Just the Ratings Part I

I've fallen so behind in reviews and with many books for review to read (and several book review requests pending) that I've decided not to do a full review on the fun reads I've done.  Hence, the following are just my ratings (these were read in March):


It's Only Natural by Lorraine M. Harding, NF, 2013, 271p, Kindle ebook, Rating=3
Source: own

By using natural cleaning products, not only will you be saving potentially hundreds of dollars each year but it is also an environmentally sound alternative to toxic, allergy producing house hold cleaning products. These cleaning recipes will not only leave your home and garden chemical free but are safe for children, pets, friendly for those who suffer from chemical allergies and ideal for those who just want to be more environmentally conscious.

Lightning Thief, YR, 2005, audio CDs, 10.25hrs, Rating=3
Source: library

Twelve-year-old Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out of boarding school... again. No matter how hard he tries, he can't seem to stay out of trouble. But can he really be expected to stand by and watch while a bully picks on his scrawny best friend? Or not defend himself against his pre-algebra teacher when she turns into a monster and tries to kill him? Of course, no one believes Percy about the monster incident; he's not even sure he believes himself.
Until the Minotaur chases him to summer camp.
Suddenly, mythical creatures seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Percy's Greek mythology textbook and into his life. The gods of Mount Olympus, he's coming to realize, are very much alive in the twenty-first century. And worse, he's angered a few of them: Zeus's master lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect.
Now Percy has just ten days to find and return Zeus's stolen property, and bring peace to a warring Mount Olympus. On a daring road trip from their summer camp in New York to the gates of the Underworld in Los Angeles, Percy and his friends—one a satyr and the other the demigod daughter of Athena—will face a host of enemies determined to stop them. To succeed on his quest, Percy will have to do more than catch the true thief: he must come to terms with the father who abandoned him; solve the riddle of the Oracle, which warns him of failure and betrayal by a friend; and unravel a treachery more powerful than the gods themselves.

Eat to Live by Joel Furhman, NF, 2003/2011, 380p, Hardcover, Rating=3
Source: library

Hailed a "medical breakthrough" by Dr. Mehmet Oz, EAT TO LIVE offers a highly effective, scientifically proven way to lose weight quickly. The key to Dr. Joel Fuhrman's revolutionary six-week plan is simple: health = nutrients / calories. When the ratio of nutrients to calories in the food you eat is high, you lose weight. The more nutrient-dense food you eat, the less you crave fat, sweets, and high-caloric foods.
EAT TO LIVE has been revised to include inspiring success stories from people who have used the program to lose shockingly large amounts of weight and recover from life-threatening illnesses; Dr. Fuhrman's nutrient density index; up-to-date scientific research supporting the principles behind Dr. Fuhrman's plan; new recipes and meal ideas; and much more. This easy-to-follow, nutritionally sound diet can help anyone shed pounds quickly-and keep them off.

Rings of Trust by Kittie Howard, YA, 2012, ebook, 100p, Rating=4
Source: gift from author

In a segregated South with a sharp racial divide, values are about to clash...
When David Broussard leaves Iwo Jima, the decorated Marine thinks he'll never be in combat again. He wants to be with his family, have an operation to remove wartime shrapnel, and get on with his life. But he can't, not in rural South Louisiana in 1953. The Ku Klux Klan is furious David Broussard's son, Remy, wants to go to a black friend's birthday party. The white supremacists come at the World War II veteran with unbridled fury. Since the Klan operates in secrecy, violence spreads during the night. Hit and run operations terrify those who live along the bayou road.
But something must be done. Moses Dubois is dead, lynched by the Klan. The white-robed supremacists are on the prowl, eager to kill again. When Henri Doucet disappears, David Broussard's idealism collides with the urgent need to protect his family. The Klan's left a note: 'You're next.' David can't act alone. He needs help. But whom to trust?

Return d to Willow Lake by Susan Wiggs, AF, 2012, Playaway audio, 9hrs, Rating=3
Source: library

Sonnet Romano’s life is almost perfect. She has the ideal career, the ideal boyfriend, and has just been offered a prestigious fellowship. There’s nothing more a woman wants – except maybe a baby…sister? When Sonnet finds out her mother is unexpectedly expecting, and that the pregnancy is high-risk, she puts everything on hold – the job, the fellowship, the boyfriend – and heads home to Avalon. Once her mom is out of danger, Sonnet intends to pick up her life where she left off. But when her mother receives a devastating diagnosis, Sonnet must decide what really matters in life, even of that means staying in Avalon and taking a job that forces her to work alongside her biggest, and maybe her sweetest, mistake – award-winning filmmaker Zach Alger. So Sonnet embarks on a summer of laughter and tears, of old dreams and new possibilities, and of finding the home of her heart. At once heartbreaking and uplifting, Return to Willow Lake plumbs the deepest corners of the human heart, exploring the bonds of family, the perils and rewards of love, and the true meaning of home. Profoundly emotional and resonant, this is Susan Wiggs at her finest.

Every Day by David Levithan, YA, 2012, audio CDs, 8.5hrs, Rating=1
Source: library

Every day a different body. Every day a different life. Every day in love with the same girl. Every morning, A wakes in a different person's body, a different person's life. There's never any warning about where it will be or who it will be. A has made peace with that, even established guidelines by which to live: Never get too attached. Avoid being noticed. Do not interfere.
It's all fine until the morning that A wakes up in the body of Justin and meets Justin's girlfriend, Rhiannon. From that moment, the rules by which A has been living no longer apply. Because finally A has found someone he wants to be with--day in, day out, day after day.
With his new novel, David Levithan has pushed himself to new creative heights. He has written a captivating story that will fascinate readers as they begin to comprehend the complexities of life and love in A's world, as A and Rhiannon seek to discover if you can truly love someone who is destined to change every day.