Wednesday, May 6, 2015

Love, Rosie, by Cecelia Ahern


Title: Love, Rosie

Author: Cecelia Ahern

Publisher: Hyperion Books

Date: January 12, 2006

Paperback: 448 pages

Theatre Release: October 22, 2014

DVD Release: May 5, 2015




About the Book
What happens when two people who are meant to be together can't seem to get it right?

Rosie and Alex are destined for each other, and everyone seems to know it but them. Best friends since childhood, they are separated as teenagers when Alex and his family relocate from Dublin to Boston.

Like two ships always passing in the night, Rosie and Alex stay friends, and though years pass, the two remain firmly attached via emails and letters. Heartbroken, they learn to live without each other. But destiny is a funny thing, and in this novel o f several missed opportunities, Rosie and Alex learn that fate isn't quite done with them yet.

 
My Take
Love, Rosie (the American title for Where the Rainbow Ends and Rosie Dunne), is hands down one of the best books I have read this year. I wasn't sure if I was going to like it because the story is in the form of emails, text messages, and letters. Surprisingly, it didn't hinder me finishing the book. I pretty much didn't stop reading until I was done. I heard a lot of people say they either hated it or loved it. I was on the loving it side. Just within the first few chapters, I was laughing or grinning over some of the correspondences. The author did a great job when writing this story. She was able to keep you wondering what was going to happen next, even though it wasn't in a typical style of paragraph to paragraph.

The story is about two kids, a boy and a girl, who become best friends at a young age. We get to follow them from grade school, high school, college and adulthood. We get to experience all of their tragedies and triumphs. I feel as though the story centers around Rosie and her connections with everyone in her life.

Now, regarding the film.

Which did I like better, the book or the film? I preferred the book so much better. I know the film has been in the cinemas already, but I don't go. I wait for them to come to DVD and them rent them. I thought the movie did the book a really big injustice. It put characters together that weren't even in that capacity. It also had the two main characters engage in situations way before they did in the book. It was just a jumble of mess. At least that is how I felt. I thought, if they followed the story from the book to the tee, it would have been great. I felt as though they were trying to fit everything in and it was jammed packed and rushed.

The choice is yours regarding the book and the movie, but I say read the book and don't watch the film.



About the Author











Cecelia Ahern is the author of the international bestsellers PS, I Love You; Love, Rosie; If You Could See Me Now; There's No Place Like Here; and The Gift. The daughter of Ireland's former prime minister, she lives in Dublin. 




Monday, May 4, 2015

A Flag for the Flying Dragon, by Carole P. Roman


Title: A Flag for the Flying Dragon

Series: A Captain No Beard Story

Author: Carole P. Roman

Illustrator: Bonnie Lemaire

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

Date: April 9, 2015

Paperback: 46 pages




About the Book
It's business as usual on the Flying Dragon. Their mission is to find a flag for the ship. Captain No Beard sighs, "Being a captain is hard work," as he watches the busy crew preparing the vessel for their next adventure. Polly is giving out pretzels; Linus is polishing a lamp. Matie is cracking coconuts, Cayla is stuffing holes, and Hallie is swabbing the deck. High overhead, trouble is brewing, and it is not the weather. Mongo does not want any help from the newest crew member, and it is creating a hurricane of a mess on board. The team must come together and find a task that will fit Zachary without interfering with their own fun. On the way, they acquire a flag that will unite them as both friends and crew. Join the problem-solving crew of the Flying Dragon as they find a flag for their ship and a job for Zach.


My Take
I really love these books. Every time I get one, my daughter immediately picks it up and starts reading them. It is nice to see a book that is written for children that have learning lessons in them. It is simplistic enough for them to actually understand the lesson themselves.

This time around, the "crew" go out on the seas again. This time, the captain is looking for a flag to be flown from the ship. In the mix of all of this, a new crew member is trying to find his place amongst the crew. Everything that he is told to do doesn't go well. Then finally, the captain finds something for him to do. It is one of the most important jobs.

In this story, the crew learns how to get along. Every place that Zach (the new crew member) tries to help, he makes a mess and doesn't wind up helping. Most of the time, the other crew members don't want him to help. One thing they have to learn is how to all get along and find something for everyone to do. This is what makes a great crew.


About the Author






Carole P. Roman is the award-winning author of the Captain No Beard series. Both Captain No Beard-An Imaginary Tale of a Pirate's Life and Captain No Beard and the Aurora Borealis have received the Kirkus Star of Exceptional Merit. The first book in the series was named to Kirkus Reviews Best 2012. Each book has won numerous awards, namely the NABE Pinnacle Award, ERIK Award for 2013, ForeWord Review Five Star, Rebecca Reads, and Reader's Views Children's Book of the Year 2013. Recently it was awarded the Marble Book Award for Best Illustration in a series for Bonnie Lemaire's stunning illustrations.

This complimentary book was given to me by Red Feather Productions for my honest review.

Saturday, May 2, 2015

The Heart of the Amish: Life Lessons on Peacemaking and the Power of Forgiveness, by Suzanne Woods Fisher



Title: The Heart of the Amish: Life Lessons on Peacemaking and the    Power of Forgiveness

Author: Suzanne Woods Fisher

Publisher: Revell

Date: May 5, 2015

Paperback: 192 pages






About the Book
We have all been hurt and we all have someone we need to forgive. But sometimes it's hard to let go of our hurt and anger in order to truly forgive and move on.

For the Amish, forgiving others in order to live at peace is woven into the very fabric of their faith. From daily annoyances to heartbreaking tragedy, they exhibit an incredible capacity for forgiveness that often baffles us. How do they do it? And how can we have the same attitude and ability to forgive?

Through true stories gathered from a variety of Amish communities, bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher shows you how the Amish are able to release their pain and desire for revenge, and live at peace with others. Her in-depth, personal research uncovers the astounding yet fundamental way the Amish can forgive anyone from the angry customer at the grocery store to the shooter at Nickel Mines. You'll learn how to invite God into your story, apply lessons from the Amish to your own circumstances, and find the freedom that comes with true forgiveness.


My Take
I love Amish proverbs. I pretty much love everything about the Amish (after having my daughter, I wanted to move to one of their communities to raise her), but one thing I have to say is that they have really great proverbs and life learning lessons. In this book Suzanne Woods Fisher, takes you on a journey through the lives of different people and shows you how you can forgive and be at peace with yourself. Not all of the stories happen to Amish people, but they are linked to them in some sort of way. At the beginning of each story, is an Amish proverb. After that, the author goes into the story that tells of one and their means of forgiveness. At the end of each story is a reflection where she asks questions of the reader. I really enjoyed this part. I felt like it helped me get more involved with the stories and helped me think about my life and certain situations that I have been in. At the end of each reflection is a "plain truth". This section gives us some background on the Amish, Mennonites, or Hutterites.

The book is a really great one to read and ponder over. I even read them to my daughter and asked her some of the questions. It was interesting to see her think about some of the situations she and her friends have been in and also whether it would be easy for her to forgive if she was put in some of these situations.

I think that everyone should get a copy of this book and read it. I know I found it very beneficial. And like I stated before, I love Amish proverbs and the book is filled with them. My daughter even found some that she liked. So yes, this book is for both the young and the old.

About the Author








Suzanne Woods Fisher is the bestselling author of Amish Peace and Amish Proverbs, as well as many novels about the Amish, including the Lancaster County Secrets series, the Stoney Ridge Seasons series, and The Inn at Eagle Hill series. She is also the coauthor of an Amish children's series, The Adventures of Lily Lapp. Suzanne is a Carol Award winner for The Search, a Carol Award finalist for The Choice, and a Christy Award finalist for The Waiting. She is also a columnist for Christian Post and Cooking & Such magazines. She lives in California. Learn more at www.suzannewoodsfisher.com and follow Suzanne on Twitter @suzannewfisher.

This complimentary book was given to me from Revell for my honest review.