Book Review: Diner Impossible (A Rose Strickland Mystery)

I reviewed this back in November of 2013 but I thought I'd add the review here so it is with the others i have done.

Diner Impossible (A Rose Strickland Mystery)

by Terri L. Austin

• Print Length: 282 pages
• Publisher: Henery Press; 1 edition (November 12, 2013)

This is my first review for the funky and very cool, Henery Press and I am a bit freaked that I have to provide a negative review to such a cool company.

I received a promotional copy of this book via NetGalley and I feel bad that my first review for Henery Press is going to be negative. I had a heck of a time getting through this book. I struggled to read it. And as an avid reader and owner of over 1,000 books, I wanted flow and colorful characters and a great mystery, and all I got was running from place to place, awkward placings of minor characters into the story and dull dialogue. I wanted to love it, but it fell short for me.

The beginning was slow and never really hooked me into reading further which I would not have if I had just been reading it for enjoyment. But since I was reviewing it, I wanted to give the book a chance. Hooking the reader at the beginning is very important. I understand that this is a second book in a series of Rose Strickland Mysteries but we still need to be reintroduced to characters in every book so those of us who have not read the first book can get enjoyment out of this one.

Rose Strickland, the main protagonist, seemed to meander from scene to scene in a dull trance and from suspect to suspect searching for clues to the murder of a shady lady who was the most finely honed character in the book and she was the dead one.

I wanted witty banter, you know, like Kate Beckett and Richard Castle in an excellent episode of the ABC crime drama, Castle. I wish the cop, Sullivan and Rose could have done a cool investigation together, but they were thrust apart at the very beginning only seeing each other occasionally. So, when Rose suddenly realizes she's in love with said cop, I was like.... 'what?! When did that happen?'

If I was the author, which I'm not so it's a moot point, I would have revised the entire thing. Make it more interesting. Punch up the drama. Really knock my socks off with dialogue that both cracks me up and makes me see the eureka moment when Rose finally solves the case. I want to cheer her on and I was mostly asking myself... when will this be over?

One of the things that is most excellent, as it is in most Henery Press books, is that the cover of the cozy mystery is fabulous! Henery Press does an awesome job of both promoting their material and really making it eye catching and prodding us to pick up their latest literary offering.

This book won't keep me from reading other Terri L. Austin material. In fact, later in the year I will re-read this and make sure my review is correct. If you love a mystery that is fun and funky, this might be for you. But if you are looking for text in flow that makes you stay up at night to finish it, this might be something you want to pass right on by

Book Review: Quantum Creativity: Think Quantum, Be Creative

Quantum Creativity: 

Think Quantum, Be Creative

by Amit Amit Goswami

Paperback, 264 pages

Published March 3rd 2014 by Hay House, Inc.

When I received this book to review from Net Galley, I was completely excited about it. I mean, creativity is truly in my wheelhouse since I work as a graphic artist at a daily newspaper. And the area of quantum physics has always fascinated me. But I was truly let down while reading this book. 

The content is amazing. I mean, it's all in there. Everything you want and the kitchen sink, but the text is full of jargon that only a truly masterful mind who lives in the quantum world would understand. The author said that this book was for the layperson. That made me think it would be easy to read but I felt like I was walking through thick mud and my eyes strained as I moved from page to page.

There are many stories the author uses as examples that are great but they almost have a detached feeling about them as if stuck into certain places in the text to explain a concept.

I plan to keep this book and use it as a reference book because a book with a creativity theme is always something I will come back to over and over again.

Thank you to Hay House for allowing me to read this book. I truly did learn a whole LOT!


NOTE: Netgalley.com is a place where people can review books from publishing companies before and after their release.

Book Review: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Fangirl

by Rainbow Rowell
Published by: St. Martin's Griffin

Cath Avery is a fan of Simon Snow. (Think Harry Potter. He's that big in this author's world.) And Cath is the author of a fic called Carry On, which is the fanfic world's version of a best selling novel. She gets so many hits on this fic it is unfathomable. And in the world of Simon Snow, Cath is a rock star.

She goes off to college with her twin sister, Wren. Leaving their father, an advertising pitch man/idea guru, at home alone for the first time since their mother left them when they were eight.

The story follows Cath as she tackles her first year of college, her first year of being separated from her twin, who has pretty much embraced the entire college party life and fallen off the deep end. And their father does much of the same, except no partying and just working so hard he goes a bit bonkers. And this leaves the heroine of this story conflicted, worried and yes, extremely stressed.

I have to admit that this was one heck of a good book. It has great flow. It is SO easy to read. I love books like this. You really get into Cath's head and you wonder how Wren got so screwed up when on the outside it seemed she had it all. I loved how the author characterized all the characters. They are really fully rendered. So much that you think these are friends of yours and you're gonna see them next week and hang out. 

I am a bit older than the normal reader of such a book. I am 45. Will be 46 in April. But I was in the first wave of fan fiction authors before there was even a term for what we were doing. I wrote a script for MacGyver back when I was in college in '87 called Murder Incorporated. And I went by the alias Bradygirl when I wrote Mike and Carrie Days of Our Lives fan fic. So this story completely resonated with me. I was fully "in" when reading it. And I suggest anyone who either loves fan fic or wants to know more about its inner workings should dig into this book and give it a go!

TBR pile

I don't know if you are like me but I have at least a thousand books in my TBR pile. For some reason, that never seems to stop me from buying new books when they are released. Here is a screen shot of a number of my hardback books that I need to get through this year.

I have been collecting books since 1987. So, needless to say, I am overflowing with tome-like goodness. I recently gave away two truckloads of books to my local used bookstore and that only made a small dent in my collection. I need to unload a lot more, I think to make room for the new books I'm currently more interested in reading.

Book Review: The Energy of Words: Use the Vibration of Language to Manifest the Life You Desire

The Energy of Words: Use the Vibration of Language to Manifest the Life You Desire

by Michelle Arbeau

This was a wonderful book that really shows us how we can use the energy of words to create a new life for ourselves. How we use words, what words we use to define our lives, how we speak to others, have made our life as it is now. Imagine the wonderful, magnificent things you can create when you alter your vocabulary to really assist you in making a great new life for yourself. Anything is possible.

Michelle also has another book called Soul Numbers.

Check Amazon for her book or get it straight from the publisher. Published by  Llewellyn Publications www.llewellyn.com

http://www.amazon.com/The-Energy-Words-Vibration-Language/dp/0738736643

Top 11 Books of All Time

Currently, I am reading Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi. It's set in a distopian society where the world is not how it is today. This gal, Juliette, has a strange affliction. Everyone she touches dies. And now an evil son of a corporate/government type of unit want to use her "talents" for their own ends. It is pretty great. I'm about three-fourths the way through. 

I am interested in what you are currently reading or just plan to read sometime.

Here are my Top 11 Books of All Time to give you some ideas if you are looking for inspiration.

1. Unlimited Power - by Anthony Robbins

2. Awaken The Giant Within - by Anthony Robbins

3. The Complete Sherlock Holmes - by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

4. You Can't Afford The Luxury of A Negative Thought (and Life 101) - by Peter and John-Roger McWilliams

5. Take Time For Your Life - by Cheryl Richardson

6. What Happy People Know - by Dan Baker

7. Reinvent Yourself - by Steve Chandlee

8. Life's Greatest Lessons - by Hal Urban

9. The Artist's Way - by Julia Cameron

10. The Success Principles - by Jack Canfield

11. Ask & It Is Given - by Ester and Jerry Hicks

I hope this inspires you to pick up a book and read. Let me know what you plan to read and write your own top 11 list. And don't forget to tag me in the post.

Book Review: Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder by Kensington Books

Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder
A Hannah Swenson Mystery (Book #1)
Published by Kensington Books


I really enjoyed this book. I had picked up the books the Cinnamon Bun Murder and the Red Velvet Cake Murder a while back and decided to download this one from my iBooks app. This is the first book in the Hannah Swenson Mystery series. I was surprised by that but glad I had started reading the first in the series. It was a wonderful jaunt into the lives of the residents of Lake Eden. Hannah owns a cafe/bakery called The Cookie Jar and she is constantly handing out little baggies of cookies to people. The book has many cookie recipes that go along with the storyline and they all sound delicious.

Once you got past the fact that Hannah is literally doing the job of her sheriff brother-in-law who is aiming for a promotion to detective by solving this case, you find all the characters to be fresh and inviting and as Hannah gets to know people, so do you. It is just a lovely little stroll into Lake Eden and you get to try and solve the case along with Hannah.

There is quite of bit of investigating in this storyline, so if you are looking for something that spends more time talking about recipes, you might want to look elsewhere. But if you are looking for a good cozy mystery that is wonderful and fun, this is your book!

Pick it up on Amazon.com or you can download it from your iBooks app on your iPhone or iPod Touch.

Here is the Amazon link:
Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder