Book Review: Hot Shots

Katie April 7, 2014 0 Comments

Hot Shots is a book which contains 3 different stories by 3 different authors all of course revolving around fire fighters.

The first story is Fired Up which is the story about Hannah and Cole.  Hannah watches for wildfires from a tower in the National Park and at night, she has sexy radio conversations with Cole, a firefighter.  When her radio cuts out one night while the two are talking, Cole decides to take time off and head to the tower to bring her a new radio and to see what happens. The two seem to hit it off immediately, though Cole has a rule about staying for more than one night.  Will Hannah make him forget the rules and stick around a bit longer?

In the second story, Sizzle, Photojournalist Maysen, the owner of HotShots magazines, takes a trip to Lanville to work on an article about the firefighters there. She is immediately attracted to Clay, the hot fire chief, but he seems to be avoiding her.  When she finds out he lied about a trip to Tempe, she goes to his house in the middle of a storm to try and get their interview completed. What ends up happening is a bit more sex by the fireplace and a bit less professional interview, but with such a strong attraction between the two, did you really expect something else to happen? But Maysen will have to go back home to her job soon – what will happen between her and Clay then?

The final story is Five-Alarm Masquerade. It is about Abby, who we first meet as her house is burning. She is being comforted by one of the fire fighters, Gavin.  It is not until her BFF Sierra shows up that she actually looks at Gavin and sees how hot he is.  Neither of them can get each other out of their minds. Gavin ends up taking a chance and inviting Abby to a Five-Alarm Masquerade where people go in masquerade masks and hook up with other strangers invited to the party. Abby is convinced the package that arrives with lingerie is for Sierra (who she is staying with until her house is back to normal) but decides to go anyway.  Rather than hook up with her one night with both of their identities a secret, Gavin decides he may want to reveal himself to Abby so they can have something more… will it work out in his favor?

I enjoyed reading these stories. They all obviously contain adult content and they are short – which means they are quick and easy to read but also there is not all that other “fluff” of a background story like some of the longer books have.

I received a free e-copy in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.

About the Book

Sexy as sin and hot as hell, these firefighters smolder with passion and burn with desire. . .

“Fired Up” by Anne Marsh

Hannah Green watches for wildfires from an isolated fire tower in Sequoia National Park by day and radios Cajun firefighter Cole Henry at night to share carnal fantasies hot enough to start a forest fire. . .

“Sizzle” by Lynn LaFleur

When photojournalist Maysen Halliday arrives in Lanville to take calendar pictures of the sexiest firefighters in Texas, red hot Fire Chief Clay Spencer makes her want him for her own personal centerfold…

“Five-Alarm Masquerade” by Stacey Kennedy

With her home destroyed in a fire, Abby has only the muscular arms of a rock hard firefighter to hold her up and the dream of blazing hot nights of pure erotic pleasure to keep her going. . .

This book contains adult content

Book Review: Thirteen

Katie April 6, 2014 0 Comments

Thirteen tells the story of Apollo 13, The Apollo Flight That Failed.  The book is short, just over 100 pages but does a great job of telling the story in an easy to read and understand way.  If you’ve seen the movie then you know a bit of how the story goes – but it has been quite some time since I’ve seen the movie and I found myself just as invested in reading this book and seeing what happened even though I knew what was going to happen.

This is a great book for all ages but I could see a younger child in school who maybe needs to work on a project or report really getting some great information from this book and being able to understand it on their own.

I received a free e-copy of this book in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.

About the Book

“Houston, we’ve had a problem here.”

On the evening of April 13, 1970, the three astronauts aboard Apollo 13 were just hours from the third lunar landing in history. But as they soared through space, two hundred thousand miles from earth, an explosion badly damaged their spacecraft. With compromised engines and failing life-support systems, the crew was in incomparably grave danger. Faced with below-freezing temperatures, a seriously ill crew member, and a dwindling water supply, a safe return seemed unlikely.

Thirteen is the shocking, miraculous, and entirely true story of how the astronauts and ground crew guided Apollo 13 to a safe landing on earth. Expanding on dispatches written for the New Yorker, Henry S. F. Cooper Jr. brings readers unparalleled detail on the moment-by-moment developments of one of NASA’s most dramatic missions.

Book Review: Growing Up Duggar

Katie April 4, 2014 0 Comments

Growing Up Duggar is a book by the 4 oldest Duggar girls about relationships. While I don’t actually agree with all of their views in the book, it was certainly interesting to read what their advice is to other girls out there (or anyone, really) when it comes to relationships with their families, God, the opposite sex, etc.  While the book is written in the first person, each of the sisters wrote different parts of the book so at the beginning they usually put something like “I (Jinger)” so you know who it is that is “talking”.  It was also nice to get some more insight on the inner workings of the Duggar family – I don’t always watch their show so some of these techniques the family uses may have already been mentioned on the show.  I also didn’t realize that Jim Bob and Michelle were married just 2 days after I was born! (And at 17 and 19 years old!)

If you are a fan of the Duggars then I don’t see any reason why they would not enjoy reading this book by Jill, Jinger, Jessa and Jana.  If you’re not a fan but want to know more about them then you should check the book out too because it has a lot of insight.  But if you completely disagree with them then don’t waste your time.

I received a free e-copy of this book in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.

About the Book

It’s All About Relationships!

In this delightful and very personal book, the four oldest Duggar girls share their hearts and their core beliefs, explaining that it’s all about relationships!

• Relationship with self: The girls share their own personal journeys to self-acceptance and navi­gating the difficult stage of adolescence.

• Relationship with parents: You’ll find revelations about how Jim Bob and Michelle keep the lines of communication open with their children.

• Relationships with siblings: Here, you’ll get a peek into the Buddy system, how the siblings handle conflict, and how the loss of little Jubilee (their sister) affected their relationships with each other.

• Relationships with friends: You’ll find principles on how the Duggar kids deal with peer pressure and how they interact with friends outside their family.

• Relationships with boys: You’ll learn the Duggar view of dating and courtship, and these four sisters will address the often-asked question of when one of them will get married.

• Relationship with God: And woven throughout the book, the girls talk about their most impor­tant relationship of all—their relationship with God and their own personal faith and beliefs.

This candid look into what Jana, Jill, Jessa, and Jinger believe and why they believe it will give you practical insights into your own life and will inspire you to evaluate principles that will work for you.

Book Review: The Promise of a Pencil

Katie April 3, 2014 0 Comments

The Promise of a Pencil is the story of Adam Braun, who created the organization – Pencils of Promise. I had first heard about this organization through Justin Bieber’s twitter a few years back which is why I was interested in reading the book.  The book tells about the events leading up to him creating the organization including his semester at sea.  The whole book was quite an interesting read and I found it to be incredibly inspirational. I wish I had the drive and the guts to pour myself into creating an organization and turn down other opportunities to do what I love like Adam did!

It wasn’t until about halfway through the book that the Bieber connection became more clear.  Perhaps I should have paid more attention to Adam’s last name, “Braun”. But Justin makes and appearance in the book because Scooter Braun – Justin’s manager – is Adam’s brother! Of course!

I also found it interesting that the chapters were labeled as “mantras” and each mantra was explained through the accompanying chapter and the story within it. Pencils of Promise has been incredibly successful – and started after a boy said all he wanted in the world was a pencil. (Adam gave him one that he had on him.) Now they have built hundreds of schools and are helping to educate children that otherwise would not have been able to go to school.

A truly inspiring book and a must read.

I received a free e-copy of this book in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.

About the Book

Adam Braun began working summers at hedge funds when he was just sixteen years old, sprinting down the path to a successful Wall Street career. But while traveling as a college student, he met a young boy begging on the streets of India. When Braun asked the boy what he wanted most in the world, he simply answered, “A pencil.”

This small request became the inspiration for Pencils of Promise, the organization Braun would leave a prestigious job at Bain & Company to start with just $25 at the age of twenty-four. Using his unique “for-purpose” approach, he helped redefine the space in which business, philanthropy, and social media intersect. And a mere five years later, Pencils of Promise has now built more than two hundred schools around the world, proving that anyone can create a movement that matters.

The Promise of a Pencil chronicles Braun’s journey through more than fifty countries to find his calling, as each chapter explains the steps that every person can take to ignite their own passion and potential. His trailblazing story takes readers behind the scenes with business moguls and village chiefs, world-famous celebrities and hometown heroes. Driven by compelling stories and shareable insights, this is a vivid and inspiring book that will give readers the tools to unlock their own extraordinary journey of self-discovery.

If you have ever wanted a more purpose-driven life, if you have ever felt like you could become more than your current circumstances allow, it’s time to ask yourself, “What do I want most in the world?” And through the lessons shared in this book, turn those ideas into reality.

Book Review: Even Monsters…

Katie April 2, 2014 0 Comments

 This is a super adorable book for kids with the story all about monsters.  Monsters may growl – but they also have a routine in the morning and they go to school and they study and they hang out with their friends.  If you have a stubborn child that loves monsters – this is a great way to try and get them to brush their hair and teeth, put on clean undies and learn their ABCS – because guess what? These are things that even monsters do!

The illustrations of the monsters are super cute (though their teeth are a bit interesting.  Hmm.  Good thing they are brushing them!) And I think that it has a great message towards the kids who are reading it.  Perfect for a bedtime story!

I received a free e-copy of this book in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.

About the Book

Everybody knows monsters can be…well, MONSTERS.
But did you know sometimes even monsters get scared?
They can be sad, they can be kind, they can miss their
mommies. Sometimes, they’re just plain silly. And even
monsters need to brush their teeth!

A funny and family-friendly picture book by innovative
author/illustrator A. J. Smith, who combines traditional
storytelling with exciting interactive digital components.

Book Review: Joy in Mudville

Katie April 1, 2014 0 Comments

Joy in Mudville joins the story 24 hours after Mighty Casey struck out at the plate. But today was a new day and Casey hit a homer and was helping out the team.  But what about the relievers? It was either the noodle arm vet or the rookie.  The manager went with the rookie – Joy.  Not only was she a rookie – she was a GIRL!  The fans booed her and she knew that she would need to prove herself because she knew that she could do well and that girls can excel in sports.

While it seems that she had a different approach to pitching – her first pitch was football style, second tennis and 3rd basketball… and then she threw in a little soccer – it proved that she could be good at any sport!

I love the message here about girls playing ball.  Too many people still seem to think it’s just for guys and that is giving a bad message to young girls.  A great story.

I received a free e-copy of this book in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.

About the Book

It had been only twenty-four hours since Mighty Casey struck out, plunging fans of the Mudville team into gloom and despair. But a new game day dawned, and Casey once again proved his might with a homer in the eighth. The Mudville nine took a one-run lead, but in the bottom of the ninth, their hurler walked three straight.

Bases loaded and the starting pitcher spent, the Mudville manager was not bullish about his bullpen. With the game on the line, he called for rookie Joy Armstrong to take the mound. Could she bring joy to Mudville again—and prove that a girl can play ball as well as any boy?