Book Review: "Five High School Dialogues" by Ian Thomas Malone

Today I am sharing my review of "Five High School Dialogues" by Ian Thomas Malone. I think the book cover is a fun, attention-getting illustration with bright colors that perfectly matches the vibe of the stories within its pages.

This book is a 253 page journey across a wide spectrum of experiences known as the high school years. It is the third installment in his series, “The Dialogues”. The first two installments are "Five College Dialogues" and "Five More College Dialogues".

Within these five dialogues, I feel the author has done a wonderful job of bringing to life for the reader a wide spectrum of high school personality types and experiences. My perspective as the reader is as an adult reminiscing about my own high school years as I read the pages and I highly recommend this read for an age range of high school through adult readers for this reason. High school students in this generation will be able to relate to this book on a level that encompasses the feelings and experiences they encounter in this day and age, along with the technology and other advances they are familiar with. Adult readers will recognize the universal themes of youth which draws the reader to recall your own experience, as it very much did me. The "modern" technological advances referenced in the book of our social media age create a discussion point for the adult reader to say, "When I was in high school, we didn't have that.", words my own mother said to me at the time, and that brought a smile to my face.      

My favorite dialogue involves the high school rite of passage known as "group work" assignments, which invoked much laughter to me as I recalled some of the dreaded high school assignments involving relaying on others in your group to accomplish for what would be a team grade, which also did a great job showcased the wide spectrum of personalities encountered with high school youth.

About the author:

Ian Thomas Malone is an author and a yogi from Greenwich, CT. He is a graduate of Boston College, where he founded The Rock at Boston College. He is the grandson of noted Sherlockian scholar Colonel John Linsenmeyer. Ian has published thousands of articles on diverse subjects such as popular culture, baseball, and social commentary. His favorite things to post on social media are pictures of his golden retriever Georgie and his collection of stuffed animals. Ian believes firmly that “there’s more to life than books you know, but not much more,” a quote from his hero Morrissey. When he’s not reading, writing, or teaching yoga, he can probably be found in a pool playing water polo. He aspires to move to the Hundred Acre Wood someday, though he hopes it has wi-fi by then.

You can find out more about the book and a link for purchasing a copy here.
You can find out more about this author and his books by visiting his website .  
His novel "Courting Mrs. McCarthy" (Limitless Publishing) will be available June 9th from all major booksellers. 

I was provided an electronic copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed in this blog post are my own.

Book Review and Giveaway: "8 Simple Tools for Raising Great Kids"

I am reviewing a book today that I now have in my resource library for the day when my husband and I become parents. 

"8 Simple Tools for Raising Great Kids" is 208 pages in length and I feel it shares powerful tips for healthy parenting. I love that it is written to be geared toward busy adults and each tool the author shares is broken down into five short chapters that are 3 pages in length, so I like that they are quick and easy to read.

About "8 Simple Tools for Raising Great Kids"

Although written with busy parents in mind, this book is a wonderful resource book for grandparents caring for grandchildren, aunts, uncles, teachers and all adults who have children in their lives. It shows you the nuts and bolts of developing a healthy relationship with a child and the words build an illustration of how we influence the young people in our lives. He shares and discusses 8 simple tools: talking, listening,  influencing, connecting, teaching, encouraging, correcting and leading. A big message I took away from this book was using the tool he shares in this book not only applied to the children in my life, but to my own adult life regarding other adults I interact with.

About the author: 

Dr. Todd Cartmell is a child psychologist who has been working with children, teens, parents, and families for the last 18 years, most of that in a group practice in Wheaton, IL. He has been married for 24 years to his wife, Lora, and they have two young adult sons who are currently attending college. He earned his doctorate in clinical psychology from Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, CA. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship with Wright State University at the Children’s Hospital in Columbus, OH. He has written five parenting books (faith based) and presented many parenting workshops at mom’s conferences (Hearts at Home, MOPS International), MOPS groups, churches, and schools. He recently developed a skill-building game for kids called The Flexible Thinking Game. In his free time, he enjoys doing anything with his wife, spending time with their boys whenever possible, reading, running, and playing jazz piano. His Christian faith is an important part of his life and thinking, and he is continually thankful for God’s grace.

You can find out more information about this book by going to the website here and from April 15-May 15, you can purchase the book with a 50% Discount Code by entering the code GREATKIDS16. 

Giveaway:

One of you will win a copy of "8 Simple Tools for Raising Great Kids" (ARV $12.99).

To enter, please leave a comment below to let me know you would like to win. Giveaway closes Sunday,  April 17 at 5:00 pm EST. Open to US and Canada residents only. 

If you are not able to leave a comment on this blog post, please e-mail me at angelaskitchen@rocketmail.com with "Giveaway Entry" in the subject line and that will count as your entry.

"Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.

 Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller / FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, you are not eligible to win. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.”

Review: An "Over the Moon" musical program with Chanticleer

Chanticleer male chorus officially began around a dining table in San Francisco at the home of founding member Louis Botto in 1978. The name was a suggestion of founding member Charlie Erikson, who was in the midst of reading Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales and  inspired by the name of the “clear singing” rooster in The Nun’s Priest’s Tale. It is a combination of the French words "chanter" , meaning “to sing” and "clair", which means “clear”.  

The dining table beginning would turned into singing in their home community of San Francisco to traveling to all 50 states and soon after, a tradition that continues today, of traveling the world to share their music. In 1983, Joseph Jennings joined the group and began a distinct legacy within the group, soon becoming Music Director and remaining in that capacity until 2008, along the way amassing a number of gospel and jazz arrangements and a long list of works commissioned by Chanticleer, with some still performed in the group's programs today. From the beginning, there was a vision for full-time, salaried employment for the choral group's members and that dream became a reality in 1991 for the 12-member, all-male a cappella chorus. Over the past 38 years, more than 100 men have sung in the ensemble, each leaving their own personal imprint in the history of this group.

Chanticleer is now a non-profit organization, governed by a volunteer Board of Trustees, administered by a professional staff with the full-time professional ensemble. The organization also encompasses an education program serving over 5,000 students every year in a sequence of programs supervised by a full-time Education Director and in 2010 was recognized with the "Chorus America Education and Outreach Award".

In 2000, Chanticleer began the new millenium with a new distinction: a GRAMMY® winning , with "Colors of Love" won the GRAMMY® Award for Best Small Ensemble Performance (With or Without a Conductor.) . In 2003, two more GRAMMY® awards followed for "Lamentations and Praises". 

My first Chanticleer concert was in 1992. I was a high school sophomore in my home state of Oklahoma and my mother took me to the concert at the university in our hometown where she was an alumni of the music program. Eric Alatorre was a member of the ensemble at the time and remains a part of the group today. Whenever I go to a concert and see Eric after the show, this little piece of trivia always begins our conversation, before Eric's tradition of bringing out his cell phone to show me the newest picture of his family. 

Last Thursday evening, I attended what was my latest Chanticleer concert. This one, a presentation of their "Over the Moon" program, presented at the beautiful Smith Opera House in Geneva, NY. 

Chanticleer is comprised of sopranos Gerrod Pagenkopf, Kory Reid and Darita Seth; altos Cortez Mitchell, Alan Reinhardt and Adam Ward; tenors Michael Bresnahan, Brian Hinman and Blake Morgan; and bass and baritones Eric Alatorre, Matthew Knickman and Marques Jerrell Ruff. William Fred Scott is Music Director.

The program weaves back and forth between traditional and contemporary songs and features some notable solos, including Adam Ward's haunting melodic solo during "Mirrorball" a contemporary selection on the program by Elbow/Guy Garvey and arranged by Peter Eldridge. A pure delight in the middle of the program are back-to-back performances of two of the most recognizable "moon" songs: Henry Mancini's "Moon River", arranged by Jace Wittig, and Bart Howard's "Fly Me to the Moon", arranged by Evan Price. 
A highlight of "Over the Moon" is appropriately presented at the conclusion of the program, their stunning version of the hymn, "There is a Balm in Gilead", featuring a spirit-filled, rafter-raising solo by Marques Jerrell Ruff. The performance touched me to the core of my soul. 

In 1992, their primary method of communicating was their mailing list for actual "snail mail", which my late mother and I were on and would receive a Chanticleer newsletter highlighting their travels and their upcoming concerts. Today, you can easily and readily find them across social media on their website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and even hear some of their performances on their YouTube channel. If you do visit their YouTube channel, I must share my recommendations for  you listen to one of my all-time favorite Chanticleer performances, "Shenandoah", "Creole Love Song", along with "Cells Planets", which has the ability of making me incredibly happy while moving me to tears.

Their concerts, their recordings come with my highest recommendation.

Book Review and Giveaway: "Under the Sea Holy Bible, NIrV" for Children

Today I am reviewing a children's Bible that I am very excited as an aunt to share with my young nieces and nephews along with other beloved children in my life, to show them how much Jesus loves them through a special version of His Word, written especially for them. 

The "Under the Sea Holy Bible, NIrV" is an ideal children's Bible for ages 6 to 10, but I feel it shares a powerful message to reach readers both young and old. It features the New International Readers Version translation, NIrV, which is the steppingstone to introduce readers to the New International Version, NIV. 

I was immediately drawn to the glorious bright and fun hardcover of the book, covered in eye-catching foil and sparkles. I also like the fact it has a sturdy quality for young hands. Its 1,152 pages are filled with the Word interwoven with themes of underwater fun and sparkling fish details.  

Here is the fun and colorful way the message of I Corinthians 13 is presented:

You can find out more information about this book by going to the website here .

Giveaway:

One of you will win a copy of the "Under the Sea Holy Bible, NirV" for children (ARV $24.99).

To enter, please leave a comment below to let me know you if there is a child you would like to share this book with. Giveaway ends Thursday, April 7 at 5:00 pm EST and is open to US and Canada residents only. 

If you are not able to leave a comment on this blog post, please e-mail me at angelaskitchen@rocketmail.com with "Giveaway Entry" in the subject line and that will count as your entry.

"Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.

 Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller / FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, you are not eligible to win. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.”