Into the Canyon by Michael Neale

Into the Canyon by Michael Neale is the 2nd book in the River series.  This book closely follows The River in time as in the main part of the book is told set in the 1970's but there is a difference in the time switches.  The River flashes back to the time of Gabriel Clarke's childhood of the time when he lost his father to the river and he watched his father drown.  Into the Canyon starts out in 2010 and flashes back to the 1970's but mostly tells the story following the time of The River.  In this book Gabriel is in his 60's and helping a young married man who has recently separated from his wife and family find his way and learn what is important in life.  Gabriel does this in much the same manner as Ezra Buchanan and Jacob Fielding had done for him, accepting him in the place that he was but knowing that he was capable of so much more.  Gabriel's story of loving Tabitha and starting their life together is told throughout the rest of the summer which started in The River.  He learns the background of Ezra and his reason for living at the Camp.  He learns the story of Jacob and how he came to be in the river and nearly drowning if it weren't for Gabriel's father.  He learns of the mysterious man he keeps seeing in the trees of the mountain and his story and how all of this has been preordained by the Lord and how it fits into his story and the making of the man Gabriel is to be.  He learns that we all come into this life and we have our life saved by others as we learn our place in making the future of the ones who come after us become better.  We all are put on this earth for a reason it is up to us to find out what that reason it and fulfill it.

Read this book.   It is on my favorites list.  I hope that Mr. Neale continues writing in this series as he is such a good writer.  This book needs to be read by the young so that they will be inspired to find their niche in life.  It needs to be read by the old so that they will appreciate all that has been done for them to make life better and inspire them to be the leader for the young who are looking to them.  Thank you Mr. Neale for writing this book and keep on writing for us.   Now let us all, "Go out and make some history".
I received this book from Booksneeze for this review.

Get to Know King David by Nancy I. Sanders

Get to Know King David by Nancy I. Sanders is a children's book written to get the grade school age child to know who King David from the Bible is and to make him more real to the reader.  This book takes the young reader from David as a boy shepherding his father's sheep to his Kingdom ruling Israel.  It tells how David is a popular king and still maintains his good relationship with God.  It tells of how David wasn't perfect and how he dealt with his mistakes and asked for forgiveness.  This book is part of a series telling the life of people in the Bible.  It has pictures, color maps, a simple dictionary as well as where you can find the story in the Bible.  This book adds in parts from other resources most especially from the writings of Flavius Josephus in order to make this book more complete for the young reader.  At the end this book connects David with Jesus and shows how David fits into Jesus' family.

I liked this book and can see many uses for it beyond the intended use as a children's book.  This book could be used also as a resource for writing children's sermons or Sunday school/Bible school stories.  Even as an adult I enjoyed reading this children's book on David.  I handed to book to a child who is 9 and in 3rd grade and she could easily read it and also stated that she enjoyed it. 
I received this book from  Booklookbloggers for this review. 

Your Family in Pictures by Me Ra Koh

Your Family in Pictures by Me Ra Koh is a small but essential book on how to get good pictures of your family.  How many times have you looked at your kids and said how cute and took a picture just to say to yourself, "that is not how it looked at the time."  Wouldn't you like to have vacation photographs that look more professional?  This book tells how the photographers blur parts of the picture and have it look good instead of a mistake.  It shows how to get the kids to all look like they love each other in a natural way and not forced.  How do you  shoot the generations all in one photo and keep everyone interested?  What is the best time of day to take pictures and if it is not that time what to do to make the picture look good anyway.  This book tells how to take good pictures if you are using a simple point and shoot camera.  It also tells how to best spend you money when you want to go all out and get that once in a lifetime camera that does it all.  These questions and many more are answered in this book.  This book was written by a photo expert on the Nate Berkus Show for 2 years.  She also has her own show on Disney Junior TV so she is no amateur.

I enjoyed this book.  This book should be read by any who just want to take a better picture.  It  is easy to read and tells some of the finer points to taking better pictures of your family.  This is an easy read for the amateur photographer not for people wishing to set up a business.  This is for those wanting good Christmas and birthday pictures.  Most all of us have cameras and would like to take good pictures with it and just don't know what those easy to do differences that can take a shoot of kids to the shot of your kids that you might want to show off to the family and maybe frame for a grouping on your nightstand.
I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

The Quick-Start Guide to the Whole Bible by Dr. William H. Marty and Dr. Boyd Seevers

The Quick-Start Guide to the Whole Bible by Dr. William H. Marty and Dr. Boyd Seevers is a quick easy to read short study of the entire Bible.  For all of those who think that reading the Bible in a year is a daunting task and one that simply couldn't be done or that you wouldn't stick to it for a whole year then this is the book for you.  There is none of the poetry.  It is rather like Clift Notes for the Bible.  You can get the jest of what the Bible says in about a week of study rather than the full study in a year.  If all you want is a taste of what is in the Bible then this book will give it to you in an easy version.  Where the Bible may speak in parables or symbolism that only people of the 1st century would understand completely this book is written in more of a modern day conversational tone.

I liked the easy to understand way that this study of the Bible was written. The writers are both Professors who regularly teach the Bible.  They do not speak in lofty tones nor do they talk down to the reader.  Though it is advertised as being for both seasoned as well as 1st time readers of the Bible I think that it is really only for beginning Bible scholars or possibly as a gift Bible for giving out on the street to masses of people.  I think that seasoned readers would not read this book or would so only for a specific reason not pertaining to Bible study.  I enjoyed reading it as an easy read though I am neither a 1st time Bible studier nor am I a Bible scholar but I would not use it for a Bible study.
I received this book from Bethany House for this review.

The Healing Quilt by Wanda Brunstetter

The Healing Quilt by Wanda Brunstetter is another installment in the Half-stitched Amish Quilting Club's series.  Lamar Miller has been suffering from arthritis and together with Emma move to Sarasota, Florida for the winter.  Lamar is loving the beach and the warm weather but Emma finds herself bored by the lack of friends and family as well as enough to do.  The 2 of them decide to attempt another class teaching quilting to the community.  The class attracts 6 people of various skill levels and reasons for taking the class.  Just as before the class members arrive with their various emotional and physical entanglements but Emma and Lamar are finding this class difficult to help since they will not open up to the group or to them.  Jan Sweet who is a former member of her Indiana quilting group arrives for a visit and adds a twist to the group and changes begin to happen.  How will God use Emma and Lamar to help this group of hurting people?  Read on.

I liked this book though it is less about how the Amish live in their world and more on how an Amish family live among the English.  And in that respect there is little in what we expect to find: Amish people living their lifestyle and more like the Amish go to the beach.  If you are reading this series because you enjoy the Amish community you will not find that in this book.  This book tells of how the Amish live among the English and there is very little about the Amish lifestyle.  Because of that I didn't enjoy this book as much as Ms. Brunstetter's previous stories.
This book was provided by Handlebar for this review.

Fearless by Eric Blehm

Fearless by Eric Blehm is a book about the life of Adam Brown.  Who may you ask is Adam Brown and why should I read a book about him you may ask.  Well Adam Brown was a Navy Seal and that alone tells you that he is a courageous man of valor.  A strong man who doesn't back down when the chips are against you.  A man who will defend his country and countrymen against enemies both foreign and domestic.  But reading this book will tell you about the real man and men of the Navy Seals.  This book will introduce the reader to the men behind the legends.  This book tells the story of Adam's life.  His relationship with his parents and how he was raised to be this Christian man of valor as well as a man of values. This book tells the dirt on Adam of his dark years of drug addiction and his battle to stay clean and sober.   This book tells the love story of one man and his wife and his devotion to his children though he was away from them often in the line of duty for his country.  This book tells the story of Adam Brown's life from childhood to and through the end of his life at the hands of the Taliban.  It tells how a man of honor lives his life and how the families of these men go on to live life after they are taken from us.  Adam Brown was a hero though he would never say that about himself--a selfless hero.

To say that I loved this book would be an understatement.  This book was hard to read because from the first page the reader is aware that Adam dies at the end.  In fact towards the end the book starts to prepare the reader for the final days of Adam.  I had a hard time starting that part of the book and delayed reading it for several days.   The end of the book was read through tears.  This is just the best book and needs to be read by any American to understand the sacrifice that our Armed services give for the freedoms that all American's enjoy.  Please read this book and thank you Eric Blehm for writing it.
This book was provided by Waterbrook Press for this review.

The Book of Revelation Made Clear by Tim LaHaye and Timothy E. Parker

The Book of Revelation Made Clear by Tim LaHaye and Timothy E. Parker is advertised as being a down-to-Earth guide to understanding the most mysterious book of the Bible.  This book takes the reader beginning to end through the book of Revelations.  It is written with each chapter in the book being a chapter in the book of Revelations.  Each chapter is further broken down into a few verses of the chapter sometimes as few as 3 verses.  The opening of each section of the chapter starts with 3 questions to help you both know what you know and also to direct your reading.  This book directs the reader to whether or not the reading is symbolic or literal.  This book has taken a book that many readers are afraid to study because of all the mystery surrounding it and makes it easier to understand.  In addition the book includes the scripture (The New King James Version) within the reading so if the reader has no Bible or even just the particular version that is being discussed then the reader has access to the version.  When you are done reading the scriptures and the book the reader will have a more clear understanding of the Love of God as written in the book of Revelations.

I liked this book and agree that it clarifies the book of Revelations.  I had never been afraid to study the book before but certainly like the fact that it helped me to read and understand this difficult book on prophecy in the Bible.  It held my attention through the book and is easy to understand.  I would recommend reading this book to any age person who would like to understand the Book of Revelation more fully.
I received this book from Booklook for this review.