Emotional, Endearing : Eternal on the Water

16, February 2010 by ·

Wow.

It’s not everyday that I can begin a book review with that word.

eternal on the water reviewThis morning I finished reading the latest release from Joseph Monninger, “Eternal on the Water”.

Wow.

That’s right, I am almost completely speechless. I worry that the words I use to describe this book will not do it justice. This book that is part The Notebook,, part Mr. Hollands Opus, and part Romeo and Juliet.

A love story that is based on Yeti love. Being in a universe, on a continent, in a country, in a state, in a county, on a river, in a small yellow boat. All of these things had to happen in order for Mary Fury and Jonathan Cobb to meet and fall in love.

The love story that transcends borders. Beginning on a river in Maine, to Indonesia, to Yellowstone and back. Their love was so sudden and so right, that they would follow each other anywhere and promise each other anything.

When Mary’s life takes a turn, she vows to bow out gracefully on the river she loves and where they fell in love. She makes Cobb promise that they will return together for one last farewell.

I began crying on page 325 and didn’t stop for 30 minutes after the last page was read.

By far my favorite passage in this book.. “..We don’t fear birth, so why do we fear death so much? No one knows where we were before we came into the world. After we leave the world, we’ll be okay, too.”

Inspiring, emotional, endearing. Three simple words to describe this book.

Because this book touched in a way that not many books have, I want to share it with you, my readers.
I am giving away my copy of Eternal on the Water for your reading pleasure.

To enter you MUST:

  • Leave a comment with your favorite love story.

Extra entries:

  • Link to this blog on your own site
  • Follow through Google Friend Connect
  • Subscribe to this blog

The contest will end February 24th at 3pm EST *Open to US residents only*

“Pedal down, live it all.”

This book can be purchased at Amazon.com

*Disclosure: I received an ARC of this book for review from Simon & Schuster.*

Filed Under: Books, Giveaways · Tagged With: , ,

A Storytime Friend

31, January 2010 by ·

I’m always on the lookout for great gift ideas that I can use for my kids or the many kids birthday party’s we are invited to. I strive to make it something that they can enjoy for longer than just a few months, adaptability is must have feature.

That’s why I love My Storytime Friends.

Not only will the recipient get an adorable, cuddly teddy bear (which comes in 6 different colors), they will also receive a 32-page hardcover story book.

But the gift doesn’t end there! Attached to each box is a special code that gains you lifetime access to new stories and activities every month on MyStorytimeFriends.com for FREE!

The lifetime membership includes:

  • Narrated online flip-book version of the Book of the Month
  • Printable colored PDF copies of each Book of the Month story plus black and white versions for coloring. Hardcover copies of the books are available to members for just $6.95 with free shipping included.
  • Access to educational, interactive activities on MyStorytimeFriends.com as well as additional offline activities for children and workbooks for parents.
  • Audio-book version of each story that can be uploaded to an iPod or iPhone.

Not only that but kids can visit the “Newstand” to see what their Storytime Friends are up to between books, they can email their favorite characters at the “Post Office” (and get responses), and the online store features fun accessories and outfits that you can purchase.

My favorite feature are the narrated flip-books. My daughter absolutely loves “reading” along.

Check out our Whrrl story about our bear box!

More check-ins at Kelley home
Powered by Whrrl

And GUESS WHAT!?! You have the chance to win your very own kit!

TO ENTER YOU MUST COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING:

  • Go to the My Storytime Friends online store and leave a comment telling me which outfit you think is the cutest. :)

Extra entries (please leave a separate comment for each):

  • Follow this blog on Google Friend Connect
  • Subscribe by email or RSS (you can do both but it only counts as one entry)
  • Add my button to your blog/site
  • Tweet about this contest using:

@MadHatterMom is giving away a My Storytime Friends Kit!! http://bit.ly/bAvrmr

CONTEST ENDS FEB. 8TH AT 3PM EST

GOOD LUCK!

*Disclosure: I received the above kit for free in order to review and host this giveaway.*>

Filed Under: Books, Giveaways, Kids, Reviews ·

The Choice is the book

28, January 2010 by · 1 Comment

When I was asked if I wanted to join this blog tour, I hesitated.

I’m super interested in the Amish culture but I thought the book was just going to be a run of the mill romance. Girl loves boy, boy messes up, girl forgives boy, and they live happily ever after.

Thankfully, my curiosity won out and I signed up. Boy am I glad I did!

Suzanne writes a book that is filled with LIFE!

In The Choice you follow the story of Carrie Weaver as she struggles to balance picking up the pieces of her broken heart and finding her way in her Amish faith.

“A tender story of love, forgiveness, and looking below the surface, The Choice uncovers the sweet simplicity of the Amish world-and shows that it’s never too late to find your way back to God.”

If you are looking for a sweet love story that throws a few monkey wrenches at you just when you think you have it figured out, then this is the book for you!

*Warning* This is book one of a new series that Suzanne is writing. Prepare to be hooked!

Sadly, I don’t have a copy to give away BUT that doesn’t mean you still can’t win one.

Enter to win a signed copy of the book! All you have to do is Tweet this:

Psst… pass it on! Join @suzannewfisher for a Book Bomb & Author Talk! Details here http://ow.ly/W84r #thechoice

Also, join the author, Suzanne Woods Fisher, for Author Talk, a LIVE Chat, on Monday, February 15th at 8PM EST for an evening of chatter and fun!

This event acts as the closing ceremony for the BLOG TOUR.

You can hear the story behind The Choice, win some great prizes (Amish cook books, Auntie Anne’s Pretzel gift certificates, Amazon gift certificates), get a sneak peak at her upcoming releases, and join in the chatter! Suzanne will be answering all your burning questions and asking a few of her own. (oh, and hint, hint. Be sure check out Suzanne’s website www.suzannewoodsfisher.com before the party – the answers to the trivia contests can ALL be found on there!)

To participate, simply head to the EVENT PAGE on the 15th, 8 pm EST (7 pm CST, 6 pm MST, 5 pm PST) and join in the conversation. We’ll use the Event Wall to chat (just hit refresh to keep up with the current conversation) and we’ll post all the info and trivia questions in the Description section.

Also – Suzanne will be making a fun announcement about something she’s launching this spring. You won’t want to miss it!Book Bomb and Author's Talk with Suzanne Woods Fisher

*Disclosure: Book received free of charge for participation in blog tour.*

Filed Under: Books, Reviews · Tagged With: ,

Beyond the Attractions

14, January 2010 by ·

Oh, I wish I would have had this book in December!

Beyond the Attractions by Lisa Bauttista is a necessity if you are planning a trip to Disney World with your children.

From what to pack and where to stay to the best places to meet characters, this is the best guide to Disney World with preschoolers.

I tried to do a lot of research before we went on our vacation in December but I learned a lot from this book. So much in fact that I am now kicking myself for not doing some things I read about and I am eagerly awaiting our next visit which sadly won’t be anytime soon.

In addition to 12 chapters covering every aspect of the parks there are also 7 quick reference appendices that cover resort playgrounds/pools, dining and recreation rates, must-do lists and more.

Here is just one of the many tips that you can find in the book:

“Groceries. Depending on your accommodations, you may wish to purchase groceries to prepare simple meals. There are local delivery services that will deliver groceries to your Walt Disney World hotel (see Appendix A). The bell stands have the capability to refrigerate perishable groceries until your arrival. Additionally, you can ship non-perishables to your hotel. Contact your hotel for specifics on holding and delivering the groceries to your room.”

And again, this is just the tip of the iceberg! There are some really cool things that I don’t want to tell you about because I don’t want too many people to know about them. :) So if you want to know all the ins and outs of Disney World with preschools then buy this book!

Of course, what’s better than going to Disney World? Winning Beyond the Attractions!

That’s right, special thanks to the author, Lisa Bauttista, for supplying one lucky reader with their own copy of the book!

I’m going to make this easy. There will be 1 mandatory entry and 3 extra entries. If the mandatory entry is not complete, the extra entries will not count.

MANDATORY:

  1. Visit www.BeyondtheAttractions.com and leave a comment listing one of the updates that was made to this version of the book.

EXTRA ENTRIES:

  1. Subscribe to this blog.
  2. Follow this blog on Google Friend Connect.
  3. Add my button to your blog/site.

You must be at least 18yrs of age and only one entry (per method) per household. The contest will end on January 25th at 3pm EST. The winner will be notified by email (make sure to use a valid email when leaving a comment) and have 48 hrs to respond or a new winner will be chosen. *Please see my “Policies” page for further rules*

Beyond the Attractions Pick

GOOD LUCK!

*Disclosure: I received Beyond the Attractions for free in exchange for my opinion of the book and hosting this giveaway.*

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Out with the old….

5, January 2010 by · 1 Comment

In with the books!

One of my new year’s resolutions is to read more. I have had a love for books since I was 4 years old.

For whatever reason reading came easy for me. I basically taught myself and at times would run out of things to read so I would end up reading encyclopedias or the Bible. The nice thing is this would clue my mom into the fact that it was time to make the trip to our local library again.

Sadly, as I got older and my life became more chaotic my free time for reading went out the window. Sure I was still able to fit in a few books a year while taking advantage of the only quiet time I could acquire, (mostly in the bathroom, :) )but that was nothing compared to the 5 books a week I was used to.

So, this year I shall strive to get my literary butt in gear!

Thanks to the fine people at B & B Media, I was given a couple of great books and although I actually read them “last” year, I’m going to post my reviews now in the hopes that it jumps starts me.

First up is the latest novel by Kimberly Stuart. Stretch Marks is the witty, romantic story of Mia Rathburn. Mia is a twenty-something living in Chicago with her boyfriend, Lars, who doesn’t believe in marriage but isn’t opposed to spending his life with Mia. Mia feels much the same way; until she gets pregnant.

When Lars freaks and takes off Mia is left to adjust to the thought of single parenthood when her estranged cruise ship hostess mother, Babs, sweeps into town to help.

What I loved about this book was the evolution of the relationships within. When you can relate to the characters and understand exactly what they are going through, THAT’s when the book hits home.

Stretch Marks touches on the topics of divorce, sex outside of marriage and single parenthood. But perhaps the most important topic is that of a community family. It really hits the importance of  having a community support around you during pregnancy and motherhood.

I could go on and on about this book, (i.e. Adam,) but I don’t want to give too much away. Let me just say that it was easy to read and I found myself carrying it with me every where just to fit in a few more pages.  Put his on your to-be read list for 2010!

This book receives:

4.5 out of 5 Mad Hatter Hats

This book can be purchased at:

*Disclosure: I received Stretch Marks for free in exchange for my opinion of the book.*
photo credit: a440

Filed Under: Books, Reviews · Tagged With: ,

Lost in Lost Mission a Book Review

20, November 2009 by ·

So I have to be honest with you. I’m a bit late posting this book review.

Technically.

It’s due today but it’s now night time and I should have had it done by this morning.

“What’s the deal?” You may ask.

Well, the only excuse I have is that I was trying to finish the book because I wanted to see how it ended.

LostMissionBookLost Mission by Athol Dickson weaves such a great tale that I quite literally didn’t think I would do this book review justice if I didn’t finish the book. Then I realized that it may just be a good thing if I didn’t finish because I may give the ending away! And that, I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself for.

As many of you know I take my book reviews VERY SERIOUS. I am an avid reader, so when I got the chance to work with Howard Book (a division of Simon and Schuster) I was thrilled! Show me a reader that wouldn’t give their right arm to review new books and I’ll show you a..well I don’t know what I’d show you, but it wouldn’t be pretty!

Lost Mission is, in my opinion, a book about the corruption of our society. Of the spiritual need that Christianity is no longer adequately fulfilling. Athol Dickson touches on some very hard hitting topics in this book such as illegal immigration, international relations and personal choices affecting multiple generations. And how, essentially and sadly, our churches are falling victim to the Babylon which our society has become.

Lost Mission follows the life of a young Mexican shop owner named Lupe de la Garza. Lupe leaves her small mountainside village to make the perilous journey across the border to the United States. She is guided by her villages most prized possession, an alterpiece painted by a Franciscan friar from the 18th century who actually founded her village.

Now I’m going to warn you. When you first start the book you will get a little confused. Athol goes back and forth from the present day to the eighteenth century to  give you a glimpse of the kind of man the Franciscan friar was, and what he went through. But he also has just a great gift in segueing between the two. The two stories, though centuries apart, mirror each other which makes it that much more intriguing.

Obviously, I enjoyed the book so far. I still have a couple chapters left to read, but I don’t anticipate my opinion changing at all.

So my rating is based on what I HAVE read of the book..

3.5 out of 5

3.5 out of 5

Help spread the word about Lost Mission and you could win an autographed copy of one of Athol Dickson’s books. (Winner’s Choice.)

All you have to do is tweet one of the following.

Tweet 4 words that describe Athol Dickson’s #LostMission along with this link: http://tr.im/BPD1

Or

Athol Dickson’s redemptive tale #LostMission is a MUST read! Gripping story about mistakes and miracles! http://tr.im/BPD1

You will be contacted through twitter if you win!

*Disclosure: In exchange for my honest opinion of the book LitFuse Publicity Group provided me with this book*

Filed Under: Books, Reviews · Tagged With: , , ,
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