Winner of Earth Day Giveaway

The winner of my Earth Day Giveaway of There's Lead In Your Lipstick by Gillian Deacon (check out my review here) with an Eco Kiss Kit from Saffron Rouge is:

Auqakuh / Rae T. from http://contest-for-that.blogspot.com.

Congratulations!

Review: There's Lead in Your Lipstick by Gillian Deacon

Book Details:
There's Lead In Your Lipstick
By Gillian Deacon
Genre:
Published 2011, Penguin Canada
Paperback, 301 pages
ISBN: 9780143172505


Synopsis:

          By the time she heads out the front door, the modern woman has spritzed, sudsed, and slathered herself in more than 127 different chemicals, many of them more toxic than beautifying.
So how can you look and feel great while safeguarding your health? Get smart and go green from head to toe with the help of eco-expert Gillian Deacon. In The Green Body Guide, you'll learn how to read the ingredients to identify and understand the preservatives that are bad for your body and damaging to the earth, including formaldehyde in deodorant, nail polish, soap, shampoo, and shaving cream; coal tar in hair dyes; lead in lipstick; and many more. This is an indispensable handbook of personal-care choices that are sustainable, both for your health and for the earth.

The book opens with Gillian Deacon's personal story for why she decided to write this book - when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Even though she believed that she had been living a healthy and sustainable lifestyle for years, she realized that one can never be too cautious. Deacon employs a few new vocabulary terms that help to introduce the reader to what Deacon hopes to accomplish with this book - by teaching the readers to be cautious about what to use in, on, and around their bodies. The first term is pinkwashing, applying to "big cosmetics corporations that position themselves as leaders in the struggle to eradicate breast cancer... [that] are, in fact, makers and marketers of products that contain many ingredients known or suspected to cause breast cancer." This term is related to the next- greenwashing, in which big corporations do the same thing with environmental awareness. She even gives a list of product lines that fall under this heading on page 10.
Deacon's motto throughout the book is "Be your own advocate," and she uses the book to teach the reader how, with multiple resources that can be found both in books and on the internet. The chapter on label reading introduces the reader to the concept of the chemical body burden, which "refers to the accumulation of chemical ingredients in the human body." This chapter was incredibly illuminating, as I am sure most people do not consider the cumulative effect of all of the manufactured products that we use on a day-to-day basis, or even how different chemicals in these different products can react negatively with one another. Governmental bodies such as Health Canada or the U.S. FDA, are also shown to be of little help in curbing the influx of chemicals into the retail market that have been presented to be linked to illness and disease - and are sometimes even prohibited from use in European countries. She gives a list of the 20 worst chemicals to avoid and why on page 31 - a list which had me examining every product in my bathroom.
Each chapter begins with some basic information about the body parts mentioned to illustrate why and how the chemicals found in products can harm the body. Every chapter is supplied with a list of products that can be found on the internet applicable to that chapter's topic along with the pros and cons of each product. If that is not enough, she also supplies recipes for do-it-yourself homemade body care products, such as face masks, hair treatments, and lipsticks.
The book also teaches that many of the common "spin" words that companies use to promote a product as safe or healthy are, in fact, meaningless, without an industry-standard definition: natural, hypoallergenic, botanicals, pure plant essence, herbal conditioning, purifying, and nourishing, to name a few. Other words can be used to hide chemicals, such as fragrance or perfume, as the companies are not legally required to list the chemicals used to achieve them. Even the regulated word "organic" can not always be trusted as anything with less than 60% organic ingredients can not be truly organic.
In short, this book is a priceless commodity for me, and with it I hope to detox both my home and and family, adding years to all of our lives.

The Cover: It's simple and to-the-point, with an image of a tube of lipstick to accentuate the title - just the way a cover should be.

Favorite Quote: "Be your own advocate."

Read For: Off the Shelf Challenge

*I received this book free of charge from the publisher for review purposes.*

Review: Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead

Book Details:
Last Sacrifice (Vampire Academy, Book 6)
By Richelle Mead
Genre: Young Adult
Published 2010, Razorbill
Hardback, 594 pages
ISBN: 9781595143068


Synopsis:

          The astonishing final novel in Richelle Mead's epic series!
Murder. Love. Jealousy. And the ultimate sacrifice. Now, with Rose on trial for her life and Lissa first in line for the Royal Throne, nothing will ever be the same between them.

I waited a long time to read this book, but it was still well worth the wait. In typical Rose fashion, she disregards the practical advice of her friends and family to try and help those she cares about most. Embarking on a road trip around the eastern United States, she searches for the clues to the missing Dragomir heir, all the while growing closer to the newly-Moroi Demitri. All the while, Lissa navigates the intricacies of the Royal Court and deals with being thrust into the running for the new Queen.
All the recognizable faces from throughout the series make an appearance in the final book, as any good series finale would do. All but one of the loose ends were resolved decently, such as dealing with the problem of the Dashkov brothers.
The trials that Lissa goes through to be declared a valid candidate for Queen were interesting in that they forced her to rely on only herself and tested her inner strength and resolve. They showed a maturity in her that goes far beyond her young 18 years.
Of course, the biggest anticipation for me was the final outcome of who would end up with Rose - Dimitri or Adrian. While at first I disliked Adrian, he seemed to prove his worthiness to me throughout the series. The road trip, though, forces Dimitri to heal from his memories as Strigoi and face some things about himself. Without giving away Rose's choice, I am happy with it, though I feel sorry for the man that got left behind. The promise of the spin-off series,  Bloodlines, centered around the Alchemist Sydney, gives me hope that he will find someone who matches him better than Rose did.
The ending answers my own question of what the title was referring to, though it was a bit predictable. I am thrilled about the outcome of the Queen's replacement, and I really hope that the spin-off series will also show some of the new Queen's life. What was not predictable for me was the revelation of who murdered the previous queen - I made the same assumption early on as most of Rose's allies did, and I was just as surprised as they were over who really did it - and I'm still kind of disappointed, since I liked the character responsible and I feel as betrayed as many of the others did by the news. When the characters can feel that real, I know it's good writing.

The Cover: It is a pretty simple cover, featuring the main character, Rose. It fits in with the other covers in the series, but there is nothing particularly memorable about it.

First Line: "I don't like cages."
Again, there is nothing particularly enchanting about this first line, but it does remind me that the last book ended with Rose being arrested for the queen's murder, so it makes sense in that context.

Favorite Quote: "What the hell?" I asked. "Is this daring escape being sponsored by Honda?"

Read For: Strong Heroine Challenge

Comments and Opinions on Amazon

I have a bone to pick, so to speak. I make it a habit of posting my book reviews on other websites besides my blog, mostly with the intention to bring more attention to my blog. Amazon is one of them. I know Amazon has some kind of point system for posting reviews, comments, etc., but I do not pay much attention to all of that. Now, I am not a book blog that only posts positive reviews, that feels dishonest to me, and I believe in the integrity of giving an honest opinion of what I read. In all fairness, I do try to find something good in even the really bad books, but ironically I have noticed that when the review is on the negative side, those reading the review seem to miss the good parts. I have done a few negative reviews, and they always seem to garner much more attention on Amazon than the positive ones. I do remember on one negative review, the author herself actually thanked me for the review, which was quite humbling, really.
Unfortunately, pretty much every other comment on my negative reviews has been in the range of vaguely negative to a downright personal attack. Now, I have not gotten this kind of response anywhere else on the internet, whether here, Twitter, Facebook, or Goodreads. I am sure I am not the only one, but as my husband likes to remind me, I don't suffer fools gladly.
Sometimes I have to wonder how many people ever actually learned the difference between fact and opinion. Opinions are like noses, everyone has one. Opinions are not good or evil, right or wrong. They are just opinions. Everyone reads a book differently, and for the most part when an author writes a book, he or she does not dictate to the reader how to properly read it, either. I am sure there are exceptions to this standard, but thankfully, I have never come across any such book.
All the great classics are a perfect example of how people can read something different into the same text, and this is the accepted norm of any literary discussion. So why is it, when I post that I do not like something in a book on Amazon, I get attacked for it? Do that many people truly believe that only positive reviews are allowed online? Do that many people really think that every person who disagrees with them must be censored and severely admonished for being different?
Because really, that is the issue here. I have gotten some comments that were hospitable and open to discussion, but they are rare. Mostly, any comments were only about telling me how "wrong" my opinion is and why. I have been reading books for as long as I can remember, but I have only been reviewing online for about a year and a half. Last time I checked, opinion does not equal fact and it never will - which means that everyone is entitled to one.

If you are dying of curiosity regarding these negative comments to my Amazon reviews, you can find them here: Jacob's Beloved's Profile. 

Review: Linger by Maggie Stiefvater

Book Details:
Linger (Wolves of Mercy Falls, Book 2)
By Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: Young Adult
Published 2010, Scholastic Press
Hardback, 360 pages
ISBN: 9780545123280


Synopsis:

          In Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver, Grace and Sam found each other. Now, in Linger, they must fight to be together. For Grace, this means defying her parents and keeping a very dangerous secret about her own well-being. For Sam, this means grappling with his werewolf past . . . and figuring out a way to survive into the future. Add into the mix a new wolf named Cole, whose own past has the potential to destroy the whole pack. And Isabelle, who already lost her brother to the wolves . . . and is nonetheless drawn to Cole.
At turns harrowing and euphoric, Linger is a spellbinding love story that explores both sides of love -- the light and the dark, the warm and the cold -- in a way you will never forget.

This book picks up where Shiver (Wolves of Mercy Falls) left off, with Sam supposedly healed. One of the new wolves is introduced as a point of view in the book, Cole, who casts an intriguing element into the plot-line as he has a completely different perspective on being a wolf than Sam does. Cole is a contradiction in other ways as well, as he is a druggie rock star wanting to escape life who also happens to possess a genius intellect thanks to a scientist father. He has immediate chemistry with Isabel, too. At first I was baffled by this pairing, but based on personality and intellect, these two mesh well.
Isabel also features heavily in this book. Even though she has attitude to spare, I rather like her, both for her sarcasm and for her brains. Sam and Grace never really seem too curious about the science and mechanics behind the wolf-human changes, but neither Isabel nor Cole can stop obsessing over it, though for different reasons.
As for Grace, now it's her turn to be the focus as she gets sicker and sicker, living in denial of what this illness relates to. Her and Sam both seem to have the mindset that if one ignores the problem, it will just disappear. I never liked that sort of approach - it seems cowardly. Really, their "epic romance" would just be another tragedy if it were not for the practicality of their friends, Isabel and Cole. In the case of this series, the lesser characters seem to carry the plot instead.
As for Sam, I found I enjoyed his random song lyrics and poems most of all. They lent a certain lyrical element to the book and added in the strength of emotion to pull me into the plot. Though poetry is not always the easiest thing to understand, his few simple lines interspersed throughout the text conveyed much more of what the characters were experiencing than a lengthy description could. I look forward to the conclusion of the series, Forever (Wolves of Mercy Falls, Book 3).

The Cover: This cover is much like the cover of Shiver (Wolves of Mercy Falls), but with the addition of a female silhouette, which must be to represent Grace. A simple, haunting cover is often the best way to go.

First Line: "This is the story of a boy who used to be a wolf and a girl who was becoming one."
This opening line gives the book a old-world fairy tale feel, which I love, and also tempts me with a promise of what is to come.

Favorite Quote: "I couldn't imagine anyone ever reading a book enough to make it look like that. It looked like it had been driven over by a school bus after someone had taken a bath with it."

Teaser Tuesday: The Life Ready Woman by Shaunti Feldhahn and Robert Lewis

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

1. Grab your current read.
2. Open to a random page.
3. Share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page.
4. BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!).
5. Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!


My Teaser:

          There is nothing more scripturally or biologically obvious than that women are designed with a unique ability to nurture life. This includes both physical life through childbirth and the more intangible emotional and spiritual life of those around them. I (Shaunti) fought against this idea for years. I knew our bodies were designed to produce children, but beyond that I didn't think we had any special purpose in that direction that is any different from men. I had never really absorbed how much both the Bible and science have to say about this.
But as I studied the Bible more and as I was exposed to scientific evidence that confirmed what I saw clearly in God's Word, it was clear: women do have some unique gifts and design in this area. - pg. 79, The Life Ready Woman: Thriving in a Do-It-All World by Shaunti Feldhahn and Robert Lewis

What are you reading this week?

Review: Awakened by P. C. Cast and Kristin Cast

Book Details:
Awakened (House of Night)
By P. C. Cast and Kristin Cast
Genre: Young Adult
Published 2010, St. Martin's Press
Hardback, 290 pages
ISBN: 9780312650247


Synopsis:

          “My love, speak to me. Tell me everything.” Neferet went to Kalona, kneeling before him, stroking the soft, dark wings that unfurled loosely around the immortal.
“What would you have me say?” He didn’t meet her eyes.
“Zoey lives.” Neferet’s voice was flat, cold, lifeless.
“She does.”
“Then you owe me the subservience of your immortal soul.” She started to walk away from him.
“Where are you going? What will happen next?”
“It is quite simple. I will ensure Zoey is drawn back to Oklahoma. There, on my own terms, I will complete the task you failed.”
Exonerated by the Vampyre High Council and returned to her position of High Priestess at Tulsa’s House of Night, Neferet has sworn vengeance on Zoey. Dominion over Kalona is only one of the weapons she plans to use against Z. But Zoey has found sanctuary on the Isle of Skye and is being groomed by Queen Sgiach to take over for her there. Being Queen would be cool, wouldn’t it? Why should she return to Tulsa? After losing her human consort, Heath, she will never be the same – and her relationship with her super-hot-warrior, Stark, may never be the same either…
And what about Stevie Rae and Rephaim? The Raven Mocker refuses to be used against Stevie Rae, but what choice does he have when no one in the entire world, including Zoey, would be okay with their relationship? Does he betray his father or his heart?
In the pulse-pounding 8th book in the bestselling House of Night series, how far will the bonds of friendship stretch and how strong are the ties that bind one girl’s heart?

The book opens with Zoey, Stark, Aphrodite, and Darius still on the Isle of Skye. Several factors are adamant about keeping Zoey and Stark there, from their romance to Sgiach's sudden change of perspective about keeping the Isle a secret. All through the book I get the feeling that Sgiach is not as trustworthy or pure of intention as the reader is led to believe, but I imagine that will be a subject for a future book.
Fairly early in the book, a death occurs - I won't say who - but it feels a bit like an author's attempt to cull an entirely-too-long cast list. I have felt for awhile that there were too many characters in this series to keep track  of all of them in a single book, but even with the random death occurring every so often, many of the characters are almost non-existent in this book.
I really like the character Rephaim and what the authors are doing with his sub-plot. He has much potential for  growth in personality and maturity, and he brings a more adult element to what often feels like a very immature series. I was thrilled with how Nyx helps him at the end, as it shows him that good has its own rewards. His presence has forced Stevie Rae to grow up and make decisions that have a great impact, too. Normally Stevie Rae can be quite annoying, but around Rephaim I like her.
Neferet is of course, beyond revolting. Everything she does makes me want to hurl the book across the room - from her posturing around Kalona and Rephaim, to her false guilt at the funeral, to her simpering over the white bull. Her character is actually my strongest clue that the authors are good at what they do. Only a well-written character can elicit the kind of strong emotion that Neferet brings out in me. They do a good job of showing how the soul-sucking darkness is driving her to madness, even to the point of always underestimating what Zoey and Nyx are capable of. I may be delusional, but I still think that Kalona can be saved from this darkness, even though it's obvious that Neferet can not. His actions seem to be driven by bitterness and a hunger for what is denied him, rather than evil for the sake of evil.
I do love that the authors found a way to continue using Heath in the plotline, as he was always so good for Zoey and probably the only "normal" person in the cast list of supernaturally-gifted beings. He likely will have a long way to go with the direction the authors are taking him, but I imagine I'll keep reading this series through to the end - whenever that is.
Many of the same problems that I had with the series early on still persist - such as sickly-sweet teenage lingo,  the condensed time frame of each book, and too many characters with too little time. I find myself wondering which parts of the books are written by which author, as the writing style seems to change sporadically.
I was actually both relieved and saddened by the death at the end, first that it was not someone else dying, but also how it will affect Zoey. Beyond that, there are simply too many characters for me to be emotionally-attached to all of them.  So on to the next book - Destined (House of Night Novels).

The Cover: The man on the cover must be Rephaim, which I love. As the newest character addition, he has the most potential for a great character arc - and he isn't that bad looking, either.

First Line: "A disquieting sense of irritation awakened Neferet. Before she had truly departed that amorphous place between dreams and reality, she reached out with her long, elegant fingers and felt for Kalona."
Not a full minute into the book and I recognize that familiar sense of disgust that I always felt when reading about Neferet. Of course I must keep reading, if only to see if someone finally does something about this hideous woman.

Favorite Quote: "If cats understood technology and had opposable thumbs, they'd rule the world."

Read For: Strong Heroine Challenge, Twenty-Eleven Challenge

Review: Fantasy Anthology

Book Details:
Fantasy
By Christine Feehan, Sabrina Jeffries, Emma Holly, and Elda Minger
Genre: Romance
Published April 2002, Jove
Paperback, 373 pages
ISBN: 0515132764


Synopsis:

          In these four new novellas by today's hottest romance writers, a Victorian widow auctions off her most prized possession: herself...a beautiful jungle explorer discovers her own wild side...a bloodthirsty beauty gives in to her darkest desires...and a young woman turns an all-male academy into a school for seduction.

The fantasy theme was heavy with all four of the stories in the book. The first story is The Widow's Auction by Sabrina Jeffries. In this novella, a young widow is convinced that it is in her favor to auction off one night with her in return for a large sum of money that she can use to benefit her work with a all-boys' school. Of course, she secretly just wants to know what it's like to actually enjoy the bedtime act. In the realm of make-believe, this was quite the enjoyable mix of lust and romance with no negative consequences.
The second story is Luisa's Desire by Emma Holly. In this fascinating read, an immortal woman seeks an alternative to her need for blood to survive in a remote lamasery buried in the Himalayan mountains of Tibet. While she assumes that the answer is a particular form of meditation, what she instead gets is an aspiring monk who possesses a much more fleshly solution to her problem. Reincarnation takes on a whole new meaning in this short story, and I found the different take on vampires in fiction to be well-written.
The third story is Mr. Speedy by Elda Minger. In this plot, an ambitious young woman decides to make herself over into a man in order to sneak into and cover a male-only conference entirely about getting a woman to go to bed with the man. Her genius plan takes a left-turn when she discovers she is rooming with the city's most eligible bachelor coming off of a horrid divorce - whom she is overwhelmingly attracted to. The irony of this story is that the bachelor becomes increasingly interested in her before he is even aware she is in disguise. The humor of this story made it quite charming in a sexy sort of way.
The final story is The Awakening by Christine Feehan. The story begins her series, the Leopard People, with the tale of a young veterinarian lured deep into the jungle to track down her inheritance. Heavy lust and desire take over quite early in the story as the reader discovers that her presence there has been manipulated by a man of the leopard people who has already claimed her for his mate. The intensity and over-dramatization in the writing made this story less enjoyable for me than the others. I was also put off by the man's extreme obsession with the woman and his reluctance to tell her what was happening to her right from the beginning.

The Cover: The cover seems to only be a generic sexy image that could possibly apply to any one of the stories, though legs are not specifically focused on in any of them.

First Lines: "Isobel Lamberton, Lady Kingsley, could hardly believe her ears. The longer she listened to Justin Antony, the Marquess of Warbrooke, the more horrified she became. This was his 'brilliant' new plan for the Lamberton Boys' School? This... this outrageous proposal?"
Despite the fancy titles in this opening, I really had no idea what this story was specifically about from this opening.

Favorite Quote: "Damn it, she'd ended her sentence with a question. Men made statements, they didn't ask questions. At least that's what Jim had told her."

Read For: Strong Heroine Challenge

Review: River Marked by Patricia Briggs

Book Details:
River Marked (Mercy Thompson, Book 6)
By Patricia Briggs
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Published March 2011, Penguin Group
Hardback, 326 pages
ISBN: 9780441019731


Synopsis:

          Car mechanic Mercy Thompson has always known there was something different about her, and not just the way she can make a VW engine sit up and beg. Mercy is a shapeshifter, a talent she inherited from her long-gone father. She's never known any others of her kind. Until now.
An evil is stirring in the depths of the Columbia River-one that her father's people may know something about. And to have any hope of surviving, Mercy and her mate, the Alpha werewolf Adam, will need their help...

This book takes a different direction than previous books in the series, because Mercy is doing something that I think is quite rare in the typical Urban Fantasy heroine -- she is getting married. As a married woman, I quite like this turn and the extra confidence and sense of permanence it gives Mercy, but I don't think this is something that every reader will fully appreciate. Still, it feels fresh and new to me, and I think it has the potential to "breathe new life" into the series.
The loose ends of Stefan's mess from the previous book are quickly tied up, and the plot swiftly moves on to a "surprise" wedding for Mercy. The set-up of the wedding was quite endearing, and I even teared up a bit over it. These two sub-plots take place rather quickly, though, as the main focus of the book is what occurs during Mercy and Adam's honeymoon.
Mercy figures out quickly that they have been set up by certain fairy acquaintances for reasons that no one really knows. I was laughing at this, as it feels like a bumper sticker motto: If the world needs saving - send Mercy! So of course, Urban Fantasy heroine Mercy does not get a typical honeymoon, but one fraught with peril and impending doom.
While it may seem on the surface to be a random way to introduce new characters and magical elements into the series, I think that the events that happened at the Columbia River were a great way to focus on Mercy's native heritage and answer many of the questions that I have been harboring through the series about her ability to transform into a coyote. She makes some new friends of native descent that are able to help her tackle her looming battle with the river monster, and she discovers that she is not the only native who can become another animal. She also learns more about her father and his relationship with her mother. The walking stick also plays a major part, though I hope this is not the last we've seen of it. That stick has too many quirks to just let it go.
The river monster itself was quite a creation - as much fantasy as I have read, I've never come across anything quite like it, though some creatures of Greek mythology comes close. Abominations like that remind me why I avoid watching horror movies. The behavior of the otterkin also reminded me of the way members of a cult exalt their leader - creepy. I can't wait for the next book!

The Cover: I like the direct view of Mercedes without all of the usual distractions, but I kind of wish the cover had shown the actual mark on her leg. The background also references the cliff art that she learns about in the book - a nice touch without overwhelming the cover design.

First Line: "Under the glare of streetlights, I could see that the grass of Stefan's front lawn was dried to yellow by the high summer heat."
While not exceptionally engrossing, this opening does remind me of some of the ending details of the previous book in the Mercy Thompson series using the good writing technique of "showing, not telling."

Favorite Quote: "Take a note: it usually works better if you wait until I do something stupid before getting mad at me."

Read For: Off the Shelf Challenge, Strong Heroine Challenge, Twenty-Eleven Challenge

*I received this book free of charge from the publisher for review purposes.*

National Library Week 2011

This week is National Library Week in the U.S. (April 10-16), and the American Library Association listed its 10 most frequently challenged books of 2010, which I will list here for the curious:


1. And Tango Makes Three by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson Reasons
2. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
3. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
4. Crank by Ellen Hopkins
5. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
6. Lush by Natasha Friend
7. What My Mother Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones
8. Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich
9. Revolutionary Voices, edited by Amy Sonnie
10. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

While I have only read two of these titles, I am familiar with most of them, and now I am especially interested in number 8, Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America. This book gives a realistic portrayal of trying to live off of low-income jobs in America - why try to ban that? The ALA also reported 348 challenges to books in 2010 and at least 53 outright bans. I suppose that censorship will always go hand-in-hand with freedom of speech.

On a more positive note, in honor of National Library Week, librarians in Holyoke, Mass., put on a freeze flash mob at the local mall in which about 75 people froze while reading for about 5 minutes. Check it out!