Leftovers: The Novel

Author: Author Wooten
Published By: Galaxias Productions
Age Recommend: Adult
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Raven Rating: 5
Blog Review For: Great Minds Think Aloud
Review:

"Leftovers: A Novel" by Author Wooten was truly a wonderful 1950's read. I laugh so hard at so many funny parts in this novel and let's not forget the drama. Could this new divorced and dead broke homemaker have hopes of obtaining self-respect, financial security and a real love selling guess what?" ... 'TUPPERWARE'

Vivian Lawson's thought she would be a perfect American suburban housewife but this was not to be...for her husband had divorced her leaving her penniless. Vivian needed a job and nothing was available in this New England town so through her friend, Babs.... Vivian becomes a Tupperware Lady. Would Vivian be able to handle selling this? For she was very frighten and with Vivian's low self-esteem her friend, Barb and her brother Stew... 'along with the creator of Tupperware Home Party Plan system, Brownie Wise, was able to bring through the evil spirit that had her bond'..... Will Vivian be able to take complete charge of her own life?

"Leftovers: A Novel" was a story of a woman who is faced with bad mistakes but this person was able to build her sense of self esteem and come into her own person. Vivian was now having a meaning to her life. Coming from a marriage where there was no love,having a heartless mother .... now she has control of her life...coming from heartbreak, failure, to redemption, and then triumph of finding a her true love. Now who was that? You will have to pick up this great read and find out how the author is able to put this together. It is a very interesting read. This novel is one that is hard to put down until you are finished.

The details that were delivered in this novel was simply off the chart.... making you feel that you are there in the auditorium at the Tupperware Jubilee .... the Wish Fairy....Valedictorian..... the visit to Brownie's home....deepest desire... the NY visit, buying a home and I am not telling any more! You will have to read this for yourself because it is such a good read.

Definitely the overall message was that by changing ones situation in life .... can become better for you... if you desire it..... but should you forget how you got there? I would definitely recommend "Leftovers" as a excellent read.


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INTENDED FOR HARM

Author: C.S. Larkin
Published by: CSL
Age Recommend: Adult
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Raven Rating: 5
Blog Review For: GMTA

Review:

"Intended For Harm" by C.S. Larkin a very interesting long read that you will recognize as it is similar to the story in the Bible of Jacob /Joseph and his brothers. The title is coming from Genesis 50:20 "What you intended for harm, God intended for good ....for the saving of life"........ Ms. Larkins' did a wonderful job in her storytelling. Be ready for a story of a very emotionally intense adventure that will leave you saying WoW! That was very gifted and creative storytelling.... that is of fathers and sons loyalty and disloyalty.

The author tells this captivating story skillfully with Jake Abrams and his family over a range of forty years starting in the year of 1971 in Colorado and them we move on to LA. I loved the way the author of "Intended For Harm" is written with each chapter a year that has a theme from the hit tune of that year and these songs are really off the chart GOOD!

Truly, over these 40 years there is a lots of roaming ...'through the wilderness' and finally in the end.... coming back home where their is forgiveness, mercy, love, repentance, redemption ... results being a family that has been reunited.

The characters are very colorful and intriguing....Jake, Issac Abrams, Ethan, Leah, Rachel, Reuben, Simon Levi, Dinah, Aunt Abby, Joey, Ben, Mosey, and Rachel ...and I am sure someone I have left out. The best and the worst are really brought out in many of these characters bringing out how we can and should love each other and not judge.

"Intended For Harm" deals with a family breakdown...... illness with drugs and alcohol, and depression, hate, jealousy rape, murder and then there is a healing that will come for this family. You will just have to pick up the good read to find out just how this story is able begin this healing process.

"Intended For Harm" was truly of a family in the need of help from God through the healing power of forgiveness and in the end doing what is right. This novel was very beautifully written and I would definitely recommend this as a excellent read

THE LAST RISING

Author: Rachel Firasek
Published By: Entangled Publishing
Age Recommend: Adult (Language)
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Raven Rating: 4
Blog Review For: GMTA


Review:

"The Last Rising" by Rachel Firasek was a wild ride but a good one. I really liked the way the author was able to grab you and pull one into a unique story of the life of Phoenix Ice. I found the book was really a page turner... you will find it hard to put down until you are finished.

The beginning of this story Ice is with a man on a airplane that she knows what will happen to him (Turner).... the plane will crash but he will survive. How is that? The story really takes off .... with the different characters bringing out this heartwarming love that will even grow as you read. The characters from Ice, Turner, Brodie, Grey, and Sadie, Giselle, Arabella, and Osiris had there own story on this ride. This paranormal romance does gets quiet steamy which does make it even more of a good read.

"The Last Rising" does go at a fast pace making it a quick and interesting to read. The plot and the characters .... especially Ice and Turner really will draw you into this unique novel. If you are into paranormal romance then I would definitely recommend this read for you.

AFTER DINNER MINT 7 OTHER SHORT STORIES





After Dinner Mint & Other Stores by Amanda Lawrence Aluverigne was of five short stories with each ending very strangely or differently than what you would have thought would have happened. Each of these stories were definitely eye catcher using vivid imagination .... leaving you sometime breathless to finish the read..... and to say I didn't or did see that coming. These were a good short read.

Hanging By A Thread

Author: Sophie Littlefield
Published By: Delacorte Books for the Young Readers
Age Recommended: Preteen-YA
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Raven Rating: 4
Blog Reviewed For: GMTA
Review:

"Hanging By A Thread" by Sophie Littlefield was a interesting, long and detailed spooky mystery read. As a young adult if you are into creepy murders and vintage fashion then you are in for a good read. The story ran a little slow for me at the beginning ...I kept wanting it to pick up a little more and it did!

OK, just let me start....I gathered from my reading that there was some relationship between Clare and her mom(Susie)....Clare's mom and her mother(Nana).... Clare's friend
Rachel and her mom (Mrs. Slade) .... then their was Amanda's mom (Mrs. Stavros) and her daughter...Mrs. Granger... son (Dillon) death all coming together with Clare and her mother that really making this story...... "Hanging By A Thread" a worthwhile read.

Clare(Cee cee) was sixteen ..... a junior in HS who had moved back to Winston, California from San Francisco with her mom. Clara had a gift that had been passed down to her from her great grandmother and that was having 'the ability to glimpses of people's negative actions when Clare touched their clothes.' Along with this gift Clare also had the ability to take vintage clothing and turn them into very exclusive
customed styles which made selling good for her business.

I found that this story zip here and there quiet a bit making the story somewhat at times a little hard to follow...and some details were left unresolved... but maybe that was to make us think? A thought.....

Winston, California was coming upon a second anniversary (Fourth of July) when two of the town kids had been killed ....
(Dillon's death and Amanda's disappearance). What would happen this year? Clare happens upon a piece of clothing that proved to belong to the girl that had been killed .... now how was Clare to find out ... who and why this girl had been killed? 'Trying to solve a mystery that kept getting more and more complicated' was really working... Well, I will leave this up to you to read "Hanging by a Thread." I think I am catching up! ......And then there was a long talk with Clare's Nana. Oh ! 'Sometimes knowing and telling is the wrost thing you can do!' You must read this good read to find out just what I am talking about.

The characters were really interesting in this storyline.... Claire, her mom(Susie) and grandmother(Nana), Rachel, (Amanda(Mandy), Dillon), Lincoln, Jack, Victoria, Jenna, Kane, Luke, Mrs. Granger, Mrs. Stavro and a few others I have left out.

I found "Hanging By A Thread" story line may have been a little slow at times.... but the story will pick up.....and if you are willing to stick with this storyline you will find out just what happened to the two kids that had been such a mystery for this town. Just who was the killer? I believe you will find this novel an acceptable read for a teen and or young adult.


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THE HELP

"The Help" by Kathryn Stockett was very good from the start to its finish! It was a pleasure to read this novel and the writing was so well written. I now have the DVD which was good too. The author Kathryn Stockett did an outstanding job with the writing of this novel. Thank you for such a good read.

Code of Silence

Author: Tim Shoemaker
Published by: Zonderkidz
Age Recommend: Preteens
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Raven Rating: 5
Blog Review For: GMTA
Review:

"Code of Silence" by Tim Shoemaker was a good mystery thriller read. This novel may have been for the middle grades( 9-12), however I (adult) was very kept on the edge of my seat through this read. There was a lots of suspense and action going on all through this read.

Hiro, Gordy and Cooper were childhood friends that was truly in the wrong place at the wrong time...witnessing a cruel robbery... who were wearing police uniforms....... at their favorite hang out..and now there friend Frank Mustacci (part- owner) was left in a coma. Thinking that the robbers were cops... they feared for their lives so ..... the three friends decided to keep this a secret..."CODE OF SILENCE".. One thing for certain these three friends did not know how much living a lie would bring havoc into their lives. Having the security camera hard drive...still Cooper was afraid to turn it over to the police because wasn't a dirty cop involved in this robbery?

Earlier, Cooper who had been caught by one of the robbers and now his his family and friends had been threaten. What was Cooper to do? One thing for sure is that this will test their friendship in that they will have to choose between what is right or wrong about telling lies.

These three characters.... Hiro, (girl) Gordy,and Cooper (boys) were very good-natured ordinary kids that were place in a horrible situation .....made this story so appealing to the reader.... especially their friendship that they shared. However, later on the story did a fourth person became their friend too? Now just who was that person?

How the author was able to get this story presented was very well thought out. Now both ... the police and bad guys are after them....Is 'It's a way for them to tell the truth without getting caught'.... now you are just going to have to read this "Code of Silence" and see how this story plays out.

In the end I believe that these friends... Hiro, Gordy, Cooper and Lunk learned just who they can trust: God, friends and parents.. with the truth .... honesty is the best and only way to go...and I believe that is the real lesson of this story. "Code of Silence" was indeed a good read and I would definitely recommend this novel for a good read for the middle grades and even the adult too.

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