My Life, Unscripted

This new young adult book by Tricia Goyer is both unique and compelling. What makes it so interesting (though not entirely “unscripted”) is the fact that the book is made up of actual scripts, both fiction and nonfiction, written in the style of a scriptwriter. (There is director lingo and everything.) Together, the different scenes tell the reader about Goyer’s life, which, she admits, can at times play out like “a bad teen movie.” But they also encourage the reader to reflect and attach scripts to their own heretofore “unscripted” experiences - which is especially important for teens. The purpose of the book is to ultimately give girls the courage and knowledge they need to follow their own path in life, rather than getting swept up in teenage drama (as Goyer herself did). The final component of this book is a spiritual one – Goyer discusses her relationship with God and what her experiences have taught her, and she presents scripture as yet another script for life. While this means that the book has a specific audience in mind, for those who are willing to follow Goyer on this interesting and meaningful journey, they will find both entertainment and inspiration in regards to their own chaotic lives.

Image: Amazon.com

MONEY FOR NOTHING, by Edward Ugel

“What would you do if you won the lottery?” This standard bit of party talk has a far-from-standard answer in Money for Nothing, Edward Ugel’s fascinating memoir about his years at The Firm, buying lottery winners out of their winnings for pennies on the dollar.

What a lovely daydream, all that money just falling out of the sky to pay off your house, send your kids to college, and take the family on a cruise. But as rosy as the fantasy sounds, the reality is that cash windfalls bring their own problems, some of them devastating. Ugel does a great job explaining why: The typical person who plays the lottery is not already rich. They don’t have a circle of trusted financial advisers helping them navigate the lottery system, invest (or spend) their winnings wisely, or deal with the many charities, friends, and family members who want a piece of the pie. Trying to be smart about it, they choose annual payments over a lump sum, and blow through the first check or two like air. All too soon they are living a high-flying lifestyle while juggling massive debt, unable to wait for the next annual check.

Enter The Firm. Like other companies, The Firm offers to buy out the remaining winnings and give the lottery winner a drastically reduced lump sum, solving the winner’s debt problems and making a huge profit on the investment. Legal? Absolutely. Morally shady? You bet. Ugel lived for the thrill of the chase, hooking big winners and reeling them in with standard sales tactics that worked all too well.

Money for Nothing is also Ugel’s memoir of his own addiction to gambling, and how far he would go to support his habit. It’s a compelling look at a world I’ve never seen, and left me feeling kind of slimy by association. These are not nice people, and reading about them was enough to keep me away from the casino for a good long while.

Overall, “Money for Nothing” is a little rough around the edges. Ugel is not a professional or particularly gifted writer, but his story is an eye opener in so many ways. Above all I have learned to be careful what I wish for. And also? If I ever win the lottery? TAKE THE LUMP SUM! And while this isn’t really a good choice for a book club, it seems like excellent reading for a lot of the men I know, and my husband is already immersed in my copy. Thumbs up!

The Dark Dreamweaver, by Nick Ruth

In The Dark Dreamweaver, as in many a fantasy book, a boy sets out on a strange and magical journey to change the world -- or at least himself.  Dark Dreamweaver is the second book in a series called "The Remin Chronicles" and provided much fodder for discussion among my kids -- between the mysterious nightmares plaguing the main character, David, at the beginning of the book and the life-science facts of monarch butterflies, there was no chance of them not being drawn in. They both have science twice a week at school, where they get to investigate animals both exotic (an iguana) and extremely local (a pregnant cricket found in the sandbox), so the butterfly stuff was very interesting to them. And as for the drama of a young boy with nightmares actually taking action and not only braving his worst fears, but eventually saving the world (well, pretty much) -- needless to say, this was an empowering concept. As a grown-up, the writing was engaging enough to keep me interested in it as the kids read the book aloud each night at bedtime. I'd definitely recommend the book to kids old enough to read chapter books on their own. And now we're going to check out the first book in the series!

(You can see more about the book here at www.reminchronicles.com and you can find more reviews of the book at MotherTalk)

Maximum Ride: Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports

If you’ve read James Patterson’s other books, chances are you’re not a kid. Unless, of course, you’ve been reading his Maximum Ride series, the newest of which recently hit shelves. For those who don’t know, the series follows a group of kids (the “flock”) who live in the not-too-distant future and possess bird-like qualities – such as the ability to fly. The main character is Max who, despite the name, is a girl, and the leader of the group as well as the narrator of the stories. The children, ranging in age from 6 to 14, were all experimented on (hence the bird DNA they now possess) and are now running for their lives. The first two books of the series were incredibly well received, resulting in FanFiction sites, blogs, a MySpace profile, and even a campaign to get the series put on the big screen. The newest in the series, Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports, finds the group on the run once again, with their adventures bringing them to locations as diverse as Dallas and Germany and consisting of everything from dungeons to romance to chocolate chip cookies. Young adults will find that the books are not only incredibly exciting adventure stories, made up of vivid imagery that brings the characters and their stories to life, but also that they contain aspects of life to which all kids can relate. These are the kinds of books kids will love and parents won’t understand – at least not from the animated synopses their kids provide. (Unless, of course, you were one of the parents able to crack the Pokemon code of speech.) The stories are both compelling and entertaining, and they all contain a healthy dose of both humor and fantasy. With a gap in the teen and tween literary sector thanks to the conclusion of the Harry Potter books, a new series will now have to step up in order to captivate young minds and instill an early love of reading – and these could be the stories to do just that.

Image: Amazon.com

Suzy Cohen's 24-Hour Pharmacist

In my younger days, my friendly neighborhood pharmacist was nothing more than a source of birth control. Once a month I'd show up at his window, avoid eye contact, then flee the drugstore clutching my anonymous white bag. We continued our non-relationship for years, and beyond "Have a nice day" I'm not sure we ever actually spoke.

Ah, the innocence of youth. Fast forward through years of fertility treatments, a high-risk pregnancy, raising a children with all the usual ear infections and childhood ailments. I'm sure you can imagine the cheers and applause when my sister married a pharmacist who owned his own drugstore. Let's just say his number was first on my speed dial.

Happily, I now have another source of expertise in Suzy Cohen's 24-Hour Pharmacist. She starts with fatigue, the boogeyman that haunts every mother I know, and trots out a few others as well: depression, anxiety, insomnia, hormonal highs and lows, cellulite, and weight loss. Then there's the big stuff like cancer and heart disease. Mixed in with that is a very detailed discussion of various drugs and their natural alternatives, including supplements and nutritional advice. But her opinions aren't extreme, which I appreciated. Sometimes natural supplements really are a better choice than drugs. But there have been times in my life when I needed chemicals, period. It's nice to read a balanced approach to both.

Of course, when reading this book (or her advice column), all the usual cautions apply: a pharmacist is not a doctor, and this book is no substitute for a detailed discussion with your medical caregiver. But this caveat actually highlights what I think is the book's single best quality: It helps me figure out the right questions to ask. I know, I know that I need to be an advocate for myself, my child, and my aging parents. But that's extraordinarily difficult when you're scared, naked and shivering in a paper johnny, talking to a fully-clothed medical professional who's in a hurry. The 24-Hour Pharmacist has given me the confidence to speak up, and the knowledge to identify questions I didn't even know I had.

Overall, this book is an excellent reference for common health problems and their treatments. But it's begging for a second edition that includes conditions like infertility. (Even if fertility treatments are less common to the overall population, the sheer number of drugs women like me are taking might warrant its inclusion.) And because it's a reference, I would also lobby for a more detailed index that includes brand-name and generic drugs. But even as it is, it touches on 90% of the health issues my family deals with, and is a great jumping off point for my next doctor's appointment.

Image: B&N

MotherTalk Blog Tour: Once Upon A Day

  Back when I had all the time in the world to read, I'd never abandon a book without finishing it. Even if I couldn't stand it, I had to get to the end. It was the principle of the thing. I'd started it, I had to finish it. Now, though, with two kids, work, and book deadlines of my own, I have no qualms about giving up on a book that doesn't hook me. For some books, that means hanging in for the first hundred pages to see if something meandering strengthens into something compelling. For other books, the first page is all I can manage. (I am shameless about this impatience: absolute dealbreakers for me are protagonists with folksy, metaphorical names and characters who live in folksy, metaphorical towns – Justice Walker from Perfect, Texas? Sorry, not reading. Precious Beauregard from Truth, Alabama? That goes right back on the shelf.) Nowadays, I admit, I am brutal with my judgment. With little time to read for pleasure, I want to make sure what I'm reading is truly pleasurable. I'm happy to say that Lisa Tucker's Once Upon A Day was a pleasure. 

I was a fan of her earlier novel, The Song Reader, and I had high expectations for this one. Luckily, I wasn't disappointed, and I not only stuck with this one all the way through, I couldn't put it down. I read through it in an afternoon, and though it's not a perfect book, it was a wonderful read. Tucker follows several characters whose stories intersect in ways that become clearer as the novel goes along. There is Dorothea, a woman in her 20s out in the world for the first time since leaving her overprotective father in search of her runaway brother; Stephen, a doctor-turned-cabdriver (and yes, that was perilously close to the "Precious Beauregard" issue for me, but I went with it); and the parallel tale of a controlling film director and his actress wife (whom we deduce along the way are Dorothea's parents).

As in Tucker's other books, her compassion for her characters shines through. Though Dorothea's father is clearly obsessive and controlling, Tucker never paints him as an animal, and the issues she confronts are never black and white. At some points in the book, I almost wished Tucker could come down harder on her characters – judge them more harshly, fit them into some rights and wrongs. But I appreciated the way she maneuvered through murky, complicated personalities and situations that are of course never clear-cut in real life. I highly recommend the book – it's readable, compelling, engaging, and thoughtful, and you'll be glad you read it all the way through.

Check out Tucker's website

By Guest Blogger!: Andi Buchanan

The No-Cry Discipline Solution

For all of those parents out there struggling to discipline their child of any age, help has arrived in the form of Elizabeth Pantley’s newest No-Cry book, The No-Cry Discipline Solution. Although most parents think they have already tried everything possible to get their child to stop biting, lying, hitting, and so on, this book is different. What’s unique about Pantley’s form of discipline is that, besides offering specific solutions to common problems, she also helps you examine your own beliefs and the needs of your child to find a style of discipline that’s right for you.  With her usual straight-forward approach, she helps you to get to the root of the problem your child may be having and to use discipline successfully to not only correct behavior at that moment, but also teach a lesson, provide your child with tools to become self-disciplined, and build your relationship with your child, which all help to ensure that discipline is not simply a “quick-fix,” but, rather, a lasting solution. Pantley also provides stories from the hundreds of parents and children she worked with during the creation of her book, as well as a guide to predict future behavior from that of the present, tips to help you to enjoy each day with your child, advice for controlling your anger no matter what you’re faced with, and suggestions regarding specific discipline problems. Pantley’s solution helps keep Mom grounded, levelheaded, and well-prepared, thus ensuring that kids keep learning, growing, and behaving – all without any more whining or tantrums. When Pantley says No-Cry she means it, as her guide can help keep your child – and you – tear-free when approaching the arduous task of discipline.

Image: B&N

Doocy Time: The Book to Make You Laugh Out Loud!

I just finished reading Fox and Friends host Steve Doocy’s new book, The Mr. and Mrs. Happy Handbook: Everything I Know About Love and Marriage (With Corrections by Mrs. Doocy). Honestly I was laughing out loud so much reading it on a shuttle flight home that four different people asked me what the heck was cracking me up so much! So I raved about the book, insisted on reading them the hilarious episode of the moment, and they all wanted to know when the book launches (it just did this week!).

What I told them, and it is true, is that I cannot remember the last book that had me giggling so much that others around me started laughing too, they could not resist. This continued curled up with an afghan on my couch at home, which lead my kids Kyle and Brooks to announce how embarrassing a Mom I could be at times!

Just to give you a quick idea about just how crazy the book is, here are a few scenes that I loved the most (there are so many):

~ Soup kitchen volunteering that led to a gas explosion and singed eyebrows, followed later by a pot-holder flame up

~ The neighbors whose parents sent their kids over for the whole day, and then sent their nanny along with a chicken

~ Repeat tetanus shots with a disbelieving physician at the emergency room: "What happened with your lawnmower?!"

~ Wacky Richard Simmons breaking poor Steve Doocy’s nose

~ Pouring, unrelenting rain at the campground and what decent food a six-pack of beer can really be traded for at a Boy Scouts campsite!

Curious about just what these might mean? You HAVE to read the book! Oh my...I am laughing as I page back through the book, looking for the pages that I turned down the corners to remember.  And his wife’s voice is warm and funny too: kind of reads like Ellen DeGeneres if she was a Mom. “Ok, Oh boy,...kids come with me...honey, you are fine...not a problem!”

Just last week my husband and I celebrated our 19th wedding anniversary, and hearing Steve Doocy's take on what makes a happy marriage really resonated with me!

Image from: Amazon