Overcoming the Fear of the Journey

I am not quite certain what the theme of this post is. There is so much that I have going through my head, my life, and my dreams that it may seem a bit jumbled. I promise that if you bear with me for a minute something good will come from this. 

(The above picture I took on a sea kayak trip just off the coast of La Paz, Mexico)

"I knew that if I allowed fear to overtake me, my journey was doomed." - Cheryl Strayed "Wild"

There are so many places that I had imagined I would have seen by this point in my life. If you had spoken to me a decade ago as I was graduating from high school I would have informed you that I was basically going to conquer the planet in the next five years. 

So far, just getting a Bachelor Degree seems to be a lofty goal. 

My move to Portland has proven a few things to me:

1) Moving to a city does not mean that I am not still secluded

2) Going back to school does not actually mean that I will magically like it this time around.

3) There is choice in every thing that we do in this life - EVERYTHING

4) When an opportunity presents itself - do not hesitate

5) Moving backwards to be a person you used to be can be extremely damaging, yet moving forward to be a person that you never wanted to be can be just as harmful.

6) At no point should you pay more than $700 to live in a small hotel room.

7) One must leave ones apartment to experience the world when one is trying to conquer it.

8) I am only ever as secluded as I want myself to be

Lessons I have learned - some more than once now - and find that I do not regret my time here in this city, that quite frankly is just a little baby when it comes to having a personality of its own. Going to school here has been fine. If I could get a BS only taking writing classes, and at no point having to take a Shakespeare or poetry class, than this would go much smoother for me. Basically, I just like my writing classes. But those classes have afforded me with a few things that I find invaluable, not only to my craft, but to life in general. 

1) I am fully capable of making this a living - I just am going to have to put my whole being and copious amounts of blood, sweat, and tears into it to do so. 

2) Fiction is a bit like playing the game "two lies and a truth" (the brother game to two truths and a lie). There is truth in the stories I can tell. If I do it right, there will be anything from profound truth that my readers will find stays with them after they are finished, to funny/ light-hearted truths that will get a chuckle, a head nod, and maybe even spark an internet meme. 

3) There is a point at which knowing a character, and engrossing myself in their life is too much. Self experimentation is not always the best way to deepen the connection. 

I recently learned the hard way that my craft has a downside - if I let it. I was in the process of deciding that I was going to take a break from Portland, and feeling a little sorry for myself, and also writing everyday for not only my class but my own personal goal to do so, when I made the decision to do an experiment. In part for research into a story I was writing and in part because, it fed my loneliness and slight depression. I wanted to prove something to myself, even if I was going to be hurt in the end. 

The story I was working on at the time involved a woman living alone in the city (sound familiar?) who is witness to a crime and is kidnapped by the perpetrator. She has minimal contact with people, even her family, and knows that she will not be missed. So, of course she must kick ass and save herself, but when she returns she realizes that the entire time she is gone (which is like a month) not one person noticed her absence or worried about her even in the slightest. The rest of the story is about her going into witness protection while trying to build a life of meaning.

My experiment basically involved me not initiating contact with anyone that I consider close to me. These people mainly consisted of immediate family members and my four best friends. These are the people that I would assume would miss me if anyone snatched me off the street. After the first week of silence I was getting a bit ticked-off. What the hell kind of loved ones are these? That is when I went one farther and decided that I would only answer back to any communication if it was a second phone call. That meant that any emails or texts may as well not have happened. I wanted to know how a true absence would affect my relationship with any of these people. 

I made it a little over two and a half weeks before my friend, Karin, called me. The worst thing is that she only called me because I am staying with her pretty soon when I go to Utah for an old roommates wedding and she wanted to know the exact dates I was planning on flying in and out. There was no concern for my safety, just wanting to know when she needed to get me. 

As you might imagine, this test was a major blow to an already shaky ego. NO ONE would miss me if I disappeared today, until the rent check didn't get sent in and my land lord finally called my next of kin to track me down. 

I have become a victim of my own anti-social shyness. Everyone that I know lives in a different state than I do. I have lived here for six months now and, conscience or not, I have made exactly zero friends. I leave my classes with talking to little or no classmates. I chat politely in my church meetings, leave immediately, go to no extra activities, and lets be honest - I can recognize maybe a handful of them in a setting outside of church, and I know maybe a quarter of those people's names. I spend an awful lot of my free time in my apartment.  I really only leave to go on my jogs, go to Powell's for author events (which is actually something I am really going to miss because they have really good ones here), or am going to school. Part of it is due to me not being able to find a job here, which means I am living off student loans, which means I have no money.

Mostly though, I made a bad choice. I set myself outside of my immediate community, and set up an outside community that is too far away to be more than an encouraging phone call for a few minutes a day.

And it is all my own fault - my choice.

I am always only as alone as I wish to be.

While this was all going down most of my time was then taken up my reading and writing and entirely too much Netflix. I wanted to escape my life, still do a little, and indulged that with more than a few internet searches on places around the world that I want to go... I want to lose myself in, because losing myself in a foreign country seems so much more legitimate than being lost in Portland, OR. The whole time yearning to go, and knowing that I have exactly zero money to get myself there.

Finally, two things happened. First, I realized that if I want to be connected to others, than I have to do the connecting. I am my own responsibility. The more I was thinking and focusing on how alone I was - the more alone I became. I finally pulled myself out of the rut... well, I AM pulling myself out of the rut. Second, I read  a book that has been in my bookshelf for an unknown amount of time. I have no recollection of ever getting this book. I remember meeting the author for a different book she wrote, but not for the one I read. 

The book is called "Wild" by: Cheryl Strayed. It is awesome and inspiring. 

Cheryl lost her mother in her early 20's and part of her healing from that was to hike the Pacific Crest Trail by herself. The Pacific Crest Trail is a trail that goes from the border of Mexico to the border of Canada (it may go a little inside Canada). This appealed to me because I would love to hike the PCT. It is on my bucket list. Her account of her summer trekking from somewhere just before the High Sierra Mountains to the Columbia River that serves as the border between Washington and Oregon was well written and engaging. I read it in just over three sittings. 

I recommend this book to everyone.

The whole time I was reading this I kept asking myself if I could do it. Could I go and backpack across the country by myself? I want to... not sure if I actually could. I would definitely love to do it on with a friend or two. 

The best thing about the book came to me on pg# 51 when she says, "I knew that if I allowed fear to overtake me, my journey was doomed."

There are times that I am reading when things are just so poignant to me. This is something that I think will stay with me for a long time. 

I sometimes wish that that fear that always seems to rear its ugly head when ever I want to go and do the adventures that I want to do would just not come. That I would not think twice about saying yes to. That comfort zone is soooooooo appealing. Fear is the most dangerous thing in this life I think. Fear can block so much truth. It is so worth it to overcome the fear. This life is so full of possibilities that to be bogged down for too long will only foster more fear. 

I am a true believer of the concept of "Like attracts like". I have written about it on here a couple of times. I would say that in this case, the more fear you overcome and work around, the more fearless you will become. But the more you let your fear grow, the more fearful you will be. 

I am here to tell you, that it is my goal, and hope yours now too, to overcome that crippling fear. 

The journey of this life it too precious to squander. We are of infinite potential. I must (We must) set aside the fear.

"Second Hand Spirits" "In a Witch's Wardrobe" & "Tarnished and Torn" by: Juliette Blackwell

Every so often I come across a series of books that I love and end up reading all of the books in the series even if I didn't start at the beginning. The Witchcraft Mystery series by Juliet Blackwell is one of those. They are not long, complicated books. I would put them in the "Bubblegum Mystery" category. They are just fun, easy literature that adds a little dessert to my day. :) 

The opening book to this is Secondhand Spirits and it introduces us to the main character Lily Ivory and her vintage clothing store she has recently opened up in San Francisco. She gets herself into a bit of trouble trying to rid a neighborhood of evil, but finds a bit of a family in the process. 

There are a few books between the first installment and In a Witch's Wardrobe but since there are only a few things that are continual in all of them, that didn't seem important. I actually read this book before Secondhand Spirits and fell in love with it all the same. 

In this one Lily attends an Art Deco Ball that gets her into trouble. She is like a supernatural "Murder She Wrote". Helping and hindering the local police at the same time while in the end catching the culprit almost all on her own.

Tarnished and Torn is the latest book in the series and has Lily attending an antique jewelry fair and in the process gets mixed up in what may - or may not - be a modern witch hunt! She gets to show us why she is one of the best witches in the business. 

One of my favorite things about this series is her side kick ... a pig who is actually a gargoyle thing. 

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes mysteries. I can't think of anything that would make it inappropriate for any particular age group, but I would say High School or above just for comprehension and being able to relate.  

"The Book of Blood and Shadow" By: Robin Wasserman

"The Book of Blood and Shadow" by: Robin Wasserman

The Book Jacket:

" "You don't even know that you're living in a before until you wake up one day and you find yourself in an after."

One night. One body, Broken in a pool of blood.
One killer, lost in the shadows. One girl, left behind. Left alone, to face the consequences. To find the truth. To avenge the dead.

One night is all it takes to change Nora Kane's life forever. Her best friend is dead;her boyfriend has vanished. And the trail of blood leads straight back to her: The person who might be responsible. The person who might be next.

Desperate to save the people she loves and determined to find justice for the ones she's lost, Nora unearths a dark web of secret societies and shadowy conspirators, all driven by a mad desire to possess something that might not even exist. Something to which Nora herself might hold the key. It turns out her night of blood is just one piece in a puzzle that spans continents and centuries-and solving it may be the only way she can save her own life."

I am a bibliophile. Unfortunately for my bank account, maybe I am too much of one. I will soak in the written word anyway that I can. Including listening to it. "The Book of Blood and Shadow" was one such unabridged audio books.

The thing about audio books is that they are LONG. Probably because they can not speak out loud as fast as I can read a page, so these books tend to be in my life quite a bit longer than any other ones. I actually finished this one a few months ago while in Alaska, but it had been apart of my life for so long that I need a little break.

Here I am, back to tell all of you what an awesome book and author this is.

I would put this in the Young Adult / Thriller / Super Natural category.

I rather loved it. From the very beginning the author has you entranced with the back story of this girl. It takes a little bit to get to the actual story, but not too long, and once you are there it is a steady stream of clues and ancient history and what every conspiracy theorist would tell you is the actual history. I never wanted to take my ear buds out of my ears to go to work (and I may have kept them in a few times anyway).

There was a twist as well. One I did not see coming. As an avid reader these twists no longer come as frequently as they used to. This was a doosey though. Well done there Wasserman.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is a Junior in high school and older. 

"Learning to Breathe" by Alison Wright

“An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet regardless of time, place, or circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle but it will never break.” – Chinese Proverb

            It is perhaps a stretch to call me a true traveler of the world. I am more a woman with no real sense of, what I would call, relative distance. I make my home where I need to, for the time being, until it is time to move on. I have yet to make a decision on where to live based on where my family is, and this, I think, has given me a bit of a reputation for travel. I rarely go anywhere outside of the town that I am living in at the moment, though and have only been outside of the USA twice. My heart lies in that direction though - To be a true traveler of the world. That coupled with my ever increasing desire to read everything ever written, ever – has sometimes led me to little gem of books like this one, 

“Learning to Breathe” by Alison Wright.

            One of my favorite genera’s of books would be what I have dubbed “Adventure Travel/ Personal Essay”. There is probably a better name for it, somewhere, but this suits me well. Usually, to be in this category the books are about one person’s really long travel adventure to a really cool place around the globe. They take place in a time span of anywhere between a couple of weeks to about four years tops. The writer/adventurer gives a good story about what happened and what they were thinking at the time, but mostly just crazy people that they met on the way. (See “Girl’s Guide to Getting Lost” for a great example and another one of my favorites.) This book goes a step further. That step is why this book will be on my bookshelf of favorites and books to give to other people for a very long time. 

Let me explain:

            Alison Wright is a photo journalist. She has a soft spot for children and South East Asia. One day while on a bus in Laos she is in a terrible accident. Her organs were in the incorrect places and she could not walk for a very long time. She does not want to give up her old life of travel, adventure, and fun though (I mean, who would?) and so against her initial Doctor’s opinion she does exactly that. This book is a memoir of her journey to recovery, and even achieving her goal to summit Mount Kilimanjaro on her fortieth birthday. It was inspirational to read. While I cannot truly or fully empathize with her, I could see the direction she was coming from just from things that have happened in my own life. Sadly, I have found myself devastatingly wanting in my life since a couple of huge accidents that had my guardian angels working double-time. But, that is a different blog post.

            The step farther that Alison takes in her book is the spiritual one. I can tell from reading this that she is a deeply spiritual person, and that that side of things was just as important as overcoming the physical limitations that she suddenly had in her life. Maybe it is because I have been witness to this in my own life so recently, but she talks about how some things happened to her because the right person just so happened to be in the right place at the right time. How, through a courageous journey she has come out the other side with more clarity than she ever imagined before this happened to her.

            I recommend this book to EVERYONE. Alison will take you through this time in her life in a way that has you questioning your own purpose on this spinning rock, and whether or not you are fulfilling that purpose.

            I am coming away from it a better woman for reading it, and I believe that in most cases it would be a benefit to your life to read it as well. Although I do have to warn you that it gave me the travel bug bad, so be prepared for that.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“It had taken finding a stillness within myself to realize the answer to my question of why I had survived: for this breath. To be truly aware of each precious moment of time, right here, right now. For this very moment is all we have”

“We were all in this together, all companions in the pilgrimage of life.”

-Excerpts from Learning to Breathe

"The Good Girl's Guide To Getting Lost" by: Rachel Friedman

I loved this book!

I will say now that I recommend it to anyone and everyone. 

Beware: The probability of catching the travel bug is high.

"The Good Girl's Guide to Getting Lost" by Rachel Friedman was a fantastic distraction from my current very sedentary life. It is the story of how Rachel found her way in the world.. while seeing the world. 

(This is a video of one of her book signings)

I am a self proclaimed junkie when it comes to what I like to call "adventure travel" books. But most of the ones that I come across are written by people who are lucky enough to have made travel their careers or have had a successful career already and with a healthy nest egg in hand are emerging into the world. 

What I loved about this book was that she is basically broke.. and new to everything. 

I probably relate to her on some level that even I (in my gypsy ways) don't want to admit to. 

This is the description that is on her website:

Rachel Friedman has always been the consummate good girl who does well in school and plays it safe, so the college grad surprises no one more than herself when, on a whim (and in an effort to escape impending life decisions), she buys a ticket to Ireland, a place she has never visited. There she forms an unlikely bond with a free-spirited Australian girl, a born adventurer who spurs Rachel on to a yearlong odyssey that takes her to three continents, fills her life with new found friends, and gives birth to a previously unrealized passion for adventure.

As her journey takes her to Australia and South America, Rachel discovers and embraces her love of travel and unlocks more truths about herself than she ever realized she was seeking. Along the way, the erstwhile good girl finally learns to do something she's never done before: simply live for the moment.

Again: I recommend this book to everyone. 

And maybe plan a trip of your own

"The Lost Night" By: Jayne Castle

"The Lost Night" by Jayne Castle, who also writes under the names Jayne Anne Krentz and Amanda Quick, was great. It was fun, suspenseful, and original. 

This is a futuristic, romantic, suspenseful, and paranormal novel. I loved every minute of it. She makes brief mention of ancient Earth and the things and traditions that made it over to the new planet. I like that this book is futuristic and in its own right even a bit sci-fi, but without all of the spaceships and the like. The story flows very well, and leaves me excited for the rest in this particular series. 

Here is the official synopsis from her website:

"Even the mysterious world of Harmony has people who don’t quite fit in. They’re drawn to places like Rainshadow Island, a beautiful sanctuary where anyone can feel safe—and where secrets are closely guarded...

Schooled in an exotic form of martial arts, and with the ability to detect the auras of dangerous psychic criminals, Rachel Bonner and her dust bunny companion have found peace and quiet on Rainshadow Island, operating a bookstore and café.

But her tranquil new life is thrown into chaos when Harry Sebastian, the descendant of a notorious pirate, arrives to investigate strange developments in the privately owned woods known as the Preserve.

Immediately drawn to the amber-eyed woman, Harry must tread carefully. While Rachel’s special talents can help him track down dangerous rogues who have violated the Preserve, they can also sense the heart of darkness within him. But desire can weaken the strongest of defenses—and leave even the strongest man wanting more..."

I would definitely recommend this book. It's not exactly epic literature, but I enjoyed it.

"Moonfall" By: Tamara Thorne

Unfortunately, every roommate I have ever had during that most lovely month of October can attest to the fact that I commence complaining about the lack of good Halloween books for me to indulge in. 

Well, in this last week in January, I have finally found a really great Halloween book. 

Moonfall by: Tamara Thorne

Here is the official synopsis from her website:

"Moonfall, the picturesque community nestled in the mountains of Southern California, in a quaint hamlet of antique stores and craft shops run by the dedicated nuns of St. Gertrude's Home for girls. as autumn fills the air, the townspeople prepare for the festive Halloween Haunt, Moonfall's most popular tourist attraction. Even a series of unsolved deaths over the years hasn't dimmed Moonfall's renown. Maybe because anyone who knew anything about them has disappeared.

Now, Sara Hawthorne returns to her hometown... and enter the hallowed halls of St. Gertrude's where, twelve years before, another woman died a horrible death. In Sara's old room, distant voices echo in the dark and tormented cries of children shatter the moon-kissed night

But that's just the beginning. For Sara Hawthorne is about to uncover St. Gertrude's hellish secret... a secret she'll carry with her to the grave.."

But

I LOVED this book! I could literally barely put the book down long enough to eat or sleep or go to work for two days. Tamara Thorne is such a talented story teller. She has a talent for moving the story along without adding unnecessary violence or action. I loved the background that she sets the story up with. 

What the synopsis does not mention is the other main character, John, who you actually start the story with. You get to witness the tragedy of his brother's death, and the subsequent loss of friends and family soon after. I would almost say that it is more his story that Sara's. 

Another thing that I really live is how Thorne so seamlessly interweaves the Occult with Christianity, without actually going into too many details for either. 

She had me on the edge of my seat, loving how things were playing out on the page. 

I would definitely recommend this book, with exceptions.

This is in the HORROR genre. I know more than a few people who can not take it, even if they say they can *cough*Cate*cough*.  

I for one, will be buying more of her books, though I may keep them til Halloween. 

"The School Of Essential Ingredients" by: Erica Bauermeister

"The School of Essential Ingredients" by: Erica Bauermeister was a breath of fresh air. It was first recommended to me by my mother. Her book club had read it and loved it, and then my best friend actually ended up borrowing my copy before I read it and also loved it. So needless to say it had been on the list of books to read for a while. 

I finally picked it up actually about a month ago. Having now finished the book I can now tell you that the best way to read this book is to never rush it. I read it a chapter or two at a time myself. Relishing the world that I was invited into. 

This perfectly lovely book is about life and learning to love yourself and the wonderful people that come into our lives. It is centered around a cooking class. In the process though we get a little snap shot into each person's personal story. We get a glimpse into their hearts and dreams. 

This is a book that you read outside in the shade on a warm sunny day.. not a hot day... or in a comfy chair on a drizzly day. 

This book was unique for me. i took my time with it. I read many other books in between its chapters. I enjoyed these easy glimpses into lives that are so normal. I felt like this all could be happening to people in the restaurant across the street. 

I recommend this book to adults. I loved it and will be giving it to a few friends. 

"Atlantis Found" By: Clive Cussler

Another installment into my favorite adventure series. Atlantis Found did not disappoint. Everyone's favorite NUMA team stumbles onto a plot by Hitler's secret progeny to bring about a Fourth Reich, and in doing so bringing about an actual apocalypse. I am not really sure how this happened, but have two books so closely read about the Nazi's coming back to haunt us is kind of funny to me. 

There is the same witty banter and awesome science in this novel as in all of Cussler's novels. I can't say he isn't predictable, but he keeps it interesting enough to have me completely in love with his writing and buying as many of his books as I can. I have a list of all his books I have on my iTouch so that I don't buy one I already own... again. Actually have done that a couple of times. 

There is one thing that I noticed about this book that I haven't really paid any attention to in the past. 

See, all of his books are set in the future. Cussler has been writing for so long though that most of his books that I come across (I don't search for them, I like to just find them randomly) are now our past. Which is a credit to him because the technology in his books do not come across as out of date. He sets it up however so that there are dates on some of the chapter headings so that you can see the progression of time and when in the future it is. The last chapter in this book takes place on September 10, 2001. I just found it a coincidence that the book all about stopping the murderous terrorist plot would end on the day before the actual terrorist plot went down in reality. It really has nothing to do with the book itself.... more just an observation I was noticing every time there was a date stamp. 

ANYWAY

I recommend that everyone read this book. It's a fast, fun, smart read. 

"Life Is What You Make It" By: Peter Buffett

So I occasionally meander across the book store isles to something other than the paranormal or adventure novels. I even will pass the travel essay section (which, lets be honest, is one of the best places in the entire store) and I make my way over to the "Inspirational" or "Self-Help" section. 

Due to a few twists and turns in my personal life, I ended up getting this book: "Life Is What You Make It" by: Peter Buffett. 

I LOVED IT!!!

This book is full of advice that you feel like you tell yourself all the time, but either do not actually tell yourself or are too stubborn to follow your own advice. 

I recommend that EVERYONE read this book. It is a fast read and worth the money in my book. 

He starts out with a few reality checks. Making sure that your not going to stay stuck where ever you are because of some delusion you have. There are also a few chapters about the definitions that society puts on us and how they are hindering us. How we need to step outside of the box. 

I must admit that a big reason that I related so well to this book was most likely because most of the life experience that he draws from is in trying to be a musician. I have no music ability, but I do/ have faced some of the same challenges in trying to be a writer. 

Another thing that had me loving this book was that in the process of applying everything that He has learned in life to the general population, Mr. Buffett manages to also call us out as a society. He points out that having a life run purely by money is where a lot of people get held up. There is a call to not have material things and money be the driving force in life. I love it. 

Read It. 

"The Athena Project" Book Review

"The Athena Project" by Brad Thor was awesome. 

I am a huge fan of 'thriller' books, and Thor does not disappoint. 

The basic outline of the book is that it is about an elite team of women in the US Military's Delta Force program. These are strong, powerful, intelligent women who do the jobs that men can't. They can take care of themselves and the rest of the world. Admittedly, I was a little biased by the premise. In a world with such a skewed view on woman hood I tend to latch onto anything that shows us women who can be both beautiful and extremely intelligence. 

What next made this book awesome was the science. The page before the first chapter starts includes this sentence: "The science in this novel is based on reality." I did not think much about this when I first read it. When I was done with the book though, I happened to drop it and it landed face down on that page. So, I read it again. My first thought? THAT IS AWESOME!!!

Why is that so awesome, you ask?

The plot line for this first book (which I am so very hopeful that it will turn into a series) was about this Athena team going after a group of very dangerous men that got a hold of some very cool experimental technology from WWII. You do not have to be a scholar to know that the Nazi's were interested in a ton of sketchy stuff, none of which was main stream. 

We are talking stuff you see in Star Trek. 

I recommend this book to everyone. 

People who actually like books about spies and tough chicks and real science with a little government conspiracy mixed in will enjoy it the most though.

"The Jaguar Prophecies" By: Phyllis Gunderson

I bought this book for $1.50


I think we can all agree that as December 21, 2012 looms closer the more we seem to hear about what will happen to the world. There was recently even a special on one of those cable channels like Discovery or History channels that was all about how to survive after an apocalypse (which seems weird to me since would that not imply that EVERYONE is dead?). I have seen opinions that range from how to properly stock your own underground bunker to why all of those people are crazy because the Aztec calender didn't factor in leap day.


"The Jaguar Prophecies" lands somewhere in the middle.


The book is about an archaeology professor who gets mistakenly asked to attend a Mayan festival in Mexico. While there she gets tricked/forced into the role of messenger to warn her people of the end of an age and the impending changes that will come with it.


I liked it. I hardly even put the book down once I started reading it.


This book was written as the writer's way of not only explaining, but warning all who read it about the changes that are she thinks will befall us in the near future.


Whether you believe in the whole 2012 deal or not, reading this book you have to agree that she has done her homework. It is very well researched, covering many different cultures and ideologies. And all while she tells a good story in the mean time.


I personally don't think the world will stop on December 21.


My thoughts on that are also probably best in a post of their own.


I would recommend this book to people who like to read up on the 2012 prophecies, historical fiction, or even fantasy (that's kind of on the outside though).


Pick it up - It's a good read.

"Social Punk" By: Monica Leonelle

This book was interesting on many levels... first, was the way I came across it. More accurately, how it came upon me. The author sent it to me. She saw my blog and decided that I would be a good person to help get out the word. Frankly, I only read the thing because I thought it was cool that I was asked to do a review from a complete stranger. More accurately, I only STARTED reading the book because of that.

The second way it surprised me? It is actually good. I wasn't expecting it to be. I don't know why I had that going into it, maybe it is just because I was getting it from a self endorsed author with an e-book and not from my local Barnes&Nobel.

OH BOY WAS I WRONG

I would recommend this to teenagers and young adults. It lands somewhere in the range of urban sci-fi with a hint of teenage angst. Not a whole lot of the angst though (thank goodness).

Once I started reading, I couldn't stop. I read the entire book in one sitting. It is fast paced, and I was surprised more than once by her turns.

I bet you are wondering what it's about... I would say the short version is that it's about a girl in the future, who is living in a world that is not what it seems, and she is given the opportunity to save everyone in it. Somewhere between attracting every new boy she meets, trusting a few new people that are sketchy enough that while reading it I was shaking my head at her a few times, and finding out secrets that no one in her world could have imagined you see a young girl become a hero to herself and everyone that is now depending on her.

If you read my other reviews you know that I pretty much suck at the whole synopsis thing, so lucky for Ms. Leonelle I am choosing to include the one she has provided for those endorsers like me that are really not good at this part:

Ima would give anything to escape The Dome and learn what's beyond its barriers, but the Chicago government has kept all its citizens on lock down since the Scorched Years left most of the world a desert waste land. When a mysterious group of hooded figures enters the city unexpectedly, Ima uncovers a plot to destroy The Dome and is given the choice between escaping to a new, dangerous city or staying behind and fighting behind and fighting a battle she can never win.

I personally can not wait for the next book in the trilogy "Social Mob" to come out.

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"Summer Knight" By: Jim Butcher

Well, another installment into the Harry Dresden Files. I really do love this series. Jim Butcher has a sarcasm to his writing that really pulls you in and although it is slightly ridiculous most of the time, I laugh at all of his jokes.

In "Summer Knight" Mr. Butcher has Harry dealing with a trio of major problems that could all get him killed if not solved together. The trouble that he stirred up in the previous book, "Grave Peril", with the Red Court of the Vampires has come back to bite him in the ass. The Vampires are calling for his blood and if they do not get it they are willing to go to war with the White Council (aka the governing body for wizards in general). The White Council is pretty okay with handing him over to be perfectly honest, but as with any government they must jump through some loop holes to be able to "legally" do so. What is holding them back? The Winter Queen of the Faerie of course. She has hired (sort of) Harry to find a killer. The murder is currently being blamed on her and this is one person she can not kill with out consequences. Those consequences would be that Summer and Winter go to war and in the mortal realm that means the seasons are majorly and catastrophically messed up. Harry has an out with the Queen though until she tells the White Council that they can use her territory to move freely around the world in the war with the Red Court only if Harry does this for her.

So, to not be handed over to the Red Court to die he must first survive a murder investigation into the Faerie...all of them.

You get a little more back story on Harry's past. We are introduced to a long lost friend/lover, and Harry meets all of the heavy hitters in the faerie realm. My favorite one is still Toot-toot though. I suppose I just like that he works for pizza.

As I said before, highly entertaining. It is an urban fantasy like the rest, and I would recommend it to anyone that likes fantasy and/or mystery.

"Grave Peril" By: Jim Butcher

"Grave Peril" by Jim Butcher is book three in the Dresden Files series. Just as good as the first two. The story mostly has Harry and Micheal (everyone's favorite Angel) running around Chicago trying to kill a "nightmare". It can get into people's very soul, and start messing with you. Harry does not catch wind of what is going on until he helps a spirit that is being tortured by it. They manage to tangle everyone into what is going on from Harry's girl friend, Susan, to his sometimes-partner, Murphy, to Micheal's, Charity.

You will get a good amount of back story to Harry Dresden. What happened with his Uncle.

With Micheal being a major player in the entire story, start to finish, it is interesting how Jim Butcher incorporates God into the mix. Most authors go with either/or and I like when the concept of both working is brought up with out the wizard being evil.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes Urban Fantasy, Mystery, or just a good old fashion PI story.

"Wicked Appetite" Book Review

"Wicked Appetite" By: Janet Evanovich

I get in these moods some days, usually at the beginning of a new season, when I just want to immerse myself in something of the season. Sometimes this can last just a few hours, a few days, or like Christmas - the entire season.

A few days ago I had one of these urges, this time for Halloween.

I am NOT into the holiday as much as a lot of my friends are. I like scary stories, and going to scary places. I like freaking other people out, and honestly I like getting freaked out.

I like the history behind the holiday, and the different ways that it has evolved over the centuries.

I could not care less about dressing up or going to huge parties. I will, but rarely take notice if i don't happen to make it to something like that.

When I felt like being Halloween-ish a few days ago I ended up at home with a new book (this one) three Halloween magazines, three books from the library about the pagan Halloween, and a DVD about the history.

Luckily, it took me a couple days to get to the book.

This book is not about Halloween - at all.

I have read a few of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum novels, and this new series has the same kind of antics.

I loved it. They border on the outrageous. She is a baker, specialty in cupcakes (which by-the-way had me craving friggin cupcakes for like three days now. I shall probably go and make carrot cupcakes when I get home from work).

She gets stuck between two cousins who both have exceptional abilities, and both are using her to help them find some things they need.

They end up getting help from an aspiring witch (who isn't that great), a monkey (who acts more like a human than a monkey, but has the manners of a monkey), and a cat (who never gets a real name, has a glass eye, and may or may not really be a ninja).

I don't want to spoil it, so I won't reveal more than that. It is worth the buy though.

Evanovich definitely stands up to her already stellar literary reputation.

"The Wednesday Letters" Book Review

"The Wednesday Letters" By: Jason F. Write

I really enjoyed this book. When I had initially heard about it I was told it was about siblings that find letters that their Father wrote to their Mother over the years. Quite honestly, that is the gist of the plot. But, as with every book, it was how they found them and how they dealt with the revelations in them that made all the difference.

This book has all the great attributes of a high functioning dis-functional family. There is lost loves, and sibling rivalries. There are tempers and dreams not quite reached. It starts with a marriage that lasted 39 years to only end with them dying on the same night. The weekend of their funerals thier three children find the Love letters thier Dad wrote to thier Mom every week on Wednesday. Oh the revelations found in those letters!

This would definately go under the "heart warming" catagory I think. It is not a long read, and I would say it is completely worth it.

"The Next Thing on My List" by Jill Smolinski

This book was what I like to call "a chick-flick" book. That really is the best way to describe it. I liked it alot, didn't even really put it down too much. Maybe I was just in one of my moods that supported it.

The book is about a woman named June. She is an underachiever and has no real ambitions in life. One day she gives a stranger a ride home and they end up in a major accident where the strange girl is killed. It's not her fault, but ofcourse she still feels guilty and responsible for it. To try to make it up even a little June decides to finsh the bucket list that she found in the girl's purse. 20 things to do before I'm 25. A noble cause to say the least. The book gives an account, often funny, about how she went about doing it.

I think that one of the reasons that I loved it so much was because I relate to June so well. I definately think that "classi underaciever" could be fairly stapled to my file. I even was inspired enough to make my own list. A short term bucket list if you will. 30 things to do beofre I'm 30. I'm a sucker for aliteration.

I recomend this book to women mostly. A guy miht get a kick out of it as well though.

"River Marked" Book Reiew

"River Marked" by Patricia Briggs is the latest installment into the Mercy Thompson series. It would most definitely go under the Urban Fantasy genera.

For those of you not familiar with this series: Mercy is a coyote "walker" (even though in this book they talk about how that is not exactly the correct term because she is not evil - she is more of a shape shifter). Mercy was raised by a pack of werewolves in Montana, but has moved down to the Tri Cities area of Washington state, where she makes a living as a mechanic. She is a magnet for trouble from everything possible it seems, and has found a new family in the local werewolf pack.

I personally love this whole series. They are all really fun reads. This particular book is set on the Columbia River. She and Adam are camping and they of course run into a monster that is killing people, and they have to figure out how to kill it.

I'm not going to say that one needs to be some sort genius to read this book, but I love how she inserts all of the Native American legends into the story. You can tell that she did her homework, and she presents it in a way so that the reader does not have to.

I recommend this book to any one who likes a bit of adventure, and the paranormal. Briggs also happens to be pretty witty. I laughed out loud reading it a few times, and so did my friend Cate.

Fablehaven Book Review

I recently finished reading the first book in the "Fablehaven" book series by Brandon Mull. I have to say that really did like it. It kind of reminds me of the kind of book that the Harry Potter series is. Not the story, because they are very different. It is more that this is the kind of book that can get an entire generation reading actual books. It is original and "fun for the hole family".

The book is about Seth and Kendra (brother and sister) who have to go stay with their Grandpa Sorenson while their parents go on a cruise. Neither of them really want to stay, but as usual the children have no choice in the matter.
Through a series of events, they discover that the attic is not so bad for a room, that the housekeeper has more to her, that their pet chicken can do something other lay eggs.

Most of Greek mythology seems to be represented in this book, meeting fairies and naiads and centaurs. They learn that the land Grandpa Sorenson is in charge of is actually a protected habitat for these dwindling creatures.

Through out the entire book there are morals and lessons being learned. Mull does a good job of showing both immediate and eventual consequences. I also particularly liked how Kendra learns to be brave instead of having a character that it comes naturally to.

It really is a good read all around. Remember the age it is directed to though. I give it an A+ and recommend it to anyone, exspecially if you have kids.