30 Days to a More Beautiful You by Kylie Biscutti (Review)

• Paperback: 64 pages
• Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. (April 18, 2014)
• ISBN-13: 978-1414397191

Despite what the world leads us to believe, true beauty has nothing to do with outward appearances. The more we focus on what we look like on the outside, the more insecure we become.

Fortunately, God doesn’t measure our worth by how we look. We have value simply because we are His children. The more we focus on getting our hearts right with the Lord and honoring Him, the more secure and confident we will become—and the more we will exude true beauty.

In 30 Days to a More Beautiful You, former Victoria’s Secret Runway Angel Kylie Bisutti gives a complete inner-beauty makeover with succinct devotional readings designed to transform your heart, body, mind, and soul and put you on the path to becoming a happier, healthier, more beautiful you.

The perfect gift for every young woman, this devotional will forever change the way you define the word beautiful.

 My Review:

 This is a simple easy to understand devotional. It is geared toward pre teens and teens. I like how the focus is on true beauty. The point is made that true beauty is not on the outside but inside. I agree fully.  Each devotion is made of a small story from her then a couple questions to ponder and ties up with true beauty tip. One of the tips include Live to please God, not people. She addresses topics like insecurity, modesty, and living a faith filled life. Recommended.

I'm No Angel by Kylie Bisutti (Review)

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. (April 18, 2014)
• ISBN-13: 978-1414391892

In December 2011, 21-year-old Victoria’s Secret Runway Angel Kylie Bisutti stunned the fashion industry when she chose faith over fame and fortune and made the switch from supermodel to role model.

In I’m No Angel, Kylie shares her story—from her early years as she struggled to make it big in the cutthroat world of modeling, to her “big break” winning the Victoria’s Secret Runway Angel competition, to the disillusionment and spiritual warfare that followed. After finally realizing that she could no longer reconcile her career with her Christian beliefs, she surrendered her life to God and dedicated her life to preaching a message of modesty and inner beauty.

Along the way, Kylie talks about her personal struggles with inadequacy, low self-esteem, and her near-constant quest for approval in a world where you can never be thin enough, pretty enough, or sexy enough. She helps readers understand that true beauty lies within and that real fulfillment comes from knowing, loving, and serving Christ.

My Review:

This was an interesting memoir. It was well written and easy to read. It held my attention from beginning to end. Kylie gives us a behind the scenes look at the modeling industry from childhood to grown up. It was nothing that shocked me but parts of it were still sad. Kylie was born into a blue collar loving home. She started modeling at 14. She became a Christian when she was a freshman in high school. She tells of her struggle to hold her values while climbing the modeling ladder. In the end when she reached the top she could not justify it to herself or God anymore. She knew her actions were not honoring Him or her new husband. She left that world and wants to spread the message of self acceptance and modesty and her faith in God. Recommended.






Kylie Bisutti was just nineteen years old when she beat out more than ten thousand other contestants to win the coveted title of Victoria’s Secret Runway Angel as part of a nationally televised competition that captivated the attention of millions of viewers across the country and around the world.

Shortly thereafter, Kylie shocked both fans and critics when she made the controversial decision to walk away from her high-profile, multimillion- dollar career because she couldn’t reconcile modeling lingerie with her Christian beliefs.

Now retired from modeling, Kylie has become a sought-after speaker, sharing her message on the importance of modesty and helping young women understand that true beauty comes from within. Her firsthand accounts of the harsh realities of the modeling industry and the truth behind the images the media presents as “feminine perfection” have captivated audiences the world over and have the power to forever change the way women view the media, the modeling industry, and themselves.

Kylie lives in northern Montana with her husband, Mike.

Yankee in Atlanta by Jocelyn Green

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Yankee in Atlanta River North(June 1, 2014) by Jocelyn Green

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jocelyn Green is a child of God, wife and mom living in Cedar Falls, Iowa. She is also an award-winning journalist, author, editor and blogger. Though she has written nonfiction on a variety of topics, her name is most widely recognized for her ministry to military wives: Faith Deployed. Her passion for the military family was fueled by her own experience as a military wife, and by the dozens of interviews she has conducted with members of the military for her articles and books, Faith Deployed: Daily Encouragement for Military Wives and its sequel, Faith Deployed...Again: More Daily Encouragement for Military Wives. She is also co-author of both Stories of Faith and Courage from the War in Iraq & Afghanistan and Stories of Faith and Courage from the Home Front (forthcoming, May 2012). Her Faith Deployed Web site and Facebook page continue to provide ongoing support, encouragement and resources for military wives worldwide.

ABOUT THE BOOK

When soldier Caitlin McKae woke up in Atlanta after being wounded in battle, the Georgian doctor who treated her believed Caitlin's only secret was that she had been fighting for the Confederacy disguised as a man. In order to avoid arrest or worse, Caitlin hides her true identity and makes a new life for herself in Atlanta. Trained as a teacher, she accepts a job as a governess to the daughter of Noah Becker, a German immigrant lawyer, who is about to enlist with the Rebel army. Then in the spring of 1864, Sherman's troops edge closer to Atlanta. Caitlin tries to escape north with the girl, but is arrested on charges of being a spy. Will honor dictate that Caitlin follow the rules, or love demand that she break them?

Id you would like to read the first chapter of Yankee in Atlanta, go HERE.

All for a Story by Allison Pittman (Review)

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. (October 1, 2013)
• ISBN-13: 978-1414366814

Monica Bisbaine loves being a modern girl in the Roaring Twenties. Her job writing a gossip column allows her access to all the local speakeasys in Washington, D.C., where she can dance the night away—and find fodder for her next article. But when the owner of the Capitol Chatter newspaper passes away, Monica wonders what will happen to her job, and the lifestyle she loves.

Max Moore may hold the title of editor-in-chief for evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson’s paper, The Bridal Call, but Aimee calls all the shots. So when Max learns that his great-uncle has passed away, leaving him all his earthly possessions, Max resigns and heads to D.C. Determined to take over the Capitol Chatter, infuse it with his values, and turn it into a respectable paper, Max is soon bumping up against the equally determined Monica Bisbane.

Under Max’s direction, Monica embarks on her most challenging assignment yet: infiltrating and reporting on the Anti-Flirt Society. Though reluctant at first, as Monica meets and mingles with the young women of the club, she begins to question the innocence of her flirtatious lifestyle. And when romance begins to blossom between Max and Monica, she must choose where her loyalties lie: with the young women of the society or the alluring pull of the speakeasy and its inhabitants.

 My Review:

I thought this book had more potential. It just did not work for me. Monica is not really likeable and seems more like a current day loose party girl. Way too much time is spent on the bad parts of her life like drinking and sleeping around. Max never really engaged me either. The best part literally was the last fifty pages. The secondary characters were interesting and the plot picked up.The actual ending could have been better written. It is set in the roaring twenties which is interesting. It did not have a Christian fiction feel to it though. It was almost not present at all even subtle. This is not my favorite book by this author but I will read the next one All for a Sister.



 About the author:

As far as I know, I have always been a writer. Before I could put words to page, I would dictate stories to my mother. I have always lulled myself to sleep by crafting stories--a new chapter each night. When God called me to write, I was thrilled to answer His prompting. And so it was, after a long conversation with my husband, I left a 20-year teaching career to pursue a new direction. It called for a HUGE step of faith, but God has kept me and our family safe.

I count every single one of my readers as one of God's blessings in my life, and I like to think of my stories as being the first step in a conversation. Please visit my website, www.allisonpittman.com and send me an email. It is one of my greatest joys to hear from you! 

A Season of Change by Lynette Sowell (Review)

• Series: Seasons in Pinecraft
• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Abingdon Press (May 20, 2014)
• ISBN-13: 978-1426753558

Amish widower Jacob Miller believes it was a mistake to visit the Amish village of Pinecraft for winter vacation, especially after his daughter is struck by a car. Stranded in Sarasota until his daughter recovers, Jacob grows increasingly wary of events that unfold in his unfamiliar surroundings—including the strange curiosity of Englischer Natalie Bennett.

Natalie never thought her circus career as an aerial silks artist would end with a blown-out knee at the age of 25. She also never knew her late mother had a secret—that she was once Amish.

When Natalie meets the Millers at the Sarasota hospital, she is attracted to their warm hospitality and simple ways—and soon wonders if they can help her find her mother’s family. As Jacob and Natalie fall in love, their worlds collide. Will their differences tear them apart? Or will their love be strong enough to blend their clashing cultures?

 My Review:

I enjoyed reading this first book in the Seasons of Pinecraft series. It was a good Amish book set in a real town called Pinecraft. It's mostly where Amish/Mennonite go to vacation in Florida and the rules are looser. A few families live there year round. The plot and characters are well developed and interesting. Natalie and Jacob meet when his daughter ends up in hospital after an accident while they are on vacation. She is Bubbles the clown. They hit it off from the start and his children adore her.  The biggest issue is him being Amish and her English. The author does a good job pointing out the differences between being Amish and Christianity. Both of them have issues they are working through. He is a widower not sure if he is ready to move forward. She lost her mother and her father lives across the country with his new family. She discovers after her mother's death that she was raised Amish and wants to know all the details. She wants to find family since she basically has none and is all alone. This was a good Amish love story with depth. Because of the setting and atmosphere in the book it is a perfect book for summer too. Highly Recommended.






 Lynette Sowell is the Carol Award-winning and ECPA best-selling author of more than 15 titles, including A Season of Change and Tempest’s Course. When Lynette is not writing, she works as a medical editor and part-time newspaper reporter. She makes her home in Copperas Cove on the doorstep of the Texas hill country. Visit her online at LynetteSowell.blogspot.com

Review copy provided by Litfuse Publicity in exchange for an honest review.

The Prayer Box by Lisa Wingate (Review)

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. (August 16, 2013)
• ISBN-13: 978-1414386881

When Iola Anne Poole, an old-timer on Hatteras Island, passes away in her bed at ninety-one, the struggling young mother in her rental cottage, Tandi Jo Reese, finds herself charged with the task of cleaning out Iola's rambling Victorian house.

Running from a messy, dangerous past, Tandi never expects to find more than a temporary hiding place within Iola's walls, but everything changes with the discovery of eighty-one carefully decorated prayer boxes, one for each year, spanning from Iola's youth to her last days. Hidden in the boxes is the story of a lifetime, written on random bits of paper--the hopes and wishes, fears and thoughts of an unassuming but complex woman passing through the seasons of an extraordinary, unsung life filled with journeys of faith, observations on love, and one final lesson that could change everything.

 My Review:

I thought this was a well developed character driven book. The author has a way with words that makes you feel like you are really there. Tandi lives a rough life. She has two kids one younger and one teenager. She has not really been there for them for years due to a drug addiction and bad relationship. She escapes and they end up on Hatteras Island where her Grandparents used to live and she had happier times in her life. She still somewhat neglects her children in the beginning and has a relationship with Ross who is not good for them. It takes awhile for her to come to her senses and start building better relationships with them. I loved how her character evolved. I did not like her at all for at least the first half of the book. The plot also focused on Iola Poole mostly after she passes away and Tandi is in charge of cleaning her house. She finds boxes that are prayer boxes from decades of Iola's life. She starts reading them and it changes her life literally. I definitely liked the latter half of the book the best. There is more but I won't spoil the plot. This was a good contemporary Christian book perfect summer read.  Recommended.




 Lisa Wingate is a former journalist, inspirational speaker, and the author of over twenty mainstream fiction novels, including the national bestseller, Tending Roses, now in its nineteenth printing. She is a seven-time ACFW Carol award nominee, a Christy Award nominee, an Oklahoma Book Award finalist, and a two-time Carol Award winner. Her novels are known for taking on gritty subjects while offering redemptive and uplifting themes. Recently, the group Americans for More Civility, a kindness watchdog organization, selected Lisa along with Bill Ford, Camille Cosby, and six others, as recipients of the National Civies Award, which celebrates public figures who work to promote greater kindness and civility in American life. More information about Lisa's novels can be found at www.Lisawingate.com or on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/LisaWingateAuthorPage?fref=ts

Review copy provided by Tyndale in exchange for an honest review. 

I'm Nobody by Alex Marestaing (Review)

• Age Range: 9 - 12 years
• Grade Level: 04 - 07
• Paperback: 222 pages
• Publisher: Mymilou Press (December 10, 2013)
• ISBN-13: 978-0615931630

Emily meets Caleb, Caleb meets Iris, and a gray world turns Technicolor - Agoraphobic Caleb Reed is about to step outside for the first time in seven years, meet indie filmmaker Iris Elliott…and definitely not fall in love. It’s all because of the notes, the weird and wonderful notes he keeps finding on his front porch, notes signed by someone claiming to be long dead poet Emily Dickinson. Caleb’s parents think he’s losing his mind, but he knows they’re wrong. Something’s going on outside – something strange, something terrifying …something beautiful.

My Review:

This book was interesting but a little weird. It is definitely different than anything I normally read. The target audience is children ages 9-12. I think the upper end of it would be appropriate due to content. The characters are well developed and the plot kept my attention beginning to end. I could feel the emotions of the characters. Some issues addressed in the book include mental illness, death, and family dysfunction. It does not leave you light and happy but the end fits the book. I hope there is a second book so readers can see what happens to Caleb. Iris was a great character and I loved her she embraces her interests even while her mom is pressing her to be part of the it crowd. Recommended with caution. Parents might want to read it first.



Alex Marestaing has worked on creative writing projects for The Walt Disney Company, Lego, Thomas Nelson (Harper Collins), and The Los Angeles Times. In addition, he’s written freelance for various faith-based publications. He loves soccer and has covered the game in Europe and the U.S. for Sports Spectrum Magazine and Yanks Abroad.

Review copy provided by Litfuse Publicity in exchange for an honest review.