Book Review: Faithful Fit & Fabulous by Connie E. Sokol

Title: Faithful, Fit & Fabulous
Author: Connie E. Sokol
Publisher: Cedar Fort
Released: August 8, 2011

Filled with humor and I can relate life experiences, Faithful, Fit and Fabulous is the ideal 8-week life boost that will refresh any woman's life. Gospel principles from scriptures, priceless gems from general conference addresses, and more, are shared along with ways to readily apply them in your busy daily life. Establish holy habits, feel fit and fabulous, and get organized. Just one goal a week for eight weeks simple and fun.

Author's Website: http://8basics.com/


I started this book back in August. It is not a book that should be read in once sitting or even in one week. To use it properly and absorb and apply what is in this book you really need to read just one chapter a week and practice the ideas and suggestions. That should take 8 weeks but I think I'm a slow learner and am on the 8 month plan. I started off well for the first two weeks and then life happened. I had to laugh and shake my head because Connie has a section in the books that says Caveat: Beware the Two-Week Bomb:

Somewhere between two and three week, life will throw you a curve ball, often many. No one knows why; it's one of those Bermuda Triangle things. Personally, I believe it's good old-fashioned opposition to prevent you from making a life-improving change.

It took me a good month to recover from the curve ball life threw me and then I started again... only to have another curve ball thrown at me. I guess that really is how life goes, at least my life anyway.  But I've learned that once the waves settle I can pick my self back up and start again.  Hopefully through the process I'm improving and becoming a better person.

If you are looking for a book to help get you moving in the right direction as far as goals and self-improvement give this one a try.  It is written by an LDS author and has quotes from LDS leaders but I don't think you need be LDS to enjoy and benefit from this book.

Rating: 4 Stars

Source: From Publisher

Content: Clean

52 Ways to Wow Your Husband by Pam Farrel

With the same candor and creativity that made Men Are Life Waffles-Women Are Like Spaghetti (more than 270,000 copies sold) a bestseller, author Pam Farrel gives wives 52 ways to wow their husbands and add spark to their marriages. Pam delivers humor in her fun woman-to-woman style through inspirational stories, godly advice, and easy-to-read offerings that include:
wow assignments: simple ways to support, love, and encourage husbands
wow wisdom: Bible verses and wisdom to help women cover their spouse with prayer
wow dates: creative ideas for everything from shared meals to weekend getaways
Newlyweds, married with kids, or empty nesters will appreciate these ideas crafted for the busy life. A woman can try one idea a week for a year or take on a few at a time to deepen her spiritual, emotional, and physical bond with her loved one.

The title of this book scared me a little bit. I'm conservative and wasn't sure what would be involved in "wowing" my husband. The only reason I considered reviewing this book was because it was by a Christian Publisher. Although the author has no qualms about talking about the importance of sex, sex is not the main focus of this book.

This book has 52 creative date ideas and suggestions to build a stronger relationship.  Although not all of them were ideas that fit me there were some really great suggestions I'm planning to try.  The chapters are short which made this a really quick read.  With as crazy as my life has been this book helped me remember that despite all the trials and stresses of life with 5 kids I need to remember to take time for my marriage and put my husband first.

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Source: Netgalley

Content: Clean - but obviously aimed at married women.

52 Ways to Wow Your Husband by Pam Farrel was released August 1, 2011 by Harvest House Publishers.

Book Review: Recipes for a Beautiful Life by Julie Keye & Madaline Hall

Calling upon verses and Psalms from the Bible, these inspirational messages are framed by breathtaking color photography of nature's splendor, including sun-drenched deserts, white-capped mountains, and people of all ages and ethnicities. A charming addition to these messages is a sumptuous array of natural recipes for the enhancement of a woman's beauty and relaxation, using simple ingredients found in one's home. A life open to God and filled with the beauty around you, sharing it with those you love, and finding time to relax so that you can be the best you can be: these are the "Recipes for a Beautiful Life".

Recipes for a Beautiful life is a unique book that would make a great gift for a Christian teacher or friend. This book is filled with beautiful pictures of both nature and people that are accompanied by short passages from the Bible. At the end is a short section with relaxation and simple home spa treatments for pampering yourself.

Content: Clean & uplifting.

Rating: 4 Stars

Source: From Author For Review

Review: I Asked Her Out, She Said Yes - Now What? by Jarett Waite

This book is a simple, straightforward, logical guide to dating the right way. No gimmicks, no tricks, just practical advice that really works. If you're new to the dating scene, fed up with short-lived relationships, sick of awkward dates with girls, or would just like to fine-tune your dating skills, this book is definitely for you. The advice in this book will restore your perspective, help you find relationships that last, and give you some practical hints and tips to help you-and the girl you asked out-feel great about the first date and beyond. Whether you're new to dating, or you've been doing it for years, you'll walk away from this book with the skills necessary to have success in dating.

I met Jarett Waite at the St. George Book Festival on Saturday. He was kind enough of offer me a copy of his book I Asked Her Out, She Said Yes - Now What?

I am obviously not the target audience for this book but I do have a son who turns 16 next month and thought it might be a book I could pass on to him.

I Asked Her Out, She Said Yes - Now What?: A Crash Course in Dates that Lead to Relationships is a quick, easy read. It's just 75 pages long which is a great length for the target audience. It's not intimidating and short enough to read in a single sitting. The books discusses dating basics including being creative, having fun, being yourself and a step by step walk through on planning a date.

Ironically when I got home on Saturday afternoon I found my son and his friends getting ready to go to a dance. They were surfing the internet looking for ideas on how to ask a girl to dance and how to talk to her. I'm sure this book would be right up their alley. Now to get them to read it. If I hand it to my son I'm sure he'll balk and want nothing to do with it so I'm just going to put it on his nightstand and hopefully he'll pick it up and read it.

If you have a son, grandson (or boyfriend) who is just starting to date this would be a good book to give to them. Even better for those who are a little older and need a few tips.

Content: Clean

Rating: 4 Stars

Source: From Author for Review

Review: Snow Rising by Matt Baldwin

Change can happen in your life as quickly as you'll believe it.

Jason Snow has lived his life making choices that he believed would bring him happiness. Ironically, he acted in ways that got him the exact opposite of what he wanted. Now, his relationship with his wife is hanging by a thread, he is miserable at work, and worst of all, he feels disgusted at the thought that his kids are suffering because of choices he-s made. Is there a way out?

Although this book follows Jason Snow on a life-changing quest beginning at the base of Mt. Hood, Snow Rising is not a novel. It-s an invitation to take a personal journey. Author Matthew Baldwin says, -I invite you to join Jason Snow, and leave you with two questions: one, can you be an advocate for the changes you desire to see in yourself and in the world around you; and two, do you have the audacity to find out?-

Snow Rising can put individuals back together, revitalize marriages and families, and help recover fractured organizations. It shares four axioms, absolute truths, that are at the root of all happiness. But as the author says, -Then again, perhaps the answer is not in the answer, but in the journey to the answer.-

Take the journey. Make the change. Know the peace.

Snow Rising by Matt Baldwin is a self-help book in story format. The author uses a fictional story to teach life changing truths. This was not a fast read for me. In fact it took me nearly a month to get through it. I could only digest a couple chapters a night until I reached the last 100 pages. Then I didn't want to put the book down.

Snow Rising is a book worth taking the time to read. I could relate to the problems facing the different characters in this book and enjoyed the way the author used a story format to teach life changing principles.

I could share tons of amazing quotes from the book but I'll just share two:

Human behavior is an avalanche, subject to the same sequence that governs all of nature. We choose what we believe, and we choose our actions. Everything else is a consequence. Life is a sequence that begins in choice and ends in consequence.

Life is about the small things...Do the small things...
It means that when you come to the end of your life and look back, a slow walk with your daughter will mean more than your account balance. It means that flowers and a note for your wife for no particular occasion, only because you adore her, will mean more than diamonds on an anniversary. It means that showing gratitude to a friend for absolutely no specific reason will have more impact than picking up a lifetime of dinner checks.

I'm looking forward to the sequel that will be released in 2011.

Content: A clean, motivating read

Rating: 5 Stars - This was a hard book to rate but ultimately I couldn't give it less than 5 stars. I could put it down and walk away, in fact it was a book I had to put down because I could only digest a chapter or two a night. It was also a book that got me thinking and kept me thinking when I put it down. It's well written and full of truth and I would recommend it to anyone looking to make changes in their life and in their relationships with others.

Source: From Publisher for Review