Review: God is Bigger than Dr. Phil by Becky Bailey

ISBN #: 978-1257802999

Page Count: 168

Copyright: 2011

Book Summary:

(Taken from Amazon)

God is Bigger than Dr. Phil is Becky Bailey's autobiography. It is about hope, about triumphing through your pain, rather than getting bogged down in fear, defeat, and endless questions. Becky opens herself up and exposes herself in hopes that she can inspire people to persevere even when the desire for a permanent solution seems like the only solution. She has been there and made it through to the other side with the help of a higher power. Today, her life is testimony to why sometimes just holding on can get you through and she is glad she held on just a bit longer. Becky endured pain a little longer than others might, mostly because she is stubborn and also because she is a passionate person...passionate about motivating people to be the best they can be. She has found a new love for life and wants to inspire people to find their love.

Charlene's Review:

Becky Bailey share her trials, triumphs, and life strategies in this 168 page non-fiction, titled God Is Bigger Than Dr. Phil. Ms. Bailey addresses self-esteem, relationships, parenthood, and more in a very straight-forward, down-to-earth, humorous way. A lesson in living life on your own terms, regardless.

I found this book to be a quick read with many important lessons. Ms. Baileys acerbic attitude and street language takes a little getting used to. She is bluntly honest in what she believes, and as a peacekeeper, myself, I cringed quite a bit reading her thoughts on things. Equally noted, there are many points in her book where her wisdom is simply magnificent. Ms. Bailey is a survivor that continues to evolve. While she doesn't claim to have all the answers, she does claim to have the answers that work for her.

Review: Flight of the Silver Vixen by Annalide Matichei

ASIN #: B004OR1TYG (ebook)

File Size: 447 KB

Copyright: 2011

Book Summary:

(Taken from Amazon)

The Flight of the Silver Vixen is an all-girl space adventure that is at once an action-packed thriller and an exploration of philosophical themes.

It begins with a group of wild teenagers from an all-girl planet hijacking a spacecraft and accidentally warping to the other side of the galaxy.

It proceeds through deadly battles with space pirates to a landing on another all-girl world where we rapidly discover that something much darker than mere pirates is threatening civilization on many planets.

Mandy's Review:

Cover

A universal, perhaps intergalactic, symbol for females, a picture of a lady's face in the center of the symbol, backdrop of outer space ... all of these combine to make a unique-looking, but aptly depicted, cover for this novel.

Plot

A group of "rebels" play a practical joke and take a spaceship-prototype on a joyride into outer space.  During their trip, they are pursued by those who wish to bring them back home.  The captain then makes a decision that will alter the lives of everyone on board and force them into maturing faster than they anticipated.

There are two sexes in this novel: blondes and brunettes.  The blondes are the weaker, more feminine sex that are usually taken care of by the brunettes.  The brunettes seem to be the decision-makers (with the exception of the Royal Bloodline, which can be blonde) and in control of situations.  I am curious, though, how these people reproduce with no males around.

Main Characters

Princess Mela - A blonde - The highest-ranking of the Silver Vixen's crew.  She is a princess of the Blood Imperial.  She's young, but inherently wise ... a result of her bloodline, no doubt.

Antala - A brunette - Captain of the Silver Vixen.  She often makes quick, rash decisions.  Those decisions, though, are a characteristic of any captain and are usually the correct course of action for her crew.

Overall

Unique, interesting, engaging, realistic action sequences (as real as a fiction sci-fi novel can get) ... I, a person who is not even remotely interested in most things sci-fi, was drawn into this novel.  I really enjoyed it and want to know what's going to happen next.  I would recommend this novel to those who enjoy reading about feisty independent women or who just enjoy sci-fi.

July's BintoM Monthly Giveaway (#6)

Time for the BintoM Monthly Giveaway meme began, and hosted, by me! =)  I began this because I know I have a habit of comparing books to movies, and vice versa, when a movie is based on a book. 

*I am thinking about having a BintoM blog hop one month.  If you are interested in participating, please email me at:

bannedbookreader@gmail.com

Here are the particulars for this month's giveaway:

• Towards the end of the month, I will post the next month's giveaway. 
• I will leave it open for 2 to 3 weeks.  At that time, a winner (or winners, if I'm feeling generous) will be chosen and notified. 
• I will expect the winner to acknowledge the winning email within 48 hours or another winner will be chosen in their place. 
• This is now open internationally
• You do not need to be a GFC follower to win.  Yes, I would like it if you followed me, but I am not making that a stipulation to participate or to win.

July's BintoM Giveaway (ending July 10th) prize pack will consist of:

  
Where the Red Fern Grows book/movie combo

Here's a little bit about both:

I have a brand new paperback copy of Where the Red Fern Grows written by Wilson Rawls that I bought from Books-A-Million.

Summary:  Billly, Old Dan, and Little Ann - a boy and his two dogs.  A loving threesome, they range the dark hills and river bottoms of Cherokee country.  Old Dan has the brawn, Little Ann has the brains, and Billy has the will to make them into the finest hunting team in the valley.  Glory and victory are coming to them, but sadness awaits too.

To go along with the book, I have a brand new copy of Where the Red Fern Grows, the movie:



Blurb:  Billy Coleman, a boy growing up in the Ozarks of Oklahoma, is desperate for his own hunting dogs.  He scrimps and saves to make his dream a reality, and his investment pays off when he and his dogs Old Dan and Lil' Ann win the top prize at the annual raccoon hunting contest!

DVD Bonus Features:

There are no bonus features on this DVD

DVD Info:

97 Minutes (Color)

Rated G

Full Screen Version

Main Actors:

James Whitmore

Beverly Garland

Stewart Petersen

Jack Ging

Click here to enter for your chance to win ... Good Luck!

Review - The Keys of Fate: Tower of Change by Tina M. Randolph

ISBN #: 978-0984102402 (sc)

Page Count: 216

Copyright: 2010

Book Summary:

(Taken from back cover)

Secrets and mysteries are locked within an ancient tower that the wizard's apprentice must guard with his life.  One simple slip-up puts the fate of the world in the power of a desperate King's Mage, threatening to destroy peace and harmony throughout the world.

Time is running out, and Galax Hanz is the only one with the magical arts to lead a collection of unlikely allies to retrieve the precious Keys of Fate.  But when Galax is pursued by the evil Mage's Bloodwyns - the half-man, half-bird shadowy creatures of darkness - he soon realizes he has been drawn into a monumental struggle that challenges the foundations of his tradition.  Galax will be forced to test his faith and training, which will guide him into the unknown regions on the road to the discovery of the alchemistic formula of life, death and destiny.

*  I won this book in the Goodreads First Reads Giveaway  *

Mandy's Review:

Cover

The forest, moss-covered key and addition of the swirly, leafy drawings combine to make this an interesting cover.  It's interpretation leans more towards the series' title rather than the book's title.

Plot

A wizard's apprentice is overcome by curiosity while his master is away.  His actions initiate a sequence of events that are potentially catastrophic.  It then becomes his responsibility to clean up his own mess by tracking down and collecting all of the Keys of Fate.

Main Characters

Galax - A wizard's apprentice.  While reading, I noticed he appeared to be full of gifts, but had no real talent.  Whether that was due to the fact he had not been trained in his gifts yet, I don't know ... but it did seem a little ... off.  He always seemed unsure of himself and his actions.

Elazar - The wizard over Galax and master of the castle that houses the Tower of Change.  He is extremely old, wise and talented, but often seems forgetful.

Mortighan - Elazar's oldest friend and uncle to Justise, a lady that helps Galax on his quest to find the Keys of Fate.

Overall

For an adult, this book may seem to start off a little slow.  For a child, however, the book would be captivating ... which is wonderful since the book is written for nine-year-olds and up.

There were good wizards, bad wizards, flying keys (reminiscent of Harry Potter), Bloodwyns, faes, trolls ... many mythical creatures you expect to see in a fantasy book.  I will give the author credit in that she created four different types of phoenix ... which is something I've not read about before.

I would definitely recommend this book/series to children rather than adults.

Review: Where to Now by Rod Rogers

ISBN-10: 146200363X

ISBN-13: 978-1462003631

Page Count: 324 Pages

Copyright: 2011

Book Summary:

(Taken from book jacket)

Where to now? It is a question Len Arial repeatedly asks himself. As a personal injury lawyer, in the picturesque city of Charleston, SC, he is frustrated with his seemingly meaningless legal status. Once a dedicated prosecutor, Len is floundering in his own moral ambiguity, and sense of worth. Everything changes with one phone call. His closest friend, Detective TJ Jackson, informs him that their old nemesis, simply known as Billy Jack, is out of prison and back to settle-up. Murder, terror, and extensive world-wide felonious activities are a way of life, for this diabolical, sophisticated, and highly intelligent master criminal. Facing off with Billy Jack, in a frantic struggle, are Arial, and three very close friends. TJ Jackson, the superlative cop, who came through the projects and his own version of hell. Josie Jackson, noted microbiologist, who supports her husband against Billy Jack. Hannah Baktiar, also an extraordinary cop, escaped the repressive regime in Iran. All, of these lives, and many more are stories within the story, each interesting, and desperate, in their own way. In a tale of suspense, intrigue and terror, four people, battling their own internal demons, are in a turbulent cauldron, where the perplexity, of good and evil, intermingle in a clash of cultural values. Who will survive to redefine themselves? Where to now?

Charlene's Review:

I was slowed down, minimally, by unusually heavy use of punctuation. Commas and dashes seemed to pop up everywhere, and confused me at times. I am not a scholar, but it seemed a little heavy-handed. Also, dialect was a huge part of this book, and southern and African American dialogue was difficult to read fluidly. While this caused me a little pause, it is still a very exciting, suspenseful book, and shouldn’t be passed up on these merits. Just a warning that you may need to put a little more focus into certain aspects.

As a former prosecutor, Lenmore Arial has had his share of threats, but nothing compared to what he faces in the form of the criminal mind of Billy Jack. Arial teams up with friends and colleagues from ethnically varied backgrounds, all involved for different reasons, and all with personal demons that have shaped where they are now. An intriguing game of cat and mouse, thrilling scenes, and unexpected turns make this a real page-turner. Likable characters, along with relational subplots add to the story. There is something here for everyone.