Treasuring Emma

This latest novel by Kathleen Fuller is a great insight to an Amish community. This was my first venture into this series, and I certainly plan to read the others. Emma is a tragic character who has experienced tremendous loss in her life; parents, grandfather, first love. Ms. Fuller presents her such a way to evoke sympathy from the reader. Mystery, deception, longing, and devotion to God, family and friends are all included in this book. The reader understands the struggle of Emma's young man, Adam, who must decide to either stay banned from the community or choose to return because of his love and devotion to God and not simply because it's the faith of his father. Ms. Fuller does an excellent job of presenting the turmoil and finally the clarity Adam experiences as he works out his faith. There is a happy ending, however one thread is left untied to perhaps create a gateway for the author to write another book in her series of the Amish community. An interesting addition is a glossary at the beginning of the book with a list of common words used in the Amish community and their English translations. The characters were well developed and the pace moved at an acceptable pace. If you've never read Amish fiction, this would be a great book with which to begin.

The King and Dr. Nick

This book offers an interesting perspective about the last years of Elvis and the circumstances around his death. The doctor and his family became very involved with Elvis and his downward spiral. The doctor's take on things isn't always what was released in the media. There are even contradictions between his version and the coroner's report. This book would be great for fans who love all things Elvis...:) It was good to get another version of the events, but with so many different versions and medical technology not what it is today, we may never really know the actual emotional and physical reasons for Elvis's death. He left us with a diverse musical catalog of fabulous songs from traditional hymns to pop songs...something for everyone, which may be the reason for his mass appeal.

Thursday's thoughts

I'm currently reading In a Heartbeat by LeighAnn and Sean Tuohy. They are the couple that the movie Blindside was about. It's been a great read so far. I love the way they take turns writing a chapter. Tim McGraw and Sandra Bullock even contributed a chapter. It's great to get the "facts" and they wholly acknowledge the Hollywood lattitude taken by the director. The book is a great insight to a healthy couple and vibrant family who only want to make a difference in people's lives. I know that I will definitely pass this one around to friends and family. Thank you Tuohys for sharing your hearts with us.
I just bought Eat, Pray, Love (I know I'm probably the ONLY person who hasn't read it). I want to read it before I see the movie. Hopefully, all that will happen in the next 2 weeks.
I'll let you know what I think about the E, P, L book. Please comment if you've read either of these titles.

Think and Make It Happen

Dr. Augusto Cury's book 'Think and Make It Happen' started out as a difficult read for me. I just couldn't seem to connect to the content. But, suddenly by the 2nd chapter, I was engrossed. His explanations and applications were right on target for my life. Dr. Cury shares simple principles by using Jesus Christ as the primary example. He shows everyday applications for the parent, educator, business executive, and spouse. There are questions at the end of each chapter for further self examination as well as small group discussions. An excellent appendix is also included with guidelines for a small group leader. So many wonderful insights about becoming an authentic person with the people in our lives are demonstrated through powerful engaging stories of real people. Dr. Cury holds Jesus up as the example of grace shown to others, being authentic when others ridicule, and most importantly forgiving those that have not been all that we wanted or needed them to be. It's a great read and a tremendous resource that one can refer to for guidance and practical advice to discover the true potential in both self and others.

review of house of dark shadows

I just read book 1 in the series by Robert Liparulo called House of Dark Shadows. This is classified at juvinile fiction. This genre of mystery and time travel is not particularly my cup of tea, but I know that middle school aged children would thoroughly enjoy the edgy action packed story Liparulo tells.
The book starts out slowly with a family moving from southern to northern California. It is filled with modern references to movies, songs, books, and people. This makes it relevant and fresh for the young reader. The book centers around the house the family is considering purchasing in their new town. The 2 brothers, Xander and David, are close and begin a terrifying adventure with the bizarre house complete with false walls and mysterious massive beings that cart off their mother.
The book has a strong sense of family unity and shows the children generally caring for their parents and respecting them in both words and actions. The parents treat their children with genuine love and mutual respect. All that to say it's a refreshing presentation in this day of children and adults verbally battering one another.
Liparulo leaves the book open ended with the family determined to find their kidnapped mother and battle "the house" that took her. It has some frightening aspects, but the 12-15 year old reader would probably love the excitement of it all. I particularly appreciated the reading group guide included at the back of the book, that a classroom teacher or homeschooled student could use to aid in understanding the characters and theme of the book. There are some thought provoking questions that would be excellent conversation starters or opportunities for journal entries by the student reader.
Mr. Liparulo is a great storyteller with a vivid imagination and a descriptive vocabulary that truly draws the reader into the story.

Tim McGraw's "My Little Girl"

I recently enjoyed the new book by Tim McGraw and Tom Douglas. It's a sweet picture book that would be a great read aloud to a young girl up to about age 8 or so. It tells the story of Katie and the special day her dad has planned for them to spend together. Katie thinks they may attend a ball or travel to Africa, but her father shows her that simply spending the day together is what makes the day so special. The encouraging and edifying comments made by the father throughout the book are heart warming to Katie and this reader.
The artwork is colorful and appears to be pen/ink with watercolors. It enhances the story by introducing bright colors and precious facial expressions as Katie enjoys the day with her father. The last page is a lined journal page for an adult to write a special note, memory or "love you more" message. This is a great book for a father and daughter to share snuggled up and reading together. I think it would be a wonderful springboard for fathers to plan a special day with their young daughters just like Katie and her father did. A sweet follow up activity would be to create a book about the special day the dad and daughter spent together. What a precious memory for your little girl to keep as a reminder of her father's unconditional love.
Buy My Little Girl for your daughter or for a dad of a daughter....It's the perfect Christmas or Valentine's Day gift.

tuesday

Still waiting for my first book. I'm so excited to begin this adventure!!!!