The Rosie Effect by Graeme Simsion

After loving The Rosie Project so much, I had to get the sequel.  I know, often times we are disappointed by sequels because they don't live up to the original, but I think that is mostly just movies.  I love to read series of books and this is no exception.  This is the story of Don and Rosie after they are married and living in New York.  There are a LOT more mishaps in this book because Rosie is expecting their first baby and Don doesn't really know what to do with that information.  In true Don Tillman fashion, the is research to be done.   Don's research sets off a chain of unfortunate events that could get him in some serious trouble.  While he's dealing with this, he chooses not to involve Rosie in order to reduce her stress and the cortisol levels of her and 'Bud'.  Meanwhile Rosie is busy trying to be Superwoman and starts to think Don won't make a good parent.  There are big decisions that need to be made.

While there were many times in this book that I thought things got a little too far fetched, I feel like Simsion brought it all home in the end.  I was happy with this installment of the Rosie books.  I would read another if I found out there was one.  I seem to be the minority, the folks on GoodReads didn't all feel the same as I do.  Again, I downloaded the audio and maybe it makes it better if you can hear it with that Aussie accent of the narrator.  I give this one a big thumbs up!

Yes Mommy by Amy Sprenger

Amy Sprenger is a mom who gets to stay home and raise her young children and blog about it. Amy finds herself saying "No" to her children more often that yes and starts to wonder if maybe she is too uptight with them. What would really happen of she let them stay up a few minutes later or have ice cream for dessert or go to the park and ride bikes more often.

Amy starts a month long experiment of Yes Mommy. She cannot tell her children "no" for thirty days. Of course the children don't know she has made this decision or they might ask for ridiculous things, but even without their knowing, they manage to get away with a lot more that she usually allows.

The adventures and mishaps that shape this book are funny and relatable. In the end, Amy manages to add more yeses to her parenting style and learns to relax with her kids.  I recommend this book to mothers who have it together, mothers who aren't so sure and mothers who don't have a clue. I think we are all each type of mother at some point!

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion

I finally got around to finishing another book.  Actually this time it was an audio book.  I always thought books on tape were for old people.  Not sure why I thought that, but I did.  Now I can download books to my smart phone, that doesn't make me old, that makes me technologically advanced, right?  Whatever, I can listen to a book while I drive or while I clean house or whatever.  I like it. On the the book!

This book was strongly suggested by my local librarian.  She said I MUST read it and when I reminded her that I didn't have time to sit down and read a book these day because I'm busy with Netflix, she suggested I download the audio.  I reminded her that was for old folks and secretly downloaded it anyway.  She was right.

Don Tillman is a single guy from Melborne, Australia.  He's a quirky genetics professor who is very set in his ways.  Same meals, same routine, same everything every week.  His life is scheduled on his white board for maximum efficiency.  With the help of his only friends, he decides it's time to start looking for a wife.  Dating in the traditional sense is not an efficient use of his time, so he creates a questionnaire for potential mates to complete.   After a few awkward dates, he's not found Mrs. Right, but he's managed to update some of the questions to rule out less than optimum candidates.  In comes Rosie, a disorganized woman with her own issues who catches Don's attention.  Don offers his assistance to Rosie for a genetics project and it's a world of adventure and disrupted schedules from there on out.  This is a funny book that only mildly pulls at the heartstrings.  I would recommend downloading the audio if you can.  Dan O'Grady does a great job portraying the emotions and feel of the characters.  Disclaimer:  there is some profanity in this book, so be aware.  For me, it wasn't enough to make me not want to continue listening.  There is a sequel, The Rosie Effect.  I'm listening to it now and love it just as much as the original.  All in all, I give The Rosie Project two thumbs up!

What Should I Read Now?

We all have this question, right?  I've finished this book, now it's time to pick a new book from my Want to Read list.  Whether you list is a stack of books near your favorite reading chair, your carousel on Kindle, a list on GoodReads or all of the above, we probably have books to choose from.  I recently did a Google search of 'what to read next' and among the many links provided I found a list from GoodReads of 100 Books to Read in a Lifetime.  This list was voted on by readers and compiled on the site for us to chose from!  I think I'm going to try it.  I've added the list as of 3/6/15 in a list form on my main page and I hope to mark them off one at a time over the next couple years.  I still have the task of choosing which ones to read first!  I think I'll read the age appropriate books, like Chronicles of Narnia, with Princess and start with a few of the classics I probably should have read by now.  Go over the list yourself!  Give me your input!  I'd love to hear your votes, you may help me chose my next review!

Under the Overpass: A Journey of Faith on the Streets of America by Mike Yankoski

This year I decided Lent would be a good time for me to renew my mind.  Generally I read books about zombies and vampires, books that are so gruesome that I would never watch the movie as it would make me have nightmares.  I'm not sure why the book is easier, maybe my imagination has an Off switch when it comes to this sort of thing.  Who knows, but for the season of Lent I am committed to reading more wholesome books and books that show God's love.  I've also been following a devotional plan designed for Lent on my Bible app. 

A friend suggested I read Under the Overpass, a story of 2 guys, Mike and Sam,  who chose to live on the streets of America with the homeless.  I thought this was a moving story that shows both God's love in the world and the hypocritical nature of a lot of 'Christians'.

There were times in this journey where these guys were able to see God at work in the homeless communities.  One story that made an impact on me was of Rings, a 'kindhearted old chain smoker who lived in the cab of his truck'.  Rings would use what tiny check he got each month to serve a feast to other homeless people from a grill he carried in the back of his truck/home.  Rings says, "I've been told by God to feed the homeless in this town. Heck, I'm homeless and He feeds me, so I feed others." And that is just what he does.  Rings is a ray of light in an otherwise grimy part of San Diego.

Another Christian Mike and Sam meet, Doug, is a recovering drug addict and still heavy drinker who really wants to get clean.  In a discussion they have about Doug and how much the alcoholism distresses Doug because he knows it's wrong and knows he should stop.  Sam talks about how he wishes his own sins pained him as much as the alcohol pains Doug.  Mike's response should stick with us all, "Would you do anything about it?"  Think about this with me.  I know my eating habits aren't healthy.  I know they will likely cause disease in my body if I don't get it under control.  What have I done about it?  Talked.  I make plans, I decide I'm going to workout and eat right.  Heck, I even buy fruit and veg and still don't stop the habits that are causing the problems.  Do you drink more than you should?  Do you eat more than you should?  Do you pray or do bible study like you say you should?  Do you cuss more than you like?  What is your sin?  Does it pain you?  What are you going to do about it?

There were several instances where Mike and Sam were rejected by Christians!  From the oblivious young guys who said they'd pray for Mike's hurt foot and broken shoe rather than give him a pair of shoes and a bandage to the security officer at another church who threw them off church grounds because they were going to be having a church luncheon and didn't want the stinky homeless guys hanging around.  Jesus said love God with all your heart and all you strength and all your mind and love your neighbor as you love yourself.  These are the greatest of commandments yet there are churches rejecting the poor and the homeless.  Think on that one.

There were times when people were good to them, too.  The little old lady who served them at the church pot luck.  The folks who bought meals and had simple conversations with them.  People who treated them like human beings were rare, but when it happened it was enough to brighten their day.  My prayer after reading this book is for God to open my eyes to places where I can be a blessing to someone else.  Even if you aren't a Christian, I would recommend this book.  Under the Overpass shows the homeless community as people.  Individual people with needs.  Need of food, need of shelter, need of companionship.  The need to be treated as people and not as trash discarded and shunned.

What books have you read that shine a light on areas of the world we tend to ignore?

Sarah by Marek Halter

Last night I finished a paper book.  This probably sounds strange to most people, so let me do a little background here.  I read all the time when I was a teenager.  When I moved out of my parents house, I stopped reading almost completely.  In the last 5 years or so I got in a habit of checking books out in the library, reading a couple chapters, putting it down and forgetting about it until the library sent me a reminder that it was overdue and then returned it mostly unread.  I got a Kindle last year some time and my life is so much better!  I finish books all the time on this wonderful piece of technology and I've even started reading some of the pile of paper books I have at the house.

The paper book I finished is Sarah by Marek Halter.  This is the first in a trilogy that my mother/local librarian found in the local library's book sale.  She found this trilogy after I had finished The Red Tent by Anita Diamant.  The cover of Sarah says it's a 'worthy heiress to The Red Tent'.  I'll give them this, there are similarities.  Both are biblical fiction, both are about women in the Bible we don't learn that much about by reading the bible itself.  I was less impressed with Sarah because through the whole story Sarah is soooooo vain.  Maybe she was that vain in real life, but I sure hope not!  If you get past that, it was a pretty good story.  I love how devoted she is to Abram.  She fell in love with him instantly and refused to have other man.  She nearly died so that she wouldn't have to marry any of the men her father had picked out for her.  She gladly moved right into Abram's world and throughout the book they have LOTS of hot sex.  Don't worry, it's not graphic.  It's loving and passionate and tastefully told, not Fifty Shades of Genesis!  I gave this book three stars on my Good Reads review because it was hard for me to get past the vanity, but I would recommend this book and intend to read the next books in the trilogy.

Now that I'm reading again, would you like to see more book reviews?  Do you have questions or advice or criticisms for me?  Post in the comments to let me know what you think!  Also, follow me on Good Reads!

Valenversary

Do you have big plans for this Valentine's Day weekend?  Do you celebrate love all weekend?  Husband and I will be celebrating our 8th wedding anniversary on Friday and then, of course, Valentine's Day is Saturday.  Princess will be home all weekend and I hate the crowds anyway, so I will probably volunteer to cook a nice meal for my family this weekend.  I'm off the hook as far as presents go, I got husband tires and a lift for his truck at Christmas.  That covered me for his birthday and valenversary both!  Let me know in the comments if you celebrate in a fun or interesting way!