Book Review: Under The Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

OK ok so I know everyone and their grandmother has reviewed this book by now...ok that might be a wee bit overly dramatic. Still this book has been near the top of my TBR pile since long before it was ever released. I had heard the rumblings about it among fellow bloggers who were given ARCs and I knew that it was supposed to be really good.

If you don't already know Under the Never Sky is a dystopian romance book. Aria who has an amazing singing voice lives inside of a pod with other dwellers. They never leave the pods for fear of infection. They were forced long ago into the pods when the aether filled the sky causing storms and death and destruction. When her mother goes missing Aria cozy's up with the son of a very important man. However, that son attacks her and soon she finds herself left to die on the outside. Only with the help of a "savage" boy who is more than he seems can she survive.

Holy hell why in the heck did I wait so fracking long to read this? Why? OH WHY?!?! This was AMAZING. At first I did not like Aria but over time I grew to love her and oh Perry. Be still my heart. Tons of action, lots of angst, and oh what a great romance. This was not insta love in fact they couldn't stand each other when they first met but through their long perilous journey they fall in love. Note YA writers this is how you write romance. The other thing I loved is that even though this hopped back and forth in perspective it was not in first person. That meant it was not confusing at all. In case you haven't seen my rants before I hate head hopping. This was not head hopping and I appreciated being able to see both perspectives without it being confusing.

I give this 5 out of 5 stars

Book Review: More Parts by Tedd Arnold

This is yet another book that used to be my stepdaughter's (can you tell we don't get rid of books). She was never a big fan of the book and if I recall it was because she was disturbed by the scene of the scene where his brain falls out.

This silly book has a little boy who becomes frightened when he takes certain figures of speech literally. Like when he told to hold his tongue he doesn't realize it means to keep quiet not literally hold his tongue.


The book is silly and cute. The funny thing is that my son's favorite part was my stepdaughter's most hated part. I guess that is the difference between boys and girls. Brains and gross body parts are cool to boys while they are cringe inducing to little girls. The illustrations are great and the examples of figures of speech are amusing. My son enjoyed this book more than I did.


I would have to give this 3 and half out of 4 stars. Bump up to 4 stars for goodreads.

Book Review: The Giant Jam Sandwich by John Vernon Lord/ Janet Burroway

Ok so I decided to dive right into the 1001 books challenge. I've never seen this book before nor heard of it so I was excited when I found it at my library last night. Apparently, this is classic reading for a number of people but I honestly have never heard of it before yesterday.

The Giant Jam Sandwich is all about a town that becomes over run with wasps. Someone in town has the brilliant idea of making a huge strawberry jam sandwich since that is wasps favorite thing to eat. So the whole town gets together to make a giant jam sandwich to trap the nasty wasps.

This was a very cute book and my son really enjoyed it. His favorite part was when they laid down the top piece of bread trapping the wasps in the sandwich. The drawings were very 1970's style and for that it was charming and brought back memories of my childhood reading. I can definately see myself reading this one to my son again on another library trip. If you can find this book give it a read.

5 out of 5 stars.

Book Review: Just My Friend & Me by Mercer Mayer

The Little Critter books have always been popular in this house. When my stepdaughter was very little I remember my husband trolling ebay to win huge auctions of books. One of them contained about 10 of the Little Critter books. My son enjoys the Little Critter books and has even asked that we buy more (ebay here we come).

In Just my Friend & Me our Little Critter spends the day with his friend. While the two of them have fun it turns out to be just too much as the friend doesn't help with cleaning up, wrecks Critter's bike, does things better than Critter etc. Critter comes to realize that while playing with friends is great sometimes it's nice to just be alone.

My son loves this book. It is not his favorite of the Little Critter books but it is still one he enjoys. This is perfect for younger children or those with short attention spans. The pictures keep them engaged while the story is told with a dry wit that will keep parents entertained.

5 out of 5 stars

Book Review: Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin

This book used to be my stepdaughter's. I'm so glad to introduce it to my son as it has always been a cute one that both my stepdaughter and I loved to read.

In Click, Clack, Moo the cows have gotten a hold of a typewriter. This causes a problem for Farmer Brown. All day he hears "Click clack moo". Soon the cows start leaving Farmer Brown demanding notes. The cows go on strike when their demands are not met. Duck gets involved and a intermediary between Farmer Brown and the Cows.

As I said before I really love this book. My son really enjoyed it too. He loved participating in reading this book as I had him make the moo sounds as we read. The illustrations as cute and keep my son's attention. The story is quick and not overly complicated meaning that my son understood what was happening and it was easy for him to follow along.

I give this a solid 5 out of 5 stars.

Book Review: The Night Sweeper by J. Steven Butler

So I've been in a bit of a book slump lately. The past 3 weeks I keep picking up books and casting them to the side. It's not that they are bad books. In fact at least two of them were from some of my favorite authors. I just couldn't seem to find a book that would catch me. You know keep my interest and keep me wanting to read. I randomly scrolled through my ereader before settling on The Night Sweeper by J. Steven Butler. THANK GOD! Finally, a book that kept me reading and wanting more!

The Night Sweeper takes place in a post-apocalyptic dystopian world. The streets are not safe at night for that is the time that the zombies or Festers as they are called roam the streets. Cray is a night sweeper. He hunts Festers to help make things safer in what was one New York. Soon the threat of another virus outbreak has Cray teaming up with a beautiful woman named Mira. Only problem is that Cray doesn't have much experience talking to women and becomes a complete buffoon around them. Mira has some dark secrets. The two are led on a journey and learn there is more to what happened during the first virus outbreak than anyone knew.

Ok so it should be pretty obvious that I enjoyed this book by the simple fact that it is the first one I was able to finish without having to force myself. Even though there are zombies or Festers as they are called in the book this is not really a zombie book. This is more like a thriller with dystopian, politics, genetics, a bit of zombies, romance, and adventure all thrown into one book.

At first I did not like the character of Cray. His reactions around Mira were that of a 14 year old boy not a 24 year old man. But it soon became clear that he was like a teenage boy because he literally had no experience around women at all. The more he became comfortable around her the more I liked him. I loved Mira from the start. She is a complex character who kicks ass (literally).

Let me state something...I HATE head hopping. As in first person perspective that changes. I like to stick with one persons persepective. J. Steven Butler uses head hopping in this book BUT and this is a huge but he did it right. Yep, this was one of the few books where I didn't mind the head hopping at all. Why? Because he kept with the same character for a few chapters before switching heads to the other character for a few chapters. I hate when head hopping happens in the same chapter or now the monotonous every other chapter. Having a few chapters (it was probably three to four per person) didn't make the change obvious and gimmicky. When the change happened you were ready to see what was going on with the other person. Plus it allowed for them to be seperate for parts of the book (though for the most part they were together the whole time). So listen up authors if you want to know how to head hop look at what he did here cause this is how it should be done. Throw away the gimmicks, don't change in the same chapter, and only do it if it actually adds something to the story.

So now for my rating. Well I started off the book at right about a 4 but ended at a 5. Only question now is when oh when is the next book? Cause I can't wait to read it!

I just wish more people knew about this book

Book Review: My Dad By Charles Fuge

This is a book that we bought many many years ago for my stepdaughter. It has now become one of my son's favorite bed time story books.

My Dad is all about a cute little bear bragging to his friends about his dad. His dad is tough and rough and has claws and teeth that would scare away anything that crosses his path. In fact his bragging about his dad is so scary that all his friends run away in fear!


This is a very cute and simple book. This has become a go to book for me when my son wants a bed time story but I'm short on time. It is a fast read with great illustrations. It also tells a lot about how a child views their parents. They always see them as grander than the parent actually thinks they are.


I give a solid 5 out of 5 stars!

Book Review: Donald Duck and the Super-Sticky Secret

Ah yesterday I pulled out a really old book to read to my son. So old that it was actually one of mine from when I was a little girl. The last time I read this was about 10 years ago when I read it to my stepdaughter and before that it had been at least 18 years since I had last read it. It was not one of my particular favorites as a child but there is always something special about going back and rereading something from your childhood.


The book starts with a brick falling off of the house. Donald is determined to glue it back in place. He creates a sticky concoction and is so satisfied with his work that he decides to open his own fix-it shop. The only problem is his sticky glue doesn't last. So he continues to try different recipes as classic Disney characters stop looking for him to help repair their broken items. During this whole thing his nephews observe and point out they know what would work.

My son enjoyed this book especially since he is a fan of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. He didn't seem to notice or mind that the drawings of Mickey and Donald and the rest of the gang were not like what he sees on the TV show. Which goes to show that some things just translate universally. His favorite part was when Donald Duck becomes stuck to one of the chairs he repairs. Over all it was a good read for him. Not overly wordy but still had enough of a story to keep him interested. The illustrations have the classic feel of Disney which may be off putting for some children.

I give this 4 out of 5 stars.

Book Review: Kobee Manatee by Robert Scott Thayer

I received a copy of this book from netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

It looks like my son caught the nasty stomach bug that plagued my husband and myself all last week. So I figured since he has a sick day home today that I'd read him a few books. I was excited to see this book as I have always been a manatee lover. Ever since middle school I was fascinated with them and even dabbled with the idea of being a marine biologist because of them. I collected books, stuffed animals, glass figurines...well just about anything that had a manatee. While I no longer collect manatees I'm still fascinated by these gentle creatures.

Kobee Manatee is the story of a manatee leaving the chilly waters of Massachusetts to head home to the warmer Florida waters for the winter. Along the way he makes friends with a hermit crab and a seahorse. The three new friends have an adventure on their way south.

I loved this book. The illustrations were absolutely adorable and the story was one that my son was easily able to follow. Through out the book facts are interspersed. I'm glad that they were included as an aside. It didn't over complicate the story making it easier for readers with shorter attention spans. Yet the facts are there for those who want to learn more or those who are a good with sitting through the facts. I read a few of the smaller facts to my son but skipped reading the longer ones to him. Because of his learning disability I knew not to push it too much and found that reading only a few was perfect for him personally. I did go back and read them for myself and each one was fascinating and corresponded with what was currently happening in the book.

My son loved this book. He loves the color blue and was focused on the gorgeous saturation of colors especially blue. He loved Kobee and loved the journey he and his friends made. His favorite part was when Pablo was looking for a new shell.

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.

Book Review: Magic Words

I received this book from netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I was super excited when I saw this book. The cover alone drew me in. I love mythologies and traditional stories from other cultures so I just knew I had to read this one. Let me first say that the drawings are absolutely amazing! The colors are so rich and there is so much happening that I could spend so much time just looking at them.

The story is rather simple and is about a time when animals and people could talk to each other and could shift into one or the other. It is a very simple translation of an Inuit ancient oral tradition. I think that is perfect for younger readers or those who are delayed like my son.

My son LOVED the pictures in this and kept asking me to scroll back and forth on my ereader to show him the ones he really loved. That right there is a winner for me!

I give this book a solid 5 out of 5 stars!

Book Review: A Child's Good Morning Book by Margaret Wise Brown Illustrated by Karen Katz

A few years back my mother in law bought this book for my son. At that time he wasn't much into reading and would not sit still. Fortunately, over time he has mellowed out and has really taken to being read to. While this book is meant for children younger than my son who is six due to his learning disabilities this is still in the right reading range for him. For most other children this is good for 4 and under.

A very simple book with just the right amount of words. It is not overly complicated so it is easy for children to follow. But what really makes this book are the illustrations by Karen Katz. They are bright beautiful pictures. They have a patchwork quilt quality to them and the little toddlers that are depicted could not be more adorable.

My son really enjoys this book. When asked to pick a book last night for me to read to him this was the one that he picked. I will definately keep an eye out for more books illustrated by Karen Katz as I truly loved her artistic style.

I give this book a solid 4 out of 5 stars.

Book Tour Review: Empyreal Illusions by Jake Bonsignore

ook.Sorry  for the lateness of this post. Went to bed last night with a scratchy throat only to wake to full blown summer cold. So I'm feeling a bit like garbage. So I apologize if this review is more rambling and filled with grammar mistakes.

Synopsis

Fourteen-year-old Breena Taljain’s dreary existence in the slums of Purgaire comes to a sudden end when a chance encounter with a criminal mastermind known as the Patriarch goes horridly wrong. His assault on her for refusing to pay for her mother’s addiction leaves her comatose and teetering on the edge of life and death.

Galbrecht Atalir is a washed-up doctor struggling to overcome his inner demons through alcohol and aggression. He never quite recovered from the unsolved murder of his family seven years prior. When he discovers Breena as his newest patient, he knows at once that the Patriarch is the one who eluded him for almost a decade.

The medicine Galbrecht gives Breena draws her into a heavenly paradise. When it ebbs away, though, the recurring trauma plunges her into treacherous hinterlands. There, Breena must learn to find power in courage, hope, and love to overcome fiends of hatred bent on permanently ending her existence.

With justice burning in his heart, Galbrecht begins a race against time to seek out the Patriarch in the ning terrors of her mind….

 Review

I was so excited to join the Tour for Impyreal Illusions. The moment I saw the book cover I knew i had to read it. I know one is not supposed to judge a book by its cover. But come one just look at the gorgeous cover. I received an ecopy of the book for my honest opinion.


In Empyreal Illusions Jake Bonsignore paints a world with the broad strokes of a paintbrush. One is immediately caught up in the world of Purgaire. This is one of those books that grabs you from the first page and propels you forward. This is one of those rare books that I lost sleep over. As in I stayed up as late as I could till I could no longer keep my eyes open just because I couldn't put it down. 

Its been a while since I've read a fantasy b This book manage to not only satisfy my fantasy itch but it brought me out of rut of books I've picked up and discarded after only a chapter or two. I felt for Breena, so tough for such a young girl. Her parents left me disgusted and angry.

Over all not only was this book great it was EPIC. I highly recommend it to...well everyone! I give it a solid 5 out of 5 stars.

Author Bio:Jake Bonsignore is the author of Descendant of Strife, Empyreal Illusions, and Awakening the Fire. He is a graduate of the University of South Florida with magna cum laude honors. Outside of his literary pursuits, he enjoys playing sports and is a fitness enthusiast. He is currently working on his next novel.

Social Media Connection:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/author/jakebonsignore

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jakebonsignoreauthor

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/jakebonsignore

Blog: http://jakebonsignore.wordpress.com

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1438031

You can purchase the book through

Amazon (US) (Paperback or E-Book) - http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Empyreal+Illusions

Amazon (UK) (Paperback or E-Book) - http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Empyreal+Illusions

Barnes and Noble (E-book for Nook) - http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/empyreal-illusions-jake-bonsignore/1115427220?ean=2940016473031

Book Review: Him by Carey Heywood

Ok I'd be lying if I didn't say that the cover image was the reason why I decided to read this book. I mean come one about one sexy guy on the cover. I also love that he is sexy without being half naked. Lets face it in real life most of the sexy guys we encounter are fully clothed. Hubba Hubba.

Him is about that guy. You know THAT guy the one who even after all these years you can't forget him. For Sarah Miller "that guy" is Will her first love. She ran away 7 years ago and still cannot forget Will. He set the bar and all guys have fallen short. She finally travels back home for her brother's wedding only to find herself having to confront "HIM". Facing  painful memories and a love that blooms once more can the two survive?

OK let me say I LOOOOOOOVED this book. We have all had "THAT guy" that we think about now and again. I love that there was almost like two romance stories in one. There was the main love story of Sarah reconnecting with her long lost lover Will. Then there is the tender sweet flashback scenes of them back in high school falling in love. It was great because it spoke to the adult in me and the adult who loves to read YA. The best of both worlds.

My only real complaint about the book is that the flash backs should have ended sooner. There were some flash back scenes that were really unnecessary and didn't really contribute to the book at all. The next book in the series is supposed to be from Will's point of view. I know that is a trend in books now but I'm reluctant to read it. The same story told slightly differently doesn't do much for me. But for now I give Him a solid 5 out of 5 stars.

Book Review: Embers in a Dark Frost by Kelly Keaton

I've had Kelly Keaton's Gods and Monsters series on my TBR pile for a while now. But I decided to skip over that and go for her self published book. Embers in a Dark Frost is the first of a two part book series.

Flame haired Diera D'Anu has been shunned all her life. As a half blood (she is half human) she is feared and hated. The humans stole the light from her world, Innis Fail. Now darkness and frost take up more and more of that lands. When the Fire-Breathers leader, Balen sees Diera he believes she is the key to bringing the light back to Innis Fail

I was not prepared for how much I loved this book. If I had known that I was going to enjoy it so much I would have waited for its sequel because I soooooo want to find out what happens next. I loved the growing relationship between Diera and Balen. For me though the most interesting character was Nox, lord of the underworld. I want to learn more about him. I admit it I have a think for the bad boys and he is sexy bad boy to the  max!  I'm sure you've already guessed I'm giving Embers in a Dark Frost a 5 out of 5 stars! oh and I forgot to mention that gorgeous cover...and the cover whore in me highly approves of it.

Book Review Born by Tara Brown

Here  was another book that I randomly decided to pick up and read. I'm glad I did as I came across and enjoyable gem of a read.


Emma has been running for years now. Not just from the zombies but from the other survivors. For so long she followed the words of the father and ignored all others. Even when they screamed for help. After her father died her only companion is a wolf. But then one night a knock at her door breaks down the walls she has built up. Now instead of avoiding others she finds herself a champion helping everyone she can.

I loved this book. It was a great read with lots of action. A kickass heroine with a wolf for a companion. There is a love triangle between two brothers. There are zombies but they are not the scariest part of the book. No it is the baby farms where young woman are taken to and forced to breed. I can't wait to read the next book as this one ended on a big cliffhanger. I give Born 5 out of 5 stars.

Book Review: Greta and the Goblin King by Chloe Jacobs

  Ok so I admit from the moment I saw this book I wanted it. I needed it. I HAD to have it. At first I tried to win it from several sources before finally breaking down and buying the book. I mean come on a Goblin King? Hello favorite movie of all time...Labyrinth!

Greta and the Goblin King is all about a girl who tried to save her younger brother from a witch. In doing so she ended up landing in a cold dark world where humans are hunted and considered an enemy. She is taken in by one of this lands many fearful creatures and is trained to be a bounty hunter. She gains the notice of the super sexy goblin king, Isaac. Greta is  the key to reopening the portal to home. Soon a battle is waged as the creatures of Mylena come after her.

Ok so I LOVED this book. This is one of those cases that I loved the book so much I'm kicking myself for reading it before the next book comes out. I can't wait to read the next book! While I don't care for the name Greta I fell in love with the character. She is kick-ass! Oh and Isaac....oh boy alpha male sexiness! The author did a great job of world and character building. She leaves you wanting more and more. As you can tell I'm definitely planning on reading the next book the minute it comes out. Gah, why oh why do I have to wait? If you love young adult fantasy romance books go get this book right now! I give this book a solid 5 out of 5.

Blog Tour: Sewing A Friendship by Natalie Tinti

This post is a few days late due to a family emergency that had hubby and I running back and forth the hospital. Thankfully, it looks like everything is ok now and I'm finally able to get this up and posted.

I am so happy to be part of the Blog Tour for the childrens chapter book Sewing a Friendship by Natalie Tinti. At age thirteen Natalie Tinti is a multi-award winning author, illustrator, of 12 children’s books and an inspirational public speaker who promotes varied uplifting messages for her peers as well as their parents.  Despite this early success as an artist Natalie was recommended to repeat Kindergarten as her teacher thought she didn’t have adequate language function and memory recall.  However, this apparent set back would later serve as a valuable growth experience in her social awareness and desire to help her classmates. Natalie’s books gave her a platform for speaking at various venues where she promoted the empowerment of children to include: the value of social skills for overall happiness and as a tool in dealing with bullies, appreciating one’s unique talents and personality to bolster self-confidence, and challenging children of all ages to build friendships by having the courage to include others.

The book is about  four best friends, who are seven year old girls. They are super excited about the start of summer! Their adventure begins with getting out of school and talking about a pink sleepover. But things do not run smoothly when nine year old Kiki, the rival girl, gets in the way by uninviting the girls to a fashion show. 

What I love about this book is that it was written and illustrated when Natalie was barely 9 years old. When I was 9 I couldn't do anything as good as this. While the book is by no means perfect for a young writer this is wonderful. I loved all of her drawings and can see she will have a bright future especially if she keeps up with writing. Her skills will grow and improve over time. Parts of the book were a bit wonky for me and I found myself having to reread them. But again considering the age of the author it was surprisingly an enjoyable read. I think this book is perfect for 9 or 10 year old girls.  I think it will also encourage young authors to be to try and write some of their own works

As far as what I would rate this book I decided that I had to rate on curve. I factored in the age of the author when it came to any grammatical mistakes and continuity errors. I would give this book 4 out of 5stars. I hope it inspires young girls to write and I know we will only see bigger and better novels from this young lady. 

Book Review- Altered by Jennifer Rush

I decided to randomly pluck a book from my ever growing TBR pile of books. This one came up ans I randomly scrolled through my ereader. So I went with it.

Altered is the story of Anna who works with her father for the Branch. In a secret lab below their farmhouse they test monitor four genetically altered boys. The boys have no memory of their life before the lab. The boys eventually escape with Anna in tow. In an effort to find out who they are and regain their memories they do their best to allude the Branch's agents.The further they go the more they learn about how Anna is connected to the boys.

Ok so this started off as such a good book. Like the kind you can't put down. But then as I got closer and close to the end it became more and more predictable. I found myself getting angry with Anna and her obsession with on of the boys, Sam. Oh and that's the other thing is they keep calling them boys when really they are around 19 year old. They are men...young but still men. Not boys. Also at no point does Anna seem to question the wrongness of 4 people being held captive in her basement. Though without giving away spoilers I suppose there is an "out" to the reason why. The book started off as a great adventure book. The good news is that it did not end on a cliff hanger. So even though there is more books coming out your not left going crazy. So while I didn't all over enjoy the book I still enjoyed it enough that I will check out the next one when it is released. My overall rating would be 3 1/2 stars.

Book Review: The Girl in the Castle Inside the Museum by Kate Bernheimer

As a child I loved going to museum...heck I still do. I remember reading stories of children running away from home to live inside of museums and quite frankly I wanted to do that more than anything.

The Girl in the Castle inside the Museum is a simple children's book that is about a girl who lives inside a miniture castle that is on display inside a museum. During the day children press their faces up to the glass to try and catch a glimpse of the girl in the castle. But at night when the children have gone home the girl in the castle is lonely. She dreams people coming to visit her.

This book is very hard for me to rate. The story itself was pretty awful. It had the potential to be something special but in the end it was about 2 stars for me and my son. But what makes this book is the illustrations. Oh my god! I could spend all day looking at these fantastical illustrations. They tell the story better than the words themselves. So beautiful and so haunting I just want to immerse myself in the world Nicoletta Ceccoli has drawn. The drawings are 5star worthy. So I'll have to give a mixed star review. For the illustrations alone a solid 5 stars. For the actual written story a solid 2 stars.

Book Review: This Morning Sam Went to Mars by Nancy Carlson

 I received an ecopy of this book from Netgalley. This book is all about the day dreamers. You know those of us who are locked inside our heads most of the day. It certainly makes like more interesting. However, we often then lose focus and don't pay attention when we should.

8 year old Sam is a daydreamer. He is constantly told to "focus". Yet he keeps slipping back into his dream world. Sam visits a doctor who gives him strategies to stay focused. But most importantly she tells him that his daydreaming is a sign that he has a strong brain.

I love that this book does not belittle those of us who live in dream worlds. Sam is given simple strategies for keeping his focus. Some of them are eating better food and asking for help. Sam's favorite strategy is to make time for imagination. It is not easy at first but the more he does it the easier it becomes. I love the doctor lets Sam know that his daydreaming means that he has a powerful brain. The illustrations were fun in this one.

This was a little above my sons comprehension level but he loved the pictures and seeing Sam daydream of going to Mars. I think when he is a bit older this will be the perfect book for him. One of his learning problems has to do with focus so this will be great for him. I give this book 3 1/2 out of 5 stars.