Changing Fate Through Reincarnation
By Gerald Sze
Publisher: Two Harbors Press
Pub. Date: November 30, 2012
ISBN: 978-1938690150 
Pages: 328

Review:

A few months ago, out of the blue, I received Changing Fate Through Reincarnation in the mail. I review many books a month from authors, publicity groups, and publishers, so occasionally I forget about agreeing to review a book, but it turns out that I didn't agree to review the book at all. I received an email from Two Harbors Press's publicity a few weeks later asking me to review the book in exchange for my honest review.

Even though I'm a Christian, I do occasionally read about other religions. Changing Fate Through Reincarnation is a mix of Buddhism, Western science and Han Chinese that the author has weaved together to help others have a more meaningful life. Have you ever heard of Karma? The basic principle is that if you’re nice to others, nice things will happen to you. The premise of the book is that a person can completely change his or hers life in the present by changing the way he or she thinks and how he or she reacts to everything and everyone.

The Book Blogger Hop meme was created by Jen from Crazy For Books and nicely let me be the guest host for this week. Read the history and rules for the meme here. 


What to do:

A Hidden Truth
By Judith Miller
Publisher: Bethany House 
Pub. Date: September 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-0764210006
ASIN: B008B9HGI6
Pages: 352

Review: 

Over the years, I have become a fan of historical fiction, many involving the Amish, the Mennonites, and the Shakers, but I have never read a book about the Amana Colonies. A Hidden Truth by Judith Miller is about the Amana Colonies and is one of the reasons why I wanted to review it, courtesy of Bethany House in exchange of my honest review.

A Hidden Truth takes place in East Amana, Iowa in 1892 and centers on two women, Karlina Richter and Dovie Cates. The colonies are very strict, with no access to the outside world or the "outsiders". Karlina has lived all her life in Amana, but has always been curious of what life was like outside the colonies.

Just as her father wants to move from Ohio to Texas, Dovie Cates gets permission to visit the Amana Colonies, where her birth mother grew up. She wants to learn more about her mother's past. She stays with the Richter family.

• 5. A Christmas Story - This 1983 film is based on the short stories by Jean Shepherd (who also does the film's narration) and is played for twenty-fours straight on TBS around Christmastime. I've seen the movie probably a half dozen times before I found out that my parents had never seen the movie before. I bought it on DVD  several years ago and made them watch it. My dad didn't care for it, but mom thought it was funny. I think every kid can related to what Ralphie went through just to get that perfect gift that he dreamed of.

• 4. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation - I remember going with my parents and grandparents to see Christmas Vacation at the theater back in 1989 (Just writing this makes me feel old.). It is the third film out four of the National Lampoon Vacation series and it is the best out of the sequels. It later spawned a spin-off sequel with Cousin Eddie, but it was dreadful to watch. Christmas Vacation is played to death thanks to CMT and Comedy Central. I would rather watch the unedited version on DVD. 

When my parents first got a VCR in the 1980s, my mom recorded all the Christmas animated specials, with the commercials taken out, onto one VHS tape. I would watch it every year during the holidays until a certain age when I lost interest in cartoons. As an adult, I attempted to watch these classics on basic television, but I was disappointed that some of my favorite scenes were deleted in exchange for advertisement. Over the years I have bought most of these childhood classics on DVD.

Honorable mentions that didn't make the list are: How a Grinch Stole Christmas, Bah, HumDuck!: A Looney Tunes Christmas, Pluto's Christmas Tree, and Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol. 

• 5. A Charlie Brown Christmas - This is one of the few Christmas specials that is still aired every year and is one that drove my mom crazy when I was young because she found Charlie Brown to be annoying. After forty-seven-years since it debuted, it still receives millions of viewers. It is one of the few cartoons that gives kids the real meaning of Christmas.

• 5. Christmas with the Kranks - I saw the movie when it originally came out back in 2004, which is based on the non-lawyer novel by John Grisham. The movie centers on the Kranks (played by Tim Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis), who decide to skip the holidays and take a trip instead. Yes, it is predictable, but it has its funny moments.

• 4. The Santa Clause - I saw this movie starring Tim Allen eighteen-years-ago at the theater with my parents. I later owned a VHS version, but it went bad many years ago. Every year I look for it on DVD, but I could only find it in a 3-pack with the second and third films, which I already own on DVD. Luckily, I finally found The Santa Clause on DVD this year for ten dollars and it is just a funny as I remember it. 

Christmas is only two weeks away and the shopping days are numbered. If you have a gamer in the family, you might want think about getting a monthly subscription at $25 dollars a month for a new social networking site for online gamers called Face Up Gaming.

Face Up is a brand new entertainment group for playing online poker games, but besides from the month subscription fee, you never have to pay for anything else, unlike other online poker sites that want you to keep spending more money.

The Legend of Zelda: Ganon's Evil Tower
Studio: United American Video
Release Date: July 22, 2003
ASIN: B0000AZT6I
Running Time: 45 minutes

Review: 

During the middle 1980s and early 1990s there was an animation boom on television. Very few made it past the first season as was the fate of The Legend of Zelda, based on the popular video game, which aired as a fifteen minute segment during The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! on Fridays on mainly Fox stations in 1989. There were only thirteen episodes aired during the series run, but it aired for a few more years in syndication.

Even though I did own a Nintendo game system when I was a kid, I wasn't a big fan of The Legend of Zelda game, but I do recall watching the short-lived animated series. If I remember correctly the series aired in the mornings as I believed I watched it before going to school.

Hello My Name Is...
Artist Bridgit Mendler
Label: Hollywood Records
ASIN: B008R14YBK
CD Release Date: October 22, 2012
Total Length: 42 minutes 11 seconds


It seems like every teen star of a Disney series will eventually bring out an album, such as Hilary Duff, Selena Gomez, Ashley Tisdale, Miley Cyrus, and others. Some have had a mild success at a singing career and others have bombed.

Now Bridget Mendler of Disney's Good Luck Charlie has released her debut album. One would think she would face the marketing curse of the other ex-Disney stars/singers, but unlike the others, Bridget actually co-wrote all twelve songs. 

I've been a fan of Disney's Good Luck Charlie every since it began airing in 2010. I was aware that Bridget Mendler, who plays Teddy Duncan, was releasing an album, but I just happened to stumble upon yesterday for ten dollars. I was having a bad day and listening to music always cheers me up, therefore I bought the Hello My Name is...Bridget Mendler.