Recently I received the book Beside Still Waters by Tricia Goyer for review. Goyer is the winner of two American Christian Fiction Writer’s Book of the Year Awards and has co-authored a book with Max Lucado, so I was really interested in reading her newest novel.

Here is the blurb on the back of the book:

On the night Marianna Sommers was born, a freak accident shattered her family. Even as she came into the world, her two sisters left it for heaven. She’s spent her life making up for that loss, being to her family and their Indiana Amish community all that her sisters would have been. Her only dream: a simple life married to Aaron Zook, the one she’s loved since childhood. Then her father says they are moving – to Montana, of all places! Of course it’s to keep her younger siblings far away from their oldest brother Levi, who has left the Amish way of life, but the move will destroy Marianna’s dream. She pleads to stay, to no avail. As Marianna leaves her home – and Aaron – she’s sure her heart will never heal. But Montana holds surprises.

I have always been fascinated by the Amish. I admire their faith and dedication to living a simple spirit filled life. I have taken my own family to visit Amish communities in Pennsylvania to see what that lifestyle is all about. The kids marvel over the horse drawn buggies, the old fashioned clothing, the simple toys the Amish children play with. So many wonderful, simple qualities that seem lost in this modern day tech filled life we lead. So when asked to read this book, I was really looking forward to it.

It is a sweet story about a family rocked by tragedy and their struggle to move on in spite of it. Marianna, the main character of the story, struggles to take the place of her deceased siblings while maintaining her own identity. Upon finding out that she has to leave the love of her life, Marianna wonders if she will ever be able to become the individual she craves to be. What she learns in the process is that her Creator has plans for her life (her family’s lives too) that are more fulfilling than she can possibly imagine.

I found this book easy to read and engaging. The story is bittersweet with lots of twists and turns. If the Amish lifestyle is interesting to you, I’d definitely read this book. It’s a nice piece of Amish fiction that is uplifting with a positive faith filled message.

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of the Beside Still Waters campaign and received a copy of the book and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate. All opinions are my own.

Be Sociable, Share!

• 

I have always been an avid reader, but over the years I’ve not had as much time to read as I’d like.Having four kids makes it really difficult to not only find the time to read a book, but also finding a quiet place to do it. That said, I really miss reading and have recently purposed to find the time to devote to it.

My first choice for summer reading (almost summer anyway) was The Help by Kathryn Stockett. I’m sure you’ve already heard about this book since it’s not only a #1 New York Times bestseller, but it’s also coming out as a movie this August. Here’s what the back jacket has to say:

“Aibileen is a black maid in 1962 Jackson Mississippi, raising her seventeenth white child. She’s always taken orders quietly, but lately it leaves her with a bitterness she can no longer bite back. Her friend Minny has certainly never held her tongue, or held on to a job for very long, but now she’s working for a newcomer with secrets that leave her speechless. And white socialite Skeeter has just returned from college with ambition and a degree but, to her mother’s lament, no husband. Normally Skeeter would find solace in Constantine, the beloved maid who raised her, but Constantine has inexplicably disappeared.

Together, these seemingly different women join to work on a project that could forever alter their destinies and the life of a small town- to write, in secret, a tell-all book about what it’s really like to work as a black maid in the white homes of the South. Despite the terrible risks they will have to take, and the sometimes humorous boundaries they will have to cross, these three women unite with one intention: hope for a better day.”

From the time I picked up this book until the time I read the last word, I was fully invested in this tale. It pulled me is so deep that I stayed up until the wee hours of the morning reading until my eyesight blurred. The story line itself is a fascinating view into the lives of black people working for privileged white families in the 60′s. While it was a very heavy read in some parts of the book, there was also lots of humor. It was so interesting to read about what happened behind closed doors between the socialites and the people that cared for them and also their children.

If you get the chance to read one good book this summer, I’d highly recommend The Help. Be sure to have tissues nearby. You’ll need them. The amazing thing about this novel is that it’s the author’s first one, which is hard to believe because it is so beautifully written. I sure hope she writes another book quickly!

Be Sociable, Share!

• 

While I was checking out at Walgreen’s last week I was hungry, so when I spied the Skinny Cow Heavenly Crisp candy bar, I grabbed one. Actually I grabbed six because I am not normal and I buy everything in duplicate. It’s a habit.

Anyway, the wrapper in bold print hollers 110 calories. Huh, I thought. That is a drop in the calorie bucket. A candy that is low cal? How could this go wrong? It sure did sound light when I read the front of the package; “delicate wafers layered with delicious peanut butter creme”. Delicate, wafer and creme are words that make you think light and airy, right? Certainly not calorie dense, so this is a good 110 calorie candy bargain. Hmmmmm.

I got into the car and tore the wrapper off with my teeth. C’mon, I have to have at least one hand on the wheel for safety’s sake! After taking a ladylike nibble, I was toast. Three seconds later I had gobbled the Skinny Cow bar down and was well on my way to licking the wrapper when I got to thinking, boy did that taste familiar.

That’s when it hit me that I had just eaten a modified Kit Kat bar. Same texture, same addicting nature, same everything. So what was different? Was this some type of miracle low calorie chocolate bar that tastes just as good as the regular stuff that I love? I decided to do some research because I’m the most anal person on the planet.

A full size Kit Kat bar is 1.5oz and 220 calories. The Skinny Cow bar is .77oz and 110 calories. Basically if you ate one full size Kit Kat bar, it has less calories than two Skinny Cow bars put together. Sure, we are only talking ten calories, but give me a break! A Skinny Cow candy bar is basically a portion controlled regular candy bar.  And to make things more confusing, here is their motto on their wrapper:

“If by less is more, you mean more is more, I’m listening”

It would take me three margaritas and a straight shot of tequila to truly process and somewhat understand what the heck that means.

So here is what I think…. Skinny Cow candy bars are delicious. Delicious and addicting. I know because I ate two of them that day in the car and I ate another one while writing this post, but let’s call a spade a spade. This is a regular candy bar in a portion controlled package. The only thing skinny about it was the room it took up in my purse.

Be Sociable, Share!

• 

Ok, let’s be clear about one thing… It’s a miracle that I’m a blogger. I can barely work my VCR. Sad, but true. I’ll never forget the first time I embedded a Youtube video on my TCG blog. Neither will my friends because I called every single one of them to brag over my accomplishment. They laughed at me because they figured out Youtube the week after it came out. Some of us take longer to get used to technology I suppose.

When I first heard about apps for iPhones I was once again intimidated. First of all, what the heck is an app? Where do I buy it? What the heck do I do with it? It took me awhile to figure it out, but I have to tell you that I’m glad I did because some of them are really quite cool!

My favorite app is iTreadmill. The best .99 I ever spent! This cool app tracks every step I take and every calorie I burn while walking. It is spot on accurate. I know this because I drove my car around my walking route to make sure. I’m a little anal that way. I doubt you are surprised.

My favorite feature of the iTreadmill app is that it stores your walking history. It saves your distance, time, pace, and calories burned. It also has a groovy graph for all of you geeks out there. Pretty cool stuff. You can also import your favorite itunes music so that you can be bop all over the place listening to your favorite tunes. Music always makes me walk longer which equates to more calories burned.

If you are a walker or if you want to get into walking, I highly recommend this app. Such a useful tool to help you with any weight loss or exercise goal, especially for a mere .99!

This is not a sponsored post. This is completely my own opinion. iTreadmill does not know I exist.

Be Sociable, Share!

• 

Don’t you love learning about whether or not a new product really does what it’s supposed to? Me too, so I’m going to be your human guinea pig. I will selflessly try out new chocolates, burn decadent candles, and squish myself into the newest body shapers all for your benefit. I’ll let you know what work’s and what doesn’t. Someone has to do it.

Be Sociable, Share!

•