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REVIEW: Building Projects for Backyard Farmers & Home Gardeners

May 21, 2012 By Leave a Comment

The Book Cover

Title: Building Projects for Backyard Farmers and Home Gardeners: A Guide to 21 Handmade Structures for Homegrown Harvests
Author: Chris Gleason
Publisher: Fox Chapel Publishing
ISBN: 978-1565235434
Pages: 160
★★★★★

Synopsis:

(Taken from Amazon.com) This is a practical and engaging guide to transforming an ordinary backyard into a productive farm. Homesteading is experiencing a revival among both rural and urban residents who want to get back to basics and live closer to the land. With this book, homeowners will obtain both inspiration and instruction for transforming their grassy yard into a lush farm that can produce all the food they need.

The author is an experienced woodworker and homesteader who shows how to plan and design a backyard farm. He offers expert advice for making all of the essential hard-working structures that are needed to sustain small-scale agriculture.

Step-by-step instructions are provided for 10 projects including green houses, beehives, rabbit hutches, raised beds, potting sheds, trellises, fences, and more. Readers learn how to create an irrigation system, harvest rainwater, and keep their farms environmentally sound. Each detailed plan is accompanied by the author’s clear, instructive drawings.

More than just a manual, the book also offers entertaining and enlightening interviews with both experts and “average Joe” farmers. We learn what motivates them to become backyard farmers, the lessons that they have to share, and maybe even a couple of funny stories along the way.

Review

My husband and I have been discussing changing our lifestyle for a while and becoming more self-sufficient.  After all, isn’t that our human right to be able to grow food in order to support our families? While many people are not in a place where they can have their own backyard farm or home garden (i.e. apartments or HOA restricted) we are blessed with a huge backyard and better yet, no HOA.

When I saw that I had the chance to review this book, I was incredibly excited. After all, we needed ideas on how to build things. Plus, we didn’t want to have to spend a ton of money. I know the saying goes — spend some to save some but we’d really like to limit that as much as possible. I felt that it was possible that Building Projects for Backyard Farmers & Home Gardeners would give us the ideas on how to do things ourselves.

One particular feature that I found particularly useful was that it tells you how many vegetable plants you need per person and how much space they will take up. For example, if your family is big tomato family then you’ll need 1-4 plants a person and it takes up about 48 sq inches.  Sweet. (Oh how I miss actually being able to EAT tomatoes.)

There are about 21 projects in this book including:

  • Rainwater Harvesting System – This is probably the most wonderful thing we could do for our own garden. In Florida we have two season (wet and dry). During the summer months, it rains almost every day. Then once “winter” hits, we often have a very dry season which puts us onto water restriction from the community. Harvesting our own rainwater would help us through those dry seasons. That is for sure!
  • Irrigation Strategies — These include overhead watering, drip irrigation, and soaker hoses.
  • Garden Cart – You move a LOT of stuff around while you are gardening and although people usually use wheelbarrows, they aren’t usually big enough for needs. If you have ever dragged around mulch, hay, or stone, you’ll understand what I mean. How many trips do you really feel like doing, anyway?
  • Compost Box – Compost provides an amazing fertilizer for gardens (plants, trees, whatever!) Plus it really puts our food scraps (including left over vegetables, fruit peels, etc.) to use. We get a TON of leaves from our Oak trees. I hate those darn trees, but the dead leaves would be a welcome addition to a compost box. I really like the idea that what we take from the Earth, we are also giving back to the Earth as well. It makes me sound like such a hippy, but I don’t care. There is something poetic about giving back to the garden that gives to you.
  • Vermiculture Bin – This is a bin created to use worms to speed up and improve the overall quality of your composting.  The worms in a vermiculture bin break down scraps and produce a very powerful and organic fertilizer (i.e. worm castings).
  • Easy Plank Raised Beds – Have you seen the raised garden beds for sale? They are often really expensive. I have seen many that are 200+$ for a handmade wooden bed. The good news is, you can make this yourself and it is EASY. You can make this project with scrap wood or the wood from wood pallets, which we get for free!
  • Stacked Lumber Raised Bed – Just another version of a raised bed. Personally, I really love the look of these! In this particular plan they give you directions on how to build a beautiful trellis, which is much needed for vine plants like tomatoes or cucumbers!
  • Potato Planter – Did you know that you can grow approximately 100lbs of potatos in a compact 2ft by 2ft area?  The directions they give includes wood made from a wood pallet. (Remember how I said you can often find them for FREE??!)
  • Tiered Lettuce Rack – ever think to shelve your lettuce? I had no idea that was even possible. I think lettuce is a must in gardens and this seems like a great way to conserve space and add a little variety to your home garden.
  • Wall of Tomatoes – I think this looks absolutely awesome! You will have to get the book to build it but it’s definitely a useful AND decorative wall of tomatoes. :)
  • Bean Leaner – I bet this would be great on an apartment patio.
  • Squash Ramp – This is a corral for your favorite sprawling squashes and melons. (Cantalope, cucumber, honeydew, pumpkin, etc.)
  • Grapevine Ladder – This is AWESOME and I cannot wait to make this. It’s like a pergola for grapes. Doesn’t that sound like the coolest concept? I think I will be doing this against our backyard shed.
  • Pea Trellis – Just like it says but the materials it recommends is actually pretty cool.
  • Greenhouse – Using a greenhouse will help jumpstart early plant growth before planting.  This project uses recycled windows. There is a window place near us who has a dumpster out back that has hundreds of old windows and guess where they will end up going — the dump. What a good way to recycle old windows!
  • Cold Frame – This is kind of the inbetween tool you would use from sprouting in the greenhouse and before planting into the ground. This helps allow the plant to harden off prior to planting.
  • Wire Mesh Cloche – This helps protect your plants from frost. Florida doesn’t get really cold, but when it does, it can do so really quickly and really irritate plants. Creating a wire mesh cloche would be a great project to add for the cooler months.
  • PVC Cloche – I swear, you can do so much with PVC that it’s a bit crazy.
  • Top Bar Bee Hive – We’re not doing bees – ever. But, I’d definitely love some organic honey. Yum!
  • Rabbit Hutch – Rabbits smell, big time. They are soft and cuddly and sooooo cute. But, they stink. The hutch in Building Projects for Backyard Farmers & Home Gardeners, though, is spacious and looks like it could be nicely personalized. If I was somehow tricked into getting a rabbit for the girls, though, the hutches in this book are ideal for us.

Besides just given project ideas, we are also given the materials list, which is incredibly important and directions on how to make these projects. It’s not just an idea book, but a guide to create these projects into your own garden. Inspirational gardeners are also profiled and I found their stories rather interesting.

I only had a few issues with the book, one being the fact that such a highly image detailed book was very slow to load using the required Bluefire Reader app on my iPad. So if you are going to purchase this book, I definitely recommend getting the physical copy over the kindle or nook version. In fact, I don’t even think it’s available in e-format for the public so you probably do not even have to worry about that.

The other issue I had was that it only included two backyard projects for animals — the bees and the rabbit hutch. I would have loved if it included plans for a chicken coop and a chicken brooder. I mean, that’s a huge part of backyard farmers. That would have been more important then the rabbit hutch. (I mean, just how is rabbits needed for backyard farming? I don’t know…)

Overall, I found this book really informative and I cannot wait to utilize a lot of these projects in my own backyard garden.

 

Filed Under: 4 Stars, Authors, Books, Books, Chris Gleason, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

REVIEW: Lovely Knits for Little Girls: 20 Just-Right Patterns, Just for Little Girls

May 16, 2012 By 3 Comments

The Book Cover

Title: Lovely Knits for Little Girls: 20 Just-Right Patterns, Just for Little Girls
Author: Vibe Sondergaard
Publisher: Taunton Press
ISBN: 978-1600855030
Pages: 144
★★★★★★

Synopsis:

(Taken from Amazon.com) While project books for making baby knits abound, what happens when your little cherub turns two? Lovely Knits for Little Girls solves the problem beautifully, with twenty patterns for pint-sized vests, dresses, sweaters, and skirts—all brimming with pretty, girly details. Forget about baby-weight yarn, tiny needles, and fussy patterns for clothes that are quickly outgrown. For Lovely Knits, knitwear designer Vibe Sondegaard creates a bright, stylish, little-girl wardrobe of fabulous projects that knit up quickly and allow knitters plenty of opportunity for trying a few design tricks (cables, bobbles, lace patterns) on a manageable, kid-sized scale. Best of all, the pattern shapes size up or down easily (with back of book instruction on doing just that), making this collection versatile enough to use again and again.

Review

I guess this will just be a mini review as there isn’t much to talk about in regards to a knitting book. While I loved the overall look of the book and as a photographer I appreciated the pictures, I just don’t think it was awesome. For a knitting book, it is average.

Lovely Knits for Little Girls is supposed to be a book on lovely knits for little girls. Well, honestly, little girls really wouldn’t want to wear anything in this book. There wasn’t a single item of clothing that I could look at and think, “Yes, this would make a lovely gift for a little girl.” I really didn’t like anything. The items looked fine in the photos, but in real life, that may be another story.

Another thing is that this book requires seaming and it seemed rather complicated extra step for such basic looking patterns especially since you can get a lot of patterns that knit seamless on Ravelry.com. The cloths aren’t really stylish, at least in American terms of what style is. This looks more like a book geared towards a grandparent, in which they think their child wants to wear.

If you have found this review because you are looking for adorable knits for little girls, I recommend the following links/designers.

These designers mentioned have created, in my opinion, the just-right patterns for little girls. I do not feel the book Lovely Knits for Little Girls comes close.

 

 

Filed Under: 3 Stars, Authors, Books, Books, Reviews, Vibe Sondegaard Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

REVIEW: Free-Range Chicken Gardens: How to Create a Beautiful, Chicken-Friendly Yard

May 14, 2012 By 8 Comments

The Book Cover

Title: Free-Range Chicken Gardens: How to Create a Beautiful, Chicken-Friendly Yard
Author: Jessi Bloom
Publisher: Timber Press
ISBN: 978-1604692372
Pages: 224
★★★★★

Synopsis:

(Taken from Amazon.com) Many gardeners fear chickens will peck away at their landscape, and chicken lovers often shy away from gardening for the same reason. But you can keep chickens and have a beautiful garden, too! Fresh eggs aren’t the only benefit — chickens can actually help your garden grow and thrive, even as your garden does the same for your chickens.

In this essential handbook, award-winning garden designer Jessi Bloom covers everything a gardener needs to know, including chicken-keeping basics, simple garden plans to get you started, tips on attractive fencing options, the best plants and plants to avoid, and step-by-step instructions for getting your chicken garden up and running.

For anyone who wants a fabulous garden where colorful chickens happily roam, Free-Range Chicken Gardens is the guide that will bring the dream home to roost.

Review

I have been debating having backyard chickens for a while. I was torn between a few ducks, or some chickens. We had ducks in our “backyard” at the apartment and they would often come to our porch to greet us for food. I don’t know why, but I really love birds. I knew that when we moved to the house (where we live in the ‘woods’ pretty much and have a HUGE backyard) that I would want to actually have ducks, or chickens.

It is this book, Free-Range Chicken Gardens, that sealed the deal on having chickens instead of ducks, though. The book is filled with amazingly beautiful pictures of backyard gardens in which the chickens are free-range. To me, these gardens look like heaven! They have a certain oasis feel, that is for sure. Imagine the great eggs that come from a happy and healthy chicken vs commercial caged chickens.

But it’s not just pictures, but incredibly useful information. We, as potential chicken owners (or just readers),  are presented with images with a few popular chicken breeds with some descriptions. Bloom helps us decide which breed is best for us (we decided on the silkie, by the way.) The silkies are docile and friendly and are great for children. But there are many varieties and no two families are exactly the same in specific chicken needs. While some are more for pets (as silkies are), some are more for meat, and some for eggs.

Free-Range Chicken Gardens is not just a book about gardening, but also a really in depth guide to raising chickens AND creating a garden habitat that would be both beautiful and beneficial for free-range chickens. I was incredibly impressed with this book and will definitely look to it often when deciding what to place in our own backyard habitat.

If you are in to sustainable living/homesteading, then I definitely recommend this book. Free-Range Chicken Gardens has dual purpose — information AND pictures. A book that you can keep on your coffee table, fit this selection into your green home as soon as possible.

Filed Under: 4 Stars, Authors, Books, Books, Jessi Bloom, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

REVIEW: January First by Michael Schofield

May 12, 2012 By 3 Comments

Book Cover

Title: January First: A Child’s Descent into Madness and Her Father’s Struggle to Save Her
Author: Michael Schofield
Publisher: Crown
Pub Date: August 7th, 2012
ISBN: 978-0307719089
Pages: 288
★★★★★

Synopsis:

(Taken from Amazon.com) A brilliant and harrowingly honest memoir, January First is the extraordinary story of a father’s fight to save his child from an extremely severe case of mental illness in the face of overwhelming adversity.

Review

January First is a highly emotional and intimate story of the Schofields and their relentless battle to find a diagnosis for their daughter January’s condition. Affectionately called Jani by those that know and love her, Jani has an incredibly devastating and rare lifelong form of mental illness; childhood onset schizophrenia.

Infact it is so rare to be diagnosed with schizophrenia as a child that if you look up the term “childhood onset schizoprhenia”, you will find Jani’s name everywhere. Diagnosed at only 5, Jani is one of the youngest children ever to be diagnosed with schizophrenia; a condition that does not usually erupt until later on in life.

What is schizophrenia?

Fortunately, schizophrenia is rare in children, affecting only about 1 in 40,000, compared to 1 in 100 in adults. The average age of onset is 18 in men and 25 in women (credit/source.)

Symptoms usually include: (credit/source)

  • Social withdrawal
  • Hostility or suspiciousness
  • Deterioration of personal hygiene
  • Flat, expressionless gaze
  • Inability to cry or express joy
  • Inappropriate laughter or crying
  • Depression
  • Oversleeping or insomnia
  • Odd or irrational statements
  • Forgetful; unable to concentrate
  • Extreme reaction to criticism
  • Strange use of words or way of speaking

Other symptoms include delusion, hallucinations, disorganized speech, and disorganized behavior. To learn more about schizophrenia, feel free to visit the following sources: (Link 1) (Link 2) (Link 3)

January First begins prior to the schizophrenia diagnosis so we are really pushed into these incredibly personal and emotional moments in the lives of Michael and Susan while they are searching for the cause of their daughter’s peculiar behaviors.

The first time that I had about Jani, I was searching on youtube. If you are familiar with youtube, you can understand how you can start searching for one thing and end up in a very different place. Somehow I ended up at this video:

Did you watch it? Good. You need to. You need to see this amazing family. Immediately I was completely fascinated by this little girl. The delusions and lack of sleep have taken a toll on her little body, as evident in the circles around her beautiful eyes. But there was something that I found so intriguing about this family.

Incredibly intelligent, Jani wants to be a veterinarian when she grows up. Her love for animals and for helping others is apparent even when bits and pieces of the psychosis shows itself and tells her she wants to be a ‘number checker’. Number Checkers, according to Jani, are like doctors or nurses for numbers and keep the numbers healthy. But her delusions aren’t always that easy. In fact, she has physically hurt both her parents with such intensity and force unseen normally in a little girl, that it would resort to very drastic measures to keep her and her family alive.

Michael Scofield paints the picture of what it is like to be involved in the daily life of a family caring for a loved one, a young child, with schizophrenia (who also happens to have a genius IQ.) But even more importantly, he paints a picture of a family experiencing the unknown and the terrifying. Through January First, we walk step by step with the Schofields in search for the answer.

If you would like to learn more about schizophrenia, please pick up the novel January First, and read it as soon as you can. Once I started the very first page, I could not put it down until the last page and I don’t often read a lot of memoirs but this one is absolutely fascinating. Because January First is written by Jani’s father, it is very easy to relate to and I didn’t feel like everything was above my head. Michael does not use difficult terminology but instead fills the pages with raw emotion and explains it to us in such a way where its difficult to differentiate between his feelings and our own.

January First is a captivating and inspirational read. To support Jani, check out the family website Jani’s Journey. You can also find them on Facebook located at The Jani Foundation.

Filed Under: 4 Stars, Authors, Books, Books, Michael Schofield, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

REVIEW: Wither by Lauren DeStefano

May 3, 2012 By 3 Comments

The Book Cover

Title: Wither
Author: Lauren DeStefano
Pages: 384
★★★★★

Synopsis:

(Taken from Amazon.com) By age sixteen, Rhine Ellery has four years left to live. A botched effort to create a perfect race has left all males born with a lifespan of 25 years, and females a lifespan of 20 years–leaving the world in a state of panic. Geneticists seek a miracle antidote to restore the human race, desperate orphans crowd the population, crime and poverty have skyrocketed, and young girls are being kidnapped and sold as polygamous brides to bear more children.When Rhine is sold as a bride, she vows to do all she can to escape. Yet her husband, Linden, is hopelessly in love with her, and Rhine can’t bring herself to hate him as much as she’d like to. He opens her to a magical world of wealth and illusion she never thought existed, and it almost makes it possible to ignore the clock ticking away her short life. But Rhine quickly learns that not everything in her new husband’s strange world is what it seems. Her father-in-law, an eccentric doctor bent on finding the antidote, is hoarding corpses in the basement; her fellow sister wives are to be trusted one day and feared the next; and Rhine has no way to communicate to her twin brother that she is safe and alive.

Together with one of Linden’s servants, Gabriel, Rhine attempts to escape just before her seventeenth birthday. But in a world that continues to spiral into anarchy, is there any hope for freedom?

Review:

I received this book a while ago as an ARC directly from the publishing company. I was incredibly excited to add another dystopian to my library and I just loved the cover. (For some reason the girl on the cover kind of reminds me of Mandy Moore — am I the only one that thinks this?)

It took me a while to get to this novel, but I finally decided to make some room and start it. I had been in a reading slump for months and I needed something that would really get me going again; diving back into the pages that I love. Unfortunately, I kind of wish I hadn’t. Looking at the pretty cover is good enough. Really.

Honestly, this book annoys me along the same kind of lines as Twilight. For some reason, it is uber popular. Just look at the reviews on Amazon. Many have read Wither and many like it. But, I find the plot full of holes, boring in many parts, creepy (in a sexually skeevy kind of way), and believe that it does a fabulous job of spreading the wrong message to our youth.

I am going to be really frank — I think this is a horrible novel. In fact, I am surprised that I finished it at all. On one hand you have a story with a lot of potential and on the other, it’s not well-written. Very much like a train wreck, I can’t stop watching/reading.

I am not sure I would completely consider this a dystopian novel. It’s almost kind of a fantasy, wanna-be dystopian. For the most part, the world is going on as normal. Wanting to cure cancer, and doing so, scientists created a bigger problem. Genetically, women were unable to live past 20, and men 25. I really liked the idea that humanity was as ticking time bomb due to overzealous scientists. It even makes sense to me that in order to continue on the human race, babies must be made at an earlier age. But why the kidnapping and rape? Why couldn’t the willing, make the conscious decision to have a baby early and do so through IVF?

This brings me to my first issue. Realistically women live longer then men. But how is this supposed genetic mutation killing women at 20, and men at exactly 25? Why are women the weaker of the sexes? Then, there is this whole society of rich men who kidnap women and force them into polygamous marriages at an incredibly early age — for what purpose? Well to have babies and provide good eye candy, of course!

Duh.

These selected child-brides, who are (suspiciously) only beautiful — are kidnapped against their will and drugged. Then, though it doesn’t exactly say– the fat, ugly, or disabled are killed in the back of the van. Based on how superficial the novel is, I am going to make a wild guess as to why the women were killed rather then returned to their homes. Many girls kidnapped from their loved ones, and only 3 selected to be forced into marriage and baby making. 3!

*Grumbles*

Whatever.

Lindon, a rich young man of approximately 21, is a clueless man-kid who does what his doctor Daddy says. That includes marrying multiple girls at once, having his way with them, spreading his seed — and all this even though he’s in love with a dead girl. Why he doesn’t question the morality of what is going on, I’ll never know. But he is happy to think with his penis consumate his marriages. That’s all that matters; that he is doing his part in extending the human race!

What is entirely gross and skeevy about the entire book (written for teenagers, might I add) is that one of the wives is barely 13 years old when she loses her virginity to her 21 year old husband and gets pregnant. And, you know, that’s acceptable — I guess? Gross.

But I guess we’re not supposed to have an issue with the sex with minors and banishing them to their bedrooms, only to come out and look pretty because — well, the wives are well taken care of. They get whatever they want, whenever they want, because without their wombs — the human race will die off!!! Oh noes! What a great excuse for all skeevy sex offenders. “Sorry, child — but you’re mine now or the world as we know it will end!”

Way to glorify polygamy, child rape, and sex trafficking, and get rich off it, DeStefano. *Claps* Brraaa-vo. (Anyone else grossed out that this type of book was published by popular Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers?) Is this the kind of message we want our young readers to read? Seriously?

On top of yuckies I felt while reading this book, DeStefano showcased her amazing logic and research skills and made Florida have 4 seasons!!! Oh Em Gee! You see, as a native Floridian, I have always wanted 4 seasons. Unlike the rest of the world, we just have two, wet and dry. Or you could just call it hurricane season and drout season. If you want to be technical, we do have four seasons, but they aren’t as eventful as the rest of the world. Florida is hot and humid with a lot of rain and a few days of cold. But, according to DeStefano, our trees had leaves that turned multiple colors before they fell to the ground. Suddenly, I feel really jipped because in MY Florida (the real one), most leaves just turn brown and die. So boring and not at all remotely beautiful.

Our hurricane season is usually during the warmer months — June to November. (Yes, Florida is pretty warm all the way through November.) But in this novel, one minute there is a rainless hurricane and another it is snowing blizzards. Not only does that not even make sense, but Florida does not have snow.

Okay, okay — you just went and researched snow in FL. Sure, we’ve had “snow” — ice that falls from the sky. But no way in heck would anything constitute being called a blizzard, or trekking through inches. It is too humid in Florida, and Florida is physically unable to have that sort of snowfall. Some readers may argue that this is a dystopian novel so anything could happen — but I am going to stop you there. The whole premise of the novel was built around the fact that scientists altered genetics. There wasn’t some huge chemical warfare, bombs, or disease. It was science altering genetics to cure cancer. Last time I checked that doesn’t suddenly cause complete climate changes.

For some reason the whole Florida thing REALLY bugged me. I mean everyone knows Florida to be tropical and I am pretty sure people, for the most part, know that Florida is not known for snow. Who was the fact-checker and how on Earth was this not caught prior to publication? SOMEONE must have a brain, right? I really love Simon & Schuster so I am going to forgive them, this one time, for publishing this.. thing. I really don’t know what you’d call it, but its not literature.

But, anyway — that is just my opinion. For some unknown reason many people like it (or they just don’t know any better..) So give it a try for yourself, if you care.  But, don’t say I didn’t warn you.

You have been warned.

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Filed Under: 2 Stars, Authors, Books, Lauren DeStefano, Ratings, Reviews, Young Adult Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

REVIEW: The Fault in Our Stars by @TheRealJohnGreen

May 2, 2012 By 2 Comments

The book cover

Title: The Fault in Our Stars
Author: John Green
Pages: 336
★★★★★

 That’s the thing about pain. It demands to be felt.

 

Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads.com) Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 12, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumours in her lungs… for now.

Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too; post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means), Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tank, the tumours tenuously kept at bay with a constant chemical assault.

Enter Augustus Waters. A match made at cancer kid support group, Augustus is gorgeous, in remission, and shockingly to her, interested in Hazel. Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long-needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind.

Review:

Well, hello Mr. Green. It’s nice to finally meet you. I’ve been reading since I was 4, so where have you been all my reading life?

I really don’t know what caused me to pick up The Fault in Our Stars, as any book dealing with kids and cancer, well — no! Please, God, don’t make torture me in tears! I don’t wanna cry today! But, I picked it up anyway because the reviews were just that good.

So, I prepared myself emotionally and I started to read. (Had the tissues handy, just in case.) I am introduced to Hazel, Hazel Grace which she is often called, and she has cancer. What started out as thyroid cancer, from what I understand, ended up spreading to her lungs. At a very young age, she faced death — laughed in its metaphorical face, and kept on keeping on.

It was a miracle.

This miracle came in the form of an experimental drug. This drug stopped the tumor growth and while her cancer was not shrinking, it was not growing either. Her prognosis for living life was good. After all, she was living and living with out an immediate expiration date.

For the most part, Hazel could go about her life. She could drive. She could dress herself. If it wasn’t for the oxygen tank she had to wheel around with her wherever she went, you probably wouldn’t know she was sick. Even so, the battle with cancer has withdrawn her from normal teenager life. All she wants to do is lounge in her room with a good book. Not just any book, though, but The Imperial Affliction. Now, what’s wrong with that?

The thing is, as Hazel is alive, her parents are really insistant that she start living; start being a typical, normal, 16 year old and socialize. Hazel is anything but normal, though, and in fact, she is incredibly brilliant. Much to her dismay, they recommend that she start back up in attending the local cancer survivors meeting/support group.

It is there that she meets Augustus Waters. He is beautiful, intelligent, and becomes instantly captivated with Hazel. Oh, and he is in remission so that’s a wonderful thing.

Hazel and Augustus find themselves immediately drawn together and they bring sides out of each other that they don’t often share. If there are two people in this world that truly get each other, it is Augustus and Hazel. You’ll see.. but you’ll have to pick up The Fault in Our Stars and start reading.

I found The Fault in Our Stars to be absolutely, without a doubt, an amazing read. It forces you to face your fears on life and death and it will raise questions such as, “Is there life after death?” and “What is our life’s purpose?”

While, yes, it’ll make you cry — it’s worth every single tear.

On a final note, it’s a book worth purchasing. Not just borrowing from the library or a friend, but purchasing. I borrowed the book from a friend, but I genuinely want my own copy. While searching for an image to use, I saw that many books are autographed and I am so jealous.

I highly recommend it for a book clubs, as it is impossible to read The Fault in Our Stars, without wanting to talk about it — with everyone.

“Sometimes, you read a book and it fills you with this weird evangelical zeal, and you become convinced that the shattered world will never be put back together unless and until all living humans read the book. And then there are book which you can’t tell people about, books so special and rare and yours that advertising your affection feels like a betrayal.”
― John Green, The Fault in Our Stars

Filed Under: 5 Stars, Authors, Books, John Green, Ratings, Reviews, Young Adult Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

REVIEW: My Monster Burrufu by Alberto Corral

December 15, 2011 By 3 Comments

Title: My Monster Burrufu
Author: Alberto Corral
Illustrator: Alessandra Sorrentino
Pages: 102
★★★★★

Synopsis: (Taken from Amazon.com) Seven-year-old Olivia has just moved to a new house — the same house where a lonely monster named Burrufu lives hidden in a secret attic. One night, unable to resist the smell of delicious cookies, Burrufu sneaks out and is discovered by Olivia. The two soon learn that you can find friendship in the most unexpected places. ‘My Monster Burrufu’ is a story of overcoming fear, a curse, and a most unusual monster who learns from a little girl how to trust his heart.

Review: I found My Monster Burrufu to be a cute short story of a little girl, who in a way, reminds me a bit of my Carli. She is outgoing and friendly and has a ton of energy. But most importantly, she pays no attention to society standards of “normal” and will befriend just about anyone who needs a friend.

Burrufu is a monster that is used to being an outcast and so therefore hides in the attic, writing novels to pass the time. He hates rejection and more than that, he hates the idea that he scares people. So when Olivia finds him, he doesn’t really know how to react. Naturally, defensive. He didn’t want to be hurt!

Although the book was a bit simplistic in writing, it definitely has a great message and would make a good read aloud. The book says that it is good for ages 9 and up, but I think it is more appropriate for ages 6-9. If you’re a teacher or a parent looking for a good read aloud; a book during quiet time, or bed time, then I do recommend My Monster Burrufu. It’ll open the lines of communication and help children learn about the importance of tolerance and acceptance.

Filed Under: 3.5 Stars, Books, Children, Ratings, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

REVIEW: Huber Hill and the Dead Man’s Treasure (Book & Gold Coin Giveaway!)

August 17, 2011 By 17 Comments

Book Trailer


Welcome to one of the stops on the Huber Hill and the Dead Man’s Treasure book tour. :)

Info

Title: Huber Hill and the Dead Man’s Treasure
Author: B.K. Bostick
ISBN:978-1599559117
Pages: 288
Review: ★★★★★

Synopsis:

When his grandfather dies, Huber Hill is devastated—until he opens Grandpa Nick’s mysterious box. An old gold coin and directions to a hidden Spanish treasure send him and his friends off on an mind-blowing adventure, but he’s not the only one on the hunt. Filled with dangerous animals and cryptic puzzles, this book will have you on the edge of your seat until the last page.

Review:

Something I really remember as a child is watching movies or reading books that really, truly, took me on an adventure. A good book takes you out of your body and enters you into a world that you’ve never known; a means of escape from the mundane existence of work, school, work, and school. I found that in Huber Hill and the Dead Man’s Treasure.

We meet Huber (meanly nicknamed “Puber” by the middle school bully, Scott) and his twin sister, Hannah. While Hannah is the golden child, Huber has a hard time finding acceptance in his own home and at school. The internal turmoil Huber must have felt really touched me. Although he was very strong and just let things slide off, “Like water off a duck’s back”, I still felt so incredibly sorry for him. I also liked Huber from the very start. It’s kind of hard not to.

I think Huber Hill and the Dead Man’s Treasure would be a great book to read with your child. It’s so adventurous that I believe it’ll really encourage reading! I could just imagine laying in bed with my daughter when she’s about 7 or 8 and reading a chapter a night. As I close the book, she looks up at me and begs me to read more. Any novel that would be a great read to read with my child, and not just finish in one night, is a necessity.

If you enjoy adventures and if you were a big time Goonies fan, then I really recommend you pick up this novel. It’s adorable and addicting.

Note from B.K. Bostick:

You’ll notice at the end of the trailer, an image appears- “Treasure for Alyssa.” Alyssa is my twelve year old neighbor who is suffering from a brain tumor. She’s had four surgeries and is currently undergoing radiation. I’ll be donating 100% of my profits from pre orders and all book sales during Oct. 1-16th (first two weeks of release). The publisher is creating a poster site for Alyssa at www.treasureforalyssa.com. They are still working on it and I’ll email you again when it goes live. Once again, please do not distribute the trailer or Alyssa’s website until finalized. At that time, I’ll definitely need your help in spreading the word about “Treasure for Alyssa.”

Enter to *WIN*

What you are winning: A copy of Huber Hill and the Dead Man’s Treasure with a magical gold coin, as in the book!

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8/17/2011 until 08/31/2011

Filed Under: 4 Stars, Books, Children, Genre, Reviews, Young Adult Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

REVIEW: A Year Without Autumn by Liz Kessler (109)

July 6, 2011 By 11 Comments

The Book Cover

Title: A Year Without Autumn
Author: Liz Kessler
Pages: 304
ISBN:978-0763655952
Rating: ★★★★★
Purchase: [Hardcover] [eBook]

Synopsis

(Taken from Amazon.com)

If you could see into the future – would you look? Jenni Green doesn’t have a choice. On her way to visit her best friend, Autumn, Jenni suddenly finds she’s been transported exactly one year forward in time. Now she discovers that in the year that’s gone by, tragedy has struck and her friendship with Autumn will never be the same again. But what caused the tragedy? How did Jenni skip a year? And can she find her way back to the past to try to change what lies ahead? With humour – and her customary light touch – the author of the EMILY WINDSNAP books plays a fascinating game with time, and explores the changes that take place in friendships and families in the aftermath of a disaster.

Review

I received a Year Without Autumn, thanks to NetGalley.com (Love that site!) This book is also the first that I have read by novelist Liz Kessler. Though, I can honestly say that it will not be the last. I thought the idea behind the novel, A Year Without Autumn, was pretty cool — time travel!

Jenni and her BFF Autumn are attached at the hip, so much so that they have near-by vacation time share homes that their families visit together every year. Though this year something very strange happens and Jenni goes to Autumn’s condo to meet up for their riding horses adventure only to discover that — Autumn doesn’t live there anymore. The strange thing is, Jenni just saw Autumn minutes before. What is going on?

Although the reader (i.e. me) makes sense of it early on, Jenni struggles with the ramifications of time traveling back and forth in the present and the future and making changes. Will knowing what the future holds help her save Autumn, or will it destroy her?

I found A Year Without Autumn to be a delightful tale mixing friendship and time travel. I would definitely recommend the book to pre-teen readers (and anyone, really, who enjoys a good time travel tale!) I can not wait to read something else by Liz Kessler.

Filed Under: 4 Stars, Books, Genre, Paranormal, Reviews, Young Adult Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

REVIEW: Watched by Sharde Richardson (108) w/ Autographed Giveaway

June 10, 2011 By

 

The Book Cover

Title: Watched
Author: Sharde Richardson
Pages: 290
ISBN:978-0983149804
Rating: ★★★★★
Purchase: [Paperback] [eBook]

Synopsis

(Taken from Amazon.com)

Mikayla doesn’t want much: just to rock out to her favorite band, become the next Kwiki Stop video gaming champion, and keep her Q-tip habit under control. What she does want is the sight of the sudden inexplicable dark auras around everyone to stop. Problem is, those auras are demons and Mikayla is the last trait holder with the power to ban them. Which is a total buzz kill.

To make matters worse, the town folk of Sulphur Springs don’t look the same, and her classmates are a little dark in the eyes. There are murders, suicides, reckless skinny-dipping, gratuitous use of Q-tips, and newfound powers that Mikayla must learn to control.

Her past becomes present when a shape-shifter tells her what her true identity is, and how to keep the demons of Hell from nipping at her Converse. Through him she’ll discover who to trust, who to kiss, and how valuable her abilities are to the right beings. Because the evils of Hell aren’t staying down without a fight.

Or without her soul.

Review

Mikayla, the main protagonist,  is as real as real can be in this fictional paranormal tale, Watched. There isn’t a thought that doesn’t pop in her head that doesn’t seem realistic, genuine,  and hilariously funny. You can not help but love such a true to life character. Slipping into the story is incredibly easy and before you know it, you’ll find yourself reading the last word and craving more.

Watched begins on Mikayla’s birthday. Having a a stutter has caused her to feel comfortable in her own solitude, and her birthday is no different. Alone and on the lake, Mikayla celebrates her birthday by ice skating in one of her favorite places. Unbeknown to her, a mysterious man has followed her to her spot to prey on this birthday girl. Attacked and left for the dead, Mikayla some how materializes to a place of safety, the hospital. It’s not something she understands, herself. One minute she’s being attacked and the next, she is dying on the ground outside the hospital.

After Mikayla has recovered enough to wake up, she begins to see auras around everyone, which turn out to be their demons. Not knowing how to make sense of her new visions, she meets Lucas (a mysterious stranger) who tells her that she was born to kill demons. Mikayla can’t quite wrap her head around it — kill demons?

The reason I loved Watched was because the way Mikayla reacts to the news of her destiny is so real. She doesn’t just accept the news but struggles to understand her past and what her future holds. That… and there is Lucas who was sworn in to bond to her and protect her during her battle with the demons. Lucas can be distant and stern, but there is no doubt that you will fall in love with him. No doubt at all, as I have!

Watched has everything a teen paranormal romance should have — romance (of course), intrigue, adventure, and horror! You are sure to love it as much as I did. It was beautifully written. Sharde Richardson definitely has multitudes of talent and it won’t be long before she realizes it herself!

I can not wait until the sequel comes out. Sharde, get on that — will ya? :)

Win it!

With an autographed copy of Watched by Sharde Richardson.

There is absolutely NO cost to enter. You simply just comment on this entry with your email and name. If you are a winner,  I will email you at the email address provided. If you do not respond within 1 week of my email, the winner will be redrawn. Make sure you can receive emails from allison@wellreadreviews.com!

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6/19/2011 until  6/27/2011

Filed Under: 5 Stars, Books, Genre, Paranormal, Reviews, Young Adult Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

REVIEW: Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini (107)

June 7, 2011 By 2 Comments

 

The Cover

 

Title: Starcrossed
Author: Josephine Angelini
Pages: 496
ISBN: 978-0062011992
Rating: ★★★★★
Purchase: [Hardcover] [eBook]

Synopsis

(Taken from Amazon.com)

How do you defy destiny?

Helen Hamilton has spent her entire sixteen years trying to hide how different she is—no easy task on an island as small and sheltered as Nantucket. And it’s getting harder. Nightmares of a desperate desert journey have Helen waking parched, only to find her sheets damaged by dirt and dust. At school she’s haunted by hallucinations of three women weeping tears of blood . . . and when Helen first crosses paths with Lucas Delos, she has no way of knowing they’re destined to play the leading roles in a tragedy the Fates insist on repeating throughout history.

As Helen unlocks the secrets of her ancestry, she realizes that some myths are more than just legend. But even demigod powers might not be enough to defy the forces that are both drawing her and Lucas together—and trying to tear them apart.

Review

Oh, I love, love love Greek Mythology. I was quite excited to receive this ARC from NetGalley and to be able to fall in love with a new sets of Gods and Goddesses (in this case, Demi-Gods). I had heard rave reviews about Starcrossed – and no wonder as it is the Greek Mythology version of the infamous Twilight series! While Josephine Angelini claims it is a retelling of The Illiad, I think it’s more like a retelling of Twilight but with Gods instead of vamps and weres. While it can be a bad thing to be compared to Twilight ( a series that I loathe with a passion), I do not feel the same way about Starcrossed. I am not quite sure how to feel, to be honest.

In my opinion, Angelini knows what her readers are looking for, what they want, and I give her major props for that. She’s not just beauty, but brains, too! This book will be successful, there is no doubt about it. That being said, it doesn’t mean that the novel will be well received by everyone, myself included.

I am going to start with some positive aspects of the novel. For one, I loved Claire who has been Helen’s best friend forever since they were in diapers. Claire is outgoing and sassy and says what she thinks and acts upon what she feels. Being one of the minorities in Nantucket, Claire (Japanese) really understands Helen in feeling different. You see, Helen has always felt she was different but had no idea why. All she knew was that her stomach cramped up every time she brought attention to herself. Having such debilitating pain caused Helen to be much more of a loner than any teenager wishes to be. Because Helen is so serious and timid, it is nice that she has a friend like Claire who brings out bits and pieces of Helen that no one sees often. Even better than that, Claire has a feeling that Helen is more than just different (in fact she thinks she’s a vampire!) and yet accepts her anyway. (What a great friend!) Still, Helen is quick to avoid Claire when she starts to discover the truth about herself and where she comes from.

I also liked the idea that the Father was in charge of raising his daughter on his own with the non existent Mother; a bit different from general stereotypes of single parent families. Although it felt like the Father was quite absent, for the most part, I admired his willingness to raise his daughter alone.

Angelini twisted myth to fit her story and wove an extravagant tale of two families at war with each other, and the Gods to which they are descended from. Helen and Lucas are on opposing families and when they meet for the first time, Helen (with no feelings other than hatred) attacks Lucas with the urge to kill him. Helen, who has lived in a small town her entire life, doesn’t realize where her hatred comes from but she knows that whenever Lucas is around Helen is haunted by three disheveled women who reach out to her, weeping tears of blood. It’s in Helen’s blood to want to kill the members of the Delos family and Starcrossed is the story of two lovers born of hate who risk their own lives to save each other.

Now as said before, Starcrossed bares an uncanny resemblance to Twilight. Here are some of the similarities:

  • Both Bella and Helen are socially inept high school girls who (regardless of their awkward unsocial behavior) has guys flocking to them.
  • Both girls are being “raised” by their “barely there” fathers. While it’s no doubt their Dad’s love them, the Dad’s in both stories play a background role.
  • The Delos family is very much like the Cullen family — all attractive, many times rude, and keeps to themselves.
  • The “sister” of the opposing families are both psychic.
  • Lucas has to fight the urge to kill Helen, just as Edward had to fight the urge to kill Bella.
  • Both stories mix love with violence against each other.

Those are just to name a few. The reason I disliked Twilight so much was because I believed that it was spreading the wrong message to teenagers about how love should be. So because Starcrossed bares such resemblance I am truly on the fence with how I feel. On one hand, like I’ve said before, I have a weakness for Greek Mythology — but the Mother in me is quite upset and disappointed of how the story unfolded and what it represented to the young impressionable reader.

What kind of stinks right now is that on Twitter there is this whole #YaSaves movement going on because one blogger or reporter insinuated that a lot of teen novels are doing more damage than good by spreading the wrong message. Heck, maybe that person was just talking about Twilight and its message that violence and love can mix. Unfortunately Starcrossed does nothing to eliminate that thought; that love can exist without violence.

Again, I am so conflicted. (Can you tell?)

In regards to the actual writing — I struggled for about a hundred pages or so. Starcrossed was written in third person, which when done correctly, can weave a magical tale that puts us outside the character but within their world. I am not sure Starcrossed really effectively did this. For a while it felt that I was being given half the story but not the entire story with many scenes lacking in descriptive detail. It was as if Angelini trusted the reader too much to know what she was talking about when she wrote the novel. When I read a book, in third person especially, I need the help to visualize. I need someone to paint the picture so I can sit back and admire it. When the picture is half painted, all I can focus on is what is missing and what needs to be done rather than what is right before me. For a while, actually, I kept thinking, “Oh no.. I am going to hate this novel.” because of lack of detail in the scenes and even the character dialogue. The guilt while reading was immense. I wanted to love the novel to its very core but I can’t say that I actually did. While I do not hate Starcrossed, it did not really do it for me.

I rated it a 3 because the concept was there and I did end up finishing it. It was impressionable to have me thinking about it a long while after I finished the novel but not completely engaging to where I couldn’t put it down. To me it was just average and while others will love it, like Twilight, many will not.

If you are a parent and your teenager wants to read the book, I would sit down with them and have a talk about how it is not normal for two people in love to want to inflict pain and death on each other and remind them that it is just a story and that you do not condone romanticizing violence. If you feel your pre-teen/teen can understand the difference between what is real and what has been made up to add interest to the story, then feel free to let them read Starcrossed.

Filed Under: 3 Stars, Books, Genre, Paranormal, Reviews, Young Adult Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

REVIEW: Wherever You Go by Heather Davis (106)

June 7, 2011 By 3 Comments

The Book Cover

 

 

Title: Wherever You Go
Author: Heather Davis
Pages: 320
ISBN: 978-0547501512
Rating: ★★★★★
Purchase: [Hardcover] [eBook]

Synopsis

(Taken from Amazon.com)

A poignant story about making peace with the past and opening your heart to love. Seventeen-year-old Holly Mullen has felt lost and lonely ever since her boyfriend, Rob, died in a tragic accident. But she has no idea that as she goes about her days, Rob’s ghost is watching over her. He isn’t happy when he sees his best friend, Jason, trying to get close to Holly—but as a ghost, he can do nothing to stop it. As their uncertain new relationship progresses, the past comes back to haunt Holly and Jason. Her Alzheimer’s-stricken grandfather claims to be communicating with the ghost of Rob. Could the messages he has for Holly be real? And if so, how can the loved ones Rob left behind help his tortured soul make it to the other side?

Review

Wherever You Go is told from three different views, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. Yes, you’ve heard me right and for the most part, although I admire Heather Davis for trying something new, it just did not work for me. In fact, it hindered my ability to really get into the story.

The first person point of view is told through Holly, a teenager with way too much responsibility for her age and not enough friends (it seems like) to even things out. Her boyfriend, Rob, had just died in the car accident that Holly happened to be in the car with at the time of the collision. His friends seem to blame Holly, for supposedly being drunk at a party, and have given her a hard time since Rob’s death.

The second person point of view is done through Rob, who has died. For some reason he has not been able to move on into the other world and he has no idea why. I think this was my least favorite view point and (in my opinion) should not be used unless you are writing a letter.  We know it is Rob, but it is being told like we are Rob and we are being told what to do. It is also told in present tense. For example “You are doing this.” and I just didn’t really feel for this point of view or the idea that it was in present tense. After all, every writer learns that it is important to pick a point of view and stick to it (same with tenses). During this view point, however, we get a better look at Aldo, Holly’s Grandfather who is suffering from Alzheimer’s. When I picked up Wherever You Go, my Mom had just lost her best friend from early onset Alzheimer’s. Needless to say, the topic really touched home on that front.

The third person point of view is about Rob’s friend, Jason. His friend’s grave is barely cold when he swoops in for the kill — er, to sweep Holly off her feet. He also, typically as most “good guys in novels” are, attractive and rich. (Oh and you know Holly lives in a small cluttered apartment with her barely there Mother, her little precocious little sister, and now has to babysit her sick Grandfather. So naturally, Holly needed a rich Prince Charming to sweep her out of her “horrible life”.

My favorite character in the entire novel was Aldo, as he had so much depth. A typical Italian grandfather, it was sad to watch his mind go and that he was aware that his memories were fading to disease. To make sure he would not forget certain things, he made a list and asked that his granddaughter, Holly, help him to remember these particular events in his life. I found that aspect of the story charming and memorable. Holly’s dedication to her Grandfather’s care has much to be admired. If only all teenagers showed that much dedication to family (with little complaint) and much maturity so early on in life.

On the other hand, I felt that Holly lacked in character depth. Her boyfriend, who she was supposedly in love with — just died and she really pushes those feelings deep inside her that I often wondered if it really even affected her. Her apathy to her situation(s) really bugged me. Does she not have huge resentment for having to be so heavily relied on by her mother to take care of the house, her Grandfather, and her little sister? Her Mother also did a great job of throwing out the guilt and playing the victim card that it made me feel sorry for Holly.

I was not a fan of the multiple points of view and tenses, and some things (which will be discussed in the spoiler) bugged me about the characters /situations — but some aspects of the story, such as Aldo dealing with his Alzheimer’s were truly charming. Although I am not a huge fan of the novel, it does have it’s warming moments and I know many other people enjoyed the read tremendously. You just may be one of them!

**Spoiler**: (Do NOT look if you are sensitive to spoilers!) show

Even though I found a few things peculiar about the story, it may hit home to someone else. If the novel sounds interesting to you, then I say — give it a shot.

Filed Under: 3 Stars, Books, Genre, Paranormal, Reviews, Young Adult Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

REVIEW: The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter (105) @aimee_carter

June 7, 2011 By 4 Comments

The Book Cover

 

Title: The Goddess Test
Author: Aimee Carter
Pages: 304
ISBN: 978-0978662134
Rating: ★★★★★
Purchase: [Paperback] [eBook]

Synopsis

(Taken from Amazon.com)

It’s always been just Kate and her mom—and her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate’s going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear her mother won’t live past the fall.

Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld—and if she accepts his bargain, he’ll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests.

Kate is sure he’s crazy—until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she succeeds, she’ll become Henry’s future bride, and a goddess.

Review

Kate’s mother is dying of cancer; the effects having left her weak and unable to properly care for her own daughter. Kate, although not wanting to talk about the possibility of her mother dying, agrees to return to her mother’s hometown for the remainder of her mother’s life.

Kate starts school and like any normal teenager, she feels misplaced and shy. When popular cheerleader, Ava, invites her to a party Kate is anything but thrilled about the invite. Even though Kate would rather be home with her mother, she knows that her mother desperately wants to see Kate fit in so agrees to go. Like any Mother, she wants to know that Kate will be okay after she leaves this world for the next. Unfortunately for Kate, Ava has other plans; plans that involve abandoning Kate in the middle of the woods late at night and running off. However when Ava does this, she hits her head on a rock and drowns in the stream. Even though Kate feels betrayed and mortified and even though she is desperately scared of water, she risks her life to save Ava’s.

Enter Henry — serious and a tad creepy but undeniably handsome. Upon his mysterious stumbling upon soaking wet Kate and dead Ava, Kate had no idea that her life would forever change. You see Henry is the God of the Underworld, Hades. He asked Ava if she was willing to do anything to bring Ava back to life. Even though Ava didn’t deserve such an act of selflessness for her behavior to Kate, Kate agrees — that she will do anything. What Kate doesn’t realize that she has promised an eternity of spending the Fall and Winter months at Henry’s estate, where she will be treated like a Queen. Sure — it sounds good. Being treated like Royalty and all she has to do is spend six months with this handsome stranger?

I hate to spoil anything so I won’t go into further detail about what happens when Ava joins Henry and his servants/guests at his estate. I just want to tell you that I immensely enjoyed The Goddess Test. From the very first page until the last, I couldn’t put it down. The Goddess Test is loosely based on Greek Mythology and I absolutely love anything to do with Greek Mythology. I feel very fortunate to not only have been able to read this prior to it’s release, but I loved discovering a new author, Aimee Carter. I wish the author much success with this novel!

I received The Goddess Test from NetGalley as an ARC and am quite sad that I no longer have it in my possession as the books expire. (Enter very sad pathetic face, here!) I cannot wait until the second in the series comes out, Goddess Interrupted. I will be checking out @Aimee_Carter ‘s Twitter frequently for updates on the development of the second book. I only HOPE that I am as fortunate to snag an eARC for Goddess Interrupted as I was for The Goddess Test. (Yes, that is a not so obvious hint.) ;)

Anyway — I highly recommend The Goddess Test. It’s an easy and entertaining read and sure to keep you wanting more!



Filed Under: 4 Stars, Books, Genre, Paranormal, Reviews, Young Adult Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

REVIEW: The Memoir of Marilyn Monroe (104)

May 25, 2011 By 5 Comments

 

The Book Cover

 

Title: The Memoir of Marilyn Monroe
Author: Sandi Gelles-Cole
Pages: 178
ISBN: 978-0978662134
Rating: ★★★★★
Purchase: [Paperback] [eBook]

Synopsis

(Taken from Amazon.com)
Sandi Gelles-Cole imagines the life the screen legend and enduring cultural icon might have led — from the opening scene (below) to her 85th birthday on June 1, 2011.

DRAMA QUEEN June 1, 2011 They say only the good die young and I guess it s true because I m still here. Today is my eighty fifth birthday. During these years I have lived three lives: Before Marilyn, Being Marilyn and After. I created Marilyn Monroe and then men molded her: studios, agents, and husbands. Ever since the night I did not die, I have tried to leave her behind, but wherever I went, the creature followed. I tried to run. I tried changing my name, my country of residence, my hair color, body type, career and sexual preference. I went to college for coursework in Humanities and studied Russian Literature. But there was no escaping her. The character I created became my own personal monster and devoured me in the 50s, and even after she died I could no more be someone else than I could grow a penis, change my skin color, or stop being a movie star. My so-called death scene is always described the same: My housekeeper, Eunice Murray, finds my wasted, naked body tangled in a sheet, wet from secretions better left unexplained. I am face down with one hand hanging over the telephone. This detail is discussed often; am I answering a call or making one and if I am calling, then whom? But it did not happen that way. I cheated death. . .

Review

When I was approached to review this book, I was incredibly excited. I love Marilyn Monroe and not just because I am related to her (well, by marriage thanks to Joe DiMaggio) but because she is an icon. The synopsis of the story sounded amazing. I could not wait to read what Marilyn may have done with the rest of her life. Unfortunately I was disappointed.

The book itself is short with only 178 pages and paired with the size 18-20 font that it uses (and not a professional typeface) it can easily be shrunk down to about 100 pages, or less. On the cover it is said to only be “edited” by Sandi Gelles Cole, which I think is disrespectful. I understand that it’s a fictional memoir however I think it should be made quite clear on the cover that it is a fictional memoir. I can imagine someone purchasing this book thinking they were actually reading a memoir written by Marilyn, only to feel duped by it’s misleading cover. On the back is just information about Sandi Gelles-Cole and by information I mean “ridiculous bragging”.

The thing about bragging about your professional history on the cover is that you really need true talent and skills to back it up. Otherwise it just takes away your credibility.  With the misleading cover and unprofessional font style and sizing, it is no wonder that the author had to self publish and print her own novel. No one else would have touched it. The sad thing is, I haven’t even discussed the meat of the story, yet.

When I think of Marilyn, I think of elegance and grace. I also do not think she would have written her memoir in such a simplistic, juvenile, superficial way. This is supposed to be about her life (fictional, but still it should have been believable); not a half-assed account of things she did after her “death”. The way it was written was as if someone was trying to vaguely recall something they had no real recollection of; like trying to remember the events of a drunken evening and everything is hazy. The way Gelles-Cole jumped from event to event was exhausting and I felt that I had no real understanding of the purpose of the events I just read. To say that details lacked would be an understatement.

The quality of the writing was horrific. Sentences were incomplete and jumbled and all around messy. For example:

I spoke to Sue, Paula, other people who knew the principals involved. Talking to Jules about any of this didn’t feel right until I had processed the, alright, consequences of the decision. Anyway he was so busy working that was never around to talk to. – pg. 170

Can you spot all the errors? (I would never hire Gelles-Cole to edit my work after reading a book of paragraphs like this.) So if you recalled from earlier in the review I said that it was important not to brag about your abilities unless you could back it up. Now do you understand?

Overall I felt that the book was an insulting fictional account of the wonderful woman that was Marilyn Monroe. If you’re a true Marilyn Monroe fan, stay away from this “Memoir” as it will only make you mad.

Filed Under: 1 Star, Books, Genre, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

REVIEW: Wolf Camp by Katie McKy (103)

May 22, 2011 By 4 Comments

Title: Wolf Camp
Author: Katie McKy
Illustrator: Bonnie Leick
Pages: 32
ISBN: 978-1933718255
[Rating:3]
Purchase: [Paperback] [eBook]

Synopsis

(Taken from Amazon.com)
In a delightful mix of intrigue and humor, a young girl named Maddie goes to a Wolf Camp and comes back with disturbing new habits–wolf-like habits. Kids will be fascinated with the idea of transformation into an animal, and parents will recognize the sense of change their children undergo at summer camp.

Review

What is there to say? I was not overly impressed. The language was a bit too simple, forced, and awkward. I am not entirely sure what to pinpoint in the writing style but it bugged me.

The lack of detail of the actual trip to Wolf Camp was upsetting. Maddie sees a flyer for Wolf Camp and her parents allow her to go. She writes them a letter on one page and then she’s home. I just thought for a book about Wolf Camp, that there would actually be more details at home.

What made the book semi-interesting was the wonderful illustrations by Bonnie Leick. I know that kids would find the pictures interesting and that, enough, would be able to keep its attention. The rest would be required of the person reading the story to breathe a little life into the words.

While not overly thrilled with Wolf Camp, some may like it. Although it is not one I would personally purchase, I would borrow it from the library.

Filed Under: 3 Stars, Books, Children, Genre, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

REVIEW: Go the Fuck to Sleep (102)

May 21, 2011 By 5 Comments

Title: Go the Fuck to Sleep
Author: Adam Mansbach
Pages: 32
ISBN: 978-1617750250
[Rating:5]
Purchase: [Paperback] [eBook]

Synopsis

(Taken from Amazon.com)

Go the Fuck to Sleep is a bedtime book for parents who live in the real world, where a few snoozing kitties and cutesy rhymes don’t always send a toddler sailing blissfully off to dreamland. Profane, affectionate, and radically honest, California Book Award-winning author Adam Mansbach’s verses perfectly capture the familiar–and unspoken–tribulations of putting your little angel down for the night. In the process, they open up a conversation about parenting, granting us permission to admit our frustrations, and laugh at their absurdity.

With illustrations by Ricardo Cortes, Go the Fuck to Sleep is beautiful, subversive, and pants-wettingly funny–a book for parents new, old, and expectant. You probably should not read it to your children.

Review

My daughter Katelyn is 10 months old and does not sleep through the night. In fact, I am quite happy if I only have to get up once or twice a nice at this point in time. When parents complain about having to get up early (as in before 8am) or had to get up in the middle of the night after a long period of having a baby sleep through the night, it irritates me. I have not had a full nights rest in 10 months. TEN MONTHS! So stop your quacking!

I miss sleep.

I heard about this book and I just had to read it. I mean I just had to. I needed something to help me laugh over the fact that I have a baby that is not fond of sleeping. Go the Fuck to Sleep was hilarious and it definitely helped me feel a little better about the sleep situation.

I think Go the Fuck to Sleep would be the perfect gift for parents to be who have a little sense of humor. The perfect baby shower gift and “just because” gift for any parent facing a baby who doesn’t believe in sleeping.

Filed Under: 5 Stars, Books, Children, Genre, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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