• 5 Star Reads
  • Audiobooks
  • Books on Screen
  • Children’s Books
  • Christian
  • Fiction
  • Giveaways

5 Minutes For Books

  • Home
  • About
    • Who Are We? Reviewer Bios
    • 5 Star Reads
    • Disclosure
    • Privacy Policy
    • About Us
  • Join In
    • 5 Minutes for Books Bookclub
    • Children’s Classics
    • Kids’ Picks
    • What’s on Your Nightstand
  • Link To Us
  • Contact
    • Advertise

Search Results for: maybe

A is for Atticus…. a new look at baby names

October 2, 2008 by 5 Minutes for Books

I still have the little diary where I jotted down possible baby names. If the baby was a boy he would be called Nathan or Grant; a girl would be called Jennifer or Leslie.

She ended up being Leslie Ann, named after the lovely lady who starred in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s version of Cinderella, even if I couldn’t get my husband to agree to the beautiful spelling that I preferred – Lesley Anne. Twenty-five years ago, if you found out you were pregnant (by which time you were about three months along and they referred to your ‘confinement’), you grabbed the keys, jumped in the car and ran to the bookstore, or library and grabbed up a baby name book or three. There you found possible names, their meaning, or origin, and the decision process began. Nowadays we can just go to the web and type in ‘baby names’. The process has changed but the choices are still a bit stale.

This very fun book, A is for Atticus, by Lorilee Craker, opens wide the world of choosing baby names. The author includes some of the more recent names chosen by Hollywood, some of the old standards that will never go out of style, and some that will have grandparents-to-be muttering under their breath. Hopefully when you’re not within earshot.

Names have changed, just about anything goes, and unisex names are popular. Naming a girl something generally chosen for boys is very popular too. What makes this book such a delight is that the author goes to her favorite reads, choosing authors or characters from books as possible name choices.

Naming our own children, we went with Sarah, Leslie and Daniel. Sarah and Daniel are still in the running in this book. Leslie didn’t make the cut (apparently the author didn’t make the Cinderella connection.) Of our four grandchildren, only one name made the cut – Addison. While Grey’s Anatomy has made it a popular choice these days, our daughter actually chose it after one of her favorite authors, Elisabeth Elliot.

Some of the names are for the truly brave at heart: Jemima, Cressida, Agnes (should anyone EVER be named Agnes?), or Balthazar, Obadiah, and Chester (my father’s name!). Author Lorilee Craker gives her honest opinion on a few choices:

Gertrude – “Times have changed and now saddling a baby with this Teutonic clunker would be ill-advised, unless you have a stellar reason, like naming her after a beloved family member, perhaps. (You might want to tattoo the words “named for Grandmother” on her forehead, too.) Sister names might include Krimhilda and Hermantrude.”

Buck – “There are country bumpkin names that can be flipped inside out and sound hip on a city slicker. Buck is not one of them. You may as well call the child Redneck if you’re going to call him Buck (Jim Bob, Waylon, and Orville also work in this regard). Buck is the main character – a dog, appropriately enough – in the Call of the Wild by Jack London. Pearl S. Buck was a wonderful human being, however, so you may want to wait until you have a girl and name her Pearl in honor of the author of The Good Earth. (I won’t tell the author I have an Uncle Orville….)

It was a delight to sit and read through the entire book, wondering what I would choose today, if we’d had one more child. I couldn’t really see any of my children with labels other than that we gave them. I finally settled on Regan, Blake or Beckett – I loved all of them, and any would fit well, regardless of whether the booties were blue or pink. If you’re in the ‘wait til baby arrives to find out sex’ club, these unisex names would work quite well.

Fun, fun book – this would make a great addition to a ‘congratulations on your upcoming tax deduction’ gift basket. No more Bambinos for us, thank the Lord, but if I’m ever dumb enough to get another four legged family member it’ll come in handy! Nobody names a new creation Don or Bev these days, not even if it has four legs and has to be housebroken, but Atticus? I love that! Or maybe Heathcliff (cool name for a mastiff), or Finnegan (for a funny little poodle)….

Bev shares whatever’s on her heart at Scratchin’ the Surface, when she doesn’t have her nose in a book, or isn’t on the phone with someone in her family.

Filed Under: Parenting

Set-Apart Femininity

October 1, 2008 by Carrie

Set-Apart Femininity, by Leslie Ludy is really my type of book in that it’s going to raise a whole lot of arguments by just about anyone who reads is. Baring the possibility that you have the exact mindset of Mrs. Ludy, the chances of you falling in love with this book are slim. However, the chances of this book making you think harder, read more widely, study more diligently and know what you believe are very high. She doesn’t mince words and you probably wouldn’t either when sharing your opinion of it.

I’ve read two other books by Leslie Ludy which I rather enjoyed. This one was more, um, conclusive than the other two. But I think as she has learned and grown as an author, she is becoming more firm in her opinions and beliefs. She doesn’t want to leave her reader content with the thoughts they had when they cracked open the book. She wants to motivate you to change your way of thinking and living. That is her goal. The reason why I love this book is because she makes no bones about her goal. She is straight forward, blunt and honest which is something I very much appreciate. I’ll take that any day over an author who has a (very valid) point to make but feels the need to sugar coat the doctrine to make it go down better. I’m frequently confused by that type of author. Ludy leaves no room for confusion, much like her hero of the faith, Elizabeth Elliot.

I received this book from Harvest House for review and I was under the impression that this book would be be more along the lines of an encouraging word for how to have a more gentle and quiet spirit (something I’m desperately lacking in!) and maybe dress up more. I don’t really know why I thought that, but there you have it. How to be more feminine. That is the point of the book but it’s really much more than about dress. It’s about a heart attitude. It is about living to your full potential in Christ.

Ludy has definite ideas of how that looks and I really can’t say that I agree with (most) of them. On the other hand, I think there is much to glean from in this book. She will make you question the way that you think, the entertainment you pursue, the books that you read and the way you view the world. Questions like that are GOOD. The moment I become content with myself is the moment that I cease to grow in fellowship with God or man. I want to learn and I want to grow and this book promotes both in myself. She uses this book to get up on her soapbox, rattle the windows and knock the dust off our inactive brains. (You so think I’m joking, don’t you?)

Quite frankly, I really don’t want to give too much away in this review. I want you to read it and tell me what you think of it. Better yet, grab a friend and read it with them (it’ll make discussing this book so much more fun!). Ask God what He would have you change (or validate you in) after thinking through her points. This book is challenging. I respect Ludy for her opinion and passion for living truth, whether or not I agree with her method. I submit to you that you won’t regret reading this book. It’ll set you on fire one way or another and once the flame as been lit – come back and tell me where it’s burning. I want to know!

Carrie comes by her book obsession honestly, having descended from a long line of bibliophiles. She blogs about books regularly at Reading to Know.

Filed Under: Carrie, Christian, Learning, Non-Fiction, Women's Interest

Books on Screen — Free Willy

September 25, 2008 by 5 Minutes for Books

From the editor: I am once again taking a few liberties with this column. When I read the press materials from the publishers of Hannah’s Dream (about which I raved HERE yesterday), I learned that the author, Diane Hammond, worked as a journalist the real whale upon whom the movie Free Willy was based, and that experience helped birth her current novel. I couldn’t miss the opportunity to let her tell you more in her own words.

When a Killer Whale Becomes an Asian Elephant

If you have children of almost any age, you’ve probably seen the movie Free Willy. For those few who haven’t, the film is about a captive killer whale named Willy that’s set free by a brave young boy. Willy was played by Keiko (pronounced kay-koh), a killer whale not nearly so lucky. Once wild, by the time the movie was filmed he was living in a cramped, hot pool at an amusement park in Mexico City, where he was more than a ton underweight and suffered from a chronic, stress-related papilloma virus that gave him clusters of skin lesions. He couldn’t have been less like the glossy creature that made his leap to freedom over a stone jetty. (An insider’s note here: Keiko didn’t make that leap, or appear in any other scenes that were shot outside of his pool. Those starred a life-size, neoprene-clad model fondly named Fake-o.)

But luck can change. The amusement park owners sought out animal welfare activists who formed the Free Willy Keiko Foundation and built a rehabilitation facility for Keiko at the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport. He was moved there in 1996 and, as befits a movie star, became an overnight media darling.

Even better, he got well.

As his press secretary, I had a seat front and center for the amazing early months of Keiko’s rehabilitation. His keepers spent hours each day swimming with him in a pool so cold that without a wetsuit or survival gear you’d lose consciousness from hypothermia in less than thirty minutes. Rain or shine, summer or winter, day in and day out, this handful of young men and women petted him, nursed him, played tag with him, spent holidays with him, and came up with creative ways to bring his mind as well as his body back to health. By the time Keiko left Oregon in 1998 for the North Atlantic, he was a masterpiece of buff muscle and hearty vitality.

I had always assumed that I’d write about what I’d seen and learned in those two remarkable years—especially about the bond that developed between Keiko and his staff. And I tried. But it quickly became clear that I had neither the distance nor the objectivity that the story required. I moved on to write my second novel, Homesick Creek, instead. But in 2002 I went back to thinking about Keiko all over again.

My husband Nolan Harvey, who had directed the killer whale’s rehabilitation, suggested that it might help if I transferred what I knew and had experienced to a member of another species. Why not make that animal an elephant—another huge and broadly charismatic species?

Because, I said, I know absolutely nothing about elephants.

Maybe so, but you’re a fast learner.

I wasn’t convinced, but I let Nolan introduce me to a couple of keepers at Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium in Tacoma, Washington, who were willing to help me learn my way around an Asian elephant. Even among zoo keepers, elephant keepers are a breed apart, and not just because the animals in their care can—and sometimes do—kill them without notice, intent or provocation. Elephant keepers work with these enormous, powerful animals day in and day out because there’s a quality, they say—call it a presence, an intelligence, a soul—that sets elephants apart.

Keiko’s keepers said the same thing about him.

Maybe, I thought, I can do this.

So at the hands of excellent teachers, I learned about protective versus free contact (working with an animal from behind a barrier versus moving unprotected within the same physical space); about elephant body language; about what pleases them and hurts them and what problems are common among elephants at zoos, especially the older and second-rate ones.

I was hooked. Now all I needed was a story, which I failed to find until one day, by pure kismet, I stumbled upon television footage of a man named Solomon James, Jr., who was unshackling for the last time an Asian elephant he had taken care of for twenty-two years. He had just transported her from her small zoo to the Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, Tennessee. He was struggling to maintain his composure as he unchained her for the very last time. Theirs was obviously a strong bond, the details of which I could only imagine. In fact, I did imagine them, through characters Samson Brown and Hannah. They became the centerpiece of my third novel, Hannah’s Dream, which tells the story of what can happen when incredible animals find homes in the hearts of incredible people.

It is a love story.

Find out more about Diane Hammond and her most recent novel at her website.

Filed Under: Books on Screen, Guest Contributor

Jane Eyre Preview

September 17, 2008 by Jennifer

Just like with Pride and Prejudice last month, I feel like I’m cramming. It’s like being in school, and reading only what I have to read, and not until those chapters are due.

I’m hopelessly behind in reading Jane Eyre for the Classics Bookclub, but we’re going to meet right here on Tuesday September 23.Edited to say that I must be losing my mind! I don’t know what I’m thinking, but Classics Bookclub is the first Tuesday, so that will be October 7. Please join us on this Tuesday, the fourth Tuesday, for What’s on Your Nightstand? Whew, I have another TWO weeks, since we also have a fifth Tuesday this month, when we’ll be doing the new I Read It! carnival.

I have taken some of the questions from a neat book I found in a used bookstore: Read It and Eat. It’s chock full of fun book club discussions complete with themed snacks or menus!

So, if you’d like some questions to consider as you write up your post for next week, you can think about these:

  1. Even though I was an English major, I don’t often get all English major-y with themes, and symbolism and such, but one thing that I do find interesting is the prototypical characters that emerge in classics (for example, the seemingly callous, yet really sensitive Mr. Darcy type). Do any of these characters strike you as literary prototypes?
  2. Bronte is considered a frontrunner in feminism. Is Jane a feminist by the standards of 1847? What about today?
  3. Did the characters seem flat to you? Did the goodness or evilness of the characters add to the story?
  4. What do you think of Jane’s choice of husband? Did she make the right choice for herself?
  5. Edited to Add (since I’ve actually read most of it!): Do you see any similarities between these characters and relationships and those in Pride and Prejudice?

Do you want to get a jump on future selections?

November: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith

December: A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

January: What would you think about a Shakespeare play? Maybe Othello? or a comedy? It would be a stretch for me, but that’s the idea, right? I don’t want to jump into this if others don’t agree.

See our updated schedule at our Join In page.

Keep the suggestions coming (you can leave a comment on this post).

Filed Under: Classics, Classics Bookclub

Books on Screen:
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

September 11, 2008 by Jennifer

Dawn’s and Heather’s recent posts about rarely enjoying a movie after reading a book garnered a lot of cyber nods of affirmation. I too have the same problem with accepting seemingly random changes to beloved books when they are adapted for the screen.

My hard and fast rule for avoiding too much disappointment is to read the book first, but to wait a while in between reading and watching (like at least 6 months, if not more), so that I can enjoy the movie without the details of the book being fresh in my mind.

This summer my ten-year-old daughter Amanda starting reading the Harry Potter series. So it seemed the right time to check out first Harry Potter movie. At least two years had gone by since I had first read this book, although I had just finished the fifth book in the series the week before, so I was still firmly entrenched in the characters and plot of the series.

My initial thoughts were that the movie seemed somewhat lame — the filming, the overly loud music, and even the over-the-top portrayal of the world that J.K. Rowling created. That said, within half an hour, I was captivated. Some of the visuals really helped in my understanding — seeing a game of Quidditch, for one thing, and seeing the Invisibility Cloak in use for another.

On the other hand, some of the visuals detracted from my immersion in this amazing fantasy world. For example, when I’m reading the book, I’m not thinking of witches and goblins and magic. I’m thinking of fantasy — something completely imaginative and wonderful. However, watching the school ghosts fly around and seeing the characters in their pointy hats (was that in the books?) the association with the witch stereotype is unavoidable. It is a pretty good movie, but no matter how well a movie is made, it can’t transport someone like a book does.

I think that the movie producers selected excellent actors to play the characters that we know and love — McGonagall is appropriately stern, yet lovable, Snape is perfectly slimey, Dumbledore is as elegant and authoratative as he should be. In fact, upon “meeting” each of the characters, my heart lept with excitement with the joy of meeting them again for the first time. I even got a lump in my throat when I met the Weasley family. Although I had seen Daniel Radcliffe of course (who plays Potter in the films), I didn’t even really have an idea about who the other actors were, so they didn’t figure in my reading of the books.

The movie is rated PG, but I think it’s a pretty scary PG, even for my ten-year-old who had just recently read the books — not too scary, but scary nonetheless. There was also some strong language that I didn’t remember being a part of the book.

If you’ve watched and enjoyed these movies, but have avoided reading the book for whatever reason, now is the time to read. If you’ve enjoyed the books, but haven’t seen any of the movies, maybe you’d like to try. Just as many people said about Pride & Prejudice, I think that this is the perfect example of a movie being a way to extend your love of a book or characters.

Managing Editor Jennifer Donovan is a contributing editor at 5 Minutes for Mom. She has been blogging at Snapshot for over two years.

Filed Under: Books on Screen, Children's Books, Jennifer, Middle Grade Chapter Books, Sci Fi/Fantasy

Children’s Classics — Chapter Books

August 12, 2008 by Jennifer

Welcome to the first Children’s Classics carnival, which will be held here on the second Tuesday of each month. This month we are focusing on Chapter Books for the “middle grade” reader (8 – 12).

In the main Children’s Classics post, I gave a few suggestions to get your review juices flowing. You can use these for a guideline, or take a different approach. Just share your knowledge or love about a particular classic children’s book or author.

Would you recommend the book? To whom?

If you wouldn’t recommend it, why do you think it’s been so popular?

Has your child recently discovered a classic author? What is his or her perspective on the differences in classic and contemporary children’s writing?

Have you recently shared a childhood favorite with your own child? How did you each respond to it?

Next month (September 9) we will focus on picture books. For this first month tackling this genre, please share about one (or more) of your childhood favorites. Was there a book that your parents wore out, because you requested it every night? Perhaps you have memories of “reading” a certain book that you had memorized, or maybe you really did learn to read with a favorite.

So for today, write up a post on your own blog about a favorite classic chapter book, then enter the link to the direct post right here. Come back throughout the week to read around, because I’m sure people will be adding links throughout the week. To make is easy for people to use as a reference in the future, please include the title of the book you are reviewing in parentheses after your name. See my example below.

Filed Under: Children's Books, Children's Classics, Classics, Easy Readers, Middle Grade Chapter Books

Libraries are Green Giveaway

August 6, 2008 by Jennifer

I would not claim to be “green,” but I’m greener than I was, and I’m interested in learning about changes I can make to get greener. That’s one reason I love the new 5 Minutes for Going Green site. Each week I get information on small changes I should be and could be making to reduce my carbon footprint.

One area that I have mastered is taking my own canvas bags to the grocery store. In addition to the fact that they are reusable and not plastic, they hold more and they are sturdier than those plastic bags they go through by the hundreds (thousands?) at the grocery store.

I’ve recently expanded my use of these canvas bags. They are perfect for loading up items for a picnic at the park (which is more environmentally friendly than stopping at McDonald’s). I love to use them when I’m packing up stuff for a weekend away, and in addition to grocery shopping, I use my totes each week by taking them to the library.

I am the mother of two little bookworms, and of course I love to read too, so our trips to the library result in more than one book a piece. My four-year-old usually comes home with a Thomas DVD, a Thomas book or two, and maybe another book if I’ve been able to convince him to look beyond the foot of space devoted to the Reverend W. Auden’s collected works. My nine-year-old always gets at least three or four books and finishes them in time to return them the following week. Since I am up to my ears in review copies, I stay away from fiction at the library, but I often bring home a (heavy) cookbook or two.

My minusbags canvas tote works perfectly for this. It doesn’t have a store logo emblazoned on it, and it’s not that thin canvas that I’ve acquired for 99 cents.

It got me to thinking that using the library is a very green practice:

  • Libraries use and reuse resources—one book purchased by the library will be enjoyed by many people, as opposed to buying my own copy of a book and reading it and then letting it take up space on my bookshelf.
  • Using the library saves fuel—my library is much closer to me than any bookstore. Even if I shop online (which is honestly how I buy 95% of my books), those books I order are shrink-wrapped, packed and shipped across country resulting in used fuel.
  • Using the library supports the community – even though I’m not technically consuming, staying local is good for the local economy.

Would you like to win one of two gorgeous minusbags totes? Leave a comment here telling me your favorite part of using the library. I’ll draw two winners on August 20 (The giveaway is now closed. Thanks for all your great comments about libraries).

Managing Editor Jennifer Donovan is a contributing editor at 5 Minutes for Mom. She has been blogging at Snapshot for over two years. You’ll almost always find her holding either a book, a fork, a child’s hand, her laptop, or some combination therein.

Filed Under: Jennifer

Sew U Home Stretch

August 5, 2008 by 5 Minutes for Books

I got my hands on a great little book – Sew U Home Stretch, by Wendy Mullin and Eviana Hartman. This spiral bound, hard cover book is a sequel to Sew U,( which covered sewing woven fabrics). It focuses solely on sewing with knit fabrics.

About twenty years ago sewing with knits was all the rage. When I brought home my first cut of double knit I very quickly fell in love with the fact that edges never frayed, curved seams could be tugged on a bit to get them to match perfectly, and once the garment was finished you could take it right out of the dryer and pop it on. No ironing! Alas, knits then seemed to fade away for awhile, but they’re coming back in a strong way.

If you’re a seamstress with little experience handling knits, this book will be a great help to getting started. If you have a serger / overlock machine, but are still a bit intimidated by it, you’re going to love learning to sew knits with it. You’ll get that store-bought finish in a flash just as soon as you figure out how to thread all those spools on your machine.

Sew U Home Stretch is set up in a very user-friendly manner. The author covers

  • an introduction to sewing knits,
  • what you need (basic supplies)
  • and what you need to know (using a different needle in your machine, cutting out garments, pulling and tugging on fabric, which side is right, etc.) to avoid some frustrations.

After a primer on knit knowledge, she moves into patterns. Since many of today’s beginner seamstresses have little experience reading a pattern, this could be really helpful.

There’s a chapter on making the world’s easiest T-shirt, then she specifically addresses the three full Simplicity patterns included in the back of the book – a crewneck, a raglan (very easy and fun to sew) and also dresses and skirts. All three of these are patterns you’ll likely use over and over.

I think my favorite chapter is the one on recycling your old knit garments, giving them a new lease on life. Maybe there is another use for those tube tops from twenty years ago, that my daughters made me swear I would never again wear to mow the front lawn! Okay, I don’t know if the book goes that far, but it does give you some really great ideas, some of which might send you off with a list of weekend garage sales in hand. (Tip: Garage sales are a great place to find very inexpensive garments that can be cut up and recycled into something brand new.)

Wendy is a self-taught seamstress as I am. I don’t know if she started with Barbie clothes, like I did, but she certainly passed me up, and now has a clothing line “Built by Wendy”. She’s the creator of the new Wrangler 47 line, and has a few Hollywood stars wearing her creations (some I’ve heard of – Drew Barrymore, Natalie Portman, Beastie Boys–and some I haven’t!).

I’m tickled to have this book on a shelf in my sewing room – there are already four grandchildren in our family, and hopefully more babies to come, so I’ve got lots of rompers to sew, then little sundresses and t-shirts and the list goes on and on. It might even be fun to whip up a cute little skirt and t-shirt for summer wear.

This book should be of great help for any seamstress out there, even if you’re a beginner. Wendy once was, and I was too. So jump on in and join the fun!

Bev shares whatever’s on her heart at Scratchin’ the Surface, when she doesn’t have her nose in a book, or isn’t on the phone with someone in her family.

Filed Under: Fashion/Beauty, Home, Non-Fiction

On Reading: Challenge Yourself

August 3, 2008 by Lauren

I look forward to my reading time. After I tuck the kids in bed, I head for the couch in our bonus room. While my husband watches his daily dose of sports, I lose myself in a novel. Because this is my time for relaxation, I tend to choose books that move quickly and are easy to read; I often shy away from books that take a lot of effort.

In spite of this, I recently challenged myself to broaden my reading horizons. When I entered the blogging world at the beginning of 2007, I noticed that many bloggers named Pride and Prejudice as one of their favorite novels. Although I have an elementary/middle school teaching degree with an emphasis in English, I had never read a single Austen book (gasp!). I decided to step outside the box and read all of Austen’s novels, beginning with Pride and Prejudice.

I am proud to say that I finished the last of the six novels in June. I enjoyed all of the books, and I am thankful that I stuck with my original goal. But, I will admit that I almost quit several times. There were nights when my tired brain could only handle a few pages of early nineteenth century English, and I had to put the books down for a time. By the end of each novel, however, I found myself staying up well past my bedtime to discover the end of the story.

Are you up for a challenge? Perhaps you would like to read a classic novel (if so, be sure to check out the Classics Bookclub). Maybe you want to try a nonfiction title, or you may want to read a certain book from the Bible. It could be that you have a love for books but aren’t taking time to read at all. I encourage you to set a goal and get started. You’ll be so glad you did.

Of course, don’t forget a reward. While the reading is a reward in itself, it never hurts to have a prize at the end of a journey. When I started my challenge, I decided to watch the movies after finishing each novel. Some of the books have more than one movie adaptation, so I had multiple rewards. And, as many of you know, watching Colin Firth play Mr. Darcy is quite a treat!

I hope you will decide to step outside of your comfort zone. If you do, feel free to leave a comment describing your goal. Your idea could encourage someone else to do the same!

Lauren is a wife, a mother of two, and an avid reader. She blogs at Baseballs and Bows.

Filed Under: Lauren, On Reading

Everything’s Coming Up Josey

July 26, 2008 by Melissa

It’s usually tough to sit through a missionary presentation without feeling a stirring in your soul…like maybe God’s been calling you to the mission field but you haven’t been listening. We can get swept away by the missionary’s passion for evangelism, and perhaps mistake it for our own. Oftentimes, we leave with our hearts on fire and a promise to go wherever He send us.

And if your best friend announces his engagement on the day your sister marries your former boyfriend, and the next day a handsome Russian missionary says he needs you, you might sign up to teach English for a year…in Moscow.

That’s exactly what Josey Berglund does in Everything’s Coming Up Josey by Susan May Warren. The book follows Josey from the day of her sister’s wedding through her missionary application process and her year in Moscow. The journey is a hilarious, heart-wrenching search for confidence in God and in her calling.

Josey approaches the mission field with much the same attitude as I might. It doesn’t matter that she’s going to teach English to Russians, though she doesn’t speak Russian. She’s even a little smug that she’s making such a noble sacrifice for the Kingdom, until reality hits and the enormity of the sacrifice becomes clear. No television, a not-so-spiritual roommate, and a stove that she can’t figure out are just some of the obstacles that Josey must overcome. The largest hurdle, by far, is her relationship with her best friend, Chase. Her confusion over her feelings consumes much of her time and energy, even after she starts dating the gorgeous Vovka.

Josey navigates this unfamiliar territory without much grace, but with a lot of spunk. Warren gives us a glimpse of the practical aspect of the mission field, and a warning against leaping before we look.

If you’re looking for a way to beat the summer heat, a trip to Moscow with Josey just may be what you need.

Melissa has been captivated by books for as long as she can remember. She resides in Virginia and at Breath of Life.

This review is linked to Semicolon’s Saturday Review of Books. Link up your own reviews, or just click over and read what everyone else reviewed this week.

Filed Under: Christian, Fiction, Melissa

From the Editor: Info and Input

July 21, 2008 by Jennifer

Now that I’ve gotten my feet wet, and I’ve figured out how things will be running each week, I thought I’d give you the rundown, and ask your opinion about a few things.

Each Monday, I’ll be linking to the review and giveaway at 5 Minutes for Mom, as well as giving you an information about the week or month to come here at 5 Minutes for Books.

In this week’s 5 Minutes for Books column, I am featuring a parenting book called I Brake for Meltdowns: How to handle the most exasperating behavior of your 2 to 5-year old. Click on over to read more.

Today, I want to let you know about the schedule for weekly featured columns. Stay tuned for information on two new monthly features that you can participate in.

Weekly, you can look forward to Books on Screen on Thursdays, and On Reading on Sundays. I think that I will make Wednesdays “Winning” as well as “Wordless.” We will participating in Wordless Wednesday (booklover style), but I will also use that day to announce any winners on giveaways for the week, and perhaps post a new giveaway as well. The giveaways are still open through tomorrow for Love as a Way of Life, and Begin Smart, and Kung Fu Panda (which will stay open another week), so if you haven’t entered click on over.

You’ve heard a lot from me, so now I have a few questions for you:

  1. We have averaged about 2 posts per day. Is this too many? Not enough? Would you like to see more reviews in a particular genre? It’s my thought that all of you won’t be interested in every review posted, so you can skip over the ones you aren’t interested in, but I don’t want to overwhelm you with too much new content. My reviewing team is doing a great job of supplying me with reviews, so I could easily publish 2 reviews a day (on top of the non-review content), but I’d like to hear from you!
  2. Are you looking for suggestions about books to read, or to recommend to your children? Leave a question here with details (for example, “I loved the Mitford series. What other fiction might I enjoy?” I will publish the Ask the Bookworm column with answers as they come in.
  3. Are you interested in author interviews and guest posts? If so, what sort of information would you like to learn about the authors of the titles that we feature?

    If you leave feedback on this post, answering any of these questions or providing input, you will be entered to win your choice of one of these books that we have reviewed here since we launched:
    Danny Gospel
    From a Distance
    The Meghan Rose series
    The Mommy Diaries

    I’ll announce the winner (or maybe winners) next Monday.

    Managing Editor Jennifer Donovan is a contributing editor at 5 Minutes for Mom. She has been blogging at Snapshot for over two years. You’ll almost always find her holding either a book, a fork, a child’s hand, her laptop, or some combination therein.

Filed Under: Jennifer, Site info

Vacations-n-Books

July 17, 2008 by Melissa

Just one more week until vacation. Let me tell you…that thought does my weary soul some good. I’m so excited, I’ve already put together my stack of books that I’ll be hauling to the beach with me.

This week’s Booking Through Thursday asks

Do you buy books when on vacation?

Do you have favorite bookstores that you only get to visit while away on trip?

What/Where are they?

I’ve bought a book or two on vacation, but usually it’s because I find a Barnes & Noble (sadly, my small town’s idea of a bookstore is the magazine aisle at Walmart). I’ve never found a genuine bookshop on vacation. And that makes me a little sad. Although this year, it’s probably a good thing…since I’m not buying any books in 2008 (yes, you read that right).

Hmm…maybe I need to add another book or two in my suitcase.

What about you? Write your own post and link up to Booking Through Thursday here. Then come back and tell us about it.

Melissa has been captivated by books for as long as she can remember. She resides in Virginia and at Breath of Life.

Filed Under: Community, Melissa

The Presence of a Hidden God

July 13, 2008 by Lisa

PhotobucketWhere is God? Why does He seem so far away, and maybe even absent? Is He hiding? There have many times in my journey with God where I have asked these questions; perhaps you have as well. I have–more often than I care to admit–felt like I was lost in the dark, groping, stumbling, and frantically searching for the Light.

In his book, The Presence of a Hidden God, D. James Kennedy, along with coauthor Jerry Newcombe, addresses the question, Is God hidden? The first portion of their book analyzes the overwhelming evidence of the Creator in the physical world. Examples ranging from astronomy to the amazing complexity of the human body confirm the existence of an all powerful, wonderfully creative God who has made all things to reflect His person and His glory. The authors also briefly explore the folly of atheism.

I’ll confess, I’m a simple minded girl and while statistics on lightyears and moon tides prompt me to ponder the magnificence of the God who has made all things and declared them good, it is enough for me to know God is. The second portion of the book, however, turns to the revelation of God in the person of Jesus Christ. Consider John 14:8-9 where Philip asks Jesus to “show us the Father and it is sufficient for us.” Jesus replies, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father.” In Jesus lies the fullness of God.

God is not hidden. Rather, He is revealed in Christ. How do we find Him? How do we see God in those times He appears to be hidden? We look to Christ. As we seek Him, His Word promises we will find Him as we seek Him with our whole heart.

The book concludes with an examination of those shadows in our lives that seem to obscure our view of God: doubts, suffering, and the evil around us. Sometimes we question the sovereignty of God, assuming that “if God is love, then why ____?” Again, Kennedy and Newcombe entreat us to look to Jesus Christ.

Surely you’ve had times of doubt, as I have. Surely you’ve felt lost and alone and far from God, as I have. The Presence of a Hidden God offers assurance to us in those times He seems hidden: God has clearly revealed Himself in Jesus Christ.

You can read an excerpt here.

“For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”(2 Cor. 4:6)

Wife and mother, Bible teacher and blogger, Lisa loves Jesus, coffee, dark chocolate and, of course, books. Read more of her reflections at Lisa writes…

Filed Under: Christian, Lisa, Non-Fiction

We’re Reading into Everything

July 10, 2008 by Jennifer

When Janice emailed me over a year ago and asked if I would consider writing a book column for 5 Minutes for Mom, I didn’t have to think long before I said “yes.”

In addition to receiving more review books than even I knew what to do with, writing the 5 Minutes for Books column led to doing more work on 5 Minutes for Mom, and now managing one of their first sister sites–a book site with new posts and reviews each day.

I knew that I couldn’t do this on my own, so I recruited six people to write for me. You can find out more about them here: Who Are We? I am proud to have each one of them on the team.

At 5 Minutes for Books, we hope to build a community of people who love books and reading, and we realize that looks different for different people.

Maybe in this season of life, you’ve given up the luxury of curling up with a good book, while you focus on raising a family of readers.

Maybe you have recently rediscovered your childhood love of reading and make sure to squeeze in a little page time every day.

Maybe you are always on the hunt for a new book to add to your to-be-read list.

Maybe you’re an information junkie and will read anything you can get your hands on regarding parenting, marriage, or women’s health.

Join us each week as we bring you

  • Book reviews for all ages–babies to adults–fiction and non-fiction
  • Giveaways
  • Author interviews and guest posts
  • Materials and information to help your children with reading and pre-reading skills
  • Wordless Wednesday
  • Books on Screen
  • Thoughts “On Reading”
  • “What’s on Your Nightstand?” monthly carnival
  • And perhaps a book club or two

Stay tuned for ways that you can get involved–from submitting guest posts, to participating in monthly carnivals, books clubs, and more. And whether you’re a blogger or not, we’d love for you to get involved by leaving comments. Did you also enjoy a book that we reviewed? Leave a comment with your endorsement. Did you find it lacking? Give our readers another viewpoint. Do you have a question about some books that would be appropriate for your children? Drop us a note.

At 5 Minutes for Books, we’re reading into everything, and we hope you’ll join us.

Feel free to display our button in your sidebar:

or

Filed Under: Jennifer, Site info

About Us

At 5 Minutes for Books, it’s our goal to build a community of people who love books and reading.

Maybe in this season of life, you’ve given up the luxury of curling up with a good book while you focus on raising a family of readers.

Maybe you have recently rediscovered your childhood love of reading and make sure to squeeze in a little page time every day.

Maybe you are always on the hunt for a new book to add to your to-be-read list.

Maybe you’re an information junkie and will read anything you can get your hands on regarding parenting, marriage, or women’s health.

Maybe you’re looking for great recommendations (kid-tested and parent-approved) for your children or grandchildren or nieces and nephews.

5 Minutes for Books is all about turning these maybes into action!

Join us each week as we bring you:

  • Book reviews for all ages–babies to adults–fiction and non-fiction
  • Giveaways
  • Books on Screen
  • Thoughts “On Reading”
  • “What’s on Your Nightstand?” monthly carnival
  • And perhaps a book club or two

At 5 Minutes for Books, we’re reading into everything, and we hope you’ll join us.

You might wonder where we get the books we review. It varies, but the majority of books are received from publishers, PR agencies or authors. Does this affect our honesty in reviewing a book? No. We do only publish reviews of books we feel we can recommend. We don’t generally publish negative reviews, so if we read it, but didn’t like it, you won’t see a review.

Read our full disclosure statement.

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • …
  • 18
  • 19
  • 20

Connect with us

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Welcome to 5 Minutes for Books. We are a team blog dedicated to sharing reviews and information about children's lit, fiction, memoir, and more. Read More…

Reviews

5 Minutes for Books

Jennifer Donovan
Managing Editor

MEET OUR TEAM



Connect With Us


Pinterest

Community

Cybils Logo Draft 3

Disclosure:

Find out about our relationships with publishers and affiliate networks in our full disclosure statement.

Recent Posts

  • The Everest Enigma
  • The Ex-Girlfriend Murder Club
  • Murder on the Mississippi
  • Afterward
  • The Busybody Book Club

Categories

Privacy Policy    |     Disclosure Policy
Terms & Conditions
© 5 Minutes for Mom

Let’s Socialize

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Pinterest is Our FAVORITE!

Find and Follow Us at
pinterest.com/5min4books

Copyright © 2025 · Tasteful theme by Restored 316