First Chapter Review: Stuck in the Middle: A Novel by Virgnia Smith

I loved the blurb for this book, so I decided to download a free copy to my Kindle. I also thought the cover art was neat. How many rocks walls or beams did you walk along as a kid?

TITLE:  Stuck in the Middle: A Novel

AUTHOR:  Virginia Smith

BLURB:  Joan Sanderson's life is stuck. Her older sister, Allie, is starting a family and her younger sister, Tori, has a budding career. Meanwhile, Joan is living at home with Mom and looking after her aging grandmother. Not exactly a recipe for excitement. That is, until a hunky young doctor moves in next door. Suddenly Joan has a goal--to get a date. But it won't be easy. Pretty Tori flirts relentlessly with him and Joan is sure that she can't compete. But with a little help from God, Allie, and an enormous mutt with bad manners, maybe Joan can find her way out of this rut.


Book 1 of the Sister-to-Sister series, Stuck in the Middle combines budding romance, spiritual searching, and a healthy dose of sibling rivalry.
 
COVER:  Like I said before, I thought this one was neat. In addition to walking on the wall, I like the summer look to the young lady, especially her shoes. The "Sister-to-Sister" emblem is a nice touch.
 
FIRST CHAPTER:  Joan Sanderson is working her job at the furniture store when she receives a phone call from her mother. Gram's obsessive-compulsive behavior is at it again and it's driving Joan's mother insane. Joan lives with her mother and Gram, so she's used to these conversations. A young couple arrives to temporarily distract her, but her sister Allie soon calls to read her the riot act for hanging up on their mother. Her day goes from bad to worse when she runs into her ex (nicely named Roger the Rat) while on lunch break.
 
KEEP READING:  Definitely. I love Smith's style. She's created an interesting and sympathetic character in Joan, a woman who wants more out of life than she has, and one who watches while her sisters live lives she wishes she had. I really want to see how her story turns out.
 
 
Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 1799 KB
Publisher: Revell (February 1, 2008)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
ASIN: B001GMANO4
Current price FREE

I downloaded a free copy for my Kindle. I received no monetary compensation for this review.

It's Not Fair, Jeremey Spencer's Parents Let Him Stay Up All Night! by Anthony E. Wolf, Ph.D.--Book Review

Looking for a book that will help you through some of the most diffcult challenges of parenting children? Look no further than It's Not Fair, Jeremey Spencer's Parents Let Him Stay Up All Night! by Anthony E. Wolf, Ph.D.

I received this book from my daughter's school adjustment counselor. Having a strong-willed daughter and being strong-willed myself, I expressed concern over the battles we wage in our household each day. Why is it that she is so well-behaved at school, but the moment she comes home it's like someone dropped the bomb?

Through It's Not Fair, I was able to catch glimpses not only of my daughter's behavior, but also of my own. Already feeling like I was part of the problem, Wolf's insight showed me the areas I need to concentrate on, areas that required me only to change how I handled the situation.

In this book, Wolf discusses the "baby self" and how there remains a part of us that does not grow up. This "baby self" acts very differently from the "mature self"--the part of us that does grow up--who is able to handle stress, accept responsibility, and have self-control.

Topics I found especially helpful were those on power struggles, consistency, dealing with whining, sulking, and temper tantrums, and sibling rivalry.

It's Not Fair, Jeremey Spencer's Parents Let Him Stay Up All Night! is like a parent's best friend: understanding, not judgmental, and filled with great advice. Perhaps the best part is that Wolf doesn't insist you do things his way; he suggests what he has seen work in the past and shares his knowledge of why these parenting methods work. And he does it in such a way that you aren't left feeling like a failure before he came along to save you. He just gives you the tools to create the more tranquil home you want.

No parent should be without It's Not Fair, Jeremey Spencer's Parents Let Him Stay Up All Night!!


Title: It's Not Fair, Jeremey Spencer's Parents Let Him Stay Up All Night!
Author: Anthony E. Wolf, Ph.D.
Publisher: The Noonday Press
ISBN: 0-374-52473-4
SRP: $14.00 (U.S.)