Mailbox Monday/In My Mailbox 12-28-2009

Mailbox Monday is hosted at The Printed Page or In Your Mailbox at The Story Siren. Please stop by those posts and take a look at what packages everybody else got this week!

Well, I took an unexpected vacation the last couple of days. I hurt my back (I think shoveling snow, but I will never admit it!) and finally today feel like moving around and sitting up - not that I was allowed to not do anything! We celebrated Christmas with my in-laws on Friday in Wisconsin - thankfully missing the bad weather - and then had our Christmas at home on Saturday. The house still looks like a toy tornado went through! I am feeling better and plan on visiting my friendly chiropractor tomorrow! So, on with the mailbox!

The Marriage Project: 21 Days to More Love and Laughter
by Kathi Lipp

More love, more laughter - more lingerie.

Was the last time you flirted with your husband before you had kids?

Do you spend more time on the couch with your wife watching movies or with a bag of chips watching The Game?

Does your idea of a hot date include a drive-thru and springing for the extra-large fries?

What would your marriage look like if for 21 days you put it on project status? Plenty of books describe how to improve a marriage, how to save a marriage, and how to ramp up the intimacy in a marriage. In The Marriage Project, Kathi Lipp shows you how to put the fun back in marriage with 21 simple yet effective projects.

here are just a few of the results you'll see when you put The Marriage Project into practice.

• new levels of warmth and tenderness in your relationship
• a deeper sense of security with your spouse
• new ideas to bring fun and flirting back into your marriage

If you haven't given up on the dream of being head-over-heels with your spouse again, The Marriage Project will give you just the boost you need.

The Marriage Project is great for groups (a leader's guide is included) or for couples to do one-to-one. (back cover)

Hearing From God Each Morning: 365 Daily Devotions
by Joyce Meyer

In today's world we are surrounded by noise. We are overwhelmed by the voices around us, whether they're from our children, our friends, our spouses, or ourselves. Distracted by the sounds of others, we soon forget how to listen to the most important voice of all - the voice of God.

In this devotional, Joyce Meyer guides readers to a more intimate relationship with God, showing us how to cultivate qualities and behaviours that will help us recognize God's voice. Each message is based upon teachings from three of her books, How to Hear from God, Knowing God Intimately, and The Power of Simple Prayer.

This collection includes powerful meditations that will inspire and help you to:

• Make time for God
• Discern His responses to prayer
• Sustain relationships with others while developing your intimacy with God.

This book offers short, empowering reminders of how to reconnect with His plan and persevere through common obstacles ranging from fighting temptation of the mall to overcoming deeply held grudges. With daily readings that reinforce the power of peace, patience, obedience and love, Joyce Meyer provides strategies for opening ourselves to His wisdom by first opening our ears.

Whether preparing for a new day or reflecting on a day past, you too can hear from God! (back cover)

When Will There Be Good News?
by Kate Atkinson

On a hot, beautiful day in the English countryside, six-year-old Joanna Mason witnesses a horrific crime. Thirty years later, the man convicted of the crime is released from prison.

Sixteen-year-old Reggie works as a nanny for a doctor devoted to her infant son. When Dr. Hunter goes missing, Reggie - no stranger to bad luck and worse - seems to be the only person who is worried.

Detective Chief Inspector Louise Monroe is also looking for a missing person, unaware that hurtling toward her is an old friend, private detective Jackson Brodie, himself on a journey that becomes fatally interrupted.

As lives and histories intersect, as past mistakes and current misfortunes collide, Jackson and Louise both get caught up in an investigation that will call into question everything they once thought true. (back cover)

The Paris Vendetta
by Steve Berry

When Napoleon Bonaparte died in exile in 1821, he took to the grave a powerful secret. As general and emperor, he had stolen immeasurable riches from palaces, national treasuries, and even the Knights of Malta and the Vatican. In his final days, his British captors hoped to learn where the loot lay hidden. But he told them nothing, and in his will he made no mention of the treasure.

Or did he?

Former Justice Department operative Cotton Malone is about to find out when trouble comes knocking at his Copenhagen bookshop. Actually, it breaks and enters in the form of an American Secret Service agent with a pair of assassins on his heels. Malone has his doubts about the anxious young man, but narrowly surviving a ferocious firefight convinces him to follow his unexpected new ally.

Their first stop is the secluded estate of Malone's good friend Henrik Thorvaldsen. The wily Danish tycoon has uncovered the insidious plans of the Paris Club, a cabal of multimillionaires bent on manipulating the global economy. Only by matching wits with a terrorist-for-hire, foiling a catastrophic attack, and plunging into a desperate hunt for Napoleon's legendary lost treasure can Malone hope to avert international financial anarchy.

But Thorvaldsen's real objective is much more personal: to avenge the murder of his son by the larcenous aristocrat at the heart of the conspiracy. Thorvaldsen's vendetta places Malone in an impossible quandary -- one that forces him to choose between friend and country, past and present. Starting in Denmark, moving to England, and ending up in the storied streets and cathedrals of Paris, Malone plays a breathless game of duplicity and death, all to claim a prize of untold value. But at what cost? (inside cover)

The Mayo Clinic Diet: Eat well. Enjoy life. Lose weight.
By the weight-loss experts at Mayo Clinic
(I also received The Mayo Clinic Diet Journal)

In our work with literally thousands of patients, we've identified the critical habits of people who maintain a healthy weight, and the habits of those who don't.

With The Mayo Clinic Diet, we've boiled this research down to five simple habits to help you take off the extra weight -- and five habits to break so that you can keep it from coming back. Plus, we've made it easy, because what works best when it comes to weight loss is keeping it simple!

The Mayo Clinic Diet is composed of three sections to get you started, to keep you on track, and to give you the knowledge and tools you need to keep those unwanted pounds off for good.

1. Lost It! is a two-week quick-start program designed to help you lose 6 to 10 pounds in a safe and healthy way.
2. Live It! is a long-term plan in which you continue to lose 1 to 2 pounds a week until you reach your goal. Then, you team how to maintain your healthy weight for life.
3. All the extra stuff includes meal planners, recipes, tips on overcoming challenges and much more to help you along the way.

The Mayo Clinic Diet puts you in charge of reshaping your body and improving your health -- for a lifetime. (inside cover)

The Mudhogs
by Dalton James

No mud equals no fun for three little pigs.

Three little pigs try everything in their power to make or find mud. Along the way they learn a valuable life lesson.

This is the third book written by eight-year-old Dalton James - first two were very cute. I can't wait to read this one with my son.

Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart
by Beth Pattillo

In the tradition of best-selling Jane Austen Ruined My Life, Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart features an Austen fan who uncovers an early draft of Pride and Prejudice -- and discovers that Jane Austen didn't always have Darcy in mind for Elizabeth Bennet.

Claire Prescott doesn't understand Mr. Darcy's appeal. She's been comfortably dating Neil, a nice -- if a bit negligent -- sports fanatic. But when she agrees to stand in for her sister at a Jane Austen seminar in Oxford, England, she finds herself holding a lost version of Pride and Prejudice. Scholars thought Austen's original manuscript was destroyed centuries ago, but as Claire reads the first draft, she uncovers a long-hidden secret about the iconic Darcy, as well as the truth about Austen's own struggle to find the right hero for Elizabeth Bennet.

And when a tall, dark, and dashing stranger crosses her path, will the staid Claire sudd3enly discover her inner Lizzie Bennet? Neil's unexpected arrival in Oxford complicates Claire's journey to finding her own romantic lead, and she discovers that finding the right hero can be more difficult than she ever imagined.

Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart is the story of a woman who finds that falling in love may be the biggest adventure of all and that a true hero can appear in the most unexpected places. (back cover)

Primal by Mark Batterson (Partial Book Review)

Title: Primal
Author: Mark Batterson
Publisher: Waterbrook Multnomah

About the book: BE ASTONISHED AGAIN.

We have a tendency to complicate Christianity. Jesus simplified it: Love God with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength. If we are to live out the essence of Christianity, we must commit to being great at this Great Commandment.

In Primal, Mark Batterson explores the four elements of Great Commandment Christianity: compassion, wonder, curiosity, and power. Along the way, he calls you to be a part of God's reformation, starting in your own life.

As Mark writes, "Is there a place in your past where you met God and God met you? A place where your heart broke for the things that break the heart of God? Maybe it was a sermon that became more than a sermon. Maybe it was a mission trip or retreat. Maybe it was a vow you made at an altar. In that moment, God birthed something supernatural in your spirit. You knew you'd never be the same again. My prayer is that this book would take you back to that burning bush -- and reignite a primal faith."

Primal will help you live in light of what matters most and discover what it means to love God. It will help you become great at the Great Commandment. (inside cover)

My thoughts: I waited kind of late to start reading this book due to the bustle of Christmas, but also due to the fact that I had the mind set that it would be a quick read at 170 pages. It did not take me long to realize that this book was not to be rushed through, but to take to heart and let the message sort of ruminate before moving on - so, as this is the last day of the blog tour, I just wanted to affirm that this is a fantastic book for really laying it all out there on the line - I had never really thought about Christianity as being simple or complex- but as I was reading, I realized that in my own family we have different views as to what being a Christian means - and if I were to spread that out to my friends, my church, and my community it would look very different to everyone. But if we just focus on that one Great Commandment - Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength - What kind of a movement would that start in the community? It is just that simple - I know, easier said than done right? What is holding you back today from this commitment?

Purchase Primal today and make it your priority in the new year to read this one!

~This book was provided for review by WaterBrook Multnomah.~

Primal
Publisher/Publication Date: Multnomah Books, Dec 22, 2009
ISBN: 978-1-60142-131-9
171 pages

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 12-21-2009

What are you reading on Mondays? is hosted by J. Kaye at J. Kaye's Book Blog. If you would like to participate, please leave your link with Mr. Linky at J.Kaye's blog - but you can also leave me a comment - I would love to know what you are reading!

I made up for last week and got caught up on my reviews!

Old books reviewed:
1. Fireflies in December by Jennifer Erin Valent - Loved this one
2. Bo's Cafe: A Novel by John Lynch, Bill Thrall, Bill McNicol - Pretty Good
3. A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray (audio book) - Just okay for me
4. The Cost of Dreams by Gary Stelzer - Good book but got long towards the end
5. Nibble & Kuhn by David Schmahmann - Fun book to read


Books read and reviewed last week:
1. Lament: The Faerie Queen's Deception by Maggie Stiefvator - Loved this one - can't wait to start Ballad
2. My Unfair Lady by Kathryne Kennedy - This was a fun read
3. One Hundred Butterflies by Harold Feinstein and Fred Gagnon - This is a beautiful book!

Current audio books:
1. Woman in Red by Eileen Goudge - This one is heating up
2. Evermore: The Immortals by Alyson Noel - Enjoy listening to this one with my daughter

Books currently reading:
1. Primal: A Quest for the Lost Soul of Christianity by Mark Batterson - Just started, seems promising
2. The Dead and The Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer - too early to tell if I will like this as well as Life As We Knew It

Starting this week (I hope. . .):
1. What Your Mother Never Told You: A Teenage Girls Survival Guide by Richard Dudum
2. Samson's Walls by Jud Niremberg
3. A Christmas Carol Special Edition: The Charles Dickens Classic with Christian Insights and Discussion Questions for Groups and Families by Stephen Skelton
4. A Hope and a Future: Overcoming Discouragement by Don Wilton

What are you reading this week?

Mailbox Monday/In My Mailbox 12-21-2009

Mailbox Monday is hosted at The Printed Page or In Your Mailbox at The Story Siren. Please stop by those posts and take a look at what packages everybody else got this week!


I received these books for review this week:

The One-Day Way
by Chantel Hobbs

The One-Day Way produces lasting results by taking you back to the basics. No more complicated weight-loss strategies. No more expensive diet plans that achieve only temporary results. Instead, you will lose weight and get fit with Chantel's simple, high-energy meal plans and her at-home program for cardio exercise and strength training. She will teach you how to change the way you think, which leads to new actions. Before you know it you will be strong, fit, and healthy. All it takes is doing things differently for twenty-four hours -- and then repeating it.

The One-Day Way gives you everything you need to lose weight and get fit in body, mind, and spirit:

• Break free from past dieting defeats
• Learn a realistic, life-changing way to measure success
• Change the way you think so you can change your life
• Translate your dreams into goals, and your goals into lasting achievements
• Get strong with thirty-0ne simple exercises, no fancy equipment required
• Take advantage of ten ways to eat better while you lose weight.

By focusing on food, faith, and fitness, Chantel shows you not only how to lose weight, but how to build the new life you were designed to live. You don't have to wait any longer. The One-Day Way gives you all the tools for success, starting right now. (inside cover)

Denise's Daily Dozen
by Denise Austin

Denise Austin shares the perfect plan for anyone who wants to live better and lose weight but can't seem to find the time. Denise's Daily Dozen covers a whole range of health-and diet-related concepts managed in a no-stress, time-conscious program of "twelves" to keep you flexible, strong, trim, and feeling great about yourself. Denise knows these methods work because she uses them personally to stay fit and looking fabulous, and they've worked for countless others, too!

Organized into seven-chapters - one for each day of the week - this perfectly balanced lifestyle program offers a three-week healthy meal plan with simple recipes and delicious foods. Each chapter also features a fully illustrated, total body workout of twelve simple and fun exercises you can do in just twelve minutes any time during the day. Cardio, fat-burning, toning, yoga: they're all here but in a way that maximizes effect while minimizing time. Denise also gives inspiring encouragement and advice in her numerous Daily Dozen tips, including ways to trim food costs as you trim your waistline, boost your energy level, get a better night's sleep, and inspire your family to join you.

Leave any excuses behind. . . Denise wants you energized about your health and fitness so you can feel better about yourself right now! (back cover)

Your Best Body Now
by Ashley Marriott and Marc L. Paulsen, M.D.

Each of us is unique. we were all born with a specific body type and body shape based upon our genetics. Although we can't change our genetics we can take charge of our shape by "specific body shape blueprint training." To do this we need to understand our individual shape and put together a workable and enjoyable fitness plan to achieve the best version of ourselves we can. (back cover)

Terror By Night
by Terry Caffey with James H. Pence

As I sat there gasping for breath, I turned my attention to my house. Even through the thick woods, I could still see the glow of the fire. As I watched the sparks and smoke soaring over the trees toward heaven, a wave of despair washed over me. My throat thickened, and tears filled my eyes, blurring what little vision I had.

They're gone.

Penny, Erin, Matthew, and Tyler were dead, and no effort on my part would bring them back.

What am I going to do without them? Oh, God, what am I going to do?

I didn't understand any of what was happening, but most of all I couldn't understand why God had turned His back on us and allowed this.

Finally the porch light came on, and my next-door neighbor, Tommy, Opened the door.

"Oh, my God. Helen, come quick!"

Tommy came out and bent down to talk to me. "What happened?"

"We need help," I said. "Charlie came and shot us all."

"What about Penny and the kids?" he asked.

A tidal wave of grief swept me away.

"They're all dead."

. . .

Then God intervened. (inside cover)

Cleaving: A Story of Marriage, Meat, and Obsession
(audio book)
by Julie Powell

Julie Powell has always felt about butchers the way other women feel about firemen. Perhaps it is no wonder, then, that she turns to butchery when her own life and marriage are rife with confusion, doubt, and obsession.

Food saved Julie once before. Sparked by an early-onset midlife crisis, she cooked all 524 recipes in Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking in one year and discovered herself as a writer. Now she is stuck again, this time between her adoring husband - the two of them as close as two trees twined at the root - and a lover she can't resist. Seeking escape Julie does what any torn and desperate woman would do. She plunges herself elbow-deep -- in meat.

At Fleisher's, a family owned butcher shop in the Catskills, she finds a sympathetic bunch of delightful "meat hippies" willing to train an apprentice. Julie takes instantly to the tough, physical work that (less often than she'd like) distracts her from penetrating thoughts of afternoon trysts.

Inspired by the camaraderie at Fleisher's, Julie embarks on a trip around the world, discovering an international brotherhood of butchers and a confidence she didn't know she had. As her journey progresses, she begins to see where the divisions lie. And how in breaking something down you can begin to make it whole again. (back cover)

Dear John
(audio book)
by Nicholas Sparks

"Dear John," the letter read. And with those two words, a heart was broken and two lives changed forever.

When Savannah Lynn Curtis comes into his life, John Tyree knows he is ready to turn over a new leaf. An angry rebel, he had enlisted in the army after high school, not knowing what else to do. Then, during a furlough, he meets Savannah, the girl of his dreams. The attraction is mutual and quickly grows into the kind of love that leaves Savannah vowing to wait for John while he finishes his tour of duty. But neither can foresee that 9/11 is about to change the world. Like so many proud men and women, John must choose between love and country. Now, when he finally returns to North Carolina, John will discover how love can transform us in ways we never could have imagined. (back cover)

Angel and Apostle
by Deborah Noyes

At the end of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s classic novel, The Scarlet Letter, we know that Pearl, the elf-child daughter of Hester Prynne, is somewhere in Europe, comfortable, well set, a mother herself now. But it could not have been easy for her to arrive at such a place, when she begins life as the bastard child of a woman publicly humiliated, again and again, in an unrelentingly judgmental Puritan world.

With a brilliant and authentic sense of that time and place, Deborah Noyes envisions the path Pearl takes to make herself whole and to carve her place in the New World. Beautifully written with boundless compassion, Angel and Apostle is a heart-rending and imaginative debut in which Noyes masterfully makes Hawthorne’s character her own. (Unbridledbooks.com)

Bread of Angels: A Memoir of Love and Faith in Damascus
by Stephanie Saldana

In 2004, twenty-seven-year-old Stephanie Saldana traveled to Damascus, Syria, on a Fulbright fellowship to study the role of the prophet Jesus in Islam. She was also fleeing a broken heart. It was not an ideal time to be an American in the Middle East -- the United States had recently invaded Iraq, refugees were flooding into Damascus, and dark rumors swirled that Syria might be next to come under American attack. Miserable and lonely, Stephanie left Damascus to visit an ancient Christina monastery carved into the desert cliffs. In that beautiful, austere setting, she confronted her wavering faith and met Frederic, a young French novice monk. As they set out to explore the mysteries entwining Christianity and Islam, Stephanie slowly realized that she had found God again -- and that she was in love with Frederic. But would Frederic choose God or Stephanie?

The Bread of Angels sweeps readers inthe violent extremes of a war-torn region and renews their belief in faith, self-discovery, and the possibility of true love. (back cover)

The Sacred Cipher
by Terry Brennan

A secret room has been discovered in the chapel of the Bowery Mission.

And what's hidden inside reveals a mystery of Biblical proportions.

When New Yorker Tom Bohannon uncovers an ancient scroll containing a dead language that has been lost in the sands of time, he doesn't fully comprehend the danger that's about to unfold. Though Tom and his team of ragtag scientists and historians want to decode the ancient text, others don't want the cipher revealed. And they are prepared to kill to keep it hidden.

From a market in nineteenth-century Alexandria to a library in present-day New York to the tunnels beneath Jerusalem, the secret of the cipher is gradually revealing itself across the globe. And for those in its pat, life is about to change -- forever. (back cover)

One Hundred Butterflies by Harold Feinstein (Book Review)

Title: One Hundred Butterflies
Author: Harold Feinstein and Fred Gagnon
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company (Hachette)

First sentence: If the millennia of life on earth were a book, then surely butterflies would be the illustrations for adaptation and evolution.

My thoughts: There isn't a whole lot of writing in this book, it is mainly pictures of butterflies - beautiful, exquisite pictures of butterflies. All very striking on a black background. In the forward and in a small section in the center of the book though, I did learn a few things about butterflies that I did not know - like some look different in ultraviolet light, and that there are different ways that they come out of their cocoon. Some cut through the silk using their compound eyes as files. There are quotes placed randomly throughout the book all having to do with butterflies of course.

I was going to pick a favorite, but every time I thought I had one, a few pages later there would be one just as brilliant that would take it's place. Did you know that the underside of a butterfly sometimes looks drastically different than the top side? I know I didn't.

Each picture is labeled with the name, classification, and where in the world the butterfly can be found. I enjoyed just paging through the pictures with my kids and looking at all the various designs and colors that could be found. As a needlepointer, nature is a great place to find colors and designs, and I wouldn't be surprised if I turned to this book for inspiration in the future!

About the author/photographer: Harold Feinstein's distinguished career in photography began in 1950, when Edward Steichen purchased his work for the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art and exhibited it frequently during his tenure there. Feinstein's photographs have also been exhibited by and represented in the collections of the International Center of Photography, the George Eastman House, the Museum of the City of New York, and the Musee d'Art Moderne in Paris. His work has appeared in such periodicals as Life, Audubon, Connoisseur, and Popular Photography. He is the author of One Hundred Flowers, One Hundred Seashells, Foliage, Orchidelirium, The Infinite Rose, and The Infinite Tulip. For more information about Feinstein and his work, visit his website at www.HaroldFeinstein.com.

Fred Gagnon is curator of butterflies at Magic Wings Butterfly Conservatory and Gardens in South Deerfield, Massachusetts, a man-made ecosystem with living organisms from all over the world. Gagnon has been fascinated by butterflies since the age of four, when he first went into his backyard in search of Monarchs and Black Swallowtails. He is responsible for taking care of three to four thousand butterflies from Asia, Australia, Africa, South America and North America, as well as the plants that the butterflies and caterpillars depend upon for their survival.

One Hundred Butterflies
Publisher/Publication Date: Little, Brown and Company, Nov 2009
ISBN: 978-0-316-03363-3
128 pages

~This book was provided for review by Hachette Book Group.~

The Cost of Dreams by Gary Stelzer (Book Review)

Title: The Cost of Dreams
Author: Gary Stelzer
Publisher: Decent Hearts Press

About the book: Flora, a Mayan teenager, has escaped Talapa, her civil war-torn Central American village where her parents have been slain-and where even being seen in native wear could result in summary execution. Following her dream with nearly superhuman determination, she makes her way to San Diego, and against all odds, becomes a wife, mother and teacher. By hard work and shrewdness, she even obtains legal U.S. status.

But her life takes a horrific turn when she's shot by her drug-dealing brother in-law. As she lays unconscious and bleeding in front of her house, Mexican immigrants traveling on a freight train kidnap and claim her as their daughter, caring for her on a long, grueling cross-country flight.

Nearly a year later, still gravely wounded and disfigured, a freed Flora arrives at the Lake Michigan home of Kate Bowman, an American aide worker who had previously befriended Flora in Talapa. Kate's nephew had vanished on that mission, leaving Kate devastated and overwhelmed with guilt for permitting him to remain in a civil war ravaged Central America while she returned home.

Now Flora, eager to heal her injuries and desperate to restore what remains of her family, reignites in Kate a fire to learn the fate of her long lost nephew. The two women embark on a harrowing journey that takes them to the ancient caves of northwestern Mexico in the Barrancas del Cobre, an exceedingly vast abyss of canyons, in search of a storied Indian healer. The cost of healing borders on the unendurable.

My thoughts: I really liked the summary of this book above, that was sent to me by Carol Fass Publicity. The book started out strong and I found it hard to put down. I was impressed by Flora's spirit and strength and how she pushed on even when she found herself alone. Even after she is wounded and the Mexican family - mainly the mother - "kidnaps" her because she thinks she is her reincarnated daughter - I was still pulling for Flora. What she survived in her trek across country is amazing.

About three quarters of the way through though, the book started to drag and seemed to be going off on a tangent. A couple of the lesser characters in the book came into play, and for me, this seemed to detract from Flora's story rather than add to it. I understand why they were necessary, but at times it seemed their little part was overshadowing the bigger picture. It does show how the book came full circle and how there are many different ways in which a person needs to be healed.

The Cost of Dreams
Publisher/Publication Date: Decent Hearts Press, Oct 2009
ISBN: 978-1-93607-00-9
296 pages

~This book was provided for review by Carol Fass Publicity and Public Relations.~

Nibble & Kuhn by David Schmahmann (Book Review)

Title: Nibble & Kuhn
Author: David Schmahmann
Publisher: Academy Chicago Publishers

About the book: Two likable newcomers learn the ropes of corporate law at Nibble & Kuhn -- and fall in love -- just as that most proper of Boston's venerable firms comically tries to "rebrand" itself for the Google era.

Pompous and arbitrary, the ruling junta of partners at N&K saddles Derek Dover with a high visibility lawsuit just weeks before trial. The diligent young attorney arranges things so that Maria Parma, his sassy aristocratic girlfriend also gets named to the case.

As Derek prepares his arguments on behalf of seven young victims of industrial polluters, his anxieties about his career and his torments over Maria's mixed messages only increase. Have his eccentric WASP superiors handed Derek a "toxic" case to ruin any shot at becoming a partner? How can he get his opponents to settle -- the outcome the presiding judge all but demands -- unless his unorthodox "expert witnesses" perform with enough gravitas to match that of the side with its Harvard Medical School scientist? Ultimately, Derek sets in motion a line of inquiry that spins events entirely out of the control of judge, jury, and any and all attorneys. (back cover)

My thoughts: I thought this book was a hoot. It centered more around Derek and Maria's relationship and why they had to keep it a secret than it did corporate law. The author, even though he is a practicing lawyer in Boston, did not seem to have trouble poking fun at the "proper" way that lawyers should behave and advance in their careers. I found it amusing that even though Derek didn't necessarily believe in the "aristocratic" ways - he had been working to become a partner for many years.

I found Maria in the beginning to be a little selfish and felt she was using Derek, but she redeemed herself in my eyes in the end. I was afraid this book was going to be a little stuffy - being about a Boston law firm -- but it was very refreshing and very fun to read.

Nibble & Kuhn
Publisher/Publication Date: Academy Chicago Publishers, November 2009
ISBN: 978-0-89733-592-8
279 pages

~This book was provided for review by Academy Chicago Publishers.~

Lament: The Faerie Queen's Deception by Maggie Stiefvater (Book Review)

Title: Lament: The Faerie Queen's Deception
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Publisher: Flux

My Summary: We meet Deirdre as she is getting ready to compete in a high school music competition. She is a very gifted harpist, but tends to lose her lunch before she plays in public - regardless of how good she is.

Deirdre meets Luke as he rescues her hair from the fallout of her losing her stomach. Mysterious and also musically gifted, she is instantly attracted to him. On one level she knows that she should not trust him, but feels insanely safe whenever she is with him. Throw in her best friend, James and a faerie that she dubs Freckle Freak and that pretty much rounds out the cast.

Slowly, Deirdre becomes aware that she has certain powers - like telekinesis and the ability to read minds. As her powers grow, so does her ability to see Them. They don't like to be called faeries - They think it is degrading. Luke can also see Them, but only with the assistance of eye drops. What Deirdre doesn't understand is what They want with her. Luke is unable to tell her as someone is making him keep quiet. She finally convinces him to let her read his mind. What she finds out though, may be too much for her to handle.

My thoughts: I loved this book. For whatever reason, faerie books to me are what vampire books are to my daughter. I do like the vampire and the werewolf books - but the faerie books that I pick up I seem to be able to fly through. These characters are very likable - even Luke, though you know his past isn't gleaming, his loyalty and love for Deirdre is. I feel sorry for James, who is sort of a casualty because of Deirdre's powers and her threat to the current Queen. There are hints that he is also in love with Deirdre and though I think she knows this on some level, she tends to ignore it. The storyline was intriguing and I felt unique (keeping in mind I haven't read many faerie books - yet!) It started out as my "bathroom" book - but I was soon carrying it all over with me. Highly recommend this one to paranormal lovers.

Lament: The Faerie Queen's Deception
Publisher: Flux
ISBN: 978-0-7387-1370-0
336 pages

My Unfair Lady by Kathryne Kennedy (Book Review)

Title: My Unfair Lady
Author: Kathryne Kennedy
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca

About the book: HE CREATED THE PERFECT WOMAN. . .

The impoverished Duke of Monchester despises the rich Americans who flock to London, seeking to buy their way into the ranks of the British peerage. So when railroad heiress Summer Wine Lee offers him a king's ransom if he'll teach her to become a proper lady, he's prepared to rebuff her. But when he meets the petite beauty with the knife in her boot, it's not her fortune he finds impossible to resist. . .

FOR THE ARMS OF ANOTHER MAN

Frontier-bred Summer Wine Lee has no interest in winning over London society -- it's the New York bluebloods and her future mother-in-law she's determined to impress. She knows the cost of smoothing her rough-and-tumble frontier edges will be high. But she never imagined it might cost her heart. . .(back cover)

My thoughts: I knew from the minute that I met Summer as she was trying to hide her little dog under her skirts that I was going to like her. It was confirmed in the second chapter when she jumped out of her carriage into a group of hooligans to rescue a monkey that they were torturing. She didn't even know what a monkey was! She embarks on a journey to become a polished lady with Byron as her guide. What we don't know is the secret past that she is trying to keep hidden.

I liked the verbal sparring that went on between these two very different characters. In many ways Summer was impetuous like a child, not really thinking before she acted - but just following her heart and her gut. Byron was always trying to shock her but soon realized that it was not possible and began to admire her Wild West spirit.

This was a very fun take on My Fair Lady. If you are a fan of that romance - you should pick up a copy of My Unfair Lady.

My Unfair Lady
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
ISBN: 978-1-4022-2990-9
384 pages

~This book was provided for review from Sourcebooks.~

Library Loot: 12-16-2009

I have been spending way too much time at the library recently - the problem is that I have actually been combing back over all my Friday Finds and Waiting on Wednesdays and reserving them!

Library Loot is hosted by Eva at A Striped Armchair and Marg at Reading Adventures.

Evermore by Alyson Noel (audio book)

The first book in Alyson Noel's extraordinary new Immortals series. Enter an enchanting new world, where true love never dies.

After a horrible accident claims the lives of her family, sixteen-year-old Ever Bloom can see people's auras, hear their thoughts, and know someone's entire life story by touching them. Going out of her way to avoid human contact and suppress her abilities, she has been branded a freak at her new high school -- but everything changes when she meets Damen Auguste.

Damen is gorgeous, exotic, and wealthy. He's the only one who can silence the noise and random energy in her head -- wielding a magic so intense, it's as though he can peer straight into her soul. As Ever is drawn deeper into his enticing world of secrets and mystery, she's left with more questions than answers. And she has no idea just who he really is -- or what he is. The only thing she knows to be true is that she's falling deeply and helplessly in love. (back cover)

Ballad: A Gathering of Faerie by Maggie Stiefvater

This is the second book following Lament which I should finish by tomorrow - I am the first one to check it out from our library. I don't think that I have ever been the first person to check out a book!

James Morgan has an almost unearthly gift for music. And it has attracted Nuala, a soul-snatching faerie muse who fosters and then feeds on the creative energies of exceptional humans until they die. James has plenty of reasons to fear the faeries, but as he and Nuala collaborate on an achingly beautiful musical composition, James finds his feelings towards Nuala deepening. But the rest of the fairies are not as harmless. As Halloween -- the day of the dead -- draws near, James will have to battle the Faerie Queen and the horned king of the dead to save Nuala's life and his soul. (inside cover)

Velva Jean Learns to Drive by Jennifer Niven

One Sunday when she is ten years old, Velva Jean Hart is saved. But being saved isn't anything like Velva Jean expected, and life soon brings devastating changes: her father disappears on one of his adventures, and her loving mother becomes gravely ill. Before her mother dies, she urges Velva Jean to "live out there in the great wide world."

The only world Velva Jean knows is her home in the gold-mining and moon shining mountains of Appalachia. her secret dream is to become a big-time singer in Nashville -- until she falls in love with Harley Bright, a handsome truant-turned-revival preacher. As their tumultuous love story unfolds, Velva Jean struggles to find happiness. Will it be as the demure wife Harley wants her to be?

Beautifully written, this is an unforgettable story about love, spirit, and finding the courage to follow one's dreams. (back cover)

Waiting on Wednesday: Deliver Us From Evil

Deliver Us From Evil by Robin Caroll
Publisher/Publication Date: B&H Academic, February 2010

A beautiful yet tough woman working in a beautiful yet tough setting, Brannon Callahan is a search and rescue helicopter pilot for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Strong faith and a decorated history of service have kept her one step ahead of on-the-job dangers, but there’s no precedent for what’s about to happen. After a blizzard takes down a small plane carrying U.S. Marshal Roark Holland (already haunted by a recent tragedy), Brannon must save him in more ways than one and safeguard the donor heart he’s transporting to a government witness on the edge of death. Otherwise the largest child trafficking ring in history—with shocking links from Thailand to Tennessee—will slip further away into darkness along the Appalachian Trail.

About the author: Born and raised in Louisiana, Robin Caroll is a Southerner through and through. Her passion has always been to tell stories to entertain others. Robin's mother, bless her heart, is a genealogist who instilled in Robin the deep love of family and pride of heritage--two aspects Robin weaves into each of her books.

Robin's books have finaled/placed/won in various prestigious writing contests: Book of the Year, 2008; Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice Award, 2008; Bookseller's Best Award, 2009; Cover Cafe Cover Contest, 2009; and Book of the Year, 2009.

When she isn't writing, Robin spends time with her husband of twenty years, her three beautiful daughters, and their four character-filled pets at home--in the South, where else? An avid reader herself, Robin loves hearing from and chatting with other readers. Although her favorite genre to read is mystery/suspense, of course, she'll read just about any good story. Except historicals! To learn more about this author of deep South mysteries of suspense to inspire your heart, visit Robin's website at www.robincaroll.com.

What are you waiting for? Waiting on Wednesdays is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Teaser Tuesday 12-15-2009

TEASER TUESDAYS asks you to:
Grab your current read.
Let the book fall open to a random page.
Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you have given!
Please avoid spoilers!

He stood beside me and looked at the solid carpet of clover that covered the lawn -- every one I could see bearing four leaves. For a long moment, we stood in silence. . . an occasional raindrop penetrating to the scalp or slipping into a collar. ( p73, Lament: The Faerie Queen's Deception by Maggie Stiefvater)







Lament: The Faerie Queen's Deception
Publisher/Publication Date: Flux, Oct 2008
ISBN: 978-0-7387-1370-0
336 pages

Primal by Mark Batterson - Blog Tour Dec 15-Dec 22

Primal: A Quest for the Lost Soul of Christianity
by Mark Batterson

Be Astonished Again

We have a tendency to complicate Christianity. Jesus simplified it: Love God with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength. If we are to live out the essence of Christianity, we must commit to being great at this Great Commandment.

In Primal, Mark Batterson explores the four elements of Great Commandment Christianity: compassion, wonder, curiosity, and power. Along the way, he calls you to be a part of God’s reformation, starting in your own life.

As Mark writes, “Is there a place in your past where you met God and God met you? A place where your heart broke for the things that break the heart of God? Maybe it was a sermon that became more than a sermon. Maybe it was a mission trip or retreat. Maybe it was a vow you made at an altar. In that moment, God birthed something supernatural in your spirit. You knew you’d never be the same again. My prayer is that this book would take you back to that burning bush—and reignite a primal faith.”

Primal will help you live in light of what matters most and discover what it means to love God. It will help you become great at the Great Commandment.

About the author: The author of Wild Goose Chase and In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day, Mark Batterson serves as lead pastor of National Community Church in Washington, D.C. One church with nine services in five locations, NCC is focused on reaching emerging generations and meets in movie theaters at metro stops throughout the D.C. area. Mark has two Masters degrees from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Chicago. He and his wife, Lora, live on Capitol Hill with their three children. www.markbatterson.com

Primal is currently on a blog tour with WaterBrook Multnomah - Please watch for my review this week.

Primal
Publisher/Publication Date: Multnomah Books, Dec 22, 2009
ISBN: 978-1-60142-131-9
192 pages

Bo's Cafe by John Lynch, Bill Thrall, and Bruce McNicol (Book Review)

Title: Bo's Cafe
Authors: John Lynch, Bill Thrall, Bruce McNicol
Publisher: Windblown Media

About the book: High-powered exec Steven Kerner has no idea his tightly wound American dream is about to come crashing down. His high-profile, high-octane life has always provided everything he's wanted.

Or so he thought.

When his unresolved anger threatens his marriage, and his attempts to fix it only drive the one he loves farther away, he is pushed to the brink. An invitation from mystery man Andy Monroe may be the greatest hope Steven's ever been handed. (back cover)

My thoughts: I really enjoyed reading this book. It made me realize how alike everyone really is, and how we should watch for those opportunities to really connect with other people around us. That it doesn't take a fancy degree or tons of money - all it really takes is willingness and time. Bo's Cafe was a place where these kind of people seemed to gather. Here is a passage from one of those times at Bo's Cafe:

"Safe is a place where you can get out the worst about you and they don't run you off, talk you down, or head for the hills. It's having someone to stand with when you start to face the shameful stuff, man. It's where you can be a jerk and still have a place at the table the next day. . . where you don't have to hide or fake or pretend or bluff. Safe is being loved more for revealing your crap, not less. Safe is not having to 'man up' or be coerced to 'get real' or none of that nonsense."

This would be a great book for anyone to read who is struggling with something in their life and they don't really know which way to turn. It was full of warmth, common sense, family. The main character has an anger issue and tends to blame everyone else for his anger - it is never his fault. I have someone very close to me who mirrors this completely. Unfortunately, I don't think they are mature enough to actually "get" this book if they were to read it - but don't worry, it won't stop me from trying! There is just one more quote that I would like to share:

"But listen to this: repentance isn't doing something about your failure. Repentance is admitting you can't do anything about your failure. It's not just agreeing you've done something wrong; it's admitting you can't do what needs to be done to make it right. God waits and years for that moment with everything in Him."

If you want to find out more about the book - all you have to do is visit Bo's Cafe.
You can also read the first chapter here.

Bo's Cafe
Publisher/Publication Date: Windblown Media, Sept 2009
ISBN: 978-1-935170-04-4
256 pages

~This book was provided for review by First Wild Card Tours.~