"Fleabag" by Helen Stephens

Based on a true story, a homeless dog befriends a little boy and a bond of love and friendship grow.  Fleabag by Helen Stephens is very good and the drawings that go with it are very well done.  The big plus is a happy ending!  I enjoyed it and so did my dog!  Woof!  Woof!
(Gerard's Review)

Fleabag by Helen Stephens is based on a true story about a dog who needed a home, but because he was dirty and had fleas, no one wanted him.  But one day, he met a boy in the part and they became friends.  I liked this childrens’ book about a dog because it has a happy ending with cute pictures.
(Karen's Review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it?

"Having A MARY Heart in a MARTHA World" by Joanna Weaver

When I saw this title, it peeked my curiosity because I have been making more of an effort to be more like Mary than a Martha.  It is a reference to a short story about two sisters in the Bible.  Martha is the busy frazzled one preparing the meal for the company and Mary is the one who visits with Jesus instead of helping Martha.  Jesus said Mary chose the better part.  I think Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World Joanna Weaver would make an excellent Bible study.  It is loaded with scripture and practical suggestions on how to have peace in the midst of our busy lives.  I loved the hula hoop and teetertotter analogies she included.  Peace is the result of spending quiet time with God each day in prayer and reading His Word, being teachable and obedient by abiding in Christ. 

Throughout Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World, Joanna draws from resources that she has found helpful, including Navigators 2:7 material.  I thought it was interesting that both the author and I were impacted by the same quote from the Navigators 2:7 material which was that “Christ is waiting for me to come spend time with Him.” 

The main point of Having a Mary Heart in  Martha World is to have a balance between our worship and service.  We should be a combination of both Mary and Martha!  Much of this book was already familiar to me but served as a good reminder to keep abiding in Christ and guarding my quiet time with Him.   Something that jumped out at me was about hospitality and being willing to help the less fortunate because I pass by beggars all the time going to or from work.  Joanna said, "As Christians, as a church, we are called to be hospitable, the very root of hospitality.  Our lives should be a refuge for the hurting, not a country club for the comfortable."  That really spoke to my heart.

This is not a book that goes fast.  There is a lot of “meat” in it and things to think through and apply to your life.  It gives you a lot to “chew” on.  In the back of Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World were discussion questions for each chapter with more scripture, a list of suggested devotional books, recommended books related to ministry, sample forms for journaling and more.  I highly recommend Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World to anyone who is feeling overwhelmed with all they have to do or who is looking for a Bible Study that is practical and will make a difference in your life.   

NOTE:  I got this in paperback from the library.  I noticed on Amazon that apparently (according to one of the customer reviews) the hardback copy they sell does not include the discussion questions in the back.  Just a warning to be careful if you order this for a Bible Study. 

Have you read this one? What did you think of it?

"Hurricane Season--A Coach, His Team and Their Triumph in the Time of Katrina" by Neal Thompson

I can't say enough good things about Hurricane Season--A Coach, His Team and Their Triumph in the Time of Katrina by Neal Thompson!! This book is remarkable!! It tells the story about how people dealt with Hurricane Katrina and the aftermath and a remarkable man, J. T. Curtis, Head football coach and principal of the John Curtis Christian School. How he and his family brought together a school and the football team is an unbelievable story. Their story will make you cry, laugh and cheer!! I really enjoyed this book A LOT!!!
(Gerard's review 4/08)

Hurricane Season--A Coach, His Team and Their Triumph in the Time of Katrina by Neal Thompson is a true story about triumph through hardship for a private Christian school's football team in New Orleans overcoming the devastation of Hurricane Katrina and Rita. This book takes a personal look at the devastation that Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita caused within six weeks. It's about a High School football coach's and his players’ commitment to their school and team in midst of chaos and turmoil. It's about how football can pull a community together.

I particularly liked reading how the coach motivated his players and how he taught them to be men. It was heartwarming to see how much the coach loved his players and cared about their personal lives and not just how they played football.

The ending of Hurricane Season--A Coach, His Team and Their Triumph in the Time of Katrina is very moving and emotional when the team finally gets to play football after it looked like they wouldn't even have a season. As I read about the games, it felt like I was right there in the stands watching and cheering for them. This book started out slow and was pretty sad, but is definitely worth reading to get an inside look at what the people of New Orleans went through during Katrina and how a football team really jelled. It certainly made my few problems look totally insignificant in comparison.
(Karen's review 4/08)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it?

"One Good Dog" by Susan Wilson

One Good Dog by Susan Wilson tells the story of Adam Marsh, who is climbing the corporate ladder until one day he loses his cool and everything else.  He has to help out at a soup kitchen and then one day he picks up a Pit bull for somebody, but it’s not the right one and that’s when the story gets very good.  I just loved this book a lot.  If you liked “Racing In The Rain,” you will love this book.  The ending is so good! 

(Gerard's review 6/11/10)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it?

Our Favorite Book Review In The Last Three Months (Blog Hop 9/10-9/13/10)

This week the book blogger hop is designed to get people to read a post other than just the blog hop post and leave a comment. We are supposed to post a link to a favorite post or book review that you have written in the past three months so here are some both Gerard and I liked very much:

These were all favorites of ours so take your pick:Pray For Silence by Linda Castillo
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
A Season of Life--A Football Star, A Boy, A Journey To Manhood by Jeffrey Marx 

 

Check out the book giveaway over at I Am A Reader, No A Writer for The Maze Runner by James Dashner.

Join the Book Blogger Hop at Crazy For Books