Title: What Every Dream Means
Author: Scott M. Shafer
Web Site: http://whateverydreammeans.com/
Genre/Category: Non-Fiction: Christianity
ISBN-13: 978-1589094635
Reviewed by Marsha Randolph
“What Every Dream Means” is not what I expected nor is its’ author Scott M Shafer. What I expected was a dream dictionary with commentary; it is not. I also expected an author who would give Biblical interpretations to justify various statements without actually citing a particular verse; this was not the case. Incorporating personal experience, years of study and much prayer the author has put together a biblically based argument for the importance of understanding dreams as well as foundational information to do so.
The author, Scott M. Shafer, speaks at seminars, workshops and retreats as well as hosting private dream interpretation sessions. His website www.whateverydreammeans.comintroduces the viewer to the potential of dream interpretation by providing such workshops as: “Dreams and The Professional Community”.
Scott’s journey to understanding dreams began as a young man. In examining the significance of his own dreams he noticed a relationship between his conversations with God and the proliferation of dreams. This gave birth to years of study and as opportunities presented itself the interpretation of the dreams of others. Through experience he learned the importance of listening to the details of the dreamer as well as listening to the Holy Spirit. “What Every Dream Means” incorporates the knowledge of 20 plus years of studying dreams.
“Scott’s intention and purpose is to build knowledge into others in order for them to properly understand and interpret dreams.” (see: http://www.whateverydreammeans.com/ About the Author)
Though dreams have been around as long as mankind existed it is not a recognized “ministry” in most Christian churches. In discussing how people receive what he does Scott shared the following with me:
“…As a result they assume that it is New Age or occult based.
I recall a pastor’s wife who came to a dream interpretation table in a bookstore where I was interpreting one evening. After to talking to her she admitted that she could not find answers to her dreams in the church and when she saw the interpretation table at the bookstore she thought or assumed it was New Age but she was desperate to find answers for her dreams. So she came to the table and immediately took the opportunity to share her dreams.
I have another person, probably a well-meaning person; say to me recently that they thought what I did was ‘psychic’. Again I think the reason is that they have never been exposed to who I am and what I do and on the surface they are only familiar with what the New Age has become known for. “
Obviously there is a need for dream interpretation yet as with many areas of ministry the laborers are few. “What Every Dream Means” is a beginning. From the Introduction forward Mr. Shafer walks the reader through the dream process which does not begin with going to bed. There is a biblical basis for dreams and throughout the book there are both Old and New Testament references to corroborate various points.
The book is 159 pages full of much needed information. (Generally speaking; I hate reading the introduction to most books yet I found Scotts’ to be very thought provoking and a necessary read.) Chapter 1- “DREAM RECALL: Remembering Your Dreams”, has subchapters that include: Passivity Can I Really Change This?; “God Speaks in Dreams”: “The Night Season: Sleep Preparation”; and “Improving Memory”. Though chapter one could be a book by itself there are eleven subsequent chapters each building upon the other.
In preparation for dreaming Scott teaches the reader the importance of exercising his or her “memory muscle” by memorizing bible verses. When asked to suggest a few mentioned the Psalms of David and also Romans.
“Romans 12:1 reveals the light that there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. As we meditate on this verse at night it will have a profound and deep influence on our conscience and gradually as we come to believe the verse it will set us free from any nagging sense of accusation, guilt or fear. Fear, stress, worry and guilt are some of the things that negatively affect the quality of our sleep at night and can erode our dreaming experience.”
Scott makes it clear in this book that God speaks to us in our dreams no matter who we are or what we believe:
“The things that I recommend about sleep preparation are not intended in any way to become ‘law’ or some kind of legalistic burden to people. I do believe it will enhance their sleep and dreaming experience but I am ultimately confident in the Sovereignty of God. When he wants to speak to us in a dream He will do it. There are examples of this kind of thing happening and being reported in the mission field. Muslims are reporting Jesus appearing to them in dreams and being converted by reason of their dreams.”
He, Scott, also makes it clear that there are no rules etched in stone as to how we are to interpret dreams. Which is why; I don’t use the dream book that I have.
“This is the genius of God that keeps us dependent of Him and His Spirit and not on some methodology of interpreting by knowing a list of symbol meanings from a dream dictionary.”
Each of us should have a personal relationship with Father God. Knowing that He speaks to us in various ways including dreams it is important that we know how to get the most out of our sleep. What is presented in “What Every Dream Means” is the compilations of biblical principles supported by scripture to help you interpret you own dreams as well as the dreams of others. In case you have not determined it yet: I am recommending you purchase this book.
-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :
This blog, #TheNewBookReview, is "new" because it eschews #bookbigotry. It lets readers, reviewers, authors, and publishers expand the exposure of their favorite reviews, FREE. Info for submissions is in the "Send Me Your Fav Book Review" circle icon in the right column below. Find resources to help your career using the mini search engine below. #TheNewBookReview is a multi-award-winning blog including a MastersInEnglish.org recommendation.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Monday, March 7, 2011
Memoir Review: Answering the "Why Me" Question
Title: Long Run, Short Catch: One Woman's Desperate Attempt to Discover If Normalcy Actually Exists on Earth
Author: Asama Iwuoha
Genre: Biographies, Memoir
ISBN: 978-1456309497
eBook ISBN: 978-1456600136
Publishers: CreateSpace, eBookit
Reviewed by Rosella LaFevre originally for The Temple News
Many of us, I believe, have asked the question, “Why me?” When we face tough situations, we wonder why those things had to happened to us. I am sure I’m not the only one who has begged for an answer to this question.
Asama Iwuoha, a Nigerian-American and the author of the self-published memoir “Long Run, Short Catch: One Woman’s Desperate Attempt to Discover If Normalcy Actually Exists on Earth,” posed this question on the first page of her book.
Iwuoha’s memoir encompasses the sexual abuse she suffered as a child and her years as a Temple student, where she met the man she eventually married. She wrote that from the start she has never found the answer to this question.
In her book, Iwuoha recalled the time her mother discovered her father sexually abusing her and called the police. When her father returned from prison to live with the family, Iwuoha had to learn to deal with his presence. Understandably, she continues to hold a grudge against him, getting fancy clothes and accessories out of him out of forgiveness and finally, she marries a Jamaican man to spite him.
Sometimes, when we ask the question, “Why me?” we seek to absolve ourselves of any guilt, as did Iwuoha. She asks the question without pausing to consider that perhaps her ill-fated marriage happened because she chose to marry a man for the wrong reasons.
As a sophomore at Temple, Iwuoha was finally fitting into a group of girls. One of them introduced her to Michael Williams, a polite Jamaican man. He immediately took a shine to her despite being more into light-skinned girls, as Iwuoha’s account tells us.
His father had brought him to America using someone else’s passport. Advised by his father that marriage would be the quickest way to solve his problems, Williams recognized that Iwuoha could solve his problems and he set out to marry her.
Action was taken so that he might go to college, but it caught up to him when a student enrolled at Temple with the same Social Security number. That was when his father told him he must find a woman to marry and soon after, he met Iwuoha.
They started dating, and he later told her his dilemma. Unsure, she said she’d think about marrying him.
“Is it possible he just wants to use me as his ticket?” Iwuoha wrote. “Either way, marrying him could be my final valediction from father.”
The outcome of the situation is surely undesirable, but this could be the very answer to the Iwuoha’s question.Why should her marriage end the way it did? Perhaps because, as much as Williams was using her for a green card, she was using him to get back at her father.
Often, we beg the question, “Why me?” because we hope that should the answer come to us one way or another, that it will give meaning to our suffering.
Perhaps Iwuoha’s supposed inability to find her answer is because in writing the book, she sought to answer the questions her family had about the choices she made in life.
“Not only does my book entail many of those answers, but it also served as my catharsis, releasing me of emotional baggage that had been haunting me,” Iwuoha said of why she chose to self-publish her story now.
Ultimately, Iwuoha’s book raises more questions for the reader than it answers, but this could be considered its greatest charm. By questioning Iwuoha’s actions, reactions and feelings, we learn that sometimes the answer we’re looking for is right there. And sometimes, it’s not so important why you suffered as how you championed that suffering.
-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :
Author: Asama Iwuoha
Genre: Biographies, Memoir
ISBN: 978-1456309497
eBook ISBN: 978-1456600136
Publishers: CreateSpace, eBookit
Reviewed by Rosella LaFevre originally for The Temple News
Many of us, I believe, have asked the question, “Why me?” When we face tough situations, we wonder why those things had to happened to us. I am sure I’m not the only one who has begged for an answer to this question.
Asama Iwuoha, a Nigerian-American and the author of the self-published memoir “Long Run, Short Catch: One Woman’s Desperate Attempt to Discover If Normalcy Actually Exists on Earth,” posed this question on the first page of her book.
Iwuoha’s memoir encompasses the sexual abuse she suffered as a child and her years as a Temple student, where she met the man she eventually married. She wrote that from the start she has never found the answer to this question.
In her book, Iwuoha recalled the time her mother discovered her father sexually abusing her and called the police. When her father returned from prison to live with the family, Iwuoha had to learn to deal with his presence. Understandably, she continues to hold a grudge against him, getting fancy clothes and accessories out of him out of forgiveness and finally, she marries a Jamaican man to spite him.
Sometimes, when we ask the question, “Why me?” we seek to absolve ourselves of any guilt, as did Iwuoha. She asks the question without pausing to consider that perhaps her ill-fated marriage happened because she chose to marry a man for the wrong reasons.
As a sophomore at Temple, Iwuoha was finally fitting into a group of girls. One of them introduced her to Michael Williams, a polite Jamaican man. He immediately took a shine to her despite being more into light-skinned girls, as Iwuoha’s account tells us.
His father had brought him to America using someone else’s passport. Advised by his father that marriage would be the quickest way to solve his problems, Williams recognized that Iwuoha could solve his problems and he set out to marry her.
Action was taken so that he might go to college, but it caught up to him when a student enrolled at Temple with the same Social Security number. That was when his father told him he must find a woman to marry and soon after, he met Iwuoha.
They started dating, and he later told her his dilemma. Unsure, she said she’d think about marrying him.
“Is it possible he just wants to use me as his ticket?” Iwuoha wrote. “Either way, marrying him could be my final valediction from father.”
The outcome of the situation is surely undesirable, but this could be the very answer to the Iwuoha’s question.Why should her marriage end the way it did? Perhaps because, as much as Williams was using her for a green card, she was using him to get back at her father.
Often, we beg the question, “Why me?” because we hope that should the answer come to us one way or another, that it will give meaning to our suffering.
Perhaps Iwuoha’s supposed inability to find her answer is because in writing the book, she sought to answer the questions her family had about the choices she made in life.
“Not only does my book entail many of those answers, but it also served as my catharsis, releasing me of emotional baggage that had been haunting me,” Iwuoha said of why she chose to self-publish her story now.
Ultimately, Iwuoha’s book raises more questions for the reader than it answers, but this could be considered its greatest charm. By questioning Iwuoha’s actions, reactions and feelings, we learn that sometimes the answer we’re looking for is right there. And sometimes, it’s not so important why you suffered as how you championed that suffering.
-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Dreams and Christianity
Title: What Every Dream Means
Author: Scott M. Shafer
Web Site: http://whateverydreammeans.com/
Genre/Category: Non-Fiction: Christianity
ISBN-13: 978-1589094635
Reviewed by Marsha Randolph
“What Every Dream Means” is not what I expected nor is its’ author Scott M Shafer. What I expected was a dream dictionary with commentary; it is not. I also expected an author who would give biblical interpretations to justify various statements without actually citing a particular verse; this was not the case. Incorporating personal experience, years of study and much prayer the author has put together a biblically based argument for the importance of understanding dreams as well as foundational information to do so.
The author, Scott M. Shafer, speaks at seminars, workshops and retreats as well as hosting private dream interpretation sessions. His website www.whateverydreammeans.comintroduces the viewer to the potential of dream interpretation by providing such workshops as: “Dreams and The Professional Community”.
Scott’s journey to understanding dreams began as a young man. In examining the significance of his own dreams he noticed a relationship between his conversations with God and the proliferation of dreams. This gave birth to years of study and as opportunities presented itself the interpretation of the dreams of others. Through experience he learned the importance of listening to the details of the dreamer as well as listening to the Holy Spirit. “What Every Dream Means” incorporates the knowledge of 20 plus years of studying dreams.
“Scott’s intention and purpose is to build knowledge into others in order for them to properly understand and interpret dreams.” (see: www.whateverydreammeans.com About the Author)
Though dreams have been around as long as mankind existed it is not a recognized “ministry” in most Christian churches. In discussing how people receive what he does Scott shared the following with me:
“…As a result they assume that it is New Age or occult based.
I recall a pastor’s wife who came to a dream interpretation table in a bookstore where I was interpreting one evening. After to talking to her she admitted that she could not find answers to her dreams in the church and when she saw the interpretation table at the bookstore she thought or assumed it was New Age but she was desperate to find answers for her dreams. So she came to the table and immediately took the opportunity to share her dreams.
I have another person, probably a well-meaning person; say to me recently that they thought what I did was ‘psychic’. Again I think the reason is that they have never been exposed to who I am and what I do and on the surface they are only familiar with what the New Age has become known for. “
Obviously there is a need for dream interpretation yet as with many areas of ministry the laborers are few. “What Every Dream Means” is a beginning. From the Introduction forward Mr. Shafer walks the reader through the dream process which does not begin with going to bed. There is a biblical basis for dreams and throughout the book there are both Old and New Testament references to corroborate various points.
The book is 159 pages full of much needed information. (Generally speaking; I hate reading the introduction to most books yet I found Scotts’ to be very thought provoking and a necessary read.) Chapter 1- “DREAM RECALL: Remembering Your Dreams”, has subchapters that include: Passivity Can I Really Change This?; “God Speaks in Dreams”: “The Night Season: Sleep Preparation”; and “Improving Memory”. Though chapter one could be a book by itself there are eleven subsequent chapters each building upon the other.
In preparation for dreaming Scott teaches the reader the importance of exercising his or her “memory muscle” by memorizing bible verses. When asked to suggest a few mentioned the Psalms of David and also Romans.
“Romans 12:1 reveals the light that there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. As we meditate on this verse at night it will have a profound and deep influence on our conscience and gradually as we come to believe the verse it will set us free from any nagging sense of accusation, guilt or fear. Fear, stress, worry and guilt are some of the things that negatively affect the quality of our sleep at night and can erode our dreaming experience.”
Scott makes it clear in this book that God speaks to us in our dreams no matter who we are or what we believe:
“The things that I recommend about sleep preparation are not intended in any way to become ‘law’ or some kind of legalistic burden to people. I do believe it will enhance their sleep and dreaming experience but I am ultimately confident in the Sovereignty of God. When he wants to speak to us in a dream He will do it. There are examples of this kind of thing happening and being reported in the mission field. Muslims are reporting Jesus appearing to them in dreams and being converted by reason of their dreams.”
He, Scott, also makes it clear that there are no rules etched in stone as to how we are to interpret dreams. Which is why; I don’t use the dream book that I have.
“This is the genius of God that keeps us dependent of Him and His Spirit and not on some methodology of interpreting by knowing a list of symbol meanings from a dream dictionary.”
Each of us should have a personal relationship with Father God. Knowing that He speaks to us in various ways including dreams it is important that we know how to get the most out of our sleep. What is presented in “What Every Dream Means” is the compilations of biblical principles supported by scripture to help you interpret you own dreams as well as the dreams of others. In case you have not determined it yet: I am recommending you purchase this book.
-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :
Author: Scott M. Shafer
Web Site: http://whateverydreammeans.com/
Genre/Category: Non-Fiction: Christianity
ISBN-13: 978-1589094635
Reviewed by Marsha Randolph
“What Every Dream Means” is not what I expected nor is its’ author Scott M Shafer. What I expected was a dream dictionary with commentary; it is not. I also expected an author who would give biblical interpretations to justify various statements without actually citing a particular verse; this was not the case. Incorporating personal experience, years of study and much prayer the author has put together a biblically based argument for the importance of understanding dreams as well as foundational information to do so.
The author, Scott M. Shafer, speaks at seminars, workshops and retreats as well as hosting private dream interpretation sessions. His website www.whateverydreammeans.comintroduces the viewer to the potential of dream interpretation by providing such workshops as: “Dreams and The Professional Community”.
Scott’s journey to understanding dreams began as a young man. In examining the significance of his own dreams he noticed a relationship between his conversations with God and the proliferation of dreams. This gave birth to years of study and as opportunities presented itself the interpretation of the dreams of others. Through experience he learned the importance of listening to the details of the dreamer as well as listening to the Holy Spirit. “What Every Dream Means” incorporates the knowledge of 20 plus years of studying dreams.
“Scott’s intention and purpose is to build knowledge into others in order for them to properly understand and interpret dreams.” (see: www.whateverydreammeans.com About the Author)
Though dreams have been around as long as mankind existed it is not a recognized “ministry” in most Christian churches. In discussing how people receive what he does Scott shared the following with me:
“…As a result they assume that it is New Age or occult based.
I recall a pastor’s wife who came to a dream interpretation table in a bookstore where I was interpreting one evening. After to talking to her she admitted that she could not find answers to her dreams in the church and when she saw the interpretation table at the bookstore she thought or assumed it was New Age but she was desperate to find answers for her dreams. So she came to the table and immediately took the opportunity to share her dreams.
I have another person, probably a well-meaning person; say to me recently that they thought what I did was ‘psychic’. Again I think the reason is that they have never been exposed to who I am and what I do and on the surface they are only familiar with what the New Age has become known for. “
Obviously there is a need for dream interpretation yet as with many areas of ministry the laborers are few. “What Every Dream Means” is a beginning. From the Introduction forward Mr. Shafer walks the reader through the dream process which does not begin with going to bed. There is a biblical basis for dreams and throughout the book there are both Old and New Testament references to corroborate various points.
The book is 159 pages full of much needed information. (Generally speaking; I hate reading the introduction to most books yet I found Scotts’ to be very thought provoking and a necessary read.) Chapter 1- “DREAM RECALL: Remembering Your Dreams”, has subchapters that include: Passivity Can I Really Change This?; “God Speaks in Dreams”: “The Night Season: Sleep Preparation”; and “Improving Memory”. Though chapter one could be a book by itself there are eleven subsequent chapters each building upon the other.
In preparation for dreaming Scott teaches the reader the importance of exercising his or her “memory muscle” by memorizing bible verses. When asked to suggest a few mentioned the Psalms of David and also Romans.
“Romans 12:1 reveals the light that there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. As we meditate on this verse at night it will have a profound and deep influence on our conscience and gradually as we come to believe the verse it will set us free from any nagging sense of accusation, guilt or fear. Fear, stress, worry and guilt are some of the things that negatively affect the quality of our sleep at night and can erode our dreaming experience.”
Scott makes it clear in this book that God speaks to us in our dreams no matter who we are or what we believe:
“The things that I recommend about sleep preparation are not intended in any way to become ‘law’ or some kind of legalistic burden to people. I do believe it will enhance their sleep and dreaming experience but I am ultimately confident in the Sovereignty of God. When he wants to speak to us in a dream He will do it. There are examples of this kind of thing happening and being reported in the mission field. Muslims are reporting Jesus appearing to them in dreams and being converted by reason of their dreams.”
He, Scott, also makes it clear that there are no rules etched in stone as to how we are to interpret dreams. Which is why; I don’t use the dream book that I have.
“This is the genius of God that keeps us dependent of Him and His Spirit and not on some methodology of interpreting by knowing a list of symbol meanings from a dream dictionary.”
Each of us should have a personal relationship with Father God. Knowing that He speaks to us in various ways including dreams it is important that we know how to get the most out of our sleep. What is presented in “What Every Dream Means” is the compilations of biblical principles supported by scripture to help you interpret you own dreams as well as the dreams of others. In case you have not determined it yet: I am recommending you purchase this book.
-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :
Saturday, March 5, 2011
No Review: E-Book Week Celebration Instead
Magdalena Ball and I are celebrating Read an E-book Week by giving e-book copies of our poetry to all comers from March 6 to 12.
Our chapbooks of poetry include Cherished Pulse (for anyone you love) with artwork from California artist Vicki Thomas, She Wore Emerald Then (for mothers on your gift list) with photographs by May Lattanzio, Imagining the Future (for Fathers), and Blooming Red, a Christmas chapbook. All are priced to compete with greeting cards at any time of year but this is a celebration of F r ^ ^ (and e-books!).
Chapbooks have been a tradition in the poetry world since Elizabethan times. The Celebration Series goes beyond the clichéd sentiments in most greeting cards—and does it for about the same price.
Now the full series is being offered for f r ^ ^ during Read an E-book Week from March 6 to 12 to help raise public awareness of electronic reading. Read an E-book Week’s Web site (http://www.ebookweek.com ) provides information on the latest e-book reading devices, different e-book stores, benefits of e-books, as well as the history and the future of e-books. Visitors will be able to download free reads from different major retailers, authors and publishers during the Read an E-book Week event period. The Celebration books can be read in over nine digital formats on any computer or portable reading device anywhere in the world. This is a revolution for both authors, both of whom started their writing careers when the latest technology was a typewriter and carbon paper for copies. To access the free books, visit:
http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/maggieball
Magdalena Ball runs the highly respected www.compulsivereader.com review site. She is the author of the poetry book Repulsion Thrust, published to unanimous 5-star reviews. Her novel Sleep Before Evening, published in 2007, was a Next Generation Indie Book Award finalist. You all probably know about my poetry except for the one published quite a while ago by Finishing Line Press, (www.budurl.com/CarolynsTracings ), which isn’t being offered f r ^^ by contractual agreement. For more information on any of the chapbooks in this poetry series, contact either of the authors or visit media rooms at http://www.howtodoitfrugally.com/
or http://www.magdalenaball.com/
.Happy promoting, writing and poetry reading!
Your New Book Review blogger,
Carolyn Howard-Johnson
-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :
Tim Roux Reviews Novella-Sized Biography
Title: The Bookie's Runner
Author: Brendan Gisby
http://www.brendangisby.com/
Genre: Nonfiction: Biography
ISBN: 978-1456554590
Reviewed by Tim Roux http://timroux.blogspot.com originally by Amazon
Brendan Gisby's 'The Bookie's Runner' is a perfect 100 pages - perfect and exactly 100 pages (you don't see that too often).
So, it is a novella, and a eulogy, maybe even an apology for Brendan's not being able to do more to help his father in troubled times, although he clearly did what he could.
There is nothing extraordinary about the story of this book - millions, even billions, have suffered lives like these, which makes it a universal tale.
What is extraordinary is the writing. Like the best of French auteur cinema, it is a novella of characters who interact vividly (you can see each one clearly as if on celluloid) in a mildly tragic way. The tone is lyrical, fluorescent, and its trajectory is literally the dying fall. We know from the beginning that it is about a man who will be dead by the end of the book. The question is why.
There is also something extraordinary about the plotting and the rhythm of the piece, something that mesmerises. The whole book takes place in the space of a short bus journey the author took as a teenager after the funeral of his father on his way to his first day back at school.
It has been compared with 'Angela's Ashes' but it is not as grandstanding as that. It is more like Francoise Sagan's 'Bonjour Tristesse' or Elizabeth Smart's 'I Sat Down in Grand Central Station and Wept'.
It is too late to read this before Brendan's dad died and to put things right, and that would somewhat undermine the point of the book, but there is time yet to read it before you do. Yes, it is one of those books for sure.
-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :
Author: Brendan Gisby
http://www.brendangisby.com/
Genre: Nonfiction: Biography
ISBN: 978-1456554590
Reviewed by Tim Roux http://timroux.blogspot.com originally by Amazon
Brendan Gisby's 'The Bookie's Runner' is a perfect 100 pages - perfect and exactly 100 pages (you don't see that too often).
So, it is a novella, and a eulogy, maybe even an apology for Brendan's not being able to do more to help his father in troubled times, although he clearly did what he could.
There is nothing extraordinary about the story of this book - millions, even billions, have suffered lives like these, which makes it a universal tale.
What is extraordinary is the writing. Like the best of French auteur cinema, it is a novella of characters who interact vividly (you can see each one clearly as if on celluloid) in a mildly tragic way. The tone is lyrical, fluorescent, and its trajectory is literally the dying fall. We know from the beginning that it is about a man who will be dead by the end of the book. The question is why.
There is also something extraordinary about the plotting and the rhythm of the piece, something that mesmerises. The whole book takes place in the space of a short bus journey the author took as a teenager after the funeral of his father on his way to his first day back at school.
It has been compared with 'Angela's Ashes' but it is not as grandstanding as that. It is more like Francoise Sagan's 'Bonjour Tristesse' or Elizabeth Smart's 'I Sat Down in Grand Central Station and Wept'.
It is too late to read this before Brendan's dad died and to put things right, and that would somewhat undermine the point of the book, but there is time yet to read it before you do. Yes, it is one of those books for sure.
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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :
Friday, March 4, 2011
Simplifying the Bible
Bible Wisdom for Modern Times:
Subtitle: Selections from the Orthodox Old Testament
by John Howard Reid (Wyong, NSW Australia)
Paperback and Kindle
Reviewed Joyce White
Do you find Bibles somewhat daunting and off-putting? I know I do. The first problem is the sheer size of the book. My "Revised Standard Version" has 2,024 pages, with a double column of type on each page. The next hurdle is the way the text is set up with paragraphs as long as freight trains and all these idiotic numerals and numbers inserted into the text. I even have one Bible, "The Jerusalem Bible", which not content with one set of numbers disfiguring the text and making it difficult to read, has TWO sets running down the margin in places. In the story of Daniel and the Lions, for example, you get this progression: 2,1,3,2,4,3,5,4,6,5,7,6... For heaven's sakes! The final hurdle is the language. All this "thou sayest" and "wherewithal purposed forasmuch handstaves" (the last two words aren't even in the Dictionary)! What I've always wanted is a selection from the Bible of important material relevant to my life that's not only easy to read and understand but that sings to my soul. I've attempted to supply just that in "Bible Wisdom for Modern Times."
Note: I agree with the author that most Bibles were not written for ordinary people and the mechanics of searching and deciphering its wisdom can be so displeasing; many are disheartened enough to give up quickly. This book is smooth and easy reading and the wisdom is very clear. I find it interesting Wisdom is referred to as "Her." God is referenced as (He).
In the back of this 117-Page Bible of Wisdoms is a Chapter of Notes. Chapter One, begins with the wisdom of love goodness, virtue and doing right...He (God) quickly reveals His mind to men and women whose intentions are honest and who really put their trust in Him...
Distrusting the Lord God, in fact, is the very thing that separates men and women from God...Whether you believe in God or not, most believe if we look for good we will find good. If we look for bad, we will find sinners committing wickedness...
Wisdom is referred to as a kindly Spirit who loves all mankind...ending with...It was the works and words of ungodly and misguided men that called death into existence...
These fools considered death their friend. They pined for it. They made a covenant with it because they were not fit to take their place in heaven.
Note: We're living in a war torn world and the last line in this scripture speaks to me of all those who call death into existence...killing and maiming, rather than seeding and nurturing.
Chapter Six, begins with:
Wickedness, if unchecked, can lay waste the whole earth,
Evil-doing overturn even the thrones of might rulers.
If a storm of anarchy is allowed to rise against them,
Like a tempest, it will winnow them away.
Note: Unfortunately, wickedness is contagious...and the longer it goes unchecked, the more wicked it becomes; the last line in this Chapter reads...Wisdom reaches mightily from one end of the earth to the other. And She orders all things well.
"Greek" Ezra: The Story of 3 Wise Young men
Chapters 3 and 4
I really enjoyed this fable-script about King Darius of Persia, the story begins when three guardsmen suggest a riddle for their King's favor.
"Let us propose a riddle...such as What is the strongest force in the world? The winner receiving title of King's Special Friend and Kinsman with many rewards."
The first Hesiod played to the King's ego, naming the King. He is your overlord and rules over all.
Maximus proposed that alcohol was the strongest force in the world.
Zrubar, the third, proposed and won, that "for Truth lives and rules forever....truth never fails, Truth endures, Truth is just...Blessed by the God of Truth!"
The Psalms were always my favorites because they were the easiest to read. This Psalms Six was about Trust; Psalm Nine was about Mercy; Psalm Eleven, was about Deliverance and Psalm Fifteen was about Help in Distress.
In Song of Solomon my favorite line is, ...There are many things about kingship that affront a poet's sense of beauty.
Note: Gods never die. Sinners deserve to die...
O Lord God of all,
Truly blessed is the man who trusts in You!
Proverbs begins with...Do you wish to acquire knowledge
And a deep understanding of the ways of God and man?
Then seek out Wisdom
Praise Her and proclaim Her!
I find this book very simple and inspiring to those who fear the time and commitment it takes to tackle any Bible. Love that springs from a pure heart, a clear conscious and real faith (not sham faith or pretending faith)....
Many of us would like to be known as "wise and learned teachers of the Law, like John Howard Reid, the author, but so many of us haven't the faintest idea how to begin!
Smooth and easy reading. Beautiful pictures. Uncomplicated design and text.
~Joyce White reviews for Sculpting the Heart Book Reviews, http://www.sculptingtheheart.com/ and is an author in her own right.
-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :
Subtitle: Selections from the Orthodox Old Testament
by John Howard Reid (Wyong, NSW Australia)
Paperback and Kindle
Reviewed Joyce White
Do you find Bibles somewhat daunting and off-putting? I know I do. The first problem is the sheer size of the book. My "Revised Standard Version" has 2,024 pages, with a double column of type on each page. The next hurdle is the way the text is set up with paragraphs as long as freight trains and all these idiotic numerals and numbers inserted into the text. I even have one Bible, "The Jerusalem Bible", which not content with one set of numbers disfiguring the text and making it difficult to read, has TWO sets running down the margin in places. In the story of Daniel and the Lions, for example, you get this progression: 2,1,3,2,4,3,5,4,6,5,7,6... For heaven's sakes! The final hurdle is the language. All this "thou sayest" and "wherewithal purposed forasmuch handstaves" (the last two words aren't even in the Dictionary)! What I've always wanted is a selection from the Bible of important material relevant to my life that's not only easy to read and understand but that sings to my soul. I've attempted to supply just that in "Bible Wisdom for Modern Times."
Note: I agree with the author that most Bibles were not written for ordinary people and the mechanics of searching and deciphering its wisdom can be so displeasing; many are disheartened enough to give up quickly. This book is smooth and easy reading and the wisdom is very clear. I find it interesting Wisdom is referred to as "Her." God is referenced as (He).
In the back of this 117-Page Bible of Wisdoms is a Chapter of Notes. Chapter One, begins with the wisdom of love goodness, virtue and doing right...He (God) quickly reveals His mind to men and women whose intentions are honest and who really put their trust in Him...
Distrusting the Lord God, in fact, is the very thing that separates men and women from God...Whether you believe in God or not, most believe if we look for good we will find good. If we look for bad, we will find sinners committing wickedness...
Wisdom is referred to as a kindly Spirit who loves all mankind...ending with...It was the works and words of ungodly and misguided men that called death into existence...
These fools considered death their friend. They pined for it. They made a covenant with it because they were not fit to take their place in heaven.
Note: We're living in a war torn world and the last line in this scripture speaks to me of all those who call death into existence...killing and maiming, rather than seeding and nurturing.
Chapter Six, begins with:
Wickedness, if unchecked, can lay waste the whole earth,
Evil-doing overturn even the thrones of might rulers.
If a storm of anarchy is allowed to rise against them,
Like a tempest, it will winnow them away.
Note: Unfortunately, wickedness is contagious...and the longer it goes unchecked, the more wicked it becomes; the last line in this Chapter reads...Wisdom reaches mightily from one end of the earth to the other. And She orders all things well.
"Greek" Ezra: The Story of 3 Wise Young men
Chapters 3 and 4
I really enjoyed this fable-script about King Darius of Persia, the story begins when three guardsmen suggest a riddle for their King's favor.
"Let us propose a riddle...such as What is the strongest force in the world? The winner receiving title of King's Special Friend and Kinsman with many rewards."
The first Hesiod played to the King's ego, naming the King. He is your overlord and rules over all.
Maximus proposed that alcohol was the strongest force in the world.
Zrubar, the third, proposed and won, that "for Truth lives and rules forever....truth never fails, Truth endures, Truth is just...Blessed by the God of Truth!"
The Psalms were always my favorites because they were the easiest to read. This Psalms Six was about Trust; Psalm Nine was about Mercy; Psalm Eleven, was about Deliverance and Psalm Fifteen was about Help in Distress.
In Song of Solomon my favorite line is, ...There are many things about kingship that affront a poet's sense of beauty.
Note: Gods never die. Sinners deserve to die...
O Lord God of all,
Truly blessed is the man who trusts in You!
Proverbs begins with...Do you wish to acquire knowledge
And a deep understanding of the ways of God and man?
Then seek out Wisdom
Praise Her and proclaim Her!
I find this book very simple and inspiring to those who fear the time and commitment it takes to tackle any Bible. Love that springs from a pure heart, a clear conscious and real faith (not sham faith or pretending faith)....
Many of us would like to be known as "wise and learned teachers of the Law, like John Howard Reid, the author, but so many of us haven't the faintest idea how to begin!
Smooth and easy reading. Beautiful pictures. Uncomplicated design and text.
~Joyce White reviews for Sculpting the Heart Book Reviews, http://www.sculptingtheheart.com/ and is an author in her own right.
-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :
Thursday, March 3, 2011
World War II Story Reviewed by Roby Chausse
Letters From Home
by Kristina McMorris
http://www.kristinamcmorris.com/
Women’s Fiction
Kensington Books
ISBN: 978-0-7582-4684-4
Review by Robyn Chausse for The New Book Review
McMorris takes us on a journey of the heart in this timeless tale set against the backdrop of WWII. In a story told through dated letters and entries we follow the lives of three young women struggling with issues of friendship, love, honesty and choices.
Liz is engaged to an up and coming politician when she finds herself attracted to Morgan McClain, who is just heading off on tour of duty. The two begin a courtship through letters, but McClain believes he is writing to someone else! Julia is torn between a once in a lifetime chance to follow her heart’s desire, and settling down into respectable married life with her fiancé who is due to return from war. Betty, tired and frustrated with her place in society, enlists and finds herself at an Army hospital in the line of fire. Each of these characters reaches a point where they can no longer be who they have been.
Letters from Home is beautifully written with rich characters and a touch of romance. It took me back to a more innocent time. It made me think about how society has changed, especially towards women, and how it hasn’t. It made me think about my parent’s younger days and postcard courtship. It also made me cry several times—and I found myself listening to 40’s music for weeks afterward. The adherence to historically correct detail is impressive (yes, I did cross check the history). This effort successfully blurred the line between fact and fiction and set a definite mood. I read this book in a weekend and could not put it down.
~Reviewer Robyn Chausse also interviewed the author. Find the interview at http://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com/2011/02/letters-from-home-by-kristina-mcmorris.html. She also blogs for The Muffin, the blogsite of WOW! Women on Writing, http://www.womenonwriting.com/ . Her own blog is A Ponderance of Things (http://rcponders.wordpress.com/ ).
-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :
by Kristina McMorris
http://www.kristinamcmorris.com/
Women’s Fiction
Kensington Books
ISBN: 978-0-7582-4684-4
Review by Robyn Chausse for The New Book Review
McMorris takes us on a journey of the heart in this timeless tale set against the backdrop of WWII. In a story told through dated letters and entries we follow the lives of three young women struggling with issues of friendship, love, honesty and choices.
Liz is engaged to an up and coming politician when she finds herself attracted to Morgan McClain, who is just heading off on tour of duty. The two begin a courtship through letters, but McClain believes he is writing to someone else! Julia is torn between a once in a lifetime chance to follow her heart’s desire, and settling down into respectable married life with her fiancé who is due to return from war. Betty, tired and frustrated with her place in society, enlists and finds herself at an Army hospital in the line of fire. Each of these characters reaches a point where they can no longer be who they have been.
Letters from Home is beautifully written with rich characters and a touch of romance. It took me back to a more innocent time. It made me think about how society has changed, especially towards women, and how it hasn’t. It made me think about my parent’s younger days and postcard courtship. It also made me cry several times—and I found myself listening to 40’s music for weeks afterward. The adherence to historically correct detail is impressive (yes, I did cross check the history). This effort successfully blurred the line between fact and fiction and set a definite mood. I read this book in a weekend and could not put it down.
~Reviewer Robyn Chausse also interviewed the author. Find the interview at http://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com/2011/02/letters-from-home-by-kristina-mcmorris.html. She also blogs for The Muffin, the blogsite of WOW! Women on Writing, http://www.womenonwriting.com/ . Her own blog is A Ponderance of Things (http://rcponders.wordpress.com/ ).
-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :
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