Spot of Grace: Remarkable Stories of How You Do Make a Difference by Dawna Markova PhD.

Published by New World Library

All too often, people find themselves wondering whether they make a difference in life. Spot of Grace: Remarkable Stories of How You Do Make a Difference is one of those books that provides a resounding response of Yes! The author, Dawna Markova PhD - co creator of Random Acts of Kindness, sent out the following e-mail:

Settle in for a few minutes and think about a person, a group of people, an animal, or a place that helped you realize that you are unique and have something to contribute to the rest of us. Or think about someone whose spot of grace you recognized and encouraged. Then scribble it down and send it to me. It doesn't have to be correctly spelled or fancy, just authentic to you, with a few details that will bring your memories alive. You can remain anonymous if you like or use your name.*

Dawna ended the e-mail with the last lines of her touching poem, "I Will Not Die an Un-lived Life":

Know that in sending me your stories, you will be "risking your significance, taking what came to you as seed and passing it on as blossom, and transforming that which came as blossom into fruit."*

*The content in italics is taken directly from the book.

The contents of Spot of Grace provide a little insight into the author and some of her treasured memories, along with memories from countless other people. These memories will warm the heart and soul even as your emotions are led on a wonderful and eye-opening journey.

Where do I even begin with this book? I was immediately hooked and literally couldn't put it down. The rare times that my attention was away from the book were only because I couldn't resist sharing some of the deeply moving content with my husband. I have so many favourites within the pages, including the following memories in which:

· A bookmobile driver who nurtures the soul of a young bookworm
· A CEO's daughter finds a unique way to communicate with her father as he struggles with Alzheimer's
· tar Wars helps an autistic boy with his violin skills
· A sister refuses to give up on her brother when everyone else has lost hope
· A stranger on a bus journey receives an invaluable gift.

I really loved this book and the optimism and great memories it brought into my life. I found myself looking back over the years, at those people who touched my life. People like my high school English teacher - Mrs Yvonne Harding - who, with her great sense of humour and constant encouragement made high school that little more bearable. Or my neighbour when I was growing up and her patience as she shared memories of her life and treated me to tiny fresh tomatoes from her backyard. My mum remains my strongest memory when thinking of grace and generosity. I remember that mum cooked extra meals for me to take to our next-door neighbour so that Mrs Lyon wouldn't have to worry about cooking or doing the dishes while her broken arm mended.

I then thought about those who touched my life and I have never met. People like the car in front of us at the Tim Horton's drive-through one day. When we arrived at the window to pay for the order we were told the car in front had paid for us. That was very surprising and I suggested to my husband that we bless someone else in the same way, so we paid for the car behind us.

I thought about the moments in my life where I may have caught a glimpse of my own Spot of Grace and spent some time smiling as I remembered cherished memories. I thought about including them but I would prefer to focus on this book, which – in case you can’t tell - I absolutely love and highly recommend. It really changed my mood and in some ways, even my outlook on life.

I know that each of you have countless memories and stories to share and the reason I posted the original e-mail at the start of this review is that the author ends with an invitation to share your own experiences with her at her website: www.dawnamarkova.com

Also, check out the Spot of Grace website on which you can view some of the stories read aloud on video. Eve's story is the first one that touched my heart in the book and I know that as most of you reading this blog are lovers of reading and books, it will speak volumes to you also. Check out the site: http://www.spotofgrace.com/stories.html

Free until July 10th - Scared by Tom Davis

I posted the trailer to this a little while ago and I am so looking forward to reviewing it. A couple of days ago I received an e-mail informing me that a PDF version of the book is being given away. You can download this book until July 10th 2009. Enjoy!

Trailer - Talking to the Dead by Bonnie Grove

Canadian author Bonnie Grove has brought us 'Talking to the Dead' which has piqued my interest a great deal. This is another title I will be reviewing in the coming weeks.

Trailer - Scared by Tom Davis

This title will be read and reviewed by me in the coming weeks. I love books of this nature so I can hardly wait, especially now I have viewed this great trailer!

Deviant Behavior by Mike Sager

Published by Black Cat - An imprint of Grove/Atlantic Inc.
Distributed by Publishers Group Canada

Jonathan Seede has it all – he enjoys his job with Washington D.C.’s most esteemed newspaper, and has a beautiful wife and a new baby. Appearances are rarely as they seem though, and this situation is no different. Just a short distance away is the Fourteenth Street strip where chaos runs rampant in the form of drugs, hookers and pimps. Reaching his limit on frustration with life, Seede plunges headlong into this deviant world. This novel paints a vivid and memorable picture of what happens when a person decides to Just Say Yes.

I found it pretty hard to get into this book at first. The characters are colourful and well written but they seem to almost get lost in the chaos of the first half of the novel. I was determined to see it through to the end, and I am glad I did. While the first half of the book strikes me as disjointed, and unbelievable to an extreme, the second half of the book brings everything together wonderfully – albeit a little too neatly. I liked the inclusion of very real everyday situations that many would like to ignore – homelessness, drug abuse, prostitution, police corruption and so on. It balanced nicely with the more mysterious storyline of the crystal skulls.

The writing style is greatly descriptive and scenes will often stick with you for a while. Even though I have completed the book, I am still finding my mind playing with the troubling – and even shocking – scene involving a dead hooker and a toddler. The author appears to have done a great deal of research and I have to admit that the philosophy that is sprinkled throughout really added something special. I like when a book provides food for thought, even if it’s not intended to be taken seriously.

I didn’t love this book, but once I got caught up in the story I grew to like it. One thing is for certain; it’s definitely unlike anything else I have ever read and I am looking forward to reading more Mike Sager titles. If you have the opportunity to read it, give it a whirl. If you read it, please do leave a comment and let me know what you think. It would be great to see other opinions.

Author’s website: http://www.mikesager.com

Guess Who? by A.J. Wood. Illustrated by Mike Jolley & Emma Dodd

Published by Silver Dolphin Books an imprint of Advantage Publishers Group.
Distributed by Raincoast Books

Guess Who is another title in the Amazing Baby changing picture book series.

As with the other title I reviewed, the cover is bright and attention grabbing with a mixture of stimulating designs which encourage discussion between parent and child. A solid book, though, as stated in the other review, the edges lack the same protective coating as the rest of the book which could make the book a little less durable in the mouths of toddlers.

On each page in this book, there is a white silhouette of an animal or object. The accompanying question gives a little clue of what should be there, such as 'who's flying around the flowers?" for a butterfly silhouette. The page has built-in sliders again which cause an insert to pop out of the edge of the page. On that insert is the coloured image of the animal or object in question along with the answer in words. As in the other title, the back of the inserts contain various black and white patterns that can also be a great learning tool.

Great book. The Amazing Baby series is something I definitely recommend.

You can see all the available titles here

One Little Bunny by A.J. Wood. Illustrated by Mike Jolley & Emma Dodd

Published by Silver Dolphin Books an imprint of Advantage Publishers Group.
Distributed by Raincoast Books

One Little Bunny is a book in the Amazing Baby changing picture book series.

At first glance this book is sure to pique the attention of any baby or toddler. The cover alone has so many different colours and patterns that it offers a learning experience before the book is even opened. The book is solid and seems to be durable though I would have liked to have seen the edges treated with the same coating as the pages and cover. I think it would have been a better idea since the age range of this book (6-18 months) just love to put everything in their mouths.

Each page in this book offers a simple and eye-catching picture which accompanies a counting question. The toddler can place a finger into the slider that is built into the page and it causes a solid insert to pop from the top of the page. The insert contains the answer in a shiny and reflective format. On the reverse of each of these pop-ups are various black and white designs such as spirals, stripes and polka dots. While great to look at, they also encourage learning about patterns too. Towards the end of the book, your child is introduced to a basic math problem which I thought was great. One thing I didn't notice at first, is that each page also contains a number of circles beside the slider so that children can count either the illustrations, or just the circles, though it also leaves the option open for more basic addition too.

For such a small book, it has endless learning possibilities. It's definitely one of my favourite board books to recommend.

You can see all the available titles here