Reviews by Beatnik Mary
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Simply Delicious Amish Cooking
On 5/7 Beatnik Mary wrote: I'm not Amish but I'm a sucker for cookbooks. I figured an Amish cookbook would be awesome, filled with delicious buttery goodness and farm fresh recipes. But Simply Delicious Amish Cooking was a little different from what I expected. On the plus side, it has a lot of great cookbook qualities. It has ... Great photos, easy to use, but the recipes were NOT what I expected
The Story of the Voice
On 4/25 Beatnik Mary wrote: http://www.cozylittlebookjournal.com/2013/04/the-story-of-voice-by-david-b-capes.html It's not often that I review bibles or biblical materials, but I was so impressed with The Voice Bible translation that I read last year. It was written by gathering poets, authors and biblical scholars together to ... Lovely "behind the scenes look" into the creation of The Voice Bible
Bread and Wine
On 4/23 Beatnik Mary wrote: Finally! Someone who GETS it! As much as I love, love, love those glossy cookbooks with gorgeous pictures of food and home decor that looks like it came right off of Pinterest, the truth is those are ALL KINDS of intimidating. I can't get mine to look like that. Would people eat it if I did? My house ... Finally! Someone who GETS it!
The 5 Money Personalities
On 1/6 Beatnik Mary wrote: I'm not one who reads a lot of self-help books, particularly those aimed at couples. I find the advice is usually so general (because it has to be if it's going to apply to everybody) that I could figure it out on my own, or else it's specific but certainly not specific to me (i.e. it makes assumptions ... A lot to think about, nearly everyone can relate
The Purpose Driven Life
On 11/23 Beatnik Mary wrote: The Purpose Driven Life was first published 10 years ago and was a publishing sensation, selling tens of millions of copies. Now the tenth anniversary special edition includes new content, chapter introductions by the author and even online content. Of course, I can't compare any of that to the original ... The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth and I Here For? by Rick Warren
Heaven Changes Everything
On 11/22 Beatnik Mary wrote: This book is considered a companion book to the best-selling Heaven is For Real, by Todd Burpo (with Lynn Vincent) about his son, Colton's, near-death experience. I haven't read Heaven is For Real and, to be honest, I had no intention of doing so except that my mother would not stop talking about it! ... Heaven Changes Everything: Living Every Day with Eternity in Mind, by Todd Burpo and Sonja Burpo
Share the Bounty
On 10/2 Beatnik Mary wrote: When I first opened Share the Bounty I gasped. It's beautiful. It's as much a coffee table book as it is a cookbook, with beautifully photographed recipes interspersed with images of wholesome farm life and drool-worthy home decor ideas that could have come from any number of design magazines or Pinterest ... A beautiful cookbook that is also a coffee table book about community and food
You Be Sweet
On 8/15 Beatnik Mary wrote: "You be sweet," advised Amy Lyles Wilson's mother, a piece of universally applied wisdom that could indicate that her daughter should play nicely with others, introduce herself to new neighbours, or volunteer in her community. It wasn't just about behaviour but about attitude. Likewise, You Be Sweet: ... A gorgeous dessert cookbook to pore over for inspiration
Covenant Child
On 5/17 Beatnik Mary wrote: While the Christian message of this book is quite heavy-handed (what did I expect with a title like Covenant Child?) the story has very classic elements. A set of twins who were destined to inherit a fortune are ripped away from their loving stepmother when their widowed father dies, leaving them to ... Classic storytelling with a twist, May 17, 2012
Simply Grilling
On 4/7 Beatnik Mary wrote: Everybody has a barbecue memory. For many of us, it’s the smell of the smoke as our dads grilled hamburgers in the backyard in the summer. Or maybe it’s sitting on the deck with friends on long weekends, cold beer in one hand, plateful of barbecued chicken in the other. Or maybe it’s our kids’ ... Simply Grilling: 105 Recipes for Quick and Casual Grilling, by Jennifer Chandler
The 13th Tribe
On 3/22 Beatnik Mary wrote: The 13th Tribe is a story of a group of immortals (the titular Thirteenth Tribe), cursed to roam the earth for all eternity as punishment for turning away from the god of Moses at Mount Sinai and instead worshiping the golden calf. They seek out vengeance against those they perceive as sinners as a twisted ... The 13th Tribe: The Immortal Files, by Robert Liparulo
Called to Controversy
On 2/28 Beatnik Mary wrote: I admit it. Sometimes when I review a book that I've gotten free from Booksneeze I am a little more generous with my praise because when I say "it's good" what I really mean is "it's good for a Christian novel" or "it's good for a YA novel" or "it's good for a Christian biography". In other words, "it's ... Called to Controversy: The Unlikely Story of Moishe Rosen and the Founding of Jews for Jesus, by Ruth Rosen
Tyndale
On 1/10 Beatnik Mary wrote: I am a little embarrassed by how much I learned from David Teems' book, Tyndale: The Man Who Gave God an English Voice. I really thought I knew my Christian history--and my English literary history for that matter--having spent my undergrad years studying just that, but I was shocked by how little I ... Tyndale: The Man Who Gave God an English Voice, by David Teems
Invasion (tpc)
On 12/5 Beatnik Mary wrote: I admit it. I did not read the description of this book that carefully before I ordered it from Booksneeze.com. I was so excited that there was actually a fiction title available for review (usually I’m not fast enough to order those!) that I quickly ordered it and waited for it to arrive. When it ... Invasion: A C.H.A.O.S Novel, by Jon Lewis
Where Has Oprah Taken Us?
On 10/9 Beatnik Mary wrote: Where Has Oprah Taken Us?The Religious Influence of the World's Most Famous WomanBy Stephen Mansfield Published by Thomas NelsonOprah Winfrey must really bug Stephen Mansfield. A lot. Sure, he claims to admire her and he seems to have spent a lot of time reading other people’s biographies of her, ... Where Has Oprah Taken Us? The Religious Influence of the World's Most Famous Woman, by Stephen Mansfield
Fyodor Dostoevsky
On 9/21 Beatnik Mary wrote: Fyodor Dostoevsky—just saying his name makes me feel smarter. I admit, I knew nothing about him before reading Fyodor Dostoevsky by Peter Leithart, one of the latest in the Christian Encounters series. All I knew was that he was a famous Russian writer whom I associated with intellectuals. I would ... Fyodor Dostoevsky: Christian Encounters Series, by Peter Leithart
Peace Be with You
On 8/31 Beatnik Mary wrote: I admit that I was intrigued by the concept of this book but I was skeptical that it would be just another book that glosses over religious conflict in favour of a more upbeat pro-Christian message like, “If you just follow Jesus, we’ll have world peace.” So before I agreed to review it I did a ... Peace Be With You: Monastic Wisdom For a Terror-Filled World, by David Carlson
Surprised by Oxford
On 8/3 Beatnik Mary wrote: Surprised by Oxford is a beautiful, elegantly written memoir of author Carolyn Weber’s spiritual journey as she embarked on her academic journey through Oxford University. Her writing, at once sincere and yet delicate, will appeal to academics, agnostics and Christians alike. I myself found my university ... Surprised by Oxford: A Memoir, by Carolyn Weber
Surviving Your Serengeti
On 7/23 Beatnik Mary wrote: Surviving Your Serengeti is not the sort of book I typically read. It’s described by the publisher as “an adventure fable providing a captivating metaphor on how everyone can triumph over life’s challenges.” I think the last “self-help” book I read was in high school. Nonetheless, I was intrigued ... Surviving Your Serengeti: 7 Skills to Master Business and Life: A Fable of Self-Discovery, by Stefan Swanepoel
George Washington Carver
On 7/23 Beatnik Mary wrote: This small, easy-to-read book details the life of George Washington Carver, African American scientist and inventor who is most remembered for having invented peanut butter. The story is a compelling one, though the book does leave out or gloss over the more unpleasant aspects of Mr. Carver’s life, ... George Washington Carver, by John Perry (Christian Encounters Series)