Book Review: Deadly Echoes

Katie April 1, 2015 0 Comments

Deadly Echoes is about a woman named Sarah.  It is the second book in a series, but it works as a stand alone as well. When she was 6, her mother and father were both murdered while she and her 12 year old sister hid in a closet. The two girls ended up separated through CPS after that, but she had just reunited with her sister Hannah about a year ago when she finds out that her sister has been killed as well. The police think that it was a burglary gone wrong and find a drug addict guilty of the crime.  But Sarah is not so sure.

She enlists her police friend Paul’s assistance in trying to get to the bottom of what is going on. She thinks that her sister was close to figuring out who had murdered her parents – a case that has gone unsolved for 20 years – and that is why she was murdered because there were too many similarities between the two crime scenes and Sarah doesn’t think that the police are taking her concern seriously.

The rest of the book shows how Sarah is coping now being caretaker to her niece and trying to go through the things of her sister’s she was able to grab before her sister’s house was set on fire. (Coincidence?)

Will Sarah and Paul figure out what Hannah had figured out – before it is too late? Are their lives at risk by investigating these murders? You’ll want to find out by reading the book.

I really enjoyed this book – there were a few things that I picked up on throughout that I was kind of hoping that Sarah would as well to help keep her safe – but she didn’t.  Although I guess those led to other things in the story happening that might not have if she did what I wanted! This book was quite a thriller and I didn’t want to put it down.

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

About the Book

After a youth filled with tragedy and upheaval, Sarah Miller’s life is finally settled with all echoes of the past silent at last. She happily calls Sanctuary her home and spends her days teaching at the local school.

Sarah’s joy at her recent reunion with her sister, Hannah, and meeting the niece she didn’t know she had is too soon interrupted when Deputy Sheriff Paul Gleason informs Sarah her sister has been killed.

As she learns more about Hannah’s death, the circumstances are eerily similar to their parents’ murder. Sarah enlists Paul’s help in digging deeper into the murders the police are dismissing as burglaries gone wrong. Paul’s concern encourages Sarah’s growing feelings for him, but as their investigation peels back the layers of lies almost twenty years old, they get close to uncovering the truth one person will do anything to hide–even if that means coming after the last remaining members of the Miller family.

Book Review: Abigail and the Tropical Island Adventure

Katie March 31, 2015 0 Comments

Abigail and the Tropical Island Adventure is a book about Abigail, a girl who is at home on a rainy day.  She remembers that she has a magic bicycle and uses it to go to an archipelago.  There she meets Lelei, learns about pearls and starfish and helps them have a party. When Abigail returns home – in her hula dress – her mom thinks that she has quite the imagination.  But if this was all in her imagination – how did she end up back at home in her dress?

I thought this was an adorable book and a great way to teach your kids.  I was surprised to see a word like “archipelago” included in the text – but teaching your child what it means could be a great learning experience.  The book had lots of vibrant photos and was a lot of fun to read.

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

About the Book

NEW book by international best selling children author Tali Carmi

Want your kids to be familiar with exotic locations?
Want them to meet cultures and widen their horizons?
This is a wonderful book about a girl named Abigail, that goes on adventures around the world using her magical bicycle.
Who will she meet there? What will she discover?
This beginner reader’s eBook will inspire your kids to be open to new cultures, and be more curious and enthusiastic about exploring various places.
Your kids will enjoy full-color illustrations of Abigail and the tropical island.
Your kids will be inspired to be:

• Open to new people & cultures
  More curious
  Enthusiastic about exploring new things

Abigail and the Tropical Island Adventure is a sweet children’s book written especially for you and your ages 2- 8 children.
With simple text and 16 colorful illustrations.
The story is suitable as a read aloud book for preschoolers or a self-read book for beginner readers.

Book Review: The Essential WP Kinsella

Katie March 27, 2015 0 Comments

The Essential W.P. Kinsella is made up of 27 stories in celebration of the 80th birthday of author W.P. Kinsella. There are several sports stories in the book – from the miracle of Istanbul to the Old Trafford brawl – as well as several others.  W.P. inspired the movie Field of Dreams!

There is a lot of great short works in this book and I enjoyed reading it and enjoyed W.P’s writing style.  I didn’t realize that W.P. had stopped writing for a while – he was struck by a car in 1997 and had brain damage and didn’t end up writing again until 2011!

If you like to read about sports I am sure that you will enjoy this book of works. And there’s some non-sports related stories in there too for everyone else 😉

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

About the Book

This career retrospective celebrates the 80th birthday of baseball’s greatest scribe, W. P. Kinsella (Shoeless Joe), as well as the 25th anniversary of Field of Dreams, the film that he inspired.

In addition to his classic baseball tales, W. P. Kinsella is also a critically-acclaimed short fiction writer. His satiric wit has been celebrated with numerous honors, including the Order of British Columbia.

Here are his notorious First Nation narratives of indigenous Canadians, and a literary homage to J. D. Salinger. Alongside the “real” story of the 1951 Giants and the afterlife of Roberto Clemente, are the legends of a pirated radio station and a hockey game rigged by tribal magic.

Eclectic, dark, and comedic by turns, The Essential W. P. Kinsella is a living tribute to an extraordinary raconteur.

Book Review: Around The World in 50 Years

Katie March 27, 2015 0 Comments

As someone who loves to travel, I was thrilled to get the chance to read Around the World in 50 years. It is about Al who decided to try and visit EVERY country. The book is made up of 30 chapters and chronicles 72 journeys over the course of 50 years.  The stories include adventure, unpredictable animals, a friend named God and some unusual food (dog and monkey brains?).

At first Al wanted to be the first to travel in a longitudinal direction around the world but then decided he would try to visit every country. Which made him ask – just how many countries ARE there?  Plus with the changes in countries through the years he had to do a few “revisits” of sorts.  He is far more dedicated to this traveling than I am – a lot of these countries I wouldn’t want to visit no matter the circumstances.

I particularly liked the story he told about how he bought some Times Square shirts to give away and trade with. People seemed to like them – but some wanted his hat, a Mets hat. He refused to give it up!

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

About the Book

This is the inspiring story of an ordinary guy who achieved two great goals that others had told him were impossible — first by setting a record for the longest automobile journey ever made around the world — in the course of which he blasted his way out of minefields, survived a breakdown atop the Peak of Death, came within seconds of being lynched in Pakistan, and lost three of the five men who started with him, two to disease, one to the Vietcong.

After that — although it took him 47 more years – Albert Podell set another record by going to every country on Earth. He achieved this by surviving riots, revolutions, civil wars, trigger-happy child soldiers, voodoo priests, robbers, pickpockets, corrupt cops, and Cape buffalo. He went around, under, or through every kind of earthquake, cyclone, tsunami, volcanic eruption, snowstorm, and sandstorm that Nature threw at him. He ate everything from old camel meat and rats to dung beetle and the brain of a live monkey. And he overcame attacks by crocodiles, hippos, anacondas, giant leeches, flying crabs — and several beautiful girlfriends who insisted that he stop this nonsense and marry them.　　Albert Podell’s Around the World in 50 Years is a remarkable and meaningful tale of quiet courage, dogged persistence, undying determination, and an uncanny ability to extricate himself from one perilous situation after another — and return with some of the most memorable, frightening, and　hilarious adventure stories you have ever read.

Book Review: The List

Katie March 27, 2015 0 Comments

The List is about Phoebe. Her boyfriend cheated on her but she still seems to be hung up on him, even though that all happened a year ago.  She decides that she is going to make a new years resolution and stick with it – making a list of 12 things she’d like to do to try and improve her sex life.  At the advice of her therapist she is keeping a diary – and that is what the book is – reading Phoebe’s diary from the year.

Now that there is a list – of 12 things to do and 5 things she would never do, she needs to decide what men to have help her out. First she thinks about her coworker – but he turns out to be a prick and her and her best friend decide he would probably tell the whole office about what happened.  Next up is her friend Paul, but it turns out that he is gay – so he is out. (literally?) The last resort is her best friend of 17 years – Oliver.  Her best friend Lucy worries that this may mess with their friendship but she decides to ask him and he agrees.

In addition to working through the list they are both seeing other people – but of course it seems like each other is becoming jealous when they go out on dates with other people. It seems like the two of them are going to end up together – until Phoebe’s ex turns back up again and she TAKES HIM BACK!

There is another slight twist as well that I didn’t see coming, but maybe I should have.  The book ends after a year of Phoebe trying to change her life – and that she did.

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

About the Book

The List is the hilarious debut novel from Scottish comedienne Joanna Bolouri. Phoebe Henderson may be single but she sure doesn’t feel fabulous. It’s been a year since she found her boyfriend Alex in bed with another woman, and wine-fueled nights of relationship analysis with her best friend Lucy have done nothing to improve her dating situation.

Faced with another year without love, Phoebe confronts her fears and decides to forgo romantic love altogether. She comes up with THE LIST: ten things she’s always wanted to do in bed but has never had the courage to try. One year of pleasure, no strings attached. Simple, right? In a chaotic, embarassing, exhilarating, and ultimately transformational year of self-discovery, Phoebe finds surprises, friendship, confidence, and even love, through good and bad sex.

Book Review: Wicked Women

Katie March 27, 2015 0 Comments

Wicked Women is the story of the Notorious, Mischievous, and Wayward Ladies from the Old West.  I’m not sure what it is that draws me to these type of books, but I just love reading about some bad ass ladies from history.  There are 28 ladies featured in this book from “The Deadly Paramour” to “The Hungarian Madam” to “The Outcast’s Friend” and everything in between.

Each chapter starts with the woman’s name, her nickname and then a quote about them. Photos are also included. Each chapter is only about 10 pages so it has to pack a lot of information in on each of the ladies.

One of the stories was about Julia Bulette – who was murdered but the scene was set in such a way that it looked like she was sleeping. No one was sure who had killed her, until a woman who had bought some silk that may have been stolen from Julia turned up.  After checking with who sold Julia the silk they identified it as hers and Mrs Cazentre who now was in ownership of the silk was able to ID the guy who had sold it to her. He was found guilty of murder and sentenced to be hanged. So many people showed up to watch it was hard for them to get the carriage down the street!

It seemed like a lot of these ladies got wrapped up in gambling in the old west.

A lot of fascinating stories from the old west!

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

About the Book

This collection of short, action-filled stories of the Old West’s most egregiously badly behaved female outlaws, gamblers, soiled doves, and other wicked women by award-winning Western history author Chris Enss offers a glimpse into Western Women’s experience that’s less sunbonnets and more six-shooters. During the late nineteenth century, while men were settling the new frontier and rushing off to the latest boom towns, women of easy virtue found wicked lives west of the Mississippi when they followed fortune hunters seeking gold and land in an unsettled territory. Prostitutes and female gamblers hoped to capitalize on the vices of the intrepid pioneers. Pulling together stories of ladies caught in the acts of mayhem, distraction, murder, and highway robbery, it will include famous names like Belle Starr and Big Nose Kate, as well as lesser known characters.

Chris Enss is an author, scriptwriter and comedienne who has written for television and film, and performed on cruise ships and on stage. She has worked with award-winning musicians, writers, directors, producers, and as a screenwriter for Tricor Entertainment, but her passion is for telling the stories of the men and women who shaped the history and mythology of the American West. Some of the most famous names in history, not to mention film and popular culture, populate her books. She’s written or co-written more than two dozen books for TwoDot. She lives in Grass Valley, California.

Book Review: Redo Your Room

Katie March 25, 2015 0 Comments

Redo Your room contains 50 Bedroom DIYs you can do in a weekend.  It is geared more towards young girls who are becoming teens and trying to make their room “more grown up” but a lot of the DIYs are organizational tips that can be used in bedrooms of those for all ages!  There is a chart with colors and what they mean to help you decide what colors you may or may not want to paint your room. There are DIY projects for organization, study spaces, bedrooms, walls & windows, closets, vanity and everything else.

Pretty much anything related to your bedroom is covered in this book with a lot of great ideas and photos throughout. There are certainly several ideas in the book that I will consider trying out for my room.

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 Description

In partnership with Girls’ Life Magazine, Redo Your Room offers creative ideas to girls to help them with a room makeover.

Faithgirlz! and Girls’ Life magazine team up with Redo Your Room, a fun new book girls nine to twelve (and possibly even their older sister!) will love to flip through again and again. Containing tons of fabulous room makeover ideas,Redo Your Room offers step-by-step instructions that help readers create a whole new look for their bedroom without breaking the piggy bank. Girls will be inspired by the creative, stylish, and resourceful tips as they discover their inner designer.

Book Review: Novel Interiors

Katie March 21, 2015 0 Comments

Novel Interiors is a book about Living in Enchanted Rooms inspired by Literature.  I really enjoyed reading this book and looking through all the images that accompanied it.  One of the techniques that I liked was turning your bathroom into a scrapbook by putting lots of photos all around – and you could easily change them out whenever you wanted to.  I always think that you should put the best pictures in your bathroom because that is the room most of your guests will definitely end up seeing! Other things in the book I enjoyed were the sections that gave you decorating lessons based on the books – like using graffiti in rooms inspired by Alice In Wonderland and the DIY sections with things you could do in your own home.  The end of the book features the books that inspired the rooms featured in Novel Interiors.

This book was a lot larger than I expected but you kind of needed it to be bigger so you could see the detail of the beautiful rooms featured in the book.

I received a free copy of this book from the Blogging For Books program in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.

About the Book

For those who have ever lost themselves in the stylish worlds of novels like Sense and Sensibility, The Age of Innocence, Wuthering Heights, The Picture of Dorian Gray and countless others, this design book embraces the fantasy of time and place, showing you how to bring some of those elements into your own home.

Lisa Giramonti inspires a new approach to decorating: by teaching us through the lens of worlds we may already know and love. With gorgeous photographs by World of Interiors photographer Ivan Terestchenko, aspirational quotes, and tailored reading lists, Novel Interiors reveals the essence and details of interiors mentioned in great literary works. This is a stunning, photo-driven book that shares enchanting and timeless ways to live more elegantly.

Book Review: Guitar Player Magazine

Katie March 20, 2015 0 Comments

Guitar Player Magazine is the inside story of the first 2 decades of the most successful guitar magazine ever.  The chapters are broken down by Staffers and Freelancers reflect, Featured Artists and Monthly Columnists look back and Advertisers remember.  Of course, throughout the book are lots of photos of the magazine covers throughout and other photos too. I like that the e-book makes it look like you are reading a magazine with how things are laid out with the text and the graphics.  From a small 35 cent magazine to what it was when it was sold in 1989 – this book follows the history and is a great inside report on the magazine and everything you want to know about it.

It is full of a lot of wonderful stories and whether you had read the magazine or not, if you are interested in music and especially guitars I think it will be enjoyable.

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

About the Book

Guitar Player: The Inside Story of the First Two Decades of the Most Successful Guitar Magazine Ever is a reflection on Guitar Player‘s often pioneering early days, from its 1967 founding through its 1989 sale by founder Bud Eastman and editor/publisher Jim Crockett. This book looks at the magazines evolution from a 40-page semi-monthly to a monthly exceeding 200 pages, with a gross yearly income that grew from $40,000 to nearly $15 million.

The story is told by many people important to Guitar Player‘s history, including Maxine Eastman, Bud Eastman’s widow, and Crockett, who edited this book with his daughter Dara. Also here are recollections of key personnel, including Tom Wheeler, Jas Obrecht, Roger Siminoff, Mike Varney, Jon Sievert, George Gruhn, and Robb Lawrence; leading early advertisers, such as Martin, Randall, and Fender; and prominent guitar players featured in the magazine, including Joe Perry, George Benson, Pat Travers, Country Joe McDonald, Pat Metheny, Steve Howe, Lee Ritenour, Johnny Winter, Steve Morse, Larry Coryell, Michael Lorimer, John McLaughlin, Stanley Clarke, Liona Boyd, Steve Vai, and many others.

Among the many illustrations are then-and-now shots of performers and staff, early ads, behind-the-scenes photos from company jam sessions (with such guests as B. B. King and Chick Corea), various fascinating events, and key issue covers. Rich in history and perspective, Guitar Player: The Inside Story of the First Two Decades of the Most Successful Guitar Magazine Ever is the definitive first-person chronicle of a music magazine’s golden age.

Book Review: Strange Way To Live

Katie March 20, 2015 0 Comments

Strange Way To Live is about a Rock N Roller named Carl Dixon.  He is Canadian and has been a member of the bands Coney Hatch, April Wine and The Guess Who.  He also has done some solo projects.  This book chronicles his life – with the ups and downs in the Rock N Roll business and all the tours that he went on.  The book ends talking about a horrible car accident that he was in while in Australia.  The injuries he sustained were incredible and the fact that he bounced back from it and can now work as a motivational speaker is truly amazing.

I didn’t know anything about Carl Dixon before reading this book, and I had barely heard of any of the bands that he was a member of.  However, the book was still very interesting to read as I always like to know more about bands and how they work behind the scenes and all that fun stuff. I enjoyed it and I think you will too.

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

About the Book

Carl Dixon’s journey through the twists and turns of a music performer’s life began in Northern Ontario, where his boyhood dreams, shaped by the 1960s, collided with a new musical culture.

Though Carl’s road was rocky, it was still paved with gold. It has led from his early days with hard-rockers Coney Hatch to tours and lasting friendships with huge acts like Iron Maiden. The ups and downs were meteoric, as Carl became a member of the legendary bands The Guess Who and April Wine and then faced the greatest test of all: a horrific auto collision in Australia that left him in a coma, barely clinging to life.

Strange Way to Live follows Carl’s progress, never-faltering and some- times comical, in pursuit of musical glory. Blind determination can lead one to some strange places. Carl’s took him through some of the biggest, smallest, and weirdest scenes in this vast country, and from the glory days of Canadian rock up to the present day.