For the Love of Books: Bookswim.com

For the Love of Books is my very own weekly Sunday meme dedicated to the wacky, weird, and wild world-wide-web finds related to the world of books. Topics can be anything ranging from unique bookcases, sculptures of books, and odd bookstores, to interesting uses for books, book quotes, bits of book news, etc. I love web-surfing and I have come across so many ideas that the possibities for this meme are nearly endless! If you would like to join in the fun, snag the image on the left and post the link your specific blog post in comments so that others can read about your internet find!


So for my first week, I discovered a Netflix-style internet service for book rentals. I used Netflix for awhile years ago and loved the convenience of it, so this is a fantastic idea for those who don't want to bother with libraries, which have late fees, due dates, limited hours, limited selections, and long lines for borrowing new or popular titles. The name of the site is Bookswim.com, and a person can choose book rental plans for 1, 3, 5, 7, and 11 books a month with only the 1 book-a-month plan charging shipping. Bookswim offers paperbacks, hardcovers, and now textbooks through Chegg.com. If a person wants to keep a book, they only have to pay the members-only used book price, and if the site doesn't have a particular title, Bookswim will buy it. The cost of renting per book is about half the price of buying hardcovers, so if you are a fan of hardcover books, this is the way to go!

Another great benefit of using Bookswim is the benefit to the environment - renting books cuts down on the number of trees used in the production of virgin paper for books as well as the gallons of gasoline used in driving to and from the library or bookstore. The bags used to ship books to and from subscribers are made from 100% plastic, and for every gift card sold Bookswim plants a tree in partnership with EcoLibris.net.

I personally find the library a better option for my needs, but I highly recommend this to anyone who typically spends a lot of money on books or has major issues with using library services.

Author Interview with Tina Turbin

1. Can you tell the readers a bit about yourself?


I love writing books for kids and writing in general, I love my family and helping other families to thrive. I personally love to swim and Pilates. I actually love a bit of exercise daily.
I am passionate about raising awareness to Celiac Disease and the many adverse effects that gluten produces in many children and adults- even animals! One in every 120-130 people have this disease which means about 2.35-2.85 MILLION Americans to this date have not yet been diagnosed. It takes an average of 4-10 years (depending on your reference), to be properly diagnosed and in the meantime other auto-immune diseases can kick in and a whole mess evolves. People find out about celiac or gluten intolerance and start researching it themselves and then bring the topic up to their doctors, after many years of tests and troubles to no resolution. I was one of these people! Also, many kids with autism are taken off of gluten for a very good reason. Much more is on my resource site about these topics: http://glutenfreehelp.info/ . I discovered this whole area as a result of many years of not being able to find out what was wrong with my body, and I went to many doctors. I then resorted to searching for my own answers, like much undiagnosed celiac. I came upon this subject called Celiac and gluten and the lights went ON. I presented this topic to my doctor and asked for the proper test. I FINALLY had the test I had needed and there is my story in a very short version. I soon learned more, such as the many adverse effects that gluten produces in many children and adult bodies- and even animals!

2. What inspired you to write Danny the Dragon?

I love kids, I wrote a lot as a child, loved my Art classes and sports. I think the world at large inspired me. I always was very creative and athletic and that fact was fortunately accepted and nurtured in the schools I attended. So, all things in life to this day still inspire me to write, as they did for me as a child.

3. What do your three children think of your book?

They are thrilled about this one. They are all very supprotive.

4. Do you have any plans to write another children's book? If so, what?

I am mid a children's Gluten-Free activity and cookbook as well as the next two in this Danny the Dragon series.

5. What were some of your favorite books when you were a child?

I loved Charlotte's Web, Ramona Forever and Curious George.

6. How do you balance your work as both a children's author and humanitarian with your roles as a wife and a mother of 3?

It takes a lot of organizing of time to get things done. Some things slip though the cracks on some days - oh well, 'tis life as a mom.

7. Why did you decide to create the website GlutenFreeHelp.info?

To help the many people out there who may still be wondering what the heck is wrong with their body, it may have something to do with gluten. With this looked at, many people's eyes are opened to the fact that foods DO have effects on us - some adversely. Also, my intention is to raise awareness to Celiac Disease in general.

8. Is there anything else that you would like to tell the readers?

Enjoy momhood! It's an incredible experience and adventure life presents. I also love to share with women that it is important to have your own goals and do a bit for yourself as it only helps everyone else out around you.


Thankyou!

If anyone would like some Danny the Dragon swag, such as stickers, bookmarks, etc., let me know in a comment!

Review: The Centurion's Wife

Book Details:
The Centurion's Wife
by Davis Bunn and Janette Oke
Genre: Christian Fiction
Published 2009, Bethany House
Paperback, 378 pages
ISBN: 9780764205149

Synopsis:
"Janette Oke has dreamed for years of retelling a story in a biblical time frame from a female protagonist's perspective, and Davis Bunn is elated to be working with her again on this sweeping saga of the dramatic events surrounding the birth of Christianity...and the very personal story of Leah, a young Jewess of mixed heritage trapped in a vortex of competing political agendas and private trauma. Caught up in the maelstrom following the death of an obscure rabbi in the Roman backwater of first-century Palestine, Leah finds herself also engulfed in her own turmoil--facing the prospect of an arranged marriage to a Roman soldier, Alban, who seems to care for nothing but his own ambitions. Head of the garrison near Galilee, he has been assigned by Palestine's governor to ferret out the truth behind rumors of a political execution gone awry. Leah's mistress, the governor's wife, secretly commissions Leah also to discover what really has become of this man whose death--and missing body--is causing such furor. This epic drama is threaded with the tale of an unlikely romance and framed with dangers and betrayals from unexpected sources. At its core, The Centurion's Wife unfolds the testing of loyalties--between two young people whose inner searchings they cannot express, between their irreconcilable heritages, and ultimately between their humanity and the Divine they yearn to encounter. "

This book was a wonderful surprise in both its accuracy in utilizing the Biblical account, as well as its mastery in enlivening the recorded events pulled from the Bible by weaving in the fictional story of Leah. I have read these parts of the Bible more times than I can count, but this novel made the events fresh and exciting, as if I were living in the time period and watching them first hand. It made me realize as I read it how much I take for granted in having the completed Bible, which those first believers did not have. I could relate quite easily to some of the characters, especially the portrayal of Mary Magdalene. I also especially loved how the authors described the scene at Pentacost, as well as the allusions to the wedding in Revelation using Leah's wedding plans.
This book is the first book in the series Acts of Faith, which I like because not only are all the loose threads not accounted for, but also because I would love to see other Biblical characters portrayed  by these authors, such as Paul. I look forward to continuing the series with the next book, The Hidden Flame.
This is how Christian fiction should be written, in my humble opinion. The beliefs and doubts of the characters are real and believable - even to the point of looking messy and contradictory. Their faith hasn't been softened and molded by political correctness, too afraid to quote more than a few fee-good verses from Psalms or even use the name of Jesus. A Christian is not a one-dimensional type-cast description, and neither should the characters in a Christian fiction novel be.

Cover: A woman of indeterminate age is dressed in Roman garb and looking out over Roman architecture to sea. While I am not crazy about the backdrop - a Judaean setting would be more appropriate - I do like the depiction of the main character, Leah. Her clothing fits her Roman heritage and the expression on her face is wistful, as if wishing for something she can't have.

First Line: "Usually Leah followed the path briskly from the main kitchen to the baths."
The authors' first attempts to create a setting for the story do nothing to pull the reader into the plo or propel him or her to continue reading. This definitely could have been done differently without any loss to the setting.

Favorite Quote: "My Lord was alive. Alive! There he stood before me. The knowledge of my forgiveness washed over me again. I was free. Free from my sin. From my wretched past. I could see it in his eyes - and then he spoke my name. Just my name. But it told me everything I wanted to hear."



Read For: Support Your Local Library Challenge, Pages Read Challenge, Biblical Fiction Challenge, 1st in a Series Challenge, Celebrate the Author Challenge, New Author Challenge