Well maybe the promise of exiting blog hibernation in one fell swoop was a bit premature, but so be it. I have plenty of ideas rolling around in my brain, but I'm not ready to put them out in public. Maybe a blog isn't the best idea then...
I'm running intervals once a week as suggested by a friend, and debating signing up for a 5 or 10K charity race in mid-November. The extremist in me (thanks Dad) wants to go for the 10K. I'm thinking I will try to cover 10K one day at the gym (with treadmill set to 1 incline to better mimic road conditions) and see how long it takes me. If I can finish the distance and still walk out of the gym under my own power then I'll figure I have 5 weeks to get down to a respectable time. I think at heart I'm a distance runner and 5K just doesn't seem like enough of a challenge right now, although it might be. Fortunately with the weather turning a bit cooler I'm finally getting outside to run more often. The dog is certainly enjoying the additional exercise. Oh, and I found out that there is a Grand Canyon marathon every year in November-ish. Obviously not a possibility this year, but someday...

Run run

Chris and I joined the gym and I've been running regularly again and doing some light weights. Not sure why I've gained about 7 lbs since then, but oh well. I hope it's all muscle. My current goal is to improve my 3 mile time- Friday was my first attempt and I was at about 39 minutes. I'd like to get closer to 30 minutes and be running a 10 minute mile but that's probably a ways off. I keep struggling with whether to increase speed or distance or both. I've been listening to audiobooks when I run which really helps cut the boredom factor since the treadmill maintains the speed for me. Right now it's The Hiding Place by Cori Ten Boom. This one has been on my to-read list for a while and it is a fascinating story. Granted some parts of the story are sad and it is difficult to run while all choked up, but I manage.
I even took the dog out for a run yesterday evening. She was pretty well-behaved, all things considered. I think she was just happy to be outdoors since she's been in forced hibernation all summer. I really want it to be hiking season (should cool down enough in a month or so) so we can try hiking with her this year. Here's a picture of a happy Ava just for good measure. I wish I could run a few miles as easily as she does.

Coming Out of Hibernation

Cautiously. I guess it is fitting since I live in Phoenix that my blog hibernated all summer. Granted it is still 100*+ so we aren't out of the heat yet, but I"m cautiously bringing my blog out of hibernation after a 6 month hiatus and several months before that of only posting book reviews.
I guess we'll see how it goes.

The Mountains Bow Down- Sibella Giorello

The Mountains Bow Down is the second book in the Raleigh Harmon series that I've had the opportunity to review, and I have to say I enjoyed this one more than the first. I appreciated all of the minutiae of being on a high-class cruise ship- all of the things that go on in the background or under the radar of the guests. There was a bit of humor in the malaprops of her old boss, and of course the background stress of Raleigh's changing feelings for her fiance and for Jack, her partner in solving crime.

Here's the Amazon product description

Everything's going to work out. Time away always makes things better . . .
That's what FBI Special Agent Raleigh Harmon believes as she boards a cruise to Alaska. A land of mountains and gems and minerals, the Last Frontier is a dream destination for this forensic geologist who's hoping to leave behind a hectic work schedule and an engagement drained of romance.
But when a passenger goes missing and winds up dead, Raleigh's vacation suddenly gets lost at sea. The ship's security chief tries to rule the death a suicide, but Raleigh's forensics background points to a much darker conclusion: Somewhere onboard, a ruthless murderer walks free.
Engulfed by one of her toughest cases yet, Raleigh requests assistance from the FBI and receives her nemesis-handsome Special Agent Jack Stephanson. As the cruise ship sails through the Inside Passage, Raleigh has five days to solve a high-profile murder, provide consultation for a movie filming onboard, and figure out her increasingly complicated feelings for Jack-who might not be as arrogant as she originally thought.
And that's only her work life. Family offers even more challenges. Joined on the cruise by her mother and aunt, Raleigh watches helplessly as disturbing rifts splinter her family.
Like the scenery that surrounds the cruise ship, Raleigh discovers a mystery so daunting that even the mountains might bow down before it.

My one objection to this book was the ending. It felt like everything wrapped up a bit too quickly and too neatly. The plot device about having to get off of the cruise ship meant that the case had to be solved in under 5 days, but the ending did feel a bit contrived. Of course there are enough loose ends to make sure that the author has to continue the series, but it doesn't feel like she stretched things out there more than necessary.

I received a free copy of this book from Litfuse in exchange for my honest review. The links to the rest of the blog tour are here along with a chance to win a $500 gift certificate towards a cruise.

Mere Churchianity- Michael Spencer

Admittedly, this book sat on my desk for a while before I decided to give it a go. As usual I received a free copy of Mere Churchianity from Waterbrook Multnomah in exchange for an honest review.
Before I dig into the review can I just say that I love all of these book programs? I'm an avid reader and I have as many books as I can handle just from these. They're the main reason that this blog has mostly turned into a place to house book reviews.
Anyways, Mere Churchianity. The Publisher's Weekly review says, "Spencer, who blogged as the Internet Monk until his untimely death earlier this year, offers a harsh assessment of institutional Christianity-"churchianity." He speaks to the millions who, according to surveys, have changed religions or left them altogether. He takes special aim at evangelical megachurches and prosperity gospel preachers, though he also doesn't spare those who link Jesus to the flag or sociopolitical causes. None of this, he insists, has anything to do with Jesus, who was Jewish (not American), hung out with people others rejected, and made disciples instead of buildings. He advocates "Jesus-shaped spirituality," which can be found in service and scripture and, most important, won't necessarily make you smile, because it can be hard to practice. Like so many critics of the current state of institutional Christianity, Spencer is a lot better at describing the problem than solving it; his indictment gets a little repetitious at times. But his tone is folksy and passionate without ranting. The book is his last word, and stands as the sincere testament of a Christian humble enough to admit and even embrace his flaws"


Given where Chris and I are (or aren't) with church right now, this one couldn’t have been more timely. Michael Spencer was the blogger behind internetmonk.com and he wrote to those who were leaving or had left (mostly) evangelical churches. He doesn't mince words in this book and he doesn't hold back about what he sees as the problems with evangelical churches. His contention is that yes, many of these churches have gone badly awry, yes, you can be a Christian without going to church, and yes there is another way. As someone who has been to those churches, including some of the "biggies" (Benny Hinn, Rod Parsley, etc) it was good to hear someone point out what non-Christians know and some Christians suspect but are afraid to face. For those of us who have defined our Christianity by our church, his premise of Jesus-shaped spirituality is, at least for me, liberating. The question, “how would I feel about ___ if I had spent 3 years with Jesus?” is dangerous, counter church-cultural (even though it shouldn't be), and powerful. The fact that so many churches have gotten so far away from Jesus that they don’t even think this question is worth considering is frightening, and yet I’ve seen it. I was afraid that this book was going to be all down on the church and nothing about what to do next, but fortunately that wasn’t the case. Spencer advocates reading the Bible to find out who Jesus is and what it looked like to be his disciple, spending time with Christians willing to be honest about themselves, and serving people.

Little Princes: One Man's Promise to Bring Home the Lost Children of Nepal

As another Nook book from Netgalley, Little Princes was one of the best books I've read so far this year (yes, I know we're only a month into the year but I really enjoyed this one). Here's Amazon's summary:

In search of adventure, 29-year-old Conor Grennan traded his day job for a year-long trip around the globe, a journey that began with a three-month stint volunteering at the Little Princes Children’s Home, an orphanage in war-torn Nepal.
Conor was initially reluctant to volunteer, unsure whether he had the proper skill, or enough passion, to get involved in a developing country in the middle of a civil war. But he was soon overcome by the herd of rambunctious, resilient children who would challenge and reward him in a way that he had never imagined. When Conor learned the unthinkable truth about their situation, he was stunned: The children were not orphans at all. Child traffickers were promising families in remote villages to protect their children from the civil war—for a huge fee—by taking them to safety. They would then abandon the children far from home, in the chaos of Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu.
For Conor, what began as a footloose adventure becomes a commitment to reunite the children he had grown to love with their families, but this would be no small task. He would risk his life on a journey through the legendary mountains of Nepal, facing the dangers of a bloody civil war and a debilitating injury. Waiting for Conor back in Kathmandu, and hopeful he would make it out before being trapped in by snow, was the woman who would eventually become his wife and share his life’s work.
Little Princes is a true story of families and children, and what one person is capable of when faced with seemingly insurmountable odds. At turns tragic, joyful, and hilarious, Little Princes is a testament to the power of faith and the ability of love to carry us beyond our wildest expectations.

 

I think that part of what I liked about this book was that I could see the legitimate transformation of the author during the story. He doesn't sugar-coat his initial selfishness, naivete, and inexperience. From a spoiled young adult who decides to go to Nepal for a few weeks in order to justify taking a year off of work to play and travel the world, to a person who spends everything he has (and asks other people for money) to get back to the country and keep his promises. I laughed at how naïve he was initially and how little he knew about Nepal or interacting with kids. This is the kind of true story that’s better than fiction- finding out that one of the supposed orphans that he knew actually wasn’t one, but that the other orphans were. This book is a reminder that the answers in real life aren’t always easy. Conor frequently has to wait for the slow wheels of bureaucracy to turn in order to rescue some of “his” kids. He misses a crucial helicopter ride by an hour after waiting through a fruitless week and making a grueling hike on a bum knee. Parents who feel they have no option other than to trade their children to traffickers are reluctant to bring them home because they can’t afford to feed another mouth and the children are well cared for at the orphanage. I learned a bit about a part of the world that I don’t know much about (Nepal) and about a topic that I’ve never researched (child trafficking). Oh, and there’s a love story too.

At this point I've read so many books about people who started charities or foundations (3 Cups of Tea, etc) that I feel like I should start donating to small charities every month and just rotate the ones that I donate to.

The Quest for Anna Klein

As another free Netgalley review, I picked The Quest for Anna Klein by Thomas Cook as an alternative both to my habit of reading nonfiction and as a distraction once I finally ran out of Dresden books. As far as either of those things goes, it was a good read, if a bit more convoluted than I'm used to. The Amazon summary says,
"Thomas Danforth has lived a fortunate life. The son of a wealthy importer, he traveled the world in his youth, and now, in his twenties, he lives in New York City and runs the family business. It is 1939, and the world is on the brink of war, but Danforth’s life is untroubled, his future assured. Then, on a snowy evening walk along Gramercy Park, a friend poses a fateful question.

As it turns out, this friend has a dangerous idea that can change the world. Danforth is to provide a place where a “brilliant woman” can receive training in firearms and explosives. This is to be the beginning of an international plot carried out by the mysterious Anna Klein—a plot that will ensnare Danforth in more ways than one. When the plan goes wrong and Klein disappears, Danforth’s quest begins: it is a journey of ever-shifting alliances and betrayals that will lead him across a war-torn world in search of answers. Now in his ninety-first year, at the dawn of a troubled new era, he sits in luxury at the Century Club and tells his tale to the young man from Washington he has summoned, for reasons of his own, to hear it."

This book has the added twist of being set in New York City just a few months(?) after 9/11 when emotions and talk of revenge are running high. Of course, there is a final twist or two at the end, but now way would I share those. As a discussion of how lives can change based on a single fateful decision or event, this is a good one. It seems as though everyone, including Danforth and the reader knows that his quest is ultimately doomed, and yet even he appears powerless to stop it. Through the entire book the only certain thing is that the quest must go on- who is on which side and what the ultimate goal is shifts and changes.

If the final test of a book is whether or not I'd read another by the same author, then I think in this case the answer is a hesitant yes. There is enough shift to keep things interesting and Danforth's profound statements keep me thinking enough that I would probably read another book by Thomas Cook.

The Write Start: A Guide to Nurturing Writing at Every Stage

Being involved in early education, I jump at the chance to review any book related to this area. That's part of the reason that I was so excited to get a free e-copy of The Write Start from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. When I found out that the book was written by an OT, my interest was piqued even further, and the book didn't disappoint.
Honestly, one of the first things that I liked about this book was that it wasn't too long. I know full well that parents don't have time to sit down and read a 300+ page textbook about early writing skills. Most of the parents that I work with are looking for solid facts and activities that are easy and can fit into their daily lives, and The Write Start manages to do both well. The author identifies and explains the four basic stages of writing development- she refers to children as scribblers, spellers, storytellers, and scholars. Even better, all of her activities feature modifications for each stage of writing proficiency.
This book is set up so that the first section is dedicated to explaining each stage of writing development and talking about how to encourage children to write or scribble. The second half of the book consists of activities designed to encourage writing. Most of the activities are relatively easy and do not require any elaborate materials. If I had one complaint it would be that the first section of the book was a bit simplistic for me, however it would be perfect for most people who don't have the background in education that I have. Overall, this is a book that will be a great resource for parents, teachers and therapists looking to encourage writing development.

Beyond Opinion: Living the Faith We Defend

As usual, I received the book Beyond Opinion, Living the Faith We Defend for free in exchange for my honest review. I don't remember the last time I actually paid more than a dollar or two for a book. This particular book was from Booksneeze, and I've been reading it in small doses for quite some time. It's the sort of book that needs to be read in bits and pieces so that it all has time to sink in. This is a book on apologetics, or Christians logically defending their faith. The premise of the book supposedly comes from a Hindu who asked Ravi Zacharias (the author), "If this conversion is truly supernatural, why is it not more evident in the lives of so many Christians that I know?" Since that's a question I hear over and over from people, I enjoyed tackling it in this book.
This also happens to be the first book on apologetics that I've read in quite a while. As much as possible in 338 pages, this book is a thorough overview of several different areas of apologetics. It emphasizes building relationships over winning arguments and reminded me that the ultimate goal of debating with people is increased understanding. Anyone who has debated with me on Facebook lately will know that's a goal I'm still learning. :) At the same time, this book helped to build my understanding of some common faith-related arguments and helpful responses to those from a Christian perspective. I've heard and read many good things about Ravi Zacharias' writings and I was glad to finally get my hands on one of his books.
As far as format, this book is really a series of essays by various members of Zacharias' staff. Since the essays are all written by different authors, each has a slightly different feel to it. There is a set of essays on challenges from different faiths- the one on challenging Islam was probably my favorite since I learned a few things that I didn't know about that religion. The second section relates to "The Questions Behind the Questions" including the question of evil which Ravi Zacharias tackles himself. Sections three and four involve internalizing the questions and living out the answers, where Zacharias again steps in. Overall, Beyond Opinion makes a complex topic comprehensible and I thoroughly enjoyed stretching my brain to fit around this topic.

Book Review: The Complete IEP Guide

The Complete IEP Guide is designed to be an IEP-101 guide, and it does that well. The guide tells parents about how to advocate for themselves and their child in getting needed special education services. As someone who works on the other end of special education I am always happy to see a book that tells parents how to better advocate for their children. The book lacks a bit in specifics- it would be nice to see examples of well written IEP objectives, or possibly an entire sample IEP. However, I would give one word of caution. The Complete IEP Guide frequently reminds parents that they should do their best to work with the school district, then provides advice that is likely to irritate the district officials. For example, while it would be nice to have a copy of a therapist's evaluation 2 months before the IEP, in the wonderful reality that we live in the evaluation is just as likely to be completed and scored a week or even a few days before the IEP meeting. Also, although the IEP is supposed to be a working document I know plenty of districts who present one at the meeting that is already written and the parent input and signature is more of a formality. While this isn't the way that it is supposed to be, it is what happens sometimes in some districts. In some of these areas you will want to proceed with tact since some parts of this book could be subtitled "How to Be a Nuisance to your School District".
Cautions aside, this book is a great introduction to the world of IEPs and special education. It includes blank copies of helpful information-gathering forms. These forms are designed to show parents how to compile and use data to guide the IEP process. There is also a section about law, attorneys, and due process in case the IEP process does not go as it should.

This is another book that I received for free from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.