Graphic Novel Review of Lumberjanes Vol. 1: Beware the Kitten Holy by Noelle Stevenson

Read for: Graphic Novel Challenge

 

Synopsis: "At Miss Qiunzilla Thiskwin Penniquiqul Thistle Crumpet's camp for hard-core lady-types, things are not what they seem. Three-eyed foxes. Secret caves. Anagrams. Luckily, Jo, April, Mal, Molly, and Ripley are five rad, butt-kicking best pals determined to have an awesome summer together... And they're not gonna let a magical quest or an array of supernatural critters get in their way! The mystery keeps getting bigger, and it all begins here."

My Review: I have been hearing about and seeing this GN everywhere lately, so I thought I would give it a try. It is rather confusing from the start, you are kind of dropped into the middle of things and it really is difficult to work out backstory and characters (I honestly still am not sure as to the main character names or who is who). Once you get past that it is really a fun little story, it is like a play on girl scout camp in the extreme with some paranormal type things happening. It really was fun and easy to connect to the story, I will definitely be reading the next volume and see where this one goes.  

 

My Rating: This was an interesting graphic novel, I don't think it quite holds up to a lot of the hype but it is maybe worth checking out the next one to see if questions are cleared up.  I give it a rating of Three Paws.

 

 

Bedtime Story: Paw Patrol - The Itty-Bitty Kitty Rescue

Read For: Children's Book Challenge & Munchkin Loves Paw Patrol

 

Synopsis: "Nickelodeon's PAW Patrol comes to the rescue of a danger-prone kitten in this adorable Little Golden Book that's sure to thrill children ages 3-7."

My Review: Like many other houses with preschoolers, Paw Patrol is a big deal in our home. This was an obvious go to for Munchkin. While it copies one of the TV episodes, it is still a fun read and one Munchkin rather enjoyed too. Also, my niece who doesn't have TV and is nearly the same age found it to be her favorite book on our visit. We enjoyed this one again and again both with the Kitty's antics and of course Marshall's clumsy moments.

 

My Rating: While this book will seem familiar to those families already watching the TV show, it is still a fun and cute book to enjoy.  We give it a rating of Three Paws.

 

 

 

Good Night! Sweet Dreams!

Beginning Reader Review of Pete the Cat: Pete at the Beach by James Dean

Read for: Early Reader Challenge & Munchkin starts swim lessons

 

Synopsis: "Pete and his mom and brother go to the beach! Pete has lots of fun collecting shells and building a sand castle. But he's very, very hot . . . and he isn't sure he wants to go in the water. The water looks scary! When his brother Bob offers to give him a surfing lesson, will Pete give it a try?

Rock and roll with Pete in this brand-new story about everyone's favorite groovy cat, perfect for beginning readers!"

My Review: Munchkin is a big fan of Pete the Cat and so we had to pick this book up. This is a great book for kids who are just starting to read, it has several sight words as well as new easy words to read. Of course it also has the favorite character Pete the Cat and a message about trying new things even if they are scary at first. This was a great way to start easing Munchkin into the idea of swimming.

 

My Rating: This was a great book for not only learning new words and beginning to read but also to encourage those reluctant swimmers.  We give this one a rating of Four Paws!

After Dark Review of More Than Rum by Christine DePetrillo (Spoilers)

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 ;)

 

 

Before you read any further, there will be SPOILERS in this Review.  I was unable to fully express my opinion on this book without them.  So if you haven't read this book and plan to please stop here.

 

Read for: Mount TBR Print & RI Author

 

 

            Synopsis: "Book Three in The Maple Leaf Series

Web designer Hope Stannard has watched her cousin and her sister fall madly in love. She’s waited patiently for her turn to roll around, but her last boyfriend broke up with her via text message and the new guy she’s interested in disappeared on her for months with no explanation. Perhaps it’s time to throw in the towel, be content living with her Dalmatian puppy and her mother, and accept the official title of Unmarriable Old Maid.

Ex-Marine Adam Rouse fills his days with lumberjacking and building furniture. His nights are spent wide awake as he relives a raid in Afghanistan gone wrong. He emerged as the sole survivor, but questions why. Certainly other members of this team were more worthy of living than him. Deciding that bartending at night would be a better use of his time than battling insomnia, Adam applies at Black Wolf Tavern, the only place to hang out in small-town Danton, Vermont. He couldn’t drown his own troubles in rum, but maybe he can help others do so.

When Hope is attacked just outside the tavern, Adam comes to her aid, and the frosty winter temperatures can’t cool the heat that’s always been between them. Can Hope scale Adam’s fortress walls? Can Adam believe he is worthy of a woman like Hope? Will they rescue each other?"

SPOILERS BEGINNING HERE, STOP READING IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BE SPOILED.

My Review: I originally found this series at a local author event, and I have been really enjoying the series so far. The characters are always fun and quirky and even the sub-characters are fully developed. I did enjoy this book quite a bit but I have been having a little bit of an issue as to how Adam's PTSD was handled. I have no problem with a little fudging on timelines to fit things into the time of a book but I do have an issue with how his symptoms were nearly resolved with spending time with Hope especially considering the traumatic events that take place throughout this book. I am certainly no expert, nor a sufferer, but it seems to me that these events would be more of a trigger. Yes things did come up again at the end of the book but it really seemed like an after thought, like oh yeah he can't be suddenly better, let's make sure his symptoms do show at least a little. I don't know it doesn't really effect the enjoyment of the book but it really bugged me the way it was handled, to go from severe symptoms, to no symptoms and back to a few issues.

 

My Rating: I obviously had very strong opinions on how the PTSD aspect was handled in this book but besides that part of the story I still really enjoyed the book. I will also continue reading this series. I give this one a rating of Two Paws and a Stump Wag.

Pen to Paper: What I Have Learned - Pens

 

 

So a couple of weeks ago I had posted about what I have learned in the past year of letter writing about where to find Pen Pals (Post HERE) so this week I wanted to share a little bit about what pens I have found best for writing. Before I would just use whatever pen I found but the more and more I wrote the more I wanted just the right pen and I also loved writing with colored inks.  So here are some of my favorites that I have found.

 

 

Fountain Pens

I only recently discovered fountain pens and have really enjoyed playing with them.  The problem I discovered was that the ink would bleed through most papers and the paper that was fountain pen friendly didn't have the cute images on it. But I finally found an Etsy shop called Kind Words Stationery that makes beautiful stationery on fountain pen friendly paper!  Anyway I now love using all the fun papers and inks with my fountain pens (though my handwriting still needs a lot of help)!

 

 

Felt Tip/Marker Pens

I have been using two different brands of felt tip pens, LePen and Stabilo.  Both are great pens and come in a wide variety of colors. They have nice very fine point tips too.  I tend to lean more towards the LePen because I like the way they feel in my hand better, I am not a huge fan of the shape of Stabilo pens. I have noticed that some times I get to writing too fast for the LePen ink though and it starts writing dry and I have to wait for the tip to re-ink itself before continuing, I haven't had this problem yet with the Stabilo.

 

So here is a little picture comparison of them for you

Le Pen

Stabilo

Stabilo to LePen tip comparison

 

 

 

 

Pens I Don't Use

 

 So the pens that I don't find myself using for letter writing are Ball Point and Gel Pens.  I do love Ball Point pens and that is almost what I use exclusively at work, but I have found it isn't really great for writing long letters.  I found that if I have more than one letter to write or more than 4 pages, my hand would start cramping and hurting.  With the Gel Pens I really enjoyed writing with them, it solved the problem of hand cramps as the ink went on so smooth but I had a problem with the ink smearing.  I will still use both for short letters or little notes but I have moved away from either one.  I also don't use pencils since I have found that the lead will fade over time and can sometimes be difficult to read.

 

 

 

 

So there you have the pens that I like to use when writing letters. Do you have a specific pen or style that you like to use?



Favorite Reads of 2016 So Far

So I was going to add this to my challenge update but I really felt the need to gush and that post was already long enough with all the books I have already read this year. 

I have read some truly outstanding books so far this year but I will just list some that really are continuing to stand out in my mind in the midst of the over 200 I have read so far this year.

 

 

Probably the top book so far of the year goes to one of my local authors

There Was a Fire by Nancy Roy

I cannot rave about this book enough, it was dark and beautiful and hopeful and emotional.  I have handed my copy out to 4 different people now and every one of them has had the same reaction when I talked to them after reading it, "That Book! That Ending! That Book!" and all I can say is I know! If you want to read it and can't find it near you let me know and I will find a copy locally.

 

 

Another top book I just finished recently and that is

Pages of the Mind by Jeffe Kennedy

This was a book I requested on Netgalley not realizing it was the start of a new series within a series, but the fact that it was book 4 in the whole arc didn't dampen my enjoyment of the book at all! I am now desperate for more of Jeffe Kennedy's books.

 

 

One of my most surprising reads this year was

  

 

The Selection Series by Kiera Cass

I went into this not expecting to really enjoy it that much as I have been kind of burnt out on the whole teen girl drama, love triangle thing but for some reason this series completely sucked me in, to the point that I consumed the entire series (except for the final book that only recently was released) in less than a week!

 

 

A book that ended up being a fantastic surprise find was

Gone Fishing: A Novel in Verse by Tamera Will Wissinger

This was a book I just randomly picked up at a used bookstore but when I finally read it for Children's Book Week I found what an amazing book I found.  The story is cohesive yet each page or section is written in a different poetry style. Then at the end it gives explanation of the types, some poetry rules and techniques as well as further reading suggestions.

 

 

A book that I am kicking myself for not reading sooner was

Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes by Eleanor Coerr

The impact this book has is profound. While the book is rather sad it still holds a beautiful message of hope. And while it talks about the bombing of Hiroshima, it doesn't hold the bitterness and blame I have seen in other books told from this viewpoint.

 

 

I have already read several Graphic Novels so far this year but the best is

Dogs of War by Sheila Keenan

I have never before been emotionally effected by a graphic novel, connected yes but never so full effected to the point of tears. This tells three stories of dogs used during various wars the US was involved in and their handlers. What I enjoyed about this book was that these weren't the tales you commonly hear and they all show the heroics and loyalty of those dogs and the difference they made for their handlers.

 

 

Munchkin also has a favorite story so far too.

A Big Guy Took My Ball by Mo Willems

I can't believe we waited so long to read these books! They are short, fun, easy and teach a lesson all at once. I can't tell you how many times I have read this book to Munchkin, I have gotten to the point where I have even created voices for the characters.

 

 

 

So there are some of the books that have really stood out to me so far this year.  There are several other Four Paw and Stump Wag books too but these are the best of the best in my opinion.  What have been your favorite books so far this year? Have you read any of these? Did you love them like I did or not so much?

 

 



2nd Quarter 2016 Challenge Update

Wow, how did we get to the middle of the year already?! It has been a busy year and it is only going to get busier throughout the rest of it.  I have actually been doing really well on my challenges and have read some absolutely fantastic books so far this year.  So here is my update of all my challenges.

 

 

Children's Book Challenge

 My goal is to read at least 60 but no more than 80 Children's books this year. I think I am keeping this one under control pretty good so far, I am right on track for the half way point.

 1. Snowballs
2. Sneezy the Snowman
3. The Little Snowplow
4. Curious George Makes Maple Syrup
5. Just a Snowman
6. A Magical Snowman
7. Hug Machine
8. Pup, Pup and Away
9. Monday is One Day
10. What Pet Should I Get?
11. Clifford's Spring Clean Up
12. I'm Not Sleepy
13. Curious George Plants a Tree
14. Little Cloud
15. Red: A Crayon's Story
16. The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs
17. The Secret Pizza Party
18. A Big Guy Took My Ball
19. The Adventures of Beekle
20. Star Wars: A New Hope (with Audio CD)
21. I am Helping
22. If you Give a Dog a Donut
23. The Storm
24. How Rocket Learned to Read
25. I Wish You More
26. Star Wars; The Empire Strikes Back (with Audio CD)
27. Dragons Love Tacos
28. The Grumble Bee
29. Interrupting Chicken
30. Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (with Audio CD)
31. Star Wars: The Force Awakens
32. Let's Go for a Drive
33. Itty Bitty Kitty Rescue
34. Goodnight Loon
35. Curious George Takes a Train
36. Up On Daddy's Shoulders
37. The Fire Engine Book


Early Reader Challenge

 My goal for this year is to read 60 books. Again, I have kept this one under control and looking just right for the halfway point.

1. Smash Trash
2. Hello, Olaf!
3. Just a Little Sick
4. Plane Pals
5. Splat the Cat: Blow, Snow, Blow
6. Rubble to the Rescue
7. Rocket's 100th Day of School
8. Mama Loves
9. Run, Remy, Run!
10. How to Help the Earth By the Lorax
11. The Berenstain Bears Clean House
12. Pete the Cat and the Bad Banana
13. Ewoks Join the Fight
14. Zeg and the Egg
15. Pit Crew Pups
16. The Foolish Tortoise
17. Go to the Moon
18. Clifford Sees America
19. Nat. Geo. Kids Owls
20. Pete at the Beach
21. Can You See What I See? Nature
22. The Ice Cream Shop
23. Paul Bunyan: My Story
24. Flying High
25. Learn About the Weather: Sun
26. Star Wars: Feel the Force
27. Bees and Wasps
28. Best Dad in the Sea
29. Flip Flop!
30. Clifford: Camping Out
31. Picnic


Graphic Novel Challenge

 My goal is to read 26 this year. I haven't been reading as many GN as I usually do, but that is okay as I am still right on track.

1. Korgi Vol. 3: A Hollow Beginning
2. How Mirka Got Her Sword
3. Morning Glories Vol. 1: For a Better Future
4. Winterworld Vol. 1: La Nina
5. Redhood and the Outlaws Vol. 1: Redemption
6. Rapunzel's Revenge
7. Angela Asgard's Assassin: Vol. 1: Priceless
8. Good Night Darth Vader
9. Apollo: The Brilliant One
10. Dogs of War
11. The Lion
12. The Lumberjanes Vol. 1 Beware the Kitten Holy
13. The New York Four



Audio Book Challenge I intend to listen to 24 audiobooks this year. I have gotten way ahead on this challenge, not that it is a problem. I really am enjoying audio books more and more, to the point that I barely listen to music or watch TV anymore.
1. The Selection
2. The Elite
3. The One
4. The Heir
5. Dante's Fire
6. When We Where Very Young (Winnie the Pooh #3)
7. The Madness of Lord Ian MacKenzie
8. Mary Poppins
9. The Handmaid's Tale
10. Marked
11. Now We are Six
12. Anathema
13. Princess in Pink
14. Princess in Training
15. The Crown
16. Party Princess
17. The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood
18. The Vacationers
19. Princess one the Brink
20. Princess Mia


 

Series Challenge  I have several series in my TBR pile so I plan to read (and re-read the early books if I had started the series) 5 full series. I have been doing really well on this Challenge, though I haven't exactly been reading the series I had expected to read.  I am very nearly done with Princess Diaries (THANK GOODNESS), only 2 books left in the Tales of the Kingdom, and 1 book left in the Beasts of Olympus so there is no doubt I will be finishing those series and completing the challenge with no problems!
1. Nine Kingdoms by Lynn Kurland - Book 1 (re-read)

2. The Hound Saga by Mette Ivie Harrison - Book 1,

3. Deadly Liasons by Leigh Wilder - Book 1, Book 2, Book 3, Book 4 - COMPLETE

4. The Selection by Kiera Cass - Book .1, Book .2, Book 1, Book 2, Book 2.1, Book 2.2, Book 3,  Book 4, Book 5 - COMPLETE

5. Heart Mates by Robin D. Owens -

6. Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot - Book 1, Book 2, Book 3, Book 4, Book 4.1, Book 4.2, Book 5, Book 6, Book 6.5, Book 7, Book 7.5, Book 7.75, Book 8, Book 9

7. Compass Girls by Mari Carr - Book 1, Book 2, Book 3, Book 4 - COMPLETE

8. Magic Tree House by Mary Pope Osborn -  Book 1 (re-read), Book 2, Book 3, Book 4, Book 5, Book 6, Book 7, Book 8, Book 9, Book 10, Book 11, Book 12, Book 13, Book 14, Book 15, Book 16, Book 17, Book 18, Book 19, Book 20, Book 21, Book 22

9. Tales of the Kingdom -  Book 1, Book 2

10. Beasts of Olympus - Book 1, Book 2, Book 3, Book 4



Mount TBR  This year I thought I would split my TBR in half to make sure I read both print and ebooks. So my goal is to read at least 50 print books and 50 ebooks off my TBR pile. I think I am still relatively on track with this challenge though I see things slowing down in the future.


Digital TBR
1. Drain Me Dry
2. Addicted to the Bite
3. The Queen
4. The Prince
5. Club Midnight
6. Bloodlines
7. The Guard
8. The Favorite
9. A Collector of Affections
10. Winters Thaw
11. Hope Springs
12. Summer Fling
13. Falling Softly
14. Blue Sky Days
15. The Street or Me
16. A Tale of Two Dragons
17. His Wicked Games
18. Truth or Dare
19. Sweet Victory
20. Sworn to Raise
21. One Night of Sin
22. Sworn to Transfer
23. Sworn to Conflict
24. Playing for Keeps
25. Night after Night




Print TBR
1. The Ice Dragon
2. Collecting Seashells by the Seashore
3. The Princess Diaries
4. The Beast Within
5. What is the Super Bowl?
6. Princess in the Spotlight
7. Announcing the Thaw
8. Into Your Light
9. A Cat Named Dog & A Dog Named Cat
10. The Ferry Home
11. Princess in Love
12. Magic & Melee
13. Princess in Waiting
14. Vorn the Onyx
15. More than Cookies
16. GI Cowboy
17. There Was a Fire
18. Esio Trot
19. Star Wars: Jedi Academy
20. Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes
21. The Princess and the Hound
22. The Tale of Gwyn
23. Etiquette and Espionage
24. More than Rum
25. Gone Fishing
26. Tale of Birle



Rhode Island Authors My goal is to have at least 15 books. I had a really outstanding RI Author month in April.  I am now looking ahead to next year's event!
1. Ducky Ducky Likes to Moo
2. Hippo Hippo's Cranky Day
3. Collecting Seashells by the Seashore
4. A Collector of Affections
5. Lolly's Picnic
6. Announcing the Thaw
7. Edgar Graduates
8. Into Your Light
9. A Cat Named Dog & A Dog Named Cat
10. Ferry Home
11. The Street or Me
12. Magic and Melee
13. Vorn the Onyx
14. There was a Fire
15. More than Cookies
16. Waking the Merrow
17. One Night with You
18. More than Rum
19. Fishing In Narragansett Bay
20. Flight over Newport

 

 

Requested Reviews:  I will be accepting only 15-20 reviews sent by authors (please be sure to check my policy page before sending a request) and I will read/ request no more than 17 books on Netgalley.  I have been keeping this relatively under control as well though I do have many more authors to email back.

 

Netgalley:
1. The Face in the Mountain
2. Gwendolyn's Sword
3. Night Study
4.The Storm
5. The Lion
6. Let It Out
7. The Pages of the Mind


Direct Requests:
1. The Changing Season
2. Trina Bell's Humming Summer
3. One of A Kind Cat Book
4. A Life With You
5. Mabel Crowley Book One
6. Horsefeathers
7. Random
8. The Fairy Boy of Calton Hill



After Dark Challenge Now I wasn't sure if I was going to do this challenge or not but I have a bunch of books on my list for this year so I decided to keep track of them as well.  My goal is to read 25 this year.  And of course since I wasn't planning on doing this challenge I ended up reading a ton of these books!
 

1. Drain Me Dry
2. Addicted to the Bite
3. Club Midnight
4. Bloodlines
5. Winters Thaw
6. Hope Springs
7. Summer Fling
8. Falling Softly
9. Hearts in Darkness
10. Love in the Light
11. Marked
12. One Night with You
13. A Tale of Two Dragons
14. His Wicked Games
15. Truth or Dare
16. Sweet Victory
17. One Night of Sin
18. Sinner
19. Playing for Keeps
20. Night after Night
21. Foerver in the Light
22. Only, Always, Forever


 

Goodreads Challenge I set my goal at 325 this year with no intention of changing it as I have had to do in years past.  So far I am at 210 books this year, I do have a couple more reviews to post tomorrow.

Goodreads Challenge Page

 

 

 

 

So there you have my challenge update for the halfway point of the year.  I think I am actually doing surprisingly well and am on track in all aspects!  How are your challenges coming along so far?

 

Oh and stay tuned because later today I will have a post about my favorite books so far this year and would love if you could come by and tell me about some of yours.

Tea Time: Iced Tea Brewed Two Ways

This is a new series of blog posts to share my love of tea and some discoveries I am making as I dive more into that love. (And honestly, what goes better with books than a nice cup of tea?)

 

 

Welcome back to Tea Time Tuesday.  I have been really enjoying refreshing iced tea in these hot days we have now.  I thought I would share a little bit I have learned so far about brewing your own iced tea today.

 

First method is Sun Tea. I remember my mom making sun tea when I was a kid (she had a glass pitcher that hand orange slices painted all over it).  I have never made sun tea myself but really wanted to try.  So I went out and bought myself a nice 1 gallon glass pitcher (even though the darn thing started leaking before I even finished drinking my first batch of tea).  I filled it about 2/3s of the way up because I wanted room to add ice and chill it quickly.  I then added 10 regular Lipton tea bags and put it out on the deck in sunshine for 3.5 hours.  I then filled it the rest of the way with ice cubes and added just a splash of simple syrup for a touch of sweetness.  I really enjoyed it as did a friend of my Hubby's who came by for a BBQ that day.

 

 

While I was looking at different ways to enjoy iced tea, I came across a post about making it using a cold brewing method. So I thought I would give it a try.  I had to use my old 1/2 gallon pitcher since my new one is leaking.  I filled the pitcher with cool filtered water and added 5 bags of Green Tea and let it sit.  From what I read this brewing process usually takes 24 hours or so but because I used a lighter flavored tea I left the tea bags in for nearly 48 hours.  It is still a little weak in flavor so I would maybe hold off on adding much ice or I would use a stronger tea next time.

 

 

 

How are you enjoying your iced tea? Is there a method you like to use for brewing your own?

 



Review of Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld

 

 

Synopsis: "Curtis Sittenfeld’s debut novel, Prep, is an insightful, achingly funny coming-of-age story as well as a brilliant dissection of class, race, and gender in a hothouse of adolescent angst and ambition.

Lee Fiora is an intelligent, observant fourteen-year-old when her father drops her off in front of her dorm at the prestigious Ault School in Massachusetts. She leaves her animated, affectionate family in South Bend, Indiana, at least in part because of the boarding school’s glossy brochure, in which boys in sweaters chat in front of old brick buildings, girls in kilts hold lacrosse sticks on pristinely mown athletic fields, and everyone sings hymns in chapel.

As Lee soon learns, Ault is a cloistered world of jaded, attractive teenagers who spend summers on Nantucket and speak in their own clever shorthand. Both intimidated and fascinated by her classmates, Lee becomes a shrewd observer of–and, ultimately, a participant in–their rituals and mores. As a scholarship student, she constantly feels like an outsider and is both drawn to and repelled by other loners. By the time she’s a senior, Lee has created a hard-won place for herself at Ault. But when her behavior takes a self-destructive and highly public turn, her carefully crafted identity within the community is shattered.

Ultimately, Lee’s experiences–complicated relationships with teachers; intense friendships with other girls; an all-consuming preoccupation with a classmate who is less than a boyfriend and more than a crush; conflicts with her parents, from whom Lee feels increasingly distant, coalesce into a singular portrait of the painful and thrilling adolescence universal to us all."

My Review: I picked up this book because Curtis was coming to a local book event and I wanted to be at least familiar with one of her books. This was a much longer book than I was expecting and the pacing was extremely slow. It did have some really good moments but for the most part it was just too slow for me. I enjoyed the Assassin chapter, it sounded really fun. I really did think that I would find a little bit of connection with this story moving from small town out west/mid-west to the east coast, and while some of Lee's observations were the same, the way they were presented fell a little flat. It is clear to me that Lee developed some social anxiety issues but it was never really acknowledged or resolved throughout the book. Anyway, this book would appeal more to lovers of contemporary, for a person who prefers fantasy and only dabbles in contemporary a little it just didn't capture me.

 

My Rating: This was such a dull book for me, it was long and very slow paced.  There are some interesting observations and interactions between characters but there really isn't a lot that happens or that moves the plot along other than the passage of time itself.  I give it a rating of One Paw and a Stump Wag.

Magic Tree House Monday: Book 21 - Civil War on Sunday

Welcome to Magic Tree House Monday!

Each Monday (other than when special events are planned) I will review one book of the Magic Tree House Series by Mary Pope Osborne.

 

Book 21 kicks off the next small set of four adventures that Jack and Annie take in the Magic Tree House, all of which appear to be historical events that take place in the US. In this book Jack and Annie find themselves in the midst of a battle during the Civil War, they must face their fears to aid the nurses working diligently on the wounded. They also learn that all history isn't just history, it effects us even today.

 

 

 

My Review: I think these history adventures that Jack and Annie embark on might be my favorites. While the traveled back to the Civil War, Osborne kept them to the background events of history instead of things young readers will learn about in school. I really liked this approach, readers will not only be reading but also learning a little bit more about history and added problem solving and good deeds at the same time.  

 

My Rating: This was one of the best ones in the series so far! I give it a rating of Four Paws 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

 

 Books Finished Last Week:

Reviews will be posted at a later date

Princess on the Brink = 3pts
Princess Mia = 3pts
The New York Four = 3pts
The Lumberjanes Vol. 1 = 3pts
Civil War on Sunday = 5pts
Up on Daddy's Shoulders = 1pt
Flip Flop = 1pt
Three = 3pts

 

Currently Reading:

Dragon Dreams by Dusty Lynn Holloway - Kindle - on page 18 of 420


 Books to be Read Soon:

 

Total Points Earned
   93 points + 22 points earned = 115 points

Total Points Earned this Year: 714
Total Points Spent this Year: 609

Pages Read/ Time Listened
134:22 Hours Listened ( 11:55 listened this week)
24,449 Pages Read (614 this week)

Books Added to Shelves




Interesting Tidbits on the Web:



 



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Sorry for the again delay, I guess maybe I am getting burned out on this busy posting schedule.  I will try to get caught up again.  But anyway it was another crazy week last week.  Wednesday Night I went to a book event called Summer Reading with Robin. Robin has a local book radio station that is also available on ITunes I guess, and she has an event each summer where she invites some top authors to come have a panel and do some signings.  This is my second year going to this event, the location is beautiful, right on the water, the food and beverages are delicious and the author panel is always fun.  Anyway, I will try to get a post up about the event sometime soon. 

Also this week my little Munchkin graduated preschool! I must admit I did get a tiny bit choked up.  The class did a little skit which was super cute and Munchkin played his part so well.

 

Then on Saturday, Hubby and I finally got to celebrate our 9th anniversary.  My in-laws came to the house to watch Munchkin and we took the motorcycle out. I haven't gotten to go on a ride in over 5 years, so it was so wonderful, though I am rather sore after putting in 120 miles!

 

So there you have it, a little update on the chaos of our house lately (at least some of it) and now I must get back to work because it is totally insane here today!