Author: Cindy

Review: MULTIPLE BLES8INGS

Posted on by Cindy


TITLE: MULTIPLE BLES8INGS: Surviving to Thriving with Twins and Sextuplets
AUTHORS: Jon & Kate Gosselin and Beth Carson
PUB DATE: Oct 14, 2008
ISBN: 978-0-310-28902-9
PUBLISHER: Zondervan

“Today I could very well loose my mind” is a quote that we hear Kate saying during the introduction to the show. If you are a fan of the show like I am this is a great book to read. I have to admit I didn’t watch the first season of Jon & Kate Plus 8 on TLC, so there was alot I missed or didn’t understand. This is a great book that answers all those questions I had.

The first thing Jon said to Kate was “Are you going to let anyone else have a turn holding that baby?” upon seeing each other one day. He was a 21 year old soccer player and she was 23 years old having lunch with friends. After that Kate wanted to know more about Jon.

Six months later they were engaged and then on June 1999 they were married in a friends garden in Pennsylvania. Soon after the desire to have a baby set in. Kate discovered she had Poly cystic Ovarian Syndrome. (She couldn’t ovulate.) They went to a infertility specialist and Kate started injections. Their first attempt was unsuccessful. They tried again. Finally Kate was pregnant. They shortly discovered that Kate was carrying twins. (Cara & Maddy)The girls arrived in Oct 2000.

Through the severe morning sickness, Kate was in and out of the hospital for dehydration and was put on medication for the morning sickness. I can relate with Kate on this cause I too had suffered this during my pregnancy with my son. Thankfully medication helped us both.

Kate was a nurse at a dialysis clinic but went on to become a labour & delivery nurse when the girls were one years old. In the back of Kate’s mind she kept thinking about having another baby. Jon was very reluctant. Kate longed to be a mother and Jon finally agreed that they would try one more time. They went to a new fertility specialist that lived closer to where they lived. It was in Nov 2003 that they discovered they were expecting sextuplets. Their doctor wanted them both to think about terminating some of the births cause it could turn fatal for Kate. With their strong belief in God they stood their ground and said NO!

Christmas eve Kate got the scare of her life. She awoke in pain and was rushed to the hospital. She thought that she was miscarrying. Thankfully she wasn’t. The pregnancy was taking its toll on Kate physically. She was put on complete bed rest and hooked up to fetal monitors etc. During this time Jon had lost his job and was worrying about what he was going to do.

Even in the book there isn’t much talk about the families of Jon & Kate. When Kate was in the hospital for the sextuplets her mother visited everyday and Jon’s dad (who later died) bought Kate a laptop with a web camera and calling cards so that she could keep in touch with the family. During the pregnancy Leah had low anomic fluid which was another thing I could relate with as Michael had low anomic fluid too. Thankfully Kate didn’t have to be induced like I was.

May 2004 the sextuplets were born: Alexis Faith (for the important role Faith playes in there lives), Hannah Joy (for how she felt carrying the sextuplets), Leah Hope (hope filled her days), Aaden Jonathan (named after Jon), Collin Thomas (after Jon’s dad), and Joel Kevin (after Kate’s brother).

I was always wondering how they knew Joan and Beth. The two ladies who always seem to be around them. Well Joan is a family friend. She was there when Jon was born and babysat him when he was young. Beth was a volunteer that came to help Kate when she brought the sextuplets home. She had written kate a letter and kate dismissed it until one night she read it and Beth and her got to talk and have been friends ever since then.

It was nice to read as the chapters all began with a biblical verse. You can tell they are strong in their faith as its well known throughout the book.

copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.

Review: Chasing Harry Winston

Posted on by Cindy


TITLE: Chasing Harry Winston
AUTHOR: Laura Weisberger
ISBN: 978-1-4165-9019-4
PUB DATE: May 2008

This is Laura’s third book. You might recognize her name, she is the author of The Devil Wears Prada. I have read all her books and I enjoyed this one.

Leigh, Emmy and Adriana are all best friends from college. They are all entering their 30’s and being single is not good. They are all determined to make changes in their lives.

Leigh is the neurotic character. She is in a relationship. She has commitment phobias and doesn’t like anyone being close. She is a hard working editor and is beginning to realize that she really doesn’t love her fiance even though he fits into her checklist. When she is forced to work with Jesse he makes her rethink things.

Emmy is a newly dumped chef. Her boyfriend has left her for a much younger girl. She wants to be married and have kids. She came very close to having that dream come true but a 23 year old girl took that away from her.

Adriana is the beautiful, spoiled, rich brazilian who uses men as sex objects. She has slept with more men then any of her friends put together.

Emmy and Adriana have challenged each other for a year, Emmy will no longer look at men as future husbands and Adriana will no longer use men as sex objects. Emmy is suppose to have a series of affairs with random men and Adriana is suppose to be a serial monogamist.

Will Adriana grow up and be more responsible or will she remain the spoiled rich girl not doing anything with her life but sleep around and shop?

Will Emmy finally met teh right guyand settle down and get married and have kids?

Will Leigh finally decide whats right for her and change her mind about what the perfect guy really is?

copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.

Review: Mercury Under My Tongue

Posted on by Cindy


TITLE: Mercury Under My Tongue
AUTHOR:Sylvain Trudel, Sheila Fischman(Translator)
PUB DATE: January 2008
ISBN:9781933368962

This book was sent to me by Richard of Soft Skull Press. It was a quick read at 159 pages.

The book is told in the first person narrative. Frederick Langlois is a 17 year old boy who is dying from bone cancer.

He is your typical teenager. He has the know it all attitude. He write poetry in the hospital. He is seeing a therapist so that he can comes to term with the fact that he is dying. He comments on dying a virgin and that he has never left Canada before. The book takes place in Montreal. We are introduced to various family members of Frederick and fellow patients. As we read we are reading what he is going through and how he feels.

copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.

Review: Get Positively Beautiful

Posted on by Cindy


TITLE: Get Positively Beautiful: The Ultimate Guide to Looking and Feeling Gorgeous
AUTHOR: Carmindy
PUB DATE: Oct 2008
ISBN:9781599951430

Thank You to Anna for sending me this great book to read and review.

I have always been a fan of Carmindy’s. I was first introduced to her on TLC’s What not to Wear. I love watching the show to get all kinds of tips. I have often said I should nominate myself for it. Who wouldn’t right?

The book offers all kinds of make up tips of the eyes, lips, cheeks and skin. She has in the back if the book a shopping list for make up, the tools and seasonal products.

Going through this book I realized that I was making a bunch of make up mistakes. Once I am feeling better I plan on going shopping and getting the proper make up and tools.

copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.

Review: A Paper Bag Christmas

Posted on by Cindy


TITLE: A Paper Bag Christmas
AUTHOR: Kevin Alan Milne
PUB DATE: Oct 2008
ISBN:978-1-59995-073-0

I have to send a big Thank You to Miriam from Hachette for sending me this really great book. This is the newest book that I have been telling friends and family they need to read.

For the past several years I have been thinking that the TRUE meaning of Christmas is lost and that today its all about what I want and how much can I get. I have always been giving gifts to friends and family for no reason but just to give and not expecting anything in return.

I think this is a great book to read and give to your friends and family. This is the year I think we need to discover the true meaning of Christmas. With so much that is going on in the world and the situation of whats happening we need to open our hearts and helpout.

The book starts with two boys: Molar and Aaron. They have just finished Thanksgiving when their father announces they should go to the mall to see Santa Claus. They go to the mall as see the long line up. When an Elf comes by to hand a sheets of paper they boys ask what they are to do with it and how long will it be. The paper is to write out the Christmas list and the wait is almost 2 hours. So while in line the boys write down every single toy they can think of and when they run out of ideas they look around them in line.

When they finally get to see Santa he declares it break time. The boys are annoyed that they have to come back. So they start to look around and see Santa in the room behind the chair. He sees the boys looking at him and he motions them in. They come in and takes their list. Santa declares it unsuitable and offers the boys “the best gift they never wanted.”

It turns out that the mall Santa is no other then Dr Ringle a pediatric oncologist at the local hospital. He gives the boys and address and tells them to show up. He is playing Santa at the hosptial and wants the boys to dress up as elves and hand out red sheets of paper for the kids to fill out. They have to return to the hospital several times to collect the papers. During the next visit they discover that the DR is away. He tells them about the pagent and that on Dec 5th roles will be handed out and that Aaron and Mo must get to know Katrina and Madhu.

There is so much more to the story that I am afraid to continue for fear of giving it all away. Its a beatiful story and a great quick read to read this holiday season.
It will make you think about the True meaning of Christmas.

Merry Christmas in advance.

copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.

Review: Where Am I Wearing?

Posted on by Cindy


TITLE: Where Am I Wearing? A Global Tour to The Countries, Factories and People That Make Our Clothes
AUTHOR: Kelsey Timmerman
PUB DATE: Nov 2008
ISBN:978-0-470-37654-6

Thank You to John Wiley & Sons Inc for sending me this book to read and review.

Before reading this book I have to admit I never really thought about where my clothes came from. I just went to the stores and bought them. I only looked at the labels to see how the items were to be washed. After reading Where Am I Wearing, I became more interested. I guess we take things for granted when we buy things that we don’t realize what goes into the making of them and who makes them.

Did you know that in Teva flip flops there is five people making a flip flop? The cutter, a sewer, a gluer, a buffer and a boxer. Teva makes in one day 2,000 to 3,000 pairs.

The book is a first hand account of Kelsey’s travels around the world to various countries to find out where is clothes were made. In the first part he mentions going to Honduras to see where is tshirt was made. He talks about the fact that the workers only get paid $50/month.

Its not until he gets to Bangladesh in search of the workers who made his boxers that the book starts to pick up. He starts to learn about the workers who work in the factories. Its there that he visits his first factory.

He goes to Cambodia in search of the Levi’s factory and then China for his Teva flip flops. Its in China that he manages to get into trouble with the VIP of Global Sourcing of Decker Outfitters. He claims that Kelsey has been using his name saying they are friends to get info. Its in China that he visits a Walmart. A Walmart that is much different from the ones here. Its the 10 largest retailer there and there is about 100 Walmarts in China.

I guess as a buyer of items we never think about the product or what goes into the product. Kelsey tells us that these workers work for next to nothing, live far from their families and perhaps even leaving kids with family so that they can work. They work long hours and do overtime and not get paid for it.

This book was an eye opener for me and it made me realize that these items aren’t mass produced at times and that actual people are making them and working for next to nothing.

Ann from Booklorn mentioned my review in her’s so I thought I would return the favor. Thanks Ann. You can see her review HERE

copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
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Review: How The Moon Regained her Shape

Posted on by Cindy


TITLE: How The Moon Regained Her Shape
AUTHOR: Janet Ruth Heller
PUB DATE: 2007
ISBN:0-9764943-4-5

Thank you to Elaine and Rob for sending me this book to read and review. The book won the Benjamin Franklin Award and the Moonbeam Children’s Book Award. The illustrations in the book are done by Ben Hodson and they are beautiful done in native art.

The book starts with the moon being round and full. She is happy and dances around. Then she dances in front to the sun. The sun tells the moon she is ugly. The moon was sad. She tried to dance again but she kept thinking about what the sun had said. She went along her skypath hanging her head. A comet sees that she is dragging across the sky and goes to visit her. The moon is getting smaller and he finds out why and tells her she should go to see a woman who lives on Earth who will restore the moons health. The moon is almost invisible when she goes to see Round Arms the woman of the Earth. She talks to the moon and makes her feel better when she finds out what the sun has said. She takes the moon around to people who love the moon ie the artist who paints the forest at night, rabbits who feel safe being out at night, and to a hundred women who sing and dance. The moon feels better and goes back to her sky path where is she strong and full again.

A great think about the book was at the end of the book there is all kinds of information about the moon. My son loves learning things and I think this is a great thing to learn about.

copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.