Freda's Voice

Hosted by: http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com * Grab your current read. * Let the book fall open to a random page. * Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12. * You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from…that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given. * Please avoid spoilers! My Teaser: "Girls!" Mr. Tierney bellows out, slamming his fist down on his lab station. I swear he goes practically neon. ~ Page 139, Before I Fall - Lauren Oliver

BOOKS READ: 1. The Girl Made of Cool - Alan Fox 2. In Plain Sight - Charles R. Gordon M.D. (daily reading) 3. The Illustrated Quick Cook - Heather Whinney (cookbook) (recommend) 4. Birds of Canada 5. Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter - Seth Grahame-Smith (audiobook) 6. Iron Man 2 - Alexander Irvine 7. Alison Dare The Heart of the Maiden - J. Torres & J. Bones (young adult) (recommend) 8. No Hope For Gomez - Graham Parke (recommend) 9. Eyewitness Expert Ancient Rome 10. The Seeker In Forever - Alan Fox 11. Wonders Never Cease - Tim Downs (recommend) 12. Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms - Jane Doiron (cookbook) (recommend) 13. Hazardous to my Health - Marcia N. Hill 14. Chicken Soup for the Soul: Count Your Blessings (recommend) 15. Rough Guides: The Next Big Thing - Rhodri Marsden 16. My Heart And Soul - Marilyn Randall (poetry) 17. Street Boners - Gavin McInnes (photography) 18. Surrogate - F. Robert Lea 19. Get High Now - James Nestor 20. Half Life - Roopa Farooki

Synopsis: In this candid confessional, comedian Carla Collins divides the world into the angels who guide us, inspire us, and save our butts; the sexy and trendy vampires who suck the life out of us; and the douche bags who constantly annoy, disgust and taunt us. With a fast wit, fake breasts and real heart, Collins shares her unconventional journey from a small steel town in Ontario, Canada to Tinseltown L.A. On this wild and revealing romp, she navigates her way through seventy-two imaginary friends, multiple fiancés, eight dogs, two marriages, and one topless grandmother. Her hard-earned life lessons will show you that by taking risks, embracing humiliation and tapping into the power of laughter, anything is possible--and everyone is manageable. Attract more angels into your life, control your vampires, and keep all the douche bags at bay. Angels, Vampires and Douche Bags is original, edgy, uplifting and laugh-out-loud funny. ©2009 My Opinion: First, I'm starting out wi

Synopsis: Don’t worry, be happy….find out how! What is happiness? And how can we achieve it? The Rough Guide to Happiness is the ultimate ‘how to be happy’ handbook. Discover how to effectively improve your work/life balance, increase self-esteem, and nourish your mind and body while nurturing relationships with the ones you love. The Rough Guide to Happiness will help you navigate your way through all parts of modern day life, offering a practical and effective range of happiness-building techniques. Rely on realistic suggestions from Dr Nick Baylis, a practising therapist and former Dr Feelgood for The Times Saturday Magazine, who has worked with everyone from young offenders to stressed airline pilots! Are some people genetically predisposed to be happier than others? Can money or technology make us happy? The Rough Guide to Happiness explores all these questions and more, going beyond facile tips to offer a deeper understanding of what happiness is with easy solutions for you to im

Synopsis: Two men think they've found the perfect opportunity--a chance to rob the stash house of Simon Shuller, one of Philadelphia's biggest drug lords. But their plans are spoiled when one of Shuller's men catches them as they break into the stash house. Temperatures flare as the men capture Shuller's worker, Poncho, and force him to show them the goods. What they didn't expect was for Poncho's partner to be armed and very dangerous. An altercation breaks out and when the smoke clears, Nard, Poncho's accomplice, is the only one left standing. Thinking quickly, Nard cleans shop and makes his escape, but not before being spotted by a few neighbors. Not wanting to kill anyone else, he makes a mad dash for the streets but wonders if the witnesses will give up his identity. What he needs now is a plausible alibi. If he doesn't come up with one fast, it could mean life in prison, or death on the streets. THANKS TO Anna & Hatc

Synopsis: How many times are you lied to and manipulated each day? 10 times? 100 times? 1000 times? More? It's a tough question because the best liars can go undetected indefinitely, unless you know what to look for. Two Legged Snakes offers the keys to perceiving and overcoming deception with astonishing simplicity and humor. You won't be fooled again! Author Bio: For over 25 years, Dr. Edward Slack has been a highly successful psychologist, specializing in working with people who are both gifted and manipulative. He lives in Nashville, TN. ©2010 My Opinion: While this book is supposed to open your eyes to manipulative people, I didn't find I learned anything new from it. The one thing I took from it was the humorous approach to the subject. A good book, but also to be taken with a grain of salt. I only recommend it for a laugh. (2.5/5) ~I received a copy from the author. I was not compensated for my opinion.~

Synopsis: The Rough Guide to Saving and Selling Online is the essential handbook for a healthier bank balance. Discover how to make money by selling on eBay, Gumtree and Amazon, plus use the internet to shop for less, find bargains and reduce your outgoings. This recession-beating bible includes the most popular and productive websites for selling and finding cheaper products, the best price-comparison sites, and top places to hunt out freebies. Packed full of handy advice and tips from how to de-clutter and avoid online scams to how to find the cheapest local petrol. Plus, independent property advice and even ideas to get rich quick through cake baking! The Rough Guide to Saving and Selling Online will help you save and make cash online. Get savvy today! ©2010 My Opinion: This is another great reference tool for those that wish to buy or sell goods and services online. Some of the websites discussed were known to me, but a lot were new. The one thing that wasn't useful for me was

Synopsis: A collection of dark faerie tales, inspired by folklore, myth and legend, told in the haunting lyrical style of dark poet E.J. Stevens. ©2010 My Opinion: Bravo E.J! I really enjoyed this little work of Art! I was lulled into the dark mind of a poet, and taken on a trip. It was fantastic, and I had so many favorites, though this stood out to me: Grindylow - Page 45. I love a great horror, and this was one of those tales that did not disappoint me in the scare department! I recommend this delectably dark book to every one! (4/5) ~I won my copy. I was not compensated for my opinion.~

Synopsis: If wisdom could be traded like currency, author Elizabeth Gilbert would be a wealthier woman by far, though it's likely her fabulous memoir, Eat Pray Love, racked up a few bucks during its stay on the New York Times bestseller list. What Gilbert imparts in her story--basically, bracing self-knowledge acquired during a year of travel following a bitter divorce and a shattered rebound romance--is at once astounding yet totally obvious. As Gilbert would attest, albeit more eloquently, the most important stuff in life is pretty much under our noses, but we occasionally have to shake ourselves senseless in order to see it (enlisting a guru and a medicine man are highly recommended). ©2006 My Opinion: I was watching Oprah, because Julia Roberts was on it, unaware of the movie she was promoting. This movie was adapted from Eat, Pray, Love . After listening to her talk about making it, and also visits from her co-stars, I knew I had to read the book before seeing the film. My hub

Synopsis: For people who want new, quick, and easy family-pleasing recipes, Everyday Easy cookbooks maximize the quality of everyday cooking with minimum effort. 30-Minute Dinners includes recipes that use readily available ingredients and are simple to prepare, from quick and hearty salads and soups, to fuss-free meals, and express desserts. ©2010 My Opinion: I like this book, I like it a lot. I know I will use it again. However, I have to adapt the recipe better, because I found it to be a little bland. So if you use this recipe, use 2 tsp salt and 1 1/4 tsp pepper to season. Should be enough. Taste it to check for flavor though.... All-in-all not a bad book. (3/5) Chicken Poached in Coconut Milk - Page 50 ~I received a copy from DK Canada. I was not compensated for my opinion.~

Synopsis: Destined to be a fan favorite, this exciting new thriller from bestselling authors Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child features Agent Pendergast and tells the dark history of his murdered wife, Helen. THANKS TO Anna & Hatchette Book Group, I HAVE 3 COPIES, OF THIS FABULOUS BOOK TO GIVE AWAY. HERE IS WHAT YOU NEED TO DO TO WIN A COPY! GIVEAWAY RULES: Mandatory: Comment leaving a valid email address to enter. +1 bonus entry if you are/become a follower (MUST BE PUBLIC PROFILE) Leave a separate comment to count. +1 Tweet or blog and leave link in separate comment . (One time, not daily) +1 Facebook Like for Freda's Voice; http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fredas-Voice/323200104784?ref=ts Leave your name in a separate comment . +10 purchase a book through banner above, BookChristian, come back leave me verification in a separate comment . Open to US & CANADA SORRY NO P.O. BOXES NO EMAIL, NO ENTRY. Easy as 1-2-3! Contest ends June 13, 11:59 p.m.

Rules: * Grab the book nearest you. Right now. * Turn to page 56. * Find a teaser sentence. * Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of http://storytimewithtonya.blogspot.com/ Eat, Pray, Love - Elizabeth Gilbert Page 56, Line 7: Unsurprisingly, she knows all the best places to eat in Rome, including a gelateria that serves a frozen rice pudding ( and if they don't serve this kind of thing in heaven, then I really don't want to go there).

Synopsis: Featuring over 80 self-contained projects, from growing your own organic food, cooking home-grown produce, keeping selected livestock, and leading a more sustainable lifestyle, Slice of Organic Life is the perfect start for someone looking to go "green." ©2010 My Opinion: This batter made one dozen muffins, and a day later there is none left. The best part is, they are all natural. Not a drop of sugar! They taste sooooooo good too! I think this is the best muffin recipe ever, and has the parts to be adapted for any fruit, so if you hate the flavors I used, you can do what you like. The recipe I used was actually Blueberry Muffins, but I adapted it to what I wanted. Definitely a take home cookbook for any one of today. We all need to learn to eat and live better, this book can help do that, even if it's a baby step. (5/5) Cranberry & Orange Muffins - Page 123 ~I received a copy from DK Canada. I was not compensated for my opinion.~

Synopsis: In 2003, after winning six of the twelve majors from 2000 to 2002, Tiger Woods struggled with his swing, leaving him lagging behind the field at both the U.S. Open and the PGA Championship. With Woods out of the picture, the stage was set for a newcomer to claim the top position. Nobody expected that four virtually unknown players would rise to become first-time champions. In his debut appearance in a major, Ben Curtis became the only player since Francis Ouimet in 1913 to prevail on his first time out. Mike Weir--who was considered a good player but not a great one--triumphed in The Masters, becoming the first Canadian to win a major. In the U.S. Open, Jim Furyk was victorious, and the PGA Championship was claimed by the unknown Shawn Micheel. But after each player's history-making season, the four have had little further success. 2008 is the first year since that unexpected year, when it will be possible for the four golfers to qualify for th

Synopsis: Curry Cuisine is an authoritative, invitingly illustrated, and completely hands-on guide providing simple cooking methods and tips from some of the world's most celebrated chefs. From mild to fiery hot, and from Malaysia to Northern India, the recipes provide home cooks with authentic and delicious dishes. ©2010 My Opinion: Here is a quote from my household in regards to this chicken recipe: "That's the only chicken I want you to make me." - Vince That is a sure sign it was absolutely delicious, and it was! Funny thing is, this recipe had no curry in it, but has a curry flavor. It is actually the tumeric. I loved this book, and can't wait to try more recipes in it and travel around the globe with my meals. Definitely one I recommend to all the foodies out there! (5/5) Adobong Manok (Chicken Adobo) - Page 195 ~I received a copy from DK Canada. I was not compensated for my opinion.~

Synopsis: On a rainy spring day in Seattle, young software tycoon Micah Taylor receives a cryptic, twenty-five-year-old letter from a great uncle he never knew. It claims a home awaits him on the Oregon coast that will turn his world inside out. Suspecting a prank, Micah arrives at Cannon Beach to discover a stunning brand new nine-thousand square foot house. And after meeting Sarah Sabin at a nearby ice cream shop, he has two reasons to visit the beach every weekend. When bizarre things start happening in the rooms of the home, Micah suspects they have some connection to his enigmatic new friend, Rick, the town mechanic. But Rick will only say the house is spiritual. This unnerves Micah because his faith slipped away like the tide years ago, and he wants to keep it that way. But as he slowly discovers, the home isn’t just spiritual, it’s a physical manifestation of his soul, which God uses to heal Micah’s darkest wounds and lead him into an astonishing new destiny. ©2010 My Opinion: W

Synopsis: The Knight Life is a hilariously twisted view of life through the eyes and pen of its creator, community-oriented urban hipster and award-winning cartoonist Keith Knight. The Knight Life deftly blends political insight and neurotic humor in a uniquely fluid and dynamic style, offering a comic strip that's fresh, sharp, topical and funny. Designed for daily newspapers, The Knight Life follows Knight's long-running, 2007 Harvey Award-winning weekly comic strip "The K Chronicles," which appears on salon.com. An unabashedly provocative political and social satire, The Knight Life tackles contemporary issues like consumer culture, bacon, the media, race, family and everything else, gently mocking the minutiae of daily life with self-deprecating humor, honesty and goofiness-a combination that's perfect for the comics. And The Knight Life's energetic style reminds readers that comics can look funny as well as read funny. The result is accessible yet edgy

Synopsis: After her fatal choice... extraordinary hope. Why does my life have to be so painful? What's wrong with me? It's not going to get better. It could all be over soon, and then I won't hurt anymore. Kristen Anderson thought she had the picture perfect life until strokes of gray dimmed her outlook on life. Once a happy child, Kristen's world darkened after three friends and her grandmother died within two years. Still reeling from these losses, she was raped by a friend she thought she could trust. She soon spiraled into a depression that didn't seem to have a bottom. One January night, the seventeen-year-old made a decision: She no longer wanted to deal with the emotional pain that smothered her. She lay down on a set of cold railroad tracks and waited-for a freight train to send her to heaven...and peace. Fear coursed through me. I squeezed my eyes tighter. It's going to be over now. The pain is going to end. I'll be in heaven soon. As the

Synopsis: A proudly deaf artist in Philadelphia, Lacey Gears is in a relationship with a wonderful man and rarely thinks about her childhood in a home for disabled orphans. That is, until Lacey receives a letter that begins, 'You have a sister. A twin to be exact'. Learning that her identical, hearing twin, Monica, experienced the normal childhood she was denied resurrects all of Lacey's grief, and she angrily sets out to find Monica and her parents. But the truth is far from simple. And for every one of Lacey's questions that's answered, others are raised, more baffling and profound. "My Sister's Voice" is a beautifully written novel about sisterhood, love, and the stories we cling to until real life comes crashing in. Author Bio: Mary Carter is a freelance writer and novelist. My Sister’s Voice is her fourth novel with Kensington. Her other works include: She’ll Take It, Accidentally Engaged, Sunnyside Blues, andThe Honeymoon House in the bes

Hosted by: http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com * Grab your current read. * Let the book fall open to a random page. * Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12. * You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from…that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given. * Please avoid spoilers! My Teaser: They were tied together with twine, and the edges of the envelopes went from yellow at the top to slightly faded on the bottom. The return name and address on the top envelope were Archie's, but the letter was mailed to Christopher Hale. ~ Page 91, Rooms - James L. Rubart *This is a great book so far, but I was on vacation so didn't read all weekend!*

Synopsis: FORBIDDEN LOVE Davina Montgomery is no ordinary English lady. For her own protection, she's been locked away from society, her true identity the Crown's most closely guarded secret. Until a shocking betrayal--and a bold rescue--land her in the arms of a fierce Highlander, a powerful warrior whose searing gaze and tantalizing touch awaken her body and soul. UNDENIABLE DESIRE As the firstborn son of a powerful Scottish laird, Robert MacGregor has no loyalty to the English throne, but he's not the kind of man to leave a woman in distress, even if she is English. He vows to deliver Davina to safety, unharmed and untouched. Yet one stolen kiss leaves them both smoldering with desire...and desperate for more. With Davina's secret threatening to destroy his clan, Rob must choose between everything he holds dear and the one woman he can't live without. RAVISHED BY A HIGHLANDER THANKS TO Anna & Hatchette Book Group, I HAVE 5 COPIES,

Rules: * Grab the book nearest you. Right now. * Turn to page 56. * Find the fifth sentence. * Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of http://storytimewithtonya.blogspot.com/ Rooms - James L. Rubart Page 56, Line 6: A hallway that had not been there before.

Synopsis: In the first novel of a new four-book fantasy series for young adults by bestselling author Bryan Davis, human and dragon worlds collide when Jason Masters enters the dragon planet and meets Koren, a descendant of humans who were kidnapped and are now the dragons' slaves. ©2010 My Opinion: Attention fantasy lovers, this is a new series that you will likely enjoy! It has a lot of the best things you can ask for in a fantasy novel, lots of action, great characters and a adventure. There was even a little romance thrown in to spice it up. I have to say, I fell in love with one character, Koren. There was something about her right from the beginning that had me captured, and at first I couldn't place what that was. The more I read, the more it became clear, she was the true star of the book. A really great read for people of all ages, though it is a young adult book geared to teens. I want to add this is book one in a series, though the series is new and not named in the