Odd Jobs by Ben Lieberman

Odd Jobs
by Ben Lieberman

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Published: 2010
Publisher: Sterling House Publisher, Inc.
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Paperback: 294 pages
Rating: 5

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Ten years ago, Kevin Davenport's life was rocked after witnessing the murder of his father. It's tough enough growing up without a father, but now there's not enough money to support himself, his mother and college tuition.

But Kevin doesn't give up so easily.

He never gets the luxury of a "normal job" and is always on the hustle. And this time is no different.

He finds himself working in the corrupt Kosher World Meat Factory, a gritty business controlled by a crime syndicate and filled with a bizarre cast of characters who start turning up dead.

Things are never as they seem as Kevin begins to get a little too involved in the lives of hardened criminals. Soon enough, he finds himself in a battle for his life.

Zombie sighting:
I stumble like a zombie to my spot in the Hotdog Room.
- page 46, chapter 4

My two-bits:
In-a-word(s): hero
Definitely an unputdownable book!

Male bonding, some fight club-ish-nish, good guys vs bad guys.

I liked the character so much that I would love to read a series or at least a sequel with him!

Better yet, a movie version!

PeekAbook:



--~ Book Giveaway courtesy of publisher ~--
Win a copy of this book!

Open to all.

Offer ends: August 31, 2011

TO DO:
READ chapter one of this book and quote a sentence from it in comments.

AND, leave your email (if I don't already have it)

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Contest has ended - winner is here

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* review copy courtesy of publisher

~!~ August Thrills-n-Chills schedule ~!~

White Cat by Holly Black

White Cat
by Holly Black
Published: 2010
Genre: Paranormal, YA
Hardback: 320 pages
Rating: 5

Description from the amazon:
Cassel comes from a family of curse workers -- people who have the power to change your emotions, your memories, your luck, by the slightest touch of their hands. And since curse work is illegal, they're all mobsters, or con artists. Except for Cassel. He hasn't got the magic touch, so he's an outsider, the straight kid in a crooked family. You just have to ignore one small detail -- he killed his best friend, Lila, three years ago.

Ever since, Cassel has carefully built up a façade of normalcy, blending into the crowd. But his façade starts crumbling when he starts sleepwalking, propelled into the night by terrifying dreams about a white cat that wants to tell him something. He's noticing other disturbing things, too, including the strange behavior of his two brothers. They are keeping secrets from him, caught up in a mysterious plot. As Cassel begins to suspect he's part of a huge con game, he also wonders what really happened to Lila. Could she still be alive? To find that out, Cassel will have to out-con the conmen.

Holly Black has created a gripping tale of mobsters and dark magic where a single touch can bring love -- or death -- and your dreams might be more real than your memories.

The Curse Workers series
White Cat
Red Glove - April 2011
Black Heart - tba

Zombie sighting:
I'm not sure that the picture of the wide-eyed zombie girl biting out the brains of senior douchebag James Page is part of Sam's homewok, but if it is, his physics teacher is awesome.
- page 22, chapter 2

My two-bits:
In-a-word(s): heebeegeebies
This was one of those unputdownable reads for me. It kept me interested from start to finish.

I found it interesting to learn about working a con and being conned especially from a likable character that is Cassel.

This book works well as a stand-alone read. But I was taken with the characters and world that I am most definitely picking up book 2, Red Glove in April!

PeekAbook:


--/=/=-- Book Giveaway --=\=\=-
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* book courtesy of contest at The Ravenous Reader

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Deception by Lee Nichols

Deception
by Lee Nichols

Published: 2010
Genre: Ghosts, YA
Paperback: 336 pages
Rating: 5

Description from the amazon:
When Emma Vaile's parents leave on mysterious business trip, it gives her the perfect excuse to be a rebellious teen. Throw some parties, get a tattoo (or maybe just a piercing), and enjoy the first few weeks of her junior year.

Then her best friend stops talking to her, the cops crash her party, and Emma finds herself in the hands of a new guardian—her college-age "knight in J.Crew armor," Bennett Stern—and on a plane to his museum-like mansion in New England.

After enrolling at Thatcher Academy, Emma settles in by making friends with the popular legacy crowd. But she can't shake the strange visions that are haunting her.

She has memories of Thatcher she can't explain, as if she's returning home to a place she's never been. Emma doesn't trust anyone anymore—except maybe Bennett.

But he's about to reveal a ghostly secret to Emma. One that will explain the visions . . . and make Emma fear for her life.

Haunting Emma Series:
Deception
Betrayal

My two-bits:
In-a-word(s): ghostkeeping
An unputdownable kind of book.

Fun read with such likable characters!

I had a smile throughout most of the book.

I liked the ghost interaction aspects of this story. Not of the spooky sort.

There's an interesting spin on ghost whisperers.

I'm soooo looking forward to the next installment of this series.

-+0+o+ Book Giveaway courtesy of author +o+0+-
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* review copy courtesy of author

* if you haven't already, read Lee's Wereland guest post: Alice and WereDog

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