Welcome to this week’s edition of Friday Book Round-Up. This Sunday is Mother’s Day and while I already have my gifts for my mother and mother-in-law, there are several still in need of gift ideas. So, here’s my Last-Minute Mother’s Day gift ideas:
1,500 Stretches: The Complete Guide to Flexibility and Movement by Hollis Liebman
1,500 Stretches compiles all stretching poses in one place, organized by body part, with stunning photographs, easy-to-follow steps, and the health benefits of each pose. This is the companion book to the New York Times bestseller 2,100 Asanas.
Does your lower back ache from sitting all day? Can you barely walk after your cycling class? Do you stretch and feel more tension? Stretching is vital for to retain muscle tone, alleviate chronic pain, and achieve free movement.
1,500 Stretches offers a comprehensive collection of stretches organized by body part--back, calf, hamstrings, chest and many more. Each stretch is demonstrated with full-color photographs. The steps are easy to follow and explain what muscle groups are targeted and that stretch's benefits for pain relief and physical appearance. There are additional chapters on yoga and partner stretches and the importance of stretching correctly.
1,500 Stretches provides practical advice to feeling and looking your best.
29 Gifts: How a Month of Giving Can Change Your Life by Cami Walker
A New York Times bestseller: the story of a young woman’s struggle with multiple sclerosis and a healer’s unusual prescription to renew her energy for life
At age thirty-five, Cami Walker was burdened by an intensified struggle with multiple sclerosis, a chronic neurological disease that left her debilitated and depressed. Then she received an uncommon “prescription” from South African healer Mbali Creazzo: Give away 29 gifts in 29 days.
29 Gifts is the insightful story of the author's life change as she embraces and reflects on the naturally reciprocal process of giving. Many of Walker's gifts were simple—a phone call, spare change, a Kleenex. Yet the acts were transformative. By Day 29, not only had Walker's health and happiness improved, but she had created a worldwide giving movement. 29 Gifts shows how a simple, daily practice of altruism can dramatically alter your outlook on the world.
A Natural Woman: A Memoir by Carole King
The life that inspired Beautiful: The Carole King Musical on Broadway.
Carole King takes us from her early beginnings in Brooklyn, to her remarkable success as one of the world's most acclaimed songwriting and performing talents of all time. A NATURAL WOMAN chronicles King's extraordinary life, drawing readers into her musical world, including her phenomenally successful #1 album Tapestry, and into her journey as a performer, mother, wife and present-day activist. Deeply personal, King's long-awaited memoir offers readers a front-row seat to the woman behind the legend.
The book includes dozens of photos from King's childhood, her own family, and behind-the-scenes images from her performances.
A Voice Becoming: A Yearlong Mother-Daughter Journey into Passionate, Purposed Living by Beth Bruno
In A VOICE BECOMING, Beth Bruno helps mothers cast a Godly vision for their daughters and chart a course that will prepare their daughters for womanhood.
What if you as a mother concentrated on your daughter for one year? Who might she become? A VOICE BECOMING is for moms who want to usher their daughters into womanhood but know they need more than tips, techniques, and programs. This is for moms who to desire to chart a course for their daughters that helps them know the story of God they are entering and the global sisterhood of women they are joining.
A VOICE BECOMING is written by a fellow sojourner, still in the middle of the journey, processing her own story as she casts a vision for her daughter to discover hers. Sometimes road maps are too restrictive and a friend is needed who has made the journey already. Beth Bruno seeks to activate moms by infusing them with hope and vision. Readers will join Beth in a yearlong journey of teaching their daughters that women lead, women love, women fight, women sacrifice, and women create. Moms learn how to use film and books, tangible experiences, volunteering, interviewing other women, traveling, and more in a creative and life-altering way to help solidify these important concepts in the mind and life of their young teen.
America's Hometown Recipe Book: 712 Favorite Recipes from Main Street U.S.A. by Barbara Greenman (Edited by)
This great big collection of recipes, straight from America's heartland, dishes up classic down-home goodness, from super sweet spare ribs to cherry-delight pie.
America's Hometown Recipe Book gathers together 800 delicious, beloved, and tried-and-true recipes that have been served up at churches and state fairs across the nation, from Catawissa, Pennsylvania, to Tuscola, Texas, to Carlsbad, California. Culled from Black Dog's three successful books Church Suppers, Church Socials, and Blue Ribbon Recipes, the recipes included here represent the very best of the best that hometown America has to offer. From breakfasts to desserts, these recipes have been served to hungry crowds, both large and small, for generations. The reviews are always raves and many of these dishes have garnered blue ribbons. Organized by type of food, chapters include Breakfast; Brunch; Appetizers; Soups and Sandwiches; Poultry and Game; Meat; Fish; Vegetables; Breads, Rolls, and Biscuits; Preserves; Pies, Cookies, and Cakes. You'll find lip-smacking recipes such as Easy Cheesy-Chile Bean Tomales, Spinach Cheese Squares, Lizzie's Crab Casserole, Vidalia Onions au Gratin, Green Veggie Frittata, Lemon Chiffon Torte, Peanut Butter Fudge, Jalepeño Jelly, and hundreds more.
Packaged in a spiral binder that has a pocket on the front cover for keeping recipe clippings, America's Hometown Recipe Book also includes 12 blank recipe cards to fill out and give to friends, family, and neighbors.
Anchor and Flares: A Memoir of Motherhood, Hope, and Service by Kate Braestrup
Kate Braestrup's life was transformed by the loss of her husband; now Kate faces the possibility that she may lose her son.
As a young mother Kate Braestrup discovered the fierce protectiveness that accompanies parenthood. In the intervening years--through mourning her husband and the joy of remarriage and a blended family--Kate has absorbed the rewards and complications of that spirit.
But when her eldest son joins the Marines, Kate is at a crossroads: Can she reconcile her desire to protect her children with her family's legacy of service? Can parents balance the joy of a child's independence with the fear of letting go?
Inspired by the families she meets as a chaplain and by her son's journey, Kate examines the twinned emotions of faith and fear, and learns that the threats we can't predict are the ones that rip us apart--and knit us together.
The Art of Movement: NYC Dance Project by Ken Browar, Deborah Ory
A stunning celebration of movement and dance in hundreds of breathtaking photographs of more than 70 dancers from American Ballet Theater, New York City Ballet, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Martha Graham Dance Company, Boston Ballet, Royal Danish Ballet, the Royal Ballet, and many more.
The Art of Movement is an exquisitely designed, beautifully produced book that captures the movement, flow, energy, and grace of many of the most accomplished dancers in the world. These are the artists, from all walks of life, who are defining dance today. Here they are frozen in time in the most exquisite poses, and yet there's a feeling of movement in every photograph that makes the appear to be dancing across the pages. Accompanying the photographs are intimate and inspiring words from the dancers, as well as from choreographers and artistic directors, on what dance means to them.
Dance is experiencing an unprecedented moment in popular culture. The Art of Movement is the perfect book for newly avid fans, as well as long-time lovers of dance.
Ken Browar is a renowned fashion and beauty photographer whose work has appeared in Vogue, Elle, Marie Claire, and many other European fashion magazines. His passion for dance began when he lived in Paris and photographed dancers for the Paris Opera Ballet. Deborah Ory has been a dancer since age seven. She began her photography career while injured as a dancer, photographing rehearsals. She has worked as a photo editor at House & Garden and Mirabella, and has shot editorial work for Self, Health, Martha Stewart Living, and Real Simple. Browar and Ory are the creative team behind NYC Dance Project. NYC Dance Project's work has been featured in magazines worldwide including Harper's Bazaar, Vogue Italia, L'Uomo Vogue, and Glamour.
Baby Bumps: From Party Girl to Proud Mama, and all the Messy Milestones Along the Way by Nicole Polizzi
Snooki's "tell it like it is" book on pregnancy and childbirth; everything from the symptoms, the sex, to post-birth.
The greatest thing Nicole Polizzi, aka “Snooki,” ever did was by accident. But her son, Lorenzo, was never a mistake. When she and her boyfriend, Jionni, found out she was knocked up, they weren't married or engaged. She was only twenty-four and living with her parents—and she had zero baby experience. With a reckless, party girl TV persona to deal with, she had a lot to learn and discover in becoming a mother.
In this funny and frank book, Nicole shares her experiences, everything from the first sonogram to the nipple-cracking shock of breastfeeding. In each chapter, she tells the unvarnished truth about pregnancy symptoms (“The High Price of Gas”), the ridiculousness of her baby registry (“Butt Paste and Boogie Wipes”) and the lowdown on postpartum life (“Shit Happens”). There's a ton of useful information, including a list of must-have baby products, MILF style tips, how to keep “I'm a whale” preggers bad body image in check, and how she got into the best shape of her life within six months of giving birth. Although Nicole had to give up partying, she's embracing motherhood the only way she knows how: with a fun-loving attitude—and lots of leopard print!
Be the Miracle: 50 Lessons for Making the Impossible Possible by Regina Brett
Want to live your dreams--or even surpass them? Want the world to change for the better? Want to see a miracle? What are we waiting for? Why not be the miracle?
That's the challenge Regina Brett sets forth in BE THE MIRACLE. To be a miracle doesn't necessarily mean tackling problems across the globe. It means making a difference, believing change is possible, even in your own living room, cubicle, neighborhood, or family.
Through a collection of inspirational essays, Regina shares lessons that will help people make a difference in the world around them. The lessons come from Regina's life experience and from the lives of others, especially those she has met in her 24 years as a journalist. Each chapter is a lesson that can stand alone, but together they form a handbook for seeing the miracle of change everywhere.
With upbeat lessons from "Do Your Best and Forget the Rest" to "Sometimes It's Enough to Make One Person Happy," these lessons will help you accept and embrace yourself, challenge and change yourself, and better serve others.
Country Wisdom & Know-How: Everything You Need to Know to Live Off the Land From the Editors of Storey Publishing
Reminiscent in both spirit and design of the beloved Whole Earth Catalog, Country Wisdom & Know-How is an unprecedented collection of information on nearly 200 individual topics of country and self-sustained living. Compiled from the information in Storey Publishing's landmark series of "Country Wisdom Bulletins," this book is the most thorough and reliable volume of its kind.
This new edition, with a smaller trim, includes all the must-have information from the original edition including topics like animals, cooking, crafts, gardening, health and well-being, and home, it is further broken down to cover dozens of specifics from "Building Chicken Coops" to "Making Cheese, Butter, and Yogurt" to "Improving Your Soil" to "Restoring Hardwood Floors." Nearly 1,000 black-and-white illustrations and photographs run throughout and fascinating projects and trusted advice crowd every page.
Diary of a Stage Mother's Daughter: A Memoir by Melissa Francis
T he Glass Castle meets The Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother in this dazzlingly honest and provocative family memoir by former child actress and current Fox Business Network anchor Melissa Francis.
When Melissa Francis was eight years old, she won the role of lifetime: playing Cassandra Cooper Ingalls, the little girl who was adopted with her brother (played by young Jason Bateman) by the Ingalls family on the world’s most famous primetime soap opera, Little House on the Prairie. Despite her age, she was already a veteran actress, living a charmed life, moving from one Hollywood set to the next. But behind the scenes, her success was fueled by the pride, pressure, and sometimes grinding cruelty of her stage mother, as fame and a mother’s ambition pushed her older sister deeper into the shadows.
Diary of a Stage Mother’s Daughter is a fascinating account of life as a child star in the 1980’s, and also a startling tale of a family under the care of a highly neurotic, dangerously competitive “tiger mother.” But perhaps most importantly, now that Melissa has two sons of her own, it’s a meditation on motherhood, and the value of pushing your children: how hard should you push a child to succeed, and at what point does your help turn into harm?
The Glass Castle meets The Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother in this dazzlingly honest and provocative family memoir by former child actress and current Fox Business Network anchor Melissa Francis.
A graduate of Harvard University, Melissa Francis grew up in southern California. As a broadcast journalist, she has anchored CNBC’s Power Lunch, The Call, and On The Money, served as a regular contributor to the Today show and Weekend Today Show, and currently hosts two daily business shows on the Fox Business Network. She lives in New York City with her husband and their two sons.
First Ladies: Presidential Historians on the Lives of 45 Iconic American Women by Susan Swain, C-SPAN, Richard Norton Smith
A look inside the personal life of every first lady in American history, based on original interviews with major historians
C-SPAN’s yearlong history series, First Ladies: Influence and Image, featured interviews with more than fifty preeminent historians and biographers. In this informative book, these experts paint intimate portraits of all forty-five first ladies—their lives, ambitions, and unique partnerships with their presidential spouses. Susan Swain and the C-SPAN team elicit the details that made these women who they were: how Martha Washington intentionally set the standards followed by first ladies for the next century; how Edith Wilson was complicit in the cover-up when President Wilson became incapacitated after a stroke; and how Mamie Eisenhower used the new medium of television to reinforce her, and her husband’s, positive public images.
This book provides an up-close historical look at these fascinating women who survived the scrutiny of the White House, sometimes at great personal cost, while supporting their families and famous husbands—and sometimes changing history. Complete with illustrations and essential biographical details, it is an illuminating, entertaining, and ultimately inspiring read.
Susan Swain was the moderator for C-SPAN’s special yearlong history series, First Ladies: Influence and Image. Swain is C-SPAN’s co-CEO and, in addition to her senior management role at the network, has been an on-camera host for C-SPAN for more than thirty years, interviewing public officials, historians, and journalists for the public affairs network. This is her ninth book project with C-SPAN and PublicAffairs. She lives in the Washington, DC, suburbs.
Honey Connoisseur: Selecting, Tasting, and Pairing Honey, With a Guide to More Than 30 Varietals by C. Marina Marchese, Kim Flottum
From honey and honey-tasting experts, C. Marina Marchese and Kim Flottum, comes this comprehensive primer on the origin, taste, and culinary uses of more than 40 available varietals of honey, from ubiquitous clover to tangy star thistle to rich, smoky buckwheat.
From honey experts C. Marina Marchese and Kim Flottum comes this comprehensive introduction to the origin, flavor, and culinary uses of more than 30 varietals of honey, from ubiquitous clover to tangy star thistle to rich, smoky buckwheat
Like wine, cheese, coffee, and chocolate, honey has emerged as an artisanal obsession. Its popularity at farmers' markets and specialty food stores has soared as retailers are capitalizing on the trend. The Honey Connoisseur teaches consumers everything they need to know about how to taste, select, and use a diverse selection of honey.
After a brief explanation of how bees produce honey, the authors introduce the concept of terroir, the notion that soil, weather, and other natural phenomena can affect the taste of honey. As with wines, knowing the terroir of a honey varietal helps to inform an understanding of its flavor.
The book goes on to give a thorough course in the origins of more than 30 different honeys as well as step-by-step instructions, how to taste honey, describe its flavor and determine what other flavors pair best with a particular honey. Also included are simple recipes such as dressings, marinades, quick-and-easy desserts, and beverages.
Beautifully illustrated and designed, The Honey Connoisseur is the perfect book for foodies and locavores alike.
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MRS N, Book Addict