On My Soap Box...

I would like to apologize to any bloggers out there that might have felt a bit neglected by me lately. I've been dealing with a problem with my doberman. He had a couple of bouts with gas (although at the time I didn't know that was all he had).

During the second bout with gas it was Sunday morning (why these things don't happen under normal vet working hours/days I'll never know). He woke me up and couldn't walk. Scared me half to death. Notice that it wasn't pain in any specific place, nor was it unilateral. As I sat in the emergency vet's office explaining what I thought it could be (he was acting normally at that point) I realized my other dog was having some small problems as well. As I kept talking it dawned on me that it must be the food! I had gone through this once before with my dad's dog trying to figure out what was wrong and it was the dog food. Ah HAH! Looked up to see if the food had been sold to another company and found that other people have had the same question. The dog food I had selected was at one time very open about it's sources, but had become very tight lipped. Plus the food had been getting cheaper and cheaper.

Well, as soon as I had stopped the food and put him on a bland diet, my doberman rallied. I have selected a new food and I am now slowly adapting him to it. I'm adapting my other dog to the food and noticed that things I've been questioning (like her weeping eyes and ear infection) have been clearing up. I've also noticed that my doberman's skin quality has improved. I have researched this food and they are clear as to where their sources come from and I have found that they seem to be also concerned about it's quality as well.

I have found that whenever a dog food company sells to another it seems that the quality goes down. I didn't put any brand names down because I don't want to unduly influence people into changing what is working for them at the moment. I will say this... I will not buy from any dog or cat food company who's production company comes from Menu, Mars or Diamond. Diamond is the least of the 3, but they ruined one of my favorite dog foods. Sometimes you have to research a lot to find out who the production company is, but usually if you look around you can find it. Usually someone will post from the Whole Dog Journal as to what company produces what on their private blog. Just a hint. ;)

I also know about home-made raw food diets. They are really good especially when you find recipes that are endorsed by nutritional vets (not all vets have this speciality as an fyi). If you want a list of good books for this, just e-mail me and I'll try my best to get a good list of books for you. Anyway, I have done the raw food diet for my shelties because they both had health problems. They really lived very healthy lives despite their problems. I do attribute it to the diet. I am using a prepared diet now because of the ease. It's easier to have a diet that I can leave with a sitter in case I have to go somewhere in a short notice... like a family emergency. It's also a bit cheaper at the moment to do a prepared meal. However, if it comes down to it, I would do a raw diet again.

I guess I am now down off my soap box. I guess I just wanted to put it out there about how disappointed and upset I've been at these dog food companies. "sigh" Sorry for the long speech. :) Back to your regularly scheduled book reviews. :D

The Transformation of Bartholomew Fortuno by Ellen Bryson

From Goodreads: Water for Elephants meets Geek Love in this riveting first novel, an enchanting love story set in P. T. Barnum's American Museum in 1865 New York City

Bartholomew Fortuno, the World's Thinnest Man, believes that his unusual body is a gift. Hired by none other than P. T. Barnum to work at his spectacular American Museum—a modern marvel of macabre displays, breathtaking theatrical performances, and live shows by Barnum's cast of freaks and oddities—Fortuno has reached the pinnacle of his career. But after a decade of constant work, he finds his sense of self, and his contentment within the walls of the museum, flagging. When a carriage pulls up outside the museum in the dead of night, bearing Barnum and a mysterious veiled woman—rumored to be a new performer—Fortuno's curiosity is piqued. And when Barnum asks Fortuno to follow her and report back on her whereabouts, his world is turned upside down. Why is Barnum so obsessed with this woman? Who is she, really? And why has she taken such a hold on the hearts of those around her?

Set in the New York of 1865, a time when carriages rattled down cobblestone streets, raucous bordellos near the docks thrived, and the country was mourning the death of President Lincoln, The Transformation of Bartholomew Fortuno is a moving novel about human appetites and longings. With pitch-perfect prose, Ellen Bryson explores what it means to be profoundly unique—and how the power of love can transcend even the greatest divisions.

This book had me interested in what was going on right up to the end of the book. The main character and narrator, Bartholomew Fortuno believes that his extreme thinness as a gift, one that elevates him above the masses of "normal" people. His sense of who he is and how he has become so thin is a sense of pride for Bartholomew and it is reinforced by the reactions of the audience. When he meets another fellow performer, a new act in Barnum's museum, he finds his world changing. He starts to question things he never thought he'd ever question. So certain as he was to his world and the world around him. As he starts to venture outside his comfort zone, his perceptions start to change. As his perceptions change, his world starts to transform. Instead of gifts he sees the world is really of our own making. He also sees that the world changes no matter how hard we try to make our own world stagnant.

The mysteries of the self of each of the players in this book have you guessing as to who is hiding what and who is loyal to whom all set in a place that is at once open to the "normal" as it is closed. The climax of the book is not without it's surprises and it is quite shocking. The book in itself is a show and one that is well done and deserves it's own applause. The transformation is not of just one character, but of many. I recommend this book and give it 4 stars. This is one show you are invited to really know the characters.

I'd like to thank the Henry Holt and Company for providing me with the ARC.

CSN Product Review

Here is my CSN review. Instead of a needed bookshelf, I got something else instead. The bookshelves I was considering, at the time, unfortunately were sold out. Instead, I decided to get something else I've been needing. I've been wanting to put both my cable box and my dvd player under my tv. That way a huge doberman couldn't block my signal when standing in front of me and I'm trying to either change the channel or do something on the dvd. Therefore, I chose...

AVF Nexus AV Component System Wall Mount - NXS200

Of course I only got one... and in black. One holds 30 pounds and should accommodate both of my units onto one shelf. I ordered it and quickly received the package. I haven't put it up yet, because I need some help and I also need to get a cable extender for my cable box. However, I am quite pleased with the package and the sturdiness of the product. Too bad it doesn't come with a hunky werewolf or vampire to help me put this shelf up (and you thought I couldn't make this post paranormal... ha!). Oh well, I guess you can't have everything in one store. ;)

So, I found this website very easy to use, quick delivery, and I am very satisfied with the product. I do recommend going to a CSN store on-line. Good products and good service. Also, during Blogmania CSN has graciously allowed me to giveaway a gift certificate to a lucky person. So, do be around for that and enter to win. 

On My Wishlist...

Masques by Patricia Briggs (in print Oct. 2010)

This is a re-write from Patricia Briggs. It was published in the early 90s.

From Patricia's Web site: Masques was the first book I ever attempted to write. I'd never read any books on writing, nor talked to anyone who knew the first thing about constructing a novel. All I had was a life spent reading obsessively and the conviction that I knew how to tell a story. Wolf was the first character I drew up, mainly because he had starred, in one form or another, in many of the stories I'd made up through the years. I knew I wasn't skilled enough to take upon myself the task of writing a believable male viewpoint character, so I needed a female lead. I tried several of them. The innocent young miss so beloved by the series romances of the late seventies, early eighties was mincemeat when confronted by Wolf. The hardened warrior maid clashed with him horribly. Humor, I thought, was the only way to deal with a man scarred inside and out the way Wolf was. Aralorn had humor and toughness with a dash of competence and some real limitations to play off of Wolf's impressive, if almost uncontrollable abilities.

There are, of course, things I would change about Masques, explanations I'd clarify, scenes I'd add to improve the overall pacing. I wish my writing skills had been up to the level of the characters; in fact I wrote a sequel, just so I could do them justice. The sequel hasn't yet seen the light of day, but I don't intend for it to stay locked in my trunk forever.

Wolfsbane by Patricia Briggs (to be published in Nov. 2010) 


This is the long awaited sequel to the first book. Gotta love that cover!


So, what have you been wishing for? :)

Paul is Undead by Alan Goldsher Blog Tour

From Goodreads: LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, IT'S TIME TO REALLY MEET THE BEATLES. 

For John Lennon, a young, idealistic zombie guitarist with dreams of global domination, Liverpool seems the ideal place to form a band that could take over the world. In an inspired act, Lennon kills and reanimates local rocker Paul McCartney, kicking off an unstoppable partnership. With the addition of newly zombified guitarist George Harrison and drummer/Seventh Level Ninja Lord Ringo Starr, the Beatles soon cut a swath of bloody good music and bloody violent mayhem across Europe, America, and the entire planet. 

In this searing oral history, discover how the Fab Four climbed to the Toppermost of the Poppermost while stealing the hearts, ears, and brains of smitten teenage girls. Learn the tale behind a spiritual journey that resulted in the dismemberment of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Marvel at the seemingly indestructible quartet’s survival of a fierce attack by Eighth Level Ninja Lord Yoko Ono. And find out how the boys escaped eternal death at the hands of England’s greatest zombie hunter, Mick Jagger.

Through all this, one mystery remains: Can the Beatles sublimate their hunger for gray matter, remain on top of the charts, and stay together for all eternity? After all, three of the Fab Four are zombies, and zombies live forever. . . .

This book is another mashup, this time of the Beatles themselves. It is a humorous book in the vein of all those humor movies and books on zombies. It is written like a tell-all biography endorsed by the Beatle zombies themselves (oh, and Ringo who is a living Ninja Lord). You also get some insights into other icons of the Rock era like Mick Jagger, Roy Orbison, and even Elvis. There is a story within all the "revelations" and humor which moves the book along.

I do caution those that are die-hard Beatles fans. If you cannot see your fab 4 "messed" with, do not pick up this book. Even though it is told with humor, I do believe that those fans might be horrified that Lennon is angry and a warmonger. Paul, and George who also believes as Lennon (it's the zombie nature as is often quoted). Those that can find humor in seeing their idols in a completely different and humorous light, go for this book. You might find a good laugh in it. Also, knowing this is a zombie book understand that it is also a violent book with lots of brain eating and mayhem. So, those that like their humor in a more gentle light might also look elsewhere.

I give this book 3 stars. It was a fun and humorous book with lots of zombie goodies to keep you interested. I only gave it 3 stars because I also think it was one that is more for a specific audience instead of a wide ranging paranormal audience.