The Car Thief by Theodore Weesner

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This book was sent to me as an Advanced Review Copy and I enjoyed reading it. The first few pages didn't really catch my attention right away and I thought it was going to be a boring book but I turned out to be wrong. I'm glad I read the whole thing as it was very interesting. Weesner writes in a way that anyone can relate to and he builds up the characters pretty good. The story is about a kid who had a rough childhood but eventually is able to overcome the many obstacles that life throws his way. The ending caught me off as it has a twist I was totally not expecting. I don't want to say much more though, as I don't want to give anything away. Don't take my word for it however, read the book yourself...I'm certain you'll enjoy it. The Car Thief is available as an eBook (for your Kindle) on Amazon. No Kindle, no problem! You can also find it on http://astorandblue.com/the-car-thief/

The Five Ways We Grieve by Susan A. Berger

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This is a book for people who grieve and I found it rather helpful. There are five identities with each representing a way we grieve. I personally identify with the activist type. The "activists create meaning from their loss by contributing to the quality of life of others through activities or careers that give them a purpose in life."

What I liked most about this book were the questions (questions for further exploration) that provide you with more to think about. I would recommend this book for people who have lost a loved one or know someone who has.

Silicon Follies by Thomas Scoville

I really enjoyed reading this book as would anyone else that wants to get a glimpse of the bay area. This book has quite a few characters that are well drawn out and the author does a good job of keeping you turning the pages.

There are quite a few plots in the book from some people wondering how they ended up with the job they have to others just wanting to get a big piece of the action in Silicon Valley.

The ending has an unexpected twist and I'm not about to give it away so if you want to know what happens to the main character (something totally unexpected), you'll just have to read it yourself.

The Art of Choosing by Sheena Iyengar

This book is about choices and it couldn't be complete without mentioning the classic example that everybody has surely heard about. The one where if you wait longer, you'll get a bigger prize. In her chapter, Senses and Sensibility, I thought it was interesting how by hiding snacks under an opaque lid, "the average waiting times increased by up to 60%" among the children.

This might be an especially interesting book if you happen to be taking a statistics class while reading it. It makes the class more interesting.

Solace by Roberta Temes, Ph.D.

This is a book that should be on every bookshelf as it is hard to find someone who has not suffered the loss of a loved one. I found chapter 4 (Help from Others) especially useful...I never thought of looking for websites on this topic.

The part I liked best however was the format of her book. I enjoyed reading the contributions of people coming from all over the place. It gives the book a whole different perspective and makes you feel like you can really connect with someone who has gone through the same things.

Although this is a serious topic, there is a bit of humor in it too. I have to admit that some of the examples of the humorous epitaphs made me laugh.

The Shimmer by David Morrell

If you like action, you’re going to enjoy “The Shimmer” but it’s also for people who like suspense books. While sometimes the events that take place can be questionable (can there really be such a thing as these “lights”), the overall feeling you get from this book is that it’s sort of like UFOs. Some people are going to have an easier time reading this book if they are more open minded. I’m not saying you need to believe in UFOs to enjoy it, but you need to try to be open to new ideas to at least get through the whole book. I enjoyed reading this book although at times I had to stop and think about what was being said and re-read it a couple of times before continuing with it.

How Successful People Think: Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life by John C. Maxwell

I like the fact that this book doesn't take up too much space and...I guess it's true. Good things really do come in small packages.

At first, there were a couple of chapters in which I thought the author was contradicting himself: (chapter 3: Harness Creative Thinking and chapter 4: Employ Realistic Thinking) but after reading the whole thing, I was able to see how it all fits together.

Overall, there were many good ideas in the book; some of them we've heard before, but are definitely worth repeating. My two favorite parts were "Question Popular Thinking" and "Rely on Bottom-Line Thinking" and a nice "feature" to the book were the "Thinking Questions" at the end of each chapter.

This book makes you see things differently.