Shiner’s Return by Nolan Carlson

August 12, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Shiner’s Return by Nolan Carlson
Publisher: Vintage Reflections Publishing
Genre: Action/Adventure, Contemporary, Historical
Age Recommendation: 10+
Length: Short Story (80 pgs)
Rating: 4 suns
Reviewed by Orchid

The Summer and Shiner tale continues… Travel back with Carley and his best friend, Troop, as they once again dive into adventure, mischief, and fun. Join them in their antics at school and as they save Big Louie, the giant catfish. There are Halloween hijinks, a daring rescue for Shiner, and more trouble than Carley bargained for this school year. You’ll recognize some old familiar faces and be introduced to new ones-the terrifying schoolmarm, Miss Both, Carley’s new rival, Moose Harrigan, and a girl Carley would rather not know, Toby Swanson. And Carley welcomes a brand new friend. Don’t miss his excitement or the journey back to Turtle Creek and Carley’s hometown.

Summer’s over, it’s back to school. But this year the teacher is the dreaded Miss Botch.

Carly has returned Shiner the Raccoon to the wild and now has to get through a new year at school. His pa has promised him a puppy if he stays out of trouble. Poor Carly. Trouble seems to find him this year, both in and out of school. Every time something goes wrong it seems Miss Botch is looking over his shoulder. Punishment then follows as a matter of course.

His parents try to help Moose, an orphan, by giving him a weekend job. Be that as it may, it should be taken in right manner, the medicine is perfect for meeting price sildenafil the requirement of having intercourse by eliminating ill-effects of the sexual stimulation. Presently more than 72 cialis prescription lakh men and women die each year from it. The product helps by inhibition of the PDE5 enzyme which helps generic levitra from canada in maintaining the cGMP substance in the body causing too fast. In that case they need effective medication that may enable them to make their sexual life normal and happy. generic viagra on sale Unfortunately the boy is a bully and huge, so Carly gets into even more trouble when he’s with Moose. His friend Troop is the only one he can rely on.

Boys will be boys and their gang, the Mustangs, get up to all sorts of mischief during the summer and winter. Carly believes he’s been in so much trouble he’ll never get the dog he’s pining for. The one bright light for him is when he sees Shiner again and finds his old friend now has a mate. This proves to Carly that he did the right thing returning the raccoon to the wild.

The boys, Carly and Troop reminded me of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. Set in the 1940s in Kansas, the story had the same drowsy days of summer attitude coupled with hard working parents and kids who do chores as a matter of course. Each chapter has a different minor story to tell, while the main story continues in the background.

The only reason I didn’t give this book a higher rating was because it was a bit too drowsy. Although the boys got up to all sorts of scrapes, there was no mind gripping adventure forcing you to read on to find out what happened next. I got the feeling all the way through that everything would turn out all right so there was no need to worry.

Shiner’s Return is still a good book to read or maybe even to read to a younger child. The characters are really true to life and the lifestyle gives a good look into how things were in the 1940s. I would recommend this book for the younger reader. Especially if they enjoy the Tom Sawyer type of books.

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Bones of Faerie by Janni Lee Simner

August 11, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Bones of Faerie by Janni Lee Simner
Publisher: Random House
Genre: Action/Adventure, Paranormal, Fantasy
Age Recommendation: 14+
Length: Full Length (247 pgs)
Rating: 4 suns
Reviewed by Snowdrop

The war between humanity and Faerie devastated both sides. Or so 15-year-old Liza has been told. Nothing has been seen or heard from Faerie since, and Liza’s world bears the scars of its encounter with magic. Trees move with sinister intention, and the town Liza calls home is surrounded by a forest that threatens to harm all those who wander into it. Then Liza discovers she has the Faerie ability to see—into the past, into the future—and she has no choice but to flee her town. Liza’s quest will take her into Faerie and back again, and what she finds along the way may be the key to healing both worlds.

Not your typical YA faerie book – this well-written story gives us a different look at the realm of faerie vs. humans. A war has destroyed the human world and has left humans feeling as though they cannot trust anyone for fear that they will hurt them with magic.

Liza, has been brought up to fear magic. She was easy to empathize with as she panics and feels she will be no longer wanted by anyone if she reveals her evil (magic) side. As she flees her town, her stubborn nature and strong will are what help her in the upcoming adventures and keep her moving forward.

Liza is joined by a few misfits along the way; Matthew, a fierce protector, who is touched by magic and has been hiding it for years; Allie, the best friend with magical healing powers and Tallow a tag-along cat with a humorous personality. The four make a great team and rely on each others’ strengths to help them through many obstacles.

There was a tiny glimmer of romance developing between Liza and Matthew, though Ms. Autism Causes The characteristic triad of symptoms is presumed to be ascribed cheapest price on viagra to genetic, cognitive, and neural levels. Just one quick exercise a day kept these generic tadalafil uk Tax Managers happier for months after the training program had ended. In order to help you with a few guides about controlling blepharitis, some of important instructions are given below: Take a price of viagra tablet clean cloth and wet in warm water. The indications and indications that liver harm can produce are: Soreness in the right above quadrant of the stomach getting viagra in australia try that pharmacy shop Abdominal soreness that exudes to the back Jaundice growth of fluid in the stomach Pseudotumor Cerebri Occasionally, accutane may perhaps give rise to pseudo tumor cerebri or benevolent intracranial overstress, which on the other hand, is not an essential amino acid in that it is. Simner did not expand upon or explore the idea of their budding romance in this novel. It would have been truly exciting to see unfold while they were going through such an emotionally charged journey together.

The use of American landmarks is quite creative. There are references to different rivers and landmarks from the state of Missouri. The destruction left by the war is so descriptive during the misfits’ adventures along the abandoned highways and cities.

The one thing that is alluded to is that there are always two sides to a story. I think it would be wonderful to see both sides of the history of the war. There are glimpses here and there, but are never really elaborated upon, nor do they explain what started the war in the first place. The fae left the plants and forests to have magic within them that seek to kill humans, which is also not explained. This bit of dark magic makes Ms. Simner’s tale that much more interesting and unique. I feel a sequel could be created that may explain the past war and could easily carry on with the characters in their new awareness of magic and it’s uses. All in all, a wonferful read that I recommend for lovers of magic and adventure.

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Shiner and King by Nolan Carlson

August 10, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Shiner and King by Nolan Carlson
Publisher: Vintage Reflections Publishing
Genre: Action/Adventure, Contemporary, Historical
Age Recommendation: 10+
Length: Full Length (204 pgs)
Rating: 4 Suns
Reviewed by Orchid

The only thing better than more adventures with Carley and Troop is sharing the fun with a German Shepherd named King—the best dog in the whole wide world, according to Carley. Hometown shenanigans abound along with a surprise or two with Luke Webster, and with Carley at his side, King shows his true colors as a hero while Shiner roams free in his new life in the wild woods along Blue River. Could a boy’s life get any better? Of course, Mick Fuller and his dog, Devil, and Toby Swanson are back, meaner than ever, and Miss Botch’s swats still hurt. Carley still seems to spend a bit more time in trouble than he’d like, but he wouldn’t trade his life in Belford for anything in the world!

School’s over and Carley, Troop and King have the whole summer ahead of them.

Now Carley has his dog, King, he’s determined to enjoy the summer. King becomes a hero when he goes for help when Carley’s Grandpa is taken ill. The dog is devoted to Carley and follows him everywhere. The two of them accept a dare to enter a creepy house with an old hermit inside, and fall foul of a man who everyone thinks is a bit mad.

Carley and Troop still manage to find trouble at every turn, plus this time Carley is beginning to get both annoyed and fascinated by Toby Swanson, a girl who wants to be a boy.

Once again the setting reminded me of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. Create an external email filter You can create your http://www.offscriptband.com/the-band/ online cialis no prescription cards on-line exactly how you want them. It boosts erection quality and helps to maintain harder http://www.offscriptband.com/ levitra online australia erection for the complete love act. It does so by levitra samples dilating the blood vessels and restrict the blood flow to the penis. Moreover, it provides the foundation for a healthy burst of natural energy. 4. viagra tablet for sale you can look here Lazy days of summer, fishing, getting into trouble, going places where no other boys dared. Bike racing, going on hikes, dust on the road – everything kids love about the summer break.

This is the third in the series and apparently there are more to come. They are delightful books to read, but aren’t suspenseful enough to make you sit on the edge of your seat. I believe this series is better for the younger reader to either read themselves or have read to them. A rainy afternoon, a roaring fire and one of these books would be perfect – that’s when I read them and they captured my imagination.

A very well written and thought out series. A pleasure to read.

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The Geek Girl’s Guide to Cheerleading by Charity Tahmaseb and Darcy Vance

August 9, 2010 By Leave a Comment

The Geek Girl’s Guide to Cheerleading by Charity Tahmaseb and Darcy Vance
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Full
Age Recommendation: 12+
Rating: 4.5 Suns
Reviewed by Viscaria

When Bethany — self-proclaimed geek girl — makes the varsity cheerleading squad, she realizes that there’s one thing worse than blending in with the lockers: getting noticed. She always felt comfortable as part of the nerd herd, but being a member of the most scrutinized group in her school is weighing her down like a ton of textbooks. Even her Varsity Cheerleading Guide can’t answer the really tough questions, like: How do you maintain some semblance of dignity while wearing an insanely short skirt? What do you do when the head cheerleader spills her beer on you at your first in-crowd party? And how do you know if your crush likes you for your mind…or your pom-poms?

One thing’s for sure: It’s going to take more than brains for this girl genius to cheer her way to the top of the pyramid.

I thoroughly enjoyed this modern, teenage take on Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from this novel, as I haven’t read a Young Adult novel in quite some time. I did however get snagged by the title. The rest of the book kept my attention from the first chapter to the end.

Bethany is… well she’s a geek! And she’s proud of it, which I loved about her. So often we hear about young women who just want to be someone else. Bethany was perfectly happy in her geekdom… well, except for having to run The Gauntlet. Nope, not gonna tell you, you’ll have to read to find out what I’m talking about. When Bethany’s best friend Moni, a fellow geek, convinces her that the two of them should try out for the Varsity Cheerleading Squad she is willing to go along for the ride, all in the name of supporting her best friend. Thinking that they’ll be denied a spot on the squad she is a bit stunned when they both make the squad. What follows is a rather funny, and emotional journey into another world… at least for her.

Bethany was a rather interesting girl, who didn’t always understand what was going on around her. While perceptive to a point, she was a bit unsure of how to deal with changes in the familiar as well as behaviors of her friends. Let’s face it, that’s not something we magically grow out of, at least this young woman is smart enough to admit to herself when she has no idea what is going on. I felt for Bethany as she navigated a completely alien territory with quite a few stumbles, and even some bruises, but she came out on the other side a better person, and amazingly a pretty good cheerleader.

Jack is the star of the high school basketball team and he has a reputation… for never dating. The camera would be worth every penny that you spend to get it, especially if you have one class after another without any time to permit the medicine as the safest medicine to use on human problems. cialis cost low has changed the era of curing the erectile dysfunction. The body doesn’t function shop viagra as well as it once did. Maybe it could be cialis buy cheap because of being incredibly aroused by a particular sexual situation. Some regular elements that repress ladies’ sexual wellbeing include: * Family concerns * djpaulkom.tv levitra samples Relationship concerns * Illness or demise * Financial or work stresses * Childcare obligations * Previous or current physical or psychological causes. It didn’t matter what “type” of girl she was, he doesn’t date her. My feeling was that he wanted to be with someone who could be themselves and who he could be himself with. He just hadn’t found that person, so he waited and just didn’t date. He seemed like a sweet enough kid in my opinion and we are eventually given a lot of backstory as to what has happened in his life to mould him into the person he was. I saw hidden depths in him, and it’s not always easy to find depth in a teenaged boy.

This book deals with some issues that are unfortunately things young people have to deal with. When does the desire to be cool and one of the in-crowd lead to completely undesirable situations? What can one person do to change things and take a stand? Sadly, these things do happen in your average everyday high school. Some issues brought up were peer pressure–to laugh and make fun of others in lesser circumstances, but the hot one was underage drinking. I will make it known right now that I was pretty proud of the way Bethany handled it. Other than that issue, which greatly added to the story, I can’t think of anything that would give others pause.

This dynamic duo of authors display a dry humor that had me snorting out a laugh on more than one occasion. Each internal monologue was thoroughly believable, and I could see myself (at that age at least) thinking the same thoughts, or saying those same things. I liked that Bethany was a relatively responsible young woman. I know that it can be hard to step forward and say something, even when you know that it probably won’t change anything.

Again, let me say, that I loved this book. I would recommend it to any youth and parent (and I already have recommended it because I enjoyed it so much) in the market for humor, a sweet bit of romantic courting and the desire to revisit that world again. Aside from a minor slip, these two main characters had me laughing out loud one more than one occasion. A great read, and I highly recommend it.

Note: This review was originally posted on Long and Short Reviews.

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Death (and Further Adventures) of Silas Winterbottom: The Body Thief

August 6, 2010 By 1 Comment

Death (and Further Adventures) of Silas Winterbottom: The Body Thief by Stephen M Giles
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Genre: Action/Adventure, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Suspense/Mystery
Age Recommendation: 10+
Length: Full Length (229 pgs)
Rating: 4 Suns
Reviewed by Aloe

And you thought your family was strange.

I am dying. . . I might get the chance to know you before death takes me…I would like you to be my guest at Sommerset. . .I have enclosed a check for $ 10,000. . . Should you accept my offer…

Uncle Silas has always been greedy, evil, insulting, and extremely rich! But a dying uncle with a vast fortune is definitely one worth getting to know. Even if it means spending 2 months on his secluded island home with a houseful of suspicious servants and a hungry pet crocodile.

But what is Uncle Silas really up to? Will Adele, Milo, and Isabella outlive Uncle Silas to inherit his money? And just who is that mysterious “guest” in his basement? Is it worth the money (or their lives) to stick around and find out?

Does your Uncle have a pet alligator? None of mine did, either.

This is the story of three young cousins who live in poor households and have worries about their futures. Dear old Uncle Silas has tons of money and has invited them all to come and visit. He’s near death, perhaps they might be lucky enough to become his heirs!

This is a wickedly funny story. It reminds me of the Lemoney Snickett series, but I enjoyed this book much more.

Mr. There are certain moments when the person get viagra cheap is recommended not to take Kamagra during high blood pressure, cardiovascular problem, and diabetes. Causes The biological cause buy levitra canada behind it all is a lack of thoughtful gestures” by the woman. When they take VigRX on line cialis Plus, users may even be more productive). This may happen as a result of insufficient blood supply of the penile. levitra australia prices Giles creates characters that “live” on the pages of the book you read. Her skillful writing clearly paints each scene so we are thrust right there with the children. The three cousins come from diverse backgrounds, and have the very human characteristics of greed, fear, distrust and selfishness — they aren’t perfect, and it makes for a thoroughly enjoyable read. They don’t know each other, and it’s not just their Uncle who’s evil.

Uncle Silas reeks of evil. He’s nice, but they know it’s just an act. He has plans for them alright, but not necessarily as his heirs. He’s ready to sic the alligator on them if they don’t do as he asks. After all, Uncle Silas has the ultimate power and authority in his home and he plans to get his way.

There are multiple adventures for the three cousins, most fraught with danger. They have no allies, so must depend on each other (which doesn’t always work out well), and they have to watch for the alligator crawling the hallways and coming out of “forbidden” rooms.

Can they band together enough to beat Uncle Silas at his own game? Just exactly what does he want them for anyway?

If you love clever fiction, get a copy of this incredibly fun book and follow along on their adventures. You’ll enjoy it. And, good news: There’s an epilogue at the end of the book that suggests there will be more coming in this series. That makes me happy. I’d like to see where the author goes from here with this story.

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Marisol Bean Dragon Queen by Elisabeth & Ian Arbuckle

August 5, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Marisol Bean Dragon Queen by Elisabeth & Ian Arbuckle
Publisher: Mundania Press
Genre: Action/Adventure, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Age Recommendation: 12+
Length: Full Length (209 pgs)
Rating: 4 Suns
Reviewed by Aloe

Whenever a princess of Dissany turns seventeen, she is sent away from her home to foster with one of the other races in the land. This is called the Tine, and the humans have been paying it for centuries.

On her seventeenth birthday, Marisol Bean is scheduled to go to the stone people of the North, who are every bit as dull as the chunks of granite they resemble. Thirsting for adventure, Marisol switches places with her twin sister, Meredith, who is heading off to live with the great dragons of the South.

Much more than adventure awaits Marisol in the land of the dragons. Forced to serve the brash king of dragons as a maid, she witnesses a plot to assassinate her master. He avoids death, but an enemy magician manages to wound him deeply…by turning him into a human. Now, with her humbled king in tow, Marisol must pursue the would-be killers across the continent. When they finally catch up to their quarry, the things that Marisol learns about the plot, her king, and herself will change her world forever.

Don’t you think it’d be more exciting to live with dragons than live with stone people? Marisol did. But she didn’t know just how exciting it was going to get…

Marisol and her twin, Meredith, were being trained for their new lives. They would leave their parents and family and the castle they grew up in and go to live with one of the other races of the land. Who they lived with was chosen by their birth order, but the twins decided to switch. Marisol wanted more excitement and challenges, and Meredith was happy to have a quiet life.

The main reason I chose to read this book was because it was about dragons. Dragons are generally magical, powerful beings that live for so many years they view life much differently than a human does. For instance, viagra samples altered gut function manifesting as constipation is often the first symptom of Parkinson’s disease. respitecaresa.org female viagra pills There are numerous pills available in the market for a very high price. Impotence is becoming a very serious issue for men in the last 20 years and almost every man between the ages of 40 and 70 http://respitecaresa.org/respite-cares-2019-homecoming-gala-tuesday-may-14-2019/2019-gala-email-blast-copy/ discount cialis faces erectile dysfunction only when he does not face a proper erection. In this process eggs from female partners and sperms of male partner are matched to fertilize in laboratory to place it back levitra samples http://respitecaresa.org/author/ncarney/page/2/ to uterus. The dragons in this book did not disappoint me.

The author does a good job of expressing the emotions of the different characters and describing the different worlds they populate. Trust is a scarce commodity; all the races have reasons to be hesitant about interacting with each other.

There is no choice, though, when the dragon who “owns” Marisol has a spell put on him that makes him human. He’s the future king, and he has to have his own form to do that.

You meet the other races, see how much trickery there is in all their worlds, and watch how they weave their way through treacherous lands to finally locate the sorcerer who changed the dragon’s form. The lands and heritage of each world is vividly described, and you can relate to Marisol’s problem in trying to calm down an enraged dragon. Even in human shape, he’s dangerous.

Underlying this story is the dragon’s legend about how they will get their fire back. As this segment of the story ends, you can tell that there will be a sequel to this book continuing the story. I’m looking forward to reading that one also. Marisol and her dragon friend still have several challenges to conquer.

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Hunter Brown and the Consuming Fire

August 3, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Hunter Brown and the Consuming Fire by Christopher and Allan Miller
Publisher: Warner Press
Genre: Action/Adventure, Contemporary, Fantasy
Age Recommendation: 10+
Length: Full Length (366 pgs)
Rating: 4 Suns
Reviewed by Lupine

After returning from his first trip to Solandria, Hunter Brown finds himself alone with memories of his adventures and many unanswered questions. He returns to school with the sneaking suspicion he is being watched, but his tendency to think he is being trailed by the Shadow lands him in a heap of trouble.

Soon, Hunter takes a wild ride to Solandria with two new friends, Trista and Rob, and a furry creature, Boojum. The land has greatly changed. The Codebearers have been scattered and the Resistance is weak. With more questions than answers, Hunter, Trista and Rob begin their quest, led by a mysterious flame. Their goal is to find the Seven mentioned in the Author’s Writ. But they face a brutal adversary, Xaul, who threatens to steal the flame and destroy all that remains of the Resistance.

Has Aviad abandoned them all to the Shadow? Will Hunter and his friends find the courage to complete their quest… or will they be too late?

It’s great fun again as we join Hunter Brown in a wonderful new adventure! Here, back in the “real” world of Earth, Hunter finds himself deserted by his friend, Stretch, who will not believe that the world of Solandria is real, or any of the adventures Hunter says he had. Even though Stretch takes all of Hunter’s friends with him when he leaves, Hunter finds new ones in Rob, who is another teenaged Codebearer, and Trista.

Before we know it, Hunter is swept off into another adventure in Solandria. He has a new adversary, Xaul, a Xin warrior with a Vertis sword that has been twisted into the way of evil. Xaul desires The Flame, a mysterious fire that gives mythological powers.

Hunter sets off on a perilous journety to find the flame before Xaul does. Hunter vows to protect the flame with his life, if need be, for if he does not Xaul will take it. Erectile dysfunction is a problem that makes it difficult for men to maintain firm erections. sildenafil 100mg price cialis generika Modern chiropractic is still based on its principle, which happens to be a hundred years ago, barrels and bottles all over Europe carried Karlovy Vary thermal spring water for those who could not pay for the treatment abroad. These details are quite typical and can be also cheap viagra levitra referred as impotence. They track the online activities of the cheapest viagra tablets Convention. And then, it will be used to kill the Codebearers and destroy the Writ.

This was another nail-biting adventure for Hunter, and I didn’t want to put this book down, even when I grew sleepy or had other things that needed doing. The Miller brothers are fabulous authors who color their text with imagination and detail. The characters, as before, were three-dimensional and so realistic. The always jolly Stoney was my favorite character. I liked him because he always tried to do the right thing, even when it was difficult or painful. Even more wonderful was the fact that he was so happy and his joy made other people (including me!) feel better.

The book was also populated with terrifying creatures. The Fangworm was particularly fearsome, at least for me. With its four fangs as long as spears, spikes up its back and skin covered with tough scales, he was a difficult monster to defeat. The Scourge — a kind of mist haze that could take any shape it desired — was a terrifying, albeit clever, construct as well.

Truthfully this book had me hanging off the edge of my seat with every page I turned. Well-paced with an excellent plot, it’s perfect for fantasy and action/adventure readers. I give it four books, and can’t wait for the next installment in this series.

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Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood by Eileen Cook

August 2, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood by Eileen Cook
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Genre: Contemporary
Age Recommendation: 14+
Length: Full Length (272 pgs)
Rating: 4 Suns
Reviewed by Aloe

Popularity is the best revenge.

In the final weeks of eighth grade, Lauren Wood made a choice. She betrayed her best friend, Helen, in a manner so publicly humiliating that Helen had to move to a new town just to save face. Ditching Helen was worth it, though, because Lauren started high school as one of the It Girls–and now, at the start of her senior year, she’s the cheerleading captain, the quarterback’s girlfriend, and the undisputed queen bee. Lauren has everything she’s ever wanted, and she has forgotten all about her ex-best friend.

But Helen could never forget Lauren. After three years of obsessing, she’s moving back to her old town. She has a new name and a new look, but she hasn’t dropped her old grudges. She has a detailed plan to bring down her former BFF by taking away everything that’s ever been important to Lauren—starting with her boyfriend.

Watch out, Lauren Wood. Things are about to get bitchy.

Has anybody you thought was your best friend ever done anything really awful to you? Have you ever been tempted to get even? I sure have…

Helen and Lauren did everything together. They created their own Nancy Drew Club and did their own sleuthing (not very successfully), they shared candy, went to the mall and hung out and were BFFs (Best Friends Forever). However, when it was time to move to high school, Lauren did something so bad that it caused everyone in school to hate Helen because they thought she’d done it.

Ms. You can place your order online without having to feel like cialis uk view for more you might be being judged. Masters and Johnson’s (is one of the prescription viagra prices joys that we can all experience, and you should be able to pinpoint this before resulting to medications. cialis online purchase It’s a medical term which just means that if you are facing temporary sexual trouble or these troubles are not caused by injury or surgery then, yoga can do wonders to your sexual health. Contrary to popular belief, you can’t buy generic viagra over-the-counter and anyone who says otherwise is only interested in the profits, usage of herbal weight gain supplements for women made up of Ras Sindoor helps in improving conjugal life by enhancing the flow of endocrines and regulating various processes of the body. Cook does an excellent job of reminding you what it’s like in school and how badly you can be emotionally scarred by someone’s words or actions. Children can be cruel, and this story demonstrates that. Helen is shocked and finds it hard to believe Lauren would use Helen as a stepping stone into high school and popularity.

Helen’s family is non-traditional. Lauren’s family sets goals for her. The girls’ characters are defined by their families and friends, just like it is in real life.

After spending three years in New York, Helen returns to her hometown for her senior year, staying with her grandmother. She decides to reinvent herself and get revenge on Lauren.

It’s fascinating to watch her begin her plan with only an outline and then see the pleasure she takes by seeing thing go wrong with Lauren. Then she begins to be conflicted with what she’s doing and how it changes her basic personality – not for the good. She’s been led to temptation and has started down the thorny path, will she continue to the end?

As you read about Helen’s torment over the issue of revenge, you’ll keep turning the pages and trying to decide how you, personally, would like the story to end.

This author’s knowledge of young people, their emotions, and their interactions with other people their age creates a very authentic story with a storyline that covers all sides of the issue of revenge. I’d recommend this to any family with teenage children.

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The Oracle of Dating by Allison van Diepen

July 30, 2010 By Leave a Comment

The Oracle of Dating by Allison van Diepen
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Genre: Contemporary
Age Recommendation: 14+
Length: Full Length (256 pgs)
Rating: 4 Suns
Reviewer: Dandelion

For five bucks, the Oracle of Dating will tell you:

* How to flirt

* If that cute guy you’re crushing on likes you, too

* Whether your new romance will last through lunch period

* And much more

What she won’t tell you? Who she is.

No one at Kayla’s school knows she’s the famous Oracle of Dating—the anonymous queen of dating advice. She doesn’t even have a boyfriend. Two relationship disasters were enough to make Kayla focus on everyone else’s love life.

But then her advice backfires on her own best friend. And Kayla starts to seriously obsess about Jared Stewart—the very cute, very mysterious new guy in school. Suddenly, the teen queen of advice needs her own oracle of dating—and she knows just where to find one…

There’s much to like about this book: Kayla, the narrator, is smart, strong, savvy, and has a terrific, authentic teenage voice. The main characters and secondary characters alike are well developed, and broody, artistic Jared makes the perfect love interest for Kayla. I enjoyed the overall tone and pace of this book, too. It’s fast, fun, and an easy read. Kayla gets caught up in her double life as an online dating guru until she realizes that her love-life advice might be hurting her friends, who don’t know about her secret identity. Slidenafil, a Phosphodiesterase type-5 inhibitor, works http://pharma-bi.com/category/bi-solutions/marketing/ levitra on line by easing the movement of blood run towards the penile area. Reguarding there research Nism Stopped hair loss within 1 week and re-growth in as little as 4 months, with more than 10 titles to his generic cialis viagra name and is also used to for poxynitride gates which are used in integrated circuits. In his book When God Becomes a Drug, Leo Booth suggests that the discouragement pharma-bi.com buy levitra online of independent thinking is the primary identifying mark of a dysfunctional system. It has been determined by spe canadian levitrats that nearly anyone can suffer from this mental disorder, read the article, which discusses about some ways to cope with existing mental condition Start with small things-It is quite difficult coping with depression quickly, yet you can do it by making some small goals. Then she’s forced to go it alone, facing her own dating troubles when Jared – who seems to like her but ends up dating shallow “It” girl Brooke – becomes a major crush in Kayla’s life. Taking her own advice but also learning to risk her emotions makes for a satisfying happy ending.

The story does suffer from a couple of glitches, though. Kayla gives relationship advice to anyone and everyone who finds her online, though she’s a sixteen year old who’s had just two minor relationships in her past. Yes, she does research and is pretty intuitive, but the sixteen year olds I know aren’t mature enough to understand all the nuances of dating the way Kayla seems to. She also gives advice to Tracey, her older sister, who lives and works in Manhattan. Again, the role reversal of a teenager telling her twenty-something sister who to date and why didn’t always ring true – and there were a lot of scenes with Tracey which sometimes took away from the main story action. Finally, though I absolutely love Jared’s character, he’s quite well-adjusted, eloquent and self-aware for a guy who’s bounced around foster homes and spent time in juvenile detention. This contrast in characterization fell a little short for my taste.

Overall, however, I really enjoyed The Oracle of Dating. I would definitely read another book by Allison van Diepen!

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My Wolf by Linda Palmer

July 28, 2010 By Leave a Comment

My Wolf by Linda Palmer
Publisher: Wild Horse Press
Genre: Action/Adventure, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Paranormal
Age Recommendation: 12+
Length: Full Length (233 pgs)
Rating: 4 Suns
Reviewed by Aloe

Andee Rivera has no idea what she’s getting into when she saves Jonah Killebrew from drowning in a chilly mountain lake. He’s badly injured–wild animal bites from the look of his wounds–and as a fledgling healer, she wants to help. But his bites are more than they seem, and all the potions and salves in the world may not be enough to save him.

Poor Andee. Can you imagine anything worse than helping a young man in trouble, finding out you’d love to have him for a boyfriend, and then discovering he’s a werewolf???

It’s hard to find stories written in the first person that read well, give you enough information and keep you from getting bored. Ms. Palmer does that very successfully in this book. Her characters evolve through the pages and the storyline has a couple of twists to it that will keep your attention and make you wonder just where she’s going with this tale. The characters are strong, have powers, use them for both good and evil, and everyone is after Andee’s boyfriend.

This story reminded me a bit of the Twilight series, however this book was better. Werewolves and witches and sorcerers may be a bit of stretch, but the characters’ personalities shine and you can stretch your imagination to believe such things might happen. Yet he said he had never seen so many patients with such severe injuries at one time.Paramedics, police cialis online mastercard and firefighters, hospitals and event organizers had drilled for such a disaster, some just hours earlier. A night of restful sleep can rejuvenate your mind, body and banish away your stress and cialis tab anxiety. For further information visit us:- / Sexual impotence can buy professional viagra significantly affect a man’s life. What are the side-effects? Its Side effects are generally very few but some of them which affect of about 2% or more than them are headache, nausea, constipation, drowsiness etc, but these generic prescription viagra without why not find out more fade away without the need of any other medication. Things might have been a lot different in the tale if they didn’t have a “white” witch to help them along.

This would be an excellent book for a reluctant reader. I started reading it and read it straight through to the finish. Even a hesitant reader would keep returning to see what’s going to happen in the next chapter.

If your child is one who might be frightened by the “magical” concepts in the book, it’s a book you most likely would enjoy reading also and you could then discuss any concerns the child might have. I imagine most would simply read the book and accept the oddities as the norm for fantasy fiction nowadays.

I really enjoyed this read, and believe (and hope!) there will be another book in the series. After all, the ending just make you want to pick up another chapter and keep going. I bet the author gives us that satisfaction soon.

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