Category: Books Read-2008

TITLE: Freakin’ Fabulous: How to Dress, Speak, Behave, Eat, Drink, Entertain, Decorate, and Generally Be Better than Everyone Else
AUTHOR: Clinton Kelly
PUB DATE: October 2008
ISBN: 978-1-4169-6149-9

This was a Christmas present from my son and husband. It was one of my wish list books. As I am sure you are beginning to notice in the last few reviews I have done they are books from reality shows. I am a reality tv junkie. I admit it.

Clinton Kelly is the co host of What Not to Wear on TLC Friday nights. A favorite show of mine.

I loved the book. The book is divided up into seven sections. The sections are Dress, Speak, Behave, Eat, Drink, Entertain and Decorate.

How to dress Clinton offers advise on how to dress and what goes with what body types. How to fix fashion problems and how important it is to wear clothes that actually fit you and if they don’t have to fix it so it does.

How to speak Clinton basically tells the reader how to speak properly and to speak like you know what your talking about. I learned a thing or two in this section. 🙂

How to behave talks about what is acceptable and what isn’t when you are out. Don’t you just hate it when your seeing someone put their lipstick on at the table or showing way too much public affection. The one thing I learned in this section was when you are invite over to someones house for dinner and you ask to bring something and they say “No” then don’t bring them flowers or food. Also if you bring wine don’t expect it too be served as they might already have a theme going. If you want to bring something Clinton suggests: a small box of chocolates, a book, pretty cocktail napkins, or coasters.

How to eat was my favorite section. There were a bunch of recipes and a how to tip section which include how to poach a chicken breast, and how to make whipping cream (which I never knew how to do properly).

How to drink and how to entertain had a few drink recipes and hors d’oeuvres, a wine list of what went with what, and some more helpful info.

Lastly how to decorate offered tips and information on how to make your place to look great.

TITLE: Little Family, Big Values: Lessons in Love, Respect, and Understanding for Families of Any Size
AUTHORS: The Roloff Family
PUB DATE: March 2008
ISBN:978-1-4165-4911-6

I am a fan of the show on TLC called Little People Big World. I have been watching it since it started. They are no ordinary family. The parents Matt and Amy are little people. They have four children. A pair of 18 year old twins, Jeremy and Zach. Jeremy is average height and Zach is a little person. Their daughter Molly and younger son Jacob are average height.

In the book Little Family, Big Values, the Roloffs share their values that have helped them to become the family they are today. The book shares some family stories that you may not know about them, they talk about the importance of these values in their lives and the lessons they have learned along the way.

The book also talks about the following:

Amy’s decision she made early on to give up her career as a teacher to be a stay at home mom to the kids when they were young.

Jeremy talks about the respect he has for his brother Zach. How even though he is a little person he is able to beat guys twice his size on the soccer field and let them know that even though he is a little person he can still play the game he loves.

Zach talks about how he knows his siblings really love him when they give up their Christmas at their home in Oregon to be with him in the hospital when he has surgery.

Peggy, Matt’s mother talks about why Matt is the successful business that he is today. Its all because of a paper route he had as a boy. Matt had wanted skis and his parents wouldn’t buy them so Matt came up with the idea of having a paper route to earn the money for them.

They are strong believer in God and in faith and you can see it when you read the book. I really enjoyed it as it gave you some background history on the families. The book is written by Matt, Amy, Peggy, Ron, Jeremy and Zach and one spot by Molly. Also included is some great pics of the family and kids.

Matt also has another book that came out in 1999 called Against Tall Odds. Its a memoir on Matt’s life. Did you know that Matt was in Star Wars? He was in part three in the Star Wars movie trilogy, Return of the Jedi. His handicap helped land him a part as one of the diminutive, furry Ewoks.

This is my first book in the Buy a Book and Read Challenge of 2009.

I started keeping a list of all the books I read late in 2007. I wish I would have started the list earlier in 2007. I have learned from my mistake and this is my list for 2008.

January
~Double Cross by James Patterson
~Sisters Keeper by Jodi Picoult
~Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult
~Left to tell:Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust by Immaculee Ilibagiza (this isn’t a typical book i would read but it was recommended very good)
~A Brother’s Journey : Surviving a Childhood of Abuse by Richard peltzer (this is the brother of Dave Peltzer. The one that wrote lost boys, a child called it and a man named DAve)
~Harvesting the heart by Jodi Picoult

Febuary
~A teenagers journey by Richard Peltzer
~The tenth circle by jodi picoult
~Picture Perfect by Jodi Picoult

March
~Salem Falls by Jodi picoult
~You’ve been warned by James Patterson

April
~7th heaven by James Patterson

May
~Second Glance by jodi Picoult

June
~Birth House by Ami Mckay
~Bringing Home the Birkin by Michael Tonello

July
~The Husband by Dean Koontz
~The last summer (of U & Me) by Ann Brashares
~Remember me? by Sophie Kinsella
~Certain Girls by Jennifer Weiner

August
~Something borrowed by Emily Giffin
~Something blue by Emily Giffin

September
~Summer Blowout by Claire Cook
~Mexican Bowl Fishing by William Douglas Little
~All Our Wonder Unavenged by Don Domanski
~Tomato Girl by Jayne Pupek
~Paraworlds Zero By Matthew Peterson

October
~Arsenic Soup for Lovers: When chicken Soup doesn’t work by Geogia Z. Post
~Matrimony by Joshua Henkin
~Who Lied and Said We Left The Garden of Eden? Memoirs of a homeless man by Daniel Martin
~Remembering the Bones by Frances Itani
~Bang Crunch by Neil Smith
~Testimony by Anita Shreve ARC
~The Mighty Queens of Freeville by Amy Dickinson ARC
~Somebody Else’s Daughter by Elizabeth Brundage

NOVEMBER
~Songs for the Missing by Stewart O’Nan
~The Ride by Jane Kennedy Sutton
~Katie Brown Clebrates A simple and spectacular parties all year round
~Confette Cakes by Elisa Strauss
~We Interrupt this Broadcast
~Where Am I Wearing by Kelsey Timmerman
~The Paper bag Christmas by Kevin Alan Milne
~Mercury Under the Tongue by Slyvain Trudel
~Multiple Blessings By Jon and Kate Gosslin

DECEMBER
~Sister Wife by Shelley Hrdlitschka
~For The May Queen by Kate Evans
~We Take This Man by Candice Dow and Daaimah S.Poole
~Born Liberal Raised Right by Reb Bradley
~Little Family, Big Values by The Roloff Family
~Finding Father Christmas by Robin Jones Gunn
~Engaging Father Christmas by Robin Jones Gunn
~Freakin’ Fabulous: How to Dress, Speak, Behave, Eat, Drink, Entertain, Decorate, and Generally Be Better than Everyone Else by Clinton Kelly

Total books read in 2008 is 51.

TITLE: Born Liberal Raised Right: How to Rescue America from Moral Decline- One Family at a Time
AUTHOR: Reb Bradley
PUB DATE: November 2008
ISBN:978-1-935071-006

This book was part of the blog tour that I took part in. Thank you to Dorothy for sending me this book to read and review. Thanks to Reb Bradley for sending me the book. I am hoping that in the new year Reb Bradley will be able to stop by and make a guest post on my blog and talk about his book.

Born Liberal Raised Right is about how the future of America is being threatened by adults who are acting like kids. He talks about the moral decline that is happening in America and how its the result of parents who are over indulging their kids and not providing them with self control that they need to learn in order to become successful members of society. He also talks about parents who over indulge their kids and as parents we fix all their problems and how we don’t allow them to experience the consequences of their actions. The kids then grow up feeling they are entitled to everything they want and then can’t accept disappointments when it comes there way.

Reb tells us that we are born with certain tenancies such as a desire of self gratification and a lack of self control. These are traits that children need and we as parents much teach them this.

Reb also talks about the fact that we are a society of “magical thinkers” who have unchecked emotions and we don’t have the ability to deny ourselves. These traits are described as ” the very hallmark of liberalism”.

As a parent reading this book I realized that I need to teach my son alot of things so that he doesn’t grow up expecting to have everything he wants and that things will happen in life that will be disappointing. I grew up and didn’t have alot and I have to say that I truly didn’t appreciated it. I grew up saying that when I am older I am going to make sure my children have more then what I have and that they should never be afraid to ask for something and be told “No” they can’t have it. After reading this book I realized that this is not good. Thankfully my son is still young and I can correct this behavior.