MrsDrPoe: Sarah's Key

It's time for another Reading Review- and this one's not a baby book!  I present to you "Sarah's Key" by Tatiana de Rosnay:

"Sarah's Key" is actually two tales in one- the story of a modern-day American journalist (Julia Jarmond) who has made her home in France and that of a young Jewish girl (Sarah Starzynski) and the horrors she experienced living through the Vel' d'Hiv roundup of Jewish citizen in France in 1942.  As Julia uncovers more about Sarah and her own family's connection to that dark time in history, she discovers herself and in turn changes her own life forever.

Overall, I enjoyed the story; although, it is very dark and definitely brought tears to my eyes on multiple occasions.  Even though the book is a work of fiction, I appreciated the bit of history I learned while reading- I had no prior knowledge of the roundup.  One of my favorite aspects of the book was the growth and development of the relationship of Julia and her father-in-law because of (and perhaps in spite of) his family's past.

I will say that the book did have some language in it, and I didn't appreciate the focus on several of themes that were presented rather nonchalantly (adultery, abortion, cohabitation, etc.).  So while the story itself was very moving, this book will not be sitting on my shelf at home, and I am not over zealous to recommend it.

MrsDrPoe: On Becoming Babywise

I have another parenting book for this week's Reading Review!  Here's "On Becoming Babywise: Giving Your Infant the Gift of Nighttime Sleep" by Gary Ezzo, M.A. and Robert Bucknam, M.D.

While I can't fully recommend it (yet), I can't WAIT to put the material presented in this book to use!  The "parent directed feeding" (PDF) method seems to be a very logical 'best of both worlds' approach to feeding an infant that also has the benefit of getting the family on a schedule that allows plenty of sleep for all.  You know Mr. Poe and I are all about our sleep.

The book is an easy read, full of tips, tricks, doable goals, and answers to questions and issues that frequently come up.  As you can imagine, there is a LOT of material in this work; I would definitely recommend purchasing the book to keep as a reference (I found several copies at a local thrift store).  A sample schedule outline and baby nourishment tracking charts are included.

I'm also looking forward to reading the second and third installments of the series, and I hope you are too!

MrsDrPoe: Sign with Your Baby

For the next Reading Review, I present to you "Sign with Your Baby: How to Communicate with Infants Before They Can Speak" by Joseph Garcia:

This book is relatively short and easy to read.  The text portion of the book discusses the immediate and potential future benefits of teaching babies to sign, as well as providing helpful information on timing and techniques of instructing babies.  There's also a very large index of sign vocabulary.

I liked this book so much that I put it on our registry.  While Mr. Poe and I are trying not to get too worked up about the future development benefits of teaching our Poe-tte to sign (we really just want to try to help her communicate her needs/wants earlier), it was very interesting to see all the ways in which this technique has helped children.

Mr. Garcia is obviously very passionate about the subject and has written this book in such a way that seems like teaching babies to sign is very doable, even for people unfamiliar with the language.  I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in the subject, and I'll definitely be posting about our baby signing adventures during the next few years!  

MrsDrPoe: The Fleet Street Murders

The most recent book club book I've had the pleasure of reading is "The Fleet Street Murders" by Charles Finch:

I love a good mystery, and since I haven't read a new one in years, this one took me right back to my childhood days of curling up in bed with a Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys adventure.  

"The Fleet Street Murders" did not disappoint; in fact, I couldn't put it down.  While it's the third installment in Finch's series about the amateur sleuth, Charles Lenox, the book is very capable of standing alone.  The late 1800's English setting was an interesting and enjoyable backdrop for the story; I appreciated that a few of the restaurants mentioned actually exist.  The plot keeps you guessing, and at the end everything is resolved quickly.    


There is a very small bit of language in the book (if I remember correctly), which it could've done without.  Also not having read the previous two works in the series, I can't tell you if any of the information present in them would add more to the development of the characters in this book.  Even so, I would definitely recommend "The Fleet Street Murders," and I am looking forward to being able to read more of the adventures of Charles Lenox.

MrsDrPoe: To Kill a Mockingbird

For the next Reading Review, I present the classic "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee:

I had read this book before in school, but it was nice to have the opportunity to read it again and get an adult perspective on the book.

"To Kill a Mockingbird" is well written and a great read.  It captures the attitude of the time and the spirit of childhood perfectly.  The unique plot holds the readers attention, and the grammar school aged narrator provides humor at times and a unique vantage point that makes people of all ages able to identify with various aspects of the story.  I thoroughly enjoyed the book and was reminded again of why it is a timeless classic.

MrsDrPoe: What to Eat When You're Expecting

I've been holding this review back for a little while until the big reveal that we're pregnant, but now that you know, I can share "What to Eat When You're Expecting" by Eisenberg, Murkoff, and Hathaway:

Although it's been recently replaced by "What to Expect: Eating Well When You're Expecting," I couldn't turn down purchasing it when it showed up at my local thrift store, and after reading it, I was glad to own a copy.

This book includes information on what you should eat, what you shouldn't eat, as well as what eating/not eating these certain things will do for the health of your baby.  There's even a section included for suggested diet and caloric variations while nursing AND 100 recipes that help you put the book's teachings into practice.

You may be asking, do I follow the best odds diet proposed in the book to the T...and I would have to answer no.  But I do feel a lot more comfortable about making my food choices, knowing more about amounts of nutrients I should be eating, portion sizes, and such.

The only thing I really didn't like about the book was the introduction of the first chapter, which basically discounts any input God has on what issues a baby may or may not be born with, instead suggesting that eating well will guarantee you a healthy baby.  Ironically, however, even the name of the diet ("Best odds") suggests that even the authors believe that statistically, even if you do everything right, you can't totally control the health of your baby.

All things considered, I would recommend this book to any woman expecting.

MrsDrPoe: Unexpected Book Source

Instead of reviewing a specific book this week, I'd like to show you several:

and recommend the Dollar Tree as an unexpected source of fantastic Bible books for children of all ages!  At a dollar apiece for Biblically accurate material, it's very hard to beat!

MrsDrPoe: Constantly Craving

The next book I would like to present to you for a Reading Review is another one that I received free from BookSneeze, "Constantly Craving: How to Make Sense of Always Wanting More" by Marilyn Meberg:

In this book, Meberg addresses several areas where people often crave more- romance, contentment, friendship, time, meaning, etc.  She identifies with each situation by telling of her own experiences and suggests how universal these things are.  Ultimately she also identifies humanity's cravings for various earthly things with actual craving for God and heaven.

I mildly enjoyed the book.  I believe many inspirational quotes could be drawn from it, and parts are very encouraging to readers.  The use of personal experiences made it seem like Meberg was sitting next to me giving advice; although, this technique also made the book drag in places.  For anyone remotely familiar with Christianity, this book doesn't present anything new, but it does serve as a reminder that our "hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness."*

I would recommend this book to a reader looking for encouragement from such a reminder.  However, I would also caution him/her that many of the views presented by Meberg are not consistent with those presented in the Bible.


*From the hymn My Hope is Built on Nothing Less.

MrsDrPoe: Gods and Kings

It's time for another Reading Review here on the blog.  Today I present to you another historical fiction work, "Gods and Kings" by Lynn Austin:

This book is loosely based on the Biblical accounts of Ahaz and Hezekiah.  I appreciated the horrifying detail that Austin put into the pagan practices of the surrounding nations that the kings of Israel adopted as their own; this helps me to better picture while reading my Bible of what actually went on.  The entire work was heart wrenching; even though I knew ultimately who would choose good and who would choose evil, it pained me to read about all these people did against God.  The book indirectly made me think about my own transgressions against our Lord (the author never breaks from her 3rd person narrative, don't worry).

One thing that bothered me about the book, however, is the behavior of several of the prophets.  While I understand adding their humanity and reactions is part of what makes this work fiction, the way in which they received their revelation from God by just "feeling" or "knowing" is in direct contradiction to anything we actually see in the Bible (the examples show God telling His prophets exactly what to say, when to say it, and where to go to say it).


All things considered, I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.  I look forward to reading the subsequent books in the series as well.

MrsDrPoe: A Tale of Three Kings

For the next Reading Review, I present to you "A Tale of Three Kings" by Gene Edwards.  This book is March's free download from Christian Audio.

Essentially, this work looks at the attitudes and actions of three Biblical kings, Saul, David, and Absalom and indirectly applies them to the church.  The author emphasizes the point that leaders of God's people should never be objected to because only God knows who is His anointed, and He "never tells."

Simply looking at the book for literary value, I think it was very well written (and very well read).  I enjoyed it very much.  Spiritually speaking, it also has value in causing the reader to reflect on his/her motivations behind his/her view of leaders.  I don't know, however, that everything the author tries to apply from these old king's lives to our own directly applies in light of the New Testament.  While we are commanded to submit to those in authority over us in general, we are also told that we should purge sin from the church...with no distinction between elders or 'regular' members.  At this point in my studies though, I would agree that division of the local church should be avoided (with the exception of the measures of disciple mentioned above), since this was not an option given to the few faithful members of the sinful churches addressed in Revelation 2-3.  

MrsDrPoe: Our Favorite Sins

Welcome to the latest Reading Review!  Today I'll share with you another book I received free from the BookSneeze website, "Our Favorite Sins: The Sins We Commit and How You Can Quit" by Todd D. Hunter:

"Our Favorite Sins" is a book about what the book of James tells us gives birth to sin- temptation and (as Mr. Hunter puts it) our "disordered desires."  Several temporary ways to avoid sin are discussed, as is the lasting solution to our sin problem, which is changing our lives from the inside out.  The overall theme of the book is the fact that we shouldn't rid our lives of desire, but we should instead reorient our desires toward the things of God.

The book was a fairly easy read, thought provoking, and I would definitely recommend it.  I found it very interesting the types of sins that most Christians say they struggle with were things like anxiousness, procrastination, eating, media, and laziness.  

While the premise of changing the focus of our desire is not new, I liked the visualizations employed (our pursuing the path of sin is called a "downward staircase" instead of a "slippery slope"), the importance of time spent in prayer and silence, and the emphasis placed on the fact that our duty to mold our lives to that of our Savior isn't earning us anything.

I do, however, wish that more of the prayers in the book would have come from the Psalms or other scripture instead of works of men.  Also, some of the views indirectly expressed by the author do not appear to follow the ideas New Testament.

MrsDrPoe: Life in the Son

For my next reading review, I present to you "Life in the Son" by Robert Shank.


This book discusses the Biblical viewpoint on the Calvinist doctrine of perseverance of the saints (i.e. "once saved, always saved"). Shank is a former preacher who essentially studied himself out of the belief he once held in this doctrine. The introduction is written by another preacher, who, though he still teaches the doctrine of perseverance, states that this book "will stand against any attempt to refute [it] from the Scriptures, and that the passing of time can only prove [it] to be finally definitive on the long-debated theological questions of...perseverance."

In "Life in the Son," Shank examines an extensive list of 'proof' texts for the doctrine of perseverance in their full context both in local passages and in the Bible as a whole. His knowledge of the ancient Greek is monumentally helpful in clarifying the nature of certain passages. Unlike many other books of its kind, this one is very much based on "the scriptures say" instead of "I believe."

To me, one of the most interesting passages investigated is that of the parable of the sower, particularly the wording of the explanation of the second and third types of soils. I learned a lot from this book; it definitely invokes thought, and I see many more readings of it in my future.

The only negative comment that I have is that this book is not the easiest to read. It's a bit older and some of the phrasing is 'out of date.' Having said that, I would definitely recommend that anyone interested in examination of this doctrine should buy this book, both to read (at least once) and keep as a reference. And, as always, I encourage you to read with an open Bible, carefully examining the passages referred to in this work; no book should ever replace the word of God.

MrsDrPoe: Then Sings My Soul, Book 3

For the next Reading Review, I present to you "Then Sings My Soul, Book 3; The Story of Our Songs: Drawing Strength from the Great Hymns of Our Faith" by Robert J. Morgan.

This is another book that I received free from BookSneeze.  I was very excited when I saw the title listed, and I knew that this would be a great birthday gift for Mr. Poe after I was finished reading and reviewing it.

"Then Sings My Soul, Book 3" is divided up into four parts.  The first part gives a brief overview of the history of various styles of hymns (ancient hymns, English hymns, contemporary hymns, etc.).  The second part contains brief histories of the authors of certain hymns; conversely, the third part contains slightly longer histories of six hymns themselves.  The final portion of the book gives some great advice on how singing, understanding, memorizing, etc. hymns can help us personally and makes a good point that Christians should embrace both ancient and modern hymns in worship.


My favorite part of "Then Sings My Soul, Book 3" is the fact that 4-part choral sheet music is included for almost every hymn mentioned in the book; it's fantastic to be able to learn/practice singing the hymns as you learn more about the people and circumstances that brought them into existence.  Parts 3 and 4 were my favorite of the book because they were very detailed.


As I was reading, it seemed like the majority of first two parts of the book were too short.  Realizing that the intent of the author was to simply include brief histories, I would say he accomplished his goal but often left me wanting to know more.  I would also caution readers that some of the theological views indirectly expressed by Mr. Morgan as well as the hymn authors themselves are not in accordance with the teaching and examples given in the New Testament.  

Overall, I enjoyed "Then Sings My Soul, Book 3," and I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in learning more about hymns.  Mr. Poe is excited to read the book as well, especially since it contains the stories behind three of his favorite hymns in it.

MrsDrPoe: What to Expect the First Year

For the latest Reading Review, I present the follow-up book to "What to Expect When You're Expecting," "What to Expect the First Year" by Heidi Murkoff, Arlene Eisenberg, and Sandee Hathaway, B.S.N.*

This book is a fairly easy read, and I have thoroughly enjoyed it.  There is a multitude of information between the covers; I'll definitely be purchasing a reference copy of my own**.  The work is broken down into months, with each containing what your baby may be able to do, what things you may be having questions about, and things to expect from well-checkups.  Illustrated guides to holding, bathing, breastfeeding, and other activities are included, as well as growth and immunization charts, first recipes, common childhood infections, tips for helping older children and pets get used to the new addition, and a review of items to buy for baby.

I really don't have any negative comments about this book; although, as Ms. Murkoff herself cautions, nothing in her book should trump what your doctor tells you.

*Mr. Poe and I are not pregnant, but we would like to have children one day, so I'm reading about it now before it's upon me and I have no time to read. 

**I recently found a copy of "What to Expect When You're Expecting" at a thrift store for $1.50.  Be sure to check out used books before paying full price at a bookstore or even the reduced price on Amazon.

MrsDrPoe: The Bronze Bow

Today I present to you another work of fiction, "The Bronze Bow" by Elizabeth George Speare:

This book is about a young Jewish man during the time of Christ who is actively looking for the prophesied Messiah to bring His Kingdom and end Roman rule in Israel.  As he hears of Jesus, his view slowly changes from one of a hateful rebel sworn to vengeance to one of peace, love, and acceptance.

The Bronze Bow as a quick read but well-written and with a good plot.  Though it took a few chapters to meet and get to know the main characters, I quickly found myself engrossed in the story and urging them to go listen to Jesus' teachings and apply them.  The book made me wonder more about what I would've thought and done if I were a Jew or a Gentile during the time of Jesus and if I would've had faith to follow Him or if I would've just listened to His 'interesting stories.'

The work is fiction of course, but a few things bothered me about the story.  One thing was the fact that Simon the Zealot in the story seems to know nothing of Jesus or the teachings of John the Baptist who 'paved the way' for Jesus when in Acts 1:22, it appears that one of the qualifications for apostleship is that a man was there "from the baptism of John."  What could possibly be called 'artistic license' aside, I didn't have any negative comments about the book, and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.

MrsDrPoe: What To Expect When You're Expecting

For today's Reading Review, I present to you "What To Expect When You're Expecting" by Heidi Murkoff and Sharon Mazel*:

This book was an easy read with lots of information mixed with humor and encouragement.  Since I've never been pregnant, I don't know about all the questions or symptoms a pregnant woman would have, but this work seemed to cover the gamut.  The main section of the book was broken up into 9 month-by-month chapters that detailed what the baby was growing or practicing each week in the month, symptoms you may be having, and what you may be concerned about (food, physical activity, pains, intimacy, etc).  It also covered pre-pregnancy topics, post-pregnancy topics, and information on miscarriages and stillbirths.

The only pseudo-negative thing about this book is that it truly was written for every woman; while even those with STDs, drug problems, who would consider abortion, etc. need information about pregnancy I didn't particularly enjoy reading those sections of the book.  Having said that, I would definitely recommend this book to any woman who is pregnant or desiring to become pregnant, and I plan to purchase my own copy when we (Lord willing!) are blessed with news of the first non-furry-Poe-baby.  I also look forward to reading the other books in the "What to Expect" series!

*Mr. Poe and I are not pregnant, but we would like to have children one day, so I'm reading about it now before it's upon me and I have no time to read.

MrsDrPoe: The Dwelling Place

One of the ladies from my book club was kind enough to let me borrow the sequel to The Swan House, so for the next Reading Review, I present to you Elizabeth Musser's The Dwelling Place:

This story is set in Atlanta and Hilton Head and is about the youngest daughter (Ellie) of the main character in The Swan House (Mary Swan).  As in the first work of the series, the plot focuses on a daughter "discovering" both her mother and what living for Jesus means.  It definitely has it's sad parts (as well as happy ones) and gives a myriad of examples of how we can use our trials to glorify God.

I enjoyed reading this book (maybe not as much as The Swan House), and I found it very hard to put down.  As with the first book, it is very clean with very clear spiritual overtones.  It also made me think a lot about how little I know about what my mother and grandmothers went through that shaped them into what they are/were.  All too often I look at those around me who I haven't known their whole lives and take for granted that they are who they are; I don't take the time to learn more about them and to appreciate things they may have overcome to get where they are today.  I think this type of knowledge would help me to have a deeper love and appreciation for people.

While I appreciated that The Dwelling Place encouraged thought, it did seem like some of the things that happened to the characters in this work were too fictional and too "perfect" (even though they weren't necessarily good things).  This is probably because there are so many years between the first and second books that it was hard for me to imagine the end of the first one leading to the events in the second; I found myself somewhat glad that there isn't a third book in the series for this reason.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone, especially those who enjoyed The Swan House; however, I would caution readers that some of the religious ideas presented in the work are not in accordance with what the Bible teaches.    

MrsDrPoe: The Swan House

For the next Reading Review here on the blog, I present to you another work of fiction, "The Swan House" by Elizabeth Musser:

"The Swan House" is a tale of a young girl growing up in Atlanta in the early sixties, revolving around the real-life Orly plane crash, racial tension, and faith.  The book has something for everyone- romance, suspense, football*, laughter, sadness, life, death...and the list goes on and on.

I really enjoyed reading this work.  I thought it was very well written, and I greatly appreciated the Mrs. Musser's subtleties (simply saying "he cursed" instead of providing full dialog, etc.) which adequately conveyed certain character's personalities without being crude.  I also appreciated the theme that Jesus can comfort all our pains and His truth sets us free.  This story was very fascinating and really pulled me into the story. 

On a negative note, I think that the prologue and epilogue are virtually unnecessary and almost detract a bit from the main story.  I would also caution readers to examine the various forms of Christianity presented in the book in light of the Bible, as many of the ideas portrayed are not in accordance with scripture.  While it is most refreshing to read a novel that places so much emphasis on faith in Christ, we must keep in mind that Christians are to worship "in Spirit and in truth."  


All in all, I would definitely recommend reading "The Swan House" (with a box of tissues handy), and I look forward to the chance to read the sequel.

*Mr. Poe and I learned that John Heisman used to coach at Tech from this book...cool huh?

MrsDrPoe: Mortgages 101

For this week's Reading Review, I have another book on mortgages for you, "Mortgages 101: Quick Answers to Over 250 Critical Questions About Your Home Loan" by David Reed:

This book is fantastic, and as a testament to that fact, we are planning to purchase a copy (this one's from the library) to keep as a reference.  Unlike "All About Mortgages," "Mortgages 101" has a multitude of basic information about mortgages for the every-man.  It's written in question and answer format, and Mr. Reed has a writing style that makes it feel like he is sitting across the desk from the reader answering his/her questions in person.

In the work, Mr. Reed not only sheds light on mortgages in general, but he also gives tips on what loans are best for those with good credit and with bad credit, questions to test the knowledge and ability of your potential loan officers, advice on how to choose the right lender, and suggestions for cutting closing costs.  I have made several notes from this book, and I think it has given me the confidence I needed to speak to lenders without feeling like I'm being taken advantage of.  Most refreshing of all is that this information is also given with an air of caution; Mr. Reed encourages readers throughout the text to seriously consider their financial comfort when choosing a mortgage payment plan.  

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who's considering buying a house- especially if it's your first home purchase- building a house, or refinancing their current home loan.

MrsDrPoe: The Love and Respect Experience

It's time for another Reading Review here on the blog.  Today I present to you another book that I received free from BookSneeze: "The Love and Respect Experience: A Husband-friendly Devotional that Wives Truly Love" by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs.

As the subtitle suggests, this book is comprised of 52 devotionals geared toward helping couples improve their marriages through growing together in Christ.  Each devotional is about three pages long and focuses on applying a verse or two from a particular Bible passage to marriage.  There are discussion questions for each devotional in the appendices, as well as contact information for counselors and a summary of Dr. Eggerichs' "Three Cycles of Love and Respect."

I enjoyed reading through this work and would recommend it to anyone even considering marriage.  The idea of husbands growing in love for their wives and wives in respect for their husbands is an often difficult-to-implement command of God, but it's one that the prayer and activity suggestions presented in the book will help with tremendously.  I did not, however, care for the thirtieth devotional, which essentially said, "tell everyone to buy my book."  Also, most of the ideas presented are directly from scripture, but as with any spiritual book, I recommend reading with an open Bible, since there is no substitute for the Word itself.

Since this is a couple's devotional, I asked Mr. Poe to examine the book too.  He thought that this work was well-written and that it contained useful activities and information throughout the book and its appendices.  He found it to connect real-life application to Biblical principals very well, but he did not appreciate Dr. Eggerichs' constant use of his own marriage as an example.