Telly Says.....

Imperfect Justice: Prosecuting Casey Anthony

7:00 pm 24 January 2012

I have mixed feelings about this book. It’s not that I didn’t enjoy it, I did. BUT, if you followed the trial like I did which was not missing a second, watching all of the replays, etc on HLN and anywhere else I could find them, then you really didn’t learn anything from listening to the book.

I thought it would have more behind the scenes dirt. It had some, but not a whole lot. IF you never paid any attention to what was going on with the trial and never saw anything on the news then you will learn a great deal from this book.

That being said I will tell you what I enjoyed….

Read Full Review HERE

Awkward Family Pet Photos

7:00 pm 7 January 2012

I enjoyed this book. I am an animal lover, cats are of course my favorite pet but I love them all. I enjoy looking at pictures as well. So combine the love of animals and the interest in looking at peoples pictures and you have a win, win for me.

This is not just your everyday dog and cat photos. These are family photos that include the human part of the family as well. We have snakes, pigs, monkeys, and horses just to name a few. Some are dressed, some are posed but all are just a bit out there in my opinion but enjoyable to look at and laugh at. I wondered many times while reading this book if these people meant for these pictures to be funny or if there were serious.

I wish the explanations of the pictures were a little more informative but I suppose they do speak for themselves. It is a fun book that will bring a smile to your face. Also a wonderful conversation starter if you have it on your coffee table!

Disclaimer: this book was received free of charge for an honest review

The Safehouse

7:00 pm 6 December 2011

Article first published as HOLD GH Book Review: The Safehouse by T. Thomas Ackerman on Blogcritics.

It's Hard Not to Hate You

7:00 pm 6 December 2011

Article first published as Book Review: It's Hard Not to Hate You by Valerie Frankel on Blogcritics.

Scream Catcher

7:00 pm 1 December 2011

Well it's pretty hard not to love a Vincent Zandri book and this one does not disappoint. The stories are never the 'norm' and the characters are people you can't help but like. I even liked the killer. Maybe admired his creativity is a better way to say it. I would look like a horrible person if I liked the killer! I was not sure I would like this book with the story revolving so much around a video game but I got hooked. The action never stops.

I thought the murderer forcing his victims to scream while he recorded it for use in his real life video games was amazing. I also sat on the edge of my seat reading about Jude trying to stay alive when he was thrown into one of those games. Imagine what Jude was feeling when he was in the midst of that "game" fighting for his life, literally and knowing that the wrong move would be the end of you and your family! Add to that having to disarm a bomb for good measure! Oh yeah, Jude has a problem with freezing up in times of crisis which is why he left the police force in the first place. So, he also has to find a way to overcome these overpowering feelings while staying alive! Can you say heart pounding? Trust me, yours will be pounding along with your fists clenching and your teeth being gnawed down from clenching them together in anticipation of what is to come!

A must read for any thriller lover. Thank you Mr. Zandri, you have done it again!

11/22/63 (Audible Audio)

7:00 pm 30 November 2011

I can't say that I loved this book nor can I say I hated it. I am in the middle. In my opinion it was not our typical King and that's not necessarily a bad thing. It was long like a lot of his books are and I love that. It had multiple stories which I also loved.

What I didn't love was that it took a long time to get to the 'real' story which was stopping Lee Harvey Oswald from assassinating Kennedy. There was a ton of stuff leading up to it, some of it added to the story, gave it background but other stuff could have been another book. I found it to be more of a love story between Jake/George and Sadie who he meets when he goes back to the 50's and 60's.

I am going to go against the majority as usual. I loved Jake/George, I cared about him and felt like he could be a great friend. I loved Al who got the ball rolling with the time travel stuff. BUT, I just did not like Sadie! I found her to be just a little more than annoying and whiny.

The narrator was awesome and made those long chapters of background so much more enjoyable. The book held my attention but just was not what I thought it would be. Again I say, not a bad book, but not my favorite either.

If you are a King fan give it a read. It was a nice step back in time.

Cloyne Court

7:00 pm 15 November 2011

Definitely a coming of age novel with a loveable main character, Derek. Imagine being young and in college and finding Cloyne Court which is run by students, affordable, co-ed and has communal showers to name just a few "perks" of living here.

Read full review

Nocturne

7:00 pm 6 November 2011

I am not a big romance reader and usually won't even pick one up but I had read and enjoyed Ms. James other book, Dracula, My Love: The Secret Journals of Mina Harker so I agreed to give this a read. I have to say, not many books read like a play or movie but this one does. When I say that I mean that as you read each chapter you can very easily visualize the scenes playing out like watching a movie or a play. They come to life that much.

I liked Michael from the first time he showed up on the snowy road, tired and not wanting to help Nicole who was stranded. But we knew he would and he did. Michael is in a word, amazing!
The book in many ways reminded me of the fairy tales that I used to read my daughter. Michael was certainly no ogre or beast but it was that element of imperfection that drew me to him. I don't want to use any spoilers so you will just have to trust me and read the book!

We get to know Michael and Nicole very well since other than wild animals there are the only characters in the book. I can't say that Nicole is someone that I would want to be friends with but I enjoyed watching things between her and Michael play out. The ending while not a cliff-hanger certainly in my opinion left room for another book.

If you like a nice story with a paranormal twist and a little mystery thrown in, give this book a read. Nice for a take along read or just to escape for a weekend.

The Good Father

7:00 pm 6 November 2011

There is not enough space on this blog or words to tell just how awesome this book is! It is a book that touches you from the first page and with each turn of the remaining pages you are drawn into the Allen family and become a part of it. There is no way you can read this book and not come away changed.

That's called a teaser. The full review will post on my BLOG Feb. 1.

Mafia: The Glamour of Crime/Le Crime En Habit de Lumiere/Misdaad in Styl

7:00 pm 4 November 2011

Article first published as Book Review: Mafia: The Glamour of Crime by Fein Meynendonckx on Blogcritics.

I don't know where to start with my review of Fein Meynendonckx' remarkable book. Mafia: The Glamour of Crime is a coffee table book to be sure. It is an oversize book filled with absolutely amazing photographs that take us through the history of organized crime starting in 1910 and bringing us all the way through to today.

It is filled with quotations that we all are familiar with, "Leave the gun, take the cannoli" and some not so familiar, but every one is interesting. The text is in English, German, and French which is another thing that I found unique for a book like this. I fell in love with the cover as soon as I saw it — it actually has fake bullet holes in it. At least I hope they are fake! There is even a bookmark ribbon to keep the page of your favorite place. Mine is on James Cagney.

My favorite feature of Mafia is, of course, the photographs. Some are pictures of the actual gangsters, dead and alive, and others are taken from the movies. There are detailed chapters on the biggest gangster actors, chapters on Gangster Talk, Gangster Stereotypes, The Mafia in the World, and more. You can find just about anything that you are looking for and more in this wonderful book.

Growing up in Philadelphia with an Italian heritage and spending a lot of time in South Philly, this book was like a visit home for me in many ways. There is no doubt that Meynendonckx did his research and put his heart and soul into this amazing book. I spent hours just looking at the pictures over and over.

Anyone with an interest in organized crime needs to have Mafia on their coffee table. It certainly has a permanent home on mine and am proud to display it.

Read more: http://blogcritics.org/books/article/book-review-mafia-the-glamour-of/#ixzz1fuPzkU3v

GRAY LOVE: A Black and White Affair

7:00 pm 8 October 2011

Article first published as Book Review: Gray Love: A Black and White Affair by Maya Seymour on Blogcritics.

Darkness, My Old Friend

7:00 pm 7 October 2011

Article first published as Book Review: Darkness, My Old Friend by Lisa Unger on Blogcritics.

Jokers Club

7:00 pm 5 October 2011

There is nothing like a good, creepy horror book that not only scares you but makes you think. The Jokers Club delivered on all levels! I have not read a book like this in a long, long time and I hope there are many more in the works from Mr. Bastianelli.

I loved the character of the Joker. Was he real or imagined? Where did he come from and will he ever go away? For me, the Joker was kind of like the clown in Stephen King's IT. Creepy but funny. I know I will not look at the Joker in the same way again!

Read Full Review

The Magdalena Curse

7:00 pm 4 October 2011

Review to come

Seed

7:00 pm 30 September 2011

Seed rocks! How's that for a review? Seed is classic horror, psychological horror, creepy horror, pee your pants horror. I loved it!

Ok, that's enough gushing but this was a pleasant surprise. Browsing around for Kindle books I came across this and for $.99 figured I couldn't go wrong. What a true gem of a book this was. The writing reminded me of early Steven King and Graham Masterton. Creepy look over your shoulder, is there something there, sort of writing with great characters and suspenseful plot.

The author did a great job of making us a part of the Winter family. The story centers around Charlie, Jack's six year old daughter who starts to see and experience strange things after a car accident. These things are nothing new to Jack, he has been there, done that and ran from it. He thought he was "normal" now but the actions of Charlie prove he has not outrun his past and he must deal with hit head on!

I can't say enough about how good and refreshing this book was to read. This is how I like my horror, gore in all the right spots but not gore for the mere reason of grossing you out. Definitely a must read for any horror fans.

The Pumpkin Man

7:00 pm 26 September 2011

I really wanted to like this book. The plot line sounded great and it also sounded pretty darn creepy and sicko at the same time. (Yes, right up my alley!) It started off pretty good but really didn't go anywhere for me. The gore was over the top which is usually ok by me but it just didn't work for me this time. Oh well, all books can't be fantastic and what doesn't work for me will for sure work for someone else. That is the beauty of books. If you want a Halloween read, give this one a go, you have nothing to lose but a few hours.

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