onto a left page.  For average bakers who are running back and forth in the kitchen with dough-encrusted hands, it is difficult to remember where exactly on the page they were last at and then have to later flip pages on top of that.  Since most of the recipes call for fancy techniques and machinery that I do not own, I tried out chocolate chip cookies.  I figured that should be easy enough and require the least amount of technique / machinery.  The cookies did come out well and rather tasty. 

“I Can Make You HOT!: The Supermodel Diet” by Kelly Killoren Bensimon

“I Can Make You HOT!: The Supermodel Diet” by Kelly Killoren Bensimon is a fun book written by—you guessed it—a supermodel.  Included are personal stories, life events (with pictures to boot!), eating / exercise tips, fashion advice, and recipes.  The writing style flows very well, and the pages go by quickly.  The author gives advice for how to plan out each day of the week in order to be “hot.”  While the bulk of the concepts make sense, there are some parts that may be difficult for the reader to agree to.  Some of the food plans seemed to emphasize too much meat and not enough vegetables.  This obviously does not make the author fat since she is a supermodel.  However, the average reader is not supermodel height and does not run three miles a day.  That aside, the recipes in the book were very easy to follow and quite good.  The Pad Thai recipe in particular was very quick and tasty with healthy ingredients.  Overall, this was a fun book, but I would not say the lifestyle it promotes is as easy to follow as the recipes included.