text:
Church leaders appeal for life of captive Mindanao priest
Father Teresito Suganob, other hostages remain missing, military mops up in Marawi
Joe Torres, Manila
Published: May 25, 2017 09:04 AM GMT ▾
Updated: June 15, 2017 05:59 AM GMT
The whereabouts of Father Teresito Suganob, vicar of the Prelature of Marawi, and several other hostages remain unknown after they were taken by gunmen on May 23. (Photo courtesy of Sai Mamalo)
Church leaders in the Philippines have appealed to gunmen claiming to have links with the international terror group Islamic State to spare the life of a Catholic priest taken hostage this week.
"I appeal to the consciences of the hostage takers not to harm the innocent as the Islamic faith teaches," said Cardinal Orlando Quevedo of Cotabato in a statement.
Members of the Maute group, which clashed with security forces in Marawi City on May 23, have taken Father Teresito Suganob, vicar of the Prelature of Marawi, and several other people hostage.
As of early morning on May 25, nothing had been heard of the whereabouts of the priest and the prelature's staff and some churchgoers who were taken captive.
Cardinal Quevedo also appealed to Muslim religious leaders to intercede with the gunmen, who claimed to be Muslims, for the safety of the hostages who were reportedly used as "human shields" when the militants attacked the city.
"I appeal to religious leaders of Islam to influence the hostage takers to release the hostages unharmed," said the Mindanao prelate.
He also prayed for the "safety of the innocent people" of Marawi.
Bishop Broderick Pabillo of Manila also issued an appeal "to set the hostages free" as he prayed for the situation in Marawi "to be resolved without any further violence."
Filipino Muslim religious leaders condemned what they described as "the barbaric and satanic terror attacks in Manchester and in Marawi City."
"We must face this challenge of violent extremism and terrorism together as one human family facing common enemies — injustices and terrorism," said the Ulama Conference of the Philippines.
Muslim leaders work on surrender of Abu Sayyaf fighters
Muslim religious leaders to help 'reform' Abu Sayyaf
The United Religions Initiative, a global community of some 850 interfaith groups in 101 countries, also issued a call for the immediate release of the hostages.
The group described Father Suganob as a "long-time leader and an active member" of the organization who works to "help heal lasting wounds of conflict in local communities in Mindanao."
Rev. Victor Kazanjian Jr., the group's executive director, said the priest "envision[s] a world in which people of all religions and cultures affirm their common humanity and work together for peace, justice, and healing for the Earth."
"The violence in Manchester and the violence in Mindanao are just two instances of violence being committed in the name of religion around the world," said Kazanjian in a statement.
At least 22 people were reported killed and 120 others were injured following an explosion outside a concert venue in Manchester on May 22.
In Marawi, the military confirmed that five soldiers were killed and 31 others injured in the attack on the city. At least two policemen were also reported killed.
Philippine authorities refuse to release the number of casualties and fatalities as "clearing operations" continue.
President Rodrigo Duterte cut short his visit to Moscow on May 24 and declared martial law in the southern Philippine region of Mindanao following the attack.
The conflict in Marawi started after soldiers and policemen launched an operation aimed at arresting Isnilon Hapilon, leader of the terrorist group Abu Sayyaf who was reportedly hiding in the city.
An ensuing firefight between security forces and members of the Maute group who were protecting Hapilon escalated and spread to several villages in downtown Marawi.
Thousands of residents have already fled the city and sought shelter in nearby towns and cities.
ICJ to hear genocide case against Myanmar regime
Thailand sees surge in school dropout rate
Vietnam adopts strict Covid-19 measures for Tet festival


This 10-week on-line course, is designed to kick-start or consolidate your digital marketing information utilizing the newest in on-line studying strategies and expert-reviewed content. All through the course, college students will probably be given a venture to use each lesson's key learnings, thereby giving them the opportunity to build out a comprehensive Digital Advertising Campaign to showcase their newfound abilities. On account of emerging of android devices, persons are more focused in direction of internet searches, it has wider scope in advertising and marketing the services, selling e-commerce trade.
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text:
Q: Angular UI Google Maps Clustering: Disappearance and Flashing I have run into some pretty bad UX problems while developing with angular google maps and am looking for advice on the best way to proceed.
Relevant template:
    <ui-gmap-google-map center="map.center" zoom="map.zoom" draggable="true" options="options" bounds="map.bounds">
    <ui-gmap-markers doCluster="true" models="randomMarkers" coords="'self'" icon="'icon'">
    </ui-gmap-markers>
</ui-gmap-google-map>

Plunkr: http://plnkr.co/edit/mZvN6wCT9LCl1DWGojZD?p=preview
Two problems, both related to clustering:
First, on any sort of map event, most annoyingly drag, the clusters blink as they repaint, even if the cluster did not change position.
Second, the clusters disappear when they fall off the visible section of the map, which is probably good for performance but more of a UI pain if you're dealing with maps at a high zoom level, where things are in and out of the map's view all the time.
These issues are not apparent at the markercluster demo page:
http://gmaps-utility-library-dev.googlecode.com/svn/tags/markerclusterer/1.0/examples/advanced_example.html
How have you addressed these issues? I've looked through the API's for both angular google maps and markerclustererplus, but to no avail.
I was under the assumption that the clusterer would just figure out which points belonged together, then make a marker that symbolized that collection. However it seems that the clusters behave so differently than markers (eg. the above issues) that this can't be the case.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Celebrities>Culture
Olympic Gold Medalist Stephanie Rice Says Vegan Diet Has Transformed Her Life
Olympic gold medalist, Stephanie Rice, has made significant changes to her lifestyle in the years since the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics. In an interview with Sporteluxe, the twenty-nine-year-old Australian swimmer spoke to her vegan lifestyle, claiming that her new approach to eating has completely transformed her mind and body.
Rice secured three gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics and later retired from her swimming career in 2013. After "feeling a bit lost" following her retirement, she adopted a vegan diet and regained her natural stride. She is now a motivational speaker, entrepreneur, and recent a cookbook author. She just released her free e-cookbook "Veggie Goodness" in partnership with Vegie Delights, an Australian-based producer of vegan pre-made meals and convenience foods.
Rice once devoted seven hours a day to grueling pool workouts, fueled by a diet heavy in meat and dairy products. However, for the past five years, she has committed to a more holistic, vegan approach. She told Sporteluxe, "My eating philosophy…is connected to my exercise plan, mental thought processes and lifestyle." She has ditched the animal products and opted for a completely plant-based diet, and she has also altered her exercise regimen as well.
Today, Rice maintains her active lifestyle, but she is no longer clocking in the hours at the pool. She exercises at home, following circuit training YouTube videos for a full body, thirty-minute workout five days a week. In regards to her diet, she said that she takes the simple approach, eating sweet potatoes roasted with rosemary for dinner, accompanied by a kale and cucumber salad. The Olympian is also a fan of oatmeal, nuts and seeds, and all kinds of fruits. For Rice, a plant-based diet isn't just about the performance aspect. She said, "I just love with plant-based foods that they have such a positive effect on my brain."
As a professional mentor, Rice has fully embraced her vegan lifestyle and works to share it with others. She regularly posts about her fitness and plant-based fuel on Instagram, actively promotes her new recipe ebook with Veggie Delights, and mentors clients to help them adopt and maintain their healthiest self.
Image Credit: Stephanie Rice
Tanya Flink
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
package com.canoo.webtest.extension.spider;

import com.canoo.webtest.steps.AbstractStepContainerTest;

public class ReportSiteStepTest extends AbstractStepContainerTest {
	private ReportSiteStep fReportSiteStep;

	protected void setUp() throws Exception {
		super.setUp();
		fReportSiteStep = new ReportSiteStep();
	}

	public void testFile() {
		assertNull(fReportSiteStep.getFile());
		fReportSiteStep.setFile("foo");
		assertEquals("foo", fReportSiteStep.getFile());
	}

	public void testDepth() {
		assertNull(fReportSiteStep.getDepth());
		fReportSiteStep.setDepth("25");
		assertEquals("25", fReportSiteStep.getDepth());
	}
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


This is a walkthrough of my electric fan installation. I'm putting this up in the hopes it will save someone else a little bit of time doing this same swap. Installing electric fans saves a little bit of horsepower, cools the engine better, and most importantly (to me) frees up A TON of engine compartment space.
My clutch fan went bad on me, so I thought it would be a perfect time to upgrade to some electric fans. I started with reading on this site, reading about clutch VS electric fans in general, and looking at Chris' V6-s12 electric fan walk through. All were very helpful.
I ended up pulling a set of fans out of a '91 Nissan Maxima, which fit with barely any modification, cost me $25, and seem to pull a very reasonable amount of air. I decided on a switch controlled fan, because thermostatic switches were prohibitively expensive ($100 for a good one, $50 for a crappy rad fin sensor from AutoZone).
So these are the fans I started with. They are two separate fans that fit together. I drilled a few extra holes in the corners to support zip ties for attachment to the radiator.
They haven't blown yet. Oh! That's another thing. Read up on relays, how they work, and how to wire them. I learned all about them for this project. They're a pretty sweet little electrical trick.
I ended up following this wiring diagram exactly, except that I used two separate switches, instead of one 3 position switch, as the diagram shows. I couldn't find a 3 position switch, honestly--and I'm cool with two separate switches.
These are the awesome retro switches I installed. I dig their look, and the nice metallic 'click' they make. I actually installed them right in the dashboard, as I couldn't figure out how to separate the top and bottom pieces of the dash. There is plenty of room behind there for a drill to do its thing, just pull off the trim piece underneath and take out the cruise cont switch so you can see what you're doing.
Couldn't find a convenient place to run through the firewall, so out the side and under the hood it was. The switches draw almost no current, so 18-22 gauge wire is fine. I tapped into the radio's 12v ignition switched wire. Use a test bulb to find the right one. The light colored wire below was a replacement for shot stock speaker wiring.
One of the only things that didn't quite fit with the Maxima fans was a tube coming off the power steering pump. It got dangerously close the the fans, and I was worried it would slip too far over and start getting chopped up. That would've been fun, right? No steering and an overheating engine as a combo? No thanks. I zip tied (those are the most versatile things in the toolbox, seriously) the tube to an adjacent mounting bracket to pull it away from the fan.
This is the finished arrangement for the installation. 30A fuses coming off the positive post on the left (yellow wires), relays zip tied together, sealed with electrical tape, and tucked under the main wiring bundle at the front and in the top of the picture, and everything grounded to the existing ground bolt on the right side of the picture.
And the final view of my complete installation. I love the extra space I get by not having that huge fan shroud and clutch fan, and it still looks almost stock. The wiring from the switches in the dash follows near the red line, under the washer/antifreeze reservoirs, around the battery, and to the relays.
This may have been overkill for such a simple job. I'm thorough, what can I say (hehe), but I wish someone would have done this for me to read before I jumped into it! Thanks to Keith for his help, and to Chris @ v6-s12.com for his project pics. Again, I hope this helps!
vote for sticky! thanks for the write up. I may braven my self someday to do it.
Pretty much the same way I did mine. Cept I only did 1 speed. I used Infinti G20 fans but they look identical to those. also I ran my wiring through the drivers side fender and into the dash. The same way that the wiring harness goes through to the ecu.
I add a electric fan.
The fact is i'd like to know if we can use another 12v wire i mean on mine i take power to the battery but idle lose like 100rpm. Can we use the "load" 12v system like for headlights (more rpm when we switch on them)?
Thanks, I plan on doing this when I get my motor in. Thanks for the writeup!
still dont get why you would want electric fans on a KA; or other non preformance motor.
the clutch fan will be just fine, and cause way less headaches if something goes wrong.
have a single cam KA in your mk 2?
- We only discuss Maxima fan installations on this thread, no other setups.
- We keep the conversation on that subject and the fun stuff elsewhere.
Also, we need to know WHAT RANGE OF YEARS of Maxima this fan came from.
I decided on a switch controlled fan, because thermostatic switches were prohibitively expensive ($100 for a good one, $50 for a crappy rad fin sensor from AutoZone).
I found an OE thermostatic switch/tube thingamajig from an 80's era Sentra that goes in-line on the radiator hose, cost like $10.00 with switch which still works. Makes a real clean OE looking install.
Dude, household solid copper wire? The solid copper stuff will work-harden over time and break due to all the vibration.
could i use a Thermo switch from any nissan and wire it inline?
they are like on/off switches right? or will it fry something if i wire them without an relay?
Yes they are switches, low current though, run with a relay for sure.
The thermo-switch closes at a set temp. usually about 190 degrees and open at a lower temp. like 170 or so.
Easy suspension tuning is in your hands. S - Tech was made so that everyone can enjoy sports driving. TEIN based these springs on original specification so that the installation is easy. Full compliance with car inspection, and great styling. Adding some more exicitement to your ride.. The highest quality brought to you at great JayDM prices. Now comes in two types to choose from.
Nice install! I'm glad to see my writeup is still helping people after all this time.
Incidentally, I ran my wires through the firewall via the hood-release cable opening.
Just pulled a fan from the junkyard a few days ago. Little too big so i cut it down to size. What would be a good way on bolting the damn thing down? As of right now i just took rope (Or twine idk the difference) and tied it to different parts of the car.


This entry was posted in Exercise Dvd and tagged Exercise, Fitness, Home, Minute, videos, Walk. Bookmark the permalink.
I love these moves because anyone can do them! Thank you, Leslie.
I feel exhausted today for walk walk walk,i dont know why ive been started this exercise 2 weeks ago and i enjoy it for 1 mile i bet for 2 mile and for abs … i love it and im never give up tell me below if what you did for experiencing exhausted thankyou.
I m a mother of two kids.. after my both postpartum I tried to do exercise but it's didn't work.. my tummy is very loose.. now it's been 13 days I m doing this one… it's really working.. 🥰I m feeling my tummy is trimming… …everyday workout… thank yo so much Leslie and team… I like Nick.. Great Energy man..
I like this exercise.. i download it.. its my 1 week in this..
Woow amazing, that's my daily routine now. Healthy and strong 💪💪💪 you're the best coach.
I lost 2kg in 20days doing this for 30mins a day. Feeling great. Going to do the same till I reach my desire goal. Thank you for sharing an amazing workout.
The is awesome . ….am really enjoying this. Thank you so much.
everyday i m doing this 30 mins upon waking up on weekdays and 1 hr during weekend. a lot of improvements losing weight it helps a lot for me thanks leslie!
How many calories are burned in this video . Does anyone know a good app for that ?
Wow what a nice way to do all the exercise.
Madam you are truly amazing so rhythmic.


text:
Dartford Firefighters Fundraising Day
by DLiving | Jul 30, 2017 | Dartford Charities
Life savers call on community to help raise funds for Ellie
Dartford's firefighters have launched a brand new fun community event in the hope of raising funds to support a colleague's daughter. Who needs acute health care and support after a life of seizures and more recently suffering a stroke.
23-year-old Ellie Boakes, the daughter of Dartford Watch Manager Dave Boakes, has suffered with small seizures all her life. At 17, she suffered her first 'big' seizure and despite receiving a wide range of medication under Kings College Hospital, she continued to have complex partial seizures two to three days a week.
Unfortunately, during a routine operation to remove the right temporal lobe (the part of the brain where the seizures were starting from), Ellie suffered a stroke and now needs daily physio, costing between £50-60 per session.
Dave's friends and colleagues at the fire station on Watling Street, Dartford decided they wanted to do something to help make a difference. They are hoping to bring the community together and raise funds to help Ellie.
Dartford Crew Manager, Richard Emery said: "Dave has served the community and people of Kent and Medway for over 20 years. He's put his life on the line to help save others and we're hoping people will want to help by supporting our fundraising fun day."
The event is on Friday, 1 September at Dartford Football Club, Grass Banks, Darenth Road, Dartford DA1 1RT. There will be games and activities for children as well as face painting, a bouncy castle, ice cream and burger stalls, 5-a-side football and much more. Children can have their photo taken with the fire engine and even have a go at putting out pretend fires.
The evening entertainment starts at around 5pm with a bar and live music. Tickets are £10 each, (under 16's go free) and are available from the fire station or by email.
Richard ended: "We wanted to do something the whole family, including the children, can enjoy. Please support us by buying tickets and coming along on the day. We'd also love to hear from anyone wanting to make a donation or who is able to provide a raffle prize.
"All the money raised will be used to help Ellie continue her physio. She has been working so hard and this would mean such a lot to her."
Get tickets here or make a donation. You can also contact Dartford Fire Station in Watling Street, Dartford, Kent DA2 6EG
sales@dartfordliving.com
Dartford Living Group
Dartford Living Magazine
We are a local magazine for the Dartford community. We are all volunteers and produce the magazine around our full time job's.
The magazine is distributed to 7000 homes and businesses. We also have over 6000 subscribers to the online copy of the magazine and over 30000 followers of our various social media channels.
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Dartford Living © 2020 | Website Designed by Dartford Living Design


text:
package org.umlg.sqlg.step;

import org.apache.tinkerpop.gremlin.process.traversal.Traversal;
import org.apache.tinkerpop.gremlin.process.traversal.Traverser;
import org.apache.tinkerpop.gremlin.process.traversal.step.TraversalParent;
import org.apache.tinkerpop.gremlin.structure.Element;

public class SqlgIdStep extends SqlgMapStep<Element, Object> implements TraversalParent {

    public SqlgIdStep(Traversal.Admin traversal) {
        super(traversal);
    }

    @Override
    protected Object map(Traverser.Admin<Element> traverser) {
        return traverser.get().id();
    }
}


text:
Dagmar Schuler née Hennek
June 14, 1946 - January 17, 2023
Predeceased by her parents Gerhard and Gerda Hennek, she is survived by her two sons Stephan (Dionne), Thomas (Nadia Foti), grandchildren Patrick, Ariana, Elizabeth and Alessandra, brother Karl Hennek (Marilyne), nieces and nephews, and many friends across Canada, the United States and Germany.
Born in Germany, Dagmar immigrated to Canada as a young child and grew up in Hull, Québec. After graduating high school, Dagmar moved to Montréal, where she began her adult life and started her family. Her hobbies included both playing and watching tennis, playing crossword puzzles and Scrabble, and gathering with beloved friends and family. She taught us all that any problem can be solved with chocolate and a good cup of coffee. Above all, she was most proud of her children and grandchildren and was a doting grandmother.
Dagmar faced her brief battle with lung cancer with bravery, grace, and dignity.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Teresa-Dellar Palliative Care Residence. https://residencesoinspalliatifs.ca/en/donate/
Visitation to be held at Belvédère Funeral Complex, 22025 Trans-Canada Highway, Senneville, Qc, H9X 0B2, 514 457-4440, on January 29th, 2023, from 1:00pm to 4:00 pm.
Belvedere Funeral Complex
22025 Trans-Canada, Senneville, QC, CANADA, H9X 0B2 Get Directions
Sunday, 29 Jan 2023 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Info: From Montreal: Exit 40 off the Highway 40 West and the first entrance at right on the Service Road. From Vaudreuil: Exit 41 off the Highway 40 East, follow the direction to take the Highway 40 West, the Exit 40 and the first entrance at right on the Service Road.
Here is a link to an online memorial for Dagmar Schuler née Hennek: https://mountroyalcem.permavita.com/site/DagmarShulerneeHennek.html?s=100


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Surprising Sources For Great Reception Music
by The Phonix Band April 15, 2020
Whether you're booking a band or hiring a DJ (and we'd of course recommend the former), there are always a lot of temptations regarding where to go with a reception playlist. Usually you'll want to go mostly for music that both represents the era of the relationship and gets people out and dancing. You'll probably also want to mix in a few common staples like "Shout" (I swear, it's at every wedding) and some common slow dance options. And hey, if you've got a really great band going, you might mostly just want to let them do their thing!
We've written before about some more specific guidelines for forming a wedding reception playlist, with different suggestions for different parts of the evening. We've pointed to specific track lists for things like contemporary versus jazzy dinner background, old school dance versus regular reception dance music, etc. And it's definitely not a bad idea to chop up your reception into categories like these rather than simply going for a total playlist without consideration for the different stages of the party.
With all that said, however, you can also make the wedding reception more interesting by throwing in a few unexpected songs that people will recognize but not see coming. That's not to say you should go completely nuts with the track list, but it does mean it can be fun to look for some inspiration that might be unexpected. While we don't include any of these songs on our own list, these are a few ideas of the sorts of things that might work.
Alt-Rock Twists For A First Dance
Let's be honest: most traditional first dance songs are a little bit old fashioned at this point. That's not to say they aren't lovely, and in some cases they strike the absolute perfect tone for a wedding. But if you want something more from your own time, consider looking into some soft twists on alt-rock numbers. Groups from Third Eye Blind and Coldplay to Modest Mouse and the Foo Fighters all have tracks that can work very well for this sort of idea. In fact, an article on rock first dance songs mentioned an acoustic cover of "Everlong" by the Foo Fighters as the best option! Depending on what music you can find or what your band is up to, we'd also recommend acoustic takes on "Never Let You Go" by Third Eye Blind, "All I Want Is You" by U2, or "Iris" by Goo Goo Dolls. If you really want to change things up, acoustic versions of Blink-182's "The Rock Show" can be surprisingly pleasant, though you may want to just play the real song later in the reception.
Classic Rock For Ramping Things Up
We think of classic rock as belonging to a fairly distinct era. But the truth is that its "heyday" basically spread across parts of three or four decades, and a lot of the music is timeless. This has been proven of late by the Guns N' Roses revival. With elements from pop culture making appearances on internet games more and more frequently, GNR helped a casino developer to design a band-themed slot reel a couple of years ago, and from that point it was on to the races. The slots were fun, but the band's reappearance at Coachella and subsequent tour really put them back on the map – because people still really enjoy this kind of music. Of course there are some harder tracks that aren't really suitable for most weddings. But from GNR's "Sweet Child O' Mine" to tracks like Def Leppard's "Pour Some Sugar On Me" or Aerosmith's "Walk This Way" you can have a lot of fun infusing some classic rock into the reception.
Tracks From Popular Films
Soundtracks in films seem to be getting more important these days, or at least we seem to be hearing about them more. For this reason, turning to a popular film for some playlist inspiration can be a great way to keep things current. This past summer's surprise hit Baby Driver is one place to look, where tracks like "Bellbottoms" by The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion and "Brighton Rock" by Queen made a huge impact and should be back on people's radars. You might also think of a track like "Jane" by Jefferson Starship, which has been made famous for a a new generation as the cheerful intro music to the Netflix show Wet Hot American Summer. Or, of course, you could just revisit 2016's La La Land, which churned out all kinds of fun original music. Director Damien Chazelle, who also helmed Whiplash and has a musical series comin g to Netflix, definitely seems to have his finger on the pulse of what gets people going with live music.
Funk & Soul To Switch Up The Mood
This is where we'd come in! Looking through our play list you'll see a lot of tracks that are actually relatively common at modern weddings, and which can suit just about any venue and mood. "Happy" by Pharrell Williams, for instance, is still a fairly trendy track, and songs like Marvin Gaye's "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" always fit in, even if they're a little bit less relevant to younger couples sometimes. But dig a little bit deeper and you'll find some funk, soul, and R&B that you may not have thought of before, but which might work beautifully to change up the mood during a reception celebration.
Again, these are just a few scattered ideas to get the ball rolling, and with the exception of that last category, not the sorts of things that we'd specifically play (though we'll learn a few new songs specially for a given booking sometimes). But generally speaking, you'd do well to look beyond your own song collections and favorite hits when working on a reception playlist. Adding some inspired variety can turn the party up a notch!
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i've been meaning to share the sketches done by syd & mary while in guatemala. so here they are! syd's are above, mary's below.
i didn't get a photo of mary's beautiful, cloth-covered, travel journal, but here is syd's.
i think her choice of colors, particularly on the spine (!) have such richness & depth.
what an extravagant week we had together in antigua. drawing with friends is a carnival ride – the good kind that don't make you dizzy. the atmosphere is charged with delight. there is much laughter admiration inspiration. all of that. good good stuff.
this semester-long leave from my day job has turned out well. i return to work in january, but i'm not finished living it up quite yet. i have 2 more trips planned. both in california. one to the coast and the other to the desert. if you've got some big or small adventure looming you can bet i'll need to be kept informed.
What a treat to see inside Syd and Mary's sketch journals!
I always thought if I got out that way, I'd try out his little studio apartment!
I love it ALL! I adore the drawing of you Mary Ann, and I laughed out loud at the recline sketch of Mary posing! it reminded me so much of the posing scene of Rose when Jack was sketching her on the movie Titanic! Delightful! And you were right about the spine on Syd's journal. Yumminess! I am having no adventures which is why I am living vicariously through yours. My daughters and I participated in a craft sale today in a nearby small town. One daughter was selling photographs and trying to drum up business, and the other an I had canvases and some other items we were selling. Let's just say that we spent more than we made:). Bit we met some lovely people, so there's that! BTW, Bev is right…the print here is very faint and tiny.
thanks for telling me about the itty bitty text where you type in comments. i've had my elves fix it so it's bigger and darker!


text:
Category Archives: ♥Best Sellers♥
Amos Decker book #1
written by David Baldacci
read by Ron McLarty with Orlagh Cassidy
11CD's, Approx. 13.5 hours (unabridged)
David Baldacci (Website)
Hachette Audio (Website)
Best selling author David Baldacci has an innate ability to create interesting characters, there's even something different about his bad guys… it isn't that they are more evil or that his books contain more graphic violence – quite the opposite. Baldacci's writing is classy. It is easy to identify with his characters, to feel for them, to be invested in what happens and Amos Decker is no exception. That said, this book is unlike any of Baldacci's earlier works, it's a breath of fresh air in an often stagnant genre.
Amos Decker suffered a crushing helmet to helmet blow ending his pro football career the first time he suited up. How his brain receives and interprets information was forever changed. He was diagnosed with rare cognitive phenomenons known as syynethesia and hyperthymesia. He can't forget anything. Which for the first two decades of his career in law enforcement was a gift.
Then came that horrific night, when Detective Decker, returning home from a stakeout walked into a nightmare from which he has yet to awaken. His family had been murdered – his beautiful wife Cassie shot in the head, 9 year old daughter, Molly strangled and his brother-in-law's throat had been slashed. Why? Who had done this? Despite their best efforts the case remained unsolved. His life spun out of control…he lost his home, his job, and nearly his mind.
That was 15 months ago. Now working here and there as a private investigator, Decker is trying to find his way out the darkness when his former partner, Mary Lancaster tells him a man named Sebastian Leopold has confessed to killing his family. While trying to talk to this confessed killer, there's a school shooting as his alma mater, Mansfield High. From this point forward everything speeds toward the resolution.
I have always loved David Baldacci's writing style – he takes risks…thinks outside the box. And Memory Man is definitely outside the box, I had never heard of these cognitive conditions and after much reading on the subject, I still don't understand it. But that's ok. This was an interesting read that sparked my imagination and while it did seem to go flat in few chapters, for the most part everything was tied together and resolved by the last page. I can't say exactly what made this novel fall short for me, except that it just didn't have the "fire" I have come to expect when reading a Baldacci book.
Posted by Rj on March 16, 2018 in audio book review, Audio Review, ♥ ♥BOOK ♥ REVIEWs♥ ♥, ♥Best Sellers♥, ♥BOOKs♥, best seller, Book Review, books, crime novel, criminal justice, David Baldacci, detective, Fiction, Grand Central, Hachette, novel, Reading, RJ, RJ's reviews, RJ's♥Views, RJ'sviews, series
Tags: Amos Decker, Audio, David Baldacci, Fiction, Reviews, RJ's Views
by James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge
narrated by Danny Mastrogiorgio
Hachette Audio
6 CD's approximately 7.5 hours
This is the 9th book in the Michael Bennett series. Some books were better than others a long the way but I always listen to a Michael Bennett Thriller at least once. I love the family, Father Shamus, Mary Catherine, ten kids with ten different personalities and if that wasn't enough drama, there's always a high pressure, deadly situation that only Detective Bennett can handle.
Bullseye doesn't focus as much on family like in previous books. Some listeners will be disappointed, while others will be cheering this change of focus. I was a bit confused how the main plot was based on a couple's plan to assassinate the newly inaugurated President at some point during the snowy month of November. (The U.S. Presidential election is held in November, however the President is inaugurated in January.) Everything said, I liked it. It's a political/suspense/thriller with an enormous amount of gun knowledge. I learned a great deal about guns listening to Bullseye. (I made notes and looked 'em up.) Sniper tactics are described in such great detail the image of what was happening as the shooter laid down, exhaled deeply and took aim was as vivid as a painting on my wall.
Several family members want to borrow this book for these reason alone. If you're a Bennett fan don't miss this "episode." If you've never read a single book in the series Bullseye might have you reserving the first ones at the Library. Finally, if you enjoy political thrillers give it a listen.
Danny Mastrogiorgio has perfected the narration for Michael Bennett Thrillers. I've grown so accustomed to hearing his voice I can't imagine anyone else narrating for these characters. His pitch, tone, and character specific quirks add another element to the reading experience that is incredibly enjoyable.
MICHAEL BENNETT BOOKS
Posted by Rj on September 29, 2016 in action, Amazon, Amazon.UK, Audio Book, audio book review, Audio Review, ♥ ♥BOOK ♥ REVIEWs♥ ♥, ♥Best Sellers♥, ♥BOOKs♥, B&N, Book Review, books, Books-A-Million, BookStore, detective, Fiction, Hachette, Hachette Audio, Indie Bookstores, Little, Brown & Co, Michael Bennett, Michael Ledwidge, novel, RJ, RJ's reviews, RJ's♥Views, RJ'sviews, series, suspense, suspense/thriller
Tags: Audio, Books, novel, Reviews, RJ'sviews
Publisher: Little Brown and Company
Publish Date: May 2015
the main character still trying to distance himself from his fathers' legacy as a crackpot, is giving safari tours
Zoo is a half-baked, science-fiction suspense-thriller, that with some comedy relief and backwards humor could've been a very good "spoof," I really wanted to like this book, but the one dimensional characters were impossible to care about. The artificial pacing and choppy dialogue made it difficult to stay immersed in the story. I have been a James Patterson fan since the irst Alex Cross novel. Over the years there have been some books that weren't as good as others, but in recent years there seems to be more bad than good. Only the name on the cover is familiar, – Gone is the masterful storytellers' voice I had enjoyed so very much.This is especially true with Zoo. I understand this is a collaboration, that there will be a lot of Michael Ledwidge's influence, however, in previous works I could at least recognize Patterson's input. Zoo is not absolutely terrible, it's ok. But with so many number one best sellers to his name, I expect more than okay.
Also available in Hardcover
What's on RJ's Wish List?
New Release from Best Selling Author Joseph Finder –
Posted by Rj on July 28, 2015 in 3R♥s, action, Amazon, Audio Book, audio book review, Audio Review, ♥ ♥BOOK ♥ REVIEWs♥ ♥, ♥Best Sellers♥, ♥BOOKs♥, B&N, best seller, Book Review, books, Books-A-Million, BookStore, Brown & Co, crime novel, detective, Fiction, Hachette, Hachette Audio, Indie Bookstores, James Patterson, literary fiction, literature, Little, Michael Ledwidge, mystery, novel, Reviews, RJ's reviews, RJ's♥Views, RJ'sviews, suspense, suspense/thriller
Tags: 3R♥s, action, Amazon, Audio Book, audio review, book, book review, Books, detective, Fiction, Hachette, James Patterson, Michael Ledwidge
audio excerpt
author: Michael Connelly
narrator: Titus Welliver
Hachette Audio Books
It's hard to believe one of crime fictions most popular detectives is nearing retirement. Most 20 year veterans of the LAPD are ready to take it easy, maybe ride a desk – Not Harry Bosch. The department just assigned him a new partner, 28 year old Lucia Soto. She seems eager to learn and while Bosch accepts the role of mentor his sixth sense keeps nudging him…that something isn't quite right. But Bosch has to put his uneasiness aside when they are handed the politically charged murder case of Orlando Merced. Shot, in a outdoor plaza nearly a decade earlier, Merced finally succumbed to his injuries. Although the shooter had never been identified, it was thought to be a gang bullet gone "astray." But when the coroner removes the crucial piece of evidence the gang shooting or random violence theory is crushed.
While all eyes were supposed to be focused on the Merced case, Bosh discovers Soto investigating an unsolved arson/murder case. As a child, she survived the fire that claimed the lives of nine children and one woman, in an unlicensed, dingy, basement daycare. Being a bit of a softie, but more importantly being a seeker of justice, Bosh makes room on his crowded plate for this case. But as the two begin to dig into both cases, they become convinced that amidst an ever widening web of guns, fire, murder and politics is a common thread. We follow the rookie and the veteran as they pull the individual pieces together, providing a measure of justice for the victims and a replacement for Harry.
The Burning Room isn't a bad book, but it certainly isn't the action packed novel Connelly fans are accustomed too. I kept hoping the next chapter would change the tone and feel of the story, but sadly it seems Harry Bosch is tired, ready to take his gold watch and close the detective chapter of his life story.
Narration by Titus Welliver 🙂
Titus Welliver's vocal talents are shining bright in The Burning Room. He brings each character to life by individualizing them with an array of accents, pitch inflections, tempo and tone. With Bosch's retirement looming, there's almost a somber tone throughout and Welliver does an excellent job of making the reader "feel" it.
Series: Harry Bosch (Book 19)
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (March 17, 2015)
Harry Bosch Series:
The Black Echo (1992)
The Black Ice (1993)
The Concrete Blonde (1994)
The Last Coyote (1995)
Trunk Music (1997)
Angels Flight (1999)
A Darkness More Than Night (2001)
City Of Bones (2002)
Lost Light (2003)
The Narrows (2004)
The Closers (2005)
Echo Park (2006)
The Overlook (2007)
The Brass Verdict (2008)
Nine Dragons (2009)
The Reversal (2010)
The Fifth Witness (2011) (one page brief appearance)
The Drop (2011)
The Black Box (2012)
The Gods of Guilt (2013) (one page brief appearance)
The Burning Room (2014)
The Crossing (November 2015)
Posted by Rj on February 28, 2015 in 3R♥s, action, Amazon, Amazon.UK, ♥ ♥BOOK ♥ REVIEWs♥ ♥, ♥Best Sellers♥, ♥BOOKs♥, B&N, Books-A-Million, BookStore, crime novel, criminal justice, detective, Hachette, Indie Bookstores, literature, Michael Connelly, mystery, novel, NY Times, Reviews, series, suspense, suspense/thriller
Tags: Audio Book, book review, Hachette, Harry Bosch, Miachel Connelly
Publisher: Soho Crime
Publish Date: November 2014
Series: Poke Rafferty Thrillers
Comfy Corner Review by RJ
Heat up your cold winter evenings with this red hot thriller. IF you are familiar with and a fan of this series…you are in for an early Christmas treat – if you've never read a Poke Rafferty novel, you'll be hooked after reading "For The Dead."
The first novel, A Nail Through the Heart, made me an instant fan of this series. Timothy Hallinan is one of the best, most creative writers of our generation. The lead character, Poke Rafferty rates right up there with other beloved protagonists (Alex Cross, Detective Pendergast, Jack Reacher, and Harry Bosch). A travel writer, living in Bangkok he's put together a happy family over the past six novels. He married Rose, a beautiful former patpong dancer, who now runs her own cleaning business, helping other women, like herself, escape the sex trade industry. Together they adopted Miaow, a street kid, much older than her tender age of thirteen. His family is the axis upon which Poke Rafferty's world turns –and it gets turned upside down in this book.
Teenagers are moody, make poor choices and keep secrets – and Miaow is no exception. She helps her boyfriend, Andrew, get a new phone on the sly and discovers photographs of two murdered police officers stored in the memory. Now, someone wants the pictures, phone and anyone who knows about it erased…permanently. What follows is an emotional roller coaster for readers – happy, sad, angry, shocked, frightened…there's nothing missing here. Timothy Hallinan lives part of the year in Southeast Asia – he has a genuine love of the culture and for the people of Bangkok. He takes you behind the glossy brochure covers, revealing a nation struggling to find its way on the worlds stage. For centuries rural farming was the economic backbone of Thailand. But today, kids are kidnapped, sent by desperate families or simply run away, only to find themselves trapped in the vicious circle of the sex trade industry. Hallinan weaves conspiracies, corruption and murders with a devoted, loving man determined to save his beloved Miaow, his wife and their unborn baby,
If you enjoy a truly good book, with plenty of spills and thrills, twists and turns – but, is believable, then For the Dead is definitely for you!
After seven years in Bangkok, American travel writer Poke Rafferty finally feels settled: his family is about to grow larger, and his adopted Thai daughter, Miaow, seems to have found her place at junior high school at last. All that is endangered when Miaow helps her boyfriend buy a stolen iPhone that contains photographs of two murdered police officers. As Miaow's carefully constructed personal life falls apart, Rafferty discovers that the murders are part of a conspiracy that reaches the top rungs of Bangkok law enforcement and beyond. Miaow's discovery threatens the entire family, and in order to survive, they may ultimately have to depend on someone who has betrayed them in the past.
Posted by Rj on December 9, 2014 in Amazon, Amazon.UK, ♥Best Sellers♥, Bangkok Series, Books-A-Million, BookStore, crime novel, Fiction, Indie Bookstores, mystery, novel, Poke Rafferty, suspense, suspense/thriller, Tim Hallinan
Tags: Bangkok, Bangkok Thriller, book review, mystery, Poke Rafferty, Reviews, series, Soho Crime, Timothy Hallinan
Author: James Patterson (Alex Cross #1)
Narrator: Charles Turner
approx. 12 hrs (listening time)
For all the loyal Alex Cross fans out there, Hachette's release of Along Came A Spider will be a Must Have! Charles Turner's narration adds a new dimension to the novel that will put chill bumps ontop of your chill bumps. This book introduced the world to Detective Alex Cross and there's been no looking back. Built like a boxer, a smooth ladies man who enjoys playing the piano, Cross is a loyal friend, loving son, dedicated father and relentless pursuer of justice.
Gary Soneji is the polar opposite of Cross, he's evil to the core and has one desire.."to commit the crime of the century." Soneji is a master manipulator, skilled liar and one of the most beloved teachers at the D.C. private school for children of the rich and famous. So when the mild mannered, popular math teacher abducts two students, the secret service is caught with its proverbial pants down…and for this embarrassment someone's head is going to roll.
Along Came A Spider is the disturbing story of a brilliant, psychopath matching wits with a hard nosed detective. James Patterson knew the one thing that made this killer truly terrifying was his normalcy. This guy was accepted in elite circles, admired by children and worked everyday in the presence of the United States Secret Service…what could be more frightening?
I've read this book a couple of times, but the audio book was a new experience for me I really enjoyed being able to sit back, relax and just listen. Charles Turner is an incredible narrator, that gives Alex Cross a strong, well defined voice, while allowing Soneji's thoughts of himself to sound stronger than his actual voice. It's a very entertaining audio experience!
Posted by Rj on November 14, 2014 in 3R♥s, Alex Cross series, Amazon, Amazon.UK, Audio Book, ♥Best Sellers♥, ♥BOOKs♥, Books-A-Million, BookStore, crime novel, criminal justice, detective, Fiction, Hachette, Indie Bookstores, James Patterson, Lists, literature, novel, NY Times, Reviews, suspense, suspense/thriller
Tags: Alex Cross, Audio Book, ♥ ♥BOOK ♥ REVIEWs♥ ♥, ♥BOOKs♥, book, Fiction, Hachette, James Patterson, justice, novel, Reviews, suspense, thriller
Author: Marcia Clark
Narrator: January LaVoy
Publisher: Mulholland Books
Make A Place for Marcia Clark on the Best Seller shelf…
Open to a San Fernando Valley, California high school where there's been yet another school shooting. Special Prosecutor Rachel Knight and LAPD Detective Bailey Keller enter a horrific crime scene, knowing one thing … the heartbroken parents expect answers…and they deserved answers. But with each student interview the picture grows blurrier not clearer. The clues simply didn't add up to the scene set before them. Survivors describe a Columbine copycat crime… two masked killers interrupted the pep rally and began shooting. Pandemonium erupted, terrified kids scattered, literally running for their lives, as the killers made their way out of the gymnasium, into the hallways, methodically murdering their fellow classmates. The gunfire ended in the library, with two final blasts, as the merciless killers apparently died from self inflicted gunshot wounds. However, when two masks, believed to be those worn by the shooters are discovered in the dumpster this case deviates from its predecessor.
From this point forward hang on to your nightcap, its' gonna be a long night. Wow, what an incredible reading experience…Clark covered very sensitive and controversial subject matter respectfully, without ever holding back the hard truths that those investigating these crimes must deal with. It's a chance to look behind the curtain and see the inner workings of these difficult cases. Especially thought provoking was the dialogue with the forensic experts regarding the personality of a psychopathic killer. There are so many layers within The Competition it could've easily gone awry. However, Clark weaves the various elements together and Clark has woven them together brilliantly. The plot driven style can be tedious and boring, which Clark danced on the edge of in her previous books. However, not this time..the extensive interviews are interesting and insightful, serving not only to move the story forward but to develop the characters as well. Bottom line, this is a good book!
Posted by Rj on November 11, 2014 in 3R♥s, Amazon, Audio Book, ♥ ♥BOOK ♥ REVIEWs♥ ♥, ♥Best Sellers♥, ♥BOOKs♥, Books-A-Million, crime novel, criminal justice, detective, Fiction, Indie Bookstores, mystery, Reviews, RJ's Top Picks
Tags: Detective Bailey Keller, Marcia Clark, Special Prosecutor Rachel Knight
Author: Andrew Gross
Publisher: William Morrow; 1st edition (April 2, 2013)
PAPERBACK EDITION
Also available as E*Book
Too many? Everything. This book is a like reading a hurricane in the midst of an earthquake, while preparing for a cyclone. There are so many things going on…big ideas,(good ideas), that individually fleshed out, plotted carefully, with special attention to the small details that build the characters, could've been two very good books. Unfortunately, what we have is a fast paced, loosely plotted, shoot 'em up body count book that just doesn't read like an Andrew Gross novel.
Two strangers, brought together by a swirling mix of coincidence and bad luck, are trying to prove their innocence, which may very well get them killed. That is the basics of Andrew Gross' No Way Back. The two strangers, Wendy, a suburban housewife (ex-cop) and Lauritzia, a nanny (illegally in this country) working for a lawyer and his family. These women will find a way to not only stay alive, but out maneuver Mexican drug cartels, out smart murderers with ties reaching high into the U.S. government, rogue Homeland security agents and goodness knows what else. It's a hodgepodge of cliche's and unrealistic plot twists. There's no depth to the characters. Halfway through the book it became difficult to continue because I simply didn't care what was going on, nor what was going to happen next. And I wasn't the only one, the lead ladies in the story didn't seem to care that their family members were being hunted and killed.
The substance is missing- and without it, I'm left holding a book that is simply readable. Nothing more. If you've read Andrew Gross books in the past, read a few "reader" reviews of this book before you start reading it… so that you will lower your expectations.
Posted by Rj on October 19, 2014 in 3R♥s, Amazon, Amazon.UK, ♥ ♥BOOK ♥ REVIEWs♥ ♥, ♥Best Sellers♥, ♥BOOKs♥, B&N, Books-A-Million, BookStore, contemporary literature, criminal justice, detective, Fiction, Indie Bookstores, literary fiction, literature, novel, Reviews, suspense, suspense/thriller
Tags: Ansdrew Gross, best seller, Blue Zone, book review, Books, Fiction, James Patterson, novels, reading, suspense, thriller
2010's Best
CLICK HERE to visit NY Times 2010 Best List
AMERICAN SUBVERSIVE. By David Goodwillie. (Scribner, $25.) A bombing unites a blogger and a beautiful eco-terrorist in this literary thriller, an exploration of what motivates radicalism in an age of disillusion.
ANGELOLOGY. By Danielle Trussoni. (Viking, $27.95.) With a smitten art historian at her side, the young nun at the center of this rousing first novel is drawn into an ancient struggle against the Nephilim, hybrid offspring of humans and heavenly beings.
THE ASK. By Sam Lipsyte. (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, $25.) A deeply cynical academic fund-raiser fighting for his job is the protagonist of this darkly humorous satire, a witty paean to white-collar loserdom.
BOUND. By Antonya Nelson. (Bloomsbury, $25.) For Nelson's complacent heroine, the death of an estranged friend elicits memories of their reckless youth.
COMEDY IN A MINOR KEY. By Hans Keilson. Translated by Damion Searls. (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, $22.) Set in Nazi-occupied Europe, this novel, appearing only now in English, is a mid-century masterpiece by the centenarian Keilson, who served in the Dutch resistance.
DOUBLE HAPPINESS: Stories. By Mary-Beth Hughes. (Black Cat/Grove/Atlantic, paper, $14.) Hughes likes to juxtapose her characters' relative passivity with the knife edge of evil within or, more often, outside them.
FOREIGN BODIES. By Cynthia Ozick. (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $26.) This nimble, entertaining homage to Henry James's late work "The Ambassadors," in which an American heads to Paris to retrieve a wayward son, brilliantly upends the theme, meaning and stylistic manner of its revered precursor.
FREEDOM. By Jonathan Franzen. (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, $28.) Like Franzen's previous novel, "The Corrections," this is a masterly portrait of a nuclear family in turmoil, with an intricately ordered narrative and a majestic sweep that seems to gather up every fresh datum of our shared millennial life.
FUN WITH PROBLEMS: Stories. By Robert Stone. (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $24.) Our enduring central struggle — the battle between the head and the heart — is enacted again and again in Stone's collection.
GIRL BY THE ROAD AT NIGHT: A Novel of Vietnam. By David Rabe. (Simon & Schuster, $23.) In this tale of war and eros, two young people from opposite ends of the earth are caught up in events far beyond their control.
THE GIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNET'S NEST. By Stieg Larsson. (Knopf, $27.95.) In the third installment of the pulse-racing trilogy featuring Mikael Blomkvist and Lisbeth Salander, the pair are threatened by an adversary from deep within the very government that should be protecting them.
GREAT HOUSE. By Nicole Krauss. (Norton, $24.95.) In this tragic vision of a novel, Nadia, a writer in New York, faces a wrenching parting when a girl shows up to claim an enormous desk that has been in her safekeeping for decades.
HOW TO LIVE SAFELY IN A SCIENCE FICTIONAL UNIVERSE. By Charles Yu. (Pantheon, $24.) Yu wraps his lonely story of a time machine repairman in layers of gorgeous meta-science-fiction.
HOW TO READ THE AIR. By Dinaw Mengestu. (Riverhead, $25.95.) Mengestu's own origins inform this tale of an Ethiopian-American tracing the uncertain road once taken by his parents.
I CURSE THE RIVER OF TIME. By Per Petterson. Translated by Charlotte Barslund with Per Petterson. (Graywolf, $23.) This novel's lonely Scandinavian protagonist grapples with divorce, death and the fall of the Berlin Wall.
ILUSTRADO. By Miguel Syjuco. (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, $26.) A murder mystery punctuated with serious philosophical musings, this novel traces 150 years of Filipino history, posing questions about identity and art, exile and duty.
THE IMPERFECTIONISTS. By Tom Rachman. (Dial, $25.) This intricate novel is built around the personal stories of staff members at an improbable English-language newspaper in Rome, and of the family who founded it in the 1950s.
THE INVISIBLE BRIDGE. By Julie Orringer. (Knopf, $26.95.) Orringer's protagonist is a Jewish architecture student in late-1930s Paris forced to return home to Hungary ahead of the Nazi invasion there.
LISA ROBERTSON'S MAGENTA SOUL WHIP. By Lisa Robertson. (Coach House, paper, $14.95.) In these intellectual poems, the experimental curtains suddenly part to reveal clear, durable truth.
THE LIVING FIRE: New and Selected Poems, 1975-2010. By Edward Hirsch. (Knopf, $27.) Hirsch's "living fire" is an irrational counterforce with which he balances his dignified quotidian.
THE LONG SONG. By Andrea Levy. (Frances Coady/Farrar, Straus & Giroux, $26.) Levy's high-spirited, ambitious heroine works on a plantation in the final days of slavery in Jamaica.
THE LOST BOOKS OF THE ODYSSEY. By Zachary Mason. (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, $24.) The conceit behind the multiple Odysseuses here (comic, dead, doubled, amnesiac) is that this is a translation of an ancient papyrus, a collection of variations on the myth.
THE LOTUS EATERS. By Tatjana Soli. (St. Martin's, $24.99.) The photojournalist heroine of Soli's Vietnam War novel ponders whether those who represent war merely replicate its violence.
MATTERHORN: A Novel of the Vietnam War. By Karl Marlantes. (El León Literary Arts/Atlantic Monthly, $24.95.) In this tale, 30 years in the creation, bloody folly envelops a Marine company's construction, abandonment and retaking of a remote hilltop outpost.
MEMORY WALL: Stories. By Anthony Doerr. (Scribner, $24.) These strange, beautiful stories all ask: What, if anything, will be spared time's depredations?
MR. PEANUT. By Adam Ross. (Knopf, $25.95.) In this daring first novel, a computer game designer suspected of murdering his obese wife is investigated by two marriage-savvy detectives, one of whom is Dr. Sam Sheppard.
THE NEAREST EXIT. By Olen Steinhauer. (Minotaur, $25.99.) The C.I.A. spy in this thriller is sick of his trade's duplicity, amorality and rootlessness.
THE NEW YORKER STORIES. By Ann Beattie. (Scribner, $30.) This collection of tales dating back to 1974 lets readers imagine their way into a New Yorker fiction editor's moment of discovery.
ONE DAY. By David Nicholls. (Vintage, paper, $14.95.) Nicholls's nostalgic novel checks in year by year on the halting romance of two children of the '80s, she an outspoken lefty, he an apolitical toff.
THE PRIVILEGES. By Jonathan Dee. (Random House, $25.) In this contemporary morality tale, a family stumbles along, rich and dysfunctional, without ethical or moral responsibility. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Rj on April 19, 2013 in ♥Best Sellers♥, ♥BOOKs♥, NY Times
Tags: 2010, ♥BOOKs♥, Fiction, non fiction, novel, NY Times, NY Times Best Seller, reading, Reviews
The Castaways by Elin Hilderbrand
The Castaways
Read by Katie Hale
Unabridged 11CDs/13hrs
A Summer read that is good anytime of year! A copy of this audio book will take you away from whatever is bothering you and transport you to the beautiful shoreline – where you can live vicariously through an endearing cast of characters that will not soon be forgotten.
Posted by Rj on May 31, 2011 in 3R♥s, Amazon, Audio Book, ♥ ♥BOOK ♥ REVIEWs♥ ♥, ♥Best Sellers♥, ♥BOOKs♥, Books-A-Million, BookStore, Fiction, Hachette, Indie Bookstores, Reviews
Interview: author, PC Cast
Mills & Boon Nocturne
Visit Author, PC Cast on~line
*Can we expect the same mix of ancient and modern mythology that have become such an integral part of your other novels?
Yes, sort of. In THE AVENGER my modern heroine travels back to 60 AD Briton and Boudicca's time. I very loosely follow historical events, with a touch of magic and mysticism.
*Would you call yourself a student of ancient history and myth? Do you enjoy the research necessary to keep the characters "honest?"
I would call myself a fan of mythology. I am intrigued by certain periods of history, and I do enjoy researching, but I would by no means call myself a historian. I think history translates more easily onto the page through mythology, and much can be learned about a people through the myths they tell. For instance, what you learn about me through the myths I create is that I believe in empowering and valuing women.
*The Avengers is hotly anticipated – many writers have said this type of anticipation makes them very nervous – fear of not measuring up to the "hype" – how do you feel?
I'm used to being a bestseller and have found that it works for me not to pay attention to hype or critics. Every time I write a book I set out to tell the story I'd most want to read. I believe in doing my best each time and letting the cards fall where they may…
*The series centers around strong, female lead characters that return to ancient periods to retrieve pieces of a medallion that could alter history – how did you come to select Briton?
I was approached to write one of the Time Raiders novels for Nocturne because I am a military veteran (all of the authors of the TR series are vets). I was interested because the idea of vets writing with military heroines sounded fun, and then when I saw that Boudicca was one of the choices proposed for time travel I was intrigued as I had been researching her because I decided her daughters would begin the House of Night Dark Daughters. So I happily signed on!
*Do you find it easier to write as part of a team or solo?
Actually, I don't really co-author with Kristin. She serves as my teen voice editor. I do all the writing, and when I've finished she goes through the manuscripts and comments on voice and pop references
*If you had a chance to work with any writer (living or dead) who would it be and why?
Ray Bradbury! He's a genius and I'd love to observe his writing process.
*What's the best advice you have ever been given by another writer?
Just sit down and write the damn book.
*Here's the: "on a deserted island question" – If you were stranded on a deserted island and could have 3 books to read for the rest of your life, what three books would you select?
Well, first of all, three wouldn't be enough so I'd have to write lots of my own. But let's pretend like a series counts as one book, so I'd choose:
1) Diana Gabaldon's OUTLANDER books,
2) All of Christopher Moore's books,
3) Tanith Lee's THE SILVER METAL LOVER
*Can you give us a hint about what is next for PC Cast?
Beginning in December my Goddess Summoning Series will be released in the UK, starting with GODDESS OF CAMELOT. I love this books and hope my UK fans will enjoy them, too! I'm working on pre-production for a film adaptation of one of my Goddess Summoning Books, GODDESS OF THE ROSE, which is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast.
Thank you, for stopping by The Den and sharing a few minutes with us – Can't wait to dive into "The Avengers!"
Visit PC Cast Online
Visit UK Publisher – Mills & Boon
"You are about to enter a place of power, a place beyond imagining."
Alex thought communicating with the dead was the worst of her troubles. She couldn't have been more wrong!
She's just been sent to 60 AD by a secret army unit to recover missing pieces of a medallion that could change the world.
Alex must use her gifts to entice Druid Caradoc into helping her. Yet soon she's torn between duty and the man who's been haunting her dreams. Returning to the present is the noble thing to do, but her heart tells her to stay in this enticing new world of goddesses and warriors.
TIME RAIDERS
Only they can cross the boundaries of time; only they have the power to save humanity.
Celebrating 50 Years of Literary Excellence – To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee – pick up your copy today!
Posted by Rj on July 24, 2010 in 3R♥s, Amazon, Amazon.UK, author events, ♥ ♥BOOK ♥ REVIEWs♥ ♥, ♥ Meet & Greet ♥, ♥Best Sellers♥, ♥BOOKs♥, book tours, Books-A-Million, BookStore, contemporary literature, contemporary romance, fantasy, Fiction, Indie Bookstores, Interviews, literary fiction, literature, Mills & Boon, PC Cast, Reviews, romance
Tags: 3R♥s, Amazon.UK, ♥ ♥BOOK ♥ REVIEWs♥ ♥, ♥BOOKs♥, best seller, book, book review, fantasy, Fiction, Mills & Boon, novel, novels, PC Cast, reading, Reviews, series, UK Edition
The Ghost Writer by Robert Harris
NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE STARRING EWAN McGREGOR & PIERCE BROSNAN
by Robert Harris
read by Roger Rees
Audio 5CD's
Visit author, Robert Harris
CLICK HERE to Listen to
an audio clip of The Ghost Writer
Robert Harris' latest novel, The Ghost Writer sounds like an insider's account, with all the sordid, juicy stuff we all want to know but will not admit we want to know. Mixing some recent history with fictional characters, in a real world, easily recognizable setting and the result is an entertaining listening experience!
The retired, disgraced British Prime Minister tapped his trusted aide, Mike McAra to help him write his memoir. After the mysterious, untimely death of McAra, a new ghostwriter is hired to iron out the wrinkles, add a little more detail and put the finishing touches on. The ghost joins Lang and his entourage, which consisted of a small security detail, several secretaries, his assistant and many speculated mistress, and his wife, Ruth, on Martha's Vineyard, where they have rented a mansion. Adam Lang has created this cocoon, surrounding himself with those who are necessary or wanted, eliminating everyone else, including the citizens who turned on him.
Adam Lang's smooth, charismatic demeanor catapulted him to the top of the political ticket, where he enjoyed high approval ratings. Then the world changed, as the war on terrorism branched off in an unpopular direction, taking with it Lang's political popularity and casting a long, dark cloud over his legacy. Already being tried in the court of public opinion, the people unabashedly blame Lang for their suffering, as the UK has been the repeated target of terror attacks. And then it goes from bad to worse…Lang may be asked to stand before the International Criminal Court and answer to the charge of war crimes.
Robert Harris is as light with his pen as Fred Astaire was on his feet! Giving us a view of the inner sanctum is like pulling the curtain aside, revealing to the world there is no wizard…when all is said and done we are all human. And that's what is at the heart of this story…people…living, breathing and flawed.
Narrator Roger Rees brings the characters to life, painting each with stunning audio detail, making them memorable and believable. The audio will keep you riveted, twisting your thoughts and emotions in a new direction with every chapter. You will laugh out loud, nod your head in agreement and shake your head in dismay, often all three within moments of each other. Even if you have read the book, the audio offers you a whole new experience!
Accustomed to aging rock-stars, the ghost is out of his element in the political arena, however, he will soon discover the two have more in common than he ever imagined! Ugliness and secrets abide here too…the difference…politicians "bury their stories."
Author, Robert Harris allows us a bit of insight into his thoughts on the difference between good and bad books –
And what they have in common, these bad books, be they novels or memoirs, is this: they don't ring true. I'm not saying that a good book is true necessarily, just that it feels true for the time you're reading it.
– and he couldn't be more right! The Ghost Writer definitely rings true, the characters are believable, displaying the kind of behavior we have come to expect from politicians. Of course, the actions aren't always good and more often than not it is the mistakes, mess ups and out right corruption that catapult their memoirs to the top of the charts.
Additional covers:
Also by author Robert Harris, Conspirata –
National Bestseller
On the eve of Marcus Cicero's inauguration as consul of Rome, the grisly death of a boy sends ripples of fear through a city already wracked by civil unrest, crime, and debauchery of every kind. For Cicero, the ill forebodings of this hideous murder only increase his frustrations and the dangers he already faces as Rome's leader: elected by the people but despised by the heads of the two rival camps, the patricians and populists.
Caught in a political shell game that leaves him forever putting out fires only to have them ignite elsewhere, Cicero plays both for the future of the republic and his very life. There is a plot to assassinate Cicero, abetted by a rising young star of the Roman senate named Gaius Julius Caesar — and it will take all the embattled consul's wit, strength, and force of will to stop it and keep Rome from becoming a dictatorship.
Robert Harris once again weaves a compelling and historically accurate tale of intrigue told in the wise and compassionate voice of Cicero's slave and private secretary, Tiro. In the manner of I, Claudius, Harris vividly evokes ancient Rome and its politics for today's listeners, documenting a world not unlike our own — where the impulse toward dominance competes with the risk of overreach, where high-minded ideals can be a liability, and where someone is always waiting in the wings for a chance to set the world on fire.
Also from Simon & Schuster –
Available June 1, 2010
Posted by Rj on May 12, 2010 in 3R♥s, action, Amazon, Audio Book, ♥ ♥BOOK ♥ REVIEWs♥ ♥, ♥Best Sellers♥, ♥BOOKs♥, Books-A-Million, BookStore, contemporary literature, crime novel, Fiction, Indie Bookstores, literary fiction, literature, mystery, novel, political thriller, Reviews, Robert Harris, Simon Schuster, Simon Schuster Audio, SimonSays, suspense, suspense/thriller
Tags: 3R♥s, action, Adam Lang, Add new tag, Audio Book, ♥ ♥BOOK ♥ REVIEWs♥ ♥, ♥BOOKs♥, best seller, book, book review, Fiction, Ghost Writer, literary fiction, mystery, novel, reading, Reviews, Robert Harris, Simon Schuster, terrorism, thriller
Cemetery Dance by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child
Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child
Unabridged Audio, 12CDs, 13.5hr
Read by Rene Auberjonois'
www.prestonchild.com
Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child have long been known for their ability to stand out amid a very crowded genre – and they certainly carved a niche' with Cemetery Dance. Agent Pendergast has worked his share of interesting cases and had more than his fair share of close calls, but this time he has to risk much more than his physical safety…in Cemetery Dance, Pendergast dances with the devil, stepping in between the shadows on a journey that will take him places even he never imagined.
The narrative opens on the remnants of a wedding anniversary celebration interrupted by a knife wielding assailant, that leaves New York Times reporter William Smithback Jr dead and his wife, Nora Kelly (Museum of Natural History anthropologist) clinging to life. There seems to be no question as to the identity of the assailant – several neighbors within the Upper West side apartment complex readily identified the attacker as one of their own, a neighbor, Collin Fearing. But that is impossible…Collin Fearing had been dead and buried for nearly two weeks. Thus setting the stage for an intriguing tale that will take our team of detectives into the lair of a modern day cult in the heart of Manhattan.
Vodou rituals, mysticism, sorcery, within this realm the Obeah is the most dreaded and the most feared of all practitioners. The Obeah or Obeahman is believed to have virtually limitless powers, including the ability to resurrect the dead, which seems to be what someone wants the residents of New York to believe. Digging into this case, Pendergast will find some unusual characters hiding sinister motivations beneath the cloaks of the cult.
With several well known and beloved characters reprising their roles in Cemetery Dance fans are in for a real treat – however, as with their other novels, this one stands alone. So, there's no reason to hold back – if you have never read a Preston/Child novel before, you can pick this one up and dive right in. Their writing is so spot on, detailed and character driven there's nothing missing accept you! And with Rene Auberjonois' providing the narration even those who have read the print version will be intrigued by his incredible presentation. His portrayal of Agent Pendergast breathes life into the fictional character, pulling him off the pages of the book and presenting him in living color. I was amazed by the depth and range Auberjonois employed throughout, going so far as to incorporate gutteral, zombie noises into the narrative. Which I must admit gave me a shudder and added a bit of "oh my" to the vibe. The audio version of Cemetery Dance (from Hachette Book Group) is exceptional and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys an exciting novel that doesn't fit into any of the pre-determined, cookie-cutter classifications. Preston and Child do an extraordinary job delivering highly unusual material in an intelligent manner that enlightens the reader and engages your senses on a variety of levels. The information revealed in the novel was so provocative, it peeked my curiosity, prompting me to dig deeper into the topics. This is entertainment at its finest, from two of today's most popular authors. Knowing this and accepting the story for what it was intended allows you to sit back, relax and thoroughly enjoy this unique work.
Posted by Rj on November 24, 2009 in 3R♥s, action, Alex Cross series, Amazon, Audio Book, ♥ ♥BOOK ♥ REVIEWs♥ ♥, ♥Best Sellers♥, ♥BOOKs♥, Books-A-Million, contemporary literature, crime novel, detective, Fiction, Grand Central, Hachette, historical fiction, Indie Bookstores, literary fiction, literature, mystery, novel, NY Times, Pendergast series, Preston & Child, Reviews, spiritual, suspense, suspense/thriller
Tags: Audio Book, audio review, ♥BOOKs♥, Fiction, good book, Grand Central, Hachette, Lincoln Child, mystery, novel, Preston & Child, reading, Rene Auberjonois, Reviews, RJ, suspense, The Den Reviews
Alex Cross's TRIAL by James Patterson & Richard Dilallo
Alex Cross's Trial
James Patterson & Richard Dillalo
8CD's, Unabridged
Read by Dylan Baker featuring Shawn Andrew
Available in Hardcover (Little, Brown & Co)
www.jamespatterson.com
"The Cross family had more than one hero…"
Alex Cross's TRIAL, bridges the gap between generations of Cross men – taking us back in time to a turbulent and frightening era in American History, when folks were separated by color and justice was in deed blind…
This novel is a departure from the strong crime drama Cross series – written by the fictional character "Alex Cross" (as was "Big Bad Wolfe"). Thanks to Nana-Mama's memory and Ben Corbett's personal journals, Alex was able to put this haunting story on paper and share it with the world. He writes in the introduction – "…it is a story that helps illuminate why so many black people are angry, hurt, and lost in this country, even today. I also think it is important to keep this story alive for my family, and hopefully for yours." And he couldn't be more right – it is important…no matter how painful our past, we must learn from it – because those who fail to learn from the past are doomed to repeat it.
Attorney Ben Corbett had made quite a name for himself, as a white man, the son of a prominent Mississippi judge, he represented defendants of color during a time in the nation's history when to do so put your career, family and even your very life in jeopardy. The story opens with Corbett defending a black servant accused of murdering her wealthy white boss. Of course, it comes as no surprise when the all male, all white jury returned a guilty verdict. This sets the stage for an amazing narrative – that follows Corbett
back home, to Eudora, Mississippi on a special, top secret assignment, requested by the President of the United States. Corbett had served under Roosevelt in the military and the President trusted him to conduct an "off the record" investigation and report directly back to him. Rumors of lynchings, terrorist like activities, civil rights violations, etc., if the stories were true, the Klu Klux Klan was alive and well in the south. President Roosevelt gave Corbett the name of the man he wanted him to talk too…Corbett's contact…Abraham Cross.
Ben Corbett is impressed by Abraham Cross from the moment they meet, he knows Cross is a very special and wise man. At first Ben has a hard time believing the horror he witnessed as a young man is still occurring, however, after one afternoon with Abraham 'touring' lynching sites he realizes the Klan is thriving and everyone knows it. As the story continues tragedy strikes the Cross family and the Klan comes calling to collect their "just dues" from Ben Corbett. Will he become a chapter in this secret story he was sent here to uncover? If the Klan has their way…the answer is a resounding and absolute YES!
An incredible, moving story, that hurtles towards the ending with such ferocity you feel as though you are standing on the edge of a mountain and could teeter off at any second.
James Patterson and Richard Dillalo have delivered a story that is as disturbing as it is exciting – the no-holds-barred narrative is so "in your face" it stings and the lynching scenes are drawn with such meticulous detail you can almost smell the lingering odor of death as you read these haunting depictions. The pain, heartbreak and fear is palpable throughout as the eyes of a nation fall upon Eudora, Mississippi. The text is so point on you cannot help but feel flushed with emotion. Alex Cross's TRIAL is emotionally charged, action packed and tells the story of how a family's struggle against injustice gave one man the strength to stand against his own for what he knew to be right…not for posterity, fame or fortune – simply because it was right!
There's nothing conventional about Alex Cross…narrators Dylan Baker and Shawn Andrew tell this story with heart, courage and absolute dedication to the characters, breathing life into it and with each succeeding chapter they draw the scenes and put you in the center of each…You will be angered by this story, you will probably tear up (or cry, I sure did!), you will feel the pain of those who are hurting and the joy and pride of those who find the courage to stand tall. In a nutshell, you won't regret the hours you spend with this book.
RJ McGill
Posted by Rj on September 1, 2009 in 3R♥s, action, Alex Cross series, Amazon, Audio Book, ♥ ♥BOOK ♥ REVIEWs♥ ♥, ♥Best Sellers♥, ♥BOOKs♥, Books-A-Million, crime novel, criminal justice, Fiction, Hachette, Indie Bookstores, James Patterson, literary fiction, mystery, novel, NY Times, Reviews, suspense, suspense/thriller
Tags: 3R♥s, Alex Cross, Audio Book, ♥ ♥BOOK ♥ REVIEWs♥ ♥, Fiction, Hachette, James Patterson
Amazon's "Best Of"
Lowboy | Cheever: A Life | The Glister | Toby Alone | Don't Cry | Undress Me In the Temple of Heaven | When Skateboards Will Be Free
Wray's captivating third novel drifts between psychological realities while exploring the narrative poetics of schizophrenia. The story centers on Will Heller, a 16-year-old New Yorker who has stopped taking his antipsychotic medication and wandered away from the mental hospital into the subway tunnels believing that the world will end within a few hours and that only he can save it. It's a novel that defies easy categorization, although in one sense it's a mystery, as a detective, Lateef, is on the case, assisted by Will's troubled mother, Violet. As Lateef tracks Will and gains some startling insight into Violet, Wray deploys brilliant hallucinatory visuals, including chilling descriptions of the subway system and an imaginary river flowing beneath Manhattan. In his previous works, Wray has shown that he's not a stranger to dark themes, and with this tightly wound novel, he reaches new heights. (*Publisher's Weekly)
Rebellious Yankee son of a father who fell victim to the Depression and a doo-gooder-turned-businesswoman mother, father to three competitive children he rode mercilessly but adored, chronicler par excellence of the 1950s American suburban scene while deploring all forms of conformity: John Cheever (1912–1982) was a mass of contradictions. In this overlong but always entertaining biography, composed with a novelist's eye, Bailey, biographer of Richard Yates and editor of two volumes of Cheever's work for Library of America (also due in March), was given access to unpublished portions of Cheever's famous journals and to family members and friends. Bailey's book is fine in descriptions of Cheever's reactions to other writers, such as his adored Bellow and detested Salinger. Bailey is also sensitive in describing the prickly dynamic of Cheever's domestic life, lived through a haze of alcoholism and under the shadow of extramarital heterosexual and homosexual relationships. This Ovid in Ossining, who published 121 stories in the New Yorker as well as several bestselling novels, has probably yet to find a definitive position in American letters among academicians. This thoroughly researched and heartfelt biography may help redress that situation. 24 pages of photos. (*Publisher's Weekly)
In his bleakly beautiful seventh novel, Scottish author Burnside (The Devil's Footprint) delivers a cautionary tale illustrating that greed and an indifference to suffering are the real horrors of modern life. In recent years, five teenage boys have disappeared from the coastal village of Innertown, where an abandoned chemical plant deep in the forest is slowly poisoning its rapidly declining population. The official line is that the missing boys are seeking a better life away from the town whose sole business is slow decay. A 15-year-old lad, who's found solace in books and foreign films that he can barely understand, is determined to find out what happened to his friends and why the town's lone cop spends so much time in those tarnished woods. Burnside expertly details an apocalyptic landscape where the expectation of failure is rampant. While the ending feels hurried, Burnside's flawless prose explores how defeat is only a state of mind.
(*Publisher's Weekly)
The impressive debut novel from French playwright de Fombelle deftly weaves mature political commentary, broad humor and some subtle satire into a thoroughly enjoyable adventure. The people of the Tree are two millimeters tall or less, but their society mimics ours. Industrialists keep digging holes, politicians play dirty games and scientists conduct research to discover the nature of the world in which they live. Toby Lolness, the son of a renowned scientist, is forced to become a fugitive when his father's discoveries reveal the dangers presented by the continued development of the Tree. Toby's story is revealed in flashbacks as he runs from the cronies of Joe Mitch, a builder who has rapidly become a political powerhouse. Mitch's machinations have turned the Tree into a totalitarian society in which reading and writing are banned, and only Toby remains free to try to rescue his parents and bring down Mitch and his crew. It's hard not to see some of the book's antecedents—the Borrowers, the Littles, etc.—but de Fombelle has built a unique world with a fully developed social and political structure.
Ages 9–up. (*Publisher's Weekly)
Mary Gaitskill has a reputation as the chronicler of bad relationships, but that label doesn't do justice to the stories she tells. Her relationships turn bad, or turn good, or just turn (and turn and turn). In every exploitation there's an attraction, or at least an accommodation; in every hostility there's a yearning for, or at least a memory of, connection. You see the intensity of people–friends and family as well as lovers–drawn together, and the often equally intense emptiness when the magnet flips and repels. Gaitskill is one of our best short story writers (that's a label that's fully just) and the prickly, sad brilliance of her last book, Veronica, confirmed her as a master of the novel, too. Don't Cry is just her third story collection in 20 years, after the modern classics Bad Behavior and Because They Wanted To, and it reminds you immediately of why you've been longing to read her again. Once more, there are former lovers and ex-friends and parents and children who have not quite made a hash of things, but there's also a broadening in this collection, especially in the title story, which looks at the ties of family and friendship when they are stretched across the global distance of privilege and poverty. –Tom Nissley
While this latest memoir from Susan Jane Gilman (former Hypocrite in a Pouffy White Dress) appears to be a saucy account of international sexcapades, it quickly reveals its whip-smarts, sucking you into a story that brilliantly captures the "ecstatic terror" of gleefully leaping from your comfort zone–and finding yourself in freefall. It's 1986, and newly minted ivy league grads Susy and her friend Claire have never left the U.S. when (inspired by a "Pancakes of Many Nations" promotion during a drunken night at IHOP) they hatch a plan to circle the world, starting in China, which has just opened to tourists. From the moment of arrival, they're out of their depth, perpetually hungry, foolish, and paranoid from relentless observation. Claire, who carries the complete works of Nietzsche "like a Gideon Bible," seems more capable than Susy until encounters with military police, hallucinatory fevers, and a frantic escape from a squalid hospital expose cracks in her psyche that utterly derail their plans. Rich with insight, dead-on dialogue, and canny characterization, Gilman's personal tale nails that cataclysmic collision of idealism and reality that so often characterizes young adulthood. Be prepared to wolf down the final hundred pages in one sitting.
—Mari Malcolm
While images of athletic and Hollywood celebrity decorated the rooms of his classmates, the walls of Said Sayrafiezadeh's youth were adorned with fierce glares from heavily-bearded revolutionaries. As the son of an Iranian father and Jewish-American mother–two souls united by a commitment to an impending socialist revolution–young Said spent his childhood working to make the comrades proud. He hawked the movement's rag, embraced a moniker of "the little revolutionary," and even embarked on a confusing trip to Cuba to spark his political awareness. Despite the seriousness of his cause, When Skateboards Will Be Free describes a politically-charged childhood with an innocence that forces smiles in unexpected places and reveals the heartache of a home soaked in idealism. The arrival of a socialist state not only promised to bring skateboards in bubblegum-bright colors to the masses; it also pledged to repair the rifts within Sayrafiezadeh's own home. – Dave Callanan
Best Book for Your Basketball Jones
Thirty years ago, college basketball was not the sport we know today. Few games were televised nationally and the NCAA tournament had just expanded from thirty-two to forty teams. Into this world came two exceptional players: Earvin "Magic" Johnson and Larry Bird. Though they played each other only once, in the 1979 NCAA finals, that meeting launched an epic rivalry, transformed the NCAA tournament into the multibillion-dollar event it is today, and laid the groundwork for the resurgence of the NBA.
In When March Went Mad, Seth Davis recounts the dramatic story of the season leading up to that game, as Johnson's Michigan State Spartans and Bird's Indiana State Sycamores overcame long odds and great doubts that their unheralded teams could compete at the highest level. Davis also tells the stories of their remarkable coaches, Jud Heathcote and Bill Hodges—who were new to their schools but who set their own paths to build great teams—and he shows how tensions over race and class heightened the drama of the competition. When Magic and Bird squared off in Salt Lake City on March 26, 1979, the world took notice—to this day it remains the most watched basketball game in the history of television—and the sport we now know was born.
Best Unexpected Epiphany Ever
When it comes to memoirs, a self-deprecating tone often fares very well (think David Sedaris, Haven Kimmel or Augusten Burroughs). Guillette's tepid offering could have used less ego and more edge. Soon after piquing her agent Jack's interest in a book about people's most embarrassing moments, Guillette discovers that her own personal gaffes are more glorious than those of her subjects. (She did, after all, once spill marinara sauce on celebrated essayist Phillip Lopate's tie). In the midst of these revelations, she falls hard for Jack, despite a good friend's warning that it's not likely to end well. The relationship indeed fizzles and Guillette wallows in angst, wondering what will happen to her career and her life. (All is not lost, alas; the men at the local pub still find her beautiful). Guillette interweaves her own travails with shame-inducing episodes imparted by others, ranging from incontinence in a moving vehicle to a noodle coming out the nose. The end result is neither funny nor tragic, but some prosaic place in between. (From Booklist)
Best Guided Tour of Hell
Littell opens his Second World War novel, told through the recollections of a German officer named Max Aue, with a breakdown of how many Germans, Soviets, and Jews died, minute by minute, in the conflict. As Aue travels to Stalingrad, Auschwitz, and Hungary to report on morale and efficiency, long sections of bureaucratic analysis alternate with moments of mind-numbing sadism. Aue, a caricature of moral failure (he fantasizes at length about sodomizing his twin sister), encounters a cast of unintentionally comic characters, such as an obese and flatulent proponent of the Final Solution, who surrounds himself with Teutonic beauties. The Holocaust is recast as an extended bout of office politics, with German officials quarrelling over who is responsible for prisoners� hygiene. As the novel draws to a violent close, its story seems nearly as senseless as the horrors it depicts. (From The New Yorker)
Best Book to Convince Your Kids That Snorkeling is Fun
From Booklist
Yaccarino is best known for his whimsical animal characters, including some, such as Oswald the octopus, who now star in their own television series. Here he switches focus to a real-world, human hero: famed oceanographer Jacques Cousteau. The brief, evenly paced text, which includes a few direct quotes, describes Cousteau's lifelong fascination with the sea, filmmaking, and invention, beginning with depictions of the scientist as a young boy, tinkering with cameras and swimming in the ocean to recover from chronic illness. Rendered in gouache and airbrush, the playful illustrations evoke popular mid-twentieth-century patterns and shades—a fitting reference to Cousteau's professional heyday. A few scenes seem to emphasize design over realistic depictions: undersea vessels, in particular, are indistinct shapes, and Cousteau himself often appears as a stylized figure. The fanciful, textured images give a sense of the sea's infinite swirl of life, though, and they are further grounded by the solid, straightforward words. Pair this energetic, inspiring biography with Jennifer Berne's Manfish (2008), another picture-book view of Cousteau's life and work. Grades K-3. –Gillian Engberg
Top Three Paperbacks of March
Courtesy of AMAZON.COM
Posted by Rj on March 28, 2009 in Amazon, ♥Best Sellers♥, ♥BOOKs♥
New from Brad Thor
* * * COMING JULY 2008* * *
From Simon & Schuster Publishing
Visit Brad Thor's high-tech website – click here
Posted by Rj on May 21, 2008 in 488, action, Amazon, ♥ ♥BOOK ♥ REVIEWs♥ ♥, ♥Best Sellers♥, ♥BOOKs♥, Books-A-Million, Brad Thor, Fiction, literature, novel, political thriller, Reviews, Scot Harvath, Simon Schuster, SimonSays, suspense, suspense/thriller
Tags: ♥BOOKs♥, best seller, Brad Thor, Fiction, novel, reading, Scot Harvath, series, suspense, terrorism, thriller


Our elegant Burmese were invited to present Alena Goretskaya Fall-Winter 2017-18 LookBook. Individuality of style, creative design solutions, precise attention and care for details made it possible for the brand to gain a reputable place among the fashion industry leaders in a short time.
Big thank you to Andrey Yakovlev & Lili Aleeva for impeccable sense of style and new unforgettable emotions!


text:
Q: Jsoup program type already present I am using JSoup to parse my HTML response in my Java application but when I add the implementation I get the following:

Program type already present: org.jsoup.Connection$KeyVal
  Message{kind=ERROR, text=Program type already present:
  org.jsoup.Connection$KeyVal, sources=[Unknown source file], tool
  name=Optional.of(D8)}

I am wondering has anyone experienced this before? I will add my full build.gradle below, I am running the most current SDK.
apply plugin: 'com.android.application'
       android {    compileSdkVersion 28    defaultConfig {
       applicationId "uareloadedapp"
       minSdkVersion 26
       targetSdkVersion 28
       versionCode 1
       versionName "1.0"
       testInstrumentationRunner "android.support.test.runner.AndroidJUnitRunner"    }    buildTypes {
       release {
           minifyEnabled false
           proguardFiles getDefaultProguardFile('proguard-android.txt'), 'proguard-rules.pro'
       }    }    productFlavors {    } }
       dependencies {    implementation fileTree(dir: 'libs', include: ['*.jar'])    implementation (name: 'wikitudesdk', ext:'aar')    implementation 'com.google.ar:core:1.1.0'    implementation 'com.android.support:appcompat-v7:28.0.0'    implementation 'org.altbeacon:android-beacon-library:2.15.2'    implementation 'com.android.support.constraint:constraint-layout:1.1.3'    testImplementation 'junit:junit:4.12'    androidTestImplementation 'com.android.support.test:runner:1.0.2'    androidTestImplementation 'com.android.support.test.espresso:espresso-core:3.0.2'    implementation 'com.android.support:recyclerview-v7:28.0.0'    implementation 'com.squareup.picasso:picasso:2.5.2'    implementation "com.android.support:support-core-utils:28.0.0"    implementation 'com.android.support:support-v4:28.0.0'    implementation 'pl.droidsonroids.gif:android-gif-drawable:1.2.+'    implementation 'org.jsoup:jsoup:1.11.3'
       } repositories {    flatDir{
       dirs 'libs'    } }

A: Check if there is anything that you have added as a dependency and is also in the libs folder. That was my problem. deleting the file from the lib folder fixed it


If an NFL official can be famous, then Ed Hochuli is famous.
And the man whose bicep has its own Twitter page and once appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated will be the lead referee for the Seahawks-Saints game Monday.
It will be Hochuli's first Seahawks game since Seattle beat the Jets 28-7 at home last Nov. 11.
It will also be the 21st time Hochuli has done a Seahawks game — Seattle has a record of 13-7 in the previous 20.


SAN JOSE — The Earthquakes placed one of its most ardent supporters groups on indefinite probation Saturday because of an incident last weekend involving a Portland fan.
The club said on its website the group known as the 1906 Ultras also had its travel privileges indefinitely suspended and will not be permitted to use celebratory "controlled smoke" at any match. The Quakes also plan to monitor the group's language during matches.
The announcement comes after Portland police said a Timbers fan that waved a team scarf at San Jose supporters was hit in the face and punched while driving to the Major League Soccer game at Jeld-Wen Field.
Authorities also said in a news release that the victim and several witnesses alleged 10 to 12 suspects jumped on the car and smashed the windshield. No arrests have been made.
The Ultras said in a statement on their website that they do not condone violence or criminal conduct.
The group's leaders also promised to compensate any victims from the clash as well cooperate with any police investigation.
The Ultras are one of three main supporters groups that follow the Earthquakes. They sit in front of the north goal at Buck Shaw Stadium pounding drums, singing songs and unfurling banners.