The Loom - A Review

Lydia knew her fate. Like every other slave on the Maryland plantation, her life would end at the loom...

 
Throughout the pre­-Civil War South, older slaves too worn out for anything else worked daily in the plantation¹s loom room, weaving and creating cloth for their families. Tucked away out of sight and forgotten by most everyone, the wisdom and hard-won experience of these slaves were often overlooked. But Lydia, a light-skinned house slave, listens to their words and dreams of a better life.

When running away leads to her recapture, Lydia discovers that with her pale skin, the right clothing, and pretense, she can walk into a world of freedom and wealth she has only dreamed of.

But Lydia struggles to leave behind the man she loves and the culture of world in which she belongs. Drawing on the wise community in the plantation¹s loom room, Lydia chases freedom in a way no one ever expected and finds that she ultimately must choose between the love she has and the life she doesn't.

The Loom is a colorful tale of love linked to a lie and the discovery that life is not always black or white.

This book is really different from something I would normally pick up and reminded me a little bit of an Oprah’s Book Club choice, only I didn’t hate it. (I have a long history of hating Queen Oprah’s taste in literature) The main character, Lydia, is totally infuriating at times and I could not possibly understand why she would make some of the choices she did, but then again I have always had the freedom to make my own choices. I’ve never felt anything even marginally comparable to being owned by someone, so perhaps that’s why she makes some crazy decisions that I don’t get.

It took me a little while to get on board with the writing style. I felt like many of the chapters started in the middle of thought or memory, which wasn’t very palatable to me. I got over it though because this story is rich. Rich in culture, chaos, sadness, and depth. It is uplifting in the end too – which is ultimately what saved it for me – because I hate books that don’t end well.  This books goes to a lot of dark places, but I still really enjoyed the story.

I also really enjoyed reading the authors thoughts at the end, which is something I never do. I loved the Biblical parallels should put into the story and also enjoyed the storyline involving the elderly slaves, probably because of my love of old people.  I’d say this was a wholesome read for adults and would recommend it to others.

The Ghosts of Varner Creek - A Review

In the summer of 1909, Solomon Mayfield awoke to find his mother and sister had disappeared. Left with his alcoholic and abusive father, Sol lived his life believing the story he'd been told, the story all the people of Varner Creek believed about what happened that summer. But in a plot of twists and family secrets that will leave the reader reaching for their jaw upon the floor, Sol is taken back to his childhood by the spirits he knew in life when he passes away so many years later . . . it is only then he learns what secrets The Ghosts of Varner Creek have been keeping so many years.  

It’s quite interesting when a main character dies in the first chapter of a book, which is exactly what happened with the Ghosts of Varner Creek. The rest of the book is told posthumously by Solomon through his memories, his sister’s memories, and flashbacks of when his parents met. I was enthralled with this book.  Don’t get me wrong, it is dark, and I mean very, very dark at times and not in a fantasy-evil-witchcraft-and-potions kind of dark – in a humans-are-capable-of-unspeakable-acts way.  I still really loved it though. I enjoyed the mystery of what truly happened to the mom and sister and was completely convinced that they’d disappeared for unsavory reasons, along with the rest of the characters. I liked the spooky ghost aspects of this book, but they really took a backseat to the living characters and I felt like they were more a means to an end of telling this story the only way it should’ve been told. I thought it was a very refreshing and creative take on a plot, but still so dark and thought-provoking. I would recommend this to others, but not to the sensitive reader.

 ** There is a disclaimer from the author stating this is material for 18 and older, which I would abide by. It isn’t raunchy or 50 Shades-esque by any means, but it is tragically sad and children are hurt in the worst way in the story line.

50 Shades of Blah

To see summary - I couldn't make myself copy it here.

 I really wanted to form my own opinion about the phenomenon that is Fifty Shades.  I had read some very polarizing reviews from those who skewered this book and called it crap to those who revere it as "mommy porn" and a "great love story". Well, I side more with the former...

Perhaps it is because I am coming off of books like Divergent and The Hunger Games who have kick-ass female leads. Maybe it is because I watched True Grit with yet another kick-ass female lead the day I started this book. Perhaps it is because I had just seen Magic Mike and it wasn't so magical and I was put off of this smutty genre. Or, even more likely, it could be that this is just a crappy book with a wimpy, weepy female lead and "erotic" scenes that fall a little limp - kind of like Magic Mike. I was actually BORED with this book - the plot is so weak and I was more entertained by the Goodreads reviews of this book than I was by the book itself. I echo many of the sentiments I read and I am going to share my favorites Goodreads reviews here with you (please be warned, some of them use foul language, but I tried to sensor my choices)

From Katrina Lumsden: 
(This woman had ALOT of great things to say, it was hard to pick.)
"Christian is a misogynistic, self-loathing, abusive piece of shit. Apparently, his only redeeming qualities are, in this order; his ridiculous good looks, his money, and his giant penis. The only time Ana seems to like him as a person is when he's being "lovable", and those times are few and far between. Most of the time he's serious, brooding, and threatening. How charming."

"About halfway through, I wished I'd been keeping track of the word "crap" because Ana is constantly saying/thinking it. Crap, Holy Crap, Double and Triple Crap, Oh Crap, This Crap, That Crap, any and all Crap. Speaking of crap, if I ever, ever ever have to hear/read the words "inner goddess" again, I'm going to construct a pyre out of tampons and maxi pads, light it, and toss unsuspecting women into it."

From JT Giessinger:
"The Bad: Terrible writing. Simply insufferable at times, with an abundance of repetitive, trite phrases such as "Oh, my!", "Holy crap!", ad nauseum. The author suffocates the reader with an unending ocean of rolling eyes, biting lips, sighing, shrugging, glaring and giggling. Also present is a very curious tendency to write, "he said" or "she replied" or another version of such after every single sentence uttered by the characters. I could go on, but you get the picture. Ms. James won't win any awards with this one."

From Kim:  
"Now I lay me down to sleep. I hope to hell my soul keeps. Because, if I shake off this mortal coil before I wake, I’m going to be mighty pissed that this was the last book that I freaking finished. This is not my legacy.

I can play all Britney and Oops-I-did-it-again, I could use the old adage ‘Fool me once, shame on you….’ Or I could let my horribly low self worth tell you that yes, I am an idiot and could be classified with all those soccer moms wanting an escape with shiny vampires and fallen angels. You choose.

BUT. I will admit… fully admit… that this book sucked donkey balls. Seriously." 
 
From Stephanie Sinclair:  "Introducing an even more abusive and disturbing TWILIGHT! Now with whips and chains!"
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   Now trust me folks - what you just read up there in those reviews is better than the book itself. If you loved it, please don't be offended, it was just not my cup of tea at all. That said, I will not judge if you have to pick it up and read it for yourself - just come laugh with me about it later. Nana isn't quite convinced yet and wants to read it for herself - I cannot wait for the phone call on that day she finishes it! 

Divergent & Insurgent - A Review

 In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves… or it might destroy her. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

 One choice can transform you--or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves--and herself--while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable--and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

I briefly mentioned these books in this post. I decided that these two definitely deserved their own post- they were just that good. I could not put them down. A friend at work recommended them to me because of my love affair with The Hunger Games series. They have similar premises – a dystopian society with some serious issues and a young girl who becomes a symbol out of her drive for survival and ability to think for herself. I love me a good tough-girl protagonist!

I thought it was even neater that they are set in Chicago sometime in the future when Lake Michigan is a marshland and the Navy Pier ferris wheel sits idle.  I immediately got a feel for the setting and it wasn’t all that difficult for me to imagine Chicago as a foreboding place – I don’t like it that much as it is.  This society is set up into factions, unlike the districts of the HG world. Each faction holds on characteristic in esteem – Selflessness, Peacefulness, Courage, Knowledge, and Honesty. At 16 each child has to choose their faction and they go through a test to see which one they are most suited for. I took the quiz at the back of the book – but let’s face it – I was definitely in the wimpy faction of Amity which is basically the Hufflepuff of the factions. *sigh* That’s probably why I love tough-babe main characters because I know I will never be one. Speaking of which…

I love Beatrice. She’s definitely a new favorite. She’s tough, but vulnerable, stays true to herself and deeply loves her family. All pluses in my book. I also enjoy her love interest, Four/Tobias. Another thing I really enjoyed about these books, but didn’t even realize until my work-friend pointed it out to me is that there is not a love triangle. I hadn’t realized how sick I was of reading about the Edward-Bella-Jacob-esque drama. It’s just Beatrice and Tobias – and they create enough problems themselves. 

Similar to HG there are the stirrings of a revolution, but it takes on an entirely different (and in my opinion decidedly scarier) form with mind control and implants and hallucinations oh my!

All in all – fantastic reads. I can’t wait to get my paws on the third book and read the resolution to this story. I am also stoked for the rumors about a movie adaptation!

Anyone else out there read these books? Are you Team Katniss or Team Beatrice? I have to wave the white flag on that one – I love them both!

 

Rapid Fire Book Reviews

I decided I should do another rapid-fire round of mini book reviews. I devoured several books while we were on vacation, mostly while sitting in airports, planes, and the like, plus a couple before I left. I liked doing the mini-reviews, so I am going to give it another go with this batch. I may need to expand on a couple of them in their own posts though because they were so good, but read on to find out more.Click on the titles for their Goodreads info!

·  36. Charming theShrew by Laurin Wittig – Brain candy, borderline Harlequin novel about some Scottish folks – a fun, randy read.

·  35. Insurgent byVeronica Roth – (this is book 2 of the trilogy) If you liked Hunger Games you need to read this book like yesterday (but read Divergent first) – especially if you live in the Chicago area – it’s too cool.

·  34. On the Island byTracey Garvis-Graves – This book stuck with me and I was emotionally invested in the characters, but it might creep some people out with the older woman/younger man story line.

·  33. Divergent byVeronica Roth – Book 1 of a trilogy – this and Insurgent may just need their own post I loved them so much.

·  32. Anna Dressed inBlood by Kendare Blake – A fantastic, creepy young adult book about a ghost hunter that I really enjoyed.

·  31. A Grave in the VegetableGarden by Janice Coy – This book was a little bit predictable for me about an abused woman who kills her husband and goes on trial for his murder.

·  28, 29, 30. TheSloane Monroe Series books 1-3 by Cheryl Bradshaw – These books were fun and reminded me of college, my roomie Liz, and our Tami Hoag days – but they aren’t quite as scandalous or grisly as Tami Hoag.

·  27. The Mill River Recluse by Darcie Chan – I really, really enjoyed this book – it made me feel warm and fuzzy inside – it’s a wholesome read. 

Anyone read any of these titles? Are you planning to? Tell me your thoughts!! 

My Dead Friend Sarah: A Review

Mere months into recovery, Max, an alcoholic with twisted control issues, meets Sarah – the same woman that for years he’s habitually dreamt will die after a botched abduction. "Doing the next right thing," a popular AA phrase he’s picked up in the rooms, means befriending Sarah long enough to warn her and hope she takes him seriously. But when Sarah falls in love with Max, his newly sober thinking drives him to choose his overly devoted wife, and he abandons Sarah – even when it condemns her to death. When Sarah goes missing, the NYPD suspects Max’s dream may have been a pre-crime confession. The truth, all of it, lurks inside of Max, but only by drinking again does he recapture the nerve and clarity vital to free his wife, sponsor, and himself from a life imprisoned by lies. (from Goodreads) 






I don't quite know what to make of this book. It was an intriguing story and I have never read a book quite like it. Both main characters are very damaged individuals and you get to experience a first-person perspective from both Max and Sarah. I was somewhat bored with the first half of the book as they are meeting one another and beginning their friendship. However, Part 2 moved much quicker for me, but was disturbing. As I said, I have never read a book quite like this, and that is mostly due to the personality of Max. It was illuminating and unnerving to read about his alcoholism, his lowest points, recovery, and relapses from his own perspective. 
I am not thrilled with the way this book ends, but that's probably because I held out hope until the very end that there would be some semblance of a happy ending. Note to self: When a book title is "My Dead Friend...." it's not going to end well. 
I give it a 2/5 - it was OK, perhaps not my taste, but definitely interesting.

The Visitation; Book vs. Movie

A weeping crucifix heals a crippled man. Worshipers see a vision of Christ in the clouds. Is God speaking to his people in the last days? When a small farming town is turned upside down by supernatural occurrences, it's up to a burned-out pastor to determine whether these miracles are from heaven---or straight from hell.

I enjoy comparing books with their movie adaptations. Preferably reading the books first, which is what I did with The Visitation. I really enjoyed the book. It has a serious creep-factor and, as any Frank Peretti book, packs a spiritual message.


The movie, while sticking very closely to the story-line of the book, was laughably bad. The cinematography (which is not something I would normally even notice) was horribly choppy, cutting from scene to scene rather disjointedly.

And the acting... oh my the acting. So, so bad.

Here is a taste:


The one thing I will say this movie got right was the creep-factor. It totally nailed that icky, slimy, skin-crawling feeling that I got with the book too. Maybe it is just the subject matter - demonic possession, evil, murders - but I don't know. It gave me a shudder to watch.
That said - just read the book. That movie is an hour and a half you just can't get back. :)

First Ever Product Review: Dry Shampoo

**Disclaimer: I was not asked to do or compensated for this review. All opinions expressed are my own. Basically, it's my blog and I do what I want.**

I know it's gross to some, but I don't like to wash my hair everyday. Since I have colored hair, it really is better for me to avoid washing daily to preserve the color. Plus my skin dries out horribly in the winter especially and it is just better to avoid showering daily. However, it is immensely beneficial for me to freshen up my locks in the mornings with some dry shampoo. This is a fairly new product to me and it has taken some trial and error in finding one that works well for me. Just for your info - I have thick, straight hair. I have tried out three different brands of dry shampoo - all can be purchased at Target or Dominicks - Suave, Tresemme, and Umberto. Here are my findings:

The cost:
Suave: $3:49
Tresemme: $5.29
Umberto: $8.99

Suave

I feel like Suave is just a tried and true brand that gets a bad rap because it's products are incredibly affordable. Just because it's cheap, doesn't mean it isn't effective! I like the Suave option a lot. Of the three, this one definitely has the best scent ever! I kept making Brandon smell my hair after I put it in. It was downright delightful! The Suave does not leave a heavy white powder in my hair, which is a plus for me with my dark hair, but it also won't dry up any heavy oil. This is a great option for then I need a little freshening on a day when I will wear my hair up. And did I mention is smells fantastic?? The smell reminded me of Hawaii for some reason. It was heavenly. Plus, you can't beat that price!

Tresemme

Sadly, I don't really have anything good to say about the Tresemme brand. The first time I used it I nearly choked. The smell is noxious and it clouds out when you spray it. I have to hold my breath, spray it on, and then run out of my bathroom to breathe. The smell does not hang on to your hair, but I can't go back in my bathroom for 2-3 minutes after I use it. I didn't really notice that it did a whole lot to brighten up my hair either. I could definitely feel a residue on my hair after use too, but there isn't a thick white powder. This would not be a recommendation from me.

Umberto

This is the priciest of my options and actually was the first one I tried. I used the entire first can and have purchased a 2nd one. I do like this one, but it does have the heavy white powder residue. It does brush out easily and I never had a Kate Moss gray hair incident. It really dries up oil well and there is not a filmy residue left over. It's smell is pretty neutral and the spray is very controlled. I can aim right for my part and my hair line, which is where I tend to have more oil issues. So, a little on the pricey side, but definitely a better option for oil control - just make sure you brush it all out!

Anyone else out there have a favorite dry shampoo?

A Drowned Maiden's Hair - A Review

Maud Flynn is known at the orphanage for her impertinence, so when the charming Miss Hyacinth and her sister choose Maud to take home with them, the girl is as baffled as anyone. It seems the sisters need Maud to help stage elaborate séances for bereaved, wealthy patrons. As Maud is drawn deeper into the deception, playing her role as a "secret child," she is torn between her need to please and her growing conscience — until a shocking betrayal makes clear just how heartless her so-called guardians are. Filled with tantalizing details of turn-of-the-century spiritualism and page-turning suspense, this lively historical novel features a winning heroine whom readers will not soon forget.

I have talked to a couple people about this book and they definitely gave it some mixed reviews. The reason I read it is that it was a 99 cent download for my Kindle that looked rather intriguing. It is definitely a dark story - not dark like witchcrafty or occult - dark as in gloomy. The main character, Maud, is a girl who was left at an orphanage, even when her siblings were adopted together. She's not especially charming or pretty or obedient. She finally gets adopted by 3 sisters who wish to use her as "secret child" to help with their seances, so no one can know she was adopted and has to spend all of her time cooped up with only a deaf maid for company. 

Now, I will say, I really liked the book. I thought it was well-written and I enjoyed the rather sad, gloomy story line. I must have been in just the right mood for this book to strike a chord with me. I liked and at the same time was annoyed by Maud, but then again, she was a rule-breaker and I just can't relate to that (I am square to a fault). I was very endeared by her relationship with Muffet (the maid who was deaf) and the authentic love that developed between the two of them. I was also extremely appalled by the sisters. Appalled.

It did make me sad to think about the sisters taking advantage of people in their times of grief and how that applies to modern-day society as well. "Mediums" and "spiritualists" are often-time crooks and I do think that they delude themselves to a point that they believe they are helping the bereaved. Anyway, I digress. 

I felt like the book had a redeeming ending and enjoyed it overall. I was a little confused in the beginning when Maud's brother randomly shows up, as he doesn't appear again, but I think the author wanted to show just how sad and pitiful Maud's situation was. 


All in all, worth 99 cents for sure. 


Anyone else out there read this book? Thoughts?

Top 11 of 2011

I really enjoy the reflective, end of the year posts and decided to continue my “Top 10” tradition from last year. However, I wanted to make it an 11, just for fun!

This year has definitely held it’s fair share of heartache and challenges and those are worth reflecting on too, but for now, I want to highlight the best moments of my year (in no particular order)!

         

Relay for Life      

It was such a joy to have my family participate in an event that meant so much to me and to commit so wholeheartedly to it. 

My job

It has been constant source of challenges and personal growth and I am so blessed that I have survived my first year as a Director! 

Our anniversary weekend in Galena

A much needed getaway to celebrate our 2^nd anniversary 

A weekend in Cincinnati with friends

Oh the memories. I need to make a point to see these people so much more  often!

Discovering the Kane County Flea Market

So much stuff!!! Plus a couple of cherished days with friends and family exploring through the trash and treasures.

Renewing a commitment to fitness… through some really fun classes

Pole dancing. Yep. Not ashamed. It is a fun, liberating, confidence-building kick-butt work out, and I am so glad I took the plunge this year!

An online book-club with my college roomies (maybe we should name our club?)

We had an unofficial book-club in college just via living with one another and giving our book recommendations to each other. Then, inevitably, discussing them at length as we read one another’s suggestions. I really missed that and am glad that we decided to do a book club via email. It feels good to be re-connected with these ladies!

Being a part of a small group:

It felt wonderful to get connected in church with the Young Adult's Small Group. We had a lot of fun! I was able to open up my home for a craft night and they even came caroling where I work!  I am looking forward to spending even more time with the “group of awesomeness” in 2012!

The Barn Dance!

This was my first big project I have been involved in through church and I was in charge of the décor. I had so. Much. Fun!

Our Hawaiian Vacation (that HAD to make the list!)

It was a beautiful week spent with the hubs and a much-needed escape from reality for a short time

Friendships.

2011 seemed to be a year for me to grow in my friendships and I am so grateful for that. Things have not worked out the way I would have imagined, but that just goes to show that The Big Guy knows what he is doing and has a plan for my life. 

Looking forward to 2012! 

A Discovery Of Witches - A book review

A richly inventive novel about a centuries-old vampire, a spellbound witch, and the mysterious manuscript that draws them together.

Deep in the stacks of Oxford's Bodleian Library, young scholar Diana Bishop unwittingly calls up a bewitched alchemical manuscript in the course of her research. Descended from an old and distinguished line of witches, Diana wants nothing to do with sorcery; so after a furtive glance and a few notes, she banishes the book to the stacks. But her discovery sets a fantastical underworld stirring, and a horde of daemons, witches, and vampires soon descends upon the library. Diana has stumbled upon a coveted treasure lost for centuries-and she is the only creature who can break its spell.

Debut novelist Deborah Harkness has crafted a mesmerizing and addictive read, equal parts history and magic, romance and suspense. Diana is a bold heroine who meets her equal in vampire geneticist Matthew Clairmont, and gradually warms up to him as their alliance deepens into an intimacy that violates age-old taboos. This smart, sophisticated story harks back to the novels of Anne Rice, but it is as contemporary and sensual as the Twilight series-with an extra serving of historical realism.

*Ahem*  I beg to differ with that last paragraph there...

The book was good, BUT it left a lot to be desired for me. I enjoyed the historical aspects mixed in with the fantasy genre and I did enjoy the characters - even if Diana was a little irritating (I mean COME ON who wouldn't want to use magic!!) My problems with this book do no lie in the story per se, but more in the telling of it. The friendship/courtship of Matthew and Diana was drug out painfully, chapter after chapter.... the details of the scents in the wine they drank, the fragrance of the food, blah flipping blah!! Then, once the book really started picking up, the action felt very rushed in the last 1/4th of the book. This is nearly a 600 page book - it's a whopper folks - and I felt cheated by the rushing of the action. Now, nothing that I can find right now indicates that this woman is going to write another book (I am not sure I would even read it if she did), but she left herself WIDE OPEN at the end to be able to continue with the plot in another novel or 2, 3 or 10 (or however long she'd like to drag it out).

I always hate being caught off-guard by a cliffhanger. There is this book that I read in high school, which is now infamous with me in a very small circle of friends, because the last line is "And maybe they did." REALLY? I read 800 pages for AND MAYBE THEY DID???? I prefer my fiction to be wrapped up and tied with a neat little bow at the end, so I am sure you can imagine my un-bloggable reaction when I finished this book, as it ends, basically the same way, with this elusive, perhaps they made it... type of ending. *sigh* What's a girl to do?

And just a point of annoyance in the summary up there - I really don't think one should compare books to the Twilight novels. I concede that yes, they are addicting fantastic stories, and I am a self-confessed Twi-hard. However, the writing in those books is elementary and I would never want my novel compared to them in a literary sense. The writing in this book is at a much, much, much higher level, so it does have that going for it.... 

Still Alice - A Review

 Still Alice is a compelling debut novel about a 50-year-old woman's sudden descent into early onset Alzheimer's disease, written by first-time author Lisa Genova, who holds a Ph. D in neuroscience from Harvard University. Alice Howland, happily married with three grown children and a house on the Cape, is a celebrated Harvard professor at the height of her career when she notices a forgetfulness creeping into her life. As confusion starts to cloud her thinking and her memory begins to fail her, she receives a devastating diagnosis: early onset Alzheimer's disease. Fiercely independent, Alice struggles to maintain her lifestyle and live in the moment, even as her sense of self is being stripped away. In turns heartbreaking, inspiring and terrifying, Still Alice captures in remarkable detail what's it's like to literally lose your mind... Reminiscent of A Beautiful Mind, Ordinary People and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, Still Alice packs a powerful emotional punch and marks the arrival of a strong new voice in fiction

This book was given to me to read by one of my resident's daughters. She said it had been a powerful read for her and helped to give her insight into her mother's disease. As a director of a dementia-care unit, I felt compelled to read it, not only for the person who recommended it to me, but for all of my residents too. I feel a responsibility to do as much as I can to understand where they are emotionally, cognitively, and physically. This book was an amazing picture the heartbreak that surrounds this disease.

I cried my way through the last half of this book as Alice begins to deteriorate further. It gave me such perspective on the lives people have before this disease robs them of themselves. This book also has helped me to empathize more with the family members who struggle so much with the Alzheimer's diagnosis. I would absolutely recommend this book to people working in the long-term care field and those who have a loved one struggling with dementia. No, it is not an uplifting book, but it will leave a lasting impact on those who read it.

God Quest

Our most recent sermon series at church is following The GodQuest, which is basically a church-wide Bible study. There are weekly lessons, a book, and videos that coincide with the weekly messages at church. We are meeting weekly as a small group with the in-laws and some other church-goers. This study/quest was designed by Sean McDowell, son of the famous author, Josh McDowell. As I understood it, the God Quest is supposed to answer some of those really difficult questions that Christians and non-believers (those who may be considering Christianity) face about God, Jesus, and religion in general. (ex: Why does God allow suffering in the world?)

As I write this now, we are about 3 weeks into the study and I am less than impressed with parts of it, but it may be accomplishing what it is supposed too... Jury is still out. So, I am going to list my gripes and end on a positive note.

First of all, Sean McDowell is really, really irritating to watch and listen too. He is obviously passionate about what he is teaching, which is wonderful. However, I. can. not. stand. him. I think it has something to do with his eye-brow waggling and the way he emphasizes his words. And I find the setting of his videos to be pretty cheesy.

Secondly, this series was "advertised" (for lack of a better word) as having all of this great input from Biblical experts, which is does, kinda. I would much rather hear from the likes of Josh McDowell (who is not nearly as annoying as his son), Lee Stroble, and other experts, but they only get a 30-90 second snippet of the weekly videos. I would like more from them.

Lastly, I really don't feel like I have any answered questions yet. I have learned a lot of great facts, but the weekly questions that are presented have not been fully answered for me yet. Now, to be fair, we are only halfway through the series, but as it is going so far, I still don't feel like my questions are going to be answered.

I suppose though, that the point of this entire "God Quest" is to make people more actively seek to know God and know about God. This series has started lots of discussions at home about God, His plans and purpose for our lives, among other things. One of the main point that has been made is that those who often criticize the Bible have never sat down and read it and studied it, which is a valid point. So, I am going to embark on my own little "quest" to read through the Bible. I found a schedule to read through it in a year and am planning to follow it as much as I can. I have chosen to read through it chronologically, which makes the most sense to me personally. I am using a study-Bible too, so that I can read commentary as I go to further explain the context of what I am reading.

So there you have it. My thoughts on the God Quest.

Omnivore's Dilemma - A Review

What’s for dinner?” seems like a simple question. But do you really know…

- What happens to a field of potatoes destined to become french fries … or
- In how many disguises corn sneaks into your food? (Hint: it’s in your soda, your burger, and that Twinkie!)
- Do you know what that “organic” sticker on your banana actually means … or
- Where the chicken in your nugget grew up?


Do you know the secrets behind what you eat?


In this book, you’ll go undercover at the supermarket. You’ll delve behind the scenes of your dinner, and by the time you’ve digested the last page you’ll have put together the fascinating (and sometimes disturbing) puzzle of what’s on your plate and how it got there.


This young readers edition of Michael Pollan’s bestseller The Omnivore’s Dilemma includes a brand-new introduction and afterword, an exclusive author Q&A, and a variety of fresh visual “evidence.”

Now, I need to be honest about 2 things about this book.
#1. When I first heard about it, I thought my friend Meredith was completely insane and I did not want to read a book about corn taking over the supermarket. She is one of those super-healthy people and I thought this book was just another part of her crazy, health-nut, marathon running, Whole Foods shopping ideology. Well, it is, but I just don't think any of that is crazy anymore (well, aside from the marathon running).

#2. I read the Young Adult version of the book, as recommended by another friend who told me how much easier it was to understand. I am so glad I did. I think that if I would have read the adult version (without the fun graphs, pictures, and easy to understand language) that it would not have held my attention as well as this one did.

Ok my review of this book: Everyone should be required to read it. Everyone. I think that it shows a fair and accurate picture of our country and what we have done to our food. The cheapest food has such a high cost environmentally. There is no way I am going to be able to eloquently explain how this book made me feel or how eye-opening it was to read. I just think people need to read it and to understand what is in their food and exactly where it comes from.

Will it complicate your eating habits? Probably.
Is it worth it to know what's in your food and if it will make you sick or fat? Yes. 100%.

Just go read it.