What have you been reading lately? It's Book Review time!

Maren: I just finished "The Private Patient" by PD James and I would give it a solid 3 stars. It is a mystery set in the English countryside. A renowned cosmetic surgeon transformed his estate into a clinic for the wealthy elite to get their nose jobs etc in privacy. A high profile journalist with a mysterious background comes to the estate to remove a scar and is, unfortunately for her, murdered the day after the surgery. It's up to the brilliant Detective Adam Dalgliesh to untangle the web of back story to find out who killed her.

This is my first time reading anything by PD James and she came highly recommended. James' writing is impressive. Very tight and efficient. I found the story a little bit cumbersome though, lots of wading through police hum drum and not a lot of clinching,- I must read just one more chapter even though its already 1:30 am- kind of reading. I found the characters somewhat boring. It's nice to have a little comic relief now and then but that's just my taste. I would definitely recommend PD James for her writing abilities but maybe not this book in particular.  

Nancy: The last two books I've read were both children's books that I highly recommend.  The first is "The Granddaughter Necklace" by Sharon Dennis Wyeth.  This is the story that teaches a young girl about the women in her family who came before her, and how this special necklace has been passed down through generations.  My eight-year-old daughter fell in love with the book, and so did I. I give it 5 stars, and I say it is a MUST read for young girls.


The other book I read and recommend is Lilly's Crossing by Patricia Reilly Giff. It's a historical fiction story

with autobiographical touches. Set on the East Coast of the United States during World War II, the reader learns through the experiences Lily and her friend Albert, that the true principles of friendship, family, and love are vital during any era. I recommend this for children between 3rd and 6th grade.It's also a Newberry Honor book.

So now Potluck Pals, what have you been reading lately? Would you recommend them? Let us know!

Whatcha readin?

Hey gang!
So the question of the day, what have you been reading? I confess I've been reading a random heap. A little spiritual, a little fiction, a little mystery, a little young adult and a whole lot of children's thanks to my wee bairn. The book I want to talk about today is one called "The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher: A Shocking Murder and the Undoing of a great Victorian Detective" by Kate Summerscale.

This book's cover had everything I could desire in a mystery. Historical, mysterious(obviously) and best of all, this one was actually true. I greedily plucked it off the library display and added it to my pile. The reading however, wasn't as fun-filled. The actual story is tantalizing but probably not good for mothers with young children (ie 90% of our blog readers). It's about a murder that happened to a seemingly well respected, average, middle class family. That respectable facade is flipped on it's backside as the detectives reveal some dastardly secrets about the family itself. This story is everything one would ask in a mystery but somehow the writer feels that she must add random quotes from other writers of the time Charles Dickens, Wilkey Collins and others as well about methods of detecting in the Victorian era, lifestyles in the Victorian era, etc. etc. etc. which ends up feeling like a never-ending research paper. I found myself skimming through these parts until I recognized the names of the family so I could get to the interesting plot again.

Overall I'd give this book a solid 3 out of 5. Good not great. So what about you? Tell me what you've been reading and what you thought. I can't wait to hear from you!
Have a lovely day,
Maren

Book Review

Since we at Potlucks on the Porch enjoy reading, our blog would not be complete without a monthly Book Review post.  On the 4th Friday of each month we will share our...

Couldn't put it down, Couldn't get through it or Could of done without it book.  

We look forward to hearing from you on what books you could or couldn't do without. 

Jan: I love to read books about real people and their personal journeys through life.  "Running with Angels" was such an inspiring book to me.  She tells her story of becoming a mother and the tragedies she faced with losing two children and having two other children with autoimmune diseases.  She shares her struggles and triumphs as she overcomes obesity as she begins training for a marathon and it all begins with a simple ten minute walk.  Whether you are looking for a book to help you on your health journey, coping with loss or to help you reach a specific goal this is a book to inspire you on your journey.


Jenn: We hope Jenn is enjoying a good book on the long airplane ride home from Brazil. We are glad she will be back with us soon!
  

Lauralee: This was a fun read that I picked up last month. If you go into it knowing that the author, Amy Chua, writes the book as somewhat of a self mocking memoir than you wont be as offended by some of her extreme parenting styles and opinions. Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother is  about the authors "Chinese" style of parenting and how  Americans celebrate mediocrity  in our children. The book received many reviews both positive and negative. I thought it was an entertaining read. And at the end of day I may adopt some of her rigid "Tiger Mom" ideologies.

 

Maren:I'm reading an Agatha Christie right now which isn't a surprise. I usually have at least one or two in the house at all times. Thank you library! This one is called "The Crooked House." It's about a wealthy family whose grandfather has mysteriously died and all evidence points to his new young wife. The point of view is from a man who is in love with the granddaughter and must solve the mystery so they can marry. So far it's a goodie and keeps me turning the pages.

Nancy: I found a book that I can't live without. It's called The Food Nanny Rescues Dinner. For many years as a mom, I  struggled with figuring out what to make for dinner. At 4 or 5 every night I would panic and throw a really crummy dinner together. It was not fun, tasty, or pleasant for anyone. I needed help and started watching the "Food Nanny." She helped me come up with a system that my family loves. In this book,she explains her system.   It is so simple AND life changing. She also gives recipes which are tried and proven. My family likes every single recipe I've made from it. I originally checked the book out from the library, but now I know that I can't live without it, and ordered it from Amazon.com. I very highly recommend it!

What are you reading?  COULD your book be the one for me, please share!

Jan

Friday Forum

I       N       S       P       I       R       E

 

Remember when you listened to a song, read an amazing quote or heard about someones personal triumph in a challenging situation and you just feel inspired.  Our book review this week are books that have inspired us!  We would like to share what has inspired us on our journey through life and we can't wait to hear what books have inspired you? 

Nancy: Definitely my favorite inspirational books are, I am a Mother by Jane Clayson Johnson (former news network correspondent), and the Peacegiver by James Ferrill.

I have read The Peacegiver more than almost any other book. It teaches very profound and personal lessons about relationships, love, peace, and forgiveness. One of my children is named Abigail because of this book. Read it and find out why :).

Motherhood is often overlooked or seen as unessential, but I am a Mother illustrates through words how crucial motherhood truly is. Jane Clayson Johnson teaches all mothers, both those who "work" and those who "stay at home", the importance of their role. It is a powerful and validating book for all women.
 


 
 Jan: My favorite inspirational book would be Life’s Makeover by Cheryl Richardson.  It is 52 practical and inspiring ways to improve your life one week at a time.”   Several months before my mom passed away I was living in her home taking care of her when I found this book on her shelf.  The emotional and physical stress was immense at this time.  I remember at the time feeling like I was missing the joy in my life.  I had a 4 year old and a 1 year old and a very busy husband who was gone a lot with work and church callings.  I could feel myself reaching a breaking point.  I started reading this book and beginning the weekly goals and challenges.  I didn’t make it more than a few weeks when my mom was put in the hospital and my life turned upside down.  She came home with more health problems as well as no desire to keep living.  I put the book away for awhile and then didn’t pick it up again until several months after my mom had died.  This book helped me learn so much about taking care of myself, getting rid of clutter in my life, getting rid of the negative thoughts in my head and to truly change my life.  The back of the book states this, “Be prepared for your life to unfold in wonderful ways.  As you clean up the clutter, reconnect with your inner wisdom, strengthen your character, and take on the challenges of high-quality living, you’ll find that the lost parts of yourself start to come together to form a pretty amazing life!”  This is a great book to read with a friends or book club.  Cheryl Richardson suggest to find friends to support you in your life makeover.  Following the action challenges each were amazing to me how you can change your life and live a life of joy and happiness.  It is so helpful for me to go back and read the journal that I wrote with this book and to also to take the action challenges and keep improving.  



Jenn: I also had two books come to mind, You Are Special by Max Lucado and.... The Peacegiver! Nancy was very possibly my inspiration for reading The Peacegiver and I do agree that it is such a great book. Even though You are Special is a children's book, it has helped me many times in many situations. It has a great message of not worrying about what people think about you and that what really matters is the opinion of those who love you, which in this case is "the creator."

Maren: This weeks book post led to a really embarassing revelation about myself. Turns out most of the books I read are not that inspirational! Mostly just for pure entertainment! So I searched my bookcase and my memory and I remembered The Diary of Anne Frank  which I have read a bunch of times. This book is inspirational to me because of her courage and strength in a time of such hatred and sadness. Whenever I read it I am reminded that no matter what situation I am in I can still be grateful for the things that are right in my life. 

Lauralee: There are so many inspirational books out there! I was trying to brainstorm and come up with some that aren't the usual Wayne Dyer,or Robert Kiyosaki types (although good reads). That is when I realized that I am reading a new one right now! If you are not familiar with Clay Christensen this book will give you an insight into how his mind works. It is based off of a speech he gave to a graduating class at Harvard's Business school. He takes his innovative business principles and applies them to find happiness in all aspects of life. I think you will agree that this book is chuck full of wisdom and inspiration. You can also check out his speech on TED here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvos4nORf_Y

 What book inspires you? 

Educational Books

Continuing on the book theme for the month, this week we are going to explore the genre of educational. Now, before you stop reading in fear that I am going to pull out my old physiology or calculus textbooks, take a look at our finds. I think you will be pleasantly surprised! Who knows, you may even learn something new.

Lauralee: I stumbled upon this book oddly by catching a quick glimpse of a coach’s interview on ESPN (my husband was so proud) one afternoon. The coach recommended this read and so do I. To give you a basic break down, the book talks about the research and scientific evidence of exercise and the impacts it has on the brain. The book is filled with intriguing case studies, such as the revolutionary fitness program in Naperville, Illinois, which has put the school district of 19,000 kids first in the world of science test scores. The books main ideas is that “Aerobic exercise physically remodels our brains for peak performance in all aspects of life”. Sound interesting? Check it out for yourself.

amazon.com

Jan: When I was trying to think of an “educational” book, I went to my book shelf and realized how many books I have on "Marriage and Family".
What does that say about me?

A. I am working on a great 14 year marriage.
B. I have a deep passion for family, marriage and relationship books.
C. I need help in this area.
D. All of the above.

So, with that said, I would recommend all five of these books and the other ten on my book shelf too!

• Men are From Mars, Women are from Venus by John Gray Ph.
• Between Husband and Wife by Stephen F. Lamb M.D. and Douglas E. Brinley Ph.D
• Mom’s Needs Dad’s Needs by Willard F. Harley Jr.
• Becoming One- Intimacy in Marriage by Robert F. Stahmann Ph. D,Wayne R. Young  M.D. and Julie G. Grover, M.D (she delivered my first daughter)
• Strangling Your Husband Is NOT an Option by Merrilee Boyack would have tobe my favorite.Merrilee Boyack helps YOU realize what YOU can do to improve your marriage. So many times we put the blame on our spouse when sometimes we need to take a moment and look in the mirror.  I love her humor and sincere desire to help us all to have a successful relationship with our spouse! A great book for all!

Nancy: Choosing a favorite book is almost as taboo for  me as choosing a favorite child, but the "educational" book that I have recently used the most is Itty Bitty Hats  (knitted hat patterns) by Susan B. Anderson. 

I absolutely love knitting.  I have two great-grandmas who stayed "young" until their late nineties. When I asked them the secret of their "fountain of youth", they both told me reading and knitting kept their brains working for a long time.  Scientific research says that knitting literally is an exercise of the brain and can prevent or delay memory loss. Also, there are many health benefits from knitting because it is a rhythmic repetitive movement. Some of the benefits include relaxation, bringing down blood pressure, decreasing depression or anxiety, and combating stress. Serotonin levels are also increased which lessens pain and improves the mood (.... read more here or here). Good reasons to pick up some knitting books and needles!

 The best thing is though, cute things like this are a result.... (ahem, the hats... not the babies :))

Maren: I'm currently reading a book titled, The Divine Principles of Mothering by Janice Gerber Neilson. This lady has successfully raised eight kids and she knows what she's talking about! In the book she describes each principle and then gives you examples from her own family which makes it both educational and entertaining. I really like this book because there are tons of parenting books on the market but this one has a unique Christian perspective which I relate to. If you have small children or even teens I would definitely recommend this one.  

Jen: My most recent educational read was The Work and the Glory series written by Gerald N. Lund.

 The facts in the books are based on real historical records.  These books taught me so much about the history of the LDS church as well as some of the other historical events that were taking place during the 1800's.  The fictional family who made up some of the main characters were so endearing, fun and interesting to follow. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone wanting to learn more about this history or just  wanting a great read that is hard to put down!

Happy Reading!

Lauralee

Favorite Children's Books

 September means the kids are back to the books- whether they want to be or or not....

Even though our kids differ in their opinions of books :), we love them. So, every Friday this month we will share and recommend our favorites. The theme this week is children's books. Reminisce with us, or perhaps find a new family favorite.... 



Jan:   My favorite children’s book is The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn.  I remember when my oldest daughter Allie was going to kindergarten and I was telling my sister how sad I was that she was growing up.  My sister gave me this book and told me that my mom had given it to her to read to her oldest son when he went to kindergarten, he was then 14.  My mom had passed away the previous year and so reading this book made me feel like it was a gift from my mom. I knew she would have given me this book for Allie.  I still remember reading the book right before school started with Allie.  I could barely read it as tears were falling while thinking of how my baby girl was growing up and also how much I missed talking with my mom.  We continue to read this book at our house the night before school starts.  Even though Allie is now in fourth grade, I still give her a new kiss each year.  I love that my girls are so tender-hearted to give me one as well.  

Maren: I could write a whole post about all the children's books I love but The Mrs. Piggle Wiggle series stands out as one of my all time favorites. I recently came upon a few books I had stolen from my sister Lucy when we lived at home from her Mrs. Piggle Wiggle collection. Mrs. Piggle Wiggle is a wonderful old lady in the neighborhood who loves children and she has a "medicinal" cure for every annoying habit children have- so naturally the parents love her too. She's able to cure kids that don't want to go school, who lie, and even the ones who take stuff apart but not put it back together. The first book was written in 1947 but they are as charming and relevant now as they were then and a fun read for parents and kids.

Laura:  When I was in the 5th grade, my teacher read some poems from A Light in the Attic by Shell Silverstein to our class.  I was hooked. The witty poems made me laugh then and they still do now. I secretly memorize them and make my 9 year old boy do the same (shhh... don't tell his friends).

Jenn: I have always loved the book Miss Suzy by Miriam Young. I spent a lot of time at my grandma's house when I was a little girl, and she read it to me over, and over, and over, and over again. She even gave me her copy of the book shortly before she died.  Miss Suzy is a sweet little squirrel who lives in a cute and quaint tree house on top of an oak tree. She is so resourceful, creative and kind. When she faces hard times, her character traits help restore her happiness. Reading the book takes me back to those times with Grandma, and I even hear her voice echo through the years. A new edition was recently published as Miss Suzy celebrated her 40th anniversary... I definitely recommend it!

Nancy: Picking one children's book is literally impossible for me. Everyone who knows me knows that I love, love, love books. I love the way they look, smell, feel. Everything about them. I decorate with them, and make sure they are in every single room in my house. Since it's my turn to put the forum together this week, I am rebelling and choosing two!

 I first heard the story of The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munch when I was a young single adult. I loved it. Even though it's a children's book, I learned an important and very applicable lesson. I now read it to my children and they giggle every time. Even my 5 year old boy asks me to read it to him every night (it's the ONLY princess story he likes:)). Elizabeth, or the Paper Bag Princess, is smart and works hard. She knows who she is and what she deserves. It's a must read!

 At the beginning of every school year, I read The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes to my children.It's about a girl named Wanda who lives on the poor side of town and wears the same faded dress to school every single day. Still, she tells all the other girls that she has 100 dresses hanging up in her closet at home. Peggy, the most popular girl in school makes a game of teasing Wanda about the dresses, but her best friend Maddie wishes she has the courage to defend Wanda. In the story, the girls learn compassion, courage, kindness, understanding, and generosity of spirit. The Hundred Dresses was a Newberry Honor Book in 1945. The words and pictures convey life in the 1940's, but the message is timeless, universal, and beautiful. (recommended for ages 6 and up)


 Thanks for joining us today. We're so happy you did!


What are your favorite children's books? Please recommend them to us!
 xoxo, 
    Nancy