Fallen: Out of the Sex Industry and Into the Arms of the Savior, by Annie Lobert

Title: Fallen: Out of the Sex Industry and Into the Arms of the Savior

Author: Annie Lobert

Publisher: Worthy Publishing 

Date: February 17, 2015

Paperback: 224 pages








About the Book
When Annie grabbed at what looked like an opportunity to escape her tumultuous, abuse-filled home, she had never heard the term "sex trafficking.: Needing money, wanting to be loved, and desperately seeking control of her life, she stumbled into the ever-darkening world of the sex industry as a glamorous high class escort in Las Vegas. All that glittered was not gold. She embarked on a dangerous path toward self-destruction. She lost everything she envisioned her new life would bring her, even her own identity. Beatings, abandonment, and death threats became routine-she often wondered if dying would be the best way out.

In Fallen, Annie tells her remarkable story of surviving sixteen years in the sex industry, breaking free, finding healing, and then reaching back to help others find freedom as well. This riveting memoir opens a window into a sordid, shadowy world - and shows just how bright God's light can truly shine.

My Take
I know a lot of us think our life is really hard. We think every day that life could be easier or we would want it to be easier. But there are people out there that have actually had hard lives compared to some of us. I know a lot of times I think my life is hard (being a single mom, working almost full time and homeschooling), but I have to tell myself that there are other people out there who are having a harder time with life than I am and would give anything to be in my position than what they are in.

Annie Lobert had a tough life, but like most determined people, she found a way out. Life didn't start out well for her at all. She was sexually abused at a young age and then turned to prostitution or more or less a high class call girl. During her life as a high class call girl, she met a couple of men who didn't treat her the way she should have been and had to enduring beatings and abandonment. On top of that, she developed cancer and became addicted to cocaine.

The only thing that could happen to Annie Lobert was to either die or turn her life around. She decided to rely on God and turn her life around. Relying on him heavily helped her see that there were others that could benefit from her story. She decided to let others know that there is hope by participating in speakings and ministries. And as luck would have it, through it all, she found her prince charming.

Towards the end of the book, there is a section on sex trafficking. It gives you a deeper understanding of what it is and how it is done. There is also a section of testimonies from girls who have attended the Destiny House Ministry. You will be amazed at some of these stories that you read.

I have read a couple of "sex trafficking" stories, but this one was different. It was written in a way that you could truly feel for Annie Lobert. I practically read the book in one sitting. I think if you were to get this book, you would enjoy it and realize that no matter where your life is and how hard it may be/feel, that God can pull you through and push you to the top, just like he did for Annie Lobert.

About the Author
Annie Lobert is an internationally recognized expert and advocate of ministry to men and women in the commercial sex industry. She and her husband, Stryper lead guitarist Oz Fox, live in Las Vegas, where Annie runs Hookers for Jesus, a ministry to prostitutes and sex trafficking victims. She has been featured in major television shows, print and online publications, and also an I Am Second film.

Lift the Flap Bible, by Karen Williamson

Title: Lift the Flap Bible

Series: Candle Tiny Tots

Author: Karen Williamson

Illustrator: Louise Anglicas

Publisher: Candle Books (October 1, 2014)

Board Book: 16 pages

Age Range: 2 - 4 years old



About the Book

What's under the flaps? Find out in this collection of eight very simple Bible stories in a large cased board book format. Each story is told across a double-page spread and there are flaps on every page. Bright, quirky illustrations full of wit and color from Louise Anglicas are perfect for this engaging introduction to Bible stories.

Stories are: Noah and the Ark, Moses and the Bulrushes, Daniel and the Lions, Jonah and the Great Fish, Born in a Stable, Boy with Loaves and Fishes, The Lost Sheep, and Man Lowered Through the Roof.

My Take
Do you know any young kids that love to play and learn in the process? If so, this is the perfect book for them if you want them to get a head start on learning the stories in the Bible. The stories are the ones that most kids love to hear about. The ones we remember learning about when we were young. Each story is only two pages and there is no more than two sentences per story. So all the little kids with short attention spans will be able to sit through each story because it won't last long. Each story also has about three to four flaps for them to pull down. The pictures are very colourful, so your child will want to go through this book over and over again. It is very simple and to the point and worth including in your child's library collection.

About the Author/Illustrator
Karen Williamson worked as a London primary school teacher and publisher s editor before launching a successful career as a full-time writer. With three children of her own, she specializes in Bible stories for young readers.

Louise Anglicas holds a degree in Ceramics and Surface Design from Staffordshire University. Working as a designer, she was instrumental in securing the Harry Potter license for a local ceramic manufacturer! She applies her love of pattern and design to the world of children s illustration.

This complimentary book was given to me by Kregel Publications for my honest review.

                                                            

Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography, by Neil Patrick Harris

Title: Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography

Author: Neil Patrick Harris

Publisher: Crown Archetype

Date: October 14, 2014

Hardcover: 304 pages

About the Book

Sick of deeply personal accounts written in the first person? Seeking an exciting, interactive read that puts in "u" back in "aUtobiography"? Then look no further than Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography! In this revolutionary, Joycean experiment in light celebrity narrative, actor/personality/carbon-based-life-form Neil Patrick Harris lets you, the reader, live his life.

Choose correctly and you'll find fame, fortune, and true love. Choose incorrectly and you'll find misery, heartbreak, and hideous death by piranhas. All this, plus magic tricks, cocktail recipes, embarrassing pictures from your time as a child actor, and even a closing song.

My Take
I really really enjoyed this book. I thought it was a very cleaver idea. I don't think I have read a book that gave me choices on a person's life that I "know". It was a lot of fun to be able to choose which direction to take. To be able to see if the choices you make had their life turn out the way that you see it going or if your decisions put them on a different track.

I found the book to be very well written. It is not just in story from but also has dialogue to keep you interested. There are also some "drawn" pictures that go along with parts of the story. In the middle of the boom are coloured pictures of his life from childhood to now. You will come across a recipe, crossword puzzle and more. There are also a couple of sections that have inserts from people he knows.

Whether you are a fan of Neil Patrick Harris or just want to see where you can take his life, this would be a book to add to your read. There is also an awesome trick that he plays on the readers on the back cover of the book. It will have you amazed.

About the Author
Neil Patrick Harris is a Tony and Emmy award-winning stage and screen performer, famous for his roles as Barney Stinson in the popular CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother and as the iconic and beloved Doogie Howser, M.D. He's been in many movies, hosted both the Tony and the Emmy Awards multiple times, performed in several Broadway shows, and enjoys the Twitter (follow him at @actuallyNPH). Oh, and he is an accomplished amateur magician on the side. And the father of twins. And he's Dr. Horrible. 

The Daniel Plan: 40 Days to a Healthier Life, by Rick Warren, Daniel Amen, and Mark Hyman

 Title: The Daniel Plan: 40 Days to a Healthier Life

Series: The Daniel Plan

Author: Rick Warren D.MIN., Daniel Amen M.D., and Mark Hyman M.D.

Publisher: Zondervan

Date: December 3, 2013

Paperback: 352 pages






About the Book
Revolutionize Your Health … Once and for All
During an afternoon of baptizing over 800 people, Pastor Rick Warren realized it was time for change. He told his congregation he needed to lose weight and asked if anyone wanted to join him. He thought maybe 200 people would sign up, instead he witnessed a movement unfold as 15,000 people lost over 260,000 pounds in the first year. With assistance from medical and fitness experts, Pastor Rick and thousands of people began a journey to transform their lives.

Welcome to The Daniel Plan.

Here’s the secret sauce: The Daniel Plan is designed to be done in a supportive community relying on God’s instruction for living.

When it comes to getting healthy, two are always better than one. Our research has revealed that people getting healthy together lose twice as much weight as those who do it alone. God never meant for you to go through life alone and that includes the journey to health.

Unlike the thousands of other books on the market, this book is not about a new diet, guilt-driven gym sessions, or shame-driven fasts. The Daniel Plan shows you how the powerful combination of faith, fitness, food, focus, and friends will change your health forever, transforming you in the most head-turning way imaginably---from the inside out.

My Take
I  was really excited to get this book. I thought it was going to take us back to Bible times and show us how they ate back then. I wanted to change the way that I had been eating. Get rid of a lot of processed foods and start eating a more healthy balanced way. Not what the book was like at all. One thing it is, is like a lot of other "health weight loss books" except for the part about relying on God to get you through.

The book does have a recipe section. I don't really approve of some of the choices of foods to eat. I went on the Internet that goes along with the book and saw recipes including pork and sea food. This shocked me. Daniel would have never eaten these types of foods. So I personally think that they used the word "Daniel" to help sell the book or attract more people to buy the book.

This book does give you the option of a 10 day and a 40 day plan to choose from. There is also online support if you need it.

Unfortunately, I wasn't too happy with the book and that is a rare thing for me.

About the Author
Dr. Rick Warren is pastor, author, global strategist, theologian, and philanthropist.  His book The Purpose driven Life has been called the bestselling non-fiction hardback in publishing history by Publishers Weekly, having sold more than 32 million copies.  Warren founded Saddleback Church in 1980 with his wife, Kay.  In addition to a 120-acre campus in Lake Forest, CA, the church has ten satellite campuses in Southern California and three international campuses.


Dr. Daniel G. Amen is a physician, double-board certified psychiatrist, teacher and eight-time New York Times bestselling author. Widely regarded as one of the world’s foremost experts on applying brain imaging science to everyday clinical practice, Amen is the founder of Amen Clinics in Newport Beach and San Francisco, Calif.; Bellevue, Wash.; Reston, Va.; Atlanta, Ga.; and New York City. His work has been featured in numerous media outlets, including “The Dr. Oz Show,” “ABC World News,” “20/20,” Newsweek, TIME, The Huffington Post, BBC, London Telegraph, Parade Magazine, New York Times and Cosmopolitan. Additional information is available at http://www.danielplan.com.


Dr. Mark Hyman is a practicing family physician, a six-time No. 1 New York Times bestselling author, and an internationally recognized leader, speaker, educator and advocate in his field of Functional Medicine. He is also the founder and medical director of The UltraWellness Center, chairman of the board of the Institute for Functional Medicine, a medical editor of The Huffington Post and a regular medical contributor on Katie Couric’s TV show, “Katie.” For more information, visit http://www.danielplan.com/.