One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

A little hard to get into at first, but after a time I was FLYING through it and could not put it down. I had seen the movie about ten years ago but didn't really remember what happened so I was still shocked by pretty much everything. Told through the viewpoint of Chief, the longest resident in the asylum, this story chronicles the changes that take place when Patrick McMurphy, a loud swaggering gambler, comes to the mental hospital. Happy to be off the work farm he thinks that the hospital will be a nice respite from hard labor, but little does he realize how trapped he'll soon become. The big nurse (Mrs. Ratched) has it out for McMurphy from day one and it becomes a battle of the wills to see who will come out on top. Fascinating and heartbreaking. I can't wait to watch the movie again. What a brilliant classic!

Inceptio

After a failed kidnapping attempt, average, ordinary New York resident, Karen Brown has to open her eyes to some harsh new realities. Things aren't as they seem and her family history is suddenly more complex then she realized. Both parents are dead but, it's her mother's ancestry that is suddenly important. She always knew her mother was from Roma Nova, a European country, but she didn't realize that her mother was from a very powerful and wealthy family. As her 25th birthday approaches Karen stands to inherit a lot of money and a business, a fact that was unbeknownst to her, but very clear to her new enemies. A representative from Roma Nova comes to New York to inform and protect Karen but things quickly get deadly as an assassin with nothing to lose won't stop pursuing Karen. Will she ever be safe again in New York? Fast paced this book will appeal to fans of political thrillers, alternate history, and strong female leads.

I received this book for free from the author in return for my honest, unbiased opinion.

Verjuice in the Kitchen

It's no secret that I'm a novice in the kitchen. Thankfully this small collection of recipes is not rocket science, the food is wonderful and beautiful and actually achievable. The hardest ingredient to find is what the book is named after, the verjuice. After some searching I was able to find it in a health food store and I'll be damned if its not amazing. I'm having fun trying to incorporate it into the few dishes I'm comfortable making. I also tried a few recipes included in this book, the pumpkin soup (it's the right season!) and the potatoes. I loved how the verjuice complemented the potatoes and will most definitely be making it for thanksgiving. As a vegetarian about half of the recipes didn't apply to me, but I lent this book to my dad and he said he was dying to try the piri piri chicken and crab and clam chowder. So between the two of us we might actually get through the whole cookbook! The pictures accompanying each recipe are beautiful and the ingredients and recipes themselves are not that complicated. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes to cook and is looking to branch out into other ingredients (namely verjuice). For more information and to purchase this cookbook (or Adam's other cookbook, Live to Eat: Meals Everyone Can Make) visit, www.adampittaway.co.uk/cookbooks.

I received this book for free from the author in return for my honest, unbiased review.

Just Show Up

While insanely depressing, this book is important and will hopefully find its way to those in times of need. Thankfully, I don't need all the advice this book has to offer now, but I did learn some other important information and will be well prepared should tragedy strike. This book is a practical guide on how to be there for someone suffering cancer or loss or some other tragedy. It talks about how to show up, what to say and do, and how to make the greatest impact on your friend and on your soul. Written by the late Kara Tippets, a cancer patient, and her good friend Jill Lynn Buteyn this book offers good faith based and common sense advice. A must read for anyone wanting to help out others in their time of need.

I received this book for free from Litfuse publicity in return for my honest, unbiased review.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

I re-read this book roughly, every two or three years. This re-reading was even better than most because I got the new beautifully illustrated edition. It's stunning and the pictures add soo much to the story. Worth every penny! I sincerely hope they illustrate all seven books. Take my money already!

Brief Interviews with Hideous Men

After finishing the mammoth "Infinite Jest" I thought I would try reading (listening) to some of David Foster Wallace's short stories. While not a bad collection, it certainly wasn't my cup of tea either. Some of the short stories I really got into, the first one being my favorite, but as I continued listening, some of the stories lost their luster. They were all beautifully written, but some of the plots and characters I could not get into. It happens! Even though I didn't love this short story collection about "hideous men" I am still a huge fan of David Foster Wallace's work and prose and it won't deter me from reading more of his stuff.

Carter Finally Gets It

This book really captures horny teenage boys. It's super relatable and doesn't feel as if it was written by an older author, teens will definitely get a kick out of it! The story follows Carter as he enters his freshman year of high school. He's trying to fit in, lose his virginity, be good at sports, understand girls, and understand what the allure of drinking is. It's brutally honest and teenagers will absolutely relate with it. There is lewd and illicit behavior, cursing, cops, underage drinking and sex so some conservative teens and parents might not buy into this book, but I didn't think it detracted from the story, it just made it more believable. Laugh out loud funny and will bring back painful memories of high school for all who read it.