Reviews by Melissa Smith
Jane Austen
On 3/3 Melissa Smith wrote: My first impression of Peter Leithart's biography Jane Austen, was a positive one for the sake of the wonderful book design. The size, paper and overall appearance continues to delight me. And obviously the author did an enormous amount of research in writing the book. Being that he has taught Austen's ... Jane Austen by Peter Leithart
Facing Your Giants
On 2/16 Melissa Smith wrote: Max Lucado's book, 'Facing Your Giants', is very encouraging, and one I've needed to read. Everyone has monsters in their closets of some sort, things that pressure and attempt to control them. Lucado uses the story of David in the Old Testament to show the reader how to deal with and overcome their ... Facing Your Giants by Max Lucado
This is Your Brain in Love
On 1/7 Melissa Smith wrote: This is Your Brain in Love by Dr. Earl Henslin is excellent. And while I'm familiar with books that talk about the four personality types---both the introvert and extrovert, Dr. Henslin goes a step further and writes about more specifics. From brain scans, it's apparent that there really is a difference ... This is Your Brain in Love
NKJV Greatest Stories of the Bible
On 12/6 Melissa Smith wrote: The NKJV Greatest Stories of the Bible is probably the best book I've reviewed for Thomas Nelson. I'm so impressed. The cover is beautiful---hardbound, without a dust jacket, so the photo you see is exactly like the actual cover looks. An heirloom piece.What first attracted it to me was the idea of ... NKJV Greatest Stories of the Bible
The Liturgical Year
On 11/10 Melissa Smith wrote: Joan Chittister’s book called ‘The Liturgical Year’ reads like a textbook. Not that that’s a bad thing, but the subtitle of ‘the spiraling adventure of the spiritual life’ gives me the impression that this book should be more intriguing. I’m afraid I found it to be a bit dry. And while ... 'The Liturgical Year' by Joan Chittister
Living with Confidence in a Chaotic World
On 10/26 Melissa Smith wrote: David Jeremiah's newest book, 'Living with Confidence in a Chaotic World' was encouraging to me before it was anything else. And while I don't always read books that deal with End Times' issues, his book is very timely. He stresses where Christians should find their strength, and puts emphasis on the ... 'Living with Confidence in a Chaotic World' by David Jeremiah
Green
On 10/2 Melissa Smith wrote: If anything, Ted Dekker is consistent. While his books cover a variety of story lines, he does have a talent for finishing what he starts. His stories don’t leave the reader hanging, and the same can be said for ‘Green‘. The book continues the tale of Thomas Hunter (also known as Thomas the Hunter) ... 'Green' by Ted Dekker
A Million Miles in a Thousand Years
On 9/29 Melissa Smith wrote: The main thought that came to mind as I read A Million Miles in a Thousand Years is that Donald Miller must be a really nice guy. He writes from the heart and wants his life to matter. And while I thought the book started out slow, maybe that's the way it needed to be. Honestly, to savor our days and ... A Million Miles in a Thousand Days by Donald Miller
The Expanded Bible
On 9/15 Melissa Smith wrote: Being that I'm a word junkie, I enjoyed reading/working with the new study Bible published by Thomas Nelson, called 'New Testament, The [expanded] Bible'. It's like having a thesaurus and dictionary at the reader's fingertips. But, I noticed early on that the language used is simplistic and seems to ... The [expanded] Bible
The Noticer
On 8/11 Melissa Smith wrote: I just finished reading The Noticer by Andy Andrews as a blogging book reviewer for the publisher, Thomas Nelson, and kept having the impression that I'd read it before. After looking through a list of books I'd finished in the past months, came to realize that this book is very much like one of his ... The Noticer
Jungle Jack's The Wackiest, Wildest, and Weirdest Animals in the World
On 7/28 Melissa Smith wrote: Jack Hanna's newest book, The Wackiest, Wildest, Weirdest Animals in the World, is totally delightful. I was already familiar with Mr. Hanna from seeing him interviewed on television, and most folks are aware of how silly he can be, but I didn't know until recently that he wrote books. After receiving ... The Wackiest, Wildest, Weirdest Animals in the World
It Happened In Italy
On 6/10 Melissa Smith wrote: When a person gets to a certain age, they oftentimes feel as if they’ve heard it all. That being the case, I admit to being surprised in reading Elizabeth Bettina’s book called ‘It Happened in Italy‘. I have to wonder who else is unaware of the Jewish concentration camps that were run in Italy, ... 'It Happened in Italy' by Elizabeth Bettina