Book Review: Total Blueprint For World Domination

Total Blueprint For World Domination

By: Jolene Stockman

Target big dreams and build a plan to achieve them! You've got one life, one shot, and all the power to make it happen. Get ready to dream big and live big. It's all up to you. And it starts now.

Total Blueprint for World Domination (17,000 words) is a powerful life-planning book for teens that will inspire. The book lets readers:
*Explore hidden passions and find direction.
*Create heart-pounding, toe-tingling goals.
*Recruit an army for support.
*Design a dream world and make it happen.
*Achieve world domination step-by-step.

Full of tips and tricks for tackling life's challenges, Total Blueprint for World Domination is a book that will motivate readers to take their life to the next level.

Anything is possible. And anything is possible for you. Believe it. Total Blueprint for World Domination takes you from this very second to your greatest dreams. So, are you ready?

**** 4/5 stars!  I really liked this book. Although it is geared towards teens, I totally felt like it applied to my life now. This book has great positive energy and is so motivating!! Stockman does a great job of walking the reader through setting up a life plan/goal and then showing how to accomplish that plan/goal.

I am definitely going to be reading this again in about 6 months when I am ready to re-evaluate my life plans and goals!!

Some of my favorite quotes:

"Your Personal  Vision

Start by thinking about what makes you Super You.  Ask yourself:
-What am I good at?
-What do I feel strongly about?
-What do I like doing?
-What makes me special?
-What are my passions?
-What do I want to do with my life?"

"Make your goals challenging, but possible!"

"Enthusiasm is infectious - give it to everyone you meet!"

"I will create win-win relationships by being true to myself, and appreciating others.  I will learn about myself through my relationships."

"Your intentions are like your personal vision, they are just for you.  So when you write them, be honest, kind, and true."

 This book really got me thinking about my life and my life plan.  It would have been great to have this when I was a teen so that I had more of a direction going through high school and college but I'm glad that I now have it as a resource to help direct and focus my life moving forward.

I recommend this book for teens and adults alike but caution that there are a few light swears.

I will be reading and reviewing Jolene Stockman's "The Jelly Bean Crisis" and  "Jawbreaker: Unlock the (U)niverse" and then will probably end with an author interview.  Read along with me so that you can submit any interview questions you may have.



Have you already read Total Blueprint For World Domination?  Comment and let me know what you thought.


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Book Review: Kiki's Delivery Service

Kiki's Delivery Service
By Eiko Kadono
Translation by Lynne E. Riggs
Illustrations by Akiko Hayashi

***** 5/5 Stars!! A fun, cute book!  I have been watching (and loving) the movie for years without realizing that the book existed!! How is that even possible!?!?  The book and the movie have the same premise, Kiki, a witch girl, has to leave home at the age of 13 and make it on her own, using her witch abilities, for a year.  She flies off with her cat companion, Jiji, and ends up in a large town on the ocean shore and is lucky enough to meet a nice baker's wife, Osono, who gives Kiki a place to stay and helps her set up her delivery business.  Past that, the movie is really quite different from the book. 

This is such a cute little coming of age story!  It is a wonderful journey to follow Kiki through her first year on her own.  We watch her struggle, triumph, and grow through being on her own, making friends, figuring out love, running a business, solving problems, dealing with stereotypes/racism, and more. 

A quick read with adorable little illustrations. This book would be great for readers 8ish and up.  I understand that there are a few additional Kiki books (that may or may not be traslated???), but this book can be a stand alone book, no problem.  I loved it and I hope you all love it, too!!!

I really like Osono. She seems like my kind of gal!

Buy a copy of the book by clicking Here.

Buy a copy of the DVD by clicking Here.

 

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Dream Sequence: Review, Interview, & Giveaway

Review:
I came across this album because my really good friend's husband, Mat, is the bass player in this band (and he helped produce the album as well!!). I wasn't sure what to expect from this local group that I had never heard before. I AM ADDICTED TO THIS ALBUM! I seriously have been listening to it ever since I bought it. I especially like Arm's Length and Twice. So good. I really love the sound, smooth and jazzy but also fun and upbeat. It's very catchy. Take a listen:

http://youtu.be/QCU69hqRbuU

The Dream Sequence EP is available for purchase Here.

Interview:

Q: How long has this EP been in the works and what kind of things did you have to do to see it through?

A: I've been writing songs since I was 8 years old (can't say when they started getting decent, haha). I didn't really commit to making an album, though, until 2011, when I was in a rock band. The oldest song on my album, "I Wanna Be Wrong" was started in July 2011 with my co-writer Michael Hollingshaus (lovely, empathetic lady). So I guess you could say it's been in the works since then. I didn't actually receive the money for my album until March 2013, which is my birth month, so it was almost like God's birthday present to me: "Here, go follow your dreams." In order to obtain the money, I joined this savings program designed especially for poor folk. They matched my dollars 3:1 (every dollar I put in was matched with three). This took about two years. At the end of the program, you could invest the money in one of three things: education, a home, or a small business. When the time came, I opted for the last one, and used the money to create my album. I had to write a business plan, which had to be approved by a committee, then open a business account, and many other hoops to jump through. I got help writing the business plan from Ann Marie Thompson over at the Women's Business Center at the Salt Lake Chamber. A wonderful non-profit organization. They provide many free services for entrepreneurs, especially women. They really help you navigate things and have connections to many resources and resourceful people. I recommend checking them out. Anywho, the process of writing my business plan took about two and a half months, but was really helpful. I was worried Ann Marie would laugh in my face and tell me to pick a different industry because, as I've been told many times by those who don't understand the motivation behind making music, "music is so impractical." But she didn't. She approached the whole thing with such an enthusiastic, hopeful attitude. It was great working with someone who really believed ANYTHING was possible. 

Q: What were some inspirations for the songs?

A: Both "Cupcake" and "Lead Me On" were songs that came to me in a dream. I was taking a nap and I happened to dream the song and then force myself to wake up just enough so I could write down what I could remember. It's an odd thing being half asleep and trying to get your body to function without totally waking up so you can keep remembering what came to you in a dream. At the time, my husband was recently back from his third deployment and whatever was going on in my waking world was causing me strong enough feelings that they were expressing themselves in my dreams in musical ways. "Arm's Length" was inspired by a moment I had with my husband in early 2013 where he just melted my heart. I didn't write down the specific experience, but I remembered the feeling. I remembered not knowing that I had walls that I needed to take down, but unwittingly, he said or did something that brought them down. I stepped back feeling so amazed and grateful in that moment that my husband could do that. The experience kept popping up in my mind and eventually music started to come with it. I got down what I could and then brought it to my co-writer, Michael to help give it more shape and structure. 

Q:What music/artists/songs have inspired you as a musician?

A: I've been inspired by so much. Currently, I'm inspired by artists that embrace their quirky selves and don't try to fit into any one mold. That's how I've been for as long as I can remember: never wanting to be pinned down into being someone other than me. So artists like Cee Lo Green, P!nk, and Zooey Deschanel. When I was younger I was a big Whitney Houston fan, especially "The Body Guard" soundtrack. I loved Mariah Carey as well. I became more familiar with Barbra Streisand when I entered college and one of my voice teachers assigned me one of her songs. We discovered that most of her songs seem to fit really well in my voice. I've also listened to a LOT of classical music (Stravinsky, Massanet, Rachmaninov, etc.), and Big Band and Jazz (Miles Davis, Glenn Miller, Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, etc.).

Q: What are your future plans as a musician?

A: I plan to make as much music as I can for as long as possible: on the stage, in the studio, on TV, and in movies — everything I can get my hands on or make myself. Having a career that mixes the careers of Danny Elfman, Zooey Deschanel and Barbra Streisand would be awesome! I want to collaborate and work with as many people as possible. Performing at an awards show like the Grammy's or the Oscars, would be such a dream come true. Presently, the plan is to promote my EP and further grow my fan base, so those other things can be made possible. I just love the way music can make you feel. It can lift you up and give words to your feelings. There's nothing that connects people quite the way music does. It's a beautiful thing.

Giveaway:

I like this album so much that I have put together a giveaway for you all!! Good luck!

You may not be able to enter the raffle from 'mobile view.' If this is the case, scroll down to the very bottom and switch to 'view web version' OR click the button that allows you to view the site from your browser if accessing through FB.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Book Review: Austenland

Austenland (Austenland, #1)
by Shannon Hale

Jane Hayes is a seemingly normal young New Yorker, but she has a secret. Her obsession with Mr. Darcy, as played by Colin Firth in the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, is ruining her love life: no real man can compare. But when a wealthy relative bequeaths her a trip to an English resort catering to Austen-crazed women, Jane's fantasies of meeting the perfect Regency-era gentleman suddenly become realer than she ever could have imagined.

Decked out in empire-waist gowns, Jane struggles to master Regency etiquette and flirts with gardeners and gentlemen;or maybe even, she suspects, with the actors who are playing them. It's all a game, Jane knows. And yet the longer she stays, the more her insecurities seem to fall away, and the more she wonders: Is she about to kick the Austen obsession for good, or could all her dreams actually culminate in a Mr. Darcy of her own?

***** 5/5 Stars!
I had been meaning to read this book for years but had never read it until about a week ago.  I really liked it!! It was very fun and entertaining and, of course, had a great love story.

I saw the movie before I read the book and I loved the movie.  It is possibly my new favorite movie, in fact.  This put me in a tight spot as I read the book because I had a mental comparison going on all through out.  I liked the set up of the story better in the book. In the book, Jane is given the trip to Austenland whereas in the movie, Jane is portrayed as being so obsessed with the P&P movie that she spends her life savings purchasing the trip.  Without giving it away, I liked the love story better in the movie.  I think it is a little more innocent and real and is that much better for it.

This was a pretty quick read that I really liked.  I am looking forward to reading 'Midnight in Austenland (Austenland #2)' and will let you know how it goes.

Want to read 'Austenland (Austenland #1)'? Purchase the Kindle version Here.
 
Want to read Midnight in 'Austenland (Austenland #2)'? Purchase the Kindle version Here, or purchase the book Here.

Haven't watched the Colin Firth version of Pride and Prejudice???? Purchase the movie Here. 

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Book Review: The Rithmatist

 

I read this book a couple of weeks ago.  I guess I
better get it up here before I forget it....
 
The Rithmatist (Rithmatist #1)
by Brandon Sanderson

***** 5/5 Stars! I copied this from Goodreads so that I don't have to retype a little summary: "More than anything, Joel wants to be a Rithmatist. Chosen by the Master in a mysterious inception ceremony, Rithmatists have the power to infuse life into two-dimensional figures known as Chalklings. Rithmatists are humanity’s only defense against the Wild Chalklings — merciless creatures that leave mangled corpses in their wake. Having nearly overrun the territory of Nebrask, the Wild Chalklings now threaten all of the American Isles.

As the son of a lowly chalkmaker at Armedius Academy, Joel can only watch as Rithmatist students study the magical art that he would do anything to practice. Then students start disappearing — kidnapped from their rooms at night, leaving trails of blood. Assigned to help the professor who is investigating the crimes, Joel and his friend Melody find themselves on the trail of an unexpected discovery — one that will change Rithmatics — and their world — forever."
  
I thought this was a stand alone book like 'The Emperor's Soul.'  I didn't even suspect it was part of a series until towards the end of the book when a few of the loose strings didn't get tied up.  That was kind of disappointing but my own mistake.  Had I known, I would have waited until the second book comes out to start reading the series (because now I'll be on the edge of my seat for years with no closure!!!).

The beginning of the book brought 'Not Your Average Fairytale' to mind and the end of the book brought 'Mistborn' to mind (which makes sense since it is a Sanderson book as well).  I liked the little romance as well as the progression of the characters.  I like likable, nice, good protagonists and so it was nice to read along with Joel and Melody.  I liked the mystery and magic but almost didn't feel smart enough to follow along with the rithmatic theory and am very impressed with Sanderson for not only coming up with this whole system of magic, but then being able to explain it through the story.

I really liked this book and look forward to the next installment!! 

 
Purchase The Rithmatist book Here or the Kindle edition Here. 

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Book Review: Fair Catch

I vividly remember sitting on the floor, surrounded by piles of laundry waiting to be folded, kids napping, and me reading this book for 2 hours straight.

Fair Catch

By: Cindy Roland Anderson

**** 4/5 stars! Couldn't put this one down!! Ellie, a divorced single mother, gets a new neighbor, Nick, a very eligible bachelor and retired NFL quarterback. Sparks fly, but can they really make it work?

Here is the review I posted on goodreads:

This was a good book! It was nice and clean which was nice. I usually stay away from romance books because of sexual content so this was a pleasure to read. I liked the bit of suspense towards the end of the book when I thought the conflict was over. It kept me engaged and interested. I liked that the story didn't end where a lot of other stories would have but that it continued on and provided closure. I loved the happy ending!! I love happy endings and when good guys win so this book was perfect for me. I will be recommending this book to all of my friends and family!

Good news!! Cindy has agreed to an interview!  Let me know in the next few days, if you have any questions you would like to submit. The interview will be posted in a weekish so you'll wan to keep an eye out for that.

Fair Catch is available for purchase as an e-book and also as a paperback.

Book Review: Jacob of Avondale

Hey, blog followers! Here is the extended review that I promised you.

Jacob of Avondale

By: P. Craig Packer

***** 5/5 stars! This is a very fun, uplifting adventure book with just a touch of romance. It is set in a castle with the frivolous, gaudy, and power hungry King and Queen and their unexpectedly kind and down to earth daughter, Catherine. Jacob is an orphan servant in the castle who likes excitement but knows when to keep his head down. It all starts with Jacob seeing something he wasn't supposed to see, something that will change his life forever.

As the adventure begins and then throughout Jacob's quest, we encounter some magic that moves the story along without the magic taking over the story. The real story is about kindness, strength of character, and the importance of friends and family.

We see Jacob and his friends learn and grow throughout their journey while loving and supporting each other. We see all of the characters in the book be given opportunities to choose between right and wrong and how those choices effect those around them.

I love happy endings, I love when the good guys win, and I LOVE THIS BOOK!

This book would be great for readers about 10ish up and would be a super fun book to read as a family with only one warning, I had a hard time putting it down!!! 

Stay tuned for my interview with the author, P. Craig Packer, as well as the book offer!!

My original review:

I really liked this book!! It was mostly adventure with a bit of romance. A fun read that I had a hard time putting down. It is a young adult book probably good for 10ish up. It is clean with no bad language. Could be a fun bedtime book with the whole family!!

Book Review: Ephesians

The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Ephesians
By: Paul the Apostle 

***** 5/5 stars! This is a wonderful book full of a lot of great insight and instruction. I have about half of the book highlighted with notes inserted throughout because of all the great stuff in there.

This book is a super quick read. It took me six days initially (one chapter a day, cuz that's how I roll) but when I reread it it really only took about an hour, and that was with my kids bugging me all throughout. 

I love this book and highly recommend it. It it pleasant, uplifting, and I was able to understand and follow along (which was nice after muddling through the Corinthians and Galatians). Give it a read!!!

Here is a link: http://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/eph?lang=eng

Book Review: Earth Unaware

Hello, blog followers!! I have a book review for you. :)

Earth Unaware (The First Formic War, #1)

By: Orson Scott Card and Aaron Johnston

***** 5/5 stars! I really like the Ender books and have read most of them. This series takes us back and sets the scene for the original Ender's Game book(s). We knew that there was a First Formic War and the preparation for the Second Formic War is the setting to Ender's Game, but we really didn't know much about that first war. This book allows a look into some of the technology of the time, where humans were with space travel, as well as a limited view of the mind set of the time.

I really like the characters. I like the amount of characters and how we see them through to the end. I think the characters are very three dimensional and relatable. One of my favorite scenes is between Rena and Segundo. The thoughts, love, and tenderness shared really touched me and brought to mind the relationship I have with my wonderful husband. 

I like this book and the smaller stories put together that make it up, but note that this whole book is really only a set up to the actual war. I will be reading the next installment, Earth Afire, soon and will let you know what I think.