Book Review: Abby Finds Her Calling by Naomi King

When Zanna Lambright doesn't show up for her wedding, it breaks James Graber's heart. She soon comes sneaking back to her older sister, Abby, the local maidel for advice. In addition to stitching up clothes in her sewing shop, it seems Abby is often found mending torn relationships in the Cedar Creek community.

James has no idea that Abby carries a torch for him, but he is happy to have his good friend by his side to help him deal with being shamed by Zanna's disappearance. Abby always seems to know exactly what to say and do to make him feel better.

When Zanna's secret is revealed, Abby steps in to make sure she is treated fairly. Then tragedy strikes a family in the Cedar Creek community. Can they all put aside their feelings and help their own?

Abby Finds Her Calling is a beautiful story of faith, family and forgiveness. King has developed a cast of interesting and engaging characters whose lives you can't help but care about. Watching to see how the community and the disgraced families deal with Zanna's disappearance keeps readers turning the pages. Once her secret is revealed, the reader can't pull herself away.

It's nice to see how the characters develop in Abby Finds Her Calling. There are many who experience a transformation in one way or another. While there are main characters, King maintains that feeling of community throughout the book instead of focusing solely on Abby's role.

If you enjoy Amish fiction, Abby Finds Her Calling is an excellent choice. I eagerly await the next book in the Home at Cedar Creek series.

Title:  Abby Finds Her Calling
Author:  Naomi King
Publisher: NAL Trade; 1 Original edition (February 28, 2012)
ISBN-10: 0451235738
ISBN-13: 978-0451235732
SRP:  $14.00


I received a free paperback copy of this book from the author through Pump Up Your Book in exchange for my honest opinion. I received no monetary compensation of any kind for this review.

This is the eighteenth book I've read for the following challenge:

It is the eleventh book I've read for the following challenge:

Book Review: Fundamentally Different by David Friedman

David Friedman is the former President of RSI, an award-winning employee benefits brokerage and consulting firm in the Philadelphia area. In his debut book, Fundamentally Different, Friedman shares what he has learned through nearly three decades in the business world.

These are questions posed on the inside jacket:

"Is organizational culture just a New Age obsession that distracts us from the real work of business? What role do values play in organizational success? How can we create greater consistency between the values we say are important and the ones that actually show up in the routine behavior of our people? What’s the most important common denominator found in all dysfunctional organizations, and how can we avoid it?"


Within the 300 pages of this book, Friedman answers these questions and more. His conversational style engages the reader. And who is that reader? Definitely business leaders, but you'll be happy to know even the average person can gain a wealth of knowledge by reading Fundamentally Different. That's because it's not merely a business book. Many of the 30 Fundamentals featured can be applied to daily life:

• Fundamental #2 - Check the ego at the door,
• Fundamental #4 - Take the extra time to do things right the first time (I say this to my kids all the time when referring to their homework),
• Fundamental #7 - Make decisions that reflect a reverence for long-term relationships,
• Fundamental #13 - Communicate to be understood,
• Fundamental #18 - Listen generously.

These are just a few of the Fundamentals that can be used every day in your personal and professional life.

Friedman discusses each Fundamental at length, relaying how they applied to his years in business. There are also blurbs throughout the book from others who discuss their experiences. Fundamentally Different also includes several Appendices, which include the Original Fundamentals Card, emails to employees, and a survey that RSI sent each year to clients, vendors/suppliers, and employees.

While Fundamentally Different is Friedman's first book, it shouldn't be his last.


Title: Fundamentally Different: Building a Culture of Success through Organizational Values
Author: David Friedman
Publisher: Infinity Publishing
ISBN-10: 0741466805
ISBN-13: 978-0741466808
SRP: $28.95 (Hardcover)
Also available as a paperback, Kindle book, and Audio CD

I received a copy of this book from the author's representative in exchange for my honest opinions. While I was paid to coordinate a virtual book tour for the author, that fee did not include a review.

Pump Up Your Book June Chat/Book Giveaway Tonight!

Pump Up Your Book will be hosting the June 2011 Authors on Tour at a chat/book giveaway party on Thursday June 30, 2011 starting at 8 p.m. eastern (7 p.m. Central, 6 p.m. Mountain and 5 p.m. Pacific) and ending at 11 p.m. (eastern time) at their new chat room at Pump Up Your Book!


Tell your book friends that not only will this give them an opportunity to chat with their favorite authors there will be a huge giveaway at the end of the chat!


For more details, visit http://www.pumpupyourbook.com/2011/06/26/pump-up-your-book-live-june-2011-authors-on-tour-chatbook-giveaway-party/.