book reviews

book review | night with a perfect stranger

February 14, 2012 By Mary Hess

GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED! CONGRATS ELAINE & TINA!

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY EVERYONE!

PR By the Book has generously offered 2 free books for me to give away today here at The Heart of the Matter! And I’m super duper excited to do this as I absolutely LOVED this book.

David Gregory did a fabulous job with this book. Well, let me give you the book description first:

From the book:

Six years ago, businessman Nick Cominsky encountered Jesus the old-fashioned way-in a face-to-face meeting. And the Christian life seemed a breeze . . . for a while. But now, having done everything he knows to grow spiritually, he wonders where his closeness with Jesus has gone. Burned out and hopeless, Nicks wails his complaints to God during a late-night interstate trip. Then suddenly he runs out of gas-and finds Jesus along the roadside with a gas can. Jesus hops in the truck and offers answers Nick never heard in church . . . and a nighttime of adventures ensues beyond anything Nick could have imagined.
My Review

If I could just tell you that this book was amazing, then I will. This book is amazing. David tells the story of a man who encounters Jesus, not once but twice. It’s a conversation-style story and really hits the hard questions we all face as we are trying to grow closer in our walk with God. I really appreciated the candidness of the author. I was drawn in from the start – finding myself saying things like “Yes! I thought that too!” or “So that’s what You meant!” If you are transitioning in your walk with God and find yourself asking questions about grace, performance or duty, this book is for you!

To enter to win a copy, leave a comment below! Drawing will be held at noon EST on Thursday!

What others are saying 13 Comments Filed Under: book reviews, matters of writing

book review | letters to heaven

January 17, 2012 By Mary Hess

GIVEAWAY CLOSED: WINNERS – Kristine McGuire & Karen Smith – CONGRATULATIONS!

PR By The Book is giving away 2 copies of this wonderful book for you to read! So check out the end of the post for how to enter to win.

About the book:

Have you ever felt a sense of unfinished business with your dearly departed? Ever think of the words you wished you’d said to someone who is now in heaven?

In his latest work, Letters to Heaven: Reaching Beyond the Great Divide (Worthy Publishing, February, 2012, ISBN 978-1-936034-99-4, $14.99), best-selling author Calvin Miller, has written poignant letters to those influential voices in his life who have passed on.

Some of those voices are familiar name to us all: C. S. Lewis, Johnny Cash; other voices he knew quite well—like his mother; and some he only admired from a distance. But all have brought brightness to his life or challenged him to live in a more meaningful way.

Miller’s perspective is timely for each of us, showing us how we can articulate love and appreciation for the impact others have had on our lives now—while there’s still time.

Lauded by the likes of Max Lucado, Karen Kingsbury and Eugene Peterson for his work, Calvin Miller (PhD, Ministry, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary) has nearly 4 million books in print and is the best-selling author of The Singer Trilogy.

My Review:

Wow. This book was amazing. Calvin Miller writes letters to different people who affected his life in some way. And I love his writing style! He is candid, gentle, descriptive and yet still very unapologetic for who he is. I know that may sound weird, but he talks a lot about himself in these letters, so you get to know him in a really neat way! I will keep this book to read over and over as it just absolutely touches my heart. His list of addressees is just amazing. I think you’ll be surprised at a few of them!

To Win A Copy:

1. Facebook Status: I’m entering the giveaway for Letters To Heaven from PR By The Book on The Heart of the Matter.

2. Tweet: I’m entering the giveaway for Letters To Heaven from PR By The Book on The Heart of the Matter (@maryjohess)

(and come back here to leave me a comment for each entry!)

What others are saying Filed Under: book reviews

book review | a charles dickens devotional

January 10, 2012 By Mary Hess

PR by the Book has graciously given me another devotional to review and given me TWO copies to give to you! So read on and find out how you can win one of these beautiful cloth covered devotionals!

From The Book
Charles Dickens remains one of the most widely read authors of all time. His well-loved stories offer an abundance of Christian themes, and these themes are explored in this unique devotional.

In this one-of-a-kind collection, more than 100 devotions and Scripture selections reflect on excerpts from Dicken’s classic works, offering readers both godly insight and rich life lessons. Allow the characters in Oliver Twist to remind you of the importance of prayer, and smile when an excerpt from David Copperfield encourages you to use your faith to conquer fear.

This collaboration of biblical truth and timeless fiction is sure to delight both those who love the Lord and those who enjoy reading Charles Dickens.

My Review
Not only is this book beautiful to read, it is also beautiful to look at. This cloth covered devotional is just simply treasure filled with jewels from many of Charles Dicken’s timeless classics – Oliver Twist, David Copperfield, A Christmas Carol, A Tale of Two Cities to name a few. It is really amazing how Jean Fischer compiled these excerpts, wrote a devotion and added the Scripture to tie it all in. You will not be disappointed reading it. I mean, who doesn’t love Charles Dickens, right? You can even use this devotional to introduce your children to the timeless works of Charles Dickens. Make sure you pick up a copy today!

To win a copy: (Don’t forget! I’m giving 2 away compliments of PR By The Book)

All you have to do is the following 3 things. Each one will gain you an entry. Leave a separate comment for each item you complete!

1. Follow The Heart of the Matter on Facebook.
2. Subscribe to The Heart of the Matter (sidebar at the top) by email
3. Follow PR By The Book on twitter.

The contest will end Thursday at noon! I will draw 2 names and you will receive your copy directly from PR By The Book.