Book Review: Breathless

Picture by Chocolate Geek

Puzzle and Riddle. There two enchanting creatures are the main reason why I liked this book. As a huge Dean Koontz fan, this was the latest book on my list. I am continually intrigued and captivated by the ideas and characters Koontz presents.

Breathless will leave you just that – holding your breath in anticipation of the next chapter, the next unique synchronous event to boggle your mind and stretch your imagination farther than it’s gone before. Although it may be a bit disjointed and rambling at times, if you love to stretch your brain into areas of the unknown and unusual, this story will deliver. Chaos theory, evolution, and glow-in-the dark pigs await.

His love and adoration for the canine species pops up again with Merlin, a gentle and good-natured Irish wolfhound, who with his master Grady Adams discover an unusual pair of animals unlike anything seen before. The playfulness, beauty and features of Puzzle and Riddle will captivate you and have you pondering the beauty and variety of life on planet Earth.

Grady requests the help of veterinarian Dr. Camillia Rivers to identify these eccentric creatures. Meanwhile synchronicity brings seemingly unrelated events together. In Las Vegas the casinos are visited by a card counter of a most unusual nature. Dr. Lamar Woolsey, mathematician and physics professor uses his knowledge of cards to give great gifts. A disfigured vagrant begins a strange journey into the unknown, following signs only he can see. Violent psychopath Henry Rouvroy hunts down his identical twin to steal his identity. Elsewhere a law-breaking lawyer sets up the murder of his own family.

With his fast paced story telling, Koontz reveals intriguing characters bit by bit. They can be both innocently charming and hideously evil. He weaves together story lines and characters so vastly different and divergent you are left contemplating their connection with each other and the unpredictability of life.

While this may not have been Koontz’s best work, it was none the less an interesting and enjoyable read. Unlike many authors, Koontz leaves you with unanswered questions, things for you to ponder and think about. And that is what I love best about Dean Koontz – how he makes you think.

Best Ways to Deal With a Harry Potter Hater.

Yes, believe it or not HP Fans, there are actually people who do not adore our little black-haired, super-genius, evil-defeating hero known as Harry Potter. These foolish muggles overlook the greatness of The-Boy-Who-Lived, thinking him nothing more than a silly little child.

When you come upon such addle-brained and unenlightened people, simply try some of these well proven strategies to cope with their narrow little minds:

1. Make sure they are healthy. Find out if they have had a recent check-up. A head injury could account for their confusion on the subject. Check their pulse and peer into their eyes to be sure they are breathing and not in a coma.
2. Be friends. Assure them that you understand how much better the Jedi in Star Trek was. Always salute them with “Live Long in the Force.” This is sure to please.
3. Squeal in horror as you recognize a Death Eater in disguise. Shout “Death to Voldemort,” and run away screaming.
4. Express your sympathy about their being dyslexic. No wonder they haven’t read the books yet poor things!
5. Gently pat their hand and assure them it’s alright to be afraid of the unknown. Offer to teach them the “Lumos” spell if they’re also afraid of the dark.
6. Send them frequent HP updates, including new movies, the upcoming theme park, each character’s film career and whatever other interesting tidbits you can find. Tell them “you don’t know what you’re missing – let me show you.”
7. Remark on how much they look like a Harry Potter character. Argue with yourself over which one they remind you of most. “Hagrid - no, Dumbledore – certainly not, ahh, I have it – Dobby!”
8. Report them to the Ministry of Magic. These are obviously criminal masterminds whose resistance to the esteemed Mr. Potter is simply a reflex of their dislike for any “meddling goody-two-shoes.”
9. Assume they are a pessimist who thinks everyone is terrible. Suggest you can teach them skills to become as optimist as you have been inspired by the heroics of Harry and his friends. Offer to give them numerous examples.
10. Check them into the nearest psychiatric hospital for examination. Nothing but mental impairment sufficiently explains their lack of adoration for our favorite hero. :0)

Check out this fun video on You Tube.

For more ways to annoy Harry Potter Haters.

P.S. Check out my other web site Bright Days for a look at the upcoming Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park in Orlando, FL. Opening Spring 2010.

Be a Better Villain.

Humor gives us perspective and insight into almost any situation. This book review/humor guide helps us to see how even something as terrible as crime and plots to destroy the world can be funny. Using humor, exaggeration, and playfulness, this look at make-believe evil can be used as salve against real-life malevolence and foul deeds.

The Villain’s Guide to Better Living by Neil Zawacki is a fun-filled, rib-tickling romp through the mind and life of your average evil doer. As Neil explains the hardships of villainy “You can invent a death ray, but you still have to work nights at the video store. You can even replace all humanity with robots, but you can’t convince any of them to go to the movies with you.”

Through this book we find that like real-world criminals, those in the fantasy realm suffer the same fears, frustrations and issues as we every day citizens. Many are geeky, immature, self-conscious and nervous. They struggle with home decorating – should they use glowing green mutant men or the warm orange glow of torches for indoor lighting?

What about home protection? Should you go with a classic, paint-peeling, bat-infested, musty, creaky haunted house, or simply use an invisibility spell to keep out intruders? What about work? You need money to finance your diabolical ventures. You may need a professional resume writer. One proficient in wording and phrasing who can turn: “Raising an army of the dead,” into “Knowledgeable in training coworkers.”

There are even tips for your daily commute. Such as making those traffic jams more bearable by “unleashing your swarm of monkey men.” I have to admit I find the idea tempting myself. If only I had thought to make such an army! There are even tips for “motivating your minions.” Some suggested techniques are “whippings, bribery, ogre supervisors, and lots and lots of shouting.’ Wait – that sounds somewhat familiar. . .

Mr. Zawacki even dips into the social arena, with tips on forming fiendish alliances. Thoughts include “creating life (your own undead monster), secret societies, seedy alien bars, and mind control (such as hypnotism).” Couple that with a one-eyed moat monster or a three-headed hellhound and you’ve got all the companionship any bad guy could ask for.

We could all do with a good laugh, and this book provides those in spades! Filled with unpleasant insight, and revolting revelations, this is one horrifically good read. With all the stress of politics, finances, and the every day struggle of living, this is a must read for humor fans and horror fans alike. Check it out today.

Explore a New World – Open a Book!

Neuschwanstein: The Bavarian Castle by jeffwilcox

I am a tried and true bookworm. I absolutely LOVE TO READ! It’s in my blood the way sailing ships or climbing mountains is in other people’s blood. I’ve read so many books over the years I astound even myself. I am constantly amazed by the un-ending amount of new authors and new stories to explore.

You might think that books are a bit repetitive and dull. After all, how many different ways can the good guys win? Or how many different types of dragons can roam these fantasy worlds? The answer is: endless varieties!

I recently finished two fantastically entertaining books in the last two days. The first was “High Druid of Shannara: Straken.” It was the end of a trilogy written by Terry Brooks, and an amazing voyage. It has druids and castles, trolls, dwarves, flying ships, magic of all kinds, and that’s before you even get to the World of the Forbidding.

The second book was the uplifting and inspiring Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli. It was such a fresh and fun-filled change from Straken that I read it in less than 24 hours. Wow. Stargirl, as her name implies, comes into the dull, ordinary lives of the students of Mica High School and turns their world upside down. In a whirlwind of color and flair Stargirl wreaks her havoc by having the nerve to be different in a town where no one stands out.

Both books were engaging, captivating, exhilarating and utterly mesmerizing. Whenever the world seems dull, depressing, or I’m just looking for a new ideas, books are a great source of inspiration. Like the popular Narnia tales by C.S. Lewis, each author has his or her own take on life. Even when the book is set in the normal, everyday world, these tales have insights and understandings into life that many of us miss.

I recommend reading to everyone. No matter what your interest, there is a book, magazine, comic book or audio recording on the topic. Next time you’re looking for an interesting change, stop by your nearest library or bookstore and pick up a new read. It’ll be the start of a whole new world.

Check out What Should I Read Next for ideas on the next author and title you should check out next. Just put in the name of your favorites and click the button to find a great new story.

Escape into a good book.

When I started out, reading in school as a kid, I read mostly what the teacher recommended or something really popular. As a teen, I read lots of horror novels, mainly Stephen King. (This was largely the result of my mother reading these and having them available, but they were good books – especially the early ones.) I have always loved to disappear into a good book. When I was a kid, I used reading to tune out on others things; my brother and sister fighting, or my mom watching the soap operas she recorded. I wouldn’t even hear people talking to me, and many times had to be called to dinner five times before I responded.

This habit followed me into adulthood as well. I could sit anywhere, even if people were talking or a radio was playing, and read without a problem. I would get so engrossed in a great story, that when my husband was talking me to me I wouldn’t even hear him. As his irritation with this grew, I realized I had to stop. Now, I actually put down the book when someone starts talking to me, but it’s still a great way to escape if I need to.

My preferences in reading changed too. In the past I read the same style of books over and over. Now I read lots of things, fantasy, suspense, pre-historic, paranormal, and of course, children’s books. Yes, the first time I went to get a children’s book as an adult I felt very conspicuous (I didn’t even have a child with me). But after the initial unease, and after reading the first few, I realized this was a great genre. For one thing, children’s authors can’t write a slow story. The kids would put it down and pick up a video game instead. So their stories are very action-packed and detail oriented. The other great thing is that fact that they’re written for children. Many of them are scary, exciting and hilarious all in the same book. Because that’s how kids experience life – all at once.

I’m sure many of you don’t like these types of books; maybe you like reading newspapers, or doing puzzles, or just a biography or two. That’s great! Go for it! There’s really something out there for everyone. Even if you only read for help – such as a crafting book or a handyman guide, reading will expand your vision and bring insight into your life.

Here are just a few of my favorite authors and books

• Dean Koontz – Life Expectancy, Velocity, The Taking, Hideaway, Fear Nothing, and many, many more.
  

• James Rollins – Excavation, Subterranean, Deep Fathom, Amazonia and Ice Hunt. Great adventure/thrill writer.

• Kathleen & W. Michael Gear – The First North Americans Series. There are many, many books by this great duo. They offer great adventures into the pre-historic past. Writing that is very detailed with vibrant characters.

• J.K. Rowling – all of her wonderful Harry Potter series. I vote for this most vigorously simply because her books got so many kids reading again. Enchanting and exciting, a must read for fantasy lovers.

• Eoin Colfer – The Artemis Fowl series. A fun, imaginative and intriguing adventure with a 12 year old boy genius and fairy folk of the sort you haven’t met in an average tale. A great tale with all the technology any Internet geek could want, this is not your usual fairy tale.

Of course there are many, many more. Those will be left for another day. For now, here’s hoping you’ve found a good book to sink into, while I go slip into one of my own.

Abandon the search for Truth, settle for a good fantasy.

Put some funny into your life!

One of my favorite things to do nowadays is to read funny web sites, blogs, and newsletters. So many days, things either seem really dull, or little problems and irritants bring me down. One new solution for me is to read or watch something funny. I love You Tube’s many parodies, The Happiness Project blog, and web sites like Happy News.

I’ve read several good books too; one of my many favorites is A Whack On The Side Of the Head by Roger van Oech. I also love Laffirmations by Joel Goodman, and the funny books by Barbara Johnson, author of Stick a Geranium in Your Hat and Be Happy. All of these books offer insight into why adding laughter and fun into your life will help you copy with any illness, disease, money problems or even divorce. There is nothing that can’t be made better with a little laughter.

There are so many great articles and web sites out there to check out. Here are just a few (in no particular order):

• 
  Why Work Stress IS a Laughing Matter! By Mike Kerr. Work stress takes a huge toll on our physical and mental well-being. Find out why laughter and a positive sense of humour (or heck, humor) truly is the best medicine when it comes to managing our work stress.

• Do You Have a Humor Deficiency Syndrome? By Larry Wilde. Test your funny bone and see if you have HDS with this short quiz.

• Stress Humor and Health see information on humor and healing from two people in the health care field. Cute site.

Well I hope this information is helpful or at least interesting. Feel free to leave comments and share your best funny sites or books with me. Have a fun-filled day!

If you think nobody cares about you, try missing a couple of payments.

Welcome to my blog!

Welcome to my brand-new blog! I'm just learning, so please bear with me as I adjust my blog to the right look and feel. I've had a blog for a week on wordpress.com, feel free to stop by and take a look. (I'll be reposting many of the same articles here once I get this going). Visit me at http://brightdays.wordpress.com/

Just so you wouldn’t get too bored in the beginning, I’ll list a few things I've already written. If you're tired of the problems, bad news and worries you see in the news and Internet everyday, stop by here for a fresh perspective. My emphasis will be on living a happier life. You know, looking at the brighter side of things. Not getting dragged into the seriousness of everyday living.

Why you ask? Because life is hard enough as it is! Why do we all need to dwell on our problems and watch them on TV? Does it help? Not for me anyway. I’d rather focus on the positive. One of the reasons for me to finally start a blog is all the great blogs I’ve read in the past year or two. Happiness is now an actual field of scientific study. I’ve enjoyed learning about humor and laughter therapy and I want to share that with all of you.

My other goal will be to encourage more people to read. I LOVE books! But it seems that many people no longer enjoy them the way they once did. No one has time anymore. However, the writers of today are more varied, more vibrant, and more exciting than ever before. Reading (and comprehension) help people in everyday life (especially at work) and plus it’s just fun! If reading isn’t fun for you, there’s something you’re missing.

So take a look, find something that interests you and let me know! I’ve never done this before, so be patient while I learn how to add photos, videos and other fun stuff. Hopefully I’ll pick it up quickly. If you like what I have to say, let me know so I can write more.

Here’s hoping for a few new friends!

Shirley