Finding Hollywood Nobody

My review today is written a little differently and you’ll find out at the end. Let’s get to it.
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Scotty is back in the second book in the Hollywood Nobody series by Lisa Samson and if you thought her life would start slowing down, you have another thing coming. In fact, her problems are just beginning.
This book definitely is unique. I mean how many books do you know of that include a RV for a home, a teen girl with a penchant for vintage, a vegan grandmother, and a man chasing them? Not many if any at all, I’ll bet.
I gotta say I love this series! The way it is written isn’t different (journal form) but, the author captivates you with her ability to draw you into the story plot.
Though this story is mainly a story about a teen girl and her quest for answers, there is some suspense. There’s the strange man that is stalking them and they don’t know who he is or what he wants with them. There’s also the anonymous tips they get whenever Biker Guy’s around.
This story is absolutely perfect for a teen, especially for a teen that loves fiction an is struggling with the concept of God and His plan. It’s also perfect for Tweens as well.
Overall Lisa Samson did a fantastic job spinning a tale that kept me interested to the last page and craving more. I give it four out of five.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from NavPress Publishers as part of their Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

From Dust and Ashes

First off I want apologize for not getting a review up in over a week. I’ve been suck with this awful cold and my allergies just woke up from hibernation. The two don’t mix. Thankfully, though, my cold has started to subside and a box of Zyrtec is controlling my allergies. So I’m back!
Today I’m going to review From Dust and Ashes by Tricia Goyer.
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Helene’s husband has just abandoned her and their daughter, Anika. Now she has to raise Anika and her unborn child by herself until he comes back, if he comes back, along with a mountain guilt over sitting back and watch her husband, and many others, slaughter Jews.
At the close of the war, Helene makes a choice. She will help in anyway possible. She brings food to the survivors and is drawn to a young woman named Michaela and her friend Lelia and a certain American GI named Peter, who is also drawn to two friends.
As she cares for the emaciated girls, with the help of her father and Peter, she starts to let go of the guilt of not helping sooner and starts embracing the faith these two girls project.
When she finds out her husband is dead, she feels free and starts to find love again despite the odds.
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This book starts the story from the first page. It draws you in and doesn’t let you go. Within pages it’s describing the concentration camps and the people in them. Tricia Goyer holds no punches when she tells about the condition of… well… everything.
At several spots in this book there were times when I got sick to my stomach because of the description laced throughout. Some would say that’s a bad thing, feeling nauseous during a story, but I think it shows a well someone writes.
The romance in this book is in the forefront the entire time. But unlike books that I’ve read before the romance wasn’t pushed or forced into the storyline. It’s also more toned down than some books out there and normally that would be a downfall but in this one, it fit much better.
If you haven’t guessed already, this book is Christian and, unlike other Christian books, it has a healthy medium. By that I mean that it’s incorporated in and throughout the storyline, but it’s not what some people call “preachy”. The story about liberation, both from the Nazi captors and the demons within, is the main reasons the characters have faith and why other characters choose it.
Overall, this book is fantastic for WWII lovers, people who love romance, or just anyone curious as to what happened to the SS wives and their families. But I would not recommend this for younger children because of the description and the mention of horrible acts. I give this book a four point three out of five.
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This review is actually one of my smaller ones. I guess my brain isn’t quite back…
Anyway, I hoped you liked this review and it was helpful to you. If you have anything you want me to review anything, don’t hesitate to tell me.
If you like this post and want to follow me on twitter (I won’t complain 😉 ) Look for danyelle0423.
Thank you for reading this post.
-Danyelle

Blu-ray

Sorry it took so long for me to write another review. I haven’t finished another book. It’s been a crazy week.
First off, I know I’m way behind on this, but, I just now watched a Bluray movie today. Why, you ask? Well, we got the PS3 for Christmas and just now found a movie we haven’t seen on Bluray. The movie was Unstoppable, by the way.
Now, the reason I’m doing this review is because one, I wanted to get something up and, two, because if anyone hasn’t seen anything in Blu-ray (like me until today), they probably want to know if it’s worth it.
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The Blu-ray experience is different I’ll give you that. It does give you a crisper picture and the sound definitely is better than an original DVD. Is it worth it though? Let’s see.
To play a Blu-ray disc you need a special player (or a PS3) that costs significantly more than a regular player, but the player plays regular and Blu-ray so it isn’t a total waste of cash.
Also some discs comes with an additional original disc for those who want to watch but doesn’t have a Blu-ray player. Disney even has started putting in a another digital copy of the movie that makes burning the movie easier. But, keep in mind, the Blu-ray version is twenty dollars more, even more so if you want the other copies.
Blu-ray has become really popular and today I found out why. Like I said the picture is crisper and sharper. But, did I see a huge difference? Not really. Sure, the picture WAS in hi-def but I would not buy every movie in Blu-ray form.
Also sound, this was one of the things that was amazing. I watched Unstoppable on this and I kept it lower than if I was watching just an original version, and I did. I also didn’t struggle to hear the dialogue between characters like I did in the other movie. If your a stickler for sound quality or you just like hearing what your supposed to, Blu-ray is better.
Also, there’s interactive activities. That may not seem like much to the older people reading this, but to kids, this is awesome. I always loved checking out the activities, videos, and clips in the menu. So if you have children that’s an added bonus.
My conclusion of Blu-ray is that though the picture isn’t a dramatic change, the sound quality make it worth checking into, but if your on a budget, dump Blu-ray and get two other movies for the same price. I recommend Blu-ray only to the movies that you absolutely love and can’t get enough of. If you like the movie enough to buy it but don’t love it, stick with the original copy.
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Thanks for reading this review, please tell me what you think or if you want to review anything. I would love to hear from you
Until next time.
-Danyelle