Tidying Up!

I've been on a mission to neaten, tidy and brighten our home, so I was thrilled to get the opportunity to review a book on tidying!  The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing was exactly what I needed to teach and motivate me.

Her how-to book is short and easy to read - 206 small pages.  It's full of stories and strategies.  Don't expect an idea book on home storage!  This book is all about getting superfluous stuff out of your house and holding onto the stuff that brings you joy.  She takes you step by step through clothes, books, papers, and memorabilia.  She will challenge you to touch every item in your house and decide whether or not it really fits you and your family.

Since reading her book, I've taken 7 big bags to our charitable thrift shop and I have 2 more bagged and ready to go.  Already life feels more simple and clutter free.  This will REALLY help as we bring baby #4 into our family, because we will have stuff for adults, teens, children and babies around the house!

I received this book as a gift from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: The Heretic

I tried to read The Heretic, but found it to be too dry and complex for me.  I decided  to hand it off to my 13-year old son who is an avid reader, and often likes books like this.  So this is his review:

Plot: 5 stars
Writing style:  4 stars
Characters:  5 stars

I liked all of the action - hiding, pursuing...  adventures at every turn.  The characters are very diverse.  There is a monk, a leper, and 3 children with heretic parents.  The story about how the children hide from the authorities who have wrongfully accused their parents.

It's definitely written for an academically mature audience.  The vocabulary is advanced - readers will need a dictionary on hand as they read! The Old English setting might be unfamiliar to readers, so like me, it might be challenging to understand some of the storyline.  The author sometimes takes a round-about route to get to his point - that's probably why the book is so long!

I would recommend this book for adult readers (perhaps 16+) that have a dictionary on hand!

I received this book as a gift from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: The Daughter of Highland Hall by Carrie Turansky

I was sad to finish this light-hearted and captivating historical christian novel from Carrie Turansky.  The author whisks readers away to London in the early nineteen hundreds and lets us experience the struggles and aspirations of high culture and people living in poverty.  The main character is young Kate, and her coming of age in the glamour of London society, but she is surrounded by family, suitors, maids and people living in poverty.  She does a great job developing her characters and readers will easily identify with some of the struggles characters faced.  I especially appreciated the themes of vocational calling, essential qualities to seek in a marriage partner, service to the poor, and family relationships.  I look forward to reading Turanksy's next book!

I would recommend this book to any female reader age 14+.  The content is appropriate for 12+, but I'm not sure younger girls would be interested in the storyline.

I received this book as a gift from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Bible Review: Plush Bible

First impression - huge wow factor for a girl who likes sparkly pink. I've never seen a bible this soft and cute!  It has a padded hardcover so it's still quite sturdy.

 

Inside. This is a very simple nirv bible.  It has small print with no footnotes or cross references. The only extra features are the 5 page dictionary (cool feature because bible words can be tricky sometimes) and the list of 92 great bible stories with their scripture references.  It also has a very pretty and girly presentation page.

 

Overall.  Girls will be very attracted to the look and feel of this bible. If that will encourage them to carry and read it, then great!  Just don't expect the inside layout to be inspiring.  It's bland inside.  

 

I received this book as a gift from the publisher in exchange for my honest review