Men with Red Ties: Diary of an Emigre - Nastya Polikarpova

It just proves that every person, no matter their job, has a story.

Men with Red Ties: Diary of an Emigre follows the story of Alina, a stripper in a high-class New York strip club. While that fact alone isn't enough to create a grasping story, the specifics of her life leading to that job, as relayed by former fellow employee Alexa, are. Even so, though, the story seems like a small taste of a much larger dish.

Following Alina through her doomed-to-fail tumultuous relationship with married Pater would've made a compelling story with a little more elaboration, even though the majority of the book is focused on Alina's past. Still, the 183 pages aren't enough to truly immerse the reader, and being taken out every other chapter for some idle chit-chit between Alexa and newcomer Lena doesn't help. But Polikarpova is on the right track and did craft a fascinating story, even if it's a little lacking in areas.

Chin and the Magic Stones - L. J. Salazar

If you've ever wondered what your dog is thinking, this may give you a glimpse into your pooch's mind...and an alternate universe. But that's neither here nor there.

Kirkland, Washington resident Chin and his lovable dog Eagle latch onto every adventure they can get in the small city. But when Chin happens upon a glowing stone, his life (and Eagle's) changes. For the better or worse is only Chin's guess, since the stone magically enables Eagle to talk. But there is so much more to it than a dog's chattering about food and...well, more food.

The pair happen upon a world of magic and mayhem, assuming the roles of spirit hunters in this energetic tale. As Chin and Eagle battle dark influences and draw ever closer to defeating the Shadow Lord, the team's tasks become wilder and wilder, extending the realms of their imaginations (which is a difficult task for a ten-year-old). Though short, this first book of the series sets up Chin and Eagle for their next few discoveries, equipped with silver- and gold-tipped arrows and the ability to walk through walls.

And, of course, a talking dog.

Dreamer - Phillip Davidson

Let's just say there's a whole new meaning to the word 'haunting'.

Phillip Davidson crafts an interesting tale revolving around former Green Beret David and his wife Sunny, who, following a disruptive bout of recollective dreams and nightmares her husband experiences, is taken hostage in Argentina. It is this that brings together David and his former Vietnam teammates together one more time - along with the encouragement of an assumed dead comrade, of course. The reluctant allies, using a stolen helicopter, traverse across the world to save Sunny, and one of the men along for the ride has other ideas for their adventure...

Though slow to start, the story grasps the reader later on, when David advances beyond having just strange delusions recalling a failed hit on a close target and begins to bring his associates, both allied and rivaled, into the mix. The story stays strong throughout, but maintains a lot of unresolved issues towards the end once it begins completely focusing on Sunny's rescue. But, much of the tale is very realistic and draws off of Davidson's own experiences as an infantry captain. An interesting tale to be appreciated not for the end, but for the journey to it.

The Turkey's Treat - Marie Sanderlin Metroke

I do believe this is the mother of all cliff-hangers.

The Turkey's Treat follows excited kid Jeff Watson on his short quest to get a Christmas tree and turkey right before Christmas. His parents apparently do things last minute, but they're finally convinced to hunt down a beautiful fir - a rather large one - to adorn their living room during the holidays. On the way home, they stop by the store to purchase a holiday turkey when Jeff spots the live display turkey the store has housed for its giveaway. Despite a warning from his parents and the useful little things on his face called glasses, Jeff ignores the 'DO NOT TOUCH' warning on the sign above the turkey and pets the turkey...resulting in a nastily-bit pinky finger. The turkey climbs hastily over its victim and escapes the wire fencing imprisoning him, resulting in a wild goose...I mean turkey...chase around the store.

The concept is adorable, straight-forward and surely will be an instant love for both kids and their kin. It has several humorous moments, including the ending, which may leave open a spot for a Turkey's Treat 2. It depends on how hungry Jeff gets...

Sorrow Wood - Raymond L. Atkins

Who said small-town life couldn't be exciting?

Raymond L. Atkins paints a vivid landscape with expansive, yet small Sand Valley, Alabama, a town monitored by policeman Wendell Blackmon and his wife, probate judge Reva. Together, the pair maintain the town's order, keeping animal-fighting rednecks Otter and Deadhand in line and the extramarital issues of many a townsperson behind closed doors. However, when Sorrow Wood, a nearby farm, catches ablaze and leaves behind a charred body, Sand Valley is turned upside down, making even the unlikeliest of folks a suspect.

What's most interesting about the story is the way in which it is told; using alternating chapters to jump from the present time to the past and back, the reader gradually becomes more and more well-acquainted with the Blackmons and their history together, opening the door for the shocking and unexpected ending. Beautifully written with bouts of hilarity only a small-town native could truly appreciate (and perhaps relate to), Sorrow Wood is another ballpark home run for Atkins.

End of Grace - K. Thomas Murphy

Of all the letters the Post Office could, and often does, lose, it couldn't be these multiple thousands, now could it?

Assistant Kay Summers works for the Mormon Church...even if her belief is a little wary. Hey, it's a job, and a relatively easy one until an influx of letters spouting religious conversions of deceased Mormons drives her to Portland, the locale from which the letters are mailed. Oddly enough, little is found, except the name of a publishing company that maintains the website of the church in question, dubbed the Disciples of Moroni.

The two guys behind the company, computer-happy Rick Macey and pal Clay Adams, are the only connections available between the Church of the Latter-Day Saints and the Disciples of Moroni, and negotiations between the churches to stop the conversions seem to be working well (in the latter's favor)...until the assassination attempts start. It then becomes a race against time to find a civil solution to the matter before Kay, Rick, Clay, or even the Mormon higher-ups are placed before the crosshairs.

Thrilling and riveting, End of Grace presents a series of tribulations intertwined well into a heavily religious, but non-preachy, read. The deep motive behind Rick and Clay's actions give the story a multi-faceted perspective on overall religion and beliefs. A fascinating tale with twists and turns to satisfy almost every group of reader.

The Inconvenient Adventures of Uncle Chestnut - Paul Nowak

Who said ending up in the wrong city was a mistake?

Every place gives millions of opportunities to learn something new, according to 20th centry writer G. K. Chesterton, a. k. a. "Uncle Chestnut". Many short stories possessing nuggets of common sense and good advice decorate this story in the forms of unintended adventure and subtle humor. Tales such as the boy seeking the giant in the mountains and Uncle Chestnut and young lad Jack's misguided adventures to the seaside are both adorable and clever, providing snippets of insight that even adults should consider closely.

The end of the short read provides a quick term legend and a hilarious quote dictionary, deriving sayings from Chesterton's myriad of works. The author's note concludes the book and very successful attempt at bringing Chesterton's perceptive work to the people of the 21st century.

Viva Cisco - Patrick Shannon

Who knew a parrot could be such an adventurous sport and...well, a pain?

In three tales of attempted stardom, attempted detective work and successful heroism, Topopootl's own Cisco the Parrot keeps his friends on their toes. In the first, he decides to take up flamenco dancing, wrestling and high-altitude flight - none of which work too well with a parrot's wings. The second story, he finds his calling (sort of) in detective work, helping Topopootl find the mysterious thief nabbing its residents' prized possessions. In the third tale, a Topopootl festival in honor of the town's surrounding skunks peaks Cisco's interest, and he sets out to find the festival's origins, ending up with a task much bigger than he expected.

Cisco and his furry (and not so furry) friends are written with great, human-esque personalities, all with great senses of humor and wit. Cisco is funniest of all, reminding the reader of a friend or colleague who is always going out of their way, no matter how goofy they appear to be, to add some adventure and excitement to their life. A joy to read, Viva Cisco will be a laugh-out-loud funny book for anyone who likes a few crazy animals in their stories.

Dangerously Innocent - Nesrine Joseph

I assure you, the tiger on the cover has nothing to do with the book, plot, or really anything. It's a pretty picture, but this book is not about a tiger. Or even mentions a tiger. But even a tiger-less book can be good.

Dangerously Innocent starts out with the beheading of the husband of Jo-Beth Eaton as they're preparing to head to dinner. This mysterious murder, in which only the husband Mitch's head is left on the scene, is one of many similarly executed incidents, involving a strange variety of body parts. (Tongues, hearts and hands galore!) All victims are male, but little or no connection to one another. Or do they?

A chat with a mouthy neighbor leads detectives Rochelle Trevelyan and Luther James on the hunt of their lives, one with progressively cold leads that together may cost the cops their careers...and their loved ones. As the detectives get ever closer to the killers, they make themselves more and more vulnerable to the life-altering repurcussions that follow.

If you like those detective, true-crime stories, you might find this to be an enjoyably quick and fulfilling read. The unveiling of the killers and the events that follow are unexpected and a bit misplaced in an almost desperate attempt to put some sexual tension and eroticism into the story, but it doesn't really work out that well. Sure, there's some heat between the detectives, even with Luther's snarky attitude and Rochelle's griping lover in the way, but not much is indicated between the pair romantically besides their constant presence around each other. (They're literally partners in crime, after all - that's to be expected.)

Overall, a good, solid read, but it could use more tweaks and fewer body parts.

North from Calcutta - Duane Evans

Nuclear bomb? Check. Evil leader bent on instigating war? Check. Beautiful woman? Check. Optimistic overweight sidekick? Uh...check.

North from Calcutta follows Tarek Durrani, a Pakistani intelligence officer, to London, Bangladesh, Dubai, the Himalayas, and a few other places in attempt to stop a plot to cause a world-changing war between Pakistan and India, as well as save the woman he's hopelessly fallen in love with. Seems like a typical action/adventure, 'save-the-world-before-it's-too-late' kind of tale, but it's really not.

While meeting with architect Advani (his last name; his first is way too long to even attempt to spell) about the plans of a dam named Farakka Barrage built north of Calcutta (hence the book's name), he meets Advani's beautiful daughter Sahar and falls head over heels. But after obtaining the plans he needs for Farakka Barrage, Durrani learns of a plot to blow the dam and pin it on Pakistan. Worse still, a commencement ceremony at Farakka Barrage is to take place with both Advani and his daughter present, putting them as well as hundreds of others in the possible line of fire. It's no wonder Durrani call on his connected, jolly and plump sidekick Habibi to help in stopping the plot's execution.

To be Evans' first novel, he writes like a veteran. Could definitely be owed to his own personal experience as a CIA operative, but even still, he uses all the right words to describe the situation in just enough detail to keep the reader enthralled and begging for more. I'd recommend the writers of 24 pick this guy up - he could make for some amazing scripts for season 8!

Also posted at http://thebookbunny.blogspot.com/.

The Sneakiest Pirates/The Heroes of Googly Woogly - Dalton James

In an adorably-illustrated set of tales following Pete and his father James, seven-year-old author and illustrator Dalton James paints a brilliant picture of adventure and fantasy in his two books, The Sneakiest Pirates and The Heroes of Googly Woogly.

In the first, Pete and James set out to sea to find the buried treasure of pirate Peg Leg Chuck and keep it out of the hands of the king. The father-son team quietly snatch the treasure as Peg Leg and the king are demolishing each other's ships; with their newfound wealth, James and Pete decide to leave the sea-faring careers of pirates and become rock stars.

Googly Woogly picks up where Pirates left off, this time following the pair in their desire to become astronauts. With a space refrigerator packed full of sweets, the pair jet off in a spaceship and arrive at Googly Woogly, a rectangular planet home to the SooDos and the SooDonts. In an effort to aid the SooDos, an alien race that helps the sick and unfortunate, Pete and James use their arsenal of gum to trap the SooDonts that are stealing the SooDos' spaceships. When given a trophy (shaped like wads of gum) made out of a mysterious substance (besilium ore), the pair decide to head back to Earth and become scientists to study it.

I may be nineteen years old, but I loved these books and can't wait for the next installment! James explores a world full of opportunities an imagination only as big as Googly Woogly could fathom. An excellent, out-of-this-world read for kids and adults alike.

Silly Little Rich Girl - Jimmy Gleacher

No one would've ever thought a cross-country search for a family member could be this...interesting.

But Gleacher's Silly Little Rich Girl proves it's possible in many, many ways. Narrated by Liza, a Wall Street mainstay, the book follows her on her quest to find her sister and includes all the twists, turns, pitfalls, antics and perverted tasks done throughout the journey. On the side of a van she receives in a simply indescribable transaction with her mother's lover, Liza paints the portrait of her sister and her cell number in order to bring in the attention of any part of the public who may have spotted her. But her journey from New York to Washington in the said van turns into an unexpected media frenzy as she bunks with a designer to the stars, falls in love with a guy obsessed with death, and wins a best legs competition with a mannequin that resembles her sister. And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

It's hard to describe and summarize Silly Little Rich Girl in just a few words. It's interesting, enthralling, frightening, moving, hilarious, disturbing, cringe-worthy, and so many other things. Gleacher flawlessly combines these elements into a very simply-plotted story that evolves into an out-of-this-world adventure.

Carbon Copy: Alpha Man - Gary Turcotte

The only adjective I can think to accurately describe this book is 'interesting'.

Not that the story is bad or anything - it's just...odd. You have an agent whose identity is constantly put under the knife so he can assume other identities. (So maybe Joan Rivers is a secret agent after all...) But in the midst of one of his latest reconstruction operations, his mind is implanted with knowledge of the alien sort...literally. The alien's name is Roswell and he likes Jell-O. I am deadly serious here.

This agent, Derek, and a few of his agent buddies (amazing he can figure out who they are with all the nip-tucks going on) go along with this weird alien thing and one of them, Janet, gets implanted with a hybrid 'superbaby'. The males of the group get the treatment they would more likely receive at a sperm bank - make your deposit, and your payment is the joy of creating more weird alien hybrids. Oh, wonderful.

Then the story weirds out when Derek and Janet are abducted willingly, given new faces, and decide "Oh, I don't want to do this 007 stuff anymore - I want to raise a family and go to Wal-Mart!" So they have to fake their previous identities's deaths and assume their new ones in order to find any peace and quiet.

Well...it's not like anyone could recognize them anyway. Let's just hope they're well supplied with Jell-O.

The Bouncing Boy - ILIA

A boy confused for a bouncing ball helps save a village from a disease of head-grown flowers and sour-puss attitudes. Awkward concept, but it surprisingly works.

ILIA's unique tale of Jack, a full-faced and -bodied kid and victim of quite a jab and insult in his small village, leads the child to a life of glutton after being cast out of his village and into the wilderness beyond. But an old man, witness to the birth of the Sad Situation, a sudden growth of odiferous flowers atop the villagers' heads, seeks the boy's assistance in finding the disease's cure. The unlikely duo head out from the village into the unknown in search of the antidote, encountering many an obstacle along the way. But will their efforts be enough to save the villagers?

There's good moral behind the story, but it seems a little weirdly emphasized. The first few pages are almost dedicated solely to the teasing and insulting poor Jack receives from the villagers, highlighting the cruelness of the villagers and the slim likelihood that Jack would ever put one pinky finger towards helping them. But I guess that is the moral...not do unto others as they do unto you, but rather do unto those with stinky flowers on their heads.

Blood Lines (NCIS) - Mel Odom

Talk about a complicated father-son relationship.

NCIS's Shel McHenry's father pops up missing and McHenry recruits his fellow teammates to help him figure out what's going on. Turns out a drug ring in Vietnam has a past connection to him and he's running from a potential imprisonment or execution due to an unintended murder. Now NCIS must hunt down the decades-old corpse of the victim to uncover the truth.

Mel Odom is an excellent writer, through and through; he flawlessly injects needed shots of drama in all the right places. Each character's personality shines through, including Shel's God-fearing brother Don, an uplifting dose of religion sparingly added to the grim tale. Odom packs the tale with bushelfuls of adventure and nail-biting suspense that is a rarity in some of today's novels.

Collision of Angels - Michael Carver

Historically, the inauguration of America's first African-American president has come and gone with celebrations abound. But unlike this year of presidential firsts, Michael Carver's Collision of Angels explores another side to a potential American leadership, asking a very important question: What would happen if a man of God was elected president?

Enter Tony Campbell, a company CEO with an ever-growing relationship with The Man Upstairs, and son-in-law to Silas Jackson, a man with a brilliant idea. He and his friends have more than enough money to support the idea, and they have just the right person to fill the spot - why not kick off an presidential campaign for Tony? Though hesitant at first, Tony quickly falls into step with his father-in-law after a bathroom visit from the Lord himself. But as the time to announce his running draws closer, the word of Tony's running leaks to the press thanks to buddy Pete's troublesome son and basketball superstar Karl.

Though the addition of Satan's little sneaky henchmen add a little bit of cheese to the story, the book is very solid and beautifully written. Carver is a clearly religious man and writes as so, but not in a preachy, off-putting manner like most religious books. He just tells the story of a man who heavily believes and lives for his relationship with Jesus, a rare find in this day and age. The overall concept also raises questions about our nation's current political state and about what would happen if this country was finally governed again on the principles it was founded and built on.

The Book of Names - D. Barkley Briggs

An excellent young-adult tale of mystery and fantasy, Briggs writes of brothers Haydn and Ewan Barlow, whose strange discovery of a rune-carved archway on their father's land leads to the entrance into a world of magic and wonder. Once found in the land, Karac Tor, the two are said to be destined for greatness, but only if they can survive the tragedies and battles that befall them while seeking their route back home. If they do live to tell their story, will the Brothers Barlow truly be the rumored 'champions' of the mysterious land?

Briggs has an excellent way of writing a detailed tale without too much being revealed. True friends and enemies are anyone's guess as the brothers lose, find, and lose each other on their journey through the land, but only an atom of a large and complicated truth is unveiled in the ending, flawlessly leading into another twisted and meandering tale of adventure and suspense.

Nox Dormienda - Kelly Stanley

I'm sure this new-fangled genre of so-called 'roman noir' requires a certain audience to attract interest and keep it, but I was not a part of that audience.

The only way I could possibly tell you what the book is about is by reading the back cover, and even then, it isn't completely clear. The invention of a brand new genre of literature is great and all, but if you can't back it up with some good can't-put-it-down, balls-to-the-walls reading, it's not going to do much good.

So, here's what I got from my 94 pages of reading - this Agricola governor dude has gotten himself into a coliseum full of poop and is now being called to resign by this spy, whose married to a chick that Agricola's friend and doctor fancies. Okay, first off, I didn't know they had 'spies' back then, and two, it's already a bit too Bold and the Beautiful for me. But oh, wait! The spy ends up dead. Woo hoo! Gladiator brawls for all!

Not exactly. This lovelorn doctor guy suddenly becomes Sherlock Holmes Jr. and takes it upon himself to find out who murdered this spy. Sure, it may help clear the governor's name if he does that, but I thought 'governors' and emperors and all them were pretty powerful people on their own. Can't they just have their accusers buried in a pyramid or something?

I wasn't thoroughly impressed with what I read, but that is one person's opinion. If this sounds like your type of reading, hitch a chariot and go for it.

The Ark, the Reed, & The Fire Cloud - Jenny L. Cote

Even a non-religious person like myself can appreciate the beauty of this wonderful read.

Max, a Scottish terrier, and Liz, a beautiful black cat, are called from their individual homes to lead an ever-growing group of animals to Noah's recently-finished Ark. Along the way are many obstacles that, with a little help from the Maker and his trail-blazing fire cloud, the slew of furry creatures successfully cross. But once they board the ark and settle in, a controversy starts to brew. Are the reclusive wolves causing all the chaos that is slowly severing the friendly ties between the animals and the humans? If not them, who could be responsible for such a task? It's up to the brave and intelligent pairing of Max and Liz to find out before it's too late. 

This book had me flipping through chapter after chapter, anxiously following the creatures from distant and nearby lands to the Ark. Each character, no matter how big a part, has their own personality that shines through, providing humorous relief or a jaw-dropping twist to the story. Cote flawlessly links the details of the trip with the recordings of the Bible. The closing of the adventure is beautiful and tear-inducing. An amazing literary work. 

DNA - W. Craig Reed

In a race against time (and a crazy terrorist), George Anders and a few bad-luck bio-chemical scientists must stop the spread of a toxin that can go undetected in the human body and can kill in little more than twenty-four hours. It'd be a lot easier, though, if George and the terrorist, Fahkir, weren't reenacting the movie "Face/Off". 

In this pulse-pounding page-turner, W. Craig Reed takes Anders and a motley cast on a race to save the world from Satan's Sister, a chemical that could potentially kill off the planet's "simple humans" and make room for those enhanced by the fabled, but somehow concocted, "Elixir of Life". Strange concept, but Reed makes it work with unique characters (Anders' fellow SEALs are a humorous bunch) and unusual twists (who would've thought you could rob a top-security building of secret plans using a tube of lipstick?). 

Overall, I found it to be an exhilirating tale, along the lines of the Splinter Cell series. Pick it up if you need a little action near your bed (besides, well...you know).