Women Books

"Beauty By The Book" is a surprisingly insightful book by Nancy Stafford of "Matlock" fame. This life-changing read is loaded with scripture to memorize, encouraging stories, and absolute truth as to why we are so obsessed with physical beauty. Nancy tells it like it is from an experienced viewpoint from both sides of the fence. I thank God that I picked this book up on a whim. It has helped me see myself through His eyes.

I am currently a senior in college and before I left for this semester of school, my mom handed me the book to read. As I read the book, I saw so many applications to my life in college. One of the main areas I could see the application of this book was in my sorority. Needless to say, it's a place where outer beauty is more often valued over inner beauty. Last year I started a Biblical discussion group in my sorority and I thought that your book would be a great place to start for topics this semester. So I have been using the book for the past 5 weeks or so in my discussion group along with the online Bible Study.
The conversations that have come out of this series have been unbelievable. So many young women want to talk about this topic! The intertwining of the essense of beauty with the truth of the Bible in this book is great. I just think that the book provides a wonderful bridge between women who are trying to figure out what words like faith and spirituality mean for them and the truths of the Bible. It makes the Christian life so applicable to people who are seeking God! Thank you Nancy for sharing your story and your resources with me and let you know the powerful impact that your book is having for the Kingdom of God.

I heard Nancy speak on Focus on the Family and I immediately identified with her. I have struggled for many years with many of the same issues that Nancy discusses with such honesty in this book. I've come to realize that I'm not alone and that these types of struggles can be overcome. I appreciate Nancy's honesty and transparency about her own struggles. I still have a long way to go, but this book has given me hope that there IS light at the end of the tunnel. This book is for any woman who has ever struggled with these types of issues. This book touched me deeply and I cried many times as I read. A life changing and powerful book.

As a young Christian actress in Los Angeles, I too struggle with many of the self-worth issues that Nancy addresses in this wonderful book. I found immense healing and hope in this book. Nancy's honesty draws you nearer to her story and her struggles. Her hope sheds light on a topic so often "swept under the rug," even by women. This book is not only for actors, it is for all women. I am sending a copy to all of the women in my life.

Like the green glasses in THE WIZARD OF OZ that distort people's view of the Emerald City, our culture and our past hurts distort our concept of beauty and our image of ourselves. Nancy Stafford's book gently lifts that false image and replaces it with timeless, eternal truths. Written with humor, warmth, compassion and vulnerability, this book will bring hope and healing to all who read it. I can't think of anyone who wouldn't gain from what is written on these pages.

A Beginner's Guide to Changing the World is an amazing book.

Ostensibly a book about a woman (author Isabel Losada) who decides to do something to help the people of Tibet (the Chinese should be ashamed of themselves for what they've done to that peaceful country!), A Beginner's Guide is a book for anyone who longs to LIVE life to its fullest. It's a book for people who yearn for adventures, yet never take the first step toward making them happen.

It isn't just for people interested in Buddhism, either. It's a fun-to-read, inspiring book that anyone, of any religious faith, could embrace and enjoy.

Written in a breezy conversational style, A Beginner's Guide is a tale told wonderfully and joyfully. It recounts Ms. Losada's adventures in Tibet, revealing a side to that country's people the Chinese don't usually let people see. If you'd like to see Tibet, but don't have the time or money (or government permission) to go there, A Beginner's Guide to Changing the World is the next best thing.

I wholeheartedly embrace Ms. Losada's desire to help the people of Tibet. I think what happened (and is happening) in that country is just as terrible as anything that happened to the Jews in Nazi Germany. A Beginner's Guide to Changing the World is one woman's attempt to come to grips with the enormity of the situation and to do something about it. (And you'll never believe what kind of things she dreams up to do about it!)

But, again, this book is not heavy-handed or dire. This is one of the most joyful and positive books I've come across in a long time.

I strongly recommend Isabel Losada's book A Beginner's Guide to Changing the World.

I loved, loved, loved this book. It was exactly the right book for me. I almost didn't buy it, though. I'm on a must-resist-book-buying sort of budget, but my husband pointed this book out to me at the bookstore. After reading the "Ten Indispensable Things You Need to Change the World" on the back flap, I knew I had to buy this book. (#1 is "A cupboard. To put your TV in." Something I know I should do but don't.)

The book is structured around the author trying to get a better grasp on the serenity prayer, which she has carried with her for years:
"Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change
The courage to change the things I can
And the wisdom to know the difference."

That first bit is where I get stuck. I feel this immense responsibility to devote my life to "changing the world" but I just end up feeling overwhelmed (duh, can you imagine?) and frustrated when I see that there's no silver bullet solution to anything. This book spoke to me in a way that no one ever has. No matter how many times someone has said to me "There is no silver bullet" or "You can't change the world in a day" or whatever, I nodded in agreement but didn't really agree. Deep down, I truly believed that there is a silver bullet and I just had to find it.

But this book taught me that though there may be a silver bullet out there, devoting your life to finding out what it is isn't nearly important as *doing* something that brings you joy and makes you feel as if you're contributing something to the solution. I don't want to ruin the ending, but I will if I say much more than that.

I just really, really loved this book. It's exactly what I needed to read. Thank you, Isabel Losada, wherever you are.

This book talked much about what we already knew about the plight of Tibet, Tibetans, and Dalai Lama. Still, I'm continuously pilfering through books written about Tibet lest I forget human's propensity to do atrocities against their fellow human beings. Whilst we think that sacrifices made during World War 2 would remind people not to resort to violence to resolve issues, it happens yet again in our lifetime. Examples are everywhere namely Iraq occupation or revolution depending which sides you are on. The irony of the whole thing is that the main power that ended World War 2 would be the aggressor in this instance in the name of profits. From this book, it's obvious that Isabel has a pure heart and she asked quite rightly why we are actually penalising Dalai Lama when he's the one who preached non-violence to overcome obstacles. She also said it quite rightly about fighting might with right. Cynical readers might be worried that this book is one-sided, China slamming. It's actually not like that at all. Isabel pointed out also that the ways activists were dealing with issues might be at the wrong footing or rubbing China the wrong way. Ultimately, Isabel just shared with us her experience of trying to help Tibets, Tibetans, and the Dalai Lama. It's funny, heart-warming, and straight to the points at times. For those readers that want to know about those three main issues and yet, don't want to read a dry book, I guess this is a book that you can try to get your hands on. It's quite an enjoyable read, really.

In A Beginner's Guide to Changing the World Losada decides to devote a year of her life to a worthy cause in an attempt to see whether an individual can make real changes. Her chosen cause is the Tibetan situation. This makes the book sound incredibly serious, but what I like about Losada's style is her way of communicating as if she & you are sitting in the room together & she's chatting to you personally. She is a very witty writer & what could be a dry and depressing topic is actually very funny at times, whilst not losing sight of the serious objectives.

The book is divided into three main sections. In the first part Isabel Losada recounts her decision to travel to Tibet & see the situation at first hand. This reads as an exciting travelogue & paints at times an amusing and then touching picture of Tibet & its People. In the second section back at home in London, Losada contemplates the possible ways she could support the Tibetan cause, culminating in planning a daring publicity stunt promoting the Dalai Lama's peaceful stance against violence at a time when the world had embarked on the `War on Terror'. In the third section of the book Losada is invited to Dharamsala to meet His Holiness himself.

You can expect to experience the full range of human emotion as you read Losada's account. At times she is laugh out loud funny, at others you'll be outraged by the callous treatment of the Tibetan people by the Chinese occupiers. You'll find yourself sharing Losada's frustration in her search for a way to make a difference and her excitement and nerves in mounting the stunt. Then there's the anticipation of meeting His Holiness- I had a tear in my eye & felt I was in the room with them.

(...)

Isabel Losada wears many hats: single mom, writer, traveler, and now newly christened activist. Journey with Losada as she tells of the seemingly endless trials and tribulations as a wannabe activist fighting for the religious freedom of Tibet. Interesting choice. Yet when the author explains her reasoning behind backing this particular cause, readers will fall into her line of thinking with a natural acceptance simply because Losada is so charming and sincere. Her expression of sadness over the rising regularity of terrorism worldwide is so commonly felt, so consistently lamented, that when Losada poses the premise of fighting the war on terror with nonviolence, it makes sense. Who then is the leading proponent of nonviolence? The Dalai Lama, of course. Losada determines that he's the man for her --- and on this basis Losada begins her story, her journey toward social activism.

Making use of the famed serenity prayer, Losada divides her text into three main sections. Part One: "Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change..." Recognizing that she has never done much besides navel-gazing, Losada decides to invest some time in protesting outside the Chinese Embassy, a not particularly auspicious beginning. Next, the author starts investigating, interviewing, and finally traveling to Tibet. Waking up in Kathmandu, Losada details in comical fashion the advice passed along to her from a girl in the know from Tibet: Never squat down in the bushes on the Nepalese side of the Himalayas. Leeches have a way of attaching themselves. Before you know it, you're pouring with blood.

Sounds enchanting. Not to be daunted, Losada repeatedly hears the warning of altitude sickness, which can kill you. More seriously, though, were the injunctions to take extreme care in how one speaks to the Tibetan people regarding their loyalty to the Dalai Lama. And never, ever, hand out photos of the Dalai Lama as they're illegal. Losada does indeed travel and immerse herself in Tibetan culture where she sees both beauty and evil side by side, incongruously thriving together. Hard to accept.

"The courage to change the things I can..." comprises the second part of Losada's tale as she begins making advances in practical activism without much initial success. From approaching the Free Tibet Campaign organization to requesting and receiving an interview with a member of Parliament, from setting up a company, a website, to delving into the nitty-gritty of fundraising via parachuting for donations, Losada makes even the most dreary activities both humorous and sobering.

Finally, in Part Three, "And the wisdom to the know the difference..." Losada's journey becomes at once more introspective and profound as she receives an invitation to meet with the Dalai Lama. It is this portion of the text alone that will likely bring the most fascination to readers. Losada takes her time to carefully unfold the details of this once in a lifetime encounter and the results are most satisfying.

While Losada communicates with regular dashes of humor and wit, she likewise is serious about making a difference in the world. Even the most socially complacent readers will glean tips on how vital doing "one's bit" is to a better, safer, more peaceful world. As the Dalai Lama so succinctly states, "If the individual acts, society is changed."

--- Reviewed by Michele Howe

What a great find! Definately acceptable for your pre-teen to teen daughters! I read the book before passing it on and read it in just a day and a half!

Kudos to Serena Robar on her first book

Colby Blanchard's life changes in a blink of an eye. On the way home from a high school football game, Colby is attacked becomes something that she never thought possible - a vampire. Or rather, a Half-Blood. But because she's not a pure blood vampire, the others in the Undead community are out for some blood - her blood! It's Colby's chance to kick butt and get the guy.

This novel is phenomenal and I devoured it in a matter of hours. Laugh out loud funny and deliciously addicting.

Colby Blanchard seems your normal American teen: a cheerleader, Daddy's girl: but she's also a vampire. When she has to defend her eternal life in front of a Vampire Council which doesn't care for half-vampires, trouble results - not to mention her romance for Thomas, a hottie Vampire Investigator. Humor and irony abound in a very different kind of vampire story teens will relish.

Colby Blanched is the typical sixteen year old, interested in boys, clothing and staying head cheerleader. Her normal life comes to a screeching halt when she is attacked by a man and left in a ravine. When she wakes up, she returns home to learn she has been missing for forty-eight hours. When she smells blood on her mother's hand, she starts drinking it until she is full. Tests by her aunt prove she is a vampire as she has no pulse or heartbeat.

The Vampire Tribunal comes over to serve her with a summons because she is not a vampire but a half-breed Undead because she is too many generations removed to be a full Vampire. Undead have different abilities then vampires and the tribunal looks at them as abominations that must be destroyed. She has to appear before them and make a case that she should not be destroyed but she doesn't have a clue how she is going to manage it.

Aimed at the young adult market BRACED 2 BITE will also be thoroughly enjoyed by adults who like chick lit serio-comic vampire novels. Since her incisors were removed when Colby wore braces her father makes her a mechanical contraption to take their place and some of the funniest bites in the book take place around them. The heroine is strong willed and willing to fight against the injustice of the Vampire Council in their deadly dealings with the undead. Readers will be happy to know that this is just the beginning of a charming, beguiling and totally entertaining new series.

Harriet Klausner

As soon as I began reading BRACED2BITE by new author Serena Robar, I was immediately reminded of another one of my favorite vampire series--the Undead series by MaryJanice Davidson. Both authors have a smart-mouthed heroine, an annoying yet total hottie vampire hero, and a set of circumstances that makes you throw everything you ever thought was true about vampires right out the window. And believe me when I say that this comparison is not a bad thing! Ms. Robar has managed to pen a fun, exciting vampire story that will have you reading long into the night--and the comparison to MJD is nothing but outright flattery.

Sixteen-year old Colby Blanchard is the typical blond-haired, blue-eyed cheerleader. She's also very intelligent, has plans to get hunky Aidan Reynolds to ask her to the Homecoming dance, and, while she's at it, will finalize plans for her upcoming seventeenth birthday party. What Colby didn't plan on, or enter into her BlackBerry, was getting knocked out by the Eastside Attacker on the way home from a football game. Where, she might add, Aidan the slimeball went off with Allison to an after-game party.

When Colby comes to and returns home, she's very surprised to learn she's been missing for nearly forty-eight hours. Even more surprising, though, is drinking her mother's blood and healing her wound when she cuts herself with a knife. Oddly enough, although frightened, it's not until her Great-Aunt Chloe points out the puncture wounds on her neck that Colby realizes something weirder than a nighttime attack has happened to her. Colby is now a vampire, with the pale, pasty skin, yellowish eyes, and thirst for blood to prove it.

Her family seems to take the change in their daughter relatively in stride--Aunt Chloe even had to stake a few vampires years ago during the War when she was a nurse. Her father rushes to help in the only way he knows how (he's an orthodontist) and makes her a hideous headgear apparatus so she can feed, since her canine teeth were removed years ago. So not only is she a freak vampire, she's a mutant freak vampire.

To add insult to injury, two vampires come a-calling, informing Colby that she's been summoned to make an appearance to the Tribunal for, and get this, being Undead without a license. The fact that Thomas, the cute, helpful vampire, wants to help her make her case before the Tribunal is one thing. The fact that he's asked to be her Executioner if the Tribunal rejects her plea for a license is quite another.

BRACED2BITE is a fun, hilarious read. All of the characters are well-rounded, and the fast-paced dialogue makes the book a delight to read. If you like vampire stories with a dash of romance and a whole bunch of humor, this is definitely the book for you. And thankfully, the next book in the series, Fangs 4 Freaks, is already scheduled for release in November 2006.

What a gem this series is! I stumbled upon this author while at my local library and enjoyed the series so much that I went back and bought all of the books. The characters are quirky and the dialog very funny.

I would recommend this series to readers who enjoy cozy/humorous mysteries.

I have been looking for books to read until the next stephanie plum arrives... and this series is a good one for that. Very cute, funny and a light fun read.

This book was a delight from start to finish. The mystery was labrynthine and surprising all the way to the end, the characters were hilarious and well-drawn, and the writing was top-notch. If I had to make a comparison, I'd say it's very Evanovich-like. Yet I didn't feel as if the author was trying to copy--it feels like an original, laugh-out-loud creation to me, and I can't wait to read the rest in the series.

Move over Stephanie Plum, there's a new girl in town. Or should I say, there are two new girls in town. "The Butcher of Beverly Hills" is the debut novel by Jennifer Colt featuring private eyes, Kerry and Terry McAfee.

Yes you read that right, Kerry and Terry; twins; redheads to boot and one is a lesbian. Men are going to be flocking to these books like gangbusters.

Great series! Witty with fun characters and interesting future developments. Quick moving and oh do we love the red herrings. This avid mystery fan figured it out but missed a crucial part. Let's see if the next reader can get it. Can't wait to start on the second one!

1st in the series.

I typically am not attracted to books that have "slasher" word's in the titles... but this series is an marked exception. You have to read the premise and know the butcher is not a crazed body parts collecter... but a plastic surgeon. This is where the fun begins. Twins with amusingly opposite personalities combine to make an unlikely but hilarious private eye team. They are surrounded by a very broad spectrum of colorful characters and the scenarios just keep pulling you ahead page by amusing page. If I didn't know there was a sequel right behind it I might have savored it and read over a day or two but I read it in one sitting. So much for delayed gratification ;-)

We beg that you disregard ALL the other reviews on this book. CLEARLY these 'people' are dillusional, as they cannot see past Gwen Bistrow's pathetic attempt at a novel.
By definition CELIA GARTH = selfish, vain, overly confident, flirty, horrible morals (a bad example for any wholesome girl).
If you want to keep your daughter safe, we highly recommend that you stay AWAY from CELIA GARTH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Like some of the other reviewers, I read this when I was 12..actually re-read my mama's copies to pieces! It was out of print for the longest time, and you couldn't find it in libraries that much. It was so wonderful to see it in a Charleston bookstore (at about $50), and then to see it re-issued and available on Amazon. It's a great mixture of history, romance, great characters (did anyone else want to marry Luke?),and it's still one of my annual summer reads. The history is well-researched, and Bristow captures Charleston so well. Read this, and then go to Charleston. Immediately!

Gwen Bristow's Celia Garth may have been published in 1959, but it is truly a classic that is just as timely today. Charleston is always associated with the Civil War, but most Americans do not realize how much fighting went on in and around Charleston during the Revolution. In fact, there were more Revolutionary War battles in South Carolina than in any southern state.

In Celia Garth, we follow the life of a 20 year old seamstress. Celia goes back and forth between a Charleston townhouse and a plantation on the outskirts of town, and we receive a look at what it was like to live during the Revolution. The book ties in many historically documented facts including Francis Marion and his men, the British bombardment of Charleston, the siege of Charleston, British atrocities to plantations, the rebel spy network, actual battles and many famous military leaders. It is fascinating to read how Charlestonians were forced by Patriot troops to give up all their food supplies (except for rice), causing townsfolk to starve. Life was definitely not easy.

It is also fun to read about sites that are still in Charleston, and how they figured in the struggle. St. Michael's Church steeple was painted black to make it harder for British warships to see. Also, Patriots stored over 10,000 pounds of gunpowder in the basement of the Old Exchange building so that it would not fall into Loyalists hands. The British never did find it-even after they took control of the city and the Exchange Building.

The story itself is riveting, and I found myself staying up extra late to keep on reading. I couldn't wait to see what happened next. Although this was written with teenage girls in mind, don't let this be a deterrent. The 300 plus pages and the heavy dose of history make for extremely interesting reading. So, if you can get your hands on this classic, you've discovered a true treasure.

This is the tale of Celia Garth, a 20 year old woman trying to make a living as a seamstress in Charleston, South Carolina during the Revolutionary war. The author does a great job of setting up the scenes of the town and plantations, and the history of the time. We follow Celia and her friends through the seige of Charleston by the British, living through the constant shelling and lack of food until the final surrender.

At first, things seem normal after the surrender and Celia begins to build a new life, but tragedy strikes after the British go back on their promises and Celia must start life afresh. This time, while working as a seamstress she is also a bit of a "spy" for the colonials.

This was a wonderful story of love and courage, with a great dose of history thrown in. I don't know enough about the period to say how accurate it is, but I thoroughly enjoyed immersing myself in another century for a day or two. This is also a good choice for a younger reader, as the "love scenes", if you can call them that, are extremely chaste.

The book is out of print and readily available used, but I had no problem finding it at my local libary.

O.K., I've never before felt compelled to write a review in defense of a book, but I'm doing it now. Larry Brown's brief but nasty review of Gwen Bristow's "Celia Garth" as an immoral character is the most ridiculous thing I've ever read. Celia is as moral as they come! As a mother and as a Christian, I wouldn't hesitate to reccommend this book, or any of Gwen Bristow's books to my own daughters. In fact, I have. My older daughter has read them all, and my 16-year-old is reading them now. Celia Garth is probably the most moral of them all. I suspect that Mr. Brown never finished the book. A flirtatious smile at a good-looking soldier in the first few pages, and an incident a few pages later where mischievous Celia tries to imagine her battle-ax of an emloyer with no clothes on, are the only things in the whole book that I can imagine, (by a very great stretch of the imagination indeed) to be called immoral. And, yes, Celia, an intelligent young woman, realizes that she is pretty and that she is good at sewing, but I would not call her vain. She wants to be more than a mere apprentice, and struggles to get someone to notice her sewing talents. Perhaps Mr. Brown is one of those antiquated gentlemen who feel that Celia should have married rather than try to have a career. Give me a break. Celia does eventually manage to get a good job sewing for a wealthy but hard-to please woman, but the war is coming to Charleston, and she is in love with a soldier, so the career is on hold. Her romance with Captain Jimmy Rand of the militia is passionate enough to keep any woman reader happy yet chaste enough to suit any mom. They wait chastely to be married, even though she is alone in Charleston with only a maid for chaperone and he may die in the war. Now that's love! When their romance ends in tragedy at the hands of "Butcher" Tarleton and his Tory troops, Celia not has the courage to start over, but to use her resumed sewing job to help spy on the British and aid the American rebels in their struggle for freedom. At last she falls in love again, with Luke, a continental soldier serving under Francis Marion, "The Swamp Fox" . After being, yes, chastely married, she helps him send messages to Marion's men, even when she's pregnant and living with Tory relatives where the danger is very great. Cele Garth is an exciting and excellently written piece of historical fiction. I highly recommend recommend it. Ignore Mr. Brown and read it today!!!!!

This is the first book I read about Amy Carmichael's life. It is very interesting and since reading this, I have purchased many many books that Amy wrote herself. My top 3 recommendations are IF, Kohila, and Lotus Buds. However, any of her books are wonderful.

This book by Elizabeth Elliott gives an overview of Amy's life and pictures. If you want to know about her, this is the book to read.

I have read this book twice over the last decade and each time it has given me life principles applicable to the time of life in which I read it. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who needs an example to live by. I couldn't help but think that if God could do such things in Amy Carmichael, He could certainly do the same in me. What a challenge!

Amy Carmichael has been a great model to follow. Her love for the Lord spilled out to those whom she saw as His children worth saving ... even though they were considered worthless in their culture. God uses Amy's ferver to encourage me to continue on in difficult places. Thank you Elisabeth Elliot for using your God-given writing talent to so articulate the life of this precious woman of God. Your labors go hand in hand with Amy's in bringing in more souls for the Kingdom of God. To God be all the glory!

Amy Carmichael is a hero of mine. I first read this book many, many years ago after God broke my heart for the nations. I admire this single woman's faith and "heart like flint" as she left family, comfort and friends to serve the Lord in India. She went out not knowing exactly where she was going (like Abraham) yet trusted in her Father to guide and direct her. Indeed, she lived out Isaiah 54 as she became a spiritual mother to many poor children who were sadly abandoned and/or neglected in India.

With a simple, resolute and steadfast faith, Amy built orphanages to defend the orphan and preach the good news to the poor. Her life was soul satisfying, multiplied and poured out as a sacrifice that others could live and find Christ. Beautiful.

Amy's like will inspire and encourage you to PURSUE the call on your heart and to trust in the Lord for provision, security and guidance.

Regarding Elisabeth Elliot, the author, I had the gracious opportunity to meet her in person.. and she is a sweet aroma of Christ as well. She trusted and followed in her Savior, despite the pain of losing her first love, Jim Elliot, as a martyr in the jungle of Ecuador. Through the death of her husband and four other Christian missionaries, many, many were saved - and many Christians called to the mission field. You can read more about their journey by reading:

Shadow of the Almighty: The Life and Testament of Jim Elliot

Amy Carmichael is a woman who dedicated her life to serving "the least of these" with a heart focused solely on Christ. A story full of incredible truth and sacrifice in the name of the love of God.

Kelly's story is one of humor, laughter, pain, tears, and totally inspirational. Ever feel down and out? Read Kelly's story - it is uplifting knowing that one can reach death's portal, only to turn back and say "I've got mountains to climb." When you think things can't get any worse - read Kelly's story. Life gives each of us obstacles to overcome. Kelly has done so with grace, good humor, determination, with a husband encouraging her every step of the way, and with gratitude for the gift from a donor.

Thank you Kelly and Craig for such a wonderful, inspirational account of your lives. This has truly changed me in a very positive way. My priorities and outlook are back in the proper perspective. I do not know that I would have handled everything as positively as you two, and pray I will never have to find out.
This book should be read by everyone. It provides a very unique perspective into personal motivation, unbelievable drive, and magnificient teamwork.
WONDERFUL !

I have just finished Kelly's book The Climb of My Life and am left truly inspired... It is an amusing, poignant, and motivating read that reminds us all that each life is to be cherished and lived to the fullest capacity. Insightful and inspiring, I have mentioned this book in many discussions, as I feel any and every person can benefit from reading Kelly's story. One of the many sentiments I want to incorporate into my own life is greeting your loved one at the end day with "what was the best part of your day?" automatically creating a positive round of communication as opposed to the typical "how was your day?" which often leads to dwelling on the negative. I have taken Kelly's book to heart - I catch myself referring to Kelly and Craig's attitude "well, it could have been worse" when I encounter trivial irks, and then find myself consciously acknowledging how great life truly is. Kelly's personal narrative left me smiling, my eyes misty, and a genuine tug at my heart. Her emotional and physical strength is truly admirable, as is her adoring husband who never let her give up.

It's not every day...
It's not every day you come across two people with such unconditional love and devotion for each other; it's not every day you come across someone who is able to embrace courage, hope, and determination with death staring her in the face; it's not every day you come across someone who has turned "giving back" into their main mission in life; and it's not every day you come across someone who has not only been given a second chance at life via a heart transplant but has lived a life which most can only dream to attain.

"The Climb of My Life" is a well written, captivating journey that will be hard to put down. It reveals to the reader, through humor and tears, how Kelly has faced adversity and pursued her journey. I am inspired by her courage and strength to step out beyond my boundries. Thank you Kelly for this.

This is an amazing story about medical miracles, undaunted courage, steely determination, steadfast love, and ultimate triumph. While most of us won't face the sorts of challenges described here, there are many lessons to be learned. The inspiration of Kelly's story is a gift. If you want an exciting story about real adventure, this book is for you. If nothing else, this book should inspire every one to become an organ donor.

I don't read many authors and tend to stick with true life murder writer Ann Rule as I always know i am going to enjoy the writing style. A year ago my mom gave me this book to read and I finally got around to it 2 weeks ago. I usually read a few pages at night but with this book I could not put it down. I can not wait for my mom to share the rest of the series with me. I met Ms Noble this weekend at a show on our town square, she stated she was writing her next book and I can not wait to add it to my collection.

I just finished reading Sylvia Nobel's Deadly Sanctuary.
I picked this up only by chance while on a trip to Scottsdale,Az.
I finished it in just under two days.
It's been years since a book captivated my imagination to this extent.
This is a fast read "DONT MISS" book that you will NOT be able to put down.

Deadly Sanctuary has good character and plot development, and the story moves at a great pace. Nice fluid style that holds a reader's interest. I found myself caring for the characters. My favorite was Ginger. I love the way Ms. Nobel made a smalltown gossip endearing instead of just another nuisance. Sylvia Nobel spins a good tale, so I'll be reading the entire series.

After skimming a few pages of this book, I put down my Anne Rice novel and jumped right in. I love the single female detective books anyway. If you like Sue Grafton, you will love this author. It is nice to read a book that has the proper spacing also! You don't need reading glasses to SEE IT!

I have read all three of Sylvia's books, but Deadly Sanctuary kept me guessing right up to the end---what a surprise!!! I read it on my lunch hours, and had to force myself to go back to work. I HAD to know what would happen next.

This is a great read, and I recommend it to anyone who loves mysteries. This feisty redhead will keep you entertained for hours with her sometimes harrowing escapades in the Arizona
desert.

This is the only useful book I've seen about breastfeeding after breast reduction surgery, and it really does a great job. The majority of the book would really be useful for women who have had any type of breast surgery and are worried about breastfeeding successfully. There's really detailed information about just about anything you'd need to know -- and a lot of information that it would have never occurred to me to look for, but I'm so grateful to have! The book has a lot of detail on how to prepare in advance, where to go for support, what positions might work best, how breast surgery can affect latch and let-down and the rest of the breastfeeding process, the pros and cons of using pumps to increase supply, using at-breast supplementers rather than bottles, different techniques to increase supply, etc.

Some of the information in the book is now out-of-date (especially regarding the use of artificial nipples for bottle feeding and pacifiers), and the author has updated information on the website (www.bfar.org). The other concern is, of course, that the book is now out of print.

Luckily on both counts, the author's website reports that a revised edition is in the works -- I can't wait, but I'm glad I have this copy -- and the author's website -- in the meantime.

This book was suggested by a doula friend and it was exactly what I needed to read. It had all the information necessary as well as all the what if's. If you had a previous surgery and plan to breastfeed you must read this. Because of this book I was able to fully feed my child without supplementing!

I'd been doing BFAR (Breastfeeding After Reduction Surgery) for three months before I discovered this book and I really wish I'd had it from the beginning. It's basically a textbook and goes into great detail about how the surgery could have affected your breastfeeding ability and what you can do if you have a low milk supply (herbs, prescription medications, pumping, psychological exercises). It goes into the emotional issues you may be dealing with and discusses methods of supplementing your baby with donated human milk or formula. There is also a section in the back for professionals who may be working with BFAR mothers.

It is very pro breastfeeding, but not in a way that I felt bullied. I did feel a little guilty that there were things I could have done in the first month that I didn't know about until reading the book, but the section on emotional issues helped with that, saying not to feel guilty over decisions you made in the past when you had different information.

This book is informative and encouraging - and HIGHLY recommended for any doctor, mid-wife, or nurse, as well as for anyone who has had this type of surgery.

I am pregnant with my second child and bought this book in hopes of nursing the baby when it is born. It is a very informative, well-written book and has a lot of good information for those who are considering or have had a breast reduction, and want to nurse.

Rapid-fire noir of the sort that forces you to read it in one sitting, even more remarkable because it's 241 pages are written by a first-time author. And not just any author, an English Ph. D. and professor whose previous work was entitled: "The Street was mine: White Masculinity in Hardboiled Fiction and Film Noir." A female professor.

So when the academic turns her hand to practitioner, how does she fare? Classicly well. It is written from the first-person perspective of Lora, the sister of Bill King, rising star in the D. A.'s office, who through happenstance meets and falls hard for Alice, as it turns out a sharp customer with a deeply troubled past.

Alice pulls Lora and Bill and their middle-class friends into her world of drugs, sex, and physical abuse.

The perspective works well, as Lora's love for her brother and joy in his happiness are only gradually overshadowed by slowly-mounting clues to Alice's real character. And as Alice argues violently at the climax of the action, Lora even seemed to find herself drawn to the titillating side of the dark lifestyle that Alice had lived and couldn't leave.

Given the author's career and training, the reader wonders if this is a one-time excursion to see how well she could write what she'd studied, or if this will be a career move for Abbott.

Although I'm a big fan of noir films, this was my first noir novel. What a treat! Abbott's style has a dreamy, poetic quality, yet she manages to move the story forward at a rapid pace. All the characters are rich and complex, and the period details are great fun. I look forward to reading more of Abbott's work.

The storyline to this stylish noir set in 1954 is simple. Lora King, a Pasenda schoolteacher, lives with her younger brother Bill, one of the D.A.'s bright investigators. Their lives hum along until Alicia Steele, a costume designer for the Hollywood movie crowd, enters the picture. Alice steals Bill's heart and they wed. Lora, jealous and maternally protective, discovers Alicia's past is dark and pitted with sadistic boyfriends, narcotics usage, and possibly murder. As seen by others, Lora and Alice are companionable as "sisters", but looks are deceiving. The lush descriptions recreate the underbelly of Hollywood. But the contemplative and careful Lora narrating this lurid tale offers a noir where readers can observe as much going outside of as inside of the main character.

A heck of a debut, a heck of a book. These characters sparkle in dark glamour, the writing slides you into a lost time, a lost place. Highly recommended.

This was a great read! One I had a very hard time putting down. Set in 1950's Hollywood, it explores the dark, twisted lives of high powered studio men, call girls, drugs and murder. Bill and Lora are siblings living in quiet suburbia in Pasadena. He's a cop and she's a school teacher. Then Bill meets vivacious Alice Steele when her car hits his. A friendship blossoms, and soon after a relationship. The two marry, buy a house, and settle into simple lives.

In the beginning all is well. Lora is happy for her brother and loves having sophisticated Alice around, who throws lavish neighborhood parties and is always in the spotlight. But soon Lora starts to notice little things that don't seem quite right. Dark edges around sweet Alice...who is Alice really, and where did she come from?

As Lora gets deeper and deeper into the trenches of shady Hollywood, she begins to realize that she's getting caught up in everything, she's beginning to change from the mundane schoolteacher into something else, something bad. Can she figure everything out before it's too late? I've gotta say I really recommend this book. I initially picked it up because of the era it's set in, but the story really grabbed me. Definitely give it a try...you won't be disappointed!