Reviewed by Gisela Dixon for Readers' Favorite

The Year of the Frog by Juls Amor is a true story of one woman’s life that is moving and inspirational at the same time as we follow Juls on her journey towards peace and happiness. Juls Amor is a woman is her forties who has had a conventional upbringing and has been raised to believe in the power of the holy word, and the Church. Her journey begins as a child, and takes us through her marriages, divorce, and interpersonal relationships in general, and what it means to love and be loved. Then, after working as a clinical psychologist for a number of years, Juls reaches a turning point in her life and realizes that “controligion” or the so-called “moral” rules and conventions of religion and society are the actual sins on earth, and sets out to free herself of them. This journey takes her to Peru, among other places. We learn, along with Juls, that ultimately one doesn’t need another person to make us whole or complete, and that a true love relationship can be found within ourselves and with ourselves, and that it is enough.

I absolutely loved this book for a number of reasons: its theme, the message contained in the book, the autobiographical style, and above all, the sincere, frank way in which it is written. Juls Amor writes in a heartfelt way that is truly warm and reassuring. Her personal voice comes through each and every page in this book and this is probably the reason that this book does not feel “commercialized” or over-edited. I also appreciated the fact that Juls is not afraid to lay bare her soul and share her deeply personal life experiences with the reader, and I applaud her for that. This is a truly amazing book and a must-read for everyone, especially women.

Reviewed by Roy T. James for Readers' Favorite

Be Your Own Brand of Sexy by Susan L. Edelman, MD. is about the next sexual revolution. The first sexual revolution promised women more choices, enabled them in expressing themselves better and blew an air of liberation, but cultural limitations today still hinder women’s choices. Permissible dating behavior and levels of intimacy are some of the more obvious areas needing change. When women, as a result of the first revolution, did let go of the old constrictions, they in fact ended up replacing the old ones with even more impracticable demands, a sexual imagery highly taxing as well as impractical. Gone also are the identifiable metaphors such as chivalry, courtship and others linked with romance. A casual look at the sales data of fictional romances of any reputable publisher can easily show to what degree women have been missing this in their lives, and how they are always trying to compensate through these imaginary creations.

Be Your Own Brand of Sexy by Susan L. Edelman, MD. examines this quandary and offers certain solutions to encourage each woman to decide what’s best for her, regardless of cultural expectations. Rather than attempting another revolution which might end up in more shackles, Susan implores women to maintain their own Brand of Sexy, realize that women are beautiful in their differences, and reject the totally unrealistic sexual imagery they are constantly bombarded with. This is a thorough study on the many facets of womanhood; almost all the social transactions analyzed are easily identifiable in daily life.

Reviewed by Roy T. James for Readers' Favorite

Sisterhood in Sports by Joan Steidinger tells the stories of all kinds of female athletes in a variety of sports. The author begins with a primary concern in female athletes’ lives - intimate (emotional) relationships that are necessary to meet the three imperatives for female athletes: seeing, hearing, and speaking. Spliced beautifully with anecdotes, experiences of well known athletes, conversations with other sportswomen, and observations of connected individuals including coaches, this convincing analysis discusses issues of special significance to female athletes. These include: the importance of relationships, the differences in communication styles between males and females, the conflict between competing and collaborating, as well as the impact romance can have on sports. The significance the female brain places on emotional factors and the effect that these will have on an athlete’s performance is also discussed.

Sisterhood in Sports by Joan Steidinger is not only for reading. At almost every turn of the page, a helpful hint, or a bulleted list with many hints, appears with the potential to adapt the recommended strategy in practice. An exhaustive list is also provided at the end as notes to make further study on any of the aspects mentioned easy. I found most of the experiences and strategies mentioned in the book, though new (I am not a sportsman!) to me, clearly understandable. After reading this, I am in a better position to appreciate the quandary when newspapers speak of unexplained and sudden shift in caliber or unreliable performance graphs of female athletes. This is an excellent read for all; sportsmen, sportswomen, or those who watch sports.