Ashley Boulais

In 2006 I was a Sophomore in college when the unthinkable happened.  A van full of students from my university was hit by a  semi and two of the victims were misidentified.  One alive, one deceased.  Mark Tabb tells the riveting story of forgiveness then in "Mistaken Identity:, and he does it again in his book,  "Convicted." This book takes place in Benton Harbor,  Michigan, a small community permeated by drugs, poverty, and crime.  It is told from two perspectives - a crooked cop wanting to get drug dealers off the streets at the cost of his integrity, and the wrongfully accused Jameel.  Each tells his side, the events leading up to the arrest and all the turmoil faced after.  Both encounter Jesus, and by a miraculous turn of events,  develop a friendship based on forgiveness. At times the book is redundant, but otherwise it is a convicting and sobering account of racial injustice and a broken system.  It challenged me to add...

With a beautiful cover and 365 thought-provoking questions, this book is bound to make an impression.  Each page is dated and contains questions like "What have you been reading?" or "How can you encourage a friend today?"  It isn't just about introspection, it's others centered too. The hardest part for me is deciding if I will keep it for myself or give it as a gift,  because it's just so beautiful!  It's sturdy, small and thick, and includes a bookmark ribbon.  I recommend this if, like me, you love looking back! I received my copy free from Bloggingforbooks.com in exchange for my biggest review.

Jennifer Ryan's writing style is riveting, bold, descriptive and inspiring in her novel, "The Chilbury Ladies' Choir." Set in the midst of WW2, the story of these courageous women is told from several points of view.  With the lack of men, the women have to learn new roles and in doing so, find more of who they are and all of which they're capable.  What is genius is how Ryan uses music to move the plot forward and tell the story.  It's woven with scandal, love affairs, and wartime woes. Nothing about this book is lack luster.  From the cover to the engaging and well developed characters, you'll no doubt be drawn in to this musical drama. I received my copy from Bloggingforbooks.com in exchange for my honest review.

Meera Lee Patel takes beautiful quotes and makes them even more beautiful by crafting them into works of art that inspire and encourage.  The style is a simple, mostly birds and flowers,  water color technique. The cardstock is thick and of excellent quality, as are the envelopes. Each envelope  is embellished inside with the same watercolor print and is not at all see through, so whatever you send is secure and private. I received mine free from blogging for books in exchange for my  honest review,  but I highly recommend these cards as a stationary lover.

Chris Durso is a pastor's kid and now a pastor himself. He follows the theme of heist all throughout his book masterfully and mindfully. The idea of how Grace robs us of our shame is beautifully woven throughout the entire book. Using the stories of The Prodigal Son and Jacob's wrestling with God, he reveals how our sin and our shame can weigh us down and yet how God's grace draws us back to himself. At first this book seemed too simple for a Christian who has been in the faith for many years, but as I continued reading I found that the simplest truths revealed themselves in new and profound ways through Durso's writing. I found that I looked at the prodigal son in a new light. He seemed more and more like the actual real person that he was. He thought about leaving.  He thought about the choice to squander his inheritance before he actually did it.  He considered his sin just as we do. The only thing that I questioned about this book was that I don't think Chri...