I know that I don’t feature all the wonderful books I read here on this blog, but I think you’ll be seeing at least one per month featured here!  This month I actually have enjoyed MANY books!  Be sure to check them all out at www.FroggyReviews.com!  Oh, and click on the Read With Me link to easily purchase any of the books I have talked about!

This week I want to mention the book John 3:16 by Nancy Moser.  This was an amazing book.  Very emotional, but also extremely thought provoking.  This is a great novel that truly depicts how the lives around us affect us ….. and in return how our lives affect others.  There is so much more to this story based on one very crucial verse in the Bible!

I also want to recommend a great book by Camy Tang, Single Sashimi!  This was a super fun read!  If you want to hear a fun interview with Camy you can do so by clicking here!  Camy also has a fun website that you can visit at www.CamyTang.com.  She’s a real person who really likes to hear from her readers!  I know that some of you won’t understand that statement, but for those of us who deeply embed ourselves in books as we read them, authors can tend to seem almost otherworldly, so I just wanted to send out a little reminder .

I have a very special invitation for all of you and truly hope you will join me in a great writing/blogging event for moms!  Here I’ll give you all the information about the event, participation and a prize too.

A few months ago I wrote at Froggy Reviews about the book Writing Motherhood by Lisa Garrigues.  It is an excellent book that really made me think even more about how being a mom could provide great material for writing.  I just needed to look at it in a new light!  Blogging had already begun a rebirth of my love and passion for writing, but this book helped me to dig a little deeper helping me take it a step further. 

The book offers new perspective and lots of great thoughts and writing prompts (sentences and phrases that get you thinking on a certain topic) help moms incorporate everyday events that don’t seem like much at the moment, but make great memories.  Ways to keep writing, make it a habit again (I’m getting there) and helping overcome the roadblocks so many of us face in our writing. 

On September 23rd many moms around the blogosphere will publish a post based on the following writing prompt from Lisa’s book:

First Words and Other Firsts: Open any baby diary and you will find whole pages devoted to firsts: first smile, first words, first friends, first birthday. Why are firsts so significant? Because they represent a beginning. Because they push us beyond what is familiar and comfortable. Because they jolt us out of the numbness or everyday life and bring us back to our primitive selves when we saw a world through a child’s eyes. Keeping in mind that first experiences do not end with babyhood, write about a first: the first day of kindergarten, the first day of college, the first grandchild. Or simply begin with the writing start “the first time” and write down the first thing that comes to mind.  

I encourage you to begin writing a post to feature on your own blog on September 23rd.  If you want to participate with us, just leave a comment here letting us know that you will (or put in a link to a response on your own blog saying that you are participating) and you will be entered to win a copy of Writing Motherhood!  You must let me know by September 23rd that you plan to participate in order to be eligible for the giveaway. 

On September 23rd come back here and leave a comment on my “Firsts” post.  Be sure to leave us the DIRECT LINK to your “Firsts” post in your comment so that we can all visit you too!  Oh, and just a minor detail (LOL) … the author of Writing Motherhood, Lisa Garrigues, will be making the rounds that day reading all of our posts!!!

Much more than a creative title for a post, this is actually the title of a great new book!  Gorgeously Green 8 Simple Steps to an Earth-Friendly Life by Sophie Uliano.  I was excited to recieve this book to review since the whole “going green” idea has been in the forefront of my mind lately. 

The really great thing about this book is that it isn’t overwhelming.  It helps us as moms to break down the important things in our lives to change and to do this one step at a time.  I love her philosophy, “One change makes a difference”, but if you’re anything like me you need to be told which changes really do help. 

Step One: Becoming aware of your habits and purchases and the changes you can and should make. 
Step Two: Beauty the Green way Step Three: Greening your Workout
Step Four: Shopaholics go Green - Showing you how everyday purchases can be modified.
Step Five: Find out how simple it is to have a Green Home and not feel like you’re missing out!
Step Six:  Learn about green food, cooking, recipes and sustainable eating.
Step Seven:  Green-up your transportation, vacations and entertainment.
Step Eight: Using what you’ve learned even outside of the home.

I highly recommend this book, it is very affordable and offers a wealth of information making it totally worth the expense (clicking on the image takes you to Amazon.com).   Tons of resources are also mentioned both within the book and on Sophie’s website at www.GorgeouslyGreen.com - they really do go hand in hand!

Be sure to let me know if you get the book!  I’d love to hear your thoughts!

 This contest has ended . . . thank you so much for your participation!  The winner has been announced and there are plenty more contests available and on the way to be sure to visit our contest page!

I recently had the honor of reading Sentinel: City of Destiny by Landel Bilbrey. Stay with me as I introduce you to the wonderful journey of this book and in the end I’ll give you an opportunity to receive this book too!

If you are the parent, grandparent, aunt, cousin or neighbor of a boy age 8 to 12 this book is, in my opinion a MUST HAVE! It’s whole purpose is to help guide and shape true manhood in the minds and hearts of boys. You could say it is a cross between Chronicles of Narnia and Pilgrims Progress, this intriguing story keeps boys actively involved while teaching them practical life information.

Chapters cover so many of the challenges and obstacles a boy will meet in life such as drugs, alcohol, self-centeredness, greed, envy, violence, failure, faith and much much more! You will follow 2 brothers on their quest to become men and find the 4 Keys that will open the gate at Sentinel (Vision, Courage, Integrity and Service). Their journey will be long and arduous with many twists, turns, triumphs and failures along the way.

As a mom I love the excitement and adventure this book offers my sons, but unlike many books of it’s kind it comes with ALL of the tools to completely equip parents for teaching and boys for deciphering and applying the lessons to everyday life. The direct ability to cross the adventures over into an everyday boys’ life is a key ingredient for this unique book!

The beginning of the book contains the map and legend, but it also has a note to parents and the Preface which digs deeper into the allegories throughout the book. The back of the book not only contains a glossary of words, but als an insightful and directional discussion section on key topics throughout the book. Basically, a devotional for families and young boys.

Since three of my boys fall within the specific age range for this book (though many older boys enjoy this book as well), I found it truly inspiring as I read it both from the perspective of my sons and as their mother. I have to say too that there were parts of the book where the message was so on target with what I deeply and truly want to see in my boys that I found myself with tears in my eyes.

Landel Bilbrey has very graciously offered one copy for all of you to enter to win! Entry is really quite simple:

• Leave a comment here but make sure to mention who you’d like this book for and what one thing you’d like him to learn about manhood.
• If you’re a blogger, it would be wonderful if you would link back to this contest letting everyone know about this wonderful book.

That’s it! This contest is open to US addresses only and commenting will close at 9pm on February 12. Oh and you don’t have to be a blogger to enter! Just make sure you let me know why you’re entering and you’re good to go. Oh and if you want this book now, feel free to click on the link at the top right of this contest to purchase it at a great price.