Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Monday in my mailbox, on a Tuesday

All sent for review this week....what did you read and what did you think?
How to Listen to Great Music: A Guide to Its History, Culture, and Heart (The Great Courses)Whether yo
u're listening in a concert hall or on your iPod, concert music has the power to move you. The right knowledge can deepen the ability of this music to edify, enlighten, and stir the soul. In How to Listen to Great Music, Professor Robert Greenberg, a composer and music historian, presents a comprehensive, accessible guide to how music has mirrored Western history, that will transform the experience of listening for novice and long-time listeners alike. You will learn how to listen for key elements in different genres of music - from madrigals to minuets and from sonatas to symphonies-along with the enthralling history of great music from ancient Greece to the 20th century. You'll get answers to such questions as Why was Beethoven so important? How did the Enlightenment change music? And what's so great about opera anyway? How to Listen to Great Music will let you finally hear what you've been missing.
HeftFormer academic Arthur Opp weighs 550 pounds and hasn't left his rambling Brooklyn home in a decade. Twenty miles away, in Yonkers, seventeen-year-old Kel Keller navigates life as the poor kid in a rich school and pins his hopes on what seems like a promising baseball career if he can untangle himself from his family drama. The link between this unlikely pair is Kel s mother, Charlene, a former student of Arthur s. After nearly two decades of silence, it is Charlene s unexpected phone call to Arthur a plea for help that jostles them into action. Through Arthur and Kel s own quirky and lovable voices, Heft tells the winning story of two improbable heroes whose sudden connection transforms both their lives. Like Elizabeth McCracken s The Giant s House, Heft is a novel about love and family found in the most unexpected places.
Rebellion of Silence: The Adon Series"We are in a war against a bloodthirsty race of creatures, the Rahion, set on destroying everything this world has given us. Yet, within the city walls we fight against ourselves." Pain, loss, and suffering were the first memories Avarah felt when her eyes reopened to life in the self destructing city of Kirave. With her reality shattered and her past forgotten, she risks all to join Silence, the rebellion whose followers are determined to bring justice before the end. In order to survive, Avarah must place all her trust into the hands of Sier, an Infectual whose veins pulse with the blood of the Rahion creatures. The anxiety burdened heroine quickly accepts her new fate fighting for truth, vengeance, and love despite knowing she could lose her life. But what if opposition means the lives of others? When society screams out for mercy, how many must die for the price of freedom?
“This is a magical and inspiring metaphor through which adult readers will identify anger issues and discover practical methods to energize enduring change.”
—Jeffrey K. Zeig, Ph.D., The Milton Erickson Foundation.
Sheila Hatcher, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in California and a Certified Anger Management Facilitator, has been working with anger management for over a decade. She has worked with court-mandated violent offenders and people who simply want to learn different ways to express difficult emotions. Keys for unlocking and disposing of hurtful memories are included.
Join Ashton Mondragon as he meets Frank the fireman and decides to begin flame- control training after another disastrous day with his family and friends. As Ashton learns about his flame and the importance of thoughtfulness in relationships, adult readers will learn anger management techniques and ways of self-reflection that can lead to lasting change.
Etiquette for an Apocalypse It’s the 2020 Apocalypse and Sophie Cohen, former social worker turned neighborly drug dealer, must keep her family alive amid those pesky end of the world issues: starvation, earthquakes, plagues, gang violence and alas more starvation.She investigates a serial killing and takes down the sinister emerging power structure while learning to use a pizza box solar oven, bond with her chickens and blast tin cans from the perimeter fence with a Ruger 9MM. 

In order to accomplish all this she must find a way to love her mother, accept her daughter’s adulthood and reignite her moribund marriage. 

She might discover that a decentralized, consensus driven life—without fossil fuels, iPhones and chocolate éclairs—isn’t the end of the world, after all.

Monday, March 19, 2012

Book Review - Abby Finds Her Calling - Naomi King

Abby Finds Her Calling: Home at Cedar Creek, Book One
Title:  Abby Finds Her Calling: Home at Cedar Creek Book 1

Author: Naomi King

Review:   This is a sweet tale of a family looking forward to a wedding only to find out that the bride has other plans and commitments.  This is the first in a series and I look forward to the next book.  I really need to know if everyone who seems to be falling in love in this book really does.  The tension may kill me…maybe not….maybe so.

Back to the review.  The writing is well done and the book has a great pace.  It didn’t take long to read and I loved most of the characters even the rough around the edges type.  Abby is a sweet women who is only interested in helping others even those that to others seem not to deserve it.  The story is interesting and like I said I look forward to the next installment. 

If you enjoy Amish books and especially romances then I think you will really enjoy this book.  It is not overly religious and I enjoyed the journey.


Publisher: Published February 28th 2012 by NewAmerican Library

ISBN: 9780451235732

Copyright: 2012

Pages: 320

Quick Review: 4 stars (out of 5)

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

Synopsis: The Lambright family's eldest daughter, Abby, runs her own sewing shop. There, she mends the town's clothes and their torn relationships. But the town maiden has sworn off any suitors of her own because of her unrequited love for James Graber, who is about to marry her younger sister, Zanna.
 Charlotte Hubbard
Author Biography: Many moons ago—like 1983 while I was still a school librarian—I sold my first story to True Story. This launched me into writing about seventy of those “true confessions” stories over the years, and I’ve been a slave to my overactive imagination ever since.

The next big step was selling my first historical romance in 1990, a Zebra Heartfire called COLORADO CAPTIVE. Then came GAMBLER’S TEMPTING KISSES, COLORADO MOONFIRE, MISSOURI MAGIC, SAHARA SPLENDOR, and OUTLAW MOON. They’re all out of print now, but available from used book stores or on Amazon.com.

After a long dry spell that entailed major changes in the publishing industry and an agent who fritzed out on cocaine, I resurfaced in a new genre, with a new publisher, editor, and agent who were so excited about my Angels of Mercy books! And now, with the first book of my series, The Love Secret, I move into new territory once again—and once again the setting is a place I love to spend time: the Oregon Coast.

Other Reviews:

Like our review on Amazon...thanks

Friday, March 16, 2012

Lucky Leprechaun Blog Hop March 17th-22nd

Sorry folks I fixed the comment section now.       
     

Thanks to the author Dan Gilvezan for offering this hilarious book for our blog hop.
Here is my review link.
Please follow this blog in someway.  Networked Blogs, GFC, Twitter, or Linky
all our on the side bar.
Make a comment letting me know how you follow along with contact info.  
That is the first and mandatory entry.
For 2 additional entry please visit the authors web page and add 
one or more things you learned while there.  Thanks!

BONUS entry :)  Find our review helpful on Amazon .  :)  at the bottom of the review.
Find any others helpful for another bonus point(up to 3 total) and let us know
which ones and what number you were....thanks!

Book Review - Trail of the Spellmans - Lisa Lutz

Trail of the Spellmans (The Spellmans, #5)
Title:  Trail of the Spellmans

Author: Lisa Lutz

Review: The overwhelming thought I had as I read this book was Rory and Lorelei had decided to solve crimes.  The dialogue was so fast, so snappy it reminded of the Gilmore Girls interacting at the diner.  Thank goodness it was written down or I would have had to keep rewinding to keep up.
 
This is about a family, the Spellmans, more so than the crimes the dig into. 
They are private detectives who all work together in a nonstop atmosphere of love and suspicion, like any good family who are also paid to be distrusting.  Imagine taking all your thoughts about what your family is up to, but also possessing the skills to actually find out.

Lutz has successfully accomplished the goal of any cozie, she has created a cast of characters that while imperfect, are funny, smart, and lovable.  The dialogue just snaps along at an impressive pace and keeps the reader involved.  It is the characters that will keep you coming back for more; they make the “crimes” come alive and not the other way around.  One subplot of the central character Izzy investigating her sister Rae’s family deceptions is just as good as the paying customer’s problems. I will definitely be seeking out the first four books of this series and anxiously awaiting book six.

This is book five in the series and the only downside was it took me about 50 pages to find the rhythm of the family, but after that I was off to the races.  I imagine the first four books would allow you to jump right in on page one.  It reminds me a lot of my favorite cozy series, MC Beaton’s Hamish; another cast of quirky characters surrounded by crimes.


Thank you T Steven for this review.  Like his review on Amazon here.

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Copyright: 2012

Pages: 384

ISBN: 978-1-4516-0812-0

Quick Review: 4 Stars out of 5.

Why I Read it: A fun and funny mystery

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

Synopsis: The fifth installment in the New York Times bestselling series by Lisa Lutz, featuring the fearless private investigator Izzy Spellman and her quirky, yet endearing, family of sleuths.

For the first time in Spellman history, Isabel Spellman, PI, might be the most normal member of her family. Mom has taken on an outrageous assortment of extracurricular activities—with no apparent motive. Dad has a secret. Izzy's brother and sister are at war—for no apparent reason. And her niece keeps saying "banana" even though she hates bananas.

That's not to say that Izzy isn't without her own troubles. Her boyfriend, Henry Stone, keeps wanting "to talk," a prospect Isabel evades by going out with her new drinking buddy, none other than Gertrude Stone, Henry's mother.

Things aren't any simpler on the business side of Spellman Investigations. First, Rae is hired to follow a girl, only to fake the surveillance reports. Then a math professor hires Izzy to watch his immaculate apartment while he unravels like a bad formula. And as the questions pile up, Izzy won't stop hunting for the answers—even when they threaten to shatter both the business and the family.

Lisa Lutz 

Author Biography: Lisa Lutz grew up in Southern California. After graduating high school, she attended UC Santa Cruz, UC Irvine, University of Leeds in England and San Francisco State University, although she still does not have a bachelor's degree.

Lisa spent most of the 1990s hopping from a string of low-paying odd jobs while writing and rewriting a mob comedy called Plan B. After it was made in 2000, Lisa vowed she would never write another screenplay. She began working on The Spellman Files in January of 2004. In the fall of that year, she drove across the country and moved into a 200-year-old house in the town of Westernville, New York (pop. 300). It was there Lisa shoveled snow and wrote the bulk of her first novel.

After her months in Westernville, Lisa returned to the west coast—and moved from Los Angeles to San Francisco to Seattle and back to San Francisco. She is currently planning another move to an undisclosed location.

Lutz is also the author of Revenge of the Spellmans, The Spellmans Strike Again,Heads You Lose (with David Hayward) and the upcoming Trail of the Spellmans.



Thursday, March 15, 2012

Book Review - The House of the Wind - Titania Hardie

The House of the Wind
Title:  The House of the Wind

Author: Titania Hardie

Review:  I had great hopes for this book and I have to say that I did enjoy the story once I found it.  The story is beautifully written with flowery imaginative language with lovely literary illustrations.  But along the way, the story the author was telling got misplaced and it took a bit to find it again.  Luckily the chapters tell you what century you are in or I would have been completely lost at times.

It starts with a heartbreaking tragedy, working its way through the stages of grief and then on to a new life where the characters are better for having gone through the horrible experience.  Classic story line that the author added realism to with the addition of places you and I can visit and true tales told for generations.   The tale is multifaceted and long….very long….here I think the editor could have used a stronger hand.  Telling two stories takes room, but not 480 pages worth.  Cutting down at least 60-100 pages wouldn’t have been difficult.

If you enjoy sweeping tales of mystery/romance, days gone by, loss, love found and tons of other things thrown in not to forget lots of words… you may find this book something you would enjoy. 

Publisher: Expected publication: March 6th 2012 by Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group

ISBN:  9781416586265

Copyright: 2012

Pages:  480

Quick Review: 3 stars (out of 5) Good tale…just too long.

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

Synopsis: The internationally bestselling author of The Rose Labyrinth returns with a love story of magic and healing that takes readers from the heartache of a young human rights lawyer in present-day San Francisco to the lives of a courageous trio of women in medieval Tuscany.A legendary ruin. An ancient mystery. Will unveiling the past transform the future?
San Francisco, 2007. Madeline Moretti is grieving after her fiancÉ's death. Nothing brings her joy any more, and Maddie’s grandmother, a fiery Italian, sends her to Tuscany to heal. Here, Maddie is immersed in the mystery of a ruined villa. Destroyed centuries ago in a legendary storm on the Eve of St. Agnes, it has been known ever since as the Casa al Vento—the House of the Wind.

Tuscany, 1347. Mia hasn’t spoken since her mother’s death and lives in silence with her beloved aunt. One dark night, a couple seeks refuge in their villa. Accustomed to welcoming passing pilgrims, Mia is entranced by the young bride’s radiance and compassion but mystified by her reluctance to reveal even her name. Where has she come from, and why must her presence be a secret?

Centuries apart, each searching for a way to step into her future, both Mia and Maddie will be haunted by the myth of the young woman who walked unscathed from the ruins of the House of the Wind.
Titania Hardie
Author Biography:  Born and educated in Sydney, Australia, Titania Hardie is the highly successful author of a range of distinctive books published in the UK on folklore, magic, and divination, and recently a new series of children's books, The Frangipani Fairies. She has first-class honors degrees in psychology and English and was awarded the prestigious Chatterton scholarship for post-graduate study at Bristol University, where she is currently completing her M.A. on the Romantic poets. The Rose Labyrinth is her first novel. Titania lives in Somerset with her husband and two daughters.

Other Reviews:

FYI:Also to note about this novel:  It is based on an actual Tuscan villa called the Borgo Santo Pietro, a beautifully renovated inn that dates back to the thirteenth century that is the inspiration for the novel and features it’s real-life restorers as characters.  Built as a refuge for traveling pilgrims, the Borgo Santo Pietro eventually fell into disrepair but got a second life in 2001 when it was purchased by a couple who saw its potential and vowed to restore it to its original glory.  It now possesses its original grandeur with 8 individual rooms, 3 garden cottages, 13 acres of ornamental gardens, an infinity swimming pool, and an 800 year old bake house that has been converted into a spa.   You can see more of this beautiful and historic inn here.

Disclaimer for all reviews sent by the publisher, publicist or author for review.

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