Monday in my Mailbox

What was in your mailbox?  I hope it was something good.

The inspirational #1 Bestseller by John P. Strelecky. Now translated into twenty-one languages and read by more than a million readers worldwide. In a small cafe at a location so remote it sits in the middle of the middle of nowhere, John--a man in a hurry--is at a crossroads. Intent only on refueling before moving along on his road trip, he finds sustenance of an entirely different kind. In addition to the specials of the day, the cafe menu lists three questions all diners are encourage to consider.

Why are you here?

Do you fear death?

Are you fulfilled.

With this food for thought and the guidance of three people he meets at the cafe, John embarks on a journey of self-discovery that takes him from the executive suites of the advertising world to the surf of Hawaii's coastline. Along the way he discovers a new way to look at life, himself, and just how much you can learn from a green sea turtle.  Sent for review.

Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers

You don't have to be a Jane Austen expert to enjoy this book. You just need
to be in the mood for a page-turning, romantic story filled with warm
characters, great passions, enjoyable language, and a terrific plot. And
it's to James's credit that her novel reads a lot like -- what else? -- a classic
Austen novel.  Sent for Christmas from my sister Heidi.
Welcome to Goodship, New York. The sleepy suburban hamlet harbors a terrible secret. A secret that may be at the heart of two murders.Twenty-five years after the “big game” and the requisite homecoming party, Goodship's secret begins to haunt its otherwise comfortable residents. When the first murder is reported, the townsfolk are warned, but take no action. When town landmarks are vandalized, residents are aghast. And, when an attempt is made on a local hero's life, the town mobilizes, especially former soap star(and now proprietor of the favorite lunch spot) Eliza Gordon and her pal and local radio personality Midge Sumner. When the prime suspect turns up dead, Eliza and Midge mobilize to solve the murders and catch the real perpetrator.The clues are all there. Fans of "Murder She Wrote," Leslie Meier's Lucy Stone mysteries and Laura Lippman's Tess Monaghan series will enjoy following the clues and taking their best shot at helping Eliza Gordon figure out: “Who is doing more in Goodship than just Killing Time?”  Sent for review.
Inside an old German U-Boat rusting on the bottom of the Baltic are millions in gold bars, stolen art, and a secret that could tear NATO apart. The only one who knows the truth is Mike Randall, a battle-scarred American who survived four months in the frozen Hell of northern Germany at the end of the war. When he does speak up, he puts a target on his own forehead, one which the Russians, the West Germans, the U-boat’s former owners, the Israeli Mossad, and even his own government quickly take aim at. Some want the gold, some want him dead, and some want proof about a high-ranking spy inside NATO itself. Randall’s wants are much simpler. Caught between the Kremlin and a new, deadly, 4th Reich, he wants revenge and to satisfy some old debts with a steel-jacketed bullet.  Sent for review.
Telly Brensen longs for his father, missing since WWII, and despises his mother’s suitors; and when her priceless ring disappears, this ignites his long smoldering rage. He hunts down the ring, maiming the thug who has it; and even though this frees a man wrongfully imprisoned for taking it, he is prosecuted into choosing between the Marines or jail. His choice lands him in Vietnam, where he carries out an act of extraordinary valor. This time, though, a gunfight with a jealous NCO turns a Medal of Honor nomination into a dishonorable discharge. Four years later, with reasons to live fading fast, Telly gets a tip concerning his father. He tracks down old friend Arthur Spevak, solicits him for backup, and sets off alone…for Borneo.

Unknown to Telly, Spevak is a tormented soul in his own right. Once orphaned, a sense of worthlessness sabotages his every attempt at romance, and in desperation, he, too, joins the Marines. When sent to Vietnam, though, anger at the world for driving him to such measures will not abate, and he becomes a notorious rogue – until the death of a brave friend sends him home with new self-loathing. By the time Telly finds him, he is living on a Chinese mountainside, alone, aimless, and broke. Now since they never crossed paths in the war, each is ignorant of the other’s disgrace, and they make an awkward pact. Then Telly vanishes, and Spevak reluctantly picks up the trail, unaware of how far the journey will one day take him.  Sent for review.
An anthology that will quench your thirst for more than the ordinary. 

Everblossom is a journey through poems and short stories that may seem ordinary on the surface but dig a little deeper and the world not only shifts. It changes. 

From the author who brought you Iwishacana/Acanawishi, she now brings you a dash of everything from dark fantasy to the paranormal to even romance. So prepare yourself to delve into the three stages of the flower from bud to blossom then back to seed, you'll go through them all with a whole new perspective on what it all truly means.   Sent for review.

Book Review - Every Dead Thing - John Connolly

Title:      Every Dead Thing (Charlie Parker #1)

Author:  John Connolly

Review:  A good writer will improve with each successive book, and that is the case with John Connolly’s debut novel.  I am glad I read book 11 first, otherwise I might have passed on what became a fantastic series.  While the writing was good, a lot of the plot points and general structure screamed first novel.

It was as if the author had three distinctive stories he wanted to tell, but couldn’t get any one of them to last over 200 pages.  So instead of reworking it he just told all three over the course of almost 500 pages; just loosely tying them together with stretched plot segues.  We start off with a missing girl with loose mob ties which morph into a serial killer of children story.  So far I was still okay with this, but then suddenly it resolves at page 200.  This would have been okay except we still had 300 pages to go. Then we suddenly end up across the country in New Orleans with a drug gangland war story overlaid with yet another serial killer.  Then we end up with revenge, bring the justice, go team go story.  

Of course the killers were super intelligent and extra super duper violent and depraved killers.  Why kill someone when you can drug them, skin them alive, and then pose them in obscure 16th century medical anatomy text poses.  Cause that stuff happens all the time.  Then the big climax involved a resolution as clichéd as saying the butler did it.

I would hazard a guess if the author could go back and rewrite this he would definitely break it up into two solid books. In the end the book is still worth reading for the character back story and development.  I learned a lot about the main characters which are assumed you just know by book 11, so definitely read it, but keep in mind that it does get better; much, much better.  

Thanks T Stevens for this review.

Publisher:  Published July 1st 2000 by Pocket(first published 1999)

Copyright: 1999

Pages:  467

ISBN:    9780671027315

Quick Review:  2 ½  Stars out of 5. 

Where I got the book:  The publisher graciously sent me the entire backlist for this author; and I am going to work my through them all.

Why Did I read this Book:  Sent by the publisher for review.

Synopsis:   These days, it seems as if any book featuring a serial killer is inevitably compared to Thomas Harris's Red Dragon and The Silence of the Lambs. Indeed, this is exactly what has happened to John Connolly's Every Dead Thing. Kirkus Reviews says, "Irish journalist Connolly's first novel is an ambitious, grisly, monstrously overextended foray...deep into Hannibal Lecter territory." Publishing News ran an article called "In the Steps of Hannibal..." subtitled, "Lecter, that is." Although meant as compliments, I think comments like these unjustly pigeonhole this riveting novel. While Connolly certainly owes something to Harris, he also owes a considerable debt to other genre authors. Connolly adopts tropes and techniques from these authors, successfully blending these elements to create a unique, satisfying tale of his own.

Several months prior to the main action of Every Dead Thing, NYPD Detective Charlie "Bird" Parker makes a decision that will haunt him for the rest of his life. Fresh from an argument with his wife, Susan, he storms out of the house and heads for a local bar, determined to tie one on. Returning home several hours later, Parker makes a grisly discovery — Susan and his three-year-old daughter Jennifer have been murdered, their faces removed, their mutilated bodies arranged in a position that Parker later discovers is meant to mimic Estienne's Pieta. Grief stricken, Parker vows vengeance on their killer.

Parker leaves the force to investigate the murders full time. Months later, however, he is no closer to solving the crime. In fact,the only clue he has to the killer's identity is one provided by Tante Marie Aguillard, a New Orleans mystic who tells him the killer, whom she calls the Traveling Man, has struck before, and has buried a previous victim in the bayou near her home. Parker isn't quite sure why he believes her, but is certain she's telling the truth.

The frustrated Parker is thus almost grateful for the distraction provided by a missing person's case fed to him by old police friend Walter Cole. Parker's search for Catherine Demeter, the missing girlfriend of a wealthy Manhattan socialite, leads him to the ironically named small town of Haven, Virginia, where his outsider status and insistent questions open wounds long thought closed. Parker solves the case, but only at the cost of great damage to his person and his psyche. Unknown to him at the time, however, he indirectly moves closer to his ultimate goal — although the connections between the two cases are tenuous, this seemingly unrelated investigation is only the beginning of a tortuous chain of events that will eventually lead him to the Traveling Man. Their final, brutal confrontation is surprising and terrifying — Connolly keeps readers guessing until the very end, stretching nerves to their breaking point.

The first half of the novel evokes both Ross MacDonald and Andrew Vachss, as Parker uncovers secrets that lead to the discovery of a child killer thought dead for over three decades. The second half strays into territory mined successfully by James Lee Burke, as Parker travels to New Orleans for his final confrontation with the Traveling Man. Connolly pays homage to the genre in other ways as well. In the hard-boiled tradition, Parker is sullen, often depressed, but, even so, is always ready with a witty comeback. In a nod to Robert B. Parker, and maybe to Joe Lansdale, Parker's current flame is a criminal psychologist, his closest allies two tough, black gay men.

Connolly even goes so far as to name certain characters after genre authors. Of course, there's Charlie Parker, perhaps named for Robert B. Parker or Richard Stark's famous thief. There's also police officer Gerald Kersh, FBI agents Woolrich and Ross, and supporting characters Emo Ellison, Evan Baines, and Gunther Bloch.  Found at Goodreads.

Author Biography: John Connolly was born in Dublin, Ireland in 1968 and has, at various points in his life, worked as a journalist, a barman, a local government official, a waiter and a dogsbody at Harrods department store in London. He studied English in Trinity College, Dublin and journalism at Dublin City University, subsequently spending five years working as a freelance journalist for The Irish Times newspaper, to which he continues to contribute.

He is based in Dublin but divides his time between his native city and the United States.

Other Reviews:  

Euro Crime

Book Loons

Between The Covers

Have a Great Weekend - Update on The Great Fat Fraud and Pedometer

We are going to be at this one for awhile.

What are you doing this weekend?

Happy reading!

I have been wearing a pedometer for the last few months and getting my 10,000 steps each day.  It is not easy it takes lots of time.  I average about 2500 a day without extra work.  I try to walk on the treadmill or outside at least 3-4 miles each day to get to the 10,000 and make sure I park far from work, school, and the stores each day.  I take the steps in my house more often not waiting for things to take up with me.  It is difficult to get the 10,000 steps each day, but I feel like I have accomplished something every night when I take it off until the next day.  My weight has gone down about 2 pounds and is now stable at 123.  This is worth it, but if you think you walk that much in a day think again.  My husband wore it to work the other day and only logged 3507 steps for the whole day.

We move a lot less than we think.  Read this book The Great Fat Fraud, Get a pedometer and start really seeing how little you move.  I cannot believe how little I moved.  No wonder our weight goes up every year along with our clothing size.  Here is the link to my Amazon review.   I've put all my reviews, and recaps together in one review.

Book Review - Stay Awake Stories - Dan Chaon

We have a winner for the blog hop and they have been contacted.  Thanks for entering come back soon.

Title:  StayAwake: Stories

Author: Dan Chaon

Review:   At first I thought that this was going to be a bunch of horror stories, not my favorite.  Well I was pleasantly surprised because I love psychological thinky stories.  The book progresses through each giving you something to contemplate.  Did it really happen the way the character viewed it or are they just crazy?

Short stories are fun in the fact that you can read them all in one setting and not have to remember what was going on when you pick up the book again.  I enjoyed these stories and really thought lots about them, especially the ones that confused me.

This is not horror, but they do have the power to keep you awake thinking.

Publisher: Expected publication: February 7th 2012 by Ballantine Books

ISBN: 9780345530370

Copyright: 2012

Pages: 224

Quick Review: 3  stars (out of 5)

Why I Read It:  I won this on Goodreads First-reads.

Synopsis: Before the critically acclaimed novels Await Your Reply and You Remind Me of Me, Dan Chaon made a name for himself as a renowned writer of dazzling short stories. Now, in Stay Awake, Chaon returns to that form for the first time since his masterly Among the Missing, a finalist for the National Book Award.

In these haunting, suspenseful stories, lost, fragile, searching characters wander between ordinary life and a psychological shadowland. They have experienced intense love or loss, grief or loneliness, displacement or disconnection—and find themselves in unexpected, dire, and sometimes unfathomable situations.

A father’s life is upended by his son’s night terrors—and disturbing memories of the first wife and child he abandoned; a foster child receives a call from the past and begins to remember his birth mother, whose actions were unthinkable; a divorced woman experiences her own dark version of “empty-nest syndrome”; a young widower is unnerved by the sudden, inexplicable appearances of messages and notes—on dollar bills, inside a magazine, stapled to the side of a tree; and a college dropout begins to suspect that there’s something off, something sinister, in his late parents’ house.

Dan Chaon’s stories feature scattered families, unfulfilled dreamers, anxious souls. They exist in a twilight realm—in a place by the window late at night when the streets are empty and the world appears to be quiet. But you are up, unable to sleep. So you stay awake.

Author Biography: Dan Chaon is the author of Among the Missing, which was a finalist for the National Book Award and You Remind Me of Me, which was named one of the best books of the year by The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, San Francisco Chronicle, The Christian Science Monitor, and Entertainment Weekly, among other publications. Chaon’s fiction has appeared in many journals and anthologies, including Best American Short Stories, The Pushcart Prize, and The O. Henry Prize Stories. He has been a finalist for the National Magazine Award in Fiction, and he was the recipient of the 2006 Academy Award in Literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Chaon lives in Cleveland, Ohio, and teaches at Oberlin College, where he is the Pauline M. Delaney Professor of Creative Writing. His new novel, Await Your Reply, will be published in late August 2009.

Other Reviews:

Book Reporter

Library Things

Goodreads

Book Review - Ender in Exile - Orson Scott Card

Title:      Ender in Exile

Author:  Orson Scott Card

Review:  I first read Orson Scott Card’s most recognized novel, Ender’s Game, in my freshman year of high school, and immediately fell in love with it. It’s one novel that withstood the test of time when I read it again as an adult, as it was after all meant for an adult audience, despite the young characters. I eagerly read the rest of the series, but only Ender’s Shadow came close to recapturing characters I loved so much. I picked this up from my library with the hopes that a younger version of Ender would once again capture my imagination.

With Ender in Exile, we find Andrew (Ender) Wiggin, the boy whose brilliant military strategies saved the world from the alien Buggers, coming to terms with how he has caused the deaths of millions while thinking he was only playing a war game. The entire novel is neither a prequel nor a sequel, but another side by side companion that takes place between chapters 14 and 15 of the original Ender’s Game, and throughout the Shadow series. Card even wrote a new version of chapter 15, to be printed in subsequent editions to match this latest novel, which is an amazing addition to the Enderverse.

I loved seeing the evolution of Ender’s character before he became the sober Speaker for the Dead in the like-named second novel. In Exile, he’s still a teenager, but a brilliant one, full of guilt over all that he’s done and a need to understand the enemy he thought he exterminated. But the emotions in the book aren’t overdone; rather, they’re coupled with a hint of the spirit of the boy he used to be as he innocently conspires to keep his position as governor over an Admiral who would use him as a pawn. I couldn’t help but rub my hands with glee at that part, though there are also a few touching moments that remind the reader that despite his maturity, he’s still a teenage boy. A more final ending to the Shadow series also plays out here, and though it feels more like a short story added on to the ending instead of part of a full novel. But you won’t hear me complaining.

Card has once again mastered the character of young Ender, and this fully fleshed out version of his early travels will definitely be satisfying reading for anyone who was a fan of the original.

Thanks go to M. J. Corley for this amazing review and I hope to be reading more from this reviewer soon.  Thanks

Publisher:  Published November 11th 2008 by Tor Books (first published January 10th 2005)

Copyright: 2005

Pages:  380

ISBN:    9780765304964

Quick Review:  4 Stars out of 5. 

Where I got the book:  At my local library.

Why Did I read this Book:  I’ve loved this series since I read the first.

Synopsis:   After twenty-three years, Orson Scott Card returns to his acclaimed best-selling series with the first true, direct sequel to the classic Ender's Game.

In Ender’s Game, the world’s most gifted children were taken from their families and sent to an elite training school. At Battle School, they learned combat, strategy, and secret intelligence to fight a dangerous war on behalf of those left on Earth. But they also learned some important and less definable lessons about life.

After the life-changing events of those years, these children—now teenagers—must leave the school and readapt to life in the outside world.

Having not seen their families or interacted with other people for years—where do they go now? What can they do?

Ender fought for humanity, but he is now reviled as a ruthless assassin. No longer allowed to live on Earth, he enters into exile. With his sister Valentine, he chooses to leave the only home he’s ever known to begin a relativistic—and revelatory—journey beyond the stars.

What happened during the years between Ender’s Game and Speaker for the Dead? What did Ender go through from the ages of 12 through 35? The story of those years has never been told. Taking place 3000 years before Ender finally receives his chance at redemption in Speaker for the Dead, this is the long-lost story of Ender.

For twenty-three years, millions of readers have wondered and now they will receive the answers. Ender in Exile is Orson Scott Card’s moving return to all the action and the adventure, the profound exploration of war and society, and the characters one never forgot.

On one of these ships, there is a baby that just may share the same special gifts as Ender’s old friend Bean…

Author Biography:  Orson Scott Card is the author of the novels Ender's Game, Ender's Shadow, and Speaker for the Dead, which are widely read by adults and younger readers, and are increasingly used in schools.

Besides these and other science fiction novels, Card writes contemporary fantasy (Magic Street, Enchantment, Lost Boys), biblical novels (Stone Tables, Rachel and Leah), the American frontier fantasy series The Tales of Alvin Maker (beginning with Seventh Son), poetry (An Open Book), and many plays and scripts.

Card was born in Washington and grew up in California, Arizona, and Utah. He served a mission for the LDS Church in Brazil in the early 1970s. Besides his writing, he teaches occasional classes and workshops and directs plays. He recently began a longterm position as a professor of writing and literature at Southern Virginia University.

Card currently lives in Greensboro, North Carolina, with his wife, Kristine Allen Card, and their youngest child, Zina Margaret.

Other Reviews:
Becky's Book Review
Book Reporter

FYI: The Movie Trailer for Ender's Game.