Review Tales
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Beauty & Attention by Liz Rosenberg (Book Review #11)
Summary
“The riveting story of one brave young woman’s struggle to free herself from a web of deceit.
For misfit Libby Archer, social expectations for young women in Rochester, New York, in the mid-1950s don’t work. Her father has died, leaving her without parents, and her well-meaning friends are pressuring her to do what any sensible single girl must do: marry a passionate, persistent hometown suitor with a promising future. Yet Libby boldly defies conventional wisdom and plans to delay marriage—to anyone—by departing for her uncle’s Belfast estate. In Ireland, Libby seeks not only the comfort of family but also greater opportunities than seem possible during the stifling McCarthy era at home.
Across the Atlantic, Libby finds common ground with her brilliant, invalid cousin, Lazarus, then puts her trust in a sophisticated older woman who seems to be everything she hopes to become. Fraught with betrayal and long-kept secrets, as well as sudden wealth and unexpected love, Libby’s journey toward independence takes turns she never could have predicted—and calls on courage and strength she never knew she had.” – by Liz Rosenberg
Review
Nothing can prevent you from enjoying this beautifully well-written book about a girl, Libby Archer. She has experienced loss and is enforced with behaving in a way that is approved by social norm.
Just like any other human being, once you refuse to be subdued, such amount of pressure and expectations sometimes causes a person to make the wrong decisions or to be vulnerable towards prey. With not many people around her to guide her through this harsh path of reality, Libby has to make important decisions all by herself.
I want to congratulate this author for possessing excellent knowledge of vocabulary. The art of writing and correct references to geographical and historical places was truly admirable. Along the side of other accurately referenced landmarks in this book, the author made no mistakes in mentioning ‘Persian Gulf’ in its correct name.
“He acted like the sun; he could not help shining, and he wasn’t responsible if others naturally orbited around him, soaking in his warmth.”
“Just remember, if you have been hated, you have also been loved. Deeply loved, Libby…loved like fire. Blood and bone.”
These are just a glimpse of what this beautiful book offers to the reader.
My favorite character was Lazarus. He was funny, incredibly kind and his situation made you really warm up to him. If I had magical powers, I believe I would have made his life much easier and his future, more delightful.
I believe the author wished to express the nature of how it is nice to choose rather than, to be chosen in life. The message was very clear that life is what you make of it and every choice made has its rewards and consequences.
Written by: Jeyran Main
I was given this book by the Author & Lake Union Publishing for a review.
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The First Five Days (of the Lionean Saga) by John O. & Archie A. (Book Review #60)
This review is written for Online Book Club.
“I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars.”
Yosi Sint is the leader of the military for the nation of Lionea. This nation is confronted with wars on a regular basis, and its military leaders have the tendency of being killed mysteriously. When Yosi takes his place as the new man in charge, he has to be careful to not end up with the same fate. He also has to defend Lionea. The story consists of many dramatic scenes and magical enchantments, which is a nice addition to the plot.
Yosi is strong and is much more alert with what is going on around him. The backstory and the retelling of emotions are well written and clear. The first five days are essentially revolving around Yosi’s life. The backstory and character building were good but towards the end did not grow. This leaves the reader to wonder, and that may be a good sign if the Author has the intention of picking where he leaves off in book two.
This is a great fantasy novel, one that many like to read if they are into epic battles and warrior themed stories. The first five days has you sink into the book and not let go until the end. The book does contain sexual content and references to rape, sexual exploitation, and abuse. The format and rate of the material are similar to what you may have heard or seen in The Game of Thrones.
Another thing that I liked about this book was that it was not just written from one perspective. Normally this can be confusing for some readers. However, the authors successfully managed to separate the telling’s and maintain the adventure and drama within the tale.
I recommend this book to anyone that likes to read on fantasy and warrior style stories.
Written by Jeyran Main
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Being Accountable by Danica Genova (Book Review #321)
Studies have proven that logging your daily things allows you to measure and better see where you are going wrong.
I particularly enjoyed the part where you can even track how much you have given back to earth.
The author is fully aware that there are many journals out there. Hence, she has created something different. The journal is divided into 12 weeks. Each week begins with a metaphysical part, providing education to the reader before they start the week.
I strongly believe that when one keeps a journal like this and evaluates their behavior and mental state of mind, one can easily improve and increase their quality of life.
Only when you take life in your own hand and be in charge of what happens, can you better your life and chances in getting what you want.
Written by Jeyran Main
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Keratoconus – A disease that can blind
The cornea is the clear outer layer of the eye (consisting of 5 individual layers) which acts to bend light to help focus it back onto the retina. It also acts as an important outer protective layer of the eye.
Keratoconus is a progressive, degenerative disease of the cornea in which the cornea thins and bulges form a cone-like shape which causes distortion of vision and in severe cases, even perforation of the cornea. The name Keratoconus is derived from the Greek (“kerato” meaning cornea and “konus” meaning cone).
Symptoms of this disorder include distorted night vision, the seeing of light “halos,” decreased distance vision and scarring of the cornea. Vision in glasses in Keratoconus patients is usually very limited often affecting their ability to drive especially if they can’t tolerate contact lenses.
It is thought that Keratoconus has a possible hereditary component and it has been related to conditions like Down’s syndrome, chronic eye rubbing and atopy (the tendency to develop allergic conditions). It usually occurs in both eyes and begins in puberty developing gradually over a period of from 10 to 20 years.
There are about 136,000 cases of keratoconus in the United States (1/2000 Americans). One of these is Emmy and Tony’s award winning actor Mandy Patinkin who plays a doctor on TV’s Chicago Hope and who was diagnosed with Keratoconus in 1982. He had started to notice changes in his vision which led to an evaluation with an Ophthalmologist and his eventual diagnosis and prescription for gas permeable hard contact lenses.
These types of contact lenses can often help improve vision as they flatten the corneas back to a more normal contour. Mandy was able to wear contact lenses for fifteen years but suddenly one day when driving to LaGuardia Airport in New York, he developed extreme pain in his right eye.
He was forced to suddenly stop the car and was rushed to a local hospital. It turned out that his right cornea had ruptured and he urgently needed an emergency corneal transplant.
In Mandy’s case, the corneal graft worked improving his vision in his right eye, but 3 1/2 years later he needed another corneal transplant this time in his left eye. Possible risks of corneal transplants include infection, development of glaucoma, the breaking of sutures and rejection of the transplant. Also, occasionally, there is no improvement in sight.
Two new advances in the treatment of keratoconus are “corneal cross-linking” (CXL) where specialized vitamin drops are applied to the cornea to increase the collagen crosslinks (anchors in the cornea). This increases stability and decreases bulging and INTACS (a procedure where 2 “arc like plastic segments” are inserted into the middle layer of the cornea to help flatten it). Clinical trials are currently ongoing using gene therapy to try to alter abnormal corneal cells.
Written by James D. Okun
James D. Okun, MD is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Duke University and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. He is the author of Erasing Scars: Herpes and Healing and of The History of New Innovations in Modern Medicine.
Angles – Part I by Erin Lockwood (Book Review #72)
The story of Angles is a captivating tale about a girl named Caralee. She has a loyal group of friends and one best friend, Teddy who looks out for her all the times. He gets married at the beginning of the story to a lovely girl named Anne. Although the triangle at first looks like he has feelings for Cara and it is going to be a troublesome trio, the story takes on a new drama twist with the appearance of a dashingly handsome man named Sam.
Sam is everything a girl wants, not just by the way he looks but also by his mannerism. The sense of security, sensuality, and his gentlemanly behavior is to perfection. His presence alone brings along turmoil of emotions for Cara, let alone the way he interacts with her. There is a slight problem, though; Cara is already in a relationship with another gentleman, Jason.
Sam’s dashing eyes even makes the front cover of the book.
The protectiveness of Teddy also is dominant throughout the book. In addition, Sam and Jason both are his friends, and he appears to have strong feelings for Cara himself, as well.
This dynamic tale of events does certainly wrap your head in a twist but, thankfully not so much of a knot. The pace and level of understanding are superb alongside the skill in making each character appealing to the reader. The Author has excellent taste in expressing what actually goes on in a woman’s head. There was so much back and forth that even I, as a woman felt like saying “no wonder they say we, as women, are complex.”
I found Cara not as mature and robust as I would have liked her to be. When you have so many men wanting to be with you and constantly trying to steal your affections, then a substantial lead would be more attractive. The issue Cara had was that the men she was in a relationship would not commit to her and in her defense, she does come to a realization that she has to grow up, but it is a little too late. Altogether, her vulnerability was pleasing to the plot, and I enjoyed the interconnectivity of the whole story together.
The ending is sweet and promises a second series. I look forward to finding out what happens to this girl and her friends.
I recommend this book to contemporary romance readers. You will enjoy reading this book in one sitting and it is definitely worth your time.
Written by Jeyran Main
This review was kindly requested by the Author, Erin Lockwood.
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The Slave Players by Megan Allen (Book Review #320)
Secrets and lies are rife in this small community. The truth about what has happened is covered up but has to come out, and it is only a matter of time before a spark ignites everything. The attention of the nation is drawn to this little town but before too much can be broadcast a media blackout occurs and everyone is left in the dark.
I really enjoyed the intrigue of this novel. It touches on subjects that are still very taboo and does hit on many issues that have occurred in the past. The author kept my attention from the beginning to the end, as I wanted to continually know where the story was going and how it was going to be resolved. In many ways, it is not what I expected, and that is what kept me hungry for more.
The literature standard was in high quality. This book is by far the best well-edited literature I have read. This made me enjoy the story to the fullest. It has to be noted that there are racial, sexual, and political references within the content. The characters are well developed and thought out. Each to its own, have their own agenda and background. My heart just ached and felt strongly about some of the characters in particular, which bears a fitting testament to the quality of the writing.
The story has a very strong message, and that is, no matter how much we strive in trying to make the world a better place, there are always some bad apples trying to destroy it for the rest of us. I find this book very relatable to the situation we are currently experiencing in the world. Hate crime, racial discrimination, unjustified killings, spreading hatred towards different religions, are all currently what we face today.
I believe this book would be suitable for anyone that has an open mind and enjoys reading well-written literature.
Written by Jeyran Main
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Finding Rose Rocks by Karen Rose (Book Review #319)
A dashing man named, Troy, comes along and offers a solution to her problems. As things heat up between the two, fate separates them because Jennifer has to leave to see family for the summer. Things get more complicated for her, while she is away and that’s when the story takes an even interesting turn.
From the beginning, I was captivated by the classical but, sensual style of writing the author had. It reminded me of the feeling you get when the exterior architecture of a building is all contemporary but, once you enter the building, the sense of being home rushes through your veins.
The name of the book comes from a type of mineral formation found almost exclusively in Oklahoma. Such detailed approach is what we need nowadays in the writing world. Even the name of the book has a beautiful backstory to it. There is a nice flow to the story. The literature standard is written with depths of emotional dilemmas, and I believe that what’s makes this book stand out.
I recommend this book to romance readers and people that enjoy woman’s fiction.
Written by Jeyran Main
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Mad God Walking by Connor Drexler (Book Review #57)
This review was kindly requested by the Author, Connor Drexler.
Damon is not human, however; he wishes to act like one. He has a past that haunts him, yet he wants to forget it and to move on. Damon has tried so hard to create a living as normal as possible but once wizards arrive and threaten this peaceful life; he then has to use his secret powers to fight back. As this secret comes out, his life like the wish to live resembling a human also changes.
He has to save himself and his friends while trying not to turn into what they all expect of him, a Mad God.
This is an interesting story. There may be stories similar to this genre around however this book had its novel approach and kept it all together which is hard to do considering the paranormal activity within the content of the book. The book is very well written, and the literary standard is up to speed.
The relationship between Damon and Thom was built very nicely and enjoyable to read. The care was deep and written well. There was enough backstory for the characters, and the pace of the tale was good to keep the reader’s interest. There is some romance in this story, and so it does contain sexual content. The love between Damon and Sarah was a little too fast, and the quality of care and affection between them was poor. This caused me doubting the authenticity of their regard.
The ending of the book is different than what you would expect, and I believe it was just. Considering this is book one, I anticipate that it was the right approach to take.
I look forward to reading more from this author, and I recommend this book to urban fantasy readers and magic book lovers.
Written by Jeyran Main
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