Killer Honeymoon

Killer Honeymoon by G.A. McKevett

Killer Honeymoon is a continuation of the Savannah Reid mysteries by G.A. McKevett.

The book begins with detective Savannah Reid, of the Moonlight Detective Agency, newly married and on her honeymoon in Santa Tesla with Dirk Coulter, a police detective and her ex-partner. It doesn't take long for the blissful couple to encounter a murder in progress. When the actions of the local police induce an obvious cover-up, Savannah and Dirk decide to get involved. 

Calling on her resources from the fellow members of the Moonlight Detective Agency, Savannah decides to pursue the investigation regardless of the blatant lack of communication and disregard from the local Chief of Police.

As the story unfolds, the crime proves to be the tip of the iceberg. An intricate web of deceit is unearthed and ends on a shocking note. 

Having never read any of its predecessors, I was worried that I would not be able to connect the dots in terms of past character development.

I'm happy to state that I was wrong. 

There was no moment that I felt out of touch with the characters or confused about any past references. Killer Honeymoon stands well on its own merits as a humorous and romantic murder-mystery. A thoroughly entertaining novel. 

Skinny Sexy Bride

Skinny Sexy Bride by Jason Fox

I will be the first to admit, I am definitely not a stranger to fad diets, countless body improving books, dvds, or numerous workout crazes. Even so, it's difficult to stick to diets or crazy exercise regiments for any length of time. The biggest problem being, they are too extreme.

Skinny Sexy Bride is a quick read rooted in fact. There is no holy grail here; but even so, the guidelines and exercise routines are simplified and sensible. You don't have to cut out every single piece of fat or sugar from your diet. You're not expected to cut out all carbs or calorie count down to the last ounce of food consumed.

"In this book, I will educate you about food, and I'll show you how to incorporate wonderful, even decadent, food into a healthy diet plan that will also torch fat."

It's not just posturing. The author is true to his words. You will never feel deprived of food. It was even surprising to find a list of recommended foods from certain fast food restaurants at the end of the book that would aid in the fat burning process. 

And no, they're not salads.

The reader will get a crash course in nutrition. There is also a deep emphasis on fat burning myths that are a detriment to looking and feeling healthy. 

This book is amusing, enlightening, and inspiring. I would recommend it for future brides or any individual looking to change their dieting habits, body image, or just have a sensible lifestyle change in general. 

Weighing Anchors

Weighing Anchors by Mervin Block

Mervin Block has written a tell-all, scathingly honest account of what goes on behind the scenes in a newsroom. After having been a newswriter for high-profile anchors at various networks, he yanks the band-aid off the deep chasm of network blunders and discrepancies.

Weighing Anchors delivers an honest scrutiny that is both hilarious and deeply concerning. It has most certainly called into question most of the news reporting that the general public has been exposed to.

From delivering bad journalism to deliberately misunderstanding situations that rub off onto public perception, each newscaster is taken to task and critiqued.

This book brings some questions to mind. Does it become an abuse of the system when networks and journalists are more concerned with ratings than the truth at hand? Why is it more necessary to create a sensational story out of nothing, than delivering actual facts?

It occurs to me that the issues within this book are only one part of a vicious cycle. We, as a society, allow this kind of deception to occur. When the populous would rather have entertainment than true facts, doesn't it stand to reason that larger entities (such as news networks) exploit it to the farthest degree?

I highly commend Mervin Block for taking the time to increase awareness in shockingly inept and falsely hyped media stories.

Pinned: A Kentucky True Crime

Pinned: A Kentucky True Crime by Charles W. Massie

This is a bleak and dismal story of a man named Mark Casey.

Mark, who is from New York, meets a woman named Roxie on the internet. As time progresses, they continue chatting, he finds that Roxie shares many of the same interests and has the ideal outlook on life; they are even similar in age.

Since Mark doesn't have the usual work obligations tying him down to one place, he and Roxie decide to test the waters at Roxie's home in Kentucky. A whirlwind romance ensues. They travel the local sites together, have rabid sex and fall in love. Everything seems to come together as the happy couple decide to live in Roxie's beautiful home.

Of course, nothing stays the same. After relocating his life to Kentucky, and their relationship declining into an abysmal failure, Mark is accused of a major crime.

Everything that could go wrong, does.

Though I understand, perhaps, the thought process behind creating such a story, the execution fell a bit short; encompassing unnecessary moments of banality. That said, the author did succeed in transferring the feelings of desperation and hopeless anger that the main character rightfully exuded.

The Travels Of Ching

The Travels Of Ching by Robert Bright

This story is ever-so charming!

Ching is a carefully woven doll whose inadvertent adventures lead him to the best place of all. As he starts off in China, one would hardly imagine the great journey that follows the well-made doll.

It's hard to find stories composed this well. As with most things, the style, direction and tone of writing is different for various time periods; the same can be said about The Travels of Ching. Published in 1943, it still entertains the young minds of 2013.

There is nothing high-tech or even risque about Ching. But the idea is what grasps a small mind with an immense imagination. The illustrations are simple, with inked lines offering predominantly black and white pages; with the exception of Ching, who remains red. He's easy to follow and track throughout the story.

I honestly did not know what my son would think of this book. But needless to say, he didn't speak until I read the entire book from beginning to end.

The first words out of his mouth were, "Ching went everywhere!"

My son was amazed at the small doll who encountered certain adversity and traveled so far.

Robert Bright's stories have been entertaining young minds for many generations; and I am most certain that his stories will continue in that tradition for many more.

The Night Horses

The Night Horses by Anaka Jones

A cute, ridiculous and completely entertaining story by Anaka Jones.

As human beings go to bed late into the night, the Night Horses come out and play. Who could have imagined such a scene? From getting manicures, to setting up comedy clubs, or creating an all-out disco groove, the reader is given a different perspective to after-hours horse life.

The Night Horses is a refreshing way to tell a tale about different characteristics and potential personalities of animals in general and horses in specific. Through an interesting twist, human attributes were given to the horses as they enjoyed the night life, it also clues young readers into questioning the intelligence of such magnificent animals.

My son and I truly enjoyed this story. As we delved into it without knowing much more than what was on the cover, we were delightfully surprised.

I highly recommend this book, especially if you have small children in the house.

Stuck In The Doldrums

Stuck In The Doldrums: A Lesson In Sharing by Carole P. Roman

This is the third Captain No Beard Story in the highly imaginative series by Carole P. Roman. The first story was Captain No Beard: An Imaginary Tale of a Pirate's Life. The second one was Pepper Parrot's Problem With Patience.

Each book revolves around a difficult and well learned lesson by the pirate crew. In Stuck In The Doldrums, Captain No Beard has a problem with sharing. He forgets that his crew member's feelings and resorts to selfish behavior. First Mate Hallie, Mongo the Monkey, Linus the Lion, Polly the Parrot and Fribbet the Frog, decide to go off and play without him.

As the story progresses, Captain No Beard is placed in a very scary predicament and is forced to rely on the help of the very individuals that he alienated.

It is an entirely engrossing tale of friendship, loyalty and forgiveness. My son, who is my greatest point of reference with children's books, was spellbound. He loved talking about each character and going over the confrontation and what resulted from selfish behavior and bullying.

Carole P. Roman has an incredible grasp of a child's perception. She is able to create an entertaining story, full of swashbuckling adventure, while still teaching a life lesson.