Review: Extraordinary by John Bevere

This one came from Staci at Random House.



My Review:

In Extraordinary John Bevere explains how all people are extraordinary and were created for extraordinary purposes. He gives advice on how to realize and accept your extraordinary purpose.

This book just did not sit well with me. It wasn't that I didn't like the message, actually I think it was a great message: We are all created for an extraordinary life. I also liked that the author used real-life experiences from his life, he wasn't simply retelling stories about other people. Self-help authors that are able to open their own lives up and share their stories with the world get many kudos from me.

Despite that I just couldn't connect with this book. The writing style was to pushy for me. I felt as if reading this one was a chore rather than an enjoyable experience and I felt as if I was being scolded through the whole thing.

The message is great but the presentation didn't work for me.

For more information on Extraordinary or to purchase a copy please visit Random House's website.

For more information about the Author John Bevere please visit his ministry website: Messenger International.

Review: Find Your Strongest Life by Marcus Buckingham

Thanks to Thomas Nelson Publishing for letting me review this book.

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My Review:

Marcus Buckingham seems to really understand the struggles that women face. By understanding what struggles women face he is able to give us a plan on how to make our lives stronger. He gives advice on how to make every aspect of your life stronger: work, relationships, raising children, and personal life.

I think the ideas make sense to some extent, but the ideas he presents go against all popular ideals. But I think that's the point, obviously what we've been told to do isn't working so a different plan of attack may just be what we need. I liked the ideas and have started to try and use them in my life.

It was a fairly well-written book. The information is pretty straight forward and easy to understand. Overall I'd say this was a decent book.

To get more information about Marcus Buckingham or Find Your Strongest Life please visit Thomas Nelson's website.

September is Roald Dahl Month!

As a child one of my favorite authors was Roald Dahl. My sisters and I made it a point to read anything of his we could. But my obsession started with a book that is still one of my favorites today: Matilda.



I've had my copy of Matilda since I was in the 4th grade (it's been with me for 18 years now), and it's one of the few books that I can sit and read over and over. Surprisingly this is also one of my favorite movies.

I don't know why this book is so dear to me, other than I was going through a lot when I first read it, and I think it was the first book that I was truly able to escape into. It helped me to forget about my parent's separation, it helped me deal with a step-mother and step-sister, and it helped me loose myself and not think about the rest of the stuff a normal 10 year old goes through.

If you and/or your children haven't read Matilda I would recommend it. It's a great story. All of Roald Dahl's books that I have read have been great. He's a great storyteller and is able to spark a child's imagination in a way that only a few authors can.

I would argue that Roald Dahl should be place right up there with Dr. Seuss and Judy Blume as far as being a great childrens author.

If your looking for something to get your children into reading I would recommend any of his books. He has books for just about any age level.

To find out more about Roald Dahl or to find some fun activities to help celebrate Roald Dahl month visit his website. There's a list of all his books, fun activities to print off and share with your children, games and more.

If you're not familiar with Roald Dahl I hope you enjoy a new author, if you already love Dahl I hope you enjoy the fun games on his website.

While Roald Dahl month only lasts for a few more weeks remember that reading can last a lifetime!

Review: The Forgotten Man by William Graham Sumner

I won this on Library Thing's member giveaways.



My Review:
This book is actually a speech that was given in 1883. The concept of this speech is that the lawmakers ask for help for the poor and overlook the class of people that make life in the country possible, the forgotten man.

There were a few ideas and beliefs that the author talks about in which I don't agree with, but he makes very valid arguments for his ideas. I also did agree with some of what he mentions, however I don't know how feasable his ideas are, and if they would work in the society that we live in today.

One thing that surprised me is that even though this speech was written over 100 years ago it was still pertinent to today. I don't know if that is a sign of a great speech writer, to write something that holds true for over 100 years, or if it is a sign that our country really hasn't changed that much in 100 years.

It was a quick read, and if nothing else it makes you think about our social and political structure. It was a bit on the rough side to read, because it was pretty dry, but I think more of that was because it was written as a speech rather than a book or a story. I think it was interesting and was worth the hour or so it took me to read it.

To find out more about the book or where to purchase it please visit Sparks Media's website.

Blog Tour: Stray Affections by Charlene Ann Baumbich

Let me thank Ashley for letting me participate in this blog tour.





My Review:
I really liked this book. As I learned about Cassandra's past I felt sorry for her. I don't think pity is the emotion this book was trying to elicit but for some reason that was all I could feel. I think some of it was because I related to a few of the things she went through. The guilt she went through with her dog Toby was touching to me because I am a dog lover. The warnings from her cautious and seemingly "cold" mother were similar to those I've gotten (not from my mother) from people in my life. So maybe pity isn't even the right emotion, maybe it was more an understanding of why she felt the way she did.

Either way this was a pretty good book. Cassandra was a very well develop character, I really connected with her. I got a good sense of Cassandra's husband Ken, her best friend Margret, and her mother Betty, but I didn't feel that they were as developed as they could have been.

I did enjoy the book. Trying to figure out the "story" behind the snow globe was intriguing. It was easy for me to just escape into this book, I didn't feel like I was there, but I was pretty engrossed with what was going on. Overall I'd say this was a good read.

To find out more about Stray Affections please visit Random House