RI Author Feature: A Cricket's Thanksgiving: Thanks We Are Giving by Leo C. Frisk, Jr.

 

Synopsis: "The greatest song making cricket in all of Rhode Island, Song Maker, and his insect friends, Long Green, Big Daddy, Slimy, Father Ant, Mother Ant, Cousin Red and Mantis encounter what they consider to be a family of scary looking beetles. Will they fight and try to hurt one another because they are different looking? When Big Daddy is caught by a hummingbird will he end up being lunch or can his friends save him? Will friendship create a special day in the lives of our insect friends and the burying beetles?"

My Review: I picked this book at the local RI Author Expo, it was a pleasure meeting and chatting with the author. This is a cute book that is great for kids who are just starting to read chapter books. There are plenty of pictures and the text is large, with fairly easy sentences and words. Kids who are really into the creepy crawlies will really like all the characters, which is a fun cast, each a unique insect. They have quite the set of adventures throughout the book. I love the different take on Thanksgiving and the story of friendship, even though each one is a different species.

 

My Rating: This is a cute book that really has a lot of personality and is so unique. Young readers who like bugs will have a lot of fun reading this book. This is part of a series and the other books are mentioned but it isn't necessary to read them first.  I give it a rating of Three Paws.

 

 

Leo Frisk does not appear to have a website or a Goodreads page but if I do find something in my continued research I will be sure to add a link so you can check him out.

 

You can however obtain A Cricket's Thanksgiving in print from Amazon, Barnes & Noble or from Stillwater River Publications (and you can find all 3 books in the set there too).

RI Author Feature: Bedtime Story: Cody the Cloud by Kevin Mulhern

 

 

Synopsis: "Among a big, white fluffy crowd Lived the tiny Cody the Cloud. Though he floated high and free, Cody never felt happy. When Cody meets the boy on Earth They learn the value of self-worth. Dont let the doubt of others win, To make a difference, first look within."

My Review: This is a cute book with fun and bright illustrations. It has a great message behind the story, but at times it does seem familiar, like you have read this story before in a different book. With that said it is a cute story and one that the kids will really enjoy, and hopefully take a little something extra away from it.

 

My Rating: I love the illustrations in this book and Kevin was a great person to chat with at one of the events.  The story is similar to others we have read in the past but it will appeal to young readers and has a great message.  We give it a rating of Three Paws.

 

You can find out more about Kevin Mulhern and his work by visiting his Website.

 

You can also buy your own copy of Cody the Cloud in print format from Amazon or Barnes & Noble or you can check with your local bookseller.

 

 

 

 

Good Night!  Sweet Dreams!

RI Author Feature: Maid for Love by Marie Force

 

Synopsis: "Maddie Chester is determined to leave her hometown of Gansett Island, a place that has brought her only bad memories and ugly rumors. Then she’s knocked off her bike on the way to her housekeeping job at McCarthy’s Resort Hotel by Gansett’s “favorite son,” Mac McCarthy. He’s back in town to help his father with preparations to sell the family resort and has no intention of staying long. When Mac accidentally sends Maddie flying over the handlebars, badly injuring her, he moves in to nurse her back to health and help care for her young son. He soon realizes his plans for a hit-and-run visit to the island are in serious jeopardy, and he just may be “maid” for love."

My Review: I love finding books by local authors and inspired by local places. This is a perfect summer fluff read (too bad I read it when it is still cold). I really enjoyed the setting and many of the characters. With that said, it did feature some common romance tropes that I am not a huge fan of, the whole damsel in distress and the rich perma-bachelor riding to the rescue doesn't really interest me. Again, though this is a great light romance book, if that is what you are looking for. Even though she was the damsel, I really did find a lot of similarities and ended up connecting well with Maddie. I also enjoyed Mac, he is the perfect knight to ride in and save the day. Of course being a fictional book, the storyline is a bit hurried with a shortened timeline, so while it isn't insta-love it is a very quick whirlwind romance. I did really enjoy a lot of the sub-characters and think this will be a great series to continue in the summer.

 

My Rating: This is very much a fluff romance, there are some issues with it that I don't agree with but if you aren't too picky it is an enjoyable book.  It is a fairly clean book, there is bedroom activity but it isn't explicit. This is the first book in a 17 book (so far) series and I do believe it is always a free kindle book if you want to give it a try for yourself.  I give it a rating of Two Paws and a Stump Wag.

 

 

You can find out more about Marie Force and her series by visiting her Goodreads Page or Website.

 

You can also obtain your own copy of Maid for Love in print or digital format from Amazon (currently Free for kindle) or free digital nook book from Barnes & Noble.

 

RI Author Feature: A Grocery List by Adele M. Bourne

 

Synopsis: A collection of poems with a variety of subject matters from childhood experiences to daily life and unusual conversations with unique folks.

 

My Review: I had been wanting to pick up this book for some time, and I finally found Adele at one of the local RI Author events and snagged my copy.  I was expecting something rather comical look at daily life but it was much more hard hitting and serious. The poems sometimes take a turn for the darker and sometimes were a little lighthearted. This wasn't quite the collection for me as often the poems were obscure or had a lot of symbolism. I also think that it was a very personal collection of poems that may have more significance to those who are familiar with her life.

 

My Rating: I was really hoping that this would make me laugh but it didn't, I had a hard time connecting with any of the poems, it was not the collection for me. I give it a rating of Two Paws.

 

 

Adele Bourne does not seem to have any website that I can find, and she is not on Goodreads.

 

This book is also out of print but you can purchase her newest book of poetry called Tide Roaring In that also features a few of the same poems on Amazon.

RI Author Feature: How My Dorky Dad Became a Hero by Steve Hague

 

 

Synopsis: "Ten-year-old kid detective Morgan Maxwell learns that a bank robber is on the loose in her city! Her dad promises her that they can search for the bank robber together which excites Morgan until she remembers that her dad is a - dork!
Follow Morgan and her Dorky Dad through some hilarious situations and see what happens when they're face to face with the bank robber!"

My Review: I picked this book up at the RI Author Expo last year and thought it would be a fun gift for some of the younger readers in life, but I try to always read a book before I give it just to make sure it is appropriate. This is kind of fun story that young readers will really enjoy. It is written in a conversation/ story telling way that you really grasp Morgan's voice, she kind of rambles off on tangents that a kid her age would tend to do. Also the way she views her parents and big brother are spot on and young readers will definitely relate. It is fun and quirky and kids will really enjoy reading it.

 

My Rating: This was a fun book and will really appeal to young readers. This is also a part of a series but I don't believe they need to be read in any particular order.  I give it a rating of Three Paws.

 

 

 

You can find out more about Steve Hague and his work by visiting his Goodreads Page.

 

You can also purchase How My Dorky Dad Became a Hero in print or digital format from Amazon or try asking your local bookseller.

Rhode Island Author Feature Month Kick Off!

Hello and Welcome!

 

This is my third year of having a whole month featuring my local Rhode Island authors!

 

 

I have been a little behind schedule and been a little lazy in organizing the event but I do have quite a variety of books to share with you, from Poetry to Children's books to Horror/Thriller to Romance. I love the variety of writing styles and genres that I can find right here in the Ocean State. I will be sharing books by authors I have featured in the past as well as a lot of new authors too!

 

I hope you will stop by and check out some of these authors, I will also have a few giveaways throughout the month so be sure to check those out too!

 

Thank you and I hope to see all of you throughout the month!

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

Heartstone by Elle Katharine White
Given to the Sea by Mindy McGinnis
Shampoodle by Joan Holub & Tim Bowers (Early Reader)
Today I Will Fly! by Mo Willems (Bedtime Story)
 

 Books Finished Last Week:

Reviews will be posted at a later date

Mad Tales
Given to the Sea
Watersmeet
Centaur's Daughter
Maid for Love
One Cent, Two Cent, Old Cent, New Cent
Optimus Primal
A Grocery List and other Poems
Tide Roaring In
Shoreline

 

Currently Reading:
 

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - Print - on page 506 of 870
Riders by Veronica Rossi - Print - on page 82 of 384




 Books to be Read Soon:

 

Pages Read/ Time Listened
91:45 Hours Listened (15:55 listened this week)
15,570 Pages Read (1,091this week)

Books Added to Shelves This Month
Viking Warrior Rising by Asa Maria Bradley
Winner's Kiss by Marie Rutkoski
Bubble Trouble by Mary Tillworth
Blaze Loves to Race by Mary Tillworth
Beauty and the Beast: Lost in a Book by Jennifer Donnelly
Heartstone by Ella Katharine White
Beauty and the Beast by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve
Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by JK Rowling
Beauty and the Beast: Belle's Library by Walt Disney Company
Trapped by Michael Northop
Samurai Rising by Pamela Turner
The Mating by BJ Cunningham & Misty Clark
Hold Your Breath by Katie Ruggle
Fan the Flames by Katie Ruggle
Keeper by Ellen Jensen Abbott
Love and Muddy Puddles by Cecily Paterson



Books Read From My Shelves
Mad Tales
Maid for Love
Watersmeet
Centaur's Daughter
A Grocery List and other Poems
Tide Roaring In
Shoreline



Interesting Tidbits on the Web:


 



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So we have made a lot of progress in Battle Rodent 2017, we trapped 2 mice in the garage and cleaned it from top to bottom, scrubbing all the dishes stored out there and all the cupboards and cabinets. We found their little home in the heater cover and cleaned that out, so hopefully now we have regained control of the garage.  We have started tackling the basement, it doesn't look like any of the activity down there is recent but we want to make sure. I have gotten very little sleep for the past week due to all the additional work added to regular work and chores.  I did do a lot of reading last week but it was mostly short books and audio books.

Hopefully this project is winding down and I can settle into some of the massive TBR I have selected for this month.  I am going to participate in the Tome Topple starting on Saturday with a goal of reading some pretty chunky books (all of the books must be over 500 pages). Thankfully it is a 2 week challenge and I hope to read at least 2 if not 3 books for the challenge. 

I am also kicking off my RI Author month later today, post coming on that.  So far I have 3 giveaways lined up and maybe one or two interviews.  I was hoping to go to a local event to get some autographs from some authors for you and some more goodies but the event happens to land on Munchkin's Tball Opener so that definitely takes precedent.

So, it has been fun lately.  Hope your week wasn't as hectic or as exhausting and that you are reading some great books for the both of us!