Category: Books Read-2010

(Review) Top 8

Posted on by Cindy


PUBLISHER: Scholastic (Point)
PUB DATE: October 2008
PAGES: 308
SOURCE: Borrowed book from the library.

ABOUT THE BOOK
Madison MacDonald is seriously freaking out

Madison MacDonald

16

Putnam, CT

Status: Single?

About Me:
Everything in my life was working out. I had my three best friends, a brand-new boyfriend, and the lead in the school play. Aside from that history paper I hadn’t started, things felt perfect.

Then I returned from spring break to find my Friendverse profile hacked. Someone clearly out to ruin me had spilled the most damaging secrets – AND posted the worst photos of me ever taken – online.

MY THOUGHTS
This is Katie Finns debut book. I actually ended up borrowing this because I have to say I was curious about the book when I started seeing her second book Whats Your Status? on several blogs this summer.

Top 8 begins with Madison MacDonald’s friendverse page. I am probably going to make myself sound old here by saying I had no idea what friendverse was so yes I googled it and discovered that its sort of like myspace/facebook. If anyone is on friendverse please correct me if this is wrong.

Anways Madison is away on vacation and while she is gone her friendverse account has been hacked without her knowledge and doesn’t discover this until she gets home. She has no idea who did this but is determined to find out.

Madison is not the most popular girl at school and her top 8 is basically all her best friends and she is the kind of girl who is friends with everyone. (You know the kind.)

Just before Madison went on her family vacation she had it all: the cute boyfriend, the lead in the school play and friends. She was happy as any girl would be. Now that she is back and knows her account has been hacked she discovers that whoever did this broke up with the boyfriend, said mean and nasty things about her friends and possibly cost her the lead in the play.

With a list of possible suspects she quickly realizes that people she suspected turn out innocent and the one person she didn’t suspect was the person who set out to ruin her life. Will she find out who it is? What will she think when she uncovers the truth?

Will she be able to get the boyfriend back as well? Curious to know then I suggest you pick up the book.

copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.

(Review) Sh*t My Dad Says

Posted on by Cindy


TITLE: Sh*t My Dad Says
AUTHOR: Justin Halpern
PUB DATE: April 26/10
PUBLISHER: Harper Collins
PAGES: 158
SOURCE: This was a borrowed book from the library.

ABOUT THE BOOK

After being dumped by his longtime girlfriend, twenty-eight-year-old Justin Halpern found himself living at home with his seventy-three-year-old dad. Sam Halpern, who is “like Socrates, but angrier, and with worse hair,” has never minced words, and when Justin moved back home, he began to record all the ridiculous things his dad said to him:

“That woman was sexy. . . . Out of your league? Son, let women figure out why they won’t screw you. Don’t do it for them.”

“Do people your age know how to comb their hair? It looks like two squirrels crawled on their heads and started f——.”

“The worst thing you can be is a liar. . . . Okay, fine, yes, the worst thing you can be is a Nazi, but then number two is liar. Nazi one, liar two.”

More than a million people now follow Mr. Halpern’s philosophical musings on Twitter, and in this book, his son weaves a brilliantly funny, touching coming-of-age memoir around the best of his quotes. An all-American story that unfolds on the Little League field, in Denny’s, during excruciating family road trips, and, most frequently, in the Halperns’ kitchen over bowls of Grape-Nuts, Sh*t My Dad Says is a chaotic, hilarious, true portrait of a father-son relationship from a major new comic voice.

If you would like to read the first chapter you can do so by clicking on this link

MY THOUGHTS:
When I first heard this story one day on the news I quickly had to check out www.twitter.com/ShitMyDadSays . I think I ended up sitting at my computer laughing at some of the things Justin’s dad had said.

I am anxious to see how this will play on in the fall when Sh*t My Dad Says comes on tv. Is anyone else going to watch this?

Anyways back to my review of the book. I have to say that some of the things Justin’s dad said was pretty funny and I sat laughing out loud. This was a pretty quick and easy read.

Each chapter offers a title and a mini story about said title. At the end of each chapter is a bunch of quotes from his dad. To pick a favorite title is hard as I enjoyed them all but I will give you a few of my favorite sayings.

On Tailgating the Driver in Front of Me
“You sure do like to tailgate people…Right, because its real important you show up to the nothing you have to do on time.”

On Videotaping Christmas Mornimg
“Okay, smile when you open your presents…No smile and look at the camera, dum-dum.”

On Child Safety
“Don’t touch that knife, you never need to be holding a knife…I don’t give a sh*t, learn how to butter stuff with a spoon.”

On Summer Vacation
“Watching tv all day is not an option. If this were Let’s Make a Deal that would not be behind one of those doors to choose from.”

As you can see I was being very selective in what I was putting here because of the language. If this kind of lanuage offends you then this is not the book for you as its used alot in the book. If your like me and it doesn’t bother you then pick up this book. I am sure you will be laughing out loud.

This was a funny quick read book that I enjoyed reading.

copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.

(Review) Holly’s Inbox: Scandal in the City

Posted on by Cindy


TITLE: Holly’s Inbox: Scandal in the City
AUTHOR: Holly Denham
PUB DATE: August 2010
PUBLISHER: Sourcebooks
PAGES: 544
SOURCE: Received a finished copy from the publisher.

ABOUT THE BOOK:
Dear Holly, isn’t it shocking…?

Things are finally going Holly Denham’s way: she’s in love, she’s getting the recognition she deserves at work, and her friends and family have graciously opted to avoid disaster for the moment.

Just when Holly is starting to settle into her new life, scandal erupts and Holly finds herself—and her in box—at the center of a gossip whirlwind that threatens everything she’s worked so hard for.

Written entirely in emails, this follow-up to the UK smash hit Holly’s Inbox will keep you glued to its pages as the scandal running rampant in the city threatens to ruin Holly’s hard-earned and long-awaited happiness.

MY THOUGHTS
I want to send out a thank you to April from Sourcebooks for sending me this book. I have anxiously been awaiting for this one to come out after reading the first Holly’s Inbox book last year. This wasn’t as huge as last years book (over 600 pages) and like last year it was a very quick read. I enjoyed reading it and actually managed to read this in a few hours.

Scandal in the City is just like the first book, its done in email format. The books characters have remained the same as the last book with Holly, Trisha, Jason, her mother, grandmother and many more. You don’t need to read the first one to read this one.

Holly is still working as a receptionist at DKHeurst and she is still with Toby. Just like the previous book Holly manages to get into some high jinx that you wonder how she will be able to get herself into that situation and how will she ever be able to get out of it?

In the first book Holly managed to get into alot of trouble and things weren’t the best but is seems in this book things are coming together but is the calm before the storm? Things seem to be running smoothly for her in the work place and in her personal life. Things are going great with Toby and at her she is being offered a promotion. She has to keep things quiet at work for now about the promotion and that means keeping that secret from her coworker and good friend Trisha so you can only imagine where this will go and how it will end?

As I am reading I have to say I laughed, wanted to reach into the book and shake Holly by the shoulders and gringe at the things she said and did. I guess you really can’t blame Holly because sometimes it did look like things were the way they seemed. I am sure we might react the same way or maybe not.

If you are looking for a light, fun and easy/quick read then this is for you. I am curious if there will be a book three. What do you think? If there is I can not wait to read it.

copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.

(Review) Seduced by the Wolf

Posted on by Cindy


TITLE: Seduced by the Wolf
AUTHOR: Terry Spear
PUB DATE: August 2010
PUBLISHER: Sourcebooks Casablanca
PAGES: 416
SOURCE: ARC was mailed to me from the publisher
COVER: ARC and Final copy are the same.

ABOUT THE BOOK
His first priority is to protect his pack…
Werewolf pack leader Leidolf Wildhaven has just taken over a demoralized pack. With rogue wolves on the loose causing havoc and the authorities from the zoo suddenly zeroing in on the local wolf population, the last thing he needs in his territory is a do-gooder female, no matter how beautiful and enticing she is…

She’ll do anything to help wolves…
Biologist Cassie Roux has dedicated her life to protecting wolves in the wild. On a desperate mission to help a she-wolf with newborn pups, the last thing Cassie needs right now is a nosy and entirely too attractive werewolf pack leader trying to track her down…

With rogue wolves and hunters threatening at every turn, Cassie and Leidolf may find their attraction the most dangerous force of all…

MY THOUGHTS
I have to send out a very huge THANK YOU to Danielle at Sourcebooks for sending me this ARC of Seduced by the Wolf.

You will noticed that I don’t review alot of romance books here on my blog and honestly that is because I am not a romance reader. I think I can probably count on both hands the number of romance books I have read in the past 14 years and its not alot. I’m not sure why I am not a fan when so many are but it ranks right up there with historical fiction another genre I just don’t read.

When it comes to romance books I have to say hands down if I am offered a Terry Spears book I jump at the chance. I absolutely love this series.

Seduced by the Wolf is book five in the series with three more books to come. just a little note that you don’t have to read the previous books in the series to understand what is going on. I am going to buy the first two very soon.

Like the previous books I read I once again was drawn into the story right away and had a hard time to put this down and I pretty much devoured this book in one sitting. I love the cover for this.

As I was reading this several character names popped out at me that were in previous books and it was nice to see them again and to play more of a part in this book. You often wonder what happens to characters when a series continues so this was really nice.

Seduced by the Wolf is a perfect title of this book because that is basically what happens in Oregon. Cassie comes to town to give a lecture about wolves. She is a wolf biologist and there is more to Cassie then meets the eye.

Leidolf is the alpha male of the local pack and he is trying to bring some order to the pack which seems to be falling apart. He is dealing with an issue of a cougar that seems to be killing some of his livestock.

Cassie and Leidolf are forced together when someone slashes her tires before the lecture and being the gentleman that he is he looks after her by getting his men to fix the tires (apparently Leidolf owns quite a bit of the towns population)and telling them to keep an eye on her car to see is behind it.

He convinces Cassie to go out with him for a quick dinner which she agrees to until she steps into the restaurant its filled with wolves. She is worried that her secret will come out but really how long can she keep it and why hasn’t anyone figured it out?

You can see the instant connection happening between Cassie and Leidolf. The only thing is Cassie has no interest in looking for a mate while Leidolf is. Will he be able to change her mind?

If I write anymore I will really giveaway the book but if you are looking for a great book this is it.

BOOKS I HAVE READ IN THIS SERIES:
To Tempt The Wolf Book 3
Legend of White Wolf book 4

UP COMING BOOKS:
Wolf Fever book 6 December 7th/10 (Just in time for my birthday!)
Heart of the Higland Wolf book 7- June 2011
Dreaming of the Wolf book 8 – 2011 (no date yet)

copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.

(Review & Tour) Catwalk First Wild Card Tour

Posted on by Cindy

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old…or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

Today’s Wild Card author is:

and the book:

Catwalk (On the Runway Book 2)

Zondervan (May 7, 2010)

***Special thanks to Krista Ocier of Zondervan for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:


Melody Carlson has written more than 200 books for teens, women, and children. Before publishing, Melody traveled around the world, volunteered in teen ministry, taught preschool, raised two sons, and worked briefly in interior design and later in international adoption. “I think real-life experiences inspire the best fiction,” she says. Her wide variety of books seem to prove this theory.

Visit the author’s website.

Product Details:

List Price: $9.99
Reading level: Young Adult
Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: Zondervan (May 7, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0310717876
ISBN-13: 978-0310717874

AND NOW…THE FIRST CHAPTER:

MY THOUGHTS
One of the best things about blogging is the chance to experience new authors and I can remember the first time I read Melody Carlson and it was through blogging that I got to discover her.

I have been very lucky in gettng several of her YA books and to be included on so many great tours of her books. I have to say I have enjoyed them all and this new series is no exception. I am only into book two but so far so good. Fingers are crossed.

Once again book two opens up where book one left off.

One of the benefits of the girls (Paige and Erin) reality tv show On The Runway is that they get to attend fashion week in NYC. Several NYC landmarks were mentioned and it brought back memories of NYC for me. I wonder what it would be like to be in NYC during fashion Week?

Paige is super excited that she gets to experience Fashion Week and she craves the attention especially if it involves the top fashion designers, and as we read we quickly discover that this new found fame is going to her head and she is going to do what ever she wants to do and doesn’t care.

Mean while Erin is really trying to get the work out and promote the designers who are going Eco friendly. You know the ones who are trying to do good in the world? Well Erin is discovering that no one seems to really take her seriously. Even Paige is giving her a hard time. I have to applaud Erin for bringing this up and I think we need to take a lesson from her.

So the question is will Paige be able to keep her cool or will all this fame finally get to her and make her do things she might not normally do?

What will the girls think about Paris?

copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.

(Review) Katy’s Debate

Posted on by Cindy


TITLE: Katy’s Debate book 2 in Katy Lambright Series
AUTHOR: Kim Vogel Sawyer
PUB DATE: May 2010
PAGES: 208
PUBLISHER: Zondervan

ABOUT THE BOOK:
Katy’s Debate is the second book in the Katy Lambright Series by bestselling author Kim Vogel Sawyer, which follows sixteen-year-old Katy as she adjusts to life outside her Old Order Mennonite community in Kansas. Katy’s dad is courting Rosemary Graber, and Katy decides to use her new debate skills to end the romance before it can go any further. At the same time, Katy is developing a crush of her own.

Description:
New Club, New Crush … New Mom?

Just as Katy is feeling settled in her new school, everything falls apart at home. Her father, believing she needs a mother, starts courting a woman Katy refuses to accept. Tensions rise as Katy schemes to send the woman packing. Meanwhile, the pressure builds at school as Katy joins the debate team, encounters a teammate’s scorn, and faces her growing feelings for a boy her father will never accept. Can Katy prove she doesn’t need a mother’s guidance even as she discovers more of what the world offers?

MY THOUGHTS
I was hoping that I would have had the info from First Wild Card Tours to post with my review but unfortunately that didn’t happen so I will add the tour when I get back from vacation.

This is the second book in the Katy Lambright series. You can see my review for book one Katy’s New World by clicking on the link.

I really enjoyed this book and I have to admit that I read this in one sitting. I found the story line was smooth and very addictive. Something always would happen that I just had to read even though I kept thinking I need to put the book down.

So the book opens up with Katy starting to settle into her high school and making friends. She has joined the debate team but up until recently she is just keeping notes about the debates the other kids are in. A chance in a life time opportunity comes and Katy’s gets to actually take part in a debate and manages to win the school a third place trophy. Things in school are perfect.

Sadly its not running so smoothly at home. Her dad thinks that Katy needs a mother figure in her life. This could be the farthest from the truth. So her dad begins to see a woman and Katy isn’t happy she doesn’t like this woman and when her dad gets permission to court her and then marry her, Katy isn’t happy and she will stop at nothing to make sure her dad doesn’t marry this woman.

Will Katy’s plan to break up her father and this woman work? How will Katy copy with her feelings for a boy she knows will never be accepted?

Thanks to Zondervan for sending me this book.

I was just checking out Katy Lambright Series site and I see that book three Katy’s Homecoming is coming out in February 2011. I can’t wait to read the next book in this series.

copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.

(Review) Terry Fox: A Story of Hope

Posted on by Cindy


TITLE: Terry Fox: A Story of Hope
AUTHOR: Maxine Trottier
PUB DATE: July 2010
PUBLISHER: Scholastic
PAGES: 40

SOURCE: I received this book from Scholastic Canada. Thank you Scholastic for sending it to me.

ABOUT THE BOOK:
“Anything’s possible if you try. Dreams are made if people try.”

From the time he was very young, Terry Fox liked to finish what he started. He always wanted to do his best. So at the age of 18, when his right leg was amputated, he worked hard to recover. Right from the beginning, he was determined to find a way to beat cancer –- for all the children he had met who were fighting the disease. And right from the beginning, he had a dream –- to run across Canada to raise money for cancer research. This is Terry’s story of hope.

The year 2010 marks the 30th anniversary of the Marathon of Hope! This new edition includes extra photographs and updates on Terry’s legacy.

The author is donating all royalties from this book to the Terry Fox Foundation. Scholastic Canada is matching that donation.

MY THOUGHTS:
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Terry Fox, Marathon of Hope run. To honor this special occasion Scholastic Canada is releasing this special edition that includes 8 pages with updated information about his legacy.

What I discovered before reading this book is that its the very first authorized biography of Terry Fox that is written specifically for young readers. It was created in cooperation with The Terry Fox Foundation and his family.

I was ten years old the day Terry began his Marathon of Hope in St. John’s NFLD on April 12, 1980. I remember watching it on tv and was in awe of him and what he had planned to do. Terry Fox was always a hero to me and still to this day he is.

I have to admit that reading this book was hard to read without crying because this was a person who wanted to make a change and he did. He has raised millions of dollars for cancer research. It was nice to read more about him and to see all the great photos of him growing up.

He went through alot and not once did he ever give up. No matter how bad things got he persevered. He fought until the day he died. He is a Canadian hero that will never be forgotten.

This is a great book and one that will be on our book shelves forever. Its filled with a ton of great pics of all parts of Terry’s life. Which was really nice to see. Its written in a simple form suitable for the younger reader.

My favorite quote is:

‘Anything is possible if you try. Dreams are made if people try.’

copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.