Daniel X Watch the Skies by James Patterson & Ned Rust

All's quiet in the small town of Holliswood, the television sets a-glow in every home. But not all is as perfect as it seems.

A terrifying outlaw has just arrived in town, with the goal of throwing it into chaos--and filming the pandemonium for the fellas back home.

Only one person can stop him and his thugs from destroying the city and everyone living there. Daniel X assembles an all-star team of his own creation, but not even he could imagine the enormity of this made-for-TV-villain's powers.


I am a huge James Patterson Fan but this book kind of disappointed me. I expected more from one of my favorite authors. Maybe it is that I am just not that much of a sci-fi fan. If someone likes sci-fi you may like this book.



• Publisher: Little, Brown & Company
• Pub. Date: July 27, 2009
• ISBN-13: 9780316036184

Hollywood is like High School with Money by Zoey Dean

Twenty-four-year old Taylor Henning has just landed her dream job as an assistant at a major movie studio. But when her catty coworkers trick her into almost getting fired, she realizes that the old saying "Hollywood is like school with money" just may be true. The thing is, Taylor wasn't exactly a social butterfly in high school-how is she supposed to do any better the second time around?

That's when she meets her boss's popular sixteen-year-old daughter Quinn, and has an epiphany: maybe this teenager can teach her how to use her queen bee tactics to succeed in the Hollywood popularity contest. Quinn comes up with a plan to teach Taylor one lesson a week-everything from "Fake it 'til you make it" to "It's *never* your fault"--and soon Taylor finds herself winning the war against rival assistant Kylie. Until, that is, she's directed to steal Kylie's boyfriend, and something happens that's not in the game plan: Taylor falls for the guy. Now she must do the impossible-- harness her inner mean girl while staying true to herself.

Quick, fun to read novel. I was laughing out a few times when I read this book. This is a good beach read. I am looking forward to read more from this author.



• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
• Pub. Date: July 23, 2009
• ISBN-13: 9780446697194

I’m so happy for you by Lucinda Rosenfeld

What if your best friend, whom you've always counted on to flounder in life and love (making your own modest accomplishments look not so bad), suddenly starts to surpass you in every way?

Wendy's best friend, Daphne, has always been dependably prone to catastrophe. And Wendy has always been there to help. If Daphne veers from suicidal to madly in love, Wendy offers encouragement. But when Daphne is suddenly engaged, pregnant, and decorating a fabulous town house in no time at all, Wendy is...not so happy for her. Caught between wanting to be the best friend she prides herself on being and crippling jealousy of flighty Daphne, Wendy takes things to the extreme, waging a full-scale attack on her best friend-all the while wearing her best, I'm-so-happy-for-you smile-and ends up in way over her head.

Rosenfeld has a knack for exposing the not-always-pretty side of being best friends--in writing that is glittering and diamond-sharp. I'M SO HAPPY FOR YOU is a smart, darkly humorous, and uncannily dead-on novel about female friendship.


This is a fast paced, easy book to read. This is the story about two best friends and what happens when your best friend starts getting everything you desire. I would recommend this book.


Publisher: Little, Brown & Company
Pub. Date: July 29, 2009
ISBN-13: 9780316044509
288pages

The Death of a Pope by Piers Paul Read

Description:

Juan Uriarte, a handsome and outspoken Spanish ex-priest, seems to be the model of nonviolence and compassion for the poor and downtrodden. So why is he on trial, accused of terrorist activities? His worldwide Catholic charitable outreach program is suspected of being a front for radicals. The trial is covered by Kate Ramsay, a young British reporter, who sets out to uncover the truth about Uriarte and his work. She travels with him to Africa to see his work first hand but soon finds herself attracted to him.
Meanwhile an international conspiracy is growing, one that reaches into the Vatican itself. When the death of Pope John Paul II brings about the conclave that will elect Joseph Ratzinger as Pope Benedict XVI, a terrorist plot involving blackmail, subterfuge, and mass murder begins to fall into place... a plot that could spell disaster for the Catholic Church and the world.
Piers Paul Read's powerful tale combines vivid characters, high drama, love, betrayal, faith, and redemption in a story of intrigue, church espionage, and an attempt to destroy the longest continuous government in the world the Papacy. The Death of a Pope races toward an unexpected and unforgettable conclusion.


This is the first time I read a novel by this author. I couldn’t put this book down. This novel is a great page turner and a quick read.Great characters and interesting plot. I would recommend this book.


• Hardcover: 215 pages
• Publisher: Ignatius Press (May 15, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1586172956
• ISBN-13: 978-1586172954

End of Grace by K. Thomas Murphy

Description:

An incident in computer specialist Rick Macey's past has put him on the path of revenge. If his plan is successful, the object of his wrath, the Church of the Latter-Day Saints, could lose millions of dollars and thousands of members. What Rick cannot foresee are the sinister ways this church will react when threatened.
Mormons begin receiving letters that question the validity of their gospel and inform them that loved-ones have been baptized into an alternative faith. It's an assault on the authority of the church,and more importantly, it's beginning to impact church revenues. The Mormon leadership dispatches Kay Summers, a young but capable administrative assistant, to Oregon, where she finds and follows a thread leading to Rick.
Unbeknownst to her, they've also dispatched agents from the church's secret army, the Danite Knights, to follow her to the source of the problem and fix it - permanently.
Initially, Rick and Kay play cat and mouse, each trying to find out what the other knows, while in the shadows the Danites use limitless resources preparing to stop not only the letters, but anybody involved with them. Soon, mysterious deaths and close calls start happening. Rick and Kay, the two erstwhile adversaries become a team; ultimately running for their lives, desperately trying to put the puzzle together as they stay one step ahead of the tempest Rick has awakened.


Another first time author for me which I truly enjoyed reading. What an awesome job this author did with this novel. I learned some things I didn’t know about the Church of Latter-Day Saints. Interesting characters and a captivating plot. I am looking forward to read more by this author. I highly recommend this book.


• Paperback: 383 pages
• Publisher: MC2 Inc.; 1ST edition (2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0578020629
• ISBN-13: 978-0578020624

Book Giveaway June 17th - June 24th

Book Giveaway

SWIMSUIT BY JAMES PATTERSON AND MAXINE PAETRO

Synopsis

Syd, a breathtakingly beautiful supermodel on a photo shoot in Hawaii, disappears. Fearing the worst, her parents travel to Hawaii to investigate for themselves, never expecting the horror that awaits them.

LA Times reporter Ben Hawkins is conducting his own research into the case, hoping to help the victim and get an idea for his next bestseller. With no leads and no closer to uncovering the kidnapper's identity than when he stepped off the plane, Ben gets a shocking visit that pushes him into an impossible-to-resist deal with the devil.

A heart-pounding story of fear and desire, SWIMSUIT transports readers to a chilling new territory where the collision of beauty and murder transforms paradise into a hell of unspeakable horrors. (barnesandnoble.com)

Thanks to Miriam and Hachette Book Group, I have 1 copy of the soon to be released summer blockbuster SWIMSUIT by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro.


Rules:

To enter the giveaway you must leave a comment. Please leave your email address otherwise we will not be able to get in touch with the winners.

Winners will be drawn Wednesday, June 24th at Noon Eastern Time and posted June 25th. Winners will be contacted by email and have until Sunday, July 5th to contact us via email with their mailing addresses. If the winner has not contacted us by the due date, we will be randomly choose another winner as this is only fair to the other participants.

Alternate winners will be drawn by Monday at Noon.

•Winners will be chosen using random.org!
Ways to earn extra entries:

+1 for commenting on the giveaway post
+3 for being a follower of my blog
(Please indicate this in your comment.)
+2 for comments on my other book reviews
+2 More Entry: Post this Giveaway on your blog


*Feel free to contact me via email at barras31063@yahoo.com should you have any questions*


Winner has been chosen!!

Congrats to bridget3420 for winning Swimsuit

Thank you to everyone who entered my giveaway!

Wrongsized by Larry Solomon

Synopsis

Local Man Loses 27 Jobs In One Month

What do Barak Obama, Jack Kevorkian, Mother Theresa, Bill Gates, Fran Dresher, John Wayne Bobbitt, Jane Fonda, Dr. Phil, Madonna, and Rush Limbaugh have in common? They, and beaucoup others, are interwoven into this timely and hilarious saga about becoming chronically unemployed in 26 easy steps.

Currently, hundreds of thousands of people are losing their jobs per month. Are you one of them? Do you know someone who just lost his or her job? Is your boss a total jerk?

Wrongsized is a somewhat true story of what happened to me when I found myself in the same situation. Basically, it sucks. While I was off, I started making notes on alternative jobs to look for, and these notes became the basis for Wrongsized. When you have finished reading Wrongsized, you can spend some more time following the tips I have cleverly included to broaden your job search scope. Or, you can color the drawings. Your call.

I make this pledge of 100% guaranteed satisfaction...

If you are not satisfied with the contents of this book; if it did not lead you on the course of gainful employment; or, for any reason whatsoever you did not laugh your ass off, you may contact me and I will feel really, really, bad. (barnesandnoble.com)


With unemployment on the rise, this book will give you a different outlook on life. This book is extremely funny. I was laughing out loud a few times while reading. It is a quick fun read and will recommend this book to anyone who needs a few laughs.


• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Outskirts Press (March 30, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1432723472
• ISBN-13: 978-1432723477
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches

Gifts of War by Mackenzie Ford

Synopsis
During the Christmas Truce of 1914, Hal Montgomery, a British soldier, is given a photo by a German soldier, Wilhelm Wetzlar, and they make a pact. Hal promises to find his enemy’s English girlfriend, Samantha, and let her know her fiancé is alive and thinking of her. Several weeks later, Hal—now injured—is discharged from the army and goes to Stratford on Avon to fulfill his promise. But things take an unexpected turn when he meets the woman in the photo and falls in love with her himself. As their romance blossoms, Sam shares with Hal her most private confidence: Her newborn son is of German lineage, information that threatens her reputation and her job as a schoolteacher. Fearful that he will lose Sam, Hal holds tight to the secret–and the photograph–that brought them together.

The scene shifts to London, where Hal becomes involved with military intelligence and is introduced to Sam’s sisters and a different kind of secrecy. Against the broader landscape of England in wartime, Gifts of War captures the era and the fates of men and women caught in the sweep of history. A vivid tale of romance, adventure, and intrigue, the novel is a remarkable narrative that explores what made War World I so tragic, so revolutionary, and so exciting. It also announces a gifted new novelist. (barnesandnoble.com)



Gifts of War is set during World War I, beginning with the Christmas Truce of 1914, ending in 1919 during the period of the Paris Peace Conference. The story is about war and romance. This is a fast paced read and I didn’t want to stop reading. I was only disappointed in the ending of the novel.

• Hardcover: 464 pages
• Publisher: Nan A. Talese (July 7, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385528957
• ISBN-13: 978-0385528955

Man Overboard by Sandy Mason

Description
Author Sandy Mason releases Man Overboard, the second in his series of Johnny Donohue adventures. Using his wit and sometimes sarcastic look at life, Johnny gets involved in all sorts of adventures and affairs that make his escape to the simple life in a Florida marina not so simple. On Florida’s beautiful gulf coast, an experienced sailor suddenly goes missing at sea. His disappearance leads to a trail of money laundering, stolen boats, drug smuggling and kidnapping. Johnny Donohue and his ex-cop buddy Lonnie Turner work the case and become entangled in a Mexican drug ring with a penchant for violence. While Johnny uncovers some of his family secrets, his Latino lover is doing some investigating of her own as an undercover reporter. Filled with danger and suspense along with a few twists and turns, Man Overboard brings together the best and the worst facets of Florida life. There is intrigue, romance, sailing, drugs, cops and criminals as the story unfolds. Throw in some introspective dialogue and you have a pretty good story. (www.amazon.com)

I truly enjoyed this novel. The characters are believable and you are able to relate to them. I definitely would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good mystery and romance. This novel kept my attention from start to the end and I am looking forward to read more books by this Author. This book is a great beach read.

• Paperback: 230 pages
• Publisher: BookSurge Publishing (April 16, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1439233845
• ISBN-13: 978-1439233849

Bound to Please by Lilli Feisty

Synopsis
FROM FANTASY TO ECSTASY

Ruby Scott is a beautiful, quiet event planner who leads an oh-so-respectable life. Yet the things that go on in her secret fantasies are anything but. She has every intention of keeping her hidden desires under wraps-until she meets a gorgeous, hard-muscled man ten years her junior. Mark St. Crow is a gifted, up-and-coming musician who collects erotic art and loves to "play" women as much as his piano. After one night of uninhibited passion, Ruby realizes there's no turning back. But as she surrenders to her deepest needs and lets Mark control every forbidden thrill, her passion for him builds. Can the wild, intoxicating nights they share lead to a love that will last forever?


This book is HOT, HOT, HOT. I read it in one day and didn’t want it to finish. This is an easily believable erotica which includes D/S scenes. This novel has a great story and the characters and the scenes are very believable. I definitely will be looking forward to more books from this Author.

# Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
# Publisher: Forever (May 1, 2009)
# Language: English
# ISBN-10: 0446541923
# ISBN-13: 978-0446541923