Reviews by Diane Kinney
The Flowering Cross
On 3/9 Diane Kinney wrote: This book is an example of the truth of 1 Timothy 4:12, "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith, and in purity." Sharing God's love is not limited by age, by knowledge, or by experience. We can all be witnesses ... Simple yet inspiring
The Clouds Roll Away
On 2/26 Diane Kinney wrote: I consider myself an avid reader with a decent vocabulary, but the author uses words I have never seen such as sibilant (p. 94), tremulous (p. 95), gibbous (p. 115), and sonorous (p. 115). That was just the first third of the book. After that I stopped trying to understand what the author was saying. ... Too verbose
Love Your Heart
On 2/10 Diane Kinney wrote: I expected this book to be more like the previous Tim McGraw children's book My Little Girl with a focus on the father-daughter relationship. This story was not that at all, but instead was about a little girl discovering her true talent. Her talent was not something to perform but something to share ... A story about finding your true talent
Revolve 2010
On 2/3 Diane Kinney wrote: Revolve 2010 is a new testament in the New Century Version. I prefer the New International Version, but this NCV is readable and relateable in today's culture. This Biblezine is an interesting method of getting the Word into the hands of teenagers. I like the size and structure because it feels more ... A fresh way to get the Bible into the hands and hearts of teenagers
Buried Alive
On 1/16 Diane Kinney wrote: I expected more drama and action in the story, but it was not that kind of story. The book details Roy's ordeal as best as he can remember. It was interesting but not necessarily exciting. As far as the Christian content, I was disappointed. The front flap of the book states "Hallum's story is tempered ... Interesting, but not necessarily exciting
Hermie: Antonio Meets His Match (DVD)
On 1/14 Diane Kinney wrote: Another delightful story from Max Lucado. I have been a fan of his books and can now share his stories with my children. Hermie is a lovable character who we thoroughly enjoy. But this story is about his friend, Antonio, who is finding it hard to love his neighbor. No matter how hard he tries, he does ... A great story with a great message. Thanks Hermie!
The Sweet By and By
On 1/5 Diane Kinney wrote: Jade, the protagonist of our story, wants to forget her horrible past and move on with her life. She grew up a poster child for a broken home. Her dad walked out and her mom was a free loving hippie who did not know how to love her own children. Instead of dealing with her past, Jade left it and had ... You can't hide from you past
The Lightkeeper's Daughter
On 12/15 Diane Kinney wrote: I always enjoy Christian fiction so for that reason, this book was enjoyable. It included drama, mystery, romance, suspense, and action. A little bit of everything but not too much. However, I struggled to understand the character development. There were so many characters introduced in the first 3 ... A little bit of everything...drama, romance, mystery, suspense
Healing Sands
On 11/27 Diane Kinney wrote: As a new reader to the Sullivan Crisp series, I am a new fan. This was a good read and an enjoyable book. The book had my interest by page 10. The plot was a bit far fetched as it had too much drama to be truly relateable, but the character development was real. As a mom, I could totally relate to the ... Characters are real and relateable
Read and Share: The Story of Christmas
On 11/15 Diane Kinney wrote: Each 2-page spread has a child friendly summary of one part of the Christmas story. The biblical reference to that part of the story is located at the top of the page so families can use this book to springboard into the Word. At the bottom of the page is a discussion question to get the children talking ... A charming children's book that summarizes the story of Christmas
The Tallest of Smalls
On 10/19 Diane Kinney wrote: In this delightful book, Max Lucado encourages little children to think big of themselves. The edition is a parable of his book Fearless, and even teaches us big kids a thing or two about being fearless. Both of my children enjoyed this book and hope to share it with their new baby cousin. This makes ... I'm the tallest of the smalls, too!
Redefining Beautiful
On 10/13 Diane Kinney wrote: I do not often feel beautiful but God says I am. What a breath of fresh air! With all the insulting images of women the media portrays, I am so thankful for Jenna Lucado who reminds us how God sees us. Jenna writes to the teenage girl telling her that God created her and she is beautiful. We are ... I am beautiful because my daddy says so!
A Million Miles in a Thousand Years
On 9/29 Diane Kinney wrote: Reading Donald Miller is an acquired taste. Like a new food, you read the book little by little trying to decide if you like it or not. Sometimes it’s good and sometimes you’re not so sure. But you keep at it until you realize you are done, and it was enjoyable. This book seemed to bounce from ... Like fine wine, it's an acquired taste
Seaside Letters
On 9/27 Diane Kinney wrote: Being from New England, I thought I would enjoy this book. I have fond memories of vacationing at the Cape and know the charm of the islands. The storyline is similar to "You've Got Mail" and I can almost picture Meg Ryan playing Sabrina/Sweetpea and Tom Hanks as Tucker. The difference is that he knows ... You've Got Mail on Nantucket
From Peanuts to the Pressbox
On 9/15 Diane Kinney wrote: One way to get to the top is to start at the bottom and work your way up. Eli Gold did just this. As a child he enjoyed playing sports but was really excited about talking about sports. He fulfilled his dream of being a sports announcer by making the most of every opportunity, including selling peanuts ... To get to the top, start at the bottom...
Fearless
On 9/8 Diane Kinney wrote: What are you afraid of? Death, failure, commitment.... Seriously, what are you afraid of? Let's be honest here. We are all afraid of something, and usually we are too scared to admit it. In his newest book, Max Lucado is able to get the reader honest about fear yet willing to face it. Don't read this ... What are you afraid of?
A Man of His Word
On 8/22 Diane Kinney wrote: I am giving this book 3 stars because I was not satisfied with the plotline of how Gabriel came to understand how he truly felt about Moriah. A lot of words are used to describe his dilemma of being in love with his brother’s wife, but not enough of the story focused on how and when he decided to ... I needed more character development
The Jesus Book
On 8/6 Diane Kinney wrote: For children ages 4-7, this is a great book. I got this book for my nephew and wished this book was available for my kids when they were younger. It is a well written summary of the Christian faith answering many questions that young children might have. Who is Jesus? What did he do? Why did he ... Even as an adult, I learned a few things about Jesus.
Rick and Bubba's Guide to the Almost Nearly Perfect Marriage
On 7/20 Diane Kinney wrote: I appreciate the Rick and Bubba’s honest seasoned with a little humor. The final chapter called “The Book of Blame” was hilarious yet right on target (that hunting pun would be much appreciated by the authors). This book is great for any one who is newly married, wants to get married, or has ... If we can't be perfect, I will gladly take nearly perfect!
The Hole in Our Gospel
On 6/30 Diane Kinney wrote: This compelling book about the gospel as a whole challenged my responsibilities as a believer. We are not to just go out and make disciples but also to make a difference in the lives of those in the world around us. And this world includes the whole world. The devastation that Stearns describes ... There is hope...
Nelson's Illustrated Guide to Religions
On 6/5 Diane Kinney wrote: This is not an easy book to read cover to cover, but it is a terrific reference book. I shall keep in on my shelf and refer to it often. It summarizes relgions and belief systems and provides books and websites for further study. I liked that the author prefaced the guide saying that he was coming ... Not an easy cover-to-cover read, but a terrific reference book
His Name is Jesus
On 5/10 Diane Kinney wrote: If you have never read Max Lucado, this is a great book to introduce you to the Jesus of the New Testament in a way you may have never heard before. If you are already a fan of Max Lucado, this is a great book that brings together many of Max'x writings about the life of Jesus. This is also a great gift ... A great sampling of the writings of Max Lucado
Face of Betrayal
On 4/28 Diane Kinney wrote: This was one of those books that I wanted to keep reading to find out what happens next, yet I did not want to see the book to end. It was a great story from beginning to end. It is one of my newest favorites. I look forward to reading the sequel, Hand of Fate, but I hate having to wait a whole year ... The kind of book you do not want to put down...
The Noticer
On 4/27 Diane Kinney wrote: “A grateful perspective brings happiness and abundance into a person’s life.” (p.13) “Most people spend so much time fearing the things that are never going to happen or can’t be controlled that they have no energy to deal with the few things they can actually handle.” (p. 55) “Because ... Don’t listen to what I have to say, read what Jones has to say….
Higher Hope
On 4/20 Diane Kinney wrote: With summer coming, I always enjoy a few good books to take with me to the park or on a vacation such as Robert Whitlow's Tides of Truth series. I have never read a book by Robert Whitlow before, and now I am a fan. Higher Hope was a great book that included drama, romance, and suspense. I did not ... A Great Summer Read
Christianity Today Study Series: Faith & Pop Culture
On 3/31 Diane Kinney wrote: In this new study series from the magazine Christianity Today, Faith and Pop Culture challenges our beliefs. Whether or not we like it, movies, TV, the internet is all here to stay. As believers, we need to know how to live in this culture and still be relevant. We also need to have discernment in what ... Faith and Pop Culture
Word of Promise Next Generation New Testament MP3 Set
On 3/20 Diane Kinney wrote: The MP3 CDs were not compatible to some of my not so high tech gadgets. I was unable to play the CDs on my CD player at home or in my minivan. I was finally able to play them on my computer. I was hoping to have them in the van for long trips so I was disappointed that it didn’t work. I could download ... Word of Promise for the Next Generation
The Great Eight
On 3/9 Diane Kinney wrote: Being fired by Donald Trump on The Apprentice will not stop Scott Hamilton. This book tells us how Scott learned how to get back up after falling both on the ice and off the ice. He tells us "how to be happy even when you have every reason to be miserable." Scott has endured multiple illnesses, professional ... The Great Eight by Scott Hamilton
Skeeter and the Mystery of the Lost Mosquito Treasure (DVD)
On 2/28 Diane Kinney wrote: Skeeter and the Mystery of the Lost Mosquito Treasure, a Hermie and Friends DVD Another great Hermie DVD! This one is a charming story about being unique because “the very best part in us that we like the least someone else might like the most.” I love how Max Lucado can teach a Biblical precept ... Charming and unique!