Review: Stay Hungry by Sebastian Maniscalco

3 1/2 - 4 Stars

I've been a big Sebastian Maniscalco fan for years and was super excited to find out he was writing a book. One of the main reasons i love his comedy so much, is that he comes across as so relatable. He talks about his dysfunctional Italian family - a subject i completely relate to - a lot, and I challenge you to find a more visually funny comic around (watch one of his Showtime specials, or just one of his clips on You Tube and you'll see what i mean). Having said all that, i was slightly worried how his brand of humor would translate into a book. The answer to that is, while not exactly seamless and perfect....it still ended up being a funny, charming look at his life and career.

Probably the best parts from this book were the tidbits about his life he never talks about in interviews, or in his act (his parents sudden divorce after almost 40 years of marriage, the 2 miscarriages he and his wife endured before the birth of their daughter). In those sections, while not told in great detail, he shows a different side of his personality that his fans rarely if ever see. The fact that this was written more as a memoir than just as a typical collection of essays also worked in his favor, since SM is a born storyteller.

My only issue with the book, were the times Maniscalco came off sounding more cocky and arrogant than just the larger than life comedian we see onstage. Possibly these sections just didn't translate to the page as they would have if he had just been working them  into his act. But they did pop up, especially towards the end, and were distracting.

 Would i recommend this to people not already familiar with his work? Not really.  I would instead suggest watching one of his specials, or even better....seeing him live on stage, to watch him truly shine.

Overall, this was an enjoyable look into the life and mind of one of the best comics out there.

Review: Grunt by Mary Roach

🌟🌟🌟🌟 1/2 stars

I am so thankful I stumbled across Mary Roach. I never would have thought I would enjoy a non fiction book about science...let alone one involving the military. But she has this way of making the most complicated subjects approachable, and so, so fascinating. 

Roach gives readers a glimpse at the science and humanity behind the people who go to war, instead of the war itself. 

I just love her to pieces. In fact, I may be developing a bit of a nerdy girl crush on her. #noshame. 

**News**

I know it has been forever since I posted a review. Things have been crazy hectic lately.

But, since my book review channel on You Tube is alive and kicking, I plan on writing many more reviews.

My YT channel

http://www.youtube.com/user/Bookgasmic

Darkness Under the Sun/What the Night Knows ~ Dean Koontz

Mine Til Midnight ~ Lisa Kleypas

5++ Stars
*All Time Favorite Book List*

If I could give this book 10 stars, I would. I honestly haven't enjoyed a book this much in AGES. Cam Rohan is now firmly planted very close to the top of my list of all time favorite leading men.

The chemistry between Cam & Amelia is just breathtaking. I have always been a sucker for an Alpha male, and Cam is about as Alpha as they come. When he finally sets his mind to having Amelia, he won't let anyone or anything stand in his way. He's fierce, compelling, intense and sexy as hell and Amelia is helpless to resist his charm...and I definitely can relate.

This was my first experience reading Lisa Kleypas, and I have to admit I picked a great one to start with. From the first page, this book sucked me into the storyline, and the beautifully detailed world of the characters.

I have to point out something that many of the author's fans know all too well; Lisa Kleypas not only writes a hero to die for...but she has a knack for creating the most beautifully erotic love scenes I have ever read. She has said in the past that when she writes love scenes she choreographs them down to the last detail, and it's obvious that she does just that. She somehow manages to create toe-curling encounters without ever going too far in her descriptions. Her dialogue is always perfect...no eye-rolling or giggling, the way I have found myself doing while reading love scenes in other books. She knows how to mix romantic with scorchingly hot like no one else.

LK cares about every aspect of her novels, and it shows. Which is one of the many reasons she has such a devoted following. I for one consider myself lucky to include myself among them.

Black Ice by Anne Stuart

5 out of 5 stars
*All Time Favorite Book List*

I will admit I had been a little hesitant to read this book for a couple of reasons. First of all, Romantic Suspense has never been my favorite genre, and secondly although I am a sucker for a dark, brooding hero, I wasn't exactly sure what I would think of the Uber-Alpha Bastien.

All I can say is, i am so glad I decided to give this book a shot after all, because it ended up being one of the most enjoyable reading experiences I have had in quite some time.

The storyline itself grabbed me right away. There was just the right amount of tension and action to keep me glued to my chair for most of the day. I simply could not put this book down, which has been rare for me lately.

Now, as for Bastien. *sigh* Where do I even begin. I think everyone who has read this will agree with me, that the man that appears at the beginning of this book, is not the same man we are left with at the end. And his journey into becoming that man, was wonderful to experience. In many ways, Bastien will always be just as cold and aloof as he ever was. He's still the tough as nails mercenary. But by the end of the book, he has allowed a small part of himself to come alive because of his love for Chloe. The later scenes between the two characters are both heartbreaking and incredibly beautiful. I never expected that this book would make me cry, but the scene at the airport, did just that.

Thoroughly entertaining, suspenseful, passionate and just plain well-written, Black Ice will now have a permanent place on my Keepers shelf.

Minion by L A Banks

1 out of 5 stars
*Worst Book List*

I very rarely give up on books. If i have a problem getting into a story, I will usually put it down for a while, and try to approach it again at another time.

I attempted to read this book on 4 separate occasions over the course of a year, and I still found it impossible to finish.

To be quite honest, I found this practically impossible to read. First of all, there's not many things I hate more than the feeling of being dropped into the middle of a story without any kind of explanation or backstory until late in the book. Call me silly, but it's confusing as hell and just plain frustrating. How can you possibly enjoy a book when you have no clue what the heck is going on? When you keep having to make sure you are indeed reading the FIRST book in a series, because nothing is making sense?

Also, the dialogue...good grief. It was like the author's main goal was to make these characters sound 'current' and to use as much street slang as humanly possible. It came across as being incredibly trite and annoying.

And there is also the fact that the characters were far from likable. Everyone had a chip on their shoulder...but without giving the reader a reason WHY they acted that way until late in the book, it was hard to feel anything but annoyance toward their behavior.

I have heard that the series gets better as it progresses, but I think I'm beyond giving it another shot at this point.

Slave by Cheryl Brooks

1 out of 5 stars


I have read some weird stuff in my time. But nothing...and i do mean NOTHING compares to Slave by Cheryl Brooks.

This first book in the Cat Star Chronicles, is a mixture of erotica and sci fi...two of my favorite genres. And while the mix SOUNDS good in theory, in this case it just did not work.

Basically the premise is this: Jacinth is an 'intergalactic trader' who buys a slave - who possesses more than a few feline qualities, and is nicknamed Cat - to help assist in her mission to free her kidnapped sister.

Much flirty banter and oogling of Cat's well endowed body ensue, and within about 2 days, the two characters have professed their undying love and mutual lust for each other. And this is when the real weirdness begins.

Jacinth discovers that Cat's....'male essence'... *cough* is a highly potent aphrodisiac and much discussion of bottling and selling the prized elixir begins. I will spare you the incredibly unappealing name that Cat has for it. Trust me, you don't need to know.

Everything about this book screams "oh.my.gawd." and not in a good way. The dialogue is cheesy and ridiculous, the characters are about as one dimensional as you can get. Even the sex scenes are poorly written.

And to think...this is only the first book in a series! *shudder*

Beneath A Blood Red Moon by Shannon Drake

2 out of 5 stars

I have conflicted feelings about this book. First off, I'm a huge fan of Heather Graham/Shannon Drake (SD is Heather's pseudonym). And there were several aspects to this book that I really liked; I thought the historical flashbacks were the best part of the story. I also loved the character of Lucian who is the main focus of the next book in the series [book:When Darkness Falls|176789]. However, the things that I found irritating about the story began to pile up towards the end of the book. HG/SD is known to have a fondness for sappy dialogue, which doesn't bother me in small doses. Here, it was used to a near constant distraction. Also, the climax of the 'mystery' (which really wasn't a mystery at all, since the killer was made obvious by about 20 pages in)seemed a little over-the-top.

I plan on continuing on with the series, and am hopeful that Lucian's story will not leave me disappointed.

Mine Til Midnight by Lisa Kleypas

5 out of 5 stars
*All Time Favorite Book List*

If I could give this book 10 stars, I would. I honestly haven't enjoyed a book this much in AGES. Cam Rohan is now firmly planted very close to the top of my list of all time favorite leading men.

The chemistry between Cam & Amelia is just breathtaking. I have always been a sucker for an Alpha male, and Cam is about as Alpha as they come. When he finally sets his mind to having Amelia, he won't let anyone or anything stand in his way. He's fierce, compelling, intense and sexy as hell and Amelia is helpless to resist his charm...and I definitely can relate.

This was my first experience reading Lisa Kleypas, and I have to admit I picked a great one to start with. From the first page, this book sucked me into the storyline, and the beautifully detailed world of the characters.

I have to point out something that many of the author's fans know all too well; Lisa Kleypas not only writes a hero to die for...but she has a knack for creating the most beautifully erotic love scenes I have ever read. She has said in the past that when she writes love scenes she choreographs them down to the last detail, and it's obvious that she does just that. She somehow manages to create toe-curling encounters without ever going too far in her descriptions. Her dialogue is always perfect...no eye-rolling or giggling, the way I have found myself doing while reading love scenes in other author's books. She knows how to mix romantic with scorchingly hot like no one else.

LK cares about every aspect of her novels, and it shows. Which is one of the many reasons she has such a devoted following. I for one consider myself lucky to include myself among that following.

Storm Of Visions by Christina Dodd

DNF

This book tried my patience right from the very beginning. I understand that this book is loosely tied-in with Dodd's previous Dark Chosen series, but the author seemed to have just assumed that anyone reading Storm Of Visions would have been completely versed in the previous series. This being my first attempt at reading one of Dodd's books, I was completely frustrated and confused through the first 75-100 pages. There is nothing more annoying than starting a book, and feeling like you're being dropped right in the middle of the story.

But, once i figured out what was going on, i realized the story itself was just plain ridiculous and over-blown. The characters are over the top and the melodrama is suffocating. In all honesty, Dodd's writing is repetitive and just not very good.

It's rare that i give up on a book...but i could only make it 200 pages into this one.

The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

1 out of 5 stars

Obviously, this book disappointed me greatly. I kept plugging along until about half-way through when i realized that absolutely NOTHING had really happened in the storyline. It didn't even feel like a Dan Brown book. The excitement, and nervous anticipation i've felt while devouring his previous books, was nowhere to be found. My eyes were literally glazing over from Brown's attempt to sound scholarly about the minutest details of the most boring, and inexplicable 'scientific' subjects. Where both Angels and Demons and The Da Vinci Code succeeded in grabbing my attention right away with intriguing plots and believable characters, this book felt cold, stiff and read like a textbook instead of a novel. After waiting 6 years for the next chapter of Robert Langdon's story, i think it probably would have been impossible to live up to all the hype surrounding it. However, Brown could have, and SHOULD have done so much better.

Trial By Fire by

5 out of 5 stars

Thanks to this book, i have a new weakness. Firemen. Yes, the hero Howard "Six-Pack" Paxton was at times adorable, sweet, romantic, shy and tortured. As well as being incredibly stubborn and hard-headed. But then, no one is perfect.

Everything about this book worked, on so many levels. The characters (even the secondary ones) felt real and well-rounded. The mystery surrounding the serial arsonist was intriguing, and had a well thought-out resolution, and the step-by-step revel of the true horror of Howard's early childhood, was heart-wrenching.

I have to say, i loved the heroine, Kat. She was strong, feisty, flawed, and the perfect person for Howard. She stood up to his sometimes boorish behavior, and she stuck by him as he tried to come to terms with his fear of opening up. And i loved the fact that Kat was a gorgeous, curvy woman and that to Howard, she was the sexiest thing in the world. I only wish there were more men like him in the real world.

Can't wait to read more from this series, and author.

Beyond The Night by Joss Ware

2 stars out of 5

I was so excited to find a book combining so many unique elements that I love; post-apocalyptic mayhem, adventure, paranormal romance and zombies. How could it disappoint, right? Unfortunately, after a promising start, this book completely fell apart.

For the first 75 pages, I was riveted to this story. It was only after the band of survivors made their way to the city of Envy (a barren version of Las Vegas) that things went south for me. The story became less a zombie ass-kicking adventure, and more a retread of cliched para-romance themes. I won't get into specifics, since I don't want to spoil the 'twists' for anyone who plans on reading this, but I will just say that I rolled my eyes several times. And I have the say the last third of this book worked on my patience, and there was a LOT of skimming. To be honest, I was very happy to see this novel come to an end, which is unfortunate considering how excited I was when I began this book. :(