Book Review: Bedeviled Eggs by Laura Childs

Bedeviled Eggs by Laura Childs
Publisher: Berkley
Release: December 7, 2010 (Today!)

Paperback, 336 pages
A Cackleberry Club Mystery #3
Cozy mystery/thriller

My Review:
Why I read this:  The author contacted me to see if I was interested in reading her book.  I have heard of the author and this series sounds fascinating so I agreed.


How is the novel driven:  Tough call, it's obviously a mystery/thriller so plot is important, but the characters are just as important in this one as well, so I would say it's a great mixture of the two.


My thoughts:  Bedeviled Eggs was a pleasure to read.  From the first page I was sucked into the world of The Cackleberry Club with Petra, Suzanne and Toni.  As I have mentioned before, I love books and series centered around small-town life and this one delivers on that.

I thought the mystery was well-done and I did not figure out who the bad guy was before it was revealed to me so that was a plus.  The story was finished well and the mystery/suspense plot kept me going through the book.  I'm not sure why I don't read more cozy mystery/thrillers, but after reading this one I will be sure to pick up the first two in the series.

Bedeviled Eggs has a serious mystery to it, but I like the fact that it's light and easy to read, the characters really make it and I didn't have to think too hard while reading it.  I just sat back in my chair and enjoyed where the story took me.  I really enjoyed getting to know the three main characters, Suzanne, Petra and Toni.  They are an interesting bunch, each one different but they work so well together.  I also enjoyed reading about The Cackleberry Club and the various functions they put on, it sounded like a wonderful restaurant and knitting and book store combination.

This is the third book in the series, but the first one I have read and while I think I would have known more about the characters had I read the first two, but I never felt lost at all while reading this one, so if you want to jump right in, I recommend it.  Bedeviled Eggs makes a great stand-alone, but I bet like me, you will want to read the first two when you finish this one.

Great characters, wonderful suspense/mystery, and a lot of small-town fun make Bedeviled Eggs a wonderful book to spend a lazy afternoon reading.  I started it and could not put it down and I enjoyed spending the afternoon immersed in the world of Kindred and it's inhabitants.


Ms. Childs also has two other series besides The Cackleberry Club, she also has the Tea Shop Mysteries and Scrapbooking Mysteries.  I plan on checking those out as well.


My Rating:  4.75/5.0

About the Book:

The ladies at the Cackleberry Club café are busy preparing for Halloween. But someone's jumped the gun on the tricks. As mayoral candidate Chuck Peebler leaves the café, he gets struck with a crossbow arrow and is killed instantly. And when another murder occurs on the historical society's Quilt Trail, the Cackleberry Club needs to sniff out the bad egg-before he strikes again.

About the Author:
Laura Childs is a pseudonym for Gerry Schmitt and she is the best-selling author of the Tea Shop Mysteries, the Scrapbook Mysteries and the Cackleberry Club Mysteries.
 
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FTC Information: I received this book from the author for an honest review.  I have Amazon links on my review pages but I do not make any money from these because of NC laws.  I put them solely for people to check out the books on a retail site.

Book Review and Giveaway: The Ice Cream Theory by Steff Deschenes

The Ice Cream Theory by Steff Deschenes
Publisher: Book Surge Publishing
Release: July 14, 2009

Paperback, 282 pages

My Review:
Why I read this:  The author contacted me to see if I was interested in reading her book and being a part of her blog tour.  I have to say I love ice cream and was intrigued by the premise of the book.  I don't read much non-fiction, but thought I would give this one a go.


My thoughts: I tweeted this last night, but you absolutely cannot start this book without some form of ice cream in the house.  Let that be my serious warning to you.  No it doesn't matter that the northern hemisphere is quickly approaching winter and we even got snow flurries/sleet on the coast of NC last night (that doesn't happen often), you will want ice cream while reading this book.


Okay, how fun can a book that relates people to ice cream be.  Just from that simple statement it sounds fun right?  I know I thought so and I was right.  I laughed through this book. Ms. Deschenes has a wonderful sense of humor, and she uses it every chance she gets as she tells the story of different people in her life and how they relate to certain kinds of ice cream.  She uses all sorts of humor and the book is just genuine fun.  


I really am not a big non-fiction person but this book read really fast for me - the humor moved it forward and I loved seeing how each type of ice cream was represented by a different type of person.  Her insights are interesting and I know I will remember them as I go through life.  I know for sure I won't look at ice cream or people the same again.    


So go run out and grab this book, you won't regret it, in fact it will probably cheer you up, give you some insight into human nature and even give you cravings for that ice cream you use to love but haven't had in years.  Come read and enjoy Ms. Deschenes' insights, I don't think you will regret it.


My Rating:  4.75/5.0

About the Book:

The award-winning book, The Ice Cream Theory, is ice-cream guru Steff Deschenes's charming exploration of the parallels between human personalities and ice-cream flavors, a tongue-in-cheek celebration of the variety inherent in a well-lived life.  The Theory was hatched when Deschenes was trying to make sense of her first heartbreak.  In the midst of that grief, she realized that, in the same way humans have ice-cream preferences, humans have people preferences. Like ice cream flavors, social preferences shift based on age, experience, even mood. There are exotic flavors that one craves when feeling daring, comforting flavors to fall back on, flavors long-enjoyed that eventually wear out their welcome, and those unique flavors that require an acquired taste. Like people, no ice cream flavor is perfect every single time . . . and it is in this realization that the crux of Deschenes's theory lies.  Deschenes neatly brings together anecdotes from her own adventures with broader-reaching social commentary to help others recognize the wisdom and joy inherent in a beloved dessert.  With its cheeky self-help slant, The Ice Cream Theory is an endearing and light-hearted addition to any bookshelf.  It's a must read for anyone bruised by life's tough lessons and in need of a cheerful pick me up!

About the Author:
Despite a failed attempt at majoring in ice cream in college, Steff Deschenes is a self-taught ice-cream maker. She has researched her craft all over the world, and believes that the ice cream found at home is the best there is. In addition to researching her food theories, she enjoys traveling and playing the guitar. She lives in Maine with her bunny, Boone, and is diligently researching her next book, The Burrito Theory.
 
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Giveaway: The author has generously offered to give away 1 copy of The Ice Cream Theory to one of my blog readers.  We'll keep it simple again today since it's the busy holiday season.  Just leave a comment with your email address and you are entered.  Open to US/Canada only.  Open through 12/13/10.


FTC Information: I received this book from the author for review.  I have Amazon links on my review pages but I do not make any money from these because of NC laws.  I put them solely for people to check out the books on a retail site.

ARC Giveaway: Trickster's Girl by Hilari Bell

In an effort to get some of my review books read and into others' hands before the release date, I am going to start doing some giveaways.  This will motivate me to get the book read so I can mail it to you.

This installment of this giveaway starts today and is Trickster's Girl by Hilari Bell.  It releases in January 2011 from Houghton Mifflin Books for Children so here is your chance to read it before it comes out.  Please note this is an ARC.  Haven't heard of the book yet?  Here is some more information:

In the year 2098 America isn't so different from the USA of today. But, in a post-9/11 security-obssessed world, "secured" doesn't just refer to borders between countries, it also refer to borders between states. Teenagers still think they know everything, but there is no cure for cancer, as Kelsa knows first-hand from watching her father die.

The night Kelsa buries her father, a boy appears. He claims magic is responsible for the health of Earth, but  human damage disrupts its flow. The planet is dying.

Kelsa has the power to reverse the damage, but first she must accept that magic exists and see beyond her own pain in order to heal the planet.

Sounds interesting doesn't it - I can't wait to read it and it's next up on my pile.  Review won't be coming until the end of the year to generate buzz at the best time for the author.

Rules for the giveaway:  Simple, just comment and leave an email address where to contact you.  Nothing more.  No additional entries, just keeping this one completely simple.  Open to the US/Canada only.  Ends 12/12/2010.

Book Review: Scourge (A Grim Doyle Adventure) by David H. Burton

Scourge (A Grim Doyle Adventure) by David H. Burton

Release: November 29, 2010

Ebook, Print will be available

My Review:
Why I read this:  The author contacted me, I read the blurb he sent and thought it sounded like I book I would enjoy (and one my son would enjoy as well).


How is the novel driven?:  I think it's hard to say, I would say primarily plot-driven, but the characters are important for the author to set up for this series as well.  But for the type of book it is, plot is most important.


My thoughts: I'm not a steampunk-person, I don't dislike it, but I haven't read many steampunk books (just Clockwork Angel and now Scourge).  That being said, I really enjoyed Scourge.  I think of it more as fantasy along the lines of The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe and Lord of the Rings.  It's a great middle grade children's fantasy that will fascinate older audiences as well.

I quickly liked the character of Grim, he's inquisitive, wants to get away from his siblings but has a wonderful side to him as well.  I also enjoyed meeting his other siblings and the friends and foes he meets in the other world they get taken to.  The characters are believable, fun and I hope to get to know them more in future books as well.  I think Mr. Burton did a good job developing the characters in this book but leaving enough to be discovered in future books.

Full of adventure and intrigue, this book is a great ride for the young and old alike.  It's hard to put down and enjoyable throughout.  I look forward to the next installment in the Grim Doyle Adventures to see how things continue to go for the six siblings in this new world they have been sucked into.


My Rating:  4.5/5.0

About the Book:


Two dads, five siblings, and goggles!

Grim Doyle has always known his life was not exactly "normal", and things get even more curious when he discovers a set of stones that sweep him and his
family to the fantasy, steampunk world of Verne - a place they had escaped from years ago. Now that they've returned, Grim and his siblings hide from the evil Lord Victor and his minions. And while learning about Jinns, Mystics, and the power of absinth they try to discover who is trying to kill them with the deadly Scourge.

Scourge is the first novel in the Grim Doyle Adventure series by author, David H. Burton. He can be found online at http://davidhburton.com

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The link to purchase:

Amazon Kindle release is available here:

http://www.amazon.com/Scourge-Grim-Doyle-Adventure-ebook/dp/B004AHKCVQ

Print version should be released in 2 weeks time.

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How to obtain a personalized version of Scourge (from the author):

I am offering a personalized ebook version of Scourge at my site. With it comes an autographed dedication page as well as a fun feature where I alter the

name of one of the minor characters in the story with the name of the purchaser.

The link to purchase is here: http://davidhburton.com/?page_id=4113

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And of course, my site is at http://davidhburton.com

Book Review: The End of Marking Time by C.J. West

The End of Marking Time by C.J. West

Publisher: 22 West Books

Publish Date: May 22, 2010

Paperback, 284 pages
Fiction, Suspense, Dystopian

My Review:
Why I read this: The author contacted me, the premise sounded very interesting so I accepted the book for review.

How is the novel driven: Character-driven, the plot drives as well, but this is about Michael and his journey of self-discovery.

My thoughts:   Where to begin.  First I didn't re-read the blurb on this book before I started reading it.  I like to do that because then I'm not sure where the book will take me.  Obviously I read the blurb over a month ago, but I don't remember things that well, so when I started the book I was surprised where it went, which made it a lot of fun.

The book starts with Michael who breaks into homes for a living.  He's been living on the streets fending for himself for quite awhile and makes his money by stealing things and selling them, along with the cash he finds in homes.  But Michael is really careful, he's street smart and knows what he is doing until one mistake lands him in prison.  Next thing you know Michael wakes up and it's several years later and a lot of things have changed.

I would like to think of this as dystopian fiction.  It's honestly realistic and something that could happen, but it's something that you definitely don't want to happen.  What if all the felons were dumped out of the prison system because government decided prison wasn't a good idea anymore?  What if there were various rehab-type programs for those felons, what if the government really did become Big Brother and watch the felons (and maybe normal citizens) every move?

That's some of the questions The End of Marking Time asks and works out.   It's a fascinating read and I could not put it down.  At times I could not relate to Michael - I'm not a felon, but at other times I could.  I felt for Michael, he really didn't know any other way and it took the re-learning process for him to realize a lot of things about  himself.  Michael has a lot of struggles in the book, sometimes I agreed with how he handled them and others I did not.  But no matter whether I agreed or not, Michael does go through a lot of growth during this book which made him a great character.

My favorite thing about the book is when Michael is given books to read and the books parallel his life in ways and lead him on a journey of self-discovery.  Here is a man who never really wanted to read before and now he loves it.  I loved that part.  I also enjoyed the suspense, what would Michael do next, what else would we learn about how the government is running things?  I think that was the fun of seeing it through Michael's point-of-view, the reader learns piece-by-piece about this new government right along with Michael.

So it's strong on plot and strong on character and a really quick read.  So what did I not like?  The ending, but that's just me.  Yes it's tidy and done, but I felt like I wanted more.  However don't let that stop you from trying this book.  The book is full of great things and very entertaining and I still really enjoyed it despite the few points I took off for the ending.  It's a scary look at what life could become.

Let me make one final statement, this book is not politically charged, there is no blame on one party or the other, the government in this book is fiction pure and simple (but feels realistic) and not the author's personal opinion written down on the page.  So don't be afraid this will step on your toes, this is like The Hunger Games, the government is what it is and there are none of our political beliefs in it.  I personally don't enjoy books where an author puts forth their political views, it's their right yes, but I don't like it as much in fiction, so I wanted to state that this book doesn't do that in case some of my readers are like me and don't want a politically charged fiction book.


My Rating: 4.5/5.0


About the Book:

Gifted housebreaker, Michael O'Connor, awakens inside an ultramodern criminal justice system where prison walls are replaced by surveillance equipment and a host of actors hired to determine if he is worthy of freedom. While he was sleeping, the Supreme Court declared long term incarceration to be cruel and unusual punishment and ordered two million felons released. The result was utter chaos and the backlash from law-abiding citizens and police departments reshaped the United States. Felons now enter reeducation programs where they live freely among the population. At least that's what they think. In reality they are enslaved to an army of counselors and a black box that teaches them everything they failed to learn from kindergarten through adulthood. Michael believes he's being tested by the black box, but what he slowly begins to realize is that everything he does is evaluated to determine whether he lives or dies.

The End of Marking Time in Kindle Format
The End of Marking Time in Paperback


About the Author (from author's website):

CJ was raised in a tiny town in Massachusetts where his family has lived for three generations. When CJ was a boy, the family had a variety of animals and boasted a poultry incubator large enough to hatch a chick for every resident of the town – all at one time. Although it was never a professional enterprise, the family continued to raise animals for many years and CJ developed a love for the outdoors and wildlife. He supports a number of environmental causes today.

CJ wrote his first book in 1979 while bored during school hours, but at that time writing was second to golf. CJ practiced hard daily and eventually entertained hopes of playing professionally. In 1985 he chose Southeastern Massachusetts University (now UMASS Dartmouth) over golf and studied Business Management which advanced his career in computer technology.  

Twenty years after that first book, CJ plunged back into writing. After six years studying other authors and working at his craft, CJ released Sin and Vengeance in 2005. He currently lives in suburban Massachusetts with his wife and two children.

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FTC Information: I received this book from the author for review.  I have Amazon links on my review pages but I do not make any money from these because of NC laws.  I put them solely for people to check out the books on a retail site.

Guest Post: Author C.J. West

Lifting The Volkswagen by C.J. West

Long ago I taught golf lessons. One of the problems students always had was trying to lift the ball. Since the ball rested on the ground, students who tried to hit “up” on the ball invariably wound up hacking a hunk of turf and sending the ball weakly ahead—sometimes they failed to move it at all.

I told them to imagine they wanted to carry their bride over the threshold. (Yes, my students were 99% male). Hitting behind the ball was like putting your bride in a Volkswagen before trying to pick her up. The key to hitting a golf ball a long distance is to make pure contact between the club and the ball. Ditch the Volkswagen in the middle.

I was thinking this week about my efforts publishing books in print and I was reminded of this story. As an indie who created print books, I put a lot of turf between me and my readers. Every bit of turf added cost to the equation and made it harder for me to sell books. Each book required paper, ink, glue, equipment and labor resulting in a cost of about $5 per book. The books needed to be stored and then distributed to bookstores, which added another $4. Bookstores wanted another $6. To sell a book for $15, which is already more than my competition, I had to cut into the bookstores’ margin or else take nothing for myself.

E-books changed this dramatically. Per book cost for creation, delivery, and sale of an Amazon e-book is 30%. That is less than the 40% the bookstores required to sell my print books. That didn’t mean the stores would stock the books and of course they didn’t print and distribute them. It just meant the store would sell them if someone came to the counter and asked them to special order. Readers had to practically beg a store to get one of my books. With e-book distribution I finally feel like I’ve gotten the Volkswagen out from between me and my readers.

It is December 1, 2010 as I’m writing this and this year lots of indie writers are very excited. There has been a sharp upswing in e-reader adoption and this Christmas is likely to mark a turning point for e-books. As e-books swing from a tiny fraction of the market to a significant market segment, many more indies like me will be able to make a living as writers.

The folks who make paper, print books, and work in bookstores can keep working with Dan Brown and J.K. Rowling, but 2011 holds tremendous promise for thousands of unknowns. I can’t wait to see how many Kindles Santa brings this year.

Thank you C.J. for the great guest post - I received my Kindle earlier this year and adore it.  I still love real books as well, but I have gotten to know a lot of great new authors through ebooks and love that.  It's all wonderful for us readers - more books, more authors, means no boredom ever!

Please stay tuned for my review of C.J.'s book, The End of Marking Time later today.

Book Blogger Hop - Dec 3-6

I'm joining back in this week - after a month and a half hiatus from the hop.  I'm ready to hop around and find new blogs since my reading mojo is back!  Well I'll be hopping in-between cleaning and decorating this weekend, but everyone needs a few minutes of relaxation while decorating for Christmas. :)

To check out other answers and join the hop go and check out Crazy-For_Books.com for the Mr. Linky for the Blog Hop. 

This week's question:

 "What very popular and hyped book in the blogosphere did you NOT enjoy and how did you feel about posting your review?"

Most of the time I enjoy the hyped books I hear about online.  The only one I didn't enjoy recently was The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff.  I still am not sure why I didn't like it because I am definitely one of the few.  Most everyone loved this and I wanted to love it, but it fell short for me.  That said, I will try Ms. Yovanoff's next book, I wasn't that turned off.

As for posting my review - I almost felt bad - one it's the author's first book, and two everyone else loved it.  But I had to post it.  I did qualify it with the fact that the writing is good and the review was purely my subjective opinion.  I didn't care if other people didn't agree, that's everyone's right,  I just didn't want my thoughts to hurt the author in any way.