Book Title Damage Control
Book Author Robert Dugoni
1898 Hits
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1898 Hits
The Sage Record
Lyndie Blevins blogging from Sage-Texas where you can expect greater things to come
Book Reviews is the section of the Sage Record where you can find book reviews.
Book Title Troubleshoot Your Novel
Book Author Steven James
1401 Hits
1401 Hits
Book Title Story Trumps Structure
Book Author Steven James
1485 Hits
1485 Hits
Book Title Congressional Deskbook(Sixth Edition)
Book Author Judy Schneider, Michael L. Koempel
1337 Hits
1337 Hits
Book Title A Psalm A Day - An Interactive Devotional Bible Study
Book Author Connie Lewis Leonard
1535 Hits
1535 Hits
Book Title What Matters Most
Book Author Kellie Coats Gilbert
1506 Hits
1506 Hits
1912 Hits
1912 Hits
Book Title A Grief Observed
Book Author C. S. Lewis
Publisher Harper Collins
Pub. Year 1994(1961)
Pages 76
Genre Non-fiction
My Rating 
Ease of Read easy
ISBN 978-0-06—65238-8
1877 Hits
1877 Hits
1767 Hits
1767 Hits
1032 Hits
1032 Hits
1022 Hits
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Book Title The Innocents Abroad
Book Author Mark Twain
Publisher Readers Digest
Pub. Year 1869
Pages 432
Genre Travel
My Rating  ♥♥♥♥♥
Ease of Read Moderately easy
ISBN 08957733920
I was attracted to this book because...
I need to research traveling by ship in 1867. This book was the perfect answer to learn about traveling in Europe in this time period, as well as an idea of writing in the time period. Matt Twain went on a Grand Tour of Europe and the Holy Lands in 1867. This book met all my research needs.
This book was about...
Mark Twain had an opportunity to take a Grand Tour of Europe and the Holy Lands on the Quaker City with 64 other Americans. The voyage took about six months. He relates the experience of the trip in his own words. He sent newspaper reports throughout the voyage. As cholera was rampant in many places they visited, they often experienced quarantines in many ports lasting various time periods. Some were over nights and others where they were completely blocked from entering and had to move on. When the time period was short, Twain was always in the group which managed to go into town anyway.
As humor often does, Twain’s approach to classical art, historical locations and sacred art and places, revealed a great amount of truth lacking in writing that respects the traditions of these objects.
Spoiler Alert: There is absolutely no political correctness in this book. (Makes you wonder what Mark Twain would do today.) If you are Muslim, Catholic, Mormon, well not Protestant, French, Russian, well not American, American Indian, Police, and other groups I didn’t pick up on, and a member of Congress, read this book with caution.
Things I liked about this book...
I confess. I have the same sense of humor as Mark Twain. So I enjoyed the way he documented the trip, his fellow travelers and the places they visited. He often drew parallels to locations he visited to places in America. I found this very helpful. He used Lake Tahoe several times. I know the first time I visited Lake Tahoe in the dead of winter, I thought it has to be the most incredible place on earth. I found the comparisons of other localities on point. It also helped me have a better understand the size of the landscape he was describing.
If you replace gas lights with electric lights and horses/carriages with mini-vans, you would think you were reading about a trip today. (Although it would be interesting to see the Holy Lands on donkey/horseback.
If I get a chance to go back to Europe and visit the Holy Lands, I’m taking this book with me.
Why you should read this book...
This is considered the best travel book ever written. According to Leslie Fiedler, who wrote the afterward in the Readers Digest Edition, “it became an instant best seller (.429)”... “and for a long time it outsold all of Twain’s other books, including The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. (p. 430)”
The prose can be wonderful. After one draw on a Turkish narghile pipe, he writes, “For the next five minutes I smoke at every pore, like a frame house that is on fire on the inside.” (p. 240)
Recently, I’ve read some posts on how memoirs an be a great way to break into consideration as a serious writer. This book took Mark Twain from a ‘newspaperman’ into a professional writer in Twain’s mind, as well as the general public.
In the Afterward, Fiedler says this is the book where Samuel Clements found his voice as Mark Twain. As a writer, it is worth the read to see that voice develop.
This book lived up to the back cover copy...
Actually, I have this book on my Kindle and I got my hard copy from Half-Price Books, so I don’t have a back cover. It did live up to what I read on the internet and to the comments in the Afterward by Leslie Fiedler. If your copy has the Afterward, I would recommend reading it first.
Contact the Author ...
2302 Hits
2302 Hits
Book Title Twitter Power
How to Dominate Your Market One
Tweet At a Time
Tweet At a Time
Book Author Joel Comm
Publisher John Wiley & Sons
Pub. Year 2009
Pages 245
Genre Social Media
My Rating ♥♥♥♥♥
Ease of Read Twitter like ease
ISBN 978=-0-478-458426
I was attracted to this book because...
This book was released in 2009 as I entered into the writing world. I and no idea what Twitter was and how to use social media with my writing. It took me 3+ years to get to it, and there is another edition out already.
1686 Hits
1686 Hits
Book Title Writing For The SoulInstruction and Advice from an Extraordinary
Writing Life
Writing Life
Book Author Jerry B. Jenkins
Publisher Writers DIgest Books
Pub. Year 2006
Pages 240
Genre Writing Refenece
My Rating ♥♥♥♥♥ 
Ease of Read Easy to read, but challenging if you are a
writer
writer
ISBN 978-1-58297-417-0
I was attracted to this book because...
Jerry Jenkins and the Left Behind books taught me there was a place for Christian writers in today’s market. I was going to his writing conference when I bought the book.
1677 Hits
1677 Hits
Book Title Letting Go
Book Author Linda Godsey
Publisher Gateway Create
Pub. Year 2012
Pages 76
Genre devotional
My Rating ♥♥♥♥
Ease of Read very easy
ISBN 978-4675-1648-8
I was attracted to this book because...
It was recommend on a blog I follow. I was intrigue to learn know more about regret.
1827 Hits
1827 Hits
The Passion and Resurrection of
Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ
Book Author William Barclay
Publisher Westminster John Knox Press
Pub. Year 1998/1975
Pages 123
Genre Devotional, Lent, Passion of
Christ
Christ
My Rating ♥♥♥♥♥ 
Ease of Read Thought provoking,
spiritually challenging
spiritually challenging
ISBN 0-664-25807-7
I was attracted to this book because...
To tell the truth, I don’t remember exactly what brought me to this book. I was looking for something to read for Lent last year.
This book was about...
the last days of Jesus’ earthly ministry with supporting passages from the four Gospels and a small reflective commentary for the forty days of lent plus Easter and two days afterwards.
Things I liked about this book...
I liked being able to focus on the last days of Jesus using this as guide leading up to my celebration of Easter. I was challenged daily by the spiritual insights William Barclay provided in his commentary. This helped me move into a more intimate relationship with Jesus during this holy season.
Why you should read this book...
Barclay will challenge and remind you that you have seen the Lord, too. Our experience should insight us to the same degree of urgency and excitement of the disciples to proclaim, He has risen indeed! to the world.
This book lived up to the back cover copy...
William Barclay has delightfully intertwined passages from the Gospels with his beautiful prose to walk one more time through Jesus’ last days. You will be engaged and refreshed.
Learn more about William Barclay
1568 Hits
1568 Hits
Book Title Wonderful Names of Our Wonderful Lord
Abridged Christian Classics
Book Author T. C. Horton & Charles Hurlburt
Publisher Barbour
Pub. Year 2010
Pages 189
Genre devotional
My Rating ♥♥♥♥♥ 
Ease of Read quick, easy reading
ISBN 978-1-60260-856-6
I was attracted to this book by...
the title in the grocery store. Learning more about the names of the Lord appealed to me. The short devotional were a perfect addition to my daily meditation period.
1599 Hits
1599 Hits