Merry Christmas!

(Source)

Whatever your circumstance is today, I hope you have a wonderful day!

Take some time to remember and reflect on why we celebrate this wonderful day.

Merry Christmas!

January 2010 Selection

It's time to get the book club rolling for 2010 and I sure do hope you all are as excited as I am about starting our 2nd year. The only change is that we will now be meeting in our new facilities at church! Beacon of Life has been good to us but for our 2010 year we will meet in one of the classrooms in Swift's new building. This will make our first meeting for 2010 on January 30th at 8:30 AM.



Our January selection for the book club will be, The Ultimate Gift by Jim Stovall. This is a small book (125 pages) but has such an enormous impact. You may recognize the name of the book which is also a movie and is just as good too. As we come off the busy Christmas season giving and receiving our material gifts lets take a minute to read about the gifts found in this book. Being what the title of the book is, at first it might lead you to believe we are reading about God's Ultimate Gift to us, Jesus. But the gift the author describes is a gift from one person to another that helped change a life. Here is what the book flap has to say:




Red Stevens was a self-made man who gave his family everything – and ruined them in the process. Now, as his estate of mega companies is divided among greedy and self-serving relatives, one member is singled out for a chance to do something special: Red’s great-nephew, Jason. The Ultimate Gift takes the reader through Jason’s incredible work to gain his Uncle Red’s inheritance through a series of challenges. Every step of the way, there is a lesson for Jason and the reader. It’s a quest for what it means to live life well that has captivated millions of readers throughout the world, and has also become the basis of numerous educational and philanthropic initiatives that build upon the inspiring insights that unfold in this stirring story. (End quote)




This book is an inspiring fictional novel. Please keep this in mind when reading the selection and that in no way are we trying to take away from the gift of Jesus. Because this book is so short I thought I would let you know that there is a sequel that goes along with it that you are welcome to read but it is not required for discussion. The sequel is, The Ultimate Life by Jim Stovall and is equally as short as the first book.




If you are interested in a Pre-order please contact Kathy at the church office. As always local libraries and bookstores have some copies available. I have sometimes seen this one and it’s sequel at the $5 Christian bookstore at the Tanger outlet mall. We welcome you to invite your family and friends to join us in reading. If you have any questions, please let me know. Happy Reading!!

Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan (Whole Series)

You might remember that I read the first book in this series and told you about it back here. I have since completed reading all 5 books in the Percy Jackson series, squeezing them in here and there between other reads. And I have to say I enjoyed it. I always enjoyed learning Greek mythology and it was interesting to see it all play out in a story. You can certainly tell the writing is for a younger crowd but nevertheless it was a fun read. Here is a list of the series in order:


Book 1 The Lightning Thief (See above)







Book 2: The Sea of Monsters



























Book 3: The Titan's Curse

























Book 4: The Battle of the Labyrinth

Book 5: The Last Olympian




















Of course this will not be a book club selection but if you are interested in these kind of fiction novels I thought I would share. A friend of mine who is also a Harry Potter fan had told me about these and thought I might enjoy them so might as well pass along. If you are a HP fan just keep in mind that the writing seems to be for an even younger crowd. To go to the official Olympians website to check out the different books, click here. Happy Reading!

Dewey by Vicki Myron

Well I have just (finally) finished up reading Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat who Touched the World by Vicki Myron with Bret Witter. This is a 271 page book of non-fiction about a small town library cat written by the librarian of that small town library. Here is a description from Barnes and Noble of the book:


DEWEY is the heartwarming story of Dewey Readmore Books, the beloved library cat of Spencer, Iowa, as told by his owner and companion of nineteen years, Vicki Myron, the librarian who found him on a frigid January morning when he was abandoned as a kitten in the book drop slot. It is also the story of a remarkable small town, which burned down at the beginning of the Depression, only to rebuild itself, and which was almost shuttered during the farm crisis of the 1980s, before regrouping and rededicating itself to small town American values. Dewey's local charm and worldwide fame became a symbol of hope for this recovering town. Through Dewey's antics, we come to know and love many of the colorful and inspiring people of Spencer. But perhaps the most inspiring person in Spencer is Vicki Myron herself, a single mother who survived the bankruptcy of her family farm and working in a box factory to put two of her brothers through college to become one of the leaders of the Iowa library system. Dewey is one lovable, roguish cat who managed to transform an entire town and inspire people across the globe. (end quote)


It took me a while to get into the book because in the beginning it is alot of background information on the author and the town of Spencer with some Dewey story mixed in. But as I continued through the book it just got better and more entertaining as more items focused on Dewey and the lives he touched. Now... I'm not a cat person... I did grow up with cats but I'm not really the expert here. In my opinion though Dewey was different. And you can tell by the stories that Vicki told that he was so much more than just a cat. Her stories are descriptive and do a good job of painting a picture in your mind. I love when she would write in italics what she thinks Dewey was probably thinking in certain situations. The ending is very sweet and whether you are a cat person or not this story is sure to touch your heart. I almost cried at the end. It made me want to be a Librarian and have a cat when I grow up. ;) This won't be a book club selection but it is a good read. As always share your thoughts if you have read it or plan too. Happy Reading!

Toddler Book Giveaway

Hello and Happy Thanksgiving! I know it has been awhile since I gave you a book review but it's been slow in the reading department of my life lately. Busy Busy! I wanted to take a moment though to let you know about a book giveaway I am having on my personal blog, LittleMrsDomestic. This giveaway will run until December 8, 2009. You will need to read the post to figure out how to enter. If interested in ordering a copy of the book I also have that information for you.

I hope you and yours are enjoying our time off and are having a great Thanksgiving weekend! Happy Reading!

Every Now and Then By Karen Kingsbury

I have just finished up reading the last book in Karen's 9/11 series. And I have to tell you I was not disappointed. I enjoyed reading this book and Karen really kept me focused and not wanting to put it down. Like the other books in the 9/11 series this one was just as intense at times. Here is what the book flap can tell you about this story:


A wall went up around Alex Brady's heart when his father, a New York firefighter, died in the Twin Towers. Turning his back on the only women he ever loved, Alex shut out all the people who cared about him to concentrate on fighting crime. He and his trusty K9 partner, Bo, are determined to eliminate evil in the world and prevent tragedies like 9/11. Then the worst fire season in California's history erupts, and Alex faces the ultimate challenge to protect the community he serves. An environmental terrorist group is targeting the plush Oak Canyon Estates. At the risk of losing his job, and his soul, Alex is determined to infiltrate the group and put an end to their corruption. Only the friendship of Clay and Jamie Michaels-and the love of a dedicated young woman-can help Alex drop the walls around his heart and move forward into the future God has for him. (end quote)


This book was 308 pages long but it was an easy page turner. I found myself brought to tears a few times as the lives of the characters are brought back to God and redeemed. I don't want to give away to much but I would recommend the read. Remember if you are just now tuning in this is the 3rd book in Karen Kingsbury's 9/11 series. The first two books were One Tuesday Morning and Beyond Tuesday Morning. I hope you enjoyed our dip into Karen Kingsbury's life changing fiction. If you have any questions or comments, as always please share! Happy Reading!

Your Library Part 2!

Welcome back for part 2 of your Library! We are going to go over how to place an item on hold using the Baldwin County Online System. Regardless of what branch you are a member of in BC you can use this system online. And you can have books from all over the county sent to your local branch. If you are reading this and you are not in the Baldwin County area be sure to check with your local library because they may have a similar set up.

First we are going to go to the search catalog on the website. You have several different options here. You can search by title of the book, authors last name, etc. and you can search for a book at a specific branch or all branches. Many options! I like to click all branches because I know in just a couple days I can have a book sent to the branch of my choice.

Next I have typed in that I want to search for the book Redeeming Love. I want to search all branches. Click Search and you are on your way!

You will see that our search results pulled up copies of the book and what branches of the Library it is available. If you choose to select this book for hold you will need to check the box on the left hand side (I have circled it in red for you) that says hold request. After you check the box click on where it says Hold Request.

Next the following box will pop up. It will already have marked for you that you want the first available copy. If you need to change that of course do so. You will then need to fill in your patron ID number and PIN number. Mark the branch you want the book sent to when it's ready. I choose Gulf Shores because it is easy for me to run over on my lunch break.

After I type in my information and click the button that says, Submit Request, the following box will pop up with a confirmation that the book is on hold.

And there you have it! We just put a book on hold! I have it set up where when my book becomes available for pick up they send me an e-mail. Talk to your librarian about whatever method is best for you, by phone or e-mail. It can take a couple days for an available book to be ready for pick up at your library or it could take weeks. It just all depends on if alot of other people have it on hold in front of you. Don't forget this method works the same for books on CD, movies and more!

I hope you found this information useful. Again I hope that you take advantage of your local library and save some money! Have a great week!