Bedtime Story: The Napping House

 

Synopsis: "Everyone knows the cumulative rhyme “This Is the House That Jack Built,” but The Napping House (1984) is close on its heels in the race for posterity: “And on that granny / there is a child / a dreaming child / on a snoring granny / on a cozy bed / in a napping house, / where everyone is sleeping.” Included in the napping house menagerie is a dozing dog, a snoozing cat, a slumbering mouse, and a wakeful flea who ends up toppling the whole sleep heap with one chomp! Don Wood’s delightfully detailed comical illustrations are bathed in moonlight blues until the sun comes up, then all is color and rainbows and a very awake household."

My Review: I think I may be one of the few who have never heard of this rhyme but it reminds me of that saying from when I was a kid about the Old Lady who swallowed the fly. It is a silly story that is bound to get your tongue tied when reading it out loud and it really isn't one for unwinding before bedtime. The pictures are cute and the coloring of the images is beautiful. Munchkin seemed to enjoy the silliness of the story.

 

My Rating: I guess this was a middle of the road book for me but Munchkin seemed to enjoy it and I think he will grow to like it even more as he gets older.  I give it a rating of Three Paws.

 

 

Good Night!  Sweet Dreams!

From the Review Pile #12

 

 

 

From the Review Pile is a meme hosted by Stepping Out of the Page every Thursday.

The aim of this meme is to showcase books that you've received for review (or if you don't receive review books, any book that you own and really want to read/review) but haven't yet got around to reading, in order to give the book some extra publicity.

I know that a lot of you have a huge pile of books that you want to read/review, but it understandably takes a while to get around to reading them all - here you can give a book (or two!) some of the publicity that it deserves, even if you haven't read it yet!

 

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Synopsis: "Terrorism in America has a new game…decapitations!

Homeland Security Director Robert Grimmson faces the task of catching five men in New York City. They call themselves the Sword Masters with a single minded plan of terror through decapitations.
Barely has the task begun when a new arrival at JFK is a man importing thousands of swords! Alexander Suten-Mdjai is a trainer in the deadly art of swordsmanship and Robert cannot help but believe there is a connection between him and the Sword Masters.
As he goes about the task, each step in his search is made more difficult through the interference of politicians, the media and his own government.
Robert’s examination constantly draws him back to Alexander who regales him with a tale of swordsmanship from his lineage featuring events of mankind’s bloody past and often oddly having a connection to the case before him.
With the clock ticking as New York collapses into a deep panic, he must catch the Sword Masters before it is too late!"

 

Review of Ugly Beautiful by Seanpaul Thomas

 

Synopsis: "'A tragic tale of a doomed romance like no other.'

Jason is a tormented soul and small town, womanizing gangster. Fed up with his unfulfilled life he double crosses his only friend and does a runner with a suitcase full of drug money, disappearing into the heart of the gorgeous Scottish highlands to lay low in a secluded cottage before starting a fresh.

On his second day of hiding Jason discovers the mysterious body of a young and hauntingly beautiful woman lying unconscious at the bottom of a nearby hill. The woman though has no memory of who she is or how she even ended up there. So Jason carries the beauty back to his cottage and tenderly nurses her back to health. As the days pass, Jason gradually gains the woman's trust and friendship by confiding to her his own past sins and infidelities. Deep and personal confessions he has never told anyone before, especially a woman. Could our hero finally be falling in love for the first time in his selfish life?

Eventually Jason coaxes and pushes the woman into unraveling her own eerily forgotten past and tormenting mad nightmare visions of terror... But doing so without the hindsight of the chilling, terrifying and sickening acts of horror which are about to be unleashed.

'Strong language and graphic scenes of violence in parts.'"

My Review: Wow, this one was disturbing, so much so that I had to read some fluffy magazine articles before going to bed after finishing it. This is very much so an adult book, lots of language and violence. The first half of this book really kept you wondering where exactly it was going, you start to think it is going to be a simple romance with a few minor issues between the couple but then a big twist is thrown at you and next thing you know you are reading a horror story. I kind of felt like there was a little disconnect between me and the characters, I prefer to be led into feeling with the characters as opposed to being told how they are feeling, but I guess in this case it was probably better I didn't feel how they did most of the book. I can't help be feel for Gary, he is the only real victim in this whole book, poor guy and he only had a minor role. All in all it kept me reading and it was wrapped up nicely.

My Rating: I generally don't read horror books, but I do enjoy a good suspense and mind twist, Ugly Beautiful definitely gave all three.  It was great that this was a short read because I probably wouldn't have been able to sleep until I finished it. I would have liked to have been drawn more into the story as opposed to feel like I am on the surface watching.  I give it a rating of Two Paws and a Stump Wag.

 

 

Ugly Beautiful was sent to me by the author for an honest review.

 

You can find out more about Seanpaul Thomas and his works on Goodreads.

 

You can also obtain your own print or digital copy of Ugly Beautiful on Amazon.

Review of Rory by Ciye Cho

 

Synopsis: "Far beyond heaven, earth and hell is a city known as Palladino, a place ruled by ghosts and filled with demons, magic, and all sorts of darkly beautiful things. A city where no one can ever escape.

Eighteen-year-old Rory is a cake decorator who makes stunning confections. But no amount of frosting or miracles can save her when a demon kidnaps her—and carries her to Palladino. Here, Rory ends up in a deadly charm school where young women are forced to become companions for the Ghost Lords. And for her to survive, Rory must become everything that she isn’t: graceful, elegant... and perfect.

But nothing is what it seems in Palladino. Not the magic. Not the ghosts. And definitely not Martin Marius, the bizarre Ghost Lord-slash-inventor who is drawn to Rory. For amid a thousand machines and a hundred cats, Martin holds a secret that could change everything. A secret that could either free Rory... or destroy her."

My Review: First off I love this cover and it takes a while to get to the scene where it comes in, but so beautiful! I have read the first two books of the Florence Waverley Series by Ciye Cho and loved how he was able to keep me in the world and make it very clear that they were underwater. With Rory the setting was almost so obscure I had a hard time following some of the descriptions and events. I had a difficult time remembering Cookie was a cat as opposed to a young child. With all that said, the characters were so interesting that I couldn't put the book down. I wanted to know where the story was going and the twists kept jumping out. Something is always going on even when it seems there isn't much plot movement, everything builds up to something. Each event and detail is important. Poor Rory is stuck in a world where she can't figure out who to trust, and you can't either. Every one could be a bad guy but they could also be good guys. Be forewarned, big cliffhanger ending!

 

My Rating: The characters and surprise plot twists were great in the story but it was such a fantastic world and some of the things were so out of the norm that at times it was hard to put it together in my mind.  No matter what though I am going to have to read the next book, I want to know what happens! I give Rory a rating of Three Paws.

 

Rory was sent to me by the author for an honest review.

 

You can find out more about Ciye Cho and Rory on Goodreads or his Website (there is even an excerpt of a few chapters so you can check out Rory).

 

Rory will be available in Ebook format on August 10th 2013 (I will add the links when it is released so you can grab your copy but mark your calendars!)

15 Day Book Blogger Challenge - Day 15

So while browsing the blogs I follow (mind you I am crazy behind on checking everyone's blogs out) I cam across this challenge hosted at Good Books and Good Wine and it sounded kind of fun.

 

 

Day 15 Post

 

Who are your book blogging mentors?

 

I never really had a mentor when I started blogging, and don't really think I have one yet.  I have been kind of stumbling my way through this on my own for the past 3 years. Granted I have seen things on various blogs that I have realized I need, like a unique rating system or a review format.  I have to say though Parajunkee always has some great advise on her blog that I have read and at times implemented on my own blog. Other than looking at other blogs and tweaking mine where I see it needs some work, I have pretty much been on my own.  I envy those who have someone they can regularly bounce ideas off or get advice from, but I don't mind figuring it out on my own, it just makes it all the more personal for me.

15 Day Book Blogger Challenge - Day 14

So while browsing the blogs I follow (mind you I am crazy behind on checking everyone's blogs out) I cam across this challenge hosted at Good Books and Good Wine and it sounded kind of fun.

 

 

Day 14 Post

 

Tell us your deal breakers.

 

It is very hard to break a deal for me, I am one of those readers who still has a very hard time putting a book down even when it is horrible.  I am getting better about it though, coming to the realization that I only have so much time to read and will only be able to read so many books. There are a few things that really make me put the breaks on; weak characters, if the characters don't have a solid personality and are constantly changing who they are I can't stand it; repeated plot lines, if it is the same story I read in the previous book by the author with only slightly different characters and setting, it makes me want to bash them over the head with their own book; repeatedly misusing a word, I understand that we all make mistakes but when you are constantly using reins when you should be using reigns it will eventually blow a blood vessel in my head.

 

So those are the things that I have come across so far that have made me put a book down without finishing it. So please know your characters really well before putting their story out there (and stick to who they are), come up with a unique story for each of the books in the series, and edit, edit, edit!!

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

 

Blood in the Valley by J. K. Hogan
Pajama Time (Bedtime Story)
Fables Vol. 2: Animal Farm (Graphic Novel)

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

None :(
 

Currently Reading:

Dark Chatter by Andrew Branch - Kindle - 5%
Halo by Alexandra Adornetto - Audio - Chapter 5 of 33
Rory by Ciye Cho - Kindle - 64%


 Books to be Read Soon:

 

Ugly Beautiful by Seanpaul Thomas (Requested Review)
Along for the Ride by Sarah Dressen (Mental Illness Advocacy Challenge)
The Rockin' Chair by Steven Manchester (Requested Review)

 



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So much for my plan to get some reading done while company occupied the Munchkin! I don't even know what I have been doing all week, other than a wedding on Saturday and a christening on Sunday! I did go through some pictures of Munchkin last night and I can't believe how much he has grown, I am working on planning his first birthday already!

So there you have it, been a slow yet busy week for me last week. Hopefully this week will pick up again!

Have a great week everyone!

15 Day Book Blogger Challenge - Day 13

So while browsing the blogs I follow (mind you I am crazy behind on checking everyone's blogs out) I cam across this challenge hosted at Good Books and Good Wine and it sounded kind of fun.

 

 

Day 13 Post

 

Describe one under appreciated book Everyone should read.

 

Good gordy, some difficult questions on this list.  It is really hard to say what book everyone should read since we all have our own reading styles and preferred genres.  In general I would say everyone needs to read something outside their preferred genres at least once a year. You never know what you will find! Last year I discovered the Graphic Novels. This year I was sent a young adult mystery romance and have discovered that I might just love mysteries!

 

But if I am forced to pick one book, I have to go with my favorite, Fire by Kristin Cashore.  I think everyone who reads it gets something different out of the book.  I think it is a beautifully written fantasy book. It has an unusual world full of danger and beauty. The characters are so deep and real, and most importantly they are consistent and solid. The story line contains so very dark and at times controversial topics but I think it might be necessary to develop such an amazing story.