Love, Mom by Doree Shafrir and Jessica Grose

Copyright: 2009
Publisher:Hyperion
Genre: Non-fiction
Pages: 247
Challenges: The Pub Challenge, Non-Fiction 5

New-to-me author? Yes
Author's website

Simple Description

One day the two authors were sharing funny emails their Mom's sent them and decided it would be a great idea for a website. So, they start this website and ask people to send emails and IM's from their Moms that could be shared. Before you know it..they have a book offer. If only things like this would happen to me in real life right?

So Love, Mom is a collection of IM's and parts of emails from Mom's to their kids. The book is split into chapters based on different subjects such as blobs and facebook, relationships, appearance, school & work & growing up, etc. You get the idea. I'm going to hazard a guess and say these were also on their website but not sure. Either way…loved the book and now have the website subscribed in my google reader.

Some of the stuff was so funny I giggled while reading it. (Which…I have to tell you what is even funnier – I was reading it in bed and I giggled, so my husband giggled, which made me giggle because it was funny, which in turn made him giggle again. Haha!) Ok..so some stuff was very funny, others made me smile, others I didn't really get and didn't see why it was funny. It's not that I didn't like them – still enjoyed it, but just didn't really get the humor of it I suppose

Now this is the type of book I think is hard to review, so I marked a couple to share with you.

"Joe, I'd like to add you to my professional network on LInkedin – this is Facebook for grown-ups. –Mom"

Haha! I loved that one! I might be a grown-up but I do love facebook, and yes, I'm also on LinkedIn too.

Ok..here's another one:

Mom:I just nailed the entire rock and roll section (british) on jeopardy

Me: wow, nice!!

Mom: yeah!! (me with the big L on my forehead)

I am playing with myself

Ha

Me: please don't ever write "I am playing with myself" to me

Mom: that's why I did it

Haha! I loved that one too. Ok, so that gives you an idea of what you can find in this book.

Why did I read this book?

I read a blurb of the book and it sounded like a fun read.

What I liked most:

I liked that it was a fast read and a fun read. It's the perfect type of book to use as a filler. Just read a very gory thriller and now need something light? Perfrect! Busy with kids and work and school and all sorts of other things and need to take a break? Perfect!

Was there something I didn't like?

I didn't really think some of them were that funny, but can't I really put that in this section. Suppose I can since I'm the blog author. Sure it's something I didn't like, but I can't really blame the book. If it's in the book..that means sever somebody's thought it was funny and worthy.

Do I recommend the book?

I do. I think this was a fun quick read that can lighten the mood. I personally am not a Mom yet, but could totally see myself in some of those emails/chats. Haha! I just just see doing stuff like that to my kids when they are grown.

Have you reviewed this book on your blog? Leave me a comment to let me know and I'll link it below.

Sorry, no linked reviews yet.

Happy Reading and thanks for stopping by……Kris

Illegal by Paul Levine

Copyright: 2009

Publisher: Bantam

Genre: Mystery

Pages: 367

Challenges: The Pub Challenge

New-to-me Author? No

Author's website

Simple Description

Jimmy Payne (Royal Payne) used to be a good lawyer, now, not so much.  He is almost forced to bribe a judge by a cop who is working a sting to uncover dirty judges.  On the way to bribe the copy Jimmy decides to take some of the money.  He feels it's what he is owed for the grief and crap that others will give him for doing this.  Later when the cops show up at the judges house, the judge committs suicide.  Then the cops find out some of the money is missing.   Jimmy decides to make a run for it.  

His son was killed in an automobile accident not long ago.  The other driver was a drunk illegal.  Jimmy decides to take the money to Mexico, hunt down this guy and kill him.  However there is something else in store for him.

When Jimmy shows up at his office to get the stolen money, he fins a young boy in his office.  The cops show up however, so he sends the boy to be a decoy while he escapes.  He picks up the boy and finds that the boy was sent to him.  He crossed the border illegally and was seperated from his Mom.  His Mom told him to find Jimmy Payne if he was in trouble.   

Jimmy takes the boy, Tino, to his ex-wifes house.  She won't let him drop the boy off, instead she convinces him to search for his Mom.  So this starts several days of Jimmy evading the cops, which gets him into even more trouble, crossing into Mexico, and leaving Mexico with a fake passport.  

Mixed in you also get the story of what is happening to Tino's Mom.  

Why did I read this book?

I have enjoyed the author's Solomon vs Lord series so when I was offered a copy of this book for review, I just couldn't pass it up.

What I liked most?

I loved the interaction between Jimmy and Tino.  You have this guy who is lost and has no will to live.  Yet he is helping this young boy try to find his Mom.  He gets himself into even more trouble with the law just to help this boy, whom he just met.  You have Tino who is young in years but seems so much older must of the time.  Half the trouble is caused by Tino too.  Yet...you can see the two begin to really bond.  I just loved it.  Plus, Jimmy is a real smart ass, so he was a fun charactor to read about.

Was there something I didn't like?

Can't say that there was.

Do I recommond the book?

Absolutley.  This was such a fun read.  You get a great mystery, lots of action, but it's also a lot of fun to see what Jimmy will do next and what he will say. It's not as light as a cozy but it's not that dark either.  If you are in the mood for a mystery but don't want something heavy, this might be for you. 

Have you reviewed this book on your blog?  If so let me know and I'll link it here.

Sorry..no reviews yet.

Happy reading and thanks for stopping by.....Kris

 

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford

Copyright: 2009

Publisher: Ballantine Books

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 290

Challenges: War Through the Generations, The Pub Challenge

New-to-me author? yes

Author’s website

Simple Description

This book goes back and forth between 1986 and the 1940’s during the WWII and right after the end of the War. The main charactors and Henry, a Chinease American, and Keiko, a Japanese American. Henry is sent to an all-white private school where he is constantly made fun of for being Chinese. One day Keiko shows up. She is the only other non-white in the school and is also teased because of it. This helps Henry and Keiko forge a strong bond.They are 11 or 12 at the time they meet. Henry doesn’t tell his parents about Keiko because his Dad is very much anti-Japanese. However Keiko does tell her family about Henry and they meet him and don’t care that he is Chinease. One day, Keiko and Henry are able to sneak into a local jazz club where Henry’s friend, Sheldon, is playing the sax. The main person at the jazz club is Oscar Holden and he creates a song for Henry and Keiko. This song ends up being recorded on vinyl and this is a reoccurring thing throughout the story. As an adult Henry is always trying to find a copy of this record. Soon, the US decides to put all the Japanese Americans into internment camps due to the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Henry is devastated by this because Keiko soon has to leave and go to a camp. Due to one of the white adults Henry knows, he is able to find Keiko at this camp and bring her things that she needs. Soon Keiko is transported to another camp that is much further away, a different state. Henry and Keiko didn’t have a good parting and this bothers him. Sheldon suggested that Henry take a bus and go visit Keiko, which the two do. There Henry and Keiko realize that what they have is love and agree to wait for each other, until the war is over and Keiko isn’t stuck in a camp. After awhile though, Keiko stops responding to Henry’s letters. He realizes the she must have moved on and tries to forget her. He marries and has a son.

In the chapters where it is 1986, we learn that Henry’s wife has died and he doesn’t have a great relationship with his son. This changes as the story about Keiko comes out and helps bring together Henry and his son.

Why did I read this book?

I kept reading great reviews online about this book and was offered a review copy, how could I pass that up!

What I liked most:

I loved learning about this aspect of WWII. It’s something we, as Americans, know happened but for the younger generations, we don’t hear about it. It’s not something that is readily talked about. When I think of WWII I think of the Nazi’s and their concentration camp. I loved that this book was from a different viewpoint and it showed what happened and what those times were like for an Asian living in the US.

I also loved Sheldon. He is an awesome character.

Was there something I didn’t like?

I wish the ending had been different. I totally understand why the ending is the way it is, but that doesn’t mean I wish that the book had kept going and I learned more.

Do I recommend the book?

I really do. I admit that when I was first reading it I thought “It’s good…but not as good as I was expecting it to be based on other reviews.” However, the more I read it, the more I loved it.

Have you reviewed this book on your blog? Leave me a comment to let me know and I’ll link it below.

Reviewed by:

2 Kids and Tired Book reviews

War through the generations challenge (several reviews for this book on the challenge blog)

Happy Reading and thanks for stopping by……Kris

Dog On It by Spencer Quinn

Copyright: 2009
Publisher: Atria Books
Genre: Mystery
Pages: 305
Challenges: The Pub Challenge
New-to-me author? yes

Simple Description
Bernie is a private investigator. He is currently divorced and not doing too well as far as money goes. He has a loyal dog named Chet. In fact, Chet is the one telling this story. Bernie gets a job tracking down a teenage girl. He soon learns that the father isn’t too concerned about his daughter, although he tries to appear like he is. Then one night Chet goes missing. Well, as far as Bernie knows Chet is missing. Since Chet is telling the story we know what is going on. Chet is kidnapped and taken to a location far from his home with Bernie. While there he is mistreated and actually sees the girl that Bernie is trying to track down. Luckily, Chet is able to escape and by a miracle is reunited with Bernie. Soon Bernie and Chet are told they aren’t needed to find the girl anymore, the father believes she is just a runaway. This doesn’t seem right to Bernie though, so he continues with the investigation.

Why did I read this book?
I thought the book sounded liked something I would like, sounded like a cute mystery.

What I liked most:
I loved that it was told from Chet’s point of view, the dogs view. So fun and not something I have encountered before.

Was there something I didn’t like?
Not really.

Do I recommend the book?
I really do! This was such a fun book. I laughed, ok, chuckled, out loud several times. You still get a good mystery story even though it’s from the dog’s view. I believe they are making this into a series, and if so I can’t wait for the next one.

Also reviewed by:
Biblophile by the Sea
Lesa's Book Critique
Lover of Books

Have you reviewed this book on your blog? Leave me a comment to let me know and I’ll link it below.



Happy Reading and thanks for stopping by……Kris

Hella Nation by Evan Wright

Copyright: 2009
Publisher: Putnam (part of Penguin Group)
Genre: Non-Fiction
Pages: 338
Challenges: The Pub Challenge,
New-to-me author? Yes
Author’s website

Simple Description
On the cover of the book, under the title Hella Nation, it shows this: Looking for Happy Meals in Kandahar, Rocking the Side Pipe, Wingnut’s War Against the GAP, and Other Adventures with the Totally Lost Tribes of America.

This book is a collection of short stories or reports that the author has investigated. Some were more interesting than others. Several of them kinda bothered me with how women were portrayed, more as objects than people, and it was kinda crude (in my opinion of course). I know he was expressing the view points of those he was investigating and not his own views though. I tended to like the stories that didn’t do that better.

One of the stories was on a young man who was part of the Seattle riots in the late 1990’s that centered on being environmentally friendly. It was interesting to get the young man’s view point, even if I thought differently. I was hoping I would finish reading that story and say ok, now I understand where they are coming from. But, I still don’t get it. Haha!
One of the more interesting stories was on the Aryan Nation. Unfortunately this was also one of the shortest stories. He gets the views of some of the members and how they came to be a Nazi or part of the Aryan nation.

One of the other stories that I found interesting was regarding the murder of Diane Whipple. She was mauled by a dog owned by Marjorie Knoller and Robert Noel. I remember hearing about this on the news so was glad to read more info on it. The story was rather interesting because it explained how the owners came to have that dog and who was really behind it.

Other stories focused on the UFC, porn stars, Motley Crue, some guys who were con artists, etc. So there is a wide range of stories.

Why did I read this book?
I was offered the book for review and had read a summary about it before and thought it sounded very interesting.

What I liked most:
I liked the informative nature of the stories. It wasn’t a fiction book, they were shot stories on real people and real things that happen.

Was there something I didn’t like?
Some of the stories I didn’t like. I kinda mentioned why above. I also thought the part that said “Totally lost tribes of America” was a bit off. I was expecting more stories on, I don’t know, teenagers maybe? People in their 20’s and 30’s? I was expecting more stories on groups or types of people instead of on individuals. Such as, the punk or goth scene. Sure, a skate boarder was covered at one point, but it was such a different story than what I was expecting. I was part of the skater group in highschool and most of us weren’t like that. So it was just stuff like that that I didn’t like.

Do I recommend the book?
For those who like non-fiction and like this kind of thing, yeah, I do recommend it. Over-all I thought the book was good and most of the stories were interesting. It’s kinda fun to read about people who are totally out there and messed up, makes me feel better about my life. Haha!

Have you reviewed this book on your blog? Leave me a comment to let me know and I’ll link it below.
Sorry, no linked reviews yet.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Copyright: 2009
Publisher: Putnam – Amy Einhorn books
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 451
Challenges: The Pub Challenge, Chunkster Challenge
New-to-me author? Yes
Author's website

So..what to say about this book. I guess you first want to know if I liked it right? You're probably like me and have read lots of excellent reviews and wondering if it could really be that good. Let me say this, I might not have liked it as much as others did, but I still loved this book. I read reviews where they said they were drawn in right from the beginning. I'm not sure that happened with me. I like it right from the beginning, but I didn't have trouble setting the book down so I could watch tv or play on the computer. That doesn't mean the book wasn't excellent, just means that it didn't suck me in the way others were. Here's why I'm stressing that point. When I read a lot of excellent reviews about a book and nobody has a bad word to say about it, I end up reading the book and being disappointed. I had built up the book and it never lives up to it. So I love when I can read some excellent reviews and then read some where people say they liked it but that it wasn't great. Then I don't expect as much from the book and I end up liking it a lot more than I would have otherwise. So If you are like me, here's that review. The review where the book is said to be excellent and great and recommended, but also saying don't go into it expecting it to be your ultimate favorite for the year (but you are more than welcome to love it so much that it does become your favorite).

This is the kind of book that I read way past my normal bedtime (which is embarrassingly early) and when I finally stopped reading it, I would continue to think about it and it would work its way into my dreams. It's the subject matter. The relationship between whites and blacks in Mississippi during the early 1960's is fascinating to me. This books subject matter is just that. It's about some of the local black women working as maids to white women. But there is one white woman who doesn't really go think things are as they should be. Due to the time period she can't really say anything out load, but she comes up with something that she can do. She wants to get the maid's stories. She wants their views about what it is like to work for a white family, the good, the bad, and the ugly. She doesn't set out to make any changes or make a statement; she just thinks it needs to be heard. She is eventually able to get one maid to agree to help her. Due to circumstances I'm not going to get into, she ends up getting enough maids to help that she can write a book. Then..when the book is published and word gets out that it could possibly be about people in their home town..things really get shaky (names and locations were changed).

Now, the book isn't only about the book. The story is about relationships. There are three main characters that get to tell their story. Two are maids and one is the white lady who is writing this book. You get to see firsthand their relationship with each other and those they work for or who work for them.

I would also find myself staring off into space at times and just thinking about the whole civil rights movement. I wasn't born yet, I wasn't even a though yet. But my parents grew up during that time period. What must it have been like for them? Did it impact them at all? They didn't live in Mississippi or the deep south, they grew up in and lived in the Midwest, in St. Louis. It also boggles my mind that stuff like that happened not so long ago. I am always surprised that this was happening in the 1960's. It just seems like something that should have been fixed by then.

So for me this was a very good book. It made me think and it was enjoyable to read. The author's writing was great and surprised me that it's her first published book. In fact, I sure hope she is working on another.

So pick up a copy if you haven't already and give this one a try. Hope you like it!

This book has also been reviewed by:

My Cozy Book Nook

Thoughts of Joy

Bibliophile by the Sea

Pudgy Penguin Perusals

Bloody Bad Book Blog

Have you reviewed this book on your blog? Leave me a comment to let me know and I'll link it below.

Happy Reading and thanks for stopping by……Kris

No Sanctuary by F. M. Meredith

Copyright:2009

Publisher: Oak Tree Press

Genre: Mystery

Pages: 182

Challenges: The Pub Challenge

New-to-me author? yes

Author's website

Simple Description

Officer Stacey Wilbur is on patrol one night when she spots a car that had crashed into a tree. She immediately calls for assistance and checks to see if the driver is dead. Unfortunately, she is. However, there is too much blood for this to be just a traffic accident. When help arrives, they find that the woman driver had been shot. They also find out that the woman was the wife of a local minister, a very prominent minister. Stacey is asked to help the detectives with the murder investigation. There seem to be a lot of people who could have wanted the women killed, including her own husband and the wife of another minister in town. While doing this is also asked to help out in another case, one where she has to dress up like a prostitute.

Why did I read this book?

I enjoy a good mystery and this one sounded good. I noticed on the cover it says that it's a Dark oak mystery, but I can't find anywhere a listing that shows the series in order. So I'm not sure if it's the 2^nd or further along. Either way I was able to read the book without feeling like I was missing something but not having started with the first.

What I liked most:

I really liked Stacey and her parents. She is a young widow with a young child. She lives with her parents and they help take care of her son. They sound like the sweetest parents. They understand the demands of her job and don't mind taking care of their grandson whenever it's needed. How lucky is that?

Was there something I didn't like?

As I was reading it I noticed a couple of errors. I was like well, ok, the editor should have caught those because they were pretty obvious, but what can I do? Well, I was looking at the authors website and found that somebody did notify her of the errors. She notified the publishing company and got them corrected! Yeah! She is also hosting a contest to those who have copies of the book from before the errors were corrected and find the errors. To read more about it, click here. Unfortunately I'm too lazy to find the error's again, or I would join myself.

Do I recommend the book?

I do. I thought this was a good story. I really liked Stacey and hope to read more about her and her love interested (another cop).

Have you reviewed this book on your blog? Leave me a comment to let me know and I'll link it below.

Bookworms ballroom

Happy Reading and thanks for stopping by……Kris

The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister

Copyright: 2009
Publisher: Putnam Adult
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 256
Challenges: The Pub Challenge
New-to-me author? Yes
Author's website

Simple Description
Lillian is a chef at her own restaurant and offers cooking classes on Monday night. This most recent class is a mix of single adults, a married woman, and a married couple. Each person in the class, including the teacher, gets their own section of this story. Mixed in with their stories we learn what is going on in cooking class. You learn about how Lillian ended up being a chef and how cooking has always been a part of her life. Next we learn about Claire. She is married with two small children. She loves her husband and her kids, but just doesn't feel like herself anymore. We also learn about Carl and Helen. They are a married couple and Helen had an affair at one point. You get to read about what happened from each view and how they were able to get past it. Tom is another class member. His wife passed away and he is still grieving. There are several other students, but I'm not going to talk about each one. Each story is interesting and captivating in its own way. The author weaves each characters story into the different meals that are cooked. The food descriptions are wonderful. There is one section where the class bakes a cake and I wanted to do nothing else but bake a cake right along with them. In fact, I did bake a cake on Sunday. I thought of the book and the cake descriptions the entire time.

Why did I read this book?

I admit that I was offered a copy to review. It sounded like a great book, so I gave it a try. I'm soo glad I did.

What I liked most:
I loved the food and cooking descriptions mixed in with the characters stories. I'm not a cook. I don't enjoy cooking. Yet I loved reading about how to cook etc, even if the meals too longer. Of course, I do love to bake. So the description of making the cake was wonderful. I even tried some of the things that were mentioned.

Also I have a new favorite quote which I also used in the header for my blog. I've never used a zester, but I do love shoes. "She felt about her zester the way some women do about a pair of spiky red shoes----a frivolous splurge, good only for parties, but oh so lovely." Pg. 25

Was there something I didn't like?
It was too short. Ok, I mean that's not really a complaint, but it was a shorter story and it was so good that I would have loved to keep reading it.

Do I recommend the book?
Absolutely! I think a lot of people will enjoy this book.

OH..and you know what else? I wish there had been recipes in the book. After I read the bit about the cake, I flipped to the back to see if there was a recipe and was disapointed. I would have loved to make that cake with directions on how to make it just like Lillian.

This book has also been reviewed by:
Redlady's Reading Room
Lesa's Book Critiques
Bermudaonion
Peeking Between the Pages
Diary of an Eccentric

Have you reviewed this book on your blog? Leave me a comment to let me know and I'll link it above

Happy Reading and thanks for stopping by……Kris

The 13th Reality: The Hunt for Dark Infinity by James Dashner

Copyright: 2009

Publisher: Shadow Mountain

Genre: Young Adult

Pages: 433

Challenges: The Pub Challenge

New-to-me author? No

Author's website

 

Simple Description

Tick, Paul, and Sofia are all hanging out at Tick's house when they are summed by Master George. It appears there is something going on with the realities that is cause for concern. When the three go to the cemetara to be whisked away, Mr. Chu, Tick's science teacher, shows up and convinces them to put some kind of device on their arms. T hey are then winked away, but not where they thought they were going. The are sent to this reality where the buildings are all built below the ground. There they are chased by metaspides and then winked away to a desert. There they encounter a long cylindrical pipe that has a hidden door. Once inside they press a button hat starts yet another challenge where they are afraid for their lives. The three can't believe that Master George is behind this, but if he isn't, then who is?

Back with Master. George…he realizes that something is wrong with the three kids and sends somebody out to find them. They are found and a locator is put on Tick so that Master George can follow him from reality to reality. It appears that Reginald Chu is behind all of this. He has set up a series of challenges and if Tick makes it alive, then Tick is supposed to be his partner running Dark Infinity. If Mistress Jane kills Tick, then she gets to be Chu's partner.

Dark infinity is an invention my Reginald Chu that seems to make people go crazy. Master. George sends Sato out to get a sample of blood from an infected person. However things go horrible wrong and Sato ends up being infected. He makes it back to Mr. George in time to tell them what happened so that a cure can be found.

Why did I read this book?

I read the first in the series and really enjoyed it. Then a couple of weeks ago this one arrived in the mail. I wasn't expecting it and was excited for days, I couldn't wait to read it.

What I liked most:

I like the adventure and that it's fun. Tick, Paul, and Sofia are going out on these wild adventures that are dangerous, but sound like loads of fun at the same time.

Was there something I didn't like?

While I like all the charactors, I thought it was a bit annoying that Paul and Sofia always seemed to be going after one another. I get that it's just who they are and they clash a bit, but sometimes it got annoying.

Do I recommend the book?

Yes. I think kids will really like this one. The characters are good, the adventure is fun, and the books are well written. I wish books like this were around when I was growing up!

 

Have you reviewed this book on your blog? Leave me a comment to let me know and I'll link it below.

Sorry, no linked reviews yet.

 

 

 

Happy Reading and thanks for stopping by……Kris

The 2009 Pub Challenge

Michelle is hosting the The Pub challenge for 2009. I didn't join for 2008, but know I could have completed this challenge. Therefore, I'm joinging for 2009.

The Rules:

Here are the 2009 rules:
1)Read a minimum of 9 books first published in 2009. You don’t have to buy these. Library books, unabridged audios, or ARCs are all acceptable. To qualify as being first published in 2009, it must be the first time that the book is published in your own country. For example, if a book was published in Australia, England, or Canada in 2008, and then published in the USA in 2009, it counts (if you live in the USA). Newly published trade paperbacks and mass market paperbacks do not count if there has been a hardcover/trade published before 2009. Any questions on what qualifies? Just leave a comment here, and I’ll respond with the answer.
2)No children’s/YA titles allowed, since we’re at the ‘pub.’
3)At least 5 titles must be fiction.
4)Crossovers with other challenges are allowed.
5)You can add your titles as you go, and they may be changed at any time.
6)Sign up below using Mr. Linky.
7)Have fun reading your 2009 books!

((I doubt I will create a list ahead of time. I'll just add as I go)