How Dogs Love Us; Gregory Berns

Most books haven’t captured my attention long enough or I just forget to read them, and with the 26 books to read this year goal I set for myself, it’s not looking good.

How Dogs Love Us by Gregory Berns not only captured my attention but left me wanting more whenever I had to put the book down.

How Dogs Love Us Synopsis

Title: How Dogs Love Us: A Neuroscientist and His Adopted Dog Decode the Canine Brain 
Author: Gregory Berns
Genre: Non-Fiction; Science; Animals; Dogs
Published: October 22nd, 2013

The powerful bond between humans and dogs is one that’s uniquely cherished. Loyal, obedient, and affectionate, they are truly “man’s best friend.” But do dogs love us the way we love them? Emory University neuroscientist Gregory Berns had spent decades using MRI imaging technology to study how the human brain works, but a different question still nagged at him: What is my dog thinking?After his family adopted Callie, a shy, skinny terrier mix, Berns decided that there was only one way to answer that question—use an MRI machine to scan the dog’s brain. His colleagues dismissed the idea. Everyone knew that dogs needed to be restrained or sedated for MRI scans. But if the military could train dogs to operate calmly in some of the most challenging environments, surely there must be a way to train dogs to sit in an MRI scanner.

Rating 

I’m an animal lover and a science nerd,  This book discusses berns relationship with Callie, along with his other dogs and his family. Trust me when I say that this book is not filled with boring science mumbo jumbo, Yes it does state facts to back up his research but Berns states these facts in a way that helps you understand then and want to keep reading. Also, it does have a couple of pictures, like the interesting comparison of a dog’s brain to a human’s brain, and he goes writes about the tough process of not only training a dog to step inside an MRI but to stay still for 30 seconds while wearing ear muffs.

I suggest this book for any animal lover who has ever wondered how their dog feels about them and what they think.

About The Author

Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University and Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology.

* Ph.D. University of California, Davis, 1990
* M.D. University of California, San Diego, 1994

Read Berns Website HERE. Goodreads book page HERE and you can purchase the book HERE
Have you read any good books lately?

 

The Sword Of Shannara; Terry Brooks

Once again I an reading a book series because they made a Television show about it, The show however is based off the second book. I knew I needed to read the first to read the second. Honestly I could have skipped this one but that's just a 'no-no' to me

Sword Of Shannara Synopsis

Title: The Sword of Shannara (The Original Shannara Trilogy Book #1)
Author: Terry Brooks
Genre: Fantasy; Epic Fantasy; Fiction
Publication Date: July 12th, 1983

Long ago, wars of ancient Evil ruined the world and forced mankind to compete with many other races - gnomes, trolls, dwarfs, and elves. In peaceful Shady Vale, half-elfin Shea Ohmsford knows little of such troubles until giant, forbidding Allanon, with strange Druidic powers, reveals a supposedly-dead Warlock Lord plots to destroy the world.

The sole weapon against this Power of Darkness is the Sword of Shannara, only usable by a true heir of Shannara. On Shea, last of the bloodline, rests the hope of all the races. Soon a Skull Bearer, dread minion of Evil, flies into the Vale to kill Shea. To save the Vale, Shea flees, drawing the Skull Bearer after him.

Rating

Hello Fellow Readers,


I know when I started this book that I was in for some Epic adventure and it did not disappoint. In a way it sort of reminded me of Lord of The Rings considering that Brooks was inspired by Tolkien it makes sense. A Half Man/ Half Elf is burdened with a quest that only he can do to defeat the big bad. He is accompanied by a Wizard (or a Druid in this case) and several others including a bad ass Dwarf, who ended up being my favorite character.

There were two big gripes I had about this book. One was the long monologues about the History. It just seemed to go on and on and on. I understand that Brooks was trying to do he wanted the reader to have the entire backstory so there would be no questions, but man was it just so hard to get through all that reading!

The second problem I had was the major lack of females in this story. One does not even show up until the last half of the book. I'm not saying that there had to be a major female character (although that would have been awesome) but at least a couple of appearances would have sufficed.
Despite these two things the book was okay. Not the absolute best fantasy I have read and not the worst either. I am going to read The Elfstones of Shannara because I would like to compare it to the show when I watch it.

About The Author

Terry Brooks was born in Illinois in 1944, where he spent a great deal of his childhood and early adulthood dreaming up stories in and around Sinnissippi Park, the very same park that would eventually become the setting for his bestselling Word & Void trilogy. He went to college and received his undergraduate degree from Hamilton College, where he majored in English Literature, and he received his graduate degree from the School of Law at Washington & Lee University.

A writer since high school, he wrote many stories within the genres of science fiction, western, fiction, and non-fiction, until one semester early in his college years he was given The Lord of the Rings to read. That moment changed Terry's life forever, because in Tolkien's great work he found all the elements needed to fully explore his writing combined in one genre.

He then wrote The Sword of Shannara, the seven year grand result retaining sanity while studying at Washington & Lee University and practicing law. It became the first work of fiction ever to appear on the New York Times trade paperback bestseller list, where it remained for over five months



You can read Brooks Website HERE. The goodreads page for the Sword of Shannara HERE and if you would like to purchase the book you can do that HERE

The Hunger; Michael D. Young

Hello Fellow Readers,

Today I bring to you, The Hunger by Michael D. Young

The Hunger Synopsis

Title: The Hunger

Author: Michael D. Young

Genre: Fantasy; Magic

Publication Date: April 7th, 2016

Feed your Hunger. In a distant, war-torn land, every man, woman and child must either consume the magical substance known as Sustenance or succumb to the Hunger. Those who succumb develop deformities and face exile — or even death.
The scholar Azil wants nothing more than to lead a tranquil life and beat back the Hunger. But when a mysterious assassin tries to kill Azil, and a stranger shows up at his door challenging him to join her on a quest, he embarks on a dangerous journey to steal the sacred gems of Sustenance guarded in a forbidden fortress. To get there, Azil must venture through a land of floating cities, ravenous mage wraiths, ax-wielding warriors, and bloodthirsty bandits.
But with the sacred gems of Sustenance come volatile magic — magic so strange and dangerous, that the prophecies foretell it could usher in a golden age, or turn its wielder into the darkest of villains.’

Rating

Hello Fellow Readers,

So this book was a bit hard to follow at first. Young seems to have this whole world mapped out yet seems to have left his readers in the dark. However the more I read the better I took to understanding the magical world that Young is trying to weave around us. Azil the first character you meet is seemed a bit vain at first mostly thinking of his fashion sense and a party he must attend that evening, things do start to get interesting when an assassin is sent to kill him, from there we are wrapped up in a Wizardly adventure.

To be honest I was a bit bored of the story at first, however, it picked up its pace around the 6th chapter and I started to get more interested. My favorite character was Evelet, she was badass. I do recommend this book if you like fantasy adventures, however, keep reading past the first couple of chapters, it does get good!

About The Author

Michael is a graduate of Brigham Young University and Western Governor’s University with degrees in German Teaching, Music, and Instructional Design, and is a member of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. He is the author of the novels in The Canticle Kingdom Series, The Last Archangel Series, and the Chess Quest Series. He also authors several web serials through BigWorldNetwork.com. He publishes anthologies for charity in the Advent Anthologies series. He has also had work featured in various online and print magazines such as Bards and Sages Quarterly, Mindflights, Meridian, The New Era, Allegory, and Ensign. He has three honorable mention awards from the Writers of the Future contest.


You can check out Michael D. Young’s Good Read page HERE and you can purchase the hunger HERE

 

 

Leviathan Wakes; James S.A. Corey

I heard about the Syfy Television show The Expanse for a while now, I am have been meaning the watch it. When I learned it was a book I knew I wanted to read the book first. Leviathan Wakes is the first out of nine planned books with seven already out and ready to be read. So as you can see I am a bit late to the game.

Leviathan Wakes Synopsis

Title: Leviathan Wakes
Author: James S.A. Corey
Genre: Science Fiction; Space Opera
Publication Date: June 2nd, 2011

'Humanity has colonized the solar system - Mars, the Moon, the Asteroid Belt and beyond - but the stars are still out of our reach.
Jim Holden is XO of an ice miner making runs from the rings of Saturn to the mining stations of the Belt. When he and his crew stumble upon a derelict ship, the Scopuli, they find themselves in possession of a secret they never wanted. A secret that someone is willing to kill for - and kill on a scale unfathomable to Jim and his crew. War is brewing in the system unless he can find out who left the ship and why.
Detective Miller is looking for a girl. One girl in a system of billions, but her parents have money and money talks. When the trail leads him to the Scopuli and rebel sympathizer Holden, he realizes that this girl may be the key to everything.
Holden and Miller must thread the needle between the Earth government, the Outer Planet revolutionaries, and secretive corporations - and the odds are against them. But out in the Belt, the rules are different, and one small ship can change the fate of the universe

Rating

Hello Fellow Readers,

James Holden, one out of the two main characters of the book, is an Earther and the second in command of the ship the Canterbury. The second main character is Miller, a belter detective given a case to find the missing Julie. Holden and Miller are opposites but play off each other so well. Holden a righteous do-gooder who accidentally starts a war and Miller the reluctant anti-hero. In the beginning I very much like Holden, he seemed like he cared for his crew and was just trying to do what was right, but then along the way, his self-righteousness took away his ability to sit down and think what the best plan of action was. There were times that I wanted to jump into the book grab him and shake him and just yell ‘Stop and Think!’ Of course, I would probably get shot by his crew with how loyal they are.

Miller, on the other hand, was my type of guy, although he was pretty much losing it at the end of the book. Miller didn’t have the naive thoughts that Holden did, being a detective he had the ability to take a step and think about the situation. Although some of this was done in an almost clinical detachment sort of way, that one would probably say he is a loose cannon. Both Abraham and Franck do an amazing job of setting up their galaxy without taking away from the story or characters. I will be reading the second book ‘Caliban’s War’, I am just not sure if I will be reading it right away or read another book in between.

If you like are looking for a good Sci-Fi series to start, look no further.

About The Author

James S.A. Corey is the pen name of fantasy author Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck. They both live in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The first and last name is taken from Abraham's and Franck's names, respectively, and S.A. is the initials of Abraham's daughter. The name is also meant to emulate many of the space opera writers of the 1970s


You can View the Author's website HERE and Purchase the book HERE.

 

Fangirl_15; Aimee Roseland

Hello Fellow Readers,

So today I have another book review for you (Courtesy of Netgalley). Today’s review is on Fangirl_15 by Aimee Roseland a new Adult title that was released in June of 2014.

Fangirl_15 Synopsis 

Title: FANGIRL_15
Author: Aimee Roseland
Genre: New Adult; Romance; Fantasy
Publication Date: July 8th, 2014

Chloe is in love with Lucien.
He’s enigmatic, compassionate, generous and intelligent. Likes classical music just as much as kicking ass and knows his way around a kitchen, though he’d never admit it. His Samurai swords are an extension of his personality and a lifetime of heartache has taught him to wield them unfailingly. He’s gorgeous yet humble and can’t see past his own scars. Lucien feels deeply for his chosen family and is absolutely worthy of love.
Sounds perfect, right?
The only problem is that Lucien is a character in a novel.’

Rating

Hello Fellow Readers,

So this is the first book from ‘New Adult’ genre that I have read (I actually didn’t even know that it existed before this book). So let me just say right now that I did not expect to love this book, I had picked this because, despite the weird cover and unusual name, the synopsis caught my eye. This book completely enthralled me in some sort of spell so much so that I couldn’t put it down and finished it in two days! It grabbed a hold of my imagination and spoke to the fangirl in me. Roseland’s writing style is witty and with a little quirk that speaks of today’s modern society. The book is full of pop culture references that made me giggle.

Roseland made her main character, Chloe, completely likable. Chloe a recluse who finds herself feeling closer to the characters in her beloved Dark Riders series than anyone in real life finds herself sucked into the book. Most of the time when I read a book like this the characters acts as if this happens to them every day and they don’t have the ‘freak-out’ any normal person would have. Chloe, on the other hand, reacted exactly how I would have reacted.

Overall I highly recommend this book to any daydreaming book lover whose imagination completely runs away with them.

About The Author

Aimee Roseland is a bit of a storytelling recluse from Nevada. She has written two series, Bar’axus Bridge chronicles which features three books and the Beneath the veil which is larger at six books, before writing her new book; Fangirl_15


You can visit Aimee Roseland Blog HERE and her Author Page HERE. You can also purchase a copy of Fangirl_15 from Amazon HERE.

 

Sidekick; Auralee Wallace

Hello Fellow Readers!

Time to get into a Super Hero Mood. I am such a big fan of super heroes and I love comic books. Naturally when I saw Sidekick by Auralee Wallace I knew I wanted to read it.

Sidekick is the first book in the Sidekick in the City series

Sidekick Synopsis

Title: SideKick (Sidekick in the City Book #1)
Author: Auralee Wallace
Genre: Urban Fantasy; Fantasy; Super Hero
Publication Date: June 1st, 2014

‘Bremy St James, daughter of billionaire Atticus St James, has been cut off from the family fortune and is struggling to survive in a world that no longer holds its breath every time she buys a new outfit. To make matters worse, her twin sister is keeping secrets, loan sharks are circling, and the man of her dreams — a newspaper reporter — is on assignment to bring down everyone with the last name St James.
Things are certainly looking bleak for the down-and-out socialite until a good deed throws her into the path of the city’s top crime-fighter, Dark Ryder. Suddenly, Bremy has a new goal: apprentice to a superhero, and start her own crime-fighting career.
Ryder has no need for a sidekick, but it turns out the city needs Bremy’s help. Atticus St James is planning the crime of the century, and Bremy may be the only one able to get close enough to her father to stop him.
Now all she needs to do is figure out this superhero thing in less than a month, keep her identity secret from the man who could very well be The One, and save the city from total annihilation.
Well, no one ever said being a superhero would be easy…’

Rating

So you can see why I read this book. Who hasn’t thought about becoming a superhero? Fighting crime and taking down the bad guys, not to mention the gadgets…. Oh, how I love gadgets. 

Wallace’s writing is very entertaining and she has a way of writing a character that makes it pretty much impossible to hate them. Bremy St. James the Sidekick to the famous Dark Rider is someone I kinda wanted to hate. She made so many mistakes that I wanted to jump into the book and strangle her sometimes. Considering that Bremy used to be a multi-millionaire (billionaire maybe?) and is suddenly ‘broke as a joke’ might have something to do with her not having any normal skills.

But as much as I wanted to hate Bremy I just couldn’t because she had these redeeming qualities; like always trying to do the right thing (even if she did them horribly wrong most of the time) and had a way of making friends with the most unlikely of people, who basically just cleaned up her messes most of the time. I did enjoy the book tremendously!

So I recommend this book to anyone who has tried a towel around their neck and has pretended to save their dog/cat from the evil clutches of Barbie (yes I did that, Barbie was an evil overlord in my imagination!).

About The Author

Auralee Wallace has played many roles in her life, including college professor, balloon seller, and collections agent. When this semi-natural blond mother of three children (and psychiatric nurse to two rescue cats) isn’t writing humorous novels about quirky characters, she can often be found watching soap operas with lurid fascination and warring with a family of peregrine falcons for the rights to her backyard.

You can check out Auralee Wallace Blog HERE , Read about it on Goodreads HERE, You can also purchase the ebook HERE.