Book Review: Courtney Comes Clean

Courtney Comes Clean: The High Life and Dark Depths of Music’s Most Controversial Icon by Maer Roshan is a rather short book (my favorite kind!)  which consists mostly of an interview between Courtney and Maer. (There is also additional reporting and writing from Matt Dickinson and Walter Armstrong.)  There are 7 chapters in the 94 page book: Under the Influence, Kurt and Courtney, Bad Romance, Nobody’s Daughter, Money Changes Everything, Life the Movie, Love Additction. Courtney talks about her life and how she is cleaning up her act and dislikes when she still gets labeled as a “crack head” (especially from Kelly Osbourne).  It is interesting insight into a pop culture Icon, essentially in her own words. What started out as a profile for a magazine turned in to something much bigger and probably much more interesting than could have fit in the pages of a magazine!

Courtney Comes Clean was released January 15, 2012 by Sterling Publishing.  I received a free  review copy through NetGalley for this review. I was not otherwise compensated.

About the Book

In her endless quest for fame and fortune, Courtney Love has lived through addictions to substances, behaviors, and celebrity itself. For almost a year, the rock icon talked to (and tweeted at) The Fix editor-in-chief Maer Roshan about Kurt Cobain; her daughter, Frances Bean; her allegations of fraud; and her will to survive. As addiction redefines itself in the 21st century, Love seems like its prototypical saint-and sinner.

Maer Roshan, author of Courtney Comes Clean: The High Life and Dark Depths of Music’s Most Controversial Icon, is the founder and editor-in-chief of The Fix. Previously he was deputy of New York Magazine, editorial director of Talk, features editor of Interview, founder of QW, and founder and editor-in-chief of Radar Magazine and Radaronline.com.

Book Review: Death’s Crooked Shadow

Death’s Crooked Shadow by Godon N. McIntosh is a legacy of lies – a circle of corruption.  The book is about Doug Sutherland, a real estate developer living in Chicago.  Things seem to be going pretty well for him, but then the workers who are restoring an office building of Doug’s (once belonging to his father) discover a human skull in a column, his life gets a bit out of control.

The skull belongs to alderman Danny Delaney who went missing fifteen years ago.  Once this is uncovered, Doug gets a call from someone who has a notebook of Danny’s with information about money changing hands and tapes. Doug’s father’s name is listed in it among many others.  Doug doesn’t want anything to do with it and suggests the caller contact a newspaper reporter instead.

More and more people involved in this case end up murdered and Doug is trying to find more things that his father left behind to try and solve this mystery on his own – all the time fearing for his life because he never knows when whoever is killing everyone is going to come after him.

This book is 107 chapters, but many are just a page or two long. It is about 350 pages and took me about 3 days to read as there is a lot of different details to follow.  I also think that I stretched things out a bit because I didn’t want the story to end.  It seemed everywhere Doug turned, there was another clue to involve someone else in this story – and he even found out secrets about his father that he did not know about before.  The book was well written in that I had no idea what was going to come at the end until I read it – a lot of times I can figure these things out beforehand (which makes finishing the book rather boring).  There were also a lot of great characters in this story and I would recommend it to anyone who likes a good mystery.

I received a free copy of this book from the author in order to write my review.

About the Book

Real estate developer Doug Sutherland thinks it is just going to be another sweltering day in Chicago. But when the foreman restoring his late father’s rundown office building discovers a skull and human bones incased in a crumbling Greek column, Sutherland is suddenly propelled into a cauldron of greed, sadism and murder.

The last thing Sutherland needs is bad publicity. When he learns the victim is notorious alderman Danny Delaney, however, he realized a fifteen-year-old mystery is about to be solved– and that now, his deceased father is one of the prime suspects. Then the murdered man’s notebook and videotapes suddenly surface, and Sutherland discovers that his father had more secrets than he ever realized. As he is relentlessly harassed for what he might know — endangering both his life and his business– Sutherland must convince everyone that he knows nothing. Unfortunately, no one believes him.

As a desperate Sutherland collaborates with an ambitious reporter and his calculating sister in a pursuit strewn with murder victims, he soon finds out that trusting the wrong person can lead to dire consequences.

About the Author

Gordon N. McIntosh earned a master’s degree from the University of Chicago and subsequently enjoyed a successful career as a commercial real estate executive. Now retired, he divides his time between homes in Chicago and Key West, where he loves pursuing his true passion — writing fiction. This is his second novel.

The Voice Battle Rounds 3

I think I got the banner fixed. I don’t know why it was showing up so black last week – I like it much better with the white / transparent background.  This week we have more battle rounds.

Team Adam

Pip vs Nathan
Amy Winehouse – You Know I’m No Good
My Pick: Pip
Adam’s Pick: Pip

Team Cee Lo

Erin vs The Shields Brothers
Tina Turner – What’s Love Got To Do With It
My Pick: The Shields Brothers
Cee Lo’s Pick: Erin

(I had a feeling Cee Lo was going to pick her, but I try to pick who I would pick if I was a coach – not try to pick who I think the coaches will pick!)

Team Christina

Ashley vs Jonathas
Jordin Sparks/Chris Brown – No Air
My Pick: Ashley
Christina’s Pick: Ashley

Team Blake

Alyx vs Jermaine
Billy Ocean – Get Out Of My Dreams
My Pick: Jermaine
Blake’s Pick: Jermaine

Team Adam

Angel vs Katrina
Leona Lewis – Bleedin’ Love
My Pick: Katrina
Adam’s Pick:  Katrina

Team Blake

Gwen vs Erin
Pat Benatar – We Belong
My Pick:  Erin (but this was a tough one!)
Blake’s Pick:  Erin

 

Well, it looks like I was 5/6 this week – not bad, not bad.  One more week of battles next week and then time for the live round! 2 more for Adam, 1 more for Blake, 1 more for Christina and 2 more for Cee Lo will be picked next week!

2011 Scrap Posts

Finally I have gotten around to photographing (and finishing!) the last scrapbook pages of 2011.

Included in the mix are page for Action Item’s homecoming show in November, Honor Society in NJ, Action Item in New York in December with Ariana Grande and a trip to Mystic Seaport from December.

Read More

Nail Art Stickers

My latest favorite thing to do is to paint my nails. So naturally, when I found out that there were nail art stickers I had to check them out because you all know that I looove stickers. I was sent a sheet of cute little flowers to try out. They arrived promptly even though they came to me from the UK. (the image above is a stock photo, not the ones I received)

I picked alternating Orange and Pink nailpolish because I thought that would go the best with the colors of the flowers I was sent.  After waiting to make sure my nails were definitely dry (I have a problem with doing things too soon after painting and ending up with ridiculous chips) I started to try and peel the stickers off.  Since they were so tiny and I was trying to be careful, the first couple were a bit difficult to get off the sheet.  Once I got going though, it was a lot easier to peel and stick!

I didn’t really have a rhyme or reason to the placement I did, I just wanted to make sure I had at least 1 sticker on each finger.  They are small enough that you can probably fit 3, maybe even 4 on a nail (depending on how big your nails are, mine are tiny) and not have it look too crowded.

Just one tip though – make sure you press down hard on them after you stick them on your nail.  I didn’t and ended up losing one when I put my hands through my hair. Lesson learned!

I think that nail art stickers are great addition to spruce up nail polish colors you may think are getting boring!


I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Book Review: Stand By Me

I’m going to be completely honest and let you know that I only chose to read this book because the main characters name is Kathryn – which is my name.  Sometimes when I choose obscure reasons to read a book, it comes back to haunt me and the book is terrible, but this time it worked out.

The story is actually 2 stories in one – one is about Kathryn, or Kat, as she goes by and 3 of her friends who are students at Christa University.  The other story is about Avis Douglass who lives with her husband, has 3 daughters and is estranged from one of them.

Their lives cross paths when Kat and her friends start attending church at SouledOut, where Avis is a worship leader and heavily involved in the church.  At first, Avis is incredibly against these kids coming to the church, but through a series of incidents (no doubt guided by God), she comes to realize that Kat doesn’t mean any harm and together they can help each other out with their shortcomings in life.

The book alternates chapters between Avis and Kat, although some chapters they are both together at church or at the condo complex where they now both live.  I have to say, I really enjoyed the character progression of Avis – in the beginning I could not stand her because she was being so judgmental towards the college kids, but by the end she realized that maybe they were sent to “bother” her for a real reason, since they really helped her out a lot with stuff she was worrying about!

The book is 43 chapters, but a pretty easy read and the chapters aren’t really all that long.  Definitely recommended for anyone who enjoys christian fiction!

About the Book

Sometimes the person you most need is the one least like you.

Kathryn Davies is a bright young woman from a prominent Phoenix family. But after making a leap of faith at a Christian music fest, dropping out of med school, and moving to inner city Chicago, her family has all but disowned her. Kat’s enthusiasm for her newfound faith tempers the sting of their rejection.

When Kat discovers SouledOut Community Church, she longs to become a part of the multi-cultural church family. But her tendency to say whatever she’s thinking and her eccentric ways step on the toes of nearly everyone she meets—especially Avis Douglass, a woman she admires but who seems distant.

Avis is known for her mature faith and her reliance on listening to God more than people. Married to a kind and successful businessman, she is the principal of one of Chicago’s highest performing elementary schools, and a founding and active member of SouledOut. But the country’s economic downturn has thrown both her and her husband’s jobs in question. And Avis hasn’t heard from her youngest daughter in months—an estrangement that gnaws at her every day. Where is God in all this?

Kat’s flamboyant zeal for living a “radical” Christian life is a stark contrast to Avis’s quiet crisis of faith. But in God’s own mysterious ways, the two women discover they need each other in ways neither of them expected.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

 

 

Idol Top 12

Of course, Wednesday night was not without drama as we found out that one of the contestants had to be eliminated with the cooperation of the police department! The theme from this week is Songs from the Year You Were Born.

1. Philip – Hard To Handle – Kind of weird to see him without the guitar. I think I would have liked the performance more if he played up the stage a big – without the guitar he could easily do this.  Overall it was a good performance though.

2. Jessica – Turn The Beat Around – Jessica is great and obviously sang the crap out of this song. I’m not sure why the judges felt the need to give her so much criticism though!

3. Heejun – Right Here Waiting For You – This was so bad. I don’t even understand how he is still around.

4. Elise – Lets Stay Together – I think she did a lot better than last week not being stuck in a specific theme. She is good, but she needs to have songs that are in her wheelhouse.

5. DeAndre – Endless Love – I think I would have rather him sing a song from The Lion King…  I was not interested in this performance at all. Bummer.

6. Shannon – One Sweet Day – I think the background kind of drowned her out a bit at parts, but she did a great job and I hope that America will agree and she won’t be in the bottom again!

7. Colton – Broken Heart- Still not a fan of Colton. I also didn’t like the little stylistic hiccups he added in their either.Unfortunately he did well with it otherwise so he should be safe.

8. Erika – Heaven – Love love love her!

And now we find out that it was Jermaine who will be kicked off the show. So they brought him back for what? 2 weeks? Hate to say I told you so… but ya shoulda brought back Johnny!

9. Skylar – Love Sneakin’ Up On You – I am glad that she stuck to her guns and didn’t let Jimmy pick a new song for her. I don’t know what he thinks he is doing but he is worthless as far as I’m concerned. I think that it was a great performance. And JLo saying they have to be honest with them is such BS because they totally oogle all over the ones they love even when they suck (which was not Skylar, but they do it EVERY. WEEK.)

10. Joshua – When A Man Loves a Woman – Joshua is so good. So, so, so good.

11. Hollie – The Power Of Love – She really likes singing songs from ladies with big voices – and she does a great job with them too!

Bottom 3: Heejun, Elise, DeAndre

Going Home: No one. It will be another Top 11 tour. (Or Heejun)

Thursday night we suffered through Demi Lovato and Daughtry.   And why does Ryan pick on Colton EVERY week with making it seem like he is in the bottom?  I think Colton has finally caught on based on him saying “really, really?” to Ryan. We also found out that my Bottom 3 picks pretty much sucked – although I did get 1 right (and the other 2 I had in the bottom were the final one standing with the one who did go in the bottom 3 so that threw me as well.)  I am really not in agreement with what went down – Heejun needs to have been gone WEEKS ago. I just do not see what anyone can see in him and him bring on the TV makes me want to punch things lol

 

Book Review: Until Next Time

 I have to say, I am kind of loving that the tides seem to be turning from vampires to angels in books!  I love a good angel novel. Until Next Time is by Amy Lignor and is the first book in The Angel Chronicles series.

Matt and Emily are an angel/warrior team.  They take over the lives of 2 people on earth – Daniel and Liz.  Daniel had committed suicide and Liz was prone to strange trances – one of which killed her.  In order to complete their mission they need to learn what it is like to be human and have emotions.  Then they must figure out how to control these emotions so that they don’t completely screw up their mission.  (Considering that most humans aren’t even entirely sure how to control their emotions this is probably easier said than done.)

They also have no idea who it is they are supposed to help and have to figure this all out on their own. They come in contact with a lot of people as well, which doesn’t really help matters for them.

Matt and Emily are also soulmates, however this complicates things when Liz and Daniel do not share the same feelings for each other that Matt and Emily do.  When Liz and her friend Faith meet strangers Jason and Charles, Liz develops a new bond with Jason which further complicates things.  And that is just the tip of the iceberg with the complications in this story!

The book is a relatively quick read, 36 chapters plus an epilogue and since it is a young adult novel the reading level is easy enough that you will just fly through it. (No pun intended)  I really enjoyed all the characters and the story.  It went back and forth a bit which could be confusing at times – but if you stick with it I think you will really enjoy the book!

I received a free e-copy of this book from Tribute Books in order to write this review and participate in the blog tour for Until Next Time.

How does a girl choose between the one who steals her heart and the one who owns her soul?

Matt and Emily were created for a specific job. Raised and trained as the ultimate angel/warrior team, they are sent down to save, defend, judge and forgive, depending on the ‘life’ they’ve been assigned. What they don’t realize is that the power of human emotions, such as love, anger, passion and fear can take over even the best of souls, causing them to make mistakes and follow paths that lead to confusion and heartache.

When the reason for their training is finally revealed, the angel/warrior team find themselves thrust into a world they know nothing about. Matt takes over the life of Daniel, a young man with a great deal of baggage. Emily becomes Liz, a girl living in a remote village who relies on nothing more than her own strength to survive. A violent storm erupts one night, and framed in the window of Liz’s establishment is a frightening face. Let in by the soul of a Good Samaritan, the two visitors bring with them a past full of secrets that could literally change an angel’s path and a warrior’s plans.

From murder to redemption, this angel/warrior team must find a way to keep the faith they have in each other in a world that’s ripping them apart.

 

The Angel Chronicles web site:
http://www.the-angel-chronicles.com

The Angel Chronicles Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/The-Angel-Chronicles/168932393209654

Until Next Time GoodReads page:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13319888-until-next-time

Amy Lignor’s Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/alignor

Amy Lignor’s Twitter:
https://twitter.com/#!/HelloWritersAmy

Amy Lignor’s Website:
http://www.thewritecompanion.com/

Amy Lignor’s Blog:
http://hellowriters.wordpress.com/

Amy Lignor’s GoodReads:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5222068

Tribute Books website:
http://www.tribute-books.com

Tribute Books Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Archbald-PA/Tribute-Books/171628704176

Tribute Books Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/TributeBooks

Tribute Books Blog Tours Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tribute-Books-Blog-Tours/242431245775186

The Voice – Battle Rounds Part 2

It is time for the battle rounds – part 2!  The teams will continue to be cut in half and then it is on to the live rounds!  Like the new banner? I don’t. HAHA. I wanted to have some sort of image though so I threw this together and it didn’t quite turn out like I would have liked it.  It will have to do until I get free time to make a new one (the show will probably be over by then!)

Team Christina

Geoff vs Sara
Chain of Fools – Aretha Franklin
My Pick: This was tough, I really liked them both but I think I’d pick Sera.
Christina’s Pick:  Sera

Team Blake

Charlotte vs Lex
Pumped Up Kicks – Foster the People
My Pick: Lex
Blake’s Pick: Charlotte

Team CeeLo

Sarah vs Juliet
Stay with Me – Rod Stewart
My Pick: Juliet
Cee Lo’s Pick:  Juliet

Team Adam

Whitney vs Kim
No More Drama – Mary J Blige
My Pick: Kim
Adam’s Pick:  Kim

Team Christina

Lee vs Lindsay
Heart Shaped Box – Nirvana
My Pick: Lindsay
Christina’s Pick: Lindsay

Team CeeLo

Jamar vs Jamie
I Want To Know What Love Is – Foreigner
My Pick: Jamar
Cee Lo’s Pick:  Jamar

 

Why do I never seem to be on the same page as Blake? Everyone else I was right on with picking.  Another battle round next week! I’m looking forward to it.

Fly Away Giveaway!

How is your Spring Break going? Would it be better if you were somewhere tropical and warm? Well lucky you! I teamed up with some other bloggers to bring you a giveaway where you can win $100 to Southwest Airlines! That oughta help you out with a dream vacay!

Enter to win below, and good luck!

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