"walk it out" by Tricia Goyer is Inspirational Non-Fiction

walk it out--The Radical Result of Living God's Word One Step At A Time by Tricia Goyer is  her story about how God's Word made a difference in her life.  It is inspirational and covers many different topics that the Bible covers.  It challenges the reader to live out their faith by completely surrendering to God and actually obeying his word.  It is full of true examples of how the author lives out her faith and what true Christianity looks like.  At the end of every chapter are a few questions for reflection.

I liked how Tricia shares her life with the reader and is truly a servant of God.  She is pretty amazing and has a very interesting story to tell.  I also liked how she worked in scripture.  I was just a bit disappointed that it didn't have more about her family.  The Cleveland City Mission is having a "Stand In" event on Public Square, Saturday, June 29 to help raise awareness of almost 3,000 children in Cleveland and to learn what can be done to help.  At first, I wasn't going to go, but after reading this book, decided to participate.  Homelessness is an issue close to my heart so here is an opportunity to become involved in a solution.  You can pre-register for Stand in at www.thecitymission.org/stand-in.
(Karen's review4 stars)

Teaser from page 45:  When the topic of abortion came up in church or Bible study, I sank deep into my seat, especially when people spoke doggedly against it.  My stomach knotted up, and I was certain everyone within twenty feet of me heard the frantic pounding of my heart.

Visit Tricia Goyer's blog.

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

"Everyone Can Be a Ninja" by Akbar Gbajabiamila

Everyone Can Be A Ninja by Akbar Gbajabiamila, host of American Ninja Warrior, is his story about how he got to where he is today and the obstacles he had to overcome to reach his dream.  This is an inspirational read that was pretty interesting.  He shared advice from his dad, his mentors and how he overcame many bad circumstances in his life.  I especially liked how he shared learning from his failures and how he moved on.

I liked him as a host of the Ninja Warrior shows and like him even more after reading his book!  The gist of the book is that everyone has some gift from God and we need to use our gifts to help others and accomplish God's purpose for our life.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

Teaser from page 32:  Don't be ashamed of who you are and what you want to accomplish.  To others, it might sound crazy, absurd, a waste of time.

See a blog post I wrote about American Ninja Warrior September 1917:  American Ninja Warrior Was Disappointing.

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

"Becoming" by Michelle Obama by Michelle Obama

I heard that Becoming by Michelle Obama was a good book and was curious to learn more about her and what it was like living at the White House and what it would be like being a First Lady.  This book did not disappoint.  It satisfied my curiosity and also was very inspirational.  My favorite character in this book was Michelle Obama's mother.  The first part of the book is about her childhood, the middle about her career and developing her relationship with Barack, the last third about the Presidential campaign and her time at the White House.  She is very open about sharing her story.  Living in the White House has some perks, but the inability to go anywhere when you wanted or even just outside on the balcony without notifying the secret service and getting their permission would be a deal breaker for me right there!  (Karen's review, 4 stars)

Teaser from page 12:  When I thought I had a good idea about something, I didn't like being told no.  Which is how my great-aunt and I ended up in each other's faces, both of us hot and unyielding.  

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

"When the Men Were Gone" by Marjorie Herrera Lewis

When the Men Were Gone by Marjorie Herrera Lewis is based on a true story that is inspiring.  In fact, it even inspired the author to give coaching football a try!  Brownwood, a small Texas town during WW II was on the verge of canceling their High School football season because they did not have a coach.  Tylene, a former English teacher and now assistant principal at the High School loved football and what it meant to the town.  She also hated to see the season canceled, knowing the then some of the seniors may drop out to enlist.  She began her search for a coach and found herself stepping into the role!  A lady football coach was unheard of in the 1940s, but Tylene ignored the insults and proved she knew the game and could play!

I enjoyed this book very much.  I really liked the football parts and how Tylene and Moose interacted with the players and how she convinced the men she could be the coach.  I give this 4 stars because I would have liked to have had more football games than just one.  This is a quick read and I was sad to see it end.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)


Gerard's review:
When the Men Were Gone by Marjorie Herrera Lewis is based on a true story.  In the early 1940s, in a small town in Texas, it's time for high school football.  It is the place to be on Friday nights!  But, with the men of fighting the war, somebody needs to step up to coach the team.  With no one coming forward, it looks like the season will be called off until a woman steps up!  How will that go over?

I enjoyed this book very much.  Tylene was a great character and rally carried the book.  The story line rang very true in this quick read.
(5 stars)

Teaser from page 3:  "When are you going to call the shots out there, Tylene?"  Mr. Periwinkle asked.
      "I'll go down there right now if they'll let me," I said.
      My father turned to the men.  "Don't kid yourselves.  She might just take over before the second half."

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

"Educated" by Tara Westover (Hubby and I disagree on this one!)

Educated by Tara Westover is her memoir of leaving her Mormon family in Idaho to pursue a formal education.  This is a long journey.  Tara is from a large family whose father owned a scrap yard and who kept her working for him as long as he could.  It is an amazing story of how she was accepted at BYU and went on to Cambridge and Harvard without having graduated high school!  In fact, even her "home schooling" was not at all regular.

I found this book very hard to read.  The father and brother made me very angry and it was difficult to fathom how dysfunctional this family was.  In some ways it reminded me of The Glass Castle and A Child Called It.  The domestic violence and abuse is heart wrenching.  I did enjoy Part 2 better when she got away from her family and into college.  I was never engrossed in this book and for the most part had to plow through.  I would have liked to know what kind of actual job the author wound up with after all that education.
(Karen's review, 3 stars)

Gerard's review:

Educated by Tara Westover is a true story and what a story it is!  Tara first stepped foot in a classroom at the age of 17, but now she received a BA degree from Bringham Young University and a scholarship to Cambridge in England where she was awarded a PHD in history!  WOW!  She tells her story so well.  She wanted more of a life than her family could give her, and overcame long odds to do it.  She went through a lot both in and out of the classroom!

I highly recommend this memoir, don't miss it!  Put it on your TBR list right now!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Teaser from page 39:  There was never any more talk of a hospital.  The moment for such a decision had passed, and to return to it would be to return to all the fury and fear of the accident itself. 

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

"Prince Crossing" by JoHanna Reardon

Prince Crossing (The Blackberry County Chronicles Book 3) by JoHannah Reardon can easily be read as a stand-alone. This is an inspirational Christian fiction story about a young preacher and his wife answering a call to a small country church, their first. James, the young preacher, is very excited but his wife, Vicki, is reluctant. She is from a wealthy family and used to fine things and getting her own way in the city. As she opens herself up to God and seeks his help, she finds lots of people in the little town who she befriends and helps. Their ministry experiences some ups and downs as they try to establish themselves in the community.

This is told from the prospective of the preacher’s wife and is very believable and a pretty good story about a small-town country church. It moves a long quickly and does not have a lot of character development. I liked that it included the couple’s interactions with people in the community and not just those who attended the church.
(Karen’s review, 3 stars)

Teaser from page 34: When I finally left Edith’s home, I felt sad, then frustrated, and finally angry again. I suddenly knew to the depths of my being that I was out of my league and didn’t have a clue as to how to carve out a ministry in this place.


Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

"Draw the Circle" by Mark Batterson

Draw the Circle by Mark Batterson is a devotional book on prayer along with a workbook and a DVD. Our church encouraged everyone to do this study together for 40 days so my husband and I read this book and participated together. The DVD is simply the author talking about the same exact things he wrote in the book. In my opinion, the DVD is redundant and not needed if you read the book.

I thought the book was very interesting and it helped me to improve my prayer time and inspired me to pray more using scripture. It also challenged me to have a prayer journal again. I enjoyed reading about the amazing answers to some prayers that he shared in this book. I did not agree with everything in the book, but most was very good and Biblical.
(Karen's Review, 5 stars)

Teaser from page 28:  Almost like hunger pangs that hit you after going too long without eating, I couldn't go too long without hitting my knees.  Kneeling became almost as instinctual as eating or sleeping.

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

QB 1 by Mike Lupica is a Heartwarming Sports Story

QB1 by Mike Lupica is about Jake Cullen, a high school freshman quarterback who is struggling with trying to be as good as his dad and older brother and win his father’s love and attention. Jake feels like he’s always playing second fiddle to Wyatt who is now starting QB at University of Texas. Jake is smart, but doesn’t have quite as strong an arm as Wyatt. Fortunately, his high school coach got him to change his throwing mechanics to create his own throwing style which works better Troy Cullen, Jake’s dad, is a former player whose pro career ended in just his second year after four concussions (brain wounds) and seems to be living vicariously through his older son, Wyatt. When Jake finds himself in a QB controversy, everyone is pretty surprised when he gets to be the starting QB while only a freshman. His father is caught off-guard at how good Jake got so quickly.

I enjoyed this book very much because there was a lot of football in it as well as the team dynamics and the feelings of insecurity Jake was dealing with concerning his father and older brother. This takes a good look from the perspective of a younger brother feeling the pressure of following in his star brother’s footsteps and yearning for some of his father’s attention. This book got my interest and kept it from page 1. I would recommend it to anyone who likes high school football and team dynamics.
 (Karen's review, 5 stars)

Teaser from page 13: He knew already that he just wasn’t going to be the player his dad had been before him, certainly wasn’t going to be the player his big brother had been.
He had talent, just not Cullen talent, at least not that he’d noticed so far in his young life.


Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

"Life in a Jar--The Irena Sendler Project" by Jack Mayer

Life in a Jar--The Irena Sendler Project by Jack Mayer is so Good!  What started out as a school project turned into something that has touched many lives!  Four young Kansas teens discovered the true story of Irena Sendler, and what a story it is!  This book is told in three parts.  Part 1 is the girls discovering Irena's story.  Part 2 is the main part of the book.  The true story of how Irena risked her life every minute of every day to save 2,500 children from the Germans and certain death!  Part 3 is the girls meeting Irena! 

I thought the main part of the book was so captivating I found it hard to put down!  Irena was a true hero!  I loved this book!  Part 3 when the girls met her in person was really good too!  You owe it to yourself to read this book!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Teaser from page 160:  "Doesn't this make you nervous?" Irena Schultz said.  "A few orphans every week is one thing--ten times that many--and not orphans--that's quite another."

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

"If I LIve" by Terri Blackstock

If I Live by Terri Blackstock is the third and final book in the “If I run” series. Casey is still on the run, but the police are closing in. Her time is running out! Will she be able to get the truth out? Will anyone believe her? Dylan is trying to do what he can to keep Casey safe, but danger lurks! This book was WAY BETTER than book two! I suggesting skipping book 2 and going right to this one instead. There is more action for one and I enjoyed the interaction between the different characters. This is a good series!

(Gerard’s review, 5 stars)

Teaser from pg. 27:  God is on the case with me, fighting this battle.  As I cling to the image of his sword slashing the evil around me--and around Casey--I fall back to sleep and, this time, dream of victory. 

Karen's review, 4 stars:
If I Live by Terri Blackstock is the last book in the If I Run series. It is about Casey, a fugitive who was framed for murder by dirty cops, and detective Dylan who is hired by the victim’s family to work with the police to find Casey and bring her back. Instead, he believes Casey was set up and helps her prove it, aiding her along the way. Casey comes to look for God being at work and finds lots to be thankful for even as she is on the run. Dylan keeps trusting in Romans 8:28 which says all things work together for good to them who love God and are called according to his purpose.

This was pretty good. I skipped the second book and jumped right to this one and felt I didn’t miss much. It had some Christian overtones and some far-fetched incidents. When Dylan unscrewed the light plate with his fingernail while his hands were tied, I found that very hard to believe. At least he wasn’t able to unscrew the screws in the door hinges at the cabin! SPOILER ALERT—STOP READING NOW IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THE BOOK: I thought the ending was very rushed with Dylan and Casey jumping right into marriage and odd that he did not have Dex as his best man or any of his family at the wedding.


Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

"Welcome to My World" by Curtis Bunn

In Welcome to My World by Curtis Bunn, Brenda’s life is on a downturn. She goes to McDonald’s daily and sees a homeless man every day. She tries to do good by him. One day the homeless guy, Rodney, gives her some life advice! What? This book was so much better than I thought it would be! I enjoyed Brenda and Rodney very much. The story line kept me engaged throughout. (Gerard’s review, 5+ stars)

Teaser from page 10:  "I was so . . . so . . . shocked and appalled that I couldn't even move, much less respond."  "I'm not trying to be mean," he added. 

Karen's review (4 stars):
Welcome to My World by Curtis Bunn is the story about Brenda, a depressed woman, who becomes friends with Rodney, a homeless man with a bipolar disorder. They help each other as their friendship develops. This is a heartwarming story about how simple words between strangers can bring about great change. This book gives insight into the world of homelessness, those with bipolar disorder and how people sometimes use food to deal with depression that can lead to destroying their self-esteem.

I enjoyed this book even though it moved pretty slow since there is very little action in it. It definitely addresses some major social issues and is inspirational I loved the ending!


Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

"Relentless" by Julian Edelman

Relentless by Julian Edelman is a memoir about a football player on the New England Patriots. It is all about football and all the hard work demanded for professional NFL players to be successful. I enjoyed reading about Mr. Edelman’s journey and found his early start in football very interesting. Throughout the book there are small excerpts written by others regarding Julian Edelman that I found interesting as well. I never realized he had so many injuries during his career! There are a lot of game highlights that he shares too that I enjoyed. I would recommend this book to anyone who is a Patriots fan or who likes playing football and has dreams of becoming a pro.

Teaser from page 9:   If you're focused on that distant goal, you're missing what's right in front of you, and that's what you can control.  If you're doing everything else in your life fundamentally sound, and you're identifying weaknesses and you're working consistently hard to improve those, you're on the right path.
(Karen’s review, 4 stars)

Gerard's review 11/15/17, (5 stars):
If you are a Patriots fan, you will enjoy Relentless by Julian Edelman. Julian shares about his life, including how his dad showed him tough love!  I enjoyed him telling about playing in pee-wee football and high school.  Julian Edelman is a great player, and I miss seeing him play now that he is hurt.  Go Patriots!

Teaser from page 45:  For a long time, being small didn't make a difference.  I was one of the best players on the field so I never thought of it as a disadvantage. 

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

"Praying For Your Children" by Elmer L. Towns and David Earley

I got Praying For Your Children by Elmer L. Towns and David Earley when it was offered for free on Kindle because I thought it would help me to be more effective in praying for the kids in my Sunday School class.  This book has lots of prayers included right from scripture and then lists specific points to pray specifically for.  It is helpful in praying for specific spiritual needs for the children instead of just asking God to bless them and their families. I recommend it to parents and Sunday School teachers.  It would be a great baby shower gift for any Christian.  The one thing I found slightly annoying though was repetitiveness; some scripture passages were repeated.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

"Nearing Home--Life, Faith, and Finishing Well" by Billy Graham

Nearing Home--Life, Faith and Finishing Well by Billy Graham is practical as well as inspirational.  This is a non-fiction book about aging that is inspirational and made me feel a bit better about approaching retirement age.  It is encouraging and uplifting.  It's a quick read that I finished in just one day.  One of my favorite quotes from this book is "About the only thing that comes to us without effort is old age."  I recommend this one!
(Karen's review, 5 stars) 

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

"Tune My Heart to Sing--90 Devotions on Hymns from "Our Daily Bread"

Tune My Heart to Sing is a collection of 90 devotions on Hymns from Our Daily Bread that is very interesting if you are familiar with hymns. I really enjoyed reading about the background of different ones and as I’d read, the tunes would run through my mind. As you can see from the picture, I marked a lot of pages that had things that stood out to me. I think the scripture index at the back of the book is a helpful addition. I highly recommend this devotional book because they are short, only one page long, but all contain scripture passages related to the hymns.
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

"A Man Called Ove" by Fredrik Backman

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman is simply all about a 59-yr-old man called Ove who is brokenhearted because his wife died and he feels useless since he retired.  He is quite a character and is actually a lovable, crotchety old man who lives in a little community that he sort of takes responsibility for.  He desperately wants to join his wife so tries committing suicide, but it seems something always comes up that spoils his plans--life happens in spite of himself.  The more I read, the better I liked Ove.

This book is really good!  I liked Ove so much, partly because he reminded me of my dad and husband in some ways.  The chapters are short and give pictures of different moments in Ove's life jumping back and forth from the present to the past.   There are many tender moments and some funny things as well which makes this book very real to life.  I loved how gradually Ove formed relationships with those around him, even the stray cat who was practically starving and almost died.  This was a tear jerker for me because the ending was so sweet.  I'm sure this is one that I will not soon forget!  I highly recommend it!
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

"The Second Half" by Lauraine Snelling

The Second Half by Lauraine Snelling is a contemporary inspirational fiction story about family trusting God through their struggles such as adjusting to retirement, raising grandchildren, dealing with depression. When Ken and Mona’s grown son, Steig, is deployed to Pakistan in the special forces, they become the legal guardians for his 9-yr.-old daughter and 5-yr.-old son whose mother abandoned them and gave up her parental rights. The grandparents and children look forward to skyping with Steig on Thursdays, but it never happens. One day they are informed that Steig is Missing in Action and they struggle to hold on to hope of seeing him come home.

I enjoyed this Christian fiction book, especially the everyday moments that made it very believable. I thought it was funny that Jake, the little boy, was afraid of dogs and cats and that his grandparents had one of each. It shows how one phone call can throw a monkey wrench into the best laid plans!  I highly recommend this to retirees or those nearing retirement.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

Both of Us Liked "Red Zone Rivals" by Eric Howling

In Red Zone Rivals by Eric Howling, Quinn Brown is a quarterback on his high school football team.  He knows what to do on the field, but he has to learn some life lessons too.  This is a very short book, just over 100 pages but still packs a wallop.  I enjoyed seeing Quinn grow as a man off the field and I am glad the author did not go to a predictable outcome.  This is a good read for sure!  (Gerard's review, 5 stars) 

(Karen's review 8-31-16, 5 stars):
Red Zone Rivals by Eric Howling is a quick inspirational teen read about Quinn Brown, a high school quarterback who discovers the new “nerd” in the school isn’t so nerdy after all and learns to think of others. Quinn’s new friend, Walker, shocks everyone when he makes the football team even though he can barely walk! Walker shows Quinn how to focus, tutors him in math, and helps him appreciate his dad. Quinn sticks up for Walker and gets the team to accept him. There is a lot of actual football too which is a plus!

I really enjoyed this book because Quinn improves as a player and as a human being. Walker is amazing and a very inspirational character. I really liked the coaching, football games and the good ending. The book moved along quickly and was interesting if you like football. I can’t think of anything I didn’t like about it.


Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

"The One Man" by Andrew Gross is FANTASTIC!

In The One Man by Andrew Gross, a man has escaped after the Nazis have killed his family.  He is safe and is working to help the war effort to defeat the Germans, but would love to do more.  One day he is offered the chance to do just that, but this mission is next to impossible to pull off.

WOW!  You talk about a page turner--this book is FANTASTIC!  I flew through it!  The story is that good and the writing is outstanding!  This would make a very good movie.  LOVED IT!  A must read!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars) 

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

Jesus, an Obedient Son by Michael Phillips

Jesus, an Obedient Son by Michael Phillips focuses on realizing and appreciating the humanity of Jesus and surrendering our will to God’s as Jesus surrendered his will to the Father. Michael Phillips rapidly gives the reader an overview of the life of Christ through the unique perspective of putting himself into the gospels and viewing the events as another disciple. Then he continues in a more preachy mode to emphasize the need to deny oneself and follow God’s will every day. He lists specific things Jesus told his disciples to do and also talks how Jesus came to be an example of how we should live our lives. It emphasized that we are to be obedient children of God by submitting our will to His, asking what He wants us to do and then doing it.

The first part of the book was written in an interesting way. This is a quick read that is very thought provoking and challenges the reader to search his own heart in regards to following Jesus. (Karen's review, 3 stars)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!