Why I have this book: My daughter read it and LOVED it... and left it for me to read when she left for her mission. It was given to her by a friend, and she ended up buying a couple copies to give away because she loved it that much.
I started to read the hardcover copy she left, but I decided to purchase the Kindle edition for myself for a couple of reasons: 1) I wanted to make my own highlights and not be influenced by hers, and 2) (say it with me) I love my Paperwhite! It is so much easier to read in bed with one hand than holding a thick hardback.
I made a lot of highlights in this book. I really love the message. Here is a quote that sums up the book: "... nothing is as uncomfortable, dangerous, and hurtful as believing that I'm standing on the outside of my life looking in and wondering what it would be like if I had the courage to show up and let myself be seen."
There's a lot to chew on in this book. I have two other books by the author that have been recommended to me by others. I've had them for quite a while and haven't read them yet... but they are moving up the list now.
There are a handful or two of swear words and some discussion of physical intimacy (as it relates to being vulnerable.)
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
Sunday, September 21, 2014
Reached (Ally Condie)
Why I have this book: It's the third book in the Matched trilogy. I reviewed the first two books in March, 2012.
Okay, so I mentioned in my earlier review of the first two books how much I enjoyed them and how I had pre-ordered the third book. I also mentioned that I had passed around the first two to my daughter and daughters-in-law and everyone liked them. When the third one came in, I passed that out, as well… before I had read it.
Here we are in 2014 and I'm not sure where the first two books are. I had the third book here (it had made it's way back), but hadn't read it. A friend asked me a couple of weeks ago if I read the series, and that reminded me to get back to it. I had to read the first two again (and luckily they were available on the e-book library) because it's been so long since I read them. Then I read Reached. (I was actually #2 on the Hold list for Reached when I was ready for it, but then I discovered that I had the hardback on my bookshelf. I got through about half before the e-book was available… and when it was, I finished up reading on my Kindle. It's so nice to read with one hand in bed instead of holding a 500 page hardback book!)
I really did enjoy this series a lot. The third book was a little anti-climactic, but only because it didn't seem like there was anything intense that happened. I'm not one who really loves intense, necessarily, but since this was dystopian and overthrowing-the-ruling-party type stuff, I just expected a little *more* to happen. (Then again, I read it while I was dealing with a pretty bad cold and my mind was a little fuzzy, so maybe I missed it?) Anyway, it was good… but maybe it fizzled a little in the third book? It still kept my attention, and I liked the premise, but this series finale didn't quite have the "oomph" I expected.
Clean, except for maybe three or four instances of mild swearing.
Okay, so I mentioned in my earlier review of the first two books how much I enjoyed them and how I had pre-ordered the third book. I also mentioned that I had passed around the first two to my daughter and daughters-in-law and everyone liked them. When the third one came in, I passed that out, as well… before I had read it.
Here we are in 2014 and I'm not sure where the first two books are. I had the third book here (it had made it's way back), but hadn't read it. A friend asked me a couple of weeks ago if I read the series, and that reminded me to get back to it. I had to read the first two again (and luckily they were available on the e-book library) because it's been so long since I read them. Then I read Reached. (I was actually #2 on the Hold list for Reached when I was ready for it, but then I discovered that I had the hardback on my bookshelf. I got through about half before the e-book was available… and when it was, I finished up reading on my Kindle. It's so nice to read with one hand in bed instead of holding a 500 page hardback book!)
I really did enjoy this series a lot. The third book was a little anti-climactic, but only because it didn't seem like there was anything intense that happened. I'm not one who really loves intense, necessarily, but since this was dystopian and overthrowing-the-ruling-party type stuff, I just expected a little *more* to happen. (Then again, I read it while I was dealing with a pretty bad cold and my mind was a little fuzzy, so maybe I missed it?) Anyway, it was good… but maybe it fizzled a little in the third book? It still kept my attention, and I liked the premise, but this series finale didn't quite have the "oomph" I expected.
Clean, except for maybe three or four instances of mild swearing.
Monday, September 8, 2014
DIY Cleaning and Organizing: A 21 Day Guide to a Clean and Organized Home (Jesse Jacobs)
Why I have this book: It was free on Kindle and I like to read books that keep me motivated to be organized. (Kind of the same way I feel when I watch Hoarders!)
If anyone had been watching me read this short (took about 20-30 minutes to read) book, they would have noticed the perplexed, yet amused look on my face.
So my house is pretty clean. It gets messy because I have two little ones and a teenager living here, but I can have it in tip-top shape, including mopping, dusting, scrubbing the bathrooms, etc. in an hour if I really want to. I don't have much clutter (I am constantly getting rid of stuff) and I try to keep things relatively neat and organized. I subscribe to the Flylady philosophy (Flylady.net)… so, when I read a sentence in this book that said something along the lines of, "Let's say you're cleaning the toilet and it takes 30 minutes, and you stop in the middle of it…" WHAT? Thirty minutes to clean a toilet??? Why in the world would it take 30 minutes to clean a toilet?
She also talks about wiping down each container of food as you clean out your pantry, lifting the carpet to clean under it (??? My carpet is tacked down.), "soaking" your sink in Turtle Wax… ? I was perplexed and dumbfounded. AND… each day of the 21 days was MAJOR cleaning and overhauling of a room. Like top to bottom cleaning out every cupboard, closet, etc. in each room in two days, including your attic. (I don't have anything stored in my attic, but I'm imagining those attics with boxes and trunks in them.) You would basically have to work hours and hours every day for 21 days to do this program. Even if your home is relatively neat to begin with, it would be a huge commitment to do all the things she says for her program. I guess if you were getting ready to move or have a family reunion at your house in a month and you have a really messy house… then it might be worth this kind of work.
BUT… for a real life way of keeping house, Flylady is the way to go. I'm glad this book was free (and thus I didn't waste any money), and while it didn't really bring any new motivation my way, it did make me grateful that I am able to keep my house clean with basic, simple routines that are livable!
Clean. (no pun intended)
If anyone had been watching me read this short (took about 20-30 minutes to read) book, they would have noticed the perplexed, yet amused look on my face.
So my house is pretty clean. It gets messy because I have two little ones and a teenager living here, but I can have it in tip-top shape, including mopping, dusting, scrubbing the bathrooms, etc. in an hour if I really want to. I don't have much clutter (I am constantly getting rid of stuff) and I try to keep things relatively neat and organized. I subscribe to the Flylady philosophy (Flylady.net)… so, when I read a sentence in this book that said something along the lines of, "Let's say you're cleaning the toilet and it takes 30 minutes, and you stop in the middle of it…" WHAT? Thirty minutes to clean a toilet??? Why in the world would it take 30 minutes to clean a toilet?
She also talks about wiping down each container of food as you clean out your pantry, lifting the carpet to clean under it (??? My carpet is tacked down.), "soaking" your sink in Turtle Wax… ? I was perplexed and dumbfounded. AND… each day of the 21 days was MAJOR cleaning and overhauling of a room. Like top to bottom cleaning out every cupboard, closet, etc. in each room in two days, including your attic. (I don't have anything stored in my attic, but I'm imagining those attics with boxes and trunks in them.) You would basically have to work hours and hours every day for 21 days to do this program. Even if your home is relatively neat to begin with, it would be a huge commitment to do all the things she says for her program. I guess if you were getting ready to move or have a family reunion at your house in a month and you have a really messy house… then it might be worth this kind of work.
BUT… for a real life way of keeping house, Flylady is the way to go. I'm glad this book was free (and thus I didn't waste any money), and while it didn't really bring any new motivation my way, it did make me grateful that I am able to keep my house clean with basic, simple routines that are livable!
Clean. (no pun intended)
Sunday, September 7, 2014
Two books by Rachel Nunes
Ties That Bind
Twice in a Lifetime
Why I have these books: I bought them on Kindle when I realized they were Books 6 and 7 of the Ariana series. Plus... they were pretty inexpensive.
Well... I was a bit uncomfortable with the premise of the stories. They were both about the same person, and I don't know... I just didn't really like how things were portrayed in the relationships. I really can't say much without spoilers, but it just made me feel a bit off.
The writing is good, so it's easy to get sucked into the story. There were story lines that kept my interest in both books and I enjoyed reading them... but there were also eye-rolling moments. They were worth what I paid and the time I spent reading them was a good escape at home during another camping trip for my husband. :) Although... it wasn't really a "light, happy" escape... these characters spent more time in hospitals with one person or another than any other book I've read. There was just a lot of hard stuff, over and over, that the family dealt with.
Clean. There is more than one story line involving death and also one involving child abuse.
Twice in a Lifetime
Why I have these books: I bought them on Kindle when I realized they were Books 6 and 7 of the Ariana series. Plus... they were pretty inexpensive.
Well... I was a bit uncomfortable with the premise of the stories. They were both about the same person, and I don't know... I just didn't really like how things were portrayed in the relationships. I really can't say much without spoilers, but it just made me feel a bit off.
The writing is good, so it's easy to get sucked into the story. There were story lines that kept my interest in both books and I enjoyed reading them... but there were also eye-rolling moments. They were worth what I paid and the time I spent reading them was a good escape at home during another camping trip for my husband. :) Although... it wasn't really a "light, happy" escape... these characters spent more time in hospitals with one person or another than any other book I've read. There was just a lot of hard stuff, over and over, that the family dealt with.
Clean. There is more than one story line involving death and also one involving child abuse.
Thursday, August 28, 2014
Still Time (Maria Hoagland)
Why I have this book: I read the other two books by this author and liked them both.
Fun fact: The author turned out to be in the missionary moms group for my daughter's LDS mission. So now I've "met" her via email.
This book has the same kind of theme as her other two books (the various challenges of being a wife/mom/LDS/daughter-in-law/friend, etc.), but somehow the writing style creates a different feel. I'm not really sure how to describe it. I should read the other ones again... maybe it was just my perspective at the time I read them.
My cursed editing brain was triggered a few times, and one part I would have liked to see explored a little more... but all in all, I enjoyed it a great deal. I like how she takes real life challenges that a lot of women deal with and creates a storyline that often doesn't necessarily revolve around those issues. That probably doens't make sense... but I guess I mean that we all have many facets to our lives, and no one issue can stay our primary focus all the time. We have lots of things that demand our attention and contribute to the tapestry of our lives. And with all of those things, we keep living. Her books describe that reality well.
I will keep watching for her future releases, because I've found all of her books to be very worthwhile.
Clean.
Fun fact: The author turned out to be in the missionary moms group for my daughter's LDS mission. So now I've "met" her via email.
This book has the same kind of theme as her other two books (the various challenges of being a wife/mom/LDS/daughter-in-law/friend, etc.), but somehow the writing style creates a different feel. I'm not really sure how to describe it. I should read the other ones again... maybe it was just my perspective at the time I read them.
My cursed editing brain was triggered a few times, and one part I would have liked to see explored a little more... but all in all, I enjoyed it a great deal. I like how she takes real life challenges that a lot of women deal with and creates a storyline that often doesn't necessarily revolve around those issues. That probably doens't make sense... but I guess I mean that we all have many facets to our lives, and no one issue can stay our primary focus all the time. We have lots of things that demand our attention and contribute to the tapestry of our lives. And with all of those things, we keep living. Her books describe that reality well.
I will keep watching for her future releases, because I've found all of her books to be very worthwhile.
Clean.
Monday, August 25, 2014
Hope Runs: An American Tourist, a Kenyan Boy, a Journey of Redemption (Claire Diaz-Ortiz, Samuel Ikua Gachagua, and Donald Miller)
Why I have this book: I borrowed it from the e-book library.
I found this book to be very interesting and eye-opening. It made me realize just how small my circle of the world is, and even though I stay plenty busy trying to do good things, it's definitely not in the same scope as the examples in this book. It was exciting to read about and made me think about the opportunities I do have to serve and other opportunities that might be out there.
I'm glad I read it... I find that it has opened my heart a bit more, and has made me more aware of the things going on in the world that aren't always on the front page. I'm grateful for the people who are willing and able to get out there and make a difference. I also am impressed by Sammy and others like him. They show the depth and strength of the human soul. It's inspiring.
Clean.
I found this book to be very interesting and eye-opening. It made me realize just how small my circle of the world is, and even though I stay plenty busy trying to do good things, it's definitely not in the same scope as the examples in this book. It was exciting to read about and made me think about the opportunities I do have to serve and other opportunities that might be out there.
I'm glad I read it... I find that it has opened my heart a bit more, and has made me more aware of the things going on in the world that aren't always on the front page. I'm grateful for the people who are willing and able to get out there and make a difference. I also am impressed by Sammy and others like him. They show the depth and strength of the human soul. It's inspiring.
Clean.
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
Weed Your Brain, Grow Your Testimony (John Bytheway)
Why I have this book: It is on my Deseret Bookshelf app. It must have been less expensive than for Kindle.
Okay, so I love the message of this book. (I think it might have been a talk, because it's not that long.) There were some editing issues (including one pretty big one) and annoying Deseret Bookshelf issues, but I got through it as I kept reading and became more engrossed in the message. I think a lot of members of the LDS Church would benefit from hearing or reading it.
I just wish it had been on my Kindle, because I love it so much more than the Deseret Bookshelf app.
Clean.
Okay, so I love the message of this book. (I think it might have been a talk, because it's not that long.) There were some editing issues (including one pretty big one) and annoying Deseret Bookshelf issues, but I got through it as I kept reading and became more engrossed in the message. I think a lot of members of the LDS Church would benefit from hearing or reading it.
I just wish it had been on my Kindle, because I love it so much more than the Deseret Bookshelf app.
Clean.
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