Monday, April 17, 2017

The Woman's Study Bible (Review) + Biblical Fiction Giveaway

To celebrate the release of this new edition of The Woman's Study Bible I'm hosting a different kind of giveaway today. I'll be reviewing this study bible BUT I'll be doing a giveaway of any Biblical Fiction novel published through to April 2017.  Check out the details further down in this post -- look for the pink lettering!



The Woman's Study Bible poignantly reveals the Word of God to women, inviting them to receive God's truth for balance, hope and transformation.

Special features designed to speak to a woman's heart appear throughout the Bible text, revealing Scripture=based insights about how godly womanhood grows from a woman's identity as a Christ-follower and a child of the Kingdom.

Now with a beautiful full-colour redesign. The Woman's Study Bible reflects the contributions of over 80 women from a wide variety of ethnic, denominational, educational, and occupational backgrounds. Since the publication of the first edition of The Woman's Study Bible the editorial guidance of Dorothy Kelley Patterson and Rhonda Hanington Kelley, this landmark study Bible has sold over 1.5 million copies.

Features include:

  • Beautiful full-colour design throughout
  • Detailed biographical portraits of over 100 biblical women
  • Thousands of extensive verse-by-verse study notes
  • Over 300 in-text topical articles on relevant issues
  • Insightful essays by women who are recognized experts in the fields of theology, biblical studies, archaeology, and philosophy
  • Book introductions and outlines
  • Hundreds of full-colour-in-text maps, charts, timelines, and family trees
  • Quotes from godly women throughout history
  • Set of full-page maps of the biblical world
  • Topical index
  • Concordance

My Review:

I love scripture but I am not a biblical scholar. When I read passages from the bible I don't always get everything I can from my study time. That's why I love it when my pastor brings new insight to the stories I've read so many times before. He's good at setting the scene and bringing to light the historical significance of verses. He links other scripture with the one we're studying and suddenly the bible comes alive in a new way.

And guess what? This beautiful study bible does exactly the same thing! It's like having your pastor on a 24/7 lifeline! That's because it's chock-full of extra study resources that bring new meaning to verses I've read countless of times before. For review purposes I chose to study the Psalms. I love the sheer beauty of emotion in this book. I've read it many times but after reading The Woman's Study Bible version I feel like I've lived my way through the Psalms! What a powerful difference!

To start with, there are two pages of set-up -- the history of the Psalms, who wrote them, background and themes. Even literary characteristics! And then, as I delved into my daily readings I was blown away by all the extra information this bible offers. There are sidebars that bridge the concept in a Psalm with New Testament scripture and special reflections for women. Cool coloured tables bring understanding at a glance on topics such as the types of Psalms, The Names of God, The Images of God in the Psalms and so much more.Pertinent quotes from notable women are woven throughout as well.

Honestly -- I have never enjoyed bible study more! No checking the clock or racing through to the end of a chapter. (Yes, I just admitted that publicly.) I just lost myself in the Word and came away with a greater understanding thanks to all the extras The Woman's Study Bible has to offer.

I haven't even touched on all the special features -- see the product description for that. And it's all wrapped up in an elegant package. A really stunning bible that will be cherished for a lifetime. The perfect gift -- for yourself or someone special in your life.

My thanks to Thomas Nelson Publications and Litfuse Publicity Group for providing me with a copy of this bible. http://litfusegroup.com/author/tnelson

GIVEAWAY

The Giveaway Details:

Winner's Choice of any Biblical Fiction novel with a publication date up to April 2017. Here's how it works:
*State the title and author of the book you want to win in the comment section. Up to 3 different suggestions per person BUT each author/title must be in a separate comment. (makes it easier for me to tally.)
*Books must be categorized as both Biblical Fiction and Christian Fiction.
*Books must still be available (obviously) and published anytime up to April 2017
*Remember to include your email address in one of your comments using AT and DOT instead of @ and . to protect yourself from spammers.
*Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday April 23 2017
*Offer open to international readers

The publisher is also holding a giveaway -- This one for The Woman's Study Bible. Details below:

This spring, cultivate your heart's spiritual roots and enter to win the Grow in the Word Giveaway!

 

One grand prize winner will receive:

  • A copy of The NKJV Woman's Study Bible (winner's choice of design)

  • A decorative plaque

  • A rose gold Tree of Life necklace


  • Enter today by clicking the icon below, but hurry! The giveaway ends on April 27. The winner will be announced April 28 on the Litfuse blog.

    95 comments:

    1. I'm loving the looks of this study bible! I have a Thomas Nelson one that I enjoy very much, but this one has fun colors! :-) I really enjoy delving into scripture deeper, this sounds like it would have all the tools I need.

      For Biblical fiction:
      I've heard such great things about Connilyn Cossette that I simply must put her first! My #1 choice would be, Counted with the Stars (April 2016)

      teamob4 (at) gmail (dot) com

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      Replies
      1. Counted with the Stars is a really good book! It's a great choice :)

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      2. Oh good! I've just read some awesome reviews (Kav's being one of them)that I definitely want to check it out for myself :-) I love good book recommendations!

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    3. Another author I've heard a great deal about is Tessa Afshar.
      My #2 choice is; Land of Silence (May 2016).

      teamob4 (at) gmail (dot) com

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    4. My #3 choice is one I've seen around too that sounds good!
      Mary, Chosen of God by Diana Wallis Taylor (Sept. 2016)

      teamob4 (at) gmail (dot) com

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      1. It's a beautiful bible and the colour features make a huge difference for this visual learner. Like the charts are colour coded so it's really easy for me to comprehend. Really loving it.

        Great choices, Trixi. I've read your first two but haven't heard of Diana Wallis Taylor before. Woot -- a new author for me to check out. Thanks! And good luck!

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    5. I've never read Biblical Fiction, but I'd love to try. Here are my three choices:

      1. The Dog Who Was There by Ron Marasco
      (January 2017)

      melodybissonnette AT gmail DOT com

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    6. 2. Land of Silence by Tessa Afshar
      (May 2016)

      melodybissonnette AT gmail DOT com

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    7. 3. Journey to the Well by Diana Wallis Taylor
      (March 2009)

      melodybissonnette AT gmail DOT com

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      1. That first one -- The Dow Who Was There -- has intrigued me for a while. Good luck, Melody.

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      2. I actually really liked this book.

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    8. What a great giveaway, biblical fiction!
      Thanks Kav!

      I have been wanting to read this collection by
      Francine Rivers for awhile, A Lineage of Grace

      tracey14567 at gmail dot com

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    9. Her other collection, Sons of Encouragement is on my list too! Thanks again for the giveaway!

      tracey14567 at gmail dot com

      ReplyDelete
    10. Shadow of the Storm,
      by Connilyn Cossette has the most lovely cover. It is drawing me right in, haven't
      read her other book, but have heard good
      things.

      tracey14567 at gmail dot com

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      1. Really good book, though I would suggest you read them in order, as there are recurring characters in all three books :)

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    11. That Woman's Study Bible is beautiful. Isn't it
      interesting how a new Bible displayed in a new
      way calls to us?

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      1. I confess I've been loyal to my old King James Version bible forever -- and the old language doesn't always make things clear all the time. LOL And I like the extras in this because it puts everything into context for me. Really makes the scriptures come alive.

        I haven't read anything by Francine Rivers!!! Gasp!!!! I did read Connilyn's first one and it is amazing so this second book is on my hit list as well. Good luck, Tracey!

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      2. Kav, I've only read A Voice in the Wind by Francine Rivers, but it's one of my favorite book ever! I really need to read the other 2 books in that series too :D

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      3. I checked and my library has it so I guess I'll be reading a Francine Rivers book soon. :-)

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    12. AAHHH!!! Never read Francine Rivers before?!?! Yeah, you'll need to remedy that VERY soon! I Recommend her "Mark of the Lion" trilogy. AMAZING books (actually, it may very well be my favorite series of all time!)
      p.s. I'll be commenting later on my choices for the Biblical fiction giveaway. This is debateably my favorite genre!
      Elly -Indiana-

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      1. Bwahahahaha! Sorry to shock you, Elly. It kinda shocks me too. LOL Looking forward to hearing what your picks are since you are the expert in this genre. :-)

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    13. Kav, another author who writes Biblical as well as historical is Lynn Austin. She has a trilogy called "The Restoration Chronicles": Return to Me, Keepers of the Covenant & On This Foundation (which I have). You should add her to your list too! :-)

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      1. Ah, more for my retro-reading! Checking my library right now. Thanks, Trixi.

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    14. Counted With The Stars by Connilyn Cossette.

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    15. Redeeming Grace by Jill Eileen Smith

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    16. Harvest of Rubies by Tessa Afshar
      Thank you.
      leliamae54(at)aol(dot)com

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    17. A Stray Drop of Blood by Roseanna White

      mindyhoungATmsnDOTcom

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    18. A Soft Breath of Wind by Roseanna White

      mindyhoungATmsnDOTcom

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    19. Jewel of Persia by Roseanna White
      I guess you see my trend here..... :)

      mindyhoungATmsnDOTcom

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      1. And I didn't even know that Roseanna White wrote any Biblical Fiction. I'm being educated today. (and yes, I noticed a trend here.) Good luck, Mindy.

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    20. Here are my choices:

      1. The Thief by Stephanie Landsem

      samanthabis23 at gmail dot com

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    21. 2. The Well by Stephanie Landsem

      samanthabis23 at gmail dot com

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    22. 3. A Soft Breath of Wind by Roseanna M. White

      samanthabis23 at gmail dot com

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      1. Wow, those look really good. I hadn't heard about Stephanie Landsem before. Very intriguing. Good luck, Samantha.

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      2. Kav, it seems you are getting an education in the Biblical fiction genre! There are a cast number of good authors out there, you just have to look :-) One of my top favorite is Jill Eileen Smith. I just read her newest one "Redeeming Grace" (Daughters of the Promise Land #3); Ruth and Naomi's story. She really has a knack for bringing Biblical stories to life while sticking to scripture! That's what makes a great biblical fiction author to me, one who sticks to the scriptural account while making it real too in bringing the characters to life! So many authors, so little time :-)

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      4. Yes -- I'm loving the recommends because Biblical Fiction can be hit or miss for me. And I already have a bit of reservation about the genrre (have no idea why) so it's great to have suggestions to check out. I have read a few that I've been so impressed with them so clearly, I need to read more.

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      5. Like you, Kav, I am hesitant with Biblical fiction, because liberties HAVE to be taken in order to create a full story that sometimes only consist of a few chapters in the actual Bible. I have to remind myself that it IS fiction with factual elements. I guess my concern is that there are some people that will read Biblical fiction and take it all in as fact. I even had a Christian friend who read The DaVinci Code (which I have not read, but did see the movie) and let herself be swayed by the crazy Biblical untruths within that fiction. Needless to say, my Biblical fiction wish list tends to be pretty small. :-)

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      6. I think my favourite type of biblical fiction is where the main characters are fictional -- so it's set during a specific time like the exodus out of Egypt but it's not focused on real people -- they are more secondary characters. That way there's not so much worry about bending the truth. Hope that makes sense. I know what I mean in my head. :-)

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      7. That's interesting, Kav, because I mentioned that same thing about my choice for Sylvia Bambola's book, Rebeckah's Treasure - fictional characters within a Biblical history setting.

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    23. Oh dear, that's supposed to read "vast number" NOT "cast number"....dern gremlins, lol!

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      1. She also does massive amounts of research before she writes her stories! I'm part of her street team & she's told us some of what she does. I think she's even traveled overseas to visit some of the places she writes about. Very cool!!

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      2. That's so cool. I think it's a special calling to write biblical fiction and I appreciate the authors who take that kind of care to get the story right.

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    24. Okay. This was SOO hard!! I love Cliff Graham's "Lion of War" series, but they're kinda difficult to come by. Highly recommended though! I've read the first two. Another series you should get your hands on, if you haven't already, is Bodie and Brock Thoene's "A.D. Chronicles". They're based during the life of Jesus and they are INCREDIBLY well researched! Real eye-openers! And then there's Diana Wallis Taylor, Mesu Andrews, Tessa Afshar, Lynn Austin, Kacy Barnett-Gramckow, Connilyn Cossette, Jannette Oke/Davis Bunn, Ted Dekker, Matthew Christian Harding, Tracy L. Higly, Angela Elwell Hunt, Christina Rich, Gilbert Morris, Jill Eileen Smith, Roseanne M. White, and (of course) Francine Rivers.
      See my dilemma? So now I've gone through a process of elimination, to choose some books that neither I, nor my library has. And now I've made my final decisions lol.
      #1. Counted With the Stars by Connilyn Cossette

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      1. Oh dear, Elly, will you disavow any knowledge of my existence when I tell you that I haven't read anything by Bodie and Brock Theone???????? And you've given me some more authors to check out. Plus there's a mega church in my town with a wonderful library and I bet they'll have all of these -- even the hard to get ones. Thanks for all the tips.

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    25. #2. Shadow of the Storm by Connilyn Cossette

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    26. And #3. Wings of the Wind by Connilyn Cossette
      jcservantslaveATicloudDOTcom

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      1. I've only read the first of Connilyn Cossette's Egypt series and it was amazing. Looking forward to reading them all. Good luck, Elly.

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    27. And my sister wants me to comment her three choices too. So this is for Tori:
      #1. The Heavens Before by Kacy Barnett-Gramckow

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    28. For Tori:
      #2. He Who Lifts the Sky by Kacy Barnett-Gramckow

      ReplyDelete
    29. For Tori:
      A Crown in the Stars by Kacy Barnett-Gramckrow
      toricox.elroi@gmail.com

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    30. I think I will have to say The Crimson Cord by Jill Eileen Smith. teshaw(at)sbcglobal(dot)net. Thank you.

      ReplyDelete
    31. Shadow of the Storm by Connilyn Cossette
      smincer10(at)gmail(dot)com

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      1. A popular choice this week. Good luck, Susanne.

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    32. Counted With the Stars (Out From Egypt) Paperback – April 5, 2016
      by Connilyn Cossette 😀 iamabho at gmail dot com Thanks

      ReplyDelete
    33. Land of Silence
      by Tessa Afshar 😀 Thanks. iamabho at gmail dot com 😃

      ReplyDelete
    34. WOMAN OF CLAY:
      by Linda Caddick
      Thanks Kav :)
      iamabho (at) gmail (dot) com

      ReplyDelete
    35. As I mentioned, my Biblical fiction wish list is small. I own books in this genre by Roseanna M. White, Bodie and Brock Thoene, Stephanie Landsem, Francine Rivers, and Lynne Gentry. Kav, you might enjoy Lynne Gentry's books. They are young adult books involving time-travel into Biblical times. And I've told you how I enjoy time travel! Reading, not actually doing it. haha.

      My first choice is the one Biblical fiction book by Roseanna M. White I have yet to get - Jewel of Persia. ------ tlhcoupon(at)hotmail(dot)com

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    36. My second choice is a book that was out of print for a time and re-released as a special edition in 2011.

      Behold Your Queen! by Gladys Malvern

      This was one of my mom's favorite books when she was young and when it was re-released, I gave a copy of it to her for Christmas. Although I can't speak for its accurate Biblical representation, the reviews are amazing. I would love a copy of my own to read and enjoy, but also as a connection with my mom. ------ tlhcoupon(at)hotmail(dot)com

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    37. My last choice: is Rebekah's Treasure by Sylvia Bambola.

      This book has some great reviews and I've enjoyed some of her other work. I like that in this story the main characters are fictional, but the events take place during Biblical times.

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      1. Oops! Forgot my email:
        tlhcoupon(at)hotmail(dot)com

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      2. Oh wow, these are all new to me titles. And I'll definitely check out those YA time travel ones. Checking my library for them right now!!!! Thanks, Terrill and good luck!

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    38. This study Bible looks like it would be awesome!! My first choice is Mary, Chosen of God by Diana Wallis Taylor.d[dot]brookmyer[at]yahoo[dot]com

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      Replies
      1. I am reading Mary, Chosen of God right now! I've only just begun reading it, but am enjoying it a lot so far😃

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    39. My 2nd choice is Journey to the Wall by Diana Wallis Taylor. Thanks for this great giveaway.

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    40. my 3rd choice is A Soft Breath of Wind by Roseanna M. White. I have always read the KJV of the Bible also, so I'm interested to see how this study Bible would explain it possibly in a way I could understand more clearly.

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      1. I've read the standard KJV too and I'm finding this study bible really helpful with understanding. Plus I really like the extras -- women's quotes etc that help make it applicable to modern life. Good luck, Donna.

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    41. The Bible sounds wonderful!

      As for a Biblical fiction I have always wanted to read the "Mark of the Lion" series by Francine Rivers.

      My 1st choice - A Voice in the Wind.

      Blessings,
      Cindy W.
      countrybear52 AT yahoo DOT com

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      Replies
      1. YES! YES! YES! 👍 Great choice! Possibly my favorite series ever! You'll LOVE this series! (and I suggest you move it to the top of your to-read list...it's THAT good!!)

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    42. My 2nd choice - An Echo in the Darkness.

      Blessings,
      Cindy W.
      countrybear52 AT yahoo DOT com

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    43. My 3rd choice - As Sure As the Dawn.

      Blessings,
      Cindy W.
      countrybear52 AT yahoo DOT com

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      Replies
      1. I need to read that series too. Good luck, Cindy!

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    44. I will pick The Dog Who Was There by Ron Marasco. This sounds very interesting.
      pbclark(at)netins(dot)net

      ReplyDelete
    45. Choice #2 is Shadow of the Storm by Connilyn Cosette.pbclark(at)netin(dot)net

      ReplyDelete
    46. Choice #3 is Harvest of Rubies by Tessa Afshar.
      pbclark(at)netins(dot)net

      ReplyDelete
    47. Mary, Chosen of God by Diana Wallis

      mauback55 at gmail dot com

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    48. The Crimsom Chord, Jill Eileen Smith

      ReplyDelete
    49. Shadow of the Storm by Connilyn Cosette

      mauback55 at gmail dot com

      ReplyDelete
    50. 1. The Thief by Stephanie Landsem

      janka(dot)halcinova(at)gmail(com)

      ReplyDelete
    51. 2. The Well by Stephanie Landsem

      janka(dot)halcinova(at)gmail(dot)com

      ReplyDelete
    52. 3. Garden of Madness by Tracy L. Higley

      Thanks for the great giveaway, Kav!

      Count me in, please.

      janka(dot)halcinova(at)gmail(dot)com

      ReplyDelete