My Planet: Finding Humor in the Oddest Places by Mary Roach

May 30, 2013 by Kathleen · Leave a Comment

My Planet by Mary Roach

Stars:

Reader’s Digest (2013)
Reference/Humor
160 pages

Summary: Mary Roach is the author of bestselling books Stiff, Bonk and Spook. This book is a compilation of short stories from her Reader’s Digest column. The release in April 2013 coincided with the release of her new book Gulp.

I have been meaning to read all books by Mary Roach but just haven’t had the time to track a copy down at the library and read it. Reading is slow going these days with kids around. So when I was offered a chance to review this compilation, I said yes. It’s not in the same vein as her other books which are based in science but I figured it would let me get to know her better.

As I said above, this book is a compilation of the short stories she published in her Reader’s Digest column.

I’m generally not a big fan of short stories but these are different in that they are humorous stories about her life and most of them are very short, 2-4 pages long so I can easily read a bunch in one sitting.

It’s one of those books you could read cover to cover but would also be perfectly fine to read out of order, when you get a chance. It would make a great bathroom book as the stories are short enough to read one or two while on the toilet. (Oh come on, doesn’t EVERYBODY read on the toilet?)

Not all the stories were laugh out loud funny, but they did make me smile and occasionally chuckle. Her fun writing style makes me want to check out her other books all the more.

Find the Mary Roach on the web and on twitter.

Buy the Book on Amazon.com and Help Support The Blog.

*I or a member of my review team received this book for evaluation purposes. Some links above may be affiliate links. All review are honest.

Filed Under: Lifestyle · Tagged With: humour

Armchair Bea 2013 (Introductions)

May 28, 2013 by Kathleen · Leave a Comment

I’m a little late but I’ve been looking forward to participating in Armchair BEA again for a little while. I participated in the very first one but missed last year.

My blog has gone through lots of changes in the 8 years since it’s been around. Book blogging in general has really changed too. I drifted out of the book blogging community for a few years and am just now trying to find my way back in, all while keeping up my other blogs and their respective communities as well.

Who Am I?

My name is Kathleen Garber and I’ve been blogging for 8 years, but I’ve been online for longer than that. I used to review books on amazon.com before blogging, and on a Geocities website before that. I’ve been reviewing books for over 10 years.

My book blog was originally SMS Book Reviews, the SMS standing for Sun, Moon and Stars which was the name of my first Geocities website. I reviewed mostly nonfiction and some fiction, then adding picture books after I had kids. Recently I decided to move to completely reviewing nonfiction (for any age) and so renamed SMS Nonfiction Book Reviews, moved to my own domain and then just a month ago, switched over to WordPress.

Nonfiction Book Shelf Just ONE Shelf of My Nonfiction Books

My Current Reads

I always read many books at once which means it takes me longer to get through each book but that way I can read whatever subject I feel like at the time. I am currently reading Chicken Soup for the Soul: Inspiration for Writers (I read a lot of CSS books as an Official Soup-er Blogger.) I am also finishing up My Planet by Mary Roach and I’ve been working on Taming Aggression In your Child by Henri Parens which is very good but a bit dry so it’s slow going. I’m just starting Craving:Why We Can’t Seem to Get Enough by Omar Manejwala.

When I’m Not Reading…

I’m blogging, attending playgroup with my kids or being a leader with Girl Guides. Mostly blogging. I have four regular blogs that I own plus other websites and blogs either abandoned for the time being or not started yet. Callista’s Ramblings covers many topics related to home life and includes product reviews (parenting, health, pets, entertainment etc), Biannual Blogathon Bash is about blogging and social media and is the homebase for a twice annual blogging marathon (the next one is in June!) and South Western Ontario Parent is a local blog that’s still pretty new.

Thanks for visiting my blog, especially if you are new! If you like nonfiction, check out the topics in the menu to see if I’ve reviewed something you might be interested in.

Please leave a link to your blog in the comments if you say hi so I can make sure to visit you!

Filed Under: Events · Tagged With: about me, armchair BEA

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Parenthood

May 23, 2013 by Kathleen · Leave a Comment

Stars: ★★★★★

Chicken Soup for the Soul (2013)
400 pages
Self Help (Motivational and Inspirational)

Another great Chicken Soup for the Soul book for parents. I love that this one is written by moms and dads of all kinds and not just for one or the other. I especially enjoyed the stories by men as it’s less often that you hear about the joys of parenting from men.

It was only a few stories in that I read the FUNNIEST story. So funny I was cracking up laughing in the bathroom (because that happens to be where I was reading it.) Anyone in the house must have though I’d gone crazy I was laughing so hard. I’m pretty sure I had trouble breathing.

STOP – Before you read on, swallow your drink, put down the breakables and prepare for extreme laughter!

Excerpt from Baby Steps by Rob L. Berry

“The moment when I realized I was in way over my head will be forever etched in my memory. […] After reaching the changing table, I was confused by my inability to get my son to lie flat on the table. His legs seemed oddly strong for a seven-day-old. I turned the light on to discover that I had picked up my cat instead of my son. I knew it was time to get some sleep, or to get some therapy. Or maybe both.” – Chapter One, Page 10

Not all the stories are humourous although there are plenty of them. Some are touching, some are a bit sad and some will bring you good memories of when your child(ren) did something similar.

You have got to love the cartoons that are included in most Chicken Soup for the Soul books, they are always SO funny!

From Beginning to End

There are 14 chapters on different life lessons or aspects of parenting:

Becoming a Family
All in a Day’s Work
Is There a Manual For This?
Parenting Faux Pas
Stop and Smell the Roses
Learning From Each Other
Treasured Moments
From the Mouths of Babes
What Goes Around Comes Around
Love Conquers All
Saying Thank You
Giving Them Wings to Fly

When you are having a tough day as a parent, pull out this book and take a few moments to read the stories. Reading these stories will remind you of the good times you’ve had as a family and allow you to appreciate your family.

Buy This Book from Amazon.com and Help Support SMS Nonfiction Book Reviews

*As an Official Soup-er Blogger, I or a member of my review team received this book for evaluation purposes. Some links above may be affiliate links. All review are honest.

Filed Under: Parenting · Tagged With: Chicken Soup for the Soul, Non-fiction

Obesity Free Forever: Losing Weight from the Inside Out by Georgene Dana Collins

May 3, 2013 by Kathleen · Leave a Comment

Obesity Free Forever by Georgene Dana Collins Stars:

Collins Information Services, Inc. (April 2009)
Health and Wellness/Fitness
172 Pages

A Bit of Background

I received this book years ago when I wasn’t really ready to start losing weight. As such I read some of it but when I got to the part about making a journal, it just seemed like too much so I didn’t read farther.

It sat on my shelf quietly and occasionally I’d see it there and think, “Gee I should really get back to reading that book. I was supposed to review it and besides, I really need to lose weight.” Then I’d walk away and it would stay there.

Less than two weeks ago, I decided I was ready to take action and actively lose weight and lead a healthier lifestyle. As part of that, I remembered the book and went to take it off the shelf and give it another try. I read it in two days.

I WISH I had read it back then and acted on it as well. I might be a healthy weight today. Sadly the book doesn’t seem to be in print anymore although you may be able to find a used copy. The author has a newer book out which probably contains some of the same information in a new format but I’m not sure as I haven’t read it.

NOT a Diet

One thing I’ve known for a while even though I hadn’t done anything about it, is that to lose weight and KEEP it OFF, you can’t diet. You have to make changes to your lifestyle that you can sustain once you reach your desired weight. The author lost weight and more importantly KEPT it OFF by following a plan she designed for herself using her knowledge as a registered nurse and certified consultant in weight management.

Individual Personalized Plans

Georgene shows us her five step process that allowed her to create her own personalized plan that was just right for her needs, health and lifestyle. She shows you how to create a plan that’s right for you so you can get the results you want and that will make it easier for you to stick to.

Sharing Her Story..

..makes me more confident in her approach than a book written by a health professional who has never been overweight. The first chapter tells her story and throughout the book as she shares more, you can tell she is opening up about her REAL life and not just sharing generic statements than anyone could make. Reading about her struggle, although not the same as mine, helped me to see it IS possible to lose a lot of weight and keep it off.

The Chapters

Chapter 2 has some information on obesity discrimination, health risks and such. Some of it is interesting but it’s not the best part of the book. It quotes American stats and topics and some of it may be outdated anyways. It’s a small section. Chapter 3 is about preparing to lose weight and is important.

Chapter 4 however is all about the process. There are 5 steps to the process but each of the steps takes a little while to complete. This is fine however as it takes time to lose weight, so no one should be expecting to complete 5 simple steps and magically be smaller.

Chapter 5 covers exercise and Chapter 6 has a bunch of tips. Chapter 7 is about plateaus and setbacks while Chapter 8 covers special occasions, travelling and dining out. Chapter 9 covers maintenance.

How This Weight Loss Book is DIFFERENT

The main reason why this book is so different than other weight loss books I have read, is that she doesn’t just give you some tips on eating healthy and exercising and send you off. She has figured out what is needed to ensure success and more importantly, continued success. She has you figuring out what your goals are (other than just to lose weight), what is stopping you from getting there, what has worked and not worked in the past and what your emotions are regarding food. She then has you address these issues.

She uses journals to keep all her insights about herself in one spot. When I first read the book years ago, I was thinking something along the lines of that journaling may work for her but I don’t think it’s necessary and I don’t intend to do it. I thought about my answers but I didn’t write anything down.

I see now that it is necessary to write these things down, so you can easily look back on them whenever you need to and to have a record of where you were at, at different parts of your journey. She uses the journal in many ways and I honestly can’t wait to get started. I feel like this is what I need to keep going. That’s not just something I’m saying, I fully intend to start on my weight loss journal as soon as I’m done writing this review.

Weight Loss Mathematics

The book covers all math related topics such as calorie counting, exercise METs and all the calculations that go with them. It’s the best explanation of how calories and weight loss works I’ve ever seen. It cleared up all the questions I had.

Tons of Helpful Information

The exercise section had some good information on types of exercise, and how it works in conjunction with lowering your caloric intake to help you lose weight. The weight loss tips were great little bite sized tips. Some I knew but a few were new to me. Most of the information was helpful to anyone who lives anywhere.

If her new book does not contain much of the same information as this book, then the author should consider reprinting the book.

Buy Obesity Free Forever (used only) from amazon.com and Help Support SMS Nonfiction Book Reviews

*I or a member of my review team received product from a company or PR agency for evaluation purposes. Some links above may be affiliate links. All review are honest.

Filed Under: Health · Tagged With: weight loss

Six Sisters’ Stuff: Family Recipes, Fun Crafts, And So Much More

April 8, 2013 by Kathleen ·

Six Sisters Stuff Cover Stars: ★★★★☆

Shadow Mountain (Mar 2013)
200 pages
Recipes/Handicraft

Summary: In their debut cookbook, the sisters show families just how simple putting dinner on the table can be. Six Sisters Stuff has nearly 100 easy to follow recipes that use ingredients commonly found in your pantry. Each recipe includes easy-to-follow instructions and photographs that eliminate any guess work. Also craft ideas and fun family activities.

Who Are The Six Sisters?

The six biological sisters are Camille, Kristen, Elyse, Stephanie, Lauren and Kendra and they have a blog at sixsistersstuff.com sharing their love of cooking, crafting and creating. There blog has become one of the most popular food/craft blogs with an average 5 million page views per month.

Six Sisters of SixSistersStuff.com

A Delightful Surprise

I’ve read and reviewed a lot of recipe books and one thing I’ve found is that they usually have some recipes our family wants to try, but also LOTS of recipes that just aren’t right for our (picky) family. It’s not that there is anything wrong with the recipes, they just contain ingredients we have no interest in eating, or require expensive or rare ingredients or tools or just take too long to prepare. Sometimes the ingredients themselves we like but not the way they are prepared.

I think I can safely say EVERY SINGLE RECIPE in the Six Sister Stuff book is something our family would eat. Here are just SOME of the yummy recipes I want to try:

Black Bean Taco Soup
Sausage and Egg Breakfast Casserole
Baked Chicken Bacon Ranch Taquitos
Grilled 7-Up Chicken
Creamy Slow Cooker Ranch Pork Chops and Potatoes
Snickers Apple Pudding Salad
Mini Maple Pancake Muffins
Root Beer Float Cookies

Come to think of it, most of the recipes I want to try are made with chicken and/or bacon, and/or ranch, 3 of my favourite foods. There are quite a few Mexican/Spanish type dishes. There are a few healthier ones too.

As a matter of fact, my husband wanted to make Parmesean Sesame Chicken Strips (pg 36) one night while I was gone but he couldn’t find the sesame seeds at the store so he made it with sunflower seeds and he added bacon bits and he said it turned out very good. I didn’t try any but it’s odd for him to follow a new recipe when it comes to meal time foods (as opposed to desserts.)

For the Crafty Foodie

I can’t properly review the craft sections since I am NOT crafty and will probably never use them. Here is some of what you will find:

Pallet Bookshelves
14 Days of Valentines
Do It Yourself Ice Cream Cone Piñata
The Ultimate Kid Wash
$6 Wire Hanger Christmas Ornament Wreath

Activities Too

Spring Cleaning Checklist
50 Fun Date Ideas
100 Healthy Snack Ideas
101 Funk Easy and Cheap Indoor Activities for Kids
Build Your 72-hour Kit in 52 Weeks
40 Read Trip Ideas For Kids

The one about building a 72 hour kit was very good. If you don’t know, it’s a kit that is for emergencies that has what you need to survive for 72 hours like food, water, meds, etc. Instead of spending lots of money and time to build it all at once, you add something every week for a year. I don’t think I’ll do it this way but it gives me a good idea of what I need to include as well.

Suggestions to Make the Book Better

The only thing I’d suggest really is to make the book lay more flat. I had to put heavy things on top just to get it to stay open to the page I needed. That’s one thing that really irks me with recipe books or any book where you are following instructions. The instructions are clear, the photos are beautiful, but it needs to stay open.

4 x 4 Family Dinner Challenge

The Six Sisters are challenging you to have dinner with your family 4 nights per week for four weeks. Will you take the challenge?

The post mentions doing it in March but you can certainly do it for the four weeks from when you decide to join in. There is no specific sign up form or anything, just comment on the 4×4 challenge post if you are joining in.

Filed Under: Cookbooks · Tagged With: crafts, family, recipes

Social Media Metrics for Dummies by Leslie Poston

March 23, 2013 by Kathleen ·

Stars: ★★★★☆

Social Media Marketing/Analytics
306 pages

Summary: With so many social media monitoring and measurement tools available, it can be overwhelming to figure out which tool is right for you when it comes to calculating the success of your social media marketing efforts. This fun and friendly guide helps you determine which tool will serve you best for understanding your online audience. – dummies.com

As an analytical person, statistics and analytics interests me on almost any subject. I was intrigued when I was offered a chance to read Social Media Metrics for Dummies because I was in the midst of using social media more for blog promotion and I wanted to know how I was doing.

The book WAS over my head in some ways and is aimed more at a business that has customers and money to spend on analytics programs but that doesn’t mean I didn’t come away with good information. I just had to dodge in between the techy speak.

Part 1: Metrics? What the Heck is That?

This section covers the basics of what metrics are and how they are measured. Also specifically how metrics are used for businesses. there is also talk about how not all metrics are created equal and how to determine which ones to pay more attention too.

Then we are helped to find a metrics service to use and we learn how to use what you find and how to track your metrics.

In this part we look at different services, first at Google Analytics and then as a few others ones.

Part 2: Navigating The Measurement Jungle

Have you ever heard of the six stages of grief? Well this is the Six Stages of Metrics Grief. Sometimes your stats can be depressing, especially if you aren’t where you want to be. See the stages.

Learn the difference between how individuals vs. organizations use metrics. Learn about dashboards. How content factors into metrics and how to track different types of content (video, audio, photos, downloads etc.)

Part 3: Putting Your Metrics on Steroids

Now you know the basics, time to become a metrics guru: Testing, Tracking/Converting, Metrics History, Metrics for Feeds, etc.

Mobile and Email Metrics are also covered in this section. This is something I’m not ready to delve into very much but will com in handy. Some of the stuff in this chapter was over my head.

Part 4: Keeping Your Finger on the Pulse of Living, Breathing Metrics

Here you’ll find Metrics Mistakes and how to avoid them including fake metrics, surface metrics, metrics pitfalls and about not gaming the system. Also how to make metrics work for your brand including tracking social sharing and seeing how people find you. The chapter on branded metrics is way beyond the scope of a blog and therefore I mostly just skimmed that section.

Part 5: Taking the Deep Dive into Advanced Metrics

It was at this point I was thinking, weren’t we already talking about advanced stuff? I actually found some of the topics covered in this section LESS advanced than some of the ones in the last chapter.

This part covers page load times, video metrics, phone call data, social buttons, offline marketing and QR codes. It goes over making your Calls-to-Action work for you and how to use metrics to see if it is working. Also how to set goals for your metrics.

Part 6: Predicting Future Metrics

Find out where metrics is going in the future. Mobile App metrics and cutting-edge metrics ideas. Also talk about knowing what new things deserve measuring and more on new trends.

Finally, Part 7 which I didn’t mention above is the usual Part of Tens that you find in all For Dummies books. In the case of Social Media Metrics for Dummies you’ll find Ten cool ways to use metrics (metrics for things like fitness, finance, productivity or relationships) and ten useful metrics services and metrics tools.

You can check out three excerpts available from the Wiley website (see right-side.)

*I or a member of my review team received product from a company or PR agency for evaluation purposes. Some links above may be affiliate links. All review are honest.

Filed Under: Uncategorized · Tagged With: 4 Star Books, Book Review, Non-fiction, social media

Bloggiesta March 2013

March 22, 2013 by Kathleen ·

I’ve decided last minute to join in the Bloggiesta with some of my book loving friends. I am running my own blog event tomorrow but it’s blogging related so I can do both at once.

So here’s my post saying I’m joining in the Bloggiesta.

Bloggiesta!

My Bloggiesta To-Do List

Write (at least) 2 book reviews
Transfer my blog to WordPress (if I have time, I’ve done it twice before so I know how, I just need the time)
Participate in (at least) one #bloggiesta twitter chat
Find 3 new book blogs to follow
Post (at least) 3 reviews I’ve already done to GoodReads
Post (at least) 3 reviews I’ve already done to Amazon

Filed Under: Events · Tagged With: bloggiesta

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