We Both Like Reading

We both like reading and will post reviews of books as we read them.  for all our book reviews, check out our shelves on Shelfairi at http://www.shelfari.com/kzemek and http://www.shelfari.com/gzemek

How To Speak Dog by Sarah Whitehead

How To Speak Dog by Sarah Whitehead is very informative and practical for learning about dogs and how to train them.  It is geared to kids but I liked it too because it's easy to read and very attractive with lots of colored pages and pictures.  It gives step-by-step instructions for teaching dogs specific commands and  checklists to evaluate if the dog has mastered the trick.  It also includes some game suggestions for playing with your dog.  I give it 4 paws up!

A Lifetime of Wisdom by Joni Earickson Tada

I give A Lifetime Of Wisdom by Joni Earickson Tada 30 stars!

I haven't read a Joni book in a long time but found this one while browsing through the library.  I'm so glad I did!  What makes this book so good is that Joni goes back to how she thought about things when she was a teen and now shares 40 years later what she has learned since.  As always, the writing in Joni's books is superb.  This book is hard to put down.  It gave me sort of a spiritual bath, which I think we all need from time to time to reflect on the really important things in life.  Bless you, Joni!  I highly recommend you read this book!

--Gerard Zemek

Crazy For The Storm by Norman Ollestad

The Unlikely Disciple by Kevin Roose

Karen's review posted 6/16/09:

The Unlikely Disciple is about a college student from Brown University going "under cover" to see what evangelicals were really like at Liberty University. He pretended to be a Christian in order to experience a semester at a very conservative Christian University and write about it. Being a Christian, I was interested in seeing his perspective on things and of course was hoping he would be converted along the way. Issues addressed in the book included classes, dorm life, dating, rules, homosexuality, Church, witnessing, judging. I did not get the impression that he was knocking the school. I think college students or people who are curious as to what Liberty University is like would enjoy this book.

An Inside Look At Liberty College (50 stars)

What an awesome book this is! It tells the story of Kevin Roose who spent a year at Liberty University, an Evangelical Christian college. He covers all the bases. There are a lot of funny moments in this book, but what you believe will also be challenged in this book. Kevin says it all out and you may agree or disagree with his opinion. That's what is so good about this book. You will also meet his fellow classmates and learn about their beliefs too.

I really enjoyed this book a lot! No matter your religious belief, I think you will enjoy this book as well and get something out of it!! Super job, Kevin, thanks for sharing your experience.

--Gerard Zemek

Why I Teach by Esther Wright

This is a short book of inspiring stories from various teachers (and some students).  I found it to be encouraging, inspirational and interesting and recommend it to any teacher.  I think it would make a great gift for someone who is just going in to teaching.

Forever My Lady by Jeff Rivera

Gerard Says: 4 star Love Story

Karen Says:  Real World Romance From A Man's Perspective

I liked Forever My Lady by Jeff Rivera, because it's not your typical romance. It's about Dio, a Latino gang member called Playboy, whose girlfriend, Jennifer, got shot six times in a drive by shooting meant for him. He was sent to prison boot camp and Jennifer was in the hospital. It's a good story about his struggles at boot camp and how he matured and learned to become a responsible citizen that Jennifer would want to marry. He thinks about her constantly and thinking about their future together is what keeps him going and motivates him to become a better person. The reader learns much about their relationship through the letters they exchange while he is detained. The warning label on the book which says "Parental Guidance, Explicit Language, Adult Situations" almost scared me off but I'm glad I read it. It has a bitter sweet ending. I came to like Dio and pulled for him throughout most of the book. I highly recommend this to both men, women and young adults.

The Ultimate Cat Lover by Marty Becker

This book was a delight to read!  It had many short stories that were by different people about their experiences with their cat that were entertaining and amazing.  The full-page color pictures of the cats interspersed in small sections throughout the book gives the reader a nice little break between the stories so it doesn't get monotonous and 29 pages are filled with expert advice about all kinds of cat related issues with recommended websites and other resources listed for further information.  My favorite story was about the homeless man with his cat.  I recommend this book to every cat owner!

 

Some of the recommended websites are:  www.bestfriends.org (pictures of the pet rescue of New Orleans after the hurricane); www.help4pets.com and www.thecenterforlostpets.com (both these have advice on how to prevent loss or find a runaway pet).  A foundation that is an identification system for pets in any emergency, such as lost, house fire, car accident, natural disaster, travel emergencies, can be reached at 1-800-HELP-4-PETS.

The Horse Boy by Ruper Isaacson

Amazing Journey (30 stars)

This book is the story of Rowan, a special needs child, and his father, Rupert.  Rowan forms a friendship with a testy horse named Betsy.  Rupert sees this and gets the idea to take Rowan to Outer Mongolia to attempt to be cured by the Shamans and what a journey it is!  You will fall in love with Rowan and admire Rupert who will do anything to find a cure for his son.  You will be tempted to skip some pages because at times it moves slow, but stick with it.  It has a happy ending.  I enjoyed this book and hope you do too.

--Gerard

Crystal Clear Triumph by Eric LeMarque

This is the true story of Eric who dreamed to become a hockey player.  He was also hooked on Meth.  When his dream to be a hockey player died, he turned to snowboarding.  He got stuck on a mountain for six days!  How he survived is an extraordinary tale.  He lost both of his feet.  What he did with the rest of his life is the story of this book.  I won't give it all away, but it is inspirational!  A good quick read.  (4 stars)

--Gerard

One September Morning by Rosalind Noonan

Whatever Tomorrow Brings by Lori Wick

I liked it.  It’s a Christian romance about family and hospitality.  Three siblings whose mother died after moving to California from Hawaii and whose father went back to mission work in Hawaii but left kids in the states with the intent to join them later have to make it on their own with the help of Christian friends.  Katie, the oldest, gets a teaching job and takes care of her teen brother Sean and little sister, Marcail.

Columbine by Dave Cullen

A Definitive Book!

Forget what you think you know about Columbine.  You will get the true story and much, much more after you read this book.  Dave Cullen had to do a job of research!  This book is absolutely riveting which makes it hard to put down.  It goes way beyond just the day of the shooting.  You will learn not only about Eric and Dylan but also other people affected by it too.  The story is gruesome, the writing is superb!  Put this on your "To Read" list.  This story will stay with you long after you are finished reading it.  A lot of the stories of the people whose lives were impacted by the shooting are heartbreaking, gut wrenching and one is a story of triumph!  All makes for one powerful read!  I loved this book and highly recommend it--give it 50 stars!

--Gerard Zemek

Kaleidoscope Memories by Cindy Oldham etc.

Adventures With Ari by Kathryn Miles

Karen's Review posted 5/21/09:

A Nature Walk With Ari

This book is very informative about nature and seeing it through a dog's eyes. It is a documentary of adventures of Kathryn Miles and her half Husky, half Jindo dog, Ari, for a year while living in Maine. The author not only shares about her dog but also gives a lot of information about the things they discover together in nature and how she learned to enjoy the moment from Ari. She also had a cat that died which was very sad and brought back memories of when our cat died, but balanced out the sadness with bringing in two feral kittens. That was my favorite part of the book. Ari is a "caninaturalist" that is quite loveable. This is like reading a fun science book, there are so many interesting facts about things I never even thought about before such as a dead animal goes through stages of decay and there is a protocol among animals as to when their turn comes to dive in on the carcass. Ari wasn't interested in fresh dead things, but he liked rubbing dead decaying things on his fur. As the author and her dog walked through the woods together, she would notice his behavior and then research about it and found lots of fascinating things. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys nature, science, and pets. I've never read anything like it before!

Gerard's Review posted :

Big Surprise--Wonderful Book!

I went looking for a book at the library while waiting for a book I ordered to come in.  First, the cover caught my attention.  I thought, okay, just another dog book, but no!  This is a wonderful book!!  It's the story of Kathryn Miles, who you will grow to like very much, and of course, Ari, you will grow to love!!  This book I enjoyed so much.  One of the best parts is the interaction between Kathryn and Ari.  It's so good.  I also liked the month-by-month to see how Ari grows.  Also you see the outside through Ari's eyes.  All emotions are in play during this book.  I hated to see it end.  Don't miss a chance to read this one--it's wonderful!  Hope Kathryn has another book in her.  Two paws way up for Ari!  I came away from this book with the feeling I just spent a week with a good friend.

The Middle Place by Kelly Corrigan

Caught In The Middle (4 stars)

This book is the true story of Kelly Corrigan, who is having a nice life until she finds out she has breast cancer.  if that is not bad enough, later on she finds out her dad has cancer.  Thus she is caught in trying to battle cancer and deal with her husband and kids while wanting to be there for her dad too.  She's stuck in the middle, hence the name of the book.  How she does it is her tale.  It goes quick.  I would say this is a woman's book primarily, but I read it anyway.  It's a nice story--read it if you get around to it.

--Gerard Zemek

Sophie's Heart by Lori Wick

Sophie's Heart is a contemporary, heartwarming Christian romance about a grieving widower and his three children who hire Sophie, a Christian immigrant from Czechoslovakia, to be their cook and housekeeper.  It's a fun journey seeing how the family comes to love Sophie and how she slowly becomes more Americanized.  Throughout the book, the author reveals Sophie's heart through her prayers and one can see what it means to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ by reading this book.  I enjoyed Sophie's interaction with her friends, her driving instructor, Alec but most of all with his children.  It was refreshing to see how the oldest one, Rita, helped her instead of resenting her.  This book gives great insight into what Christian living is all about!