Sheila English's Posts - Book Trailers2024-03-28T11:58:26ZSheila Englishhttp://booktrailers.ning.com/profile/SheilaEnglishhttp://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2783518328?profile=RESIZE_48X48&width=48&height=48&crop=1%3A1http://booktrailers.ning.com/profiles/blog/feed?user=2icbmvnzugy7m&xn_auth=noFrom Abuse to Forgiveness from author Lydia Taiwotag:booktrailers.ning.com,2013-09-02:729507:BlogPost:958022013-09-02T19:00:00.000ZSheila Englishhttp://booktrailers.ning.com/profile/SheilaEnglish
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2803410450?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-full" height="123" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2803410450?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="77"></img></a> A Broken Childhood II: Forgiveness by Lydia Ola Taiwo<br></br> <br></br>Nightmares normally end when we awaken. But what if your waking hours actually were your nightmare? In her first book, `A Broken Childhood', Lydia Taiwo opened her heart and showed us how she survived horrific abuse as a child.<br></br> <br></br>In ‘A Broken Childhood: Forgiveness’, Lydia’s story continues when her…</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2803410450?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2803410450?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="77" class="align-full" height="123"/></a>A Broken Childhood II: Forgiveness by Lydia Ola Taiwo<br/> <br/>Nightmares normally end when we awaken. But what if your waking hours actually were your nightmare? In her first book, `A Broken Childhood', Lydia Taiwo opened her heart and showed us how she survived horrific abuse as a child.<br/> <br/>In ‘A Broken Childhood: Forgiveness’, Lydia’s story continues when her parents finally decide to take her back to Nigeria. However any hopes that life will improve are swiftly dashed by her mother. Alone in a strange country, she is determined to survive, but when she finally escapes her parents clutches, Lydia will find that the hardest battle of all is learning how to come to terms with the past.<br/> <br/>Gripping in its intimate narrative, the book is unnervingly direct but retains a quiet, hopeful sparkle and optimism that carries us along. In it, Lydia reflects on her past but it is her ability to forgive that truly inspires. I’m not sure many readers faced with the devastating and perpetual abuse could find it in their hearts to do the same.<br/><br/>As Lydia herself admits, learning to forgive was the beginning of a journey of redemption and in turn, led to her being able to move on and build a remarkable life. A happily married mother of six, and a scientist, Lydia now devotes much of her time to helping those whose lives have been ruined by abuse and neglect.</p>A Broken Childhood by Lydia Taiwotag:booktrailers.ning.com,2013-08-14:729507:BlogPost:951402013-08-14T20:52:58.000ZSheila Englishhttp://booktrailers.ning.com/profile/SheilaEnglish
<p>It seems today there is an epidemic of abuse in many forms. The worst form is child abuse. The victim is small, easily intimidated, easy to manipulate, easy to harm. The abuser is a bully, and bullies always pick on the victim least likely to fight back. The most egregious abusers are parents.</p>
<p>Author Lydia Ola Taiwo knows about the worst of these - the parents, for they are the ones who abused her. A childhood spent in fear of a parent coming home, fear of footsteps coming down the…</p>
<p>It seems today there is an epidemic of abuse in many forms. The worst form is child abuse. The victim is small, easily intimidated, easy to manipulate, easy to harm. The abuser is a bully, and bullies always pick on the victim least likely to fight back. The most egregious abusers are parents.</p>
<p>Author Lydia Ola Taiwo knows about the worst of these - the parents, for they are the ones who abused her. A childhood spent in fear of a parent coming home, fear of footsteps coming down the hall, fear of what pain would be inflicted next.</p>
<p>In her book, A Broken Childhood, Ms. Taiwo gives personal and intimate details of a life lived as a victim. Often harrowing, and always gut-wrenching to those of us who value their children more than their own life.</p>
<p>Readers however will be delivered from the darkness, much as the author has been. Hers is not a self-deprecating story. Lydia's story is about overcoming the odds, of showing herself and others how to rise above some of the worst odds a child could face and succeeding. She succeeds on so many levels readers will find themselves cheering her on and perhaps a few readers will find their own ladder out of the darkness from her words.</p>
<p> </p>The Nine Fold Heaven by Mingmei Yiptag:booktrailers.ning.com,2013-06-25:729507:BlogPost:930832013-06-25T22:39:26.000ZSheila Englishhttp://booktrailers.ning.com/profile/SheilaEnglish
<p>Chinese born author Mingmei Yip has brought China to life for millions of readers. Her books portray an authentic China and a culture that many only know from Hollywood movies. She uses women characters to tell her stories and these women give wonderful layers of depth to her prose.</p>
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<p>Many of her books focus attention on the "courtesans" and their lot in life - sometimes good, sometimes bad, often emotionally brutal if not physically.</p>
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<p>Her novels speak of…</p>
<p>Chinese born author Mingmei Yip has brought China to life for millions of readers. Her books portray an authentic China and a culture that many only know from Hollywood movies. She uses women characters to tell her stories and these women give wonderful layers of depth to her prose.</p>
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<p>Many of her books focus attention on the "courtesans" and their lot in life - sometimes good, sometimes bad, often emotionally brutal if not physically.</p>
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<p>Her novels speak of longing, of love and of roads not taken. In Song of the Silk Road, her character if offered a three-million dollar reward for taking a journey. This journey however, is not without stipulations and in the process of traveling an entire new lifetime is born.</p>
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<p>Mingmei's own life could be a literary classic -- from her days in China to her immigration to the United States in 1992, her family history reads like a thriller novel. A grandmother in the running a Pepsi-Cola factory in the hey day of Vietnam, rubbing elbows with the world's power brokers. Her mother leaving for eight years, her father gambling away family fortunes.</p>
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<p>In her latest book, The Nine Fold Heaven she follows a young woman, Camilla. She is abandoned at an orphanage at the age of four and is plucked out of there to be trained as an assassin by one of the most notorious gangs in Shanghai. Camilla is a spy, a singer, a lover, and finally a mother, going through multiple metamorphosis' throughout the book.</p>
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<p>While the gang initiation was strong, they were never able to completely subdue her emotions, like they were other inductees. Camilla always had that spark of love buried very deep and when her child is born the floodgates of emotion are released. She will do anything to get her child back and to find a safe haven for them.</p>
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<p>Giving a great insight into Chinese culture and bursting many stereotypes along the way, Ms. Yip gives the reader a deep, moving, sometimes sensual, sometimes heartbreaking glimpse into Asian society.</p>
<p> </p>Soul Speak by Julia Cannontag:booktrailers.ning.com,2013-03-19:729507:BlogPost:916752013-03-19T21:48:28.000ZSheila Englishhttp://booktrailers.ning.com/profile/SheilaEnglish
<p>Soul Speak: The Language of Your Body is a metaphysical book that is bound to intrigue both people of science and medicine as well as people looking to connect with their own higher power.</p>
<p>The book is very well organized and could even be used as a teaching tool. The author has a background and education in the medical field and her logic, presentation and material reflect that.</p>
<p>She talks about “Body Part Messages” and addresses different parts and systems of the body. There…</p>
<p>Soul Speak: The Language of Your Body is a metaphysical book that is bound to intrigue both people of science and medicine as well as people looking to connect with their own higher power.</p>
<p>The book is very well organized and could even be used as a teaching tool. The author has a background and education in the medical field and her logic, presentation and material reflect that.</p>
<p>She talks about “Body Part Messages” and addresses different parts and systems of the body. There are diagrams and pictures included.</p>
<p>The book is condensed into about 150 pages which includes the pictures, but though you have that concentration of information, the author is able to hold your interest as you learn. That is a skill I can appreciate.</p>
<p>If you are interested in medicine, metaphysical teachings or interested to learn more about how your body can speak to you then I recommend checking out this book.</p>The Nightmare Affairtag:booktrailers.ning.com,2013-03-19:729507:BlogPost:917752013-03-19T21:46:32.000ZSheila Englishhttp://booktrailers.ning.com/profile/SheilaEnglish
<p><span>Dusty Everhart is half human and half magickind, more specifically, she is half Nightmare. She feeds on nightmares in order to survive. Other than that she is your typical 16-year old girl with school work and a crush on Eli Booker who ends up being her next nightmare to feed on. But, Eli’s nightmares of murder start to come true. Even worse, he is dreaming of Arkwell, a place for magickind, and a place Eli should not know about. Now Dusty must figure out how to help solve the mystery,…</span></p>
<p><span>Dusty Everhart is half human and half magickind, more specifically, she is half Nightmare. She feeds on nightmares in order to survive. Other than that she is your typical 16-year old girl with school work and a crush on Eli Booker who ends up being her next nightmare to feed on. But, Eli’s nightmares of murder start to come true. Even worse, he is dreaming of Arkwell, a place for magickind, and a place Eli should not know about. Now Dusty must figure out how to help solve the mystery, help Eli without giving away who she is and hopefully get the boy. </span></p>
<p><br/><span>The book is face-paced, original and fun! The author has a great voice that holds humor and a wonderful cadence and imagination. This is a young adult novel, but no doubt adults will enjoy this book as well. </span><br/><span>The author herself has a website that shows off her imagination and sense of humor as well <a href="http://www.mindeearnett.com/">http://www.mindeearnett.com/</a>.</span></p>The Hilarious Secret Sequel to the 20th Century Classictag:booktrailers.ning.com,2011-06-10:729507:BlogPost:680742011-06-10T17:55:18.000ZSheila Englishhttp://booktrailers.ning.com/profile/SheilaEnglish
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<p><b> </b> My difficulty in writing this blog should probably be communicated to the reader, for it conveys a sense of the book's true value. I am challenged to write this blog because I cannot stop laughing about this book.</p>
<p> The book is <i>Atlas Slugged Again</i>, and Ellis Weiner's masterful parody is a worthy read for anyone who has ever read or heard of Ayn Rand. This piece, obviously a parody of the 20th century classic <i>Atlas Shrugged,</i> will leave…</p>
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<p><b> </b> My difficulty in writing this blog should probably be communicated to the reader, for it conveys a sense of the book's true value. I am challenged to write this blog because I cannot stop laughing about this book.</p>
<p> The book is <i>Atlas Slugged Again</i>, and Ellis Weiner's masterful parody is a worthy read for anyone who has ever read or heard of Ayn Rand. This piece, obviously a parody of the 20th century classic <i>Atlas Shrugged,</i> will leave readers with a sense of how to feel about the true followers of Rand's original. It will also leave you aching from laughter.</p>
<p> Naturally, the storyline takes as its foundation the basic framework of its inspiration, Rand's best-known novel. In this society, John Glatt is “the smartest, bravest, most rational man in society” (and I am sure that you already see where this is going), and free-will and self-interest are at the core of all great achievements within the context of the Age of Production. The writing highlights Rand's idiosyncratic writing techniques and flourishes quite well. The author's greatest advantage is his keen awareness of how to utilize these tendencies of Rand to full effect.</p>
<p> Ellis Weiner is no stranger to the realm of parody and humor. In fact, his professional career is marked by great achievements in this respect (and, according to the official website, he has written for “literally every other magazine that ever existed”). In his early years, he worked as an editor for National Lampoon. He has written many praiseworthy books, including <i>The Big Jewish Book for Jews</i> and <i>How to Raise a Jewish Dog</i>. You might even recognize his name...</p>
<p><i> ...Atlas Slugged</i> is the well-crafted and hilariously antagonizing “secret sequel” to the towering masterpiece. Both lovers and haters of Ayn Rand's fiction can learn to appreciate this fantastic book which delves into the depths of the human experience and problems of free will. In addition, avid readers of general parody will appreciate Weiner's delightful approach to this infamous and mysterious classic of literature. Finally, <i>Atlas Slugged Again</i> comes highly recommended for anyone who wishes to laugh for most of the remainder of this year.</p>