It’s been months since I’ve last posted and I’ve neglected my site which is terrible of me. Maybe I’m just in a blogging funk, but then again a lot of personal stuff has happened in between my last book review and today. I’ve read 13 books since I last posted and I’ve found some awesome reads! I will try and catch up on my book reviews and post more regularly. Of course I’ve been naughty and thought up a whole new blog site….which is so tacky of me.
This book stood out to me because of it’s cover. There is a smattering of personal photographs strewn among the images of a journal and a horse. The back of the book gives a sneak peak of what knowledge it contains. This book took at least two weeks to read because I kept highlighting. My husband joked I should just dip it all in ink.
Mia talks about the importance of creativity and happiness. She talks about how your creativity feeds your happiness within you, so that your joyfulness will shine forth. There chapters about how we are only responsible for how we react to life, how we can’t control others reactions or emotions. We have to be responsible vs playing the blame game when things don’t go perfectly our way. Mia also discusses how when we go through our possessions and pick out what makes us happy we rid ourselves of clutter that clears our home for peace. Plus, it opens up space for future important items to come into our lives.
This book was like a gentle kick in the rear to wake up and enjoy my life as it is, but to also not be passive. To learn to be myself and actually like what I see and to not waste my energy on trying to be like society wants women to be. To be my authentic self.
I have passed on my book to my friend and I hope she’ll gleam lots from it. I’ve found the author to be a kindred spirit. I’m so blessed I found her book. I’m looking forward to reading her memior.
The cover of this book shows little tins of red, yellow and green curry with a photo of a beautiful Indian woman with gold jewelry in a fancy dress at the bottom. This book is a story about Devi who is the wild child of the family who has decided that life never going her way so she decides to end it. She wants to make sure she finally gets something right and to finally die and not be in any more pain sounds wonderful. Devi can finally be at peace, except for when you let your mom have an extra house key for such emergencies.
Devi’s mom discovers her daughter just about done in, but saves the day. Of course Devi is thoroughly irritated her mom had to come and interrupt her plan. Avi, Davi’s dad is crushed when he learns of his daughter’s attempt on her life and her older sister Shobha is floored by the news. Devi’s grandmother who is staying with them for a visit is deeply saddened by the news and is determined to help her granddaughter regain her joy for life. The only way that Devi can be let out of the hospital is if she meets with a counselor and takes meds. She’s not thrilled about having to see a shrink, but figures it can’t be that bad if you choose to not talk.
After Devi comes home she still won’t talk. Her family is frustrated she won’t explain why she tried to kill herself. Rather than taking Devi decides she wants to cook. Her mother is surprised and shocked to see her mute daughter have a hidden talent with cooking. Devi gets her mom out of the kitchen and takes over cooking for their family. Cooking is Devi’s medium of expressing her emotions of going through all that she has. She turns classic Indian dishes on their heads with unique flavors added and extra spice for some flair. Her family is excited for her new-found love of cooking. But one night a stranger comes to visit and with the strange comes a secret that will change Devi and her family’s life forever.
This book was lively, hard to put down and made me feel like I was watching an Indian comedy/drama. When you get to the last page you feel as though these characters are real and it makes it hard to want to be finished with the story. I hope the author will choose to pen a sequel.
This book came highly recommended. Maybe I had higher hopes for it than I should have. Maybe if I’d had lower expectations I would have enjoyed it more. This book was the story about a boy Santiago, who was a shepherd who met a king who told him to discover his personal legend. Your personal legend it finding out what you are meant to do. The story is about Santiago’s journey into discovering what his personal legend is and what happens to him on his way to discover it.
This book was very short. It’s an easy read and kept my attention, but I didn’t find it as exciting as I thought it would. Maybe I’m just in a huge reading slump. Thankfully the book I am currently reading is exciting and will issue forth a much better book review.
This book was a little one that took for me forever to read and finish. Maybe I wasn’t in the mood to read it. Maybe I wasn’t in the right mindset. Either way I wouldn’t recommend it. It had some great quotes in it from different people on the topic of writing, but other than that I wouldn’t say it was hugely profound. I’ve read more in-depth books on writing. It did bring into it a bit of Buddhism, but it was sporadic and I don’t think the book was set up very well.
This book is a gem. Mrs. Taylor talks about so many different ways to worship God that doesn’t include the four walls of a church building. The way in which she writes is like music. The imagry she uses is beautiful and she makes you think outside the box.
I wish I had my own copy because so many sentences jumped out at me as being profound. The whole idea that in life there are so many sacred moments and spots that we pass/experience daily that we don’t acknowledge. I’ve always had moments of restlessness with being stuck in a stuffy church building. Why not worship out in the fresh air instead?
I am definitely going to find her other title. I sense she is a kindred spirit from reading her words.
I was a bit leery on checking this book out of the library. I’ve read books on how to deal when it seems as though God is silent. They read like a giant Christian cliché. I was hoping this was not going to be another ones of those types of books. I was in for a pleasant surprise.
A. J. Gregory writes with honesty. She doesn’t sugar coat the tough times or make you feel that if you aren’t praying enough or doing x, y, z that you’re not following God’s will and that’s why He’s silent. Nope. She struggles with doubts as well. Some days faith isn’t as easy as it appears and trusting God is a challenge. It was very refreshing to read a book by a believer where they let themselves be completely vulnerable with their audience. There was no fakery in her words.
If you’re struggling with knowing that God is there I recommend this book. I’ve had my own dry spiritual spells and they suck. I used to have such a stronger faith, but sometimes it feels as though it’s been put on the back burner. I know it takes trust and patience. I know in time I’ll come full circle and be in the spot I am meant to be in my walk with Christ. There’s no cookie cutter way to get there. I’m glad for the time for growth and contemplation. It’s tough going from a place where you’re fed Christianity 24/7 to having to work on it yourself.
Growing up one of my favorite shows was, “Full House.” I always idolized Candace Cameron. I always thought she was gorgeous and this perfect role model. I never really thought much about her middle sister on the show Stephanie. Then I was browsing the library this past week and saw a memoir with a really gorgeous woman on the cover. I flipped it over and there was Stephanie Tanner staring back at me. I looked through it and thought this might be a very cheesy read, but I’m game for it.
I started it yesterday and I could not put it down. From the first sentence I was hooked. Maybe I’m a total sap, but this book wasn’t sugar-coated to make the words go down easy. Growing up a child star was not easy for Jodie. From the age of five until she was thirteen she had the routine of being on “Full House” and gaining a whole new family on set and off the set. The cast was very close and they actually enjoyed hanging out with each other when they weren’t airing an episode. Once “Full House” was no longer in production Jodie didn’t know where she fit in. This is her story of having to grow up quick and what life altering adventures she gets into.
I usually don’t read celebrity gossip type of books. This won won my heart over. Jodie tells it like it is honestly and to the point. It’s refreshing to read about an actress and feel like by the end of the book that you can actually know her in a way. Not in a, “I know all this dirt on you,” kind of way, but in more of a shared in special confidence kind of way. If you’re a fan of “Full House,” or the actress I definitely recommend this book.
I confess I’m a church drop out. I found this little book filled with insightful reasons why people quit attending church. I found my own personal reasons listed among the many listed.
Julia goes visiting different types of churches to interview well known preachers and unknown ones to find out the reasons for declining attendence. Issues range from control freaks that are pastors or the leadership team, to no ministries for singles who long to be married, but are told instead they are meant to be single, to women feeling like there is no real place for them in the church except to be stuck in the nursery or to organize potluck dinners. It’s not mainly new comers who are fleeing, but the seasoned members who are leaving in droves. To some church has become entertainment that you watch to get a spiritual high, but are given so solid spiritual food to help sustain you in the real world.
I do long to go to church. I miss the community and the worship. I grew up in a reformed congergation. I have attended a charismatic church and a Church of Christ church where no instraments are used, to a Unity church that felt like I’d stepped back into the 70′s hippie era. Finding my perfect fit is not easy. I want to be challenged, not babied, but I don’t want to be treated as merely a woman. I would like equality. Does this mean I have become a liberal femenist? I can’t pretend that old school church satisfys. I feel the need for growth. To grow outside the box that is church. I long for a strong authentic faith. I had one as a child, but being an adult brings it’s own discoveries. It’s an ever evolving growth. I hope to find a church home where I am seen as an equal and challenged to grow.
This book was fairly well written. There are a lot of statistics and a lot of famous Christian names thrown around. It definitely made me feel not alone.
I, too, have found that faith is an evolving process depending on your experiences and where you are in life. I hope you find a place where you fit too.
Breathing is about a teenage girl named Savannah who was named after a tornado that came through the day she was born. She’s a bookworm who works part-time at her local library and she has her two best friends she hangs around. Savannah lives in South Carolina near the beach where she loves to go on the weekend. She’s had crushes before, but then one day at the beach she notices a cute guy hanging around these older boys who are from the rich side of town. He tries to get her to talk to him, but she rides off towards home on her bike too shy to say anything.
Eventually they bump into each other again at the library this time and they finally exchange names. The cute boy is named Jackson and the older snotty kids are his cousins who he’s staying with for the time being. The only hard thing is, is that he’s 18 and Savannah is only nearing sixteen. She knows her mama won’t let her date such an older boy. Luckily they meet up at the church picnic where Savannah has to introduce her mother to Jackson. He sneaks her behind a tree to give her a kiss and after that kiss Savannah starts to have an asthma attack. Jackson thought she only had them once in a while, but this is such a severe attack he carries her to her mama’s car and rides with them to the hospital where he stays by her side till she’s better. This act of honest caring definitely earns brownie points with her mom.
Savannah learns from Jackson that his mom has asked him to return home to Greenville. She’s crushed he has to leave. In order to try to get Jackson to stay longer she inquires about a painting job since Jackson loves to paint. Jackson tries to explain to Savannah that his mom needs him at him at home since after his dad passed away she needs the extra help and income. Savannah is crushed that he won’t stay by her. She understands he has to help his mom out, but she also wonders when is his mom going to allow him to be an adult and make his own decisions.
Savannah is left figuring out if she can breathe on her own. This book made me feel as if I was in the south and the author nailed down all the little mannerisms. Reading about Savannah brought back memories of my first high school boyfriend and how you can feel as if they are you’re whole world. It’s weird to look back on your life and see how obsessed you can be with just one boy and not see the bigger picture. I enjoyed this book and will be looking for future books by Cheryl Herbsman.
This sounds like a really good book. I will have to add it to my never ending to read list 
wellwateredgarden is discussing. 
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wellwateredgarden 9:46 pm on February 25, 2010 Permalink
Re: I know I’ll come full circle and be in that spot I’m supposed to be … actually – faith says that you’re in that spot all the time … believe it!