Bashful Female, 42, Married. USA

This was a fun little book, all about the origin of words based on peoples' names. There was very little here that I was already familiar with, and some of the stories were quite interesting. What I found was that the words I was most familiar with were by far the most interesting. Other words, ones I was simply not familiar with, were less so. Overall though, I learned a bit of history, perhaps increased my vocabulary just a bit, and had some fun along the way.

Second in the trilogy - pretty much a typical Nora Roberts romance trilogy. This one focuses on Kate - the practical, logical, fiercely independent and totally driven one. I liked this one much better than the first, because I was able to relate to Kate better than Margo. I was a tad bit disappointed with the ending, but overall I really enjoyed it. And I will definitely go on to read number 3.

While not my favorite of this series, I still enjoyed it. This one focuses on some "wearable art" artists, and includes a few colorful new characters. I'm not really a knitter, but this series revolves around a "real" yarn/knitting store in Colorado that I have visited, which certainly adds to the experience for me. The mystery in this one was not too compelling, but I did enjoy the character interactions. If you knit, and like cozy mysteries, then this series is worth a try.

This was just a nice, sweet book - nothing spectacular, but good. Three life-long friends stand by each other during times of trouble. As with other Roberts trilogies, this one is clearly going to have a romance blossom for each of the three friends, focusing on one for each book. This first one deals with Margot - the gorgeous, head-strong, daring, adventurous, dreamer who wants it all. No magic in this book, though there is a small tragic side-story about a woman who threw herself off the cliffs, leaving behind a treasure.

I gave this book a try because it had been compared to Byron Katie's work. This one didn't do it for me. There is a similarity in the final outcome, but where Katie's work is simple and down to earth, Ms. Lake's requires a little more open-mindedness. She encourages meditation (something that doesn't come easily for me), and looking inside yourself for the answers. Katie's approach requires no spirituality, no beliefs of any kind, no meditation or special concentration - you just "take a problem, write it down, ask four questions and turn it around". Bottom line, Katie's method works for me, and Gina Lake's does not. Perhaps for others, the opposite holds true.

This book is probably worthy of a higher rating, but it just wasn't for me. (I picked it up based on a recommendation.) I did finish it, and there were moments that I enjoyed, but overall, it took a little effort to get through. Most of the book takes place in 1906, and revolves around a heartless criminal who robs banks and never leaves any survivors to identify him. As you would imagine from the title, there is a reasonably exciting chase, but overall, the book was lacking in mystery and suspense, and it focused too much on the bad guy, and not enough on the good guy, for my taste. It was mildly interesting, but it just didn't draw me in like a good fiction should.

I really like Byron Katie. I will most likely continue to read anything she puts out. However, this book is a little different than the others I've read by her. While her ideas about life certainly shine through, and she does discuss The Work a bit here and there, most of the book is just her thoughts as she contemplates the Tao Te Ching. I will freely admit that I don't entirely understand or appreciate the Tao Te Ching (though I'd like to). I still enjoyed this book, but there were parts where she sort of lost me. I wouldn't recommend this to someone unless you have already read (and enjoyed) Loving What Is, and if you have at least a small interest in the Tao Te Ching.

This is just a really "cute" series. While not too terribly gripping, I like the characters and have enjoyed every book so far. Maggie is slowly growing in confidence - probably my biggest gripe with the series. I think that the author's intention was to make her more endearing because of her lack of knowledge and confidence, especially as it pertains to the paranormal. I actually usually prefer the main character to be a little stronger, but Maggie is still quite likable and becoming more so.

This book wasn't quite what I expected, but still pretty interesting. For the subject, it was surprisingly "readable" - not as dry as I might have expected. What this book didn't do was help much with what I would call "everyday fears". If you have a phobia about spiders, for example, then it probably won't be all that much help. The information seemed to be rather specific - I would have trouble adapting it to situations not discussed in the book. However, what this book did do was teach me quite a bit about agoraphobia and panic attacks. There's also some good examples of a fear of heights. In the end, I came away from this book with a much clearer understanding of what it must be like to live with a serious phobia or panic attack disorder, and the feeling that my fears are pretty inconsequential.

The beginning was okay, and I really enjoyed the last quarter or so of the book, but I have to say that a good chunk of the middle of it just really annoyed me. It's intelligently written, and it's a different take on vampires which is nice. I'm just having a hard time figuring out if I really like these characters. One minute they're fascinating and likable, and the next they're doing something really stupid and annoying. This wasn't one of those "can't put down" books, but it was different, and it had it's moments. I will probably continue the series, but I'm not in any big rush.

I really didn't go looking for this book - it just caught my eye at the library and I figured it was worth a look. Ultimately, I don't think it really "helped" me, but it did give me some food for thought. It's possible that I'm just not ready to be "cured". In fact, I'm not sure I've ever thought of my bashfulness as something that *could* be cured. This book has certainly given me a new perspective on "social anxiety disorder" - what it is, why some people suffer from it, how it can affect your life, and what to do about it.