Books Read-2014 – Cindy's Love Of Books

Mini-Review/ In Real Life: Love, Lies & Identity in the Digital Age

Posted on May 19, 2015May 7, 2015 by Cindy

In Real Life by Nev Schulman
Format: Paperback
Published by Grand Central Publishing on September 2nd 2014
Pages: 256
Goodreads
Genres: Biography & Autobiography, Computers, Dating, Entertainment & Performing Arts, Family & Relationships, General, Interpersonal Relations, Love & Romance, Media Studies, Motivational & Inspirational, Performing Arts, Popular Culture, Psychology, Self-Help, Social Networking, Social Psychology, Social Science, Television, Web

From the host of MTV's #1 show Catfish comes the definitive guide about how to connect with people authentically in today's increasingly digital world.IN REAL LIFE: Love, Lies & Identity in the Digital Age As the host of the wildly popular TV series Catfish which investigates online relationships to determine whether they are based on truth or fiction (spoiler: it's almost always fiction). Nev has become the Dr. Drew of online relationships. His clout in this area springs from his own experience with a deceptive online romance, about which he made a critically acclaimed 2010 documentary (also called Catfish). In that film Nev coined the term

Do you know what “Catfish” means? A catfish is someone who pretends to be someone they’re not using Facebook or other social media to create false identities, particularly to pursue deceptive online romances. Have you ever lied about who you were online?

Nev Schulman, the host of the MTV show Catfish, was a victim of a catfish and this is his personal story. I have been a fan of the show for quite some time now and each and every time I watch it I shake my head and wonder how people can do this to other people? Why do we have to lie about who we are?

In 2007, Nev fell victim to a catfish. With the help of his brother and a friend they tracked down his catfish and discovered that she was a middle aged woman. They turned this into a documentary that ended up being a hit at the Sundance Festival and from their the show was created.

The book touches on his own personal experience as well as his favorite parts of the tv show along with some advise on how you should and shouldn’t act online.

The book is broken down into three sections: Catfishing: A Primer, How to Live and Love Online and How to Live and Love Offline too. Within the book are emails, text, photos and so much more that add to the book. I think this book is really aimed at the teens/young adults instead of my generation.

This was a pretty quick read and I did enjoy reading it. I have never been catfished and I think thats because I am a pretty cautious person when it comes to that because I have been taught if its too good to be true then it probably is.

Review/ Courtney Crumrin The Coven of Mystics

Posted on September 11, 2014August 27, 2014 by Cindy

Courtney Crumrin and the Coven of Mystics by Ted Naifeh
Published by Oni Press, Incorporated on 2003
Pages: 32

This is a special edition bound up book of the second set of four comics. The other graphic novels that I will be reviewing are in this same format. What a great way to read a comic isn’t it?

Courtney is trying and learning on how to use her powers for good and not evil or for selfish reasons. Courtney is still struggling to make friends at school and I hope that she will be able to find that one friend who will change things for her. Right now she is just trying to survive school.

Courtney and her relationship with her Uncle is progressing and he is trying his best to keep her out of trouble but she just doesn’t listen to him. He has taken her under his wing and teaching her things. Even though it seems like she will do anything she wants no matter what the out come could be.

The same characters return with some new additional ones. It was nice to see a little more depth to Courtney and her Uncle.

A Hobgoblin (Tommy Rawhead) is a man eating goblin is on the loose and every one in is worried. Normally nothing really bothers the Night things except this. They fear him. So in steps the Council of the Coven and they decide that they need to step it up and call in Aloysius to take care of the hobgoblin because a prominent warlock, his wife and family was murdered.

Will Aloysius be able to stop the hobgoblin before its too late?

The story line this time is just a little bit darker then the previous one but its still done in the same style and illustrations.

I am curious to see what will happen in the next volume.

Review/ Courtney Crumrin The Night Things Vol 1

Posted on September 5, 2014August 19, 2014 by Cindy

Courtney Crumrin And the Night Things Series: Courtney Crumrin #1

by Ted Naifeh
Published by Demco Media on 2005-04-01
Pages: 120
Goodreads
Genres: Comics & Graphic Novels, Contemporary, Fantasy, Fiction, General

Presenting the initial Courtney Crumrin miniseries in a new digest-sized format. Courtney's parents have dragged her out to a high-to-do suburb to live with her creepy Great Uncle Aloysius in his spooky old house. She's not only the new kid in school, but she also discovers strange things lurking under her bed.

One of the best things about going to the library is being able to spend time and just looking around. I tend to do this when Michael is at the library doing an activity. I just walk up and down all the isles to see what is there.

It seems like this summer was the summer of discovering comics (for Michael) and manga’s/graphic novels for me. I spend almost an hour and a half just going through the adult and young adult graphic novels/manga’s. I managed to find some really good ones that I will be reviewing this month.

Every Friday this month I will be reviewing the Courtney Crumrin series.

Flipping through the book I have to say the illustrations are really nice. You can tell this isn’t a cute little book but a bit darker then a kids manga. According the the retail sites they say its good for kids 7 and up but it was labelled in the young adult section at our library. I don’t think I would let Michael read it because it is a bit dark and not really age appropriate in my opinion. Plus there is some language (I am sure he knows the words anyway from school) and some sexual content. Nothing graphic but still he is only 11.

This is a special edition bound up book of the first four comics. The other graphic novels that I will be reviewing are in this same format. What a great way to read a comic isn’t it?

The graphic novels are about a girl named Courtney. She hates people, has no friends, is a loner and is being forced to move and live with her uncle Aloysius because her parents are living beyond their means and want to live the life of their wealthy friends and climb the social ladder and they feel this will do it for them.

Courtney is not impressed and she knows something is up with the house and her uncle when she starts seeing mysterious things out of the corner of her eye. Not quite sure what to make of it she begins to investigate and stumbles into her uncle’s study and discovers a book. This book isn’t like any other book and it explains what goblins are and so much more.

With this knowledge she decides to trap this goblin, Butterworth (who by the way also narrators the story). Courtney also realizes this book can change her life drastically and could make living there much more enjoyable. She decides to cast a spell that will help her out at school. What Courtney doesn’t realize is that some times something so little can turn into something more. All of a sudden Courtney is Ms. Popular. Courtney doesn’t like this and has no idea what to do because she will be in trouble if her uncle finds out about this.

As the story progresses her parents realize that they will do anything and everything to be on that social path even if it means having Courtney babysit a baby so that the parents can hang out. Sure sounds simple enough right well its not all peachy keen when the baby is swapped for a changeling. The baby was taken to be sold in an auction and now Courtney is a race to safe that baby before its too late. Can she do it?

Finally the last comic in the book was a bit heart breaking. Courtney has gotten sick and she is becoming weaker and weaker. Courtney decides that perhaps if she got out she would get better but quickly realizes that things aren’t what they seem. What will Courtney do when she finds out what has happened since she has been sick?

This made for a fun and quick read. I am curious to see what happens in the next book and the ones after that.

Review/ Way to Go

Posted on September 1, 2014September 16, 2014 by Cindy

Way to Go by Tom Ryan
Format: Hardcover
Published by Orca Book Publishers on 2012-04-01
Pages: 224
Goodreads
Genres: Adolescence, Dating & Sex, Friendship, Homosexuality, Social Issues, Young Adult

Danny thinks he must be the only seventeen-year-old guy in Cape Breton – in Nova Scotia, maybe – who doesn't have his life figured out. His buddy Kierce has a rule for every occasion, and his best friend Jay has bad grades, no plans and no worries. Danny's dad nags him about his post-high-school plans, his friends bug him about girls and a run-in with the cops means he has to get a summer job. Worst of all, he's keeping a secret that could ruin everything.

September is National Library Card Sign Up Month.

Every time I have moved to a new city I always made it a point to go and get a library card. Since living in Montreal I have had four library cards at four different libraries but when the island of Montreal merged alot of the local cities didn’t so now you have to pay to be a member of these libraries so now I only go to the two libraries that are in my area because as a resident I don’t have to pay.

I have noticed that over the summer we borrow alot more books then any other time of the year and that is due to the fact that Michael does various library activities and it makes returning books so much easier then other times of the year but thankfully as a parent volunteer at my son’s school I have complete access to that.

So this month I plan on reviewing only library books. I managed to pick up a whole bunch of books that I don’t think I would have picked up otherwise. I was introduced to a whole new bunch of books as well as you will find out this month.

The first book I am reviewing today is Way to Go by Tom Ryan. He is a Canadian author. He was originally from the East Coast of Canada but he currently lives on the West Coast of Canada.

This is Tom’s first novel. I had no idea about this book until I was looking for Tag Along (that review will be coming up this month as well) which is Tom’s second novel. Seeing it on the shelf I decided to pick it up.

Danny has just finished grade 11 and he has no idea who he is or who he wants to be. He is looking forward to spending the summer with his friends Jay and Kierce. Sounds like a great summer for any teen but what his friends don’t know and its not revealed until almost the end of the book is that Danny is gay and he has been trying so hard to fit in with his friends and not have them thinking he is gay.

I could totally understand that because he lived in a tiny little village in Nova Scotia in the 90s and you just didn’t hear about those things happening in tiny little areas. You knew it happened in bigger cities.

So throughout the book Danny is struggling and trying to keep this secret. He tries to hook up with girls but its just not happening for him. Yes the girls do fall for Danny because he is cute. One night at a party Danny gets drunk and he hopes that this could be it but when he goes into kiss a girl he dumps his beer all over her and she freaks out.

Danny takes off when gay comments are thrown at him he gets stopped by Kierce’s day who is a cop. Danny goes home to tell his mom and figures the only way to keep her son on the straight and narrow is to make him get a summer job and its in this summer job that Danny realizes who he is and what he wants to be.

Thanks to an old of his mom’s who hires him to work at her new restaurant he meets Lisa. He is in awe of her and I think he thinks she could be the one. You can see the flirting going on between them. I think had Kierce not stepped in perhaps something could have happened. Lise is like no other girl he has meet before. She is a bit older, has travelled the world and comes from NYC. She gets Danny to open up and be who he is and its thanks to her that Danny had to courage to be who he is.

I am excited to start Tag Along.

Review/ Crafty Dolls

Posted on June 26, 2014June 30, 2014 by Cindy

Crafty Dolls by Jane Bull
Format: Hardcover
Published by Penguin on 2014-06-30
Pages: 128
Goodreads
Genres: Crafts & Hobbies, General, Needlework, Stuffed Animals

Make adorable dolls and discover inspirational ideas for designs and outfits with DK's new title, Crafty Dolls. In this book, you'll find pretty patterns and basic templates. It's full of ideas for how to make rag dolls, knitted dolls, and doll clothes. Learn basic skills to knit and sew an amazing collection of clothes for a rag doll's wardrobe.

I received this book for free from publisher/pr firm in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

You might recall a few weeks ago I hosted the Jane Bull author stop here on my blog ( read about it here ) and it was so much fun taking part in her tour.

Jane Bull knitted a doll of herself and sent it out across Canada on a blog tour to promote her newest book Crafty Dolls. Which reminds me I need to go and check the other blog stops on her tour to see what kind of fun things Jane has done.

The doll was beautiful and I have to say I wish I could knit because I would make a doll. Isn’t that doll cute?

Since getting the book I have looked at it numerous times. Wondering what kind of doll I should make because there is so many to choose from. There are Lottie rag dolls, with all kinds of clothing and accessories, there are ballerinas, a fairy doll, a night time doll, Shelly the Mermaid, Cinder/Cinderella, yarn dolls, lavender girls, doodle dolls, little Lottie’s made with felt and pillow dolls.

I have actually spotted a few things that I am going to make perhaps as gifts since they seem simple and easy and a non sewer like me probably could do. I have to say that I can sew with just a needle but when it comes to a sewing machine…ya thats a whole other story. I guess I should have paid closer attention when I was in home ec at school.

If you ever picked up a DK book you will say they are probably one of the best craft books (and actually any of the books in their line) out there because they always include beautiful photos to go with practically each step, the instructions are simple and easy to follow, the items you need to make the item is in your local store, they include tons of handy tips and so much more.

With Crafty Dolls they have included all of the above plus patterns you will need to make the dolls and in the back Jane shows you how to stitch (the various stitches you will need to complete the dolls) and knit. Which is perfect if you are picking up the book and I no clue on how to do it. Thankfully I do some cross stitching so I am getting good at that part.

If your looking for the perfect gift for some who is crafty then I highly recommend this.

Thanks Chris for sending me this.

Review/ The Demon Notebook

Posted on June 13, 2014 by Cindy

The Demon Notebook Series: The Demon Notebook #1

by Erika McGann
Format: eARC
Published by Sourcebooks, Inc. on 2014-06-03
Pages: 288
Goodreads
Genres: Horror & Ghost Stories, Young Adult

For Grace and her four best friends, magic is just harmless fun—until it's not...

Things have gone wrong for Grace, Jenny, Rachel, Adie, and Una. Very wrong. A freak snowstorm stranded the whole school, the history teacher's gone bonkers, and their notebook has taken on a diabolical life of its own, bringing all of their previously failed spells to life. At first the girls are thrilled to see their magic finally working.

But the spells are botched and people might get hurt and Una's not acting quite right...

Can the girls stop the madness before the demon notebook works through their list of spells, slowly creeping towards the last, truly awful spell that they didn't really want to happen?

I received this book for free from publisher/pr firm in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The Demon Notebook is Erika McGann’s debut novel. It was first released September 2012 and Sourcebooks has aquired the rights for it in the US. This is the first book in the series and the second one is called The Broken Spell..never look back. I don’t know when Sourcebooks plans on releasing this but hopefully soon.

Growing up my grandmother taught me two things: 1) be careful for what you wish for and 2) never to dabble with witch craft because you will be playing with a force that is much stronger then you. I have to say that I never dabbled with witch craft because I have seen way to many movies and they scared the life out of me. I know they are just movies but when you are younger (early tweens/teens) its pretty scary stuff.

When five friends named Grace, Jenny, Adie, Rachel and Una find a spell book called The Great Book of the Occult the girls can’t help but dabble into some spells such as making making Andrew pee is his pants in french class, making a teacher speak gibberish in history class, Grace’s spell for having James like her and want to be with her (I admit when I was in school I thought of doing this but figured it would never work so never even tried it) and the list goes on and on. These spells never worked and the girls don’t understand why so they decide to up the antie a little and move on the the Ouiji board.

So with a plan to make this work they decide to use the school during career night because thats when the full moon is happening. I think at first the girls thought it wouldn’t work but when it did they got a little freaked out and honestly would could blame them, I know had it been me I would have freaked out and probably ran for dear life.

The board gives the girls a latin phrase which is basically your wish is my commend. The girls have their book of failed spells and before they know it the book is being flipped out and the pages are being flipped like someone is quickly reading it. They don’t really think much of it until the next day in school when all those failed spells start to work, Andrew pees is his pants in french class, there is a bizarre snow storm that forces the kids to spend the night in school, James is chasing down Grace because he likes her and sadly she is not feeling this. The girls notice that the most recent spells are being done and who ever it is is going down the list.

The girls panic because the very first spell is the worst of them all. They need to stop this before it happens. Will the girls be able to before its too late?

Will the girls be able to save one of their own before the demon takes over?

This was a quick read. I enjoyed it but I don’t think Michael would because I think he would find it a little scary. He did say that the cover was neat and wanted to know what I was reading and I asked him if he would be interested in reading it and he politely told me no thank you.

Review/ Cure For The Common Breakup

Posted on May 28, 2014May 30, 2014 by Cindy

Cure for the Common Breakup by Beth Kendrick
Format: Paperback
Published by Penguin on 2014-05-06
Pages: 336
Goodreads
Genres: Contemporary Women, Fiction

Welcome to Black Dog Bay, a tiny seaside town in Delaware known as “the best place in America to bounce back from your breakup.” Home to the Better Off Bed-and-Breakfast, the Eat Your Heart Out bakery, and the Whinery bar, Black Dog Bay offers a haven for the suddenly single.

Flight attendant Summer Benson lives by two rules: Don’t stay with the same man for too long and never stay in one place. She’s about to break rule number one by considering accepting her boyfriend’s proposal—then disaster strikes and her world is shattered in an instant.

Summer heads to Black Dog Bay, where the locals welcome her. Even Hattie Huntington, the town’s oldest, richest, and meanest resident, likes her enough to give her a job. Then there’s Dutch Jansen, the rugged, stoic mayor, who’s the opposite of her type. She probably shouldn’t be kissing him. She definitely shouldn’t be falling in love.

After a lifetime of globe-trotting, Summer has finally found a home. But Hattie has old scores to settle and a hidden agenda for her newest employee. Summer finds herself faced with an impossible choice: Leave Black Dog Bay behind forever, or stay with the ones she loves and cost them everything....

I received this book for free from publisher/pr firm in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Before I begin my review I just quickly want to thank Penguin USA for allowing me to be a part of the book tour for Cure For The Common Breakup. This is also going towards the Book Sparks Summer Reading Challenge as well.

I have to admit that I have never read anything by Beth Kendrick’s until now and I do know I have a few of her books sitting on my bookshelf waiting to be read. Why have I not read any of this author’s books? If her other books are anything like Cure For The Common Breakup then I really need to move them up way up on my tbr pile asap!

I really enjoyed Cure For The Common Breakup alot and I have to say that this is a perfect book to read this summer.

I read it pretty quickly over the span of a few days and when I read it I literally had a hard time to put it down.

I loved Summer. She is a take no crap kind of person and tells it like it is. I don’t think Summer ever had a filter on because she would say things without really thinking about it before hand. She is works hard and plays even harder. During the day she is a flight attendant dating the very hot pilot, Aaron. Things are going really good for both of them until a flight to Paris changes everything.

Just before take off Summer finds out that Aaron in planning on proposing. This changes everything because Summer never really thought about marriage but as she thinks things through she realizes that perhaps this is the time until tragedy strikes that makes her rethink who she is and everything again.

Summer is down and out and decides she needs to get away from everything and everyone and heads to a little town called Black Dog Bay in Delaware that is known to take in heartbroken women. This is just the place she needs to be to get back on track. This little down has the cutest names for its businesses such as Eat Your Heart Out Bakery, The Whinery and so many other names. There was even a bookstore in the book, how could you not love that?

This little town welcomes the heartbroken women in with open arms even though she enters the town with a bang so to speak. She drives into the yard and damages the roses of a handsome guy (Dutch) but he isn’t just any guy but the Mayor of Black Dog Bay. Will Summer be able to break down the major?

All the characters were very fitting for the book and I loved how Summer stood up to Hattie and deep down I really think Hattie wanted to be like Summer but didn’t know how to do it but she was just send hell bent on revenge that she has held on to over the years.

I loved how Summer ended up changing for the better and you can’t help but want to root for her throughout the book. She is the kind of friend I would want in my corner.

I loved how I had a hard time to put the book down because I just wanted to read what was going to happen, what kind of trouble would Summer get herself into and how would she get out of it.

I think if your looking for a fun read this summer then this is the book for you.

Buy the book
 Amazon for Kindle: http://amzn.to/1hyNK4C
 Amazon for paperback: http://amzn.to/1hH0kZB

About the author:
Beth Kendrick is the author of The Week Before the Wedding, The Lucky Dog Matchmaking Service, and Nearlyweds, which was turned into a Hallmark Channel original movie.

She lives in Arizona with her two rescue dogs, but she loves to vacation at the Delaware shore, where she goes to Funland, eats boardwalk fries, and wishes that the Whinery really existed.

Connect with the author:

Facebook: http://on.fb.me/1hyNbYy
Twitter: http://bit.ly/1gSjj3h
Website: http://bit.ly/1lQXUwF
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1hyN7Ie