Year: 2015

Blog Ahead October 2015 Edition

Posted on by Cindy

blog ahead 2015

 

If your a regular reader of my blog you might recall me taking part in previous Blog Aheads that Anna from herding cats & burning soup created and I had so much fun doing this and it actually worked and I managed to get a whole bunch of posts done up. I see this time around Anna has another host of the blog ahead and its Caffeinated Book Reviewer which is a new to me blog.

As you can see from my blog I haven’t been blogging like I usually do and that is due to the fact that things have happened in real life that were a little bit more important then my blog but when it came back to blogging I am having a hard time to get back into the swing of things.

I am looking at building up my stash of blog post especially ones for the holiday season when I know it will be a little tough to get blog post up. It was so much fun the last time getting posts up and ready and it was nice knowing that I had extra stuff I could use if needed and that is what I want to do this time around.

So the challenge will be running from October 1st to 31st, 2015

The Goal

Build your total number of scheduled posts by 31!
On October 1st take your number of scheduled posts and add 31.
Whatever that number is…that’s your goal for the month.
You’ll end the day on Oct 31st with that many scheduled posts. Woots!
Example- If you start October with 5 scheduled posts 
you end Oct with 36 scheduled posts.

Types of Posts that Count?

Any posts that you finish in October and will publish November 1st or later…count!

Meme, review, guest post, interview, discussion.
Cooking posts, pet posts, photo posts, etc.

Posts do NOT have to be book related.

Who Can Join

Any blogger or author can join.
Brand new, been around for years…
Blogger, WordPress or other platform…
Any heat level, genre or theme, etc.
If you blog…you’re welcome to join!

All you have to do is create a blog post to keep track of your goals and don’t forget to link back to the sign up post over at Anna from herding cats & burning soup  and its Caffeinated Book Reviewer . This can be done any time from now until Nov 1.

 

If this is something that interest you then I highly recommend that you go sign up and please let me know if you are taking part so that I can go and cheer you on. Be sure to check back later this month when I share my writing goals with you.

Review/ Stay

Posted on by Cindy
Review/ StayStay! a Top Dog Story by Alex Latimer
Format: eARC
Published by Peachtree Pub Limited on September 1st 2015
Pages: 32
Goodreads
Genres: Animals, Boys & Men, Dogs, Pets, Young Adult

Looking after Ben's dog, Buster, is no walk in the park. Buster is messy, he is naughty, he is EXHAUSTING! But Ben loves him more than anything. When Ben goes away, he tells Grampa exactly how to look after Buster. But has Ben remembered the most IMPORTANT thing?

I received this book for free from publisher/pr firm in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Its been a little while since I have reviewed a picture book and I have to admit that I miss doing them.

Stay by Alex Latimer is such a cute little book that I am sure all the kids will love to read. I know I enjoyed it.

The illustrations are really nice and colorful so when you are reading the book you can’t help but look around at everything on the page.

Ben has a dog named Buster and lets just say that Buster can be a handful all the time and loves to get into trouble. When Ben’s parents announce they are going on vacation but Buster will not because of his actions. Buster will be going to stay at Ben’s grand dads house.

Ben takes to writing notes for his grand dad and they include what Buster likes and doesn’t like, favorite scratching spots, and so much more and these notes continue to arrive even while Ben is on vacation because he loves Buster so much.

While Buster is with grand dad, grand dad takes it upon himself to start trying Buster into a better dog and when Ben comes home he loves the changes in Buster and he loves that grand dad even wrote Ben notes on how to keep things up.

Has Buster changed for the good? Or is there still a little of the old Buster inside?

If your looking for a fun picture book then I highly recommend this.

Review/ Olive & Beatrix: The Not So Itty Bitty Spiders

Posted on by Cindy
Review/ Olive & Beatrix: The Not So Itty Bitty SpidersOlive & Beatrix: The Not So Itty Bitty Spiders Series: Olive & Beatrix Book #1

Format: eARC
on August 26, 2015
Pages: 80

Meet twin sisters Olive and Beatrix! One is a witch. One is totally not-a-witch.

This series is part of Scholastic's early chapter book line called Branches, which is aimed at newly independent readers. With easy-to-read text, high-interest content, fast-paced plots, and illustrations on every page, these books will boost reading confidence and stamina. Branches books help readers grow!

Twin sisters Olive and Beatrix don't often get along. Olive is "ordinary" and loves science. But Beatrix is a witch! She has a brain full of tricks, and she uses her magic powers to play pranks on Olive and her best friend, Eddie. In this first book, Beatrix ruins Olive and Eddie's latest science project. So Olive and Eddie play a prank on Bea. They rig up a bucket of spiders over her bedroom door. But when the spiders crawl into one of Bea's magic potions...WHAM! Giant spiders are on the loose! These sisters will have to work together to shrink the not-so itty-bitty spiders down to size!

I received this book for free from publisher/pr firm in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I picked up this cute little book from #BEA15 this year.

This is the perfect book for the kids who are just a little too old for picture books but yet a little too young for chapter books. The book has some great illustrations that go along with the story really well.

I loved Olive & Beatrix. They were cute girls who loved to play off each other. Beatrix is the witch and loves playing all kinds of tricks on her sister and Olive is just your regular girl who is getting a little tired of being the one getting pranked on so with the help of her friend they set out to prank Beatrix. While Olive be able to pull it off?

This is the first book in the series and I have to say it was a fun and very quick read. We really enjoyed it and are looking forward to the other books in the series.

Review/ Where’s Walrus and Penguin?

Posted on by Cindy
Review/ Where’s Walrus and Penguin?Where's Walrus and Penguin? Format: eARC
on August 25, 2015
Pages: 32

When Walrus escapes the zoo with his new friend Penguin, their adventures are twice the fun!

In this sequel to the acclaimed WHERE'S WALRUS?, author Stephen Savage doubles the fun when Walrus escapes the zoo with his mischievous pal, Penguin. Will the zookeeper find them? Or will these clever runaways stay one step ahead disguised as subway riders, baseball players, and even grand opera performers? Hiding in plain sight, they elude the clueless zookeeper until a fly ball at a baseball game leads Walrus and Penguin to a chance encounter with surprising results!

This is another picture book I picked at #BEA15.

This is the sequel to Where’s Walrus? We haven’t read the first book but have a request in at the library to get one.

Walrus and Penguin have escaped from the zoo. They are spotted by the security guard of the zoo and he is attempting to catch them but walrus and penguin are blending in with their surroundings so its make it hard to catch them.

The wander all over the city and doing various things and its not until the end that they are caught.

This is a super cute book and I think the young kids would love this. It was so much fun to flip through the pages to see what walrus and penguin were doing and I have to say they they blended in.

Review: Dancing Through Life: Steps of Courage and Conviction

Posted on by Cindy
Review: Dancing Through Life: Steps of Courage and ConvictionDancing Through Life: Steps of Courage and Conviction Format: eARC
on August 1st, 2014
Pages: 224

Candace Cameron Bure has grown up before our eyes and we've watched as she's balanced life in Hollywood with her faith for many years. But that all reached new heights when she was given the opportunity to join the cast of Dancing With the Stars. Being on the show was one of her dreams come true; and with that dream came the opportunity to display her Christian faith in front of millions of people, through an intense season of stretching beyond her limits, and to run the race God gave her with joy and perseverance.

Join Candace as she reflects on the self-discovery that came through leaping out of her comfort zone. Go behind the scenes and experience the highs and lows, the roadblocks, and the personal victories. Hear straight from her heart on tough lessons learned about grace, rejection, perfectionism, disappointment, accountability, dealing with criticism, and more. Through God’s strength, and with the help of endless support from her family and friends, see how Candace stayed true to herself and publicly lived out her faith in Christ all the way to the finale.

How do you stand with conviction in your world? Where does your courage come from when faced with challenges? How do you live out your faith on a daily basis despite opposition? Your stage probably isn't in Hollywood and the challenges you are facing may not be on live television, but they are no less real. Come along with Candace as she shares how she found the courage to stand with conviction on one of the largest platforms of her life.

Dancing Through Life is Candace Cameron Bure’s third book. Her other two are Reshaping It All: Motivation for Physical and Spiritual Fitness and Balancing It All: My Story of Juggling Priorities and Purpose.

I didn’t realize that this book was going to be at BEA until I walked by the B & H Publishing Group booth. When I saw it on the table I need I had to pick it up to read.

Dancing Through Life is all about Candace’s time on Dancing With the Stars season 18. The book offers behind the scenes stories that you might not know and her struggle throughout the course of the show to remain true to her beliefs. I have to applaud her for doing this. She has never sold herself out for ratings and stuck to her beliefs.

The book begins when Candace gets the email about being on the show which was a long life dream of hers. As she is writing the book she admits that she didn’t think she would end up in third place. As of fan of hers I was happy to see that she got as far as she did.

I really enjoyed reading this book because to watch Dancing With The Stars is one thing but to read behind the scenes is a whole other thing. So much goes on that we aren’t aware of especially in Candace’s case because she struggled every day.

I think Dancing With The Stars opened Candace’s eyes and took her out of her comfort zone on a daily bases. Every day was a struggle for her but she got through each hurdle and grew along the way. Its not easy trying to  remain true to yourself and what you belief but she managed to do it with grace and dignity.

I managed to read this book in pretty much one sitting and I enjoyed reading it. I can’t wait to flip through the finished copy to see the photos that would be included in the book.

I think after reading this I have a whole new appreciation for Candace. I really think I need to pick up her previous two books to read.

 

Review/ Even Monsters Say Good Night

Posted on by Cindy
Review/ Even Monsters Say Good NightEven Monsters Say Good Night Format: eARC
on August 1, 2015
Pages: 32

It's bedtime, and Avery hates bedtime. She is positive that there are monsters under her bed, expecially on Halloween. Where else would all of those monsters sleep? After a thorough discussion with her mom about the monster situation, Avery finally goes to her room. Does she dare check under the bed? A mix of story text and speech bubbles blend seamlessly in this humorous bedtime tale that both parents and children will relate to.

I received this book for free from publisher/pr firm in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I picked up this cute picture book at #BEA15.

Even Monsters Say Good Night is a super cute picture book. Its about a little girl named Avery and its Halloween night and she hates bed time. She knows there is monsters out there especially on Halloween night.

Avery is your typical little girl questioning all things about bed time and monsters. Her mother reassures Avery that even monsters have a bed time and that they all sleep in various places such as the mummy sleeps in a coffin, werewolves sleep in their dens, and so many more.

The illustrations are appealing and colorful. This book will appeal to kids of all ages. Even Michael liked this super quick and fun read. We had fun flipping through the pages.