Upcoming Reviews and a Giveaway...

Hi all! I have a couple book reviews coming up, in the Christian Living and Fiction categories. I will be reviewing "Tithing" for Thomas Nelson's Booksneeze in about a week here or as soon as I can get it typed up between mom-ing, and "Journey to the Riverbend" for Tyndale in about a month.
Also coming in about a month is a product review and a 1 month free trial for my readers for The Factor Tree that I'm doing for BzzAgent.com.


I'm plotting a giveaway for Mother's Day too so stay tuned for that! I have a few ideas in mind for the "prize." One idea I have is a wonderful book for mothers that I use every day. I'm mentioning the giveaway before I've decided on what it will be because I will be offering extra entries if you have commented on any of my reviews BEFORE THE START of the giveaway (limited to 2011 comments). I am not sure yet if I will allow multiple comments to count or just one - most likely just one, and it will have to be a polite well-thought comment and not a rude or 2-word one in order for it to count. Still working out the particulars. So keep checking back! I hope to hear from you in the comment section of a recent or upcoming post. :)

BOOK REVIEW: "Unto The Hills; A daily devotional" by Billy Graham

TITLE: Unto The Hills; A Daily Devotional
AUTHOR: Billy Graham
GENRE: Christian devotional
ISBN: 978-0-8499-4621-9
PUBLISHER'S SUMMARY: "For peace, for strength, for courage and inspiration, look UNTO THE HILLS. Day by day, you can join the nation's most beloved spiritual leader for a moment of quiet and reflection - a Scripture, a thought, and a prayer. The author draws from his lifetime of study and ministry to offer this devotional classic, featuring 365 meditations to calm you and point you toward the One who can always help."

First off I want to say that the summary from the back cover is just awful. It makes it sound like some pious guide to religion by some religious leader who is worshipped as God Himself is. Really unappealing.
The first few days of this devotional were equally unappealing to me. They were generic, spiritual babyfood. I wanted some meat to chew over, not platitudes I learned in Sunday School when I was 6. If I flipped this devotional open in a store and read the first few days, I would most definately not buy it.
BUT after a few weeks of readings I felt like the topics got more and more thought-provoking. A little more meat to chew on for those who are more spiritually mature. Granted, the book never got to the depth I would have liked, but it did get much more interesting and thought-provoking as the readings went on. Topics focused on angels, marriage, persecution, suffering, and more. I think this would be a good devotional for a new-ish Christian. I think I will use it as a conversation starter for our family devotions. My kids are 4, 2 and newborn and my oldest could understand some of the concepts in this simply worded devotional. Perhaps this would make a good family devotional for some families with younger children, although some topics may not be appropriate and may require simplifying or substituting a more age-appropriate lesson for that day's reading.
Cons: Not enough meat. Not deep enough.
Pros: Easy to understand. Short readings. Seems doctrinally sound.
Bottom line? I'd give it 3.5 out of 5. Not something that I would buy for me or my family, but I would recommend it to others for whom it may be more appropriate.

*This book was reviewed for Thomas Nelson's BookSneeze blogger review program. I received a free copy of this book for review purposes. My opinions are my own and have not been edited or influenced by the publisher in any way.