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Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated The Good, the Bad and the Smug in Books

Apr 27, 2018

The Good, the Bad and the Smug

Tom Holt | 2015 | Fiction & Poetry

10.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

I love Tom Holt’s sense of humor and writing style. He is sarcastic, quirky, fun to read, entertaining, light-hearted, and hilarious. I fell in love with his world and his style when I read (listened to) Doughnut way back in 2013. Apparently TGTB&TS is book 4 in the series and I missed all the ones in between. But not once did I feel lost or confused. Actually I didn’t even know it was part of the series until I recognized the sound of “The Very Very Large Hadron Collider.”

That being said, I’d recommend reading book 1 before you read this, otherwise you will be so confused it would distract you from how funny the book is.

Tom Holt has managed to take something so absolutely ridiculous and impossible and make it totally real. The characters are well built and real (even if they are goblins and elves and stock brokers pretending to be rumplestiltskin). The plot had my heart racing (trying to figure out why The Dark Lord is crying over patterned curtains is a serious matter) and the conclusion, though open to interpretation and somewhat confusing, was still fulfilling. I’m very happy with this book and look forward to going back (and forwards) to enjoy the others in the series!

Content/Recommendation: some language, some mention of eating body parts. no sex. Ages 18+

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Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated The Elf of Luxembourg (The Alex and Jackie Adventures #2) in Books

Apr 27, 2018

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Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated Tracy Anderson's 30-Day Method: The Weight-Loss Kick-Start that Makes Perfection Possible in Books

Apr 27, 2018

Tracy Anderson's 30-Day Method
Genre: Exercise
ISBN: 9780446562041
Published:September 20th 2010 by Grand Central Life & Style
Rating: 4.5

When reviewing fitness books, I look for books that tell the reader how to fully use their bodies. I really like Anderson's method for two reasons:

1. She knows muscles. She knows how they work, she knows how to train them. In the book, the concept of using certain muscles to perform an exercise is clearly explained. This is a crucial part of muscle training.

2. She had a good balance between aerobic exercise and anaerobic exercise, and she has put them together in a good way.

Anderson was a dancer, she also took Pilates (the right way) and I could see both of those influences in her method. Don't get scared away by that—even if you've never seen the inside of a ballet studio, you'd be just fine working her method! But there is a reason that it is said that dancers are the athletes of God: because they are. Combining cardio (aerobic exercise) with Pilates (conditioning) and dance (alternating engage-disengage exercise to increase stamina) is the perfect combination for weight loss and muscle toning.

Now how to get there if you have never experienced any of that?

Anderson breaks the book down into different sections. The exercise portion, where she fully explains every stretch, position, and movement, is well described for the absolute beginner. More athletic users or advanced athletes would benefit also, but they wouldn't have to read the descriptions of the movements in their entirety.

The DVD is very good: It features Anderson working the exercises in the book enough time to hear the description, see all the details, and do it yourself.

There is also a section in the book with some great meals. The first section is a very thorough introduction that I do not recommend skipping! You'll learn tons about your body! I was also amazed at how much research Anderson did to create this method.

The only thing I don't like: The cardio routine has no verbiage. I expected some talking, either voiceover or real time, with some counting or some description of what you should be doing. However, it was just music and Anderson dancing. It would take me, who has been dancing for almost five years, two or three times doing the DVD to get the combination. It would be a lot more difficult and confusing for someone who doesn't have practice taking what they see and converting it for themselves.

The other thing I wanted to see more of was proper stretching techniques. I honestly have yet to find a book that explains how to properly stretch without injury (it is possible!). My recommendation to anyone who uses this awesome program: stretch well. Stretch correctly. Get a dancer or a sports doctor to give you advice if you need it.

Recommendation: Ages 14+ for anyone serious. This program takes time, energy, and commitment. If you can't commit to about two hours of your day, it's not for you. If you use the program, make sure you follow instructions very carefully to avoid injury! doing exercises incorrectly is a very fast way to end up in the physical therapists office (I can tell you that from personal experience, though not experience from this book).

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Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated A Taste of Magic (Magic, # 1) in Books

Apr 27, 2018

how do you spell cheesy plot, lame shallow characters, and bad writing? t-a-s-t-e-o-f-m-a-g-i-c.

only got through the third chapter.

although I'll admit... having your ass hang out through the window and having to be pulled into the bathroom while drunk is pretty funny.

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Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated A Sherlock Holmes Devotional: Uncovering the Mysteries of God in Books

Apr 27, 2018

Every once in a while I read a book that is just trying way too hard to be cool. Sadly, this is one of those books.

Sherlock Holmes was an amazing detective. The Bible is an amazing book. So why not make a Sherlock Holmes devotional? The answer is because the two are about totally different things, and when you try to make a secular thing spiritual, you end up with poison.

I requested this book with suspicion (the same publisher had a bunch of other awesome-looking books, and this was the only one I was iffy about), but I hoped it would surprise and maybe impress me. Sadly, it’s actually worse than I imagined.

For example: The first devotional is about the Case of the Cardboard Box, where a woman has a package delivered to her with two severed ears. The devotional goes on to praise Sherlock for solving the crime, and then diverts to “We can hear the voice of God. Sherlock said the ear is amazing. See how these two are connected?” And yes obviously that’s a paraphrase. But it was the point of the devotional.

In staying in this same idea, let me tell you a story and give you a practical on how it made me feel.

Did you know in the Appalachian mountains, some people put Mountain Dew in their babies bottles? It’s cheaper than milk and the kids get addicted to it young. Obviously it causes major health issues like diabetes and sever obesity, the kids end up loosing their teeth before they even break skin, and (though I haven’t researched it, I’m sure) that some have died.

In the same way, the Bible tells us that newer Christians thrive on smaller amounts of doctrine, simple statements of truth. In the new testament, a Christian not moving past that stage is considered an adult still drinking baby milk. But the milk isn’t enough, and eventually, their faith will die if they don’t move forward. So Mountain Dew is like Baby Milk. See how the two are connected?

Sorry, but this book isn’t baby food. It’s poison. I love Sherlock and I love Jesus. But I find this book offensive

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Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated How Do I Love Thee in Books

Apr 27, 2018

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Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated Preserving Family Recipes: How to Save and Celebrate Your Food Traditions in Books

Apr 27, 2018

This is one of the most complete books I’ve ever seen on preparing and attacking a project. Many people have a book or a folder or a pile or even a document with family recipes, but this book is a guide on how to make a treasured heirloom for generations to come. It covers so many different bases, such as working with people or working with yourself, interviews, researching recipes and allowing them to evolve, binding ideas, etc. It is almost overwhelming how much information is included. That being said, one of the best part about instructional books like this is you can take your vision and search through a book for tips, instructions, and ideas. I definitely recommend this book to anyone wanting to put together a really special family cookbook.

This review will go live at http://haleymathiot.blogspot.com on October 30 2015