RebeccasReads

The Face of a Killer

Robin Burcell
Poisoned Pen Press (2008)
ISBN 9781590583746
Reviewed by Gina Holland for RebeccaReads (5/08)

“The Face of a Killer” -- Where do I begin? FBI agent and forensic artist Sydney Fitzpatrick is strong-willed, very intelligent and a one of a kind. When Sydney was a young girl, her father was murdered.  The police find evidence which points straight to Johnnie Wheeler, the accused.

One of Sydney’s current cases involves a woman named Tara Brown, who was brutally raped and left for dead. Tara is very afraid to describe her captor, however, once Sydney talks to her and makes her feel safe, she begins to remember certain pieces of the man’s features.  As Sydney begins to draw the sketch of the man from Tara’s description, it triggers a far-flung memory.  Sydney was convinced all along that the man in prison was definitely the one who killed her father, but the sketch of this man looks exactly like Johnnie Wheeler, the man awaiting execution for her father’s murder.

On the anniversary of her father’s death, Sydney decides there is something she needs to do. She wants to visit Johnnie Wheeler in prison and ask him why. Why did he kill her father? Sydney knows that if she goes to the prison, her mother and stepfather will object. Her mother is furious when Sydney tells her of her plan, but Sydney decides she has to go anyway. Sydney visits Wheeler in prison and so the doubts continue. Was it really Wheeler who killed her father? Or could it be someone else?; someone who has been torturing and hurting other women besides Tara Brown.

As we follow Sydney’s story, we laugh and we cry with her. We also fear for her. She has a reluctant partner in Carillo, but when these two put their heads together, they do some great work in uncovering the truth of her father’s murder. When Sydney discovers her family is in danger, she pushes herself to break the case. This is a great thriller. Robin Burcell has brought us into her real world as a Forensic Artist. She was both magnificent and thorough in her storytelling. I read this book in less than two days; it was so interesting, I could not put it down. I thank Ms. Burcell for bringing “The Face of a Killer” to us and I look forward to her next.

Anima Mundi

Susanna Tamaro
Autumn Hill Books (2007)
ISBN 9780975444443
Reviewed by Kam Aures for RebeccasReads (11/08)

Susanna Tamaro’s novel “Anima Mundi” has been translated into twenty-five different languages throughout the world; this edition is the first translation into the English language.  When you see that a book has been reproduced that many times you expect a certain level of greatness from the novel, and “Anima Mundi” definitely delivers! 

The novel is divided into three parts:  Fire, Earth, and Wind, and follows the life of the main character Walter.  The book opens up with the funeral of Walter’s father.  The service is a small one, just three of his father’s friends and himself.  This event causes him to think about his life growing up.  His home situation was far from perfect and there really wasn’t much of a relationship between he and his father, or his mother for that matter.  His father was an impatient and violent man:  “Home was a continuous explosion.  He’d utter the worst curses, throwing everything on the floor, kicking the walls and the cabinets.  Then, when there was nothing left to break, he’d leave the house, slamming the door behind.” (p. 26)

Tamaro’s writing will cause the reader to feel many different emotions.  One of the saddest parts of the book, in my opinion, is Walter’s last encounter with his mother.  He had been living in Rome and one day out of the blue his mother showed up on his doorstep.  It had been a few years since they had seen each other and Walter still did not have any desire to.  They spent an awkward day together and then Walter didn’t “feel like wasting time by taking her to the station” so he wrote out directions for her. (p.43)  Little did he know at the time that his mother was dying and that this would be the last time that he saw her. 

We watch as Walter’s alcoholism and estrangement from his family shape his life, and are given a deep look into his views and ways of thinking.   There are many moments in the book that really cause you to think further and to examine your own views on the particular subject matter being discussed.  This is not a book that you will fly right through.  “Anima Mundi” is a book that you will want to savor and take your time to read, enjoying every word.  I highly recommend Tamaro’s book and look forward to reading more from this talented author in the future.

The Wizard’s Legacy

Ashley Simmons
Outskirts Press (2008)
ISBN 9781432720902
Reviewed by Kam Aures for RebeccasReads (11/08)

“The Wizard’s Legacy” by Ashley Simmons is one of the best fantasy books that I have read in some time.  I was instantly hooked in the first few pages of the book and stayed up many late nights reading because I couldn’t find a place that I wanted to stop and put the book down.  The storyline flows very smoothly from start to finish and there is never a dull moment.

The book begins in the village of Sandmier on a stormy night with a knock on the door of Jonas and Thesa’s crude little house.  At the door is a pregnant woman who is in labor.  She gives birth to twins, a boy and girl whom she names Dev and Kylea respectfully.  Knowing that she is not going to survive because of loss of blood, she begs Jonas and Thesa to raise the children as if they were their own.  She also tells them that in her cloak there is a letter for the children from their father and to give it to them when the time is right. 

When they are older, goblins attack and destroy their home.  The twins arrive back just in time for a wounded and dying Jonas to inform them about the letter, and to tell them to seek out their real father’s memory at Wheladon.  After burying Jonas, they head out toward Wheladon and along the way they meet a gnome named Talnik, whom their real father asked to watch over them.  They are told that their father was the wizard Pafrourk and that he had fathered them after he was dead.  Pafrourk had died while trying to defeat Zolun, an evil demon who was trying to destroy the King and all of his followers.  With Talnik, they embark on a journey down “a dangerous road in search of a legacy neither one is prepared for.  Along the way they must face challenges that will test the bond between them to its very limits.”

The characters in the book, especially Dev and Kylea, are extremely well developed.  It was very interesting to be along on the journey to witness their emotional struggles and their resulting personal growth.  Simmons’ well-thought out characters are the foundation of what makes this book great, and the rest of the story falls neatly into place around them.  “The Wizard’s Legacy” is a must-read for any lover of the fantasy genre.  Ashley Simmons’s work is very intriguing, and I will definitely be watching for more books from her in the future.

Rocket Man

William Elliott Hazelgrove
Pantonne Press, Inc. (2008)
ISBN 9780615213071
Reviewed by Mary Durfor for RebeccasReads (11/08)

With thanks to Sir Elton John, the song “Rocket Man” played in the back of my mind during my entire association with this fabulous novel of the same name. I finally had to give up and looked up all of the words, so I could stop replaying the only phrases I was sure of over and over.

The haunting quotes at the beginning of each chapter from the annals of space were eerie, and in my mind I could hear the familiar voice of “Major Tom” and those of the actual manned space flights from Houston and Cape Canaveral – now Cape Kennedy so many years later. The quotes served as apt predictors of the action in each chapter of the novel.

The empathy felt for Rocket Man is intensified with each new event that unfolds. The sterility of the ostentatious neighborhood; the seven gasping, dying trees in the yard; the Scout leaders who cut him no slack; the ridiculous feud (or was it?) within the neighborhood association – all of these lead the reader into a fondness for Dale that continues to grow. The untimely entrance of Dale Senior deepens the reader’s affection for Dale and chagrin at his Southern, racially charged antics.

The raw unhappiness of Dale and Wendy transplanted to suburbia, where their Democratic, messy souls collide with everyone else, is painful and touching. Dale Senior interjects his crazy take on the world into the misery that is the American, upper-middle class, over-extended, McMansion-dwelling life, and the reader cannot stop hoping for some kind of relief.

William Elliott Hazelgrove’s tight writing style and wide knowledge of historical and current political events were interjected into the scenes in a meaningful way, and added to the pleasure of reading this book. The author’s character development is engaging, and his characters, Dale’s brother Elliott; his current wife, Apollonian; Wendy’s parents; Dale’s two children, Angela and Dale, Jr.; as well as his unseen boss, whom he only relates to via phone, are unforgettable.

“Rocket Man” is a terrific look into an unsettled marriage, childhood, family, life, and unfinished business . . . and I am now anxiously awaiting Hazelgrove’s fifth book.

Reckless Indifference

Julie Bigg Veazey
BookSurge Publishing (2008)
ISBN 9781439203255
Reviewed by Kam Aures for RebeccasReads (11/08)

The definition of “Reckless Indifference” provided by Veazey in the opening pages is “The conscious disregard of the consequences of one’s acts or omissions against the protected legal rights of an aggrieved individual.” (Wikipedia/New Jersey Law)  The author could not have picked a more perfect title for her novel.  These two simple words sum up the entire book to a tee!

The Prologue begins mysteriously with a nameless woman and a man named “J.P.” carefully making preparations to pull off an undefined heist.  The first chapter then switches settings to the fine jewelry counter at Gordon’s department store in Parkdale, New Jersey tended to by a young woman named Mary.  A nicely dressed man walks up to her engagement ring display and closely examines one in particular.  That afternoon he returns with his fiancée and after taking the ring over to look at it by the window they decide that it is not the ring for them and give it back to Mary.  Later, during a routine inventory, it is found that the ring is a fake and has been switched.

The manager of the new Gordon’s store in the mall in Radcliff calls the police and asks for an officer to watch the store because of the other Gordon’s locations that have been robbed.  The chief, after a nudging by the mayor, sends the mayor’s son, Tony DeLuca, to handle it.  What follows next is the targeting of an innocent man by a cop who is seeking to prove himself, and the resulting ramifications on the man’s life. 

“Reckless Indifference” is a well-written novel that will have you hooked from the first page.  The characters are very well developed and their personality traits and actions will definitely evoke strong feelings from the reader.  The book really makes you think about how the fabrication of evidence can have such devastating and life-altering effects on one man and his family’s being.  It will also make you question whether or not the phrase “innocent until proven guilty” really means anything.  The story flows smoothly and will hold your interest until the last page is turned.  I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys psychological and legal fiction!    

The Resilient Child: Seven Essential Lessons for Your Child's Happiness and Success

George S. Everly, Jr., Ph.D. with Sloane Brown
DiaMedica (2008)
ISBN 9780979356452
Reviewed by Kam Aures for RebeccasReads (8/08)

“The Resilient Child: Seven Essential Lessons for your Child’s Happiness and Success” is written by an interesting duo.  First, we have George S. Everly, Jr., Ph.D., “one of the ‘founding fathers’ of modern resiliency and stress management.  He is on the faculties of The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health.  He has also been an expert consultant with FEMA, the FBI National Academy, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.”  Being the intelligent man that he is, he took on Sloane Brown as a co-author to help translate his words and thoughts into a language that the common person could understand.  Brown, who works in media, has been married to a psychologist for over 20 years and because of this she has become very proficient at translating professional speak into a language that the average person can comprehend.  The resulting work is an easy-to-read and clearly understandable guide to paving the road for your children’s happiness and success. 

In the book, Everly presents to us seven lessons that will help to teach our children how to be resilient and how to build inner strength.  Each lesson is presented in a simple format and is filled with plenty of supporting examples.  In order to solidify your knowledge of the lessons learned, there are numerous “Homework” sections throughout the book.  I found these sections very helpful as they create pauses in the book that allow you to reflect and to take Everly’s words and apply them to your own situations. 

In an age where children are under a lot of stress, I think this book is an important one to help avoid the possible negatives that could go along with that stress.  As the mother of two young children, I found Everly’s advice to be informative and helpful.  I hope that I am able to apply his lessons to our daily life in order to help my children grow to be strong and resilient.  Although small in size at only 136 pages, “The Resilient Child” is chock full of important information and advice that I feel would be beneficial to any parent in raising their children to live happy and successful lives. 

Anteater of Death: A Zoo Mystery

Betty Webb
Poisoned Pen Press (2008)
ISBN 9781590585603
Reviewed by Allison King for RebeccasReads (10/08)

What do you get when you mix an anteater, upper crust families and murder?  A mystery novel full of adventure and fun, while looking for a murderer! The book’s main character, Theodora ‘Teddy’ Bentley, works at the local zoo as a zookeeper in charge of a number of animals, including a pregnant anteater. A murder occurs in the anteater’s enclosure and everyone wants to blame the animal, but Teddy knows better and puts her self in charge of finding out exactly what happened. The local sheriff Joe, her ex fiancé, even asks for her help in finding some answers to the killing. Teddy runs in to some roadblocks along the way. Her mother doesn’t like her working at the zoo, which she finds distracts from Teddy finding a spouse. The upper-crust families want her to stop asking questions around the neighborhood. Family secrets arise left and right, as she gets closer to finding the truth. As Teddy and Joe rekindle their feelings, the stakes get even higher when there is another murder. With the threat of the anteater being taken away or worse, Teddy must find the real murderer. Even at the risk of her family and her own life!

“The Anteater of Death” is the first book in the new Gunn Zoo Mystery series by Betty Webb. I am already looking forward to the next one. I was enthralled in Teddy’s life. The story moves along fast and easy to read. The moments from Lucy the Anteater’s ‘thoughts’ brought an interesting angle to what animals think when humans are around them. The mix of Teddy wanting to lead her own life away from her rich family and her families ‘family issue’ problems, put an interesting underlying storyline to the mystery. Amateur sleuth and zookeeper combine to make this book an intriguing one that I would recommend to others.

I love the zoo. My first stop is always the gorilla and chimpanzee exhibit. I’ve often watched them and wondered what they were thinking, especially about how they feel about people watching and starring at them all day. I would be curious to know why the author chose an anteater out of all the animal choices.

This story of a murder mystery tosses in a bit of zoo life to become a book that will have both kids and adults grabbing “The Anteater of Death” off the shelves to read. Take the time to go to your local zoo, but be careful. You don’t want to end up in the next mystery at the zoo!!

Cross Country

James Patterson
Iota Publishing (2008)
ISBN 9780316018722
Reviewed by Narayan Radhakrishnan for RebeccasReads (10/08)

In the early nineties James Patterson created a furor in the thriller-writing world with two novels: “Kiss the Girls,” and “Along Came a Spider”. The two blockbuster movies that followed, starring Morgan Freeman as detective Alex Cross of the LAPD, were also blockbusters. A cult was born, and the Alex Cross thrillers became a favorite of many a psychological thriller fan.

I am a diehard thriller lover. For the last two weeks I was deeply engrossed in reading “The World Without End,” a thirteen-hundred-page novel of epic proportions by famed British novelist Ken Follett. A deeply researched and gripping work, “The World Without End” left a lasting impression on me, and I really needed something to cool off with. I needed a light read, a powerful read, one which could be easily read finish off within two to three hours. In comes “Cross Country,” the perfect, easy delight for a thriller lover.

It seems Alex Cross’s fame as an ace detective has crossed borders. The terror now striking LAPD is not local; terror has now an international figure, and this time round the terror figure is a man who goes by the name Tiger. Tiger is ruthless; he has no deep-set psychological motive per se to commit murders, it’s just that murder is an obsession for him. He gets the job done for whomever who pays him. A cool assassin for hire, he crosses hands with Alex Cross in Los Angels. Cross’s college sweetheart Ellie Cox has been brutally murdered, and his initial investigation reveals that the person behind the murders is from Africa. Cross goes to Africa, and the pitiful picture of political turmoil and starvation, in particular in Nigeria, Sudan and Sierra Leone, is brought to light by James Patterson. Cross is tortured, and almost anyone who comes close to Cross is murdered or bumped off in any other manner.

Though the Cross thrillers are know for their gruesome violence, I think this 15th thriller might be the most gruesome of all. Almost all characters featured in the book, including Alex Cross’s family and friends are kidnapped, murdered, or even kidnapped and murdered. To say more on the plot would mean my being a spoilsport, and I refrain.

Alex Cross is now a staple of my psychological thriller diet, and I wonder why more movies featuring Morgan Freeman as Alex Cross are no longer being made?  This is a good read and, for the James Patterson fan, a must buy.

Sacred Grief: Exploring a New Dimension to Grief

Leslee Tessmann
Loving Healing Press (2008)
ISBN 9781932690538
Reviewed by Mary Durfor for RebeccasReads (10/08)

The thing that we, as humans, believe sets us apart from other animals, our language, is also the thing that prevents us from attaining that state which we all seek – being in the present.  Our habitual judging and assessing, over years, becomes less childlike and inquisitive and instead becomes automatic categorizing and labeling.  So, instead of simply feeling our grief, we judge it based on past experiences or assess its effect on our futures. 

Because our culture collectively frowns upon public displays of grief, we strive to ignore the pain, resist the presence of the feelings of grief, and thereby succeed in prolonging the entire process.  We want our pain to go away as quickly as possible.  We are afraid that it will never end.  Because of this, our suffering becomes a part of our life to be indulged and endured, since it is now a tangible part of our lives.

The author’s belief that once we accept grief as sacred, we can learn to simply allow ourselves to experience the feelings and honor them, be open to them, and be content with them, is the premise of the book.  She uses her own varied life experiences of deep grief to explore these aspects of how we can best acknowledge and live with our feelings. 

The author purports that just as a child must accomplish certain growth and development tasks in order to develop into a mature adult, so grievers must accomplish specific tasks to be able to move on with living, filled with peace and acceptance.  While some people can complete the tasks of grieving on their own, many can benefit from participating in an environment that supports the work of grief, such as support groups or therapy, hospice or medical centers, or spiritual or religious organizations.

Her premise is further expanded upon by her explanation of how she is able to divest herself of the distractions that prevent living in the moment.  These include memories of past experiences, opinions, and assessments of how things should or shouldn’t be, including oneself. With grief, one necessary task is to create a new relationship with the person who has departed (life, or a relationship), and this is not an easy task. Difficult enough with a living person, or a person with whom a relationship is maintained, now a very new relationship must be developed.  One has to take a leap of faith and enter a freefall to discover what’s next.  It’s a difficult step, and takes a lot of courage.  The reward is sacred.

The “middle way” described by the author gives us permission to embrace, accept, and honor the pain and joy that is part of grief, while acknowledging that sometimes there is a need to withdraw from the pain, as a human being, but to still respect that the pain and longing are sacred to the process.  Compassionate living is the reward for all of the hard grief work.  Consider the interconnectedness of the entire universe.  The way we each handle our grief has the potential to affect everything and everyone.  Allowing grief to actually become our friend allows us to live in a friendly world. 

The book wraps up with a chapter on self-reflections, which provides a study guide for individual or group use.  Having personally experienced the deaths of both parents and parents-in-law over the last few years, I welcomed the wisdom offered by this insightful book.  Grief is a very personal journey, but books such as this one offer meaningful help in completing the tasks of grief, understanding effective ways of experiencing the pain, and presenting the way to acknowledge and appreciate the joy which is there also.   Readers will learn and grow by savoring the book’s offerings. 

Against Medical Advice: One Family’s Struggle with an Agonizing Medical Mystery

James Patterson, Hal Friedman and Cory Friedman
Little, Brown and Company (2008)
ISBN 9780316024754
Reviewed by Narayan Radhakrishnan for RebeccasReads (10/08)

I have bitten my nails while reading James Patterson suspense thrillers. I have lost sleep many nights being engrossed in James Patterson works. His thrillers have always been either spine chilling or heart pounding, but never, ever have they brought tears to my eyes.  After reading “Against Medical Advice,” tears came to my eyes; I cried, and I never thought that such a contingency would arise on reading a James Patterson novel. 

To call “Against Medical Advice” a mystery, or even a novel, would not be wholly right. It is the true story of the life of author Hal Friedman’s son, Cory Friedman, whose ordeal combating Tourette’s Syndrome, a “medical mystery,” carried on for more than thirteen years.  This is the first I’ve heard about Tourette’s Syndrome. I searched the Internet and found several hits. But the impact of the syndrome is best told in Cory Friedman’s words themselves, which I quote:

“One morning in March of 1989, just before my fifth birthday I woke up a normal, healthy boy. By that afternoon, I had an irresistible urge to shake my head- continually, and the course of my life changed in ways few people had seen or could begin to understand. Before long, my body became an explosive, volatile and unpredictable force with a mind and personality of its own. It jerked and twisted, bent in half, and gyrated without warning until I was almost always in motion. I bit down on my teeth until I actually broke them and howled in pain because of the exposed nerves.” (p. vii, “Against Medical Advice”)

The work tells of the harrowing ordeal the Friedman family underwent over the years. The odd feeling of one looking down upon their son as if he were a puppet (or as Cory put it, being a puppet as well as the puppeteer), the way Cory’s life suffered through a battle of endless medicines, drugs and medical tests - with his family living as guinea pigs, etc., are told without mincing words by Patterson and Friedman. The authors never resort to sympathy; it’s a story of understanding, of carving success from the bleakest of circumstances, and ultimately a tale of the never-say-die spirit of the Friedman family. This is a medical thriller…nay a medical mystery with a difference.

I believe that this book should make it to the book section of Reader’s Digest; it really should to be read by more persons. A wonderful and heart wrenching read, James Patterson has really surpassed himself, and added one more feather in his cap as a writer with a wide ranging ability, and one who cannot be bottled into one particular genre.

The Book of Lies

Brad Meltzer
Grand Central Publishing (2008)
ISBN 9780446577885
Reviewed by Narayan Radhakrishnan for RebeccasReads (10/08)

What do the Bible and Superman have in common? Well, before you rake your minds to list the highly improbable and farfetched common grounds, please read “The Book of Lies.”  I have long been a fan of legal thrillers written by this author, but of late I find that Mr. Meltzer is carving a neat niche in the biblical-historical mystery genre, a territory of which Dan Brown (seems) to be the undisputed Emperor. A couple of years back Meltzer enthralled us with “The Book of Fate,” and no, “Book of Lies” is not a sequel of any sort, save for the fact that both are mysteries laced with a flavour of history.

The first murder recorded in biblical history is that of Abel by his brother Cain. But what happened to the weapon that was used for the murder? History proclaims it lost, but was it? The novel starts with the story of Cal Harper. As a boy he had a difficult childhood (the details of which, my friend, you have to find out by reading the book), and on one fine day, he comes across his father in somewhat dubious circumstances. Lloyd, his father, seems to have a story to tell. Lloyd tells a story of…. well…“biblical proportions,” both literarily and figuratively. It seems that the murder weapon had reached the hands of one Mitchell Siegel. Siegel was murdered by a gunshot in 1932. Even his son, Jerry, thought it to be a robbery related murder. But the murder provoked Jerry to think, what if there existed a man on whom bullets would do no harm; a man with the strength of a train; a man with laser vision; a man who could fly…up…up…. and away…. Thus was born Superman. And do you know what the first Superman adventure was?  It was of him preventing a robbery by gun wielding hoodlums.

But unknown to Jerry Siegel, it seems Mitchell was in possession of the world’s first murder weapon. And the deeper Cal and Lloyd Harper investigate, battling a host of evil men (and women), the closer they come to the truth behind a mystery that’s just going to rock the world.

What follows is pulsating action at its best. I was glued to the pages…. and one thing I can say, I am will treat my collection of Superman comics with newfound respect. A highly, highly recommended read.

Borrowed Lives

Laramie Dunaway
Iota Publishing (2008)
ISBN 9780979372025
Reviewed by Karrie Grobben for RebeccasReads (10/08)

Borrowed Lives, the impossibly funny and charmingly crass rollercoaster ride of a novel, is Laramie Dunaway’s second book and tells the story of Luna, whose going-nowhere life takes a violently sudden turn when her insomnia-suffering friend Ratface begins firing at random one night—injuring Luna herself and taking the life of her brilliant, beautiful best friend, Wren. Though traumatized by the event, it gives Luna a much-needed jolt and allows her to see the essential waste of a life she is leading. While Wren was gorgeous, funny and a full-fledged genius that had earned several degrees in various subjects and was on the cusp of what promised to be a wonderful career, Luna merely trudged through life. Her academic job as an English PhD student was both unfulfilling and badly paid. Her ex-boyfriend, whom she continued to be obsessed with, was in love with someone else. Her mother having died, her anthropologist father was both absent and apparently engaged to a fifteen-year-old in a third-world country… With Wren dead and her own prospects looking ridiculously gloomy, Luna latches on to a sudden idea: why not simply cast her own life aside and borrow someone else’s? Let’s face it; Wren’s was looking pretty good.

So the toils of our rambling, lovable, put-upon heroine begin—and only become more complicated. The story asks us to occasionally stretch our credulity when, for example, we discover that all of Wren’s interviews were conducted by e-mail or phone and so Luna need merely fake some paperwork and move to a new city to take Wren’s dream job as a writer at a newly-vamped high profile magazine. It isn’t long before she gets into hot water, however, and in the space of just a few days, feels herself being subtly pushed out by an intimidated colleague. Having, in her total experience, dropped the ball when she was given the assignment to cover a shocking murder case on her first day; her easily disillusioned boss yanks her off the story.

But strangely enough, inhabiting Wren’s life and with Wren’s reputation, Luna finds herself being somewhat disinclined to being patronized and manipulated like this. While the old Luna more or less accepted the essential irritability that came with her job, Luna as Wren is now more than determined to write the story. Though she does not have Wren’s brilliant mind, she does have guts—and it is more or less through feistiness and determination that opportunities come knocking her door down. Soon the previously terminally single young woman has more or less fallen into a love affair with a handsome, funny, wealthy guy who offers her (in bed) the opportunity to write a script based on the very murder case she was originally assigned to cover.

Yet just as happiness appears as achievable as stealing someone else’s identity, Wren’s ex-con ex-husband appears on the scene, happily moves into her apartment without asking and all too willingly accepts the nature of Luna’s scheme—with the understanding that his criminal ventures will now be operating out of her apartment…

Ah, the best laid plans.

I highly recommend Borrowed Lives as a warm, rambunctious read filled with the most amazingly bizarre and hilarious plot twists, written by an author I am confident to hear more from—the sheer nonchalance with which she spins this sexy, convoluted and fabulous tale that leads this reviewer to run out of adjectives makes her book worth reading and the heroine quite unforgettable.

Blame Game. How To Win It

W. R. Klemm
Benecton Press (2008)
ISBN 9780975522530
Reviewed by Randy Lakin for RebeccasReads (10/08)

W. R. Klemm’s new book, “Blame Game. How to Win It,” is fantastic.  Finally, someone who doesn’t make excuses for everyone else.  I was raised that you take responsibility for yourself and your actions.  It is unfortunate that we live in a world where it is everyone’s fault but his or hers.  The book covers Klemm’s 5-Steps to understand blame:

1st Step: Place blame where it belongs.
2nd Step: Move from Denial and Deception
3rd Step: Take Charge
4th Step: Re-program your Brain
5th Step: Run the Program

Professor Klemm points out several examples of blame.  Many blame teachers for the fact that our students lack basic knowledge.  I can tell you from my own experience that the blame should be on the parents, not the teachers.  When I started school I could sign my name; not just printed, but in cursive.  My mother taught me to write my whole name in cursive where most of my fellow students could only print their names.  My mother wanted me to succeed in life so she tried to teach me more than the basics.  In this day and age so many parents blame teachers when their child does not succeed.  I can tell you for a fact that the parents are lazy and don’t want to put that extra effort in so their children can get a leg up in society.  You hear so many people make statements like “that’s just the way little Tommy is.”  That is such a lame excuse; they’re basically saying Tommy is that way because we are too lazy to correct his behavior.

People need to acknowledge that they are placing blame, instead of just accepting the problem and doing something to fix it.  People need to acknowledge their responsibility and be in control of their behavior and thoughts.  So many people make excuses for everything that is wrong in their lives and the world today.  Bad behavior is a learned process: when you make excuses for that bad behavior you are placing blame on the wrong person.  People should take a look at the Asian community; from my own experiences there I have seen adults feel bad when they do something wrong, unlike adults in the US.  When a child does something wrong they are held responsible and they must accept the blame.  Here in the U.S. we make excuses and try to place blame on everyone except the one it belongs to.  This is one truly enjoyable book; it lets people like myself know that there are others out there who know how to behave like adults.  Take it from me that this is one book you don’t want to miss out on; it’s a real winner.

Dixie Spirits: True Tales of the Strange and Supernatural in the South

Christopher K. Coleman
Cumberland House Publishing (2008)
ISBN 9781581826715
Reviewed by Kam Aures for RebeccasReads (10/08)

“Dixie Spirits: True Tales of the Strange and Supernatural in the South” is a collection of ghost stories from the American South.  “What is it about the South that makes it so congenial to the supernatural?  Is it those long, languid, moonlit nights, redolent with the scent of honeysuckle and magnolia, that mesmerize the senses?  Is it Dixie’s turbulent and tragic past that has roused so many restless spirits?  Or is it something less tangible, less definable, that stirs the Southern soul and draws the darkness near?” (p.11)

Whatever the case may be, the South is filled with stories of haunting and ghostly activity and this book explores many of the well known, as well as some of the more obscure incidences.  The book is divided up by state and focuses on 3-5 stories for each area.  Included in this book are tales from Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. 

I was particularly drawn to the group of stories from Louisiana as I had visited many “haunted” locations throughout the New Orleans and Baton Rouge area.  I was pleased to see accounts from places that I had been, such as the Myrtles Plantation.  It is always interesting to read about areas that you have experienced firsthand. 

I found the tales to be very interesting and informative.  Many of the stories in the book were of places that I had not heard of before but would love to visit if I had the chance.  Particularly helpful is the address information of the featured locations as well as listings of some of the other haunted places located in each state.  I also like that websites of some of the locations are provided as this allows the reader to get more information.  The only thing that I wished was different about the book was that I would have liked to see some photos of the areas and there weren’t any.  However, if you go to some of the websites provided you are able to view them there. 

“Dixie Spirits: True Tales of the Strange and Supernatural in the South” is a wonderful book for anyone interested in “haunted hotels and mansions, diabolical curses, mysterious monsters, and assorted fearsome phenomena” (from the back cover).  It would make an excellent reference book for those interested in traveling to these areas.

Brett Favre: A Packer Fan’s Tribute, Third Edition, The Final Season

Tom Kertscher
Cumberland House Publishing (2008)
ISBN 9781581826838
Reviewed by Kam Aures for RebeccasReads (10/08)

Let me preface this review by letting everyone know that I am from Wisconsin.  I attended college at the University of Wisconsin – Green Bay, so I lived in Green Bay for four years.  Green Bay is a city that lives and breathes for their football team.  Drive around on game day and it is like a ghost town, as everyone is inside somewhere watching the game.  Throughout college I was employed at the airport and witnessed the Packers returning from away games to gigantic groups of cheering fans.  Many Packer heroes and role models came and went throughout the years, but the one constant for the Packers was quarterback Brett Favre.  Brett came to Green Bay in 1992 and played for sixteen seasons up until his retirement.  Unfortunately he “un-retired” and is now on a different team, but “Brett Favre: A Packer Fan’s Tribute” covers Favre’s years on the field up until 2007 as a Green Bay Packer.

The book covers how Brett Favre came to be a Green Bay Packer and then focuses on standout games.  Some of the types of games detailed are comebacks, cold weather, the Super Bowl (of course!), the streak, and the final season.  It was interesting reading through the descriptions of the games and remembering watching them on TV, or in the case of one extremely cold day, actually being there.  One of the most interesting facts presented in the book to me was that throughout “the Brett Favre era, two-hundred and twelve other quarterbacks started games in the NFL, according to Elias Sports Bureau.”  During the time Brett Favre was quarterback for the Packers, the team’s main rival, the Chicago Bears, had twenty-one starting quarterbacks, the Lions had fifteen, and the Vikings had fourteen.

Kertsher’s book contains many great photographs, which definitely add to the appeal of the book.  There is also a “Fan Tribute” section in the back containing words from some of Brett’s many fans.  One of my favorite fan quotes refers to the game that Brett played immediately after his father passed away.  It reads as follows:  “For my birthday, my partner got us tickets to see the Packers come to Oakland to play the Raiders on Monday Night Football on December 22, 2003.  The game started, and Brett lit it up!  I looked around and saw the stunned and silent Raiders fans.  Every time Brett threw the ball, his receivers went above and beyond themselves to make sure they caught it- it was like they were paying tribute to Brett and helping him say goodbye to his dad.  Gradually, the Raiders fans began to realize that what they were seeing was something special, and pretty soon they were all jumping out of their seats and cheering with me as Favre completed one pass after another.  The guy next to me high-fived me after a Packers touchdown pass and said, ‘We’re seeing history tonight.’ What a way to pay tribute to your father.” (Tom D’Acquisto, Hayward, CA, p. 162)  This quote to me sums up the effect that Brett Favre has on people.

Kertscher’s book is a must have for any Packer fan to remember the “Brett Favre Era” of the Green Bay Packer’s football team.  The author captures the essence of Brett Favre beautifully, and this commemorative book definitely deserves a place on every fan’s bookshelf!

Wild Boy: My Life in Duran Duran

Andy Taylor
Grand Central Publishing (2008)
ISBN 9780446509305
Reviewed by Tina Avon for RebeccasReads (10/08)

By the time Duran Duran came onto the world stage, I was already in my early 20s, and therefore pretty much avoided the whole "teen" adoration of the group.  However, this did not stop me from loving their music, and I spent much of my early adulthood swaying to their tunes.  As a matter of fact, I can still remember the words to most of their hits.

Still, I never really knew very much about the band members, except the fact that Lebon married a model.  So, when I saw the book “Wild Boy,” written by Andy Taylor, I jumped on the opportunity to find out more.  I have to say that compared to some of the other music biographies I have read, this band was either quite tame or Taylor decided not to divulge too much of the "darker side".

Although I enjoyed reading this book very much, I thought it was a little too polite and considerate.  Although Taylor took great pains to detail his own "misdeeds," and there are some interesting band stories, it is obvious that Taylor decided to go the sanitized way for this biography.

From the beginning you get the feeling that although all the members have their little quirks, Nick Rhodes is the only one who is mentioned with any kind of irritation on a fairly regular basis.  The book conveys that Rhodes was a control freak who removed much of the pleasures of fame for the other members.  Although this comes through loud and clear, somehow Taylor manages to tell the stories in such a nice way, that I think the public will fail to appreciate just how hard it must have been to have had Rhodes around.

I admire Taylor for writing this book, and he really does not sugarcoat his own involvements, however, in my opinion, a tell-all biography about a band should be just that: tell-all....

There are no groupie stories, which I am sure there must have been dozens; there are no really dark, dark days.  Again, there must have been some.  This book is enjoyable to read and I think Taylor did a nice job of conveying his part in Duran Duran, but, somehow, it felt to me as though there was something missing.

1001 Ways to Say Thank You

Gail Hamilton
Hamilton House (2008)
ISBN 9780968085387
Reviewed by Randy Lakin for RebeccasReads (10/08)

There are many reference books on the market these days, some people might even say too many.  However, I must say that Gail Hamilton’s book “1001 Ways to Say Thank You” is one book that everyone can use.  Have you ever wanted to write a note, be it apology, condolence, or a thank you note?  If so, look no further; this book will come to your rescue.  When it comes to writing thank you notes, everyone gets bogged down with what and how to say it.  This book is broken down into easy-to-find categories with several options to pick from. 

If you want to write an apology note, for example, the author has broken this section down into what types of apologies.  You could be apologizing for not attending a function, your behavior, you forgot something or you’re just sorry for your actions.

Hamilton also gives several pointers, for example be prompt.  You should send out a note within two to three days after you receive something from an individual or a company, or when a friend takes you out for a nice dinner.  If someone gave you a gift you should send a note within two weeks.  Lastly, if you are sending a thank you note because someone sent you a note expressing sympathy, you have up to six week to reply.

If you don’t know where to start, that’s no problem.  The author’s book even gives you some sample letters to help you out.  One point the author makes is that “a sincerely expressed thank you note can be a very powerful thing.”  I know this myself, my wife is very good at sending out thank notes, and I am amazed at the responses we get back from people.  I have found that most people are surprised when they receive a thank you note.  It shows them that you truly cared enough to write to them.  A sincerely written note means so much more than a telephone call or a text message. 

Gail Hamilton set out to write a book that can be helpful to the general public, and I have to say that she did a great job.  The next time you need to write a thank you note and you’re stuck, head straight to “1001 Ways to Say Thank You.”  I highly recommend this book to everyone; whether you’re an individual or a business this is a must have.

That’s (Not Exactly) Amore

Tracey Bateman
FaithWords (2008)
ISBN 9780446698955
Reviewed by Tina Avon for RebeccasReads (10/08)

I like reading dedications at the beginning of books.  What first caught my attention with “That's (Not Exactly) Amore,” written by Tracey Bateman, is the cool dedication: “to Julie Young - a forever friend.”  For some reason, this touched me and gave me even more of a reason to dive into this chick-it book.

I have been on the record as saying that chick-lit seems to be on a downturn.  However, I am glad to report that this book gives me hope for the genre.  Our main character, Laini, is a struggling designer; she gets the chance of redesigning Nick's restaurant, which will give her the opportunity of (hopefully) graduating from "design" school, and thank goodness Jazz will be there to actually "do" most of the hard work.  While Nick may think this is a great idea, his nephew (and hunk), Joe, does not; in order to compromise with Lainie, Joe brings in some extra help.

I loved, loved, loved this book.  The storyline has it all: a cute hunk who is clueless, until he realizes that another cute hunk is after the girl he wants (Lainie is quite baffled by this! Two guys after her! Wait a minute , last week there were none).  We also get some great food descriptions (which is always a plus in these types of books - yummy), and we also get lots of miscues, miscommunications and most importantly, lots of humour.

What also makes this book work so well is the connection between Lainie and her friends, particularly Jazz , who all seem to honestly love each other and watch out for each other. This is refreshing in chick-lit.

I loved the character of Lainie who never seems to take herself seriously, I hated Joe who spent much of the book either clueless or a day late and I loved the character of Mark who sounds charming and is devoted to pleasing Lainie (my kind of guy).

The writing is fresh and cute, there are no gratuitous scenes and the book makes a wonderful weekend, beach read.  This was a great read.