Chicken Soup for the Soul: Christmas in Canada, Now Available in Stores -- Review and #Giveaway

Disclosure:  I was sent a review copy from the publisher in order to write up an honest review.  All views shared are mine and mine alone.

Buy now from Amazon for only $11.71 in paperback; also available for the Kindle.

These 101 stories about the joy and wonder of the holidays will warm your heart!

• Series: Chicken Soup for the Soul
• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Chicken Soup for the Soul (October 14, 2014)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1611599431
• ISBN-13: 978-1611599435
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 1.1 inches

I can't help but me in the holiday spirit, as I am working on my upcoming holiday gift guide, which will run from Nov. 1 - Dec. 15 (who knows, maybe sooner as I have so many great gift ideas to share). But, when i am not working on my gift guide, I have been sneaking in time to watch holiday movies and read books like this new holiday release from Chicken Soup for the Soul.  This was another quick read, as I couldn't help but want to read through each and every story and see why others love Christmas just as much as I do.  And, with most stories only a page or two long, I found myself picking up this book, while waiting on the phone, sitting in the car waiting to pick Savannah up from school, or ending the day with a handful of inspirational stories all about Christmas. Even though these stories are from writers in Canada, doesn't mean people all over the world, who are fans of Chicken Soup for the Soul books will not enjoy this holiday read.  Many of the traditions surrounding Christmas are the same, including caroling, holiday lights cookie baking parties and more.

As I read through this book, I was brought to tears a few times reading all the heartwarming stories and personal struggles of writers and how they overcame things to make the best of the holidays.  This is definitely one book i will be picking up time and again and leaving out on the coffee during the holiday season for family and friends to read and enjoy.  If you or someone you know loves Chicken Soup for the Soul books, then you will not want to miss this new holiday addition.  This book would make a great swap gift, stocking stuffer or addition to a gift basket full of books and teas, to surprise someone with this upcoming holiday season.

Once you start reading this new release, you, too, will find yourself getting exciting about the holidays. :-)


More About the Book:

"Christmas is a magical time of year! This collection of 101 festive holiday stories will warm your heart and spread holiday cheer with its tales of family, fun, and traditions from across Canada. A fantastic holiday gift and a great way to start the season!

From mummering and caroling, to winter lights festivals and crèche displays, to feasts and cookie-baking parties, Christmastime in Canada is full of fun and special traditions. You will delight in reading the 101 merry and heartwarming stories about family, goodwill, and holiday traditions across Canada’s provinces. Remember, all our stories are “Santa safe” so they can be enjoyed by the whole family."

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---GIVEAWAY---

Want to win a copy of the new "Christmas in Canada" book?  Thanks to the kind folks at Chicken Soup for the Soul, three (3) lucky readers will do just that.  To enter, please complete the entries on the Rafflecopter form below.  Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway Disclosure:  I was sent a review copy from the publisher in order to write up an honest review.  All views shared are mine and mine alone.

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New From Chicken Soup for the Soul -- "Reboot Your Life" -- Review and #Giveaway (3 Winners)

Disclosure:  I was sent a review copy from the publisher in order to write up an honest review.  All views shared are mine and mine alone.

You can reboot your life

Chicken Soup for the Soul shares stories about how you can find a new path to happiness

Now is a better time than any to stop and re-evaluate what you what from your life.  And, with the help of the new book from Chicken Soup for the Soul, "Reboot Your Life," you will find motivation and inspiration through 101 stories to help you take the first steps.

I love books like these as it reminds me that I am not alone when it comes to feeling in a rut, or not having a clear path in life.  Stories shared from others in the same boat and how they found motivation to make positive changes in their lives, really help me find purpose and direction that I am looking for, to reboot my life.

From following your dreams to going with your gut instincts, you will read about how others have find happiness in life by making changes.  This is one book I plan to share with family and friends, as they, too, always talk about wanting to make a leap when it comes to making a job change, taking chances, etc.  And, with the holidays around the corner, this would be a perfect book to give to those who enjoy the Chicken Soup for the Soul books, or even those hard to shop for people on your list.  They will thank you for the motivation and positive support these stories offer, in rebooting their lives.

More About the Book:

"Claire Cook was sitting with a group of parents at her daughter’s swim practice when she realized she needed to change her life. “I was in serious danger of living out my days without ever once going for it. Without even trying to achieve my lifelong dream of writing a novel.” So Claire started writing a book in her minivan, on a lined pad, while her daughter swam. Claire published her first novel at age 45, followed by the bestseller Must Love Dogs. At 50, she walked the red carpet at the Hollywood premiere of the movie based on her book! Now she’s a bestselling author of twelve books. “Not many days go by that I don’t … remind myself that this is the career I almost didn’t have,” she writes in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Reboot Your Life. “Anything can happen. It is never, ever too late.”

Are you stuck in a rut? Looking for purpose and meaning in your life? Ready for a new job, a new hobby or new relationships? You’ll feel empowered to take chances, follow your dreams and reboot your own life as you read the 101 inspiring stories by people, just like you, who did just that in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Reboot Your Life (Chicken Soup for the Soul Publishing, LLC; Amy Newmark and Claire Cook; Sept. 16, 2014, 978-1611599404, $14.95).

You will be inspired to pursue your true passion as you read stories like the one from ultra-marathoner Dean Karnazes. He didn’t like where his life was headed and literally ran out of his 30th birthday party and didn’t stop for 30 miles. Shortly after that pivotal moment, Dean quit his corporate job and his partying lifestyle. He wanted to make his living by running. And he did. “Now, some two decades later,” Dean writes. “I’ve realized more happiness and greater fulfillment than I ever dreamed imaginable.”

Within these pages, you’ll find the tools and the advice you need to solve your problems, use positive thinking, find your purpose, follow your dreams and start over. The 101 role models in this collection of revealing personal stories will help you change your life, and become the person you are meant to be."

--GIVEAWAY--

Thanks to the kind folks at Chicken Soup for the Soul, three (3) lucky readers will win a copy of this new release to enjoy and pass along.  To enter, please complete the entries on the Rafflecopter form below.  Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


ABOUT CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOUL
Chicken Soup for the Soul publishes the famous Chicken Soup for the Soul book series. In 2007, USA Today named Chicken Soup for the Soul one of the five most memorable books in the last quarter-century. With over 100 million books sold to date in the U.S. and Canada alone, more than 250 titles, and translations into more than 40 languages, “chicken soup for the soul” is one of the world's best-known phrases. Today, 21 years after it first began sharing happiness, inspiration and wellness through its books, Chicken Soup for the Soul continues to delight readers and fans with new titles, but has also evolved beyond the bookstore, providing wholesome and balanced pet food, a line of delicious, nutritious food that makes it easier to bring people together around the table for healthy meals, movies, television, licensed gifts, and digital offerings, all of which are inspired by stories. Chicken Soup for the Soul is “changing the world one story at a time.^®” For more information visit www.chickensoup.com.

Disclosure:  I was sent a review copy from the publisher in order to write up an honest review.  All views shared are mine and mine alone.

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Book Review: "Chicken Soup for the Soul: Miracles Happen" #Giveaway

Disclosure:  I was sent a review copy from the publisher in order to write up an honest review.  All views shared are mine and mine alone.

Buy now in Paperback from Barnes and Noble for only $13.01

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• ISBN-13: 9781611599329
• Publisher: Chicken Soup for the Soul
• Publication date: 2/4/2014
• Pages: 416
• Sales rank: 138,504
• Product dimensions: 5.40 (w) x 8.40 (h) x 1.10 (d)

Synopsis:

"Miracles happen every day! These 101 true stories of answered prayers and divine intervention show a higher power at work in our lives.

These 101 true stories of healing, divine intervention, and answered prayers prove that miracles can happen to anyone at any time. You will be awed and uplifted by these personal stories of divine intervention, healing, and faith."

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My Thoughts:

When you feel like the world is coming down around you, or that nothing seems to be going right in your life, this book is here to remind you that miracles do happen.  Some miracles we don't see happening, but they help to make things better.  You just have to believe and never give up.

When I was battling cancer in 2008 and recovering thereafter, these inspirational books came in handy, and really helped me keep a positive attitude through it all.  As I read through this book recently, I found myself looking back at my life and times that I felt like I was defeated, and how little things, and the help and support of others, made these small bumps in the road manageable, so that I could move on, grow and learn from them.  

This book is comforting and can be enjoyed even when you feel like you have it all in control.  Each of the 101 stories included in this recent release deal with hope, answered prayers and divine intervention, and will have you stop and appreciate the life you have.  Even though times get tough, don't stop believing in miracles do exist and prayers are answered.

If you are one who tears up at movies or by reading sentimental stories, you will want to have a box of tissues by your side to reach for.  But, most tears will be happy tears, and you will walk away from reading this book inspired and and feeling good that you took time out to read yet another great title in the popular "Chicken Soup for the Soul" series.

--GIVEAWAY--

Three (3) lucky readers will have a chance to win this new book in the ever popular "Chicken Soup for the Soul" series to enjoy and pass around.  To enter, please complete the entries on the Rafflecopter form below.  Good luck!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure:  I was sent a review copy from the publisher in order to write up an honest review.  All views shared are mine and mine alone.

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Mother's Day Gift Ideas -- Chicken Soup for the Soul: Parenthood: 101 Heartwarming and Humorous Stories about the Joys of Raising Children of All Ages -- Review and #Giveaway

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book by the publisher in order to write up an honest review.  The views I share are mine and mine alone.

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Chicken Soup for the Soul; Original edition (March 12, 2013)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1611599075
• ISBN-13: 978-1611599077
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 1 x 8.5 inches 
• Buy now at Amazon for only $10.98.

Synopsis:

"The 101 stories in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Parenthood will touch your heart, make you laugh, and remind you why there is no better job than being a parent!Parenting – it’s a tough job, but also the best. Filled with anecdotes and advice from parents raising children of all ages, this book will uplift, inspire, and encourage you. Other parents, just like you, share their personal stories about all the joys, and the trials, of raising children."

 
My Thoughts:

I have been reading Chicken Soup for the Soul books for years, but never had the opportunity to read one dedicated to parenthood until now.  And, now with 2 1/2 years of parenting under my belt, while still learn the ropes each day, I could take heart with each of the 101 inspirational and heartwarming stories that make up this recent release.  As you know, parenting is not easy, and we all go through ups and down, and question how well we are at being at parent.  For me, I find comfort in mommy groups I am apart of, as I get to bounce things off of others who have older children, as well as share advice and how worked for me, with new moms.

With parenting comes highs and lows, child's firsts and even moments you wish you could forget.  But, through it all, parenthood is one (if not) of the best things that can happen to you.  I know for me, it was one of my lifelong dreams, and I am enjoying every minute of it.

And, with Mother's Day only 16 days away, why not pick up a copy of this new Chicken Soup for the Soul book for yourself, or to share with your Mom?  It also makes for a great gift idea for new and expectant parents.  :-)

Happy Mother's Day!!!

--GIVEAWAY--

Three (3) lucky readers will win a copy of Chicken Soup for the Soul: Parenthood to enjoy, or give as a gift to a expectant mom, new parent, etc.  To enter, please complete the entries on the Rafflecopter form below.  Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway  

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book by the publisher in order to write up an honest review.  The views I share are mine and mine alone.

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Mother's Day Gift Giving Guide: Gives Me Hope: 127 Most Inspiring Bite-Sized Stories by Emerson Spartz and Gaby Montero (Review)

 

Nov 2010
$12.95 US
978-1569758281
156975828X
Trade Paper
144 pages

Buy It Now
 

Summary:

“Gives Me Hope (GMH) offers user-submitted true stories of kindness and generosity. The stories are sentimental and, at times, almost heartbreakingly sweet. … How can you not love the world after reading [these stories]?”
—CNN

“ GivesMeHope.com … where people share uplifting moments and shore each other up against the vagaries of life.”
—Los Angeles Times

“ [Gives Me Hope] serves it up straight—no chaser necessary.”
—Esquire

At GivesMeHope.com, visitors are invited to submit real-life stories that answer the profound question, “What gives you hope?” As diverse and touching as the human experience itself, the stories tell of life’s magical moments. In this book, the very best of these stories are told artfully through the use of powerful, full-color imagery.

My Thoughts:

This book has become an instant hit between anyone who picks it up.  After receiving it a couple of weeks, I have been displaying it on the coffee table for all to enjoy.  Each and every morning, I pick it up and read a story to become inspired for the day.  Being a busy mom on the go, it is nice to be able to pick this book up and in under a minute find inspiration and hope for the day ahead.  

In addition to reading this book, I have enjoyed visiting givesmehope.com, where you can read additional stories of hope from people all around the world.  Each and every story is touching and will have you thinking about what gives you hope in your life.  

Why not surprise Mom this Mother's Day with this inspirational book, which will truly resonate with her?

Disclosure:  I was sent a copy of this book by the publisher in order to write up an honest review.  The views above are mine and mine alone.

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