Anchored by Kayla Aimee: Review & Giveaway

I was asked to review Kayla Aimee's new book, Anchored. 

I was surprised how much I enjoyed this book (though I had to read it on my computer because a postman lost my copy). When I first read the overview, I thought "nah". I mean, sure, I like real life stories about divine hope, but still I didn't expect much. Probably, because I thought I couldn't relate to her story. 

This book turned out to be more than just "nah". Anchored was a book that touched my heart, made me cry and laugh, but most importantly it made me think: Who is my anchor? And do I trust my anchor when the storms come. I like books that do this to me. 

Seems like, I am not the only one who enjoyed this book. The reviews on Amazon are pretty amazing. Kayla is a wonderful writer; she uses words beautifully. So a combination of a touching story and beautiful writing style makes this a book I recommend.


If you'd like to win a copy, enter my giveaway below.

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Book Review - The Passion Translation

I received The Psalms: Poetry on Fire (The Passion Translation) and John: Eternal Love (The Passion Translation) to read and write about. This is the first time I don't strongly recommend the book I've received to review. 

The Passion Translation Bible is a bit different from other translations. 

1. Different Bible books are literally different books, as seen in the pic above. I think that's great! Also the covers look great and the material feels wonderful. 

2. It's done by one man only. I personally feel this is is not a good thing. 

3. The goal of the man who did it (Brian Simmons) was to create Bible that speaks to our heart. So the goal was not to make a good accurate translation. I feel sad about that. 

If you choose to buy Passion Translation Bible books, I'd recommend to have a "good" translation as well. Good translation: aim to translate the original text without adding something to make it better.

Why women love erotica novels?

I bought a book couple weeks ago. It seemed interesting. The cover was cute. I started reading it. A shock. It was pure porn. 

I had no idea I had bought an erotic novel. I put the book away. I'm not going to lie, I was tempted to read it, but a part of me felt that it was corrupting my views of sex. Sex is a beautiful thing but this book made it appear like a power struggle.

By Cas Cornelissen

I started to think why women like erotic novels. A huge help was Dannah Gresh and Dr. Juli Slattery's brilliant book, Pulling Back the Shades: Erotica, Intimacy, and the Longings of a Woman's Heart. 

I find it quite strange, that women get turned on by a male character who is controlling, abusive, moody and objectifying a woman. I know not all erotic novels have a male characters like that, but most popular erotic novels do. What does it say about women, who claim to be equal and demand equality in our societies? But still... it's sexy to have a man who says "You are mine" like he owns her. Strange.

Gresh and Slattery (17) suggest that successful erotica uses skillfully female longings: to escape reality, to be cherished by a man, to be protected by a strong man, to rescue a man and to be sexually alive. Erotic novels twist these (sometimes unconscious) longings. A strong man turns into a controlling alpha male. He controls a woman and she loves it. Though the reader would never want a relationship like that, she'll find the characters and the story very... well... sexy.

Why women love erotic novels? Because erotica exploits female longings. 

About the book 

I was asked to review Pulling Back the Shades. I honestly think every Christian woman should read it. Sexuality is such a big part of our lives, so it's important to talk about it. Sexuality is more than what Hollywood, books and the society is telling us. Pulling Back the Shades talks about it (and erotica) in a straightforward way. There's no need to hide in the shades of grey and feel ashamed. This book helps you to see things in a new light. I'm glad I read it!  

If you'd like to win a copy, come back tomorrow!

Still by Eniola Prentice

I was honored when this beautiful lady asked me to read her new novel and write about it here on my blog. (There's a giveaway below!) Her name is Eniola and her writing style is superb. But here's a bit more about Eniola...

Author Bio

Eniola Prentice was born in Lagos Nigeria where she began to pen her stories as early as nine years old, inspired by an eclectic group of writers. Her budding writing career was put in the back burner as she pursued her dream of becoming a medical doctor, completing her undergraduate degree in Chicago, Illinois and her medical degree in Washington, DC. However in the third year of medical school inspired by the holy spirit or the voices in her head (she would prefer to blame God for this one) and the unique and inspiring stories of friends that became her family in medical school she began to write her debut novel and series, Still. She hopes that her writing compels challenges, inspires people and draws people to the Christian God’s redeeming love. You can connect with her by visiting eniolaprenticewrites.blogspot.com.

A NOVEL

A broken soul,

an alcoholic,

a certifiable genius,

a Christian man

and a secret that will destroy the bonds of their friendship.

When self-proclaimed atheist Fadesola, gets into medical school she believes that it’s a fresh start of sorts for her. Until she discovers  her class mate is charming and handsome Tayo Smith, a man she encountered in a violent moment years ago. This revelation shatters Fadesola’s already fragile emotional state but hope comes where she least expects it. A seemingly innocent friendship with Tayo’s friend, Ladi, slowly develops into a smoldering relationship with both afraid to acknowledge their mutual feelings. Things get even more complicated when Nikky, Fadesola’s classmate and friend, ignores her desperate warnings and decides that Tayo is the man she is meant to be with. However, within the complexities of this friendship these flawed individuals will experience God’s redemptive grace in a setting each believed his love would never find them. Still, the first book of a four part series is a coming of age story about navigating through medical school in the first year, complete with hilarious hook ups and breaks ups, legendary parties and incessant studying, and experiencing the triumph of success and disappointment of failure.

Eniola Prentice, in her extraordinary debut novel has written a gripping and thought provoking story that examines Christianity, mental illness, suicide and alcoholism.

What I enjoyed most about this book was the characters. From the very first pages, the reader gets to know them: their struggles, families and who they are as persons. I bet, every reader can identify with at least one of them. Eniola has done amazing job writing her characters; they feel realistic and deep.

It was also nice to read about medical school. I don't have the intelligence needed, but I still sometimes day dream about being a doctor. I also loved that Still dealt with difficult issues, but still it was easy and fast to read. It made me think and feel but it also entertained me.

I warmly recommend this book if you like romance fiction WITH BRAIN (plus, there's a nice international flavor.

Still is a perfect book for you to read this summer!

You can find Eniola here:

Twitter  Blog  Facebook  Google+  

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Soul Keeping - review and giveaway

(I was asked to review this book and also given a chance to give a copy to one of my readers)

The soul is the key to our lives, binding our heart, our mind, and our spirit together---yet what is it, really? In Soul Keeping, John Ortberg takes a popular, story-filled approach to the subject of what our soul is and how we can care for it in a world which often forgets it exists in each one of us, waiting to be nurtured.

First of all,  I don't want to give away too much, because I believe this book needs to be read by you. If I would only tell you what it's about, you would miss something profound. 

What I liked about this book:

- I like Ortberg's style. He is a good writer. He explains things in simple and understandable way.

- It made me think. I have never really payed attention to things Soul Keeping deals with. 

- it was quick to read (only about 200 pages. I don't like long non-fiction books)

- I think the name was great

What I didn't like about this book:

- the cover. I love covers that are pretty and make me want to look at them with a delighted sigh. This cover is nothing special. 

What surprised me about this book:

- there weren't many bible verses. Sometimes I wondered if a certain thought was Ortberg's own or from the Bible.



I would recommend this book! It gives you new ideas and makes you see things in new ways. 

I would encourage you to question it, though. I'm not saying this is an unbiblical book. Instead, what I am saying is that, because Ortberg doesn't provide that many Bible verses to back up his thoughts, you should ponder them keeping in mind what the Bible says. 

And now.... The Giveaway!

Open worldwide. All entries will be verified, so please, no cheating. Good luck!

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