One For The Money

I read the latest in this series so I thought I'd start with book one and read them all. I don't know if that is going to happen. I didn't really like this one. I understand that its the first book so the characters are being formed, but it really bothered me that Stephanie didn't show hardly any emotion. Shes being stalked by a crazy boxer and has to sell all her stuff because she doesn't have any money, and I felt like she was just kind of like "Oh well. Such is life". If I'm being stalked by a crazy guy, I'm not going to be able to sleep peacefully and act like nothing is happening when I'm with my parents. Maybe I'll continue with the series. You'll know if I do.

Finger Lickin' Fifteen

I've tried to read this series before but couldn't really get into it. But I like the title and cover of this one so I thought I'd give them a second chance. It wasn't a bad book, the characters are pretty crazy (except for the main one, she's kind of boring), and there were funny parts and it was a fast read.

Stephanie Plum is a bounty hunter and in this book her friend witnesses a guy getting his head chopped off, and now the killers are after the friend, so Stephanie tries to help her find the killers, while trying to catch other criminals. This woman does not get a break and what I didn't understand is that she just kind of lives with it. I would've flipped out at someone sooner or later. And she has two guys, who both seem a little creepy, who are smitten with her. This poor woman needs to take a vacation.

I liked this one enough to start reading book one. Its OK so far.

Offical Book Club Selection

I like the title and wonder how many book clubs will actually pick this book. Honestly, I wouldn't. I've seen her stand up shows on the Bravo channel and they cracked me up, so I thought that I would like her book. If she's funny on TV, shouldn't her book be funny too? Apparently not. She did try to make it humorous, but, to me, it just wasn't. The main reason why I wanted to read this is because I wanted to hear to go off on celebs like she does in her shows, and while she did mention them, she didn't say anything that exciting about them except that apparently Lisa Kudrow (the chick who played Pheobe on Friends) had a nose and boob job before she got famous and that Steve Martin is an ass. Other than that, its just about her life, starting from childhood to now. Her parents are pretty interesting people. Maybe they should write a book. I understand that she was trying to make a name for herself in the biz, but really, saying bad things about people (she spread a rumor that Dakota Fanning, who was 10 at the time, had gone to rehab). That's a bit harsh. I think that her marrying a guy who took all her money might have been karma for that horrible joke. I guess my feelings for her haven't really changed. If I catch one of her stand up shows on TV, I'll watch. But will pass on her reality show and any other books she writes.

Skipping Christmas

I love this book. It's short and simple and teaches us the real meaning of Christmas. That its not about spending money on gifts and other things.

The story is about Luther who wants to skip Christmas because his daughter is going out of the country so he figures that he and his wife can save money, skip the holiday and go on a cruise instead. No one really understands why he wants to skip it. Frankly, I don't blame him. Spending all that money on gifts, cards, decorations, parties, etc it just seems a bit much. I do disagree a little when he didn't want any decorations up, I mean, a few lights would've been OK. That's really all I've got going on.

Check it out. Or you watch the crappy attempt of a movie version called Christmas With The Kranks starring Tim Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis. Personally, I think the book is better.

Knockout

I always figured that Suzanne Somers was some flaky blond celebrity, because that's how she always seems when she's on the Home Shopping Network. I wasn't very interested in reading any of her books because they all seemed like a stiff read, about hormones and ageing and stuff like that. Then one morning I saw her on the Today show and she was talking about how one morning she woke up and was covered in a rash and couldn't breathe. She went to the hospital and they told her that she has full body cancer. She couldn't figure out how this could happen since a month or so earlier her doctor said that she was in great health. So after being told numerous times that she is going to die, the doctors finally figured out that she had something called Valley Fever, which is no where near as bad as cancer and can be treated. They tell her this after they want to give her chemo, and a ton of drugs which she later found out would've killed her. Why would doctors give something to someone that would kill them? So she wrote this book which is a bunch of interviews with doctors who are trying to prevent and treat cancer without using chemicals like radiation and chemo. Since it is full of doctor speak, some parts are kind of dry, but it really was a very interesting read.

This is what I kind of got out of it. In order to prevent yourself from getting cancer, which I think is impossible, you need to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Fruits, veggies, exercise, no soda, no sugar (apparently sugar can actually cause cancer), try to stay away from processed foods and chemicals (like in cleaning supplies. I'm screwed because I spray Febreze all over my room). And even if you do all these things, there's still a chance you will get it. But I think that what they were saying is that if you do live a healthy, clean, lifestyle that if you do get cancer, there will be a better chance of beating it. You need to believe that you will be healthy and its proven that even something as simple as that can help.

After some of the interviews there are statements from that doctors patients who tell their story and how that doctor helped them. Suzanne wants the reader to understand that there are other options out there instead of the typical chemo and drugs that most people get.

One of the things that someone said in the book was when one of the doctors was having a conversation with other doctor and that doctor said that the way to treat brain cancer is with radiation, but if he had brain cancer, he wouldn't do radiation. Because it doesn't work. Why have a patient take something that you, as a doctor, would never do to yourself. Shouldn't you trust how you are treating a patient enough that you would do the same for yourself?

My fav quote from the book was "Feelings Never Lie". It makes sense. We really need to start listening to our bodies. Mines a mess and I need to start making it happy so that I won't die when I'm like 30. Lay off the sugar and start exercising. Surround myself with positive people and do things that make me feel good.

So, check this book out, you might learn something.

The Gift

I love Cecelia Ahern's stuff. Her books are always magical and touching and can make you laugh and cry. But with this one, I didn't really get that feeling. I kind of felt like her editor wanted her to write a holiday book and she kind of just made this story up. Its a little confusing. The story is about a cop who is telling a kid the store about Lou who is a busy, busy man, and always needs to be in two places at one time. One day Lou gives a homeless man a cup of coffee and later decides to give the man Gabe at job at his work. Something is a little off about Gabe. He always seems to be there, even when he should be elsewhere. One night Gabe lets Lou in on his secret, he gives him a pill which has a cloning effect and allows him to be in two places at once. Lou takes advantage of this gift, but learns that work isn't everything and realizes that he needs to spend more time with his family. About the time he realizes this, something tragic happens to him. I really didn't like the Lou character, kind of felt like she didn't know if he was suppose to be a nice guy or an ass. All in all, this is my least favorite of her books, and I've enjoyed all of her books. Read it if you want, but you won't be missing to much.

Run For Your Life

I was in a reading funk and was in Target and saw this book and it looked interesting. James Patterson is a pretty good writer and the plot sounded good. Its part of a series, which I have not read yet, and about a police officer who has 10 kids and his wife recently died and he's trying to juggle family while working to catch a crazy killer who calls himself The Teacher. He's out to teach the bad people a lesson. It was a good read. Fast paced. A good book to read if you just want something to entertain you. Check it out if you like his stuff.