This book is divided into chapters for Yin and Yang poses (still or moving poses), with special chapters for rising energy, grounding, seasonal practices, and targeting specific areas of the body. It begins with an explanation of Yin yoga, how to harness the energy of your breathing, how yin yoga helps your ligaments and joints, and how to quiet the mind during yoga.

I really love that each pose comes with instructions for modifications and variations, so that the yogi can choose what feels best to them in the moment. There are also warnings for poses that could affect old injuries, or would not be appropriate for the elderly or for pregnant women, so that the reader can practice poses safely.

Each pose has clear instructions with options to use props like a bolster, blanket, yoga strap, or pillow. You can make the pose deeper if you are ready for more of a stretch, or you can make the pose easier if you want less pressure or intensity.

I appreciate that this book includes a few yang (or active) postures along with the yin poses. Whenever I am practicing yin yoga, I feel the need to move around a little and work out the kinks in between yin poses, and these easy yang poses are just right!

I really like the sequences of poses that are in the last chapters, including sequences to get your energy moving, give you clear focus, release anxiety, get your spirit grounded and peaceful,
I definitely want to try the sequence for the Root Chakra, which focuses on the legs and hips, and the Shoulder Tension Relief sequence, since I hold a lot of stress in my shoulders.
There are even sequences for Kidney Care and Digestion Soothing!

Another cool set of sequences are the ones designed for different seasons of the year. There is the Winter Warmer sequence, a Spring Detox, Summer Cooler, and a Fall Flow sequence, along with a dozen others!

The beautiful artwork demonstrates each pose with drawings of men and women in pastel colors and bold lines. I really love the pen and watercolor style of the art, and it feels soothing and calm.


Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

This Bible reading plan guides you through an entire year of reading the Bible! There is a list of Bible chapters to read for 6 days, and you can use the 7th day in the week to catch up if you fell behind. Each week has an encouraging few paragraphs to point out Biblical truths and lessons to look for.

Then there are "Points to Ponder" with some questions you can answer in a journal style, writing in your thoughts about the reading for that week.
Each week ends with "Actions for the Week" that gives you prompts on how you can apply the lessons you read to make your life more joyful, peaceful, and positive.
Some weeks have a "This Is My Prayer" section, with a prayer written out that you can pray for yourself.

I love how this book talks about going after your dreams in faith, relying on God for every need, trusting His purpose for your life, and releasing stress and bitterness to embrace peace and joy. The writing prompts and action for the week are really thoughtful and help the reader to be more mindful with their reading. It's really inspiring, and makes me want to pick up the Bible and read and pray!

I also like that the reading selections don't go in chronological order, but jump around from Old to New Testaments and the Psalms, so you get a little of everything each week, but organized loosely by topic.

The illustrations are done in this beautiful watercolor style and they show pretty plants, clear skies of sunshine, people raising their arms in praise, strong trees growing by a river, a warrior maiden who holds up a shield of faith or plants a seed of happiness. Or sometimes the illustration is just an everyday object like a clock or a cup of coffee. I love the color scheme and the gorgeous designs!


Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

This book gives exercises in imagination and sharing to help a child unwind at the end of the day and get ready for sleep. Some of the guided prompts encourage a child to share a worry that is keeping them awake, or list all the good things they did that day, or pretend to be as light as feather, or list all the things they like about themselves.

There are exercises for being more aware, floating into sleep, expressing your feelings, managing anger, and mood-changing exercises that help you to manage difficult emotions and have a better attitude. There are also breathing meditations that focus on the breathe, or on how your body feels when it's tense or relaxed.

Most of the exercises use your imagination to pretend you are a fairy, a cloud, a dragon, a penguin, or a turtle. You can imagine that you jump and fly in the sky, or that you live in a bubble mansion, or that you can ride up and down in a magical elevator.
There are also games for children to "get the wiggles out" before bedtime, and dance around, then lie still and calm.

I really love the cute illustrations for each exercise in a sweet cartoon style with bright colors! The drawings are funny and illustrate the imaginative prompts in the exercises.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

1 out of 5 stars
This book has 52 weekly devotional studies about women in the Bible. It is designed to be used in a group study, or to be read alone. There are questions to prompt group discussion or to reflect on by yourself.

The author shares some personal stories that would have been better left out of the book altogether. I can see that the author is trying to be relatable, but it made me lose confidence in the author.
Some of the lessons are contrived and not at all what I think the focus of the Bible verses should be.

For instance, the story about Ruth is an inspiring tale of a woman who changed her whole life by following Naomi into a new land and a new faith, finding a new husband and a new family. Ruth is the original Cinderella going from rags to riches in her economic situation AND her family relationships.
But the author says that the lesson here is that Ruth "changed her own life," and that "with God's help... her life would never be the same."(pg.9) It sounds like God helped a little, but Ruth did all the fabulous work in her life makeover. The lesson has a very 'Woohoo, get it girl!' kind of vibe.

I think the focus should be that GOD changed Ruth's life. Ruth herself was just obedient to God's guidance and the wisdom of Naomi. God was the one who changed her life and brought her healing and prosperity. The message from the author is "What new story will you write for yourself?"(pg.9) instead of the message I think would be more Biblical, 'What new story will God write for you if you are obedient to Him?'

It's a very subtle difference, but an important one. I know the author is just trying to be encouraging and positive. The writing is relatable and fun bringing these Biblical women and their experiences close to us, but the Bible theology is not quite there.

The author says, "At its core, this story is about the human spirit's desire to triumph over tragedy."(pg.8) That is the dumbest thing I've ever heard! At its core, the story of Ruth is about GOD!! About how GOD provides and protects, how obedience to GOD is rewarded, how GOD comforts and heals and restores. At its core, EVERY story in the Bible is about God, NOT about "the human spirit."

Each lesson seems to have a little of God in it, and lot of self-reliance and the psychology of positivity. This book has plenty of the worship of humanity, with a little worship of God thrown in to make it sound Christian.

For instance, the very next lesson is about Naomi, and how she was grieving for all she had lost after the deaths of her husband and sons. She shares her grief with her friends, and is comforted by their support and compassion. However, only in the very last sentence of a three-page lesson does the text finally mention that Naomi could find comfort in the power of God. The entire lesson is about finding comfort in a community of friends, which of course is important and good, but should be secondary to the comfort of the Holy Spirit.

There are a few good pieces of advice and insights, but the priorities are completely off. God is not the primary focus in most of the lessons. It's humanism meets the Bible, and it rubbed me the wrong way and I wish the focus were on Christ.

No wonder the title of this book is "Women of the Bible and YOU." Because the focus is on humanity, instead of God.

Just for a little second opinion.... I showed this book to my mother (a pastor's wife for 40 years with a degree from a Bible college), and she said, "That's a bunch of bologna." I have to agree.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

This children's book tells the history of Abraham Lincoln, from his childhood to his death.
I like that the story is told with a simple writing style, easy for a child to understand, and there is a glossary at the back from some of the bigger or unfamiliar words. This would be a great book for 7-10 year old readers.

There are fun cartoon illustrations showing Abe as a young boy on the farm, as a young politician, as a family man, and finally as President of the United States. I really like the bright colors and design of the book!

There are also a lot of maps showing different areas of the country, where Lincoln lived, where battles took place, and where the states were divided into Union and Confederates during the American Civil War. There are timelines showing important milestones in Lincoln's life as well as important political steps in the American nation at the time.

One of the coolest things about this book are the "Jump In the Think Tank" questions that urge the reader to imagine themselves in a log cabin with a dirt floor, or think how you could teach yourself at home like Abe did instead of going to school, or think about ideas you have about what the government should do?

There is even a quiz at the back of the book to see how much you remember from your reading!

I love how this book gives the straight historical facts, encourages the reader to think critically and to use their imagination, and makes history come alive!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

This book begins with several fairy tales about princesses, including Thumbelina, Princess Savitri, and Princess Kaguya. The next chapter has royal recipes and instructions for organizing a tea party, a royal ball, or a cottage picnic. There is also a chapter with princess games and activities, and another with crafts for making your own tiara, princess sandals, necklaces, and fancy invitations.

The chapter on "Princess Practices" goes over courtesy and manners including the proper way to set a table, how to curtsy and have proper posture, as well as lessons in horsemanship, music, penmanship, art, fencing, and how to deal with enchantments and poison apples. You will also learn how to say hello in different languages, how to do the princess wave, and be sincerely friendly when meeting foreign dignitaries.

My favorite chapter was the one about "Being a True Princess" with lessons and examples for Kindness, Courage, Gratitude, Honesty, Intelligence, Sensitivity, Forgiving, and Inner Beauty. This chapter asks thoughtful questions and encourages the reader to take action in their own lives and share kindness with others.

I am so delighted with everything in this book! The princesses come from many different cultures including European, African, Indian, and Japanese. There are traditional fairy tales included from many different nations.
Some of the advice is hilarious and imaginative about dealing with magic mirrors and enchanted pumpkins, but some of it is serious and helpful life advice for little girls.

The illustrations are beautiful and colorful showing princesses of all ages, nationalities, and backgrounds. I was very impressed with the delicate yet bold style of the artwork. The whole design is elegant and elaborately designed with beautiful borders and lines.
There are also photos of the recipes, food, and crafts that help the reader while baking or making, showing each step of the craft instructions.

This book is perfect for little princesses everywhere!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

This book gives clear and practical steps for changing your mindset and changing your thoughts, emotions, and behavior to live a better life. There are techniques for dealing with fear, anxiety, negative people, and past hurts that influence your current experiences.

I really loved the intelligent writing style that breaks down complex ideas into small manageable pieces. Each section has actionable questions you can ask yourself to identify where you need to make changes and celebrate the things you are already doing well.

Some of the tips include meditation, connecting with others, letting go of perfection, knowing your core values, remembering how resilient you truly are, and telling yourself the truth. I love that each section gives an example of a real-life scenario where you can change the way you think about your work, your family, your health, and your life.

This book encourages the reader to dig deeper into themselves and uncover the true reasons behind their negative thoughts, and to embrace a more positive and helpful mindset. Just the act of reading this book has made me more positive, and more able to handle the negative things in life when they come. It's not about shutting out everything negative, but about embracing the negative to foster growth. Learning from your mistakes and reaching forward with hope is the golden message of this book.

Whether you are ready for the next big positive step, or whether you want to take a baby step just for today, this book meets you where you are and gives you room to grow at your own pace.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts and are not influenced by anyone.

This book gives practical advice for connecting with others and finding fulfilling relationships. I love how the chapters are organized, beginning with why loneliness can be so crippling, how to pull yourself out of it, and how to cultivate healthy and meaningful relationships and friendships.

Each chapter ends with a page of affirmations and encouraging sentences that you can claim as your own life lesson or mantra. Instead of just a book that "tells" you about loneliness, there are meditations, activities, and journal prompts that get you involved in the process of finding freedom from loneliness. These steps are truly helpful! So many of the things in this book would help the reader to heal from past hurts, and look to the future with hope.

I liked the relatable writing style. It is not condescending, but meets the reader in their everyday lives at the basic human level where we all feel emotions and pain and longing. The advice is excellent and I enjoyed how the information is organized in a logical way that is easy to follow from point to point.

Reading this book showed me some places where I am doing better than I thought in my relationships, and other places where I could work a little more on being a better friend.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts and are not influenced by anyone.

After his mother loses her life in search of a new element called aether, Seraphin becomes obsessed with proving the existence of aether. He and his father are summoned to Bavaria, where the king commissions them to design a skyship powered by aether that will take aeronauts to the stars. But Prussian spies are lurking in the castle, stealing scientific secrets, sabotaging the equipment, and putting the King’s life in danger.

I love this graphic novel from start to finish! The artwork is delicate yet bold, with beautiful colors, clear action, hilarious character expressions, gorgeous designs, and emotional scenes.

The story is full of suspense, adventure, and family! I loved the friendships, the family dynamics, and the history that made this a deep and emotional tale.

I immediately connected with the main character, Seraphin. He’s brave and loyal and true. He meets every challenge with intelligence and resilience. I loved seeing him gradually develop friendships with various characters and how they grow to respect and trust him.

The supporting characters are varied and unique, from the villains and scientists to the Bavarian king and his servants and soldiers. Each person rings true and real.

I can’t wait to read more volumes in the series!

Pippi Longstocking, Tommy, and Annika all decide to run away from home. They start out riding on Pippi’s horse, but the horse is frightened by a thunderstorm and gallops away, leaving them to walk. They encounter a pedlar, farmers, and townsfolk who turn them in to the police as runaways. They travel down a river, drive a car, and hop onto the roof of a train. Through all their adventures, Pippi is confident and strong!

I love this funny story about the quirky and independent Pippi! She is weird and wild and wacky! Somehow she always knows how to turn things around and laugh her way out of any situation.

This is a hilarious book in the Pippi series!