Love Letters from Cowboy

Title: Love Letters from Cowboy
Author: Lacy Williams
Publisher: author

ISBN: n/a

Why Read?: Fresh Fiction

Thoughts: This was a sweet romance that was not too romance-y.  It was more about an ex-solider finding her place after loosing an arm and returning home than romance.

Rating: 4 stars

Line to Night Island

Title: Line to Night Island
Author: Robin Wyatt Dunn
Publisher: Smashwords

ISBN: 9781940830018

Why Read?: Early Review

Thoughts: A very fast, surreal read that seems to meld stream-of-consciousness (though not the author but the main character) and slipstream.  I am not sure I got everything out of it I was supposed to. 

Rating: 3 stars

Living a Life That Matters

Title: Living a Life That Matters
Author: Ben Lesser
Publisher: Remembrance

ISBN: n/a

Why Read?: For Fun

Thoughts: While this is still as horrific as any tale about the Holocaust, Lesser's style is very readable, and even humorous in spots, making it a very approachable read for all ages.

Rating: 5 stars

The World of Musical Comedy

Title: The World of Musical Comedy
Author: Stanley Green
Publisher: Barnes

ISBN: n/a

Why Read?: For Fun

Thoughts: If you are looking for a rather comprehensive history of musical theatre in the first half of the 20th century, this is a great resource.  However, it does lose a little as it gets closer to its 1962 publication date.

Rating: 3 stars

Stacking the Shelves: 12/13-12/19

First Reads from Goodreads: 

From Africanus by Matthew Jordan Storm

Slices by D.B. Woodling

The Gray Lady of Long Branch

Title: The Gray Lady of Long Branch
Author: Maura Satchell
Publisher: Smashwords

ISBN: 9780985709396

Why Read?: Early Review

Thoughts: The concept of this book - an somewhat interconnected series of stories told from a vacation home's point of view - was interesting, but most of the stories had no real story elements other than character development, somewhat.

Rating: 2 stars

In the Box: November 2015 Awesome Pack Big Kid Pack

November's Awesome Pack Big Kid Pack may not have been as chock-full as October's, but it is perfect for all the upcoming holiday events with family.  The subscription is $44.99 a month and you can choose the Big Kid option (for those without kids - like me), or the Family option.  Their site does not have referral links set up yet, nor can you log into your account yet, but they do have a referral program, so if you do decide after reading my review to try it, I would very much appreciate if you told them you heard about it from me, rickimc [at] aol [dot] com.

For October, the main game was Patchwork ($25.oo value) from Mayfair Games. This is a two-player game that sounds easy and fun, and one I have had my eye on.

All of the smaller games this month came from Patch.  Golf (a $7.99 value) is a deck of golf-themed cards that can be used to play Fore! and Mulligan as well as regular card games.  Malarky (a $7.99 value) is a bluffing game, which should be a lot of fun with family.  Farkle Nano (a $5.99 value) is a keychain-sized version of the classic Farkle, which I had just been introduced to days before receiving my November Awesome Pack.

My other item this month was a classic Wooly Willy magnetic activity (a $1.99 value), also from Patch.  Not sure I will use this, but it does contain some great nostalgia.  For Awesome Pack goodies, I received a fun poster..

This was definitely, so far, the most awesome Awesome Pack!  Not the highest value Awesome Pack, but it still came in at $48.96 value, which is just over the $44.95, which included shipping. While this is probably the least value I have received in an Awesome Park, these are all very fun games..  If you would like to subscribe, once again, I ask that you say you heard it from me, rickimc [at] aol [dot] com.  (Please note: as games and collectibles can vary in price based on demand, I tried to take the price from the manufacturers site whenever possible.)