This Year's Reading - Baltimore, MD. - February 2012

This year I received a challenge from the Hub...

Well to be honest it wasn't an "I challenge you..." exactly, but he sometimes teases me for the lack of, let's call it "Educational Content" in my reading list.  Don't get me wrong, if you've been following this blog long you know I'm an AVID reader but I tend to gravitate toward what some would call "chick lit".  You know, funny girls, strange situations.  I definitely don't think there's anything wrong with that genre, but he got me thinking which is ALWAYS an exciting ride.

I LOVE staying home with our daughter but one common theme I've found with my fellow Stay at Home Moms is finding a way to keep your mind active and continue learning and growing as a person, not only for your kids sake, but also for your own sanity.

So starting in January I decided that one way I could do this is by changing the way I read.  I still read the fun stuff, but I'm also throwing in some non-fiction and have been pleasantly surprised!

Here's what I've read so far in 2012.  

 On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King

Non-fiction

Nut Shell Review: I've read this about 6 times and always turn to it when I'm needing to re-motivate myself to write.  I LOVE IT!

The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey by Candice Millard

Non-fiction

Nut Shell Review: I read these 432 pages of non-fiction on the edge of my seat.  I knew Roosevelt was a humble adventurer, but had no idea the depths to which it extended.  Candice Millard is a phenomenally talented writer and I can't wait for her next project.

Destiny of the Republic: A Tail of Madness, Medicine, and the Murder of a President by Candice Millard

Non-fiction

Nut Shell Review: James A. Garfield could have quite possibly been one of America's greatest presidents, but only a few months into his presidency he was shot and the story unfolds from there.  This is one of the most incredible untold stories in American history!

Killing Lincoln: The Shocking Assassonation that Changed America Forever by Bill O'Reilly

Non-fiction

Nut Shell Review: O'Reilly takes you back to the tail end of the civil war and shows you this iconic event from all sides.  I had no idea how many people were involved in Lincoln's assassination plot. There's a lot of history in the beginning that can be a little hard to swallow but I came out on the other side with a lot more knowledge of where this event fit in the context of history.

Steve Jobs by Walter Isaackson

Non-fiction

Nut Shell Review: Isaackson captured Steve Jobs like I believe no other author could.  He was granted access to Jobs in a way that no other author was allowed and does a brilliant job of telling his story like it was.  No sugar and spice and everything nice.  He captured the temper tantrums, the innovation, the melt downs and the introspection of a man that literally changed the face of computers, music and movies, just to name a few.  One of the BEST books I've evr read!

Prescription For A Doctor's Wife by Debby Read

Non-fiction

Nut Shell Review: This will probably become one of those books I read over and over again. The common theme that just as our husbands are "called" to be healers, we are "called" to be their wives supporting them through the peaks and valleys of their careers and our lives together, are incredibly convicting. What a blessing Debby's book has been and what strength she had to tell her story.

I'm Currently Reading

11/22/63: A Novel by Stephen King

Fiction

My goal is to read 50-60 books this year and I'd like for at least half of them to be non-fiction so I'm off to a great start.  Let me know what you've been reading, fiction or non-fiction.  I haven't picked out my next book yet and I'm already half way through the latest Stephen King thriller (YEP, it's that good!!!), so I'm definitely open for suggestions!!!

Till next time,

Bon Voyage!

The Power of a Praying Wife: The Power - Baltimore, MD - January 2011

I have to say that doing this sort of blog post series is somewhat intimidating. In most situations I'm not what you'd call a "soft spoken" person, but when it comes to love and marriage I have come to know that relationships and marriages come in all shapes and sizes, and just because something works for one couple doesn't necessarily mean it's going to work for another. The dynamics within a marriage sometimes defy all understanding. So please take my words as just that, words. If you find strength in them, wonderful. If you find nothing in them that's okay too. My hope is that together, learning to pray, specifically for our husbands will strengthen our relationships and bring us closer to the Lord.
Before we jump in completely, I think it's noteworthy to point out that the Author's husband has written the forward of this book. His words of gratitude are kind and heartfelt and give you a small glimpse into how deeply he has been affected by his wife's prayer for him. In no uncertain terms he is attributing much of their marriage's success to his wife's devotion to praying for him. That is POWERFUL stuff!

A Bit of Me
I met The Hub in January of 2002 when I was 22 years old. We were both on the rowing team in college and it was about 15 degrees outside and although we tell the story of our first encounter with each other completely differently, there are a few facts that cannot be disputed. The first is that it was so cold on the river that morning that everyone had icicles on their eye lashes. Second I was the smallest and loudest thing within a square mile, and third, neither of us had any comprehension of the work the Lord was about to do in both of our lives. Looking back on it, almost 10 years later, I realize that he and I both asked for every bit of it. Living in completely separate cities without any idea of the other's existence he and I both accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior. We prayed for the Lord to come into our hearts. We prayed that God would allow us to witness his glory and receive his grace. And today, almost 10 years later our beautiful daughter is a manifestation of not only our love for each other, but our love for the Lord. She is the answer to that prayer. I can't help but know the awesome power of prayer.

My parents divorced when I was 10 years old. For this conversation, the reason is irrelavent, but I will say this, my mother said something interesting to me when she and I recently spoke about how she was looking forward to reading this book as I blogged about it. She said that she wished she'd known how to better pray for my father and that maybe their walk would have been different had she known better. I know I'm not the first and definitely will not be the last to say that I don't just believe prayer works, I know prayer works and I am so thankful that that isn't just here say in my life. It's TRUTH.

This first section of the book, "The Power", is so truthful and I LOVE that she lets you into her world so immediately and with out hesitation she tells you that she came to prayer through desperation. The "I will nots..." are a charge that I will gladly take up to protect my husband and to protect my marriage and family.

I'll close with one question and this quote regarding the power of a praying wife.

The Question: What was your favorite part of "The Power"?

The Quote: I think I just might have to write this one on the bathroom mirror so I am reminded of it on a regular basis.

"It's Laying down all claim to power in and of yourself, and relying on God's power to transform you, your husband, your circumstances, and your marriage." - Stormie Omartian: The Power of a Praying Wife.

Till next time,
Bon Voyage!

And The Winner Is.... - Baltimore, MD - January 2011

A HUGE thank you to everyone that entered this was so much fun! After assigning each entry a corresponding number then entering the range of numbers into a random number selector the winner is....

AMANDA COX!!!

Amanda, just let me know how you'd like to receive the book, printed copy or Kindle edition.

Thanks again to everyone that entered I hope you'll read along with us and let us know what you think. We'll start next Sunday, January 16th. That will give you time to get the book.

Till next time,

Bon Voyage!

NOTE TO READER: Below is the numbering list and an image of the random number selected.

1 - Susan - General

2 - Susan - Follower

3 - lilmama12799 - General

4 - lilmama12799 - Follower

5 - Cara Hechinger - General

6 - Stephanie Sabbe - General

7 - Stephanie Sabbe - Follower

8 - Meg - General

9 - Meg - Follower

10 - Anita Mills - General

11 - Megan Smith - General

12 - Amanda Cox - General

13 - Amanda Cox - Follower

14 - Amanda Cox - Blog Post

15 - Cozy Coleman - General

16 - Cozy Coleman - Follower

17 - Mano Rennt - General

18 - Mano Rennt - Follower

Still 12 hours letf to win =) / My Kindle is sick =( - Baltimore, MD - January 2011

There are less than 12 hours left to sign up for the book give away. For more details check HERE.

And last night I picked up my Kindle and found this.

The screen is going out.

I do read a lot, but I didn't think it was enough to kill a Kindle. I was worried about getting it fixed because it was purchased 13 months ago and it has a 1 year warranty, but after a quick call to the Kindle support team I'm very pleased to let you know that I will be receiving a brand new Kindle at no charge. I've got to say I'm pretty impressed at how friendly and helpful the support guy I talked to was. His name was Joseph and he gets 2 thumbs up from me.

Till next time,
Bon Voyage!

***GIVE AWAY!!!*** Power of a Praying Wife - Baltimore, MD. - January 2011

So here we are, at the beginning of a new year and I find myself looking back at the last year, smiling at the fun times we've had and the joys we've experienced and as always, beating myself up over what I didn't accomplish in the last 365 days and vowing to do more, be more, live better, love stronger, fall harder, learn more, see more, remember better, forget less, forgive more... I could go on for days. So we'll start today with a NEW BOOK and a GIVE AWAY!!!

***THE BOOK***
The Power of a Praying Wife by Stormie Omartian. I've got a paper copy (currently loaned to a friend) as well as the e-book on my Kindle. (LOVE, LOVE, LOVE) I'm going to go through it one chapter a week and would love it if you'd like to follow along and share your thoughts along the way.

***THE GIVE AWAY***
To get things started with a bang I've decided to give away a copy of the book.

TIME: The drawing opens as soon as this post is up and will end at 11:59 Wednesday, January 5, 2011.
ENTRIES: You can enter once as a general reader by posting a comment below.
BONUS ENTRIES: There are two ways to get bonus entries, 1.) "follow" this blog and 2.) post about this giveaway on your blog. Just let me know in your comment how you follow and give me the link to your blog post.
THE WINNER: I will use a random number drawing to decide the winner and will announce the winner on Thursday, January 6, 2011 and will ship the book via AMAZON.com within 24 hours of receiving the winner's address. (If you'd prefer to receive this on your Kindle that can also be arranged.) NOTE: If you have bonus entries they will be given the numbers directly after your posted comment.

MORE ABOUT THE BOOK
From AMAZON.com
Stormie Omartian’s mega bestselling The Power of a Praying® series (more than 8.2 million copies sold) is re–released with fresh new covers to reach a still–growing market of readers eager to discover the power of prayer for their lives.

Bestselling author Stormie Omartian inspires women to develop a deeper relationship with their husbands by praying for them. This encouraging resource is packed with practical advice on praying for specific areas of a husband’s life including his

decision–making
fears
spiritual strength
role as father, leader
faith and future
Every woman who desires a closer relationship with her husband will appreciate the life illustrations, select Scripture verses, and the assurances of God’s promises and power for their marriage.

There are several reviews here, but what brought me to this book was a friend who says this book saved her marriage and she rereads it at least once a year. Everyone I know that has read this book loves it and says it has strengthened their marriage and in doing so has changed their life and how they approach prayer. I can't wait to get started. I'd love for you to join me, get your feedback, hear about your experiences, struggles, and triumphs.

To borrow a quote from my dear friend Mrs. Sabbe as she started her last book project, "Matthew 18:20 says "For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them"...I think that counts for the blog world as well".

Til next time,
Bon Voyage!

Feeling Domestic - Baltimore, MD - November 2009

So I was off work on Thursday and felt the need to be domestic. so aside from cleaning house and paying bills, I broke out the heavy kitchen artillery and created my first ever pumpkin Cheesecake! Not the "No Bake" kind, but a real one that you actually bake.

I must give props to Rachel Masters, author of my favorite cook book to date Suppers on the Table, Come Home. This cookbook has totally changed my world when it comes to my confidence in the kitchen. Yay!Her recipe is actually for a Blueberry Cheesecake, but seeing as how it's 2 weeks after holoween and 2 weeks before Thanksgiving, pumpkin cheesecake just sounded perfect!

So I turned all of this...

Into THIS!!!
Mmmmmmmmmm!!!!

Till Next time,
Bon Voyage!

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold - Baltimore, MD - August 2009

I discovered this book through a random conversation with a fellow traveler in the Memphis International Airport almost 2 years ago.

We were both on our way to Knoxville, TN, he for his brother's wedding, and I to one of my best friend's baby showers. He'd started the novel while waiting for our flight to Knoxville. He'd already read the first 30 pages when I sat beside him at our departure gate.

When I saw him in the terminal 3 days later waiting on our return flight, he gave me the book with the warning that this was a MUST READ and probably one of the best book he'd ever read.

Let me tell you... I was HOOKED first three pages!

Last Sunday, while watching the previews before Julie & Julia, I was thrilled to learn that this emotionally charged, heart pounding, heart breaking, inspiringly wonderful thriller had been made into a movie. (Sorry to Stephen King for the obscene use of advirbage... -- I seriously doubt he reads my blog, but just in case... -- I know better, but couldn't resist!)

The Movie comes out in December so that gives you plenty of time to read the book.

To order it, click HERE

To learn more about the movie or watch the trailer, click HERE

Till next time,
Bon Voyage!

Summer Fun to Come: Movies - April 2009

So I just discovered that two of my favorite books will soon be making the big screen debut. This thrills me! I know that a lot of people have trouble with movie adaptations of books, but I don't mind too much. It gives me a reason to watch and then go back and reread.

1. My Sister's Keeper
Author: Jodi Picoult
Movie release date: June 26th

Check out the Trailer here or the YouTube trailer below:

2. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
Author: JK Rowling
Movie Release date: July 17th

Check out the Trailer here or the YouTube trailer below:

Till next time,
Bon Voyage!

Little Earthquakes: Passing It On – March 2009

Today I gave away one of my favorite books on earth…

Note to Reader: Books are one of my all time favorite things on Earth. I cherish the ones I buy and I covet the ones on bookstore shelves when I’m out of spending money.

I say “gave away” because I learned in college that when you loan a book to someone, you must loan it with the expectation of never getting it back. Then, if that person skips town and you never see it again you aren’t heart broken. You’re left to wonder if they never got around to reading it even after they asked you over and over and over to barrow it.

If you are assuming positive intent, then you might be able to assume that they loved the book so much that they either passed it along to one of their friends or that they couldn’t bare to part with it.

However, it’s even worse if they do return it with coffee stains throughout, dog eared pages, writing in the margins, highlighting over the best lines, there's a bow so deep in the cover that it will never sit on the book shelf quite right again, and the bottom half of the book looks as though it has been dropped in water, which leaves your mind to imagine that they were reading in the bath tub when your book slipped through their slick wet hands into the tub, where they were, heaven help us, naked… Oh my goodness!!!

So the book I passed along was the first Jennifer Weiner book I ever read, Little Earthquakes, and I have since read everything she’s published. Her books have touched my heart and funny bone in ways that no other author has been able to before. The genuineness of her characters’ flaws and their journey through them makes them real. From the very beginning they are people you would be friends with. They’re your neighbors, your ex-lovers, your best friends, and they’re you, at your most raw and truthful moments. Her characters finish your thoughts, and her description completes the picture.

Note To Author: I doubt she would ever read this, and it's even less likely she'd actually comment, but Jen, if you ever do stumble upon this blog, I'd just like to say thanks for writing and I can't wait for your next novel! Oh and I'd love to host a Jennifer Weiner Novel Give Away! Have your people call My people, and we'll make it happen! =)

As of last Friday, I’ve read this particular Jennifer Weiner novel 6 times. And as with each time before, I found something new this time through. Because of where I am in my journey through life, I was able to find maturity and wisdom in how Becky grows in her relationship with her mother-in-law. I can also find strength in how Lia bravely regains control of her life. I find that Kelly could be me, or either of my sisters desperate to prove we can overcome the struggles of our childhoods. We could all learn from Ayinde and what she endures to make her family work. All of this being said I find myself in all four of these women and also see bits of them in my friends and sisters.

So today I passed my beloved paper back on and didn’t even write my name on the inside cover with a marker. I said a sad goodbye to these four women, friends, in hopes that through Jennifer Weiner’s story, they will quietly begin working in the heart and life of another.

Till next time,
Bon Voyage!

Crunch Time!!! - November 2008

Some of you may know that I'm an aspiring writer, and if you didn't know... well... I'm an aspiring writer.

So I registered about two months ago to submit a short story to the Columbia Journal Contest. All submissions are due tomorrow!!! OMG!!! TOMORROW is really close!!!

I've been writing since I was an outcast pre-teen who picked the shortest book on the reading list. That book was Ann Head's Mr. and Mrs. Bo Jo Jones and I LOVED IT!!! With that single book, I fell in love with, as Stephen King would call it, "the craft"... And now, almost 17 years later... even after publishing in my University literary magazine, sitting through excruciating writing circle critiques, and everything it took to get my Rhetoric and Writing degree, I'm literally shaking in my shoes... (actually socks) for someone other than my little sister to read my work. What if they hate it!?

So it's CRUNCH TIME!!! The problem is that I've written several things and I'm not sure what to submit. So I figured that I give you a few short bits and let you guys help me decide.

1.) Sunshine - Not so typical unmotivated boy meets girl story.

2.) The List - Girl moves to new city and begins selling all of her things on "The List.com", an on line yard sale of sorts, in order to meet people.

3.) She Has My Name - A much darker story about two completely different women that have the same name.

What do you think?

Till Next time,
Bon Voyage!

The Adventures! – October 2008

Note To Reader: Another intellectual journey follows… look out!!!

This was my first journey into the world of Mark Twain and my goodness, what an adventure it was. Two books that look into the minds of boys and show you some of the most untouchable social issues through their eyes. I caught myself on several occasions cupping my hand over my mouth at the language that they used, and then having to remind myself that these are very much period books and in turn what makes them great is that they are true to both the time they were written and the time the author is attempting to portray.

These books were laugh out loud funny, predictably unpredictable, and they make your heart melt all at the same time.

I found that I kept putting myself in Tom or Huck’s shoes (which most of the time they weren’t wearing) and asking if I would… tell the sisters about the crooks or if I would run away to an island with my two best friends on earth only to find out that while I was away, my family planned my funeral. Their bravery was never thought out, and nor did they recognize it as such when they stumbled into it.

Not that you needed me to tell you, the millions of books sold does a completely wonderful job of it, but “Well Done Mr. Twain! Well Done!!!

Till next time,
Bon Voyage!

A Good Healthy In Flight Cry – somewhere between San Bernardino, CA and Las Vegas, NV (by way of Denver, CO…)

(Don't ask! I really got JACKED by the Travel Dept.)

Note to Reader: This may verge on the edge of girlie, so to any boy readers out there please read on, because this may help you understand the women in your life a little better. =)

The conclusion of my most recent read and my most recent travel assignment coincided somewhere in the skies over Colorado I believe. The trip was a workshop tour in our Inland Valley region and the read was the latest Jennifer Weiner novel Certain Girls which is a follow up novel to her first novel Good in Bed (not too dirty I promise). To all of you that enjoy a good laugh and a story about a girl that really in more than one way could be exactly you, this is a MUST READ!!! Without revealing anything too important, the end of this book did a completely wonderful one eighty from where I thought it was going and in turn, had me in tears at 35,000 feet. I was so completely engrossed in the life events of Cannie Shapiro and her daughter Joy Shapiro Krushelevansky that I didn’t realize hat due to one of those events, I was whole heartedly crying, full sobbs, in my row 25 window seat A. Thank goodness seat B was empty, but that having been said, C, the aisle seat was occupied by an older gentleman in a suit who I am sure thought I was going through some sort of crisis.

I had my folded up drink napkin in my hand, arms crossed across my chest, head leaning against the double pained port hole window when the man taps me on the arm and he says, in just above a whisper, “is everything okay?”

I quickly pull my ear buds from my ear and in an attempt to be graceful wipe my eyes and nose and clear my throat. “Oh yeah, I’m fine, I’m just listening to the end of a really great book. And well…” I said trying to choke back the emotion of the last fifteen min. “someone died. And well…” I continued trying to desperately keep it together. “It was just really upsetting.” I said as the tears began to flow again. “Shoot! I hate being a girl sometimes!” I sniffed as I folded the already soaked napkin and dabbed at my eyes again.

He grinned and reached into his inside jacket pocket (the same pocket they reach for in the movies when they want to shoot their crazy airplane seat mate), and produced a travel sized package of Kleenex (WITH LOTIAN!!!) and handed it to me. “When my baby girl was pregnant with her baby girl I got into the habit of carrying these cause she would cry at everything.” He chuckled a little and added “especially the songs on our town’s country music station. Kenny Chesney’s There Goes My Life was the worst!” We both laughed. “I think you women have it hard. He said looking up at the ceiling of the airplane. “Ya’ll all have so much caring inside you for everyone else. My wife says that every good woman deserves a good healthy cry every once in a while to keep herself from exploding and I think she’s right.” He looked at me with his sparkely wise old eyes and smiled "I'll let you get back to your book."

I took one of the Kleenex and tried to hand them back and he refused “Keep ‘em in case you go exploding on any of your other flights. We both burst out laughing “Thanks!” I said and I returned my ear buds to my ears.

I ended up needing that entire package before the book was complete and now I keep a couple of those travel packs one for me and one to give away to other “good Women” like myself.

Till Next Time,
Bon Voyage

Road Reads - March 2008

I must start by saying I LOVE LOVE LOVE TO READ!!! I am never caught without a book in my bag or an audio book loaded on my iPod. One of the draws to accepting my job is that I would have all that travel time to be able to do more reading! YEAH!

Note to Reader: If you haven’t tried audio books you should at least listen to one. You don’t have to make a cold turkey switch to only listening to books, but it really is a thrilling experience when you can listen to that book you have been trying to read for months but haven’t been able to find the time. On top of that it allows you to multi task. One time, when my husband was on overnight call while he was in his pediatrics rotation, I listened to an entire novel while I cleaned our entire house (this includes dusting, cleaning the windows and mirrors, toilets tubs, counter tops, floors I even cleaned behind the appliances and polished the wood furniture!) and did a week’s worth of laundry.

Additional Note to Reader: If you are friends with me long enough you will be converted to an audio book fan I have already change ten people from maybe one paperback a year to avid audio book listeners. So don’t resist!

So what do I read? Well, I mostly like silly stuff like Sophie Kinsella (http://www.randomhouse.com/bantamdell/kinsella/). She is the author of the Shopaholic series and one of my all time favorites, The Undomestic Goddess. I have read this book about six times and I still crack up every time she burns the chick peas! I am also a fan of Jodi Picoult (http://www.jodipicoult.com/) who's book My Sister’s Keeper has mooved me to tears every time I’ve read it (I think it’s four and a half times) She writes about stuff that people avoid talking about at parties due to the fact that people’s passion about these issues often bring them to blows (School Shootings. Contrivercial medical treatments, the death penalty, religion, and more. She also wrote Ninteen Minutes and Change of Hart, her newest novel that is debuting on the New York Times list at Number ONE! I am also a BIG fan of Jennifer Weiner (http://www.jenniferweiner.com/ My favorite novel of hers is Little Earthquakes. My brother gave it to me in Audio book about three years ago for Christmas and I have listened to it about 5 times. I loved Goodnight Nobody. However my favorite is her collection of short stories The Guy Not Taken. They are really great stories about a girls coming of age. The movie In Her Shoes was based on one of those short stories. I just LOVE her writing!

My most recent triumpth is Stephen King’s Duma Key (http://www.stephenking.com/) great reead and one that will keep me turning back to Mr. King when ever I need a bone Chilling suspencefull thriller. I also read Cell, (the cell phone crazies!) but one of my favorite Steven King novels is Bag of Bones. I listened to it as an Audio book and Stephen king actually read it himself. (I owe a shout out to my good frend Andy who turned me on to Stephen King with this book.) There is nothing better than listening to an author read his own work because you know as the listener, that you are hearing it exactly as he intended it. It has one of the Best Steven King endings I’ve ever encountered.

So what’s next, hummm. You tell me. I’m always hunting for a new author so suggestions are welcome. The only rule is that it has to make me feel something, otherwise it’s a waste of time. Happy Reading!!

Till next time,

Bon Voyage!