Thoughts on: Temptation by Douglas Kennedy
4 Stars , Fiction , Latest Posts / April 25, 2012

Article first published as Book Review: Temptation by Douglas Kennedy on Blogcritics. About: Temptation by Douglas Kennedy is a fictional book which takes the reader on a ride from the height of success to the lows in life. What happens when a gilded door opens to a man who suddenly has ample opportunities and Hollywood clout? My rating for Temptation – 4 Buy this book in paper or in elec­tronic format. More books by Douglas Kennedy Thoughts: I have never read any of Douglas Kennedy’s books before, Temptation was my first one. The novel was a fast read, sarcastic and the narrative flowed from the start to the end. I could never put my finger on why I liked this book. I’ve been to California but I don’t “get” the culture, mind set, and attitude of the west coast. I also don’t “get” much-ado-about-nothing scandals and why do people actually care. Yet, from some strange reason the book grabbed me, which I can only attribute to Mr. Kennedy’s storytelling. I found the characters to be very relatable, David the screenwriter and protagonist isn’t exactly likeable but I could certainly feel his struggle. The story of rise to the pinnacles of professional success and the sharp descent from those…

Thoughts on: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
4 Stars , Fiction , Latest Posts / March 24, 2012

Article first published as Book Review: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins on Blogcritics. About: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is a dystopian novel written for young adults (YA). Even though the main audience targeted, the book has struck chords with parents as well and has been a best seller since it came out. 384 pages Publisher: Scholastic Press; Reprint edition (July 3, 2010) Language: English ISBN-10: 0439023521 My rating for The Hunger Games – 4 Buy this book in paper or electronic for­mat Or get The Hunger Games Trilogy in paper or electronic format through the Man of la Book Affil­i­ate Account More books by Suzanne Collins Thoughts: I’ll admit it, I read The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (website) because my wife did and I didn’t… we can’t have that now. Can we? I can certainly see why the book was such a hit. The novel struck many chords and many themes (teenage anguish, love, work, poverty and more), was an easy and quick read, as well as full of action. Ms. Collins built a fantastical and believable world where the United States is no more and instead the country is now called Panem which is run from “The Capital” and divided…

Thoughts on: The Book of Lost Fragrances by M.J. Rose
4 Stars , Fiction , Latest Posts / March 15, 2012

Article first published as Book Review: The Book of Lost Fragrances by M. J. Rose on Blogcritics. About: The Book of Lost Fragrances by M. J. Rose is fictional book in the Reincarnationist series. This is the fourth book in the series, however they are all standalone books. 384 pages Publisher: Atria Books Language: English ISBN-10: 1451621302 My rating for The Book of Lost Fragrances – 4 Great price on this book in paper or elec­tronic for­mat through the Man of la Book Affil­i­ate Account More books by M. J. Rose Thoughts: I have read the previous three books in M.J. Rose’s (website) Reincarnationist series but I have to say that I enjoyed The Book of Lost Fragrances the most. While many people don’t read fiction, and I was one of those, I changed my mind with the condition that I’ll learn “something” from the book. That something could be about history, human condition, or anything else. I especially appreciate the Author’s Note at the end of such books which tells me what is real and what isn’t. Actually, if there isn’t an Author’s Note I might not even bother reading it. The Reincarnationist series deals with certain objects which help people remember past…

Thoughts on: The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells
4 Stars , Classics , Fiction , Latest Posts / March 1, 2012

Article first published as Book Review: The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells on Blogcritics. About: The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells is a science fiction classic written in 1897. The novella was first serialized in Pearson’s Weeklythe same year it was published. 196 pages Publisher: Simon & Brown ISBN: 1613822162 My rating for The Invisible Man – 4 Great price on this book paper or free in electronic format through the Man of la Book Affil­i­ate Account More books by H. G. Wells Part of the League of Extra­or­di­nary Gen­tle — Men of la — Book Chal­lenge (Vol. 1) Thoughts: What if what you consider a blessing is also a curse? The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells touches on this very same question. How many of us wouldn’t like to be invisible? That’s what the protagonist, Griffin, thought when he became invisible only to find it to be the bane of his existence. Yes, there are some positives aspects but H.G. Wells concentrates mostly on the negative ones. I thought Wells did a good job building up the eerie atmosphere that is prominent throughout the story. Actually, the atmosphere is the star of the book as none of the characters…

Thoughts on: The Technologists by Matthew Pearl
4 Stars , Fiction , Historical Fiction , Latest Posts / February 29, 2012

Article first published as Book Review: The Technologists by Matthew Pearl on Blogcritics. About: The Technologists by Matthew Pearl is a fictional book about the early days of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The story takes place in the years after the American Civil War during a very fragile time in our history. The pub­lisher is giv­ing away one copy of this book— enter at the end of the post. 496 pages Publisher: Random House ISBN: 1400066573 My rating for The Technologists – 4 Great price on this book in paper or electronic for­mat through the Man of la Book Affil­i­ate Account More books by Matthew Pearl Thoughts: The Technologists by Matthew Pearl (website) is an entertaining read with wonderful historical detail and a bunch of nerdiness thrown in for good measure. While I wasn’t sucked into the book as much as I would have liked, I found the characters captivating and the plot line interesting. The author does a great job interweaving reality and fiction as well as the dialog which was spoken in that time period. The harsh social norms of the time are presented in the form of a lone MIT female student who is forced to study in isolation. There were…

Thoughts on: The Watchman of Ephraim by Gerard de Marigny
4 Stars , Fiction , Latest Posts / February 12, 2012

Article first published as Book Review: The Watchman of Ephraim by Gerard de Marigny on Blogcritics. About: The Watchman of Ephraim by Gerard de Marigny is a fictional book taking place a decade after 9/11. The book takes place in all over the United States. The author is giv­ing away one eCopy for two winners of this book— Kindle Format Only – enter at the end of the post. 429 KB Publisher: JarRyJorNo Publishing ASIN: B004KAAXXU My rating for The Watchman of Ephraim – 4 Great price on this book in paper or elec­tronic for­mat through the Man of la Book Affil­i­ate Account More books by Gerard de Marigny Thoughts: The Watchman of Ephraim by Gerard de Marigny (website | Facebook | Twitter) is a fast paced thriller full of intriguing characters and suspense. The dialog is tight and the plot moves along in a fast pace. Cris De Nero, the protagonist, is a self made man, a good father and husband. The characters, their interaction and relationships are well defined. The recruiting efforts for The Watchmen are described in a fascinating way and the way the company is transforming under Cris’ leadership could make a book by itself. There are several themes throughout the novel, patriotism, G-d and country, safety…

Thoughts on: Nitt Witt Hill by Sebastian Gibson
4 Stars , Fiction , Latest Posts / February 8, 2012

Article first published as Book Review: Nitt Witt Hill by Sebast­ian Gib­son on Blogcritics. About: Nitt Witt Hill by Sebastian Gibson is a political satire which brings forward the absurdities of today’s politics. Unfortunately we call these absurdities “news”. The pub­lisher is giv­ing away one copy to two winners of this book— enter at the end of the post. 248 pages Publisher: Sebastian Gibson Publishing ISBN: 0984777628 My rating for Nitt Witt Hill – 4 Great price on this book in paper format through the Man of la Book Affil­i­ate Account Thoughts: Sebastian Gibson (website | Twitter | Facebook) sets the mood for Nitt Witt Hill right on the first page with a warning from famed author, critic, and political satirist Mark Twain: “Persons attempting to find a motive in this narrative will be prosecuted; persons attempting to find a moral in it will be banished; persons attempting to find a plot in it will be shot”. In Nitt Witt Hill (named after Nitt Witt Ridge in California), Mr. Gibson leaves no political wing safe, he highlights the absurdity, corruption and idiocy of the political class (yes, class). While the situations in this books are twisted, they are also, unfortunately, sadly accurate. I have long maintained that the politicians…

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