Monday, July 26, 2010

Review - Badhat: A Wild Western Legend

Badhat: A Wild Western LegendBadhat: A Wild Western Legend
BY: Harry McLaughlin
PUBLISHED BY: Zaptoons
PUBLISHED IN: 2010
ISBN: 9780615368542
Pages: 130
Reviewed by Billy Burgess

After crows destroy his crop, Badhat, a prairie dog, drifts around the wild west. He stumbles upon a small town called Dagnabit. Badhat scares off a gang of gophers, and he becomes a local hero. The town offers him a job as sheriff, and he takes it.

A young prairie dog calling himself The Kid, starts following Badhat around. The Kid wants to be a deputy.

Just when Badhat starts to adjust to the sheriff life, Rumpus and his gang of gophers come up with a plan to run Badhat out of Dagnabit.

This is a hilarious spoof of the western genre. The author has done a wonderful job creating fun characters that kids will enjoy reading. Badhat: A Wild Western Legend is a fast read, just under 130 pages. It reminded me of some of the cartoons I watched as a kid. Reading Badhat was a pure delight.

I would like to thank the author for sending me this copy to review.

Friday, July 23, 2010

Book Review - The Heart Mender

The Heart Mender: A Story of Second ChancesThe Heart Mender
BY: Andy Andrews
PUBLISHED BY: Thomas Nelson
PUBLISHED IN: 2010
ISBN: 978-0-7852-3103-5
Pages: 248
Reviewed by Billy Burgess

When digging up a withering wax myrtle tree, Author Andy Andrews stumbles upon an old metal container. He finds inside it several Nazi artifacts and pictures, believed to have belonged to Lt. Josef Landermann. Being an author, Andy wants find out more about this man. He discovers that Josef died during WWII when a German U-boat went down in the Gulf of Mexico.

Andy puts his other writing projects aside and begins interviewing people about Josef. Surprisingly, he stumbles upon a startling truth, Josef Landermann is still alive.

Andy Andrews has cleverly written this delightful true story. I was instantly hooked to this intriguing tale of life, sacrifice and forgiveness. This is a must read.


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

Thursday, July 22, 2010

It's Friday! 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!

Thursday Ramblings




Grown UpsI twisted my right ankle last week, and it's still healing. Once again, my writing has been slow. I hope to get started on two new short stories this weekend. I saw the movie "Grown Ups" last weekend. It was cute.

"The Heart Mender" has been sitting on my shelf collecting dust for a few weeks. I picked it up this morning and read half of the book. Expect my review for it next week.

Remember Me: Remember Me; The Return; The Last StoryI bought the book "Remember Me" by Christopher Pike last weekend. There is three books in it. It's nice to see that his books are being re released for a new generation of fans.

Yesterday, I received the book "Pinesport Divide" in the mail to review. I hope to start reading it this weekend.

Friday, July 16, 2010

Friday 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!

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Thursday Ramblings


It's been a few months since my last rambling. I been busy lately, so my writings and reading have been a little slow. Hopefully, I can start to catch up this next week. I already have an idea for a short story. I want to start working on it tomorrow. 

I have books piled up everywhere. I'm half way through the book Goosebumps Legend of the Lost Legend by R.L. Stine. I'll finish it tomorrow. I received the book Private by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro in the mail last week. I can't wait to start reading it. I also bought the book The Overton Window by Glenn Beck.

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Book Review - Zan-Gah: A Prehistoric Adventure & Zan-Gah and the Beautiful Country


Kid Konnection is a weekly meme host at bookingmama.



Zan-Gah: A Prehistoric AdventureZan-Gah: A Prehistoric Adventure
BY: Allan Richard Shickman
PUBLISHED BY: Earthshaker Books
PUBLISHED IN: 2007
ISBN: 978-0-9790357-0-8
Pages: 148
Ages: Young Adult
Reviewed by Billy Burgess

“Zan-Gah” is set in the prehistoric times and focuses on a boy named Zan-Gah. A young girl from his tribe is murdered by a lion. The tribe sets out to kill it. Zan single-handedly kills the lion. The tribe celebrates the kill, but Zan is not happy. He wonders where his twin brother, Dael, is. He has been missing for over year.

Zan goes on a coming-of-age quest to find his brother. He must leave his tribe, and face many dangerous situations by himself. Zan will risk his own life to save his brother.

“Zan-Gah” is a fast read, just under 150 pages. The author, A.R. Shickman, has written a wonderful coming-of-age story set in the prehistoric world. The descriptions and actions in the book are well-written. Male readers will enjoy reading about Zan’s adventure into the unknown, and female readers will like the love that Zan has for his twin. I recommend this book to everyone.


Zan-Gah and the Beautiful CountryZan-Gah And The Beautiful Country
BY: Allan Richard Shickman
PUBLISHED BY: Earthshaker Books
PUBLISHED IN: 2009
ISBN: 978-097903571-5
Pages: 151
Ages: Young Adult
Reviewed by Billy Burgess

In this sequel, Zan-Gah is now grown with a wife, and he is respected through out the tribe. His twin brother, Dael, is not as respected, and is full of anger. The two are the opposite of each other.

The tribe has moved to the Beautiful Country, the same unknown land that Zan saved Dael at in the first book. Dael has evil in his heart, and leaves the tribe. He gathers other men from the tribe, and want to begin a war against his brother’s people. Dael and his men tattoo their bodies and shave off their hair.

The relationship between the Zan and Deal will never be the same.

“Zan-Gah and the Beautiful Country” focuses more on Dael than Zan. This is a completely different book than the first, and is much darker. Once again, Zan is a loveable character. He loves his people and even his troubled brother, Dael - who has become an evil character. The first book was a coming-of-age story, while the sequel is about war and sacrifice. Fans of the first book will want to read the sequel. I must warn you that this book is much darker. I enjoyed reading about the characters again, but at the same time I had mix-feelings about the sequel.

-I would like to thank the author for sending me these copies to review.