BlogHer Book Club: Touch and Go

I was able to review another book with the BlogHer Book Club. This time I read Lisa Gardner's Touch and Go. Normally, this kind of genre (mystery/suspense) is not my cup of tea, however I flew through this book in less than a week and immediately grabbed another one of her books after.

In Touch and Go, Gardner kidnaps an entire (seeming normal) family and you spend the rest of the novel trying to help investigator Tessa Leoni (from her novel Love You More) track them down before it's too late.

There are so many twists and turns in this novel, Gardner definitely keeps you on the edge of your seat. Every time I thought I had everything figured out another twist came my way and I just had to keep reading to learn the truth.

Head over to BlogHer to join in the discussion (we are promising not to post any spoilers!).


This is a paid review for BlogHer Book Club but the opinions expressed are my own.

BlogHer Book Club: Here I Go Again

I was able to read the latest Jen Lancaster novel, Here I Go Again, as a part of the BlogHer Book Club. This was my first Jen Lancaster novel and I have to say I'm hooked.

Seriously, within the first few pages I could tell you who every person mentioned was in my high school. Every high school had a Lissy Ryder, you know, the super popular cheerleader that dated the star football player and made your life a living hell? Yup, her.

I really enjoyed this novel, it took me back to all of the John Hughes films of the '80's and it managed to put in a dash of Mean Girls. The entire novel begged the question, if you had the chance to go back and change your high school years, would you? And, I agree with Lissy, I would have totally invented Facebook.

Join in the discussions on BlogHer every week!

This is a paid review for BlogHer Book Club but the opinions expressed are my own.

Daring Greatly

I had a chance to read Brene Brown's book, Daring Greatly, as a part of BlogHer's Book Club. I've never truly had a book come along at a more perfect time in my life than this book.

The title Daring Greatly comes from a phenomenal Theodore Roosevelt quote, often referred to as "The Man in the Arena".  It says, "It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly..."

It's a powerful quote and that's only on page one of this book. I'm not even sure I would call this a book, but more of a call to action. One of the biggest challenges we face in our day-to-day lives is the fear of the unknown, of being vulnerable. I know that I hate putting myself in a situation where all of my walls are down and I have no idea what is going to happen. Daring Greatly teaches you to embrace vulnerability and to stop thinking of it as a weakness, but rather as a way to succeed and take risks. It forces you to step into the arena.

The section that stood out the most to me was called "Wholehearted Parenting".  Everything about being a parent is uncertain and opens you up to being vulnerable...all the time. The best take away from that section is that if we want our children to grow up and love and accept who they are, we need to first accept and love who we are. We need to stop comparing ourselves to other parents. We need to not  freak out that our child had cinnamon bread for dinner (that may or may not be personal experience) and worry more about raising our children to live and love with their whole hearts.

The book is a great tool for helping you push forward from all of the uncertainty around you and to embrace your vulnerability.

Be sure to check out the discussion forums on BlogHer for the next four weeks as we discuss the different aspects of the book.


This is a paid review for BlogHer Book Club but the opinions expressed are my own.

BlogHer Book Club: What Alice Forgot

I've previously read What Alice Forgot before it was selected for BlogHer's Book Club.  It was definitely one of those books that took me a few chapters to get into and then I could not put it down. I think I finished it in less than a week the first time I read it.

The book is about Alice and how she forgets 10 years of her life after an accident in spin class. Can you imagine forgetting 10 years of your life? She wakes up and has no idea that she has children, that her marriage is in shambles, and cannot figure out for the life of her why she was even in a spin class. The book follows Alice on her journey to piece together the 10 years she has lost.

In the book club discussions this week we are talking about how Alice should have had a blog. I think if there was a major accident and I lost 10 years of my life, a blog would definitely come in handy. Granted, 10 years ago I wouldn't have even known what a blog was and would never imagine myself writing one. 10 years ago I wouldn't have even known my husband and had zero plans of being married before 30. Yeah, that plan panned out.

Be sure to check out all of the discussions going on over at BlogHer and pick up a copy of What Alice Forgot, it's a great read!

This is a paid review for BlogHer Book Club but the opinions expressed are my own.

BlogHer Book Club: My Artist's Way Toolkit

As a part of BlogHer's Book Club I was able to review Julia Cameron's My Artist's Way Toolkit. My Artist's Way Toolkit, is based on Julia Cameron's best-selling books including The Artist's Way. With the My Artist's Way Toolkit you receive daily affirmations, inspiration and artist date ideas from Julia.

I have to say that this is a pretty awesome service. There are so many times that we, as writers, get stuck in a rut and just can't get those creative juices flowing. With The Artist's Way Toolkit there are so many opportunities to broaden what you write about and how you write it. The daily journaling entries are great ways to push you outside of what you normally write about. Plus, there are daily affirmations, which let's face it, we need to hear sometimes.

If you are looking to expand your writing, or get yourself out of a rut, I highly recommend trying out My Artist's Way Toolkit.

Head over to BlogHer to see what everyone else is saying, and join in the discussion!



Disclosure: I was compensated for this BlogHer Book Club review but all opinions expressed are my own.

BlogHer Book Club: The First Husband

I had a chance to read The First Husband by Laura Dave as a part of BlogHer's Book Club.  This book was right up my alley and will make the perfect summer read.

Annie, the main character, is in the midst of a break up and is encouraged to do exactly the opposite of what she normally does. Following this advice she meets Griffin and must decide if she wants what she had or what is new and exciting.

I think to a point all of us have been in this situation. When you're going through a break up with someone that you have been with for any amount of time you may wallow in self pity, or go on some rebellious streak, or some combination of both (guilty!).  Annie is a character that I think many of us can relate to, and the story itself is pretty real.  Plus, you cannot help but fall in love with Griffin and his slightly dysfunctional life.

So, if you're in need of a book for your beach bag, definitely check out The First Husband. You can learn more about the book and join the discussion over on BlogHer!

Disclosure: I was compensated for this BlogHer Book Club review but all opinions expressed are my own.

The Book of Jonas

I had the opportunity to read another selection from BlogHer's Book Club, The Book of Jonas by Stephen Dau. 

The book is about a Muslim boy who, after war tears through his village, moves to America. Jonas is born Younis, then changes his name when he starts his new life, remembering very little of what brought him to America in the first place. The novel bounces between three different lives: Jonas, Christopher (an American soldier), and Rose (Christopher's mother).  All three lives are intertwined, even though the details are sketchy in the beginning.

To be perfectly honest, I had a hard time diving into this book, but once I hit the middle of the book I couldn't put it down. I think I was frustrated that Jonas could not remember his former life and that while you were reading it you could not determine if the events were real or in his imagination (something similar to Sapphire's The Kid). 

The book itself is moving and, for a debut novel, pretty amazing. The struggle that Jonas goes through while trying to remember his life and the events that connect him with Christopher and Rose is hard to handle at times. You feel awful for Jonas, and yet it is entirely believable. I think the part in the book that stood out to me the most is when you discover the story behind the cover, with the lioness and the gazelle. To see that story translate from nature to a war zone is beyond words.

 I would not be shocked if this was based on a true story (it's not) because it is so easy to see something of this nature happening. I don't want to give away too many details on the book, but I highly HIGHLY recommend this book.

Head over to BlogHer's Book Club page to learn more about The Book of Jonas and to join in the discussion.

This is a paid review for BlogHer Book Club but the opinions expressed are my own.

BlogHer Book Club: The Fault in Our Stars

I was able to read another selection in BlogHer's Book Club. This time we are reading John Green's The Fault in Our Stars. I hadn't heard of John Green before this (apparently I'm one of the only people on this planet that hasn't heard of him), but I have a feeling I'll be adding many more of his books to my ever growing reading list.

The story is about Hazel, a teenage cancer warrior, her life, and the life of her boyfriend Augustus, who is in remission. The book was so incredibly well written, it was honestly hard to put down. To see the world through the eyes of a teenager who is battling cancer, knowing that these could be her last days is just amazing. It's also hard for a writer to write this subject matter and not leave you in a puddle on the floor. Yes, it's emotional, but it's so much more than that. Sometimes you forget that she has cancer, and you think it's just another teenage love story.

Have you read any John Green books? Which are your favorites?

Be sure to join in on the discussion with BlogHer's Book Club!

This is a paid review for BlogHer Book Club but the opinions expressed are my own.

The Rules of Inheritance

I was able to read The Rules of Inheritance, a memoir by Claire Bidwell Smith, as a part of BlogHer's Book Club. Bidwell Smith's parents are both diagnosed with cancer at the age of 14, and the book follows her as she struggles through the different stages of grief.

At first it took me a while to enjoy the fact that the book was not written in chronological order, rather it is broken into sections that seem to mirror each other at different stages of her life. For example, at one moment she is writing to you about when she was 18 and the next she is talking about her middle twenties. I cannot think of another way that this book could have been written, I feel that it had to in this manner to totally convey the message. You had to understand what it was like for her at each age and stage of her life. It was also obvious that you could see how each decision would influence the next stage of her life.

I often had to remind myself that this was a work of nonfiction and that all of these events actually happened. The book is very honest and at moments, totally and completely raw. When you're reading it you can almost see yourself sitting with Claire and listening to her tell you these stories.

I most related to Bidwell Smith when she was discussing the toxic relationship she was in during her early 20's. Often when reading about this relationship I found myself nodding and thinking "Oh I've been there" or "Yup, that's what it felt like".

In my opinion, this is a must read. Even if you haven't dealt with the kind of grief she has, you will find something to relate to in her story. If anything, this book will teach you to cherish the moments you have with the ones you love, and to appreciate the times you could just call them for whatever silly question you had.

Be sure to head over to BlogHer to see more of the discussions on The Rules of Inheritance, and join in the discussions!

This is a paid review for BlogHer Book Club but the opinions expressed are my own.

BlogHer Book Club Review: Why Women Need Fat

I wanted to love "Why Women Need Fat" by William D. Lassek M.D. and Steven J.C. Gaulin, PH.D., I really did. When the email came out about reviewing this book I jumped at the chance, mainly because I love reading all things related to nutrition. For me though, this book disappointed me.

The book is broken down into three parts; Why and how we got fatter, why women need fat and how to achieve your healthy natural weight. A lot of the information in the first two sections are not surprising and really nothing new, to me at least. It shouldn't be a surprise to anyone that when the label on the food you are eating has more ingredients you cannot pronounce than you can pronounce, it's not healthy. I did, however, find some of their findings quite surprising and slightly disturbing.

One of the most disturbing claims I read was that high fructose corn syrup is ok, and not a reason why we are getting fatter. Um....I'm not a doctor, I don't even pretend to be one on tv, but I'm not buying that. Maybe by itself and in extremely low doses it's fine, but when it's in almost every product on the market, I think that is the problem. Now, we can start a debate on this, but let's just get back to the book.

The book has such potential to really educate women about eating healthy and making sure that you have smart fats in your diet (high in omega-3's and low in omega-6's), but I feel like it ventures off that path too many times and almost encourages the reader to be overweight. No, really. I was floored when I was reading and it said it's better to be overweight because you will be less likely to break a hip when you're older since your bones will be stronger from carrying the weight. A discussion about natural foods and eating the right amount of fat (and not processed fats) would have made this book amazing. I worry that women are going to read this and not get the right message out of it.

I'm interested to see what the other reviewers have to say over at BlogHer, be sure to join us and join in on the discussion.

Disclosure: This is a paid review for BlogHer Book Club but the opinions expressed are my own

BlogHer Book Club Review: Lunch Wars

The moment I started reading Amy Kalafa's Lunch Wars I immediately had flash backs to what I ate in the cafeteria in school. I remember the grease soaked pizza pockets, the hot dogs, and the hamburgers. Nothing about any of those meals sounds remotely appetizing to me and I would hate to see them served in my kiddos school.

Lunch Wars dives into some of the nations schools and how parents have worked to change the cafeterias and food programs in their areas. I am not totally familiar with the programs at the schools in my kids areas and was planning on packing them lunches anyway, that way I would have control over what they ate. That little dream of mine was practically shattered when I was reading the book and saw that Kalafa's own daughter was bamboozling her and eating Pop-Tarts and french fries, all stuff that was off limits for her. I began to think my little plan would not work.

Now here's the thing, my kids have Oreo's, french fries and things of that nature. This book kind of made me feel like I am destroying my children to the point of no return. I understand that these types of things are by no means healthy and contribute to the fact that our kids probably will not outlive us because of the health problems they will have, but what's wrong with McDonald's every once in a while? Sometimes the book comes off a little extreme and I find myself up at night worrying if my kids will end up with Type 2 Diabetes because I let them have a Nutter Butter. In reality what it comes down to is you need to find a balance for you and your kids. For my family it comes down to understanding what our genetics are, what diseases we are more likely to have and to adjust our diet to prevent those. It's also about getting out and being active.

That being said, I do think that the school cafeteria situation needs to change. I appreciate that this book is basically a how-to for reforming the food program in your school, it will definitely be a reference if I feel that the food in the school cafeteria in my area needs to be changed. All in all I think this book is a great resource that every parent should read it to better educate themselves about what is going on in the schools and how they can make a change.

Be sure to check out the discussions going on at BlogHer about this book!

This was a paid review for BlogHer Book Club but the opinions expressed are my own.

BlogHer Book Club Review: The Kid

I had an opportunity to read and review Sapphire's "The Kid" for BlogHer's Book Club. Hands down this is the most disturbing book I have ever read in my life.

Check out my review on BlogHer's site and be sure to read the other reviews of "The Kid"

Thanks again to everyone at BlogHer and Penguin Books for the opportunity!

BlogHer Book Club Review: Getting to Happy

I have another review up over at BlogHer this week and this time I got to review Terry McMillan's Getting to Happy. This is the sequel to Waiting to Exhale, a book I haven't read but am dying to read now.

Head over to BlogHer to read my review as well as all of the other reviews. Thanks again to the amazing women at BlogHer for putting together this book club!

BlogHer Book Club Review: A Discovery of Witches

I had another great opportunity to do a review for the BlogHer Book Club! This time I read A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness. To say it was good is a huge understatement. I'm probably going to reread this at least once a month until the second in the series comes out sometime in 2012.

Be sure to check out all of the reviews on A Discovery of Witches, by you know you can always check out mine here.

Thanks again to BlogHer Book Club for sending over another amazing title!

Lake Louisa Nature Fest

Saturday morning we headed up to Lake Louisa state park to check out Nature Fest. In all the years that we have lived here we've never been and I don't know why. The place is gigantic and full of a ton of things for us to do.

We were hoping to do one of the hikes, specifically the butterfly walk, but the kids were too young so instead we just checked out all of the tents and activities they had on the beach. The kids got to do a scavenger hunt, learn about bird houses, visit a Native American (whether he actually was one or not I'm not sure), and check out some animals.



I think the highlight of Aaron's day was when he got to pet a snake. Don't ask me what kind of snake it was, all I know is it was big and not something I would ever like to be that close to ever again. Aaron loved it though and I'm just hoping that love doesn't mean he will bring me one if he finds it in the backyard.


The whole morning was a blast and I cannot wait to go back and check out some of the nature trails. I'll pause so you can stop laughing, I know the site of me hiking on a trail with wild animals is hilarious.

Done? Ok good....anyway thanks to all the volunteers that were there that morning, it was awesome!

Don't forget to head over to BlogHer and check out my review for the BlogHer Book Club!

Girl in Translation

I'm lucky enough to be a part of the BlogHer Book Club and last month we got a chance to read Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok. Head over to BlogHer to read not only my review, but everyone elses' as well!

I'll be reviewing more books in the coming months, so be sure to keep checking back! I cannot wait to share what I'm reading!!!

Thank you again BlogHer for the awesome opportunity!