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Showing posts from February, 2012

Death of a Kingfisher

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Book Description   When Scotland is hit by the recession, Police Constable Hamish Macbeth notices that the Highland people are forced to come up with inventive ways to lure tourists to their sleepy towns. The quaint village of Braikie doesn't have much to offer, other than a place of rare beauty called Buchan's Wood, which was bequeathed to the town. The savvy local tourist director renames the woods "The Fairy Glen," and has brochures printed with a beautiful photograph of a kingfisher rising from a pond on the cover. It isn't long before coach tours begin to arrive. But just as the town's luck starts to turn, a kingfisher is found hanging from a branch in the woods with a noose around its neck. As a wave of vandalism threatens to ruin Braikie forever, the town turns to Hamish Macbeth. And when violence strikes again,the lawman's investigation quickly turns from animal cruelty to murder. Book Review   This is the second book in the Hamish Ma

Sex on the Moon

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Book Description   Thad Roberts, a fellow in a prestigious NASA program had an idea—a romantic, albeit crazy, idea. He wanted to give his girlfriend the moon. Literally. Thad convinced his girlfriend and another female accomplice, both NASA interns, to break into an impregnable laboratory at NASA—past security checkpoints, an electronically locked door with cipher security codes, and camera-lined hallways—and help him steal the most precious objects in the world: the moon rocks. But what does one do with an item so valuable that it’s illegal even to own? And was Thad Roberts—undeniably gifted, picked for one of the most competitive scientific posts imaginable, a possible astronaut—really what he seemed? Mezrich has pored over thousands of pages of court records, FBI transcripts, and NASA documents and has interviewed most of the participants in the crime to reconstruct this Ocean’s Eleven –style heist, a madcap story of genius, love, and duplicity that reads like a Hollywoo

Irish Town Name?? Help needed!!

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Ok, I am hoping that someone may be able to help me out here.  I have been searching high and low for information on my mom’s maternal grandfather for years.  I finally had a HUGE break through last night.  However, I can’t read the name of the town that he has listed as his birthplace.  So I am hoping that maybe there will be someone who comes across this blog and can understand the name of the town in Ireland. The first word of course is Ireland.  It’s the second word there that I can not read.  It looks sort of like Brunscairsie?  Or something possibly along those lines.  I have been searching the internet to try locating the name. Any help will be greatly greatly appreciated!

Silver Sparks

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Book Description   The Larkin sisters are used to hearing whispers behind their backs. Being raised by hippie parents in the small resort town of Barringer’s Pass, Colorado, they were always considered oddballs, and for a while, they did everything they could to earn the name. But now, older and wiser, they're discovering that it's not so great to be the wild child, and are struggling to earn a new place for themselves in town. When Maggie Larkin resists the come-ons of a sleazy actor in town to shoot a film, she pisses off more than a pretty boy and his manager. Turns out that Rafe DeLuca isn't just a movie star...he's possibly a killer, and Maggie's landed herself in more trouble than she could imagine. Enter Cal Drummond, cop extraordinaire, who's been trailing DeLuca himself for weeks, convinced that his recently murdered sister is one of Rafe's victims. He's determined not to let another woman be victimized by the dangerous Rafe, and if that

Devotional Stories for Tough Times

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Book Description   Life has always been filled with trials, including illness, job loss, grief, addictions, and much more. God never promised that our earthly lives would be without difficulties, but He assured us that He will always be with us to share our burdens. Chicken Soup for the Soul: Devotional Stories for Tough Times is filled with stories that show God's presence during a time of trouble. Readers will find encouragement, solace, and strength in these personal stories and prayers. Book Review   Once again the Chicken Soup for the Soul team has put out another splendid book!  In this addition, each story is paired with a Biblical quote and a short prayer.  This one is for when times get tough and you just don’t think you can make it through it.  You can feel the love and devotion pouring off of each page! Chicken Soup for the Soul: Devotional Stories for Tough Times: 101 Daily Devotions to Inspire and Support You in Times of Need (Chicken Soup for the Soul

Families and other nonreturnable gifts

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Book Description   Despite her name, Keats Sedlak is the sanest person in her large, nutty family of brilliant eccentrics. Her parents, both brainy academics, are barely capable of looking after themselves, let alone anyone else, and her two uber-intelligent siblings live on their own planets. At least she can count on one person in her life, her devoted boyfriend Tom. Down-to-earth and loving, he's the one thing that's kept Keats grounded for the last decade. But when Keats's mother makes a surprise announcement, the entire family is sent into a tailspin. For the first time, Keats can't pick up the pieces by herself. Now she must reevaluate everything she's ever assumed about herself and her family-and make the biggest decision of her life. Book Review   This was an interesting book, but I am not so sure if I actually liked it.  Keats’s family was quite annoying.  I guess it’s just that most of the time people read to escape realities and this was too

Sunset (Pact Arcanum: Book One)

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Book Description   Bloodlust, desire, supernatural gifts, and conflicting passions ignite on every page of Sunset, the groundbreaking vampire drama by Arshad Ahsanuddin. With millennia-old magic, emerging romance, and ever-shifting allegiances, this inventive new series unveils a scintillating, homoerotic world of Nightwalkers, Daywalkers, Sentinels, and Humans, who battle for world dominance in the not-too-distant future. In Sunset, the first book in the Pact Arcanum series, the action starts in Los Angeles in the year 2040. The terrorist Medusa and her followers lay siege to a star-studded celebrity awards ceremony, complete with a nuclear bomb. One individual, the vampire Nicholas Jameson, must come forth in all his supernatural might to thwart the imminent mass destruction. Nick, a Daywalker, serves in a supernatural society that exists in the shadows of human existence. When he takes on the terrorists, he exposes his powers and advanced technology that had been heretofor

The Immortal Lost

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Book Description   Dylan Black grew up as an outcast. She had few people she considered friends, and even fewer she could hope to trust. Coping with her extraordinary abilities at an early age, she learned to hide what others found extremely bizarre, until the day came that she discovered who and what she really was. It was the day the Immortals walked into her life, giving her the answers she had longed for. Or so she thought. Thrown into an unfamiliar world and hunted by those who desire to use her for her gifts, she has no choice but to trust in one man, a Guardian assigned to protect her, and to keep her safe from the darkness that would surely enslave or destroy her. Alessar Belmonte had no idea that protecting a young, inexperienced Immortal like Dylan Black could be so difficult for a skilled guardian like himself. Little did he know that her talented gifts would be desired by every Dark Immortal looking to gain control and power. His desire to protect her from t

Riders of the Western Stage

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CD Description   Group Members Shorty Bud - Guitar / Vocals - 35 years' experience as a singer-songwriter Too-Tall Pete - Bass / Vocals - 30 years experience, also plays with The Good Brothers Kowboy Ken - Guitar / Vocals - Singer-Songwriter-Entertainer Song List Riders of the Western Stage Ragtime Cowboy Joe When You Fall off your Horse 30 Below on the Range Buffalo Gals Alberta Wind Ontario Cowboy I’ll Hold You in My Heart Red River Valley Thanks for the Prairies Don’t Fence Me In / Tumbleweeds The Cowboy’s Western Barn Dance Home on the Range   CD Review   I grew up listening to country music.  And I am not talking about what people consider country music today.  I grew up with the greats like Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, George Strait, Willie Nelson and many more.  If you like the older style of country music, then you will definitely enjoy this CD!  These 3 gents from Ontario, Canada really harmoni

1 Million for Rare Needs You!!

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World RARE Disease Day is coming up on February 29 th . Did you know that 1 in 10 Americans are affected by RARE disease and more than 350 million people are affected worldwide. 75% of RARE diseases affect children and 30% of children with a RARE disease will die before their 5 th birthday. Help us unite1 Million people who support rare disease awareness. 1 in 10 Americans have a Rare Disease. 350 million people worldwide suffer from one of the 7,000 different types of Rare Diseases. 95% have no treatments or cures. Hope. It's in our Genes! The Global Genes Project is a grassroots effort to bring awareness to the healthcare challenges facing over 350 million people affected by rare disease worldwide. Did you know that 1 in 10 Americans, or 10% of the U.S. population, suffers from a Rare Disease. There are 7,000 different types of rare diseases but only a small portion (5% of rare diseases) have treatments, 95% or rare disease have no treatments or cures. How can you get in

Feeding the Dragon

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Book Description   With little more than two backpacks, a camera, and a tarp, Mandarin-speaking American brother and sister Nate and Mary Kate Tate traveled more than 9,700 miles throughout China to share the country's inspiring culture and cuisine with kitchens in the West. What began as a travelblog ( feedingthedragon.com ) documenting the duo's journey has evolved into a visual narrative of food, culture, and travel inside Feeding the Dragon . Arranged by the authors' travel itinerary to highlight the uniqueness of nine specific regions in China, Feeding the Dragon is part cookbook and part cultural travelogue, overflowing with sumptuous but easily prepared authentic dishes. From Buddhist vegetarian dishes enjoyed on the snowcapped mountains of Tibet to lamb kebabs served on the scorching desert of Xinjiang Province, one hundred recipes are presented alongside first-person narratives and travel photographs. Western cooks will find healthy recipes brimming with

Children’s Advil

Calling all moms!   Flu season may leave your child feeling feverish, so as the season heats up, don't get caught empty-handed and having to make that midnight run to the pharmacy. Children's Advil® is there to offer the relief you and your child can depend on! Children's Advil® provides up to 8-hours of fever relief in just one dose, relieving fever faster and keeping it down longer to help kids get back to feeling like kids again. Click here to find online coupons for Children's Advil products. Dye-free Infants' Advil® is available for children ages 6-23 months and Children's Advil® Suspension is available for ages 2-11 in four great liquid suspension flavors including Grape, Blue Raspberry, Fruit and Dye-Free White Grape, as well as convenient Grape Chewables. For more information, visit www.childrensadvil.com . In conjunction with the Wakela’s World Disclosure Statement ,this is a guest post. The opinions and views are not necessarily those of

Taken Away

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Book Description   In the midst of the biggest natural disaster in American history—Hurricane Katrina—15-year-old Summer "Sumbie" Elmwood's two-year-old sister disappears from the hospital after open-heart surgery and Sumbie is the prime suspect. But in the chaos of New Orleans after the storm, no one is looking for just one little girl. Sumbie must find her missing sister and enlists her two would-be boyfriends to help her, hoping against hope that it's not too late. Book Review   The premise of the story is a good one.  I just think that it was very poorly executed.  This book took me quite a long time to finish reading.  It was one of those books that I kept putting down and didn’t want to pick back up. I wasn’t drawn into the story.  I felt isolated from the characters.  Unfortunately, I cannot recommend this book.  I am not quite sure what exactly it was missing, but it was like watching a comedy skit where the comic has to explain his/her jokes to

The Science of Serenity

The Science of Serenity Psychologist provides key to inner peace and happiness According to the 2010 Stress in America Survey (American Psychological Association), more than four in 10 Americans have reported laying awake at night in the past month with worry. Today external factors such as the economy, one’s earnings and job pressures are largely to blame for this stress uptick. What if it was possible to make internal changes that permanently ease mental and emotional strain? In his latest book, Live Like A Window, Work Like A Mirror: Enlightenment and the Practice of Eternity Consciousness, psychologist Mark C. Brown, Ph.D. explains the relationship between how we view things and stress, and offers a step-by-step approach to changing what goes on in our heads. “This book provides a totally new perspective on life that helps explain why things are the way they are (even the bad things), promotes a method for releasing us from much of the suffering that is common to being huma

Beauty and the Beast: Belle’s Magical World

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Video Description   The Adventures of Disney’s Beloved Princess Continue… From the “tale as old as time” comes a new Special Edition inspired by the original classic, Beauty and the Beast . Join Belle, Disney’s spirited princess, Beast, Cogsworth, Lumiere, and some charming new friends, as they discover how teamwork and friendship can turn a once-gloomy castle into a dazzling palace fit for a princess!  Adorned with delightful bonus features, your favorite characters, and enchanting songs, this fun-filled, instant classic proves that true beauty shines from within! Video Review   This movie was absolutely adorable!  Then again, I love pretty much everything that Disney has put out.  You get to see all the favorite characters from the original movie. I do have to admit that I was a little disappointed that they did not get Angela Lansbury to voice Mrs. Potts again.  I really loved her voice work on the original movie.  Just like on the original movie’s DVD, there are

Battle Slots

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Video Game Description   Battle Slots is a roleplaying game (RPG) with a twist. Embark on a journey of exploration into the foreign world of Tellus. Formerly a peaceful world, Tellus has been wrought by an evil plaguing the land. Every land needs a hero, and that’s where you come in. A map-driven adventure, you will travel across over 100 unique locations, battling monsters and completing nearly 200 daring quests. Taking the place of traditional RPG dice or number generators is a customizable, magical slot machine - however there is no gambling. Battle Slots harnesses the excitement of popular Slot Machine mechanics, progressing your adventure through fantastic gameplay. Spinning the slot machine yields Magic Points, Attack Points, Experience Points, Gold, and Summons. Magic Points and Attack Points are used to cast techniques that yield devastation upon monsters throughout the world of Tellus. Experience Points allow you to gain levels and boast higher Health, Attack, and Magic

Wisharoo Park

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Video Description   Wisharoo Park is a new preschool show for ages 2-6 dedicated to providing fun through entertainment, education through discovery, and emotional and social development .  Wisharoo provides children with the tools they need to empower them through life’s journey. This 2 disc set includes all 13 episodes of Season 1 of Wisharoo Park. All the Park Pals join Wisharoo for fun, music, activities and lessons. Video Review   The girls absolutely loved this.  The songs are adorable.  There are great lessons for them to learn with each episode.  Even Benjamin was enjoying this even though he wasn’t able to see what they were doing on the screen. There were activities that can be done for ages 2-6 that helps to keep the kids entertained and helps them to learn new skills.  This video is available through the store on the Wisharoo website .  The website also has fun activities for the kids to do as well. In conjunction with the Wakela’s World Disclosure State

Happiness is Peanuts: Snow Days

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Video Description   Join your Peanuts pals for a great gust of wonderful wintry fun! The newest collection of Peanuts stories celebrates everyone’s favorite thing about a long, chilly winter:  snow days!  Peppermint Patty trains for a figure-skating competition and Snoopy is her tough coach and crafty costume designer in the TV special She’s a Good Skate, Charlie Brown .  The smiles continue with an episode of The Charlie Brown & Snoopy Show featuring three short tales:  The Play, Sweet Babboo! and Snoopy’s Story .  Charlie reflects on Christmas past while Sally prepares for Valentine’s Day and Patty writes an award-winning essay about Snoopy.  It may be cold outside, but the Peanuts kids are sure to bring lots of warmth and happiness into your home this winter!   Video Review   I was supposed to have had this review done for my holiday list.  Unfortunately, my computer had died before I got the chance to do it.  However, it is sort of appropriate now since it doe

Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked for the Wii

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Wii Game Description   Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked is a Rhythm-Music game inspired by the 2011 major motion picture of the same name. The game features six customizable chipmunk characters from the Alvin and the Chipmunks franchise and 30 songs that players dance to either alone or in 2-player co-op. Additional features include: easy-to-follow on-screen dance directions, 50 different dance moves, finishing dance moves, six in-game tropical locations, immediate in-game feedback on performances, motion recognition for dancing through the Wii Remote and more. Dance Along to the Chipmunks Dance and sing along with Alvin and the Chipmunks in this motion-based experience for Wii that lets you perform for the crowd as one of your favorite singing Chipmunks or sassy Chipettes. Dance to classic Chipmunk hits as you play in environments right from the big screen. Players can also unleash your 'Munk Power' to perform ultra-cool finishing dance moves. Get the party star

Story-Telling: The Perfect Cure for the Winter Blues

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Story-Telling: The Perfect Cure for the Winter Blues By Thomas Weck This winter try something different with your children to cure the winter blues. Instead of simply reading to them from the books on their shelf, why not come up with your own story? Storytelling is a time-honored tradition, handed down from generation to generation. In some cases, handed-down stories turn into beautifully written-down tales, decades later as in case of my Lima Bear Stories *. You, too, can create stories either on your own or with the help of your family. The result will not only be entertaining but a source of family memories as palpable as any family vacation photo album. To get started in creating your family story-telling memories keep these tips in mind: 1. Do not be intimidated . Anything you have to share is going to be interesting to your children. 2. Use what is important to you . If you are super clean, for example, create a character who learns the hard way why cleani

Tao Song and Tao Dance

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Book Description   Tao is the Source and Creator. Tao is The Way of all life. Tao is the universal principles and laws. Tao Song is sound from the Source. Tao Dance is movement from the Source. Tao Song and Tao Dance carry Tao power and ability from the Source. In the ninth book of his revolutionary Soul Power Series, and his third book on Tao, Master Sha reveals new sacred Tao Song mantras that carry Tao frequency and vibration, which can transform the frequency and vibration of all life. Sacred Tao Song mantras and Tao Dance carry Tao love, which melts all blockages; Tao forgiveness, which brings inner joy and inner peace; Tao compassion, which boosts energy, stamina, vitality, and immunity; and Tao light, which heals, prevents sickness, purifies and rejuvenates soul, heart, mind, and body, and transforms relationships, finances, and every aspect of life. Tao Oneness Practice is created and released. Step into the Tao with Master Sha. Book Review   This was defi

Review–Time Slice

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Book Description   Ordinary People. Extraordinary Adventures. Science Fiction with Heart. Newly retired workaholic Roy Washburn is not ready for a life of leisure. On a trip to the mall with his wife, he finds a small metal cylinder with odd markings. One nudge of the cylinder's triangle-shaped pointer and Roy finds himself embarking on an exciting new adventure in the Time Stream. There he meets The Traveler, a tall, gangly being who shows Roy how to use the cylinder to visit other civilizations that co-exist on "his" Earth, each occupying a different, thin Time Slice. The Traveler solicits Roy's help in recovering an object invented by his murdered father and beyond his own reach. Roy is his last hope. At first it seems that the Traveler's wish might be easily granted. But after Roy's wife Emily becomes ill and his daughter's long-held resentments rise to the surface, he can no longer "travel" at a moment's notice. He also disco

Long Time, No Blog

Sorry for going dark for so long.  My computer died and I am just now finally back up and limping along. It may take me a few days to get through all of the emails that I have to get through.  I did lose quite a number of emails and other things though. Unfortunately, I lost my calendar and spreadsheet of all my reviews.  I know that I missed doing some reviews while I was down.  And I am pretty sure that I have some reviews due very soon.  I know I specifically have one due for today which I will be typing out in a few minutes. As for Ben, he was transferred back to the local hospital at Christmas time.  He is unable to walk.  He is unable to see clearly.  He can see outlines of things, but everything is one big blur.  And worst of all, he has trouble thinking clearly and remembering anything.  He went from being extremely smart (reading a few grades above his own) to not even being able to name colors.  It is so heart breaking to see this.  Now the hospital is saying that the

Here Comes Trouble

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Book Description   "I had an unusually large-sized head, though this was not uncommon for a baby in the Midwest. The craniums in our part of the country were designed to leave a little extra room for the brain to grow in case one day we found ourselves exposed to something we didn't understand, like a foreign language, or a salad." Michael Moore-Oscar-winning filmmaker, bestselling author, the nation's unofficial provocateur laureate-is back, this time taking on an entirely new role, that of his own meta-Forest Gump. Breaking the autobiographical mode, he presents twenty-four far-ranging, irreverent, and stranger-than-fiction vignettes from his own early life. One moment he's an eleven-year-old boy lost in the Senate and found by Bobby Kennedy; and in the next, he's inside the Bitburg cemetery with a dazed and confused Ronald Reagan. Fast-forwarding to 2003, he stuns the world by uttering the words "We live in fictitious times . . . with a fict

The Shadows of Arthur’s Kingdoms

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Book Description   The Shadows of Arthur’s Kingdom is an epic fantasy about a wanna-be Royal Knight of King Arthur’s Round Table, fire-breathing dragons, a dangerous quest, castles, and a self-willed, curious princess.  Readers young and old will enjoy this heartwarming story. Book Review   As you can see by the description, the back cover of the book does not provide much to go on for what this book is about. Supposedly this book was written by a twelve year old child.  It doesn’t have the feel that a child created it.  According to the information provided me, the mother only helped by doing some editing to it.  I think that she did much more then just editing.  Now if they had just come out and said to begin with that the mother wrote it based off of an idea that the child had, then that would be different.  But to attempt to pass this off as having been written by the child is just a little too much. The Shadows of Arthur's Kingdom (9781451558432): Donald D Ke