Thursday, December 30, 2010

Thursday Ramblings



This will be my last rambling of the year.

I have been watching many DVDs lately. Ramona and Beezus was an enjoyable family film. Despite the name, it has little to do with the book and more to do with the sequels. Too bad, it did not do well at the box office. The Last Airbender was fun, but something was missing from it. The A-Team was another fun movie. Predators had a few action scenes, but there was no plot. The Lost Boys: The Thirst was better than the second was, but it was too short and fell way short of the original. However, it was better than Eclipse, which, besides from a non-blood, short vampire/werewolf fight, was boring. Inception was intriguing, but I have to admit that I fell asleep during it. 30 Days of Night: Dark Days may have some vampire gore, but it hardly resembles the first.

I received Witch & Wizard: The Gift by James Patterson in the mail last week. I have not read the first novel in the series yet, along with several other Patterson novels. I will have to catch up in 2011.

I collected several new books over the Holidays including the House of Night series, a couple R.L. Stine novels, The Baby-sitters Club prequel, the Hush, Hush books, the Vampire Academy series, and a few others. Therefore, I will be busy reading in 2011.

Saturday, December 25, 2010

Review - Fear Street Super Chillers: Silent Night 2



Silent Night 2  takes place a year later after the events of the first novel, and Reva Dalby has not changed a bit. She is once again working at her father’s department store, and once again being rude the customers.

Late one night, Mr. Dalby receives a phone call that his daughter has been kidnapped, but there is one little problem for the kidnappers - Reva was at home. The kidnappers had kidnapped her cousin, Pam. The kidnappers let Pam go.

Friday, December 24, 2010

Review - Fear Street Super Chillers: Silent Night


Fear Street Super Chillers: Silent Night
BY: R.L. Stine
PUBLISHED BY: Pocket Books
PUBLISHED IN: 1991
ISBN: 0-671-73822-4
Pages: 216
Ages: Young Adult
Reviewed by Billy Burgess

Reva Dalby is a pretty, spoiled, rich kid. She is spending her Christmas vacation working at her father’s department store. She is rude to the customers and the other works. She does not care about anyone but herself. In other words - she is a scrooge.

Thursday, December 23, 2010

The Snowman by R.L. Stine



Since her parent’s death, Heather has been living with overprotected Uncle James. She hates the man. She thinks he is only after her inheritance, which she will receive when she turns eighteen. Until then she is spending her time working at a diner and dating her kind-of- boyfriend, Ben. Everything changes when she meets the tall ice-blond, Snowman.

Heather instantly falls for Snowman’s charms. She soon gives him money to help with his family, but she does not know he does not have a family. He does not even go to her school. Then, her uncle goes missing. Could Snowman be involved? Is Snowman a cold-blooded killer?

The book cover is a little misleading. This book is not about an actually snowman, but a mysterious boy whose nickname is Snowman. There is not much of a plot to go by, but there are some twists and turns that make this book worth reading. I would like to mention this book is written for Young Adults and not for children.

Monday, December 20, 2010

Review - Graveyard School: The Abominable Snow Monster

Abominable Snow Monster (Graveyard School)
Graveyard School: The Abominable Snowmonster
BY: Tom B. Stone
PUBLISHED BY: A Skylark Book
PUBLISHED IN: 1996
ISBN: 0-553-54218-4
Pages: 99
Reviewed by Billy Burgess

Due to the success of the R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps series in the early 1990’s, other publishing houses tried to copy the format into their own series. The Graveyard School series came from that time.

The kids at Grove Hill call their school Graveyard School because there is a cemetery behind the playground. Several snowstorms have hit the small town. One playground afternoon, sixth-grader Kyle stumbled upon a strange glass eye near the cemetery. He had the idea of using it on his snowman. The other kids in his class were building snow statues, but Kyle was going to make a scary snowman.

Kyle’s snowman was tall - taller than the slides. He carved out a wicked grin for the face and used shark teeth. He found two strange branches and used them as arms. All of the kids were scared of it.

A strange thing happens. The student’s snow statues were destroyed, but one survived. Kyle’s snowman.

This is the first book in the series that I have ever read. It is a short book, but fun to read.

Friday, December 17, 2010

Book Blogger Hop

Jennifer from Crazy for Books has created this meme.

If you'd like to participate, here's Jennifer's instructions:


Every day I seem to find another book blog that I start following. In the spirit of the Friday Follow, I thought it would be cool to do a Book Blog Hop to give us all bookies a chance to connect and find new blogs that we may be missing out on! It will also give blog readers a chance to find other book blogs that they may not know existed!


So, if you'd like to participate, just repost this on your blog, sign MckLinky and check out other blogs in MckLinky! Let's connect and make new book bloggy friends!! So, if you consider yourself a book blogger, come join the fun!

Question of the week: What do you consider the most important in a story: the plot or the characters?

My answer: If the plot doesn't interest me, I won't read it. Great characters in a well-plotted book is a wonderful treat.

Review - The Truth of the Matter by Andrew Kalvan

The Truth of the Matter (The Homelanders)The Truth of the Matter
BY: Andrew Klavan
PUBLISHED BY: Thomas Nelson
PUBLISHED IN: 2010
ISBN: 978-1-59554-714-9
Pages: 343
Reviewed by Billy Burgess

Charlie West wakes up in a terrorist torture chamber in book three of the Homelanders series. He has no memory of the previous year. He hopes to regain his memory by finding Agent Waterman, but Waterman only makes things worse.

Charlie finds out that he is wanted for murder and a team of ruthless terrorist is determined to stop him from finding out the truth.

I have not read the first two books in the series. It took me awhile to figure out what was going on. The book is aimed at a teen market, but the action sequences are written for adults. Many teen novels these days have a supernatural plot to them, I found The Truth of the Matter to be a bit of fresh air. There are plenty of mysterious twists and turns throughout the book to keep the reader’s interests. Overall, I enjoyed reading the book.

*I would like to thank Thomas Nelson for sending me this copy to review.

Review - A Rush of Wings

Rush of Wings, A: A NovelA Rush of Wings
BY: Kristen Heitzmann
PUBLISHED BY: Bethany House
PUBLISHED IN: 2003
ISBN: 978-0-7642-0845-4
Pages: 382
Reviewed by Billy Burgess

The book starts out with Noelle St. Claire escaping from her rich, shelter life in New York. She takes refuge on a Rocky Mountain horse ranch. The owners, Rick Spencer and his brother Morgan Spencer, are both of the brothers are instantly interested in the troubled Noelle.

Of course, just as Noelle is adjusting to her new life, her past catches up with her.

I had trouble getting interested in reading A Rush of Wings. I like reading some contemporary fiction, but others I just do not like. This book falls in the middle. I liked the main character Noelle, but I did not care for the other characters. I liked that the plot did not stick the typical romance theme. Overall, it was okay read.

*I would like to thank Bethany House for sending me a copy to review.

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Review - Amy Inspired

Amy InspiredAmy Inspired
BY: Bethany Pierce
PUBLISHED BY: Bethany House
PUBLISHED IN: 2010
ISBN: 978-0-7642-0850-8
Pages: 318
Reviewed by Billy Burgess

In this contemporary fiction novel, Amy Gallagher has always wanted to be a writer. She is almost 30 years old and has just finished her first novel, but is still unpublished. In addition, she is unmarried, which bothers her mother.

Amy spends her days teaching and in her off time, she writes and dreams. She soon meets Eli and of course, falls in love with him. Amy decides to take a close look at her life and her aspirations.

I found it easy to like the main character Amy. I am also 29 and I am an aspiring writer. I found Amy’s life to be comical and real. I recommend reading Amy Inspired.

*I would like to thank Bethany House for sending me a copy to review.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

[Review]-'Nightingale' by Susan May Warren



At the end of WWII, Esther Lange, a single mother, wonders if her fiancé, Linus, is still alive. Esther had only met Linus briefly before becoming pregnant with his daughter. Before leaving for the war, Linus sent Ester to live with his family.

Friday, November 12, 2010

Book Blogger Hop!

Jennifer from Crazy for Books has created this meme.

If you'd like to participate, here's Jennifer's instructions:


Every day I seem to find another book blog that I start following. In the spirit of the Friday Follow, I thought it would be cool to do a Book Blog Hop to give us all bookies a chance to connect and find new blogs that we may be missing out on! It will also give blog readers a chance to find other book blogs that they may not know existed!


So, if you'd like to participate, just repost this on your blog, sign MckLinky and check out other blogs in MckLinky! Let's connect and make new book bloggy friends!! So, if you consider yourself a book blogger, come join the fun!

Question of the week: If you find a book that looks interesting but is part of a series, do you always start with the first title?

My answer: I would like to start with the first book, but there have been times where I start with book two or three.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Book Review: Dining with Joy

Dining with Joy (A Lowcountry Romance)Dining with Joy
BY: Rachel Hauck
PUBLISHED BY: Thomas Nelson
PUBLISHED IN: 2010
ISBN: 978-1-59554-339-4
Pages: 309
Reviewed by Billy Burgess

Joy Ballard is an author and host of a syndicated cooking show, Dining with Joy. She is excited with her show is picked up by a major network. Dining with Joy will now be in a prime time slot. However, Joy has one problem, she cannot cook.

The producers of the show hire a creative cook, Luke Redmond, to co-host the show. Joy thinks this is the perfect idea. Now she has time to write her books and spend time with her friends. Soon she starts having feelings for Redmond.

Joy and her rival Wenda Devine have a cooking competition on live television and Joy’s secret comes out.

Dining with Joy was a fun delight to read. After reading the book, I wondered how many other cooking show hosts cannot cook. LoL! The characters are believably written. Any romance fan will enjoy reading this book.

*I would like to thank Thomas Nelson for sending me a copy to review.

Thursday Ramblings


I got my new eye-glasses on Monday, and it is taking me a few days to adjust to them.

I received Law & Order UK Season 1 DVD in the mail last week. I just finished watching the last DVD yesterday. I enjoyed watching them. Now, I need to finish watching the 21 Jump Street DVDs.
Last weekend, I found my favorite book Six-Horse Hitch in hardback at a thrift store. It's a first edition published in 1969.

Friday, November 5, 2010

Book Blogger Hop!

Jennifer from Crazy for Books has created this meme.

If you'd like to participate, here's Jennifer's instructions:


Every day I seem to find another book blog that I start following. In the spirit of the Friday Follow, I thought it would be cool to do a Book Blog Hop to give us all bookies a chance to connect and find new blogs that we may be missing out on! It will also give blog readers a chance to find other book blogs that they may not know existed!


So, if you'd like to participate, just repost this on your blog, sign MckLinky and check out other blogs in MckLinky! Let's connect and make new book bloggy friends!! So, if you consider yourself a book blogger, come join the fun!

Question of the week: What are your feelings on losing followers? Have you ever stopped following a blog?

My answer: I don't take it personally when I lose a follower, but it is nice to get new followers. I have never stopped following a blog.

Friday, October 29, 2010

Book Blogger Hop!

Jennifer from Crazy for Books has created this meme.

If you'd like to participate, here's Jennifer's instructions:


Every day I seem to find another book blog that I start following. In the spirit of the Friday Follow, I thought it would be cool to do a Book Blog Hop to give us all bookies a chance to connect and find new blogs that we may be missing out on! It will also give blog readers a chance to find other book blogs that they may not know existed!


So, if you'd like to participate, just repost this on your blog, sign MckLinky and check out other blogs in MckLinky! Let's connect and make new book bloggy friends!! So, if you consider yourself a book blogger, come join the fun!

Question of the week: What is the one bookish thing you would love to have, no matter the cost?"

My answer: A new house with one giant room to use as a private library.

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Thursday Ramblings


Dead Silence (Unrated Widescreen Edition)I can't believe that it is less than two months until Christmas!

Daughter of DarknessI bought the paperback book Daughter of Darkness by V.C. Andrews (A.K.A. - Andrew Neiderman). It looks like this one is not part of the series. And guess what? It's about vampires.

Writing News: My short story Night of the Babysitter will be published in the Children of the Dead: A Zombie Anthology.

I bought two movies this week: Dead Silence and Hellraiser Hellworld. I saw part of Dead Silence last week on AMC and I liked it. The movies were only five dollars each.

Hellraiser - Hellworld

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Book Review - Within My Heart

Within My Heart (Timber Ridge Reflections, Book 3)Within My Heart
BY: Tamera Alexander
PUBLISHED BY: Bethany House
PUBLISHED IN: 2010
ISBN: 978-0-7642-0391-6
Pages: 378
Reviewed by Billy Burgess

The widow Rachel Boyd is struggling to raise her two sons and keep her ranch running in the Colorado Rockies. Dr. Rand Brookston comes into town with his new modern way of medicine. Rachel does not like doctors because her father was one.

Under troubling circumstances, Rachel must trust Dr. Brookston. The doctor is having trouble of his own; adjusting to his new life. The town people are having a hard time accepting him as the new doctor.
Rachel and Dr. Brookston must aside their difference and have faith in each other.

Within My Heart is a wonderful historical novel. The author uses incredible detail and descriptions of Colorado. There have been dozens of books and movies about a new doctor in town, but the formula works very well in this novel. You instantly feel for the main character, Rachel, as she struggles to keep her ranch and raise her children by herself. This is a great read.

*I would like to thank Bethany House for sending me this copy to review.

Review - The Obama Diaries

The Obama DiariesThe Obama Diaries
BY: Laura Ingraham
PUBLISHED BY: Threshold Editions
PUBLISHED IN: 2010
ISBN: 978-1-4391-9751-6
Pages: 373
Reviewed by Billy Burgess

The Obama Diaries is part fiction, part nonfiction and part political satire. The author Laura Ingraham has also written the Power to the People, she has her own syndicated radio program and she is one of the permanent substitute host of the O’Reilly Factor.

Throughout the book, there are fake diaries entries from the President, the First Lady, the Vice-President and other staff members of the White House. I found some of these comical and other just plain annoying.

The author does use facts about the President and his administration. The book covers Obama’s family life, his ties to corrupted political officials, the dozens of mistakes he has made and the falling economy. Of course, the author gives her own opinion on each issue.

I occasionally watch the O’Reilly Factor and watched Laura Ingraham talking about her book. I reserved it at my local library and I had to wait several weeks to check it out. Overall, I am very disappointed with it. Besides from the fake diary entries, there is nothing that makes this book stand out from any of the dozens political book out there. Sure, there are many facts that are true about Obama, but I have heard these repeatedly on the news. There is nothing new here. If you have listened to the author on her radio show or seen her on the O’Reilly Factor, then, you already know her opinion on the Obama administration. I cannot recommend this book to anyone.

Friday, October 22, 2010

Book Blogger Hop

Jennifer from Crazy for Books has created this meme.

If you'd like to participate, here's Jennifer's instructions:


Every day I seem to find another book blog that I start following. In the spirit of the Friday Follow, I thought it would be cool to do a Book Blog Hop to give us all bookies a chance to connect and find new blogs that we may be missing out on! It will also give blog readers a chance to find other book blogs that they may not know existed!


So, if you'd like to participate, just repost this on your blog, sign MckLinky and check out other blogs in MckLinky! Let's connect and make new book bloggy friends!! So, if you consider yourself a book blogger, come join the fun!

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Book Review - Love's First Bloom


Love's First BloomLove’s First Bloom
BY: Delia Parr
PUBLISHED BY: Bethany House
PUBLISHED IN: 2010
ISBN: 978-0-7642-0671-9
Pages: 316
Reviewed by Billy Burgess


Reverend Livingstone is suspected of murder, he sends his daughter, along with a young child into hiding. Ruth is now living in a small town in New Jersey under a different name.

Tragedy strikes, leaving Ruth and the young child alone in New Jersey. Ruth soon falls in love with Jake Spencer. Will her secrets tear them apart?

Love’s First Bloom is a sweet, fast-paced novel. You cannot help but feel sorry for the main character Ruth, whose life has completely changed in the blink of an eye. I enjoyed reading the book, and I think you will too.

* I would like to thank Bethany House for sending me a copy to review.

Review - The Twelfth Imam


The Twelfth Imam
BY: Joel C. Rosenberg
PUBLISHED BY: Tyndale Fiction
PUBLISHED IN: 2010
ISBN: 978-1-4143-1163-0
Pages: 444
Reviewed by Billy Burgess

Charlie Harper and his wife, Claire Harper, barely escaped Iran in November of 1979, thanks to Dr. Mohammad Shirazi and his family. Their daughter, Claire Harper, was born that very day. Charlie helps Dr. Shirazi and his family immigrate to the United States. Both families stay in contact over the years.

After the tragic disaster of September 11, 2001, both families are personal impacted by it; leading to a chain of events that will change the life of Dr. Shirazi’s son, David.

The CIA picks David to help them infiltrate the Iranian government. The Iran leaders are planning to bring the apocalypse to Israel. Soon, word spreads of a mysterious cleric who claims to the Islamic messiah known as the Twelfth Imam.

The Twelfth Imam is a fast-paced, action-packed apocalyptic religious thriller. The author has wonderful mixed in real life headlines into this fiction tale of suspense and intrigue. The plot will haunt you way after you have read the last page. It is a great read!

*I would like to thank Tyndale Fiction for sending me a copy to review.

Friday, October 8, 2010

Book Blogger Hop

Jennifer from Crazy for Books has created this meme.

If you'd like to participate, here's Jennifer's instructions:


Every day I seem to find another book blog that I start following. In the spirit of the Friday Follow, I thought it would be cool to do a Book Blog Hop to give us all bookies a chance to connect and find new blogs that we may be missing out on! It will also give blog readers a chance to find other book blogs that they may not know existed!


So, if you'd like to participate, just repost this on your blog, sign MckLinky and check out other blogs in MckLinky! Let's connect and make new book bloggy friends!! So, if you consider yourself a book blogger, come join the fun!

Question of the week: What's your favorite beverage when reading or blogging?


My answer: Nescafe Casico Coffee

Review - Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler



Lisabeth Lewis is your typical teenager. Her parents are divorced, she has a great boyfriends and friends, but she is hiding a secret. Lisabeth has an eating a disorder.

Late one night, she decides to end her life by taking an overdose on her mother’s anti-depression pills, but suicide attempt does not work. That night she meets Death.

Review - A Suitor for Jenny


A Suitor for Jenny
By: Margaret Brownley
PUBLISHED BY: Thomas Nelson
PUBLISHED IN: 2010
ISBN: 978-1-59554-810-8
Pages: 309
Reviewed by Billy Burgess

Since their parents' death, Jenny has raised her two younger sisters, Mary Lou and Brenda. She stumbles upon an article saying that Rocky Creek, Texas had the highest number of bachelors. She gets the idea of looking for husbands for her sisters in Texas.

Jenny doesn’t believe in love at first sight, and as soon as she finds the suitable husbands for her sisters, she is moving far away. Her plan soon starts to fail as her sisters’ rebel against her. They start dating men on their own, some who do not know how to read or write.

The US Marshall Rhett Armstrong catches Jenny’s heart. Will she abandon her plan of leaving?

A Suitor for Jenny is a clean-cut romance western with a touch of humor to it. I like the main character Jenny because she is strong-headed; other readers will like her to as she searches for husbands for her sisters. This is a good read.

*I would like to thank Thomas Nelson for sending me a copy to review.

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Thursday Ramblings


A Nightmare on Elm Street
I watched the remake of A Nightmare on Elm Street. It was okay, about as good at the Friday the 13th remakes. Well, their not really remakes to me, their more like sequels.

The Postcard KillersLast Friday, I received Bullet by Laurell K. Hamilton, Spring's Renewal by Shelly Shepard Gray and Autumn's Promise by Shelley Shepard Gray. On Saturday, I received A Suitor for Jenny by Margaret Brownley, Love is Grand by Annalisa Daughtey, Don't Blink by James Patterson and Howard Rouchan, andThe Postcard Killers by James Patterson and Liza Marklund.

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Review - The Fall

The Fall
BY: Guillermo Del Toro & Chuck Hogan
PUBLISHED BY: Harper Collins
PUBLISHED IN: 2010
ISBN: 978-0-06-155822-1
Pages: 308
Reviewed by Billy Burgess

I have never read the first book, The Strain, but I easily picked up the previous plot by reading the first few chapters. The vampire plaque is spreading and consuming the world. The Master’s grand plan is to start a war between the Old and New Vampires. Hidden, is a book detailing the vampire’s history and their darkest secrets. This book has the key to killing the virus.

A brilliant professor Abraham Setrakian, Vasiliy Fest, Eph and other survivors plan on stopping the vampires before the infest the world.

The Fall is dark and chilling. It takes the vampire legend and brings it into the real world. The plot is easily believable; a vampire virus is spreading all over the world. Abraham Setrakian reminds me of Van Helsing. I can see this book series becoming a movie.

Monday, October 4, 2010

Book Review - In Every Heartbeat

In Every HeartbeatIn Every Heartbeat
BY: Kim Vogel Sawyer
PUBLISHED BY: Bethany House
PUBLISHED IN: 2010
ISBN: 978-0-7642-0510-1
Pages: 346
Reviewed by Billy Burgess

In Every Heartbeat is about three friends, Libby Conley, Pete Leidig and Bennett Martin. They grew up in an orphanage. When they became adults, they went their separate ways. Bennett Martin pledges into a fraternity and just wants to have fun. Pete wants to become a minister, and Libby wants to be a famous journalist.

Libby finds it hard to be a writer in the early 1900s. Editors keep telling her to write romance stories and leave the news journalists to the men.

Pete decides to track down his birth parents and learns that his younger brother has been charged with murder. With the help of Libby, they try to set his brother free.

I have read several novels by Kim Vogel Sawyer and found this novel to be different from the others. I liked that the book was set in my home state, Missouri. I enjoyed the character Libby the most, since she is a struggling writer. There is a little mystery plot thrown into the story, and a little romance. It is a good read.

*I would like to thank Bethany House for sending me a copy to review.