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Showing posts from September, 2013

Review - Poets Translate Poets

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Disclaimer:  I received this book free from Syracuse University Press in exchange for an honest review.  I did not receive any form of compensation. I have always loved poetry.  I didn't really matter what type.  I have read many poems that were originally written in other languages.  Each time a different translator writes their version, it can alter the meaning and symbology of the poems.  This grouping of poetry is written so that the translators are actual poets themselves.  This has a huge impact on being able to view the poem as it was meant to be viewed. This book features poems from all different eras and countries.  There were more French poems represented then any other country.  I know that in the past, France was known for its poems and literature.  It would have been nicer to be able to see more poems from a wider range of countries and languages though. Overall, this was a wonderful book full of poems as they were meant to be appreciated.

Review - Relatively Dead

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Disclaimer:  I received this book free from Beyond the Page Publishing in exchange for an honest review.  I did not receive any form of compensation. Oh how I truly wished I liked this book.  I love mysteries & I love paranormals.  So I thought with the two thrown together, this would be a match made in heaven.  Unfortunately this was not true.  I found myself putting this book down so many times that I just eventually gave up on trying to read it.  I really wish that I could say that I finished it.  However, I could not. I felt that the characters were pretty flat and the plot was extremely slow moving.  I wish I could say something better.

Review - Superhealing

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Disclaimer:  I received this book free from HCI Books in exchange for an honest review.  I did not receive any form of compensation. One thing that most people overlook when trying to gain better health is the fact that you have to address your mind, your body, and your spirit.  If one of those aspects is off, then it will through the rest off as well. This wonderful book helps to gain perspective as to which areas need to be addressed in order to obtain optimal health. The book is broken down into four sections.  The first section deals with your mind.  Basically, this means your emotions and how they play a role in your overall health.  If you are stressed or angry, your body will react differently then if you are happy.  The next section deals with your body.  Not only does it deal with the foods that you put into it, but your exercise and other aspects as well.  The third section is spirit.  Thankfully, the author does not focus on a specific religion or theology.  She just talks a

Review - Live To Write Another Day

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Disclaimer:  I received this book free from Sky Father Media in exchange for an honest review.  I did not receive any form of compensation. If you are an aspiring writer, then you probably have faced the dreaded writers block.  Or even worse yet, you have so many ideas and really have no idea where to start.  This book helps guide you along the writing process. The author takes you step by step through his creative writing process.  One thing he definitely emphasizes is that you need to write no matter what.  You can't walk away from it out of fear or because you feel blocked or just don't have direction.  It is just like any other muscle, if you don't use it then you lose it.  So get out that typewriter, word processor or even pen and paper.  Just make sure you put some words down whether you want to or not. One great thing that he has you do is create a concept document.  This is basically five pieces of information about your story.  What I really like about this is that

Review - Door Jams

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Disclaimer:  I received this book free from Schiffer Publishing Ltd. in exchange for an honest review.  I did not receive any form of compensation. First things first, being a stickler for correct word usage, it really irked me that they titled the book Door Jams when in actuality it should be titled Door Jambs.  This is something that the editor should have caught.  Unfortunately, most people don't realize that jambs is the term that means the front side of the door.  Whereas, jams could either be used for a snag in traffic or a fruit preserve. Ok, now we have that out of the way, this was a very interesting book.  The photography in the book is spectacular.  It is amazing how creative some people have become on decorating their door jambs.  Here in South Florida, most doors are extremely boring. Some of the doors featured are decorated with elaborate paintings, others have elaborate carvings, and yet others feature graffiti art.  I think that one of my favorite doors had been pai

Review - An Illustrated Outline of Buddhism

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Disclaimer:  I received this book free from World Wisdom in exchange for an honest review.  I did not receive any form of compensation. As a Unitarian Universalist, I have always been fascinated with the various religions and spiritualities of the world.  Of course, most people think they know what Buddhism is since it is a very prevalent religion.  However, there were many little nuances that I never knew about.  I knew the basics and that is about all. This book takes a better look at what Buddhism is and where it comes from.  Not only that, but the artwork in this book is absolutely breath taking. One of the great things is that before delving into what exactly Buddhism is, the author takes the time to explain the similarities and differences between Buddhism and the other major religions of the World. Next, the author takes us through the life of Siddhartha Guatama.  He is the one that they call Buddha.  Buddha means "enlightened" or "awakened".  We follow Siddh

Review - Dangerous Curves Ahead

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Disclaimer: I received this book free from St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive any form of compensation. I blew through this book so quickly, I didn't want it to end! This book was so hilarious that I was laughing until I cried! You know what I mean. I hadn't laughed that hard in a long time. I absolutely loved the characters. Jack was such a jack-ass that I wanted to beat the living crap out of him for Ellis. And being a big, curvy woman myself, I have heard all of those same nasty remarks that Jack was always spouting off towards her. So yes, I could literally see myself in Ellis. Her parents were so adorable. The funny thing is that when I finished reading this book, I was already hoping that Sugar had plans for writing more in this series. I want to know what happens to Cherri, Belinda, Dina, and all the other great people. The I get onto my computer and see that there is a novella coming out in October and another full length book in

Review - Weight Loss For People Who Feel Too Much

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Disclaimer:  I received this book free from Crown Publishing Group in exchange for an honest review.  I did not receive any form of compensation. One of the reasons that most people overeat is due to emotions.  Most weight loss books do not address this issue.  They mainly just tell us how to eat or what exercises to do.  However, by not addressing the main problem, the majority of people will just fail.  This book helps by focusing on this. One thing that was pointed out was that our emotions not only affect whether or not we choose to stuff our faces, but it also plays a vital role in our metabolism.  If you are upset or depressed, then your metabolism will slow down. This book is set up in four sections.  The first section helps the reader to understand the weight they are carrying.  If you overeat because you just like food, then this won't help you.  However, if you eat because you are bored, lonely, nervous, scared, depressed, or any other emotional reason, then this will hel

Jam packed TV season

So normally, I can't find too many TV shows that I actually like to watch.  However, this season there are so many that I am having to DVR a lot and watch them later. Here is a list of shows that I plan on watching: Sunday 8 PM  Once Upon A Time Monday 8 PM Bones 9 PM Sleepy Hollow (DVR because my sister thinks its too scary...) 9 PM Genealogy Road Show 10 PM Castle 10 PM The Black List Tuesday 8 PM NCIS 8 PM Marvel Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. 9 PM NCIS:  LA 10 PM Chicago Fire 10 PM Cold Justice Wednesday 8 PM Arrow 9 PM Criminal Minds 9 PM Tomorrow People 10 PM Ironside Thursday 8 PM Big Bang Theory 8 PM Once Upon A Time In Wonderland 9 PM The Crazy Ones 9 PM Sean Saves the World 9:30 PM The Michael J Fox Show 10 PM Elementary Friday 8 PM Undercover Boss 9 PM Shark Tank 10 PM Dracula What do you plan on watching this season?

Review - Rocky Road

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Disclaimer:  I received this book free from Shadow Mountain Publishing in exchange for an honest review.  I did not receive any form of compensation. OMG!  I think I gained 50 pounds just reading this book.  Interspersed within the story are all these wonderful foods that they make or serve.  Not only do they tantalize your taste buds with great descriptions, but they include the recipes as well.  YUMMY! As for the story, this is the tenth book is Josi S. Kilpack's cozy mystery series featuring Sadie.  I absolutely loved the characters.  I was as frustrated with Tess as Sadie was throughout this story.  At one point, I was actually rooting for her to be the murderer so that she could be thrown behind bars for her attitude.  Sadie was there out of the kindness of her heart.  She didn't need to be there.  She didn't need to help solve the case.  Tess acted like it was a requirement. Even though there is many mentions of religion, it wasn't overly preachy.  I have no probl

Review - Conspiracies

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Disclaimer:  I received this book free from Watkins Publishing Limited in exchange for an honest review.  I did not receive any form of compensation. Whether you buy into all of the various conspiracies that are out there or not, this is a very interesting book that takes a look at the most prominent ones. The author first takes a look at conspiracies from ancient times, including those from ancient Rome.  Then we travel through the history of conspiracies all the way up through current ones. The thing that I like the most about this book is that the author is attempting to take a factual look at the events from all different aspects.  Instead of just wild conjecture that you see in so many conspiracy books.

Review - Arrow Vol 1

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  Disclaimer:  I received this book free from DC Entertainment in exchange for an honest review.  I did not receive any form of compensation. Growing up, I didn't really do too much of the typical little girl things.  Instead, I had my nose buried in comic books, watching sci-fi shows, and playing video games. The entertainment industry has recently been taking beloved comic books and producing them into TV shows and movies.  One of my favorite TV shows is Arrow based off of DC Comics Super Hero Green Arrow.  Of course, it doesn't hurt that the guy they have playing Arrow/Ollie is extremely hot! Arrow Volume 1 holds Arrow comics 1-6 and special edition 1.  These comics take place in the first season of the show Arrow.  They aren't rip offs of the actual show.  Instead, they show you things that happen between episodes.  So it gives a little more continuity. The comics also are set up like the shows where you are flashing from present day to Ollie's past on the island. T

Review - Secret Sounds, Ultimate Healing

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Disclaimer:  I received this book free from Wings of Light in exchange for an honest review.  I did not receive any form of compensation. This book has three sections in it.  The first section is a biography of Sharry Edwards.  It explains where she came from and how she got interested in using sound for healing.  It was interesting, but in all honesty most people who are picking up this book aren't reading it for the biography on the person behind BioAcoustic Technology.  The second section is the science behind it.  To me, that part was really interesting.  I have always been a why and how type of person.  Why does this technology work?  How does it work?  So to me, having an understanding of the science behind it was very important.  However, it did get rather technical in some parts.  So if you decide to read that section, you might want to take it slow.  It sort of can be like a cross between a science text book and a music class in some areas. The third section is what people

Review - Allah: The Concept of God in Islam

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Disclaimer:  I received this book free from Smith Publicity in exchange for an honest review.  I did not receive any form of compensation. As a Unitarian Universalist, I believe that all religions lead to the path of redemption.  It's just that there are so many languages and so many cultures that it would be impossible for there to be only one version that can be the true path.  So in order to better understand others and myself, I strive to understand other religions. This lead me to finding this book to review.  I have always been fascinated with the Muslim religion.  I know that after 9/11, many people started immediately associating Muslim with terrorism.  This is not true in any way shape or form.  If that were true, then Christianity would be considered terrorism as well since it was the Christians who slaughtered people during the Spanish Inquisition and the Witch Hunts of yore.  No matter what culture or religion you look at, you will find zealots and extremists.  These pe

Review - Masters and Slayers

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Disclaimer:  I received this book free from AMG Publishers in exchange for an honest review.  I did not receive any form of compensation. I really like good fantasy fiction.  Them seemed very promising.  However, I really had trouble diving into this book like I would have normally. Apparently, there is an entirely other series written by this author that is geared towards tweens & teens.  This book is an adult tie in to that series.  Instead of just writing a brand new series for adults, he decided to take the adults from that other series and tell the stories from their points of view.  The main problem was that I felt like it really just jumped into the middle of the story.  It really seemed interdependent on the reader to have read his other series. I eventually got frustrated with feeling lost while reading and just could not finish this book.  Maybe if I ever decide to read the other series, then I might pick this book back up again.  However, I really am doubtful that I woul

Review - All Is Well

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Disclaimer:  I received this book free from Hay House, Inc. in exchange for an honest review.  I did not receive any form of compensation. I have always been an avid reader of Louise L. Hay.  I firmly believe that the energy you put forth through thought and action has a direct result on your health and life overall.  So when I heard that she was writing All Is Well with a licensed physician, I was ecstatic.  Essentially, this is the Heal Your Body book for this day and age.  It plays a very similar role and function as that original book that was written back in the early 1980s.  However, there is a ton of more detail and research that has been added. First off, make sure you take the quiz in the beginning.  This will help show you the areas you need to focus on the most.  I advise reading the whole book, but placing an emphasis on the chapters that you scored the highest in.  I need to place my most emphasis on chapters 6, 8 and 10.    The reason that I say to read the whole book is

Review - Adaptogens in Medical Herbalism

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Disclaimer:  I received this book free from Healing Arts Press in exchange for an honest review.  I did not receive any form of compensation. I have always been interested in learning how we can fully integrated ancient herbal techniques with modern medicine in a way that would be meaningful and healthy.  Donald R. Yance has found a way in which to marry the two in order to help people to overcome illnesses. The first part of the book is an explanation of how some of the ancient herbal practices started.   Plus he shows a scientific basis on how herbalism can actually be beneficial.  The second part of the book goes through a listing of various herbs and their usages. I loved that Yance had written the first part in a way that someone without even a rudimentary knowledge in how the body functions can understand and utilize this knowledge.  However, it is also written in a way that those of us who do understand the mechanics of the various body systems don't feel like we are reading

Review - Faeries, Elves and Goblins

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Disclaimer:  I received this book free from Anova Books in exchange for an honest review.  I did not receive any form of compensation. Not only does this book contain quaint tales from all over Britain, but it contains little tidbits of knowledge as well. It is so hard to determine which story was my favorite.  I loved them all.  The stories told in this book are all retellings of old stories that had been passed along for ages. As for the tidbits of information, these are all gleaned from the various tellings and lore from around Great Britain.  There is a section that lists the various tribes of Faeries, Elves and Goblins as they are known in each area of Great Britain.  Such as Tylwyth Teg of Wales or the Ferrishyn of the Isle of Man.  Plus by reading the information, you can also learn how to attract the fae folk that you would like while avoiding the more mischievous of the bunch. Not only is this a wonderful book of tales that you can tell the children in your life, but this is a

Review - Nora Roberts Lands

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Disclaimer:  I received this book free from Aspendawn Books in exchange for an honest review.  I did not receive any form of compensation. As a longtime Nora Roberts fan, I can honestly say that I live in Nora Roberts land!   I just never thought of it in that way before.   Any fan of good romance always wishes that the hero would come into her life and sweep her off her feet just like in the story. Meredith thinks exactly the same way.  Her ex-husband (Rick the Dick) blamed their failed marriage on her living in Nora Roberts land instead of owning up to the fact that he was just an ass who cheated on her.   When Richard decides to run for public office, she decides that she needs to head back home to lick her wounds.  Before leaving New York, she promises her editor that she will write a story for the newspaper on finding her very own Nora Roberts hero. Just like any good Nora Roberts heroine, she blatantly denies falling for the perfect hero that comes along.  But how long can she ho

Review - Freak of Nature

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Disclaimer:  I received this book free from Indie Inked in exchange for an honest review.  I did not receive any form of compensation. Fresh new science fiction book by Julia Crane. Kaitlyn definitely didn't know what she was getting herself into when she had checked the box to donate her body to science.  I am sure most of us have considered that it would just have medical students using us as bodies where they learn anatomy and surgery first hand.  Or possibly taking parts to perform experiments to see how the tissue reacts to different agents.  However, I don't think that anyone would even consider the types of experiments that they performed on Kaitlyn. What would it be like to live more like a machine then human?  That is exactly what Kaitlyn has to deal with.  How much does she remember?  Are these actual feelings or random things being programmed into her?  More importantly, who can she trust? I loved spunky Quess who started opening up the possibilities for Kaitlyn.  I

Crazy life

I am sorry if anyone has emailed me lately and I haven't had a chance to respond.  Things have been really hectic here. And when things are slowed down for those rare moments, I have just been trying to relax.  That is a little hard to do considering. For those of you who do not know, I was just diagnosed with uterine cancer.  I had my first visit with the oncologist last week.  They have already set me up for surgery on September 23rd.  So right now I am running around trying to get everything done that needs to be done before the surgery. After the surgery, I will be in the hospital a few days.  I plan on taking my kindle and getting as much reading done as possible.  However, I am betting that I won't be able to concentrate enough to read.  I was told to expect to be getting morphine or dilaudid after the surgery.  So I will probably be in la-la land afterwards.  I would rather be in Nora Roberts Land though. I am trying to do some reading before in order to get some posts u

Review - Three to Get Lei'd

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  Disclaimer:  I received this book free from BelleBooks in exchange for an honest review.  I did not receive any form of compensation. This was one of the funniest cozy mysteries that I had read in quite a while.  I absolutely fell in love with the characters from the first page.  I especially loved the Hula Maidens.  They were over-the-top hilarious.  Think Grandma Mazur from the Stephanie Plum series, except a bunch of them! Poor Em is overwhelmed when the Tiki Goddess Bar is taken over by a camera crew for a reality TV show.  Of course, every is hamming it up so they can get their time on camera.  However, some people prefer to stay out of the lime light (Em included).  When one of the camera men winds up dead in the pantry, things really start spiraling out of control.  And this is just the first of three murders in this book. I tore through this book really quickly because I just didn't want to put it down.  I was hooked. I hadn't read the first two books in this series. 

Me and MURDER, SHE WROTE

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Disclaimer:  I received this book free from Grove Point Press in exchange for an honest review.  I did not receive any form of compensation. Thinking back on all the things that remind me of my mom, MURDER, SHE WROTE is definitely one of them.  I remember how we would get snacks and beverages ready and plop down onto the couch to watch the latest episodes.  During the commercials we would try to hash out the clues that have been presented to see if we could figure out who did it.  Angela Lansbury was one of my mom's favorite actresses.  Every time I am able to catch a MURDER, SHE WROTE rerun, I sit back and think of those wonderful times with my mom. So of course, I wanted to read this book.  I love the books that give glimpses at the creative processes behind the shows and also at the people who work their magic to allow us to escape into the various places that the shows bring us. Me and MURDER, SHE WROTE takes us into the working life of Peter S. Fischer from his beginnings as a

Review - Curse of the Scarab

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Disclaimer:  I received this book free from H.Y. Hanna in exchange for an honest review.  I did not receive any form of compensation. Great Middle-Grade reader! I read the book first.  I wanted to make sure that Ben would be able to read it since his comprehension and reading level had dropped quite a bit after the surgery last year.  His reading level is back up to where it had been prior to the surgery (which is well above his grade level), but sometimes he struggles with a few terms. As an adult, I thoroughly enjoyed this book.  It had a great mystery story that was fun to follow along.  The story is written from a dog's point of view.  And it is all about solving the mystery of what is happening to the disappearing puppies.  I loved seeing how the dogs thought of various things including their owners. Ben fell head over heels with this book.  He wants to know when he can read more about Honey and all her friends.  There were a few points in the book that had him creeped out.  H

Review - Yom Kippur as Manifest in an Approaching Dorsal Fin

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Disclaimer:  I received this book free from Smithcraft Press in exchange for an honest review.  I did not receive any form of compensation. Growing up in a religiously open home, I learned about the basics of various holidays and religious practices.  I remember having a friend in Elementary school named Michael H.  He would try to explain the various holidays and what they meant.  Yom Kippur was one that was explained, but since we were both children, the explanation was extremely rudimentary. For some reason, this had been one Jewish holy day that I never really learned too much about, even as an adult.  So when I found this book on NetGalley, I definitely wanted to read it. Interestingly enough, this author lives in Florida as well.  Not that it really makes much difference, but it was just an interesting fact that I noticed.  Especially when he was talking about the shark just off shore while he was at the beach. I loved the variety of ways in which Adam showcased various Jewish tr

Six Women of Salem

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Description Six Women of Salem is the first work to use the lives of a select number of representative women as a microcosm to illuminate the larger crisis of the Salem witch trials. By the end of the trials, beyond the twenty who were executed and the five who perished in prison, 207 individuals had been accused, 74 had been “afflicted,” 32 had officially accused their fellow neighbors, and 255 ordinary people had been inexorably drawn into that ruinous and murderous vortex, and this doesn’t include the religious, judicial, and governmental leaders. All this adds up to what the Rev. Cotton Mather called “a desolation of names.” The individuals involved are too often reduced to stock characters and stereotypes when accuracy is sacrificed to indignation. And although the flood of names and detail in the history of an extraordinary event like the Salem witch trials can swamp the individual lives involved, individuals still deserve to be remembered and, in remembering specific lives,

Review - 100 Perks of Having Cancer Plus 100 Health Tips for Surviving It

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Disclaimer:  I received this book free from Smith Publicity -- Basic Health Publications in exchange for an honest review.  I did not receive any form of compensation. Having been recently diagnosed, I started looking for books that might help me to get a grasp on what I am going through and what to expect.  This book not only did that but it also brought a much needed smile to my face.  I absolutely loved all the humor that the authors instilled into this book.  They had both gone through this and knew the fears and anxiety that come along with being diagnosed with cancer. Not only that, but they were able to survive it.  There are basically two types of things in this book:  perks and tips.  The perks are much more humorous ways to deal with your cancer.  The tips are more factual things to do in order to help your body cope with the strain it is being put under. Florence is a survivor of stage 3 Breast Cancer.  Not only that but she is a Registered Psychologist.  So not only does sh

Review - World Trade Center Remembered

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Disclaimer:  I received this book free from Abbeville Press in exchange for an honest review.  I did not receive any form of compensation. There are a few times throughout history that people will always remember exactly where they were when they heard the news.  9/11 was definitely one of those occasions.  I remember being at work in the doctor office that I was working for at the time.  Our switchboard operator was out sick that day.  So one of our appointment schedulers, Jimmy, was working on the switchboard.  The phones weren't busy yet since our day was just basically starting.  Jimmy was on the phone with his wife.  He looked over at me and told me that his wife just said that a plane hit one of the towers.  Shortly after he completely paled as he told me that his wife said that the other tower had been hit by another plane. At that point, everyone in the office made a mad dash to one of the doctor's offices.  This doctor had a TV in his office and we all huddle around it

Santa's Newest Reindeer

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Description Ellie and Will were looking forward to Christmas vacation. It was their favorite time of the year for many reasons--family, friends, grandparents, decorations, music, sledding, snowmobiling, skating. However, their world was about to be crushed. The city fathers passed an ordinance prohibiting any form of Christmas and new Year's celebration in Holly Valley. Recognizing that any legal action would occur after the holiday season, the twins set out on their own to ask Santa Claus to help correct this bad law. As they prepare to leave, they meet Holly Valley's resident elf, Jeepers, who befriends them. Who are Cosmos and Astro? How do they get there? What happens to them at the mysterious, majestic, and magical Santa's Village? Are they scared? Do they get homesick? Does Santa help? Who is Big Buck? Does Holly Valley get to celebrate Christmas and New Years afterall? Is Santa Claus real? Read and believe. Then look for streaking star!  Revi

Review–Tara Revisited

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Tara Revisited: Women, War, & the Plantation Legend by Catherine Clinton My rating: 5 of 5 stars For many of us, we have certain images in our mind how the South was back before the Civil War. We have images of women sitting on porches drinking mint juleps and have lavish parties and balls. Unfortunately, that is just an illusion that Hollywood created to gloss over the harsh facts of reality. Catherine Clinton shows us through crystal clear lenses the truth of how women (of all races) were treated back in the Antebellum South. It wasn't all days of wine and roses even for the wives of the Plantation masters. This book will definitely open your eyes and show us how much our educational system really doesn't teach us. View all my reviews Disclaimer: I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive any form of compensation. Any book bought through the Amazon link below will have a portion of the sale go towards the Unitarian Fell

Review - Plus One is a Lucky Number

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Disclaimer:  I received this book free from Pocket Books in exchange for an honest review.  I did not receive any form of compensation. One of the things that I love about reviewing books is discovering authors that I had never heard of nor read before.  This was definitely one of those finds that I enjoyed.   Truly great book by a new author! We have all had those family events to go to where you are expected to bring a plus one.  What would you do if you had to attend one and didn't have someone to take with you?  Wouldn't you feel that much more pressure if your family was always trying to play matchmaker?  Well, Sophie decided to tell everyone that she was bringing her boyfriend.  However, there was one major catch.  She didn't have one. That's when her coworker/friend Adam steps in to intervene.  He suggests that his friend James takes her. Sophie of course doesn't tell Adam or James the entire story about the weekend.  Then of course, James is also keeping one

Review - Beautiful Bombshell

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Disclaimer:  I received this book free from Gallery Books in exchange for an honest review.  I did not receive any form of compensation. After having read tons of reviews on the first two books in this series, I was happy to get my hands on this book to review.  I don't know if it is just that the first two were full length books and this one wasn't or the fact that I hadn't read the first two books, but I was just not pulled into this book. Even though this is a tiny 142 pages, it took me several days to read it.  To me, the story was focused heavily on the sex scenes.  It seems that the characters were fleshed out in previous books and they weren't really detailed in this one.  I guess that the author was expecting that everyone had read the previous two books. I know many people don't always start with the first book in the series.  Sometimes, you end up with a book from a friend, a garage sale, etc that is partway in a series.  And if you read it, you will go al

Knocking on Heaven's Door

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Description In this visionary memoir, based on a groundbreaking New York Times Magazine story, award-winning journalist Katy Butler ponders her parents’ desires for “Good Deaths” and the forces within medicine that stood in the way. Katy Butler was living thousands of miles from her vigorous and self-reliant parents when the call came: a crippling stroke had left her proud seventy-nine-year-old father unable to fasten a belt or complete a sentence. Tragedy at first drew the family closer: her mother devoted herself to caregiving, and Butler joined the twenty-four million Americans helping shepherd parents through their final declines. Then doctors outfitted her father with a pacemaker, keeping his heart going but doing nothing to prevent his six-year slide into dementia, near-blindness, and misery. When he told his exhausted wife, “I’m living too long,” mother and daughter were forced to confront a series of wrenching moral questions. When does death stop being a curse and become