BOOKS REVIEWS:
You can find below reviews I did in the past for Bookpleasures.com. I no longer review for Bookpleasures.com, but you can always contact me if you have a book you've published.
Super Elastic Traveling Sound Circus by G. C. Rosenquist
ISBN: 0976901781
Publisher: Purple Sky Publishing, LLC
Genre/Market: Poetry
Publication Date: October 1, 2006
Book Length: 62 pages
Price: $15.95
Paperback
Review: * * * * *
A fine collection of poems
Established writer and poet, G.C Rosenquist has penned his first poetry book, Super Elastic Traveling Sound Circus, which consists of fifty diverse and very metaphoric poems.
The book begins with a statement from the author on the meaning of the book and what motivated him to compose these poems.
"A poem, to me, is a novel condensed to its most important and essential elements...This is a raw open wound: do I want the reader to know this?"
Expressing a variety of emotions in his words, the poems are well written, insightful and very symbolic. Each poem conveys a message and I liked how Rosenquist wrote a small paragraph at the top of each poem, to add more meaning to its work.
On the whole, the book is a galactic journey, an open wound, a philosophical discourse, or maybe just a simple explanation of his life.
My favorite poems in the book are: Friendship Down, Kite, Coma, Circle and Old Man. There was a special meaning and wit to those poems and I was able to relate to the sentiments they communicate. Quotes:
Kite: "That for a kite to fly / It must be anchored to the ground"
Circle: "I went to the mountaintops / I found the truth up there / Didn't like what I was told / So I went back home again"
Old Man: "You see me through eyes that deny their age / With spider-leg fingers, paper-skin wrapped / Brown leaf bones and a weathered, velvet head / You're much stronger than I am"
Portals to Higher Consciousness: Exploring the Spiritual Domain by Norman D Livergood
ISBN: 189330292X
Publisher: Dandelion Books, LLC
Genre/Market: Philosophy/Spirituality/Religion
Publication Date: June 29, 2006
Book Length: 396 pages
Price: $30.95
Paperback
Author website: Norman D Livergood
Review: * * * *
Norman D Livergood is a highly intellectual person who has devoted his entire life to exploring and expanding his own mind. Author, publisher and teacher with a couple of PhDs, and a few Master degrees, he has employed his vast knowledge in philosophy and psychology to write Portals to Higher Consciousness: Exploring the Spiritual Domain.
Due to the abstract nature of the subject matter, Portals to Higher Consciousness demands of its readers a great deal of concentration. The book is very theoretical and it can easily pass as a philosophy course textbook. Moreover, the author substantiates his theories with extensive research pertaining to the works of the well-known philosophers as Plato and Socrates, which are often quoted in the book.
This book explores the domain of higher consciousness and the author lists the means on how to achieve it, such as expanding your awareness to the surrounding world, becoming more spiritual, exploring your artistic mind, etc. The book is more like an analysis of the mind and human behaviors and at times reads like a guide on how to achieve a better life and improve our surroundings. The author often even criticizes Bush government and how it affects the entire world.
Livergood discusses Higher Mysteries — the sacred scripts passed down by the old cultures, such as India, Greece and Egypt. These scripts provide insight into spirituality and origins of the world. He also often mentions the Perennial Tradition — human rebirth through initiation.
Although sometimes I don’t agree with his theories, I have to admit that after reading this book, I learned a great deal about the higher consciousness. However, I was surprised that the author didn’t devote more ink to Hinduism and Buddhism, as these two religions delve considerably in the exploration of the mind. According to Hinduism and Buddhism, to reach a higher consciousness, one has to sit quietly and meditate and anybody can attain a higher consciousness without the need of intellectual knowledge. But according to Livergood’s theory, one would need knowledge to attain such insight into the mind.
This book presents detailed ideas and it is an interesting read, but it is rather difficult. As a general reader, I would’ve appreciated a much simpler writing.
My Office Is A 3-Ring Circus!: Must I Take Orders From Clowns? by JudiM
ISBN: 0595351859
Publisher: iUniverse, Inc.
Genre/Market: Career Enhancement
Publication Date: June 8, 2005
Book Length: 164 pages
Price: $15.95
Paperback
Review: * * * * *
An inspiring guide to attain the right career goals
JudiM is a career oriented business woman who achieved everything she set her heart on. In ‘My Office Is A 3-Ring Circus!: Must I Take Orders From Clowns?’ JudiM writes an inspirational account and a career guide from her years as a marketing director, tour booking agent, and Dancing Bear with the Clyde Beatty-Cole Bros. Circus.
In her book, JudiM turns every lesson learnt into a career advice. She analyses the obstacles encountered while touring with the circus and explains how she dealt with the difficult situations. She follows her heart and takes lots of risks to turn almost every hard circumstance into a winning deal. Throughout the book she gives positive advice and encourages the reader to follow his or her heart to achieve the best results in his or her career.
The author explains her strategies in winning and staying in control. She uses terms such as ‘Performance Tools’ to outline how she did it; playing ‘Mental Chess’ and using ‘Idea Energy’ which are some of her best tools in winning the situations.
The book is a tale full of humorous events. JudiM refuses to support a stubborn and proud clown, who ends up spending the night in jail. She doesn’t let her superiors step all over her either and takes a vacation when she is being told that there is no money to pay her. Hence, she refuses to work until her paycheck comes in taking the risk of being fired. But in the end she wins. When she is faced with promoting the circus to the Spanish community, she is not afraid to go on the radio with poor Spanish skills and talk about the shows.
This book is an inspirational account on how you can achieve the best results and turn every difficult situation into your favor. I recommend it to anyone who wants to improve her working environment and who wants to achieve the best results.
The President's Parasite by Jim Musgrave
ISBN: 0977650367
Publisher: Contemporary Instructional Concepts
Genre/Market: Fiction/Short Stories
Publication Date: June 22, 2006
Book Length: 304 pages
Price: $25.00
Paperback
Author website: Jim Musgrave
Review: * * * * *
A satiric look into the human mind
‘The President’s Parasite’ is a collection of short stories in which the author creates a paradox of the human life. Throughout the entire book, Jim Musgrave continuously makes fun at human strange behaviors and oddities. He mocks America’s worldwide politics and its president, the Nazis and their beliefs, the war in Iraq and how much it affects us all, and he also attacks strong ethical issues such as the abortion or the death penalty.
The author portrays unusual situations and out of the ordinary characters: an American woman who pretends to be a reporter to save her kidnapped husband from an Iraqi insurgent group, a millionaire who wants to show his pastor that he can cause more problems with his money by wanting to do good to the society than by spending it on alcohol, a man with the biggest penis in the entire world who becomes part of a freak show, a parasite which lives in the president body and communicates with people on the outside to save the world, and so on.
Jim Musgrave is a talented writer with brilliant ideas. His writing shows he is an educated man and very well-rounded. He can talk freely about religion, politics, and worldwide events with a vast knowledge. Moreover, his short stories will make you think and laugh.
I really enjoyed reading this book and I recommend it to anyone who wants to get a good laugh at the world around us.
Storm of Roses: A Compilation of Poetry and Short Stories by E Tara Scurry
ISBN: 0595375804
Publisher: iUniverse, Inc.
Genre/Market: Poetry & Short Stories
Publication Date: February 8, 2006
Book Length: 234 pages
Price: $18.95
Paperback
Author website: E. Tara Scurry
Review: * * * *
An emotional collection of poems and short stories
E. Tara Scurry wrote several very emotional poems and short stories in this compilation book. Her work is very moving, expressing a wide range of emotions: devotion, adoration, love, frustration, anger, hatred, etc.
The book is divided into seven chapters, each dealing with a different theme. The first theme is spirituality and is composed by poems dedicated to religion. The next five chapters contain poetry dealing with lots of deep emotions and thoughts. The author concludes with a set of short stories with hidden messages.
Although the writing is simple and easy to follow, the author conveys many messages in her work. For example, the poem ‘The Circle’ questions human consumption of meat and how it affects our bodies. As a vegetarian, I was very pleased to read it. I also liked the story ‘Tattoo’ as it deals with how people perceive body art and how it affects us. I found it original that Tara also included a bonus piece which is a story she wrote in first grade.
Overall, the book is insightful, meaningful and very emotional. It is a nice read.
Herr Schnoodle & McBee by P. K. Paranya
ISBN: 1594144125
Publisher: Five Star (ME)
Genre/Market: fiction/mystery
Publication Date: September 2006
Book Length: 288 pages
Price: $25.95
Paperback
Author website: P. K. Paranya
Review: * * * * *
An amusing story of a private investigator and his dog
Alexander McBee is a New York private investigator who doesn’t have much flair or luck in solving his cases. One day, Her Schnoodle, a very unattractive dog, appears by the pier next to McBee who was quietly contemplating on his unhappy life. Alexander rescues the dog and brings him home. Her Scnoodle proves to be a gifted dog who finds the missing evidence in McBee’s cases. With his help, the investigator gains confidence and becomes successful at catching the offenders.
The story takes a romantic twist when Darcy, a charming reporter, is sent by her boss to spy on McBee. Darcy’s determination to get a story to publish, leads her to find important information on the investigator’s friend Apple Sally, a bag lady on the run with a dangerous history. With the help of the reporter, Alexander unravels the mystery behind Sally’s past. Throughout this time, McBee also finds himself attracted to both women and in the end he goes for the one he deeply cares for.
P.K. Paranya is an established author, who writes very well: Her novel ‘Herr Schnoodle & McBee’ is an intelligent and humorous story. Moreover, the author portrays the main characters in the most creative way: a bag lady suffering with amnesia, a gifted ugly dog solving mystery cases, a grumpy private investigator with many phobias and an attractive reporter, willing to risk it all for a good story. Overall, the plot is captivating and the reader will find himself trying to solve the puzzles along with McBee and his Schnoodle.
I enjoyed reading this novel to a great extent. I thought it has wit and all the ingredients necessary to make a wonderful and entertaining detective tale. This book is with no doubt a fantastic read!
Love and Provence by Jamie Brown
ISBN: 0973903236
Publisher: Prose Red
Genre/Market: Travel
Publication Date: January 1, 2006
Book Length: 173 pages
Price: $22.50
Paperback
Review: * * * * *
A love tale from Provence
“Love and Provence” is a story of two Canadians in love, heading for France in the 70s to enjoy life and give birth to their first child in the small village of Gigondas.
Jamie and Lorna are two artists struggling to make a living in Toronto. Jamie dreams of France and convinces Lorna to leave Canada to go experience life in Provence. They save up and leave Canada with a mere 2000$. In London they buy an old car for 400$ and depart for France where they’ll rent a very cheap house (120$ a month) in the beautiful village of Gigondas. There, they live a simple life and make friends with the villagers.
Jamie and Lorna encounter many complications in the process of obtaining Lorna’s divorce papers from a previous marriage. Yet, even if it means spending all their money dealing with the Canadian and French authorities, they still want to get married before the birth of their child. And they succeed! The author concludes his novel with an update of each main personage in the book, 35 years later.
The author captures the French spirit beautifully: he portrays the life in Provence and its surroundings in a very picturesque style. The French are known for their good food and wines and you can almost taste them reading the book. Jamie and Lorna go to the markets daily to buy fresh produce to cook. The author goes through entire paragraphs describing the flavors of their meals: the vegetables, the fruits, the cheeses, the meats and the wines.
The story is a pleasant and easy read. It is a story of love and friendship, which proves that strong relationships can conquer many obstacles. Jamie and Lorna enjoy the French living in Provence and adapt easily to the simple lifestyle. Despite the difficulties encountered, they succeed to get married and have their baby in France. They also make good friends, with whom they kept in contact throughout the years as mentioned in the epilogue.
I recommend this book as a travel story for those who want to enjoy a simple tale of love in Provence.
Street Smart Franchising by Joe Mathews, Don DeBolt, Deb Percival
ISBN: 1599180219
Publisher: Entrepreneur Press
Genre/Market: Small Business
Publication Date: June 12, 2006
Book Length: 240 pages
Price: $19.95
Paperback
Review: * * * * *
An excellent guide to franchising
Joe Mathews and Don DeBolt have in-dept knowledge and many years of experience in franchising. With the help of Deb Percival, who has extensive knowledge in business writing, they wrote “Street Smart Franchising,” a must read before considering entering the world of franchising.
This book is a guide to a successful and winning franchise and it is also a guide to develop a great relationship among the franchisor, who is the parent company, and the franchisee, the person buying the franchise.
According to the authors, the franchising is a beautiful relationship and should be treated as one body, where all the limbs together with the brain agree on one motion. The franchisor and the franchisee must have good communication, must prove respect for each other and must agree on decisions, otherwise the franchise might fail. Book quote:
“A franchise is a community, comprised of franchisees, franchisors, and their employees, and suppliers, each looking out for the other’s best interest and committed to the success of all.”
The book is filled with day to day examples to outline the franchising process of selecting the proper candidate, the franchise key to success and how one should develop great relations with the franchisor. It also describes how to find out what franchise is good for you according to your behaviors. This is explained following the DISC (Dominance, Influence, Steadiness and Compliance) assessment tool. Furthermore, the authors use the KASH (Knowledge, Attitude, Skills and Habits) formula to analyze and forecast the success of a franchise – if you adopt the right attitude by following KASH formula closely, you are in for a prosperous franchise.
In addition, this book takes you through the stages of franchising: The Launch, The Grind, Winning, The Zone and The Goodbye. These stages are well explained and the authors mention what to avoid or what to improve on during those phases in order to succeed.
I found the book to be very well written and explained. The authors make franchising look so simple and very appealing.
There are probably hundreds of books out there on franchising, but this particular book explains the process closely and guides you through all the stages of franchising. It also provides analytical tools to forecast how triumphant you can be at owning a franchise. Written by franchising experts, this book is recommended for those who are interested in franchising.
The Bitten by Stephen Lee Cummings
ISBN: 0595399134
Publisher: iUniverse, Inc.
Genre/Market: Fiction
Publication Date: June 16, 2006
Book Length: 408 pages
Price: $22.94
Paperback
Review: * * * *
A fresh vampire tale
Stephen Lee Cummings is a sharp and talented writer. His first novel “The Bitten,” is a contemporary story of vampires, that feed on people’s blood but live like humans.
Mark and Jack, the two main characters, were bitten by vampires when they were young and then were sheltered by the leader, a very rich and old vampire with lots of good connections. Ravenscroft takes care of all his vampire family, making sure they are kept in secrecy and their murders are covered up.
Mark and Jack run away from their leader when they were young adults and continue to live their lives as fugitives, moving from town to town, leaving dead bodies behind, which will always be classified as unknown deaths. Mark detests what he is and denies that he has to kill for existence. He wants to live his life like a real human and goes on without killing for very long periods of time. One day he meets Lisa and they fall in love.
Ted Hawkins comes in the picture as the one who wants to kill them all. He is after the one who killed his daughter. Ted has a powerful sixth sense and can spot the vampires and hear their thoughts.
The story turns into a twirl of unexpected events, all leading to a blazing story ending. The plot is captivating and well calculated, the characters perform intriguing roles and there are plenty of well thought hooks in the story to keep you guessing on what will happen next. Overall, the book is well written and provides good character development: all the personages are very well described and they are all linked in the intelligent and intense plot.
I thought the author to be brilliant and he makes a strong debut with this novel. The book needs editing, but reading the captivating story, makes you forget about the writing errors. I definitely recommend this story to everybody who is interested in vampire tales or gothic genre.
Change Your Mind: A Neurologist's Guide to Happiness by D. Pasupuleti
ISBN: 1933538295
Publisher: Synergy Books
Genre/Market: Psychology/Self-Perception
Publication Date: September 15, 2006
Book Length: 284 pages
Price: $12.95
Paperback
Review: * * * *
A guide to finding self happiness and peace of mind
D. Pasupuleti is the director of neurology at a teaching hospital in US and he believes that it takes “Five Golden Rules” to find eternal happiness. These five rules are explained in detailed in his book “Change Your Mind.” D. Pasupuleti gives plenty of examples from his day-to-day life, from his experience or from the books he read to outline and prove his theory.
The reader will embark into an introspective journey and will question many ideas in the book, such as D. Pasupuleti claims that God is in everyone and everyone is God, or that human beings are born to be happy but yet we let our emotions and mind states disrupt the bliss within ourselves. The book is a philosophical approach to our purpose and existence in the universe. D. Pasupuleti approaches deep fundamental questions in his book and he is determined to make the reader understand his point of view.
What D.Pasupuleti calls “self-knowledge”, Hinduism calls it “awareness” or “being awake.” As somebody who has been interested in Hinduism religion or philosophy, as some might call it, I found myself questioning D.Pasupuleti’s book. I have read several books on Hinduism religion and I thought this book was not that original. As a matter of fact, this book is based on Hinduism way of thinking. The only thing D.Pasupuleti does different, is explaining Hinduism fundamentals for the Western mind to relate to and understand the philosophy better. Also, reading this book, I often thought his work is similar to the great mystic Osho’s teachings. The great mystics of India base their entire life preaching Hinduism and the sacred scriptures to the public to make them understand better their own religion and what to do to reach “elightment.”
D.Pasupuleti preaches what Hinduism words it slightly different: in order to be happy, one has to cut the link to the material world and clean up your mind. Hinduism approach in finding happiness is through yoga or deep meditation. D. Pasupuleti believes that by just being aware of your actions, emotions, reactions and relationship with God, one can find happiness. As a reader and a yoga and meditation practitioner, I found myself questioning D. Pasupuleti’s book. The great sadhus, gurus or yogis of India believe that eternal happiness comes through very hard work after many years of adopting Hinduism way of thinking and after many years of practicing meditation and yoga.
D. Pasupuleti claims that just by reading his book and practicing his “five golden rules” of happiness one can achieve eternal happiness. Furthermore, D. Pasupuleti writes a very deep philosophical book, which guarantees happiness if we follow his approach, but he does not provide any research data indicating that this approach actually works. How can I believe him, if he has not tried out his approach on anybody else nor has he analyzed the results to see if his theory actually works or not?
The book is very well written and he is a fantastic writer. For somebody who has read other books on Hinduism religion and way of thinking, the content of the book is nothing original. D. Pasupuleti’s work provides a quality read and if you are a Westerner who never read anything on Hinduism or Buddhism, this book might be a fantastic read and you will probably learn a great deal.
White As Snow: A Christmas Story (Mysterious Ways) by Donna Westover Gallup
ISBN: 0975961942
Publisher: Cladach Publishing
Genre/Market: Fiction/Inspirational
Publication Date: September 30, 2006
Book Length: 144 pages
Price: $9.99
Paperback
Review: * * * * *
An inspiring story, giving us hope and strength
“White as Snow” is a story about a ten year old boy, Charlie who lives with his grandpa in a ranch far away from anywhere, near the Rocky Mountains. His grandpa falls sick with pneumonia and rests unconscious in bed for weeks. Having no one in the world to care for him and help him out, Charlie has to take care of the farm and his sick grandpa. Charlie struggles for existence are over when Jess comes to their door. The stranger turns out to be their benefactor who helps them out through the hard times.
The novel is an inspirational account full of strong beliefs in God and his power of helping the ones in need. Charlie does his best to be in charge of the situation, but all his efforts fail, leaving him hopeless and praying to God for help, which soon arrives. The ending leaves us wondering if Jess was actually real or an angel sent by God to assist them in the fight for survival.
Donna Westover Gallup is a wonderful author, who uses superb metaphors to illustrate her talent to write. Allow me to quote from the book:
“A fellow could imagine the sonata of a lone wolf rolling up through the hills. Or he’d hear a mysterious siren song call across the grassy waves and intertwine itself in the limbs of the dark evergreens and golden aspens, then build to an eerie crescendo, only to fall to a sigh of rustling leaves and then recede, pulled back by an invisible tide.”
Reading the book, I found myself often thinking how could somebody be able to play with words in such a poetic manner: the descriptions are absolutely terrific and her writing flows gracefully. She makes writing look so simple.
Although I am not a religious person, it was a real delight to read Donna’s work. I found it simple and emotional. This book might interest people with spiritual beliefs, but it can be a heartening account for everybody else. I highly recommend this moving story.
In the Light of the Passing by K.C. Berg
ISBN: 0741427990
Publisher: Infinity Publishing
Genre/Market: Fiction
Publication Date: November 18, 2005
Book Length: 418 pages
Price: $20.95
Paperback
Author website: K.C. Berg
Review: * * * * *
An Ingenious work of fiction and romance!
Nadeena disobeys her father orders to succumb to an arrange marriage and runs to the dells, a usual hideaway place for her. Her father, the commander of Sarzan planet, is known to be a tyrant to his people and wants to get rid of Nadeena because she is against his beliefs and way of ruling. In the woods, she falls into the hands of the miners, the prisoners her father Vallace hired to work for him. The prisoners lead by Rotek, bring Nadeena to the underground city, which they built in the mines in the event they’ll revolt against the commander to gain their freedom back.
The plot is an intriguing and captivating story: citizens from three planets: Scrovell, Sarzan and Grahba are involved in the operation of saving Nadeena and the miners from Vallace cruelty. In the midst of it all, romance grows strongly between Nadeena and Shance, the commander of planet Grahba, a well trained pilot who was sent by Doff to save the miners on Sarzan. Doff who was in charge of Scrovell planet, wants revenge on Vallace for killing his father and sends Rotek, another prisoner, to spy on him. Rotek also falls in love with Nadeena, but he knows he cannot win her love. In the end, he will have a better role to perform.
K.C. Berg has the ability to entice and keep the reader interested in what will happen next. I liked the way the story was written, the fictitious plot, the descriptions and the way the characters’ roles compliment each other: Vallace is the villain and so is his wife Diona, Nadeena is a beautiful, intelligent and good spirited female, and Rotek, Shance and Doff are rescuers and brave warriors. I found the author to be inventive in the way she created the conflict among the planets and the way it has been solved. Also, K.C. Berg’s work offers plenty of details and images throughout the book.
The ending turns out to be a romantic one, a good way to complete an intense chronicle of difficult events. The novel is definitely a fascinating read and the author did a great job creating the tale. I very much suggest it to other readers.
Twilight Zone by Ranganathan Magadi
Author Website: Ranganathan Magadi
ISBN: 1411635809
Publisher: Lulu Press
Genre/Market: Fiction, Short stories
Publication Date: July 2005
Book Length: 268 pages
Price: $20.00
Paperback & Digital
Review: * * *
A collection of short stories
Twilight zone is a collection of short stories dealing with a wide range of human emotions: sexual feelings, desires, goals, aspirations, betrayal, patriotism and love. Each tale reveals complicated interactions amongst people in various relationships.
I find the writing to be simple and easy to follow, however the book needs proofreading. In addition, the abundance of dialogues can be redundant at times.
Some of the stories in the book are better than others, but I liked how each story has a lesson to it. For example, “A shortcut to America” narrates how a high-educated Indian woman, who is willing to do anything to marry a rich educated American of Indian origin, falls victim of a scam. The story takes an unfortunate turn as she discovers the man she married is a con artist - he has been luring Indian women into marrying him just so he can get the dowry.
One of my favorite stories, “They challenged an empire!” is about a boy, Ajay who wants to revolt against the British rules in India and overthrown them. The excerpt below is Ajay reasoning on the matter.
“Indians are perpetually so afflicted by poverty, unemployment, ignorance and illiteracy that they have resigned themselves to their fate. The colonial government is more interested in protecting the economic interests of the British Empire than looking after the welfare of the native population. The people, who are accustomed to autocratic rule, would never revolt against the exploitation of the Colonial government. If the British had treated their subjects less harshly, they could have established a stronger empire. By ill-treating and despising them, they have hastened the process of disintegration of the British Empire. Hereafter I have only one mission in my life, to oust the British from India.”
This story reminds me of the Gandhi movement and what it represents.
The book is a set of dark tales, with twisted plots. Overall, I preferred the stories with Indian connotation.
