Review: Adventures With Ragweed

 

Adventures with Ragweed is a collection of humorous short stories filled with adventure and family themes.

Ragweed is a tribute to the whimsical part of each of us. Follow this young teen and her best friend, Marney as they travel to Mexico for a fishing trip, where the family is to shoot a pilot for a television show, instead, find themselves in an unexpected sea storm.
Laugh out loud as Ragweed takes on the tennis elite at the country club or attempts to rearrange their perfectly cut lawns.
Always one to learn new things, this young freckled face gal with the unruly blonde hair, builds a float, rides a horse and grows a garden - always getting into unintentional trouble and conning her friends to partake. Each task done with her own unique vies of the world.






My Review:  I thought this book was fun and silly. It reminded me of what it was like to be a young kid and how much I miss it. Light hearted and very whimsical. Great to read to younger children as bed time stories or encourage your children to read by letting them read these wonderful stories to you. You'll laugh out loud when Ragweed talks Marney into some of her fun and unique antics. 


    

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author:

 

 

  

 

Linda Lou Crosby is a video producer, storyteller and former professional athlete. Like Ragweed she has a unique approach to life. Ragweed is a part of herself she wanted to share with others. Linda Lou has a great sense of humor and likes to laugh and make others laugh too.

 

She currently lives with her husband in Montana and California where on clear days you can find her fishing, hunting or hiking.



Review : Reign or Shine (Demon Princess #1)



Reign or Shine (Demon Princess # 1)

Michelle Rowen

Walker Childrens

 

 

 

From Goodreads : Nikki Donovan has enough trouble fitting in at her new school without the weird guy who keeps following her around. And when he approaches her, claiming to be sent by her long-lost father, Nikki finds out the truth: the father she never knew is the demon king of the Shadowlands - the realm between our world and the Underworld - and now that he's dying, she is his sole heir to the throne. Maybe it's because she's in shock, or maybe it's because the messenger, Michael, is actually kind of cute, but Nikki follows him into the Shadowlands. There, she learns about her half-demon powers, about the potential war between the Shadowlands and the Underworld, and that her father wants her to assume the throne - forever. Not to mention that her growing crush on Michael is completely forbidden - he's a Shadow creature and destined to be her slave. What's a teenage demon princess to do?

 

 

 

My Review:  I had forgotten I had this book. If you saw what a mess my bookcase is you would understand. I found this because I was looking at all the book I have to read and reached in back ( yes my bookcase is triple stacked all shelves) and pulled this out. I thought I would give it a read. I am glad I did. I know what your thinking another demon book , but I really enjoyed it.

 

    Nikki was a likeable and believable character she was not your typical damsel in distress that needed every ones help she is a smart girl who is funny and thinks before she acts (Most of the time)

it was nice to see someone I could relate to and my daughter can relate too in a book. The plot was pretty easy to figure out but it was still good and the writing made the story flow well and keep me reading.

    Michael was an interesting character and his story developed nicely. The story I was interested in was the relationship between father and daughter. Now that was interesting to see unfold. I was touched by Nikki's reaction to her father and her instant love for him. I know after being abandoned before I was born I would have been mad, but as I tell my step -children he is the only one you get. I felt Nikki's pain and her need to help him and the internal conflict that rose in her, but that is what makes this such a compelling and endearing story.  Wow I had the feels after reading this and wished I could have called my father.

 

 

  

 

Review : Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy



Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy

Karen Foxlee

 Alfred A. Knopf

From Goodreads:Unlikely heroine Ophelia Jane Worthington-Whittard doesn't believe in anything that can't be proven by science. She and her sister Alice are still grieving for their dead mother when their father takes a job in a strange museum in a city where it always snows. On her very first day in the museum Ophelia discovers a boy locked away in a long forgotten room. He is a prisoner of Her Majesty the Snow Queen. And he has been waiting for Ophelia's help.

As Ophelia embarks on an incredible journey to rescue the boy everything that she believes will be tested. Along the way she learns more and more about the boy's own remarkable journey to reach her and save the world.

A story within a story, this a modern day fairytale is about the power of friendship, courage and love, and never ever giving up.

 

 

My Review:  I was given this book from netgalley for my honest opinion.

 

     I enjoyed this book immensely. Ophelia is a powerful heroine as she faces and fights her fears to save the world. (Thank You Ophelia) A young girl who only believes in what science can prove and questions everything, she is confronted with creepy creatures, ghost and an evil villain.

    I also enjoyed how the gender roles were reversed in the book. Usually it is the girl who need saving, but Ophelia is the rescuer in this story and The Marvelous Boy is the one who is to be rescued. It shows young girls a role model they can rally behind.  The setting of this book was also a wonderful way to incorporate history and magic to keep the fairytale aspects of the story and it's charm. Lastly, I am happy with the way this book dealt with the powerful themes of grief, death and change. These are major issues to deal with in a book geared towards middle graders but this book does it magnificently while staying amusing and a high-spirited story    



 





Review: Cinder

Cinder

Marissa Meyer

Feiwel & Friends

 

 

From Goodreads: Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl.

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

 

 

My Review:  As you know I wait till all the hype of a book is low to read the book. I usually wonder why but I know it is because I do not want to be disappointed in the book. I have not been disappointed yet.

 

     Cinder was a wonderful retelling of Cinderella. I was amazed at the way I was transported into New Beijing. I could feel the fear of people over the plague. I got so lost in this book. The world created by Marissa Meyer was dark and compelling. The writing was magnificent and the flow of the story keeps you enthralled till the end. Now I am starting Scarlet soon I am glad I bought it already, I will be buying the third book soon and like everyone else waiting for the fourth in this amazing series.   



Review: Warm Bodies

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Warm Bodies

Isaac Marion

 Atria/Emily Bestler Books

 

 

From Goodreads: R is having a no-life crisis--he is a zombie. He has no memories, no identity, and no pulse, but he is a little different from his fellow Dead. He may occasionally eat people, but he’d rather be riding abandoned airport escalators, listening to Sinatra in the cozy 747 he calls home, or collecting souvenirs from the ruins of civilization.

And then he meets a girl.

First as his captive, then his reluctant guest, Julie is a blast of living color in R’s gray landscape, and something inside him begins to bloom. He doesn't want to eat this girl--although she looks delicious--he wants to protect her. But their unlikely bond will cause ripples they can’t imagine, and their hopeless world won’t change without a fight.

 

 

 

 

My Review: First off let me say I am going to say a lot if things you never heard about zombies before. That being said I want to express my pleasure in reading this book. This book is such a heart warming tale that I did not want to put it down. Mr. Marion created a zombie that is an amazing character that you cheer for and want to survive. I will never look at a zombie story the same way again. I have read zombie books before and this unique take to see the story through the zombies eyes was refreshing and interesting. Zombies are usually mindless creatures who kill everything and everyone on sight but this was a breath of fresh air in a pair of dead lungs. I loved this book and will read the sequel when it becomes available. I hope it is soon .

 

                                                   

 

Cover Reveal : Misadventures Of Hobart Hucklebuck

 

   The Misadventures of Hobart Hucklebuck : Magic & Mayhem

By Stan Swanson

GENRE: Middle-Grade, Action-adventure fantasy

Publisher : Curiosity Quills Press

Date of Publication : August 7th, 2014

Cover Artist : Ricky Gunawan ( http://ricky-gunawan.daportfolio.com/)

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show.22570883-the-misadventures-of-hobart-Hucklebuck

 

Description:  

     

     Things are not as they should be in Pennywhistle. Enchanted toasters are not toasting, enchanted sprinklers are not sprinkling and Hobart Hucklebuck's origami messenger birds are suddenly attacking him.

 

     Someone seems to be draining the power from all of the enchanted items in the village. But who could it be and why have they implicated Hobart's grandfather?

 

     "The Misadventures of Hobart Hucklebuck" follows Hobart and his friends, Specks Spacklethack and Rosie Rumpleskirt, as they try to solve this mystery and free Hobart's grandfather from the Tower of Tribulation on Mumblemonk Mountain. 

 

      The trio's investigation into the mysterious happenings on Druid Lane gets them into hot water more than once and ultimately brings them dangerously close to disaster not only for themselves, but the entire village of Pennywhistle.

 

 

 

 

About the Author:

 

 

 

 

 

Stan Swanson is a Bram Stoker award finalist and author of eight books including Forever Zombie ( a collection of short stories), Write of the Living Dead (a highly-praised writing guide written with Araminta Star Matthews and Rachel Lee) and Return of the Scream Queen ( co-authored with Michael McCarty and Linnea Quigley). He is also editor /publisher for Dark Moon Books and Dark Moon Digest. Upcoming titles include Horror High School: Return of the Loving Dead ( the first book in a young adult horror series co-written with Araminta Star Matthews), Dead Sparrows (a collection of apocalyptic poetry) and The Methlands (a horror novel co-written with award-winning author Joe McKinney).

 

Find Stan Swanson Online

Website / Facebook/ Twitter/ Amazon

 

 

 

                            

 

 

 

 

 





The Rising (The Painted Maidens Book 1)

Terra Harmony

 Patchwork Press

 

From Goodreads : Fifteen-year-old Serena is the youngest member of a dying race. The increasing acidity of the ocean is destroying her home, slowly eating away at the once thriving underwater landscape. But since the night of Serena’s birth, it is an outside force that most threatens their dwindling population. Werewolves, who once served as protectors for mermaids in the Kingdom of the Undine, now seek to eliminate all who dwell in the ocean — and Serena is about to find herself right in the middle of the deadly conflict.

Given the title of Werewolf Liaison, Serena is determined to make things right for her people. When she ventures to The Dry, she meets Liam, the werewolf with hazel eyes, and her whole world gets turned upside down. As Serena discovers the real history between werewolves and mermaids, she is left wondering who her true enemies are.

 

 

My Review:        I was given this book by netgalley for an honest review.

 

 

      I must admit this book was read because of the cover. I am glad I did. I have never read any mermaid book before except for" The Little Mermaid " , so I did not know what to expect from this.

I was completely surprised and pulled into a story that is both magical and beautiful. I loved this book. The world created by Terra Harmony was amazing and so detailed I felt like I wanted to be there. The details just keep you enthralled in this story to no end. The characters are well developed and each one memorable and unique. Serena is an independent girl who is strong willed and is not afraid of the life she wants. I love the way she goes after them but you never forget that she is a young girl and something when reading you forget that because the characters seem so mature for their age. It is a fine line but Terra Harmony does it so well.

 

        The other thing I really enjoyed is the details of the society. You really get a grasp of how mermaids live and the rules and regulations to their lives. I like feeling like a member of community in books and this one does that. I was invested in this society and wanted too see it thrive.

 

         The last thing I liked was the story itself the twist and turns. The action and adventure were wonderful. I did not see what was going to happen next and loved that. What we have learned about mermaid or what I thought I knew about mermaids was destroyed and it keep me reading and wanting more . I am so ready for book two in this series. I am also buying this book for my daughter to read because I think she will love it as much as I did.

 

 

 



Review: Give Up The Ghost



Give Up the Ghost

Megan Crewe

 Henry Holt and Co.

 

 

From Goodreads :

Cass McKenna much prefers ghosts over “breathers.” Ghosts are uncomplicated and dependable, and they know the dirt on everybody…and Cass loves dirt. She’s on a mission to expose the dirty secrets of the poseurs in her school.
But when the vice president of the student council discovers her secret, Cass’s whole scheme hangs in the balance. Tim wants her to help him contact his recently deceased mother, and Cass reluctantly agrees.
As Cass becomes increasingly entwined in Tim’s life, she’s surprised to realize he’s not so bad—and he needs help more desperately than anyone else suspects. Maybe it’s time to give the living another chance….



My Review:  I enjoyed this story. Cass has the popular kids shaking in their boots and it is something we all wanted to do when we were in school. Show them they are no better than anyone else. I also like how Cass grows as a person and learns to deal with her unusual power and her relationship with living people.  The challenges she faced when she started dealing with the living and trying to deal with the relationship she has with the ghost is unique and interesting.

Review:Something Strange and Deadly

 

 

 

Something Strange and Deadly

Susan Dennard

 Harper Teen

 

 

 

From Goodreads: There's something strange and deadly loose in Philadelphia...

Eleanor Fitt has a lot to worry about. Her brother has gone missing, her family as fallen on hard times, and her mother is determined to marry her off to any rich young man who walkers by. But this is nothing compared to what she's just read in the newspaper—

The Dead are rising in Philadelphia.

And then, in a frightening attack, a zombie delivers a letter to Eleanor... from her brother.

Whoever is controlling the Dead army has taken her brother as well. If Eleanor is going to find him, she'll have to venture into the lab of the notorious Spirit-Hunters, who protect the city from supernatural forces. But as Eleanor spends more time with the Spirit-Hunters, including the maddeningly stubborn yet handsome Daniel, the situation becomes dire. An now, not only is her reputation on the line, but her very life may hang in the balance.

 

 

 

 My Review: This book was amazing. I have read a few zombie stories but this one had everything I look for in  book. Just the right amount of romance , mystery and action that compels you to read faster. I also like the steampunk element of the story. I could not get enough of the story with just the right amount of twists and turns you never know what is going to happen next. The descriptive writing pulled me into the story and I did not want to leave. Usually when I read a book I connect with one character, but this book I connected and became interested in all the characters. With unique back stories and personalities you become invested in all their lives. I am continuing this story and I will be sad when it ends..