Category: Challenges (past)

Swimsuit Review

Posted on by Cindy

PUB DATE: June 2009

I have to send a huge THANK YOU to Miriam at Hachette for sending me Swimsuit to read and review.

As many of you know by now I am a huge James Patterson fan. I can actually read his books in a day and this was the case for this book. It was shortly after the Quebec holiday that we had family in town and decided to go to the zoo which is about an hour out of Montreal and I made sure to pack this book into the bag and I was going to read it on the way there as well as sitting in the water park. I was lucky enough to grab a lounger and there I sat while the kids took part in the water park.

I could not put the book down so I was really disappointed on the way home when we hit a huge thunder and lightening storm with tons of rain needless to say I stayed up late that night to finish this book.

This is James Patterson’s newest book to be released. He has been writing since 1976. He has written over 50 books. Both fiction for adults and series for young adults.

I am always wondering whenever I pick up his books if I will like it? Does he still have that IT factor? The answers to those questions are YES! I LOVED IT! and YES He does still have that IT factor. I am amazed that he does still have IT after writing well over 50 books. He is writing because he wants to not because he has too. He manages to suck you in as a reader and makes it impossible to put his books down.

This is the case in Swimsuit. Swimsuit is about Kim Daniels who is a beautiful swimsuit model. She is in Hawaii on a photo shoot when she goes missing. No one knows she is missing until her parents get a late night phone call saying that she is missing. Her parents manage to get flights out to Hawaii right away so they can search for Kim. No one is really concerned at first because they think she ran off to enjoy Hawaii.

Her parents are trying to get into speak with the Police but funny enough they have odd hours. With the help of Ben Hawkins who is an ex-cop who is turned reporter for the LA Times. He offers to help the family out and tells them he can be an asset to them with the investigation.

With more bodies turning up and no witnesses or evidence everyone is scrambling to find out who this killer is and why is he killing.

The killer video tapes each of the killings because there is a price on all of these videos and an elite group who is willing to watch them. He calls them the PEEPS. They are a bunch of wealthy people who will pay big bucks for a cheap thrill that doesn’t get their hands dirty.

Will they be able to stop the killer before he kills again or will more lives end?

If you have never read Patterson before and are looking for something then I have to suggest this one. Its a stand alone book. It will suck you in from page one.

UP COMING BOOKS:
James Patterson has three upcoming books this year:

  • Alex Cross Trials set to be released in August 2009
  • I, Alex Cross set to be released in November 2009
  • Witch Wizard set to be released in December 2009

Come back at the end of August for my review of Alex Cross Trials.

copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.

The Chosen One Review

Posted on by Cindy

PUB DATE: May 2009

I bought this book after seeing quite a few reviews for it lately. Of course it being about polygamy, a topic I have been interested in lately sold me right away.

I bought the book at the end of June so this is being applied to the Buy a Book/Read a book for June.

Kyra is a 13 year old girl ho has lived her whole life in a polygamy compound. She has never questioned her life before now. Her father has three wives (Sarah, Claire and Victoria) and she has 10 brothers and 10 sister with two more on the way. The ages range from 8 months old to 17 years old.

Kyra is basically like your typical teenager who likes boys and likes to read. Both of which are forbidden. Kyra really likes this boy named Joshua. The sneak off to be together. If the prophet found out she would be in trouble as in all polygamy groups young girls are not suppose to be with any boy before she is married and they have no say on who they will be with. She is hoping that this will change with Joshua and that the prophet will allow them to be together.

Reading of books is forbidden and its deemed the work of the devil. Kyra spots the Ironton County Mobile Library driving by and one day the guy stops the truck when he sees Kyra. She gets into the truck, she misses reading. At one time there was books allowed until one day they were told to burn them. So Kyra allows takes a book and hides it in her dress. She has read: Harry Potter & The Sorcerers Stone, Anne of Green Gables, Little house on the Prairie and a few others.

The Prophet has come to inform Kyra’s family that Kyra will be married. She is excited because she thinks she will be marrying Joshua. Her excitement is short lived when she finds out who she is to be married too. She is upset and says she will not marry. Who would the prophet assign Kyra too? Could it be that bad that she would refuse? Will Joshua be able to help Kyra?

I enjoyed reading this but the only thing that really bothered me was the abuse and the extent it went too. Does this really happen to the women and children on compounds? As fascinated as I am in polygamy I don’t think I would make a good sister wife. Not being able to have a say and to protect my children just seems wrong. Also when young girls are being told to marry some 3 to 4 times their age is just wrong.

copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.

The Castaways Blog Tour & Review

Posted on by Cindy


PUB DATE: July 7, 2009

The Castaways by Elin Hilderbrand is part of the July blog tour by Hachette.

Thank you to Miriam for sending this book. I am always honored to be part of the tours of books that Hachette offers.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Elin Hilderbrand lives on Nantucket with her husband and their three young children. She grew up in Collegeville, Pennsylvania, and traveled extensively before settling on Nantucket, which has been the setting for her five previous novels. Hilderbrand is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University and the graduate fiction workshop at the University of Iowa.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Greg and Tess MacAvoy are one of four prominent Nantucket couples who count each other as best friends. As pillars of their close-knit community, the MacAvoys, Kapenashes, Drakes, and Wheelers are important to their friends and neighbors, and especially to each other. But just before the beginning of another idyllic summer, Greg and Tess are killed when their boat capsizes during an anniversary sail. As the warm weather approaches and the island mourns their loss, nothing can prepare the MacAvoy’s closest friends for what will be revealed.

MY THOUGHTS:

Elin Hilderbrand is a new author to me. She has written seven previous books and from the descriptions of the books they all sound like they will be fun summer reads. I have them all on my wish list of books to read.

The story takes place in Nantucket. It involves four couples. These four couples are all the best of friends that live in Nantucket all year round. The chapters are told by the eight characters involved in the book.

The characters are:
Greg & Tess-Greg is a womanizer & in a band. Tess is a mother with two kids.

Deliah & Jeffrey-Deliah is a mother of two kids and party girl. Jeffrey is a local farmer

Phoebe & Addison-Phoebe has a drug problem, loves to spend money and a trophy wife. She use to have a twin, Reed, but he died jumping from a window at the World Trade Center on September 11th. Addison is a rich real estate agent on Nantucket. He is divorce with a sixteen year old daughter.

Chief & Andrea-Eddie (The Chief) is the police chief. Andrea is Tess’s cousin and is a mother to two kids. She use to date Jeffrey.

In my opinion it appears as though Greg and Tess are the golden couple of the group. Greg and Tess have had their fair share of trouble from countless miscarriages Tess has suffered to the possibility of Greg’s infidelity that almost caused them to end their marriage.

Tess and Greg managed to over come it all and planned on celebrating their 12th anniversary together and planned to sail from their home in Nantucket to nearby Martha’s Vineyard and possibly spend the night. On the way their, their boat ends up capsized and both Greg and Tess are killed.

The rest of the group is dealing with the sudden lose of Greg and Tess and are trying to cope with their deaths. Out of the group its Addison, Andrea and Deliah who seem to be having a harder time dealing with the deaths. But why? Could it be that Addison and Deliah have secrets that no one in the group knows about?

We know Andrea would be having a difficult time handling Tess’s death because they were very close and were cousins. She at times felt like a mother to Tess. She decides that since Tess and Greg had no provisions in the will regarding the two kids she decides that since she is family she will take them. This comes to much disappointment in Deliah.

I enjoyed the book. There was tons of secrets going on within the group and it made you wonder how will it play out and would they be revealed. Looking forward to reading more by Elin.

This is the third day of the tour with two more days to go.

If you want to read more reviews you can check out the following bloggers that will be hosting this tour today:
http://debbiesworldofbooks.com/
http://www.reviewfromhere.com/
http://martasmeanderings.blogspot.com/
http://www.chickwithbooks.blogspot.com/
http://frommipov.blogspot.com/
http://luanne-abookwormsworld.blogspot.com/
http://booksiesblog.blogspot.com/
http://dreyslibrary.blogspot.com/
http://jennsbookshelf.blogspot.com/
http://books-movies-chinesefood.blogspot.com/

Many of the bloggers above are giving away copies of the book so if your interested in reading it then enter their contests.

copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.

Sookie Stackhouse Reading Challenge

Posted on by Cindy

I heard about this on twitter as well as on BethFishReads blog. At first I wasn’t going to take part as I already have alot to read and I am already doing two challenges but suddenly with reading all the tweets I decided to take the plunge and join the Sookie Stackhouse Reading Challenge. I also managed to convince Donna to join me in this challenge as well. We agreed on the way to our local blogger meet up that we will do this challenge together.

The great thing about this challenge that it starts July 1, 2009 but only ends June 30, 2010 so you have a whole year to read all the books. I ended up getting all of the books except that last one because the last one was in hard cover and I am hoping that by the time I get to the last one that it will be out in paper back. Thankfully the bookstore had a big promo so I managed to get one book free.

The Books:
Dead Until Dark
Living Dead in Dallas
Club Dead
Dead to the World
Dead as a Doornail
Definitely Dead
All Together Dead
From Dead to Worse
Dead and Gone

To find out more about it or to take part in it then go to BethFishReads blog for all the details.

copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.

What’s the best you can do? Review

Posted on by Cindy

PUB DATE: March 2009
This is an autobiographical collection of anecdotes that Derek Rowlinson has experienced as a second hand bookseller in his store.
This was a funny and quick read. I had a hard time putting this book down once I started to read it.
Some of the stories were really funny and I found myself laughing out loud and being able to relate to them. One of the sections was “Ask a Silly Question” and Derek gets asked “Have you read all these?” I use to get asked that all the time and heaven forbid should you say no. You would then get asked why not, you work here don’t you. He also mentioned the shop lifter and that was another one I could relate to as there was this older man who would come in with an open back pack and leave with a heavier closed one. Yes he did steal and it was science fiction books he would steal. We were never able to catch him in the act but Derek the author did in his store.

I have worked in a bookstore (Coles) and I had quite a few characters that I had to deal with on a daily bases. There was one customer who would call every Tuesday to see what new releases there was this week. You had to tell him every single new book that came in that week and heaven forbid should it be a title that interest him and if it was you had to read the back of the book to him. I never got to meet this customer but he did come into the store on a monthly bases.

Another customer would insist that the bargain books we had on display were previously read books that customers returned. We would also say no they are not but they would argue each and every time. Just before I had left my job I told that customer for the last time that it was impossible because there was stacks of 5-10 books in the pile of the same title.
After reading this book I have a whole new appreciation for booksellers in second hand bookstores and in retail stores. Think twice before asking that question you might have to ask. Also please remember your manners and you don’t have to be rude and annoying to booksellers.

copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.

Dear Jo Review

Posted on by Cindy

PUB DATE: May 2007

I heard about this book and I was curious to read it. I was lucky enough to find this at my library. I was surprised to find it in their new release section.

The book is written as a journal/dairy entries. It made for a quick and easy read. The book is about Maxine and her struggle to overcome the lose of her best friend, Leah.

Maxine is a 12 years old girl. She has five best friends, Leah (who is her best best friend), Lexi, Emma, Kelsey and Amanda.

Leah and Maxine have discovered the internet and the darker side of it. They are going into chat rooms and flirting with boys. The girls think that the boys they are flirting with are their age. But before long the girls are getting love letters from them.

Maxine gets caught with the emails and she is grounded from the computer. Leah’s parents don’t say anything to her and she continues her contact with the boy. He then convinces Leah to meet him. Leah thinks he is who he said he was and agrees to meet him. The only thing is we all know that most people aren’t who they say they are and Leah goes missing.

Maxine is heartbroken and realizes that it could have been her. When the police ask her for her help will she agree? Can they catch this guy in time or will it be to late?

One thing I really thought was important and it was brought up in the book was that you should never give out any real info about yourself. I try to be careful about what I put out there and who I give info too.

This is a great book that all young adults should read. I really think as parents we need to monitor our children’s Internet activity. We have to remind them that not everyone you chat with online will be who they say they are.

We need to be careful as this really hit home for me last year when a guy I went to high school with was arrested in the US and is now sitting in a US jail for child pornography and arranging to meeting a minor. He has over 100 charges against him and if he is convicted he will basically be spending the rest of his life behind bars.

copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.

The Sinful Life of Lucy Burns Review

Posted on by Cindy

PUB DATE: June 2009

Thank you to Harrison and Bruce from Bancroft Press for sending me this great book to read and review. I loved the book and it was such a fun and quick read.

This is Elizabeth’s first novel and she has a total of three under her belt and is working on a fourth one.

When Lucy was almost eleven years old, Ellen, her sister was was hit by a truck while riding her bike one evening in October. Ellen lay in a coma and the chances of her surviving weren’t that good. What the family needed was a miracle.

In their backyard was a kids mailbox that Ellen and Lucy would use and pretend that it was magical. Lucky wrote a letter:

“To Whom It May Concern:
I know I’ve asked for things in the past that I said were really important, but this time I’m not lying. I swear I’ll never ask for anything else if you make this one wish come true. Make Ellen wake up and I’ll be forever in your debt.

Sincerely,
Lucy Burns”

The next morning the family got good news that Ellen was awake. Lucy went outside to destroy the letter. The letter was gone but there was a reply saying “Its a deal. Happy Birthday. I’ll be in touch. Sincerely To Whom It May concern”

From that day Lucy basically sold her sole to the devil. So be careful what you ask for you never know what can happen.

Lucy is now an adult and is working for the devil himself. She is a facilitator to hell. Her basement is one gateway to hell. There are more all over the place. She is given names that she must bring into her home and show them the basement. Meaning she shows them to hell.

She finally realizes that she is tired of her job and not being able to have a real relationship. Working with the devil is rough as he wants undivided attention among his employees.

When she gets to meet her idol Teddy Nightingale. He realizes who she really is and offers to help her out. He tells her the three steps she needs to learn so that she can give her notice to the devil. He tells her it won’t be easy and its not at first. She figures she will try it out and basically has nothing to loose.

She is willing to risk it all for Luke who is a professor at the university. Will she be able quit working with the Devil or will he make it hard for her to leave?

This was a funny and charming quick read and I loved it. There were so many spots that I laughed at (her getting totally drunk on Halloween at a Pampered Chef’s party she is hosting). I loved Lucy. She came off sweet and innocent but yet she knew what she was doing and knew how to get the job done.

I plan on looking into getting her other two books and can’t wait for the fourth one to come out.

copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.