Drastic Changes at A Bookish Mom..

Well, guys... I know that I have been mostly off for a while. I have some updates and then we'll get on to the big news.

My son finished testing with his therapist. He is brilliant! He is 11 and is testing on a college freshman grade level. He had no score lower than a 12.4 grade level. I am beaming. His IQ is 140 (mine is 127 and the hubs is 130. We are currently trying to find a new school that will challenge him .

Unfortunately, with the good news comes the bad. He has overfocused AdHd, Hyperactive ADHD, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), he is manic and suffers from Major depressive disorder. Poor thing has a lot going on. With the final test results we will beable to get him the help he needs.

As you can tell I have had A LOT going on. With that being said I have the most wonderful book that I will tell you about on Monday. It has made my Life TONS easier In just A WEEK!

The Amazing Jessica at the Frilly Coconut (you can see her button on my side bar) is redesigning A Bookish Mom for me! Can't wait for that. She does great work.

*now for the BIG NEWS*

A Bookish Mom Will be going completely Christian.

I am a Christian saved by God's Amazing grace. Lately God has been convicting me over the secular books that I read (among a million other things). I will now only be reviewing Christian books for various ages. I will still do product reviews and giveaways.

I realize that some of you might want to stop following with this change, and I understand. Not everyone believes the same as I. I as just following my convictions. I hope that you will all join me in this new adventure.

God Bless.

Jennie

First Look: Spring Breakdown by Melody Carlson

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

Today's Wild Card author is:

Melody Carlson

and the book:

Spring Breakdown (Carter House Girls)

Zondervan (February 1, 2010)

***Special thanks to Bridgette Brooks of ZONDERKIDZ for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Melody Carlson has written more than 200 books for teens, women, and children. Before publishing, Melody traveled around the world, volunteered in teen ministry, taught preschool, raised two sons, and worked briefly in interior design and later in international adoption. "I think real-life experiences inspire the best friction," she says. Her wide variety of books seems to prove this theory.

Visit the author's website.

Product Details:

List Price: $9.99
Reading level: Young Adult
Paperback: 208 pages
Publisher: Zondervan (February 1, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 031071494X
ISBN-13: 978-0310714941

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER: Just press the button!

Z

Browse Inside

Browse

Info

Add

My Opinion!

I think this is the 7th book in the series, and with as much as I hate jumping into the middle, I loved This one!

Spring breakdown is a great Christian YA read that also teaches very important lessons to teen readers like never giving out personal info when traveling (which every teen needs). Oh my the heart attack I would have had if I were one of Eliza's friends! Still, I remember being that careless as a teen.

I did feel the ending was kind of rushed. I wanted less jealously and cattiness and more... well I wont tell you what happens at the end. Very High Drama.

5 stars! I can't wait to read the rest of the books! If they are half this good then my children will devour them.. Maybe I can get som chores out of them for trade!

Misadventures at the Bookish House...

Hello everyone! I thought I would share some of my misadventures with you this week. It has been Quite and experience.

First off... My washing machine broke on Sunday morning...with my church clothes in it! So, I get on the old internet and go to the whirlpool website to check it out. I have to call for service, and guess what my warranty expired 6 months ago! All is not lost... God really provided! The service call is free. It is a bad sensor that was on recall! So I am getting it fixed for free PRAISE THE LORD!

On a darker note: My 13 year old daughter started her first period Sunday afternoon! In the Middle of walmart. So here I am 28 years old and clueless on how to raise a teen... and now this adds extra worries like : Teen Pregnancy and raising grand babies.... No, My 13 year old is not sexually active...She has never even had a boyfriend yet. But one day she will, and she will be "in Love" and "curious" So.. Chasity belts all around.

I can feel the gray hairs forming... lurking beneath my scalp ready to spring!

FIRST LOOK:Screen Play by Chris Coppernoll

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

Today's Wild Card author is:

Chris Coppernoll

and the book:

Screen Play

David C. Cook; New edition (January 1, 2010)

***Special thanks to Audra Jennings of The B&B Media Group for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Chris Coppernoll has authored six books including A Beautiful Fall and Providence. A national speaker to singles, Chris is also the founder of Soul2Soul, a syndicated radio program airing on 800 outlets in 20 countries. Chris holds a Masters degree from Rockbridge Seminary and resides outside Nashville, Tennessee.

Visit the author's website.

Screen Play, by Chris Coppernoll from David C. Cook on Vimeo.

Product Details:

List Price: $14.99
Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: David C. Cook; New edition (January 1, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1434764826
ISBN-13: 978-1434764829

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:

I absolutely had to be in New York by 1:30 p.m. Did my life depend upon it? Yes, as a matter of fact, it did. Just the thought of calling Ben or Avril with bad news from O’Hare churned my stomach and made my face prickle with a dizzying fear. I joined a sea of travelers bundled in parkas, hoods, hats, and gloves; they stretched out in front of me, pressing in and wresting me through a queue of red velvet theater ropes.


All of Chicago wanted to flee the blizzard they’d awakened to. Sometime after midnight the sky exploded with snowflakes. Icy white parachutists fell from their celestial perch as innocently as doves. The year’s last snowstorm tucked the city in with a white blanket knitted through the long winter’s night.


When I reached the American Airlines check-in, I hoisted one of my two black canvas bags onto the scale for the ticket agent.


“Harper Gray?” she asked, confirming my reservation.


“Yes.”


She returned my driver’s license, dropping her gaze to the workstation and tapping my information into the system. At the kiosk next to me, a large Texan with a silver rodeo buckle typed on his iPhone with his thumbs, mumbling something about checking the weather in Dallas.


Computers, I thought. What don’t we use them for?


It was obvious how many of my fellow travelers were heading somewhere for the New Year’s Eve festivities. I couldn’t help but eavesdrop on a cluster of merry college students reveling in their Christmas

break. They joked and chattered, mentioning Times Square, unbothered by long lines or the imminent threat of weather delays. At thirty, almost thirty-one, I could no longer relate to their carefree lifestyle. Too much water under the bridge, most of it dark and all of it numbing.


“Here you are,” the ticket agent said, handing me a boarding pass still warm from the printer. I fumbled with my things, stuffing my photo ID into my wallet as a mother and her young son squeezed in next to me. The crowd current swept me away from the ticket counter, denying me a chance to ask the agent the one question I most wanted answered.


Is anyone flying out of here this morning?


I rolled my carry-on through the main concourse. I’d used the small black Samsonite for so many trips, I thought the airlines should paste labels on it like an old vaudevillian’s steamer trunk. A row of display monitors hung from a galvanized pipe, cobalt blue icicles glowing all the brighter in the dark and windowless hallway. I joined a beleaguered crowd of gawkers studying the departure screens. Their collective moans of frustration confirmed what I already knew. My flight—indeed, all flights out of O’Hare—was:


DELAYED


I pinched my eyes shut. This was not what I needed. Not today, not today of all days. I absolutely had to be in New York by 1:30 p.m. Did my life depend upon it? Yes, as a matter of fact, it did.


©2010 Cook Communications Ministries. Screen Play by Chris Coppernoll. Used with permission. May not be further reproduced. All rights reserved.

My Opinion:

Guys I received this book Friday evening in the mail. I am still reading it and I will give my full opinion tomorrow when I finish it. I can tell you that so far... It is a fantastic story of fully relying on God.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Count Your Blessings

Book Info:

Chicken Soup for the Soul, November 2009

Trade Paperback, 416 pages

ISBN-10: 1935096427

ISBN-13: 9781935096429

Synopsis:

This follow-on book to Tough Times, Tough People continues Chicken Soup for the Soul's focus on inspiration and hope in these difficult times. These inspirational stories remind us that each day holds something to be thankful for - whether it is having the sun shine or having food on the table. Power outages and storms, health scares and illnesses, job woes and financial insecurities, housing challenges and family worries test us all. But there is always a silver lining. These stories of optimism, faith, and strength remind us of the simple pleasures of family, home, health, and inexpensive good times.

My Opinion:

I have been a big fan of the Chicken Soup... books since my best friend committed suicide in 1998. They have always been such a comfort and this one is no different.

Count Your Blessings is filled with inspiring and soul soothing stories that can ground you in turbulent times. From stories that inspire awe to those that cause the tears to roll... There are stories for everyone in this great collection.

It was an absolute emotional read that I loved. If you are looking for a great in between or weekend read...look no further! This one made time fly for me and when I finished reading it I was looking forward to the next one.


5 Stars.

New Giveaways are up!

Time to start the new year off with a bang! Check out the side bar we have 4 new giveaways up with more to come!

Giveaway and review! Points of Power by Yolanda Adams with Lavaille Lavette

Synopsis:

Over five million listeners tune in to hear Yolanda Adams's Points of Power, a segment in her daily radio show that inspires people by applying biblical truths to present-day realities. In her first book, Yolanda Adams transfers that winning segment into a reader's delight. In this highly accessible manual for daily living, she shares stories from her and others's personal experiences, showing readers how to access God's love and grace in their modern world and troubles. By revealing how Yolanda and other human beings have transcended the world's difficulties, POINTS OF POWER empowers readers to face trouble with confidence in the God who never fails.

My Opinion:

Points of power is a very impressive book. I had never heard of Yolanda Adams before this book. I have been missing out on a blessing!

Power Points is a great book that takes anecdotes, bible verses, prayer, and Pensive Points to show you how to understand and practice important points in Christian living.

God wants us to be successful, happy, and victorious in life. He has given us the power to change our lives. This book helps reinforce that while showing us a few steps to help get us there!

Want to win your own copy?

The Marvelous Valerie @ Hachette Book Group has offered 5 copies of the book for grabs!

Rules: Giveaway is open to U.S. residents only. Giveaway will run from Jan. 11, 2010 through Jan. 18, 2010. please leave an email address with your comment so I can contact you if you win. If I can not reach the winner a new one will be chosen. Winner will have 48 hours to contact me with their mailing info. If they do not reach me in that time frame a new winner will be chosen.

Required Entry: *this must be done before all other entries count*

Leave a comment telling me what you are excited about for this new year.

Extra Entries: *Please leave separate comments for each entry*

Follow me here and /or at Inspired to Lose (both for extra 3 entries)

Subscribe to my feed or by email

Blog this Giveaway and link to A Bookish Mom

Follow on Twitter and Tweet it!


Good luck to all....

Review and GIVEAWAY! Tropical Traditions Organic Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil

If you are an active giveaway seeker like myself, you have seen a lot of buzz on Tropical Traditions Virgin Coconut Oil lately. I was so curious that I active sought out the company to request a review sample. Tropical Traditions provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.

Now, I don't fry foods. I bake everything from french fries to chicken strips. If it is usually fried.... I bake it. Most oils heavy such a heavy flavor and the calories and fat content are insane. That is why I was so interested in Tropical Traditions Virgin Coconut Oils. I had done a lot of research online and was very interested in the health benefits from organic coconut oil.

As soon as the box arrived at the door I was ready to cook. The first thing I made was a simple chicken breast lightly fried in the Virgin Coconut Oil. It was phenomenal! It had a very light taste with a fleeting hint of coconut. It was the most delicious chicken I have ever made. The chicken didn't have a heavy oil saturated flavor that you get with canola and vegetable oils. I started using it in everything! I use it to seer my pot roasts and bake cupcakes. What ever I used regular oil in before has been replaced with Tropical Traditions Virgin Coconut Oil. I even use it in my crock pot recipes! I love it, and better yet, All of the kids devoured it. Every single one of them (and I have 5 children ages 13 to 5)have loved everything I have made using Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil.

We can not wait to try more of their amazing products!

Tropical Traditions has a great recipe blog with some very Yummy looking recipes to try! Check it out!

Would you like to win your own jar of Tropical Traditions Gold Label Coconut Oil?

You can! Tropical Traditions has very generously offered a jar of their wonderful Organic Gold label Virgin Coconut Oil to one lucky winner.

Rules: Giveaway is open to U.S. residents only. Giveaway will run from Jan. 9, 2010 through Jan. 17, 2010. please leave an email address with your comment so I can contact you if you win. If I can not reach the winner a new one will be chosen. Winner will have 48 hours to contact me with their mailing info. If they do not reach me in that time frame a new winner will be chosen.

Required Entry: *this must be done before all other entries count*

Go to Tropical Traditions and subscribe to their Sales Newsletter. You can get some GREAT deals there!

Extra Entries: *Please leave separate comments for each entry*

Follow me here and /or at Inspired to Lose (both for extra 3 entries)

Subscribe to my feed or by email

Blog this Giveaway and link to A Bookish Mom and Tropical Traditions

Go to the recipe blog and tell me which one you would like to try.


Good luck to all....

P.S. If you don't win, You can always earn your own free Coconut Oil through their referral program. Read more about it here.

Forever Richard by Sue Dent

Book Info:

• Paperback: 350 pages
• Publisher: The Writers Cafe Press (January 5, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1934284033
• ISBN-13: 978-1934284032

Synopsis:

The saga of redemption and spiritual triumph readers enjoyed in Never Ceese continues in Forever Richard. Cassie Felts, graduate student and reluctant believer of such things as vampires and werewolves, couldn't be happier for Richard and Ceese Porter. Their curses lifted and after hundreds of years apart, they can now celebrate being brother and sister once more. Even Rodney, Cassie's college roommate and former nemesis, shares her relief. But will the faith that saved Richard and Ceese be enough to defeat the new evil that threatens them all?

Cassie learns that Dr. Clayton Henderson, the corrupt stem-cell researcher, has acquired the vampire's curse and has managed to transfer it to Rodney's troubled, drug-addicted buddy Josh. Addict or vampire, Cassie can see Josh isn't handling his new cravings for blood any better than he did his old habit. Their best hope seems to be taking Josh to Richard's isolated country estate in England. There, Josh can learn to temper his desire to curse another while they try to figure out how to deal with the impossible-to-kill Dr. Henderson. Their mission becomes more complicated when they find a new vampire inhabiting Richard's castle, a malevolent werewolf stalking Ceese, and a long-lost relative who shows up carrying a sawed-off shotgun and an ancient knife he claims has supernatural powers.

Will the faith that redeemed two lost souls before be enough to overcome the wicked forces that now threaten to destroy them all

My Opinion:

You know... I really hate jumping in on a series...

This is a great read, but doesn't read well as a stand alone novel. I spent half of the time wondering what was going on, who was chasing them and longing to know the back story, which spans several hundred years.

It was a marvelous book. I was just disappointed that it didn't work well as a stand alone. that is why I have jumping into the middle of a series.

However, This book is action packed! It has a great cast of characters. Some I loved and others.... not so much. I must admit the highlight for me was the werewolf that changed Ceese stalking her. Well, Having a close friend "changed" because of a mad man's research is a close second!

Definitely a good read, but read the first novel.....

3 stars

Giveaway and Review! Hearing from God Each Morning by Joyce Meyer

Synopsis:

In the hustle and bustle of today's busy world, sometimes it's hard enough to hear yourself think, much less take a minute to stop and listen for the voice of God. But learning to recognize God's voice and the many ways in which He speaks is vital for following His plan. This devotional; drawing from How to Hear From God, Knowing God Intimately, and The Power Of Simple Prayer shows the reader through a daily reminder, how God speaks through their own thoughts and feelings, their dreams, and the words of other people. Joyce Meyer reveals the ways in which God delivers His word and the benefits of asking God for the sensitivity to hear His voice. Joyce asks the question, "Are you listening?" and shares how to do just that...on a daily basis.

Visit Joyce here:
http://www.joycemeyer.org
http://twitter.com/joycemeyer
on facebook

Want to read a Sneak Peek?

My Opinion:

I think that Hearing from God Each Morning is the perfect devotional for me at this point. I am longing to hear from God this year, and this book can show me the steps to devote and open myself up to what He has got to say.

The book is a day by day devotional that takes less than 5 minutes to read. It is great for anyone, but especially those on the go or constantly running behind (me). Each page is dated and has a short devotion for that day with a bible verse and 'God's word for you today'. The God's word passages offer insights and challenges for everyday of the year.

Hearing from God... Is very an inspiring and helpful to help you meet your spiritual goals for 2010. I have thoroughly enjoyed it. It is difficult for me not to sit down and read it through like a regular book!

5 stars!

Want to win your own copy?

The Marvelous Valerie @ Hachette Book Group has offered 5 copies of the book for grabs!

Rules: Giveaway is open to U.S. residents only. Giveaway will run from Jan. 11, 2010 through Jan. 18, 2010. please leave an email address with your comment so I can contact you if you win. If I can not reach the winner a new one will be chosen. Winner will have 48 hours to contact me with their mailing info. If they do not reach me in that time frame a new winner will be chosen.

Required Entry: *this must be done before all other entries count*

Leave a comment telling me what you are excited about for this new year.

Extra Entries: *Please leave separate comments for each entry*

Follow me here and /or at Inspired to Lose (both for extra 3 entries)

Subscribe to my feed or by email

Blog this Giveaway and link to A Bookish Mom

Follow on Twitter and Tweet it!


Good luck to all....