Mandy Reviews: The Dream Theatre by Sarah Ball

Copyright: 2011

Publisher: Blackbirdebooks

Book Summary:

(Taken from Blackbirdebooks' website)

The golden rule is: If you think it, and believe it, it will happen ...

Anything is possible in The Dream Theatre. It's a place where dreams are played out like pictures on the television; a place that can be everything from wonderful to scary to downright weird.

And you don't need to be asleep to explore it.

Jamie Ellis and his best friend Martha make this incredible discovery when Martha's dog Pip leads them into The Dream Theatre then disappears. Desperate to find him, Jamie and Martha search the dream world, visiting places and seeing things they never thought possible. But when they eventually find him they face an even more puzzling problem. What is the strange, unending dream Pip seems to be guarding, and why won't he leave?

The answer means a race against time to help a friend in trouble and Jamie coming face-to-face with his worst nightmare.

Mandy's Review:

From the beginning we're drawn into Jamie's story as he awakens from a nightmare and sees something impossible. Add his friend, Martha, her dog, Pip, and a hidden tunnel and we have the foundation of this story.

The day after Jamie's nightmare, the trio go for a walk to see if they can find where Jamie's fantastic vision could've originated. Pip gets excited and runs ahead ... into the mouth of an obscurely hidden tunnel. Jamie and Martha chase after Pip trying to get him to slow down. The tunnel ends up in an underground room where there is a big ball of light. The ball is what Jamie's uncle calls the Dream Theatre.

The Dream Theatre is a place you can walk into and enter people's dreams through various archways. Once the dreamer wakes up, though, your thrown out of the Dream Theatre into the underground room. It is through these dreams that Jamie and Martha search for Pip.

This is only the beginning of a suspenseful few days for Jamie and Martha. After the first day of searching and not being able to pull Pip out of the Dream Theatre, the two friends go back to the tunnel entrance ... only to find it's been secured by a local agency. Why is the tunnel suddenly a danger? Who are these people, really? What about Pip? Will Jamie and Martha be able to go get him?

With elements of suspense, fantasy and sci-fi, The Dream Theatre is the perfect children's novel for pre-teens on up. This isn't the first novel for Ms. Ball, but it is her first children's novel. Well done! I strongly recommend this novel to those who want something new and interesting to read.

Blog Tour - Mandy Reviews: The Priest and the Peaches by Larry Peterson

Welcome to Literary R&R's stop on Larry Peterson's The Priest and the Peaches virtual book blog tour. Read below for book info, author bio and Mandy's review. Thanks for stopping by! =)

Book Info:

ASIN #: B006P0EYI8

File Size: 380 KB

Copyright: December 21, 2011

Publisher: Tribute Books

Book Summary:

(Taken from Amazon)

Historical fiction novel set in the Bronx in the mid-1960s.

Take a seven day journey with the five, newly orphaned Peach kids, as they begin their struggle to remain a family while planning their dad's funeral.

They find an ally in the local parish priest, Father Tim Sullivan, who tries his best to guide them through the strange, unchartered and turbulent waters of "grown-up world." A story that is sad, funny, and inspiring as it shows how the power of family love and faith can overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

Author Bio:

(Taken from Amazon)

Larry Peterson was born and raised in the Bronx, New York. A former metal lather/reinforcing ironworker, he left that business after coming down with MS. He, his wife and three kids moved to Florida 30 years ago. Larry began doing freelance newspaper commentary after graduating from Tampa College in 1984.

His first children's picture book, Slippery Willie's Stupid, Ugly Shoes, was published in 2011. In 2012, his full length novel, The Priest and the Peaches, was released and he is presently working on the sequel.

He also has a blog where he posts weekly commentary. He lives in Pinellas Park, Florida and his kids and six grandchildren all live within three miles of each other.

Book Buy Links:

Kindle

Nook

iBookstore

Smashwords

PDF

Mandy's Review:

Cover

I like the cover and how the peach color reflects the name of the Peach family. It's part of what drew me to the book to begin with.

Plot

There are five Peach children, the eldest being 18 or 19. Their mother died a few years and they have just lost their father. His death marks the beginning of the week the book covers. During that first week of being alone, they are forced to grow up fast learning how to survive in an adult world ... from getting the mail to paying bills to getting groceries to washing laundry. It's a tough road, but if they can pull together and work as a unit, everything will work out fine.

To help them along the way is their priest. He is around when they need him and helps them out of a fix or two.

Main Characters

Teddy - He's the eldest of the Peach children and bears the brunt of the financial responsibilities. He learns quickly on how to deal with creditors and budgeting his money to make sure everyone has what they need.

Joanie - She's the next oldest Peach child and bears the brunt of the household responsibilities. Although, she seems to lose her temper more than she can get the younger children to do anything. I read about her complaining about the laundry (among other things), but it was actually Teddy who got the younger children cleaning the house on the Sunday before the funeral. So, maybe Joanie doesn't bear as much responsibility as I thought.

Father Sullivan - A priest who is street-wise, smart, spiritual, patient, kind, loving, caring ... pretty much everything you could ask for in a priest. He helps people see where their faults lie without actually accusing them of anything. He is a kind soul and it made me wish I knew a person like him.

Beatrice - This woman isn't happy at all. She always has something to complain about. She's always butting her nose into other people's business. Oh, and she lives below the Peach's apartment, so she hears every little noise they make. She exaggerates any little ailment she has to acquire sympathy from anybody who'll listen to her ... which isn't very many people. She just isn't a nice person at all.

Overall

I enjoyed the plot of this book. I especially enjoyed the spiritual aspects and the priest's role in this story. What I didn't like, unfortunately, was the dialogue that was used in the majority of the conversations that took place. It seemed a little jilted, not realistic and, occasionally, stop-and-go. There were times in the book where everybody's laughing hysterically and I'm flipping back trying to figure out what was so funny. But, if you look beyond that, into the heart of the story, it is a beautiful story about survival, determination, faith and family.

Charlene Reviews - The Frankfurt Files: Tales of an American in Germany by David Conte

ISBN #: 978-1456536589

Page Count: 192

Copyright: May 10, 2011

Publisher: CreateSpace

Overview:

(Taken from Amazon)

Man moves to a foreign land for a beautiful young woman. You've heard it before: Love conquers all. Happily ever after. But what happens when culture shock sets in and the guy actually has to stick around and survive the experience?

In The Frankfurt Files: Tales of an American in Germany, David Conte finds himself having to relearn life in a very different way as a thirty-something - in Frankfurt, Germany. A humorous and insightful collection of stories and essays, Conte recounts his colorful experiences of living as a "stranger in a strange land." Lugging a couch up a flight of stairs alone after being abandoned by callous furniture movers; immersing himself in the odd but relaxing world of German nudist spas; shedding light on the all-important issue of cream cheese abuse in German sandwiches. As a discerning idealist turned maladroit idiot among foreigners, he relates the good, the bad, and the in-between of his offbeat encounters as an expatriate.

Charlene's Review:

In The Frankfurt Files, Mr. Conte moves to a foreign country, all in the name of love. In a series of essays, he regales us with witty, sometimes sarcastic tales of learning to live abroad. At times disillusioned, other times enchanted in his new home, nothing is sacred as he attempts to navigate an unfamiliar culture, and still manages to keep the girl.

As an expatriate, he acclimates in bizarre ways, such as ordering Thai food in German. Expounding on the idiosyncrasies of the German's use of cream cheese, their love of ice cream, and their indulgent sneezing practices, he takes us on an insiders tour of Europe. He clings tightly to his "Americanism" as he celebrates the Fourth of July, but in the end, he embraces living abroad, and entertains along the way.

The Frankfurt Files is a humorous look at living immersed in a foreign culture. There is no real flow, at least chronologically, in the stories, but they all stand on their own. Add in the romantic element and you have an entertaining, whimsical, happily-ever-after story.

Kathy Reviews: Pretty Girls Make Graves by Nicole Trilivas

ISBN #: 978-0615537122

Page Count: 208

Copyright: December 12, 2011

Publisher: Nicole Trilivas

Book Summary:

(Taken from Goodreads)

Sparked by a break-up with her married lover, Justine trades in college to live abroad, and descends into a destructive reinvention with a backdrop of the underbelly of Scotland, Ireland, and Australia.

Acutely aware that she's not the first girl to experience these formative misadventures, Justine hijacks the vocal chords of archetypal characters from myths, fairy tales, literature, and pop culture such as Medusa, Rapunzel, and Catherine (of Bronte's Wuthering Heights). She echoes the voices that display her story -- the violent exit from girlhood via a botched love life -- better than her own.

She doesn't have to write another mistress's manifesto; Kalypso, one of the betrayed goddesses from Homer's Odyssey, has that one covered. She was never overtly cruel without justification; that's the job of a sadomasochistic Wicked Witch of fairy tale infamy. She doesn't have a penchant for picking the wrong guy over her soul mate; Catherine does.

Pretty Girls Make Graves is a dark and stylized examination of the vicious things we do in the name of self-preservation, and questions the frantic necessity to tell our stories to establish human connection -- however ugly they may be.

Kathy's Review:

Trilivas' debut novel, Pretty Girls Make Graves, borrows its title from a Smiths song, and comes complete with soundtrack suggestions that I think were pilfered from my own iTunes library.

The anti-heroine of the story, Justine, is a full-on train wreck, drinking and hooking up night after night to try and erase the trauma of ending an affair with a married man. She travels abroad and lives in three different countries over the course of a year to try and heal from the emotional wounds. Justine reminds me of someone I could have known in high school or college - she could have been a friend of mine, or, I am scared to admit, could have been me at one point in my life had I made some different choices.

Told from both Justine's own perspective, and the borrowed perspectives of some literary characters, this is a cleverly-told, smartly written story that I found myself relating to a little bit too much. The way women sometimes need the approval of a man to feel good about themselves. Always picking the wrong guy, the one who is taken, the one who isn't interested, making it a game to try and win his affection.

There is so much emotion and realness to this story that I can't help but wonder how much of the author's own experiences have found their way in. There are black and white photos sprinkled in the pages, lending an authenticity to the story, making you feel like you are reading Justine's private journal.

Pretty Girls Make Graves ends with Justine going back to school in New York, but doesn't wrap everything up in a pretty package. In fact, I'm not sure Justine will be okay. If I were her friend, I'd still be scared for her and the lifestyle she is living. Because I felt connected to the character, I really enjoyed reading this book. Justine may have some serious baggage, but she's someone I know after she shared her journey with me. She made me see a little bit of myself in her. Plus she listens to some kick-ass music.

Mandy Reviews: Princess Callie and the Totally Amazing Talking Tiara (Book 1 of the Callie Chronicles) by Daisy Piper

ISBN #: 978-1461006381

Page Count: 288

Copyright: March 14, 2011

Publisher: CreateSpace

Book Summary:

(Taken from Amazon)

Despite her highly abnormal name, Calandria Arabella Philomena Louisa Anastasia Richards tries very hard to fly under her radar. So she knows her life has gone crazy when she passes a note to her best friend:

Lewis -

Something strange happened to me this morning.
I got a message in my Alpha Bits that said I was a princess and I had to help this place called Albion in their fight against an evil queen.

C.

P.S. Dad says you can come for pizza tonight.

On her quest to stop a bloodthirsty queen, Callie will have to steer a near-sighted dragon, decipher an ancient riddle, and learn to command a tiara that talks back! And to save this magical world she only just discovered, Callie must risk more than she ever thought possible ...

Mandy's Review:

What a delightful beginning to a new series...

Calandria (beautiful name!), known as Callie, lives with her father. Her mother was killed in a car accident two years prior to the story's beginning. To Callie's horror, her father has just become engaged to a lawyer. A new step-mother was not what Callie had in mind as a present from her father for her twelfth birthday. Thankfully, Lewis, Callie's best friend, had come over for her birthday party and is helping her get over the fact that her father has, seemingly, forgotten her mother.

While outside, they find a hidden door that takes them to an underground tunnel. As they follow it, they notice that there are drawings on the wall that coincide with the fairy tales Callie's mom used to tell her before bed.

The tunnel ends in a magical land where Callie and Lewis meet a Queen. Through education and training, they become allies with the Queen in the upcoming battle for control. Will they make it back home again? How much time will have passed if they do make it back?

With elements reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland, Chronicles of Narnia and Harry Potter, Princess Callie and the Totally Amazing Talking Tiara will fast become a favorite of pre-teens ... and adults who are children at heart ... everywhere!