Book Review: The Awakening of HK Derryberry by Jim Bradford

The Awakening of HK Derryberry by Jim Bradford is a book about a little boy named HK who is blind and has cerebral palsy. His grandmother, Pearl, is raising him on her own after an unfortunate tragedy took the life of his mother. With no one to help care for him, Pearl is forced to bring him to work with her a few days a week. He sits in the diner, hunched over a radio listening to preachers. Most people never do more than glance in his direction. His life is forever changed when Jim Bradford, an older man with a seemingly perfect life, comes into Mrs. Winner’s diner for coffee.

These two strike up an unlikely friendship, filled with laughter, love, and countless adventures. HK doesn’t see himself as handicapped; he does things his way. Unlike most people, HK makes even the simplest moments extraordinary.

His zest for life and positive attitude are infectious. Young and old are infatuated by his ability to remember things - even the smallest details of things that happened years ago, yet it quickly turns as he weaves his way into their hearts.

As HK said, “I remember the negative things, but I don’t dwell on them because they are just history. I think about all the good stuff.”

The description of the book immediately caught my eye. As someone with cerebral palsy, I could relate to some of his struggles. This book was intriguing and inspiring on so many levels. If my life could have a fraction of the impact that HK has had on those around him, I will be happy.

I was also struck by the number of people who rally around Pearl, Mr. Bradford, and HK to support him in every way possible. From teachers who are doggedly determined to help him reach his full academic potential, to store owners, coaches, and celebrities, they all make HK’s life special. It is truly a story of finding joy in the journey and proof that life’s greatest blessings come when you give yourself away to others.

I would recommend this book to everyone without hesitation. It is one of the best books I’ve read in long, long time!

** This book was provided to me by Harper Collins in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Book Review: Set Free by Stephen Owens

My mom bought a book at the grocery store called Set Free several months ago. Of all the topics it could have been about, it was about forgiveness – specifically a son’s journey to forgive his mother for hiring someone to kill his dad. His mother was the ideal mother, providing for her kids and making sure they were in church. So what on earth motivated her to go to such drastic measures? This is a true story told from the son's perspective detailing all of the highs and lows of what it took to forgive his mother. 

I guess the biggest reason I decided to pick it back up is because my mom got another awesome book, entitled Unthinkable. I knew I couldn't read that book until I finished this one because I really don’t like to start a lot of books at once. I prefer to finish one and move onto another. I had to stop because Owen’s words were pricking my heart, causing tears to fall so I could no longer read. The phrase “Guilty, but forgiven” really resonated with me. I couldn't get away from it. Now, deeply enthralled in the story and interested to see how Owens wrote his mother, what he said in the letters, and how he realized that he had to forgive himself if he truly wanted to forgive his mother and escape his own emotional prison. I kept reading. 

I am not going to give away any surprises, but I highly recommend it everyone reading this blog. Because it we were all honest with ourselves, we struggle with forgiveness in some area of our lives. This book will be one of the most important steps you'll take in becoming set free. Seriously, stop what you're doing and buy this book. The author doesn't know me, and I didn't receive anything in return for this review. It was just so powerful, inspiring, and challenging me on the deepest levels. I am still processing everything I read and absorbed, even months after finishing it. I have even written eight pages worth of thoughts that have come up since reading this book. I've read other books on forgiveness, but this one is at the TOP of my list!

Tigger: Memoirs of a Cosmopolitan Cat

I have now completed my internship with Tannenbaum Publishing Company, which was nothing short of AMAZING!

I am excited to announce that a manuscript I have been working with is now a published ebook on Amazon! 

Tigger - Memoirs of a Cosmopolitan Cat is the fictional autobiography of a cat and his human family. Based on a true story, it takes the reader from Perth in Western Australia, Tigger’s birthplace where he joins his family, to Maryland in the United States of America. We are all familiar with human responses to change; but what about the animal's perspective? What are the challenges for a cat in a new and unfamiliar environment? What matters to him, and how does he adjust? Tigger lets the reader follow him as he explores nameless flora and fauna, mysterious smells and undreamt-of hunting opportunities. He meets neighbourhood pets, escapes from sticky situations and copes with the surprises of a first snowfall. In the background of the story, the humans have their own struggle to settle in new surroundings. The occasional glimpse through Tigger's amber eyes lets the reader guess at what goes on in their world, but it really isn't that important. Tigger's experience is what really counts. 

Click here to view or purchase!

Free Books for Kindle!

Just wanted to share a great resource I found with all of my friends who might have a Kindle.  It's called Pixel of Ink.  They send out daily emails with several free e-books.  Not all of them are free, so make sure it says $0.00 before you click buy. :) 

I downloaded two completely free books this afternoon, The Fence my Father Built by Linda S. Clare and Caged: Memoirs of a Cage-Fighting Poet by Cameron Conway.  I'm excited to read these when I have time because I've never read any of their books. A new book to read is great. A new FREE book is even better!


If you go to this link, they do have some free books for the Nook as well.

Happy reading, everyone!

Short and Sweet

I finished the book Gifted Hands that I wrote about in a previous post. It was an awesome book. The kind of book that makes you wonder what's happening to that person now. It's filled with highs and lows. You'll marvel at Dr. Carson's courage all while trying to process everything that happens. I'm not going to give it all away, go read it. :)

I had kind of a rough weekend, but I was able to sit in the living room for a little while. It was nice to get out of my room. Now that school is out for a few months, I'm hoping to rest up a little bit. I know that things could be much worse.

You can purchase this book on Amazon. They have a different cover than mine because the book was republished in 1996. Don't worry, it's the same book.

*I wasn't compensated in any way for this review. I just shared my opinions of the book because I felt that it was a book worth sharing.*

Change of Plans...and Pace

I know I said I wouldn't be posting until Thursday, but there's been a change of plans. I didn't have any finals...that's right no finals. A fellow student at my college was killed in a very bad car accident on Saturday. The passenger escaped with a few minor scrapes and bruises.

Due to the ongoing grieving of the students and faculty, they (the administration and faculty) called a meeting to decide what to about upcoming finals. After much thought, they said finals were optional. If they helped boost our grade, it would be counted. If they lowered our grade, it wouldn't.

I thought about it, but I didn't really benefit from taking any of my finals since I had A's. I'm not one to toot my own horn, just trying to make a point. Lots of people wanted to know if I was taking any finals, and I said, "No." My summer has started early, but not AT ALL in the way I expected.

Yes, everyone likes it if they don't have to take one final, maybe two. People go nuts when they hear the word optional. Lots of people packed their things and went home to their families. In the midst of them celebrating summer, a girl has died. I told my mom this was supposed to be a happy time for her and her family because of graduation, but now it will be a sad time for them. I can't imagine how her family felt, knowing the miles that separated them. She lived in Texas, so it wasn't like her family could get to her in ten minutes.

Last night, my mom said, "Well, no more school for awhile." I said, "I know. I have NOTHING to do, and I don't know what to do with myself!" She laughed and said, "I've got something you can do, read this book." So, as my summer starts, I'm relaxing and reading. Imagine that, reading on my time off! The book is called Gifted Hands by Ben Carson M.D. with Cecil Murphey. It's a wonderful book about a black man who defies all odds to become someone who performs medical miracles. Seriously. There's no way you can be depressed after reading this book. It's a classic story of the "underdog" becoming something great.