Review: The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead by Max Brooks

The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead by Max Brooks
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

While I’m waiting for my characters to come out of hiding, yes, they are literally behind boulders during a volcano as Exploding Ebolic Zombies surround while being shot at by corrupt police… I thought I’d get some of my past due reviews written.

When I was telling my son about my upcoming (and now current) NaNoWriMo zombie novel, he dug out this book. It is an actual handbook that uses some well thought out ways to survive Zombie attacks. It is done tongue in cheek yet if you think about it, these ideas could save you during any kind of catastrophe. It is well-written. And the font easy enough for me to read during the day. But since most of my reading happens at night, before bed (yeah, zombies before sleep didn’t help much), I added the audible version so I could lean back and really think about what the author was telling us. Marc Cashman narrated this quite well. Though it is written in handbook form the narration was authentic sounding and keeps the reader/listener engaged.

I highly recommend this book for those who can take the humor with the survival facts. It will help my future writing as I rethink: how safe are my characters behind those boulders? And where is an exploding zombie when you need one to attack those cops?

Oh, just enjoy the book!

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Review: The Witch’s Vacuum by Terry Pratchett

The Witch’s Vacuum Cleaner by Terry Pratchett

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

If you are looking for a light, funny read, this is your book. It was like watching cartoons or Monty Python. Very bad for a bedtime book for me. I found it hard to stop reading, well, actually, listening to this one. 3:00 came too quickly. So, sorry if this sounds more disjointed than my usual reviews.

Oh, I listened to the Audible using the whispersynch. Julian Rhind-Tutt (Narrator) is facinating! His voice changes with every character. He tells the story with so much gusto that sometimes I think I missed story for enthusiastic energy. Even still, at the end of each story I had that sigh of fulfillment.

The stories themselves are sadly, mostly, male. In fact, the very first one ended with the main character marrying the witch with us hardly knowing a thing about the witch except that she was a witch. I wanted more about her and that parrot. Please forget that you just read the last two sentences if they seem spoilers. After all, the title of the book is The Witch’s Vacuum. Seems like there should be a lot more witch and vacuums than men in the form of police or gnomes. But hey, Mr. Pratchett wrote this when he was a teen and the adage says ‘write what you know’. Sadly, Mr. Pratchett knew nothing about the other half of society then. Later he did write some fun books that did have fems but mostly they are witches. Is it any wonder how the world is now if this is all anyone has read most of their lives?

Still, I have loved Terry Pratchett’s writing, so creative! Magick exists, but sadly without fems. Even colors we have never heard of exists. Don’t get me started! YET, I love his writing. Fun, fun stories!

So take it with a grain of salt that in male authors’ worlds, fems hardly exist. We will try to change that with our own writings and making sure they see us as the other humans. After all the whole language system leaves us behind. Even human. We could be called hu.

But it is for this teeny-tiny problem that I am giving the book four stars instead of five. If you can get the audio version you are in for the best story telling around–save for girls, fe=iron.

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Review: You’re Never Weird on the Internet by Felicia Day

You’re Never Weird on the Internet by Felicia Day

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have always admired Felicia Day. It was great to see a smart female actress playing smart female characters on the shows I’ve seen her on.

This book gave me insight to the person and her history. It was fun to know that we shared a similar history. No, I’m old enough to be her mother. But my children shared her history and I through them. We learned the computer from way back with CompuServe, Prodigy (where I met my husband) and various video games and bulletin boards. Her ultimate game was WoW whereas my kids got into EQ. It was fun reading about how it was physically meeting the friends she made online. That experience the kids and I shared. But it was fun to watch the computer evolving with the generation who came of age at the same time.

My children were homeschooled, too. It was interesting to see her thoughts on it. I find that we who were schooled who wasted so many years with more time dedicated to kids with bad behaviors or teachers who bored us to sleep and were still quite socially shy and experienced depression tried to save our children of that. Instead, they blame their very anxiety on not having to school. They don’t realize the opportunity they had without all the wasted time. Felicia became a professional violinist. And all these skills she acquired that makes her unique are a direct result from not being squeezed into a mold that schools force children into.

Anyway, I loved being able to listen to Felicia read her own story. It gave, even more, credence to autobiography. I knew I wanted to listen to her read it. But I found that there was no Text-to-Speech. That made me sad because had I not been able to afford the Audible version to whispersynch I would have had no way to enjoy this book. Still, it was delightful to listen to her voice. I wish her the very best in life. She deserves it!

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Review: Help Me, Mr. Mutt!: Expert Answers for Dogs with People Problems by Janet Stevens

Help Me, Mr. Mutt!: Expert Answers for Dogs with People Problems by Janet Stevens

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’ve fallen behind in my reading goal for this year so I decided to include a few picture books or other short books to catch up. Most of the books I’m reading lately are quite long. So these are a bit of a relief for my eyes and energies.

Help Me, Mr. Mutt! Jumped out at me when I visited the library last. I loved the cute dog on the cover and decided that would be a good one to try.

The idea of a dog answering letters for other dogs with people problems was delightful. I loved the sneaky letters after Mr. Mutt’s reply from Queen the cat were hilarious. I loved that Mr. Mutt was able to give charts to prove his answers (though I wonder at his fact finding abilities–seems rather fake news to me). Still, the dogs reading said letters would be grateful to see their desires as proven fact. A great introduction to charts and how they work!

And while I think this was all fun and games, I think a good pet owner would insert proper care for said pets when reading this book aloud to a child. After all, if a child were to read this to his or herself, he might think it okay to give pets people food or sugary foods, or follow other advice not so good for a dog or cat. Still, read with a sense of humor it could be a fun book for parent and child or teacher and students to share.

And did I mention the illustrations? They were awesome! Fun read!

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Review: Dodger by Terry Pratchett

Dodger by Terry Pratchett

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was having trouble getting into my local electronic library. I know now that it was due to the card expiring. But I decided to try Washoe County and got in with my old card. This Overdrive version came up and I thought, what the heck? Can’t go wrong with a Terry Pratchett. (R.I.P)

I don’t know if anyone else has noticed, but I seem to be reading a lot of books that are centered in the late 1800s –early 1900s. (Victoria, The Diaries of Ethel Turner, The Woman Who Breathed Two Worlds, Out of the Past–sort of) so this fit right in. Mr. Pratchett brought into the story some very far-fetched concepts like how Dodger nearly gets a shave by the crazy Sweeny Todd and meets Queen Victoria etc. I don’t think what I just wrote is a spoiler as it is in the book blurb.

Anyway, since the only copy I could get was the audio version I spent a couple days catching up on projects while listening and occasionally laughing out loud. Though not as funny as other books by the same author this one is fun and the story one adventure after another. English humor is best!

I need to read more of his stuff like this. By the way, the narrator, Stephen Briggs, was fabulous!

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Review: Demon Street Blues (Wicked Good Witches #1) Demon Street Blues by Starla Silver

Demon Street Blues by Starla Silver

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Okay, I finished this book during a witchy book marathon. The two books before this one were: To Catch Her Death (Grim Reality, #1)

To Catch Her Death (Grim Reality, #1) and the second of the Accidental Leigh series, Serious Leigh (Literal Leigh Romance Diaries, #2)

Serious Leigh (Literal Leigh Romance Diaries, #2). Somehow my reviews got mixed up and into the Demon Street Blues series first book. I think it may have to do with the Grim Reality and this book having blue covers. So sorry for any confusion my own confusion added. But this is for Demon Street Blues, for sure!

Those previous books were more humorous compared to this one. This book takes itself more seriously. The story being about a young witch whose parents passed in an unknown manner. She is struggling to come back to reality from a mental break down leaving her agoraphobic. Her brothers are there to help her. They are witches, also. One is a sensitive that can sense how a person died. The other brother has been bitten by a werewolf so his future is very unsure. A family friend has lived with the family for generations. He is a vampire. Our main character, Melinda finds herself falling in love with the vampire. So already, from the start, I am not as in love with this book as the books before. I don’t care for vampires and that ooey-gooey, sparkly, bloody mess.

Even so I did like this book and wanted to know what would happen. Just don’t expect to laugh. I was interested enough to read the next book. And now I have even finished that one. All three of the first books of this series were free when I got them. Still are. I can’t afford to buy the next as I am only buying things that have to do with the move looming in my future. After the moneys settle I will come back and finish this series.

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Review: Accidental Leigh by Melanie James

Accidental Leigh by Melanie James

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I guess I’m in a mood for these lighter-weight books. Maybe because my mind is working on the move and all that entails. So, yes, another silly, fun book. It had me laughing out loud. Premise? A wannabe writer wants a desk to get in the mood. The desk is cursed. Everything written on it comes true. And as we writers know, the easiest thing to write is erotica. But oops–a lot! The first couple to fall under a curse–oh, shoot, I feel that would be cheating if I told you. Needless to say, it starts out hilarious and keeps going.

Now it doesn’t end on a cliffhanger. It isn’t that kind of book. But it does make you want more. SO I am already about halfway finished with the next book. If you don’t mind, and maybe even like a little erotica, these books are for you. The situations Leigh gets herself into will keep you laughing and or wishing(?). Everyone needs a light read every now and then.

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Review: To Catch Her Death by Boone Brux

To Catch Her Death by Boone Brux

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

That was fun! If you like dark humor like the show, ‘Dead Like Me’, this may be up your alley. It is a quick read but not so quick that you feel cheated. I loved the main character, Lisa Carron, widow, mother of teens, and now, whether she wants it or not, Grim Reaper. Be aware, this is funny. I laughed out loud a couple times even though it was time to be quiet and get ready to sleep.

This book made me want to read book two, but I just can’t afford it yet. (Trying to save money for the move coming up.) But when I can I look forward to reading more about this wonderful reaper of death and her family.

By the way, I read this using the British female text-to-speech on 2x speed. Maybe that means nothing to you, but to me the TTS is very important to my reading experience and I think it plays well this story.

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Review: Night of Cake & Puppets by Laini Taylor

Night of Cake & Puppets by Laini Taylor

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Oh, this was so fun! I didn’t even want to write the review yet because I wanted to leave the glow that this story left me in. I loved the whole series, but I think I loved this one little story the best. That’s because Zuzana and Mik were my favorite people. They were so gutsy, smart, and vulnerable. Moreso, I think, than Karou, who was supposed to be the star of the trilogy. In fact, I don’t think I have ever fallen in love with the secondary characters in such a way as I did these sweeties.

Yet… this is a love story. Girl wants to meet guy, guy wants to meet girl, but neither know how the other feels. Rather than being full of angst as most teen romances are, this is full of confidence and imagination. Sure there are self-doubts, but these two find ways to rise above and make it happen in spite of themselves and because of themselves.

This little book is so full of magic. Yes, Karou’s magic but. also, the magic of spirit. I believe that the whispersync for voice with the narration of Khristine Hvam and Kevin T. Collins respectively playing for Zuzana and Mik. They both did marvelous jobs. And though this book has text-to-speech, if you can get the audio version to read with, do so.

I hate leaving the series behind. I have so enjoyed every moment of it. It engulfs the reader and doesn’t let go. I do plan to re-read these. Suggestion: If you are going to read this one either read it after number two or after the third book. It will make more sense that way. Oh, how I wish for more!

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Wild Women: Crusaders, Curmudgeons, and Completely Corsetless Ladies in the Otherwise Virtuous Victorian Era by Autumn Stephens

Wild Women: Crusaders, Curmudgeons, and Completely Corsetless Ladies in the Otherwise Virtuous Victorian Era by Autumn Stephens

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Whew! I am finally finished reading this book. You wouldn’t think I would have such a bad reaction to a book about strong womyn. And honestly, the knowledge contained within this book is amazing. I did learn a lot about many ladies. I learned a lot about that era of history, also. If it hadn’t taken me SO long to read it, I would have given it lots of stars for the educational feature alone.

So why the low rating? The font was impossible for me to read. It is dark black font against a bright white background and the lines are spaced too close together. So I could only handle one or two pages at a time. Luckily, each bio is a page and a half so even though it hurt my eyes I could read at least that much in a day. And that might have been enough unto itself, but the author’s writing style was SO annoying. Alliterations and other pitiful poetic word choices built into very long complicated sentences, like this one, made me have to go back and reread whole paragraphs. When you already have tracking problems, this cutesy writing becomes very annoying. Often the choice of words makes for a very confusing read.

If you have great eyes this may be a fun read for you. If so, enjoy! My eyes need a vacation. Back to Kindles for me!

By the way, this copy is a BookCrossing book. BCID 142-11420919 Check out where it’s heading and where it’s been on BookCrossing.com

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