Sunday Words of Encouragement September 16, 2012

I am in south Florida to attend a memorial 'party' today to celebrate my father's life.  Frank C. Snedaker, March 30, 1924 to July 3, 2012. He lived a strong life; you could say that he lived like Frank Sinatra's popular song 'I did it my way'.  My father's motto (and a couple of boat names) was "Never Give Up!"

For death is no more than a turning of us over from time to eternity. - William Penn

My Dad left a wonderful legacy of family. 

This picture below was taken at a family gathering to celebrate his 87th Birthday in 2011.

He is in the center on the sofa with most (but not all) of his children (three of four) and grandchildren (eight of twelve) with spouses and eleven (of seventeen) great grandchildren.

I like this song for a positive view of death

Verses for Today:
1 Thessalonians 4:13-14
But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.

Thank you all for your messages of sympathy in July. I am thankful that God blessed me with wonderful parents. My Dad will be missed but he left a wonderful legacy of living!

Sharing Beyond Books #66 September 15, 2012

Welcome to another SBB!

Hello again on Saturday Night.  I am in South Florida with family as we are holding a party memorial tomorrow to celebrate my Dad's life (died July 3).  There were some other activities today but I have stayed in my hotel room as I am dragging with a sinus cold.  I hope by sleeping most of the day I will feel better tomorrow and not get wiped out by the drive home on Monday.

Thank you to all who shared last week.

We had a number of commenters who do not read sports fiction (6 plus Natasha hasn't tried any.) Llehn mentioned Quidditch but I don't think we had that in mind. LOL
For those of you who like romance and might want to check out good sports fiction romance here are the names of authors that were mentioned:  Susan Elizabeth Phillips (football), Rachel Gibson (hockey), Jaci Burton (mentioned by several - football, baseball and hockey), Deirdre Martin (hockey), Jill Shalvis and Kate Angell (baseball).  Also Abby shared Any Given Christmas by Candis Terry.  This looks like a cute read for Christmas time. :-)

Well out of 16 of us 10 agreed the baggy, saggy pants look should go away! A couple commenters agreed with the leggings as a not good look especially for heavier women and a couple picked Uggs.  I had to laugh at Jane saying the day glow shirts could go as I had just bought day glow shirts for the grandkids on the Alaska tour. They are young enuf to enjoy them. :-)  I also laughed at marybelle's comment: "Mutton dressed up as lamb, or even worse, children made up & dressed up way beyond their years."

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The Winner from SBB #65 comments is: #13 winnie There are still 6 'love' books to pick from and 1 Christmas choice (I guess I'll have to add some titles to that list soon). Winnie please choose a book (or GC if international) from the remaining Love Books List for Giveaway, remaining Christmas Giveaway Book, OR pick from the Updated ARC/Review List and let me know your choice, your address and a choice of bookmarks by completing the WINNER FORM.

WEEK #66 Questions

Q1. Margaret asks: If you are a member of an online book club and a in person book club member is there one that you prefer??  

A: I haven't been able to be very consistent with the online book club... either I don't care for the book chosen or I don't get it into my schedule. I do enjoy my church Ladies' Book Club as we get to read an inspirational title (various fiction but always Christian) and we enjoy meeting about every six weeks to share discussion.

Image found at Tiny Prints Archive

Q2. I thought of this question to go with question 1: If you were to recommend a book for Book Club reading what book would it be??

A:  Here is a link to the books we have read at our Book Club. I have chosen the books, with member input, over the past two years or so.  In addition to picking Christian titles I generally try to get lower priced books so that most everyone can afford the book. This months reading for discussion in early October is: Broken Angel by Sigmund Brouwer.

Image found at ChristianBooks.com

Thanks to those who are sending in Questions. DON'T BE SHY! Surely everyone has a Q or two you'd like to ask.  Input suggestions in this Suggested Question Form. At the end of each month I will draw from the suggestions I used the month before and that person will get a book choice or GC. I thank everyone for submitting questions but some of you others might want to get in a question or two as we have a few people submitting most of the questions so far.  Either way - it works for me. :-)  The question list is being replenished!  Thanks for sending in questions! 

Your turn to share:

1. Margaret asks: If you are a member of an online book club and a in person book club member is there one that you prefer??

2. If you were to recommend a book for Book Club reading what book would it be??

SBB Comment Winners can choose a selection from the remaining  Valentine and "Love" books or the remaining Christmas Giveaway Books - there are still about 7 books available to choose from. Also I have added the Updated ARC/Review List now.

SBB Rules:
a) Must be a follower; 
b) Share a comment on any (or all) of the two/three questions above.
Open internationally and an international winner may get a smaller book or a $5.00 GC if I decide the mailing is too much.

I will pick a Comment winner from all comments made by Friday, September 21, 2012 at 10 PM central.

Winner of "Fall in Love with Forever" Prizepack

Congratulations to the Winner of

"FALL in Love with Forever" prizepack of upcoming fall titles!
This giveaway was given in conjunction with the Book Feature release of 

POWER, Faces of Evil, by Debra Webb

Here are the titles included in the prizepack:

THE WARRIOR by Margaret Mallory
BAREFOOT IN THE RAIN by Roxanne St. Claire
AN HEIRESS AT HEART by Jennifer Delamere
WHERE ANGELS REST by Kate Brady
TOO DANGEROUS TO DESIRE by Cara Elliott
TWO SINFUL SECRETS by Laurel McKee

Random.org picked #1

Linda Kish

Linda - Please fill in the Winner's Acceptance Form or email me at mesreads AT gmail.com to confirm the win and I will notify the publisher to send the books.  Please reply within 72 hours!
Thank you to all who entered these giveaways.

Book Review: What in God's Name: A Novel by Simon Rich

Mixed feelings on this title - see full review. :-)
What in God's Name: A Novel
by Simon Rich

Hardcover: 240 pages
Publisher: Reagan Arthur Books; First Edition first Printing edition (August 7, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0316133736
ISBN-13: 978-0316133739
Genre: Comedy
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0

Book Description
Publication Date: August 7, 2012
Welcome to Heaven, Inc., the grossly mismanaged corporation in the sky. For as long as anyone can remember, the founder and CEO (known in some circles as "God") has been phoning it in. Lately, he's been spending most of his time on the golf course. And when he does show up at work, it's not to resolve wars or end famines, but to Google himself and read what humans have been blogging about him.

When God decides to retire (to pursue his lifelong dream of opening an Asian Fusion restaurant), he also decides to destroy Earth. His employees take the news in stride, except for Craig and Eliza, two underpaid angels in the lowly Department of Miracles. Unlike their boss, Craig and Eliza love their jobs - uncapping city fire hydrants on hot days, revealing lost keys in snow banks - and they refuse to accept that earth is going under.

The angels manage to strike a deal with their boss. He'll call off his Armageddon, if they can solve their toughest miracle yet: getting the two most socially awkward humans on the planet to fall in love. With doomsday fast approaching, and the humans ignoring every chance for happiness thrown their way, Craig and Eliza must move heaven and earth to rescue them - and the rest of us, too.

Review:

I do have mixed feelings about this book. I selected it to read as it seemed like a cute premise. However I had some trepidation about the tone of the novel and I should have paid more attention to that intuition.

I appreciated the dedication and drive of both Craig and Eliza, two angels who enjoy making little and big miracles that touch human lives. Although they are both mostly ‘nerdy’, their up- beat characters and their love and concern for human beings are endearing. They are certainly more likeable than the God portrayed by Mr. Simon as a bored executive who cares more about his favorite sports teams, his golf game and checking on his personal ratings then he does about humans and their dangers, sufferings or prayers. Another not so likeable character is Vince who is a rather harsh Arch Angel at God’s right side who sneers at the efforts of Craig and Eliza until they convince him to help them in their effort to save the world.

God has decided to “cancel” earth and open a restaurant. Craig and Eliza discover that God has ignored years of prayer requests that were carefully sorted in priority by Eliza. Craig convinces God to save the world if Craig can perform a miracle that fulfills one of the old prayers. Craig and Eliza have 30 days to bring Sam and Laura together. These two met in college and were attracted to each other but never connected. Now they only live six blocks apart but they are the equivalent of couch potatoes, rarely leaving their homes or socializing with the world outside of their own rooms. Craig and Eliza will have to do their greatest manipulation ever to pull off this miracle.

I have to acknowledge that the book is very funny.  It is also completely sacrilegious.  As I started reading I began to get uncomfortable with the tone and became more and more concerned that there would be little edifying about the book. Considering that I believe in an Amazing God, creator, savior and comforter, I had to feel hurt in my spirit at the portrayal in this book. I struggled through to the end in hopes that there would be a glimmer of redemption. Actually I was a bit calmer by the end as I decided to view the book as I might a complete fantasy.  I do think that there was a light of hope shown at the ending.  Unfortunately, God had little to do with the ultimate outcome and although the angels were the ones behind the positive movements it is not even clear if their influence or chance had the final impact.

I have to give the book a good rating for solid writing and entertaining humor. But I put a warning for other Christians that this one may not be something you want to read as it disappoints the inner spirit.

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A discussion between Craig as he introduces Eliza to her new job in the Miracles Department:

{Craig}  "Actually, the truth is...ninety-nine percent of the things that happen to humans are just crazy and random and serve no function whatsoever. ...
{Eliza}   "But the other one percent? Those are miracles, huh?"
Craig nodded.
"Well, hey!" she said. "That's something!"  Page 16

Thank you to Anna for providing this book from Reagan Arthur div of Hachette for review.

I will add this to my ARC and New Author challenge lists.

Audio Book Review: The Grapes of Wrath, Dramatization

I really enjoyed this dramatization of this classic story.

The Grapes of Wrath
By John Steinbeck, Frank Galati [Adapt.]
Read by Shirley Knight, Jeffrey Donovan, and a Full Cast
Published by L.A. Theatre Works

LENGTH 1 hr and 59 mins
Locate a copy at Amazon | Audible | iTunes

Genre: Dramatization, Classic Literature
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0

Description:
Drought and economic depression are driving thousands from Oklahoma. As their land becomes just another strip in the dust bowl, the Joads, a family of sharecroppers, decide they have no choice but to follow. They head west, towards California, where they hope to find work and a future for their family.

"With a photographer’s eye for honest detail and a musician’s ear for the era’s language and dialogue, John Steinbeck’s Dustbowl epic of displacement, heartache, and hope became both a touchstone and lightning rod in American literature as soon as it was published in 1939. The novel continues to resonate and L.A. Theatre Works’s full-cast performance of Frank Galati’s Tony Award-winning stage adaptation hits all the high points. In this story of family and survival, Jeffrey Donovan provides a solid voice and foundation for the Prodigal Son figure, Tom Joad. Francis Guinan finds the wisdom and humor in the broken preacher, Jim Casey. And veteran Broadway star Shirley Knight shines as the matriarch, Ma Joad, bringing heart, soul, and tears to every line. A fine introduction to Steinbeck’s world.”

Review: 
I remember reading Grapes of Wrath years ago either in high school or college days. My recollection is that it was striking but depressing. I really had no big desire to re-read a depressing book. However, I downloaded the dramatized audio adaptation from SYNC as a pair with Eleventh Plague. Since I had reviewed Eleventh Plague a few weeks ago I decided it would be interesting to listen to the classic it was paired with. I am very glad that I did.

This dramatization includes songs and jingles that fit the soulfulness of the Great Depression.  The drama brings forth many of the emotions that flowed from the original story but it is much easier listening. Tom Joad is a son returning home from prison. He runs into a light hearted Jim Casey, who has given up preaching for a more prosaic and basic life of a rambler.  The Joad family is already packing to leave the Oklahoma land which has been taken over as the sharecroppers are being put out. The family includes grandparents who really do not want to leave but have little choice, a daughter who is pregnant and hoping for better things for her child and parents who a putting one foot before the next to survive and live the life as dull as it may seem.

There is a large group who are taking what belongings they can carry and moving to California where it is rumored there are good jobs and a chance to rebuild a new homestead.  Along the way they share comraderie around the fires and tents. Some places they find welcoming and others they are barred or ousted by others who do not want to share or who are suspicious of strangers bringing trouble.  One stranger the meet tries to tell them that the pamphlets promising jobs are lies but the family will not listen, they must learn for themselves.

There is little of joy in the story which is a harsh and poignant portrayal of the financial and mental losses suffered by those who lost hope during the times of the Great Depression. Fortunately the songs and jingles in this dramatized adaptation help bring a bit of spirit amid the sorrows and down to earth plodding of life.   The actors who "play" the characters do a wonderful job of conveying the emotional burdens that they are facing.

I thought this was a great pairing with Eleventh Plague.  I could see struggling familial units and societies, with fear, greed, loss, sorrow, depression and a flicker of hope in each story. Somehow reading both seems appropriate in this time of economic strife that may see communities falling into some of these same problems.

I encourage listening to both of these audios and I give a BIG thanks to SYNC YA for making them available!

This was from the wonderful SYNC YA Summer 2012 program which offers free downloads of Young Adult and Classic pairs to encourage YA listening.

I will add this to my Audio Challenge List.