Here is another book I have added to the stack. I am from New Orleans so the Saints are my "Home Team" and Payton is my coach. I have been hearing some really amazing things about this book. I do realize though that they are coming from people who love Sean Payton and the Saints like no other coach and team. There have been raffles and lotteries for people to stand in line to get a chance to get a signature on this book from Payton. The bookstores in the greater New Orleans area are making a windfall on this book. With these things in mind I had to add this one to my list. I have heard him speak and I am always amazed at his ability to inspire people. I have had several people tell me that the book was really great so I can’t wait to read it and let you guys know what I think. Go get it today so we can talk about it soon!!!

I have another Disney themed book for you guys to read! This one is not your typical Disney book though. This book isn’t going to reveal any great information about how to "do" Disney or what to see and what not to see. It will however change the way you look at those brightly dressed Cast Members who always seems to want to cheerfully help you with all your Disney needs.

Mitchell spent a year as a Cast Member at Disney and gives a recount of what he encountered in that year when it came to the other people he worked with daily. I have to warn that I there is drinking and sex in this book so buyer beware. This is kinda like the "animal house" of the mouse world. The escapades of the mostly college aged CMs and what goes on around Disney when we aren’t looking.

If you are looking for a deeper understanding of Disney this isn’t the book for you. This is a fun and light read and really more of an add on for those who love Disney information and it will make you laugh. Who could ask for more from a summer read? Enjoy!

Hello Saints fans!!! I am from New Orleans so I always love to promote anything that has to do with my hometown. I really love to promote anything that has to do with the Superbowl Champion New Orleans Saints! Throw Drew Brees in to that mix and this book is a definite must read for me.

Coming Back Stronger is Brees’ story about how a shoulder injury nearly ended his career and how his determination and that of the city of New Orleans brought them to top of the world from the depths of depression. It is a story of resilience and survival and the underdog overcoming adversity.

I have heard Drew Brees speak before and he has an amazing ability to draw you in to his life and make you see where he is coming from. I have no doubt this book will be a great story to read.

The book is set  for release on July 6th and can be pre-ordered now for a July 6th delivery. I have no doubt it is going to be a bestseller and like its author go all the way to the top. Enjoy!

I have just started to reread the book The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World by Susan Veness. I have read this book before but I like to read it again when I am getting close to a new trip. This book has so many terrific tips, secrets and insight in to the parks at WDW. I love all of the little hidden things that Disney puts in to the parks and this book helps me remember to stop and "smell the roses" and look for these things. The book claims to have "over 600 secrets" and I have to say that it has at least that many. It is a fun read and gives the reader a new perspective on things they see every trip. I have been making a list of things I know I want to look for on the next trip. I recommend that anyone going to Disney take the time to read this book. There are a few out of date items but that is to be expected with Disney making so many changes so quickly. I imagine the new Fantasyland expansion will make it even more out of date but it is still a very useful and enjoyable book to read. Enjoy!

These and many other are the reasons I think I will give Sarah Palin’s new book a read. I have issues with her on some level but I also have a great deal of respect. I am interested to see what she has to say about raising a family when you are in the bullseye of the spotlight. She has had the added stresses of teenage pregnancy, a disabled child and political scandals in her year in the spotlight.

Her book will be releasing on November 17th and is available for pre-order at many of the major retailers. I will give you a better idea of the content once I have actually read it but I wanted to let you know it was on its way to hitting stores. Enjoy!

Back to the book. This book details the horrendous things that Dave Pelzer lived through as a young child and pre-teen. The things his mother did to him were worse than anything I have ever read described. It truly is a testament to his will to live that he didn’t just die in that environment. He was forced to live in a basement on a cot with no covers. He was forced to drink cleaning fluids when he didn’t complete his chores in a timely manner. He was beaten and abused and humiliated in ways no human should ever have to survive. Just when he thought he was going to have to die to get out of the pain he was ‘rescued’ by an observant teacher and school system and taken away from his abusive mother. The book doesn’t end there though. Mr. Pelzer didn’t write the book as a means to let the world know about the horrors of his childhood. He wrote it so that he could tell the story of the people who saved him every step of the way once he left his mother’s "care." He wrote this book to show that foster children are not throw aways who are to be looked down upon. They are children who are victims and people often times victimize them even more by assuming that they must have done something to deserve being put in foster care. He also wanted to show that foster parents are not people out to make a buck at the expense of the children they accept. He attributes his survival and the amazing person he is today to the people who fostered him along the way.

I highly recommend this book to everyone! I think we all could learn a lesson about the importance of fostering children either as foster parents, mentors, facilitators or even just Big Brothers/Big Sisters.

I think the story about Natascha Kampusch being kidnapped by an adult man who was an odd individual and secreted away in a hidden chamber of his home for 8 years is an amazing story. I loved finding out what happened to her and where she ended up. I liked the color photos that showed not only the victim and abductor but also the reference areas where she was taken from, kept and lived. It always amazes me how the human spirit can kick in and help us to survive things we never imagined possible. This child was only 10 years old when she was grabbed on the streets and shoved in a van by Wolfgang Priklopil. She was brought directly to a dungeon he had prepared in his home. The pains he went to in creating this room that was hidden by so many doors and passageways that she would never have been found if he had passed away show just how sick this man was. The ultimate escape of Natascha was a joyful event while still leaving so many unanswered questions because of the suicide of her abductor.

What didn’t I like? The authors of this book didn’t seem to be writing from an inside view. It was almost as though they took information from a bunch of other people and quoted them and through them together in a book. There wasn’t really any first hand information. There were pages and pages of quoted conversations. I just got the feeling I was reading a story that was being told by a friend of a friend of a friend of the person it happened to. Nothing really personal about. Almost like reading a newspaper account that just says "sources say" and that was it.

I think if Natascha ever decides to write a book about her imprisonment it would be an amazing first hand story to read. As it was I enjoyed reading her story but felt like I just didn’t get the whole story.

Since I can’t go to Disney until at least October and that is a maybe I decided I would immerse myself in some Disney books to keep my spirits up and get my fix of Disney for a while. The first book I read was The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World and I loved that one. The next thing I bought was the Imagineering Field Guide to Epcot.

I have to say I love seeing Disney through the eyes of the amazing people who have created the parks. The original conception of Epcot all the way through what the park is today are covered in this book. They give amazing detail about how decisions were made, which decisions were scrapped and how some were changed to become what they are today.

Each area is explained in detail and there are amazing pictures of the drawings that were used for inspiration for the different attractions including all of the World Showcase pavilions. I love the idea of knowing exactly why the Imagineers did what they did in each country. Right down to the placement of the countries. Nothing is done haphazardly. There is a rhyme and reason to every choice. This park makes so much more sense to me now that I know why things are places where they are. I think I will spend more time enjoying the details in Epcot and rushing through to catch the characters or ride the rides. I can’t wait to read the rest of the books in this series. Animal Kingdom is next on my list.

Not only does this book give you excuses to stop and smell the roses in the Disney theme parks it gives so much background information I feel like I know a million times more about my favorite place on Earth. The author separates the book by park and prefaces it with a description of how WDW came into being.

She goes through each and every section of the parks and points out different little things that most people wouldn’t ever notice. Some of them are things that are left by the Imagineers who created each attraction and are things most people really wouldn’t get without being told the story behind them. The author gives stories and facts to back up the hidden magic items.

One thing I realized from reading this book is that I really didn’t know my Disney parks like I thought I did. There are so many little things I just never noticed because I was too busy running from one ride to the next. I am definitely going to make more time in my next trip to see and point out the little things to the kids.

I was so excited after reading this book and wanted more things Disney related to read so I also ordered all of the Imagineering Field Guides. I am determined to have a Disney summer even if I never set foot in the parks this year.