This book surprised me.  I knew the subject matter was touchy (young boy abused by priest) and was a little worried about how it would be handled.

Expertly. Ms. Bradford has managed to write a heavy subjected book in a way that we feel sadness, happiness and shock all at the right spots.  I like that she was able to pull back just when you thought your emotions were going to burst.

For a first novel Cindy Bradford has scored one out of the park.  Patrick (main character) becomes your friend.  You want to be right there next to him as he goes through the highs and lows of his life.  You want to laugh with him at times, and at other, you want to wrap your arms around him and never let go.

Once you pick up this book, you will want to cancel all your plans just to be able to finish it.

Product Description

Keeping Faith is a story of love found, lost, and found again, of betrayal, forgiveness, redemption and healing. Most of all it holds the bitter truth of how the selfish actions of individuals far transcend the moment. As a ten year old, Patrick O’Brien is abused by his priest. Ashamed and afraid no one will believe him, for years he carries the unspeakable act alone, allowing it to eat at the recesses of his heart, destroying relationships one by one. Finally he is confronted by the one person who is determined to get to the truth no matter what the cost. She has waited almost two decades to unravel his lies, to break down his barriers, and to find out why he was more interested in saving souls than claiming her. When she appears at his door he can no longer run; there’s no escaping the past, even if it destroys him.

I really liked this book.  While it, at times, reads a little too scientific, it fit.  The author takes us around forests located in Brazil while telling us about the animal life and how it affects everything around us.  Because he actually lived and experienced what he writes about, you can’t help but be in awe of him.  His attention to detail and note-taking is extremely apparent while you read this, and certainly motivates you to do a little digging around to nature and wildlife living around you.

While the general public will certainly enjoy this book, I see this book more geared toward universities with ecology and vet concentrations.  Students will certainly learn a lot and be better prepared if they themselves want to explore the dangerous forests of Brazil.

I say very well done with this book.  It’s not a book I would normally pick up, but one I am happy I read.

Product Description

Tracking the author’s research in the Brazilian rain forest, this account chronicles both the environmental breakthroughs and the personal difficulties and dangers that arose during his journey. Engaging and inspiring, this journal provides detailed information on the biodiversities and biomasses of all the animals studied, including a new species of the blond capuchin monkey, Cebus queirozi, discovered during the expedition. Analyzing the Amazonian habitat—such as La Nina, predators, and man’s influence—and the effect it has on its inhabitants, this exploration scorns the injustice of hunting and encourages the celebration and conservation of nature.

Brilliant.

Film studies having been one my favorite courses at school, I deeply appreciated Emmett’s accounting of how different films affected his thinking and actions.  And while that can get somewhat tricky, Emmett James masterfully brought life, humor, and wit into his stories.

I must say it is refreshing to read a memoir where everything isn’t gloom or an ego boost.  Emmett retold his story honestly, with no issue on how it made him look.  That’s the true sign of a good memoir. Because of this, at the end of reading this book, you may end up not like the author.  That is such a refreshing feeling.  As you read, you get to know the PERSON behind the words, not this glamorized view that ties neatly at the end.

While Emmett does go through up and downs in life (like all of us do) he finds humor in a lot of it and finds a way to make you laugh not AT him, but with him and the lessons that were learned.

For film fans, this is a great read, as you see how films really do shape a person and their decision making processes.  For memoir lovers, this book will leave you feeling like you have entered into his world, and for book lovers everywhere, this book provides endless entertainment in a beautifully written package.

This is a brilliant book.  I read the entire book in one sitting and enjoyed it in its entirety.  One thing that surprised me was that this book wasn’t snatched up by bigger publishing houses.  However, great job to “FizzyPop” for believing in this book.

Product Description

Set in Croydon, South London, in the 1980s, Admit One details how self-deprecating writer Emmett James escaped from the pains of adolescence by going to the cinema. Through wry wit and observation, the writer reflects, obsesses, and rages about film and its correlation to our pasts. Life soon imitates art, and the narrator finds that his true calling is in transcendence from one side of the screen to the other. He decides to leave England for the only place where he can realize his dream of becoming an actor–Hollywood.

We follow the narrator on his numerous adventures: as he jumps from forgery to pornography to crashing the Academy Awards under the alias of a nominated writer. All the while, the films that inspired each tale contextualize this humorous collection of stories. The narrator ultimately provides a unique insight into the fascinating industry of film, eventually himself stumbling into the biggest box-office grossing film of all time.

It has taken me a while to write this review.  I didn’t like it.  I understand that people ask the age old question “Why are we here?” almost every day.  But to say that we have nothing to fear and that we should walk around fearless.  It insulted me.

Fear makes us aware.  Without fear, people would do whatever their wanted.  Without fear, consequences and reprisals would not exist.  Without those, we would live in mayhem.  So live without fear, you tell me?  No thank you.

Without even the slightest bit of fear there can be no respect.  Would you respect a god that you didn’t think would have some say in your afterlife?

This story wasn’t bad.  It dealt with a woman who has a lot of money and everything she thought she ever wanted.  After her other half leaves her, she is faced to come to terms with the lies and misconceptions she has lived through.

There were certainly good parts in this book, especially the philosophical talks she has with Culann, but at the same time those talks can get a little heavy and drag on to the point of exhaustion for the reader.

As this authors first book, it’s not bad.  Women will find it inspirational as you see a woman who finds herself with nothing build herself back up.

This book would have scored higher with me had the lovey-dovey talk and philosophical going ons had been taken down a notch or two.  Felt too forced. I found myself having to take breathers while reading it just to clear my head because it felt so heavy.  That being said, with some tweaking, Barbara Boyer can become a great author.

Full Summary

Angela Hearly-Peterson had it all–a beautiful, adoring husband, a mansion in the Hollywood Hills, even a Pulitzer Prize for her bestselling inspirational memoir Wrestling With the Demons. Little does Angela know it’s all about to come crumbling down. Her husband Jackson–the beloved “moon to her sea”–has a secret gambling problem and has lost their entire fortune. In debt to Las Vegas casinos, he commits an almost unspeakable act that will send Angela’s life into a downward spiral. She flees the West Coast for her family compound on Nantucket, where she plans to end the miserable charade that her life has become. The island remains home to people who still love Angela and remember the little girl she used to be before fame and fortune struck. One man in particular has been waiting for her return. Leo, her unrequited high school boyfriend, still holds a torch for Angela and believes that they will end up together. Slowly, the motley group of islanders bands together to coax Angela back from the edge.