Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween from the MaMa's Book Corner kids! Hope you guys had a wonderful night! We sure did... :)

My son Kemper: 1 yr old

 

My daughter Shaelyn: 3 yrs old

(not pictured Teegan: 9 yr old stepson. He wasn't with us for Halloween this year. :( )

Eggs and Bubble Gum

Eggs and Bubble Gum
Author: Leon Terrell Ash
Pages: 34


I've been asked by the author to let all you lovely readers know about his children's book.
Here is the link to where you can check the book out: www.terrellash.com 
It is also available on kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Eggs-and-Bubble-Gum-ebook/dp/B0069TDCKG?&linkCode=wss&tag=terash-20
Author's Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/LeonTerrellAshFans
Author's Blog: http://terrellash.blogspot.com/
Author's Twitter: https://twitter.com/TerrellAsh

Summary:

Tanner was told by his teacher that anything is possible and that he could do anything he believed. Once Tanner gets confronted by words of negativity stating what he can’t do, Tanner reminds his mother through simple childhood behavior that anything can be done!

A Hook in the Sky: Review

A Hook in the Sky
Author: Claude Nougat
Pages: 245

Summary:

A HOOK IN THE SKY is a BB novel - for Baby Boomers as YA novels are for Young Adults. Robert, a dashing Frenchman in his early sixties, is involved in humanitarian aid at the United Nations and Kay, his wife, a chic Manhattan socialite, is passionate about contemporary art. She is fifteen years younger and runs a flourishing art gallery in Chelsea. The couple is childless, much to Robert’s disappointment. Everything pulls them apart, their culture, tastes and age. Until he retires, neither are aware of the differences.

When Robert attempts a second life as a painter displaying his old-fashioned inclination for conventional photo-realism, Kay is dismayed. They fight over art - he’s square, she’s cool - but what is at stake is their relationship. After a period of separation marked by sexual adventures and disenchantment, Robert attempts to remodel himself as a contemporary artist to win back his wife. He dreams up a weird installation called a "Hook in the Sky" that could change their lives forever but wreaks havoc around them...

My Thoughts:

Robert is a newly retired man who worked for the United Nations. After he retires he's inspired to start painting again, something he hasn't done since he was a child. He dreams of being an artist but his much younger wife has a completely different taste in art. After retirement the couple starts to recognize all the differences between them and their marriage starts to dissolve.

I want to start off by saying that this book is aimed towards older readers. It's a novel for Baby Boomers so i may be too young to truly appreciate this book the way an older reader would. With that being said, I still did enjoy this story. I really did not like Robert's wife Kay very much. I felt that she was very cold at times and that she was very self-centered. You can tell that the author was very knowledgeable about the United Nations and about art as well. I hope that at that age I don't have a marriage like Robert and Kay had. If you are a Baby Boomer I think that you would really enjoy this book and even more so if you are a fan of art.

Author Talk:

Here's a little bit of information about the author in her own words:

Like the protagonist in A HOOK, I've retired after 25 years of work in the United Nations (at the close of my career in FAO, I was director for Europe and Central Asia) and I first took up painting, a lifelong passion I inherited from my mother who is a professional painter. Much of the contemporary art scene described in A HOOK is based on my own experience - I participated in 15 shows and I certainly share in my protag's ambivalent feelings towards conceptual art. Where I differ from him is that I'm a woman and my marriage is definitely not on the rocks (!). I live with my Sicilian husband in Rome and while we don't have pets, we have two (grown-up) children. You will find more information on my Amazon author page and blog (I post at least once a week about art, books and social issues).

Goodreads Author Page: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4992057.Claude_Nougat
Claude's Blog: http://claudenougat.blogspot.com/
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Claude-Nougat/e/B0054DBGLK
Here's a link to where you can get this book: http://www.amazon.com/Hook-Sky-Claude-Nougat/dp/1479333603/ref=la_B0054DBGLK_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1351646587&sr=1-1

*I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Awakening: Review

The Awakening
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Publisher: HarperCollins
Series: Darkest Powers Trilogy #2
Pages: 360

Summary:


If you had met me a few weeks ago, you probably would have described me as an average teenage girl — someone normal. Now my life has changed forever and I’m as far away from normal as it gets. I’m a living science experiment — not only can I see ghosts, but I was genetically altered by a sinister organization call the Edison Group. What does that mean? For starters. I'm a teenage necromancer whose powers are out of control: I raise the dead without even trying. Trust me, that is not a power you want to have. Ever.

Now I’m running for my life with three of my supernatural friends - a charming sorcerer, a cynical werewolf, and a disgruntled witch - and we have to find someone who can help us before the Edison Group finds us first. Or die trying.

My Thoughts:

This series seems to me like you either love it or hate it. I've read so many mixed reviews on this book. Personally, I happen to really like this series, but that's just me. This books starts off right where the first one left off. Chloe discovers that she in indeed a necromancer and not crazy. Not only is she a necromancer, but a genetically-modified necromancer. Chloe and her friends escape the Edison Group and are on the run throughout almost the entire book.

Throughout the story the kids are on the run, hiding in abandoned warehouses, pretty much living on the streets, and doing everything they possibly can in attempt to find a family friend and the father of Simon and Derek. Looking back at the story it did seem like this entire book was just filler, but as I was reading it, it didn't feel that way. So if it is just filler, I guess I still enjoyed it. There was more character building in this book than progression of the storyline is I guess what I'm trying to say.

CAUTION: POTENTIAL SPOILER
There are a lot of moments in this book where it's just Derek and Chloe. Their relationship really seemed to grow and it seems to me that there may be a possibility of them getting together. I'm interested to see how that plays out because I really thought that it was going to be Chloe and Simon together. Chloe seems to grow up a bit in the story as well and becomes a stronger person. One thing that is bother me about this book is Chloe's pendant. It has changed colors from the first book to the second and I really want to know what the significance of this is. I'm sure this will be explained in the next book. All-in-all I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to read the next one.

Have you read this series or anything else by this author? What are your thoughts?

Internal Security: Review

Internal Security
Author: David Darracott
Publisher: Lightning Rod Books
Pages: 346

Summary:

In the biggest news story since 9/11, a deadly bombing stuns the nation - and small-town reporter Tom Darden makes himself some deadly enemies. Investigating the mysterious, fiery attack on a Florida hotel, he chances upon the scoop of a lifetime in the charred remains. His tough questions and bare-knuckled reporting forces him to go on the run as he uncovers a secret plot so explosive it could bring down the government of the United States. Threatened with exposure, the ruthless men behind the plot will stop at nothing to shut him up. For Darden, reporting the truth might just save the nation - but at the cost of his own life.

Author Talk:

David Darracott is the author of novels and short stories, as well as nonfiction for magazines, television, and film productions. He holds a Masters degree in English and received a Hambidge Fellowship in 2009-2010. Though fiction is his passion - first, last, and always - fly fishing and golf run a close second. A graduate of Emory University, he lives in north Atlanta.

Head on over to www.DavidDarracott.com for more information.

My Thoughts:

Tom Darden is a reporter who is struggling to get a big story that could advance his career. When he finds the story of a lifetime he fights to uncover the truth and put the pieces of this puzzle of a story together. His deep interest in uncovering this secret plot puts his life in danger. He believes that the Americans should know the truth about what is going on right in their own country, but is it worth risking his life?

I found this book to be very believable which made it that much better. It's amazing to think about what could be going on in our country that we don't even know about. It really makes you wonder what the government could really be hiding from us all. This book really opens your eyes up to things that really go on in our world such as torture. It's absolutely crazy that human beings could do that to one another.

I kind of wish that the epilogue would have included more information in regards to his family. That being said, I was shocked at the ending because it wasn't predictable. I really liked the fact that the ending was unpredictable. It makes this story different from most of the others out there. I would love to read more by this author and I look forward to seeing what he comes up with next!

To snag a copy of this book for yourself, head on over to:

http://www.amazon.com/Internal-Security-David-Darracott/dp/1475059000/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1351127147&sr=1-1&keywords=internal+security

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A Rendezvous to Die For: Review

A Rendezvous to Die For
Author: Betty McMahon
Pages: 266

 

Summary:

 

All photographer Cassandra Cassidy wanted to do was settle into the peaceful Minnesota countryside and lick her New York-inflicted emotional wounds. But a photo gig she couldn't pass up has her up to her f-stops trying to get tot he bottom of a gruesome hatchet job that left her nemesis dead and left her near the top of the suspect list. Smoking out the real killer will lead the mystery world's new reluctant sleuth deep into the colorful re-enactor culture and into dangerous political intrigue at the Indian reservation. See what develops as Cassandra uses her non-existent detecting skills - and short list of acquaintances - to track down the real killer before she becomes more valuable to him dead than alive.

 

Author Talk:

 

Betty McMahon is an award-winning writer who's worn many hats: newspaper reporter/editor/photographer, magazine editor, copywriter, and more. A Rendezvous to Die For is her first novel.

 

For more information about the author please visit:

 

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6431874.Betty_McMahon

 

My Thoughts:

 

Cassandra happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time which results in her becoming a murder suspect. Cassandra goes into detective-mode attempting to find out who the real killer is and clear her own name. Her search for the truth puts her in danger and adds her to the killers list of future victims.

 

This novel is full of suspense and pulls you right into the wild chase. This was a very exciting read and I found myself struggling to put it down. I attempted adding all the clues up and I had several guesses to who the murderer may be. All of my guesses proved to be wrong and I was very surprised at the ending.

 

If you like mystery, suspense and novels full of action, I highly recommend this book to you. I think you will really enjoy this book, I know I did!

 

If you'd like to snag a copy of this book for yourself head on over to:

 

http://www.amazon.com/A-Rendezvous-To-Die-For/dp/1257931326/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1350855591&sr=8-1&keywords=a+rendezvous+to+die+for

 

*I was sent this book in exchange for an honest review.

You Belong to Me: Review

You Belong to Me
Author: Mary Higgins Clark
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Pages: 317

Summary:

 

A killer who targets lonely women on cruise ships is at the center of Mary Higgins Clark's newest thriller You Belong to Me, a masterful combination of page-turning suspense and classic mystery.

 

When Dr. Susan Chandler decides to use her daily radio talk show to explore the phenomenon of women who disappear and are later found to have become victims of killers who prey on the lonely and insecure, she has no idea that she is exposing herself -- and those closest to her -- to the very terror that she hopes to warn others against.  Susan sets out to determine who is responsible for an attempt on the life of a woman who called in to the show offering information on the mysterious disappearance from a cruise ship, years before, of Regina Clausen, a wealthy investment advisor. Soon Susan finds herself in a race against time, for not only does the killer stalk these lonely women, but he seems intent on eliminating anyone who can possibly further Susan's investigation.
As her search intensifies, Susan finds herself confronted with the realization that one of the men who have become important figures in her life might actually be the killer. And as she gets closer to uncovering his identity, she realizes almost too late that the hunter has become the hunted, and that she herself is marked for murder.

My Thoughts:

I've read almost every single book out there that Mary Higgins Clark has ever written, so when I saw this book and realized that I had yet to read it, I just had to pick it up. I'm so glad I did because I really liked this book.

This novel was so full of suspense that I didn't want to put it down until I figured out who the killer was. You get to view the story through multiple character's eyes, including Susan's and the killers. It was interesting to read what each character was thinking, feeling, and experiencing during the story.

Throughout the story I had several suspects in mind who I thought could possibly be the killer. (I always play this game when reading books and try to figure out who the bad guy is.) I did figure out who the murderer was before it was revealed at the end of the book but that may be due to the fact that I've read so many of her novels. In my opinion, Clark is a master storyteller. I absolutely love her writing.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes an exciting, suspenseful hang-onto-the-edge-of-your-seat kind of book.

What is your favorite Mary Higgins Clark book if you've read any? I would love to know in the comments below! (That rhymed . . . )