The Last Frontier of Relationships? A Review of 'Caribou Island'

Review: CARIBOU ISLAND (Blackstone Audio, Inc. 2011)
By guest blogger Star Lawrence
Author, David Vann; read by Bronson Pinchot

In the interest of TMI, let me reveal that I spent a decade of my life with a man who was a "dreamer" with limited follow-through. I also tended to martyr out from time to time and still do.

Maybe this is why I can't get David Vann's CARIBOU ISLAND out of my mind, but I tend to think it's more because this is good story telling—if you define that as making the reader always wonder what comes next, what will happen, then what.

But by good story telling, I don't mean easy to take. In loosely wandering between the stories of a couple who had settled into the icy wilds of Alaska decades before and now are picking at the remains of their relationship, along with their two grown children and two tourists—CARIBOU ISLAND is a study in endurance, missed connections, stunted emotional growth, and escapism.

A friend once chided me for recommending a book in which animals suffered, so fair warning—the people do most of the suffering in this one, but there is mention of a starved dog and many, many salmon have a bad time of it.

Did I "enjoy" this book? I can't get it out of my mind. Is that the same?

One more thing. I can't read novels anymore and listened to Bronson Pinchot read this. He does a perfect job—perfect! You might want to take a flyer on audio with this one.

Star Lawrence owns two blogs— http://HEALTHSass.blogspot.com

and a recession site called http://HopeyCopey.blogspot.com. She is a long-time reporter.

One Love, Singleton Hippie Art

One Love (C) Singleton 2010 "We were wreckless... fatefully falling into each other's accidental arms and holding on tight. We were in Love... once...... for a very, very short time... and forever... Love is Wild like that" Words and Artwork (c) Singleton 2011 Painted at the edge of the waves, in the trickle tide, in the memory pool....Hippies are like that....

Police Work is Hard, the Russian Mob is Mean 'And Every Man Has to Die'

Review: AND EVERY MAN HAS TO DIE (Gray Dog Press -- to be published May 3, 2011)
Author: Frank Zafiro

This novel is the fourth in Frank Zafiro's series about the police of the fictional town of River City, WA (a thinly disguised Spokane, I'm led to believe) and it starts with trouble for one of its major characters. Namely, Officer Katie MacLeod of the River City police who's attacked by a big old mean Russian dude while he's fleeing the scene of an incident. She takes him on alone and takes him down (alone! -- yay, Katie!), but not without breaking her ankle (ouch!) in two places (double ouch!).

But this is just the tip of the iceburg, as they say. Because this Russian works for the Mob and they're bringing big trouble to River City. (No, no ... don't say it. All right. :))

The Russian leader, Sergey, has big plans. He'd like to expand his criminal reach substantially, geographically speaking. Sergey is married to Marina, whose brother is Valeriy, Sergey's assistant. But Val has his own agenda and his own plans within plans within plans ... and he thinks Sergey's reach may be exceeding his grasp. So he's getting ready for when Sergey falls on his face. Maybe.

Meanwhile, back at the River City Police Department, an analyst named Renee is trying to warn the brass about the possible threat posed by the Russian Mob. She's pretty much ignored. So much for that.

Add to the mix a pretty young female rookie with the unfortunate initials of B.J. (yeah, really), who also seems to lack self-esteem, along with some sexual tension between her and a certain recurring character in the series. Sparks fly, but when you play with fire, someone's bound to get burned. (Terrible pun alert. Read the book to find out.)

The FBI, as always, turns up. Due to a federal investigation, which naturally puts everyone on edge.

Okay, complicated enough for you yet?

And I haven't even mentioned the Russian snitch!

Or the gang wars. Okay, okay ... enough already ...

The novel has a complex plot (duh!) that Zafiro has woven together with seeming ease. And that takes great skill.

More to the point, his story and characters are highly authentic. Clearly, Zafiro's previous experience as a police officer informs his work, giving it a truly realistic feel. In addition, he's researched Russian gangs and his efforts show in the clear depictions of their brutal ways.

Further, the novel features an array of memorable characters. Writing about an entire squad room of cops and their superiors and giving each one a distinctive personality is no easy feat. Zafiro pulls this trick off as if it were nothing. It's one of the many things that make this a suspense story of exceptional quality.

Incidentally, two recurring characters, in particular, are affected -- patrol partners Anthony Battaglia and Connor "Sully" O'Sullivan -- and, well ... just read the book ...

Police work is hard, the Russian Mob is mean and every man has to die.

That's it. Read the book to find out more.

The ending was moving and haunted me for days afterward.

PS: On a lighter note, Renee is a pistol, and she gets some of the funniest lines.

PPS: Highly recommended, of course!

Cloudy with a Chance of Books

Isn't that the coolest image? According to this item from eBooknewser, this image is "a word cloud made by gathering the various book polls and top 100 lists and then combining them. The work was done by David McCandless from the blog Information is Beautiful – a 'consensus-cloud' of most mentioned titles from various book polls and top 100 lists. As you can probably guess, the larger titles were on more lists."

I see many of my favorites distinctly and some emerging more slowly from the haze. A few I like are a bit less distinct, but I can still make them out.

Any thoughts? Are your favorites here? Any good ones missing? Anything that ought to be, um, precipitated? :)

Girls Bedroom Decorating Idea Photos

Stylist Girls Bedroom Decorating

Girls Bedroom Decorating Image

Pink Girls Bedroom Decorating Photo

Girls Bedroom Decorating

Beauty Girls Bedroom Decorating

Girls Bedroom Decorating Picture

Girls Bedroom Decorating Idea Picture

Boys Bedroom Paint Ideas Pictures

If you are, what topics to select, and then consider of color, furniture, lighting, rugs, art and accessories to attract you. Be creative and do not be afraid incorporated into the project first, you may feel is not suitable for decorating your bedroom, rest in young people. The beauty of the bedroom decoration on youth is that it gives you a chance to express themselves.

Decorative stuff is unique, every person on each of us. Difficult as it may seem, everything will come together with a bedroom is a wonderful result.

Teenage Girl Bedroom Wall Designs

To draw on paper, you can use inches in the scale of the market according to the paper size you can take to ½ "= 1 '- 0" scale, so that drawing. Sketch your plan after the place is the color combination you can think of. People can go to light red, light blue, light green, light yellow, light orange, peach, pink, lavender, light green green, aqua blue, in the girls bedroom wall color. A floral design, pattern, pattern on the bed, the concept of the wall of the wardrobe dressing, side table too. It can also have sheets and pillow covers are also flowers, and lace, girls in the use of textiles young girls photos.

Choose a room in your house, you want to convert into a girl's bedroom. The room - 2 in length measurement and room, room, window height, window cill window above the door above the door height, height width. Now, draw a mark on paper program window width and plans on opening the door. Now, if you have a large room, can draw a 5 '- 3 "x6' - 6" bed or you can go to a size of 3 '- Single bed 6 "x6' - 6" If the bedroom is very small. Draw any bed 2 1 '- 3 "x2' - 0" side table, because it is a girl's bedroom dressing 1 '- 3 Table "x3' - 0" is very important, because girls love dressing up, there is a 7 '- 0 the appropriate wardrobe "x2' - 0", a lot of girls clothing and accessories store.

Teen Bedroom Wall Designs

If we feel that our youth are too noisy a polished, have a more lasting stuccoes. Beginning may be suitable for this style of interior design idea bedroom wishes. There are many different levels to choose from plaster, smooth velvet fine cellulose fibers, providing strength and soft touch marmorino luxurious style. Stop can be made to complete the traditional fine to coarse, to provide the necessary medium.

Perhaps travertino design swept the world, a smooth surface tempering and the changing patterns and styles charming imagination random combinations. The texture finishes will not appear on any pin and stop if the surface wear-resistant enough to use on the external walls of public buildings, I think football or hockey players here.

Bedroom Wall Designs For Girls

Girl Bedroom Wall Design

Pink Girl Bedroom Wall Design

Girl Bedroom Wall Design Picture

Simple Girl Bedroom Wall Design Photo

Girl Bedroom Wall Design Image

Lux Girl Bedroom Wall Design

Make the bedroom can be decorated with lace for girls, girls of color pots, pans, pillow covers, bed sheets, side cushions, paintings, handicrafts and the color can be in the girl, or girl's photos, or carving . Statues, girls and different forms, traditional women's village or city in portraying modern women's accessories women sculptures can be purchased. It can also be made of women sportsstar poster, actors in full size in one make and adhere to the walls.

One can also have a color in the vicinity of the window mat hammock girls. Curtain, sofa fabric, you can choose the girl's shadow. You can choose a girl for the entire room, walls the color and use different colors to mix and match accessories or 2 or 3 colors, or use of the room walls and accessories that we buy and do the appropriate color contrast of the colors of furniture the same. If the girl in the school and even plush dolls, teddy bears, candles can be placed on things like this as a girl.

Kids Bedroom Wall Murals; Girl Bedroom Wall Murals; Teen Bedroom Wall Murals

Bedroom Wall Murals Picture

Children's mural design to cover the entire wall of the bedroom for your child to create a unique scene. A theme, you can choose the number. For young girls, they are more willing to princess, castle, flowers, like Snow White and Sleeping Beauty Disney cartoon character theme. For young boys, they tend to choose the theme on the robot, space, spacecraft, cars and cartoons like Superman and Spiderman hero. Others choose to use, like beaches, jungles and the sea, all these can be in different styles and sizes to nature inspired theme.
 

Bedroom Wall Murals

Bedroom Wall Murals

Bedroom Wall Murals

Bedroom Wall Murals

Bedroom Wall Murals

Bedroom Wall Murals

Children's murals kids a home they can call their own part. Each of them offers an imaginative young carefree atmosphere. Through these varied ideas, any child can have their own magical journey to their new fantasy world at any time they enter the bedroom.

Make Happy With Bedroom Wall Quotes For Your Family

Great quote ethylene, can be used such as walls or floors, ceilings or furniture and other surfaces decals. The flag may have come from the famous and inspiring quotes different graphic designs. They come from different sizes, colors and shapes. You can create your own specialized companies or select pre-made. Best of all, they are not permanent fixtures, you can delete you want to go - they are not expensive, so you can easily be replaced.

Color and feng shui home design generally play an important part of the arrangements. Specific color to convey a specific quality, either promote or hinder any given space of harmony. In order to use quotes on the wall in feng shui harmony, consider the following criteria to select records when the decals for your color.

Great offer is very easy to change. They can accompany their development through different stages of your child. In the nursery, parents can get more things, but they more than children if they reach a certain age, you can participate in creating, selecting and applying wall decals to handle your child. When they start learning how to read and learning vocabulary can be hung on the wall of colorful numbers and letters for them to play and learn. When they grow up, the children will have more advanced tastes, decals can be compared. Made some passion in their words, which will stimulate and nourish them.

Tree Wall Murals Photos

Funny Tree Wall Murals

Tree Wall Murals Idea

Tree Wall Murals

Tree Wall Murals Image

Tree Wall Murals Picture

Tree Wall Murals Photo