White Trash Cooking (Jargon) Review

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(More customer reviews)I must confess that I resisted buying this cookbook for many years. I am an avid collector of American Regional and International cookbooks, but found the title of this book offensive. I assumed it was written to mock rural whites, a people I know to be hardworking, self-reliant, and decent. I was wrong about this one. This book actually celebrates these people and their cuisine, and is one of the very best traditional American cookbooks in print. Great recipes for fried chicken, catfish, hushpuppies, collard greens, Hoppin John, cornbread, and biscuits, as well as rabbit, squirrel, and yes, even possum. The book has a folksy humor throughout, and the recipes are authentic. Books like this become even more precious as this and other American regional cuisines disappear under a blanket of bland corporate burger chains, sub shops, and pizza joints. Incidentally, several recent medical studies have shown that rural Appalachians who consume this traditional fare are far healthier than those who embrace the modern suburban diet of chain restaurant food! If you have any interest in traditional American cooking, this book is a must-own.

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Lucky Breaks Review

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(More customer reviews)At age 10 Lucky Trimble survived running away from home, finding her Higher Power and all the craziness the town of Hard Pan, California --- population 43 --- has to offer. All of this, though, is nothing compared to what awaits her at 11 years old. After all, eleven is much more intrepid than only ten. The more Lucky looks for intrepidness, the more things seem the same --- or do they?
Lucky's best friend, Lincoln, is gaining recognition with his world-class knots. His latest obsession is safely hidden away for the upcoming International Guild of Knot Tyers contest that promises fame and the possibility of leaving Hard Pan --- and Lucky. Brigitte, Lucky's legal guardian, has created her own niche in Hard Pan with a delightful French cuisine restaurant open for lunch on the weekends. Everyone has a piece of advice for Brigitte as she continues to adapt to the American way of life while staying true to herself. Miles --- newly certifiable genius --- is excited to share his sixth birthday celebration with Lucky, and he wants the whole town invited.
Lucky has come to the conclusion, however, that only a girl best friend will truly make her 11th year unforgettable. Enter Paloma Wellborne, niece of a geologist who happens to stop at Brigitte's cafe for lunch on the way to surveying rock layers in the desert. Paloma and Lucky hit it off right away --- laughing hysterically at gifts for chickens, swimming lessons in a bucket, and other all-important girl conversations. When Paloma's parents agree to let Paloma spend the weekend, Lucky makes plans to impress her with all the wonders Hard Pan has to offer. Lucky plots to uncover the mystery surrounding the rather large box sitting in Short Sammy's yard, stay far away from Lincoln and Miles, bake over 50 cupcakes for the birthday celebration, and perhaps search for a long-lost broach hidden outside of Hard Pan.
While Lucky promised both Brigitte and Paloma's parents that she would make good decisions, Lucky also promised herself that she would be intrepid from now on. Lucky doesn't live up to her namesake, however, when things go unplanned and she puts both Paloma and herself in danger. Her fearlessness starts to break, and she is forced to make some tough decisions that impact others more than she had imagined.
Susan Patron created magic in her Newbery Award-winning THE HIGHER POWER OF LUCKY, and fans will not be disappointed with this rewarding sequel. Matt Phelan once again sprinkles elegant drawings throughout that bring an added depth to the story. I appreciate that as this series grows so do all of the characters. They have learned from their mistakes, but they still continue to make new ones. I also enjoyed the ease in reading the book. You feel as though you're tagging along with Lucky and are in the center of the action. It's a fast read, but a very rewarding one. LUCKY BREAKS is the second book in the Lucky trilogy, and readers can expect a satisfying conclusion in the future.
--- Reviewed by Benjamin Boche (bennyboche@hotmail.com)

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The Horror at Camp Jellyjam (Goosebumps Series) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a brilliant book about a girl called Wendy who is not a very good sportswoman, who rolls down a hill when their trailer gets unhooked and she finds herself in a sportscamp. She cant understand why all the kids are so determined to win and why they keep on disapppering,and. why the ground keeps on rumbling.She soon finds out when she follows the counsellors to a sort of fort in the woods,she then finds a starwell going underground.And she sees the most hideous creature in her life with all the six coin winners a great book that I recommmend to gross type of people.

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Camp Jellyjam is no ordinary sports camp. The counselors seem a little TOO happy. And why are they so obsessed with winning? It might have something to do with the hideous, slimy discovery lurking in the darkness....
It's our ninth fan-favorite prequel to R.L. Stine's blockbuster Goosebumps HorrorLand series. Now with all-new bonus features including an author interview, bizarre sports trivia, and more!

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Finally Review

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(More customer reviews)I loved, loved this book. I have to start my review with this because the author has managed to perfectly capture the youth, innocence and expectation of what lies ahead in your life.
This book made me revisit my past and how much I, too, was so looking forward to being 12 FINALLY! I had a rough year the previous year, with the unexpected death of my dad, so somehow, getting to 12 was soooo important - things would be different.
The author created a main character that was a joy to read. She was so full of hope and expectations and I loved reading about every little thing (good and bad) that actually happened when she did turn 12.
Of course, things did not quite work out as she hoped - nothing really ever does - and that is okay, but through this storyline there are life lessons that are learned, yes, even at the tender age of 12.
This book is about accepting your life and living it to the fullest - not only when you are 12.

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Julie's Gift: Memories of London Review

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(More customer reviews)I just read 'Julie's Gift' written by Kevin Kirsch, a husband who is not a feelings sharer, but through this novella lets us all know (including his wife) that he does have deep feelings. It is a nice light read that may make you look at your unromantic partner a bit differently since it reminds you that just because feelings are not shared doesn't mean they're not felt. The plot is not riveting and you won't find a car chase, but that's the best part. It revolves around a couple's anniversary trip to London, England. The husband admits his idea of a trip is from the couch to the fridge, but goes out of love for his wife. It unfolds from there. The coolest thing about this book is that it was penned in secret by the husband and presented to her as a Valentine's surprise! Julie's Gift has great sample itineraries (how they actually spent their days in London) as well as the author's Top Ten London Travel Tips for the Guys (funny and useful list).
Not everyone is romantic or able to share feelings aloud, and many of those people are men. This book is a thoughtful and dare I say passionate shout to his wife to tell her that even when he doesn't say so, he is happy and lucky to be with her.

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Hard Aground with Eddie Jones: Another Incomplete Idiot's Guide to Doing Stupid Stuff With Boats Review

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(More customer reviews)Eddie Jones can laugh now, but the things that happened when he went sailing would have made me quit sailing forever. And I wonder about his wife and sons. Do they still dare go out with him? Eddie makes each disaster--mostly they happened due to a momentary lack of good judgment on his part--sound like fun. A great writer, a great book, even if you don't take to the sea.

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Hard Aground with Eddie Jones is a collection of cruising and boating stories, offering a "stuck up" look at the underside of cruising and the frustrations we "land-cuffed" sailors experience when our plans for coastal exploration and tropical destinations run aground on the shoals of family, finances and failing health. These columns first appeared in Carolina Cruising and Coastal Cruising Magazine."If there is a better nautical writer when it comes to relationships and family interactions on the water than Eddie Jones, we don't know about them." -Claiborne Young, author of Cruising Guide to North Carolina"Thanks for your latest Hard Aground column, Eddie. Mel was wondering why I was laughing so early in the morning." -Tom Neale, Cruising Coast and Islands"Eddie has an excellent ear for words and is one of North Carolina's nautical treasures."-Dave Martin, Cruising World Magazine

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Fergus: The Soccer Playing Colt Review

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(More customer reviews)Simpson Farms raises polo ponies. But one of the colts, named Fergus, has zero interest in polo. Fergus spent the days doing somersaults and back flips. Bobby Simpson is the boy who owns Fergus.
One day Bobby is practicing soccer moves with his friend, Ramon Aguilar, when he notices Fergus's interest. As a lark, the boys send t he soccer ball toward the colt. Sure enough, Fergus sends the ball right back to them. Turns out Fergus is a natural for the position of goalkeeper. Local residents begin coming around to watch Fergus play soccer. Word spreads and soon the media is involved.
It is not long before Ian Conner with the International Soccer Federation has the boys and the colt on a national tour. They play soccer in famous places, such as at the Chicago Diamond, Ohio Stadium, Foxboro Stadium, Tampa Stadium, and even the Giants Stadium. Fergus's name becomes known all over the globe.
In steps Rumble Smith, a rodeo stockman with a mean temper. He and Reiterate Johnson make plans to kidnap Fergus from the tour.
***** This book may target boys, but girls will enjoy this story just as much. I found myself smiling as I read of Fergus's antics. The frolicking colt is just so fun to read about. He is amazing! There are a few illustrations scattered throughout the tale to help boost the imagination. I could clearly see that the Illustrators drew in some tiny details too.
All-in-all, you will find this the perfect read for kids around the ages of 8 to 15. Well written, easy to understand and follow, and highly recommended! *****
Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

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This rollicking yet suspenseful story of an unusually talented colt and the boys who embrace his uniqueness will have readers riveted from beginning to end. When the acrobatic palomino colt, bred to play polo, shows interest and aptitude for playing soccer goalkeeper, he is launched on a nationwide tour to promote the sport. His owner, 12-year-old Bobby Simpson, and his best friend, Ramon Aguilar accompany the colt in a luxury motor home with horse-quarters–the Fergus Special. The colt enjoys immediate fame, but not without peril.Before long Rumble Smith, a rodeo stock-dealer, who doesn't mind operating on the wrong side of the law, plots to abduct the world-renowned colt. He ropes his two bumbling ranch hands, Billy Joe Culpepper and Reiterate Johnson into helping him. Suspense, adventure, and lessons in loyalty and teamwork fill the pages of this book.With a multi-cultural flavor and many interesting facts about famous U.S. ball parks and buildings, this is a book for the young and young at heart.

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Cowboy Romance: (Of Horsesweat And Hornflies) (Volume 2) Review

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(More customer reviews)All those late-night John Wayne movies or old episodes of Rawhide got you hankerin' for the freedom and romance of the cowboy life? Started listening to old Sons of the Pioneers songs while commuting to the office? Well, be sure to read "Cowboy Romance" before you trade your Toyota Land Cruiser for an old beat-up Ford pickup and head for the hills. This book will set you straight on the cowboy life, and it's sure not about sitting around the campfire singing "Old Paint" while pretty cowgirls swoon.
Bob Kinford, the cowboy who wrote the book, is that rare blend of good cowpuncher and good writer. Bob's company, the "Too Lazy for You Livestock and Literary Company," underscores these talents. The book is well-designed and the illustrator, James Dorrance, is as talented as I've seen anywhere. In the introduction to the book, Bob asks: "If it isn't romance, freedom, or big money, what is it that makes one earn his living as a cowboy? As soon as I find out, I'll let you know, because I haven't the foggiest idea."
But Bob does know, and after you read his stories (all true), you begin to get a glimmer. Actually, he gives you a hint in the introduction, when he says, "So in spite of the broken bones, frostbitten fingers, and poverty, you press on for whatever the moments of pure pain and pure pleasure are worth, for without one you cannot truly appreciate the other." Bob's stories will have you in stitches, but they also are real and show you what price these men pay for their hard-won independence and freedom. It's a price most of are too lazy or too insecure (we want that retirement plan) to want to pay, so we'll read the book, laugh, and wish we could have more adventure in our lives, then (perhaps wisely, but the loss is ours) go back to the office. Great book!

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True stories of "cun-cussin" induced cowboy humor from a working ranch cowboy with over 35 years in the saddle. Bob's writing will make you feel the pain and see the humor of living life in the cowboy lane. From being "bull-ta-puted" to being hit by lightning or dragged across the desert by his foot under a runaway bronc mule, Bob Kinford will have you simultaneously laughing and wrenching in pain. A must read for real cowboys and "wannabes" alike!

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Memoirs of a Bookbat Review

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(More customer reviews)Even as a person who completely disagrees with book banning and censorship in general, I found this book to be a little heavy-handed. Harper and Gray, admittedly, are great characters, but occasionally they just seem too perfect, especially Gray and his family. Harper's parents and their friends, on the other hand, are simply narrow minded and too obsessive about their religion to pay any attention to anything else- you never get the sense that they could be even vaguely nice. Some of the descriptions are good, the concept is great,and Gray's answering machine messages are very funny and lighten things up a lot, but the flatness of the characters and the obviousness of the plot gives it an overall unrealistic feeling. And as much as I disagree with censorship, I don't need the message thrown in my face so hard.

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Let's Pretend This Never Happened (Dear Dumb Diary, No. 1) Review

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(More customer reviews)My almost 8yr old daughter begged me to buy this series for her after she saw the catchy title and cover in the store. I consider myself a pretty laid back mom, but I feel that this series is very inappropriate for children. I read about halfway through the first book with my daughter and was very uncomfortable with how the writer was labeling peers as dorks, losers and rating them on the popularity scale. I also did not find it funny at all how the young girl in the book seemed to have a hateful obsession toward a "popular" girl in her school. The more I read, the more I felt like these books needed to go back to the store. Now to be fair, my daughter thought the books were funny and entertaining; however, the moment she called her little sisters losers and threatened to cut their hair off with scissors- that made up my mind!

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Take a peek inside the diaries of Jamie Kelly!She's cool (sometimes), nice (mostly), and funny (always).Kid-friendly humor & art, along w/JKBenton's signature style make this series a standout!

Read the hilarious, candid (& sometimes mean) diaries of Jamie Kelly, who promises that everything in her diary is true...or at least as true as it needs to be.In this book, Jamie contends with Angeline, the school's prettiest, most popular girl (who Jamie thinks is a goon!) and the impending visit of her troll-like little cousin.Will Jamie survive? Will she go mad?Will she send her mom's nasty casserole to starving children in Wheretheheckistan?You'll just have to read the first installment of Dear Dumb Diary to find out!

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A Cat Called Canoe Review

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A Cat Called Canoe authors: Ron and Eva Stob

If you're a cat lover, and who isn't, you will enjoy what has to be the ultimate insight into a cat's soul. If you're not a cat lover, then read no more, hide in your garden of grubs until you realize you're missing one of life's pleasures. There is no delight in this world better than the world of living with a cat. .

From chapter to chapter, this book embraces deep cat philosophy, double scoops of delightful cat comedy, and a whole host of other emotions. If you want to put a smile on the face of your best friend, significant companion, relative or a new-found acquaintance, buy this book, read it yourself, and then give it as a Christmas present. Better yet, buy one for yourself, and another for gift giving.

It's a delightful book, and if you want the pleasure of re-living what a new cat brings to your life, then read it. If you're catatonic, or depressed read this book. And if you have no interest in cats, well, you'd better read this book. Just maybe you can find out why cat lovers make better human beings.

Ron and Eva have captured the essence of the feline mystique As they say in their book, "Living with ourselves, we are nothing, but living with a cat ...." , well guess you'll just have to read the book to find out that ultimate truth. Remember, your happiness in life, from this moment forward, could very well depend on the answer to what living with a cat means.



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A Cat Called Canoe is a kind of love story between a man and his cat and his wife and the cat, a story that describes a relationship of adulation and affection offset by feline behaviors and events that addle the wits. This humorous tale (pun intended) may be just what the therapist ordered for those of us upset and unsettled with world events.In his new book Stob brings to life what comic strip characters do weekly in newspapers across the nations, giving readers a glimpse into a cat's psyche and life with his human benefactors. Canoe, a black and white longhaired domestic with amber eyes, is a museful, narcissistic, hell-bound sleuth and an unplanned blessing in his owners' lives.

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Dragon Academy Review

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(More customer reviews)I had to write a review for this book. It's one of those rare gems you come across and have to share.

There seems to be only two genres for authors these days, characterized by Twilight and Harry Potter. There are no vampires in this book but it does have similar angst amongst its teen characters, at a younger level. In the vein of Harry Potter, this book is similar in that a teen has to deal with not only complications in maturity but also a mystical element. This book has more of a balance of fantasy to reality seen in the Percy Jackson books, the real world affected by, in this case, dragons.

Make no mistake, this book stands on its own in being fresh and original. The very likable teens and their academy instructors have depth, defining moments, and growth. I found myself really feeling for them, wanting to intervene, as they made some poor choices. The environment is detailed yet comfortable with just enough quirks to make it believable that dragons could exist in our reality. At no time did I feel I knew what would happen, there were many directions the story could take, and I look forward to seeing where this, (hopefully), series will go.
Just for reference I'm a guy in his (hate to say it) late thirties, so I feel this book can be enjoyed by anyone.
I would ask the author to please add the option of Amazon's CreateSpace publishing, so I can on-demand order a hard copy to add to my collection.

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Naked Review

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(More customer reviews)This book is classified as a memoir, and it's the funniest one I've read to date. Growing up Greek in North Carolina couldn't have been easy, but adding to the mix a crazy grandmother and a sibling with a penchant for using towels as toilet paper makes it that much harder (and funnier, to us).
David was struck with enthusiastic OCD as a child, only to find ways to "cure" his tics in college. His stories of life after schooling include apple-picking and packing, working with jade (not to mention a crazy, hypocritical Christian), and refinishing woodwork with a Jew-hating Lithuanian and a somewhat confused black guy. He hitchhikes with all levels of human decapitation until a rowdy truck driver combs thicket by the roadside looking for him.
Not all of the fifteen stories are side-splitting funny. "I Like Guys" highlights accepting his homosexual feelings, and an undercurrent of seriousness lines the story. "Ashes" tells of his mother's cancer, and a sense of tragedy seems to sober his usually razor-sharp satirical style.
The last (and title) story, "Naked", tells of his experience with a nudist colony. It's written in more a journal form (the others are written in a 'flashback' form) and by the end, you feel strange in your own clothing.
I definitely plan on recommending this book to my friends. I don't see how you could live your life without picking up a Sedaris book.

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Love, Sex and Tractors Review

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(More customer reviews)Roger shows an intense depth of understanding of relationships, women, humor, and family life. When my girlfriend caught me reading it the first evening it came, she took it from me out of curiosity and wouldnt let me have it back! Dont buy this book if you have anything else to do. Once you open, and begin to read, you will not be able to put it down! He has many others and Im told they are equally desirable. I intend to get them all.

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Taming Rowan Review

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(More customer reviews)In her exhilarating debut novel, "Taming Rowan," Suzanne Barrett proves that she has all the qualities great romance writers are made of. She mixes just the right amount of intrigue and sensuality to keep her readers on the edge of their seats. Barrett has written a refreshing, enjoyable romance and after reading this book, you'll find yourself wanting more from this talented new author!

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Stuck on Earth Review

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(More customer reviews)What to do, what to do when an alien stuns you, crawls up your nose into your brain, and takes control over your body. Ketchvar III (that nose surfing alien) has to do some recognizance for his planet to see if earth should be destroyed but he/it chose an awkward teenager as his vessel to study earthlings. The alien has to navigate a new world of zits, bullies, and teen love to determine the planet's fate. This chapter book was hilarious at times and poignant at others but readers might be slightly paranoid that falling asleep on a beach chair may lead to an alien nation.

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It's a Book Review

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(More customer reviews)As a picture book for grown ups, It's a Book is clever and well illustrated, easily a 4/5. However, it is being marketed to children four to eight years old. As the mother of two children in that age range, and a former third grade teacher, I find that strange. The concept is great, but the execution is so-so. First off, children aren't as familiar with that technology (blogs are for grown ups.) As people who grew up with technology AND printed books all around them, they just aren't worried about the death of the publishing industry. So, much of it goes over their heads, and then it ends with the word jackass (which is going to offend a number of parents, keep it off library shelves, etc.) I can't imagine recommending this book to other families with little kids. However, I can think of lots of adults and snarky teenagers who would adore it.

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