This collection of original sayings began as email messages to my daughter, Sarah, during her years of college. I encouraged her to believe in herself, to stare hardships in the eye, and to know that kindness is not only to be given, but to be graciously accepted as well.

For me, chocolate is a metaphor for confidence, courage, and compassion. Life isn’t always easy. It is, however, a great deal more rewarding when you have a good attitude, a genuine relationship with your Creator, and a little “chocolate” with breakfast.”

I love that!

This cute little hardcover gift-book contains little sayings such as “Appreciate who you are today. Discover, with joy, the beauty of all you are yet to become,” and “A misstep is not necessarily a mistake. It could be a pivot point for a new direction!”

They are divided into sections on attitude, confidence, courage, and compassion, and have a few colored drawings (like the one on the cover) included throughout.

What a great Valentine’s Day gift (with a bag or box of chocolate, of course!!) for a daughter, friend, or teacher.

Jennifer Donovan loves her chocolate ooey and gooey, or paired with peanut butter. She’s definitely not averse to chocolate for breakfast. She blogs at Snapshot.

We live in a culture where confidently stating what you believe is often labeled as narrow-minded intolerance rather than as an expression of personal faith. Giovannetti maintains that “we must respect and tolerate those with whom we disagree. But we still get to disagree and say so.”

With that foundation laid, the author goes on to explore several of the basic tenets of Christianity, as well as the major opposing philosophies for each. In the chapters True and Know, he introduces the reader to concepts such as the principle of non-contradiction, modernism, and post-modernism, contrasting these with what Jesus taught about truth. He also looks at the differences between empiricism, rationalism, and faith, concluding that they all ultimately rest on faith: empiricism by faith in the senses, rationalism by faith in logical postulations, and Christianity by faith in God & His Word.

Other chapters focus on the issues of pain and suffering, the existence of evil, and the Bible as the inspired Word of God. Giovannetti even tackles topics such as sexual purity, eternal punishment in hell, and eternal reward in heaven. For each of these, he gives a clear picture of the various positions that exist outside of the Christian faith and discusses the resulting logical flaws or negative outcomes.

One thing I found so fascinating about this book is that it identifies so many of the ideas that I remember debating with my peers in high school and college without realizing someone else had thought of them first! In addition to a detailed study of how faith and logic work together to lead us to the God of love, Four Letter Words: Conversations on Faith’s Beauty and Logic also offers practical suggestions for young people on how to engage with those who are interested in a way that is both respectful and kind.

Bill is celebrating the new Kindle edition of Four Letter Words (for only $4.99) by traveling coast to coast over the next few weeks on this virtual book tour and hosting a great giveaway!

Click here to find out how you can win two gift certificates to Amazon (in the amount of $50 and $25) and free downloads of his yet-to-be-released title, Recession-Proof: Living a God-Blessed Life in a Messed Up World.

We also have a copy of this book to give away – US or Canada only. Just leave a comment below to be entered to win. We’ll announce the winner in our giveaway column on February 8th. Giveaway is closed.

• The winner of The Starlite Drive-in is #16, Marjorie
• The winners of Chasing Mona Lisa are #14 riTa and #18 Cyndi

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Don’t miss a thing: Check out our current giveaways. Subscribe to our feed or video reviews on YouTube. Follow us @5M4B on Twitter or on Facebook.

Trish thanks Litfuse Publishing and Endurant Press for the review copy of this book. She blogs at In So Many Words.

In Chasing Mona Lisa, Gabi and her beloved Eric travel into France near the end of the German occupation. Throughout the war, German officers have stolen valuable art from the French, but the top prize, the Mona Lisa remains safe. With the clock ticking, Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring is determined to find the beloved painting, and Gabi and Eric find themselves in a race to save the treasure.

As usual, Tricia and Mike masterfully blend intriguing historic details with a thrilling plot and interesting characters. Everyone wants to find the painting, and although many of the characters have good intentions, their personal relationships and alliances add to the suspenseful twists and turns throughout the story. For fans of historical fiction, Chasing Mona Lisa is a fantastic read. Goyer and Yorkey captured my attention from page one, and I enjoyed following Gabi and Eric’s adventure while learning fascinating information about World War II. Chasing Mona Lisa is exactly what historical fiction should be.

I am excited to say that we have TWO giveaway copies to share with you. Please leave a comment if you are interested in winning.

• The winner of Cherry Blossom Capers is #10 Linda Kish.

Don’t miss a thing: Check out our current giveaways. Subscribe to our feed or video reviews on YouTube. Follow us @5M4B on Twitter or on Facebook.

*****

Additionally, you can help Gabi and Eric protect the Mona Lisa by entering The Chasing Mona Lisa Giveaway!

One passionate protector will receive:

• iTouch (The must-have device for any spy. Camera, Maps & Music.)
• Starbucks Gift Card (For all those late nights.)
• Moleskin Notebook (For those important notes.)
• Invisible Ink Pen (Don’t want anyone reading those important notes.)
• Chasing Mona Lisa by Tricia Goyer & Mike Yorkey (Great handbook and intriguing tale for any spy-in-training!)

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends at noon on January 31st. The winner will be announced at the Chasing Mona Lisa Facebook Party on 1/31. Tricia and Mike will be hosting an author chat (on Facebook and Live from Tricia’s website) and giving away their books and a Book Club prize pack! (Ten copies of the book for your small group or book club AND a LIVE Author Chat for your group with Tricia and Mike.)

So grab your copy of Chasing Mona Lisa and join Tricia and Mike on the evening of the 31st for an author chat, spy training (do you know how to pick a lock?) and lots of giveaways. 

Don’t miss a moment of the fun. RSVP today and tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 31st!

Lauren is a wife, mother of two, and an avid reader. She blogs at Baseballs and Bows.

Is there room for more than one BFF in your life?

While some people prefer to have a #1 friend, Dr. Townsend says we need more than one best friend because each person brings a certain set of qualities to a relationship. Variety is the spice of life and BF should be a plural term.

What about best friends of the opposite sex?

Dr. Townsend says, exercise caution. Sharing feminine and masculine viewpoints helps balance us, grow us, and make us better people, but close opposite-sex relationships can bring fear and insecurity into our romantic relationships. If that’s the case, both people should spend time with the BF, so the other person feels safe, loved, and assured that everything is on the up and up.

What if your spouse or your sister is your BFF?

You might be limiting your own growth because you are operating in a closed system. And if your husband or wife is your best friend, you risk smothering them and your marriage. Dr. Townsend encourages connections outside the comfort zone of family.

Does Facebook make friendships better or worse?

Digital connection is essentially neutral in friendships, but it does have drawbacks. It acts is a magnifying glass, making good friendships seem better and negative issues larger than they are. It also lends to “Instantaneous Dependency,” where a person over-relies on external views, too afraid to trust their own.

What if you don’t have a BFF?

Look for 3 must-have elements, “the DNA of friendship”: knowing, liking, and presence. Knowing allows you to evaluate how deep the relationship will go. Next, are you drawn to each other? Liking serves as an anesthetic to get over rough patches. And third is time spent together. The more time you share, the better the relationship.

If you’d like to win your own copy of How to Be a Best Friend Forever: Making and Keeping Lifetime Relationships, you need to click through to my review on 5 Minutes for Mom and leave a comment. U.S. and Canadian addresses are eligible.

You can also earn extra chances by responding to one of these points in the comments here, and/or on What Friendship Means to Me over at my own blog. I’d love to hear your thoughts on friendship!

However, you must read the full review and comment over at 5 Minutes for Mom first to be eligible.

Don’t miss a thing: Check out our current giveaways. Subscribe to our feed or video reviews on YouTube. Follow us @5M4B on Twitter or on Facebook.

After being brutally attacked during a robbery in the nearby city of Duluth, Noelle Hueston wakes up in the hospital thinking she is still a 21 year old college student pursuing her passion for art. Being told she is actually a 46 year old wife and mother who hasn’t painted in years seems like a cruel joke until she looks in the mirror and is stunned by what she sees.

Noelle has good reasons for wanting to forget her life. Her grief over the loss of her teenage daughter, Kelsey, and the emotional distance from her husband, Eli, had led to the secret trip out of town, although now she doesn’t know why she was there or even what she was running from in the first place. As Noelle struggles to remember the missing years, Eli is battling his own guilt and shame over his reaction after his daughter’s death, and her best friend, Lee, is still mourning her husband, killed in the same tragic event as Kelsey.

Although the use of an amnesia storyline often makes me wonder if the author is looking for a convenient way to create dramatic moments, I felt that the story here was allowed to unfold gradually. I also enjoyed the juxtaposition of the two love stories, with Eli and Noelle wondering if they can fall in love again while their older son Kyle is encountering his own first love.

All in all, an enjoyable and thoughtful read.

Susan is celebrating the release of The Shadow of Your Smile by giving away a prize pack worth over $200 from 1/9-1/28. Be sure to click on the image below for more details.

We also have two copies of the book to give away! Just leave a comment below to be entered to win. Giveaway is closed.

Don’t miss a thing: Check out our current giveaways. Subscribe to our feed or video reviews on YouTube. Follow us @5M4B on Twitter or on Facebook.

Trish thanks Litfuse Publishing and Tyndale House for the review copy of this book. She blogs at In So Many Words.

The slaves and the plantation’s family are tied together in more ways than just the master-slave relationship (as was often the case). As slaves and owners deal with demons from the past, tensions on the plantation reach a boiling point. Lydia depends on the wise slaves in the loom room for guidance and support, but the pain and frustrations seem more than she is able to bear. Lydia leaves everything she knows to chase freedom. With her light skin, she is able to pass as a white woman, and she uses this to her advantage. When she agrees to marry a neighboring plantation owner, her deception leads to a series of problems, causing her to risk her own life and the lives of those she loves.

Although I thought that some parts of this story were poorly developed and tenuous, the subject matter and the relationships between the characters were fascinating to me. Whether the characters were black or white, the relationships they developed and the choices they made led to an interesting look at slavery and the many issues surrounding it. Additionally, Lydia’s pursuit of her greatest desire and her deceitful actions opened the door to potential disaster. Isn’t it true that we often think we want something until we get it?

The Loom is a fast-paced novel, and a fine debut from Shella Gillus. While I did think some parts of the plot were underdeveloped, I enjoyed the novel, and I look forward to more works by this new author.

Lauren is a wife, mother of two, and an avid reader. She thanks Summerside Press for the review copy of this book. Lauren blogs at Baseballs and Bows.

Curious? Read my full review of House of Secrets at 5 Minutes for Mom. Leave a comment over there through January 22 to enter to win your own copy.

Lauren is a wife, mother of two, and an avid reader. She blogs at Baseballs and Bows.

Don’t miss a thing: Check out our current giveaways. Subscribe to our feed or video reviews on YouTube. Follow us @5M4B on Twitter or on Facebook.

As Jonathan begins his quest, he comes up against a local reporter who thinks he is in town to scout a new business location. They eventually team up (off the record) to unravel his personal mystery, following clues from the Kellner Children’s Home to the Fellowship Baptist Church’s Wednesday evening supper to a cabin in the woods, where they meet a woman named Mercy who seems to have some information about her former neighbor.

Jonathan’s story alternates with that of Ada Rose Guthrie, another resident of Fairbanks, who makes a habit of reading the newspaper at the local diner and stealing any articles she finds about the “hometown boy made good” for her personal scrapbook. As Jonathan continues to dig for information, Ada reminisces about the events that brought her to where she is today.

I loved this book on many levels. The plot was engaging, the characters vivid, the narration tight, and the message right on target. Without being preachy or pedantic, Arterburn illustrates how our choices affect our lives, and that of others, and how we also have the choice to hold on to resentment towards those who have hurt us or to find healing through acceptance.

Trish thanks Booksneeze for a complimentary copy of this book and Pastor Arterburn for tackling such a difficult subject in a compassionate and redeeming way. Read more from Trish at In So Many Words.