Bedtime Story: Five Black Cats

 

Synopsis: "Five black cats set out through shadowy streets and dark forests. Along the way, they encounter bats and glowing jack o' lanterns. Then, they follow a tiny white mouse into a spooky old house for an annual Halloween party. The soft padded covers, rounded corners and sturdy board pages make this title a perfect fit for preschoolers!"

My Review: I picked this one up for the Halloween season. The storyline doesn't always seem to flow together but each page is a nice little rhyme. Munchkin enjoys pointing to each of the cats and the spider on each page. The illustrations are cute and really fit the season.

 

My Rating: While the story didn't seem to match up page to page, each one was enjoyable by itself. Munchkin loved the images too so if it keeps him happy for any amount of time it is good.  I give it a rating of Two Paws and a Stump Wag.

 

 

Good Night! Sweet Dreams!

After Dark Review of The Marriage Merger by Jennifer Probst

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: "Her sisters have found wedded bliss with their wealthy,wonderful dream men, but not Julietta Conte. She’s stayed on terra firma as top executive of the family’s corporation, La Dolce Famiglia bakery. Work is her passion, and her trendy Milan apartment her sanctuary . . . until Sawyer Wells, a masculine masterpiece in a suit, lures her out of hiding with an irresistible offer: an exclusive partnership with his international chain of boutique hotels.

Julietta’s been burned before—and trusting her brother-in-law’s friend, whose powerful gaze alone has her rethinking the best use of a conference room, is the riskiest proposition. But with a once-in-a-career chance to take the bakery global, will she mix stone-cold business with red-hot seduction?"

My Review: I so love this series and this one didn't disappoint. Momma Conte is the coolest (and scariest) old lady ever. I enjoyed Julietta's controlled personality and her quick whit. The banter between her and Sawyer is so entertaining. I think besides Momma Conte the star of the book for me is Wolfe, I hope to at least see a novella with him in it.

 

My Rating: I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it kept you reading and the characters are so rich. I give it a rating of Three Paws and a Stump Wag!

 

Review of Shadowed Blood by Joely Sue Burkhart

 

Sorry no cover, it was an online only read

 

 

Synopsis: "The Shadowed Blood, dark romantic fantasy short story, including the first two chapters of The Road to Shanhasson

A Blood & Shadows story,
prequel to The Shanhasson Trilogy"

My Review: So I read this series a little out of order and I wish I had read this one before the Rose of Shanhasson or at least before The Road to Shanhasson. It would have been nice to fully understand the turmoil Gregar faces each day. Now that I have read this story I adore him even more! Gregar is truly the definition of selfless, unconditional love and true hero.

 

My Rating: I just wish I had read this one sooner, it was fantastic to get insight into my favorite character of the series! I give this one a rating of Four Paws!

Review of The Palace Library by Steven Loveridge

 

Synopsis: "Three children stumble upon an extraordinary library in an old house. Armed with magical books, and accompanied by an enchanting deerhound, they leave through a door that takes them to a world in the past. Beyond the door, a kingdom is in crisis.

The children must unlock the secrets in their books as they face storms, fight traitors and tackle dragons.

The Great Sword of State has been stolen and destroyed. The Queen reveals an ancient prophecy that says only these children can replace the Sword and she sends them on a journey that takes them beyond the world’s end.

Without knowing who they can trust, can they succeed?"

My Review: I was really looking forward to this book, however it wasn't quite what I expected. It was clear that the Chronicles of Narnia was an influence for the author. The book may have been better for a kid because I wasn't too keen on being told what everyone felt or how things were going to happen. I also expected the library to play a lot more of a role, or at least more books to be involved.   The sub-characters were great but sadly outshone the lead characters. It was still a good adventure for younger readers.

 

My Rating: I really wanted to like this book. It just fell a little short for me and I couldn't help but constantly compare it to the Chronicles of Narnia. I 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

 

Avow by Elizabeth A. Reeves
Survive My Fire by Joely Sue Burkhart (After Dark)
Saturday with Daddy (Bedtime Story)

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

The Fishermans Night before Christmas
Pooh's Halloween Pumpkin
The Spirit of Christmas
Red Truck
If Only We
Return to Shanhasson
Little Bear's Little Boat
A Lantern in the Window
The Book of Spells
How Bees Came to Make Chili
 

Currently Reading:

Dark Chatter by Andrew Branch - Kindle - 17%
The Tale of the Taconic Mountains by Mike Romeling - Nook - On Page 86 of 389
Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen - PB - on Page 40 of 383


 Books to be Read Soon:

 

Water Harvest by Eric Diehl (Requested Review)
Judgment by Jade Varden


 



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Another unbelievable week of reading for me! I can't believe I have managed to get that much reading done in such a short period of time.  I hope I can keep the momentum going so I have enough reviews to post throughout the month of November while I am busy writing away!  I have started reading books for my Christmas/ Advent reads event.  I hope you will all be able to join me as I share a new holiday story for all 25 days of Christmas! I have managed to finish two more series as well this year so no only did I finish my goal of 3 series but I nearly doubled that at 5!! 

For the remainder of the year I will be focusing on finishing my goals, reading books for the Christmas event and also the requested reviews.  This week is going to be a quiet week in the office and with Munchkin getting into daycare I can get some reading and some crafts done!


I hope you are all looking forward to a good week!