Showing posts with label book review
If you were to read a headline that announced a way to ditch the pharmacies and toxins and get “healed” the right way, would you be intrigued? I know I was when that very subject line appeared in my inbox a few weeks ago.  I was offered a complimentary copy of Healed- Health and Wellness for the 21st Century written by integrative medicine expert Dr. Robin Miller and I’m so glad I accepted that offer. Not only am I learning how to heal of host of ailments for myself, family and friends, I’m able to gift one of you with your own copy. 


Healed- Health and Wellness for the 21st Century:


Healed- Health and Wellness for the 21st Century book review and giveaway #ad

Noelle by Greg Kincaid Book Review

in , , , , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Thursday, January 11, 2018
I normally wouldn’t start a book series with the last book, but I did just that last month when on a whim, I received an email from Blogging for Books about of Noelle by Greg Kincaid. I had never heard of the McCray family, the cornerstone of a series of novels by Mr. Kincaid, but when I saw the snowy scene and the adorable little dog on the cover of Noelle, I was drawn in. 


Noelle by Greg Kincaid Book Review

Happy Friday! If you’ve been reading my blog for long, you know I love posting giveaways on Friday’s. It just feels like the perfect way to end the week. Today, I’ve partnered with Flyby, to share a beautiful book with you; ADORED 365-day devotional for young women book. If you are raising a teen daughter like I am, this Christian based devotional book may be a perfect Christmas gift, so please enter my giveaway after reading my review. 


#AdoredByGod #Flyby book review and giveaway #ad


Having just celebrated a very merry Christmas, I couldn’t pass up the chance to help spread the good word about a new Christian books series for little girls. I received a complimentary copy of The Adventures of Rooney Cruz: Hannah the Belle of Prayer written by Erin Weidermann. 



About the Bible Belle Series:

This is a new series of books designed to give little girls female heroes to look up to. Each book in the series tells the stories of women in the bible through the eyes of a modern girl names Rooney Cruz.  Today’s review focuses on Hannah the Belle of Prayer. Since these books are aimed at girls, my 12 year old daughter honored us with her review below. 

Hannah The Belle of prayer book #review

REVIEW BY: Melissa Kinsman

Hannah the Belle of Prayer is a book about a little girl named Rooney Cruz, a girl who is bullied. She doesn’t understand why the popular girls are so mean! All of a sudden, an angel ‒ Rooney’s guardian angel, Mari, appears. At first, Rooney is in shock, and she doesn’t believe that that could be a real angel. Mari proceeds to tell her about The Bible Belles who are Bible superheroes! 

Mari takes Rooney on an adventure to learn about Hannah. She learns that Hannah is bullied also, by the mean Peninnah, who is rude to Hannah because she is unable to conceive children. Finally, as Hannah goes to pray to God, the priest Eli blesses her. After her prayer, God blessed her with a baby boy named Samuel. Now that Rooney knows Hannah’s story, she wants to try praying too. And she receives a bell, a gift from God. 

Despite the fact that this is a children’s book, it is a great book for the parents to read with their child as they may have questions that will open great discussion. It is educational in two ways: it educates them in prayer and also in bullying.  The book is a fun story with great experiences that will have any age group wanting more BIBLE BELLES stories. I think author Erin Weidemann did a great job!

Want your own copy? Click HERE to purchase yours today!

Want more Bible Belles fun? Click HERE for free printables and games! * Requires email address to receive freebies.*


As always, we hope you enjoyed this book review. We'll be posting more in 2016. 

Please share in comments: What topics or book genre's would you like to see us review?


By Tera Kinsman

Hey, everybody! It’s time for another YA book review! So far, I’ve reviewed the first three books in The Selection series by Kiera Cass. (If you want to read these reviews, click here for The Selection, here for The Elite, and here for The One.)

The Heir by Kiera Cass
Image courtesy of HarperCollins


Book Summary from Publisher:

“Princess Eadlyn has grown up hearing endless stories about how her mother and father met. Twenty years ago, America Singer entered the Selection and won the heart of Prince Maxon – and they lived happily ever after. Eadlyn has always found their fairy-tale story romantic, but she has no interest in trying to repeat it. If it were up to her, she’d put off marriage for as long as possible.

But a princess’s life is never entirely her own, and Eadlyn can’t escape her very own Selection – no matter how fervently she protests.
Eadlyn doesn’t expect her story to end in romance. But as the competition begins, one entry may just capture Eadlyn’s heart, showing her all the possibilities that lie in front of her … and proving that finding her own happily ever after isn’t as impossible as she’s always thought.”

My Summary and Thoughts:

Eadlyn Schreave is not an average eighteen-year old girl. As the daughter of King Maxon and Queen America, she has been trained her whole life to become the next ruler of Illéa. This means, among her many other duties, she is expected to marry and produce an heir. And she isn’t happy about it.

Twenty years ago, her father’s first act as king was to dissolve the caste system that had been the backbone of Illéa’s society from the beginning. At first, people rejoiced in the new era of equality. Without the old, unfair labels, people were free to be whoever they wanted to be. But now, people are rioting, and the country’s leaders don’t know why. They’d phased the castes out gradually to give people time to adjust, and it had seemed that the country had done so happily. But, prejudice can still be found, and old caste labels still limit people.

Eadlyn’s parents finally come up with a solution – one that they see as ingenious and she sees as insane – for Eadlyn to have her own Selection. They see it as an opportunity to give the people something to celebrate and give them time to think of a way to defuse the tensions, as well as a way to do something wonderful for Eadlyn, to give her the chance to fall in love. Eadlyn sees it as little better than marrying her off for an alliance (something her parents promised they would never do) and rather pointless in the end. She’s not the type of girl to fall in love, and her parents can’t force people to be fair and let prejudices fade.
So, she negotiates. She agrees to go through with the Selection on one condition: If she hasn’t found a suitable prince in three months, she doesn’t have to get married. This leaves her a perfect loophole, or so she thinks. She’ll just scare her suitors off, intimidate them into leaving, and then get on with her life. But some of the suitors begin to find their way past the walls she’s put up and into her heart. Will she fall in love after all?

I’m so glad that Kiera Cass chose to continue the Selection series, because I love this series more with every book. This time, we get to see the Selection not from the viewpoint of the Selected, but from the Selector herself. Eadlyn is a strong and sassy girl, and quite often a hilarious narrator. She can be frustrating at times, but you care for her anyway. And the romance is this book is perfect and exasperating all at once. In the first three books, I knew exactly who I wanted to end up together. But The Heir leaves no clues as to who Eadlyn will choose, and I can’t decide any more than she can. There are so many new characters to love, and the suitors are part of that. And the stakes are just as high for Eadlyn as they were for America. Eadlyn’s world is changing more everyday. Some changes are good, and she may gain the love of her life. Some changes are terrifying, and she may lose the people she’s always loved.

Happily Ever After, a collection of all four Selection novellas and bonus materials, is coming out in October of this year, so hopefully, we’ll have a review of that soon!

Comments! If you were the prince or princess of Illéa, would you want a Selection to be hosted, or would you want to try to fall in love on your own? Let me know in the comments!

I’d love to connect with you guys.  Join me on Instagram, Tumblr, Goodreads, and Pinterest!


The Enchanted Truth Book Review and # Giveaway

in , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Tuesday, October 16, 2012


The Enchanted Truth by Kym Petrie- A modern-day fairy tale for grown-up girls.





Summary:

In this humorous and insightful tale, a modern day princess finds herself single and asking for magical intervention to change her sorry love life. Rather than casting a spell to bring Prince Charming to her rescue, a savvy fairy godmother gives the tenderhearted damsel an unexpected gift. By entrusting her true thoughts and desires to an unlikely confidant, the young royal soon discovers that the person who could make her life everything she dreamed it would be has been with her all along.

As author Kym Petrie herself realized, every woman needs a froggy friend and a secret journal—and enough adventures with the girls to keep her heart pounding and her mind racing. Life is meant to be about happy beginnings . . . you can never have enough of them.
Hardcover, 40 pages
Published September 18th 2012 by Greenleaf Book Group
Category, YA
Courtesy: Goodreads.com


My Review:

The Enchanted Truth is a simple, feel good gift book that would be a perfect gift for a teen or young person searching for that perfect boyfriend or Mr. Right.  It’s got a young reader vibe to it which I attribute to the rather abundant use of descriptive character titles throughout.
 It is a short story at only 40 pages, so it’s a quick read, taking me only 10 minutes to complete. It’s cute and funny, without being too over the top in the self-help department, which is why this book was written. To help a friend who was caught up in a disappointing search for Prince Charming.
Even though I found my own Prince Charming decades ago and having been living happily ever after, I put down The Enchanted Truth with a smile and took away this simple but powerful message from page 36:

“It’s the magic of inner spirit that makes ones dreams come true”. 

Don’t we all need to remember that message? That we have the power to help ourselves?
That one message alone is important enough for me to happily recommend The Enchanted Truth to teens and up.

Buy It: 

Purchase The Enchanted Truth at Amazon


Win It:

Would you like to win a copy for yourself or to give as a gift? Then please enter my giveaway below.




My WAHM Plan Disclosure: I received a copy of The Enchanted Truth for my review and to host this giveaway. While I was compensated, all opinions are 100% mine and were not influenced in any way. My WAHM Plan is not responsible for shipment of prize.










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Rubbermaid LunchBlox Review

in , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Friday, September 07, 2012

 With the girls back in school, I was happy to do a review for Rubbermaid's LunchBlox.

 Both girls take lunches from home all school year, so I was intrigued by the portioned containers which would allow me to buy in bulk, split yogurts and snacks, and cut back on storage bag usage. Saving money while feeding my girls a healthy lunch is a top priority for me.

 
If you aren’t familiar with these cool lunch sets, take a look at this cute, organizing set.
 
 
Lunch
Courtesy: Rubbermaid
 

Company Description:

 
Rubbermaid LunchBlox™ makes packing lunch easier than ever. These modular containers snap together in multiple configurations to efficiently use the space in your lunch box or bag. Containers are perfectly portioned for your favorite lunch foods with handy measurements on the sides of each container. Your lunch stays chilled with snap in Blue Ice™. Individual containers are sold separately from kits so you can configure a different way everyday.
 
Highlights:
 
Containers stack compactly to stay organized.
Ice pack keeps your lunch cool on the Go.
Secure lid seal.
BPA- free.
Microwave, dishwasher and freezer safe.
Sandwich container holds regular and specialty bread. 
Sandwich kit includes 2 snack containers, 1 side container, 1 sandwich container and 1 medium blue ice.
 
 
 
My Review:
At first I thought the small 4oz. container wouldn’t hold my regular serving size of baby carrots, but looks can be deceiving. I had plenty of room.
The sandwich container is very roomy, allowing me to use hearty, 12 grain bread for their sandwiches.  While their old sandwich keeper had me smooshing down their sandwiches, I had plenty of room with the Rubbermaid LunchBlox.
My other concern was that the small ice pack, which goes in between the containers, may not keep lunches cold long enough, but I was pleasantly surprised again. My youngest got off the bus at 4:20 pm and asked if she could finish her turkey sandwich from lunch. I checked its temperature and it was still cold! Impressive!
The lids come off easily, so even the youngest kids can master them. Although I would remind them to keep track of all their lids.
Both girls gave the Rubbermaid LunchBlox 2 thumbs up and as the Chief Lunch Preparer, so do I. 
 I highly recommend this product.
If you would like more information about this and other lunch solutions from Rubbermaid, please visit them here.  While there, look for their coupon, or use the link below.

coupon
Click Here for Coupon

 
I hope you found this review helpful. Please feel free to share this with friends and family.
 

 
Rubbermaid sent me one LunchBlox to review. I was not compensated. Coupon link is not an affiliate link.  All opinions are my own.

The Golden Pathway Book Review

in , , by Linda A Kinsman, Friday, July 15, 2011



Author: Donna McDine
Summary: Raised in a hostile environment where abuse occurs daily, David attempts to break the mold and befriends the slave, Jenkins, owned by his Pa.
Fighting against extraordinary times and beliefs, David leads Jenkins to freedom with no regard for his own safety and possible consequences dealt out by his Pa.
Suggested age for readers 8-12

My Review:

I was interested in reading a children’s book that dealt with slavery and was happy when Mrs. McDine was able to send me a copy for review.
I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I was drawn into the story within the first few paragraphs. Mrs. McDine has so vividly portrayed the characters, (both good and bad); at first I was reluctant to read this story with my 8 year old daughter.   Not because of the subjects of slavery or the underground railroad, topics both my daughters have learned about in school. My reluctance was over the very real ugliness found in the Father or Pa.  I struggled with wanting my youngest to know that some fathers can and do live in such a manner.
After re-reading The Golden Pathway,  I decided that it was a great teaching tool with lessons in history yes, but more than that, this short story contained  powerful life lessons in :  bravery, kindness, making the right choices, which isn’t always easy,  sometimes parents/ adults make bad choices, and that kids have power to change things too.
This finely illustrated book will have you rooting for two boys thrown together by circumstances beyond their control, until one brave boy decides to help the other.  I did wish for one more chapter in which we could take at least part of the journey to freedom with Jenkins.


The Golden Pathway book review

Their Review:
Since this book was written for 8-12 year olds, I found it serendipitous that I am the proud Mom of 8 and 12 year old daughters. I thought I’d ask them to do a mini review.
They both liked the book, because it had a happy ending and because the son was really brave to help the slave. They both felt the book conveyed the special lesson that you should always treat others the way you want to be treated and that owning another person is wrong.
Their favorite part of the book was when David helped Jenkins get away.  And, like me, they both would have liked to see the story continue for at least a little while longer, just to make sure Jenkins got to safety.
I would gladly recommend this story to parents and kids just learning about slavery. I would recommend that parents read the story with younger kids as I did so that you can help them better understand not only slavery, but the very real ugliness that can reside in some people.

To learn more about the author, Mrs. Donna McDine visit: www.donnamcdine.com.

Illustrations used in this blog review were done for The Golden Pathway by K.C. Snider. 




Monday and My Plan

in , , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Monday, May 23, 2011



I had a wonderful weekend with family and friends.  I am energized and ready to jump into my week.

Here's what I've got planned for this week:

1. Attend Graduation Ceremonies/ Class parties/Goodbyes at my girls school ( we got rezoned) without crying!!! Today I made it through one Graduation and the walk down the hall to grab her heavy backpack without doing it. As Scarlet O'Hara once stated: Tomorrow is another day! and I think it may be a bit harder with all those bittersweet lasts coming. Wish me and my mascara Good Luck!

2. Finalize girls summer activities: VBS, Theater, Swim, Reading Across America and get those dates on my planner and off my post-it notes.

3. Start formulating my first ever book review! This weekend,  I devoured Here, Home, Hope by Kaira Rouda and I am excited to be able to write my first review on such an Outstanding novel. Stay tuned.


4. Formulate sales/advertising strategy for husbands business for the next quarter.

5.  Celebrate my birthday!

6.  Count my blessings, everyday. If you are reading this, you are a blessing to me! I would love to hear from you, so that I can visit and connect with you.
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