Holman Christian Standard Notetaking Bible

Once again, I was given the opportunity to receive and review a new Bible. This one is the Holman Christian Standard Notetaking Bible. I was really excited to receive a notetaking Bible as I thought it would be a great addition for my study of the Bible.


Blurb about this Bible:

The Note-Taking Bible contains the full text of the Holman Christian Standard Bible in a single-column setting. Abundant space is provided on each page to make observations, record insights, raise questions, and suggest to yourself additional exploration of the text. The Bible includes a 40-page concordance, eight four-color maps, a one-year Bible reading plan, presentation page, and an introduction to the Holman Christian Standard Bible.

My Thoughts:

Normally, I am a fan of the New King James and New International Version of the Bible. I found the Holman Christian Standard Bible to be an easy version to read and understand, but it didn't win me away from the NKJV or the NIV Bible versions.

One thing I loved about this Bible is the wide open margins in which you can write your study notes. In my regular Bibles, I can never find enough room to make notes. I guarantee you there is ample room in this Bible.

If I had to say anything negative about this Bible, it is the size of the font. I am older and the font was way too small for my eyes. I also wish that this would have been a red letter edition, but it wasn't. While it is a negative for me, I doubt that it would be a negative for everyone.

I would like to thank B & H/Lifeway for my copy of the Holman Christian Standard Notetaking Bible. I received my copy for free in order to read it and give my honest review.

If you are looking for an easy to read version of the Bible with the room to take ample notes, this Bible is for you.

I do not choose to offer a rating on this Bible as while there are things I don't particularly like, that is simply my opinion based on my preferences and I am sure many people will absolutely love this Bible.

Smiles & Blessings,

 

Medical Judgment by Richard L. Mabry, M.D.

I am a big fan of Dr. Richard Mabry's work and when I am given the opportunity to read and review any of his books, I jump at the chance. His newest book is Medical Judgment and it is another great story by this author.D

About the book:

Medical Judgment (Abingdon Press, May 2016)

Dr. Sarah Gordon lost her husband and daughter. Now she's about to lose her life.

After losing the two people she loved the most, Sarah Gordon doesn't think life could get worse. But, after a fire in her garage is ruled an arson, she begins to realize someone is after her --and that person wants to see her dead. But first, they want to see her suffer.

Her late husband's best friend, Kyle Andrews, and a recovering alcoholic detective, Bill Larson, are trying to solve the mystery before it's too late, and theyre both trying to win her heart, too. Not only does Sarah feel torn between two men, she also feels as though she cannot trust anyone.

With creepy threats that become more and more sinister, Sarah finds herself in constant fear, but even the best home alarm technology won't protect her. Who is doing this, and why are they after her?

My Thoughts:

I love a good suspense and Dr. Mabry hands the reader exactly that in his newest novel, Medical Judgment. His heroine, Dr. Sarah Gordon won me over from the start as the grieving widow mourning the loss of her husband and baby daughter. Then to have someone stalking her every movement, my heart truly went out to her. She was a very well crafted strong female character that I truly enjoyed.

Kyle Andrews, was a character I just never grew to like. There seemed to be a shady side to him that just made me cringe when he tried to gain Sarah's attention.

Detective Bill Larson was a character I truly grew to like, however, not for Sarah. He had too much baggage and Sarah had enough of her own.

The question is, does Kyle or Bill win Sarah's heart or could someone else step in and steal her heart. Does the stalker get caught and if so, just who could want to harm someone who is already hurting so much. All of these questions are answered in this wonderful new suspense filled novel.

Dr. Mabry's characters in this book were all very strong and drew out strong emotions from me as I read it. Well done Dr. Mabry. I love good characterization.

As far as the stalker, I had really hoped I wouldn't figure it out until the "unveiling moment", however, with several tidbits tossed in throughout the book I figured who the stalker was about midway into the book. But that is okay because I didn't know the reason behind their actions.

For anyone who loves a good suspense novel, I would highly recommend picking up a copy of Medical Judgment. You won't be disappointed.

On a 5-Star Scale = 4 Stars!

I would like to thank Litfuse Publicity for my Advanced Reader Copy of Medical Judgment. I received my copy for free in order to read it and give my honest review.

Smiles & Blessings,

 

Anchor in the Storm by Sarah Sundin

One of my very favorite authors is Sarah Sundin. She writes wonderful historical military fiction and I have loved every book she has written. Her current book is Anchor in the Storm which is the second book in her "Waves of Freedom" series. While it can be read as a stand-alone book, I would recommend picking up the first book in the series, Through Waters Deep (read my review here) as it will introduce you to several of the characters you will find in Anchor in the Storm.

This book is set in Boston during WWII and it is the story of pharmacist Lillian Avery and Ensign Archer Vandenberg. Lillian's brother helps her secure a job at a drug store in Boston but she finds early on that being a woman pharmacist causes people to not trust her. Arch is Lillian's brother's best friend and he tries to befriend Lillian but she keeps him at arms length because of an injury she had as a child causing her to lose her one leg.

Lillian believes no man will want her because she's an amputee and Arch is wary of women because he thinks they all want him for his family's money. These two characters have a lot of issues that they need to work through. The major one is trust. Will they be able to see beyond past hurts to find happiness during this difficult time when the nation is at war?

I must admit, I didn't like the character of Arch very much in the first book of the series. I thought he was a rich kid and stuck up, however, as Ms. Sundin removed layers from Arch I found myself loving his character. Lillian's character won me over from the start. Ms. Sundin is an expert at creating characters that grab the readers heart and doesn't let go. Her settings are also well delivered in a 'show' not 'tell' manner. 

If you are a fan of historical fiction (with suspense mixed in) or a fan of Sarah Sundin, I would highly recommend picking up a copy of Anchor in the Storm. I guarantee you will not be disappointed. 

On a 5-Star scale - 5 HUGE Stars!!!!!

I would like to thank LitFuse Publicity and Revell for my copy of Anchor in the Storm. I received my copy for free in order to read it and give my honest review.

Smiles & Blessings,