Winning After Losing By Stacey Halprin

Stacy weighed 550 pounds before she started to get her life back in order. She now happily weighs 190 and as she says "has two birth days." 

I picked this book up because I was tired of all the yo-yo dieting I've done. I've never been any where near as big as Stacey. I believe the most I've ever weighed was 145. I have gone up and down since I was in high school and I hate it. I always do so well, lose weight, eat healthy, workout, and then once I get to my goal weight I stop. Gain it all back, and start all over again. I've tried so many diets, fasts, and cleanses it's ridiculous. I was 115 07/2009 when I got married. By 12/2009 I was already back up to 130 and on my way up. I knew I needed something to help me "Keep the weight off you've lost". That's when I picked up Stacey's book. 

This was a great motivational book. While there are some times the writing is lacking, the intention is still there. And it's worth it to read the whole thing. I checked this book out from the library but I will be buying my own copy to have on hand as a reference. There are some things in this book that didn't really pertain to me, such as gastric bypass, surgery, and the struggles of being morbidly obese, however everything else was helpful. Step Four is one of my favorite; Appreciate the Small Victories. The title speaks for it's self but it really has helped me truly appreciate the small things in life. It instructs you to point out something you like about your self every time a negative thought comes into your mind. I can be pretty hard on my self and have no problem finding ALL of my "flaws". On the other hand, it's not so easy for me to find the good stuff, stay positive and motivated. Which is why I think I've always had that yo-yo weight so many of us struggle with. 

Stacey suggests you make a Winner's Circle Handbook, with a journal, computer, three ring binder or anything that you'll write in. She has many workshops throughout the book to help you keep on track. I didn't do this, but once I buy my own copy I will. She also includes many wonderful resources in the back of the book. Again, regardless of the amount of weight you want to lose, or your addiction, this is a good start/or finish to your journey.

The Chocolate Cat Caper By JoAnna Carl

This is Carl's first book in the Chocoholic Mystery series. The story features Lee McKinney, a Texan beauty queen who has recently left her high profile husband. She relocates to Michigan where her Aunt Nettie lives and runs a chocolate shop. Lee starts working at the chocolate shop keeping the books for her aunt.

I thought this story was entertaining. Poor Lee has a problem with getting her tongue twisted and sounding rather idiotic. While reading this book I tried to imagine how embarrassing that would be. Many times she is forced to speak very slowly and to think about exactly what she wants to say so as not to look like a fool. This is very important when she is one of many being questioned in the death of a client. Lee feels she must work hard to prove her innocence as well as her aunt's. This starts to feel a little forced at times, but if you can get past that the book is quite good. There is some whit, romance and drama. A little something for all. I look forward to reading more in this series.

Boodroot By Amy Green

This story follows a very special family through four generations. Their life on Bloodroot Mountain and what happens when they leave.

This was a beautiful yet depressing story. Throughout the pages you are brought into a world unlike one you've ever known. And this whole world is centered around Myra Lamb. A beautiful girl with a special touch and a love for a dangerous man. Amy Green tells us about a family that grew up on a mountain that, as far as I could tell, held a special and somewhat protective power over them. The book is told from many points of view starting off with Byrdie. Myra's grandmother who raises her after Myra's parents die in a tragic accident. Doug, a young neighborhood boy who wants nothing more than to have Myra love him back. Johnny and Laura Odom, twins who spent the first few years of their lives being raised by a mother (Myra) that wasn't in the best of mental states. Myra Odom, the center of this story and an amazing connection to everyone. A girl who can charm animals and people alike, but ends up in a sad relationship that kills all spark in her poor life. And finally John Odom. The man responsible for taking Myra off her precious mountain and away from her ever-loving grandmother, only to take her to a place she could never return from. Even though he doesn't get his own chapter, Ford is another important character who deserves mention. He has his own gift, and is there to help some before they know they need it.

I really enjoyed reading this story and getting caught up in the lives of all of these people. You feel for each one and want to be a part of their life so you can help them. It's about love, devotion, fear and a little magic. At times it's like the train wreck you can't help but watch, and at others it's calming and majestic. 

The writing was so wonderful throughout and I found many passages that I loved. But one I quote here is one of my favorite. I love the description Amy gives of a young girl, using her name; 
"She was goodness, she was rest. Carolina, like the images her name evoked, of high mountains and cool hollows, mists rising off of slow-running creeks, acres of rolling green farmland, and sometimes, carried on the wind, the tang of ocean salt."

Pretty Little Devils by Nancy Holder

Hazel hangs out with the most unpopular kids in school. She wants to leave them but feels guilty about doing so. She would love to be a part of the PLD's, or Pretty Little Devils, the most popular group of girls in the whole school. While admiring them she also develops a crush on a new boy in school Matty. She doesn't have the nerve to talk to him, but soon that isn't an issue. Sylvia, the PLD group leader suddenly befriends Hazel and invites her to join the group. This never happens, and Hazel can't believe her luck. They take her in, take care of her, get her babysitting jobs and even get her together with Matty. Things seem to be going well for a while until very bad things start happening. The girls play many pranks on each other, but theses "pranks" are going too far. Soon the girls are turning on each other and people start to die. Hazel fears for her life and can't decide who she can trust. 
This book had an ending I really wasn't expecting. It was fun and easy to read and I would consider reading it again.

Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane

I love this book. I truly could not put it down. I felt it was very suspenseful and easy to follow. 
 In this story Teddy Daniels is a U.S. Marshall sent to Shutter Island to investigate the disappearance of a mental "patient". Shutter Island is used to house criminals that are mentally insane. He arrives on the island with his partner Chuck. They begin to wonder if there is even a patient missing, and start to hear rumors about the island's unorthodox drug experiments and brain surgery. Teddy soon realizes he doesn't know who to trust and soon fears for his life. 
This book takes many twists and turns that kept me guessing at each page. 

Wicked Craving by G.A. Mckevett

This was another great story with our favorite characters, Savannah, Dirk and Tammy. Grandma visited us in the book, which is always a great surprise. She raised Savannah and all of her many brothers and sister. Savannah loves her more than anyone else in her world. Even her cats. Gran loves to know what's going on with every case Savannah and Dirk might be working, "and don't spare the gory details!" In this book Dirk is investigating the murder of a very wealthy woman, who's husband has made millions of dollars selling hypnosis tapes to help people lose weight. Savannah helps out and the two of them find they have no shortage of suspects. Turns out many people would like to see her dead, as well as her husband. There are many twists in this one, and most of them I never saw coming. Definitely a page turner and a quick read. In addition to the murder investigation, Savannah is doing a little investigating her self. Dirk is hiding something from her and she finds nothing more annoying in the world than not knowing what's going on with ALL in her life. This little side story adds a comical twist to the whole book. 

I thought this was a page turner and a quick read. I enjoy all of the Savannah Reid mysteries and can't wait for the next one to come out!

Shantaram By Gregory David Roberts

I'm not really sure where to start with this review. The book is 933 pages long. I have many little book marks through-out in an attempt to remember "key parts". I guess I'll start by telling you what the book is about.

This book is about Lin, (the author himself), a man who escaped from a maximum security prison in Australia and ended up in Bombay, India. For ten years he lives in Bombay, learning the ways of the Indian people, their many languages, customs, and way of life. He lives in the "slums", running a free clinic to the slum dwellers, even though he has no formal training as a medical professional, he does the best he can. Along the way he falls in love with a woman who refuses to love anyone, finds the "father he never had" in the head of the Bombay Mafia, receives medicine off the black-market from a colony of Lepers, goes to work for the mafia, and even smuggles "goods" into Afghanistan in the middle of a war. This book is based off of true facts, with fiction surrounding it. 


Overall I thought this was a terrific book. I would recommend it to anyone who has enough patients to read through the entire thing. It flows very well and I felt that it moved along at a fast enough pace, until he is working his way into Afghanistan. This is where it started to lose me, and I became rather annoyed will all of the little details and really just wanted the book to end. A little closer to the end it did seem to pick up again, either that or I was just anxious to get it over with.


The book is full of what I'll call, "little pieces of wisdom". That is one of the things I loved about this book. I didn't tire of it as I've read others did. If you look up the reviews for this book on Goodreads, you'll find many people have included in their reviews, their favorite passages, or "nuggets". I felt there was a lot of meaning to most of what he was saying, and I like a book where I want to remember specific lines, like those you would find in an inspirational calendar or the book.


I thought the author had a great sense of humor, there were many times while reading this that I would laugh out loud and to the point of tears. Two of my favorite stories in this book were about his "bear hug" from a real bear (a gift from one of his gangster "brothers") and him falling off  his horse and riding it from underneath, hanging from the horses neck. I still laugh when I think about this. The characters were very well developed, I truly felt like I had met these people and spent many years with them. My favorite was Prabaker, the first Indian Lin meets, who takes him in and shows him all of the sites of India. These two have an incredible friendship and I love Prabaker's out look on life. 

One frustrating thing about this story is how Lin always becomes fast and easy friends with everyone. Each time a new person is introduced, it take him only 3 seconds to realize he "really likes him" or he "can really trust him". Even the 2 or 3 people who he doesn't instantly warm up to end up either apologizing to him for some thing they said, or becoming another one of his BFF's. That did get quit nauseating. It felt very forced and fake that he was always so nice and reserved.


I'm not sure exactly how much of this book is fact vs fiction, and for me this made it harder to judge the story as a whole. I'm not sure if some of the stuff I loved was based off of a good writer's imagination, or a real mans experiences. This book did have it's ups and downs for me, but ultimately I found the good parts outweighed the bad. I would read it again, despite how long it is.


This is a book I'd love to hear others comments on, if you've read it please let me know what you thought, or let me know where your review is so I can read it. Thanks!

 "At first, when we truly love someone, our greatest fear is that the loved one will stop loving us. What we should fear and dread, of course, is that we won't stop loving them, even after they're dead and gone." Shantaram