Customer Reviews

The Parrot Talks in Chocolate (The Life and Times of a Hawaiian Tiki Bar #1)

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book is a wonder. From the moment I started I was caught in the salt spray of the Hawaiian air, the smell of pineapples and the feel of the sun pulsing against my skin. This is one of those few books where I feel that I want to be inside its pages.
The characters are what make the book what it is, even more than the setting. From the narrator, who is honest and lighthearted, to Tiwaka, the charming, loveable parrot who rules over the Tiki bar, to a waitress who might be more than she looks, the pages are crowded with fabulous personalities.
There is no plot, per se, the book is made of a collection of connected experiences in a paradisiacal island that ripples with Tiki music. It is the perfect story to pick up when feeling down, or stressed. The writing style is so soothing that it lulls you into a sense of well being that mimics the feelings of the many patrons of Tiwaka's.
There's really not enough I can say about how wonderful this book is. All I can tell you is that as soon as I finished it, I began to read the sequel, attempting to remain a little longer amid the wonders of the beautiful Tiki atmosphere.
Highly, highly, recommend it.

You know, sometimes a book comes along which is so profound, so overwhelmingly enjoyable, that to have it end leaves you mind-boggled yet euphoric. For lack of a better analogy...think of really, reeeaaalllllyyyy good sex...catch my drift? Well, this is one of those books. I loved everything about it, the parrot, the protagonist, the setting, the writing and most of all the masterful storytelling by the author. God, it was so perfect...you were right there, experiencing everything, delighting in each moment with a cast of characters who were like your best imaginary friends. This isn't just a surfer story, or one about a Tiki bar, or a parrot, or Hawaii, or friends or...any of the other myriad things which are carefully blended together in this tale; no, it's a story of love and life, joy and heartbreak, and most of all...discovery. You'll find yourself laughing, crying, smitten, delighted, confused, and then completely clear about the meaning of the tale. The author is a genius at the art of creating visual pictures with words, and his skillful development of his characters leaves you feeling you have known them all your life. I could go on and on, espousing the virtues of this book, but I won't. I'll just say in closing that missing your opportunity to read it, regardless of cost, is like missing your child's first words or steps, missing out on the real love of your life, or missing out on the joy that IS life. Don't miss out!

This book was amazing. It was relatively short but a sweet, light read. You can't help but fall in love with all the characters, both human and animal. It puts into perspective the connection between humans, animals and nature and leaves you feeling happy and appreciative for the little things.

I loved it!!!It reminded me of Hawaii in the 70's. Kui Lee, Don Ho, the "Coconut Wireless" on the morning radio. Beautiful memories. This book is a fairy tale for adults, where there is a full moon every night and blue skies every day.

This anecdotal antidote to spiritual malaise and mental gridlock is the literary equivalent of swinging in a hammock between two gently swaying palms on a serene island beach, softly caressed by trade winds, being served exotic cocktails by a gorgeous, gregarious goddess (or god)while you soak in the soothing rays of a benevolent sun. Clouds may briefly obscure its therapeutic rays, but they always break and reveal seemingly minor but significant insights into the mundane daily magic of existence - and more pointedly, co-existence - so many of us take for granted while immersed in the distracting travails of the workaday world. Everett Peacock knows the paradise he calls home well, and he shares the sights, smells, and sounds of his stunning surroundings graciously yet delicately, relaying simple yet resonant moments with poetic prose. I felt sad to bid aloha to Tiwaka - the place and the parrot - but like any favorite vacation spot, you take solace in the fact that you can visit it again and again whenever you need a respite from "the real world," which this book reflects like the surface of a shimmering pool.

EVERETT PEACOCK'S "THE PARROT TALKS IN CHOCOLATE" (A REVIEW)

I was truly enchanted reading this story by Everett Peacock. It's not just the story of the life and times of a Hawaiian Tiki bar but a story of several lives all of which include family, friends, and even those short acquaintances we make along the way. I was intrigued from the very first page and I must say I still think the Parrot knows more than any give him credit for! The story was simply amazing and well-written leaving me wanting more. We all have those places we like to escape to, I always thought I knew where mine was... now I've decided I want it to be Tiwaka's Tiki Bar & Grill. There's just something about a place where nature remains untouched and you feel like you know the people there even if you've never met them before. This is exactly the kind of nostalgia we all long for.
I know this is a book I will hang on to and read often just if for no other reason than to escape to that tropical paradise over and over again!

-Kitty Bullard / Great Minds Think Aloud Book Club

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This really is my kind of book. Loved every minute of it.
Reading it, you drift away into a tropical paradise. There are so many interesting characters in this book and of course the most interesting one is the parrot, but you have to find that out for yourself when you read it:o)
This book makes you look forward to your next vacation, you can feel the Hawaiian sun on your skin while you read it ... Looking forward to many more books from Everett Peacock!

I downloaded The Parrot Talks in Chocolate (The Life and Times of a Hawaiian Tiki Bar) to my Kindle when it was offered for $0.99, after reading rave reviews on the May 2011 Informal Poll.

I'm so glad that I was referred to this book. It is uplifting and inspiring--with vivid descriptions of life, adventure, and romance on the beautiful island of Maui.

The book is a fast read. I finished it in 3 days, mostly a chapter or two a night before going to sleep.
After putting the book down each night, I would start visualizing moving from my Arizona home to live on one of the Hawaiian islands. I may just do that sometime. Hawaii is one of my all time favorite places.

I picked this book up based on reader recommendations, and am glad I did. It was, as others said, a quick, light read, and lots of fun. The writing conjured up images of island paradises with blue skies, green waters, palm trees and flowers - and me on the beach with a tall tropical drink (paper umbrella included!) in one hand and my Kindle in the other. Nowhere to go and nothing to do but lounge around and enjoy life.

The characters were likeable and genuine. The narrator (this is told in 1st person POV) seemed like a nice guy and epitomized the lifestyle of the islands. The writing was lively, and the pace was good as well - you just got snapshots of the narrator's day-to-day life which made you feel like you were 'there' too. I've put the 2nd book on my wishlist for when I need a quick trip to a tropical paradise.

Note on Kindle formatting: Excellent. No issues noted.

I might read a dozen books a year, but this one....this one made me sad, to the point of almost wishing I had never read it.
Why? Because it took me to such a magical place that I fell in total love with the characters and their home in the tropics. When I felt the pages getting thinner and thinner as I approached the end of the paperback I could feel my apprehension building...it was indeed going to end!

This fiction novel, set in a family run Tiki bar in a Hawaiian jungle, has had similar effects on others, sometimes dramatic. Some people have actually gotten angry when they discover Tiwaka's Tiki Bar & Grill is not a REAL place! I can't blame them.

Fortunately, the author has a follow up book, "In the Middle of the Third Planet's Most Wonderful of Oceans". This continues the story in the same entrancing way and thank God it is longer!

Enjoy, but be warned: it will change you forever.