Sunday, September 4, 2011

What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty

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Remember the woman you used to be ...

Alice is twenty-nine. She is whimsical, optimistic and adores sleep, chocolate, her ramshackle new house and her wonderful husband Nick. What's more, she's looking forward to the birth of the 'Sultana' - her first baby.

But now Alice has slipped and hit her head in her step-aerobics class and everyone's telling her she's misplaced the last ten years of her life.

In fact, it would seem that Alice is actually thirty-nine and now she loves schedules, expensive lingerie, caffeine and manicures. She has three children and the honeymoon is well and truly over for her and Nick. In fact, he looks at her like she's his worst enemy. What's more, her beloved sister Elisabeth isn't speaking to her either. And who is this 'Gina'everyone is so carefully trying not to mention?

Alice isn't sure that she likes life ten years on. Every photo is another memory she doesn't have and nothing makes sense. Just how much can happen in a decade? Has she really lost her lovely husband for ever?
-Goodreads

3 out of 5 Stars
Not my favorite book. It ended up getting better towards the end but over all I didn't like it

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

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Three ordinary women are about to take one extraordinary step.

Twenty-two-year-old Skeeter has just returned home after graduating from Ole Miss. She may have a degree, but it is 1962, Mississippi, and her mother will not be happy till Skeeter has a ring on her finger. Skeeter would normally find solace with her beloved maid Constantine, the woman who raised her, but Constantine has disappeared and no one will tell Skeeter where she has gone.

Aibileen is a black maid, a wise, regal woman raising her seventeenth white child. Something has shifted inside her after the loss of her own son, who died while his bosses looked the other way. She is devoted to the little girl she looks after, though she knows both their hearts may be broken.

Minny, Aibileen's best friend, is short, fat, and perhaps the sassiest woman in Mississippi. She can cook like nobody's business, but she can't mind her tongue, so she's lost yet another job. Minny finally finds a position working for someone too new to town to know her reputation. But her new boss has secrets of her own.

Seemingly as different from one another as can be, these women will nonetheless come together for a clandestine project that will put them all at risk. And why? Because they are suffocating within the lines that define their town and their times. And sometimes lines are made to be crossed.

In pitch-perfect voices, Kathryn Stockett creates three extraordinary women whose determination to start a movement of their own forever changes a town, and the way women - mothers, daughters, caregivers, friends - view one another. A deeply moving novel filled with poignancy, humor, and hope, The Help is a timeless and universal story about the lines we abide by, and the ones we don't
-Goodreads.

5 out of 5 Stars.
I had no intention of picking this book up. It isnt my normal book. The only reason I read it was because of all the comments on Facebook from friends talking about how wonderful this book is. I couldn't put it down. I couldnt wait to pick it back up. I loved every second of it and will pick it up again.

The Mystery of Harry Potter by Nancy Brown


Author Nancy Brown has done all the research and analysis of the Harry Potter series to answer parents' questions without spoiling the endings. Are the stories compatible with our Faith? What kind of role model is Harry? Could children learn spells from the books? How will you know when your child is ready? It's a must-read for every Catholic family!
-Goodreads

4 out 5 Stars. I loved this book. It gave me a hole new insight to all of the Harry Potter books. I loved them before, I love them even more now.

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Heaven is for Real by Todd, Sonja, Colton Burpo and Lynn Vincent


A young boy emerges from life-saving surgery with remarkable stories of his visit to heaven.

Heaven Is for Real is the true story of the four-year old son of a small town Nebraska pastor who during emergency surgery slips from consciousness and enters heaven. He survives and begins talking about being able to look down and see the doctor operating and his dad praying in the waiting room. The family didn't know what to believe but soon the evidence was clear.

Colton said he met his miscarried sister, whom no one had told him about, and his great grandfather who died 30 years before Colton was born, then shared impossible-to-know details about each. He describes the horse that only Jesus could ride, about how "reaaally big" God and his chair are, and how the Holy Spirit "shoots down power" from heaven to help us.

Told by the father, but often in Colton's own words, the disarmingly simple message is heaven is a real place, Jesus really loves children, and be ready, there is a coming last battle.
-Goodreads

What an inspirational book. Very emotional at times and everything you want to believe in is confirmed to you. Very innocently written.
4 out of 5 Stars

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Not Afraid of Life: My Journey So Far by Bristol Palin


The oldest daughter of Sarah Palin and single mother goes beyond the headlines, offering readers an inside look at her life, her world, and the things that matter most, including her family and the faith that keeps her centered. When her mother became the Republican Vice-Presidential candidate in 2008, Bristol Palin was instantly propelled into the national spotlight, becoming the focus of intense public and national media scrutiny at the age of seventeen.

In Not Afraid of Life, Bristol gives readers an intimate behind-the-scenes look at her life for the first time, from growing up in Alaska to coming of age amid the media and political frenzy surrounding her mother’s political rise; from becoming a single mother while still a teenager to coping as her relationship with her baby’s father crumbled publicly—not once, but twice. Bristol talks about the highs and lows of her appearance on ABC-TV’s Dancing with the Stars, including the aching hours of practice, the biting criticisms, and the thrill of getting to the show’s finals. She speaks candidly of her aspirations for the future and the deep religious faith that gives her strength and inspiration. Plainspoken and disarmingly down to earth, Bristol offers new insight and understanding of who she is and what she values most.
-Goodreads

I loved this book. Bristol has lead a pretty fortunate life that has been seemed to be pretty hard at some times. Dealing with some hard issues and mean people. I have no idea if the Palin Haters would like this book because the Palins can't do anything right in their eyes but according me I loved it.
4 out of 5 Stars

Vampires are Forever by Lynsay Sands


Inez Urso is beginning to have her doubts. Her business associate Thomas Argeneau has some interesting traits, like an allergic reaction to the sun, excellent night vision, and not much of an appetite for food. And to top it all off, he just tried to bite her neck . . . but maybe that was a sign of passion. If so, she'd be happy to experience more, despite her determination not to mix business with pleasure.

Well, if not forever, at least two hundred years. Inez is the most beautiful woman he's seen in centuries. Those luscious lips, seductive curves, and her elegant neck . . . he just couldn't resist the temptation of one little bite. Now Thomas will do anything to convince her that only an immortal like him can satisfy her all night long . . .
-Goodreads

This one was pretty good. I really enjoyed Thomas and Inez love story.not as much as Bastien but it was enjoyable.
4out of 5 Stars

Saturday, July 23, 2011

Vegetarian Times Vegetarian Beginner's Guide



Vegetarian times Vegetarian Beginner's Guide
Is there one book that can answer all of my questions about becoming a vegetarian?

Yes, Vegetarian Times Vegetarian Beginner's Guide is the only book written for beginner vegetarians or anyone just thinking about becoming one. It's packed with information written by the editors of Vegetarian Times, the leading authorities on the subject. Below are just a few of the hundreds of questions this handy book will answer.

Will I get enough protein if I don't eat meat?

Yes, research shows that vegetarians get more than enough protein. A vegetarian diet is also naturally low in fat and fortified with carbohydrates, fiber, antioxidants, and nutrients.

Do I have to eat salad every day?

A resounding NO. In fact, once meat is removed from your dinner plate, you're open to a world of new flavors. Thirty-six delicious recipes and a dozen menus will help you get started.

How does a vegetarian diet help to prevent disease?

Your odds of preventing heart disease, high blood pressure, and even cancer are all increased by eating a proper diet, and a vegetarian diet is a big step toward improving those odds.

If I'm pregnant, is it safe to be a vegetarian?

Yes. In fact, a proper vegetarian diet is a better source of vitamin A and calcium, two important nutrients for your baby's development.

Will my vegetarian children get the nutrients they need from a meatless diet?

Yes, and numerous health organizations have published papers supporting a meatless diet for children, including the American Academy of Pediatrics.
-Goodreads

I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to take the full leap into vegetarianism but this book certainly has given me some tools to help me make better choices and maybe see me on my way to it.
4 out of 5 Stars