Book Addicts Unite

God's Little Princess Devotional Bible

2009-07-06T08:24:00.000-07:00

The cover of this devotional Bible has a plastic jeweled tiara on the front and it really drew my 4 year old (4 yrs, 11 months) niece in. The God’s Little Princess Devotional Bible is written by Sheila Walsh and published by Thomas Nelson.

It starts with the encouraging statement "Every girl is a princess, the daughter of a King... the greatest King who created and rules over everything." Also, the pages at the beginning make it easy to personalize with the name of the giver, receiver and date. My niece had me change the occasion field to be for the names of her pets who witnessed the presentation of the gift.

The Scriptures are taken from the International Children's Bible. The devotions give the Bible references and teach about a person or principle in the Bible.

Along with the Scripture, are features such as scripture memory, tips on being beautiful on the inside, skits, songs to sing, teaching manners and values. The illustrations next to the features are adorable and remind me of those in the book “Fancy Nancy”.

Each story and the related pages are color-coded which makes it really easy to find the beginning of the story. My niece referred to the stories by their colors.

Unfortunately, even edited snippets of a children’s Bible is difficult for a mature 4 year old to understand. I wish that each story had a question and answer part. I think this book would be better suited for a 6-7 year old.

All in all, it is good Bible for a little girl 6-7 years old. You can find it for purchase on Amazon and other sites for about $3-12.00.

Thomas Nelson provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Review of The Noticer by Andy Andrews

2009-06-01T18:29:00.000-07:00

I was given an opportunity to review this book as part of Thomas Nelson's Book Review Blogger Program, of which I'm a member.

The book centers around a man named "Jones" who steps in and out of people's lives, encouraging them to notice the positive and to make changes in their lives. These stories are miracle stories; marriages are saved, lives changed, businesses created, children inspired.

Here were my favorite quotes:

"Think with me here...everybody wants to be on the mountaintop, but if you'll remember, mountaintops are rocky and cold. There is no growth on the top of a mountain. Sure, the view is great, but what's a view for? A view just gives us a glimpse of our next destination--our next target. But to hit that target, we must come off the mountain, go through the valley, and begin to climb the next slope. It is in the valley that we slog through the lush grass and rich soil, learning and becoming what enables us to summit life's next peak." - page 8

"By reading about the lives of great people, you can unlock the secrets to what made them great." - page 9

“A true friend holds you to a higher standard. A true friend brings out the best in you.” - page 30

"I think it's amazing," Jones answered, "that a person could lose everything, chasing nothing." - page 49

"It's time to stop letting your history control your destiny." - page 51

The way we feel love is generally the way we express love. But the person we love may feel love differently (saying “I love you” as opposed to doing acts of kindness). If we don’t know how they receive love and express love in that language they will believe we don’t really love them. This was very similar to Gary Chapman's The Five Love Languages, but Andrews offered no credit.
Words of approval - like dogs
Favors and deeds - like fish
Physical contact - like cats
Quality time - like birds

What is very confusing is the connected campaign: “The Noticer Project: A Movement to “Notice” the Five Most Important People in Your Life.” Think of five people who have impacted your life and write a note of appreciation - on the website, of course. I kept looking for Jones to point these people to the others who influenced their lives. It wasn't there.

The Noticer has vague references to faith and prayer, but no guidance as to a need to accept Jesus Christ as Savior. Most of the perspectives spoke by Jones in The Noticer line up with biblical truth. However, readers who don't know that when they start the book won't know it when they're finished either. They'll just think it's warm, fuzzy, and "spiritual." The Noticer espouses "pulling yourself up by your own bootstraps" mentality. No where is there any persuasion to depend on Christ, to completely cast all your cares upon Him.

I expected more from a Christian publisher like Thomas Nelson.

Although I enjoyed most of the little stories, it wasn't a page turner. I suppose this would make a good gift to place in a hospital room, waiting room, or to read on a plane or a trip but not a book that should be on everyone's bookshelves.

Addicted to Books?

2005-10-20T10:19:00.000-07:00

They say when you overcome one addiction, a new one pops up to take its place. Uh-oh. I just found another one. It's not in the dictionary, but it's everywhere else I look, quite literally: I'm a bookaholic. (If books aren't your weakness, substitute the word shoes or chocolate for any of the examples below.)

Nearly a century ago, writer Ellen Thompson quipped, "My home is where my books are." Oh, I get that. The first thing I look for in a new house? Built-in bookshelves. The last piece of furniture I bought? Bookshelves. The teensy bathroom in my office has a 12-inch sink, but don't you love those 36-inch bookshelves?

There are nicer words for my addiction: bibliophile, a person who loves or collects books; or bluestocking, a woman with literary interests. But bookaholic tells it like it is. I crave books. Inhale books. Am miserable if I get stuck somewhere without one. Have books hidden all over the house. Carry one in my glove compartment for emergencies.

Can one indulge in book buying without losing control? And how many books are too many? Consider the following warning signs.

You may be a bookaholic if you:

Buy a book, take it home, then discover you already own it.
Read ten chapters of a book, then realize you've already read it.
Seldom go more than two weeks without a bookstore "fix."
Carry frequent-reader cards for two or more bookstore chains.
Cannot visit a bookstore without buying something.
Have activated the "1-Click Ordering" option on Amazon.com.
Know what a TBR stack is. ("To Be Read." My stack is scary.)

There are lesser indicators, of course. If, at yard sales, you visit the book table first, reasoning, Hey, they're only 25 cents!, that's a telltale sign. Being a member of three book clubs could be a hint. Or maybe you tossed popcorn at the screen during the movie Sense and Sensibility when Fanny Dashwood said, "I have never liked the smell of books." Honestly!

I'm beginning to think bookaholism might run in families. When two of my relatives traveled hundreds of miles to visit me one summer, did we admire local landmarks? Go on a picnic? Drive through horse country? Nooo. I took them to my favorite used bookstore, and they loved it. Not hereditary, this obsession, but mighty close.

What's a book-loving girl to do? Set up some boundaries. Here are mine:

I can't buy a new book until I finish reading three books I already own.
I've renewed my library card. (For me, owning books is the problem, so this is a good discipline. So is the due date.)
I've donated old books (or ones I won't get to for 20 years) to a local library.

Is it silly to worry about being "addicted" to buying books? Yes. And no. Any pleasure that becomes a must-have has the potential to hurt us practically and spiritually.

But books have a redeeming quality few other passions can boast: A book opened the door of my heart to God's lovingkindness. When two friends said, "Read this," and pointed me to C.S. Lewis's Mere Christianity, I did—and the insights I found among those pages changed my thinking completely.

And when Lewis pointed me to the Bible—God's living, written Word—the timeless truths I discovered in that Good Book changed my life forever. That's something shoe shopping, chocolate, or any other temporal pleasure can't begin to accomplish.

For those of us who love to read, it's comforting to know God meets his people across the printed page. That's one "daily fix" we can enjoy without apology.

Review: The Proper Care and Feeding of Husbands

2004-01-04T10:13:00.000-08:00

Dr Laura's book is sure to be controversial but for wives who are willing to do whatever it takes to make their marriages work, this book has the answers. Dr Laura tells it as it is as she explains a wife holds the keys to making her husband happy and her marriage successful if she will honor and respect her husband and give him attention and affection.

My husband gave me this book last week because he knew I had started reading books on how to be a better wife and I was already a fan of Dr Laura's books. I imagine that if a wife was a feminist or not ready to make sacrifices for her husband then giving her this book would not help. I recently gave up my business to concentrate on my family and was primed for what this book had to teach.

Men who read this will likely get their feelings validated. Some might possibly be insulted though by Dr Laura's assertion, "Men are borne of women and spend the rest of their lives yearning for a woman's acceptance and approval...men admittedly are putty in the hands of a woman they love. Give him direct communication, respect, appreciation, food and good lovin', and he'll do just about anything you wish...You basic male is a decent creature with simple desires: to be his wife's hero, to be his wife's dream lover, to be the protector and provider for his family, to be respected, admired and apprecaited. Men live to make their women happy.

Though Dr Laura is Jewish, "The Proper Care and Feeding of Husbands" makes many the same points as conservative Christian marriage books such as "Liberated Through Submission", "Finding the Hero in Your Husband", "Joy of a Promise Kept", "His Needs, Her Needs" and the secular book "The Surrendered Wife".

The body of book is about 1/3 quotes from radio conversations with listeners and emails that Dr Laura has gotten. The heartfelt quotes from husbands drive home the points made. Dr Laura teaches that a good wife with her actions makes her husband the #1 priority in her life, clearly before both her job, parents, friends and even children. She tells women not to nag or mother this husbands because "If a man can't find peace in his own home, where he should be able to feel relaxed, accepted, loved, and content, he beings to hate coming home"

Dr Laura teaches that feminism has lied in claiming "men will oppress; they are the enemy; do not submit; terminate or donate." She condems the feminist movement "which supports personal success, acquisition, accomplishment amd power...over love, marriage and family."

I've read several criticisms of Dr Laura's position that it is a wife needs to meet her husband's sexual needs even when she's not in the mood. Dr Laura compares it to how irresponsible it would be for a husband to not go to work just because he's too tired or doesn't feel like it. If a wife still doesn't understand the reason behind her obligation, there are other books that cover this issue more thoroughly such as "Understanding the Purpose and Power of a Woman", "Making Sense Of The Men In Your Life" and "Sacred Sex: A Spiritual Celebration of Oneness in Marriage".

This is not a book for wives whose husbands are abusive but if you have a decent, hardworking husband husband and are willing to be unselfish and honor your marriage vows, "The Proper Care and Feeding of Husbands" will motivate you to be a great wife.