Review: A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway

Title: A Farewell to Arms

Author: Ernest Hemingway

Stars: 4 Stars

Summary: The best American novel to emerge from World War I, A Farewell to Arms is the unforgettable story of an American ambulance driver on the Italian front and his passion for a beautiful English nurse. Hemingway’s frank portrayal of the love between Lieutenant Henry and Catherine Barkley, caught in the inexorable sweep of war, glows with an intensity unrivaled in modern literature, while his description of the German attack on Caporetto—of lines of fired men marching in the rain, hungry, weary, and demoralized—is one of the greatest moments in literary history. A story of love and pain, of loyalty and desertion, A Farewell to Arms, written when he was thirty years old, represents a new romanticism for Hemingway.

Review: The beginning of the book was a little slow for me. But then I started swearing at Miss Van Campen for being such a mean old lady. It's been a while since I've sworn at a book. Some people just can't leave well enough alone. I like Catherine. Maybe I'm just biased on the name tho. :) The end of the book... Seriously just makes me want to cry. Where is the happy ending? Where's my hopeless romance? Why do you have to be so sad and depressing? OK sorry to many questions for a review. Haha. I do recommend this book. 4 Stars!

Review: The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

Author: Alexandre Dumas
Introduction and notes: Luc Sante
Title: The Count of Monte Cristo
Publisher: Barnes and Noble classics
Pub date: 2004 (1844-1845)
Pages: 591
Stars: 4.5

Summary: Dashing young Edmond Dantès has everything. He is engaged to a beautiful woman, is about to become the captain of a ship, and is well liked by almost everyone. But his perfect life is shattered when he is framed by a jealous rival and thrown into a dark prison cell for 14 years.

Review: At first I didn't like the way they went between the characters. However, later in the book I was very happy that it was like that. I really liked this book! The beginning was a little difficult for me to get into but once I did you couldn't get me to put it down. Took me four days to read it so maybe a total of 20-30 hours. My mother picked on me for two reasons one it took me four days to read the book instead of one and the other reason was because I borrowed the book even though I normally just read the books I receive for review. The story line and the characters are amazing! In the start of the book you could really feel Edmond and mercédès love for each other. The book was filled with plenty of awe inspiring self discovery. This book is truly a classic and it makes me want to read more classics. I really loved this book and found almost no problems with it. Except for the fact of it felt like it was missing the fairy tale end with all the romance. But I'm a hopeless romantic so that just can't be helped. I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone. It's worth trying. Amazing!

Review: The Summer I found you by Jolene Perry

Title: The Summer I found you
Author: Jolene Perry
Publication Date: 2014
Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company
Pages: 256
Stars: 4.5 stars

Summary: Kate's dream boyfriend has just broken up with her and she's still reeling from her diagnosis of type 1 diabetes. 

Aidan planned on being a lifer in the army and went to Afghanistan straight out of high school. Now he's a disabled young veteran struggling to embrace his new life. 

When Kate and Aidan find each other neither one wants to get attached. But could they be right for each other after all?

Review: I really love this book. I feel like the story has two very good subjects that it is focused on. First wounded warriors, that's a huge part of this story. Also, a very large portion of way I loved this book. Adian is a young man who just lost someone who is very important to him and some one who has lost his arm.  Second diabetes, not many people understand this disease or how it affects people. I personally have multiple family members who suffer from diabetes. Main female character, I feel like I understand her well. I seem to be always drawn to characters who are strange. I don't know if that shows you my personality or just how I feel about myself. I feel like the author did a very good job with this book and all of her characters. I want to see more with these characters. I really like the cover, It's very pretty. 4.5 stars

Review: Relentless by Robin Parrish

Title: Relentless
Author: Robin Parrish
Series: dominion (#1)
Publisher: Bethany House
Publication date: July 1, 2006
Pages: 448
Stars: 4

Summary:
In the space of a breath, what he thought was his life…shattered. Grant Borrows has been Shifted- in the silence between heartbeats, his whole life fundamentally altered. There's another man in the world wearing his face and living his life. What's more, the man staring back from his mirror is a stranger. But the changes don't stop at skin-level. Inexplicably, he's able to affect objects around him by simply thinking about them. And as he soon learns, he's become the central figure in a vast web of intrigue that stretches from an underground global conspiracy to a prophecy dating back over seven thousand years. Enemies and allies find him at every turn, but one thing they learn all too soon is that you don't want to push Grant Borrows too far... Can destiny be undone? The players are ready. The game is in motion. And the pace is: Relentless. (The Dominion Trilogy Book 1)

Review:
I really enjoyed this book. It's not quiet like anything I've ever read before. As always the characters were amazing. I felt all of Grants pain and anger. I understood so much of how he was feeling. I feel like this is one of those books that should be made into a book. It had so much detail I felt like I was watching it rather then reading it. After I finished reading the book and writing my review I looked up other reviews. People either loved it or hated it. 4 Stars.

Review: To Catch a Bad Guy by Marie Astor

Title: To Catch a Bad Guy
Author: Marie Astor
Series: Janet Maple (#1)
Goodreads: Marie Astor

Summary: Janet Maple's stellar career ended with a lay off and her boyfriend of five years told her that he wants to be just friends. When she lands a job at one of New York’s premier boutique investment firms, Janet begins to hope that her luck is finally turning for the better. Not only is she happy with her new paycheck, but things also seem to be looking up on the personal front, as the company’s handsome attorney expresses keen interest in Janet. However, her euphoria is short-lived, as Janet soon discovers alarming facts about her new employer’s business tactics. When her boss dismisses her suspicions as groundless, Janet finds herself confiding to a cute IT engineer, Dean Snider. The closer she gets to Dean, the more Janet is tempted to break her rule of not dating co-workers, but what she doesn’t realize is that everything she knows about Dean, including his occupation and even his name, is a lie.

Dennis Walker is a top-notch white collar crime investigator who will stop at nothing to put culprits away. When an opportunity for an undercover assignment at one of New York’s premier boutique broker dealers comes up, Dennis jumps at the chance, adopting a persona of geeky IT engineer, Dean Snider. While he may be an ace at his job, years of experience fail him when Dennis meets Janet Maple and finds himself torn between his professional obligations and his personal desires. Will he have to choose between his feelings and duty, or will he find a way to satisfy both?

Review: I do very much like this book. I've never really read to much into anything financial so at first all the terminology had me stuck. But i'm a quivk study and quickly caught on. The book's cute, funny and you really hope for the best for Janet. Dean is also a very lovable character. I hope there is another book after this one thought, because I really want to know what happens to Janet and Lisa. 4 Stars

Dear Authors/publisher's/etc

Hello lovelies!

Please send me your book related* Guest posts, Cover Reveals, etc to my Email for posting.

My email is klearboredom @yahoo.com

*Please refer to the types of books read by the reviewers as to what type of books are reviewed on this blog.

Thanks,
Kati

One Dirty Bowl by Christina Dymock

Want delicious desserts in a snap but don't want the mess?
One Dirty Bowl by Christina Dymock has all the answers.

Springville, UT - June 11 2014 - One Dirty Bowl: Fast Baking, Faster Cleanup is a cookbook with a twist. Another fabulous frolic into the world of food by author Christina Dymock, One Dirty Bowl was designed to appeal to time-strapped dessert lovers (and isn't that almost all of us?) One Dirty Bowl features over 70 delightful, time-saving recipes that can be created with just one bowl. Desserts such as: Chocolate Cake to the Third Power-a three layer/three flavor cake, Cheesecake Sundaes, Turtle Bites, Inside-Out Pumpkin Smore Cupcakes, and Peanut Butter Truffle Bars can be whipped up to perfection in just minutes. Yum!
 
 
Baking doesn't have to take all day or make a mess in the kitchen. With One Dirty Bowl: Fast Baking, Faster Cleanup, you'll have the recipes and easy-to-follow instructions to help you make show-stopping from-scratch desserts in no time. All you need is a little time and one bowl! And, since you'll only have one bowl to clean, you'll use these recipes over and over again.
 
About the Author:
Christina Dymock graduated from the University of Utah with a bachelor's degree in public relations. She has been published in Woman's World Magazine and in several Chicken Soup for the Soul books. She is also the author of 101 Things to Do with Popcorn, Young Chefs: Cooking Skills & Recipes for Kids, and The Hungry Family Slow Cooker Cookbook. She resides in central Utah with her husband and four children.You can follow their cooking adventures at: TheHungryFamilyatHome.com
About Cedar Fort Publishing and Media
Cedar Fort Publishing and Media is located in the shadow of Maple Mountain in Springville, Utah. Cedar Fort is committed to developing life-enhancing and inspiring ideas and products.

Review: Bad Blood by John Sandford

Title: Bad Blood
Author: John Sandford

Series: Virgil Flowers (#4)

Publisher: Putnam Adult
Publication Date:  September 21, 2010

Reviewer: Ethan

Review: A small Minnesota town is shocked when local high school football star, Bobby Tripp, is arrested for the brutal murder of farmer Jacob Flood. Immediately, this opening scene, in which we read the details of Tripp killing Flood, strays from John Sandford's usual practice of hiding the identity of the killer. Knowing Tripp's identity, I was certain that this would be a story that was much different from any of the previous installments in this series.  Sure enough, Tripp is found the next day, dead in his jail cell from an apparent suicide. Upon further investigation, it is revealed that Tripp's death was involuntary which could mean only one thing. . . murder.

Enter Virgil Flowers. He probably better resembles an aging cowboy/rocker, but there is no denying his skill. Despite his unconventional appearance and behavior, he has become one of the best investigators working for the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension(BCA). He is called by the town's sheriff, Lee Coakely. Coakley is an attractive, recent divorcee with two sons. From their first encounter, there is palpable chemistry between her and Virgil. But there is no time for romantic excursions. It is soon revealed that the officer who was guarding Tripp's cell has also, apparently, committed suicide. As you can probably predict, his death is quickly determined to be a murder, as well.

As Virgil investigates, he comes across two possible directions at which to follow the case. The first involves the young Bobby Tripp. As a high school sports star, he was sure to get a large scholarship to continue playing ball at the college level. But an injury left him in his small town. Virgil's snooping reveals that Tripp may have been gay. Stuck in his small town and hiding the secret to his sexuality, it is possible that Jacob Flood threatened to reveal Tripp's secret, leading Tripp to kill him.

The other thread involves the dead officer's secretive church. Perhaps more reminiscent of a cult, the church is rumored to condone strange sex acts, including pairing underage children with older members. This thread reveals actions dating over 100 years into the towns history and possible connections to previous murders. With all of these issues comming to light, Virgil is thrust into some of the darkest crimes he has ever experienced.

This is kind of a change of pace for John Sandford's Virgil Flowers series. Yes, he continues to make Virgil one of the most entertaining and relatable characters in crime fiction, but he forces his lovable character into some of the darkest situations he's ever written about. Rape is never an easy topic, especially when it involves children, but Sandford's skills as a writer allow him to touch upon the subject with a delicate hand, while still advancing his fast paced mystery. This is the best Virgil Flowers novel to date, with a strong web of mystery that will keep you engrossed until the very last page.

-Ethan

New book: Pawn by Aimee Carter

Lookie what I received on May 17! Pawn by Aimee Carter. I love all of the Aimee Carter books I've read so far! She's an amazing author. Although I've already read it. I am so happy to own it! This book was soo good I couldn't put it down till I finished it! Has anyone else read this book yet?

Don't Look Back by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Title: Don't Look Back

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Publisher: Hyperion

Publication date: 4/15/14

Stars: 5 stars

Summary: Samantha is a stranger in her own life. Until the night she disappeared with her best friend, Cassie, everyone said Sam had it all-popularity, wealth, and a dream boyfriend. 

Sam has resurfaced, but she has no recollection of who she was or what happened to her that night. As she tries to piece together her life from before, she realizes it's one she no longer wants any part of. The old Sam took "mean girl" to a whole new level, and it's clear she and Cassie were more like best enemies. Sam is pretty sure that losing her memories is like winning the lottery. She's getting a second chance at being a better daughter, sister, and friend, and she's falling hard for Carson Ortiz, a boy who has always looked out for her-even if the old Sam treated him like trash. 

But Cassie is still missing, and the facts about what happened to her that night isn't just buried deep inside of Sam's memory-someone else knows, someone who wants to make sure Sam stays quiet. All Sam wants is the truth, and if she can unlock her clouded memories of that fateful night, she can finally move on. But what if not remembering is the only thing keeping Sam alive?

Review: I defiantly like this book a lot. It's impossible to put down and it keeps you guessing until the very very end. Amazing book and I can absolutely not wait until I have the opportunity to read another book by Jennifer. You have GOT to pick this book up and read it. You will not regret it!