Dad is Fat by Jim Gaffigan

My family and I are fans of Jim Gaffigan.  We love the style of  his humor and appreciate that he keeps it pretty clean.

So now that that disclaimer is out of the way, I had the chance to review Jim's new book "Dad is Fat" which consists of short chapters filled with his experiences parenting his own family of 5 children with his beloved wife Jeannie.

While reading the book, I could hear Jim's voice.  He truly wrote this book as though he was sitting across from you, talking in his signature unimpressed way, with the occasional inner dialog whisper.

This guy is entertaining, even in book form.  I loved that as he talks about his family, you can tell this guy is committed to them all and loves them very much.  It was refreshing to hear someone not speak disrespectfully just to get a laugh.

Jim, we love ya.  And if you are looking for an enjoyable book, I think you'll love this, too.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I was provided a free copy of this book by Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest opinion.  

Death by the Book by Julianna Deering

"Death by the Book" by Julianna Deering is the continuing saga of wealthy and handsome Drew Farthering.  Another series of murders is happening in the small village of Farthering St. John, and "Detective" Drew is assisting local law enforcement in solving the mysterious hat-pin murders.

This book is light (for a murder mystery) and I enjoyed the small and subtle ways the author allowed Drew to share his Christian beliefs.  I also appreciated that I didn't guess who the murderer was until almost the end. 

This is a fabulous book for a sunny afternoon, sitting in the backyard, sipping a glass of iced tea.  I'm looking forward to Drew and Madeline's wedding, but am thinking if Farthering St. John has yet another string of murders, there might not be any residents left!  (Maybe there will be some sleuthing on the honeymoon???)

Disclosure of Material Connection: I was provided a free copy of this book by Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my honest opinion.

Abraham and Sarah by Roberta Kells Dorr

I enjoy historical fiction, and I consider Biblical fiction to fall into that category.  I feel the best historical fiction is historically correct and accurate.  With that said, I was disappointed by "Abraham and Sarah" by Roberta Kells Dorr.

Although some of the author's creativity made for an interesting story, I found her changes to the actual Biblical account to be frustrating.  I have read another book about Hagar that made her to be a daughter of one of Pharaoh's concubines, so was disappointed at that theory being revisited in this book. 

If you are reading this book just as a story, I think you would really enjoy the book.  If you are reading it and know the Biblical account of Abraham and Sarah, I cannot promise the same.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I was provided a free copy of this book by Moody Publishers in exchange for my honest opinion.

I Quit Sugar by Sarah Wilson

A few months ago, I began following Sarah Wilson's blog and am being careful about the amount and type of sugar my family eats.  So, when I had a chance to review her new book, "I Quit Sugar", I was really excited to receive it.

First of all, this book is very easy to read and understand.  Ms. Wilson begins her book with why she decided to quit eating sugar and educates us about the different types of sugars and their effects on our bodies.

Then she shares her 8-week detox program,which I thought seemed entirely doable.  My 13-year old daughter who loves sweets suggested we do this together as a family, so it can't be that bad!

Then, there are the recipes...  Ms. Wilson has included some really easy recipes that don't require a plethora of weird ingredients.  As a matter of fact, other than brown rice syrup (never tried the stuff before), we pretty much have everything thing in our pantry already.  The items she's included look good, too, and makes me (and my daughter) believe this is a change we could live with... and excited to give it a go.

In summary, Ms. Wilson encourages her readers to make different choices by educating us about the different types of sugars and their effect on our bodies.  She is an understanding teacher and shares that in her food journey, she has made mistakes along the way and how to handle the times she's "fallen off the wagon".  I highly recommend this book for anyone wanting to improve their health and to be able to say , "I Quit Sugar"!

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 Disclosure of Material Connection: I was provided a free copy of this book by Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest opinion. 

When We Were on Fire by Addie Zierman

I just finished reading Addie Zierman's honest and raw memoir titled "When We Were on Fire" and I couldn't wait to get to my computer to write down my thoughts.

First of all, I appreciated how vulnerable Mrs. Zierman has made herself by publishing such a candid and poignant account of her journey in her faith and life.  She wrote about things I have only allowed myself to think of briefly before self-chastising and moving on. 

I appreciated that she, too, has experienced hurt by "Church People" who are most likely so focused how they appear to others that they forget the humanness of others, themselves included.

I could relate to her story of trying to do the "right things" although they motive may have been sketchy.  I could feel her pain of drowning in depression and took a deep breath as she came up for air and reconnected with her faith.

One note:  The author does use profanity, although not in a gratuitous fashion in my opinion.  She is a real person.

All in all, I would recommend this book especially for those that may be struggling with what a "real" Christian looks like.  Thankfully, God loves us... flaws, scars, blackheads and all.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I was provided a free copy of this book by Multnomah Publishers in exchange for my honest opinion.