Hi everyone! I know, I know...it's been a while but life gets busy sometimes despite our best laid plans.  Here's my latest read.



I really enjoyed this book. It had a great twist on the whole zombie thing. These zombies are not flesh eaters but intelligent hosts to a fungus. This is a fungus that demands to be spread in its search for new hosts (an organic pesticide gone awry.) The story takes place in Florida and the residents of the quarantined area need to get to the border and be cleared.

You can imagine the chaos that ensues (looting, horrific traffic jams, lack of food and water, violence.) I really wanted to like the characters but their flaws (which do make them human) make them unlikeable. No loyalty or honor here.

The whole idea of airborne spores is completely frightening to me. So, despite the characters, the story is definitely worth reading.

I would definitely recommend this story to my fellow zombie fans out there.

Just finished reading Bitten by Kelley Armstrong. I really enjoyed this book. The characters were flawed but likeable. This is the first book I've read dedicated solely to werewolves and there was never a dull moment.

The author really brought out the playfulness in the wolves and the sense of freedom during their runs. The main character,Elena, is the only female werewolf in the world. She is torn between the human world and the pack life. While she is trying to figure out what she wants and where she belongs, tragedy strikes the pack and her loyalty is put to the test.

This book had it all: a good mystery, action and romance (steamy scenes without any sappy stuff.)Can't wait to read Stolen, the next installment in the Women of the Otherworld series. I highly recommend it!
 

I'm on a roll with the books this month! Today's post is on Flesh Eaters by Alisha Adkins.


Definitely a dark and disturbing read, this story grabbed me and didn't let go until the very end. That bleak, hopeless feeling crept in and (I suspect) will remain with me for a while. I was intrigued by the main character, Adrienne, and really wish we would have known more about her past life and how she ended up in Britain.
Adrienne wakes up to a post-apocalyptic world full of zombies and the rare living person, also trying to survive at all costs.I could feel her anguish and conflicting feelings as she was forced to make the decision to starve, or eat what was available and live. I'm not sure what happened to all the animals (pets, wildlife, cattle) but I guess this was a necessary part of the story. Her relationship with Timmy really added to the story. It gave her life some kind of purpose to protect this child (and loneliness would have been a strong factor.)
The ending was sad but seemed inevitable. All in all, it was a compelling story and I look forward to reading more from this author.
***I received this book free of charge through goodreads.com***

Good morning, everyone! Today I am reviewing a novella called, Cinderella and Zombies.


This novella was a quick and easy read. It had an interesting, creative take on a classic fairy tale. In this story, Cinderella was not abused by her stepmother and stepsisters but she seemed to be the only responsible adult in the household. I loved that she was a strong, female character and SHE was the zombie slayer. I would have enjoyed a little more blood and gore but, all in all, it was a fun read. I look forward to reading more from this author.
***I received this book free of charge from the author through goodreads.com***

Today's review is #1 in a series. Anyone that knows me knows I love zombies so this was right up my alley :-)


 I really enjoyed this version of Cinderella. I was lost in the story within minutes of starting. I loved that Cinderella had a chance at revenge after all the abuse she put up with. When I got to the end of the story, I was dying to know what happens when she gets to the ball. Such a dark twist on a children's classic...I will definitely pick up more of these Zombie Fairy Tales!



 ***I received this novella at no charge through Goodreads.com***

Hi everyone! I know, I know...it's been a long time but hopefully I'm back to stay!

Today I'm reviewing a book I just read: Shades of Grey by Michael Cargill


This is a collection of 3 short stories. All of them very different from each other but all dark and with the same themes of death and violence. The first story, "Shades of Grey" is about a man (John) who works for a British government agency and who has made a career out of violence and killing. In the story he finds himself on the receiving end of some of his own tricks of the trade. This story I wanted to know more about. How did John end up tied in the interrogation chair? What happens to him after the end of this short story?

The second story, "There and Back Again" is about a young British soldier (James) fighting in France during the second World War. The realities of war seem to take a while to sink in for him. This was my least favorite of the 3 stories.

The third story, "Down the Rabbit Hole" is about a young boy with a mean, abusive father. He also has a plush bunny who begins to talk to him and has creative ways of solving the boy's problems. This was by far my favorite of the 3 stories.

This set of short stories was well-written and left me wanting to know more about the characters. I really enjoyed the stories and didn't want them to end so soon! I look forward to reading more from this author.

***I received this book at no charge through the Goodreads.com Shut Up & Read, Read It and Reap program.***

Hi everyone! Once again, time has gotten away from me and it's been longer than I intended between posts. Today I want to talk about my favorite lip products and a couple of botanical hair products.

 The first item on my list is Pretty Amazing Lipcolor from Bare Escentuals. Let me start by saying that I absolutely HATE lipstick. I don't like the taste or smell or the way it makes my lips feel dry after a while. I'm more of a lipgloss kind of girl. Lately, I've decided to experiment with richer, deeper colors than a lipgloss can provide. I came across this truly wonderful lipcolor. The name says it all! This is a hybrid between a lipgloss and a lipstick. It is highly pigmented, smooth, and has the perfect amount of shine. It has a great applicator wand that just hugs the contours of your lips and a little goes a long way. It has no unpleasant taste or smell. It is not sticky at all (which I love.) It also keeps my lips moisturized and provides long-lasting wear. I was so smitten by this product I got it in Witty, Strength, Ambition and Confidence. It is a little pricey but well worth the money. Amazon carries it cheaper than Sephora or Bare Escentuals (it retails for $16.) I will never be without a tube of this product in my purse!



As far as lipgloss, my favorite is L'Oreal Infallible. It is slightly more expensive than other drugstore brands (about $10) but cheaper than the cosmetics counter. The applicator wand took a bit of getting used to since it is angled and flexible. Once I mastered it's use, I couldn't get enough of it. This product also has no offensive taste or smell. It is not sticky and does not "bleed" like some other brands. It also lasts a lot longer than most other lipglosses. My absolute favorite color in this line is Rebel Red. Again, Amazon offers this gloss at a much better price than the drugstores.


 


Now for the hair products. I tried the Ojon Damage Reverse Restorative Shampoo and Conditioner. This is pretty expensive. I was offered free shipping plus free samples for my birthday, so I ordered the cheapest product I could find. That was the Damage Reverse Restorative Conditioner (2 oz. for $10) I also got samples of the Damage Reverse Restorative Shampoo and Damage Reverse Restorative Serum. I used them for an entire week and I was not impressed. First of all, I needed extra shampoo in order to make it lather. The conditioner was not too rich and I had trouble detangling my hair. They are supposed to have a "botanical" scent but it was not very pleasant. I also did not notice any improvement in my hair. In fact, it was strange...my hair felt soft but not silky or smooth. Almost like it had a film or residue on it. As for the serum, I still think my BioSilk is far superior and less expensive for a bigger bottle. Not a fan
of this line at all.





The other botanical hair products I tried were the Aveda Color Conserve Shampoo and Conditioner. Now, this line I loved! This shampoo lathered well and the color loss was minimal (my cherry red fades very quickly with daily washing.) The conditioner was rich and detangled my hair easily. They both have a botanical scent that is very pleasing and relaxing. I also used these samples for a full week and I can definitely say that they have helped to preserve my color. I will be definitely be purchasing full size
bottles as soon as I run out of my regular shampoo and conditioner



Thanks for listening to my rants and raves and I hope you'll join me next time. I will be reviewing facial primers and other random goodies.