REVIEW for Broken Justice

Author Kirby Taylor was kind enough to send me a copy of his book to read and review.

TITLE:            Broken Justice

AUTHOR:       Kirby Taylor

GENRE:         Thriller

RATING:       4 Stars

I did not know what to expect when I started Broken Justice as I have been having a heck of a time finding thrillers that are engrossing, all the while keeping me guessing about the ending.

Fortunately, Broken Justice actually delivers just this.

The main character, Sean Shadow (got to admit I hated this name as it sounded cliche and a bit over the top). While I may not have liked the name, I loved the character because - well, he was a combination of macho cop (who gets dealt a blow to his ego) gifted with intelligence and an innovative way of getting to the truth (and the bottom) of a crime.

Shadow drove the book for me, as I found myself enjoying his various methods of proving to himself and to the world that he is "the" better investigator, all the while, proving that he actually is.

The ride was fun and the writing, for the most part, was engaging, although I have to say that, at times, once again, I found some of the dialogue a little stilted and/or cliche.

However, this is a minor complaint as the character and the plotline were engrossing - a job well done on delivering a great thriller.

REVIEW for American Outlaw

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for sending me this book to read and review.

TITLE:              American Outlaw

AUTHOR:         Jesse James

GENRE:           Memoir

RATING:         3 Stars

Okay, in full disclosure mode,  I have to admit that I have always had a "thing" for bad boy Jesse James.  I use to have an ex boyfriend who watched Monster Garage regularly and I often would sit down with him and secretly drool over James - although I could not care less about what he was working on in that garage.

Of course, the fact that I drooled over James should have been the first big tip off to me - I have a way of zeroing on the guys who are "broken" and who will, eventually, either brake my heart OR make me run the other way as fast as I possibly can, all the while screaming hysterically and apparently, so does Sandra Bullock.

While I did know James from Monster Garage, he really took center stage and became a household name thanks to the debacle he created with his cheating on Sandra Bullock.  Having myself lived through a similar experience, around the same time, I knew EXACTLY how Bullock felt, although, thankfully, my stupid mistakes were made in private.

Nonetheless, I decided to read this memoir, hoping to gain a better understanding of the situation and of this man in general.  Perhaps there was some basic truth that I was missing?

James opens up about his boyhood, but it is when he gets into his teens that you really start to see his personality develop - through a variety of  what I call "way too easy" situations, which seem to give Jesse a boost of confidence, but also seemed to send him the wrong messages about life and women in particular.

One of the themes that is repeated in this book is that James often felt as though he lacked self confidence and in order to compensate for this, he went too far over the other way.  All I could think about when I read about his earlier life was how screwed up he was going to be in the future.

Of course, the memoir does start getting more engaging when he meets Sandra Bullock and interestingly, while James does take responsibility for the affair (duh!!!!) and the fact that he should have been more open and honest with Bullock about his feelings before cheating, he also manages to squeeze in there the fact that he questions Bullock's own reasons for dating/marrying him in the first place (a question I am sure Bullock has asked herself a hundred times).


However, this simple question made me  mad - because frankly, if you are going to write a memoir, then you need to write it about YOU - not about the other person, especially since, in this case, James turned around and pretty well bounced off Bullock right into another relationship.  So, really, did he "get" any life lesson in all of this?   While James admits to going into rehab (sex addiction anyone?) he doesn't spend much time talking about it.  It felt, to me, as though he was simply going through the motions.


I have mixed feelings about this memoir.  I always admire someone who has the courage to stand up and write (examine) their own lives, as well as their choices and, for this, James should be commended.  You can also see how he strives to be honest about his emotions and his thought processes throughout the book, but, at the same time, very much like James himself, I always felt as though he holds back a good chunk of himself.  You can clearly see this when he is interviewed on TV and it makes me wonder if we are getting the whole story.  Again, if you are going to write a memoir, then you need to tell the WHOLE story.

On the other hand, I don't know if James is "in tune" enough with himself to even know where to find the entire truth.  It takes a lot of courage and willpower to dig deep, deep inside and its not for the faint of heart.


Finally, I can't help feeling sorry for James.  From the get go, you can see how he sets himself up - from the first second he meets Bullock up until he "falls in love with her", I felt some indecision and alot of fear, it was actually difficult to read about it.

I once asked my best friend why men cheat and her immediate answer "because they can".  In this case, I think it pretty much says it all.

American Outlaw is actually an interesting forray into the world (and the mind) of a man who seems programmed to self-destruct.

The good news, I no longer have a "thing" for bad boy Jesse James. I am so over it.

REVIEW for Bitter End

Thank you to the wonderful, wonderful people at Little Brown Books for Young Readers for sending me a copy of this book!

TITLE:             Bitter End

AUTHOR:        Jennifer Brown

GENRE:           YA

RATING:         4 Stars

First, I have to say that Jennifer Brown certainly does not shy away from writing books on YA subject matters that are, to say the least, delicate and Bitter End is no exception.

I had an idea what this novel was about, but by the end of it, I was completely freaked out - which is a testament to just how powerful and thought provoking this book is.

Yes, it is written in novel form but really, it could easily have been (and I am sure it is for someone, somewhere) an all too real "true story".

The novel starts off quite slowly, which I have to admit was the only negative I have to say about it! I found myself wanting to move ahead as some of pages in the beginning, where the author introduces the characters,  were a tad too slow! However, once we get into "character" with the characters, I found myself completely immersed into the storyline. I am one of those readers who needs to feel as though the novel "grips" me from the first chapter, or else, I end up losing interest in the storyline most of the time.

However, knowing what the story was about, I stuck it out and I am glad I did.

Alex is your pretty ordinary teen. She has two close friends as well as a dysfunctional family and is looking for love (that special guy). She finds him in Cole. He is everything she wants in a guy and he seems to be returning all of the emotions and feelings. She has found the perfect guy and is thrilled.

As I read through this, I kept remembering about my own youth, searching for the guy who could give me butterflies, but also the one who seemed so perfect for me, too perfect?

As the story develops, Alex becomes somewhat taken aback by some of Cole's actions and reactions. He is becoming dominant and scary and does not seem to be the adorable, loving boyfriend he was in the beginning. However, Alex makes excuse, after excuse - until things spiral completely out of control.

I think that, for me, the part where Alex starts to ever so slowly realize who the "real" Cole is (and refuses to accept it) is the most engaging part of the book. The author has written Alex to be vulnerable, scared, but smart and strong at the same time. I love the way Alex's mind refuses to admit what is happening, all the while her "gut" simply will not let her rest and wholly accept the situation.

I found myself nodding my head in agreement with Alex's fears, counter arguments and fears. I found myself scared for Alex and I found myself rooting for her to get out from under this nightmare.

However, the revelations are slow and painful and throughout it all, this book does a wonderful job of showing us how human beings (of all ages!) can fall into situations that they cannot control, but cannot seem to completely get out of without alot of pain and suffering, especially if it is in the name of love.

I loved, loved this book.

REVIEW for Beauty Queens

Thank you to the wonderful people at Scholastic Canada for sending me this book.

TITLE:               Beauty Queens

AUTHOR:         Libba Bray

GENRE:            YA

RATING:          4 Stars

Okay, first off, this is not your typical "YA" novel - by that I mean it is not your standard chick lit and it is not your standard "undead/zombie/vampire" book either.  Of course, from the cover, I knew that this was going to be one crazy ride and I was not mistaken.

For all intents and purposes, I should have hated this book.  Its completely over the top and the "crazy" part starts at line one of chapter one - where 50 beauty pageant contestants end up in a plane crash and those who surive vie for "leadership" on the island, all the while, continuing to "practice" their pageant skill sets.

Amazingly, I loved it.  I think because the author did not hesitate to completely go over the top - there was no wishy-washy storylines here.  The author threw just about everything in here, including pirate ships and bad, bad people who are plotting to do very bad things. 

The girls bring their own "individuality" to the island and this does spill out into the plot line and while I can't say that I liked or connected with any particular one, I thought that each girl brought her own brand of something in order to add to the comedy and to the general storyline.

I did find myself having a bit of a hard time following some of the action because, well - there is alot going on all at the same time.  At times, I also found that there was too much of everything, too many funny sequences scenes which made me feel as though the novel was written as a parody of itself which made me feel as though the author was laughing at her readers a little bit. I am not sure about that last part, but it is something that i felt as I found myself moving from page to page.

This book is completely over the top and to be honest, I would not be able to read an entire series based on these characters, but I did enjoy this romp into sillyness very much, this time around.

JUST SOME RAMBLING STUFF

Today is a holiday in Canada.  In my mind, it kind of starts off the official Spring/Summer season for me and it seems to be getting here earlier and earlier each year.

This last week has been a weird one. My BF Sharon left for Scotland last Monday (May 16th) and the few days before she left were about calming her down and convincing her that she did not have to pack everything she owns for a two week trip!!!  Its been odd not having her around and I keep picking up the phone to text or call her and then remember that she is away.

On the positive side, she has emailed me regularly and mentioned that she visited a tea room AND a few bookstores.  She has taken lots of pictures and has picked me up a few Brit chick lit books - I can't wait :)

I also read my way through 2 very interesting non fiction books.  One was written by Jesse James and the other by Maureen Stanton.  Her book is incredibly interesting and focuses on an antique dealer and his expeditions through various antique shows - fun.  I will be posting reviews of both of these very shortly.

I have also been doing very well on the "taking care of me" side.  I have been taking up to 5 yoga clases a week (trying to master a few difficult moves!), ride my bike almost daily and have finally found the strength to delve back into what I need to do to sustain my recovery from my eating disorder, which I had neglected for the last few years.  I need to remember this one line that  I found somewhere about recovery "in order to recover, you need to lead the most true life possible" the lies will kill you - and believe me, after getting rid of the things and the people that were hurting me, I realized how true this mantra is :)  Of course, making new friends has also helped alot!

Now, if I could simply get off the whole "Supernatural" TV show addiction that I have picked up!  I am working my way through the entire series (and there are like 7 seasons or something yikes!!!).

Finally, I was at a second hand shop the other day and saw this -  they are salt and pepper shakers made in the shape of books - for all US booklovers!  I would have bought them, but they were hopelessly cracked and chipped - but I did take a picture.  I thought they were hilarious!

REVIEW for Divergent

Thank you to HarperCollins Canada for sending me this book.

TITLE:                Divergent

AUTHOR:           Veronica Roth

GENRE:             YA

RATING:           4 Stars

All those who read my blog are probably a little puzzled by the fact that I have a review for this book on my blog.  However, in the last little while, I have been trying to expand my "taste" in reading material.  While I will never be able to get into zombie books, I have found that I do enjoy certain type of dystopia, if its not completely out there with a storyline that I could never buy.

Fortunately, Divergent was completely believeable and as I had heard quite a "buzz" about it in the blogsphere, I thought I would give it a try.

I am thrilled that I did. While, on the surface, this entertaining and, at times suspensful read is about a girl having to live in a totally different Chicago than the one we are "use" to, it is about alot more than that.  To me, the story that is not readily told is what kept me reading.

Actually, Beatrice, who is the main character that drives this story is asked, at the ripe old age of 16 to make a life altering decision - choosing whether she will stay with her family in their "faction" or whether she will choose a different one, effectively permanently removing her from her loved ones.

What follows is a brilliant story that is based around Beatrice's decision - one that basically leads the rest of her life. However, as we are quick to discover,  no decision is an easy one and regardless of the choices that are made, there is always the "what if" and the "did I do what is right for me and for others"? and this is where I consider this novel to be at its strongest. 

Actually, Divergent and its storyline reminded me of "everyday" life where we have to make choices, often hard ones, where nothing is quite as black and white as we would like.

Loved, loved the writing, loved, loved, the characters and loved, loved the message.

IN MY MAILBOX - Week Ending May 22, 2011

Another week - gone!  Here are the books that came into my house this week:

From the publisher for review:

• Bitter End by Jennifer Brown (for review)
• Tempted by P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast (for review)
• The Girl Who Disappeared Twice by Andrea Kane (for review)
• American Outlaw by Jesse James (for review)
• Killer Stuff and Tons of Money by Maureen Stanton (for review)

From the Book Depository:

• Zitface by Emily Howse

Next week will be another quiet week - mail wise as Canada Post works only 4 days AND they are talking about walking out on strike as of next Wednesday.  Yeah, I know, its a joke - their benefits and pays are ridiculous and as I tel my mailman, "who the hell would hire you at the benefits and salary you have now?"  "you have no education and you bring nothing to the table, so be grateful for what you have".  But, of course, he (and all the other people who work for the government don't see it that way, for them, its gimme more, more, more (sigh!). 

There is a chance there will be no strike, so we will have to wait and see.

REVIEW for A Father's Love

Thank you to the wonderful people at Penguin Group US for sending me a copy of this book.

TITLE:                      A Father's Love

AUTHOR:                 David Goldman

GENRE:                    Memoir

RATING:                   4 Stars

I remember reading "Not Without my Daughter" when I was younger and up to this day, I remember what kind of impact it made on me. 

Reading A Father's Love brought me right back to this time and I still had all of the feelings of rage, fear and frustration I had back then.  To be honest, because of Not Without my Daughter, I vowed that I would never marry someone from another country - and, for better or worse, I have always kept this as my motto.

While we would love to think that love will overcome everything, the sad truth is that when things go wrong and children are involved it is always a delicate and scary time and, when you factor in the fact that sometimes, parents come from different countries and different cultures, it seems as though the odds simply go up that something could go wrong.

Having said that, of course,  custodial kidnappings happen every day, in both Canada and the US from parents who are both fromt he same country, however, the one saving grace, in this case is that there is some common and shared law to fall back on -which is not always the case when one of the parents is from a country other than the US or Canada.

This is where the book A Father's Love comes in - and while the author does a great job of explaining the basics of the situation and the legal factors, the real "reality" for me is just how much this father loved his child and was ready to do what needed to be done - despite all the odds and while he might have though of giving up - he never did.

This is a cautionary tale yes - but it is also a story of hope and persistence and of love that has inspired me.  I loved this book, despite the frustration and the anger that I felt - thankfully, the author managed to ge through these emotions to get to the core -his child.

Very well written and deep, deep, deep.

REVIEW for Boyfriends with Girlfriends

Thank you to the wonderful team at Simon & Schuster Canada for sending me this book.

TITLE:                   Boyfriends with Girlfriends 

AUTHOR:              Alex Sanchez

GENRE:                 YA

RATING:                3 Stars

have been very vocal about the fact that I wish they had written books on the issue of sexual identity when I was younger. In fact, I applaud any author and publisher who understand the importance of writing books (not just non fiction)about this subject, as I believe that those YA (and all the people around them) should have as much information as possible, in order to better understand their own feelings and life events.

This is why I love books such as Boyfriends with Girlfriends. While this is, of course a novel, the importance of the stoyrline cannot be denied and I have to say that the author did a wonderful job of writing, in a compassionate and honest manner the difficulties that YA face when trying to understand their own sexuality, as well as the sexuality of those around them.

What I liked about this book was that the author explores bi-sexuality - is it true? or is it simply a temporary position for those who cannot admit their homosexuality? This is one of the core issues in this novel and while I can't say that the main characters really come to terms with this particular issue, the exploration of it feels very real to me.

So, why only 3 stars? Because to be honest, I thought the rest of the book was a little bit boring. The author spent so much time focusing on the sexual identity of the characters, that it feels to me as though the rest of the storyline suffered a little bit for it.

REVIEW for The Family Naturopathic Encyclopedia

Thank you to the wonderful people at Fitzhenry & Whiteside for sending me this great, great reference book.

TITLE:           The Family Naturopathic Encyclopedia

AUTHOR:      Ted Snider and Linda Woolven

GENRE:         Medical

RATING:       4 Stars


I am a huge believer in trying to go the "all natural" route as much as possible. Having said that, I also find it very challenging to muddle my way through all the information and (mis) information that is floating out there on Naturopathic treatments. How on earth do you make sure that you are on the right and (safe) track?

Fortunately, there are some wonderfully written books that explore that very subject and, at the top of my list is the Family Naturopathic Encyclopedia.

This well written, extremely informative book will and can give you all the answers you might have. It addresses many ailments, mainly geared towards families as a whole. This means that you can get information about ailments that can hit every member of your family.

Written for the lay person, it sets out to demystify and to inform - in a concise and clear manner.

I love it and have added to my library. A book that I have already consulted on more than one occasion and will continue to do so in the future.

REVIEW for books by Kimberly Joy Peters

Thank you to the wonderful people at Lobster Press (a Canadian based publishing company YEAH!) for sending me these wonderful books.



TITLE:          Definitely NOT Camelot                     TITLE:              Maybe Never, Maybe Now

AUTHOR:    Kimberly Joy Peters                            AUTHOR:        Kimberly Joy Peters

GENRE:        YA                                                        GENRE:            YA

RATING:      4 Stars                                                  RATING:          4 Stars

Kimberly Joy Peters has written a wonderful series of books, aimed mainly at a YA audience, but honestly, these books are entertaning enough to also address the older reader.

I read the first book in this series, Painting Caitlyn quite a while ago and I was surprised to discover that there are actually 3 more books associated with this series.  Actually, this is the one point that I would have to complain about a tiny bit - the way the books are set up.

Although there are 4 books - these are divided by two main characters - Ashley who is the star of the books Posing as Ashley and Definitely NOT Camelot and Caitlyn who stars in Painting Caitlyn and Maybe Never, Maybe Know.  Adding to the confusion is the fact that Ashley and Caitlyn are friends, which means they show up in each book and storyline.  This also means, however, that in order for the reader to figure out where they are in the storyline, the author chooses to backtrack on the previous books storyline a tiny bit.  I know this sounds confusing! and it kind of is. I never actually quite figured out which order to read these in (I am not sure there is one).

Having said that, I loved, loved the storyline of each book  These books are written with such sensitivity that I fell in love with all of the characters.  While the main characters are YA who are a combination of teenage angst and immaturity, they are also compelling, entertaining and, in many cases, making informed and mature decisions. 

I also loved the fact that the author chose a very difficult subject as the centerpiece of one of the storylines - abusive boyfriend and this theme will prevail throughout the entire series, without overshadowing the other intersting subplots.

The friendship between Ashley and Caitlyn is also very touching and because of the format of these books, we actually get to see the friendship from the point of view of both girls - as they explore the same plotline.

I think this series is smart and a must read for everyone who thinks that YA are all nuts and crazy these days - this book gives me faith!

REVIEW for The Baby Planner



Another huge thank you goes out to Simon & Schuster for sending me a copy of this book.

TITLE:               The Baby Planner

AUTHOR:          Josie Brown

GENRE:            Contemporary Fiction

RATING:           3 Stars

First of all, for anyone who thinks (as I did) that this book is actually "chick litty" you would be wrong, which was a bit of a disappointment to me,especially when I read the back of the book. Sorry, but it really did sound like a chick lit.

Having said that, I have to say that I actually thought the book was okay. The premise is interesting - our main character Katie, through a series of events, ends up wanting to experience the joys of pregnancy and motherhood. Unfortunately, she chose to marry a man who has other ideas and is, in fact, quite a horrible person.

So, Katie decides to "enter" the baby planning business and through this, she ends up meeting some wonderful women (kindred spirits?) who share their friendship and preganancy experiences with Katie.

I think this is the part of the book that I enjoyed the most, the friendship these women forge - through pregnancy, hope and motherhood. The fact that Katie does not have to actually be a mother to understand what it is all about. The fact that she and the other women share their love. I thought this part a very heartwarming part of the storyline and was also lots of fun, as each pregnancy had its own little surprise "ending".

However, what I kept thinking throught the entire book is the fact that Katie should actually be worrying about OTHER things in her life right now, instead of obsessing over motherhood. It was scary to me that she wanted to actually have a child with a husband who was so obviously NOT interested in fatherhood, marriage or anything that resembled humanity. It scared me that Katie was, on so many levels, in total denial about this and was willing to get pregnant. To me, this sent the wrong kind of message. I keep screaming at her "get out of this marriage and just have a child on your own - you don't need the loser AND you really don't need to bring a child into this ridiculous marriage".

Overall, the story was okay, but a little scary if it actually happened in real life.

REVIEW for We All Fall Down

TITLE:          We All Fall Down

AUTHOR:     Nic Sheff

GENRE:         Memoir

RATING:        4 Stars

As for me, I rated this one a solid 4 stars for a variety of reasons, starting with the writing style.

Say what you will about Nik, he can write. His style is always, always engaging and he has a naturally way of simply leading me into his life and his story, which, of course, makes me feel as though I am right there with him.

Now, for the contents itself. Firstly, it IS a memoir - which means that the story belongs to Nik and it is written according to his memory of his experiences. But let's be honest, he is an addict - trying to tell an honest story as he remembers it.

One of the issues with addiction is the sheer fact that addicts have a hard time with reality and love, love to live in denial and I think that all of his books have clearly demonstrated that.

Yes, it is a little bit of a deception to discover that Nik was writing about being in recovery when he was still using - but, on the other hand, his story is actually THE true story of an addict.

Reading these types of books is difficult, especially if you are an addict or know someone who is. I thought that Nik does a good job of showing us his road to recovery - albeit he went there kicking and screaming the whole way.

What I liked about this book is that it focuses very little on the logistics of the usage (I went to see my dealer and he gave me....) but more about his life when he is using and when he is not. More specifically, how it plays with his mind, his emotions and his views of ALL of his relationships.

It was also interesting to note that Nic never seems to come to a clear understanding (although he does touch on it a few times) about the role sex and love play in his addiction.

I am rooting for this author - unfortunately, the road to recovery is rarely linear.

REVIEW for My Life, the Theater and Other Tragedies

Thank you to Jennifer at Goodman Media International Inc for sending me this book.

TITLE:                   My Life, the Theater and Other Tragedies

AUTHOR:              Allen Zadoff

GENRE:                 YA

RATING:               4 Stars

I read this author's previous title and I was looking forward to this one! Fortunately, I was not disappointed in the least.

What I love most abou Zadoff's books is that no matter what the storyline is, there is always a subtext behind it - a voice of sarcasm that makes the story I am reading all that much more enjoyable.  Its almost as though the author does not take himself quite as seriously as other authors do - and I love, loved this about his books.

Having said that, I instantly connected with Adam, the main character in the storyline.  This may be partly because I also lost my dad when I was very young and still remember how painful it all was and how, for the life of me, I could never quite get rid of the pain and had absolutely no idea what to do with it or how to deal with it.

Adam chooses to channel his energy by working "behind the scenes" in the theater - which, when you think about it is quite logical - especially when factoring the fact that he feels invisible. 

However, all of this changes when he meets "the girl".  While this my sound a tad cliche, it really isn't.  The author writes with honesty and compassion (and yes, just a tiny little bit with sarcasm) as he tries to help his main character figure out just how to get out of the pain and not worry about silly things like zits.

Very well written, touching and funny at times, I loved it.

REVIEW for: Satan's Love

Thank you to Simon & Schuster for sending me this book.

TITLE:                    Satan's Sisters

AUTHOR:               Star Jones

GENRE:                  Novel

RATING:                 2 Stars

I have been reading for a long time and I remember, in the 80's, where there was a trend towards writing books that were a little bit trashy, with a lot of sex, but were also incredibly entertaining.


This is what I was hoping for with Satan's Sisters.

Firstly, I have no problem with a novel with a lot of sex - if it is entertaining and remotely pertinent to the plotline.

Secondly, I did not expect Star Jones to be a high literary author.

Having said all of this, I found this book to be convoluted, silly and most importantly, boring, boring, boring.

As soon as I started reading the first few pages, my first thought was "I guess she is not going to go out on a limb here and write something a little daring". It was obvious, by her opening chapter about a "bunch of women who host a daytime show" that we were simply going to be reading about Jones' distorted(?)view of her own importance and I was not mistaken.

From the get go, I found the characters completely confusing and I just could not figure out why this plotline should be even more remotely interesting to me.

The writing was silly, the characters were silly and the entire book was silly - I even hated the title. This one is a big no for me.

3 YEAR BLOGGING ANNIVERSARY

I had breakfast with Cindy from Cindy's Love of Books blog yesterday morning and we were trying to figure out what our "blogging" anniversary dates were without much success.

This morning, as I logged onto my Facebook page, I found a wonderful post from Linda, the publisher at Rodmell Press.  She had created a post, congratulating me on my 3 year blogging anniversary
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Rodmell-Press/407183784739.

I love working with Linda and I have said it before, Rodmell Press offers the most informative, entertaining and beautiful books on health and movement.

So, thank you to Linda for reminding me of my blogging anniversary and thank you to everyone who visits my site and posts comments.

Of course, I cannot forget to thank all of the publishers and authors who have so kindly, over the years, sent me books (and continue to do so) - without you, this blog would just be a bunch of ramblings postings about my life :)

REVIEW for The Listening Tree

Thank you to Fitzhenry & Whiteside for sending me a copy of this book.

TITLE:         The Listening Tree

AUTHOR:    Celia Barker Lottridge

GENRE:       YA

RATING:     4 Stars

Who hasn't wanted to, at one time or another in their life, get away from the world and simply sit somewhere and watch it all go by - without having to contribute one way or the other?


Well, this is the basic premise of The Listening Tree. Our main character, Ellen has a hard time with life, even though she is still a young girl. So, she sits in the tree and watches people, events and things go by, but one day, she overhears some bad news and she knows that she needs to do something to help.

What follows is a wonderful story of discovery and of learning to trust yourself and the people around you. Its about doing the right thing and helping someone and its about realizing that maybe, just maybe, life is not that bad after all - with a little help from your friends.

Extremely well written, touching and entertaining. I loved it.

BLOG TOUR STOP FOR: Snowflake Obsidian - Memoir of a Cutter

I was very thrilled to be part of this blog tour - Snowflake Obsidian - Memoir of a Cutter.

TITLE:                     Snowflake Obsidian - Memoir of a Cutter

AUTHOR:                The Hippie

GENRE:                   Memoir

RATING:                  4 Stars

Blog tour:  http://www.pumpupyourbook.com/

Addiction and recovery is a subject that is very close to my heart. Because of this, I have read my share of books on just about every subject, including cutting and Snowflake Obsidian was one of the most raw and real books I have read in a long time.

Of course, I would love to say that all stories revolving around self-discovery offer us a view of the warm and fuzzies, but the unfortunate reality is that in many cases, this is simply not the case and The Hippie - author of this book makes that incredibly clear from the get go.

This book sounded true and real to me - with the main character Willow going through a host of experiences that run the gamut of "sweet" to "harsh and painful" and everything in between.

Willow has been protected by religion and the church (Mormon) - until she discovers that life is about life and CANNOT always be covered under the umbrella of religion alone.

Love and relationship , as is often the case, begins the downfall - precipitating a host of events and experiences that serve to make Willow seek out relief for her pain - through mainly cutting.

What I loved about this book is the realistic experiences that our main character goes through - the ups and downs and the one step forward and two steps back. Seeking relief from unknown pain and life in general, all the while trying to find a better way.

This book is extremely well written, making me as though I am living each event with Willow. It is true and scary and hopeful and frank. Everything I love in a memoir.

TLC BLOG TOUR STOP for Codependent No More Workbook - Melodie Beattie

Today, I am thrilled to say that Bookshipper is hosting a TLC blog tour stop for the wonderful Melody Beattie.  Anyone who has had to deal with heartache, addiction or any other type of painful situation can attest to how helpful and touching all of Melody Beattie's books are.

TITLE:                 Codependent No More Workbook

AUTHOR:            Melody Beattie

GENRE:                Self-help

RATING:              4 Stars


I am a fan and I was incredibly thrilled to get the opportunity to read and review The Codependent No More Workbook.  I am also a huge fan of workbooks that help me work on myself - to discover who I am, what is working and what is not - and this book is a godsend.

Codependency issues are rampant and when you think about it, most of us do "fit" into this category at some time or another.  While my main issue is with an eating disorder, I have found this book to be extremely useful - especially as it is based on the 12 steps.  I am a big lover of all things 12 steps and frankly, as I read this book, I discovered quite a few ways of looking at them that I had not done previously.  Love that!

The book is very well set out - with a description of the particular step, then some activities for you to complete.

I haven't worked my way through the entire workbook yet as I do try to work on only 1 step at a time in order to clearly absorb the information, but I can tell you that this book will help ANYONE who wants to work on who they are.

WAITING on Monday

Yeah, I know, I keep changing the title of this post - but I kind of just post the books I am "waiting" to read whenever the inspiration hits me!

Here is a very partial list of the books that I want ro read (badly!) and will be released in May and/or June 2011.

Missin Unpopular by Anna Humphrey

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Pride and Premiership by Michelle Gayle

Pretend you Love Me by Julie Anne Peters

My Misadventures as a Teenage Rock Star

Ten Things We Did by Sarah Mlynowski

That's it for now!!!

REVIEW for All that is Bitter & Sweet

A big thank you goes out to

TITLE:                  All That is Bitter & Sweet

AUTHOR:            Ashley Judd

GENRE:               Memoir

RATING:             4 Stars

I am a huge reader of memoirs and I have always loved Ashley Judd in any movie she has appeared in. With this in mind, I was thrilled to be able to read this memoir.

I will own up and say that I kind of envied Judd. I always thought she was pretty and seemed to have alot of her life together. However, after reading this memoir, I realize that she is just an ordinary person who has had her share of stuff (some descended on her and some she created herself).

In this frank and honest memoir, Judd is quite honest about her life and about her role in it. While, at times, she does sound a tad whiny, I also feel as though she seems to have gained a lot of wisdom through her own experiences and through the rehab that has followed.

In fact, you can actually feel this growth as you read her book - you can see it in the writing and in the advancement and telling of her story.

It is truly amazing to me that a woman who looked like she had it all could feel the way that she did/does. It goes to show you that you can never really know what someone else it really going through just by looking at them.

The family dynamics she talks about are raw and honest and I love the fact that she is honest about the role that she has played in her own struggles.

The writing is engaging, for the most part, although I did find that this book was a bit long and could have been cut, especially the earlier part of the book, a little bit more.



Engaging and engrossing, I loved this memoir.