Dick Van Dyke and the Vantastix

When was this released? I love Dick Van Dyke and A cappella music. I knew that he had this group and am thrilled that they put out this CD. Guess what’s going on my Christmas list!


Dick Van Dyke is beloved the world over for his singing and dancing in such movies as Mary Poppins and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

Now, to share his lifelong love of singing, Dick Van Dyke has recorded a new children's album called Put On A Happy Face with his friends Bryan Chadima, Eric Bradley, and Mike Mendyke.

Mike met Dick Van Dyke in a Malibu coffeeshop back in 2000, and together with Bryan and Eric they started a vocal quartet called Dick Van Dyke and The Vantastix. Since then the group has performed at many benefit concerts and charity events, and been on TV a few times, but now you can hear Dick Van Dyke and The Vantastix for yourself with with Put On A Happy Face, and album filled with fun, upbeat songs the whole family will enjoy.

The album features songs from moments in Dick's career, including Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Put on a Happy Face, and even The Dick Van Dyke Show Theme (did you know it had lyrics?). With more Disney songs like Bare Necessities from The Jungle book and Baby of Mine from Dumbo, and some great old standards like High Hopes and Pick Yourself Up, the album is a celebration of believing in yourself and having a good time while doing it.

Two bonus holiday tracks on the album include an original song called Old Fashioned Christmas, and a must-have for every family; Dick Van Dyke reading 'Twas The Night Before Christmas.

If you are a fan of Dick Van Dyke, you definitely want this album.

Song List:
Put On A Happy Face
You've Got A Friend In Me
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Baby Of Mine
High Hopes
Bare Necessities
Pick Yourself Up
A Lover's Question
It's Not Easy Being Green
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
Ac-cent-tchu-ate The Positive
Theme From Dick Van Dyke Show
Twas The Night Before Christmas
Old Fashioned Christmas

Friends Like These by Danny Wallace

Book Description
Danny Wallace has friends. He has a wife and goes to brunch, and his new house has a couch with throw pillows. But as he nears 30, he can't help wondering about his best childhood friends, whose names he finds in a long-forgotten address book. Where are they now-and where, really, is he?

Acting on an impulse we've all had at least once, he travels from London to Berlin, Tokyo, Australia, and California, risking rejection and ridicule to show up on his old pals' doorsteps. Memories of his 1980s childhood-from Michael Jackson to Ghostbusters-overwhelm him as he meets former buddies who have blossomed into rappers and ninjas, time-traveling pioneers, mediocre restaurant managers, and even Fijian royalty.

Danny's attempt to re-befriend them all gives remarkable new resonance to the age-old mantra, "friends forever!"

My thoughts
I wasn’t sure what I would expect when I picked up Danny Wallace’s “Friends Like These” but I was pleasantly surprised. I also wasn’t sure if I could relate since Danny was about to turn 30 when he had this desire to find long lost childhood friends. I’m a 40-something and that gap is larger. Turning 30 and getting a box delivered from his mom with stuff from his childhood (how cool is that?) and finding an old address book starts him on his quest to locate and update that book. He travels to various countries, calls all over the place and has a wife that he should be quite thankful for. Many of us have wondered what happened to that kid you used to play with in kindergarten or the guy you hung out with in high school, but Danny made it his goal to find out. Wallace’s writing is humorous and sentimental and made this a fine book to read.

Murder at the Academy Awards by Joan Rivers and Jerrilyn Farmer

Book Description
The Academy Awards®. It's Hollywood's biggest night, and there's no star better equipped than the tart-tongued Max Taylor to hold court on the glamorous Red Carpet. Sharing the dish with her daughter, Drew, the calls-it-as-she-sees-it entertainer has parlayed this star-studded annual gig into television's most-watched pre-show event. And tonight, Max has landed a real coup -- an exclusive interview with Halsey Hamilton, a fabulous, young, paparazzi-trailed Oscar nominee. But not even Max, who's seen her share of celebrity train wrecks, is prepared for an incoherent Halsey, straight out of rehab, to stumble up to the mic, slur a few cryptic words, and drop dead at the hem of Max's stunning Michael Kors gown.
To Hollywood, the starlet's demise was tragic but inevitable. To Max, it looks more like a perfectly calculated crime. After all, she alone heard Halsey's final whisper -- a clue that leads Max to the pricey rehab clinic Wonders. With a weakness for nothing more disturbing than artificial sweeteners, Max nonetheless goes undercover and embarks on a twelve-step investigation into murder. Once inside the luxury clinic, Max's list of suspicious players expands faster than the Jolie-Pitt family: Burke Norris, a professional cad and Drew's ex-fiancé; Halsey's father, who is still making money off his dead daughter's fame; Halsey's jealous younger sister; and Rojo Bernstein, a tattooed karate hipster who knew the troubled fallen star much better than anyone suspected.
Now it's left to Max to unravel the sordid motives and find Halsey's killer while upstaging an over-the-top Hollywood memorial service and funeral where the ill-fated actress was buried in, of all things, a tacky designer knockoff! And you thought the Oscars were all swag bags and Jimmy Choos? Hah! Honey, it's murder.In Murder at the Academy Awards®, Joan Rivers delivers a very smart, bracingly funny, and pitch-perfect reflection of a Hollywood only she would dare to reveal -- all seen through the eyes of an indomitable, high-end amateur sleuth who isn't asking "Who are you wearing?" but rather "Whodunit?"

My thoughts
Joan Rivers and Jerrilyn Farmer have written a humorous murder mystery based on the experiences of Rivers and her daughter on the Red Carpet of Hollywood premieres. “Murder at the Academy Awards” begins with a young actress dying on the red carpet at Max Taylor’s feet after Max finished interviewing stars attending the awards. While this is certainly an escapist novel, I did not find it has funny as I thought Rivers could be.

King of Heists by J. North Conway

Book Description
King of Heists is a spellbinding account of the greatest bank robbery in American history, which took place on October 27, 1878, when thieves broke into the Manhattan Savings Institution and stole nearly $3 million in cash and securities—around $50 million in today’s terms. One of the largest banks in the world, the Manhattan Savings Institution was a depository for the money, jewelry, securities, and other valuables of some of the most prominent, wealthy citizens of New York City.

In an absorbing narrative set against the colorful backdrop of New York in the Gilded Age, J. North Conway tells the story of those who plotted and carried out this infamous robbery, how they did it, and how they were tracked down and captured.

The robbery was planned to the minutest detail by the mysterious and notorious George L. Leslie—a society architect whose double life as the nation’s most prolific bank robber led him to be dubbed the “King of the Bank Robbers.” Despite his reputation, he was never caught and never spent a day in jail.

King of Heists is intertwined with a host of memorable real-life Gilded Age characters, including Fredericka “Marm” Mandelbaum, the queen of New York City’s criminals; John D. Rockefeller, president of Standard Oil; and John Roebling, who undertook a quest to build the greatest bridge in the world—the Brooklyn Bridge. It is also the story of the financial wizard “Jubilee” Jim Fisk, the man responsible for the “Black Friday” stock market crash in 1869; showgirl Josie Mansfield, Fisk’s mistress; and Boss Tweed, corrupt head of New York City’s political machine. It is about the dichotomy between the rich and the poor, the powerful and powerless, the haves and have-nots.

But mostly, King of Heists is about the Manhattan Savings Institution robbery in 1878 and two other legendary heists—each a record-setting event and each carried out under the direction of George Leslie.
A thrilling narrative, King of Heists blends all the richness of history with the thrills of the best fiction.

My thoughts
“King of Heists” by J. North Conway is the story of one George Leslie, America’s greatest bank robber. It is more than then just his life in the latter part of the 19th century, but a glimpse of what New York City and America was like during the Gilded Age. As a person fascinated with the early days of New York, I found this book to be quite informative. It is an enjoyable read for history fans.

Evidence by Jonathan Kellerman

Book Description
In the half-built skeleton of a monstrously vulgar mansion in one of L.A.’s toniest neighborhoods, a watchman stumbles on the bodies of a young couple–murdered in flagrante and left in a gruesome postmortem embrace. Though he’s cracked some of the city’s worst slayings, veteran homicide cop Milo Sturgis is still shocked at the grisly sight: a twisted crime that only Milo’s killer instincts–and psychologist Alex Delaware’s keen insights–can hope to solve.

While the female victim’s identity remains a question mark, her companion is ID’d as eco-friendly architect Desmond Backer, who disdains the sort of grandiose superstructure he’s found dead in. And the late Mr. Backer, it’s revealed was also notorious for his power to seduce women.

The rare exception is his ex-boss, Helga Gemein, who’s as indifferent to Desmond’s death as she apparently was to his advances. Though Milo and Alex place her on their short list of suspects, the deeper they dig for clues the longer the list grows. An elusive prince who appears to harbor decidedly American appetites, an eccentric blueblood with an ax to grind, one of Desmond’s restless ex-lovers and her cuckolded husband–all are in the homicidal mix spiced with eco-terrorism, arson, blackmail, conspiracy, and a vendetta that runs deep. But when the investigation veers suddenly in a startling direction, it’s the investigators who may wind up on the wrong end of a cornered predator’s final fury.

My thoughts
Alex Delaware is back in Jonathan Kellerman’s new book “Evidence”. But he is more like Milo Sturgis’ sidekick after Milo takes on the case of a double murder in an abandoned and unfinished mansion. Tracking down the owner of the property and the connection between the dead couple seems to be the main theme of the story. Why Delaware is tagging along, as the narrator of the story? We don’t get to delve into the psychology of the individuals but more into how Milo solves the case. Kellerman is a superb author and I enjoy the Delaware novels, but this was not as intense as his earlier books.

Born Round by Frank Bruni

Book Description
Frank Bruni was born round. Round as in stout, chubby, and hungry, always and endlessly hungry. He grew up in a big, loud Italian family in White Plains, New York, where meals were epic, outsize affairs. At those meals, he demonstrated one of his foremost qualifications for his future career: an epic, outsize appetite for food. But his relationship with eating was tricky, and his difficulties with managing it began early.

When he was named the restaurant critic for the New York Times in 2004, he knew enough to be nervous. He would be performing one of the most closely watched tasks in the epicurean universe; a bumpy ride was inevitable, especially for someone whose writing beforehand had focused on politics, presidential campaigns, and the Pope.

But as he tackled his new role as one of the most loved and hated tastemakers in the New York restaurant world, he also had to make sense of a decades-long love-hate affair with food, which had been his enemy as well as his friend. Now he’d have to face down this enemy at meal after indulgent meal. His Italian grandmother had often said, "Born round, you don’t die square." Would he fall back into his worst old habits? Or had he established a truce with the food on his plate?

In tracing the highly unusual path Bruni traveled to become a restaurant critic, Born Round tells the captivating story of an unpredictable journalistic odyssey and provides an unflinching account of one person’s tumultuous, often painful lifelong struggle with his weight. How does a committed eater embrace food without being undone by it? Born Round will speak to every hungry hedonist who has ever had to rein in an appetite to avoid letting out a waistband, and it will delight anyone interested in matters of family, matters of the heart, and the big role food plays in both.

My thoughts
“Born Round” is Frank Bruni’s tale of how he dealt with his fluctuating weight throughout his life. Interesting were the stories of his family and how everything seemed to revolve around food. Since both his mother and grandmother were passionate about cooking, it didn’t help Bruni with his weight problem. He controlled this by becoming a swimmer in high school but was bulimic during his college years. He discusses not only his weight, but his journalism career, his homosexuality, and life in the city. Just another autobiography that I could not relate to.

The Siege by Stephen White

Book Description
Stephen White—author of over a dozen New York Times bestsellers— returns with a relentlessly propelled, thriller that will remind readers of his acclaimed Kill Me. Stephen White’s Alan Gregory novels are beloved by both fans and critics—the most recent, Dead Time, was a USA Today and Book-Sense bestseller. In The Siege, Gregory’s longtime friend Sam Purdy takes center stage in a story that feels ripped from tomorrow’s headlines. From the first page on, readers need to be buckled in for a nonstop ride full of terror and pathos. As a lovely weekend approaches on the Yale campus it appears that a number of students—including the sons of both the Secretary of the Army and newest Supreme Court justice—may have gone missing. Kidnapping? Terrorism? The authorities aren’t sure. But the high-profile disappearances draw the attention of the CIA and the FBI’s vaunted Hostage Rescue Team. Attention quickly focuses on the fortress-like tomb of one of Yale’s secret societies. Suspended Boulder police detective Sam Purdy soon finds himself in New Haven, where he is quickly snared by an unlikely pair of Feds: FBI agent Christopher Poe and CIA analyst Deirdre Drake. Sam, Poe, and Dee join together, desperately trying to solve the riddle of what is going on inside the windowless stone tomb on the edge of campus. The clock is pounding in their ears. The unknown enemy is playing by no known rules . . . is making no demands . . . is refusing to communicate with the hostage negotiator . . . is somehow anticipating every FBI move . . . is completely unconcerned about getting away . . . And . . . is sending students, one by one, out of the building’s front door to die.

My thoughts
“The Siege” by Stephen White had me on edge from the beginning of the book. I just couldn’t put the book down from the moment the first student is killed until the siege ends. Seeing how the various law enforcement agents get involved and work with each other to figure who and what is going on in the fortress like building on the campus of Yale. Certainly did not expect the unusual ending. I just got into reading White’s books and have to say this was certainly a good one to get immersed in.

Daughter Am I by Pat Bertram

Book Description
When twenty-five-year-old Mary Stuart learns she inherited a farm from her recently murdered grandparents – grandparents her father claimed had died before she was born – she becomes obsessed with finding out who they were and why someone wanted them dead. Along the way she accumulates a crew of feisty octogenarians – former gangsters and friends of her grandfather. She meets and falls in love with Tim Olson, whose grandfather shared a deadly secret with her great-grandfather. Now Mary and Tim need to stay one step ahead of the killer who is desperate to dig up that secret.

My thoughts
In "Daughter Am I" by Pat Bertram, Mary finds out she had grandparents after she inherits their farm when they are murdered. Annoyed with her father for keeping her grandparents a secret, she goes out on a journey to learn about them and try to find out why there were killed. Along for the journey, are a group of feisty seniors (all of whom knew her grandparents) she picks along the way. And they have story to tell – about prohibition, the Mafia and life in Chicago and on the lam. This is a road trip to story about murder, mystery, friendship and bonding.

Life Gets In The Way of Reading

Our short summer is definitely over; especially with the snow storm we had last week. Fall has begun, which means leaves are falling and I am out there raking and bagging them. It also means the new fall television season has started. We have also started repainting the living room and hallway (one wall at a time). Also redoing the book case, which means I will be holding contests soon to clear out some of my shelves. I have also started two new art projects. So if I am not working, outside taking care of the lawn, watching the new TV shows (when is LOST coming back?) or painting, I may get to read a book or two.

So don’t fret if I don’t post on a daily basis, I am around, just caught up with life.

Goodbye Natalie, Goodbye Splendour by Marti Rulli and Dennis Davern

Book Description
Natalie Wood was a Hollywood icon, beloved by millions for her performances in such classics as Miracle on 34th Street, West Side Story and Rebel Without a Cause. Married for the second time to actor Robert Wagner and the mother of young children, Natalie had everything to live for. Her bizarre death on or near the yacht Splendour on a chilly November evening in 1981 has been shrouded in mystery. In his recent best-selling memoir Pieces of My Heart, Robert Wagner told his version of what happened on the yacht Splendour on the night his wife died. But is Wagner’s version accurate? Who knows the truth? Goodbye Natalie, Goodbye Splendour is the result of a decades-long investigation by journalist Marti Rulli and Dennis Davern, Natalie’s friend, confidant and captain of the Splendour on that controversial night. Painstakingly researched and written from the heart, here is an in-depth examination of Natalie Wood’s life—and death.

My thoughts
“Goodbye Natalie, Goodbye Splendour” is more a book about one woman’s obsession about getting this story to print and help her friend (the skipper of the yacht) rid himself of his demons caused by Natalie Wood’s death than it is a story of Natalie Wood’s life and death. Not that there is anything wrong about that. When skipper, Dennis Davern told his friend Marti Rulli what happened that night, it took 28 years to finally get it in print and published. It is an intriguing story of the possibilities of what happened that night and the fear that faced Davern if he told the public of what he saw. I got immersed in the book, but didn’t feel like I got anything from their account of the events leading to and after Wood’s death.

9 Dragons by Michael Connelly

Book Description
LAPD Detective Harry Bosch is off the chain in the fastest, fiercest, and highest-stakes case of his life.

Fortune Liquors is a small shop in a tough South L.A. neighborhood, a store Bosch has known for years. The murder of John Li, the store's owner, hits Bosch hard, and he promises Li's family that he'll find the killer.

The world Bosch steps into next is unknown territory. He brings in a detective from the Asian Gang Unit for help with translation--not just of languages but also of the cultural norms and expectations that guided Li's life. He uncovers a link to a Hong Kong triad, a lethal and far-reaching crime ring that follows many immigrants to their new lives in the U.S.

And instantly his world explodes. The one good thing in Bosch's life, the person he holds most dear, is taken from him and Bosch travels to Hong Kong in an all-or-nothing bid to regain what he's lost. In a place known as Nine Dragons, as the city's Hungry Ghosts festival burns around him, Bosch puts aside everything he knows and risks everything he has in a desperate bid to outmatch the triad's ferocity.

My thoughts
“9 Dragons” by Michael Connelly begins with Harry Bosch investigating the murder of a Chinese immigrant liquor store owner. The investigation leads to the possibility of a triad execution and soon the abduction of Harry’s thirteen year old daughter in Hong Kong. Forget the case and his job, Harry rushes across the globe to find his daughter. This mystery is action filled and there are some twists and turns that had me guessing. For fans of Connelly and the Harry Bosch stories, this is one to read!

The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks

Book Description
Seventeen year old Veronica "Ronnie" Miller's life was turned upside-down when her parents divorced and her father moved from New York City to Wilmington, North Carolina. Three years later, she remains angry and alienated from her parents, especially her father...until her mother decides it would be in everyone's best interest if she spent the summer in Wilmington with him. Ronnie's father, a former concert pianist and teacher, is living a quiet life in the beach town, immersed in creating a work of art that will become the centerpiece of a local church.
The tale that unfolds is an unforgettable story of love on many levels--first love, love between parents and children -- that demonstrates, as only a Nicholas Sparks novel can, the many ways that love can break our hearts...and heal them.

My thoughts
Divorced family, rebellious teenage daughter, young impressionable son, summer on the beach, young love, bad boy, turtle nest – the book has it all. Nicholas Sparks makes you feel like living in North Carolina because love abounds. “The Last Song” is no different. But this story deals with young love as Veronica “Ronnie” Miller and her younger brother stayed with their father in his cottage on the beach in North Carolina. They live with their mother in New York City. Ronnie despises her father, blames him for the divorce and tries to make new friends since she is ‘stuck’ there. Unfortunately, she mixes with the wrong crowd, causing even more friction. All he wants to do his forge a relationship with his children before it’s too late. Although the story is satisfactory, it is not heartwarming or a tear jerker (something I usually find in Spark’s books).

Kill Me Twice by Jerry Bayne

Book Description
In Kill Me Twice, acclaimed suspense writer Jerry Bayne provides action thriller fans an explosive tale. Author of The Gatherer, Bayne picks up the pace and carries the torch. With a biting prose that discerning readers have come to expect, Bayne refuses to pull any punches in illustrating the dark underbelly of our nation’s capital and proves that when it comes to political wrangling, it is nearly impossible to distinguish the good guys from the villains. When the U.S. government wrongs Bradley Cardiff, he refuses to take it on the chin or turn the other cheek. Bent on revenge, the lone Cardiff becomes a killing machine. With his family executed, he has nothing left to lose—he is a loose cannon that wants nothing more than to kill political minions one by one before assassinating the ultimate target. A joint team including Secret Service and the CIA is formed. In an attempt to gain a leg up on their sly fugitive, they will enlist a Boston detective who has a connection with Cardiff.

My thoughts
Kill Me Twice” by Jerry Bayne is quick-paced, thrilling and captivating. The story centers around Brad Cardiff, a former CIA operative who observed a Columbia drug deal go wrong. Chosen as the fall-guy for this fiasco, Cardiff is was slated for execution four years later. But they failed and he seeks revenge for the death of his family is executed. Who is responsible? Is the Mafia, his former CIA boss or the politicians the arranged for the drug deal? Cardiff’s vengeance is executed with such skill, he may never get caught. Bayne’s novel is an outstanding tale of political suspense.

Finishing the Murals

Last week I finally finished the pokemon characters. I pushed myself to completed the last three. So it took me 17 hours to paint 6 pokemon characters. Hmm, I wonder what my next project will be.

The Grudge by Dennis Wesley Clark

Book Description
These Vietnam POW’s had been through hell to get home. But, he was one of those government officials who attempted to hide their escape and betray them for political expediency. They reversed the betrayal. He was bitter about the settlement money. Twenty years later, he retired from high public office. He had a grudge to settle. He sent his loyal zealots to physically harm them. And, he initiated attacks using the FBI and IRS. Challenges. First, who was launching this belated attack on them? Why? Then, they were faced with a conundrum. Their beliefs demanded they respected the law and his protected position. How could they defend themselves? Their defense unfolds in typical military precision: identify your enemy, know your enemy, assess the situation, isolate the target, define a plan of attack, execute and remove the threat. The story is a race between evil and good. Alone, they are threatened with defeat. Other good forces are on the way; could they get there in time?

My thoughts
“The Grudge” by Dennis Wesley Clark is the sequel to his book “Hard Way Home” but you do not need to read the first book to understand this one. There is a recap at the beginning of the book and this story takes place 20 years later. It is a fast paced, action packed story of resentment by the ex-Vice President and the three ex-Vietnam POWs that in his eyes made a fool of him. All they ever wanted is to live their lives in peace. Clark tells the story in away that you can see a movie being made form this story.

Day by Day Armageddon Book Blog Tour

START INTERCEPT
SPORADIC NEW REPORTS INDICATE CHAOS AND VIOLENCE SPREADING THROUGH U.S. CITIES. AN UNKNOWN EVIL IS SWEEPING THE PLANET. THE DEAD ARE RISING TO CLAIM THE EARTH AS THE NEW DOMINANT SPECIES IN THE FOOD CHAIN.


INTERCEPT COMPLETE
SURVIVOR,

In your hands is the handwritten journal depicting one man's struggle for survival. Trapped in the midst of global disaster, he must make decisions; choices that ultimately mean life, or the eternal curse to walk as one of them.


ENTER IF YOU WILL INTO HIS WORLD. THE WORLD OF THE UNDEAD.


Check out the other hosts of this blog tour!

All About {n}: http://www.bookwormygirl.blogspot.com/
Fantasy Freak: http://fantastyfreak.blogspot.com/
Patricia’s Vampire Notes: http://patricias-vampire-notes.blogspot.com/
Libby’s Library News: http://www.libslibrary.blogspot.com/
Readaholic: http://bridget3420.blogspot.com/
Must Read Faster: http://mustreadfaster.blogspot.com/
A Journey of Books: http://ajourneyofbooks.blogspot.com/
Jeanne’s Ramblings: http://jeannesgifts.blogspot.com/
Cheryl’s Book Nook: http://cherylsbooknook.blogspot.com/
Found Not Lost: http://jmomfinds.amoores.com/
My Life In Not So Many Words: http://www.ziarias.blogspot.com/
Falling Off the Shelf: http://fallingofftheshelf.blogspot.com/
Frugal Plus: http://frugalplus.com/
Revenge of the Book Nerds: http://booknerdextraordinaire.blogspot.com/
Debbie’s World of Books: http://debbiesworldofbooks.com/
Pick of the Literate: http://bookrevues.blogspot.com/
Bookfoolery & Babble: http://bookfoolery.blogspot.com/
Bibliophiles R Us: http://nightdweller20.wordpress.com
Beth’s Book Review: http://bethsbookreviewblog.blogspot.com/
Wendy’s Minding Spot: http://mindingspot.blogspot.com/
Temple Library Reviews: http://templelibraryreviews.blogspot.com/

My thoughts
“Day By Day Armageddon” is the diary of a former naval officer as he records his life after an uncontrollable plague has turned most of the population to flesh- eating zombies. J.L. Bourne keeps the pace going as we watch how he continues to survive as his world is destroyed. Makes me think of “I Am Legend” and “Dawn of the Dead”. His descriptive narratives are not for the faint of heart, but as you read this ‘journal’ you feel for the protagonist and his desire to survive. The story ends abruptly after an incident (won’t discuss here), generating a yearning to read the next journal (the sequel). I enjoyed this zombie story and look forward to more from J.L. Bourne.

On a side note, this was first self-published, then picked up by a small published and finally by Pocket Books, showing that Bourne has certainly created a work of fiction that people want to read!

Sloppy Joe Recipe

Here’s a quick and easy Sloppy Joe mix I got off the internet. My daughter was in the mood for Sloppy Joes, I didn’t have a can of Manwich around and the only ingredient missing was a green pepper. I asked her to go out and get one of the pathetic peppers from our garden (the vegetables this year did not grow). I was able to get a ¼ cup of chopped pepper. Enjoy!

Ingredients
1 pound lean ground beef (we used ground turkey)
¼ cup chopped onion
¼ cup chopped green bell pepper
½ teaspoon garlic
1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard
¾ cup ketchup
3 teaspoons brown sugar
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
In a medium skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef, onion, and green pepper; drain off liquids.

Stir in the garlic powder, mustard, ketchup, and brown sugar; mix thoroughly. Reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.


Now was that simple? And it’s tasty too!

Storm Cycle by Iris Johansen and Roy Johansen

Book Description
Rachel Kirby is a computer genius whose personal life is hell. While she continues to climb the corporate ranks, her beloved twin sister is plagued by a chronic illness that will eventually kill her, leaving Rachel all alone.

Serendipity in the form of a mysterious email lands in Rachel’s lap one day, but not without a price. Thousands of miles away, archeologist John Tanek sits trapped inside a collapsed Egyptian tomb with a functioning laptop. He knows that Rachel is the only person who can help him, but time is quickly running out. It turns out the collapse was no accident. John has discovered something very valuable in that tomb, something that humankind has been searching for throughout history, something that Rachel could use as it may hold the key to her sister’s cure. While Rachel orchestrates his rescue, she soon finds herself trapped in a dangerous web of deceit and murder. Can she put her trust in John Tanek? She’d do anything to save her sister. Will they both live long enough to unravel the ancient mystery they’ve found inside the tomb?

My thoughts
I have always enjoyed Iris Johansen’s novels and now that she has partnered with her son (I noticed many other authors doing this), I wanted to check them out. “Storm Cycle” is okay, but not exceptional. There is the exotic Egyptian location and ancient lore, a strong protagonist in Rachel Kirby (whose goal is to find a cure for her dying sister), an adventurous male lead, John Tavek. Tavek tells Rachel he can help her find a cure for her sister, but being the conniving character he is; he has other plans. A good premise and a lot of action, but the characters were not likable, for many reasons – one that comes to mind, although Rachel is strong and intelligent, she is also rude. I enjoyed their first joint venture together and will check out their next novel, but this one is not a keeper.

Between Me and the River by Carrie Host

Book Description
Carrie Host knows that the diagnosis of a life-threatening illness takes a split second to change your life, as well as the lives of your partner, parents, children and all who love you. Packed with inspiration, advice, comfort and hope, Between Me and the River is Host's candid and uplifting memoir of how she found the strength and fortitude to triumph over a rare form of cancer, and craft a new and meaningful life.

When told at forty, with her youngest child just ten months old, that she had carcinoid tumor, Host felt as if she'd been hurled into a raging river, stripped of all forms of potential rescue. The voyage of this strong-minded, openhearted woman out of that river and onto safe shores is told with uncompromising honesty and respect for the miracles that medicine and love can work.
While dealing with practical issues such as how to find the best medical team and what to tell the children, Host also recounts the many spiritual and eye-opening lessons that made her journey so bearable: how to see what is available rather than what is absent, how to free up energy to heal by letting go of anger and fear, and how to believe in the future.

Host's unquenchable sense of humor in the midst of suffering creates poignant moments of laughter through tears. Bracing, lyrical and deeply moving, Between Me and the River is a tribute to one life, and all lives, rerouted by illness. This remarkably honest book provides a deep sense of insight and understanding for survivors, caregivers, family members and friends.

My thoughts
Carrie Host shares her painful experience of living with cancer in her book, “Between Me and the River”. Since my own mother is dealing with her second bout of cancer, I can truly relate with what Ms. Host has written. Her honest and heartrending story is an inspiration and I had to put the book down quite a few times because I could not read because of my tears. I recommend this book whole-heartedly.

Terminator - How It Should End

Burn Notice: The Fix by Tod Goldberg

Product Description
Covert spy Michael Westen has found himself in forced seclusion in Miami—and a little paranoid. Watched by the FBI, cut off from intelligence contacts, and with his assets frozen, Weston is on ice with a warning: stay there or get “disappeared.” Driven to find out who burned him and why, he’s biding his time helping people with nowhere else to turn. People like socialite Cricket O’Connor whose own husband has vanished, along with her fortune...

My thoughts
I picked up this book because I enjoy the television series, and “Burn Notice: The fix” reads just like the show. Everyone is included - Michael, Fiona, Sam and even his mom. Sam gets Michael to take on the case of Cricket O’Conner and her missing husband and fortune. I easily visualized the characters and the situations and therefore zip right through this story. Fans of the show will love it. Non viewers may think it as just an okay story.

Mama Does Time by Deborah Sharp

Book DescriptionMeet Mama: a true Southern woman with impeccable manners, sherbet-colored pantsuits, and four prior husbands, able to serve sweet tea and sidestep alligator attacks with equal aplomb. Mama's antics — especially her penchant for finding trouble — drive her daughters Mace, Maddie, and Marty to distraction.

One night, while settling in to look for ex-beaus on COPS, Mace gets a frantic call from her mother. This time, the trouble is real: Mama found a body in the trunk of her turquoise convertible and the police think she's the killer. It doesn't help that the handsome detective assigned to the case seems determined to prove Mama's guilt or that the cowboy who broke Mace's heart shows up at the local Booze ‘n' Breeze in the midst of the investigation. Before their mama lands in prison — just like an embarrassing lyric from a country-western song — Mace and her sisters must find the real culprit.

My thoughts
“Mama Does Time” by Deborah Sharp is faced paced novel has quite a few colorful and quirky characters. Set in Florida, Mama gets arrested because a dead body is found in the trunk of her car and her three daughters including Mace Bauer come to her rescue. It is a mystery so there are a few twists; but it is also an entertaining look at small town Florida. It is a quick read to snuggle up on your couch and finish in one weekend.