January 3, 2013

Sons of Suicide by Dan Andrews


Sons of Suicide is a non-fiction novel told through the eyes of the author, Dan Andrews.

This book is the story of him as a young boy having to deal with the loss of his mother. She had committed suicide, and his life was never the same.

This tragedy made his childhood rough, but as he began to grow older and mature, he found a way to turn his pain into a positive thing. He decided that he wants to help others, whether through this book or by coaching in a gym.

Dan’s story is very real. It is one that not many people experience, but at the same time, too many people experience it. The pages of this book are filled with emotion that you may not find in many other writings. It was truly written very well.

Sons of Suicide is not a sob story. Dan isn't trying to get the world to feel sorry for him. It is quite the opposite. He is opening up and sharing his experience to show that it is possible to get through tragedy. You will always have the scar, but you can turn your life around and become a better person.

This is a great read, I loved every bit of it. It was emotional, sad, and happy as well.

5/5 stars. The writing was great, the purpose of the writing was even better. 


December 30, 2012

Guilty Wives by James Patterson


Patterson does it again!

He nails the suspense and mystery that are evident in the majority of his novels, and this one will take you on a crazy ride all the way to the end. I feel exhausted just reading it, but it was well worth it.

Imagine going on an innocent vacation with a few of your friends, and after a night out partying you wake up to being accused of the crime of the century.

You know you are innocent, but will your words mean anything?

This novel takes you on the journey of Abbie’s time in jail and her desperate attempt to prove her and her friends’ innocence.

You could not imagine what she has to go through while she is in prison, and it may leave you cringing in your seat.

This novel is pretty long with 400+ pages, but in normal Patterson fashion, the chapters are short, and it is really easy to get through. I didn’t want to put it down once I had started.

5/5 stars This was an excellent suspense novel and there was never a dull moment. 


December 27, 2012

Through the Crimson Mirror by Daniel Alexander Dinnie


This book is interesting. It is a non-fiction/memoir book.

I feel like it read sort of as a journal, but was also trying to teach a few lessons through the author’s past experiences.

I felt like the beginning of the book was setting it up to be more about parenting from a child’s perspective, and while that theme did come up in every chapter, I don’t feel as though it was the main point of this book as I continued my reading.

It became more of a book about communication and how the author felt certain people in his life were not communicating properly, often referring to an ex-girlfriend and also bosses in the workplace.

So, at times I was a little confused as to what the actual purpose of this book was.

You can approach it in two ways, I think.

1.       You read it as though it is just a memoir. The author is only telling his past experiences and what he has learned from them.

Or

2.       You read it as an educational book, but with a lack of real structure.

I feel like the intro set it up to be an educational book, but it ended up as a memoir, which as I said before was a little confusing. It wasn’t mainly focused on parenting like I feel it was set up to.

That being said, it was a very interesting read. The author gives interesting insights into the topic of correct communication.

He does state that you should read this book with an open mind, and I think if you remember that throughout, you will be able to take something away from it.

3/5 stars. The way it was set up didn’t really equal what it ended up being, but it was indeed an interesting read.


December 26, 2012

Broken Christmas by David Henderson

Broken Christmas is a compilation of short stories centered around Christmas.

Each story has its own feel and its own details that make them special in their own ways.
These stories are heartwarming and also heartbreaking all at the same time.

It is a great Holiday read though. It makes you grateful for what you have.

Now that it is the day after Christmas, and some of you have gotten some new reading tablets, I would suggest taking just a moment to relax and read this book. The stories are short, so it won't take long, but it will be worth it!

5/5 stars. All three stories were interesting, and none of them stood out more than another, they were all great.

To purchase, click here!


December 25, 2012

Merry Christmas, readers!

Hello everyone. I hope everyone that celebrates had a wonderful day. I know I did. I was trying to get a review up today, but i got busy being with family. I hope you all forgive me :) 
You can expect a review in the next day or two. 
Again! i hope everyone that celebrates had a great Christmas! 
And if you dont celebrate, well i hope yiu just had a great day.
thank you for reading everyone. I appreciate it! 

-Courtney

December 21, 2012

This is amazing.

The author of the book I just reviewed -- Addison Westlake is doing something very wonderful this year. 

All author profits that she receives this year are going to a charity to help the families of the victims of the Newtown, Ct. school shooting. 

This is an extremely self-less act by a wonderful author. 
 Please, with whatever leftover money you have from the holidays, pick up a copy. It is only a dollar, and not only do you get to read a great story, but you are helping others as well. 
There is a link the the amazon page in the review post and I will put another one here. 

Thank you all for reading. 

Pick up a copy here!


Christmas in Wine Country by Addison Westlake


Christmas in Wine Country is almost a coming of age story for the main character -- Lila. Even though she isn't exactly coming of age, she is finding herself again, and not in the place that she had imagined she would end up in.

This story will take you on a journey from happiness, to heartbreak, and back again. It is full of emotion, and is written to make you feel everything that is happening.

Lila finds herself leaving the corporate world after a .... mishap at the company's Holiday party. After settling down in a sweet little town she decides this is where she was meant to be all along.

After settling down comes task number 2 of finding someone to settle down with. Through all the pain of dating and falling in love comes a magical story of romance that will keep you flipping the pages of this book to find out how everything will turn out.

All of the characters in this novel have distinct personalities, and they were all carefully developed, and done so in a great way. There wasn't too much time spent on character development, there was a perfect mix in my opinion. It flowed well with the telling of the story.

Lila, the main character, is extremely relatable and likable. I think all readers would be able to see a little of themselves in her -- male or female.

This is a perfect Holiday read. With it getting cold out, and snow falling in various places, curl up on your couch with a cup of coffee or a glass of wine and enjoy this great story.

5/5 stars. It was sad; it was funny; it was great! I really enjoyed reading this, and I would love it if there were a sequel, though I feel the ending for this one was perfect.




Read ahead for spoilers

December 3, 2012

Horrorism by Scott M. Goriscak

Horrorism is a collection of short stories that are either gruesome and filled with gore or haunted by the paranormal. Instead of spreading out the reviews for each story, I will post them all in this one post. Get ready!


The Game
Warning: This is not for anyone who cannot handle some gore.

This story is about a sick game that takes a turn for the even sicker. It starts out as a game made up by a bunch of teenage boys looking to cause trouble. They want to run over small animals with their cars.

After the competition heats up, the game becomes more than any of them thought it would, and gets out of control.

What lengths would you go to to be the point leader?

Scott Goriscak’s writing is very interesting, and I look forward to seeing what the next story holds.
5/5 Disturbing. Very, very disturbing. But, very well written and remained interesting throughout the whole journey. 


Home Sweet Home     
       
Have you ever thought there was an odd presence in your home?

Your thoughts come alive in this story. A man and his wife plan on getting divorced. When the woman finds the man a house to live in, she gets herself into more than she can handle.

The house is a rat-infested mess, and has a dark history.

When the man discovers the truth behind this residence, he becomes a little too comfortable.
Then, at the end, a huge twist is thrown at you.

It is a very creepy story, but I enjoyed it a lot. Well written, the characters were well developed, and the story was interesting.

5/5


Peepers

This story was very… odd. I shall explain why.

A man and his family decide to move from the city into the country.

When he decides he wants to fix something up in his daughter’s room, he discovers little creatures that will ruin his life.

Now, usually little creatures with extremely sharp teeth and claws would be terrifying, but I could not take it seriously, because as soon as I read it, I pictured the little worm from The Labyrinth.

Remember this little guy?


It made the whole story funny – in a sick humor sort of way.

That being said, it had a very eerie vibe to it – which proves good writing to me even though I could not take it seriously, and the end was actually pretty creepy.

4/5 Stars. The plot of little furry monsters ruining someone’s life is a little too out there for me, but it was good nonetheless.


Shadows of the Night

I have to say, this is the weakest link of the series so far.

It is about a man that has to take a roadtrip for business and winds up in a ghost town that was abandoned after a government experiment.

Things are not as they seem to him, and he begins to be haunted by the dead residents of the town.

While it may seem like the premise for a good story, it runs pretty dry throughout.

It also ends pretty abruptly, but you don’t really see that ending coming.

3/5 it was  okay, but not as good as the others. 


Parenting – Not For the Faint of Heart

This story started off with a very scary beginning, but then it evolved into something else.

It became a story of love – laced with losing limbs and eyeballs… but a story of love nonetheless.

When parents of an adopted child are forced into a situation they were not prepared for, they must learn how to cope with it, because it is their child.

It is really a great story. I found myself really enjoying it.

Oh, and there are werewolves involved.

5/5 great story. Love, blood, and violence. HOORAY!


Congratulations

WHAT DID I JUST READ.

Okay, back up.

A man is given a great promotion at work. His co-workers decided it would be a great idea to take him out to the bar at lunch time and get him completely drunk. He decides he is okay to drive after blacking out in the parking garage.

What he experiences next is something that no person should ever go through in their entire life. That is where I am going to leave you, because there is no way I can give away the ending to this one.

WHAT DID I JUST READ.

This story was so emotional I was on the verge of crying while reading that. Not many stories affect me in that way – especially short stories. But, wow.

5/5 even though I almost cried, and the story line was terrible (terrible as in very depressing) it was a great story. 


Blinded by the Light

This story was very interesting.

A man is killed by a secret experimental weapon that two fools were messing around with. To avenge his death, he begins to torment one of the men responsible.

It is sort of entertaining for a while with how he uses his abilities to get back at the man.

I wasn’t expecting the ending. It was a bit extreme, but it was pretty emotional.

4/5 It was odd, but interesting.  


Pet Co-Dependent

And I thought I was a cat person….

This story takes the “cat lady” term to a whole new extreme.

This story is about a man and his wife, and the cat that destroys the man’s life. It was sort of humorous because it seemed like it was mocking cat ladies, but to a gruesome extreme.

The end was pretty shocking as well.

5/5 It was silly, but it was also kind of scary


Playing with Dolls

This one was really creepy. Dolls in general are creepy to me after seeing the movie Dead Silence. This story reminded me of that movie in a way.

A man reconnects with one of his old girlfriends. As they begin to hang around each other more, he learns of her dark hobby. She places dark magic into the dolls she creates and sells to people.

He begins to distance himself from her, and once she sees him on a date with another woman, she decides to make his life a living hell.

This story was very interesting. It kept my attention the whole way through because I did not know what was going to happen next.

5/5 stars. Super creepy, but entertaining as well.  





Read ahead for spoilers!

December 2, 2012

Time Trick by Nick Wisseman


Book Ten:

Wow! What a way to end this series.

Have you ever wanted to go back in time and change everything? This book will allow you to live out that experience through its pages.

It is a quick page turner, and it is very short. It won’t take long to read, but every page of it is enjoyable.

5/5 Best one of the series in my opinion. Loved it!