Shoes Books

This was a well written, wonderful story. I could fully relate to the main character with her love for shoes. The plot kept you interested in the book from start to finish. I finished the book in one day. I highly recommend this book.

Kim Matthews' "The Perfect Shoe" is a fun light-hearted read that will give you a hearty laugh. The story centers around December, a financially challenged, shoe crazy 20-something businesswoman who compares the men in her life to different types of shoes. Her quest to find her perfect shoe takes her on some pretty hilarious adventures. Through it all however, Decemeber remains likeable and sympathetic and is the type of girlfriend you wouldn't mind having in your clique. She's fun, generous and whimsical. Anyone that likes witty stories with a touch of tenderness will like this book.

4.5 stars
I rarely read a book that I think is 5 stars, but The Perfect Shoe came closer than any that I have read lately. First the dictionary of different shoe types at the front and back of the book was fun to read (I even read some definitions to my daughters, all except the bedroom shoe of course :)

Kimberly does a great job of writing a believable story about December Elliot, a girl that is financially challenged due to her high-end spending habits. She has 300+ pairs of high-priced shoes and enough power suits to wear all year before she does dry cleaning. She also categorizes her men as types of shoes with the Stilleto man being the perfect shoe.

Janice Wheeler, December's boss, is a boss from hell, but things start looking up when Corinthian Davis, Janice's boss, shows he has a sweet tooth for December. (Oh, and by the way Corinthian a.ka. Corey is a stiletto.) Just when December is about to elevate to heights she has never seen in her career at Wright-Way Staffing, a goofy mishap causes her to find herself abruptly unemployed. In her lowest point, she finds appreciation for what she has and figures out how to work her finances, and she also gets her stilleto, thus The Perfect Shoe. This is the perfect tale for the saying, "you don't appreciate what you have until all is lost." December truly does not find herself until all is lost.

Kimberly T. Matthews does an awesome job of weaving a witty tale that is at some points comical, some points educational (finance, romance and work ethics), and at some points it threatens to tug at your heart strings. This book is a definite must read for every one trying to figure out what kind of shoe they should be wearing.

The Perfect Shoe is the perfect book to read if you want to be entertained by a fast-moving totally believable story that is interwoven with a lot of humor. December Elliot becomes your best girlfriend in this story that is masterfully told by Kimberly Matthews. You feel like you are having a conversation with December from beginning to end. When I first heard of the book and read the Intro on MySpace, I initially thought the book was going to be some sort of dating "how to" or "what to avoid" manual. The whole novel aspect somehow went over my head so I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered the story behind the definitions (which are accurate on a very scary level).

I started reading the book and was only able to get to a few chapters in the course of two days due to a hectic schedule however when I had jury duty that same week, I took it with me. Due to a court delay, I sat there and read the entire thing cover to cover and loved every minute of it. In fact, I may have loved it a little too much. WARNING: do NOT read chapter 12 in public! I made that mistake and embarrassed myself. What started as a polite giggle, turned into snickering and then all out laughter. I couldn't stop laughing! The other jurors in the lounge could only stare at me and some started to laugh because I was laughing so hard. I won't give anything way but I will say this: you will NOT forget Rodney.

I appreciated the true to life depictions of a professional single woman as well as the dilemmas. The accurate advice woven into the storyline should be helpful to any readers suffering with some of the same issues.

I highly recommend this book and have even purchased it for others to read. No passing books around y'all. Support the authors and by a copy. (smile)

BTW: I found out my last boyfriend was a flip flop mixed with a glass slipper. You gotta read the book to understand that one!

APOOO BookClub Rating: 4.5

The Perfect Shoe by Kimberly T. Matthews is the perfect read for laughs! December Elliot has everything going for her...well not everything. She is working at a job that she is the best at but her boss is a total, rhymes with the word witch. December, on top of having to be subjected to a witch of a boss, has some financial woes of which she needs to get out. You see, she has this urge to spend, spend, and spend whenever designer shoes, clothes, and items are around. On top of that, she is so infatuated with her shoes that she categorizes men after shoes! December has been searching for The Stiletto, which is the ultimate shoe thus the ultimate man for the longest. Will December be able to get out of financial woes and will she ever find The Stiletto that has it going in looks, intelligence, and attitude?

When I first opened this book I was pleasantly surprised to find a shoe dictionary! That dictionary definitely pulled me in to read more of the story. December reminded me of an actual real person, with her spending habits. Many readers will definitely see a kind of realness in the character; she wants to move forward but she is holding herself back by her actions. This story was such a refreshing read because it showed a character with real world problems that needed to be overcome. The Perfect Shoe will not be the last book I read by Kimberly T. Matthews! I recommend this book to readers looking to laugh and possibly relate to December and her personal struggles.

Chantay W.
APOOO BookClub

This was purchased as a gift for a friend that LOVES shoes. She absolutely loves it! She keeps it on her desk and every morning changes the date and has fun with her husband deciding if the shoe is her or someone they know. If you're thinking of buying this for someone, don't hesitate, they'll love it!

I enjoy seeing the shoes of the past and present. Some of them I have purchased during a shoe relapse. It is pleasure at its best. I would highly recommend this calendar for any shoe addict.

My wife refuses to believe it's Christmas until she sees her Shoes Page-A-Day Gallery calendar !!

This calendar is so fun, hip, and feminine! The photos of these shoes are like Lays Potato chips -- you can't look at just one -- you want to look through the entire calendar every day. I plan to buy the 2009 version!

My 81-year-old surrogate mother loves the shoe calendars so much that she keeps and displays them all, no matter what the year, changing the date on each of them every day. She was really upset when a leak in the ceiling ruined one. I will continue my Christmas tradition of the Shoe New Year and purchase the latest edition. I'm a shoe freak, too.

this book is going to be read to the children at my church. They will like the book but the couple of children who have read it needed it explained to them theat even though it was silly to only have one shoe there was a reason for the book. Missed the point for the kids.

This book is "cute". Tells of a friendship between 2 Middle East children.
It ended differently than I would have thought...A good story, good fast reading..Enjoy!

Lina and Feroza, two young girls from Afghanistan living in a refugee camp in Pakistan, first meet after a frenzied crowd has jostled for used clothing that relief workers threw off the back of a truck. What could have been a misfortune, with each girl retrieving one sandal from a matching pair, turns out to be a stroke of luck as the girls take turns with the sandals and become friends. This friendship helps them to endure the hardships of their daily routines collecting water, washing clothes in the river, mourning lost family members, and caring for younger siblings while boys in the camp attend school. The sandals later take on a symbolic role when one of the girls leaves camp for a new home.

This moving book provides an effective tool for teaching about what it means to be a refugee, how children in refugee camps spend their time, and how the experiences can differ for girls and boys. Although the topic may be weighty and difficult, the tone is relatively subtle and hopeful so as to appeal to young readers. Intertwined with the touching story are valuable economics lessons about scarcity, human resources, wants, and needs. The dramatic artwork and compelling text work well together to make reading this book a memorable experience.

A realistic, powerful and touching children's story that takes a lesson on sharing what we have on a deeper level than most children experience in the States.

"Four Feet, Two Sandals" is a powerful book,
introducing readers to the experience of
refugee children in Pakistan. This is an
excellent teaching tool for having conversations
about sharing, donating and receiving clothes
and shoes, and developing friendships. Bravo!

I wept when I read it. So many lines about Jesse fit perfectly with my sons' situation, too. Thanks!

In Jesse's Shoes is a story told from the perspective of the older sister, Allie. Allie loves her brother Jesse very much, but struggles with having a brother that is just "wired differently," as her parents told her. She has the responsibility of walking her brother to his school bus each morning. Jesse did not always cooperate and easily got sidetracked. Allie saw other kids snickering and laughing at the way her brother Jesse acted.

Allie loved her brother but just wanted him to be more "normal" around her friends. One day after school she blurted out to her Dad that she just did not understand Jesse, and her Dad responded by saying, "Of course you don't understand him, you have not walked in his shoes."

The next day when Allie met Jesse after school, Jesse bent down took his shoes off and told Allie to walk in his shoes. That is exactly what Allie did, all the way home.

Having the chance to view things as Jesse did, Allie found the courage to stick up for her brother to her friends.

I highly recommend this book. It is a children's book, but many adults could benefit from reading it also. In fact after I received it in the mail, my 13-year-old plopped on the couch and read the book all the way through. I asked him what he thought of the book, and he said, "Mom, this is the best book I have read in awhile."

The illustrations are beautiful and the book will leave a lump in your throat. Sometimes we just don't understand until we walk in another person's shoes.

This book will touch your spirit at any age and remind you of the value of difference. If you are young it will tell you how to respect others that are not the same and teach you how they fit in your world. If you are old it will tell you how others need space when you are different because they fear where they are going. Read it at any age and you will grow.

I heard about this book on Dr Laura, which she read in it's entirety on her show. I ordered it Monday and received it Thursday from Amazon. My niece is a first grade teacher and intends to read it to her class. It's short and to the point and one story I will read to my grandchildren (if I ever have any. (that's a hint to my son))

This story is timeless. It is told in a way only Lewis can tell, and has such a powerful message for our children - and for us.

In a fast paced world where nobody has time for "different," these children learn that sometimes different is good, and can bless you beyond your dreams.

As a mother of 4 children all under 12, I plan on reading In Jesse's Shoes to my children again and again. And I plan on spending some time talking to them about kindness, compassion, and acceptance. About walking in someone elses shoes before you judge or mock them.

Sometimes the BEST surprises come in the most unlikely packages. Like finding a great book in a brown box at the post office, or discovering love and compassion in a brother with special needs.

Trish Berg
Author, Book Reviewer
www.TrishBerg.com

The Great American Supper Swap - Solving the Busy Woman's Family Dinnertime Dilemma

Rattled: Surviving Your Baby's First Year Without Losing Your Cool

This book gave me hope when I had almost lost it. I came to the end of my seminary education and I was ready to throw in the towel. Once you're on the inside of the church, once you necessarily lose all those false illusions about what ministry is really about, you may find you don't have the stomach for it. I look at the church, and how slow things change, and I wonder if there is any hope at all. Niebuhr honestly lays out his own transition from green seminarian to seasoned pastor of hope and grace, radical, but real. It was a breath of grace and peace...just what I needed.

Reinhold Niebuhr's small book, Leaves from the Notebook of a Tamed Cynic, is perhaps his most famous and popular book. It has informed and helped to shape the lives and ministries of seminarians, educators, ministers and other prophetic and ethical people since it was first published early in this century. Niebuhr recounts with astonishing honesty the difficulties facing those who would do ministry, and act ethically, in the church today. His criticism is not held back from any sacred topics.

`I make no apology for being critical of what I love. No one wants a love which is based upon illusions, and there is no reason why we should not love a profession and yet be critical of it.'

Niebuhr talks about the shock of coming to realise the limitations of his ministry, going from being a fresh-from-seminary full-of-grace minister to a person confronting another person in the 'real world'. He talks about

`...the difficulty of acting as priest. It is not in your power to determine the use of a symbol. Whether it is a blessing or a bit of superstition rests altogether with the recipient.'

This real world also presents problems. Parishioners tend to ask practical questions, rather than theoretical ones. They ask, Why won't Jesus heal me? Didn't he heal others? It is in the Bible, after all.

`I do believe that Jesus healed people. I can't help but note, however, that a large proportion of his cures were among the demented.'

He talks about the practical limitations of doing ethical ministry and prophesy for the average pulpit preacher.

`I am not surprised that most prophets are itinerants. Critics of the church think we preachers are afraid to tell the truth because we are economically dependent upon the people of our church. There is something in that....'

Finally, Niebuhr comes to have realistic expectations of the church and his own ministry in it.

`The church is like the Red Cross service in war time. It keeps life from degenerating into a consistent inhumanity, but it does not materially alter the fact of the struggle itself. The Red Cross neither wins the war nor abolishes it.'

Niebuhr in this small work has given great insight. Barely 150 short pages of his journal from 1915-1928 as a parish minister--although he became much better known as a philosopher in later years, this book is most likely his best seller, and the one with the most profound day-to-day impact for his readers.

A must-read for anyone with a calling to ministry; a should-read for anyone in a helping and caring profession. It gives insight into how to remain human and fallible in the face of a congregation's (and one's own!) expectations of holiness and godly perfection.

I am a HUGE Niebuhr fan, and I strong suggest that anyone interested in politics, economics, social philosophy and/or theology should pick up as many of his works as possible. This book was a real treat for me, to get into peer into his mind in those oh so important formative years as a pastor in Detroit, WOW!

Even when he's just writing random thoughts on the passing scene, he's a fantastic writer. Here you have a demonstration of Bonhoeffer's views of the true Christian life which must "share in the problems of secular life, and teach all men what it means to live in Christ". You see the greater and greater emphasis on the role of repentence and the way Christ's oh so rigorous ethic acts as a judgment on all human behavior as time goes on. This will all become so important as he turns his mind to writing his great theological and social works in the 30's and 40's.

This book is a fairly easy read, none to technical, and relatively short, you can probably read it in 3 or 4 sittings. Pay attention to the way Niebuhr's doubts about his own position become theological fare, informing the way he thinks about theology and life in toto.

This little gem was probably my favorite book from seminary. Niebuhr takes you with him on the difficult journey through the first years of his parish ministry and teaches you how to think theologically about really practical dilemmas that arise as a clergyperson. My favorite thing about the book is that it is not written as a memoir, but in the moment, so you don't have an old, brilliant theologian reflecting on his years in ministry, but rather a young, brilliant pastor who doesn't know all the answers and doesn't pretend to. I feel like Reinhold has become a close friend though the end of seminary and my first year working in the church, because he gives words to and insight into many of the struggles I have had.

This is a collection of Neibuhrs short essays. Each one stands on its own as a reflection of reality as applicable today as it was decades ago. I like it so much I am rationing it, reading one or two essays a day and stopping to think about the lesson in each one. These are sermons that are not "preachy" recognizing the human frailities and what should be expected of us. A book for the ages in my opinion

A wonderful story that is suitable for any age. I really enjoyed it!!

I have to say that very few books actually bring tears to my eyes. But when a story comes along that touches your heart you can't help but feel wonderfully warm and uplifted. This is the story of a young girl growing up on a farm in Ohio during the depression. As Christmas approaches the family has fallen on hard times, as so many did during that aweful time, but their faith and their love for each other enable them to have a truly magical Christmas. And we, the reader, are lucky enough to become a part of this wonderful family and share in their joy and happiness during this one very special Christmas.

I highly recommend this book for anyone and am convinced this will become a holiday classic.

Very difficult book to put down. The story draws you in, page by page. A great story about the determination and strength of an American family when hard times fall on them. However, it is not a depressing book, but rather one with great humor and love. Certinally suitable for anyone in your family.

I found the book very addictive. I did not want to put it down. Once I picked it up I kept reading for hours. I found it to be very facinating the way that people use to live and all the thing they went through in there life time.

This book is such a joy to read...had a hard time putting it down.
Highly recommened!

After reading this book just once, both girls repeatedly grab this one off of the shelf to be read again and again. It sparks interest is different customs and teaches values.

This story is simply fantastic. I have read it to my children several times and they've enjoyed it the sixth as much as the first. I have taken the opportunity using this story to talk about cultures and traditions in a fun and exciting way.

My daughters 6 and 2 request this book so often and still I never tire of reading it. I began the search for high quality childrens books when I could barely get through one sitting of 'Strawberry Shortcake Strikes Again!' or the equivalent. This book is a joy for reader and readee;)

It's lovely to see this book is back in print. I received a copy as a birthday gift when I was 5 years old (it was a new publication then!) and continue to treasure that same volume today. I also received a real pair of clogs from Japan about the same time, so the story took on even more meaning for me. I have an opportunity to teach a workshop in Japan in May about how our experiences are reflected in our artworks -- and this beautifully illustrated story which taught me so much about integrity, as well as Japanese culture, will be an important reference in my presentation. Simple lessons, so important to a child's character,kindly taught, DO last a lifetime! This is an important book for your child's library.

My two boys, ages 2 and 5 love this book. Universal themes paired with beautiful Japanese art and poetry make it a winner.

I finished this book at 12:30 in the morning on January 2, and can think of no finer way to ease out of one year and greet the next. It's a brave and tender page turner and I could not put it down.

Sailing is a fairly rare thing: an honest book about living a spiritual life. It talks about how one writer entered Santeria, an Afro-Cuban religion, without losing her skeptical eye, integrating a 21st-century woman's rationalism with a willingness to believe. Not many books show someone actually doing the work of embracing a personal spirituality--doubting, moving one step forward and two steps back, but moving. This is one of those books.

Sailing is also about remaking the mother-daughter bond, caring for a mother losing her short-term memory as she moves toward death. By now, you may be saying, "I get it. The woman found God, and God helped her deal with Mom." But spirituality didn't always help. Thompson's mother tried as hard as she could to push her daughter away, and Alzheimer's isn't pretty--one of Thompson's most rousing successes comes when she finally gives Stinky Mom a shower, a production that should make you laugh if you're not dead. Facing your mother's old age takes a sense of humor.

Looking back on her ancestors, as Santeria practitioners do, Thompson tells of the family that formed her mother, and braids in her love story with her husband. Thompson as a novelist has always been a superb stylist, and the voice as much as the story kept me reading through the night. When you marry her voice to this true and unusual tale, you get a book I can't recommend highly enough.

My book club read this book and we had the one of our most lively and interesting discussions. Joyce Thompson's candid story of dealing with her mother's mental decline and her family's history was both moving and funny. Thompson is a great storyteller. I didn't want the book to end. I wanted more details and more stories about her mother and father, grandparents, aunts, uncles, her children and husband. They all seemed to come alive as she tries to make sense of half told family lore. Thompson's neither sanctimonious nor condescending when she writes about the difficult journey she made with her mother. It's a great read.

This wonderful book overtook my life for 3 days as I savored each short, wise chapter. I was sorry when I reached the last page. A book about love, death, spirit, it is equally a funny down-to-earth account of a woman's everyday struggles with career, family and what to wear. Here's the bonus...Thompson's wordcraft is masterful. Her lovely meditation on the simple dance of a falling leaf is as lyrical as the passages about her working days at Microsoft are richly drawn. If you have an aged, impaired parent, you will find in Thompson a wise and witty guide on how to maneuver the tough, too-real moments. There is heartbreak here but also a sense of honor in helping a loved one transition into death. The vignette when she steals away from her abusive husband with her young children is told mostly though dialogue between her and her unsuspecting 6 year old daughter. A lovely and harrowing account where the mother protects the child but never quite tells a lie. Thompson's memoir challenges readers to find their own stories. The real treasure is her writing, an astonishing gift. If you're a fan of words, welcome to your new favorite writer, Joyce Thompson.

This is a difficult book to catagorize. Do you wish the enjoyment of graceful prose by an author at the top of her game? Would you follow the highlights of a life story as memory works, with short chapters based on recurring themes but no straightforward timeline--interweaving people, events, family history, spiritual quest, finding a soul mate in middle age and making it work, raising children alone? There are poems written from the point of view of the author's aging mother (and they are good poems, a poet's poems, not the usual chopped prose of a fiction writer). There is humor in situations which were extremely difficult to live through. There is joy in introspection. There is personal growth after the achievement of success as a writer, sought after by movie producers. One might give this book to a friend for inspiration. One might accept the gently proffered challenges to try a different approach to attaining goals in life, and even rethink which goals really matter. Something for everyone? Perhaps.

I've recently finished three of the "Shoes Books" ,two of which I ordered from this site, and I hope I can read them all! They are all great, and I like how they all sort of go together, melt into each other.

My sister and I read some of Noel Streatfield's books when we were kids. Really enjoyed the. Have been trying to get hold of them, but it is a little tough since they are out of print it seems. Would like to get copies definitely.

Along with "Dancing Shoes" and "Ballet Shoes", this is one of my three favorite "Shoes" books.

I loved the little girls. Lalla, the highly privileged daughter of two figure skating champions, whose aunt is so determined that Lalla, too, will be a champion that she sent the poor girl to daily lessons at the age of three, is valued only for her skating ability. She is not allowed to have a personality outside skating. Through her friendship with Harriet, she begins to learn about the world outside of competition. Harriet, for her part, has been largely overshadowed by her family, and skating gives her a chance to develop a passion and a talent of her own.

It's a sweet story. I loved it when I was little.

The original title of this book is "White Boots" and it's about two little girls, Lalla and Harriet. Lalla has been trained all her life to be a skating champion, and has been told so many times that it's her destiny, she can't imagine being anything else. Harriet took up skating to improve her legs after a long illness, but discovers how much she truly loves the sport, and that she has a talent for it. Harriet is allowed to share Lalla's classes, and to be her companion, because Lalla's pushy Aunt Claudia thinks it will help Lalla to become a champion. Through the girls' friendship, Lalla's perspective of the world changes, & she finds that there is more to life than skating. There is quite a surprising and satisfying ending to the story. I've read this book many times, and I love it. Noel Streatfield writes in an intelligent and engrossing manner, and her books are a pleasure to read for both young people and adults.

Noel Streatfield is an enchanting author, and I love all of her books, but this one is my absolute favorite, probably because I love skating. Her books are excellently written, and if you are looking for copies, I order all of mine off of Amazon UK. She is a British author, so a lot of her books are still in print in England, which is where I bought this one with a different title, it was called White Boots there. Well, this is a very very good book and I highly reccomend it.

This item was exactly what i ordered in the exact condition that i ordered it in. Would definitly do business with seller again! Thank you

Agents of change is an interesting insight into the world of DC shoes and its athletes! it really shows how ahead of the game the brand has been over the last ten years or so, from ad's to product to team riders DC has been at the forefront and this book details it all. Buy it!!! you wont regret it!

This is (even for a cynical Brit!)a great book/review - if you are into any kind of action sports, then read this. Great stuff!

I was able to pick up Agents of Change and I was blown away by what I saw. Not only are the pictures up-to-date and unbelievable, but the spectrum of sports presented, from skateboarding, to snowboarding, surfing, and motocross, presents a compelling argument as to why this book is relevent at all.

The story of DC shoes, from it's start in a garage with kids with a dream, is as much a part of the world of extreme sports as the athletes who drop from helicopters onto halfpipes or launch themselves off of snow-covered cliffs.

Told in a compelling narrative with interviews, bios, and a history of the company's inception. This book reads like the story of the American dream. Three guys, no money just an idea, and how they turn that idea into a hundred million dollar-a-year company.

This book is not just for people who love extreme sports. It's also for those of us who have dreams of one day changing the world--and making a killing at it.

Finally someone takes the initiative to tell the story of a company that's corporate, but not really corporate. Not Microsoft or Enron or Nike or any of the Big Money companies but instead a down to earth story about a tiny little 100 million dollar company that has a story that's actually interesting. And if the story itself got boring (it never did) I could still just look at all the great photos. This is an important book for a number of reasons. It documents an era when sports in America are changing. It documents a company that stayed true to those sports. It is inspiring in a way that will show kids to follow their heart, and success will follow. Finally, it isn't a big marketing scam hidden under false pretenses. What you see with AGENTS OF CHANGE is what you get, and what you get is a great book for a book shelf or coffee table; skate park or corporate meeting room of any company who targets the youth demographic.