Give Yourself a Break

Give Yourself a Break: Turning Your Inner Critic into a Compassionate Friend by Kim Frederickson gives a Biblical approach to being less hard on one another, especially having self-compassion. The book would be in the self-help category, and although I have not read many self-help books in the past, I found this one to be interesting and to give some good, Biblically sound, pieces of advice when relating to having compassion for yourself. This is something I really struggle with, so the book was great for me to read and have some tips to put into practice in my daily life.

 

This book was a relatively quick read, and I read a few chapters every night. I think this would be a great book for counselors to read and for them to be able to share this book with some of their patients who may struggle with being too hard on themselves.

 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book free from Revell. 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.”

The Innocent

The Innocent, by Ann H. Gabhart, follows Carlyn Kearney as she enters into the Shaker Community after losing her husband in the war and her home when she was unable to pay the man she was purchasing the property from. When the Sheriff, Mitchell Brodie, arrived at her door, she was forced to find a new home for herself and her dog, Asher. The Shaker Community of Harmony Hill, only a few miles away from her home, seemed like the best choice. They would provide food and shelter for her while the Sheriff took care of her dog. While the Shakers attempted to live a “perfect” life, there were things going on in their community that made it a dangerous place to live.

 

I really liked reading about the relationship between Carlyn and Sheriff Brodie, and his willingness to wait for her to move past her sadness after the death of her husband. It was also interesting to read about the Shaker Community and the different beliefs they hold. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in historical romance books.

 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book free from Revell. 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.”

Five Brides

Five Brides, by Eva Marie Everson, tells the story of five women who are roommates in Chicago in the early 1950s. They are all extremely busy trying to provide for themselves, and they rarely have a moment to spend together. One rare Saturday they decide to spend the afternoon in Chicago together, and during that trip they find a perfect wedding dress. Since none of them have enough money to purchase the dress on their own, they decide to split the cost of the dress and all wear it on their wedding days.

 

The concept of this book was really interesting, and it reminded me a little bit of one of my favorite childhood movies: Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, where four best friends all fit into the same pair of jeans. I liked that this book really focused on the individual lives of each of the roommates. They all wanted different things out of their lives, and they really did all go in completely different directions. No matter where their lives ended up, it was nice to see them stay connected through letters and the wedding dress that originally connected them all.

 

Although this book was pretty long, I really did not want to see it end. I liked each of the characters, since they all had distinct characteristics that made me connect to them in their own way. Some were completely focused on their careers, while others just wanted to be married with a family or a husband. I will definitely be reading more books by Eva Marie Everson in the future after I enjoyed this book so much!

Laugh Out Loud Pocket Doodles for Girls

I just got back from a vacation with family friends, and I wish I had the Laugh Out Loud Pocket Doodles for Girls book, by Rob Elliott, before I left for the vacation. This book is pretty much identical to the boys book, except the cover is purple. I like that there is a version for boys and girls because it always seems that there are problems with toys and books being shared. This way, each child will know which book is theirs, and it shouldn’t cause problems. Also, there are different jokes, so they can ask each other the jokes.

Each page has a joke and an area on the page for a drawing. At the bottom of the page you are told what to draw on the pages. They don’t specifically tell you what you must draw, but they say things like “What is she carrying? Doodle It.”, “Finish the friends and their funny faces”, and “Doodle the Joke.”.

I’m excited to give this book as a gift before my next road trip with someone with young kids. I’m sure it will keep them entertained….at least for part of the trip!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book free from Revell. 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.”

Laugh Out Loud Pocket Doodles for Boys

I just got back from a vacation with family friends, and I wish I had the Laugh Out Loud Pocket Doodles for Boys book, by Rob Elliott, before I left for the vacation. This is a very convenient, small doodle book. It would fit perfectly into a bookbag, or car “entertainment” bag when going on a road trip. Each page has a joke and a section of the page that you can fill in with a drawing. A section at the bottom of the page tells you what you should draw on each page, or it gives you an idea about what you can draw.

 

I’m excited to bring this book along with me on my next trip, so I can give it to the kids, and keep them entertained….at least for part of the trip!

 

 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book free from Revell. 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.”

Desperate Measures

Desperate Measures is the third book in the Port Aster Secrets series by Sandra Orchard. In the book, Kate Adams is trying to come to terms with the fact that her father is not dead, rather he is in protective custody and Tom Parker knew this secret. As you could imagine, this puts a strain on Tom and Kate’s relationship, and she has chosen to put her relationship with Tom on hold. Add into that the experiments Kate is conducting on her father’s miracle plant, and you have the ingredients for a very fast-moving, interesting book. There is romance, mystery, and suspense that kept me reading this book late into the night.

 

Since I read the past books in the series, I didn’t have any problems following the story line. I think this can be read as a stand-alone book, but I definitely think it would be beneficial for the reader to have read the first two books in the series so they can understand everything that is going on. When finishing the book, I didn’t want to see this series end, but I was happy to be able to see the resolution of Kate’s story. I’m looking forward to reading more books by Sandra Orchard.

 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book free from Revell. 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.”    

Once Upon a Summertime

When Anna Gordon imagined her future, she didn’t think she’d be living in her hometown, managing the Value Lodge. But, that’s just where she finds herself in Melody Carlson’s most recent book, Once Upon a Summertime: A New York City Romance. When Anna runs into her High School friend, and she offers to forward her resume to a friend who is opening a boutique hotel in NYC, she jumps at the chance. Soon she finds herself managing the maids, with her childhood crush, Sean, working as the manager of the hotel! This sets up a perfect opportunity for the two of them to get to know one another better while learning about the new city they live in.

 

Since I really like visiting New York City, I enjoyed reading this book and hearing about the places they were visiting. Also, I really liked the main characters and their work ethic. Although I didn’t know much about a hospitality career before reading this book, I found myself wanting to read more books about it as the book made me think about all of the different aspects that go into running a hotel. I cannot wait to read more books in this series.

 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book free from Revell. 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.”