2010 March 31

Book Review: The Pocket Therapist by Therese J. Borchard

Wednesday 31 March, 2010 by knittingmomof3 2 Comments

The Pocket Therapist: An Emotional Survival Kit
Author: Therese J. Borchard
Publisher: Central Street
Publication Date: April 15, 2010
Hardcover: 224 pages
ISBN: 9781599952994
Genre: Self-Help/Personal Growth

From the Publisher:

Whenever Therese Borchard was weathering a personal storm, and help was nowhere to be found, her one guiding light was the question, “What would a therapist say?” The result was a sort of therapy scrapbook for rough days–a quick reference for anyone who needs a dose of encouragement, support and tried and true ways to cope.

THE POCKET THERAPIST is a compact and accessible guide filled with techniques and advice to help combat everything from addictive behavior to negative thinking.

My Review:

Therese Borchard has done it again! Her latest book, The Pocket Therapist is astonishingly brilliant, filled with insight, advise and wit as no one other than Borchard can deliver. The Pocket Therapist is an, as Borchard calls it, “emotional CliffsNotes” complied from her vast years as a patient. Each page delivers a reality check for whatever may ail the reader at the moment or merely leading the reader support. From facing fears, to being sincere Borchard leaves no stone unturned and makes certain she adds in her wonderful sense of humour along with advise and quite often personal stories. Borchard reminds the readers to listen to their bodies, be true to themselves, keep a journal, be happy, and learn to say no, to name just a few of her 144 pieces of support. Sometimes, the simplest things in life prove to be the most difficult to accomplish, which makes this book so handy to carry around. The Pocket Therapist is the perfect companion for anyone, for we all need a reality check or a reminder of how to cope through a situation, even if it as simple as being reminded to breathe.

About the Author:

Therese Borchard is the author of hit daily blog “Beyond Blue” on Beliefnet.com, one of the most popular columns on the site. Her blog appears weekly on The Huffington Post, and she is becoming a top go-to expert in pop psychology. Her work has recently been cited in the Wall Street Journal and USA Today.
Her work has been featured in salon.com, Psychology Today, Real Simple, Redbook, Parenting, More and Ladies Home Journal. Borchard writes a syndicated column for the Catholic News Service and is a regular guest on Sirius Satellite Radio.
She is the author of I Love Being a Mom (a Target selection) and co-author of I Like Being Catholic. She resides in Annapolis, Maryland with her husband and two young children.

Visit ThereseBorchard.com
Read her blog at BeliefNet.com and at the HuffingtonPost.com
Or follow her @ThereseBorchard on Twitter
You can also read her article, “Mental Health to Go!”

I received a complimentary copy of The Pocket Therapist by Therese J. Borchard from Hachette. Receiving a free copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned novel.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Book Review, Hachette, The Pocket Therapist, Therese J. Borchard

Book Review: An Absence So Great by Jane Kirkpatrick

Wednesday 31 March, 2010 by knittingmomof3 4 Comments

Title: An Absence So Great
Author: Jane Kirkpatrick
Publisher: WaterBrook Press
Publication Date: March 16, 2010
Paperback: 400 pages
ISBN: 978-1578569816
Genre: Historical Fiction

From the Publisher:

While growing in confidence as a photographer, eighteen-year-old Jessie Ann Gaebele’s personal life is at a crossroads. Hoping she’s put an unfortunate romantic longing behind her as “water under the bridge,” she exiles herself to Milwaukee to operate photographic studios for those owners who have fallen ill with mercury poisoning.

Jessie gains footing in her dream to one day operate her own studio and soon finds herself in other Midwest towns, pursuing her profession. But even a job she loves can’t keep painful memories from seeping into her heart when the shadows of a forbidden love threaten to darken the portrait of her life.

My Review:

An Absence So Great is the second novel in Jane Kirkpatrick’s Portrait of a Heart series, the first novel being A Flickering Light. It was not until I had finished the novel and read the author’s notes that I discovered this series is based on her grandmother’s life. An Absence So Great is a beautifully written novel, which takes place in 1910 Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Jessie Gaebele, an unmarried 18-year old has left her hometown of Winona, Minnesota to work as a photographer in the Johnson Studio, while boarding with the delightful Harms family. Jessie is an adventurous woman, especially for the time period, and has set in her mind three conditions that must be met before she will travel home. First she must have enough money saved to buy her own studio in Winona, second, she must prove to herself she can make wiser decisions and third she must be able to tell herself the truth about her feelings for Fred Bauer. Jane Kirkpatrick writes a beautiful historical novel with a strong main character and so many delightful characters that come in and out of Jessie’s life. One of my favourite parts was when a new section would begin with a photograph and a description of the photograph, the time, the place, the emotions, and one was transported back to the world in which Jessie lived. An Absence So Great is a beautiful novel of learning, finding out what is important in one’s life, being true to oneself, love, loss, and family. An Absence So Great makes for a delightful evening of reading and would be a brilliant selection for a discussion group.

About the Author:

Jane Kirkpatrick is an award-winning author of sixteen historical novels, including A Flickering Light, the first part of Jessie Gaebale’s story, and three nonfiction titles. Known for her unique insights into the exploration of community, family and faith of actual historical women, the Wisconsin native and her husband have called their ranch in Oregon home for the past 25 years.

I received a complimentary copy of An Absence So Great by Jane Kirkpatrick from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned novel.