Reading

I can't count the number of times I've tried to read the Bible through in a year. Here is a new strategy that will make this year the year that I keep the faith and make it all the way through.

Cisneros writes a book about a complex immigrant family trying to fit within a set of predetermined societal and cultural rules while trying to uncover the truths of the past. Caramelo is an ethnic-cultural novel about identities and the homeland.

Take a look at the children's books that have been reviewed by Untrained Housewife authors in preparation for the 2009 Holiday Season. See a recap of these reviews to help you select a book for your kids!

Girl Talk: 52 Weekly Devotions is a Christian devotion book for teen girls, with activities and questions for each day. The book itself presents interesting life challenges for new teens to consider.

Add warmth to holiday reading with your child and learn about the importance of celebrating the spirit of sharing and thoughtfulness this year with the beautifully illustrated and well-written Berenstain Bears’ Christmas Tree.

Who Was There on Christmas Night?, by Laurie Lazzaro Knowlton, offers a unique perspective on the classic Christmas story. Its interactive turn-wheel pages offer a hands-on approach to learning about some of the supporting characters in the birth of Jesus. Toddlers and pre-school age children, as well as their parents, will enjoy this new book published by Zondervan.

Dandi Daley Mackall's book The Tiny Baby Jesus is a good choice for a Sunday school class or a Christian family to explore the connections between the baby Jesus and his adult work.

Mackall's Christmas storybook for children is sweet and beautifully illustrated, but no enduring Christmas classic.

Cooking from scratch may not appeal to everyone, but for those who have lost their jobs, it may be a necessity. Jean Norton, author of the new e-cookbook, Cooking for the Newly Unemployed, offers an interesting collection of recipes that are simple, healthy, and help save money on food!

Before "Julie and Julia," there was Laurie Colwin, whose lovely prose and gentle advice in "Home Cooking" (1988) and "More Home Cooking" (1993) were an encouragement to even the most nervous cook.