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Age Appropriate For: All Ages
Best for Ages: 13 and up

Description: The Bible can be overwhelming. For those unfamiliar with this huge and ancient book, it's hard to even know where to begin. These short, digestible readings answer questions about where the Bible came from, what it's about, and why it matters. Daryl Aaron blends the knowledge of a college professor with the friendly, welcoming tone of a pastor. Broken into forty small chapters, this book is perfect for those who want quick and clear answers to their questions.

Yes, this book is about the basics of the Bible. No, there wasn’t anything in here that surprised me. However, sometimes I need to just review the basics. I get so caught up in some of the minor points that I need to be reminded of what is truly important. This book helped me do it.

The next new believer I know, it addition to the Bible, I am going to hand them this book. It is very easy to use, has a lot of basic information, and all aligned with the Bible. Broken up into forty readings that will each take fifteen minutes or less, I can see this being a powerful resource. If they have a question about the Bible, there is an index for ease of use.

I personally found it a good reminder of the basics, seeped with solid facts from church history, what the Bible says about itself, and just practical common sense. I enjoyed reviewing some facts I had already known and learning some new ones, without feeling like I was being talked down to, or spoken to in a language only theologians can understand.

I highly recommend this book for new believers, those looking to understand the Bible better, or those who simply want to be reminded of the basics.

These are the ashes we focus on so often as Christians. Those of us trying to live our lives so differently from the rest of the world look around and feel helpless to stop the wrongs around us.

There is a very good reason for that: We are.

Our nation, indeed the whole world, is falling apart around us, just as God said it would. We with Elijah sometimes feel as if we are the only true Christian’s left, looking out on the ashes of true Christianity. We look out at a sea of angry people and want to weep at their misguided cause, the ashes of truth at their feet. We look at the women filing into clinics around the country, and see the ashes of morality.

However, we are focusing on the wrong thing. We were never meant to stare at the ashes. We aren’t supposed to live at the feet of the cross and the death of Christ, we are supposed to rejoice in the empty tomb. We aren’t supposed to sit in the ashes of our own sin, but rise and lift our eyes to something better. We are never supposed to look out at the raging sea, but to the only One who can calm it.

Around us we find the ashes of much we once held dear, but now it is time to rise. It is time not to focus on the fact that abortion is legal, but on the teen down the street that needs someone to show her the love of God. Instead of battling in the capitol buildings about prayer in school, we need to start praying for the teachers, school board, and the children in school. Instead of yelling about the horrible sin, we need to weed it out of our own hearts and help those we know who are struggling with it.

Should we still vote? Oh yes! Should we still cry out in the capital against such horrors? May we never cease to. However, instead of staring at the ashes around us, let us rise.

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Age Appropriate For: 10 and up for some mildly intense moments
Best for Ages: 10 -18
Description: Louise’s friend is dragging her along on a dubious treasure hunt. She, however, would rather be reading the recently discovered letters written by her great-great-grandmother, Georgiana Donahue. Meanwhile, Xavier, a young law student, is facing struggles of his own. He can’t find a job, his uncle is constantly belittling his late father, and he can hardly stand his seemingly perfect cousin. In the next town, an old man’s reclusive ways are disturbed when he agrees to let Malcolm Moore do his yard work. Although he desires to return to his seclusion, he is perplexed by the Moores' willingness to welcome him into their lives. Almost 100 years in the past, Georgiana Donahue's life was turned upside down in the course of one eventful year, and she was inclined to blame God for all of her troubles. Little did she realize that the searching letters she wrote to her brother and his wife would end up touching so many lives, so long after they were written.

This book reminded me of older books. Not only was their language a little formal, it also went at a steady but slow pace. I enjoyed a break from the normal rapid pace of most modern books. Since the story was well written and kept moving, it never felt like it came to a standstill.

The characters were well developed, each having a unique personality and different reaction to similar situations. I felt sorriest and also liked Xavier the most, as I thought he had such a rough life and no one to guide him. However, Louise was a very close second. Her searching for the truth and not giving up was great to see.

There were two points that caused this to be only four stars. The first one is that the character cast is very similar to those found in Journey of the Four, so much so that at times it felt like the same book. Secondly, I thought Adrian was wrong for not standing up to his father when his father was being unreasonable, making unbiblical demands of him (putting money before principle). I strongly agree that we are to honor our parents always, but you can honor them while refusing to do as they ask.

One of the things that I most appreciated about this book (and all of Jones’ books) is the tough questions of faith and morals that are asked and the biblical answers that are given. While I may disagree with some of the conclusions (Adrien for example) the author isn’t giving easy solutions to hard situations in her story, she is giving ones based on biblical principles.

I highly recommend this book to younger readers who enjoy contemporary stories that are based in a strong biblical worldview.

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Age Appropriate For: 15 and up for romance
Best for Ages: 15 and up
Description: Harry Windower adores blonde, green-eyed Athena Lancaster, but alas, a penniless man like himself has no hope of winning a young noblewoman's hand. To add insult to injury, Athena's brother-in-law and guardian, the Duke of Kielder, has asked Harry to assist Athena in finding a gentleman of her dreams. But the lovesick Harry is cunning as well: as the weeks pass, he introduces Athena to suitors who are horrifically boring, alarmingly attached to their mothers, downright rude, astoundingly self-absorbed, and utterly ridiculous.
Athena can't comprehend why she is having so little success meeting eligible and acceptable gentlemen. Indeed, her circle of admirers couldn't be less admirable - nothing like the loyal, gentle friend she's found in Harry. But how long can Harry's scheme be hidden before it is discovered? And what will Athena do when she uncovers Harry's deception?

I was sick and had spent all day reading. I was browsing through my Kindle to find another book to read, but knew I needed something that was set in a different time period than the other books and short stories I had read so that I wouldn’t confuse the stories with each other. I started this book without really knowing what it was about, and I found myself enjoying it a lot.

I was expecting this book to be Christian (as that is the category where I pick up my free e-books) I was a bit disappointed to find that it really said nothing about faith at all, much like Jane Austen’s works. This book was clean, character driven, devoid of any content that could be called offensive, but with no Christian message. It was a light read that I greatly enjoyed.

Harry feels a lot like a Mr. Knightly character. He is a very honorable man who does his best to help Athena. However, some of his helping caused me to laugh hard. Athena herself is very sweet and lovable. She was a sensible girl, yet not without her fantasies. The Duke was an interesting character that added a lot of spice to the story.

I had fully expected the story to be a very mushy one and was very pleasantly surprised. There is talk of a married couple cuddling and giving each other loving looks but nothing that made me feel uncomfortable. There were two kisses at the end of the book as well as a very descriptive handholding session in the middle of the story. Again, nothing felt uncomfortable.

While not the greatest novel ever written, I think this story is well worth the time to read. I highly recommend it to those who love Jane Austen, light romance, and solid story telling.