Nasty, Brutish, and Short: The Lives of Gang Members in Canada

What is it about?

United Nations, Red Scorpions, the Crazy Dragons, Fresh Off the Boat, Indian Posse, Native Syndicate, Mad Cowz, Bloods, Jamestown Crips, Bo-Gars, Crack Down Posse, African Mafia, Galloway Boys, Malvern Crew, Manitoba Warriors, and North Preston's Finest. These are some of the gangs active in Canada today. Dr. Mark Totten has spent fifteen years learning all about these gangs and the young men and women who belong to them. He has interviewed over 500 gang members across the country, traced their lives from infancy to adulthood, and explored the roots of their involvement in crime and their reliance on violence.

This book offers a groundbreaking picture of the reality of gangs in Canada. Much of what Dr. Totten has to say is at odds with popular ideas. His research leads him to believe that breaking through the circumstances that produce young criminals is far more difficult than most people think. For most individuals caught up in gang life, exiting that world is next to impossible-in fact, the most common way out is an early death from violence or suicide. This book opens the door on a way of life unknown to most Canadians.

My Thoughts....

I gave this book 3 out of 5 stars.

I was expecting more information about the actual gangs in Canada. This book was mostly about why people join gangs and the things they go through while in the gang and sometimes after they get out of the gang. It's a good book for someone who knows very little about gangs. I wanted more information about human trafficking in Canada and how the gangs fit into this. I was also hoping for information about the gangs in my province, but this book focused more on the big cities in western Canada, which makes sense since gangs seem to be much more prominent there.

It seemed like the author was trying to make excuses for those who he interviewed about their gang involvement. He seemed to agree with them when they blamed everything from the justice system to their family for the choices they made. When it comes down to it, these people choose to commit the crimes that they did and they are responsible for the damage they have done. There are many programs out there to help people if they want the help. Instead of fighting against the rules of group homes, foster homes, family services, shelters, gang exit programs, etc these people could have used these programs to better their lives. Hopefully at some point they will want the help and look for change.

Maybe Someday

What is it about?

At twenty-two years old, Sydney is enjoying a great life: She's in college, working a steady job, in love with her wonderful boyfriend, Hunter, and rooming with her best friend, Tori. But everything changes when she discovers that Hunter is cheating on her and she's forced to decide what her next move should be.

Soon, Sydney finds herself captivated by her mysterious and attractive neighbor, Ridge. She can't take her eyes off him or stop listening to the passionate way he plays his guitar every evening out on his balcony. And there's something about Sydney that Ridge can't ignore, either. They soon find themselves needing each other in more ways than one.

A passionate tale of friendship, betrayal, and romance, Maybe Someday will immerse readers in Sydney's tumultuous world from the very first page.

My Thoughts...

Wow! What an emotional book this was! I couldn't put it down and finished it in less than a day. 

This is a book that is completely about relationships in every sense. it's about emotions and the reasons behind decisions people make. It is heartbreaking and beautiful at the same time. I really enjoyed it and I loved all the characters. They were so very well developed I felt like I knew them.

Extras....

This book comes with an amazing soundtrack. The music is haunting, heartbreaking and beautiful. It is recommended by the author to listen to the songs as they appear in the novel. I agree with this as it enhances the reading experience. The songs are all online and links are provided. The soundtrack is also avaliable for purchase; you can check it out here.

You can also find other extras and check out the authors other books here.

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Summer of the Dead

What is it about?

High summer in Acker's Gap, West Virginia—but no one's enjoying the rugged natural landscape. Not while a killer stalks the small town and its hard-luck inhabitants. County prosecutor Bell Elkins and Sheriff Nick Fogelsong are stymied by a murderer who seems to come and go like smoke on the mountain. At the same time, Bell must deal with the return from prison of her sister, Shirley—who, like Bell, carries the indelible scars of a savage past.

In Summer of the Dead, the third Julia Keller mystery chronicling the journey of Bell Elkins and her return to her Appalachian hometown, we also meet Lindy Crabtree—a coal miner's daughter with dark secrets of her own, secrets that threaten to explode into even more violence.

Acker's Gap is a place of loveliness and brutality, of isolation and fierce attachments—a place where the dead rub shoulders with the living, and demand their due.

My Thoughts...

This book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I gave this book 2 out of five stars.

A mystery/crime novel that encompassed several of the past and present citizens of Acker's Gap, West Virginia. The main character, Bell, is the prosecutor in the small town. There have been several murders in the town and Bell, along with law enforcement, are trying to solve the crime before the town folk start to panic.

In my opinion the author did an excellent job in developing Bell's character. It was clear to see how Bell's past experiences affected her current outlook on life and controlled her actions and reactions.I was curious about her relationship with the sheriff. I didn't find there was enough information about that, although to be fair, this is a part of a series and it may have been explained in an earlier novel that I didn't read or it may be material for a future novel. I also want more information about Bell's sister, Shirley. From the blurb on the back of the book, it sounded like Shirley was going to be a big part of the story but she wasn't in it as much as I expected.

I didn't dislike the novel but I can't say I enjoyed reading it either. It took me a long time to read it because I kept losing interest in it. There were entire sections I had to re-read because my mind wandered on to other things. I found there was to much explaining and telling and not enough action and showing. I did somewhat like the ending [it involved the people I suspected but not the reasons I suspected. I also thought it was mighty convenient that the person let the name Maybelle slip out at the most convenient time. It would have been much better it Bell had figured it out some other way.

We Were Liars

What is it about?

A beautiful and distinguished family.
A private island.
A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy.
A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive.
A revolution. An accident. A secret.
Lies upon lies.
True love.
The truth.
 
We Were Liars is a modern, sophisticated suspense novel from National Book Award finalist and Printz Award honoree E. Lockhart. 
Read it.
And if anyone asks you how it ends, just LIE.

My Thoughts

I rated this book 3 out of 5 stars.

This was an interesting book. I had no idea what was going on though until close to the end. It was an easy read and wasn't very long. It was a good beach read.

Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter

What is it about?

Now the Edgar Award-winning author returns with his most accomplished and resonant novel so far; an atmospheric drama set in rural Mississippi. In the late 1970s, Larry Ott and Silas "32" Jones were boyhood pals. Their worlds were as different as night and day: Larry, the child of lower-middle-class white parents, and Silas, the son of a poor, single black mother. Yet for a few months the boys stepped outside of their circumstances and shared a special bond. But then tragedy struck: Larry took a girl on a date to a drive-in movie, and she was never heard from again. She was never found and Larry never confessed, but all eyes rested on him as the culprit. The incident shook the county— and perhaps Silas most of all. His friendship with Larry was broken, and then Silas left town.

More than twenty years have passed. Larry, a mechanic, lives a solitary existence, never able to rise above the whispers of suspicion. Silas has returned as a constable. He and Larry have no reason to cross paths until another girl disappears and Larry is blamed again. And now the two men who once called each other friend are forced to confront the past they've buried and ignored for decades.

My Thoughts

I gave this book 2 out of 5 stars.

This is a story of bad decisions and an example of how the actions of one person can effect another person. I found the story line just plodded along and it was over before I knew it. There wasn't much to it.