Mom's Journey: Practical Tips for Raising Kids ~ A Review

A great, fun read is Mom's Journey: Practical Tips for Raising Kids - full of sound, practical ideas and tips for raising kids. I really wish I had had this book around when my kids were little - now they are pretty much grown.

I felt like I was sitting down having coffee with a dear friend as I read. Great flow and very conversational.

It's full of plenty of tips:

• talk to your babies, don't use babbling baby talk. It might sound cute but it does nothing to help your baby talk
• minimize and have a neat environment so calmness prevails
• diet
• how to criticize effectively and how to give plenty of love and praise

But the #1 idea from this book - and the most important parenting advice you may ever receive - "It does not matter if your kid is talented or not, pretty or not, fat or skinny, intelligent or not; you have brought him into this world and it’s your role to give him as many tools as you can to go out into this world. Your kid is 100 percent your responsibility.
The best tool you’ll ever give him, more than any education, languages, or literature, is simply to love him just the way he is, to hug him and praise him..."

It is very refreshing to read a parenting book that pulls no punches and tells it like it is. I really appreciated that!

I would recommend this book for new parents - as well as some older parents who may need a refresher. After all, we may be grandparents one day!

I received this book in exchange for my fair and honest review. All opinions expressed herein are solely my own.

Ancient Feminine Wisdom ~ A Book Review

I was recently offered an ebook for review titled "Ancient Feminine Wisdom" by Judith Jungman Saadon. This ebook is considered "A Spiritual Journey of Growth".

From the introduction, Ms. Saadon, a psychologist, invites you "to tap into venerable, hidden feminine knowledge, letting you walk in biblical women's footsteps, to discover more about yourself, to help you on the way to fulfilling your dreams and wishes."

The outline of the book is fairly simple: the author takes 9 women of the Bible and gives each woman a chapter. Within each chapter you have a retelling of their Biblical story, the feminine perspective, four insights for personal growth on your spiritual journey (a "how-to" if you will) and a story from the author's clinical days, giving you a modern day look at someone's personal journey.

The Biblical women discussed: Eve, Sarah, Hagar, Rachel, Leah, Tamar, Naomi, Hannah and Esther.

So, my thoughts? I enjoyed the break down of each Biblical woman - the retelling of her story directly from the Bible. The book is laid out concisely and you know what you are getting in each chapter. It was also nice to read a modern day clinical example - whether they are fact or fiction is really neither here nor there (ie - the names changed to protect the woman, which I assume (!) they are). It's an example to show you how using the stories of Biblical women can enhance your journey to your dreams.

What I didn't enjoy? The book was a little too mystical and feministic for me personally. Please know that this is solely my opinion. Also, since there was not a conclusion, or any kind of ending really - the author ended at the last woman's story. Period. Fini. The end. Nothing else. - I felt like it just ended. You know, that "wait, that's it?" feeling. Sort of fell flat at the end for such a well thought out book.

I would recommend this ebook if you are looking for a journey of self-reflection and you lean more toward feminist values.

**Per FTC and Amazon guidelines, I was provided a copy of this ebook in exchange for my fair and honest review. All opinions expressed herein are solely my own.

Waves of Romance ~ An Ebook Review

This is ebook two of the Holiday Beach Read series, written by Lori Ann Mitchell and is the continuation of the seaside surf love story of Sage and Derek. What happens when surfer boy Derek is confronted with a young beach beauty? Will he turn his back on his romance with the older Sage?

You can read more about ebook one - Waves of Love - here. Since ebook two, Waves of Romance, is a continuation, you should probably read ebook one first so you have a little background and know more of what is going on.

Let me just say that this is NOT g-rated reading material. And, that's all I'm going to say about that!

This ebook is a very quick read. I read it in about 2 hours over the course of 2 days. Not much depth here really - just a lot of ... well, not g-rated material!

If you read the description of the ebook on Amazon, the story is nothing new - older woman/younger man romance going good - new, younger beauty comes into the picture and sparks fly between her and the guy.

After conflict there is resolution, of course, which I think ended up very neat and tidy and very quickly. I might have enjoyed this more if there had been more depth to the story. I felt let down by the character of Sage as I had perceived her to be stronger than how she eventually ended up (don't want to give too much of the ending away).

My opinion - if you can read it for free, I would take it to the beach and read it in an afternoon. Otherwise, I'd probably skip it.

**I was provided a copy of this book in exchange for my honest feedback. All opinions herein are my own. I was not compensated in any way.

Waves of Love (ebook) by Lori Ann Mitchell ~ A Review

In the mood for a quick beach read in the middle of winter? Then this is definitely the ebook for you! 

Waves of Love is the story of Sage and Derek, two wounded souls making their way in a little beach town. Sage is the owner of the local bookstore and bakery. Derek is a writer/surfer drumming up business for his latest book.

So, you can see where that is going, no? The wrench in the machine...Derek is 10 years younger than Sage. Do they overcome this? You'll have to read the ebook to find out!

I enjoyed the characterization of Sage and Derek. They were both believable characters, Sage especially but that may be because she was older and more mature. Derek seemed an "old soul" which didn't really fit the mold of surfer dude.

This was a very quick, fun read. If you are a fast reader, you could probably enjoy it in an afternoon. I'd suggest a frozen drink with an umbrella to help set the scene (and you might need it to cool off after a few of the scenes!).

A great book for the beach or poolside. Although it definitely helped to chase away the winter chill!

One note - if you do not like explicit scenes, then you might want to pass on this one. It's not the basis of the book, but it is there.

All in all, I enjoyed it and would read more books by Lori Ann Mitchell. Waves of Love is Book 1 in the Holidays Beach Read. I'm not sure if that is a series but I'd check them out for a fast read.

This ebook can be purchased here on Amazon.com (affiliate link): 




**Disclosure ~ I received this ebook for free in return for my honest review. All opinions herein are 100% mine.

Bridge to Haven by Francine Rivers ~ A Review

My book club recently read Francine Rivers' latest novel - Bridge to Haven.

First, let me say, that while I enjoy Francine Rivers' books, she is not my "go-to" writer for Christian fiction. I know others think EVERYTHING she does is great but I'm not one of them. Don't get me wrong, she's good but not my favorite. I don't gravitate toward her books - they don't call to me. That said, I absolutely LOVED Redeeming Love. It was a wonderful retelling of the story of Gomer and Hosea and had some meat and depth. A good story stays with you for a long time which, I'm sure, is the hope of many writers.

Okay, back to the review of her current book.

Bridge to Haven tells the story of Abra Matthews, a tormented soul who spends much of her young life convinced she is not wanted. We read how Abra runs from everyone who loves her, most importantly God. We watch, sometimes painfully, as Abra travels a rocky road and we rejoice at the predicted conclusion.

Astute readers will know exactly how this books plays out before they read what happens. As I was reading through it - and it is a very quick read - I kept thinking it would make a great made-for-TV movie! And that was a major disappointment for me. Too much fluff and not enough meat. It was way too predictable.

There is some great character development with the manager, Franklin and with Abra herself. And a nice portrayal of life in 1950's Hollywood. Some big Hollywood names are tossed in - Lana Turner, Elvis Presley and Ronald Reagan. This gave the story some credibility and I enjoyed reading about the parties and the pitfalls of movie stardom back then.

So, would I recommend this book? Yes, if you've never read Francine Rivers before and are looking for a quick read. No, if you're a Francine Rivers fan and expect something along the lines of Redeeming Love or The Scarlet Thread. I'd give it 3 out of 5 stars.


**This review is my opinion only. I was not paid for nor asked to post this review. I did not receive any compensation for it nor did I receive a book in exchange for a review. I purchased the book myself.

Solomon's Puzzle by Loris Nebbia

Solomon's Puzzle by Loris Nebbia

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


I read this for my book club...doubt I would read it again as it was very long and felt very tedious for me. We had mixed reviews in our club. Some liked it, some had issues with the storyline (I did - too many rabbit trails and unanswered questions!).

The story did draw you in at first. School boy (Ben) is being abused by his dad (Max) and the question of Ben's parentage is a mystery. Is Max the real dad or is it Tom, someone who knew Max and his wife around the time Ben was born? While the reader knows who the real mom is, Ben doesn't find out until the end (sorry if that is a spoiler!). My biggest beef is that if Ben had been told the truth from the beginning, instead of the adults all waiting for him to guess his true parentage, it would have alleviated a lot of the pain this kid went through...and a lot of the text of the book!

I had a hard time relating to any of the characters. Certainly not either Max or Tom nor the wives, Donna and Mrs. McBride (who came across as a more perfect image of Martha Stewart than Ms. Stewart herself - I had to remind myself that this was fiction!). Maybe to the teens - Joe the goof-ball, Ben the serious one or Bonnie Jean, near perfect herself.

One good thing about the book, if you are local, you could really picture much of the scenery as you were reading.

Might make a good beach read for someone but it was definitely not a favorite!



View all my reviews

Book Review - Same Kind of Different as Me

"Same Kind of Different as Me" by Denver Moore and Ron Hall is the study of two very different men, from two very different worlds who are brought together - rather begrudingly - because a woman wouldn't let either of them go. As I read this book, I realized how truly ignorant I was to American History. I am sorry to say I did not realize sharecropping was a part of our country after the Civil War ended. This book was such a stark depiction of modern day slavery. But it is also the story of love, forgiveness, grace, determination and how, if you truly believe in someone and the power of the human spirit, anything is possible. I absolutely loved this story - so much in fact that it was my top pick of the 40+ books I read in 2010.

Many thanks to the Book Sneeze team for providing me with a copy of this book. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

"The Busy Mom's Guide to a Happy, Organized Home" - A Review

I recently had the privilege to read "The Busy Mom's Guide to a Happy, Organized Home" by Kathy Peel, who bills herself as America's Family Manager. A catchy title to bestow on oneself.

I have to admit that I skimmed through most of this book as I really didn't find any new (well, new to me!), useful information in the first few chapters that I did read. The chapters are broken down into: Managing Your Time, Managing Your Home, Managing Menus and Meals, Managing Relationships, Managing Your Finances, Managing Special Events and Managing Yourself.

Within each chapter you will find ideas and tips to make each area of your home run more efficiently thus giving you a happy and organized home. This would be a great book for a new homemaker who may feel lost in how to run their home. I have to admit this would have been a perfect gift for me when I got married twenty years ago. Learning something new is always a bonus - but I don't feel like I learned anything new from this book. I've read a lot of books on how to organize my home...it's implementing that knowledge that is where I could use the most help! Hubs would probably agree as clutter control seems to be one of my major issues!

A good how-to reference book for beginner's.

Many thanks to Tyndale House Publishers for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my review. Opinions in this post are solely my own.

Tithing...Test Me in This ~ A Review

I was recently provided a copy of "Tithing...test Me in This", written by Douglas LeBlanc, by Booksneeze (from Thomas Nelson Publishers). First, let me say that my husband and I are committed tithers, so I was a little interested to read stories of others who also tithed and see the work that God was doing in their lives. The book included nice little vignettes of people of varying religions and the reasons why they tithe. It was encouraging, and motivating, to read these stories. This book was written as part of an Episcopalian Ancient Practices series. I have to admit that I had no idea what "Ancient Practices" were. I would recommend this book if you were struggling about your decision to tithe. Mr. LeBlanc does give scripture reference to back up the principle of tithing, which I appreciated. All in all, I did enjoy the book but I'm not sure I would have purchased it had I been perusing the bookstore shelves simply because it leaned more toward one religion.

The opinions in this post are 100% mine. I was provided a copy of the reviewed book from Thomas Nelson Publishers under the agreement that I would give an honest review.

Left to Tell by Immaculee Ilibagiza

I recently read this book for my book club. It was an amazing story of a woman who lived through the Rwandan genocide of the early '90's. After reading Immaculee's story, I am ashamed to say that I had no idea these events even happened since at the time I was in the throes of being a newly wed and later a new mom. Not that that's any excuse for not knowing what was going on in the rest of the world but my world consisted of learning to cook decent meals, stretch a dollar and, later, take care of our babies!

This story is a testament of faith, hope, love and forgiveness. Immaculee showed pure faith and perseverance when everything around her was crumbling. She lived in a bathroom with 9 other women for three months with little food and limited conversation. I was most struck by her attitude of constant prayer and the ways in which God answered her prayers. It was very inspirational. How many of us wouldn't like to be in prayer for 24 hours a day - though under completely different circumstances, I'm sure!

There were several parts of this story that were difficult for me to read, particularly the details of her brother's death. But after reading that passage, I was so moved by how he went to his death sharing Jesus with his killers. Essentially, he was a martyr - could you do that? I don't even know if I could and I'm not sure I like that about myself.

A great read - I couldn't put it down once I started. You can read more about Immaculee's story and the foundation she has started to help the Rwandan orphans left behind at Left to Tell.