Tuesday, June 12

Nu-uh!

I was invited to review a book.

Yu-huh!

At first, I thought it was probably just a clever marketing technique to get people to buy the books, but the book actually came in the mail, so apparently it's real! I did a happy dance and caressed it a little. Ethan raised an eyebrow and asked, "Mama....are you Walkin' on Sunshine?" I'm holding a beautiful hardback book in my hands waiting to be read and reviewed....by ME! Now, why anyone would pick me to review a book? A non-fiction book no less. Most likely there was a mix-up somewhere, but I'm thrilled that the mix-up included me. I love books and I'm opinionated. But if you've read me very long, you may have noted that non-fiction is not generally where my fancy falls. However, my internet buddies have been rubbing off on me. If you'll note the list to the left, you'll see that Non-Fiction has actually dominated the list lately. And I've really enjoyed them.

Mini-reviews: (don't worry, I'm not letting this go to my head. I just know I love hearing other people's candid takes on books they've read and I love talking about some of my favorite things...and this is my blog, so my opinion rules here)

Queen of Fashion: What Marie Antoinette Wore to the Revolution
Not usually my standard fare, but I ran across this book and found it fascinating. I've read Marie Antoinette biographies before, but never did I realize how the tiniest details of her dress were used by her and against her. If you're interested in fashion, then it's a must. I'm not interested in fashion, and it was still an excellent read.

Me, Myself, and Bob: A True Story About God, Dreams, and Talking Vegetables
I've been a VeggieTales fan since before I had kids. I found it interesting to learn that the big 'advertising' factor for VeggieTales ended up coming mostly from college students and sales clerks in the early days of their business. It was an especially fascinating read for me because I have a husband who is computer-crazed and embarking on his own business. It was beautiful how Phil Vischer was able to humbly share his mistakes and share his painfully earned wisdom. And it was a really funny book.

Four Hours in My Lai
This book is horrendous. It is terrifying to think that such things are possible. It is disgusting and inhuman. And we did it. We, America, were as bad as Nazis. And I'd never even heard of it before. There is a quote at the beginning of the book that says "If we learn to accept this, there is nothing we will not accept." Scary. Jennie was right; it should be required reading.

Daze of Our Wives: A Semi-Helpful Guide to Marital Bliss
Anything by Dave Meurer is a hit for me. He is hilarious. Very dry and off-the-wall humor. I read this alternately with My Lai in order to get through such a heavy topic. This balanced things perfectly. And even though he sounds like a middle school boy, he actually has some beautiful insight to deliver.

Blue Like Jazz: Nonreligious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality
I'm in the middle of this and like it. I loaned it to a friend when I was halfway through it and just got it back. I want to jump back into reading it this weekend. The guy is so HONEST. It really got me thinking. It was a gift from Sunshyne - a sweetie in love with God.

Miss InvisibleLast one. This one is cute. It was an easy read that I started and finished yesterday when the kids were sick. It required little effort on my part, so I cuddled babies and read. It is about a Beautiful "Big" Girl who finds herself and who she is in Christ. It was very funny and a perfect beach book. However, it felt like God wasn't in the original list of characters, but was fit in there somewhere. I got the feeling that the author is someone who has walked with God and knows the sweetness of a love relationship with Christ, but who has been busy and distracted and out of touch...kind of like her character. I didn't feel her rediscover that love relationship through the book though...more a faint memory disguised as a new awareness for her character. Still a good book.

Not on the side list: Vanity and Vexation. Don't read it. blah. slow. crude.

Now...here's the book I was asked to review for Zondervan Publishing:



Just reading the back makes me itchy to get into it. Here's a bit from the back cover:

Imagine what it would look like to have an organic relationship wtih God - one that is stripped of all pollutants and additives of this world. The Organic God removes the unhealthy fillers and purifies our relationship with the God fo the Scriptures.

We're camping this weekend, and it's taking a lot of self-control to set this aside until the trip. Doesn't it sound....real? like a breath of fresh air?

If you actually made it through this whole lengthy post, you deserve a lollipop.

4 comments:

andie said...

I want a red one!


I have Four Hours... on the way. It's going to wait until the ball season is over though.

Jennie C. said...

The scariest thing about "Four Hours in My Lai" is that it could happen again. Anyone who knows a soldier will probably recognize a lot of the attitudes characteristic of these young men in Vietnam. And anyone who knows a soldier who has served in Iraq and so has non-media filtered news of what happens over will there, will see that they are in nearly the same situation. "It's a slippery slope you're on," I told my husband.

Isn't it? he said. "And they think I'm crazy at work."

Jennifer in MS said...

I like purple lollipops! LOL

Enjoy the book! Who picked you to review it and how? Sounds cool!

Have a great day!

Michael McMullen said...

Lollipop! Color doesn't matter, as long at it's red.

Blue Like Jazz is possibly my favorite book at the moment.

Lucky!

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