Global Arts

The book cover of Faery Tale is cute cover.  Appropriate for theme of book.

After the loss of her father, Signe Pike travels to different parts of the world to search for enchantment in a modern world. Signe travels to parts of Mexico, England, Ireland, Scotland and Man of Isle. As she discovers the world of faeries and other enchanted creatures, Signe is able to bring closure of her father's death.

This could be classified as a travel or personal memoir.  The reader is able to read about beautiful descriptions on Signe's travels.  Readers are also able to see Signe grow as a person as well.

An enjoyable read.  4 out of 5 stars.

I received this book through Perigee, a division of Penguin Group. Image is Amazon link.

The cover of The Silent Governess by Julie Klassen is very beautiful and elegant.

Olivia Keene flees from her parents' home after she hits a man who was trying to kill her mother. Dorthea, Olivia's mother, gives her a little bag with money and other items, and tells her they shall meet again. Olivia ends up trespassing on Lord Bradley's property, Brightwell Court, overhearing a secret of Lord Bradley's. Olivia gets caught, gets thrown in jail, but is injured in the process.  She ends up recovering her injuries at Brightwell Court.

Lord Bradley hires Olivia as a servant to keep her under his eye for fear of her revealing his secret.  His secret could ruin his chances of being earl and other responsibilities.  Lord Bradley becomes protective of Olivia as well as falling in love with her.  He soon realizes Olivia has is a mysterious person and is not revealing much of her past.  She has her own secrets to deal with.

This regency novel has mystery and romance, as well as some comedic parts. It is a great read.  4 out of 5 stars

FTC: Received a copy of this book for review from Bethany House. Image is of Amazon.

The cover of The Hidden Flame by Davis Bunn and Janette Oke is beautiful.

The story takes place in Jerusalem. Jerusalem is filled with turmoil because of people of the Way, and this does not make the Romans or other religious leaders happy. The Romans don't want a riot at any cost, where other religious leaders think people of the Way (Christian religion) is not an authentic religion.

Abigail is a young woman who was recently reunited with her brother Jacob, after her parents' tragic death.  Although not much detail is given about the reunion between Jacob and Abigail, the reader should be reminded that this book is part of a series.  I did not read the Series #1.  It might be helpful to read the first book,then this book, and then Series #3.

Abigail is constantly praying and seeking advice from God. She seems to be in a weak position. She is portrayed as a delicate female. There are two suitors: Erza, a wealthy Judean merchant and Linuix, a Roman soldier. Although not too religious, Erza is well known amongst his community.  Linuix is considered a nonbeliever, however, he is a good friend of Alban, a Roman who converted to Christianity and left the Roman Army.  Erza and Linuix both want to marry Abigail, but she ends up marrying someone else. (Don't want to mention who she marries--read teh book to find out).

The Hidden Flame was a sort of disappointment read for me. The story line didn't flow that well, there were too many characters to remember as well as plots--too many details being forced in the book.
3 out of 5 Stars.  It was ok.

FTC: I was given a copy of this book via Bethany House.  Image is of Amazon.

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3.  Life From Scratch


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5.  The Lazy Project Manager










6.   The Truth About Protecting Your IRAs and 401(k)s

 

7.  Marketing in the Moment: The Practical Guide to Using Web 3.0 Marketing to Reach Your Customers First 

 

8.  Circle of Friends Cookbook - 25 Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes: Exclusive 
  

9.   Ultimate Word Success
 

10.   The Life of Abraham Lincoln

 





MP3 Download:
1.  Never Came Around by La Sera.  Click here.


*FTC: Images are from Amazon affiliate.

Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE: BKS), the world's largest bookseller today issued an open letter to Amazon affiliates:

Dear Amazon.com Affiliates,

We understand that Amazon.com has threatened to terminate its affiliate program in certain states that may enact e-fairness legislation that requires Amazon to collect sales tax due on purchases by residents in those states.

Barnes & Noble is disappointed to hear that Amazon would threaten small businesses' livelihood rather than comply with state law.  Here at Barnes & Noble, we value the 13,000+ members of our affiliate program worldwide.  They are an important part of our overall business success and strategy.   Barnes & Noble collects and remits sales tax due from its sales, including from BN.com, our e-commerce business.

Barnes & Noble wants Amazon.com affiliates who have been terminated to know that you are welcome to join the Barnes & Noble affiliate family.  If Amazon doesn't want you, we do!   And, we will take care of collecting and remitting all sales taxes due on BN.com sales to its customers so you and our customers don't have to worry about being hassled or prosecuted by state tax auditors.

If you are interested in getting started with Barnes & Noble, please visit us at http://www.barnesandnoble.com/affiliate and join today.   We look forward to welcoming you to our team!

Sincerely,

John Foley
President of BN.com
Barnes & Noble.com

Cover: It is a beautiful and elegant cover.

Three friends who were raised in an orphan home go off to college together in Missouri.  Libby Conley majors in journalism, Pete Leidig is majoring in theology, and Bennett Martin wants to major in engineering.

Libby, Pete and Bennett end up growing in more ways than they thought, often times not understanding the growth they experience. They all face some obstacles and challenges. Pete and Libby wonder if they could be more than just friends although they have different dreams and expectations. Bennett is looking for a place to fit in.

One semi-tragic moment brings Libby, Pete and Bennett closer again--the face that they have to help save Pete's family.

This is a great read, however, I felt the ending was a bit rushed, when all of the sudden Libby "sees" the religious light.  It should have been a gradual process of conversion instead of all at once.

FTC: I received a copy of this book through Bethany House.

4 out of 5 stars.

The Vigilante's Bride by Yvonne Harris


Book Cover:  It is an interesting cover.  Typically, it wouldn't catch my interest.


Emily McCarthy, an 18 year old Chicago native and orphan, must marry a Bart Axel, a wealthy rancher in Montana.  However, Luke Sullivan, has other plans when he robs Bart's stage coach as an act of  vengeance due to Sullivan's family losing to Bart in a rigged game.  There may be love in expected places.


Emily and Luke are opposites of each other.  Emily is a petite 18 year old, and Luke is a 26 year old tall and tough looking man.  Emily has lots of energy and Luke tends to be on the quiet side.  There are lots of flashbacks with Luke, which can be confusing if you are not focused while reading.  Often times, those flashbacks don't make a nice transition.  It can be a choppy read.


There are lots of drama and some violence.  Although, it is not my type of interest, I have to remember this is western literature of the late 1800s, where law is not as stable or established as the rest of the country.


I would rate this a 3 out of 5 stars.  Would I read this again? No.  Would I read something else by Yvonne Harris?  Sure.


FTC:  I received this book through Bethany House.  The above image is of an Amazon Link.

Book Cover:  It is simple, historical looking.  Goes well with story.


I have never read any works by Tamera Alexander, until I picked up a copy of "Within My Heart".  I truly enjoyed the book.  It is set in the middle to the late 1800s in Timber Ridge, Colorado. 


A quote that I truly found powerful is "Life rewarded courage, even when the first step was taken neck-deep in fear" (75).  I feel that quote could be used to apply on some of the current events we have seen in Egypt and other unrest in the world.   I just had to share that quote.


Rachel Boyd, a young widow, is struggling to keep her late husband Thomas' dream alive by running a ranch and raising her two boys there as well.  Rachel is not doing to well financially either.  She already is in debt.  Rachel also is determined not to fall in love again because she doesn't want to get hurt again.  However, that becomes a challenge when she and Dr. Rand Brookstone are brought together due to medical circumstances.


Rachel is not the only one with her own issues, Rand also has fears of his own, and it has something to do with stocking up on lantern oil he claims are needed for his clinic.  Rand  has feelings for Rachel.  He sees that she is not interested at first, but he is determined to win her heart no matter at what cost.


Will Rachel be able to save the ranch?  Will she and Rand fall in love?  Read the book to find out.


4 out of 5 stars.  A very powerful read.


FTC: I was given a copy of this book through Bethany House.  Above image is an Amazon link.

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Chinese New Year Chinese New Year is here! This larger than life holiday is the biggest annual migration of humans IN THE WORLD! Chunyun, or Spring Festival travel season,  brings families from around the world together to celebrate culture, history, and yummy eats! Little Passports wants to share with you the fun, the story, the family, and the magic that are all part of Chinese New Year!  Year of the Rabbit      2011 is hopping right along and on February 3rd the tiger takes a 12 year rest while the rabbit hops on to center stage. For some, this is simply entertaining. For others, it determines  a lot more than just house decoration. Each  year a reputable Asian investment firm publishes the feng shui report on the stock  market. According to the report, this lunar year will be  best for investing in things associated with  water and metal while avoiding investments associated with wood and earth.    Red Envelope    Children across the Asian world are being given pocket money nestled in red envelopes (Hóng Bāo in Mandarin). It's a Lunar New Year tradition for adults to give red pocket money to children. Numbers in Chinese culture are very important and can represent meaning far beyond the number itself. The number four sounds like the word "death", while the number eight sounds like the word "prosperity".    Open-Air Markets Lunar New Year is not simply a 24-hour event. Weeks prior to the big day,  Open-Air Markets fill with food, themed decorations, and symbolic plants. Pictured below, a Chinese girl laughs as she explains the significance of her peach blossom and Solanum mammosum (5 generation plant) that she purchased at the Open-Air Market in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong.      "The peach blossom symbolizes romance and love. Girls usually buy it to keep their hopes high for the chance of love in the coming year.The other plant represents that 5 generations of the family can be united together. There are usually 5 buds for one single fruit."                    - Marron Wong, Hong Kong Reunion  With all the hype, colors, and noise (fireworks galore) an outsider may forget the most important part of Lunar New Year: family!  At the New Year's Eve reunion dinner a whole fish is served and NOT finished. The  leftover fish is a symbol of abundance for the coming year. The Chunyun travel season isn't just about getting a taste of Grandma's yu-wan (fish balls)--though we're sure it motivates many! The greatest meaning of the New Year is being surrounded by those you love!   Activities   1) Red Pocket Money If you don't have a red envelope, how will you get red pocket money? Follow these simple steps to create a homemade envelope. Tell your family what it represents and give them a few hints about what goes inside! Supplies: Piece of Square Paper Double Sided Tape Ruler (or something to flatten the folded paper to make a crisp fold) Red Paint (or red paper for less mess) Gold Paint or Thick Gold Marker Instructions: Mark the center of the square paper with a small dot. Fold in two opposite corners of the paper so that corner points meet the center dot. Use the ruler to make your folds crisp. Choose which side of the paper will be the "bottom" of your envelope. Now fold this side up so that the corner is about 1/2 an inch above the dot. Use the ruler to make your new fold crisp. Use double sided tape to attach this new fold to the first folds. Now you should have a secure pouch (this is where the money goes!) Fold down the free portion of the paper, but don't seal it yet (there's still no money in it)   Use the red and gold paint to decorate your envelope. Paint the envelope red and use the gold to draw a Chinese symbol. Here are a few characters in simplified Chinese that you might like.   Lucky: 幸运 Love: 爱 Friend: 朋友 If you need some visual assistance with this craft, check it out here: http://rubberstamping.about.com/od/projects/ss/EasyEnvelope.htm 2) What is your animal?   According to popular Chinese belief, a person born under a certain animal year will have characteristics of that animal. Find out what animal you are according to the date of your birth! Here are some of the highlights. Rat: Charming, innovative, intelligent Ox: Dependable, calm, methodical Tiger: A rebellious, colorful and unpredictable character Rabbit: Very fortunate, good manners, artistic and possess good judgment Dragon: Full of vitality and strength, positive person, powerful Snake: Endowed with a personal wisdom, skeptical, graceful Horse: Cheerful, popular, and quick-witted Sheep: Righteous, sincere, generous, pessimist Monkey: Inventor, improviser, motivator, clever Rooster: Meticulous, organized, decisive, talkative Dog: Honest, intelligent, straightforward Pig: Simplicity, courageous, thoughtful   3) Remember the story There are 12 animals that rotate in the Chinese zodiac calendar. Sometimes it can be hard to remember them all, and in what order! Invent a cute story to help you remember the animal cycle. Check out the "Notes" section of our facebook to read the story Sam and Sofia made up. Map Activity Chinese New Year is celebrated far and wide by people across the world. We know our little travelers are smart, so we are going to challenge them with this newsletter map activity. Prove us right by finding these countries!   Mozambique Paraguay Kazakhstan New Zealand    Bonus Questions 1) Many countries celebrate the Lunar New Year along with China. What country's holiday is called "Tet"? 2) What is something you should not do on New Year's Day? 3) Chinese New Year is called by many names. Do you know them? 4) What does the color red represent for Chinese New Year? Bonus Answers  1) Vietnam calls the Lunar New Year "Tet." Tell your friends, "Chuc Mung Nam Moi" (Happy New Year). 2) Don't sweep the house! According to the Chinese, sweeping the house can sweep away your good fortune for the year. When you do sweep (after the big day) you must sweep inward to the middle of the house and carry the dust and rubbish out the back door.   3) Chinese New Year is also commonly called Spring Festival and Lunar New Year. 4) Red is a very important color for Chinese New Year. The color red is said to ward off evil spirits. An ancient legend tells of an evil spirit or monster that was tormenting villagers. They discovered that red scared off this evil spirit, so today everything is covered in red for the New Year to keep evil away.