Surprised by Oxford

Surprised by Oxford is a Memoir written by Canadian Carolyn Weber which looks at her life during her graduate degree studies at Oxford University’s Balliol College. As she attends Oxford she begins to question many things in her life, and she begins on her quest to find answer to some of her questions about life.

I found this book a little long, and it took me longer to read than most books. I really liked learning about her studies at Oxford and also the relationship with an American student while at Oxford. I was not the biggest fan of her poetry used throughout the book, but that is definitely just to the fact that I don’t enjoy poetry.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Booksneeze book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Night Night Blessings

Night Night Blessings is a cute children’s book written by Amy Parker and illustrated by Marijan Ramljak. The book looks at all of the things God has given children for them to be happy about. Pets, toys, family, food, and starts are all mentioned in the book as things to thank God for.

I thought this book was really cute, and I look forward to sharing it with a friend who is soon to be a new mother. The hard cover and hard pages is perfect for a young child, as sometimes I am afraid to give books with paper pages to children since they tend to be harder on books.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Booksneeze book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Thunder Dog

With the 10th anniversary of 9/11, I was eager to read “Thunder Dog: The True Story of a Blind Man, His Guide Dog, & the Triumph of Trust at Ground Zero” by Michael Hingson and Suzy Flory. The book tells the account of Michael Hingson, who was on the 78th floor when the World Trade Center was attacked. The book looks at the reasons behind Michael’s blindness, along with being raised with a seeing family.

As an animal lover, I found myself particularly interested in this book. I liked seeing how the dog, Roselle, was committed to saving the life of Michael Hingson, and I liked learning about Michael’s story and his determination to navigate over 1,000 stairs to escape the burning building. I read this book in the span of a few days, and I found myself unable to put the book down. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to sharing it with family members to enjoy.

* Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.