The Tallest of Smalls

In Max Lucado's new children's book, The Tallest of Smalls, a young boy name Ollie wants desperately to fit in with all the other people in the town of Stiltsville. The cool people of the town decide who can and who can not wear the stilts. One day he is finally chosen but soon finds out that it Is not what he expected it to be. When Ollie needs help, he finds that none of the cool people are there to help him. Ollie soon discovers what it is really like to be cool. It isn't until Jesus comes to him that he realizes he is perfect the way he is and that is he loved by those who matter most just the way he is.

More children's books need to be made and read to children with this message. Just because someone is in the cool crowd, it doesn't mean they are a good person. You really have to become a part of that group to find out that popularity does not make a person good. This is a wonderful book for parents to read to their children and keep reading to remind them of what it means to be loved. You are made the way you are and you shouldn't change it to fit in!

The Search for God and Guinness

Mostly everyone knows the name Guinness, the dark beer made in Ireland mostly drank on Saint Patrick's Day. But unless you have gone to Ireland or read about Arthur Guinness, the man who started the company, you would not know much else about this product. Returning from a trip to Ireland, relatives informed me of the nutritional value found within a Guinness. No one knew the spiritual and giving side that can be found inside each bottle. I had no idea the man who started a company brewing beer did such well for an entire country. You would never think someone who brews beer would care about the well being of a country and all the workers they employed. What amazed me more was the fact that as the years have gone on, the Guinness ancestors who took over the company kept on caring and doing all they could and more than what was already done to help the workers and families of this company. This book is great for anyone interested in both the wonderful company Guinness is and the amazing history of beer. Never would I have imagined it was around for so long. I chose to read this book because it was about Guinness, and being Irish you tend to have a special place in your heart for anything Ireland-related, but quickly found myself proud of the nation I came from and proud of the people it creates. Arthur Guinness was one of the few great business men of the late 18^th early 19^th century. He's the type of man who makes you proud to be Irish!

Kabul 24

In the book Kabul 24 by Henry O. Arnold and Ben Pearson, the story of Shelter Now International workers capture, trial and release from the Taliban is told in a profound way. The story goes further into detail than the news ever gave. How these individuals survived this event is unbelievable. To sum up the story, these individuals were set up by the Taliban and the people they thought they were helping. They were invited into these homes and used as game pieces in a well thought out game of strategy. These men KNEW what they were doing and actually thought out the best way to get the US!!! The capture of these workers happened just before 9/11 and it was planned to happen that way in order to attack the US. These amazing people dealt with the most uncivilized, disgusting people I have ever read about! The way these workers and some of their families describe what they went through actually made my heart beat in my throat at times. These workers used their belief in God to get through this unbelievable experience. All this took place because they THOUGHT these people were teaching Christianity and they weren't. No facts were checked, no investigations… It was almost like the Salem Witch Trials! No justice can take place when you are dealing with people like the Taliban. They don't care who you are, where you come from… they will kill you just for not being a Muslim. The charges these individuals faced were made up and in no way would they have stuck in the United States Judicial System. This is an AMAZING book… If you want to learn about how the Taliban and some people in Afghanistan treat foreigners you must read this book. I had no idea some of these people do the things they do to Americans. A movie based on this book will be coming out soon and I will be watching it! The authors did such a great job describing the pain these individuals went through. Although the book is about Christian missionaries, the majority of the book only discusses what they went through and doesn't make it all about the Christian faith so if you are concerned that this book will be filled with religious sentiment, I can honestly tell you it is not. Everyone should read this book… especially those who think the Taliban is not a real threat!

From Peanuts to the Pressbox

Eli Gold has been a sportscaster for over 25 years. He began his work as a young man, not even out of high school, on the radio and eventually landed on TV, doing commentary for NASCAR. Along the way he met many fellow sportscasters who would one day become well known to many, including Marv Albert and Bob Costas. Eli has covered a wide array of sporting events- from hockey to NASCAR. His dream began as a little boy listening to the radio before bed and even now has not diminished regardless of the success he has achieved as a renowned sportscaster.

Eli's book starts off telling the story of a young boy who dreamed of one day working on the radio, doing what he loved to do most- talking about sports. The book does not really go too deeply into Eli's life but it does describe the world of sports during the 1970's to today wonderfully. This book is wonderful for any sports enthusiast. Not being one myself, I still found myself pulled in to the many stories Eli tells about the world of sports and all the amazing people he got a chance to meet. A quick, great read!

Knockout Entrepreneur

In this book by Heavyweight Boxer George Foreman, the tools needed to succeed in life and business is given to you in an easy to understand manner. George Foreman gives you all the tools he used when building his business and tells you how to do it while showing you that if he didn't try he wouldn't be who he is. Along with the helpful tips given by George, he tells stories about what happened to him- during his boxing career, regarding the grill and much more. Not once while reading this book do you feel like you are reading a self help book. The way George tells stories about his life and how he made his business is comforting. The book makes you feel like you are talking to a close family friend, giving you advice when you are having a bad day and need a little boost. The advice given is things you may have heard all your life but they are very helpful. You never know what can happen to you if you try. There is always something better out there for you. George makes it seem like you can do everything you want as long as you believe in what you are trying to do. A wonderful book for everyone!

New Obsession????

A few weeks ago I saw online that the trailer for the new Tim Burton film was avaliable and clicked on to see. Little did I know that by watching that clip I would instantly be sucked into a new obsession.

The film, Alice in Wonderland, stars Johnny Depp (ahh I love him!), Helena Bonham Carter, Anne Hathaway (bleh) and others.

The movie looks amazing...I can't wait to see it.

Now that doesn't sound weird until you take a little look further into my brain. The reason I believe it is a new obsession is because I have watched the clip at least a dozen times, googled it more than that, started listening to the audio book of the Lewis Carroll novel, watched the Disney version, and even downloaded a song onto my iPod.

These are not normal events!!! I've been trying to figure out why I have become so fascinated by this movie and I think the reasons are (a) JOHNNY!!!! (b) JOHNNY AND TIM BURTON!!! and finally (c) a little part of me has always been obsessed with Alice in Wonderland.

My reason for explanation C is because when I was like 8 years old I used to watch one TV show before school every single day. It was called Adventures in Wonderland and I LOVED IT!!!!! I still miss it and look for it on DVD and iTunes. It was about a girl who would walk through her bedroom mirror and enter Wonderland and discover new things... My favorite episode was when she learned that Luden's Cherry Throat Drops were not candy; they were medicine and she should not eat them like candy... I know cheesy, but it's Disney!!! Oh and I also dressed as Alice for Halloween when I was I wanna say 6 and carried around my stuffed White Rabbit.

It was until a few weeks before the trailer came out that I had an unexplainable need to download the audio book of Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll... partly because I got it for free, possibly because it is narrated by the same man who narrates Pushing Daisies, but I think I've always wanted to know what the book was like.

I still keep thinking about how my go-to movie is still Disney's Alice in Wonderland and how I watch it before I go to bed, which does give me weird dreams I have to say... I once dreamt I was dancing around a giant umbrella like the Walrus did

.... I know, I'm very strange....

Oh, did I mention my new love of croquet?!

I must stop and enjoy my new love of Alice in Wonderland for who knows how long it will last... It seems to have lasted 18 years.... who knows how much longer?!

What's He Really Thinking

What's He Really Thinking is a book written about the differences between men and woman and how to better understand them. Upon seeing the book I was really interested in reading it because I have wondered many times, "Why do men do what they do?" and "What are they thinking?". Paula Rinehart does go into some very good details about the history of men and women, all the way back to the biblical era.

Having such high expectations about this book, I was seriously disappointed . Within the first ten pages, I was lost. I had little interest in finishing, but did. I may be too young to understand all the details Paula gives regarding her thirty year marriage, but I felt like a lot of the things she said were just not relatable to a younger audience. I believe that if you are in your late 20’s maybe 30’s and you are still having a difficult time understanding the male psyche, then this is the perfect book for you. I appreciate the work she did and all the interesting facts she has given, but I think that if you are in your early twenties you should stick to books like He’s Just Not That Into You. I think a little part of every woman will always wonder about what men are thinking.