Two books that discuss the vampire craze

Touched by a Vampire, by Beth Felker Jones, takes a detailed look at Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight books and the movie to discover the themes and subtle  twists on what is good and true.    Discussing the Power of Desire, Dangerous Romance, Abstinence & Sex, Marriage & Children,  the author shares discernment necessary for understanding the current rage with these stories.  The questions at the end of each chapter are meant to be talked about with others. (There’s also a  real-think-about discussion guide at the end of this book that goes through each of the Twilight books.)  I appreciate the way Beth (this author, also pastor’s wife and mother) emphasis that human nature and evil cannot change by our vigorous moral effort, but only by His Grace.  Her helpful introduction of Augustine’s ideas of “love of use” and true “love of enjoyment” remind me of C.S. Lewis’s talk of Need-Love and Gift-Love.

The next book is Escaping the Vampire by Kimberly Powers.  The subtitle, “Desperate for the Immortal Hero,” reveals her approach.  This book is warmly written to girls to help them find the eternal love story they seek. Kimberly Powers helps  girls to see the scenes between Bella & Edward and other characters in the light of Scripture. The short reflective “breathe” questions and thoughts at the end of each chapter lead young women to talk to and know their real heart’s Desire.

Black History Month

Scroll down to last year’s post to read my review on a favorite true account, The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass.  It’s his own (very moving) story of his life as a slave and journey toward and accomplishments after freedom.

There’s several biographies in the store of George Washington Carver.  Read at least one!  I read an old library copy to my kids years ago that  impressed us with the recipes he created using peanuts to make just about everything.

Up  from Slavery -  Booker T. Washington -  these are just three of the many 19th – 20th century inspirational people that every American should read.

Same Kind of Different As Me

This true story was so easy to see, to become involved with, as I read alternating chapters, each told by two very different people, who eventually met and found they were not so different after all.

One man, Denver, tells his heart-wrenching story of his beginnings in mid-20th century in rural Louisiana and his life as a sharecropper.  The other man, Ron,  meets a  young college girl in Texas and eventually becomes an international art dealer.  The lives of Ron and his wife, Debbie, and Denver come together in a Ft. Worth homeless shelter.

This book goes a little deeper and a little further than simply feeling good about spending a day serving food at a  shelter.  The insight and true Christian love that is in this story has affected so many readers and it soon will be coming out as a movie for all to see.

Go to www.samekindofffdifferentasme.com for more info.   Come buy one from me – as well as the sequel,  What Difference Do It Make? (sept. 2009)

New Book by RUDI LONDON * Book signing

November 21, 2009, from 11 am to 1pm, Pleasant View resident and author, Rudi London, will sign his new fiction work, THE OPERATOR IS CALLING,  at Stone Bridge Books & Gifts, inside A New Thing!    Be sure and check out the info about his amazing book on his amazing site  www.rudilondon.com.   He’s good at making you wonder where fact turns to fiction – this book is a very modern day adventure that keeps you turning the pages – faster and faster!

Bambi

Keeping good classic and current books in stock as well as ordering what my customers want is only one aspect of the full service offered by Stone Bridge Books & Gifts. The store also has a used book section that includes vintage and rare books.  Recently I carefully picked up a soft grayish Bambi, by Felix Salten, to look inside its cover, not only to check out its 1929,1931 copyright date, but just to enjoy the feel and sight of this special aged thing probably loved by many people – who knows who!    I didn’t care to read it, not only because I knew its sad ending, but I didn’t want to disturb the condition of this nice soft copy.  But after I read (the 1928) John Galsworthy’s word “delicious” to describe the story, I couldn’t help but start the first chapter. I was easily transported deep into a cool green forest floor with all its sounds, smells,  and soft touches of spring life.
I could see this new little baby deer as Salten – with credit due to Whittaker Chambers who translated the story from German into English – tenderly and poetlcally brings Bambi into the world.  I experienced the wonder of things seen for the first time, including other living creatures, as Bambi asks his mom about his new surroundings.

After reading several chapters I remembered that so many of the stories used to make Disney films and other movies and Golden books (Like The Secret Garden and Heidi) need to be read in the original.   They were favorites for good reason – not only the story itself, but for the way these older authors could creatively weave our language to draw us into other worlds.

If you want this particular vintage book (Bambi, by Felix Salten, ill. by Kurt Weise, – 1928,1931),   I think I could part with it for $100.

I can always order new copies of any book, but I don’t find any of these (Bambi books) easily available -  not the Disney abridgements, but the original English editions.  I’ll have to look around some more.

John Maxwell’s helpful books

John Maxwell’s newly released Thomas Nelson book, PUT YOUR DREAM TO THE TEST, looks like a book I am going to have to put to good use.  Do you know the difference between a daydream and a workable dream?  Maxwell begins by describing different kinds of dreams, telling us how to own our dream and work it out  with a plan.  It looks like the plan to fulfillment of the dream is found by going through the 10 questions that cover every aspect of dreams (like clarity, passion, reality, tenacity, significance).  Maybe someone like me (who often does everything by myself) can learn much from the the people question – How to get the people I need involved in a common dream.

Maxwell’s books revolve around the same theme – themes such as excellence in performance, leadership and motivation.  He often zeroes in to one necessity, such as in THE DIFFERENCE MAKER.  This simple litlle common sense book has helped many to overcome those oh-so-human traits of negativity and bad attitudes.  His reminder that, although attitude is not everything, even with all the skill and expertise, a person’s attitude will be the deciding will-it-work? or will-it-fail?  The Difference Maker books in the store are now 40% off!

I just started another book this author wrote in 2000, but its truths are timeless.  FAILING FORWARD helps folks see a failure as a common, isolated, temporary incident and as a lesson from which to move forward on.   Thus, failure, even if causing setbacks, can be used to propel us forward.  At the end of each chapter are steps to fall forward with the failures we all experience.   This would be an excellent book to study each week with a small group of like-minded people.

John Maxwell says he has dedicated his life to adding value to people.  Applying the teachings from any one of his books certainly adds value and direction to any reader’s life.

FIREPROOF movie and Love Dare helps

Buy (Or RENT) this movie from Stone Bridge.  Also, this month (March 2010) we got a new Couple’s Day by Day Devotional – a great addition after going through the 40-day Love Dare.

In this movie – the 3rd by the Kendrick brothers – Kirk Cameron as Caleb, the young firefighter, tells his men to “never leave your partner.” This plays into his troubled marriage as well as the intense action of the firefighters.

This dvd is worth the $24.95 it costs when buying it in Stone Bridge Books & Gifts, downtown Ashland City. There’s also a free gift  (valued from $6.99-$19.99) when purchasing it in-store through March 18th.

It is so uplifting to watch this family deal with problems that face most young married couples. In this movie relationships are the top issue, but there is also some action that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

This is a movie I would give as a gift. And there is a leather-like gift edition book, THE LOVE DARE, that ties in with the movie, and is a very useful handbook for someone willing to take the challenge to test some agape love to save or just improve their marriage.

John Milton

This Tuesday, Dec. 9th, marks the 400th year since the great English poet John Milton was born. Many people are celebrating by having public readings of Paradise Lost. I took note of one post on NPR after the article (that I heard on air Sunday) that said “Paradise Lost is how the secularist learned the beauty and power of the Bible.” I’m not a Milton expert, but one of my very favorite poems for over 30 years is “On His Blindness,” which was written, as was the epic Paradise Lost, as Milton was or was becoming blind.

Review of a helpful resource, The Three R’s by Ruth Beechick

Yes, resources should be oh-so-helpful, and Ruth Beechick’s are. (And no, I don’t get paid to say these things, and am not connected with her publisher, Mott Media, who also publishes the classic McGuffy Readers.) I’ve used several of her books repeatedly the years I homeschooled, and I still enjoy reading them. So I’ll spend several days reviewing many of them, starting with one basic for beginning homeschoolers and parents of young ones.

THE THREE R’S is a combination of Beechick’s three (little $4) books, A Home Start in Reading, A Strong Start in Language, and An Easy Start in Arithmetic. I have read and referred back to these books for the first 4 years – at least – that I homeschooled. Even though Dr. Beechick is highly educated, she encourages all homeschoolers to take the natural and practical approach in teaching. She takes the complicated out of learning phonics. Starting to write becomes as natural as learning to speak. And math can be taught with understanding and simplicity, using household manipulatives.

Just thinking of this title, that refers to the old “readin, ‘ritin, and ‘tithmetic, helped me get my brain thinking in the right track to begin planning each year. This book should be read by all new homeschoolers of young children, no matter what direction their schooling takes. Read it first! It will help you see clearly and probably save lots of money.

The combo book, that also includes a nifty phonics chart and math on the other side, is $12.00. If I send it to you regular rate, the cost to most areas in the US is $15.50 from Tennessee. Add one of Mott Media’s Sower Seed biographies (regular retail $7.99) to your order and I’ll pay the shipping – total only 19.99 – special for a limited time. These biographies are good family read alouds. E-mail me or call (615)792-9651 between 11-6 central time. Stop by my middle Tennessee store and of course there is no shipping charge – and there’s a little gift for new customers. Now if you are just too far away, click on the book to purchase at Amazon or wherever – you gotta have this, especially if you’re a newbie – Jo Ann anewthing.biz

The books

The purpose and function of Stone Bridge Books & Gifts is found in its name. Stones provide a strong foundation, they were used in Bible times as a remembrance. Jesus is the first and most important stone, the one who holds it all together. Stones are used for building, and a definite purpose of our place is to build bridges. Bridges of hope, of peace, of understanding. We want to show the love of the Father in sending His Son to bridge the gap between the God somewhere and mankind nowhere near Him. Since relationships give birth to more relationships. we want to build bridges in our community. Having a place where people can meet, with good music, and all the good books available, is a good beginning.

THE BOOKS: There is broad variety of good books that include ART, BIBLE, BIOGRAPHY, CHILDREN – Babies & toddlers, picture books , beginning readers, CLASSICS, FICTION, HEALTH & NUTRITION, HISTORY, LITERATURE, MARRIAGE & FAMILY, MATH, MUSIC, POETRY, SCIENCE. There is a CHRISTIAN LIVING section that includes authors from a broad scope of the Christian family. The store has some more very small representative sections, to remind everyone that I can get just about any book in just a matter of days.

There is also a large USED BOOK section, arranged by similar categories, that also has some very special rare and antique books.

When I homeschooled, I learned about great books – the great books are in their specific category (such as historical fiction, classics, art ). There is a special how-to-homeschool section, that includes some of my favorites, like the Clarkson’s Educating the Whole Hearted Child, For the Children’s Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay, and Unit Studies like Five in a Row.