THE LOST EPISODES OF BEATIE SCARELI-GINNETTA CORRELI

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

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

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

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

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!!!!!!!!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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Mating in Captivity-Unlocking Erotic Intelligence

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”.
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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!

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.

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Please let me know what you think! :-)