Tag Archives: adult

Guilty Pleasures by Laurell K Hamilton Book Review

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Guilty Pleasures by Laurell K HamiltonHere is a quick video review of Guilty Pleasures by Laurell K. Hamilton:) I gave this 4/5 stars on GoodReads.

The book centers around an animator named Anita Blake. She raises the dead to help the cops figure out who is murdering vampires in her area. She is a kick ass heroine who takes no BS from anyone. This first book really sets up the world of Anita Blake. We meet a plethora of supernatural characters from Vampires to Zombies. It makes for a fun and interesting ride. There are a total of over 20 books in the series so it is long, but it may be well worth it if you enjoy these types of stories (sans glittery vampires).

One character in particular, Jean Claude who is the big vampire in the city. He seems to have a thing for our heroine and she is having none of it. She is quite content with kicking ass and taking names. Laurell K. Hamilton set up a fun and eerie world with Anita Blake and this series looks to be very promising.

There are a total of over 20 books in the series so it is long, but it may be well worth it if you enjoy these types of stories (sans glittery vampires).

Guilty Pleasures Review

The Historian By Elizabeth Kostova Book Review

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The Historian By Elizabeth Kostova

I am actually giving this one 3.4 stars out of 5. My writing group and I decided to do a monthly book read this year and I was first to pick so I picked this one.

I read this book a long time ago and it was great. When I read it this time, I found it to be slower and less action packed than I remember from my previous read. I liked the characters, and the story itself was good, but the problem with it was the length. Over 600 pages, most of which were long, drawn out descriptions of places and honestly, not enough dialogue to keep my attention at times. I am not saying this was a bad book, because it was not. What I am trying to say is that it could have been better.

As a lover of historical fiction, and to an extent, Dracula’s legend this was a disappointment on a few levels. I had no issue with the writer’s style, just that the story did not need to be dragged out for so long. I get frustrated when there is a great story to tell, and yet they take it to an extreme with page counts. I would recommend this book, but I preface that recommendation by saying if you do not like HUGE books, it may not be for you.

The Ultimate Gift by Jim Stovall Book Review

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The Ultimate Gift by Jim StovallWhen I started this book, I did not expect to finish it in one day. The story is about a man who is set to inherit a substantial sum of money. The catch is that he must complete 12 tasks over the course of a year to show that he is not a shallow, money grubbing person.

When the story begins, the main character, Jason is young and idealistic for his own life. He does not seem to care about things around him that do not benefit him. In short, he has been handed everything from money, to an education so his Uncle decides to show him there are more important things in life with each month corresponding to a “gift” be it love, laughter, friendship, etc. If Jason completes all the tasks each month while being guided by his Uncle’s best friend and lawyer, he inherits what is called “The Ultimate Gift”.

I was very pleased to read this wonderful book. It gave me quite a bit to think about in my own life, and what my life has given me in the way of blessings and gifts. This is a book I will keep on my shelf for years to come and read again and again. 5/5 Stars!

The Witch of Painted Sorrows by M.J. Rose Book Review

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The Witch of Painted Sorrows by M.J. Rose

This was an ARC from the publisher. First, I am always happy to get the chance to review a book before it is published for an honest review. To preface this very short review, I have tried to read this author 2 times before and have not had much luck. I was hoping that this would be different, sadly it was not. I only got 35% into this book and had to stop. The characters were just simply flat. They had no depth to them, and in many ways they seemed a bit cookie cutter for me. I am sure if I could have gotten further in the book, it may have gotten better but life is simply too short to read a book that is not sucking you in.

The premise was great about the occult, etc, which I adore as a rule, but I could not get further because it was moving so slow. To me, pacing in a story is paramount. Too fast, and the story seems rushed. If it is too slow, the story seems to drag. It was because of the lagging premise of an otherwise promising story that I am sorry to say, I do not think I will be reading this author again. 3 chances is what I like to give, and this was just not great. I only gave this book 1 star on Goodreads.

If you like historical fiction and can handle a slower paced read, I would say give it a shot. If you are looking for something a bit faster, I would not recommend this particular tome, I am sorry to say.

Health and Wellness for Young People

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In the words of a hip-hop artist and wellness advocate named SupaNova Slom, “Don’t let sickness…and disease THUG YOU OUT.” Some sort of sickness gets to all of us, especially during the cold winter months. But don’t let it get the best of you. This list of tips should help you avoid the worst and help you get better.

Stay hydrated and eat healthy- Most sicknesses often leave you weary and dreary, probably because your body fluids are getting depleted as your body tries to function and heal. So, drink plenty of liquids when you’re sick. Fruit and vegetables are a good source of natural vitamins and minerals from which your body would really benefit as well. And chicken noodle soup is a really good cold remedy!

Do some research- Learn about what is going on with your body and what you can do for it by researching your sicknesses or symptoms. (I recently found a YouTube video debunking myths on the common cold.) Start with Google, webmd.com, or talk to someone in your family or someone you trust. Although I wouldn’t recommend internet searches in place of seeking professional medical care if you are uncertain of things or have a serious problem.

Get vaccinated and take some medicine- Keep up with your medical tests, shots, and immunizations to prevent serious health issues.  Most places might offer flu shots free or cheap to college students. Take some medicine or start a remedy treatment when you start to feel sick. Try not to wait till you’re miserable from it.

Practice some healthy habits-Wash your hands after using the bathroom. Wear flip-flops when using public showers. Make sure you eat well-cooked foods. Keep scars and scrapes from getting infected. Practice good hygiene. Maybe things like these are common sense, but even some of the simplest actions can make the difference in getting sick or getting better.

Rest and stay in if necessary-If you feel bad, or if your illness is contagious, stay home and rest. This will give your immune system the opportunity to fight the illness and keep you (and others) from getting exposed to more germs.

Other resources:

“Why Do We Get Sick More in the Wintertime?”– web article

“6 Foods that Prevent Sickness”– web article

MedicineNet.com – information website similar to WebMD

“Stop a Cold in its Tracks”– web article from Health magazine

shalommama.com– Look under the “health” tab for her advice on natural and herbal remedies

 

Hooked by Liz Fichera Book Review

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Hooked by Liz FicheraFor Native American Fredericka “Fred” Oday golfing is her life. When the coach of her schools golf team asks her to join, she accepts. The other people on the team are all boys thanks to the school not having a girls’ team. They are far from enthusiastic about her joining the team. Fred just wants to play golf. Ryan is one of the best people on the team. He does not plan on making life easy for Fred, especially after she took his best friend’s place on the team.

I really liked how the author kept switching back and forth from Fred and Ryan’s point of views. You got to see where they were both coming from. I enjoyed how the author worked Fred’s culture and way of life into the book. It was a nice touch. This book had some depth that I wasn’t really expecting, both in Ryan and Fred’s home life. I flew through this book and thoroughly enjoyed it. The book didn’t really feel rushed especially when it came to the romance portion of the book. It flowed very nicely. I gave it 4.75/5 stars. If you want a nice twist on a high school romance where the girl is sporty and has a mind of her own, I would recommend!

The Other Normals by Ned Vizzini [Book Review]

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The Other Normals by Ned Vizzini

A Terrific Novel From Ned Vizzini…. You are in for a treat!!!

Hey yeah you, yeah you! Have you been looking for a great young adult book to read and yet with a great sense of humor and I mean HUMOR!!!With lots of action, adventure, extremely humorous, and most of all a great YA read.

Synopsis {mine}: The Other Normals is about a fifteen year old teenager named Peregrine Eckert (also know as ‘Perry’ throughout the book). Whenever Perry has a chance he takes that precious time to dedicate it to a ‘very magical role-playing game’ such as Creatures & Caverns which is an epic game that is full of action, spells, majestic creatures, and very deadly weapons! Perry is most comfortable when dealing with this very magical game! But, Perry doesn’t enjoy this game as much when his parents are around even his brother!

When Perry plays this game he doesn’s have a care in the world, in other words he just shuts everything out that doesn’t have to deal with C&C. Perry dedicates so much time to this role-playing game that  his very own divorced parents decide that with his lack of social abilities with others, they have decided that he will spend the rest of his summer at Camp Whisiska Lake, that way he can become a man and become more socially active. They want him to be playing with other kids his same age outdoors and meeting girls. But, all he is worried is about is his rankings in C&C. With this decision Perry has no say / input in this decision. Perry DOESN’T want to go to this camp for his whole entire summer because of two big reasons; one Perry, doesn’t want to go because he is very worried about his older brother who seems to be slipping further and further into his alcoholic addiction. Another reason is because surprisingly enough he has made a new friend named Sam. These two share a common interest, C&C.

But when he arrives at camp he discovers that Sam is also there but, Sam doesn’t want to talk to him because Sam doesn’t want to ruin his popularity on the social period. Most of the kids at the camp are strong, muscular, and tough. And with an incident that takes place on his first day at camp, really changes things up…

There at camp when Perry notices a loud noise in the bathroom he looks out the window and sees a figure running. Without thinking Perry decides to jump out of the window and chase the extremely dast unknown figure. He then makes contact with the ‘creature’ which turns out to be Martin Enwa who happens to be one of the creatures of C&C as well as stumbling upon an unknown world know as The Other Normals. When he comes to this world his wildest dreams have came true for the actual world of C&C to exist. Upon meeting very unique creatures theses people have a request to ask upon Perry, TO SAVE THEIR PRINCESS WHO HAS BEEN KIDNAPPED BY ONE OF THE MOST VICIOUS MONSTERS KNOWN TO EXIST IN THE OTHER NORMALS…. With the kidnapping of the princess all hell has broke loose in this world, whoever they think could have any connection to the disappearance of the princess shall be punished…. some cruel…. others not….. find out for yourself….. Perry discovers that with his knowledge and nerdiness with this game can actually help him save the princess and bring her back. With this well-known knowledge he can be a great warrior or at times even a hero… But if Perry wants to fulfill this quest he must be able to make real connections with the real world.

JOIN THESE CREATURES IN A GREAT ADVENTURE TO SAVE THE PRINCESS AND THE PEOPLE…..

REVIEW:

The Other Normals by Ned Vizzini

5/5 stars fantastic read

You know how every book has just that one character that nags you and makes you mad throughout the book and at times a enjoyable read, well this book didn’t have one of those characters. All of the characters were simply loveable and none of them would nag you with any of their decisions. These characters all had their very own unique traits that you are sure to enjoy.

I really liked the story line / plot of this story because none of it was rushed, so it was going at a quick readable speed. I loved how vividly the world of Creatures & Caverns was expressed, so definitely gonna check out the rest of Ned Vizzini’s books!

Throughout the book I had so many great laughs. I would recommend this book to anyone!

Before reading this book I was in such a reading slump that it had been a while since I had read a book. At the time I did have my copy of The Other Normals so I decided to grab the copy off the shelf and started reading in… Instantly I was hooked (especially with the first chapter). So I instantly absorbed this book and couldn’t put it down.

If you are like me and you aren’t a huge fan of high fantasy or science fiction? Well you may consider this book in that genre category but, I didn’t have  problem with the fantasy because I don’t know if I didn’t notice any of those genres because I just zipped through this book so I loved this book and would recommend this book to anyone who needs a great YA book to read.

I loved that this book didn’t have so much romance that you were so overwhelmed with it! I was extremely impressed with this book that I couldn’t ask for anything better. This book had so much action and adventure that with Ned’s vivid description in his writings it’s almost as if you are watching a movie (wouldn’t mind seeing this in a movie)!!!

Oh yeah! I forgot to tell you that I think the cover of this book cover relates to the story line so much!!!!

Go pick this book up now! It’s plain and simple!

MY AUTHOR INTERVIEW WITH NED VIZZINI: Click Here!

 

Switched by Amanda Hocking Book Review

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Switched by Amanda HockingThe land of Forening is a strange place. It is home to changelings, manks, trackers, and so much more. Wendy has just learned that she is a changeling. Which means she was switched at birth with a human and has mind powers and is basically a troll Princess. Now Finn who is her tracker a.k.a. a glorified babysitter is taking her back to Forening to meet her birth mother. Now she has all the responsibilities and powers not sure how to take it all in. Finn seems to help but he is off limits.

Switched by Amanda Hocking.  It seems to me the books I don’t have big expectations for are always the ones I love. I picked this book as an impulse buy. I waited a good six months to read it. I should not have waited for this series. I love the world that is created. Wendy’s reaction to what is happening is understandable and is much like I would handle it. As the series continues in Torn and Ascend Wendy grows into her powers and also how to handle the responsibility of who she truly is. She has a great destiny and I think you would enjoy the ride.  I gave this book 4/5 but the second and third books were 5/5 stars. I only gave the first one 4/5 because I didn’t like some of the characters but I grew to love them all.

Forbidden Book Review

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Forbidden by Syrie James & Ryan M. JamesForbidden is written by Syrie James and Ryan M. James. This was a mother-son co-author thing. At first I thought it would be odd. I actually really enjoyed it. The story follows Claire who is determined to stay put at the high school she is at. She starts having some weird visions and decides it’s best to keep it to herself. They story also follows Alec MacKenzie. If you were wondering that is the main reason I picked it up. I mean my name is kind of hard to come by and if it is in a book you bet your pants I’m reading it. He is a descendant of angels. He has run away from his duty and is hiding at Claire’s school. When the two meet a big mess erupts. Alec has to keep Claire safe from what she is and what she can do, while also falling in love with her.

I loved this book. It is a really good angel book. It was a different take because you weren’t even sure which one of them is the angel or both. It was written very nicely and it was quite easy to read straight through. I did not want to put this book down. I really would recommend it. 5/5 all the way.

Through To You Book Review

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Through To You BY Emily Hainsworth

 

Book info,

Published; October 2, 2012 by Blazer and Bray publishing

264 Pages

Title: Through to You by Emily Hainsworth

 

 

This book was fantastic! I gave it a 4/5 Stars and hopefully when I have time I would like ro re-reads it just because it was a good quick and easy read!

I really enjoyed this book because it was I guess you can say my first Sci-Fi book that I have read, I am not a huge fan of high fantasy or sci-fi, so when I heard about this book I thought I would give it a try and so I did and let me tell you I am glad that I did! If you are like me not a huge fan of fantasy or sci-fi well then I really recommend you to go and get this book I really liked it because it wasn’t a lot of sci-fi just enough to make it enjoyable as well as with a dab of reality!

The run-down about this is book is the main character Camden  the  (also known as Cam throughout the book)in which you follow through out the book is an ex-super star football player, due to an injury he no longer plays the sport that he not only loved but now misses… But the one thing that really bothers Camden the most through his daily life and he was shocked and greif-stricken due to the death of his girlfriend Viv.Viv was the only thing that made Camden survive if you say through his life she was always there to comfort him and help him through the troubles that he was going through in his life.

All that he wants is to just see Viv one last time. One day he goes and visits the site of where the deadly car accident took place, while he is there he sees an apparation, and it isn’t Viv but can this very apparation be the key for Camden to see Viv one last time?

When Cam. begins to talk to this apparation he discovers that her name is Nina she isn’t a ghost she is from a parallel world, and in this world Viv still exist… And while he is schocked that his wildest dreams have came true but while he gets to know the ‘Viv’ in this alternate world is this the Viv that Camden really loved, knew, and most of all cared about? And while he figures out this real Viv the window off oppurtunity is shrinking faster and faster.

This book kept me busy and on the edge wanting to know more of yet these very different yet similar people these two characters share secrets (who doesn’t like secrets, especailly the good ones!) dangerous going between worlds, truth, and things that have changed between them, and very painful desicions…

Also, this book was great because what added onto the suspens was that Cam, only had a short period of time to figure out the mysteries between the real and ‘fake’ Viv’s and other things that lie in-between their worlds…

Characters: I really liked these characters at times they irrateated me (Viv- parallel world and Nina- Parallel world just because of some of there actions) just sometimes made me mad! But don’t let that <— scentence stop you from picking this book up! The main character that you follow through out this book is Camden Pike

GO AND PICK THIS BOOK UP NOW!