Jack with a Twist

Jack With A Twist (Red Dress Ink) ISBN: 0373895550 ISBN-13: 9780373895557

There are some books that have entertainment value but nothing out of the ordinary happens. I mean it wasn’t a bad book but how many times can you repeat the same theme and the review it to make it sound new?

Brooke land her first big case. She is excited until she learns that her fiancé  Jack is on the opposing side. No problem right? Work and home can be separated. Until Jack starts pulling every dirty legal trick in the books. Brooke starts to question is Jack really the man she thought he was.

I found this book to be fairly predictable. It was funny but the basic plotline is the same as almost every other chick-lit out there.

Perfect on Paper

Perfect on Paper: The (Mis)adventures of Waverly Bryson ISBN: 098004250X ISBN-13: 9780980042504

I have to admit at first I had some trepidation about a self published book but the reviews started pouring in and I have to agree I really liked this book.

Waverly Bryson has just been dumped by her seemly perfect fiancé.She has a perfect career but one she really does not enjoy. Perfect on Paper is the story of her getting back in the dating game and finding her way in life.

As a hobby she starts “honey notes”. An example of a honey note:

Front: Can’t face the Dating scene after a bad break up?

Honey: Hit the bar and hit it hard. Beer goggles are the lonely girls cupid.

There are honey notes at the end of each chapter and in the book. I liked the idea of them being the head of each chapter. Waverly also hits it big with her Honey Notes when they get turned into greeting cards.

This is a light fun read. I read it in one sitting and enjoyed every minute of it. Waverly not only finds love again but also finds herself at the end of the book. The characters are enjoyable. The plot is predictable but the charters more than make up for that.

I want to thank Pump Up your Book Promotions for sending me a copy of this book to read!

 

author web site

Forever Lily

Forever Lily: An Unexpected Mother’s Journey to Adoption in China ISBN: 0743292979 ISBN-13: 9780743292979

I have to admit, I felt some trepidation to pick up this book. Only cause the story seemed sad. Alex goes to China to adopt a baby (she brings along the author Beth Nonte Russell for moral support) while in China she decided she cant adopt. I mean that sounds cruel and heartless right?

When Alex decides she cant adopt but she also cant leave the baby in China, she asks the author if she would take her. The author agrees but the trouble isn’t over yet. Alex goes back and forth on her decision. One day she decides she can adopt the next she decides she cant. This makes for a tumulus journey for both Russell and Alex. The books explains why Alex acts this way and what happens to the friendship during this time.

My favorite part of the book is where the author weaves her dreams, which is past life Chinese, into the story. The dreams tell of loss of a baby and innocence. While the present story tell of gaining a baby. The two stories are woven beautifully together to make a rich whole telling.

While the premise of the story sounds sad, the book really does have an uplifting tone. It is a story about love and protecting it at all costs.

Peaceful Endings:The Noposam Project

Peaceful Endings: The NOPOSAM Project ISBN: 1432727397 ISBN-13: 9781432727390

This is a techno-thriller set in Rode Island. Dr Marilynn Harwell notices a bunch of people dying from relatively  minor injuries, she sets out to find out what is behind the deaths. Her accomplice Doug Talbot joins here in a thrilling two day adventure that includes being wrongly accused of a terrorist attack.

This was excellent writing. There are those books where the ending is predictable then there are those who leave you guessing to the end. This book was the latter. It provided twist and turns so the reader would never get bored.

The characters were well developed. There was one that I thought was overly mean but it helps the plot line. You cant help but like the two main characters and root for them.

Paul of Dune

Paul of Dune ISBN: 0765312948 ISBN-13: 9780765312945

This events in this book take place between Frank Herbert’s Dune and Dune Messiah. If you haven’t read the above this book may be hard to follow.

This book seeks to answer the question on how he became the prophet that he is in Dune Messiah.

Paul now is emperor of all worlds and sits on the throne. But his troubles are far from over.He must navigate the Jihad that he has unleashed on the universe.

Through his prophetic vision he can see that all humanity will be saved, but in the meantime he is victim to many plots to overturn and overthrow him. He must deal with his wife in name only, Ireluan the daughter of the former emperor Shadam.

One thing is that no matter how dire the circumstances are you know that Paul is going to live because he is alive in the Dune Messiah book. That is one of the condrums of writing a book such as this. You are confined to a narrow spectrum of events. However the author Kevin J Anderson does a brilliant job of making the story interesting and in keeping with the whole Dune Story.

So Many Precious Books,So Little Time has an ARC challenge up for 2009.

The List of ARC’s that I currently have (that I haven’t read and reviewed)

Forever Lily by Beth Nonte Russell

Jack With a Twist- Brenda Janowitz

Perfect On Paper- Maria Murnane

I have more on the way…I am always accepting more so this list will be updated often.

Choosing to Be

Choosing to Be: Lessons in Living from a Feline Zen Master: Kat Tansey: Books ISBN: 1935278142 ISBN-13: 9781935278146

I loved this book! It is going into my “feel-good’ reread collection. The author Kat Tansey finds herself in a suicidal depression and unable to find her way out. One day she reads The Tibetan Book On Living and Dying. She then decides to try and find the “Buddha” mind.

This book is classified under nonfiction only because she transcribes conversation with her Maine Coon cat Poohbear. Otherwise it is a true story of how she came into her mediation practice. She explains how over the course of a year she progresses from being suicidal to finding joy. It goes in detail into her year long journey.

I liked the way to interweaves conversations with her Main Coon cat into the story. She has conversations with him as if he is a real person.Poohbear takes on the role of Zen master delightfully.

 

Review: Arsenic Soup for Lovers

 

Arsenic Soup For Lovers: When Chicken Soup Doesn’t Work: Georgia Z Post: Books ISBN: 0595423078 ISBN-13: 9780595423071

My sense of humor tends towards the snarky side so when I heard about this book I grabbed  the chance to read.

This is the second book by Georgia Z Post. I haven’t read the first “With Malice Toward Some” but if it is even half as funny as Arsenic Soup I will.

In thinking of the best way to describe this book it is like the Chicken Soup books but on the snarky side. It is very funny. There is the story of the perfect couple who hate each other. The guy with obsession with knees and many more. As I have said before the humor runs toward the sarcastic side so if that is not your thing….

If however you do like a healthy does of sarcasm and snark you will like this book.

Double or Nothing

It has been 4 years since the show The Casino aired.  Since then Tom Breitling and his best friend Cal Fussman   have made another million after selling the Golden Nugget. Double or Nothing is the story of two best friends who went from rags to riches to accomplish unbelievable success.

Breitling shows that there is a lot more behind the scenes than The Casino let on.  Breitling takes us on a whirlwind tour through the ups and downs of chasing a dream then selling it then doing it all again. This book is a fun read that let the author’s personality shine through.

I did not know a lot about gambling when I started reading this book. It did not matter because whatever was needed to get the gist of the background was described beautifully.

The description that appeared in this book are such that the energy and the enthusiasm and sometimes the grief of the author shines through.

This book is an enjoyable book. Well worth the read.