Hello everyone! Ivy returns with a journaling Bible from Tyndale. Some may remember that I have previously reviewed a journaling Bible from Zondervan, which I will be referencing in this review as a comparison point. If you are looking for options, I suggest taking a look at that review as well.
Time to jump right in!
The design team chose to call this Bible Inspire. I suppose it’s common practice to give journaling Bibles a more whimsical name; Zondervan did the same. I’m glad that on the cover, it still says Catholic Bible, because 1. I appreciate that the main purpose and contents of the book is still clearly shown, and 2. It’s nice to know that you’re getting a Catholic translation, because people of different denominations are going to want a Bible that is used within their denomination. The cover is a hard cover wrapped in rose gold, faux leather-esque material. I think the website photos make the cover look more pink than it is in real life. There is a bookmarking ribbon in a matching shade of rose gold. The text and designs on the cover is etched in a metallic finish. There is an elastic to hold the book shut which I think is useful for shelving because it keeps all the pages together as you slide it onto the shelf, but I think it is worth noting that since the cover is a softer, slightly squishy material, the elastic does leave impressions in the cover. At certain angles, I can see the lines outlining the spot where the elastic sat during shipping and the ribbing on the elastic. It is not obvious, and doesn’t really take away from the look of the Bible overall, but it is something to consider. (Please note that I had to edit the photos a little because my fluorescent lighting changed the book’s colour. I really did try to make them as close to the real thing as possible, but please excuse any minor inconsistencies)
A lot of books have metallic gilding the outer edges of the pages, or it’s left plain. This Bible has a pattern with butterflies and flowers instead; very appropriate for the overall feminine aesthetic. That being said, it is a little “busy” for my taste, and the pink, I think, is a bit too bright and cool tone for the rose gold cover. I like them better as separate components rather than how they look together. That being said, my mom loves it, so it really does come down to personal preference. +Note that there is a color difference here as well. I found this part of the book to look much more cool toned. The web photos look like they’ve been tinged yellow or something. Also, be gentle the first couple times you flip through the pages; the ink that creates the design sticks the pages together, so if you’re too rough you might tear the pages.
The pages are VERY thin. If you wanted to do some journaling in marker, paint and maybe even gel pen, this is not the journalling Bible for you. The drawings are beautiful. I really like that the book names can be coloured, which is different from the Zondervan Bible. If there is a big space at the end of a book, there is art there too; another detail I really like. You can colour the end pages as well, and they are among my favourite pages. This Bible doesn’t have any art pieces that take up two pages, a feature that sets it apart from the Zondervan Bible.
I like that there is an index of pages with designs at the back of the Bible. It makes it easy to see if your favourite verses have designs. There is a Table of Contents at the front as well. I wish there was a page that listed all the artists (assuming there was more than one) and which pages contain their designs.
Overall, if you were eyeing this journaling Bible, I don’t think you would be disappointed. It’s feminine, sleek and the illustrations are stunning. It would make a great gift if you know someone that would enjoy this.
If you would like to purchase your own copy, you can do so here.
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Please note that all the products received by Vincent or Ivy, unless explicitly stated, have been provided free-of-charge in return for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed herein are my our own and not influenced by the publishers or business owners, and/or its affiliates, in any way.
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