Category: Reviews-Zondervan

(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) Premiere

Posted on by Cindy

ABOUT THE BOOK
Book one in the new dynamic fashion-themed On the Runway teen novel series by favorite young adult fiction author Melody Carlson. When Paige and Erin Forrester are offered their own TV show, sisterly bonds are tested as the girls learn that it takes two to keep their once-in-a-lifetime project afloat.

Description:
A recipe for success or a design for disaster? Although they’re sisters, Paige and Erin Forrester are like oil and water, night and day, denim and silk. Paige is an outgoing fashionista who loves to be the center of attention, while Erin is more comfortable sporting vintage garb and recording the action around her. When a near disaster turns into the opportunity of a lifetime, these two very-different sisters are given the chance to star in their own fashion-TV show. A guest spot on a hot teen-reality series and their first big red-carpet assignment give this unlikely partnership plenty of room for success—and even more for failure.

MY THOUGHTS
This is another review for First Wild Card Tours and I was really hoping to have the tour info to go with the review before I went away on vacation but sadly I will have to add this when I get home.

As you know I am a huge fan of Melody Carlson and I have read practically all her young adult books. When The Carter House series finished I was really happy to hear that she had another series in the works and this is book one in that new series.

Other books in the series:
Catwalk (book 2) now available
Rendezvous (book 3) September 2010
Spotlight (book 4) October 2010
Glamour (book 5) February 2011

I don’t know if there is any others coming out.

Anyways back to the book. I have to say that this was another one of those books that I quickly read in one sitting. I am only into book one of this series but I think this is going to be another series that I will enjoy.

Erin and Paige are sisters and they are complete opposites. Paige is into anything fashion and she knows her labels, designers and she knows what looks good and isn’t afraid to tell you what she thinks.

Meanwhile Erin is just your typical all round girl but ever since breaking up with her boyfriend, Blake, who were the ideal couple and they are the ones you would expect would get married, she seems to care less about what she looks like and would rather be behind the scenes and not like her sister Paige who must always be in the spot light.

Blake broke up with Erin and quickly began dating someone else. Blake is back in the picture and Erin makes it perfectly clear that they will remain friends. But will that be the case?

Paige is given an opportunity of a lifetime to be the star of her own reality tv show when the producer of a hit reality show catches Paige’s opening piece on tv of the opening of Wonderland (which is a theme park in Southern California) because she was trying to make the piece exciting so she started to critique the patrons of the park on what they were wearing. Her inspiration for this was the fact that the Golden Globes was just around the corner and she thought it would be interesting to have a red carpet.

You would think this would be a disaster in real life but in books its the chance of a lifetime and of course it would all work out. When the meet up with the producer she wants both of the girls to take part but Erin quickly gets them to agree to her being behind the scenes.

This new reality show is called On The Runway and its all about fashion and anything to do with fashion.

The girls are sent out to promote the show and their first place that they get invited to is to appear on the reality show Malibu Beach as guests. (Malibu Beach is the hot teen reality show) Reading this I quickly thought about Jersey Shore meets the Hills. I could be mistaken but that is what I felt it was like.

Before long the very outspoken Paige has gone to far and its possible that On The Runway is at risk of not being a reality show after all. Has Paige stepped out of line?

Check back next week when I review Catwalk.

Thanks to Zondervan for sending out this book to me.

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) Final Touch

Posted on by Cindy


TITLE: Final Touch Book 3 in The Rayne Tour Series
AUTHOR: Brandily Collins and Amberly Collins
PUB DATE: May 2010
PAGES: 224
PUBLISHER: Zondervan

ABOUT THE BOOK
The day Shaley O’Conner has dreamed of all her life is shattered by a nightmare. On a lavish estate in California guarded from the media, Shaley’s mom, rock star Rayne O’Connor, is marrying her teen sweetheart and Shaley’s father, Gary Donovon. It’s a dream come true for Shaley, who has always longed for the father she never knew. But minutes before the wedding, Shaley is kidnapped. Who is this man who has taken her—and why? As Rayne and Gary race against time to find their daughter, Shaley’s abductor eludes the FBI at every turn. Fearing for her life, Shaley wills herself to stay strong. But as the days pass, she realizes that no one can save her but herself.

MY THOUGHTS
I was hoping I would have had the tour info to post with my review but sadly I don’t. I will add the tour when I get back home.

This is the third and final book in the Rayne Tour series. You can see my review for Always Watching by clicking on the name. I will have to go back in my notes to find Last Breath because for some reason its not on my blog. I did read it. Strange.

Just like the first two I had a hard time to put the book down and was surprised that I managed to read this one Sunday.

Shaley’s dream has finally come true. Her parents are getting married. We all know that it all can’t be picture perfect and drama free in a book. So moments before her parents are to be married. Shaley gets a call that her father’s ring is coming and she goes down to meet the delivery person. Thinking everything will be okay because there is all kinds of security around she thinks nothing off it until the guy grabs her and puts something over her mouth to knock her out.

With no idea who this man is Shaley learns he isn’t after a ransom but wants to protect her from the corupted world that is full of sin and bad things.

Her abductor makes her call home telling her mother why she left and that she didn’t want her to marry her father. No one really believes it and the FBI are quick to trace the call. Of course she is no longer there but on her way to a remote cabin. In this remote cabin there is a phone. When Shaley is left alone she quickly calls 911 thinking help is on the way but its not because her abductor seems to be one step ahead all the time.

Will Shaley be able to save herself before its too late?

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 & Tour) Online with God, A 90 day Devotional

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:

Online with God, A 90 Day Devotional

Zonderkidz (April 9, 2010)

***Special thanks to Pam Mettler of Zondervan for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Laurie’s first published work was a note passed to a boy in elementary school. You would have thought that this most embarrassing moment would have stopped her writing career. But instead, Laurie is the author of thirty five books and author/illustrator of two more. Laurie lives in rural Ohio with her husband and two daughters.

Visit the author’s website.

Product Details:

List Price: $9.99
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Paperback: 192 pages
Publisher: Zonderkidz (April 9, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0310716152
ISBN-13: 978-0310716150

Press the browse button to view the first chapter:

MY THOUGHTS
I just recently got this book and as much as I wanted to read it in one sitting, which I could have easily done since its only 185 pages, I didn’t. I took it as reading it one day at a time for 90 days.

I admit I am not an overly religous person and you might be shocked to hear the last time I went to church for a reason other then a wedding, funeral, baptism (Christening) or first communion. Yes its bad.

I am speaking as an adult and I wonder if I was younger what impact it would have? I know there is plenty of young people who don’t go to church or even think about God.

This book is aimed at girls. We all went through what girls of today are going through but we didn’t have cell phones, computers and many other things to distract us.

The book is done in blog format in a girls point of view. Its a personal blog and she is writting to God.

Once I am done with the book I will be writting a more detail review.

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.

Katy’s New World Review

Posted on by Cindy

TITLE: Katy’s New World #1
AUTHOR: Kim Vogel Sawyer
PUB DATE: February 2010
PAGES: 203

ABOUT THE BOOK

When Katy Lambright is given the opportunity to attend a secular high school outside her Mennonite community, she is ecstatic. But as Katy begins to adjust to life outside her community and begins to make decisions for herself, her relationships with her family and lifelong friends become strained. Can Katy balance her new world with the Old Order?

Katy has always enjoyed life in her small Mennonite community, but she longs to learn more than her school can offer. After getting approval from her elders, Katy starts her sophomore year at the public high school in town, where she meets new friends and encounters perspectives much different than her own. But as Katy begins to find her way in the outside world, her relationships at home become restrained. Can she find a balance between her two worlds?

MY THOUGHTS:

This is the first time I have heard of Kim Vogel Sawyer she is the author of numerous Christian fiction books. I am looking forward to reading more of her books.

I am always fascinated with the Amish/Mennonites and I love reading books based in that setting. This is a genre of books I discovered last year and I have to say I really enjoy reading them and I can devour them rather quickly.

Katy’s New World is the first book in the series. Katy is given a rare chance to attend a local high school. She is the first one in her community that has been given this rare chance. Katy loves school and learning.

Katy is just like any kid trying to fit in to a new school. It doesn’t help that she stands out dressed in her plain clothes. She is given an escort to show her around school and to help her out if she needs it. Her escort is Shelby. The girls soon become the best of friends which doesn’t sit will with her best friend Annika that she grew up with. Shelby’s father is a Baptist minister.

Through out the book you see Katy struggling with her faith and wondering how she will be able to remain true to her beliefs when she sees what the outside world is really like. She is like any other teenager struggling with life.

Will Katy be able to remain true to herself in a world of temptation?

You can check out Kim Vogel Sawyer on her website.

The second book in this series Katy’s Debate is schedule to be released June 2010. I can’t wait to read it. This is what book two is about:

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.

Katy Lambright’s life transforms when she leaves the Mennonite school and enters a local high school. Is she prepared to face the secular world and teenage life beyond her community? New Club, New Crush … New Mom? From bestselling fiction writer Kim Vogel Sawyer comes Katy’s Debate, the latest in the Katy Lambright series for young adults. 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?

Thanks to Revell/Baker Publishing Group for sending me this book to read and review.

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.

Spring Breakdown Review

Posted on by Cindy

TITLE: Spring Breakdown #7 Carter House Girls
AUTHOR: Melody Carlson
PUB DATE: February 2010
PAGES: 206

ABOUT THE BOOK:
The six Carter house girls plan to join Mrs. Carter in Florida for a “quiet” spring break, but quiet is impossible when Harry and his guy friends stay in a condo nearby. Focused on her new found faith and sobriety, Taylor is trying to behave, but Eliza has no such intention. In an attempt to win Harry back, Eliza continues to push the envelope and her partying spins out of control. When Eliza goes missing, everyone is left worried and afraid for her safety. Will Eliza wake up and see that her life is built on sinking sand? Or will this quicksand claim her instead?

MY THOUGHTS:

I have been lucky enough to get the chance to read and review this series by Melody Carlson. I have to admit that I am no longer the young teenager that the books are for but I can relate to them just the same. When I was in junior high and high school alcohol was very much an issue back in the 80s as it is now for teenagers.

Thankfully the friends that I hung around with never were into alcohol so I never had to worry about it ever being an issue with us. I have to say growing up with a father who drank alot and other family members it was very much a turn off for me. I never got drunk and whenever I did drink (in my 20s) I always drank just enough to get that buzz but still be in control. Even as an person in my 30s almost 40s I rarely drink and if I do its a reasonable amount.

Now to the book I would have thought with Taylor going to rehab in the last book that the girls would have learned something but Eliza sure didn’t. She is still very much the party girl. When DJ and Taylor throw a party at Taylor’s boyfriends place they stress no alcohol will be allowed. Eliza didn’t like that and set out to make Taylor’s party a bust by lying to the friends so they wouldn’t show up.

The Carter House girls are heading down to Florida for a swimsuit shoot and spring break. The only one not going is Kriti who has decided she wants to stay home with her parents. I wonder why?

Once in Florida, Mrs Carter discovers that the girls boyfriends are going to be down there as well and has no idea what is going on and she is delighted that they will be around. Little does she realize what is about to happen. I think Mrs Carter is in way over her head.

Eliza gets into a fight with her boyfriend because he told her that he wishes she was like DJ. Eliza flips out and is furious. She accepts a date with a guy and we discover that she never comes home that night. Its only the next day that they get a phone call demanding ransom money. Eliza has been kidnapped. But by who and why? Will this episode change Eliza for the better? Will she realize her drinking is the problem? Will Mrs Carter ever put her foot down with these girls?

I really enjoyed the book and there was enough action that made me want to keep reading it. I am curious to find out what will happen with Eliza when she gets back home and if she will admit she has a drinking problem.

Book 8 in the Carter House Girls series is called Last Dance and its scheduled to be released March 2010. I tried to look up online to see if that would be the final book in the series or not but couldn’t find anything.

This book was provided for review by Bridgette Brooks of ZONDERKIDZ.

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.