It is hard to talk about this book without giving too much away. As I mentioned, the story is set in Germany in World War II and centers around a German girl named Liesel Meminger. We are introduced to her at a time of great personal loss: the loss of her family and the death of her brother. She begins to steal books at her brother’s funeral (the first one from one of the gravediggers) and stealing books, as one can gather from the title, happens throughout the book; the reasons behind her book-stealing become clearer as the story unfolds. She is taken in by a foster family, and eventually, a Jewish man is hidden in the basement; a book is central to their friendship as well. All the while, as the story unfolds, there is an interesting voice from the sidelines adding a completely different set of eyes to what is going on. I enjoyed being drawn in by that voice, so I will leave that to you to discover; it is what makes the book so captivating.

I couldn’t put the book down and passed it on to both my daughters, my mother and have recommended it to anyone I could; including you. It is so well written; easy to read but with the kind of depth that leaves you thinking; an absolute pleasure to read.

– Teresa Klassen

In Canada:

In the U.S.:

Having said that, I loved the book. In terms of really getting at an important, life-impacting topic, Bevere does a terrific job discussing the issue of “offense” and being “offended.” Each topic challenged me very personally; in fact, I ended up blogging on each chapter. If you would like to get a quick overview of the book before you read it, you can read my personal blog beginning at chapter one .

If you are the kind of person who doesn’t want to hold onto extra baggage in your life, I would say this book is very healing and a must read.

– Teresa Klassen

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In the U.S.:

Angela’s Ashes is not a light read. It is a long story, a slow telling of life in America and Ireland (and back to America) filled with difficulties and disappointments, lived out by very real, very flawed characters. It is the true story of a man reflecting on his childhood with most of his memories being very tragic, yet the way it is told, one is reminded that a child always finds things to play with, even in the ashes. There is a constant tug-of-war between hope and disappointment, longing and being resigned to work with what you have. Growing up in incredible poverty, Frankie is incredibly industrious and the reader so wants to see some happiness in his life that you find yourself cheering him on; but the sad thing is, a lot of what he gained was through stealing, lying, and covering up. A lot of his success came because every adult in his life let him down. The book is filled with the tension of Frankie trying to be a good catholic boy in this world, but continually sliding, continually needing redemption.

One thing I really enjoyed about the journey, though, was how the book was written. The language has that Irish voice and I loved hearing the rhythm of the words as I read. The book is so well written, I felt the coal dust on my skin and the tiredness of the boys as, yet again, their drunken father wakes them in the middle of the night to pledge their loyalty to Ireland; the author made me feel the losses and the heat and the cold and the injustice of it all. It isn’t all heavy, there is a lot of humor that maybe only the children in the book see, but since it is the story of boyhood, the reader gets to enjoy the inside jokes.

It’s not a book you will get through in a day or two, but it is well worth taking the time to read.

– Teresa Klassen

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U.S.A.:

I loved how the book was written. The author moves between past and present with a kind of “stream of thought” writing style;  one thing reminds him of another, and so the book wanders in and out of his childhood providing a backdrop of values and memories that Perry sifts through as he is building his own life on the farm. Past and present, there is comedy and tragedy and I found myself laughing out loud and at other times fighting back tears. Through these stories the author muses about marriage, parenting, compassion, generosity, adventure, family virtues, community, faith, life and death.

Like all of us, Perry is sorting out life and figuring out how to juggle priorities; in his case it is working as a freelance writer, parenting one and then two children, and learning how to live the rural life with his wife.  It is amazing what one can learn in a year, and walk through in a year and I thoroughly enjoyed being invited to journey alongside.

– Teresa Klassen

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U.S.A. (Kindle)

If you decide to read A Promise Kept, you will encounter love as it was meant to be. It is the story of one’s man unfailing commitment to his wife as she succumbs to Alzheimer’s but it isn’t a book about sickness, it is a book about gratitude and about love that doesn’t give up. It is a book about returning a favor: she, who cared for him; and now he, who cares for her.

All of us know, somehow, that this is how love is meant to be. When we stand in its presence we are in awe because it is such a rare sighting. That is how I felt when I read this: awe.

“A Promise Kept” is a small book (you could read it in an hour or so) but it is rich to read and a must read for anyone who wants to walk the road of life with someone, for a lifetime.

I loved it.

– Teresa Klassen

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* If you order this book through the link on my site, I get a small kick-back, thanks

The authors essentially do “background checks”: at what point in history was a particular leader born and how did that contribute to their journey; how did that shape them and open doors for them? As a part of this examination, they look at each leader’s “crucible” moments (stand-out moments that had a transformational impact) and how this shaped who the leader was to become and the decisions they would make.

On the “Geezer” side of things, I particularly enjoyed the discussions that centered around “neoteny” – the ability to retain youthful qualities. What allows a leader to stay fresh, engaged, optimistic, inventive? Fascinating insights.

I am the type of reader who loves a great story (not one to plow through a lot of charts and lists and statistics) and what I loved about Geeks and Geezers: How Era, Values and Defining Moments Shape Leaders was that it provided enough “story” and enough memorable leadership lessons that it kept me engaged. I didn’t find it at all “dry”. I found it honest and compelling and inspirational.

I was left thinking about my own “crucible” experiences, or at least how one might interpret and use challenges that inevitably come. It made me think about resilience and flexibility and about always being open to what is new and interesting.

One predominant characteristic of both Geeks and Geezers is their curiosity about life; and for the Geezers, this did not wane as they aged. They retained a fascination with the world and had a life-long love of learning. I felt privileged to be able to look into the windows of their lives and see what I could learn from this.

I am sure if you were looking at this book through the “business lens” you might write a different review, but as a person just interested in how these great leaders (young and old) stay engaged and relevant no matter their age, I found much that I could walk away with and think about.

– Teresa Klassen

Canada:

U.S.A.

*If you order this book through the link on my site, I get a small kick-back. Thanks

If you have kids or are planning to have kids or you work with kids, or are anywhere in the vicinity of kids: read this book. And, of course, if you are a teenager thinking of reading this book, you definitely should read it, because this book is really for you

If I were to summarize Do Hard Things: A Teenage Rebellion Against Low Expectations it would be to say that we underestimate what teenagers can do; they can do hard things and the authors tell many great stories of teens who have (historically and presently). Teenagers underestimate themselves, but adults don’t help when we don’t believe in them either.

Since I am an adult writing this review, I have to say I was kicking myself a little when I realized how many opportunities I have walked by, not seeing the potential to invite a teenager in. It is no wonder many teenagers don’t rise to a challenge; they do exactly what they are being “told” to do, which is “just get through the teenage years” without too many scrapes and bruises (and without scraping and bruising too many others). What a shame that this is the predominant attitude, when teenagers have it in them to transform the world in a pretty unique way.

I was on the edge of my seat reading this book because it just FELT SO RIGHT. Read it and then made my whole family read it! We had great discussions around each chapter.

I work with children and I have new eyes for them. I am looking at these little guys going, “what can they lead? what can they do?” Too often I have tried to find an adult to fulfill roles that young people can fill.

Get the book and enjoy. It is a fantastic resource for teenagers, parents, youth workers, teachers…

– Teresa Klassen

Canada:

U.S.A.

*If you order this book by using the link on this site, I get a small kick-back. Thanks

In Have A Little Faith: A True Story there are a few story-lines running through the book:

The first is the author’s personal story, having had a faith that slipped into the background of his life when he was young. He hadn’t really interacted with his Jewish faith for many years when an unusual request comes his way: the man who had been his Rabbi when he was young asks him to write his eulogy. In the first story-line we see the author tapping into memories, answering some of his own questions, taking a journey he hadn’t expected to take.

This creates the second story-line. As Albom begins to meet with the Rabbi regularly the book interacts around this series of conversations and so we see the story of this interesting Rabbi, an ordinary yet extraordinary man and his faith walk. His story comes alive on the pages of the book with all of his rich, touching and often humorous life experiences.

At the same time, Albom meets an African-American pastor from the inner-city in Detroit. The author’s curiosity is piqued as he watches this pastor struggle to lead this poor church. Albom asks good questions about what motivates this pastor to do what he does; what compels him and sustains him? What role does faith play in this environment? What light does faith shine in this world?

So, these separate stories weave in and out, making comparisons, compelling the reader to interact with his/her own questions and observations about faith along with the author.

In the end a eulogy is written but there is more then that; there is insight about faith and how beliefs may differ and still have much in common; and “believing in something” proves to be both a great comfort and a great motivator to do good and be good in a world that so needs a show of good faith.

I would definitely recommend this book. It isn’t a hard book to get through, but there are lots of little “aha” moments. I read the book while on a plane to Israel and there were people on my plane who seemed to match the characters in the book: people of different faiths (quite obviously), people who might not have a faith; white and black; blue collar/white collar, young and old. It provided a great back-drop.

By the way, here is a good site that provides some great discussion questions if you would ever want to read this book for a group discussion.

– Teresa Klassen

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U.S.A.:

We all experience loss, and the grief associated with it. It might be the loss of a loved one, a friendship, a job, a dream, a marriage, our health; we all walk through events that leave holes in us and it is this that the author grapples with in Grace Disguised Rev Ed. It isn’t a book full of “how to’s” but rather it is full of reflections and observations that can only be made when one has been nearly strangled by grief.

Jerry Sittser lost his mother, wife and daughter in an instant when a terrible accident claimed their lives. I can’t even imagine a loss of such magnitude, but the author shares his sorrow with his readers and draws us into his conversation about who we are after loss and how to begin a new life; a new life marked by what we have walked through, but a life of greater “spiritual depth, joy, compassion and a deeper appreciation of simple blessings.”

I think the anticipation of “loss” is something that people fear the most; it is also something that can leave people “hanging,” bewildered. I found this book a “nudge” towards a more healthier perspective, towards healing; a resource to help us redefine the new day we find ourselves in when we have walked through a troubling time.

This is a book about how the author processed his journey (“is processing” might be a more accurate description) and “became” someone different than he was. It talks about his family (he has several other children) and walking through the experience with them. He talks about his faith and God’s presence in the middle of his pain.

I think this is such a worthwhile read. Even though it is about loss, it is also so much about hope.

– Teresa Klassen

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U.S.A.:

* If you purchase this book through my link, I get a small kick-back. Thanks

I ate this book up when it was given to me; it got me right in the heart.

Too Small to Ignore: Why the Least of These Matters Most is a story of Wes Stafford’s own journey from growing up as a child of missionaries in Africa, sent to boarding school for many years to eventually becoming the CEO of Compassion International. But that does not tell the half of it; Stafford walked a very difficult road during his growing up years, facing a kind of abuse and neglect that was deeply wounding. He shares that story candidly. He also shares what God did with his shattered heart, using his own brokenness to care for broken children all over the globe.

Stafford tells his own story in an intensely personal way; He also tells the stories of children he is encountering around the world and God’s perspective of them. He writes with such passion that it just leaps off the page! There were times I just had to put the book down to digest what he was sharing about children and what he is asking of us.

It has been about a year since I read “Too Small To Ignore”, but I can still feel the words ringing in my ears!

We all need to have new eyes for the children of the world, and this is a MUST READ for anyone who feels that call to work with kids more intentionally.

– Teresa Klassen

Canada:

U.S.A.:

* If you order this book through the link on this site, I get a small kick-back. Thanks