Book Review: When God Made You

When God Made You by Matthew Paul Turner

Mom friends, Dad friends, Teacher friends, and people of the Earth, if you need a book for kids, you must get your hands on When God Made You by Matthew Paul Turner (and illustrated by David Catrow). I have heard great things about this book from people I respect, so when it arrived in my mailbox yesterday, I immediately sat both kids down and read it. Then, I made my husband read it to them again right after.

And, I cried. I cried because it is so beautiful. This book is stuffed full of meaningful truths about the way God designed each of us uniquely and gifted us with individual talents. It emphasizes the idea that God smiles at you and loves you just as you are. 

“Discover. Explore! Have faith but love more. And learn and relearn all that God made you for. Use your talents and passions, those gifts that God fashioned. Think up ideas and then put them to action.”

As I read over the lines, I got goosebumps over and over. The lines in this book are the lines I have been trying to teach my own children. God loves you. You are special. Live a life filled with love. Loving God, loving others, and loving yourself. 

“A you who views others as sisters and brothers and lives by three words: love one another.”

The rhymes are clever and they flow – unlike some children’s books where the rhyming becomes forced and awkward. The illustrations are bright, colorful, and represent the beauty of diversity in the world around us. It is pretty enough to be a coffee table book – but, of course, I think it will end up being a well-worn book that moves from room to room in our home.

This book is a gift, y’all. A gift I plan on giving every new baby who enters my life. When I attend a baby shower or come to visit with a friend who has a new baby, I always (always) gift them with a book. Pregnant mom friends, the secret is out. I might as well buy this book in bulk because I am giving it to all the babies. 

You can find out more here:

• More Info

• Author Bio

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

Book Review: Love the Wine You're With

Love the Wine You’re With by Kim Gruenenfelder

I finished up my beach trip with another great beach book – Love the Wine You’re With by Kim Gruenenfelder. The title, cover, and book jacket let you know this is the perfect book to enjoy while lounging at the beach or by the pool with your own glass of wine.

It is a fun bit of chick lit – made for women by a woman about women. This novel focuses on three friends in their early thirties struggling to discover what (and who) they want in their lives. Each woman deals with her own issues in relationships and work. One woman is having an affair with her married boss, another is now deemed “too old” for the acting roles she is auditioning for, and the third woman is stuck in a great job with a great man but finds both unfulfilling.

People often hear about the quarter-life crisis individuals face in their mid-twenties, but you do not often hear about the chaos of life in one’s early thirties. Since I am there, it was refreshing to hear how these characters faced their own age battles. While I am far removed from their seasons of singledom, I found their relationship seeking adventures entertaining. Who doesn’t love a good story about friends and their romantic pursuits and failures? Haven’t there been entire television series about this same idea?

It is also nice to read something that ends in a romantic comedy fashion. I enjoy romantic comedies; so, it makes perfect sense, that I enjoy a book that ends with the women ending up with the right men all tied up nicely. After reading so many heavy books lately, this was a relaxing way to end my trip to beach – with a glass of my favorite Moscato in hand. I also loved all the wine puns throughout the book. So. Many. Fun. Puns! 

My only issue is that three women friends seemed so similar that I often had a hard time distinguishing between characters. About halfway through the novel, I was finally able to identify which character was which.

This is the first book I have read by the author, but it will not be my last.

* I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

* You may order this book from amazon here. This is an affiliate link. Thank you for supporting my blog!