Friday, December 24, 2010

Happy Holidays!

Hey everyone!

I just wanted to take a minute to wish everyone a very Happy Holidays!  Whatever holiday you celebrate, be happy, be with family and friends, and enjoy yourself.  : )








Review: What Good Is God?: In Search of a Faith That Matters by Philip Yancey

Journalist and spiritual seeker Philip Yancey has always struggled with the most basic questions of the Christian faith. The question he tackles in WHAT GOOD IS GOD? concerns the practical value of belief in God. His search for the answer to this question took him to some amazing settings around the world: Mumbai, India when the firing started during the terrorist attacks; at the motel where Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated; on the Virginia Tech campus soon after the massacre; an AA convention; and even to a conference for women in prostitution. At each of the 10 places he visited, his preparation for the visit and exactly what he said to the people he met each provided evidence that faith really does work when what we believe is severely tested. WHAT GOOD IS GOD? tells the story of Philips journey--the background, the preparation, the presentations themselves. Here is a story of grace for armchair travelers, spiritual seekers, and those in desperate need of assurance that their faith really matters. description taken from here.






Audio book is 9 hours and 28 minutes long.  If you like books or audio books about god, then you should like this.






**I received this audio book at no charge so that I could write a real and honest review.  I did not get paid for posting this.  All opinions are my own unless otherwise stated.**

Review: The Coming Econmic Armageddon by David Jeremiah

Never before have we read such jarring headlines, distressing news analyses, or dire predictions concerning the world's financial future. The American housing market -- or, more sentimentally, the American dream -- began to collapse in 2006, taking with it large chunks of the global financial system. Millions of jobs worldwide have vanished forever. Did Bible prophecy predict this catastrophe? Are there biblical clues to how soon, if ever, a viable, long-term recovery can be sustained? Is the financial collapse just one of several signs that we are living in the final days of Earth's history In THE COMING ECONOMIC ARMAGEDDON, David Jeremiah says we can know the meaning behind what we see in the daily news -- and understand and prepare for living in the New Global Economy. description taken from here.







When I first read the title of this book, I thought it would be about our economic crisis. It is not. Is about how the bible warns people about the economy. So, that was a little misleading.. I would have preferred a different title that clued you in a bit more.. Yes, it does mention the actual book's content under the book's heading. In smaller print. It also is not included in the title, which, as I said, I find a bit misleading as you would not know this unless you were looking at the cover, which some people do not when reading about books. But enough about that, the book itself was straight forward in its message and/or meaning. The author's meaning was clear and decipherable.











**I received a complementary copy of this book in order to write a real and honest review. I did not get paid for this post. All opinions are my own, unless otherwise stated.**

Review: The Brave by Nicholas Evans

"There's little love in eight-year-old Tom Bedford's life. His parents are old and remote, and the boarding school they've sent him to bristles with bullies and sadistic staff. The only comfort he gets is from his fantasy world of cowboys and Indians. But when his sister, Diane, a rising star of stage and screen, falls in love with one of his idols, the suave TV cowboy Ray Montane, Tom's existence is transformed. They move to Hollywood and all his dreams seem to come true. Soon, however, the sinister side of Tinseltown casts its shadow and a shocking act of violence changes their lives forever." "What happened all those years ago remains a secret that corrodes Tom's life and wrecks his marriage. Only when his estranged son, a US Marine, is charged with murder do the events resurface, forcing Tom to confront his demons. As he struggles to save his son's life, he will learn the true meaning of bravery." Powerfully written and intensely moving, The Brave traces the legacy of violence behind the myth of the American West and explores our quest for love and identity, the fallibility of heroes and the devastating effects of family secrets. description taken from here.







I found this book to be very entertaining.  The characters were nicely developed, the plot was there, it was exciting!  As an audio book, it held the right tone, and it was all around enjoyable.  I give this one a thumbs up. : )










**I received this audio book free of charge in order to write a real and honest review.  All opinions are 100% my own.  I did not get paid for posting this.**

Review: The Reversal by Michael Connelly


Longtime defense attorney Mickey Haller is recruited to change stripes and prosecute the high-profile retrial of a brutal child murder. After 24 years in prison, convicted killer Jason Jessup has been exonerated by new DNA evidence. Haller is convinced Jessup is guilty, and he takes the case on the condition that he gets to choose his investigator, LAPD Detective Harry Bosch.


Together, Bosch and Haller set off on a case fraught with political and personal danger. Opposing them is Jessup, now out on bail, a defense attorney who excels at manipulating the media, and a runaway eyewitness reluctant to testify after so many years.

With the odds and the evidence against them, Bosch and Haller must nail a sadistic killer once and for all. If Bosch is sure of anything, it is that Jason Jessup plans to kill again. description taken from here.











I found this book to be a bit confusing.  As a mystery book, it wasn't all that great in the mystery department.  It was slow and somewhat dull to read.  This was definitely not "my book".  Furthermore, as an audio book, the tone was that much more dreary for me. 








**I got a copy of this book free of charge in order to write a real and honest review on it.  I did not get paid for posting this.  My opinions are 100% my own.**

Friday, December 10, 2010

Zappos

I love shopping at Zappos.com.  I actually just ordered a Christmas present from them two days ago for my boyfriend.  I purchased it later at night (it was probably around 7pm or so) and it showed up the next day.  Well, I should say the next morning.  By the time I got home from my class (10am) it was there and waiting for me.  Talk about fast shipping!  And the best part, it was free shipping, I had qualified for free 1 day shipping.

So, it's safe to say I'm a bit in love with Zappos now.  I was actually browsing their site last night for myself and I ended up staring at the shoes.  I love boots.  My motto is that you can never have to many pairs of boots.  I own a pair of leather Doc Martins and I think the world of them.  They are absolutely fabulous.  Probably one of the most comfortable pairs of boots I have ever had.  So, I was pretty excited when I saw that Zappos offers a whole selection of Doc Martin boots.

They offer a lot of styles, both with heels and without, and the prices are pretty respectable.  They even have quite a few of the shoes on sale as well.  And, if you do not like boots, they Doc Martin offers other sorts of shoes as well.  They carry sandals, heels, heavy duty work shoes (which are great for hiking!) and tennis shoes as well. 

I will probably wait until after the holidays to put in another order with Zappos just because I know I am going to get myself something. I don't want to spoil any of the gifts I might get on Christmas, so to make sure I don't buy myself something that some might get me, I think I'll wait.  But, if you guys have yet to get all of your gift shopping done, you should check out Zappos.  Their shipping is amazingly quick and you will not be disappointed!










**I did get paid a small fee for posting this.  My opinions are 100% my own.  I have used this service.**

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Giveaway: Foxy Bombshell Panties

My friend over at Never Too Shy Reviews is giving away a gorgeous pair of boxed (practically gift wrapped!) panties.  They would perfect for yourself or any lovely lady in your life.

Giveaway ends December 14th!