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.

8.8.13

Dark Tide: Excellent

Dark Tide by Elizabeth Haynes is the second of her books I've read, based in modern day London. The first one, Into the Darkest Corner was psychologically riveting. Dark Tide is an interesting, fast paced look into the life of Genevieve Shipley, a professional woman mind-numbingly stressed out
with software solution sales. She takes a second job, only weekends, to expedite her dream of buying a boat and taking a year off from her job. Her weekend job allows her to do something she enjoys: dancing. She keeps the second job a secret from her day job people. Things get complicated when someone there discovers she's an exotic dancer.

 Midway through boat renovations, Genevieve invites a few people from her day job to her barge for a party. Early the next morning, hung over and groggy, she makes a gruesome discovery: a woman's body in the water. Soon enough, she recognizes her as one of the dancers she had been friends with.

I enjoyed every page of this excellently written novel. Elizabeth Haynes paints lively and idiosyncratic characters, vivid scenes and spins not only a good yarn, but a tapestry. I'll be keeping my eye on her for future reads. Get your copy here.



I received this book free from the Amazon Vine Program in exchange for my honest opinion.

6.8.13

Heart Raced All Through "The Running Boy"

Dan Pollock’s book “The Running Boy” started out with such intensity that I was at risk of passing out from holding my breath worrying over the boy, Andy.
When I thought things would let up, they didn't.
When I hoped Ethan and Andy had put some distance between them and the bad guys, they hadn't.
Just when I thought, they really needed to catch a break, the chase ramped up even more.
At times, the only way for me to catch my breath was to book mark the page and stop for a moment. The suspense level in this book was a solid 9.5 almost from the beginning. The Running Boy is a surprising, heart-pounding, international thriller. Don’t miss out! Grab your copy soon!



I received this book free from the the Author in exchange for my honest opinion.

3.8.13

Nutrition in Your Backyard?

Sergei Boutenko's new book, Wild Edibles is a refreshing look regarding edible weeds. Even though some of the information is at times repetitive, I appreciated his brief descriptions of the plants and parts, along with clear color photos.

 He also gives nutrient data on quite a few of the plants. The poisonous plant list at the beginning, while not complete, at least covered some of the most common. I've not been an avid forager mostly because it fails to occur to me, but his presentation of the material has made this book a take-along to every hike. The recipes included tickled me. I had to go out and find something wild to put in a smoothie just to say I did it. Edible flowers frozen in ice for drinks. What a great idea!

 Sergei makes incorporating wild edibles easy. He also lists other helpful books as well as his websites (one exclusively devoted to green smoothies.) I am happy to have read Wild Edibles and the circumstances under which his family learned about this valuable information. (You are all very brave!) When I was young, my father taught me some of the plants and I remembered a fair amount of them. But with time, the memories had faded from lack of use.

The knowledge found in Wild Edibles will delight young and old. My family and I are planning many excursions into various parks and wilderness and hope to incorporate wild edibles into our kitchen at the peak of summer. If you are a hiker, or camper and enjoy walks in the woods and identifying plants, this would be a great addition to your library.


I received this book free from the Amazon Vine Program in exchange for my honest opinion.