My Little Red Book by Rachel Kauder Nalebuff

Stars: *****

(Check back March 2 - 8/09 for a giveaway of this book!)

Summary: My Little Red Book is an anthology of stories about first periods, collected from women of all ages from around the world. The accounts range from light-hearted (the editor got hers while water skiing in a yellow bathing suit) to heart-stopping (a first period discovered just as one girl was about to be strip-searched by the Nazis). The contributors include well-known women writers (Meg Cabot, Erica Jong, Gloria Steinem, Cecily von Ziegesar), alongside today's teens. And while the authors differ in race, faith, or cultural background, their stories share a common bond: they are all accessible, deeply honest, and highly informative. Whatever a girl experiences or expects, she'll find stories that speak to her thoughts and feelings.

Female readers... do you remember your first period? I think most of us do. I don't remember it as well as some of the people in this book but I do remember the basics.

So why would you want to read about other's experiences getting their first period? A couple of reasons:

1. You are a preteen who hasn't gotten a period yet and you are nervous and/or curious about what you might expect.
2. You recently started your first period and feel the need to talk about it but have no one who will talk with you. Although the book won't talk back, I know it felt like I had a good talk with some fellow girls/women when I was done.
3. You're a mom of of a preteen who will be getting a period soon and you would like to be able to talk with her about it but you're not sure how to start. This book isn't a how to talk guide but just hearing what some girls thought because their parents didn't say anything should make you realize how important it is to say something, anything at all.
4. You're curious.

Personally I'm very interested in the subject of women's health and although my kids are no where near getting their period, I will be keeping this book until then. Perhaps it will come in handy with my nieces before that.

The book also has another purpose. Let me quote from the publishers:

Ultimately,it is more than a collection of stories. It is a call for a change in attitude, for a new way of seeing periods. In a time when the taboo around menstruation seems to be one of the few left standing, it makes a difficult subject easier to talk about, and helps girls feel proud instead of embarrassed or ashamed. By revealing what it feels like to undergo this experience first hand, and giving women the chance to explain their feelings in their own words, My Little Red Book aims to provide support, entertainment, and a starting point for discussion for mothers and daughters everywhere. It is a book every girl should have. Period.

At the back of the book, the stories are all separated into "kinds" of stories such as: All Alone, Disposal Challenges, Early Starts, International Stories, Judy Blume, Misconceptions, Old Wives' Tales and Vintage Stories. (The earliest story is from 1916.) The book also has a list of euphemisms (Aunt Flo, In My Moon, Riding the Red Wave etc.....) There's a short list of other books, websites and videos you can check out for more info and a great reading group guide. This book probably isn't the kind you'd think of at first for a group read but it would definitely provoke lots of discussion.

Other's Reviews

Worducopia has an interview with one of the contributing authors
At Home With Books

NOTE: Most people who reviewed this book did it as part of a book tour and so they all link to each other. So from At Home With Books you can find links to all the other reviews as part of the tour. I got a review copy but it was not part of a tour which is why I'm not linked in there.

Crafting Jewish by Rivky Koenig

Subtitle: Fun holiday crafts and party ideas for the whole family

Stars: ****1/2

I received this book for review many months ago and I finished it almost right away. So why hasn't the review been posted? Beats me! If you're a fellow book blogger, you know that sometimes certain reviews get put on the back burner for no good reason. If you aren't a book blogger, I'm sure there is something else in your life that you can relate this too.

Anyways, if you haven't already seen this book around, it is a good book full of crafts and party ideas for many of the Jewish holidays: Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Succot, Chanukah, Tu B'Shevat, Purim, Pesach, Shavuot as well as for Shabbat and For Every Day.

Before you even get into any of that there is a product guide that shows a picture of and explains some basic crafting supplies you will need to do the crafts included in the book, from basic items such as pompoms and pipe cleaners to more elaborate items such as Wooden Dowels and Flat Glass Marbles. None of the supplies would be very expensive though which is nice. There is also a page on the tools you can use such as wire cutters, brads and craft punches. The next page is all about glues and adhesives such as double-sided adhesive tape, straight pins and magnets. Since the book also has party ideas including some recipes, there is a page on some basic kitchen tools and gadgets such as measuring cups and rolling pins.

Finally you get to the holidays and special occasions. For each one, you get an introductory page that reminds you what the date is about and what we remember during these times. Then there is a short table of contents for just that occasion. Crafts and recipes are interspersed.

Here are some of the craft and recipe ideas you'll find: decoupaged apple dish, break-the-fast muffins, felt Torah, glowing glass menorah, latke servers, handprint tree, almond snowballs, purim puppets, medieval princess hat, purim pops, sedar plate, deviled eggs, afikomen bag, stamped napkins, havdalah candle, challah cover, mezuzah and scrapbook frame.

There are also some party ideas (other than recipes) such as a Chol Hamoed Pesach Picnic, a Purim Masquerade Party or a Doughnut & Ice Cream Party for Chanukah.

Each page is very colourful with colour photos and lots of little colourful designs on the pages. You can view a 16-page sampler on the website.

Other's Reviews

Minds alive on the shelves
Boston Bibliophile
The Friendly Book Nook

The No-Cry Nap Solution by Elizabeth Pantley

Stars: *****

I was lucky enough to be sent this book for review direct from the author. I was honoured! Be sure to check back March 2/09 for a giveaway!

Summary: The No-Cry Nap Solution offers you a proven formula to ensure that your baby, toddler, or preschooler gets daily restorative rest. You'll learn gentle, loving, tear-free techniques, developed by world-renowned parenting expert Elizbeth Pantley and tested by hundreds of families around the world, guaranteed to help you: convince any child to nap every day, effortlessly settle your child for naptime in his or her own bed, turn short and fitful naps into long and peaceful ones, establish a nap schedule that works for you and your child and confidently deal with sudden changes, nap strikes and travel.

I've read her No-Cry Sleep Solution book (the one for babies) and I found it helpful. Both books have forms you can fill out to assess where your child is at in her sleeping. How can you fix it if you don't know what needs fixing right? Then after you assess your child's sleep patterns, you can figure out which issues need fixing and go the appropriate chapter. Since all families and children are different, there are tons of suggestions and you can pick which ones work for you and your children and try them.

The most important thing is that Elizbeth Pantley NEVER tells you that you MUST do something.

"This book is about solving those problems that you feel are problems. Just because there is a chapter about how to help your baby stop napping in your arms, doesn't meant that napping in your arms is an evil sin to be banished and you must stop now no matter what - it means that if having your baby nap in your arms is a problem for you, then I will provide you with ideas that will help you make a change." - pg 21

I think this is a very important point and one that all parenting books should follow. Even if we choose to read an advice book, doens't mean we want to be told what to do all the time. We just want suggestions.

The book is divided into parts and chapters as follows:

Part 1 - Nap Magic (chapters about basic nap facts and sleep and help with creating sleep loves and nap plans.)

Part 2 - Newborn Babies (chapters just for newborns)

Part 3 - Solving Napping Problems (making short naps longer, nap resisters, changing form two naps to one nap, is it time to give up naps?, in-arms sleep to in-bed sleep, falling asleep without breast, bottle or pacifier, motion sleep (like swings) to stationary sleep, going "Back to Sleep", swaddling, car naps to bed naps, colic and naps, special situations (such as multiples or special needs) and sleep disorders)

In the chapter about deciding if it's time to give up naps, Pantley explains that since naps are good for all ages, even adults, you might want to start a Hush Hour. This is also good for kids who really refuse a nap. Even just not hearing the word nap can help. Hush Hours are basically quite times (about an hour) where everyone is either lying quietly in the dark or at least doing quiet activities. As a Spark leader (part of Girl Guides of Canada, for ages 5-6) whenever we had a camp or sleepover we had rest time after lunch. The girls were mostly too old for naps but without that rest time, the kids were cranky and tired. Even though they didn't actually SLEEP during the rest time, they were refreshed and ready for more fun after the rest period. So I highly recommend Hush Hours.

I must say that a lot of the information in this book is similar to The No-Cry Sleep Solution but that's because you do a lot of things the same for night sleep and naps. However there are some differences so I see why it was made into it's own book.

Although this book is for toddlers and preschoolers too, most of the information was for babies but then they're usually the hardest ones to get to sleep right? Now I'm probably jinxing myself here but my kids don't have too many problems with taking their naps, even night time sleep isn't bad (although it was in the past) so I didn't need to use the suggestions but the one I do need is the one where we keep a better schedule and nap at the same time everyday and wake up and go to sleep at the same time everyday.

At Elizbeth Pantley's website you can find out all about her books, some advice, links, photographs and more. You'll also find printable copies of the logs and plans in the book. You can read excerpts of this book here.

Buy The No-Cry Nap Solution: Guaranteed Gentle Ways to Solve All Your Naptime Problems (Pantley) from Amazon.com

I'm Addicted!

85%How Addicted to Blogging Are You?

The Lost Da Vincis by Don and Aneladee Milne

Stars: ***1/2

I recieved this book for review from the author.

Summary: In The Lost Da Vincis, four resourceful home school siblings discover their parents and youngest brother have disappeared. Was it caused by their scientist father's new invention going terribly wrong? Will the children be able to find their parents before it's too late? Will they be able to keep it a secret? Will their father's chief rival ruin everything? Children of all ages will enjoy reading the adventures of 14-year old Sophie, 13-year old twins Frankie and I.T., and 11-year old Eddie. Will they find The Lost Da Vincis?

I received this book when I saw it mentioned on a GoodReads forum and mentioned that I review books on a blog. The authors were nice enough to send me a copy. I was interested because there aren't that many fiction books out there that feature homeschoolers. This book was picked as a homeschool.com Book of the Month. You can preview chapter 1 here.

I thought that the plot of the book was awesome. It's different, not entirely believable but definitely would be interesting to the age group it's targeted for. However the subtitle of the book is a little confusing and makes you think the book is about something else. The subtitle is: "A tale of four home schooled children who lose their parents." This sounds like the parents died.

The writing itself definitely could have been better though. It didn't really sound to me like it was written by professional writers but I believe this is their first book so that could account for some of it. I do think it needed more editing.

What really brought the star rating down though was the way the narrator made fun of homeschooled children. I assume a book with homeschooled children in it written by homeschooling parents would be trying to raise awareness about homeschooling and that homeschooled kids aren't that different from schooled kids. However the narrator of the story was constantly putting the kids down:

"The Da Vinci children are about to discover that they are, at least for the moment, orphans. I am sure if you were in the same terrible situation you would do the right thing and call the police. Sad to say, the Da Vincis, as you are learning, are anything but normal. Doing the normal thing is the last thing they would do. As you will see." - pg 17

"...Oh, these teachers get training but not by an accredited
institution. And there is no one who makes sure they are doing things the right way. It used to be that older home school kids would move back into the high schools for education, now that was sensible, but now these commonwealth schools are making it possible for kids to be home schooled all the way up to college. Because of this, the sad fact is that more kids will not turn out to be like normal, regular, public school kids. What is America coming to?" - pg 36-37 (emphasis mine)

Do you see what I mean? I think the authors were just trying to identify with public school kids who may be reading this book and trying to guess what they are probably thinking but having this in the book is NOT going to make homeschooled kids more accepted.

Baron Thinks DOGS Are People TOO! by Laurie Dean

Stars: ***

I received this book for review through Bostick Communications.

This is a picture book about a dog named Baron who is just trying to make a friend but his family sends him to dog school. Even after dog school he is trying to make a friend, will he find one?

The book is cute and my children liked it but I was a little confused about two things.

1. What does making a friend have to do with dogs being people?

2. The friend he ends up finding is in his own family. Weren't they already friends? They played together.

I'm not sure it makes as much sense as it should have but I loved the illustrations and my children love any book about dogs so they were happy. It's a pretty good book but I think that either the kid and dog should have not been as friendly towards each other before hand or the friend should have been someone else.

Other Reviews: Booking Mama,  A Blog of Books, Page Turning Momma,

Buy Baron Thinks Dogs are People Too from Amazon.com and support SMS Book Reviews

Mailbox Monday - Feb. 23

Well I'm a little late today but I did receive three books this week I'd like to share with you.

As always you can see what everyone else received here.

Now onto those books...


Not Remembered, Never Forgotten by Robert Hafetz

This is a memoir that offers the personal account of an
adoptee searching for his birth mother

I received this through Bostick Communications.


My Goodness! My Kids by Nesta A. Aharoni

"This book provides philosophies, techniques, and anecdotes that enrich family relationships, elevate personal conduct, and encourage social responsibility. Nesta inspires parents to focus first and foremost on goodness, honor, and integrity, above and beyond all of the other characteristics parents currently focus on today."

This is also from Bostick Communications.


1-2-3 Magic by Thomas W. Phelan, Ph.D.

This is from KSB Promotions.

I've heard of it before, this is the 3rd edition. I'm always up for a parenting book. This is for discipline for ages 2-12.

See you next week!

New federal law (U.S.) bans children's books printed before 1985

I just learned something I thought you all might like to know (at least the Americans):

The full article is here, amongst many other places.

Some quotes:

"Until 1985, it was legal for trace amounts of lead to be used in the inks and paints used in children's books. But the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (PDF), which went into effect February 10, bans the sale of any children's products containing more than 600 parts per million (ppm) total lead, no matter how unlikely it is that the items will feature at a toddler buffet. The Consumer Products Safety Commission has "clarified" the issue with contradictory guidance that has thrift stores and even libraries disposing of mountains of books published before the magic date -- and hoping that a stray copy of The Wind in the Willows doesn't bring down the wrath of the regulators."

"Aware of public concerns over a law that effectively bans millions of books, the Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued guidance intended to reassure he public. As is usually the case with bureaucracies, however, the "clarification" at best delayed the day of reckoning by a year, and also sowed confusion."

"The result is that many second-hand bookstores and thrift shops across the country are dumping older books -- or else holding their breath and hoping for the best. That's a shame not just because of the cost and waste, but because many parents and educators find that older books were written at a higher level of literacy than modern books, and so make special efforts to seek them out."

I suggest you read the whole piece for all the info.

Friday Finds 02/20

Well I missed last week again. The thing is, if someone disrupts my usual Friday schedule, I forget it's Friday.

Usually on Fridays we go to playgroup but kids have been sick so we haven't been going.

Here is the one book I read about these past two weeks that I'd love to read sometime:

Angels in the ER by Dr. Robert Lesslie - found at 5 Minutes for Books

A quote from review:

"If you enjoy watching medical dramas on television, then you will absolutely love Angels in the ER. Published by Harvest House, this book does have scriptures at the beginning and ending of chapters and Dr. Lesslie is obviously a Christian. However, that doesn't really creep into the story at all and could be easily overlooked if you prefer your medical dramas to have a more neutral feel."

So why only one find? Well I'll be honest and say I am WAY behind on reading everyone else's posts. I WILL get to them but may not be able to comment as much as I normally do. So if you get a notice of a comment from a post a few weeks old, that'd be me.

See what everyone else found here.

11th Edition of Book Review Blog Carnival is up

I'm a little late but if you haven't already checked out the latest carnival hosted at Linus's Blanket than go check it out!

Blog Improvement Project Week 4

So for this week, we are focusing on blog basics.

Here are some of the things I'll be working on:

1. Write (or update) your “About Me” Page
2. Update your contact information (ALREADY DONE)
3. Add some sort of picture of yourself (if you’re comfortable with that)
4. Update your Blogroll
5. Create a link to your Archives on your front page (ALREADY DONE)
6. Add a link (or make sure a link is there) so readers can subscribe to your blog via RSS
7. Anything else basic I want to work on.

So what else do I want to work on? I'd like to add links/icons to social media (like StumbleUpon) I'll post a wrap-up post in 2 weeks to see how I've done.

Winner of The Survivor's Club

Here are your random numbers:
8, 20, 5, 27, 30
Timestamp: 2009-02-20 00:42:25 UTC

So the winners are:

AmandaSue
Erika Lynn
Rita K
Holly
Sara

Congrats! Same as before, if I the above didn't leave proper contact info or they don't respond in three days, I'll pick a new winner.

Booking Through Thursday - Storage

Today's Question:

“How do you arrange your books on your shelves? Is it by author, by genre, or you just put it where it falls on?”

Arrange? Are you kidding me? I don't arrange the books other than unread over here and read but keeping there. I have a box of books under my computer desk for those review copies I've read and no longer want until I figure out if there is someone I know who might want it or how else I should pass it on.

In fact there are stacks of books on the floor upstairs right now that haven't even made it to the bookshelf!

Winner of I Love Chocolate book!

From random.org:

Here are your random numbers:
17
2
1
Timestamp: 2009-02-18 17:51:00 UTC

So the winners are:

Holly
Bridget
Silverhartgirl

I will be contacting the winners right now. If for some reason I cannot contact them (because they didn't leave contact info) or they don't respond in three days, i'll pick another winner.

Congrats!

Mailbox Monday - Feb. 16

EDIT: I forgot a book! So it's added to the bottom now!

So what came in the mailbox this week?

I got three books this week, one I had given up on, and one that came just two days after I said okay to it.

To see what everyone else got, go here.



Too Tall Alice by Barbara Worton

I commented last week on a few people's blog that I guess I wasn't going to get this one and low and behold it came in this past week. I keep forgetting that books come to me a week or two later than the US people.



The Angry Smile by Judy and Nicholas Long and Signe Whitson

Subtitle: The Psychology of Passive-Aggressive Behaviour in Families, Schools and Workplaces

This came through Bostick Communications.


Chanda's Wars by Allan Stratton

Mr. Stratton himself found my blog and saw that I had reviewed two of his books and emailed me to say thanks for reviewing them. I mentioned I'd love to read this sequel to Chanda's Secrets and he said he'd send it. Two days later I got it.

My Little Red Book by Rachel Kauder Nalebuff

This is from Hatchette and is a collection of stories about first periods. It's good for educating those about to get periods and it shows how many girls are told nothing about periods before getting theirs and is helping to raise money to send feminine products to Africa.

See You Next Week

Choosing To Be: Lessons in Living from a Feline Zen Master by Kat Tansey

Stars: ****1/2


Summary: Choosing to Be is a magical story about becoming fully present and achieving the true freedom of enjoying life just as it is. Guided by her inscrutably wise and perceptive Buddha master who just happens to be a Maine Coon cat, and inspired by his comical little brother who is the essence of pure Buddha nature, Kat overcomes seemingly impenetrable obstacles to achieve inner peace. She breaks out of the prison of her ordinary mind and arrives at a place that was there all along, the sky-like freedom of her own Buddha mind. - from website, read rest here.

I've always been a little interested in Buddhism and I love animals so I thought I'd give this a try. I really liked it. It's fun to read and gives some great meditation tips.

It's a little weird in that Kat Tansey was taught by her cat. You wonder if she learned on her own and attributed it to her cat or if her cat really talked or if she's just lost it. In the foreword by Patricia Heller, it says:

"Oddly enough, this book is classified as a work of fiction. It shouldn't be, and I'll tell you why I say this. I have met the real life Maine Coon cat, Poohbear, the wise and benevolent Buddha Master in Tansey's story, and know him to be quite a talker."

I don't know what to believe. I do believe you can get insight from animals but I don't know about months of teachings on meditation and Buddhism. Whether it's fiction or not, the information is helpful and has renewed my interest in learning meditation.

Also Kat Tansey experienced Depression at the beginning of this book which I can identify with and I found the teachings at the beginning very interesting and helpful. I'm sure I'll be rereading this book a few times and I almost never reread books.

The book is peppered with black and white photographs of the two cats which are absolutely delightful, as most cat pictures are.

I think this book is a good book for those interested in cats, meditation, depression or Buddhism or any combination of those.

Links of Interest: Choosing to Be,

Other Reviews:  Linus's Blanket, Lesa's Book Critiques, Socrates's Book Reviews, Amazing Doctor Zen's Wonder Blog

Buy Choosing to Be at amazon.com and help support SMS Book Reviews 

The Book of Nonsense by David Michael Slater

Stars: ****


Summary: The book is ancient, ravaged and full of utter nonsense. But the moment it enters Daphna and Dexter's lives, bizarre things begin to happen. Why is their father, who found the book, suddenly so distant? Is the old man who took it from him some kind of hypnotist? Why is a giant, red-eyed boy menacing them? And what does their thirteenth birthday have to do with all this? Daphna and Dexter can't stand each other, but they'll have to work together to learn the truth about the Book of Nonsense - before their lives come apart completely.

I'm sure most of you have seen reviews of this book already on other book blogs. I didn't get my copy along with everyone else, I got one later from the author, the last hard copy actually.

If you don't know, this book is designed for ages 10 and up but is considered teen fiction, probably because of the violence. There's not a whole lot but there is some for sure.

The story is quite different from what else I've read and I for sure the plot gets a 5/5 but it wasn't as well written as I was expecting which is why it has a 4/5. I'm not sure I can pinpoint anything wrong with it per say, it's just not amazing which is what a 5/5 is.

I like how it alternates between being told by Dex and by Daphna so that you can see what each is thinking. There is a lot of talk about books and book collecting and if the reader doesn't like books much and this is one of few books to read, they might get bored with the book talk. However those interested in magic and unusual things would like it.

I read this a few weeks ago so I'm having trouble remembering what to write as I'm sure any fellow book bloggers who may be reading this will understand. Be sure to check out the other reviews listed below for more opinions, they're not all good!

Links of Interest: David Michael Slater's Website, Interview with David Michael Slater at Breeni Books

Other Reviews: Lesa's Book Critiques, Cheryl's Book Nook , A Reader's Respite, A Bookworm's World, Bobbi's Book Nook, Sharon Loves Books and Cats, Sophisticated Dorkiness, Breeni Books, Berger's Book Reviews

Buy The Book of Nonsense at Amazon.com and support SMS Book Reviews 

* I received a copy of this book from the author for review. All reviews are honest.

The Kid's Multicultural Cookbook by Deanna F. Cook

Stars: ***1/2

I was looking for another cookbook to review for the Soup's On challenge and I've found I like kids cookbooks so I thought I'd try this out.

After an initial section on cooking basics you'll find the recipes divided by continent. There are 6 countries for Asia, 13 for Europe, 10 for Africa and Middle East, 9 for The Americas (including US and Canada) and 3 for the South Pacific.

For each recipe you'll find a recipe rating that tells you how hard the recipe is, some background info, a list of ingredients and instructions and some fun facts or creative cook ideas.

There are no photographs, only drawings and they are all black and white. There are also Kids can bits, but not on every page that show or talk about real kids from that country.

It's a good starter cookbook if you are teaching/learning about a certain country and it's in here, you could try a recipe out. It could have been improved upon though with photographs, color illustrations and more countries.

The countries featured are: Indonesia, Thailand, India, China, Nepal, Japan, Switzerland, Italy, Ireland, Germany, Scotland, England, France, Russia, Hungary, The Netherlands, Sweden, Greece, Tunisia, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Ghana, Liberia, Israel, Turkey, Lebanon, Syria, Caribbean Islands, Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama, Argentina, Peru, Brazil, United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and The Society Islands.

GIVEAWAY: I Love Chocolate by Davide Calì

*Read below to be sure you do what you need to do to be entered

My review is here.

I wanted to be able to giveaway some books for Valentine's Day and, courtesy of the publisher. Sorry but only residents of the US or Canada are eligible to win.

This is a hardcover picture book for ages 2-5.

To enter, comment below with your favourite kind of chocolate. You must do this to be entered. (If you don't like chocolate but the kid this book will be for does, give me his/her favourite kind of chocolate.)

This giveaway is only open until 12pm EST February 17, 2009 so hurry!

GIVEAWAY CLOSED

I Love Chocolate by Davide Calì

Stars: *****

I recieved this book for review from Tundra Books.

Could this book be any more appropriate for me? I love chocolate!

This is a picture book designed for ages 2-5 about loving chocolate. I've read it to my 21 month old and 3 year old many times and they BOTH love it. Of course they both love chocolate too!

The boy (whose name we never know) talks about chocolate: the different kinds he likes ("I love chocolate bars because they CRUNCH between my teeth"), when he likes to eat it ("I love chocolate because it makes bad times better[.]") and the hardest part about liking chocolate ("...eating too much!").

The book was originally published as Mi piace il cioccolato in Italy in 2001.

I think this is the best children's book about chocolate I've seen!

For Couples Only Box Set by Shaunti and Jeff Feldhahn

Stars: ****

I received this for review through Waterbrook Multnomah.

Summary: Since their debut, these revolutionary guides have sold well over a million copies, been translated into fifteen languages, and sparked much fascinating water-cooler conversation around the country. Now together in the For Couples Only boxed set, these books provide the perfect resource to help you understand what you never knew about the woman or man in your life.
Each volume is based on input from more than a thousand members of the opposite sex—including an unprecedented nationwide survey and hundreds of personal interviews. This innovative approach yields candid and surprising answers about everything you don’t “get” about your significant other—even what that person deeply wishes you knew. It also produces simple but groundbreaking awareness of how you can best love and support the one who is most important to you.
So whether you are newly dating or have been married fifty years, get ready to know each other in a whole new way. The adventure is just beginning!

I reviewed For Parents Only by Shaunti Feldhahn and Lisa A. Rice in 2007. When I read then that Shaunti was also the author of For Women Only, I was interested in reading it. So when I was offered a chance to review the For Couples Only set, I was interested!

The set comes in a little box (hence box set,) which contains the two books, For Women Only and For Men Only, both by Shaunti and Jeff Feldhahn. There is also a free couple's conversation starter which is a little paper booklet with 12 ideas for working with the books, from reminders that your significant other(S.O) probably don't know what we think he/she does to ideas for how to read the books, such as reading your own gender first and highlighting what you really want your S.O. to know.

I would have loved my husband to read the For Men Only book and better understand women but alas, he rarely reads and this is something he would never read. However when I read it, I did highlight some parts and I'm going to try to get him to either read those parts or let me explain them. I've casually mentioned a few of them already during serious conversations.

I read For Women Only first, curious about men. I've read books on gender before so I already knew a few of them but I did learn some new things. During a recent serious conversation with my husband I brought up one of the things I'd learned and he was surprised to hear me say that I knew it! Although my husband was surprised, it turns out that men and women are confused about each other because we all assume the only difference between men and women is our parts. This is not true.

Here's what you'll learn about men in For Women Only:

Why Your Respect Means More to Him than Even Your Affection, Why Your Mr. Smooth looks so Impressive but Feels like an Impostor, How his Need to Provide Weights Your Man Down and Why he Likes it That Way, Why Sex unlocks a Man's Emotions, Why it's So Natural for Him to Look (at other women) and So Hard to Forget What He's Seen, Why the Reluctant Clod You Know Really Does Want Romance, Why What's on the Outside Matters to Him on the Inside and What Your Man Most Wishes You Knew About Him. (nope I'm not telling!)

Here's what you'll learn about women in For Men Only:

Why her "I Do" will always mean, "Do You?" and what to do about it, What you should know about the fabulous female brain, How your provider/protector instinct can leave her feeling more unsafe and less cared for, Why her feeling about the problem is the problem, and how to fix your urge to fix, How her desires are impacted by her unique wiring, and why your ego shouldn't be, What the little girl inside your woman is dying to hear from you - and how to guard your answer well and What the women who loves you most, most wants you to know.

What I read in For Men Only didn't surprise me one bit, it's very true of the majority of females. The information in the books was gleamed from surveys and interviews with thousands of women (and For Women Only info was gleamed from thousands of men,) and so the information provided is about the majority of women. The books even explains that not ALL women and men will agree with what is said but the majority will.

If you don't already know, For Parents Only is a Christian nonfiction box set. I'm not Christian but I still found the books useful. There was one chapter in both books that didn't apply to me because of my personal beliefs but otherwise it was fine. I don't want to get into a debate or anything but basically it's the one about your men looking at other women and how they should try to not do it but also can't help it. Personally, I have no problem with my guy looking at and ogling at other women just like I can look at other men. So if you feel the same way as me, you might not need that one chapter as much.

Buy For Couples Only Box Set

Author Bio:
Shaunti and Jeff Feldhahn hold graduate degrees from Harvard University and are popular national speakers, authors, and entrepreneurs. They are also active church members and the parents of two young children, and they enjoy every minute of living life at warp speed.

Booking Through Thursday - Authors Talking

Today's Question:

Do you read any author’s blogs? If so, are you looking for information on their next project? On the author personally? Something else?

I'm not a big author blog reader. When I'm writing up a review I often look for the author's blog or website and see if there are any book extras to mention to my readers. I usually leave a link to the website/blog as well.

There are only a few authors whose websites I've gone to more than once but it's not regularily and I don't think they are blogs. (see near the end of my sidebar) There is one author who's newsletter I get and the newsletter features two posts from her blog and I read those but I don't read all of her blog.

I'm just not that into the lives of people I only know through reading their books (in other words I don't know them.)

GIVEAWAY: The Survivor's Club by Ben Sherwood?

PLEASE: Read this post before you comment so you are sure to be entered correctly.

I just reviewed this remarkable book!

Here's the summary again:

In tough times, who bounces back and who doesn’t? Who overcomes adversity and who gives up? And perhaps most important: What do survivors and thrivers know about beating the odds that the rest of us don’t? In search of answers, Ben immersed himself in the world of surviving and thriving

Courtesy of Hatchette I have 5 copies of this book to giveaway to someone in Canada or The US. No P.O. Boxes allowed, sorry.

To enter, leave me a comment. Be sure to leave a way to contact you or you'll be disqualified.

For an EXTRA entry, tell me something that your survived. You don't have to get into details, I don't want to upset anyone. Please post your extra entry in a SEPARATE comment.Giveaway open until Wed. Feb. 18 11:59 PM EST. Winner will be announced HOPEFULLY on Thursday.

The Survivor's Club: The Secrets and Science that Could Save Your Life by Ben Sherwood

Stars: *****

I received this book from Hatchette for review.

Summary: In tough times, who bounces back and who doesn’t? Who overcomes adversity and who gives up? And perhaps most important: What do survivors and thrivers know about beating the odds that the rest of us don’t? In search of answers, Ben immersed himself in the world of surviving and thriving.

This topic of The Survivor's Club really interests me. Ben says that everyone will be a survivor in their lifetime and it's true. Being a survivor isn't limited to things such as plane crashes or wars. It includes dealing with a dying parent or a car accident or coming back from having cancer. When I think of it that way, I've survived quite a few things already.

The book is all about learning why some people survive and other's don't and how you can use that knowledge to your benefit. It can be a little depressing at times but it's also very hopeful since it tells you how to be a better survivor.

In the summary it says "Ben immersed himself in the world of surviving and thriving." What does that mean? It means Ben subjected himself to dangerous situations with the help of trained professionals to learn about survival. He learned how to escape a sinking helicopter with the Navy, how to made a deadly weapon with a bandanna by the Air Force and how to run and jump from a smoke-filled airplane by the FAA. Now that's some research for your book.

Here are the chapter subtitles:
The Three Rules of The Survivors Club, Why So Many People Die When They Shouldn't, The Wrong (And Right) Things to Do in a Plane Crash, Who Lives and Who Dies in the ER, How Much of Life (and Death) Do You Really Control?, Prayer/Miracles and the Power of Faith, How Did Anyone Survive The Holocaust, Why Good Things Always Happen to the Same People, How Fear Can Save Your Life, Does the Will to Live Make Any Difference, Who Bounces Back and Who Doesn't and Why Adversity is Good For You.

Those are the chapters in Part 1. Part 2 is where you discover if you are a survivor. The website has a Survivor Profiler test that will help you discover your survivor personality and your top three strengths. You can only access it if you bought the book as you have to enter a code into the website to get to it. The chapters in Part 2 help you understand the results you get from your profiler. There is also the Prologue, Introduction, Afterword and Appendices that have extra information.

If you read the list of of chapters, you may have noticed there is a chapter on faith. Many people believe it was their faith in God that kept them alive so I can see why it needed to be covered. I was happy to see that the book was written from a fairly neutral standpoint. It seems the author believes that faith can make a difference but the chapter is still not biased. What wasn't covered as much as should have been, is the idea that faith helps them because they believe everything will turn out all right, not because an actual deity will help them. Whether or not that's true, it's still a theory.

Throughout the book are stories from real survivors such as The Central Park Jogger. Some of these stories were a bit hard to read but to think that they survived these atrocities, leads me to believe the human race is stronger than I thought.

Another thing that sparked my interest was that the chapter on Luck talks all about Richard Wiseman, who wrote Quirkology, a book I reviewed fairly recently and was my absolute top nonfiction book of 2008.
I especially liked the chapter on Plane Crashes and you can bet I'll be rereading that chapter a few times before I ever get on a plane. It has some good advice. There is advice on the best place to sit and clothes to wear and such but by far the most important advice is to LISTEN to instructions by the flight attendant EVEN if you've flown all your life, every week. NEVER fall asleep during takeoff or landing nor kickback with no shoes or pop a pill. You need to be ALERT to LIVE.

Be sure to check out the website, even if you don't have a copy of the book. It is full of LOTS of resources, not just the profiler test.

Other Reviews: Dreadlock Girl,  BermudaOnion's Weblog,

Buy The Survivor's Club at Amazon.com and support SMS Book Reviews

8 Tips for Reading More When You Have Young Children

1. Read during meals. My kids are too young to have much of a conversation so I read during meals. (Once your kids are 3 though you should be focusing more on them)

2. Read in the bathroom. Even if you are just peeing, you can still get in a paragraph. This is easier with non-fiction.

3. Read during naps and bed.

4. Read while cooking (carefully, you don't want to get so wrapped up in the book you burn things)

5. I sometimes read a bit while kids are in bath but only light stuff so I don't get so into it I don't notice the kids are in danger. If you can't read and pay attention, than don't read!

6. Institute a reading/quite time everyday. Older kids can be instructed to
read or at least look at books, younger ones can play with quiet toys like puzzles or draw. This way you can read.

7. If you have chores to do, do them before you read or you'll get so into the book you won't do them, however don't get side tracked. If you need to do a load of dishes, do the load, then read. Don't start cleaning the whole kitchen (unless it really needs it of course)

8. If there is a partner in the picture, read while he/she spends time with
the kids. It's not fair if he/she has time to him/her self and you don't.

Hope this helps! I'm speaking from experience! If you liked this post, please stumble or digg it.

Kids and Libraries

I take my two young children to the library every week. We go to playgroup that's there, then upstairs to the kid's section of the library where they play and sometimes help me pick out books to bring home. Although they don't look at books much there, they will someday and they certainly enjoy reading them at home.

Unfortunately there are LOTS of kids who have never been to a library before they enter school and lots who never go or rarely go. I think this is very sad. Children should be going to a library from toddlerhood on. Books are very important. Most of my readers already know this or they wouldn't be reading a book blog but on the off chance someone checks out this blog that isn't a regular reader or maybe they are but their kids aren't, here are some links to check out for futhur information and help.

How To Encourage Your Child to Go To the Library

Taking Your Grandchild to Your Local Library

Eleven Ways to Save Money by Going to the Library AND 10 Things Your Local Library Offers for Free

Homeschooling at the Library AND The Public Library Can Be the Best Resource for Homeschooling Families (for any homeschooling families)

Recommendations for Proper Library Etiquette

Call of the Witches: Book 3 of the Witchery Series by Laura Stamps

Stars: ****

First a little about the series (from the author's blog):

THE WITCHERY SERIES Trilogy (published by Trytium Publishing)

A sexy paranormal romance novel series in paperback. In this series you'll meet five wonderful Witches: Savannah, Maylene, Mirabella, Noelle, and Ravena. There's something for everyone in this trilogy. The novels range from empowering to romantic to erotic. You'll also find real spells, chants, and rituals in each one. Big fun!

1.) The Witches of Dixie (an empowering novel)

http://www.thewitchesofdixie.blogspot.com/

2.) What Witches Want (a sweet, sexy romance novel)

http://www.whatwitcheswant.blogspot.com/

3.) Call of the Witches (an erotic romance novel)

http://www.callofthewitches.blogspot.com/

So if you like Paranormal Romance, this is for you. If you happen to be Pagan, all for the better, but you don't have to be Pagan to enjoy it. If you're uncomfortable with sex talk, don't read the rest of this review.

I was lucky enough to be able to review the third book in the series, Call of the Witches. The blog link above will give you an excerpt.

Summary: Maylene Whitmire is a Wiccan Witch plagued with bad-news boyfriends. They flock to her like bees to honey. Each one seems different in the beginning, but they all end up the same. Bad news. And she's fed up. When Artemis, her Patron Goddess, suggests a two-year vow of celibacy, Maylene jumps at the chance. Three months before her celibacy vow ends she runs into Blaine Rutledge, a Wiccan Green Witch and the sweetest, sexiest man she's ever met. Sparks fly, and her libido sizzles. My, oh my! The last few months of her celibacy vow are about to become not only an erotic adventure but also the greatest challenge of her life.

First of all if you don't already know, I've never read a Paranormal book and I've never read Romance. So this book was my introduction to both genres. I wouldn't have tried it if it weren't about Wiccans. I enjoyed this book but don't expect to see many if any more Paranormal or Romance reviews on this website.

I don't know how much sex is usually in a romance novel (feel free to tell me romance enthusiasts) but I was forewarned that this book was just a hair away from being classified as Erotica. This was fine with me. (sly grin) It had just about the right amount of sex for me, but then I'm quite open minded when it comes to reading and talking about that subject matter.

As a Pagan, I enjoyed the spells, chants and rituals and could see myself using them if the need came to be. The only thing out of the whole book that I didn't like was the use of the word sex:

"Another ripple of desire zips through her sex, and her thoughts wander to his
sensuous lips and how good they must taste. " - Chapter 3

It started to bug me after the third time. I'd rather something like sexual organs or genitals or even privates if a less direct term was desired.

Since I've never read Paranormal or Romance books I can't properly compare this book to others in the genre so if anyone else has read this and especially if you've read other Paranormal or Romance novels, please leave your thoughts!

More Links:

Laura Stamp's Blog (find out about her other novels)

Her "Erotica and Paranormal Romance" Blog (talks about Erotica and other naughty things)

A Very Special Snowflake by Don Hoffman

Stars: ****1/2

I received this book through KSB Promotions. It's a Cartwheel/Scholastic book.

Summary: Jeff and Veronica have lost their new puppy! The baker, the policewoman, the mail carrier and other neighbours all try to help. But where could Snowflake be?

This book is so cute. The puppy is small and white which is why he's named Snowflake. So when he goes missing, the kids ask them all if they know where Snowflake is. However they all think they are asking about the snow and aren't of any help.

The illustrations are by Todd Dakins and are absolutely adorable, as you can see in the picture on the right as well as the book cover.

Also on each page, snowflake is hiding and the child reading this book or being read to can find him. The book is deigned for ages 4-8 but I read it to my 3 year old and she loved it and was able to find Snowflake on each page. I would actually recommend the book to ages 3-5.

Other's Reviews

An Island Review

Mailbox Monday - Feb. 9

It's that time again. Let's delve into my mailbox this week and see what I got.

You can see what others got here.

I got lots of picture books this week.

Stuffed by Hank Cardello

This is from HarperCollins and is actually about the American food industry and rising obesity. Even though I'm Canadian, I'm still going to read it because Canada is similar to America in many ways and I'm curious to see what it says. You can find an exerpt here.

Baron Things DOGS Are People Too! by Laurie Dean

I saw a few others get this last week. This was through Bostick Communications.

I Love Chocolate by Davide Cali

I just HAD to review this book, the chocolate lover that I am. This is from Tundra Books.

Reading it makes me hungry.

Watching Jimmy by Nancy Hartry

This is also from Tundra, a children's fiction novel that deals with sensitive issues. I have a galley copy and this one won't be out till April 19, so watch for my review near then.

Getting There by Marla Stewart Konrad

From Tundra Books, this is one of two World Vision picture books, the start of a series. This one focuses on ways people get places all over the world and royalties from the sale of this book goes to World Vision

Hello, Good-bye by Arlene Alda

From Tundra Books. Arlene Alda is Alan Alda's wife and writes many children's books.

This one is an opposites book

Bradley McGogg, the Very Fine Frog by Tim Besider

From Tundra Books. This book is a bit of a tongue twister, almost like Dr. Seuss!

Straight from the Horse's Heart by R.T. Fitch

The subtitle is "A spiritual ride through love, loss and hope" and is from Bostick Communications

It's about rescue horses.

The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke

This one is not a review book. I won it through Book Obsessed.

Cats and Reading

Just passing this on. This is from the I Can Has Cheezburger Blog.

Cats and Reading

Premios Dardo Award

I was given the Premios Dardo (Prize Darts) award while I was on my blog break from The Book Dads!

This award acknowledges the values that every blogger shows in his/her effort to transmit cultural, ethical, literary and personal values every day.

So I'm to pass it on to 5 bloggers. That is if I can 5 who haven't had it yet!

The rules to follow are:
1. Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person that has granted the award and his or her blog link.
2. Pass the award to at least 5 blogs that are worthy of this acknowledgment. Remember to contact each of them to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

I am awarding this to:

Mari Reads

It's All About Books

Azuki's Book Cafe

The Book Brothel

Reading and Ruminations

Saturday Search - Feb 7

Sorry for skipping January without warning. I hope at least some people are interested in doing this with me. I know quite a few of you already do it, now if you can just do it the first Saturday of the month :)

So what were people searching for when they came across your site?

Post a list of a few of the search terms used to find your site. Especially any very interesting ones. You can also include a blurb about where to find the item if it is on your site or what you think made the search engine drop them off at your site or any other comments. See mine below.

If want to participate, write up a post and come back here to leave your link in the comments. Make sure you link to the ACTUAL POST for your Saturday Search and not to your main url. Then go visit the others!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My Searches

The Time Capsule Lurlene McDaniel Banned
I've never heard of it being banned. So no I don't think it is.

The Sky is Falling by Kit Pearson Movie
My review is here. I've heard nothing of a movie although I'm sure it and it's follow up would make an okay movie.

review of the rock by Paul Kropp
I reviewed a book by him but not Rock. I reviewed nonfiction, Rock is one of his YA books.

sms books
Were they looking for me?? I get so many sms searches.

sms on physical hurt
What???

brook noel catch it collectors
You can find out ALL about them in The Change Your Life Challenge. You missed my giveaway though.

will radiation hurt baby
This book I reviewed will answer the question and more.You can find information on radiation and unborn babies here.

cute ways to write the alphabet
Oh I don't know, make each letter into an animal or person maybe? Or use different colours or rainbow letters?

See you March 7!

Friday Finds 02/07

Okay I haven't done a Friday Finds in a month because I was without internet access for two weeks and I forgot a few weeks now. In fact technically I'm writing this on Saturday because I forgot again but I'm back dating it so it'll be on the right day.

So this list is very long. All links are to the reviews/posts that I found out about the book at.

The first one isn't even a review, it's just from Reader's Respite, Diversifying the Bookshelves feature:

Accomodating Broccoli in the Cemetery or why can't anybody spell? by Vivian Cook

I'm quite a good speller and I personally find it important. If you see an error in my blog, it's most likely a typo. I don't always remember to hit spell check. So this book intrigues me.

Walking Through Walls by Phillip Smith

Found through a review on Trish's Reading Nook. It's a memoir of a father who had out of body experiences and other supernatural talents.

Mommy I'm Still In Here by Kate McLaughlin

I found this through Violet Crush. I'm very into books and memoirs about mental illness as it's a subject close to my heart and mind. This one's about Bipolar disease.

Beautiful Child and Ghost Girl by Torey Hayden

These are two books by Torey Hayden that I haven't read yet that were reviewed at Bogormen. I really need to find the time to read these.

Lifelines by C.J. Lyons

This is a fiction book but the characters are all medical staff and it looks really good. I saw this at Reading With Monie.

Houdini by T.J. Banks

Also found at Reading With Monie, this is the story of a cat.

Righting the Mother Tongue: From Old English To Email, The Tangled Story of English Spelling by David Wolman

This long title was found at The Written World and is the story of English spelling. If you read above, you'll know that I am intrigued by this subject.

Only in Canada, You Say: A Treasury of Canadian Language by Katherine Barber

Also found at The Written World, another language book, even better, about Canadians! I too (just like Kailana says) like to read about "Canadian" Language. She said she found that things she said, she assumed everyone in Canada said when really it's only in her area. Well I've found it the opposite, maybe because I'm in South Western Ontario, which is quite close to American culture, but most of the "Canadian" terms I've never heard anyone speak, except eh?

In an Instant by Lee and Bob Woodruff

Found this one at A Comfy Chair and a Good Book. It is a memoir about Bob's serious brain injury and his recovery from the incident.

Dog Lost by Ingrid Lee

This is in a post about two dog books. I'd read the other one too but it's this one that really captures my interest. It's from A Patchwork of Books. It's about a cause that is near to my heart, the plight of the pitbull.

Poop by Nicola Davies

Reviewed at Dog Ear Diary. I'm always interested in the intriquises of normal everyday things.