Review of The Next Accident (Mass Market Paperback)

What would you do if someone has targeted you for the ultimate revenge?

This is the question that plagues FBI Special Agent Pierce Quincy. Quincy's daughter Amanda has been killed in an automobile accident, and the official story is while driving drunk she crashes her car, killing herself and an elderly man. Although Mandy had alcohol problems in the past, Quincy is not convinced this was an accident. Mandy had been clean for awhile, and all the events leading up to the accident don't add up, and Quincy wants answers, the only person he can turn to for help is Rainie Connor, an ex-cop haunted by a case that almost destroyed her.

Quincy, and Rainie not only had a professional relationship, but also a personal one, that is why Quincy knows he can trust her to find out what happened to his daughter.

As Rainie begins her investigation into the accident, a killer is slowly beginning his plan to destroy all the loved ones in Quincy's life.

While shocking new discoveries prove Mandy was killed, a second murder is committed, leaving Quincy as the lead suspect.

Desperately trying to prove his innocence, Quincy will enter into a twisted game with a psychopath with only one thing on his mind...revenge. And the next victim will be Quincy's only surviving daughter Kimberly.

Non-stop suspense, and masterful plot twists keep the pages turning in `The Next Accident'. Lisa Gardner has crafted a hot shocker with nail biting tension, and explosive action, peopled with engaging characters. No reader will be able to put this book down once begun. From page one the terrifying plot grabs you and doesn't let go.

After a string of EXCELLENT bestsellers, Ms. Gardner has given us a masterpiece of suspense, her best yet.

A MUST read!

Nick Gonnella



Click Here to see more reviews about: The Next Accident (Mass Market Paperback)

Review of Eating For Life (Hardcover)

My fiance did the Body-for-Life challenge and lost 40 pounds in 12 weeks!Currently we are 2 weeks in to another Body-for-Life challenge and we've found the biggest problem for us is lack of interesting food to eat.We decided to pick up the Eating-for-Life book to hopefully get some better recipes and all I can say is WOW!Bill Phillips really outdid himself with this book.

This book starts with 70 pages describing many of the ideas about food he covered in his bestselling book, Body-for-Life.As he explains, diets are BAD.They are impossible to maintain, so 95% of people who go on diets end up gaining back everything they lost (and often MORE than they lost).His philosophy is to eat balanced, nutrient-rich meals six times a day.This keeps you full, so you never feel like you're starving, and also signals to your body that its getting the nutrients it needs and can stop storing all the fat.

This is the first time I've seriously done the Body-for-Life challenge and I've already lost 8 pounds of fat!The biggest problem for me, as I said, was how BORING I thought healthy foods were.This book has shown me how wrong I was!The first day I got it, I flipped through it and salivated at all the delicious recipes!There are over a hundred GOOD recipes in here, including shrimp scampi, chicken noodle soup, filet mignon, chicken fajitas and SO much more.There are even several healthy dessert recipes, including fruit crepes, cheesecake and walnut brownies!The recipes are not only healthy, but extremely easy to prepare and very delicious!

A lot of people have said that Bill Phillips plan takes a lot of dedication and hard work, and that's true.But there is no "easy" diet out there.I've tried some of the "fad" diets, including low carb diets and diet pills.While they sometimes work, I found them impossible to stick to and maintain weightloss on.With Body-for-Life, and especially now with this AMAZING cookbook, I can eat healthy, delicious meals AND lose weight.Plus, with Body-for-Life, you have a free day every single week (usually Sunday) where you can eat whatever you want in whatever quantities you want.

I highly recommend checking this book out, even if you aren't interested in the Body-for-Life program.The recipes are better than I've seen in most diet books.

Product Description
Did you truly enjoy the food you ate today? Do you reallylike the way you look and feel? Are you consistently enjoying greathealth and high energy?

Bill Phillips, author of the #1 New York Times bestsellerBody-for-LIFE, believes your answer to all of the above questionsshould be, "Yes!" He feels that food should be a source of purepleasure. A source of positive, abundant energy! A "sure thing" in aworld of much uncertainty.

Phillips, who's widely regarded as today's most successful fitnessauthor, has firm beliefs which go against the grain of today's popularweight-loss methods. "Diets, all of them, are potentially dangerous,most always dumb and ultimately a dead-end street!" heinsists. "Eventually, anyone and everyone who's at all concerned withtheir health must learn how to feed their body, not how to starve it."

Instead, Phillips encourages a safe and sound solution which includeseating balanced, nutrient-rich meals, frequently throughout theday. "This is what works in the long run," he explains.

Rich with common sense and science, Eating for Life has rhyme andreason. It is specific. There are very clear dos and don'ts which helppeople enjoy food and improve their overall fitness.

Bill's approach, which he calls the "Eating for Lifestyle," hasalready helped thousands of people break free from the dieting dilemmaand discover that, contrary to pop-culture belief, food is friend, notfoe. Used intelligently, it nourishes the body and mind, satisfies theappetite, calms cravings, renews health and lifts energy.

Like Bill Phillips' Body-for-LIFE, this is a tell-it-like-it-isbook. There's no promise of a quick fix. No metabolic tricks orso-called miracles. Just straightforward, clear, concise, practicaland appropriate principles for eating right... for life.

About the Author
Bill Phillips, 38, has helped hundreds of thousands of people, from all walks of life, build leaner, stronger bodies and enjoy healthier, happier lives. His Program for renewing physical and mental strength is shared in the #1 New York Times bestselling book Body-for-LIFE. With more than four million copies sold and over four years on the bestseller list, Body-for-LIFE has become the most popular and successful book of its kind.

Phillips has received many honors for his work including the Make-A-Wish Foundation's highest award. He was also honored by Paul Newman and the late John F. Kennedy, Jr., as one of America's most generous business leaders. The United States Junior Chamber of Commerce honored Phillips in January 2000 as one of Ten Outstanding Young Americans. Bill was also chosen to help carry the Olympic torch on its relay across America for the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.

And now, Bill Phillips has created Eating for Life to help inspire and guide even more people to improve their health and lift their quality of life to new heights.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Eating For Life (Hardcover)

Review of I'm a Stranger Here Myself: Notes on Returning to America After 20 Years Away (Paperback)

So what's this then? A collection of columns written by Bill Bryson for the British Night & Day magazine, assembled into a book? I was sceptical when I first picked it due to the unfamiliarity here; I thoughthe was a travel writer. But then I started reading through the first fewpages and am delighted to report that they were so entertaining andaccessible that I ended up finishing the book very satified.

This book isabout America, about consumerism, hypocracy, politics, culture andeverything else in between, such as motels and boring interstate highwaysand the condition of AT&T service these days. Why should all this be sointeresting? Because Bill Bryson's voice shines throughout, dissectingnormally more complex subjects into bite-sized articles which are eminentlyreadable to the extent that it is at times impossible to stop. Of course,his trademark humour is present too. If you read this in public, there isthe risk of embarrassment by your involuntary snorts oflaughter.

However, 'I'm a Stranger here Myself' isn't perfect. Much ofthe book is predictable, and 85% of the time, Bill appears to becomplaining. Someone as talented as Bill Bryson should know not to engagein such indulgence because the end result is that the reader occassionallyfeels frustrated over the ostensible monotony. You also can't help but feelthat an assemblage of brief columns is not enough to make a book.

Although this book is not standard Bill Bryson fare, it still manages toexcel. It really is exceptionally enlightening, to read what he has to saysubsequent to spending 20 years in England. He compares the contrastsbetween the two nations and questioning so many aspects of life thatAmericans take for granted, such as driving from shop to shop when they aremerely footsteps apart, or the blatant excesses of junk food. Each article(in my edition, Black Swan) covers only five pages so they are very easy toget into.

If you are an American, perhaps you will enjoy this book morethan anyone else as you will undoubtedly find it compelling to look intothe views of an outsider in the process of 'assimilation'.

'I'm a Strangehere Myself' doesn't feel like a book, more like a colelction of columnsbinded together. If you are willing to accept this, it is an extremelyrewarding, insightful and refreshingly diverting read. This is enough togain a hearty recommendation.



Click Here to see more reviews about: I'm a Stranger Here Myself: Notes on Returning to America After 20 Years Away (Paperback)

Review of Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets (Paperback)

Appropriately enough, one of the best cop shows in the history of television was based on one of the best true crime books ever written.Journalist David Simon spent a year observing Baltimore Homicide detectives and it is their poignantly true stories -- almost all as funny, heartbreaking, and memorable as any fiction -- that make up this book.While fans of the TV show will immediately recognize the initial templates for such beloved characters as Frank Pembleton, Bayliss, Munch, and others, this amazing book is much more than just a basis for a classic television show.It is, quite simply, one of the most insightful books about modern law and order ever written.All of the detectives live brilliantly on the page and Simon's prose reminds us what great writing actually is.Though this is a word I've probably overused in this review, there is no other way to describe Simon's achievement: amazing.



Click Here to see more reviews about: Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets (Paperback)

Review of The Coldest Winter Ever (Mass Market Paperback)

"The Coldest Winter Ever," by Sister Souljah is a gritty street fable with a lesson to be told.Sister Souljah deserves a lot of recognition for making a point in the vein of Malcom X and Richard Wright's "Native Son."To break the cycle of negative consequence, it takes some tough choices; choices seemingly unglamorous but in the interest of greater humanity necessary.

To tip my hand, reading this book was a stretch for me.I was recommended this book by a young African-American single Mom colleague as one of the best books she has read.Myself, being a middle-aged boring married Caucasian guy recommended to her "Catch 22."What speaks to you is a reflection of where you come from...your experiences.So, she read Catch 22 and I read "The Coldest Winter Ever."I'm not sure how much she got out of her reading assignment but Souljah's book was a mind-broadening experience.

The tale of Winter Santiago, daughter of a successful gang lord drug dealer, is one of a young adult, street-wise beyond her years moving from having her known world at her fingers to one of survival and destitution is a cautionary tale of the choices we make and the consequences we learn to live with.Winter, though a sympathetic character, makes cold choices that in her mind will lead to things in life she considers important...money, clothes, control, possessions.Sister Souljah has a way of weaving the reader into the tale without being heavy-handed with the message she speaks to.

Usually the aspect of literature that draws me in is the writing, and I believe with this book Souljah was still trying to find her voice as a writer.Some of the language comes off as hackneyed and still yearns to be peppered with originality.All is forgiven though as Souljah displays other strengths in a writer's bag of tricks such as characterization and plot.

Recommend "The Coldest Winter Ever," to a young adult struggling with difficult choices in life on the streets.It is just the vehicle to hold and grab their attention, while delivering a message of caution.In the end, Winter can't find it within herself to pass on her tough lessons learned, but Souljah has found a way to speak that much needed voice.
--MMW



Click Here to see more reviews about: The Coldest Winter Ever (Mass Market Paperback)

Review of Seven Fires: Grilling the Argentine Way (Hardcover)

Before I describe this book, there is something you need to know about me.I am not your usual "grill guy".To the contrary, while I have grilled my entire adult life, it was a technique that I never took too seriously.I'm an excellent all around cook, so the grill was just another one of the tools in my arsenal.

However, my real passion is traditional, hardwood smoked barbecue - something that you really can't buy at a restaurant or make on a grill.It is a unique blend of art and science that is slowly being replaced by gas fired cookers that sort of flavor the meat with wood smoke rather than cooking the meat with it.If you have had the real thing, then you know the difference.Words alone will not describe it.

Because of this, the grill to me was only another tool based on inferior fuel sources.Gas versus charcoal?Who cares, there is nothing that special about the taste of either.They both allow you to keep your kitchen cool, be outside and get grill marks on your food.Sorry, I don't feel the magic.

This was my stance until a week or so ago when I caught an article in the New York Times about grilling with wood.The article really brought the whole problem I had with grilling into focus - grilling with gas or charcoal doesn't really add that much desirable flavor.But grilling with wood ......... that is something I could work with.In the article, they made brief mention of Francis Mallmann's new book Seven Fires - Grilling the Argentine Way.They baited me just enough to know that I had to have it because Memorialday was close at hand and offered the opportunity for some experimentation with wood grilling.

I have collected cookbooks for years, which includes a large section dedicated solely to (real) BBQ and grilling.They all pretty much read the same, some good old boy is telling you how to cook meat and make some sides to go with it.Mallmann's book breaks that mold.

First, the book is as much about culture and a passion for food as it is about cooking with wood.Secondly, it is well organized and thoughtful - giving a glimpse to the experience and mastery of the author. Lastly, it is a work of art - beautiful photographs showing not only prepared food, but of the people that enjoy it and the gorgeous land that inspires it.I'm a tough critic of food and books about it, but I can honestly say I found it inspirational.It speaks to the heart first, the stomach second.Passion is thekey ingredient for exceptional food.

I read the book cover to cover my first day, used the next day to strategize my cooking setup to utilize the principles and on the third and fourth days we cooked with wood. The recipes are straightforward, have small ingredient lists and turn out just as described.Day One was Pork Tenderloin with Burnt Brown Sugar, Orange Confit and Thyme.Day Two was Chicken Chimehuin (flavored with garlic, rosemary, lemon juice and lemon confit).In a word, extraordinary.

My bottom line:buy the book and be prepared to never see grilling the same way.

If you want to read about my first wood grilling experience and see pictures of the results, visit http://cincyhounddog.blogspot.com/2009/05/hound-goes-gaucho.html


Product Description
A trailblazing chef reinvents the art of cooking over fire.

Gloriously inspired recipes push the boundaries of live-fired cuisine in this primal yet sophisticated cookbook introducing the incendiary dishes of South America's biggest culinary star. Chef Francis Mallmann—born in Patagonia and trained in France's top restaurants—abandoned the fussy fine dining scene for the more elemental experience of cooking with fire. But his fans followed, including the world's top food journalists and celebrities, such as Francis Ford Coppola, Madonna, and Ralph Lauren, traveling to Argentina and Uruguay to experience the dashing chef's astonishing—and delicious—wood-fired feats.

The seven fires of the title refer to a series of grilling techniques that have been singularly adapted for the home cook. So you can cook Signature Mallmann dishes—like Whole Boneless Ribeye with Chimichuri; Salt-Crusted Striped Bass; Whole Roasted Andean Pumpkin with Mint and Goat Cheese Salad; and desserts such as Dulce de Leche Pancakes—indoors or out in any season. Evocative photographs showcase both the recipes and the exquisite beauty of Mallmann's home turf in Patagonia, Buenos Aires, and rural Uruguay. Seven Fires is a must for any griller ready to explore food's next frontier.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Seven Fires: Grilling the Argentine Way (Hardcover)

Review of Everything Is Miscellaneous: The Power of the New Digital Disorder (Paperback)

One of the central ironies of David Weinberger's new book, "Everything is Miscellaneous", is that a book about classification is bound to suffer from classification problems. Reviewers and bookstore owners are inclined to think of David as a business writer because his previous books - The Cluetrain Manifesto and Small Pieces Loosely Joined - were profoundly useful in helping businesspeople understand what this World Wide Web thing was really all about. But it's a mistake to consider David's new book solely as a business book.

Which isn't to say that reading Everything is Miscellaneous won't help you make a buck in world of Web 2.0. It probably will, as the issues Weinberger explores are core to any business that deals with information and knowledge... which is to say, virtually every industry you can think of. But "Everything is Miscellaneous" is also a philosophy book. It's about the shape of knowledge, and how moving information from paper to the web changes how we organize and how we think. And this means that Weinberger's book crosses from territory like Wikipedia and Flickr into Aristotle and Wittgenstein.

This would be a dangerous path for a lesser author to take, but David grounds his explorations in examples and interviews that are, as Cory Doctorow puts it, wonderfully miscellaneous. We bounce between the lives and ideas of taxonomers past - Linneaus, S.R. Ranganathan, and the wonderfully strange Melvil Dewi - and the librarians and software developers who are making sense of today's digital disorder.

At its heart, the book is about what happens when we liberate knowledge from the world of atoms. In the physical world, we can only organize books on a shelf in one way or another - books can't be in multiple places at once. Frequently we find ourselves reduced to ordering information in arbitrary ways as a result - AAAAA Towing Service gets more business through the phonebook than Mike's Wreckers through the unfairness of alphabetization.

Adding a layer of metadata to the physical world helps somewhat - card catalogs allow us to put multiple pointers to a single physical location so we can file a single book on Military Music under both "Music" and "Military". But card catalogs pale in comparison to the wonders of "third-order" metadata, the sorts of organization we're capable of in a digital age. A book listed by Amazon can be filed in any number of categories. It can be annotated with reader reviews, added to reading lists, enhanced with tags or statistically improbable phrases. The "card" in the card catalog can be larger than the book itself, and the full text of the book serves as metadata, as the book itself is searchable.

Weinberger argues that the fact that we tend to organize data in terms of its physical placement has consequences for how knowledge works. We tend to think in Aristotelian terms - objects are members of a categories, and share the same traits as other members of that category. We can organize these categories into trees: a robin is a bird, which is an animal. We can expect the leaves of trees to share the attributes of their branches, and we expect each leaf to fit onto only one, specific branch.

But that's not knowledge works in a digital age. When I bookmark a [...] it's to my benefit to add many tags to it, both because it makes it easier for me to find it again, and because it helps other people find it as well. Weinberger advises us to "put each leaf on as many branches as possible", building a tree that looks more like a hyperlinked pile of leaves.

This suggestion, along with advice to use everything as a label, to filter only when we need outputs, and to give up the idea that there's a "right way" to order things, serve as a roadmap for how to build tools and services in a digital age. But the magic of Weinberger's book is that this practical advice is also an invitation to explore categorization, language and knowledge itself. If knowledge is a pile of leaves instead of a tree, how does the shape of our knowledge change?

It's questions like this that make "Everything is Miscellaneous" deceptively deep. One moment, we're thinking about how we organize photographs in shoeboxes or on our hard drives, and a moment later we're asking whether we understand "shoebox" in terms of definitions, family resemblances or exemplars. It's a little like drinking a mojito - smooth going down, but deceptively powerful, and slightly staggering when you get up to buy the next round.

I've read the book twice now, and am looking to my third pass through it. Weinberger has done something rare and admirable here - he's written about a world I thought I knew well in a way that makes me realize that there are innumerable depths and implications left to explore.



Click Here to see more reviews about: Everything Is Miscellaneous: The Power of the New Digital Disorder (Paperback)

Review of Ultimate Guide to Google AdWords: How to Access 100 Million People in 10 Minutes (Paperback)

Right, like Google would care about a measly few million!

There are three things that you should know about this book before you buy it.

1.Sure, the title says that it is a book about Adwords, but really it is a complete guide to overhauling your business.Yes, you'll learn more about the intricacies of how Google works, how to make Adwords work better and how to save yourself a ton of frustration in the process.But, more importantly, you'll be challenged on how you think about, plan for and execute your business.

2.Perry and Bryan are not huge fans of "Dilbert-Cube" environments (i.e. nameless, faceless corporations.)So, if you roll that way, prepare to be offended.This book is not for guys that have tens of millions of dollars in their ad budgets and are more worried about promoting their brand than getting sales dollars.This book is a must read for all the millions of businesses out there who need to drive customers to their shops, plants and agencies - now!

3.This is not a get rich quick book.What Perry and Bryan prescribe is a tough look at your business and a clear pathway to get the kinds of customers you want to be the kind of business you want to be.Don't expect to read this book, buy a couple of keywords and have money rolling in tomorrow.Those days are over.But, if you want to capture a sustainable, profitable niche, then this book needs to be in your arsenal.

There is one thing that bothered me about the book.It frequently changes tenses.Sometimes it's Perry writing, using "I" and then sometimes is Bryan writing, referring to himself as "I".It is a bit disconcerting and unclear who is writing, but it hardly detracts from the overall effectiveness.

So, if you'd like to keep some of your hard earned money from Google, and like to see your business become more stable, and make a ton more cash in the process, then read this book.

Product Description

Never before in the history of advertising has it been possible to spend five bucks, write a couple of ads and get instant access to more than 100 million people in 10 minutes.But that's exactly what Google AdWords does.It's an awesome concept-but you can lose a bundle if you don't know how it works.

Learn how to:

• Build an AdWords campaign from scratch
• Identify keywords that entice people to click on your ads
• Get the lowest bid prices on your keywords
• Defeat click fraud and other scams
• Use search engine optimization techniques
• Turn clicks into customers

Plus get FREE e-mail updates on Google's ever-changing system.

About the Author
McGraw-Hill authors represent the leading experts in their fields and are dedicated to improving the lives, careers, and interests of readers worldwide

Click Here to see more reviews about: Ultimate Guide to Google AdWords: How to Access 100 Million People in 10 Minutes (Paperback)

Review of Sullivan's Island (Lowcountry Tales) (Paperback)

This is the first time I'm reviewing a book on Amazon, and I am apalled at the back and forth bickering between the bad reviews and the mostly rave reviews.I thought this book was simply...amazing.I loved DorotheaBenton Frank's writing style, her characters and her story.I read thisbook in two days, and that's only because I had started it right beforegoing to bed.I was so completely transported into a whole other world,away from the traffic noises and putrid smells of urban life, and smackright into the salty air of sea water and sweet pie smells in the ramblinghouse on Sullivan's Island.I felt like I was a part of the family, inthis great story.It's obvious that all the authors who gave anendorsement to this book felt the same way.Instead of ranting and ravingagainst them for giving their seal of approval, I am praising Pat Conroy,Bret Lott, Anne Rivers Siddons and Fern Michaels.They saw somethingspecial in this first-time author and they are completelly right.I wouldbuy Ms. Frank's next book in a heartbeat!I only hope it comes out soon,because I'm starting to feel restless in my urban environment again, and amin need of some good ole' southern comfort, 'eah!Much thanks to theauthor for giving her readers this wonderful debut novel!Keep themcoming!

Product Description
Set in the steamy, stormy landscape of South Carolina, Sullivan's Island tells the unforgettable story of one woman's courageous journey toward truth.

Born and raised on idyllic Sullivan's Island, Susan Hayes navigated through her turbulent childhood with humor, spunk, and characteristic Southern sass. But years later, she is a conflicted woman with an unfaithful husband, a sometimes resentful teenage daughter, and a heart that aches with painful, poignant memories. And as Susan faces her uncertain future, she realizes that she must go back to her past. To the beachfront house where her sister welcomes her with open arms. To the only place she can truly call home.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Sullivan's Island (Lowcountry Tales) (Paperback)

Review of The Gold Coast (Paperback)

This was my introduction to Nelson DeMille and I am thrilled to have discovered him. THE GOLD COAST is a fast-paced, thrilling, and highly irreverent read set in a fabled and affluent section of Long Island. Life will never be the same for attorney John Sutter and his beautiful wife Susan after the most famous Mafia don of New York purchases the estate next door.

John seems to have it all---a good profession, a quirky and sensual wife, an enviable estate---but he is facing the doldrums of a mid-life crisis and needs excitement in his life. Enter Frank Bellarosa, a man Sutter describes as "an unindicted and unconvicted felon as well as a citizen and a taxpayer. He is what federal prosecutors mean when they tell parolees not to consort with known criminals."

A chance meeting at the local nursery leads to friendship, to favors, to Sutter representing Bellarosa when he is charged for murder, and even to perjuring himself to save the Don.

I haven't read as compelling a book about the Mafia since THE GODFATHER nor such a poignant tale of longing since THE GREAT GATSBY, both novels to which this has been compared.

But it is DeMille's writing in the first person voice of John Sutter, his wickedly funny lines, his clever repartee, his upper class snobbery, his ability to capture the heart and soul of the Mafia don that lifts this book to greatness.

DeMille's relentless foreshadowing of doom builds tension with each chapter until the reader is totally caught up in the life of John Sutter, his wife Susan, and the next door neighbor who both enhances and destroys their lives. I'm sure these characters will stay with me a long time and I will often remember John Sutter saying "Mamma Mia! It shouldn't happen to a High Episcopalian."




Click Here to see more reviews about: The Gold Coast (Paperback)

Review of The 39 Clues Book 2: One False Note (Hardcover)

It can't be unsaid that THE 39 CLUES has a pretty excellent marketing strategy going for it. What with having kids who read the series eager to collect the 6 cards that come with each installment and having their parental units buying up card packs to expand their collection as well. Then there's the idea of having different popular children's authors writing each book -- starting out with the very popular Rick Riordan (PERCY JACKSON & THE OLYMPIANS) on book one, and now with book two, having Gordon Korman (ISLAND / DIVE series plus others) authoring. But with all that said, ONE FALSE NOTE continues the story and keeps things moving nicely, but still -- the series feels somewhat stunted.

I won't go into the plot much at all since so much of it rides on keeping the secret twists and things just that: a secret. The puzzles and clues that Dan and Amy encounter this time around are just about as baffling as in the first outing. One or two can be guessed pretty quickly, but there are others that really are a surprise. And more secrets of the Cahill family are uncovered, but nothing to really put everything together yet -- and that's probably how it should be since there are still eight books in the series to go.

ONE FALSE NOTE does have a few differences in style, which are to be expected from having a different author. Some of the word choicings seemed startling as they differed so much from THE MAZE OF BONES. But after about a chapter, it was easy to slide back into the Cahill world.

The whole time I was reading through, I keep thinking that this series could be so much more. It seems like there's a good idea being built upon, but sometimes things are a little too easy for the characters. Last book, I kept worrying that Amy and Dan wouldn't be able to get through something, but this time around things were a little easier for them it seemed.

All in all, ONE FALSE NOTE is good, and definitely keeps things rolling until the next installment. I just hope that the future authors really seize upon the ideas here and run with them.

Product Description
THIS JUST IN! Amy and Dan Cahill were spotted on a train, hot on the trail of one of 39 Clues hidden around the world. BUT WAIT! Police report a break-in at an elite hotel, and the suspects ALSO sound suspiciously like Amy and Dan. UPDATE! Amy and Dan have been seen in a car . . . no, in a speedboat chase . . . and HOLD EVERYTHING! They're being chased by an angry mob?!?

When there's a Clue on the line, anything can happen.

Click Here to see more reviews about: The 39 Clues Book 2: One False Note (Hardcover)

Review of Empire Falls (Paperback)

The elegance of this 2002 Pulitzer Prize winning novel can be described best by one of his characters, teenager Tick, who decides "just because things happen slow doesn't mean you'll be ready for them."Miles, the central character of Russo's story, runs the Empire Grill in economically depressed Empire Falls, Maine.He ekes out a life hoping for parity:that his loyalty to the grill and to its wealthy owner Mrs. Whiting will result in his owning the business, that his patience with his daughter Tick will be rewarded with openness, that his soon-to-be-ex wife Janine will find what was lacking in him in her fiancé Walt, that his youthful failure to escape the town will have some redemption.But the complexity of Mrs. Whiting's interest in him remains out of his grasp, and the dynamics of Tick's life are largely hidden from him.Janine has a growing need for exactly what she hated so much about Miles.Worst of all, Miles sees himself as destined to remain a loser who gives and never gets. Russo explores the storylines of all these characters and others, allowing the reader intimate glimpses into their lives. In Empire Falls, relationships between husbands and wives and between parents and children are never simple.Russo's characters suffer in ways that are passionately ordinary - that is, until everything funnels into one explosive, extraordinary moment.I literally had to put the book down to absorb this climatic scene.That this scene was both prepared for and totally shocking speaks to the author's skill.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough.The characters are lively and sympathetic - even the ones that might be called villains - and despite the quiet nature of the narrative, it is a difficult book to put down.



Click Here to see more reviews about: Empire Falls (Paperback)

Review of The New Food Lover's Companion (Paperback)

This is one of the most fascinating reference books I've stumbled upon in a long time. The 6700 plus entries cover everything imaginable used in food preparation. Most are non-English in origin, but a good phonetic translation is provided. The terms are not just European; this book is loaded with Asian, Middle Eastern, Latin American and regional U.S. terms. The descriptions may run to several paragraphs- much more than a dictionary provides- though many of these words are too obscure to appear in any other source. Furthermore, it's compact enough to be carried in a coat pocket or handbag. If you eat in foreign restaurants even occasionally, this book will pay for itself in a month. (Your waiter will not know how most of these dishes are made.) It is not a recipe book, but it contains every culinary term that has ever seen print. If you are a novice in the kitchen, you may learn what many cookbooks assume you understand. Also, the appendix is loaded with all sorts of useful metrics and categories. The Herbsts' have compiled an indispensible source for anyone curious about what they eat.



Click Here to see more reviews about: The New Food Lover's Companion (Paperback)

Review of A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius (Paperback)

The arch tone of the title and the wit of the preface may blind readers to the real wonder of Egger's book:he's telling the truth.In a world of air quotes and the constant misuse of the word "ironic", Eggersis trying very hard to tell a difficult story.He writes of the death ofhis parents in the most unflattering terms, without the soft focus andbelabored sentiment our culture has lead us to expect.The slow death ofsomeone you love is sometimes horrible, and this story never denies that,or the way your mind escapes from that horror and focuses on trivia.Whilethe writing may be self-conscious, it isn't pretending to be anything else,and the wonder is that Eggers is willing to accept everything that comesinto his head, regardless of whether it seems appropriate. No other bookhas so honestly touched me since the death of my father, or more accuratelycaptured what his dying meant to me.

Several reviewers have written ofthe way the book loses focus after the first section, but to me that is oneof its strengths.In fiction the protagonist doesn't wander aroundpointlessly, especially not after a significant event like the death of aparent, but in the real world lives are untidy.As a new parent Iappreciated the author's experimental attitude toward child rearing as wellas his attempt to create a fascinating life for himself.The quality ofthe writing made his business woes, his menus, and his Frisbee obsessionequally fascinating.The memoirs of a man who isn't afraid to show his ownwarts, but is touchingly considerate of those closest to him,this is akind and engaging book.



Click Here to see more reviews about: A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius (Paperback)

Review of Bright Lights, Big Ass: A Self-Indulgent, Surly, Ex-Sorority Girl's Guide to Why it Often Sucks in the City, or Who are These Idiots and Why Do They All Live Next Door to Me? (Paperback)

I really wanted to love this book, for many reasons. First, Jen survived as a female in the high stakes dot com era, which wasn't easy to do. She thrived and took charge - and traits that men would call "courageous" and "ready for action" in other men, they would call "bitchy" and "conceited" in women. It's one of the unfair aspects of men and women, and I am very eager to support women who do the best they can in those situations.

Second, Jen is overweight and is attempting to be comfortable with that in a world of stick-thin models and 24/7 press hammering us to be beautiful. Again, it is very hard in our modern society to even try to accept yourself if you're overweight, and I give great kudos to Jen for giving it her best shot.

Also, it is always REALLY scary to write your life story and put it out there. If someone criticizes Eragon, heck, it's just a fiction story. The writer might be a little upset. But if you criticize a memoir, you are now putting down an author's *way of life*. Since few of us can claim to live a perfect life, how can a reader possibly say someone else's way of life is "awful"? We are all trying to do our best with the world we live in. So I give Jen a lot of credit for having the nerve to lay her life on the table for public perusal.

Now, that all being said,I offer my impressions of the book with those caveats in mind. Jen was perhaps shaped by her dot-com environment to be snappy and judgmental. Maybe it's the only way she could survive. But you can only judge the book presented to you - you can't try to second guess the author's motives or background or reasons. And while I find her *writing style* to be great, full of snappy humor and well chosen words - I find her *willingness to harm others* to be very upsetting. This is the type of character, in a fiction novel, who bothers the heroine until the point that the heroine snaps, punches her in the face, and everyone applauds. To have this person out in real life behaving like this - and to have in essence a self-congratulatory book praising herself for her behavior - bothers me.

I gave a lot of thought to my reaction. After all, I used to watch All in the Family when I was growing up. Archie Bunker was very much like Jen - only cared about himself, actively hurt others as a daily way of life, and didn't care at all. His actions would explicitly cause others either emotional pain and trouble in their jobs. Jen is the exact same way. Why did I enjoy All in the Family, but get bothered by Jen?

After several hours of thought, it came down to the All in the Family atmosphere clearly being a satire. That was a fake situation explicitly made to show why that behavior was harmful, to hopefully help those who were like Archie to take a look at what they were doing and to stop doing it.

In comparison, Jen seems to be wanting to build a club of Jen wanna-bes, people who were just as pleased to make snarky comments to people *right in their face*. Jen went out of her way to hurt people who had physical or ethnic issues that were completely out of their control. It upsets me a lot that a movement of "hurting people" is thought of as fun. With all the conflict we have in the world, we should be trying to understand and help each other - not thinking up better and better zingers to damage each other's self esteem. What kind of a way is that to live?

Just off the top of my head, Jen lies to her employers. She is randomly deceptive for her own amusement. She actively works to harm her husband's chances at work. This isn't just once - but MULTIPLE times. She complains about how tight money is - but rather than help her husband, she BOTHERS HIM while he is working with immature, petulant whining! Her husband must have the patience of a saint, because if my husband started behaving the way Jen does, we would either be talking to some sort of a couples therapist or splitting up. Her behavior goes far beyond "cutely eccentric" and deep into the realm of "daily torture".

As much as she claims she is comfortable with her weight while she gorges on sweets, as soon as it comes to a real test like being in public, she is suddenly signing up with an Exercise Nazi and trying to kill herself so she can be "better looking" in public. I would have given her far more credit if after all her bitchy talk she did actually go out and "be herself" and be proud of it. if you're going to talk the talk (and a super-nasty talk at that) you better be able to walk the walk.

The book is full of many poor messages like this, wrapped in a fine silk of fun writing and comedic timing. I read a lot of books every month - but with the thousands of educational and inspirational new books that are out there, I would much rather read one that had an encouraging message, rather than one as discouraging as this one is.

Product Description
Jen Lancaster hates to burst your happy little bubble, but life in the big city isn't all it's cracked up to be. Contrary to what you see on TV and in the movies, most urbanites aren't party-hopping in slinky dresses and strappy stilettos. But lucky for us, Lancaster knows how to make the life of the lower crust mercilessly funny and infinitely entertaining.

Whether she's reporting rude neighbors to Homeland Security, harboring a crush on her grocery store clerk, or fighting-and losing-the Battle of the Stairmaster-Lancaster explores how silly, strange, and not-so-fabulous real city living can be. And if anyone doesn't like it, they can kiss her big, fat, pink, puffy down parka.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Bright Lights, Big Ass: A Self-Indulgent, Surly, Ex-Sorority Girl's Guide to Why it Often Sucks in the City, or Who are These Idiots and Why Do They All Live Next Door to Me? (Paperback)

Review of Corsair (Hardcover)

I have noticed several reviews which acknowledge Clive Cussler's writing on Corsair--but I would like to clear something up: the Oregon Files books are NOT written by Cussler...NONE of them were. The first couple were written by Craig Dirgo (and were abysmal btw), and the rest have been authored by Jack DuBrul. Sure, Clive comes up with the story outline and makes suggestions here and there, but the ACTUAL novel is written by DuBrul.

Okay--enough of that...on to the review: Jack has outdone himself here with Corsair. This is one of those books where you either like it or not (for the most part anyway). Face it, some people have a talent for accepting a story, whether outlandish or not, and some want 100% authenticity throughout or it borders on pure drivel. While I'll admit that there are some places where authenticity are stretched a bit thin--but honestly, I don't CARE. Cussler has written several novels that border on outright science fiction (the base on the moon comes to mind...) and yet nobody seems too concerned with that...so perspective, folks...perspective.

DuBrul is a great writer and I've said for quite some time now that I've felt that if ANYONE in the action/adventure arena has the writing chops to de-throne Cussler, it's him...and I'd say Corsair goes a LONG way towards proving my point. Paul Kemprecos has managed to mirror Cussler's writing style MUCH better than Clive's son has in the last several Dirk Pitt stories. Reading the NUMA Files books are (for ME anyway) as close to reading a Cussler novel the way he USED to write back in the day as you can find. DuBrul's style is certainly every bit as cinematic as Clive's but also quite different. He places his own imprint on each story making it as unique to him as the earlier Pitt novels are to Cussler.

Again, the story is well told if not a bit far-fetched in a few places, but for THIS reader, that did NOTHING to alter my pure enjoyment of the latest Oregon Files tale. DuBrul really IS one of my favorite authors writing today and while I really, REALLY like his books with Cussler, I'm waiting to read another thriller featuring Phillip Mercer and his elderly half-drunken sidekick. Please tell me I won't have to wait much longer...???

Jack: WELL done! Now GET BUSY and bring back Mercer, dangit!



Click Here to see more reviews about: Corsair (Hardcover)

Review of In a Sunburned Country (Paperback)

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Bill.As a proud Australian, it has been a never-ending source of irritation that Australia is forever portrayed as a land of beer-swilling "yobbos" who say "cobber" and"fair dinkum" rather a lot.For instance, 'The Simpsons' -usually such a witty, clever and insightful show - completely missed thepoint in their Australian episode.Finally, someone has managed to capturea bit of the character of this great country.He releases it from theshackles of the Paul Hogan stereotype.

This is a terrific read.Brysonhas, mercifully, gone well and truly off the beaten track to explore manydifferent parts of Australia - the cities, the outback, the tropics, andeverything else in between.But as ever with a Bill Bryson book, more thanthe destination itself, the pleasure is in getting there.Laugh-out-loudmoments abound, though perhaps more in the restrained way of "A Walkin the Woods", as opposed to the guffaw-fest that is "NeitherHere Nor There".

You don't have to be at all familiar with Australiato appreciate and enjoy this book.I am, sadly, one of those Australiansto which Bryson refers that has never seen Ayers Rock / Uluru myself.Infact, I have never been to the majority of places Bryson visits.It was arevelation for me, too.

Bryson once again recounts numerous historicaland trivial anecdotes which, together with his unique view of the world,elevate this book well above the mere travel genre.This is insightful,this is informative, this is FUNNY.

Perversely, my only criticism isperhaps that he likes Australia a little too much.God knows, I'm sopleased that he does.However, he is, I believe, at his best whendistressed.Dull and drab places, and stupid, mindless people bring outthe devil in Bill Bryson, and have always proven to be useful comic fair. There are elements of that here - his body boarding experience, his viewson Canberra, and his trials and tribulations with hotel receptionists inDarwin - but at the end of the day, opportunities to vent his sarcastic witare somewhat limited.

Being an enthusiastic and devoted fan of the greatStephen Katz, I would also have loved to have seen him deal with thehardships of outback Australia.He would have absolutely LOATHEDit.

Read this book.It is a treat.



Click Here to see more reviews about: In a Sunburned Country (Paperback)

Review of You: Staying Young: The Owner's Manual for Extending Your Warranty (Hardcover)

What I liked in this book is the first part dedicated to "Major Agers" such as genes, oxidation, toxins, sugar, overeating, hormones, UV radiation, etc. This part, consisting of about 300 pages scientifically discusses all the aging factors, and the ways of dealing with them. UV radiation is named as the "major ager", so please keep that in mind the next time you head for the beach. On the other hand the authors also point out the many benefits of sun radiation. As usual, moderation is the answer...

Not to be missed is Chapter 16, titled "The Fourteen Day You Extend Warranty Plan". It starts with the following "Daily YOU-Do List":

1. Walk thirty minutes
2. "Floss and brush the teeth that you wish to keep"
3. Take your pills (Omega-3s, vitamins, calcium supplements, aspirin, etc)
4. Sleep 7-8 hours
5. Meditate for 5 minutes

Is that all? I would never suspect it is THAT simple...

Another chapter that I liked is Chapter 12 titled "Live the Sexy Life". Wow, say that to me again! Yes, sex (love) is important for your wellbeing and keeping young. Grab the book for the explicit details...

I gave this book 4 stars. To get a 5 star longevity title check the books written by Tombak



Click Here to see more reviews about: You: Staying Young: The Owner's Manual for Extending Your Warranty (Hardcover)

Review of Peace Like a River (Paperback)

I've had to re-write this review three times because the first drafts made me sound like a gushing, blushing school girl.That's how enamored of this novel I am. Leif Enger's "Peace Like A River" is the story of the Land family set in the early 1960's in rural Minnesota:Jeremiah the father, Davy the eldest son, Reuben, 11 yrs old and the novel's narrator, and Swede, daughter and sister, verse writer and an "Old West" afficianado.The story itself is simple: Davy kills two young men who have broken into the Land home, is put on trial for murder and escapes jail when it seems he is to be convicted.Obviously this turns the Land Family upside down and the bulk of the novel is concerned with finding Davy and forging, through necessity, a new life for all. The novel begins with the birth of Reuben, who appears stillborn until Jeremiah enters the operating room: "As mother cried out. Dad turned back to me, a clay child wrapped in a canvas coat, and said in a normal voice, "Reuben Land, in the name of the living God I am telling you to breathe."And so begins the first of the "miracles" which occur throughout this novel. And no, this is not a religious novel per se though faith is very important to the Land family, Jeremiah is particular. And Leif Enger is not only concerned with the hereafter, he's also very aware of the here and now.I've never read a novel that mentions, explains, makes reference to such a disparate set of characters: Teddy Roosevelt, God, Jesus, Butch Cassidy, Robert Louis Stevenson, Bob and Cole Younger, Jesse James,Swanson chicken-in-a-can, "Moby Dick," Lewis and Clark, Moses, Natty Bumppo, Jonah ("...such a griper. Whine all day. Probably God sent the whale so He could get three days of peace and quiet."). And much more.Enger, obviously bursting with knowledge, makes these references out of a need and a love to inform and in the process inbues his characters with these same qualities ( As a contrast,in "American Psycho," Bret Easton Ellis makes ten times as many cultural references than does Enger but the effect is showy,coy and ultimately boring). There is also great Love and caring in "Peace Like a River."The Land's truly love each other with the kind of love that accepts, forgives and annoints themselves and each other as in holy communion.
"Peace Like A River" is energetic, magical and beautifully written in a style that can only be called gorgeous: "Was there ever a place you loved to go--your grandma's house, where you were a favorite child...and you arrived once as she lay in sickness? Remember how the light seemed wrong, and the adults off-key and the ambient and persistent joy you'd grown to expect in that place was gone, slipped off as the ghost slips the body?" "Peace like a River" can now take it's place among the pantheon of similar-themed novels:Barry Udall's "The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint," J.D. Salinger's "Catcher in the Rye" and Frank McCourt's "Angela's Ashes." Pretty good company...if you ask me.



Click Here to see more reviews about: Peace Like a River (Paperback)

Review of Naked (Paperback)

This book is classified as a memoir, and it's the funniest one I've read to date.Growing up Greek in North Carolina couldn't have been easy, but adding to the mix a crazy grandmother and a sibling with a penchant forusing towels as toilet paper makes it that much harder (and funnier, tous).

David was struck with enthusiastic OCD as a child, only to findways to "cure" his tics in college.His stories of life afterschooling include apple-picking and packing, working with jade (not tomention a crazy, hypocritical Christian), and refinishing woodwork with aJew-hating Lithuanian and a somewhat confused black guy.He hitchhikeswith all levels of human decapitation until a rowdy truck driver combsthicket by the roadside looking for him.

Not all of the fifteen storiesare side-splitting funny."I Like Guys" highlights accepting hishomosexual feelings, and an undercurrent of seriousness lines the story. "Ashes" tells of his mother's cancer, and a sense of tragedyseems to sober his usually razor-sharp satirical style.

The last (andtitle) story, "Naked", tells of his experience with a nudistcolony.It's written in more a journal form (the others are written in a'flashback' form) and by the end, you feel strange in your ownclothing.

I definitely plan on recommending this book to my friends.Idon't see how you could live your life without picking up a Sedaris book.



Click Here to see more reviews about: Naked (Paperback)

Review of Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders (Paperback)

Helter Skelter is the #1 best selling true crime book ever because of three things:It is the story of one of the highest profile murder cases in the world's history, even 30+ years after the fact, it is still an amazing and unique story, and finally, Vincent Bugliosi is a fabulous writer.Most books written by non-writers might tell a good story but not in a dramatic way that a true author otherwise might.Bugliosi has no problem doing that with his books.

I thought I had a pretty good idea of most everything that had happened during this whole ordeal that ended the era of "peace and love," but I didn't know the half of it.Bugliosi needs over 700 pages to vividly recount every second of what led up to the Manson murders and every detail of what was done to bring the killers to trial and put them away.This is without question the fastest and most intense 700 page book I've ever read (and I've read a few), and that can be credited to the sheer madness of this case and the brilliance of the deep-thinking, amazingly-talented prosecutor who closed the case and then wrote this book to tell everything about it.

Product Description
A national bestseller-7 million copies sold. Prosecuting attorney in the Manson trial, Vincent Bugliosi held a unique insider's position in one of the most baffling and horrifying cases of the twentieth century: the cold-blooded Tate-LaBianca murders carried out by Charles Manson and four of his followers. What motivated Manson in his seemingly mindless selection of victims, and what was his hold over the young women who obeyed his orders? Here is the gripping story of this famous and haunting crime. 50 pages of b/w photographs.

Both Helter Skelter and Vincent Bugliosi's subsequent Till Death Us Do Part won Edgar Allan Poe Awards for best true-crime book of the year. Bugliosi is also the author of Outrage: The Five Reasons Why O. J. Simpson Got Away with Murder (Norton, 1996) and other books. Curt Gentry, an Edgar winner, is the author of J. Edgar Hoover: The Man and the Secrets (available in Norton paperback) and Frame-Up: The Incredible Case of Tom Mooney and Warren Billings.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders (Paperback)

Review of The Night of the Long Knives (Paperback)

Well Fritz Leiber has penned another good yarn.Its sort of cool that stories out of print are re-released to awaiting fans, because to me its like Leiber is still alive and I can wait for other books of his I havent read.
Well to the story, it is a tale of survival in outlaw lands after nuclear destruction but it is also a character study.It also deals with issues Leiber was going through when he wrote this (12 step program refrences) and because of this some might not understand parts of the book.
The charachters are not as interesting as Gather Darkness (another book by Leiber) but the story while not tidy and neat, does get credit for ingenuity and reach.
Also it is a short story or novellette in length so it would be better as a book in compilation (maybe combined with Gather Darkness).But for a Fritz Leiber fan a must read.

Product Description
"They were two desperate scavengers in a no-man's land of radiation and death. Living in a kill or be killed world. Can they fin a new life and hope? A grim, grisly post-apocalypse story."

Click Here to see more reviews about: The Night of the Long Knives (Paperback)

Review of The Knife and Gun Club: Scenes from an Emergency Room (Paperback)

The Knife and Gun Club gives a candid and uncensored look into Denver General Hospital's Emergency Room and Paramedic Division. Richards has captured the spirit of the personell of the Denver General ER.As an EMTtrained at Denver General and the daughter of one of Denver General's firstparamedics, I found this book very accurate and true to life.It spares nodetail and gives the true flavor of one of the nations top trauma centersand emergency departments.If you have any interest in the emergencyfield, I suggest you read this book for a truthful look into an emergencyroom and the lives of the people who work in the emergency system.Thisbook is fabulous, and very well written. Richards pulls the reader in toDenver General and all its supporting emergency systems.I have never reada better documentation or representation of the way emergency medicine inall its aspects truely is.

Product Description
A best-selling photo-essay by an award-winning photographer captures the day-to-day drama of a Denver emergency room in more than a hundred black-and-white photographs, interviews with hospital personnel, and transcripts of radio communication. Reissue.

Click Here to see more reviews about: The Knife and Gun Club: Scenes from an Emergency Room (Paperback)

Review of Turn Coat (The Dresden Files, Book 11) (Hardcover)

Over the course of the last few books, the Dresden Files has been steadily upping the ante for our pal Harry Dresden. He has become a Warden, picked up an Apprentice, triumphed over Hellfire, captured the attention and respect of an Archangel and shown significant signs of growth as a Wizard.

Harry has grown so much that by Turn Coat, the series has really come full circle in many ways. In Storm Front, Harry was the suspected Warlock who had to prove himself to the Wardens, specifically Morgan. It was Morgan who had to pull Harry's butt out of the fire. Now, ten books later and at roughly the halfway point in the Dresden Files (according to info at his site), it is Morgan who is the suspected Warlock/traitor to the White Council, and it is Harry he comes to to pull his butt out of the fire.

Morgan shows up on Harry's door, looking like death warmed over and barely able to speak, but what he does say is like a bombshell dropping: he is a hunted man, accused of murdering a member of the Senior Council.

So begins the best Dresden Files book yet. Turn Coat is everything I expected, and more, it is everything I hoped for. It has been the worst kept secret of the series that a traitor was lurking in the highest echelon of the White Council, and the unveiling of that traitor is very well done. The highest compliment I can pay to Butcher is that he genuinely kept me guessing until he wanted us to know. The ultimate reveal is handled with complexity and a laudable maturity of authorship.

Many of the usual faces return for Turn Coat. Molly, Mouse, Thomas, Murphy, Morgan, Ebenezar, Luccio, the Alphas and Toot-Toot!! all have feature supporting roles, (though Ramirez is surprisingly absent since the book is so much about the Council) and of course, they are all as excellent as ever.

Other characters we have already met, but know little about, such as The Gatekeeper and Injun Joe, are explored in more detail. I do not know about anyone else, but this book is worth it for Listens-to-Wind alone. He is just an amazing Wizard, and I look forward to seeing him more in later books. Add in some quality Gatekeeper conversations and a real look at what just some of the Senior Council can do in action, and you really have as much Wizard action as ever before. And they are really only a very small fraction of the goodness that is Turn Coat!

Ultimately what I am most impressed by is how much Butcher is willing to change the "status quo". There are some major shakeups in Turn Coat, and somewhat of a change in direction for the series. As Bob the Skull says, Harry has really started playing in the Big Leagues. His power and abilities are increasing, but so are the threats he has to face, as the world around him is getting nastier and more perilous every day.

I compared Grave Peril to the second season of Buffy once, similar in how both characters really grew up all at once. I would compare Turn Coat to the fourth season of Angel: a movement away from the more singular storytelling and the beginning of piecing together the larger tapestry. Both characters somewhat outgrow their PI status, still utilizing the talents but focused more directly on the larger scale. Both face enormous powers behind the scenes as they are caught up in the whirlwind, losing friends and allies along the way, but they shall Not Fade Away.

This one has it all: good philosophical debate, fascinating new insight into some characters we thought we knew, moral and ethical quandaries that exceed mere "black and white" bordering into grey, killer action, quality one-liners and a deepening sense of maturity to the series as a whole.

418 pages has never felt so short.

5 out of 5 stars



Click Here to see more reviews about: Turn Coat (The Dresden Files, Book 11) (Hardcover)

Review of Randall Made Knives: The History Of The Man And The Blades (Equipment & Techniques) [ILLUSTRATED] (Hardcover)

This is the best knife book I've read, and I've gone through more than my share.It must have taken years to pull the material together.It is comprehensive, well written, and I particularly enjoyed how the photographs matched the text.Gaddis has been in the knife business for a long time and his experience is evident, as well as his love of the subject.Truth be told, when I was done I got myself a Randall knife. Maybe not the clear cut "best" given the amount of competition in the current knife market, but they are certainly second to none and also carry a piece of U.S. history along with them.I'm as impressed by the knife as I am by Gaddis' work.

Product Description
This authorized history of Bo Randall and his blades was compiled through meticulous research that included correspondence, original sketches, personal interviews and rare photos - including his never-before-seen first knife. Destined to become the definitive history for collectors, bladesmiths and historians.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Randall Made Knives: The History Of The Man And The Blades (Equipment & Techniques) [ILLUSTRATED] (Hardcover)

Review of An Edge in the Kitchen: The Ultimate Guide to Kitchen Knives -- How to Buy Them, Keep Them Razor Sharp, and Use Them Like a Pro (Hardcover)

Chad Ward - An Edge in the Kitchen

I own two books on kitchen knives and knife skills, this one and Weinstein's Mastering Knife Skills.Chad Ward's book is the best of the two by its breadth and wealth of information and is objectively a very good book.

Physically, the book is a medium sized hard cover, well edited.There is a number of good B&W pictures through the book to illustrate specific points, and there's a central section of 48 pages of glossy color pictures depicting specific knife techniques (battonets vs. julienne, onion, tomatoes, cutting a chicken, butterflying a piece of meat, skinning salmon, carving a turkey, steeling a knife, several sharpening methods, etc).

The book is organized as follows:
1 - Choosing the right kitchen knife:
This section is about 90 pages, so it's a sizeable part of the book.The author goes through the various knife types, costs, etc.Generally, Chad advocates staying away from knife block & sets, and explains that a home cook can do most everything with 3 knives: 8" to 10" chef, paring, and a serrated (or scalloped) bread knife.So his recommendation is to get the best of those.What is really helpful is that the author gives specific recommendations for all budgets - below $100, $200, or "the sky's the limit".Too many books just say "get what feels best".Chad goes beyond this to give a range of specific endorsements.This part also includes 10+ pages on cutting boards and how to take care of them.

2 - Kitchen knife skills:
This section is about 30 pages but also has most of the color pictures in the center section.This is where the key knife skill concepts are explained, how to hold the blade and the item to be cut, etc.This is similar to other knife skill books, but with one major improvements which is a few recipes to practice the skills.Those recipes are really welcome, and because they are basic recipes that can be used as base for a number of varied dishes, they are great recipes to include in this book.

3 - Knife sharpening:
This section is about 70 pages and covers the theory & science of knife sharpening as well as specific reviews and advices for several methods.Chad reviews the sharpening of Western as well as Japanese style knives, and several sharpeing systems (e.g., Spyderco, EdgePro, etc).

At the end of the book are several pages of resources to buy knives, boards, sharpeners, etc.

In short, I think this is a complete book that covers the key concepts of knife skills, but also addresses knife selection and care.If you buy only one kitchen knives & skill book, I would recommend it.



Click Here to see more reviews about: An Edge in the Kitchen: The Ultimate Guide to Kitchen Knives -- How to Buy Them, Keep Them Razor Sharp, and Use Them Like a Pro (Hardcover)

Review of A Hard Ticket Home (Mac McKenzie Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

As others have mentioned, this author should get more press and marketing than he does. His stories are different in such a good way. His characterizations are real, his sense of humor is tops and his stories have diversity. I would also like to thank Amazon for introducing me to this author. I liked the Holland Taylor stories and would like to see him trade off between the two. I would recommend reading just one of his books and you will be hooked...



Click Here to see more reviews about: A Hard Ticket Home (Mac McKenzie Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

Review of Knives Cooks Love: Selection. Care. Techniques. Recipes. (Hardcover)

There has been a large number of kitchen knife books published in the last couple of years but many of the authors seem to be better at using knives than describing the technical aspects of cutlery. This one gives a fairly good balance between the two.



Click Here to see more reviews about: Knives Cooks Love: Selection. Care. Techniques. Recipes. (Hardcover)

Review of The New Steak: Recipes for a Range of Cuts plus Savory Sides (Paperback)

I love this cookbook! It has great simple BBQ recipes and the Truck Tacos alone are worth the book. The recipes are not just steak, but great combinations of meat, starch and greens. Lots of meals for the summer and summer parties.

Product Description
Steak is synonymous with big flavor, but home cooks often dismiss it as "eating out" food on account of the expense and care it takes to prepare the perfect tenderloin or strip. In this substantive take on steak entrées, Cree LeFavour shares convenient recipes for all-American, bistro, Far East, and Latin meals that are big on taste, convenience, and value. Using fresh ingredients and a variety of methods--sautéing, roasting, broiling, grilling, braising, and wok-frying--these recipes teach novices as well as experienced cooks how to cook steaks well.

Click Here to see more reviews about: The New Steak: Recipes for a Range of Cuts plus Savory Sides (Paperback)

Review of Hostile Intent (Paperback)

Hostile Intent is an excellent book that grabbed my attention from the first few pages and didn't let go.Oftentimes in this genre, the author attempts to introduce a legion of characters and settings in such a whirlwind of activity that I have trouble keeping everything straight.In this instance, while the book maintains the convention of several key characters and simultaneous scenes, I found the organization coherent enough to keep track and maintain my interest in each of the various plot lines.The pace was exciting enough to keep me reading well into the wee hours of the morning.This book is well worth the price (free as of this review) and, more importantly, worth the time it takes to read it.In the current political environment, I wouldn't say this book is politically correct, but it is a page turner.

Product Description
The Vince Flynn for the 21st Century is here!--John Fasano, producer of Another 48 Hours and Darkness Falls

"Hostile Intent kept me up most of the night. Hold on, is all I can tell you."--Jay Nordlinger, National Review

It starts with the unthinkable--the most horrific act of violence ever committed on American soil.

Only one man can stop them.

Hostile Intent

Code named Devlin, he exists in the blackest shadows of the United States government--operating off the grid as the NSA's top agent. He's their most lethal weapon-and their most secret. But someone is trying to draw him out into the open by putting America's citizens in the crosshairs--and they will continue the slaughter until they get what they want.

"Six pages into Hostile Intent and I began to feel uneasy. By page nine I'd been punched in the gut. And it just doesn't stop." --Bill Whittle, author of Silent America

Born on the United States Marine Corps base at Camp Lejeune, N. C., Michael Walsh comes from a long line of American servicemen, including veterans of the Spanish-American War, World War II, Korea and Vietnam. Walsh grew up among veterans and intelligence officers in duty stations around the world, including Washington, D.C., San Diego and Pearl Harbor, and even today several members of his family are former or active intelligence professionals with high security clearances. His debut novel, Exchange Alley was a Book-of-the-Month Club alternate selection upon its publication in 1997. His novel And All the Saints was a winner of the 2004 American Book Award for fiction.--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Hostile Intent (Paperback)

Review of Switchblades Of Italy (Hardcover)

The serious collector as well as the curious automatic knife buyer will find this author's work to be extensive on the subject of Italian Automatic Knives. With 128 pages, including high resolution photography of "tang stamps," this title covers topics ranging from the evolution of the automatic knife in Italian production to the ignoble standing this type of cutlery has been labeled with by the media over the years. Detailed information on specific manufacturers and the history of these companies give the reader specific information that is not easily found elsewhere, proving this book to be an invaluable source of information for the collector seeking to authenticate rare Italian Stilettos. A must for the knife collector or dealer.



Click Here to see more reviews about: Switchblades Of Italy (Hardcover)

Review of Knife Skills Illustrated: A User's Manual (Hardcover)

`Knife Skills Illustrated' by cooking instructor, Peter Hertzmann, is eminently subtitled, `A User's Manual', as one could wish that such a book actually accompanied your one thousand dollar plus set of French, German, or Japanese knife sets, except that Professor Hertzmann makes the excellent case, along with almost everyone else who covers the subject, that you only really need three knife styles, the chef's knife, a pruning knife, and a serrated slicing knife.
Before buying this book, one must consider another volume, `The Professional Chef's Knife Kit' prepared by The Culinary Institute of America. The book has only 3/5 the pages of Hertzmann's volume, and costs five more dollars, list price, but it actually covers far more ground and may actually be preferable to Hertzmann if you already know your way around a chef's knife and cutting board.
Hertzmann's book is truly for the inexperienced amateur, in that he covers only the most basic techniques; however, he does this very, very well. Two aspects of the book may leave the professional or skilled amateur a bit impatient. The first is that all techniques are fully illustrated from the point of view of both a right-handed and a left-handed person. Thus, a lion's share of the book's 256 pages duplicate information. The second is that the sections on preparing vegetables often repeat the same techniques for produce where the methods are very similar, as with an onion and a shallot or a turnip and a potato.
This said, all the instruction Hertzmann gives us is very, very good. Coverage includes all the usual subjects, such as how to hone a knife, how to wash and store knives, how to use, wash, and care for cutting boards, and how to hold and handle knives safely. I may have been just a bit disappointed that the author did not cover knife sharpening in more detail, but I firmly agree with the author (and many others as well) that with expensive knives, this task is best done by a good professional.I am also just a bit surprised that Hertzmann does not give just a bit more attention to use of the Santoku design knife and the Chinese and Japanese style vegetable cleavers, especially as the author points out that his first real training was with Martin Yan, and that he used the Oriental style cleaver for many years before switching over to the European style chef's knife.
Even though much of the material is familiar to an experienced cook, I found a few tips which were so good to virtually be worth the cost of the book. High on that list is the better method for finding the best point on asparagus to cut off the woody ends. As I have often thought, the test snap method really wastes much good vegetable. Another rare and valuable piece of advice is the three different methods for dicing an onion, one of which is especially useful if you don't need to dice the entire vegetable.
In contrast, the CIA Knife Kit book goes far beyond Hertzmann in dealing with both far more different types of cuts such as rondelles, ripple cuts, gaufrettes, ribbons, Paysanne, Tourne, Fermiere and decorative cuts. The book also covers using a mandoline in great detail and gives far more detailed descriptions and photographs on techniques for washing, storing, and honing knives. And, most importantly, if you are willing to do it, precise information on how to sharpen knives using a whetstone. There is a fair amount of information in this book which an amateur may never use, but all of it is useful to both a professional and an amateur who is simply interested in how the professional does things. It is also important to point out that the material in this book does not appear in the big CIA book `The New Professional Chef'.
This book is perfect for the person who simply wants to be able to make Rachael Ray recipes in almost 30 minutes (Rachael can do it simply because she has all these skills). It is also a boon to people who like to cook efficiently, but don't know where to find these basic skills (and doesn't have the time to watch the collected 256 episodes of Alton Brown's `Good Eats' show. If you already have good knife skills, consider the CIA book instead.


Product Description
Don't be surprised if it changes the way youcook.Knives are the most common pieces of equipment in the kitchen, yet few cooks know the basictechniques that can allow them to carve, chop,slice, and mince effectively. Peter Hertzmannteaches you skills that encompass everything you need to do with a knife in the kitchen, whetheryou're a four-star chef or an at-home beginner. This comprehensive guide fills a gaping void inculinary literature. 800 drawings.

About the Author
Peter Hertzmann has taught knife skills and cooking at Sur La Table as well asprivately in both France and the United States.He also authors the e-zine à la carte.He lives in Palo Alto, California.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Knife Skills Illustrated: A User's Manual (Hardcover)