The Girl by Bryan Hall

If any of you recall when I reviewed the story “The Vagrant”

I said this:

 “If it were a bit longer, there could have been some more backstory for the main character as well as some more action in it.”

Well, I said that before I knew that it was a part of a series. The series is The Southern Hauntings Saga.

That being said, this story was a lot better than the first. Crate comes back for the second story and is called upon to use his spirit-seeing powers to find a missing girl.

Whether he is able to or not, he sets out to try.

This story was a lot less rushed than the first. Actually, I didn’t feel as if it was rushed at all. It was a bit longer which could be the cause of that. It was a great read for my train ride.

One thing I really liked about this story and Bryan Hall’s writing in general is how you can feel the mood in the reading. He is able to set a very dark mood without making it obvious.

5/5 stars for this one. I really enjoyed it, it is a great read if you are commuting, or if you have time to sit around one afternoon and read it. I suggest setting aside enough time to get it done in one sitting, because once you start, you won’t want to put it down!

Click here to purchase!

Read ahead for spoilers!

The Last Bad Job by Colin Dodds

There aren’t many other ways to describe this book than that it is interesting.

This novel basically involved everything in its storyline: religion, cults, drugs, sex, alcohol, and the apocalypse.

It is an apocalyptic thriller based on the teachings on a cult leader “Dizzy” and the reporter put on the assignment from hell.

From how it starts, you will never guess the ending. I like books like that, though. Very unpredictable they keep you engaged.

 It takes you through Dizzy’s cult and teachings.  Then the reporter gets in some trouble and has to hide out in California. As if the beginning wasn’t strange enough, this is when everything begins to get VERY weird.

The part where he is hiding out felt a bit like a Rob Zombie movie to me. Take that however you please, but The Devil’s Rejects is one of my favorite movies, so that isn’t a bad thing to me.

Then it takes a turn toward an even WEIRDER story line. This is where we find out how life will be post apocalypse.

This book takes you on many different turns. Right when you get used to one part of the story line, BAM it switches over to a different place/story. It was a very interesting read. I’m not usually one for apocalyptic books, so for my first read, this one was rather good!

3.5/5 Stars. It isn’t for everyone, but it gives a different twist on the story of the apocalypse, and I think those who enjoy the genre will really appreciate this read!

The release date for novel is November 13, 2012!
To find out more, here are links to the book:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Last-Bad-Job-ebook/dp/B009OPW154/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1350007206&sr=8-2

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-last-bad-job-colin-dodds/1112889677?ean=9781479301461

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/234441

A Great Foundation - Please Read

Taking another break from posting a review to tell you about this great charity that I was just made aware of. 

the Danny Did Foundation
http://www.dannydid.org/

It promotes awareness for epilepsy and you can donate as well. I'm not going to tell you to donate, because not everyone has the extra money to do so, and that is understandable. 

But, if you could just take a few minutes of your time to look through the website and maybe share it with people you know. 

Thank you for reading, everyone!
-Courtney

The Pride of Lyons by Donald Peters

This book will take you on a crazy ride! A ride that will keep you on the edge of your seat!

Horse racing, mystery, blackmail, male prostitutes, and murder all tied into one thrilling novel.

Sometimes what you are trying to find is right in front of your face.

This is a story about a gay private investigator, Quince, sent out to discover the story behind mysterious blackmail photos. What he ends up finding out is not what he expects at all.

I like how this story takes you through the solving process; it doesn’t leave you in the dark like some other mystery/suspense novels. It is almost encouraging you to guess along with Quince. Only at the end is some information withheld from the reader in order to frame the twist at the end – which was a thrilling one.

This book had almost the same sort of feeling as a James Patterson novel which really drew me in. The chapters are short, and the characters are all well rounded. Quince is the type of character you could make a series out of. He is intelligent and sarcastic, and his story line never runs dull. I would love to read another book with him as the main character.

Overall, 5/5 stars. I couldn’t put it down, and the ending was great. I never saw it coming!

To hear more from Donald, here is a link to his Facebook page! https://www.facebook.com/donaldedward.peters?fref=ts

Hello!

I have finally stepped up in the world and made a twitter for this blog! Im hoping it will give you all an easy way to stay in touch with me and to hear what comes to my mind. 
So if you have a twitter, go ahead and follow me @CBaumanReviews

Enjoy!

Travel, Sex, and Train Wrecks by Julie Morey

For starters, this is not your average travel book. It really lives up to its title; that’s for sure.

That being said, I thought it was a great book. It isn't very long, so it is easy to get through. There are entertaining stories lacing each and every page, and it keeps you holding on until the very end.

It felt more like read a travel diary than reading a travel novel, and I really liked that. She shares the good, the bad, and the crazy. I felt like I was actually there with her while reading this. It is very descriptive, but not to the point where it just drags on until you forget what you are even reading about.

It is wonderfully written, and it is a fun read.

It made me want to travel, but I have to get over my fear of flying first.

5/5 stars!

Grab this book for free today and tomorrow on amazon! I really recommend it. 

If you can't download it in the next two days, don't worry. It is inexpensive and worth the purchase!

http://www.amazon.com/Travel-Sex-Train-Wrecks-ebook/dp/B008NQUWHE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1350067128&sr=8-1&keywords=travel+sex+and+train+wrecks

Out of the Shadow by J.S. Winn

This is a classic Whodunit story accompanied with tragedy and loss.

It is based on a story of a girl named Rachael (I will refer to her as Becca, because that is what she is referred to as for most of the story) and her struggle with repressed memory. It begins with the tragic loss of her husband as well as her being raped in her own home. She begins seeing a Psychologist, Sarah, for help. She feels as though her recent rape has a connection to abuse that occurred when she was just a child.

This book runs two story lines at the same time. Sarah, the psychologist, is holding a weekend convention speaking about Becca's case. This is how we hear about her story. It isn't told in real time. It is told by Sarah to her audience.

Sarah describes many men that Becca comes in contact with through the course of her story. You never exactly figure out who the rapist and murder is until it starts being revealed towards the end. It keeps you guessing throughout the whole thing and really holds your attention. I felt like it was every guy at one point or another. It took me til the end, when it was explained to truly figure it out.

I love how this book was written. I was hooked from the beginning and didn't want to put it down. I was sad when it ended because I wanted it to just keep going. 

Overall, 5/5 stars. This story was fun to read (despite the rough topics) and I would recommend it to suspense lovers like myself.

To hear more from J.S. Winn visit her blog at: authorjswinn.wordpress.com
To purchase the book: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008PYM59C it is inexpensive, and you will not regret buying it, I promise!

A Child Lost in Flight: Moving On After Tragedy on Flight 229 by Mohan K.

From tragedy to moving on, this story takes you through it all.

It was one of the saddest books I have read in a while. It is a non-fiction memoir about the loss of a child. It is very heartfelt and touching, and I am sure it will hit home to all young parents who worry about their newborns. While, hopefully, the occurrences in the story will not happen to them, having a newborn child always leaves parents with a small sense of paranoia with everything they do.

This book was very well written. It was short – only 60 pages but took you basically through hell and back. Overall, it is a story about recovering from a terrible tragedy, and while time may heal some wounds, you need support from friends, family, and sometimes religion to be able to heal enough to move on with your life. This story is very inspirational, and reminds you not to take the simple things in life for granted. 

Overall, this book receives a 5/5 for me. It was very well written, and I was hooked from the first page. I needed to know what was going to happen.  I encourage everyone to pick up this book. It is very short and inexpensive, and the struggle that Mohan and his wife went through needs to be brought to light. You will not regret this purchase.

Once I finished this book, I contacted Mohan and asked him to express his motivation for writing this book:  “I found it cathartic to write about my experience, grief and attempt to move on. The book is intended to demonstrate how my wife and I moved forward after the tragedy, perhaps an inspiration for others undergoing life crisis. Although I delve into my grief and loss, the goal was also to demonstrate human triumph over tragedy.”

To hear more from Mohan visit his blog and Twitter:  http://achildlostinflight.blogspot.com/

@authorchild_los 

This book is available through Amazon as an ebook. You can check it out here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008E9KKCW

A Small Update!

Hello, everyone! 
I was searching around on the gadgets here on blogger, and I found one that allows you to add a photo. 
You will find this on the right side of the page next to the most recent blog post. The title for it is "Currently Reading:" This allows you to know what I am reading right now, and which review to expect next! One really cool thing about this is that if you click on the book cover, which is the photo I will post with it, is that it will take you directly to the link where you can purchase the book.

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone, and keep reading!

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

I am going a bit off topic for this post. But I think you all will be able to handle it. 

As you all know, or maybe not, it is October, and October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The month to bring to attention the struggle that many women go through. While a lot of you may know someone who is currently going through a difficult time with cancer, breast or not, others of you do not.
That is what awareness months are put in place for. For the individuals that are diagnosed with Breast Cancer, their lives are changed all in one moment. 
While some of us will have the luxury of never finding out what that is like, too many people do. 
I want to encourage you all to visit this website http://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/breast-cancer-awareness-month?gclid=CImKy8jC5bICFYQ7Mgod1igAyA and donate if you can. I know not everyone will be able to, and that is fine. But, every little bit helps. 

Note: I did not make that photo. i found it on google images. if you know who made it, let me know and ill give proper credit.

On a side note - October is also book month! So keep reading and writing!

Have a wonderful October, everyone, and there will be new reviews coming soon!