false 18 293 292 true 5697186 read 0 true 5174440 currently-reading 1 true 5174439 to-read http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/26651.FIRST_Wild_Card_Tours Jane joined the FIRST Wild Card Tours group. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/74681960 to: My Son John (paperback) by Kathi Mills-Macias
As two-AND-A-HALF-year-old Esmé roars around outside with her Pappa on her 4-wheeler in the post-rain mud puddles (pink ballerina shoes on), I contemplate the book I've just read.

Chilling. It's about another mother, who, just like me, expected the best from her kids. Who took them to church every week. Who would never ever have believed them capable of murder. Especially of their own grandmother - her mother. That's something that happens to other families...

Until her grown son confessed to the crime.

Overview

My Son, John is the story of a mother. A mother who loves her family and can't stand to see it broken. A mother who ultimately finds grace for the moment as she makes it through the nightmare of her mother's murder, followed by the arrest of her son, his admittance of guilt, her daughter's rejection of her brother, and her employer's termination of her job.

It's the story of a mother who realizes, through her earthly Alzheimer-afflicted father, that her heavenly Father loves her no matter what. And a mother who can then forgive her own son, no matter what he does.

This is fiction, though it reads amazingly like an autobiography. It includes discussion questions at the end that lead to a greater and shared appreciation of the book.

The Author

Kathi Macias is a popular speaker and an award-winning writer of nearly 30 books. She lives in Homeland, CA, with her husband, Al, where the two of them spend their free time riding their Harley.

For more information or to sign up for Kathi's devotional newsletter, visit her website: kathimacias.com

My Review

Once again, I'm drawn to tragedy. The author draws me in to the story as I, along with the mother, can't imagine how her son could possibly be guilty of a horrendous crime. I struggle with the same disbelief and have difficulty comprehending the son's admission of guilt.

And I read through the book in one sitting because I want to find the happy ending. I'm not disappointed. It's bittersweet, but finding God's forgiveness always results in a happy ending, even when in a jail cell. This book is packed with a powerful message that I'd recommend to anyone.

The author doesn't shy away from the difficult issues. The depression and suicidal thoughts. The side effects from thoughts such as "how can I think about my hair while my son's in a jail cell?" The impact on the entire family and the relationship with other relatives. I must admit that the father seems a little saintly - I would have expected a much more serious impact on the marriage as a result of such an event. Perhaps it just hadn't hit yet in the timeline of the book...

As a sideline, I appreciate the way this book highlights the importance of prison ministry and provides resource information for those going through similar situations or wanting to help.

Overall, this is an easy-to-read book with a shocking and moving storyline that moms can definitely relate to. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/73937518 to: Sleepy Sun (Paperback) by Mari Priscilla Hanson and illustrated by Kathleen M. Hanson
Hi, I'm Esmé, and I'm reviewing my very own book here! I'm ten and one finger (30 months).

Sleepy Sun by Mari Priscilla Hanson is an absolute favorite book of mine! When it came in the mail, I had Mommy read it to me four times in a row right away, and I could have kept on going! It rhymes, with colorful pictures full of things I know all about. And it's a good book for hugging time!

Here's what the book website says: "Sleepy Sun is a beautiful and imaginative bedtime story beloved by children everywhere. With vivid illustrations, this engaging poetic adventure allows children to follow the sun throughout its busy day. It shines on snow capped mountains, heats up the scenic desert, and brightens a lively city... The sun entertains while visiting places all over the world! When the sun's day is finished, it is time to go to sleep."

Here's what I got to say about the book:

Do you like this book? Yeah!
What is the book about? The sunshine! It's getting sleepy!
What's your favorite part? When the boys and the girls play with the animals!
What does the sunshine do? It makes things hot.
What color is the sunshine? Yellow. And orange and pink.
The sun has gone to sleep now. See, it's dark outside! Are you ready to go to sleep, too? Read it again! Read it again!

Mommy's Notes

Everything about this book whispers that it is a personal book written by a mom for her child. I love it! The words are sweetly innocent, and the illustrations remind me of the children's picture book my own mom made for a class when I was young.

This makes a perfect snuggly bedtime book, though my one complaint is that Esmé keeps asking for it to be read over and over, making it hard to wrap up and turn out the light. The book ends with these words:
It's time to go to sleep now
The stars are shining bright
It will see you in the morning
Goodnight, Sweet Child, goodnight

This might not make it onto our science shelf (coincidentally, we had just been discussing how the earth revolves around the sun and not the other way around), but it does make the sun come to life for a child. The book is definitely a winner in our house, and I suspect this will remain a bedtime favorite for some time to come... ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/73845213 to: Though Waters Roar (Paperback) by Lynn Austin
An intriguing book from start to finish. I love how it incorporates historical elements - the underground railroad, the civil war, women's rights, the prohibition, etc. into a fascinating package tied up with the lives of strong Christian women. And the author did an excellent job of jumping from past to present to back again to introduce us to these women. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/73839116 to: Charlie and Mama Kyna (Paperback) by Diana Rumjahn
Hi! I'm Esmé, and I am reviewing my very own book! I don't know how old I am ANY more! (Mommy's note: that would be 30 months...)

This book, Charlie and Mama Kyna, by Diana Rumjahn, is about three adorable stuffed animals who learn about friendship and a mother's love. It has lots of colorful pictures and is lots of fun to look at! It is based on Rumjahn's original motion picture, "Going Home," which has won several international film awards.

Here's how the press release describes the story: "When Charlie the frog accidentally breaks his mother's vase, he decides to run away from home out of fear and embarrassment. He soon discovers Leo the lion and Joe the giraff, new friends who stay with him in an orange tent outside Mrs. Cupcake's Bakery. When Charlie becomes homesick, all three embark on a search for Charlie's mother... In the end, Charlie is welcomed home and reminded that his safety is far more important than a vase."

Here's what I got to say about it:

Do you like the book? Yeah!
What is the story about? Yellow flowers! For Joe the frog's mommy!
Isn't it about Charlie the frog? Yeah. And Joe the lion and Leo the giraffe. Maybe it's Joe the giraffe and Leo the lion.
Is Charlie unhappy or happy? He's sad...
Why? He broke the vase.
And he misses his mommy? Yeah.
Would you be sad if you broke a vase? Yeah.
But you wouldn't have to run away from home, right? Because your mommy loves you more than any vase. You NEVER have to run away from home. OK!
Several pages later... Look, there's his mommy! Now he's HAPPY!
We read about the homecoming party... Wait, let me look. Look, there's cake! And balloons! And the bear! And the pig! And the elephant!
We read about the trio helping out with chores and all friends that visit. Look, they are washing clothes! And bubbles! Now there's the monkey! And the cat! And the dog!
Finally we read about Mama Kyna's valentine picnic. I want a cookie! I want a cookie!
And so the story ends...

Mommy's Notes
This is a sweet story that teaches several valuable lessons. It's full of fun sound effects: drizzle, drop, snap, crackle, and burr... And the brightly-colored illustrations are endearing. Who doesn't love stuffed animals and cupcakes? I would love to see the movie! Of course, empathetic Esmé loved the sad/happy/emotion-evoking factors of the story.

Esmé has a pretty good attention span, so we would read through the story once, and then she would want to "read it again" by checking out the pictures. In my opinion, the story would work best for about ages 4-8. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/73479710 to: My Happy Pumpkin: God's Love Shining Through Me (Board book) by Crystal Bowman
Hi, it's me, Esmé, reviewing my very own book! I am two AND A HALF now! Though I tell everybody I'm three, cuz it's easier to hold up three fingers than two and a half.

Back to the book... My Happy Pumpkin: God's Love Shining Through Me is written by Crystal Bowman and illustrated by Claudine Gevry. It is a colorful board book in a cool pumpkin/sunflower shape! The book is not too long, and it rhymes, so it is easy to sit through the whole thing. Plus, there is a mouse to look for on ALL the pages! It's targeted for ages 2-5. You can get more information at Zonderkidz.

Here's what the publisher has to say about the book: "This book shares with young children the delight of picking out and carving your first pumpkin and compares this experience to God choosing us and shaping us to his delight. Just as the candle we put in a pumpkin glows, so does God's light shine in us."

Here's what I have to say about it:

What is the book about? A pumpkin!
What is the daddy doing? Planting seeds!
What is the mouse doing? Throwing a ball! No, he is eating a pumpkin seed that just happens to look like a miniature football.
Wow, look at all the pumpkins that grew! I like THAT one. Why? Because! I like THAT one.
What color are the trees? That one is yellow. That one is orange. That one is ...? Brown. That one is green. Why are they different colors? Because it is fall. Do you like the fall? I like Christmas. And I like fall.
Now the pumpkin is carved! What are the eyes? Circles. What is the nose? A triangle. What is the mouth? Happy!
How do you show God you love him? I don't know... Is it by obeying? I don't know...
What is the little boy doing? He is praying to the mouse. No! He is praying to God! The mouse is just sleeping. No! (and so ensues an argument that I won't detail here...)

Mommy's Notes

As you can see, theology remains a constant topic of debate in our house. That's why I'm glad for Zonderkidz books!

We've chosen not to celebrate Halloween at our house. This isn't the forum for a debate on the topic, so I won't go into reasons. But I will say that it's becoming more challenging now that we have a kid. There is nothing inherently wrong with princess costumes, chocolate, candied apples, pumpkins, and scarecrows. (Well, maybe there is something inherently wrong with chocolate, but once again, we won't debate that here...) So how do you enjoy all the fall season has to offer if you're trying to ignore the biggest holiday of the season?

What I love about this book is the way it steers completely clear of Halloween, while bringing beautiful meaning to the carved pumpkin. Here is a portion of the text:

"My pumpkin is happy and I'm happy too.
For God picked me out, and he made me like new...
...I'll try to be good so that others can see
God's love and God's light, shining through me." ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/73380952 to: Intimate Conversations: Devotions to Nurture a Woman's Soul (Paperback) by Alicia Britt Chole
You know how sometimes it seems a topic keeps jumping out at you in everything you read? For a while, it was "balance." Now, it's "fear." This book isn't specifically about fear, but there is plenty in it that deals with the subject... So maybe I need to do a little in-depth thinking on it!

Overview

Intimate Conversations: Devotions to Nurture a Woman's Soul is a book of 52 devotions especially for women. Each devotion has an inspirational reading, an applicable Bible text, and a set of questions or assignments for discussion and reflective journaling. It is written for the woman who is longing for a close relationship with God, but often finds life getting in the way.

Author

Alicia Britt Chole is sage. She is terra-cotta. She is ruby red. So she is described by Jennifer Rothschild, a blind speaker, author, and friend, in the Foreward of this book. And I can see all those colors - the earthy wisdom, the flashy glimpses - as I read this book.

Alicia Chole is also an international speaker, a mentor, and author who lives in Missouri.

My Review

I knew from the first sentence of this book that I could relate to the author:

Good morning, God, I'm so gra-- (excuse me, God). "You can have a snack after lunch."
I'm so grateful for th-- (just a second, God). "Your shoes are in the laundry room."
I'm so grateful for this time we ha-- (sorry for the interruption, God). "They're there. Moooove things."
I'm so grateful for the time we have together to-- (God, I think we'll have to continue this lat--). "No, you are not old enough to change baby's poopy diaper. I'M COMING!"

Sound familiar, anyone?

I thoroughly enjoyed reading through these devotions and thinking through how I could center my life around God. The author's personal illustrations made the devotions even more meaningful. I didn't have the time to work through the reflective journaling assignments, but plan to go through the book again at a slower pace, and I'm sure I'll gain even more.

Specifically, I appreciated the challenge to see every little choice as a seed - that will impact my future in one way or another.

Being a checklist person, I had an aha moment in realizing that God needs to be more than top priority - the first item on my to do list each day that I can check off and ignore the rest of the day. He needs to be the center of everything on that list. And moments with Him happen throughout the day, even when we don't get that hour of quiet time to focus on Him each morning.

As a sometimes stay-at-home mom who spends eons running in circles and seeming to get nowhere, I appreciated the insight that even in those moments that seem to be unproductive; that aren't growing our resumes, there IS productivity: growth of character...

And I relished the reflections on fear. I'm planning another post just on the topic of fear, so won't say much here, just that I loved the beautiful picture the author painted: that storms are an opportunity to experience God's closeness and comfort, rather than an occasion to fear.

Overall, this book is a well-written sweet women's devotional that reflects much of what is going on in my own life and challenges me to draw closer to God. No matter how busy you are, I'd say this book is definitely worth the moments needed to read through it over a year...

Thanks to Revell Books for the review copy of this book. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/73074734 to: The Man Who Loved Books Too Much: The True Story of a Thief, a Detective, and a World of Literary Obsession (Hardcover) by Allison Hoover Bartlett
Overview

Over a 10-year period, John Charles Gilkey stole hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of rare books. The Man Who Loved Books Too Much: The True Story of a Thief, a Detective, and a World of Literary Obsession is an account of the world of book collectors. It's the story of a man obsessed with acquiring a rare book library at any cost, and the story of a dealer obsessed with stopping collectible book theft. And it's a never-ending story that pulls you into the obsessions, as well.

Author

"Allison Hoover Bartlett's writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the San Francisco Chronicle Magazine, and other publications, and on Salon.com. Her original article on John Gilkey was included in The Best American Crime Reporting 2007."

My Review

I laughed when I saw the title of this book - I knew I'd be able to relate to obsessions! I've just calculated that I've got enough review books lined up to do two book reviews per day over the next 50 days... It's that OCD in me coming out. I love the idea of lining all my walls with books; sharing my personality and preferences by putting them on display. And finding a book package in the mail feels like Christmas to me. Fortunately mine is not a costly obsession, though I don't think it would take much to get me into the rare book treasure hunt.

And Gilkey's obsession was not supposed to be costly, either, since he acquired most of his books through theft. He had to pay through jail time, but that just seemed to be a part of the acquisition cost, rather than a penalty.

I was fascinated to gain insight into the thought-patterns of a book thief. Gilkey saw rare books as a way to gain social status. And he saw theft as being fully justified, as all those crooked dealers were just trying to rake over the consumers. I was also intrigued by his methods of credit card fraud and his downright audacity. And I loved his idea of creating a book theft detective series.

The author did a fantastic job in revealing Gilkey's character. I didn't relate quite so well to Ken Sanders, the detective. It's interesting to note how the author was absorbed into the story and became a part of it, rather than remaining an objective observer.

A somewhat light-hearted book of the true-crime genre, this is a rare book in its own right...

Thanks to Riverhead Books for the review copy of this book. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/73073928 to: Stand: Seeking the Way of God: A Discovery of Genesis 37-47 (Paperback) by Alex Mcfarland
Overview

Stand: Seeking the Way of God (A Discovery of Genesis 37-47) is a teen devotional. It's not your typical teen devotional full of short frothy stories, though. This one gets deep into the heart of Scripture as it explores the story of Joseph. It provides historical information; specific lessons in areas such as obedience, trust, service, and wisdom; biblical insights; and practical applications. In particular, it inspires teens not to give up on their dreams.

Author

Alex McFarland is an author, speaker, and apologist (one who explains and rationally defends the faith). He is currently the president of Southern Evangelical Seminary in North Carolina and has spent over two decades training teens in a biblical worldview.

My Review

Esmé loved the green and yellow graphics of this book, as well as the compact size and ease of handling. Seriously, she carried it around and kept telling me it was HER book. But she couldn't tell me anything about what it said, so I'm not letting her do this review...

Honestly, the graphics, different fonts, and insets make this an attractive book. Kudos to the graphics designer(s) behind this. The way things are broken up works great for those with short attention spans who can jump between different items on a page.

A couple of highlights for me:

* In the chapter on Adversity, it's pointed out that suffering never lasts. It WILL end. And even on this earth, we know that God will carry the load for us.
* In the chapter on Obedience, the concept of costly grace is discussed. We often speak of cheap or free grace, and costly grace seems to be an oxymoron. But take this quote of Dietrich Bonhoeffer: "Grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner... It is costly because it cost God the life of his Son... [and:] it is grace because God did not reckon his Son too dear a price to pay for our life."

One in a series of three STAND books, this can definitely stand alone or be combined with the others for a more comprehensive study. The other books focus on Psalm 119 (God's word) and Proverbs (God's wisdom), while this focuses on God's way.

Definitely a recommended book, both as a devotional and as an in-depth study into the story of Joseph.

For more information or to purchase, check out the Tyndale site. Thanks to Tyndale Media Center for the review copy of this book. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/73073907 to: Fear Not Tomorrow, God Is Already There: Trusting Him in Uncertain Times (Hardcover) by Ruth Graham
I've enjoyed other inspirational writing by Ruth Graham, so looked forward to receiving this book - and I haven't been disappointed. This book is filled with personal examples as Graham explores the concept of trust; and how we have no need to fear, but rather reason to hope. Each chapter ends with a beautiful Point of Focus, or scripture reference that fits the chapter. And at the end of the book is her ABC Praise List, a great reminder of who God is.

Not only do we not need to fear tomorrow, we don't need to regret the past. God can make beauty out of our brokenness. And Graham points out that we should ANTICIPATE tomorrow, or "stand on tiptoe," as her little girl would do while waiting for Daddy to come home. What a beautiful concept! ]]>