bookshelves: highly-recommended
Which Princess Were You?
Every little girl dreams of being a princess. Some go so far as to decorate their rooms with princess-y stuff. Each princess fairy tale shows a beautiful girl overcoming adversity to find love and happiness in the arms of her Prince Charming.
Every little girl’s dream is to be swept off her feet, by a handsome, loving man and to live happily ever after.
Unfortunately, with 50 percent of all marriage ending in divorce, happily ever after seems to be harder to come by. That means there are princesses (and princes) out there whose worlds have been completely turned upside down.
Author Barb Greenberg is one of those princesses whose life did not follow the HEAE (happily ever after ending) that she had dreamed of when she and her husband were first married. Barb turns what she learned through this experience into a new fairy tale to teach others.
After the Ball follows Cinderella and Snow White as they trot into the forest together to find a legendary woman they believe could help them overcome the serious disappointment and anger and abandonment they feel at the end of what should have been happily ever after. Through the woman’s wisdom, they learn to look inward at themselves to pull their hearts out of despair back into living; they that needed to be true to themselves and, upon discovering that truth and them following that truth, they would recover and be able to move on.
It is a truly unique story idea. A quick read – easily done in an hour or two. Beautifully designed cover. It is a fairy tale that is truly uplifting and empowering. It is one that I’m considering buying for a friend whom I know is going through a tough time at the moment.
Well worth the read. I look forward to reading more from Barb Greenberg and Rose Path Press.
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bookshelves: not-recommended
Very rarely am I caught off guard by a book. Before I received a message from Thomas Nelson, as one of their book review bloggers, that this book would be made available to those who were already reading something (usually it's one at a time) I had already decided that this wasn't a book I wanted to read. I had looked through the selections available and something about the title--perhaps it's the editor in me that doesn't like the combination of "strongest" and "life"...something about that irks me...don't really know why--just didn't appeal to me. The thought that this was also written by a man and I questioned how effectively he could really relate to what women are going through also made me look for something else. Then, when this offer came up to review it when I already had a book for review, I decided why not. Perhaps it would be helpful.
I had never heard of Marcus Buckingham.
I was looking forward to a spiritually uplifting book, that would affirm what God's will was for women (after all this was publisher that specializes in this sort of thing), that would point out even through the examples he gave of women who contacted Oprah after that one show, God can still use those situations; how he pointed out to those women and shared the gospel with them. How he used examples of women in the Bible and Scriptures to validate God's view of women and how He created us and how He views us.
The points in the opening chapter were really very interesting. I was intrigued by them and agreed with them -- that women are more stressed out now with all the choices. That "women's lib" for all it's whoopla really hasn't improved life that much for women. We're often too stressed out running from one thing to the other that we can't enjoy life anymore. It's been so ingrained in us that we have to work to be happy...when that's not necessarily true for everyone.
But as I read through the introduction and the first couple of chapters it occurred to me there was no mention about the Christian experience. What advantages Christian women have over non-Christian women. I can't imagine what it would be like to go through all that I am without having a relationship in Christ. That's what I expected to see.
Perhaps it was because this book was written by a man and from a man's perspective. It's impossible to completely get into a woman's psyche from a male vantage point. Women are very much emotional creatures and I found this book too analytical and not emotional enough. The only time I found my emotions engaged was reading the quotes from those women who contacted Oprah.
This is not a book I would highly recommend, though I can't say I wouldn't recommend it at all. As demonstrated by the number of higher reviews, there were some people who liked it. But it is not a book will be recommending for our church library. As a spiritual resource for busy moms and women, it was highly disappointing.
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bookshelves: highly-recommended
Blockbuster!
With realistic, three-dimensional characters and a dynamic, completely plausible blockbuster plot worthy of today’s headlines, Richard Aaron has brought himself screaming into the writing world with this debut thriller – the first of a planned series.
Gauntlet features a main character who is diagnosed with autism and shows us the inner world of a person trying to make a living and a life for himself and the struggles associated with societal misunderstanding of the condition.
But they need Hamilton Turbee’s uncanny intellect and computer-like mind to stop a terrorist attack. Security forces from Canada and the US combine for an international espionage/terrorist plot that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Rarely does a debut author create such a stir. Rarely does a debut author get me so excited over a book. Rarely does an author (debut or not) get five stars out of me. To my recollection I have only ever given 5 stars to one other fiction writer – and it wasn’t his debut.
Looking forward to the next release!
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bookshelves: recommended
Revealed
What a poignant and down-to-earth account of what goes on back stage in an actor’s life.
For those of us that watch musicals and movies everything seems glittery and wonderful, but we can never truly understand the work that it took to put such a production together or the struggles of the actors in a very unforgiving industry.
Byron Nease had to overcome a dysfunctional family, an “unacceptable” sexual orientation, and AIDS to make a life for himself on stage. Most will remember him in his role as The Phantom.
It is always intriguing to learn about what an actor carries behind the mask we see on stage or on television.
I found Nease’s account stirring and challenging to break down stereotypes and perceptions and realize there’s more to a person’s life than what you see on stage.
Thank you for sharing your life with us.
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bookshelves: recommended
Blood is thicker…?
Shirley Roe has crafted an intricate follow-up story to the introductory Martha Whittaker story. This book has intrigue and conflict that you would never suspect would happen in a family.
Martha’s three sons are all grown now and trying live on without the memory of their dead abusive father until a mysterious stranger shows up at a wedding and things turn nasty as they realize their father still has a hold on their lives.
Looking forward to the next installment!
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bookshelves: to-read
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bookshelves: to-read
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bookshelves: to-read
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bookshelves: to-read
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"Really enjoying this book. Max Lucado is a natural writer - the words just flow. Great connections between Scripture and real life!"
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