Sunday Salon: First Reviews of 2011

It’s time for Sunday Salon where we gather around our computers to share some of the interesting books we’ve read recently.

This being the first Sunday Salon of 2011, I’d like to tell you about the last book I read in 2010 and the first book I finished in 2011. In keeping with encouraging others to read, New Year’s Eve I gave books to my young cousins so they each had a new book to begin 2011 with. The last book I read in 2010 was among those I passed on to them.

SOPHIA’S DREAM by Land Wilson

This is a delightful book to help parents explain to young children the environmental impact on the earth in a manner they can understand.

Sophia befriends the moon and one night notices that he is blue. When she asks what’s wrong, the moon tells her to visit him in her dreams. That night Sophia dreams of flying to moon and there she can see what he sees - earth in despair because of dirty water, land and air. The moon explains how one person can make a difference in helping the earth.

The book is beautifully illustrated by Sue Cornelison. The illustrations have a magical quality and would make beautiful pictures for a child’s room.

Author Land Wilson delivers an important message in a way children will remember and learn from. Be sure to check out the book trailer at the end of this post.

Sophia‘s Dream by Land Wilson, Illustrations by Sue Cornelison, Little Pickle Press, @2010, ISBN: 978-0-9829938-1-1, Hardcover, 32 pages

FTC Full Disclosure - I won this book from the The Blood-Red Pencil. I wasn’t asked to do a review of the book, but thought it would be a wonderful addition to any child’s library and wanted to share my thoughts on it. Receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review.

Now a book I started in 2010 and finished 1-1-11.

THE ZEN OF MAX (A MEMOIR OF GREAT WISDOM 

AND MANY NAPS) by Lou Belcher

This was a book I looked forward to reading but had reservations about at the same time. The reservations came from me being tender-hearted, not from my uncertainty about the subject or the author's writing.

Author Lou Belcher shares her thoughts on living with her cat, Max, for the majority of his 18½ years of life. The author began the book before Max’s passing, but didn’t finish it until several years afterwards.

This is a must read for any cat (or animal) lover. If you are ’owned’ by a cat, you will be able to relate to a number of Max’s adventures. In fact, during most of the time I was reading THE ZEN OF MAX, I was comforted by my two darlings (Little One and Gum Drop) taking turns lying in my lap.

The author tells how Max came to be a part of her life and how the bond between them grew. She also tells how Max gave love and support to her ailing mother prior to her passing away. In addition, the author explains how Max became known as 'Max the Quilt Cat’ and includes several photos of Max at different stages of his life.

Throughout the book are 'Lessons Learned’ from Max. Two of my favorites are:
* “Sometimes when you think someone is pretending to love you more than they do, they end up loving you as much as you could hope for.”
* “Sometimes it’s enough just to be touching someone else.”

Max and Lou - their journey is one of laughter, love, learning, and a few tears. Yes I did have to have a box of tissue handy, but for the most part it’s an uplifting and funny book. It will tug at your heart strings while making you appreciate your four-legged furry family that much more.

THE ZEN OF MAX is a wonderful example of how we can learn love, understanding, and patience from our cats.

Max now has his own blog, www.MaxtheQuiltCat.com and a portion of the proceeds from THE ZEN OF MAX will go to agencies devoted to finding forever homes for pets.

The Zen of Max (A Memoir of Great Wisdom and Many Naps) by Lou Belcher, CreateSpace, @2010, ISBN: 9781456310998, Paperback, 128 pages

FTC Full Disclosure - This book was sent to me by the author. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review.

Now here’s the book trailer for Sophia’s Dream, enjoy.