AMAZON

Since I started this blog nearly ten years ago, I get a lot of random books sent to me. When I say random, I'm talking about books I had never requesedt to review, which includes the satire How To Be A Perfect Christian by The Babylon Bee (Multnomah; $19.99).

Here's the blurb from the back cover:

Do you dream of becoming the poster kid for Christian perfection? Then get ready to be baptized in the glorious waters of modern Christian Culture!

How to Be a Perfect Christian is a step-by-step guide to grow you up from a clueless Christ-follower into a supercharged megabeliever. Discover how to:

*Join The Right Church - See how to ditch that group of hopeless losers holding you back and find a church that's built around you.

 *Vet Your Pastor - Assess his command of sermon acronyms and alliteration - plus his grasp of dynamic gestures.

*Worship Like A Pro - Find out how to have a worship experience that leaves you with that all-important, addicting emotional high.

*Do Life Together - Master the art of never letting anyone get close enough to your life to see what a mess it is below the surface.

Wait! There's Much More - like acting the church potluck and serving the church without lifting a finger. This book is filled with everything you need to be your best spiritual self, even a free inspirational coloring page!

Final Thoughts

Bethany House; 175 pages; Amazon

I don't read very many non-fiction titles, but for some reason I did sign up to review a few "personal growth" titles last year; including "How To Listen So People Will Talk" by Becky Harling.

Published by Bethany House, the author explains to you why listening to others can help strengthen any relationship and to help strengthen your own compassion.

The book is under 200 pages and is a fast read (well, at least for me it was a fast read). There are 10 chapters, where the author uses her own personal stories and scriptures from the Bible to explain why it's important to listen to spouses, family members, girlfriend or boyfriend, friends, or complete strangers. There are exercises and questions to answer at the end of each chapter.

Zondervan; 112 pages; $15.99; Amazon

Now available from Zondervan is the adult coloring book called The Beautiful World: Creative Coloring & Hand Lettering, featuring illustrations & lettering by Megan Wells and interior designs by Mallory Collins.

The idea that there were coloring books for adults seemed a bit silly to me at first. However, after I looked through several titles at local Walmart a year or so ago, I can easily see the appeal. Actually, coloring is no different than any other craft hobby.

Zondervan has jumped into the adult coloring book world by releasing a series of titles under the "Coloring Faith" line, which typical contains Bible Verses along with beautiful illustrations for you to color.

At a whopping 112 pages, The Beautiful Word: Creative Coloring & Hand Lettering features a variety of different illustrations, from abstracts to landscapes, which are all paired with a Bible Verse page. Some of the lettering can be colored in, and normally these pages have an illustrated border.

About the Title:

Are you ready to see your fixer upper?

These famous words are now synonymous with the dynamic husband-and-wife team Chip and Joanna Gaines, stars of HGTV’s Fixer Upper. As this question fills the airwaves with anticipation, their legions of fans continue to multiply and ask a different series of questions, like—Who are these people?What’s the secret to their success? And is Chip actually that funny in real life? By renovating homes in Waco, Texas, and changing lives in such a winsome and engaging way, Chip and Joanna have become more than just the stars of Fixer Upper, they have become America’s new best friends.

The Magnolia Story is the first book from Chip and Joanna, offering their fans a detailed look at their life together. From the very first renovation project they ever tackled together, to the project that nearly cost them everything; from the childhood memories that shaped them, to the twists and turns that led them to the life they share on the farm today.

They both attended Baylor University in Waco. However, their paths did not cross until Chip checked his car into the local Firestone tire shop where Joanna worked behind the counter. Even back then Chip was a serial entrepreneur who, among other things, ran a lawn care company, sold fireworks, and flipped houses. Soon they were married and living in their first fixer upper. Four children and countless renovations later, Joanna garners the attention of a television producer who notices her work on a blog one day.

That Patchwork Place; 80 pages; $24.99; Amazon

If you have been in a quilting store or visited an online one, then you have probably seen many different reproduction fabrics.

What are reproduction fabrics?

These fabrics have either been recreated or inspired by a historical quilt or pattern (anywhere from 1775 to 1950).

Now available from That Patchwork Place (an imprint of Martingale) is Preserving History: Patchwork Patterns Inspired by Antique Quilts by Julie Hendricksen, author of Remembering the Past.

The author has put together 15 quilt patterns, all of which have been inspired by older quilts that she has found over the years. She shares photos & patterns of the original quilts (featured as an "Antique Inspiration") as well as the recreated quilts throughout the book.


The quilt patterns are: