REVIEW: Pursuing Justice by Ken Wytsma

Date:               9/13/13

Title:               Pursing Justice: The Call to Live and Die for Bigger Things

Author:           Ken Wytsma

ISBN 13:          978-0849964664

Pages:             330

Publisher:      Thomas Nelson

Cover:              Hardcover

Rating:            4 Stars

I received an advanced reader copy of The Chaos Imperative as part of the Vine Program.  

At the very least, I found The Chaos Imperative by Ken Wytsma very thought provoking. As a Christian, one chapter that caught my attention the most was, one of the Interludes by Daniel Fan titled My Jesus Ain’t Your Jesus. I wish I could share, but I won’t do the author a disservice, but this piece talks about, in my opinion, diversity and the diversity that makes our world what it is. In America specifically, this diverse people helped make this country what it is. Diversity did the jobs that others did not wish to do, and their reward was and is ostracism.

The author uses scripture to various instances of justice and injustices. He describes the differences between criminal, social, business, political and international justices. Not to mention there are plenty of inspirational quotes to fit your fancy.

Finally, one of my many take-aways from this book is that the scriptures hold the answers to your lives, to our happiness, and to our problems. Some may not like the truth, but its there, in plain black and white.

REVIEW: The Chaos Imperative by Brafman and Pollack

Date:               9/20/13

Title:               The Chaos Imperative

Author:           Ori Brafman and Judah Pollack

ISBN 13:          978-0-307-88667-5

Pages:              224

Publisher:      Crown Publishing

Cover:              Paperback

Rating:            2 Stars

I received an advanced reader copy of The Chaos Imperative as part of the Vine Program.  In this book, the author uses many Hollywood references and many instances I deem common sense. I felt that this book missed the mark on teaching me something or helping in a sense.  The book however, are chock full of inspiring stories, so if that was the intent, then kudos to the author, but somehow, I don’t think that was the actual intent.  The title was very on point, because once I read the book, I was left wondering okay, did I miss the point and felt a little chaotic in my thoughts of trying to figure out the real purpose of this book. I could have missed it.

REVIEW: Leadership Transformed by Dr.Peter Fuda

Date:               9/17/13

Title:               Leadership Transformed

Author:           Dr. Peter Fuda

ISBN 13:          978-1781251249

Pages:              203

Publisher:      Profile Books Ltd

Cover:              Paperback

Rating:            2 Stars

I received an advanced reader copy of Leadership Transformed as part of the Vine

Program.  In this book, the author uses many references and metaphors to get his point across. Some were interesting, while others were not. The author used these metaphors to relate to traits like ambition, authenticity, support and self-reflection.  Perhaps, because I am a small entrepreneur, I felt somewhat left out of this book.

The book is an easy read, but because it didn’t hold my interest, it took me several sittings to finish. In the sea of leadership books that don my bookshelves, there are many that I refer to on a regular basis. Unfortunately, this isn’t one of those books. 

REVIEW: The "I" of Leadership by Nigel Nicholson

Date:               9/12/13

Title:                The “I” of Leadership: Strategies for Seeing, Being and Doing

Author:           Nigel Nicholson

ISBN 13:         978-1118567432

Pages:            310

Publisher:      Jossey-Bass

Cover:             Hardcover

Rating:             4 Stars

             The “I” of Leadership: Strategies for Seeing, Being and Doing by Nigel Nicholson,

is probably one of the best leadership books I’ve read lately. There are many leadership styles; this book helps you determine what type of leader you are.

I love that the author reiterated key leadership ideas that many seem to forget or never knew in the first place. Three of my favorites are 1)Leaders have to satisfy followers, which is true is most cases, 2)Leaders transform, this is self explanatory; and 3)Leaders are stewards. When you break it down, leaders serve the people, keyword being “serve.”

IBM’s story is often used when talking about success. The author re-shares the story and introduces to others to the rise, fall and rise of the technology company. The author uses comparisons to this story and describes six SPQ(situation, process and qualities) strategies: shaping, discovery, self-knowledge, assimilation, seeing and selection.

In addition the IBM story, the author has included other stories quotes and scenarios of successful leaders like Warren Buffett. The book has useful information throughout, and out of all the leadership books on my bookshelf, this is one that I will take down to read and refer to on a regular basis. 

REVIEW: Warm Up Your Winter by Laura Powell

Date:                         8/29/13

Title:                         Warm Up Your Winter

Author:                    Laura Powell

ISBN 13:                   978-1-4621-1204-3

Pages:                      26

Publisher:               Front Table/Cedar Fort

Cover:                      Paperback

Rating:                    3 Stars

I receive this book as a part of the Cedar Fort review program. Honestly, I can say this is not a

book that I would have bought on my own.  Although the recipes in this book are good recipes, I’ve seen them elsewhere, either in other cookbooks or on the internet and have actually made some of these myself.

On the other hand, the one recipe that was unfamiliar happened to be the very first recipe: Nutella Hot Chocolate. I absolutely loathe Nutella, however, my husband loves it, so I will try the recipe for him. Nutella? Who knew?  The only other exception to the rule was Caramel Apple Drink. I think I’ll try that one as well.

Because this book almost seems like a pamphlet of recipes, I would love to see, in the future, a book from the author that includes these recipes in a much larger recipe book, perhaps with other holiday recipes to include meals and desserts. Just a thought.

“I received a free copy of this book from Cedar Fort, for my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.”

REVIEW: Real Love, Right Now by Kailen Rosenberg

Date:                         9/7/13

Title:                         Real Love, Right Now

Author:                     Kailen Rosenberg

ISBN 13:                    978-1-4767-2796-7

Pages:                        274

Publisher:                 Howard Books

Cover:                        Hardcover

Rating:                      4 Stars

Although I enjoyed this book, I believe that the author is a little ambitious with her thirty-day

blue print. Simply put, it is my belief that putting God ahead of everything and allowing God to choose your mate will ensure a better chance of finding your soul-mate. With that said, the author has a lot of valuable points—mainly, loving yourself. If one does not love him or herself, it is nearly impossible for anyone to completely and fully love you. In addition, if you are a person who is willing to give twenty-five percent, while looking for someone who will give one-hundred percent, I guarantee you are setting yourself up for failure.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Self-Appraisal section of this book. It causes a person to thoroughly evaluate themselves on the inside as well as the outside. This is something that many fail to do. One of the other things I enjoyed about this book is that it is not preachy as many self-help books are. Real Love, Right Now is an action plan that gives its readers homework and addresses those hard but real issues ranging from finances, childhood abuse, self-worth and much more. In addition after reading this book, it can ultimately help married couples who may have lost themselves in the everyday life and issues that come along with marriage. I believe it can help men and women initially rediscover themselves while rekindling marriages.

Now do I think this can be done in thirty-days? Probably not, but I’d say that Kailen Rosenberg gets you off to a great start.

“I received a free copy of this book from Howard Books, for my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.”

REVIEW: Prayers and Promises for Worried Parents by Robert J. Morgan

Date:                         9/3/13

Title:                         Prayers and Promises

Author:                    Robert J. Morgan

ISBN 13:                   978-1-4767-4067-6

Pages:                      215

Publisher:               Howard Books

Cover:                      Paperback

Rating:                    4 Stars

I always welcome resources that encourage. Prayers and Promises is one of those

resources. As a parent of two grown children who continue to make choices that I would otherwise approve of, it is very difficult not to worry about their future.

Through a compilation of resources and original connotation, Robert J. Morgan has created this easy to read, easy to navigate book. Like most great resources, this book is divided into easy to read and easy to navigate chapters, complete with scripture and resources.

My take-away from this book is that God has all the answers. As parents we must look to Him to fix or help our children instead of worrying about something we have no control over.  A great resource for your spiritual library.

“I received a free copy of this book from Howard Books, for my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.”

REVIEW: The 50 Friday Marriage Challenge by Jeff & Lora Helton

Date:                         9/3/13

Title:                         The 50 Fridays Marriage Challenge

Author:                      Jeff & Lora Helton

ISBN 13:                    978-1-4767-0500-2

Pages:                        176

Publisher:                 Howard Books

Cover:                         Paperback

Rating:                       4 Stars

I’m all for tools that help strengthen or rebuild marriages. The 50 Fridays Marriage Challenge

is an excellent tool. My husband and I are only on the second week, but we did skip ahead to read some of the other challenges just to see what we were getting ourselves into. Upon inspection I found that this book is perfect for those couples thinking about marriage, newlyweds and for those married couples who are looking for the missing piece in their marriage or those trying to figure out ways to find themselves back to their spouse.

Each Friday, perfect for a date night, the couple is to ask, answer and follow up the given question. Questions such as:

·         “What was the greatest thing that happened to you this week?”

·         “What was your greatest challenge?”

·         “Evaluate your physical intimacy. What would you like to see changed?”

·         “What physical characteristic of your spouse do you like the most?”

·         “What are the simple phrases that describe your desire for your marriage?”

These 50 questions range from spiritual to intimate to financial issues that married couples face. I recommend this book to any couple as state above. It is great for married couples, however, for those who are not sure if their potential mate is good fit, you should get and utilize the practices and questions in this book.

“I received a free copy of this book from Howard Books, for my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.”

REVIEW: Nikki and Deja: Substitute Trouble

Date:                                   8/11/13

Title:                                    Nikki and Deja: Substitute Trouble     

Author:                               Karen English 

ISBN 13:                              978-0547615653

Pages:                                 112

Publisher:                          HMH Books for Young Readers

Cover:                                  Paperback

Rating:                                2 Stars

I’ve read and reviewed several of the books in the Nikki and Deja Series and most of them were good. I’ve recommended many of them to ethnic children. However, this latest installment had me wondering if the author is tired of the series, because it was not as well written or interesting as the other books in the series. I’m not sure how far Karen English will carry on this series, but I sure hope the next book is better than this one but as good as her other Nikki and Deja books. 

REVIEW: The Accounting by William Lashner

Date:                                  8/8/13

Title:                                  The Accounting              

Author:                               William Lashner           

ISBN 13:                              978-1611099355

Pages:                                 426

Publisher:                           Thomas and Mercer

Cover:                               

 Paperback -ARC

Rating:                                4 Stars

I’m just now getting into Mystery/Crime/Thriller novels.  This book did not disappoint. After reading The Accounting, I will make it a point to back and read other William Lashner novels.

A teenage crime that everyone had long forgotten comes back to haunt Jon and his friends. A true tale of what is done in the dark, always comes to light even if its twenty-five years later. As the body count rises realizes one should never come between a drug dealer and his money. Jon finds out if a change in identity can save him from his past.

Normally, I can read a book of about two-hundred and fifty pages, in about three to five hours, depending on  the content. However, The Accounting is One BAB (Big Ass Book). It took me about a week to read this book. But none the less, it was a good one. As I settle in to read more of Lashner’s work, I know I should probably read them on a cold, boring night, because it’s going to be a while. 

REVIEW: Mistakes Leaders Make by Dave Kraft

Date:                                   8/8/13

Title:                                    Mistakes Leaders Make              

Author:                               Dave Kraft        

ISBN 13:                              978-1433532498

Pages:                                 128

Publisher:                          Crossway

Cover:                                  Paperback

Rating:                                3.5 Stars

Mistakes Leaders Make by Dave Kraft touches on spiritual and ministry mistakes that are often

times made by spiritual and church leaders. These mistakes range from focusing on man and materialism instead of faith in God's word. 

It has been my experience, as it is described in this book, that many leaders take their eyes off God and place them on things of the world.

This book gives ten (10) common mistakes like allowing ministry to replace Jesus, allowing pleasing people to replace pleasing God and allowing information to replace transformation. Each mistake is given its own chapter, includes a relatable story and ends with a Food for Thought section.

The book is short and easy to read. Although I feel the book is a bit generic, the author made his key points and I do believe this is a good resource, especially for those looking to get into ministry for all the wrong reasons.

REVIEW: The Clarity Principle by Chatham Sullivan

Date:                                    8/7/13  

Title:                                     The Clarity Principle

Author:                               Chatham Sullivan

ISBN 13:                               978-1118434666

Pages:                                 240

Publisher:                          Jossey-bass

Cover:                                  Hardcover

Rating:                                3 Stars

The Clarity Principle, although a good book and resource, is really not much different from your

typical leadership book. There are those books that are a must have for your leadership library; however, this is one of those. This was a book that I could take or leave. This is not to say that this is not a valuable book, it’s just that when you've read so many leadership books, you expect others to be exceptional. Enough about that.

The one thing that stood out for me in this book is that the author shares that you shouldn’t treat everyone, everything or every situation equally. People are on different levels, and not every situation is going to have the same outcome.

The book uses several analogies and is an easy read. However, I found myself losing interest and having to put the book down and revisit several times before finishing. 

REVIEW: Choosing the Road Less Traveled by Myckelle Williams

Date:                                    8/1/13  

Title:                                     Choosing the Road Less Traveled: Finding Grace on the Path to Purpose

Author:                               Myckelle Williams

ISBN 13:                              978-0615772905

Pages:                                 168

Publisher:                          MPowerment Worldwide LLC

Cover:                                  Paperback

Rating:                                4 Stars

I must first commend Myckelle Williams for having the courage to write and share her story with

others. As she said in a previous interview, every woman has a story. This is so true and often times many women don't know how to tell their stories, are afraid to tell their stories or are silenced from telling their stories.

The author takes the reader on a journey from her pregnancy at age sixteen to the present. Mrs. Williams shows how her faith and God's plan for her life transformed her life.

Myckelle found herself repeating the Cycle that her parents followed, filled with abuse, teenage promiscuity, babies, abortions and abuse. Like so many of us, the author has been through and seen a lot of things at an early age. Sometimes we think we went through so much as children and even as adults, until we reach or are privy to someone else story. Even so, I truly believe God allows us to go through things for a reason.

God placed various people throughout Myckelle's life, and when he thought she was ready to stand on her own, or perhaps it was when he felt it was time for her to depend on him and not others, he moved people she and her husband had depended on to Idaho.

From her beginning to where she is now, the author has been a fighter and a conqueror and because of it, she is not in a position to help others facing similar situations through her current business and non-profit endeavors.

REVIEW: The Forbidden Secrets of the Goody Box by Valerie Lewis Coleman

Date:                7/28/13

Title:                The Forbidden Secrets of the Goody Box

Author:              Valerie J. Lewis Coleman

ISBN 13:            978-0-9786066-3-3

Pages:               285

Publisher:           Pen of the Writer

Cover:               Paperback

Rating:              4 Stars

Debra Hampton always tends to find love in all the wrong place. Part of her

problem is that she gives too much to a man, too soon, and is left wondering why things didn’t work out. I must say that I absolutely loved this book. I actually played the manuscript through my head as I read it quickly within a few hours. This book definitely should be converted to a movie. There is no doubt that it will be a hit at the box office for the right crowd. I love how Debra goes through the book along with the guidance of her coach Doc Reed.

I almost gave this book five stars right until the end. However, I was left confused. Although there are supporting characters, one would go into this book thinking Debra was the main character as I did. However, the book ended focused on one of the supporting characters Rachel, who is contemplating cheating on her husband. Another thing that had me puzzled was that Doc Reed was supposed to be married with children. Although he gave good advice and helped Debra through her issues, it seemed like as much time he spent coaching Debra, I was sure the two would get together and had to second-guess if he really had a wife.

The scenarios in this book were real world scenarios and the title may otherwise cause some to think this book was about sex. However, this book wasn’t about sex—not exactly. In my opinion, it was about empowering women to stop allowing themselves to be a doormat and giving their “Goody Box” to people who didn’t deserve it. The reading group guide is an excellent addition. Kudos to the author. 

REVIEW: The One Year Devos for Teen Girls by Gresh and Weibel

Date:                         7/15/13

Title:                         The One Year Devos for Teen Girls

Author:                     Dannah Gresh and Suzy Weibel

ISBN 13:                    978-1-4143-8404-7

Pages:                        377

Publisher:                 Tyndale House Publishers

Cover:                         Epub/ARC

Rating:                       5 Stars

In a world full of challenges, sorrow and uncertainty, I’m all for books that help inspire and

guide our young girls into womanhood.

This book starts at January 1^st and goes all the way to December 31^st. Each day has a specific theme that starts with a scripture, a concept and questions, along with action steps. Some of my favorites are:

·         January 6^th – Get Out of Your Comfort Zone

·         February 9^th – Authentic or Copycat?

·         March 8^th – Loved by Dad

·         April 3^rd – Why Do I Like Facebook So Much?

·         June 22^nd – Heart Exam

·         July 25^th – What if I Don’t Have Any Gifts?

·         September 6^th – Negativity Part I

·         November 6^th  - Doesn’t Marriage Mean He’ll Be the Boss of Me?

·         December 22^nd – Why So Sad?

In addition the book includes a great topical index at the end of the book. I strongly recommend this book for any teenage girl, but especially one who is struggling with being a teen in today’s world while trying to live Christian values.

REVIEW: Deep Fried Trouble by Tyora Moody

Date:                7/19/13

Title:                Deep Fried Trouble  

Author:             Tyora Moody

ISBN 13:           978-0-9894153-0-9

Pages:              218

Publisher:          Tymm Publishing LLC

Cover:               Paperback

Rating:              4 Stars

I loved Deep Fried Trouble by Tyora Moody. I’ve enjoyed her other books and

this one was no different. A retired  and widowed Eugeena Patterson is on the case when she finds her neighbor, Mary, dead in her home. Eugeena is feeling bad because she and Mary were not on good terms. To add injury to insult, busybodies at church are asking too many questions.

Eugeena is determined to find out who killed her neighbor if it’s the last thing she does—even though her daughter drops by with her children—one Eugeena didn’t even know about—and disappears.

Along with the handsome widower next door, Amos, Eugeena is determined she will get to the bottom of her former friends death and find out what her mischevious daughter is up to.

Deep Fried Trouble is a quick read that will have you wanting to turn each page to find out what will happen next as this neighborhood detective jumps into adventure. In addition to find out what would happen next, I was hoping that Eugeena and Amos got a little romantic. Maybe they did, maybe they didn’t. You’ve got to read the book for yourself. Great job Tyora.