Book Tour & Review: NIV Boys Bible

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

Today's Wild Card is:

NIV Boys Bible

Zonderkidz; Special edition (March 6, 2012)

***Special thanks to Rick Roberson of The B&B Media Group for sending me a review copy.***

My Review:
I think this is a great Bible for boys.  I looked through this and besides the great NIV translation, this is set up really well for boys.  The cover looks boyish, the inside setup seems to appeal to boys (I ask my 11-year-old and he agreed).  Some of the special features are Grossology which usually present interesting but gross facts about select Bible verses (things that will appeal to boys and to be honest I found interesting too).  There are also What's The Big Deal? which highlights select chapters and explains the chapter/verses in easy-to-understand language.  Another feature is Words to Live By which highlights a featured Bible verse and Makin' It Real which gives boys a way to use the Bible verse in real life.

The NIV Boys Bible is full of great features to interest boys and help them understand and get into the Bible better.  I plan on giving this to my son and I hope he really enjoys this for his teen years and I really think he will.  I think this is a very practical Bible targeted to boys and done in a great way!





SHORT BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Getting into a routine of reading the Bible can be challenging for anyone, but trying to keep the attention of pre-teen boys is especially difficult. So now there is a Bible especially developed for them. The NIV Boys Bible is designed with boys ages 9 to 12 in mind. Fun in-text features help boys dig deep into the Word and learn about amazing people, facts and stories of the Bible. The NIV Boys Bible will help boys grow into the young men God wants them to be. It will appeal to boys and cause them to desire to spend time in the Word with its unique features such as:

* Introductions to each book of the Bible

* Hundreds of highlighted verses worth memorizing

* What's the Big Deal?-Need-to-know biblical stories and people

* Check It Out-Interesting and fun facts about Bible times and characters

* Grossology-Gross and gory stuff they never knew was in the Bible

* Makin' It Real-Help for applying Bible stories to their everyday lives



This Bible includes the full text of the New International Version, the most popular Bible translation in the world, and 12 color tip-in pages introducing content that shows boys how they can grow to be like Jesus. Each book of the Bible has activities that make God's Word more relevant than ever. It is jam-packed with customized content and artwork that really makes the Bible stand out.

Product Details:
List Price: $27.99
Reading level: Ages 9 and up
Hardcover: 1504 pages
Publisher: Zonderkidz; Special edition (March 6, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0310723086
ISBN-13: 978-0310723080:

AND NOW...A SAMPLE. PLEASE CLICK ON THE PICTURES TO VIEW THEM LARGER:

Book Review: Soul Screamers Book One by Rachel Vincent

Soul Screamers Book One by Rachel Vincent
(includes My Soul to Lose, My Soul to Take and My Soul to Save)

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Publish Date: November 22, 2011

Paperback, 570 pages 
Fiction, Young Adult, Paranormal
 ISBN: 978-1937293147
Soul Screamers Series books #0.5, 1 and 2

My Review:
I read these slightly out of order.  My library had the first book, but not the second so I read the first, then ordered the ebook of this together.  I know that kind of does not make sense, but in a way it did.  It was only a little more and I got all 2.5 books together, and I'm guessing this is a series I will want to re-read in the future so there you go, I already have the first books ready-to-go.  I am hoping the next books in the series will come out in an omnibus like this one as well and even though my library has the future books I plan on purchasing any future omnibus.  I love the series that much.

On to these books.  First My Soul To Lose, which I actually read second.  A short novella, that I believe was actually written after the first book (and maybe even the second, yes I could look it up, but I'm feeling lazy).  This one just gives a brief story of the background we as readers see in My Soul To Take when Kaylee first sees someone die and screams for them.  This is when her aunt and uncle lock her up in the psychiatric ward of the hospital.  Most of the story takes place there.  Like I said this is mainly background and I found it to be a quick and interesting story.  I think it would have been more effective for me if I had read it first, but I still really enjoyed it.  So those of you just starting the series, read it first, get your first taste of Kaylee and then move on to . . .

Next up is My Soul To Take, which I actually read first.  With this book I was hooked on the world of the Soul Screamers.  First there is Kaylee.  What is there not to love about Kaylee.  She is loyal to her friends, hates her cousin who hates her, is sarcastic and witty and ends up with a very hot boyfriend, yet doesn't let it go to her head.  Oh and while dealing with this and high school she also learns she's a bean sidhe and that Nash is one also.  And if things can't get crazier than that girls in her school seem to be dying and there are rules to saving lives as a bean sidhe.  After 16 years of normal life Kaylee is in for the surprise of her life.  To me this book was very fresh.  It had an interesting premise and the plot was fast moving and had a number of twists and turns and I didn't see the ending that happened coming.  I enjoyed getting to know Kaylee and Nash and love them as a couple and look forward to more of them in future books.  I also love Emma, Kaylee's best friend and Tod.  Ms. Vincent has created a very interesting world and a fun cast of characters.  This first full book was a true winner for me and I was glad the second book was ready and waiting for me.

The final book in this omnibus is My Soul to Save.  If I thought the first one was fast-paced this one is even more so.  At a concert, Kaylee and Nash watch pop sensation Eden drop dead on stage, but Kaylee has no urge to scream which confuses her.  I seems in the twisted world of teen pop stars that some are selling their souls to the underworld and since this certain pop star used to date Tod, this causes Nash, Kaylee and Tod to team up to help save the life of Eden.  As Kaylee learns more about the underworld and navigates life with her Dad and her romance with Nash, this one really heats up.  Throw some Tod into the mix and things always get interesting.  Action, romance, humor, My Soul To Save has it all.  I think I pretty much sped through this one and was ready for the next one.  Again I'm glad I'm coming to this series late.  Another nice thing.  While the books are connected, there are no terrible cliff-hangers at the end of the books.  Ms. Vincent typically ties up the storyline from the book in each book, but the romance, the family situation and her life as a bean sidhe are the over-arcing storyline that ties the series together.  I like this.  It makes me anxious for the next book to see what happens next but not overanxious because she left me with a cliffhanger.

Overall, this series is a real winner.  Quick easy reads with great entertainment value and wonderful characters that continue to grow and evolve from book to book.  This has quickly become one of my favorite YA series.  It's a nice light series while dealing with some issues it still doesn't take itself too seriously, it just has a nice balance and it will keep me coming back for more.  I've already finished book 3, My Soul to Keep (review to come), and will be starting book 4, My Soul to Steal, very soon.  Book 6, Before I Wake will be out at the end of June and I want to be caught up then (and yes I plan on pre-ordering!)


My Rating: 5.0/5.0
 

Parental guidance: There is some language and some romantic involvement on the part  of Kaylee and Nash.  Nothing too overt, but it is there.  I recommend this book for ages 14+, or if you are a comfortable parent, 12+, hey they are great books, so moms, read them yourselves and see! :)

Soul Screamers Series
My Soul to Lose (prequel novella)
My Soul to Take
My Soul to Save
My Soul to Keep
Reaper (Book IV prequel)
My Soul to Steal

If I Die


About the Book:
It starts with a scream….New York Times bestselling author Rachel Vincent's compelling Soul Screamers series keeps getting better—here, for the first time, the original stories are compiled into one special volume….

My Soul to Lose—The prequel: never before in print!—Kaylee is just your average girl shopping at the mall with friends—until a terrified scream bursts from her that cannot be stopped. Taken to a hospital ward, will she be able to save her mind—and her life? 

My Soul to Take  She's always felt different, but now Kaylee discovers why. The screams that cannot be denied mean that someone near her will die—and she can never save them. Because saving one life means taking another…. 

My Soul to Save  Going on dates with her boyfriend is still new to Kaylee. But when the singer of the band they're seeing dies onstage and Kaylee doesn't scream, she knows something crazy is going on. Soon she discovers souls can indeed be sold…

About the Author (from Goodreads.com): 
A resident of San Antonio, Rachel Vincent has a BA in English and an overactive imagination, and consistently finds the latter to be more practical. She shares her workspace with two black cats (Kaci and Nyx) and her # 1 fan. Rachel is older than she looks-seriously-and younger than she feels, but remains convinced that for every day she spends writing, one more day will be added to her lifespan.

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FTC Information: I purchased this book so this is my own honest review. I would love it if Rachel provided me with books, but thankfully my library has her books and I was able to buy this set (which is a really good deal if you have not started the series!) I do make money from purchases made at The Book Depository and B&N.com, but all money is used to fund giveaways and shipping for giveaways from the blog.

Waiting On Wednesday (20)

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This is another one I saw in the Shelf Awareness newsletter and it just appealed to me.  First the cover jumped out at me.  Why is she running.  I love the colors, the lushness.  Then I was intrigued when I looked up the synopsis.  So now it's on my want list (and I'm hoping to get an ARC).  What do you think of the cover?

The Innocents by Francesca Segal

Publish Date: 6/5/2012

A smart and slyly funny tale of love, temptation, confusion, and commitment; a triumphant and beautifully executed recasting of Edith Wharton’s The Age of Innocence.

Newly engaged and unthinkingly self-satisfied, twenty-eight-year-old Adam Newman is the prize catch of Temple Fortune, a small, tight-knit Jewish suburb of London. He has been dating Rachel Gilbert since they were both sixteen and now, to the relief and happiness of the entire Gilbert family, they are finally to marry. To Adam, Rachel embodies the highest values of Temple Fortune; she is innocent, conventional, and entirely secure in her community—a place in which everyone still knows the whereabouts of their nursery school classmates. Marrying Rachel will cement Adam’s role in a warm, inclusive family he loves.

But as the vast machinery of the wedding gathers momentum, Adam feels the first faint touches of claustrophobia, and when Rachel’s younger cousin Ellie Schneider moves home from New York, she unsettles Adam more than he’d care to admit. Ellie—beautiful, vulnerable, and fiercely independent—offers a liberation that he hadn’t known existed: a freedom from the loving interference and frustrating parochialism of North West London. Adam finds himself questioning everything, suddenly torn between security and exhilaration, tradition and independence. What might he be missing by staying close to home?

So what are you waiting on this week?

Book Review & Giveaway: Thunder & Rain by Charles Martin #thunder&rain

Thunder and Rain by Charles Martin

Publisher: Center Street

Publish Date: April 3, 2012

Hardcover, 368 pages
Fiction, General Fiction, Romance, Suspense, Christian
 ISBN: 9781455503988

My Review:
I just finished Thunder and Rain and I just don't see where you can ask any more from a book than what this one gives you. Thunder and Rain is amazing, it has great characters, an interesting plot and a heart that makes the reader very involved in the novel.  Once I really got into the book (which was about 30 pages in) I found it very hard to put down.  In fact I think I only put it down to hear my 6-year-old read his homework to me and when I finally conked myself in the head with my Kindle because I fell asleep (again I take a sleeping pill so the book did not put me to sleep).

So what impressed me the most?  I would have to go with the characters.  Tyler Steele is everything I want in a man yet he is flawed, mainly in the way he sees himself.  I must admit here I am lucky, I have my own Tyler Steele (no he's not a rancher, cowboy or Texas Ranger, but he is chivalrous and wonderful).  I love how Mr. Martin develops Tyler a little at a time before our eyes as we read.   The book is mainly from Tyler's point-of-view, but through flashbacks and memories we find out what has happened in the past to make him into the man he is today.  The other point-of-view in the story is Hope's journal which she writes to God.  This is the only Christian element in the book and since it's written by a child it's brutally honest.  She questions God when things are bad and then apologizes, then questions again.  I love her for this.  I think we are all afraid of doing this but truthfully God doesn't mind.  Hope's journal is a wonderful addition to the book.  Seeing everything from the eyes of a 10-year-old who's a little old for her years, but still has a certain innocence about her lends a very interesting perspective to the book.  Then there is Brodie, Tyler's son.  He's everything a tween dealing with divorce and loss should be yet more mature too.  As I mentioned I loved him.  He has a lot of his Dad in him and it shows in the story.  Finally as far as main characters go, there is Sam.  I wasn't sure what to think of Sam at first, but I grew to love her as well.  She is very well-written and becomes a great character and just what Tyler needs.  It's very interesting to watch the two of them together.  Tight, buttoned-up Tyler with easy-going, slightly skittish Sam.  Sparks are sure to fly, but will they know what to do with them?

Plot is equally important and while the characters are the main thing that move this novel along, there are several plot lines that also move the story along.  I found them to be interesting and while they would fade in and out while the characters took center stage, they were always there and you as the reader knew something would happen with them.  Those plot lines gave the novel the air of suspense and kept you guessing through the book.  I found the book to be well-paced and as I mentioned before, it was very hard to put down.

I don't know whether to call this general fiction, romance, suspense or just a mixture of all of the above, but whatever you want to call it, it's a wonderful book.  Mr. Martin put a lot of heart and soul into this book to make believable and likable characters that truly come alive before your eyes.  I felt I was right alongside all of them in west Texas.  Felt I knew what it was like to live with a Texas Ranger.  I also remembered what it felt like to be a 10-year-old girl.  Thunder and Rain is well-worth your reading time.  It's heartfelt, it will get your heart-thumping at times and just plain amazing to read.  I almost wish I could go back again and read it for the first time.  But for now I will be happy remembering Tyler, Sam, Brodie and Hope over the coming months and I am sure when I think of them I will smile.

My Rating: 5.0/5.0

About the Book:
Third generation Texas Ranger Tyler Steele is the last of a dying breed-- a modern day cowboy hero living in a world that doesn't quite understand his powerful sense of right and wrong and instinct to defend those who can't defend themselves. Despite his strong moral compass, Ty has trouble seeing his greatest weakness. His hard outer shell, the one essential to his work, made him incapable of forging the emotional connection his wife Andie so desperately needed.

Now retired, rasing their son Brodie on his own, and at risk of losing his ranch, Ty does not know how to rebuild from the rubble of his life. The answer comes in the form of Samantha and her daughter Hope, on the run from a seemingly inescapable situation. They are in danger, desperate, and alone. Though they are strangers, Ty knows he can help-- protecting the innocent is what he does best. As his relationship with Sam and Hope unfolds, Ty realizes he must confront his true weaknesses if he wants to become the man he needs to be

About the Author (from Goodreads.com): 
I grew up in Jacksonville, FL, on the St. John’s river. Somewhat of a Huck Finn childhood. Most afternoons were spent mullet fishing, canoeing, pegging cars with overripe tangerines—it really got fun when the red tail lights lit and the reverse gears ground metal on metal, or the backyard Superbowl which we replayed most everyday. Through high school, football was my life. School was the avenue that allowed me to play. I walked on at Georgia Tech in 1999 and played one year under Bobby Ross—until I got hurt, cracking a vertebrae in my back and they carried me off. Transferred to Florida State and tried to become a student. Eventually landed in the English department after escaping Accounting with a “D.” I was delighted. After graduation, I moved to Atlanta and started waiting tables at Houston’s Restaurant so I could save up money to buy a ring. Christy and I married in 1993, we drove to Virginia Beach, where she put me through Grad school. When I wasn’t in class, I worked the morning preload for Ma Brown (UPS). Went to work at 2 or 3 am, and clocked out about 9 am. Didn’t get much sleep for almost 3 years. In 1997 we got pregnant with Charlie and returned to Jacksonville—so our kids could grow up around our families. When not a single educational institution in Jacksonville would hire me (including my alma mater, Bolles High School), my brother-in-law had mercy on me and gave me a job selling insurance. Two years passed and to make a real long story short, a Fortune 500 company offered me a V.P.’s position with a six figure salary, six figure signing bonus, etc. I turned them down, resigned from the insurance agency, began pressure washing, building docks etc., and began trying to sell my novel—what is now The Dead Don’t Dance. That was eight years ago.

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Giveaway

The publisher, Center Street, is giving away one copy of Thunder and Rain to one winner in the US/Canada, no PO boxes.  They will be mailing straight to the winner.  Enter using the Rafflecopter below.  Nothing is required of you except hitting the enter button on the free entry.  Thank you to Sarah Reck for allowing me to host this great giveaway!


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FTC Information: I received this book from the the publisher, Center Street for an honest review.  I do make money from purchases made at The Book Depository and B&N.com, but all money is used to fund giveaways and shipping for giveaways from the blog.

Top Ten Tuesday (2)

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. This meme was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

This week's Top Ten Tuesday is all about books to read in one day. Quoted from The Broke and The Bookish:  "So it's basically a list of books that had me so on the edge of my seat reading them that I shushed everyone who dared interrupt me :)".  You can go to The Broke and the Bookish to see their list and to join in the meme this week.

Here is my Top Ten books I recommend reading in one day (in no particular order, links to my reviews are given if available):

1. Solitary by Travis Thrasher (YA Suspense/Supernatural)
2. When the Smoke Clears by Lynette Eason (Romantic Suspense)
3. Delirium by Lauren Oliver (YA dystopian)
4. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver (YA contemporary)
5. Any of The Soul Screamers series by Rachel Vincent (YA Paranormal, My Soul to Take, My Soul to Lose, My Soul to Save ...)
6. Any of the Harmony, Texas series by Jodi Thomas (Fiction, Romance, Welcome to Harmony, The Comforts of Home, Somewhere Along the Way, Just Down the Road)
7. Cobbogoth by Hannah L. Clark (YA, Fantasy)
8. One Moment by Kristina McBride (YA, Contemporary)
9. Wither by Lauren DeStefano (YA, Dystopian)
10. Cinder by Marissa Meyer (YA, Futuristic)

I could keep going, most of these I read this year, with only a few being read before the last few months.  All are great and books I wish I could go back and read again for the first time, so if you haven't read them and they are in a genre that appeals to you or you have been wanting to try, then give them a shot!

What books would make your list?  If you blogged about them let me know I would love to see your list so I can add to mine.  If you don't blog, leave me a few of your suggestions, I would love to see them!

Teaser Tuesday (16)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

A scrub oak grew up a few feet from Dad's marker. I sat next to it and leaned back, staring west across the river.  For the first time in my life, I owned, outright, a piece of land. It had no oil, no cows and no wife to share it with.

From Thunder and Rain by Charles Martin

This is a great book and while this seems a little down at the moment, I have a feeling things will be looking up.  The book has really drawn me in from the first page.  Ty is such a great main character, flawed, but a very good guy who just wants to do his best for people.  My review and a giveaway will be coming later today.





About Thunder and Rain

Third generation Texas Ranger Tyler Steele is the last of a dying breed-- a modern day cowboy hero living in a world that doesn't quite understand his powerful sense of right and wrong and instinct to defend those who can't defend themselves. Despite his strong moral compass, Ty has trouble seeing his greatest weakness. His hard outer shell, the one essential to his work, made him incapable of forging the emotional connection his wife Andie so desperately needed.

Now retired, rasing their son Brodie on his own, and at risk of losing his ranch, Ty does not know how to rebuild from the rubble of his life. The answer comes in the form of Samantha and her daughter Hope, on the run from a seemingly inescapable situation. They are in danger, desperate, and alone. Though they are strangers, Ty knows he can help-- protecting the innocent is what he does best. As his relationship with Sam and Hope unfolds, Ty realizes he must confront his true weaknesses if he wants to become the man he needs to be

Excerpt from The Taker by Alma Katsu and Giveaway

With all the hype out there for 50 Shades of Grey, maybe you are on the lookout for more books with dominant characters and steamy love scenes.  Maybe you missed the hardcover release of The Taker last year.  If you did, then you are in luck, because The Taker by Alma Katsu has just released in paperback last week.  It's the first book in a new trilogy and I just received it for review as well and can't wait to dive into it.  Want a sneak peek? Check it out below and then also enter to win a copy of it from the publisher.
The Taker by Alma Katsu

Giveaway
The publisher is offering 1 copy of The Taker by Alma Katsu in paperback to a reader in the US only.  Simply enter using the Rafflecopter below.  And if you can't wait, check out the links below to purchase The Taker.


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