Suprisingly Simple

The One-Day Way by Chantel Hobbs wasn't exactly rocket science, but its simplicity is still empowering. Chantel doesn't promise all the hidden keys to success, she outlines the major one that stares everyone in the face, all we need to do to be happy and content, is to live each day to the fullest and to not look back on our faults and slip ups. If we take it one day at a time then we will be happy with our lives in no time. It's a great concept, it's just so damn simple. I was expecting something with a little more substance. I'm not doubting that this truth is empowering and helpful to our lives but at the same time I am boggled at how she turned this tiny revelation into an entire book. Impressive. This book wasn't bad, but wasn't great either. It prompts you to take action with your life, but at the same time I felt it was a little lacking. I think that it's one of those books that everyone will react to differently. Regardless if its a New York Times Bestseller or not, it still worth the read.

Hope everyone is having a happy summer. My grad school starts in a mere three weeks. Scary!

“I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review”

Libraries and Facebook

The Johnson County Public Library is pleased to announce that it has a fully functioning facebook page accessible to all library patrons, facebook users, and visitors. The page will be used to promote and advertise upcoming library events and programs via online calendars and reminders, share pictures and videos from previous activities, and to share new items that have entered into the library's circulation. The site is easy to navigate and was created in the hopes that the younger generation and the technologically savvy will have an easy way to stay connected with the library, a central hub in every community. The library facebook site has many different features that will be sure to interest everyone. Videos, blogs, news updates, calendar of upcoming events, photos, contests, links to library related web pages, and much much more.

 For more information please visit the Johnson County Public Library's Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Johnson-County-Public-Library-Indiana/236886676250

Or my wikispaces page: www.wikispaces.com/ecataldi

Never Judge A Book By It's Cover

Words cannot describe how suprised I was when I got the mail today and my newest book What Are You Waiting For? The One Thing No One Ever Tells You About Sex by Dannah Gresh arrived. Great I thought, some kooky religious book about why even kissing before marraige is bad. Just what I want to read this summer. I flipped to the first page to skim over what nonsense I had in store for me and two hours later I found myself reading the acknowledgments. What?!? I had read the whole thing in one sitting? I couldn't put the book down, I literally sat at my desk engrossed in this book and dead to the world. This book was mesmerizing and an absolute must read for anyone. Mrs Gresh talks about religion and sex and it really revolutionized how I viewed it. She wasn't one to shy away from any hard topics and even discusses: porn, masturbation, and homosexuality (although I loved the book, I still don't agree with all of her viewpoints towards homosexuality, still a little bit narrow minded for me). Her quest to finding the life changing truth about sex is amazing and inspiring. It causes one to think more critically about our fast paced sex crazed culture and evaluate how it affects our relationships. I can't rave enough about this book. What a total suprise. I expected to hate it and I ended up loving it, what a read!

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

Young at Heart

I didn't really realize until I started reading, that Departures: Two Rediscovered Stories by Robin Jones Gunn was a teen novel, so I was in for a treat. It was like going back in time to middle school. Even though the book was a little out of my age range, I still thoroughly enjoyed it however.

Departures consists of two short stories about two very different fifteen year old girls. The first story focuses on Christy Miller as she travels with her family to her grandparents small town to celebrate their fiftieth wedding anniversary. While there she encounters her old crush and begins to reevaluate herself and her relationship with this boy and with God. As she gets closer with her old crush she really begins to discover what's important to her and what she wants out of life.

The second short story focuses on Sierra Jensen as she vacations with her friend's family. She and her overly competitive friend discover that its more important to deepen their relationship with each other and with God, rather than chasing boys and getting into trouble.

Overall, this book was a fast read. It was a little predictable and a little churchy for me, but the writing was great and the characters realistic. A great read for middle schoolers.

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

Never Judge a Book by it's Cover...

As my undergraduate career draws to a close, I've found less and less time to read for enjoyment as my hectic school and work schedule gets more and more intense. As a result it took me a while (a week!), but I was finally able to finish reading The Miracle of Mercy Land by River Jordan. Unfortunately, I was deceived by its eye catching cover. The book was nowhere near as exciting as the cover initially led me to believe. Jordan's book is about a young girl and trusted newspaper editor who come across a mysterious book that allows the reader to see all the life choices made by themselves and their town mates. The storyline may sound slightly interesting, but trust me it wasn't. The plot is confusing, the mysterious book is lame, and the evolving love story is pathetic. Not too mention that the historical accuracy of the period was a complete and utter sham. The book is set in the late 1930's and you mean to tell me that a young girl is off living by herself and becoming editor of a city paper? That and she drives her own car and wanders all over by herself... in the south?? No way Jose, not buying it. Overall, this isn't the worst book I've ever read, but it's pretty darn close. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone... ever, no matter how much I hated them. Hoping that my next book doesn't make me wanna gouge my eyes out...

Happy reading!

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

Book Review - Take 2

I began reading The Charlatan's Boy by Jonathon Rogers with high hopes, but I soon discovered that this book was anything but great. This story is about a young boy, Grady, who travels from town to town in the Corenwald frontier with a huckster named Floyd pulling a variety of hoaxes and side shows to make money. Grady, an orphan, has never known any family so he has had to rely on Floyd and his schemes in order to create some sort of an identity. Grady tries to base his life around whatever flam that Floyd is pulling and it ultimately confuses him. He has no friends or family to rely on, he just has Floyd, who never really regarded Grady's feelings or needs. The story seemed like it would pull together, but it was very... elementary and simple. I never felt invested in any of the characters or their schemes. It was an all right read and it went by fast, but it's definitely not something I would ever re-read.

I've just started reading A Fist in the Hornet's Nest by Richard Engel, NBC's chief foreign correspondent and so far it is already 10x better than The Charlatan's Boy.

Happy reading!

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

Slacking, A National Phenomenom

Well it's been far too long since my last post and for that I apologize. I'd like to say I had a really good reason or excuse to be absent for over a month, but really I must have just gotten lazy. Per usual. I've missed out on writing about the blizzaster, classes starting, the superbowl, and the rest of my generally boring life. So maybe in actuallity you didn't really miss out on all that much... maybe I was really doing you a favor?? Haha, I wish, I'll just stick with lazy, much more believable.

But anyhoo, the true purpose of today's blog, is to share an awesome book that I was privlidged to read when I was iced in during the blizzaster last month. Lady in Waiting by Susan Meissner happened to be one of the best things about being cut off from the rest of the world and locked in my dorm. It was soo good. I couldn't put it down. I was a little sketchy about it at first, because it is a romance novel and it has a historical background, and there is nothing I hate more in the world than historical fiction that isn't all that historical and is based on "imaginary" facts. Here I was plesently suprised. The entire novel isn't set in 16th century Britain, half of it is set in present day Manhattan. The book alternates chapters between a forty something year old antique dealer, Jane, who is going through a marital crisis and is trying to piece together what has happened to her and a young seamstress, Lucy, who is a dressmaker to a noble family hoping to marry their daughter with the king. Both are going through some major trials in their lives and are trying to grow and learn from them. When Jane finds an antique ring embedded in an old prayerbook she begins a journey of discovering the mystery of the ring and discovering a little bit more about herself as well. Like I said, I'm not a huge romance nut, but I finished this book in less than a day and it wasn't overwhelmingly romantic or sleazy or anything like that. It was a good light romantic and historical read. It was really intriguing to see how the two different stories interweaved together even though they were centuries apart. I would highly reccomend this book and if any of Susan Meissner's other books are half as good as this one, I would definitely reccomend them as well. I know that I've personally inter-library loaned them in and I'm sure I won't be disappointed.

Well that about does it for this lovely little book rant :) I enjoyed this book a great deal and I hope that someone else gets as much enjoyment out of it as I did as well.

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.