KindleObsessedJust another random rambling!!

After being slammed last Friday with book request (Thank-you BookChatter) I decided that if I was going to get anything accomplished I was going to have to devise a plan.  So… welcome to Indie Week, where I will explore the wide variety of Indie works I have been emailed and tell you what to scoop up and what to dump.

First up is “Assiniboin Girl” by “Kathi Wallace”

Kathi emailed me a few weeks ago and asked me to check out her novel, and at first I wasn’t sure if I wanted to read it.  I am a very visual person and the 1st thing that threw me off was the cover art.  To me it screamed Clip Art basics and as a result my expectations for the novel were instantly dwindled. Now, before you start in on the whole “Never Judge A Book By It’s Cover” spiel, let me explain myself.  I think it is VERY important for authors to understand that the visual appearance of their books is one of the MOST important things to consider when finalizing its publication.  For anyone who spends time walking through book stores, perusing their local library, or even surfing the Amazon wave, you know that the 1st thing to draw a readers attention is the look of the binding. If said binding (cover) is bland, unoriginal, or just plain sloppy, 9 times out of 10 a readers preconceived notions are going to lead them in the “Bet this has crappy writing” direction.

Now, all of that being said, I did take a chance (more because Kathi was nice than anything else) and I was happy when the novel turned out to be more than just a heritage lesson.

Mary is Sioux, but the ways of her people are foreign to her seeing as how she was raised in NYC and not on the “Rez.” After the death of her parents she is forced to live with her Aunt Janet who is a hate crime investigator for the FBI, but when things start to get heated and fist start to fly, Janet thinks its time to send Mary away…if for no other reason than to keep her alive.  Thrown into a world she doesn’t know, and surrounded by a language she doesn’t understand Mary struggles to understand not only herself but the customs of her people.

“Wallace’s” writing was surprisingly witty, but no amount of charm could keep me from being just a little thrown off.  The narration between 1st person and dream state was in some parts a little jumbled taking away from the flow of the plot,  and while the plot was actually pretty good (I found myself smiling at Mary’s cranky Granny) the book felt like a mad dash to the finish line barely clearing the 150 page mark.  I will give her credit for teaching me the Sioux culture in a charming way, and more than anything… I see loads of potential for future works.

Would I ever consider reading another novel by “Wallace?” Yes… absolutely, because when it is all said and done, the glimmer of greatness that I saw in just a few of her prose left me intrigued.  Isn’t that what it’s all about at the end of the day?

If you can find it… pick it up and give it a try, if nothing else you may learn how to build a sweat lodge.

Happy reading my fellow Kindle-ites and remember: Independent Authors need love too.

(3/5)

I’m going to start this blog with a disclaimer: When you are about 5% from finishing this book, park yourself next to a church, and finish it in the parking lot. Just trust me on this, I have never finished a book and then felt an immediate need for prayer and repentance as I did when I finished “The Red Church.”

Back in 1993 the world was introduced to the cult world by a fairly psychotic man named David Koresh. (For those of you reading this that were born in the late 80’s just google him.) Civilization as a whole was aware of cult society, but I think this was the turning point for recognition and condemnation.

I’ll admit… that fiery day in Waco rarely crosses my mind (I live 50 miles from there) but every once and a while something sparks that particular train of thought, and off my wild brain goes.

“The Red Church” was (in short form) a look at cult life from the inside.

Whispering Pines is a quaint little mountain town, or at least it is according to tourist.  According to its inhabitants, its a town haunted by it’s past.  Literally.  A dead preacher, an evil cult leader, and a monster with “eyes like kidneys.”  While half of the town is sucked in by Archer (Cult leader and self-proclaimed 2nd son of God) the other half (the sane half) is struggling to do little more than stay alive.  Each night a new “sinner” is turning up dead, and the police have no hard evidence to put the killer away.  What do you do when you think the killer is a ghost? What do you do when the whole town is against you? What do you do when your “GOD” asks you to sacrifice your own child.

“Nicholson” impressed me a few weeks ago with his latest novel “The Skull Ring” but I still remained skeptical of  “The Red Church” for 2 reasons.  1.  I was afraid that the writing would be lacking seeing as how THIS novel was actually an earlier work (you know… the whole growth with time and experience thing) and 2.  After a few chapters I was afraid the book was going to turn into a sermon instead of the monster thriller I expected.  I was…as usual…wrong on both accounts, and I’m actually quite happy to admit to being so.  “Nicholson’s” writing was not only fluid and amazingly imaginative, but for some reason I think it was actually better than in “The Skull Ring.” The narration was multi-perspective which is not only difficult to write but sometimes (not in this case) difficult to read.  The multitude of perspectives combined with the flawless character development made the book an easy read, and to top off the pot, his expected (at least by me) glimpse into a mentally unbalanced mind was perfectly executed.

This was a horror book that spouted details with the best of them.

There was immaculate conception, a mysterious half eaten man in a graveyard, a suicidal priest, creepy ambient laughter, finger filled puke, a wacko mommy, little boys with worms in their mouth, a REALLY smelly offering plate (that actually made me a little queasy), and 1 very epic “Come To God” moment in the front of the church.

This book is (of course) not for everyone, if you are looking for mushy make a direct left and choose a different isle, but if you are a fan of horror…saddle up.  This one is a must read.

Happy reading my fellow followers and remember: always carry an emergency kit in your car… you never know when you are going to end up in the bottom lake and need to bust a window.

For a complete book description click image.

(4/5)

As I sit here, staring out of my office window, admiring Mother Natures wrath in the form of a torrential downpour, I am thankful of 2 things.

1.  I’m not out in this crap trying to lug around 2 small children and

2. I’m glad I don’t live in a mud hut like poor unfortunate Abraham Lincoln.

I have never claimed to be much of a history buff, as a matter of fact, unless it has to do with WWII I could really give a flying crap, but that all changed when I picked up “Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter.”

Forget everything you know about American History, it’s a load of poopie, and just for a second consider the alternatives.

What if  Abraham Lincoln was less “Honest Abe” and more “Buffy-esq Abe?”

What if the 1850’s Typhoid epidemic was really “Vampire fever?”

What if the slave trade was just a really well though out blood smuggling ring?

History just got a whole lot more interesting didn’t it.

I was first introduced to “Seth Grahame-Smith” about a year ago through his controversial adaptation of a classic. “Pride & Prejudice and Zombies” was witty, it was fun, and it was…for a lack of a better term… completely deranged.  Which ever little voice it was inside of his head that told him to spiff up the old and make it new, we all should collectively buy it a drink.  In this particular case (AL-VH) his ability to take such a drab subject and turn it into a page turner was not only impressive, but amazingly enjoyable.

Abraham Lincoln is a man on a mission:  Flush out the existence of vampires and keep it quiet! After the loss of not 1 but 2 loves, his mother and his beloved Anna, his vow becomes his life.  Traveling the river with a list of names (ironically supplied by one of his “vampire friends” Henry) and a coat full of sharpened goodies, Abe starts to cut down the vampire community… 1 head at a time.  Keeping flawless journals and flawed friends (aka Edgar Allen Poe) kept Abe in line… or did it? What really started the Civil War…and who was there to watch it all go down?

Written in the form of a biography the plot can sometime be a bit slow…drug down by unnecessary factual details, however the unprecedented concept is so far in left field it is almost impossible not to enjoy.

Think of it as history 101 with a kick, a jump start to alternative thinking… or better yet, don’t think about it at all…take it for what it is, a fun read about a man we all know, or don’t know…as the case may be.

Happy reading my fellow Hunters and remember: mistaken identities happen… just be happy you’re not the one tromping through the woods half naked with Abe Lincoln on your tail.

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(3/5)

A couple of weeks ago I was having a “Best Reads of 2009″ conversation with a fellow book enthusiast; and while on most titles we disagreed (She loved the “Blue Bloods” series, while I wanted to chunk them out of a car window while cruising down the interstate at 70mph) we did agree on 1 thing… “The Mortal Instruments” series finished leaps and bounds over the rest of the competition in 2009. The series had all of the components to keep a reader captivated, separation, angst, deceitfulness, and arrogance (to name a few) but after I closed book 3 I was slammed with the reality that THIS was the series that would ruin my optimism for any and all fantasy series that would follow it.

I found “The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms” while updating my Shelfari page last month, and was immediately intrigued. A relatively unknown author was stunning the literary world into silence with her “brilliant” (to quote about 10 articles I read on it) creation of not only a new world, but one that was so amazing it had already been named as a top pick for several awards for 2010. With such promises as “War of the God’s” and “the ultimate battle for power” being tossed around like dirty laundry it was almost impossible for me to NOT read it.

One word: WOW

After the first couple of pages, my faith in the ability of another fantasy novel intriguing me so fully was restored, and by chapter 2 I was sucked in.

The Sky world is ruled by 1 family, and to deny them or betray them means certain death, but when a lost heir to the thrown suddenly reappears, plans and conspiracies start to unfold. Who is this rugged warrior girl? When the God’s suddenly take notice of her so does everyone else, what Yeine doesn’t know however, is that she is just a pawn in a really large game of chess. While the clock ticks, Yeine rushes to find answers, but when the answers she seeks so intently turn out to be more horrific than she first imagined can she handle them? Who can she trust? Who can she love? And who is the real leader of humanity?

“NK Jemisin” floored me with her ability to create a world that only a true master of imagination could. Her writing was fluid and the plot, though easily followed, twisted and turned creating surprises and confusion at exactly the right moments. Her ability to capture the thoughts and actions of so many different cultures and personality types was impressive, and the fact that this was her debut novel and a start to a new series, not only shocked me, it impressed me in ways other authors never have.

There was an evil cousin willing to destroy her surroundings for power, a desperate chase at the first moment of darkness, a little boy who loved disappearing walls, a very bitter grandfather, an empire in the sky, a scary moment between 2 gods, a beautiful man who had forgotten how to be gentle, and several fight scenes that brought a whole new meaning to “brotherly love.”

If you love stepping out of yourself and into a world that is fueled by jealousy, love, deception, acceptance, and pure unadulterated hatred then this is a novel you do not want to miss.

If you are a fantasy lover and relish in the details of a God’s inevitable mortal flaws, then this is a book for you.

If you…like to read…this is a book for you.

I cannot wait for book #2!

Happy reading my fellow Mortals and remember: if there is a will there is a way, sometimes it just takes a little self control.

For a complete book description click image

(5/5)

Happy Friday People! Hopefully you are out and about and doing something so fantastic that you could care less about this book review, but for those of you who are home-bound and tied down, as promised…here is my take on “World War Z”

I found this book a few months ago and plopped it into my “to read” list without much hope of it ever being released to Kindle, but a few days ago, when I finished the shortest book on the planet, I decided…hey…why not let someone else pick my book?  So I did.  I called my husband and said “Hey…pick a book!” (sounds pretty simple right?)

Apparently not so much, the man immediately picked 2 books that weren’t even out yet (HELLO!!!) and then finally landed on this…the book I had given up hope on.

“World War Z” was great! It was also unlike any other book I have ever read in my entire life.  It was…in short form, a biography written about a war that never existed.”

Now shush it! I know that you are thinking….Geez… really?? A biography… you are kidding right?  If I wanted to spend time with reality I’d turn on the Discovery Channel. (which I love by the way) but have no fear…this is the most interesting mock-bio you will ever have the pleasure of digesting.

In 1996 the world as we know it was overrun by Zombies, and for the few thousand that survived, the struggle was not without consequence.  Entire families were lost in the battles, your neighbor was suddenly hungry for your eyeballs, and your son’s little league coach suddenly became more of an arrogant ass than he already was.  The years were long and the winters were bitter.  New countries were formed from the rubble of desperation and alliances were formed that were otherwise unimaginable.

Now, while I make the premise sound a lot “funnier” than it actually is, the book was still undeniably intriguing and courageously written.  “Max Brooks” wrote in the form of interviewer/interviewee, trying to get a human perspective and timeline of the war that changed the world.  Each section is a detailed account of a singular persons experiences starting from the original outbreak and taking you to the rebuild of a torn planet.  The plot was clearly defined through each person’s story and while there was an enormous amount of detail in each “sitting” it in no way drug down the flow of the book.

There were stories from a disabled artist/neighborhood watch member, the former US Joint Chief of Staff, a human trafficker, a money hungry pharmaceutical developer, a movie director, a doctor/smuggler, a mother who ripped of a zombies head with her bare hands to save her daughter, a soldier from the epic battle of Yonkers, an asylum patient, a female soldier who was taught not to desert her post the hard way, a girl who followed her daddy north, and a former spy who knew the truth before anyone else did. (just to name a few)

My conclusion? I’m glad that my husband didn’t write it off as quickly as I did… because to miss this read would have been a shame.

Read it if you like zombies, read it if you find the human psyche fascinating…read it if you want a well written book with a whole new twist on an old topic.

Get it, live it, love it…pass it on!

Happy reading my fellow Zombies and remember: you don’t have to be the fastest person alive…just faster than the people around you!

For a complete description click image.

(4/5)

I stumbled upon “I Heart You, You Haunt Me” while doing one of my research quests at a local bookstore (aka spending hours in the stacks taking pictures of book bindings) and thought… ok this sounds interesting, but for some reason it just lacked that “Oomph” that made me buckle down and read it.

The synopsis was intriguing, girl and guy in love, guy dies, girl cries, guy comes back to haunt her, but even with the promise of a haunting I still couldn’t make myself “want” to read it.  Maybe it was that I was on psychological thriller high and didn’t want to break it with a potential cry fest, or maybe it was the fact that the entire book was written in verse form, (as in “Well howdy Mr. Shakespeare! How’s it going) but never the less… the point came where I sucked up my lack of motivation and started the journey.

My first impression was less than spectacular…the writing style made the story feel so disjointed that it was hard to focus on the plot and what was actually happening to the main character, the writing was beautiful, yes, but having it so torn apart made it feel less important to me.  Now, keeping all of that negativity in mind, about 30% of the way through, the patterns finally found their rhythm, and the story came to life.

Ava just lost her boyfriend, and it was entirely her fault….or so she thinks.  Ava and Jackson had that storybook kind of love…the destined meeting, the happy kisses and a zest for life…with each other, but when Jackson decides to take Ava up on a dare and go cliff diving, happily ever after is suddenly shattered into a million pieces.  Ava is a zombie…caught in her own world of self pity and guilt she finds it hard to do even the smallest of things…until one day she hears music. Stuck in the in-between Jackson faces struggles of his own…trying to free himself while trying to free Ava at the same time.

“Lisa Schroeder’s” decision to write her novel in the form of a poem was not only inconceivable for YA, but in some cases could be considered a literary death warrant. Think of the targeted audience for a moment; teenagers as a whole are subjected to a vast array of “Old English” poetry from the time that they enter high school, and by the time their love for reading is fully developed, having to decode more “underlying” meanings is the last thing they want to do.  Thankfully, however, “Schroeder” skipped the subtext and went straight for the jugular.  The plot was easily determined, the base line of the story flowed beautifully and in the end, instead of feeling like you just read 240 pages of Emerson or Wilde you felt as though you read…just another book.

I will warn you that the books pace is unimaginably fast.  I read it from cover to cover in less than 3 hours, and that included potty and email breaks.  I will also tell you that this book is NOT for the Kindle… yes… you can buy it for the Kindle and if you are desperate enough to read it that way then more power to you, but the formatting is a little shweck and the poems run together. (It took me a while to not be annoyed by this.)  My advice? If you want to read it… head to your local bookstore or library and pick up a printed copy.

All in all the book was beautiful and the meaning was more than worth the apprehension I first had for it.

Get it, Live it, Love it, Pass it on.

Happy Reading my fellow Ghost and remember: sometimes you just have to let it go.

For a complete book description click image

(3.5/5)

Everyone loves a good Insane Asylum agreed? Take the criminally insane, add a dash of conspiracy and you are bound to have a fantastic time.

I absolutely, without fail, LOVED this book.  I loved it so much that I can’t even talk about it the way I should because if I do I will spoil it for you.

“Shutter Island” was one of the most masterfully plotted books I have read in years… I was astounded by the depth and creativity that “Dennis Lehane” was able to shove into a little over 330 pages, and even more… I was flipping pages faster than my eyes could keep up, only to have to turn back because I realized I had skipped a few words at the bottom of a page.

Teddy is a US Federal Marshal sent to Shutter Island to investigate the mysterious disappearance of Rachel Solando.  While Teddy and his partner Chuck are baffled as to the disappearance of this woman, who can  somehow magically evaporate through walls, they stumble upon a more intriguing case.  Is this hospital really what they say it is? Why does everyone answer questions with the exact same phrasing…and why in the world is a sewage treatment plant surrounded by an electric fence?  While Teddy and Chuck race for answers they find themselves in the deepest water imaginable…are they crazy too or is it just in their heads?

I wish that my bumbling words could express to you how much you should read this book.  I wish that I could give away the plot twist that had me picking up the phone to call my husband and say “No Freaking Way!!! Are you F’ing Kidding Me????” But again… that would just be cruel.

There were uncomfortable moments in the water with creepy crawlers, piles of strategically placed rocks, battered patients whispering sweet nothings, a sad mommy, black shoe polish, water guns, and 1 number solving shrink that has all the answers.

Pick this book up, find a quiet place, and start reading… I assure you that even if you think the first couple of chapters are slow you will be thanking me by chapter 5.

Happy Reading my fellow Kindle-ites and remember: Don’t take pills from strangers!

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(5/5)

If you have ever read a “Nicholas Sparks” novel  (or even watched a movie adaptation of one) you should be well versed in certain aspects of his writing by now.

1 – Someone always dies… you may not know who, and you may not know when but it is inevitable, and

2 – He’s not all that big into “happily every afters.”

These 2 reasons are more than enough for me to normally steer clear of Mr. Sparks, but as usual, my OCD took precedence over my need for self preservation and the past couple of days I found myself reluctantly diving into “Dear John.”

Please don’t misunderstand me though,  Nicholas Sparks has such a knack for expression that he will capture your soul in only a few chapters,  it’s just to bad that he likes to take that swelled, willing, and loving soul and hit it with a mallet.

“Dear John” was beautiful.

“Dear John” was sad.

I hated/loved/despised/adored “Dear John”

John was on the short bus to No-Where-Ville and his beer and lack of motivation were along for the ride…until one day he woke up.  While sitting in a run down bar in his small seaside town he decided to make something of himself;  Be all that he could be…make himself a better man, so he did just that…by joining the army, but just when John thought he had finally started to get his life on the straight and narrow he met a girl.  Her name was Savannah and they only had 2 weeks, to find each-other, help each-other, and love each-other.  With John’s inevitable return to duty looming in the not so distant future they make a promise to  each-other… write letters, talk on the phone, stare and the moon, and come back together, but when 9-11 hits and John reenlists Savannah shatters into a million little pieces.  Can love survive across oceans? Can love survive a war? Is love ever really enough?

“Sparks” tugs at the strings in your chest you never knew existed, the dialogue and flow were perfectly paced and the characters were so well developed that you felt each and every pain that they went through like it was your own.  The ending made me mad and made me cry, it was lovely, bittersweet, and nothing short of perfect.

I would like to tell you that this book was a happy one.

I would like to tell you that for once the inevitable didn’t happen, but then I would just be lying.

This book is a lesson, one that each and every one of us should learn.  “If you love someone, let them go.”

Get it, Live it, Love it…and pass it on.

Happy reading my fellow Kindle-ites and remember: Sometimes we need to see the good in ourselves that other people see in us.

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(4.5/5)

What would you do if you found your true love? Cling to him/her with all of your might? Run away scared? What if after weeks of pure bliss with this new love you found out that everything he’s told you is a lie… or is it?

I found this book out of pure happenstance.  I wanted a change of pace so I did what most mentally unstable people would do and I “Googled” “Books…change of pace” and viola’ guess what popped up… a book called “The Pace.” Now…I wasn’t expecting Google to quite so specific (or smart-ass) with my request, but since I technically asked for it, I thought it was only right to give this particular book my undivided attention.

Sophie was stuck in a rut, after moving to many times to count and being the “new girl” more times than she would like, her mother finally gave in and let her join Online High School. While this particular option would have most 18 year old girls cringing from lack of girlfriend/boyfriend interaction, Sophie was in heaven.  This is of course until her mother, who worked at the Berkley campus, decided her daughter spent way to much time in her room.  Hoping to do nothing more than to pacify her mother and keep her easy life of “school in pajamas”  in tackt she agreed to weekly lunches on campus, what she didn’t agree to however was running her Jeep into a particularly hot guys car.  After several awkward meetings and a declarations on both sides Wes and Sophie decide to date, but after an impromptu interrogation with her mom, Sophie starts to suspect that things are exactly what they seem.  In a quest to seek the truth Sophie finds more than she can handle…is Wes who he really says he is? Was she wrong to jump so quickly? And what is it about 1916 that has everybody such a flutter?

“Shorts” writing was actually a tad bit baffling.  The first half of the book was almost unbearably choppy and progressed at an uncanny pace (0-60 in 3 chapters), but once I hit the 50% mark it all sorta took an abrupt halt and solidified into a pretty decent read.  The plot although jumpy at points what intriguing and amazingly original (which is kinda hard to find these days) and even though there were times when I was sure that I wasn’t going to like where it was going, the ending had me exactly where the author wanted me…eager to read it’s follow up.

There were dented Maseratis, loads of mysterious cash, a pissed off boyfriend with a broken hand, lots of “Say what?” moments, and an amazingly written torture scene that had me unconsciously holding my fingers.

If you are tired of reading the same thing over and over and need a change of pace like I did…jump on in, the water is fine, but if you don’t want to get wrapped up into another series (which in truth…if I had known this was a book 1, I wouldn’t have touched it) then steer clear because there is no way to recover from the ending without reading book number 2.

Happy reading my fellow Ageless and remember: wind + funnel cake = an unexpected opportunity.

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(3.5/5)

Every once and a while my “little” obsession with the written word has perks. While devouring mythical tales or getting into the mind of the mentally disturbed is more often than not a joy of its own…there are still those bright shining moments in time when I get to do the reading before everyone else, or even better…I get to do it for free.

“Scott Nicholson” emailed me last week and asked me if I would like to check out his upcoming novel “The Skull Ring” and I’m not going to lie…while I was excited to have the opportunity read it, my hopes for the novel were…how would you say it… drastically less pronounced?

I had never; in the hundreds of books I’ve read, or the hours I’ve spent staring at shelves, heard of this author, so when I sat down this weekend…Kindle in hand and an Olympic pool sized cup of coffee perched on the table in front of me, I smiled; when I realized that NOT knowing this author was a mistake.

“The Skull Ring” was a novel about acceptance…accepting that you can’t control everything…accepting that yes maybe you’re crazy…and accepting that sometimes the people you trust to “fix” you are more cracked up than you are.

Julia Stone is a basket case…literally…she spends every waking moment trying not to be pulled into the throws of a full out panic attack, and annoys local police on a daily basis with calls about monsters under her bed and mysteriously unlocked doors. After years of therapy and a not so gentle push from the man that claims to love her; Julia packs her stuff and moves to the mountains. All is well with fresh mountain air right? Wrong. Just when Julia thinks she’s starting to heal from her newly acquired personality disorder her world is upturned into a shambled mess of disappearing pets and itty bitty baby bones. Is Julia really crazy or is she stuck in the real life version of Deliverance?

“Nicholson’s” writing was complex, weaving several plot lines into 1 major story and… pulling it off (which I have to admit…some authors just lack the ability to do) His knack for writing “crazy” was so detailed it had me wondering if he himself had schizophrenic tendencies, and the cliffhanger scenes, that we all dwell on in a novel of this genre, were carefully and masterfully crafted leaving the reader guessing and on edge.

There were creepy crawl spaces, batty old neighbors who define the word nosey, self matriculating wooden blocks, a clock with a mind of its own, a sketchy handyman, and 1 spectacular chase through the woods.

My final say?

Spend so time with the creeps….get it, live it, love it…pass it on.

Happy reading my fellow Crazies and remember: Check the boots…it’s always about the boots!

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(This Novel is slated to be released March 1, 2010)

(4/5)