One of my friends chose this for our bookclub book. I will be the first to admit that I was skeptical. I love her dearly (she’s my BFF), but she notoriously picks books that make me want to stick a spoon through my eye. I will also be honest and say that the cover art threw me off. It’s a bit too trite for me. Too… something. I wish I knew what it was that threw me, but it just didn’t gel with me. I am SO glad that she chose this book because I can’t say that I would have found this on my own.

I read a lot of self published books. A lot. Some are good. Some are bad. Some a really really bad and every now and then I run across a gem. This book represents the reason that I keep plodding along doing independent reviews. This type of writing makes me smile. In fact, everyone in our club liked the book. I think this was the first one in a year that we were all in agreement with what a greatly written book it was.

The storyline is engaging. You travel back in time with our main characters, you feel their angst at having to figure things out. You feel them struggling with the change, with how to handle make the past meet the future. The author’s ability to take a piece of historical fiction and throw in a little time travel and a touch of romance and make a group of 12 loud and opinionated women like it… well, that’s remarkable.

Her writing flows off of the page and grabs you by the hair. It drags you along with it and pulls you directly into the early 1900s and you like it. You hold on to the ride for dear life and don’t hold your breath until we reach that fateful day that you’ve been waiting on since you figured out what the time period represented.

The climax of this story takes place onboard the maiden voyage of Titanic. I won’t give anything away here, but I think I read that particular chapter sitting on the edge of my seat with my breath held. I’m pretty sure my kindle has permanent fingernail marks on it. I couldn’t breathe until I knew… the writing is so amazing and I cared so deeply about these characters.

I simply cannot wait until the author releases the next in this series. I love that she ended this book. There was no huge cliffhanger, but it left my appetite open for the next one.

I recommend this for just about anyone. Seriously, give it a read.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Book count for 2012: 3

At the time of this writing, I’ve had a day and a half to play with the new Kindle Fire so I thought I’d take some time to leave my impressions… the good and the bad.

The set up was pretty easy, upon arrival and opening they were already attached to our Amazon accounts so there wasn’t any registering to be done. My content was already showing as available, we just had to download the apps, books, etc that we wanted to have available.

At first glance, I was really surprised by how thick and meaty the Fire is. After playing with e-ink kindles for so long, it felt heavy, but sturdy enough that I didn’t worry about dropping it and shattering it into a million pieces. We turned on the switch and up it lit – super pretty display. It’s crisp and clear and we have nothing but good to say.

The software is pretty self explanatory. It didn’t take me long to figure out where to tap, move, hold, etc. This is not complicated. Amazon really went all out on the KISS factor (keep it simple, silly). I like that. It means that I can give it to my kid and they can’t screw it up too much like they do with my cell phone. It also means that, beyond the favorites area, it’s not really customizable. You kind of get what you get.

The screen is super responsive. I have yet to have a problem getting it to open or move anything I wanted. It scrolls pretty smoothly, with a few stutters if you really push it too much.

Reading books is basically out for me on this device. I’m keeping my e-ink kindles, the backlit just kills my eyes and ruins the reading experience for me. Having said that, I’ve heard that others don’t have this issue, so it might be a non issue for some. I just really am in love with e-ink for long form reading.

Watching movies and shows using Amazon, Netflix and Hulu is really great. Turn it sideways and it’s actually perfect for viewing on the go. The video is super smooth. I tried it with and without headphones and it was absolutely fine.

Listening to music is easy and the cloud service is fantastic. I can see me taking this device on a plane, listening to some tunes while reading a magazine or something. BUT you really need headphones. The speakers aren’t bad, not overly tinny, but they also aren’t fabulous. I must admit that I was actually pleasantly surprised. This is not some expensive device and the speakers are better than I expected.

The really bad for me is that there’s no Google apps, there’s no native app or anything for Gmail or Google Calendar. Because so many rely heavily on Google, I think this is probably a big negative for the Fire. It’s kind of annoying because the thing is built on top of Android. So, either you work around it (the built in email is okay with Gmail, but I need the powerful features) or you figure out a way to hack or side load it. Not having the calendar on there at all right now is just REALLY annoying. Nevermind Google Docs (which my company uses a lot!) and Google Reader (which I was REALLY looking forward to – using my Fire to catch up on my feeds). I hope Amazon rethinks this.

Speaking of apps, right now there is a limited selection available for the fire. Amazon is vetting each app separately to be included in the Amazon Appstore. Hopefully they’ll get on the ball and get some more in there. Business and productivity apps are really limited.

Hardware wise, the power button is a little awkward. I have hit it a couple of times. I just turn it upside down so I don’t hit it when I’m resting it on my leg or whatever. I do wish it had bluetooth. I would have been willing to pay a little extra. I have a wireless stereo headset that I’ve come to adore, no wires to worry about, and I would really like to be able to use it with this device.

I keep hearing people compare this to an iPad. I don’t think that’s exactly fair. This is a nice toy. It’s mainly for personal use, if I’m being honest. Then again, I think the iPad is just a fancy iPhone and I’m not a fan, so there you go. I do believe that as we see more apps coming into the Amazon Appstore, we’ll see more business applications. Painfully absent are things like Dropbox that many of us mobile folks have become to rely on.

Bottom line? It’s a small form tablet. It’s $200. It’s a great toy and I have enjoyed laying in bed and tweeting and playing around on it. I’m not sure it’s quite there yet for business users but I’m hopeful that that piece will come – perhaps along with a larger 10″ screen version. I don’t regret the purchase at all, it’s a great tablet at a great price.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

I first got a kindle in March of 2009 when the 2nd generation came out. I’ve since purchased more kindles than I want to admit – for myself, my family, my extended family and friends. It’s a go-to gift for me as well as prize when I have a giveaway to do. There are currently 7 kindles in this 4 person household (each person has their own plus we have 2 new Fires and I’m moving my stuff from my keyboard to this new Touch) – plus I play librarian to several family members. To say that I’m a bit of a kindle freak would be an understatement. When someone I know says they are going to buy a kindle, they usually are asking me for my opinion on which one, etc. So, that’s where I’m coming from with this review.

The new Touch and Basic put me in a really tough spot. I use text-to-speech from time to time so having the audio is a must (the Basic version doesn’t do audio), so the Touch is a must right? Well… I’m not in love with the touch screen, so I should get the keyboard right? Well, I like the smaller size. Sigh. I need Amazon to design a kindle JUST for me – basically, a Basic edition with audio. BUT since good old Jeff doesn’t live his life to please me, I guess I’ll just make do…

Anyway, my recommendation is almost always to save the $30 or whatever and get the ones with ads. Hey, at least the screen savers are different and I’ve seen some really neat deals (let’s face it, coupons are kind of trendy now anyway and I hear that Amazon Local will be available on the kindles with ads soon, if not already). The ads are NOT in the books, it’s only on the screensaver and a little ribbon at the bottom of the home screen. But what do I recommend to friends and family now? It comes down to the audio for me.

Other than audio, the biggest difference is, obviously, the touchscreen. I originally thought the screen was going to be divided into thirds – it is NOT – thank goodness because left-handed reading would have been awkward at best if that were the case. The way it’s divided up is that tapping the screen moves the page forward except for the left edge (which turns back a page) and the upper edge (which brings up the menu). It’s pretty easy to use. You can also swipe your finger to turn the page if you wish.

When you first pick it up and start tapping (or banging while cursing) on the screen, it’s a bit confusing. It took me a good 10 minutes to figure out why I couldn’t get the thing to do what I wanted (it apparently doesn’t read my mind). Once I got the whole tap, swipe, long press, menu thing down, I was in business. It also helped when I realized that the comb/vent thing on the face of the kindle was actually a button that, when pushed, took me to the home screen (this is probably why I should I have paid attention to those start up screens – eh, who needs instructions, right?).

Really, that’s the only difference between the keyboard, basic and touchscreen versions. There’s the new x-ray thing, of course, but for most of us that just want to read, it doesn’t much matter. I do think the screen refresh is better on the basic and touchscreen, it doesn’t do a full clear-screen “thing” except for every six pages are so, so it’s a little faster than my keyboard. On the Touch, the screen is slightly recessed, I assume so it’s harder for us to turn the page on accident.

The contacts are now on the back of the kindle, where presumably the lighted case will draw power (I wouldn’t know because the delivery date, at the time of this writing, keeps getting pushed back for both my touch and my daughter’s basic edition – not that I’m impatient or anything).

The really big difference for me and the reason I’m going through the long process of moving my books from my keyboard to the touch is the way it looks. It’s smaller, sleeker and it just looks better. It’s like the kindle is growing up and turning into quite a young lady.

I’m sure once I get more used to the touchscreen, it will be fine. I’ve already mastered peck-typing on it. I have not, however, mastered highlighting and sharing. It’s much easier to use a cursor to get to where you want to go instead of your finger – especially if you use a smaller font. Again, something I’ll probably get used to as time goes on, but for now it’s on my “annoying” list.

I’d recommend this as an upgrade from a K1 or K2. If you are happy with your keyboard version and don’t care about the look or the size, then you can probably skip this upgrade. Otherwise, it’s a very worthy “what’s next” step.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Memoirs are my favorite genre. I love learning about people’s lives, hearing their stories, digging into themselves with them. I find the whole genre fascinating. I first heard about this author when I stumbled on a post on his blog and bought his book, Learn Me Good, after reading a funny and heart-filled blog post. I got distracted and it took almost a year before I finally read it. I won’t rehash it, but I absolutely loved it. Heck, I even bought a paperback copy for the teachers at my kid’s school to read and pass around (they continue passing it around and giggling madly).

John’s latest offering is one of the best made follow ups that I have ever read. In some ways, it’s more of the same, but in other ways, it’s an expansion into John’s life as a teacher, his life as a writer, his trademark humor and his heart. I believe there are several ways you could take this book after reading it. You could take away that it’s a group of humorous stories by a teacher. That’s that. BUT I think if you are truly reading this book (and especially if you know anything about the teaching profession and/or have read his first book), you’re going to walk away with so much more of Mr. Pearson.

I laughed when I read this book. It’s no secret that the author has an amazing sense of humor. He’s just downright funny. Yeah, sometimes he tries too hard – but he’s a bit of a geek, so he pulls it off very well.

I also smiled when I read this book. You can feel the genuine love that he has for his students. He actually cares about them and their welfare and he enjoys every minute of his career (well, okay maybe not ALL of it – but every moment in the classroom!).

I also cried when I read this book. Cried with laughter, of course, but also for a few tender moments when the author’s heart really shined through. Oh, he keeps throwing humor at us to try to hide it, but it’s there and you cannot help but feel honored that he’s sharing this with us.

I also was confused when I read this book. This is a tough one for me because I get the memoir thing. His memoirs are about his time in the classroom. But I love that he gives us insight into his personal life a little as well (his dating life, etc). What I really am confused about here is that I want more. I realize that borders on prying, but I feel like there’s more to HIS story and it makes me curious. But I also don’t want him to spoil it and take himself too far out of the classroom. I think this may be why the email format of these books work so well, he’s able to drop notes about what he does with his buddy as well as what’s going on in his life and quickly move on to his teacher life again before we get too bogged down. As I said, I’m confused on what I want here.

At the end of the day, this is a hilariously written, absolutely beautiful memoir that makes me realize that not all books are straight forward. Sometimes you have to dig down into them to read between the lines.

I highly highly recommend this book to just about anyone. If you’re looking for a teacher gift, I think this would be a great idea to give someone (well, the set of two). If you want something funny to read, this is it. If you just want something to read that is easy to put down and pick up, yet un-put-down-able, well, this is the book for you as well. Seriously. Just go read it. This book falls onto my “Must Read” list for the year.

Mr. Pearson – you done good.

Note: John did offer me a preview copy, which I did indeed read. I still bought a fresh copy, with my own funds, to have in my Kindle account. It really was just THAT good.

Rating: 6 out of 5 stars

Book count for 2011: 45

A friend bought me this book shortly after I had a surgery. It was the perfect book because I needed a laugh (or 300).

Ya know, there’s just something about a humorous gay dude that can freaking write. The author is amazingly funny. This book actually reminded me of another book I read earlier this year, The Bucolic Plague: How Two Manhattanites Became Gentlemen Farmers. It’s the same basic idea, a long time gay couple decide to get away from the city and move to the middle of nowhere. Only, Wade moved to the middle of nowhere and is obviously insane. Dude, the snow alone would send me screaming back home. Nevermind the freaky neighbor.

The writing itself is absolutely perfect. There was nothing in there that made me cringe. He’s very self-depreciating and very gay – I’m not just saying that, HE told me that in the book – repeatedly (which might be a little over the top to be honest). Having said that, his gayness makes the book. Without him sashaying outside dressed in $400 worth of clothes simply to take the trash out and getting attacked by a raccoon… yeah. His stories are only accentuated by the fact that he doesn’t mind the rest of thinking he’s a real big idiot.

This will most definitely NOT be my last book by this author. I’m trying to figure out which of his I want to read next. It also left me wanting to invite this guy over for dinner one night. Not because he was funny (well, not only because of that) but because he also shows that he has quite a big heart. At the end of the day, the heart is what needs to show through and despite his best attempts to cover it up, we find out that Wade is one heck of a guy. Gary is one lucky man.

This goes on my must read list for the year. I seriously laughed out loud so much that I was really glad I had pain meds to blunt the stitches pulling from the rolling.

I recommend this for just about everyone. It’s damn funny and we all could use a good laugh now and then.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Book count for 2011: 41

My book club chose this book and I will admit that I wasn’t all that sure about it. It looked kind of… well… weird. I hadn’t even heard of HeLa before. My husband, the Science teacher was so ashamed. I kind of am too because this was absolutely fantastic!

The history on the Lacks family and how Henrietta was just in the right place with the right doctor at the right time is just amazing. I wasn’t expecting it. I even enjoyed the story of the Lacks today and how they are coping with having such an important family member.

With so many medical advances, it’s interesting to me that one woman helped make those advances possible. While this book was part memoir (the author doesn’t talk about himself, but enough that I felt like I was on a journey with him) and part biography, it’s heartwarming.

The author’s writing style was fabulous, her ability to explain complex scientific terms and conditions and condense them down to something that every one can follow is admirable.

I recommend this to science geeks, yes, but more importantly to those about everyone. It really did have a little bit for everyone.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Book count for 2011: 36

We have kids. That means we have a lot of kid’s books – which means that I stubbornly believe that I’ve read them all. So, when the publishing assistant gave me this book and asked me if I wanted to read/review it, I took it, glanced at it and though “yeah, another person writing a children’s story with too long of a title… whatever”. I plopped the book over on the side of the table facedown and went to turn around to do something. It was then that I noticed the photo of the author. I did a double take (no, really). It’s a kid! Dude, a six year old wrote this book!

That got my attention because, honestly, I wasn’t sure I believed it. I mean, yes, a six year old could totally write a book, but I found it hard to believe that he did it by himself. I flipped through it real quick, but it fell to the pile for a few weeks before I remembered it and dragged it out to read it. I wasn’t sold on it until I saw the word “concoction” in there twice. Yes, it’s a big word, but thinking back, I can remember my kids at that age wanting to make “concoctions” so it fit so well. The fact that it’s a juice concoction, just made it all the more fabulous.

The writing is very good for a six year old – actually far better than some adults I’ve read lately, if I’m being honest. I did ask some questions of the assistant and was told that yes, he had an editor and they went through that process. It shows; it’s well polished, but whomever they hired to do it did an excellent job because it still feels like a book that was written by a child, but just polished up. Kudos to them.

The illustrations are so beautiful. So well done. So that leaves the plot. What a cute little story. It would be perfect for a bedtime story for your younger kids or a book to read with them as they get older. It’s not going to win any awards for plot by itself, but it’s well thought out and it shows that he really thought about his story and where it was going to go. I’d say this is in my top 5 kids books we’ve gotten in in the past couple of years. Well thought out, well plotted, well written, well edited and well illustrated. That’s a win!

I would highly recommend this for people with kids – not only is it a cute book, but ya know… it shows that kids can publish their own books as well. I think that is a good lesson in and of itself.

As a side note, my very favorite part of this book is the dedication which reads, “To my family and the color yellow.”

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

I purchased this book a year ago, but it kept getting pushed to the side. I was on a flight and needed something to read and saw this on my kindle and decided it was time to read it. I don’t remember much of the rest of the flights I took that day. This is a fantastically absorbing novel that pulls you into the world of the radium dial painters not only through history but through the fictional story that the author has created for us.

I’ll be honest and say that I didn’t really know much about the radium dial (well, I know about radium!). I knew something happened and I knew people died but not that they were ingesting this stuff! I actually learned a lot about that situation and how sad and out of control it was. I love when I enjoy a book and learn something and don’t feel like I’m having information shoved down my throat. Thank you to the author for presenting information in such a matter. Good for her.

The fictional part of the story was also very well done. I will admit that I was a little confused as to why the secrecy after all these years, but having said that, it didn’t detract from the story at all. I loved how it all pulled together. From what I can gather, this is the first novel by this author that I’ve been able to find and it’s such an amazing first effort – heck, had I not went looking, I would have sworn it was from a seasoned author. She manages to bring you into Helen’s life and and into the factory and subsequent years. I felt so connected to the characters that I found myself trying to talk to a few of them, trying to make them see things MY. I’m sure my fellow passengers thought I was completely crazy.

This book is highly recommended for those that enjoy not only historical fiction, but also good general fiction. Unless you only read one genre, this is something you would probably enjoy. It goes on my must read for the year, wish I had read it sooner!

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Book count for 2011: 28

I love the premise of this book, but I was a little fearful of how the author was going to carry this off. I find it’s sometimes hard to write/read a memoir that centers around someone other than the author directly. I’ve honestly rarely seen it done very well. Ms. Simon pulled it off in spades.

The interesting thing for me is that I went into this expecting a quirky book about her travels around (and around) a city with her mentally disabled sister. I expected laughs and a few tears. What I didn’t expect was to come with a newfound respect for those who work with people with mental retardation on a daily basis. I wasn’t expecting to learn so much about what daily life is like for someone like Beth and those who surround her. I wasn’t expecting to gain so much respect for the people that step in and love her for who she is and not treat her differently just because she’s different.

Where the author excelled beyond my expectations, however, was how she wove Beth into this book around her life. I felt that I was reading about her life – yes, Beth was a big part of that, but I never felt like it was all about Beth. It was more about how she grew up with Beth and how she came to get to know her and her life better. Along the way, we learn more about Rachel and her life is about.

What I really liked about the format of this book is that it goes back and forth between their adulthood and their childhood. I felt like it gave us greater insight into the author and her sister. I was also surprised by not only the author’s self-awareness, but also Beth’s self-awareness. While she definitely needs ongoing help, the fact that she’s managed to drill out a life for herself (no, a life she enjoys) amazes me.

Ya know. At the end of the day, this one had some laughs for me, it had lots of heartwarming stories about the drivers and those who surround Beth. I will admit that the author made me upset a few times. I was mad at her and how she felt and how she reacted to certain events. I also cried with her a few times. Ultimately, I wanted to give her a big hug and thank her for sharing this beautiful story with us.

This one goes on my must read list and is recommended not only for the obvious memoir fans but for anyone that wants to learn a little something… either about the system or maybe even about themselves. I know this book will stick with me the next time I encounter someone “like Beth”. I chose this for my book club and I look forward to hearing about what my friends though as well.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Book count for 2011: 27

Note: Did you know I have super powers? I can make authors bend to my whims. Yup! The below was pre-written, but actually, Ms. Rose apparently caved and has released her book early least she completely ruin my birthday (see, authors do care!)! You can find a copy HERE. Happy Reading and scroll down to the bottom for an awesome contest! Hurry, contest ends March 14 at 6pm Central!

Note: I first want to warn you that I’m a fan of this author’s first series. I actually tried to convince her to release the book TODAY since it’s my birthday and all, but alas, she had to stick to this silly March 14th thing. To try to appease me, she’s offered up a giveaway - scroll down to get the deets on that!

So the book…

I’m really going to try to write this without spoilers because fans of The Portal Chronicles will undoubtedly read this next series – The Bonfire Chronicles. Imogen Rose does not disappoint with the first book of this series. Her smooth and easy-flow writing continue with this book. I couldn’t decide if I wanted to curl up with a glass of wine (err, orange juice, it is YA afterall) or if I wanted to sit up in bed and read it quickly before I fell asleep. I did a bit of both, in the end

Her characters have depth, with a lot more room to grow in the coming books. But where the author shines is her ability to write a YA novel where I actually like the main characters. It’s very rare that I don’t want to smother the main characters and I kind of wanted to adopt Faustine. It’s all very confusing because I keep looking for a character that I hate. I didn’t even hate the bad guys all that much.

The cover art for this edition kind of grabs you. Who is the girl with the red eyes and what is her story? I will admit that her story was absolutely nothing like I thought it would be. To be brutally honest, I wasn’t sure if Ms. Rose could pull it off. The Portal Chronicles were well done, but very niched. I thought if she stuck to what she knows, we’d be okay, but while the book first unfolded and we found out more about Faustine I was wondering how’d she pull it off. Well, she certainly pulled it off. The woman has a gift…

…. until I got to a certain part of the book. I don’t want to give anything away, but a certain word in the book sent me running around to search my books from her first series. Imogen Rose is a genius… an evil genius. I just… oh, I want to say more, but you guys would hate me if I ruin it! Having said that, it’s VERY small and you do NOT have to have read the first series to read this one. It was just a… thing.

The story itself is well written. The storyline unfolds with grace and and pace. The plot is well-thought-out and well-planned, but leaves enough room to add in a few surprises. I was shocked when I learned Faustine’s secret. It came a bit out of left field, but a very pleasant surprise – I was folded in and felt invested in her life and what was going on around (and within) her.

I realize I’m not telling you much here, but I don’t want to give anything away from the description (make sure you read it!). Just trust me… it’s a great book and makes my “must read” for the year.

This book is recommended for for fans of Young Adult books and those who are looking for something easy and fun to read.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Book count for 2011: 14

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Now for the giveaway! Because it’s my birthday and she tries to keep me from whining, Imogen has offered up a teddy bear. Lookit… it’s right over there on the left. CUTE! We have one of these to give away! Just post a comment and tell me what YOU think Faustine’s secret is. The winner will be randomly drawn, so it doesn’t matter how far out your guess is (and I’m betting no one will get it anyway!) So tell us… what’s her secret? (and no fair if you’ve already read the book!) If you don’t win a bear, you can buy your own (as well as other swag from her CafePress store. Hurry, contest ends March 14 at 6pm Central!