absolutely, positively by Heather Webber

Title:  absolutely, postively
Author:  Heather Webber
Publisher:  St. Martin's Paperbacks
Publication Date:  February 2011
Format:  Paperback, 320 pages
Age Group:  Adult
Series:  Lucy Valentine #3

After Lucy's psychic ability to find lost objects is exposed in the Boston Herald, her division of Valentine, Inc. -- Lost Loves -- is busier than ever.  Add in the work she does with the local police department, some family drama, pushing two friends to move beyond friendship, and the curse on her own love life and Lucy is one very busy lady!  When her latest Lost Loves case crosses paths with an FBI investigation, Lucy must sort through the evidence and decide if this love really deserves a second chance.

The first two books in this series were wonderful and I'm happy to say that absolutely, positively is the same.  Lucy retains her faith in love even in the face of impossible odds.  Well, love for everyone except herself that is.  Despite having a nearly perfect boyfriend, Lucy can't let go of her fear of Cupid's Curse.  I think Lucy has grown in her relationship though and she can at least be happy in most of the moments even when she fears the future.  Lucy has also grown as an investigator after working with both Sean and the local police.  She still stumbles on to clues in unexpected ways at times and doesn't always know what things mean when she sees them but I think she has a better sense of what is important and when to take the investigation further than she did in the first book.  To me it is really important to see that kind of growth in a character.

The secondary characters continue to add a lot of color to the book too.  Lucy's best friends are fun and her family is a complicated riot.  They add just the right amount of stress and humor to Lucy's life.

The story lines are easy to follow and weave in and out of each other with ease.  I like how they sometimes seem to connect but then pull away only to reconnect again later.  We have all the clues we need, it is just getting them all to fit together in the right puzzle.

In my review of deeply, desperately I asked if anyone knew if there would be more than three Lucy Valentine books.  The only clue I've found to an answer is on Heather Webber's blog (which seems to be more up to date than her website) where she says she doesn't know if there will be a fourth Lucy Valentine novel or if she will take the series in another direction.  I really, really, really hope she doesn't stop writing about Lucy!  There was a big hint in this book of more things to come and there are story lines that don't seem completely finished to me.  I really want to know if Lucy and Sean get their happily ever after or if Cupid's Curse does strike.  I'm just not done reading about this crazy, fun family yet!

I borrowed absolutely, positively from my local library and there was no expectation from anyone of a review.

My reviews of previous books in the series:

• truly, madly
• deeply, desperately

Available for purchase from*:

• your local independent bookstore via IndieBound
• Internationally from The Book Depository
• Amazon.com

* All bookstore links are affiliate links and I will earn a small percentage for each item purchased.

Note: All opinions provided on this blog are my own. If a product was given to me for review, the source of that product is noted in the post. Bookstore links are generally affiliate links and I do earn a small amount for each purchase. Other affiliate links will be noted in the post.

Book Blogger Hop 3/4

Each weekend, Jennifer at Crazy-for-Books hosts the Book Blogger Hop.  It is a great way for book lovers and book bloggers to find new book blogs and get to know each other.

This week's question comes from Girl About Books:  Who's your all-time favorite book villain?

I think the cold has frozen my brain because I am completely blanking on my villains!  The only one I keep thinking of is Lord Voldemort from Harry Potter but I know I should be able to come up with more than that.  I think part of it may be that while I consider the 'good guys' in the books to have their adversary in the 'bad guys' I don't actually tend to think of them as villains.

Thanks for hopping by.  If you are new here, I hope you take some time to look around and see what I have to offer.

Recent Reviews Include:

• Traitor to the Blood by Barb & J. C. Hendee
• Qigong Illustrated by Christina J. Barea

Upcoming Reviews Include:

• Absolutely, Positively by Heather Webber
• The Pilgrim Glass by Julie K. Rose

Note: All opinions provided on this blog are my own. If a product was given to me for review, the source of that product is noted in the post. Bookstore links are generally affiliate links and I do earn a small amount for each purchase. Other affiliate links will be noted in the post.

OTL: Mega Swagbucks Friday

The first Friday of each month, I post about Swagbucks.  That is because every Friday means Mega Swagbucks for searching (but I don't want to overwhelm people with reminders every Friday)!  Haven't tried Swagbucks yet?  It is super easy - simply use the Swagbucks search engine to do your normal Internet searching and sometimes you will be rewarded with Swagbucks which can then be redeemed for some great prizes. My theory is that if I'm going to be searching the Internet anyway, I may as well get rewarded for doing it.

My favorite prize is the Amazon.com gift card.  I earned almost $200 in Amazon.com gift cards through Swagbucks last year.  There are also tons of other gift cards available plus you can redeem for various merchandise as well.

On Fridays, Swagbucks gives out more Mega Swagbucks (anything over 10) than usual which means you can earn your desired prizes even faster.  The most I've gotten from one search so far is 59 Swagbucks.  I'd love to hear if one of my readers finds a high value one today or any other day!

Don't forget to check out the Special Offers section and keep an eye out for Swag Codes as well.  Both of those can help those bucks add up!  Daily Polls get you 1 Swagbuck each day and they recently added other trusted survey sites for another option to earn.  You can also earn Swagbucks by watching videos with Swagbucks TV.  You can randomly get rewarded or let your meter fill up for a guaranteed win.  Swagbucks has also added a games section where you can enter tournaments for a chance to win big buck or play for free and get a smaller amount of winnings.  Now there are tasks that can be completed to earn some bucks as well but I haven't had the time to sit down and explore those yet.

With all of these great ways to earn Swagbucks and get gift cards or other items that you really want, what are you waiting for?!  Sign up and start searching :-)

Swagbucks links contained within this post are referral links and I will earn some Swagbucks if you sign up using those links.

Note: All opinions provided on this blog are my own. If a product was given to me for review, the source of that product is noted in the post. Bookstore links are generally affiliate links and I do earn a small amount for each purchase. Other affiliate links will be noted in the post.

Traitor to the Blood by Barb & J. C. Hendee

Title:  Traitor to the Blood
Authors:  Barb & J. C. Hendee
Publisher:  Roc
Publication Date:  January 2006
Format:  Hardcover, 368 pages
Age Group:  Adult
Series:  Noble Dead Series 1, Book 4

After finding out some of the secrets of Magiere's past in Sister of the Dead, it is now time for the companions to try to determine what happened to Leesil's parents after he fled his life as an assassin for the warlord Darmouth.  The journey is more dangerous than the group had anticipated as they find themselves caught in the middle of a scheme to murder Darmouth which would leave the land in a state of civil unrest.  They are also still being tracked by two from Magiere's past who seek to use them for their own purposes.

Each book in the Noble Dead saga pulls the reader deeper and deeper into darkness and secrets.  Leesil and Magiere know so little of their pasts and each thing they discover only seems to lead to more questions.  Details uncovered along the journey reveal that they have been guided and used for far longer than they suspected and they still do not understand why.  There is some larger purpose to their journey that remains a mystery.

My comments about the characters, emotions, and action in reviews of previous books in this series continue to hold true for Traitor to the Blood.  The characters are complex and full of conflicting emotions.  They hide things from themselves and each other which only leads to more conflict.  Their concern for each other sometimes leads to action without thought with the inevitable consequences.

The Hendees have created a dark world full of conflict and pain.  But the bond Magiere and Leesil share provides some hope that together they can find the answers they seek and perhaps do some good along the way.

I borrowed Traitor to the Blood from my local library and there was no expectation of a review.

My reviews of previous books in this series (in order):

• Dhamphir
• Thief of Lives
• Sister of the Dead

Available for purchase from*:

• your local independent bookstore via IndieBound
• Internationally from The Book Depository
• Amazon.com

* All bookstore links are affiliate links and I will earn a small percentage for each item purchased.

Note: All opinions provided on this blog are my own. If a product was given to me for review, the source of that product is noted in the post. Bookstore links are generally affiliate links and I do earn a small amount for each purchase. Other affiliate links will be noted in the post.

Qigong Illustrated by Christina J. Barea

Title:  Qigong Illustrated
Author:  Christina J. Barea
Publisher:  Human Kinetics
Publication Date:  2011
Format:  Paperback, 168 pages
Age Group:  Adult, non-fiction

Description from back cover:

Strengthen your body.  Strengthen your mind.  Each year, millions of people worldwide discover qigong and the incredible healing power of qi.  Now, with Qigong Illustrated, you can too.
Qigong Illustrated is a step-by-step guide complete with detailed instructions and full-color photo sequences of the most effective movements, exercises, and traditional routines, including Daoist Five, Eight Silk Brocade, and Turning and Winding the Belt Vessel.
Centered on the three essential componentes of qigong (body, mind, and breath), Qigong Illustrated's straightforward, highly visual approach is the quickest and most effective way to experience the physical and mental benefits of each routine, such as improving your posture, strengthening your body, and reducing tension. You will also learn to put together an effective qigong flow and combine routines to address your heath and fitness needs.
Whether you are completely new to qigong or have practiced for years, Qigong Illustrated will accompany you step by step on the path to better health and self-awareness. This is the exercise guide that you will turn to time and time again.

I think exercise books in general tend to be difficult to read.  I have a hard time picturing the movements and do much better when I have someone right in front of me showing me what to do.  The photo illustrations in Qigong Illustrated were very helpful in getting past this difficulty.  When I found the text instruction confusing I could look at the photo and usually figure out the movement.

Barea does a great job at simplifying the Chinese terms used in qigong while retaining the importance of the ideas behind them.  I love that she acknowledged what a complex system qigong is while encouraging the reader to not get so caught up in the complexity that you never actually start moving.  Her encouragement to just start without worrying about doing everything perfectly is exactly what I needed to hear because I tend to not try something unless I know I can do it the 'right' way.

I really like the way this book is laid out with the initial chapters working through the ideas inherant in qigong, moving through the elements of a qigong routine, and then finally going through a few sets of exercises focusing on different conditions.  The exercise routines were well written with the written description of the movement accompanied by a picture and then a picture sequence at the end of each routine which demonstrates the overall flow.

Visually the book is also very well laid out.  The text is easy to read with good use of headers and bold font for directions.  Various colored boxes are also used to set apart tables and other important text blocks.  The photographs are clean without a distracting background so the position of the model can be seen clearly.

Overall, I believe Qigong Illustrated will be a great reference book and I am looking forward to starting my own qigong practice.

I received Qigong Illustrated from the Early Reviewers program at LibraryThing in exchange for my honest review.

Available for Purchase from*:

• your local independent bookstore via IndieBound
• Internationally from The Book Depository
• Amazon.com

* All bookstore links are affiliate links and I will earn a small percentage for each item purchased.

Note: All opinions provided on this blog are my own. If a product was given to me for review, the source of that product is noted in the post. Bookstore links are generally affiliate links and I do earn a small amount for each purchase. Other affiliate links will be noted in the post.