DelGal's Book Reviews

Review - Instructions - Neil Gaiman

2011-06-22T00:02:00.000-04:00

I thought this was a strange, hypnotic tale. It's supposed to be a children's book, but the writing sounds more suited for older children or adults. Neil Gaiman pens great children's books, but this one almost begs to be expanded into one of his well known fantasy novels. It has great illustrations that pull you deeper into following along with the "instructions."

Review - Eat Your Peas For Mothers - Cheryl Karpen

2011-04-18T02:25:00.000-04:00

I hate to be a downer on a book to honor our wonderful mothers (of which I of course have THE best!) but I believe this book could have included a bit more original content. It has pretty illustrations that convey beauty and love for all mothers, and it even inspires one to be appreciative of the hard work it is to be a mother, but I felt like the short sayings and general message in this book has been written before. Greeting cards, certain "soup" books, and this book all seem to say the same thing, and I would have liked to see a bit more originality in this particular book since the meaning behind the "Eat Your Peas" series was an original idea created by the author to remind someone that they are loved no matter how far away they may be.

20% Off @ Sylvan Dell

2011-03-26T00:59:00.000-04:00

Check out this great coupon from the Sylvan Dell Publishing Company! They've got great children's books that not only entertain, but they look beautiful and they teach kids about many science, math and geography related subjects. All books come with comprehensive teaching activitiesm and can be purchased as a regular bound book or an ebook.

Review - Martina the Beautiful Cockroach: A Cuban Folktale - Carmen Agra Deedy

2011-03-09T00:40:00.000-05:00

Martina the Beautiful Cockroach: A Cuban Folktale by Carmen Agra Deedy

A superb folktale with equally appealing illustrations that adds to the overall coolness of this story. Not only is this tale great for children, but the moral told is definitely something adults can read about and take to heart too. The only thing I thought was sorta strange in this particular story was the suitors Martina the cockroach had - they weren't fellow cockroaches, but other animals, which is kinda weird in my opinion. But I suppose a fairytale can be outrageous and weird since it is a tale after all, as long as the important parts are conveyed to the reader (which this story did very well).

Review - The Illumination - Kevin Brockmeier

2011-03-05T01:06:00.002-05:00

The Illumination by Kevin Brockmeier

I don't think I've ever been so engrossed in a book like this one, and enjoyed it so much (even recommended it) but then suddenly half way through the story something happened and I got the literary rug pulled out from under me. How can something go from an "awesome wow," to a fizzled bunch of yuck?

Since I happen to be a person who suffers from chronic pain, I found the main premise of this story to not only be intriguing but personally touching - It's about pain suddenly giving off light in everyone's bodies (the illumination). I filled a few days thinking about, and discussing this subject. I even enjoyed the subplot about a "traveling" love journal, tragically lost by the original writer. So having the story suddenly change from an endearing page-turner to a chore of a read, was rather jarring and confusing. I managed to continue reading the entire book to see if it would get better, but alas it never improved. All that was left was repetitive, people had pain and light came shooting out of their skin, yes, I got that point, but I need something more to happily continue on! There was no final explanation or even an ending thought to leave readers something more to think about, nothing. How sad, I think it could have been a great read, but the author couldn't keep up the plot and develop it into anything more substantial.

Taking A Break

2011-01-24T23:22:00.000-05:00

I must apologize to my readers for suddenly disappearing several months ago. After getting a bit of a burn out from blogging on my two blogs, I decided I needed to take a bit of an extended break from blogging entirely. I am still an active member on goodreads.com, so please feel free to stop by and check out my current reads and reviews - I use the nickname "VegasGal."

I hope to be back again blogging after some much needed "bloggy posting" rest. Please accept my apologies for not being a good blogger, but keep an eye on this blog for my return. I look forward to returning and sharing new reviews of great books with everyone.

Alive & Well!

2010-10-16T22:19:00.000-04:00

Hi to all my friends and blog readers!

I just wanted to let everyone know out in bloggy land that I'm still alive and well in the world, doing my usual reading and reviewing. I've been on a whirlwind trip to England for several weeks, and have just recently settled back in and returned my brain and body to American time. So hopefully I will be returning to my regular blog reviews and meme posts shortly, so please keep this blog on your radar, don't give up on me just yet, I'll be back to my normal silliness and information soon!

DelGal

Friday Finds Time!

2010-09-03T00:12:00.002-04:00

I seem to be a magnet lately for cute animal books. These look especially sweet, and even make me wanna run out and adopt another dog, but I better stick to just reading the books!

A Small Furry Prayer: Dog Rescue and the Meaning of Life - By Steven Kotler

Oogy: The Dog Only a Family Could Love - By Larry Levin

Check out other Finds here

Booking Through Thursday - Giving Up

2010-08-26T14:10:00.000-04:00

Today's question for Booking Through Thursday is quite relevant to me recently, read further to find out why...

If you’re not enjoying a book, will you stop mid-way? Or do you push through to the end? What makes you decide to stop?

Although I hate to ditch books when I'm in the middle reading one, I will definitely stop reading it and not put myself through, what I call, further reading torture. There are plenty of enjoyable books out there, and I don't want to waste my time suffering through something I'm not enjoying, just to get to the end, when I can just as easily find out what happens on a book review website/blog and happily move onto a new book. My main reason to read is for the enjoyment and entertainment that books provide me when I get "lost" in the plot for hours. For example, I was recently reading a book by Neil Gaiman, entitled, Anansi Boys that was going along quite well for me until something twisted in the plot, and it got way too silly stupid for me. I was finding myself thinking up excuses to do something else (like clean the house, GASP!), rather than continue reading it, so at that point I knew this book had run it's entertainment value course on me and it was time to close it up and move on. Basically if the story gets ridiculous, confusing or dull or the actual writing is impossible to comprehend because of bad grammar etc. I will decide to stop reading the book. I've also been known to ditch a book after reading the first page if it doesn't completely catch my interest right in the beginning.

Now with that said, if I am reviewing a book given to me by the author, publisher etc. I will try my best to push through and continue to the end, making sure the story didn't just simply hit a rough patch and got better in the end.

Teaser Tuesday

2010-08-10T01:18:00.000-04:00

This week's teaser is A Dog's Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron.

"One day it occurred to me that the warm, squeaky, smelly things squirming around next to me were my brothers and sister. I was very disappointed."

This is a cute book, but be warned, if you love dogs and are prone to shedding tears when reading animal books, you may shed a tear or two!

The Life Of A Book

2010-08-06T00:55:00.000-04:00

Check out this short cute/sad video about the life of a book.

Author Paul Levine Sells E-book For Charity

2010-08-04T00:00:00.002-04:00

I've got some cool news from a friend in the publishing industry that I wanted to share with my readers:

Author Paul Levine, who penned his first book, To Speak For The Dead in 1990, which became an NBC World Premiere Movie in 1995, will be celebrating the title's 20th anniversary by rereleasing it in e-book format (PDF format also available), with 100% of the proceeds going to the Four Diamonds Fund, which supports cancer treatment and research at Penn State Hershey Children's Hospital - a charity he says that is close to his heart after having friends who have lost children or spouses to cancer.

Synopsis:

Defending a surgeon in a malpractice case, Jake Lassiter begins to suspect that his client is innocent of negligence...but guilty of murder. Add a sexy widow, a deadly drug, and a grave robbery to the stew, and you have the recipe for Miami’s trial of the century.

For a limited time the e-book will be $2.99, for more information or to purchase your copy, please visit Paul Levine's website.

Musing Mondays - TBR piles

2010-08-02T22:49:00.004-04:00

This week's Musing Mondays asks:

What book tops your TBR (to be read) pile right now? Is it something you own, or something you have to borrow, or something you’ll be purchasing? Why do you want to read it so badly?

Like many book lovers out there, I've got an immense TBR list. I have them somewhat sorted into two categories of "leisure to reads" and "reviews to read." I try to get in my reviews to read quicker, so I can post the reviews, but that doesn't always happen, especially when life, or other sudden neat reading finds crop up out of nowhere (thanks to reading other blogs, or looking in the library). I've got two books on my immediate to read list and both of them come from the leisure category:

Mr. Peanut's cover art and synopsis looked creepy enough to get me to immediately reserve it from the library. It lands on top of my TBR list unexpectedly since it arrived already, and I thought I was going to be waiting for a longer time to check it out, plus I'll need to return it in a few weeks. Hope it's a good read!

Lethal Legacy has been bumped up to the top of my list too, because it's a read for the (August)discussion group I recently started attending once monthly at my local library.

Friday Finds Time!

2010-07-30T10:59:00.000-04:00

Here are some cute books about animals I discovered in the past few days. They're perfect for my "Man's Best Friend" challenge for 2010. I can't wait to read them, but I suspect I'll be doing a bit of sniffling during them, as I always manage to get a mix of happy sadness when reading anything to do with animals.

A Where Am I? Teaser Tuesday

2010-07-27T01:26:00.001-04:00

I'm a self-professed book nerd who likes to read from a wide variety of genres from chick-lit to humor and biographies, but there's nothing I love more than a good scary book. Stephen King scared my pants off when I was young, John Saul followed in his footsteps too when I was a bit older Nowadays I haven't found one author who scares me quite like King and Saul did, but I'm always open for suggestions! This is why I jumped on the chance to read the book, The Harrowing, when I met the author, Alexandra Sokoloff, at the Book Expo America this past May.

Where Am I? I'm in Baird College's Mendenhall - where all the students are currently leaving for their Thanksgiving break.

Teaser: "She pressed herself back against the headboard, her eyes wide and glazed. The presence leaned into her; her body could feel the mass of something huge and alive, throbbing with malevolence. Invisible breath stirred her hair...and she heard herself whimper like an animal. Then it was gone."

Got Books? Wrap Up

2010-07-26T23:32:00.001-04:00

I had a super awesome, yet busy, time Friday and Saturday buzzing around checking out some great book blogs. The cool part is I was able to stay inside my home and managed to avoid the major heat wave and sudden thunderstorm we had on Saturday. Plus I got to give away a great book to the random winner (who was notified via email) AND I won a giveaway too (@ Truth Be Told)! I also learned today that I won a prize at my local library for their summer adult book club, so Monday has been my lucky day!

Thanks again to all who stopped by my blog, and participated in the event, and of course to the hosts of Got Books? I think this event went very well, and I'll be looking forward to attending the next one, but until then, I hope everyone, both old and new friends alike, has a great time reading and blogging!

Welcome Fellow Got Books Bloggers!

2010-07-23T00:08:00.005-04:00

WELCOME Got Books? book bloggers and fellow reading enthusiasts to my little corner of the book blogging world in the small (and currently quite HOT) but wonderfully located state of Delaware. I've been an avid reader all my life, but about a year and a half ago I decided to venture further in my reading endeavors from merely tracking the amount of books I read annually, to actually creating an entire blog with my reviews. Needless to say it's been a fun adventure, I've been learning so much about writing, publishers, and other book related topics that I would never have been exposed to otherwise. Not to mention I've met many new fellow book enthusiasts, and was lucky enough to be close enough to New York City to be able to attend, this past May, the Book Expo America and the first annual Book Blogger Convention. Both were tremendously fun, entertaining and even a great educational experience.

Please feel free to have a look around my blog on your adventures in the next two days (check out my 3 reading challenges to your right), and leave me a comment letting me know you stopped by. I look forward to hearing from you and visiting your blog too!

And now for the fun part, I'm giving away a signed copy of the following book:

Ghost a la Mode: A Ghost Of Granny Apples Mystery (Book 1) By Sue Ann Jaffarian

Summary From Amazon:
Granny was famous for her award-winning apple pies-and notorious for murdering her husband Jacob at their homestead in Julian, California. The only trouble is, Granny was framed, then murdered. For more than one hundred years, Granny's spirit has been searching for someone to help her see that justice is served—and she hits pay dirt when she pops in to a séance attended by her great-great-great-granddaughter, modern-day divorced mom Emma Whitecastle. Together, Emma and Granny Apples solve mysteries of the past—starting with Granny's own unjust murder rap in the final days of the California Gold Rush.
Along with a sprinkling of history, this spirited new mystery series features the amateur sleuth team of Emma Whitecastle and the spirit of her pie-baking great-great-great-grandmother, Granny Apples.

Review:

I tend to like giving reviews that are short and to the point, so readers can have plenty of time to make educated decisions about a book and spend the rest of their precious time doing the most important part, reading!

Having said that, I've never read any other books by Ms. Jaffarian, but I can confidently say that this first book in her new series is a refreshingly sweet, yet mysterious, and easy read. It's not just a mere mystery because it goes beyond the normal "who dun it?" and adds a splash of humorous paranormal entertainment and a bit of romance to the mix. The characters were solid, believable and likable, even the "bad" ones were well described and kept your attention, of course granny was a great character and it even made me want to have a friendly ghost/granny (who gives off that sassy no nonsense vibe even from the "other side") following me around assisting me with my daily activities! This is a must read for not only those who are fans of the mystery genre and it even goes beyond a traditional paranormal genre too by not taking either genre too seriously, almost on the lines of the "chick lit" genre, with fun characters and an equally pleasant plot that shouldn't be missed. I'm definitely looking forward to the next book in the series, and maybe you will too once you read this story.

Here's Ms. Jaffarian proudly showing off her book that she was signing at the Book Expo America.

Contest Rules (and they're super simple!):
Please leave your email address in the comments section below, or you may choose to email me at delgalreviews(at)gmail(dot)com. That's it! Only one entry per person please, so everyone who enters has the same chance. Follow my blog only if you think I'm groovy, not just for an entry!

CSN Product Review Part 2

2010-07-21T17:32:00.000-04:00

As I mentioned in the earlier post today, I was contacted by the promotions team at CSN stores and was asked to review one of their vast array of products, including their dinnerware sets. I was lucky enough that they were willing to allow me to review for both of my blogs, this one and my other blog, A Blog In The Rough, so I have two products to review in the upcoming weeks, HOORAY! So the other product, which I'm sure you're wondering about, is more related to this book review blog, which is a cookbook holder/stand, which you can check out here:

Prepara Chef Cookbook Holder

I'm totally excited to get the opportunity to review both items, so please come back and check them our in the near future!

CSN Product Review

2010-07-21T17:11:00.001-04:00

A few weeks ago I received an email from a nice lady from the promotions team at CSN stores inviting me to review some products from their website, so after spending a few days virtually wandering around all their vast array of products and stopping by the luggage department to see what kind of new luggage I could possibly get for my upcoming trip to Europe, like those new spinner suitcases, I decided on getting something useful for my two little dogs since we're always out doing something. That wasn't easy either since they've got an enormous pet department too filled with everything you'd want for dogs, cats and even fish. So I decided on this product:

Bice Walky Guard Car Barrier

So please stay bloggy tuned for the review that will be coming up shortly!

Review - Tea With A Twist: Entertaining And Cooking With Tea - Lisa Richardson

2010-07-21T00:00:00.003-04:00

My review originally posted on Feathered Quill Book Reviews

If you enjoy a good cup of tea, and envision yourself hosting a tea party but don't know exactly what do to, or you're afraid the party will be too stuffy, old-fashioned and boring for your friends, let tea specialist, Lisa Boalt Richardson guide you through the eight modern tea party suggestions of, Flower Power, Bubble, Tropical, Mexican Fiesta, Southern Tailgate, Chocolate, Indian Chai, and finally, Under-The-Table. But first the author gives directions on how to brew a pot of both hot and cold basic loose leaf tea and explores some shortcuts to preparing the tea party, such as, if on a tight budget, feel free to cut some of the menu items out, but she warns, don't skimp on serving good quality tea! Marvelous photographs by Lauren Rubinstein are provided on each page as well as numerous recipes for dishes like savory and sweet scones, cheesy cornbread sausage balls and chocolate strawberry salad.
Tea With a Twist expertly brings tea parties to the modern day person who wants a lively and simplified way to plan and host an event, and is strongly recommended for both young and old, tea enthusiasts or anyone who just wants to create a superb, fun, themed tea party.
Ms. Richardson easily conveys a wonderful overall feel to her book which is not just about creating a great party filled with delicious food, but about creating a feel of fun and camaraderie with friends and family with, of course, the assistance of great suggested menu items and coordinated decorations. The vivid photos inspire the inner party planner in us all, while the recipes, party directions, and further resources suggested at the end of the book gives our inner party planner great fodder to adventure forth into fun and ease of planning the best tea parties ever.

Review - The World in Your Teacup: Celebrating Tea Traditions, Near and Far - Lisa Richardson

2010-07-19T00:00:00.006-04:00

My review originally posted on Feathered Quill Reviews

Come join author Lisa Boalt Richardson, a tea specialist, as she takes readers on a journey where you will first learn about the different types of tea, from White to Puerh. Next, readers will enjoy wandering through the countries of China, England, Kenya, Russia, Iran, France, Morocco, and finally the USA, where each country's tea traditions, cultural tips, and ceremonies from past to present are thoroughly discussed. Included in this impressive book are stunning, mouth-watering food photographs presented by Lauren Rubinstein, and yummy recipes the author has collected over the years from some of her fellow tea loving friends. Here you will learn what foods are indigenous to each country, and what type of tea to accompany the meal, such as the Sohan Asali, a sweet honey and almond treat from Iran, coupled with a black, Ceylon Earl Grey tea.

Ms. Richardson surely knows her tea, and thanks to her charming book that is packed full of proper tea etiquette and recipes for the best tea party, anyone can be a tea connoisseur, and host wonderfully proper teas from suggestions all over the world. As a person who enjoys a good cup of tea, and is curious about the customs in other countries, I quickly found this book to be an enjoyable read, not to mention the recipes are excellent and easy to follow. I was particularly drawn to the country of France and found myself wanting to try out the spinach and mushroom quiche. Although I did not make my crust from scratch (there's a recipe included in the book for homemade crust too) I was able to create the delicious recipe as follows:

4 eggs
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons whole milk
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 cup yellow onion, diced
1 cup button mushrooms, sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 10oz package chopped frozen spinach, thawed, drained, and liquid squeezed out
1/4 cup Swiss cheese
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 9-inch unbaked pie crust (may substitute ready-made refrigerated or frozen pie crust)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, mayonnaise, milk, mustard, and flour until thoroughly combined. Refrigerate while preparing other ingredients. Set a medium-sized saute pan on a burner turned onto medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add 2 tablespoons canola oil to the pan and watch for the “waves” in the oil, which means that the oil is hot. Add the mushrooms to the pan. Saute until the mushrooms begin to caramelize and turn brown. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook mushrooms for 5 minutes. Transfer the mushrooms to a small bowl. Return the pan to the burner and turn the heat on to high. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of canola oil. Heat the oil, and then add the yellow onions. Saute the onions on high heat, stirring for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Continue cooking the onions for approximately 10 minutes, allowing them to slowly caramelize. Add garlic and allow to cook 2 minutes. When done, cool slightly. Remove the quiche mix from the refrigerator and add the drained spinach, mushrooms, cheese, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Add slightly cool onions and stir well. Pour the quiche mixture into the uncooked deep-dish pie crust (homemade or frozen purchased variety). Place the quiche on a cookie sheet and then into the preheated oven. Cook for one hour, rotating the quiche halfway through the cooking time (30 minutes). Remove from oven and allow the quiche to stand for 15 minutes before serving. Slice with a serrated knife. Makes 8 luncheon-sized servings or 6 dinner sized servings.

The World in Your Teacup makes what is usually thought as stuffy and formal tea traditions from around the world seem not only exotic but easily accessible to anyone who has a sense of adventure and is willing to take the time to explore. Finally, this book includes a bibliography for further reading and an extensive Resource Guide filled with websites categorized by country and other various tea related information such as tea ware, and tea tours.

Just A Reminder...

2010-07-16T23:35:00.004-04:00

It's only a mere week from today, July 23rd and 24th is the Got Books? event where book bloggers gather online to mingle, meet new friends, host giveaways, and have a generally bloggy good time. I'm one of the 97 participating blogs and I'll be giving away a signed copy of Ghost a la Mode: A Ghost of Granny Apples Mystery by Sue Ann Jaffarian. Stay bloggy tuned for my review (hint hint, I really enjoyed it!)

Summary From GoodReads.com

If you like the hilarious adventures of Odelia Grey, then you'll love Sue Ann Jaffarian's spirited new mystery series, Ghost of Granny Apples. Along with a sprinkling of history, these mysteries feature the amateur sleuth team of modern-day divorced mom Emma Whitecastle and the spirit of her pie-baking great-great-great-grandmother, Granny Apples.
Granny was notorious for her award-winning apple pies—and for murdering her husband in the orchard. The only trouble is, Granny didn't kill her husband. She was framed, then murdered. For more than a hundred years, Granny's spirit has been searching for someone to help her see that justice is served.
Together, Emma and Granny Apples solve mysteries of the past—starting with Granny's own unjust murder rap in the final days of the California Gold Rush.

So come join me and the other participants in a blog fest and meet some cool new people, and who knows what cool stuff you may win!

A Where Am I, Teaser Tuesday Kind Of Day

2010-07-13T03:01:00.000-04:00

The book I'm reading this week, Secrets of Eden, by Chris Bohjalian, was selected by my local library's evening book discussion group that I'll be attending next Tuesday for the first time.

Where Am I?: I'm in the Southern areas of the smallish North Eastern state of Vermont.

Teaser: "Believe no one. Trust no one. Assume all of our stories are suspect."

Friday Finds

2010-07-09T01:41:00.001-04:00

The summer is traveling season for lots of us (I'm going to England and Ireland), so why not check out some of the books I picked up recently listed below that will give you ideas, increase your knowledge, and maybe even hopefully make your traveling a little bit easier!

The Wall Street Journal Guide to Power Travel: How to Arrive with Your Dignity, Sanity, and Wallet Intact.

Apple's America: The Discriminating Traveler's Guide to 40 Great Cities in the United States and Canada.

The Complete Walt Disney World 2010 (great book!)

Teaser Tuesday

2010-06-29T01:43:00.002-04:00

Check out this week's book from another author I met at the Book Expo America in May.

In Harm's Way by Ridley Pearson

"The body appeared to have been tossed into a tangle of twigs and weeds that ran along the base of the scree field, which was piled for feet high in places and stretched out sixty yards or more. Instead of eyes, two blood-black holes stared up. A piece of the nose was missing."

Review - Slightly Above Time - Mark Forti

2010-06-28T00:00:00.002-04:00

My ten word Synopsis:
Struggles abound for Alexa, who must save Slightly Above Time.

Slightly Above Time, is packed full of fantasy, whimsy, and not to mention mysterious adventure.
Author and illustrator, Mark Forti, expertly breathes life into a wonderful set of likable characters, including beautiful faeries, anxious sylphs, and scary Oths, and places them in the realm which is not exactly in human "timefulness", but is slightly above it, which includes such areas as Kendlenook Village and Evernaught. Forti also adds another dimension to this tale by including charmingly detailed illustrations sprinkled throughout the book.

Slightly Above Time is a light and refreshing tale of magical adventure that quickly engages both young and old, and whisks them away to another timeless location. The only issue one may have with this tale is that it brings readers to a heart pounding crescendo and leaves readers grasping for more.

I was privileged to meet co-authors Mark Forti and Camille Miller at the Book Expo America I attended in May. I must say that I was quite impressed with Mark's description and enthusiasm for Slightly Above Time, so much that I just knew I'd really enjoy reading the book even before I cracked open the book. The Forti's were also demonstrating their magical Flitter Fairies at the BEA, which are the toy representations of the characters from the book, and are both mesmerizing and super cute. For more information on the book (especially some of the awesome artwork), the Flitter Fairies, contests and more, check out their website, http://slightlyabovetime.com

Blog Tour - Paul Is Undead - Alan Goldsher

2010-06-25T00:21:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the tour for Paul Is Undead: The British Zombie Invasion by Alan Goldsher.

Please forgive my lack of review, as I've been recovering from surgery and I'm a bit behind in reading/reviewing but please enjoy the below information:

Summary:

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, IT'S TIME TO REALLY MEET THE BEATLES.

For John Lennon, a young, idealistic zombie guitarist with dreams of global domination, Liverpool seems the ideal place to form a band that could take over the world. In an inspired act, Lennon kills and reanimates local rocker Paul McCartney, kicking off an unstoppable partnership. With the addition of newly zombified guitarist George Harrison and drummer/Seventh Level Ninja Lord Ringo Starr, the Beatles soon cut a swath of bloody good music and bloody violent mayhem across Europe, America, and the entire planet.

In this searing oral history, discover how the Fab Four climbed to the Toppermost of the Poppermost while stealing the hearts, ears, and brains of smitten teenage girls. Learn the tale behind a spiritual journey that resulted in the dismemberment of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Marvel at the seemingly indestructible quartet’s survival of a fierce attack by Eighth Level Ninja Lord Yoko Ono. And find out how the boys escaped eternal death at the hands of England’s greatest zombie hunter, Mick Jagger.

Through all this, one mystery remains: Can the Beatles sublimate their hunger for gray matter, remain on top of the charts, and stay together for all eternity? After all, three of the Fab Four are zombies, and zombies live forever. . . .

The book is getting rave reviews and I'm currently enjoying my copy with hopes of reviewing it when I've got a little bit more energy. But in the meantime, please check out some cool websites:

Alan Goldsher's website - check out his picture, he's kinda cute!
Alan's blog
Interview with author with his publisher, Simon & Schuster

A Where Am I Teaser Tuesday

2010-06-15T01:43:00.003-04:00

This week I'm reading a wonderful book entitled Slightly Above Time by Mark Forti.

Where Am I?

I'm in the realm the fairies live that has no time like our human realm does, hence it's known as being slightly above time. The forest in which the fairies live in is called Kendlenook, and it has recently been destroyed by "The Scarring." The main character, Alexa is about to embark on an adventure that will force her to find the glass corridor that will take her to the realm of "timefulness" so she can connect with the human she accidentally discovered so she can help stop the continued destruction of Kendlenook and the surrounding area.

Teasers:
This week's teasers are a bit different since they're taken from important quotes by characters in between sections of the book:

"The truth does not care if we believe in it or nor. But you surely will not see the truth unless you believe."

"One traveler passes through the forest and experiences awe and wonder. Another sees only rocks, trees and dirt. Both are reality. Which will you choose?"

Review - Rewriting Life Scripts: Transformational Recovery for Families of Addicts - Desjardins, Oelklaus & Watson

2010-06-14T00:20:00.000-04:00

This review originally posted on Feathered Quill Book Reviews

There is no doubt that addictions, whether they be related to drugs, relationships or gambling, have a negative impact on everyone involved in the addict's life, not just the addict himself/herself. Yet, when treatment is being obtained by the person with the addiction, often times involving family in the recovery process is overlooked, or even nonexistent. Unfortunately because of this, family members in the recovering addict's life do not receive the special attention they need in order for them to properly heal from the ravages that addiction has wrecked in their lives. When the addict begins the healing process while working their recovery program and is able to move onto a healthier lifestyle, family members are often left with no where to process their feelings and may develop anger, resentment and fears involving the addict and their relationship with him/her. But what are family members to do, and where should they go to obtain the necessary information and assistance to allow them to process their emotions in a healthy environment and manner, especially when they are often times completely ignored in the recovery process?

Thankfully, authors Desjardins, Oelklaus and Watson have created, Rewriting Life Scripts: Transformational Recovery for Families of Addicts, an informational text and workbook that addresses the lack of education and support sorely needed for family members of those individuals suffering from any type of addiction. Not only does this book contain solid information about addiction and the recovery process for both the addict and their family, it also includes real life stories, many of them pointing out the struggles and successes that allows readers to really identify with their own personal struggles as they move through recovery.

As a former substance abuse counselor, working with many clients severely ravaged by their addictions, I know firsthand how critically important it is to engage the entire family in the recovery process, not just the addict themselves, for there to be complete and continued success for everyone involved. This book does just that by starting out with the most important part, understanding addiction and what goes on in the recovery process, terms and concepts that are often misunderstood, thus creating an atmosphere filled with untruths that cause blocks in the healing process. Rewriting Life Scripts also includes exercises and questions readers can utilize to not only further explore how addictions have impacted their lives, but how to move away from the negative behaviors and into the positive ones. Last, but not least, this book also includes suggestions for better ways to communicate, improving coping skills and descriptions of the stages of grief, all subjects that are equally critical parts in the recovery process for family in recovery.

For more information on Rewriting Life Scripts: Transformational Recovery for Families of Addicts please visit Rewritinglifescripts.com

Blogger Hop Time!

2010-06-12T04:04:00.000-04:00

Even if you're recovering from surgery like I am, who can resist checking out new bloggers over the weekend? Yes, it's that time again, come and check out your fellow bloggers and who knows maybe you'll meet some nifty new friends, and get a great book recommendation too!

Just click on the cute picture above to join in on the fun!

June Book Contest

2010-06-09T03:52:00.002-04:00

DelGal's Book Reviews is happy to present The Starlet book giveaway for the month of June, sponsored by Regal Literary and the author, Mary McNamara.

Summary

It’s a not-so-well-respected rule in Hollywood that what happens on location stays on location. But when a hot young leading man winds up dead in his Rome hotel room, his costar’s life is about to go off the rails in a very public way—even by celeb standards.

At the tender age of twenty-three, Mercy Talbot has won an Oscar, battled addiction, wrecked more than her share of cars, and burned down her house. Her look-alike mother keeps her on a tight leash (and fueled with an endless supply of OxyContin and cocaine) and her producers demand a grueling schedule. By the time she stumbles across Juliette Greyson, a Hollywood insider on a much-needed vacation, Mercy is surrounded by photographers and about to emerge drunk, high, and naked from a public fountain. Whisking her away to an idyllic Tuscan ‘retreat,’ Juliette is about to discover another rule of Hollywood: wherever the starlet may go, the drama will follow.

Contest Rules:

As with my other contests, there are really no set rules for qualifying for an entry, other than by emailing me directly with your name and email address at delgalreviews(at)gmail(dot)com, or simply reply to this post with the same information. Follow me if you like me, not just to get an entry!

This contest will run until June 30th, then three winners will be randomly selected from the entries, and will be notified on the 1st of July, or thereabouts.

Although not a requirement, winners are encouraged to write up a review after reading The Starlet and I will post it on here.

Feeling particularly lucky? Go check out the author's website to enter in her contests too - You can win a trip to Los Angeles or Spannocchia, signed copies of her book, or, for book bloggers, if you write up a review of her book, you can enter to win a luncheon meeting in New York with a literary agent!

Good luck everyone!

Off For A Little Bit

2010-06-07T02:57:00.000-04:00

DelGal's Book Reviews is taking a small and temporary hiatus from reviewing and blogging as I'm recovering from surgery (not to worry, I'm ok). I will return shortly for more reviews - hope to see you then!

Review - Corruption's Child - J. R. Lindermuth

2010-05-31T00:42:00.000-04:00

My Ten Word Synopsis
Troubles in Swatara-Creek - murder, burglaries, corruption abounds, who's to blame?

Corruption's Child is an impressive tale that mixes two worlds, the Amish and the English (or non-Amish) along with the underbelly of corruption, into a mystery with consistent suspense that dashes throughout the entire storyline coming to a breathless crescendo. The characters are well developed by clear and detailed descriptions, and good dialog. A great read for mystery lovers.

Exhausted And Happy!

2010-05-29T00:41:00.002-04:00

This week has gone by already in a major whirlwind of activities that has left me tired, but completely happy over all the events that occurred. Here are some of the nifty highlights of this past week:

Book Expo America:

I was able to meet and speak with some great authors, which I will be posting about in the upcoming months.
I now have a mighty plethora of books to review, so much that I may be reviewing not only until the cows come home, but when they leave again!

Book Blogger Convention:

For the first ever BBC, these guys did an awesomely great job!
Attendees received a wonderful swag bag, and were treated to a great breakfast and lunch - thanks to all the authors and donators for this!
The day was packed full of great blog related information. I'm excited to try out new ideas that came up during the panel discussions. Check back here to see some in action soon!

Other New York Events:

I was able to spend some time touring the city between attending the BEA and BBC with my wonderful boyfriend (who also doubled as a superior book carrier during the conventions, I can't thank him enough!), that made a great complimentary mix between conventions and touring.

We got to see La Cage Aux Folles on Broadway starring Kelsey Grammer - A hilarious must-see!
City Sights NY - this double-decker bus, was a cool way to see the entire city, and then some, without having to drive like the rest of the crazies.
We even got our celebrity fix in, well ok, so they weren't technically real, but close enough at Madame Tussaud's Wax museum.

What an awesome week it was! As I mentioned before, I can't thank my boyfriend, Mark, enough for attending these conventions with me this week, despite not being a book blogger. Having him with me was a tremendous help, and I couldn't think of anyone else I'd rather be with at a convention, or whipping around New York than him.

Can't Make It To The BEA?

2010-05-20T00:26:00.002-04:00

Unfortunately no matter how cool the Book Expo America may be, many of us just can't attend it this year (I understand, I couldn't attend it last year). But why should all those bookie people have all the fun leaving the rest of the book community in the dust?
Well, thanks to some great ideas from a few book blog people, anyone can enjoy the BEA fun!

But how can this happen? Is someone going to press a few buttons to warp everyone interested in attending to the convention New York? Or maybe an anonymous rich donor will send tickets to everyone?

Well, not exactly, but you still can have all the fun of attending the convention, and even better, you don't have to leave your home, in fact, you can participate in all the blogging, interviews, and yes, even cool giveaways, right from your armchair (or other equally comfy sitting device).

Ok, this sounds way cool, but do I have to pay lots of money to do this, sell my first born or give all my royalties from my breakout novel to do this?

Nope, all you have to do to checkout all the cool stuff and action going on at the BEA and network and meet new people is zip on over to Armchair BEA Central. It's free to join and participate and even better, no having to hassle traffic or crowds!

Review - I am Ozzy - Ozzy Osbourne

2010-05-18T00:29:00.002-04:00

My Ten Word Synopsis
Drugs, drugs and more drugs, oh and bat biting too.

Ozzy is without a doubt a crazy rocker, and this book details exactly that, from his early years until as recent as 2009, all the craziness he's put himself through. I enjoyed reading about his wildly bizarre antics, and his side of what really happened during his life, especially the infamous events like when he bit the head off of a bat at a concert. Ozzy has a wonderful sense of humor, and has a great knack at telling stories and basically making something serious turn out to be quite hilarious. However, at some point the actual subject matter, which was mainly him getting beyond screwed up on some sort of substance, became a bit boring. Of course I realize that was his life, and I don't believe any editing or anything else would have made the plain truth sound any different or less uninteresting, it's just the way it is. Not to say that this wasn't a fascinating, hilarious journey into the life of a man who worked his way from a poor little town in the UK, to becoming a mega rock star in his lifetime, because it is exactly that, and then some. Finally, potential readers should know that this book is obviously written almost verbatim from Ozzy's words, meaning there doesn't appear to be a lot of fancy editing going on, which is a mixed bag since, on the positive side, this is exactly how he thinks and talks, but then again, it's also filled with British slang and lots of "potty mouth" language...so if you're one who gets easily confused of offended, it's best to avoid reading this.

BLOGFEST 2010 - Coming To Blogs Soon (ok in 4 months)

2010-05-15T00:00:00.003-04:00

I know it's a bit early to post this, but since I just joined, I thought I'd spread the word about what looks to be a lot of fun. This September, the 10-12th to be exact is BlogFest 2010.

So come on everybody, signup to participate, there's no particular blog requirement, all blogs are welcome, all you need to do is signup, participate on those days, and be willing to host a giveaway on your own blog. Pretty simple...get more readers for your blog, meet new people, win nifty prizes, how awesomely groovy nifty is that? See you then!

Friday Finds

2010-05-14T00:15:00.000-04:00

Back into the old meme swing of things, time to check out some of the reading finds I discovered this week. Enjoy!

Life Would Be Perfect If I Lived in That House

The Great Oom: The Improbable Birth of Yoga in America

Review - The Lace Reader - Brunonia Barry

2010-05-12T00:56:00.000-04:00

The Lace Reader is a well written tale, the descriptions of characters and settings were impressive and made me want to learn more about Salem lace reading, the surroundings, and it's history (even travel there), but there were some serious flaws that made this book quite unlikable. For one, it was hard to follow because of the flip flopping between characters, a few narrators, and the the biggest part, the self confessed unreliable main narrator, Towner. It is very difficult believing in what is going on, and likewise definitely not easy to connect with, or like any one particular character. Not to mention that critical questions were not answered at the end, and left readers dangling, for example, the death of Eva, did she die by accident, suicide, or is she really even dead, or is it all fantasy? There was a great mix of action, devastating domestic abuse, persecutions, mental illness, magic/witchcraft that could have made several great stories, but all smashed together made it confusing, disjointed, even slow moving at times, and basically not a very solid good read. However, with that said, although I do not believe this is a truly awful book, readers don't exactly need to immediately dash out and purchase or borrow this book, it does have it's unusual merits and could be placed on your eventual TBR list, especially if you enjoy the Salem witchcraft, paranormal, "lace reading" kind of story line, but be forewarned, you may get just as confused as I did!

Blog Tour - A Layman's Guide to Managing Fear Using Psychology, Christianity and Non Resistant Methods By Stanley Popovich

2010-05-11T16:01:00.001-04:00

DelGal's Book Reviews is pleased to present author Stanley Popovich, on behalf of i-Virtual Assist Book Tours.

Stan Popovich is the author of A Layman's Guide to Managing Fear Using Psychology, Christianity and Non Resistant Methods. - an easy to read book that presents a general overview of techniques that are effective in managing persistent fears and anxieties. For additional information go to: managingfear.com.

When Someone You Know Struggles With Fear, Anxiety And Stress

What do you do when someone you know has to deal with persistent fears, anxieties, or even depression? Well the first thing you need to do is to get the person to seek the services of a professional who can lead them in the right direction and give them the help they need. In addition, here are some other techniques you can use to help the person cope.

Learn as much as you can in managing anxiety and depression. There are many books and information that will educate you on how to deal with fear and anxiety. Share this information with the person who is struggling. Education is the key in finding the answers you are looking for in managing your fears.

Be understanding and patient with the person struggling with their fears. Dealing with depression and anxiety can be difficult for the person so do not add more problems.

In every anxiety-related situation you experience, begin to learn what works, what doesn’t work, and what you need to improve on in managing your fears and anxieties. For instance, you have a lot of anxiety and you decide to take a walk to help you feel better. The next time you feel anxious you can remind yourself that you got through it the last time by taking a walk. This will give you the confidence to manage your anxiety the next time around.

Challenge your negative thinking with positive statements and realistic thinking. When encountering thoughts that make you fearful or anxious, challenge those thoughts by asking yourself questions that will maintain objectivity and common sense. For example, you are afraid that if you do not get that job promotion then you will be stuck at your job forever. This depresses you, however your thinking in this situation is unrealistic. The fact of the matter is that there all are kinds of jobs available.

Another thing to remember is that things change. For instance, you may feel overwhelmed today with your anxiety and feel that this is how you will feel the rest of the week or month. This isn’t correct. No one can predict the future with one hundred percent accuracy. Even if the thing that you feared does happen there are circumstances and factors that you can’t predict which can be used to your advantage. You never know when the help and answers you are looking for will come to you.

When your fears and anxieties have the best of you, seek help from a professional. The key is to be patient, take it slow, and not to give up. In time, you will be able to find those resources that will help you with your problems.

Review - Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six-Word Memoirs By Writers Famous And Obscure - R. Fershleiser, L. Smith (Editors)

2010-05-10T00:00:00.000-04:00

Although the concept of writing one's memoir in six words seems to be a cool and novel idea that can be easily completed by anyone in a small amount of time, and quickly read by millions in an even smaller amount of time, this book is a mixed bag. I say this because at first I was intrigued by this concept and further interested in discovering that this book was a part of a contest, I mean who wouldn't love to see their name in print, right? It's definitely packed full of some really candid, funny, touching and even sad lines. However, after reading twenty or so pages, mostly with five entries on each page, and not knowing any of the identities of the people and what their particular entry really meant, it unfortunately became a rather boring and even a bit repetitive read. Cutting it down by half, or maybe including a bit more famous people or adding a few more visual diversions throughout the book (ie. illustrations of the memoir) may have made it a bit more easier to read.

Review - What's New, Cupcake? - Karen Tack & Alan Richardson

2010-05-09T00:33:00.004-04:00

Wow, there are undoubtedly some truly adorable and amazing cupcake in this book, designs for every occasion and idea that look super easy, but I hesitate and wonder...has anyone actually attempted any of these recipes, and did they come out as beautiful as the ones pictured? This book does give wonderful tips on the basics of making great cupcakes, like filling liners, frosting, tinting sugars and making basic shapes, not to mention the tons of ideas cooks can use to design shapes and decorate their cupcakes from simple everyday sweets from laffy taffy and M & M's to circus peanuts. There are even great sections like holidays, birthdays and the "April Fool's Play" where you create cupcakes that are meant to look like real food such as pizza and the super cool Chinese takeout. But how many of these recipes are actually edible, or are more show pieces, and do you really want to be eating something that has been touched so much? Some of it looks quite tedious and there are no prep times included in the book (I received an uncorrected proof, if anyone has a final copy pls. let me know if prep times are included and I will gladly redact this statement). All in all this book is organized well, filled with great ideas and well detailed, but are they really as easy to create and use for the regular at home cook?

Review - The King And Dr. Nick - George Nichopoulos

2010-05-08T02:37:00.000-04:00

Elvis' life and controversial death, is explored and explained in this well written narrative told by the one man closest to The King, his personal doctor. Readers looking for another sensational tell-all about Elvis, should look elsewhere, as this book is not filled with flashy, crude, or shocking accounts of Dr. Nick's time with Elvis. Rather it reads more like a simple (yet perfectly organized and filled with many details and photos), heartfelt, doctor's account of the friendship he cultivated over the years he worked for Elvis. However, while it may not be a smutty rendition of a rock-n-roll lifestyle, it does not lack the raw emotions and vivid accounts, both good and bad, of the events that occurred during his lifetime. Readers won't be able to help but feel sympathy and empathy for not only Elvis and his numerous health issues, but for the life of the doctor who valiantly attempted to keep all the plates spinning at once for the person who was continually spinning out of control. Whether or not this version of Elvis' life, and untimely death is completely accurate or not,(some parts are a bit iffy, and don't sound quite right) it is definitely well worth a read.

Review - Second Time Around - Linda Faulkner

2010-05-07T00:00:00.005-04:00

Timmie Campbell grew up alongside a mother whom she thought was a loving single parent, struggling to support her only child after her father abruptly abandoned them when she was little. Well, that was until dead bodies started mysteriously showing up on her property, one of them oddly happened to be that of her father. But how exactly did he manage to end up revealing himself to her, when he lived thousands of miles away, and what is a woman to do when more bodies keep piling up and it seems as if Timmie's life is being turned upside-down?

Second Time Around has good, page turning plot and just enough of thrilling suspense to keep readers guessing the outcome from the first page to the ending, while also including a bit of romantic turmoil that adds to the overall suspense in the story. There are a few grammatical flaws, and readers may have a difficult time figuring out why this story was given such a title, but this seems to be quite small and insignificant to the otherwise fun, suspenseful plot.

Review - Kate The Ghost Dog: Coping With The Death Of A Pet - Wayne Wilson

2010-05-06T00:00:00.000-04:00

My review originally posted on Feathered Quill Reviews

Aleta is a bright, free-spirited, young girl who lives with her parents and younger brother. She has two great friends she loves spending her time with, and even has aspirations on becoming a veterinarian someday. On a most terrible day, Aleta returns home to discover that the family dog, Kate, has died. Although Aleta does understand that animals can't possibly live forever, she is completely devastated over the loss of the dog, and doesn't want to accept the truth at first. As the days pass, Aleta goes through her own grief process that includes isolation so she doesn't have to talk about it, to anger and even pretending that Kate's ghost has returned to the family. Her pain also spills into school as she breaks down and cries in class, and Aleta doesn't want to participate in a memorial for Kate, nor does she want to play with her two best friends. Thankfully, with the help of her family, uncle, and close friends, Aleta is able to overcome her grief and turn her raw feelings into positive memories of Kate.

Author Wayne Wilson, coupled with illustrator Soud, present an admirable story on grief and pet loss for children that not only perfectly identifies many of the emotions children can experience during such an event, but also points out the equally valuable ways in which the healing process can, and does, occur. This story is eloquently written, flows well, and keeps the reader's attention throughout, while the illustrations are gently sprinkled amongst key points in the story, rather than having them included on every page, which is often seen in more simple picture books. The book stresses the importance of building on family support, and creating positive memories of times spent with a beloved pet, which can be equally transformed into human loss too. Kate, the Ghost Dog also includes a summarization of helpful tips on how to cope with pet loss that can be a useful tool for not only children, but also adults.

Congratulations!

2010-05-03T18:00:00.003-04:00

I just wanted to briefly announce the winner of April's contest for Presumed Innocent by Scott Turow. Thanks to all who signed up. The nifty random.org found the winner, who is the lucky Darcie K. from MI.

Congratulations to Darcie for winning, and the Hatchette publishing company for rereleasing that book for those of us who didn't catch it on it's first around.

Stay bloggy tuned for the next giveaway!

Review - B Is For Bufflehead By Steve Hutchcraft

2010-04-28T00:25:00.002-04:00

You can't beat this perfect combination of learning, not only do kids learn the alphabet, but they discover the world of all sorts of birds from Avocets to Zone-tailed hawks and the kiskadees in between. This book is packed with stunning photos of mostly unusual birds, and few that most adults are familiar with, like the hummingbird. Each page presents a new bird and related letter of the alphabet along with some fun facts relating to the bird. Towards the end, simple quizzes are included as well as further fun facts related to the birds listed in the book. This is a great transition book for older children too, especially ones that are doing projects on birds since there is an excellent amount of factual information.

A Where Are You, Teaser Tuesday Kinda Day

2010-04-27T03:32:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the latest edition of both Teaser Tuesday, and Where Are You Tuesday, featuring:

The Ghosts of Cape May Book 2 By Craig McManus

"Unfortunately, many ghosts wait until we are asleep to try to investigate us!...Should you be (lucky) enough to wake up and actually see a ghost, called an apparition in that case, the first things you should not do is scream!" p 28.

And if you haven't exactly figured out where I am yet this week in reading, I'm in the wonderfully quaint seaside town of Cape May, New Jersey. America's oldest seaside resort, that has many beautiful, old Victorian era homes, some converted into Bed and Breakfasts, hotels, restaurants, shopping and of course, the beach. In fact, I'll literally be visiting Cape May this week for a few days. Who knows, maybe I'll find some of the ghosts, author Craig McManus writes about in his books. I just hope none of them follow me home!

Friday Finds

2010-04-23T00:46:00.000-04:00

I've got some food related Friday Finds this week, come check them out!

For All the Tea in China: How England Stole the World's Favorite Drink from China and Changed World History

All the Presidents' Pastries: Twenty-Five Years in the White House, A Memoir

Read Books - Donate Books!

2010-04-22T00:12:00.000-04:00

According to the We Give Books website, an initiative started between Penguin Group and the Pearson Foundation to help give books to those less fortunate, such as the "Room to Read" program in South Africa, the "Haiti Learning Spaces" and Volunteer USA to name a few. For each book read for free on the We Give Books website, they will donate one book to the charity of your choice listed on their site. The site includes several children's books in various categories and age ranges between 0-10 years old as well as detailed charity descriptions and even some author interviews.

So go on, check out this website, read some cute books online with your children (or even by yourself if you're like me and love kiddie books), or get a group together and read up a storm together, and help donate books to those in need!

Review - Burro's Tortillas By Terri Fields

2010-04-17T00:20:00.000-04:00

This review originally posted on Feathered Quill Book Reviews.

Based on the children's classic story, The Little Red Hen, Burro's Tortillas tells the entertaining tale of a burro who discovers a corn crop that is ripe for picking and making tortillas. So he sets off one day to gather the corn and decides to enlist his three friends, the bobcat, coyote and jackrabbit to help him. Unfortunately, little Burro quickly finds out that his friends are not only uninterested in corn picking, they are too busy or feel the hard work is beneath them, so he ends up doing all the work of removing the kernels, washing and grinding them, making the dough balls and baking it entirely by himself. It's a job that is quite extensive and tiresome! Finally, when the smell of fresh tortillas floats into the air, Burro's friends come running over to help him...eat the tortillas that is, but will he take them up on their offer at this point?
Burro's Tortillas is an adorable, whimsical story that includes lovely illustrations, a glance into a different culture and their tortilla making process, and even has a little lesson "twist" about cooperation and helping others. The author has a wonderful knack for mixing together puns, humor, and both English and Spanish words into well developed and memorable characters that will entertain and educate not only children, but even curious adults. To further enhance the reading experience of this great book, Sylvan Dell Publishing has included (at the end of the story) a section entitled 'For Creative Minds,' which specifically includes a few quizzes, a tortilla recipe and also online resources that are packed full of educational materials, related websites and English/Spanish audiobooks.

Review - Blackberry Banquet By Terry Pierce

2010-04-16T00:09:00.004-04:00

This review originally posted on Feathered Quill Book Reviews.

The sweetness of the plump wild blackberries are the yummiest food around in the forest, or so it is for all the woodland creatures, especially the mouse, bluebird, squirrel, fox and deer. They happily come upon a great bush filled with lovely berries and merrily chomp away. "Mmm-mm!" say all the creatures as they indulge in the super yummy treat, until...the big black bear arrives, and things get a bit messy.
Blackberry Banquet is a quick-read children's (ages 4-8) tale, that has a bit of humor, cute animal chewing sounds, and rhymes all mixed into one charming book. The vivid, amusing, and detailed illustrations add to the overall positive, energetic tone, while a few Oregon environmental groups verified the accuracy of this book, which not only entertains, but also educates the little ones. The publisher, Sylvan Dell Publishing, has also included a section in the back of this book entitled 'For Creative Minds' and includes such educational materials as quizzes, facts and recipes. Also, further teaching resources can be located online at the Sylvan Dell Publishing website.

Blog Tour - How Clarissa Burden Learned To Fly By Connie May Fowler

2010-04-15T14:59:00.003-04:00

Welcome to DelGal's first ever blog tour featuring the book How Clarissa Burden Learned To Fly By Connie May Fowler

The synopsis:

New York Times bestselling writer Connie May Fowler delivers a transcendent novel about one fateful day in the life of a woman on the verge of an extraordinary life change.

Set amidst the lush pine forests and rich savannas of Florida’s Northern Panhandle, HOW CLARISSA BURDEN LEARNED TO FLY tells the story of one woman whose existence until now has seemed fairly normal: she is 30-something, married, and goes about her daily routine as a writer. However, it is soon discovered that ghosts, an indifferent husband, and a seemingly terminal case of writer’s block are burdening Clarissa’s life. She awakes on the summer solstice and, prodded by her own discontent and one ghost’s righteous need for truth, commences upon a twenty-four hour journey of self-discovery. Her harrowing, funny, and startling adventures lead Clarissa to a momentous decision: She must find a way to do the unthinkable. Her life and the well-being of a remarkable family of blithe spirits hang in the balance. Connie May Fowler demonstrates her keen abilities as a storyteller in this remarkably original novel about an unexpected mid-life awakening. This is an empowering story that will resonate and be discussed for years to come.

Thanks to the Early Birds Blog Tour hosted by Hatchette Book Group I was able to get two quick interview questions in for the author to answer. Here they are:

The Top Five Things About Writing in Florida

5. Forget about getting a suntan! I’m indoors writing 24-7.

4. No one can figure out if your work falls into the Southern Fiction category because most folks don’t realize Florida was a member of the Confederacy. Indeed, the state’s insane Confederate governor shot himself in the head rather than surrender to Union soldiers.

3. Between hurricanes, alligators, female serial killers, environmental battles, and awe-inspiring beauty, my writerly self is never at a loss for words.

2. I live on a sand bar in which the bay is my back yard boundary and the Gulf of Mexico the front yard boundary. We have abundant bird life.Bear and coyote make their home here, as do snakes and turtles. Dolphins frolic (who needs Sea World, right?). It’s a great place to be creative. Isolation, introspection, and beauty: three things I think every writer needs.

1. I was once told by a Miami-based crime writer that Florida had no literary history prior to “Miami Vice.” Stunned, I stated the obvious: “But that’s a TV show. And what about Zora Neale Hurston, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, and Marjorie Stoneman Douglas?” My friend, without a moment’s hesitation, said, “But they’re women.” At that moment, I wished Ms. Rawlings were standing beside me, her dog at her feet and her rifle in her hand.

I also asked Ms. Fowler to tell me more about "The Clarissa Burden I’ve Got a Secret Postcard Project" and here's her cool answer:

When the novel opens, the heroine ofHow Clarissa Burden Learned to Flyis having a really bad day. In the midst of her travails, she realizes that she spends an inordinate amount of time conjuring spousal death scenarios. She also realizes that she can’t tell a soul. Indeed, Clarissa is teeming with secrets. They contribute to her writer’s block but also fuel her very active imagination.
I wondered how really different Clarissa is from the average Jane or Joe. So I decided to find out and the Clarissa Burden I’ve Got a Secret Postcard Project was born. It’s been truly fascinating. I get about 20 secrets a week. I’ve started posting them in weekly batches on my website (conniemayfowler.com, or go directly to the secrets at http://www.conniemayfowler.com/I_ve_Got_a_Secret_.html I’ve been really humbled by some of them. They are so honest and direct. Some are brimming with hurt, others anger. And some of them are absolutely confounding!

Hope you enjoyed the great interview, and don't forget to check out Ms. Fowler's book, and check back here for a forthcoming review too!

Review - Turtles In My Sandbox By Jennifer Curtis

2010-04-15T00:00:00.001-04:00

This review originally posted on Feathered Quill Book Reviews.

What child wouldn't be totally excited if they discovered little turtle eggs in their sandbox? That's exactly what happened to a young girl named Maggie one day. You see, a mother diamondback terrapin laid her eggs in Maggie's sandbox. With the assistance of her mother and local turtle experts, Maggie learns how to take extra special care of the young brood until they safely hatch, grow for about nine months, and become large enough to be set free into the bay where they belong.

Turtles In My Sandbox is not only a cute tale for readers between the ages of 4-8 years, but it's a story that is based on actual events that occur in schools from Florida to Massachusetts. While it is not too likely your child will end up with terrapin eggs in their sandbox, this story has an important lesson about conservation and care of wildlife that will delight children of all ages. Illustrator Emanuel Schongut expertly draws appealing watercolors that follow the story nicely and gives accurate details of the actual terrapins and their nesting areas.
Also included in this book is an educational section entitled 'For Creative Minds,' that includes further learning about the diamondback terrapins' life-cycle (they're only about the size of a quarter when hatched), fun facts (turtles have no teeth!), their usual habitat, and finally a terrapin fun craft that will educate and entice children to want to learn more about these turtles that are in danger of becoming extinct in some areas of the United States. Finally, online resources can be utilized by parents or teachers to support this book that includes teaching activities and quizzes that can be found on the Sylvan Dell Publishing website.

National Library Week is here!

2010-04-11T23:43:00.000-04:00

Come on everyone out there, support your local library and the theme this year, "Communities Thrive @ your library" this week and check out a book, donate, or just visit your local library this week! You can't beat FREE books, and who knows, maybe Neil Gaiman will be sitting in one of the aisles casually reading (he's cute in a bookish nerd way, dontcha think? And he's the honorary chair this year!)

Review - From Beer To Maternity By Maggie Lamond Simone

2010-04-09T00:00:00.002-04:00

This review originally posted on Feathered Quill Book Reviews.

Maggie Lamond Simone did not start out her adult life in the best of ways. Alcohol was the norm until the day she wrecked her car and asked the officer on the scene to drive her to the local bar she was headed to, instead of her home. Amazingly something clicked in her mind and she sobered up the next day, starting a new life as a bit more of a “responsible” adult and even managed to begin a writing career. From Beer to Maternity is a collection of some of her columns that chronicle Ms. Simone's adventures in dating, marriage, pregnancy, motherhood and menopause with an exceptional mix of no holds barred, gritty humor emphasizing that mistakes happen, but you can get over it, move on, and even laugh about it in the process.

Although the author freely speaks about her addiction to alcohol, this book is definitely not your average tragic addict-to-heroine type of recovery book. Instead, this story presents a comically entertaining look into the author's not-so-perfect life, and at the same time, it boldly provides useful, frank advice on a few key life events through the eyes of one who has been in the trenches and has managed to not only survive but come out laughing in the end. From Beer To Maternity is even set up in fairly concise sections that often include candid bits of advice perfect for the busy woman facing similar life challenges. For instance, “You know you're getting old when...” that mentions “You catch yourself doing something your parents did and breathe a sentimental sigh, instead of screaming 'AAAAAHHHHHHH' like you would have a few years ago.” and “The Cookie Theory...” which states that cookies eaten at night, in the car and your child's leftover cookies, all have no calories.

From Beer To Maternity is an exemplary, hilarious read that will not only make readers chuckle, but they may find themselves sniffling a bit, nodding their heads vigorously in agreement, and is a must-read for everyone, even if you haven't yet experienced all the craziness that life has in store for you.

April 2010 Book Giveaway!

2010-04-01T00:00:00.004-04:00

In celebration of DelGal's birthday this month, I've decided to host my first book giveaway! I'm giving away copies of Presumed Innocent By Scott Turow

Book Description:

In Presumed Innocent, Rusty Sabich, family man and the number-two prosecutor of Kindle County, is handed an explosive case -- the brutal murder of a woman who happens to be his former lover. A shocking turn of events suddenly transforms him from the accuser into the accused and plunges him into a nightmare world where nothing seems real and no one can be presumed innocent.

Some of you may be familiar with this book, it was published way back in 1988, and became a movie in 1990, staring Harrison Ford.

So why giveaway a book that hasn't been in the limelight in quite some time?

Well, Hatchette Book Group is digging up this bestseller in anticipation of the sequel, Innocent, that is scheduled to be released May 4th. So why not give it a whirl and try this book out, and if ya like it, you won't have to wait 20+ years to read the sequel this time around!

But how do I win a copy, DelGal?

Great question and it's really rather simple. All you need to do is leave your email address in the comment section below, or if you're skitish and don't want to leave it there, no problem, please feel free to email me your name and email privately at delgalreviews(at)gmail(dot)com
That's it, it's really that easy to win a book here, no having to follow me, twitter, FB, or anything like that, just plain and simple old fashioned try your luck by entering your name in the pot! (Of course if you feel like I'm such a groovy gal, feel free to follow me)

But DelGal, is there any fine print we should know about?

Of course, what kind of contest would it be if there wasn't some type exception?

1. Those who enter must have an address in the United States or Canada, and no PO Boxes, please.
2. Winner will be notified via their email provided, on or about May 1st so they can provide me with their mailing address.
3. Finally, I would also like if the winner, after reading this book, would send me a review, so I can post it here on the blog. (this isn't mandatory, but would be greatly appreciated)

That's it! Any confusions or further questions, please feel free to email me. GOOD LUCK TO ALL!

Tuesday Time - Teasers & Where Am I?

2010-03-30T16:14:00.003-04:00

It's that double meme time of the week again!

Where am I in reading?
This week I'm in the kitchen with the editors of Fine Cooking Magazine, and I'm learning all about the wonders of chocolate!

And today's teaser is:
"All real chocolate comes from the cocoa bean (also called cacao bean), the fruit of a tree, Theobroma cacao, that only grows in the tropics. Much of the quality of the chocolate will depend on the origin and quality of the beans."

Review - The Way To Stillness: Powerful Tools For Those In The Helping Professions By Gayle Alexander & Anne Alexander Vincent

2010-03-26T01:00:00.002-04:00

Since I've worked in the field of substance abuse counseling for several years, I thought this would be a great read for a mental energy boost or spiritual strengthening, especially in those trying times with difficult clients. The author has great insights through her own personal counseling experiences that can assist those in the helping profession, but there's nothing too Earth shattering and new that a seasoned professional hasn't already attempted or experienced. It is however, written well, and specifically Christian readers will appreciate several bible verses and helpful references within the book. Finally, there are some wonderful and inspiring pictures included, but they're placed on every other page, and in this reviewers opinion, is a little bit of an overkill, when fewer placed pictures could have made more of an impact. Overall I recommend this book for those who are newer in the helping professionals, or those who are seasoned but could use a bit of a refresher.

Tuesday Time - Teasers & Where Am I?

2010-03-23T01:27:00.003-04:00

Since it's Tuesday again, it's time for where am I in reading, and a quick teaser too. I'm taking a bit of a departure from my usual fiction or memoir reading, and trying out a nature/science book.

So where am I today?

A California Bestiary By Rebecca Solnit & Mona Caron
I feel like I'm on safari today since I'm in California, and checking out a few of native animals, including a Bluebelly Lizard, a Chinook Salmon, a Mountain Lion and a Tule Elk to name a few.

The best tease for this book comes from the back cover, it really grabbed my attention and made me want to read/review this book!

"Inspired by medieval bestiaries, in which animals were presented in a fashion that favored the fanciful over the factual, Solnit and Caron have partnered to create their own book of magical beasts one in which the truth is stranger than fiction. Deeply aware of how much animal lore feeds the language of human imagination, Solnit uses her unique literary prowess to describe native California animals in such a way that they become as thrilling as any exotic creature of yore."

Review - The Sweet War Man By Paul Barcelo

2010-03-20T00:00:00.000-04:00

This review originally posted on Feathered Quill Reviews

Randolph Thayer, a steadfast Army second lieutenant, is ready to embark upon his training to become a rotary wing pilot in the Vietnam War, even if he is not exactly sure what it is that pulls men into military careers. Andrea Tremblay is an equally steadfast woman who is deeply involved in advancing her position in a family owned company, and quite a determined girlfriend to Randy. She halfheartedly accepts him as a soldier, but definitely does not want him to go to war. In fact, she is willing to do whatever it takes to keep Randy home, including getting him involved with her family's company. Meanwhile, Faith Beckwerth, a longtime Thayer family friend, is dropping clues that go mostly unnoticed, clues that she is interested in Randy. Unlike Andrea, she hangs onto Randy's every word, supports his military endeavors, and is always there to listen to his stories, and ease any of his fears.

The Sweet War Man is a raw military love story with intense characters that takes readers into the challenging trenches of military training, touches down in aggressive corporate America, and wraps it all up in a smattering of love and plenty of lust. The author vividly describes each of the three main characters in such detail that readers become attached to all of them, even perhaps the less savory individual, wondering throughout the story what the ultimate outcome will be for everyone involved. Patriotism, yet uncertainty and confusion, plagues Randy, while a ruthlessly unflagging work ethic is seen in Andrea. Readers cannot help but feel sorry for the winsome Faith, who embodies an innocence and sincerity that offsets the rough edges in the plot, and makes readers want to root for a happy, amorous ending.

Prospective readers should make note, however, that this tale is heavy on detailed military terms, maneuvers, and activities, therefore the technical writing may be particularly difficult for civilian readers to follow. In addition, there are a considerable number of grammatical errors that interfere with the overall strength of this story, and should definitely be fixed in order to improve the readability and further enjoyment of The Sweet War Man.

It's Tuesday...Where Are You? & A Teaser too!

2010-03-16T10:52:00.003-04:00

This is my first attempt at It's Tuesday...Where are you? - a cool meme where participants blog post about the location of their character(s) in the current book they're reading.

So, where am I this week?

Horns: A Novel By Joe Hill
I'm driving in a car on the interstate somewhere in New Hampshire. Destination unknown, the driver has a slight problem on his hands, it seems he has horns growing out of his head...

And now for Tuesday's teaser:

"His first thought was that somehow he had brought this affliction upon himself . Late the night before, he had gone into the woods beyond the old foundry, to the place where Merrin Williams had been killed. (p. 4)

Review #32 Asleep: The Forgotten Epidemic that Remains One of Medicine's Greatest Mysteries By Molly Caldwell Crosby

2010-03-08T17:50:00.001-05:00

This review originally posted on Feathered Quill Reviews

The year was 1918, and while the world was caught in the midst of a massive war, it was also facing a quiet, but quite deadly strain of influenza that ripped through every country leaving a massive amount of death in its wake. Oddly, in the crux of all the horror and death, another disease surfaced in Europe that proved to be perplexing and completely stumped physicians. The patients suffered from anomalous sleeping symptoms, facial tics and often savage insanity. This strange illness eventually spread around the world, and left a profusion of
permanently debilitated patients in asylums, and caused death in
other patients. Physicians scrambled for answers to this unknown sleeping sickness, which was finally named Encephalitis Lethargica, and by the time they believed they had some answers, although not any concrete enough to consistently assist those suffering from it, Encephalitis Lethargica simply vanished from the world in 1927.

This story is about the few neurologists, primarily in New York, who tirelessly studied this disease's effect. They visited homes and asylums, documented every patient and their unusual and devastating symptoms, spent further hours researching, and finally gave presentations on the disease to educate others. Their hope was to put an end to the ravaging effects of Encephalitis Lethargica before it reared its ugly ahead again.

Molly Crosby truly has a knack for mixing elegant storytelling with researched historical events that entices readers right from the beginning, smoothly and consistently interests readers throughout with biographies of the key players, and well documented case studies, and closes with a personal account that brings the book full circle. Encephalitis Lethargica is a dreadfully serious disease, but is virtually an unknown and mysterious threat that continues to linger, throughout the world. However, thanks to this engrossing book, light is being shed upon the possible potential threat EL could have on people in the present day by exposing the events in detail that led up to the original epidemic.

Readers should not be turned-off by this medical related topic when selecting their possible next read because although it is indeed packed full of research, it reads more like a fascinating medical mystery, rather than a stuffy research paper. Still, the book includes critical documentation that also makes it a crucial read for those in the medical field.

E-Book Week

2010-03-06T21:23:00.000-05:00

Sunday is the official start to Read an E-Book Week

Celebrate this week by reading an e-book and you'll save a tree, lessen the amount of books on your shelf and just celebrate the advances in technology.

Can't find anything to read? Check out the e-book store for listings of publishers, authors and vendors who are participating in e-book week by providing free or discounted e-books and even a contest to win a Nook e-reader!

Free Ebook For Children

2010-03-03T01:30:00.003-05:00

Sylvan Dell Publishing is offering for a limited time, a free copy of one of their recently published children's books, Panda's Earthquake Escape by Phyllis Perry, in hopes to help explain the recent tragedies that have occurred in both Haiti and Chili to children who may be inquisitive and even afraid. This book is based on the earthquake that occurred in China several years ago and follows two pandas that have been displaced from their refuge by the earthquake.

I checked out the ebook, which is easily accessible on their website, and noticed it's also available in audio format in English and Spanish, and can also be purchased in paperback and hardback. The story is wonderful, beautifully illustrated and also includes comprehensive information on Pandas and Earthquakes. Finally, teachers can also find a comprehensive PDF of activities that go along with this book right on Sylvan Dell's website. Check it out!

Musing Mondays - Story Format

2010-03-01T12:58:00.000-05:00

Today's Musing Mondays question asks:

How do you feel about books written in a differing format – whether this be journals or letters (epistolary), verse novels, or any other form? Is this something you enjoy? Or do you prefer straight forward chapter prose.

I have a mixed opinion about nontraditional story formatting. My first reaction is to think, "Uh oh, what are they trying to hide, or what's going to go missing?" when spotting formats other than the chapter version. I've noticed that sometimes when an author spends a lot of time being different, their content is lacking, almost as if they're trying to cover up a lack of solid storyline by rearranging it in a nifty format. Of course this is not the case for everyone, some books work better in certain formats other than a traditional one because the specific top or storyline being covered, and for me those can be just as enjoyable.

Review #31 - Virtually Dead - Peter May

2010-02-26T00:49:00.000-05:00

Virtually dead has an excellent, suspenseful plot that includes many twists and turns that keep readers on the edge of their seats throughout most of the book. The characters and setting are described in vivid detail and the transitions made from a virtual world to the real world could pose a serious problem for a writer, but are excellently conveyed here. This story has abundant references to the online virtual reality world, Second Life, and can be quite confusing since it can be hard to follow the numerous activities, vernacular and references mentioned within, and even a bit boring for readers who are not as familiar with this virtual game. However, if you are a fan of virtual reality games or if you enjoy suspense novels and are interested in reading about the psychological aspects that this novel touches upon with regards to the virtual world versus the real world, I would definitely recommend reading this.

Musing Mondays - Keeping Books

2010-02-22T00:00:00.009-05:00

Today's Musing Monday question is:

Do you keep all the books you ever buy? Just the ones you love? Just collectibles? What do you do with the ones you don’t want to keep?

When I purchase books whether they be new or used, cheap or not-so-cheap, I tend to want to keep them forever, and never part with them. Of course there is a slight problem with this because I quickly run out of room, and I admit it is a bit silly at times, especially since I have no intention of ever rereading the book (if it's a novel, reference/coffee table type books I do reread) again, but when I create a bond with the book after reading it for so many days and enjoying it, I hate to see it go, so there is no other choice but to put it on a shelf, squeezed in there somewhere amongst the many others. However, if I didn't like the book, I don't feel so tied to it, so I will more than happily part with it by donating it to charity, giving it to a friend, or, and I admit I'm a bit naughty here, I return it to where I purchased it, so I can get credit for something else. Now, every few years when my shelves are at at the tilting point, I will go through them, and if I'm not particularly feeling too sentimental with some, I will start my donate, or give to a friend ritual so I can free up space. I still have collections of my favorite authors such as Stephen King, Ann Rule, or some goodies from childhood/teen years that I can't bare to part with, so those will probably remain with me forever, although because of a move I made last year, they will remain neatly tucked away in boxes, instead of displayed on shelves.

Review #30 - Rabbit: Chasing Beth Rider - Ellen C. Maze

2010-02-20T23:56:00.001-05:00

I, like several other readers of this book who have also left excellent comments (via goodreads.com and amazon), have thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel. Vampire fans will be especially delighted to read this tale, not only because of the intriguing blood thirsty characters, but because of it's unique premise that goes beyond the classic horror character, and moves readers into new possibilities (intentionally vague here so as not to give away the critical plot twist).

While this is indeed an distinctively enter...more I, like several other readers of this book who have also left excellent comments, have thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel. Vampire fans will be especially delighted to read this tale, not only because of the intriguing blood thirsty characters, but because of it's unique premise that goes beyond the classic horror character, and moves readers into new possibilities (intentionally vague here so as not to give away the critical plot twist).

Finally, a word of warning for non-Christians, or those who do not particularly care for any mention of God/religion in stories they read...please note that this novel is a little heavy on the Christian side, so if you are easily offended, I advise against reading this. However, if you do have an open mind, do not let that deter you from enjoying this fast paced story that is filled with adventure, thrilling characters, and is an overall good vampire read.

Review #29 - Heart-Shaped Box - Joe HIll

2010-02-18T15:18:00.000-05:00

Heart-Shaped Box is a gruesome, scary and fast-paced novel that will "grasp the shoulder of horror fans" right from the beginning, and will refuse to let go. This is oddly reminiscent of the works of Mr. Hill's father, horror god, Stephen King, so I suppose his dad taught him well.

I thoroughly enjoyed this tale from beginning to end that included all the nasty and hair raising twists and turns, it was even hard to put down despite getting drowsy in the wee hours of the morning. It's packed with awesomely gory scenes and such well formed characters that it's quite easy to get caught up in the tale and quickly find yourself looking over your shoulder, wondering what that noise was you just heard.
However, with that said, tend to run a tad wordy towards the end, which gave the feeling of "Isn't this done, yet?" but luckily this didn't overshadow the awesome macabre feel to the entire story.

Musing Mondays

2010-02-15T01:38:00.000-05:00

Mondays could use a little pick-me-up around here when I'm off busy reading and not posting a review, so I thought I'd try out a little questioning fun entitled Musing Mondays.

This week's musing is:

Do you keep reference books on your shelves at home? What’s your first port of call when you need information – the internet or a book?

I do have some reference books on my shelves, but alas with the advent of the Internet, my reference shelf has dramatically dwindled and transformed itself into a little amount of physical books, and has greatly increased into tons of bookmarks from websites on the Internet. Gone are the days of huge, expensive, encyclopedias in my home, including the once treasured ones my family dutifully purchased from a local seller. Other reference books from cooking to gardening, and pet care to medical care, have all been donated and removed from my home, for two main reasons. One, it frees up quite a big space in the home, and second, the book becomes outdated almost as soon as it's printed, (ironically much like the computer) and more current information can be zapped into one's mind instantly via the Internet.

I would say that about 95% of the time I will use the Internet when I need to look up information on a specific subject. The remainder time I use my own reference book collection to find information would be when I don't necessarily trust the accuracy of the facts (or I have to pay to get the answers I need) I'm receiving on the Internet, and I trust one of my tried-and-true reference books instead.

Book Expo America and Book Blogger Convention

2010-02-08T00:22:00.000-05:00

I'm pleased to announce a few upcoming conferences for us bibliophiles out there who want to learn more about the industry, would like to rub elbows with authors, or who just want to roam around looking at cool books.

From May 25th to May 27th the BOOK EXPO AMERICA will be in the Jacob Javitts Center in New York City.

And even cooler and more specific to us book bloggers out there, on May 28th, (yes the day AFTER the BEA) the BOOK BLOGGER CONVENTION will make it's inaugural debut in the same convention center in New York City.

It looks like both conventions will be a wonderful almost-entire-week packed with great events that bibliophiles and bloggers especially on the East coast don't want to miss!
Want to know what's even cooler?
If you buy a ticket to the BBC, you get free admission to the BEA! Not a bad deal, two conventions for the price of one. I'm hoping to be able to attend both this year for my first time, and I heard an from a fellow book reviewing company who's attended before, that publishers throw tons of their books at you. I'm psyched!
If anyone is thinking about going,or you've attended a BEA event in the past and want to share some scoop, please feel free to leave me a comment, I'd love to hear from you.

Review #28 - Love To Love You Bradys: The Bizarre Story of The Brady Bunch Variety Hour

2010-02-07T01:53:00.000-05:00

Love to Love You Bradys: The Bizarre Story of The Brady Bunch Variety Hour is a fascinating and often times hilarious mix of a strange story about the little known show the Brady Bunch got themselves "entangled" into back in the late 70's. It's packed full of insider scoop, pictures, detailed show information, quotes from all the cast members, and more! Special memories and storylines are included by Susan Olsen (Cindy Brady). This is a great book for Brady fans (and even those who hated the B Bunch, and could use a laugh at their expense).

On a side note, if you're planning on reading this, I suggest you avoid the e-version of it at all costs. I was given this version by the publisher, ECW Press, for review and that version is totally awful. The pictures are grainy and sometimes impossible to decipher, and towards the end letters in words were missing. Not to mention I noticed at least twice where entire sentences were cut off at the end of a page. However, despite this mess it was an enjoyable story, but get a physical copy!

Friday Finds - Harlequin-NASCAR?

2010-02-05T02:32:00.009-05:00

I discovered an interesting combination of themes that have been mixed together to make novels that has left me giggling, slightly curious, and astonished all mixed in one. What is it you ask?

The Harlequin publishing company and NASCAR, have teamed together to make a miniseries NASCAR related romance books. Are they any good? I haven't the slightest clue, and would really love to hear opinions of others.

Harlequin's website gives this brief description:

"The rush of the professional race car circuit; the thrill of falling in love. These NASCAR romances are sure to keep you on the edge of your seat as you read about the thrilling twists and turns both on the racetrack and on the track to love."

Anyone out there happen to be familiar with this, or have read any Harlequin-NASCAR books? Or if you're curious about these books, please find more information in an article written in the NASCAR website or you can check out the entire set of books at the Harlequin website

World's Largest Book

2010-02-03T20:41:00.000-05:00

Check out the article in the Guardian about the world's largest book. It reportedly is a 350 year old atlas and takes six people to carry, and will be on exhibit among other interesting maps according to the British Library.

I'm just glad I didn't have to carry that thing around with me in a book bag in high school!

For more information on the article please go directly to the original here

Books Survive Even In Tough Economic Times!

2010-01-30T13:30:00.003-05:00

A recent online poll conducted of 3,000 people says people just can't live without their books!

Check out the entire article posted on Yahoo! and find out other interesting results from the poll.

Friday Finds - Idiots Guides

2010-01-28T23:33:00.008-05:00

I was pleasantly surprised to discover this past week that the "The Complete Idiots Guide to..." series has a few books related to reading and writing.

Check them out, and now there are no excuses for any of us not to be able to join in on the fun, and write and read like the rest of the idiots out there!

Welcome New Followers!

2010-01-27T00:00:00.000-05:00

Most of you already know that I've recently taken the plunge and decided to host a few book challenges (see the nifty icon to your right) and I wanted to take the time to publicly thank everyone who has joined the challenges thus far and to everyone who has also joined as a follower of this blog.
It's been lonely for the past few months blogging only to followers who are somehow related to me, so it's good to see some new faces here! I'm honored you're taking the time to check me out (amongst the millions of other review blogs), and I look forward to hearing from everyone in the comment sections.

Thanks!

DelGal

Book Page Contest - free books!

2010-01-26T01:05:00.005-05:00

Want to win a chance at having FREE books for an entire year? Go check out Book Page's "We Love Our Readers" survey contest. Good luck to all!

Friday Finds

2010-01-22T00:05:00.000-05:00

I admit I'm not a big Elvis fan, but I am quite intrigued by learning more information about the famous rocker, so I jumped on this book as soon as I saw it up for reviews at booksneeze.com,

Book Description

The truth about Elvis’s death from the doctor who spent eleven years as “the King’s” personal physician, father-figure, and confidant—"Dr. Nick."
Dr. Nichopoulos spent a decade with Elvis on the road and at Graceland, trying to maintain the precarious health of one of the world’s greatest entertainers. But on August 16, 1977, he found himself in the ambulance with Elvis on that fateful last trip to the ER. He signed the death certificate.
From that day forward, Dr. Nick became the focus of a media witch hunt which threatened his life and all but destroyed his professional reputation. Now, for the first time, Dr. Nick reveals the true story behind Elvis’s drug use and final days—not the version formed by years of tabloid journalism and gross speculation. Put aside what you’ve learned about Elvis’s final days and understand for the first time the inner workings of “the king of rock n’ roll.”

Review #27 - Divorced, Beheaded, Died... By Kevin Flude

2010-01-21T00:41:00.002-05:00

Divorced, Beheaded, Died...: The History of Britain's Kings and Queens in Bite-Sized Chunks by Kevin Flude

This is a great book that I picked up in the Manchester airport last year in England, that informs the curious non-Brit (ok, even Brits, too) about the history of Britain's monarchy. What makes it interesting is that it reads as a chronological and well documented history book, but it is not bogged down with so much information that it becomes boring and unreadable. All the interesting tidbits of each King or Queen from the first to the present is included. It also includes a very brief history of Scottish and Welsh monarchy which is definitely not as common of knowledge as England's, but still a mostly interesting read to quickly browse through.

Teaser Tuesday - Rabbit: Chasing Beth Rider by Ellen Maze

2010-01-19T01:34:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Teaser Tuesday!

Today's tease is from the book entitled Rabbit: Chasing Beth Rider by Ellen Maze.

"She did not know what he intended to do to her or with her, but she knew that he held her life in his hands. Although she wasn't afraid to die, Beth's flesh reminder her that she was afraid of pain." p 13.

I've only just begun this book, but it has caught my interest so far, so don't forget to check back here in a few days to see my official review or find me on goodreads.com username VegasGal.

Review #26 - Patchwork & Ornament - Jeanette Feldman and Nadine Galinsky Feldman

2010-01-13T00:00:00.003-05:00

This review originally posted on Feathered Quill Reviews

The unique collection of art that goes behind such creations as patchworks, mosaics and collages really set them apart by joining an assortment of unique individual ideas or pieces together to work collaboratively to make an entire work of art. This is exactly like the stories, journals, letters, poems and drawings that make up Patchwork & Ornament: A Woman's Journey of Life, Love, and Art. Collected by Nadine Galinsky Feldman (and her family), the editor and daughter-in-law of the author, Jeanette Feldman, the writings in this book work together to create a complete recollection of a life well lived. Now, one may believe that selecting a few important stories from Jeanette's life would be sufficient, but to do that would not do her life the honored justice that it deserves. Instead Jeanette's daughter-in-law breathed life into many varied works and displays them together in one book for all to enjoy.

Although Jeanette Feldman's life was not an easy one, as she grew up in the Depression Era in the South Bronx, NY, a poor daughter of an immigrant mother and disabled father, Jeanette's struggles did not get in the way of her artistic passions. Studying art at Cooper Union School of Art, she was able to surmount her difficult life and bring beauty into her world through not only the written word, but works of painted art, which have been proudly displayed in galleries in New York, New Jersey and Texas, and are also included in full-color in this collection.
The following is a wonderful example of poetry written by Jeanette, taken from the pages of Patchwork & Ornament:

The trees, the flowers grow

and bloom and fruit

because they must,

because they're alive.

I do what I do because I must,

because my being says I must,

and because I'm alive. (p. 128)

Patchwork & Ornament is simply an extraordinary collection of writings that not only honors the life of an artistic woman, wife, mother, grandmother and friend, but truly has the power to inspire the creativity in us all. Despite a not so perfect life, and a career in the art world that was sometimes wobbly, Jeanette persevered, and she has left us an everlasting legacy of her creations.

Teaser Tuesday - Divorced, Beheaded, Died... - Kevin Flude

2010-01-12T12:32:00.000-05:00

Today's teaser is taken from the book Divorced, Beheaded, Died...: The History of Britian's Kings and Queens in Bite-Sized Chunks by Kevin Flude.

"He had relationships with several women and there were disputes as to which were wives and which merely concubines. It is said that he abducted a nun, St Wulfrida, the abbess of Wilton, with whom he had an illegitimate child." p. 46.

100+ 2010 Reading Challenge

2010-01-01T23:07:00.027-05:00

January 1, to December 31, 2010

I've read 108 Books as of July 31!

(Please return again to see my entire book list from goodreads. Hopefully it'll be up and running again soon.)

2010 A Buck-A-Book Challenge

2010-01-01T20:57:00.001-05:00

Wouldn't it be wonderful if we all could get paid to simply read books endlessly?

Wish you could some how be rewarded for all the time and effort you put in completing reading challenges, (of course other than your own personal satisfaction, which be no means should be devalued!)

Well, why not read a plethora of books, and just pay yourself for a job well done?!

Welcome to DelGal's “A-Buck-A-Book” Challenge

Here's a great way to reward yourself for reading persistence and save money at the same time. Read as many books as you'd like, there is no minimum, and there is no maximum. BUT, here's the "catch", you MUST physically take a dollar and save it somewhere safe where it won't be spent, every time you complete a book. At the end of the year, your total money saved will be the total amount of books read, ideally the more book read, the more money saved.
Now, once Dec 31 comes, you're must spend this saved money on something fun just for yourself (no paying bills, no buying gifts for someone else!), to begin the next year... Maybe more books for the new year? A nice dinner out to celebrate reading? The possibilities are endless! Finally, once this challenge completes on Dec 31st, please let your blog fans, and fellow challenge participants, know what you decided to spend your money on by posting whatever it may be. If it's $5 or if it's $100, we want to know what you rewarded yourself with for a year of hard yet enjoyable fun reading!

In short - put aside a dollar for each book you read. Post in the comment section your progress if you don't have a blog, or a link to your blog. At the end of the year update us as to what you did with your saved money. That's it!

May you have much reading joy participating!

2010 Support Your Local Library Reading Challenge

2010-01-01T20:43:00.002-05:00

January 1, to December 31, 2010

7/31 - Out of the 107 books total I've read since Jan 1st, 50 books are ones I checked out from the library.

2010 Book Challenges

2010-01-01T03:00:00.002-05:00

Are you interested in participating in a book challenge? Why not check out the ones DelGal is hosting for the 2010 year. Also, feel free to glance at the challenges DelGal is participating in below:

A Buck-A-Book Challenge

Cookbook Challenge

Man's Best Friend Challenge

DelGal's Book Reviews Is Participating In The Following 2010 Challenges:

2010 Man's Best Friend Challenge

2010-01-01T02:01:00.001-05:00

Welcome to DelGal's
Man's Best Friend Reading Challenge!
January - December, 2010

"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read." Groucho Marx

This reading challenge is for book lovers, and dog lovers alike, what a better combination could there possibly be?!

The rules are very simple:

From Jan. to Dec. of 2010 participants will read any type of book, from adult to children, long or short, fiction, nonfiction or even memoir. The only requirement is that it must be about dogs* of course. Feel free to post your list below in the comment section, or post a link below to your blog where the list will be posted.

That's it! Keeping it simple is the best way to have fun reading. Good Luck!

*If you run out of dog books, you can substitute any other animal story as a last resort.

2010 Cookbook Challenge

2010-01-01T00:37:00.001-05:00

Are you a fan of cookbooks?
Do you find yourself browsing through or thoroughly reading cookbooks?
Wish you could get some new recipes from cookbooks, but don't have time or patience to thumb through everything?

If you answered YES to any or all of these questions, this reading challenge is for you!

2010 Cookbook Challenge

Here are the simple rules:

Level 1

1. Read any cookbook that strikes your fancy

2. Post on your blog or below what cookbooks you have read for others to enjoy

Level 2

Post a recipe on your blog from any or all of the cookbooks you have read. For every recipe you post you will receive one entry for a drawing in the 2010 cookbook challenge.

Entries will be gathered and randomly selected, the winner will receive a copy of

Strictly Sundays: Making Every Cook A Hero On Sundays by Joe Fitzpatrick

That's it! Have fun reading, share a few recipe ideas, and maybe even win a cool cookbook! Good Luck!

ARC Reading Challenge 2010

2010-01-01T00:23:00.002-05:00

January 1, to December 31, 2010

As of July 31st, I've read 38 total ARCs out of the 107 books I've read in total since January 1st.

BTT - History

2009-12-24T03:19:00.000-05:00

Today's Booking Through Thursday question asks:

Given the choice, which do you prefer? Real history? Or historical fiction? (Assume, for the purposes of this discussion that they are equally well-written and engaging.)

If I'm going to take the time to read about something occurring in history, I want it to be as accurate as possible. I recently read a book entitled The Autobiography of Santa Claus by Jeff Guinn, and I must admit I spent a good deal of the time wondering what parts of this story was real and what was embellished. Of course I know most of the "real" story, but still wondered about it. I like my history to be history, and my fiction to be fiction basically with no mingling of the two genres.

Teaser Tuesday - Love To Love You Bradys

2009-12-22T03:35:00.000-05:00

Today's Teaser is from the book
Love to Love You Bradys: The Bizarre Story of The Brady Bunch Variety Hour. By Ted Nichelson, Susan Olsen & Lisa Sutton.

"Florence Henderson was more than a little surprised when she learned that a swimming pool was proposed for the Brady Bunch Variety Hour. 'Well, I think Sid and Marty Krofftt, you know, they're a little insane.'" p. 46.

This is an interesting book so far, too bad I wasn't old enough to remember this show that only lasted 9 episodes, it looks totally hilariously awful... now I've got to hunt around and find some episodes on youtube.

Thursday 13 - Favorite Books of 2009

2009-12-10T04:43:00.001-05:00

I thought I'd kill my two blogs with one stone-post by participating in Thursday 13.

So today's post contains a sampling of the thirteen favorite books I've read in 2009. (They're not all necessarily written in 2009, and are in no particular order or genre and are based on 5 and 4 star ratings I gave them on goodreads.com.)

1. In The Land Of Cotton by Martha Taylor

2. Columbine by Dave Cullen

3. It's Not Easy Being Green: And Other Things To Consider by Jim Henson

4. Doggin' America: 100 Ideas For Great Outdoor Vacations To Take With Your Dog by Doug Gelbert

5. Patchwork & Ornament: A Woman's Journey of Life, Love, and Art by Jeanette Feldman & Nadine Galinsky Feldman (Editor)

6. Addiction: What's Really Going On? Inside a Heroin Treatment Program
by Deborah McCloskey & Barbara Sinor

7. The Year Of Fog by Michelle Richmond

8. Playground: A Childhood Lost Inside The Playboy Mansion by Jennifer Saginor

9. The English American by Alison Larkin

10. The Dogs Who Found Me: What I've Learned from Pets Who Were Left Behind By Ken Foster

11. Hershey: Milton S. Hershey's Extraordinary Life of Wealth, Empire, and Utopian Dreams by Michael D'Antonio

12. My Booky Wook by Russell Brand

13. One Deadly Sister: Woman-trouble Can Be Deadly by Rod Hoisington

Teaser Tuesday - Patchwork & Ornament by Jeanette Feldman

2009-12-08T04:30:00.000-05:00

Today's Tease is a wonderful memoir entitled Patchwork & Ornament: A Woman's Journey of Life, Love and Art. By Jeanette Feldman

I thought that since this book is packed full of lovely poems and artwork, that I would give you a sample of one of the author's short poems instead of random quotes.

The trees, the flowers grow

and bloom and fruit

because they must,

because they're alive.

I do what I do because I must,

because my being says I must,

and because I'm alive.

p. 128

Teaser Tuesday - Creatures of the Night

2009-11-24T02:30:00.000-05:00

Since I was away for the Halloween festivities, I didn't get enough of my usual ghoul treats including scary stories, so I'm doing a bit of a catch up. Here's a great creepy scare of flash fiction (1,000 words or less) stories collected in one book by winning entrants in the Absolute XPress contest. This quote comes from an author, Cynthia Latzko, who hails from the same state I'm in (hooray Delaware!) and is entitled Nightly Appetizers.

"I sink my teeth into the neck and gleefully suck out the fresh tasty blood. The poor fellow, still writhing in pain and holding onto the last breath of life, attempts his last chance of survival, uttering a hideous squeal to alert his companions of my presence." p. 27.

What a creepy collection of short stories! A good read for all horror fans, but don't read this in the middle of the night!

A Funny For My Readers

2009-11-21T23:04:00.001-05:00

Where has DelGal Gone?

2009-11-16T23:11:00.000-05:00

Please excuse my lack of review blogging as of late. I went on a vacation to Europe a few weeks, and seem to have lost my blogging mojo upon returning. But do not be disheartened, dear reader, I am still busy reading and reviewing as usual. You can still find a shortened version of my reviews on goodreads.com (username VegasGal) or shelfari.com (username DelGal). Until I get my groove back, please feel free to visit my reviews at either site.

Don't forget to take a quick look at what I'm currently reading in the widget to the right and while you're at it, peek at my whereabouts on the twitter widget below.

Happy Reading, Writing, or Reviewing all!

DelGal

BTT - Weeding

2009-10-15T23:01:00.000-04:00

Today's Booking Through Thursday question asks:

When’s the last time you weeded out your library? Do you regularly keep it pared down to your reading essentials? Or does it blossom into something out of control the minute you turn your back, like a garden after a Spring rain?
Or do you simply not get rid of books? At all? (This would have described me for most of my life, by the way.)
And–when you DO weed out books from your collection (assuming that you do) …what do you do with them? Throw them away (gasp)? Donate them to a charity or used bookstore? SELL them to a used bookstore? Trade them on Paperback Book Swap or some other exchange program?

And my answer...

The last time I weeded out my library was in February of this year, when I made the official move back to my old family home after my divorce. Since the house is already occupied by my mother, fitting in an entire household of stuff, not to mention my ever increasing pile of books, was impossible so I had to get rid of some things (including the books GASP). Luckily some of the accumulated books were school textbooks from when I completed my Master's degree a few years ago, so I was not completely devastated with having to give those up. I've NEVER thrown out any books in my life, and could never think of doing such an atrocious act! most of them get donated to a local thrift/charity, given to friends/family or some get sold online.
I attempted "setting free some books into the wild" and listed them on the Book Crossing website, but have had no such luck with anyone reporting that they discovered my books, ah well.

My book collection, which was quite large to begin with even after the purging, from the move, has been spreading like wildfire since I started book reviewing earlier this year and I haven't made a permanent solution other than KEEPING THEM ALL! as to what I'm going to do with the books I've reviewed, so it seems that any space I may have made is now being overtaken by these books. Ah well, back to the weeding drawing board when I get tired of looking at them or when I get squeezed out of the place (which ever comes first).

Review #25 - One Deadly Sister - Rod Hosington

2009-10-14T15:15:00.001-04:00

This review originally posted on Feathered Quill Reviews

After his divorce, Ray Reid decides to create a new life for himself by moving from Philadelphia, to a small town in Florida. However, it seems that bad luck with women has followed him to the ocean town because one night he is seduced by a sexy, brash woman, who's several decades his senior. The next thing Ray knows, he's being framed for the murder of a prominent gubernatorial candidate. Worse yet, the local prosecutor, who himself is hoping to move his career forward to a spot in the Senate, is hot on Reid's tail and is relentless in his pursuit, ignoring all other possible suspects. Ray's predicament seems impossible to remedy until he figures his only hope of getting out of jail is to contact his estranged sister to ask for help. At first his sister wants nothing to do with her brother's problems, but she soon changes her mind and ends up in her own relentless pursuit of the real killer. The search takes her through a wild ride of increasing deception, evil, and fast-paced mystery.

First time author Rod Hosington has spun an excellent mystery story that provides a plot full of twists, surprises, an array of colorful characters, and even a dash of humor. The raw Reid brother and sister duo subplot that springs into action in the first pages leaving readers wondering what is going on, is simultaneously spinning along with the crazy, yet mysterious primary murder plot, which is well formed and keeps readers captivated while the entire story quickly unfolds. Readers will undoubtedly become hooked to this story as did this reviewer, and will look forward to more dynamic stories from Mr. Hosington in the future.