Book Review: “The Bunko Babes” by Leah Starr Baker

The Bunko Babes (Emerald Pointe, 2007) by Leah Starr Baker wasn’t at all what I had initially expected, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Upon reading the description and seeing the book cover, I expected another fluff novel: fun, quirky characters and not much substance. While the characters were fun and quirky, the novel dealt with several serious issues, such as infertility, infidelity, war-torn families, coping with a parent’s death, and living with a debilitating disease.

I really didn’t identify with very many of the main characters in the book at all, at least at first. I don’t personally know many women who have the perfect husband or can be stay-at-home moms and not have to worry about money. I have never, in my whole life, come up with the perfect snappy comeback while bantering with my friends! That said, I did find these witty comebacks and silly antics amusing, and eventually, by the end of the book, the characters grew on me. I began to actually care about the plight of these women, who had once seemed rather one-dimensional and contrived.

The Bunko Babes is a Christian novel, which is a genre I typically stay away from. I’ve found, as a general rule, that Christian novels either have very little substance, or they try to cram their specific beliefs down your throat. I don’t have time for that; I know what my beliefs are, and I don’t need to be reminded of the character’s faith every other sentence! The Bunko Babes managed to strike a balance between these two extremes. Becca, the main character, does think a lot about her faith, especially during the middle of the book, but it is during these times of struggle, when she’s in the midst of dealing with her  illness and her mother’s remarriage, that this character comes to life. She struggles with her faith, and even admits that she’s angry with God, which I really appreciated. This honesty seemed much more real than most Christian novels I’ve read. Becca stops posturing and deals with her feelings, and though she goes through emotional and spiritual torture, she pulls through, and turns out to be a stronger, happier person for it.

Another thing I appreciated about The Bunko Babes was that I learned a lot about a certain debilitating disease. I won’t tell you what it is, because that’s one of the novel’s surprises, but I will say I admire that Leah Starr Baker has used her first novel to do more than share her faith. She is also spreading awareness for a disease that isn’t brought into the spotlight very often.

I don’t really consider this novel chick lit. By definition, chick lit is supposed to be about a single woman, and usually deals primarily with romance. Becca is definitely not single; she’s been married for 15 years! I think that The Bunko Babes also has a bit more substance to it than most chick lit. Still, I do believe that chick lit fans will enjoy this book. It deals a lot with relationships with family and friends, and it got quite emotional at times. I have to admit that I got teary-eyed in two separate places while reading The Bunko Babes. Both of these scenes involved mother-daugher relationships, one was between Becca and her daughter, and one involved Becca and her mother. I hardly ever get choked up while reading, so I think the strong emotions I felt during these scenes really says something about the author’s ability to capture poignant moments.

I would recommend The Bunko Babes to family and friends who want a fun, entertaining read with a bit more substance, and a little faith on the side. I’m very interested to see what Leah Starr Baker comes up with in the future, and I wouldn’t be opposed to reading a sequel!

If you’re interested in learning more about The Bunko Babes, surf on over to Leah Starr Baker’s website.

You also might like reading this interview with the author.

You can buy the book on the following site: Amazon, Harrison House, Borders, and BooksAMillion.

Check out Blog Stop Book Tours to read what other bloggers thought about this novel.

Further Your Education…In Your Pajamas!

I love writing, but I am beginning to discover that if I want to obtain steady work that pays decently, my high school education isn’t going to help much. My small, hometown daily newspaper doesn’t even hire writers unless they have a Bachelor’s degree! I’ve been obtaining clips here and there, but if I really want to make a living from my writing, I’m thinking I may need to further my education. By chance, I found two new, accredited, totally online Bachelor’s of Journalism courses! I’ve applied for one, sent in my FAFSA information, and now I just have to wait! By next spring, I may be a full-time online journalism student!

Here are the links to those two BA in Journalism degrees:

• University of Memphis: Bachelor of Arts Journalism, emphaisis on PR
• University of Massachusetts: BA in Journalism Studies

If you’re looking for an English/writing degree online, you’ve got quite a few more choices. Check out these links:

• Ashford University: BA in Organizational Management: Enlish/Language Arts
• DeVry University: BBA in Technical Communication
• Ellis College offers two: BA in English Literature and Culture; BA in English-Professional Writing
• Union Institute and University: BA-Literature and Writing

Why not checkout some (or all) of these great options today? If you’ve had good experiences with online learning, I’d LOVE to hear about it!

I discovered all of these great online courses through Project Working Mom.

Pregnancy Journal Winner!

Thanks to the random number generator at random.org, we have a winner of The Pregnancy Journal!  It’s #20, Alisha, who said: “I LOVE this journal! I’ve had one with each of my children, and I’d love to have one ready to go for the next baby.” Congratulations, Alisha! I’ll be contacting you via email. 

 

Have a nice day, everybody!

Have You Discovered 5 Minutes for Mom?

Not too long ago, I hadn’t yet discovered this wonderful site that’s geared toward moms. If you have never visited 5 Minutes for Mom, take a few minutes to jog on over there and see what it’s all about. If you’re anything like me, you’ll be hooked, and you’ll have to get a daily peek at the site to feel like you’ve had a normal day!

If it weren’t for sites like 5 Minutes for Mom, I’d probably spend all my time surfing the Internet, trying to find neat things and networking, with very little results and a lot of headache. Thanks to sites like this, I’m able to find tons of cool stuff in one spot, and they’re things that matter to a mom like me. Here are just a few of my favorite things about 5 Minutes for Mom:

• The site was founded by twin work-at-home moms who are really on the ball. They, along with their mother, run two online toy stores that are actually super cool! To see what I’m talking about, visit Pedal Cars and Retro Collectibles and A Rocking Horse to Love.
• They have a huge directory of other mothers’ blogs, organized into categories. This makes it very easy to find other moms I’d like to connect with.
• Not only are Janice and Susan internet marketing mavens for their own stores, through 5 Minutes for Mom, they’re helping other moms promote their Mom Owned Stores! See? Mamas really do stick together!
• Would you like to know about the best contests, coolest websites, and timeliest mothering info? Look no further than 5 Minutes for Mom! Every week, they run a feature called 5 Minutes Around the Blogoshpere, which is really handy because it condenses a lot of internet info. into one easy-to-access spot. Check out this week’s feature for some great stuff! And they were nice enough to include my Pregnancy Journal Giveaway!
• Moms don’t get enough credit for the work they do. That’s why I LOVE Tackle it Tuesday! Join me (on my other blog) and other moms as we celebrate the obstacles and achievements of mommies everywhere!
• On my other blog, I also participate in Wordless Wednesday, and link back to 5 Minutes for Mom. Though they weren’t the originators of the idea, this weekly feature has gotten huge, and it’s a fantastic way to connect with other moms from around the globe, and literally get a picture of what their lives are like.

Review: Madapple by Christina Meldrum

I love Madapple (Knopf Books for Young Readers, May 2008 ) by Christina Meldrum! The story is so thoroughly researched and intricately woven that I can barely believe this is a debut novel! Madapple  is a page-turner, and held my interest the whole way through. It’s one of those books that I simply couldn’t put down! I found myself telling my husband and kids, “Okay, just let me read one more chapter!”

Growing up, I had some very bad experiences with religious fanatacism and have struggled since that time with my relationship with religion. Eventually, I came to the realization that bad things happen on both sides of the religious spectrum. Too fervent a belief can be damaging, but so can too much skepticism. Christina Meldrum captured this revelation perfectly, and I found that, although parts of this book were downright disturbing, the end message is one of hope and comfort.

The protagonist in the story is a teenage girl named Aslaug. She is born in 1988, but not raised like other contemporary children. She lives an isolated life with her mother, foraging for food and medicine, living without electricity or running water, studying complex biology and botany, and not even glimpsing her own reflection until she is sixteen years old! Her mother is disdainful of religion, to say the least. When Aslaug becomes a teenager, her only way to rebel is to begin studying mythology.

When Aslaug’s mother dies suddenly, Aslaug is thrust out into the modern world, and goes to live with her aunt and cousins. Instead of learning about reality, Aslaug plunges into a world of religious fanaticism that almost destroys her. Eventually, Aslaug has to reconcile these two extremes that she has been exposed to, and she manages to do so while on trial for double murder!

Madapple alternates between a first-person narrative and dialoge-only courtroom proceedings. Aslaugs narrative begins before her mother’s death, and eventually reaches the date of the trial in 2007. Each chapter clearly states which year it takes place in, so I wasn’t confused about that. In fact, I found this switching between Aslaug’s first-person story and the courtroom drama to be fascinating and suspenseful. In the beginning, the reader doesn’t know the who, what, or why of Aslaug’s double murder accusation, and this lends an irresistable mystery element to the story. I read a lot of mysteries, and can almost always guess what’s going to happen next in the novel, but that wasn’t the case with this book. While reading Madapple, there were several plot twists that absolutely shocked and completely surprised me!

Madapple is categorized as a Young Adult novel, but it’s not at all juvenile. I think the reason it was put into this category is because of all the things it can potentially teach. Christina Meldrum spent years researching this book, and it shows! I was intrigued to learn that so many world religions are practically telling the same story over and over again. I never knew that. After reading The Davinci Code, I was left feeling cheated, as if Christianity stole the majority of its story, but upon reading Madapple, I know that things aren’t quite so cut and dried.

I also learned quite a lot about botany and herbology through the reading of this book. Aslaug has a wealth of botanical knowledge and folklore, which she shares freely in her narrative. I found it interesting that each chapter is named after a certain plant, and then that specific plant is always tied in with the events of that chapter.

Madapple by Christina Meldrum is a monumental first novel! I can’t imagine how much time, plotting, and foresight it took to write this novel, but I do know this: it is a book I will reread many times, and I will recommend it to all my family and friends! I can’t wait to see what Christina Meldrum has in store for us in her future works!

 

You can buy this book now on Amazon.

To learn more about Christina Meldrum, visit her website, and read an interview with the author.

Please visit Blog Stop BookTours to read what other bloggers thought of this book.

Freelance Perks: Free Stuff!

Last week was really great for me. In only a couple of days, I received a free swimsuit, two deodorant samples, and new running shoes. Plus, I was also offered a pedometer, organic workout wear, and more deodorant! No, my birthday isn’t until next October, and I’m not so stinky that my friends and relatives have resorted to annonymously sending me deodorant in the mail!!

I am a freelance writer who writes product reviews. Specifically, I write a weekly diet, exercise and fitness column for the online moms’ magazine, Peekaboo Picks. One of my duties as a columnist is to find and review cool new gear for my readers. It’s a tough job, but somebody’s gotta do it, right??

I have to admit that it’s pretty cool to receive a $160 swimsuit in the mail, and have PR people contacting me with new offers to try out products. I came across the Peekaboo Picks gig by pure coincidence (although since we saw Kung Fu Panda this weekend, I’m wondering if they’re right: maybe there really are no accidents!) and applied to write an fitness column. I was shocked when I was chosen to join the Peekaboo Picks team, and I’ve been loving it ever since!

If you’re a writer, but have never tried your hand at reviews, why not give it a shot? Here’s a bit of advice, that I’ve learned along my way:

• DO NOT approach PR people or book publishers unless you are fairly certain that you’ll actually have a place to publish your review. They might email or call you, wondering your plan of action, and in this case, it’s good to have a plan of action. You don’t want to burn bridges before you even get to tread upon them.
• PR firms are invaluable resources for reviewers. I’ve had PR people tell their associates of my reviews, and received offers sometimes the very day my reviews are published. If you find that a product you want to review is handled by a firm, do some research and find out what other products the firm handles. You might find other products you’d like to know more about.
• Don’t do it just for the free stuff! That’s an added bonus. Of course I love getting packages in the mail, but I never ask to receive a sample unless I think my readers might actually be interested in learning about it, and since my column is fitness-oriented, I won’t expect to review any high heels or lipstick!
• Feel free to write some practice reviews on your blog, using products you already own. If you’d like to see a great reviewing mama blogger, visit Metropolitan Mama.
• Once you have a product in mind, and a plan of action, jump right in! Search the produt’s website, using terms like “media kit” and “press inquiry.” If you can only find a generic email address, send them an email with the words “media inquiry” in the subject line. Straight out ask for a sample to review in your initial email, and tell them where you plan to review their product. Don’t forget to say why you’re interested in their product, specifically. If your plan is solid enough, you will likely receive a very positive response.

Have fun reviewing!

Book Review: Springtime on Mars by Susan Woodring

Over and over again, I’ve heard that it takes more talent to write a short story than a long novel. It makes sense: you have a limited number of words with which to tell a story, which forces you to cut to the heart of matters very quickly. Every word counts. Knowing this, I have to say that Susan Woodring is an excellent writer! The short stories in Springtime on Mars (Press 53, February 2008) are brilliantly written, and manage to capture very believable snapshots of American life druing certain points of time.

Woodring sets the tone for each story very quickly, and although the emotions felt by the characters range from love to grief to bewilderment to disappointment, I was able to really get into the characters shoes and feel what they were feeling. I think Woodring’s biggest talent is the believability she brings to her characters. Her words literally breathe life into the characters in the stories, and by the end of a few pages, they were no longer just characters, they were people whose stories I had come to really care about. If you want to go beyond basic descriptive terms in your writing and really get to the heart of your characters, you will learn a lot by reading Springtime on Mars.

I found myself using my brain a bit more while reading Springtime on Mars than I usually have to with short stories, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I was forced to use hints the author threw in to discover what time period many of the stories took place in. One story mentions a husband in Iraq, so I knew it was a fairly contemporary story, while another talks about the assasination of JFK, which put the story in 1963. With a few of the stories, I never figured out which time frame they were set in, but this might have been intentional, as they were written in a way that transcends time, and the decade they were written is less important than the emotions and life of the characters. I think that in these stories, Woodring may have wanted readers to use their imaginations, and place the stories which ever decade they thought most suitable.

I admit that my imagination may be a bit lazy. I have come to expect total conclusions in a story, with no loose ends and no questions. That isn’t the case with many of the stories in Springtime on Mars. At first, this annoyed me, but then I got to thinking about it, and I appreciate the fact that Woodring lets readers draw their own conclusions. Even with my flabby imagination, I didn’t feel like the stories were incomplete or unfinished.

My favorite part of reding Springtime on Mars was the questions the stories made me ask of myself:

• Which is more life-altering: a lightning strike or unexpected wealth?
• Which is more tragic: the assasination of a president or the sudden death of a young mother?
• Does a widower feel as strongly for his second wife as he did for his first?
• What does a totally inappropriate sex dream really mean?
• How well do young women know their chosen mates?
• Is a tragedy more life-altering to the witnesses, or the family members of the victims?

Overall, I really enjoyed reading Springtime on Mars by Susan Woodring. Though no two stories were quite alike, they meshed well together, and each one captured a perfectly believable tidbit of American life. As a writer, I think one of the best places to learn the craft is by reading the works of talented authors. If you would like to work on the believability of your characters and their stories, you will not regret having read this book! And of course, if you’re looking for a good read that holds your interest and makes you think, Springtime on Mars is an excellent choice!

This book can be purchased through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Powell’s.

Read an interview with the author here, visit Susan Woodring’s website, and check out Press 53.

Be sure to stop by Blog Stop Book Tours to read more about Springtime on Mars and discover what other bloggers thought about the book!

 

Visit My Other Musings…

Writing From Kiddom is all about writing, literacy and combining a love of words with the love of your children. I have another blog called Simple Things, which is about my daily life, and celebrating gratitude and creativity. Also, I write a weekly diet and exercise column for Peekaboo Picks, called Losing It! I’d love to have you visit me sometime! 

Review and Giveaway: The Pregnancy Journal

**Read below to learn how you can win this book!**

 

I loved being pregnant! It was the one time in my life that I felt comfortable in my own skin, and just knowing that I had a tiny life growing inside me was the most amazing thing I’ve ever experienced. But I never even thought to keep a pregnancy journal. Thinking back, it might have been nice to be able to look back and sort of get into my mind back then. I do know that if my husband and I decide to have more children (and we’re leaning heavily in that direction), I have found the perfect pregnancy journal!

Virtually every pregnant woman receives a booklet or magazine at her first prenatal visit. These publications chronicle the events of pregnancy, and sometimes include amazing photos, but they don’t go into much detail, and when I was pregnant, I found myself wanting to know more about what was happening to my baby. Too bad I didn’t have The Pregnancy Journal (Chronicle Books, 2005) by A Christine Harris, Ph. D. back then!

I have never come across a publication that goes into such detail about what goes on during pregnancy! The Pregnancy Journal contains a detailed account of what is happening and how baby develops during each day of pregnancy! In future pregnancies, I can see myself turning to this book every day, as a way to feel more connected to, and aware of, the life growing inside me.

The Pregnancy Journal also includes places for journaling every few pages, a To Do list for each month of pregnancy, and interesting facts about pregnancy thorough history and around the world. For example, did you know that colonial Americans thought that leaving an axe (blade up) by the labor bed would lessen a woman’s pain during childbirth? I certainly didn’t know that!

This book can be personalized, with options to begin journaling upon the first day of the mother’s last menstrual period, or upon the date of conception. The beginning of the book explains how this can be done, and the instructions are clear and easy to understand. Another feature I liked was that the journal extends all the way to two weeks after the anticipated due date, just in case baby arrives late.

In my opinion, The Pregnancy Journal does an excellent job of capturing a snapshot of life during pregnancy and childbirth, and that’s really what journaling is all about, isn’t it? With questions that range from who your neighbors are to what you think a parent’s job is, the book will help you and your child know who you and your family really were during a precise period of time. One of my favorite features is a page where you trace an older sibling’s hand, so that you will remember what size he or she was during your pregnancy. I wish I had done that with my son!

The bottom line: You will never regret having bought this wonderful pregnancy journal. In fact, you might regret it if you don’t buy it!

If you’d like to learn more about The Pregnancy Journal, please visit Chronicle Books. You can also read reviews from Storknet and The New York Times. And be sure to visit MotherTalk to see what the other reviewers thought of this book.

You might also want to click over to Amazon to purchase The Pregnancy Journal right now.

***WIN IT: You can win a copy of The Pregnancy Journal! To enter just comment below by NOON, Central Standard Time, on July 5. Also, you MUST leave a valid email address, so I can contact you. This contest is open to U.S. mailing addresses only.***

 

We (HEART) Mercer Mayer

I remember reading the Little Critter books as a little girl, and now that my kids are old enough, I’ve been sharing these wonderful books with them! This funny, spunky little creature has been enchanting kids for two generations now! One of the best things about these books (besides the stories, and illustrations) is the presence of a little creature in each picture that you have to find. For example, in the book Just Me in the Tub (Random House, 2001), there’s a frog following Little Critter around. The frog is on every page, but sometimes my kids have to look hard to find it!

Here are some of my favorite Little Critter books:

Just Go to Bed (Random House, 2001): This is a classic Little Critter book, and it touches on a subject near and dear to kids’ hearts: wanting to stay up when they’re supposed to go to bed.

Just Shopping with Mom (Random House, 1998): This one is too cute! Little Critter goes shopping with his siblings and his mom, and his little sister causes lots of trouble. She reminds me so much of my daughter!

Little Critter’s Staying Overnight (Golden Books, 1988): I remember this one from when I was little! It’s about all the trouble Little Critter causes at his friend’s house, and how much fun they have.

Mercer Mayer has written TONS of books, and he’s a marvelous illustrator. Here’s another classic by Mercer Mayer:

 

There’s a Nightmare in my Closet (Dial, 1968): This little boy is scared of the nightmare in his closet, but when he gets up the courage to confron it, it turns out that the nightmare was nothing to be scared of. This is a great one for little kids who are afraid of the dark!

If you’d like to know more about this amazing author, check out Little Critter’s Website. And check out MercerMayer.com to see and even purchase artwork by Mercer Mayer!

What is your favorite Mercer Mayer book?