"The Shrinking of Treehorn" author dies

http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-florence-heide-20111030,0,1551041.story

The Plantation Review

The Plantation by Chris Kuzneski

Genre: Adult fiction

Publisher: Berkeley

Source: Personal copy

Book Description:

Kuzneski's novel is swiftly paced but so sophomoric and offensive it makes Birth of a Nation look like a plea for racial understanding. An army of militant black men kidnap the white descendants of slave owners and transport them to a secret island compound. There, the girls and women are beaten and raped and the men sadistically tortured before being shipped to Africa to serve as slaves to black families. But the militants make a big mistake and kidnap Jon Payne's love. He and his best bud, David Jones (one of only two token heroic black characters), were part of a bloodthirsty elite military fighting team. They enlist their teammates for a take-no-prisoners attack on the island. Though this nonsense doesn't deserve a first-class rendition, that's what it gets from Dick Hill, who delivers it with enough enthusiasm and performance skill to make the irresponsible material seem thrilling enough to be almost acceptable.

Review:

This is a great read and a great adventure.  I’ve read several other books featuring Payne and Jones.  Each book can be read alone as Kuzneski fills in the blanks that you may not know about.  This book was actually meant to be the first one, but due to being a new author and not knowing what made a good read it’s actually the third book. 

If you like action and an intelligent read, then you’ll enjoy The Plantation.  The books are action packed and keep you reading until the very end. 

Happy Reading!

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Duke Ellington's Nutcracker Suite Review

Duke Ellington’s Nutcracker Suite by Anna Harwell Celenza illustrated by Don Tate

Genre: Juvenile fiction

Publisher: Charlesbridge Pub. Inc

Source: Shelf Awareness win

Book Description:

It's a challenge to transform the Nutcracker Suite's romantic orchestra into jumpin' jazz melodies, but that's exactly what Duke Ellington and his collaborator, Billy Strayhorn, did. Ellington's band members were not so sure that a classical ballet could become a cool-cat jazz number. But Duke and Billy, inspired by their travels and by musical styles past and present, infused the composition with Vegas glitz, Hollywood glamour, and even a little New York jazz. CD recording of the Ellington/Strayhorn composition included.

Review:

What a great way to introduce children to different musical styles and to Duke Ellington.  This was a fun read and it will be a great addition to your holiday reading.

Everyone is familiar with the Nutcracker Suite, even if you don’t know the names of each part of the suite itself, you’ll enjoy this “retelling” of a holiday classic.  Instead of using the traditional names like Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies, March of the Toys, they get renamed and revamped. 

This book and CD will become a holiday favorite in your home. 

Happy Reading!

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From Shelf Awareness

I saw this on the Shelf Awareness website and wanted to share with you.

Quotation of the Day


The Book, Greatest Weapon in War Against Stupidity

"The book is second only to the wheel as the best piece of technology human beings have ever invented. A book symbolises the whole intellectual history of mankind; it's the greatest weapon ever devised in the war against stupidity."



--Author Philip Pullman in a speech at the Library Campaign's conference, printed in the Bookseller

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Just do the following:

1. Grab your current read

2. Open to a random page

3. Share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

4. BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

5. Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Mine is from pg.79 of The Plantation by Chris Kuzneski

“Not that I’d ever kill a librarian, Jones assured him. “They’re special people.”

Happy Reading!

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Burned Review

Burned by Thomas Enger

Genre: Adult fiction

Publisher: Atria Books

Source: Sent by Publisher

Book Description:

Uncovering class divisions, racial conflicts, and tangled emotions, this gritty, shocking novel of suspense heralds the arrival of a major new talent.

Henning Juul is a veteran investigative crime reporter in Oslo, Norway. A horrific fire killed his six-year-old son, cut scars across his face, and ended his marriage, and on his first day back at the job after the terrible tragedy a body is discovered in one of the city’s public parks. A beautiful female college student has been stoned to death and buried up to her neck, her body left bloody and exposed. The brutality of the crime shakes the whole country, but despite his own recent trauma – and the fact that his ex-wife’s new boyfriend is also on the case - Henning is given the assignment.  When the victim’s boyfriend, a Pakistani native, is arrested, Henning feels certain the man is innocent. This was not simply a Middle Eastern-style honor killing in the face of adultery – it was a far more complicated gesture, and one that will drag Henning into a darkness he’s never dreamed of.

Review:

There are a lot of crime novels coming out of Norway of late and they are gaining popularity here in the U.S. and this author is off to a good start.

This was has a lot of underlying stories and lots of twists and turns.  You are solving the mystery along with Henning because you never know what the next twist is or when it comes.

Like a lot of countries since 9/11, more people are trying to understand Islam and its laws and rules of conduct. There are stereotypes that the town and reporters are trying to break and help others understand.

I liked this book as it had a lot of twists and turns, but not gory and it makes you think that there is always more than one side to every story.

I look forward to more from Thomas Enger.  If you’re a fan of crime novels from Norway or any Scandinavian countries then you’ll enjoy this book.

This book was sent to me free of charge for review.

Happy Reading!

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Take the Lead Review

Take the Lead: Motivate, Inspire, and Bring Out the Best in Yourself and Everyone Around You by Betsy Myers

Genre: Adult Non-fiction

Publisher: Atria Books

Source: Sent by Publisher

Book Description:

“Why is it that some people challenge us and motivate us to rise to our best abilities, while others seem to drain our energy and spirit? What is that particular quality certain people have that causes those around them to engage fully and feel connected?”

You are a leader. You do not need to be in a boardroom, on a battlefield, or on a ballot to have a profound impact on everyone around you. In this life-changing book, Betsy Myers—senior adviser to two US presidents and former executive director of Harvard’s Center for Public Leadership—demonstrates how each of us has opportunities to take the lead every day and shares seven core principles that will enable us to be more productive, engaged, and successful.

From the Oval Office to the playground, cabinet meetings to kitchen tables, in public life and private, Betsy Myers has seen firsthand the emergence of a new leadership model where having all the answers up front is less important than asking the right questions, where strength is derived less from the power you wield than from how you make the people around you feel.

With personal stories from her time in government, in academia, and on the campaign trail, as well as her experiences as a wife, daughter, and mother, Myers helps all of us learn to set the right priorities for ourselves; to connect on a deeper level with the people around us; to uncover problems early when they are still easy to fix; to collaborate with those whose points of view are different from our own; and to push through our fears and live our most authentic lives. Myers demonstrates that more than simply making people feel good, this kind of leadership can have a profound effect on the results achieved: it is how initiatives are launched, profits are made, and work gets done.

Personal, practical, and profoundly inspiring, Take the Lead is a book for anyone who wonders where all the great leaders have gone. Betsy Myers helps us see that true leadership is all around us—and within us.

Review:

This book was very inspiring and had a lot of good techniques to make you an effective leader, but also a person who can inspire or motivate others.  The simple techniques in the book show you what makes an effective leader and how that leader can get things done in an efficient manner and be able to help those around them find their potential and the best use of their abilities.

Betsy uses examples from her own experiences as to how the different techniques work and how their effects made the organization as a whole work better and everyone felt they helped make things happen.

Even if you don’t have aspirations to be a leader, these techniques will help you be a better colleague, listener and person.

This book was sent to me free of charge for review.

Happy Reading!

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Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Just do the following:

1. Grab your current read

2. Open to a random page

3. Share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

4. BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

5. Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Mine is from pg.3 of Burned by Thomas Enger

Her rigid body is propped up by the damp earth; she looks like a single long-stemmed red rose. Blood has trickled down her back in thin, elongated lines, like tears on a melancholic cheek.

Happy Reading!

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I'm Back

Hello My Dear Readers,

  I’ve been absent from my blog lately, but now I’m  working to get back into regular postings. After 21 years of marriage, my husband and I have decided to go our separate ways, but we plan to remain friends.  I needed to get settled before I could concentrate on my blog.       

  I plan to get back into Teaser Tuesday and more regular posts.  If you’re an author or author’s representative I am accepting review copies again, just drop me an email.

   Thank you for giving me time to get my act together and settled into a life with just myself and my cat.  Stay tuned for more reviews. 

Happy Reading!

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