Something for Everyone

I spent the week before last just reading books with the intention of writing reviews for them the next week. It seems that writing the reviews takes longer than reading the books. I have to go back and look at the notes I jotted down and then try to form them into some sort of cohesive piece of writing. Below you will find several reviews of some of the books I read. 

The Mind of the Living – J. Kaihua

Genre: Adult, Inspirational
Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

A man traipses through the desert to find a man they call “Old Fool”. He is seeking a book. He finds the old man and offers him gold for the book. The old man refuses the gold and tells him he may read the book. Upon opening it the book is blank. When he asks the book a question the book speaks to him. The book is short yet full of wise advice. One of my favorite quotes from the book was:

“The only thing that doesn’t change, is that everything changes.”  I think if we were to remember this then we will be able to move ahead with no major surprises. It is a quick and uplifting book with a multitude of old pictures.  I enjoyed it.

O.K. Is Great by David Tiefenthaler

Genre: Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction

Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Since I teach middle school I am always looking for books for my shelves that will entertain and interest my students. This is that type of book. First it has a student nicknamed O.K. I am sure my students will get the name connotation there and be able to identify. After all, they are in middle school.  I don’t know of very many middle school students who don’t want to do something that will get the recognized and remembered. Often it backfires like it did for O.K.  Unlike the character in this book many of my students would just give up. However, O.K. with his new friend Leo by his side push on.

Kids will be able to identify with this character. They will recognize the hardships that go along with being in middle school and trying to live up to an older sibling who can’t seem to do anything wrong. Many kids will be able to identify with being the ‘middle child’ and what that entails. They will understand this character’s feelings and in the end, will realize that they can overcome middle school obstacles. They will identify with this character and realize they aren’t out there going it alone.

No Rest for the Wicked – Dane Cobain

Genre: Adult Horror, Thriller

Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Warning:  Some of the descriptions are graphic and so not recommended for everyone.

I don’t usually read stories that contain angels or demons. But the premise of this one was different so I agreed to read and review it. These are not the angels we read about in the Bible. These angels are attacking humans. They are choosing who will die and in what horrific manner they will execute them. Enter our two heroes, Father Montgomery and Robert Jones. They set out to stop these angels.  I won’t say too much because it would be so easy to give things away. There are lots of twists and turns.  Since I am an eclectic reader I enjoy things a little darker at times. This one fits the bill.  I have to comment on the cover, isn't it just delicious?

Stop the Diet I Want to Get Off by Lisa Tillinger Johansen

Genre: Informational

Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

This is quite a comprehensive book. The author is a registered dietitian. She has provided an extensive look at the different diets out in the world. Some of them I had never heard of before.  Some made me cringe.  I was a little saddened to learn that she placed the paleo diet into the “fad” category. I started a paleo diet approximately two years ago and not only did I finally begin to lose weight, but a lot of my health issues went away. I am no longer pre-diabetic, no longer have a heart issue. My thyroid meds have been cut in half. I no longer have acid reflux.  I believe the main message from this book is that you don’t need to just jump on the bandwagon. Do your research. Make sure you are eating healthy. I’ve seen many people follow every diet out there because a friend or a celebrity personality lost so much weight. Be informed. This rather lengthy book will help you do just that.

Mindful Parenting by Susan Burgess
Genre: Informational
Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

I have gone through the parenting phase in my life. I would recommend this book to young parents everywhere. Parenting is without a doubt one of the hardest jobs we face. One of the things I found useful in this book was finding a balance between parenting and our own needs. Balancing our life is another area we have forgotten about. I realized that as a teacher I am often put in a somewhat parental role. Some of the advice in this book carries over into my job. It is important that we learn to apologize when we are wrong. Children respect that and it breaks the tension and teaches a lesson from which you can move on. Great advice in this book.