Ramplo's Reviews

The Secret to Living Your Life Fully: Lessons on Mindfulness - Jennifer Brooks 4/5

Sun, 25 Nov 2012 07:51:00 -0500

Quick & Dirty:

Background guide as well as how-to, I would not recommend this book to anyone who is not looking for/willing to read through the background information.
Solid introduction without being a long and daunting read.
The authors writing style made the reading a bit awkward at times.

Long & Wordy:

The most helpful thing for me in the book was the section on informal mindfulness. I have a hard time not thinking during meditation, and a harder time not berating myself for not calming down. Having ‘options’ provided for people like this was great.

So I mentioned “background information”. What is that? Basically on pg. 6 the author provides a list of promises for what the book will teach you, I’ll explain more underneath…

“An explanation of what mindfulness really is. And isn’t.
What a beginner’s mind is and why it’s actually quite important.
What role your breath plays in calming your mind.
Tips for taming your wandering mind.
How enhanced attention to your body can help you cruise along your journey with ease.
The difference between formal and informal meditation, and how to put these to work for your.
The healing power of mindfulness.
A variety of techniques - both informal and formal- to help you develop a lifetime practice.”

So why is this significant? Notice how every bullet except the very last isn’t providing you directions to meditate? That’s because if you’re looking to get the most out of being mindful and want to make it a lasting practice, then you should understand the concepts it’s built on and know what you should be gaining from it.

Also, it should point out that if you’re really impatient or just looking for a quick ‘how-to’ you should look elsewhere.

Overall this really was a solid introduction to mindfulness meditation. It was short and simple enough to be easily grasped by anyone and long enough to provide enough information on each topic for a beginner.

The rest of the review is going to explain the things I thought detracted from the book, making it a 4/5 instead of 5/5.

In the beginning the author states that she has turned her life around through mindfulness. I think she takes a little too much personal experience into account and throughout the book makes comments about how this will fix your life, help with your anxiety and panic, etc. Basically she keeps trying to reinforce or convince you that your life is horrible and this is the cure-all. Well, yeah I’m not perfect, but I don’t think I handle myself quite as poorly as she seems to insist that I do. If I had a friend giving me advice this way…well we probably wouldn’t be friends.

The continued references to your screwed up life and this cure really felt like a sales pitch…I’m 3/4 of the way through the book, pretty sure by this point I’ve bought it and what you’re saying. Sales pitch not necessary.

She also has a tendency to put words in your mouth. A lot. I understand that this helps show that you’re relating to the reader and understanding them, but it was done too much to be effective and really just ended up annoying. Eventually every time she said “you’re probably saying/thinking” I cringed and caught myself thinking, “No, that thought never crossed my mind…but thanks.”

These are a few things that I found a bit…far fetched. I can’t say they’re wrong because I just read this as an introduction and can’t make a claim one way or the other but…well read them and pass your own judgement.

Pg. 8

But, you may discover that your new-found awareness has you living all your moments with an extra touch of awareness. Colors may become more vibrant, actions become more meaningful, and opportunities appear to open up where once there were none!

The colors becoming more vibrant really seems like a bit of a stretch…

The second one I want to mention is a little longer so I’ll paraphrase. Basically it says that by developing the ‘beginner’s mind’ you’ll be more aware. She provides a theoretical account of someone avoiding an alley then finding out someone was attacked there shortly after you walked by. So…honing your intuition? Coincidence? Just a little bit of a reach for me.

Check it out on Amazon.

Overall 4/5

***I received this book as an ARC. This in no way effected my review.***

77 Ways to Find New Readers! - Laura Pepper Wu 5/5

Tue, 20 Nov 2012 00:35:00 -0500

Quick & Dirty:

Concise, practical, and relevant.
Simple and straightforward advice.
Useful advice for everyone, whether you’re a techie or afraid of a keyboard.

Long & Wordy:

Before I picked up this book I was scared. I thought “oh she’s going to tell you to flood facebook and all these other services and you are going to drive your readers INSANE.”

No.

If you follow her advice, keep it simple, you’re on your way to successfully marketing your book. Hope you wrote a good one…

Very simple and straight forward book to help you get a larger audience for an indie published book. Really, this advice is mostly universal to anyone trying to make a mark online or otherwise, and not limited to authors.

The book is pretty short, but don’t let this fool you. Not only is the book filled with great ideas, it also has links to help you actually apply these tips and (hopefully) be successful.

Many of the links connect back to her blog, but considering the blog is a “30 day” blog, you’re going to find some extras in the book.

It also gives practical advice for the services you’re already using. Sometimes we need a reminder to “keep it simple stupid”, and this book does that wonderfully.

As is, this is a wonderful book. I mentioned that there are links, which are really where the depth of the book comes in, which is a big positive and negative…a pain to click through to more but allows the book to be less bulky and cumbersome. My only real concern is that over time some of the links may be disconnected, but because many of them are for her blog this is pretty unlikely.

Check it out on Amazon.

Overall 5/5

***I received this book as an ARC. This in no way effected my review.***

Gamers - Thomas Carpenter 3/5

Tue, 20 Nov 2012 00:13:00 -0500

Quick & Dirty:

Interesting story about life turning into a large computer game.

With the wide variety of YA dystopian novels available now this one falls in the middle of the pack.

A few annoying bits of…’borrowed’ slang don’t destroy the book but aren’t an asset.

Long & Wordy:

Fair warning: this is a book review, where I will talk about the book. That means you may find some of this could be classified as a “spoiler”. Proceed at your own risk.

There are annoying “Mario-is-God” references. Most of these are pulled from the end of the book because this is when it started to really drive me nuts.

pg. 136 “It’s so Bowser that they made the Raid worth so many points.”
pg. 139 “Holy Mario”
pg. 7 “That’s so Mario!”
pg. 142 “What in Mario’s name is that thing?”

Other strange slang -

Debuff - “Let’s not debuff ourselves with mistrust.”

Frags- “It seems certain elements outside of our society, called the Frags - thier name, not ours - have been lurking around our personal files.”

Twinked - “Hey Z, your outfit looks totally twinked.”

And a whole mess, “Bydaway, your outfit is pretty fragadelic, too.

Also there were a few scattered grammar errors where he would mess up something like a gender and you really couldn’t figure out what was going on unless you realized this.

Things just didn’t feel real enough. The world felt like pieces of a brainstorm wedged in here and there and the characters were a bit weak. So what am I talking about?

For a quick example:
Life is a game, everything is made into a game and the best gamers get good jobs…
Other than programming the world and games NO JOBS ARE EXPLAINED. What else is out there? How does her dad play games for work at home? Random piece of brainstorm wedged in.

Here is an example of setting issues, this is probably not the best choice BUT this is the scene for the ENTIRE chapter.

“Their one story ranch normally felt like a grand palace, ten times larger than the space it actually occupied. Walls, covered in fantastic landscapes, turned the rooms into wide living spaces.

Her mother constantly changed the scenes so one day Gabby might walk into a castle entryway, and the next it would be a room on the moon.

Today the living room was nothing more than the shell of its normal, unaugmented self, only modified enough to cover the dust on the cabinets. Her parents sat on the couch and a chair had been strategically placed in the center of the room.”

First of all, you just have to run on faith and a complete misunderstanding for how the place can be larger than it is…I don’t understand how they can walk through walls to make it bigger…or if it’s an illusion and appears bigger, but then I don’t understand really how that works either…regardless. All I can think of is Harry Potter - skip ahead if you’ve never read it…- in the fourth book they go camping and MAGICALLY expand the tent. Yeah, I don’t understand magic but it’s supposed to be magical. How the author expects us to believe in this strange magical property of technology with no explanation is beyond me.

So, like I said, it seems like pieces of a brainstorm just shoved onto a page. Like the author thought, “Hey, wouldn’t it be super neat-o to have like projections on the walls that make the house super awesome!” I don’t know why he sounds like a 50’s nerd…

BUT the ENTIRE scene takes place here and what do you have?
1. One story ranch
2. Unaugmented…not very descriptive. Simplest question, what color is the room? Does it have plain white walls or a green screen to project the image??
3. There are cabinets, a couch, and a chair (strategically placed).

Like I said this isn’t the best example in the book but for the rest of the chapter all I can picture is the big empty space in the Matrix. With a couch instead of a TV.

As for the characters…well I’ve already bored you enough with the worldbuilding issues, let’s just say that they have little depth and forced growth. They just don’t feel realistic enough.

Oh and random FYI: “Prisoner’s Dilemma” changes a bit when you throw in groups…not quite an accurate portrayal.

Overall it was enjoyable enough but not the best choice out there for this genre.

Check it out on Amazon.

Overall 3/5

***I received this book as an ARC. This in no way effected my review.***

The Problem is YOU - John Burke

Sat, 03 Nov 2012 07:51:35 -0400

Quick & Dirty:

If I was basing my review solely on how the book is marketed, I’d give this book a 2 at best. HOWEVER if you ignore the title and view this as a reference book it’d deserve closer to a 4. I’m meeting half way and saying 3.
Advice sections are very small and scattered for a self-help book.
There is a lot of information provided about many facets of self-defeating behavior…Important to avoid “medical school syndrome” when reading it.

Long & Wordy:

Deep breath, now get ready this is going to be a bumpy ride.

*I’d recommend this book to someone who isn’t sure if they might have a problem or are looking to figure out what their problem is. Most of these issues are pretty deep rooted and the solutions provided seem ok for someone with “tendencies” but not someone with real issues. Realize if you relate to some of these issues it doesn’t necessarily mean that you have them.

The first half really only describes how we screw ourselves over. But, I must point out pg 19. “…must identify and accept the presence of self-defeating…”

So, yes knowing the beast can help you defeat it, but this had a very 12 step feel to it. Although that process has helped people many before, I don’t feel like it’s right for me.

There is a lot of information about the different facets of these behaviors…a few things I’d like to say about that.

1. You really need to be self aware when reading this book. You need to avoid “medical school syndrome”, basically thinking that you have every issue in the book and that you need serious help. Realize that having “symptoms” or “tendencies” does not mean you have a real issue. We’re all sad sometimes, that doesn’t make us all depressed.

2. Very informative, not very helpful.

3. Overly-simplistic solutions really won’t help anyone who has these issues.

Chapter 5: Tips on Overcoming self defeating behavior is only a few pages long…Not really what the title leads you to believe.

I don’t know anything about the author, but here’s what I feel after reading this book. I feel like the author took some Psych classes, maybe has a degree, but hasn’t really suffered from these problems. If he has issues, they’re likely “tendencies” not real psychological problems. Personally, I’ve tried rationalizing my problems, like he suggests, for years. The problem is, these are IRRATIONAL thoughts. It’s going to take more than ‘rationalization’ if you really do have a psychological problem.

Check it out on Amazon.

Overall 3/5

***I received this book as an ARC. This in no way effected my review.***

Clutter be Gone! - Kimberly Wilson

Sat, 03 Nov 2012 07:11:50 -0400

Quick & Dirty:

Perfect for someone who is taking the first steps to cleaning up their lives. I would not suggest this book to anyone who has been struggling to get their things in order for a long time.
Good basic advice.
Comprehensive, covers everything from your bedroom to your computer.

Long & Wordy:

This book covers a broad range of topics, more than I would have expected from such a compact book. That being said, it is a short and compact book and so it gives you a brief overview of many areas as well as advice for dealing with these areas. There is no magic fix in here. If you’ve been through 3 cleaning self help books before, this one won’t be any help.

This may have just been in the review version, but there was weird bolding that got a little annoying.

That’s really all I had to say in general about the book. Here’s some nit-picky things I want to supply my two cents on.

First the author talks about how expensive professional organizers are…but then suggests talking to your accountant to find out what paperwork is important to save and what can be destroyed…If I had the money for an accountant I’d probably be able to spend money on a professional organizer.

The rest of the review is about problems I had with her advice on a few topics.

—>Photos!!

Personally I think this bit of my review is pretty important if you care about your photos. The author suggests having them professionally scanned in and getting rid of the shoe boxes full of pictures…

Imperfections become more obvious when scanned.
MOST old photographs have some form of matte finish, the natural texture in the paper shows up as ripples or black dots in scans.
Saving online is great until the service shuts down. You generally should be given notice but if a company suddenly goes bankrupt you may lose everything unless they are bought out. Yahoo cancelled their photo service years ago and I was too slow getting in there to save my photos. Remember to ALWAYS have hard copy backups of your files. And data CORRUPTS so they should be checked and updated periodically.
If the service doesn’t shut down you do need to be concerned with crashes and hacks. A few years ago Google got hacked into and people lost lots of emails, and probably more (I honestly didn’t follow the story too closely).
Last photo concern! If you did scan in everything and upload it to an account, if you stop using the account for a while you risk forgetting the password and changing email in the meantime…very unlikely hypothetical situation but it is possible.

—>Scanning receipts.

Can be expensive for a decent scanner that will last more than a year or two.
Lots of extra steps on the side (extra computer security etc.)
Wonderful time-gobbling procrastination tool.

—>Wire ties for your wires behind your desk, tv stand, etc.

Well “wire ties” it’s in the name right? Well…from personal experience they can be problematic if you want to shift things around later (and they can make cords too short, nothing worse that your keyboard being just a few inches too far back…) Also, if you accidentally tighten them too much they can be difficult to remove and you risk damaging wires.

I suggest you go to a discount store and buy the Velcro ones. I’ve seen them as cheap as $1 for 8 (and those were color coded). They are much easier to shift and remove later and they can be reused over and over.

—>Downsizing sentimental items.

I think the section on downsizing sentimental things is an overly simplistic view on a much deeper issue. I don’t agree with this section but then again I’m a cluttered sentimental fool.

Wanna get cleaning? Check it out on Amazon.

Overall 3.5/5

***I received this book as an ARC. This in no way effected my review.***

Broken - Kimberley Reeves

Wed, 24 Oct 2012 03:13:08 -0400

Quick & Dirty:

DRM ENABLED – Kindle readers only (unless you like computer screens…)
Quick and simple read
Don’t read if you need a story that rides on more than a relationship

Long & Wordy:

Fair warning: this is a book review, where I will talk about the book. That means you may find some of this could be classified as a “spoiler”. Proceed at your own risk.

A touching story about falling in love and trying to reconcile your mistakes.

This story was well written, there were a few grammar mistakes but they did not detract from the story.

Not a thrilling ride, but overall it was a good story. The story is very firmly centered around the relationship but I want to make a couple important notes about that.

That doesn’t mean that’s ALL there is to the story, it’s just all the story really hinges on. There are enough other things going on to keep you interested.
This book focuses on the relationship, it is a romance book but not erotic. It does contain…adult material, but it’s not going to make you want to hide in shame while you read it.

I guess a last note before I go onto the bigger spoiler section, I really like the way she ended the book. Granted, the epilogue was pretty intensely long BUT I think she did a great job wrapping things up and not leaving the reader hanging. I really appreciate that because I HATE it when authors don’t have the guts to finish their books…

I felt this story was a little weird. The main reason being that there is this highly awkward situation with the identical twin of Jessie’s old boyfriend coming and sleeping with her. I think the strangest part of that was him hiding in the woods and like fully planning on going in there and staying with her for weeks…like I don’t know this rubbed me the wrong way for a few reasons and I don’t think I really need to keep going, if you don’t see that as creepy you won’t get where I’m coming from. So I sucked it up and moved on.

This is a pretty big spoiler, this is the end of the regular review so if you are really touchy about spoilers, please click off of this page…

Now, for the rest of you.

The other strange part was the way everyone like totally understood, right down to his parents and Jessie. Like everyone’s just like “aaawww that’s sweet, just make sure you tell her your real name!” And when Jessie herself figures it out, she’s totally ok with and and just I can’t see someone not getting angry or CREEPED OUT at all…unless they’re big fans of Twilight…creeper sneaking into Bella’s room and watching her sleep…

So yeah, overall these do play a pretty big part in the story but even not really liking these aspects the book was still enjoyable.

Check it out on Amazon.

Overall 3.5/5

***I received this book as an ARC. This in no way effected my review.***

A Modern Witch - Debora Geary

Sun, 07 Oct 2012 22:08:39 -0400

Quick & Dirty:

Non-Kindle users - DRM FREE! Can easily be converted!
Very enjoyable book, not an “edge of your seat” thriller but still wonderful.
I was fully entranced by this story, it will be difficult to find people who don’t like it…I’ve provided a list below of who I think should stay away…it’s pretty short.

Long & Wordy:

Fair warning: this is a book review, where I will talk about the book. That means you may find some of this could be classified as a “spoiler”. Proceed at your own risk.

FIRST OF ALL

This book was a refreshing way to end a long week at work. The first few pages tripped me up, three words of advice JUST KEEP READING, you can thank me later. This story was filled with characters you could relate to, some strange but well handled moments, and plenty of fun. The first few pages of this book actually made me put the book down.

This is what is going on:

They are writing a computer program, basically it’s a super search engine that will bounce around the internet looking at YOU the user to see if you’re a witch. IF you’re a witch THEN it’s supposed to pull you into a chat room…A CHAT ROOM not websites. Later on they use this same chat room feature so I want to make sure you understand they are typing, not standing around inside a website, that only happens on the first page of the book. And yeah, I know chat rooms aren’t that modern. Deal.

The story then bounces to a real estate agent in a completely different part of the country (which is why the internet is so awesome, and key to the story) The story does bounce around a little between characters and until you know them all it seems a bit confusing but I promise, it cleans itself up quick and is worth the effort.

This book won’t be for everyone though, I suggest you DON’T READ IT IF:
1. You need a story where the plot revolves around good vs evil and the apocalypse just around the corner.
2. You’re from a town that still holds regular witch hunts and you approve.
3. You’re fighting an addiction to Ben & Jerry’s.

Does this picture make you run for your freezer?

This book won’t have you on the edge of your seat, but laying back and enjoying yourself. And probably wanting to catch up with your family. Really, I just want my family to be that close…then again…

Just go read it: Amazon

5/5

***I received this book as an ARC. This in no way effected my review.***

Chameleon - Cidney Swanson

Tue, 02 Oct 2012 06:41:00 -0400

Quick & Dirty:

Just as good as the first.
Don’t read if you are looking for a romance.
Totally worth the money!

Long & Wordy:

Fair warning: this is a book review, where I will talk about the book. That means you may find some of this could be classified as a “spoiler”. Proceed at your own risk.

This is a LONG overdue review. I avoided writing it when I first read the book because I just didn’t know what to say. I liked the book a lot but I liked it as a whole, nothing shined, nothing sucked…what do I say? One of the few series where the second book is just as awesome as the first.

Ok, well I like it. How’s that? More? Fine.

This book is a lot like the first, basically if you liked the first the second (and third) are written in a similar fashion and they’re just a good stories to read…let me try to get nitpicky…

Ok, Will and Sam continue to be as dense as rocks and that’s a bit irritating, but mainly the reason it’s irritating is because of the teen romance trend right now and the lack of it here just threw me for a loop.

Really started to like their “rich French uncle” and the trip around Paris was cute.

I’m gonna shut up so you can start reading it: Amazon.

Overall 5/5

***I received this as an ARC. This did not affect my review.***

Parallel Spirits - T.S. Welti

Tue, 02 Oct 2012 06:13:00 -0400

Quick and Dirty:

Good pace, easily get caught up in the story.
Interesting characters and interactions - love quadrangle…of sorts.
HORRIBLE ending, not like “oh I didn’t like how it ended”, more like the author took a butchers cleaver and said I want to end it….HERE and added in a few sentences at the cut off just so it HAD an ending.

Long and Wordy:

Fair warning: this is a book review, where I will talk about the book. That means you may find some of this could be classified as a “spoiler”. Proceed at your own risk.

So to reiterate a bit from the Q&D, Good pace and an interesting story. Not great but…well whatever. It was interesting, I don’t have a better word so deal.

A strange story to get into and the author does a good job slowly revealing the characters and their intentions. It definitely kept you engaged throughout. The ARC copy we received had a numbering error so it seemed like there were MANY more pages then suddenly it skips like 70…and it’s over. Hopefully this is taken out in the final copy, very deceiving. I feel a little jipped honestly, I kept flipping back and forth trying to see if I accidentally jumped ahead in the ebook…

The ending. The ending sucked royal monkey parts. Super quick, cut off fast…There was a lame “battle” and then it was just over, everyone was leaving the town and…what just happened? The story is over…? Yup. Done. The ending really ruined the book for me. If it had been a bit better I’d be more likely to read the next book in the series…

I quickly forgot about this book, honestly couldn’t remember the next day which book I had just finished. This is not a good sign because I had trouble putting it down while I was reading it…

Overall if you can excuse a bad ending (leading into a second book I’m SURE) then go for it!

Check it out on Amazon.

Overall 3.5/5

***I received this book as an Early Reviewer copy. This in no way affected my review.***

Fledge: J.A. Huss

Tue, 02 Oct 2012 04:44:00 -0400

Quick and Dirty:

Mix of Hunger Games and Ender’s Game on the Avian…ship?
No DRM, can be converted to any format.
Not worth the price.

Long and Wordy:

Fair warning: this is a book review, where I will talk about the book. That means you may find some of this could be classified as a “spoiler”. Proceed at your own risk.

So…How did we end up in the Hunger Games?

I hate to say this but…don’t bother with this one.

Again, like with the first book, there is a lack of explanations at times that leave you scratching your head. It took until page 147 to finally explain why she is in the wrong Fledge…but yet everyone in the General Fledge is still trying to be warriors…I don’t know if I missed something or if this really just didn’t make sense…

Overall, I’m not very impressed. It lacks the novelty of the first book and the romance turns into a backstabbing sleep-around… I didn’t really find any redeeming qualities in this book. Considering the price? $5 for an ebook? Yeah, skip.

Now the real question is whether I want to drop the money on the third….not really. I have a BIG problem with not being able to finish a series and this is going to drive me nuts for WEEKS!

Totally not related to my review, but the cover freaks me out…That face is just weird and creepy.

(Don’t) Check it out at Amazon.

Overall 2/5

Clutch - J.A. Huss

Mon, 24 Sep 2012 03:10:00 -0400

Quick and Dirty:

Some rough spots in the writing rushed the story and made it difficult to follow, but only a few in relatively short places.
Intriguing plot, good story overall, plan to purchase the second in the series. Worth the $.99 price tag
Don’t read if you’re offended by the “F-Bomb”

Long and Wordy:

First of all - this book is DRM free and can be easily converted into other formats, SWEET!

Fair warning: this is a book review, where I will talk about the book. That means you may find some of this could be classified as a “spoiler”. Proceed at your own risk.

I enjoyed this book quite a bit. The beginning was a bit rough and if I had gotten this from the library I probably would have put it down. I got through it though and I’m happy I did. I really was having a lot of trouble just figuring out what was going on…maybe I was just too tired.

The “F-Bomb” was dropped A LOT in this story. I’m not offended by it, I honestly drop it a lot too, but I know many people will be put off by this.

There were times in the story where it just got to be too much going on too quick. Certain parts needed a little more added to them so they would be at a better pace. Towards the end of the book Junco, the main character, gets a little…stuck. It’s a frustrating part because it seems to drag but it really isn’t that bad, probably more my impatience. There are those stories that just drag on and on, this is not one of those.

There were a few weird wordings such as “I sleep until I wake”…well no kidding, it’s that or die. These don’t really hinder the story, just a nitpicky thing that shows up a few times.

This is more of a spoiler than the rest…but probably won’t make sense unless you’ve read the book…read this paragraph at your own risk:

“I crack a smile. I know that whatever is in this hidden room, it is the real me, and my pulse goes wild as I climb down the ladder.”

So…How does she forget her own room? Like I get forgetting bad things and whatever, ok fine. I can buy those. But she “chooses” what to forget…so why the hell did she choose to forget her room? Like…I dunno this is one of those spots that really rubbed me the wrong way.

A note on the formatting, it’s a little strange in the epub version, it has a very large font that can’t be changed, but other than that it is formatted well.

I would have given this a 4/5 but those rough spots in the writing need to be addressed…so 3.5/5.

Check it out at Amazon.

Overall 3.5/5

***I received this book as a Librarything Member Giveaway copy. This in no way affected my review.***

Girl's Guide to Witchcraft - Mindy Klasky

Tue, 22 May 2012 10:01:13 -0400

Quick and Dirty:

EBook note: The version available through the public library was very poorly formatted, dialogues got put in the wrong paragraphs etc.
400 pages that felt like they dragged a bit, not quite as much excitement as the beginning leads you to believe.
Overall a little lame, kinda slow, but a good read if you’re looking for some mind-numbing fun.

Long and Wordy:

Fair warning: this is a book review, where I will talk about the book. That means you may find some of this could be classified as a “spoiler”. Proceed at your own risk.

Ok, let me just start with Neko. He’s bizarre, to the point where I think she made him overly strange (you notice he gets cut out a lot in the next books, like the author couldn’t even handle him).

I don’t know what possessed me to read the whole series but I did, and I just kept waiting for SOMETHING, I think I could wrap up all the parts of all the books I liked in one page. That’s not a good thing. These stories were pretty seriously lacking.

Ok, so I guess this one won’t be so long and wordy, I don’t really have much else to say.

Didn’t wow, didn’t make me throw my e-reader in boredom or frustration.

Check it out at Smashwords or Amazon.

Overall 3/5

Choices in the Great Circle - Lin Conklin

Tue, 15 May 2012 09:52:25 -0400

Quick and Dirty:

Long, drawn out, and forced
This was just a poorly veiled attempt at presenting the authors morals
Gave modern arguments in a historical fiction - BIG NO NO

Long and Wordy:

Fair warning: this is a book review, where I will talk about the book. That means you may find some of this could be classified as a “spoiler”. Proceed at your own risk.

I have been avoiding this review for a long time, I just couldn’t get myself to write it. I was able to force my way through the book so I figure it’s time to spit it out. I had a lot of quotes to include but my ereader had to get wiped, meaning you’re just going to have to deal with a rough overview. You’re better off.

So this book was very long and drawn out, let me give you the plot map:

piece of story > excess dialogue > moral point that doesn’t effect the story > piece of story > excess dialogue > moral point that doesn’t effect the story…

You get the idea. The story really took a back-burner to the very blatant pieces of moral ‘wisdom’.

The “foreshadowing” was weird (NOT ‘forsight’ if you’ve read it) Then, at the end of an issue, the author would say things along the lines of, ‘I see ______ lesson and how ____ blank affects it. Let me move on and not apply this to my life’. Ok super exaggerated but hopefully you catch my drift. I think this is a classic example of ‘don’t say it, show it’.

I found the dialogue very painful most of the time, a quick example picked pretty randomly from the beginning (around pg 24 in e reader edition), “I don’t agree with all you’ve said, but I see your point about our spectators. That said, I guess we will be giving them quite a show!”…just WEIRD and it was like this throughout the WHOLE book. This isn’t even a great example but I just don’t care enough to open it back up!

One of my biggest problems with this book is that it’s supposed to be about when Christianity is overrunning Paganism. This is a historical fiction novel. Using modern arguments. BAD. So basically what happened was that the author would say things along the lines of ‘just because our religion is different it isn’t wrong’….

WHAT ABOUT THE EPIC BATTLE OF GOOD AND EVIL now I’m not a history buff but I do believe that people were being intentionally scared into thinking that there was this epic good/evil battle, that good was God through Christ and everything else was the devils work….WHERE IS THIS!? The “different isn’t wrong” argument is MUCH too modern for this story.

I dunno, this book left a horrible taste in my mouth and a black hole for all the time I spent reading it. I don’t think that even made sense and I just don’t care. I’m done.

(don’t) Read it here. PS. it’s a huge ripoff, it’s a $6 e-book! Go buy a good paperback instead.

1/5

***I received this book as an Early Reviewer copy. This in no way affected my review.***

Linked - Lisa Alden

Tue, 08 May 2012 10:02:02 -0400

Quick and Dirty:

The rules to the new world were hard to swallow
The story setup is forced and not very convincing
Feels like a setup for a series…one that I won’t be reading

Long and Wordy:

Fair warning: this is a book review, where I will talk about the book. That means you may find some of this could be classified as a “spoiler”. Proceed at your own risk.

There were a lot of half thought out rules, for example the idea is this bracelet gets put on and you go to this ghost version of our world for an hour at seven everyday. What happens at daylight savings? Or if you move time zones? Not huge things but a serious pet-peeve from this book.

There were many other missing details also that just made the book a bit frustrating to read. Like the bizarrely sudden switch from the little kidnapped girl who was trying to kill the main character, then suddenly just wanted to go home…whatever.

There was so much potential between the magic, a gun toting pseud-hero and more, this huge setup…for nothing. I felt like it just didn’t live up to any kind of expectations.

And really, rainbow powers from you fingers? I dunno, I think I’ll pass. I suppose a younger crowd might like this, but I can’t really say.

Here’s the Smashwords and Kindle version if you’re interested.

Overall, not my cup of tea.

2/5

***I received this book as a Giveaway, this in no way affected my review.***

Rippler - Cidney Swanson

Tue, 01 May 2012 10:03:19 -0400

The Quick and Dirty:

Some overly convenient coincidences that got respectable explanations.
Perfect for young adults - written well for that age but still enjoyable by adults
I really liked the characters by the end, enough that I wanted to smack them both upside the head; in the most lovingly way possible

Long and Wordy:

Fair warning: this is a book review, where I will talk about the book. That means you may find some of this could be classified as a “spoiler”. Proceed at your own risk.

I think I need to begin the long and wordy with a quick story (skip this paragraph if you just want to learn about the book). There seems to be something about the authors I talk to that suggest curling up with some chocolate or ice cream while I’m reading. Maybe it’s just that they get as much enjoyment out of the reading as the writing…I don’t know but I laughed when I had yet another author telling me to pack on the calories while I was being sedentary. By the end of the book I think I realized I was onto something, and it’s not just that ice cream + books (-mess) = equals fantastic. I think the down-to-Earth attitudes of these authors just means I’m going to love the book.

ONTO THE STORY!

So, basic idea, there are “chameleons” who “ripple” and can disappear. This is explained in a way that is not a butchered attempt at an excessive breakdown of the ability while trying to explain how the world works and our place in the universe. Really it was straightforward and felt plausible because it wasn’t being crammed down your throat. +1 for believability.

I think that there was also an excellent balance between exploring what their abilities are and plot advancement. I hate stories that stop to show the abilities of characters. Even more than that, I hate stories that completely skip this exploration all together. This book had a very nice mix.

I think the relationship between the two main characters felt very real and not one of the rushed / life-ending-if-something-happens types of relationships that have become big in YA.

A quick THANK YOU to the author:

Dear Cidney Swanson,

Thank you. Thank you for owning the characters’ abilities, it makes it much more believable. And that, the believablility, really makes the difference between a good book and a terrible one far too many times.

With Gratitude,

Ramplo

Now, on a darker side, I didn’t feel that the secondary characters felt as real. One example of this is Mick, I just didn’t feel her as being real. Her actions were too exaggerated, too…just too much something.

Then there are the super minor flaws like “theory” vs. “hypothesis”, miniscule…too little to make any kind of a stink over and scare you away.

I thoroughly recommend this book, I truly enjoyed it and I hope you do too. Check it out.

4.5/5

***I received this book as a Giveaway, this in no way affected my review***

Tempest, Destroyers book 1 - Holly Hook

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 15:43:00 -0400

Quick and Dirty:

Bizarre story that I could not enjoy
Annoying main character, like you want to violently hurt her annoying.
Would not suggest this book to anyone, do not plan on continuing the series

Long and Wordy:

Fair warning: this is a book review, where I will talk about the book. That means you may find some of this could be classified as a “spoiler”. Proceed at your own risk.

So I am going to try and avoid ranting but I do need to repeat some stuff from the quick and dirty.

Janelle, the main character is a whiny and insufferable character. The number of times Janelle says (or thinks) “that was weird”, or “this is strange”, etc. in the first few chapters is enough to make you puke. THEN when she finally gets her answers she has a total spaz attack!

The whole hurricane naming thing just really didn’t make a lot of sense to me…look up how hurricane naming works, like it’s not complicated I just don’t see how it relates to the book and I dunno I was just so frustrated with the story that I didn’t really care…but yet I had to mention it. It’s funny that this was one of the things to send me over the edge. Ssshh, no judging me.

When Janelle gets explanations of things she then has a heart attack and starts questioning everything…useless.

I couldn’t get comfortable with the characters and so the whole book was uncomfortable to read.

Long story short I just really didn’t like this book and I would hold onto your money for something else, there are plenty of books out there waiting to be read.

BUT, don’t take my word for it! Obviously other people have different opinions, you can check out the book on Smashwords or Amazon.

2.5/5

***This was received as an Advance Reader, this did not influence my review or rating of the book.***

Make Love to the Universe - Phoenix Desmond

Fri, 09 Dec 2011 23:10:00 -0500

Not for everyone, I have seen a number of very positive reviews for it though so I know some people disagree.

The quick and dirty:

Worth picking up if you’re exploring your spirituality, if you liked the message of Siddhartha, (I think) you’ll like this book. This will hit home to many people.
Some strange sentence structures stunt reading
The constant switching between story and spiritual lessons made this hard for me to stay interested in.

The long and wordy:

Where to start!?

I suppose a bit of a disclaimer, I’m not saying this was a bad book. It just wasn’t for me. I’m having trouble putting my finger on one specific reason so I’m going to list out everything I think is worth mentioning.

Starting with Siddhartha, this “Making Love” reminded me a bit of Siddhartha, same concept of someone going on a spiritual journey and finding answers etc etc. I think it’s only fair to say right now I didn’t like Siddhartha either, considering many people liked that book, you should take my review with a grain of salt.

Desmond starts off the book a little self depreciating, saying things like, “In response to the inevitable cry of the skeptic, I will here emphasize that this book was not written with not written with the intent of proving anything…I would expect nothing less than for my readers to absorb only that which resonates with their innermost being, and discard the rest.” And “I realize that the mere mention of star beings will immediately raise a number of questions for many readers.”

Ok, I stopped and absorbed that for a minutes and decided whatever, I can read on and just see what he has to say.

And actually a lot of the basic message is “basic”. One section my book seems prone to falling open to a section (pg 82 in the review copy if you want to read along…) in this section of advice he begins by saying you’re always going to have unhappy relatives and they fighting them about it won’t help, “If you wish for others to be happy, focus on achieving happiness within yourself, until the vibrations you carry become so strong that they inspire all who are touched by their waves.”

Basically, lead by example. I (sadly) work retail and I CONSTANTLY get comments about being so up-beat and cheery blah blah blah…basically, yeah, it does rub off…basic.

But that doesn’t mean we don’t need reminding every now and then.

So, I guess this is the smile turned upside-down section. Here’s some of the things that made the book hard to enjoy.

Really the two biggest issues were in my quick and dirty section. One is strange sentences and odd word choice such as, “Close the two eyes at either side of your nose.” or (speaking about Earth), “Amongst celestial bodies are found her lovers, her most distant relatives and her dearest friends.”

Perfectly understandable but it slows you reading and (I think) instead of making you think about how the story is told, rather than what the story is about and the message it’s sending.

Basically I think a bit more flow and I could have enjoyed this book a lot more.

I hope that this helps you make your decision! If you’re still interested check out the book on Amazon here

3/5

***This was received as an Advance Reader, this did not influence my review or rating of the book.***

Tempest - Julie Cross (January 2012)

Fri, 09 Dec 2011 21:16:00 -0500

The quick and dirty:

A reasonably fun read that stays entertaining from beginning to end
Some things in the book make it feel very childish and dragged it down
Has potential, this is supposed to be the start to a series so there is hope for the next installment.

The long and wordy:

This is another mediocre novel being released as a runaway hit before it’s on the shelves.

Overall it wasn’t a bad novel, it just didn’t shine.

SPOILER ALERT: Fair warning, some parts of this review are spoilers!

I don’t like wasting time explaining the book description that’s already posted a hundred times, I suggest you read one of those first if you don’t know what’s going on.

So this book didn’t have a steady pace, but it kept moving with a few surprises mixed in that stopped being so surprising.

This book moves a bit backwards, the relationship goes from 60 to 0 in one jump…get it? One JUMP… (yeah it’s been a long day, I’m just gonna take this time to apologize for the rest of this review also…sorry)

Julie Cross’s constant reminders that Hollywood got it wrong, THIS is how time travel works is annoying. It gets worse because, in the end, her answer to time travel is more or less Hollywood’s…except Jackson’s basically a mutant. Stop patting yourself on the back for your originality.

Ok, remember in my quick and dirty I said that there were childish parts? Secret spy codes. Multiple. Really. That and there was a constant ooh lookie, I’m doing super coolio and secret CIA spy things, and I’m learning to fight all quiet like.

Dear Julie,
Join the CIA and get over it.

Love,

Still interested? Check it out on Amazon here. It’s set to be released in the middle of January 2012.

3.5/5

***This was received as an Advance Reader, this did not influence my review or rating of the book.***

damnthatswhack: I’d Go See That on a...

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 21:48:40 -0500

damnthatswhack:

I’d Go See That on a Tuesday

(via tastefullyoffensive)

I just fell in love with this instantly and wanted to share! My...

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 20:16:00 -0400

I just fell in love with this instantly and wanted to share!

My Little Browser: Firefox by ~NoReasonToHope

Ramplo's Reviews

The Secret to Living Your Life Fully: Lessons on Mindfulness - Jennifer Brooks **4/5**

77 Ways to Find New Readers! - Laura Pepper Wu *5/5*

Gamers - Thomas Carpenter *3/5*

The Problem is YOU - John Burke

Clutter be Gone! - Kimberly Wilson

Broken - Kimberley Reeves

A Modern Witch - Debora Geary

Chameleon - Cidney Swanson

Parallel Spirits - T.S. Welti

Fledge: J.A. Huss

Clutch - J.A. Huss

Girl's Guide to Witchcraft - Mindy Klasky

Choices in the Great Circle - Lin Conklin

Linked - Lisa Alden

Rippler - Cidney Swanson

Tempest, Destroyers book 1 - Holly Hook

Make Love to the Universe - Phoenix Desmond

Tempest - Julie Cross (January 2012)

damnthatswhack: I’d Go See That on a...

I just fell in love with this instantly and wanted to share! My...

The Secret to Living Your Life Fully: Lessons on Mindfulness - Jennifer Brooks 4/5

77 Ways to Find New Readers! - Laura Pepper Wu 5/5

Gamers - Thomas Carpenter 3/5