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SassyBrit

SassyBrit

This is a great place to meet like minded new people, and I am having so much fun here. I am especially interested in reaching out to authors who may be interested in obtaining a book review.

I am happy to review books, either myself or via one of my reviewers on behalf of Alternative-Read.com should you be interested, and many I see... more »
  • CAMBRIDGE, UK
  • member since March 22 2007

Reviews

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Displaying 1-10 of 13 reviews
  • The Blue Handbag
    • Rated 4 stars

    “To deal with the death of his wife Rose must be hard enough, but when he discovers some items in her blue handbag Leonard, a gentle soul, has to contend with the possibility that he doesn’t know his wife as well as he thought he did and that she may have been keeping secrets from him.

    Gardener, Leonard, decides that instead of mulling things over and working himself up into a state he must take action, but peace of mind may not always lead to happiness. With the help of Lily, his wife’s old school friend, he tentatively delves into uncovering secrets which have lain dormant for years. Will he be strong enough to cope with the consequences?

    Fiona Robyn writes with remarkable perception about one man’s tenacious search for answers and the knowledge that the truth may not be what he wants to hear. She strikes the perfect balance between a captivating, yet realistic plot, and the accurate portrayal of her characters’ intricate lives and the relationships they build. As this story unfolds Robyn has captured the essence of what it means to have one’s life thrown into disarray, and how it is possible to overcome life’s obstacles with caring friendships and a loving family, even though they each also have their own issues to deal with. Pickles the dog is also a sweetheart and plays an important role in Leonard’s life as his coping mechanism and faithful friend. This book made me smile, laugh out loud and shed a tear. Now, that’s what I call entertainment! ”

    SassyBrit wrote this review Wednesday, September 2 2009. ( reply | permalink )
  • The Hunger

    The Hunger

    by Ciana Stone
    • Rated 4 stars

    “Desperate to reinvent herself, after a failed relationship and the suffocating affection of an overprotective father, Randall Austin moves to Key Biscayne near Miami to start afresh. But family secrets are aplenty, and Randall’s past is about to catch up with her.

    With her, Randall takes a box that once belonged to her mother. Strange things happen to her and people around her are dying. Not sure if it’s her overactive writer’s imagination or the onset of madness, she is soon to realise that the box holds an evil Talisman. It’s a dangerous force with a powerful Hunger which needs sating, and nothing is going to get in its way.

    Meanwhile, Lieutenant Sheilds’ men are on the case, however, with no clues or leads he suggests dropping the case, but determined rookie Michael wants answers and is assigned to continue the investigation.

    Ms. Stone has written a tense, paranormal thriller filled with interesting settings, a plot that deviates into a labyrinth of possibilities and an enterprising female lead whose life becomes surrounded in murder, voodoo and black magic. By blending all the twists and turns of a whodunit with a terrifying zombie astral and a splash of romance, Ms. Stone has successfully written an exciting, well-paced novel in which Randall must come to terms with her past, and face her fears as she is plunged into an unknown world where betrayal, and danger lurk around every corner and her survival depends on those she can trust. If only she knew who to trust.

    ”

    SassyBrit wrote this review Wednesday, September 2 2009. ( reply | permalink )
  • I'll Make You an Offer You Can't Refuse: Insider Business Tips from a Former Mob Boss
    • Rated 3 stars

    “Ex Mafia boss, shares insider business tips in an effort to increase your success in the business world. I have to admit part of me was thinking ‘Wait a minute, this is a man who was once a mob boss whose main business involved staying alive, while pulling in $6 to $8 million a week in both legal and illegal ways.’ But I must also admit he knows what he is talking about, and the effort he put into maintaining his status without getting ‘whacked’ -- all that power, money and danger -- must mean that his past tactics during his mobster days played a huge role in staying alive and keeping his business profitable for many years. Therefore, it follows that his now legit tips on being an experienced businessman can be easily backed up with his tenaciously focussed business plans, lots of hard work, discipline and a diplomatic, professional approach. Oh, and never putting his mouth before his brain!

    I do believe this is an honest look of his past life, and much of what he says he learnt about mastering a business during his mob days can be put into place, and is already regularly used by successful business-minded people – just under another guise. For example, mastering the art of a ‘sit-down,’ a fundamental way of the La Cosa Nostra culture used to sit down to discuss and resolve issues, can replace the ‘business meeting’ and play an important role in being an effective negotiator, just by being prepared, a good listener and respectful. He also suggests that dumping the manipulative Machiavelli philosophy for Solomon’s (yes, he’s found God) to steer your course by a reliable moral and legal compass, without compromising either your value or integrity. With strategies for winning, ethical pitfalls, and information of the kind of people you need in your crew, plus more, he certainly appears to know how to get ahead in business, only this time on the level and there’s no beating around the bush, just intelligent hard facts. Although an alternative idea for a business book, I did enjoy Michael Franzese’s writing style and unique way of putting things in a way which made perfect sense.”

    SassyBrit wrote this review Wednesday, September 2 2009. ( reply | permalink )
  • Poetic Musings of an Old, Fat Man
    • Rated 3 stars

    “To me poetry can be seen as rather personal to the poet and the intended meanings that come from deep within the poet’s heart and soul are not always clear to me, but I have to say I enjoyed (and understood) many of these storoems and poems in this collection. In fact, Poetic Musings of an Old, Fat Man was an enjoyable, stimulating read. Gilleland’s simple, forthright style is part of this poet’s charm. This doesn’t mean it lacks depth, far from it, the subjects he writes about are all things I can relate to, people, emotions, relationships, animals and disasters for example, which brought a whole range of emotions to the surface, from happy to sad. At the bottom of a couple of poems are brief explanations to what inspired him, which is a nice touch. I have to say I do have a preference for rhyming poems, storoems, limericks and acrostic poems, but for those who like free-verse, he has written those as well, and with over 80 poems there is plenty to chose from.

    All in all I was pleasantly surprised with this collection, and I am enjoying being able to pick this book up and reread various poems at my leisure. In addition, this book has also won the Readers Views 2009 Reviewers Choice Award. Other books by this author include, Poetry for the Common Man, Gilleland Poetry, Bob the Dragon Slayer (prose) and White Lightening Road (prose).”

    SassyBrit wrote this review Wednesday, September 2 2009. ( reply | permalink )
  • To Your Own Self Be True (N/A)
    • Rated 3 stars

    “The year is 2021 and twenty-three year old Kaela Ladd loves her job as a scientist at SciLab. Although she is happy with her career achievements she has little time for others, and would rather be crunching numbers than waste time on a boyfriend. Besides, she has a prototype Universal Personal Assistant (UPA) unit, otherwise named Adam, to keep her company. He is a beautiful face on a 3-D monitor and while Kaela converses with him about life, work and love, or lack of it, Adam parses data regarding her human thoughts, feelings and emotions in order to understand them. He is quick to evolve socially, in ways no one at SciLab expect. But then no one in SciLab expected some of their experiements to work either.

    Before Kaela's father passes away he shares a secret he has kept close to his heart. It is something that happened fifteen years earlier, and although he is a little embarrassed he feels it is right to tell her in the hope that as a scientist she'll not dismiss what he reveals, but learn from it. Something happened in her grandmother's room that opened a door into the past, her father was there and experienced it for himself. Together with Adam they try to work out what caused the rift-- teaming Kaela's knowledge of science and Adam's sophisticated computing abilities.Will Kaela and Rael get it together and fulfill each others lives as you know they should? What will they do with the knowledge of what happened to Kaela's father?

    While reading To Your Own Self Be True I felt the author, Ray Melnik, was sending a message to his readers through Kaela; that just as she was taught through science and moral lessons by her father, we need to go deeper into ourselves to find fulfilment and should learn (as the author says) to be people of reason in the hope of influencing the course of history, as many already do with their faith. We follow open-minded Kaela on a futuristic journey where she uses theoretical science such as String and M-Theory as tools to unlock the mystery surrounding what happened to her father. Many of these points were explained through her conversations with Adam, like the complicated spiritual side of humans; how we sense feelings and perceive ourselves in a way which goes beyond the physical, chemical and electrical activities of our bodies -- not easy for a "normal" robot to grasp. Adam is an intriguingly unique addition to this tale, and I found myself wanting a UPA of my own. He does everything from securing Kaela's home to ordering her food and even adjusts the temperature in her house. He's also a very good listener and a fast learner when it comes to Kaela's needs.

    This story is told in the first person with a few point-of-view changes where we see into the minds of some of the other characters, and broaches aspects of religion, philosophy and science in a manner that provokes both interest and thought. I can't claim to understand all the scientific jargon, but I did come away feeling like I had learnt something in that respect. In addition, I enjoyed the way Rael came into the Kaela's life as a character with his own family troubles to enhance the storyline and that the heroine, Kaela, is a sensible, realistic character who makes you think about finding your "it" -- something that really makes you happy. And I am not talking material things. In my eyes, this proves Melnik's ability to craft a story, which will have you contemplating your own life choices and how, in turn, these choices will affect not just yourself, but others, too. To Your Own Self Be True is an inspirational, scientifc look into an alternative possible future reality.”

    SassyBrit wrote this review Monday, August 17 2009. ( reply | permalink )
  • The Room
    • Rated 3 stars

    “As an atheist and a man who believes when we're born we are given only existence, Harry Ladd is forced to look back on his life when his mother's room becomes a place where the past and the present merge in what some may believe to be a supernatural event -- not Harry, though; he takes the logical, scientific approach that we are the controllers of our own destiny and everything we do, the decisions we make, shape our future, nothing else. With two daughters, Kaela and Lainey, an ex-wife, and a possible new girlfriend Lacey on the horizon, we follow Harry as he debates and philosophises the meaning of his life, deals with his dying mother and struggles to cope with the fact that his brother, Malcolm, no longer wants to be associated with him. Malcolm still blames Harry and their mother for not protecting them from their abusive father when they were younger. On one hand Harry wants to contact his brother now that their mother is dying, but he doesn't know if he is doing the right thing, or whether there is any point. Malcolm never attended their father's funeral, and has shown no interest in either Harry or their mother since. On the other hand, Harry is battling against his guilt of not giving Malcolm the choice to make amends. Will Harry decide to clear his conscience and contact his brother? If he does, how on earth will Malcolm react? Ray Melnik supplies an inspirational look into the lives of a family struggling to manage the complexities of life while exploring the laws of physics through Harry's search for answers regarding "the unexplained" happenings in his mother's room. I believe the strength of this book lies in how much we care about Harry's attempt to reconcile with his brother, and Harry's realisation of what his mother says when he gets the chance to go back in time and hear what she was also going through when their abusive father was at his worst; this time with an adult's perspective. In addition there is also an underlying message that we determine the course of our future through our own actions, which makes The Room one to get you thinking long after the book has been shut.
    ”

    SassyBrit wrote this review Monday, August 17 2009. ( reply | permalink )
  • The Way You Love Me: A Grayson Friends Novel (Grayson Novels)
    • Rated 3 stars

    “Paige Albright, has met former Army Ranger turned security guard, Shane Elliot, before. But when they parted, Paige thought it was for good. To her amazement, he unexpectedly turns up in her life, but this time as an employee of her mother, who is a close friend to Blade's wife Sierra - familiar faces from previous books. Now, after the death of her beloved father, Paige is due to inherit a fortune. Her mother, however, is not happy with Paige's boyfriend, Russell, and feels Paige may just be with Russell because her late father liked him. She also wonders if he is truly right for her, and tends to think he is just with Paige for her money. Enter sexy security guard Shane whose job it is to run background checks on Russell and get to the bottom of his intentions. Shane was not, however, expecting to get caught up in a romance, especially with the daughter of the woman he is working for. He's been hurt before, and doesn't want to feel that sort of pain again, but there is something about Paige which is tempting him to go further than work would normally allow. Only now that he has found her again he can't as Paige is already taken. Now there are more reasons for Shane to want to catch Russell out than just being paid as this time it is personal. This continuing adventure of the Grayson family now follows the Grayson Friends and first up is Shane Elliot's story. I found the moment Paige and Shane meet again there is an explosion of sexual tension between the two and it's fascinating to watch them together as their desire for each other grows. Of course, Francis Ray has thrown in the inevitable obstacles that the couple must face, and that is part of the beauty of her books; the ups and downs her characters have while travelling the stormy weathers of Ms. Ray's plots. The Way You Love Me is a tender, yet intense romance that will tug at your heart strings. Francis Ray has excelled yet again, blending our well-loved characters with a new series for all their friends.”

    SassyBrit wrote this review Monday, August 17 2009. ( reply | permalink )
  • Your body speaks your mind : decoding the emotional, psychological, and spiritual messages that underlie illness
    • Rated 3 stars

    “With this book, Deb Shapiro, will assist you with taking charge of your health and healing by listening and paying attention to what your body is trying to tell you from head to toe, inside and out. The premise is that all thoughts, feelings, emotions, memories, aches, pains and illnesses, are hidden messages available for you to decipher. Your Body Speaks Your Mind: Decoding the Emotional, Psychological, and Spiritual Messages That Underline Illness, sets out practical advice in an easy to read format. I read the whole book from beginning to end the first time round, however, using it regularly, I often return to this book by dipping into just the section which matches my current ailment (be it a cold, sore throat or aching muscles, for example). Putting symptoms into words has never been easier! I also love the idea that healing comes through appreciation and gratitude rather than through resistance. In addition, there is a CD with includes an Introduction, Talking With Yourself, and The Body Mind Appreciation meditations, which encourage positive thinking and affirmations to teach self love, no matter what you have (or may think you have) wrong with your body in terms of both your physical and psychological being. Used with the BodyMind Review (Pg 77) and BodyMind Writing (Pg 78) the whole package ensures a deep awareness and gratitude for every part of your body, even those parts that may be hurting you. This book is already a best seller here in England, along side many of Deb Shapiro's other books, which promote healing yourself and others. She is a popular inspirational author, and I have to say I am already a fan of her healing methods. Comes highly recommended with Sassy's Seal of Approval!
    ”

    SassyBrit wrote this review Monday, August 17 2009. ( reply | permalink )
  • Messages of Hope and Healing

    Messages of Hope and Healing

    by Linda Pynaker
    • Rated 3 stars

    “When you want something, writes Linda Pynaker, you need to have a clear idea - with no ambivalence - about what you are seeking, so you may send a request out to the universe and your guides will know what to bring you.

    This informative third book by Pynaker, a psychic medium and healer, looks at how spirits pass on their Messages of Hope and Healing to loved ones who wish to be reassured of their presence in their lives. She explains that spirits will often return to offer advice to guide you through certain stages of your life, and it's not impossible to learn how to do it yourself, even if you think you are not psychic. We all have the ability to receive messages and, if our channels are open, we can learn to rely on intuition for decision making.

    Having spent several years developing her own intuitive abilities, Linda visited various psychics for readings, until she found the right healing strengths and connections to suit her, and with this book, so can you. It's just a matter of finding the combination that fits best for you, she says.

    Ms. Pynaker covers the use of visualisation to help achieve your goals, how to send healing cocoons to administer healing to minds, bodies and souls of others, and how she uses out of body, aura and chakra to heal. I've heard many ways to ground and use energy, but I do like Ms. Pynaker's description. It's easy to picture, and that makes the whole process much easier.

    I found Messages of Hope and Healing fascinating. The examples she shares from her own true life experiences inspire and are perfect to illustrate the deeper significance of how to see the signs, and act on them. Although comforting, many of the true life stories will bring a tear to your eye. Look out for the comical 'horse' story she's written and there are more amazing stories from contributing authors, too.

    I should think one who is interested in developing their intuitive powers and communicating with their guides, will get a great deal of information from this book, as she sounds passionate about her knowledge, offers consultations, and also teaches various associated workshops, too.

    Providing you with a clear insight into the behaviour of spirits and how she communicates with them, Ms. Pynaker writes in a way which allows you to make your own choices in relation to learning, and offers solutions to assist you with your personal needs and those of your clients.

    Linda Pynaker writes with enthusiastic sincerity and reveals, with intriguing insight, everything you need to know about spirits, from how they behave to how to communicate with them. By the end of this book, Linda hopes you will learn enough to develop your own psychic abilities, and start communicating with the spirit world yourself. It's mesmerising!

    All praise to the author that Messages of Hope and Healing offers a refreshing nuanced approach to a compelling field that appears to be growing in popularity.”

    SassyBrit wrote this review Monday, August 17 2009. ( reply | permalink )
  • Invoking Angels

    Invoking Angels

    by David A. Cooper
    • Rated 3 stars

    “Master kabbalist, scholar and story teller, Rabbi David A. Cooper, has produces a complete programme of daily meditations and prayers to help readers to connect to their angels and find self empowerment. This alternative view into the world of angels, ancient history and sacred text, includes an 1 hour CD with guided meditations and prayers to assist you on your journey of discovery and increased awareness. If you have ever felt there was more to this life than what the eye can see, and what society expects us to believe, and deja vu, coincidences are messages sent to those who can read them from a higher force, then this book is for you. You do not have to be a believer of any faith, although you are taken back to ancient teachings of the Torah, the Bible, and other sacred texts purely to assist you in understanding how it all came about. Admittedly, you can't pass a high street shop these days without seeing some sort of angel for sale, so there is no denying these divine creatures do capture our hearts and imagination, and this book is intended to compliment these beliefs via meditation and prayer, although not necessarily expecting you to think of angels as creatures with wings. The CD includes: An Archangel meditation for open-heartedness and courage A Guardian Angel meditation for protection in any situation A meditation on the Divine Presence (the Shekhina), invoking the "supreme" angels, Metatron and Sandalphon, to experience profound awareness and sufficiency. I found it rather exciting, the idea of invoking angels for guidance is very appealing for me, however, it must be said there is no quick fix and information like this can increase your awareness of angels, and the energies they represent to open you to new possibilities over a period of time.”

    SassyBrit wrote this review Monday, August 17 2009. ( reply | permalink )
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