Ashley's Booktopia

I'M BAAAAACK!!!!

2010-03-19T11:11:00.004-04:00

Hello all!!!

After receiving numerous emails for review requests I decided to snap back to reality and get this blog back up and running! Being a full time graduate student in the Clinical Counseling field is a lot of work!!! On top of that..I have been going through a divorce for the last few months..a very unexpected one at that..not the most fun I've ever had, let me tell you! Things are looking up though! I have a new place, am dating again, and loving life! I feel it's a perfect time to dive back into those wonderful books you are all writing! :)

I am afraid I am a bit behind on some reviews, for that I greatly apologize. I am on vacation this week and hope to catch up! I would love for you to email me if you would like your book reviewed! For those of you new to my site..how it works is I read your book, review it, post it on here, as well as email you a copy and hopefully get some good discussion going with folks! This is a great way to advertise your book for free! I am such a huge book dork and so this hobby is by far my favorite :)

That's all for now! keep the comments and emails coming! :)

<3 Ashley

THE WINNERS

2009-06-20T10:56:00.002-04:00

Well, no one entered to win the contest for the book Treasure Hunt: A Book of Clues for Parties by Nancy Kruse, so that book will stay on my shelf.

The winner for the book Astro Socks by Leigh M LeCreux is Nicole! Congratulations Nicole! I will be emailing you shortly!

Thanks to everyone to entered into my contest!

LAST CALL FOR ENTERING THE BOOK CONTESTS

2009-06-18T18:55:00.002-04:00

hello all! Just a reminder that tomorrow is the last day to enter the 2 book contests that I am having! You can find descriptions and pictures of both of the books a few entries down!!! Good luck!!!

REMINDER

2009-06-14T06:49:00.002-04:00

A few of you have replied to my book giveaways and did not give any contact information. In order to be eligible to win I need an email address where I can contact you!!

Hope you all have a great day!
-Ashley

BOOK GIVEAWAY #2-TREASURE HUNT-A BOOK OF CLUES FOR PARTIES-NANCY KRUSE

2009-06-03T14:28:00.004-04:00

This is another book that I am giving away. I read and reviewed this book within the last few months. As someone who does not throw many parties, I did not find it personally helpful, but for those of you with young kids or who love to throw a party and like treasure hunts, this is a PERFECT book.

My review of the book is a few posts back if you are interested in reading more about the pro's and con's of this book.

ELIGIBILITY:

In order to be eligible to win this contest I need your name and email address. All of this can be posted as a comment to this post.

The deadline to enter this contest is Friday June 19th. I will draw the winner Saturday June 20th!I will email the winner for mailing information On Saturday the 20th. I must have an answer back by Saturday the 27th 9am EST or a new winner will be drawn.

BOOK GIVEAWAY #1-ASTRO SOCKS

2009-06-03T14:10:00.004-04:00

A while back I did a book giveaway and it was a big hit!! I've decided to do it again to see if I get the same results!

The first book I am giving away is called "Astro Socks" by Leigh Le Creux. I read and reviewed it a while back. It was a cute story! I don't have any children so have no reason for it to collect dust on my shelf. It came with a cool bookmark too. It is a 75 page chapter book and has a few black and white illustrations in it.

ELIGIBILITY:
In order to be eligible to win this contest I need your name and email address. All of this can be posted as a comment to this post.I'd also love to know what you are currently reading because I am nosey and love books! :-)

The deadline to enter this contest is Friday June 19th. I will draw the winner Saturday June 20th!

I will email the winner for mailing information On Saturday the 20th. I must have an answer back by Saturday the 27th 9am EST or a new winner will be drawn.

Good luck!! :-)

THE MOSQUITO TAPES-CHRIS HOLMES

2009-06-03T14:05:00.001-04:00

As a big mystery fan, this story definitely helped to feed my addiction. I thoroughly enjoyed not only the story, but the originality of it.
Dr. Jack Youngblood works with the dead. Preferring to work with the dead rather than the living, he considers himself a loner. He lives alone with his dog, Lilly. When Jack does an autopsy on one man and realizes he was murdered, he starts to investigate. Not long after, another person winds up dead. This one looks like a hit and run. Both deaths look suspicious and Jack soon realizes that they are connected.
Jack and his colleague, Jill, work side by side to uncover the mystery. They find a mosquito in the pocket of one of the dead bodies and invite a bug specialist to take a closer look at it. Their investigation leads them to a government building which is the Biologistics site. Jack and Jill try to ask them questions and to see if any of their employees have gone missing recently. The personnel that talk with them refuse to say anything and walk away. Discouraged, Jack obsesses about the case and continues with the investigation even when warned not to.
While all of this is going on, Jack and Jill notice a spark between the two of them. They decide to give it a try and start to see each other outside of work. Things appear to go well for awhile until Jack makes a relationship ending mistake and finds that Jill no longer trusts him.
The story continues, and Jack finds that Biologistics is more a part of these two deaths than they are willing to admit. When it is discovered that all of these events have to do with mosquitoes, things heat up and become very dangerous, even potentially deadly.
Having read many mystery/suspense books with similar story plots, I found this particular plot very refreshing. What I also loved was the make-up of the main characters. I felt that Chris Holmes allowed his readers the opportunity to really get to know his characters and fall in love with them. I felt as though I was right there with Jack as he performed his autopsies and with Jill as she faced some very dangerous men.
I would recommend this story to any mystery/suspense lovers. This story also has a lot of information about forensic pathology, which is Jack’s career, so if this is of interest to anyone, then this book is for you as well!

THE DEAD MAN-JOEL GOLDMAN

2009-06-03T14:02:00.001-04:00

about a year ago I reviewed another book by this author called "Shakedown". Both books were awesome! I highly recommend his books if you are into mystery/murder type of books!

Jack has the shakes. This rare condition is here to stay, which is why the FBI put him into early retirement. Just because he no longer works for them does not mean he stays away from the drama.
When people keep winding up dead, Jack and his new found friend Lucy investigate. They find that all of these victims are connected to a dream study that is being conducted at the Harper Institute. Milo Harper is a billionaire who is funding the study. Jack soon learns that these people are dying in ways that are their own worst nightmares; literally. Due to being part of the dream study, documentation is done on the subjects’ worst, re-occurring nightmares.
Jack is not only fighting the clock to try and find the murderer before they strike again, but is also up against the entire FBI. They think Jack has knowledge that he isn’t sharing and think he is somehow involved in things. When his daughter died not long ago of a drug overdose, the FBI were pretty certain she stole 500k, and when she died they suspected Jack of pocketing the money for his own personal use. Jack now has to help find the killer before the FBI gets in his way, or even worse, arrests him.
Having read and reviewed Shakedown, I found I was just as impressed with this story. Joel Goldman has an uncanny knack for creating twists to the story that makes it almost impossible for the reader to predict who the killer is. Not many mystery/suspense writers can do that.
I love Joel Goldman’s characters. I feel as though he gives them just enough spunk and personality to allow the reader to make a solid connection with them. He does not go overboard with his descriptions, and for that, I am grateful.
As with Shakedown, I found that I loved his style of writing. It is clear, concise, and to the point. Joel Goldman leaves his readers hungry for more and left me turning page after page without wanting to take a break to get back to the real world around me. This is an exceptional talent to have.
Lastly, I loved the ending. I won’t give any of it away, but it truly put the icing on the cake. Just when I thought I couldn’t sing enough praise for this story, the ending made me want to sing an octave higher. It was unexpected and exhilarating! I would recommend this book to any and all mystery/suspense lovers. This is one that will not disappoint!

CODE OF SILENCE-SALLY WRIGHT

2009-06-03T14:01:00.001-04:00

Always glad to read a good mystery, I was excited for this book. Unfortunately, I found myself a bit disappointed with the writing. The actual plot, the mystery of the book, was excellent. The way it was set up and how it read to the readers was where the problem came, in my opinion.
Grieving the recent loss of his wife, Ben Reese is not doing much of anything. When a good friend gently prods him into helping with a potentially dangerous mystery, Ben reluctantly jumps on the band wagon.
Set in the 1950’s, Ben and his friend Richard become entangled in something very big and very dangerous. Carl Walker has gone missing. He is an acquaintance of Bens. Ben and Carl’s neighbor, Beth search Carl’s house for clues and find that his house has been broken into and searched. They soon find that their houses as well have been broken into.
Carl is found dead and the cops want to rule it a suicide. Receiving a package from Carl before he died, Ben starts to uncover the truth. Before Carl was killed he sent clues to where he was hiding evidence on a man who, ten years earlier, killed a woman and made it look like a suicide. She found this man, Bill Weisberg, an American Army Officer and linguist, was giving information to the enemies of America. She took pictures of his exchange of information for money. Now, ten years later he is resurfacing again to try and get his hands on the pictures he was unable to get back then. These pictures are now in Ben’s possession. Weisberg will stop at nothing to get them. He is even willing to go as far as to kidnap, torture, and kill.
What I didn’t like was the beginning pages. They were full of characters the reader doesn’t know yet and I found myself confused with how much information they threw at you, without allowing us to get to know the characters. Sally Wright starts the story out with action, which is the murder part of the story, but due to not getting any explanation of the characters, or the significance of the murder, it was a bit disappointing.
My next criticism would be that I had to keep reminding myself that the time line was set in the 1950’s. I found that without the chapters actually giving me the dates, I would assume it was modern times by the way the characters were created. I know the mystery itself makes it obvious that it was set in the 40’s and 50’s, but in other stories I have read, I get the feel from the writing that I am in that time frame, and for some reason with this story I kept thinking it was modern day.
That all being said, I really think that the story was good. I enjoyed the plot line, and liked the characters once I got to know them. I felt the story was well planned and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good mystery.

BEFORE SEPTEMBER FALLS-JESSE LEE

2009-05-06T08:01:00.002-04:00

Below is a review I did just recently. The story was amaaaazzzzzing. This is definitely a name to look out for in the up coming years!!!

It is not that often that a first time author amazes me with his book and blows me away with it. This is one of those times. Jesse Lee has written a remarkable account of one young man’s summer before college. The simplicity of the story line and the incredible character creations held my eyes captive to the story and would not let go until the very last page.
Jason is a typical nineteen year old boy. Graduating from high school, he realizes that he only has this one summer left to party and hang with the friends he grew up with before people move away and college life begins. Jason goes full speed ahead and doesn’t waste a moment. He decides it is high time he loses his virginity and does so in a rather awkward way and pays the price for that decision shortly after.
Spending as much time as possible with his best friend Tawny, the two of them party it up, hook up with people, experience break up, and have the time of their lives. They amount of alcohol they consume is worrisome, but the memories they create are unforgettable.
At first glance this story appears to be simply about a guy drinking too much and making it his business to get laid as much as possible, but I think there is more to it than that. What I got out of this story was a young man coming into his own. Jason finds himself. He discovers more about himself in this one summer than I think he even realizes. He does this by making bad decision, going out on a limb several times, being accepted and rejected, and taking chances. All of this gives him a sense of self.
I give so much credit to Jesse Lee for writing about this. This is a fantastic story that would be beneficial for high school and college aged kids to read, although I am not so sure their parents would agree with me on this.
A big part of what made this story so incredible was the characters. Jesse Lee allows his readers to make an emotional connection; allows us to share in their emotions; to laugh when they laugh, and cry when they cry. I think that their situations are relate-able and allow the readers to feel a certain kinship with these characters. A bond is formed and between reader and character, which is exactly why I can say with such confidence that Jesse Lee has an incredible talent for writing and is completely inspiring.

BRENDA HILL INTERVIEW!!!

2009-05-03T16:56:00.002-04:00

I have had the pleasure of reviewing two of Brenda Hill's books. Both were amazing, must reads. They proudly sit on my shelf. What gave me further pleasure was the fact that her publisher found my reviews to be what they were looking for and published a portion of each on 'Ten Times Guilty' and 'Beyond the Quiet'. As a reviewer I find no greater compliment than this!

Below you will find an interview I had with Brenda Hill. I was lucky enough to have this inspirational woman agree to answer some questions. Her answers are great, and very informative. I hope you all enjoy; I know I did!

Also below you will find my reviews for both of her books. Check out www.frontstreetreviews.com if you are looking for more great book reviews!

INTERVIEW:
What inspired you to become a writer?
My grandfather read to me and told stories about knights of olde and castles in his native France. Since then, I’ve always had a book open and several waiting in a must-read stack.However, I never thought I could become a writer - someone literary who writes lyrical prose that almost sings as you read – until I owned a bookstore in the 1980s and met published and aspiring authors. Some asked me to edit their manuscripts and I realized most were ordinary people, working men and women who were housewives, store clerks, business owners, doctors, and attorneys. But the aspiring writers believed that with work and dedication to the craft of writing, they could become published authors. Some did while others kept working at the craft. That taught me a valuable lesson: keep learning and never give up. While I’m still not a literary writer and never will be, I do hope to entertain with my stories.

What inspires you to write about women and their struggles?
Probably because of the struggles in my own life. In my first novel, Ten Times Guilty, my female lead, Tracy, is a struggling single mother trying to do the best for her son. At one time I had the entire responsibility of raising and providing for my own son, so I knew of Tracy’s desperation and her struggle to do better on limited funds. While I didn’t experience her sexual assault, I’ve survived other traumas, so I could write about panic, hopelessness, and finally, the determination to take control and survive. Beyond the Quiet tells about a grieving widow who discovers her happy marriage was a sham. I wasn’t a widow, but I did lose my husband of thirty years to divorce, so I knew all the emotions: loss, shock, grief, betrayal, and rage. Some of my character’s other experiences, such as meeting a man who made her toes curl, hasn’t actually happened yet, but I have an active imagination. I’d love to meet a Terry O’Neal in my own life. My Amazon Short, Am I Wife or Daughter? is based on my own experience with my mother’s care. Again, what happened in the story wasn’t my actual experience, but all the dilemmas and emotions - the indecision, the resentment, and guilt – were all there.

Who inspires you?
Anyone - man, woman, or child - who has a dream and works at achieving that dream. They may fall at times, as I have done, but I admire and learn from those who pick themselves back up and continue on the path to their goals.

Do you have a favorite character from one of your books? Who do you relate the most to?
Lisa, in Beyond the Quiet. She experiences all the emotions that accompanies loss and betrayal, yet she grits her teeth and goes back to work, determined to learn why she was betrayed. In her quest, she learns about herself and emerges as a stronger, loving woman.

What books would we find on your bookshelf?
Quite a variety ranging from Memoirs of an Invisible Man to The Da Vinci Code. From fantasies to biographies. I also read some paranormals, love stories, and thrillers.

What advice would you give to aspiring writers?
The lesson I learned years ago: Keep learning all you can about the craft of writing, and never give up.

REVIEWS: 'Beyond the Quiet'

Not only does Brenda Hill create an amazing story, with characters that will stay in your heart long past the stories ending, but she also teaches many life lessons to her readers as well. I not only enjoyed this story, but I felt as though I came out of it feeling better about myself; I was reminded of how precious life is and how wonderful it can be.
Lisa, a woman in her mid forties has never experienced life. She went through the motions of her marriage and raised a daughter. It takes losing her husband and finding out some terrible truths about what he did while they were married to really open up her eyes. She realizes that she has been living in a near loveless marriage and has never taken the time to get to know herself. Coming to the harsh realization that she is short on money, Lisa picks herself up and out of her depression and pity party and gets back to work as a real estate agent. This is where she meets Terry. Terry is the other piece in the puzzle to Lisa finally opening up enough to learn about herself.
Brenda Hill takes her readers through a story all about Lisa and herself discovery. She finds out what it is like to truly love someone, to truly hate someone, and all that is in between. At forty-four years old Lisa is just starting to live her life. Her self-discovery and attempt to open up to the world is jarred when she learns more about her husband’s betrayal, her friend’s betrayal, and encounters a man who is stalking her. This story is definitely not lacking in excitement!
What I truly love about this story is the fact that although it has many components to it, they are all vital to the story line and the reader is never once confused about what is going on. Brenda Hill does an absolutely fantastic job of writing in a clear, concise fashion that allows for her readers to keep up and enjoy everything they are given. To me this is one of the big hurdles of being a truly talented, amazing writer; and Brenda Hill has nailed it!
If any of her readers never experienced what real love is like, Brenda Hill gives it to them in big doses in regards to Lisa and Terry’s relationship. Each and every time that they are together, Brenda Hill does a perfect job at not only describing the way that they are totally and wholly in love with each other, but she allows her readers to feel the love deep in their souls. I got those warm and fuzzy feelings each time I read about their experiences together. To be able to love like that even once in your life, if only for a few months, is truly a gift.
I think the ending of this book was surprising, but appropriate. I would recommend this to anyone who is ready to take on not only the joy of a good, solid read, but also for those ready to go along with Lisa on her journey through life and self discovery to what it means to truly live.

'Ten Times Guilty'

As amazing as her most current book, Beyond the Quiet, Brenda Hill continues to awe and inspire her readers. Her heroic female characters are impossible not to fall head over heels in love with.
Tracy, a single mother with a baby boy, is trying her best at the game of life. She is providing just barely for her son by working as many hours at work as she can so they can hopefully someday eat better than spaghetti, rice and beans that seem to always be on their plates. Trying to find the time to attend college classes so she can better herself, Tracy speaks to her boss at the museum where she works about getting more hours. This is where she meets Karr. He is the new security guard. Seeing red flags when it comes to this man, Tracy decides to avoid him at all costs. Karr realizes she is doing this and starts to put the pressure on. He asks her on dates and doesn’t seem to like taking no for an answer. He even starts to make inappropriate sexual comments and advances.
Karr takes his advances to a whole new level when he follows her out of the museum one night, ignoring her requests for him to leave her alone. As Tracy continues to tell Karr to get lost, he becomes more and more angry, finally reaching his boiling point. He grabs her and brutally rapes and beats her, leaving her for almost dead, but not before threatening the life of her child if she ever tells.
Tracy is scared into silence. Thinking only of keeping her son safe, Tracy lies to the authorities about who did it and acts as though she did not see her attacker. She is put into the hospital for a few days to recover from her attack and decide what her next step is. Thinking that the worst is finally over couldn’t be further from the truth for Tracy. She finds she needs to pull all of her strength together, most of which she never even knew she possessed, to get through this trauma. With the help of some professionals in the field Tracy finds herself on a whirlwind of emotional ups and downs that prove to be the hardest test she will ever have to endure; one that will test not only her sense of security but also her own self worth.
Brenda Hill has a knack for creating vivid characters that touch her readers to their very souls. As much as I loved reading this courageous story, a part of me couldn’t help but wish it would end just so that Tracy’s pain would end. I don’t think I have ever hoped for a happy ending as much as I did with this book.
Not only could the characters be portrayed in real life, but Brenda Hill creates real life situations that can or have happened to women. As a survivor of sexual assault, I found this story refreshingly honest regarding the actual emotions that women go through when they are violated. This tells me that Brenda did her research. This book reiterated the fact that women can find strength from places they never knew existed both within themselves and from the outside world. This is a great reading tool for women to help keep their spirits alive when they feel like giving up the fight and letting their perpetrators win.
I would recommend this book to any woman who isn’t afraid to laugh, cry, and share in the joys and sorrows of Brenda Hill's’ characters as they fight to regain their lives and seek justice.

THE HOUSE ON THE SHORE-VICTORIA HOWARD

2009-05-01T20:51:00.002-04:00

My review below says everything about this book. It was a really enjoyable read. visit www.frontstreetreviews.com for more great reviews!

Victoria Howard has painted her readers a beautiful picture of Scotland with her words and descriptions. Set in modern times, she tells a wonderful love story that is riddled with suspense.
Anna MacDonald moves to the Scottish Highlands to make a fresh start. After ending a bad relationship and leaving her job, Anna moves into a croft that was left to her by her grandmother. She is tired of the city and wants some peace and quiet so she can spend her summer writing a book and also reconnect with her childhood friends.
The last thing on Anna’s mind is meeting a man. Not only does she meet a very good looking American man whose boat breaks down near her croft, but she instantly feels an emotional and physical connection with him. Trying her best to ignore these feelings, Anna finds herself in a heap of trouble. She gets a letter offering a hefty sum of money to sell her croft, which she quickly declines. Soon after, she appears to become a target to someone. This someone is pretty adamant that he wants her dead. She gets shot at, her home gets broken into, and her car is tampered with, among other things. Fearing for her safety, Anna’s friend convinces her to allow Luke, the dreamy American with a heart melting smile, to stay with her until she can find out who wants to hurt her.
As the days go on, Anna and Luke form a special bond and cling to each other. At the same time, Anna’s stalker is upping the ante and Luke will stop at nothing to find the man so that Anna will be safe.
Victoria Howard does a wonderful job with her character creations. In fact, I found myself falling for Luke! She allows you to see inside their world and form a bond with them. I also liked the description of the landscape. Victoria Howard gives just enough description without going overboard.
The suspense of the story was what really captured my interest. I adore a good love story, so with the added suspense Victoria Howard has created an amazing story that will captivate her readers until the very end. I would recommend this story to any romance and suspense lovers. The romance is not too over the stop, so it will not spoil the story for all of the suspense lovers out there!

TREASURE HUNT:A BOOK OF CLUES FOR PARTIES-NANCY KRUSE

2009-04-12T13:55:00.002-04:00

Happy Easter everyone!!! I am sitting here at work and have some down time so I figured I would put up another post! This is not a typical type of book I review, but it was interesting none the less. Basically a very short how-to book on treasure hunts you can put together for basically any party. For those of you into those types of things, this book would be a big help! visit www.frontstreetreviews.com for more reviews!

This cute little book is perfect for any party. Whether it is a birthday, shower, or even a holiday like Christmas, this book has some great ideas!
Nancy Kruse has created a how-to book on treasure hunts for different occasions. She takes you through, step by step, telling you how it should be set up and how many clues one should typically use. She then shows all different examples of clues to specifically use first and last and then all of the in between clues to use. She even breaks the book up into different rooms where you could hide the clues in your home, including places outside of the house as well!
All one needs to make a successful party is this book, pen, paper, and the gifts that the guests will eventually find at the end of all of the clues. Teens and adults alike would like this book and the party it helps to create. I would recommend this to anyone who is looking to put a little added twist into the party they are hosting!

SAY GOODBYE-EJ RAND

2009-04-09T09:25:00.002-04:00

Below is my reivew of this book...I am very curious to know if other's felt differently than I did about it. Both my raves and criticisms are below. Enjoy.

This book is a tough one for me to review. My opinions of the story seem to be all over the place. The first half of the story left me bored and tempted to let it go unread, but the latter half was well written and evoked the proper emotions I think the author was hoping his readers would experience.
Gary lost his wife to cancer about a year ago. Not really doing much of anything with his life, he winds up right in the middle of a murder case. His neighbor dies in a car accident and the cops determine that it is accidental. Gary is asked by the victims’ wife to investigate because she is certain her husband was murdered due to information he stumbled upon while at work.
Gary meets Becca, the only witness to the crash. They instantly form a strong bond. The two of them, plus some friends in the police department, and a few others will stop at nothing to figure out what really happened. Things really start to heat up when more and more people wind up dead. Gary is certain these ‘bad’ guys are sending him a warning message when they go after Becca. This makes him all the more determined.
The plot of the story is exciting and is what made me want to read the book in the first place, but I found that during the first part of the book I had to read the words very slowly. If I didn’t, I realized I was lost and needed to start the page or chapter over. I found I did not need to do this for the second half of the book. E J Rand appears to have worked out his writing kinks after the first eighty or so pages. I felt the first eighty-ish pages jumped from topic to topic and conversation to conversation a bit too quickly, which is why I think I kept getting lost.
My only other criticism would have to be how the chapters were broken up. They are set up to tell you the exact time, down to the minute, when things in the chapter are happening. Sometimes it would even go backwards. I found this distracting to the story.
I give a lot of credit to E J Rand for his creativity. I think the storyline was well thought out and very creative. I really thought Becca and Gary’s characters were well formed and very likeable. I would recommend this story to anyone who enjoys mystery. There are definitely parts of this story that you would not be able to predict!

check out more reviews at www.frontstreetreviews.com

THE GRACE NOTE-BRIAN L. DOE

2009-03-29T00:27:00.002-04:00

I try really hard to not judge a book by its cover because more often than not I find that it doesn't give me the correct opinion of the book, but for some reason I did not care for the cover of this book, so I couldn't help but think that I may not like this story. Boyyyyy was I wrong. I loved it, couldn't put it down, and read it virtually straight through til' the end.
Brian L. Doe did an amazing job with this one and I was proud to read it. visit www.frontstreetreviews for a copy of the review below as well as more great reviews!

Captivated from the very first page, Brian L. Doe has created a story of tragedy, redemption, and love. This book came full circle; starting with my tears upon the pages at the beginning, then spilling again at the last pages.
Alexander Brogan is a violinist and a Julliard instructor. His life appears to be going perfect; his job is going extremely well and he is with a woman whose passion is stronger than anything he has ever known. Simply put, he is captivated by her. When a terrible tragedy takes her away from him, Alex finds himself spiraling down into a black abyss. He no longer knows who he is or what he wants. He feels his life is basically over and passionless.
Moving to a small town to get out of the city and away from the memories, Alex finds himself spending a lot of time doing a whole lot of nothing. One day he hears a girl playing the violin; his neighbor of all people. Thinking that fate is playing a cruel trick on him he tries to ignore it. As much as he tries, Alex can’t stop thinking of the violin and the beautiful music it creates. These memories are bitter sweet because with the good feelings comes the sad memories of what he once had before it was ripped away from him.
Giving in, Alex decides to instruct the girl, finding out that she is a prodigy. Alex soon finds himself caught up in his new life, feeling as though he is being given a second chance, but at the same time feeling as though he is betraying his beloved.
This beautifully crafted story takes its readers on a journey. This journey teaches us that when unexpected tragedy strikes, you can still continue living your life. It teaches you about fate and human emotions; allowing us to experience Alex’s most vulnerable side as we fight with him to get out of his grief and continue his life with new vigor, but never forgetting those he loved and lost. We are right beside Alex every step of the way as he learns how to love again and re-create himself into a man so filled with love and passion that you can’t help but fall in love with him.
Brian L. Doe is very talented with his words and painting his readers a very clear and vivid picture. I would recommend this book to anyone who has experienced a loss in their life. This uplifting and heartfelt story will give you hope that tomorrow will be a better day.

THE HERMIT- RAY HOLLAND

2009-03-25T16:11:00.003-04:00

I honestly did not think I would like this story very much, but it was unlike any other I have read and really was quite entertaining. I think this is a good read for anyone, and can lighten any mood. check out www.frontstreetreviews.com for more reviews like the one below.

Ray Holland breaks his story up into two parts; The Mayor’s Daughter and The Hermit. Part one focuses mostly on the Mayor’s daughter. The reader soon learns that she is a nice enough girl, with a nice enough life. Her focus in this hilariously light story is finding men to play ‘bouncy-bouncy’ with, (and no, I did not make up that word. It came from the book, I swear!). When she sets her sight on a man, she goes home with him. As they are doing their thing, the earth shakes, strange animals make appearances, and vortexes appear. This is Ray Holland’s way of telling the reader that amazing things happened in the bedroom.
Part two of the story focuses more on the hermit. This hermit went to hermit school, did an apprenticeship with another hermit and now for the past fifty years has made his career out of being a hermit. His spiritual life goal is to reach the High Plane of Astral Everythingness. There are approximately 143 steps that need to be taken to get there. Well on his way to reaching this goal, he starts to get distracted by visions and dreams of the Mayor, his daughter, and a few others, all of whom he has never met before.
The story continues on its light and hilarious path and the two characters end up meeting. The best way to describe this story is to first say that all seriousness goes out the window as soon as you open the front cover. This oddly fascinating and refreshingly original story is unlike any other! I wouldn’t even know what category to put it in. It isn’t a children’s book because it has adult humor in it, but at the same time it is non offensive. This story can be enjoyed by all. It’s like thinking of some of the silliest things and words you can possibly think up in your head and mixing it in with a simple story line. It is really quite genius!
Ray Holland has an amazing talent for writing, but also an uncanny knack for breaking the unspoken rules of traditional storytelling and creating something truly inspirational- an amazing read that will keep you grinning ear to ear until the very end!

AUTHORS

2009-03-18T20:54:00.004-04:00

I have had quite a few authors contact me recently who have seen my blog. They have requested a review of their book. Originally this site was intended just for readers who were looking for a good book, as I already review for frontstreet.com, but I am finding that I do have a little bit of time in my busy schedule to do some reviewing on the side.
That being said, if any authors are interested in having their book considered for review, please email me at ashley.denis@maine.edu. Your review will be posted not only on this site, but on http://www.frontstreetreviews.com/ as well. Two places for your book to be seen! Can't beat that! :-)

Please visit the above site, or sift through some of my reviews here if you would like to get a feel for the way I write.

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ETHICS

2009-03-18T18:44:00.002-04:00

Okay, I just responded to an email from an author, a pretty amazing one at that, about the topic of ethics when it comes to reviewing. I have never seen any actually written down, but are there a core set of them in a book somewhere that reviewers are supposed to know about and follow? If so, someone please email me or write on here to share it with everyone.
I always have used common sense when I write my reviews. As you can see on some of them, I write less than favorable reviews, but in my opinion I am always being honest. the big 'BUT' in my book is that there is a difference between being honest and open about a book and being a total jerk-face. Yes, I said jerk-face. :-)
I hope in my not-so-positive reviews I have at least shown authors the respect they deserve. I may not agree with the topic they write about, the message they are sending, or the way they write their books, but for the record, they deserve TONS of credit and respect. They are pouring their heart and souls out to the public and sharing their creation. I look up to each and every author so much and hope to someday be able to say I did more than have a few of my reviews published. Although I did just recently have one published on the front page of a book, ahmm, but that's getting off topic.
So yea, if anyone out there has any knowledge of a set of ethics around reviewing, please let me know! and to those reviewers out there who aren't aware. Our words can cause a lot of damage. There is a difference between disliking a piece of work and saying it needs some more editing, than just writing down hurtful things just because you can. Think about that next time you go and write a nasty review.

THE COURTIER'S SECRET-DONNA RUSSO MORIN

2009-03-15T05:54:00.003-04:00

This book was awesome! It gave great some great history, allowed you to see what life was like back then, and really showed you the courage of one girl and her fight to live a life worth living. I couldn't put this book down! Below is my review, which you can also view at http://www.frontstreetreviews.com/

This story was absolutely enchanting. Set in the 1600’s, with King Louis XIV as ruler, Donna Russo Morin gives her readers an inside look at what life was like inside the walls of Versailles. She allows us to experience just how ridiculous people acted to get in the good graces of the King and Queen and to witness their everyday lives in general.
Jeanne Yvette Mas du Bois is a beautiful young woman stuck in a life she has no desire to live. Unlike all of her acquaintances, who are ecstatic to be fortunate enough to live within the same walls as the king and live a life of privilege, Jeanne is frustrated with it and views it as a mundane life. Jeanne has the spirit and desires of a woman living in our time; she wishes to be allowed to do what men do, to be respected, and to be heard. She feels all women are reduced to are frilly dresses and endless gossip.
Her true passion is wielding a sword. Having been taking secret lessons from her uncle for quite some time, she finds that she is very skilled. Having to hide this part of herself frustrates her to no end. When Jeanne and her uncle find themselves enmeshed in a real battle with men trying to kill the Queen, she meets Henri Boucher D’Aubigne. Henri is a musketeer. Yearning for purpose in life, and wanting to be closer to Henri, Jeanne does the unthinkable; she dresses like a man and becomes one of them, under the alias ‘Jean-Luc’.
As time goes on, Henri meets Jeanne and falls in love with her, not knowing the connection between her and ‘Jean-Luc’. Together they fight for their love in a time when it is not common for men and women to marry for love, but rather money and status. Jeanne must fight not only to keep her secret, but also to decide what to do with the fate her father has chosen for her; which is for her to marry a wimp of a man who she does not even know or love.
I found this story to be refreshing and utterly exciting. Obviously a very talented writer, Donna Russo Morin has created magnificent characters that you cannot help but fall in love with; they are so vibrant and full of life. She creates Jeanne to be this character that is uncomfortable in her own fancy shoes and wishes to be something else, which I think most people find themselves going through at one point or another in their lives. This causes her to be very relate able, which I feel only makes her that much more loveable. She is a strong woman who stands up for what she feels is right, which I think is something we all wish we sometimes had the courage to do.
Donna Russo Morin has added a perfect amount of detail; no more and no less would have made this story any better. This is truly one of those stories that will stay in your heart long past reading the last page. I would recommend this book to everyone. I think men and women alike would get a great deal out of this story. Women would find that their hearts are set aflutter with the romance and the courage of this young woman fighting for what will make her happy, and men would smile with satisfaction at the action scenes and the honorable way some of the men were brought up to be.

THE OLIVE HORSESHOE-BEN F. SMALL

2009-03-15T05:49:00.002-04:00

if you like detail, this book is great. if you like blood and gore in detail, the first few pages of this book will shock and awe you. It's a good read. Not one I would read again, but it's definitely worth picking up and indulging yourself in. below is my review. visit www.frontstreetreviews.com for for more great reviews!

I felt as though this book could have been condensed down by about 100 pages and still been able to follow the same general story line. I do not mean this as a criticism but rather a compliment. Ben F. Small has turned this great suspense novel into a very descriptive, fleshed out adventure. I wouldn’t trade in those extra 100 pages for anything!
Denton Wright is a billionaire. When he learns that his father has been brutally tortured and murdered it becomes his mission to find out why. The authorities are chalking it up to be nothing major, but Denton knows there is something big behind all of this. He relies on his good friend and sometimes bed partner Mandy to help him uncover clues. Jenna Rogers’ father was killed alongside Denton’s father. They were on a trip together in Cadiz when the murder took place. Denton flies to California to meet Jenna and her right hand man Carlos to figure out their next move.
Carlos and Mandy hook up. Jenna and Denton hook up. Relationships are formed. The four of them go on a very dangerous mission to uncover the truth. They learn that the two men were killed due to possible knowledge of something called the Olive Horseshoe. Flying to the Spanish Coast, Mandy and Carlos go undercover as tourists and sign up to go on the same tour the two men were on when they were killed. Denton and Jenna are close by, doing a bit of digging on their own with the help of Denton’s FBI friend Fred.
They think the tour buses used on the tour are also used to pick up and drop off large amounts of drugs along the way. Things get heated when more and more people get killed in connection with all of this, some of them being people Denton holds near and dear to his heart.
The only criticism I have is the romance bit of this story. Denton is with Mandy, they decide they don’t love each other and just have something casual. The rest of the story is of Mandy falling head over heels for Carlos and Denton doing the same for Jenna. Then the last few pages of the books it switches again; Mandy and Denton start to feel as though maybe they do love each other. Ben F. Small leaves it at that. I felt as though that part of the story was unnecessary. It took focus away from the important and relevant part of the story.
The rest of the story was filled with fantastic description, suspense, and action. I really enjoyed the beginning where you get to be there witnessing the two men’s death. I was so horrified by it that it is part of what fueled me to read the book; I wanted to find their killers right along with Denton and Jenna.
Ben F. Small has a great story he has created and should be very proud of himself. His writing is clear and his creativity is grand! I would recommend this story to anyone who enjoys suspense!

THE SERPENT AND THE SCORPION-CLARE LANGLEY-HAWTHORNE

2009-03-12T19:25:00.003-04:00

I don't have time to really say much, but my review that I did sums it up nicely. It was an interesting book. I really liked it, and think it is definitely worth reading!

Taking place in the early 1900’s, I found this mystery to be different than the last few that I have read. First of all, it took place in the past; that in itself made it a very unique and refreshing read. Second, not only was there a fantastic mystery that needed to be solved, but the romance between the main characters was very stirring. Usually I am one for a sizzling, red hot romance, but this, due to the time in which the story takes place, was very prim and proper, but at the same time extremely satisfying.
Ursula Marlow is a very talked about woman. She is the center of most gossip in fact. Whether it be because she refuses to marry Lord Wrotham until she is able to stand on her own two feet and successfully manage the business that was left to her when her father died, or because she is a suffragette who believes that women should be treated equally in a relationship, in business, and should be able to vote, there is definitely a lot to gossip about.
Ursula befriends a woman named Katya Vilensky while at a function. They meet up by chance a few weeks later in Egypt and spend some time together. While out doing some shopping, something goes horribly wrong and Katya winds up dead. Chalking it up to almost nothing, the officials appear to be doing nothing to try and find her killer. Ursula vows to find out who is behind this. She starts to uncover little clues along the way that help convince her that there is a bigger picture to this murder.
Word is sent from England that someone is found dead inside Ursula’s Oldham factory. This factory was a special project that she created; a place where single women could work and get back on their feet and learn skills. Fearing the worst, Ursula rushes back to London and finds that one of her young women who worked in the factory is found dead, and the factory burned down. Ursula is now more determined than ever to find the link between these two deceased women and to try and understand how she plays a part in all of this.
While all of this is going on, Ursula is trying to map out her feelings for Lord Wrotham. She knows she loves him and wants to be with him, but in order for his reputation to stay untarnished she needs to agree to marry him sooner rather than later. She has a stubborn streak that tells her she needs to wait it out and learn to be successful and self-sufficient so that people will respect her. Each time she sees Lord Wrotham she struggles with these feelings.
Clare Langley-Hawthorne has created a very well balanced, like able story. It is filled with the mystery her readers are seeking, romance, and an ending that will leave you puzzled and anxious to find out what happens next. Her writing is clear and concise and she paints a beautiful picture of what it was like in the early 1900’s in Egypt and England. I thoroughly enjoyed this read.
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UNSEEN-NANCY BUSH

2009-03-02T18:38:00.002-05:00

okay, words can't describe this story. Okay they can, which is what I did below, but seriously this book is so freaking amazing. I'm going to wait a year, then read it again, and probably do this every year after that. It's one of the good ones peeps! trust me!
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Knowing that Nancy Bush is going a bit out of her element with this thriller story had me a bit skeptical at first. Within the first chapter, hell, the first page even, I knew this book was going to be a hit. I can say with complete confidence that Nancy Bush has found her niche. She has created such an amazing, thrilling story filled with horror, mystery, intrigue, and romance. My eyes were glued to this book. Not once did this story go dry or even slow down with the excitement.
Lucky, as she likes to call herself, has a knack for sensing when someone is bad. She spends her time following after and killing men who hurt people, or who have intentions on hurting people. Her main targets appear to be rapists, pedophiles and women beaters. Lucky is sly and quick and able to cover her tracks well, always using a different vehicle to follow these bad people.
Gemma LaPorte doesn’t remember what happened. She wakes up in a hospital bed with a nasty injury on the side of her face. Determining she’s been in an accident of some sort, Gemma realizes that the last memory she has if of three days ago. At around the same time of her accident, a man was mowed down with a vehicle in the parking lot of a soccer field where children were playing. After the accident it was discovered that this man was a pedophile that had tried to grab a little girl in his van. Gemma is considered a suspect, but she cannot remember anything that has happened.
At the same time these events are taking place, a man who calls himself Wolf is going around killing women who he considers to be witches. The cops have no idea who is committing these crimes and burning their bodies. While Wolf stalks and kills these women he obsesses over the thought that he is after one particular ‘witch’. All signs point to Gemma LaPorte, but the stories don’t connect until further into the book.
Nancy Bush has proven that she has an extraordinary talent for writing. All of these events are connected and the ending will blow her readers right out of the water! As you read this book you will think you have pegged what is going on, just to be shocked into realization that it is something else entirely. I would recommend and highly suggest readers who enjoy thrillers that are fast paced and unrelenting seek out this book. It will be worth every penny spent! Nancy Bush has found her true calling in writing about dark and scary things!

APHRODISIAC-ALLYSON ROY

2009-02-28T07:41:00.002-05:00

This was definitly one of those book that I could not put down. I have no complaints of this book, only that it ended. I was drawn in from page one and never lost interest. This shows that Allyson Roy has a gift! I look forward to hopefully reading more books in the future.

Below is my review. check out www.frontstreetreviews.com for more great reviews

Saylor and Benita’s friend, Gwen Applebee, has committed suicide; or so the police think. Saylor, otherwise known as Dr. Oz, Sex Therapist, thinks Gwen was murdered. Reading Gwen’s supposed ‘suicide note’ leaves Saylor convinced that the letter is really a secret message intended for her and Benita to figure out and hopefully lead them to uncover her secret; a secret worth being murdered over.
Gwen was an extremely intelligent woman. She was working on deciphering an ancient tablet to get the exact ingredients to create a perfume that acts as an aphrodisiac to men. Realizing the power of this, Gwen kept the ingredients of her findings a secret. The same people who are claiming to have killed Gwen are now coming after Saylor, giving her seven days to find the ancient tablet. The pressure is on for her to give them what they want or she and her family will be in grave danger.
Saylor and Benita go on a wild goose chase to try and understand what it is that Gwen was trying to tell them in her note. When they find themselves threatened by her killers to not go to the cops they realize just how alone in all of this they really are. They both find themselves leaning on family and current crushes for help and support. They soon realize just how dangerous this perfume really is if given to the wrong
This story was amazingly entertaining. On top of this hair raising search for the truth, Allyson Roy also throws in a sizzling romance between Saylor and a boxer that she meets. Instead of focusing on just the murder/mystery plot, she allows her readers to enter into Saylor and Benita’s everyday lives. We experience the seminars and therapy sessions Saylor and her aunt hold, Benita’s ex-husband fighting to win her back, their flirtatious attitudes, and some romantic scenes with her newest romantic crush that will leave you breathless.
What I particularly liked about the way Allyson Roy wrote this story was the way she was able to gauge her detail. I felt that she gave just enough to keep us following along and visualizing all of the events, but did not go over board to cause the reader any boredom. I think this is a vital piece in a book that can make or break the story. Allyson Roy has really perfected this!
Allyson Roy has done a wonderful job at allowing her readers to connect to her characters. She makes them extremely likeable and relatable. I would recommend this to any hip, modern adult who likes thrilling rides, hot men, and women who know how to hold their own!

WITCH'S PAWN-TONI LOTEMPIO

2009-02-21T16:47:00.003-05:00

I read this book and another book by Toni LoTempio and loved both of them. The other one I read was a romance called "Nom de Plume". I think that she does a consistently wonderful job and is a very talented woman.

Charity Jordan is a woman with quite the past. She is the head writer for a soap opera and going about her life in a normal fashion. When her soap opera takes a gothic twist, she finds herself back in her home town of Bender’s Crook to film. Trying hard to forget her past, Charity is forced to remember the day that her sister died, falling off of a cliff, while Charity lay unconscious.
Using the old Manor House as the place to film their soap opera, Charity and her cast explore the house only to find a big portrait of a woman named Estelle dela Bordeaux, a witch who was burned at the stake 300 years ago. Freaked out that she looks exactly like her, Charity starts to have odd flash backs and to hear voices. She starts to have visions of the night that Estelle was burned alive and the promise for vengeance on all who helped kill her.
As the days wear on, strange things start to happen to Charity and her cast. She feels as though Estelle is trying to take over her soul to complete her vengeance on the descendants of those involved in her death 300 years ago. Slowly but steadily cast members start to disappear and some even show up dead. Who is it that is killing them? Has Estelle really come back after all this time to seek her revenge?
I found this story to be both wonderful and frustrating. I really liked the plot line. I enjoyed the depth of the story and the twists and turns that were involved. I think that Toni LoTempio did a marvelous job at using her creativity to create a wonderful story unlike no other.
What I found a bit frustrating was the fact that I felt unable to get close to any of the characters. At first I would get close to one, thinking they were intended to be one of the main characters, and then they would die. So I would then proceed to get close to another character, thinking maybe they were the underdog and would last throughout the story; then they would die. I kept doing this until I realized there was almost no one left. I think that the story would have had greater impact on its readers if one of the characters could have stuck around so that we could really get to know them; instead new characters kept being introduced. The only character I can think of that stayed the same throughout was the police chief, but he was not a likable character because he doubted everything going on the entire time, so I felt he was not very important.
Other than that one small glitch I got caught up on, I found myself thoroughly enjoying the story and really liking the ending. I think that Toni LoTempio has set it up so that she can continue with this plot line and create at least one other book with it. I would recommend this to any reader who enjoys a good super natural thriller. I would not recommend this to horror story lovers who like the blood and gore because although characters died in very creepy, creative ways, the details of the blood and gore were amiss.

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THE ODYSSEY AND THE IDIOT-KEITH J. PRICE

2009-02-04T19:32:00.002-05:00

Hmmm how to describe this book. Well, I will say that the content of this book snuck up on me. I was totally expecting one thing, and got quite another. I honestly thought I wouldn't get much out of this book, but I was wrong. This book was deep man. Really freakin' deep. It totally made me re-think my life, and what I'm living for. It helped open my eyes to the positive things around me. It made me laugh. It made me want to be a better person. All of that in such a short story about a dad and a random road trip with his two kids. I am impressed. Keith J. Price, if you are reading this...you rock man. Mad props to you! :-)

Below is my review. Check out more great reviews at www.frontstreetreviews.com

Before deciding if I wanted to even read this story, I thought to myself a bit skeptically ‘okay, this guy wrote about a road trip with his two kids…cute…but honestly, who cares?! ‘ This story wasn’t going to be a wild fictional tale that kept me on the edge of my seat, but rather a road trip about a family I don’t even know. Hmm….
I decided to take the plunge, (after all, the story is only 120 pages, so it won’t take much time out of my life if I end up not liking it), and boy am I glad I did! This story was not meant for you to become close to his kids or follow along where they went specifically. This was something bigger! Keith J. Price shares with his readers his life; his flaws, his experiences, his reason for living. He teaches us that there is so much good in life and that you can get all that good without even leaving your home. He allows us to experience a road trip that he takes with his two young children while he sorts out parts of his life. This trip helps him to process a bad incident at work, and to remind himself how much he is loved by his family and how lucky he is. He also allows us to take a trip down memory lane and experience certain events taking place in his life that were landmarks for him.
What really kept me turning the pages was Keith J. Prices’ humor and utter honesty. He tells it like it is. He talks about his kids bugging the crap out of him, snobby waiters, his views on god, his hatred of Nazis; all of which was done in a way that kept the reader grinning and letting out an occasional snort of laughter.
I came out of reading this book not feeling like this guy was better than me, or that he is luckier than me. I came out feeling reminded of just how lucky I am and how wonderful my life really is. Keith J. Price has written a terrific book that I would recommend to everyone. There are so many different things to take away with you that you will find in these 120+ pages. This is a book I will refer to again and again!

THE SCENT OF ORANGES-JOAN ZAWATZKY

2009-02-02T18:32:00.002-05:00

Below is my review for this amazing book. I won't say more because I would just be repeating what I already wrote below....but I think after reading my review that you will believe me when I say that this is a must read, and a must own! I am proud to have it on my book shelf!!!! :-)

As I turned the last few pages of this story I felt as though I was coming out of a sort of trance. I would wake up in the morning and immediately open the book and continue reading as well as read late into the night. This story was so amazing that I never wanted to put it down; hence the trance-like feeling I got.
Linda, the youngest of three siblings, has made the trip back to her family farm in South Africa all the way from Australia. Her father recently passed away so she makes her way back home to attend his funeral and to reconnect with her brothers. Reading a letter that her father wrote to her a few months before he died, she is asked to look into her very difficult past and right a wrong.
When her brother, Hannes, was fourteen years old he was brutally murdered. Wanting to place the blame on someone as soon as possible, three dunk black men are convicted and sent to jail. The letter states that they were forced to sign their names, admitting that they were guilty. Linda dives head first into this self investigation. She interviews people who worked for her father back at the time of the murder and also old law enforcement. Linda starts to uncover some ugly truths, one of which points her eldest brother, Connie, as her prime suspect. As she delves deeper into this, she finds her memory of the time around the murder slowly coming back to her in bits and pieces.
Linda finds herself threatened and even attacked by unknown people, trying to throw her off course and warn her to let sleeping dogs lie. With the help of some family and friends, and her acute ability to connect with the dead spirits, Linda uncovers the mystery so that her father and brother can rest in peace.
I was absolutely awestruck by the description of the farm. I felt as though I could smell the flowers and oranges and feel the cool breeze on the back of my neck as I read this. Joan Zawatzky has created characters that amaze, inspire, infuriate, and disgust her readers. I could feel the strong determination in Linda, even when she kept hitting dead ends and had her life threatened.
The elegance of Joan Zawatzky’s writing is a big part of what made this story so memorable and delightful. Her words flowed right though me and led me into a story so full of life, nature, and relationships, I never wanted it to end. This is a book I will proudly display on my shelf and read again and again. Anyone who has an appreciation for a good, solid read will enjoy this. Simply amazing!

DOWN TO A SUNLESS SEA-MATHIAS B. FREESE

2009-01-31T06:10:00.002-05:00

Below is a book that is a bit different than any I have ever reviewed. It is a book of short stories. I usually avoid those at all costs, but as you will read in my review I am very pleased that I took a chance with this one. Mathias B. Freese has done a wonderful job putting together a compilation of these short stories. Below is my review!

Not being a big fan of short stories, I looked into this book before agreeing to read it. Realizing that Mathias B. Freese has worked in the mental health field for many years sparked my interest. Also working in the mental health field, I was intrigued enough to agree to read these stories when I found that Mathias B. Freese focused his stories on deviant and damaged people. This was right up my alley!
I got through these stories in one short afternoon and found I enjoyed most of them very much; One of my favorites being Echo. From the way I interpreted this short story, Jonathan is a man who has been making friends and connections with people his whole life. He enjoys these feelings of friendships, but at the same time stays somewhat aloof from making a deep connection. Realizing his pattern of making friends just to later break up the friendships and be alone again, he explains all of this to a current friend of his just before breaking it off with him. Soon after he ends this friendship, he also breaks off his relationship with his wife.
Jon is unable to think about and understand the hurt that he is causing to these people. Instead, he focuses on the strange feelings of fulfillment and release he gets when abandoning these relationships. This is a terrible way to live and shows how damaged Jon really is. This is a harsh reality that he will probably live with for the rest of his life.
Mathias B. Freese writes very clear and concise, not adding any unnecessary details to his stories. He is a powerful writer who kept me entertained throughout all of his stories. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys short stories, but more importantly, to those who enjoy the darker side of humanity. It is like stepping into a therapy session where nothing is off limits to talk about and you learn all of the deep, dark secrets of these troubled individuals. You can’t talk back and offer solutions, but it really jump starts your mind and gives you a lot to think about!

CONSPIRACY OF SILENCE-MARTHA POWERS

2009-01-13T09:25:00.002-05:00

An excellent read! Below is my review!

Martha Powers does an amazing job creating a story that is filled with adventure, mystery, and romance. This multi-layered book kept my attention the whole way through; I never wanted to put it down.
Clare thought she had a normal life. She had a job, was engaged, and thought she knew who she was. When her mother Rose dies of cancer, she is sent into a tailspin. Assuming she already knows she’s adopted, Clare’s doctor tells her that she may want to seek out the medical history of her real parents to see if breast cancer runs in her family. Totally shocked about hearing that her whole life was a lie, Clare calls off her wedding to go in search of her real parents.
Her search takes her to Grand Rapids, Minnesota where she desperately searches for clues from her past. As her search progresses she sets up a meeting with a man named Nate. To help cover why she is really in Grand Rapids she has decided to interview Nate about a book he has written for her job. Feeling a connection with him, she divulges into her story and is grateful when he decides that he wants to help her search for her parents.
As time goes on, Clare starts to have flashbacks of her mother and father and what happened one horrific night when she was four years old. As the flashbacks get worse, Clare realizes she is getting closer and closer to the truth about her identity and what really transpired that awful night years ago that tore her away from her parents. If that isn’t enough, the truth starts to leak out about why Clare is in Grand Rapids. Someone starts to send her threatening notes; they slash her tires, and even try to kill her. Confused as to why someone would want to hurt her, Clare becomes more determined than ever to break the conspiracy of silence that the town seems to have.
This story has amazing depth. Not only is Clare on a search to find out who she really is, but the hair raising action takes your breath away and the attraction between Clare and Nate is undeniable. Martha Powers fills her story with twists and turns that make the reader want to keep reading until the end.
The clarity of Martha Powers’ writing is also worth noting. Nothing was confusing, the use of description was just right, and the characters were fun loving and oh-so real. I would recommend this book to any reader out there who enjoys a good book filled with action, mystery and a budding romance.
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LITTLE NELL-BARRI BRYAN

2008-12-28T06:04:00.002-05:00

Below is my review of 'Little Nell'. It was an excellent quick read that left me satisfied.

True to its title, this story is all about Little Nell. As a young child she is an orphan that is sent on a train to be basically auctioned off to the highest bidder. Having quite a temper and a very un-lady like mouth, there are not many takers; until John comes along that is.
John’s family is falling apart right before his eyes. His dear, loving wife is slipping further into madness with each passing day due to the fact that their three year old daughter Nell has died. Deciding that he must do something about it to save his family he takes his two sons, David and Richard with him to meet the orphan train to try and find a replacement daughter. They find this spitfire with the same blue eyes and red hair and change her name to Nell. John’s wife is just unstable enough to believe that her daughter has come back to her.
Years later John has died and once again Sarah is mentally unstable. David, Richard and Nell are now grown adults. Thinking that John and Sarah are her biological parents, Nell is confused. She has been experiencing feelings of an un-sisterly like kind towards her brother Richard for quite some time. She is pretty sure he feels it too, seeing the way that he looks at her and the kisses he steals. Nell is mad at herself, and feels worse when her brother David catches on to the two of them, reminding them how incest is a sin. With Nell being the only member of the family who doesn’t know this well kept secret, she continues to struggle with her feelings. Things get even stickier when outsiders find out about their attraction to each other and try to butt in. Will Nell and Richard ever get to be together and be happy? Will Nell ever find out the truth about her upbringing?
Barri Bryan does a great job writing this story. It is quick, to the point, and the reader is dragged into the drama from page one. Your heart can’t help but go out to Nell, who has so many feelings coursing through her; confusion, shame, and excitement. Barri Bryan does an excellent job of making her characters very real like with very real emotions that the reader can relate to.
I read this book in one sitting because I could not find a pause in the story that felt appropriate to walk away from. This is a great story for a rainy or snowy day when you are cooped up in your home looking for something to entertain and keep you occupied for hours. Her writing is clear and concise, and her characters are loveable and not easily forgotten.

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YOUR EVERY DESIRE-MARY EASON

2008-12-23T09:40:00.003-05:00

I think my review says it all, but to reiterate the fact....DAMN this was a book filled with chemistry and passion. Aaron and Kylie have it bad for each other!!!! I'm surprised they were ever able to leave the bed room... Not only is this story sizzling on the romantic side of things, but it is also very well written. So many romance books that I have read are just filled with mediocre writing and good sex scenes. This book had both! I also loved the fact that Kylie owned her own business and was struggling to make more of it throughout the book. It made me like her character so much more!
Here is my review! Enjoy :-)

Mary Eason has done a wonderful job creating a very juicy, sexy story. This fast paced, rather short romance book got right down to the romance. No other details or story plots got in the way of Aaron and Kylie’s sizzling passion for each other.
Kylie has known Aaron for awhile. In fact, she was the one responsible for hooking him up with her friend, and house mate Mariah. Kylie has a little secret though; she has the hots for Aaron, and bad. She is good at lying to herself and stuffing her feelings down deep inside and settles for just being his friend. When Aaron decides to break it off with Mariah because of his upcoming job promotion which leads to him leaving the state, Kylie is shocked. She thought for sure Mariah was the one he wanted to spend the rest of his life with; and who wouldn’t? She’s gorgeous!
Truth be told, Aaron has been trying to break up with Mariah for a while. He does not love her, and hasn’t even slept with her. What he has had are the hots for Kylie since the day he met her. After trying for days to locate Mariah to tell her he wants to end their relationship, he goes to Kylie for help. Knowing she is lying by the look in her eyes, Aaron gets the feeling that Mariah has been cheating on him. Feeling as though their relationship has basically already ended, Aaron takes Kylie in his arms and shows her just how much he has been pining for her.
Both Aaron and Kylie make a lot of assumptions about each other and keep their feelings locked inside because they are afraid of rejection. Due to their lack of communication, they are way off base with each other when it comes to having an actual relationship. The one thing that is right on target though is their passionate lovemaking. They can’t seem to keep their hands off of each other. Aaron’s big move out of state and Kylies growing business is muddling things up for them. Will their romance fizzle and die? Or will Kylie and Aaron find a way to make it work and become honest with each other? <>Mary Eason makes it clear to hear readers that she means business when it comes to the topic of romance. She knows how to get to the readers’ heart and how to turn the heat up a notch. I think a lot of books benefit from detail in the story, but Mary Eason seems to be able to do just fine without an excessive amount of it. What she does pay attention to is what Aaron and Kylie notice about each other; Aaron can’t seem to get enough of Kylie’s eyes, especially the way they change color when they make love, and Kylie can’t get enough of Aaron’s perfect looks. These are the types of details in a romance book that make it so the readers can really get inside the characters’ heads and enjoy the story that much more. I would recommend this story to any romance lover out there. It is a quick read that can be finished in one sitting and will not leave you disappointed!

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THE LONG ROAD HOME-LAUREN N. SHARMAN

2008-12-20T15:24:00.002-05:00

I think what caught my interest the most about his book was that the story line was unlike anything I have ever read before. Although there was a bit of romance in the story, the main focus was reuniting a girl with her long lost family; her brothers to be exact.
I found myself in love with the characters, and rooting for everything to work out. It really touched my heart. It was nice to read about a family that was so troubled, and went through so much, and in the end for everything to work out.

Below is my review I did. for more of my reviews and others, go to www.frontstreetreviews.com

Being the final book in the McCassey series did not confuse me at all when I decided to read this book first. I am not entirely sure what the other books in the series were about, but I feel that I did not need to read them ahead of time in order to completely enjoy this book. Lauren Sharman did an excellent job with her characters and told an amazing story.
Georgia McCassey has lived a hard life. At the age of nineteen she has endured more than most have in their entire lives. She was taken away from her mother at the age of fifteen by her abusive father as revenge against her mother. Dolan McCassey raped his daughter, got her hooked on drugs, and whored her out for money. Finally seeing her chance, Georgia leaves his apartment in search of her three older brothers that she has heard so much about, but never actually met
Georgia does not intend on actually meeting them because she feels the things she has done in her past would make them ashamed of her, so she decides to just get a good look at them so she can put a face to their names. The situation changes when they catch her looking at them while they work at their garage. Georgia suddenly finds herself immersed in their world; some of it good, some of it scary. She must fight her demons inside herself and decide if she will be able to believe that she is actually good enough to be around her new family and change her life around for the better.
Lauren Sharman creates a world of wonderfully believable characters. They are rough around the edges, far from perfect, but every bit as lovable. She is able to show her readers just what family is all about; watching each other’s backs and making sacrifices in the name of love. I did not have a favorite character because I loved them all. I was able to finish this book in one sitting because there seemed to be no part in the story that I was willing to walk away from and take a break.
Lauren Sharman also seems to have a knack for clarity in her words. I never once was confused. Her story was very straight forward, moved at a steady rhythm and never once got boring. These are the kinds of stories that I love to read; the organization and planning of this story is apparent on every page. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good read and who has time to tuck in and read it start to finish.

3 ACES-RICHARD IDE

2008-12-14T19:34:00.002-05:00

I don't have much to discuss when it comes to this story. I think my review will spell it all out. I do want to stress that i give the author a lot of credit for writing this book. The amount of detail he uses in this story is unbelievable. In fact, I haven't seen this much detail in a book more than a few times in my reading ventures. As stated in my review, I think the detail hurt this story a bit, but it may feel like the opposite for people who don't mind a lot of detail.

This story took me about three weeks to get through. Although this was a very well written story, I do feel that the detail was a bit much. I think it could have been just as powerful a story without all of the detail.
Abner Weaver is a Vietnam War vet who makes his living driving trucks and delivering goods. He picks up a woman named Dawn at a stop who says she is in a tight spot and needs to get away. Charmed by her looks, he takes her as his passenger, under the assumption that she will be getting off in a nearby town and that will be the end of that. What ends up happening instead is that she sticks with Abner and together they make a pretty good trucking team.
Abner learns more and more about Dawn’s past; how she is trying to win custody back of her daughter, how her father used to be a gambling addict, etc. Dawn also learns a bit about Abner’s past; that he was in the war, has PTSD from what he endured, and that he will not tolerate any of her drinking. The two acquire a dog, and that completes their team. An issue involving Dawn and the game of cards erupts and their team breaks up.
This story does not have twists and turns and does not leave you hanging on the edge of your seat to find out what is going to happen next. What the story does have are some great characters that you learn to love and a whole lot of information. I honestly think that after reading this I could successfully go out and drive a big rig and I think I could honestly go and gamble successfully at cards. I made myself push through and read until the end, but I think some would throw in the towel because of all of the detail.
For those folks out there that really enjoy books that delve into the story in great lengths, then this is the book for you. If you are a truck driver, a card player, or interested in Vietnam, then this is also a good story to read because there are a lot of interesting things about all three of these categories. All in all I would say this was a good read, but it does take some stamina to push through until the end.

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KUDOS FOR A FRIEND!!!

2008-12-01T09:30:00.003-05:00

Hey folks! Usually I just post reviews and such on this site, but I'm really excited to share with you some information about a friend of mine. Susan Helene Gottfried, author of Trevors's Song, has just come out with a demo tape to the band in her book, the ShapeShifters.

Here is a little blip about it!

ShapeShifter : The Demo Tapes -- Year 1
A band's demo tape is intended to introduce listeners to their music. Likewise, this collection of short pieces allows readers into the fictional world of Trevor Wolff and his band, ShapeShifter.
Originally published online between April 2006 and March 2007, The Demo Tapes -- Year 1 brings together the moments that parallel -- but never encounter -- Susan Helene Gottfried's debut novel, Trevor's Song. Arranged chronologically and with introductions to each, this is a must-have volume for anyone who's ever wanted to hang with a rock band.

Here is the link to her page to check out more about, and for purchasing information! http://www.westofmars.com/index.php?id=thebooks

For those of you not familiar with her book, Trevor's Song, here is the link for you to go and check it out!! http://www.westofmars.com/index.php

Do yourself a favor and take a few minutes to check out those links! You won't be disappointed! This lady has some mad writing skills and you owe it to yourself to see if Trevor's Song and the demo tape is something for you!

INSATIABLE DESIRE-RITA HERON

2008-11-15T18:27:00.002-05:00

Like I've said about so many books I've had the pleasure of reviewing, this book makes it into my top list of all time books. It is most likely in my top 40 or 50 best reads ever. What is awesome is the fact that there is going to be a sequel coming out!! Rita leaves us at a cliff hanger that makes me very anxious for her sequel to come out.

Rita Heron is also a very skilled writer, which you will see as soon as you start reading her book, so I will definitely be seeking out other books from her.

Below is my review that I did for Insatiable Desire. You can also check it out on www.frontstreetreviews.com along with other great reviews from some amazing reviewers.

Rita Heron does an amazing job at creating a story that is thrilling, sexy, and past faced. I read Insatiable Desire in one sitting because I could not find an appropriate place to put it down. There was excitement on every page and I found myself unwilling to walk away from that excitement.
Vincent is a complicated man. In fact, he really isn’t fully a man; he is part demon. His father was a demon, and his mother was human. After witnessing his mother’s death at the hands of his father when he was just a young boy, Vincent has blocked out most memories of that specific event and those around that time in his life. Now, years later, he is a detective and finds himself called back to his home town. There are multiple murders taking place and the local psychic, Clarissa, thinks the murders are all connected. The spirits of the dead girls are trying to tell her something and are crying out for help. Vincent hasn’t seen Clarissa since he was a boy. Realizing fast that she is no longer an awkward looking little girl, he finds himself lusting after her almost immediately upon their reunion. He knows he is a dangerous man and has desires inside of him that are animal like and on the verge of evil, so he vows to stay away from her. He finds this to be a very hard task because it is evident that she is attracted to him and he cannot get her off of his mind. Although Vincent doesn’t remember all of his past, he does remember a snap shot of his father telling him that he had bad blood inside of him.
Clarissa senses that Vincent may be the key in helping her to solve this mystery. Young girls keep showing up dead; and they are all dying at the hands of their greatest fears. Clarissa senses that the killer may not be human. She knows enough about Vincent’s past to know that he is probably more connected in this than he is willing to admit.
Rita Heron has an amazing ability to create characters that get under your skin and latch on and stay with you. They are personable, intense, and intriguing. She has a great skill with her words. What I really enjoyed was the fact that she was able to weave an intricate story that involves everything from romance, to demons, to mystery, to murder. What I also love is the fact that Rita Heron leaves us at a cliff hanger which leads her readers to believe that the excitement is just beginning and there is much more to come. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a great read that will leave you captivated!

THE WIZARDS DAUGHTER-VICTORIA GRAYDALE

2008-11-14T06:23:00.002-05:00

This story, as I mention in my review, is most focused on just a few days time. It is a pleasant story that takes you through the kidnapping of the wrong girl, the attempt to make it right, the realization that it won't work, and the fleeing to safety so that one can avoid certain death and the other won't be forced into marriage.
It is a good, quick read that involves wizards, and young ladies who are ready and waiting to fall in love, a few good battles, and some amazing characters that you will no doubt fall in love with.

Below is my review, check out www.frontstreetreviews.com for other reviews to some great books!

At first glance of the cover art of this book, I thought it was going to be a teen fantasy book. What I realized after the first chapter that it was far from a book for teens to read; this was strictly for adults. Even though the cover art threw me for a loop and made me expect something different than what I got, I am not disappointed in the story. I think Victoria Graydale did a great job creating a lovely story.
Phaedra has been taking care of Millie since they were children. At birth, Phaedra’s mother died and a wizard took pity on her father and brought Phaedra to Lord and Lady Alcock. She grew up with their daughter, who was around the same age as she. Due to a childhood illness, Millie’s body grew up to that of a lady, but her mind stayed immature and innocent. Phaedra knew that Millie’s father wanted her to marry, and vowed to only let her marry someone who would treat Millie right and not take advantage of her.
Phaedra is kidnapped by a man named Adrian and taken to Cedrik, an evil man who wants to marry Millie, by force if necessary. Adrian realizes the terrible mistake he has made; He kidnapped the wrong woman! Mistaking Phaedra for Millie, he realizes that this mistake could be fatal; Cedrik does not take kindly to such mistakes. Both Adrian and Phaedra decide that it is in the best interest of everyone to get Millie and take her to the wizard so that she can be safe from the grasp of Cedrik. Phaedra is doing this for Millie, and Adrian is doing it to save his own hide from the wraith of Cedrik.
As their journey takes them further and further away from Cedrik, Phaedra and Adrian start to realize just how much they really care for each other. Will they be able to reconcile their differences and fall in love, or will Phaedra’s stubbornness and Adrian’s gruffness push each other further and further apart?
Victoria Graydale does a great job at the cat and mouse game with these two characters’. One minute you are sure that they will fall into each others’ arms and consummate their love, and in the next they are in a fight and cannot stand to look at each other. I found her writing to be very seductive, and always leave you waiting for the next encounter between Adrian and Phaedra.
This story does not go into great detail, and it not drawn out; in fact, it is a very fast paced novel that would be great to read front to back on a rainy day. It all takes place in just a few days time, and involves just one big adventure. You get just enough fighting, loving, and mystery to make this a great story. I would recommend this to anyone who likes fantasy, and a good love story.

RED FIRE-A GODS OF MIDNIGHT NOVEL: DEIDRE KNIGHT

2008-11-04T03:46:00.003-05:00

Okay, this was another sexy as all freakin hell book. I felt like I was under a trance while I read this. I wanted my world to go away so that I could stay in this world that Deidre Knight created. Don't get me wrong, my life isn't terrible, but this was just so sexy and exciting that I wanted no interruptions!
Regardless of the genre of book it is, the feeling I got from reading this book is what tells me if it is a truely great read. When my reality becomes unexciting and I find myself wanting to get away from it, and the world that the author creates becomes my reality, if only for a few hours, then I know that author has me; hook, line and sinker. This is EXACTLY what Deidre Knight did for me.
Below is my review I did of her book, which goes into more detail about how truely amazing her story is...

Deidre Knight had my body, heart, and soul tingling with excitement throughout her entire, powerfully written, story. Her characters are strong and sturdy in their personality, her words cut right to the heart, and her plot line leaves you breathless and wanting more.
Ajax Petrakos is a Spartan Warrior. He and six other warriors are given a choice by the god Ares; they could move on to the afterlife that awaits them at their deaths, or they could become immortal protectors of the world. They choose immortality, and from there vow to protect the world from all evil. Centuries go by and Ajax finds that he is getting sick and tired of everything; He longs to be set free. During his free time he is drinking and sleeping with women to try and pass the time, until he gets a summons from his King and the real adventure starts. The Oracle foretold that Ajax will encounter a battle that will cause him to fight for his life, and at the same time, he will finally meet the woman he has been promised to for many years; Shay Angel. This is a woman that has been in his dreams and in the Oracles’ vision and he has had a constant lusting for
These two meet up, and realize that their paths were meant to cross and that their destinies involve each other. Their sexual energy is evident right from the start, and together they know they must engage in a battle with one of the most powerful, and evil demons in order to restore order. Together they experience triumph and heartache; all the while falling more madly in love with each other as each passing day goes by.
Deidre Knight has created a true God. Ajax is that man you see in your dreams at night that you wish would come and sweep you off of your feet; quite literally, since he does have wings. He is the definition of a man, and his body leaves you breathless. The seduction scenes between Ajax and Shay leave you trembling. Deidre doesn’t do what a lot of writers do and have them give it up and go for the gold in the bedroom right off. She leaves you waiting; and waiting. Her ability to seduce the reader with her words, which tell of Ajax pulling Shay in for a passionate kiss because he can’t stop himself, or how he nibbles her ear and growls into it softly how much he wants her, leaves her readers trembling.
The characters’ personalities are one of a kind. I fell in love with Ajax because he is a true hero, with all of the right qualities. I feel in love with Shay and her two overprotective brothers because I found that I would respond to things the same way they did had I been in their situation (and I would have LOVED to have been in Shay’s situation!). Deidre Knight’s ability to keep her story exciting and making her readers turn the pages faster and faster, not wanting it to ever end is the sign of a truly excellent story. This is one that I would recommend to anyone who likes spicy novels about warriors, demons, and romance. This is one that I will read over and over again.

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HURRY DOWN SUNSHINE-MICHAEL GREENBERG

2008-11-04T03:37:00.003-05:00

This was definitly a powerful story to read. This is a small thing, but I really liked the title of this book, and think you will fully understand and appreciate it once you've gotten through the entire story. Michael Greenberg is a very strong man for being able to tell his story and share it with so many people...

This true life account of Michael Greenberg’s daughter going through her first bout of psychosis is truly eye opening and revealing. His ability to take us into her mind, and give us a glimpse of what it feels like to be manic is astounding. This book packed more of a punch than a text book regarding this illness ever would.
Sally is fifteen years old. Up until now, she lived what she and everyone else thought as a ‘normal’ life. Her father, Michael Greenberg starts to notice her behavior change. She is pacing, acting out verbally, obsessively writing, and saying things that don’t appear to make any sense. Michael finally decides that she needs to be hospitalized because he cannot give her the help that she needs. So begins Sally’s long, hard battle of not only trying to get better, and come back into reality, but also come to grips with the fact that this is never going to go away.
After spending over twenty days in the psych ward, Sally is able to go home. The work is far from over for her. She has to take lots of medication, go to appointments with a psychiatrist that meet multiple times a week, and basically learn how to live all over
What I think I loved most about this book was the fact that it was so real. This could have been anyone’s child. Michal and Pat dealt with the cards they were given in the same way most parents would; fear, frustration, confusion, sadness, and most of all, determination. I think that this book will help inspire many families who have children with a mental disorder to realize that there is hope and there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Yes, it is a constant uphill battle, but progress can be made, and your child can still live a wonderful life; they do not have to be defined by their illness.
Michael Greenberg did an amazing job at allowing the reader to see into Sally’s mind, but at the same time not confusing us. His words were clear and concise and very, very real. It is very apparent that he has a skill with using words. He is able to turn his story into something much more than just words on paper; he turns them into hope for others. I think this was also probably a liberating story for him to write as well. I believe it is very therapeutic to write about troubles you have had and to be able to share them with the world and get support from people going through similar circumstances.
I would recommend this book first and foremost to anyone who knows anyone who has a mental illness of this sort. I would also recommend this book to any and everyone. I think it is a great learning tool for people that have never had to experience anyone who is mentally ill to learn about it and be prepared if it ever comes their way. I give Michael Greenberg much kudos for writing this book, and I hope his daughter Sally is staying strong.

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WILLOW IN A STORM- JAMES PETER TAYLOR & KATHLEEN MURPHY-TAYLOR

2008-10-19T13:12:00.002-04:00

well, I have had this book sitting on my shelf for a few months before I finally got around to reading it. I was actually kind of dreading it, thinking it was going to drag on and talk about pointless details of a man's life in prison. I also thought that maybe it would just be too damn depressing. Neither of these things happened. Yes, the book was long, and full of detail, but I would not have gotten rid of any of it; I feel it was all neccissary for the book to be as powerful as it was. Although the book was depressing, I also think that it was just as inspirational, so it had a good balance. Below is my review that I did for www.frontstreetreviews.com. This memoir is amazing and it would benefit everyone to read it. I would not recommend it to teens, only because some of the subject matter can be traumatic to read.

This was an extremely powerful memoir. If ever there was a book that successfully exuded raw, human emotion, this is the book. James Peter Taylor endured years of torment, abuse, frustration, depression, unfairness, and punishment. What is amazing is that this man lived through all of this to tell his story.
James Peter Taylor grew up in a household that was not all that healthy. His father abused him in many forms. He did have a lot of positive, influential family members, but they seemed to pass on when he was just a boy. James got hooked up with some bad people, had some head injuries, and before he knew it he was in jail. James spends a little while in jail for crimes that aren’t too major, then when he gets out, he commits his biggest crime; in the midst of trying to rob a bank he kills someone. This is the setting for what becomes his 40+ years in the prison system.
What shocked me the most, and tugged on my heart strings the hardest was the fact that our fellow human beings can treat a man so poorly. Yes, James Peter Taylor murdered a man in cold blood. Yes, he deserved some form of punishment. His entire stay in the prison system was not simply to pay for his crime of murdering a man; a big portion of his stay was due to people in a seat of power, who held a grudge, lied, falsified documents, and just didn’t care about this man’s life. I cannot think of a time when I have felt so much disgust for my fellow human beings. James Peter Taylor paid for his crimes, but who is going to pay for the crimes that were committed against him?
Another issue in this story that totally shocked me was the fact that this poor man was raped more times than I can count. He said that in order to stay safe in prison he had to act feminine so that a male lover would claim him as his own and offer him protection from the other inmates. How sad that it is a well known fact that things like this go on in the prison system, and yet we do nothing about it. If a man or woman is raped out in the community, we as human beings balk at the notion of someone committing such a horrendous crime and we do all we can to make sure the rapist is punished; yet when this happens in prison, we turn a blind eye. It is disgusting.
I think that this story was meant to shock and awe its readers. I think that it was also meant to show the world that there are people out there that maybe do things they regret, but that they can come out of their experience a better, and changed person. It is a beautiful and uplifting story to know that this man has found happiness after having so much of his life spent behind bars. I would recommend this story to anyone; especially those who work in the prison system, or have a seat of power that have maybe turned a blind eye on some injustices that are being done to people. Shame on them. I hope this book opens their eyes and makes them realize that it’s time to take action.

WHERE ANGELS FLY-STEPHANIE GIBBS

2008-10-13T23:34:00.003-04:00

hmmm i had some major disappointment with this book. It just wasn't right from the start. It would have been totally awesome to do a story about soldiers and to get so intimate with them, but this was very poorly done in my opinion. I'm not sure if you'd call it bad writing skills or what, but I had to force myself to get through it.

anyways, you may not agree, it's just my humble opinion.

This story had me torn. I really liked what the story was written about, and I give a lot of kudos to Stephanie Gibbs to write a very real life story about what it is like for soldiers in the war. On the other hand, I was not a big fan to how it was written.
For starters, the story is about a reporter, Logan, who is sent to Baghdad to film the war. She is set up to stay with the 101 Airborne Division. She meets the soldiers and throughout the story she films the happenings of the war.
Logan gets to know these soldiers and respects and appreciates them all. She also meets the medical doctors there and forms a special bond with one in particular. I would add more to the story, but that is it. I feel as though Stephanie Gibbs did not introduce her characters well at all. She did a great job at dialoging them talking amongst each other, but I was never really interested because I felt like I was reading the dialogue of strangers. I think it is one of the most important jobs for an author to make his/her readers connect with the characters and fall in love with them; in this instance, this did not happen. Had we really gotten to know Logan and the soldiers, her dialogue would have been spectacular because you would have really had an appreciation for their personalities.For example, within the first few chapters, Logan meets the soldiers and a few pages later they are all acting like best friends; laughing, joking, wrestling, and talking about serious life issues. In reality, people don’t do that. It takes time to warm up to people and be able to become that friendly and adjust to such a new situation like war. I think that was the biggest part that made this story so unrealistic; there were no way the characters would have been able to be as intimate together as she portrayed in such a short amount of time. Everyone basically worshipped the ground Logan walked on, and she didn’t even do anything special.What I also thought was rather random was the fact that a few of the characters were born again Christians. Throughout the story, Stephanie Gibbs had them convert people. One minute the person would be making fun of the fact that so and so was so into his religion, then in the next they would suddenly have a feeling wash over them and just like that, they were ready to commit to God. I don’t buy that. People don’t do that. It is unrealistic.
Like I stated above, I really think the idea of the story is great, but I don’t think the ultimate goal was achieved here. I would not read this book again, nor recommend it.

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THE ELF AND THE PRINCESS: THE SILENT WARRIOR TRILOGY, PART 1-ANNA DEL C. DYE

2008-10-01T12:35:00.003-04:00

Being a big fan of fantasy, I was looking forward to reading part one of this trilogy. After the first chapter I became a little skeptical, thinking maybe this was intended for a much younger audience. What I instead found was that Anna del C. Dye had done an absolutely spectacular job at turning this into a book that lured both young and old readers alike. I think I can describe it best by comparing it to Harry Potter. With that series, any age group can read it and fall in love with it. This is the same for The Silent Warrior Trilogy; I loved it, my ten year old cousin would love it, and my mother would love it. This alone proves the immense talent of Anna del C. Dye.
Adren is the sole survivor of her homeland, Menarm. While all of her people are being slaughtered, she is up in the mountains training with a skilled warrior to learn how to fight like him. Adren’s mother, the queen of Menarm, allowed her daughter to enter into this training after much begging on Adrens part. Paletin, the Prince of the North Kingdom, is the one who discovered the ruins of Menarm. Adren’s mother, who kept herself alive until someone happened upon her land, gave him a letter with instructions on it, and then died in his arms. Vowing to avenge her death and follow out with her wishes, Paletin seeks out Adren.
Adren and Paletin follow the letters instructions to head to Lothia, the elf city, to meet Tadren, one of the head Elves. On their way, they get sidetracked and realize that a big battle is about to take place. The same group that killed everyone in Menarm is spreading out, hoping to cause more destruction. Adren and Paletin decide to help fight them, as they both are extremely efficient warriors. Adren decides that she does not want anyone to know that she is a woman, for fear they will not let her fight, so she dubs herself the Silent Warrior and stops talking altogether with a helmet on her head.
Once the fighting is done, Adren soon meets many important people who help her unlock the secrets of her past. She finds out not only who her true parents are, and who she really is, but also her soul mate. Anna del c. Dye does an amazing job at keeping the reader entertained. She really gets you to fall in love with all of the characters. With her knowledge of swordsmanship, I felt as though I was right beside the brave warriors as they fought for peace and freedom.
I particularly liked how she did not go into too much detail of the battles. Don’t get me wrong, Anna del C. Dye did not leave you without description of everything going on, but I find in a lot of fantasy books, when there are big battles, the description goes on for pages and pages and pages. I feel as though she gave her readers just the right amount of detail to be able to picture it all happening in your mind.
I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a book that is well put together. It is very evident to see the amount of planning and precision that Anna del C. Dye took in writing this. She will not disappoint!

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THE ABRAXAS SERIES:BOOKS 1-3-CINSEARAE SANTIAGO

2008-09-30T20:42:00.004-04:00

My first thoughts of this book; absolutely, freaking amazing. I was hooked from page one and sad to see it end when I got to the last page. I am so glad that Cinsearae Santiago is planning on a fourth novella. This is a book that I plan on reading again and again just because it is that good. My only complaint is that it is way too short; I think that the detail should have been greater, and she would have been able to create an amazing story of any great length.
These first three novellas are all combined into one book. Also, this is definitely not your typical, straight laced book. This is about the darker side of life. This is definitely a book for someone who is in touch with their bad side, and can appreciate the sexy, gothic side to life. Count me in on all counts! The characters are dark, their attire is sexy as hell, and they have this seductive creepiness to them that makes me want to visit their world.
Christine Vargas doesn’t even know what hit her. One minute she is a normal human being just barely getting along in life and the next she is all but tossed into a totally different world that she never knew existed. Realizing pretty quickly that her powers are greater than most vampires, and that she is viewed as pretty important, she meets Ryan Price. Ryan cannot take his eyes off of her and she feels the sexual energy between the two of them. Ryan tells her that he has waited a long time for her.
Lord and Lady Abraxas, which is the title that Christine and Ryan have, are now the rulers of their small clan. With powers greater than any, they must fight to keep their clan alive, as well as themselves. Certain clan members feel as though they want to rule and pull out all of the stops to make that happen. While all of this drama is happening, Christine and Ryan find that they have a raw sexual energy that they cannot extinguish. Cinsearae Santiago shows us just how much they want each other in her lusty, leave you panting for more, love scenes.
Later on in the stories, Ryan comes into contact with his ex fiancé’, who he finds out is a witch, literally. She tries her hardest to come between Ryan and Christine and has some very dangerous games up her sleeve. You meet some characters that gave me the goose bumps and made me want to sleep with a nightlight on. The ending of these three novellas is very shocking and definitely leaves you craving to read the fourth book. Ryan starts to exhibit some very strange behaviors, and something bad happens to one of the clan members. I won’t give anymore away!
I absolutely loved the characters. I think Christine and Ryan were sexy, sensual, powerful, and very appropriate for their positions. I loved the description of their love scenes. If you are someone who is not afraid to read spicy material and allow your blood to heat up, then get cozy and read this book! Although there are only a few of these scenes, they are worth it!
Cinsearae Santiago has a beautiful way of writing and using her words. You can tell that she has lots of knowledge of the gothic way of life and is a fan of vampires. Her words allow you to close your eyes and imagine yourself as one of her characters, being the one to slip on that spicy red silk nightgown and slip under the black silk sheets next to your lover and have a wild ride.

This seriously is a hot series! This brought out the side in me that always seems too taboo to talk about in my everyday 'normal' life. Most people see dabbling in this darker side as weird, scary, and they don't approve. I give lots of credit to Cinsearae Santiago for being able to have the courage to be herself and not care what anyone thinks. As for me, I keep my thoughts to myself, and continue on in my cookie cutter life. Don't get me wrong, I love my life and the people in it, but if I had all of the courage she had, I would definitly do things out of the norm and be able to take more risks with my looks and what not.

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FATAL ENCRYPTION-DEBRA PURDY KONG

2008-09-26T06:18:00.002-04:00

Kudos to Debra Purdy Kong in this wonderfully thought up mystery. The world of computers and technology is growing each day, and she gives us a big dose of both of these. This is not your typical murder/mystery story; this is so much more. She weaves a tale of lies, deceit, murder, and threatening. A computer master mind is at large and people’s lives as well as the fate of a huge company depend on this man being caught before it is too late.
Alex Bellamy has had trouble finding work. When the owners of a big store confront him, it takes little convincing for him to agree to be added to their payroll. The job ends up being much bigger than he ever expected it to be. With the help of his friend Tristan, Alex rushes against a ticking clock to try and find the code to unlock what could turn out to be a fatal encryption that could destroy lives. The person behind all of this is demanding money, and lots of it or else he plans on permanently destroying a huge company’s computer program as well as the store itself.
What I really liked about this story was that I had many people that I suspected was behind everything, but it wasn’t until the very end when I was able to finally figure it out. I like books like this because it makes me want to read faster and faster so I can figure it out. I hate it when you figure it out for yourself halfway through the book because then I end up not really wanting to finish it.
I think that Debra Purdy Kong does a wonderful job at character description. She really allows you to get inside their head and she makes them so likable. They have senses of humor that I would look for in a friend. Also, she is great at keeping you on track with computer lingo. Not once did I find myself confused about anything going on. I know a bit about computers, but I also know that that is a lot that I do not know, but she is good at keeping it simple and not overwhelming the reader.
I think that this book is a great read for any mystery fans. It goes above and beyond any simple mystery story. This is a book definitely worth having hanging around on your book shelf!

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BABY,BABY- KAREN WIESNER

2008-09-20T07:56:00.002-04:00

This story was a nice, quick read. It wasn’t complicated, it wasn’t meant to confuse you; it was simply meant to be a nice story. Karen Wiesner does a great job giving her readers one of those books that is very light on the heart and a great summer time read.
Tamara and her husband Robert are good, practicing Christians. They put the lord first in their lives, and truly believe with all of their hearts that He will provide for them. They are blessed with five children, and wonderful home, and are very happy together. Robert works at the plant and is hoping for a upcoming managerial position while Tamara is a stay at home mom who derives pleasure out of keeping the house clean, home schooling her children when they are young, doing volunteer work, etc.
Just like all couples, Tamara and Robert have problems of their own. Robert is stressed out and has been depressed lately because he thinks that the managerial position is going to go to someone with a college degree who hasn’t worked at the plant half as long as him. Tamara, knowing the reality of their financial situation, tries to ease his burden by using a talent that she has for making gift baskets and taking a chance by trying to sell them. They are a hit. Robert is very unhappy with this, and asks her countless times to give up her new found business and let him worry about providing for his family. Tamara is very heartbroken over this, thinking he is very cruel for crushing her dreams. Robert is torn over this because he views it as a slap in the face that his own wife doesn’t think he can provide well enough for his family.
Their arguing reaches a peak and they both fear for their marriage. They both must pray and seek The Lords’ guidance on what they should do; the future of their family depends on it.
There are no mystery’s to solve and nothing unexpected happens in this story, but I do not think there are meant to be any. This is a simply a story of faith, love, and trust. This is a story is very real in the fact that couples get into arguments all the time and it’s how you handle them that decides the fate of your marriage.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a light read. This would be especially good for Christian women. I myself am not a religious person, but still found this a pleasant read. I got a little angry at Robert’s ignorance and stubbornness when it came to the issue of women earning an income, but the end result put a contented smile on my face. This is definitely a great beach read!!
This is Book One of the Family Heirloom Series

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MELODY:STACY-DEANNE

2008-09-14T06:17:00.003-04:00

Another great read! This is definitly a book that is in my top 30 reads of all time. I couldn't put it down!
Here is my review:
You can also find other reviews of mine at http://www.frontstreetreviews.com/

Stacy-Deanne has done it. She has created an amazing plot, with amazing characters and turned this into a fantastic book to read. I was sucked in from page one and did not feel bored once. Any description she was willing to give about any part of the story I soaked up and happily read. This is an A-one story.

Melody and her sister Sarah are complete opposites. They do have one thing in common though; they are both beautiful. Although they look very different, they both have a charm and a grace that causes most men to do a double take. They are both living together in Sarah’s house because Melody is having a hard time finding a job. Everything is going smoothly until Sarah meets a gorgeous man named Keith. Melody knows right off the bat that something is wrong with him. He walks in her room while she is changing and just stares, commenting how beautiful she is. He doesn’t leave when she asks him to and she realizes then and there that this is a dangerous man and she does not want her sister with him.

Unfortunately for Melody, Sarah is as smitten with him as can be, and soon she and Keith announce that they are in love. Keith becomes more and more aggressive towards Melody, even resulting in threatening her, but Sarah is getting more and more fed up with Melody constantly complaining about him and refuses to listen to any of it.

The same time that this drama is going on, the city that they live in is being terrorized by a serial rapist. He has raped over 25 black women already and doesn’t appear to be stopping anytime soon. Melody fears for her friend, a black woman. She is living alone most of the time because her husband is a truck driver. On top of this, Melody is meeting up with an old friend, Lucas, and realizing she may be falling in love, but also realizing that she may not be ready for a relationship and becomes scared.

Stacy-Deanne cranks the drama and excitement up a notch each page you turn. Melody’s life becomes endangered, the serial rapist hits her close to home, and Keith is unrelenting in his quest to control her. How much can she take until she cracks?

The only criticism I have for this book is some of the wording. Stacy-Deanne uses a lot of the same descriptions when describing simple emotions. For example, the sentence “She walled her eyes…” is used a least a few dozen times, if not more. I think that a little more variety when it came to descriptions would have been beneficial. Again, this was only a minor criticism. This book was absolutely amazing and it will be one that I read again and again! I think this book would be a great read for anyone.

IN THE FACE- LORELEI ARMSTRONG

2008-09-03T10:21:00.003-04:00

This story definitely stood out in many ways compared to others that I have read. There are a lot of things that I really liked about it, and thought were very original, and there were things that I did not like so much.
Evo Selig is a beautiful man. He was the product of what is called shaping. When Evo was a little baby his parents took him to a doctor to have his face shaped so that he would grow up to be a beautiful, perfect looking person. True to the doctors’ word, Evo becomes a very famous man; he stars in all of the most popular films, has lots of fans, and is loved by just about everyone.
A man winds up murdered on the property of the doctor who shaped Selig’s face years ago and an investigation takes full swing, along with lots of media coverage. A simulation is found of the murder on a video feed and detectives MacEvoy and detective Cleinrath find that it is not actual footage, it is a simulation, and the person they see on the feed carrying the dead body is either being set up, or really did commit the crime; that is what they need to find out.
This story takes lots of twists and turns, and a few more people wind up dead before the surprise ending. This is one of the things I really liked about the story. It was never obvious who the killer was. There were a few people that I thought may have done it, then as the story went on, I found myself ruling them out. The person who ended up being the killer was someone I never suspected.
What I did not like so much about the story was that I felt it was unclear in a few spots. For starters, I have never heard of face shapers and am not sure if there are even doctors out there that do that (I hope not!). I am going to assume that a lot of readers are in the same boat as me, so therefore I think that there needed to be more explanation of this. Also, I found that some characters were thrown into the story before they were properly introduced. I found myself feeling a little confused for longer periods of time than I would have liked. Eventually I found out who the people were, but more of an introduction and more details about them would have been nice.
My last criticism was about computers and simulations. I am in no way a computer geek, so other than the internet, Microsoft word and the occasional card game, I do not know much about computers and what they can do. This book has a lot of talk about simulations. For the longest time I had no idea what that was and what exactly it entailed. I figured out most of what I needed to know throughout the whole story, but I felt that the story would have been much better if I would have known what a simulation was. A big part of the story is the killer murdering people, then making simulations of the murder and sending it through the computer for people to see.
Overall this was an okay read. It was definitely different than anything I’ve ever read about, and I really liked the ending, but the writing was a little weak and I found a lot of holes in the story. I don’t think anyone would be disappointed if they read this, I just think that with a little more work this story could be truly great.

Like i stated above, this was a really interesting book, it just has some kinks that should be worked out. If you are a book lover, it is still worth the read. If you are a computer geek, and know a lot of the terminology, then you'll like this book even more! visit www.frontstreetreviews.com for more reviews!

MERCY STREET-MARIAH STEWART

2008-09-03T10:18:00.002-04:00

Never having read anything by Mariah Stewart, I decided to read a few reviews from other books she has written before I read Mercy Street to get a feel for what I was in for. Of course all of the reviews I found were positive and highly recommended this author. I became excited to read her story and dove in. True to their word, her reviewers were right on the money. Mariah Stewart has a gift with her words. I was pulled right into this story and could not take my eyes away from the pages. It takes a massive amount of talent to be able to use words that have enough power to make someone want to put their own life on hold for a few hours so they can finish your book.
Mallory Russo is a private investigator. She used to be a detective, but due to a big misunderstanding on the force, she decided it best to retire early. She now has been hired from a wealthy man to investigate the murder and disappearance of four teenage children. These children met late one night at a favorite hangout of theirs, the playground, to talk about something that had been bothering one of them. The next thing you know two of them are shot in the head and killed instantly and the other two have disappeared. Nobody has a clue if they are alive or dead. Nobody knows where they could possibly have gone. Finding a strip of cloth from one of the kids clothing on the chain link fence leaves Mallory hopeful that they were able to get away from their attacker. Having lost a baby and wife out of thin air a year before, Robert Magellan decides to fund this search in hopes of a happy ending. He has had to suffer a year of not finding any answers and knows the agony it has caused him, and he wants to spare others of that same fate.
Detective Charlie Wanamaker, the detective that is hired to the department to take Mallory’s place, is also in on the search. His reasons are the same as Mallory’s, but also because he finds himself getting lost in her eyes and wanting to know more about this recluse woman. The two of them re-interview and go over all of the evidence that the police have already gone through, and find a few clues along the way that help with the case.
The ending is surprising and action packed. Mariah Stewart gives her readers a healthy dose of romance and suspense that sates our appetites. Her use of wordage is fluid and she gives just enough detail to allow you to feel as though you are riding in the car right along with Mallory and Charlie as they go from suspect to suspect. I would recommend this book to anyone who is shopping for an amazing read with lots of suspense, twists, turns, and some budding romance. Kudos to Mariah Stewart for what looks like another amazing book!

This book is definitly on my top 30 list of best reads!!!! it was excellent! visit www.frontstreetreviews.com for more reviews on some awesome books!

LOOSE GIRL- KERRY COHEN

2008-08-26T06:17:00.002-04:00

This is a must have!!

All of us women have a special power that men do not have. We have the ability to seduce and get what we need by using our body parts. Using that, plus our sometimes manipulative talking, allows us to be a very powerful being. Unfortunately by doing this, we are not only disrespecting the person we have turned our attention on, but also we are disrespecting ourselves. Kerry Cohen does just that. In her memoir, Loose Girl, she shows us just what women and young girls are capable of and how our society can take advantage of that.

At the age of eleven, Kerry realizes this power she has when an older man gives her a suggestive smile while he is checking out her young, maturing body. This power she had was lying dormant until this point in time. She got an adrenaline rush, and decided that she really liked how it made her feel. From then on out she started to seek out men, using her body to get their attention. She hung out at clubs, went into the city, went to boys’ homes that she didn’t even know, and hung out with the wrong crowd to accomplish this. She starts to sleep with a lot of these boys and men and eventually even loses count of how many she has slept with. Some people in her life start to lose respect for her and I think at one point she even starts to lose respect for herself.

Kerry realizes along that way that what she really wants is to feel loved. Her parents are split
up, and are not very good role models to boot. She and her sister have grown distant as well. Kerry saw her mother act sexually inappropriate with her sister, and her father tried to climb into bed with her one day. The boundaries of what are sexually appropriate and what is not has been blurred for this young girl. With that image being skewed and her hunger to feel powerful, Kerry gets herself into a routine that is very damaging to her. She has to deal with heartbreak after heartbreak, gets used, contracts STDs, etc. She eventually realizes that she is doing something wrong and that if she keeps acting the way she is acting she will never find true love. Kerry goes to great lengths to get some help for herself.

This memoir does not leave anything out and Kerry Cohen allows you to feel her greatest triumphs and her greatest failures. I was very impressed with this book and how honest Kerry Cohen was able to be with her audience. Her writing was smooth and easy to follow and she gave us just enough detail to really pack a punch. I think this is an excellent book for all young teens to read. The more we can educate these girls the better. All of the events that take place in this book are all things that could easily happen to any one of us. If you have young children and want to try everything you can to help them succeed in a very tough society, where they get lots of attention for all of the wrong reasons, then this is a book you should make sure they own.

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EXTRAORDINARY WILL-TRISH EDMISTEN

2008-08-22T06:22:00.001-04:00

Wow, this book was amazing!!!!!

I read this book in one day. Usually I then will turn around and review it right off while it is still fresh in my head. With this book, I had to walk away from it for awhile. I had to wait until my emotions were a little less fresh in regards to this story. This book had me crying page after page after page. This is a first for me. Sure, I sometimes get misty eyed when something terrible happens to a character or when something miraculous happens, but this was all pure, raw emotion spilling fourth.
Brandy is a nineteen year old girl who is doing normal nineteen year old things. She works at McDonalds and hates it, so she finds a new job in an office and continues to go to school. When Brandy meets Will, the son of her boss, Felicia, everything appears normal. I thought this was going to end up being a typical romance, with some twists and turns and possibly a break up or a ‘happily ever after’ type story. Boy was I wrong.
Trish Edmisten takes her words and lifts them off of the page and shoots them straight into your heart. Will and Brandy fall in love and are extremely happy. What Brandy doesn’t know is that Will has a secret. He is no ordinary, healthy young man. Brandy finds out that Will has fought and survived a brain tumor that could just as easily have killed him. They make a pact that no matter what happens, they will continue to stay together, even if the tumor comes back full force. That’s just what happens; Will’s tumor comes back and he finds himself once again fighting for his life. Brandy and Will no longer have a normal relationship where they can take things slow and just enjoy life. They now are dealing with a love that may be short lived and tear their lives apart. Instead of going to the movies on a Friday night, or ordering in pizza with the love of her life, Brandy finds herself quitting school and completely taking care of Will to help him fight for his life, and their relationship.
Trish Edmisten grabs hold of your heart and will not let go until the very last page. She forces you to come to grips with the fact that this could happen to anyone; even you. She makes you realize just how precious life is and that once you find the gift of love and happiness you should enjoy each and every precious day because you never know when it is going to be your last. Finding true love is a rare and beautiful thing, and there is nothing stopping the powers that be from tearing it away from you. For days after reading this book I looked at my relationship in a while new light and pondered what I would do if I lost the love of my life.
I would recommend this book to everyone to read. Grab a box of tissues and tuck in to read it front to back. This is a reality check for everyone and is a must have on your shelf.

This review is also posted at www.frontstreetreviews.com

POISONWOOD BIBLE-BARBARA KINGSOLVER

2008-08-12T06:15:00.003-04:00

I did not do a formal review on frontstreet.com for this book, but I thought I would talk about it anyways. My cousin from Colorado had to read "The Poisonwood Bible" for a class and answer some questions about it and she asked me to read it as well so we could work on the questions together. I finally finished it at work last night. I thought it was pretty good, but I remember a few years ago it was like this big deal, and I'm not seeing that.

I really like how Barbara Kingsolver broke up "chapters" by using all four sisters and their mother as separate narrators. By doing it this way, I felt as though we really got to get to know each character, their flaws, their strengths, etc. Since the book was over 400 pages, I think this was key so that the readers didn't get bored.

If this book is bordering on truth, which I am assuming it is, then I really learned a lot a bout Africa, the Congo, etc. It was really neat to learn about their culture, how they survive, how many of them don't survive, and then to put all of that in perspective about how we live everyday and what we take for granite. I really think this is a great book to have high school age children read because it shows them that there is a different world out there and that here in America we really have it made. For a lot of teenagers, the biggest crisis in their life is to keep up with their friends when it comes to clothing, and all of the latest gadgets, who has the most hip hair style, etc.

Has anyone else read this book? Did you have any favorite parts? Any parts you didn't like?

On another note, I know that I have been lacking lately with posting on here...I promise I will start to do it more often! I had about 63 family members from all over the US come up to Maine to visit out at our family camp this year and it was soooo hectic for a few weeks. My grandparents were the last to go and they just left on Friday, so things are starting to get back to normal! I hope you all can forgive me, stay patient, and continue to visit my site! :-)

INCOGNITO SERIES-KAREN WIESNER

2008-07-16T11:29:00.002-04:00

So far I have reviewed six of Karen Wiesner's Incognito books. I am working on her latest one right now. I took a look at her web site and found that she doesn't plan on stopping the series anytime soon. Within the next few years she will have at least a few more books in the series done.
http://www.frontstreetreviews.com/ is where you can check out all six of my reivews for that series. In a nut shell the books all follow the same theme. They are action/romance stories. The books can be read seperatley and/or out of order if you wish, but it goes the most smoothly if you read them in order. The theme that is the same in each book is the Network. The Network is kind of like the CIA, but it is even more hush hush and only the top US officials, including the president know of the Network's existance. The Network obtains justice where justice is due. They target drug traffickers, terrorists, etc. There is a specific ranking within the Network. The members of the Network are called operatives. They give up their freedom to ensure the freedom of the rest of the world. There are different levels of operatives; these different levels decide what it is you are allowed/not allowed to do. It takes years to train an operative to be able to perform at the neccassary level. They go through every type of traning imaginable: torture, etiquette training, training in seduction, business, fighting, weapons, etc.
Each book targets a different operative (s). The book becomes their story, which also inclues romance. As an operative you are strictly forbidden to have a romantic relationship of any kind within the wall of the Network as well as without. What the top officials don't understand is that it is human nature to love and crave a connection, so each story delves into this. If caught, the operatives face severe punishement, and even death.
The six books that I have read so far have been amazing and worth the read. I would recommend them to any and everyone. Karen Wiesner has written many, many books and has a great skill for writing.
Have any of you bloggers out there read anything by her? I have yet to read her other books yet. Do they compare to this series?

THE LOST EPISODES OF BEATIE SCARELI-GINNETTA CORRELI

2008-06-19T07:01:00.002-04:00

So I was a little skeptical at first about reading this 'experimental novella'. it was sent to me via computer, it looked unorthodox and the title gave away nothing. i put it on the back burner for a week or so, then one day decided to read at least the first few pages so see if i should put it further on that back burner. it starts by giving very straight forward, short descriptions of the characters. Ginnetta Correli had me at that. I did not stop reading until I got to the end, and at that, when it did end, I kept scrolling down, hoping for more. I wasn't ready for it to end the way it did, I wanted to be in Beatie's world forever so that I could root her on as she went through her life.

as I stated in my review on www.frontstreetreviews.com, this book was short, and to the point, getting right in on the action. Beatie Scareli is a 12 year old girl. She lives with her schizophrenic mother, and her abusive father. He mother is ill to the point of not even being on the same planet as the rest of the world, doesn't take her meds properly, sleeps endlessly, and cannot take care of her own hygiene. She ends up in a mental hospital and Beatie's dad divorces her. She moves in with a man she met in the hospital.
When Beatie goes to visit her mother every week she tries to avoid the boyfriend because he tries to touch her in inappropriate ways and is a raging alcoholic. Her mother is too sick to even notice, except to get jealous that Beatie is getting more sexual attention than she is.
Living at home with her father is not much better. He hits her, ignores her, and eventually even he tries to get inappropriate with her. Beatie doesn't have a chance at hell for a normal life; in fact, all she knows is this life, so it IS normal for her.
The story continues with more instances that make you feel so badly for Beatie. There isn't much detail about minor things, which i think is appropriate in this book. The details would just sugar coat the real purpose of this book. This is a real, raw look at abuse and what an unhealthy family looks like and the damage it can do to a child.
I am definitely saving this on my computer, and will read it again. Hopefully I'll get a copy of the book at some point when it comes out in print!

WOMB CHILD-ALTHEA PASCASCIO

2008-06-12T08:38:00.002-04:00

okay, i really don't want this to turn into a political debate any more than it has to, but i fear that it will be inevitable.
"Womb Child" is a pretty short novel. the narrator is a fetus that is inside of his mothers womb. This fetus, before going into the womb, was an angel up in heaven and spent many, many years learning about who it's family is going to be, and what it is destined to be when it is born. When it finally gets a chance to enter into the womb as a fetus, it already has a very intelligent mind from day one.
As the book goes on, the fetus's soon to be parents realize that having a child may not be the best thing right now. They discuss the option of abortion. Because the fetus is so intelligent, it can hear and understand everything the parents are saying. The fetus gets so upset at the prospect of abortion that it purposfully causes it's mother pain by moving all around. The fetus says that it has a destiny and will save lots of lives, and by aborting it we are basically dooming all these people.
When the parents decide not to abort, but decide to give it away for adoption, the fetus becomes upset again. It goes on to say that the fetus was meant to have this specific set up parents and all will be doomed if another family brings it up.

So basically the message behind this book is that it is pure evil to abort or adopt. It is saying that babies have a brain from day one of conception, there is a plan in place from the get go of what they are supposed to do with their lives, and that they are very aware of it. It isn't until the actual birth when they forget that they were an angel.

as i said in my review at www.frontstreetreviews.com, i think that the story was cute, but this author definitly had a political agenda, and for her to say that adopting or aborting, at the appropriate time of course, is pure evil is a little extreme. this puslished book is so that she can send a political message to whoever will read it.

see, i knew this would turn into a political post ;-)

APPLES & ORANGES-MARIE BRENNER

2008-06-07T11:28:00.003-04:00

This book took me a little while to get through because it appears to be so jumbled and disorganized. To us, it is, but to the author, Marie Brenner, i'm sure it makes perfect sense. This book is all about her relationship, and sometimes lack of a relationship with her older brother Carl. This book gives us snapshots and tid bits of her time with him.

My formal review is at http://www.frontstreetreviews.com/ if you are interested. What I focused on in my review was the fact that this book, in my opinion, was mostly for the author herself. She wanted to have a written account of her life with her brother and try and answer some questions for herself. I think this was brave of her to do. She questions the relationship they had, thinking maybe it could have been better, etc.

Her brother is diagnosed with cancer, and in the end it steals his life. This book shows how these two siblings rekindled their sibling relationship with the little time they had left. I think that this book allows us to imagine a lot of what happened in between the bouncing around of memories. We weren't there to experience it with them, so we are left to our imagination. I think by writing this book it helped to convince Marie Brenner that she was a good sister, and did have a special relationship with Carl. I commend her on this.

This is a good read for anyone who knows what a relationship is like with a sibling. It is not easy, but at the same time it is one of the most rewarding things in life.

LET'S TALK

2008-05-30T08:46:00.002-04:00

okay so today is a slow day for me here at work. I only have one client and the staff member that I am working with is handling the group therapy today so I'm in the office doing some paperwork and trying to act busy. Now would be a good time for you book lovers out there to comment on a book I"ve posted so we can get a conversation going! Come on, I know you are out there :-)

SHAKE DOWN-JOEL GOLDMAN

2008-05-30T06:17:00.002-04:00

Next up on our list of good reads is ''Shake Down". As I said in my formal review on www.frontstreetreviews.com, this was a good murder mystery. I really got into the characters, there were a lot of nice twists and turns that I did not expect and I was never really bored.
What makes this book stand out from most murder mystery plots is the fact that the main character is not allowed to work the case because his boss puts him on medical leave due to uncontrollable shakes that he is having. Instead of the book starting out with a murder, then you get to know the FBI characters and police, then off you go, this book adds a little more spice to it.
I do wish that when the doctors figure out why it is he is shaking, that they make it part of the story more because this is something that you deal with the entire time, then it seems like just a few paragraphs are dedictated to explaining what it is.
I also thought the ending could have used another 20 or so pages. We wait soooo long to finally figure out all the answers to our questions, and then feel a little short changed. Now don't get me wrong, the book was great, and I did like how it ended, I just wish it was explained a little more. Maybe the author is planning on writing a series to this book? If so, that would be fine by me! I'd go out and buy it.
So for your murder/mystery fans out there, this is one you don't want to miss. It is just enough out of the ordinary to make it worth the trip to go out and buy!

AND THE WINNER IS!!!!!!!!

2008-05-23T18:15:00.004-04:00

allrighty! time is up and it's time to choose a winner!!!!

I'd like to congratulate the winner of my first ever book give away......drum roll please.....WINDYCINDY!!!!!

Congrats!! I"ll be contacting the author and will have him send you the book directly! I hope you enjoy the book and I hope after you are done reading it you will visit my blog again and let me know what you liked about it! :-)

STILL A LITTLE MORE TIME

2008-05-23T08:54:00.002-04:00

Due to the fact that i'm at work all day today, the free book contest will not be ending this morning, but instead will be ending this evening! Make sure you send me a message! You don't have much time! Good luck :-)

huffin and puffin it at the gym

2008-05-22T11:18:00.003-04:00

okay so usually i blog on here about books i read, but we're gonna step outside the box for a minute. i just got back from the gym and daaaamn I'm tired. i could easily shower, then curl into bed and sleep the rest of the day away. i thought working out was supposed to give you all this extra energy and boost your day! well I'm calling their bluff cuz i think that's buulllllll crapppp.

i also blame the gym on why I'm not posting as many book blurps on here as i should. i work out to stay healthy, but then it makes me tired, so my creativity gets sapped in the process. it's a lose lose situation here folks!

okay, off to the shower, then I'll get some food so try and steal back some of that energy that the gym gods have so rudely taken..i may even post another book on here today!

don't forget about the contest for the book "An Embarrassment of Riches"!!! I'll be announcing the winner tomorrow :-) we've already got some great entries!

STILL ALICE-LISA GENOVA

2008-05-20T06:06:00.004-04:00

First off, don't forget about the free contest book giveaway that I posted in my last entry. The winner will be announced FRIDAY FRIDAY FRIDAY so you don't have much time to enter! :-)

This next book that I read was truly a sobering book. I did a review on it almost a month ago now. If you are interested in that, go to www.frontstreetreviews.com to check it out. As I mentioned in my review, this is the type of book, in my opinion, that would not be appropriate for people who have loved ones that have Alzheimer's disease. This book would just depress the crap out of you.

Alice is a woman who is in her early 50's. She is bright, intelligent, works as a prominent college, travels, wrote a book, teaches, etc. Her and her equally smart husband have three children together, ranging from college age to 30ish. Alice starts to realize that she is forgetting things more often, getting lost in places that she usually knows like the back of her hand, missing flights because she forget she had a plane to catch, etc. This leads her to eventually go to the doctor, who in turn runs a bunch of tests and confirms that she has Early on set Alzheimer's disease. This devastates her and her family.

I think you all can see where this story is leading. She declines, more and more. People with Early on set Alzheimer's decline more quickly than someone who gets it later in their life. In less than two years Alice doesn't even recognize her husband or children.

I felt so depressed and helpless and scared after reading this book. I was depressed because I cannot believe that we haven't found a cure for this terrible disease. I felt helpless because I cannot imagine having a loved one go through this and there isn't a damn thing you can do about it but sit around and wait for them to forget who you are. And I felt scared because I can think of nothing worse but to one day lose your mind like that. I would rather die. There is no quality of life if you don't know anyone around you or can't remember what you had for breakfast.

I think for someone who is looking for more information on the disease, this would be a good story to read. The other reason is simply for the fact that up to three dollars from the purchase of this book goes to the Alzheimer's Association. Every little bit helps!

Again, I loved the book, loved the characters, but damn it sobered me up.
If anyone out there is interested in reading it, or has read it, give me a shout out! I'd love to hear what you think!

WIN A FREE BOOK

2008-05-18T20:37:00.009-04:00

Ladies and Gents!!! For those of you who like getting things for free (who the heck doesn't), there is a contest that my editor at http://www.frontstreetreviews.com/ is holding for this book that I just wrote a review for. The book is called "An Embarrassment of Riches", Gerald Hansen. This author was generous enough to be willing to give away five copies. front street will be giving away 4 of them, but I get the privilege of giving away one of them!

The book is set in Northern Ireland and is in very thick Derry Dialect. So yea, it is little hard to understand at first, but you find yourself easily understanding it after 10-15 pages. It's dark comedy. To put it in a quick nut shell it's about a woman who wins the Irish lottery and how she spends most of it on material things and how her family will stop at nothing to try and milk her for it, thinking she owes it to them. It's hilarious! Read more at www.frontstreetreviews.com . My review of it was just posted so you'll find it right on the main page.

HOW DO YOU WIN????

All you have to do is write me a comment here on my blog and give me a shout out telling me that you want this book! Leave me your email address and if you win I will contact you for your mailing address. Don't post your mailing address on the site because then everyone will see it. If you want more of a description of the book, go the front street.com and read my review!

Lastly, if you want to try and win one of the four copies at front street, just click on the contest link and follow the directions. it's easy as pie! This is a book you'll read again and again and it will stick out among the rest. Gerald Hansen is one talented man with a great sense of humor.

Let the blog comments roll! :-) I'll be announcing the winner on Friday! Good luck!

Willie's Dad-Stanley Williams

2008-05-18T06:12:00.003-04:00

Again, it's been forever since I've posted...I've been in Florida, my Grandpop has been sick, life is in full swing! alas.

I think I've missed a few in between, but the next book I read and did a review for was called "Willie's Dad", by Stanley Williams. This is a childrens book. As always, my full review of it is at www.frontstreetreviews.com if you are interested! But by reading this, you get my uncensored opinion here! muahahah. just kidding. well, not really.

As I said in my review, this book is an innappropriate subject matter for children. In my opinion. i don't want to be harsh, and I hate giving out criticism to authors who work so damn hard on their books, but hey, I'm a reviewer, it's what i must do; respectfully.

I was watching CSPAN yesterday and it had Steven King, his wife Tabitha and there kid Owen (I think it was there kid!). A question they were asked was about what they think of criticism to their book. Suprisingly, Steven King stated that he HATED it when reviewers criticised his book. He said that it hurt, made him feel like crap, etc. It really put things into perspective. At the same time though, how are you gonna learn and be able to make your novels the best they can be without an honest review?

Back to the book! This short childrens book is about a young child who's father is in jail. We're not told why, but we are told that it is for a looooong time. This child visits his father in jail with his mother and her boyfriend. The father hugs the kid and tells him thathe loves him and doesn't want him to make the same mistakes he did, and that he wants this new man (mom's boyfriend), to be his new father. Then he walks away. Mom gets married to this new man. End of story.

Now I understand Stanley Williams' point about how some kids go through the situation of their father being in jail, but I think that maybe this should have been geared towards kids in like 5th-6th grade. a young, young child in my opinion will not understand this, and this book will definitly not put a smile on their young, innocent face. Books are meant to be read and enjoyed, not to sober you up and make you sad (this is for kids i'm talking).

So I have to give lots of kudos to Stanley Williams for taking this step, and I think he does have potential, and his writing isn't all that bad, but the subject matter is just way too innapropriate. I would never let my children read a book like that.

What do you think? would you read this to your children?

The Wentworths-Katie Arnoldi

2008-05-04T10:44:00.002-04:00

hmmm what to say about this book....well, the word AMAZING comes to mind. Let me set this up for you as simple as I can. There's a rich family, you get inside of all of their heads, they are snobby, in denial about the outside world, they all have MAJOR faults, they don't accept outsiders, and then something huge and tragic happens in their little bubble and it kind of wakes them up and taps them in with the rest of the world. End of story.

For those of us who dislike rich people (and yes, I do, and it's probably because I'm jealous), you'll love this book. It's halrious and it almost makes you happy to be poor because you ever want to be like them; not for all the money in the world.

The mother is an anorexic lady who knows her husband is cheating on her with basically every woman under the age of 25 but chooses to close her eyes to it. Her youngest son is as gay as gay can get and instead she chooses to believe he's retarded so he can't help himself.

The father is big and fat and probably going to drop dead of a heart attack any time. He sleeps with young pretty little things and buys them lots of things to keep them happy.

The oldest son is a sadist and dates women that look only like his mother (uhhh gross) and he loves to spank them and to dabble in bondage. He is an ass hole.

The middle child is just like her mother. They even share clothing. She has a pill popping problem but is in denial about that. Her 15 year old daughter is a coke addict, and her little boy is a clepto.

The youngest kid is gay. gay gay gay. But everyone in the family doesn't see it. He is the only one in the family who is half normal. He knows he's gay, he knows they pretend not to see, he knows he does drugs to get away from his utterly fucked up family. He knows they are in denial about everything. He's in his 30's and lives with his parents still. sad.

the rest of my review is at www.frontstreetreviews.com if you want to check it out. this was a great book. it really makes you think that your problems and flaws really arn't that bad!

In the Shadow of the Glacier- Vicki Delany

2008-04-24T10:36:00.002-04:00

I've posted about a few mystery books on here, but this one is by far the best! if you walk away agreeing to read any of these mystery books, this is the one to seek out! not to say the other's are great, but this one outshines them!
The difference with this story is that I feel as though the author allows you to really really connect with the characters, so you actually really care what happens to them. I found myself feeling what they were feeling. I felt frustrated when Molly Smith, a police officer who is helping on the investigation of who killed a man in her town, can't find a lead to the murder. My heart goes out to her friend who gets brutally attacked by her stalker. I feel elated when they finally catch the psycho behind all of this.
This story is set up in a small town in British Columbia, Tralfalgar, to be exact. Everyone there knows everyone and they all basically grew up together, so it's a big shock when someone winds up dead.
My review is much more detailed so check it out at www.frontstreetreviews.com!

Marathon Murders- Chester D. Campbell

2008-04-24T10:22:00.003-04:00

This book, as you can tell by the title, was a mystery novel. It was the fourth in the series, so the characters are main characters, which are the two PI's (private investigators) are already introducted many times before this book. The book thing is, that you don't have to read the first three to understand the book. The author does a nice job at re-introducing us to Greg McKenzie and his wife.
at first i didn't think I was going to like this story because it seemed a bit slow, but I really got into it and found that the ending had a nice twist. It's set up as a typical mystery story; someone goes missing, you find out they are dead, a few more people die, you look for clues, you have a few suspects, then it ends up being someone you really didnt suspect. Chester Campbell does a good job at staying on track and giving good information, without going overboard with too much detail.

if you like mystery's, then you'll enjoy this story.
to see my full review, check out http://www.frontstreet.com/

Generation NeXt Marriage- Tricia Goyer

2008-04-24T10:16:00.003-04:00

Well this is yet another marriage book that I read and reviewed. I don't have all that much to say about it. The things that stood out for me in comparison to other marriage books that I read was Tricia Goyers set up of the book. She broke her chapters up into topics she wanted to cover about marriage, gave her blip, but the different part was that all throughout she put what "real" people thought about that certain topic. There were people that she actually went out and interviewed and got their opinion on. I really liked that. So not only are we getting the author's view point, but we are also getting what random people across the country think about certain topics on marriage; what works, what doesn't, etc.

Since I havn't been married even quite a year yet, I'm not yet having some of the problems that long time married couples have. I'm taking a lot of the advice from these books and storing some of the information in my wee little brain until there comes a time when I may need to pull it out and use it. I even talk about some of it with my husband just to get an idea on what he thinks about it.

To see my full review on this book, and more detailed examples of what was in the book, go to www.frontstreetreviews.com to read it!

sorry!

2008-04-23T22:58:00.002-04:00

Just a quick note! i've been sick recently so I've been wayyy behind on this site! I have five really great books to add on here and will start posting them tomorrow! two of them I need to wait on because they have not been posted at frontstreet.com yet, but three of them i'll be putting up here tomorrow!

<3 ashley

pep talk to all you blog readers

2008-04-04T21:26:00.002-04:00

okay! I'm gonna give it to you straight! *rolls up pant legs and bends at the waist with hands on legs* in order for this blog thing to work, i need feedback! tell me i suck at writing, tell me you don't agree with my ideas, tell me you went out and read what i suggested, tell me what the weather is like in your town! tell me if you pick your nose or not! SAY SOMETHING!

There is great potential here people! *points to figures written on chalk board* If subject A (that's me) makes a move (writes a post), then subject B (all you wonderful blog readers) need to intercept the pass and run with it! (respond to what i write! talk about anything!). with that game plan you will have a great victory!

can I get a G-O B-O-O-K-T-O-P-I-A!!!!

Phew! *wipes brow* lets make magic people!

Pilate: A Brutal Bible Tale-Steven.Rage

2008-04-04T06:18:00.003-04:00

I don't even know how to start talking about this one. I think it best to weed out those who wouldn't be interested first. This book is sick, it's disgusting, it's stomach curling, it's wicked, it's amazing! afraid yet? if so, go away now.

Steven Rage took a story out of the bible, the one where Jesus is betrayed, then crucified, and turns it into his own. His characters are demons, monsters, vampires. They are drug dealers, they make deals with the devil. I think i described it nicely in my review at www.frontstreetreviews.com. I even got an email from the author saying how i really "got him". Pretty good compliment I think...I was a little suprised and shocked as well, seeing how I was able to tap into the mind of such a scary dude.

I think for those of you who don't have weak stomachs, won't be offended because it is turning a religious story into something of its own, and who are in touch with their darker sides will absolutly will find what you are looking for with this book. Every page i turned a little voice in my head told me to put the book down and throw it away, but dammit, I wanted to see how far Steven Rage would go with it...and he went far!!!

So yea, read it if you are in touch with the taboo side of life, walk away if you can't handle the heat!!!!

A Slave No More-David W. Blight

2008-04-04T06:12:00.002-04:00

okay so once again it's been forever since I've posted this. I have no excuses, just that life is slightly stressful right now!

Lets get right to it! A few weeks ago I read a book titled "A Slave No More" by David W. Blight. Right off the bat I knew it was not 'my kinda book'. But don't get me wrong, it IS a great book if you are into history, and knowing about the time when slavery was prevelent. David Blight came into contact with two authentic, never before published journals of two slaves. They wrote about their years as slaves, how they escaped/got freed, their families, and life after slavery. Pretty cool huh?
I thought at first it would be two stories of these men...wrong. David Blight is extremley knowledgeable and passionate about this time in history so he throws at you everything that is going on during that time; the war, the presidents and what they are doing to continue/stop slavery, etc.
If you are one that is interested in accounts such as these, take a look at my review of the book at www.frontstreetreviews.com and decide for yourself if the book is worth picking up! You won't be disappointed!

The Penguin Who Knew Too Much

2008-03-08T11:33:00.002-05:00

Well this is a first. I don't think I have ever done a review on a book that I totally and 100% hated. The novel The Penguin Who Knew Too Much by Donna Andrews was horrible! It is supposed to be a comical mystery novel. It's not. I swear. It's sloppy and overbearing with details and just a mess.

This author has writing talent. She has written many books and won tons of awards, but I think she missed the boat with this one. She is up for some kind of award and I'm curious to see if she wins it. God I hope not.

My full review of this book is at www.frontstreetreviews.com if you are interested in my full thoughts on this. Here is a brief synopsis of what my review discussed:

Meg langslow is the main character. Her and her beau are moving into a new house together and her parents and an untold amount of relatives are helping her move in. Then bam. All of a sudden she finds penguins in her basement, llamas in her yard, hyenas, wolves, monkeys. Her father is to blame for some of this. For the next 50+ pages Donna Andrews goes on to explain these animals in the most boring detail. Within those pages you find out that there was a murder and it was the zoo keeper.
The police are called and they start to invetisgate. All the while Meg is still moving into her place the animal population is growing. She starts to investigate this murder herself because apparently the sheriff is too stupid.
on and on it goes, with non stop obsessive descriptions of the animals and then we get to the end. in the end Meg finds the killer and in the process she breaks her leg, falls in a trench, gets clawed by a bob cat and is about to be shot. Now I ask you this question: what is the appropriate emotion that Meg should display? If you said Fear, Sadness, anxiety, dread, then by golly you are right!!! Unfortunatley Donna Andrews is a little off the mark and gets the wrong answer. She has Meg become cynical and has her start to joke around and make small talk. tsk tsk.
To me, when I am reading a mystery novel, the climax is obviously when you finally piece everything together and find out who did the killing. It should be the main event of the book. In here it wasn't. In just a few short pages you find out who did it, meg breaks her leg and acts inappropriatley and that's it. Very disappointing.

My biggest peeve was not knowing her target audience. For half the book I would have sworn it was for young teens because of the light nature of the book, not gorey, lots about animals and very simple writing. Well then there starts to be mention of viagra and sex and a few other sexual inuendos that are not appropriate for the teen population. So then I started to think maybe this was meant for adults. I never formed a solid opinion because it is so unclear.

*deep breath* okay that was basically a second review to the review I already did..but you should check out my review at front street because I find even more things to complain about. I really hate picking on authors because they work so hard, but I have to be truthful. I'm sure Donna Andrews is a great writer, otherwise she wouldn't have won so many awards, but damn, she didn't win any points with me when it came to this book.

Have any of you out there read any of her other books? how are those?

The Winter Rose

2008-03-03T20:50:00.003-05:00

Hey all! it's been a while since I've posted in here...but I have a good excuse! I've been reading this book, called The Winter Rose, by Jennifer Donnelly and IT IS AMAZING. It is over 700 pages and I thought it ended too soon!
I'm not going to be posting my actual reviews on here anymore because I want you all to visit http://www.frontstreetreviews.com/, which is where all my reviews get posted anyways. It is a great site with amazing writers that do reviews of all sorts!!
So what I will continue to do on here is to post blurbs about the books i read...the good and the not so good.
Back to my praising of The Winter Rose...amazing, wonderful, entertaining, heart wrenching. Have you ever picked up a good book and transported yourself into their world and any real life interruptions are just annoying (like having to actually go to work, eat dinner, have conversations with real people). haha. That was one of these books. the characters came alive for me...and no, I'm not completley losing my mind..the book was just THAT good. :-)
It's based in the 1900's and has a bunch of small stories in it that end up interconnecting. all of the characters are related in exciting ways.
I realize I really havn't given much of a synopsis of the book, but if you go to that wonderful web site i listed above, you'll be able to read my review of it! and if you reallly really like the sound of it, the authors web site is linked on the page my review is on so that you can see what else she has written.

let me know if I've convinced you to go out and read it!!! I'd love to see how you liked it!

<3>

Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage

2008-02-23T09:27:00.003-05:00

Okay, instead of me giving my input on this book first, you guys have to read the review, then you'll understand why I'm doing what I'm doing....

Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage-Unlocking the Secrets to Life, Love, and Marriage
Mark Gungor
February 2008

The very first thing I noticed with this dynamic book is that I laughed. I laughed hard. When it comes to books that touch on a certain serious subject and are filled with advice, I don’t usually find myself laughing. I ponder, I learn, I wince, I come to terms, but I don’t laugh. This is what makes this book so special, and kick starts it for the reader right from the get go. I mean, who wouldn’t laugh when a man of religion compares ox poo to marriage!
This unique book had me shaking my head in agreement more times than not. It’s not that it told me anything I didn’t know, but it helped me to look at my marriage in a whole new light. I already know that my husband is going to annoy me and stare at the television while I try to talk to him. I took that as a sign that he was not interested and I would get mad and berate him for it. This book showed me to look at it in a way that does not cause a fight. Men will be less apt to want to do something if they are berated, and women tend to get so mad when they are not being paid attention to because they want to be “chosen” by their husbands. Mark Gungor explains that being chosen is the feeling we have on our wedding day when our man say, “I do”, which translates into him “choosing” us. It is a one of a kind feeling and we want to feel it more often!
Mark Gungor gives great advice for men and women and explains that it is okay us to be so different, it’s accepting it and living with the knowledge that life is not going to smell like roses all the time. My only criticism is that he starts out so hilarious in his stories, like revealing his secret of wearing his wife’s underwear instead of going commando, but these stories become few and far between as the book continues. I didn’t laugh half as much in the middle and end as I did in the first part of the book. I don’t think that it affects the book much though because by this time the reader is already at full attention and has no plan on putting the book down.
Like Mark Gungor says in his book, it is important to realize what needs fixing in your relationship before you get to the point where you don’t care anymore. This book is perfect for any and all couples, even ones who don’t think there is anything drastically wrong with their relationship. If nothing else, you will learn how to view your husband/wife in a very different way, and hopefully the ox poo that is in your marriage will come out smelling a little bit more fresh.

check out www.frontstreetreviews.com for more of my reviews, and more!

Now that you know what the book is about, we'll be on the same page! I have been trying some of these tricks with my husband that the book talks about! For instance, the book says to stop feeling bad when you want to ask your husband to do something. If you hope that your husband will just do it because he wants to, then you are wrong and you will be waiting for ever for him to do it! The author says not even to ask only once, repeat your needs many times, in a respectful way. Ususally, I ask John (my husband) once, or hope that he will notice the problem on his own and fix it....and I usually end up sorely disappointed. So ladies!!! apparantly it is okay to ask and ask and to be a nag...and when your husband finally does what you ask, compliment him, acknowledge it, smile...and you will slowly condition him to WANT to do what you ask because he gets such a good positive response from it. He suddenly feels like the man, the provider, THAT guy.
I tried it all day yesterday and sure as shit it worked!!! I have asthma and we got a crap load of groceries that have to be lugged to the second floor. I asked him to take them all in, and I would do one load on my way up, or else I'd be wheezing my ass off. Usually I suck it up and hope he'll offer to do it because he knows how hard it is for me, and the end result is me with an asthma attack. The result of yesterday was different! I asked him three times on the way home, he said yes, and once he came up with the last load, huffing and puffing I got up, gave him a huge hug, kissed him, smiled and said thank you so much, you have no idea how awesome that was. He was freaking walking on cloud nine the rest of the night. He was feeling like the friggin man! it was awesome. He was happy, I was happy, and I could breath! :-)
The moral of my story is....read this book...it really has some good tips in it!
<3ashley

A death in Pilsen

2008-02-20T06:39:00.003-05:00

Hmmm I have never been a huge mystery fan, and by that I mean that I have never actually seeked it out at a book store, but every time I come across one by accident, or in this case, so review, I always end up enjoying it. As you'll read in my review, I felt the book was nothing superb. Good story line, likeable characters, although the author doesn't tell you enough about them to make you really fall in love with them or hate them, and the ending is pretty good. When I read a mystery, I want to either love or hate the characters so much that when you finally find out 'who done it' your emotions run rampant. To me, a truly powerful book is going to make me jump up and down in my head with happiness that it was 'the jerk in the book who deserved to be caught' or that it was 'that super sweet loveable lady who i would have never thought could have pulled the trigger'. I think that's why I found this book so mediocre; I never really felt that connection with the characters. All and all, it's worth reading because it is enjoyable, so keep my words in mind, but enjoy the story all the same :-)
-ashley

A Death in Pilsen
Robert Goldsborough

In his mystery book, Robert Goldsborough does a great job at including both an entertaining story line as well as some great historical facts. Based in the 1940’s, Tribune police reporter Snap Malek winds up doing some detective work that touches close to home. His cousin’s wife, Edwina, is stabbed to death in their apartment and the cops are convinced it is her husband that is the guilty culprit so they do not lift much of a finger to indict anyone else. Malek is convinced that his cousin would never do such a thing so goes out of his way to interview some likely suspects, only to find himself in a bit of a pickle, and an ending that causes your eyes to go wide with surprise.
While this book was very well written and entertaining to read, I did not find it overly so. I got through it very quickly and took frequent breaks due to a few dry spells. I particularly liked how the back few pages discuss some of the actual historical references that were made throughout the book. It gives the reader a chance to read up on some events that really took place in history. Another positive point was the chapter lengths. I think that having them as short as they were really helped to minimize some of the more dry aspects of the story.
I found that Robert Goldsborough has a unique style for dialoguing in his writing. I felt that when characters were talking to each other, they were using words that one would actually say in a face to face conversation, making it more enjoyable and believable to read. This is something most readers may not pick up, but in a lot of books I find that the dialogue is fine for the story, but is something that would not run as smoothly if it were an actual face to face conversation.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is a mystery fan and looking for a good, quick read. There are two other Snap Malek mystery books which I have not had the opportunity to read and may find myself seeking out at some point in time!

check out my review and more at www.frontstreetreviews.com

Mating in Captivity-Unlocking Erotic Intelligence

2008-02-16T10:26:00.003-05:00

Well folks sorry for the delay in posting more reviews, had kind of a dry spell with this book. Don't get me wrong, it was really informative, and for those of you going through a rough patch in your sex life, this is your new holy bible. Since I am currently not having any problems in that department, I got a big head and rolled my eyes at some of the things Esther Perel said....A few years from now I'm sure I'll be eating my words.
Here is the review! Enjoy!

Mating in Captivity-Unlocking Erotic Intelligence
Esther Perel
February 2008

This is a very dynamic book that is quite an eye opener for anyone who is in a relationship. The author, Esther Perel is a couple’s therapist who takes her experience in life, and with her clients and puts it all together in her book. Not only is this book filled with great information, but you also get a glimpse inside of the complicated, less than perfect lives of some real human beings.
Broken up into topics, each chapter helps to answer questions relating to intimacy, eroticism, sex, seduction, etc. We used to have sex all the time, so why do I find myself waning? Why am I not turned on by him anymore? Why is it that the more I fall in love with her, the less I want to have sex? These are just a few of the questions that Esther Perel answers in her book. One of the most astounding pieces of information I found was that sometimes when you get comfortable in your relationship, you move in together, and get into a routine, sex becomes boring and you stop having it as much as you did when you first met. This is so frustrating for couples and they yearn for answers. Esther Perel explains that it is because you cannot have eroticism and security at the same time. What makes things hot is the unknown, the unsafe, the mystery, etc.
This book does a variety of things for its reader. It validates their feelings, it opens their eyes, and it can strengthen a relationship by giving it new ideas. All of that is what makes this book so dynamic. This isn’t one of those books you pick up for a good read, or one that is going to put you and your lover in the mood for sex, this is an educational book that takes you on a tour into your own relationship and helps to show you where it needs some tweaking. For some people it is a crystal ball that will show them what is to come.
I would recommend this book to anyone out there that is in a relationship, no matter how good or bad your relationship currently is. This is worth reading. As the saying goes, “knowledge is power”.
you can also check out my reviews at www.frontstreetreviews.com

Is there anyone out there who sees this as a possible salvation to their dried up sex life? if any of you are willing to buck up and talk I'm sure we can get an interesting conversation going! I look forward to hearing from you!

"Chicken Soup for the American Idol Soul" review!

2008-02-04T18:50:00.000-05:00

Just as promised here is the review I wrote for the Chicken Soup for the American Idol Soul. It was a FANTASTIC read and I would highly recommend it to anyone!!! I cannot find one bad thing to say about it, except that it made me yearning to learn more about each and everyone of the people who wrote a story about their lives. My emotions were rampant while reading this! One story I was laughing and two minutes later as I was reading the next story I was bawling. Anyways, enough said, enjoy the review! :-)

Chicken Soup for the American Idol Soul
-Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, and Debra Halperin Poneman

Reviewed by Ashley Merrill
February 2008

As someone who has only read one Chicken Soup book, and at that I was pretty young, I did not quite know what to expect. What I got out of these short stories was dynamic. I laughed, I cried, I got angry, I felt joy. For people who did not get hooked to the show by seeing it on television, reading this was sure to do the trick!
I cannot even begin to appropriately describe how wonderful each and every one of these stories was. One that touched my heart a little more than the rest was of a teenage girl who wrote about seeing Clay Aiken’s music video “invisible”. The movie did not have much of a message according to Clay, but this young girl saw him standing on stage in his video singing with an ‘average’ looking girl who was not ‘model thin’. This opened up her eyes and what she saw was an American Idol who was happy to be in the presence of a normal, average girl. It changed her whole perception on life, and when she finally got the opportunity to tell him, he made it so that in each of his videos he only allowed ‘average’ girls and ‘average’ boys to be in it. He would always let the heavy man win the model girl, and vice versa. Such a small gesture has changed the perception of so many people.
Another, more tear jerker story that stuck in my mind was a three year old little girl who was battling leukemia and was told she was going to die. Her favorite American idol was Ace Young. He heard of the little girl, Mackenzie, and not only invited her backstage when she saw one of his concerts, but he also showed up to visit her while she was in the hospital battling another relapse. He not only was an amazing singer, but he used his status to help and inspire people. He made dreams come true.
All of these stories are no more than 2-4 pages long, but pack such a punch. They are simple words that come from simple human beings. It’s easy to see them as just like you or I when we are reading their stories. They all have had problems just as bad, if not as bad as ours. For me, it made me want to watch them on television and to watch them all succeed. I no longer see them in a different light than anyone else; they are just as vulnerable as you or I, they just have the opportunity to use their gift and make a huge difference, and for that, they are blessed.
Whether you are looking to know your favorite American idol more intimately or to just have a good read, this Chicken Soup book should be at the top of your list. You will finish the last page with a smile on your face, a refreshed feeling in your heart, and dried tears on your cheeks.

you can also check out my review at: http://www.frontstreetreviews.com/

Please let me know what you think! :-)

For all of you American Idol fans!!!

2008-02-02T23:50:00.001-05:00

Hello all! This is my very first post and I'd like to start right in by telling you about a book I am currently reading. It's called "Chicken Soup for the American Idols Soul". I am not going to give anything away, but it is a great read and in the next few days I will have a post up of the review that I wrote for it!
For those of you wondering why the heck I write reviews, let me explain. I am a freelance reviewer for Front Street Reviews http://www.frontstreetreviews.com/. It is an amazing site that Barb, my editor, created. All of the books that I review for her site are also going to be posted on here for your viewing pleasure! Reading has been a hobby of mine for as long as I can remember, and writing has always come easy for me, so I put the two together and have been able to create some pretty decent stuff!
Back to the American Idol book though...like I said, I'll be done reading it soon, so stay tuned :-) and make sure to add my site to your favorites list!
have a great night!
<3 ashley