Book Review Party Wednesday (giveaway) - Starts Now!

<a href="http://cymlowell.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="CymLowell" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2442/3960797566_f11cfb2f41_o.jpg" /></a>

Welcome to Book Review Party Wednesday.

It is real simple. Link up any (old or new, any genre) book review that you have written to the below MckLinky.

A couple of things to remember while you're linking.

1. Add a permalink to your specific post, not the main page of your blog (only one review per blog).
2. Add my Book Review Wednesday Badge or a link-back to the party at the end of your review post.
3. List the name of your blog, Title of Book or Genre. Be sure to use spaces and limit characters to 50. For example: The Lost Symbol, thriller

4. Become a follower of my blog, pretty please (not mandatory).
5. Visit the other linked up reviews and leave comments....it's a party, have fun!
6. I will announce the winner in a weekend post. The winner is chosen from the linked up reviewers using Random Number Generator. All included.

I am so excited to be reading all the reviews! This is always so much fun and gives me the opportunity to add new books to my list (& now check out book covers).

-CYM

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Discovering God by Rodney Stark

Discovering God by Rodney Stark
Harper One/HarperCollins 2007
ISBN-13: 978-0061626012

Regardless of our religious beliefs, or professed absence of beliefs, each of us has questions about divinity, history, evolution, and religion. The range of questions for many of us expands as we mature and think about our place in the scheme of the world and evaluate the principles that we follow in our lives.

In Discovering God, a social sciences professor (Rodney Stark of Baylor University) traces the history of the religions of the world beginning with our ancient Neanderthal ancestors. He evaluates the historic and popular explanations of religious belief at each stage of history. He does not seek to present the “truth”. Rather, the mission is to present the historic picture with commentary so that readers can seek their own conclusions.

This is a fascinating book. It does not matter what you believe, or think you believe to enjoy this easily read travelogue of religious history. Old Testament, New Testament, Koran, and other texts are reviewed in terms of their historic origins, questions about authenticity, and so on.

Like most non-Muslims, I seem to have constant questions about the history of Islam and its relationship to Jewish and Christian belief. Why is history so full of warfare between and among these groups? Why cannot the tensions in the Middle East be resolved? Not just between Islam and other religions, but within Islam?

Indeed, as we read and think about history, it is brutally apparent that no religion group can claim any higher ground than another in this regard. There has been hate and genocide all around.

The history and practice of Hinduism and Bhuddism is equally fascinating. As India and China continue to become major players in the world, the predominant religions in those countries also help to explain their distinctive cultures.

Make a gift to yourself and read this book. Then ask yourself: what do I actually believe with respect to my own faith and where did it come from?

Warms, Cym

Resource Links:
Rodney Stark

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So Much To Be Thankful For

At Thanksgiving time, we all pause to bask in the glory of the bounty that God bestows upon us. We each have so much to be thankful for. I am thankful for a life full of happiness. A sweetheart who loves me, a family of mature and moving along children and growing gleeful grandchildren, friends who take and give unending harassment, colleagues who work hard to bring economic bounty, a blog full of on-line friends who come together to share the joy of reading and exchanging reviews, and a future full of joy and fulfillment. One of God’s essential commitments to us is the provision of free will to seek out our own happiness. It is there. Sometimes we have to go look, or find spring in our step to jump over the hurdles, lest they become barriers to the way forward.

I wish you all a Joyous Thanksgiving. What are you thankful for? Please feel free to share your own feelings of thankfulness and links to your Thanksgiving posts.

Warms-CYM

**Book Review Wednesday will Resume Next Week**

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The Trials of Zion by Alan M. Dershowitz

The Trials of Zion
by Alan M. Dershowitz
Grand Central Publishing 2010
ISBN-13: 978-0446576734

Imagine that your precious only daughter has just graduated from law school and seems enchanted with a young Palestinian that she worked with in law school. The young man has invited her to come to Israel to work on the defense of a Palestinian accused of triggering a bomb in a prominent Israeli hotel that murdered the U.S. President, the Prime Minister of Israel, and the Hamas leader shortly to become President of the newly established Palestinian state, as the leaders were about to announce their agreement.

You are also a famous trial lawyer who has defended a long line of detestable characters, winning a reputation as a genius.

Your daughter defies your wishes, as young people will do, and goes to Israel to begin work on the case. Shortly thereafter, she is kidnapped.

What would you do? Probably go to Israel as Abraham Ringel and his former spy wife did.

The Trials of Zion is a fine thriller written by a famous lawyer and law professor, perhaps envisioning himself in the situation of his protagonist. In any event, this is a superbly well crafted story. It flows easily. Mr. Dershowitz includes an interesting history of families that immigrated to Israel at the time of the American Civil War as elements of the Zionist movement. The stories of these families shed light on the intrigues of the story.

In thrillers, it seems there is often violence and one dimensional characters. In The Trials of Zion, you will enjoy a touching story full of characters who have histories, secrets from each other, romantic interests, fears and hopes, and content. This is a story that I was sad to see end.

Aside from the excellent story and fine writing, the background of The Trials of Zion provides an interesting commentary on the real world struggles of the people of the Holy Land, and the role of Iran today, without judgmental commentary one way or another. In the end, the identity of the bad guys provides a clever, fascinating, thoughtful, and surprising ending.

Put this one on your list!

Warms, Cym
*Thank you Brad for the opportunity to review*

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Book Review Party Wednesday (giveaway) - Starts Now!

<a href="http://cymlowell.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="CymLowell" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2442/3960797566_f11cfb2f41_o.jpg" /></a>

Welcome to Book Review Party Wednesday.

It is real simple. Link up any (old or new, any genre) book review that you have written to the below MckLinky.

A couple of things to remember while you're linking.

1. Add a permalink to your specific post, not the main page of your blog (only one review per blog).
2. Add my Book Review Wednesday Badge or a link-back to the party at the end of your review post.
3. List the name of your blog, Title of Book or Genre. Be sure to use spaces and limit characters to 50. For example: The Lost Symbol, thriller

4. Become a follower of my blog, pretty please (not mandatory).
5. Visit the other linked up reviews and leave comments....it's a party, have fun!
6. I will announce the winner in a weekend post. The winner is chosen from the linked up reviewers using Random Number Generator. All included.

I am so excited to be reading all the reviews! This is always so much fun and gives me the opportunity to add new books to my list (& now check out book covers).

-CYM

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The Pearls of the Stone Man

The Pearls of the Stone Man
by Edward Mooney Jr.
Sourcebooks Landmark/Sourcebooks


Have you ever made promises to your spouse, which never seem to quite get completed? Have you ever worried about aging, about surviving the death of your spouse, or your own mortality? Hope repairing the broken relationship with an adult child, or a child wrapped up in a separate life?

The Pearls of the Stone Man is a love story that is an enjoyable read. Joseph has allowed himself to become overwhelmed by all of the above questions as he ages. In his case, the biggest unfulfilled promise is to build a stone wall around their mountain retreat, which she fondly recalled from her own youth as providing a source of safety and connection.

As he begins the process, once again, Joseph embarks on a course through each of those emotional questions. He finds new friends along the way, including a series of love letters from what could have been a predictable source.

In following Joseph’s course, including a climb up the mountain and the pearls he bestows on those who come to him, the Stone Man, I thought about my own life, including relationship with my parents and children. I found myself thinking through each of these questions.

If you enjoy thinking and feeling as you empathize with the struggles of a man who is far stronger than he may seem to others, you will love this book as I did.

Edward Mooney, Jr. tells a compelling story in patient prose. I would enjoy sitting on Joseph’s porch hearing some of those pearls myself.

Warms, Cym

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Japan

I have been out of town this week and consider myself fortunate to have such great clients in Japan. I was able to take time away from business and celebrate one of our sadly missed friends who is now deceased. Our friend loved to come to this lovely Chinese restaurant in Tokyo. Being here brought me much joy and remembrance.

Warms-CYM

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Winner of the Wednesday Blog Book Review Party and Blog Spotlight!

And the winner of the Amazon Gift Card ($15 value) from Wednesday's Review Party is...

(**Drums Rolling in the Background**)

Congratulations to Knitting and Sundries!



Be sure to check out  JewelKnits and leave a comment!


Email me so I can have the Amazon eGC delivered to your inbox.

Warms-
CYM

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Paste

I had so much fun shopping this site and picking out images to share with you in this post! I love to find unusual artwork and that it has a book theme is a BONUS! So, enjoy some of my favorites and take a minute to visit Paste. Don't forget that the Holidays are upon us and these would make great gifts.

XOXO-

beachbrights

(guest blogger)

*via BluePrintBliss

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Book Review Party Wednesday (giveaway!) - Starts NOW!

<a href="http://cymlowell.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="CymLowell" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2442/3960797566_f11cfb2f41_o.jpg" /></a>

Welcome to Book Review Party Wednesday.

It is real simple. Link up any (old or new, any genre) book review that you have written to the below MckLinky.

A couple of things to remember while you're linking.

1. Add a permalink to your specific post, not the main page of your blog (only one review per blog).
2. Add my Book Review Wednesday Badge or a link-back to the party at the end of your review post.
3. List the name of your blog, Title of Book or Genre. Be sure to use spaces and limit characters to 50. For example: The Lost Symbol, thriller

4. Become a follower of my blog, pretty please (not mandatory).
5. Visit the other linked up reviews and leave comments....it's a party, have fun!
6. I will announce the winner in a weekend post. The winner is chosen from the linked up reviewers using Random Number Generator. All included.

I am so excited to be reading all the reviews! This is always so much fun and gives me the opportunity to add new books to my list (& now check out book covers).

-CYM

Read More

Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin

Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln
by Doris Kearns Goodwin
Simon & Schuster Paperbacks 2010, originally in Blithedale Publications 2005


This wonderful history is the story of Abraham Lincoln from the time he began seeking public office, to his election in 1860, through the Civil War, and to his death in by assassin’s bullet in 1865.

Doris Kearns Goodwin is a phenomenal historian, able to meld the letters, diaries, and other data into the well documented story. This 916 page tome is complete. It is a historian’s history. At each stage of Lincoln’s life in these times, as well as those of his Cabinet members and their families, Ms. Goodwin is able to put personal flesh on the bones of the events.

If you want to learn of the details of Lincoln’s life, challenges, marriage, contemporaries, rivals, and enemies, this is the encyclopedia for your study.

On the other hand, this wonderfully told story is also far more. It provides a fascinating portrait of how each of us should lead our own lives. None of us faces the cataclysmic challenges as did the “rail-splitter” as Lincoln was often derisively described. But each of us faces challenge, insult, diminution, opportunity, and quandary in our lives on a daily basis. We all have to sort our way through these elements to find our own way. Do we follow the lead or demand of others? Do we succumb to fear of confrontation? Do we find buoyancy no matter how often we are dunked under the water?

In this fascinating story of President in crisis, there is instruction in how to lead our own lives. Lincoln’s example is that patience is required to let the events of our lives evolve around us, taking our own counsel to find the way forward. When others intrude on our own space, take our time to determine whether response is appropriate or to allow the intrusion to find its own reward as we step out of the way of the approaching freight train.

As I read these pages, I found myself wondering about the counsel that Abe would offer on the challenges and mysteries of my life. His advice seemed to be clear many times over: “be patient, let the events evolve as they will, always keeping your feet grounded in your own principles.”

This is a phenomenal work of art. I encourage you to read it as I did, and as I do on Sunday mornings in church: what is the meaning of these words for my life. I think that you will find, as I did, meaning beyond whatever you may have imagined.

Thank you Doris!

Warms, Cym

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A Weekend at the Lake

In early November, East Texas can be wonderful.

It is this weekend, a grandson who loves to swim and play football (and in bed early after hunting gorillas and snakes, swimming, riding a 4-wheeler, and playing catch). Bliss!

Warms-CYM

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Winner of the Wednesday Blog Book Review Party and Blog Spotlight!

And the winner of the Amazon Gift Card ($15 value) from Wednesday's Review Party is...

(**Drums Rolling in the Background**)

Congratulations to Leslie @Under My Apple Tree



Be sure to check out Under My Apple Tree and leave a comment!


Email me so I can have the Amazon eGC delivered to your inbox.

Warms-
CYM

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Carrying Books

Lands End $138

Kibber's Shop, The Highlander $99

Louis Vuitton, Wilshire GM $1,160

JCrew $325

Bayanhippo's Shop, Worthy Bag $42

Miyabags $56.50

Gucci $1,900

Target $29.99

Kate Spade $375

Mediumcontrol's Shop, Bauhaus Block $34.00

How do you carry your books? Which one is your favorite?

~XOXO~

beachbrights

(guest blogger)

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Book Review Party Wednesday (giveaway!) - Starts Tonight

<a href="http://cymlowell.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="CymLowell" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2442/3960797566_f11cfb2f41_o.jpg" /></a>

Welcome to Book Review Party Wednesday.

It is real simple. Link up any (old or new, any genre) book review that you have written to the below MckLinky.

A couple of things to remember while you're linking.

1. Add a permalink to your specific post, not the main page of your blog (only one review per blog).
2. Add my Book Review Wednesday Badge or a link-back to the party at the end of your review post.
3. List the name of your blog, Title of Book or Genre. Be sure to use spaces and limit characters to 50. For example: The Lost Symbol, thriller

4. Become a follower of my blog, pretty please (not mandatory).
5. Visit the other linked up reviews and leave comments....it's a party, have fun!
6. I will announce the winner in a weekend post. The winner is chosen from the linked up reviewers using Random Number Generator. All included.

I am so excited to be reading all the reviews! This is always so much fun and gives me the opportunity to add new books to my list (& now check out book covers).

-CYM

Read More