How to be a Vampire by Amy Gray

Vampires. Can’t seem to beat them, unless maybe you are a werewolf or a slayer, so why not join them? In How to be a Vampire by Amy Gray, you can learn how to do just that – well, sort of.


Book Description
“For those who join the decadent realm of the vampire, eternal life holds juicy perks -- charm and strength, shape-shifting and flying, telepathy and super-powered senses. But then again, one becomes . . . so terribly hungry. Is there an etiquette for feeding without causing a scene? How do you set up your crypt? What supernatural foes will make your blood run colder? In this elegant, edgy resource, the newly immortal will find everything they need to know, including:

* a quiz to determine your true vampire persona
* ways to turn into a vampire -- or when a kiss is not just a kiss and why you should take a look at your family tree
* a transformation checklist, including canine teeth and UV sensitivity
* a makeup and fashion guide to looking damned good (or just damned)
* knowing your weaknesses, from garlic, stakes, and sunlight to an obsession with counting
* ten signs that your boyfriend is a vampire, including super coolness (body temperature-wise) and a habit of sleeping in
* a field guide to vampiric variations around the world and through history”
- How to be a Vampire


My Thoughts
How to be a Vampire by Amy Gray is a gothic gem in the vampire genre. The book is fully illustrated, and even if you aren’t looking to become a vampire (or just dress like one), if you like great photography and illustrations, you’d appreciate the book for that too.

Aside from the stunning visual eye candy in the book, it is also full of exceptional information about vampires. It explains the different types of vampires found throughout the world, how mere mortals are turned into immortals, how to tell if you are dating a vampire, what happens to your senses after you are turned into a vampire, what powers vampires have, what music vampires like, how vampires dress, and much, much more.

I also enjoyed that the author included TV and movie vampires such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Twilight, True Blood, Interview with the Vampire, and more. The images included to show each were of course beautifully done as well.

Overall, I really enjoyed the book. I love vampires, and enjoyed reading about how to become one, if that were possible. If you’ve ever wanted to know how to become a vampire, how to find a vampire to turn you, and then perhaps what to do after becoming one, or if you just like great artwork about vampires, this is the book for you.


* Thank you to the publisher of How to be a Vampire, Candlewick Press for providing me with a review copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer

When I read that there would be a new Twilight book, I was ecstatic! I obviously love Twilight and vampires and books. It was only natural I’d pre-order it and have it read the very same day it arrived.

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner is about a character that wasn’t in Eclipse for very long. However, Stephenie Meyer wanted to bring this character to life more and ended up with this book in the process. I love when surprise extras from favorite series are thrown at fans. Meyer even let her fans read the book for FREE on her website for a month. Not something too many authors would be willing to do. I applaud her for this!



Book Description
“Fans of The Twilight Saga will be enthralled by this riveting story of Bree Tanner, a character first introduced in Eclipse, and the darker side of the newborn vampire world she inhabits. In another irresistible combination of danger, mystery, and romance, Stephenie Meyer tells the devastating story of Bree and the newborn army as they prepare to close in on Bella Swan and the Cullens, following their encounter to its unforgettable conclusion.” – The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner


My Thoughts
I read the entire Twilight series in days. I read The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner in a couple of hours straight through. It is an enjoyable read for those who like Twilight. I also imagine that those who haven’t read the series would also enjoy it.

The story is told through Bree Tanner, a newborn vampire. These newborns are unruly and controlled by fear and aren’t taught much of anything about how vampires really are. Seeing how the newborns that came after Bella and the Cullens were made, and why the one named Bree acted like she did does bring a more in-depth feel towards the Twilight Saga.

It isn’t much of a spoiler, it is in the title, Bree dies, again, obviously. Even though I knew it was coming, after reading her story it made me sad that she had to die. It also however, left questions that perhaps Meyer will tell in more Twilight novellas in the future. I don’t think any of us Twihards would object, right?

I also love that $1 from each physical book sold in the first printing is being donated to the American Red Cross. It is a book with a cause, and I like that!


* This review is not based on a review copy. I purchased it and all opinions, as always are my own.

Babushka’s Beauty Secrets by Raisa Ruder and Susan Campos

Babushka’s Beauty Secrets by Raisa Ruder and Susan Campos is a perfect beauty companion for spa quality, at home, beauty secrets!

All natural ingredients, using what you already have (or can purchase easily and inexpensively) to create beauty products is making a huge comeback. People (myself included) are tired of paying exuberant prices for products that quite honestly don’t even work 90% of the time.

If you feel this way too, or perhaps just want to try making a couple of the beauty recipes the all natural way, as shared by Raisa Ruder, this is a perfect book for you.


Book Description
“DON'T SPEND A FORTUNE TO LOOK FLAWLESS Esthetician to the stars Raisa Ruder learned her time-tested beauty techniques from her Ukrainian grandmother (or babushka, as they say in the old country). Now everyone can discover the all-natural, better-than-botox secrets the Hollywood stars use to shine on the red carpet! Ruder reveals her sought-after beauty recipes that can fight wrinkles, plump lips, and eliminate crow's feet and acne, using inexpensive, everyday grocery items like eggs, honey, vegetable oil and strawberries (and a splash of vodka for freshness!).” – Babushka’s Beauty Secrets


My Thoughts
Organic, natural, “green” products, you know, the “real” stuff – why have we moved so far away from that? Products that promote that they have certain things, looking closer, shows that they really don’t have very much of said beneficial product in there to do much good. Why haven’t we been demanding better?

Raisa Ruder really has me changed to making my own beauty products, well some. I won’t be going out and making my own makeup anytime soon. I however will be making my own bath salts, bath mixes, facial masks, eyelash grower, and even mascara remover from now on.

I remember reading about Cleopatra bathing in milk. I don’t remember where I read or heard this, but I was reminded of this in Babushka’s Beauty Secrets. This “Milk Bath” was the very first beauty product I tried making from this book. It is a simple method of doing it, and only takes at most 5 minutes. The results however, were amazing! It made my skin moisturized and looked as great as it felt. Seriously, this is a must try from this book!

Sometimes my hair gets pretty dry. The “Dry Hair Eraser” recipe did the trick on making it healthy, shiny and bounce back to life again. Plus, the ingredients (which I did have to buy) are so much cheaper than those expensive “treatments” sold at salons!

My eyes are super sensitive, so most eye makeup removers are too strong and harsh for them – I literally feel burning with most. However, the “Take It All Off” recipe (that is so simple and affordable) in this book saves me the burning red-eye look after I take off my eye makeup! Speaking of, there is even a recipe in here that can help you make your eyelashes better – without a prescription (and those nasty side effects).

Babushka’s Beauty Secrets is a fabulous book that shares the very real and tested secrets as told by Raisa Ruder. I love everything I have tried from this book, and look forward to trying new ones out as often as possible. If you want to be more green, save money, and go back to the basics, this is the perfect book for you!


* Thank you to the publisher of Babushka’s Beauty Secrets, Wellness Central, part of the Hachette Book Group for providing me with a copy of this book for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Las Vegas: The Bellagio!

I’ve wanted to go to Las Vegas for a long time. Well, I’m kind of planning a trip there. I won’t be going for probably about a year, but I can still plan in the meantime, right?

The first thing to do when planning a trip is to pick out where you want to stay. Las Vegas has fantastic hotels (at least from what I’ve seen, read and heard about). The Vegas Bellagio Hotel is however the one I’ve wanted to go to the longest, so for my first Las Vegas trip I think it is fitting that I’d stay there.

The Bellagio Fountains is one of the main reasons. Ever since I saw them on TV, I’ve wanted to see them in person. The Fountains of Bellagio are a choreographed water performance set to light and music, including songs from Frank Sinatra, Elvis, Madonna, Gene Kelly, and Andrea Bocelli. Shows take place every 30 minutes in the afternoon, and at night every 15 minutes from 8PM to midnight. Watch this video I found on YouTube to show you what I mean:



Isn’t it amazing?

Plus, the botanical gardens and conservatory is a nice addition too. The display for the garden is changed out five times a year to display the current season (Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter, Chinese New Year). I’m not sure which would be the prettiest, have any of you gone to see the display at the gardens?

Their rooms also look quite comfortable (and not as small as some I’ve seen pictures of). Plus, who knows who would be performing there? Hopefully someone good.

I’m not a huge gambler, but I would definitely be playing some slots while in Las Vegas. I might even play some blackjack and roulette. I’m not very good at poker (I just don’t have a poker face), so that is out of the question. I’m pretty good at rummy, but I don’t think that is a casino game. Oh well, maybe I’d get lucky on one of those Jackpot slot machines and win lots of money!

Las Vegas and the Bellagio is going to be amazing! I can’t wait for my Las Vegas trip. Probably why I’m planning so far in advance, but I know it is going to be amazing and one to remember for a very long time. If anyone has some suggestions on what else I should definitely do while going to Vegas, please let me know!

Betty Crocker: Gluten Free Brownie Mix

Betty Crocker has some new mixes out that are gluten free! I bought the brownie mix because I really miss eating brownies. They also have in gluten free: yellow cake mix, devil’s food cake mix, and chocolate chip cookie mix. I’ll be trying each of these over this year too.

I was so excited when I saw this box available at the store. For people who are gluten intolerant, or have celiac disease, like me, this is amazing! Seriously, try going a week without eating gluten and you’ll see what I mean.

Apparently the people at Betty Crocker also had people that worked there with such experiences as I’ve faced recently: going to family events only being able to eat things like carrots and pineapples and feel taunted by the brownies, cakes, sandwiches, pizza, and other goodies everyone else can eat. So, they decided to make gluten free desserts, and also give back to the Celiac Disease Foundation and the Celiac Sprue Association.

Some things I’ve eaten that are gluten free that are masked as regular food just taste like awful cardboard messes. I was really hoping that this was not the case with the Betty Crocker brownies. Luckily, I was not disappointed in any way. Betty Crocker promises delicious homemade taste every time, and from these brownies I was satisfied! They were moist, chewy, chocolatey and actually tasted better than brownie’s I’ve had before! Plus, being gluten free I didn’t get sick from eating them! Gotta love that!


* This is not an advertisement at all. I bought the product and loved it so much I wanted to share it with all of you. Thank you Betty Crocker for allowing me to eat brownies again – gluten free!

27 Things to Feng Shui Your Home by Tisha Morris

27 Things to Feng Shui Your Home by Tisha Morris is the perfect starter guide to Feng Shui. This book shows you how to use the art of Feng Shui to create a more personal and inviting atmosphere into your home which will renovate your life.

“Discover how to:
Manageably clear clutter to optimize space.
Use lighting color, and simple objects to create good energy flow.
Space clear to promote good health.
Integrate the Five Elements into your home to create harmony.”

- 27 Things to Feng Shui Your Home


Feng Shui is something I’ve wanted to implement into my room and home for years. For some reason though, I just never got around to it. This book made me want to get up and actually do these 27 things – and I did just that!

Here are some of my experiences with some of the suggestions from this book:

Clean Out Your Closet
Closets seem to get cluttered again shortly after cleaned, don’t they? Well, this time I pulled out everything in my closets (I have 2 in my bedroom) and completely reorganized them. Even though I didn’t get rid of too much, I did clean them and organize everything so the energy flow in them is 100% better.

The effect: I could notice a large change in my bedroom the same day I cleaned and organized the closets. It was like the heavy feeling was gone from the room!


Keep Doorways Clear
I have lots of cool stuff, and sometimes some of that stuff blocks doorways. Apparently, this is very bad for feng shui. So, I moved some stuff around and made it as open as possible (it isn’t 100% but hey, I’m not perfect).

The effect: It is supposed to be letting in new opportunities, and I’ve gotten a few more writing jobs since doing this, so I think it worked!


Clear Out Old Pictures/ Change Your Wall Art
I don’t have too many pictures of people in my bedroom, but I do love artwork. I’ve had a new True Blood poster of Eric waiting to be put out, so I hung that over my TV. I also rearranged some other items and artwork in the house as well.

The effect: I like not seeing the same thing where it was for years, moving it around seemed to help spice things up. I’m also loving my Eric poster, who wouldn’t love a hot black and white picture of Alexander Skarsgard as a vampire hanging in their bedroom? Okay, not for everyone – but for me it is the best!


Add Purple to Bring in Wealth
My room is already a nice deep shade of purple. So, not too much new with this one, but the color is very soothing to me.

The effect: Maybe I need to repaint the room to get the fresh rich wealthy feeling. Moving everything would be a huge hassle though, so I just cleaned the walls. I think it gave the same feeling because the next week – I won a prize and got more writing jobs!


Overall, I am quite pleased with what I learned from 27 Things to Feng Shui Your Home by Tisha Morris. I think that if you were ever interested in Feng Shui, or just want to make the energy and feel of your home better, this would be a great starting point for learning about Feng Shui in an easily readable and teachable way.


This book is part of Turner Publishing’s Good Things to Know series which “focuses on simple, pragmatic actions that can have a strong and lasting impact in the lives of readers.” – Turner Publishing.

* Thank you to the publisher of 21 Things to Create a Better Life, Turner Publishing for providing me with a review copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Eco Lips Giveaway: Winner

The giveaway for Eco Lips lip balm is now officially over. I used randomizer.org to come up with a winner randomly and the winner is…. Turning the Clock Back! Congratulations! I will e-mail you right now to let you know that you have won.

If you didn’t win, remember that you can still get a free sample from Eco Lips – just pay the $2 for shipping and handling (well worth it though, trust me)!

Fairies and Magical Creatures: Pop Up Book Review

Encyclopedia Mythologica: Fairies and Magical Creatures by Matthew Reinhart and Robert Sabuda is a popup book like no other. This magical book captures audiences young and old just by simply opening it.

This superb popup book includes the origins of fairies, the many different types of fairies, the fairy realm, elves and gnomes, mermaids, unicorns, phoenixes, griffons, and much more! The information to go with the beautiful illustrations is a truly perfect fit for learning about the many different kinds of fairies and the lore that leaves us fascinated by them.



Book Description:
“Open this entrancing book and meet Shakespeare’s Queen Titania, springing up with her silver wings aflutter. Further on, a crystalline elfin castle rises into the clouds, not far from some scary hobgoblins and trolls. And on a truly stunning spread, a humanoid magical tree spreads its branches to reveal a face within its foliage, while flowers unfold and rearrange their petals, turning into flower fairies. Visiting mythical beings around the world, from household brownies to the merfolk lurking deep below the sea, this breathtaking 3-D book, brimming with facts and fancy, will hold humans of all ages in its spell.

Introducing a dazzling new series premiere! The world’s pop-up masters invite you to peek inside the fairy realm as it transforms before your eyes.” – Candlewick Press


My Thoughts:
This is one of the rare diamonds of a book I’ve come across in a long time. It is an astonishingly stunning book visually and full of fairy information fully researched. It is to me, the perfect fairy book for all ages.

It is so beautiful though, I would personally not let young children too close to it. They like to grab at things too much and would ruin it. It would be best to read to them with the child (not grabbing at it) and able to look at it in all its glory while being read to. It is a very special book, and if treated properly, it would become a very special book for the child as they grow up as well.



I’ve loved fairies for as long as I can remember. They are simply magical to me, and I’ve read everything I could on them for as long as I’ve been able to read. Finding information on fairies was however, not such an easy task as a child. Sure, there were fairy tales and the most known fairy of all, Tinkerbell. I was rather smart even at a young age though and wanted to know more. Our school librarian just explained they didn’t have anything else available. There was no internet then (or amazing books like this), so googling was out of the question too.

I highly recommend this book for all those who love fairies. It is also a perfect book for someone you know who does, or a child in the family who would love this book as well.



If you are interested in Fairies and Magical Creatures, check out the publisher’s webpage for it. Under the other resources listed for it is a video which shows the popup pages of the book and the other hidden surprises in the pages. Warning: this will make you want the book even more.


* Thank you to the publisher of Fairies and Magical Creatures, Candlewick Press for providing me with a copy for this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Restaurant Empire 2: Video Game Review

Restaurant Empire 2 is the sequel to the popular Restaurant Empire. This time around, you get to go further into the culinary field than ever before.

You get to take part in an exciting world where you are building a restaurant empire. The customers are much like real ones where they want the best – for the lowest possible price. They’re selective too. Aside from pleasing customers, you also have to keep your staff happy and train them to please the customers.

Features
• Brand new 16-mission campaign giving you a look at the Leboufs as they tiptoe through the minefield of marriage and the unique challenges of professional success.
• State-of-the-art graphics engine that brings life to the cities, characters and restaurants that populate the world, providing a sense of unprecedented realism. Food has never looked this good!
• Two new enterprise categories -- Coffee Shop and Dessert House -- which complement the existing Restaurant enterprise. Each new category has more than 130 unique delicacies, beverages and recipes to choose from, leading to a total of over 600 different recipes in the game.
• New theme restaurants ranging from the Aquatic Deep and Exotic Rainforest to Motor Racing. You have never seen restaurants look this amazing!
• Over 700 new interior objects, bringing the total number of objects to 1,400. There is more variety than ever when setting up, decorating and managing your restaurant.
• Introducing German cuisine to complement the American, French and Italian food categories.
• Munich has been added as a city, joining Los Angeles, Paris and Rome.
• Hire live performers to perk up your restaurant’s atmosphere; choose from concert soloists, rock bands or circus artists.
- Restaurant Empire 2


Restaurant Empire 2 is the first restaurant Sim type game I’ve played. I was quite impressed with how fast it loads and wasn’t ever laggy or gave me any issues at all.

While playing through the campaign, I loved that they had such fun characters as Don Corleone who provided starter money for Armand to run his legit restaurant businesses, if he could meet his expectations money wise. One of those restaurants in Rome was called “La Cosa Nostra.” As a fan of mafia movies and shows, I really loved this.

Another colorful character which I quite liked was the hippie guy in Los Angeles who provided the best herbs and vegetables. What can I say, he grew “herbs” and was a “supplier.”

Overall, I quite liked the game and enjoyed playing it. It was fun and because it takes awhile to get through the missions, build up your restaurant, decorate it, etc, it is something you can enjoy for quite awhile.

Some improvements I would like to see if there will be a Restaurant Empire 3: a section with real recipes for the food you’re cooking (I’d like to try cooking some of those things!), the option to price food items the same at all of your restaurants, and the ability to just type in the quantity of items to purchase instead of just clicking one up or down each item.






* Thank you to the publisher of Restaurant Empire 2, Paradox Interactive, and Gamers Gate for providing me with a review copy of this game for the review. All opinions expressed are my own.

The Magicians by Lev Grossman

The Magicians by Lev Grossman is a fascinating tale perfect for anyone who believes in magic, or perhaps got lost once (or twice) in a series of magic books themselves.


Book Description
The New York Times bestselling novel about a young man practicing magic in the real world

”Like everyone else, precocious high school senior Quentin Coldwater assumes that magic isn't real, until he finds himself admitted to a very secretive and exclusive college of magic in upstate New York. There he indulges in joys of college-friendship, love, sex, and booze- and receives a rigorous education in modern sorcery. But magic doesn't bring the happiness and adventure Quentin thought it would. After graduation, he and his friends stumble upon a secret that sets them on a remarkable journey that may just fulfill Quentin's yearning. But their journey turns out to be darker and more dangerous than they'd imagined. Psychologically piercing and dazzlingly inventive, The Magicians is an enthralling coming-of-age tale about magic practiced in the real world-where good and evil aren't black and white, and power comes at a terrible price.” – The Magicians

Want more? Read an excerpt from The Magicians by Lev Grossman here.


My Thoughts
The Magicians is based around Quentin Coldwater – an absurdly smart almost-adult set to embark on ridiculously hard classes at an Ivy League University. However, he instead ends up going to Brakebills - a college of magic.

Brakebills is not like any magic school in previous books I’ve read. The students there have to study insanely hard to get their spells right and have to memorize all kinds of conditions and exceptions to even cast a single spell. Even while attending a school of magic though, Quentin isn’t happy. He goes through emotions many college kids do, drinks, has sex, etc. This is no Hogwarts. It is much darker.

Quentin was obsessed about a series of books that took place in a magical land called Fillory. Even after he sees for himself that magic is quite real, he still wants to be in Fillory. Maybe then everything can be better. Perhaps the phrase that suits this best is, “be careful what you wish for.”

The Magicians is a page turner that sucks you in – be prepared to stay up all night reading to see what happens next.

Honestly, I was a bit undecided how I wanted to take this review. I liked the novel, I liked the characters, the story – mostly. I’m not going to give away the ending, but I will say that I don’t really like where the book went. Maybe the sequel: The Magician King (set for Summer 2011 release) will perhaps make some things right again in Quentin’s world in Fillory and Earth.


* Thank you to the publisher of The Magicians, Plume for providing me with a copy of this book for the review. All opinions expressed are my own.