Showing posts with label Book Review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Book Review. Show all posts

April 16, 2015

BOOK REVIEW: SIX YEARS by Harlan Coben with Author [Video]

Two years ago I believed living off the grid was next to impossible. About a year ago I learned that was not true. I watched in the background as authorities searched for a relative of mine that was living outside of the watchful eye of modern society. It was riveting to say the least. Remarkably, the authorities never located my relative. He eventually came forward.

SIX YEARS is a fascinating mosaic of interesting components by a well-versed veteran author, Harlan Coben. Read by five people, each account would likely be dramatically different. After my personal experience, I was most intrigued by the plausible circumstances that allowed people to disappear from society. 

Harlan Coben

Jacob (Jake) Fisher provides a first person narrative of his experience. My goodness, he is delightful. Wonderfully flawed, Jake is a sensitive woman's man and a giant man's man. He is often refreshingly a naive academic, but always determined to find the love of his life and absolutely nothing will stop him. 


SIX YEARS is a love story and a thriller all wrapped up in one fabulous scenario. 


SIX YEARS is available on Amazon


December 31, 2014

HIDDEN REALMS by Marta Moran Bishop and Patricia Moran





What is it about the paranormal? Is it the eerie feeling we get when presented with the possibilities or is it simply the escapism it provides? Either way, I've always been attracted to the stories.

Hidden Realms is collection of three short stories, The Other Side, The Night of the Fairies, and The Hollowers. Author Marta Moran Bishop and her late mother Patricia Moran wrote the beginnings of these stories several years ago.


The Night of the Fairies is a sweet story of a girl adopted by a tribe. Her unusual differences begin to unfold in true fairy tale fashion.

The Other Side is a compelling love story with an adult complex theme that crosses over into a parallel dimension. Being a true romantic, this was my favorite.

Marta Moran Bishop
The Hollowers is reminiscent of an episode Twilight Zone. The story surrounds around Jerry, a delusional self-absorbed man that is unable to live in a reality based existence, until one day when he finds an unusual box and then we, the readers, are left to wonder if it is Jerry's reality or the Universe's that has the final say.

The stories are well worth the read, but are most entertaining on audio as Brian Richard Robin brings them to life with his fabulous vocal characterization. Only an hour long, it is a great collection to enjoy on a cold winter's night before bedtime.

HIDDEN REALMS on Amazon

HIDDEN REALMS on Audible

December 18, 2014

AWARD WINNING CHILDREN'S BOOK: MAMA'S PURSE by AJ Irving, Illustrated by Rick Thomson


Mama's Purse, "you'll never guess what zooms out next! A baboon, a maroon balloon, a piece of the glowing moon..." 

Winner of the Mom's Choice Award and the Purple Dragonfly Book Award, a young girl finds an imaginative treasure trove in  her mom's purse. It's just silly  enough to make learning fun.

This first reader is a delightful adventure rhyming to a fun cadence for reading aloud to an infant or toddler. The illustrations are fun and colorful with attention to scale appropriate for the growing mind of a small child.

Many thanks to AJ Irving for a beautiful story. My first grand child is due in April. Today,  I'm sending Mama's Purse to begin my granddaughter's personal library.  

April 15, 2014

Dreaming In Darkness by Jessica Kristie








Dreaming In Darkness is a powerful diary in poetry, and prose. The beautiful poetry reveals a breathtaking journey through a painful hell that moves gradually upwards over a bumpy road, ultimately, leading into a state of healing.

Jessica’s poetry is a divinely classic work of art. Her flowing imagery is clear without a second of awkwardness. The poignant story is bold, a blatant display of pain, and suffering woven into the vision her words create.

The perfect order in which the poems are placed creates the sense of a diary, a fascinating collection of the poet’s most intimate thoughts.
‘Sarafina’ You shine
                 You speak
                 We listen

The author guides the reader into the myriad of emotions experienced in the victim’s abyss. ‘Induced Sleep’ finds the battered soul in a medicated state, drowning in the pain, yet here she begins to process her choices as she meets her self in the crossroads.

Still, further into the pain ‘Force Forgotten’ paints a bird’s eye view of the crime and the victim comes face-to-face with the perpetrator.
          ‘My legacy won’t be this, 
           but yours will.
          Stew in your own sin.

This revelation frees her to search for a healing aid. The hallways greet her with doors of deception. ‘Bad Religion,’ ‘This Mourning,’ and ’Walking Wounded’ portray encounters with some disingenuous souls that clutter the pathway.

In ’Temporary Royalty’ she begins to experience the highs and lows from within a different place. Here, she sees tiny glimpses of light periodically penetrating the darkness. Later, The bud starts blossoming in ’Love Letters.’ The fabulous poet surprises with prose. The change symbolizes a less rigid environment, freedom. A different place depicted from within a different style.

Dreaming in Darkness’ is brilliant. This is a powerful, effective piece of art portraying the journey from pain to healing, darkness to light.
I highly recommend.

WinterGoose Publishing






April 3, 2014

FORMED OF CLAY by Thea Atkinson



A very clever author created, Formed of Clay. Thea Atkinson immediately plunges the reader into a fabulous tale written in the style of an ancient mythological tale with Gods and Goddesses in a stunning mystical view of creation. This introduction provides the mood for a masterful dark ancient tale. 
Thea Atkinson

Set in ancient Egypt, the story follows a tender boy on a surprising journey. Sentu, the foster son of a scribe is amazed to find himself studying as priest. His mentor, Hozat is at the top of the Pharaoh's priestly hierarchy.

The growing young boy soon discovers things aren't always what they seem. Sentu experiences a labyrinth filled with deception, and betrayal at the hands of those he once believed were holy.   The boy must participate, and suffer within an evil hidden in the background of ancient Egypt.    

The author creates a fascinating dark tale that weaves together mythology, and Egyptian history into a spellbinding story as modern as it is ancient. The ending will surprise even the most astute.   

January 13, 2014

THE DAY GOD WINKED by Mark Paul Jacobs




Humankind's fascination with existence is infinite.The questions answered only lead us down a path scattered with a more incestuous need to know. Just days beyond the passing of my dear Dad, I ponder this thought and deliberate the circumstances presented in Mark Paul Jacobs', The Day God Winked.

Pete, a taxi driver, and recovering addict escorts the reader through an interesting view of a dynamic event. His experience provides a clever duality that serves to deepen the reader's contemplation.

Mark Paul Jacobs
The novella provoked several questions for me, but one remained with longevity. Is it more important to know the ultimate answer to our existence, or is it enough to know that our persona does not end? Perhaps, this changes with our lives. In the wake of my father's death, I think, I would choose to know and be happy with the infinite.

Mark Paul Jacobs is a talented, and very creative author, whom has developed an intelligent, and plausible explanation in THE DAY GOD WINKED!

Buy it Today on Amazon!

December 7, 2013

DINKY THE NURSE MARE'S FOAL by Marta Moran-Bishop



I am a lifelong lover of horses. When I was a child I talked about horses all the time, due to an equally lifelong hearing impediment, I could not hear the soft letter sounds, therefore for many years I called them "sorsies." Early in my childhood, we moved to a farm and my Dad purchased a horse for my brother and I. My horse was Lady, not too original  but she was proud and nostalgic deserving of the royal title.Reading about Dinky took me back to those magical days on the farm. These days a story that moves me in such a personal way is rare, but oh so, enjoyable and refreshing.

Told in the honest spirit of sharing, DINKY THE NURSE MARE'S FOAL is a glimpse into a hidden side in the life of a beautiful creature. Through Dinky a precious emotional story emerges; one that left this reader laughing and crying. Most of all, it opened my eyes to an alarming practice in the business of horses.I am embarrassed to say, I had never thought about what happened to the nurse mare's babies,and was naive enough to assume rescue stables and similar facilities were staffed and ran by well trained and educated people.
Marta Moran Bishop


On one hand, Dinky's story exposes the cruel reality of suffering imposed upon the helpless by a rich industry. On the other hand, it is a beautiful story about adoption, and adaption, as Dinky learns to find his place within his new horse family and of course, his people family. Dinky's journey reminds me of my family's experience with two adopted children. There are precious beautiful moments, yet there are times when the memories of the past cannot be subdued and a perfect storm erupts. In my opinion, Dinky's life is as much an accurate portrayal of adoption as it is about abuse, but more significantly it is about overcoming the odds.


This is a touching book for all ages. Please, do not miss it!


DINKY THE NURSE MARE'S FOAL is available on Amazon!

   

April 20, 2013

Fingerprints Of The Gods by Graham Hancock








I am a huge fan of Graham Hancock. He thinks outside of the box, and I often find his theories fascinating. Unfortunately, I can't always draw the same conclusions. "Fingerprints Of The Gods" is an intensive look, complete with pictures of many fabulous archaeological sites.

The pages are filled with Graham's own hypothesis as well as those of others he graciously includes. He does support the idea that civilizations existed much earlier than we have been led to believe. His views support the concept of a much more intelligent early people that inhabited the planet. At the very least, whether you agree with his opinions or not, it is very entertaining.

April 23, 2012

Throwing Clay Shadows by Thea Atkinson




A fabulously written adult story that reminded me of what it's like to be a child. Thea Atkinson is one of the most versitile authors I have had the pleasure of reading. Her work has soul and THROWING CLAY SHADOWS stays true to her style. The images are so vivid it becomes a stage production in the room.

The death of her mother brings incredible grief to Maggie. Her fears become personal monsters of childlike proportions. She feels responsible for her mother's death and worries she will kill her father. The story takes place in a perfect setting on the Isle of Eigg in 1807. The author shares an incredibly deep and accurate portrayal of a traumatized child.

Throwing Clay Shadows on Amazon

April 19, 2012

The Shack by William P. Young






Like so many others, I love this book! It is a story interpreted differently by each person it touches. The story is about understanding God, Death, Love, and so much more. I own this on CD and in book version. I keep an extra supply as gifts to give to those I encounter experiencing grief or just a rough time. I have yet to give a copy to anyone that did not later thank me deeply for this special book with a dynamic message. I can not express highly enough how much I recommend this fantastic story.

April 17, 2012

The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch



'The Last Lecture' provoked more emotion in me than any book I have ever read. Given to me as a gift just last summer by someone very special, I have read it through several times. Randy Pausch's life was a testament of greatness to his family, students, and all those who take a moment to absorb his story.

His grace and maturity in his final days seemed admirable and unselfish (nearly Divine) as he prepared to leave his family. I personally became caught up in his message to his students, and the importance it held within him. I think anyone touched by the world of higher education and academia would feel inspired by Randy's story and message. However, I recommend this as a book for all those who breathe.

The Last Lecture; Available on Amazon