The Real Deal

Have You Ever Wondered... Is that certain book really good? Does that product really work? So have I. From Indie authors and musicians to local products or nationally advertised, I can't tell you the countless products I've bought as seen on TV only to find out that they don't work at my house, the book was really a bunch of hype, the music was not what I had hoped for or a movie was a yawn. If you want an honest opinion, you will find it here. Although I do lots of book reviews, I also check out lots of other products and let you know if they really live up to their ads or their hype. Stay tuned, and check in often. You never know what I'm going to talk about next.

21.3.12

Diary of a Mad Fat Girl

Diary of a Mad Fat Girl
By Stephanie McAfee

Graciela Jones, “Ace” to her friends, might be rotund, but she doesn’t let it affect her friendship with Chloe and Lilly. In fact the only time it seems to bother her at all is when she thinks of the love of her life, Mason McKenzie a hot-looking stud who only has eyes for her. But because of one incident, she’s keeping her distance from him. The same cannot be said for her beloved pet Buster Loo who seems to adore him on the days that Mason arrives on Ace’s doorstep attempting reconciliation.
This story is like having a conversation over a couple of beers with your neighbor. The irreverent humor, and slightly off color metaphors help keep you turning the pages of this crazy adventure in Bugtussle, Mississippi. It is laugh out loud funny in parts, the characters are heartwarmingly real and anything but predictable.
If you are offended by somewhat crude humor and the occasional f-bomb, this might not be for you. But if you enjoy chick-lit from an unconventional view point, this book will make a great summer read.
If you like the book, you may want to follow Ace on Twitter.com/mad_fat_girl or StephanieMcAfee.wordpress.com


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Amazon Vine program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 

20.3.12

Need You Now Book Review

According to the abundant promotional material in which this book is slathered, author Grippando is the author of at least a dozen and six published novels, with a number of them labeled “best sellers.” In his latest effort, NEED YOU NOW, the work is technically well crafted, in that each chapter tells its own story, most ending in a cliff hanger.

Additionally, Grippando’s “style” borders on being original, in that chapters dealing with the central character are written first person (“I did this, I did that.”) Everyone else is written third person (“He shot someone here, he stabbed someone there.”) A clever effect which soon became tiresome.

NEED YOU NOW deals with the aftermath of a sixty billion dollar Ponzi scheme, in which a young financial advisor and his girlfriend are confronted by decidedly unpleasant people who want their money back. Oh, and of course you have the normal bad guy who has been framed, and the traditional government people who may or may not be trustworthy. Couple this with an obvious bad guy (Undisclosed until a couple of hundred pages have slipped past your eager fingers.)

So here’s my problem – I don’t care. The characters are reasonably well crafted, but I couldn’t warm up to them. The story line is predictable and pedantic. The endless stream of agencies named by initials only gave me a headache. The only places that drew my attention were those where an expendable clerk was being turned into dog food. (Did I mention the rhetoric here is truly going to move the classification into the “Rated R” category.)

Bottom line: If I had never seen a Tom Hanks or Julia Roberts adventure movie, I might consider the book interesting. Unfortunately I have, so it wasn’t.

A special thanks to my friend Jack Petersen for his contributions on this review.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Amazon Vine program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

15.3.12

Old Kili's Instant Ginger Lemon Beverage Mix

Old Kili's Instant Ginger Lemon Beverage Mix was fragrant when added to 8 oz. of  boiling water, and appeared to be darker than in smaller cup in the photo. The ingredients were not listed on the side of the box which always concerns me when trying a new product. I'm not a fan of sugar. Also, the directions list only the metric amount of water to add, not a plus if you don't know metric conversions (and I don't) and nothing about the depth of flavor aspect.

I am usually very fond of ginger and lemon drinks but as I said with no ingredient list, I was uncomfortable drinking it.  It was tasty enough, but not all that remarkable to me. I have discovered since drinking it that dried honey was the sweetener, something that really should be promoted on the box somewhere. I like to be in control of how sweet something is going to be. A lack of information on the packaging would keep me from buying this product in the future.
On the plus side: For an instant beverage, it wasn't bad. If you were traveling, taking it to work or camping it would be great to have along because of the minimal amount of effort it takes to prepare.