Dancing on the Head of a Pen

"The Practice

of a Writing Life"

Bookworm's Ranking - 4.5 Worms
 

About - Writing is a way of life and an adventure. Robert Benson has been living this life for twenty years, struggling with the work and thriving. With lessons of his own life and quotes for other writers, Benson takes readers on a journey of living and writing.

Author - Robert Benson

Publisher - WaterBrook Publishing

Age Group - 15 and up

Personal Opinion - This book was unusual for a writing book. While most books about writing cover fundamentals, are how-tos, this one was about living the life of a writer and living with, and working with, your book. It has a mix of devotional/advice book that was poetry while being read. Each chapter covered a different aspect of living and writing, usually starting with an event in the author's life, moving on to general ideas for the reader to think about and consider for their own writing, and a lesson at the end. What did bother me was the short bursts and the a section break before the next part. I felt it would have been smoother to remove the section breaks but that is a stile difference. It was a beautiful read and one I will keep around and want to share with my fellow writers.

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Disclaimer - In exchange for an honest review, I received this book for free from the publisher through Blogging for Books.

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Chew on a good book today!

Mythmaker: The Life of J.R.R. Tolkien

"Creator of The Hobbit and
The Lord of the Rings"

Bookworm's Ranking - 3.5 Worms

Storyline - J.R.R. Tolkien was a man of many things and his life lead him down many different paths. In this biography, readers can look into his life, his happiness and struggles, as he became the author of some of our world's favorite fantasy novels. From his early life in Africa to living as an orphan in England to becoming the writer of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien is presented simply and begins the readers journey in knowing the man behind Middle-Earth.

Author - Anne E. Neimark

Publisher - HMH Books for Your Readers

Age Group - 12 and up

Content - *May Contain Spoilers* Is a bit disobedient as a boy growing up. He encourages a woman he wants to marry to ditch the guy she is engaged to, convert, and marry him (they do end up living happily together though). Despite the negativity of his colleagues, Tolkien pursues his writing career even when it is hard and he wants to give up. He stays true to his convictions and faith.

Personal Opinion - While this book gave revealed information I did not know of J.R.R. Tolkien, it was also really simple. Not that that is a bad thing but it was not nearly as in depth as I would have liked.  It seemed to skim over and tell the story very straight forward of his life. An example of this is when it mentioned that one of his friends died who he was really close to and that it was painful for him, but that was it. It had only mentioned the friend one other time and there was no development of their friendship or information on how he dealt with the grief after. Yet, it makes a good start on learning about Tolkien and, because of its simplicity, allows for readers of about twelve to start learning about this author. But, for older age groups, they might want to find other books that will have more to it.

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Ruby's Tale

"A True Rags to Riches Story"

Bookworm's Ranking - 4.5 Worms

About - Ruby defies the stereotypes of pit bulls and shows the true nature of the breed. When adopted by her new home, she loves everyone she meets and goes on to host a radio show, perform in stage productions, and be a finalist in a Milk Bone competition. Her love abounds as she works as a service dog visiting others in nursing homes. Ruby might be a pit bull but she is not what someone would expect.

Author - Patrick Bettendorf

Publisher - Tasora Books

Age Group - 15 and up

Personal Opinion - With charm, humor, and honesty, Ruby's Tale is full of wonderful tales and lessons on dogs and their abilities. It made me laugh at her antics, happy at the change of people, and furious at the behavior of some people to dogs. Through her adventures, Ruby defies her breed's stereotype and inspires her owner and fans though her exploits on stage, radio, and service work. Ruby's tale is not the only one to grace the pages but also that of her owner, other dogs, and the experiences around them. This, though, at times made me wonder why Ruby's story was chosen to tell over one of the other dogs in their life and seemed to derail from what the point of the book was. But this is becoming one of my new favorite books and would gladly share it with friends and family.

Buy - Amazon, Barnes and Noble,

Awards - Indi Excellence Winner
                Book of the Year Finalist

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Unglued

"Making Wise Choices

In the Midst of Raw Emotions."

(Picture to Come)

Bookworm's Ranking - 4.5 Worms

Abou - Ever blow up when stressed or angry? Stuff everything down so deep that no one knows what's worng yet it affects your relationships? Ever feel guilty for these things and your angry feelings? Lysa TerKeurst has felt the same way but is also learning how to make "imperfect progress" in overcoming these struggles. She wants you to come along on this journey and find God's healing and change into a better human being. Start learning to stop coming unglued today.

Author - Lysa TerKeurst

Publisher - Zondervan

Age Group - 18 and up

Personal Opinion - I enjoy TerKeurst's funny, insightful, and true to life writing so much. Not only is she engaging but also shares to true life examples that others can understand. Also, the Biblical answers are really good and make great impressions on the memory. I previously read her Devotional of this same book and found that it had a lot of the same information with only a couple differences. Not that that is a bad thing (I bet the same could be said about the Devotional). I did like how figuring out how you either explode or stuff was done differently in this book and how the information was more put together in a block than just a few pages a day. So I think this book is great but so is the Devotional. So I would recomend that if you like smaller sections at a time, read the Devotional. But, if you like more information at a time, read this book. But, if you want to read both, I wont stop you. :) 

Video -

Buy - Amazon, Barnes and Noble, ChristianBook, Publisher,

Other Reviews for this Author - Unglued Devotional - Review

Disclaimer - In exchange for an honest review, I received this book for free from the publisher through Booksneeze.com.

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Limitless

"Devotions for a Ridiculously Good Life" 

Bookworm's Ranking - 5 Worms

About - Nick was born without arms or legs, was bullied while growing up, yet knows the love of God and that he was made with a purpose. He had felt the highest hope and deepest despair and travels around the world sharing his story and encouraging others to not give up and to find a purpose in their life. Now, Nick shares this same massage in 50 daily devotions to encourage readers to over come their obstacles, find hope and love in God, and to find their purpose in life.

Author - Nick Vujicic

Publisher - WaterBrook Press

Age Group - 15 and up

Personal Opinion - This book was so wonderful. I loved Nick's story and message before from watching his youtube videos. And this book incorporated everything he talks about and I found it so encouraging. Using his own experiences and journey and other's stories, he gives advice for overcoming your difficulties, for finding your purpose and living your dreams, and to remember that God loves you. Nick truly found his calling in what he does because he delivers those messages perfectly and it speaks to the heart. I wish there had been a spot to write my own thoughts but perhaps that is normal for devotionals. Will be reading this again and giving it as a gift. Perfect for encouragement and inspiration.

Video -

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Disclaimer - In exchange for an honest review, I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

Rank this Review - 
 This ranking system is provided by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group. I never see or have access to the emails and they will be kept private. After you confirm your email (you only have to do that once), you will not receive anything more unless you leave the check mark for receiving updates from the publisher. I would very much appreciate you ranking my review.

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Winning Balance

Releasing Today!

"The Inspiring Story of a

Pint-Size American Gymnast

With a Big Smile and an Even Bigger Heart"

Bookworm's Ranking - 4 Worms

About - We have seen her compete in the 2008 Olympics. We saw her dance in Dancing with the Stars. Now, read Shawn Johnson's story behind all that. In her book, she will take you on the journey from her childhood to when she began Gymnastics to when she dreamed of winning a gold meddle in the Olympics to her dream coming true to the dancing competition to wondering what will be in her future, with all the triumphs, heart aches, and life lessons in between.
Author - Shawn Johnson with Nancy French
Publisher - Tyndale Momentum; An Imprint of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc
Age Group - 15 and up
Personal Opinion - Shawn Johnson's story is one to read. It gave insight into what it was like to be an athlete, a teen, and trying to be a normal person. It also gave me a chance to see things I didn't consider, such as what she was feeling and thinking during the Olympics and on Dancing with the Stars. She went though many trials and triumphs. The insights she makes in the book were moving and inspiring, such as the quotes at the beginning and "Lessons I've Learned" at the end of each chapter (I was even highlighting a bunch of them). The poetry she wrote and shared with the pages were beautiful and will be ones I go back to read from time to time.

A moving read and I think this is a book worth the time and money. Can't wait to share it with my mom, who might enjoy it a bit more because she has a special place for gymnastics in her heart, and others who want to hear Shawn's incredible journey.

Video -

Thought it would be fun to add Shawn's Beam routine

where she won a gold meddle in the 2008 Olympics.

Buy - Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Tyndale,

Links - Learn more about Shawn Johnson here.

Special Notes - The book releases June 5, 2012
Disclaimer - In exchange for an honest review, I received this book for free from the Tyndale Blogger Network.

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A Place Called Blessing

"Where Hurting Ends and Love Begins"

 

Bookworm's Ranking - 4 Worms

Storyline - Josh and his two brothers are left orphans when their parents are killed in an accident. After going from foster home to foster home and a terrible accident, life becomes harder still for the boys. They even become separated. When Josh turns 18 and leaves the system, he has learned not to trust others and carries around much pain from his past. But, when he rents a room from a kind woman, Anna, she starts to break down the walls around his heart. Much is about to change for Josh.

Author - John Trent, PhD, with Annette Smith

Publisher - Thomas Nelson

Age Group - 15 and up

Content - Josh grew in God throughout the book and made positive choices (after a few mistakes). There was a lot of forgiveness in the book. How open the people were to forgiving each other and continue on and love one another was really wonderful. It seems people forget about that and feel they should hold a grudge or make someone pay and this book showed the opposite. A few mistakes were made but that is natural in real life.

Personal Opinion - What a moving story. A tear jerker but was so beautiful that it needs to be read. Uplifting even through the tears. The book is to show these five elements in a new way from another book by the auther, John Trent, called The Blessing, which I have not read. Some parts of the book might have meant more to me had I read it but I appreciate it for other reasons (you by no means have to read The Blessing to understand this book).  The forgiving of each other, no matter what, was very meaningful to me because it is not something often discussed and some people like to hold grudges (like I was saying before) and it is so good to forgive and love. Something this book really promotes. I thought there would be more of his story in his coming to God but it was still great. There are some discussion questions at the end for those who want to go deeper. Some issues were brought up and talked about in the book that makes this more appropriate for an older audience but teens could enjoy this as well. I think much can be learned from this book, for people who have been in Josh's (or one of the other people's) shoes and who haven't.

Awards - I think the authors have won some for other books but this one hasn't, yet.

Disclaimer - In exchange for an honest review, I received this book for free from the publisher through Booksneeze.com.

Links - Learn more about the book and author at: http://theblessing.com/

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Soul Surfer

 
Bookworm's Ranking - 3 Worms

Storyline - Bethany Hamilton was a great surfer. She was like any other kid, homeschooled, hung out with friends, loved God and family, until one day a shark took her arm. But she wouldn't let that keep her down. She wanted to surf and get back in the water and fulfill her dream of being a pro surfer. With her friends, family, and God, she would make the journey to return to the sport she loves.

Author - Bethany Hamilton, Sheryl Berk, and Rick Bundschuh

Age Group - 13 or 14 and up

Positive - Bethany placed her trust in God, even when things looked really bad. She also didn't give up on her dream. It seemed hopeless that she would ever surf competitively but she was determined to "get back in the water."

Negative - Nothing was really negative but there were a couple of things she mentioned doing as a kid that I just shook my head at.

Writing - The book was mostly in a telling format. The organization could have been done a little better and more info on the peoples' feelings and specific situations would have been better. It would sometimes talk about the attack and then the next chapter would be something about before the shark such as things she did with her friends. I think this was to see what life was like before but there was just a little too much information and I didn't always see how it pertained to the rest. It was still pretty interesting though to read and hear what it is like to live in Hawaii, surf, and about how important God is to her.

Personal Opinion - I thought it was a good book but it wasn't the best autobiagraphy I ever read. It talked a lot about her life in the past (what she liked to do, family and friends, and surfing) but I thought there would be a little more about the attack and her recovery after. Also, I don't think the organization of the book was done very well. There were stories but they were told in more of a general way then any specific cercomstance and I didn't really feel or identify with them much (there were a couple that were nicely told but it wasn't the norm). It was written more in a way a magazine writes a story but it was longer. She just told you about things or how she felt but, then again, she does say that is who she is; just tells it like it is. That is fine and all but it made it hard to get into the story. I liked the journal at the end about the making of the movie which was cool. It was a pretty good book and I still think her personal story is great about overcoming adversity but I didn't really learn more than what I was already told.

Awards - Has been on the New York Times Best Seller List.

Links - Learn more about this book and the author at: http://bethanyhamilton.com/ .

Special Notes - This book includes information about the making of the movie Soul Surfer. You can read my review of the movie at: http://bookwormreading.blogspot.com/2011/04/soul-surfer-movie.html

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The Case for Christ

Bookworm's Ranking - 5 Worms

About - Lee Strobel has a degree in law and journalism and was a reporter for the Chicago Times. But when his wife turned to God, he went into an investigation to see how reliable the gospels were or if they were fake and/or riddled with myth. He sees expert after expert, challenging what the gospels say and what others say to get to the truth about Jesus. After a two year investigation, what he finds leaves him with the ultimate decision. Believe or not.

Author - Lee Strobel

Age Group - Teens and up (just because it is a deep topic and the language used and concepts might be hard for a younger person to grasp)

Writing - Each chapter started with some sort of legal case that the author had covered or knew about and then related that to what he was going to do next in his investigation on Jesus. All the chapters covered something important to show that Jesus is real and that the gospels are true. The book moved along at a good pace, covered each topic completely, and came to moving endings.

Personal Opinion - Wow. This book was great. I knew that people didn't believe in God but I didn't know some of the things they used to discredit the gospels or defenses they used to explain it away. I also never heard a lot of the challenge questions or beliefs before until the author asked them of his expert. But I am excited how the gospels and what is in them was defended by big scholars with PH. D.s and personal investigations. The chapters that moved me the most were the ones on the crucifixion, the Jewish convert's story, and the authors decision in the end. The author also gives good advise about if you are wanting to do some investigation of your own. It works well for a defense for any denomination of the faith on Jesus. There were a couple of spots I disagreed with but the only one coming to mind at the moment is how they kept saying that Jesus had a brother named James who was sceptical of him until after the Resurrection. The problem is that Catholics don't believe Jesus had any immediate brothers or sisters but someone would be called one if they were a close cousin. So James could have been related to Jesus but a cousin. But the book was really good and it defended the Christian faith beautifully. I borrowed this book from a friend and now want to get my own copy. With this book, I know more about Jesus and am even stronger in my own faith because of the things I learned.

Awards - The Gold Medallion Book Award

Links - Learn more about the author and book at: http://www.leestrobel.com/ . You can also learn more about the book at the publisher's site at: http://www.zondervan.com/cultures/en-us/Product/ProductDetail.htm?QueryStringSite=Zondervan&ISBN=0310226465 .

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Soul Surfer - The Movie

Saw Soul Surfer on Sunday and it was great. Bethany Hamilton, a great surfer who was on her way to being sponsored, lost her arm to a shark attack. After it healed, she decided she wanted to start surfing again. But it is difficult only having one arm and trying to compete. She thinks she wants to walk away but she keeps being called back. Will she find what she needs to live her dream in spit of her missing arm?

Such a great story and message of dreams and relying on God. She trusts in Him to help her through the tuff time of trying to adjust to her new way of life. The movie has great examples of family sticking together and helping and caring for one another. They support Bethany and are always there for her.

I find it unfortunate that if I go on imdb or Rotten Tomatoes, Soul Surfer has a bad rating (about 6 stars on imdb and 53% on Rotten Tomatoes). I found it to be really good and don't see a lot of the stuff they were complaining about. In one on Rotten Tomatoes, though, Ignatiy Vishnevetsky said "The film offers motivational catch phrases instead of any real insights into Hamilton's character or the religion that the film constantly reminds us is so central to her life." I didn't see the catch phrases and I thought it showed she was religious and knew God but, I will have to admit, I wish there had been more (or maybe I assumed there would be more) faith elements but I still thought it was really good. I didn't see the poor acting that some of the reviews talked about (some said it was a poor script and another said that is was hard to see past Dennis Quaid and Helen Hunt and see Bethany's parents). But, other reviews talked about the great surfer scenes and I have to agree. They were stunning and interestingly captured. I really want to buy it when it comes out and I can't wait to get the book (I'm getting it for Easter but I can't start reading it until then). The movie showed that despite your limitations, you can do the things you dream of, "through the One that gives me strength."

Blind Hope

Storyline - Laurie had made many mistakes in life while trying to find love and belonging. After gaining a job at Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch, she hears of a place that has dogs and a horse for rescue. Wanting to help, she agrees to take a dog only to be repulsed by it when she finally sees it. Not wanting to go back on her word and seeing what kind of place she would be leaving it to, she takes the dog and starts helping it heal and gives it a new name, Mia, and eventually love arises between dog and master. As time goes on, medical troubles arise. One of those troubles is blindness. As dog and own work together, Laurie learns about trust in God and many other lessons that she was only able to learn through her blind dog.

Author -Kim Meeder and Laurie Sacher

Age Group - 16 and up

Positive - The book teaches excelt lessons on faith and trust in God. On how he sees what's a head and we don't so we must listen to Him to find the right path. Also, it teaches that just because we begin to listen and have faith in God, doesn't mean that our troubles will cease but we will have peace.

Negative - Nothing really objectionable even though it hints that Laurie had done some wrong things in the past but it doesn't go into detail or ever show or say that these things were good. Quite opposite, it only talks about these things as bad.

Writing - The book was mostly telling of the instances of when Laurie learned something from her dog and the discussion between Kim and her about it and what it means concerning faith in God and growing in Him. It teaches many good lessons and points out many good things about faith and the love and forgiveness of God. The descriptions are colorful and interesting. I think the people who would get the most out of this book are people who suffered or think like Laurie once did but others will enjoy it as well and be reminded of many wonderful truths that should never be forgotten.

Personal Opinion - I found the book to be enjoyable and the of blind dog and owner who sees what is in front of the dog vs. humans and what God sees in our path in life depictions are wonderfull. I wish it had done more showing instead of telling but since it was mostly emphasising the lessons that the two learned and the growth in God, the telling might have been a way for the reader to focus on the lesson more. A really good book and I think anyone who has been in Laurie's situations or felt the way she did or has/is living the way she was would get the most from the book. But the lessons on love won't be lost on anyone and this book will bring those lessons back to the front of the mind as it is read.

Links - Learn more about the ranch and book at (there is also a video about the book at this link): http://www.crystalpeaksyouthranch.org/blindhope/ . Learn some more at the publisher's website too at: http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/catalog.php?isbn=9781601422804 .
Disclaimer - In exchange for an honest review, I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group

Special Note - The reason I wanted to read this book was because I once had a blind dog too. He was a good dog, a little crazy but good. He has passed but he was sweet and loved tennis balls (and chocolate). He lived a good life and was well taken care of.

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