Reviews By Charline

“The Lottery Eliminator, Pick 3 & Pick 4”

Authors: Dawn Lemke and Trisha M. Wilson

Finding books to read and review seems to be a never-ending cycle. Once again I was trying to find some interesting titles when I came across “The Lottery Eliminator, Pick 3 & Pick 4,” co-written by Dawn Lemke and Trisha M. Wilson. Hmmm… I stopped and contemplated it for a moment. I mean really, let’s be honest here, who wouldn’t want to “hit it big” via the lottery? Let’s face it; the lottery is this country’s ultimate in “get rich quick” scenarios.

I finally received my copy of “The Lottery Eliminator, Pick 3 & Pick 4” and true to one of the Amazon reviews I had previously read about it, after the forward, this book is all numbers. I’m pretty certain that every single possible variation for either the Pick 3 or the Pick 4 is supplied. I think. I’m not a math guru or anything but that’s what it looks like to me. However, with that being said, I do understand the concept behind “The Lottery Eliminator, Pick 3 & Pick 4.” Let me also say; don’t buy this book if you are expecting to be told what numbers to play in order to start winning the Pick 3 or Pick 4 lotteries. There’s actually work involved. Shocking, right? I guess that age old adage is true…you don’t get something for nothing.

On the flip side (for the author) I don’t intend to be harsh in my review the way that the person whose review I did read was. My understanding of “The Lottery Eliminator’s” forward is this: you are supposed to do your work, aka research, before you start investing any money in the Pick 3 or Pick 4. Let me say that again. Do your research and start establishing patterns and cycles before you start tossing in your hard-earned money. In other words, one must first follow the numbers and discover the patterns before one can start attempting to buy those winning tickets. Ahh…Mister Miyagi would be so proud of my enlightenment…

And now to answer the question that has been burning a hole in your brain ever since you read this book’s title. Does it work? Well…I’m still in my “research” phase. However if you ever see a news headline that reads: “Charline Ratcliff, California’s newest Pick 4 millionaire; tune in at 6:00 to learn how she did it” then you will know it really does work. Until then, happy sequencing and best of luck to you!

“Stories for Oliver”

Author: Charles William Wrightson

I just finished reading “Stories for Oliver” by author Charles William Wrightson and now I’m sitting here wondering how to put my thoughts into words so that I can write its review. The many short stories, excerpts and poetry contained within this book’s pages reminded me of the lively conversations I’d begun to have with my father before his untimely passing a few years back. My father and I lived almost two thousand miles apart which meant there wasn’t always a lot of time to sit and chat, yet when he would share stories of his childhood I always listened with bated breath, not to mention, a small amount of envy. I never knew that growing up could be so fun and that fifty years ago the world was a much happier and seemingly more carefree place. The same feelings I’d had when listening to my dad’s tales were also elicited within me as I read “Stories for Oliver.”

As far as the premise for “Stories for Oliver” Wrightson started this “writing project” shortly after his first grandchild, Oliver, was born. Wrightson’s goal with this memoir was to provide a look at his life, from childhood to present, so that Oliver would have an understanding, or a sense, of who his grandfather was. As is the case with most authors, once Wrightson started putting the proverbial pen to paper he kept having ideas for more and more stories to include. Somehow his original intention of just a few short stories wound up becoming over thirty-five humorous, eye-opening, reminiscent, or thoughtful tales plus ten heartfelt poems. Bravo Charles! Well done! I dare say your writing teacher would be proud. Oliver, Genevieve and your grandchildren who are still on the way are very lucky indeed that you have taken the time to write this for them.

In summary I found “Stories for Oliver” to be an extremely well-written and riveting book. The stories and poetry found within its pages are heartfelt, sincere and filled with love. Plus, there were some that were educational which is helpful as oftentimes we find we live in a world where “common” sense isn’t really that common.

I give “Stories for Oliver” a solid five-stars and I recommend it to readers of all ages…

“Letters From Home”

Author: Kristina McMorris

I recently came across the title “Letters From Home” by Kristina McMorris. I hopped over to Amazon’s website to complete my “research” which basically consists of reading any jacket or editorial comments in order to make sure that the book itself will interest me. To be honest, the story-line didn’t completely draw me in but, I liked the fact that this is McMorris’ first novel and that the idea for “Letters From Home” blossomed because of stories about her grandparents World War II courtship. That small aside made me recollect stories from my own grandparents and was the clincher that made me request this book.

The premise for “Letters From Home” is this: three roommates living in Chicago discover that they cannot control love’s destiny regardless of how hard they try. Betty Cordell hopes to avoid the mistakes her mother made by marrying into an affluent family. She has decided that she can force herself to be happy…or at least she can attempt to fake it. Julia Renard, a young woman with an amazing talent for fashion design, throws away a coveted fashion internship so that she can be there when her fiancé finally returns from the war. She has decided that his wants, needs, and desires are more important than her own. Mm Hmm… And finally, Liz Stephens begins to question her well-laid out plans for her future as she exchanges letters with a soldier who thinks that she is actually her roommate Betty. Oh what a tangled web we weave…

Overall, I found “Letters From Home” to be a fun read although, because of the era it was set in it, at times, it was also sobering. The book itself was well-written; McMorris writes with a strong style and even though this story is based sixty years in the past I found I was still able to relate to the characters. “Letters From Home” made me smile, it made me laugh and one passage even made me cry which is a difficult thing for a book to do.

My only complaint is that the ending felt somewhat anticlimactic. There were three women in this story and each of their lives was closely followed. However, when the book’s end arrived, it seemed that there was only one “complete” ending. Maybe that was the author’s intent. Maybe she has plans to write additional books which will focus solely on the supporting characters that we met in “Letters From Home.” I certainly hope so…

All in all a great read.

“Healing and Transformation Through Self-Guided Imagery”

Author: Leslie Davenport

I recently decided to read “Healing and Transformation Through Self-Guided Imagery” by author Leslie Davenport. My dear friend Julie, now deceased, was a certified hypnotherapist and one of her specialties included helping people transform their lives with the power of imagery. I credit Julie with piquing my initial interest in this subject and so, of course, I agreed to review this title.

The premise of “Healing and Transformation Through Self-Guided Imagery” is this: learning how to tap into your own heart’s wisdom using guided imagery. Why would you be interested in doing this one might ask. Well, the reasons are many. For starters, creative visualization is an ancient practice that has been used throughout the centuries for medicinal and healing purposes. Today this practice is beginning to see more widespread use as an adjunct to conventional medical therapies for health issues ranging from cancer and heart disease to post-traumatic stress disorder and addiction. It can also be used to transform moments of pain, emotional turmoil, and interpersonal conflict into opportunities for growth and self-realization. People can also use guided imagery to help set them on their own personal life path. Do you really think that people like Alexander the Great, Orville and Wilbur Wright, or sadly even Hitler got where they did through simple happenstance? I highly doubt it. Personally, I think they visualized what they wanted to accomplish and then…they made it happen. I wonder what self-guided imagery could do for you…

So, after reading “Healing and Transformation Through Self-Guided Imagery,” I am happy to report that it is a very well-written book. Davenport writes in a concise, descriptive yet easy to follow / easy to understand manner. “Healing and Transformation Through Self-Guided Imagery” has an impeccable format which will also enable its readers to easily access all the tips, tools, and helpful information that is provided within its pages. “Healing and Transformation Through Self-Guided Imagery” also includes a self-facilitation worksheet with step-by-step instructions for undirected, unscripted guided imagery.

In closing, a five-star read that provides a wealth of informative, insightful and useful information. Furthermore, I would say that with this book, Davenport has raised the bar that future authors in this field will need to aspire to reach.

“Chinese Blackbird”

Author: Sherry Quan Lee

I must admit I had to stop and think twice when asked if I would be willing to read and review “Chinese Blackbird” by Sherry Quan Lee. Truthfully poetry has never been able to hold my interest although I am always amazed by those who can recount verse by heart. Understanding that poetry isn’t really my “thing,” I thought the request over once more before finally accepting. I realized that even if I read “Chinese Blackbird” and didn’t enjoy the book because of its genre; I could still offer a valid review of Lee’s compilation. After all, I have no problem acknowledging talent even if it doesn’t always come in a format completely to my liking.

So, I accepted the review request and my copy of “Chinese Blackbird” arrived approximately a week later. The first thing I noticed about the book was its cover. I genuinely liked it. I found it to be tasteful; simple in an elegant manner. Next I cracked open the cover and read the preface which was written by David Mura. Wow! What a great opening statement. After reading those three pages I couldn’t wait to read “Chinese Blackbird.” My friends who write poetry would be stunned if they heard me say that…

As I began to read “Chinese Blackbird” I found myself in unfamiliar territory. Poetry is not my strong suit; I was unsure what exactly to expect therefore I simply allowed Quan Lee’s voice/words/emotions to guide me as I read. I found Quan Lee to have a very distinctive and in-depth writing style. In all honesty, I didn’t always “get” every single entry, probably because she and I have our own unique pasts, yet somehow her words seemed to communicate her emotions. Other poems were crystal clear and I could feel the author’s personal conflict, pain or sorrow depending upon her words. Still others like “Dear M.F.A. Faculty” oozed sarcasm and made me wish I’d been around if/when the author had actually given that one to the faculty. Even the book’s title “Chinese Blackbird” seems to hold a subtle nuance…

In summary, “Chinese Blackbird” is definitely a five-star read. I think it is a book that one will read multiple times in an effort to better understand what the author was feeling when she wrote each entry. However, I feel that with each re-reading of “Chinese Blackbird” even more complexities will be realized and the reader’s questions may never be completely answered.

“All Eyes: A Memoir of Deafness”

Author: Bainy B. Cyrus

Recently I came across the title “All Eyes: A Memoir of Deafness” by author Bainy B. Cyrus. After reading the book’s synopsis I was immediately intrigued and even though “All Eyes: A Memoir of Deafness” is the author’s personal memoir this book seems to fall into the Health/Self-Help Category.

In “All Eyes: A Memoir of Deafness” Bainy shares her personal story with us. She takes us back in time and through her words the reader is able to experience the life Bainy lived, growing up, as a hearing impaired individual. She was firmly caught between two worlds, the hearing and the deaf, and at times it seemed as if she felt she did not belong in either one of them. The first learning establishment that Bainy attended was Clarke School for the Deaf in Northampton, MA and that’s where she learned to speak. That’s also where she met two girls who became life-long friends and she shares with us the importance of those friendships. From there we follow along as the rest of her life unfolds. We watch as she learns about language development, we cheer as we see her graduate from college and we are ecstatic as we see her fierce independence and determination as she finally comes into her own. The awareness and technology in the 1960s and 1970s is not what it is today and even though I don’t personally know the author I’m immensely impressed by the woman she has become.

In summary, I give “All Eyes: A Memoir of Deafness” a five-star rating. I found it to be a truly remarkable story and I’m grateful to have been asked to read/review it. Let me also just say that Bainy B. Cyrus is a fantastic writer. Her words and the story flow smoothly. Her descriptions of people, places, events, feelings, et cetera are nothing if not riveting. She has obviously mastered the art of the English language even though she had to learn it from a completely difference aspect than most of us who can hear. An eye-opening book on many different levels…