It's Monday, What are you Reading? (61)

What a great week, I had some great books arrive through my door and had quite the busy week in my personal life!


Check out my IMM video for all the details!


A meme hosted by Sheila at BookJourney.

Finished this past week:
Dark Lake by Louise Gaylord
Blue Straggler by Kathy Lynn Harris
Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult
Best Seller by Timothy Sagges

Currently Reading:
Redwood Bend by Robyn Carr
Left for Dead by J.A. Jance


Next off the TBR pile:

Voices of the Dead by Peter Leonard

In My Mailbox (63)

An amazing week in books, but also an amazing week in my personal (non bookish life), check out the video to find out what my special news could be!


A meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

For Review:
How to Eat a Cupcake by Meg Donohue  (Goodreads  Amazon)
These Girls by Sarah Pekkanen  (Goodreads  Amazon)
More Like Her by Liza Palmer  (Goodreads  Amazon)
The Book of Lost Fragrances by M.J. Rose  (Goodreads  Amazon)

Swapping:
Welcome to the Real World by Carole Matthews  (Goodreads  Amazon)


Winnings:
Spin by Catherine McKenzie  (Goodreads  Amazon)

From Mom:
Picture Perfect by D Anne Love  (Goodreads  Amazon)
Secrets of a Shoe Addict by Beth Harbison  (Goodreads  Amazon)


Purchase:
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson  (Goodreads  Amazon)

Review: Blue Straggler by Kathy Lynn Harris

Blue Straggler by Kathy Lynn Harris

Publisher:  30 Day Books

Pages: 178 

Format: ebook 

Buy the Book: Amazon 

Goodreads:  A blue straggler is a star that has an anomalous blue color and appears to be disconnected from those stars that surround it. 

But this is not a story about astronomy. 

Bailey Miller is "disconnected" from the cluster of her rural south Texas family. She has never quite fit in and now in her early 30s, she finds herself struggling with inner turmoil and a series of bad choices in her life. 

Bailey's drinking too much (even for a member of her family), has a penchant to eat spoonfuls of Cool Whip, works in a job that bores her beyond description and can't keep a relationship longer than it takes for milk to expire in her fridge. 

Even with the help of her two outspoken friends, Texas lass Idamarie and her quirky college pal Rudy, she's having a hard time. 

So she packs up her Honda and heads out of Texas in search of herself and answers to secrets from her great-grandmother's past. The novel takes readers on a journey from San Antonio, Texas, to a small mountain town in Colorado and back again, as Bailey uncovers not only the secrets of her great-grandmother's life, but also some painful secrets of her own. All while finding love along the way. 

Kritters Thoughts: With a very slow start, I was nervous that this little chick lit wasn't going to get going, but it finally picked up.  Although, the main story line about Bailey finding out the truth history of her great-grandmother definitely took a back burner in the middle and then picked back up again.  There were quite a few things I would rearrange in this little novella.  


The characters were sweet, quirky and endearing and their development was fun to watch, but the plotline had some slow spots that made for a few bits of drag in the book.  I wish that both the great-grandmother and the environmental issue had been developed more and each could have had more depth to them.


A little novella that was enjoyable.


Rating: enjoyable, but didn't leave me wanting more


GR Cover Challenge 2012: I'm Too Sexy for My (cowboy boots)


Ebook Challenge 2012: 14 out of 25


Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from 30 Day Books.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: The Mediator by Michael Abayomi

The Mediator by Michael Abayomi 

Pages: 70

Format: ebook

Buy the Book: Amazon  

Amazon: A wealthy businessman is brought back from the grave with dire consequences.

It was supposed to be a straight-forward operation. Ed’s memories had been extracted without any complications. A perfect stranger had been found to play host to those memories. All they had to do was implant Ed’s memories into the brain of the host. But with most novel experiments, things never go according to plan. Not when the perfect stranger turns out to be a homicidal psychopath. Now, Ed is a fugitive, running away from a murder he cannot even remember committing.





Kritters Thoughts:  A little novella that packs quite a punch.  Initially pitched as a science fiction, this book had many elements of a dystopian.  With under 100 pages, this author is able to get the reader hooked on a story and resolve it without missing any pieces.  


From page one, you are swept into this world where there is a sense of elitism and innovative technology that could both help and hinder the human race.  John Davidson, a mediator, or as I would describe him a lawyer/police officer of sorts is caught up with a client from an old case with a new charge.  He must get to the bottom of the mystery, but while uncovering some stones he may find some snakes.


For those who are enjoying the dystopian genre more and more like me - I would suggest picking up this ebook for a quick, light and entertaining read.  


Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row


GR Cover Challenge 2012: Ego-maniac


Ebook Challenge 2012: 9 out of 25


Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from the author.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own. 

The Source of All Things Giveaway

Exciting news - The Source of All Things by Tracy Ross is out in paperback and Simon & Schuster wants to give away a copy!  


I reviewed this back here at Kritters Ramblings.


This giveaway ends February 29th.

Wordless Wednesday

We got a couch!  We have been sitting on a loveseat from my college days, so it was high time to get an adult sized couch!

Review: North of Hollywood by Rick Lenz

North of Hollywood by Rick Lenz

Publisher: Chromodroid Press 

Pages: 278 

Format: ARC 

Buy the Book: Amazon  

Goodreads:  Take a roller coaster ride through the life of a real Hollywood actor. 

Rick Lenz is an actor who has made it in New York and Hollywood. You have seen him countless times on TV and in the movies. He has been a popular leading man as well as a character actor, consistently avoiding repetition in the roles he chooses. Lenz has played leads opposite some of entertainment’s biggest names, and has had recurring or guest starring roles on many of your favorite TV shows. 

Yet his book is more than just an ordinary Hollywood insider story. Lenz is a terrific writer with a wicked sense of humor. Also a gifted artist and widely produced playwright, he uses his extraordinary storytelling skills to take you into his personal experiences with actors and entertainers we normally only hear about through the rumor mills, and to reveal real-life experiences of heartbreak, suspense, discovery and joy. 



Kritters Thoughts:  A little disjointed and not quite chronological were two things that made this book hard to read and hard to get into.  With an insider look of Hollywood advertised, I was excited to read this one because I always love a little behind the scenes action.


Within each chapter there was a little semblance of cohesion and order, but not enough for this reader.  Unfortunately, I was only able to recognize some of the actors mentioned in the book, so I couldn't get caught up in their personalities or the personal stories he shared.


This book would be a perfect read for the super film buff that knows quite their fare share of movie history.  




Rating: enjoyable, but didn't leave me wanting more


GR Cover Challenge 2012:  Dually


Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from JKS Communications.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

James LePore Giveaway

Thanks to the publisher and Partner in Crime Tours, one reader will win a SIGNED copy of James LePore's A World I Never Made.  Please fill out the form below.


This giveaway ends February 29th.

Review: Gods and Fathers by James Lepore

Gods and Fathers by James Lepore

Publisher: The Story Plant 

Pages: 300 

Format:  

Buy the Book: Amazon 

Goodreads:  Matt DeMarco is an accomplished Manhattan attorney with more than his share of emotional baggage. His marriage ended disastrously, his ex-wife has pulled their son away from him, and her remarriage to a hugely successful Arab businessman has created complications for Matt on multiple levels. However, his life shifts from troubled to imperiled when two cops – men he's known for a long time – come into his home and arrest his son as the prime suspect in the murder of the boy's girlfriend. 

Suddenly, the enmity between Matt and his only child is no longer relevant. Matt must do everything he can to clear his son, who he fully believes is innocent. Doing so will require him to quit his job and make enemies of former friends – and it will throw him up against forces he barely knew existed and can only begin to comprehend how to battle. 





Kritters Thoughts:  With such an eerie cover, you can assume from the get go that this book will not be full of sunshine and rainbows.  From the beginning the reader is hooked into a roller coaster of a story with a very large cast of characters that intermingle and switch sides from good to evil.  At the center of this story is a father and son, the son Michael, not to be confused with the father who is Matt (I may have had some confusion!) is accused of murdering his girlfriend.  Beyond the murder accusation is an international scandal between the United States and Syria which involves many people with some undercover dealings.


The hardest part of this book was keeping straight the large cast of characters, who was a FBI agent, a NYPD officer, pro-Syria, and so on.  They each had an interest in the politics that were underneath the murder accusation.  Having to diagram the characters was hard and took away from the flow of the book.  If you can wrangle in all the characters, this book is a great who dun it with an international twist.

Rating:  definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row


GR Cover Challenge 2012: All Smiles


Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Partner in Crime Tours.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? (60)

What a stellar week in reading, I don't know how I did it with Valentine's Day and my long list of errands that I had to accomplish.  I am even more excited that all reviews were completed too!  


A meme hosted by Sheila at BookJourney.

Finished this past week:
Gods and Fathers by James LePore
MWF Seeking BFF by Rachel Bertsche
Defending Jacob by William Landay
First You Try Everything by Jane McCafferty
Life in Death by Harlow Coban

Currently Reading:
Dark Lake by Louise Gaylord


Next off the TBR pile:
Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult (so excited!)

In My Mailbox (62)

A meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

For Review:
Heft by Liz Moore  (Goodreads  Amazon)
Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult  (Goodreads  Amazon)
Daughters for a Time by Jennifer Handford  (Goodreads  Amazon)
The House of the Wind by Titania Hardie  (Goodreads  Amazon)

Swapping:
One Good Turn by Kate Atkinson  (Goodreads  Amazon)
Strapless by Leigh Riker  (Goodreads  Amazon)
Being Nikki by Meg Cabot  (Goodreads  Amazon)



From Mom:
Full of Grace by Dorothea Benton Frank  (Goodreads  Amazon)
Shoe Addicts Anonymous by Beth Harbison  (Goodreads  Amazon)
Together Alone by Barbara Delinsky  (Goodreads  Amazon)