The Twelfth Insight: The Hour of Decision Review

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(More customer reviews)I've read (and own) all of James Redfield's books. I'll review the book momentarily, but let me give a little background on where my review is coming from. I'm interested in the human situation, thinking, and consciousness. I enjoy philosophy (Nietzsche, Schopenhauer, Wittgenstein, J. Krishnamurti,etc.) and I'm really into the writings/teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh, and Buddhist/Taoist philosophy in general. I also enjoy the Walking Dead and Chew comic books, Seinfeld, and Arrested Development on TV. These interests, I believe, give you a taste of my tastes. I'm not a New Age person, per se.
I tried reading Louise Hay's stuff and other Hay House publications (the Abraham series, etc.) and I've seen the Secret and read things written by some of the presenters thereon, and plenty of other things of that sort. While I "get them", they all just seem far too "me" oriented. From what they seem to be saying--in my quite possibly erroneous interpretation--is that the whole point of life is to manifest cars and boats and live forever. And an Abraham cruise-ship?! Seems weird to me (if you've got the money to take a cruise, might you consider manifesting food for the poor, or clean water for third world nations?)And while I understand that those sorts of things click with some people--everyone is at a different point in their journey--they don't click with me. I can not get around the irony found in a text or a video that tells me to transcend my ego, yet at the same time tells me that my ego might like me to have more money and a bigger house. And take a cruise.
Back to James Redfield. He's different. He doesn't appear to be in it for the money. For goodness sake, he offers a bimonthly (I think?) webcast/teleconference with anyone who wants to join, FOR FREE! Anyhow, I started with his stuff by first seeing the Celestine Prophecy Movie a few years ago. Then I promptly read all of the books, and I've just finished reading The Twelfth Insight. I loved it.
What I love and appreciate about Redfield's philosophy is that it isn't "me" focused. Whether you start with the first book (which you probably ought to) or you start with this latest, you'll be shown how to exist in the world with more compassion towards others.
The Twelfth Insight is very similar in structure to the other books in the series: The (unnamed)hero catches wind of a document and travels the world looking for more pieces of it, all the while learning more and more about it. People who read Redfield probably aren't looking for an adventure so much as they're looking for philosophy, and The Twelfth Insight provides a great one.
I really, truly believe that if a person were to actually read these books--with an open-mind--and investigate for themselves the truths that are offered inside (like the Buddha would recommend!), s/he would come to a striking revelation that we are, in fact, all One. The Twelfth Insight, essentially, is an action/adventure detailing how an open-minded person can get to that feeling of Oneness, with the hope to sustain it.And to the Redfield faithful, if you're reading this: Yes, it's worth it. And you'll wish you could read it for the first time all over again, just like the other books in the series.
Peace to you. Enjoy!
=)

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On December 21, 2012, the Mayan calendar will end. Many see it as an apocalyptic sign.But is it?In The Twelfth Insight, the long-awaited fourth book in the beloved Celestine Series, we again follow our Hero and his close friend Wil. They have just received a portion of another ancient and mysterious manuscript that describes a secret approach to spirituality that is silently arriving in the second decade of the 21st Century. But the manuscript is only available in fragments. To understand its full meaning for mankind, our Hero and Wil begin an urgent search to find the message in its entirety. As they embrace the power of Synchronicity and begin their search, they are confronted by powerful political forces and religious extremists that stand in the way of these spiritual revelations. Utilizing what he calls the "parable effect," and based on his own sources, James Redfield explores the similarities and differences that exist among the world religions, revealing the essential messages contained within them that can energize our experience of spirituality-- and produce a new wave of integrity and reform that can transform our lives and our world.

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The Girl in the Steel Corset (The Steampunk Chronicles) Review

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(More customer reviews)I have to say that most of my steampunk experience involves zombies and werewolves and other delightful bumps in the night. While The Girl In The Steel Corset lacks in this domain, it tackles steampunk in its most basic of essences and gives us a fantastic world where Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Hyde, and artificial intelligence battle for supremacy.
The world that Kady Cross imagined is magnificent and well-done in its intricacies. Machines have been integrated into society, but not quite at the peak where they can think for themselves. Aether seems to hold endless possibilities - out-of-body traveling, dual personalities, ghostly visitations, impressive strength, fast healing times, and most likely even more to discover. It was awesome, and the best part is that the characters were also exploring the world that they live in so I didn't feel like the only one in the dark.
I enjoyed all the characters, most particularly Jack Dandy, but I wished we had spent a little more time with them! Each had their own spotlight, but it seemed to last a moment too short before rushing off to the next character, the next piece of the puzzle. I wanted a little more insight on what made Griffin tick. Orphaned, bred as a duke but not really elbow-deep in society and marriage prospects, full of mystery and emotions unknown, Griffin still seemed too stiff for me to root for. If Finley's heart boils down to Griffin and Jack, count me in as Team Jack!The Girl In The Steel Corset reminds me of Kelley Armstrong's Darkest Powers trilogy without the paranormal aspect, but with similar group of characters who have powers unimaginable but also uncontrollable. This first installment has not quite dazzled me, but I look forward to seeing if the sequel will continue to expand this world and give these characters more edge now that the introductory stuff is done.

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In 1897 England, sixteen-year-old Finley Jayne has no one…except the "thing" inside her.When a young lord tries to take advantage of Finley, she fights back. And wins. But no normal Victorian girl has a darker side that makes her capable of knocking out a full-grown man with one punch….Only Griffin King sees the magical darkness inside her that says she's special, says she's one of them. The orphaned duke takes her in from the gaslit streets against the wishes of his band of misfits: Emily, who has her own special abilities and an unrequited love for Sam, who is part robot; and Jasper, an American cowboy with a shadowy secret.Griffin's investigating a criminal called The Machinist, the mastermind behind several recent crimes by automatons. Finley thinks she can help-and finally be a part of something, finally fit in.But The Machinist wants to tear Griff's little company of strays apart, and it isn't long before trust is tested on all sides. At least Finley knows whose side she's on-even if it seems no one believes her.

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Feed (Newsflesh, Book 1) Review

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(More customer reviews)I am reviewing an Advance Reading Copy provided by the publisher.
The year is 2039 and bloggers have taken over the world. Twenty five years ago the Kellis-Amberlee virus went live. Infected humans and animals began reanimating after death--some underwent spontaneous change--to become walking feeding machines. With an appetite for the truth as insatiable as a zombie's diet, Georgia--George--Mason and her brother, Shaun, have climbed the ranks of news bloggers around the world. Their ratings have everything to gain from their recent invitation to join a senator's political campaign. Now they're on the road providing coverage of what's promising to be the campaign trail for the next President of the United States of America. There's only one problem: wherever they go, KA begins breaking out, putting the team at risk. Will they survive to see their candidate win the Republican ticket?
Feed is Seanan McGuire's third published book, but first under the pen name Mira Grant. Fans of her October Daye books will recognize some similarities between the two series. Mainly, these are minor--writers will invariably develop quirks that nuance their writing. Georgia is an independent, no-nonsense workaholic with a license that requires her to carry a gun and a disease that makes it impossible for her to cry. Clearly Grant likes writing strong female protagonists. They lean toward the flinty end of the spectrum and stop just short of growling when not amused.
It might appear at first that the inability to cry is going a bit overboard. It isn't necessary to literally remove a reaction stereotypically associated with the female gender to show how tough she is, but Georgia makes it clear how frustrating Retinal KA really is. She wants access to that human reaction and is frequently reminded of the deprivation, however much reliant she is on it when the situation requires stoicism. Here is a character fighting against two polarities. Her tears were stolen and without the necessary moisture, she can't even "tear up" about it. Add to this being adopted by parents making the gesture for the ratings and Georgia's developed into a very sympathetic character. She's had a difficult life--who wouldn't, growing up in a world where fear of contagion has kept people indoors and glued to their computer screens? What makes her--and her fellow bloggers, Shaun and Buffy--different is knowing when to put fear and terror aside to keep living.
How they earn that living is very interesting. When established media proved untrustworthy reporting the first outbreak, the world turned to bloggers. Bloggers spoke for the common good--as much to inform themselves as the frightened public. They helped make sense of the unexplained chaos breaking out across the nation. Enter Shaun and Georgia, sponsors willing to fund their efforts, and After the End Times was born. Grant manages to build a convincing news body which isn't too far from the truth. Some people already rely enormously on the internet and trust amateur bloggers for any number of needs. Grant's astute observations integrate this relationship with her own universe to mesh into the working framework of her narrative.
Grant's characters are solid; her universe well-established. It's so established that readers may become as exasperated over the meticulous mention of blood testing kits and procedure as the characters were to get tested. Grant has thought of everything--not just the small details to consider when and how an outbreak could occur. Feed is politics-heavy, not just because George and Shaun are on the campaign trail. Kellis-Amberlee is cause to reconsider things like the death penalty (why kill someone when a dormant virus goes live at death, thus endangering the public at large), gun control laws, pet ownership, and public gatherings. Playing in the backyard now depends on the danger level your neighborhood has been zoned for. Presidential candidates are made or broken on a campaign trail riddled with archaic practices now seen as brave instead of expected.
I do have one, and only one, thing to nitpick about. George's relationship with her brother Shaun was a bit too unrealistic for me. I say this only because I have a brother and we're pretty inseparable, but would never share the same bed with each other, let alone the same room. I suppose it's a bit immature of me, but I couldn't relate to certain aspects of their relationship and so didn't appreciate how close they were as much as I could have. Other readers (who have siblings) may feel otherwise--I can only hope they do. After all, this is a fault of my own. About as close to understanding as I came was realizing they also had a working relationship that functioned best under those circumstances. And in the end, they were a strong pair. I can't complain too much.
With Feed, Mira Grant proves she's an author to be reckoned with. The book may be lengthy (almost 600 pages), but we have to remember it's the first in a self-contained trilogy. There's such a large and complex story to tell--a lesser book would not be this involved. If readers haven't already started paying attention to Seanan McGuire because of her October Daye books, Feed will do the trick. There may be similarities between it and her other books--mysterious murders, resilient and accident-prone female protagonist with ready access to pain medication and a constant need for good night's rest, deranged bad guy, suspect good guys--but you also can't let yourself miss a book where one of the main characters runs around in a chain-mail shirt for fun, can you? And, there's a kitty. You can't beat kitties.
I do not know when its sequel, Deadline, will be out, but I'm looking forward to it. I hear it has epileptic teacup bulldogs.

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The Last Little Blue Envelope Review

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(More customer reviews)When Ginny Blackstone received thirteen little blue envelopes last summer she recognized them for what they were: a wild adventure laid out by her Peg--Ginny's wildly interesting aunt who could never do anything the simple, mundane way.
The envelopes led Ginny to England and on an adventure across Europe. Along the way Ginny learned a lot about her aunt and herself. Until her adventure was cut short when the last little blue envelope was stolen. Even without that final piece, without that bit of closure, Ginny knows that summer was the most exciting thing she has ever done. Too bad she can't explain any of that in 1000 words for her college application essay.
Months later, Ginny is still struggling with those college applications. She is still wondering about that last blue envelope.
Then an inscrutable English boy offers Ginny the last little blue envelope. For a price. She doesn't much like Oliver. She definitely doesn't trust him. And she knows he has his own agenda. But she also knows she has to accept his offer. It's what Aunt Peg would do and, now, it's what Ginny needs to do.
This last piece of Ginny's adventure has no rules. It will lead her back to familiar sites and old friends. It will test Ginny's mettle, and maybe even her sanity when it comes to dealing with Oliver. This trip will be the stuff of a great college application (and a great story) in The Last Little Blue Envelope (2011) by Maureen Johnson.
The Last Little Blue Envelope is the sequel to Johnson's earlier novel 13 Little Blue Envelopes.
More than a great sequel, this book is a wonderful story in its own right. Realistically, The Last Little Envelope probably cannot stand alone. But Johnson does provide a good balance of summary and new content to make the book work well. Readers will find everything they loved about 13 Little Blue Envelopes here along with a lot of new characters and more zany adventures across Europe.
The Last Little Blue Envelope answers all of the questions left unresolved in the first book and provides a satisfying conclusion to the myriad misadventures of Ginny Blackstone during her travels abroad. As always Johnson brings her pitch perfect humor and excellent pacing to this story. The Last Little Envelope is definitely a book that will leave you smiling.
Possible Pairings: Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly, Enchanted Ivy by Sarah Beth Durst, Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan, Where I Belong by Gwendolyn Heasley

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Ginny Blackstone thought that the biggest adventure of her life was behind her. She spent last summer traveling around Europe, following the tasks her aunt Peg laid out in a series of letters before she died. When someone stole Ginny's backpack-and the last little blue envelope inside-she resigned herself to never knowing how it was supposed to end.

Months later, a mysterious boy contacts Ginny from London, saying he's found her bag. Finally, Ginny can finish what she started. But instead of ending her journey, the last letter starts a new adventure-one filled with old friends, new loves, and once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Ginny finds she must hold on to her wits . . . and her heart. This time, there are no instructions.

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Fade Out (Morganville Vampires, Book 7) Review

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(More customer reviews)Rachel Caine has done it once again with the latest installment of her Morganville Vampire Series with Fade Out.
Just when Claire Danvers thought she could finally get a rest after having dealt with Amelie's father, Bishop, Kim show's up in her life like a sudden black hole. Eve gets a part in the town play with Kim. Claire feels like Eve is ignoring her to deal with her new friend, almost like she is now the third wheel. To make matters worse, she finds out that Shane used to date Kim for all of two seconds but their more to that story. When Claire finds out what Kim is really doing with all the video cameras that she has, Claire and her friends must find them all and confront Kim before everything is destroyed. But that's not all, Ada, Myrnins computer, starts to go all haywire more than usual and Claire has to deal with that as well.
What I liked about Fade Out was how Rachel Caine let all four characters explore more emotions than they ever have. With Eve and Michael, there is more emotion with what they are going through through out the book and the same with Claire and Shane. Just like in the previous books, Rachel sticks true to each characters dialogue and uniqueness. A few more characters are introduced in the book along with the original.
Through out the book, you can sort of tell what the next book will be about but not know at the same time. If you enjoyed the previous books in The Morganville Vampire Series, then you are bound to enjoy the newest addition, Fade Out.
The Other Books In The Series:
Glass Houses (Morganville Vampires, Book 1)
The Dead Girls' Dance (Morganville Vampires, Book 2)
Midnight Alley (Morganville Vampires, Book 3)
Feast of Fools (Morganville Vampires, Book 4)
Lord of Misrule (Morganville Vampires, Book 5)
Carpe Corpus (Morganville Vampires, Book 6)
The next book, Kiss of Death, will be released in late April or early May and book nine is also due out in 2010.
The series will have a total of 12 books total. (Numbers may change)


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Withoutthe evil vampire Bishop ruling over the town of Morganville, the resident vampires have made major concessions to the human population. With their newfound freedoms, Claire Danvers and her friends are almost starting to feel comfortable again... Now Claire can actually concentrate on her studies, and her friend Eve joins the localtheatrecompany. But when one of Eve's castmates goes missing after starting work on a shortdocumentary, Eve suspects the worst. Claire and Eve soon realize that this film project, whose subjectis the vampires themselves, is a wholelot bigger-andway more dangerous-than anyone suspected.

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Aphrodite the Diva (Goddess Girls) Review

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(More customer reviews)Excuse me, a D in Hero-logy? Aphrodite deserved nothing better than an A in everything. Everyone A-dored her, A-dmired her, A-ccepted her . . . why even her name began with an A. Now she was going to be known as a dumb airhead at Mount Olympus Academy. It was Hero Day, the start of Hero Week at MOA and she'd have to work fast to convince Mr. Cyclops to raise her grade before anyone caught wind of her predicament. Aphrodite was positive that her best friends Persephone, Athena, and Artemis had to have done well in Hero-logy and if malicious Medusa heard about it, it would be all over the academy before a single snake on her head could even bat any of their ugly eyes. There was that "unfortunate incident" in which she started a war on earth, but perhaps Mr. Cyclops might be willing to overlook it. When Aphrodite brought up the possibility of raising her grade he simply told her to "Spend a little less time on being a diva and more time on your studies." What nerve! Looked like spending Hero Week on vacation with her friends was definitely out.
Athena was the one with the brains, but in a pinch Aphrodite could come up with a plan if she tried hard enough. She had to admit that trying to match up Paris with Helen was a flop, but her sixth diva sense told her that creating a Lonely Hearts Club might just be the ticket to raising her grades. It would be a club for mortals who wanted to "find love." After all, Aphrodite was the goddess of love and a matchmaker superior (or so she thought). The first thing to do was to make up excuses as to why she was staying at MOA during Hero Week and secondly she'd have to dispatch Pheme, the big mouth who "could spread news faster than a herald in a speeding chariot," to let the mortals know about her new club. In the meantime Zeus was so mad about that little war he was storming around MOA like a tornado in Kansas. Before long she overheard mortals talking about her. "Aphrodite is starting a Lonely Darts Club." Oh, no!" She soon got half a letter from some guy named Pyg and soon found herself being challenged from some "hoity-toity Egyptian goddess" who claimed SHE was the goddess of love. And then there were those strange riddlescrolls from someone who was obviously crushing on her (didn't everyone?). What is the world was going on? Was she barking up the wrong olive tree trying to raise her grade by starting a Lonely Hearts Club?
Adorable airhead, Aphrodite, will charm the sandals off everyone when she starts her Lonely Hearts Club for mortals. Aphrodite might be the beautiful goddessgirl, but she also might be the one that could use a bit more common sense. This storyline, as all those in the goddessgirl tales before it, kept me reading right along with high interest. No doubt the Goddess Girls series is an easy way to learn about Greek mythology, but now in "Aphrodite the Diva" we meet her Egyptian rival, Isis, and learn a bit about what goes on with another equally determined goddess and her admiring passel of mortals. I loved the humor and sentences like "Pinky swear was obviously a universal language" made me chuckle. In this book we meet a new pigheaded character named Pygmalion that everyone will fall in love with as much as they have with the many other godboys in this series. Aprhodite certainly meets her match with Isis, but I'm not going to tell you what happens with the rivalry because you'll just have to read the book. If you've read any of the series before you'll easily immerse yourself in this tale and if you haven't, you'll definitely want to check out the other goddessgirls!This book courtesy of the authors.

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In book 6, after a teeny misunderstanding in class, Aphrodite is failing Hero-ology. To raise her grade, she concocts a brilliant plan--an extra-credit project for matchmaking mortals. This brings her face-to-face with fierce competition--an Egyptian goddessgirl named Isis. Now the race is on to see which of them can matchmake Pygmalion--the most annoying boy ever! Will Aphrodite wind up making a passing grade after all? Or will she end up proving she's a diva with more beauty than brains?These classic myths from the Greek pantheon are given a modern twist that contemporary tweens can relate to, from dealing withbullies like Medusa to a first crush on an unlikely boy. Goddess Girlsfollows four goddesses-in-training - Athena, Persephone, Aphrodite, andArtemis - as they navigate the ins and outs of divine social life atMount Olympus Academy, where the most priviledged gods and goddesses ofthe Greek pantheon hone their mythical skills.

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Tempt Me at Twilight (Hathaways, Book 3) Review

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(More customer reviews)If you thought the Hathaway series got off to a slow start I can assure you it is full steam ahead now. As far as I'm concerned this is the best of the series by far. Tempt Me At Twilight is one of the most romantic romances I have read in a very long time. Poppy Hathaway is up to bat in this one and she already has her heart set on the Honorable Michael Bayning. They have courted all season long and Poppy is just waiting for him to pop the question so she can live happily ever after.
Enter wealthy hotel owner Harry Rutledge. He owns the hotel where her family spends the season in London. If you follow this series you will remember Beatrice of the many animal menagerie? Her ferret, Dodger, is loose in the hotel and Poppy must catch him before a love letter he has stolen causes a scandal. This clever opening to the story will have you laughing out loud as Harry and Poppy definitely "meet cute." Beatrice approves Harry immediately when she finds out he has been ferret approved. She is even more impressed when she finds out Dodger chewed a hole in his chair and Harry didn't even blink. The rest of the family is not so easily impressed.
In fact the entire family wants to murder him when they find out just how far he'll go in order to have Poppy for his wife. Believe me, he is a very bad boy. Oh, but to have a man love you like he loves Poppy? Yes, ladies, we would all give a favorite body part for a delicious man like Harry Rutledge. This is some of the best writing I have seen from Lisa Kleypas ever. It is truly a romance where we aren't just told that A loves B, we SEE it. In living color we see and hear the hero lose his heart to Poppy. I fell in love with Poppy too. She really shines in this tale and is perfect for Harry in every way.
I could go on and on about how well written this book is but don't take my word for it. You will definitely want this one on your keeper shelf so run out and get it right now so you can spend as many pleasant hours as I did. That is my only complaint about this book. It wasn't nearly long enough. Oh, and Leo is up next. This book gives us a few teasers and it looks to be another wonderful story. Unfortunately we have to wait until Summer 2010 for Leo's story. But if it is even half as good as this one I'll be satisfied. Well done, Ms. Kleypas. Very well done.

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Poppy Hathaway loves her unconventional family, though she longs for normalcy. Then fate leads to a meeting with Harry Rutledge, an enigmatic hotel owner and inventor with wealth, power, and a dangerous hidden life. When their flirtation compromises her own reputation, Poppy shocks everyone by accepting his proposal—only to find that her new husband offers his passion, but not his trust.Harry was willing to do anything to win Poppy—except to open his heart. All his life, he has held the world at arm's length…but the sharp, beguiling Poppy demands to be his wife in every way that matters. Still, as desire grows between them, an enemy lurks in the shadows. Now if Harry wants to keep Poppy by his side, he must forge a true union of body and soul, once and for all...

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