My view of the truth. Be it politics, social issues, music, film, or literature. I welcome all opinions to comment and engage in discussion.
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Review: Speechless
Speechless by Hannah Harrington
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I got this book because I loved Ms Harrington's first book, SAVING JUNE. I was a little worried that this would be a letdown because JUNE was such a great book. Much to my surprise I thought this book was significantly better even. This book had it all, tragedy, triumph, life lessons, love and anger. Believable characters dealing with problems you'd see in today's headlines. Wisdom and stupidity warring in the heads of teens, as they did in mine when I was teen. This book would make a superb movie. I cannot wait for Ms Harrington's next book!
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Monday, November 26, 2012
Review: A Toast to the Good Times
A Toast to the Good Times by Steph Campbell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Just what I expected here again. A wonderful, can't put it down story of loss, love, redemption and the like told with style. Richly drawn characters with depth, people with both great strengths, and deep flaws like most real people. I had been planning on not reading this until X-mas eve due to its story-line but it kept shouting, "READ ME!" from my Kindle. Steph and Liz have written a masterpiece feel good holiday read. I'd love to see this made into a movie actually.
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Review: Dizzy
Dizzy by Nyrae Dawn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This was one of those books that was EXACTLY what i expected it to be. A great story filled with wonderful and believable characters overcoming problems to let love win in the end. both Nyrae Dawn and Jolene Perry have entered by all time favorite author list. Separately they are each great. together they was even more. I'd not read a single twin POV book before this year, and now it is a favorite thing. especially when you have two people like this who create deep, complex, deformed by life, but ultimately believable characters.
I will buy anything they write, separately or together. If you don't you are denying yourself a great pleasure of life.
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Friday, November 23, 2012
Review: The Third Wheel
The Third Wheel by Jeff Kinney
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Still having fun with the Wimpy Kid. The books are quick, fun reads and work from tween to senior citizen.
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Review: Cabin Fever
Cabin Fever by Jeff Kinney
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The series continues as funny as it has ever been. these are great quick fun reads.
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Review: The Ugly Truth
The Ugly Truth by Jeff Kinney
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
No surprises, but still having fun with the series.
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Review: Dog Days
Dog Days by Jeff Kinney
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Continuing fun memories from this series.
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Review: The Last Straw
The Last Straw by Jeff Kinney
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The series continues with more of the same, but still funny and hard to put down.
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Review: Rodrick Rules
Rodrick Rules by Jeff Kinney
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
More great memories viewed through the skewed and funny lens of the wimpy kid.
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Review: Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was a lot of fun, if you were ever a kid, this book will make you remember the horrible middle school years. Only they will come back more as comedy than tragedy.
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Review: Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
An interesting and fun read, but with a serious edge. Equal parts sad, funny, hopeful and tragic. No real heroes here, no real villains. Just a lot of flawed people doing the best they can in bad situations. I'll be looking forward to the second book from this author. An unusual writing style gave the book a real believable feeling and authenticity.
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Sunday, November 18, 2012
Review: Belong to Me
Belong to Me by Marisa de los Santos
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book is a sequel to LOVED WALKED IN, which I just loved. This is one of this very rare cases where the sequel to a book I loved was even better than the first book.
Full of heart, emotion, love, birth, death, life, and all manner of life changes that rinc as true as your own life. filled with characters you love like family. all this wrapped up in Ms de los Santo's quirky style of writing that is just plain fun to read.
Get these two books and settle in for some great emotional roller coastering!
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Friday, November 16, 2012
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Review: Under Her Skin
Under Her Skin by Alexis Lauren
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
This book started with an interesting idea, one I thought I would like. However the author needs to work on her craft quite a bit. First off, I lost count of the cliche phrases in the first few dozen pages. Lots and lots of cliche phrases lifted from other stories. Also, every plot-line punch was so well telegraphed that it was hardly worth trudging through the cliche swamp to get there. Interestingly as the book went on the cliches lessened and the punches were less telegraphed.
This is an author I think that with a good editor, and with some practice might turn out some good stuff. so far it needs a lot of work. The skeleton of the story was quality, but the workmanship in telling it left a lot to be desired.
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Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Review: Night Sky
Night Sky by Jolene Perry
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Another terrific book by Ms Perry. Of all her books I think the female lead in this one is the one I'd most like to know. This book was sad, funny, triumphant, and very real. As is her usual habit the characters in Ms Perry's books are well rounded and complex. Her good guys have some bad parts, her bad guys have good parts. Well there is one total douchebag in this book, but it is one we have all known.
Ms Perry has entered that short list I have where I will buy her next book knowing nothing more than that she wrote it. She is that good, and wroth the read always.
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Monday, November 12, 2012
Review: Dark Water
Dark Water by Laura McNeal
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I had the good luck to win this book in an online contest, and am so glad I did. this was an amazing book. Dark, tragic, occasionally uncomfortable, real, and unforgettable.
The protagonist Pearl has entered my world of unforgettable characters, I felt so strongly for her I wanted to reach into the pages of the book and give her a hug. She will be in my mind for a long time to come.
There is so much more I want to say. but I cannot without giving away important things, and I have my no spoilers, no details rule to maintain.
Suffice it to say, you should read this book.
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Review: Love Walked In
Love Walked In by Marisa de los Santos
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was a charming and slightly strange book. Ms de los Santos writes with the oddest of cadences, and yet it fitted this book perfectly. The book almost read in my head in a sing-song, and was always as if I was glancing at it askance rather than looking dead on. Yet it would have been less of a story had it been told in a more conventional way.
I loved this book, it has a huge beating heart that drove it, and showed what I have long known, that love is never what you expect, where you expect it, or whom you expect, but love changes everything. I'm looking for more by this author and recommend you read this.
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Sunday, November 11, 2012
Cry Babies And Sore Losers | Liberals Unite
"I’m seeing Americans post photos of our Flag hung upside down because the President won reelection. They’re defending this action as a “Naval sign of distress”. Let me tell you something: you are not on a battleship, you are a manager at McDonalds in Follansbee, WV, and you are in fact, a lunatic."
Cry Babies And Sore Losers | Liberals Unite
Cry Babies And Sore Losers | Liberals Unite
Review: The Other Boleyn Girl
The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Call this a guilty pleasure. Though it wasn't all that close to historically accurate it was still a whole lot of fun to read.
I also enjoyed the movie but then I have a thing for Natile Portman. Want a good brain twinkie that is a lot of fun set in a past historical period, this is a fun one.
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Saturday, November 10, 2012
Review: Falling
Falling by Jolene Perry
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I think this might be my favorite Jolene Perry book. Not exactly what I expected, not sure why, but real, and full of deep feelings. There were a couple of moments I cannot go into without spoiling them, that were amazing. One in particular that made me fall totally for our female lead here.
One of the things I really like about Ms Perry is her good guys/gals have faults. Even the bad guys and gals have some redeeming features. In short realistic and complex human beings. No cardboard cutouts, no stock characters pulled out of central casting to fill space.
She has become one of my must reads.
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Friday, November 9, 2012
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Review: The Cartel
The Cartel by A.K. Alexander
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Jessica Park was giving away copies of this and said it was really good, I have complete respect for her opinion so I entered the running for one of the copies. Boy am I glad I got one of the copies, really good is a huge understatement.
This was a book filled with both really good character development, and a lot of VERY believable action. Every time I thought I had figured out where it was going, it took an unexpected, but utterly believable turn. the end was nothing at all like I expected, but still very real, and very satisfying to the reader. I am looking for more by this author. I loved every single page from the first to the last.
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Review: Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas
Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas by James Patterson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book took me by surprise. I'd read several of the Alex Cross books, and picked this up at a rummage sale. I did not expect such a moving, an dramatic novel. If you can read this and not feel, deeply, you have no heart.
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Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Monday, November 5, 2012
Mitt Romney's Bailout Bonanza | The Nation
This guy made millions out of the US auto bailout. At the expense of taxpayers.
Mitt Romney's Bailout Bonanza | The Nation
Review: All Creatures Great and Small
All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
A classic book, the first in a series of 4 classic books that tell the story through humorous anecdotes of a new veterinarian learning his craft under the tutelage of a crusty older vet in the fields and dales of Yorkshire.
Funny, touching, life affirming. Read all 4.
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Sunday, November 4, 2012
Review: Just for Now
Just for Now by Abbi Glines
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Another visit to Sea Breeze, and as always a fun and satisfying one. This fictional little town has become almost as real to me as places I vacationed in as a child. Each book lets us get to know the characters who inhabit it a little better.
This time the story is Amanda and Preston whom he have already met, and now we get to know their story. As always some roadblocks are thrown up and overcome, some lies need to be found out, some deeper truths understood. Ms Glines does this very well. This one had a couple of surprises in it that made it even better, but I will not tell you so you can e surprised.
I'm left with the same feeling I have been left with after each of the Sea Breeze books: Hey, that was fun and fulfilling, I cannot wait for the next one.
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Friday, November 2, 2012
Romney: Elect Me Or House GOP Will Wreck The Economy | TPM2012
That's it? That's the big "closing argument"? "Elect me, or my party will tank the economy again." Wow. Why doesn't he just threaten to kidnap our kids, roll grandma down a hill in her wheelchair, or maybe drown a puppy? And the wing nuts accuse Obama of being a secret "terrorist."
Romney: Elect Me Or House GOP Will Wreck The Economy | TPM2012
Romney: Elect Me Or House GOP Will Wreck The Economy | TPM2012
Review: Schooled
Schooled by Deena Bright
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was a fun and interesting book. It was also quite erotic. A rather surprising book considering it is a first effort for the author. The main characters were developed nicely, and the situation though a little extreme was also believable.
The sexual situations were believable and erotic more than pornographic, though people a little more faint of heart than I am might find them rather graphic. I liked that the main protagonist after the end of her emotionally and sexually unsatisfying marriage came out of her shell a little bit and started to explore and revel in her own sexuality. I liked how it attacked the societal canard that if a woman enjoys sex, or has more than one partner she is somehow a slut or a whore, while men who do this are virile or a stud. I liked how she took the lead in making sure she was satisfied, and that her partner was as well. Reminded me greatly of an older woman who taught me a very great deal when I was a teenager. Her "lessons," took me back to my lessons, and all I learned.
My biggest complaint with this book is that it is a cliff-hanger, and even then it ended almost more than concluding. However I enjoyed it so much I will certainly get the sequel when it comes out so that was not a major problem for me.
An impressive debut for Deena Bright, and I predict as she writes more she will get better at her craft, and her books will bet even more erotic causing many, many cold showers, and likely some unintended children. LOL It was pretty darn steamy.
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