Please Stop Laughing at Me....

Please Stop Laughing at Me: One Woman's Inspirational True Story by Jodee Blanco is a very moving book that took me back to feelings and memories that I had of when I was in high school. Although I was never bullied, I remember seeing kids being bullied and it is such a tragic thing for young ones to have to endure.

Jodee tells of her experiences of trying to fit in, yet never quite being good enough for the popular crowd because she was one of those people that liked to stand up for what is right. I felt her pain and confusion as she told stories of the abuse, both emotionally and physically. She described in great detail of the traumatic childhood she experienced. Changing schools changed nothing for her. Its almost as if these kids that bully can single out the ones that have already been bullied and just continue the cycle.


I did question whether she brought some of this on her own doing. She continuously talks of wanting to be part of the popular crowd. There are plenty of children that she could have chosen to be friends with but she kept going back to the ones that treated her badly. It was a good book but I did feel as if she was trying to make you feel sorry for her in some way.


I do have to say that I was not very happy with the end of the story....even as an adult she has let these people have control of her happiness. I strongly believe in choosing your own path to happiness, as a nurse I have witnessed horrible things and many of deaths. But I don't dwell on this, it's part of life. You have to choose to pick up the pieces and move on with your life, something that Jodee Blanco has not done.

This book did bring fear to my mind as I think of my children growing up now and I pray that nothing like this happens to them or any other child for that matter. Kids can be so cruel and as parents we want to protect our children but Jodee's parents did go about everything the wrong way. The schools failed to recognize it. There needs to be serious consequences for bullies. I am very thankful that she has shared her story and is educating schools and others on how to handle bullying and how to get help, but I also feel that she needs to help herself get over her past. She needs to let go and quit playing the victim, and this book may be her way of doing so, but she will never be able to be completely satisfied in her life until moves on to the next chapter in her life.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The Velveteen Bible Review-A Gift of Gods Word for Years to Come!

When I saw that this Bible was available for review, I was so excited to get it. My daughter Madison is 5 years old and I have been planning on buying her a new bible for church but haven't found one that I wanted to get yet. This beautiful Bible is well suited for her first Bible. I love the keepsake treasure box that she can store it in. She loves the pictures with the bible verses that are geared towards children, they are easy enough for her to remember and she can read most of them. This bible is in the NKJV. I prefer the KJV, but with her learning to read, it helps that the words are a bit easier for her to understand. This is one of my favorite reviews that I have done because not only did it brighten my daughters day, but it is going to be providing God's word to her for years to come! 

About The Velveteen Bible:

Inspired by Baby's First Bible with the adorable fuzzy duck cover, this new bible for little ones, The Velveteen Bible features soft fur and a fuzzy tail! Inside, the New King James Version scripture is accompanied by whimsical images of bunnies and other baby animals, colorful borders, and lovely sentiments from the scriptures. The Bible is packaged in a keepsake treasure box.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Hatteras Girl by Alice J. Wisler

Hatteras Girl by Alice J. Wisler

I am one of those lovers of a mystery. Hatteras Girl by Alice J. Wisler kept me guessing what what going to happen in this wonderful book about a girl named Jackie who is near 30 and has been unlucky in love. She dreams of marrying a wonderful, honest man and of owning The Bailey House, a bread and breakfast that she grew up visiting as a young girl. The Bailey House holds many special memories for her but has been closed for some time and she desperately wants to get more information on purchasing it.

Jackie has been set up on numerous blind dates to which she has never had a second date with. She works for Lighthouse Views, writing articles about local business owners. She happens to do an interview with Davis Erikson, whom has knowledge of The Bailey House owners and whom she is instantly attracted to. The attraction seems mutual, the couple start dating. Jackie thinks that she has finally found the answer to all of her prayers, a good man and an opportunity to get the bread and breakfast, but there are mysteries surrounding The Bailey House that Jackie has trouble finding answers to. Davis doesn't appear to be the man that she thought he was. Jackie is on the verge of losing her dreams. Yet, this author throws in a wonderful twist that I was very pleased with.

This is one of those books that I didn't want to put down until I finished it. One of those books you sit up all night reading. I would recommend this as a great read and will be sure to pass this one along to my friends!

This book was provided to me free of charge from Bethany House Publishers for review purposes only. The opinions in this review are my own and have not been influenced. Thank you Bethany House for providing me with a great book! 

Two Tickets to the Christmas Ball by Donita K. Paul

Two Tickets to the Christmas Ball by Donita K. Paul

What a wonderful book to read during the holidays! Two Tickets to the Christmas Ball by Donita K. Paul was a nice mixture of romance, mystery, and magic. I loved this book and couldn't put it down until I was finished reading it!

Cora Crowder is out looking for the perfect Christmas gift when she runs into her co-worker Simon Derrick at an odd little bookstore. They both buy books and that is when the magic starts. In the books that they bought from the store, there are invitations to a Christmas Ball. When Simon discovers his ticket, his sister who has Down syndrome, wants to go to the ball with him and live out a fairy tale. Cora tries to throw her ticket away but the ticket keeps mysteriously reappearing. There is no information available on how to purchase another ticket so Cora decides that she is not going to go. Simon attempts to go back to the bookshop to buy another ticket but somehow he can’t find the street, it’s as if the street disappeared.

While discussing the findings, Cora offers to give her ticket to Simon so that he can take his sister. He gets Cora to go with him and his sister to go to the mysterious little street to buy attire for the ball. It is then that the matchmakers learn of Cora not having her ticket…the ticket was meant for Cora, not the sister. So they arrange for Cora to get another ticket. Many things keep interfering with Cora’s plans yet everything keeps leading her back to Simon Derrick. This was a wonderful book that I would highly recommend. It is set at Christmas time but this book would be a pleasure to read at anytime.

This book was provided to me free of charge from Waterbrook Press for review purposes. The opinions in this review are my own and were not influenced.

Within My Heart by Tamara Alexander

Within My Heart by Tamara Alexander captured my heart from the start. Rachel Boyd is a widowed woman who has two young sons she is trying to raise on her own. Her late husband had dreams of raising them on the ranch and she is struggling to fulfill his wishes. With cattle dying due to the winter months, she finds herself losing more and more money. She finds herself wondering if it is worth it to work so hard to honor her husbands wishes, a wish that was completely different from her own.

Dr. Rand Brookston is new to town. Rand doesn't have a proper building for a medical clinic and makes many house calls with dreams of opening a clinic in the future. Rand and Rachel's paths cross when Rand starts taking care of someone very close to Rachel. The town of Timber Ridge is behind times on technology and Rand has to decide to perform a new surgery on this patient. If he succeeds, he would gain the trust of the town, but he fails....

This was a great, intriguing book. The mystery and love story kept me up all night reading to find out what was going to happen. Being in the medical field as I am, I was impressed that Tamara Alexander did her research and was accurate in her writing. This was the first book I have read by her and I can't wait to read more! I would highly recommend this book. If you are interested purchasing this book, please check out this link: Within My Heart (Timber Ridge Reflections, Book 3)

I was provided this book free of charge from Bethany House Publishers. The opinions are my own and have not been influenced.

Still House Pond by Jan Watson Book Review

Still House Pond

Still House Pond is about the life of a young girl, Lilly Gray Corbett, her mother, Copper, and their hired girl, Manda. The book preview tells of Lilly being invited to go visit her Aunt Alice in the city. The train crashes on the way and Copper goes to the scene in search of her daughter. This scene does happen in the book but the preview leads you to believe that this is what the book is about and I didn’t find that to be the case. I did enjoy the book but felt a little bit mislead by the preview.

Copper is a busy woman who helps with the births of babies in the community. Lilly is an eleven year old girl that helps take care of the younger children of the family. Lilly’s birth father died when she was younger and her mother is now remarried with other children. Lilly has an aunt in the city that requests that she come to visit and sends the train ticket for her to come. Copper does not want to let her child venture out on her own but realizes that she is growing up and agrees to let her go.
Manda is the hired girl that helps take care of the house chores. Manda is still a young girl that is trying to figure out her place in life and with love. She is just as much as a main character as Lilly. We go with Manda as she learns some valuable life lessons and that the effects of her actions ultimately affect others around her, something that took the endangerment of Lilly for her to learn.

News of the train crashing sets everything into motion. The characters evaluate their actions and learn from their mistakes while trying to find Lilly. The unexpected twist was a nice surprise, only proving more that the things that we choose to do, whether good or bad, have an effect on other lives.

This was the fifth novel by Jan Watson. She did a great job of showing her readers the lives of these women and the consequences of their choices. I enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it as a good read.

Still House Pond was provided to me by Tyndale Publishers free of charge for review purposes only. The opinions expressed are my own and have not been influenced.

The Boy Who Changed the World Book Review

Have you heard of the Butterfly Effect? Everytime that a butterfly flaps its wings, it moves tiny pieces of air, causing something else to happen such as the wind blowing on the other side of the world. Its amazing how one little decision can affect others for years to come.

I was recently given the opportunity to review the book The Boy Who Changed the World by Andy Andrews. This book is for children and is based on the popular book The Butterfly Effect by Andy Andrews. This book was provided to me free of charge for review purposes from Thomas Nelson Publishers. All opinions are my own.

This is an amazing story of how the actions of one little boy can affect the lives of others for years to come. The author spreads the word to children with the saying, "Every choice you make, good or bad, can make a difference." This book takes you through the lives of four boys that eventually all have a common connection and make a difference in the world. The decisions that you make today can truly change the world. My children have loved hearing me read this book to them. The illustations by Philip Hurst are so beautiful and lifelike, giving the book more meaning. I have enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it for all parents to share with their little ones.

Book Review: The Boy Who Came Back From Heaven

The Boy Who Came Back from Heaven: A Remarkable Account of Miracles, Angels, and Life beyond This World

This is a true story about Alex Malarkey whom was in a terrible car accident with his father in 2004. Alex was in a coma for two months after the wreck and is now paralyzed. This story tells of the wonderful journey Alex took while in the coma and also of struggles the family had while trying to remain true to their faith. Through the prayers and diligent work of many people, the family has made it through this terrible tragedy and is able to share Alex’s story. I have been touched by the Malarkey’s strength and that they are remaining strong until Alex is fully healed. They have obstacles in their way at times and put their marriage last, but you can tell that this is a couple determined to stick together through anything.
Alex tells of going to Heaven, seeing angels and demons, meeting with Jesus and of talking with Jesus. I did expect there to be more details than what were given in the book as far as the wonders of Heaven, and of the angels and demons. Alex does tell some things about Heaven but has been told by God that he can only reveal certain details. We all are going to have to wait to see the true beauty that Heaven holds for us on our own unfortunately. I truly believe that this little boy was watched over by angels and will be fully healed as his parents believe. He has already beaten the odds just by surviving.

Although I didn’t get the details of Heaven like I thought that I would, this book is a great read. It’s very inspiring the way that the Malarkey family has trusted God throughout this entire journey. Alex is a true miracle, a work only that could be done by God. Bless this family and thank you for sharing Alex’s wonderful, tragic journey with others.

This book was provided to me free of charge from Tyndale House Publishers for my own personal review. All of the opinions are my own.

Book Review: The Prophecy Answer Book

The Prophecy Answer Book
With so many prophesies in the Bible, one can get confused and have many questions. David Jeremiah answers those prophesies that are now relevant with the world. The role of Israel is explained. Even oil is playing a part in the fulfillment of these prophesies. This was a very simple, easy book to read and understand with the question and answer format. Jeremiah breaks down everything into plain English so that anyone can get the answers they are seeking. With answers to what events are to take place before Christ’s Second Coming and what is the Rapture and the Tribulation, I was easily intrigued and anxious to read this book. Even a Christian as me has many questions regarding the end of time. Questions about the antichrist and the mark of the beast are also answered. Jeremiah provides scripture that you can reference for each of his answers, this is nice because I like to cross reference with the Bible, God’s true word, before I take the answers from someone else. I highly recommend this book to have as a quick reference for answers regarding prophesies in the Bible.


The Prophecy Answer Book was provided to me by Thomas Nelson Publishing free of charge for my own personal review. All opinions stated are my own.

Book Review-Resurrection in May

Resurrection in May, by Lisa Samson, is truly a remarkable book. The writer takes you on a journey of how your life can be changed right before your very eyes in a moments notice. The book focuses on the simple things in life that can get us through tragedy. Losing faith and finding it once again can be difficult but Lisa Samsom made this journey one that I am honored to have read about.

May Seymour is a spoiled young woman who has just graduated college and has no real plans for her future. We follow her as she goes on a mission trip to Rwanda and experiences the horror and tragedy of witnessing everyone she knows be murdered there. She would never be the same again as you can very well imagine. We journey with her as she must struggle to find the meaning in her life and the will to survive again as she goes back home to live on the farm of a recently new found friend, an old man named Claudius Bourne, who has never married and has very rarely left his farm other than to go to church and sell his crops.

May has an old college flame, Eli, that just happens to be kin to Claudius. Years change the life of Eli in many ways also. He nor May will ever be the young, carefree teenagers that they once were. We even get visit death row in an unexpected way that I would not have imagined.

As I read through the novel, my heart ached for May as she struggled with regaining her life. She had lost all faith by what she had witnessed and lived through. It was a very hard process for her to try to regain her faith and trust in God again. 


This book is a page turner that you will not want to put down for too long, it is very inspiring and a must read! This is the first book by Lisa Samson that I have read. She has many others that I cannot wait to read. Very touching book! Highly Recommended!

This book was sent to me for review, free of charge, compliments of Thomas Nelson Publishers. The thoughts and opinions are completely my own.

Upcoming Book Reviews!

I just wanted to give everyone an update on my upcoming book reviews. I have got some great books lined up that I can't wait to read and review. If you are interested in purchasing one of these books, you can click on the links to go to Amazon for a great low price and then we can compare notes! If you are not a fan of my book blog, check it out and follow me: http://abooktoblogabout.blogspot.com/.

Below are upcoming book reviews:

Resurrection in May

By Lisa Samson

May Seymour graduated from college with the world at her feet and no idea what to do with it. A mission trip to Rwanda brought her a sense of purpose in loving others. So when the genocide began she chose to remain in the village, which was subsequently slaughtered. Only May survived.

So, May journeyed to heal on the farm of Claudius Borne, a sweet, innocent old man who understood plants and animals far better than people.

Years later, having not stepped a foot off Claudius' farm, May learns an old college flame, now a death-row inmate, is refusing to appeal his sentence. Can she convince him to grab hold of life once again? Their surprising friendship turns the tables, for the prisoner, Eli Campbell, has a deeper faith from which to draw than she. Eli slowly begins to pull May from her cloistered existence. With the help of Eli, their tiny town, and ultimately a renewal of faith, May comes to life once again.
This book was provided to me free for review by Booksneeze.com


The Boy Who Came Back from Heaven: A Remarkable Account of Miracles, Angels, and Life beyond This World

In 2004, Kevin Malarkey and his six-year-old son, Alex, suffered an horrific car accident. The impact from the crash paralyzed Alex—and medically speaking, it was unlikely that he could survive. “I think Alex has gone to be with Jesus,” a friend told the stricken dad. But two months later, Alex awoke from a coma with an incredible story to share. Of events at the accident scene and in the hospital while he was unconscious. Of the angels that took him through the gates of heaven itself. Of the unearthly music that sounded just terrible to a six-year-old. And, most amazing of all . . . Of meeting and talking to Jesus. The Boy Who Came Back from Heaven is the true story of an ordinary boy’s most extraordinary journey. As you see heaven and earth through Alex’s eyes, you’ll come away with new insights on miracles, life beyond this world, and the power of a father’s love.
Check out the website for this book: http://www.theboywhocamebackfromheaven.com/
where you can also see the heart wrenching book trailer.
This book was provided to me free from Tyndale Media Center

The Prophecy Answer Book

By Dr. David Jeremiah

 

For anyone curious about prophecy and the signs of the end times, this book links the pieces of the prophecy puzzle in plain, simple language. There are 1,000 prophecies in the Bible so it’s natural to wonder, have any prophecies been fulfilled? Do they really explain the future? Can we really know what will happen at the end of time? In succinct and clear answers to most frequently asked questions, Dr. Jeremiah decodes and clarifies prophecy for the average person. He explains in simple lay terms what could otherwise be mysterious and even frightening, allowing readers to gain a balanced and assuring perspective of the significance of prophetic events to their personal lives as believers in Christ. He also helps readers understand how prophecy is directly related to world events today.

This book was provided to me free for review by Booksneeze.com

No More Christian Nice Girl Book Review

No More Christian Nice Girl: When Just Being Nice--Instead of Good--Hurts You, Your Family, and Your Friends by Paul Coughlin & Jennifer D. Degler, PhD

Be the Strong, Confident, and Caring Woman You Were Meant to Be

I have to admit, it took me a while to get into this book. I'm not sure if it was that I was offended at first because of the way the authors described Jesus in the first chapters or what it was. Once I got further into the book, I realized that the authors were right about Jesus, he was nice yet firm in his works. He was Good. He did not worry about offending others by his actions. He knew who he was and what he stood for. And as a Christian, we are suppose to lead our lives in the way that Jesus lead his, Good-not Nice!

There were plenty of reference's to the Bible that have verse's to back up what the authors are saying in the book. They list the ones that apply to what they are describing. There is a great Appendix in the back of the book that list passages where we can find a more forceful Jesus.

The focus of this book is towards Christian women that feel they have to please everyone. As a Christian woman, I can relate to this book very well. I sometimes feel that I have to say yes to someone asking for me to help when I actually have something else planned to do. The older that I have got, however, I have learned to say No. Having a family of three children and a husband keeps me on my toes and I have very little time to satisfy the needs of others. At first I felt bad for this, but as described in the book, you can still be Good without actually being Nice. The need to be nice takes over all other area's of your life if you let it control you. This book gives great examples of how to be good instead of nice in areas such as marriage, sex, work, dating, and friendships. Study questions are available at the end of each chapter that challenge you to think about your life and whether you should make some changes or not. All of this comes from the fact that Jesus did not aim to please everyone and neither should you. You should still be good, but you have to be in control of your life and not worry about what others need or think of you.

I would have to give this book a 4 out of 5 score, with 5 being a very good read. I was very intrigued and interested in what the authors had to say once I got past the first chapter and my own bias opinion. The book was very informative. They did reference the "Nice Girl" tendencies quite frequently which sometimes made it seem as if I had already read that part of the book. This book does have a great message to give, women need to be more assertive and firm instead of being passive in life. I would recommend this book to any Christian woman that needs references in the Bible to help gain control of her life.

I was provided this book for free from Bethany House Book Publishers in return for a review based upon my honest opinion of the book. If you are interested in reviewing for Bethany House, please visit: www.bethanyhouse.com/bookreviewers

Currently Reading...

I am now reading: No More Christian Nice Girl: When Just Being Nice--Instead of Good--Hurts You, Your Family, and Your Friends

A description of the book is as follows:

Tired of doing all you can for others while your relationships remain stuck in neutral--or headed in reverse? Paul Coughlin and psychologist Jennifer Degler show how being nice can harm you and drain the life out of your relationships. They explore the keys to fulfillment at home, work, church, and even in the bedroom. You'll discover that emulating the real Jesus is the key to transforming from a Christian Nice Girl into an authentic, powerful woman of loving faith.

I was provided this book for free from Bethany House. If you are interested in doing reviews for Bethany House and getting free books, click here to sign up.

Review: Love on a Dime by Cara Lynn James

Love on a Dime is set in 1899 in Newport, Rhode Island. This was a time when a woman of high society was to take care of the house and socialize, one would not dare work. Lilly Westbrook is part of the elite and has started writing dime novels under the pen name "Fannie Cole". Not only does a very popular town scoundrel try to find, blackmail, and expose her, but her publisher needs her to announce whom she really is also for financial reasons. It takes you back to a time when people really cared about how they were viewed by society, much unlike the ways of the world today. This was nice in a way but also made me appreciate my independence.

The book provides love and mystery with a mixture of Christianity also. Lilly finds herself in the middle of having to make many decisions and wants God to help her in making the right choices. Choosing between her current love and a love from the past, whom just happened to have bought the publishing company that she writes for, proves to be a difficult decision for this character. Choosing whether or not to come public with her identity is the hardest decision of all. She has to decide if she wants to put her family in the hands of public scrutiny because of her choices or to remain anonymous and risk being exposed.

I did thoroughly enjoy this book. It caught my attention from the start and had me intrigued throughout to the end. This was a debut book by Cara Lynn James, I do look forward to reading more of her work and would recommend this book as a good read!

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Preview of my 1st Book Review: Love on a Dime

I am so happy to get started with my book reviews! Coming soon will be a review on my first book, provided to me through Booksneeze: "Love on a Dime, Ladies of Summerhill" By Cara Lynn James.

Below is a description of Love on a Dime:

Turn of the century novelist Lilly Westbrook learns that being faithful to her calling means more than just putting pen to paper.

It's the summer of 1899 in Newport, Rhode Island, and Lilly Westbrook is struggling to conceal her career from family and friends because of the stigma attached to dime novels. Lilly feels good about her secret—after all, she’s enlightening working class girls with her books and honoring God by using her talents to His glory.

But her secret is threatened when Jackson Grail, a former suitor, becomes Lilly's new publisher. He's determined to revive his floundering publishing house by maximizing their most promising--and most secretive--author. His plan? Find “Fannie Cole” and convince her to go public.

When a gossip columnist discovers Lilly’s true identity, she finds that being faithful to her calling involves more than just putting pen to paper. It requires that she stand up for her faith and for herself, no matter the consequences.
Love on a Dime (Ladies of Summerhill)