The Sparkle Box - Book Review

The Sparkle Box is the perfect way to start a new family tradition, teach your kids to help others, and add more meaning to Christmas. 

We received a copy to review and the kids and I Loved it! I'm so excited to add this to our family traditions. Such a great way to teach kids to be compasionate givers, while also showing the love of Christ. 

At the beginning of the story you see The Sparkle Box  sitting on a fireplace mantle and a child asking him mom about it.Throughout the story you read about the child and his family and the various things they are doing to help out someone or some charity. Simple things like donating money or giving a homeless person some gloves. As the story progresses the child continues to ask about the sparkle box, but the parents tell him he has to wait until Christmas to open it.

Finally Christmas comes and the child gets to open The Sparkle Box , but there is nothing in it except slips of paper. On the slips of paper are each of the kind acts that the family has done during the month of December. The parents explain that these were their gifts to Jesus, helping others.

The book comes with The Sparkle Box  and you can do the same thing the family does in the story.

Gone Girl - Book Review

Gone Girl

OK, it's been quite a while since I did a book review and part of the reason is that I haven't read anything worth reviewing in some time. Which means that I really liked Gone Girl. In fact I couldn't put it down. I read it in three days after a friend of mine mentioned that she couldn't put it down.

Gone Girl is a mystery book that takes place in Missouri. Amy, wife of Nick, has gone missing and you follow along the journey of finding out what happened.

The story changes directions drastically throughout the book. Just when you think you've figured out what's going to happen the author changes directions and almost transforms the characters into different people. After enough changes in direction you are dying to get to the end and see how it all plays out.

Related articles

• 6 Books Perfect for Book Clubs

6 Books Perfect for Book Clubs

Here are 6 book recommendations perfect for a book club or just reading on your own. My book club is actually reading all of these right now. All of these books were recommended by friends of mine or other bloggers I know.

 The Light Between Oceans


The Sandcastle Girls


The Comfort of Lies


Here I Go Again


Where'd You Go Bernadette


The Language of Flowers
The Language of Flowers was one of the selections for World Book night 2013.


Also the author of There's a Lion in the Toilet! Based on the true-life extraordinary adventures of 6 Andersons will Skype with your book club meeting for a Q & A with her. How fun is that!


Do you have a good book recommendation? If so, please share it in the comments below.

Free or Cheap E-books

Did you know that everyday Kindle offers hundreds of books for free?

Most of the books listed here are free. If they are not free then they are under $3. I actually read all of these books last year and liked them enough to recommend them. I've gotten to where I really enjoy Ebooks. Although they are shorter than books I would normally read, it's nice to be able to finish them quickly with three kids around.
This one is a light read. It's funny and romantic with a happy ending.

This one had a happy ending, but a little too predictable.





 This was a great read.

I wouldn't normally read this kind of book,but it wasn't bad.




UnEnchanted was a good book. It is the first one in what will become a series as they are written. I didn't realize it was for teenagers or I probably would not have downloaded it. It was good enough that I may read the next one when it comes out.

7 Christmas books and activites

Here are 7 more Christmas books and activities that our family enjoys. These are a perfect way to interact with your kids throughout the month of December and change the focus from presents to the real meaning of Christmas.
A fun activity to do with kids.

Another kid friendly activity.

Christmas stories and poems by many famous authors.

Wonderful collection of Christmas stories.

A collection of poems, along with the history behind many Christmas traditions.

A fun book, especially for Boynton fans.

This book descibes a Mexican custom of reenacting Mary and Joseph's search for shelter the night Jesus was born.

6 Christmas Books to help you celebrate Christmas

There are many ways to prepare for Christmas. Here are some of the my Christmas books that we use for getting ready for Christmas. I attempt to keep the focus off of presents, but you know how that goes. But hey, as long as your try! Right?

I love all of Lisa Whelchel's books, including this one, which is quite different from many of her books. This book is a fun and handy guide that describes the significance behind your favorite traditions.

This is a daily Bible study for the month of November. Then is the month of December there are daily devotionals that reinforce your studies from November.  Lots of good practical steps.

An easy read full of fun and practical ho-to tips! This book will help you discover new ways to make your Christmas bright.

Discover the joyous message of Christmas through the delightful antics of Oscar the Christmas Lizard. This book makes for a great bedtime story.

The inspirational story of our favorite Christmas candy.

I love Liz Curtis Higgs books and was so pleased to discover she had kids books. This book tells the heartwarming tale of a farmer and his family who nurture seedlings into fragrant Christmas trees.

Related articles

• Holidays in Edinburgh

Unbroken - A must read

Unbroken

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption is a true story about Louis Zamperini surviving WWII. He was stationed in the Pacific flying aboard and piloting bombers fighting against Japan. He takes you through his life leading up to the war and how he comes to be a bombardier.

He survives a plane crash, fighting off sharks, and captivity in several Japanese prison camps. This book gives you an in depth look at the Pacific part of WWII.

His story is incredible and it's stunning he lived to share it. He has had a fascinating life and it was entertaining and educational. There were times I literally cried while reading this book. 

I think this book should be required reading in our schools.

Fifty Shades Trilogy

 Okay, I'll admit it. I read  Fifty Shades Trilogy: Fifty Shades of Grey, Fifty Shades Darker, Fifty Shades Freed 3-volume Boxed Set. That's right I read all three of them. Once you've read one, most likely you will read all three. It's just that kind of series that pulls you in.

 The first one, Fifty Shades of Grey: Book One of the Fifty Shades Trilogy,
I liked, but man does that guy have some issues. I considered the girl to be a prime target for an abusive relationship. Unlike many people I didn't see this as a hot and steamy romance book. Instead, I thought it was about the beginnings of an abusive relationship. By the end of the book I am relieved. I don't want to give away the ending, so I'll leave it at that.

There are two more books though, so you know that in some sort of fashion the story continues. Book two, Fifty Shades Darker: Book Two of the Fifty Shades Trilogy picks up almost where the last book left off. I must say I thought the entire book was better than the first and it was hot and steamy.

Last the third book, Fifty Shades Freed: Book Three of the Fifty Shades Trilogy, is the best book by far. The story this time picks up several months later, with assorted flash backs to give you an idea of what happened during those months. It is the best written of the three.

Happy reading!

The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Hunger Games is a great book. It's an interesting and different kind of story. The entire book really holds your attention. I am planning to read the whole series now, because the ending really left me hanging.

It's long complicated story and I will attempt to summarize it. The Hunger Games is about the "hunger games", which is an annual event, that's televised to the whole country. There are 12 districts in the country and each district is required to send one boy and one girl to fight each other to the death. The book is about a girl in District 12 going through the entire process.

Should kid be allowed to read The Hunger Games?

I finally read it, because my son has been asking to read it. I had heard mixed things about it, so I decided to read it myself and then make a decision. It's been several weeks since I read it and after a lot of thought I've decided to let my son read it. He is eleven and although it is quite graphic, it's not as bad as I thought it was going to be. Several of my friend's have let their kids read it and it's been fine. It's actually been fun to read the same book series as him, because we can discuss it.

The Book Thief

The Book Thief is my favorite book and has been for several years. It is the book I most often recommend. It's well written and interesting.

The Book Thief is a work of historical fiction and takes places during WWII. Death is the narrator and tells the story of a little girl growing up in nazi Germany. Death names her the Book Theif.

Although I've read many books regarding World War II, this is the first one that I've read that is from a German's child's perspective. Death observes the girl being sent away from her parents, having her friends killed and recruited, often going without enough food, and sneaking around.

Bachelorette Party Favors

A few days ago I mentioned that I went to Vegas for my baby sister's bachelorette party. Since I'm her only sister and maid of honor I put the event together. I had these glasses done up (Holly at AllMyGoodness did them!) and made little survival kits. I just loved the way they turned out and wanted to share them with you.

Each person attending the Vegas bachelorette weekend recieved a personalized wine glass.

I also made up these survival kits for the party. In them is:
2 drink mixes
1 mini bottle of liquor
2 bandaids (for your feet after dancing the night away in heels)
1 granola bar
2 tylenol
Shout on the go wipes (Nobody wants to go with a stain on their dress)
2 sticks of gum
1 nail file

Last but not least I gave everyone a copy of A Reliable Wife, because you have to have a book to read at the pool!

Las Vegas Vacation

Enter your email address:


Delivered by FeedBurner



 

A Reliable Wife - Book Review

A Reliable Wife is a best seller that's been around a while, but I only read it recently. I was chosen as a World Book night host and they sent me twenty copies. I decided to start a book club and we all read the book. I would be lying if I said my friends liked the book, but a few did! One of the gals in our group mentioned she saw a movie a while back that was the same story line as this book. So, of course I checked into it. My friend was spot on. This book came out ten years after the movie Original Sin starring Angelina Jolie and Antonio Banderas. I haven't seen the movie, but from what I read the book could be ripping off their movie.

I didn't like or not like the book. It's interesting to read and well written. I always enjoy historical fiction. I learned some new things about that time period in America. I hated most of the characters. Usually you can pick at least one character you want to succeed, but not in this book. I would try to summarize the book, but it's just to complicated. One thing is for sure, you will never guess the ending!

Fall Book List 2011

Now that my four year old is going to preschool I have a little more time to do the things I enjoy.  I love to read  and picked up quite a few books to read this fall.  Here is a list of what I am planning to read.

I've already read the first to books in the Confessions of a Shopaholic series and I am planning to read the next two.
 I've been reading this book off and on for the last several months and I hope to get through another 100 pages this fall.  This is a long book and tough to read at times, but the material is absolutely fascinating!



I loved the Secret Life of Bees, so I decided to read another one of her books.  This is one that she wrote with her daughter.  I'm two chapters in and it is already good.








What are you planning to read this fall?