A Hands on Manipulator

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It is Christmas,

but also, just another day alone. I have purposely cut my phone off so the few friends and family I do have won't reach me. Other than this, I haven't posted on social media. I canceled plans to eat at a friend's just to avoid a guest of theirs. I can't really complain about being alone if I purposely cut myself off, but I wish I could have a family of my own, friends that were nearby. I wish I could one day share real happy news with the people I know. 

Until then, I will continue to put on that fake smile to friends and to try and make sense of my faith, that tries to remind me that we are all connected even though I still don't see how.

Happy Holiday.

Just A Taste of Some Good Sex

                                                       


TITLE: WICKED
AUTHOR: Alexis Blake
GENRE: Erotica
PUBLISHER: UNK
PAGES: 28

OK, this fun very short read is about Grace, who after witnessing some off behavior from her boyfriend, begins fights off doubts about their relationship. 

Now I haven't read much Erotica, but I did like this one. After finishing it though, I felt like Grace could have been stronger mentally, but this is part of a series so maybe there will be more content in the following books? I took this as a read to just get you worked up and provide you with a common theme of fidelity questioning. 

Sex: Great.
Story: Simple but fun for me.
Is this a book? No!

I give this a 3 out of 5.

Hide the Women and Kids!

                                                      


TITLE: A Survivor's Tale
AUTHOR: Rebecca Reynolds
GENRE: Fiction
PUBLISHER: Amazon's Kindle Publishing
PAGES:84

I discovered this book through my twitter feed offering a book for free, so I decided to try it and at 84 pages, this would be a quick read to add to my reading list.  This is a Squeeze in book for me and I will get back to my regular read, very soon! This story about a man, named Cameron, who has managed to survive what has been the destruction of not only much of the human population, but of the planet itself.

 The story flips from his memories as a boy just before life changes, to what it is now his present as an old man. Like many end of the world, or apocalyptic stories, this has all the violence humans will do to one another and it has the constant struggle for survival. In this

With such a short story, it felt cut, but overall the story moves along. The writing flows nicely and I am really interested in Cameron’s story. I felt the end of this story had some cheesiness but it was slight.

I enjoyed this first part and I intend to finish this series. I recommend this one.

                                                                    I give this 4 our 5.

So I discovered on youtube....

a new video from the vlogbrothers called John's Book Giving Guide for the Holidays! The short less than 4 minute video, suggests a variety of books, which I mainly used to add to my To Be Read List!

Also, I discovered indiebound.org, which lets you find independent bookstores in your area. I do enjoy shopping local at times, so I hope take advantage discovering a few stores around me.

Have a great day!

I Got Held Up

...doing NaNoWriMo and work and the little bit of life I do have. I ended my goodreads.com challenge. The stress of finishing wasn't something I wanted or needed to deal with. It is super fun but next year I will hit it hard!

I am currently reading two books, American Shaolin by Matthew Polly and The Town by Paul William Burke (ebook).  Those reads are coming along sluggishly and that has nothing to do with the content. I hope to get through them soon enough and start reviewing again. Why did I stop making time for reading?? Oh, I know, I suck at time management...

Anyway, I highly suggest that people try NaNoWriMo. I never would have thought how much goes into a book. I only had an idea for the story, and just kept writing whatever came to mind. Next year I plan on editing and getting it all typed. I counted just over 50K, so I am pretty happy with that. The goal is only 50K.

Check out the site. During the month they have plenty of writing support and encouragement. I have found my new addiction😄

NaNoWriMo.org

Girls, girls, girls and some Cultural Revolution....

TITLE: The Scavenger's Daughters

AUTHOR: Kay Bratt

GENRE: Historical Fiction

PUBLISHER: Amazon Publishing

PAGES: 230

Ok, so this isn't really my genre of interest but it was the pick for a book club I have recently joined.

This first book in a series is about Benfu, who was caught up in the Cultural Revolution in China during the 1960s. He managed to escape and start a new life for himself and his wife. Together they raise dozens of unwanted girls with a lot of love while living in the poorest of conditions.

Now this isn't all sappy love and lessons about overcoming the harsh realities of life, but also shows the determination of a man to care for his family and his struggle to deal with the painful memories from his past. The book jumps from his time in the 60's (the harsh camps or communes, for lack of a better word for me to come up with) to the present where he wavers between tradition and present society. 

This book didn't grab me like it did my fellow book clubbers. I thought it dragged a lot in the middle. The author just made everyday he worked seem to last for more than 24 hours. At times, it was too sweet for me. The daughters have their own individuality and are pretty fun to read about. Overall, though for me, the only real secret in the book is discovered and it's a pretty good one. 

Like I said, this is a first in the series,  and ends on a good enough note for me to not continue or be that interested in what else holds for this family.

I give this a 3 out of 5. Just average.

Pirates, magic, and mystery! Oh my! (Squeeze In)

I first heard of this book read on a tweet from @Booktips_tweet. The author asks for an honest review for the story.

TITLE: Crossbones Episode 1

AUTHOR: Stefan M. Nardi

GENRE: Fantasy, Fiction, YA

PUBLISHER: Mystic Inkwell

PAGES: 37

With this being Episode 1 you know there will be more, a lot more hopefully. Though I am not really interested the pirates and swashbuckling, this is a story of 2 brothers who search for adventure and quickly find it on the sea.

Filled with the normal hidden secret pasts and self discoveries found in many tales, this short read is fast paced and well written. Though it did not grab my attention as much, I would be interested in reading the rest of the series, but it isn't something I am dying to read. If I remember it and it's at a good price or free, I will pick it up.

I give this a 3 1/2 (I know on amazon I wrote 4 but I couldn't get the half star) out of five. Check out the free version!

A Twisted Sleeping Beauty....(Squeeze In)

TITLE: The Sleeper and The Spindle

AUTHOR: Neil Gaiman

ILLUSTRATOR: Chris Riddell

GENRE: Fiction, Fantasy, YA

PUBLISHER: Harper Collins

PAGES: 69

When I first saw this was out, I fell in love with the cover!! It is so beautiful! I quickly 

reserved the book from the library and at only 69 pages a quick and easy read.

This story about a Queen along with 3 dwarfs is about their quest to save her kingdom. This story is brought to life through pretty amazing drawings with only bits of gold to color them.

This book adds to the many retelling of old famous fairy tales but this one is worth a look.  For me, it had just the slightest of depression, but then again a whole kingdom is at stake from a terrible fate! I wanted more action, and just a bit more of something...to grab me but the story left me wanting to know a bit more.

Overall, a good read with illustrations that only compliment the story, though honestly I could just look at a picture book and still be very happy with this story.

I give this 3 1/2 out of 5. I will probably buy this one day so I can keep looking at the images! SOOO PRETTYYY!!!!

Anonymous - The Story of Aaron Swartz Full Documentary

Just hanging out on youtube and I came across this pretty amazing documentary of the late Aaron Swartz. I had never heard of him, but now I know who he is. Such a brilliant person and gone way to soon.

He created so many site and even had the idea of a version of wikipedia before it became wikipedia!

Anyway what touched me was a statement about passion (that is how I take the quote from the film) his thinking was, what was the most important thing you could be working on now and why aren't you doing it? Pretty powerful stuff.

But to tie this back into my book blog, I found out he created openlibrary.org A place where each published book could get a web page. Pretty incredible undertaking! Now I don't know who or how it's run but what an idea!

Check this film out. Pretty inspirational!

Chuseok | Official Korea Tourism Organization

A little off the topics of books, but how could I miss a major holiday?? So for everyone that celebrates, Happy Chuseok!

Chuseok | Official Korea Tourism Organization

Review: The Fall by Albert Camus

Title: The Fall

Author: Albert Camus

Genre: Fiction

Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf

Pages: 147

Ok, I didn't like this one. My first read by this author and maybe my last. This story was about some guy talking about how great he is and any mistakes he has made he has corrected or some crap. I don't know. I feel like I would avoid this guy if I saw him coming at me. Reading one guy venting for an entire book was just too much. I am probably missing some amazing philosophical message here but I just don't care.

There were a couple of quotes I did like though:

"Have you noticed that death alone awakens our feelings?" 

I think this is true...

"...at the same moment, hundreds of millions of men, my subjects, painfully slip out of bed, a bitter taste in their mouths, to go to a joyless work."
OMG!!!! THIS PERFECTLY DESCRIBES ME GOING TO WORK!!!

Ok, so outside of those quotes, this dragged. Since I am pretty sure I only have one life, I won't attempt to read anything more by this author unless it's more like a traditional story format, which I am used to. It's not that I don't mind try or reading new things, but this tried my patience!

I give this a 1 out of 5. (oh how i want my time back for reading this one!!!)

(Squeeze In) Review: God Bless You, Dr. Kevorkian

Title: God Bless You, Dr. Kevorkian
Author: Kurt Vonnegut
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: Seven Stories Press
Pages: 79



I was in the library for one book, but I picked this one up as well!!! I was curious and it was short and I could add to my goodreads.com challenge, which I am lagging behind in BIG TIME!!! I will call this a 'Squeeze In' book since I have already started a book and haven't finished this one but I'll add this just because... :)

The cover caught my attention right away. And I am always interested in the topic of death. It is coming for us all after anyway.  

This book is from a radio series of 90 second interludes on WNYC. During these interludes famous people (though I don't know everyone, but I just figured the others were famous to someone) do a quick interview. The dead have stories about unique parts of their lives and they only last from one to a few pages each.

Overall, this was a very smart, creative, and thoughtful short book that can keep the reader very entertained as they move on to the next dead person's story.

I give this a 4 out of 5. Go read this book! 

Review: Notes From the Internet Apocaypse...A Novel...

TITLE: Notes from the Internet Apocalypse...A Novel...
AUTHOR: Wayne Gladstone
GENRE: Fiction
PUBLISHER: St. Martin's Press
PAGES: 216

This is about a man, Gladstone, who goes to find out what happened to the Internet, basically.

Very easy to read and with an interesting cast of characters, the story begins on a journey in New York. Soon he meets Oz, and along with his friend Tobey, they set off. The world moves along but of course with any addicts, those with withdrawal come out as well, well they kind of have to since there is no more Internet.

The story isn't comedy, but not full of drama either. Tobey is the main comic relief and Gladstone confronts or relives past pain.

The end is not what I expected. It goes off into an area that made it feel like a quick way to end the story so I am not sure how I feel about it exactly.....

I give this a 3 out of 5. Definitely pick this one up from the library. Actually, just go to the library, hang out, read a book, borrow a book, borrow some movies, find a class to join....

Review: Sita's Ramayana

TITLE; Sita's Ramayana

AUTHORS: Samhita Arni and Moyna Chitrakar

GENRE: Juvenile Ficiton

PUBLISHER: Groundwood Books/House of Anasi Press

PAGES: 149

Another slow to review book. I really don't like that, but I do stay a bit unorganized...anyway, this book caught my eye in the library. It is very pretty and I was drawn to the color. So this is a retelling of a classic tale where Sita is kidnapped by Rama! This version tells us Sita's side and since I don't know of any other view, this one is pretty good. With good drama and emotion, I enjoyed this story. The book this is described as Juvenile Fiction, but it's really a story for anyone and it makes you think about women's roles and war. This story kind of made me think about the world today and the issues we have and even how I let myself be treated. This is not a downer of a story, well maybe a little, but I felt a little bit of a personal uplifting. I recommend it.

I give this a 4 out of 5.

Review: The Revenant by Michael Punke

So I am back and ready to restart this blog with The Revenant by Michael Punke. In this book, Hugh Glass, a man that has decided to live the whole outdoorsman lifestyle but set in a very different time than today. This story take place during the later1800s and the threat of Native Americans (or vice versa in their opinion I would imagine) is alive and well. Glass is with a fur trade business and they have decided to travel through potentially dangerous land. The bit of backstory of how Glass came to be with them is another story (a couple actually) but this one focuses on how after his attack from a bear, the 2 men that were suppose to protect him, betray him in the worst way. What does he have left? Yup, revenge.

I first came upon this book after watching the trailer for the upcoming movie. It grabbed me and of course I was super happy it was a book! I haven't done much in the way of research on this man, but this story here is historical fiction, but Glass was a real man, and from the bit I read about him, he lead an interesting and hard life.

I am torn with a final rating. I was hoping for more action and more emotion in parts but overall this is a great read.

I give this a 3 1/2 out of 5.


See the trailer here on youtube.com:
The Revenant Trailer

Ruined By Books Review

Title: Ruined By Reading

Author: Lynne Sharon Schwartz

Genre: Bio and Autobiography

Publisher: Beacon Press

Pages: 119

This is the first time I have read a book about the books an author loved through her childhood to adult years, but it is more than that. She discusses how her passion was discovered at a very young age and how it affected her and helped her see the world in new ways. She talks about the books she still has a passion for and those she doesn't. Also, she talks about how she had to be brought out of her single-mindedness about other forms of art and expression. I thought this was very strange until I read why she thought books were the ultimate in expression.

I especially love how she discusses that she also tends to forget the plots to stories she has read  (just like me) and the books she continues to go back to.

Even though it is a short read, it felt a bit long, but she is a writer and I guess that comes with the territory. I have never read anything by this author but I would be interested to read more of her works.

I give this a 3 out of 5.

The Gunslinger The Dark Tower #1 Review

My second book by this author and this is definetly the start of an epic series! The Gunslinger is after The Man in Black. The world this book is set in has bits and pieces of the world we know but added are creatures that range from good to bad and no one is to be trusted.

To catch The Man in Black, The Gunslinger must travel across the desert and always keep a look out for danger. There is definitely a reason why he is called the Gunslinger and I hope in the future to continue this series!

I give this a 4 out of 5. 

Die Nigger Die Review

Well I can't say too much about this book other than I am not a fan.

This "story" called Die Nigger Die by H. Rap Brown, as I will call it, because I have no clue of what is exactly the truth or what...is about the life of a man called H. Rap Brown. He was a radical during the sixties and was raised during the height of the Equal Rights Movement.

Some of his stories are fantastic as in, I really don't believed that happend, so prove it. What got me throughout the book was the hate. Hate on page 1. Hate on page 24. Hate on page 70. See a pattern? It was more like he was just ranting about the White man and he knew all the White man's schemes and what not. This got old because, one, I can't support so much anger. It gets you no where but obviously that doesn't stop people, and two, he wasn't accomplishing much except to boost his own ego.

The only thing interesting about reading a book like this is getting a veiw into someone's world you could never agree with and see another side of life.

Unfortunately, some young and impressionable youth will get their hands on this just to bolster their minds to feed into the hate but hey, freedom of speech is great right?

I give this a 0 out of 5.

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas Review

My first impression, INSANE! Wow, this is my first time reading anything by Hunter S. Thompson and this didn't disappoint. 

This book is about the author's trip to Las Vegas to cover a story about a bike race and it's filled with drugs, crazy situations, and a guy I'm wondering how he ever got to be an attoney...

This book has been out for decades now but I haven't had the chance to be introduced to Gonzo Journalism. This is great. Filled with paranoid drug induced reactions and just living life they way they did was just, well insane. As surprising as it was to know they didn't die, it was kind of nice to see a life being lived that way. Not that I would ever want that drug state to be my life but to see such insanity would be cool for a day or so. 

Now, is that kind of drug life still around? Are there journalists that go that far or are they already like this? I don't know but it is a unique lifestyle. Brutal, seems like a better description for me. This story took me into a world I have not had any experience in and don't want any, but I enjoyed the ride. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Genre: Gonzo Journalism, Comedy

Pages: 204

Publisher: Vintage Books/Random House

I give this a 4 out of 5.

Pretty Disgusting

So as I was flipping through my library book, The Gun Slinger, I noticed something I just somehow missed when I picked the book up....

Please dont put hair in your books. Why would someone be this gross? I know people don't wash their hands and whatever else they do, but this is disgusting.

Blockade Billy by Stephen King Review

I have never read anything byStephen King (well completed anything). I picked this short story up at my library.

This is the story of Blockade Billy's short time playing baseball. Set around te 1950's time frame (or earlier...?) Billy's story is told to Mr. King as a retelling of what actually happened to Billy.

Now, I am not a baseball fan and did get lost in some of the jargon, but I kept up with the book. I was interested in it one, because I have started The Gunslinger and wanted to check out something shorter I could get through to get more of a feel for his style. Two, I needed something short to get through to help get through my goodreads challenge. (I am 8 books behind schedule!)

I read this book in one sitting and I enjoyed it. It has a good twist and brought on a slight creepy factor around Billy's character.

Since this is the first King book I've read, I can't say this is typical of him but it's a great introduction for me and perfect length. The book didn't feel rushed or long at all. It flowed along great.

I look forward to finishing The Gunslinger and reading more by the obviously very popular author in the future.

Genre:     Fiction, Thriller
Pages:       112
Publisher: Cemetary Dance

I give this a 4 out of 5.

Half Wild by Sally Green Review

It has been a very long time since I updated this blog. I wish it hadn’t been that way, but oh well. I am back. Kind of refreshed. Needing this. Some way to express how I feel about one of the few things I still enjoy doing.

So here it is my Half Wild review by Sally Green. 

This is of course the sequal to Half Bad. It picks up where it left off, but honestly, I forgot some parts of the story. This book took a good while to come out! Of course there are some refreshers! So Nathan is still continuing to try and save Annalise, his love interest, but things in the witch world are getting worse.

The Council leadership is changing for the worse and both the White and Black Witches must decide how to save themselves.

I will admit that this book dragged a bit. But then again, I think I am impatient with some books at times. But it was well worth it. The end had enough twists to get me excited for the next book in the trilogy!

Genre:Young Adult

Pages: 412

Publisher: Viking

I give this book a 4 out of 5 !

Growing Money A Complete Investing Guide For Kids Review!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So, due to my life and changing the way I am thinking about things, I decided to tackle my finances.  Even though I have a job and make contributions to things, I decided to start fresh with and get more into planning. So how do you tackle a topic that seems intimidating, seems impossible? You go to the kids section and get an introduction! 

This book explains investing as well as gives definitions for financial terms used, to how Wall Street works, the stock market works, to how planing for you financially future can impact you. 

I found this great book is not only a refresher, but explains things in a kid friendly way. To bad it's geared towards kids in the title. I would recommend this book to any adult that is interested in learning some basics before tackling bigger goals. 

 I love this book and it has motivated me to take more control of my finances, (well situations in my life have lead me here as well.) For all the curiosity seekers, kids and adults alike, grab this book at the libary or go buy it (though I wonder if there is a more recent one???) and get reading!

THERE IS NO REASON FINANCES/FINANCIAL TOPICS SHOULD INTIMIDATE PEOPLE! :)

out of 5

Mass Reviews

So I have been busy with work, which makes me lazy with this and a lot of other things I should be working on....I have loaded up, once again on books I need to be reading. Anyway, here are the books that I have gotten to and finished!

The Big Tiny by Dee Williams

I got this book because I am definitely into the tiny house movement. The book is about Dee’s life as she sets out to begin the build of her own tiny home. In it, she talks about her health issues and her struggles to downsize from her dream home into one that sits on a trailer. For people that would like a firsthand view of why a person would choose this kind a life, I suggest picking up this book. I enjoyed it.Guess I didn't take a pic of this book! :(

 out of 5 hearts!

The Strange Library by Haruki Murakami

Well the cover certainly sucked me right into this short book. I have never read any works from Murakami but was definitely excited to finally take time to read this. Unfortunately, I wish I had had a better introduction.

This book is about a boy who gets trapped in a strange library and his trials as he attempts to escape. Will reading the book I kept waiting for the next big thing to happen, but it never did. The story felt empty and the ending flat. This is one I would suggest people definitely go out and pick up at the library. I won’t let this book deter my interest in reading more from Murakami and I am hopeful the next book will make up for this one.

 out of 5 hearts. Yeah, this was a let down.

The Anxiety of Kalix by Martin Millar

The third book is the great series. This continues the adventures of Kalix, a werewolf banished from her clan. I wont go into much detail because this is part of a series. The characters are still great. This book has a great cast of characters, a lot of emotion, enough action, humor and love. This is definitely one of my favorite series and I hope Martin Millar has a lot more coming!

 of course this is 5 hearts!!!!

The Blood Vivicanti by Becket

A new series that I am really excited to read more about. Becket is the assistant for Anne Rice, who any true book reader should have at least heard of! Anyway, The Blood Vivicanti is about a girl, Mary, who has this ability to read people’s memories through their blood. This is just Part 1, so it begins with her lonely but pretty interesting childhood to 17. Can’t wait for the next in the series!!!!!!!!!!  

 out of 5 hearts!

Diary of a Nobody by George Grossmith and Weedon Grossmith

I can’t remember why I decided to download this book to my kindle, but I thought I would read it and hopefully remember why…anyway this is about a man, Mr. Pooter, who decides to start journaling again. This story takes place in England (I guess) probably sometime in the early 1900s (I am not history buff) With old stories, I enjoy reading the language. Words like “eatables and drinkables”pop up but not that often. The story is easy to understand so no worries about having issues with outdates phrases.

Mr. Pooter is a family and has one son. To me, he is a conservative man and places upmost important on respect, for himself and for others. I’m at currently at location 1261, 73% in, and his life seems pretty normal for a middleclass man. His friends seem to stop by constantly and Mr. Pooter loves his wife, Carrie, deeply.

I look forward to seeing how this diary ends. Even though he is just a regular man, reading about the parties he goes to and life at this time is interesting. Simpler.

So I finished it and this guy, Mr. Pooter is just a stubborn, conservative man just living his life. Compared to my version of today’s society, it’s a little backwards, but there is something nice about this time. Something clean, respectful, honest about this time.

I give this 2 and a half stars

Wyn (The Blood Vivicanti Pt 2) by Becket

So I do love this series. It great that each part is so short as well. I feel like I’m moving right along. In Part 2, we see Mary begin to feel herself out as a newly created Vivicanti and why she become one.

Another reason I am liking this series is because it is a new twist on the whole vampire genre. Not that I am tired of vampire stories, but sometimes old ideas need freshening up.

out of 5 and sorry, no picture... :(

Theo (The Blood Vivicanti Pt 3) by Becket

The series continues with Mary learning more about what being a Blood Vivicanti does to her and ones she drinks from. This part also introduces new characters, Nell and Lowen, who are definitely a mystery that needs to be figured out! Still enjoying this series a lot!

out of 5!

The Origin Blood (The Blood Vivicanti Pt 4) by Becket

Ok, well this origin story was a let down. It felt like a joke and it was a major part of the story. Well it helps to know the bad guys back story but couldn’t it have felt less like an afterthought? Two hearts.

out of 5, ohh the let down... :(

Lowen The Dark Man (The Blood Vivicanti Pt 5) by Becket

The story continues with the fight between good vs. evil. If felt a little long but there is plenty of action. On to the next part in this series!

out of 5 hearts.

The Locamotive Deadyards (The Blood Vivicanti Pat 6) by Becket

So the further I read along, the more disappointment I feel. I love this idea of these Blood Vivicanti’s not being vampire, but something new but this is turning into a sci-fi thing and I’m losing interest fast. This latest part still continues with the fight of good vs evil, but I am over it and the series may not be over with…I really don’t want to pay for Part 7 if it ever comes out.

out of 5.

Allegiant by Veronica Roth Feb 1, 2015

Ahhh! This series is done! At just over 500 pages if felt long but after finishing this story, I am glad for it. The final book still has Tris battling for her life and what will become of the world she knows.

What I did love about the series it the theme of love. All the ways love shows itself among this varied cast of characters. Now don’t get me wrong, this isn’t some sweeping epic love story, but I was able to see things in the book that I either saw in my life or want in my life.

The book didn’t end like I expected it to. I'm satisfied with it now I guess.

I love how Veronica Roth gets us inside Tris and Tobias’ heads.  I love how she gets us to feel their pain, love, and anger.

I wasn’t as drawn into this series and I have been with others but this is a good series. Maybe one day I will actually watch the films….

 out of 5 hearts.