Hollywood Stories by Stephen Schochet - Book Tour

Hollywood Stories: Short, Entertaining Anecdotes about the Stars and Legends of the Movies! by Stephen Schochet Genres:Nonfiction, History, Humor

     I am so very glad that I signed up for this book tour. This is not a book that I would normally choose for myself. Yet, I enjoyed it immensely.

     Imagine Tinseltown in its heyday. When movie stars were glamorous, mysterious, and extremely underpaid by today's standards. With entertaining anecdotes, the author gives his readers a glimpse behind the scenes of many classic movies. From historical tidbits that was the inspiration behind movies, to casting choices that may surprise you.

Duck Duck Goose

     Remember playing Duck Duck Goose as a child? Our game is slightly different. Participating sites have hidden a duck or goose picture somewhere within their pages. When you find the graphic, enter the url where it was found in the Rafflecopter form for your chance to win the weekly contest. Find the Goose or all of the ducks for the week and you can enter the monthly contest to win $25 cash through PayPal. There will be a new weekly contest every week this month, starting on Mondays and running until the following Sunday. Those who sign up for my weekly newsletter will receive a hint as to where my duck may be found. Have fun and happy hunting!

Review of Crater by Homer Hickman

Crater (A Helium-3 Novel) by Homer Hickam Book 1 in series

     Young Crater Trueblood was born on the moon. He had lived in the same mining colony his entire life. Though he was only sixteen … almost seventeen … he was chosen for a special mission, which would change his outlook on life forever.

You can read the full review at A Goddess of Frugality.

I give it 4 stars!

Ghost Hunting Diary - Book Review

Ghost Hunting Diary Volume 1 by T.M. Simmons Genre: Paranormal

     I'm currently reading a book that I would not normally have chosen on my own. I have been enjoying it immensely. Keeping this in mind, I decided for my monthly nonfiction pick, to try something that I wouldn't normally read but seemed interesting.

     Those that don't believe in ghosts, or atleast have an open mind on the subject, probably shouldn't read this book. They would just think it hogwash or superstitious drivel. There are quite a few interesting stories in this book, but I find it hard to judge if the quality of the storytelling makes up for all of the errors.

Star Wars Day - Lost Tribe of the Sith - Book Review

     I know. I had said Fridays would be for reviewing monthly picks. But my brother, a huge sci-fi fan, had told me that today was proposed to be Star Wars day. As cheesy as the reasoning sounds explaining why today, the proposal was probably tongue-in-cheek and not serious. But it is hard to say for sure when there are die hard fans involved. So I decided to review a free Star Wars book that I downloaded on to my Kindle last year.

Lost tribe of the Sith - Precipice by John Jackson Miller First book in series Genres: Science Fiction, Action Adventure

     There are 8 books in this series. Our story begins in the year 5,000 BBY. I'm a little sketchy on my Star Wars history, but it is before the times of Luke Skywalker. It is before the days of little Anakin winning his first pod race. It is even back before Yoda was a twinkle in his mother's eye. It is the dark times when Sith were abundant.

     The lost tribe of the Sith had been headed to the colonized planet of Yavin 4, that Luke later uses for his Jedi Academy. Anyhow, this book, and I use the term loosely, was fairly disappointing. Not for lack of plot, or even bad writing. More like lack of writing. It is very short, only 37 pages. It is reminiscent of Stephen King's The Green Mile that was also published as a series of chapter books. But don't fret, all of the ebooks are free on amazon, and have been for a while, so probably not a temporary "get it while you can" sort of thing that amazon loves to do.

     I'm afraid to say too much as it wouldn't be hard to give away all of the short plot. Due to an unforseeable accident, the crew of the Omen are knocked off course as they jump into hyperdrive. Part of the ship basically dissolves as it is left behind somewhere during their warp speed travel. They crash on an unknown planet. The atmosphere is safe enough for humans, but something in the air is deadly to the warrior race of Massassi.

     It's a good start to the series, and you can buy the collection as one book, if you don't want to mess with the individual files. I must admit that I am prejudiced enough to find it hard to sympathize with a starship full of Sith. But the books are short enough that it shouldn't take long to finish the story.

May the 4th be with you!

I give it 4 stars!

Kindle vs. Real Books

     I have seen many arguments regarding the Kindle. Avid readers who proclaim that there is NO replacing real books and they would never use an e-reader of any sort. There really is no feeling like holding a book in your hands. The weight and smell of the paper is reassuring, and the Kindle cannot stand up in comparison.

     A good friend of mine gave me a Kindle for my birthday last year. I admit I must have just seemed ungrateful because I really had no desire for one. I never thought that I could ever enjoy reading on it, and did not see the point. But you know what? I love my Kindle. It is a LOT better for reading in bed. It only requires one hand to turn the page so I can lie on my side, relax with one arm under my head, or laze in just about any position, I don't have to lie on my back with the book propped on my chest and both hands holding it open. Also, when I start to doze off, the Kindle doesn't hurt half as much when it comes crashing down on my nose. I also don't need to worry about losing my place if I fall asleep while reading. I cannot recall how many times I have woke up in the morning to find my book closed on the floor and my bookmark next to me in my bed ... if I can find my book mark.

Monthly Picks for May

     I'm doing much better with actually reading my monthly picks. I got a little more organized and decided to read one of my picks per week and review it on Fridays. I not only read all of my April picks but most of March and February as well. So without further ado, here are my monthly picks for May:

Nonfiction Paranormal My review

Mystery/ Thriller My review

Historical Romance My review

Fantasy/ Sci-Fi My review

Humor/ Romance My review

     Please keep in mind that my monthly picks are merely free books available on amazon that have caught my eye in assorted genres. I can't guarantee to always pick winners or that these books will always be free.