"Love in 90 Days" by Diane Kirschner, PhD

This book title immediately caught my eye.  Love in 90 days?  Really?  Come on!  But the author is a PhD, so she can't just be making this stuff up.  So I began reading solely out of curiosity.  While I can not say that 90 days is some magical number, the advice that the author gives is excellent.  It sets the way for readers to have the potential for real love.   The most important aspect is labeling men as DUDs versus STUDs, dating multiple people at once before committing to one person, and reprogramming negative self talk.  Let's take a scenario.  Sally has low self esteem and dates Jack.  Jack does not treat Sally very well, but she stays with him because she secretly believe he is the best she could get.  Sally stays with Jack and ends up in a sad marriage.  Now, let's apply the Love in 90 Days philosophies to rewrite that story.  Sally works on herself to develop more self-confidence.  She dates Jack and realizes she deserves better.  Sally does not commit to Jack but instead keeps dating because she knows she can do better.  Eventually, Sally meets Dan who is wonderful and treats her like the jewel that she is.  Sally decides to stay with Dan and goes on to have a happy love.  In the book, the author also emphasizes the importance of what I refer to as, "get up, dress up, show up."  Readers are encouraged to believe in themselves, get makeovers, and go places where men are.  While women do not have to be pursuers in relationships, the author encourages talking to men, starting friendships, and building those confident social skills.  With many relationships based on friendship, it only makes sense that to increase one's odds of meeting that special someone, people need to get out and talk to people.  While the book is geared toward women, I would argue the tips could also work for men. 

"Radical Beauty" by Deepak Chopra, M.D. and Kimberly Snyder, C.N.

When it comes to health and beauty wellness, the options for reading are countless.  There are lots of books out there that are written by professionals that are way too difficult to follow.  There are also lots of books out there written by nonprofessionals that are easy to follow.  This book offers the best of both worlds in that it is written by professionals yet is easy to follow.  With no medical degree, I was able to follow along and put the advice into practice in my own life.  Knowing the tips in this book are backed by science and not just some fad really helped.  I also really enjoyed the sections devoted to recipes and exercises.  It isn't good enough simply to tell readers they need to eat better and move more.  Books need to tell readers WHAT to eat and HOW to exercise.  With the cool pink pages and emphasis on beauty, this book is geared more towards women.  However, I would argue that men would also like to learn how to look better.

"The Red Tent" by Anita Diamant

This dramatic novel takes a simply Bible story and makes it come to life in a most unflattering yet human light.  In Genesis, countless generations read how Jacob wanted to marry Rachel--his one true love--but was tricked into marrying her sister Leah.  After this swindle, he waited seven years to be with Rachel (as was the custom in that day when some men worked for their bride-to-be's father until the agreed-upon wedding day).  Yet, in Diamant's tale, Jacob was not totally in love with Leah, and he was not such an honorable man.  Beyond having two other wives beyond Rachel and Leah, Jacob had several sons by Leah.  A drunken man can be excused for conceiving on his wedding night, but what of all the other children and women?  What other excuse is there?  Leah's only daughter Dinah is remembered in the Bible as a woman who fell in love with a prince.  The prince and her were intimate, and the prince loved her so much that he wanted to marry Dinah.  However, Jacob's sons murdered Dinah's love and doomed her to a life of misery.  From this misfortune, Dinah never forgave her family.  Diamant goes so far to presume Jacob changed his name to Israel not due to some diving encounter but rather to be rid of his former name Jacob that had become synonymous with murder and deceit.  Of course, the story of this novel is historical fiction or midrash of the Torah.  It can not be 100% verified.  However, given the blunt details of the Bible and the persuasive way this story reads, it is not difficult to imagine that the characters in the Bible really lived the way we read in "The Red Tent."  This book has adult themes and is not recommended for children.  It is also very sad, so I would not recommending it right before bedtime.

"The Secret Language of Dogs" by Victoria Stilwell

Clearly written and full of pictures, this book is a must for all busy dog owners.  Tips will teach people how to have a happy dog that behaves well.  Communication is key in any relationship, and the author explains how dogs communicate with others.  Barks and body language are explained, as well as unusual behaviors.  The science of howling, pain, and aging are covered, too.  This book is honest and not a be-all-end-all.  For situations that are unique or hard to determine, the author recommends a visit to the vet.  My favorite part of this book is the underlying these of positive training as opposed to negative training.  Punishing dogs does nothing but cause pain, and the dog learns nothing.  To have a truly happy and well-behaved dog, reward good behavior instead of punishing bad behavior.  I love that.

"This is Real and you are Completely Unprepared" by Alan Lew

While this book centers around the Jewish fall high holidays, the messages it sends to readers are important for all year round.  The rabbi writes about self-introspection, family, guilt, forgiveness, purpose, and so much more.  From setting goals to realizing failure to finding joy, readers will go on the incredibly uncomfortable but incredibly essential journey of Rosh Hashana to Sukkot.  There are Hebrew terms in this book, but it is written in such a way that an lay reader can understand.  Even non-Jewish readers can gain insight into themselves as they read this book and delve into a culture that stresses the importance of both the community and the individual.  From broken marriages to ignored homeless people, no sour spot is ignored.  Life is tough.  This is real and you are completely unprepared.

"Saffire" by Sigmund Brouwer

Set during the early twentieth century, this story takes place in Panama during the building of the Panama canal.  There is a mysterious cowboy who is send to inspect the building project.  There is also a young girl whose mother disappeared and who is looking for answers.  There is an entire host of characters whose paths cross as intrigue and mystery enfold.  The book takes some literary liberties but does have historic credibility, including a note at the end of the story.  While Brouwer is one of my favorite authors and I do like cowboy stories, this book was just a little too slow paced for me.  It's not that I didn't like the book--I just found it hard to keep turning the pages compared to some of his other books.

"Snuggle Time Psalms" by Glenys Nellist

This short book puts psalms into everyday language that young ones can understand.  The colorful images of animals adds to the cuteness, as well.  Each psalm has a verse quoted followed by a poem beneath it.  The poem contains the nature of the psalm but obviously has been reworded for children.  From elephants to monkeys to mice to penguins, there are so many fun creatures running about in these pages.  The full-color pages will make the illustrations come to life, and the hard-cover binding will keep the book in tip-top shape over the years. Young readers will understand that God watches over them like a parent, takes care of them when they are sick, watches out for their life, and guides them towards happiness.  While this book is geared towards children, I would say it offer valuable lessons for readers of all ages.

"The Love Code" by Alexander Loyd, Ph.D., ND

Contrary to what some may think, this book is not about romantic relationships or dating advice.  This book is all about how to use love to succeed in all aspects of life.  The author focuses on lowering stress to reduce problems.  The concept of internal versus external goals is a huge player in this self-help book.  An example will help.  Let's say someone wants to be a millionaire.  They can try and try but keep failing.  Why do they want to be a millionaire?  Because they think money will give them security and friends.  If that's the case, the person needs to internalize emotions of security and acceptance and self-worth before they can even begin to actualize any sort of financial success.  There are countless other examples in the book, but the idea is to fix the inside before attempting at fixing the outside.  With a doctorate, readers take the author seriously.  One thing  I found fascinating about the book was a mention about a book called Change of Heart (google it).  It is about a woman who gets a heart transplant and subsequently has personality shifts similar to her donor.  From this,  the author surmises that our emotions get imprinted onto our cells.  In other words, the spiritual / mental goes into the physical.  But the good news is that the mental / spiritual can be healed and corrected in order for the physical to flourish and heal, too.

"Goddesses Never Age" by Christine Northrup, M.D.

I found out about this book and author from an organic women's newsletter.  The subject matter intrigued me, so I started to read the book.  There is a lot of advice in these pages, most of it a bit unconventional.  It's good that the author is a doctor because that gives her thoughts credibility.  There is a lot of eastern meets western medicine in this book.  A large focus of the book is on stress and emotions.  When patients are happy and carefree, they tend to have better health.  However, the author does not ignore physical aspects of life such as poor lifestyle, cancers, and genetic disorders.  Yes, there is a time and place for medication / surgery.  But the key is that every woman must first examine their personal life to see if there is something that could be triggering their bad feelings.  A portion of the book focuses on women's sexuality, which some readers (including myself) may be a bit uncomfortable with.  On the plus side, since the author appropriately titled each chapter, it is easy for readers to skip chapters that they may not enjoy.  At the end of the book, there are ample resources for diet and exercise, as well as women's health in general.  there is even a 14-day plan to help women feel their best at any age.

"Pumpkin Patch Blessings" by Kim Washburn, Jacqueline East

Autumn is such a pleasant time for me.  I love to admire the fall foliage, get our my cozy sweaters, tour pumpkin patches, and eat pumpkin-flavored food.  Well, all these good feelings have been swaddled up into a cute little children's book!  Two children--one boy and one girl--explore the blessings of fall.  With birdies, bunnies, lady bugs, and other natural friends, they truly have a blast.  The kids eat pumpkin pie and corn-on-the-cob.  They ride a horse-drawn hay wagon.  They even pick their own pumpkins.  Throughout the hard-covered, full-cover story, the text is a nice sized font.  With simple rhymes of a few lines per page, this book is suitable for pre-k through grammar school children.  Also, while the book has blessings in the title, there are no religious undertones in the book.

“Manners” by Kate Spade

What I enjoy most about this book is how fun it is to read and how quick it is for easy reference.  There are not lengthy paragraphs or essays on etiquette.  Rather, there are snippets from real life on how to deal with awkward and commonplace scenarios.  Not sure how to write a thank-you or when to send it?  Not sure if you can re-gift an item and who to re-gift it to?  Not sure how to act at a party or how to RSVP to said party?  This book will help you!  Obviously, it does not cover every single event, but it does include enough to give the reader a crash-course in how to behave.  The illustrations that line the pages are colorful and amusing.  

"The Berenstain Bears' Caring and Sharing Treasury" by Jan and Mike Berenstain

This hardcover book is not a single story but rather five books in one!  In these pages, readers will learn about different jobs in the community.  There is an emphasis on how everyone has a unique purpose and no one job is more important than another.  When the kid bears start gossiping, there is a story about the damage that can do.  However, there is still reconciliation and the emphasis on saying sorry when one has done something wrong.  When the bears try to constantly one-up each other, Grandpa Bear comes in and puts life into perspective.  No one needs to prove themselves by making others seem inferior.  In another story, when family members are in an emergency, the whole town comes together to help out.  There is yet another tale that teachers youngsters not to judge others based on looks.  So many good morals are shown in this book without seeming corny.  The reading level is grade school and up--I would not use this with book with a toddler.  While religion is not pushed in this book, there are Christian undertones.  A preacher is included in some stories, and there are references to the New Testament Bible.

"I Love You Just Because" by Donna Keith

Adorably written and illustrated, this full-cover hardcover children's book is sure to please readers of all ages.  There are two adult bears that represent a mother and father.  Then, there are several kid bears that are unique.  We have a polar bear, a brown bear, and a panda bear.  Each bear has a different diet, different climbing abilities, different interests, etc.  Diversity of uniqueness is celebrated in this story.  Additionally, there are several Bible verses interspersed throughout the pages.  These quotes are from both the Old and New Testament.  While this story can simply teach little ones about differences among siblings, it can also be a great teaching aid for those with adopted kids who are very different.  Overall, the ultimate message of this book is that each bear kid is loved for no particular reason.  Unconditional love needs no explanation.  :)

"Saved by the Enemy" by Craig A. Ledbetter

Childhood is supposed to be an easy, carefree time full of playing and learning in school.  However, for Hank and Fred, their early years were lived in Nazi Germany.  This was not easy for any child, let alone Jewish children.  The story starts with the boy's parents meeting and starting their life together.  When the boys enter the story, there is a brief moment of calm before the storm of Nazi Germany rises up.  The experiences of the entire family is recounted alongside historical facts.  What's great about this book is that it reads like a story while also teaching readers about historical information.  The years are listed for each book chunk, along with information on what happened in those exact years.  There is also a storm analogy used throughout.  While what happened to this family was tragic, there is an element of hope.  The parents do not survive, but the boys do.  They eventually emigrate to America and start over.  The details about the Holocaust are not sugarcoated, but they are not overly graphic (same goes for the pictures).  Throughout the tough time that the boys faced, they were helped by various gentile Germans.  At the end of the book, the author reminds readers to not hold grudges and to remember that not everyone is bad.  There were good Germans who sought to help the Jews, and it is each and every person's personal responsibility to help as many people as they can.  Also mentioned in this book is the JDC--a Jewish humanitarian organization--that helped Hank and Fred start over as orphans in America.

“Counting Blessings” by Eileen Spinelli and illustrated by Lee Holland

This full-color hardcover children’s book is a must have for any collection.  Not only is the main character a cute and cuddly bunny rabbit, but there is much versatility in this book.  The first half of the story involves counting from one to ten.  With the fun rhymes and engaging images, kids can learn the basics of counting.  Then, there is a wrap-up to work on children’s memory.  Afterwards, the second half of the book has various blessings to be grateful for.  Cognitively, this will help kids transition from counting to analyzing.  Plus, who doesn’t like a cutesy book about a bunny counting blessings? 

"UNorthodox" by Deborah Feldman

This memoir is a harrowing tale of a woman in search of freedom.  The author was raised in a Hasidic community, which is one of the strictest ultra-Orthodox Jewish communities there is.  There are extensive rules covering almost all aspects of life from what to eat, where to go, who to marry, and more.  Readers understand the interactions between men and women, the extreme modesty rules, and how arranged marriages work.  They also understand the limited education and censorship that goes on.  While not all readers will be Hasids leaving their old lives behind, there are many universal messages for all readers.  There is the universal desire for freedom, to break out of the molds one's family / society has placed upon them.  There is the lesson that, no matter how long the skirt or how loose the dress, there will always be men who lust after you.  There is the lesson that even the most religious and pious-looking communities have gossip, violence, pedophilia, and other "bad things and bad people."  While the author eventually leaves with her son to start a new life, her marriage is sad.  Before getting a divorce, the reader is stuck in a loveless marriage with a man who only wants her for her body.  While most readers will likely not be in arranged marriages such as this, I am sure there are women stuck with men who do not love them but rather only use them for their body.  For all those women, there is something better out there for you.  The story ends while the author is still a young woman, and she finds fulfillment in her child and career.  For any woman struggling with finding purpose, wrestling with religious identity, or just looking for a good read, this book is sure to broaden perspectives and have compassion on the "others" knows as Hasids...especially the women.  

"Night Night, Daddy" by Amy Parker

After reading Amy Parker's "Night Night, Mommy," I could not wait to read "Night Night, Daddy."  This story follows a kid and father fox--how adorable--on their adventure through the day.  There is playing ball and flying kites.  Then the duo eats a huge stack of pancakes; don't worry, they clean up the maple syrup mess.  There is fort-building and playing on the beach.  The child fox is carried in the father fox arms and eventually laid to rest.  Both father and child pray together and learn about God.  This bedtime story is a must that can be read over and over. 

"The Flower Workshop" by Ariella Chezar

Who does not want a beautiful hardcover, full print huge book full of flower arrangements?  This book makes an excellent decoration in the home, a perfect distraction on a rainy day, and even a DIY book for those interested.  Readers will learn how to select vases, prune flowers, and make floral arrangements.  There are tips on selecting colors, textures, and even what types of flowers grow in different seasons.  Beyond that, there are the fancy sections on making head garlands, wreaths, and flower curtains--so beautiful!  I was also pleasantly surprised to read about using vines, branches, and even fruit to make floral arrangements.  This is not your run-of-the-mill flower book.  This is a professionally written book that will turn any passerby into a flower-arranging expert!

"Night Night, Mommy" by Amy Parker

Cute as a button, this full-cover hardcover book is sure to please mom and kids alike.  The otters are simply adorable, and the bunny stuffed animal that follows them is even more cute.  From story time to going to the library to washing up and more,  the otters truly had a packed day.  The mommy otter plays with the child otter to tire them out for bedtime.  At the end, there is prayer and singing time for the duo.  This story highlights to children how they are loved by mothers.  It is good for young ones just learning about this special type of bond.

"Collage This Journal" by Eleanor Shakespeare

Most journals focus on writing, and that's great.  However, this journal focuses on imagery.  Each page has a specific question or prompt.  Readers are encouraged to either draw or paste in a picture of what they are feeling.  There is a section in the front of the book that gives advice on how to handle family documents.  For example, make copies and paste those into the book--don't cut and paste original family photos.  The whole book is in color and has a nostalgic feel about it.  Readers will document their family, their dreams, what they love, what they need to get rid of, and more.  This is a visual way to express oneself.