Shelf Loving: August 2015

Tuesday, August 18, 2015

30 Days (30 Days, #1) - K. Larsen

Amazon Top 100 Free book, 1 star.

Didn’t like this book. It had promise and potential. Maybe a more established author with a stronger voice could take this book to a better level. A woman is verbally and mentally abused by her husband and stays in her marriage until it drives her to a suicide attempt. That just lost me as being interested right there… She discovers in recovery that being away from her husband is in fact what she needs to be happy about life. Woohoo… Now though, she is “missing” since she ran away from the psych ward that her husband wouldn’t release her from because he was enjoying the access to her money and a life without her. Yeah…

3:AM Kisses (3:AM Kisses, #1) - Addison Moore

Amazon Top 100 Free book, 1 star.

This was just bad… I hate not finishing books I start but this one just was not doing it for me. To get through chunks of it I would read just the first sentence of the paragraphs and even that felt like a waste of time for most the book. I hate giving bad reviews but really, I would not recommend this to anyone. It had one interesting point, the murder of one girl and the attempt on the main girl’s character. If the book was more about that plot line I think it would have been much better and worth the read.

The Intern - Dale Wiley

Amazon Top 100 Free book, 2 stars.

I unfortunately did not really care for character development around the main character so it was hard to get through most of this book. The kid is an intern in DC and fumbles his way into a conspiracy that leads to the murder of one of the DC representatives. The murder of course is pinned on him and he stays on the run in order to clear his name and not be murdered as well.

3 a.m. (Henry Bins #1) - Nick Pirog

Amazon Top 100 Free book, 3 Stars.

This book has a really interesting premise. A guy can only stay awake for an hour each day. During this one hour he witnesses bizarre things that lead him to believe a murder took place across the street that The President is involved in. He has to use his one hour every day to solve the crime. I gave the story a three just because it was so unique but overall… really…an hour each day to solve a crime and he is dead to the world otherwise. It is a little too unbelievable.

Never Always Sometimes - Adi Alsaid

GoodReads First Read winner and a 5 star rating! Ah this book makes you relive your own high school moments and forays into the world. I was a late bloomer and never had a super close friend in school, I was that shy wallflower. I yearned for a friendship like the one is this story. Coed friendships are hard to make and even harder to maintain. Especially through the tender high school/college years. As we get older hormones get in the way along with other relationships.

This story revolves around the girl vying for her mother’s approval which leads to a list of clichés that that the friends never want to commit. Upon finding the list late into senior year they decide that they want the typically high school experiences after all and make a point to cross off every item. Catch is, one of rules is already almost broken as the high school year is coming to a rapid close, #8, never pine silently after someone for the entirety of high school. Breaking these rules leads to adventures together and apart and makes the dynamic duo realize that “never” means missing out on things and how to be more open to life experiences.

Unallocated Space (Sam Flatt, #1) - Jerry Hatchett

Amazon Top 100 Free book, 4 stars.

Really liked the level of detail in this story. The protagonist is well developed and you learn a lot of his past but not enough at the same time so he remains an enigma that you cannot wait to follow through the plotline. This story dives into the darkness that makes up some of the worst of humanity, sex trade and wealth/power dominating in the cruelest ways. While you learn to love the protagonist you hate his initial enemy in the FBI. Whenever an author can invoke such a strong reaction, positively or negatively, I automatically love the book. What is even better is the way the FBI agent’s development through the story that makes you forgive her and like her character, again a trait I love in authors.

Dialogues of a Crime - John K. Manos

Top 100 Amazon Free book, 3 stars.

This book was interesting and kept me hooked. Two young boys become friends and one of these boys happens to be the son of a Chicago mob boss. The boss takes the boy under his wing and treats him like a son/nephew his entire life. When the young kid is arrested in college for a drug related crime (showing an undercover cop where he could buy drugs) he is led to plead guilty by his lawyer and ends up in prison with hardened criminals. While in prison he is brutally attacked and molested before the mob boss is able to buy protection for the kid. Just before his release the boy makes a promise to the ones that hurt him on how they were going to die. He tells the mob boss this promise and 20 years later the cold cases surface. This book brings into question who is innocent and who is guilty. Does one crime leading to another make the follow up a crime? Is putting a man’s life in danger with the mob worth hunting down a killer from 20 years ago for men that committed multiple crimes and brutalities against innocent people? This book has the essence of “playing God” and the cold thrill of a mob mentality of loyalty and the hunt for power. Only three stars because some of the story line is too farfetched which makes it hard to totally fall into and believe the events but overall a great quick read!

The Thriver's Edge: Seven Keys to Transform the Way You Live, Love, and Lead - Donna Stoneham

GoodReads First Read winner and a 5 star rating! I have had this book for a while and so glad I was motivated to read it recently. This book followed the motivational thread of “How to Win Friends and Influence People” and “Think and Grow Rich”. While those other books focused on learning how to build relationships with other people this book focused on building a relationship with yourself (maybe start with this book before you hope to the others??? Just a thought…).

This book really gets into the psychology of why we are afraid of our own success and how to overcome the fear in order to chase success. In order to thrive and be successful we need to trust ourselves and the people around us, be humble and suffer humility (good and bad) with our weaknesses and strengths, be resilient, have direction, have vision, be expansive and last but not least be responsible for our success. No one is going to care more about you and your personal success then yourself. Being a victim and having an alibi (if I had more money, if I had more time, maybe before my kids, maybe if I had kids, etc) will not get you on the road to thriving.

This book helps point out the “alibis” and walls we build around ourselves and then provides a workbook like guide at the end of the chapters to help overcome them. Another book to buy, read, markup and read again and again.

Think and Grow Rich - Napoleon Hill

Another book my husband bought me this book when I took the leap and became a distributor for It Works! And again, this one was AMAZING to read, another 5 Star rating on this one. Just like “How to Win Friends and Influence People” this book was full of common sense items that need to be seen/read/heard in order to bring meaning to them. Again it focuses on the relationships we hold with others as a way to gain things for ourselves. It also points out that your mental state of mind is a huge driving force behind the success you gain or do not gain. I loved the pointers given on mindful mindset and motivational/positive mindset. Another book to buy, read, markup and read again and again over the years.

How to Win Friends and Influence People - Dale Carnegie

My husband bought me this book when I took the leap and became a distributor for It Works! And it was AMAZING to read so no surprise for my 5 Star rating on this one. A lot of the things written in this book are “Duh” and common sense thoughts but for me sometimes when it is written out and I read it, it hits me harder and makes more sense. It is easy to know something and take advantage of it as a fact without fully comprehending the meaning behind it. Example, people love to talk about themselves because they are the most important person in the world, to themselves. Duh right? Necessary to read, hear and see though when you are attempting to build relationships and get further in life though. Always remember that the other person’s priorities are higher in their mind than yours will ever be. Everyone should buy this book, read it, mark it up and read it again and again throughout the years.

Saturday, August 8, 2015

Amazon Free Titles - catching up

Finding My Prince Charming - JS Cooper
Didn't really care too much for this book. The main character and her best friend are abroad for a study program and she decides to have a crazy night and break out of her shell. She ends up in a romance with a prince and unattainable bachelor that all the sudden is attainable... I tired story line :(

The Marketmaker - Michael Ridpath
Liked it. This was an interesting thriller based in a rather dull profession (in my opinion). A young man cannot make enough money as a Russian literature teacher (big surprise) so he joins an investment firm that is looking to branch into the Russian markets. On his way to learning the business though he is sent to Latin America where he sees first hand the dark underbelly of the company he works for. Was a good free read!

The Advocate - Teresa Burrell
Really enjoyed this one. Would recommend it even if its not on the free list anymore. Sabre is a child's advocate lawyer in California and partners with the Atlanta PD to solve this case. There are so many plot twists and little details to keep up with I didn't want to put this book down.

Preparing for Marriage: What To Do Before (and after) The Wedding - Jim and Teresa Adams
This book made a good point, couples spend so much on weddings but not a lot on their marriages. It has some good points to review and think about even if you have been married for years.

Beautiful Ruin - Alison Foster
It was ok. I really like the male character Nate in the start of the story. I wish their was more character development at the start before it rushed right into the meat of the story but I am a sucker for a broken man.

Forgotten - Maggie Shayne
It was ok. Slight supernatural thriller/mystery story. The main character has psychic tendency's and has a connection to a serial killer dubbed "the slasher". It was interesting seeing all the links develop and you wont guess the ending. Not my favorite though.

The Good Lawyer - Thomas Benigno
Liked it. Loosely the story is based on true events which seems super intense. When the war on drugs began and young mostly innocent kids were getting tossed into the prison system things happened. In this case a young man ended up in prison for showing an undercover agent where to buy drugs. In prison he unfortunately is abused before his best friends father, and mafia leader, is able to buy protection. A few strong words from this young men leads to the death of his abusers. No one researches too much initially and 20 years later it opens up again. The young mans life and loyalty to the aging and dying mafia family is thrown into question leading to police wondering what is justice.

Follow the Crow - BB Griffith
Liked it. This story revolves around the Navajo culture and is supernatural. I really liked the glimpse into the Navajo culture. It was a different thought process that was unique to see. Of course supernatural things that happened brought away from the reality of the culture but the basic gist was there. I wanted to reach into the book and hug Ben the main Navajo character.