Category Archives: Non Fiction

October 27, 2014 · 1:45 am

Candace Havens Books

As part of my interview with Candace Havens, this page showcases her books. 
For the Interview, Go Here. 
First on the list, Candy’s favorite book.

Take it Like a Vamp (Entangled Covet) by Candace Havens. 

Vampire Nick Christos might’ve been born in the Middle Ages, but the good old days seem tame compared to the last eight years he’s spent ruling the Supernatural Council. His only respite is with his cute neighbor Casey Meyers, a woman he wants more than any undead man should. 

Sure, he’s forced to take a cold shower after every encounter, but there’s no way he’ll test his own strength by getting too close to a human, and he’s not willing to risk her life–not with bloodthirsty family on the prowl out to ruin Nick’s life.

When said Nick’s kin shows up, the innocent Casey is caught in the middle of a centuries old fight, and Nick’s biggest fear is realized. Now, instead of keeping his hands off his neighbor, he’ll risk everything to save the human he’s come to love.

Model Marineby Candace Havens. (Again, yes most of the Candace Havens books are by Candace Havens). 
Subject: Captain Will Hughes, U.S. Marine Corps
Status: On assignment in NYC—suddenly recruited to shed the uniform!
Mission: Serve as model, muse & man-toy without running afoul of the general. 
Obstacle: Hannah Harrington, fashion world It girl. 

Hannah narrowly escapes Fashion Week disaster by hijacking gorgeous Will for her runway show—after all, rock-hard abs are the ultimate accessory. His good deed nearly lands him in the brig, but he’ll risk anything to get back into her bed….

Hannah can’t figure out how this model marine got under her skin—they’re complete opposites! But sexy Will not only ignites her senses, he fuels her creativity: an irresistible combination, even if it can’t last. Can two steamy weeks together satisfy their lust…or will they have to extend this mission?

A Riveting Affair (Entangled Ever After) Anthology (yep) by Candace Havens. And Lily Lang and Patricia Eimer. 

 

Demon Express  Professor Maisy Clark, professional demon hunter, is on the trail of an evil scientist responsible for the deaths of hundreds. Julian is worse than the monsters he creates, but he’s also obsessed with Maisy and willing to kill anyone who gets too close to her.
Just when she thinks she has Julian cornered, the sexy marshall Jake Calloway insists the investigation is his, and everything goes to hell.

Maisy came to Texas to corner the scientist whose macabre experiments have taken so many lives, and Calloway is just another distraction she doesn’t need. Julian is her responsibility, one she’s not about to share. Even if Calloway can help, Julian will know Maisy is falling for the marshall, and she’s not willing to risk his life. 

I met Candy before this book was released. She had just done a book signing for her biography of Joss Whedon (below). I like the way she made the book seem like a diary and how many spells she had done that day. This technique was original compared to other paranormal romances being published at the time. And I can say Ms. Havens is a BALL OF FIRE, just like the fireballs thrown  Bronwyn in her Charmed books.

Charmed & DeadlyBY Candace Havens.

Bronwyn is a witch who uses her powers for good. She casts spell, reads minds and is an undercover agent for the British Prime Minister. And she is from Texas.

See more books and reviews from Candace Havens and Shannon Leigh go HERE AND HERE. A review of Shannon’s work can be found HERE.

My review (and the only Amazon review posted) of Dreams & Desires: A Collection of Romance Tales, Vol. 2 focused on Shannon’s first published work of fiction.

Under The Tupelo by Shannon Canard is compelling. Rowan Summerall, a treasure hunter seeking to save her family legacy, unearths something unexpected. What will Rowan do with what she finds buried Under The Tupelo? Canard has a strong voice and a surprise gift for readers. I want more.

The NON-fiction. 

Joss Whedon: The Genius Behind Buffy 

From Booklist: Writers, actors, and fans often call Joss Whedon a genius. It’s easy to see why. Whedon, who got his start writing for Roseanne, dreamed of writing movie screenplays. He got his shot when he sold his script for Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but the movie fell far short of his hopes for it. 

After a few years of working as a script doctor, Whedon got the chance to doBuffy again, this time as a TV show.
Few expected it to succeed, but Whedon’s humor and intelligence shone through in the scripts, and viewers quickly became attached to the engaging, witty characters. 

Buffy kept getting better: each season of the show featured a complex story arc possessed of a real sense of danger and further developed the characters. The last few years have brought the Buffy spin-off Angel, the lamentably canceled Firefly (a space western), and the comic book Fray. Engaging and filled with fun quotes, this is a must-read for Whedon’s many fans.

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October 26, 2014 · 4:05 pm

Recommended New Releases 10/27/14

I know I am a bit late so pre-orders may just be orders, but I’ve been reading and busy moving (againbook to you).

So are here are this weeks recommendations. And hooray for Halloween this week.

Beautiful Eyes: A Father Transformedby Paul Austin. Hardcover available October 27, 2014. Kindle edition available now. 

Through parenting a child with a disability, a father discovers patience, acceptance, and unconditional love. In 1987, Paul Austin and his wife Sally were newlyweds, excited about their future together and happily anticipating the birth of their first child. He was a medical student and she was a nurse. Everything changed the moment the doctor rushed their infant daughter from the room just after her birth, knowing instantly that something was wrong. Sarah had almond-shaped eyes, a single crease across her palm instead of three, and low-set ears—all of which suggested that the baby had Down syndrome. 

Beginning on the day Sarah is born and ending when she is a young adult living in a group home, Beautiful Eyes is the story of a father’s journey toward acceptance of a child who is different. In a voice that is unflinchingly honest and unerringly compassionate, Austin chronicles his life with his daughter: watching her learn to walk and talk and form her own opinions, making decisions about her future, and navigating cultural assumptions and prejudices—all the while confronting, with poignancy and moving candor, his own limitations as her father. It is Sarah herself, who, in her own coming of age and her own reconciling with her difference, teaches her father to understand her. 

Time and again, she surprises him: performing Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face” at a talent show; explaining how the word “retarded” is hurtful; reacting to the events of her life with a mixture of love, pain, and humor; and insisting on her own humanity in a world that questions it. As Sarah begins to blossom into herself, her father learns to look past his daughter’s disability and see her as the spirited, warmhearted, and uniquely wise person she is.

Timmy Failure: We Meet Againby Stephen Pastis. Available October 28, 2014. Ages 8 – 12. 

His name is Failure. Timmy Failure. And his detective agency is on the verge of global domination. Global riches. Global fame. And yet the gods keep throwing him curveballs: for starters, academic probation. The coveted Miracle Report is the key to everything, including a good grade. 

It’s dirty business. It’s best you know nothing. But one thing is for sure: Timmy Failure will be triumphant again! here are several moments where Timmy is unironically sweet. Anyone familiar with the previous books in the series may be surprised at the genuine sentiment in a few scenes. There are actual hugs, and there’s a deeply touching conversation with a very unlikely person. … Timmy Failure is a classic antihero: Some readers will be drawn to the book because of him; others will be drawn to it in spite of him. —Kirkus Reviews. Don’t forget other Timmy Failure books. They are for kids and kids at heart!

Color Me Happy: 100 Coloring Templates That Will Make You Smile (A Zen Coloring Book) Color Me Calm: 100 Coloring Templates for Meditation and Relaxation (A Zen Coloring Book) Both books by Lucy Mucklow and Angela Porter. Available October 28, 2014. 

Already back ordered in some online outlets. Why? Because coloring is fun and therapeutic. I have some beautiful coloring books from Dover and I like to use (and suggest) watercolor pencils. Trust me.

I haven’t finished this but I think it is worth a look-see. Hiding in Plain Sight: A Novelby Nuruddin Farah. Available October 30, 2014. 

From an acclaimed African writer, a novel about family, freedom, and loyalty. When Bella learns of the murder of her beloved half brother by political extremists in Mogadiscio, she’s in Rome. The two had different fathers but shared a Somali mother, from whom Bella’s inherited her freewheeling ways. An internationally known fashion photographer, dazzling but aloof, she comes and goes as she pleases, juggling three lovers. 

But with her teenage niece and nephew effectively orphaned – their mother abandoned them years ago—she feels an unfamiliar surge of protective feeling. Putting her life on hold, she journeys to Nairobi, where the two are in boarding school, uncertain whether she can—or must—come to their rescue. When their mother resurfaces, reasserting her maternal rights and bringing with her a gale of chaos and confusion that mirror the deepening political instability in the region, Bella has to decide how far she will go to obey the call of sisterly responsibility. 

A new departure in theme and setting for “the most important African novelist to emerge in the past twenty-five years” (The New York Review of Books) Hiding in Plain Sight, is a profound exploration of the tensions between freedom and obligation, the ways gender and sexual preference define us, and the unexpected paths by which the political disrupts the personal.

Not New but recommended. Published in 1967 but re-released in paperback with a new forward, an important and meaningful book. Man’s Search for Meaningby Viktor E. Frankl, forward by Howard Kushner.

 

 

Have a wonderful Halloween!

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October 17, 2014 · 9:37 pm

Recommended Books Available 10/20/14

YIPPEE! YIPPEE! A new Charley Davidson book by Darynda Jones.  If you have not read her series, start now. 

What a great week ahead with spectacular releases. In addition to Darynda Jones, a new Jennifer L. Armentrout release, a marvelous biography and something inspirational. Enjoy!

Seventh Grave and No Body (Charley Davidson Series) by Darynda Jones. Available October 21, 2014. 
Twelve. Twelve of the deadliest beasts ever forged in the fires of hell have escaped onto our plane, and they want nothing more than to rip out the jugular of Charley Davidson and serve her lifeless, mangled body to Satan for dinner. 

So there’s that. But Charley has more on her plate than a mob of testy hellhounds. For one thing, her father has disappeared, and the more she retraces his last steps, the more she learns he was conducting an investigation of his own, one that has Charley questioning everything she’s ever known about him. Add to that an ex-BFF who is haunting her night and day, a rash of suicides that has authorities baffled, and a drop-dead sexy fiancé who has attracted the attentions of a local celebrity, and Charley is not having the best week of her life. But all of that combined barely scratches the surface of her problems.

Recent developments—and a few distressing prophesies—have forced her to become a responsible adult. Exactly the kind of adult she’s never aspired to be. To conquer such a monumental task, she’s decided to start small. Really small. She gets a pet. But how can she save the world against the forces of evil when she can’t even keep a goldfish alive? 

A tad north of hell, a hop, skip, and a jump past the realm of eternity, is a little place called Earth, and Charley Davidson, grim reaper extraordinaire, is determined to do everything in her power to protect it. We’re doomed. 

Read them all! Charley Davidson First Grave on the Right (Charley Davidson Book 1). Sexy funny and original. Charley Davidson is the grim reaper. Her dream man is the son of the devil. The fun begins. And we only have to wait until May 19, 2015 for Eighth Grave After Dark (Charley Davidson Series). 

It should come as No Surprise that I am an Animal Advocate, a vegetarian as part of my cruelty free lifestyle and I Love Dogs! I love books about dogs and photos of dogs, and dogs!
DogFace by Barbara O’Brien. Available October 21, 2014. Adorable four-color candid doggie mug shots. 

Photographer and animal trainer Barbara O’Brien has spent years photographing aspiring canine actors, from prancing puppies to stately hounds and tenacious terriers. At first, she discarded the photos if her subject was barking, sniffing, or otherwise looking less than perfect—until she realized that those outtakes best revealed the true personality of the pup. 

O’Brien is a skilled and seasoned photographer, and this winsome collection shows the care she took to reveal each dog’s essential character. The goofiness of the boisterous Border Collie, the decorum of the genteel Great Dane, and the curiosity of the regal Corgi—all of them are captured here in gorgeous four-color photography.

Stone Cold Touch (The Dark Elements Book 2) by Jennifer L. Armentrout. Available October 21, 2014.  
Every touch has its price. Layla Shaw is trying to pick up the pieces of her shattered life—no easy task for a seventeen-year-old who’s pretty sure things can’t get worse. Her impossibly gorgeous best friend, Zayne, is forever off-limits thanks to the mysterious powers of her soul-stealing kiss.

The Warden clan that has always protected her is suddenly keeping dangerous secrets. And she can barely think about Roth, the wickedly hot demon prince who understood her in ways no one else could.

But sometimes rock bottom is only the beginning. Because suddenly Layla’s powers begin to evolve, and she’s offered a tantalizing taste of what has always been forbidden. 

Then, when she least expects it, Roth returns, bringing news that could change her world forever. She’s finally getting what she always wanted, but with hell literally breaking loose and the body count adding up, the price may be higher than Layla is willing to pay. 

I like non-fiction. Here is a book that brings a new perspective to Queen Victoria. This is a hefty book, 624 pages, but then Victoria ruled for 64 years. Pick up this excellent read, learn, enjoy and build muscles. 

Victoria: A Life by A.N.Wilson. Available October 23, 2014. 
When Queen Victoria died in 1901, she had ruled for nearly sixty-four years. She was a mother of nine and grandmother of forty-two and the matriarch of royal Europe through her children’s marriages. To many, Queen Victoria is a ruler shrouded in myth and mystique, an aging, stiff widow paraded as the figurehead to an all-male imperial enterprise. 

But in truth, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch was one of the most passionate, expressive, humorous and unconventional women who ever lived, and the story of her life continues to fascinate. 

A. N. Wilson’s exhaustively researched and definitive biography includes a wealth of new material from previously unseen sources to show us Queen Victoria as she’s never been seen before. Wilson explores the curious set of circumstances that led to Victoria’s coronation, her strange and isolated childhood, her passionate marriage to Prince Albert and his pivotal influence even after death and her widowhood and subsequent intimate friendship with her Highland servant John Brown, all set against the backdrop of this momentous epoch in Britain’s history—and the world’s. 

Born at the very moment of the expansion of British political and commercial power across the globe, Victoria went on to chart a unique course for her country even as she became the matriarch of nearly every great dynasty of Europe. Her destiny was thus interwoven with those of millions of people—not just in Europe but in the ever-expanding empire that Britain was becoming throughout the nineteenth century. The famed queen had a face that adorned postage stamps, banners, statues and busts all over the known world.

Wilson’s Victoria is a towering achievement, a masterpiece of biography by a writer at the height of his powers.

The Top Ten Things Dead People Want to Tell YOU by Mike Dooley. Available October 21, 2014.  
From the afterlife—a new perspective on your life. “I know this may come as a shock, and you know I’m not fond of using stale one-liners, but—‘reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.’ I’m as alive now as I was on the day we met, except, maybe, more so.” 

If the dead could speak, don’t you wonder what they would say to those of us they’ve left behind? What would they tell us to soothe our sorrow for their loss, calm our fears of what happens when we die, and fire us up to live the best possible lives we can right now?

In pages filled with wisdom, humor, and, yes, joy, New York Times best-selling author Mike Dooley explores our most pressing and profound questions about the afterlife—and this life—from the fresh perspective of those who have made the transition to the next phase.

Among the revelations and insights they share: 

  • We were ready; you are not.
  • We’re sorry for any pain we may have caused.
  • Your pets are just as crazy, brilliant, and loving here as they were there. 
  • Nothing we say can prepare you for the beauty of the moment you arrive. 

You’ll learn that our loved ones are not lost to us; that our time on earth is both a school and an adventure; that, all appearances to the contrary, life truly is fair; and that we have it in us to reshape our own fortunes, starting today.

And now for a little Halloween.

by Natasha Wing (Author), Cynthia Fisher (Illustrator).

“‘Twas the night before Halloween, and all through the house, All the creatures were stirring, except for the mouse. The monsters had gathered to plan and prepare, For the trick-or-treaters who soon would be there?”

Little monsters and goofy goblins take center stage in this silly, spooky spin on Clement C. Moore’s beloved poem. But what will happen on Halloween when the monsters come face to face with human trick-or-treaters in this fun-filled book by the author of The Night Before Easter?

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October 4, 2014 · 6:26 pm

New & Recommended Books Week of 10/6/14

October already! Time for Halloween preparation, sweaters and snuggling.  In the spirit  of having a scary good ghost-clip-art-aieo4bXi4time along with great reading, I will list a few Halloween books throughout this month.  This week is a book about Halloween recipes.  I must be hunger because many of our recommended books have recipes.  Enjoy.

Halloween 100 Recipes. Published December 24, 2013. Kindle book. Make Cheesy fingers, Mummy Toes, Bleeding Heart Brie and more monstrously fun recipes.

Picked to Die (An Orchard Mystery) by Sheila Connolly. Available October 7, 2014.

Connolly is the author of Relatively Dead Mysteries and County Cork Mysteries. She writes enjoyable cozy mysteries. Give her a try. With titles like Golden Malicious (An Orchard Mystery) don’t you want to read the Orchard Mysteryseries? Recipes included. 

It’s harvest time in Granford, Massachusetts, and orchard owner Meg Corey and her fiancé, Seth, are both racing to beat the New England winter. 

Meg is bringing in her apple crop with a team of workers, while Seth is working to restore an old building in the center of town. 

But when his project is set back due to the unexpected discovery of a skeleton under the building—and even worse, a young man related to one of Meg’s former apple pickers is found dead behind the local feed store—the couple’s carefully laid plans are quickly spoiled.

Meg can’t help but wonder: are they just unlucky, or is there something rotten in Granford? If so, she knows she’s got to seek out the bad apple before it ruins the whole bunch.
Trick or Deadly Treat: A Fresh-Baked Mystery by Livia J. Washburn. Available October 7, 2014. 
More recipes and who-done-it fun. Washburn is also the author of Delilah Dickenson series with wonderful titles such as Frankly My Dear, I’m Dead and For Whom The Funeral Bell Tolls help yourself to some treats. 

It’s Halloween in Weatherford, Texas—which means Phyllis Newsom is baking up a storm of yummy seasonal treats…but she’s about to get even busier unmasking a killer. While Phyllis and her friend Carolyn are preparing for a baking contest, her housemate Sam adopts Buck, an adorable Dalmatian who was hit by a car. To thank local veterinarian Hank Baxter for helping the dog, Phyllis and Carolyn bake a batch of doggie treats for his other four-legged patients.

But when they arrive at the clinic, the vet is in the process of being arrested—for the murder of his wife! Convinced that the police are barking up the wrong tree and that someone’s been burying evidence, Sam begs Phyllis to help find the real killer. Joined by Buck, the friends engage in a dogged pursuit of the murderer, who will stop at nothing to muzzle them…permanently.

Undead and Unwary by Mary Janice Davidson. Available October 7, 2014. 

Queen Betsy is back for a 13th novel. If you haven’t read the series start at the very beginning, a very good place to start (according to Maria from The Sound of Music.) And the very beginning of the fun was Undead and Unwed. I loved the first book.

Betsy is a hoot and the yummy Sinclair meant I had a new series to read.  Overall Davidson has been steady in the Queen Betsy series. I cannot say that of everything she has written (and one of the Betsy books, even as a fan I struggled see review).So fans of Queen Betsy rejoice!

 

Lila: A Novel by Marilynne Robinson. Available October 7, 2014. 

Marilynne Robinson returns to the town of Gilead in an unforgettable story of a girlhood lived on the fringes of society in fear, awe, and wonder.

Lila, homeless and alone after years of roaming the countryside, steps inside a small-town Iowa church—the only available shelter from the rain—and ignites a romance and a debate that will reshape her life. 

She becomes the wife of a minister, John Ames, and begins a new existence while trying to make sense of the life that preceded her new found security. Neglected as a toddler, Lila was rescued by Doll, a canny young drifter, and brought up by her in a hardscrabble childhood. Together they crafted a life on the run, living hand to mouth with nothing but their sisterly bond and a ragged blade to protect them. 

Despite bouts of petty violence and moments of desperation, their shared life was laced with moments of joy and love. When Lila arrives in Gilead, she struggles to reconcile the life of her makeshift family and their days of hardship with the gentle Christian worldview of her husband which paradoxically judges those she loves.

Revisiting the beloved characters and setting of Robinson’s Pulitzer Prize–winning Gilead and Home, a National Book Award finalist, Lila is a moving expression of the mysteries of existence that is destined to become an American classic. 

And now for a totally random and not necessarily recommended but it is quirky so here is my final, ahem, recommendation:  The Pointless Book: Started by Alfie Deyes, Finished by You by (who else? his name is in the title after all!) Alfie Deyes. Available in paperback October 7, 2014.

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Happy Reading.

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September 28, 2014 · 10:56 pm

New Releases 9/29/14 Recommendations

Welcome to the end of September and the new and recommended edition of my blog.  Thank you for stopping by for a visit. Enjoy! Please read to the very end (or at least scroll) for a wonderful and haunting piece of fiction.
This week my choices may surprise you. In my opinion we should enjoy, learn and share reading. My recommendations  include a children’s series that is fun and should be shared with your young ones. I will share one of my absolute favorite series of books for children.
I have 2 non-fiction recommendations. The first will educate, expose and bring awareness. 
Dork Diaries 8: Tales from a Not-So-Happily Ever After By Rachel Renee Russell. Available September 29, 2014. (of course you dorks!) 
Nikki Maxwell’s favorite fairy tales get dork-tastic twists in the eighth book of the #1 New York Times bestselling Dork Diaries series. After a bump on the head in gym class on April Fool’s Day, Nikki has a wild dream in which she, her BFFs Chloe and Zoey,her crush Brandon, and mean girl Mackenzie all end up playing the roles of some familiar classic fairy tale characters. Of course, the stories don’t go quite as expected—because they each have a very special Dork Diaries spin.
How can you not fall in love with a series that has a book 3 ½? Dork Diaries 3 1/2: How to Dork Your Diary And be on the lookout for more dorkiness available three days later. This one is a “Make your Own Book.” I think every reader young and old should participate in our own dorky diary then share an excerpt. It will be a hoot! Dork Diaries OMG!: All About Me Diary! 

Not new but one of my favorites and I think this is a delightful series for children. 

Bedtime for Frances The talented Russell Hoban’s Frances Books along with Lillian Hoban and Garth Williams created Frances.

I love the charming sweetness of the prose and the enchanting illustrations. In this first Frances book, the little badger adroitly delays her bedtime with requests for kisses and milk, and concerns over tigers and giants and things going bump in the night. Long a favorite for the gentle humor of its familiar going to bed ritual, Bedtime for Frances is at last available with the warmth of full color enriching Garth Williams’s original nuanced and touching art. ‘Here is the coziest, most beguiling bedtime story in many a day.’—Kirkus Reviews

Political Order and Political Decay: From the Industrial Revolution to the Globalization of Democracy by Francis Fukuyama. Available September 30, 2014. 

The second volume of the bestselling landmark work on the history of the modern state. Volume two is finally here, completing the most important work of political thought in at least a generation. Taking up the essential question of how societies develop strong, impersonal, and accountable political institutions, Fukuyama follows the story from the French Revolution to the so-called Arab Spring and the deep dysfunctions of contemporary American politics. 

He examines the effects of corruption on governance, and why some societies have been successful at rooting it out. He explores the different legacies of colonialism in Latin America, Africa, and Asia, and offers a clear-eyed account of why some regions have thrived and developed more quickly than others. 

And he boldly reckons with the future of democracy in the face of a rising global middle class and entrenched political paralysis in the West.

A sweeping, masterful account of the struggle to create a well-functioning modern state, Political Order and Political Decay is destined to be a classic. 

The Origins of Political Order: From Prehuman Times to the French Revolution: Virtually all human societies were once organized tribally, over-time most developed new political institutions which included a central state that could keep the peace and uniform laws that applied to all citizens. Some went on to create governments that were accountable to their constituents. 
We take these institutions for granted, but they are absent or are unable to perform in many of today’s developing countries—with often disastrous consequences for the rest of the world.

Francis Fukuyama, author of the bestselling The End of History and the Last Man and one of our most important political thinkers, provides a sweeping account of how today’s basic political institutions developed.
Beginning with politics among our primate ancestors The Origins of Political Order:  draws on a vast body of knowledge—history, evolutionary biology, archaeology, and economics—Fukuyama has produced a brilliant, provocative work that offers fresh insights on the origins of democratic societies and raises essential questions about the nature of politics and its discontents. 

The Sense of Style: The Thinking Person’s Guide to Writing in the 21st Century by Steve Pinker. Available September 30, 2014. 

Why is so much writing so bad, and how can we make it better? Is the English language being corrupted by texting and social media? Do the kids today even care about good writing? Why should any of us care? 

In The Sense of Style, the bestselling linguist and cognitive scientist Steven Pinker answers these questions and more. Rethinking the usage guide for the twenty-first century, Pinker doesn’t carp about the decline of language or recycle pet peeves from the rule books of a century ago. 

Instead, he applies insights from the sciences of language and mind to the challenge of crafting clear, coherent, and stylish prose. In this short, cheerful, and eminently practical book, Pinker shows how writing depends on imagination, empathy, coherence, grammatical know how, and an ability to savor and reverse engineer the good prose of others.
He replaces dogma about usage with reason and evidence, allowing writers and editors to apply the guidelines judiciously, rather than robotically, being mindful of what they are designed to accomplish. 

Filled with examples of great and gruesome prose, Pinker shows us how the art of writing can be a form of pleasurable mastery and a fascinating intellectual topic in its own right.

A Sudden Light: A Novel by Garth Stein. Available September 30, 2014.

The bestselling author of The Art of Racing in the Rain presents a long-awaited new novel in which a boy trying to save his parents’ marriage uncovers a vast legacy of family secrets. 

In the summer of 1990, fourteen-year-old Trevor Riddell gets his first glimpse of Riddell House. Built from the spoils of a massive timber fortune, the legendary family mansion is constructed of giant whole trees and is set on a huge estate overlooking Seattle’s Puget Sound. 

Trevor’s bankrupt parents have begun a trial separation, and his father, Jones Riddell, has brought Trevor to Riddell House with a goal: to join forces with his sister, Serena, dispatch the ailing and elderly Grandpa Samuel to a nursing home, sell off the house and property for development, divide up the profits, and live happily ever after. 

But as Trevor explores the house’s secret stairways and hidden rooms, he discovers a spirit lingering in Riddell House whose agenda is at odds with the family plan. Only Trevor’s willingness to face the dark past of his forefathers will reveal the key to his family’s future. 

Spellbinding and atmospheric, A Sudden Light is rich with unconventional characters, scenes of transcendent natural beauty, and unforgettable moments of emotional truth that reflect Garth Stein’s outsized capacity for empathy and keen understanding of human motivation—a triumphant work of a master storyteller at the height of his power. 

If you haven’t read The Art of Racing in the Rain I can only recommend you read this heart-wrenching and funny book told through the eyes of Enzo. 

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September 7, 2014 · 4:00 pm

New Releases 9/9/14 Recommended Books

Hello My Friends! Of all the books being released this week – here is what I think are the most awesome. The awesomest. Anyway, I recommend the following books.  Enjoy!

Horton and the Kwuggerbug and more Lost Stories  by Dr. Seuss & Charles D. Cohen Available September 9, 2014 $9.49. 
 A new Dr. Seuss book! This follow-up to The Bippolo Seed and Other Lost Stories features familiar Seussian faces and places—including Horton the Elephant, Marco, Mulberry Street, and a Grinch—as well as an introduction by renowned Seuss scholar Charles D. Cohen. 

Seuss fans will learn more about Horton’s integrity, Marco’s amazing imagination, a narrowly avoided disaster on Mullbery Street, and a devious Grinch. With a color palette enhanced beyond that of the magazines in which the stories originally appeared, this new volume of “lost” tales is a perfect gift for young readers and a must-have for Seuss collectors of all ages!

Horton the Elephant, Marco, and a Grinch return in this rousing recovery of four long-lost stories by the immortal Dr. Seuss!

Most of these entertaining tales appeared in Redbook magazine in the early fifties, but none have not been published since. Respected Seuss scholar Charles D. Cohen offers context to these rediscovered manuscript treasures in a buoyant introduction, making this picture book a gem for readers from four to eight to eighty and beyond. 

If you love Dr. Seuss (and who doesn’t?) why not get The Bippolo Seed and Other Lost Stories (Classic Seuss)  and a marvelous book from 1973  Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are? (Classic Seuss). 

 

 

“When you think things are bad, when you feel sour and blue, you should do what I do!”

 

So begins the terrific advice of the wise old man in the Desert of Drize. This classic book provides the perfect antidote for readers of all ages who are feeling a bit down in the dumps. Thanks to Dr. Seuss’s trademark rhymes and signature illustrations, readers will, without a doubt, realize just how lucky they truly are.

Holly Black and Cassandra Clare TOGETHER with a new series.The Iron Trial (Book One of Magisterium) (The Magisterium) The two bestselling series authors: Holly Black (The Spiderwick Chronicles) and Cassandra Clare (The Mortal Instruments Trilogy) create a wonderful story about Callum Hunt, a boy who really, really, really doesn’t want to go to magic school, but somehow can’t succeed at failing.

 I love Holly Blacks Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale series and recommend you check out these wonderful young adult books also. Modern Faerie Tales: Tithe; Valiant; Ironside

 Waking Up: A Guide to Spirituality Without Religion by Sam Harris. 
For the millions of Americans who want spirituality without religion, Sam Harris’s new book is a guide to meditation as a rational spiritual practice informed by neuroscience and psychology. From multiple New York Times bestselling author, neuroscientist, and “new atheist” Sam Harris, Waking Up is for the 30 percent of Americans who follow no religion, but who suspect that Jesus, Buddha, Lao Tzu, Rumi, and the other saints and sages of history could not have all been epileptics, schizophrenics, or frauds.

Throughout the book, Harris argues that there are important truths to be found in the experiences of such contemplatives—and, therefore, that there is more to understanding reality than science and secular culture generally allow. Waking Up is part seeker’s memoir and part exploration of the scientific underpinnings of spirituality. No other book marries contemplative wisdom and modern science in this way, and no author other than Sam Harris—a scientist, philosopher, and famous skeptic—could write it.

 

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February 9, 2014 · 9:18 pm

Pre-Order Recommended Books Week of 2/24/14

As the second month of 2014 draws to an end – time flies doesn’t time fly? The first book I recommend is by one of my favorite scientists.  Yes, I will be in nerdvana!
Do you watch the Science / Discovery Channels? They will host Firefly marathons occasionally if you aren’t the science nerd I am. But even during the Firefly: The Complete Series  marathons you will learn something (as well as be entertained by a great TV show) from Michio Kaku as he offers commentary on the scientific possibility of the sci-fi premises of the series. 

Michio Kaku is a professor of physics at the City University of New York, cofounder of string field theory, and the author of several widely acclaimed science books, including Hyperspace: A Scientific Odyssey Through Parallel Universes, Time Warps, and the 10th Dimension, Beyond Einstein: The Cosmic Quest for the Theory of the Universe, Parallel Worlds: A Journey Through Creation, Higher Dimensions, and the Future of the Cosmos, Physics of the Impossible: A Scientific Exploration into the World of Phasers, Force Fields, Teleportation, and Time Travel, and Physics of the Future: How Science Will Shape Human. Destiny and Our Daily Lives by the Year 2100.

And if you are a science nerd like me or a scholar, you will find Kaku is an excellent teacher, making complex concepts understandable. Try Sci Fi Science: Seasons 1 & 2.

For the first time in history, the secrets of the living brain are being revealed by a battery of high tech brain scans devised by physicists. Now what was once solely the province of science fiction has become a startling reality. Recording memories, telepathy, videotaping our dreams, mind control, avatars, and telekinesis are not only possible; they already exist.
The Future of the Mind gives us an authoritative and compelling look at the astonishing research being done in top laboratories around the world—all based on the latest advancements in neuroscience and physics. One day we might have a “smart pill” that can enhance our cognition; be able to upload our brain to a computer, neuron for neuron; send thoughts and emotions around the world on a “brain-net”; control computers and robots with our mind; push the very limits of immortality; and perhaps even send our consciousness across the universe. 
Dr. Kaku takes us on a grand tour of what the future might hold, giving us not only a solid sense of how the brain functions but also how these technologies will change our daily lives. He even presents a radically new way to think about “consciousness” and applies it to provide fresh insight into mental illness, artificial intelligence and alien consciousness.

With Dr. Kaku’s deep understanding of modern science and keen eye for future developments, The Future of the Mind is a scientific tour de force–an extraordinary, mind-boggling exploration of the frontiers of neuroscience.

Timmy Failure: Now Look What You’ve Done by Stephen Pastis. Available February 24, 2014.

The clueless, comically self-confident kid detective returns in a sequel to the New York Times bestseller Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made.

“When you lose hope, find it.” —Timmy Failure.

He doesn’t like to pull rank. To reveal that he’s this guy: Timmy Failure, founder, president, and CEO of the greatest detective agency in town, perhaps the nation. But he is.And he’s about to crack the biggest case of his generation: a school competition to find a stolen globe. It’s his ticket to bringing home a $500 prize, which is guaranteed to set him up for life.

But someone is clearly trying to game the system. Hoodwink. Con. Defraud. So it’s up to Timmy Failure, with the dubious help of Total, his lazy polar-bear partner, and his unlikely new ally, eccentric Great-Aunt Colander, to find a way to avenge these shenanigans. Defeat this injustice.
If he can only get his entry form in on time.

Tremor (Pulse)  by Patrick Carman. Available February 25, 2014. I have mixed feelings about this series. As an adult I enjoy many young adult books however, this book didn’t quite do it for me. Never the less, I think it is a strongly appealing series for the targeted age group.

Tremor is the sequel to Pulse: Gr 9 Up-A mix of dystopian, adventure, romance, and superhero origin tale, this book covers all the bases admirably as long as readers are able to suspend their disbelief. Faith Daniels lives in between the strictly government controlled Western and Eastern States, in a zone whose population is dwindling daily through the promised advantages of immigration to the west or east. She also has the Pulse. Dylan has been watching over Faith to find the right time to explain about the supernatural power of the rare few who have it.

As events unfold, he is forced to reveal his secret and hers. Faith must adjust not only to her newfound powers but also come to terms with the loss of her parents and the unexpected murder of her best friend. All this must be done pronto, as the evil forces that wish to kill the duo and rule the world are gathering. Faith and Dylan find an ally in nerdy genius Hawk, who is able to hack into the tablets that control all communication and information. As Pulse comes to a close, the forces of good and evil face off for a showdown. Faith, Dylan, and Hawk await the chance to use their intellect and powers to save the world. Engrossing and suspense-filled, this book is sure to find an audience, and readers will eagerly await the sequel.

Tremor, the second book in bestselling author Patrick Carman’s Pulse trilogy, is filled with more action-packed scenes and romance. Tremor will excite fans of I Am Number Four (Lorien Legacies) and The Maze Runner Trilogy  with its richly developed characters and electrifying story of love and revenge.

In the year 2051, some people have a second pulse. Like all who have “the pulse,” Faith Daniels and Dylan Gilmore have telekinetic powers—they can move objects with their minds. But there are five second pulses in the world who have an even greater power: They are virtually indestructible. Both Faith and Dylan have the second pulse. As Dylan executes a plan to infiltrate enemy grounds, he’ll have to face his only weakness—and a family secret that will threaten his very existence.

The Artisan Soul: Crafting Your Life into a Work of Art by Erwin Raphael McManus. Available February 25, 2014.
In The Artisan Soul, Erwin Raphael McManus, author, thought leader, and founder of MOSAIC in Los Angeles, pens a manifesto for human creativity and the beginning of a new renaissance. McManus not only calls us to reclaim our creative essence but reveals how we can craft our lives into a work of art. There are no shortcuts to quality, and McManus celebrates the spiritual process that can help us discover our true selves.
McManus demonstrates that we all carry within us the essence of an artist. We all need to create, to be a part of a process that brings to the world something beautiful, good, and true, in order to allow our souls to come to life. It’s not only the quality of the ingredients we use to build our lives that matter, but the care we bring to the process itself. Just like baking artisan bread, it’s a process that’s crafted over time. And God has something to say about how we craft our lives. With poignant, inspirational stories and insights from art, life, history, and scripture interspersed throughout, McManus walks readers through the process of crafting a life of beauty and wonder.

 Zane and the Hurricane: A Story of Katrina  by Rodman Philbrick. Available February 25, 2014.
Newbery Honor author Rodman Philbrick presents a gripping yet poignant novel about a 12-year-old boy and his dog who become trapped in New Orleans during the horrors of Hurricane Katrina.
 Zane Dupree is a charismatic 12-year-old boy of mixed race visiting a relative in New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina hits. Unexpectedly separated from all family, Zane and his dog experience the terror of Katrina’s wind, rain, and horrific flooding. Facing death, they are rescued from an attic air vent by a kind, elderly musician and a scrappy young girl–both African American.
The chaos that ensues as storm water drowns the city, shelter and food vanish, and police contribute to a dangerous, frightening atmosphere, creates a page-turning tale that completely engrosses the reader. Based on the facts of the worst hurricane disaster in U.S. history, Philbrick includes the lawlessness and lack of government support during the disaster as well as the generosity and courage of those who risked their lives and safety to help others. Here is an unforgettable novel of heroism in the face of truly challenging circumstances.
 


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