The Lost Dogs: Michael Vick's Dog and Their Tale of Rescue and Redemption by Jim Gorant

NOTE: There is the use of cuss words in the review that follows.

Title: The Lost Dogs: Michael Vick's Dogs and Their Tale of Rescue and Redemption

Author: Jim Gorant

Series:

Genre: Non-fiction, animals, sports

Publisher: Penguin

Release Date: 2010, September 16

Format: E-Book, 488 pages

Source: Bought for my Barnes and Noble Nook

 

Rating: 5/5

 

Smuttiness: N/A

 

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

 

An inspiring story of survival and our powerful bond with man's best friend, in the aftermath of the nation's most notorious case of animal cruelty.

Animal lovers and sports fans were shocked when the story broke about NFL player Michael Vick's brutal dog fighting operation. But what became of the dozens of dogs who survived? As acclaimed writer Jim Gorant discovered, their story is the truly newsworthy aspect of this case. Expanding on Gorant's Sports Illustrated cover story, The Lost Dogs traces the effort to bring Vick to justice and turns the spotlight on these infamous pit bulls, which were saved from euthanasia by an outpouring of public appeals coupled with a court order that Vick pay nearly a million dollars in "restitution" to the dogs.

As an ASPCA-led team evaluated each one, they found a few hardened fighters, but many more lovable, friendly creatures desperate for compassion. In The Lost Dogs, we meet these amazing animals, a number of which are now living in loving homes, while some even work in therapy programs: Johnny Justice participates in Paws for Tales, which lets kids get comfortable with reading aloud by reading to dogs; Leo spends three hours a week with cancer patients and troubled teens. At the heart of the stories are the rescue workers who transformed the pups from victims of animal cruelty into healing caregivers themselves, unleashing priceless hope.

Review:

I was checking out the new releases on Barnes and Noble the other day and I saw this book.  I'm an animal lover and I thought that the premise of this book sounded really interesting, so I downloaded it onto my Barnes and Noble Nook.  I started to read it at about 2 am Sunday morning and I could NOT stop reading it until I had read all 488 pages e-book pages (the print version is 304 pages).  I was absolutely FLOORED by some of the things that I had read.

Now if you are going to read this book I must warn you in the beginning there are a few graphic scenes that show just big of an fucking jackass Michael Vick truely is. And they let this fucker BACK into the NFL! The author of this book doesn't hold anything back really.  He goes into the gorey details of how Vick and his "crew" disposed of dogs that just didn't have it in them to fight.
Once the bust is made on Vick's property and the dogs are confiscated then there is a big hoopla about if the case is going to be a state/local case or a federal case.  In the end it became a federal case but the state/local attorney did slap some charges on about 5 months AFTER the case started.

While the case is going on there is much discussion about what should be done with the dogs.  There were many who said that they should ALL be destroyed because they were taken from a fighting situation, which makes them steriotypical "killers" naturally....I mean hell...even PETA said destroy them.  In the end, after much discussion and bringing in outside help.  It was decided that they would evaluate each dog individually.  After all the evaluations were done, of the 51 dogs that were seized, only 1 was deemed to dangerous to even evaluate.

Because I don't want to give away too much of this book away I'm not going to go into very many more deatils.  All I'm going to say is that there is a happy ending for the remaining dogs...They actually get to learn how be a dog and do dog things and many of them have been adopted out and several are even therapy dogs.  I hope that if you read this book you learn as much about this breed that is known as the "nanny dog", because it was originally bred to be a family pet as well as a protector of the farm, as I did.  I can honestly say that after reading this book, it has definately changed my opinion on the American Pit Bull Terrier.

Review ~ Home Team: Coaching the Saints and New Orleans back to life

 

 Rating: 

 Pub. Date: June 2010
Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)
Format: Hardcover, 304pp

Synopsis (from Barnes and Noble):

The inspirational true story of how one man led a football team-and a city- to triumph in Super Bowl XLIV.


In the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, the New Orleans Superdome became a national symbol of misery and hopelessness, where the truly desperate rode out the storm.

Four years later, in that very stadium, the New Orleans Saints won the NFC championship and earned their first-ever trip to the Super Bowl.

Two weeks later, the Saints soundly defeated the heavily favored Indianapolis Colts 31-17 in what would become the most-watched television event in history.

This is the inspirational story of a city recovering from disaster and a team with a history of heartbreak, seen through the eyes of the coach who taught them both how to win.

Review:

I downloaded this book as well as Drew Brees' book onto my Barnes and Noble Nook shortly before my July book ban.  I devoured them both with in a couple days...But since I've been in sort of a "funk" about posting reviews lately I hadn't posted the review for this great book yet.  Thank goodness I wrote it out long hand so I would know what to say when I finally got my "stuff" together and started posting reviews again!

As I said in the review of Drew's book I'm not really a Saints fan...I'm a Steelers fan really.  But the "Who Dat Nation" is kind of a Cinderella story.  I mean we are talking about a team and a city that came back from one of the worst natural disasters yet (oh yeah, remember how everyone BUT the government was there right away?!) to become Super Bowl Champions!

This book is VERY inspiring.  Coach Payton talks about coming from to the NFL from the College ranks to work with some of the best coaches in the NFL (Bill Parcells to name 1) to going out looking for his first Head Coaching position (I don't want to burst any bubbles here but he does mention that he REALLY wanted the Packers Head Coaching position...I'm from WI and about 1% Packer fan).  He didn't really want to come to New Orleans but once he saw that the organization had his back if he had theirs that's how this Cinderella story begins.

Coach Payton also talks about trying to rebuild a complete coaching staff too.  Some of the coaching staff hadn't been working in the NFL until Coach Payton called them up.  Then once they got the staff figured out...it was time to work on the team itself....To become winners again...who knew that in a few short years they'd be going to the Super Bowl? Did you know that Reggie Bush had his "people" tell the Saints "No" the year they drafted him....The Saints told his "people" screw you and drafted him anyway.  Now he's a Super Bowl Champion.

There is also a lot of mention of the devastation and the re-building process mentioned in the book too.  What really surprised me was how involved the team got with the re-building efforts.  And also how "accessible" the team is to the rest of the population of New Orleans.

Overall, this book is a emotional book full of the Highest high's and the Lowest lows.  I would recommend this book to anyone really. Read IT!  You don't even need to be a Saints fan to enjoy it!

Review ~ Coming Back Stronger

Pub. Date: July 2010 (purchased shortly before the Book Ban)
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers
Sold by: Barnes & Noble
Format: eBook, Hardcover

Rating: Synopsis:

When a potentially career-ending shoulder injury left quarterback Drew Brees without a team and faced with the daunting task of having to learn to throw a football all over again, coaches around the NFL wondered, would he ever come back? After Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, leaving 85% of the city under water, many wondered, would the city ever come back? And with their stadium transformed into a makeshift refugee camp, forcing the Saints to play their entire 2005 season on the road, people questioned, would the Saints ever come back? It takes a special person to turn adversity into success and despair into hope—yet that is exactly what Super Bowl MVP Drew Brees has done—and with the weight of an entire city on his shoulders. Coming Back Stronger is the ultimate comeback story, not only of one of the NFL's top quarterbacks, but also of a city and a team that many had all but given up on. Brees' inspiring message of hope and encouragement proves that with enough faith, determination, and heart, you can overcome any obstacle life throws your way and not only come back, but come back stronger.

Review:

I just want to set the record straight...I'm not a New Orleans Saints fan. But after watching the past few years....Post Katrina. As the Saints and New Orleans "crawled" their way out of the wreckage and despair that a Category 5 hurricane created I would poke around and see how they did during their games. I watched the "homecoming" game against the Falcons and most recently the playoffs and the Super Bowl. That being said I saw this book while I was checking out the new releases a couple weeks ago on Barnes and Noble.com and the synopsis alone sold me on it.

This book is wonderfully written. Drew and his ghost writer eloquently put Drew's life (personal and professional) into perspective for the reader. Sometimes when you read and hear about these professional atheletes you forget that they too are just a person just like everyone else. You see them as "larger than life" and "unaproachable." The way this book is written it puts to rest those "images"....in Drew's case any way.

Drew covers his childhood and even covers his parent's bitter divorce. All the way through his time at the Chargers and his potentially career-threatening injury. Then there was "Miami vs New Orleans" and the deciding factor that made him chose post-Katrina New Orleans over the "obvious choice" Miami.

It's all here. There is not a person that has been a part of Drew's life (ok there may be a couple) that isn't talked highly about here in the book....from his parents, to his wife, teamates (past and present), doctors, coaches, etc. Then throw in bringing a city and a football team back from ruin and you have a pretty amazing comeback story. Life threw Drew some serious lemons along the way and he's made some pretty LARGE amounts of lemonade.

Even the religious talk didn't turn me off on this book. See Drew has VERY firm Christian beliefs and sometimes, for me anyway, that can detract from a book. That was NOT the case with this book.

I even learned a few things from the book too....Just to name one thing....I learned that for the past few years the New Orleans Saints has been made up of players that were considered "castoffs" from other teams. I guess that gave them, as a team, a chip on their shoulder and it's starting to really pay off for them.

I highly recommend this book if you are looking for a "feel good" story.

Review ~ Official Book Club Selection

Pub. Date: September 2009
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Format: Hardcover, 368pp

Rating:

Synopsis:



Official Book Club Selection is Kathy Griffin unplugged, uncensored, and unafraid to dish about what really happens on the road, away from the cameras, and at the star party after the show. (It's also her big chance to score that coveted book club endorsement she's always wanted. Are you there, Oprah? It's me, Kathy.)


Kathy Griffin has won Emmys for her reality show Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List, been nominated for a Grammy, worked and walked every red carpet known to man, and rung in the New Year with Anderson Cooper. But the legions of fans who pack Kathy's sold-out comedy shows have heard only part of her remarkable story. Writing with her trademark wit, the feisty comic settles a few old scores, celebrates the friends and mentors who helped her claw her way to the top, and shares insider gossip about celebrity behavior–the good, the bad, and the very ugly. She recounts the crazy ups and downs of her own career and introduces us to some of the supertalented people she encountered before they got famous (or, in some cases, after fame went to their heads). Word to the wise: If you've ever crossed Kathy Griffin at some point in your life, check the index for your name.


Along the way, Kathy reveals intimate details about her life before and after she made the big time. She opens up about everything from growing up with a dysfunctional family in suburban Illinois to bombing as a young comedian in L.A., from her well-publicized plastic surgery disasters to her highly publicized divorce, and more. Only in this book will you learn how the dinner table is the best training ground for a career in stand-up, how speaking your mind can bite you on the ass and buy you a house, and which people in Kathy's life have taught her the most valuable lessons–both inside and outside the entertainment industry. And as if all that wasn't enough, there are also dozens of exclusive and somewhat embarrassing photos from Kathy's own collection–featuring the diva of the D List herself, with her old nose as well as her new one, plus celebrity friends, foes, frenemies, and hangers-on for you to gawk at.


Refreshingly candid, unflinchingly honest, and full of hilarious "Did she really say that?" moments, Official Book Club Selection will make you laugh until you cry, or just puke up a little bit.


Review:



I picked this book up at my public library a couple weeks ago after reading a bunch of rave reviews for it on the web. I'm glad that I did because it was a funny, honest and very candid read. There were a lot of moments where I thought to myself "I can't believe she just said that!"

I found that Kathy Griffin is one heck of a lady and really is NOT afraid to put her true feelings into print. Whether it be about her brother (total pedophile), her marriage and divorce, plastic surgery issues, what ever the case may be it's there in print.

The photo's that are included in the book are pretty neat too. Kathy is THE youngest in her family and it is oh so obvious in some of the photos that are shared. Overall, I really think that this book could very well be a Official Book Club Selection.

The Time of My Life review **Tiny Spoiler**

Pub. Date: September 2009
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group
Format: Hardcover, 256pp, e-book, paperback, compact disc, MP3

Rating:

Synopsis (from Barnes and Noble):

In a career spanning more than thirty years, Patrick Swayze has made a name for himself on the stage, the screen, and television. Known for his versatility, passion and fearlessness, he's become one of our most beloved actors.

But in February 2008, Patrick announced he had been diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic cancer. Always a fighter, he refused to let the disease bring him to his knees, and his bravery has inspired both his legion of fans and cancer patients everywhere. Yet this memoir, written with wisdom and heart, recounts much more than his bout with cancer. In vivid detail, Patrick describes his Texas upbringing, his personal struggles, his rise to fame with North and South, his commercial breakthroughs in Dirty Dancing and Ghost, and the soul mate who's stood by his side through it all: his wife, writer and director Lisa Niemi.

A behind-the-scenes look at a Hollywood life and a remarkable love, this memoir is both entertainment and inspiration. Patrick and Lisa's marriage is a journey of two lives intertwined and lived as one—throughout their years in Hollywood and at home on their working ranch outside Los Angeles, and culminating in the hope and wisdom they've imparted to all who know them. This book will open the door for families, individuals, and husbands and wives to grow, bond and discover entirely new levels of love and sharing, proving that life shouldn't be lived as a series of endings, but rather as the beginning of greater strength and love.

Review:

I had heard great things about this book so when I found out that it was available on my nook I went ahead and downloaded it. I can honestly say that of the books that I've read recently this one is pretty close to the top. This is an awesome story of the roller coaster life (personally and professionally) that Patrick and his wife Lisa lived while he was still alive. Seriously, check this book out...It made me laugh, cry and cringe. Oh a little random fact for you....The most famous line in the movie Dirty Dancing "Nobody puts Baby in the corner" is the one that Patrick thought was ultra corny and wanted cut from the script entirely.

American Conspiracies

American Conspiracies

Jesse Ventura

E-Book Format, also available in Hardcover

Rating:

Synopsis:

Jesse Ventura tells it like it is, and this time he tackles our government’s biggest secrets.

Review:

I was watching Raw one Monday night and Jesse Ventura happened to be the guest host for the night. Yes, I am a wrestling fan and yes, I do know that it's not real. While Jesse was there he did a little shameless promotion of his new book American Conspiracies....and quiet frankly it peeked my interest right away. So I got it on my Nook and I'm SUPER GLAD I did. Because I don't want to give away the whole book this is going to be sort of a "quickie" review

In American Conspiracies Jesse takes the information that you thought you knew about events such as....The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, BOTH of the Kennedy Assassinations, Watergate, The Assassination of MLK Jr., the stolen elections, 9/11 as well as many others and completely turns it around on you. Let's put it this way....what you THOUGHT you knew about these events well....after all the research that was done by Jesse and his team....you have NO IDEA!

For almost all of the events that are covered in this book Jesse was actually around for, so he adds a little bit of a personal touch to all of his research as well. Overall, I thought that this was an AWESOME read. Jesse takes some of our governments biggest secrets and puts them in a No-Holds-Barred match that they simply (in my opinion anyway) can not win. I highly recommend this book for anyone who is interested in True Crime, politics or political history.

What SEX is a Republican?

What SEX is a Republican?
Terri McCormick

336 pages

Rating: .75

Synopsis:

What Sex Is a Republican? takes a look at the political game from behind the curtain with one intention; to call on each of us to serve in our local, state and federal governments. The principles of republican government have been lost on the money changers in our state and national capitols.

There is only one way to change that -- We the people must take responsibility for what our government has become while we weren't looking. As he left Liberty Hall upon signing the Constitution of the United States, Benjamin Franklin was asked, "What kind of government did you give us?" Franklin replied, "A republic, if you can keep it!"

Let's keep it together, shall we?

What Sex Is a Republican? presents a case for courage by a lawmaker who is uniquely qualified to do so. The author, Terri McCormick is a former legislator and congressional candidate who is a woman. According to her friends and foes alike, "Terri has been battle tested in state and federal politics." An advocate for political and government reform and change, former Representative Terri McCormick has proven time and again that "ideas" trump "career politicians" and their trysts and turns.

Review:

NOTE: This was a hard review for me to write....cause I felt that if I included everything I wanted to say I would give away the whole book. So this is a "QUICKIE" review.

The author of this book is from my great state of Wisconsin. Usually, I'm not really all that interested in political books at all. Honestly, I'm not as informed about what is going on in politics as maybe I should be. But I am really glad that I was asked to read this book. Because now I know what I can do to be involved in what's going on in politics.

Not only did I learn what I can do to be involved, I also learned all the trials and triumphs that the author went through while she was in office. Quiet honestly, I give Terri MAJOR kudo's....I don't think that I could handle much less put up with all the crap that goes on in today's politics.

Overall, this book is an inside look at the structure of today's politics. But also, this book is part memoir too. I hope that you check this book out....especially if politics are something that interests you.....There is even a whole chapter about running your own campaign!

Will They Ever Trust Us Again? Letters from the War Zone mini review

Will They Ever Trust Us Again? Letters from the War Zone

Michael Moore

240 pages

Category: Non-fiction/Military History/Politics

Source: Book Mooch

Rating:++

Synopsis:

American soldiers serve willingly. They risk their lives so the rest of us can be safe. The one small thing they ask, though, is that they not be sent into harm's way unless it is absolutely necessary. But after being lied to about weapons of mass destruction and about the connection between al Qaeda and Iraq; after being forced by stop-loss orders to extend their deployment; after being undertrained, underequipped, and overworked long after George Bush declared Iraq "Mission Accomplished," these soldiers have something to say. From his famous 2003 Oscar acceptance speech to his record-breaking documentary Fahrenheit 9/11, Michael Moore has been an outspoken critic of the Bush administration and the war in Iraq. But in this book, Moore gives the spotlight to the real heroes of protest: the men and women who have fought in Iraq and want the American public to know how they feel about their mission and their commander in chief. Moore also fields letters from veterans of other wars and mothers, wives, and siblings of our soldiers in the field. They also express their anger and frustration, their tears and pain, and their hopes and prayers. Impassioned, accessible, and moving, these are letters that reveal the true hearts and minds of the men, women, and families on the front line.

Review:

I found this book not all that long ago on Book Mooch and decided that I needed it. I'm glad that I decided to mooch this book because in my opinion it is AWESOME. This book is a compilation of letters from ACTUAL soldiers, their families and veterans expressing their concerns about the US going to war in Iraq and about the "Commander in Chief" at that time G. W. Bush. Now I know that Moore is a bit controversial to begin with but seriously when ACTUAL soldiers backup information that Moore has been trying to relay...that makes me sit up and take notice.

Permission Slips: Every Woman's Guide To Giving Herself A Break MINI review

Permission Slips: Every Woman's Guide to Giving Herself a Break

Sherri Shepherd

Rating:

Synopsis:

Covering topics such as "It's Jesus or Jail,""Marriage, the Hard Way,""Children: The Gift You Can't Give Back," and "All the Things I Don't Know...And All the Things I Definitely Do," stand-up comedienne, actress, and ABC's The View co-host Sherri Shepherd comically chronicles her struggles to keep up with the many roles-professional, wife, mother, daughter, and friend-that women must play in today's world. Sherri urges women to pursue their most important dreams and to never give up, but also let's readers know that it's okay to give themselves "permission slips" when things don't always work out the way they want them to. As her many fans know, Sherri is never hesitant to speak from the heart, and her bubbly personality shines through in this delightful autobiography.

Review:

I picked this book up at my local library yesterday and I devoured it. It was really good. Really funny too! Not only does Sherri in not so many words "girl you gotta lighten up" she also gives us permission to give ourselves permission slips when things don't go the way we want them too. Sherri was really open and honest about her life, her faith, her career, you name it it's in there....ALL the "gory" details.

Sinner Takes All by Tera Patrick review **May contain spoilers

Sinner Takes All
Tera Patrick
336 pages

Rating:

Challenges:

100+ Challenge, 144 Books in 2010, Non-Fiction Five Challenge

Synopsis:

How does a girl go from being a shy, awkward bookworm to the biggest porn star in the world? In Sinner Takes All, Tera Patrick reveals all, including: her career as an international model; losing her virginity at fourteen to a thirtysomething photographer; learning oral sex techniques backstage at a Guns N' Roses concert; having an orgy with a team of firefighters; her unglamorous job in a nursing home; her first forays into the adult movie business; and how, with her husband's help, she launched her own multimillion-dollar empire.

Along the way, she dishes on the emotional side of being Tera Patrick, writing candidly about her battles with depression and anxiety. She also discusses finding true love and building a healthy marriage, achievements that many consider to be impossible in the world of porn. Featuring hundreds of photos, plus diary pages and scintillating sidebars, Sinner Takes All takes the tell-all to raunchy new heights.

Review:

As you can see by past reviews I have a pretty ecclectic taste in reading material. I came across this book several months ago and it caught my interest. Come on the cover alone is pretty eye catching. Honestly, the sex industry is a rather interesting subject matter to read about. NOTE: If you are going to read this book there are some photographs that are of a "adult" nature.

Tera Patrick is a pretty inspirational woman. You may or may not agree. But that is my opinion of Tera after reading her memoir. She had a very rough start in life. Her parents were pretty much absent a lot. Her father has spent most of his life an "herbal American" (both legal and illegal) and her mother is a Thai woman with a violent temper. Tera (who's real name is actually Linda) was abused by her mother. She even said in the book that writing it was a form of "therapy" for her on some issues.

Tera started off a model and ended up in Japan for a while. Where she became addicted to drugs and was first introduced to sex. But after her modeling career tanked she came back to the states and got all the drugs cleaned out of her system she lead a "normal" life for a while. But her sex life was pretty crazy and stayed "crazy" for a long time.

Tera says that the thing that really turned her on to the porn industry was that you didn't have to be a size 0 and 110 pounds. She took the porn world by storm. She's had her ups and downs, but she's still kicking. For that she thanks Evan (her now ex-husband), who also helped her lauch her own empire.

So after a rough start in life Tera is, in my opinion, an inspiration. She came from the lowest lows (drug addiction, abuse, etc.) to the highest highs (her own multi-million dollar empire) all with a little elbow grease. What I learned from this book is that if you put forth the effort there is no dream that is unattainable.

Kissing Frogs in Cyberspace review and giveaway

Kissing Frogs in Cyberspace
Dianne Sweeney

Ratings:





Synopsis:

In today's age of virtual hook-ups and online encounters, it is no surprise that there are thousands of web sites devoted to Internet dating. Told in a series of vignettes, Kissing Frogs in Cyberspace, Dianne Sweeney's revealing account of dating in the 21st century takes you on a hilarious, often poignant journey of online dates, dumps, and disasters. As she discovers the world of Internet dating is blessed by those seeking true love and plagued by those just seeking. Kissing Frogs in Cyberspace uncovers the reality of online dating--its pleasures, its horrors, and all the quirky stuff in between.



Review:



I first read about this book on The Book Vixen's blog. Because I have VERY ecclectic reading tastes I needed to get my hands on a copy of this book. I love the cover of this book! How can you pass up a book with a FROG on the cover?! I loved how the author didn't hold anything back when it cames to the good, the bad (a fair amount) and the ugly (a LOT of this) of internet dating. I mean the disclaimer alone let's you know your in for one heck of a ride: "This book is based on true events. Names and places have been changed to protect the innocent, the guilty and the ones being fitted for a straitjacket." (I borrowed this from The Book Vixen) Ms. Sweeny shares e-mails and accounts with some of her online suitors that are very interesting to downright hilarious. Seriously, READ THIS BOOK!

GIVE AWAY!

I will be giving away 2 copies of Kissing Frogs in Cyberspace!

rules:

1. must be a US citizen.

2. leave a comment with your e-mail address in it.

3. This giveaway ends on March 15 @ 11:59 pm...Winners will be selected randomly

My Life Outside The Ring review

My Life Outside The Ring
Hulk Hogan
320 pages
Rating: 4.75/5


Source: Purchased
Challenges: 100+ Challenge, 144 Books in 2010



Synopsis:


Hulk Hogan, born Terry Bollea, burst onto the professional wrestling scene in the late seventies and went on to become a world wrestling champion many times over. From humble beginnings, this giant of a man escaped a pre-ordained life of dock and construction work in Port Tampa, Florida, to become one of the most recognizable celebrities on the planet. He did it through sheer will, grit, determination, and a drive to always go over the top and do more than what others thought possible. From the outside, his story was one of a charmed life—he was at the top of his career, had a wonderful and loving family, and a lifelong fan base who worshipped him. Of course he had his up and downs—including hints of steroid abuse and his falling out with WWE and Vince McMahon—but it’s been the last two years that have tested Hogan more than any other in his lifetime. In 2007, while riding the massive success of his VH1 reality show, Hogan Knows Best, his son Nick was involved in a tragic car accident that left his best friend in critical condition. Then Linda, his wife, left him after 23 years of marriage, his beloved daughter Brooke blamed him for the breakup and his son went to jail. The tabloid media had a field day. When unflattering jailhouse conversations between him and his son were released to the press the tabloids were in a frenzy. The sudden turmoil and tragedy surrounding Hogan took its toll. He fell into a deep depression, seeing no way out, until one fate ful phone call. In My Life Outside the Ring, Hogan will unabash edly recount these events, revealing how his new found clarity steadied him during the most difficult match of his life—and how he emerged from the battle feeling stronger than ever before.

I was right there leaning on the side of the car with my hands when I finally saw Nick—my only son—folded up like an accordion with his head down by the gas pedal. “Nick!” I yelled. I could see he was alive. He turned his head, he stuck his hand out, and gave me a thumbs-up. For a second I was relieved. Then the chaos set in. The noise of engines. Sirens. A saw. Para - medics pulling John from the passenger seat. So much blood. I can’t even describe to you how panicked I was. The police and firefighters surrounding us seemed panicked, too. The firefighters started cutting the side of the car open to try to get Nick out, and I’m still standing right there when I hear my boy screaming, “No, no, no, stop! Stop! You’re gonna cut my legs off. Dad! Just unbuckle the seatbelt. I can get out!” So I reach in and I push the button on his seat belt, and Nick just crawls right out. His wrist was broken. His ribs were cracked. None of that mattered. He was gonna be okay. But not John. John wasn’t moving. —from MY LIFE OUTSIDE THE RING



Review:

I have a confession to make....I'm a wrestling fan....There I said it. Honestly, when I picked this book up I didn't really know what to expect from it. I'm glad I picked it up though...I really liked it A LOT! It's written from Hulk's perspective not just as a wrestler but as a man, husband, and father...In short it's very real and very honest, from the highest high to the lowest low. There were times where I was going "why did he put up with it for so long?" and times when I was saying "WOW." I learned a lot of things that I didn't know about the Hulkster too....Like he plays guitar and was a bowler when he was younger. I really liked how the book opens....you just know that you are going to be going on one heck of a roller coaster ride. Even if your not a wrestling fan I recommend this book....I'd say a good chunk of the book really isn't even about wrestling.....it's about life.

What I was really thinking:

The Beginning: AWESOME beginning!

The Middle: What a roller coaster ride!

The End: HOLY CRAP HULKSTER!

Musical Chairs review

Musical Chairs
Jen Knox

Source: Sent to me by the author
Challenges: 100+ Challenge

Synopsis:
Musical Chairs explores one family’s history of mental health diagnoses and searches to define the cusp between a ’90s working-class childhood and the trouble of adapting to a comfortable life in the suburbs. In order to understand her restlessness, Jennifer reflects on years of strip-dancing, alcoholism, and estrangement. Inspired by the least likely source, the family she left behind, Jennifer struggles towards reconciliation. This story is about identity, class, family ties, and the elusive nature of mental illness.

Review: I got this book from the author awhile ago (sorry Jen!) and it FINALLY made it’s way to the top of my TBR list. This review is going to be short and sweet folks! Honesty, I enjoyed the book a LOT even though there were some things in it that touched close to home for me personally. I LOVED that Jen wasn’t afraid to put it all out there on the line for the reader (that would be me.) Overall, Musical Chairs gets 2 thumbs way up from me!

Duke We're Glad We Knew You Review

Duke We're Glad We Knew You
Herb Fagen
4/5


Source: Library



Synopsis: To millions of movie fans, John Wayne was heroism personified, and to this day he is as big a star as he was in his prime. He was voted the 5th Greatest Movie Star of all time by Entertainment Weekly, the 4th Greatest Movie Star of all time by Premiere magazine, and #13 Greatest Actor on the 50 Greatest Screen Legends list put out by the American Film Institute.


Here, in loving memory of the Duke thirty years after his death, is the updated and expanded edition of Duke, We're Glad We Knew You, featuring never-before-seen photos and interviews. The legendary icon is made real through vivid anecdotes and observations from the insiders who worked, gambled, drank, and fought with the outsized personality that was John Wayne. Candid, funny, revealing, moving and inspiring, this two-fisted tribute shows John Wayne as the true hero he was.



Review: John Wayne is my personal ALL TIME FAVORITE actor. He is quoted as saying "you shouldn't go to movies if you don't believe in hero's." This book is a collection of rememberances from those fortunate enough to have worked with Duke Wayne during his impressive film career. From Harry Carey Jr. to Ben Johnson they are all there telling us their stories of the Duke. Stories that just goes to show that even John Wayne was human.

Broken A Love Story Review

Broken A Love Story
Lisa Jones

Source: Library

Synopsis: Writer Lisa Jones went to Wyoming for a four-day magazine assignment and came home four years later with a new life.

At a dusty corral on the Wind River Indian Reservation, she met Stanford Addison, a Northern Arapaho who seemed to transform everything around him. He gentled horses rather than breaking them by force. It was said that he could heal people of everything from cancer to bipolar disorder. He did all this from a wheelchair; he had been a quadriplegic for more than twenty years.

Intrigued, Lisa sat at Stanford's kitchen table and watched. She saw neighbors from the reservation and visitors from as far away as Holland bump up the dirt road to his battered modular home, seeking guidance and healing for what had broken in their lives. She followed him into the sweat lodge — a framework of willow limbs covered with quilts — where he used prayer and heat to shrink tumors and soothe agitated souls. Standing on his sun-blasted porch, pit bulls padding past her, she felt the vibration from thundering bands of Arabian horses that Stanford's young nephews brought to the ring to train.

And she listened to his story. Stanford spent his teenage years busting broncs, seducing girls, and dealing drugs. At twenty, he left the house for another night of partying. By morning, a violent accident had robbed him of his physical prowess and left in its place unwelcome spiritual powers — an exchange so shocking that Stanford spent several years trying to kill himself. But eventually he surrendered to his new life and mysterious gifts.

Over the years Lisa was a frequent visitor to Stanford's place, the reservation and its people worked on her, exposing and healing theplaces where she, too, was broken.

Broken entwines her story with Stanford's, exploring powerful spirits, material poverty, spiritual wealth, friendship, violence, confusion, death, and above all else,"a love that comes before and after and above and below romantic love."

Review: I was looking through our libraries shelf of "new" releases when I came upon this one. The cover is what caught my eye....I have a "thing" for horses....I just LOVE them. As I was reading I got a little lesson in Native American history, which I did not expect but I thought it fit really well with the story. I also learned that life on the "rez" is not all that great....you pretty much have to learn how to go without in many case and that you are judged by your skin color. The characters (main and supporting) all have very interesting stories too. A little something that I picked up from this book from the author and the rest of the characters is that we are all a little bit "broken" it's just a matter of figuring out how to put the pieces back together again.

Overall, this was a really good book. I was really happy that I checked this one out. It did take me a little longer to get read than I would have liked (dang real life!) but it was totally worth that extra time.

I Love A Man In Uniform Review

I Love A Man In Uniform A Memoir of Love, War, and Other Battles
Lily Burana

Synopsis - 10/10

Plot - 10/10

Characters - 10/10

Overall Story - 10/10

Conclusion - 10/10

Overall Score - 50/50

Synopsis: An all-American love story about a former punk-rock stripper and her unlikely marriage to an officer in the U.S. Army.

In this brave, eloquent, and often funny memoir, critically acclaimed author Lily Burana writes about love, war, and the realities of military marriage with an honesty few writers would dare.

A former exotic dancer who once had a penchant for anarchist politics and purple hair dye, Lily's rebellious past never would have suggested a marriage into the military. But then she met Mike, a Military Intelligence officer, and fell hopelessly in love, resulting in a most unorthodox romance-poignant, passionate, and utterly unpredictable.

After Lily and Mike said "I do" in a brief, pre-deployment City Hall ceremony, Mike left for Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Lily was left in a strange town to endure his absence alone, with no support system and little knowledge of the vast and confusing military world into which she had married.

Upon Mike's return from the war, the couple moved to historic West Point, where Lily found that life on base had its own challenges. As the war continued and the past intruded unexpectedly into the present, Lily and Mike found themselves plunged into the nightmare of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Struggling to cope in a community where admitting weakness is the ultimate taboo and "suck it up" is the suggested response to emotional pain, Lily suffered from depression so severe, it almost ended their marriage. With the help of a revolutionary therapeutic technique, the couple made their way out of the darkness and back to each other. Through it all, Lily wrangled with her preconceptions about the military and found herplace within the uniquely supportive sisterhood of military wives.

From harrowing emotion to the dishy details of life on base, Lily Burana bares her heart and soul as a modern military spouse. I Love a Man in Uniform is a profoundly moving story of how a woman can locate, and heal, her true self as a dedicated Army wife, free spirit, and freedom-loving American.

Review: I was perusing the shelves at my local library when I found this gem. Personally, I think the synopsis pretty much says what I would have said about it. I LOVED this book, which is pretty evident by the elusive perfect score. Once I got started reading it I had a very hard time putting it down. It's funny, it's a tear jerker but most importantly....It's real.

Candy Girl Review

Candy Girl A Year in the Life of an Unlikely Stripper

Diablo Cody

Synopsis - 5/10
Plot - 8/10
Characters - 10/10
Overall Story - 10/10
Conclusion - 8/10

Overall Score - 41/50

*Optional*Smuttiness - 10/10



Review: Overall, I was really happy with the book. It's the story of a "normal" 20-something woman who get's this crazy idea that she should try her hand at being a stripper in addition to her day job as a typist for an advertising company in Minneapolis. The author doesn't mince any words and even uses some "colorful" language (if your not into f-bombs and "interesting" names for male parts DON'T read this book) for her year of being an "entertainer". You learn a lot about all the different clubs that she's worked at and a little bit about the other "entertainers" that she's come across.

I giggled, I cringed and I had a few WTF?! moments but overall the writing style and overall story are easy to follow. The only part that I was a little bit skeptical about was how cool her now husband was about the whole idea, but I guess that's a "too each there own" kind of thing.

The Blind Side Review

The Blind Side
Michael Lewis

Synopsis - 9/10
Plot - 10/10
Characters - 9/10
Overall Story - 10/10
Conclusion - 8/10

Overall Score - 46/50

Synopsis: One day Michael Oher will be among the most highly paid athletes in the National Football League. When we first meet him, he is one of thirteen children by a mother addicted to crack; he does not know his real name, his father, his birthday, or how to read or write. He takes up football, and school, after a rich, white, evangelical family plucks him from the streets. Then two great forces alter Oher: the family's love and the evolution of professional football itself into a game in which the quarterback must be protected at any cost. Our protagonist becomes the priceless package of size, speed, and agility necessary to guard the quarterback's greatest vulnerability: his blind side.

Review: I saw the trailer for the movie first one day and decided that that was one of those movies that I MUST see. The next day on a whim I was surfing the Barnes and Noble webpage and I did a random search to see if The Blind Side was in book form. As we can all see it oh so very much is in book form and scores high on my review scale too! I'm not going to say a whole lot about this one because I don't want to give away too much.

Now if your not much of a football fan I would probably recommend skipping the book form. The book itself starts off with a little history of the "game" (and there are "history lessons" thrown in through out the book, but they all tie in to the story) and your about 3 chapters in before you even meet Michael Oher. Once you meet Michael and you learn just a teeny tiny bit about him you can totally understand why his "new family" took him in and loved on him and why he in turn turned around and loved on them in return.

School wasn't easy for Michael....He had to become academically eligible before he could even start playing sports at all. Football didn't come easy to Michael...He started out a basketball player and dabbled in Track too. But once he got the hang of football well to quote the late great Paul Harvey.... "Now you know the rest of the story." We'll put it this way in all of College football only one school didn't offer Michael a full scholarship to there school and that was Penn State.

I would totally recommend this book to pretty much anyone. Even though it is pretty football heavy (not always pertaining to Michael) it is still a very great story. A story that says even great things can come from a not so great beginning. In short: READ IT! TODAY!

Puppy Chow Is Better Than Prozac

Puppy Chow Is Better Than Prozac: The True Story of a Man and the Dog Who Saved His Life
Bruce Goldstein
Rating: 5/5
Synopsis:
Meet Ozzy. For the suicidally depressed author, this furry antidepressant came with only one side effect-unconditional, slobbery love.
Review: I was out one day shopping with my mom and we made a random trip to Barnes and Noble. I happend to be looking through the pet section (we had just started considering adopting another dog after we had to put our 19 year old lab mix to sleep) and found this book. I think the title alone is what had me purchasing this book...You have to admit it is a cute title. The very first sentence alone scares the crap out of you but in the end you know that things are going to go from REALLY bad to oh so much better for the author with the help of a little furry antidepressant.
What I REALLY thought:
Beginning: The VERY beginning (like the very first sentence) scared the crap out of me...but as I learned more about the author that sentence became much clearer.
Middle: Things are starting to look up.
End: Things are going pretty well for Oz and Bruce. Puppy Chow REALLY is better than Prozac.

Truck: A Love Story - Review

For the past week and a 1/2 I have been reading Michael Perry’s book….Truck a Love Story. I only now have found this Wisconsin author and so far I am loving his writing. I am going to keep this review short and sweet because I don’t want to give away too much. Truck is about Michael’s “mission” to get his 1951 International Harvestor truck running and operational by Deer Season (a “holiday” that we take VERY seriously here in Wisconsin). Along the way readers will learn why “seed catalogs are responsible for more unfulfilled fantasies than Enron and Penthouse combined,” why squirrels are evil, a little bit about Mike’s dating life and a little bit about his interesting neighbors.

I really enjoyed this book, I give it a 4 out of 5. Plus the author lives only a few hours north of where I live! I enjoyed this book so much that I can hardly wait to start reading his new book Coop. I’ve heard great things about it. I giggled most of the way through this book because Mike paints such vivid pictures with his words that you can imagine yourself there with him. I hope that you will check this book out!