Book Review - Love Me - Danger Slater

Title:  Love Me

Author: Danger Slater

Review:   I read this book and after I finished it I wondered why I had wasted my time.  I didn’t understand what was going on and it seemed disjoined and strange with lots of foul language and potty humor.  If you enjoy potty humor this may be the book for you, but it wasn’t for me.

I have decided after finishing this book that I am no longer finishing books I don’t care for after a few chapters.  I cannot really tell you anything positive about this book except that a few times the author hit a funny bone, it was rare and far between.  I read a book similar to this called, The Fool(except that book had an actual story that I could follow) and maybe that is what the author was going for.  I really don’t know…I still am not sure what the book was about or what it was trying to tell the reader.

Publisher:  Published July 26th 2011 by Jersey Devil Press

ISBN: 9780984612741

Copyright: 2011

Pages: 168

Quick Review: 1 1/2  stars (out of 5) the ½ star for those few funny moments.

Why I Read It:  Sent by the author for review.

Synopsis: Do you like tales of Cold War espionage? Taut psychological thrillers? Science fiction as a metaphor for U.S. foreign policy? How about cute angst-filled teenage vampire toyboys?

Well, too bad. None of those things are in this book.

Instead you’ll join a guy in a Viking suit on an absurdly epic quest to figure out the meaning of life. There will be obstacles, of course: rabid gangs of disgruntled grannies, rival cults of pie-enthusiasts, toasters, anti-matter conversion do-hickeys, Shadow Men, bandits, hippies, annoying celestial bodies, the Department of Internationally Sexy Affairs, and probably way too many dick jokes for this book to ever be considered for any serious academic curriculum. You know, the usual.

Author Biography:  Danger_Slater is the world’s most flammable writer! He likes to use a lot of exclamation points when he writes! Read his crap! You'll like it!

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Book Review - Cedardale Court - Nathan Lee Christensen

Title:      Cedardale Court

Author:  Nathan Lee Christensen

Review:  I didn’t expect much from this book and boy was I completely blown away.  The book ran the gauntlet of plot and I was thrown into the mix.  Who knew so much went on...on one tiny street.  I loved the characters and especially how they easily accepted everything that came along.  The love between the two seniors was so sweet and they waited so long.  The daughter made me laugh out loud…what a character.

You will enjoy this fast paced mystery novel that will keep you turning the pages and wondering what will happen next.  This is not your typical mystery...it has a bit of added something!  Give this book a try and you will be pleasantly surprised.

Publisher: Published October 7th 2011

ISBN: B005THDM5E

Copyright: 2011

Pages: Kindle Edition

Quick Review: 4 out of 5 stars

Where I Obtained the Book: Sent to me by the author for review.

Synopsis:   Full of daring fools, haunting old flames, and brimming with panicked villainy, Cedardale Court captures the final days of Canner Connelly’s ten year struggle; his quiet avoidance of death. Despite his best efforts, and a well-intentioned move to the Oregon countryside, the safety and peace-of-mind he’s longed for since the passing of his wife, for him and his daughter, Chloe, finally appears to be within reach. But, upon waking the next morning, the promising start at Uncle Henry’s falls rather short as the sun comes up over the tree line, and the ever inept inhabitants of Cedardale Court begin to start their days. A domestic dispute, a little reckless driving, and a broken fire hydrant later, what normally might have been a very enjoyable Sunday quickly turns into a slightly darker affair as a severed human hand, well, half of one really, turns up in Uncle Henry’s bushes. Things only get messier, and more frightfully uncertain as, one by one, the secrets that have so carefully been kept, for so very long, start to unravel for everyone. For Canner and Chloe, amidst the drunkenness, burgling, kidnapping, extortions and murders of the people around them, suddenly it’s no longer a struggle to maintain normalcy, or even an attempt to deny the familiar ghosts lurking around every corner; it’s now a question of whether or not they’ll come out of this with their wits, or if they’ll even make it out at all. In the face of the monstrously absurd, this little neighborhood, this absolutely out of control cul-de-sac, might serve as the key to opening the door for Canner and Chloe’s new life, or it might be exactly what it appears to be; the gateway to the undoing of them all.

 

Author Biography:  Nathan Lee Christensen is a husband, father, and long lost Oregonian, currently living on a cliff overlooking the Pacific in the bay area. He was born and raised in the wilds of the Willamette Valley, and hopes to someday find his way back home again. His neo-gothic murder mysteries are bits of broken reality with as much truth between their lies, laughter between tears, and life between deaths as possible. And, though there may be better ways to portray rainbows than jumping up the ass of a thunder cloud, the author fully acknowledges his inability to do one without the other. Any references to his background or tastes in fiction would be largely incomplete without mentioning a few childhood picture books or 80’s television programs, so, suffice to say, he’s a happily swirled up mix of all the tasteless, classless impropriety the world has to offer. Despite his shortcomings, he strives to deliver heart and courage in every tale he tells, is resigned to produce a new one every October 7th for as long as the good Lord keeps him able, and finds, as a stay at home dad, this sort of thing is as good a way to rub shoulders with adults as any.

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Book Review - Outside the Lines - Amy Hatvany

Title:      Outside the Lines

Author:  Amy Hatvany

Review:  Mental illness is the plague of the modern world.  We treat the symptoms, but can do nothing for the problem itself.  Drugs are just a temporary fix for so many and at the same time make the individual feel like someone else.  This book explores the world of mental illness and the devastation it has wreaked on the main characters life.  She is not the ill individual but her father.  She loves him and thinks that if he just loved her enough he could change.

The relationships and the love between the characters in this book are endearing and heartbreaking at the same time.  I’ve worked with mental illness in my career and it breaks my heart more times then it doesn’t.  The feelings of Eden are easily felt by the reader and I have to admit I cried at the end.  A beautiful story unfolds as you turn the pages, one which will pull at your heartstrings and make you want to hug those you love...especially you dad.

This book flows well, is easy to follow and difficult to put down.  If you enjoy stories about real life that could really happen you will enjoy this book.  I loved the way the author brought the father’s point of view across you don’t usually get that side of the story.  Her father showed that sometimes love is not enough to change who we truly are, yet it is enough to keep us connected even if only in thought.

Publisher: Expected publication: February 7th 2012 by Washington Square Press

ISBN: 9781451640540

Copyright: 2012

Pages: 384

Quick Review: 4 1/2 out of 5 stars

Where I Obtained the Book: Sent to me by the publisher for review.

Synopsis:   When Eden was ten years old she found her father, David, bleeding out on the bathroom floor. The suicide attempt led to her parents’ divorce, and David all but vanished from Eden’s life. Since childhood, she has heard from him only rarely, just enough to know he’s been living on the streets and struggling with mental illness. But lately, there has been no word at all.

Now in her thirties, Eden decides to go look for her father, so she can forgive him at last, and finally move forward. When her search uncovers other painful truths—not only the secrets her mother has kept from her, but also the agonizing question of whether David, after all these years, even wants to be found—Eden is forced to decide just how far she’ll go in the name of love.

Author Biography:  Amy Hatvany was born in Seattle, WA in 1972, the youngest of three children. She graduated from Western Washington University in 1994 with a degree in Sociology only to discover most sociologists are unemployed. Soon followed a variety of jobs – some of which she loved, like decorating wedding cakes; others which she merely tolerated, like receptionist. In 1998, Amy finally decided to sell her car, quit her job, and take a chance on writing books.

The literary gods took kindly to her aspirations and THE KIND OF LOVE THAT SAVES YOU was published in 2000 by Bantam Doubleday. THE LANGUAGE OF SISTERS was picked up by NAL in 2002. (Both titles published under "Yurk.")

Amy spends most of her time today with her second and final husband, Stephan. (Seriously, if this one doesn’t work out, she’s done.) She stays busy with her two children, Scarlett and Miles, and her “bonus child,” Anna. Their blended family also includes two four-legged hairy children, commonly known as Black Lab mutts, Kenda and Dolcé. When Amy’s not with friends or family, she is most likely reading, cooking or zoning out on certain reality television shows. Top Chef is a current favorite. She eagerly awaits auditions for the cast of “Top Author.” (“Quick Edit” instead of “Quick Fire” Challenge? C’mon, producers! That’s gripping television!)

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What was in your mailbox this week?  These books were all sent for review.
The murder investigation Detective Inspector Harriet Ware is heading takes her into an unsuspected world where publishers wearily fend off a spate of unwanted manuscripts. Her suspects include would-be authors who live as much in the plots they are weaving as in the mundane world they actually inhabit. ‘Crime Fiction for Beginners’ is five novels in one with an unexpected twist at the end.
Jake Forrester, is recruited by Harvey Baum, a Miami based business associate, to carry out an assignment for Cyrus Kroger, a reclusive billionaire, at his heavily guarded property in the Catskills. In a series of emails to his wife Sally, Jake describes his increasingly close friendship with the septuagenarian Kroger but Jake suddenly disappears and Baum says he is out of contact, visiting Kroger´s operations in Central Africa. Shortly after Jake´s disappearance Baum phones Sally to say Kroger has fallen ill and died and then, a month later, he phones again, this time to say Jake is back in Miami but in a clinic suffering from a nervous breakdown.

Sally flies to Miami and brings Jake home. She notices there are no visas or stamps in his passport indicating a visit to Central Africa. Jake gradually returns to normal but his relationship with Sally does not regain its old warmth. Whatever happened in the month Jake disappeared brings him vast wealth but Sally is worried because she finds he is growing increasingly nervous and suspicious. 

Sally and Jake start getting used to being wealthy. She finds she is leaving her old life and friends behind. They move into a Park Lane penthouse and there Sally makes a discovery that brings her whole world crashing down. She starts investigating and what she discovers makes her afraid for her life.  This title came awhile ago and got miss placed.The latest pulse-pounding thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling phenomenon Vince Flynn.
When Eden was ten years old she found her father, David, bleeding out on the bathroom floor. The suicide attempt led to her parents’ divorce, and David all but vanished from Eden’s life. Since childhood, she has heard from him only rarely, just enough to know he’s been living on the streets and struggling with mental illness. But lately, there has been no word at all.

Now in her thirties, Eden decides to go look for her father, so she can forgive him at last, and finally move forward. When her search uncovers other painful truths—not only the secrets her mother has kept from her, but also the agonizing question of whether David, after all these years, even wants to be found—Eden is forced to decide just how far she’ll go in the name of love.

 How do the people who know the most about food tackle the special challenges of cooking for children’s palates? How do they get their children to join them at the dinner table when most kids would rather play under the tablecloth? Why do some kids love to eat broccoli, sushi, or pesto while others insist on chicken nuggets every night? 

A lifelong foodie and a first-time mother, Fanae Aaron had lots of questions about how to teach her son to enjoy a variety of fresh, whole foods. So she sought out a diverse group of twenty award-winning chefs who are also parents. The book’s first-class lineup includes: Eric Bromberg, Marc Murphy, Zack Gross, Ana Sortun, Piero Selvaggio, and Floyd Cardoz. These chefs stimulate their kids’ curiosity about new foods by engaging them in the process without coercing them, and they share their tips and stories, which provide an intimate glimpse into the chefs’ family lives. Chefs’ strategies include allowing their kids to help prepare meals, taking them to farmers’ markets, and giving them choices with healthy family style meals. What Chefs Feed Their Kids also features seventy-five flavorful recipes—such as Kale and Scrambed Eggs, Baby Lamb Chops, Nori Chips, and Risotto with Pumpkin, Ginger, and Sage—from a variety of cuisines.  

The Karate Tournament is the first book and the foundation for all subsequent books in The Grand Master/Little Master Series. This book is your child's introduction to Grand Master and his/her invitation to go on a life-changing adventure! When eight-year-old Haley's mother asks her if she would like to play a game on the morning of her karate tournament, she is somewhat reluctant, given all the butterflies in her stomach! Not quite able to resist the temptation, however, she agrees. Grand Master (who makes His/Her presence known through mom in this first story) tells Haley that she has been chosen to be a Little Master-in-training and there is much to do. What follows is a heartwarming story of a little girl who learns the importance and magic of Cause and Effect; what goes around, comes around. "What you put out in the world comes back, Little Master; cause love, cause kindness, cause forgiveness. Try not to cause sadness or anger. This too, must come back." This is the story of Haley, and how she turns a very scary and nervous situation into a joyous occasion by her conscious use of Law.  This book series can be read as any other children's book, or played interactively by downloading the Parental Support Material, accessible on the authors website at TheGrandMasterLittleMasterSeries.com
Sink Or Swim is the second book in The Grand Master/Little Master Series and addresses the topic of fear. It is highly recommended that you begin this series with The Karate Tournament, which is the foundation for all subsequent books in the series, and allows your child to meet Grand Master and be chosen to be a "little master-in-training". It is not necessary to follow in order after book one. Whatever your child may be afraid of: the dark, heights, monsters in the closet, or flying, etc., they will relate to Haley's crippling fear of the water, and what it costs her to hang on to the fear. This book gives your child an opportunity to observe their fear differently. Both adults and children will find themselves asking the question "Is this fear something that I have, or does this fear have me? Included with this story are three letters from Grand Master to your child, with weekly lessons to inspire thought, conversation, and action.

Love Has Ma
ny Faces is the third book in The Grand Master/Little Master Series and addresses the" less than loving" people in our life. It is highly recommended that you begin this series with The Karate Tournament, which is the foundation for all subsequent books in this series, and allows your child to meet Grand Master and be chosen to be a "little master-in-training". It is not necessary to follow in order after book one. 

Jordan is anxious to start first grade and can't wait to meet his new teacher! You can imagine his dismay when he realizes that he is to spend an entire school year with a crotchety teacher that is not very nice to the class, and especially seems to not like him. Read this heart-warming story of a young boy who follows Grand Master's advice, and looks deeper than the surface to find an expression of love. Included with this story are three letters from Grand Master to your child with weekly lessons to inspire thought, conversation, and action.
In the fishing community of Fjauml;llbacka, life is remote, peacefulmdash;and for some, tragically short. Foul play was always suspected in the disappearance twenty years ago of two young holidaymakers in the area. Now a young boy out playing has confirmed this grim truth. Their remains, discovered with those of a fresh victim, send the town into shock. Local detective Patrik Hedstrom, expecting a baby with his girlfriend Erica, can only imagine what it is like to lose a child. When a second young girl goes missing, Hedstromrsquo;s attention focuses on the Hults, a feuding clan of misfits, religious fanatics and criminals. The suspect list is long but time is shortmdash;which of this familyrsquo;s dark secrets will provide the vital clue?

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