Website Review and promotional codes: Literary book gifts ( https://literarybookgifts.com/ )
5 stars.
SYNOPSIS: So this is the first time I have ever reviewed a website, but this one is really great for my bookies to look at and purchase from. All of us have a favourite classic author, right? For example, I love Alice in Wonderland and Emily Dickenson. Also, everyone I know loves products with pictures or sayings from their favourite books.
This website https://literarybookgifts.com, has all of that!! Here are some examples:
What I didn't like: Well, as I said I liked everything about this website. I suppose it could be a little less of a plain background, but the fact that it is plain white makes the products pop and stand out, so there is a good reason for it.
Final thoughts: If you can't tell I really love this website and I hope you will join me in looking at it and possibly purchasing something, to support keeping these products alive! As fellow bookies, we all know that sometimes there isn't that much out there like this, so let's get out there and support what there is!!
If you decide to purchase something please enjoy this 20% off discount by using the promo code: BBEYONDTHERAINBOW20
Book Review: The Rolling Quarte
4 stars
SYNOPSIS: Since this is a children's book, it is going to be a pretty short synopsis. This book is about the "life of a quarter' it takes you from the mint process and all the way into a life of circulation. The book itself is written in rhyme and illustrated. The propose of the book is to help children learn about money and gain a basic understanding of how it comes into being.
WHAT I LIKED: Well I will start out by saying that I liked this book, I thought it was well written and pretty good. The rhymes were cute and they made sense (for the most part). The illustrations were obviously worked on really hard and were very pretty to look at. I actually read this book to my kids, because my middle son Cole is going 2nd grade where they really start working on money and stuff. The book held his attention and he seemed excited to keep reading it!
WHAT I DIDN't LIKE: I said the rhymes made sense for the most part, and that is the main thing that I found a little weird and off. When I read a rhyming book I like it to flow really REALLY well and this book didn't quite have as much flow as I would have liked. But that could have just been because I only read it a few times, I am sure as I read it more some of these initial feelings may not be the same.
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FINAL THOUGHTS: IN the end I thought the book was cute and I would definitely recommend buying and reading it!!
HAVE A GREAT DAY EVERYONE!!!
PEACE
Show Review: ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK
SEASON 6
4 Stars
SYNOPSIS; Usually I give a synopsis of the books that I read but in this case, I am not going to do that because I know that there are a lot of people who like to watch the show and I don't want to spoil it too much for them if they want to watch it.
WHAT I LIKED: This is the beginning of the new season so as you can imagine they do a lot of recap of the previous season. I really liked the fact that they are showing that the inmates are having a hard time dealing with the realities of the riots from last season. That might seem like a no-brainer but I think a lot of shows tend to gloss over what has happened in the past. I also liked how so far this season, at least so far, isn't quite as focused on Piper. While I liked her character, in the beginning, I feel like she has become a little whiney. I think there is a lot of good points coming up so I am looking forward to that!!WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: Well like I said I have come to the point that i am not super fond of the piper character. and in this episode I found her to be obsessive and overly needy. Now given her girlfriend is missing and no one seems to have any idea where she is, so I guess it is understandable, but still, I feel like we are beating a dead horse a little bit with this one.
Several new characters were introduced including an inmate named "Badison" who seems like one of those characters you are going to love to hate. Also, a couple of new COs were introduced and I can already tell that they are going to be a huge problem this season. I have loved this show from the beginning but the biggest problem that I have with it is how the COs are depicted. With a husband who is one I sometimes worry that how this show portrays his career is going to affect how he and his friends are viewed in society. When in fact most of the time we watch the show he tells me what is wrong with how they are depicting things in a prison environment.
Anyway so this is the first show review I have done and I really enjoyed it! I know that the whole season is up on Netflix but we are going to watch it weekly so that we don't binge watch it!
Thanks for reading! I will be posting another OITNB review next week!!! Thanks for reading
Book Review: LAUREL GRAVER
ALMOST THERE
4 1/2 stars
SYNOPSIS: This is a really well written Christan YA Novel by Laurel Graver. The story itself circles around the main character Dani, a 17 year old girl who is living a normal teenage life, dreaming about going to Paris and trying to maintain a pure relationship with her boyfriend.
Drama ensues when her grandfather becomes ill and Dani has to navigate going to stay at his house in Pennsylvania. During her time there she learns a great deal about love, truth and what it really means to be alive.
( I realize that I am giving you a pretty short synopsis of the book that is because I honestly think you should read it for yourself!)
WHAT I LIKED: As I said this book is really well written with a good message attached to it, The characters are really fun and supremely real, particularly Dani's boyfriend Theo, who is very sweet and loving, even through some of Dani's not so loving times. I knew before hand that this novel would be pretty clean, and even read some of it aloud with my 3 children around, though I am sure that they didn't understand exactly what was going on, they laughed at some of the funnier parts, and my 8 year old said he could visualize some of the descriptions. I honestly love the journey that is taken by the main character! She starts out as an angsty, drama driven teenager and ends up in a much better place.
WHAT I DIDN"T LIKE: I have to say that honestly there wasn't a whole lot in this book that I didn't REALLY enjoy. I will say that at the beginning Dan is a little dramatic I actually found myself rolling my eyes a few times at her. BUT this is normal teenage angst, so really that isn't a negative point. ( she really reminded me of myself as a 17/18 year old) This also is not a bad thing really, but the author gets a little wordy, and very descriptive, and I felt like the book itself might be better suited as for adults rather then teens. But again that isn't really a bad thing.
FINAL THOUGHTS: If you like a book with a lot of description and well developed characters I would definitely say you should read this book. It is a fun and very interesting read. There are some heavy parts but this is balanced out well. There is nothing in this that you need to beware of with language or sex and the message is great and easy to follow!!! Give this one the time it deserves!!!
AUTHOR INTERVIEW
Laurel Garver, author of ALMOST THERE
1. When did you know you wanted to be a writer?
I loved to live in my own imaginary world as a kid, but didn't really get turned on to reading and writing until middle school. A teacher who knew I was horse-crazy got me hooked on Marguerite Henry, Walter Farley, and Patsy Grey. Soon I was inventing my own stories when not voraciously reading.
2. Do you have a favorite place to write?
My office is on the third floor of our urban townhouse, a room crammed with bookcases and my desk and several inspiration bulletin boards. I love having lots of reference works within reach, and being out of the fray of family activities.
3. If you couldn't be an author what other profession would you chose?
If I weren't working with words, I'd enjoy doing something else information-oriented, perhaps working as an archivist or a researcher for a media company.
4. If you could choose any character from fiction to be for a day who would it be and why?
So many fun possibilities, but I think I'll go with Ginny Weasley from the Harry Potter series. I've always wanted red hair, and I'd love to be able to do magic and fearlessly play quidditch.
5. Who is your favorite character you have ever written? From this book or another you have written.
I have a pretty big soft spot for Theo, Dani's boyfriend. He's a smart, sweet, funny guy who rows crew and hopes to one day become a psychiatrist. Weathering his parents' messy divorce has made him empathetic and insightful on the one hand, and a bit self-protective on the other.
6. How do you develop your characters and/or plots?
I'm a voice-driven writer, so I start with one character who speaks to me, which sounds a little crazy, but it's not uncommon among writers. From that one character's ideas of who they are and what they worry about, I follow my curiosity, asking "what if?" questions. From there, I research, discovering numerous solid answers to those "what if?" questions. Plot ideas and thematic threads usually begin to suggest themselves between the research and thinking through how the character might strive to get what they want or escape what they fear.
7. What was the hardest part of writing "Almost There" and why?
I hit a major snag while drafting because I originally conceived the Laughlin character in a way that made the story grind to a halt. I didn't get unstuck for many, many months until I completely rethought his character and role.
8. What is your favorite chapter in "Almost There"?
Chapter sixteen, where complications in Dani's romantic life begin to really snowball. In the midst of some heavier family drama, it was fun to write some scenes where the tension revolved around attraction instead of conflicting wills.
9. What is your favorite part about Dani (Your main character)?
Her sense of humor, for sure. She gets to say and think the zingy comebacks that I'd come up with days after something happens.
10. Is there a message in "Almost There" that you hope your readers will grasp?
The hardest things we go through can be opportunities in disguise, if we can trust God to do something good through it, rather than try to simply escape it.
11. Did you learn anything from writing this book? What was it?
Writing for me is a process of discovery, and I love researching whatever captures my curiosity. I learned heaps about personality disorders and the psychological damage they can wreak in families. I also learned lots about numerous medical conditions and elder care and more than I'd ever dreamed about emergency services. I am so thankful to have friends willing to let me pick their brains about their areas of expertise.
12. Do you have any future projects that you are working on that you would like us to know about?
I'm currently working on a holiday novella that takes place the Christmas before Almost There, told in alternating points of view by both Dani and Theo.
13. Do you have a blog or another place that you would like your readers to follow you?
Readers can follow me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/
PEACE
Book Review: BY :ADAM RUBIN ILLUSTRATED BY : DANIEL SALMEARI
DRAGONS LOVE TACOS
4 STARS
SYNOPSIS: This was such a sweet little story, I read it with all three of my kids and the laughed and laughed!
To me this story was presented kind of like a mix between a food network show and a "if You Give a Mouse a Cookie' type tale. It talked about what the dragons like, and what they don't like or it seems do like but can't tolerate (IE spicy salsa).
In the story the dragons accidentally get into the spicy salsa and wind up burning up the story tellers house. but then they come back to rebuild. (But it's really for more tacos)
WHAT I LIKED: This story was so cute and the illustrations were awesome! I really loved the way this book was written and I think it really could appeal to kids of any age. I thought that my 8 year old son would be a little board with it, but it turned out to be right up his alley (especially since the dragons don't like spicy salsa and neither does he )
WHAT I DIDN"T like: Honestly the story is a little thin, there isn't much of a plot. One could argue that this is because it is a child's picture book, but I have seen some picture books with some pretty strong story lines. If you are looking for a really well developed story, you might want to look elsewhere.
FINAL THOUGHTS: This is an AWESOME book! If you have kids read it to them!!!
Book Review: ADAPTED BY: BERTIE From the Welch Book of Fairy Tales
THE FAIRY EYE OINTMENT
4 starts
It involves an older couple who hire a young maid to come and help around their farm. The maid Eillen- (pronounced Elli-an) becomes involved with a group of Fairies who live in the area, they help her do her work and seem to be treating her very nicely. But then one day she disappears and the older couple don't know where she has gone. A year or so later a man arrives and asks the old woman to come and watch over his child because his wife has taken ill. The old woman has no idea who he is but goes with him anyway.
Long story short, the mother ends up being Eilleen, who has been forced to marry the Fairy king in exchange for the work that the fairies did for her. Ellen begs the old woman to not tell anyone that she can see fairies because they might hurt her and they are very tricky.
The woman is allowed to go home to live out her life and the ending in this story is that one day she sees the fairy king and approaches him. When he finds out the old woman can see him he cuts out her eye. Apparently there is another ending where Eileen comes back and restores the old woman's sight with fairy magic, however that was not mentioned here.
WHAT I LIKED: I love any fairy story and this one was no exception! I thought that it was well written and the person who narrated it ( I listened to an auto version) had a very nice voice that went well with the story. The story was very traditional so if you are looking for something that you personally can read (I wouldn't read this one to your kids, just because of the ending) with obvious tradition behind it, here is something to check out!
WHAT I DID NOT LIKE: I really don't like stories where the fairies are evil and also I would have liked there to be a few more descriptions in the book, I didn't really feel like I got to get to know the characters that well, however that is common with the older more traditional stories
FINAL THOUGHTS: I honestly really liked this story, it is short and sweet and is full of traditional values. Something I would definitely recommend, like I said though I wouldn't read this one to your kids.
Book review: JAMIE CAMPBELL
CINDERELLA IS EVIL ( THE FAIRY TALE RETOLD SERIES BOOK 1)
SYNOPSIS: This is the traditional Cinderella story retold by one of the step sisters. It basically goes through the whole story, Cinderella's mother and father are married, he dies leaving his wife (Cinderella's step mother) to raise the three girls. In this version of the story, Cinderella has been pretty spoiled by her father and after her death throws herself into the house chores so as not to have to deal with the grief over the loss of father. Early in the book the step sister narrating the book (Anna) says that because of Cinderella's similarities to her father her step mother doesn't really want her around, and basically lets her do what ever she wants.
(SPOILER ALERT BEYOND THIS POINT)
Cinderella still married prince charming, though the step sister seems to think he is kind of a dork....and the step sister ends up running away with the stable boy....)
WHAT LIKED: This was the first book I have read for the Once Upon a Time Challenge, and it was nice because this was a pretty quick read (I read the whole thing in about 20 minutes) I think it's about 50 pages and I also liked the fact that it is a retelling of such a classic story.
WHAT I DIDN"T LIKE: The flip side of what I said I liked is definitely true of this book. Even though it was a quick read it felt pretty rushed, and because it's a retelling it's pretty predictable. Also something about the language the author uses makes it feel kind of unprofessional. I don't know really how to explain it, but it contributed to the idea of the book feeling rushed.
Overall this was a pretty good book, there were things I didn't like but they won't effect whether I read any more books by this author, in fact I have already bought the second book in the series. This book was free on Amazon Kindle and was definitely worth the 20 minutes I spent on it!!
BOOK Review: ANGIE SMITH
I Will Carry YOU
5 STARS
THINGS I DID NOT LIKE: I am going to start with this today. Honestly because this is going to be a pretty short.....There really wasn't anything about this book that I didn't like. The authors writing style was wonderful and the story itself pulled at my heart. I guess the only thing that I can say about this book that was negative is that I really wish this family would not have had to go through this....
THINGS I LIKED: WOW! There is so much here that is helpful to read. If you have lost a loved one whether it is a child or not this would be helpful. I would certainly recommend reading this if you have had a friend who has gone through this situation. I will say that is part of the reason I wanted to read this.
Several years ago my best friend went through a very similar situation to what Angie and Todd Smith went through. Her son was given a prenatal diagnosis and lived for only 12 hours after birth. While I did the best I could for her at the time, and while I myself had experienced loss, I did not know how to help my friend. I really wish this book had been out at this time because I feel like I would have been better able to cope with the reality of not knowing what to say and realizing that sometimes saying nothing is the best thing to do.
The long and the short. Read the book, it is amazingly well written, and in the time since I got the book (about 2 weeks ago) I have read it twice. It is sad so be prepared to cry but also know that you will learn important lessons and gain insight.
YOUTUBE LINK COMING SOON!!!!
BOOK REVIEW: MACKENZIE PHILLIPS
HIGH ON ARRIVAL
This was my first ever book review that I completed on youtube. This was a book that I have had for a long time and I felt a strong need to review it, and tell people about this amazing book!!
Before you watch the review be aware there is some discussion of topics in the book that are not suitable for children.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoipviY4wt0
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