Many Many Many Gods of Hinduism

                Many Many Many Gods of Hinduism is an interesting look at not only Hinduism but the culture of of India as well. At first the book seems quite daunting with over sixty chapters but as I got into it I found the pages flying by. The chapters are very short and written in layman’s terms. Never preachy, the basics of Indian culture and Hindu religion are laid out in a format that makes it easy and interesting to read. Everything, from where the word “Om” that is used while meditating comes from to what the red dot practicing ladies of Hindu often wear on their foreheads means. I did find at times the author to be a bit condescending in what he wrote, particularly Chapter Thirty-One about Heaven and Hell. His idea that Hinduism is the only correct belief and that there is no Heaven and Hell solely because his religion says it doesn’t exist became a bit irritating but that is a part of the beauty of this book-it’s all up for debate. There’s also a great chapter about reincarnation that I found particularly interesting, especially the two cases the author writes about. This is the ideal book for someone who loves reading about different religions and one of the best, well written books about any religion I have ever read.

Knock, Knock and Fart Jokes for Kids

                I had no idea there could be so many jokes about flatulence but Laura Marie has them all in this book and as much as I didn’t want to, I found myself snickering at them. I could just picture kids on a school bus giggling as they read this fun little book to each other. The first half of the book is full of knock, knock jokes which are also lots of fun. Scattered throughout are fun facts that add to the entertainment. My niece will have an absolute blast with this book. Excellent!

Momentum

                Momentum is a young adult novel that is part love story and part supernatural adventure. Aaron and Anna are young and in love but have one major problem: they both have supernatural powers that allow them to control electricity, or they would if they could control them. A secret group are after them so that they can utilize these abilities for evil-doing. A fun time at summer camp turns into a run for their lives and never knowing who can be trusted. Overall I liked the story but found that it dragged a little up until the action started which, unfortunately, was half way through the book. Also I found that the reader is “dropped” into the story at the beginning and I felt, for the first few chapters, that I was playing catch-up. A good story if you can stick it out until the action begins.

Sticks, Stones and a Broken Heart

                Sticks, Stones and a Broken Heart, written by Kevon Brown, is a coming-of-age story that tells the novel of a group of kids with different backgrounds who do a lot of growing up over the course of a few months. The main character, Daniel, is new in town and trying to find his way with new friends and a new school. Unfortunately, a few wrong choices result in a horrible tragedy. I found that the first half of the book dragged on as the reader is introduced to the various characters. A robbery within the first few pages made it seem like I was in for an exciting read but then it drastically slowed down. I understand what the author was trying to do with the characters and storyline but the result, for me, didn’t provide entertainment which is why I read a book. A lot of this is due to the editing. There was no division between scenes so one paragraph would be in one setting and the very next one is entirely different so I was often confused as to where the story was at that moment. The positive thing is that the skeleton of a great story is there, it just needs some meat put on it. The characters are definitely believable and the situations are those of teens today. With a few tweaks to the editing, this book could be a part of a high school reading program.

Top Twenty Tips For Weight Loss

                The booklet, Top Twenty Tips For Maximum Weight Loss, is a very helpful collection of simple yet important tips for people wanting to lose or maintain weight loss. So many times books about nutrition and how to lose weight contain ideas that are very expensive or sometimes unobtainable for a lot of people. In this booklet, Jacob Peterson provides easy ideas that most anyone can do and, speaking from experience, they work. He writes in terms that anyone can understand which means it is fast and easy to read. Implementing all of the tips will help someone trying to lose weight see a difference. The only thing I would disagree on is that cheesecake cannot be replaced by ANYTHING!

Beneath the Veil

                I am so happy I picked up Beneath the Veil to read because it turned out to be one of the best supernatural horror books I’ve ever read. Filled with blood, gore and lots of nasty creatures, it provides tons of frighteningly good fun.

                Barry is a successful stone sculptor who is dying from a terrible disease that can only be cured by having a blood marrow transplant from a relative. The problem is that Barry is adopted so must find his family. He does some research and finds a strange family history that leads him to an even stranger town that time has forgotten. Most of his ancestors died at an early age and the most recent ones just disappeared. He decides to investigate and travels to the ghost town with his sister, Jen and her boyfriend, Jackson. It all goes downhill for them from the moment they drive into town boundaries. Scary zombie-like ghosts rip people apart, decrepit houses that look ready to fall down during the day appear in all their original glory once the sun goes down, and then there’s Willow who is a strange little girl wandering around. It all combines to make an exciting, scary, bloody horror fest that I could barely put down. A definite must read for horror fans!