Books & Magazine Reviews

Sweet Gratitude: A New World of Raw Desserts is one of the most delicious books I have ever read. It is a mouth watering book of raw and healthy desserts. The recipes are simple and the ingredients consist of fresh foods: nuts and fruits. The descriptions of ingredients at the back of the book are very helpful and the tone in which the book is written is filled with helpful and wise advise. My only concern is that many of the ingredients listed in the book are not easily accessible locally. Other than that I really enjoyed reading the book, recipes and wisdom.

The novel, Precious, was originally released titled, "Push" in 1996.  It was renamed Precious, I think, because it was made into a movie that has yet to be released.  I learned about the book Precious from Oprah Winfrey, who recommends the book.

NO SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW:

Precious is an illiterate girl who has been sexually abused by her father, physically abused by her mother, and is pregnant with her second child from her father.  For many reasons, the book Precious is difficult to read.  There is graphic descriptions of the abuse that Precious suffers at the hands of both her parents, which...

The Emperor's Egg [1999, Candlewick Press, ISBN: 0-7636-0557-3], by Martin Jankins and illustrated by Jane Chapman is a 29-page children's book about Emperor penguins.

The Story:

This book gives lots of information about Emperor Penguins. It gives the information in simple terms and has colorful and engaging illustrations that compliment the story nicely.

I actually found this book to be quite informative since I know very little about these amazing birds. I didn't realize that Emperor Penguins can be about three feet tall and that they are the only ones the breed in mid-winter in Antarctica....

Bear Feels Sick [2007, Margaret K. McElderry Books, ISBN-13: 978-0-689-85985-4], by Karma Wilson and illustrated by Jane Chapman is a delightful story of a sick bear and his friends.

The Story:

Poor Bear is feeling sick, but his faithful friends decide to help him and offer all sorts of help. Each of his friends tries to assist Bear, but it is quite a while before he is ready to play again. Finally, Bear wakes up feeling ready to play, but what's wrong with all of his friends?

My Viewpoint:

Bear Feels Sick is a nice story about friendship and how friends can help one another. Maybe the author...

Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving [1990, Orchard Books, ISBN: 0-531-08505-8], by Dav Pilkey, is a story of a children's field trip to a farm on the evening before Thanksgiving.

When the children arrive, they are delighted to see lots of beautiful turkeys at the farm. Then they discover that these turkeys are going to be the main course for the big holiday the next day. The children decide to do something about the situation, and each child decides to stuff a turkey up his or her shirt, but the book doesn't really say what they do--the reader has to figure that out on her own. They are quite comical...

The Adventures of Laura and Jack [1932, Harper Trophy, ISBN 0-05-442045-0], by Laura Ingalls Wilder and illustrated by Renee Graef is a 71-page juvenile fiction chapter book.

The Story:

Laura is a young girl growing up in the day of covered wagons and simple family life. As her family travels from place to place, the family's dog named Jack is a faithful friend that is spunky and fun. Although the odds are stacked against the little dog in many of the adventures, Jack seems to be able to survive anything. Yet, at the end, the family must move again and Jack is now old. Pa decides that Jack will...

Find the Teddy, [1999, EDC Publishing, ISBN: 0 7460 3825 9], by Phil Roxbee Cox and illustrated by Stephen Cartwright, was based on an idea by Claudia Zeff. This 16 page children's board book features a teddy bear on each page.

The Story:

A little girl has lost her teddy bear and begins a search. Each page has a short sentence and the bear can be seen on each page. The main character continues to look for the bear until the very end, but what happens once she goes to sleep?

My Viewpoint:

Find the Teddy is a cute, fun, and engaging board book. My two-year-old had a little bit of a hard time finding...

this magazine has alot of valuable health information. in addition, it has details on how to stay healthy by eating healthy diets.  also, it offers diets and ways to maintain weight easily and effectively. I really enjoy reading this magazine. it is nice for folks who really want to be healthy and have better lifestyle in their future. overall, i truly consider this health magazine ias one of my favorite magazine to consider when learning more about ways to maintain healthy lifestyle as well as have better health outcomes. So, consider and see what it has to offer. It also has interesting facts...

the  book a child called it  was touching, emotional, and heart wrenching no child should have to go through what mr pelzer went through.  this was a well written book that went straight to the heart. i cried the whole way through the book. but after i cried i said there must be something that we can do to prevent this from happening to our children . they are our most precious assets.anyone that does anything to hurt a child need to be put away for good. a child need to be cuddled and hugged not beaten and slugged.if you haven't read this book please do so.

This collection of horror and SF short stories opens with a bang: "Sisyphus" is a time travel story that manages to be horrifying and brilliantly clever at the same time. It delivers a Twilight-Zone style punch that grabs the reader immediately, and it's a nice lead-in to the claustrophobia of "Deep Breathing" and the suburban creepiness of "Silent" and "Jesus Loves Me".

Elizabeth Donald delivers very strong characters and realistic situations, and plays to a wide range of fears from the moment-by-moment terror of a campus sniper attack to the global apocalypse of the stories from her alien-invasion...

Eat, Pray, Love is one of the best books I have ever read. It is amazing. She is such an eloquent writer and it keeps you totally engrossed in her journey through 3 countries and her search for spirtual awareness and tranquility.

Highly recommended!

Harry becomes suspicious of his rival Draco Malfoy, after overhearing several of his conversations, and when Katie Bell is almost killed while attempting to deliver a cursed necklace under the influence of the Imperius Curse. Meanwhile, Ron is displeased with his younger sister Ginny dating anybody, forcing Harry to ignore his attraction. After an argument with Ginny in which Ron's dating inexperience is made clear, Ron takes up with Lavender  creating a divide between him and Hermione. This rift is only mended when he accidentally consumes a love potion attracting him to Romilda vane, and then...

Mental Floss meets its title criteria. Its humorous tidbits and well written articles weave through the cracks in your mind. This bimonthly magazine has information on everything from dangerous parasites to fantastic cities, con men to concrete. Interviews with Dead Celebrities gives insight to what great minds might really have thought. 6 degrees of Ken Jennings links random words with interesting tales. AJ Jacobs', author of The Know It All, encyclopedia of knowledge adds additional wit and wisdom. The website offers more of the articles, as well trivia games and books. Their t-shirts feature...

This is a graphic novel series, known as a manga, that originated in Japan. It has been adapted into two televison series, known as anime, and several movies. It is a great story about ninjas. It follows the protagonist as he grows and learns, making friends and defeating powerful enemies. It is a long series, at last count there were over 45 volumes available. I would reccommend for any one who likes to read action packed manga/graphic novels. The only bad point is that it sometimes focuses on characters that can  be irritating and the action can drag at points.

This is a great product and a must have for Star Wars fans. It is the most comprehensive guide to Star Wars and its characters. Easily look up your favorite characters. Learn about characters and places you don't know much about. This is a great reference for serious fans of the franchise. The pictures and descriptions are of great quality. I would recommend this item to any Star Wars fans who are really serious about the series, especially those who are collectors. The only downside is that the price is expensive.