November 27, 2010: The Christmas Journey

The Christmas Journey by Donna VanLiere


"The eighty-mile journey of a common carpenter and a simple peasant girl is one of the most enduring stories in history.  As books go out of print and stories fade from memory, the journey of Joseph and Mary and her delivery inside a common barn continues to bless and inspire hope in people around the world.


Accompanied by moving and beautifully rendered illustrations throughout, Donna VanLiere's retelling shows that the story of the Nativity is alive in our modern world, and a journey that began more than two thousand years ago is still the most powerful series of events ever to touch the minds and heart s of people everywhere.:  -- from the inside cover


I love Christmas stories by Donna VanLiere, and when this book came in the mail I was so excited!  It has a gorgeous cover and the illustrations throughout are nice.  VanLiere retold the Nativity story in a way that is no glamorized - it kind of reminds me of the movie The Nativity Story (great movie).

This book will definitely be treasured by me and read every year, I cannot wait to read it to my own children one day.  It's a lovely gift book and one that everyone should read to remember the true meaning of Christmas.


*I received this book from The Book Report Network for review on Confessions of a Bookaholic...

Outlive Your Life by Max Lucado

Outlive Your Life by Max Lucado

These are difficult days in our world's history. 1.75 billion people are desperately poor, natural disasters are gouging entire nations, and economic uncertainty still reigns across the globe. But you and I have been given an opportunity to make a big difference. What if we did? What if we rocked the world with hope? Infiltrated all corners with God's love and life? We are created by a great God to do great works. He invites us to outlive our lives, not just in heaven, but here on earth. Let's live our lives in such a way that the world will be glad we did. -- from BookSneeze*

I've been wanting to read a Max Lucado book since Fearless.  I've heard great things about Fearless, so I was excited to see this book listed on BookSneeze.  However, I was a little disappointed once I sat down to read it.

I will say that this book was extremely easy to read, but at the end of it, I wasn't feeling as motivated as I thought I would.  Instead I felt hopeless, and I'm sure that wasn't his intention.  I felt more motivated after Same Kind of Different As Me, this book felt more like a textbook to me.  Unfortunately, I felt there was nothing I could do to help the world after reading this.  It's unfortunate, but I don't think I will be picking up any other books my Mr. Lucado.

*Book was received through BookSneeze for review on Confessions of a Bookaholic.... Please note that the opinions expressed here are my own and while not positive, there is plenty of positive press out there for this book.

November 13, 2010: Promise Me by Richard Paul Evans

Promise Me by Richard Paul Evans
Beth has everything, a loving husband, an adorable daughter ("a joyful combination of lunacy and grace"), and a great job where she works with friends. But when her daughter becomes mysteriously ill, and she discovers that her husband is dying, her perfect life falls apart. She is soon impoverished and embittered, and still can't discern the source of her daughter's illness. Then she meets a handsome stranger, who diagnoses the illness and convinces the wary Beth to trust again, only to disappear with the home equity loan he pushed her into getting. Devastated once again, Beth's resolve is tested when he returns with a truly unbelievable story. Believing him means altering the entire course of her life. Evans combines his usual holiday themes with a bizarre twist lifted straight from science fiction. Readers will undoubtedly feel attached to Beth, even as they struggle to understand the bizarre relationship she finds herself entering into.  -- from Amazon

I'm a sucker for Christmas novels.  Seriously, I have a stack of them ready to go for the next month.  I love all kinds of Christmas books and this one was no exception.  When reading this book, and many other Christmas books, it's best to just believe anything.  Of course what happened in this book is no plausible, but who cares?!  I liked it!

The twist was a little creepy, and in fact up until that point I was on board with whatever would come my way.  When Matthew revealed his secret, I was a little grossed out but it didn't ruin the rest of the book for me.  I wish that Mr. Evans had gone a different way with the ending, perhaps one that didn't have such an ick factor.  One thing about the twist - you will never see it coming!  I like being surprised!

I really enjoyed reading about Bethany's life and how she coped with being a single mother to Charlotte and all the scary things that are involved.  She was a stronger woman than I could ever be with regards to her husband.  I liked reading a story where the mother was seriously struggling and not just floating along on fairy clouds without struggle.  She was the perfect image of a single mother and I enjoyed that!  

 I was happy to see Matthew and Beth keep their secret in the end, I do not think they should have told their respective spouses.  This book was a nice, quick book to read and definitely has me interested in some more Richard Paul Evans' books!


*This book was provided by Simon & Schuster for review on Confessions of a Bookaholic...

November 13, 2010: My Maasai Life

My Maasai Life by Robin Wiszowaty

Growing up in suburban Illinois, Robin Wiszowaty leads a typical middle-class American life. Hers is a world of gleaming shopping malls, congested freeways, and neighborhood gossip. But from an early age, she has longed to break free of this existence and discover something deeper. What it is, she doesn't quite know. Yet she knows in her heart there simply has to be more. Through a fortunate twist of fate, Robin seizes an opportunity to travel to rural Kenya and join an impoverished Maasai community. Suddenly her days are spent hauling water, evading giraffes, and living in a tiny hut made of cow dung with her adoptive family. She is forced to face issues she's never considered: extreme poverty, drought, female circumcision, corruption — and discovers love in the most unexpected places. In the open wilds of the dusty savannah, this Maasai life is one she could never have imagined. -- from Amazon.com


I think that I read this book at exactly the right time in my life.  Like Robin, I've been feeling kind of boxed into my life lately and I understand her need to go somewhere else.  While I don't see myself traveling anywhere by plane in the near future, I do see some sort of change.  That is why this book came along at a good time!


The chapters were smooth and they were easy to read.  That is no small feat!  Sometimes books similar to this are kind of hard to read, but I did not have this problem here.  In fact, I enjoyed the glimpses into life in Africa.  I was hooked from her first "shower" with her Maasai family and couldn't put the book down.  At times, I felt as if I was right there with Robin.


I read a somewhat similar book in college and for the life of me cannot remember the name, however, I would have much preferred to have had this book as required reading. 


I don't want to be extra gushy, or lame, but when Robin's parents finally visited and her father realized that Robin was a "giant", I sobbed like a baby!   What a great, inspirational book.


*This book was provided by Little Bird Publicity for review on Confessions of a Bookaholic...

November 4, 2010: The Tapestry of Love

The Tapestry of Love by Rosy Thornton

A rural idyll:  that's what Catherin is seeking when she sells her house in England and moves to a tiny hamlet in the Cévennes mountains.  With her divorce in the past and her children grown, she is free to make a new start, and to set up in business as a seamstress.  But this is a harsh and lonely place when you're no longer here on holiday.  There is French bureaucracy to contend with, not to mention the mountain weather, and the reserve of her neighbors, including the intriguing Patrick Castagnol.  

The Tapestry of Love is the story of how a woman falls in love with a place and it's people:  a portrait of landscape, a community and a fragile way of life.  -- from Rosy Thornton's website.

If I could sum this book up in one word, that word would be cozy.  This quaint book made me feel at home in Catherine's life, and I began to envy her life!  As Phil Dunphy would say, this book is super-delightful.
Catherine left her life behind in England and went to the beautiful French mountains and Thornton did a good job of not making this a typical story.  It very easily could have been about a spoiled rich girl being stuck in the country, but instead we had Catherine.  Catherine was a great character, she was sympathetic and I really understood her.  She carried herself with such grace, though I have to say that I was not too invested in the love story of this book but it didn't  stop me from enjoying the rest of it!

Another thing I enjoyed about this book was the scenery.  Ms. Thornton wrote such vivid images that I would pretend I was there with Catherine living this beautiful, charming, cozy life.  From page one we were given the treat of beautiful imagery and I loved that about this book.

Overall this was a charming book from Rosy Thornton

*This book was provided by the author, Rosy Thornton, for review on Confessions of a Bookaholic...

CSN Giveaway Winner!

The winner of the CSN Stores Giveaway is Just Floating By!  Check your e-mail :)  

TLC Book Tours: The Debutante by Kathleen Tessaro

The Debutante by Kathleen Tessaro

A gifted artist, Cate has come to London from New York to escape her recent past. Working for her aunt’s auction house, she is sent down to Devon to value the contents of Endsleigh House, the once gracious but now crumbling estate of a former socialite. There, hidden in the back of a dusty bookshelf, Cate discovers an old shoebox. Inside is a strange assortment of objects: an exquisite pair of dancing shoes circa 1930; a diamond brooch; a photograph of a young sailor; a dance card; and a pearl and emerald Tiffanys bracelet.

Intrigued by her find, Cate sets out to solve the mystery of the box, becoming immersed in the story of its owner, Baby Blythe. Bright, beautiful, and reckless, Baby was the most famous debutante of her generation . . . and the most dangerous. As the clues begin to reveal a shocking tale of destructive, addictive love, Cate finds herself being drawn deeper into Baby’s tragic life story—a story that will force Cate to face some dark truths about her own. (Source)

Let me set the mood.  It was a dark, windy night.  There was a tornado watch and I was bunkered down on my couch with candles lit all around me.  Sounds terrifying perfect for reading a good book.


I had a bit of a difficult time getting into the meat of this book, but I think I'm the only one.  I was a little fooled by the cover, I have to admit.  I was expecting a light read, but instead what pleasantly surprised to find a story with substance!

I will say that normally I am not a big fan of historical fiction, but I think Tessaro did a great job of combining the past and the present and actually made it enjoyable to read!  In fact, I actually liked the story that was set in the past.  I was eagerly flipping the pages trying to figure out what happened.  Having never read anything by Kathleen Tessaro before, her language was a little unfamiliar and at times odd to read, however I quickly got over that!

Even though I had difficulty when I started this book, I read through the rest like a crazy person.  It was gripping, mysterious and delicious.  I will definitely be checking out some other Kathleen Tessaro books.

Thank you to TLC Book Tours for allowing me to read this book as part of their program.  Here are the stops for The Debutante TLC Book Tour:

Tuesday, October 5th:  Rundipinne
Thursday, October 7th:  The Lost Entwife
Monday, October 11th:  Reviews from the Heart
Tuesday, October 12th:  Til We Read Again
Thursday, October 14th:  All About {n}
Monday, October 18th:  Thoughts from an Evil Overlord
Wednesday, October 20th:  Books Like Breathing
Thursday, October 21st:  red headed book child
Tuesday, October 26th:  Write Meg!
Wednesday, October 27th:  Daydream Believer
Tuesday, November 2nd:  Hospitable Pursuits
Wednesday, November 3rd:  Confessions of a Bookaholic
Monday, November 8th:  Bookstack
Tuesday, November 9th:  Life in the Thumb

*book was provided from the publisher for review on Confessions of a Bookaholic...
as part of TLC Book Tours.

The World Made Flesh: Literary Tattoos from Bookworms Worldwide

The World Made Flesh:  Literary Tattoos from Bookworms Wordwide by Eva Talmadge and Justin Taylor


The Word Made Flesh: Literary Tattoos from Bookworms Worldwide is a guide to the emerging subculture of literary tattoos—a collection of more than 150 full-color photographs of human epidermis indelibly adorned with quotations and illustrations from Dickinson to Pynchon, from Shakespeare to Plath. With beloved lines of verse, literary portraits, and illustrations—and statements from the bearers on their tattoos' history and the personal significance of the chosen literary work—The Word Made Flesh is part collection of photographs and part literary anthology written on skin. -- from Amazon.com


What a fun book this was.  Not to be superficial, but it is a gorgeous book.  I enjoyed looking at all the tattoos and reading the stories behind them.  This book gave me some great ideas for a future literary tattoo!


What I love most about this book is the fact that people are so moved and touched by literature, whether it be a children's book or a classic novel, that they incorporate it onto their body in a way that can remind them of their favorite book.  It's truly amazing what different people can take away from a book.  Different quotations and passages mean different things to each person, and I think that is truly remarkable.


Check out the website for other fun literary tattoos!  I like these two.  I have a poem by Joan Walsh Anglund that I love and am strongly considering for a tattoo now.   Hmmmm, the ideas are flowing!


*Book was provided by Harper Perennial for review on Confessions of a Bookaholic...

October Books

The Homecoming Party by Carmine Abate (October 2, 2010) 
I read this book for my book club (September's selection).  I love Europa Editions, and I loved this book.  It was a short book, but it wasn't short on content and quality.  It was a story of family and what happens when circumstances force them to be apart.  The effect that Marco's dad's absence had on their family was huge and it was interesting to see a family who was forced apart instead of a family who was broken.  I really related to Elisa at some moments during this book and I was definitely intrigued by this man she was dating and the effect it had on their family.  Great book!


Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (October 4, 2010)
I know there are mixed reviews on this book, but I liked it.  The story was fast paced, life in District 13 was kind of neat, and Peeta was crazy.  The war was intense, and I couldn't get enough of it.  Also, being firmly on Team Peeta, I enjoyed the ending.


I Feel Bad About My Neck by Nora Ephron (October 4, 2010)
I enjoyed this series of essays about growing older.  They were funny and at time poignant.  Also, how awesome is Nora Ephron?


If I Stay by Gayle Forman (October 8, 2010)
Well, I cried during the first few pages of this one.  The car accident that took Mia's family's life was horrific, as was the description.  Then when she was in the hospital, my heart was breaking for her.  Her whole family was gone, how could she survive that?  It was beautifully written, and I devoured it in one sitting.  Great book for all ages.


How Did You Get This Number by Sloane Crosley (October 10, 2010)
I love Sloane Crosley.  She is hilarious and her essays never disappoint.  She's funny and likable.  There isn't much more I could ask for.


The Art of Losing by Rebecca Connell (October 17, 2010)
What a gorgeous book!  It was intense and romantic (if that makes sense).  There was a thriller vibe and I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see what would be revealed, and luckily I was shocked at the little twist (also grossed out).  After I read the book, I felt like I should have seen the twist coming from a mile away...but I didn't.  I liked how the chapters jumped between Lydia in 2007 and Nicholas in the 80s and current.  Another good choice by Europa.  


Single in Suburbia by Wendy Wax (October 24, 2010)
Perfect, light read for a lazy Sunday afternoon.  It was a funny and enjoyable book.  I have another Wendy Wax book sitting nearby that I'm eager to pick up now!  


The Husband by Dean Koontz (October 30, 2010) -- Thriller and Suspense Challenge
I like to read a good mystery on Halloween, so I settled down Saturday night and started reading this.  Eek, did I have a dramatic night.  It all started at 10:00 pm when a crazy person ran up my porch and started pounding on my door and demanding that I open up.  Oh my gosh, I freaked out!  I'm pretty sure it was my neighbor, but it still freaked me out.  She was pounding and yelling for about 5 minutes (I was hiding haha).  Anyways, reading this book probably is part of the reason I was scared.  FYI - my mom came over and spent the night with me.  I'm quite spoiled!  Anyways, this was a good book with a good mystery and a little bit of a shocking twist in the middle.  Poor Mitch!