Review: A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay

This is the second book I have read by this author, and honestly, I really did not like The Cabin at the End of the World. I didn't enjoy that book due to the story being told from multiple perspectives which made it really redundant and annoying after a while. So I decided to give this author another shot and decided to read his take on possession/ exorcism fiction. I will review this so as not to mention anything that is not already mentioned in the overlay.

First off I have to warn you....if you are deciding to read this because you watched or read the Exorcist and were hoping this would be similar. Stop! The only similarity this book has to that one is the "possessed" is a young girl. Next, if you are looking for horror in this you will be greatly disappointed. While the title suggests demonic possession it is a completely different animal. What you the reader is offered by Tremblay is a downward spiral of a family. The Barrett's are struggling financially, as the dad has lost his job and are down to one income. While this is not enough to stress them out. They are also struggling with the newly developing mental illness of their elder daughter. Hence the title of the book...see what he did there?

The already stressed and divided family seeks counsel from a Catholic priest and then he decides that the daughter, Marjorie is possessed by a demon and they should have an exorcism performed. He also decides to bring in a reality TV crew to film the events. This reality TV show while it provides some financial relief it also puts the family into even more stress as they become a public spectacle and protesters are outside their house daily.

I enjoyed this book much better than the Cabin but felt a little ripped off as I was expecting a horror novel but instead got a thriller/drama. I appreciated that the story was told from only one perspective of the younger daughter, Merri. It also jumped through time periods as it was told from her older self as she was trying to remember the events of this happening to her family. I liked that the author acknowledged and kind of tributed possession/haunting references at times. Also, the twist and somewhat sinister ending made this also much more enjoyable. At one point I thought the book was done but offered up a much better ending than I had anticipated.

I rated this 3 out of 5 stars on Goodreads.com and may read a few more of this author's books. I will have links down below for those looking to pick this book up for themselves. UK & Canada click here - A Head Full of Ghosts. All others can shop through this link.

 

Review: Broken Monsters by Lauren Beukes

This is my first time reading this author, and I have to say I was quite impressed. I had heard of this author and how good her book, The Shining Girls was. So I decided to check out this book as it was readily available at the time.

This book is about a murder that takes place in Detriot but it was not the typical crime scene. No, this scene was something out of a nightmare....the body of the victim was grafted with the back end of a deer. Who did this? And what kind of person would do this?  Soon more bodies show up that are "transformed" and the detective working this case realizes they have a serial killer on their hands. Other bodies are discovered that are monstrous constructions. But the truth may be more sinister than anyone involved can imagine.

This book was told from the vantage point of five characters. At first, I wasn't sure how all of these very different people would later connect. There is a subtle idea of them all having dreams for the future. At some points, the killer is referred to in the 3rd person as "the dreamer". There isn't much of a mystery about who the killer is for most of the story. Sometimes the story kind of sidetracks into the personal lives and backgrounds of the characters and seems unnecessary But I think these breaks into the story helped to solidify the personality traits of the individuals involved in order to appreciate their role in the finale of the story.  And by the end of the book, each character kinda drifts or is drawn into the final showdown. But the suspense and scenes are evenly paced with a surprise near the end. What you thought was happening quickly becomes something else.

I found this to be very well written, and it even reminded me of other horror authors such as Peter Straub and Stephen King. The story was interesting and captivating enough to be very enjoyable. I rated this 4 out of 5 stars on Goodreads.com, and am looking forward to reading a few of her other books.
                                                UK and Canada - click here to purchase 

All other nations can shop through this link -  http://www.bookdepository.com/?a_aid=geekpron

 

Review: Buying Time by Joe Haldeman

I picked up this book purely on a whim as it was recommended to me by the reading app I often use. I had never heard of it or the author. But it sounded interesting, to say the least. The plot of the book was a future world where people who could pay would live extended lifetimes. Hence the title of the book.

The story was told from the perspective of two people the first being Dallas Barr, and the second one Maria Marconi. The perspectives seemed to switch every now and then and it would name the person who was doing the "talking" before proceeding. The elite society of "immortals" was introduced from the perspective of Dallas, and the reader gets the background on how the process works and what entails staying part of this society.  For instance, in order for an immortal to keep being an immortal, they must raise one million pounds before the expiration of their current life.  They can only do this on their own and cannot save money from a previous incarnation.

This was really basic and kind of a man's man kind of read with flashy sounding items and a lot of sex. For instance, the author describes how the immortals like to party and use designer drugs such as Cream, and defend themselves with guns like a Crowd Pleaser. There was a plot beneath the main plot that made for some suspense, and to make the story slightly more interesting. Some parts of the book were kinda mundane such as when they discussed population numbers and periods of time. I felt that this section of the book was very unnecessary.  This was a relatively fast read and was not too complex with the science talk. This was an okay read if you are looking for something fast to fill the void in your reading schedule or just want a mindless kind of sci-fi story to pass the time. I do not think this will go down as one of the great science fiction classics of the late '80s. I rated this as 3 out of 5 stars on Goodreads.com.

International Shop thru here -  http://www.bookdepository.com/?a_aid=geekpron

Review: Boy's Life by Robert McCammon

So many things to say about this book and I honestly do not know where to start. Some have said this is a bucket list book....meaning that you should read this before you die. I have to agree with that.

First off, this book starts by introducing you to the main character, Cory Mackenson. It also starts by introducing you to the main plot point which is a small town murder mystery. But it doesn't stay on that target for very long you see. It diverges onto multiple paths much as a young boy goes through life willy nilly through his own life. You would think that this would ruin the main part of the story, but it doesn't. This was so beautifully written that no matter how many little subplots there were it was still very enjoyable to read. This book was filled to the brim with so many life lessons that I could do no justice trying to recall them all here in this review.

This story is set in the mid 60's Alabama, so there is racism and some other surprises twisted into the murder mystery due to it being after the Second World War. So just a warning that sometimes the language may be a bit disturbing for some due to the time and place of the book.

Be prepared to read this for a long time...it was a very long book, but one that is enjoyable. There were not too many slow spots which deterred me from finishing it in at least a week. I rated this book 4 out of 5 stars on Goodreads.com and agree that this is a must read for everyone.

International shoppers click here - http://www.bookdepository.com/?a_aid=geekpron

Ways to Save Some Money or Extra Cash in Your Pocket

I decided I would write another one of these type posts due to my other post still getting views. I have always tried to find ways to save money or make extra money on the side and I wanted to share some of the apps I have been using the last few years so you too can save or make some extra cash now!

The first app, but obviously not in any particular order is Qmee. This is an app that offers surveys which can be as short as 1 min or as long as 20 minutes. The thing that makes this survey provider stand out and makes them superior above others is that they will pay you directly to your PayPal or other accounts immediately upon completion of the survey. Regardless of how little or how much you have earned they transfer within seconds. Some places make you reach a level cap before cashing out, but not Qmee. Click(Qmee)

Gone are the days of clipping coupons...I mean who really has time for that nowadays, and besides I don't want to carry around a wallet stuffed to the brim with clipped coupons. It's the 21st century after all.

The first app I ever used for saving money on groceries was Checkout 51. It's not as easy to use as another app, but you can use both and save twice as much. Just search by either store name or by the type of product you are hoping to get cash back for such as crackers or laundry detergent, etc. It's simple just take a picture of your receipt using the app. You do have to reach a cap of $20 before you can cash out. Get (Checkout51)

Another couponing app I love and use the most is Ibotta. Ibotta seems to offer more deals than the previous app, as they will have generalized cash back such as any item deals which I try to take advantage of weekly. This one also has a $20 cap level before cashing out but it can easily be reached with all of the offers you will discover with this app. This works the same way as you have to take a pic of your receipt. Get Ibotta here!

Now I will mention a few other receipt scanning/pic apps I use but these each work in a different way as they are not searching for an item and or store apps. These work by simply uploading your receipt to get credits.

One of my faves of this type is Receipt Hog. This app gives you credits towards different levels of cashout plus entries into sweepstakes just by uploading weekly. Not just grocery, but electronics and clothing receipts too. This is one of my standbys I use on the reg due to how easy it is to use and how often you can get cash from it. It does take a few days to transfer to PayPal but it's like basically money for nothing. Get the Hog!

The other receipt scanning app I use is Fetch Rewards. This app works on the same concept as the Hog, but you upload grocery/convenience store receipts which translate to currency to be used to purchase gift cards. Some weeks certain bought items are worth more points. I have gotten SO many Amazon gift cards from this app. There is even a first upload bonus which you def should take advantage of. Get Fetch!

Another app that is easy to earn points towards gift cards is Shopkick. This app allows you to earn points just for walking into stores and by scanning products. Get the Kick!

And the last app I will talk about is a super great app in that I get paid for doing something I do anyways....play games on my phone! and no this isn't one of those download crappy games and get malware. Now this app offers rewards for legit games from your app store. Just make sure it is running in the background as you play to earn your rewards towards gift cards. I made the mistake of not having it on when I first started, and later learned it had to be on while I played. Download Mistplay!

I hope you earn lotsa cash back and plenty of gift cards. Not 100% sure but I think these apps only work in the USA, Canada, and the UK. But feel free to check out the links to learn more. Your Welcome and thanx for checking out my blog!

Review: A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess (Audiobook)

This is another book that I read as a teen and wanted to revisit it once again. I don't recall whether I had seen the film or read the book first, but it doesn't matter as they are both great. For those who haven't seen the film, I will link the trailer below. I did not know at the time that the American version of this book was shortened due to the publisher opting to only publish the first 20 chapters. I did not know until now that the rest of the world got the book in its entirety.

For those not familiar with this book it is set in a world where crime rates are extremely high due to not enough police to patrol the streets at night. Meanwhile, gangs of teenagers run rampant fighting amongst themselves or terrorizing any civilians caught out.

The book is written in a sing-song cockney mashed with Slavic/Russian mix that just has a charming way once you start to read it. For some who may not understand all of the words, you will quickly pick up what each word means after a while. For those where English is not your first language, I would urge you if you can read English to read this in its original text, as I do not know how well this would be translated to any other tongues.

The story starts out by the reader meeting Alex (the narrator) who is the self-proclaimed leader of his little gang of "droogs". He is only 15 yrs. old and surprisingly fond of classical music when he is not participating in the "ultra-violence" with his brothers. We hear a typical night for this group of thugs, and how they do this for fun, and money.

Of course, the main idea or moral of the story should I say is whether it is right or justified to control someone's behavior. Is it okay to make someone a "good" citizen even if it goes against their free will?

The American version just ends and wraps up nicely in my opinion. The reader discovers the consequences of taking away someones choice to be "good". But the original text as the author had wanted the book to be has a final chapter about Alex growing bored with being a hoodlum and wanting to settle down. I know in the scheme of things it just makes sense that eventually a young man will grow tired of things and want to grow up. 

I still really enjoyed this and rated it 5 out of 5 stars on Goodreads.com. I feel that this is one of those books that every teen should read before they grow up. That is all I got for you. Below is a link to purchase a copy for yourself. I receive a small percentage of all sales. Thanx for reading, and take care. 

Review: The Bazaar of Bad Dreams by Stephen King (audiobook)

It's been quite a long time since I had read a collection of short stories by Stephen King. As a matter of fact, the last collection I read by him was Four Past Midnight, which I honestly didn't care for and was the last King book I read until a very long time later. For those who are curious Doctor Sleep the sequel to The Shining is what made me come back to his writings.

I decided to partake of this lengthy collection of short stories as an audiobook format, which clocked in around 12 hours total. I will admit it took me a few days to listen to it in its entirety, and can only imagine how long it would have taken me to read it out if I had stuck with the regular book or Kindle format instead. There were a total of 21 short stories in this collection, and I rated each individual story with a 1-5 star rating. Upon completion of the book, I averaged out the total and got an average rating of 3.23, which translated to a 3-star rating on Goodreads.com. I enjoyed the majority of the stories and rated them 3 stars. But only one was rated with a 5-star rating.

Batman and Robin Have an Altercation was the story that I rated 5-stars. I really enjoyed this one. It was about a father and son. The father who was a senior citizen suffering from Alzheimer's, and the son who came to visit him and try to keep him coherent. Not only was the phrasing that the author uses great, but the recollections of the father were pretty funny at times. I really enjoyed the ending of this one too. Road Rage D-bags is all I will say.

There were a few others that were nearly as good, such as Premium Harmony about a man who goes out with his wife on a shopping trip and things do not go quite as they plan. Another great one was The Dune about a site the gave premonitions of peoples upcoming deaths. The Bad Little Kid was a shocking one that at first I didn't think I would like, but it quickly grew on me as it went by. One of the last few stories Drunken Fireworks was a humorous tale about two families and fireworks competitions to see who could outdo the other.

Some of the stories I thought were not as good and felt that they were way too short to have any sort of meaning like Mister Yummy. This one involved senior citizens nearing their time seeing the most attractive person the had ever seen in their lives before dying. Kinda weird and creepy if you ask me. Or the Obits story about a guy who could kill someone by writing their obituary.

As I have said before the choice of narrator does either help or hinder a great book, and this collection had a nice selection of narrators. Yes, plural...narrators. I can only imagine the production cost to have made this into an audiobook. But they chose some great people to narrate individual stories.

Even though this got an average rating I still want to read some more of the author's books that I have yet to read. You see I thought he had lost his touch way back when I read Four Past Midnight, but maybe that book just wasn't for me.