Books Read in May 2013

Print:
1.) The Horse Boy: A Father's Quest to Heal His Son by Rupert Isaacson
2.) Over the Moon at the Big Lizard Diner by Lisa Wingate
3.) Lint by Steve Aylett
4.) Champions of the Sidhe by Kenneth C. Flint
5.) Kingdom of Cages by Sarah Zettel
6.) The Sushi Economy: Globalization and the Making of a Modern Delicacy by Sasha Issenberg
7.) Spring Moon: A Novel of China by Bette Lord
8.) The Buried Pyramid by Jane Lindskold
9.) Still Waters by Tami Hoag
10.) Ghost of a Chance by Yasmine Galenorn
11.) Whirlwind by Charles L. Grant

Audiobook:

E-book:
1.) Kitty Goes to War by Carrie Vaughn
2.) Brother to Dragons, Companion to Owls by Jane Lindskold
3.) Kitty's Big Trouble by Carrie Vaughn
4.) Sense and Sensibility by Nancy Butler, Sonny Liew, Jane Austen (Marvel Graphic Novel Adaptation)
5.) Kitty Steals the Show by Carrie Vaughn
6.) The Girl Who Sang Rose Madder by Elizabeth Bear (short story)
7.) Kitty Rock's the House by Carrie Vaughn
8.) The Fox Woman by Kij Johnson

Books wild Released in May 2013

1.) Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry, Ridley Pearson on 5/1/2013
2.) Amazing Grace by Danielle Steel on 5/1/2013
3.) A Stranger is Watching by Mary Higgins Clark on 5/1/2013
4.) The Horse Boy: A Father's Quest to Heal His Son by Rupert Isaacson on /7/2013
5.) Middle School, The Worst Years of My Life by James Patterson on 5/7/2013
6.) The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood on 5/7/2013
7.) Riders of the Sidhe, The by Kenneth Flint on 5/14/2013
8.) Champions of the Sidhe by Kenneth C. Flint on 5/14/2/13
9.) Time Flies by Bill Cosby on 5/14/2013
10.) World Without End by Sean Russell on 5/22/2013
11.) Spring Moon: A Novel of China by Bette Lord on 5/23/2013
12.) Julius Caesar (The New Folger Library Shakespeare) by William Shakespeare on 5/23/2013

Books Wild Released in April 2013

1.) Too Late to Say Goodbye: A True Story of Murder and Betrayal by Ann Rule on 4/3/2013
2.) The Innocent Man by John Grisham on 4/3/2013
3.) Beloved by Toni Morrison on 4/3/2013
4.) Kill the Messenger by Squire on 4/8/2013
5.) Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare on 4/8/2013
6.) The Life and Loves of a She Devil by Fay Weldon on 4/8/2013
7.) Barefoot: A Novel by Elin Hilderbrand on 4/15/2013
8.) The Pelican Brief: A Novel by John Grisham on 4/15/2013 CAUGHT!
9.) One Hot Summer (harlequin Romance #1818) by Norrey Ford on 4/15/2013
10.) The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood on 4/23/2013
11.) The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood on 4/23/2013
12.) The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood on 4/23/2013
13.) The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood on 4/23/2013
14.) The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood on 4/23/2013
15.) The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood on 4/23/2013
16.) The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood on 4/23/2013
17.) The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood on 4/23/2013
18.) The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood on 4/23/2013
19.) The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood on 4/23/2013
20.) The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood on 4/23/2013
21.) The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood on 4/23/2013
22.) The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood on 4/23/2013
23.) The Handmaids Tale by Margaret Atwood on 4/23/2013

Books Read in April 2013

Print Copies:

1.) Kitty and the Dead Man's Hand by Carrie Caughn
2.) The Thirteenth House by Sharon Shinn
3.) Dark Moon Defender by Sharon Shinn
4.) Steel Town by Jonah Winter, Terry Widener (Illustrator)
5.) Duck On A Bike by David Shannon
6.) A Child's Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson, Cooper Edens (Compililation)
7.) Sing a Song of Piglets: A Calendar in Verse by Eve Bunting, Emily Arnold McCully (Illustrator)
8.) Owl Babies by Martin Waddell, Patrick Benson (Illustrator)
9.) Blackout by John Rocco
10.) Reader and Raelynx by Sharon Shinn
11.) Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry, Ridley Pearson, Greg Call (Illustrations)
12.) The Princess and the Goblins by George MacDonald, Arthur Hughes (Illustrations)
13.) Oz: Road to Oz by Eric Shanower (Goodreads Author) (Text), Skottie Young (Illustrations)


E-books:

1.) Wolf Moon by Patricia Rosemoor
2.) Six-Gun Snow White by Catherynne M. Valente
3.) Kitty Takes a Holiday by Carrie Vaughn
4.) Kitty and the Silver Bullet by Carrie Vaughn
5.) Kitty Raises Hell by Carriie Vaughn
6.) Kitty's House of Horrors by Carrie Vaughn

Audiobooks:

1.) The Honor of the Queen by David Weber
2.) The Short Victorious War by David Weber
3.) Succubus Blues by Richelle Mead
4.) Field of Dishonor by David Weber

Last month was finishing up the children's lit course, and concentrating on some of the series I've been wanting to read. I finished the original 4 books of the Twelve Houses Series by Sharon Shinn (Fantastic), got 4 books into the Honor Harrington Series (Unpredictable and good sci-fi), and took a big chunk out of the Kitty Norville series.

Book Review: The Kings and Queens of Roam by Daniel Wallace

Roam, a town found in the middle of the wilderness. Once, it was the home of a great silk factory built by Elijah McCallister. When the silk worms stop producing the town slowly falls into disrepair as it's inhabitants slowly move away.

Helen and Rachel McCallister are the great-granddaughters of Elijah McCallister. Orphaned when their parents perished in a car crash, the girls live together in the home that their great grandfather built when the town was established. Helen the eldest sister is ugly, while Rachel is beautiful. Helen is bitter, and Rachel cheerfully naive. Helen can see, while Rachel is blind as a result of a childhood illness. the girls are dependent on each other. Helen believes that Rachel can not survive without her daily help.

Helen's bitterness towards Rachel's beauty and the extra attention paid to her by their parents when they were alive leads to her uttering a lie one rainy afternoon when they were both children. This lie leads Rachel to gow up believing the worst about herself and her town. However, when Helen taunts Rachel with her inability to survive on her own Rachel decides to prove Helen wrong. What will happen to Rachel as she makes her way outside of roam? what will go through Helen's mind when she realizes that Rachel is going to find out the truth that will change everything that she believes to be true?

I am a fan of Daniel Wallace's books. I was delighted to receive an inquiry if i would be interested in an advanced readers edition of his book. I loved how the story alternated between Rachel and Helen's point of views, and how their story alternated with that of the town's past.This was written in a way that pulled me as the reader further into the setting rather than distracting from the main story. It was wonderful to see how the story lines intertwined and the effect each had on the other. I found myself drawn into the subtle weaving of magic and whimsy the story unfurls, and if not for other obligations could have easily spent an afternoon reading the entire book.


The Kings and queens of Roam will be released in May of 2013

Books Read in March 2013

Print:

1.)Twilight Warrior by Aimee Thurlo
2.) Darkness Falls by Les Martin
3.) Through the Sheriff's Eyes by Janice Kay Johnson
4.) Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay
5.) Harvest the Fire by Poul Anderson
6.) YUKIKO AND A JAPANESE CARNIVAL
7.) Thunder Rose by Jerdine Nolen, Kadir Nelson (Illustrator)
8.) Lewis & Papa: Adventure On the Santa Fe Trail by by Barbara Joosse, Jon Van Zyle (Illustrations)
9.) Working Cotton by Sherley Anne Williams, Carole Byard (Illustrator)
10.) I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen
11.) The Kings and Queens of Roam: A Novel by Daniel Wallace
12.) Jewels of the Sun by Nora Roberts
13.) The Shape-Changer's Wife by Sharon Shinn
14.) Mystic and Rider by Sharon Shinn


Audiobooks:

1.) Terminal World by Alastair Reynolds
2.) On Basilisk Station by David Webber

E-books:

1.) A Cook's Tour by Anthony Bourdain
2.) 5 Ronin by y Peter Milligan (Text), Tom Coker, Dalibor Talajić, Laurence Campbell, Goran Parlov, Leandro Fernandez (graphic novel)

Books Wild Released in March 2013

1.) Outlander on 3/4/2013
2.) Through the Sheriff's Eyes - on 3/4/2013
3.) Hidden Army: Clay Soldiers of Ancient China - on 3/4/2013
4.) Darkness Falls by Les Martin on 3/6/2013
5.) Twilight Warrior by Aimee Thurlo on 3/6/3013
6.) Harvest the Fire by Poul Anderson on 3/12/2013
7.) When Darkness Falls (The Obsidian Trilogy, Book 3) by Mercedes Lackey, James Mallory on 3/12/2013
8.) Dune Messiah (Dune Chronicles) by Frank Herbert on 3/20/2013
9.) Jewels of the Sun: The Gallaghers of Ardmore Trilogy (Irish Trilogy, Book 1) by Nora Roberts on 3/20/2013
10.) That's the Way It Crumbles, Cookie by Suzanne Weyn on 3/20/2013
11.) The Little Pilates Book by Erika Dillman on 3/20/2013
12.) Just Another Day in Paradise by A. E. Maxwell on3/26/2013
13.) Maximum Ride Saving The World And Other Extreme Sports by James Patterson on 3/26/2013
14.) Battlestar Galactica by Jeffrey A. Carver on 3/26/2013
15.) 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson on 3/26/2013

Book Review: The Goblin Wood

Title: The Goblin Wood (Goblin Wood, #1)
Author: Hilari Bell
Published on: June 15th 2004

Makenna is a young hedgewitch who watched her mother die at the hands of the villagers she had helped with her small magical ability. Unable to cope with the laws abolishing magic practiced outside of the church, Makenna strikes off into the wilderness of the north. On her travels, she saves the life of a goblin, who teaches her of the goblins sense of debt and loyalty.

Tobin is a knight who has lost everything. In order to save his brother he has been stripped of his title, his responsability, and his rights as firstborn. When given the chance to reclaim these lost parts of his life by killing the great sorceress who leads the goblin rebelion in the North he reluctantly takes the offer. His actions will he believes allow the goblins to disperse and free the Northern lands for resettlement by his own people as they are forced to leave their homes due to barbarian invasion.

However, when Makenna catches Tobin, he is forced to spend time with the goblins. As he gets to know the goblins he is forced to face the facts that perhaps his actions will lead to the destruction of a magical race. in order to save his own people, can he cause the destruction of another people, even if they are not human? Can he force the goblins from their homes the same way the barbarians are forcing his people from their own homes?

Hilari Bell's The Goblin Wood is an engaging fantasy story. It introduces reader's to and draws them into a realm of conflict. Ifound this story short, but sweet and look forward to reading the next chapter in Makenna and Tobin's adventures together as they try to help their goblin friends.

Books read in February 2013

Print Books:

1.) World Without End by Sean Russell
2.) American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang
3.) The Man Who Walked Between the Towers by Mordicai Gerstein
4.) Bad News for Outlaws: The Remarkable Life of Bass Reeves, Deputy U. S. Marshal by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson, R. Gregory Christie (Illustrator)
5.) Sea without a Shore by Sean Russell
6.) The Secret of Lost Things by Sheridan Hay
7.) The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
8.) Criss Cross by Lynne Rae Perkins
9.) Bailey's Cafe by Gloria Naylor
10.) The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory
11.) Clementina's Cactus by Ezra Jack Keats
12.) Peter's Chair by Ezra Jack Keats
13.) Whistle for Willie by Ezra Jack Keats
14.) Time Flies by Eric Rohmann
15.) Anno's Flea Market by Mitsumasa Anno
16.) Sidewalk Circus by Paul Fleischman, Kevin Hawkes (Illustrator)
17.) The Boy, The Bear, The Baron, The Bard by Gregory Rogers
18.) Hidden Army: Clay Soldiers of Ancient China by Jane O'Connor
19.) Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett, Jon Klassen (Illustrator)
20.) Shadow Blade by Seressia Glass
21.) This is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen

Audio books:

1.) Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
2.) The Stupidest Angel: A Heartwarming Tale of Christmas Terror by Christopher Moore
3.) Dark Lords of the Sith by Tom Veitch, Kevin J. Anderson
4.) Year Zero by Rob Reid

E-books:

1.) The Goblin Wood by Hilary Bell


Lots of children's books this month for class reading.

Book Review:The Bretton Katt Alliance – The Lorrondon Saga book 1 by Margaret Garside

Read and reviewed for Front Street Reviews.

It is the year 2441. The two major powers in the galaxy are the Terrans and the Neorans. Currently it is a time of strife between the two races. Great civil unrest is occurring because of the Terran military leader Victor Bastian’s movement against Neoran populated planets in Terran Space. This leaves more and more Neorans fleeing for the safety of Neoran space as refugees with little to their names besides the clothes on their backs.

Anna Lorrondon-Helsak The chancellor of the planet Bowman secretly breaks the long term alliance with the Neorans. Unknown to anyone, she makes a new alliance with old enemies of both the Terrans and the Neorans. When she is approached by her old friend Russorin the Neoran representative she holds fast to her idea of neutrality for Bowman. This is despite Russorin’s predictions of bad things to come for both races.

With no other choice left to her, Russoran turns to the free city of Breton-Katt for help. The city, a center for learning and commerce, is the Neoran’s last hope for an ally in Terran space. There, she uncovers a web of murder and blackmail Helped by Rob Lorrondon Anna’s son Russoran needs to get the alliance made and stop Anna’s plan to annex Bretton –Katt into Bowman. She needs to keep Anna from handing the city over to its enemies. But, will they be able to do this without triggering an all out war?

Science fiction can be hard genre to write. With so many books written already, it is very easy to start sounding like a rehashed plot. I’m glad to say that The Breton-Katt Alliance is not one of these books. Margaret Garside introduces her readers to a society in upheaval. Her story takes place in a universe which holds inhabitants whose ideals and communities are struggling with the ideas of sharing their resources and land with outsiders. Led by the stronger opinions of their leaders, the universe as they know it has become an unstable place to live. I look forward to the next installment of the Lorrondon Cycle, and seeing what sort of resolution to the conflict that has been introduced, in this first book of the series, is brought into action.

Books Wild Released in February 2013

1.) Around the World in the Middle Seat: How I Saw the World (and Survived!) by Joyce Brooks on 2/4/2013
2.) Are You Afraid of the Dark? by Sidney Sheldon on 2/5/2013
3.) After All These Years by Susan Isaacs on 2/6/2013
4.) The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison on 2/11/2013
5.) Bayou Bride by maxine patrick on 2/13/2013
6.) Killer Gorgeous by Jane Holleman on 2/13/2013
7.) The Texan's Tiny Secret by Peggy Moreland on 2/21/2013
8.) The Client by John Grisham on 2/21/2013
9.) The Facts Behind the Helsinki Roccamatios by Yann Martel on 2/21/2013
10.) After Midnight by Ruth Alana Smith on 2/25/2013
11.) Many Mansions: The Edgar Cayce Story on Reincarnation by Gina Cerminara on 2/25/2013
12.) Western: A Saga of the Great Plains by Frank Yerby on 2/25/2013

Books wild Released in January 2013

1.) The X-President by Philip Baruth on 1/4/2013 - Caught!!!
2.) Time Out Boston 1 (Time Out Guides) by Time Out on 1/4/2013
3.) Beulah Land by Lonnie Coleman on 1/4/2013
4.) Daughter of Fortune: A Novel by Isabel Allende on 1/8/2013
5.) Eloise (Dumarest of Terra #12) by E.C. Tubb on 1/8/2013
6.) The Lady of Serpents (Vampyricon) by Douglas Clegg on 1/8/2013
7.) My Year of Meats by Ruth L. Ozeki on 1/16/2013
8.) Lady Of The Forest by Jennifer Roberson on 1/16/2013
9.) Hypocrite in a Pouffy White Dress by Susan Jane Gilman on 1/16/2013
10.) Winter Bride, The by Lynne Graham on 1/24/2013
11.) Sphere by Michael Crichton on 1/24/2013
12.) Awakened (House of Night, Book 8) by P. C. Cast, Kristin Cast on 1/24/2013
13.) Then the Troll Heard the Squeak (Picture Puffins) by Kevin Hawkes on 1/29/2013
14.) Family Trip (Look-Look) by Richard Scarry on 1/29/2013
15.) HILDA'S TEA PARTY (The Busy World of Richard Scarry) by Richard Scarry on 1/29/2013

Books Read in January 2013

Print Copy:

1.) D'Shai by Joel Rosenberg
2.) Eloise by E.C. Tubb
3.) Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende
4.) Hypocrite in a Pouffy White Dress: Tales of Growing up Groovy and Clueless by Susan Jane Gilman
5.) Dragonhaven by Robin McKinley
6.) Let the Northern Lights Erase Your Name by Vendela Vida
7.) In Golden Blood by Stephen Woodworth
8.) From Black Rooms by Stephen Woodworth
9.) Are You Afraid of the Dark? by Sidney Sheldon
10.) Around the World in the Middle Seat: How I Saw the World (and Survived!) as a Group Travel Leader by Joyce Brooks

Audiobooks:

1.) The Long Earth by Terry Pratchett, Stephen Baxter
2.) The Ring of Solomon by Jonathan Stroud
3.) The Drowned Cities by Paolo Bacigalupi
4.) The Ringworld Engineers by Larry Niven
5.) The Ringworld Throne by Larry Niven
6.) Ringworld's Children by Larry Niven

Books wild Released in December 2012

1.) High Noon by Nora Roberts on 12/3/2012
2.) Ambulance Girl: How I Saved Myself By Becoming an EMT by Jane Stern on 12/3/2012 CAUGHT!
3.) Does Anything Eat Wasps? by New Scientist on 12/3/2012
4.) True Spirit: The True Story of a 16-Year-Old Australian Who Sailed Solo, Nonstop, and Unassisted Around the World by Jessica Watson on 12/10/2012
5.) The Firm by John Grisham on 12/10/2012
6.) Just Grandma and Me by Mercer Mayer on 12/11/2012
7.) The Rainforest Grew All Around by Susan K. Mitchell on 12/11/2012
8.) Little Monster's Bedtime Book by Mercer Mayer on 12/11/2012
9.) One to Ten by Richard Scarry on 12/11/2012
10.) A Fish Named Yum: Mr. Pin by Mary Elise Monsell on 12/11/2012
11.) Ten Little Ballerinas by Wendy Cheyette Lewison on 12/11/2012
12.) Little Monster at School by Mercer Mayer on 12/11/2012
13.) Friends in Need by Amblin Entertainment on 12/11/2012
14.) Bright and Early Thursday Evening: A Tangled Tale by Audrey Wood on 12/11/2012
15.) The Magic of Christmas Miracles: An All-New Collection Of Inspiring True Stories edited by Jamie Miller on 12/20/2012
16.) Cadre Lucifer by Robert O'Riordan on 12/22/2012
17.) The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer, Annie Barrows on 12/30/2012
18.) The Maelstrom's Eye by Roger E. Moore on 12/31/2012
19.) Small Favor by Jim Butcher on 12/31/2012

Books Read in December 2012

Print Copy:

1.) Does Anything Eat Wasps by New Scientist Magazine
2.) Battleborn by Claire Vaye Watkins
3.) True Spirit: The True Story of a 16-Year-Old Australian Who Sailed Solo, Nonstop, and Unassisted Around the World by Jessica Watson
4.)The 100 Dresses by Eleanor Estes
5.) Coraline by Neil Gaiman
6.) The X President by Philip Baruth
7.) The Magic of Christmas Miracles: An All-New Collection Of Inspiring True Stories edited by Jamie Miller
8.) Cadre Lucifer by Robert O'Riordan
9.) The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer, Annie Barrows
10.) The Maelstrom's Eye by Roger E. Moore


Audio Books:
1.) Click Clack the Rattlebag by Neil Gaiman (short story)
2.) The Sagan Diary by John Scalzi (novella
3.) Red Country by Joe Abercrombie
4.) Cold Days by Jim Butcher
5.) Two Ravens and One Crow by Kevin Hearne
6.) Trapped by Kein Hearne
7.) Mirror Dance by Lois McMaster Bujold
8.) The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker
9.) Black Prism by Brent Weeks
10.) The Blinding Knife by Brent Weeks

E-Books:

1.) Penny Arcade Volume 1: Attack of the Bacon Robots by Jerry Holkins, Mike Krahulik

Merry Christmas

Have a very merry book filled holiday!

Reading Through the End of the World read-a-thon

I have been taking part in a read-a-thon with my friends on the bookobsessed boards.

It ran from 12/20/2012 - 12/24/2012

here is what I read during this time.

1.) The Magic of Christmas Miracles: An All-New Collection Of Inspiring True Stories by Jamie Miller (Editor) 165 pages read. 12/20/2012 physical copy
2.) Cadre Lucifer by Robert O'Riordan 202 pages read. Finished Reading on 12/21/2012. Physical Copy.
3.) Penny Arcade Volume 1: Attack of the Bacon Robots by Jerry Holkins, Mike Krahulik.. 168 pages read. E-book copy (read on Nook color)
4.) The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker. 269. Audiobook. Finished on 12/23/2012.
5.) The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer, Annie Barrows. 277 pages read. Physical Copy. Finished 12/23/2012
6.)The Black Prism by Brent Weeks. listened to parts 1 - 6. Audiobook (unfinished at end of the read-a-thon)

Book Review: True Spirit The True Story of a 16-Year-Old Australian Who Sailed Solo, Nonstop, and Unassisted Around the World by Jessica Watson

Title:True Spirit: The True Story of a 16-Year-Old Australian Who Sailed Solo, Nonstop, and Unassisted Around the World
Author: Jessica Watson
Publisher: Atria Books
Publication Date: September 7, 2010

After 210 days at sea, Australian teen Jessica Watson sailed into Sydney Harbor on May 15 2010 completing a trip that circumnavigated the globe. Jessica sailed a 33 foot boat nonstop through some sever weather conditions unassisted to complete her dream of becoming the youngest person to sail around the world. At an age where most teenage girls are thinking of boys and school and clothes, Jessica took a dream that many adults would not get a chance to fill and with the help of a very supportive family and a team of experts on sailing, weather, and mechanical parts made that dream a reality.

I thought that this was an interesting book.

Since I first stumbled on a copy of Dove back in high school, I have loved travelogues that involve sailing. I've done a little sailing on Lake Michigan, nothing larger than a 19 foot boat (with no motor just sails only). It was something that I have enjoyed doing a lot, and now that I don't I enjoy reading about other people's sailing adventures.

I thought it interesting that Jessica took her blog entries made during her sailing and expanded them for the book. It showed her immediate reactions to situations, as well as what she remembered afterwards. It's a shame her trip is not recognized by certain sailing organizations as circumnavigating the globe (and that there is not a youngest sailor record anymore). However, you get the idea that while it might have been nice to have her name put to a sailing world record, Jessica is more thrilled with the fact that she dreamed making this trip and actually getting a chance to fulfill it. It was refreshing to witness this journey through Jessica's own words without the passage of time between the events that happened, and the writing of the book.

I was a little annoyed by the vast use of QC codes throughout the book linking to her video blogs. As someone who lacks a smartphone I thought this a tad annoying to include as not everyone has the technology to use the codes.

book review: All In A Day’s Work for Real Estate Agents: Humorous & Heartwarming Stories

Author: TC McClenning,
Publisher: Work Like a Dog Books
Publication Date: April 2009
ISBN-10: 0982090714
ISBN-13: 978-0982090718

For those people selling a house, it can be hard to do sometimes. This is true for both the house owners and the real estate agents who are showing the house to prospective buyers. Real estate agents are faced with the unexpected at times: unexpectedly discovering a corpse in a home, getting locked out on a balcony while doing a walkthrough, learning that the pets who were supposed to be out of the
home for the showing are still in the house, and angry at strangers coming inside, or finding wildlife inside the house such as a raccoon or skunk. But despite these negative things, selling a home can be a rewarding and happy experience for the men and women who work hard to sell the homes they have been entrusted with.

All in a Day’s Work for Real Estate agents collects true stories that have been submitted by real estate agents from across the USA into a compelling and funny read. I am not involved with real estate,and I found myself drawn in and laughing along with many of these stories. There were a few of the sections that dealt with terms that were very specific to the trade, but I found there were good introductions that explained those terms to the non real estate savvy. For those readers who do sell homes, they may find that they are not alone, or get to see what other sellers have encountered on the
job. Editor TC McClenning has put together a solid collection of stories that show the hard work, and the above and beyond steps many realtors do to sell their buyers the home of their dreams. This book seems to be a good look into a job that is often overlooked.

Book Review: Ambulance Girl by Jane Stern

Title: Ambulance Girl
Author: Jane Stern
Publisher: Three Rivers Press
Publish Date: April 27, 2004

Jane Stern had hit her fifties with a thud. A successful food writer with her husband Michael, she had fallen into depression and had started collecting phobias, and her marriage of thirty years was struggling. A chance noticing of the volunteers needed sign outside the Georgetown, Connecticut fire station put an idea into her head. She was going to become an EMT. She, who had trouble helping herself at times was going to help other people in need.

So, she signed up for EMT training through the volunteer EMT program in her township. Despite her fears of being too old, too fat, and too squeemish, Stern found herself doing well in her classes. She passed the local exams, the practical exams, and the national board certification to become an EMT-B. In doing so, she becomes a member of a community of firemen and emergency response personnel that allows her to become more than she expected.

Ambulance Girl is a retrospective of Stern's first year as an EMT. She revisits her struggles through the initial certification process. Her first months as a woman in a male dominated fire department. We see her struggles with her claustrophobia, her fears of dying, and her ongoing struggle with depression. When a good friend suffers a brain hemmorage, and is "saved" only to end up in a long term care facility half the person he was, Stern starts to question her role as an EMT.

I was drawn into this story. I have read a couple of the author's food books, and found this chapter of her life enthralling to read. She shares her journey from neurotic and depressed to the first female officer of the fire station (station secretary) in a way that is both humorous and warm. I found myself turning page after page wanting to know how she was going to handle the next situation.