Wine to Water: A Bartender’s Quest to Bring Clean Water to the World by Doc Hendley Review and GIVEWAY!

 Wine to Water is the uplifting and heart-breaking personal journey of a young man finding his calling in life. Dickson “Doc” Hendley is the son of a preacher who spent many years trying to discover his true passion in life. He knew he loved Harley motorcycles, playing his guitar, and being a bartender in North Carolina. But it wasn’t until he met a woman who told him about her husband’s work at an aid organization called Samaritan’s Purse that Doc felt his interest truly perked. Doing research on his own, he discovered that there is a vast worldwide water crisis. Disturbed by this knowledge, Doc put together a “wine to water” event at a local bar to raise awareness of the crisis and raise money.


After trying to donate the money to Samaritan’s Purse, Doc was roped in by the organization to see for himself the crisis first hand. Asked to be sent to the worse place in the world, Doc was sent to Darfur in 2004. Once there, Doc went to the UN “no-go” hot spots to help the people that other aid organizations didn’t assist. First hand he discovered the atrocities of a government sponsored genocide. Although he found himself mostly against the Janjaweed terrorists, he also helped them out to have clean drinking water. He also realized that while he sided with the SLA rebels, they were not saints.

On the ground in Darfur, Doc learned that he was good working with people and solving problems. Instead of putting in expensive new wells, he and his crew soon became experts at fixing the wells as a much cheaper alternative. He also learned that to truly achieve clean water, he had to educate the people on how to maintain and fix their own wells.

Doc faced many death defying experiences and also came face to face with pure evil. From it, he was able to find himself, his faith, and a future where he could continue to help those most at need. As Doc stated in the book, he realized that he didn’t have to be a perfect do-gooder, to do good in this world.

I found Doc to be a truly admirable person. His story was like himself, straightforward with no embellishments. His story was very interesting and also at times action packed. It starts with him and his convoy getting shot at and fleeing for their lives. To put your own life on the line to help those most in need is commendable, but Doc is never seeking the commendation. His story really gives the details of what was going on in Darfur, which I admit; I only had the slightest knowledge. Certain aspects of the story, such as when he meets young boy soldiers that show him where their teachers and fellow students were executed, brought me to tears.

The world water crisis is something that I am very interested in as a water resources engineer. I don’t think most people in America realize how lucky we are. You turn on the faucet and get clean drinking water, and when you flush the toilet it disappears. No one thinks about the process it took to get the water to your house or to treat your waste. Clean water in America in the twentieth century is credited as being the number one health benefit for saving lives, not vaccines. Unfortunately, not everyone in the world is as lucky as we are. I vastly admire those that help people across the world find clean drinking water. I had several friends that joined the Peace Corp with such intent in mind, and others that are in Engineers without Borders to also help. I have a dream to also help with Engineers without Borders in about ten years when my kids are bigger. This book really makes me want to follow this dream.

Overall, Wine to Water puts a face to the worldwide water crisis while also telling a darn good story. It is a very fast book to read. In fact my only complaint about the book is that I wanted to know more details about the last five years of Doc’s life, it was glossed over. Book 2 – Wine to Water in Haiti?

I reviewed Wine to Water as part of the TLC Book Tour. For a complete schedule, please check out this link. For more information about the great organization Wine to Water, check out this these links:

Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Wine-Water-Bartenders-Quest-Bring/dp/1583334629

Website: http://winetowater.org/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=5126989835
Twitter: @DocHendley or @winetowater = http://twitter.com/DocHendley or http://twitter.com/#!/winetowater

Giveaway Details


Penguin books and Doc Hendley have graciously offered a giveaway of one copy of Wine to Water by Doc Hendley.

If you would like to win this book please leave a comment about what intrigues you about the this book or this review. 

As part of your comment, you must include an email address. If I can't find a way to contact you I will draw another winner.

For an additional entry, blog about this giveaway or post it on your sidebar. Provide a link to this post in your comment.

I will be using random.org (or a monte carlo simulation in excel) to pick the winners from the comments.

This contest is only open to US and Canadian residents (Sorry!).

No P.O. Boxes.

The deadline for entry is midnight, Friday January 13, 2012.   This giveaway deadline has been extended to Friday January 20th!

Good luck!

Sense and Sensibility Bicentenary Challenge 2011 Wrap-up

2011 marked the celebration of 200 years since Jane Austen first became a published author with her wonderful novel, Sense and Sensibility. One of my favorite blogs, Austenprose, hosted a year long celebration in the Sense and Sensibility Bicentenary Challenge.  I love Austen challenges and was happy to join.  I aimed for the "Disciple" level with 5-8 Sense and Sensibility inspired entries.  I landed squarely in this level after reviewing seven Sense and Sensibility items in 2011.  These items were as follows:

1.  I Have Found It
2.  Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen, audiobook read by Juliet Stevenson
3.  Sense and Sensibility (2008)
4.  Sense and Sensibility (1995)
5.  The Sense and Sensibility Screenplays and Diaries by Emma Thompson
6.  From Prada to Nada (2011)
7.  Expectations of Happiness:  A Companion Volume to Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility by Rebecca Ann Collins

Overall, I ended up watching many more of my items than reading.  I somewhat disappointed myself in this regard, but there is only so much time in the day!  It was fun to watch the different versions of Sense and Sensibility and compare (I had also watched the 1981 version in the fall of 2010 right before this challenge).  The 1995 version starring Emma Thompson is still my overall favorite version.  It was enhanced by reading the screenplay and diaries for the first time.

Expectations of Happiness was an excellent follow-up to Sense and Sensibility.  I need to check out more novels by Rebecca Ann Collins in future years.  While I love Pride and Prejudice, I feel overwhelmed by the sheer volume of Mr. Darcy spin-offs.  It was nice to revisit other favorite characters with this Sense and Sensibility challenge.

With that being said, I can't wait until 2013, the two-hundred year anniversary of the publication of Pride and Prejudice.  I can only hope that Austenprose will host another great challenge to celebrate.

Historical Fiction Reading Challenge: 2011 Wrap-up & 2012 Sign-up

In January 2011, I joined the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge for the first time.  I love many genres of fiction, but my ultimate favorite genre is historical fiction.  I joined this challenge with the goal of reading 20 historical fiction novels in 2011.  I reached my goal by reading a total of 24 historical fiction novels this past year.  The novels I read were as follows:

1.  Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
2.  Pale Rose of England by Sandra Worth
3.  I am the Chosen King by Helen Hollick
4.  Sins of the House of Borgia by Sarah Bower
5. To Defy a King by Elizabeth Chadwick
6.  Legacy by Jeanette Baker
7.  A Race to Splendor by Ciji Ware
8.  A Fierce Radiance by Lauren Belfer
9.  The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott by Kelly O'Conner McNees
10.  When We Danced on Water by Evan Fallenberg

11.  Mary of Carisbrooke by Margaret Campbell Barnes

12.  The King's Witch by Cecelia Holland
13.  Queen of the Summer Stars by Persia Woolley
14.  Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder
15.  Sea Witch by Helen Hollick
16.  Before Versaille by Karleen Koen
17.  Becoming Marie Antoinette by Juliet Grey
18.  Bath Tangle by Georgette Heyer
19.  Lady of the English by Elizabeth Chadwick
20.  The Betsy-Tacy Treasury by Maud Hart Lovelace
21.  Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
22.  A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick (audio)
23.  The Help by Kathryn Stockett (audio)
24.  My Love, My Enemy by Jan Cox Speas

I read many excellent historical fiction novels this year, there is not a bad one in this bunch!  Which ones were my favorite?  Stay tuned the next week or so for my top ten books from 2011.  More than one book from this list is on my top ten for the year!

Twenty-two of these books were old-fashioned paper novels, while two were audiobooks.  The two audiobooks were books I had read in the past that were chosen for one of my book clubs this year.  I chose to explore them in a new format this time around.  Five of the twenty-four books were re-reads for me including Water for Elephants, Little House in the Big Woods, Little House on the Prairie, A Reliable Wife, and The Help.  It's safe to say these are some of my favorite books of all time.

I read a few children's historical fiction novels this year including Little House in the Big Woods and Little House on the Prairie to my children and The Betsy-Tacy Treasury for me. The Little House series is how I started my love for historical fiction.  I'm now hoping to foster the love in my children.

It's no secret that I love to read historical fiction novels related to kings and queens, but I also enjoy historical fiction novels set in America (Little House, Betsy-Tacy, My Love, My Enemy, A Fierce Radiance, The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott, The Help, A Reliable Wife, and Water for Elephants).  My Love, My Enemy was the most surprising book for me this year.  The cover screamed trashy romance, but the inside was a quite good historical fiction novel set during the American war of 1812.  I would love read more novels by Jan Cox Speas and I hope they find a more suitable cover.

I very much enjoyed this challenge and I'm signing up for the Historical Fiction Challenge 2012 also hosted by Historical Tapestry.  This year I'm aiming for  level 3, Struggling the Addiction: 10 books.  I'm going to focus on the Victorian Challenge this year so I'll hopefully be reading more classics and straight non-fiction history this year. 

I'm hoping that I'll be reading more of one of my favorite sub-genres, the historical fiction thriller this year.  It is a favorite of my Kewaunee Library Book Club.  Now that the club is back on track after a 1.5 year hiatus, I can hope that we get back to some great books!

2011 Audiobook Challenge Wrap-up and 2012 Audiobook Challenge Sign-up

 This year I joined The 2011 Audio Book Challenge hosted by Teresa's Reading Corner.  My goal for the year was to listen to twelve audiobooks.  I met that goal and listened to a couple of extra for a total of fourteen audio books this for the year 2011.  The audiobooks I listened to were as follows:

1.  Rescue by Anita Shreve
2.  Cleopatra by Stacy Schiff

3.  An Object of Beauty by Steve Martin

4.  The Cinderella Deal by Jennifer Crusie
5.  Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

6.  The Disappearing Spoon by Sam Kean

7.  Maybe This Time by Jennifer Crusie
8.  A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick
9.  The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

10.  Burnt Mountain by Anne Rivers Siddons

11.  Silver Girl by Elin Hilderbrand

12.  The Help by Kathryn Stockett
13.  The End of Normal by Stephanie Madoff Mack
14.  Matched by Ally Condie

I listened to a lot of fantastic audiobooks throughout 2011.  I wanted to pick out a clear favorite, but I enjoyed too many of them in different ways to pick one best audiobook.   I did love learning about the history of the legendary Cleopatra in Stacy Shiff's fantastic biography.  I also loved the light hearted romance in The Cinderella Deal by Jennifer Crusie.   The Madoff scandel was brought to life in the fictional account of a wronged wife in Silver Girl by Eline Hilderbrand, and in the painful, but beautiful memoir The End of Normal by Stephanie Madoff Mack.  I enjoyed starting a new trilogy with Matched by Ally Condie and I'm almost finished with listening to the second book in the series (Crossed) right now.  The Help was a wonderful audiobook.  I loved the actors who read the parts for each of the main charactesr and brought the story to life.  Juliet Stevenson is a marvelous actress and also a wonderful audiobook reader.  Her audiobook reading of Sense and Sensibility is not to be missed. 

What didn't I like?  While The Disappearing Spoon was fascinating subject matter, I think I would have much prefered to read the book rather than listening to it.  I needed a periodic table of elements at hand to go along with a lot of the stories.  Maybe This Time by Jennifer Crusie just didn't have the same magic for me as The Cinderella Deal did.  Burnt Mountain by Anne Rivers Siddons wanted to be a good audiobook, but abrupt changes in genre brought the book to a rather messy conclusion.

Seven of the audiobooks I listened to I check out from the Kewaunee Public Library, five I received as review copies from Hachette Audio, and two I received from Penguin Audio.  Thirteen of the audiobooks I listened to on CD, while one I listened to as a digital audiobook on my droid.  I really liked the digital audiobook experience and hope to check it out more this year.  Unfortunately, while my library does offer digital audio to check out, most of the books I look up have a VERY long waiting list.

I am joining the 2012 Audiobook Challenge once again hosted at Teresa's Reading Corner.  I am going to aim for 12 audiobooks again this year, which is the level "Going Steady."  It looks like it will be a fun challenge again this year with a few new and intriguing features.  I'm currently listening to Crossed by Ally Condie and A Christmas Homecoming by Anne Perry.  What are you listening to or planning to listen to this year?

January Post Link-Up for the Victorian Challenge 2012

 Happy New Year! It’s hard to believe it is 2012 already. For the month of January, post the link to your Victorian review below in Mr. Linky.  This link-up is for all January reviews for the Victorian Challenge, not just Bronte reviews.  If you haven’t signed up for the challenge yet, go to this sign-up link.

January is Bronte month. You can post any Victorian related item you like this month, but I am going to focus on the Bronte sisters and you are allowed to focus with me! We will hopefully have a couple of guest blog posts on the Bronte sisters through the month also to celebrate the Bronte sisters.

The Bronte sisters were three very gifted sisters, Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Bronte that lived in Haworth, Yorkshire, England during the Victorian Age. Their early life was marred by the tragic passing of their mother and of their elder sisters when they were children. Raised by their father the reverend Patrick Bronte and their aunt Elizabeth, they along with their brother Branwell, allowed their active imaginations to take flight and create wonderful juvenilia. As adults they became published with a book of poetry and then wrote wonderful novels. Charlotte wrote Jane Eyre, Villette, The Professor, and Shirley, while Emily wrote Wuthering Heights, and Anne wrote Agnes Grey and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. Tragically all three sisters died young.

I was looking over the Brontes’ collected works and realized that while I have read all of their novels, I have not read any of their poems. I hope to rectify that matter this month.

For great reading/viewing/audio ideas related to the Brontes, check out this post for the Bronte Challenge 2010 and all of the great reviews from that challenge at this post.

I look forward to reading your reviews this month!

Please post the name of your blog followed by the item you reviewed.  For example, Laura's Reviews (Jane Eyre).

Winner of Charles Dickens by Jane Smiley

The lucky winner of Charles Dickens by Jane Smiley is CarolNWong.  I have contacted her via email.  She has one week to respond with her mailing address. If I don't hear from her, I will draw a new winner.  CarolNWong was chosen using random.org.

Thank-you to everyone who entered this great giveaway and to Penguin for allowing me to review this book and host the giveaway.

Sad you didn't win?  Stay tuned for a new giveaway that will be posted on Wednesday this week and future giveaways this month.

Happy New Year!

Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder

The boys and I spent the later part of this summer and fall slowly reading Little House on the Prairie. I was putting Penelope to bed a lot of the nights while Ben read to the boys so it took a while. Now that she goes to bed fairly quickly, we quickly finished Little House on the Prairie a couple of months ago. I seem to be consistently running about two posts behind on my blog, but I’m finally finding time to write this review!


Little House on the Prairie was given to me by my Great-Grandma Kile on my eighth birthday and was one of the most beloved books of my childhood. I read it so many times that it is a very tattered worn copy that is falling apart when I now read it to my children.

My sons are five and three and the loved listening to Little House on the Prairie. The three-year old did have some attention problems when the pictures were few and far between on some chapters, but the action always soon roped him back in.

The beginning of the book is the Ingalls family journey from Wisconsin to the prairies of Kansas. The journey is arduous, but also a great adventure. Jack the dog has a nail-biting adventure of his own, which left my kids in tears one night, but very happy another. Once they arrived in Kansas, Pa found the perfect spot to build their little log cabin on the prairie. The detail on how exactly the home was built including the stable, roof, chimney, and digging of the well intrigued my boys. I think Kile is ready to build his own cabin on the prairie.

The adventures continue while they are building the cabin and after they make it a home. They meet a bachelor neighbor named Mr. Edwards. Ma does not approve of his rough ways, but Laura takes an instant shine to him. Mr. Edwards helps Pa with putting the roof on the cabin and Pa helps him with his place. My favorite chapter of the book (and one of the boys’ as well) is “Mr. Edwards Meets Santa Claus.” After much rain, the Ingalls girls are told that Santa Claus will not be able to make it to their place for Christmas. Mr. Edwards meets Santa Claus in Independence and brings the Ingalls gifts over the flooded river to surprise them for Christmas. Even Ma’s heart is melted towards Mr. Edwards as he relates his journey and he makes Laura and Mary’s day complete. It is wonderful how the spirit of Christmas can be found in having a tin cup of your own. This chapter alone is one of my favorite Christmas stories.

Little House on the Prairie gives a view of the Native Americans as white settlers viewed them at the time. Although Pa seems more open minded then Ma, he is technically squatting on Indian reservation land that he has no right to be on. I never really thought about this when I was a child. After such comments in the book as “The only good Indian is a dead Indian,” I tried to give the boys a more enlightened views of Native American/Settler relations. I told them how the Native Americans were here first and the settlers took the land away and there was much fighting involved. That didn’t stop the boys from playing, “The Indians are going to attack!!” later that day. I tried!

It was an amazing life the settlers lived on the prairie. When the Ingalls family comes down with an illness and all pass out in their home, they are lucky that a passing Indian doctor (Dr. Tann) is able to help them to survive. I think it is interesting that Dr. Tann is actually an African American doctor. It is interesting to read about fascinating African Americans of the 19th century. A deadly prairie fire, chimney fire, and near fatality in the digging of the well, made one wonder how people survived. As my husband Ben said, many did not.

Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote about the details of her life and I always consider this book to be “non-fiction.” It is in reality historical fiction as Laura changed some facts to make the timeline smoother. The Little House on the Prairie adventures actually took place before Little House in the Big woods in real life and Laura was too little to remember. She supplemented her memories with the memories of Ma and Mary. This book is my 22nd and final book for the Historical Fiction Challenge 2011.

Overall, Little House on the Prairie is a wonderful, enthralling, educational adventure story that is enjoyable for young boys, girls, and their parents.

Book Source: I received this book for my eighth birthday many years ago!

The Best of Me by Nicholas Sparks

The Best of Me is the January pick for my FLICKS Book and Movie Club and is the latest novel by bestselling author Nicholas Sparks.


The Best of Me is the story of Amanda Collier and Dawson Cole. Amanda was a pampered princess of their small Southern town and Dawson was from the wrong side of the tracks. Back in the 1980’s, they were each other’s first love. After learning that Amanda was accepted to Duke, but her parents wouldn’t pay for her to attend if she kept dating Dawson, Dawson broke up with her. They wouldn’t see each other again for twenty-five years. Dawson was soon after involved in a tragic accident and Amanda moved on with her life with marriage and kids. After the death of their mentor Tuck, they both end up back in Oriental North Carolina to say goodbye and rediscover each other.

While I have enjoyed Sparks books in the past (especially The Wedding), I didn’t think this was one of his best. It was immensely readable and the action kept the plot moving, but the plot seemed like a rehash of previous Sparks novels. The overall theme for me seemed to be even if you were in a tragic accident beyond your control and you spent your life trying to make up for it, it was never good enough. That is more than a depressing message. I also guessed the ending before the end and I didn’t like the end.

I never felt like I really liked Amanda or Dawson. I didn’t care as much about their love for each other as I should have.

I also didn’t like how Amanda and Dawson broke up to begin with. I guess I figure if you are that in love, you don’t have to break up so that Mommy and Daddy can pay for you to go to college. I thought that was more than a bit lame. Maybe I am biased since I had to actually work and take out loans to pay for my entire college education myself.

I am also usually against novels where there is an affair or leaving of a spouse and your children. Yet in this case, Amanda has been unhappily married to alcoholic Frank for years. Although they’ve gone to counseling and she’s talked to Frank about the problem, things do not change. I guess I’m all for keeping your family together, but when you have your kids living with an alcoholic, I’m not sure you are doing anyone any favors.

Tuck was an important part of the book, but I didn’t feel that you got to know him that well. I think there should have been more Tuck. I also couldn’t wait to read the letters he left both Amanda and Dawson, but I thought they were a bit of a let-down when you actually got to read them.

Overall, The Best of Me was readable, but I would skip it and read one of Sparks other much better novels such as The Wedding.

Book Source: The Kewaunee Public Library

Winner of Carrie Goes Off the Map by Phillipa Ashley

The winner of Carrie Goes Off the Map by Phillipa Ashley is Leah of The Polliwog Blog.  Leah was chosen using random.org and has been notified via email.  She has one week to respond with her mailing address, otherwise a new winner will be chosen.

Thank-you to Phillipa Ashley for the fantastic guest blog.  Thank-you to Sourcebooks for allowing me to host this giveaway, and thank-you to all who entered.

I still have one giveaway currently going if you check out my right sidebar!

Carrie Goes Off the Map by Phillipa Ashley

Carrie Goes Off the Map is a very enjoyable road trip novel through England. Carrie is two weeks away from marrying her long-time boyfriend Huw, when he drops a bombshell; he is breaking up with her. Carrie had put aside her own dreams of becoming an actress for Huw and had spent the years since graduating from college helping Huw run his family dairy farm.


Suddenly, without a purpose in life, Carrie moves in with her friend Rowena and tries to determine what her next move will be. Rowena tries to cheer Carrie up by planning a European road trip in a vintage VW camper named Dolly. Unfortunately, Rowena is unable to go at the last minute and has found a new companion for Carrie, the handsome Dr. Matt Landor.

Matt is back from his work in Tuman after an unfortunate accident. Commanded to take four months off to rest and get himself back together, he is not sure what he is going to do with his time off. Matt was friends with Huw back at the University, and after meeting Carrie again at a bad moment (it’s a classic moment in the book, I don’t want to ruin it for those who haven’t read it yet!) he is officially intrigued. Together they go on a tour of Southern England and learn how to move on with life. And also learn more about each other.

I really enjoyed this book. At one point, a barber cuts Matt’s hair and says that he looks like a modern Mr. Darcy. There were indeed elements of that classic story in this book with Carrie and Matt meeting again after so many years and having a misunderstanding that sets the two at odds at first. Carrie was much more against Matt than he is against her. Their delightful friction kept me entranced throughout the book.

I also loved the description of the road trip in the campervan. It sounded like a lot of fun. Phillipa Ashley wrote a great guest post for this blog describing her travels in a campervan as part of the research process for this novel. The post is intriguing and if you leave a comment by midnight tonight, you have a chance to win a copy of this great book!

I also really liked an odd thing too, that Huw was a dairy farmer. The descriptions of the mega farm and life on the farm reminded me a lot of life around Wisconsin, aka Dairyland USA. It made me realize that things really are not that different between the United States and England. It was funny that Huw was considered quite a catch as he was a rich farmer, which is the same as some of the farmers in my county who are millionaires. Family farms are not the same as they used to be anywhere anymore it seems.

Overall, I found Carrie Goes Off the Map to be a delightful book with great characters, romance, and a wonderful journey. Phillipa Ashley has become one of my new favorite contemporary romance authors.

Book Source: Review Copy from Sourcebooks. Thank-you!