Henry Hodges Needs A Friend

I don't believe that I've posted a kid's book in a very long time. Let me just say what a nice little "retreat" it was to get away and let my brain just relax for a little bit.

Henry Hodges Needs a Friend is a short story by Andy Andrews. It's about a lonely boy who ends up looking for a friend. His parents decide that he doesn't need a human friend, but a pet. Not just any pet though; a one-of-a-kind pet. The majority of the book is Henry thinking about all the possible silly animals that he could find.

The illustrations are vibrant. The text is easy to read, even for a beginner reader and would make a great learning tool. There was one thing I did find odd. On every page, only one word was a different color than the rest of the text. I don't know if there was a special reason for it or they just felt like doing that so it too was one-of-a-kind.

Overall this book was cute and I think kids would get a kick out of the pictures of the animals that Henry dreams up while the adult was reading the book to them.


I recieved this book for free in return for my honest review from BookLook Bloggers.

Daily Painting

Daily Painting by Carol Marine

Age Range: Anyone that wants to broaden their artistic design

Genre: Painting and creativity

Paperback: 192 pages

Publisher: Watson-Guptill (November 4, 2014)

Source: From publisher via Blogging for Books

My Rating: 5 of 5 stars

About the Book:

A unique system for jump-starting artistic creativity, encouraging experimentation and growth, and increasing sales for artists of all levels, from novices to professionals.

Do you want to bring the joy back into your art? Have you landed in a frustrating rut? Are you having trouble selling paintings in galleries, getting bogged down by projects you can’t seem to finish or abandon, or finding excuses to avoid working in the studio? Author Carol Marine knows exactly how you feel—she herself suffered from painter’s block, until she discovered “daily painting.” The idea is simple: do art (usually small) often (how often is up to you), and if you’d like, post and sell it online. Soon you’ll find that your block dissolves and you’re painting work you love—and more of it than you ever thought possible!

With her encouraging tone and useful exercises, Marine teaches you to:

• Master composition and value
• Become confident in any medium
• Choose subjects wisely
• Stay fresh and loose
• Photograph, post, and sell your art online
• Become connected to the growing movement of daily painters around the world.

About the Author:

CAROL MARINE is an artist and the creator of the popular blog A Painting a Day (or Almost). She is a member of Daily Paintworks, a distinguished group of daily painters, and she teaches daily painting workshops around the country. Marine lives in Eugene, Oregon. Visit www.dailypaintworks.com.  

My Thoughts:
   
I have read my fair share of art books beacuse I've wanted to branch out more into different mediums. I have to say, I really liked the style that Carol used in order to bring this book to life. This book is great for any artist that is just budding or an expert. She goes over some great content. I think I thought like a lot of artists and thought you had to paint BIG in order to "make it". I love how she helps you bring out different things in yourself and your medium, whatever it is. This is a great how-to to experiment with different mediums. 

I never really thought about blogging and selilng my art before. I just did it for fun. But, after reading her steps, and how easy it seems to get things going (mind you, she DOES specify that things don't happen over night....) on a blog to sell your work. I think this is something that I'd like to venture in to.

I highly recommend reading through this book and take up some of the techniques for yourself!

I received this book for Blogging for Books in return for my honest review. 

Fiddler on the Roof

I have always loved Broadway and Fiddler was one of the ones I enjoyed the most. It's a classic. And it was so nice to be able to get a copy of this book. It is the script of the musical. Call me silly, but I followed along with the book while watching the movie. It's always interesting to see things come to life, whether it be on screen or live stage. And reading it all by myself put a different spin on the characters as well. 

Great gift for any theatre junkie. 

I Just Graduated...Now What?

"I just graduated...now what?" I'm sure that is a question a lot of graduates ask after they complete college. They are stepping into a new world and unforeseen territory. So...what happens next?

Katherine Schwarzenegger has brought to us a collection of stories. This was not was I was expecting. I thought it was going to be some manual on how to look for, get, and keep a career. Instead I got something surprisingly different.

Can I just be honest for one second?

I was kind of disappointed in this book. Not going to sugar coat it. We all can't be pleased with things we read, or feel personally attacked because someone doesn't like what we say. Aren't we entitled to an opinion?

It is a collection of people; from celebrities to politicians. It shows their stories from where they graduated and with what major and how that stepping stone moved them into their lives they have now. A lot of them took VERY different paths than what they originally graduated with.

While that's all well and good, I could have found very similar stories with people that I know in my own community. I didn't need "famous" people to tell me how they "got famous".

I'm not saying that's bad either. Some people will feel encouraged by these stories. I just personally didn't.

**NOTE: I received this book for free from Blogging for Books in return for my honest review. All thoughts are mine.***

Child of Mine

I have always loved Beverly Lewis. This book is slightly different of hers from what she normally writes.

Instead of taking place in an Amish community, this book takes place in the "Englischer" world. It was a nice variation of hers.

I don't want to give too much away. This book has twists and turns all through it. It kept me guessing. It was a little slow to start for me, but once it got going, then I whizzed right through it. Normally, I can tell what is going to happen in the end with her books. I kept making the wrong guesses though.

Good, clean reading. Romance, suspense, and light hearted laughter from a little girl. I would recommend this book to anyone that likes to read about those things.

Butterfly and the Violin

This story has two stories that meet together: one from the past and one from present day. The past is about a promising violinist that helped smuggle Jews during the Holocaust and she too is taken to a prison camp. The other, is about a woman who is in the search of a rare painting of this promising violinist. 

The Butterfly and the Violin, is the first book in Kristy Cambron’s debut series "A Hidden Masterpiece". This book is about the story the painting tells, and the impact the story has on Sera James.

The book switches between both time periods with ease. I was never confused as to which era I was in. Kristy Cambron writes with a clarity and authority on her subject matter. Even though this book is classified as Historical Christian Romance, anyone, regardless of their reading preference, will certainly love this story. I am looking forward to the second book in the series when it releases.

**NOTE** I received this book for free in return for my honest review from BookLook Bloggers

The Ecstasy of Surrender

Now...from the looks of the cover, you may be thinking that it is about sexual ecstasy. However, it is not.

If you have read "The Secret" or the "The Power" from Rhonda Byrne, this book is in a similar genre. A lot of the concepts I read in "The Power" are in this book. But Dr. Orloff goes a little deeper in depth.

Dr. Judith Orloff, MD, writes twelve ways of how letting go can empower your life. When we hear the word "surrender", we think about submission or giving up. However, that is not the case here. Surrender means of letting go...letting go of things that are holding you back from your full potnetional in life. Situations that have caused you great pain, and they have crippled your belief, esteem, spirit, and more.

The book is divided in to five sections: Power and Money, Reading People and Communication, Relationships/Love/Sensuality, Mortalitiy & Immortality: Cycles of Light, and Embracing Ecstasy. From there, the 12 surrenders are broken down into their correlating   parts.

What I also like about this book is that Dr. Orloff gives examples from her life as well as some from her patients. It shows that no matter where you are in life, no matter what you are struggling with, surrender really can be attainable.

NOTE: I received this book for free from Blogging for Books with the intent of giving my honest review. All reviews are mine, and my opinion of the book. 

Cuffed, Tied, and Satisfied...

First thing I thought of when I got this book, was "50 Shades all the way..."

This book is very detailed in the life of BDSM. It's a great book for those that are curious about it, especially after hearing about or reading the Fifty Shades of Grey Trilogy. It will help open your mind to the world of "kinky sex" whether you or your partner enjoys it or is curious about it. It goes through role playing, and different ideas that can be used. Everyone has their own ideas for BDSM, while there are rule involved: the relationship is safe and consensual. The safe words help the dominant and the submissive in knowing where the lines are and where they should not be crossed. Mistress Jaiya is very thorough throughout the book in explaining all the different facets of BDSM. 

The Loving Kitchen

Good, down-home cooking. That's what brings happy memories to my mind. And as this books suggests, most of the recipes remind me of times I've gone by friends houses, visiting my grandmother, or making them at home (I still cannot master making home made bread...maybe someday!)

A lot of the recipes were fairly easy to follow. Just looking at the ingredient lists, most of the stuff you have at home already. The instructions were easy to read too. There were a lot of the recipes I have used, or very similar to, so to me it reminded me of a regular "down-home" cookbook.

One thing that I notice about myself is I love to look at the pictures of the recipe being made. I get an idea of what the final product is supposed to look like. While there were probably plenty pictures for most people, I would have loved to have a picture of every recipe. Maybe that's why I love Pinterest so much. Finding the recipes, seeing what they look like, and then going to the person's blog and reading about the process and seeing the recipe in motion.

Overall, if you are looking for a good home cooking cookbook, you will like this one.

I Quit Sugar

Where do I begin? I happen to love sugar. I sympathize with you, Sarah, I really do. However....can I completely give up sugar all together?

When I first started reading this book, I thought I'd give it a shot. Now, I'm not so convinced that  I could ever do it. I love fruit and I adore honey (both of which have, you guessed it, sugar.) But I dug in and took a deep breath.

I like her honesty in the beginning. She was a sugar addict. I can't say that I am a sugar addict. I don't eat a lot of sweets, but I love fruit (as I said) as a snack. I never really ate a lot of candy, but there are lots of foods that have hidden sugars in them, and if you can make it yourself (almond milk...I love almond milk, and there can be lots of hidden sugars in almond milk from store bought brands. If you make it yourself, so much better. She includes a recipe in the book that seems fairly simple....)

The book starts out with stats about sugar and then goes in to an 8 week "sugar free detox". While there are lots of great tips, I don't think I'd EVER make it past day two without wanting a strawberry. I'm obsessed....I love strawberries. Sorry, Sarah.

Then, there are the 108 recipes. Oh my goodness, I want to try so many of these. I made a few and they are extremely simple. Sarah explains in the beginning of the book that she does not like to waste, likes simplicity, and doesn't consider herself much of a "cook". So the recipes have very few ingredients and are quick and easy. While I do this already, she shows you how the freezer will become your new best friend for stocking up on things. While people may feel it's more time consuming or expensive, in the long run, it's going to save you time and money when you freeze your own stocks and sauces.

I don't think I could quit sugar. While I'm going to incorporate a lot of these recipes in to my cooking and life to have a healthier body, mind, and spirit, I could never ever turn my back on my fruits and honey. But if you have the willpower and stamina, GO FOR IT! I'd love to hear your results. Sarah also has a website: I Quit Sugar that you can check out as a companion with the book.

**NOTE: All my views are mine alone. I am receieved this book from Blogging for Books in return for a fair and honest review of the product shown. I am not getting paid to review this book. **

Passion

I will never forget the first time I ever heard Louie talk. It was on the Indescribable Tour with Chris Tomlin. His message still lingers in my soul, reminding how small I truly am in this vast universe, but how much more I am loved by this great God of the universe.

I've always wanted to go to Passion Confreneces. Every year I told myself I would go. I had a friend that went every year. The only thing holding me back was money: traveling to GA seemed like a bit of a stretch for me when I was having barely any money to live and pay bills as it was.

I've listened to all the Passion artists from Chris Tomlin to Christy Nockels. I have been involved. It was great to see that they streamed this years conference I think that I know of for the first time. It had so many wonderful artists and speakers. One of my favorites: Beth Moore.

Now she is one of the speakers that are included in this book. When I first got it, I didn't realize it was going to be a bunch of different speaker/artists talking about the passion movement for younger generations. While I'm an "older" younger generation, I was still moved by what these stories had to say. It gave me inspiration on how to involve the generations to come. These people have really made an impact for Christ in younger hearts and I want to be one of those people too.

The Daniel Plan

Without God’s power in your life, you are just running on your own energy. God never meant for you to do that. It’s like having a laptop that’s unplugged; the battery will eventually drain and shut down the computer. Why would you live like that when God created you for so much more?

This is an excerpt from the book "The Daniel Plan" by RickWarren, Daniel Amen, and Mark Hyman. I have read "The Purpose Driven Life" and "40 Days in the Word" by Rick, so I was looking forward to reading this.

For the most part, it's very similar to other healthy "plan" books. The exercises and diet regulations and advice are all very similar to so many other books out there. But it adds another element: God. God created us, God created food we eat. He did not create all the trash that most American's put in their bodies. So having this parallel with a lifestyle plan helps. I liked some the recipes that were in the book and I'm looking forward to trying it. The plan seems overall pretty easy to follow.

Andi Unexpected

This was a cute book. Very short read for me. I was able to read this in one night.

I know I'm an adult, and this is a children's novel, but sometimes, you just have to let the brain rest. And this was just what I needed.

Andi and her sister Bethany move in with their aunt. Andi (or Andora as we find out) is named after someone in her family. While living with her aunt, her new friend, Collin, and her spend time together cleaning out her aunt's attic to make room for Andi's new room up there. They end up going on an adventure after finding an old box. What's in it? Why is her name on it?

I would recommend this to anyone looking for a new book for their child to read. It's a wonderful little tale. One that I could even see being made into a movie.

Lovology

What does love really mean?

"Love is a noun and a verb."
"'Love' is a junk drawer we dump all sorts of ideas into, just because we don't have anywhere else to put them. Example, I 'love' God, I 'love' fish tacos. See the problem?"

John Mark Comer has a way to reach the human heart and mind. Some might find some of the things he says as crass (example would be when talking about the desire for porn he says "jacking off"), but honestly, he is using lingo that many people use in every day talk.

He helps us see what love is. From God coming to Earth as a human, to gay relationships. And everything else in between during a relationship about a man and his wife. They are your friend, partner, and lover.

I love when "Christian" authors aren't afraid to talk about sex and marriage and how they are so important and entwined. GOD MADE IT. It's NOT a taboo. After all, Song of Songs is a love poem dedicated to a man and a woman and their romance and desire for each other. I grew up in a home where sex was NOT talked about and was told how 'bad' it really is. I have a very open relationship with a man that has become my best friend and we have a long distance relationship. While we may not have the physical implication between us, we do have very intimate talks about sex. He is the only one that I have felt safe talking about things like that. I don't feel embarrassed. I think that is what God wants for us when we find our mate.

Also, I love how John Mark talks about singleness as being a gift. I remember for the longest time wanting to get married and have children. I still do, but at the same time, that intense waiting was the WORST! But, the waiting brought a very special man in my life as well a stronger relationship with God.

This book is for everyone: single, engaged, married, gay/straight. We are all in need of love. And this book reminds us what it is to love and be loved.

On the down note, the only thing that I had a hard time with was the pink pages with white writing. once my eyes adjusted to it, it was a shock to switch from the pink to a plain page! But over all, this was a very quick read and suggest it to everyone.

Burning Sky

Based during the 1700's, Willa Obenchain was a fourteen year old girl abducted by Mohawks and taken as a captive and was given the name Burning Sky. She married a warrior, has children. When her husband and children die, she decides to return to her family. But will they remember her?

Burning sky is a stunning story about heartache, struggle, and love. It is a story of real hurts and pains and you relate well with the characters. The visualization of the land and the people draw you in and create a story around you. There is beauty in knowing that from the ashes we can rise again.

Rebellious Heart

What does one do on a Christmas holiday? Catch up on reading, that's what I do at least.

I finally got around to reading Rebellious Heart. When I first got the book I was excited to read it. Then school started, and other things happened in the family that I had to put it off for months. I finally was able to catch up and read it.

I read a lot of reviews saying that they couldn't put this book down, and that it was an amazing read. While it wasn't the worst storyline I could have ever read, it wasn't on my top 10 reading list though. For me, the beginning was slow moving and I had a hard time getting in to it. The book is loosely based on the story of John Adams and I loved the HBO movie. When I first got the book, I had no idea that it was based on that. I don't know much about historical events, as in details, so I do not know how closely this story was really related to the story of John Adams. It was a pleasant read once I got into the book.

Doon

Scootish Moors, fancy dresses, medieval like town, fantasy, tales, mystery.

A boy in a kilt.

Everything your heart could want in a fantasy-like setting....

I'm a sucker for Young Adult collections...however, I'm starting to realize my obsession has gotten a little crazy and it's taken over my reading time a little too much. But I have to say I was pleasantly surprised with this one.

While I thought that the book was going to be based solely on Veronica, Makenna's best friend, I was glad to see that it wasn't just about her. The book is broken up in to chapters for each girl and I had to remind myself that the POV was from one of the two girls.

Makenna inherits her Aunt Gracie's estate in Scotland and she takes Veronica with her. Veronica, on the other hand, has been seeing a mysterious boy in a kilt, and thinks she's gone mad. ENTER: a trip to Scotland with Makenna to see her Aunt's house. They find Gracie's journal about stories that Makenna had grown up listening to and it all goes on from there.

I don't want to say too much considering it will give stuff away. I think this would be a great movie (MUCH BETTER THAN TWILIGHT!!!!!) I think it's kind of funny that it's labeled as "Christian" young adult, only due to some minor language and some more intimate relationship settings. Other than that, I can totally see the two girls talking. The use of "teen" language is heavy through the book and you can feel the teenage atmostphere. Which is fine for me, because teenagers are an interesting species. :)

Now...of to find me MY boy in a kilt....(my boyfriend is of Scottish/Irish ancestry, and he's HOT in a kilt!!)

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com®  book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255  : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Samson

I'm not normally one to read books on the Holocaust, or boxing, or anything that sound remotely like a "guy's" kind of read. However, something drew me to this book.

Based on true events, Shawn Hoffman weaves a wonderful tale about a man named Samson and what he must do to save his family. He is found out that he was a previous boxing champion and is ordered to box for entertainment of those that run the concentration camp he is in. However, there's a catch. Winner gets extra rations, loser gets death in the gas chamber. An unlikely friendship between Samson and a Polish Catholic priest begins to blossom. Samson is down on his faith and wonders where is God when he needs him the most.

This is a great story. A part of history is being retold and you can't help but feel like you are part of the story. Shawn did an excellent job at having the story unfold. It's a tough story to read, but worth every minute.

Dear Mr. Knightley

I've always been a Jane Austen fan. There was always something about her writing that intrigued me. Maybe it was because I was always in love with times gone past and am a romantic at heart.

When I first read the book, I was hoping it was going to be something like the book "Austenland" (which is actually mentioned in the storyline a few times, along with other Jane Austen tales and classics of the time). The story is written in a series of letters to a man named Mr. Knightley. It took me a little bit to get into it, but as the story started to develop, I found it easier to follow along. I was almost ready to throw the towel in. Then...Alex came along. And it was much better from there. A little slow starting (for me at least) but over all a good read.

Redeeming Love

When I first read the back of the cover of the book, I noticed the parallels resembled the story of Hosea and Gomer. I was also a bit daunted by the size of the book. I haven't read any book, other than a text book, over 400 pages other than Harry Potter....but, I still dove in.

I was thoroughly pleased with the writing. I was easily drawn in (I'm a sucker for romance novels and period pieces as well...) and I had a hard time putting it down. I was so drawn in to the story, the characters, the writing, the atmosphere of the book... It took me on an emotional journey-not with just the characters, but within myself as well. This book is about love and redemption. Extraordinary love. Something that I needed in a very difficult time in my life right now...to show that God is good and bigger than anything I've ever imagined. And he can take something we think is nothing and turn it into something beautiful.