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Category: Health, Mind, & Body

Review: Survival Mom by Lisa Bedford

[ 5 ] May 10, 2012

Reviewed by Jennifer Rasmussen

Survival Mom is a disaster preparedness book written by a mom with the intent to teach readers how to prepare for disasters ranging from mild (weekend snowstorm) to large (financial collapse).

I wanted to like this book. I really did. I like Lisa Bedford’s blog, I follow her on Facebook, watched her episode of Doomsday Preppers, and think she really knows her stuff. Unfortunately, I think the editing staff over at Harper may have gotten in the way of her putting out a tremendously successful book. Sadly, this survival book went the way of every other one on the market, and turned into an encyclopedia of knowledge. Granted, it’s really helpful knowledge, but there’s not a single photo, the margins are crammed to overflowing with tips and bullets and lists, and it’s just hard to sit down and digest.

The information is very worthwhile and Lisa did a stupendous job of drilling down to the details of what every home needs to have on hand in the event of a disaster, how to get started on food storage, and other necessary basics. If she’d have been able to present it in an easy-to-read format, I could have easily given it 5 stars. As it is, I’m forced to give it a 3 because of its encyclopedia-like nature.

I do think that Survival Mom would be a great resource for an established prepper to keep on the shelf, but will be far too overwhelming for a beginner.

Rating: ★★★☆☆ 

Jen Greyson writes supernatural thrillers and corporate training guides and tries not to mix the two. You can find her free ebook, How to Build a Writing Platform that Works: The New Path to Publishing, at her website, http://TheSurvivalMama.com.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by HarperOne. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.
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Review: Dancing on Broken Glass by Ka Hancock

[ 4 ] May 8, 2012

Reviewed by Amanda Schafer

When Lucy and Mickey met, he was in the hospital during one of his episodes and she was there visiting her sister. They knew their relationship would always be difficult because he had bipolar disorder, but Lucy was determined not to walk away from Mickey. She knew instantly that she was meant for him.

Mickey’s doctor told Lucy once that her marriage to Mickey would be like dancing on broken glass…there would be pain, but she would either flee that pain or hold tighter to him until the next smooth place. The women in Lucy’s family have been plagued with cancer, so when Lucy has her own bout with cancer a few years into their marriage, she and Mickey decide they will not have children and take the necessary medical steps to ensure that fact.

During their marriage, Mickey has to stay in the mental hospital during several of his bipolar cycles. It’s during one of these times that Lucy finds out that against all odds, she and Mickey will indeed have a baby. While this thought is exciting for both of them, it’s also very terrifying for Mickey because he doesn’t want his child to grow up in the sort of home he did.

One day during a routine baby checkup, Lucy’s doctor finds an abnormality in her breast tissue. She runs some tests and then sends Lucy to a specialist. After a short time, it is discovered that Lucy’s cancer has spread and is very advanced. Only chemo and radiation will give her some sort of hope. Lucy refuses any treatment until after the baby is born, but it’s clear to all that she won’t make it that long. When Mickey realizes that he will be solely responsible for the baby when Lucy dies, he panics and tells Lucy he won’t be able to do it. Despite the fact that Lucy believes in Mickey, she devises a plan to make sure the baby is taken care of by all of her family.

Ka Hancock provides us an enlightening and very real look at what life is like for someone living with not one debilitating illness, but two. She does such a great job describing the way Mickey’s disorder cycles and how it affects those around him. As we read about Lucy’s undying belief in Mickey and her willingness to sacrifice everything for her baby, we see what truly selfless love really is.

I found Hancock’s writing style to be smooth and easy to follow, yet full and rich and deeply emotional. There were so many characters to develop in this novel and Hancock did a fine job with all of them. Dancing on Broken Glass is the kind of book that will cause you to take a closer look at yourself and think about how you would act under these circumstances.

Rating: ★★★★★ 

Amanda lives in Missouri with her engineering husband, two sons, and one daughter. In between homeschooling and keeping up with church activities she loves to read Christian Fiction, Women’s Fiction, and any Chick-Lit. She never goes anywhere without a book to read!

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Gallery Books. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: Lessons in Letting Go by Corinne Grant

[ 2 ] May 6, 2012

Reviewed by Nina Longfield

Corinne Grant, Australian comedian and television presenter, offers a candid account about the year she decided to clean up. Lessons in Letting Go is a memoir on letting go of the things (tangible and intangible) that were holding her down. As she combs through her belongings, Grant comes to realize that each thing, be it an item, a box or a pile, seems to have an emotional leash leading back to herself. The book progresses through the clutter with stories reflecting back to Grant’s childhood in rural Australia, her estranged relationships, and her internal emotional battles. Lessons in Letting Go is not so much a book about cleaning house as much as it is a metaphorical release of emotional baggage.

Corinne Grant’s writing is readable, entertaining, often funny, and sometime poignant. Although I never got the sense that her house was on par with hoarder houses that sometimes pop up on the evening news, Grant did convey a deep sense of frustration and anxiety regarding the clutter in her life. Her connections as to why she kept things are profound and personal.

Lessons in Letting Go is not necessarily a self-help book, as the book-stores seem to shelve it as, but there is a lot of useful information within these pages regarding the things we acquire and the things that sometimes take over our existence. It was was a surprisingly pleasant read. I enjoyed Corinne Grant’s honest inspection of her cluttered life.

Rating: ★★★★☆ 

Nina Longfield is a writer living in Oregon’s fertile wine country. When she is not reading or writing in her spare time, Nina enjoys hiking in the hills surrounding her cabin.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Allen & Unwin. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: MWF Seeks BFF by Rachel Bertsche

[ 2 ] April 28, 2012

Reviewed by Ann Liu

If Carrie Bradshaw, from Sex and the City, and Mr. Big left New York with her three girlfriends behind, what would she do without them? MWF Seeking BFF is a true story of Rachel Bertsche, a writer herself, who moves to Chicago with her husband, on the search for new friends.

MWF Seeking BFF, or Married White Female Seeking Best Friend Forever, is Rachel’s personal memoir of her yearlong search for a best friend. She dissects the friendship element and shares a lot of research toward understanding the psychological makeup of friends. According to Robin Dunbar, an anthropologist, the size of the brain determines the number of relationships we can maintain. The human brain can maintain 150 relationships. After calculating her social network of friends, families, and acquaintances, Rachel came up short 20 people. She decided to fill the 20 spots with a yearlong project to find a best friend that rivaled her best friends back home.

I found the story quite enjoyable, as Rachel describes the weekly dates and the friends she meets along the way.

Rachel writes in a captivating way, sharing some very humorous stories. The same way that dating is set up, she went on a friend date after friend date, with most dates fizzling out. 365 people is a lot of people to meet and toward the middle of the story, it was difficult to keep track of whom she has gone out with; all the people she met became a blur.

I ponder if the feelings of connections were mutual since the book was written from one perspective. If it had not been for the research and professional people she consulted with, the story would not have survived.

Dating is difficult enough but finding and bonding with friends is harder in this day and age with social networking and the internet. Without a friendship manual available, meeting friends after college becomes a difficult task. I can relate to a lot of what she experienced and commend her for going outside of the norm to find friends. I recommend this book to every female looking to connect with others and yearning to find that best friend.

Rating: ★★★½☆ 

Ann Liu loves to read women’s fiction, chick-lit, romance, and self help books. She lives in sunny Southern California, where she can enjoy her time reading outdoors.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Ballantine Books. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: Is This Seat Taken? by Kristin Kaufman

[ 2 ] April 9, 2012

Reviewed by Alysia George

Serendipitous meetings have the power to change our lives. Sometimes we might not think much about them at first, and we might only realize their impact much later. Even long periods of time could pass before we understand the significance of a certain conversation, choice, or event.

The subtitle of Kristin Kaufman’s book, Is This Seat Taken? is Random Encounters That Change Your Life. It is a collection of personal stories – chance encounters, spur of the moment decisions, and the like, that have had a huge impact on Kaufman’s life. Her stories illustrate the importance of being present, every moment. Many times throughout the book, she emphasizes that if she hadn’t been living in the moment and really seeing and experiencing her surroundings, she may have missed out on some really important conversations and relationships that at various times changed her outlook, or the course of her life.

Furthermore, Kaufman proposes that these moments, which some might call fate, can serve to help individuals move toward a place of alignment in their lives. In other words, a place where one’s true calling can become a reality. But it is vital to be open to these experiences, and to be paying enough attention to the world around us, right now at this very moment.

Reminders to “seize the day” are important in day to day life, when chaos and busyness can get the better of us. Is This Seat Taken? provides just such a reminder. I enjoyed reading these personal accounts and appreciate the reinforcement that it is vital to live intentionally and connect to others.

Rating: ★★★★☆ 

Alysia lives in Metro Detroit with her husband and four children. She writes about family life, parenting issues, and other things of interest to her on her blog, Michigal.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Brooks and Associates Public Relations. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: How to Pick a Religion by Trevor Barnes

[ 5 ] April 7, 2012

Reviewed by Jill Franclemont

How to Pick a Religion: A Consumer’s Guide. What a great title. And the jacket blurb is even better: “entertaining yet factual consumer guide… a no-nonsense cost-benefit analysis of your religious options… help you find the best religion for you, to secure a place in the next life, while still making the most of this one.”

Teehee. Sounds delightful, no, with tremendous snark-potential? I thought so too. Alas, alack – not so much.

In truth, I felt that the book offered much more on the factual side than on the entertainment side. Which is perfectly fine and useful and all that, but not exactly what I was expecting. It is organized by the elements of life (money, sex, food, worship and contemplation, death and the afterlife), and compares the relevant dogma of the major world’s religions on each of those elements. It is, quite literally, organized like a consumer’s guide to buying a television or new car.

Which, when I think about it, IS kind of snarky. Just not the way I envisioned.

The writing style is educational, informative, and pleasantly enjoyable. The organization is clever and useful. I originally thought it was intended to be a funny book that offered some information. After reading it, I believe it’s quite the opposite. This really is intended to be a consumer’s guide to making a decision on the deeply divisive, controversial, and extraordinarily personal issue of religious belief.

It was not quite the book I thought it would be. But if you’re looking for a Theology 101 or Comparative Religions 102 overview – or to actually pick a religion – then this is a great place to start.

Rating: ★★★☆☆ 

A former corporate attorney and government relations/health policy executive, Jill-Elizabeth walked away from that world (well, skipped actually) and toward a more literary life (equally challenging, but infinitely more enjoyable). 

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Hodder & Stoughton. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: The Ultimate Allergy-Free Snack Cookbook by Judi & Shari Zucker

[ 1 ] March 31, 2012

Reviewed by Jenna Arthur

Judi and Shari Zucker are two twins on a mission – to bring delicious and nutritious vegetarian snacks to children and adults alike that have common, as well as, uncommon allergies. Starting at a ripe age of 11, these twins became vegetarians. They wrote their first snack book at age 16 and are continuing to spread the word that there are alternatives for traditional snacks that make allergy sufferers sick.

The Ultimate Allergy-Free Snack Cookbook is not only filled with dozens of kid friendly treats and sweets but also has a lot of information for parents and adults new to coping with allergies. The beginning of the book explains common allergies while also explaining foods and additives to avoid. The delicious recipes to follow are easy to make and taste amazing.

I tried the Really Raspberry Sorbet, the Lemon Drops, Mummy’s Yummy Hummus and the Burritos 2 Go. Being lactose intolerant, I was delighted that the Raspberry Sorbet was luscious and full of fresh ripe raspberry flavor and the Lemon Droops smooth and tangy. Perfect for serving to little ones! Mummy’s Yummy Hummus  and Burritos 2 Go were a hit with my two picky nieces and nephews who have combined nut, dairy and other food allergies.

I look forward to trying more safe for the stomach recipes. I definitely recommend this cookbook to allergy sufferers and parents with little ones that have allergies. Because why shouldn’t everyone be able to have gourmet tasting, allergy free snacks? Look for the sisters’ other books as well!

Rating: ★★★★½ 

Jenna lives in the bustling city of Pittsburgh, PA with her fiance and her two beautiful cats. Along with her passion for reading and the literary world, she is also an artist, writer, environmental activist, creative coordinator and aspiring culinary genius. She believes there is nothing better to her then a good book, and lives one cover to the next.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Square One Publishers. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: Get Married This Year by Dr. Janet Blair Page

[ 5 ] March 24, 2012

Reviewed by Jessi Buchmann

Don’t let the title Get Married This Year: 365 Days to “I Do” throw you off of this book. It’s not just about getting hitched. If you are looking for ways to figure yourself out, discover your short comings when it comes to dating, and figure out why you don’t pick the ‘right’ partners then this book is for you. Being a single dating gal, I recognize that dating has almost become a sport and choosing the wrong potential dates has become a joke–at least among my friends. This book describes ways to avoid dating pitfalls, while keeping a positive attitude and maintaining the course without discouragement.

Dr. Janet Blair Page outlines how to find the right partnership by getting to know yourself and figuring out what you are ‘really’ looking for in a relationship. The book is predominately geared toward female-male relationships but could easily be used by any single person looking for a life mate. If you aren’t willing to be honest with yourself and do the work then this book will be of no use to you.

The point that hit home the most with me was ‘..just as you wouldn’t go to the store without some idea of what you want to buy, you shouldn’t begin dating without a clear idea of what you’re looking for in your ideal mate. It’s time to figure out exactly what you’re looking for by putting together a Spouse Shopping List.’ Why didn’t I think of it? The book goes further into detail about how to keep your mate once you’ve found him. I know I’ll be applying some of these lessons to my own dating life—shopping list in hand.

Get Married This Year is a straight shooting self-help book that connects with any reader. The read is interesting, dynamic and fast. If you’re looking to get married in a year, looking to find the partner with the best fit or even gearing up to start dating I recommend you pick up a copy.

Rating: ★★★★☆ 

Jessi Buchmann lives in Beaverton, Oregon and works as a Project Manager. When she is not reading she can be found: writing, painting or wreaking havoc on her house doing home repairs.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by FSB Media. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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