Say it with Success: Foolproof Ways to Improve Your Presentation by Shannon Alter CPM

Title:  Say it With Success:  Foolproof Ways 

to Improve Your Presentation

Author: Shannon Alter, CPM

Publisher: Infinity Publishing (PA)

Published: May 21, 2010

Format: Paperback

Pages: 90

Source: Won Through Goodreads First Reads

Read:  November 8-9 2012

In A Few Words: Short and to the Point

My Rating: 3 Stars

Goodreads: Add This Book to Your TBR Shelf

Goodreads Synopsis:

Even if public speaking isn't your day job, fear can get the better of you. Approximately 75% of Americans fear public speaking over just about anything else. Whatever your goals are, you too can learn to become calm and relaxed in front of any audience. No matter whether you are a business professional, association executive or a college student, this book will give you the skills you'll need to become comfortable delivering any type of meeting, talk, speech or presentation to any size group. It's true that there is an art to making presentations-and you can master it!

Melissa's Musings:

This review will be short and to the point just like this book was. 

This was a valuable resource for someone who is relatively new to public speaking. There are a lot of different aspects of tips and tricks that are explored. This covers everything from the amount of time you should put into presentations, to body language, to speaking engagements in foreign countries.

The book is broken down in easy to read sections. They all have clear, concise information, including well noted statistics.  The most valuable section to me seemed to be the section that talked about how to go about presenting/speaking when in a foreign country. There are a lot of useful ideas about the small details that help presentations run smoothly.

The one thing I was disappointed about has to do with one of the authors' main points. She states a few times that presenters should weave examples and anecdotes from their own lives into their presentations, but I found that the book was lacking this very thing. She gave a few really general examples, but I was hoping for something more personal or something I could more easily relate to.

I wouldn't say that I learned anything mind bending by reading this but a  lot of ideas from past experiences were reinforced like the method of organizing a speech to : Tell them what you're going to tell them. Tell them. Tell them what you told them.

If you have a presentation to do you could pick this book up for some quick ideas on how to organize it.

Son by Lois Lowry

Title: Son (The Giver Quartet #4)

Author: Lois Lowry

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children

Published: September 1, 2012

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 393

Source: Library

Read: October 27-29th 2012

In A Few Words: Heartwarming, yet full of sacrifice

My Rating: 5 Stars

Goodreads: Add this book to your TBR shelf

Goodreads Synopsis:

They called her Water Claire. When she washed up on their shore, no one knew that she came from a society where emotions and colors didn’t exist. That she had become a Vessel at age thirteen. That she had carried a Product at age fourteen. That it had been stolen from her body. Claire had a son. But what became of him she never knew. What was his name? Was he even alive?　 She was supposed to forget him, but that was impossible. Now Claire will stop at nothing to find her child, even if it means making an unimaginable sacrifice. Son thrusts readers once again into the chilling world of the Newbery Medal winning book, The Giver,　as well as Gathering Blue　and　Messenger　where a new hero emerges. In this thrilling series finale, the startling and long-awaited conclusion to Lois Lowry’s epic tale culminates in a final clash between good and evil.

Melissa's Musings:

This was such an excellent book. I first read The Giver when I was in 7th grade (too long ago) and was so curious about the story. I didn't understand the concepts on the same level that I understand them at now as an adult, but it made a big impact nonetheless. I didn't know there were sequels to The Giver until I took a class on YA Literature when I was in college. I read Messenger and The Gathering Blue for a project in that class and was enthralled by those as well. So, once I heard that Son was coming out, I knew there was no way I wouldn't read it.  And I'm so very glad I did.

Honestly, I'm surprised that I got this from the library as quickly as I did, because I assumed a lot of people would want to read it. And obviously, they do because there are over 1000 ratings and the book hasn't been out more than a few months yet. 

Even though it's been a while since I read the first three books, I had no trouble falling right back into that world again. The beginning of the book goes back into the past, when Jonas is still in The Community. It gives more background about Gabe, and particularly about his origins, which I know that I was curious about, even in The Giver.

There's so much to say and yet, I don't want to ruin anything by giving spoilers. This quartet has been so long in the making I would feel horrible spoiling anything, so this review is going to be very general and to the point.

Claire is a strong, determined character. She gives up a lot, for someone that she loves, and it's hard to watch her struggle through the effects of the choices she's made. In addition to her struggles she also sacrifices a  great deal personally. As I read, I found myself wishing and hoping that, in the end, her struggle and sacrifices would be worth it. I'm glad to say that they were.

Jonas is no longer the leader in his community. He now has a family of his own, with Kira, and it is nice to see him happy and more relaxed. He has become wise and sure of himself, similar to the Giver in the original story. It's obvious to see how much he loves Gabe, and cares for him, and the community as a whole.

Although this book is meant to be the conclusion to the series, there is still so much more I want to know. I have so many questions, so many details I'm wondering about. I gave away my copies of the other books in this series a few months ago, but I'm thinking that at some point I'll check out all four books from the library and do a read-through of the whole series.

This is an excellent novel. I would recommend it to fans of Lois Lowry, and for anyone looking for a unique twist on dystopias.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Title: The Fault in Our Stars

Author: John Green

Publisher: Dutton Books

Published: January 10, 2012

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 318

Source: Library

Read: November 20, 2012

In A Few Words : Powerful

My Rating: 5 Stars

Goodreads: Add This To Your TBR Shelf

Goodreads Synopsis:

Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 13, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumours in her lungs... for now.

Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too; post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means), Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tank, the tumours tenuously kept at bay with a constant chemical assault.

Enter Augustus Waters. A match made at cancer kid support group, Augustus is gorgeous, in remission, and shockingly to her, interested in Hazel. Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long-needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind.

Melissa's Musings:

This is my first John Green book. I checked out An Abundance of Katherines once, but it got lost in the stack of library books and had to be returned before I could read it. Now that I've read The Fault in Our Stars, I want to gobble up the rest of Green's books as fast as I can if they're all as powerful as this one.

I've been seeing reviews of this book around the blogosphere for months now. Nearly all of the reviews have raved about it, so I was the tiniest bit skeptical that it would live up to all the hype, but it definitely did.

The Author's Note for this book is one of the more interesting ones I've seen.

"This is not so much an author's note as an author's reminder of what was printed in small type a few pages ago: This book is a work of fiction. I made it up.

                Neither novels or their readers benefit from attempts to divine whether any facts hide inside a story. Such efforts attack the very idea that made-up stories can matter, which is sort of the foundational assumption of our species.
                  I appreciate your cooperation in this matter."

When I first read this I thought it was strange that he would point this out. But, as the story goes on, I see why he did. I'm not sure that I fully agree with this point, though. Simply because I'm always wondering what an author's motivation is for writing a story they way they do and whether there are any hidden facts inside stories. As the saying goes, "Write what you know" so in many cases some of these stories must contain hidden facts. I don't, however, think that these efforts, should any reader choose to pursue them, attack the idea that made up stories can matter. If I did, I doubt I would have been nearly as attached an emotionally invested in this book as I was.

This book will take you on an emotional rollercoaster, so be prepared. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you may even laugh while crying, like I did. This book packs a serious punch.

Hazel is such a great character. She's sharp, witty, philosophical, and yet still teenagery at times, as her mother puts it. Hazel might seem bitter or cynical about her diagnosis to some, but I took it more as realistic than anything. Her voice in the story is real. It's natural and the dialogue, especially her internal monologues, flow so smoothly.

Some of Hazel's quotes are deep. I know this one has probably been quoted a million times, but it really speaks volumes about the story and about how Hazel feels.

"I'm like. Like. I'm like a grenade, Mom. I'm a grenade and at some point I'm going to blow up and I would like to minimize the casualties, okay?"... "I'm a grenade" I said again. "I just want to stay away from people and read books and think and be with you guys because there's nothing I can do about hurting you; you're too invested, so just please let me do that, okay? I'm not depressed. I don't need to get out more. And I can't be a regular teenager, because I'm a grenade." (Green, 99)

This quote speaks volumes about how it must feel to live with cancer. I couldn't imagine it. And when I read this, I felt like I'd been punched. Hazel is realistic about her diagnosis. She doesn't like it of course, but she seems to have reached a place of acceptance.

And then there's Augustus. The oh so cute boy who happens to walk into the support group that Hazel and Issac attend. And he's interested in her.

I loved Augustus' character. He was the perfect mix of sweetheart and bad boy. I also love the touch of him having an unlit cigarette in his mouth all the time, and the reason for not lighting it. You'll have to read it to see what I mean. Augustus always knows just what to say. And I love how he calls Hazel "Hazel Grace" I don't know exactly why I love this so much, but I do. Their romance is solid, steady, and real. 

A quote of his that I really loved:

"I'm in love with you," he said quietly.

"Augustus," I said.

"I am," he said. He was staring at me, and I could see the corners of his eyes crinkling. "I'm in love with you and I'm not in the business of denying myself the simple pleasure of saying true things. I'm in love with you, and I know that love is just a shout into the void, and that oblivion is inevitable, and that we're all doomed and that there will come a day when all our labor has been returned to dust, and I know the sun will swallow the only earth we'll ever have, and I am in love with you. 

 (Green, 153)

Isn't that just perfect?

I also love that Hazel and Augustus bond over books. Hazels' love of a book called An Imperial Affliction. Though they do bond over the book (and much more) it's their experiences surrounding it that have taught me never to put authors I love on quite as high a pedestal because you never know what may happen to change that rose colored view of them.

There's so much more that I could say about this book. But it really is one of those books that you just have to experience for yourself. It's an amazing story that deals with so many important ideas and themes, that are not only important to teens but to adults as well.

This has definitely become my new favorite book of 2012 and I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a powerful, moving story.

Review: Broken Christmas by David S. Henderson

Title: Broken Christmas:  Three Stories of Christmas

Author: David S. Henderson

Publisher: Pope, Harrington. & Castro Press

Published: October 7 2012

Format: E-book

Pages: 52

Source: Received from the author

in exchange for an honest review

Read: December 4, 2012

In A Few Words:  Short, Heartwarming

My Rating: 4 stars

Goodreads:Add This Book To Your TBR Pile

Goodreads Synopsis:

Broken Christmas is a compilation of three short stories about Christmas.

In the first, “Fourth Wish,” a skid row resident finds himself leading a trio of privileged but neglected youths on Christmas Eve. Through their journey the homeless man fulfills their Christmas wishes, showing that sometimes those who need help the most are the ones who help others the greatest.

The second; “Best Christmas Ever,” is an eight year old's “glass half full” remembrance of a Christmas Eve his parents would rather forget.

The third story, “Broken Christmas” tells of a soldier who leaves the frozen battlefield behind and goes home for Christmas via his dreams.

Melissa's Musings:

All of these stories are sweet and to the point. The first story, the Fourth wish shows the power of helping out, when three boys help out a man down on his luck and in return he gives them things and adventures that all the money they are surrounded with can't buy.

"Best Christmas Ever" is the funniest of all the stories by far being that it has the most odd things going on in it. The 8 year old's uncle comes back to visit...after having escaped lockup. The rest of the family has told the boy that his Uncle has been away working in Australia, so there are all these references to a job in Australia. Then the familys' lost dog comes home pregnant and proceeds to have ten puppies in a box in the garage. The boy's sister  also comes home pregnant. And then, there's a fireworks explosion. An eventful Christmas story, to say the least.

All I'll say about "Broken Christmas" is that the ending will tug at your heartstrings just a little.

Overall, this is a nice collection of stories. The overall message goes well with the title in that even though holidays and families may sometimes be dysfunctional or "broken" you can always try to make the best of what you've got.

The only negative about the collection of stories is that they felt just a bit wordy.  A bit of paring down of some repeated phrases and tightening up language in other spots would make this perfect.

Have any of you ever had any "broken" Christmases where things didn't go quite as planned but you made the best of it anyway?

Heaven Or Hell by Roni Teson

Title: Heaven Or Hell

Author: Roni Teson

Publisher: Balboa Press

Published: July 31, 2012

Format: Paperback

Pages: 319

Source: Received from the

author in exchange for an honest review

Read: December 1-3, 2012

In A Few Words: Ethereal, limbo-like
My Rating: 3 Stars

Goodreads: Add This To Your TBR Shelf

Goodreads Synopsis:

Following years of living in an alcoholic fog, Joe becomes an upstanding member of society-but only after he experiences a trip through Hell itself. Teresa creates her own Hell in current day Los Angeles where she struggles with her past while trying to raise her teenage son. Am I in Heaven or Hell, Angel wonders, as she floats restlessly from cloud to cloud, finding herself in constant pursuit of an earthly Teresa and not knowing why. Heaven or Hell is a story of tragedy, loss, and a triumphant life-changing resurrection when the lives of Joe, Teresa, and Angel collide in this world and beyond

Melissa's Musings:

To be honest, I'm not quite sure what to make of this book. It's an interesting story, but I don't think that I went into this quite expecting to read about this particular story.

The story focuses on a family that's been broken apart by alcohol abuse and death. Teresa and her sister Angela were in a car accident that killed Angela and injured Teresa. Joe, who was already in the throes of alcoholism due to his wife's cancer, became even more distant, and eventually ended up homeless. Marion, the girls' mother, died shortly after Angela did. So, Teresa was left all alone, save for her Aunt Jessie.

Teresa does relatively well for herself, opening up her own business. But her marriage fails and she is left to raise her son alone.

Teresa is a character who I felt had major control issues. Her quirk is cleaning, for one. She often cleans when she's stressed or upset. There's nothing wrong with that but she seems to take it to a level of obsession, re-cleaning her store after asking one of her employees to do it, and then cleaning smudges off her car handle when she gets in and out. It was just a really odd quirk. And the control seeps over into other areas of her life, and when it does, anger pops up at really unexpected times. There are a few instances in the book where Teresa wants to slap her son JJ for things he says or does, but these aren't really bad things, like trying to joke around with his grandpa. The anger and wanting to slap him felt really sudden and just out of place for her character.

Contrasted with Teresa's anger, there's Joe's seemingly infinite patience in trying to resolve  his situation and make things better with his girls. Joe is portrayed as the ultimate saint who has helped many people suffering on the streets with alcohol and drug problems like he once did. I was disappointed in the fact that Joe's incidences of helping were so overplayed in the book. It felt like he was let off the hook for abandoning his family since he did all of these other great deeds, and I just don't think that's right. In this sense I can truly see where Teresa's anger is warranted because I felt the same thing as a reader. I think he got off too easily. Yes, he did apologize and he did try to make things right, but it just felt like too little too late.

The one thing that I think could have been improved about Joe's character was the name. As far as I can understand, though I may have misinterpreted, the character's given name is Juan. At some point through his experiences, he starts to go by Joe, but some people continuously refer to him as Juan. All throughout the book people kept saying things like "Joe, or Juan or whatever you call yourself now..." I think it would have made things a lot easier if there had been some sort of definitive statement like "I used to go by Juan, but now I go by Joe since I've changed my ways" and then just had everyone call him Joe after that. The other characters not knowing how to address him made these scenes flounder a bit.

The story definitely has elements that will make you think . There are scenes where Joe is going through his own personal hell complete with being stuck in a pit and floundered after by zombie like creatures that are grasping at him through the muck. You're left to wonder, was any of that real, or was it just some sort of detoxing hallucination? There's also the contrast to this hell, with Angela's character being stuck in limbo in the clouds after she refuses to leave Teresa when she dies. Angela's character is sweet, but also very mature after having been stuck in limbo after so long.

The story definitely prompts thought on what really happens when people pass away. The author gives the impression that the next chapter after life on earth, whatever that may entail, is closer to us then we all might think, rather than being miles and miles away.

There are religious elements to the book but they are kept simple and don't  go into any great detail, which I truly appreciated.

Last Chance Christmas by Hope Ramsay

Title: Last Chance Christmas

Author: Hope Ramsay

Publisher: Forever

Published: September 25 2012

Format: Paperback

Pages: 352 

Source: Won from a Facebook contest

Read: November 28-30 2012

In A  Few Words: Sweet, a comfort read

My Rating: 4 Stars

Goodreads: Add This to Your TBR Shelf

Goodreads Synopsis:
I've been wishing for a miracle for my oldest boy, Stone, and this Christmas my prayers might just be answered!

Her name is Lark, and she's here in Last Chance, looking into her father's past-and stirring up a whole mess of trouble without meaning to. As the chief of police, Stone sure has his hands full trying to keep up with her. Ever since his wife died, Stone's put everything into raising his daughters and dodging the Christ Church Ladies' Auxiliary matchmakers. And it's clear Lark has been through some trouble and could use a place to finally call home. I only hope Stone can let go of the past soon enough to keep her . . .Goodness, I need to stop talking and finish up Jane's highlights so we can make the town tree-lighting. You come back by because the Cut 'n' Curl's got hot rollers, free coffee, fresh-baked Christmas cookies-and the best gossip in town.

See you real soon,
Ruby Rhodes

Melissa's Musings:

About 6 months ago, I read and reviewed Last Chance Beauty Queen by Hope Ramsay. You can check out that review Here.

Last Chance Christmas picks up in a similar place. Only this time, the focus is on Stone Rhodes. He is the sheriff in Last Chance. He's also a widow, with two young daughters, one of whom sees angels. This story follows his unexpected journey to loving again, it promotes acceptance on many levels. 

The really great thing about these books is that although they are all part of a series, they work extremely well as stand alone books so you can just jump right in and not feel like you're missing something. It's easy to get to know the characters, and they're so well developed that you immediately feel like you know them. It's very easy to put yourself right into Last Chance, because you can see all the events so clearly through the characters' eyes.

I have to say that I love the names that this author has given to the main family that the books focus on. In Last Chance Beauty Queen, the book focused on "Rocky" Rhodes, the matriarch of the family is Ruby Rhodes, and then in this book we have Stonewall "Stone" Rhodes. The little play on words is nice. Also Stones' love interest is named Lark. I love when authors change things up with names that are a little more unique.

This just goes to show how much the characters have grown on me in this book, as when I read Last Chance Beauty Queen, I thought the names were too much of a pun to be realistic. After reading Last Chance Christmas, the names have grown on me, and pun like or not, they really do fit the characters.

There are two current romances in this book, the one between Stone and Lark, and the one between Stones' daughter Lizzy and David. Lizzy and Davids' romance is sweet and easy, as they are young. Stone and Larks' romance is a bit more complicated as they both have a lot of personal baggage that they have to work through to finally figure out that they want to be together. Lark is a war correspondent who has seen horrible things in all the trips she's made and she's dealing with the after effects of the events of her last assignment. Stone is a Marine who's also had some bad experiences, who also has lost his wife and is reluctant to love again. The romance between them is tentative at times, but it's also electric and easy to see that they both want to be with each other.

I'd recommend this to anyone who's looking for a quick, easy, comfort read. 

Have any of you read this? Or any of the other books in this series?

Four in the Morning by Christi Goddard

Title: Four in the Morning

Author: Christi Goddard

Publisher:  Immortal Ink Publishing

Published:May 2012

Format: E-book

Pages: 202 pages

Source: Received in exchange for

an honest review

Read: November 26

In A Few Words: Surprising

My Rating: 4 stars

Goodreads: Add This to Your TBR Shelf

Goodreads Synopsis:

Kathleen Hayson thinks her biggest problem is her mother. The only runner up—her mouth. With a wit sharper than her mother's perfectly manicured nails, her clever remarks create more problems than they solve.

But it's not her clever remarks landing her knee-deep in trouble. This time, Josh Colby is to blame. Kathleen's former childhood friend has become the school's most stuck up jerk. Before, she'd have told him to piss off and write his own stupid letter to the town slut/minister's daughter. Now Kathleen's escalating problems at home force her to reevaluate how flexible her principles are. She agrees to write the controversial letter Josh has requested.

Enter Rigel, a smartass magical creature who invades her room one night, promising he has come to help. When a boy Kathleen hates turns up dead and her mother goes missing, the letter becomes a key piece of police evidence—implicating Kathleen. As she fights her way out of a web of lies, the trust she has in those closest to her shatters. In the end, she's pushed to a terrible choice: who lives, and who else dies.

*also available in print*

Melissa's Musings:

Let me start off by saying, I finished this book and the first thought that popped into my mind was "What the fuck?" Excuse the swearing but that really was the first thought I had. The last portion of the book is just so strange, so that phrase fits perfectly. 

The story does a good job of pulling you in immediately. Kathleen is a tough character full of sharp wit and snark, which I really liked. Kathleen sure as hell needed it to put up with her mother. This kind of character profile  can be hard to pull off at times, but Goddard does a great job of making her likeable. Her character profile is really well done and it's easy to relate to her. 

Kathleen and her mother have a lot of problems. For as likeable a character that Kathleen is, her mother is ten times as unlikeable. I kept finding myself thinking, "Wow, her mother is such a bitch." I haven't said that about a character in a while. Here's just one quote as an example of how awful Kathleen's mother is to her:

"No boyfriend still?" Mom said. "Not that I'm surprised. Boys tend to give flowers when they want something. Or already got something. Payment for services rendered, perhaps?"

"Yeah, 'cause I'm a big fat ho."I grabbed a vase off one of the shelves in the curio and headed upstairs, stomping the whole way just to hear my footsteps reverberate through the house."

Goddard, Kindle location 725.

That's just one of the choice interactions between Kathleen and her mother. There are a few others that are equally as bad if not worse. You do end up finding out why their relationship is so sour, but I won't spoil the whole reason for it. Part of the reason is that Kathleen's mother is psychotic. She holds a grudge towards Kathleen and takes it out on her in unusual ways, such as punishing her for not eating a dinner of eggplant by making her take a cold bath with the eggplant in it.

In addition to a psychotic mother, Kathleen has a virtually non existent sister and father, a cryptic best friend, a bully who likes to torment her and another boy who is interested in her but won't really tell her that. Add to that a talking skunk with a British accent, who's something else entirely more creepy altogether, a couple of crimes and  you have an odd paranormal mystery type story on your hands.

This was the first time I'd read about a talking skunk in any stories, and he is definitely an odd character. You'll see what I mean when you read this.

There is quite the balance of moments that will make you laugh out loud, as well as those that will have you shaking your head saying "WTF?"

This is definitely different than anything I've read lately and I'm curious to see what will come next from Goddard. If I had one thought or piece of advice to offer I'd say, "Remember that things and people are not always what they seem." The crazy turns of events will definitely keep you on your toes.

The only thing I was confused about was the title. I might have missed the clue on this one and not been reading carefully enough, but I'm just not sure what the significance of the title is.

Has anyone else read this? If so what did you think?

The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling.

Title: The Casual Vacancy

Author: J.K. Rowling

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

Published: September 27, 2012

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 503

Source:  Library

Read: November 1-4, 2012

In A Few Words: Disappointing and Depressing

My Rating: 2 Stars

Goodreads: Add this to your TBR Shelf

Goodreads Synopsis:

When Barry Fairbrother dies in his early forties, the town of Pagford is left in shock.

Pagford is, seemingly, an English idyll, with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey, but what lies behind the pretty façade is a town at war.

Rich at war with poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, teachers at war with their pupils...Pagford is not what it first seems.

And the empty seat left by Barry on the parish council soon becomes the catalyst for the biggest war the town has yet seen. Who will triumph in an election fraught with passion, duplicity and unexpected revelations?

The Casual Vacancy is J.K. Rowling’s first novel for adults.

Melissa's Musings:

I want to preface this review by saying, I love J.K. Rowling. Really, I do. But, I most certainly did not love this book.

When I first saw the cover for this book I thought, "That's it? What a boring, bland cover."

Now, it makes perfect sense. A boring cover to go with a bland book. I'm usually a quick reader, but I truly struggled in making my way through this book. I had to coach myself through each hundred pages. I strongly considered calling it "DNF" at one point, but I soldiered on. I can't honestly say that I'm happy I finished it. 

The first fifty pages is interesting, because we're all trying to figure out what's going to happen to the town now that Barry Fairbrother is dead. There are a lot of unkind, even vindictive  thoughts at his death, which initially, are intriguing. What these thoughts end up being are a precursor to all the pettiness and jealousy that the townspeople have for one another. After that initial 50 pages, it feels like the rest of the book just descends into pettiness and jealousy with teenage angst thrown in.

There are a lot of different issues thrown into this book, and sometimes it feels like it's just too much altogether. There's the politics of course, but then there are subjects like rape, incest, drug use, suicide, cutting, adoption, relationship issues, drinking, etc, the list goes on. It almost felt like Rowling was trying to cram every negative subject that she couldn't talk about in the world of Harry Potter into this book. 

in

There's also a lot of swearing in the book. I have absolutely no problem with swearing in adult novels. Even in Young Adult novels, mild-moderate swearing is fine with me. I've read a few reviews where readers have a problem with the fact that there's any swearing at all, which I don't really understand given that this is an adult book. The swearing itself doesn't bother me, but it again feels like Rowling was just trying too hard. There's a lot of it, to the point of bordering on slightly excessive, and it just feels unnecessary in some spots.

There are also too many characters in this novel. There are too many relationships to navigate through. My guess is that Rowling was trying to underscore the point that everyone, especially in small towns is connected, and that something like a death can have a ripple effect and affect many people in a variety of different ways. I completely understand that. I don't feel it was necessary to use quite so many characters/families to make this point.

One character that I did feel drawn to, in a way, was Fats. He has this idea of being his genuine, true self, no matter what that means. I found this to be an odd concept, for a teenager that is. The teen years, and into one's 20's  are meant for finding out who you truly want to be and who you really are, and it appears that Fats has done that. It is explained that he has spent a lot of time inside his own head, getting to know himself and the layers of his own personality. He doesn't completely follow through with this personal ideology of his throughout the book, but for the most part, he sticks to it. It's nice to see someone taking charge of themselves and their actions, especially a character as young as he is.

As I mentioned before, the first 50 pages of the book are great. But then as you slog through the rest, it's just depressing, vindictive, and somewhat boring. I didn't feel anything emotional at the end of the book. I won't spoil what happens, but lets just say it leaves you feeling somewhat depressed. It left me thinking "What was the point of even reading this?"

The only thing that saved this book from getting a 1 star rating was the quality of the writing. As usual, Rowling is able to compose intense, descriptive passages. For example:

"Disgust rose in Samantha like vomit. She wanted to seize the overwarm cluttered room and mash it between her hands, until the royal china, and the gas fire, and the gilt-framed pictures of Miles broke into jagged pieces; then, with the wizened and painted Maureen trapped and squalling inside the wreckage, she wanted to heave it, like a celestial shot-putter, away into the sunset. The crushed lounge and the doomed crone inside it, soared in her imagination through the heavens, plunging into the limitless ocean, leaving Samantha alone in the endless stillness of the universe." (Rowling, pg. 275)

 I could see that in my mind, as I read it. Unfortunately, the writing wasn't quite enough to make me truly  like this book.

I'll admit, there had to have been some expectations that filtered into my reading of this novel. I don't think there couldn't have been. But, overall, this just falls flat on it's own, J.K Rowling or not. Maybe if she had published other adult works between the Harry Potter books her readers would be more used to this serious side of her, and understand her adult works a bit more. Since the Harry Potter world was her sole focus for so long, though, I think it may be slightly too difficult for us as readers to disentangle ourselves and look at a book that contrasts so starkly with HP. It might have also helped to not have your very first book center on something as serious as politics.

Overall, I would say that this book is very well written, if boring. I would recommend checking it out from the library or borrowing it from a friend rather than buying it, though.

Shifted Perspective by J. Bridger

Title: Shifted Perspective (Tails of Change #1)

Author: J. Bridger

Publisher: Self-Published

Published: August 28, 2012

Format: E-book/Kindle

Pages: 231

Source: Received From Author

in exchange for an honest review

Read: November 24-25

In A Few Words: Interesting take on shape shifting

My Rating: 3 Stars

Goodreads:  Add this to your TBR Shelf

Goodreads Synopsis:
Caleb Byrne is a bright high school senior who has enough to deal with between college choices, taking care of his single dad, and dealing with his headstrong girlfriend Joanna and an eccentric set of cousins in California. He was managing to get by until the day he woke up a Cocker Spaniel. Even if it only happens monthly and is more embarrassing than painful, the so-called ability is something that he's anxious to be rid of.

He didn't realize his transformations would drag him into a hidden society of canine and lupine shape shifters as well as a family legacy he hates. To make matters worse, after moving to Los Angeles to learn more about his heritage from his Aunt Moira and his cousin Kalista, Caleb now struggles through life-and-death matters. He keeps angering the werewolves in charge of the shifter world, especially Kalista's boyfriend Peter, the Southern California alpha's son, who also happens to be grade-A sociopath. Worse, Caleb's floundering to keep his secret from Joanna.

While his family offers him some support, they may not be enough as Caleb realizes that the rules in shifter society---number one is supposed to be don't kill humans---are not so ironclad. Some werewolf out there is leaving a blood-soaked trail across the Midwest and it might just be with the alpha's blessing...

Melissa's Musings:

This is an interesting take on shape shifting. I don't think I've ever read a story where the main character shifted into a cocker spaniel. I have to admit that at first  I thought this was really strange. I just couldn't wrap my head around shifting into a dog. I know that werewolves aren't that far of a stretch, but a cocker spaniel was just...different.

I was slightly disappointed that there wasn't more backstory about Calebs' mom, and her leaving them. That's just a personal preference of mine though, I'm always curious about the characters' backgrounds. Even though I was hoping for more of their background, I see now how not explaining it works well to set up the story and leave Caleb wondering about his shifter heritage.  

The writing flows easily for the most part. There are a few patches where the wall is broken and instead of speaking in character, as Caleb, the author seems to be speaking directly to the reader. Sometimes this can work, but in this case it breaks the flow slightly.

There are a lot of nice touches in the details, regarding the shifting and Calebs' abilities. When Joanna starts having seizures, Caleb has times when he realizes when they're coming and helps her through them. 

The romance between Caleb and Joanna is sweet, and definitely realistic, not insta-love. I thought for a second that there might be a love triangle between Penny, Caleb and Joanna, but thankfully there's not. Though, now that I'm thinking about it would be unusual in some ways because most if not all love triangles I've read lately have involved a girl and two guys, so it would be interesting to see a love triangle from a guys' perspective. That being said, I hope that doesn't happen. Penny and Caleb's relationship is perfect as is: friends/working partners.

Overall the story is good. It's well paced and has just enough detail to leave you guessing.  I'd recommend this to anyone looking for a unique twist on shifter stories.

What I Did On My Midlife Crisis Vacation by Debbianne DeRose Review and Giveaway

Title: What I Did on My Midlife Crisis Vacation

Author: Debbianne DeRose

Publisher: PiscAquarian Press 

Published: February 17, 2012

Format: Paperback

Pages: 252

Source: Received  From the author

in exchange for an honest review

Read: November 13-14, 2012

In A Few Words: Laugh Out Loud Funny

My Rating: 5 Stars

Goodreads:Add This To Your TBR Shelf

Goodreads Synopsis:

This saucy memoir is the oh-so-honest and humorous account of the author 's personal journey through a string of compelling adventures and ideologies of the woo-woo kind. Her story begins with confusion and discontentment that catalyzes bold life changes and sends her roaming in search of magic, miracles, and a deeper grasp of the metaphysical nature of reality. In a unique style akin to confessional reporting, she shares with you her keen insights into human behavior as you meet a plethora of colorful characters and occasional charlatans. With some good belly laughs, she effectively sorts out the wheat from the chaff---both within herself and the New Age world she 's romping in. It becomes an inadvertent healing pilgrimage full of expansive revelations, and through the process of en-lightening up she emerges clear-headed and self-empowered with inspiration to spare.

Melissa's Musings:

Let me start out by saying that this book is absolutely fantastic. It's funny, full of information, and the authors' wit and personality permeate this entire book and will make you laugh out loud.

When I first saw this book, I immediately knew I wanted to read it. The title grabbed me first, it's just catchy, and makes you wonder. Then there's the cover. It's got awesome shades of purple-ish blue and stars on it, two of my favorites. So, when Debbianne DeRose emailed me to ask if I would review this book I immediately said yes. I'm so very glad I did!

One of the big focuses of this book is the authors' experiences with a lot of different approaches to energy work and self healing. To some, this might sound like it would be drab or boring or out there, but I promise you, it's not. (Well, some of it is a little out there, but it all depends on your personal beliefs.) There's a little bit of everything. It gives you a wide scope of a lot of different energy working techniques and self improvement information.

 That's one of the things that I immediately loved about this book.Yes, there is a lot of information, but it's told with a lot of humor and real life experience mixed in, so it's not drab, or dry. It's all explored in a fun way, and not overly technical. The different methodologies are explained through the author relating her own experiences with each of these different energy/healing techniques, rather than only presenting the technical aspects of it which can really bog down a book. I personally really enjoy books that are written in this more lighthearted way because they are easier to relate to, they feel really natural. 

The other thing that I enjoyed is that the author is not out to proselytize anyone. She's only trying to explain how these different modalities can work (or in some cases not work) She doesn't take any of these extremely seriously and is very open minded I didn't sense any particular bias or preference for a certain methodology, they are all given equal time, though, as anyone would, you can tell there are certain methods she prefers over others. You can tell that right off the bat being that the name of the 2nd chapter is "One Way Ticket To Woo-landia" The play on words lies on the fact that a lot of people call energy healing/energy work "woo-woo stuff" or "new agey" ( I'm adopting the same stance as the author here and pointing out that I'm NOT trying to use the term "woo-woo" in any way that could be construed as offensive, rather just as a generalization that other people sometimes use in regards to this subject matter.) 

These kinds of witty plays on words and humor are sprinkled throughout the book. For example,

"Clairvoyance literally means "clear-seeing," which might imply that any optician's office would qualify as a clairvoyant training center. But since modern society, for the most part, has decided that auras are invisible or even imaginary, the "seeing" and the "see-ers" are largely relegated to the realm of weirdness at best, crackpotdom at worst." (DeRose, 13) 

That's only a tiny snippet of the  humor that you will find in this book.

There are several different techniques that are mentioned in this book. The author tries her hand at learning to see auras, hypnotherapy, tarot readings, Matrix Energetics, EFT, and bending spoons, among many other things.

Some of these, I've encountered before in other readings, most recently I read about EFT when I read "Stop Eating Your Heart Out by Meryl Hershey Beck. There were a lot of the technical aspects of this technique in that book. Here in What I Did on My Midlife Crisis Vacation it was more about the experience with the technique itself.

In some ways I think that you may have to be more open minded/receptive to these techniques and modalities of energy work to fully appreciate the book and what the author is trying to show through exploring all of these. Even if you're not sure about any of the subject matter though, I promise that you will be able to appreciate it and laugh along. I found myself cracking up and smirking at sarcastic points all throughout the book. Ultimately you may even  find a technique you want to try out.

With all the different perspectives and insights the author points out along the course of the book I know that there are certain things that I want to try for myself. This book really made me think about things in different ways. I'm still thinking about the topics discussed, days after reading the book.

One really neat thing that I wanted to point out is this: Have you ever heard someone say to a writer (or anyone) "You write the way that you talk?" I think the same is true of Debbianne DeRose. Even though I have only had email exchanges with her, she kept up the same "voice" within our exchanges and you can also hear it come through in the narration for the book trailer for What I Did On My Midlife Crisis Vacation"  This fact makes the book feel all that more genuine, because you can really tell it is the author relating her experiences, not trying to put on a different "voice" to write in. Also, Debbianne was willing to discuss some questions I had after reading the book which really helped me to connect with it even more and think about some of the concepts I read about in new ways.

I'm still thinking about the issues in this book, even now, and this is definitely one I will be reading again.I learned a lot about myself and the kind of work I want to do to improve some situations in my life and this book definitely gives me plenty of options for working on these things. I'd recommend this for anyone who wants an open-minded look at energy work/energy healing.

GIVEAWAY TIME!!

Debbianne has offered to give away one (1) Smashwords coupon for an e-copy of this book!

Giveaway Rules:

This Giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY

This giveaway will run until 12:01 EST on December 6, 2012

Winners will be notified by email and will have 48 hours to respond to their notification email before another winner is chosen.

You DO NOT have to be a follower of Melissa's Midnight Musings to enter. Anyone who does choose to follow is appreciated. :)

There are no mandatory entries , do as many or as few as you like.

All entries will be verified, any false entries will be removed.

The author NOT Melissa's Midnight Musings is responsible for sending the prize  to the winner.

ENTER BELOW:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway is NOT associated, sponsored nor endorsed by Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads,Superpoints, or any other social media site.

Catalyst: The Passage of Hellsfire by Marc Johnson

Title: Catalyst (The Passage of Hellsfire #1)

Author: Marc Johnson 

Publisher: Longshot Publishing

Published: March 19. 2011

Format: E-book/Kindle

Pages: 295

Source: Received from the author

in exchange for an honest review

Read: November 4-7 2012

In  A Few Words: Action packed

My Rating: 3 Stars

Goodreads: Add This Book to Your TBR Shelf

Goodreads Synopsis:

For centuries, the kingdom of Alexandria has protected Northern Shala from the monstrous creatures lurking in the Wastelands. Now, a dark force threatens that fragile peace.

Far from home, Alexandria’s princess is abducted. When a young villager named Hellsfire stumbles upon her and her captors, he rushes in to rescue her, alone and unarmed. His fear and fury unleash an uncontrollable magical force that grants him the power to save the princess—and change the world.

Hellsfire has never craved nor dreamed of power. But such magic as he now possesses has not been seen in Northern Shala for a thousand years, since the devastation of the War of the Wizards and the creation of the Wastelands.

Now Hellsfire must leave all he’s ever known, and make a dangerous journey to learn to master this wild, ferocious power—power he knows he is not ready to wield. More difficult still, he needs to master his emotions. If he can’t, the power will consume him, Alexandria will fall, and darkness will eclipse the land, destroying everyone he loves.

In the dead of cold, the spark shall burn...

Melissa's Musings:

I must admit that I don't often read a lot of fantasy novels so I was a little hesitant to give it a try. 

The story starts out with Hellsfires' birth and the prophecy that he will do great things. There isn't a great deal of backstory given about his family or this prophecy, which I found to be disappointing. Then he comes into his powers, and his mother sends him on a journey to seek out the "angel" that prophecied his great skills. This angel is really a wizard named Stradus.

The good thing about this story is that there is a lot of action. Each chapter begins with a string of action and it's very consistent throughout. There are a few spots where the book drags on, but it usually picks up again within a few pages.

One thing I didn't care for was the main characters' name, Hellsfire. It felt very cliche to me, especially since his power and control laid in fire. I think it could have been something different. Or, if continuing down the unusual name route, the character shouldn't have named his love interest Krystal, since that isn't quite as unusual as the other characters like Sharald, King Furlong, and Stradus.

My favorite character was actually Cynder, the dragon. He kept the story light and filled with banter exchanges between himself and Hellsfire which I really enjoyed.

There are some inconsistencies and minor details that bothered me as I was reading. In one scene in the beginning of the story Hellsfire ends up burning a bully, Nathan, who has constantly teased him. Hellsfire then tells himself that he doesn't want to be around others for fear he might hurt them. And yet, right on the next page, he ends up traveling with a family. There are also several spots where Stradus, Hellsfire's teacher, says that there is much Hellsfire needs to know, but he can't tell him. These exchanges were infuriating because there were more than a few, and I felt that in leaving Hellsfire in the dark just seemed pointless. Stradus' job is to teach him, yet he's clearly keeping things from him? Doesn't quite make sense to me. Unfortunately there's not much light shed on his prophecy in this book, but maybe that will be fixed in the next book.

There is a lot of explanation of different kinds of mana and magic, so people who enjoy these themes will like that element. The addition of mana and the potions sort of made this book feel like an old adventure video game. There are also elves and dwarves with their own brands of magic as well.

Overall this is an enjoyable story, even with it's rough spots.

Anthology I: The Other Side by Hamidah Gul

Title: Anthology I: The Other Side

Author: Hamidah Gul

Publisher: Ninety Twenty Publishing

Published: April 20, 2012

Format: Kindle/Ebook 

Pages: 122

Source: Received from the author 

in exchange for an honest review.

Read: October 31, 2012

In A Few Words: Lacking direction, but the ambition is nice

My Rating: 1 star

Goodreads:Add This Book to Your TBR Shelf

Goodreads Synopsis:

A collection of stories about things that go bump in the night. Stories about the end of the world, what happens when your wishes come true, and when your emotions become your darkest enemy.

1. The Suicide Case – A story about how three lives are intertwined to balance the scales between good and evil.

2. Come Home with Me – Never invite her to come home with you. She will never leave till you are dead.

3. The Other Side – This story is written in the point of view of one man who witnesses the end of the world.

4. Mission of Mercy – This story is written in the point of view of the one who will end the world. This story is linked to The Other Side.

5. The Best Friend – Ever wondered what your best friend is thinking when she is smiling at you?

6. The Lonely Heart – A young man ponders the end of his life after being rejected by society and family but not everything is what it seems.

7. Mary had a Little Lamb – A young woman who receives a disturbing prophecy that someone she loves will end her life and the desperate measures she takes to keep that from happening.

8. Mother and the Birds - Flash fiction of what a mother wants her son to learn.

9. The Death Star – A story in the voice of a young star looking for his purpose in space and finally finding it.

10. Children of the Mist – Wishes do come true but at what expense? Five young children were given their dreams and now the time has come for them to make a choice whether they want to keep their dreams.

Melissa's Musings:

I read this on Halloween, not purposefully, just because it happened to be the next book in my review request list. I was hoping that it would be a perfect fit, being that it's an anthology of horror stories. I thought it would be the perfect way to be a little spooked on Halloween.

Sadly, I wasn't at all scared by these stories. 

The main issue that I have with these stories is really twofold. One, the stories seem aimless. They lack clear direction. It felt to me as though the author just tried free writing their way through each story without having a clear beginning, middle and end in mind. There's absolutely nothing wrong with free writing to brainstorm, but trying to use it throughout a story just leads to confusion. There's  also not enough details, or story building  to keep readers invested. I found myself trying to fill in a lot of details as I read, and asking a lot of questions as to what the real point of the stories is. Sometimes the characters didn't even have names, when having them would have really helped me to feel some sort of connection to them, especially when the rest of the story seems to meander so much. They seem to focus more on the action and not enough on small, binding details, which, no matter the length of the story, are necessary to make it work.

Of the small details that were included, one was extremely overused. The author set several of the stories in the same place, "Murberry Town". On the whole, the name itself is rather plain, and seeing it pop up again and again in these stories pulled me out of them even further.

Secondly, the writing is poor. There are many instances where the tense switches from past to present and back again within the same sentence. There are a lot of sentences where words are missing in very opportune places. These gaps are enough of a hiccup to make the reader stop to try and figure out what is being said. There are also many spots of confusion regarding common sayings. For example, the author wrote:  "she was beautiful as always, not a hair in place" when what I think they meant to write, "she was beautiful as always, not a hair out of place"

Some of these stories are more on the grisly/disturbing side. One for example, tells the story from the perspective of a dog, watching his owner sleep. He talks about how he wants to touch her, (in a sexual way,) and then he's thinking of eating her for dinner, like some strange kind of animal vs.human, predator-prey battle or something.  But again, there was a strong lack of details that left me feeling slightly grossed out, but otherwise non-plussed.

The author puts brief taglines at the top of the first page of every story, so you can tell by those that the good intentions were present, but the ideas just weren't executed all that well.  I think that these stories do have potential, but they need a lot more work and polish before they become truly creepy.

While I didn't enjoy this collection, it's worth noting that 3 of the 10 selections focus on space and aliens, so it's possible that readers who like those types of stories would enjoy this, or at least those particular stories.

Sebastian's Poet by Kevin Craig

Title: Sebastian's Poet

Author: Kevin Craig

Publisher: Musa Publishing

Published: July 6, 2012

Format: PDF review copy

Pages: 119 PDF pages

Source:  Received from the publisher 

in exchange for an honest review

Read: October 26-27, 2012

In A Few Words: Soulful, secretive

My Rating: 5 Stars

Goodreads: Add this to your TBR shelf

Goodreads Synopsis:

Sebastian Nelson is a boy in search of a family. Abandoned by his mother, Sebastian is left with a broken father who doesn’t even seem present when he does show up. Forced to be the main caregiver of his younger brother, Renee, and lost in a sea of indifference, Sebastian only wants to experience the love a real, stable family could afford him.

One morning he discovers the famous folksinger, Teal Landen, asleep on the sofa. Teal’s nurturing nature brings an immediate sense of security into Sebastian’s tumultuous life. But a dark secret looms between Teal and Sebastian’s father of a hidden past. Sebastian is driven to discover their secret, but also he’s aware of how tenuous their hold on Teal really is. He doesn’t want to lose the feeling of home Teal’s presence has brought him.

If Sebastian pushes too hard, he could lose Teal forever. He could be destined to raise his younger brother alone, while witnessing the total decline of his emotionally devastated father. If Sebastian is abandoned by the only healthy influence in his otherwise shaky existence, he will also be forever in the dark about the secret that will reveal so much about his fractured family.

Melissa's Musings:

When you first start reading, you're somewhat shocked at how Sebastian, also known as Sebby, seems so mature and together for an 8 year old.  You first meet him when he's cleaning up after his father's wild parties,  and caring for his 4 year old brother Renee, because his father's somewhat hopeless after his mom left them. He has so much responsibility that a child of his age shouldn't have. You can tell just how much these responsibilities have affected him because he seems so much older than 8, especially in his descriptions of how he feels and what he wishes he had in his family. I felt so bad for him. 

He knows that his mother walked out because they weren't enough for her, she wanted more out of life. She basically told Sebastian, in not so many words, that he wasn't enough, so she had his brother, because she wanted to have a "re-birth" Only that didn't work, so she walked out on them. That's a lot to live with for a kid so young.

Personally, I was really drawn to Sebby because I know what it's like to feel like you're not enough, and not good enough, and be told as much, even if not in so many words. 

Then, Teal makes his way into their lives, and things get to be a little better, though there are still some major disappointments. 

Teal is a major player in the novel, even though he seems like he might be a fringe character at first. There's something magnetic about him, that makes you as a reader want to know him just as much as  Sebastian does. Maybe the magnetism comes from the fact that Teal is a musician, quite a famous one in Canada, where the book is based. Plus, in addition to his personally secretive nature, he's harboring secrets that impact the family in a major way. I won't spoil any of them here, but lets just say that the explain a lot, and they make the end of the book pack a particularly heart wrenching punch.

The writing style flows easily, and the transitions are really smooth, which I really appreciated. The characters are excellently described, so that you can see them in your mind's eye. I could picture Mrs. Clark, the owner of the corner store particularly well. Even the minor characters, who are only around for a chapter or two, are easy to picture.  And so are the events and scenery. This book made me really want to have the chance to see The Eaton Centre in Toronto at Christmas.

The major lesson I came away with from this book is that most of the time, keeping secrets hurts more than it helps. And if they've been kept too long, it'll may be  too late to repair the damage once they're out in the open. 

Just a warning for anyone who gets squeamish easily there are some violent scenes that involve some blood, but nothing major. I just wanted to put that out there as a small warning to people who are particularly sensitive to that sort of thing.

This is an excellent book about family, secrets, music, and the different kinds of love that we experience in our lives. 

Audrey's Guide to Witchcraft is Awesome

Title: Audrey's Guide to Witchcraft (Audrey's Guides #1)

Author: Jody Gehrman

Publisher: Magic Genie Books

Published: June 30 2012

Format: E-book/Kindle

Pages: 306

Source: Received from the author

in exchange for an honest review

Read: September 9-14 2012

In A Few Words:  Vivid, colorful, sensory experience

My Rating: 5  stars!

Goodreads:   Add this to your TBR shelf

Goodreads Synopsis: 

Falling in Love, baking a magical cake, fighting an evil necromancer—it’s all in a day’s work for Audrey Oliver, seventeen-year-old witch-in-training. When her mother goes missing and her twenty-one-year-old witchy cousin shows up out of the blue, Audrey knows something’s gone horribly, dangerously wrong. Now it’s up to her to get her own magical powers up to speed before everyone she loves is destroyed by the sorcerer intricately connected to her mother’s secret past.

Melissa's Musings:

I absolutely LOVED this book! It was already a highly anticipated read on my list, so when Jody contacted me about reviewing it, I immediately said yes. I'm so glad I did! This book combines two of my favorite subjects to read about, witches and baking. 

Audrey is a regular girl, who has a bit of a self esteem issue (what high schoolers don't??) Her sister is the social butterfly, who always attracts all the guys. As a result, Audrey is a little down on herself, and has lower self esteem. But not when it comes to her friends. Audrey is fiercely loyal and protective of her best friend Bridget, who is teased by the queen bee of the school Dallas. I loved reading the interactions between Audrey and Dallas because I envied the boldness that Audrey had when fighting with her.  I wish that I could have stuck up for myself the way that Audrey sticks up for Bridget. The friendship between these two characters is real and fun. I love how Bridget is always coining new words and phrases. And Audrey is sarcastic at times.

I also like Audrey because she loves to bake, and she's good at it. Baking is something that I've begun doing in the last couple of years and I really love it, so it was a point that I could really identify with her on. Especially since she makes her own alterations/ additions to recipes, I do that all the time.

The romance between her and Julian is really nice. It's not insta-love, but there's a real connection between them which is quite obvious and almost literal. I don't want to give too much away, so lets just say that it's electric. The great thing about the dynamic between Julian and Audrey is that he knows that there's something going on with her, but he doesn't push, and he's not weirded out by the strange things that happen to her. He forces her (in a good way) to be as honest as she can with him, and he accepts that there are things she's not able to tell him (specifically about her magic) They even come up with a code word for when she can't tell him something, which is cute. I really appreciated the fact that Audrey's magic was dealt with directly by Julian.

"Try looking at it from my point of view, though, Audrey. I really like you. Am I going to get totally hammered here because your life is complicated and you can’t explain just how complicated? Am I always going to be an outsider looking in?"

Jody Gehrman. Audrey's Guide to Witchcraft (Kindle Locations 4027-4028). Jody Gehrman. 

A lot of times in books about witchcraft when there's a witch and a mortal involved, there's a lot of lying to cover up the fact of the magic, and it's never really addressed by the character who's having things kept from them. The fact that Julian brings it up is a really nice change from the usual here.

In the same token, there are a few classic lines that you see often in books about witchcraft too, like "Sometimes we have to risk one, for the good of the many." All in all, it's a good mix of classic and modern elements.

One thing that grated on me a little bit was the dialogue. At times it was okay, but then at other times it got totally "teenager" maybe by a bit too much. But, the fact that Bridget coined her own terms made up for this.

One really amazing thing about this book is that it's so descriptive, and involves your other senses too, making it easier to imagine the scenes. There's amazing use of color in this book. I don't know why, but when authors write vivid, descriptive scenes with colors, they always stick out as I'm reading. There are so many here, it's wonderful. Uses of color happen every few pages. You might think that it would get old, but it doesn't. The author doesn't repeat color sequences, and it's not just "oh his eyes are blue" kind of stuff. Here are a couple sections where she talks about color that really stuck out.

The sun had set, but enough light remained to stain the splotchy clouds a beautiful orange, as if a neon tangerine had been smeared across the sky carelessly.

Jody Gehrman. Audrey's Guide to Witchcraft (Kindle Locations 2405-2406). Jody Gehrman. 

I felt my skull bust open like a magnolia on speed. Colors raced inside my body—a riot of blues, purples, greens, reds and golds—all of them ricocheting off one another before gushing through the fresh opening in my head. I felt like a kaleidoscope heated up until it explodes, sending a thousand glowing shards of color spinning wildly into the air.

Jody Gehrman. Audrey's Guide to Witchcraft (Kindle Locations 2226-2228). Jody Gehrman. 

Those are just a few examples but there are lots more in the book. In addition to the colors, I like how Gerhman incorporated smell into the story too. Audrey and Sadie's magic each has it's own specific scent. The dark magic has a stench, and it's easy to imagine from the descriptive reactions that Audrey has to it. One of the battles is particularly gruesome because of Gerhman's ability to set the scenes with such vivid imagery. It definitely had me cringing.

Both Bridget and Audrey really grow into their own, which is really nice. There's one sticking point with this for me though. You can see Bridget's growth (I won't say how) in some of her actions toward the end of the book, but the impact is lessened somewhat as Audrey explains the meaning behind the actions to Sadie. It would have been more powerfully shown if there hadn't been additional explanation.

Overall, this is an absolutely amazing book, and I would recommend it to anyone who loves books about witchcraft. A little heads up for Harry Potter fans, there is an HP reference! I can't wait to see what happens next in this series.

Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer

Title: Breaking Dawn 

Author: Stephenie Meyer

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

Published: August 2, 2008

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 756 

Source: Library

Read: September 2-4 2012

In A Few Words: Fell Flat

My Rating: 3 Stars

Goodreads: Add this to your TBR shelf

Goodreads Synopsis:

WHEN YOU LOVED THE ONE WHO WAS KILLING YOU, IT LEFT YOU NO OPTIONS. How could you run, how could you fight, when doing so would hurt that beloved one? If your life was all you had to give, how could you not give it? If it was someone you truly loved?

To be irrevocably in love with a vampire is both fantasy and nightmare woven into a dangerously heightened reality for Bella Swan. Pulled in one direction by her intense passion for Edward Cullen, and in another by her profound connection to a werewolf Jacob Black, she has endured a tumultuous year of temptation, loss, and strife to reach the ultimate turning point. her imminent choice to either join the dark but seductive world of immortals or pursue a fully human life has become the thread from which the fate of two tribes hangs.

Now that Bella has made her decision, a startling chain of unprecedented events is about to unfold with potentially devastating and unfathomable consequences. Just when the frayed strands of Bella's life - first discovered in Twilight, then scattered and torn in New Moon and Eclipse - seem ready to heal and knit together, could they be destroyed...forever?

The astonishing, breathlessly anticipated conclusion to the Twilight Saga, Breaking Dawn illuminates the secrets and mysteries of this spellbinding romantic epic that has entranced millions.

Melissa's Musings:

There's not much I can say that hasn't  already been said about Breaking Dawn, so this review will be short and sweet. I'm so late on the Twilight train, having only started the series last year. I enjoyed the first few books in the series much more than I enjoyed this one.

The story just seemed to fall flat for me. It was more teenage angst, with the dialogue to go with it. For some reason the dialogue in Breaking Dawn seemed a lot more immature than it did in the other books. After the 4th or 5th time I read Jacob saying "'kay" I was more than a little irritated.

Plus the whole love triangle between Edward just seemed ridiculous, especially after Bella was pregnant and still breaking into a smile and wanting him to be around all the time. Of course, that made more sense when Renesmee came along, but even that whole dynamic was weird. He can't have Bella so he imprints on her daughter instead? Certainly a dysfunctional family unit if there ever was one.

I have to say that I was glad to see that Bella finally grew a little bit as a character. She was less whiny, and more decisive in Breaking Dawn. More than likely that's because of Renesmee, becoming a mom was a big change for her, both literally and figuratively.

I was actually most captivated by Renesmee, just like everyone around her. She seemed so interesting, so unique. Meyer definitely did a good job bringing her character to life and making her likeable. (Minus the whole being soulmates with Jacob thing.)

In the end, I think I was expecting a different outcome. While I liked the story, it all wrapped up a little too neatly for me.

Phoebe Who? by Emma Harrison: Not One of My Favorites

Title: Phoebe Who?

Author: Emma Harrison

Publisher: Simon Spotlight Entertainment

Published: December 28, 2006

Format: Paperback

Pages: 193

Source: I own this book

Read: October 3-5 2012

In  A Few Words: Likeable, but not amazing

My Rating: 3 Stars

Goodreads: Add This to Your TBR List

Goodreads Synopsis:

PHOEBE WHO?
A battle's finale, one sister lost --

Enemies disguised as friends,

aim to cross.

Two sisters must remind her what she can't recall:

To bring her home safely and restore power to all.

Phoebe is exhausted -- between work, demon fighting, and helping her sisters, she has no time for herself. When she wakes from a battle not knowing who or where she is, Phoebe gets her long-awaited getaway and then some. A stranger named Aura promptly finds her and takes Phoebe into her care. There's something off about Aura and her friends, but Phoebe ignores her instinct and tries to settle into this new, relaxed lifestyle.

Meanwhile, Piper and Paige fear the worst. They scry for Phoebe, but she is nowhere to be found. Not only have Aura and her friends put a cloaking spell on Phoebe, but they have also reintroduced her to magic, taking her on "missions" to steal protection charms from good witches. Their latest mission? Convincing Phoebe that Piper and Paige are evil and need to be rendered powerless. Will Piper and Paige be able to find Phoebe -- and help her find herself -- in time to restore the Power of Three?

Melissa's Musings:

As long time readers of this blog will know, I love Charmed. Some might say I'm slightly obsessed, even. So, since I read two review books in a row, I decided to use this book to break things up a little bit before I moved on to my next review title. These stories don't have a whole lot of depth to them so this will be a relatively short review.

In terms of the plot, this would have made a good episode. But, that's also where it was lacking. It used elements that were very similar to actual episodes so the new factor wasn't really there. It was still likeable though. I enjoyed the fact that the magical creatures had come to Phoebe asking her advice. I think that would have been interesting to see an episode with that story line  being that when members of the magical community needed help in the show, they  were usually prone to turning to Paige for that. 

There were a few points that I didn't care for, particularly that the author started calling Phoebe by the name of Ruth right after she got amesia. I know why she did it, but I guess the transition wasn't all that smooth because it was confusing for a while. Then there were a few spots that felt like filler that could have been removed. In terms of it being similar to other episodes it was, but there were some good details in the story despite that fact.

Overall, this was an enjoyable enough story that would have made a decent episode in the show, it's just not one of my favorites.

Do any of you read Charmed novels or watch the show? If so which is your favorite book/episode?