Author: Bergers Book Reviews

Author and book reviewer.
Christian, inspiration, meditation

Bouquet of Wisdom: Reflections from the Garden

Bergers Book Reviews

Author: Deanna Nowadnick
Publisher: Rhododendron Books
Genre: Christian / Meditation / Inspiration
ISBN: 978-0983589709
Pages: 142
Price: $12.60

Author’s website
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God can speak to us in so many ways, so it shouldn’t surprise us that one of His favorite ways to communicate with us is through nature. In Bouquet of Wisdom, Deanna Nowadnick shares some of the lessons God has given her through her own experiences in the garden.

Each of these short reflections is paired with garden flowers. They open with a Bible verse, followed by a two page sharing of a particular experience in the author’s life, closing with some digging deeper questions for the reader to ponder. Topics covered include patience, mercy, empathy, and dreams, as well as many others.

Other books featured on this site from Deanna Nowadnick are Signs in Life and Fruit of My Spirit. Just as in her two previous books, Deanna Nowadnick is refreshingly honest in sharing her life stories with us. This is an enjoyable and inspiring read, and I highly recommend this book.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

miscellaneous

Biolift

Bergers Book Reviews


Purchase from: Biolift website

During the afternoon energy slump, it can be difficult to maintain our focus, and it’s all too easy to turn to caffeine. But too much caffeine can increase heart rate or blood pressure, and cause the jitters. Biolift has created this delicious product with all of the energy and only a fraction of the caffeine. And it’s clinically proven to improve focus and sustain performance for over two hours, when the energy boost from caffeine normally fades.

These sparkling beverages contain guarana for alertness, ginkgo biloba for cognitive performance, elderberry for immune function, and carob as a low-glycemic sweetener. A 12 oz can contains only 50 calories and 10 mg of caffeine. Biolift comes in three flavors – mandarin orange, mixed berry, and peach mango. Light and refreshing, they will brighten your mood and your thinking. I highly recommend these energy drinks.

acting, inspiration

The Actor’s Book of Quotes

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Mike Kimmel
Publisher: Ben Rose Creative Arts
Genre: Acting / Inspiration
ISBN: 978-1953057136
Pages: 276
Price: $17.99

Author’s website
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Acting is a hard profession, so it’s helpful to have someone to lean on when the going gets tough. So even if you don’t know any professional actors to guide you, Mike Kimmel has gathered many of their quotes for inspiration. This unique book shares the best of the best on acting and life.

The topics covered are too numerous to list, but include autions, audiences, creativity, criticism, fear, hard work, individuality, optimism, and pessimism. Actors like Steve Martin, Leonard Nimoy, Sean Connery, Marilyn Monroe, Judy Garland, and Fred Astaire as well as many others offer their gems of wisdom.

A few of these quotes are:

To be good, you need to believe in what you’re doing. ~ Billy Crystal

Never treat your audience as customers, always as partners. ~ James Stewart

If you let your head get too big, it’ll break your neck. – Elvis Presley

The first star of a motion picture should be its story. ~ Cecil B. DeMille

This book is the perfect addition to any actor’s bookshelf, which will always be there when facing a big audition or a huge letdown. I highly recommend it.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Christian

Mary’s Voice: Advent Reflections to Contemplate the Coming of Christ

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Dr. Amy Orr-Ewing
Publisher: Worthy Books
Genre: Christian / Advent
ISBN: 978-1-5460-0452-3
Pages: 208
Price: $24.00

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Every Christmas, we hear the story of the angel announcing to Mary that she has been chosen by God to be the mother of Jesus. And we see Mary kneeling in front of Jesus with Joseph, the shepherds, and the wise men in our manger scenes. But is this all we know about Mary’s role in this miraculous birth? If we read deeper in the Bible, we can see a lot more that Mary would like us to know.

In Mary’s Voice we visit with Mary as she experiences the angel’s visit. But we also see her as she goes in haste to see her kinswoman, Elizabeth, and hear the words they both exclaim to each other. We worship with her at the manger, and then we share in the sorrows and joys she feels, as she brings Jesus to the temple in offering to God. Throughout all of these events, Mary ponders in her heart all that she sees and hears.

I often wish the Bible recorded more of Mary’s thoughts or words, but Mary’s Voice offers us plenty to ponder in our own hearts. I highly recommend this wonderful Advent book for anyone seeking to more fully experience Mary’s role in the birth of Jesus.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

business, self improvement

The Toll Booth

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: John Feloni
Publisher: Kallisti Publishing
Genre: Business / Self-improvement
ISBN: 978-1-7359792-5-0
Pages: 116
Price: $14.00

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A young man timidly approaches the office of Mr. Robert Campbell, the chairman and president of his multinational employer. He has just received the company’s newsletter which asks the employees to commit to the company’s goals. But it also encourages them to dream big dreams. This young man has finally realized that he wants to pursue his own big dreams that don’t have anything to do with the company, and he’s come to Mr. Campbell for advice.

Mr. Campbell immediately senses something different in this young man, and drops everything on his agenda to speak with him. He offers an old notebook that has been filled with 40 days of journal entries, written by an anonymous toll booth operator. The young man reads sections of the entries and he and Mr. Campbell discuss what is written.

I won’t give away the spoiler on who the author of the notebook is, although most readers will probably guess it for themselves. But this notebook shows how this toll booth operator’s thoughts and feeling progress over the 40 days, as he begins to find clarity about his life and its direction. Mr. Campbell takes on the role of mentor as he explains this process to the young man.

Following our dreams when they run counter to what we’ve been raised to believe is the right way to live is downright scary. Fears of failure loom large and we need all the support we can get – both spiritual and the folks around us. The Toll Booth offers wisdom on how to tackle these challenges, believing in our own success. I highly recommend it.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children

Mindful Moments with Maude

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Pamela Cappetta, EdD
Illustrator: David Gnass
Publisher: Mascot Kids
Genre: Children
ISBN: 978-1-63755-377-0
Pages: 38
Price: $18.95

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Illustrator’s website
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Addie wakes up stressed out after a stormy night. But even though the thunderstorm raged around them, Grammy’s dog, Maude had a peaceful rest. Addie wants to know her secret, so Maude begins to explain the concept of mindfulness.

Maude starts her lesson in asking Addie how she feels. Then she explains the idea of mindful breathing, and they practice it together. As the day unfolds, Addie notices how soft her clothes feel, how bright the sun is, and how the carpet feels against her toes. Grammy joins in mindfulness exploration by inviting Addie to visit the chickens, enjoy her breakfast, and stroll to the lake. And even though Addie tries to bring her phone, Grammy asks her to leave it behind so she can really experience the day without any distractions.

Being mindful allows Addie to really take notice of her world around her, making everything even more pleasurable. Kids will enjoy reading Maude’s (and Grammy’s) helpful advice in living their own lives in a more mindful way. I highly recommend Mindful Moments with Maude.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

acting

Monologues for Young Adults

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Mike Kimmel
Publisher: Ben Rose Creative Arts
Genre: Acting
ISBN: 978-1-953057-10-5
Pages: 142
Price: $14.99

Author’s website
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Acting is a difficult profession to break into, and it’s easy to use the wrong monologues for auditions. Many actors choose violent, dreary, depressing, and sexually inappropriate monologues in an attempt to stand out, but industry professionals get tired of seeing the same old tired thing. So instead of dark material, Monologues for Young Adults offers enthusiastic, hopeful, and optimistic messages.

Along with detailed helpful hints on how to present a great monologue, sixty short monologues are provided for the aspiring actor. “Birds in My Head” shares a young adult’s dream of becoming an artist, and how he ultimately convinces his father that he’s doing the right thing. “Quirks and Eccentricities” encourages people to follow their own path, even when others disagree. “The Difference We Can’t See” explains how the hidden actions we do to perfect our craft will always show up best when we perform. And “One Day or Day One” takes a hard look at procrastination and keeping our goals in sight. These and many other inspiring monologues showcase the young actor in a positive light.

Aspiring actors will gain confidence in proclaiming these positive messages that can’t help but to lift them up with their optimism and hope. And industry professionals will enjoy hearing something more light-hearted that will bring a smile to their faces. I highly recommend Monologues for Young Adults.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

business, self improvement

The Covenant Secret

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: John Feloni
Publisher: Kallisti Publishing
Genre: Business
ISBN: 978-0-99-702549-1
Pages: 128
Price: $14.00

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Bill Rand is desperate. His start-up company needs cash quickly and he’s determined to chase after it, no matter what it takes – even if it means alienating his whole team in the process. Finally, his business partner recommends he meet with Tom Crawford for some advice. She knows something needs to change before there’s a mutiny at the company.

Tom runs a successful company, so Bill figures he can learn from him. If nothing else, he thinks he’ll find out how to raise cash quickly. After all, Tom needs cash to run his own company and has to have some good ideas on how to get it. But Tom’s approach is not quite what Bill expects. In fact, Tom seems to value people more than money.

Over the course of a few days, Tom shares his wisdom with Bill. Using the idea of a covenant secret, Tom explains how to create a trusting relationship with customers and employees. And this relationship, when properly cultivated, will lead to a successful business model.

The Covenant Secret is an enjoyable and quick read that imparts some really great advice. Although this short fable is written from a business perspective, the seven principles of this secret would also work in other relationships, including family and friendships. I highly recommend it.

fiction

The Lapone Sisters

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Barry Wilker
Publisher: Archway Publishing
Genre: Women’s fiction
ISBN: 978-1-6657-2343-5
Pages: 314
Price: $28.95

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Yvonna Lapone was born in Romania, and suffered a terrible tragedy during World War II. After losing most of her family in a bombing, she decides to name her three daughters after her sisters – Shmellda, Sorina, and Esmerelda. The Lapone Sisters follows the family during the summer of 1976, after an unusual bank robbery in Nashville affects them all.

From multiple viewpoints, author Barry Wilker visits the lives of all three sisters, their parents, and a few other Nashville residents. We see Shmellda blossom after altering her appearance and her career. Sorina discovers hidden talents and overcomes her biggest weakness. And Esmerelda takes off on an adventure that will change her life. Yvonna and Frank Lapone can only smile as they watch their daughters grow into such beautiful young adults.

The Lapone Sisters is a feel-good story full of sensory imagery that provides a happy ending for almost everyone involved. It would make a fabulous vacation read.

Reviewer: Alice Berger