Book Review: Tanker 10

Katie March 23, 2014 0 Comments

 Tanker 10 takes place in the 70s and tells the story of Jimmy over several years. We first meet Jimmy and he has turned 10 years old and gotten a baseball glove.  Shortly after that, there is an accident caused by Jimmy’s older brother Cliff, who loves to pick on him.  Jimmy ends up needing to have emergency surgery and while he’ll end up ok, the rest of his life will be affected.

He begins to try and lose weight so that he will be more in shape to play baseball, which he loves. When another tragedy strikes in Jimmy’s life he isn’t sure that he wants to continue with baseball.  But he goes back to try outs and continues with his goal to play on the all-star game.  The book follows him to college where he is trying out for the UMass baseball team.

While this book appeared to be more about baseball – it wasn’t.  It focused more on Jimmy’s life and issues with growing up. While baseball is the constant throughout the book, it is more about watching Jimmy grow and learn to find himself through his awkward teen stages and deal with the issues that are coming up in his life. I laughed, I cried, I felt for Jimmy and all that he had to go through and overcome.

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

About the Book

A timely and compelling story about a bullied and overweight boy and his love of baseball. “Tanker 10” opens in Brockton, MA, in 1976, where bashful and overweight 10-year-old Jimmy just wants to read his books and toss the ball with his best friend Ben. Unfortunately, Jimmy is an entertaining victim for his older brother Cliff and his buddies. When Jimmy tries to stand up to Cliff, the verbal abuse turns physical and an accident sends Jimmy to the hospital with an injury that changes the trajectory of his life. Tanker 10 depicts the story of Jimmy during his pre-teen and teenage years as he struggles to mend his physical and psychological injuries. Finding salvation through baseball, he dedicates himself to a strict regimen, taking him from intramurals baseball to Little League. By the time he reaches high school, Jimmy is no longer the fat kid throwing a ball against a wall but an up-and-coming right fielder on the freshman baseball team. Yet despite his successful recovery, Jimmy remains ill at ease with himself. He longs for emotional and physical intimacy and grapples with finding his place in his family, among his friends, and with his brother Cliff. Jonathan Curelop, a lifelong baseball fan who was bullied as a child for being overweight, has written a poignant fictional account of a character in search of himself. His debut novel, Tanker 10, is a funny and heart-wrenching coming-of-age journey toward self-acceptance in the wake of trauma. Centered around baseball, the story deals with the serious ramifications of identity and acceptance.

Book Review: Buck ‘Em!

Katie March 23, 2014 0 Comments

Buck ‘Em is the autobiography of Buck Owens.   While Buck passed away in 2006, he started working on his autobiography in the 90s.  He started recording on to cassette tapes for hours and hours and hoped that one day he could work with an author to turn it into his autobiography. Unfortunately his health began to decline before he could get any further than recording the tapes.  The author, Randy Poe, met with Buck’s son, nephew and former Buckaroo band member to ask about writing an authorized biography.  Once he saw all the tapes that were recorded the authorized biography turned into an autobiography.  Poe notes in the “background” section of the book that while he had hundreds of hours of tape, piecing things together would be difficult as the story of Buck’s birth did not come until tape 21!  Buck talked about whatever he wanted to on each of the tapes and they weren’t in chronological order.  Though Poe also notes that Buck had a great memory – remembering venues and details about trips on the road from years ago.  Comparing the tapes to an archive of Buck’s tour dates, Poe realized that Buck had remembered  everything exactly correct.  While Poe pieced everything together, the real author of this autobiography, as it should be, is Buck Owens.

Since  this book is comprised of material from tapes, you really feel like you are sitting in a room with Buck and he is telling you stories.  Stories of his birth, getting signed to a record deal, touring, etc.  While there are quite a few chapters in this book (100+! split into 7 parts), they are mostly very short just a  couple of pages each.  Hats off to Poe for being able to go  through all these tapes and piece things together in chronological order! I can only imagine how overwhelming that might have been – especially with Buck having passed and unable to be there to help out.

Buck led quite a life – even up until his final moments. He was not going to perform with the Buckaroos on March 24, 2006 and as he was leaving to head home he bumped into a couple that had driven quite a distance to see him.  So he decided to turn back around and perform anyway.  He played for an hour and a half (very impressive when he wasn’t feeling up to playing just hours before!) and received his final standing ovation.  He passed away in his sleep over that night into the next morning.

I don’t know much about country music or their legends – but I certainly feel like I know Buck Owens now after reading Buck ‘Em!   I always find it fascinating to read about touring and the music industry from years past.  It is amazing how different everything is now (and probably not for the better).

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

About the Book

Buck ‘Em! The Autobiography of Buck Owens is the life story of a country music legend. Born in Texas and raised in Arizona, Buck eventually found his way to Bakersfield, California. Unlike the vast majority of country singers, songwriters, and musicians who made their fortunes working and living in Nashville, the often rebellious and always independent Owens chose to create his own brand of country music some 2,000 miles away from Music City – racking up a remarkable twenty-one number one hits along the way. In the process he helped give birth to a new country sound and did more than any other individual to establish Bakersfield as a country music center.

In the latter half of the 1990s, Buck began working on his autobiography. Over the next few years, he talked into the microphone of a cassette tape machine for nearly one hundred hours, recording the story of his life.

With his near-photographic memory, Buck recalled everything from his early days wearing hand-me-down clothes in Texas to his glory years as the biggest country star of the 1960s; from his legendary Carnegie Hall concert to his multiple failed marriages; from his hilarious exploits on the road to the tragic loss of his musical partner and best friend, Don Rich; from his days as the host of a local TV show in Tacoma, Washington, to his co-hosting the network television show Hee Haw; and from his comeback hit, “Streets of Bakersfield,” to his induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

In these pages, Buck also shows his astute business acumen, having been among the first country artists to create his own music publishing company. He also tells of negotiating the return of all of his Capitol master recordings, his acquisition of numerous radio stations, and of his conceiving and building the Crystal Palace, one of the most venerated musical venues in the country.

Buck ‘Em! is the fascinating story of the life of country superstar Buck Owens – from the back roads of Texas to the streets of Bakersfield.

Book Review: Goodnight Angels

Katie March 21, 2014 0 Comments

Goodnight Angels is a great book geared towards children. (It is a nice hard cover with hard pages to put up with the wear and tear that a toddler will put it through!)  It is about a little boy who is saying Goodnight for the day – to his friends, to his toys, to his parents and of course – to God and angels.  A super sweet story, great for bedtime for the little ones with a great message and great illustrations!

About the Book

Now available in the popular board book format, Goodnight Angels is a beautifully written bedtime book for young children that presents a new spin on the bestselling, Goodnight Moon complete with the message of prayer and thankfulness.

This charming bedtime story in the vein of Goodnight Moon will lull little ones to sleep with its soothing rhymes and gentle rhythms. Children will love the board book format, and parents and grandparents will love the quiet message of peace and gratitude for God’s tender, loving care.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers <http://booklookbloggers.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.”

Book Review: The Memory Child

Katie March 21, 2014 0 Comments

I’m really not sure how to tell you about this book because there is a HUGE twist (which I had an inkling of pretty early on in the book) but if I tell you what it is – it will ruin the book for you and I certainly don’t want to do that.

The book follows the lives of Diane and Brian.  Both of them are big into their jobs and are pretty big deals at their companies.  In fact, Diane gets a promotion just as she finds out that she is pregnant with the couples first child.  Diane is terrified because her mother killed her baby brother and then herself after suffering postpartum psychosis.  The doctors aren’t sure if it is hereditary or not and Diane hopes that those around her will be able to see the signs and help before its too late should she suffer from it as well.

Brian told his job that he’d like to travel less now that the baby is due, but he also gets a promotion that needs him to be in London around when the baby is going to be born to help set up a new office. They hire a nanny to help out Diane who is now on bed rest until the baby is born.

Although the book gave me clues to figure out what the twist was, I was never really 100% sure that it was going to be what actually happened so I needed to keep reading to make sure that I was right. As I kept reading there seemed to be more and more clues but ultimately I was on the right track but there was a lot more to what was going on than I had figured out on my own.

I often have issues with endings of books but I think that this one had just the right amount of closure and gave me what I was looking for and didn’t leave me hanging or confused.

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

About THE MEMORY CHILD

The story of a married couple, Diane and Brian, that learn they are pregnant with their first child has come at an unfortunate time.  Brian is thrilled with the news since he has patiently waited for twelve years to become a father, however Diane is unsure of her excitement.  With her family’s dark past, her recent promotion, and Brian being called away to London for work parenthood has arrived unexpectedly.  When a year has passed and Diane is completely head over heels in love with her precious baby girl, Grace, Brian has still not returned from London.  Diane’s dark past collides with her mysterious new life and the surreal family drama is unveiled.

Book Review: The Disenchantments (The Good Groupie Rock Novel Reading Club)

Katie March 20, 2014 0 Comments

This month I participated in The Good Groupie’s Rock Novel Reading Club and read the first book that she had chosen for us to read – The Disenchantments.  Obviously I love to read (as seen by the probably far too many book reviews on this blog) and if it is a music book then that is even better!

The book tells the story of 4 friends.  Each of them seem to have a different dynamic with each other, which made things interesting.  There is Bev and Colby, best friends though of the opposite sex (so you know what that probably means) and sisters Alexa and Meg.  The girls are in a band called “The Disenchantments”.  After the older 3 graduate high school, they decide to go on tour up the coast with Colby driving his Uncle’s VW bus.  They’ll play a few shows along the way and ultimately drop Meg off at her college.

The plan is then for Bev and Colby to travel to Europe to see Colby’s Mom who is in France – and check out a bunch of other places as well.  The two seem to have things all planned out and have been planning this for years – until Bev drops a bomb on Colby.  She applied to college when he didn’t, got in to RISD and plans to attend in the fall.

Colby has trouble dealing with this news and isn’t sure what he should do.  Go to Europe alone? Try to get in to a college for the Spring semester?

Meanwhile there are some sub-plots as well – mostly centering around a tattoo that someone got done at a parlor they stumbled upon in their travels of the album art that Colby’s Mom had created for Colby’s Dad and Uncle’s band.

The book can be frustrating at times – but I think that is on purpose and because these characters are just kids – just graduating high school and not knowing exactly where there life is going to take them and what exactly they want to do with their lives either.  I really enjoyed all the characters – the main 4 and everyone they met along the way – as well as all the descriptions of the venues that they are playing on their ‘tour’.  It made me want to hop in the car and go on a road trip. (Until I remembered I have no one to go with and I can’t spend that much time alone with myself and my thoughts in a car!)

The Good Groupie also has posted some discussion questions – I’m not sure if I’ll post my thoughts about them here, I’m still thinking about my answers 🙂

(I purchased this book in order to participate in this Rock Novel Reading Club. I was not otherwise compensated and wanted to share the book with my readers)

About the Book

Colby and Bev have a long-standing pact: graduate, hit the road with Bev’s band, and then spend the year wandering around Europe. But moments after the tour kicks off, Bev makes a shocking announcement: she’s abandoning their plans – and Colby – to start college in the fall.

But the show must go on and The Disenchantments weave through the Pacific Northwest, playing in small towns and dingy venues, while roadie- Colby struggles to deal with Bev’s already-growing distance and the most important question of all: what’s next?

Morris Award–finalist Nina LaCour draws together the beauty and influences of music and art to brilliantly capture a group of friends on the brink of the rest of their lives.

Book Review: Fic

Katie March 20, 2014 0 Comments

Fic is all about Why Fanfiction Is Taking Over the World.

It’s quite interesting.  I feel like since the success of Fifty Shades of Grey, FanFiction has become more mainstream.  I mean, I grew up reading (and sometimes writing) Hanson, NSYNC, etc fan fiction.  The book talks about how sometimes the stories never were done.  I know half of mine never finished.  Sometimes you’re reading along to someone else’s story and then that’s it, it’s done. They’ve given up on it, moved on to a new story or maybe a new band or tv show or book all together.

One of the chapters talks about how some people think it is “stealing” to write fan fic – while others call it “borrowing someone else’s toys”.  I think it’s a lot easier to write based on characters you are already (somewhat) familiar with than it is to make up your own characters all together. Maybe that means I am not creative, maybe it’s just a technique that works for me (and others.)

The book features interviews with over 20 authors with their thoughts on fic.  It is always interesting to see what other topics have spawned a community through fan fiction.

One of the sections of the book is about Harry Potter fiction.  Back when I was in college my friend used to send me stories to read by her “favorite author”, Cassie Clare.  She’s now known for writing the Mortal Instruments series – which is being turned into a movie.  A lot of times I think – hey, I can write a good book if I start it as fan fic and then change the characters.  Then I never follow through.  I’d be a millionaire if I wasn’t so lazy 😉

This book is almost 500 pages – so it is relatively long, but I found it to be very interesting and I liked reading the interviews from other fiction writers and the in-depth analysis of the genre and why it is probably not going away anytime soon.

If you are a fanfic reader or writer, you will probably enjoy reading this book, as it has a lot of good information in it. I was surprised to know that fic has been going on since 1960 – there were ‘zines dedicated to fiction based on star trek. I guess I should have figured it had been going on for a lot longer, but I can only imagine the impact that the internet has had on being able to quickly and easily share fic and be able to build a community. (The book does of course touch on this topic a bit as well.)

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

About the Book

What is fanfiction, and what is it not? Why does fanfiction matter? And what makes it so important to the future of literature?

Fic is a groundbreaking exploration of the history and culture of fan writing and what it means for the way we think about reading, writing, and authorship. It’s a story about literature, community, and technology—about what stories are being told, who’s telling them, how, and why.

With provocative discussions from both professional and fan writers, on subjects from Star Trek to The X-Files and Buffy the Vampire Slayer to Harry Potter, Twilight, and beyond, Fic sheds light on the widely misunderstood world(s) of fanfiction—not only how fanfiction is transforming the literary landscape, but how it already has.

Fic features a foreword by Lev Grossman (author of The Magicians) and interviews with Jonathan Lethem, Doug Wright, and Eurydice (Vivean Dean).

Katie Forsythe/wordstrings
Cyndy Aleo (algonquinrt; d0tpark3r)
V. Arrow (aimmyarrowshigh)
Tish Beaty (his_tweet)
Brad Bell
Amber Benson
Peter Berg (Homfrog)
Kristina Busse
Rachel Caine
Francesca Coppa
Randi Flanagan (BellaFlan)
Jolie Fontenot
Wendy C. Fries (Atlin Merrick)
Ron Hogan
Bethan Jones
Christina Lauren (Christina Hobbs/tby789 and Lauren Billings/LolaShoes)
Jacqueline Lichtenberg
Rukmini Pande and Samira Nadkarni
Chris Rankin
Tiffany Reisz
Andrew Shaffer
Andy Sawyer
Heidi Tandy (Heidi8)
Darren Wershler
Jules Wilkinson (missyjack)
Jen Zern (NautiBitz)

Book Review: The Day The Music Died

Katie March 19, 2014 0 Comments

The Day the Music Died is a Sam McCain Mystery. Sam is a lawyer, but in a town where there’s more than enough lawyers, he also works as a private eye to try and make some extra money. The title – The Day The Music Died – is of course the reference to the death of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Boppers deaths. The book starts with Sam going to see Buddy Holly perform – what would end up being his last performance. Sam is a big fan of Buddy Holly but he has no time to grieve the death of his idol because immediately he is submerged into what appears to be a murder-suicide. But Sam thinks that there may be more to it and that the husband did not murder his wife.

Sam ends up diving in to the mystery and tries to figure out what it is that really ended up happening.  There are a lot of interesting characters in this book and it was certainly a good mystery read. I was a bit thrown with the title though – I thought at first that it would be investigating the deaths of Boddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper – instead of their deaths having just a small part in the story.

This is the first in a series and the rest all seem to have more music titles, I’m sure I’ll check them out in the future if they cross my path. I did enjoy the writing and the story that the book ended up being.

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

About the Book
In 1950s Iowa, a murder-suicide forces a lawyer to put aside his rock-and-roll grief

Sam McCain loves Buddy Holly because he’s the only rock-and-roll star who still seems like a dweeb, and Sam knows how that feels. With the unrequited love of his life at his side, Sam drives more than three hours through the snow to watch his idol play the Surf Ballroom. That night, Buddy Holly dies in the most famous plane crash in music history, but Sam has no time to grieve. Because there are too many lawyers in this small town, Sam makes a living as a PI, doing odd jobs for an eccentric judge—whose nephew, it seems, has a problem only a detective could solve. His trophy wife has been murdered, and as soon as Sam arrives, the nephew kills himself, too.

The police see this as a clear-cut murder-suicide, but Sam wants to know more, diving into a mystery that will get dangerous faster than you can say “bye-bye, Miss American Pie.”

Book Review: Taming Romeo

Katie March 19, 2014 1 Comments

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

Taming Romeo is about Evie – a medical student that was off in Boston for school, but returned home to California after having her heart broken and needing to recover emotionally before getting back in the swing of things at school.  When she gets back home she bumps into Romeo – whom she has been in love with since she was a child, but she stood him up at prom and then left for school after that, cutting off contact.  Romeo wants to know why – and it turns out that they both still do have feelings for each other.

Things seem to be going well for the two when someone from Evie’s past shows up and shakes things up a bit.  Will Evie and Romeo be able to survive this? Are they truly in love and meant to be together now?

This was a nice, short book, very well written with a great story line.  Although at times the outcome seemed obvious, there was always some twist or turn with the story that popped up to give the main characters something that they had to see if they could overcome.

Book is recommended for readers 18+ due to mature content. A quick read – coming in at just under 200 pages. Great characters and a great story line!

About the Book

Evie Sanchez is recovering from heartbreak by working at her parents’ Filipino restaurant when in walks Romeo Garcia, the boy she left behind. Only now, he’s a hot movie star surrounded by gorgeous actresses and adoring fans.

Bad boy Romeo Garcia never understood why Evie stood him up at the prom. When he rescues her from a flying coconut in the dumpster, he is determined to dig into her heart for the reason. Their mutual attraction and unresolved feelings ignite in a scintillating night of daring ***, and Romeo shows Evie what she’ll miss the rest of her life if she walks away again.

Evie lands a part as Romeo’s co-star and falls into her role, totally in love. He plays his part, too, with his romantic gestures and skillful lovemaking. But is the fantasy real or revenge? Evie and Romeo are about to discover if their buried feelings will explode in pure delight or utter disaster.

Taming Romeo is a contemporary romance featuring family secrets, delicious food, and hot, steamy loves scenes. Due to mature content, recommended for readers aged 18+

“Second chance love is always the sweetest.” – Jessica Cassidy
“Sexy and funny, a unique take on love reignited.” – Racquel Reck
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: 10 Ways to Handle the Best Man

Katie March 18, 2014 0 Comments

10 Ways to Handle the Best Man is the story of Sabrina – who is organized and keeps lists of everything, being the maid of honor in her BFFs wedding.  It turns out that her BFF asked her brother to have his half-brother be the Best Man, simply in hopes that he and Sabrina would hook up.  Sabrina is not interested in this idea at all, Connor McCoy is nothing but trouble!  At the rehearsal dinner, Connor slips his hand up Sabrina’s leg and she is convinced that everyone is watching her.  Maybe only BFF noticed though – and even she isn’t sure of what she is seeing.  Sabrina makes him stop but then only wants him more.  They end up making plans to meet up after the wedding and Connor thinks that everything is going to go HIS way.  Except that soon he realizes that Sabrina has a bit of a hold on him and gets him to break even his own rules on what is going on.

I really liked this story. It was a Cosmo Red-Hot Read so it was short and quickly gets to the “good part” of the story.  It did seem a little bit reminiscent of 50 Shades of Gray at points but that really wasn’t a problem.  Although the ending was a bit open-ended, it didn’t leave me absolutely needing to find out what happened next, I did have some closure though there was a bit of curiosity too to see how their relationship (or lack there of) would evolve.

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

About the Book

The maid of honor’s to-do list for handling the best man:

#1 Charm him.
#2 Find out everything about him from friends and family.
#3 Size definitely matters: especially when it comes to the ego. Tread carefully if he has a big one….

Sabrina Millard has a plan and a list for everything, including her role as maid of honor at her BFF’s wedding. The best man is a whole different matter. She knows Connor McCoy is trouble—she once had a disastrous encounter with him years ago. Now that he’s supersexy and supersuccessful, it’s even worse. Especially as he’s just proved who’s in charge by shattering her legendary control…under the table at the rehearsal dinner!

Connor’s having fun seducing prim Sabrina. Which is so wrong—she’s the ultimate good girl, while his past is…complicated. Only Sabrina has him breaking all his own rules….

Book Review: Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader Attack of the Factoids

Katie March 17, 2014 0 Comments

I wasn’t sure how I felt about an electronic Bathroom Reader – so I opted to read it safely away from water in the comfort of my desk chair.  Most of the facts are short and fit on to one page with facts from the same topic.  A few of the topics go over a couple of pages – but are quick and easy to read depending on how long you may be in the bathroom with your bathroom reader. (Not that you really need to be in the bathroom to read it, but you know.)  The book is over 400 pages, but it does include an index. (Although 393 pages worth of facts is quite substantial)

Facts range from all sorts of topics covering anything and everything. You’ll be amazed at what you’ll learn and will be the king of any trivia contests including these factoids for sure. Who to blame for hating Mondays (the inventor of the alarm clock), 5 firsts that happened in Connecticut (yeah CT!), that Tilikum the killer whale from Sea World has killed 3 times, that spiders can in fact get stuck in their own webs… and tons and tons more!

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

About the Book

Packed with more than 400 pages, Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader Attack of the Factiods is a fact-a-palooza of obscure information. Like what, you ask? Here are just a few extraordinary examples:

* Bats always turn left when they exit a cave.
* In the 1960s, astronauts trained for moon voyages by walking on Hawaiian lava fields.
* Lloyd’s of London insured Bruce Springsteen’s voice for 3.5 million English pounds.
* Physician Amynthas of Alexandria, Greece, performed the first known nose job in the Third Century B.C.
* Military toilet paper is printed in a camouflage design, since white could attract enemy fire.
* Elvis Presley always wore a helmet when watching football on TV.
* King Henry VIII’s ladies at court had a ration of one gallon of beer per day.
* It takes the energy from 50 leaves on an apple tree to produce one ripe fruit.
* The only country to host the Summer Olympics but not win a sinlge gold medal was Canada, in 1976.

And that’s just the beginning! So what are you waiting for? Attack!