The Opinionated Me: Reviews and More

Author Interview & Giveaway Part 2: Holly Robinson & Writing Zone; Giveaway

2012-02-08T20:34:00.000-05:00

Today we continue our interview with Holly Robinson and we ask her about how she gets into the writing zone.

Where do you write? Do you have any rituals or mechanisms to get “in the writing zone”?

This is a tough question, because, like so many writers who are also mothers, I write whenever and however I can. I often get my best ideas while driving the car or standing in the shower, or even doing dishes, so I always have little notebooks scattered around where I can capture these fleeting thoughts. For more sustained hours of writing, I retreat to the barn behind our house, where I have an office and a porch that overlooks my badly neglected flower gardens—I have a desk in the office, and another one on the porch. I also spend a lot of time writing at skateboard parks, because that's what my son is into lately.

Holly's Writing Space
(See barn picture)

The screen porch on the side, which my husband and I built, is where I do most of my writing as soon as the weather rises above 50 degrees. We've been working on the barn for five years now--truly an endless physical therapy project :) The barn was built in 1800. The old cherry tree that you see in the picture is an amazing cloud of pink petals in the spring.

The END!

Make sure you sign up for the Giveaway! Results will post in 1 week.

When Cam suddenly flees the country, Jordan follows, determined to bring him home. Her journey takes her to the farthest reaches of majestic Nepal, where she encounters tests—and truths—about love and family that she never could have imagined.

Funny, heartbreaking, and suspenseful, Sleeping Tigers reminds us all that sometimes it's better to follow your heart instead of a plan.

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Author Interview & Giveaway Part 1: Holly Robinson, Sleeping Tigers

2012-02-07T07:00:00.000-05:00

Jordan O'Malley has everything she ever wanted: a job she loves, a beautiful home, and a dependable boyfriend. When her life unravels after a breast cancer scare, Jordan decides to join her wildest childhood friend in San Francisco and track down her drifter brother, Cam, who harbors secrets of his own.

When Cam suddenly flees the country, Jordan follows, determined to bring him home. Her journey takes her to the farthest reaches of majestic Nepal, where she encounters tests—and truths—about love and family that she never could have imagined.
Funny, heartbreaking, and suspenseful, Sleeping Tigers reminds us all that sometimes it's better to follow your heart instead of a plan.

Author Interview

About the author

Holly Robinson has been writing feature articles, essays and advice columns on health, parenting and psychology topics for national magazines since 1995. She has been a contributing editor at Ladies’ Home Journal and Parents magazines. Her work has appeared in several national magazines. She has written two books under her name: The Gerbil Farmer's Daughter, (Harmony/Crown, May 2009) and Sleeping Tigers. She has also written seven books as a ghost writer.

She has taught creative writing and English courses as an adjunct faculty member at Northeastern University and has lectured on writing at numerous other colleges in the Boston area. Ms. Robinson holds a B.A. in biology from Clark University and is a graduate of the MFA program in Creative Writing at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. She lives in northern Massachusetts with her husband and their five children.

1. What is your current profession/job/career?

I am lucky enough to make a living at what I love doing most: writing! I take on a variety of paid writing assignments. For instance, in the past year, I was the ghost writer for three celebrity memoirs for Penguin publishing; I wrote several women's magazine articles and essays; and I wrote marketing materials for colleges and universities.

Charleen: In other words…Holly knows all the dirty little secrets of these unknown celebrities!

2. Previous book?

I published THE GERBIL FARMER'S DAUGHTER: A MEMOIR with Broadway Books, a division of Random House. It's a comic memoir (bet you couldn't guess that!) about growing up with a father who, during his career as a Navy Officer, became a sort of gerbil guru. We had over 9,000 gerbils on our farm at one time—along with horses, sheep, pygmy goats, pheasants, peacocks, lizards, you name it.

Charleen: Gerbils? O.o

3. What is your favorite book/author?

I have so many answers! One book that has stayed with me since childhood—a book that I reread regularly—is A WRINKLE IN TIME by Madeline L'Engle, because I always identified with the geeky, outcast heroine. Through college and grad school, I was completely obsessed by James Joyce's ULYSSES, because the language is so dense and rhythmic, and the tone is alternately sensual and melancholy. (My youngest son's middle name is Ulysses because I still love that book so much.) Later, I fell into the dark world of Paul Bowles—I especially love his short stories.

Charleen: ULYSSES is a great novel and exercise in the entire literary genre. The words masterpiece don’t do it justice.

4. Which authors do you follow?

At the moment I seem to be reading more nonfiction than fiction; my current favorite nonfiction author is Susan Orlean. I also gobble up humor by David Sedaris and mysteries by Elizabeth George and Louise Penny.

5. Which books are you looking forward to in 2012?

There is an absolutely brilliant book of short stories coming out by another of my favorite authors, Susan Straight. It's being published by McSweeny's.

6. What advice would you give to aspiring authors?

Most people will say that you can't make a living as a writer. This is patently untrue—the world will always need writers to do everything from crafting marketing campaigns for cereal to writing movie scripts. However, if your goal is to write a book of your own, you have to truly be in love with that project—enough so that you'll not only write it from start to finish, but be willing to tear it apart and revise it several times over. Do this for yourself, not for anyone else.

7. Future projects?

My agent is currently shopping around a new novel, and I'm finishing another book this week. The novel making the rounds now falls into the same women's fiction category as SLEEPING TIGERS, though it's also a mystery. The new book is a complete departure—a ghost story for grownups!

Charleen: I.e. She’s busy!

8. What inspired you to become an author?

Reading was always my favorite escape. Telling stories came naturally to me—my mother used to make me sit in the back seat and tell stories to my two younger brothers on every car trip. I never thought I'd actually be an author, though, until my last semester of college, when I took Creative Writing as an elective course and discovered that writing absorbed my attention like nothing else on earth. I can be writing for seven hours and it feels like seven minutes. That was true when I began, and it is still true now.

The Writing Process

How long did it take to write the present book?

About three years the first go-round. Then, when my agent had trouble selling it, I took another year to revise the book before finally publishing SLEEPING TIGERS.

Your Book

1. In your words, what is Sleeping Tigers about? How did you become interested or inspired by this idea?

My book, SLEEPING TIGERS, is about a woman who starts her life over again after surviving breast cancer. I drew on many of my own experiences to write this book, since I, too, survived a bout of breast cancer. I was lucky enough to have it diagnosed and treated early; however, the experience completely changed my outlook on life. Other parts of the book are also drawn from my own experiences; for instance, like the main character, I moved to San Francisco from the East and felt like I'd arrived in a foreign country; I have two brothers who I would do anything for; and I spent several months trekking in Nepal, a country that I found equal parts majestic and inspiring.

2. How would you describe your main character?

Jordan is a young fourth grade teacher when she receives an unexpected diagnosis of breast cancer. She has always been organized about everything, from her daily lesson plans to weekend outings with her fiance. The diagnosis and treatment leave her reeling with a new sense of mortality. She wonders if she'll ever enjoy being in an intimate relationship again, much less have a family. Ultimately, she discovers that cancer opens her up to new experiences in life as she begins to live with an open heart, embracing new risks and relationships.

3. Do you relate to your main character?

I don't think that I've ever been as cautious or constrained as Jordan is at the start of this book—I think I'm probably more like her best friend, Karin. But there are parts of me in both of these characters. That's the best thing about being a writer, really: you can just pick and choose which parts of yourself you want to put on the page, and then make up the rest!

4. Favorite quote from your book.

When Jordan travels to San Francisco to track down Karin, her best friend from childhood, she realizes that her experience divides them in a way she hadn't expected. She says, "Despite being my best friend, Karin had yet to realize what I now knew: each of us carries a sleeping tiger inside, and we can’t predict when that cat will wake, stretch, and sharpen its claws."

Author’s info : Holly Robinson

Web site: www.authorhollyrobinson.com

Twitter: @hollyrob1

Facebook author page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Holly-Robinson/121870234589620

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Giveaway: The Darkening Dream by Andy Gavin

2012-02-06T07:21:00.000-05:00

FREE Two Days Only: The Darkening Dream by Andy Gavin

As the modern world establishes itself and pushes the supernatural into the shadows, the supernatural fights back.

The Darkening Dream is a new dark fantasy novel by Andy Gavin, creator of Crash Bandicoot and Jak & Daxter. It is FREE for two days only on Amazon Kindle (February 7th to 8th)! Download your FREE copy here.

About The Darkening Dream

Even as the modern world pushes the supernatural aside in favor of science and steel, the old ways remain. God, demon, monster, and sorcerer alike plot to regain what was theirs.

1913, Salem, Massachusetts – Sarah Engelmann’s life is full of friends, books, and avoiding the pressure to choose a husband, until an ominous vision and the haunting call of an otherworldly trumpet shake her. When she stumbles across a gruesome corpse, she fears that her vision was more of a premonition. And when she sees the murdered boy moving through the crowd at an amusement park, Sarah is thrust into a dark battle she does not understand.

With the help of Alex, an attractive Greek immigrant who knows a startling amount about the undead, Sarah sets out to uncover the truth. Their quest takes them to the factory mills of Salem, on a midnight boat ride to spy on an eerie coastal lair, and back, unexpectedly, to their own homes. What can Alex’s elderly, vampire-hunting grandfather and Sarah’s own rabbi father tell them? And what do Sarah’s continuing visions reveal?
No less than Gabriel’s Trumpet, the tool that will announce the End of Days, is at stake, and the forces that have banded to recover it include a 900 year-old vampire, a trio of disgruntled Egyptian gods, and a demon-loving Puritan minister. At the center of this swirling cast is Sarah, who must fight a millennia-old battle against unspeakable forces, knowing the ultimate prize might be her very soul.

Read the first two sample chapters here.

Get your FREE copy of The Darkening Dream for two days only on Amazon here.

Gadget Review: Motorola ELITE SLIVER Bluetooth Headset

2012-02-05T08:30:00.000-05:00

I miss my Jabra Stone. I used a Jabra STONE before this Motorola Bluetooth. Even though that Jabra Stone is about 3 years older than this current Motorola Sliver, the Jabra Stone wins hands down. In this review I will compare both.

Pairing
This Bluetooth is super easy to pair and use. You can simply tap your phone and the Motorola Charger and you are done. I did the regular pairing with the code and it was simple as well.

Design/Fit
The fit and design of the Jabra Stone is excellent. It fits snuggly and has a slick design that was not cumbersome. In contrast, this Motorola Blue tooth is too big for my ears (average sized ears) and it cannot be adjusted. The design is clunky and heavy on your ear. Because of the weight and fit, the bluetooth has often fallen or slipped off my ear. Even during action as simple as taking off my coat.

Talk Features
It about the worst I have used. For several minutes I tried to "Call Mom" or "Text Mom" and other simple commands and the Bluetooth was not able to pick up a single one. Instead, it directed my phone to call people I had not spoken to in years. It was very embarrassing. Moreover, if you have even the slightest accent, this feature is even worse at picking up what you say.

Charge/Talk Time
This is the only good thing about this Bluetooth. It holds a 5 hour talk time charge and has a carrier that recharges your phone, even when not plugged in. The battery will last you forever.

Overall

I regret my decision to get rid of my Jabra Stone. I want it back. I will still use this Motorola Bluetooth but only until something better comes along.

Tech Review: Native Union Play Video Memo Pad

2012-02-03T08:24:00.000-05:00

This is a great and fun product. And...that's about it. I have enjoyed it for the one month and I have realized that: 1. it is not necessary and 2. I do not even use it, ever.

The Native Union Play item is easy to use. The display is 4.3 inches and the device has its own camera, microphone and playback system. The device has an easy to use fun design. it simulates a talking bubble and has 3 buttons, play record and delete. The Native Union works with 3 AAA batteries.

It records several messages or varying length. To navigate through the messages, simply double click the play button.

The good: This system is super easy to use. Simply hit record for your message and then play to watch it. It doesn't get easier than that. But. remember to stand a bit away from the item so that you don't get a closeup.

My issues: The camera is of very low quality, but the speaker is quite good. Moreover, I never ever use this. Writing on a notepad or sticky note takes half the time. This item is good to leave things that are hard to express on paper. It is also good for guests to leave messages.

This is simply a novelty product that I thought I would use...but I do not. Long live the sticky note.

Back from Hiatus!

2012-02-02T02:10:00.000-05:00

I am finally back from hiatus. It is nice to be back in the online world. Where have I been? I was in Puerto Rico for a couple of weeks for Xmas break.

After coming back, I got a bit sick with asthma and rested for a bit. I have also been working on a super secret project. More on that later.

But, let's talk reviews! What can you expect from the blog in 2012? I will be reviewing even more indie/self-published authors. I like rooting for the little guy/gal. We will be offering giveaways and hosting more author interviews. So...more more more!

SOPA & Protect-IP: Censor this post

2011-12-14T10:50:00.000-05:00

I've censored the following, in protest of a bill that gives any corporation and the US government the power to censor the internet--a bill that could pass THIS WEEK. To see the uncensored text, and to stop internet censorship, visit: http://americancensorship.org/posts/10614/uncensor

I am █████████ my ████ █████ in ███████ of the new █████ ██████ ████████ █████ ██████████. The █████ go █████ and ██████ the ████ ██████████ of █████████ ███████. The █████ ██████ ████████ are █████ by █████ ████████: ████ and the ███████ IP act. █████ █████ █████ ████ ███████████ and ████████████ the █████ to ████ ████ ██████ ████████ ████ ██████████ █████ by █████, ███████████ the ████████ as we ████ it. To ████████ ████ ████ and ██████ ████ ████████ ██████████ █████ ███████ law in ███████ ███████ ████████ now. █████ you do, you’ll see my ██████████ ████ on the ████ ████. ██████ for █████ ████.

Book Trailer: Shatter Me by Tahere Mafi

2011-12-13T11:59:00.000-05:00

From Goodreads:

The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal. As long as she doesn't hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don't fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war-- and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she's exactly what they need right now.

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.

In this electrifying debut, Tahereh Mafi presents a world as riveting asThe Hunger Games and a superhero story as thrilling as The X-Men. Full of pulse-pounding romance, intoxicating villainy, and high-stakes choices, Shatter Me is a fresh and original dystopian novel—with a paranormal twist—that will leave readers anxiously awaiting its sequel.

I recently received this book and I look forward to starting it!

Kindle or Nook Giveaway: R.G. Bullet Books

2011-12-08T11:27:00.001-05:00

WIN a Kindle Touch or Nook Simple Touch

Publisher Silver House Books is running a competition/promotion for the release of The Caldecott Chronicles No.1 (a short story) and The 58th Keeper, both written by R. G. Bullet.

The competition requires you to post a review on Facebook or Goodreads of either of the books.

By the way, check out the cool covers! They move!

The 58th Keeper - baba

The Caldecott Chronicles No.1

Follow R.G. Bullet

Gadget Review: Belkin Kitchen Stand and Wand

2011-12-06T14:14:00.001-05:00

The Belkin Kitchen Stand and Wand is rather cool and useful. I cook almost daily and I enjoy trying new recipes, which are sometimes messy. I was often annoyed at having to take extra steps to protect my iPad when I wanted to scroll down a recipe. (Washing my hands when I am dealing with floor every time I need to cross check something is a pain.)

Queue in the Belkin Kitchen Stand and Wand. I had really been looking for something like this for a while.

The stand provides a good reading angle for your table (any tablet). There are two available angles: vertical and flat. Although if you have your iPad in a folio or cover, you may have to take it off. The wand rests in a different holder not connected to the stand, which is actually one of the issues of this stand. Why are they not connected? I would have preferred to keep the stylus in the same stand. I do not need a separate stand for the stylus. It is just begging to get lost.
The stylus is somewhat responsive; sometimes I had to press a bit to get my iPad to respond.

Overall, this is a great product for people who cook a lot and keep their recipes in their tablets.

Not the Internet ... Not Here ... Not Now

2011-11-15T13:58:00.001-05:00

I have mentioned that this site will be participating in American Censorship Day. There are 2 different bills, and both are just as bad.

PROTECT IP Act, or (Preventing Real Online Threats to Economic Creativity and Theft of Intellectual Property Act of 2011), United States Senate Bill S.968. A similar House version of the bill, the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) was introduced on October 26, 2011. I have linked both bills to their Wikipedia pages.

Even if you do not have a website or a blog, YOU can take action by writing, tweeting or emailing your Congressman.

Protect the Internet>

Trailer: The Hunger Games

2011-11-14T13:49:00.001-05:00

A trailer! Finally! The Hunger Games is one of the best series I have read in recent memory. I loved the books. I just hope that the movie adaptation is better than Twilight which was so thoroughly disappointing IMHO. BTW, I thought the fence would be so much bigger.

Book Teaser Trailer: Shatter Me

2011-11-14T09:53:00.001-05:00

I recently received this book from Amazon Vine. Looking forward to reading it.

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

American Censorship Day

2011-11-13T12:20:00.001-05:00

On November 16, this blog will be taking part on the American Censorship Day Campaign. You will see the logo below covering my banner. We already know how pervasive Internet censorship can be and how carried away it can get. Some countries are already prime examples.

"PROTECT-IP is a bill that has been introduced in the Senate and the House and is moving quickly through Congress. It gives the government and corporations the ability to censor the net, in the name of protecting 'creativity'. The law would let the government or corporations censor entire sites-- they just have to convince a judge that the site is 'dedicated to copyright infringement.'
The government has already wrongly shut down sites without any recourse to the site owner. Under this bill, sharing a video with anything copyrighted in it, or what sites like Youtube and Twitter do, would be considered illegal behavior according to this bill.
According to the Congressional Budget Office, this bill would cost us $47 million tax dollars a year — that's for a fix that won't work, disrupts the internet, stifles innovation, shuts out diverse voices, and censors the internet. This bill is bad for creativity and does not protect your rights." ~PROTECT IP Act Breaks The Internet by Fight the Future

On November 16, Congress will hold a hearing on the first American Internet censorship system. Write to your senator and representative. The video below will explain more about it.

PROTECT IP Act Breaks The Internet from Fight for the Future on Vimeo.

e-Book Review: Zombie Betrayal by Robert DeCoteau

2011-11-10T14:58:00.000-05:00

Zombie Betrayal by Robert DeCoteau
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Zombie Betrayal is a short story. Joe is down on his luck. He lost his job, his marriage is falling apart and even his son ignores him. There are very few zombies in this book. The book is actually about Joe’s imploding life. Joe notices certain strange things that he doesn’t piece together until the very end 9the zombie things). The author also introduces another character, a writer looking for Joe’s story. This is a big add-on with much ado about nothing. If anything, this is the beginning of a larger story and I look forward to reading it.

The story does need some heavy editing and less use of the comma. It is a good second draft but still needs a bit of work. It was interesting and I hope there is more.

View all my reviews

Book Teaser Trailer: Hallowed by Cynthia Hand

2011-11-09T15:17:00.000-05:00

Earlier this year I reviewed Unearthly by Cynthia Hand. It was pretty good. The sequel Hallowed and is being released on January 17, 2012.

Book Trailer!

Logitech Joystick for iPad and iPad2

2011-11-08T09:24:00.002-05:00

This is the Logitech Joystick for iPad.

This is a pretty simple, yet ingenious little gadget. It is a joystick constructed out of plastic that aligns with the controls in your iPad. The joystick attaches via suction cups on the screen of the iPad. You need to make sure to attach it right over where the controls should go. The suction cups mostly stay in place...although they have slipped off in the middle of playing. I find this quite helpful when playing games as I prefer using the joystick as a guide rather than the screen itself. The materials...well yeah, they look a bit flimsy and I don't think this is a very durable product, especially for over energetic gamers. This won't work for all games, only those with the directional controls on the side. And even then, it works better for some games than others. I used it to play Zombie Crisis 2 and other games and it performed quite well. Overall, this is not a bad product if it is at a decent price (as in cheap) or if it were a 2 pack. I found it very useful and prefer playing with it than with the screen's directional buttons.

Although...I have to say this device looks strangely similar (read: pretty much the same) as the lower priced Ten One Design Fling Game Controller. You can get a two pack for the same price as one Logitech.

Let's compare the two. Can you tell which is which? Don't look at the brand!

Hmmmm...........yeah...I see the difference...the brand and color. Yeah...very ingenious of your Logitech.

* I received this item from Amazon Vine for the purposes of a review.

Check out the review at Amazon.

First Grave on the Right, By Darynda Jones

2011-10-30T00:00:00.000-04:00

First Grave on the Right by Darynda Jones
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“First Grave on the Right” is a rather entertaining book. Charley Davidson is a P.I. and she sees and talks to dead people because she is THE Grimm Reaper, the portal to the hereafter. Charley has to solve a murder mystery and figure out who is that otherworldly and powerful Big Bad. Add to the list, figure out who the hot guy in her dream (or not so dreams) is.

The book is funny and has great and witty dialogue. It is very entertaining chick lit with some otherworldly elements. Don’t go looking for some deep and somber book. Even the storyline has some far-fetched ideas and loopholes. So what? This is a light read but very satisfying. The dialogue and the colorful characters make the book great. I am definitely reading the other one in the series.

This is a good book to read when you are in a reading slump or when you just want to relax with a light and funny book.

View all my reviews

Ashes (Ashes Trilogy #1) by Ilsa J. Bick

2011-10-28T10:43:00.000-04:00

Ashes (Ashes Trilogy #1) by Ilsa J. Bick
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I am very conflicted with how I feel about this book. I rewrote the first sentence of this review about five times before settling on the one you read.

This book starts with a girl named Alex. Alex has a brain tumor, both parents have died and lives with her aunt. She is very independent and has decided to go camping for a week or so to release her parents ashes at a special place. She encounters an older man with his granddaughter, also camping. Then an electromagnetic pulse is released and everything goes to hell. The majority of the population dies, and those than do not, become crazed and cannibalistic (zombies but not yet dead). She also meets Tom, a soldier on leave. All three form a strong bond as they try to survive this new world.

I ABSOLUTELY LOVED this book until page 340. It was excellent and I just could not stop reading. It had great action, great characters (somewhat believable characters) and fast paced narration. I was jumping up and down because I loved this book so much. The book had intensity, the pace of those in need to survive, it was urgent, gripping. Each character had their own personal issues and they all worked so well together. It was deeply moving to see the bond that they formed and how they all worked together to stay alive. They created a family in a short amount of time out of need, self preservation and the need for one. Up until page 340 this book was getting a 5+ stars from me. I was gushing. Then, it all went to hell.

Starting in page 340, the author seemed to have started a brand new book about cults.

This was now the main theme and the crazed people (zombie-like) were just incidental to the story. Even the entire setting of the book changed. From the state park and ravished land to some idyllic little cultish community that seemed relatively untouched by what had happened, save for the population. With little over 120 pages left in the book, the author introduced new characters, new themes and a new love interest! Really? This girl who was oh so falling for Tom, suddenly likes this new whats-his name moody guy. I do NOT care about Chris, or the people in this town of Rule or the million of other characters and dynamics introduced.

The first part of the book is a 5+ urgently paced, “let’s survive this” book. The second part is a 2- stars slow paced, “let’s wait and see” and change all the rules book.

I guess that brings the book to a 3. I will read the next book in the trilogy, but only because I want to know about Tom and Ellie ONLY. I do not care for Chris and company.

View all my reviews

Dead of Night, by Jonathan Maberry

2011-10-27T10:03:00.001-04:00

Dead of Night: A Zombie Novel by Jonathan Maberry
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Dez and JT are small town cops. Dez is a self-destructive and self-loathing military veteran in her 30s and JT is a tall black man in his 40s or 50s. They have a dynamic that works. But, that dynamic, and everything else, is put to the test when their little small Pennsylvania town is run over by zombies. Now it is up to them to try to save the few people that are stil really alive from the zombies and from the military as well.

‘Dead of Night’ is a pretty good book. It had a nice pace and great action. Jonathan Maberry is great at visual narration. His descriptions enable you to visually envision the action. He is also great at delving deep into the psyche of his characters. He wants you to really know them and care for them. Sadly, in this case, I cared little for Dez. She was unlikable at her best and impossible to tolerate at her worst. Moreover, Maberry repeated 100 zillion times that she was “damaged goods”. Every single character repeated it at least twice (along with the fact that she had “a nice rack”) and she also acknowledged it a few times. Twice was enough.

My other gripe with the book is that there are so many characters. Maberry loves to tell the story from several points of view. But, after introducing the President, the generals, the captains, lieutenants and privates and cops and radio people and everyone in town....well, let’s just say I had a hard time keeping them straight.

This is a very good book in terms of zombies. Great action, visual narration and a nice spin on the zombie story. There were just a few things that bothered me, as I mentioned above. Overall, it was quite enjoyable.

View all my reviews

Before I go to sleep, by S.J. Watson

2011-10-26T14:27:00.000-04:00

Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Imagine learning that you are married, had a life, then lost it all every day. Imagine waking up next to someone you don’t know, trying to trust him because he is your husband, trying to reconnect, live your life, knowing you ONLY have a day. Because tomorrow, all you did, learned, all the memories you made, will be gone. S.J. Watson tackles this very issue skillfully in the book “Before I go to sleep”.

Christine, the narrator and main character, suffers from amnesia. She was involved in an incident of sorts and cannot form new memories. Every day she wakes up in a bed she doesn’t know, next to a man she does not remember and 20 years older than what she thought. Every day starts the same.

The one person that helps her through this is her husband, Ben. She also is seeing a doctor behind her husband’s back and she writes in her diary daily, trying to piece together the previous days she can’t remember, as well as her life. But, when she writes in her diary “Don’t trust Ben” she must try to figure out how the accident happened, her life to date and whether she can trust those around her. Her life, and sanity, rests on whether she can put together and make sense of her fragmented life.

The book itself is Christine diary. She uses it to keep track of her days, her experiences, her memories. The book is Christine’s memory and the anchor to her life. S.J. Watson authored an incredible book. The narration conveys the desperation Christine feels and a sense of urgency about finding out more about Christine’s accident and what has transpired in her life.

“Before I go to sleep” is a great book. I was thoroughly enthralled by the subject matter and the narration. I don’t think I was able to physically put it down. Even if I wasn’t actively reading it, I had it in my hand.

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The Eleventh Plague by Jeff Hirsch

2011-10-17T10:18:00.000-04:00

The Eleventh Plague by Jeff Hirsch
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Stephen Quinn has grown up in a post-apocalyptic United States. The U.S. has been ravaged by war with China, a plague and the systemic fall of society as we know it. The military has turned to human trafficking and slavery, human decency is at an all time low and there is no one to trust but yourself. Stephen has just lost his grandfather, and his father has fallen down and is gravely injured. It is up to Stephen to keep his father and himself safe and try to find shelter. Then he meets people that have form a town and he must decide whether he can trust them and be the hero they need or go back to being the scavenger he and his father are.

It’s impossible not to compare this book to The Road by Cormac McCarthy. Both books are about a father and son in a ravaged land trying to survive. But, whereas The Road is about the father and his relationship and great love for the kid, The Eleventh Plague is about the son, the way he has grown up in this ravaged world and his hope for a semblance of a family and a future.

The book is very good and I read it rather quickly. The narrative was beautiful. Jeff Hirsch is quite talented at writing visual narrative. I could just picture the glint of the gold ring each time Stephen remembered his grandfather hitting him. Hirch also created great and compelling characters. The books goes incredibly fast and before you know it you are done. Although the author does give you a lot of information about the United States, the war, what has been happening, I can’t help but feel it was half formed. I wish we had learned more about the Chinese occupants in the West. There is a lot of potential there. I guess the author could use the character of Jenny to explore that angle.

This books is marked as a young-adult book but everyone will enjoy it. It is very good.

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Eve by Anna Carey

2011-09-23T09:25:00.000-04:00

Eve by Anna Carey
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

‘Eve’, by Anna Carey, revolves around a girl named Eve. She lives in a dystopian world, a world ravished by plagues and war. Factions have survived and a new government is trying to take root. Girls are schooled in the arts, the sciences and the treachery of men. There is actually a class “Dangers of Boys and Men”. On the eve of her graduation from this great all-girls school, she discovers that all she knows is a lie and she escapes a horrible fate. Now, she must fend for herself in this new world and escape her pursuers.

I finished this book about a month ago. Since then, I have not been able to read anything else. It made me go into a reading lull. Before all the fan rage starts, let me explain. I kinda enjoyed reading the book...in the beginning. It was a lot like Twilight in the “experience”: a horribly written book with a hook to draw you in. But, there were so many things wrong with the narration and the storyline that it became frustrating. The entire book barely makes sense.

This book was about about Eve, Eve escaping, how terribly naive she is (even though she has a great education), and her quickly found new love, Caleb. The dystopian world is merely the stage where events take place. My first issue with the book is that the explanation given for the new order of things, for the new government, does not really make a lot of sense. Girls are given this amazing education, for what? To be house in a brick building and pumping out babies? I am pretty sure there are better ways to keep people docile. They are taught that all men are horrible vile creatures. Wouldn’t it be easier to tell girls that men didn’t exist? They never get to see them anyways.

Another issue with the book is that the events happen quickly. The author barely bothers to narrate the transition from one event to the other. One moment Eve is thinking about teaching people how to read, next, in the SAME page, she is teaching an entire group of people. I thought a few days had passed. But, it was still the same day. The love storyline has the same issue. Caleb and Eve fall in love in the span of a week, maybe less. I call this the Quick Love YA Lit Syndrome.

I could keep listing the other issues with this book but, it is not really worth it. The book had potential. It was a good story, in theory. The book was poorly executed and made little sense. I don’t really recommend it and I will not be reading the rest of the series.

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The 2011 Fall TV Season: The Playboy Club

2011-09-22T09:32:00.001-04:00

The Fall TV Season

The Playboy Club

This review won't be long.

The show was vapid with barely a storyline. I can't even remember half the characters.

Blonde playboy bunny sells cigarettes. Some mob guy harasses her. She kills him. Cute Eddie Cibrian character helps her. The end.

The only reason I watched the entire show was because Eddie Cibrian looked so handsome in those suits.

Verdict: SKIP

The 2011 Fall TV Season: Ringer

2011-09-13T22:24:00.001-04:00

The Fall TV Season

I have reviewed new seasons on other sites, it's time to bring the reviews to my blog. I usually watch a good number of the new TV shows. Not all, but a good number.

Let's start with Ringer.

Ringer

Cast: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Nestor Carbonell and other people.

Premise: Twin Bridget (alcoholic and on the run from witness protection due to a crime she witnessed) takes over the life of Twin Shioban (a NY socialite with just as many issues as Bridget) when Bridget thinks Shioban committed suicide.

This is supposed to me a film noir, soap-opera drama. Lots of drama and flawed characters. The show was ok...I guess. I really could not pay much attention to it after it filmed an entire scene over the back splash of an ocean. It reminded me of Lemony Snicket's cinematography. But that was better. Ringer seems to have spent all of its budget on talent and left none for filming.

Jueliet, Shioban's step daughter, is played by Zoey Deutch. Worst acting of the show. Enough said. Nestor Carbonell is, as always, ... yummy. Oh yeah, and the acting is good.

The show did a good job of presenting the basic premise and left some good issues left to explore. But, I can count them with my right hand. The show needs just a tad more.

I really like Sarah Michelle Gellar, so I am giving this show another episode. I will decide then whether it is a keep.

Verdict: Watch 1 more and see. Just because it has SMG.