The Far Away Brothers - Lauren Markham

The immigration story never look as if to leave the headlines for long, so The Far Away Brothers will, regrettably, be timely for many years to come, or at least until some of the unbearable chaos in much of Latin America is fixed.
Until then, The Far Away Brothers will be a vital read, providing a very personal account of one family's efforts at dealing with the gang-related violence in El Salvador. This is a much too current story, and the names have been changed of all the vital players because there is still the possible for retribution, both to family members in the US and still back in their home village.

A farmer whose only real "capital" is his land ends up taking out high interest loans to pay coyotes to smuggle out his identical twin sons when their lives appear to be in impending danger if they do not join the most vicious of street gangs. Lauren Markham details the horrendous days and weeks the boys suffered in their journey through Mexico and into the US, providing a picture of what dozens and hundreds of people are meeting every day. She meets the boys when they are finally in California, in a high school where she is on staff and where the boys have to rush through layers of administration and paperwork to get their green cards before their critical 18th birthday.

To provide a better view of the situation, Markham traveled to El Salvador and talk to family members still there. We see the impact of the rising debt from those coyote payments, the complications the boys have in making even the smallest of payments toward the debt, and the discouragement continuing unrest and crime has brought to those who are unable to make the trek themselves. I obtained this book from Blogging For Books for an honest review.

Start where you are note cards: By: Meera Lee Patel

There are really no words that can describe these not cards. The water color art is just breathe taking and the quaility of the cards are outstanding. I used them as a gift for my daughter in law's mother and she cried when she opened them. Tears of joy of course and she went out and purchased frames, framed them and have them hanging through out her home. When asked where she purchased the art she simply says " My daughter's mother in law gave me the cards and I framed them. They are to beautiful to write on. "
I obtained this book from Blogging For Books for an honest review.

We Stood Upon Stars: Roger W. Thompson

What a great read! The author uses vivid descriptions without being long-winded. If you enjoy reading a book and being able to "feel" and "see" locations and experiences; then this is the book for you. I feel like the author does a great job of taking the reader along on his expeditions - both physical and spiritual. I loved how each chapter was a little nugget of laughter ; while a few made me cry. I found myself gripping the book and reading then rereading certain chapters that really hit home. It was hilarious but real.
I obtained this book from Blogging For Books for an honest review.

In A Different Key By John Donvan

As an aunt to a child with autism, this was a much needed read. It didn't teach me much about my nephew (except that his impressive indifference to cold is seemingly part of his autism). But it gave me a whole lot of view, and filled me with appreciation - for all the individuals who worked so hard to get to where we are today, where identification leads to services rather than blame and institutionalization. What individual parents were able to achieve is so inspirational, it has me reassessing what more I could be doing. The book was well written and drew me in quickly. Somewhere after the first 300 pages it became a little relaxed, but there was always enough to keep me reading and I'm very glad I did.
I received this book from bloggingforbooks.com in exchange for an honest review.

This too shall pass; By: Milena Busquets

This Too Shall Pass by Milena Busquets is a deep emotional ride. Booklovers similar to myself won't ever forget it. Milena Busquets transported me to Spain. This was a story of a forty-year-old woman who has just lost her mother. The daughter is talking about her life and journey to her deceased mother. The shock and sadness that the main character felt and thought reminded me of my own feelings when I loss my mother and grandparents. The point of view from the daughter was thought-provoking. I found myself lost in this woman's sadness, discovery, and existence. I enjoyed reading this summer novel and it was absolutely an uplifting story from what I have read in the past. The tale is about love and loss,deep reflection, and complex. The passages played before me but it was like getting tiny sights into the forty-year-old woman's life. Once her mother passed away, it was like everything didn't have any meaning. I applaud this novel and recommend to all. It definitely has kept me guesstimating.
I received this book from bloggingforbooks.com in exchange for an honest review.

The Hum of Angels: Listening for the Messengers of God Around Us: By: Scot Mcknight

I really respected Scot McKnight's book, The Hum of Angels: Listening for the Messengers of God Around us. Should be considered as an unrestricted source of knowledge and a great resource book, which will be used often by my entire family. There is such an interest with angels, and most do not know if angels are real or not, and McKnight answers this inquiry on scriptural grounds, saying, "Yes, they are real!" The book is in four fragments, with 23 chapters in the book, each averaging about 8 pages each. So, it's a tranquil boo to read. The 4 parts are as follows 1. In Defense of Angels 2. God's Loving Presence In Angels 3. God's Loving Advocacy From Angels, and 4. God's Loving Transformation Through Angels My utmost gratefulness is that Mr. McKnight moves through scripture to prove the realism of angels. At one point he described if we don't believe in angels, they how can we have faith in the Bible, since the Bible declares angels are real. He used an abundant arrangement of scripture which was very supportive and helped his disagreement. I received this book from bloggingforbooks.com in exchange for an honest review.

Fun way to teach animal facts - Amazing Animal Facts - 50 Colorable Postcards - By: Maja Safstrom

I was so excited that these came in the mail. I have 4 grandchildren, me being a fact junking and their love to be read to this is the prefect item to use for grandparent bonding. When I opened the box I was in awe and couldn't wait to share them with my grandchildren. I took out 7 cards, I colored them and I decided to do a card of facts a day. Each card is very informative and are a treasure. Although I would not recommend them for mailing use I would recommend them for educational purposes. My grandson who will be 2 in June loves to sit on my lap as I read him the facts and point to the picture so he knows exactly what I am talking about. I try to make the noise of each animal so he can mimic them. He loves the shark postcard! When I read the facts, say the word shark, he opens his mouth and goes yum yum. He is too funny. I would recommend this to any parent, grandparent, care giver or educational provider. I received this book from bloggingforbooks.com in exchange for an honest review.