Don't Mess With Sweet Valley and Crush My Childhood Dreams

Some things from my childhood are sacred.


And should not be messed with.


Like the memory of my pegged jeans and Guess slouch socks.


New Kids on the Block.


And Sweet Valley High. How I loved those books.  I always tossed a few of those in my ultra-cool bright pink Benetton bag.


Ahhhh, memories.


So, when I heard there was a new Sweet Valley book coming out, where twins Jessica and Elizabeth were all grown-up, I was so excited. Sweet Valley Confidential, oh yes, how I wanted to read it.

I bought it for my Kindle on Sunday afternoon and curled up on the couch to read it.  Oh, scandal, scandal, scandal.


But, wait.  Like why is like the word "like" used in like every other sentence? And the Sweet Valley girls saying the F-bomb? No, no, no.


It wasn't like this.


Even leaving out the f-words, which I guess is how the book is for "grown-ups" now, the stories weren't this bad, were they?


I'm afraid to go back and read any of the old Sweet Valley High books, for fear it would burst my fuzzy memories bubble.


Is there anything from your childhood that you've had experience with as an adult where it just doesn't seem the same any more?

Book Review: Lady in Waiting by Susan Meissner

In present day, Jane is blindsided by her husband of 22 years walking out on their marriage.  Then she finds an old ring in the binding of a book, which ties her story to that of Lady Jane Grey in the 16th century.


This book goes back and forth between Jane's struggle with finding herself to Lady Jane's history.


I wasn't sure how I was going to like this at first, but by the second time the story switched points of view and settings, I was hooked on both of the stories.


Historical fiction is almost always a hit with me and when you add in love stories, I definitely enjoyed this book.


I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. All opinons are my own.

My Book List: Keepers and Stinkers of 2010

I'm a total bookworm. Love to read. Though I don't read quite as much as I used to thanks to blogging, I still managed to read 54 books last year.  I admit that I read to be entertained. You don't find many classics or "quality literature" in my to-be-read piles.  And I try to delete books off my husband's Kindle before he takes it to work with him in case someone were to look on it- lest he be embarrassed by some of the titles.


I enjoy a good romance, mystery, even a little supernatural(as long as it's not too scary- yes, I'm a chicken), and I still read YA lit. If your taste is like mine, check out my list of keepers and stinkers:


KEEPERS

Hunger Games Series: Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins. This series goes on my top favs of all time list. I fought reading these books for quite a while because everybody told me that they were good and I'd love them. Usually, when "everyone" is raving about a book, I end up being majorly letdown. Maybe it's all the hype that sets me up for the  letdown. I don't know. But, in this case, the books lived up to their hype. If you have not read them yet, put all three on your must-reads list.


Heart of the Matter by Emily Giffin: Books told from two different points of view often annoy me. But, in this one, it was needed.  A story of marriage, love, friendship, and motherhood. I remember tearing up a lot at this one.


Not My Daughter by Barbara Delinsky: The daughter of the principal of the local high school gets pregnant. It comes out that two of her friends are pregnant, also. A pregnancy pact.  There are some great underlying themes here: friendship, family, and especially what makes a good/bad mother.


Didn't I Feed You - Yesterday by Laura Bennett: This book was HILARIOUS. And it's not just making my favs because it was written by Project Runway's Laura Bennett, whom I got to email with as I was writing my review. You can check out that review HERE.


*I also read a few total trash/smut books this year because I found them as free Kindle books. But, I'm not going to add those here. You can check out my goodreads list, though, and figure it out. And yes, I have eaten my words about not wanting an ereader.


STINKERS:

Sizzling Sixteen by Janet Evanvich: I used to be a huge fan of the Stephanie Plum books. Because they are such fun. But, after this many, the storylines are getting old. Stephanie needs a new job. And freaking pick one already: Joe or Ranger. I vote Joe. Because I want Ranger.


The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown: I actually didn't think this one was horrible- until towards the end and then it dragged on for me. Bore me with the end and I will only remember the book as boring. Also, I get disturbed by people who read Brown's FICTION books as if they are non-fiction. FICTION, people, FICTION.


That Summer by Sarah Dessin: I've heard lots of good things about this YA author, but this book was just sort of blah for me.


KEEPER/STINKER
I really don't know what to do with these two books, so they go here. I LOVED Ballad: A Gathering of Faerie which was the sequel to Lament: The Faerie Queen's Deception...which I thought was kind of eh.  Both are by Maggie Stiefvater. I did also read Shiver and Linger by her this year and while they are quite good, I need to wait for the third/final book to come out in 2011 before deciding if they really belong on my keepers list.


I had a longer list of books that I read in 2009, so you can check out my list of Keepers and Stinkers for 2009 if you want more suggestions.  I'm also on Goodreads: be my friend on there if you are, too. My widget is in my sidebar.


For 2011, I'm sticking with the goal of reading 52 books. Do you have any suggestions for me? Keepers or stinkers welcome!

Two Tickets to the Christmas Ball Book Review

Okay, okay, so it's past Christmas and I'm posting a review on a Christmas Book....but you can still read this one...and should.


I loved this book. Such a sweet story.  Cora and her co-worker Simon both find their way to an odd little bookstore on a street that sometimes disappears. They each receive a ticket to the Christmas Ball...which they can't find much information about. 


It was interesting to see that magic in a Christian fiction book, but it worked.  I was smiling through the book and read it very quickly. 




I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. All opinions are my own.

Outlive Your Life by Max Lucado REVIEW

Book summary:
These are difficult days in our world's history. 1.75 billion people are desperately poor, natural disasters are gouging entire nations, and economic uncertainty still reigns across the globe. But you and I have been given an opportunity to make a big difference. What if we did? What if we rocked the world with hope? Infiltrated all corners with God's love and life? We are created by a great God to do great works. He invites us to outlive our lives, not just in heaven, but here on earth. Let's live our lives in such a way that the world will be glad we did.

I admit that there are often times that I think I wonder what I can do to help? Help who? Well, anyone. Whoever needs help. But, then I get frustrated and think that I can't really make a difference. I'm just one person. Or that I want to, but I don't have the money to help or I don't have the time or I'm just not sure what to do.

But, this book, Outlive Your Life by Max Lucado challenged my way of thinking. That "God doesn't call the qualified. He qualifies the called."(pg 14)

Lucado says that it is Satan who is telling you that God has requirements to help, like entry fee or IQ requirement. That he only wants specialists, experts, high-profile people to help.

He uses the example of the disciples to prove this point. It's not that they were smarter or nicer or better than anyone else, it was just that they were willing to follow Jesus.

Lucado talks about doing something that will "outlive your life." He talks about how ordinary people can help, how we need to step out from behind,  our shells/walls, doing good quietly, not writing anyone off, staying off your high horse, and remembering to pray.

I honestly felt convicted by this book. Called to action. I'm still not sure what that action should or will be, but I felt like this book was talking to me.

By the way, one hundred percent of the author’s royalties from Outlive Your Life products will benefit children and families through World Vision and other ministries of faith-based compassion.


I received this book for free from BookSneeze in exchange for an honest review.

Love is a Flame Compiled by James Stuart Bell

You get married and then it's happily ever after, right? Oh, wait, this is reality and it's not always that easy.

Love is a Flame: Stories of What Happens When Love is Rekindled tells 40+ real-life stories of couples that fought for their marriages and made them work. Whether it was dissatisfaction or boredom that led to a marriage being in trouble or something more serious like addiction, adultery, or pornography, you get to read the stories of couples who managed to change the direction of their marriages and come back stronger than ever.

I found it inspiring to read these stories. To hear of people willing to fight for their marriages.

I should have read this one story at a time, though, instead of trying to read it all at once- it's more a book to be read over the course of several days or weeks, rather than in one setting, but that's just my opinion.

The message it conveys is a great one, though.

I was sent this book for free from Bethany House in exchange for my honest review. Click their link if you are interested in reviewing books for them, too.

Same Kind of Different as Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore

This is a true story about Denver, who grew up in plantation-style slavery in Louisiana. He meets Ron and his wife Deborah- Deb is convinced that God is calling her husband to be friends with Denver. You get to see two very different sides of life in this story, but also the unity through faith.


As I read, it was so hard for me to imagine the conditions that Denver lived in- and especially hard to believe that that was how parts of our country still were, just last century. I originally thought the story would be set in the 1800s, not the 1900s.


You could see how God can work to bring people together, people you'd never expect to have anything in common.


The story alternates between the two men's viewpoints and it's interesting to see just how different they are- except in faith.

I received this book for free from Booksneeze in exchange for my honest review.

A Time to Dance by Karen Kingsbury Review

Karen Kingsbury delivers another great family story in A Time to Dance. John and Abby were the "perfect couple" until their marriage began to fall apart. When they gather the family together to announce their separation, their daughter announces that she is getting married- on their anniversary. Not wanting to spoil their daughter's day, John and Abby agree to stay together until after the wedding. But, they begin to wonder if maybe they might be doing the wrong thing.


I've read Kingsbury before, which is why I selected this book from Booksneeze- where bloggers can get books for free in exchange for writing an honest review. She always tells a great story. You can really see and understand the emotions that John and Abby are going through, and how they rely on God to get them through. I will be picking up the next book in this series!

Friendship for Grown-Ups

If you've been around here at all, you've probably had the chance to laugh at some of my attempts at making friends. There's a certain word I use to describe some of the women I've encountered.....


I guess it's a common problem, making friends as an adult.


I had the chance to review Friendship for Grown-ups by Lisa Whelchel through Booksneeze. I love getting free books- all you have to do is review them after you're done reading them. If you are a reader, I highly recommend checking it out!

The former Facts of Life star describes how she had to learn to come out of her shell and trust others. It was by God's grace that she was able to find true friends, but not before she had some painful experiences.


While this is more of a memoir than a how-to book, it was easy to see the lessons that she learned along the way.


I had previously read her Creative Correction book and participated in a Bible Study based off the guide to that book. In addition, I grew up watching Facts of Life, so it was really interesting to read her story.


I could identify with a lot in her book and would recommend it.

It's Either Her or Me Review and Giveaway

It's Either Her or Me: A Guide to Help a Mom and Her Daughter-in-Law Get Along by Ellie Slott Fisher is a book whose title caught my eye. Random House provided me with a copy to read.

Most of you already know that my mil and I get along really well. I'll talk to her on the phone and do things with her and my boys, without Hubs, and enjoy it.


That wasn't always the case, though, so don't be too jealous. I could tell you stories, but I need to get back to the review.


This book gives helpful suggestions for all involved: the mother-in-law, the wife, AND the husband. No, he isn't allowed to bury his head in the sand and let you two fight it out.


Though my time of being a mother-in-law is far off, I need to keep this book around for when it is my turn! Whether you are the mother-in-law or you want some suggestions for dealing with yours, this is a helpful book!


You can buy a copy through Amazon or WIN ONE HERE!


To enter:
*Tell me who you want this book for
*Leave a separate comment if you enter another of my current giveaways



This contest will close on Wednesday, April 14th at 9pm.

This contest is now closed.

Anger: Mama's Going to Explode

It's a dirty little secret that as a mom, you will sometimes get angry with your kids. Angry at what they are doing. You will sometimes feel like you are going to explode.


Just a note before anyone gets too worked up about this topic: I'm talking about normal, able to be controlled anger, not anger that leads to child abuse. So, if you are planning on lecturing me about that, you can give your fingers a rest and skip it.

Who wants to admit to anger? We want to say that we're in control and never lose our cool. That we handle everything with grace and never have any moments when we feel like we're going to lose our minds over the day-to-day goings-ons in our households.

Um, I wish that described how I handled everything.

Another note here: the following scene does describe what happened in my house this weekend. It's not normal behavior for my boys. If it were, I would have run away from home by now.


On Sunday morning, I heard the pitter patter of little feet upstairs in our main living area, which is directly above my bedroom. Looking at my clock and seeing that it was only 6am, I decided not to head right upstairs.




I'd left the tv tuned to the Disney Channel and figured the boys could entertain themselves for a little while. Cub was still sleeping, so I wasn't all that concerned.






About a half hour later, I headed upstairs because I started to hear loud crashes- which turned out to be just my boys running around.








But, oh. The mess.







The horrible, awful mess.






Both boys had their pj shirts off and were COVERED in paint and glitter.






Paint that was on the highest shelf of one of the kitchen cabinets.







That the only way that it could have been reached was by Monkey pushing a chair over to the counter, and climbing up on the counter, standing on his tiptoes, and pulling it down.




They even painted each other's backs.






And then, sat on the couch.





The dining room table was covered, too.








They'd tried to get out juice, too.









Broke the childproof lock on the fridge AGAIN and got out the juice.





Isn't it lucky that the store was having a sale on my favorite blueberry-blackberry juice?(seriously, though buy 2, get 3 free)







The floor was a purple, sticky mess.





They'd also eaten their way through an entire box of cereal bars.





They turned the dishwasher on.






They tried to be helpful and clean themselves up in the bathroom- which resulted in paint on the walls of the bathroom and the throw rugs in there.





Though the paint is washable, the dishwasher wasn't broken, and the floor could be washed, I still lost it.





Yes, they are 5 and 3.5 and probably shouldn't be allowed to be upstairs by themselves for that long- I should have gotten up out of bed- it didn't keep me from turning into flipped-out mommy.







I don't want to be that mom.









The one who SCREAMS at her children and then gives them a sound spanking on their tushes.







For something that was awful and shouldn't have happened, but was still a lot her fault.






After scrubbing the paint off them in the tub, I sent them back to their room while I cleaned up the mess.






And cleaned through teary eyes.





Part of me was crying at the mess. But, it was mostly because I don't want to be a screamer.






It makes me feel like a bad mom all around.







For being a mom whose kids would do something like that in the first place- I must suck as a mom if they'd do that. After all, my friend J's kids would never do something like that.






For screaming at them. I know it scared them. Everyone else handles these situations calmly, don't they?






And yet, when I went down to get them, I found that Monkey had left the room, gone to the laundry room, gotten the detergent, and poured it all over his carpet so that there was a huge blue puddle on the floor.






What did I do? Did I learn my lesson and handle it in any better?





No, not at all.

There's even a book out about this by Julie Ann Barnhill called "She's Going to Blow: Real Help for Moms Dealing With Anger."

The best part about this book was realizing that I'm not the only mom who occasionally feels like there is steam coming out of her ears.

A quick search of Amazon this morning showed me that this is hardly the only book dealing with anger and parenting.

We were discussing this topic in my small group at MOPS a couple years ago and one of the moms in my discussion group(who had FOUR children UNDER 3 at the time) sighed and said, "You know, I get why you hear about shaken baby syndrome. Why a young mom would get that angry and not be able to handle it and just want the baby to shut up for one minute."

There was a stunned silence at our table, as we all processed what she meant.

None of us thought that she was implying that it was okay to shake a baby(or hit a toddler or whatever else you'd do in a moment of anger), but that it's okay to acknowledge that you do occasionally feel that anger and frustration.

It's all about how you choose to deal with that anger.

I'd love to tell you that I've mastered my anger, but from the story about my day, you know I don't have any answers.

I DO love my boys and love being a mom. I think that anger is a normal emotion, though not a pretty one to admit to.

What about you? Do you ever feel like you're going to blow? How do you handle it?

For the love of books

Pics of my new hair cut are in the previous post, in case you're interested.

If you've been around here at all, you probably know that I love to read. And if you're new...well, hi, I like to read. I devour books, always have. Big time bookworm for as long as I can remember.



In case you missed it and are interested, here's my list of Keepers and Stinkers from 2009.







I actually had a long rant started in my drafts about my feelings about Dear John and when I saw this meme from Supahmommy and MommyBrain, I figured I could probably shorten my rant a bit you're welcome and play along. I do have a spoiler later in this post, but I clearly marked it, so you can easily skip it.







Btw, I recently joined goodreads so that I could list the books I read this year- widget is over on the sidebar. If you are on goodreads or join, please add me as a friend so that I can see what you are reading, too!







What are you currently reading? I just finished rereading Dear John and am in desperate need of a trip to the library.







When do you find the time to read? I ignore my kids to read or choose to read instead of doing the dishes or putting away laundry.







Where do you do most of your reading? Out on the deck as long as it's not freezing or on the couch.







How do you choose what you read? Suggestions of others, fav authors, judging a book by its cover, or whatever I have time to swipe from a library shelf before one of my boys has a meltdown







From where do you get most of your books? library because I'm cheap (or GREEN!)







What do you do with a book after you've finished reading it? return it to the library, or pass it on to a friend if I actually bought the book; if I LOVED it, I'll keep it







What are your book (reading) quirks? When I say whether or not a book is "good," I'm not talking about its literary value or the quality of writing or any of those things that I used to evaluate when I was a snobby lit minor. I'm talking about whether I, personally, enjoyed the storyline. Did the story fly by? Did it touch me? Could I relate to the story? Did I like the ending? So, it's a personal thing with me.







For example, I usually ♥ Nicholas Sparks.







He actually lives not that far from me and always has his first book signing of a new book tour at the rinky dink little mall about an hour away from me. I stood in line for 3 hours to get him to sign my books once- with a two month old in tow.







I know that I'll read a story about an amazing love that will touch me and probably make me cry.







I know to expect the sad endings(most of the time they're sad).







And, I'm okay with this.







However, I am NOT okay with the ending of Dear John. With the movie coming out soon, I decided to reread it and see if maybe my opinion would change, but it didn't.







Spoiler alert: if you don't know and don't want to know about the ending of the book. I can't say anything about the ending of the movie, as it hasn't come out yet and you know what they do with book-to-movie adaptations...







Anyway, if you don't want to know, scroll down quickly and leave me a comment with a book that you love so I can go to the library armed with a list. And go link up with Supahmommy and MommyBrain if you want!

SPOILER

Here's my problem with Dear John: at the end, you are left with a couple who is married. The wife loves her husband, but it's more a marriage that just happened due to circumstance and not because she actually is IN love with him. She's IN love with her ex and still thinks about him, wishing things had happened differently. Her husband, who just went through a bout of cancer from which he almost didn't make it, is well aware that his wife would choose to be with her ex if she wasn't so set on honoring her marriage vows, but her heart is really else where. And then there's the ex, who is still in love with the girl that he can never have.







Blech. Awful. Horrible.







What kind of love story is that?







Tragic, I know, but it just leaves me feeling icky.







I don't want to think about people in a marriage where one would rather be with someone else. And the other even knows it. It's just indescribably sad. It doesn't sit well with me at all. It's probably because of how I view marriage.







Yes, I'm sure I'll still see the movie and I'll probably even like the movie.







But, the book...I just can't recommend it.

END OF SPOILER

Check back next Monday for more fabulous bookworm fun!

Looking for a Good Read? Some Keepers and Stinkers

I had several people ask me what I read this past year that was good, of the 99 books I managed to read in '09: 5 books short of my goal.




I do keep track of the books that I read and give them a rating: Keeper, Good, Okay, and then Stinkers.




The majority tend to end up in the "Good" category. I'm not that hard to please.





A lot fall into the "okay" category, too.






For a book to fall into the "Keeper" category, it's a book that I'd actually want to own and reread, instead of just checking out from the library.(I want to thank Carol for telling me that I'm not cheap for using the library, I'm being GREEN. I love that.)





For it to be a "stinker," it has to really stink. Otherwise, I give it some benefit of the doubt and let it go in the "okay" category.









This is just of the books I read in '09, so it's not a "best of EVER" list, but here are the books that I read last year that I consider KEEPERS.









You should also note that this is just pleasure reading for the most part, so if it's lighter and fluffier than your tastes, I apologize. I did used to be a lit. minor and I know I should scoff at some of these books, but I can't help it: they're FUN.









Between, Georgia by Joshilyn Jackson: I LOVED this book. There are some truly memorable characters in it. It made me think, it made me cry(just a little), and it made me smile.









Will You Be There? by Buillaume Musso: this was a translation and I really thought that I wouldn't like it for some reason, but not only was it a keeper, but it was one of my favorite keepers. HOWEVER, there is a very slow build up to this one- stick with it until the point where Eliot tells his younger self why Ilena dies(no, this isn't a spoiler, you know from the start that she died).









What I Did For Love by Susan Elizabeth Phillips: again, probably one of my top favs, because it was just so much fun.









The Help by Katherine Stockett: I read this for book club and was surprised by just how much I loved this book. Usually, if a book gets rave reviews, I end up disappointed, but I loved this one! And, if you are trying to curb your appetite for chocolate cake, go read this book and it will cure you.









Some groupings of books that are also good:




Return to Summerhouse and Lavender Morning by Jude Deveraux : you don't have to read The Summerhouse to read the return, though I highly recommend it. The first one was one of my favorite books, ever.









By Nicholas Sparks: whom I once stalked and waited in line for 3 hours to have him sign my books and get a pic taken with him...with my 2 month-old in tow. I didn't read all his books this year, but of the ones that I did read, these are the ones that are keepers: Nights in Rodanthe, The Last Song, and The Notebook. I really need to reread Dear John, as it was on my stinkers list in a previous year, but I know that I let my personal feelings with the storyline get in the way of the quality of the story.









I did read all of Jodi Piccoult's books this year(some were a reread). Of those, these were the ones that were Keepers: Second Glance, Perfect Match, Vanishing Acts, Handle With Care, and My Sister's Keeper(do NOT getting me going on the terrible, horrible changes that were made from book to movie. It's a good thing I was warned about this ahead of time and didn't go see it in the theater, unknowing, because I would have pitched my popcorn at the screen while everyone else looked at me like I was crazy).

On the suggestion of a friend, I read the Blackbird Sisters Mysteries Series by Nancy Martin and I did enjoy it. Some of the books were keepers and some were just "good," but if you like cozies, I'd recommend them.

I did read the Twilight series this year, but didn't rate them all as keepers. Some, but not all. Should I be scared of some of you for that?

I reread all the Harry Potter books and still love them, too. You want to see magic? I saw these books make middle schoolers who claimed they didn't like to read voluntarily choose to read a book that was 800+ pages. That's magic.






Now, for the Stinkers.







There's only a few. Like I said, a lot tend to fall in the middle for me and I usually find something redeeming in a book. But, in these, nope, sorry, didn't happen.







The Return: Nightfall by L.J. Smith I LOVED The Vampire Diaries when they came out in the early 90s. LOVED them. But, this book came out last year, I guess to try to benefit from the Twilight-craze. However, it failed miserably. The first books(actually, the first 3- the 4th was a little questionable...) were great love stories. But, this just went off the darkside deep end. Not to mention that the author tries to pretend like the story is happening right after the ones from the 90s...and it just doesn't work at all. Not going to read any more if they come out. This actually breaks my heart, since I LOVED these books as a 14 year-old.







Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout Here's what I wrote about it right after I finished this one: No, no, no, do not waste your time. This book has gotten good literary reviews, but for the average reader: slow and depressing and even uninteresting at times. Not even sad in a make-you-have-a-good-cry sort of way, just flat out depressing.





The Glass Castle by Jeanenette Walls I know this is a controversial choice, because not only do the reviewers love it, but so do most people I know. To me, it's just depressing and makes me so angry. I wouldn't have finished it had it not been for book club.





Barefoot by Elin Hilderbrand Yeah, so you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but this one's cover made me think I'd love this book. Three girls standing on the beach, jeans rolled up, barefoot, big towel around the 3 of them. I don't really even remember much about this book, other than I rated it a stinker and since I only rated 4 books out of 99 this year as stinkers, that has to say something.







So, there you have it. My keepers and stinker for '09.







Do you have any to add to my lists?



Any books you suggest I read? (aiming a little lower this year- 52 books)



Any I should stay away from?




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