Friday, February 15, 2013

Product Review: The Zombie Tarot

by: Paul Kepple and Stacey Graham

Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

Synopsis:
You’ve never seen tarot cards quite like these. Imagine the celebrated “Rider Deck” infused with the horrors of Night of the Living Dead, and the result is The Zombie Tarot—a crazy, campy interpretation of a classic divination system.

In this zombified parallel universe, wands become limbs, pentacles are biohazard symbols, and the Major Arcana is full of shambling corpses. Along with the 78-card deck, readers will receive instructions in a 96-page full-color book; its contents explain how to survive the zombie apocalypse and forecast your future using one of three different card layouts.

The secrets of The Zombie Tarot await you!


I know Zombie's are all the rage right now, so a Zombie Tarot isn't too surprising. But this is such a unique spin. The art has a 1950s post-atomic-bomb-apocalyptic feel. It was perfect right after the Housewives Tarot. They balance each other.

It comes in a pretty heavy-duty cardboard box similar to the Housewives Tarot. The cards are made from a thick cardstock that seems like it will last forever!

I adore the artwork but the numbered cards didn't always make logical sense. Look at the Seven of Swords above, there are no swords or knives, there are 8 zombies...see, there's no number tie-in. I'm not enough of an expert to know if this is a problem or not, after all the cards are clearly labeled. And from what I've read in the booklet, the pictures can pull you toward their meaning.

It's a little gory without being too off-putting. These are so kitschy, you just gotta love them even if you don't read the tarot. But what better deck to learn from than one that makes you laugh and you enjoy looking through. In one tarot book I've read, the author says you should play with your cards to learn them better. This deck encourages much play, even my children keep digging into it, and they have their very own tarot deck.

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Book Review: Dear Jack...a Finding Emma Novella

by: Steena Holmes

Available at Amazon

Synopsis:
Dear Jack...a Finding Emma novella. The journal of a woman unwilling to let go.

Coming December 1, 2013

Dottie is a woman with a heart full of emotions but unable to express them unless through written word. When Jack goes off to war, Dottie is left behind having to be strong for their young daughter, Mary.

While Jack is away, she keeps a journal full of letters for Jack, for him to read when he comes home. Except, Jack has gone missing and leaves Dottie to fend for herself.

Were you one of the readers who wanted to know about the story behind Dottie and Doug? This is where you'll find out.


This was a unique experience. It's a very quick read, only a short story. It's written like letters to Jack in journal form. He had given her the journal to write in everyday that he was away. We learn about life during that time, the women left behind...the men left behind. Jack's friend couldn't serve in the war, so he was one of the few men around and it fell to him to help the women with the chores their husbands usually took care of.

I don't want to say too much more, I don't want to give it away. I found it a very easy read. It moves faster than a regular story because it's only a woman's nightly journal writing. She has a daughter, and that finds its way in a lot, she has his best friend who has promised to take care of them while Jack is away, and she writes about the other women in their neighborhood.

Jack and Dottie are characters from the novel Finding Emma. This is a interesting look into their past, and it gives some dimension especially to Dottie and even some clues to Mary.

Do you need to read Finding Emma first? Nope, in fact I didn't even remember the connection until I wrote this review. It stands alone just find on it's own.

Monday, February 11, 2013

Book Review: The Girls' Guide to Love and Supper Clubs

by: Dana Bate

Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

Synopsis:
Hannah Sugarman seems to have it all. She works for an influential think tank in Washington, D.C., lives in a swanky apartment with her high-achieving boyfriend, and is poised for an academic career just like her parents. The only problem is that Hannah doesn’t want any of it. What she wants is much simpler: to cook.

When her relationship collapses, Hannah seizes the chance to do what she’s always loved and launches an underground supper club out of her new landlord’s town house. Though her delicious dishes become the talk of the town, her secret venture is highly problematic, given that it is not, technically speaking, legal. She also conveniently forgets to tell her landlord she has been using his place while he is out of town.

On top of that, Hannah faces various romantic prospects that leave her guessing and confused, parents who don’t support cooking as a career, and her own fears of taking a risk and charting her own path. A charming romantic comedy, The Girls’ Guide to Love and Supper Clubs is a story about finding yourself, fulfilling your dreams, and falling in love along the way.


This book really touched me. It starts out with Hannah kind of having a dream life. She has a boyfriend who is doing well, she has a job that her family approves of. But it's not really perfect. He's kind of an ass and throws her out and she honestly hates her job. She loves to cook, that's where her passion lies.

So when she finds her perfect apartment, her friend starts pressuring her to hold a supper club. It's an illegal and secret dinner. I was hooked. I'd love to do something like that! But with 2 kids and a ratty old trailer, I'll have to live through Hannah for right now.

It's a good sign when you are cringing at all the bad choices a character makes but you still can't put it down. I read this book months ago, the cover caught me. I had some free time and library books but this cover just screamed "read me!" It really was a great chick-lit story. Romantic comedy? Fun, definitely fun!
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