Book Review: Tales from My Hard Drive


Tales from My Hard Drive follows Melissa, a Los Angeles writer who moves to New York City after finding her husband with another woman. At 40, Melissa tries to find her way in a new city that seems to be full of people who are much younger. After looking for employment, she takes a job as a cyber-dater for The New York Beacon. Her task is to anonymously date and review the many Mr. Wrongs who live in NYC. This is a good fit for Melissa and therapy for her broken heart, until she meets Ted who could be exactly what she has been searching for.

Tales from My Hard Drive describes a story that is all too familiar but not any less poignant. Faced with the shock of infidelity, the courage that Melissa has to pick up her life and move across the country to essentially start over makes her a hero of sorts. The reader will find themselves cheering for her to make it through and to find love again. The book is hilarious and addicting and sheds light on how online dating has its ups and its (way) downs. It is also refreshing that it isn’t an automatic fairytale ending and the reader has to wait until the end to know Melissa's and Ted’s fate.

Megan Karasch was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. After college, she assisted with the production of stories for a nationally televised entertainment news program. Currently, she practices law and writes. Tales from My Hard Drive is her debut novel. Megan lives in Southern California with her cat, Squeaker, and enjoys spending time with her friends and family, reading, and playing drums for a local indie rock band. Her website is www.talesfrommyharddrive.com and you can connect with her on Twitter.
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Book Review: Sex, Life, & Hannah, Volume 1, Winter Season

Sex, Life, & Hannah, Volume 1 is the story of twenty-eight-year-old Hannah and how she deals with finding herself suddenly single right before the start of the new year instead of getting engaged to "The One,"  the partner with whom she has a long and tumultuous history. The Winter Season follows her as she comes to terms with her breakup, and the fact that it won't be like all the other times when they broke up and got back together. Hannah desperately does not want to stay single, nor does she really want to put herself out there again to get hurt. With the help of her friends, she decides to find herself a rebound, and she has numerous candidates for the position. Is it the hunky Ben, a younger guy who lives with Hannah's two gay landlords? Is it Clark, one of the landlords who might be bi? Or what about the mysterious older Mr. Smyth who she meets at an office party?  

The layout of this book is unique. A book written in magazine format and in editions is very different! The only problem with the format is the minor annoyance of having to go back to the top to read the second half of the page since it is written in columns. Volume 1, Winter Season starts off with a bang and continues from there. Hannah is likable and many people will be able to identify with her and what she goes through on her quest to not end up alone. Her friends Jack and Ireland are very entertaining, and their escapades provide great entertainment, humor, and even slight shock value. Hannah is torn between her rebound guy and another relationship.  

Volume 1 has not only an author, but an editor, assistant editor, and designer, just like a magazine. The author, Dorota Skrzypek, was born in Poland, grew up in Canada, received her higher education in the US, and now resides in California with her husband, who also happens to be a writer and producer and is the assistant editor of the book. Volume 1 was originally published in 2007.
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Book Review: One Pink Line

 
One Pink Line follows the life of Sydney Shepard and how she meets the man of her dreams right before she leaves for college. Both commit to each other but also agree to allow each other the opportunity to enjoy college. What results is a long distance relationship that works for a while but eventually results in Sydney making a huge mistake, jeopardizing her relationship with the love of her life. Her temporary lapse in judgment results in the birth of a daughter, Grace, and the storyline begins to come together to follow both Sydney and Grace’s journey. 

One Pink Line is a story all young women should read because it shows that even when life throws you a major curve ball, resilience exists where you least expect to find it. Sydney exhibits the common characteristics of a young woman in college: selfishness and a desire to experience life to its fullest, even if it means making mistakes that can hurt others. However, when it matters the most, Sydney quickly grows up and attempts to pick up the pieces of her life. Ethan is a wonderfully drawn character who always seems to show level-headedness and kindness even when Sydney doesn’t exactly deserve it. Grace’s point of view shows her confusion relating to her parents and how sometimes what you think you want the most may not be what you really need. This book is a touching read and shows us that life never really goes according to plan. 

Dina Silver graduated from Purdue University. She has spent several years working as a copywriter in the advertising industry and also formed her own greeting card company. Since the creation of Dina’s Ideas in 2003, she has penned over 300 original greeting cards. One Pink Line is her debut novel. 
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Book Review: Twenty Nine and Counting


One year from her thirtieth birthday, Charlie begins a month-by-month countdown to the dreaded day that will mark the end of her twenties forever. With a glamorous best friend, a prestigious job as a TV producer and a fun and dedicated dad, Charlie has a lot going right in her life, but she is searching for someone to truly love. One romantic prospect has a job that keeps him traveling extensively, and another tends to prefer men over ladies, but Charlie’s adventures with each of her men keep the events interesting as each month brings her closer to her big birthday.

Charlie is a believable and fun character who is realistically flawed but still incredibly likable.  However, this book has so many grammatical mistakes that distract from the story. A bit more copy editing would help tremendously. But the story is good, and is engaging enough that it is difficult to put the book down until Charlie’s journey is complete.

Gemma Harris lives and writes in South Wales. In addition to writing, she works as a secretary and loves shopping for shoes and handbags. She is also the author of The Second Lamppost from the Left. For more information, please visit her website, gemmiejewel.weebly.com.

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Book Review: Recession Proof


*This review is part of Kimberly S. Lin's blog tour hosted by CLNB Blog Tours. 

In her late twenties, Helen Jennings is stuck in a rut. She has had the same corporate job in finance and the same boyfriend for years until her life takes an unexpected turn. When she loses her job because of the recession, it forces her to take a look at where she is in life and where she really wants to be. She realizes that taking the easy, comfortable route has not gotten her any closer to her dream of being a writer. She breaks up with her boyfriend, Mark, and moves in with her pregnant best friend, Sophie. But trying to live life to the fullest isn't as easy as Helen thought it would be. She has a lot of doubts, which threaten to hold her back, but she decides to pursue writing anyway to see what happens. She won't know what could be unless she makes an effort. Helen embarks on a journey toward reaching the goals she has long put off by pushing through her fears and obstacles, and along the way, she finds romance, too. 

Recession Proof conveys the message to never give up on your dreams and to always keep trying and striving for what you want. Helen is a likable, courageous character who picks herself up when she's down and shows remarkable determination. The secondary characters are supportive, especially Sophie, and are good friends to Helen during her time of confusion and uncertainty. There is a good balance between humor and serious topics like financial troubles and health issues. A few parts of the story are a bit confusing, but they don't take away from the rest of the well-done narrative. Recession Proof is an enjoyable read that will resonate with readers who are in a transitional time now or have gone through transitions before.

Kimberly S. Lin has a degree in economics. After college, she moved to Los Angeles and worked as a financial writer and hedge fund analyst but always dreamed of writing women's fiction. She is the former publisher of Minted Magazine, a career and lifestyle magazine that aims at empowering women. Utilizing her experiences, she writes stories that modern women can relate to. Kimberly resides in Orange County where she is working on her second novel. For more information, please visit her website.