Book Review: Please Stop Laughing at Me

Book Description:

While other children were daydreaming about dances, first kisses, and college, Jodee Blanco was trying to figure out how to go from homeroom to study hall without being taunted or spit upon as she walked through the halls.
This powerful, unforgettable memoir chronicles how one child was shunned--and even physically abused--by her classmates from elementary school through high school. It is an unflinching look at what it means to be the outcast, how even the most loving parents can get it all wrong, why schools are often unable to prevent disaster, and how bullying has been misunderstood and mishandled by the mental health community.
You will be shocked, moved, and ultimately inspired by this harrowing tale of survival against insurmountable odds. This vivid story will open your eyes to the harsh realities and long-term consequences of bullying--and how all of us can make a difference in the lives of teens today.
**Please note that this book is not explicitly Christian in content. If you are looking for a Christian Living titles featuring a large amount of faith-centered content, this titles may not be the best selection for you.

My Review

I requested to review this book because I work with teens and youth in my current profession. Many new anti-bullying laws have been passed recently and I wanted to see into the life of a bullied teen now adult and how the behaviors of youth around her affected her long term.

Author Jodee Blanco, so eloquently describes her experiences it left me haunted. She talks about the most intimate, painful things that bullies did to her and their long lasting effects. This book was moving and thought provoking. I found pieces of myself in the author as she describes situations where her ethics did not match up with those of her peers and that is what started the exclusion and violent behaviors of her once close friends. Even adults do this.

I would recommend this book to any one working in a school or with a child. It really is eye opening.

I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Happily Ever After Book Review

Happily Ever Laughter is a compilation of real life stories from real couples. I loved reading this book! It was an awesome reminder to take ourselves lightly and to find humor in marriage. I really enjoyed that the book is broken up into smaller stories and is very easy to read. This would be a wonderful book to keep around and read after a disagreement and reminder that things aren’t as bad as they seem. I found myself laughing out loud on several occaisions, especially at the toothpaste story. My husband and I had just had a conversation about the same toothpaste issue!

I would recommend this gift as an anniversary or wedding gift and will probably be passing it on to some friends soon!

Thank you to Tyndale House publishers for a complimentary copy of this book!

Book Review: Couples who Pray by By Squire Rushnell and Louise DuArt

Book Desciption
In this entertaining, highly readable book, couples learn that a fabulous marriage can be the outcome of learning to pray together, causing a 20 to 30% increase in romance, conversation and happiness.
Best-selling author SQuire Rushnell and his wife, entertainer and talk show host, Louise DuArt take readers step by step through The 40 Day Prayer Challenge™ in which couples commit to praying together five minutes a day for forty days. Backed by compelling research from Baylor University and Gallup Poll, the true-life experiences of 24 test couples, including Denzel and Pauletta Washington, Kathie Lee and Frank Gifford, Donna Summer and Bruce Sudano, Scott and Tracie Hamilton, reveal that daily prayer is a "life changing experience" in which most couples report positive outcomes in less than two weeks.
Couples Who Pray includes an easy questionnaire prepared by Baylor University to help couples to chart their own progress during The 40 Day Prayer Challenge™.
(Description provided by Booksneeze.com)

Review

The theory behind this book is good. I think praying is important. Praying together as a couple is equally important. The book suggests a 40 day prayer challenge where a husband and wife pray together at least 5 minutes a day (meals don't count). I think it is an awesome thing that this married couple is pursuing (encouraging prayer in marriage), but the book did seem to push the challenge to be a "cure all" and that if you do this you will never have any more problems in marriage. There was a lot of "name dropping" in the book and it made it seem more comercial than authentic. All in all though, good principle and maybe something most couples have never thought about. I'm glad someone did write a book on it. God does answer prayers and like I said before prayer with your spouse is very important, but that doesn't mean your prayers will be answered exactly the way you want and praying with your spouse does not guarantee that you will have a perfect, pain-free life.

I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com <http://BookSneeze.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Book Review: Captivating by John and Stasi Eldredge

Description

What Wild at Heart did for men, Captivating is doing for women. Setting their hearts free. This groundbreaking book shows readers the glorious design of women before the fall, describes how the feminine heart can be restored, and casts a vision for the power, freedom, and beauty of a woman released to be all she was meant to be.

Review

This book is beautifully written and really captures the heart of a woman. With Biblical explanations regarding why we are the way we are, women can stop making excuses for their behaviors and see that God made you beautiful! Women are "the way they are" due to a loving creator carefully sculpting their hearts to to exactly what it does! I would recommend this book to all women and even to men so they can get a glimpse of what God sees when he looks at a woman. I enjoyed the personal stories and the writing styles and would easily agree to read another book by the authors if given the chance.

I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com <http://BookSneeze.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

And the Winner is...

Carol!

Carol said, "HOPE.. that is a wonderful word. My word for the year is COMPASSION.. I pray to be more compassionate each day. As I look around me, I see there are people that still show compassion to others. I know God is working in so many lives... I can see it... and this gives me HOPE!!!"

Thanks for participating and I hope to do a few more of these with other books I have or will review!

Book Review: Scars and Stilettos and GIVEAWAY!!!

This is the first time I have participated in a blog tour! This tour was for Scars and Stilettos: The transformation of an exotic dancer, by Harmony Dust.

Book Discription from litFUSE
Fear of being abandoned keeps nineteen-year-old Harmony Dust trapped in an abusive and cruel relationship. She thinks she has hit bottom-tens of thousands of dollars in debt, struggling to get by, and so controlled by her boyfriend that she doesn't protest when he begins openly sleeping around. Things can't get worse . . . until someone tells her how much money she can make as an exotic dancer. For the next three years, Harmony lives a double life as Monique, a dancer in a fully-nude strip club.Scars and Stilettos is Harmony's stark, honest, and ultimately hopeful story of how God found her in that dark, noisy place and led her out. She has since married, completed an MA in social welfare, and now leads Treasures, an organization helping women in the sex trade discover their true worth."Harmony wrote her story so that you and your friends may get help out of whatever dark tunnel you find yourself in. . . . once you start this book, you will not be able to put it down and you will want to get a copy for every person you know." -Holly Wagner, from the preface.

About the Author
Harmony Dust is founder of Treasures, a nonprofit organization based in Los Angeles that reaches out to women in the sex industry to show them they are loved, valued, and purposed. Find out more about Treasures, Harmony, and her book at http://www.iamatreasure.com/ or http://www.scarsandstilettos.com/. Check out Harmony's Press Page for magazine articles and videos about her work with women in the sex-trade industry.

My Review:
I was pulled into this book from the first chapter. As a LSW I see so many aspects of the authors development that could have possibly triggered her dependence on an abusive boyfriend and a profession that left her feeling alone and worthless...but as a Christian, I see how God used her strengths to pull her out of the desparation she was in and into a place of leadership to help others. The book was very well written and honest. As I was reading, I found it hard to put the book down. I knew from the beginning how the book would end. After all, the subtitle is The transformation of an exotic dancer, so I just couldn't wait to see God scoop her up in his arms and show her that she was truely valued, loved and worth more than rubies or pearls. Harmony is inspiring and I am in awe of the courage it took for her not only to stop stripping, but to turn to God, admit her faults, accept His grace and go a step further and share her story so that others would feel the same hope and love that she feels. AMAZING!

I do feel as if I need to ad the content of the book is mature and includes topics such as child abuse, rape, sexual content, and some foul language. I would recommend this book to adults only with the rare exception to teens who have been abused and/or are considering working in the sexual explotation industry in any aspect.

A very special thank you to LitFUSE Publishing for a free copy of this book to review and a free copy to give away!

That's right! To be entered in this giveaway, just leave a comment below sharing what gives you HOPE! I decided in January that my words for 2010 were HOPE and HEALTH. One thing that gives me HOPE is watching others turn their disappointment into God's appointment and use their skills to lead other to Him! I will have my son randomly choose a name on Friday, July 2 at Noon to determine the winner. Please leave your email address so I can contact the winner!

Book Review: The Six-Liter Club

The Six-Liter Club

By: Harry Kraus

Description

Dr. Camille Weller is the first African American female attending in the trauma surgical department at the Medical College of Virginia (where Kraus earned his M.D.). On her first day, she joins the Six-Liter Club - a reference to an elite group of doctors who have saved a patient after the patient loses six-liters of blood. Exhilarated, she decides to do something about the antiquated "doctors" and "nurses" signs on the locker room doors and changes clothes with the "doctors." She'll also blow their prejudices about skin color out of the water. Yet Camille has far more to overcome than preconceived notions about her skin color or sex...she's having nightmares about her childhood in the Congo , a dark closet, whispered words, and strong arms holding her back.


Review

It took me a while to really be drawn into this book, but by the half-way point, I couldn't put it down. It was really not my usual read, but it did eventually interest me and I began to feel a part of the book. The story line flowed well and the characters felt real. I don't usually read or watch much secular entertainment and some of the topics were in the secular realm but it made the Christian outreach to the main character more real. Overall it was a good read and opened my eyes to how far women have come in the last 20 years in the medical field.

I was given this book as an agreement with Glass Road Blogger and the opinions expressed are my own.