Bedtime Story: Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes

 

Synopsis: "An illustrated board book with words and music to a children's song."

My Review: I love this book! You can't help but sing and dance when you are reading it. Munchkin also loves to giggle when I point out the body parts as I am reading/singing to him. I also like the simplicity of the pictures in the book.    

 

My Rating: Such a simple book but it is so fun. Definitely not the best bedtime story but a lot of fun in the mornings and afternoons. Munchkin is now starting to find his own toes so maybe soon we can sing the song together.  I give this book a rating of Four Paws and a Stump Wag!

 

 

Good Night! Sweet Dreams!              

After Dark Review of the Rose of Shanhasson by Joely Sue Burkhart

I have added After Dark Reviews to my blog as a way of notifying you of a review of a book with Adult themes and scenes. From now on I will keep my reviews of all books I read that have explicit scenes in them for late night posts for those of you who prefer to avoid them or easy to find for those of you who seek them out ;)

Synopsis: "Shannari is destined to unite the Green Lands.All she has to do is survive a battle with a barbarian, marry the barbarian, escape the very sexy barbarian and his elite warrior band, kill her former fiance,and make it home in one piece. The men in Shannari's life don't take no for an answer easily, and she's definitely worth fighting for. She doesn't believe in love with good reason--her last lover tried to kill her at a most inopportune time. It's a good thing she has fast reflexes, even when she's distracted. Now Rhaekhar has to convince her that his love is worth fighting for, and keep her alive while doing it."

My Review: Wow! Talk about strong female lead, Shannari can definitely take care of business, even if it isn't immedately. I have to say I loved this book, I couldn't put it down! I loved the characters so much and the setting is fantastic. I do have to admit that I am a little confused as to the customs of both the barbarians and the Green Landers. At times I was lost as to what exactly was going on, but so was the female lead, so it makes me believe the vagueness was intentional. There is a lot of blood sharing (but not vampires just as a custom of the Camps) and it might make some readers a bit uncomfortable.

My Rating: I really couldn't put this one down and had a hard time sleeping because the book was haunting me from the bedside stand.  I give it a rating of Four Paws and am immediately jumping into the next book.

Review of Butterfly Swords by Jeannie Lin

 

Synopsis: "During China's infamous Tang Dynasty, a time awash with luxury yet littered with deadly intrigues and fallen royalty, betrayed Princess Ai Li flees before her wedding. Miles from home, with only her delicate butterfly swords for defense, she enlists the reluctant protection of a blue-eyed warrior....

Battle-scarred, embittered Ryam has always held his own life at cheap value. Ai Li's innocent trust in him and honorable, stubborn nature make him desperate to protect her--which means "not" seducing the first woman he has ever truly wanted...."

My Review: It took me a while to get into this book because of the pacing and the character reactions. I don't claim to know much about the Tang Dynasty time period but I find it hard to believe that a female in that time period would act as Ai Li did, but that said I did get rather attached to her and Ryam and couldn't help but root for them. I did really like the role swords played through out the book and their training sessions were some of the best reading in the story. If your looking for a historical romance that isn't set in an European country, this would be a good selection, something just a little different.

 

My Rating: This was a real up and down book for me, I liked the historical aspects of it but feel the characters weren't really acting as if they were in that time period. Nonetheless I still really enjoyed the story and the characters. I give it a rating of Two Paws and a Stump Wag.

Review of Moonlit by Jadie Jones

 

Synopsis: "Eighteen-year-old Tanzy Hightower knows horses, has grown up with them on Wildwood Farm. She also knows not to venture beyond the trees that line the pasture. Things happen out there that cannot be explained. Or undone. Worse, no one but she and the horses can see what lurks in the shadows of the woods.

When a moonlit ride turns into a terrifying chase, Tanzy is left to question everything, from the freak accident that killed her father to the very blood in her veins. Broken and confused, she turns to Lucas, a scarred, beautiful stranger, and to Vanessa, a charming new friend who has everything Tanzy doesn’t.

But why do they seem to know more about her than she knows herself?"

My Review: I am a little torn with this book. I was really looking forward to a good horse focused book but was slightly disappointed. Horses did play a part and when they were front and center it was fantastic but those parts were not as often as I was expected. This story took a turn into the obscure and turned more paranormal than I was expecting. I think there were a lot of unique and interesting concepts but they got so jumbled and mushed into this book. I can appreciate the uniqueness of the story but so much of it was written from the outside looking in, almost like watching someone else watch a movie. I didn't really get attached to any of the characters either, most of the time I wanted to smack Tanzy (like you would a bimbo in a horror flick). So yeah, I just couldn't get into this one. Oh and this is the first in a series and it has an open ending.

 

My Rating: Like I said, I am having a hard time with this book, I think it has some really unique ideas and that if I had been in the mood for such a paranormal book that I would give it a better rating. That said I wasn't in the mood for it and the synopsis didn't let you know too much to make that decision so I have to give it a rating of One Paw and a Stump Wag.

Monday Reading List

Its Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly meme hosted by Shelia at Book Journey. Share what books you have finished in the last week, are currently reading and what might be coming up next!

Reviews Posted Last Week:

Links will take you to my review

 

Hope on a Paige by Jeff Dvorak
Sun and Moon, Snow and Ice by Jessica Day George
Wyoming Fierce by Diana Palmer (After Dark)
Tails (Bedtime Story)
The Eye Book (Bedtime Story)

Books Finished Last Week:
Reviews will be posted at a later date

Moonlit
Meghan's Wish
Butterfly Swords
 

Currently Reading:

Dark Chatter by Andrew Branch - Kindle - 17%
The Tale of the Taconic Mountains by Mike Romeling - Nook - On Page 32 of 389
Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen - PB - on Page 40 of 383
V for Vendetta by Alan Moore - PB (Graphic Novel) - on page 91 of 296

 Books to be Read Soon:

 

Lethal Rider by Larissa Ione (Series Challenge)
Water Harvest by Eric Diehl (Requested Review)
Juliette Immortal by Stacey Jay
Judgment by Jade Varden


 



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Yay, all hospital visits are behind me (hopefully) and maybe now things can get back to normal.  I have one more week to read before going back to work.  I have some documents to review and edit for friends and a beta read to get done this week and then it is back to reading like crazy! I have so many books I can't wait to read but I need to finish what I have already started.

I hope you have all had a good start to fall and have been finding some great adventures in the pages!