Book Review: First Date

Author: Krista McGee
Genre: Fiction, Young Adult, Christian
Release: January, 2012
Source: Netgalley
Rating: 4/5

Description: The last thing Addy Davidson wants is to be on a reality TV show where the prize is a prom date with the President's son.


She's focused on her schoolwork so she can get a scholarship to an Ivy League college, uncomfortable in the spotlight, never been on a date, and didn't even audition for it.


But she got selected anyway.


So she does her best to get eliminated on the very first show. Right before she realizes that the President's son is possibly the most attractive guy she has ever seen in person, surprisingly nice, and seemingly unimpressed by the 99 other girls who are throwing themselves at him.


Addy's totally out of her comfort zone but that may be right where God can show her all that she was meant to be.

Review:

Book Review: Addison Blakely: Confessions of a PK

Author: Betsy St. Amant
Genre: Young Adult, Christian, Fiction
Release: January, 2012
Source: Netgalley
Rating: 4/5

Description: Sixteen-year-old Addison Blakely has tireless played the role of PK—preacher’s kid—her entire life. But after Wes Keegan revs his motorcycle into town and into her heart, Addison begins to wonder how much of her faith is her own and how much has been handed to her. She isn’t so sure she wants to be the good girl anymore. Join Addison Blakely as she attempts to separate love from lust, facts from faith, and keep her head above water in her murky, fishbowl existence.

Review: As a PK (preacher's kid) myself, I so had to read this book. I'm glad I did as I enjoyed it.

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE

• The good girl/bad boy theme has been done quite a bit. It works for this novel, but it would've been nice if Ms. St. Amant added her own twist to it.

WHAT I LIKED

• The book had a Christian theme to it, but it wasn't preachy at all. All teens, whether Christian or not, could read it without feeling like the author is trying to force religion on them.
• Teens, especially PKs, can relate to Addison. She's a preacher's kid, but she's not perfect. She struggles with her faith and how she should act and why she should act that way. Life is not all perfect for her.
• Addison's voice adds humor to the novel.
• I love her new best friend, Marta!

Book Review: Can't Touch This

Author: Marley Gibson
Genre: Romance, Fiction
Release: December, 2011
Source: Netgalley
Rating: 3/5


Description: For Vanessa Virtue, all work and no play leads straight to temptation, one that’s too hot to touch...or resist.


A well-deserved work promotion opens up a thrilling world that Vanessa could only long for until now: exotic travel, a corporate credit card, and the opportunity to ogle hunk-and-a-half Kyle Nettles. Unfortunately, their employer has a strict “no dating within the company” policy. So instead of succumbing to her feelings, Vanessa hones her flirtations on the competition: a rock star sales exec who works for their rival company.

Rory Ellery has dreamy blue eyes and a kiss that threatens to obliterate Vanessa's taboo crush on Kyle...and just might provide a great chance for spying on the competition. That is, unless Rory is actually spying on her. When Vanessa goes digging for dirt with Rory, what she uncovers is scandal—and risks losing her job completely. To make things right with her employer, she’ll have to enlist Kyle’s help. But to make things right with her soul, is she willing to risk her job and her security in order to open her heart to Kyle.


Review: Marley Gibson is a published YA author. This is her first adult romance novel. The cover and the fact that it was Marley Gibson attracted me at first. Though it wasn't spectacular, I did enjoy this novel.


WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE

• Some of the characters, like Vanessa, seemed a little younger than they were in the novel.
• I sometimes wanted to shake Vanessa. Her rules were fine, but at times her insistence on following them was a bit much. Also, she was so blind to the obvious.

WHAT I DID LIKE

• Vanessa's character was endearing and quirky, despite sometimes causing you to want to shake her. 
• After a slow start, the book held y attention. I wanted to know what would happen next. Will Kyle and Vanessa finally stop fighting the attraction? Will Vanessa through the rules out the window? Does Rory really like Vanessa or does he have an ulterior motive?
• The secondary characters helped make the book interesting.

Book Review: The Stuttering Tattoo

Author: Greg Logsted
Genre: Fiction, YA, Mystery
Release:December, 2011
Source: Netgalley
Rating: 3/5

Description: Steven Bishop is extraordinarily ordinary. He goes to school. He rides his motorcycle. He stutters. His best friend is a former Colombian cartel hit man turned cook/construction worker. You know, ordinary. All that changes the day Becky Moore walks into his classroom. Becky is dazzling, enigmatic.

One day Steven gives Becky a ride home on his motorcycle. There, they discover a severed arm, one of the fingers of which still has an unusual ring attached: a circle, in the middle of which is a heart, at the center of which is a bold number 37. While comforting Becky, Steven discovers a tattoo at the base of her neck: it is the same symbol. And so begins a thrilling descent into a world of crime and murder, a ride wilder than any Steven has taken before.

Review: The blurb and cover are what attracted me to the book. Sounded interesting. It turned out to be ok...not terrible, but not awesome. It was just ok.

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE

• It started out a little slow. The action didn't pick up until after Steven and Becky discovered the severed arm. 
• Quite irritating at times. Sometimes, I wanted to shake some sense into Steven. And some scenes left me saying, "Seriously?"

WHAT I DID LIKE

• It was short and sweet, perfect for teens (& even adults) with short attention spans. 
• After Steven and Becky discovered the severed arm, the novel became fast-paced and interesting. 
• I like Steven's support system. His dad, a cop, isn't a big part of the novel. Steven has Carlos, a Colombian ex drug enforcer turned coworker/mentor, and Hank, owner of a small diner. Hank gives Steven valuable advise while Carlos helps Steven when he tries to take down the gang, Thirty-Seven.

This books is perfect for reluctant readers. The action will hold the reader's attention til the end.

Book Review: Ten Plagues

Author: Mary Nealy
Genre: Suspense, Thriller
Release: October, 2011
Source: Netgalley Rating: 4/5


Description: Join the breakneck chase through Chicago for a murderous maniac. As the victims begin piling up, detective Keren Collins’s spiritual discernment is on high alert. Will she capture the killer before another body floats to the surface? Ex-cop, now mission pastor Paul Morris has seen his share of tragedy, but nothing prepared him to be a murderer’s messenger boy. Will his old ruthless cop personality take over, leading him to the brink of self-destruction? Can Keren and Paul catch the killer before the corpse count reaches a perfect ten?


Review:


WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE

• The book started off a bit slow. I kept reading because the book sounded interesting and I wanted to know where Ms. Nealy was going to go with it. I'm glad I didn't stop reading.

WHAT I DID LIKE

• I loved the suspense. It kept me wanting to know what would happen next. What will the killer do to show the next plague? Who will be the next victim? And when I found that the killer had been close, I wanted to know who it was.
• Keren and Paul's relationship. There was a bit of romance there, but it wasn't a major part. I like the banter they had. Keren develops feelings, but she's hesitant, not because he's now a preacher, but because of a past incident that he doesn't even remember.
• I liked that Paul still struggled. In the past, his anger was definitely an issue. In his cop days, he was not a likeable man. But, after losing his wife and daughter (first by divorce, then by death) he changed, became a Christian and preacher. He still struggles with his anger, especially during this ordeal. He's not perfect, but he's trying to live right.

I enjoyed reading Ten Plagues. If you're into suspenseful thrillers with a bit of romance, this book is just for you!

Book Review: Blood Trails

Author: Sharon Sala
Genre: Mystery, Romantic Suspense
Release: September, 2011
Source: Netgalley
Rating: 3.5/5

Description: Her "father's" deathbed confession reveals that Holly's real father was almost certainly the notorious serial killer known as "The Hunter," and that her mother gave Holly up to save her life. But The Hunter was never caught--and Holly's mother simply "vanished."

In search of her past, Holly leaves both her home and Bud Tate, the handsome ranch foreman she's afraid to love, horrified by the knowledge that the blood of a depraved killer might run through her veins. Haunted, driven, she searches for The Hunter and hopes her mother was wrong.

But her search leads to a terrible truth no one could have imagined, and even Bud's determination to follow and protect the woman he loves may not be enough to save Holly from the terrors of a past become present.

Review: Blood Trails is actually the third, and final, book in Sharon Sala's The Searchers series. The series features three sisters - Maria, Savannah, and Holly - who after their father dies, find out that they really aren't blood related and the man who raised them wasn't their father. He leaves each of them a journal with info that can lead them to their true identity. Each book features a sister and her journey for the truth. Blood Stains features Maria, Blood Ties features Savannah, and Blood Trails features Holly.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE

• It was slow at times in the novel.
• Although overall interesting, it was pretty predictable.

WHAT I DID LIKE

• Besides the slow parts of the novel, it held my interest throughout most of the novel.
• The relationship between Holly and Bud was sweet. Bud started out as a family friend, but feelings grew between him and Holly. And I like how protective he was of her.
• I like Holly's strength. She found out some frightening things about her past, but it didn't stop her from looking for justice.
• I like that this book can stand on its own. I haven't read the other two books, but it didn't cause me to be lost while reading Blood Trails.

This book wasn't the best book I've read, but it did hold my interest, especially when Holly discovers the truth and the events that come because of it. And I did find myself rooting for Holly and Bud. If you enjoy romantic suspense, you may want to give this one a try!

FINALLY!

First of all, I'd like to say Happy Mommy's Day to all moms! Hope you all enjoy your day. I wish I were in the US to celebrate this day with my mom, but I'm here in Abu Dhabi, thousands of miles away. That's ok. I was able to text her. She knows that I love her. And I got to spoil her a bit about 5 weeks ago when she came to visit me.

So, I've been working on losing weight and getting in shape since May, 2011. This weight loss journey is more for health reasons than for looks (like I've said before, I love my curves). I have high blood pressure and I HATE taking meds. I'm trying to be done with it. Plus, my family has a history of other sicknesses like diabetes, stroke, etc. I'm not even trying to deal with that. And I just long to be in shape; to be able to walk up a flight of stairs without feeling like I'm going to die. I'd like to live to see the kids in my family as well as my future kids grow up. So, yeah. Losing weight is imperative.

I'd started losing weight. Got excited, then got stuck. I've been in the same range since February (250 - 255lbs). My weight's been going up, down, or the same. GRR! It's been frustrating to say the least. To make matters worse, I haven't been under 250lbs since....forever. Ok, not forever, but it sure feels like it. Since 2010. I kept thinking if I can get out this range, I'd be good. I'm glad to say that after two years, I'm FINALLY out of the range. WOOHOO! I'm at 249lbs (four pounds since last month's weigh in).

I've lost a total of 21 pounds so far. Would I like to be further along in my weight loss journey? Yes. I mean, it's been almost a year. But, am I happy with the 21 pounds so far? Yes. It could be worse. I could still be the same weight from last May. Or I could still be stuck. But I'm not, so I'm happy. I'm just a bit closer to my goal weight. Operation Fit and Fine/Operation Goodbye High Blood Pressure is in FULL effect!

21 pounds down...79 pounds to go!