Review: The Tease by Nikki M, Pill

Anna Zendel is a therapist by day and burlesque dancer Velvet Crush by night. She struggles to keep the two worlds apart, but the Darling killer makes that impossible to maintain. He's called the Darling killer because he writes the word darling on his victims after he kills them.

Up until Anna, the victims seemed to be a one shot sort of deal. But with Anna, he seems obsessed. He sends flowers, jewelry, and starts killing people she knows. Who or what is next?

I couldn't put the book down. I read it quickly - in 3 days. I loved the detail especially about the burlesque side of things since that was less familiar.

Characters seemed well developed. The writing/plot was paced well. Kept me turning pages to find out what happened next. And I couldn't help but suspect each new male character that got close to her of being the killer.

It's not quite a stand alone novel because while the action for the moment is wrapped up, Nikki Pill leaves Anna in a place where she is vulnerable and quite possibly introduced to another suspect. I wish the second book was out already so I could see what happens next.

I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

Review: The Dude and the Zen Master by Jeff Bridges and Bernie Glassman

In the Dude and the Zen Master, Jeff Bridges and Zen Master Bernie Glassman are having a series of conversations about Zen Buddhism using examples from the movie The Big Lebowski and their lives to illustrate and explain the concepts. If you enjoyed the movie, it will mean more to you, but you can enjoy the book without ever having seen the movie. The dude-isms are explained well enough. Oddly enough, I had more trouble following some of the acting examples than the examples from the Dude.

The book slowed down for a while towards the middle and hit some heavy concepts. I found it difficult to finish. Still overall, it was an interesting book with some lovely catch phrases and some great insights into zen. “The Dude Abides.” “That's just your opinion.” The latter meaning it's just your way of looking at things. And this review is just my opinion.  

I gave it 3 out of 5 stars. I liked it, but I wasn't crazy about it.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased opinion.