Divanomics

Book Details:
Genre: non-fiction/self help
Page Count: 247
Publication Date: April 1, 2010
Why I read it: review copy from Tyndale
Grade: C

The plot:
Once upon a time, Michelle McKinney Hammond’s lifestyle centered around the finer things in life—designer clothes, five-star restaurants, and bag after bag of high-end nonessentials. Then one day, like many people, Michelle awoke to find herself on the losing end of a most unwelcome and unexpected financial downturn. In response, she quickly went from “spoiled” to “fabulously frugal,” and with courage and a sense of humor, she made the necessary adjustments in her life.
Now, Hammond, a self-proclaimed DIVA (Divine Inspiration for Victorious Attitude), shares what she learned about her own spending, desires, and needs and how she adjusted to life during an unpredictable economy. Divanomics is filled with money-saving tips on fashion, beauty, home decor, entertaining, diet, housing, and more.

My review:
I'm not sure that I'm really the target audience for this book. Yes, I'd like to budget better and get tips for spending less money, but this book seemed to be more for people who had expensive tastes (something I've never had) and it seemed to be geared more towards single woman. Since I'm a married mother of three, my life looks a lot different than the authors.

I think if you're looking for a good book on budgeting and financing, check out something by Dave Ramsey. In fact, the author even suggests his books in Divanomics, so I think she's aware that she's not an expert on finance. What this book reads more like is sitting down for a cup of coffee with a girlfriend who found herself in financial trouble, figured out how to help herself, and wants to give you her advice and experiences.

I think what I liked best about the book were the little snippets at the end of each chapter called "What's a diva to do". These were basically a summary of the chapter, but in the form of a list of things you could try. Since I'm all about lists, these were good for me. This is a fun book about spending less, but a lot of the time I felt like she was too focused on getting stuff--like what she could get out of other people for free. There were times that it wasn't in a bad way, like trading clothes with your friends, but there were other times where it seemed like she was giving pointers for getting men (or others) to buy you things or give you things. It rubbed me the wrong way a little bit.

All in all, this was a quick read (when I actually picked it up and read it), but definitely not the best if you're looking to get your finances in order. If you're looking for something lighthearted about finances, though, this may be a good option. You can visit the product page for this book at Tyndale here.

DragonArt Evolution

Book Details:
Genre: instructional book
Page Count: 144
Publication Date: Sept. 30, 2010
Why I read it: review copy
Grade: B

The plot:
Inspiration, instruction, and entertainment - you will get it all in this book filled with all-new dragons and detailed anatomy instruction. As seen in J “NeonDragon” Peffer’s first book, DragonArt: How to Draw Fantastic Dragons and Fantasy Creatures, this book features a combination of beautiful, inspiring art, easy-to-follow instruction with DragonArt™ Evolution. You will be able to draw every part of dragon anatomy book and be able to assemble those pieces into dragons of your very own.

My review:
I've always liked to draw, and fantasy pictures have long been my favorites. The problem was, I could never draw a dragon. I didn't even know where to start with getting the body rightly proportioned, or making the head look right. So I was kind of excited to get this book for review. I'll be honest, I haven't actually tried drawing any of these dragons yet. I haven't actually picked up a drawing pad and pencil for years, if you want to know the truth.

I do really like the pictures, though. The illustrations are beautiful, and the instruction seems to be pretty good. My seven year old sat down with the book and tried to draw a dragon. He worked at it for quite awhile, and while you'd never know it was a dragon from looking at it, he sure had fun. I don't think he realized you're not supposed to draw and keep every line in the instructions.

If you're already a great fantasy artist, this book may not be helpful to you. But if you like to draw, and need a little help, or if you just want to look at great illustrations of dragons, check out this book.

Skinny is Overrated

Title: Skinny is Overrated
Author: Danielle Milano, MD
Genre: nonfiction/self-help
Page Count: 256
Why I read it: received review copy
Grade: C+

Synopsis:
Skinny Is Overrated is a guide to health and happiness for women of any size who are tired of dieting. Writing in a conversational and often humorous style, and backed by scientific research, Dr. Danielle Milano teaches us to make healthier food choices. She emphasizes the importance of exercise, assuring the reader that it isn't necessary to be a size two! With helpful, easy recipes and common sense advice, Dr. Milano's guidelines for simple lifestyle changes will help you lose weight, gain energy, and become a healthier, more confident you-as you were meant to be.

My review:
There was a lot of good information here. Milano tells us what food choices are good and what are bad, but what's good here is that she tells us why in detail. Her writing style is very easy to read, and I found it to be a very quick read for a health type book, which usually seem slow, and I can only read a little bit at a time.

The downside to this one was that there was some inconsistency, which I've found quite common in books about nutrition and fitness. She would say one thing, and then a few pages or a chapter later, say the complete opposite. The other thing is that I found her food recommendations to be a little unrealistic, at least for me. To eat the way she suggests would be pretty expensive, time consuming, and would make my kids hate me--three things that would almost guarantee failure for me.

Still, there are some good ideas here that I will incorporate into our diets. She advocates getting exercise every day, no matter what level you're at. If you're new to it, start small and work your way up. Just do something. It's all good advice. I would recommend this if you're looking for an easy, quick read, but with the caveat to take the information that works for you, and leave the rest.

Start Here (+Giveaway)

Title: Start Here
Author: Alex & Brett Harris
Genre: YA Christian Non-fiction
Page Count: 160
Why I read it: blog tour for publisher
Grade: B

Synopsis:
You want to do hard things.  But you don’t know where to start.
You are changing the world around you.  But you are tired and burned out.

You feel called to do the extraordinary for God.  But you feel stuck in the ordinary.
 Do Hard Things inspired thousands of young people around the world to make the most of the teen years.  Now Alex and Brett Harris are back and ready to tackle the questions that Do Hard Things inspired: How do I get started?  What do I do when I get discouraged?  What’s the best way to inspire others?  Filled with stories and insights from Alex, Brett, and other real-life rebelutionaries, Start Here is a powerful and practical guide to doing hard things, right where you are.

Are you ready to take the next step and blast past mediocrity for the glory of God?

START HERE.

For this review, I have a guest blogger--my daughter, Kaitlyn (who is 12).
Kaitlyn's review:
I liked this book, it was a great way to grow closer to God. I think this is a good book for any teen that just wants to do something hard for God. I really liked how they had other peoples stories included in it to kind of give you an idea of what doing hard things is like. I like the points in this book. This book explained how to get started with doing something hard. It showed what you need to learn and do before you do something hard. This book is excellent  for doing in a youth group. It includes a discussion at the end to talk about in a youth group. I think the worst part in this story is there was some words I could not understand but besides that it was a good book. :)

This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.  To find out more information about this book, click here.

***I have a copy of this book to give away to one lucky reader.  To enter, just leave a comment here, including an e-mail address where I can contact you if you win.  Giveaway ends, and a winner will be chosen on March 22nd. *** 
 

Mother Daughter Duet (+Giveaway)

Title: Mother Daughter Duet
Author: Cheri Fuller & Ali Plum
Genre: Christian non-fiction
Page Count: 212
Why I read it: blog tour for the publisher

Synopsis:
Written by a mother and daughter who have successfully navigated the minefield from distance and tension to acceptance and friendship, Mother-Daughter Duet helps moms open wide the door of communication so that daughters want to walk through it. Filled with personal anecdotes and based on proven principles, each chapter offers timeless wisdom as well as a daughter’s perspective. Often these principles apply to daughters-in-law as well.

My review:
I'm not really the target audience for this book.  I do have a daughter, but she's not an adult.  With that in mind, I read this thinking about the future, and the relationship I want to have with my daughter when she is an adult.

There is some great advice and ideas in here, and I think any mom with a daughter would benefit from reading Mother Daughter Duet.  Even if, like me, you're not the target audience, you can get something out of it.  There is a chapter on connecting and bonding, and most of the ideas there will work for a daughter of any age.

Here's a favorite quote from the book:
I stayed at the altar and continued to pray, this time asking God to forgive me for trying to control it all.  While I was on my knees, the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart.  Trust me.  I love your daughter even more than you do.  And if you died today, I would see to it that she ends up in my kingdom for eternity.  It will be in her timing and mine, not yours.

This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.  To find out more information about this book, click here.

***I have a copy of this book to give away to one lucky reader.  To enter, just leave a comment here, including an e-mail address where I can contact you if you win.  Giveaway ends, and a winner will be chosen on March 12th. *** 

Dancing With My Father (+Giveaway)

Title: Dancing With My Father
Author: Sally Clarkson
Genre: Christian Non-Fiction
Page Count: 206
Why I read it: blog tour for the publisher

Synopsis:
When trusted author and mentor Sally Clarkson noticed a lack of joy in her own life, she realized how easy it can be, especially for women with overloaded to-do lists, to feel weighed down by drudgery and disappointment. But rather than slogging through her days, Sally wanted to know the delight of God's presence. She began prayerfully exploring how to cultivate deep-rooted joy even in the midst of difficult seasons.

My review:
How many times have you asked yourself why everything has to be so hard?  I know I've asked myself that.  As I go through the day to day drudgery of being a stay at home mom, sometimes it's hard to find the joy in life.  But joy doesn't depend on our circumstances, it's found in loving and trusting God, and this book was a beautiful illustration of that.

Through stories from her own life, Sally Clarkson tells us how we can find joy--through trials, through experiencing God's creation, through His word . . . God has given us endless things to bring us joy.  Each chapter ends with questions so that you can reflect on what you've read.  This book would be wonderful for a small group or womens Bible study.

One of the passages from the book says, "When I intentionally asked God to open my eyes to his provision of joy, I began to notice even small, everyday occurrences as a gift, such as the sunrise and sunset."  I've realized I need to not only enjoy the beauty of things, but take the time to stop what I'm doing and recognize that those beautiful things I'm seeing are part of God's love letter to me.  Dancing With My Father gives wonderful examples of ways to find joy in all things.

This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.  To find out more information about this book, click here.


***I also have a copy of this book to give away to one lucky reader.  To enter, just leave a comment here, including an e-mail address where I can contact you if you win.  Giveaway ends, and a winner will be chosen on March 10th. ***

Comfort Living

Title: Comfort Living
Author: Christine Eisner
Genre: Non-fiction
Page Count: 84
Why I read it: Received review copy from the publisher
Grade: B

Synopsis:
With simple tools and do-able steps, Comfort Living will guide you in creating a home that transforms the way you experience each day. No big investment of time or money is required. Filled with exercises, ToolBoxes, photographs and planning pages, this book becomes a personalized experience for each reader, customized to individual needs and wants, much like a wedding planner or baby book. Just as comfort food does more than satisfy hunger, Comfort Living realigns your surroundings so that they support your priorities and feed your soul.

My review:
This was a fairly short, straightforward book about simple ways that you can make your home more comfortable and inviting.  A lot of it centered around "campfires" or different comfort areas that you could make within your home.  This might be a reading nook, your dining room table, your entryway--you figure out a place that's important to you, and then make it your own.

There was a lot of useful advice packed into this little book.  The chapters are divided into weeks, and there are eight of them, so it's meant to be done one week at a time.  There is planning areas, places to take notes, little assignments for you to do each week, etc.  I really liked some of the ideas in this book, and will implement them in my home.

The Language of Love and Respect

Title: The Language of Love & Respect
Author: Emerson Eggerichs
Genre: Christian Non-Fiction
Page Count: 368
Why I read it: Received review copy from Thomas Nelson publisher
Grade: B-

Synopsis:
Finally an answer for the number one problem in marriages—communication! This analysis of the vital principles of cross-gender communication helps couples recognize they speak two different languages. They are sending each other messages in "code" but won't be able to crack that code until they realize that she listens to hear the language of love and he listens for respect.

Most advice on this subject fails to understand that husbands and wives are wired very differently, and when those wires get crossed, the communication sparks can fly!


My review:
There seemed to be a whole lot of repetition in this book.  Men and women are different (blue and pink, in this book).  Men desire to be respected by their wives, and women desire to be loved by their husbands.  When one spouse isn't feeling the love or respect, the crazy cycle begins, and it goes round and round until one of them decides to stop it.  It's not good to live in the crazy cycle.  And even if your spouse doesn't show you love (or respect), it'll be best for all involved if you show respect (or love) anyway.

So, that was pretty much the message of the book.  Repeat as necessary for 368 pages.  But, it's a good message.  Really good.  I think if one or both spouses really followed what was in this book, they'd have a happy, content marriage.  So, while I felt that the book could have been shortened quite a bit, I think it was a good book, for the message.  I'd recommend this to Christian couples who might be having trouble in their marriage.

The One Year Devotions for Preschoolers 2

Title: The One Year Devotions for Preschoolers 2
Author: Carla Barnhill
Genre: Juvenile Christian Non-fiction
Page Count: 384
Why I read it: Received from Tyndale Publisher for review
Grade: A

Synopsis:
The One Year Devotions for Preschoolers 2 uses the Little Blessings characters to help children through easy-to-understand devotions. Each reading pairs a Little Blessings illustration with a short Bible verse and devotional thought that gets you and your child talking about the simple truths of Scripture. A fun, rhyming prayer completes each devotional. This book is a great way to get young children interacting with Scripture daily to learn of God’s wonderful promises and timeless truths. Previously published as Blessings Every Day.

My review:
When I received this in the mail, and let my three-year-old open it, he was so excited to be getting his very own book in the mail.  We started reading it right away, and although it's a devotional, meant to be read one page (or devotion) each day, he wanted me to just keep on going.  We've read through this whole book a couple of times already.

He absolutely loves it, and I think it's quite cute, with good Biblical truths.  The illustrations are adorable as well.  I'm not sure how you could get by with just reading one page at a time with your preschooler.  I guarantee once you start reading, they'll want more.  So, in this way, it doesn't really work as a devotional book.  But that's not a bad thing, I don't think.  I would recommend this to Christian parents looking for a good book to read with their young child.

The One Day Way

Title: The One Day Way
Author: Chantel Hobbs
Genre: Self Help
Page Count: 210
Why I read it: Received review copy from Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing Group
Grade: B

Synopsis:
Yesterday's mistakes are gone so let them go. You can't control tomorrow, so stop worrying about it. Today is your opportunity to lose weight, get strong, and look great. It won't happen overnight, but you can build a new life by changing your actions immediately and this book shows you how to make the changes that will create the new lifestyle you dream of: body, mind, and spirit.  For more information visit Random House.

My review:
This was a well-written, easy to read book about a new approach to losing weight.  The author makes things easy to understand, and has good advice throughout the book.  I've read a few different fitness and weight loss books, and while I can see how the plans in each book might work, they've always seemed a bit unattainable, to be honest.  The fitness and food plans were never anything that I could do or afford. 

At first I was thinking the approach in this book wouldn't work for me, because I've always been the "I'll start tomorrow" type of person.  So I thought if I took it one day at a time, every day I'd just say I'd start doing better tomorrow.  But then I realized I'm that way because my plans are always long term.  It's always a month long plan, or a six month plan or the like.  So it's easier to say I'll start on my new plan tomorrow.  If I focus on small, daily goals, every day is a chance to accomplish a goal.  It won't seem so daunting, and won't be something to put off starting until tomorrow.

I haven't started on the one day way yet.  It's going to be a New Years resolution for me, so I can't say how well the plan actually works, but I can say the book was an easy, enjoyable read, and I would recommend it if you're looking to try something new and fresh for getting healthier.

Living With Confidence in a Chaotic World

Title: Living With Confidence in a Chaotic World
Author: Dr. David Jeremiah
Genre: Christian Nonfiction
Got it from: Thomas Nelson Publishers
Why I read it: received review copy
Grade: C

Synopsis:
This book is about things that we can do to live calmly and confidently in a world that is filled with uncertainty and turmoil.  Filled with scriptural references and biblical reasoning, Dr. David Jeremiah gives ten ways to make life more peaceful and filled with hope as we look toward the end times.






My review:
I think Dr. Jeremiah is an interesting author, and this book may have worked better for me had it been in article form.  I know that would negate it being a book, and therefore I wouldn't be doing a book review.  I just didn't feel like there was enough information to fill a whole book.  While it was scripturally sound, and I liked what he had to say, I felt that it was way to repetitive for me to enjoy it.  It seemed to be saying the same things over and over in a chapter, and while what he was saying were all very good things, and things that make sense, I don't need to read the same advice told in ten different ways.

REVIEW - Take Your Best Shot

Title: Take Your Best Shot
Author: Austin Gutwein (with Todd Hilliard)  Hoops of Hope
Genre: YA non-fiction
Grade: A

Synopsis:
This book is about Austin, a boy who, at nine years old, decided he wanted to make a difference.  When he watched a World Vision video about a girl named Maggie who was orphaned by AIDS, he decided to start Hoops of Hope; an organization where individuals earn money by getting sponsored for shooting free-throw shots.  This is his story.

My Review:
Take Your Best Shot was definitely geared towards the younger generation.  The author often talks directly to them, telling them that although they are young, they can make a difference.  That didn't dampen my enjoyment of the book at all.  I was touched and inspired.  The author talks about finding your passion and then working on a vision for helping make the world better, and after reading this book, that's something that I will be praying about.  There is a lot of scripture throughout the book, which was great, and I think this is exactly the kind of book kids need to read.  I would recommend it for anyone of any age.  Kids and teenagers especially!

REVIEW - Fields of the Fatherless

I'm going to be honest.  After reading What Difference Do It Make? this book didn't quite measure up.  I think Tom Davis is awesome.  He is a humanitarian, he does wonderful things, and he is someone I really look up to.  But his writing just wasn't as engaging.

That's not to say that Fields of the Fatherless wasn't good.  It's only to say that maybe I shouldn't have read it right after the other one.  This is another book that is a wake up call for Christians.  The Bible says to care for orphans, widows--"the least of these", yet very few Christians get out there and do it.

I know I need to do better.  There were a few dry parts in this book, but there were also a lot of things that were beautifully written.  Tom Davis definitely has a heart for orphans and the less fortunate, and it shows through in his writing.  I think I enjoyed his more recent book, Red Letters: Living a Faith That Bleeds, a little better, but I would still recommend this if you're dealing with holy discontent.  That feeling that there is something more out there for you to be doing.  I would rate this 4/5.

REVIEW - What difference do it make?

I was sent What difference do it make? for review.  It sounded exactly like my kind of book, so I started it right away.  It only took me an afternoon to read it, and I read the whole thing with tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat.

This is a follow up book to Same Kind of Different as Me, which I haven't read, but will be reading as soon as I can get my hands on it.  This is one of those books that touched me in a way that few books do.  It made me take a good, long look at myself, like God was saying, "Brenda, I'm talking to you."  I don't have to travel halfway around the world to find people to serve; they can be found anywhere.

The story switches from the point of view of Ron, an international arts dealer whose wife dragged him to help at a homeless shelter before she died of cancer; and Denver, a formerly homeless man whom Ron met at that homeless shelter.  There are also stories of people whose lives were touched by reading Same Kind of Different as Me.

I think I enjoyed the parts from Denver's point of view, but it was all very good.  I would say there was one slow part, right in the middle for a chapter or two, but it wasn't enough to take away my enjoyment of the book.  There's something to be said for books that can cause people to make major life changes, and I think this is one of those books.  From the stories told, clearly the previous book did so.  How many times can we read the Bible, particularly Matthew 25, and have it not sink in?  Why does it take books like this to make people (including me) get it?  I don't have the answer to that question.

This is a book that I will be passing around to family and friends, because I think it's not only an engaging read, but it's an important read.  I would rate it 5/5 and would recommend it to anyone--I don't care who you are.  If you've read and enjoyed this book, and are looking for more of the same, I would recommend Red Letters by Tom Davis, and Crazy Love by Francis Chan.

REVIEW - French Milk

French Milk is about a 23 year old woman who travels with her mother to live in Paris for a month or so. It's a memoir, told through drawings (graphic novel type) and photographs of their time there. I really expected to like this book a lot more than I did, because I love Paris so much.

I thought the format for this book was excellent. Written in normal memoir style, I don't think it would have held my attention at all. The drawings were fun. I just didn't feel much joy coming from the author. There seemed to be a lot of complaining and depression. I understand that the author was just portraying how she felt at the time, but it just wasn't what I was expecting.

Off book topic aside: One particular part of the book where she and her mom were in a laundromat reminded me of when Troy and I were in Paris. We went to a laundromat, because we only packed enough clothes for about a week (and we were in Europe for two). We couldn't figure out how to work the machines, or what we were doing, but luckily there was a nice French couple there who spoke English and helped us. People say that Europeans are so rude to Americans, but I didn't find that to be the case at all. I'm sure there are rude ones, but there are rude people everywhere.

But back to the book; it was a quick read and was interesting enough, but I definitely didn't love it. I would probably rate it a 3/5 and I'm not sure that it would be one I would recommend.