May Books Read 2011

In the month of May I read 13 books. My absolute favorites are in bold. I did not dislike anything. I enjoyed reading Garden Spells after seeing several good reviews on other blogs. It was outside my normal reading area.


May
43. Livvie's Song by Sharlene MacLaren
http://abookloverforever.blogspot.com/2011/05/livvies-song-by-sharlene-maclaren.html
44. An Unlikely Suitor by Nancy Moser
45. The Lightkeeper's Ball by Colleen Coble
http://abookloverforever.blogspot.com/2011/05/lightkeepers-ball-by-colleen-coble.html
46. A Shore Thing by Julie Carobini
47. Fade to Blue by Julie Carobini
http://abookloverforever.blogspot.com/2011/05/fade-to-blue-by-julie-carobini-review.html
48. Undercover Pursuit by Susan Warren
49. A Heart Divided by Kathleen Morgan
http://abookloverforever.blogspot.com/2011/05/heart-divided-by-kathleen-morgan-review.html
50. Secrets of the Heart by Jillian Kent
http://abookloverforever.blogspot.com/2011/05/secrets-of-heart-by-jillian-kent-review.html
51. Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen
52. Missing by Lynette Eason
53. A Killer Among Us by Lynette Eason
http://abookloverforever.blogspot.com/2011/05/killer-among-us-by-lynette-eason-review.html
54. A Great Catch by Lorna Seilstad
http://abookloverforever.blogspot.com/2011/06/great-catch-by-lorna-seilstad-review.html
55. The Corruptible by Mark Mynheir
http://abookloverforever.blogspot.com/2011/06/corruptible-by-mark-mynheir-review.html
56. The Officer's Secret by Debby Giusti

April Books Read 2011

I am several months behind in listing what books I read in each month but I hope to get caught up soon. In April I only read 8 books. I do not have any super likes or dislikes. They were all good books.


April
34. Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot
http://abookloverforever.blogspot.com/2011/04/old-possums-book-of-practical-cats-by-t.html
35. The Final Summit by Andy Andrews
36. A Cowboy's Touch by Denise Hunter
http://abookloverforever.blogspot.com/2011/04/cowboys-touch-by-denise-hunter-review.html
37. The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen
38. Point Blank Protector by Stephanie Newton
39. The Deepest Waters by Dan Walsh
http://abookloverforever.blogspot.com/2011/04/deepest-waters-by-dan-walsh-review.html
40. The Judgment by Beverly Lewis
41. Head in the Clouds by Karen Witemeyer
42. To Win Her Heart by Karen Witemeyer
http://abookloverforever.blogspot.com/2011/05/to-win-her-heart-by-karen-witemeyer.html

40 Days to Better Living--Optimal Health by Dr. Scott Morris

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

Today's Wild Card author is:

Dr. Scott Morris

and the book:

40 Days to Better Living--Optimal Health

Barbour Books (July 1, 2011)

***Special thanks to Audra Jennings, Senior Media Specialist, The B&B Media Group for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

From the time Scott Morris was just a teenager, he knew he would do two things with his future—serve God and work with people. Growing up in Atlanta, he felt drawn to the Church and at the same time drawn to help others, even from a very young age. It was naturally intrinsic, then, that after completing his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Virginia he went on to receive his M.Div. from Yale University and finally his M.D. at Emory University in 1983.

After completing his residency in family practice, Morris arrived in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1986 without knowing a soul, but determined to begin a health care ministry for the working poor. He promptly knocked on the doors of St. John’s Methodist Church and Methodist Hospital in Memphis inviting them to help, and then found an old house to refurbish and renovate. By the next year, the Church Health Center opened with one doctor—Dr. Scott Morris—and one nurse. They saw twelve patients the first day and Morris began living his mission to reclaim the Church’s biblical commitment to care for our bodies and spirits.

From the beginning, Morris saw each and every patient as a whole person, knowing that without giving careful attention to both the body and soul the person would not be truly well.

Visit the author's website.

SHORT BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Many of us would admit to being a little out of balance these days. We all want to feel happier, healthier, and more vibrantly alive. What if in just 40 days we could reach a new level of wellness and balance that we’ve never experienced before? In 40 Days to Better Living: Optimal Health (Barbour Publishing, July 2011), Dr. Scott Morris, founder of Church Health Center, the largest faith-based clinic of its type in the United States, offers a straightforward and successful plan to get there.

The first in a series of striking full color health and wellness books by Dr. Morris and the Church Health Center staff, 40 Days to Better Living: Optimal Health confirms and clarifies what many of us already suspect: living the life we’ve always wanted must go deeper than a diet and exercise program and an occasional attempt to “do better.” Morris is convinced that to achieve the highest degree of wellness requires a multi-dimensional approach and a concentrated effort to be healthy in both body and spirit. He believes, “True health is grounded in the spiritual life that embraces the physical bodies God gives us.” Morris adds, “Instead of the absence of disease, I see health as the presence of those elements that lead us to joy and love, and that drive us closer to God. Finding balance by nurturing our spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical needs is essential to the real health of the whole person.”

40 Days to Better Living: Optimal Health offers clear, manageable steps to life-changing attitudes and actions in a context of understanding and grace for all people at all points on the journey to optimal health. With plenty of practical advice, spiritual encouragement, and real stories of those who have found a better life, this simple and skillfully crafted book inspires readers to customize their own path to wellness by using the 7-Step Model for Healthy Living as a guide:

· Nutrition: pursuing smarter food choices and eating habits

· Friends and family: giving and receiving support through relationships

· Emotional life: understanding feelings and managing stress to better care for yourself

· Work: appreciating your skills, talents, and gifts

· Movement: discovering ways to enjoy physical activity

· Medical care: partnering with health care providers to optimize medical care

· Faith life: building a relationship with God, neighbors, and self

Product Details:

List Price: $7.99
Paperback: 176 pages
Publisher: Barbour Books (July 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1616262648
ISBN-13: 978-1616262648

AND NOW...THE FIRST PAGES (CLICK ON PAGES TO SEE THEM BETTER):

Perfectly Invisible by Kristin Billerbeck (Review)

Reading level: Young Adult

Paperback: 267 pages

Publisher: Revell (July 1, 2011)

ISBN-13: 978-0800719739

From the Back Cover

Life after high school is so close . . . and yet so very far away.
It's Daisy Crispin's final semester of high school, and she plans to make it count. Her long-awaited freedom is mere months away, and her big plans for college loom in the future. Everything is under control.

Or is it?

Her boyfriend is treating her like she's invisible, and her best friend is making her sell bad costume jewelry in the school quad--and hanging out with her boyfriend. To top it off, Daisy's major humiliation of the year will be remembered in the yearbook for all eternity. It's enough to make her wonder if maybe being invisible isn't so bad after all.

Can Daisy get her life back on track? Or is she stuck in this town forever?

My Review:

 I did not enjoy this book as much as the first one in the series. I thought it was an okay Christian YA book. Somehow I ended up getting annoyed with the characters especially Daisy. This is the second book in the Universally Misunderstood series and I recommend reading them in order. I thought the title fit the book. The faith element is very light so mainstream readers might like them too. My favorite series by this author will probably always be the Ashley Stockingdale series. :)

Kristin Billerbeck is the bestselling, award-winning author of several novels, including What a Girl Wants and Perfectly Dateless. She lives with her family in northern California.

“Available July 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”

Thank you Donna at Revell for my review copy.

Canary Island Song by Robin Jones Gunn

This week, theChristian Fiction Blog Allianceis introducingCanary Island SongHoward Books; Original edition (July 5, 2011)byRobin Jones Gunn





ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Robin Jones Gunn was born in Wisconsin and lived on a dairy farm until her family moved to southern California when she was five years old. She grew up in Orange County and spent her summers at Newport Beach with friends from her church youth group. After attending Biola University and Capernwray Bible School in Austria, Robin and Ross were married and spent the next two decades working together in youth ministry.



It was the young teens at Robin’s church who challenged her to write stories for them. She hadn’t thought much about being a writer, but took their request to heart and set her alarm for 3am, three days a week. With two small children it was the only time she could find to write the first story about Christy Miller. After two years and ten rejections the novel Summer Promise was accepted for publication in 1988. Robin hasn’t stopped writing since. Over 4 million copies of her 75 books have sold and can be found in a dozen translations all over the world.



Robin and her husband now live in Hawai’i where Ross is a counselor and Robin continues to write to the sound of tropical birds chattering in the palm trees outside her window. Their children are grown but manage to come to the islands with their families every chance they get. Robin's awards include: three Christy awards for excellence in fiction, a Gold Medallion finalist, Mt. Hermon Pacesetter and the Mt. Hermon Writer of the Year award. Robin travels extensively and is a frequent key-note speaker at various events around the world. She serves on the Board of Directors for Media Associates International and Jerry Jenkin’s Christian Writer’s Guild.





ABOUT THE BOOK

When Carolyn’s grown daughter tells her she needs to “get a life,” Carolyn decides it’s time to step out of her familiar routine as a single woman in San Francisco and escape to her mother’s home in the Canary Islands. Since Carolyn’s mother is celebrating her seventieth birthday, the timing of Carolyn’s visit makes for a perfect surprise.

The surprise, however, is on Carolyn when she sees Bryan Spencer, her high school summer love. It’s been seven years since Carolyn lost her husband, but ever since that tragic day, her life has grown smaller and closed in. The time has come for Carolyn to get her heart back. It takes the gentle affection of her mother and aunts, as well as the ministering beauty and song of the islands to draw Carolyn into the fullness of life. She is nudged along by a Flamenco dance lesson, a defining camel ride and the steady gaze of Bryan’s intense blue-gray eyes.

Is it too late for Carolyn to trust Bryan? Can Carolyn believe that Bryan has turned into something more than the wild beach boy who stole her kisses so many years ago on a balmy Canary night?

Carolyn is reminded that Christopher Columbus set sail from the Canary Islands in 1492 on his voyage to discover the New World. Is she ready to set sail from these same islands to discover her new life?



If you would like to read the first chapter of Canary Island Song, go HERE.

What's On Your Nightstand? July 26, 2011

What's On Your Nightstand is a monthly meme hosted by 5 Minutes for Books. It is held on the fourth Tuesday of every month. http://www.5minutesforbooks.com/

I keep my immediate TBR on my dresser and desk. I have books on my nightstand too but I hardly touch them. The first picture is my stack of library books I want to read. The second picture is of my review books that do not have a specific tour date. The last picture is of my review books that have due date on them. I have been purging books but I still have a huge waiting TBR. I have so many books I want to read and so little time it seems. I am considering giving up on all reading challenges and most goals for the year. I need less stress and I really want to enjoy reading again. I also want to read more of what catches my eye and not focus on a certain number. I have no idea what next year holds but for right now I need to simplify. I love reading and book reviewing and I can't see giving it up.

It's Monday What Are You Reading? July 25, 2011

This is a weekly meme hosted by Shelia at One Persons Journey Through a World of Books. http://bookjourney.wordpress.com/

What I read last week:

- The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (on audio in the car)

- You Know When the Men Are Gone by Siobhan Fallon (awesome book of short stories)

- A Woman's Place by Lynn Austin (Really good Christian historical fiction)

What I am currently reading:

- Perfectly Invisible by Kristin Billerbeck

- The Primal Blueprint by Mark Sisson

- Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (on audio in the car)

What I am reading next:

- Canary Island Song by Robin Jones Gunn

- Wolfsbane by Ronie Kendig

- Restless in Carolina by Tamara Leigh

What I reviewed:

http://abookloverforever.blogspot.com/2011/07/shadows-on-sand-by-gayle-roper-review.html
http://abookloverforever.blogspot.com/2011/07/falls-like-lightning-by-shawn-grady.html