Thursday, October 31, 2013

The Lure of the Moon, Book 1 of the Scripter Trilogy Written by: Melinda Clark & Nicole Gull


Hello Readers, my, my, Halloween is here and most of us are donning masks, makeup, and costumed garments to become for one night and day someone else. It is a day/night when we can become whomever we want to trick those around us and do what we might not otherwise do, or just have a damn good time tricking, scaring, and partying…be it with family, friends, or strangers. Now, imagine if you actually had the ability to re-write your life, that what you imagined could actually become reality? We are introduced to Ava Baker, and the first few pages in this book readers are the real set up for this book…the story tells us it is going to be action packed and tragedy is coming….but then it’s all normal that big boom of a beginning is swept aside. Ava Baker after having uncovered and writing in a three thousand year old book travels into what she believes is a very vivid dream born of her imagination. Ava has always loved writing it is her escape from a not too happy childhood no fault of her grandparents, mother, or aunt, but this poor girl seems to just attract tragedy. The first time she writes in this book Ava is transported to a different place and she is just drawn to it and to a sexy young man named Collin whom she also believes is just in her imagination. Collin is drawn to Ava too and their mutual affection it seems has them bound to one another and draws them to one another time and time again…and this connection is something more than either one can explain. The book itself seems fairly normal Ava is going off to college she’s living with her best friend and her other best buddy lives down the hall and they talk about the normal stuff girls their age do, and they do things normal girls their age do, but there’s also something a bit off with Ava and her world. Then Collin divulges secrets to Ava that her family should have shared with her, and by them not doing so could possibly have put Ava into greater danger. Is this all real readers? Or, has Ava snapped? Is she crazy like her mother was? The book itself holds a lot of promise this is an interesting topic, but sadly the whole Collin and Ava relationship was just reaaaaaaaaly over played. I know readers when you love someone they become your world and that’s all that matters and you just want to shout it to the world…especially when in Ava’s situation she really can’t so of course her love and emotions will be the focal point we’re subjected to, but c’mon we’ve got thousands of years of history, secrets, missing people, crashing friendships, Secret warring societies, and a whole new world that is Ava’s birthright… and yet it’s mostly Siiiiigh Collin :Insert Big dreamy eyes battering eyelashes look: I wish the book would have focused a little bit more on plot and a little less on the magic that is Collin. But, what plot we were given was entertaining, though there was something lacking in this story there was so much potential and so much mystery I think the authors for fear of given away the big secret held just a little too much back. Still, I’m interested and do wonder what will happen to Ava and what exactly her family’s deal is. A world where two sects control almost everything and possibly history itself? Sure, what’s not to be interested in?

Monday, October 28, 2013

19 Minutes Written by: Jodi Picoult

“In nineteen minutes, you can mow the front lawn, color your hair, watch a third of a hockey game. In nineteen minutes, you can bake scones or get a tooth filled by a dentist; you can fold laundry for a family of five....In nineteen minutes, you can stop the world, or you can just jump off it. In nineteen minutes, you can get revenge.” The threat is more often than not always from the inside…not the outside, but so many believe otherwise. We’ve all at some point in time been the butt of someone else’s joke, and maybe we’ve even been hurt emotionally or physically by someone else in school while growing up. Children are sent to these places these schools to be educated to be taught how to survive in the real world, but what parents forget is that the real world is a cruel place not everyone gets along there is always someone better at something than you and there are always clicks and exclusions, but unlike the real world school is a place where you cannot get away and simply avoid someone it is a place where you may have to face your tormenter day after day for years. Perhaps even some of us have ourselves been the bully. I admit and not with pride either readers that as a small child before I even made it to school I bullied this one girl because she was so much bigger than me and I wanted to fit in with the kids better in my neighborhood… that poor girl finally left our area, but thankfully I would see her years later and get to say “I’m sorry.” I’m only glad this was before we started school so she had the chance to go on and do her own thing without my bratty antics to hinder her. It almost seemed like justice later on when I was beaten bloody by some boys on the playground. Those boys themselves would later on be bullied by other individuals one of them even was expelled from school later on for getting involved in a fight where a kid he was teasing lashed back at him… you see it as a kid in school the teasing, taunting, the clicks, the betrayals from people you trusted, or thought you could trust. Now, imagine if you will if you were bullied everyday of your life from the first day of school right up until High School perhaps some days were better, and by better no one noticed you in order to pick on you. What would that do to you? Maybe you would have one or two friends, but mostly you would just be an outcast, but that’s just typical school stuff right? Just kids being kids, the teachers and your parents might try to help, but perhaps they figure well that’s just how it is, toughen up and it will get better. School isn’t forever. But, what happens when it doesn’t get better? How do you look at the past 9 years and see 2 more years just like it, and perhaps it will just continue? What then? In Sterling a small town in NH where nothing really happens, at least that is until this town is shattered by a shocking act of violence. Afterwards the town residents must not only seek justice in order to begin the healing but also come to terms with the role they played in the tragedy. For them, the lines between truth and fiction, right and wrong, insider and outsider have been obscured forever.” I actually disagree completely readers, I think Jodi Picoult was trying to go for this, but most of the time the events that have you realizing this wasn’t just a monster acting out are not given to the public only to us the readers who get to see everything. I was very disappointed with how little the community actually was involved with the aftermath of this tragic event. There was what was expected but I didn’t see a lot of what I haven’t read in the papers or seen on the news, there wasn’t a lot of depth the public involved saw that I felt like spectators don’t see. The other description of this book too also led me a bit falsely I think “Josie Cormier, the teenage daughter of the judge sitting on the case, could be the state's best witness, but she can't remember what happened in front of her own eyes. And as the trial progresses, fault lines between the high school and the adult community begin to show, destroying the closest of friendships and families.” Perhaps a little of this happens readers, but again it’s mostly with those who are involved, I understand our justice system is supposed to be blind and impartial and fact based, but it felt like there weren’t enough facts presented and the characters were all clearly doing what they could for themselves, and it also seemed like a lot wasn’t learned… I’m not siding with the main character who I will let remain nameless and faceless in this review, but there is an understanding that something anything may have been done in order to prevent such a heinous last resort acted out in violence, but instead of focusing on how to prevent this or why this happened this book seems to focus more on a mother and daughter’s relationship… very interesting, but there was a lot that could have happened, it was a good book and made you think as Picoult’s do, but unlike other of her books I’ve listened to this one felt a little flat and unwilling to really create a real controversy, but instead make it something that we too just have to live with, but in that readers I see the brilliancy, because when an event that occurs like the one in this book we as a community, state, nation, do have to just deal with it, and how we deal with it is up to us, because as we’ve learned over the years it might happen again, so maybe instead of walling in ourselves in more and looking to type cast a victim (which readers Picoult did a great job in type casting the victim and villains it was so cliché) as a villain we should be trying to prevent these acts by simply doing something that never occurs in this tale.. compassion, understanding, an outreach program, because a cement wall, an access card, a plague in remembrance can only fix so much and these usually happen after. I’m not saying go looking for these kids and type cast them no, because even a popular kid could be just as much as a monster a perfect child with great grades, wonderful in sports, good looking, can be just as isolated and confused, but how can we change this behavior? I don’t know readers, again Picoult presents us with a question, and again there’s really no one answer, and again we have to decide for ourselves, what would we do, and what can we do? The reader was one this time rather than a cast of people I’ve become accustomed to with Picoult books a Carol Monda, and she did wonderful so I do tip my hat to her as she set a very good pace, tone, and knew how to add to such a tragic tale. A very raw book indeed readers, I definetely enjoyed the controversy of it.

Sunday, October 27, 2013

Christmas Choices When Naughty Becomes So Nice Written by: Melissa F. Hart


Hello Readers, forgive me for reading a Christmas tale before Halloween, but I just couldn't resist reading this little juicy tale. We'll call this my erotic Nightmare Before Christmas moment...cheesy as that sounds.  Andie Nichols is going stag... to the big yearly Christmas party as she finally broke up with her controlling boyfriend Evan...whom readers was a real controlling jerk. But, now Andie fears seeing Evan at the party and maybe just maybe she made a mistake? During her painful attempts to avoid Evan Andie meets Ryan Miller...and kisses him just to stop herself from the humiliation of seeing Evan by herself. Ryan is shocked but, he likes it. It just so happens these two have some amazing chemistry and leave the big party together. Ryan reveals a secret to Andie which turns out to be quite shocking as Ryan tells Andie he likes a woman who isn't afraid to demand what she wants, and now he's offering to be Andie's own personal sex slave. Can Andie put herself out there like this and admit she likes being in charge? Can Andie be a little naughty so Ryan can make things oh so nice. It's a fun tale readers and builds up quite a bit with some fascinating developments in Andie's life both in and outside of the bedroom, quite the little drama readers quite educational and very saucy. I want to see what happens to these two people. 

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

The Alienist Written by: Caleb Carr



Hello Readers, I hope this Fall Season find you all well and ready for All Hallows Eve, only a week away. I recently found myself in NYC and I must say…it’s not the place for me, the noise, smells, people, lack of trees…just not for me I grew up with Trees and fresh air and though I enjoy clubs, dancing, parties, etc… I like being able to breathe in fresh air when I leave these places. Not saying NYC isn’t nice and impressive, but not for me… that being said after having Finished this most recent book The Alienist I can say Old Time NYC was most certainly not for me. The year is 1896 On a cold March night New York Times reporter John Schuyler Moore is summoned to the East River Dr. Laszlo Kreizler together they view the horribly mutilated body of an adolescent boy, a prostitute from one of Manhattan's infamous brothels. This latest book the Alienist I found myself just completely absorbed in this tale and there were so many larger than life figures in this book I found myself researching the characters and NYC while reading! The Author Caleb Carr transported me to a moment in history when the modern idea of a serial killer was being discovered and penned. I followed the team who were investigating a string of horrific murders going back who knows how far and watched them frantically piece together a far complex puzzle that of a man or woman before they killed again and again and so forth. The police commissioner, Theodore Roosevelt, in a highly unorthodox move, enlists the two men in the murder investigation, counting on the reserved Kreizler's intellect and Moore's knowledge of New York's vast criminal underworld. Though Moore himself thinks he’s quite useless at times. They are joined by Sara Howard, a spitfire take no nonsense can curse with the best of them lady who is one of the first female secretary’s in the NYC Police department. There were so many wonderful chapters, sentences, and overall ideas and setting that I simply felt engrossed in the story. I even got to read this book in NYC which added a touch of atmosphere I usually don’t get to always enjoy while reading. I’ll restate a note the author makes in the very beginning of this book… “Prior to the twentieth century, persons suffering from mental illness were thought to be “alienated,” not only from the rest of society but from their own true natures. Those experts who studied mental pathologies were therefore known as alienists.” If this book is based on even a quarter of the facts surrounding Alienists and their patients and how NYC officials, Church leaders, and families in general acted, then sadly we’ve only evolved so far in society, but at least we have evolved. This book questioned the home, community, and society… do men who are mad create acts of violence or are men who suffer from the acts of violence made mad? The classic forgive me for using it chicken and the egg question, of course some men are mad and some men are made mad, but it seems that even today it is much easier to blame a mental illness rather than parents, schools, society, our community…why? Because readers, if a person is simply “Not right” then it is so much easier to see why they would act in violence and madness rather than someone who was made to act violent, because that readers means we need to fix something or perhaps we ignored what needed to be fixed? The Alienist touches upon this concept quite a bit with several cases and examples of such and the Alienist Kreizler even states that the public will “wish him to be mad” when he’s observing a rather horrific case. The concept of America are also addressed readers at one point it is said “We are not obligated to provide everyone who comes to this country with a good life, we are obligated to provide them with a chance to attain that life, through discipline and hard work.” Sound familiar readers? There are a lot of heavy topics and subject from Native Americans, serial killers, what makes a killer, women’s rights, corrupt police, corrupt Church leaders, just a whole lot of topics that it seems are quite relevant to today. And, this group hunting this murderer are being threaten and told to stop their investigation, why? Because, Kreizler it seems is seen as a threat. Granted this isn’t a very old book so the author would have been trying to draw comparisons, but very little changes when it comes to society it seems readers, or at least with this book. The scenes set and descriptions were quite thorough and did not paint NYC into this grand city with a vast history, but rather a sweat shop filled with corruption and immigrants who were looking to live as best they could with what they could. Then you have this group of people one being Theodore Roosevelt (Love this former president readers) who are trying to stop the corruption and it seems to do that must also stop this killer. Quite the read indeed readers, I most hold back as I don’t want to give you any spoilers, and it took me a damn long time to figure out the puzzle pieces, but the author does a great job of not giving anything away either. So, a great book indeed and one that I think is wonderful to analyze not only the past, but possibly also present and future.

Monday, October 21, 2013

Twilight Eyes Written by: Dean Koontz


Why Hello there readers, what a month it has been, still haven’t even bought my Halloween costume yet! Still, at least the house is decorated, the pumpkins carved, and of course the candy is all ready (haven’t even opened and snuck a piece or two yet!) Still, to transform oneself into another person is not something that comes around just once a year for me, so if need be I can consult my collection of fun accessories and out there clothing/costumes…any who where it takes humans paint, clothing, jewelry, etc… in Dean Koontz Twilight eyes he has created or perhaps revealed a monster race, and one man who calls himself Slim MacKenzie can see these monsters. Slim can see what we cannot…Why can’t we see these monsters? Well because, they look and sound just like us readers, and until they wish to reveal themselves even internally on a cellular level these creatures appear to be what they mimic… us. Slim is not exactly ordinary he’s gifted or cursed with a special kind of eyes, and you will not forget these eyes as they are beautiful, but also because Koontz pounds into our heads just how special these Twilight eyes are… Slim’s eyes are also special because he is gifted with a psychic gift of premonitions and again he can see the monsters that are hiding amongst us, feeding on our suffering, and also causing our anguish. Slim has been on the run and has been seeking sanctuary within the circus/carnival circuit and we find Slim looking to reintegrate himself into a new Carnival, but instead of sanctuary Slim finds a hunting ground for the monsters he calls Goblins… But, perhaps Slim isn’t so lost perhaps he can find allies, or perhaps he will be betrayed by these so called allies…who knows whose worse us or the Goblins? These Goblins these monsters have a history a past that coincides with our own history, a history that is so crazy and farfetched that it appears that it might just be plausible. The story is pure poetry the descriptions Dean Koontz gives us are just so artistic and paint and fine tune a world that is so dark, but at the same time has bright moments that Slim steals whenever possible. The book in connection with time takes place between the 1960’s and 1970’s so a person can really be anonymous in this world and helpless without the use of their internet or cell phone connection to call forth help when needed. I’ve read quite a few books by Koontz and he always has quite the poetic descriptions and at times he really likes to nail home his points…and by nail I mean with a jackhammer. I understood what he was saying long before he finished some of his long monologues, but it was still cool to hear just how many ways he packed description into his scenes and internal dialogue. This story was quite interesting and was broken up in part one epilogue one and part two epilogue two, and for it being two books in one really worked, my heart sank quite a few times as characters will die readers and there will be blood and sorrow, but I will tell you this we have love at least. I enjoyed listening to this book as I borrowed it from Audible the narrator Malcolm Hillgartner was very talented and his pitches, tones, and even breath really set the mood of the story.

Monday, October 14, 2013

Falling for An Angel Angel At Large Written by: Melissa F. Hart



"I'm an Angel." Right...so, what would your response be if the sexy and oh so sensual guy across from you who had just kissed you were to say those three words? Probably crack up or think maybe it's time this date were over... So many shirtless men books by the way batman... I mean yeesh...shirts look good too, but ook moving on. Melissa is getting over her ex husband a major jerk who cheated on her not once, not twice, but the entirity of her marriage so beginning, middle, and end! Now, Mel's best bud Trina is trying to get her friend out of the funk that has become her social life. Trina isn't asking Mel to fall in love right away, but to just put herself out there, because if Mel doesn't then her ex has won, as Mel's ex has essentially ruined all men for her. Yuck. So, Mel decides to go out with Trina to meet this new hunky guy she's been going crazy over. Well, here's where you realize there's something very interesting about Trina's new beau turns out he is an Angel. The six foot tall dark-haired man Cassel has fallen in love with Trina, but there's a catch for him to be with her two of his fellow Angels Adrian and Kaine need to also fall in love, otherwise Trina and Cassel can't be together. Now, how does that make sense!?! So, we follow Mel and Adrian and we shall see readers, can they make it work and then there's also the issue of Kaine also finding a partner...oh also there's a time line to them finding true love! Right, cause finding True love is so easy... then again they are Angels. I enjoyed this tale with its supernatrual aspects peppered in and the sex scenes weren't hard either on the senses, but I just don't like that time line and that two people can't be together unless four others find one another...oy, still an amusing and quick read

Sunday, October 13, 2013

Hunter's Heart Written by: Melissa F. Hart

Hello readers, in keeping with the Fall and approaching Halloween decided to read some supernatural Erotic/Love tales. In Hunter's Heart we have Garrett a loner vampire, which in Hart's created world is unacceptable as lone vampires are little more than wild animals who must be put down or tried to be brought into a more civilized way of life by joining a clan. Garrett though, feels he is perfectly fine remaining on his own, he's survived 60 years on his own feeding from willing donors and animals leaving the humans alone. But, now he's become noticed by one of the vamprie groups he's avoided for so long. Can Garrett get away, or will he fall prey to not the coven's but to a female Vampire who has a mysterious power over him? I enjoyed this short tale though the dialogue was a bit okay VERY cliche at times and the story itself was just Internal dialogue and quick scene, internal dialogue, quick scene, BIG Conflict! Obivously going to be trouble.....aaaaaaannnnnnnd...The End. This is a series, but as a stand a lone short story with quite a steamy scene it's quite amusing, but Hunt has introduced us even if barely to a far more complex world she has created, perhaps I'll travel into her realm again, but it was an interesting and pleasant tale all the same.

Friday, October 11, 2013

J.S. Scott Riding with The Cop The Pleasure of His Punishment


J.S. Scott, well, I've read quite a few of this author erotic tales, but this one short story part of "The Pleasure of His Punishment" Series was a bit...well off putting. The story is about Lily Thompson a fourth year student in Forensics a lab technician in training and part of that training is she has to do a ride a long with an Officer in the Field. Her field mentor is Sergeant Jake Simmons. This is her last night riding with the Sergeant and Lily makes a mistake that could cost her her bachelors degree because she didn't follow orders, but now...that report might not have to be filed because the "Good" Sergeant has an offer that she cannot refuse, an offer that will give him and possibly Lily great pleasure. He'll make sure that report he has to write never gets written if she submits to him and does whatever he wants to her body.... Okay, Okay, I can see how this could be incredibly sexy, BUT! Big But here readers... that's blackmail and could even be considered rape, I had way too many issues with seeing an officer of the law who has promised to serve and protect and to take on a student as a partner for three nights to abuse his power... of course there's a bit of a twist here and a lot of passion, and the erotic scenes were quite steamy and sexy, but....just couldn't get past the whole aspect of how this tale seems to be. Sexy scenes and writing indeed, but this is a story that could turn oh so dark oh so quick so really sadly not my cup of tea, but if there were a perfect world and Lily had mentioned this were a fantasy of hers to Jake then maybe that would've been okay, but this is just well icky and quite scary.

Monday, October 7, 2013

The Green Ticket Written by: Samantha March



Hi! October, October, October! Yes! I love October, why? Well, it's fall and Halloween season, but....it's also so pretty. Halloween brings about a lot of changes in this recent book granted it's only one night in the book but it's an important one. College junior Alex Abrams has scored what she believes is her dream job and she's only twenty! It is a real life adult job with a 401k, health benefits, and paid sick and vacation wowzer. Alex is going to be the new manager of the very sophisticated spa Blissful. Alex is so excited to be manager but with the big grown up job comes a demanding and kind of sleazy boss Kevin Dohlman. This boss is quickly becoming Alex's worse nightmare...she's covering up his affairs, dealing with his enormous ego, and trying to protect the female employees. To make matters worse Kevin's wife Dani is a great lady and becoming a good friend to Alex, and soon Kevin begins paying Alex bribe money to keep his affairs a secret... phew, what a crazy work environment eh? Alex is a pretty good person and while dealing with the bliss world Alex is stuggling with school work and a new love interest whom just might be the ONE, and trying to keep close to her best buddies in the entire world. A great gaggle of ladies who have always been there for her and she for them. This book was cute in a man cheating on wife and college girls trying to find themselves kind of way...but it was amusing and passed the time. There were a few time jumps inside of the novel that were a little odd,  and it seems like a few scenes could have been added, but it was a decent novel that was teaching us about money verses morals. Not a bad example of what you should and shouldn't do in the real world of managing and working.



Thursday, October 3, 2013

House Rules Written by: Jodi Picoult

Hi Readers, hope you’re all just peachy keen, I’m amazed how quick time is flying! I simply don’t know how I’ll be able to read 10 books every month for the next three months and fit in everything else! I need to just give up sleeping… okay here goes my, what a book this was… though I’m not really sure what to think. I’m seeing a pattern in the way Jodi Picoult writes, she’ll take a topic of debate and turn it into a narrative a story that will just draw you in even if it is a work of fiction there’s a lot of facts in her tales, and she covers a lot of topics that are full of controversy both in past and present time. I listened to the Audio Book of this Novel and it was narrated by the talented voice actors Mark Turetsky, Nicole Poole Andy Paris, Christopher Evan Welch, and Rich Orlow…similar to a recent book I read by Jodi Picoult every main character was given their own voice actor and would demonstrate how they interpreted the other characters, it’s just genius how this is done now as it really does give you all sides and perspectives each character is feeling. What grabbed me to read this book was “When your son can’t look you in the eye.. does that mean he’s guilty?” Well, I don’t know usually yes, but then we take Jacob Hunt he is a teenager 18 an adult in the eyes of America and he has Asperger’s syndrome. What does this mean?
 Well, you will get quite the education while reading, but let’s go with a definition in this case… also known as Asperger disorder (AD), is an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) that is characterized by significant difficulties in social interaction and nonverbal communication, alongside restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior and interests. It differs from other autism spectrum disorders by its relative preservation of linguistic and cognitive development. Although not required for diagnosis, physical clumsiness and atypical (peculiar, odd) use of language are frequently reported. The syndrome is named after the Austrian pediatrician Hans Asperger who, in 1944, studied and described children in his practice who lacked nonverbal communication skills, demonstrated limited empathy with their peers, and were physically clumsy. The modern conception of Asperger syndrome came into existence in 1981 and went through a period of popularization, becoming standardized as a diagnosis in the early 1990s. Many questions remain about aspects of the disorder.
In Jacob’s case he’s hopeless at reading social cues or expressing himself well to others, though he is brilliant in many ways. And, his special focus at the moment is not winning him any expectance he loves forensic analysis. He’s obsessed with this show he loves and I must admit I have a show I like very much like the one Jacob loves too so nothing too crazy there right? Well, Jacob also has a police scanner and we find him going to crime scenes and will even tell the cops what to do, but then Jacob is the focus of the police because of a murder that has occurred. And, due to Jacob’s inability to meet the officers’ eyes or speak coherently his guilt looks pretty obvious. Now the Hunt family are in the spotlight and Emma, Jacob’s mother who has been trying for years to prove her son is just like everyone else has to now prove that no, he really isn’t….And, if that doesn’t hurt her enough her younger son Theo is becoming even more withdrawn and both of them are forced to question… did Jacob commit murder? I was very drawn into this book and its characters. The setting is VT so it was very easy for me to picture all of the locations, schools, etc, but what really drew me in what how detailed Emma and her Son were with their lifestyle so you knew exactly what this house would look like and how their life would be. I was a little disappointed to see several story lines dropped throughout the book though certain relationships just fizzled and looked like they were originally part of the tale, but changed at the last moment. Also, one question is never asked, which I can get had this question been asked there would have been no drama. Another problem I had with this book is the fact the author kept bringing up Vaccines for babies and children as the “potential” cause of Aspergers she skirts a very fine line between saying she doesn’t believe they cause this syndrome and that they do, I cannot stand people who insist vaccinations are causing issues with babies and children,… I’m not medically sound to prove they don’t but I know the medical community has debunked this myth quite a few times and to try and stop vaccination is just insane to me, but that’s going off topic I only gnashed my teeth a few times during this book because of this, but I really gnashed my teeth at how our current legal system and police were unwilling to try and understand Jacob… it’s a very question causing book, and is suspenseful to the very end, which is sadly a tad too abrupt but that’s how this author writes and it leaves you spinning and thinking… well…damn.