Review: Playing the Bully:

Playing the Bully: by Esther Sokolov Fine
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

*Please note, I won a copy of this book via Goodreads Giveaways.*

Melissa's Musings:

This book is very straightforward and the messages are clear:

"Bullying isn't nice."

"People don't like bullies"

"Families are all different."

The messages are good for children to learn, but I do feel that they could have been explored just a bit more. The writing felt too young for the ages of the characters. They are between 7 and 9, and the writing feels as though it's meant for kindergartners.

I was bullied and teased as a kid, because having a disability made me different from the other kids, and they didn't know how to handle it. In this case, Penny just seems mean and spiteful for no real reason, but I got the impression that the author was trying to have some of Penny's behavior and attitude mimic her dad's to show that behaviors are learned,.

There are good displays of problem solving, talking things out etc.

But, at the end of the story Penny is still a bully. Her behaviors haven't changed, and the lessons haven't sunken in. This also ends really abruptly, with no real resolution.

Were you ever bullied? How did you handle it?

Review: Rose of Raby

Rose of Raby: The First and Second Books in a Saga about the Yorks, Lancasters and Nevilles, Whose Family Feud Started the Cousin's War, Now Known as the Wars of the Roses, Told by Cecily Cecylee Neville (1415-1495), the Thwarted Queen by Cynthia Sally Haggard
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Date Read: December 31, 2017

Melissa's Musings:

This was a unique read for me in that I don't normally read books written in this time period. The stories were short and to the point, very simple. They were also quite informative. I didn't particularly feel any emotional attachment as I was reading these, but still enjoyed them well enough. I also appreciate that they were written in modern English, and not geared more toward the language of the time.

I certainly can't imagine what it must have been like to be promised to someone at only 9 years old, but I was grateful for Cecylee that she was able to delay her marriage as she had wished to do, and retained her childhood. I was quite surprised that she fell for the archer, especially since Richard seemed to love her.

*Please note, I won a copy of this book via Goodreads Giveaways*

Review: paper airplane

paper airplane by Kersten L. Kelly
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

*I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review*

This book has been sitting on my shelf a good long time. As someone who has spent nearly the last decade and a half traveling by plane due to an international long distance relationship, and now due to visiting family and friends in the US, I loved the concept of this book when the author first approached me to review it. I've had a few of these same experiences myself, so I thought I would relate to it well.

Some of the stories were interesting. The story I most enjoyed was the author's experience of her first time skydiving which is intermixed in with the story in the chapter "Kenny the Floating Jeweler." This chapter has the most personal connection to the author's life and the one that felt the most genuine.

Other stories didn't really hold my interest all that well. It felt as though something were missing, in terms of variety.

The book is classified as a memoir, but I wouldn't really call it that. I don't feel that there's enough of the author's experiences outside of her travels to truly be considered a memoir. In all honesty, I liked this book a lot more at the beginning than I did at the end. After a while, the "lessons" learned that were "imparted" at the end of chapters felt repetitive, and I started to get bored, which likely explains why what should have taken me a day or two to read, took 11..

Another thing that took away from the story was the language. It felt too forced, and that hindered my emotional involvement. It felt like the author was trying to write an essay, rather than relate anecdotes and experiences. This could have been pared down both in literal language by about a third of the length, to 10 or 11 chapters instead of 17. It would have been much more impactful. If I were able to use half stars I would have likely given this a 2.5

I really appreciated the concept as a whole, and would recommend this to anyone who likes books about travel.

Does anyone who might read this post have any interesting airplane encounters they want to share?

Review: Hera, Queen of Gods

Title: Hera, Queen of Gods

Author: T.D. Thomas

Series: Goddess Unbound # 1

Publisher: Self Published

Published: October 3, 2012

Format: Kindle

Pages: 536

Dates Read: June 26-July 5

Source: Received from the author

in exchange for an honest review

Add on Goodreads

My Rating: 3 Stars

Synopsis: 

Hera couldn't care less what the other gods think, even when it's about her. And it often is. Frankly, Hera couldn't care less about anything, except doing her duty as queen - protecting order and defending the mortal world against any threats. But when the Fates go missing, Hera and a handful of other gods must temporarily become mortal to search the human world for the missing goddesses.

Hera finds that mortality begins to change her. It's not just the loss of her divine powers. She expected that. It's deeper somehow. It's affecting how she thinks, how she feels, what's important to her. And it gets much worse after she meets Justin, who defies every prejudice she once had

about mortals. At the worst possible time, and despite all her efforts, Hera's black-and-white world starts to unravel.

Torn between who she's becoming and who she needs to be in order to fulfill her duty, Hera must survive a horde of murderous creatures sent to exploit her new weakness. In the end, only Hera can stop a traitorous plot conceived by a secret alliance of ancient and new enemies, a plot that threatens to destroy not only the order Hera is sworn to protect, but all of existence itself

Melissa's Musings

I have to admit, my knowledge of Greek Mythology is a little sparse, given that the only time I remember learning about it was in 6th grade, and that was now several years ago. At first, I was tempted to Google and fact check the powers and roles of all the different gods that were mentioned, but I decided to let myself get carried away into the story instead.

I do have to say though that I've never read a story that put such a modern twist on the subject before. I really liked the fact that Thomas set the story with these gods and goddesses inhabiting the bodies of teenagers. Definitely not something you would expect.

The story progresses quickly and is quite action packed. A little too much so, if I'm being honest. Once the story got going it seemed like the characters were constantly battling/running from something. First it's half man half bear. Then, it's snakes. And then a giant. And harpies, among other things.

While all this action definitely makes you want to keep turning the pages, it really takes away from the character development. I felt like the story was more about the action and less about the characters themselves.

If I had to pick a favorite though, it would be Hera. She's strong, somewhat closed off, but also has a softer side. Her spark with Justin is an interesting twist too, given that she despises the fact that Zeus falls for mortals all the time. But, since Justin becomes a Dreamer throughout the course of the story maybe it's just a little different for her?

Justin's ability to move to and from the Dreamlands was also an unexpected twist. It felt like a reward for all the stuff he was quickly expected to believe and go along with when he started helping the gods on their mission to find the Fates.

There's also an element of magic in the story which was an interesting touch as well.

This was a unique story, and, despite a little too much action I'm curious to see what else happens to these characters.

Has anyone else read this? Or would you recommend any other stories that feature Greek mythology?

Review: Spelled

Title: Spelled

Author: Betsy Schow

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Published: June 2, 2015

Format: E-ARC

Pages: 352

Dates Read: June 6-8

Source: Recieved via Netgalley

in exchange for an honest review

Add on Goodreads

My Rating: 3 Stars

Snippet That Stuck With Me: N/A 

Synopsis: 

Fairy Tale Survival Rule #32: If you find yourself at the mercy of a wicked witch, sing a romantic ballad and wait for your Prince Charming to save the day.

Yeah, no thanks. Dorthea is completely princed out. Sure being the crown princess of Emerald has its perks—like Glenda Original ball gowns and Hans Christian Louboutin heels. But a forced marriage to the brooding prince Kato is so not what Dorthea had in mind for her enchanted future.

Talk about unhappily ever after. 

Trying to fix her prince problem by wishing on a (cursed) star royally backfires, leaving the kingdom in chaos and her parents stuck in some place called "Kansas." Now it's up to Dorthea and her pixed off prince to find the mysterious Wizard of Oz and undo the curse...before it releases the wickedest witch of all and spells The End for the world of Story.

Melissa's Musings

The first thing that drew me to this book was the cover. I was browsing Netgalley, and came across Spelled, saw the cover and thought "Hmm, that looks interesting."

I'm not all that big on retellings and don't read them all that often, but when I read the sysnopsis for this, it seemed like it would be fun.

And it is.

 From the very beginning the story is full of curiosity, action and adventure. Dorothea is looking for a way to escape her boring palace life, where she is literally trapped by a curse. Fire is banished from the palace and she isn't even allowed outside beyond the courtyard, not even for a little while.

Little does she know that one tiny wish can have a huge impact on her life and the lives of those around her. 

The first thing that I liked, as I read were all the interesting plays on words and puns. There are a ton of them so I'll only give one example, UPS = United Pegasus Service. This one actually made me laugh out loud just because it was the slightest bit out there and Dorothea was so annoyed at the time, so the juxtaposition of the two made me giggle. There are also cute little plays on words like some of the substitute swear words, ie "pixed" and "glammed."

Plus, there are guidelines and quotes from other famous fairytale characters at the beginning of each chapter. These are a fun way to modernize the fairy tales.

There are also countless references to every possible fairy tale you can imagine. It's like a serious mashup of every fairy tale ever written interspersed within this story. And while these references, and the language and quotes are a lot of fun at first, I do have to say I did eventually grow bored of these, about halfway through. They just started to get tired, and eventually lost their sparkle.

As for the characters, I'd have to say my least favorite is probably a toss up between Rexi and Dorothea. Rexi lives up to her description and by the other characters and is rude and has a charred exterior. Dorothea fits the spoiled princess role a little too well. I was disappointed not to see more growth from her throughout the story. And while most of the time the main character is what keeps you reading, for me it was all the other characters that kept me going. I felt like they were more interesting.

Especially Hydra. With her large collection of ever changing heads and constant personality switches to go along with them , I feel like she brings a lot of life and fun to the story.

There is a lot of action and adventure. Plus there's the emphasis on fashion, beauty and just the idea of being a princess, so it makes the story equally relatable to both guys and girls. The ending is left open for a sequel, so I imagine there will be one. 

And I'm definitely willing to read it. As much as the quotes, quips and references do get a bit old  they've left me curious to see what will happen to this cast of crazy characters. I just hope that in the next part of the story Dorthea really starts to grow into her own a lot more and mature as a character.

Have you read Spelled? Did you enjoy it? Are there any other versions of retellings you'd recommend that I read?

Review: The Ghosts of Nagasaki

Title: The Ghosts of Nagasaki

Author: Daniel Clausen

Publisher: Self Published

Published: December 8, 2012

Format: Paperback

Pages: 248

Dates Read: April 1-15

Source: Received from the author

in exchange for an honest review

Add to Your TBR List on Goodreads

My Rating: 3 Stars

Snippet That Stuck With Me: "For a moment they are solitary stars, tied together by an invisible shoelace. "(pg. 108)

Synopsis:

One night a foreign business analyst in Tokyo sits down in his spacious high rise apartment and begins typing something. The words pour out and exhaust him. He soon realizes that the words appearing on his laptop are memories of his first days in Nagasaki four years ago. 

Nagasaki was a place full of spirits, a garrulous Welsh roommate, and a lingering mystery. 

Somehow he must finish the story of four years ago--a story that involves a young Japanese girl, the ghost of a dead Japanese writer, and a mysterious island. He must solve this mystery while maneuvering the hazards of middle management, a cruel Japanese samurai, and his own knowledge that if he doesn't solve this mystery soon his heart will transform into a ball of steel, crushing his soul forever. Though he wants to give up his writing, though he wants to let the past rest, within his compulsive writing lies the key to his salvation.

Melissa's Musings:

The first word I would use to describe this book would be confusing. It delves into the story right away, with very little background info. Which is good for setting a fast pace, but not so great for someone like me who enjoys the buildup of a backstory. At times I found myself not wanting to pick it back up again. But, once I did I was able to be pulled in enough to keep reading.

This is a stream of consciousness novel of sorts. Or maybe a novel with multiple streams of consciousness?

The book shifts perspective a lot, between the protagonists present day life as a business man in Tokyo, and his memories of his life four years ago when he first came to Japan to teach English. The story is also mixed in with what could be perceived by some as delusions or hallucinations. The story jumps can be unsettling, but they're also part of what draws you in in the first place.

I never really related to the main character on a personal level. There's not much told about him as a person, except that he is an orphan, who went through the foster care system and had it kind of rough. You actually don't even ever learn his name. I only knew it from an insert that the author sent along with the book. 

My thought is that by not telling us his name and by telling the story from the first person perspective, the author might have been trying to make the story, as well as the pain the protagonist is running from more universal.

The story itself is somewhat dark, there's a lot of pain, and unresolved grief and a loss of his sense of self, on the part of the protagonist. It's likely why he attacts all of these ghosts, and other figments of his imagination, like Mr. Sparkles, a glittery dinosaur.

Mr. Sparkles actually made me laugh out loud. I thought of him as an alternate funnier, version of Mikey Welsh, the protagonists' roomate.

Along with ghosts and glittery dinosaurs, there are other added elements of magical realism in the book. The magical realism element is further solidified  with the introduction of an island where one can go to procure and grow a brand new heart,fed by memories. This magical island seems to be some sort of limbo for the protagonist, between the current version of himself and the version of himself from 4 years ago.

There's a strange religious side to the story as well. One of the characters that Pierce attracts is a man who follows him around claiming that he's an apostate. In one scene the protagonist conjures up more of his ghosts who take this character and put him onto a cross in the middle of the ocean, and Pierce feels it his duty to rescue this man, against impossible odds. Then there's a secretive backstory that Pierce's first foster family were evangelicals, who were somehow horrible to him, and that the family who eventually adopt him are also particularly religious as well. I found the religious undertone confusing and at times disturbing.

The main message that I gathered from the story is that it's about a person who was trying to escape the pain of never having a place to really call home, and trying to recover from the death of the one person in life who seemed to truly understand him.

This story, while confusing, was told in an unusual and unique way.

Review: Yours Affectionately, Jane Austen

Title: Yours Affectionately, Jane Austen

Author: Sally Smith O'Rourke

Publisher:  Victorian Essence Press

Published: September 22, 2012

Series: The Man Who Loved Jane Austen #2

Format: Kindle

Pages: 261

Source: Received from author in exchange

for an honest review.

Synopsis: 

Was Mr. Darcy real? Is time travel really possible? For pragmatic Manhattan artist Eliza Knight the answer to both questions is absolutely, Yes! And Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberley Farms, Virginia is the reason why!

His tale of love and romance in Regency England leaves Eliza in no doubt that Fitz Darcy is the embodiment of Jane Austen’s legendary hero. And she’s falling in love with him. But can the man who loved the inimitable Jane Austen ever love average, ordinary Eliza Knight?

Eliza’s doubts grow, perhaps out of proportion, when things start to happen in the quiet hamlet of Chawton, England; events that could change everything. Will the beloved author become the wedge that divides Fitz and Eliza or the tie that binds them

My Rating:

3 Stars

Melissa's Musings:

When Sally Smith O'Rourke first approached me about doing a review of this book I was hesitant. Ashamedly, I have never read any of Jane Austen's work, (Horrible, I know. Though they are on my TBR) So, I was afraid that I wouldn't be the best candidate  to do a review. She assured me that I didn't need to be familiar with Jane Austen's work in order to enjoy the books, and she was right.

I did thoroughly enjoy this book. It is told in alternating chapters, that flash back and forth between a span of a few years in the 1800's and the present day.

The story itself is an easy read. I wouldn't say that I got swept away by it, but it was enjoyable. I wish that there had been more rounding of some of the characters, but I understand why there wasn't. The main focus of the story was on Fitzwilliam Darcy, and the progression of his relationship with Eliza. 

Jane's role could possibly be seen by some as a love triangle of sorts, depending on how you look at it. Except Fitz is never in love with Jane herself, only the idea of her. Though Eliza's jealousy of the time he spent with Jane, is a very real thing that she has to work through so that they can move forward with their own relationship.

I would say that the story is very much romanticised. Fitz says a lot of things that are just right, and the disagreements between he and Eliza don't last all that long.They're  solved in what seems like seconds.  The details are perfect in setting the scene for the romance between  Eliza and Fitz, and although Eliza puts up some resistance, it didn't feel genuine to the vibe I got from her character. I would have liked to have seen more of a struggle between them, instead of them just feeling "like home" for each other throughout.

The one naggingly unexplained detail is the whole fact that no one ever really figured out the time travel element. That was too easily wrapped up and explained away. 

Simmons, the stable hand employed by Jane Austen's brother wants to go through the portal that is open between the two times to see if there will be better opportunities for him in Fitz's time. So, he goes through the portal in a field of the Chawton estate that opens at sunrise and sunset.

There just happened to be a renactment going on the day that Simmons stepped through the portal, so he fit in well enough. They assumed he was Amish to explain away his lack of understanding of technology, and they automatically assume that he knows Fitzwilliam Darcy without checking to find out for themselves. I wish that there had been some mention of how the portal was discovered in the first place. Since this is the 2nd book in the series the explanation isn't there, but I feel it would have helped to have a brief recap of some sort.

Overall, the story is very enjoyable. It's a nice look at Jane Austen's world for someone who isn't quite ready to delve into her work, with a nice glimpse of what she might have been like. If you're looking for an easy, romantic read, this is it.

If you'd like more information on the author and her books, be sure to check out this guest post

Review: One Exquisite Night In Paris

Hello fellow readers! Welcome to my stop on the tour for One Exquisite Night in Paris hosted by Pump Up Your Book

Title: One Exquisite Night in Paris

Author: Andre Phillip-Hautecoeur

Publisher: Hautecoeur Press

Published: November 30 2013

Source: Received from author in exchange for honest review

Format: Paperback

Pages: 198

My Rating: 3 Stars

Add on Goodreads:  To Read Shelf

Syopsis:

It’s a real story. A boy-meets-girl version of a girl-meets-boy story where she’s from Paris and doesn’t speak any English, while he’s from New York and speaks no French, and they only have one amazing thing in common. It’s a story for all who have yet to experience the most amazing night of their lives; a night impossible to live anywhere else but Paris…purposefully the most wonderfully enchanting city in the entire world. Enchantment, fantasy, luxury and fairytale all converge in only two places; once in our dreams and once when our dreams meet Paris. It all distills into one perfect night; "the most amazing night of your life" creating a perfect memory which lasts, and lasts forever. Everyone should live the perfect fantasy of “One Exquisite Night in Paris."

Melissa's Musings:

My first thought on this book is that the writing style is certainly unique. It doesn't so much tell a story as weave bits and pieces of the author's journey of his relationship with his wife together. At first I was bothered by the style, because it didn't feel concrete. As I kept reading I got used to it, and rather enjoyed the uniqueness of it.

The book dealt a lot with the struggle to bridge cultural gaps, which can be difficult in any mutlinational relationship. I can relate on a small level given that I am from the US and my fiance is Canadian, but I'm quite thankful that we don't have the language barrier that the author and his wife did. It put a major strain on their relationship and caused some problems. At the same time, I enjoyed the details the author used to demonstrate how love transcends language. You can tell in his descriptions of their first meeting that this was truly a love at first sight encounter.

The book had a first person perspective, but I also felt that I got enough of Eff, and Prisce's opinions and views on things that I didn't feel that the book was lacking in that regard. I have to admit that I did not realize that this was a true story until after I started reading it. I don't think it changed my reading of the story all that much, but it certainly does explain the unique writing style.

As I mentioned previously, the book jumps around a lot. First they are celebrating one thing or another with a fine meal or at a restaurant in New York. Then the author is describing the beauty and history of Paris. Anyone who wants a story that centers around historical events and descriptions of Paris will love this book. The author's enthusiasm and love of Paris is also quite apparent in his descriptions and fascination with creating the "One Exquisite Night in Paris" 

To be honest I felt kind of let down by the fact that there was all this buildup to the "One Exquisite Night in Paris." I felt like I had already gotten enough of the French scene in the author's descriptions of his own experiences and the interpretations of his experiences in Paris with his wife. In that respect, I wish that the story had focused even more on Eff's adjustment to life in New York, and their adjustment to finally being together.

While quest for the perfect night in Paris was a bit of a letdown for me personally, I did enjoy the overall story. It was refreshing to see the story told in such a bold, precise, sure way. I would definitely recommend this book.

About the Author:

Andre Phillip-Hautecoeur defines himself as, “…not a writer really.” He simply had an 

urge to write something about Paris.

It’s the city exactly at the intersection of romance, history, fantasy and enchantment; 

everyone faces Paris in some form of a dream. He came to know and love Paris hanging 

onto the hem of his wife’s skirt. She’s Parisian, she’s everything French without 

constraint; she makes understanding all of Parisness a pleasure. An understanding which 

made him want to write.

Together they make home between New York and Paris. Shuttling back and forth 

continues to be the ultimate dream.

His latest book is the contemporary romance, One Exquisite Paris Night.

Visit his blog at www.ExquisiteNightinParis.blogspot.com. 

Connect & Socialize with Andre

TWITTER | FACEBOOK |

ARC Review: An Amish Country Christmas

The blog tour for this book is being hosted by Pump Up Your Book Tours

Title: An Amish Country Christmas

Authors: Charlotte Hubbard and Naomi King

Publisher: Zebra Books

Published: October 2013

Pages:  352

Format: Arc Paperback

Source: Received in exchange for 

an honest review

My Rating: 3 Stars

Synopsis:

“The Christmas Visitors”: For spirited Martha Coblentz and her twin Mary, the snow has delivered the perfect holiday and birthday present to their door—handsome brothers Nate and Bram Kanagy. But when unforeseen trouble interrupts their season’s good cheer, it will take unexpected intervention—and sudden understanding—to give all four the blessing of a lifetime.

“Kissing the Bishop”: As the New Year’s first snow settles, Nazareth Hooley and her sister Jerusalem are given a heaven-sent chance to help newly widowed Tom Hostetler tend his home. But when her hope that she and Tom can build on the caring between them seems a dream forever out of reach, Nazareth discovers that faith and love can make any miracle possible.

Melissa's Musings:

Both these stories are heartwarming. You get to check in on some of the various characters throughout the two series that these books are tied into, which is great. I always love to go back to read more about towns and characters that I've read about before. I recently reviewed Winter of Wishes and really enjoyed it. And while I enjoyed both of these stories as well, I'm not sure if I had the same appreciation for them.

The Christmas visitors has more of the good natured fun that I read about in Winter of Wishes. I really liked how Mary and Martha took to Nate and Bram, and even played a trick on them by switching off to pretend to be each other. Their courtship seemed to move awfully quickly though, and without nearly as much protest as I would have expected. there to be. 

One thing that surprised me in "The Christmas Visitors" was the use of technology in the book. The girls had cell phones, which I thought was a little unusual, given that when I read Winter of Wishes, the technology use was so limited. 

The overall tone of the story is fun and lighthearted, and it's pleasant to read.

I didn't quite take to "Kissing the Bishop in the same way. It features characters that I wasn't too fond of when I read them previously, Jerusalem and Nazareth. They seem so stark and proper, that I just couldn't learn to like them quite as much. But, this story is also a nice read, with them finally getting a chance at finding love, when they thought they might not get the opportunity. 

And of course I have to say that I absolutely love the recipes at the back of the book. I really wish that I had more time, especially in the busy holiday season to try my hand at making some of them.

If you're looking for some pleasant holiday reads, I'd definitely recommend these stories.

Review: Winter of Wishes

Hello All!

Welcome to my stop on the book tour for Winter of Wishes by Charlotte Hubbard, presented by Pump Up Your Book

Title: Winter of Wishes

Author: Charlotte Hubbard

Publisher: Zebra

Published: September 3, 2013

Pages:  352

Format: Paperback

Source: Received from author in exchange for an honest review

My Rating: 3 heartfelt stars 

Melissa's Musings:

I have to admit that I don't often read Christian/religious fiction all too often. But, when I came across the  Winter of Wishes tour invite, I decided to take a step outside of my usual reading comfort zone, and I'm glad I did.

The family in this story and the connection to community are strong points throughout the book. The community is tight knit, and the author's focus on the Amish way of life is well researched and portrayed throughout the story. The read feels like a constant learning experience about Amish culture, without being boring or dry.

This book is part of a series, and while it does work as a standalone, I did have  a feeling that I was missing out by not having read the other books. Not in a bad way, it's just that ther were a lot of mentions of past events that I didn't have all the details to, so I was left wondering. I am very curious about the prior happenings of this community and would love to read the other books in the series to catch up.

It's very easy to fall into the story and to want to keep on reading. It's such a heartfelt, sweet story.

There were a few things that didn't quite work for me. The romance between Andy and Rhoda is very simple and sweet, but it feels rushed. They begin to have feelings for each other very quickly, and it felt a little unrealistic. I was rooting for them throughout the story, though.

The language just didn't feel right in some spots. I know that the author was trying for a genuine dialect, but it felt overdone in some ways, and it took me out of the story the slightest bit.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it. I'm looking forward to reading more about these characters in the future.

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.

Review: A Part to Play

Title: A Part to Play

Series:  N/A

Author: Jennifer L. Fry

Publisher: Rogue Phoenix Press

Published: August 10, 2012 

Genre: Young Adult

Format: Kindle

Pages: 261

Source: Received from author

Read: February 27-March 3, 2013

In A Few Words: Intriguing at first, but then loses momentum
My Rating: 3 Stars

Goodreads: Add To Your TBR Shelf

Synopsis:

When fifteen-year-old actress Lucy Carter loses her older sister in a car accident, her mother shuts down and her father can’t hold the family together. Their only choice is to ship Lucy off to the Edmond School for Performing Arts. But boarding school is no cure for Lucy’s grief. With failing grades, wooden stage performances, and curfew violations, Lucy is threatened with expulsion. For the once talented Lucy, it feels as though she has nowhere to turn.

One night, Lucy hears mysterious music drifting through the school’s old heating system. The music leads her to a troubled but passionate songwriter whose brilliance gives her the strength to perform like never before. Yet their intense relationship puts Lucy in a precarious position: if she follows her muse, will she lose herself? And if she breaks it off, can she stand on her own again?

Melissa's Musings:

This story started out a bit stiff, though the opening paragraph, comparing a storm to Lucy's mood was enough to draw me in. 

I did feel that the backstory was somewhat lacking. There are only brief snippets of explanation of Kate's accident and then Lucy ends up shuttled off by her parents to a music/drama boaridng school. I felt that there could have been a little more buildup here, maybe in the form of more flashbacks to life before the accident and right after, that would have helped to build the setup for her parents sending her away, that would have helped facilitate the transition. Without it, it just seems harsh and stilted, and the end doesn't seem quite as well rounded in terms of Lucy's relationship with her parents as it could have been.

In the beginning, Lucy's character is almost completely unfeeling. That in itself is fine, given the situation, but I was surprised with the fact that there was no real challenge to her behavior from her teacher's or her friends, until she gets in major trouble for sneaking out. 

While Isa's lack of pressure was concerning to the overall story, her easygoing nature was one of the things I loved about her the most. That and her semi-rebellious nature and her fiesty attitude. Isa's character had an edge to her that's quite likeable.  

I actually felt more connected to the secondary characters in the story than I did to Lucy. The secondary characters felt more fleshed out, and seemed to have more of a consistency to them. After a while Lucy's character just seemed to be inconsistent. She felt like she was running hot and cold. One second she was pissed off about her situation and angry at her parents, and the next she was thrown in to her romance with Chris and everything else became secondary to her including her friends. That bothered me because for someone who feels like they've been abandoned you'd think that she would understand and not put so much of her time into a relationship with a guy. And she does try to balance her friends and Chris, I will give Lucy that.

Chris makes things very difficult for her with his personality. As I was reading I became more and more put off by him. I found myself saying things like "what an asshole". while reading, that's how negative his character is. He has mood swings that to me bordered on being bipolar and a very controlling nature.  He started out all nice and sweet and things get progressively darker from there. I won't give away what happens between them, but lets just say there's a nice bit of growth on the part of one of the characters.

As for the story itself, I have to admit it was a lot more interesting in the beginning when Chris's character was a mystery man, possibly a ghost seranading Lucy with his music at night. I really liked the story up until the point of his introduction, but once Chris's character comes in, the story loses some of its' momentum, and it seems to become more about the trials and tribulations of dating than about Lucy coming to terms with her own demons and making her peace, which is what I felt was really at the heart of the story. The ending feels rushed and too wrapped up, which I feel conflicted about.

The reason I feel conflicted about the ending is because the author gives us a glimpse of Lucy's life after the end of her sophmore year. Most of the time, I love when an author gives us tiny glimpses like this. But in this case, it just doesn't feel right. It feels like it's wrapped up a little too neatly with the perfect happy ending. Especially the situation with Lucy's mom. They go from not talking at all, to one or two phone calls, to her being at Lucy's play, showering her with compliments. It felt like Lucy's mom got off too easily, the resolution wasn't quite as significant as it could have been.

Overall, this is a well thought out story, and the twist of having Lucy be sent away after the death of her sister is certainly a unique one in the subset of books that deal with family tragedy.

Review: Writing Great Emails is Not Art: 9 Ways To Get There

Title: Writing Great Emails is Not Art: 9 Ways To Get There

Series: N/A

Author:  Gisela Hausmann

Publisher: Self Published

Published: February 12, 2013

Genre: Non-Fiction

Format: Kindle

Pages: 16

Source: Received From Author

Read: February 26, 2013

In A Few Words: Straightforward

My Rating: 3 Stars

Amazon: Buy Here

Amazon Synopsis:

Wondering what it takes to get your emails noticed?

On average U.S. office workers send and receive more than 100 emails per day. Are you looking for ways to get people to read your emails sooner?
In WRITING GREAT EMAILS IS NOT ART, 9 WAYS HOW TO GET THERE, author Gisela Hausmann explains why email is the least attractive way to “get mail” and what unspoken rules influence our perception of emails. She dissects email into its parts, and describes simple and easy to follow techniques how to improve each one so your email will stand out in its recipient’s Inbox.

Melissa's Musings:

This book is very straightforward and to the point. It does offer some helpful tips on how to get your emails noticed. The most important that I gleaned from reading this being that you should always pay attention to the details. Whether it be the time of a meeting, or spelling a person's name correctly, it's attention to the little details that show your conscientiousness as an employee and show that you care about your job and your co-workers.

I don't necessarily agree with all the methods and terms presented in the book though. In talking about greetings, the author states that "Good morning" should only be used as a greeting if the email is sent before 9:00 a.m. I don't quite understand this reasoning seeing as morning continues on for another three hours past this time.

In talking about endings, the author states that "TGIF!" is an example of a good ending that demonstrates personal engagement and additional effort to strengthen business relationships" (loc 268) I honestly don't see how this applies. I have never used TGIF in a business email, nor would I think to. That would only be something I might use in a personal email, because it seems to improper.

There's also another point made that I'm curious about that I've actually never seen in an email which is putting NNTR (No Need to Reply) at the end of an email. I've never had anyone do that to me. Email chains usually just have a natural ending point and it seems a bit harsh to put this in, depending on the circumstances. Maybe that's just the way it feels to me since I've never seen it before.

The author also offers up some excellent points like, "Before sending a truly important email, take a break and walk around to get some distance to your words" (loc 366)

That's very important because you never know when your judgement could be hasty or clouded by emotions, so it's always good to take a step back, even for a moment. You never know, stepping away could help you come up with that perfect phrase or segment of the email that really gets your point across exactly the way you're shooting for.

Also, "Read it aloud to yourself, while applying different tones"

I can't count the number of times I've sent an email and then happened to glance back over it and cringe because upon reading it over again, it just doesn't "sound right." I don't always remember to, but I try to read most of my professional emails aloud, just to double check.

There are some interesting facts on the number of emails sent and time spent emailing, but the one thing I felt was missing in that regard was the source for these statistics. I always think it's a good idea to include sources for facts like those, because they are enough to make people curious to check out more information.

Overall this does have some useful tips, and can help you craft that perfect email.

Blog Tour Stop: Scammed by Art Maines

Hello Fellow Readers!

Today I'm going to share my thoughts on Scammed: 3 Steps to Help Your Elder Parents and Yourself  by Art Maines

Title: Scammed: 3 Steps to Help Your Elder Parents & Yourself

Author: Art Maines LCSW

Publisher: Love Your Life Publishing

Published: October 12, 2012

Source: Received a free copy of this book as part of the book tour

Melissa's Musings:

My Rating: 3 stars

This book is excellently laid out. It is clear, easy to follow and provides detailed, step by step instructions on the actions to take if you or a loved one is scammed, or you suspect that something of that nature is happening.

This book is very easy to read in that the language is straightforward and easy to understand. Maines does an excellent job of providing the information without being overly forebearing. He cautions readers often not to take his advice as the ultimate word and to be sure to consult several types of experts. I also really appreciated the personal touch of using his stepfather's story of being scammed, because it makes the situation more real, personable, and easy to read. If you're just reading straight facts then you're likely to get bored.

This book is well researched, which is apparent by the numerous statistics.

There were a few sections that I would have liked to have been more thoroughly explained, particularly the section on Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. This sounds like a successful technique, and their is information on the types of issues this technique is used on, but it doesn't really go into the technique itself so that was a bit disappointing. 

Also, some of the information can be very repetitive, but that can be par for the course with books on such sensitive and important information. It has to be reiterated a few times to really sink in.

There are lots of excersises, checklists and resource lists to help people through these difficult situations, so this book is a great resource.

Review: A Walk On The Darkside

Title:  A Walk On The Darkside

Author: Corinna Underwood

Publisher: Lazyday Publishing

Published: October 30, 2012

Genre: Paranormal

Format: PDF

Pages: 107

Source: Received from the author

in exchange for an honest review

Read: January 25-27, 2013

In A Few Words: Realistic, Rational

My Rating: 3 stars

Goodreads: Add This To Your TBR Shelf

Goodreads Synopsis: 

Pearl Blackthorn is a novelist and investigative reporter for Darkside paranormal magazine. Armed with her digital recorder and accompanied by her friend and photographer Harry Raymond, Pearl is sent by her editor J.J Benson - affectionately known as Benny - to the four corners of Great Britain, (and sometimes further), to investigate stories of spirits and specters, demons and doppelgangers, prophecy and possession. The problem is, Pearl doesn’t believe in the supernatural; her creative imagination is tempered by a strong skepticism. She is immovable on her stand that there is always a simple, rational explanation behind every report of paranormal activity. But Pearl soon realizes that the intricacies of paranormal events are often far from simple and not always rational. 

Melissa's Musings:

This is a nice collection of stories, though I wish that they had been somewhat more spooky. They are all set up and executed well, but the suspense just isn't there.

I think some of my lack of enthusiasm has to do with Pearl's character being so realistic. I understand that the setup is meant for her to be this way, but it feels like her character sucks all the fun out of everything. And these experiences that could be really spooky if they were left as they were, without her explanations. To that end, Pearl's sidekick on her journey, her photographer friend, Harry, is much more of a believer. But, his enthusiasm doesn't quite make up for Pearl's lack of it. 

The variety of the stories is really nice. There's everything from ghosts, to telepathy, to mysterious puzzle boxes, to voodoo curses. The stories are all meant to be connected, since Pearl is researching them for Darkside magazine, but honestly, I feel that these would be a lot better as standalone stories. The underlying tie-in thread is very weak, and doesn't really serve to bind them all together.

There are a few details that I wish had been fleshed out a little more. In the first story, "The Secret in the Sanctuary" Pearl starts out driving through the Welsh countryside. Along the way there are lots of signs and town names that she runs across. I thought it might be more helpful to readers if there were translations of the meanings of the Welsh words in to English. It probably seems like such a picky detail, but I think it would help the reader to understand the story that much better.

One other structural aspect that pulled me out of the reading was the timeline. All of these instances of strange happenings were resolved within two days. Even though Pearl's tendency to explain these all away makes for shortened time lines, I feel that they could have been just a little bit longer.

Overall, this is a nice collection. There are some stories with deeply religious undertones, so I wanted to point that out for anyone who doesn't care for those types of stories. I'd recommend this for someone who's more of a skeptic when it comes to ghost stories.

Review: The Nursing Home Survival Guide

Title: The Nursing Home Survival Guide

Author: L.E. Green

Publisher:  Createspace

Published:  July 25, 2012

Format:  Paperback

Genre: Non-Fiction

Pages: 246

Source: Recieved  from the author in

exchange for an honest review

Read: January 12-17 2013

In A Few Words: Cautionary

My Rating: 3 Stars

Goodreads:Add To Your TBR Shelf

Amazon Synopsis:

The Nursing Home Survival Guide is the ultimate guide to everything you'll need to know about nursing homes, from whether your family member actually needs placement, the many different types of payment sources available, the admissions process, how to be discharged (even if the nursing home doesn't want to let you go), dying with dignity in a nursing home and everything in between. This book was written with the goal of empowering the patient and family so that they will have a positive experience. Whether the patient is being admitted for a short-term rehabilitation stay, or for long-term care, this book helps to explain the inner workings of the nursing home so that you can ensure your family member receives the best possible care. It covers: • Why it's best to have the patient admitted in the morning, and what to do when medications aren't available for up to 24 hours after the patient has been admitted. • What to bring and how to ensure the patient's items won't be lost. • How to cut down on some of the ancillary costs, including medications, supplies and equipment. • When to contact an Elder Law Attorney in order to become eligible for Medicaid to pay for a patient’s room & board. • How to search a nursing home's track record, and how to find out if either the Administrator or Director of Nursing has experienced any problems with their licenses. • How the annual inspections are conducted and how to file an official complaint against a nursing home. • When – and where – to complain regarding patient care issues, and how to have a patient transferred to another nursing home or assisted living.

Melissa's Musings:

This book is very straightforward and to the point. It explains a lot of the details of nursing homes and assisted living that you might not think are important. It covers everything from what to bring with you, to how to stand up for yourself when staff are making decisions for you or a family member that you aren't comortable with.

A fair note of warning: This book reads like a textbook and the material is very dense in that regard. It's not really meant to be read all the way through so much as scanned for specific information, or at least that's the feeling I got when I was reading it. A lot of the material is repetitive, but in this case that's necessary to allow it to be fully understood.

One thing that I noticed is that this book has a very cautionary, somewhat negative tone regarding nursing homes. The message that I got loud and clear is that nursing homes will do anything and everything they can to make as much money from their patients as possible, and people should be aware of this. There are examples of extremely ill patients being made to do therapy so that the nursing homes can bill insurance for these therapies. There are also instances of patient files being doctored to reflect these services even if the patients didn't actually receive them. Or instances of staff making decisions regarding things like medication changes without the patient's approval.

When you're reading it, it feels like it's hopeless to change any of these practices, but the author does well to point out that you should stand up for yourself with the nursing homes, and that they cannot evict a person from their care. 

One thing that I think the book would have benefitted from is anecdotal quotes or stories from patients in nursing homes, to make the book have a more personal, real, touch. 

There is a glossary at the back of the book to help define all the medical and technical terms, which is very helpful as well as a list of resources and agencies that assist with the process of obtaining nursing home care.

This book is a helpful tool for anyone who is considering nursing home care for themselves or a relative.

Review: Whoever You Are

Title: Whoever You Are

Author: Donna Marie Lanheady

Publisher: Self Published

Published: September 2012

Format: Kindle

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 184

Source: Received from the author in

exchange for an honest review.

Read: January 7, 2013

In A Few Words:  Fast  Read

My Rating: 3 Stars

Goodreads:Add to Your TBR shelf

Goodreads Synopsis: 

Are you defined by your family, your career, your accomplishments? What happens when something you think defines you changes?

Emily McGinn, a recurring character from WHERE SECRETS LIE, believes she knows exactly who she is and where she belongs in the world, until she receives an inheritance from an unknown benefactor. Uncovering the source of the inheritance leads Emily to discover buried truths undermining what she thought was a straightforward life. As the truths alter Emily’s perception of the people closest to her, her perception of herself shifts as well.

Set in the unique foothills community of Boulder, Colorado and its environs, WHOEVER YOU ARE questions not only how we define ourselves, but also how we define family and whether we bear any responsibility for the actions of those who came before us

Melissa's Musings:

This is a very quick read. The action is direct and to the point and there's not a whole lot of world building. In this case though it's not really necessary. The story moves itself along quite well.

There are a lot of secrets in this novel. Emily and her brother Eric are keeping a secret from their father that his business isn't doing as well since he is ill. And Emily is in for quite a shock when she finds out that her mother and father have lied to her all her life about who she really is. I won't give away the whole plot line, but lets just say it's quite significant. 

Along with this shocking secret comes a great deal of money. Emily isn't sure if she wants to take it because of it's origins, and I have to say that I admired this strength in her character. Emily truly stood up for herself and her principles even though it made others unhappy. Particularly her brother Eric. He was rather selfish and mean about the whole ordeal, thinking that Emily owed it to him and their family to use her inheritance to save their family business. He also started to treat her differently, which was really insensitive. Lainey, Emily's parents and her girlfriend Katie were all supportive of her decision though, so I'd guess that as a  way to add some extra conflict to the story it was easy to make Eric the bad guy.

The story really makes you stop to think about what's really important in life and how you define yourself. And sometimes when that all changes, something good can come out of a tumultuous situation, it all depends on how you handle it. 

Have you read this story? Or have you ever found out a big secret that had a major impact on your life? Please share your thoughts!

My Happy Birthday

Title: My Happy Birthday

Author: Mary Ryan

Publisher: Self Published

Published: August 30 2012

Format: Kindle

Pages: 25 

Source: Received from the author

in exchange for an honest review

Read: December 10, 2012

In  A Few Words: Nice Sentiment

My Rating: 3 Stars

Amazon Synopsis*: 

Besides being enjoyable, this story teaches children a life lesson!

“Imagine being a young boy, who is looking forward to celebrating his birthday, only to realize that his parents are so busy that it seems they have completely forgotten about this annual event…?”

That happened to Samuel, as he was very sad to discover that his parents forgot all about his eighth birthday. Read how Samuel deals with his sadness and sorrow, and discover which important life lesson he learned. All is well that ends well, as Samuel gets to enjoy a very special day, one of the most important days of his life.

Read this book to your child for enjoyment, and at the same time, teach one of the most important life lessons any child needs to learn in order to succeed through life

Melissa's Musings:

Samuel wakes up in excitement realizing that it's his birthday. He is then disappointed to find out that his mother has apparently completely forgotten his birthday. On his way into town to run errands for his mom, he meets an old man with a broken down truck and helps him fix it.

The lesson embedded in this meeting is a very good one for children to learn. The man teaches Samuel that it's good to be thankful for what you have and to use it for as long as you can, which is important since we've seemed to become such a "throw it away and get a new one" society.

 Then Samuel comes home to find a surprise of his dad waiting for him, and a shiny new red truck that's been left on the porch. Sam declares it the best birthday ever.

Overall, the message of the story is nice. It teaches kids to be thankful and appreciative of what they have. And it teaches them that fixing items is a better thing to do than just throwing something away and getting a new one.

The structure of the story seemed a little wordy for a book for 4-8 year olds. The drawings were a little odd to me too. They seemed really caricature like, rather than realistic, and this made Samuel appear to be much older than an 8 year old boy. It seems to me like the look of his character changes throughout the book and he starts off young and then on the last page, I'd say the drawing of him makes him look like a young teenager, so that was definitely a drawback. If there's anything that's really important in kids' books it's consistency, whether it's in the story itself or the illustrations.

*The synopsis and cover used in this post are both credited to Amazon.com

Mini Review: Silver Bells

Title: Silver Bells

Author: Sadie Hart

Publisher: Self Published

Published: October 31, 2011

Format: Kindle

Pages: 24

Source: Downloaded when free on Amazon

Read: December 11, 2012

In A Few Words: Sweet

My Rating: 3 Stars

Goodreads:Add to your TBR Shelf

Goodreads Synopsis:

Every year, the Christmas Carousel in South Howle takes a beating, and every year, Dash Bartholomew tenderly brings it back to life. It’s a job he started fifteen years ago, when Dash became Dasher, one of Santa’s reindeer, and accepted the worn leather harness now hanging on the hooks at the back of the carousel barn. The one with its beautiful, silver bells that once made the most wondrous sound in the world, and now lay quiet.

That is, until Merry, a young, homeless woman wanders in looking for a place out of the cold. Unlike Dash, she can hear the sweet chimes of the bells, proving to him that it’s not the harness that’s broken. As Christmas draws near, Dash finds himself drawn to Merry and her quiet, stubborn pride. However, unable to hear the sleigh bells Dash isn’t sure what Christmas this year will bring, only that the magic in that harness is far less important than the woman he’s come to love.

Melissa's Musings:

This story is very short and sweet. We meet Dash, a seemingly lonely park caretaker who lovingly restores carousel animals by night. One night, Merry, stumbles in to the barn where he's working looking for somewhere out of the cold to stay. Dash lets her stay and tries to help her, but she's too proud, and demands to work. So they each work together on the animals, and over time a bond develops between them and they begin to care for each other.

Since the story is so short, we don't really get to see the full development of this, but what we do get to see is nicely done. There's also a bit of magic as Dash and Merry both meet "Nicholas" and he grants them each one wish. There's a cute little twist in this that Dash is one of Santa's reindeer, and Merry's father used to be before that. I'd never really thought of a twist like this before, the reindeer being normal people, and only having a limited time to be the reindeer, not hearing the call of their harness bells after they don't need them anymore. I suppose it's the same way with the tradition of Santa. After a certain point in our childhood, we're let in on the secret that he isn't real, so this runs along similar lines.

A short, sweet, holiday read.