Sunday, January 30, 2011

Book Review- Save the Date

Lucy Whiltshire is desperate. Alex Sinclair is also desperate. So begins the tale in the new book Save the Date by Jenny B. Jones. Lucy, a non-profit director for a young women's home and Alex, a former professional athlete turned congressional candidate are each desperate for something the other needs. The novel then turns into page turning laughs as Lucy and Alex come together to try and help one another. The novel, set in Charleston, South Carolina is a great read of dreams, love, and letting God have the final say.

Jones takes everyday characters and makes them seem like they are the readers best friends. I literally laughed and got teary eyed with Lucy and Alex and their adventure in this story to the ultimate of realizing their dreams. I was hesitant about this book because I had never heard of the author, but now want to read everything she has written. Jenny B. Jones is a great new voice in Christian fiction for women.

I received no monetary compensation for this review and the thoughts of this review are my own. Thomas Nelson Publishers provided me with an advance copy of this book for my review.

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Book Review- Rick and Bubba's Big Honkin Book of Grub

If you have lived anywhere in Alabama or other parts of the southern U.S, you have probably heard of Rick and Bubba. Rick Burgess and Bill "Bubba" Bussey are the hosts of a local Birmingham Morning Radio Show. They are from the South and proud of it and their books tell the same story. These two wonderful Christian men use humor as a platform to tell the world about what God has done in their life. They bill themselves as the "two sexiest fat men alive" and this book, an actual cookbook, is testament to their love (and southerners in general) love of food. The book tells stories behind some of their favorite recipes. If you are a fan of southern comedy, this book is a delicious read for you. I highly reccommend this book for a quick read and a good laugh.

Booksneeze did not provide any monetary compensation for this review other than a free copy of the book.

Monday, December 6, 2010

Book Reivew - A Rush of Wings

I was curious about this book because I have read others by Kristen Heitzmann and have had trouble getting into them. This was not the case with this book. I was hooked from the first chapter right until the end. The story centers around Noelle St. Claire who is on the run. From what is learned in the first chapter, a reader would question why she would run. She has a loving father, a seemingly loving fiancee, and lives a comfortable life in New York. She gives all this up and runs to the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.

It is in these mountains that we learn of the fear in her life and Noelle learns to finally trust again. At her final destination, a ranch owned by Christian Rick Spencer, Noelle must learn to face her fears. She does this and more as she learns to face her past, learns to love again, and look towards God and the future.

This book is for anyone who loves suspenseful fiction. There is plenty of action and romance in the novel and it is a page turner to the end. A great novel about love, forgiveness, and God's faithfulness.

DISCLAIMER: Bethany House provided no monetary compensation for this review. I was provided with a copy of the book to review. These thoughts are my own and have no connection with Bethany House publishers.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Hatteras Girl

I eagerly awaited the arrival of this book from Bethany House author Alice J. Wisler as I had enjoyed her previous book How Sweet It Is. This book is an intimate look at Jackie Donovan as she prays for two things. A man to marry and her own bed and breakfast to run. Along the way she has to deal with many blind dates that her well meaning family set her up on and the realization that God knows exactly the right time to bring someone into your life. In the time before God gives an answer to her prayer of owning a bed and breakfast Jackie works at a local magazine on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

Jackie feels God has answered her prayers when she meets Davis, who holds the key (literally) to the property she dreams of owning. Through the course of the novel, God shows Jackie, through her friends, what trust in God and waiting on His timing is all about. As she is learning to trust in God, He brings the right people in her life not only professionally but personally to help her realize her prayers have been answered, just in a different way than she thought.

This is a great book for anyone who loves a good love story, reading about God's grace in our lives, or people who love the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

Disclaimer: I received no compensation from Bethany House publishers other than an advanced copy of the book in return for this review. The opinions in this review are completely my own and not associated with the author or Bethany House.

It's been awhile

I know its been awhile. I will try to do better. I am almost fully recovered from surgery. I go for a six month checkup on December 3rd and hope to be cleared for good.

Work is going well,counting down the days until Thanksgiving Break next week. Then we only have 3 weeks until Christmas Break. Where has the year gone?

Friday, July 9, 2010

One Month

Today is the one month mark from my surgery. To say this was WAY more than I anticipated would be an understatement. I had no idea how hard this was or how involved it would end up being.

I am making good progress though in my recovery. I am now able to live by myself. I have been living alone for the past week. I am so thankful that my mom has the summers off and was able to stay with me. I am thankful I have the summer off as well, I could not imagine having to work and try rehab at the same time. I am exhausted from the smallest things. I have a doctors appointment in two weeks and hopefully will be cleared to drive then. That is 2 weeks before I have to go back to work. My therapist promises me that I will be ready for school when it gets here.

Monday, June 14, 2010

It's HOT out there

but, thanks to last Wednesday's surgery, I will be resting comfortably in my house for the next several weeks except for my "field trips" to physical therapy.

I have the Avion (I think that is what its called) procedure on my right knee last Wednesday morning at the Hughston Clinic in Columbus, Georgia. Actually, the hospital is across the river in Phenix City, Alabama, but who cares. We came away from this MOST impressed with the hospital. These doctors at the Clinic KNOW how to run a hospital. My pre-op admit on Tuesday lasted less than 30 mins. because they CALLED me on the phone to take my medical history. Wow, what a concept. We were told to arrive at 6:30 Wednesday morning and come in the emergency entrance. When we got there, the people gave me a wrist band, my paperwork and took me upstairs. When I got off the elevator, my pre-op nurse was waiting at my room door. I had been there less than 15 mins. and they had me changed, an I.V. going, had taken my vitals and we were waiting.

Met the medial doctor and he cleared my chest, met anesthesia and they listened when I said I get sick and gave me a patch and some amazing drug cocktail and I was off to sleep. They came to get me just before 9:00 and mom had talked to the doctor by 10:15. According to the doctor, the surgery went better than expected. I did not have as much arthritis as the x-rays made it look, so I should heal better and this give me great relief. I got great relief from the nerve block I got in recovery!! Never felt anything the rest of the day or night. My nurses the entire time I was there were AMAZING!!!! They are trained in orthopedics and were the nicest people I could imagine. Plus I got to keep the same ones day after day. It only changes at shift change or if they are off.

Then came Thursday morning and PT. Those people are brutal, but they had me walking that morning and by that afternoon I was walking 100 feet at a time. The only issue comes with bending. But that is because I have 36 staples in and the trauma to the knee. They promise it will get better, but tomorrow at PT will be murder.

We got home Saturday afternoon and I have been hanging on the couch and in my bed hooked up to my torture device ever since. I have a machine that came home with me that I have to be on 2 times a day for 2 hours at a time. It bends my knee in a motion that don't have to do anything with. Right now we are at 59 degrees and have to get to 127 by July 1st when they come to get it.

All in all this was a good experience and I had to do it, I just did not realize how involved it was going to be. I had blocked the previous surgery from my mind. Hopefully, I will be getting better each and every day and the pain will get less and less as I get more and more movement.