Finished Reading - Ancient Awakening

Description (from book cover):

Hell comes home to Jersey.

Seven ancient demons known as the Fallen have awakened in New Jersey after a hundred years. Fortunately for Mike and Ann, so has the one man who can stop them, Jeseph Miller.

Trapped in a hospital filled with mythical monsters, only together can they unravel the mystery on the Cursed and escape with not only their lives but their very humanity.

Book StatsTitle: Ancient Awakening
series: The Ancient
Author: Matthew Bryan Laube
publisher: CreateSpace
ISBN: 9781448601547
ASIN:
(Amazon Standard Identification Number)
date published:
format: Trade Paperback
genre: Horror/comedy
pages: 234
ages: 18 (bloody)
Grade: C



My StatsDate Finished: April 26
fiction or non-fiction
new or re-read
own or borrowed or review
from the shelf or new purchase
print or electronic
if new...purchased at..received from author
challenge or just because




Reviewed at...Book Dragon's Lair - planned
amazon
Powell's
Fictionwise/eReader
Book Depository
Barnes & Noble
publisher
GoodReads
LibraryThing
Shelfari



Challenges150+
One Million Pages
Spring Reading Thing
Spring into Horror RaT
ARC
12 in 12
Around the Stacks
The Eclectic Reader
Mixing it Up
50 States/Where are you reading

copyright Gina Francis 2009-2012

Finished Reading - Time Slice

Description:

Ordinary People. Extraordinary Adventures. Science Fiction with Heart.

Newly retired workaholic Roy Washburn is not ready for a life of leisure. On a trip to the mall with his wife, he finds a small metal cylinder with odd markings. One nudge of the cylinder's triangle-shaped pointer and Roy finds himself embarking on an exciting new adventure in the Time Stream.

There he meets The Traveler, a tall, gangly being who shows Roy how to use the cylinder to visit other civilizations that co-exist on "his" Earth, each occupying a different, thin Time Slice. The Traveler solicits Roy's help in recovering an object invented by his murdered father and beyond his own reach. Roy is his last hope.

At first it seems that the Traveler's wish might be easily granted. But after Roy's wife Emily becomes ill and his daughter's long-held resentments rise to the surface, he can no longer "travel" at a moment's notice. He also discovers the very real physical and mental risks involved in roaming the Time Stream.

Despite the dangers, Roy is determined to help the Traveler. But he can't do it alone. Fortunately he has a loving wife and a core group of loyal friends. But first he must convince them--and his daughter--that he isn't crazy ...

Book Stats
Title: Time Slice
Author: Kerry Downing
publisher: Camel Press
ISBN: 9781603818520
date published: June 2011
format: Trade paperback
genre: Contemporary Fantasy (alternate reality)
pages: 256
age: 14+? 16+? anyone interested in the science behind the traveling may enjoy this

Grade: B

My Stats
Date Finished: Feb 6
fiction or non-fiction
new or re-read
own or borrowed or review
from the shelf or new purchase
print or electronic
if new...purchased at
challenge or just because


Reviewed at...
Book Dragon's Lair
amazon
Powell's
Fictionwise/eReader
Book Depository
Barnes & Noble
publisher
GoodReads
LibraryThing
Shelfari

Challenges
150+
One Million Pages
Mixing it Up
Read & Review

copyright Gina Francis 2009-2012

Finished Reading - Nitt Witt Hill

Description:

What's causing the country and now the President to lose their crackers and voters to elect Nitt Witts? Clowns and Turkeys are running Congress and the Nitt Witts are everywhere. But will one more Clown in Congress make any difference? Would the country be better off with some real Turkeys instead of those Clowns? Or are the Nitt Witts destined to run Washington? Set on historic Nitt Witt Ridge in Cambria, California and Capitol Hill in Washington D.C., Sebastian Gibson's satire paints the absurdities of the political world and of daily life with his unique sense of humor. The top political parties have degenerated into the Nitt Witts, the Turkeys and the Clown Party and the country is becoming deranged. Unless Mark Twain (Mark, a political consultant and his dog, Twain) can determine what's making people so neurotic and make sense of the madness, riots may cause the country's collapse. The Clowns are running for office with the slogan, "One more Clown in Congress probably won't make any difference." The Turkey candidates are running against the Clowns with their counter slogan, "Isn't it time we had some real Turkeys in office instead of those Clowns?" But it's the Nitt Witt Party who may have the most appeal to voters with their slogan, "Elect a Nitt Witt and see what some real Nitt Witts can do in Washington." Meanwhile, believing a lightweight metal alloy in bras when placed in contact with the wearer's skin is causing electrostatic interference with aircraft navigation equipment and with people themselves, Homeland Security and the Senate take action to prohibit the wearing of bras on airplanes and their sale in America. Still, the situation fails to improve and the country is on the verge of losing its collective mind. With the rhetoric of political parties at a level never seen before ("Turkeys are made for stuffing, Clowns are for Congress") and as protesters riot over the right to wear or go without bras and try to take control of the White House it's up to Mark and his dog Twain to determine the cause of the country's mental imbalance and find a way to save the country. Read the novel that's making Washington laugh so hard, Congress can't accomplish anything. It all begins and ends on Nitt Witt Hill.

Book Stats
Title: Nitt Witt Hill
Author: Sebastian Gibson
publisher: Sebastian Gibson Publishing
ISBN: 978-0984777624
date published: Feb 1, 2012
format: Trade paperback
genre: political humor
248 pages

Grade: B

as for age...I'd say 14+, use your own judgement, this is a political book but I say if they're interested, let them read it.


My Stats
Date Finished: Jan 24
fiction or non-fiction
new or re-read
own or borrowed or review
from the shelf or new purchase Tour
print or electronic
if new...purchased at
challenge or just because tour but fit several challenges


Reviewed at, so far...
Book Dragon's Lair
amazon
Powell's
Fictionwise/eReader
Book Depository
Barnes & Noble
publisher
GoodReads
LibraryThing
Shelfari

Challenges
What's in a Name (land formation)
Free Reads
Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks
A to Z mini challenge
Personal ARC read and review
Winter's Respite Read-a-thon
150+

copyright Book Dragon's Lair 2009-2012

Finished Reading - Janeology

Description (author's website):

After his wife Jane commits an unthinkable murder, her grieving husband struggles to find a possible explanation for her actions – were they due her lack of nurturing as a child? Did she inherit a tendency toward violence from her ancestors, some with dark, criminal lives? Did he miss the signs that she was about to unravel?

When a prosecutor decides Jane's husband Tom is partially to blame for the death and charges him with "failure to protect," Tom's attorney proposes a radical defense. He plans to create reasonable doubt about his client's alleged guilt by showing that Jane's genealogy is the cause of her violence, and that she inherited her latent violence in the same way she might inherit a talent for music or a predisposition to disease. He argues that no one could predict or prevent the tragedy, and that Tom cannot be held responsible.

With the help of a woman gifted with the power of retrocognition—the ability to see past events through objects once owned by the deceased—the defense theory of dark biology takes form.

What unfolds is an unforgettable journey through the troubled minds and souls of eight of Jane's ancestors, spanning decades and continents, this debut novel deftly illustrates the ways nature and nurture weave the fabric of one woman's life, and renders a portrait of one man left in its tragic wake.

Book Stats
Title: Janeology
Author: Karen Harrington
publisher: Kunati, Inc
ISBN: 978-1601640208
date published: April 2008
format: hardback
genre: family drama, courtroom, nature vs nurture
pages: 256


My Stats
Date Finished: December 4
1st read, Review book, fiction
print



Reviewed at...
Book Dragon's Lair
amazon
Powell's
Fictionwise/eReader
Book Depository
Barnes & Noble
publisher
GoodReads
LibraryThing
Shelfari

Challenges
Fall into Reading
Holiday #readathon

copyright Gina Francis 2009-2011

52 Small Changes: Hydrating

I'm hydrating this week.

Day one, I've been up for 5 hours and have yet to have a full glass of plain water. My soup was cream based, my breakfast drink was a soda, I've been in the car or running errands for 4 hours and didn't take a water bottle with me. I did take my medication when I got up. I haven't had enough "wet" of any kind to qualify as hydrating today.

So......Day 1: water? no. medication? check.

Sigh, let's see what tomorrow brings.




52 Small Changes
One Year to a Happier, Healthier You
by Brett Blumenthal

publisher: AmazonEncore
January 3, 2012
ISBN 978-1612181394
Format: Paperback (8x8)
as my copy is an uncorrected proof, I do not know if the finished copy will be hardcover or not.
non-fiction, Health & Fitness, Self-Improvment
380 pages


Product Description:

This “how-to” manual for achieving a state of optimal health and wellness outlines fifty-two weeks of small, yet productive changes that readers can make to live a happier, healthier life. Why fifty-two? By making one small change each week over the course of one year, this will ultimately lead to the big change of living a healthier, happier lifestyle - because ultimately it is the small steps that make the most lasting difference, rather than trying to overhaul an entire lifetime’s worth of bad habits all at once!

Small Changes addresses all areas of well being, including nutrition, exercise, stress management, mental wellness, and even the health of one’s home environment. With weekly goals such as Taking Time to Stretch, Choosing Whole Grains, Spending Time in Nature, and Reducing Dust in Your Home, this enthusiastic guide to long-term wellness is a must-read for anyone ready to change their life for good.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary review copy of this book without any obligation to write a positive review. The opinions expressed in my review are mine and may differ from yours. Book information courtesy of the publisher.

copyright Gina Francis 2009-2011

Finished Reading - P.A.C.E. The 12-Minute Fitness Revolution(review too)

Description (amazon):

PACE is the ONLY doctor-designed program proven to help you reclaim a young, lean and effortlessly energetic body in as little as twelve minutes—guaranteed! PACE is a growing revolution. It’s already practiced by thousands of people in dozens of countries around the world. PACE overturns years of failed ideas and exercise advice. PACE upends current exercise trends by revealing their flaws and offering a more effective, more natural way of moving our bodies. This book will show you how to replace the flawed and ineffective theories the have been mistakenly accepted without proof with what really works. Join the PACE revolution and your body will soon become naturally strong and resilient. You’ll join the cutting-edge group of thousands who now feel energized, motivated, and ready to take on any challenge. And the best news is that joining the PACE revolution takes on average only twelve minutes per day.PACE is the ONLY doctor-designed program proven to help you reclaim a young, lean and energetic body in as little as 12 minutes—Guaranteed!

Review
I love this book. I wish I could tell you about my success in following the program but I can't. Only because I didn't do it! I still plan to but this is clearly a case of "do as I say, not as I do" ;)

You've heard of interval training? Most of the programs I found were for people who were already athletes. If interval training is so great, where's the program for the rest of us?

This is interval training for the rest of us. That is a simplistic view of the book. Dr. Sears believes, and has the research to back him up, that our modern lives are killing us. Our bodies are still conditioned for caveman living in a fast food/drive everywhere life.

Think about this. You walk to your car, walk into your office, walk to your car, walk into your home. Oh yes, you stop by the gym (on a good day) and do your 20-minute minimum of moderate intensity cardio.

Your caveman ancestor walked for most of the day foraging then, ahem, ran like hell when a predator spotted him. Sure there were lots of problems with the ancestor way of life ;) but when we lost the "ran like hell" part of our day, we lost a big chuck of our health.

Not just fitness or I look great, but health.

Dr. Sears explains what's wrong, why it happened, and how to fix it. There are lots of graphs and research snippets to back him up but there are also examples from his own medical practice.

There is one example of a women who was so out of shape that walking for 45 seconds then resting for 45 seconds was her interval training. (page 90)

PACE allows you to start from any level of conditioning. If you can stand up, you can do PACE.

page 90

It's difficult for me to express how much I enjoyed this book. I didn't follow through the first time I read the book but I'm ready to revamp the way I think about exercise and get with the PACE program. Read the book a couple of times. First, enjoy it as you would any novel. Laugh at parts and cry at others...and want to slap someone upside the head. Let it perk for a while then go back and really read it. Write down what you need to do to improve your health and live a long, healthy life.

Now to decide what to do with my gym membership and personal training sessions!


Disclaimer: I received a complimentary review copy of this book without any obligation to write a positive review. The opinions expressed in this post are mine and may differ from yours. Book information courtesy of amazon.

Book Stats
P.A.C.E.
The 12-Minute Fitness Revolution
by Al Sears, MD

Wellness Research and Consulting
ISBN 978-0979470394
February 2010
Trade Paperback
health/fitness
298 pages


My Stats
Date Finished: 2nd time: Oct 9
fiction or non-fiction
new or re-read
own or borrowed or review
from the shelf or new purchase
print or electronic
if new...purchased at
challenge or just because


Reviewed at...
Book Dragon's Lair
amazon
Powell's
Fictionwise/eReader
Book Depository
Barnes & Noble
publisher
GoodReads
LibraryThing
Shelfari

Challenges
Review-a-Thon
Non-Fiction

copyright Gina Francis 2009-2011

Finished Reading - Yellow Moon (review too)

Product Description:

A jazzman, a wharf worker, a prostitute, all murdered. Wrists punctured, their bodies impossibly drained of blood. What connects them? Why are they rising as ghosts?

Marie Levant, the great-great granddaughter of the Voodoo Queen, Marie Laveau, knows better than anyone New Orleans's brutal past -- the legacy of slavery, poverty, racism, and sexism -- and as a doctor at Charity Hospital's ER, she treats its current victims.

When she sleeps, she dreams of blood. Rain, never ending. The river is rising and the yellow moon warns of an ancient evil -- an African vampire -- wazimamoto -- a spirit created by colonial oppression.

The struggle becomes personal, as the wazimamoto is intent on destroying her and all the Laveau descendants. Marie fights to protect her daughter, lover, and herself from the wazimamoto's seductive assault on both body and spirit.

Echoing with the heartache and triumph of the African-American experience, the soulful rhythms of jazz, and the horrors of racial oppression, Yellow Moon gives us an unforgettable heroine -- sexy, vulnerable, and mysterious -- in Marie Levant, while it powerfully evokes a city on the brink of catastrophe.

Yellow Moon is part two of the New Orleans trilogy that began with Voodoo Season -- magical realist fiction that takes the legend of the voodoo priestess Marie Laveau, as imagined by Jewell Parker Rhodes in the bestselling Voodoo Dreams, into the present day.

Review
Come, feel the rhythm of New Orleans!

Yellow Moon deals with Voodoo, death, destruction and a little sex. When else do you feel completely alive but during sex? Actually, there are only a couple sex scenes so you can easily skip them ;)

As for the other.....this is a horror book. Maybe not as scary as some, but still the blood and the mystical are strong parts of the story.

Live life large. Let the good times roll. New Orleans-her adopted home. The city where she felt most herself.

The song ended. Climaxing in a vibrato that left the audience breathless, whistling, stomping their feet, demanding more.

Marie Levant. ER Doctor. Descendant of Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau. Practitioner of Voodoo herself, her second home is the ER. She uses both her learned science and inherited sight to heal. Always, to heal.

When there is a strange murder, a detective arrives at the ER with a body.

"They said you were the right doctor for a weird death."

......The body wasn't much more than a skeleton, brown fresh stretched over bone. Lying on the gurney-bones stiff, skin deflated-the body seemed a cruel joke. A Paper-mache or woodcut of a body. A made thing, not a dead man.

The book isn't all blood and gore, there are several touching scenes with patients in the ER.

I don't normally read a series out of order. However, I was asked to review Yellow Moon and it is book two of a trilogy. Exciting? Yes. Complete on it's own? Yes. I didn't feel like I was missing anything. I love the dog's name and am wondering if it is explained in book one but other than wanting to know what came before and what comes next, Yellow Moon is a satisfying read all on it's own.

You might want to read this one during the daylight :D

I guess if you were extra sensitive to the "heartache and triumph of the African-American experience" you would see it in the book. I saw heartache and triumph and noticed the talk of slavery but, I'm sorry, I didn't see it as just the African-American experience. I saw it as a human experience.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary review copy of this book without any obligation to write a positive review. The opinions expressed in this post are mine and may differ from yours. Book information courtesy of Simon & Schuster


Book Stats
Yellow Moon
by Jewell Parker Rhodes

Washington Square Press
ISBN: 1-4165-3711-2
Trade paperback
August 2009
horror
18+
304 pages


My Stats
Date Finished: October 8, 2011
fiction or non-fiction
new or re-read
own or borrowed or review
from the shelf or new purchase
print or electronic
if new...purchased at
challenge or just because


Reviewed at...
Book Dragon's Lair
amazon
Powell's
Fictionwise/eReader
Book Depository
Barnes & Noble
publisher
GoodReads
LibraryThing
Shelfari

Challenges
Color Coded
ARC
+11 in '11
R.I.P. VI
Fall into Reading

copyright Gina Francis 2009-2011