Beautifully Poor

White as Silence, Red as Song by Alessandro D'Avenia is what I would call, the love story of a teenage boy named Leo. It is written in first person, almost as if it is a diary - which is fine by me. I used to read diary type books a lot as a young adult. It is, however, different to read from a young man's point of view. Some of it is just hum-drum regular kid stuff like soccer and hanging with his best friends, Niko and Silvia. A lot of it is his obsession with Beatrice. The very first section explains the title of the book. Leo compares different things to colors. Silence is white - which to him is nothing because there is nothing within white, no color, no feeling. Silence to Leo throughout the book is almost an enemy, something that distresses his very soul. He then compares his love interest Beatrice to the color red, saying that love is red - it is a tempest, a hurricane "that sweeps you away"*, and an earthquake "that crumbles your body to pieces...

When God Made You  by  Matthew Paul Turner  is a beautifully written children's book that shows kids how much God does love them through poetry and illustration. The book is bright and vibrant and I couldn't help but smile while reading it to the kids. My oldest loved the book, and after we had finished reading it I explained to him how special him and his brother are to God. That in fact, God loves everyone just the same, and we are oh so special to him. This book opened a door for my kids to feel and better understand that special love only God has for everyone. When God Made You  really could be a book for young and old alike, because I really don't think many of us grasp the profoundness of God's love for us, as kids and adults. I am so happy to have this book, and have been asked multiple times by my oldest to read it to him again.  Matthew Paul Turner   did an amazing job with the writing and the illustrations by David Catrow are just beautiful....

Martha Stewart's Slow Cooker  cookbook is a beautiful compilation of recipes the whole family will love. Using my slow cooker is a life saver in the winter months (and sometimes the summer) especially when we are busy with school activities or karate. Having a hot meal ready to go when we get home is my favorite, so reviewing this book was a treat! The book has 8 sections: Meat Poultry Seafood Meatless Side Dishes Breakfast Sweets Stocks & Sauces Each section offers a wide array of dishes to make, one of my favorites being the Chicken with 20 Cloves of Garlic. The flavor created in the dish was just fabulous and it was extremely easy to make - even better. Of course the pictures in  Martha Stewart's Slow Cooker  are fabulous as well, showcasing the meal in a beautiful fashion, making them look even tastier than you thought they could. The recipes themselves go from simple, such as Brisket and Onions, to more unusual (for my family anyways)...

Just Mercy   by  Bryan Stevenson  is a book that describes the injustice of the prison systems, racial discrimination, and more specifically, the horrors of death row. What intrigued me most about this book is that racial discrimination is so rampant in the United States - it is actually quite sickening to me. I really had no idea that so many, including kids, get lost in the system to the point of wasting away in prison, even when they are wrongly accused.  The main account is about a man named Walter McMillan, who was wrongly accused of murder. The reasons behind him being accused are so heinous that it made me cringe at the way white people treated and still treat those of darker color.  Just Mercy  doesn't only account Walter's history in the system, but many others that  Mr. Stevenson  himself has helped, or those his non-profit organization,  Equal Justice Initiative , have helped. The information in the book is crucial, I beli...

Hosted by: MomJunky Sponsored by: Book Bears One winner will receive a Book Bears 2 Month Subscription Package for ages 2-5 Starts 6/2-6/16 18 + U.S. Check out my review HERE ! Entry -Form The winner will be notified by e-mail and will have 48 hours to respond or forfeits the prize. This giveaway is not associated with Facebook, Twitter, or any other social media. All participating blogs are not responsible for prize fulfillment. All entries are optional. Void where prohibited by law.

Hunters In The Dark  by  Lawrence Osborne  is an intellectually written masterpiece that will suck you in right up until the end. This novel started off slowly with an amazing set up of descriptions for the setting of the book. What I found quite intriguing was the fact that  Lawrence Osborne  actually lives in Bangkok, which is where part of the book takes place.  The novel tells the story of Robert, a simple and quite boring school teacher who takes his summer vacation by traveling to different parts of the world. He runs into a bit of luck in the beginning which ultimately changes his whole life. He creates himself into being an anything but boring person. I think my favorite part was the end, but I will not put in any spoilers. This was a terrific read and I will happily read this novel again.  I love books that have real historical and geographical references and this novel carries both.  Lawrence Osborne  has an amazing wor...

Eleanor by Jason Gurley (more at  http://www.jasongurley.com/ ) is a dark and intriguing novel. I love books that keep me on my toes and this is definitely one of them. It is a speculative take on the choices we make and the effects they have on our immediate families, if not for generations to come.  I loved the way Mr. Gurley brought the story to life with the Prologue. I really could feel what Eleanor felt; being trapped in what had now become her life and then the decision she makes to change that. What makes this book even more intense is the addition of science fiction and time warps. Don't we all wish we had the ability to change the past? I think if we could, most of us would.  I love how powerful it shows that the mind can be in taking us down in life or bringing us up. Life is so fragile and can be taken so quickly.  "It's all just water" page 347, line 19 If you are looking for a new read that moves your emotions like only a good story c...

Submarines, Secrets & A Daring Rescue is a book geared towards children 8-12 years old and is great at bringing history into a fiction book yet making it exciting and interesting for young readers. The authors, Robert J. Skead and Robert A. Skead, take the reader on a journey into the lives of two 15 year old twins during the Revolutionary War. They lead us on exciting adventures like bringing secret messages to special recipients, sailing through the night with the world's first submarine used in combat (fiction) and fight off theives. As the title suggests they also have to rescue someone very close to them whom I won't disclose; you will just have to read it yourself. Personally I found this book exciting from front to back. As it is written for younger children, I finished it within a few hours so it is a very easy read. The fact that it is exciting will keep kids intrigued with no worries of it gathering dust on the bookshelf before it is finished. I am especi...

The Rising is based on a true story written by Ryan D'Agostino who is an acclaimed journalist. The story is that of Bill Petit and the gruesome murder of his wife and two daughters and his own near death experience. The tragedy occured July 23, 2007 in the middle of the night and it is a night he will never forget. It also tells of how he overcomes this adversity in his life and is able to move on; proving that the human being is stronger than one would have thought and life worth every minute it is lived.  The book starts off telling of Bill in his new life, after the tragedy. It talks of his memorial for his wife and daughters and even in the first chapter, you can feel the pain that he must live. It then shoots back to his memory of the night he was bludgeoned. The night he got away when he shouldn't have. The night his life was spared by some miracle. The book goes on into the life before the tragedy. It goes into details about Bill's young life, then going on ...

God Bless Our Fall by Hannah C. Hall, illustrated by Steve Whitlow is a book that is charming, bright and tells us what wonderful things that can be enjoyed in the fall that we can be thankful to God for. This book is great for children as they can easily relate to the sweet little animals in the book as they enjoy the wonderful things fall brings. This book was a win as soon as I saw it. The colors are bright yet the illustrations are soft. The font is large enough for a small child learning to read to easily do so. I really enjoy how the story goes through different instances of how fun fall really is, whether it just be chilly to the good food and even the fun festivals that happen this time of year. My 4 year old absolutely loves it and pages through the boardbook on his own. He loves pointing out the small animals and stating what they are doing before I even read the page. It is short enough to keep any small childs attention, yet long enough to be totally worth it....

I am a huge thriller buff when it comes to books and have great ones from Stephen King and Dean Koontz in my collection. Before this, I had never read any of Samantha Hayes works and am very happy that I ran into this gem. The book starts off very fast and ends in death; yes death right off the bat. This town has experienced patterns of suicides that devestate the community and without further investigation they appear to be just that: suicides.  It then delves into the lives of  Detective Inspector Lorraine Fisher, her husband, who is also a detective, and their daughter. Lorraine and her daughter go to visit Lorraine's sister in her hometown where all these suicides have taken place. Given a background of the community and what has been going on by Jo, Lorraine's sister, the town seems like a boring kind of place that kids just can't stand hence the suicide; or is it? I couldn't help but be captivated by the depth of the book.. It takes on the point o...

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**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links. Over the past few weeks I’ve been sharing how and why Blurb is such an incredible source for telling your story—whether it includes photos, words, or both. I realize that not everyone has the desire to write a novel or sell a book of their photos. Some people just want to commemorate a trip, an event, or a special occasion. Others may want to visually capture a business concept or life experience. Whatever the inclination, Blurb makes it easy and affordable to realize it.  Chances are you already have an idea for the kind of book you want to create. But in case you need a little inspiration, here are a few ways people have used Blurb to create their own creative and useful books:  Gifts A beautiful, custom-made book is one of the most thoughtful, meaningful gifts you can give. With Father’s Day, graduation, and wedding season just around the corner,...

**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links. Thus far you’ve heard the  Blurb story  and learned a bit about the extensive  tools and resources  that Blurb makes available to their book-making customers. While all that is impressive, what’s really remarkable to me is how they offer all of that  and  provide visually stunning books made on photo-quality paper— AND  do it all at such an incredibly affordable price. It’s really is something to marvel at.  Since day one, Blurb has been praised for their unwavering commitment to quality, which is why renowned photographers, graphic designers, architects, artists, and other creative professionals repeatedly choose Blurb to display their works of art. That speaks volumes in my book (no pun intended) because, if  they  trust Blurb to showcase their work, then it just seems logical that I should too.  Profess...

**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links. So last week I shared a bit of the Blurb story and how they came to unleash the power of self-publishing. But Blurb is actually way more than a self-publishing platform. They are really a tour de force of creativity that strives to help give  your  story – your inspiration – a stage. And they provide some really incredible tools to make that possible.  Here are a few of my faves: Free  book making tools  – This one may be obvious, but there’s more here than meets the eye. Blurb offers multiple  easy-to-use bookmaking tools and templates to give you complete creative control and customization: BookWright : The  only  desktop publishing software built for creating professional-looking print books, magazines, and ebooks. It’s super simple to use, which means you won't need to hire a fancy designer, know a line of code,...