SHADOWFEVER (Fever Series #5), by Karen Marie Moning

• Pub. Date: January 2011
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Pages: 594

 

Rating: 5/5

 

Synopsis

 

“Evil is a completely different creature, Mac. Evil is bad that believes it’s good.”

 
  MacKayla Lane was just a child when she and her sister, Alina, were given up for adoption and banished from Ireland forever.

Twenty years later, Alina is dead and Mac has returned to the country that expelled them to hunt her sister’s murderer. But after discovering that she descends from a bloodline both gifted and cursed, Mac is plunged into a secret history: an ancient conflict between humans and immortals who have lived concealed among us for thousands of years.

What follows is a shocking chain of events with devastating consequences, and now Mac struggles to cope with grief while continuing her mission to acquire and control the Sinsar Dubh—a book of dark, forbidden magic scribed by the mythical Unseelie King, containing the power to create and destroy worlds.

In an epic battle between humans and Fae, the hunter becomes the hunted when the Sinsar Dubh turns on Mac and begins mowing a deadly path through those she loves.
Who can she turn to? Who can she trust? Who is the woman haunting her dreams? More important, who is Mac herself and what is the destiny she glimpses in the black and crimson designs of an ancient tarot card?

From the luxury of the Lord Master’s penthouse to the sordid depths of an Unseelie nightclub, from the erotic bed of her lover to the terrifying bed of the Unseelie King, Mac’s journey will force her to face the truth of her exile, and to make a choice that will either save the world . . . or destroy it.

 
Review

Wow! For anyone who hasn't had a chance to read something from Moning, the Fever series is a perfect start, and you should start now. No, really....go! Even after four books, I'm still intrigued by this story. Mac has changed so much and so has the world that she left not even a year ago. This is a complicatedly woven story and the author somehow keeps it all together and running smoothly. For those of you that are storming B&N for a copy, it's in the Romance section. Although this series is primarily gut-pounding action and drama, there are several steamy scenes - and it makes it all the better. I don't think this is the end of the series, but the author does a fantastic job of throwing a few curve balls and keeping the reader guessing. This is one of my favorites :)

 

Good kitty, bad kitty

Quote 7: J.K. Rowling

Scrappy Project Management, by Kimberly Wiefling

 

• Pub. Date: September 2007
• Publisher: Happy About
• Pages: 160

 

Rating: 5/5

 

Synopsis

Projects are MESSY! From the minute the project begins, all manner of changes, surprises and disasters befall them. Unfortunately most of these are PREDICTABLE and AVOIDABLE.

Tact and diplomacy can only get you so far in the wild and wacky world of project work. A combination of outrageous creativity, sheer bravado and nerves of steel will serve you far better than any fancy-schmancy Microsoft Project Gantt chart!

'Scrappy Project Management' is about what REALLY happens in the project environment, how to survive it, and how to make sure that your team avoids the predictable and avoidable pitfalls that every project faces.

Review

I really loved this book. For anyone that is a project manager, or considering becoming one, this is a must-read! Wiefling is witty and presents information that is not only applicable, but is representative of how projects and teams actually think and work. This book explains the major pitfalls to project management and how to fix them before they happen. The author presents examples for each point and makes information clear, interesting and fun. This is one of my favorite management books!

Quote 6: Hemingway

"Never mistake motion for action."                 

  Ernest Hemingway.

What is this!!!?

I was really excited to try the new Diet Cherry Dr. Pepper, but during my search I found:

Green Tea Ginger Ale?? Where do they come up with this stuff? So I bought a whole case. It's fantastic, guys, and it's a really pretty can! Of course, if you don't like ginger ale, I wouldn't recommend it. I think there's a good chance I'll buy it again if they come out with a diet version. Oh, and I'll have to try the Diet Cherry Dr. Pepper, too.

Heh....

"Hide and Seek" by Imogen Heap (cello cover)

This is a fantastic song, but I think I might like this cover better than the original. It's got an intensity to it that you might find in classical music. Love it. Hope you enjoy :)

The Fallen 1: The Fallen and Leviathon, Thomas E. Sniegoski

THE FALLEN 1: THE FALLEN AND LEVIATHON, by Thomas E. Sniegoski

• Pub. Date: March 2010
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
• Pages: 517

• Series: Fallen Series

Rating: 5/5

Synopsis

THE ULTIMATE QUEST FOR REDEMPTION

On his eighteenth birthday, Aaron begins to hear strange voices and is convinced he is going insane. But having moved from foster home to foster home, Aaron doesn't know whom he can trust. He wants to confide in the cute girl from class, but fears she'll confirm he's crazy.

Then a mysterious man begins following Aaron. He knows about Aaron's troubled past and his new powers. And he has a message for Aaron: As the son of a mortal and an angel, Aaron has been chosen to redeem the Fallen.

Aaron tries to dismiss the news and resists his supernatural abilities. But he must accept his newfound heritage — and quickly. For the dark powers are gaining strength, and are hell-bent on destroying him....

Review

Alright, alright. In my defense, no self-respecting female can walk past this book cover and not look. As a concerned citizen, I thought this was wrongly placed in the YA section (because it's obviously a romance). So, as I'm walking it back to it's designated area, I figured I'd start reading....

One of my first YA books, this was a killer. By the way, I was definitely misled by the cover - there was not much romance, but I won't say there isn't potential for the sequel. There was action, though, and lots of it. This is a light read, which would be appealing to teens as well as adults, but it also includes quite a deep knowledge of angels (or at least a well-developed backplot). I was pretty surprised at the Biblical interpretation, too. Makes you wonder, what you really know. Good work, Sniegoski! You went the extra mile for this one, and for that, I am an undying fan from here on out. Witty, sad, joyful, sarcastic. It's all in here. I also applaud the author for not making up a new 'power' every time there is an impossible situation. That method totally blows and it was refreshing to be free of it.

Outliers: The Story of Success, by Malcolm Gladwell

• Pub. Date: November 2008
• Publisher: Little, Brown & Company
• Pages: 320 

Rating: 5/5

Synopsis

In this stunning new book, Malcolm Gladwell takes us on an intellectual journey through the world of "outliers"—the best and the brightest, the most famous and the most successful. He asks the question: what makes high-achievers different? His answer is that we pay too much attention to what successful people are like, and too little attention to where they are from: that is, their culture, their family, their generation, and the idiosyncratic experiences of their upbringing. Along the way he explains the secrets of software billionaires, what it takes to be a great soccer player, why Asians are good at math, and what made the Beatles the greatest rock band.
 

Brilliant and entertaining, OUTLIERS is a landmark work that will simultaneously delight and illuminate.

Review

Gladwell has a unique way of taking facts that seem fairly grounded and making you wonder if you ever really knew anything about the world. I always find his writing enjoyable because he does such a find job of wrapping up his point, and connecting the dots in a fashion most would never even consider.

For a little background, 'outliers' is a mathematical, or statistical, term that describes data that is outside the normal parameters of what is typically found, and messes up the average. An example of this would be that the 'average' person can type 70 words a minute - if there's one guy who, for some reason is a real whiz with a keyboard and can type 200 words a minute, that one person would change the average significantly. This skews the finding - Gladwell is saying that there are people in the world that are way out there successful, like outliers in statistics. 

Unfortunately, he also makes the point that the circumstances in which they were raised, as well as many other variables that cannot be changed are the reason behind them being successful. I say unfortunate because it is mildly depressing to read this and think, "darn...this doesn't apply to me," or as the reviewers at B&N so elequently stated as the best headline for the book: "Gladwell: Life Unfair." Despite this, it's a fun read and is packed with all sorts of random tidbits that are interesting to know (like Terman's Termites. Really?! I can't think of any other way I would come across this).

Bootiful.

Quote 5: Twain

"Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great." 

                                               ~Mark Twain

MISCHIEF, by Amanda Quick

MISCHIEF, by Amanda Quick

• Publisher: Bantam 
• March 31, 1997
• Pages: 374

 Rating: 3/5

Synopsis

Imogen Waterstone has always prided herself on being a thoroughly independent young woman, but now she needs a man of implacable will and nerves of iron. That's why she invited Matthias Marshall, infamous Earl of Colchester, to her home in Upper Strickland. Who better than the legendary explorer to help her lay the perfect trap?

Her scheme is simple, really: She plans to let it be known that when she inherited her uncle's collection of antiquities, she also inherited a map to a fabulous ancient treasure. She's sure that her enemy would risk financial ruin in pursuit of the mythical artifact. And to make doubly sure the scoundrel took the bait, she wants Colchester to pretend that he's out to seduce Imogene so that he, too, could get his hands on her map.

Yet in all of her plotting, Imogene never anticipates Colchester's violent reaction to her request or her own electrifying reaction to him. Neither does she expect that a malevolent threat would emerge from the labyrinth of London--sinister enough to endanger her and Colchester's lives.

Review

Amanda Quick is fantastic! She can come up with the most electrifying twists. I'm a bit new to romance, and there are a few instances where my entire body blushed at the detail given - and what detail it was! I'll have to be more careful in choosing in the future.

Another consideration would be the feminism she brings to her stories. Set in a Victorian-style London, Quick makes good note of the differences in acceptable behavior - Imogen, the main character, being fashioned to a woman that would be the norm today, was considered 'immodest,' unladylike and an outcast overall. It is interesting to see the comparisons, and I think, Quick did her homework. 

The only qualm of the book might be the density of the main characters - reading this book was like watching a B-thriller movie. Every five minutes you have an urge to yell out, "Don't go through that door," "he's in the closet," or "look out behind you!!!" The characters dismiss the obvious constantly. Then again, I imagine, as a reader, I have an aerial view, so what might be obvious to me, would not be if I were in the realistic position of the character.

Overall, I enjoyed this story. I think any book that has the ability to surprise me, whether in plot or cleverness or humor, is a success. This book did just that.

Quote 4: If not now, then when?

THE FUTURE OF MANAGEMENT, by Gary Hamel

THE FUTURE OF MANAGEMENT

by Gary Hamel

Publisher: Harvard Business Press

September 2007

Pages: 288 

Rating: 2/5

Synopsis

What fuels long-term business success? Not operational excellence, technology breakthroughs, or new business models, but management innovation-new ways of mobilizing talent, allocating resources, and formulating strategies. Through history, management innovation has enabled companies to cross new performance thresholds and build enduring advantages.

In The Future of Management, Gary Hamel argues that organizations need management innovation now more than ever. Why? The management paradigm of the last century-centered on control and efficiency-no longer suffices in a world where adaptability and creativity drive business success. To thrive in the future, companies must reinvent management.
Practical and profound, The Future of Management features examples from Google, W.L. Gore, Whole Foods, IBM, Samsung, Best Buy, and other blue-ribbon management innovators.

Review

I've never thought of gaining competitive advantage from this perspective. Information is clean, providing clear examples for all the points presented. I think Hamel is on to something here - although, as a manager, it would be hard to implement some of his strategies. Good presentation, but somewhat redundant. Also, totally negating the importance of other innovations (such as financial, operational or otherwise) is a bit too absolute for my views. Still, it is an interesting read, even if to only understand the reason of the success behind companies such as Google. This was given a relatively low rating because despite the fresh look, it was long and dry.

"Miracle" by Story Side B

This song makes me crazy every time I hear it. Although it's been around awhile, it's still fantastic! T_T

Lyrics:
I bide me time, with my guitar
Writing songs alone in the dark
I put our picture on the shelf
Another story book end
Then, you gave me life

A reason to fight
Against the undertow we face the night
My God I need you by my side
All my secrets, trust in you

CHORUS:
A miracle is in my hand
I hope I don't throw it away again
A miracle that won't come again, again, again

So I offer to you, these chains I wear
I reach my hands up in the air
Surrender my hope, my love, my dreams to you
All my secrets, trust in you

CHORUS

I'm burning from the outside
I'm yearning* on the inside
Please don't let me lose sight
I pray to you

CHORUSx2

All I have to give
Is all I live
This I give, to you

New take

I really like these designs...they spurn an automatic double-take because they look...natural. Awesome idea, no matter how you look at it! (Images found at Wallcoo.net)

All for you, Moses!

I made this name tag out of a penny for Moses because I was too cheap (thrifty!!!) to buy one. Now I have to find a way to punch a hole to put it on his collar. Sigh.