Juice by Carly de Castro, Hedi Cores & Hayden Slater

From the publisher:
Once considered a fringe practice of raw-food zealots, juicing has gone mainstream. In this beautiful full-color health guide and cookbook--which requires only a juicer or blender to use--the founders of Los Angeles-based Pressed Juicery explain how juicing and juice cleansing can be part of a fit and healthy lifestyle. Featuring seventy-five recipes for the shop's most popular juices--including greens, roots, citrus, fruits, aloe and chlorophyll waters, and signature beverages like Chocolate Almond and Coconut Mint Chip--this inspirational handbook outlines the benefits of juicing, explains how to do a juice cleanse safely, and shares testimonials from people who have experienced personal health transformations after integrating juice into their lives

___________________

This book is a wonderful book for beginner juicers or those that love to juice.

As a person who would like to know more about juicing but hasn't ever done it, I was very excited to get this book.  I appreciated how thorough the authors were in explaining things.  There are charts and pictures that help the readers understand the process and benefits of juicing better.

This book not only has recipes for juicing but how to even pick a juicer and the pros and cons with each one.  This is a great book for those who want more than just recipes to help them get started to being healthier.  There are many other health tips as well.

The book have 8 chapters of recipes for things from greens to almond milk.  And not just one recipe but many per chapter.  There is also a section on cleansing and recipes to go with that.

This is definitely a book I will be using as I begin to learn more about juicing.

I highly recommend this book to others.

I received this book free from Bloggingforbooks.org in exchange for my honest review.

Thief of Glory by Sigmund Brouwer

From the publisher:
For ten year-old Jeremiah Prins, the life of privilege as the son of a school headmaster in the Dutch East Indies comes crashing to a halt in 1942 after the Japanese Imperialist invasion of the Southeast Pacific. Jeremiah takes on the responsibility of caring for his younger siblings when his father and older stepbrothers are separated from the rest of the family, and he is surprised by what life in the camp reveals about a woman he barely knows—his frail, troubled mother. 

Amidst starvation, brutality, sacrifice and generosity, Jeremiah draws on all of his courage and cunning to fill in the gap for his mother. Life in the camps is made more tolerable as Jeremiah’s boyhood infatuation with his close friend Laura deepens into a friendship from which they both draw strength. 

When the darkest sides of humanity threaten to overwhelm Jeremiah and Laura, they reach for God’s light and grace, shining through his people. Time and war will test their fortitude and the only thing that will bring them safely to the other side is the most enduring bond of all.
_________________

Sigmund Brouwer is obviously a gifted writer.  The foreshadowing, emotional bond with the characters, and setting are just a few examples of a few things that show Brouwer's talent.

That being said, I did not like this book.  At all.  It was sad and depressing from start to finish.  The horror of the book made it hard to enjoy any part of it.  I kept hoping for something better to come but it never did.

As a Christian, reading a Christian novel I did not expect to read some of the descriptions that Brouwer had in his novel.  I also was hoping for a more developed Christian theme.

This is my first experience reading Brouwer and will give a different book another try.

I received this book free from Blogging For Books in exchange for my honest review.

An August Bride by Debra Clopton

From the publisher:

Kelsey vowed never to love a cowboy again. But then she meets Brent.

After a cowboy broke her heart, Kelsey Wilcox traded in her boots for flip-flops and a bistro on the beautiful sandy beach of Corpus Christi. Two years later, still not believing in happy endings, she is about to endure a weekend of torture at her cousin's beach wedding. Not only will she be forced to watch yet another wedding, but her great-aunt and her two best friends-aptly nicknamed "the matchmaking posse of Mule Hollow"-are coming to the wedding, and Kelsey is sure to be on their radar.

Brent Corbin has had his share of bad luck with women and isn't looking for love or looking forward to the weekend of wedding festivities as a groomsman for his friend. When he sees a commotion on the beach and what appears to be a mermaid in distress, he doesn't hesitate to dive to the rescue. His attention is instantly captured by the woman he's saved and it turns out they're part of the same wedding party. But the instant Kelsey spots his soaking wet boots she wants no part of him.

Thrown together through the weekend and with the meddlesome encouragement from the matchmakers, Brent is determined to pursue Kelsey and change her mind about cowboys. Sparks fly at this August wedding as Kelsey and Brent dance a rocky Texas two-step toward a beach wedding of their own.

_____________________

If you enjoy a cowboy love story, you will enjoy this novella.  Debra Clopton writes a love story that has classic elements of romance.  A broken heart to mend, a dashing hero who rescues the damsel, and romantic settings.  

Readers who enjoy western romances will enjoy the ranch setting, but what I found interesting is that because of where the story takes places, the beach-loving readers will also enjoy the sunsets with the ocean and Kelsey's little bistro.

As with all novellas you long for a more developed plot and details, but for a short quick read, this was enjoyable.

I received this book from BookLookBloogers in exchange for my honest review.

Out of the Depths by Edgar Harrell with David Harrell

From the publisher:
July 30, 1945--The USS Indianapolis and its 1,196-man crew is making its way toward a small island in the South Pacific. The ship is sailing unescorted, assured by headquarters the waters are safe. It is midnight, and Marine Edgar Harrell and several others have sacked out on deck rather than spend the night in their hot and muggy quarters below. Fresh off a top-secret mission to deliver uranium for the atomic bombs that would ultimately end World War II, they are unaware their ship is being watched. Minutes later, six torpedoes are slicing toward the Indy . . . 

For five horrifying days and nights after their ship went down, Harrell and his shipmates had to fend for themselves in the open seas. Plagued by dehydration, exposure, saltwater poisoning, and shark attacks, their numbers were cruelly depleted before they were miraculously rescued. This is one man's story of courage, ingenuity, and faith in God's providence in the midst of the worst naval disaster in U.S. history.

________________

This is a gripping story of survival.  The extent of what these men lived through is unbelievable.  Yet Harrell lives through it all with faith in God.  

For those who are interested in the human side to the USS Indianapolis, this is a gripping tale.  I appreciated that while Harrell describes the horrors he went through, he doesn't do it in a way to leave unnecessary gory details in your mind's eye.  Instead he describes the horrors as tastefully as possible, but in a way that still will leave readers shuddering. 

An additional thing that I liked about the way this book was put together is that through out Harrell's account, there are also little excerpts from other survivors.  This allows you to get a fuller picture.  There are also read photographs through out the book that will help the reader really appreciate and feel for the men and what they went through.

I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my honest review.

$10 Great Dates by Peter & Heather Larson and David & Claudia Arp

From the publisher:
Tired of the usual dinner-and-a-movie dates? Looking for new ways to connect with your spouse? 

Energize your marriage by getting out of your normal routine with the help of these 52 creative date ideas. From outdoor dates to out-on-the-town dates, you and your spouse will have no trouble finding the perfect date that fits your mood--all on a $10 budget!

______________

Who doesn't need new and cheap ideas for a date?  And $10 for a date is a bargain.  This book is divided into eight different categories for types of dates.  This is good because some dates you won't have a lot of time for and others you want to plan more for and this quick division of dates will help couples see what they want to do given the time.  

Each date has the following and I will share what I liked about each part.
The Idea: This explains the basic concept and will give the couple an idea of if this date would be something interesting to try or not.
Before Your Date: This is great because this will help you know how to exactly plan for what you need to do.  Some of the dates require very little extra planning and some require quite a bit.  
On Your Date: This includes what you might want to wear and have with you to enjoy your date the best.  It also gives points on how to best enjoy your time.
Talking Points: I thought this was a great section because sometimes you go and do things as a couple but then that's it.  The talking points allow the date the be a time of conversation and interaction between the couple that might otherwise just be a sit and stare at each other time.
Great Date Takeaway: This is whwere you can see what the date intended to teach you as a couple or how it can help your marriage.  I like it, this is like the summary of why you went on the date.  So if you are looking to strengthen a certain area of your marriage you might look here first when picking a date.

All in all, for a book that cost just about $10, you get tons of $10 date ideas--so even if you only use a handful of them, you have gotten a great bargain from the book.

I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my honest review.