life lessons with Lucado

The hardcover Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible: Inspirational Applications for Living Your Faith, in the New King James version, is full of study tips and tidbits. Max Lucado has a gift for connecting God's word in a practical and applicable way to a variety of life issues. The text itself is in an easy to read font, with chapters and headings in large bold print. As a study Bible, it is well organized and easy to navigate.

For those who like topical studies, this Bible contains a Devotional Index of a wide variety of topics with accompanying page numbers. Full-Page Devotional Bible Studies are periodically inserted throughout the Bible and can be searched for in the Devotional Index. There is also a Two-year Devotional Reading Plan for those that like an exegetical approach of reading sections of scripture. Each book of the Bible, both Old Testament and New Testament, begin with an introduction -- a contemporary explanation to the book as well as the specific stats such as author, when it was written, key themes, key verse, and contents. Sprinkled througout are also Life Lessons: a focus on a specific section of verses with a closer look at the situation, an observation, inspiration, application, and further verses for exploration. Other useful helps and features are: Christ Through the Bible, New Life in Christ, He Did This Just for You Verses, New Believer Studies, Spiritual Growth Verses, "The Big Picture" Reading Plan, "Where to Turn When..." Index, and a Reading Program.

This would be a perfect gift or personal purchase for a wide variety of ages and circumstances. It would make a great gift for grads, or for new Christians. It would also be treasured by those who have enjoyed Max Lucado's other works or for those looking for a comprehensive study bible for a multiaged group.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

what i read in may

what i read in may by ricracretro on Polyvore.com

May seems to have been my month where all the books I'd requested at FVRL of top "must reads" for teens came in. Doing some research for ordering for work next year. Plus, good literature is good literature and I'm always on the hunt for new favorites. About 1/2 the titles were actual paper copies and the other 1/2 were digital books I read on my Kobo.

In May, nine were nice:

• Enna Burning by Shannon Hale
• Fools Rush In by Janice Thompson
• Making Waves by Lorna Seilstad
• Matched by Ally Condie
• Paper Roses by Amanda Cabot
• The Ragamuffins by Anna King
• River Secrets by Shannon Hale
• A Tailor-made Bride by Karen Witemeyer
• The Twilight Saga : the Official Illustrated Guide by Stephenie Meyer

what i read in april

 
what i read in april by ricracretro on Polyvore.com

April was not my month of reading . . . 

. . . it was my month of conferences (notice the plural)

. . . it was my month of researching online and reading a lot of blogs and other online content

. . . it was my month of joining twitter [s_penner]

But my happy little piles of books are still waiting for me, calling my name. Perhaps in May their unknown stories and tidbits of curiousities will win out and I will answer. 

As for April, this is the list of books that I devoured in my spare moments:

• The Iron King by Julie Kagawa
• Linger by Maggie Stiefvater
• Sidney & Norman : A Tale Of Two Pigs by Phil Vischer
• Smarter Clicking : School Technology Policies That Work! by Christopher Wells
• The Social Media Survival Guide : Strategies, Tactics, And Tools For Succeeding In The Social Web by Deltina Hay
• Tears Of The Giraffe by Alexander McCall Smith

what i read in march

what i read in march by ricracretro on Polyvore.com


Hmm, I read more than I realized this month . . . once I see the list compiled. Add to that about 100 emails a day, random articles in magazines and newspapers, blog posts, basically anything written that crosses my path and you've got an idea of the state of my curiosity. Here is my list of books (both paper and eInk) that I've wallowed in this past month:

• The Advent Calendar by Steven Croft
• Beastly by Alex Flinn
• A Designer's Eye for Scrapbooking by Ali Edwards
• A Designer's Eye for Scrapbooking with Patterned Paper by Ali Edwards 
• Fairytale by Cyn Batog
• Flip, Spin & Play: Creating Interactive Scrapbook Pages by Memory Makers
• A Girl Named Mister by Nikki Grimes
• Google Apps for Dummies by Dan Gookin
• The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale
• Idealware Social Media Decision Guide by Idealware
• Incredible iPhone Apps for Dummies by Bob LeVitus
• The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith
• Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
• Stuck in the Middle by Jill Eileen Smith
• The Swan Thieves by Elizabeth Kostova
• Sword in the Stars by Wayne Thomas Batson
• Sunrise by Grace Livingston Hill 
• Twitter: Tips, Tricks, and Tweets by Paul McFedries
• The Twitter Book by Tim O'Reilly and Sarah Milstein
• What the Great Ate: a Curious History of Food and Fame by Matthew Jacob and Mark Jacob

school libraries

hello school by ricracretro on Polyvore.com

"What a school thinks about its library

is a measure of what it thinks about education." 

--- Harold Howe, former U.S. Commissioner of Education

what i read in february

what i read in february by ricracretro on Polyvore.com

Once again my choices of the month are dictated by books I'm previewing for work, books that I was personally curious about, and books I'm re-reading out of devotion. Some I am glad to add to my "books I've read" list, and at least one I rather wish I hadn't read. Without further ado . . . here is my list of books (both paper and eInk)that I've read this past month:

• The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
• Cleopatra : a Life by Stacy Schiff
• Dreadnought by Cherie Priest
• Eros, Philia, Agape (Adobe Digital Editions sample) by Rachel Swirsky
• Escape from the Carnivale : a Neverland Island Book by Dave Barry & Ridley Pearson
• Forever in Blue : the Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood by Ann Brashares
• Girls in Pants : the Third Summer of the Sisterhood by Ann Brashares
• Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
• The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald
• The Second Summer of the Sisterhood by Ann Brashares
• Sorta Like a Rockstar by Matthew Quick
• Teach Yourself Visually Excel 2010 by Paul McFedries
• Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
• Wicked : the Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire

what i read in january

what i read in january by ricracretro on Polyvore.com

I've decided that I will keep track of what I read from month to month this year. I've always meant to do this; so with a new year comes a new effort. Of course, in addition to the list below, I also read magazines, newspapers, emails . . . the product sales pitch on the back of shampoo bottles; basically whatever lays before me. I read for the sake of reading, of my own curiosity, as an occupational "hazard" (I am a Secondary School Librarian), and for pleasure.

Sometimes I'll read something by an author and be so charmed that I go on a reading binge and consume all material I can find by that author; hence the large number of books this month by Carola Dunn.

And of course I have several books on-the-go as I type, which I will add to February's list.

So then, here are my literary wanderings of January; some pages I had never seen before, and others it was a joy to revisit.

• Amelia Bedelia Helps Out by Peggy Parish
• Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer
• Christmas in the Country by Carola Dunn
• The Clue in the Old Album by Carolyn Keene
• Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer
• The Frog Earl by Carola Dunn 
• From the Secret Place in my Heart by Robin Jones Gunn
• Gunpowder Plot by Carola Dunn
• The Hobbitt by J. R. R. Tolkien
• The Improper Governess by Carola Dunn
• Intertwined by Gena Showalter 
• Kobe eReader User Guide  
• Lady in the Briars by Carola Dunn
• Miss Hartwell's Dilemma by Carola Dunn
• Miss Jacobson's Journey by Carola Dunn 
• My Dearest Valentine  by Carola Dunn
• My Lord Winter by Carola Dunn
• The Mystery of Mary by Grace Livingston Hill
• New Moon by Stephenie Meyer
• The Search by Grace Livingston Hill
• The Sign of the Twisted Candle by Carola Dunn
• The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares
• A Voice in the Wilderness by Grace Livingston Hill