Sunday, March 18, 2012

The Madame School of Sex Seducing Sarah Written by: Jinx Jamison


First, so not safe to view this image or to read this book at work. Second, hmm...I dare take the quote from P.C.U "everyone get's laid!" Well, this movies bash where they title the party Everyone Gets laid is quite fitting for this book. The Madame School of Sex is just that a school where people go to learn about and how to perform sexually. To be in a safe environment with specially trained and not judgmental teachers who will help bring out everyone's inner sex Diva/God. It is a very interesting school, I was a bit skeptical at first being recommended this book, but upon reading well, this book was actually very well written! The steamy scenes were not bad at all I mean it, they were just well...I'll let you find out, nor was the plot development or even the character development overall bad. They were actually quite good. I found myself laughing a few times and yes as per usual with a book like this blushing quite furiously. And why shouldn't there be a school like this where people who want to perform better in their bedroom? You very well cannot ask every lover "So, was I okay? Did that suck? Should I not have done that?" Haha, or can you? Either way the school itself seemed very safe in its welcoming environment and analysing everyone's preferences and their safe zones. I loved that some of the men and women were not all sexual knockouts in the looks department but their personalities and their looks created quite intriguing people. The story is about this woman Sarah who just is getting over a breakup because her ex-boyfriend said she just didn't "please him sexually." So, she heard rumor about this school where a person could learn to be good in bed. Little does she know someone at the Madame School of Sex already plans on educating her personally. It is a quick read a good ol relax and not think too hard about the real world read. Perhaps I will look up the other book in this series and see what happens to the cast of characters the author Jinx Jamison created.

Sunday, March 11, 2012

The Hunger Games Written by: Suzanne Collins


Absolutely grotesque, just horrible...gut churning. These were the emotions I felt over this book. I had seen some previews of the upcoming movie, and some friends had mentioned how I just "Had to read this book!" But, well I listened to the unabridged audio book. I felt myself really wishing I could stop at times, because I felt no better than the spectators watching the barbaric hunger games. Unlike the spectators I completely understand how messed up the hunger games are and what they represent and why. It is a very awesome book and quite mind blowing. Of course those of us who have learned the history of the Roman Gladiators and read other books with warriors fighting for their lives would easily see the paraells in this story, the fact these are children in these games makes it all the more horrifying. Similar to the Japanese Manga/movies Battle Royal, only this too has its own original spin. The hunger games introduces a girl whom I found borderline sociopathic, but not because of anything wrong with her, but because of how her life and society made her. She's gifted with a fierce loyalty but has no understanding it seems of how much people actually like her, she thinks they respect her not that they admire or even love her. Katniss Everdeen is the main character and the story is told entirely from her point of view. She's got an wicked amount of spunk, and appears though to have grown up too fast in the post apocalyptic world of Panem in district 12  is still quite naive and disconnected with quite a bit, but she's clever and can catch onto things rather quickly, we even get a few glimpse of the type of girl she might have been had she not been born into such a hard world. The other characters are also quite animated and lovable, and others are so scary and just plain messed up... I really cannot describe them without giving away a lot of plot, so I'll just say this have tissues on hand. After all 24 children will enter the Arena, only one is permitted to leave. The world of Panim is dark and ugly even the beautiful Capitol is grotesque and decadent in its refined and engineered beauty it's just so damn fake. Suzanne Collins paints a world that is scary in the fact our own world emulates so much of the Capitol world, at least the first world countries with their reality TV shows and how Wars and poverty make them feel. But, at least we all have a choice and freedom currently unlike the Capitol people they seem prisoners too in a gilded cage.  I often am disgusted especially with the on going wars against humanity how often times you hear how the reports "feel, think, are upset, saddened, repulsed." Yet, they will often disregard how the people themselves feel. It just enrages me when they do this.I do know there is little some people can do, but seriously making money off of these peoples plights and suffering? Just disgusting. This book I find did a very good job of masking and at times outright calling out our current societies. Or, perhaps I am just projecting, either ways the Hunger Games is an fantastic book, it caused me to cry at several moments, and keep crying. The sheer emotions and scenes were so vivid. So, if you have not read this book yet, it is part of a trilogy which I intend to finish, go on out and read it, or wait for the movie, but remember most movies today are only highlights, and there are so many dark scenes in this book I wonder how they will be able to show a lot of them seeing as it will be rated PG-13, so really if you want a good grasp of the story go for the book I say it will be more intimate that way too.

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Love, Lies And The Unkown Life of Mata Hari La Femme Fatale Written By: Pat Shipman


Mata Hari, have any of you ever heard of her? I hadn't until I learned about her in a book I was reading completely unrelated.  It was only one sentence mentioning the World War I spy, or was she? Needless to say I wanted to know more a female spy in World War I?  I read this book last year, but seeing as it is International Women's day, I thought this would be a good book to read yet again. Mata Hari was born Margaretha Zelle she was overly indulged by her father and believed herself to be different, special, if anything she possessed more flair than any around her. It was a charmed life until she was 13. Her life took her to temporarily become a school teacher, and like she charmed her father, brothers, and those around her, she too charmed a man she should not have. Later she would answer an add to become a wife to a man twenty years her senior it was not a happy marriage she had two children and even then lived with great flair and all were scandalized but amazed by this women. She was shunned by women and she took this to be them jealous of her. Her marriage was just in shambles and Mararetha became even more disillusioned she created her own world her own amazing fantasized worlds that overlapped the real reality. She wasn't necessarily beautiful but her life her essence and expression changed her into something rare and exotic. The character she eventually transforms herself into never fully stops evolving either. Her life is so beautifully tragic she demanded people watch her that they admire her and worship her. It was Prior to World War I, she was generally viewed as an artist and a free-spirited bohemian even if the performing world viewed her as a farce, but as war approached, she began to be seen by some as a wanton and promiscuous woman, and  even perhaps a dangerous seductress who would later be blamed for the deaths of over 50,000 soldiers. This book has so much detail and at times you cannot help but smile ad how Mata Hari just went for what she wanted and knew how she would obtain her desired goal. The photos are so amazing too what was so scandalous then I see occur all the time at least the performances. The searching that went into this book is like a bittersweet love letter. I won't spoil anything more for you, but even if you might not agree with how Mata Hari lived her life, you must admit she lived and even those that came across her could not help but marvel at this rare and original woman.

Sunday, March 4, 2012

A Perfect Blood Book 10 The Hollows Series: Written by Kim Harrison


Oh goodie, a Rachel Morgan book! Huzzah! I absolutely adore this series. I hated the Rachel character when I first began this series, but now, well I only at moments want to throttle her to the ground, but that's common for everyone who meets her. Sure she tends to think short term and not really use her head a lot, but she tries, and she's grown quite a bit. This book, well the last one was incredible, but this one was infuriating! In a good way...  but it was paced differently than the last several books. This one had a slow beginning as if Kim Harrison was also trying to become reacquainted with her cast of characters and her world. This has been a very long and wild ride thus far, and this is so not the last book in the series, it felt more like a book that though had moments scary as all hell and action packed, has set us up for something way bigger, something even the mighty Trent Kalamack may not be able to handle in the future. The basis of this story is Ritual murders are occurring across the city, and there are terrifying amalgams of human and other. Well, scary, this book brings a lot of sensitive topics into the story, things that are very own world faces very much today. Prejudice...and a lot of it. I almost threw the book across my desk a few times due to how angry I had become over how even in a work of fiction something so evil and so relevant could hit so close to home and be so obviously wrong. And yet... it thrives in both worlds. It's sad and I will refrain from becoming preachy, but seriously people, why can't we just put aside the differences and live and let live? I must quote Tim Curry here in the fact this series still causes me to "shiver in antici....pation." The sheer will the author has in her character relationships just kills me, I just want something to happen! The story itself also had a very sad undertone as change has to happen all of us have faced such moments in our lives when we are either no longer changing and our friends change on us, or we change and our friends just go on leaving us in the past. I also wonder, what the hell is so darn special about the coffee shop of Jr.s that causes so many big moments to go down. There is so much tension and the story so taunt the relationships have evolved to a point I think I have a glimpse of the future and I'm excited and sad for everyone from Witch, Vampire, Pixy, Elf, etc.. to demon kind. I enjoyed this book, I screamed at my husband to leave me alone, I was on the last ten pages, and I just HAD to finish. A good tenth book, I wonder how long this series will go on for, I'm not tired yet, but I NEED to know what the hell this author is thinking.

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Sacred Volume 2: Story and Art By Lizbeth R. Jimenez

Mmm... Manga, how I missed you. Due to how long series are these days and how similar most manga have been, I have been hesitant to even begin another, then at Manga Next, I again had the pleasure to attend a few panels that hosted Lizbeth, and interacting with her just hooked me. This book continues directly after the first one. It brings a lot of plot to the table. The art even appears to have evolved a little. I love the outfits she puts her characters in, they're so unique in their own ways. There is a cool grouping of Goth, Business, business casual, classic royal garb, and just so many styles that blend wonderfully in Grandome. However, for every question answered three more are asked. I love the pace of this book and the funny moments cause me to just giggle like a young girl. There are a lot of serious moments, but it seems Lizbeth just cannot help herself and will throw in some kind of wise ass moment or remark to offset the serious tone, but it does not ruin the moment if anything it helps we the readers to cope. The scene transitions could use some work. I had whiplash a few times when I was reading and then BAM! We were in a totally different scene with a different group of people. These could be a tad neater so I do not find myself going back a page and wondering if I missed a page. I find myself loving Skylar and Sheko was more than the main character, but I usually route for the chorus rather than the lead singer I think. I do wonder where this story is going, this world is just so vast! It seems there could be a book just about the world and not even the characters, but I love that! It means there is definitely more to come. Did I mention how awesome the art is by the way? The art is just so spiffy and beautiful. From the funny chibi art to the very serious art. I love it! Being this is a manga it is very hard to talk about the plot, but... trust me this is a series to follow.