Archive for May, 2014

Review: A Game of Thrones – George R. R. Martin

Thursday, May 29th, 2014
Mass Market Paperback: 864 pages
Publisher: Bantam; Mti Rep edition (March 22, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0553593714
ISBN-13: 978-0553593716
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Synopsis:

A violent, sexually driven medieval kingdom called Westeros, in which the most powerful families battle it out for control of the Iron Throne, and the kingship of Westeros.

Characters:

Eddard Stark – Patriarch of the Stark Family, Hand to King Robert Baratheon, and Lord of Winterfell.
Tyrion Lannister – Dwarf with a smart ass attitude, but seems to be a more decent person than his family.

Review

It took me a long time to get around to reading this book. The mere size of each volume is a bit intimidating. But once you read it, and begin to understand the characters, it becomes quite the addiction. Each chapter focuses on a specific character, and alternates beteen a core group of the characters and how the events relate to them. The characters are very well developed, the plotlines are thrilling, and there are constant cliffhangers.

Unlike many novels though in the fantasy genre, this one doesn’t rely as much on the basic fantasy elements, elves, trolls, orcs, etc. Instead the protagonists are humans, wildlings, and others not yet seen.

Due to a lot of the sexual content and violence though, this is definitely one for older readers, but if you are a fan of edgy fantasy, on an epic scale, then you definitely need to pick up A Game of Thrones.

About the Author

George R.R. Martin sold his first story in 1971 and has been writing professionally since then. He spent ten years in Hollywood as a writer-producer, working on The Twilight Zone, Beauty and the Beast, and various feature films and television pilots that were never made.

In the mid ’90s he returned to prose, his first love, and began work on his epic fantasy series, A Song of Ice and Fire.

He has been in the Seven Kingdoms ever since. Whenever he’s allowed to leave, he returns to Santa Fe, New Mexico, where he lives with the lovely Parris, and two cats named Augustus and Caligula, who think they run the place.

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Review: Like Clockwork – Margerie Orford

Tuesday, May 27th, 2014
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Atlantic Books (March 1, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1843549433
ISBN-13: 978-1843549437
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Characters:

Dr. Clare Hart – Documentary Filmmaker, Author, and Criminal Profiler.
Riedwaan Faizal – Police Inspector.

Synopsis:

A body is found on the shore, she’d been bound, and tortured. Dr. Clare Hart is pulled into the investigation when a neighbor finds the young girl’s body. It’s not long however, before Clare discovers that this is only the first body, and no one knows how many more will follow. Will she be able to convince the authorities that there is a serial killer? Will she succumb to the killer before they are unmasked? To find out, read Like Clockwork.

Review

I liked the story. The plot was well developed. The characters were interesting. The blood and gore was kept to a minimum considering the content. There’s a few subplots, one involving Clare’s sister, and another involving the female slave trade.

If I had one issue with the story, it is that there were many words most likely common to the author or those within the setting (Cape Town) that weren’t as familiar to me as a reader, and at times it made it a little difficult to understand what the characters were saying, seeing, or doing. While I was able to ignore that, and carry on with the story, it may be a big drawback to others.

Overall though, it was a good story, good plot, and an interesting thriller. I’d definitely give the author a second look on a later story. I’d rate it as suitable for older teens and adults due to some of the darker sexual content, some of which may trigger bad memories for readers.

About the Author

Margie Orford, an award-winning journalist and internationally acclaimed writer, is the author of the Clare Hart series. Her novels have been translated into nine languages. She was born in London and grew up in Namibia, the setting for Blood Rose, her highly acclaimed second novel in the series.

A Fulbright Scholar, she was educated in South Africa and the United States. She is Executive Vice-President of South African PEN, the patron of Rape Crisis and of the children’s book charity, the Little Hands Trust. She lives in Cape Town.

*Disclaimer* A special thanks goes out to Danielle at Harper Collins for a review copy of this book. It in no way influenced my review. You can discuss it here or join my facebook page and discuss it there.

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Review: Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation for Animals – Susan E. Davis

Tuesday, May 13th, 2014
Paperback: 286 pages
Publisher: Joycare Media (July 30, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0989275000
ISBN-13: 978-0989275002
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Review

There’s no doubt about it, we love our pets. But they like all of us, tend to break down with age. When this occurs, sometimes you need to get the help of a rehab specialist. And yes, there are people that specialize in rehabilative medicine for pets, mostly dogs and horses it seems, but I’m sure all pets are covered. And when you need to find and hire one of these specialists, what do you look for? How do you determine you are getting someone qualified? And what if you want to be one of these specialists, what all is involved in the job.

Luckily, the answer to many of those questions is covered in this book. Everything from what to expect during the first visit, choosing a therapist, to treatment, exercises, orthopedic solutions, neurological issues, and other medical conditions. For such a small book, it’s packed with information and a section of resources.

So for those who love their animals, or those who love others animals and wish to take care of them, pick up a copy of this book. I think you’d find it very helpful. And for those who might be concerned that animals wouldn’t like this, the author tells a story about a dog that was treated. After the author had treated and released the dog, she’d often see it. She watched it secretly, and it would run and play with no problems, but then when it would see her, it would begin limping.

So go out and check out a copy of this book, and drop back by and let us know your thoughts.

About the Author

Susan E. Davis is a New Jersey Licensed Physical Therapist with over 35 years’ clinical experience, who transitioned from human practice to working with animals. She owns and operates Joycare Onsite, LLC, formed in 2008, providing Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation services exclusively to multiple animal species: in the pet’s home, farm, in clinics, animal shelters, and a zoo. She provided her services pro-Bono once per week for over 5 years to the Associated Humane Societies, in Forked River, NJ. She currently provides pro-Bono PT care to the animals at Monmouth County SPCA in Eatontown, NJ. Susan is a member of the International Association for Veterinary Rehabilitation and Physical Therapy and the Northern Monmouth Chamber of Commerce. She is a past member of the American Physical Therapy Association and its Animal Rehabilitation Special Interest Group and the New Jersey Association of Women Business Owners. In addition to clinical practice, Susan is a writer and author, public speaker and consultant.

*Disclaimer* A special thanks goes out to Rebecca at Cadence Marketing for a review copy of this book. It in no way influenced my review. You can discuss it here or join my facebook page and discuss it there.

Review: Rag Baby – Mark Ellis

Thursday, May 8th, 2014
Print Length: 58 pages
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publisher: Millennial Concepts Publishing (July 21, 2013)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
Order E-book here:
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Characters:

Bone Mizell – Private Investigator and head of Mizell Security Solutions
Dale Bristline – Strip Club owner.

Synopsis:

Dale Bristline is being blackmailed. The catch is, the blackmailer is his wife’s dead husband. To find the blackmailer before he ends up dead, Bristline hires Bone Mizell, a tough talking private eye.

Review

This was a rather short novella at only about 54 pages. But in those few pages was packed a lot of action, a lot of story, and some interesting characters. Bone Mizell is a throwback to the olden days of the greats like Phillip Marlowe, Sam Spade, and Mike Hammer. The plot is interesting with plenty of twists and turns, and by the end, it had made sense who the perpetrator was.

There was some strong language, violent situations, and adult content, and for that reason I recommend it for older audiences. If you are a fan of Hard Boiled fiction though, I think you would definitely enjoy this book for a quick read.

About the Author

Mark Ellis is a novelist and comics creator whose many credentials include Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze, The Wild, Wild West, The New Justice Machine, Death Hawk, The Miskatonic Project and Star Rangers. In 1996 he created the best-selling Outlanders series for Harlequin Enterprise’s Gold Eagle imprint. He is the author of over 50 books and co-wrote The Everything Guide to Writing Graphic Novels with his wife Melissa Martin-Ellis. He has been featured in Starlog, Comics Scene and Fangoria magazines. He has also been interviewed by Robert Siegel for NPR’s All Things Considered.
www.markellisink.com

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