Religion Saves by Mark Driscoll

When I was offered the chance to particpate in the blog tour for Religion Saves: And 9 Other Misconceptions I jumped at the chance. This topic is near to my heart. Somewhere along the way it seems we have lost the idea that it is Jesus that is the most important not religion. This book deals with some of the mose controversial misconceptions such as birth control, humor, grace, and sexual sin. (Just to name a few)
I enjoyed Mark Driscoll’s writing style tremendously. I listened to one of his sermons to see if he was as personable a speaker as he was a writer….and he definitely is! I appreciated how the topics were presented, Mr Driscoll builds a strong biblical foundation for each misconception and presents it in a clear consise manner with facts and figures too. These are topics I feel need to be addressed in the Church more often and this is a great resource to start the conversation. One of the best things about this book to me is that Mark Driscoll treats each side of the misconception with respect. Religion Saves broadened my perspective and made me think of my own misconceptions. A must read for all of those out there struggling with some of todays most challenging misconceptions.

About the Book:
After 343,203 online votes on the Mars Hill Church website, nine questions for Pastor Mark Driscoll emerged as the ones most urgently calling for answers.

Inspired by 1 Corinthians, in which Paul answers a series of questions posed by the people in the Corinthian church, Pastor Mark Driscoll set out to determine the most controversial questions among visitors to the Mars Hill Church website. In the end, 893 questions were asked and 343,203 votes were cast. The top nine questions are now each answered in a chapter of Religion Saves.

After an introductory chapter devoted to the misconception that religion is what saves us, Driscoll tackles nine issues: birth control, humor, predestination, grace, sexual sin, faith and works, dating, the emerging church, and the regulative principle. Because the purpose of this book is to address commonly asked questions, all readers will find relevant, engaging material, written in Driscoll’s distinctively edgy, yet theologically sound style.

About the Author:
Mark Driscoll is the founding pastor of Mars Hill Church in Seattle, one of the fastest-growing churches in America. He is president of the Acts 29 Church Planting Network and is the author of several books, including Vintage Jesus.

Pastor Mark preaches on Sunday, trains pastors, and writes curriculum. Mark is married to his high school sweetheart, Grace, and they enjoy raising their three sons and two daughters.

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You can read an excerpt HERE.

You can buy the book HERE.

And you can read what others bloggers thought of the book HERE.

[Via http://crittyjoy.wordpress.com]

The Host, by Stephanie Meyer

OK, I needed a quick read, and Stephanie gave that to me.  She has a knack for writing conversations that flow, and for description that paints a vivid image in my mind.  She writes love stories that aren’t mushy, with characters that are somewhat complex.  I got caught up in this novel and couldn’t put it down.  Although my two sons cannot stomach the Meyer novels (yes, I guess they’re chick books), and my husband won’t consider reading them, I find them to be refreshing, touching, and they even leave me with a sense of hope.  This novel is about an alien race of Souls, Healers, and Seekers who invade planets by taking over the minds of their “hosts”.  Contrary to what one might think from the sound of this, they are a peaceful species.  They felt that humans “deserved” to be taken over since they were angry, violent, and destructive as evidenced by their media of all sorts.  This novel is the path of enlightenment for one of these Souls in her quest to understand the human frailty. It is about acceptance, goodness, unity, trust, and truly…all things good.  Not realistic, no.  But what’s so great about reality?  I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to other women/girls (or open minded men who don’t laugh at Twilight and Harry Potter) who are looking for a fast, well written read.  I liken it to a Harry Potter book.  Not incredibly great literature, but entertaining reading.

For more information, check out the Stephanie Meyer website…there’s an exerpt…http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/thehost.html

Somebody: The Reckless Life and Remarkable Career of Marlon Brando

If there ever was a meaty (first beefy, then fatty) subject for a biographer to sink his teeth into it has to be Marlon Brando. Crazy as a bedbug, brilliant as a Wogglebug, he reinvented an entire art form and became a poster boy for disaffected youngsters everywhere — all done at the same time, and with a sneer on his face.  Stefan Kanfer’s recent book Somebody: The Reckless Life and Remarkable Career of Marlon Brando focuses on Brando the neurotic, a perspective that, while narrow, is nevertheless thought-provoking.

Adroit film buffs will recognize the reference in the book’s title; it is what On the Waterfront’s mixed up boxer Terry Malloy wishes he was (in addition to a “contender…instead of a bum, which is what I am…”) Kanfer expertly teases out the thesis that the truth of those lines on the screen sprang from the fact that that was how Brando really felt about himself. The son of a womanizing traveling salesman and a self-involved, alcoholic housewife, Brando was an actor who forever sought attention by acting up and acting out. Repeatedly told by his father and nearly all of his teachers that he would never amount to anything , he turned to acting almost out of desperation, the stage being one of the few professions that actually rewards social misfits. Almost overnight he became acting guru Stella Adler’s star pupil, a phenomenon on Broadway, and a major Hollywood star. But old habits die hard. Unable to trust the adulation, he left that chip on his shoulder right where it was – kept it there, in fact, to his dying day. On its face, his constant denigration of the actor’s art might look like a kind of integrity, but it never quite proved to be that. For Brando wasn’t merely putting down his own performances in pursuit of some higher vision of art. Instead, he cynically knocked the entire profession itself, happy to earn millions of dollars for practicing a worthless craft if that was how the suckers wanted it.

Ah! But to what extent did he practice a craft? Brando’s lack of discipline was infamous, although when the perverse mood struck him, he would show off just how disciplined he could be just to screw with people’s heads, as when he played Marc Antony to Geilgud’s Cassius and showed he could be as boring as all the other musical comedy leading men in Guys and Dolls. Kanfer misses this major point a couple of times when he quotes admirers’ hushed reports of Brando’s “transformations” into “other people”. On the contrary, in the cinematic record at least, what Brando seemed best at was being himself. In his youth, his animal magnetism served him well in roles like Stanley Kowalski, Terry Malloy, and the iconic hoodlum in The Wild One. But the proof of the pudding to my mind was his middle period, in a film like Mutiny on the Bounty where he was both literally and figuratively at sea. By the 1960s, the world was full of Brandos and Brando himself, though just as adolescent as ever, was too old to play a juvenile delinquent. The limits of his “craft” manifested themselves in each succeeding picture as he played no end of unconvincing cowboys, southern sheriffs, aristocrats, playboys….the public wasn’t buying it. I find it telling that his comeback in the early 1970s came by playing a gangster in The Godfather and a sexoholic in Last Tango in Paris. It is proof to me that his art was somehow about his image, about Brando himself. In contrast to Olivier (whose name was often paired with his on a two-name list of the world’s greatest actors) his bag was not subsuming his identity into other characters at all. At parts that expressed the rebel Brando, he excelled; in all other parts, he was dreadful, self-conscious, bewildering.

As Kanfer skillfully relates, this same self-indulgent capriciousness marred other aspects of his public and private life. A famous political dabbler, Brando repeatedly proved himself adept at knocking things down, but clueless about how to build things up. His most famous act of activist chicanery was sending Sacheen Littlefeather to refuse his Oscar on behalf of Native Americans. If he ever used his influence or his millions to build some sustaining superstructure that would actually improve the health, income and morale of Native Americans, the world is unaware of it. One of Kanfer’s best insights is his comparison of such ineffective showboating with the career of the mature Paul Newman, another method actor who’d portrayed rebels in his youth, but whom (unlike Brando) actually founded a major charity that changed thousands of people’s lives. Brando, it appears wanted to be “somebody”…without actually doing anything.

Likewise, Brando’s personal life was a chaos of tragedy and waste, with a string of  wives and concubines, a suicide for a daughter, a drug-addled murderer for a son. The product of a dysfunctional home, Brando reacted by building a dozen dysfunctional homes from New York to Tahiti. Disdainful of his imperfect father, he responded by being an even bigger failure as a father by an order of magnitude.

Brando never ceased to be a child. That is fine so far as it goes. It’s also true of Elvis, Howard Hughes, Marilyn Monroe, Michael Jackson, and any number of our untethered, loony tunes, millionaire celebrity class. In fact, nearly all of them. What of it? Here we get less guidance. Kanfer’s book does provide a lot of context, perhaps 25% of the book, in the form of contemporary historical details. This may help the book’s longevity, but it still doesn’t get at the crux of the most important aspect of the Brando phenomenon: the meaning of his image. Why is he the subject of one of Warhol’s earliest silk screens? What is it about him that inspired both Elvis Presley (a cracker from Tennessee) and John Belushi (an Albanian from Chicago)? In the 1940s, men and women dressed – not just when they went out on dates, or when they went to work or church, but whenever they were seen in public. Brando startled everyone he met by showing up in jeans and a tee shirt. It’s since become the universal American uniform.

Brando is like Milton’s Satan or the Prometheus of Aeschylus. Long before his imitator James Dean, he was a “Rebel Without a Cause”. But what is that, but to say “no” just because someone else has said “yes”? Americans had always worshipped rebels, but usually ones with causes. Unhitched to anything good or valuable, antinomianism for its own sake is mere destructiveness, nihilism. And, after all, if you aren’t already “somebody”, then you must be nothing, a void. Kanfer makes a fleeting reference to Ahab in the book and I wish he’d gone much further down this path. For I think it is possible that Brando’s art (and is life) come closest to Melville’s – an exploration of his (and America’s) dark side. We see it at it’s peak in Brando’s insane, rambling, brilliant speeches as Colonel Kurtz in Apocalypse Now – all, according to Kanfer, largely improvised. The former biker who terrorized small American towns in The Wild One is now cut loose to do it on a larger scale in the villages of Vietnam. Art and madness have become one. It’s fine on the screen, but potentially dangerous as a real world credo.

While I’m recommending this book, let me take this opportunity to also recommend another by Kanfer as well, the excellent Groucho: The Life and Times of Julius Henry Marx, one of the references for my own No Applause and a terrific book in its own right.

Book Review: Samaritan by Richard Price (2003)

Samaritan is a re-telling of the Biblical parable of the good Samaritan, focused on former Hollywood writer Ray Mitchell who has returned to his urban New Jersey home to volunteer at his old high school teaching writing.  These two things underpin Price’s novel: the role of the good Samaritan and personal narratives.  Unlike Lush Life this novel is much narrower in scope, focusing primarily on the victim and the investigating officer.  It’s a simpler structure.

In Jesus’ telling of the good Samaritan, a man helps one who was beaten and robbed on the road after all of the political and religious bigwigs of the day refused help.  It was instruction to his disciples about the attitude he wanted them to carry into the world, one of service.  Likewise, Price shows how some urban kids slip through the cracks of today’s institutions.  It takes someone like Ray Mitchell, willing to take a hit for the little guy, to help right some of these wrongs.

As the book opens Ray has been the victim of an assault but refuses to identify his attacker.  This prompts the almost-retired detective Nerese to investigate, she a good Samaritan of sorts as well.  Her love is for police work.  “I mean what can I possibly get into out there that’s got half the juice of what I’m doing now, you know what I’m saying? Greatest show on earth…Run to trouble instead of away from it” (166).  For Nerese, police work epitomizes the good Samaritan, though she, too, is helped by Ray.  Her interviews with him become as much about her as him through Price’s storytelling.

Ray’s rationale for paying for the funeral: “Because money’s only money and it was a good way for me to come home…It’s like, you can live under many roofs in this life? But you’re always from one place” (194).

Ray on Danielle’s story-tellling: “Danielle was…not only the teller of the tale, but the tale itself made flesh—to Ray, an individual who saw personal history and anecdote and his ability to communicate through them as his lifeline to the rest of the world—his lifeline to love, expressing his love…”(198).   Ray is affected by stories, like when he is forced to act in his own scripted TV drama and he breaks down in tears impromptu, or when he melts whenever Salim asks for money (“Ray…decided, if not to believe Salim, to at least surrender to the emotion driving the story” (263)).  He cannot turn away from individual’s stories and their pain.  Price points to our ability to receive other people’s narratives as the key to empathy and making sense of some of the ugliness in the streets.

Late in the book Nerese must interview Nelson, Danielle and Freddy’s child.  As a good Samaritan, she longs to protect Nelson. “Nerese could handle rage, bluster and deceit; innocence was tricky” (275).  Part of Price’s success lies in such empathy for the people he portrays.  The book is underpinned by this need to guard Nelson from the world he is in.  Nerese feels it, and so does Ray.

In turn, Nelson becomes the catalyst for belief.  Nerese tells him, “You make me a believer, Nelson” (331).  This ties in well with the Biblical allusion, that real faith and belief inspires action.  It also reflects some of Price’s optimism.  This is tempered with realism, though.  Nerese chastise Ray for thinking he could be a reckless Samaritan.  “You reach out to a child like that, you cannot be oblivious to what you might be unleashing…you have good intentions and all, but you need too much to be liked and that’s a bad weakness to have. It makes you reckless. And it makes you dangerous” (342).  It’s not that his actions or heart is wrong, but the outcomes and indirect consequences of his unrestrained generosity.  Nerese is telling Ray that he counted all the cost yet of what it means to be a martyr.

Book Review: GRACIOUS LIVING ON SOCIAL SECURITY by Valerie Kent

Author: Valerie Kent
Title: Gracious Living on Social Security
Paperback: 130 pgs
Publisher: Tree Farm Books
Genre: Retirement Memoir
Language: English
ISBN: 978-0-615-21156-5

PURCHASE HERE

Gracious Living is an easy-to-read decade-long journey that offers tips and suggestions on how senior citizens can stretch their dollar and get the most for their money. Eleven chapters cover every important aspect of living together, from the wedding preparations to where to live. Key considerations follow each chapter for quick reference: considerations like where and when to buy clothing, choosing a place to live and juggling your finances. Artist Jeff Nitzberg adds his unique touch with original drawings introducing each chapter.

REVIEW:

Valerie Kent is my idol.  As I’m approaching that ripe old age in a few years, it does worry me that I’ll get there and won’t be prepared financially.  What Valerie has done was not turn her book, Gracious Living on Social Security, into a how to book with language a rocket scientist would only understand, she wrote it from her own perspective, using her own experiences to help those of us who are afraid that we’re going to get old and no way to support ourselves.  Not only that, she teaches us how to live not only well, but graciously, and after reading it, it did make a lot of sense and something we can all do no matter which end of the social ladder we are on.

Her story starts out by having her tell us about her marriage to Rick and how they had the wedding of their dreams for under $3,000.  The trick here was, as she explained, doing with what you have and getting friends to help.  Not only makes great sense, it gave me great ideas on what to do when or if my daughter ever takes the plunge.

Throughout the book, she tells of her life and how she lives graciously and you can’t help but to admire the woman.  Not only do I feel better about getting older, I now have a handbook that I will carry with me through the Golden Years.

Wonderful book and I would highly recommend it to everyone who has that fear factor of getting older and not being able to take care of themselves financially.  Valerie’s story exemplifies the determination a woman has to survive, no matter what the age.

I give this book 4.5 stars because of its usefulness, appearance and a wonderful and entertaining read.

Turning pain into praise: How to be whole in Christ

“12 Ways to Turn Your Pain Into Praise: Biblical Steps to Wholeness in Christ”
Blog Tour

Opening: I’m delighted to be here with you sharing about something that puts wind in my sails—helping people heal from emotional pain and lead empowered lives.

What a timely book, 12 WAYS TO TURN YOUR PAIN INTO PRAISE: BIBLICAL STEPS TO WHOLENESS IN CHRIST!  With our current economic and political climate we certainly need steps to turn our pain into praise.

I agree. I find that the same tools that help us deal with our damaged past can guide us through an insecure future. I wrote this book to help people who feel “stuck” because of the dysfunction, divorce, depression, abuse, grief and guilt in their lives, but I am walking through these same principals each day in my counseling office with folks who are dealing with the difficulties of job loss, anxiety, and marriage issues in a struggling economy.

You’re a counselor and an abuse survivor. Will you tell us a little of your story?
I grew up in the deep South and I wish I could say we spent happy hours saying,  “Yes Ma’am” and “No Sir” and “Good Night, John-Boy.” But nothing could be further from the truth.  In reality, I was ten years old before I realized that God’s last name wasn’t damn!  My Daddy took off when I was five, and raising four kids alone brought out the worst in my mother. She became abusive with a bust-your-lip, black-your-eye kind of punishment–the kind of pain that stings your face for a while but sears your soul for a lifetime.

The neighbor-lady from across the street took me to church, I found Christ and He changed my life. That church helped me get to Christian college. On my quest for my own healing, I became a Christian counselor and have had the privilege of working with God’s precious people for the past seventeen years in my office at a growing church in California.

You talk about one of those people, Donnetta Jean, as she moves through the steps to get the healing that she needs. Is she a real person?

Donnetta represents the many damaged people in today’s postmodern culture—distanced by pain from the God they desperately need.

When I read a self-help book, I love to see personal examples of the tools presented, but I find myself wondering how the person in the example turns out. In 12 Ways you get to walk through the process from start to finish as you see the healing of Donnetta Jean unfold. Then you know the path for your own healing.

You started each chapter with a word that starts with the letter “P.” That had to take some work.

Each chapter is one of the steps, and I did that to make them easy to remember. I’m at the stage of life when I stop and think and forget to start up again! Alliteration helps things stick in my head.

My first “P” is Perspective.  Chapter 3 and 4 include Prayer and the Power we find in God’s Word. They are pivotal parts of recovery, to be sure, but until we adjust our perspective to see what’s good in life, we can’t reap the benefit of prayer and scripture reading. Before I shifted my perspective, God could have parked a burning bush by my front door to convince me of His love, and I would have stamped out the fire and complained about the inconvenience!  It took a long time for me to train myself to see the cup half full instead of always seeing it half empty.  But without that fundamental change, it wouldn’t matter how much God intervened in my life to bring good, I wouldn’t see it as such.

Can you share the rest of your chapter titles?
1. Predicament: Donnetta Jean Jones
2. Perspective: Honey Let Me Tell Ya
3. Power: I Got a Rock (Which tells us what the Bible says about us.)
4. Prayer: Present In His Presence
5. People: We’re In This Together
6. Patience: Locust Lunch
7. Plan:  Jesus In the Rearview Mirror
8. Pardon: The Healing Power of Forgiveness
9. Provision: Jettisoning Emotional Baggage
10. Priorities:  Making the Main Thing the Main Thing
11. Passion:  Warts and All
12. Purpose: The Real Thing
Epilogue–Praise: Chocolate Chip Muffins.

This book can serve as a workbook for the reader as well, right?
Yes, at the end of each chapter, I’ve included an exercise titled, “Truster Reconstructer” to help the reader pause, ponder and personalize each step. I told you I like alliteration! If you complete the exercises in this book you will have the equivalent of 12 sessions of therapy. At the national average of $80 an hour, the price of one book is quite deal! But don’t stop with just one book. 12 Ways works as a powerful small group study. Each chapter presents an obstacle to faith and the scriptural solutions for that obstacle. Women have shared with me they feel like it is equivalent to 12 weeks of applicable Bible study.

In your chapter on People, your mentioned the importance of confidence only you didn’t call it self-esteem. You called it “Jesus-teem.” What does that look like?
We have heard enough over the past few years about self-esteem, but Scripture tells us that when we embrace the Lord’s view of ourselves, we’re free to be comfortable in our own skin. God’s view of us is revealed in his Word and through the compliments of others. In chapter 3 about the Power we find in the Bible, I have included a page full of verses with the personal pronouns left out and a blank space provided for you to write in your name. That way you can take ownership of each verse, let it soak into your soul, and change the way you feel about yourself.  When we can fully get our heads around how God feels about us, it changes the way we feel about ourselves. That’s Jesus-teem!

You mentioned compliments defining us. Can you explain that?

My old pastor used to say that compliments are bouquets thrown from the hand of God.
When we don’t take the compliments given to us, it’s as though we are ripping the heads off the flowers God has given us, throwing them to the ground, and stomping them. Compliments are God’s way of telling us who we are.  When we receive them it builds our confidence in the qualities and gifts He’s given us. But when we don’t, we remain static and self-critical.

I took those words to heart and stopped dismissing compliments some twenty years ago.  In that time God has had the opportunity to remake my self-image.  Before that I had to climb a ladder to look an ant in the eye!

“Jesus in the Rearview Mirror,” now there’s a title. Tell us about that chapter.
God has a plan for us, but many times the view we have of what is happening around us as we cruise through life is often challenging, even frightening. From our viewpoint, looking through the windshield, we only see calamity, but all the while God is working. Later, when we look back over our lives, as we peer into the rearview mirror, we are able to see the Plan that God was working out all along.  Recognizing God’s plan builds our faith.

In your chapter on Pardon you share about the healing power of forgiveness.  It’s not always easy to forgive someone who has caused us pain. Was that difficult for you?
It was one of the hardest things I had to do. That’s why I walk through the process with you. We learn that forgiveness doesn’t make the offender right; it just makes us free.  We also see that forgive and forget is not a biblical concept. Instead it’s forgive and set boundaries.

Sometimes the hardest person to forgive is ourselves, and many times we find that we have to forgive God because He didn’t do things the way we thought He should.

You present a powerful prayer exercise to help people unpack their emotional baggage in the chapter on Provision. What can you tell us about that?

Years ago a wonderful Christian counselor taught me this life-changing prayer exercise to help me dump the anger, hurt and resentment of my abuse. Until that point, I thought I would have to bear the burden of my painful childhood forever. But I walked out of her office that day a new person. I have had the privilege of sharing this gift many times in my office and now, I am sharing it for all to read. It’s enough that abuse victims have experienced pain, we don’t have to keep reliving it. We can be set free, thank God!

You tell Donetta’s story of healing and your own story in a way that keeps us turning the pages to see what’s going to happen next. Have you always been a storyteller?
I’ve always loved stories especially ones I can relate to. I recently published two stories in Chicken Soup for the Chocolate Lover’s Soul and one in Chicken Soul for the Tea Lover’s Soul and now What I Leaned From My Dog, due out in October 2009. I believe everybody has a story—a string of stories that make up life. In fact one of the steps in my book to turn pain into praise is to write down those moments in your life when God shows up—the stories of his faithfulness.  I call them “Monumental Moments.” After writing down my monumental moments for years, I filled a book with stories that was recently published by Warner Press.

My book of stories, Better Than Jewels: 31 Days of Biblical Insight for a Woman Seeking God is a devotional that starts each day with a scripture from Proverbs and a short relevant story to illustrate that verse. In it, I share more of how God miraculously intervened in my life to turn Tennessee trailer trash into a fully loved follower of Christ!  It’s currently available through Barnes & Noble, Amazon.com or on my website LindaNewtonSpeaks.com.
The pain in your life hasn’t hindered your sense of humor, has it?
I hope not! My goal for all the books I write is for the reader to laugh, learn, and leave each page feeling closer to the Lord.
Are you working another book?
Yes. My working title is You Can Fix Stupid: Seven Savvy Choices for Mind, Body and Soul. I deal with people everyday who are in terrible situations that were preventable. I want to give folks information to make better choices and avoid being “stupid.” I am working on a blog on my website that addresses these issues.

What else is on your agenda?
I love speaking and since my books have come out, God has opened doors for me to share with groups all over the world. Folks in today’s busy culture like to have teaching material accessible to play in their cars or on their computers. So I am making CD sets available for each of my retreat topics. Each set has 4, forty-minute talks in a handy labeled holder. They are available on my website LindaNewtonSpeaks.com.

Joy for the Journey: Peace For Your Path reviews some of the topics in 12 Ways to Turn Your Pain Into Praise.
He Delights in You: Rest in His Love helps the listener make the 12-inch drop from the head to the heart to truly understand how crazy God is about His kids—namely the one sitting in your seat!

Communication Drive: The Road to Caring Communication is a series presented at a communication workshop that teaches you how to “talk with the hand” not talk to the hand as often happens when we find ourselves in conflict!
Stress Management for the New Millennium: What to Do When Your Reality Check Bounces to offer tools to help the listener deal with the anxiety, anger and depression that modern culture manufactures. I’ve recently finished a series on how to get the most out of your prayer life. Women’s retreats are my passion and I would love to speak at yours.  You can contact me on my website.

Is there anything else you would like to tell us about your book?
Since the book’s release last fall I have heard feedback from readers and I can say with confidence that whether you are seeking tools to empower those you are helping or needing the tools to transform yourself, you will walk away from this book spiritually stronger as you learn to:
•    remove your offender’s face from God and stop blaming Him for life’s pain
•    stop renting space in your head to bad memories and offenses
•    relinquish the stinkin’ thinkin’ that causes you to emotionally circle the drain
•    stay constantly connected to Christ with time-tested tools to process your pain
•    realize your full potential as you seek God’s divine purpose for your life.

Closing: Thanks so much for having me on your blog. I hope your readers will visit me online at www.LindaNewtonSpeaks.com. Please remember that God deeply desires to turn your pain into to praise.

About the Author

Speaking God’s heart with warmth, enthusiasm, and stories filled with wisdom and humor, Linda Newton offers new understanding to what it means to be loved by God. Linda is a speaker, counselor, educator, women’s director, and pastor’s wife. After graduating from Azusa Pacific University, Linda and her husband Bruce, began pastoring a church with only thirty-five people in attendance. Now, over a thousand people call Sierra Pines Church home. As a speaker, her passion is to communicate God’s love. As a counselor, her focus is to illuminate God’s hope. As a women’s leader, her goal is to create a compelling program that will connect your group with Christ.

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Lipstick Apology by Jennifer Jabaley

Title: Lipstick Apology

Author: Jennifer Jabaley

Rating: 7/10

Summary: (Taken from Amazon)

Sometimes a good-bye is just the beginning…

When Emily Carson’s parents die in a plane crash, she’s left with nothing but her mother’s last words scrawled in lipstick on a tray table: “Emily, please forgive me.”

Now it’s fall and Emily moves to New York City— where she attracts the attention of two very different boys: the cute, popular Owen, and her quirky chemistry partner, Anthony. With the help of some surprising new friends, Emily must choose between the boy who helps her forget and the one who encourages her to remember, and ultimately heal.

Debut author Jennifer Jabaley has written a wonderful, feel-good romantic comedy with real emotional depth. Full of lovably wacky characters, Lipstick Apology is a heartwarming story about the true meaning of forgiveness.

My Thoughts: This is another one of those “meh” books. It’s neutral. I didn’t love it but I didn’t hate it.

The plot was definitely the strong point of the novel. It was original and it had a ton of potential.

The characters, while there was a unique set of them, fell flat. I didn’t feel like I knew any of them, there was little emotional connection, and some of their actions just seemed so random. For example, Emily’s outbursts. I understand that she had just lost her parents and was therefore having some emotional problems but the things she did were so…random. They were just there. I think if there had been a little more focus on the emotional reasoning behind it, it would have been so much more relatable.

I did really enjoy certain characters – Anthony and the one girl she befriends before a party (I completely forget her name now. Sorry.) because they were at least a little relatable and fun to read about it.

I felt the romance was also well done and her actions there were realistic.

Overall, I was disappointed by this novel but it definitely has redeeming qualities.

AURELIA by Anne Osterlund

Aurelia is the next in line for the throne of Tyralt. She’s rebellious, sarcastic, and sharp tongued but she’s the only reason why the people aren’t overthrowing her father. She truly cares about what the people thinks, and they can’t wait until she’s their ruler. So, why would anyone want to kill her? Over the last several months there have been numerous attempts at assassination, but the king keeps this a secret from her. Aurelia’s old classmate, Robert travels all the way to Tyralt from the countryside to protect her. As everything draws to an end, everything that Aurelia holds close is threatened as the secrets to who’s betraying her is revealed.

Aurelia has everything that I look for in a book: romance, adventure, and headstrong characters…I thought this book was very well written, and I liked how the author ended the book. I’ve watched many movies and read many books about royalty and I thought the ending was perfect. Life in royalty really is that harsh and I’m just happy that Aurelia got her version of a happy ending. I’ll definitely be reading more books by this author.

Ratings: 5/5

Time for a fluffy book

I’ve decided to read some lightweight books for a while.  All those books about drug abuse and terrorism were getting to me.

 

The Boys Next Door – Jennifer Echols

Part of the Romantic Comedy Series.  Lori lives next door to Adam and Sean.  Lori has a crush on Sean.  Sean steals away Adam’s girlfriend.  Lori and Adam pretend to go out to make Sean jealous.  Who does Lori end up with?

Enna Burning By Shannon Hale

This beautifully  written book describes the life of a young girl, Enna, who’s life is in constant struggle as she tries to control her magical abilities: The power to control fire. This power is eating away at her, threataning to burn her up, mentally and physically. Enna faces many dangers and tough decisions.

This book is amazing, sad and tragic, magical and awesome. I would reccomend it to everybody!

Boys Will Like MATISSE ON THE LOOSE, An Energetic Story of Mistakes and Mishaps

Dear Reader,

I just read Matisse on the Loose, a novel written by Georgia Bragg for readers 8-12. Matisse is an average 11-year-old boy with an embarrassingly UN-average family.

“My family is like the sun. It’s dangerous to look right at them. You have to look at them through a little hole in a box.

“For starters, Dad has his barbecue. It was specially made out of two oil drums welded together. Then Dad added the wheels with shock absorbers. It can hold a sixty-pound pig… He wheels it to pool parties, soccer games, and funerals—whatever—if someone’s paying him, he’ll be there.”

Matisse likes to kill time by forging the paintings hung in the museum where his mother works as head of security. His paintings look like the real thing, too real, so when he impulsively switches his painting with an original by Henri Matisse, he sets off a chain of problems that will take a genius–or a barbecue?–to resolve.

You’ll laugh at the predicaments Matisse gets himself into and smile as he “thinks” his way out of them.

The Twilight Saga

The Twilight Saga is excellent.  They are not your typical vampire stories.  Stephenie Meyer has brought vampire lore to a new level by increasing their ability to co-exist with humans in the everyday world.  She has done a beautiful job at creating, no only an engaging story, but well formed characters.  These are characters that draw you into their drama and make you care.  Each person you meet is well rounded and completely believable.  You could very well imagine any of them living next door or at least somewhere near by.

I saw the movie “Twilight” before reading the book.  My niece, who is obsessed with everything “Twilight” insisted that I read the books.  Knowing that I love to read, she loaned me her hardbound collectors set.  It didn’t take much coaxing since I have been fascinated with vampires for as long as I can remember.  Also, since I grew up in Washington state I was drawn to each setting.  These are real places on the west coast of the state close to where I was raised.  It was a wonderful plus for me.

Each book has its own strong points, but “Twilight” (book one) and “Breaking Dawn” (book four) are my personal favorites.  Seeing the movie told me that I had to read the book and once I began reading there was no pulling me out of the story.  The first book draws you closer into knowing the inner being of the Cullen family.  You quickly learn to love each one, well almost everyone . . . you’ll love Rosalie later.

In “New Moon” the story slows somewhat.  Bella is recovering from serious injuries and in the attempt to keep her safe, Edward feels the need to leave.  This only makes life for Bella worse.  She is plagued by nightmares and depression.  If that isn’t enough for her to deal with, she’s also being stalked by a female vampire who is out for revenge.   In her pain Bella turns to her family friend Jacob for comfort and distraction.  It is while she growing closer to Jacob that she begins hearing Edward’s voice in her head each time she puts herself in danger.  With this revelation, Alice mistakes a vision which pushes Edward to the point of suicide causing Alice to basically kidnap Bella in order to save Edward from certain death by the hands of the Volturi.

The love story between Bella and Edward is alive and well in book three “Eclipse” much to Charlie’s disapproval; however, Jacob has it set in his mind that he will win Bella’s heart away from Edward.  While we met the werewolves in the second book, we get to know them and their lore much better in book three.  As the wolf pack on the Quiliute reservation grows,  life gets more interesting for the Cullen family with the realization that a killing spree in Seattle is the doings of a group of vampire newborns.  Knowing that if the newborns are not controlled the Volturi will come and take care of the problem themselves, the Cullen’s devise a plan creating a truce between the werewolf pack and the Cullens.  “Eclipse” will keep you glued to the page, each chapter leaving you wanting to read on.

“Breaking Dawn” is full of none-stop action, romance, suspense, and more romance.  The wolf pack is growing, and the Cullens have to seek out old friends to stand as witnesses in their defense against the Volturi who are desprite to inflict their form of justice upon them for something they have been accused of creating.  Bella’s gives in to Edward’s request and her life, once again is in grave danger, but saved by immortality.  This book ends on a very happy note, leaving things wide open to more books . . . I hope!

Franklin Booth: American Illustrator

Editor: Manuel Auad

Publisher: Auad Publishing

Date Published: 2005

Pages: 128

Franklin Booth is one of the most important and influential artists of the nineteenth and twentieth centures. He is a true master of the pen and brush and his remarkable talent continues to amaze. In this richly illustrated volume featuring rarely seen artwork, Eisner Award winning editor Manuel Auad offers a glimpse into the breath taking vision of this incredible American Illustrator.

Despite the colour cover, Franklin Booth is renowned for his black and white illustrations (which makes the cover image, whilst beautiful, a poor choice to represent the gist of his works). Upon coming across his skilled and enormously beautiful works I decided to purchase a collection of his art.

Richly detailed is a gargantuan understatement, yet Booth has the super human ability to flood a work with a radical amount of black and end up with a balanced and controlled piece. These are works that could be studied for sheer technical ability for hours, even if one didn’t really like the content of the images. He touches all manner of subjects, from pyramids in the shadow of sky-scrapers, the simple splendour of farmland and people in day to day activities. Everything is represented with a dignified grace, almost the personification of ‘the good old days’. In particular, the American landscape is held in reverence.

Nostalgia and romanticism are a key part of Booth’s art and it’s importance to the American people. Classical Greek civilization, and the assumptions of intelligence and sophistication awarded them, are largely represented in his art as being hand in hand with the United States. Whilst at times this may be a little syrupy, one of the elements of Booth’s work that brings me so much joy is the feeling of hope that exudes from his images. The future is presented as bright, the horizon is glorious and, above all, humanity will prosper in culture and technology. He seems to encapsulate the ‘American dream’ before it became suburbanised -  the idea that The New World will be different.

Many of Booth’s works were used for advertising purposes and for columns in magazines, which creates images of odd shapes and sizes.  This makes the layout very challenging, which for the most part Manuel manages quite well by fitting similarly shaped pictures together like puzzle pieces. Occasionally a piece will seem out of place or ‘pasted in’, but they have also responded by grouping quotes in the gaps. The layout is quite basic and at times the constant changing of fonts can be irritating.

The foreward by Auad Manuel and biography by Howard C Caldwell are well written and their adoration of Booth is captured skillfully. The pages are littered with quotes from many prominent American figures such as Gordan Grant, Frank Reilly and Norman Rockwell who elegantly explain their adoration of Booth’s art.

Sometimes the open exalting becomes a little too much; this is a book very much aimed at the American public, who have already been won over, and a little more discretion could have been practiced. As an foreigner, it is obvious that some of these accolades have been heaped on in order to create a classic American artist, something which a young country is desperate to accomplish. (I’m Australian, so I’m aware of how having a short history can make the cultural communities feel a bit over enthusiastic in praising their few talented compatriots). I think that some of the open ‘isn’t Franklin awesome?’ moments could have been avoided and the editor should have let the artwork speak for itself.

Although Booth’s work is not engaging in its nature – it does not seek to challenge notions or its audience as modern art intends to – its superb craftsmanship and inspiring beauty make it worthy of notice. ‘Franklin Booth: American Illustrator’ is well composed dedication to a much loved artist.

♥♥♥½ – 3½/5

Review - a curious incident of the dog in the night-time

   I opened a curious incident of the dog in the night without any idea as to what I was about to encounter.  Immediately thrust into a murder scene, I was already pondering many situations that would provoke such an attack.  The main character, Christopher, keeps the suspense at bay with his simple word choices while maintaining an underlying desire to solve this mystery.  Haddon develops a real and new idea when he portrays Christopher as an autistic child enveloped in this murderous case.  Christopher continually informs the reader that he is writing this book, keeping the reader in the present.  This mechanic is a great way to keep the reader interested, because he/she knows that the writer is unaware of the answer and is solving the case at the same pace as the reader.  Haddon certainly places unexpected twists and turns into the mystery, removing the disappointment I personally felt when I predicted who the murderer was 100 pages before it was revealed.  This text draws in many audiences with rampant and real life conflict. The reader interacts with various subjects ranging from dysfunctional families and love affairs to violence and identity crises.  Though a short and simple novel, I would recommend this to anyone.  It’s a great book to relax with on the couch on a rainy day.

Causing a Scene by Charlie Todd and Alex Scordelis - A Book Review

This book reflects upon some of the most successful missions completed by Improv Everywhere, a New York based comedy group that stages harmless—though chaotic—pranks throughout the city.  Examples include (my personal favorite) an Anton Chekhov book signing at Barnes and Noble, an Olympic Trial synchronized swimming bid in the Washington Square Park fountain, and how they froze time in Grand Central Terminal.

The book is very well-organized with firsthand accounts from the actual agents who both planned and participated in the missions.  There are photographs from the events, as well as reflections.  They even went so far as to include quotes from famous figures that relate to the pranks in question.

I particularly enjoyed the writers’ style and tone.  They were very engaging and their sense of humor shined through the print.  It’s hard to convey humor through the written word, but Todd and Scordelis manage to pull it off nicely.  They even infused a few pranks within the book itself (which took me longer to spot than I care to admit)!

If you’re a fan of brilliant and victimless pranks, then I highly recommend you give Causing a Scene a try.  Believe it or not, I’d never heard of Improv Anywhere before reading this book.  Now I can’t wait to visit their website and watch the video evidence of their exploits!

Dead Men's Dust

Written by Matt Hilton
Published by Hodder & Stoughton 2009

The running man conspiracy continues! No, not really. I am not going to discuss the cover artwork for Matt Hilton’s Dead Men’s Dust. The running man has already had a good run (sorry about that) in the blogosphere. I thought it was time to actually delve inside, and I am pleased to report that Dead Men’s Dust is a cracking good thriller.

The opening is a ball-tearer, with the character Joe Hunter, from the outset proving that he has the skill set to help the small people of the world. Because that is what Joe Hunter does – he helps people. To put an espionage twist to it, Hunter is a bit like Robert McCall in the Equalizer, or even Michael Westen in Burn Notice. He’s a man who has been around the block – so to speak – and learnt a trick or two along the way. Now he has left that world behind and helps out people who aren’t able to protect themselves from the bullies of the world. But Hunter’s past is a bit vague. As he explains on page 59:

‘I hadn’t been a secret agent; it wasn’t for me to use guile and trickery to root out the bad guys. I was the weapon sent in when all the planning was done with and all that was left was the arse-kicking. Arse-kicking I was good at. It got results.’

Joe Hunter’s mission on this occasion, is a personal one. His estranged half-brother, John Tefler has gone missing in the U.S. of A. John has always been a bit of a try-hard schemer – only his schemes and his luck never seem to work out. Joe has to track down his brother, who has not only managed to attract the unwanted attention of the Syndicate, after he disappears with some counterfeit money printing plates, but also the attention of one of America’s most brutal serial killers, Tubal Cain.

Dead Men’s Dust is written in two styles, alternating chapter by chapter. The first style is first person and the story is viewed from Joe Hunter’s point of view. This is effective to a point, but towards the middle of the book it is a bit frustrating because of the other events happening in the book – but let me explain. The other style, every second chapter is written in third person and recounts the gruesome exploits of Tubal Cain. As we move through the story, Tubal Cain moves ahead of Joe Hunter in the story arc, and as such in the middle there is a small portion where Hunter is really playing catch up and planning his next move – while we readers are far ahead of him. Thankfully Hilton keeps these chapters relatively brief. The frustrating thing here is that Hunter is such an enjoyable character, especially when he is ‘let loose’ that we are left wanting and waiting. But we don’t have to wait for too long and the tense, atmospheric ending is well worth it.

Overall, I’d say that Dead Men’s Dust is a bloody good read. It does what it aims to do – and that is provide a rollercoaster ride riddled with bullets and broken bones, and it is packaged with a slick sense of style and pace. The publisher, Hodder & Stoughton, certainly did the right thing by Hilton down in Australia. Especially on a ’street level’ where bright yellow and magenta Joe Hunter posters covered every wall and building site hording. In store it was backed up with a ‘publishers promise’ – enjoy the book or your money back. Well, they’re are pretty safe. I enjoyed Dead Men’s Dust from the knee splintering opening to the gruesome knife wielding last pages, and I am eagerly looking forward to the follow up Judgment and Wrath which is due out later this year.

Just a brief warning – this story does feature a serial killer – a serial killer whose prefered weapon is a scaling knife – so if you’re a little bit queasy then this may not be the book for you.

From the back:

‘Some may call me a vigilante. I think I’ve just got problems to fix.’

Right now, Joe Hunter’s big problem is a missing little brother, last seen fleeing the site of a gruesome killing. Hunter needs the help of an old army buddy, a whole lot of hardware and a trip to Little Rock, Arkansas, to fix this particular problem.

A brutal encounter with some very nasty criminals leaves Hunter fighting for his life. And that’s before he comes up against America’s most feared serial killer, ‘The Harvestman’, and his grisly souvenirs of death. ] But blood is thicker than water. And a lot of blood will be spilt . . . ]

DEAD MEN’S DUST introduces Joe Hunter, an all action hero with a strong moral code. Like the gunslingers of the Wild West, Hunter is not afraid to use his weapons and his fists – but only to save the victims from the bad guys.

Book Review: Thanksgiving At The Inn

Author: Tim Whitney

Published: October 2009

Publisher: Bancroft Press

Genre: YA Fiction

ISBN-10: 1890862649

ISBN-13: 978-1890862640

9.5/10

Ever since his mother left, life has’t been easy for Heath Wellington III. Between his father’s (Junior’s) bouts with alcoholism and literary rejection, and Heath’s own wrongful suspension from school, there hasn’t been all that much to be thankful for.

But following the tragic death of estranged grandfather Senior, father and son alike stand to inherit a life-changing fortune . . . with one catch.

Heath and Junior must spend the next three months managing Senior’s bed and breakfast, located in the same Massachusetts home Junior has spent the last eight years trying to escape.

Upended from his everyday life and relocated to a town where everyone knew and loved the grandfather he can’t even remember, Heath finds an inn full of some of the strangest people he’s ever met, such as:

* Winsted, the old, wise Jamaican man who used to lead the prayers in Senior s factory;

* Mrs. Farrel, an elderly woman giving away her late husband’s fortune letter by letter;

* Mustang Sally, the muscle-bound, tattooed grease monkey who doubles as a children’s author;

* And Carter, the silent TV news junkie and secret Harvard graduate.

And, at a nearby school is Savannah, Junior’s first love, and her adorable, autistic daughter, Tori.

But most of all, there’s Junior himself, vinegar to Heath’s oil. As Heath adjusts to his new world, what he needs most is to start anew with his father, to understand that Junior, too, is dealing with loss, and to realize that, even in the most tragic of times, there’s a lot in life to be thankful for.

Now MY take on it:

It’s been a while since I’ve read such a “feel good” story. And at first, you don’t realize that the book will turn out like that. You just think that Heath and Junior will argue and the book will end like that. But was I wrong! Every single character has tons of personality and some of them may even remind you of your own friends or family! I know they remind me of a few people I know. And for those that didn’t remind me, I wanted to hang out with them there at the Inn. Everyone has their own situations to deal with in the book, and it reminds you of our own and how you can conquer it. With anger, laughter, sadness, and family values come into play with every single page and chapter. While Amazon says its for ages 9-12, every age can learn from it. You’re never too old to learn a life lesson. You get a new found sense of love for your family and strangers you meet. You can either be someone who has the problem but doesn’t do anything about it. You can be someone who wants to do something about it but not sure what. Or you can be that person that finally changes everything around. That’s what you’ll learn. I promise.

American Bloomsbury

In preparation for our trip to New England, I’ve once again picked up American Bloomsbury, which is about Emerson, Thoreau, Hawthorne, the Alcotts, and Margaret Fuller, the writers who shaped American literature. Susan Cheever attempts to portray the real lives of these auspicious men and women. She states in chapter 1: “[T]his is not only a story about ideas and their power to form a national identity; it’s about love triangles and the difficulties of raising children, about grief and inspiration and bad advice and passionate friendships, about the ebb and flow of daily life in the New England seasons of  a small town.” Sounds good, right?

Cheever has done loads of research, and much of the stories are written in narrative form, which gives the book an air of fiction. She also makes bold statements about their lives; sometimes, it’s amusing (see following quote on Emerson) and sometimes, it’s annoying. I started reading this last year, when we initially planned our New England trip, and couldn’t even make it through part 1. I didn’t want my perceptions of Thoreau, Emerson, and the others to be ruined by her opinions. I have since decided to give it another chance.

Some points that Cheever makes:

1. Emerson, with the money left to him by his first wife, who died young of TB, supported all of his fellow thinkers and writers at some time or another. Cheever states:

Emerson wrote some wonderful lines, and some true biographical portraits, but it is as the sugar daddy of American literature that he really takes his place in the pantheon of Concord writers.

Of what I had previously read, this is the statement that I distinctly remembered, one that makes me smile a little every time I think of it. I wonder what Emerson would think of this particular phrasing?

2. I’m not really a fan of Bronson Alcott (Louisa May’s father), so this book hasn’t really skewed my perception of him. Still, I found Cheever’s statements about his marriage with Abba Alcott to be interesting:

Bronson Alcott, in his doomed consociate society, believed that marriage shouldn’t limit a man’s ability to be with other women or a woman’s ability to be with other men, a freedom that rang hollow to his wife, who had no desire to be with other men and less and less desire to be with Alcott himself.

Alcott, though beloved by Louisa May, was not a good husband and father. He spent a lot of time away from home, visiting other areas of New England, and even England on occassion, teaching his radical beliefs on education (not all of which are bad, admittedly), and attempting to persuade others to his ideology of communal living. (Granted, I’m all for communal living, but Alcott attempted to live communally, with far too many social freedoms, and a lack of intelligence about farming and gardening. He didn’t believe in milking the cows or using the animals to plow and was, therefore, a terrible agrarian.)

3. Cheever talks way too much about sex in this book. The way she tells it, the Concord Transcendentalists were all having affairs with each other. The married men Emerson and Hawthorne were both in love with Margaret Fuller, young Louisa May Alcott loved both Emerson and Thoreau, and Thoreau was in love with Emerson’s wife, Lidian. She also even speculates on whether Thoreau was gay.

On that note, however, I tend to agree with some of what she says. While Cheever believes the other authors’ sexuality greatly influenced their word (i.e. Hawthorne’s infatuation with Margaret Fuller was the basis of both The Blithedale Romance and The Scarlet Letter), she states about Thoreau:

[I]t isn’t clear that Thoreau’s sexuality affected his life at all. It’s a twenty-first century question directly at an emphatically nineteenth-century personality. What is to be said about a man whose connections to birds and fish and all living things sustained him in a way that his connections to other people could never do?

That seems more fitting with the ideas I’ve had about Thoreau–the man who loved Nature and was so in tune with the trees and the animals that he sort of wandered through the rest of his life in a sort of daze.

Cheever’s discussion on Walden might be my favorite parts of the whole book. She writes:

Freed from his daily indebtedness to Emerson, [Thoreau] wrote as if awakening, and the sense of awakening runs through the book. Walden is the first American memoir, the first book in which the days and nights of an autobiographical, confessional narrator are the central plotline. Thoreau invented nature writing and memoir writing in one swift, brilliant stroke.

In regards to the popularity that Walden has in present-day America, Cheever states:

Walden is a masterpiece, but it is generally cited more than it is read. The mention of Walden in polite society inevitably elicits great praise. “My favorite book,” someone says. Or, “I live by that book.” What they mean is that they know about the book and take it to be a hand book for the simpler life they might want to lead, if they ever got tired of making money and going to parties, or if they ever came to believe that the status in their community that makes them comforatable was really not important at all.

So true. I love Walden–for those reasons. Ideally, I’d like to live a simple life, free of clutter and materialism. But all you need to do is walk in my room, where piles of stuff clutter my life and wonder where the simplicity is.

All in all, I’d say this book definitely improves as one keeps reading. Cheever, I think, sometimes takes too much liberty in telling these stories–I think she assumes too much about the details of their lives that we could never actually know. And as much as I like New Historicism, there’s something to be said for limiting the details of the author’s life–I don’t think knowing every detail about Hawthorne’s supposed love affair with Fuller should in any way influence my reading of The Scarlet Letter. His Puritan ancestry…yes, it’s quite important. I don’t think his sexual life is. And with that, I’m finished.

I read this book over the course of the day yesterday, and this morning, I dreamed that I was sitting in some house in Concord having a fantastic discussion with Emerson, Thoreau, Hawthorne, Louisa May Alcott, and Margaret Fuller. I don’t remember what we were discussing, but I know we were all friends.

Big Round Heart

The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things

By Carolyn Mackler

Cambridge, Candlewick, 2003, 246 pgs.

Virginia Shreves is an overweight teenager. Unfortunately, she defines herself as fat and nothing else. Virginia feels like an outcast in her family. Her brother, sister, father, and mother are all thin, dark-haired and attractive. Virginia has blond hair and is well, not thin. Her mother forces her to see nutrition specialists and Virginia takes one diet too far. However, Virginia does have a flair for writing lists. She writes the Fat Girl Code of Conduct, rules she feels she has to follow with guys because of her weight. Rule number one is: “Sexual activity is a secret. No public displays of affection. No air-kisses blown across the cafeteria. No carefully folded notes passed in the hall. No riding the moped in public.” The ‘moped’ Virginia refers to comes from a joke she heard about the commonality between fat girls and mopeds: they’re both fun to ride, as long as your friends don’t see you. Virginia actually has a boy interested in her, Froggy Welsh the Fourth but she believes he will never want to be her boyfriend and that all he likes is making out with her in private.

In a surprising twist of events, Virginia discovers her brother Byron is not what he seems. She has always idolized him growing up but when he is sent home from college at Columbia for date rape, Virginia’s world is turned upside down. She is sick over what her brother has done, stops dieting, and starts to become rebellious toward her parents who still show Byron unwarranted favoritism. Virginia uses her savings to buy a plane ticket to Seattle in order to visit a friend for Thanksgiving though her parents have forbidden her to go. When she is in Seattle, Virginia gets her eyebrow pierced, which is another hard trick to swallow for her mother the teen psychologist.  Then in a third act of rebellion and self expression, Virginia dies her hair bright purple for a holiday party to match a dress her mother doesn’t like.

In the end, Virginia comes to accept herself for who she is, despite what her parents think of her weight. She starts a webzine at her school called Earthquack and kisses Froggy Welsh the Fourth in public, because he actually wants her to. In the meantime, she finally earns her mother’s respect.

On several occasions while reading this book, I closed it and said, “Oh my God that’s so awful! It breaks my heart!” My heart really went out to Virginia Shreves. I’ve always weighed slightly more than most of my peers so I really understood what she was going through and I wanted to tell her, “you’re wonderful just the way you are!” I’m sure I’m not the only reader that will think that when reading this novel. When I picked this book, I was expecting much more tongue-in-cheek humor and was surprised at the shockingly serious plot developments such as Byron’s date rape case. I think this book would appeal to just about every teen girl with low self esteem (which is almost all of them). The cover is flashy but the title will definitely draw readers in. I didn’t really see any weaknesses in this book so I give it a 5Q and a 3P VOYA rating.

Bird by Rita Murphy

This is a review of the advance reader copy I received at ALA 2008.

A touch of fantasy, a hint of horror, and a sprinkling of mystery, Bird has the rather formal tone reminescent of classics like The Little White Horse and Anne of Green Gables. It is enchanting, if rather mellow. The house has a sinister quality that lurks throughout and kept me on edge. I read it in one sitting.

The whimsical cover grabbed my attention and I was hooked by the idea of a girl slight enough to be carried away by the wind. It reminded me of Miyazaki’s Laputa (Castle in the Sky) and Howl’s Moving Castle.

Summer Reading 7...

A Review of “The Entitled” by Frank DeFord

By Corianne Egan

 

 

 

 

Baseball is full of characters. It was only a matter of time until the off-field antics of the modern day ball player would be turned into a movie or novel. Frank DeFord took the firs step in writing “The Entitled”.

DeFord’s book is a baseball drama concentrating on the relationship between a baseball manager and his biggest star. He digs into an intimate baseball world that only distinguished writers like himself are privy to, detailing a manager’s struggle to get (and more importantly, keep) a job in the majors.

While “The Entitled” is completely fictional, parts of the novel closely resemble a certain major league star in real life. After reading Selena Robert’s exposé of Alex Rodriguez, DeFord’s superstar, Jay Alcazar, looks, acts, and feels a little less make believe. Alcazar goes as far as to have the same mannerisms (a Latin identity crisis, a fake media persona… do I need to continue?). It makes you wonder if DeFord knew something we all didn’t years before anyone could even wonder.

DeFord’s book is refreshing in that it talks about baseball and controversies but steers clear of the ultimate controversy – steroids. It’s nice to talk about problems that do not involve cheating or the integrity of the sport. “The Entitled” is a display of (yet again, a reoccurring theme) what happens when unlimited money combines with a large ego.

The relationship between manager and player is one of the most speculated about, but most private, relationships in baseball. The struggle between old time baseball and new order moneyball is also an underlying struggle. DeFord puts both into “The Entitled”, making it one of the most timeless fictional novels on the shelves.

“The Entitled” is a new view into the baseball world and how things really word. It’s the only fictional work on the Summer Reading list so far, but after a full read through, there’s no doubt it could be true. It’s dynamic, powerful, and gripping… because there’s always that thought – the voice in the back of a sports fan’s head – saying that there’s a possibility it could really happen.

Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Twain, Mark. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. New York: Oxford University Press, 1996.

A classic is a classic is a classic. No doubt about it. My copy of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer was a facsimile of the first American edition so it includes the original illustrations, typeset, etc. This made reading really fun because the illustrations really add to the story. Truth be known, I had forgotten a great deal of the plot. While I remembered Tom was a troublemaker, I couldn’t remember details of his escapades. I’m glad I reread this.

Tom Sawyer is a typical Southern boy looking for adventure. I don’t think there are many young boys that would skin a cat or fake his own death so that he might attend the funeral, but the mischief of such a boy has always been there…and will always be there, too! Tom lives with his auntie and while he is well loved he is always looking for ways to run away. His sidekick, Huck Finn is eager to join him in adventures “down river.” Both are “smarties” as my grandfather would say. Showing off for their peers, and besting the adults -there is never a dull moment in Tom Sawyer’s world.

Two favorite lines: “The strangling hero sprung up with a relieving snort” (p 40), and “Huckleberry was cordially hated…” (p 63).

BookLust Twist: From Book Lust in the chapter called, “Literary Lives: The Americans” (p 145).

Citizen of the Galaxy by Robert Heinlein

Individually, Heinlein’s prominent adult fiction is more widely known and read (Stranger in a Strange Land, Starship Troopers) but I think the argument can be made that his juvenile (or young adult or whatever the proper term is these days) novels have held up the best over time. I haven’t read enough of either side of his work to make any pronouncements on this question, but I can vouch for Citizen of the Galaxy as a light, engaging read. The plot certainly sounds like the sort of wish-fulfillment trash that clutters young adult shelves: Thorby is an orphan captured by slavers has the good fortune to be taken in by a wise old beggar. He learns street smarts on the mean streets while the beggar teaches him reading and mathematics at night, then as a teenager he manages to escape poverty to become a crewman on a trading spaceship, and from there continues to bigger things, all the while on a quest to discover his true identity. This is a science fiction version of a very, very old sort of story, so I don’t think I’m spoiling anything when I mention in the end it turns out he is the scion of an aristocratic family and must defeat those who would deny him his inheritance.

I said this sounds a lot like wish-fulfillment. I guess there’s nothing wrong with a little wish-fulfillment escapism in moderation, but particularly in children’s fiction I think it’s the literary equivalent of junk food. What’s interesting is that Heinlein, ever the ideologue, uses this framework to impart some very, dare I say, edifying ideas. Don’t get me wrong, this is still a rollicking adventure story that pulls the reader along for the ride, but this turns out to be a candy coating. The first hint is that as the protagonist’s life progresses through stages from grim existence to ever more elevated positions (beggar, trader crewman, soldier, magnate) he becomes less and less happy. Toward the end, after shocking a long lost relative with a brief account of his early life, he laments that his days as a beggar were the happiest of his life. Every time he achieved a higher status, he became more burdened with obligations and more isolated. This wasn’t poor fortune. Each step of the way, Thorby has the option of rejecting the higher calling (fighting the institution of slavery) he inherited from the beggar who adopted him and living a simple life. His final decision to reject decadence is the climax of the novel. Once he is set on putting the liberation of other slaves ahead of his own life, the book ends. He doesn’t actually achieve any of his goals, and while he has unearthed a sinister conspiracy he has barely begun to try to defeat it. In a normal story, this would be the middle.

But for Heinlein it is the end, because the book is not about the defeat of slavery in human space, it’s about a young man finding a way to live ethically in a difficult world. Unlike a lot of children’s entertainment that pats itself on the back for the most banal of themes (friends are good!), this is genuinely edifying. Unlike Heinlein’s adult work, the message here is broad enough that I think pretty much everyone can agree with it. While this is entertaining for adults as light reading, I’d mainly recommend this for younger readers.

Applaud the Author

“I found From Mayor To Fool: The Psyography Of A Middle Class Man a difficult book to read. The book is a collection of transcripts from several conversations the author has with people in his life. The transcripts include his personal thoughts and experiences written in the format of a play. In his conversations, the author takes a close look at his life in an attempt to improve it. He examines the struggles in his life as a middle class man.

I applaud the author for putting his life into a story for everyone to read and critique.”

— Lonna H., Chesapeake Virginia USA

Feedback about book “From Mayor to Fool” via Amazon.com – 07/05/2009

Tim Mayeur © 2009

Perfume: The Story Of A Murderer

Author: Patrick Suskind

Publisher: Penguin

Date Published: 1985

Pages: 263

Patrick Suskind’s Perfume follows the life of Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, abandoned at birth in the slums of eighteenth-century Paris, but blessed with an outstanding sense of smell. This gift enables Jean-Baptiste to master the art of perfume making, but one scent evades him: that of a virgin, whom he must possess to ensure her innocence and beauty are preserved. Laced with sense and suspense, this is a beguiling tale of lust, desire and deadly obsession.

I accidently watched the end of the ‘Perfume’ film (generally I run away with my hands over my ears if I happen across a movie adaption of a book I haven’t read yet, but I was stuck this time). Given the interesting nature of the ending, I quickly decided to pick up the novel.

Perfume is a small to medium sized book (depending on your reading speed and habits) of only 263 pages. I read the first page and I was hooked. Despite reading a great deal, and loving or at least appreciating most of the literature I come across, that immediate reaction of ‘oh my, this is awesome’ is still quite rare and elusive. Seeing the movie ending beforehand only made me appreciate the writing skills of Suskind – the gravity of the scenes were still tantamount due to his writing prowess, despite my knowledge of events.

Suskind’s description of the world through the lens of Grenouille is astoundingly brilliant. My nose was suddenly awoken to another world we largely ignore. He gives new meaning to the words ’sensual’ and ‘olfactorily’. His opening description of Paris and the stench of humanity is incredible, however the layers of detail are built upon and made even more complex once Grenouille is brought directly into the plot (for instance, Suskind can even describe the smell of glass convincingly. I have since been sniffing glass). ‘Perfume’ from the outset is a unique concept, even before this extraordinary sense of smell is placed within a demented murderer.

Grenouille, as far as sociopaths go, is far more bearable than the likes of Patrick Bateman. He is grotesque, however the fascinating world he lives in saves the character. Instead of being barren (or even worse being boring) Grenouille’s actions and perceptions are lively. He exists in an entirely different reality to humankind – including vastly different desires and a complete lack of compassion or empathy – where humans are merely vague echoes of their scents and the pungent world around him is a symphony of stenches. His grandiose thoughts are sometimes comical and ridiculous, but mostly callous and odd. However, Suskind seems to have realised that being drenched in this state of soullessness could become tiresome, as the audience often shifts between characters. The other characters such as Madame Gaillard and Richis are equally fascinating, textured  and idiosyncratic. I particularly enjoyed reading Baldini. The ancient processes of perfumery are described lovingly and make you appreciate the art and passion of the craft.

There are many skills in Suskind’s writing style which are executed spectacularly. He seamlessly switches perspectives between characters and omnipotent narrator, as well as between first and second person. Suskind also steps beyond the 1700’s to quickly explain notions such as volatile substances in liquids from a scientific standpoint, before jumping back to the 18th Century. This especially assists our understanding, and thus the entertaining aspects, of Grenouille as he hardly seems to understand himself at all.

The intelligence and wit of Suskind are combined fabulously with the rich, crazed world of Grenouille and his sensory perceptions of humanity. ‘Perfume’ will captivate lovers of modern classics and casual readers alike.

♥♥♥♥♥ – 5/5

The Girl Who Stopped Swimming ~ Joshilyn Jackson

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Genre: Mystery

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

319 pages

ISBN: 9780446697828

Laurel Gray Hawthorne has created a peaceful life in suburban Florida. David, her husband and world class super geek, is a successful coder; her 13-year-old daughter, Shelby, is a spectacular dancer and social butterfly. Laurel, herself, has found a fair amount of success as an artist and is generally content living in her quiet, gated community.

All floats smoothly along until Laurel, a notorious sleepwalker, takes a midnight stroll one summer night, finding herself face with one of Shelby’s friends who appears to be only partially there. Laurel is led to the backyard pool by the specter, where the very same girl is lying, lifeless, in the water.

Although the authorities are willing to let the incident pass as teenage negligence, Laurel is unconvinced. She enlists the help of her sister, an often estranged, sometimes beloved, always eccentric theater owner living in Mobile who is intent on shaking up Laurel’s picture perfect delusions of comfort. The duo begins digging in the town’s gossip circle as well as the family’s deep roots to uncover a darker mystery than the police suspect.

Joshilyn Jackson’s The Girl Who Stopped Swimming was my first mystery read (yes, ever) and my second southern literature. I feel a bit like I cheated in both categories. I expected wince-worthy gore and ghosts regarding the former and long drawn out descriptions regarding the latter.

I was pleased that neither turned out to be true. The writing moves quickly and energetically while still maintaining an authentic commentary on small town Southern living. The analysis of the region digs deeper than many pieces in the same vein, covering cultural and class diversity all within a day’s drive. Jackson also does a fantastic job of capturing tumultuous family dynamics, generation to generation without dragging the reader through too much backlog.

With respect to the supernatural portion, it was neither cheesy nor violent and at times even tender and endearing. Thrill-seekers shouldn’t be daunted by this lovey-dovy description, though; there is fun to be found! While some of the hard edges are softened by the emotional buffering of the family thread, there is quite enough adventure to satisfy seasoned mystery readers.

I picked the book up as light summer reading to clear my head and while the prose is easily digested, the storyline itself is deeper than the average page turner, making it a good, albeit substantial, beach read. The Girl Who Stopped Swimming gets two thumbs up from this novice mystery reader.

Buy this book from indiebound.org

Discerning Reader Reviews Living for god's Glory

Keith Mathison writes,

Beeke explains the reason for this book in his Introduction:

For many years, I have searched for a book that would cover the intellectual and spiritual emphases of Calvinism, the way it influences the church and everyday living, and its ethical and cultural implications. The book I had in mind would explain for today’s reader the biblical, God-centered, heartfelt, winsome, and practical nature of Calvinism, and would clearly convey how Calvinism earnestly seeks to meet the purpose for which we were created, namely, to live to the glory of God. By doing so, it would serve as a corrective to the many caricatures of Calvinism that still exist in North America and beyond.

Unable to find a single book that fit the bill, Dr. Beeke has written it himself, with the help of several co-authors.

Living for God’s Glory is divided into six parts with a total of twenty-eight chapters. Of these twenty-eight chapters, Beeke himself has contributed eighteen. The remaining ten chapters consist of contributions by Dr. Sinclair Ferguson, Dr. James M. Grier, Dr. Michael A.G. Haykin, Dr. Nelson D. Kloosterman, Rev. Ray B. Lanning, Dr. Robert W. Oliver, Ray Pennings, and Dr. Derek W.H. Thomas. All of these men are gifted authors, and their chapters are consistently well-written.

For the full review, read here.

I love children's literature

Inspired by Katyboo, who wrote about some of her favourite children’s books in this post, I decided it was time for a list of my own.
I’m choosing to ignore the more obvious titles. While I do love the Narnia books, Charlotte’s Web, Winnie the Pooh,  Heidi and pretty much everything by Roald Dahl I don’t think you need me to tell you what they’re about. Instead I’m going to concentrate on the (hopefully) more unusual books that many of you out there may not have heard of but – in my opinion – should really read if you’re at all interested in books for children.

The Final Journey by Gudrun Pausewang
(Original German title: Reise im August)
Set during the Second World War, this is the story of Alice, a German Jewish girl who has been kept hidden by her family and is unaware of what’s been happening to the Jews in her home town. But one night they are discovered and put on a train to Auschwitz. The majority of the story takes place on the train, where 50 people are packed into a small wagon like animals (only 49 in Alice’s carriage – her grandmother was unable to keep up with them on the walk to the train). The story ends when the train reaches Auschwitz and the passengers are told to leave their luggage and go into the showers, the last sentence being “she raised her arms and opened her hands” (my translation there, it may be slightly different in the actual book).
This is a frightening and extremely sad story. I cried my eyes out all the way through it. Definitely worth a read (although probably not suitable for under 12s)! I have to warn you though – I’ve only read it in German so have no idea whether the translation is any good. Still I highly recommend it.

Charlotte Sometimes by Penelope Farmer
The story starts when Charlotte arrives at a new boarding school, where she somehow manages to get the “best” bed in her dormitory. The next mornig she wakes up in the same bed, but everything else is different. The year is 1918 and instead of her room mates there’s a younger girl called Emily who says Charlotte is her sister and addresses her as Clare. When Charlotte wakes up the next morning she’s back in her own time. At first she assumes she was dreaming, but then realises it’s a day later than it should be. The story continues with the two girls swapping places (they are Charlotte sometimes and Clare somtimes, hence the title) until a mix up leads to the two being stuck in each other’s time. The rest of the story then follows Charlotte’s life as Clare in 1918 and her struggles to retain her own identity and eventually return to her own time. This is an excellent book, sometimes sad, sometimes funny. One of my all time favourites. It’s just a shame I’ve lost my copy… I’m desperate to buy it again!

So Much to Tell You by John Marsden
Marina is a 14 year old girl who is sent to boarding school after a traumatic event leaves her with a scarred face and refusing to talk. Her English teacher gives the class an assignment to keep a diary, promising he won’t read them, just check every once in a while that they are using them properly and not just filling them with swear words. At first Marina is unwilling to write in the diary, but as the book goes on she shares more and more of her thoughts and feelings and we gradually learn more about her past and what happened to cause her silence. Another incredibly sad story (I’m sensing a theme here!) but well worth a read. Apparantly there’s a sort of sequel to this book, Take My Word for It, which is the diary of Lisa, a girl from Marina’s dormitory at the school. According to Wikipedia it fills in some of the gaps in Marina’s story and also tells a bit of what happens to Marina after So Much to Tell You finishes. I would love to read that one!

Mary Poppins Comes Back by P.L Travers
I’m sure most of you have at least seen the film of Mary Poppins, even if you haven’t read it, but did you know the book is merely the first one of a whole series? Mary Poppins Comes Back is the second book and was published in 1935.
Ever since Mary Poppins left nothing has gone right at 17 Cherry Tree Lane. One day Mrs Banks sends the children to the park where Michael flies his kite up into the clouds. It comes back down again with Mary Poppins on the end, who then goes home with them and takes charge of the children once more. The rest of the book is in the same vein as the first, with Mary Poppins and the children experiencing adventures such as a visit to a circus in the sky. The children also have a new sister, baby Annabel. At the end of the book Mary Poppins leaves again (on a carousel this time), but she buys a return ticket just in case… which sets us up nicely for book three in the series, Mary Poppins Opens the Door. If you liked the first Mary Poppins book then I’m sure you’ll like the second… I know I do!

When Marnie Was There by Joan G. Robinson
Anna, a lonely foster-child who doesn’t seem to fit in anywhere, is sent to Norfolk by her foster parents. From the moment she arrives everything seems familiar, like a memory. Then she meets Marnie, “the girl at the window”, who somehow remains just as elusive when the two actually meet as when she was just a face in the window. Later, Marnie disappears but thanks to her Anna has learned to make friends, which she does with the four children who move into the house on the creek. There’s a nice twist at the end, but I’m not going to tell you what. For that you’ll have to read the book yourself.

The Way to Sattin Shore by Philippa Pearce
Kate never knew her dad, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t miss him. She often secretly visits his headstone, but then one day it disappears and she finds out that the name on the headstone isn’t her dad’s name after all. She then sets out to find out what happened, uncovering a number of family secrets along the way. A lovely book and beautifully written. The first time I read it I couldn’t wait to find out what was really going on with Kate’s dad.

That will do for now I think. Please feel free to tell me about your favourite children’s book in the comments box. There’s nothing I like more than discovering new things to read!