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Showing posts from May, 2012

The Fire and the Cloud

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  Book Description   In this beautiful and lucid translation of the popular Hebrew edition, Yoducha Rayonai, Rabbi David Bigman, rosh yeshivah of Yeshivat Ma'ale Gilboa, gives us a glimpse of his personal encounters with Tanach. These essays on the weekly Torah portions are based on Rabbi Bigman's Shabbat shiurim and were transcribed and adapted by a talented group of his students. Rabbi Bigman offers powerful, original insights into the parshiyot, inviting readers to participate with him in his creative involvement and interaction with the Torah. He inspires us to join him on a journey of discovering and uncovering the truths concealed in the revelations of the Torah, Prophets, and Writings and in so doing, to uncover the truths hidden in ourselves. Book Review   Growing up, one of the things that my parents instilled in me is the respect of ALL religions.  They felt that unless you spend time studying them, you will never truly understand them.  This book real

Eden

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Book Description   Seemingly overnight the world transforms into a barren wasteland ravaged by plague and overrun by hordes of flesh-eating zombies. A small band of desperate men and women stand their ground in a fortified compound in what had been Queens, New York. They've named their sanctuary Eden. Harris--the unusual honest man in this dead world--races against time to solve a murder while maintaining his own humanity. Because the danger posed by the dead and diseased mass clawing at Eden's walls pales in comparison to the deceit and treachery Harris faces within. Book Review   This book was so wildly disturbing to the imagination that it had me sleeping with the lights on!  First off, this was one of those books that is told from multiple perspectives.  Once you figure that out, it flows along nicely.  At first it was a little disconcerting, but I caught on pretty quickly. There wasn’t too much character development involved for the secondary characters. 

Spontaneous Happiness

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Book Description   Everyone wants to be happy. But what does that really mean? Increasingly, scientific evidence shows us that true satisfaction and well-being come only from within. Dr. Andrew Weil has proven that the best way to maintain optimum physical health is to draw on both conventional and alternative medicine. Now, in Spontaneous Happiness, he gives us the foundation for attaining and sustaining optimum emotional health. Rooted in Dr. Weil's pioneering work in integrative medicine, the book suggests a reinterpretation of the notion of happiness, discusses the limitations of the biomedical model in treating depression, and elaborates on the inseparability of body and mind. Dr. Weil offers an array of scientifically proven strategies from Eastern and Western psychology to counteract low mood and enhance contentment, comfort, resilience, serenity, and emotional balance. Drawn from psychotherapy, mindfulness training, Buddhist psychology, nutritional science, and mo

Grave Expectations

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Book Description   Bristly, sensitive, and meat-hungry Pip is a robust young whelp, an orphan born under a full moon.  Between hunting escaped convicts alongside zombified soldiers, trying not to become one of the hunted himself, and hiding his hairy hands from the supernaturally beautiful and haughty Estella, whose devilish moods keep him chomping at the bit, Pip is sure he will die penniless or a convict like the rest of his commonly uncommon kind. But then a mysterious benefactor sends him to London for the finest education money can buy.  In the company of other furry young gentlemen, Pip werewolf tempers his violent transformations and devours the secrets of his dark world.  When he discovers that his beloved Estella is a slayer of supernatural creatures, trained by the corpse-like vampire Miss Havisham, Pip’s desire for her grows stronger than his midnight hunger for rare fresh beef.  But can he risk his hide for a truth that will make Estella his forever – or will she dr

A Darkly Hidden Truth

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Book Description   Felicity has decided to become a nun. She departs to visit convents in spite of her mother's imminent arrival and Fr. Anselm's request that she and Fr. Antony recover a missing priceless Russian icon before the Patriarch of Moscow arrives at the community for Holy Week. Felicity's discernment journey takes her to Rempstone, Norwich, London, and Walsingham, but her discovery of a friend's murdered body in a shallow grave, the disappearance of more icons, the shooting of a London art expert just after she visits him, the disappearance of Antony, and finally the abduction of Felicity and her mother teach her far more about motherhood, life, and love than she could learn in any convent retreat. Breathtaking chase scenes, mystical worship services, dashes through remote water-logged landscapes, the wisdom of ancient holy women, and the arcane rites of The Knights of St. John of Malta keep the pages turning. And will Felicity choose the veil--or Ant

Carnage Road

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Book Description   Boone and Walker Boone and Walker are the last members of the Floating Dragons motorcycle gang.  When the zombie apocalypse turns the world upside down, they hit the open road to discover America.  No responsibilities, no rules, no system.  Like Frank and Jesse James, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, all they need are steeds and sidearms. The Road To Hell But this bloodstained road is paved with the walking dead; shambling corpses starved for living flesh.  The few humans left are no less hungry, and Boone and Walker encounter remnants of civilization desperate to survive.  In some cases, the living are even more dangerous than the dead. Raw Carnage First west to Hollywood to gaze at the stars, then southeast to the badlands of Texas.  Boone and Walker make a last stand on behalf of humanity.  Along the way guns blaze, rotting flesh bakes on the asphalt, and friendship and loyalty are tested to their limits. Carnage Road Carnage Road is Gregory

Charlinder’s Walk

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Book Description   In 2012, the Plague ended the world as we know it. In 2130, Charlinder wants to know why. The origin of the disease remains a mystery. Their ignorance of its provenance fuels a growing schism that threatens to destroy the peace that the survivors' descendants have built. Unwilling to wait for matters to get any worse, he decides to travel to where the Plague first appeared and find out the truth-which means walking across three continents before returning home. Charlinder has never been more than ten miles from home, has never heard anyone speak a foreign language, and he's going it alone. He survives thousands of miles of everything from near-starvation to near-madness before he meets Gentiola. By then he's so exhausted that the story she offers to tell seems like little more than a diversion...until he hears it. Nothing could have prepared him for what he learns from her, and no one ever told him: be careful what you

The Guardian’s Wildchild

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Book Description   Caught in a reckless attempt to stop Dark forces, Sidney Davenport, a young, rule breaking, spirited member of the secret paranormal community of Guardians, finds herself imprisoned on a naval ship and slated for execution. Her struggle with the unfamiliar emotions of fear and anger becomes even more complicated when she can no longer fight her attraction to the very man who has orders to perform her execution. Captain Sam Waterhouse, a meticulous naval captain who's suspected of treason, teeters on a precipice between Darkness and Light. When he receives an unusual prisoner, a paranormal journey begins to unravel his disciplined life. All the while, humanity is unknowingly at great risk when two Dark forces team up to acquire control of an elusive power. Sidney and Sam attempt to quiet their powerful feelings for each other, only to discover they can save each other, and in doing so, they might even save the world. Through stunning imagery, an intricat

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Family Caregivers

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Book Description   Do you have a family member who requires constant care? You are not alone. This collection offers support and encouragement in its 101 stories for family caregivers of all ages, including the “sandwich” generation caring for a family member while raising their children. With stories by those on the receiving end of the care too. These stories of love, sacrifice, and lessons will inspire and uplift family members making sacrifices to make sure their loved ones are well cared for, whether in their own homes or elsewhere. Book Review   On a day to day basis, being a family caregiver can be rather tiring.  It leaves you with little time for yourself and can sometimes cause resentments to build up. However, its only when the person you are taking care of passes do you realize all those moments that you treasured.  This book honors those moments during being the caregiver that can turn into treasured memories. If you are still lucky enough to be a caregiver

The Mystery of the Silver Statue

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Book Description   Follow the adventures of young sleuths B.T. Stevens and Jimmy Martin as they solve what is actually a real-life mystery of Colonial History. B.T. struggles with a serious disability and learns to appreciate his own strengths through the adventure and thanks to enduring friendships and strong family ties. Beyond being a charming work of fiction, "The Mystery of the Silver Statue" is also a valuable tool for discussion on both Colonial American History as well as the importance of self worth. Book Review   This was a fun quick read that any kid would love.  First, I absolutely loved the character B.T.  Stevens.  He may have had obstacles to face, however he did not let that stop him from doing anything that he wanted. B.T. and his friend Jimmy run a “detective” agency from his home.  During the summer he is hired to watch over people’s homes while they are away.  Each day, the boys would hop on their bikes and make their rounds.  It was during

Back Channel: The Kennedy Years

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Book Description   This is the first book of a remarkable memoir of a Special Assistant to President John F. Kennedy. Known familiarly as Bertie Mac, he reported directly to the President and his office was in the West Wing of the White House. Prior to achieving that position, he had been betrayed by his own government - the United States - and handed over to the Soviets. He was tortured in the Lubyanka Prison in Moscow before being covertly rescued by two high ranking Soviet Generals (at great risk to themselves) who wanted to convey information directly to the White House to try to avert a nuclear confrontation they believed to be imminent. They believed that he would be a uniquely reliable conduit of information between the U.S. and the Soviet Union as he deeply mistrusted both governments and therefore had absolutely no motivation to "color" any information he might transmit. Bertie Mac coined the term "Back Channel" and served as a direct communication li

Blood Sword

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Book Description   His Oath... My loyalty and sword to Rhaetia are true. I lend my wit and might in fealty to you. Neither through words, nor actions and deeds, will I dishonor thee. His Quest... One by one, the heirs to the Rhaetian throne have fallen, and now the future of the kingdom rests on the champion of the realm—the Blood Sword—finding the missing daughter of the king—the Lost Princess. Blood Sword (Lost Princess Series Book 1)... On the island nation of Xa’aia, the Blood Sword is enslaved as a gladiator and forced to fight to entertain the masses. However, to continue the search for the Lost Princess, he will do anything to gain his freedom. Seeing a chance for escape, Zelayra, whore to Prince Calyl of Xa’aia, purchases the barbarian gladiator—so unlike the usual J’Haran prisoners and her Xa’aian captors in looks. But there is no time to ponder her similarity to the stranger and no time to explore the distant memories and unusual feelings his presence

The Hunt for KSM

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Book Description   Only minutes after United 175 plowed into the World Trade Center's South Tower, people in positions of power correctly suspected who was behind the assault: Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda. But it would be 18 months after September 11 before investigators would capture the actual mastermind of the attacks, the man behind bin Laden himself. That monster is the man who got his hands dirty while Osama fled; the man who was responsible for setting up Al Qaeda's global networks, who personally identified and trained its terrorists, and who personally flew bomb parts on commercial airlines to test their invisibility. That man withstood waterboarding and years of other intense interrogations, not only denying Osama's whereabouts but making a literal game of the proceedings, after leading his pursuers across the globe and back. That man is Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, and he is still, to this day, the most significant Al Qaeda terrorist in captivity. In THE H

Chakra7 System

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Website Review   Carol Tuttle has amassed a wonderful array of knowledge on her website.  There are articles, meditations, and various other things to help balance the chakras. However, the meat & potatoes of the website is truly her Chakra7 System.  This system helps the user work through each Chakra independently in order to release blockages.  As an experienced Spiritual Healer, I have to say that the information presented was excellent.  Each Chakra section has a workbook, a transcript of the videos so you can read along, several videos to watch, and even a script for you to read to help clear the blockages.  In the videos, Carol discusses what each chakra affects, how it can become blocked and what you can do to unblock it.  There are so many modalities to chose from when watching the videos.  She shows how you can use breathing, yoga, crystals, EFT, RET, colors, and many others in order to help yourself.  One tiny complaint that I have is that the video is grainy

Project Moses

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Book Description   Enzo Lee, 37, a burned out reporter, has forsaken investigative reporting on the East Coast to churn out feature fluff in San Francisco. He likes his North Beach apartment, steps away from his Chinatown roots. Running, tai chi, great food, women who are attracted to his exotic looks. Life is good. Then, Lee is ordered to cover the unexplained deaths of a local judge and prosecutor. Intrigued by the connection, and the judge’s attractive niece, Sarah Armstrong, Lee begins to uncover a bioterrorism scandal whose perpetrators - including government officials and Silicon Valley titans - will kill to conceal. When Lee and Sarah become targets, the question becomes whether the pair can evade their hunters and piece together the story before their time runs out. Project Moses is set in San Francisco, New York and Silicon Valley. By a Pulitzer Prize-winning author. Book Review   Definitely a mystery that keeps you on the edge of your seat.  I read this one in one

Omegasphere

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Book Description   Kurt Robbins always wondered where ideas came from. Then he found out. . . . Kurt Robbins just finished his first novel and his editor loves it. The only problem is that six other writers submitted the same manuscript, word for word. Is Kurt a plagiarizer, or had something or someone seeded his mind with the idea? Memeticist Ursula Stevens is Kurt’s only hope in finding out the truth. While being chased by an unknown government agency, Kurt and Ursula search out the other authors, hoping to figure out who infected them, and why, day by day, Kurt’s intelligence is growing by leaps and bounds. Book Review   This book captivated me from the beginning.  I have always been fascinated with how authors get their ideas.  And this book takes a very science fiction look at that and how these ideas sometimes overlap without even meaning to. The action is intense.  I really loved the character Ursula the best.  But all the characters were well written. If you l

Product Testing

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  Book Description   Tessa took a job at Good Vibrations adult store to help her break out of her good-girl role. J.P. is a bad boy who likes his women as wild and kinky as he is and Tessa just doesn't fit the bill. With a little meddling from a self-proclaimed nympho, these two suddenly find themselves locked in a room with toys galore and nothing but time. What else is there to do but a little product testing? Book Review   I normally don’t do reviews of the erotica that I read.  However, this one was sent to me in exchange for a review. This was a very short, but definitely packs a punch!  I would say that it scores a 10 on the heat index. J.P. was just the type of guy that you would want to lust after.  And the fact, that he ended up in the room with Tessa and all those toys…  Well, there was little left to the imagination.  The author described everything in such wonderfully sinful detail!  Product Testing eBook: Ann Campbell: Kindle Store ASIN : B