Note: This book is rated V = scenes of gunshots, killing, explosions. 

Emma has her reasons not to fall in love, but fate has other plans. When she finds a journal near Honey Creek Lake, she sneaks a peek at the words of a stranger but finds the heart of a hero instead. Soon she’s savoring every word, opening her heart to the man inside and her mind to the possibilities she gave up long ago. Across town, Nicholas is devastated at the loss of his grandfather’s journal, one he’s written in since he left for Iraq a decade ago. The thought of a stranger mocking his words, or worse, someone from Honey Creek knowing his most intimate trials…. If his journal falls into the wrong hands, humiliation is sure to follow. But what if it fell into the right ones?

I won this at Silver's Reviews:

Jubilee's Journey by Bette Lee Crosby

This meme is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey. This is where we keep track of what we are currently reading and plan to read.  The kidlit version is hosted by Jen at Teach Mentor Texts.

This was a slow reading week for me because I simply had no time. How could that be! Book lovers always have time for a book. Well, I launched a book tour company, and have been busy connecting with bloggers, which was fun. The response was so positive I was touched. I want to thank all you bloggers who have signed up as tour host. If you're interested in hosting book tours, please visit my website iRead Book Tours and sign up. Looking forward to working with you!

Read and reviewed:
Spark by Kallie George  (simply adorable)

Currently Reading:

Rule of Three by Eric Walters (Very good! Almost done.)

Spark is a little dragon with a big problem. He can’t control his fiery breath. Even practicing doesn’t help. Will Spark ever be able to tame his flame?

The first book in an early reader series about baby magic animals, Spark is a gentle reminder that there is a perfect time for everything.

Our thoughts:

This was an adorable book about taking the time to acquire a skill. For Spark, the too cute dragon, it was learning to tame his fiery flame. Spark practiced and practiced and his attempts are cute and comical. Kids may struggle to learn skills like riding a bicycle, skipping rope or playing a sport, and this story is a reminder that these skills take time. All kids learn at different rates.

This book is a good beginner reader’s chapter book; the perfect book for early readers. The sketchy watercolor illustrations are simple and cute, and match well with the story. I was pleased to learn that the illustrator Geneviève Côté lives in the same city I do, Montreal, Quebec.

This a great start to the Tiny Tails series. Recommended for all young readers. 

Note: This book is rated C = clean read. 

Reviewed by Laura & Son

Disclosure: Thanks to Simply Read Books for sending us this book for review. We were not compensated in any other way, nor told how to rate or review this product.

Fast forward to 2011. The narrator is thirty-something Ava Whalen, also a midwife, who falls deeply in love with kindred spirit Matthew Frazier. They marry, move to his ancestral home on St. Simons Island with Ava believing that happiness awaits her. She quickly discovers, however, that both her new husband and her new home hold mysteries linked to the past, including the circumstances surrounding the death of his first wife, a beautiful accomplished woman. As soon as the reader steps into the house, an eerie feeling starts to build. For Ava there are many déjà-vu moments that she cannot explain. Nightmares and fear of water pursue her. How does the scent of ashes connect with her feeling of not quite belonging?

As usual, Karen White tells an interesting tale of the South. St. Simons Island is a beautiful place filled with “canopies of live oak trees, with their curled arms holding up the moss like a woman displaying her jewellery.” The author excels at descriptions of time and place, seamlessly navigating between the 1800s and the present, with charming descriptions of Island life, clothes, and attitudes of both periods. For history buffs, the War of 1812 makes an appearance!

Note: This book is rated S = mild sexual content. There is a passionate kissing scene.

Reviewed by Laura

In The Secrets of Happy Families, New York Times bestselling author Bruce Feiler has drawn up a blueprint for modern families — a new approach to family dynamics, inspired by cutting-edge techniques gathered from experts in the disciplines of science, business, sports, and the military.

The result is a funny and thought-provoking playbook for contemporary families, with more than 200 useful strategies, including: the right way to have family dinner, what your mother never told you about sex (but should have), and why you should always have two women present in difficult conversations…

Timely, compassionate, and filled with practical tips and wise advice, Bruce Feiler’s The Secrets of Happy Families: Improve Your Mornings, Rethink Family Dinner, Fight Smarter, Go Out and Play, and Much More should be required reading for all. parents.

Colleges and employers continue to grapple with the fact that students in the United States are not prepared for the demands of higher education and the workforce. Students scramble to figure out where to go to school, how to get in, what to study, and how to pay for their education, one of the most important investments of their life. Education is a complex but highly valued system. It's a pathway to opportunities in life and a cornerstone of economic prosperity, but far too many students get lost along the way. What can students do to make sure they get the most out of their education? In this unfiltered, non-academic, and straight to the point personal essay, students are challenged to ask tough questions about their education and personal goals. They are provided insights based on the experiences of a young professional who has been where they are, and has a few thoughts on how to get them where they want to be.

From NetGalley:

The Tyrant's Daughter by J.C. Carleson

When her father is killed in a coup, 15-year-old Laila flees from the war-torn middle east to a life of exile and anonymity in the U.S. Gradually she adjusts to a new school, new friends, and a new culture, but while Laila sees opportunity in her new life, her mother is focused on the past. She's conspiring with CIA operatives and rebel factions to regain the throne their family lost. Laila can't bear to stand still as an international crisis takes shape around her, but how can one girl stop a conflict that spans generations?

J.C. Carleson delivers a fascinating account of a girl—and a country—on the brink, and a rare glimpse at the personal side of international politics.

This meme is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey. This is where we keep track of what we are currently reading and plan to read.  The kidlit version is hosted by Jen at Teach Mentor Texts.

Read and reviewed:
Hospice Voices by Eric Lindner (heartwarming memoir)
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (Sandra's review)
The Folly by Marion Chesney (another good one in this series - audiobook review)
Nat the Cat Can Sleep Like That by Victoria Allenby

Bookish Posts:
My New Venture: iRead Book Tours! - Launch of a quality book tour company
Simon & Schuster's Winter Survival Package Contest

Currently Reading:
Rule of Three by Eric Walters

Book’s synopsis:

Nat has a talent for sleeping all day long. Name any place in the house, and Nat can sleep in, on, under or sprawled over it. In fact, Nat is so devoted to slumber that the imaginative antics of a crazy kitten don’t seem to bother him one bit, until…

When the nighttime quiet falls, when strange shadows fill the halls…

Now Nat is all fired up and ready to go! Will the kitten be able to keep up, or is it time for her to find the perfect place to settle down for a wee nap? 

Our thoughts:

This book was a lot of fun to read with its rhythmic verses and playful language. It follows a day in the life of Nat the Cat who loves to sleep in the day no matter what is happening around him. But when night falls, Nat comes alive! We have a cat so we can relate to Nat’s behavior. AND my kids are the same too! They come alive at night when it’s time for bedtime.

I read this with my son and we liked the relationship between the kitten and Nat the Cat. So adorable! And the turn of phrases are delightful: 

When the house is wrapped in dreams,

When stars wink and moonlight gleams…

The pencil crayon illustrations with the frolicsome scenes are perfect for this age group. With engaging words and lively pictures, this book will greatly appeal to cat lovers of all ages.

Note: This book is rated C = clean read. 

Reviewed by Laura

Disclosure: Thanks to Erin Woods of Pajama Press for sending us this book for review. We were not compensated in any other way, nor told how to rate or review this product.

Note: This book is rated S = mild sexual content (kissing and some fondling).

It is 1939, Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will become busier still. The narrator is Death, a sympathetic Death worn out by all the people he has collected over time. I hope I can find the words to do justice to this very moving book. 

It is the story of Liesel Meminger, a young German girl, abandoned by her mother, who goes to Molching, a suburb of Munich, to live with foster parents, Hans & Rosa Huberman. She becomes the book thief when she picks up a book by her brother’s graveside. It’s her first act of book thievery, but not her last. Thus begins her love affair with words and books. Soon she is stealing books from Nazi book-burnings, the mayor’s wife’s library, wherever there are books. It is about the power of words, Nazi propaganda, versus the power of words to heal that enables Leisl to cope with her life.

In a book full of unique and interesting characters, my favorite person was Hans Huberman, a kind, loving, patient man who teachers Leisl to read while quieting her nightmares about her dead brother. He fills the shoes of the father Leisel has never known. Plus, he willingly and unselfishly hides a Jewish man in the basement of his house, knowing the penalty for disclosure. 

Readers will identify with the struggle of ordinary people, young and old alike, to survive in the hell that was Nazi Germany. It is heartbreaking yet uplifting to see people risking their lives on behalf of fellow humans whether Germans or Jews.

Mr. Zusak’s writing is incredible. His phrasing and descriptions are haunting. It is a very intense read, but the author manages to inject humor that alleviates some of that intensity.

This is a story of love, courage, friendship, survival, resilience, grief, and death, but most of all, about the human spirit. Be prepared to cry.

Note: This book is rated P = Profanity.

Reviewed by Sandra

Disclosure: I bought this book. I was not compensated in any way, nor told how to rate or review this product.

Since I work with seniors who have dementia, I was immediately attracted to Hospice Voices, written by a hospice volunteer about the life lessons he learned through the everyday folks whose lives he touched, but more importantly who touched him. I felt I could relate because I’ve learned so much since I started working with seniors four years ago.

I enjoyed these stories, some of which sounded familiar because of my work experience. I think the one I enjoyed the most was about Dolly, the ninety-four year old Italian-American woman from New Jersey. I loved it when Lindner had pignoli (pine nut cookies) delivered from Little Italy to Virginia's Piedmont because Dolly hadn’t seen pignoli cookies since her wedding! His description of her reaction was so funny. 

Lindner succeeded in bringing to life the people he worked with and visited. The last account of his daughter’s Sarah’s fight with thyroid cancer was moving and scary because she is so young. 

Lindner writes with a keen eye for details (he’s an attorney) with a kind but honest voice. There were times when I had to reread sentences that were super long and filled with references to people, places and events I was clueless about. These run-on sentences were distracting at times, and his writing reminded me somewhat of journalist David Oliver Relin who co-wrote Three Cups of Tea and also had this same problem. But his writing is also self-deprecating and infused with humour.

There are black and white photos at the beginning of each anecdotal accounts of his patients, but they are not labelled so at times I wondered if they were who I thought they were.

Most of all, I enjoyed how the author ended with a section on Dos and Don’ts that summarized what he’d learned from his experience as a hospice volunteer, as a father and as a son with aged parents. They are good life lessons. Lindner’s insights, kindness and reflections made this book a very worthwhile read. Best of all, I found this book inspiring and not depressing despite the very present topic of dying.

Panic began as so many things do in Carp, a dead-end town of twelve thousand people in the middle of nowhere: because it was summer, and there was nothing else to do.

Heather never thought she would compete in Panic, a legendary game played by graduating seniors, where the stakes are high and the payoff is even higher. She'd never thought of herself as fearless, the kind of person who would fight to stand out. But when she finds something, and someone, to fight for, she will discover that she is braver than she ever thought.

Dodge has never been afraid of Panic. His secret will fuel him, and get him all the way through the game; he's sure of it. But what he doesn't know is that he's not the only one with a secret. Everyone has something to play for.

For Heather and Dodge, the game will bring new alliances, unexpected revelations, and the possibility of first love for each of them—and the knowledge that sometimes the very things we fear are those we need the most.

Already optioned by Universal Pictures in a major deal, this gritty, spellbinding novel captures both the raw energy of fear mixed with excitement as well as the aching need to find a place to belong.

Sometimes the toughest journey is the one that takes you back to your roots. For Katie, navigating life and love is trickier than walking barefoot on a beach full of broken shells. Maybe Katie will break the family cycle of alcoholism. Maybe she won’t. Set against the backdrop of picturesque, seaside Cape May, Cape Maybe traces the push and pull of Katie’s conflicting love for her erratic mother and steadfast grandfather and her ever-growing attraction to her best friend, Dennis. Katie’s life is shaped by her vow to be nothing like her alcoholic mother. Her reckless teenage choices test the strength of family ties, friendship, and first love. Ultimately about hard-earned hope, what we inherit, and what we choose to let go, in Cape Maybe, Katie discovers what she never expected about motherhood, forgiving yourself, and creating your own second chances.

Dunstable Park House-A Victorian Time Travel Romance by Therese Stenzel

Grain Power makes it simple to include a variety of delicious gluten-free ancient grains in your everyday meals. Ancient grains are great tasting and not only ideal for people with food allergies, gluten intolerance and health issues, but also those looking for delicious, nutrient-rich grains for a healthy lifestyle.

Packed with lots of variety and unique, natural flavors, recipes feature the most popular and versatile gluten-free ancient grains available today. It’s easy to super-charge all your meals with these health-boosting, nutrient-dense superfoods: amaranth, buckwheat, chia, kañiwa, quinoa, millet, oats, sorghum, teff.

This meme is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey. This is where we keep track of what we are currently reading and plan to read.  The kidlit version is hosted by Jen at Teach Mentor Texts.

Read and reviewed:
Organic Beauty with Essential Oil by Rebecca Park Totilo (Loved this book!)
The Sad Tree and Pronuba by Christina Steiner (an endearing children's book)

Bookish Posts:
Susanna Kearsley & Friends Tour and Giveaway of The Rose Garden (Ends today!)
Bucket List Challenge 2014 (See what I want to accomplish this year!)
Winner of Children's Book

Currently Reading:
A Mad Wicked Folly by Sharon Biggs Waller (Very good!)

Congratulations to our winner! 

Laura Gerold 
for winning Why Did Grandma Put Her Underwear in the Refrigerator by Max Wallack and Carolyn Given

The winner was chosen using Random.org and has been emailed. The winner has 48 hours to claim the prize. Library of Clean Reads is providing this book as a giveaway. Thanks also to all the participants and current and new followers!

Orange-Vanilla Body Scrub

What you will need:

1 cup Epsom Salt

½ cup Olive oil

½ teaspoon Vanilla extract

4 drops Orange essential oil

What to do:

1. In a small bowl, stir together all of the ingredients.

2. Place the scrub in small containers and give away as gifts or keep for yourself.

This recipe was super easy! It took all of 5 minutes to put together.

We used pure vanilla extract, the orange essential oil, The Epsom Salt we got at the $1 store and extra virgin olive oil.

We first mixed in the olive oil with the Epsom salt, and as you can see it made the mixture very green!

Next we mixed in the vanilla extract.

And finally the 4 drops of orange essential oil.

Result:

I took a tablespoon of the body scrub mixture and scrubbed my very dry chapped hands with it all over and then rinsed them. My hands felt soft and smooth afterwards. My parents were over when we were experimenting, and my dad--who has rough and calloused hands--did the same thing I did, and remarked that he liked how the scrub left his hands feeling softer and smoother too.

Finally, my daughter used it in the shower and LOVED it. She liked that her skin felt very soft afterward, and she liked the smell too. It wasn't powerful at all. She said that people with oily skin might want to use less olive oil, but for those with dry skin (like she has) it was perfect. She told me she would be using this homemade product again and again.

My dad helped my daughter put some in a container using a funnel and a chopstick. We then gave it to my parents to take home to use. They were very pleased!

Note: This book is rated C = clean read.

About the author:
Rebecca Park Totilo’s flair and passion for life bursts into living color when she writes and speaks, as you will see in the visual way she presents herself. She literally believes in the “show, don’t tell” principle in everything she does. Becca has ministered to literally millions of people via television, radio and live appearances. She is an award-winning published author of over 40 books, including “Therapeutic Blending With Essential Oil”, “Heal With Essential Oil”, and “Through the Night With God.” Her credits include working as a contributor writer on two best-selling series (“Quiet Moments with God” and “Stories for the Teen’s Heart”) which sold over one million and five million copies respectively. She is also a freelance writer for several national magazines include Christian Parenting Today, Discipleship Journal and Woman’s World.

Rebecca’s photography work has appeared in numerous national magazines such as Woman’s World, Sports Spectrum, Evangel, and Sharing the Victory. But by far, her greatest accomplishment, if you asked her, is after a decade of rejection slips (with almost 150 in one year!), Rebecca hit it big in 1999, with over 13 books contracts, ranging from teaching curriculum to gift books and devotionals for adults. Truly, its her grit determination that makes her inspirational writings draw such a mass market appeal.

Rebecca graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University in 1986 with a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Information Systems. In addition, she attended Faith Bible Institute in Richmond, Virginia for instruction in ministry and University of the Nations in Hawaii. She is also trained as a Clinical Aromatherapist and is an international educator offering online courses on the art of perfume-making and how to blend with essential oils worldwide on her website http://rebeccatotilo.com. Rebecca owns a cute soap boutique, Aroma Hut, near the beach in Florida where she practices as an Clinical Aromatherapist.

Rebecca won the Writer of the Year in Non-Fiction (National Writer’s Association)

And now for the giveaway!

The Rose Garden by Susanna Kearsley

Eva Ward is a modern woman thrown back three centuries to 1715 only to find that might be exactly where she belongs. There she finds true love with Daniel Butler, but the discord surrounding Hanoverian King George plunges the lovers into a world of intrigue, treason, and love. 

Entering the giveaway is easy:

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If you are a follower, new or current, leave a comment telling me so.

*Buttons for following found on top left-hand corner of blog.
*Giveaway ends January 12, 2014.