Children’s Books – Mini Reviews:

Here are three books I got for my 6 year old son at the Hawaii Book and Music. We enjoyed all of them. 😄

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Boy From The Dragon Palace

Author: Margaret Read MacDonald

Illustrator: Sachiko Yoshikawa

Format: Paperback

Pages: 32

Categories: Japanese Folklore, Wishes

Book Blurb:

One day, a poor flower seller drops his leftover flowers into the sea as a gift for the Dragon King. What does he get in return? A little snot-nosed boy—with the power to grant wishes! Soon the flower seller is rich, but what will happen if he forgets the meaning of “thank you?”

MY REVIEW

I picked up the paperback, autographed copy of this book at a recent book festival. I love the cover and thought it would be perfect for my 6 year old son. We read it together and we laughed a lot. It’s a retelling of a Japanese folktale about a boy who would blow his nose and basically grant wishes. A snotty nosed genie! 😂 The illustrations are very beautiful and the lessons taught in the story are about greed and being ungrateful. My son and I loved this book!

Get it here: Amazon

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My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Title: Bye, Bye, Big!

Author: Margaret Read MacDonald & Gerald Fierst

Illustrator: Kitty Harvill

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 36

Categories: Animals, Circle of Life

Book Blurb:

BIG BIG Frog snaps up little little mosquito. But BIG BIG snake snaps up little little frog. And so the chain continues…until BIG BIG man is zapped by little little mosquito. BIG print and easy to read text, fun to read aloud or to pour over on your own. Kitty Harvill’s bright papercuts leap off the page.

MY REVIEW

I got the autographed copy of this hard cover version at a book festival and what caught me eye was the colorful cover. Also, I wanted a book my son would have fun reading by himself. This is simply worded and repetitive enough that he wouldn’t find it too challenging to read. He also loves animals, so this was perfect for him. I read it to my 2 year old daughter and she actually told me to stop it. I think because the animals were getting eaten by the bigger one, similar to There Was An Old Woman Who Swallowed A Fly. She was scared for the animals, I think. But when I read it to my son again, she listened and actually laughed this time. The illustrations are nice and big!

Get it here: Amazon

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My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Look Inside Space

Author: Rob Lloyd Jones

Format: Hard Cover

Pages: 14

Categories: Space

Book Blurb:

This is a great fun flap book packed with interesting information about space, and the amazing things that float through it – stars, moons, comets, and the planets of our solar system. Each double-page spread has a stunning colour illustration, and several flaps to lift to find out more about what’s going on in the scene – such as what goes inside the International Space Station, how astronauts visited the Moon and what they did there, as well as the history of astronomy, from Galileo to the Hubble Space Telescope.

MY REVIEW

Another book festival find at the Usborne books tent – my son is into all things space, so I had to get this book for him. It was flaps in the book which makes it a but more interactive. We went through this book together and I learned some things as well! We loved the illustrations and facts about planets, black holes and more. It’s a great book for kids who are interested about space!

Get it here: Amazon

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Book Review: What The Woods Keep

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Author: Kataya De Becerra

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 365

Categories: Mystery, Psychology, Physics, Dark Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Mythology

Book Blurb:

On her eighteenth birthday, Hayden inherits her childhood home—on the condition that she uncover its dark secrets.

Hayden tried to put the past behind her, and it worked. She’s getting ready for college, living in a Brooklyn apartment, and hanging out with her best friend and roommate Del. But now it’s all catching up with her: her mother’s mysterious disappearance a decade before, her father’s outlandish theories about a lost supernatural race, and Hayden’s own dark dreams of strange symbols and rituals in the Colorado woods where she grew up.

As soon as Hayden arrives at her hometown, her friend Del in tow, it begins: Neighbors whisper secrets about Hayden’s mother; the boy next door is now all grown-up in a very distracting way; and Hayden feels the trees calling to her. And among them, deep in the woods, Hayden will discover something incredible—something that threatens reality itself.

MY REVIEW

This is one of those books where I borrowed it because of it’s lovely cover. The book blurb sounded interesting but I didn’t quite know what to expect.

What The Woods Keep, follows Hayden, who just turned eighteen and inherits her mother’s home in Promise, Colorado. Hayden has a quite a past: a childhood in Promise with memories of these dark woods, her mother disappearing, her dad who is a physicist but obsessed with Nibelungs. And yes I had to google Nibelungs to see if they were a real thing and they definitely are a thing, a thing of legend and lore.

This story is different and I was drawn into Hayden’s psychosis. She has dreams that haunt her, she’s a warrior on a horse. Hayden’s past also revolves on an incident of unexplained violence at her school – her counseling sessions are presented to us in the book like evidence.

When she goes to Promise with her best friend Del, more strange things start to happen. The people in town have eyes like her, one color different than the other. The woods around them are creepy and a white raven is constantly watching her. Plus there is a facility called Blue Haven Research Institute in Promise with security guards. What is going on? I kept reading to find out, so this book definitely kept me engaged.

This book is hard to categorize. It’s a mashup of sci-fi, fantasy, and mystery. I really loved how most chapters started off with some scientific tidbit on physics or psychology. And some parts were creepy too whenever it was about the woods. What is in these woods? What did Hayden’s mom do there? How did she die or disappear? Are the Nibelungs real? The story moved along quickly for me. I loved all the extra things in this book like Hayden’s case files, newspaper clippings and her mother’s hand written notes.

The only thing that didn’t grab me was the romance between Hayden and her old childhood friend Shannon. It happens a bit quick after they reunite but I guess I can surmise the feelings were always there because they grew up so close together.

Overall, this was a pleasantly surprising fun book to read! It is a really good debut from this author. I look forward to seeing what she writes in the future.

Get it here: Amazon

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Book Review: Storm and Fury (The Harbinger, #1)

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Format: E-book

Pages: 507

Publication Date: June 11, 2019

Categories: Urban Fantasy, Supernatural, Romance, Young Adult

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Book Blurb:

Eighteen-year-old Trinity Marrow may be going blind, but she can see and communicate with ghosts and spirits. Her unique gift is part of a secret so dangerous that she’s been in hiding for years in an isolated compound fiercely guarded by Wardens—gargoyle shape-shifters who protect humankind from demons. If the demons discover the truth about Trinity, they’ll devour her, flesh and bone, to enhance their own powers.

When Wardens from another clan arrive with disturbing reports that something out there is killing both demons and Wardens, Trinity’s safe world implodes. Not the least because one of the outsiders is the most annoying and fascinating person she’s ever met. Zayne has secrets of his own that will upend her world yet again—but working together becomes imperative once demons breach the compound and Trinity’s secret comes to light. To save her family and maybe the world, she’ll have to put her trust in Zayne. But all bets are off as a supernatural war is unleashed…

MY REVIEW

Thank you Harlequin TEEN and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this free e-arc for an honest review.

I’ve read a few books by Jennifer L. Armentrout and really enjoy them but I did not read the The Dark Elements series. Maybe I should have because Storm and Fury is a spin-off from that series.

With that said, I struggled a little with this one.

Trinity Marrow is special. She is half human, half something else, and that “something” is very powerful. Trinity lives in a regional seat of the Wardens somewhere bordering West Virginia and Maryland. Wardens are human looking but when they need to fight and protect, they shift into their true forms: gargoyles. I thought that was really cool and different. They protect the world against demons and all things evil.

I really liked getting to know Trinity because she’s quirky, tough, spunky and skilled in combat. She can also see spirits and ghosts. Peanut, is a ghost that lingers around her and he is pretty funny. Trinity is also very impulsive and wants to help kick demon butt, but the Wardens need to keep her safe. Thing is she’s always getting into trouble or trouble seems to find her.

Zayne is a Warden with a past, apparently all of which can be read in The Dark Elements series! 🤦🏻‍♀️ He’s a gorgeous, strong Warden and he and Trinity have sparks right away. It’s all good until it kept getting a bit repetitive. At first I enjoyed their dialogue, but I felt like it could have moved along quicker.

Once Trinity and Zayne leave West Virginia is when the action and romance really picks up. This happens all in the second half of the book which is my favorite part. The sparks really ignite between them but also it’s all very complicated because of Zayne’s past. And then the ending was a surprising twist that left me sad. Also it reveals some things about Zayne and Trinity that didn’t leave me feeling satisfied about the outcome (trying not to mention any spoilers here).

For me, the second half was the best part of the book and a lot of the first half could’ve been trimmed. Also, I thought the 80’s pop cultural references were funny but because that’s my childhood and I got it. It’s why I adored Peanut. ☺️ I think fans of the Dark Elements series will love this one but it was just an okay read for me.

Get it here: Amazon

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Book Review: The Bluestocking (Wicked Wallflowers, #4)

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Author: Christi Caldwell

Format: E-book

Pages: 348

Categories: Historical Romance

Book Blurb:

Gertrude, the eldest Killoran sister, has spent a lifetime being underestimated—especially by her own family. She may seem as vulnerable as a kitten, but given the chance, she can be as fierce as a tiger. Her adopted brother, Stephen, has just been snatched back by his true father, and she’ll be damned if she relinquishes the boy to the man reviled throughout London as the Mad Marquess.

Still haunted by a deadly tragedy that left him publicly despised, Lord Edwin holds only hatred for the Killorans—the people he believes kidnapped his son. And not one of them will ever see the boy again. But when Gertrude forces her way into the household and stubbornly insists that she remain as Stephen’s governess, Edwin believes he may have found someone madder than himself.

With every moment he shares with the tenderhearted Gertrude, Edwin’s anger softens into admiration…and more. Is it possible that the woman he loathed may be the only person who can heal his broken soul?

MY REVIEW

The Bluestocking, is the fourth book in the Wicked Wallflowers series and I’ll be honest, I didn’t even read book three yet because I wanted THIS book. I wanted to read Gertrude’s story ever since I was introduced to her in the first book. In summary, the series follows the Killoran family, who were raised by a vicious man in St. Giles. They learned a life of pickpocketing, thieving and violence. Gertrude Killoran is blind in one eye and comes off as the weakest link in the Killoran clan. But I knew her story would be good.

And it is so good. The Killorans have a younger brother, Stephen, but earlier in the series it’s revealed he isn’t really their brother. He was kidnapped and his father is really the Marquess of Maddock. Stephen was kidnapped, and Lord Maddock’s pregnant wife at the time dies in a fire as well. All of this happened because of Gertrude’s father.

This story continues Stephen’s story as he is returned to Lord Maddock, but Gertrude accompanies Stephen and refuses to leave his side.

This story is so emotional it pulled at my heartstrings and broke it. I could imagine the pain Lord Maddock had to live through. I could also empathize with Stephen who loves the Killorans, the only family he’s known and who needed time to adjust to his new situation. Also the Killorans were heartbroken at losing Stephen, but felt horrible at the truth of how he came to be their brother. There is so many conflicting emotions.

Gertrude Killoran is an amazing character. Her past isn’t innocent, no child of Diggory’s ever had the luxury of innocence. She is usually the overlooked Killoran but this was her chance to shine. But she is patient, smart, strong, fearless, compassionate and has the biggest heart.

This story even made me cry. 😢 I shed a few tears for Lord Maddock and Stephen. Lord Maddock comes off so emotionally withdrawn because of fear. He loves his son so much and is so afraid of losing him again. He doesn’t know how to be a dad to a hardened eleven year old. And Stephen lashes out, as a pre-teen would, who’s ripped from the life he knows.

And yet despite the despair I felt in the characters, there is hope. Gertrude is the hope. She is the person who helps the father and son forgive and try to move past the bitterness of the past.

This story is about love, forgiveness, and family. After all the emotional turmoil the characters go through in this book, the ending was such a satisfying happily ever after. Thank goodness for that because it was well deserved. Love this book!

Get this book here: Amazon

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Book Review: The Living God (The Living God, #1)

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️

Author: Kaytalin Platt

Format: E-book

Pages: 300

Publication Date: May 21, 2019

Categories: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Magic

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from Edelweiss+ in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Book Blurb:

The Living God is foretold to bring about the destruction of the world in order to rebuild it into a paradise. Some worship and welcome His coming, other’s fear Him and would do anything to stop it. The Living God follows the internal struggle of two mages, Saran and Keleir, as they confront their fears and attempt to find meaning in the hand that life has dealt them. Saran seeks to overthrow her crazed father and salvage what is left of her country before it falls into complete ruin. Keleir is cursed with a Rauke’s soul, an ancient creature who is only able to survive by merging with an unborn child upon entering our world. Saran and Keleir are touched by fate, gifted with the ability to sense each other, and destined for a future that neither care to know. When Saran’s magic is stolen, she must confront a life without the ability to manipulate time, struggle to see the rebellion finished, and keep Keleir from becoming The Living God.

MY REVIEW

Thank you to Inkshares and Edelweiss+ for this free e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Let’s start with the good: I love the cover, it’s a beautiful color palette. And I’ve been reading a lot of epic young adult fantasy books lately, so why not one more?

This was not for me. The beginning starts off with Saran D’Mor, who is a princess, and she is in the middle of a battle. She is helping rebels fight against her father the king. I thought a fast start was promising but instead it left me confused, like I missed book one, though this is the first book. Keleir is introduced right away, and he was interesting. He is a mage with an Oruke inside him, which is like a demon and it makes him very dangerous. Right away Saran and Keleir are established as lovers. But for punishment her father binds her magic which is a problem because she is the one that keeps Keleir’s Oruke at bay. Yikes.

This world Saran lives in is very complex and interesting. There are Gods and mages. Saran is a Time Mage but there are other types of mages as well, like fire mages and lightning mages. I liked how they could open a gate and teleport from one place to another. And then there are other worlds also or parallel worlds. Three to be exact which are called The First, The Second and The Third. I thought that was fascinating.

But the biggest problem I had with the book is I didn’t care about the story. I didn’t connect to the characters. I kept picking up the book and putting it off. I struggled through this one. Unfortunately, this one was not for me but I’m sure there are many fantasy lovers who would enjoy this fascinating world.

Children’s Corner Book Review: Llama Llama Mess, Mess, Mess

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Author: Anna Dewdney

Format: E-book

Publication Date: August 27, 2019

Categories: Helping, Cleaning Up, Children’s Fiction

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from Edelweiss+ in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own**

MY REVIEW

My family and I love all the Llama Llama books. So this one is no exception, it’s a great book teaching young ones how they can help to clean up their space. I need to read this book to my kids every day and maybe the message will someday stick. They sure don’t listen to ME when I tell them the house is a mess, mess, mess and to help me clean up! 😂 This is a perfect edition to the whole Llama Llama series with it’s classic illustrations and a topic that is on going in any household.

Book Review: Beau and Bett

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️1/2

Author: Kathryn Perla

Format: E-book

Pages: 256

Publication Date: June 25, 2019

Categories: Beauty and the Beast Retelling, Romance, Young Adult

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from Edelweiss+ in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Book Blurb:

After Beau LeFrancois’s mother wrecks Bett Diaz’s luxury SUV, his family faces an impossibly large bill—with no car insurance to help pay it. To pay off the debt, Beau spends his weekends working at the Diaz Ranch.

Beau’s prepared to work, but he’s definitely not prepared for the infamous temper of Bett Diaz, also known as “The Beast” at school. As Beau learns the secrets behind Bett’s tough exterior, he finds himself falling for her . . . until he catches Bett in a lie.

A contemporary twist on a classic fairy tale, Beau and Bett is a timely story of family, friendship, and the power of speaking out and standing up for yourself.

MY REVIEW

Thank you to Edelweiss+ for the opportunity to read this free e-arc for an honest review.

Beau and Bett, is a modern retelling of Beauty and the Beast, minus the magic and minus an actual beast. This time Bettina Diaz, is the “Beast” in personality and Beau is Belle, which I thought was a cute twist. I thought the book got better in the middle where Beau and Bett spend more time getting to know each other. That’s where the story finally caught my interest.

Beau is a really good kid who is trying to help his family. He’s hard-working and seems like a pretty chill guy. Bettina is misjudged, she comes off like the materialistic rich girl. But she’s a lonely girl who loves the farm she lives on and finally makes a friend in Beau. I love that Beau didn’t give up on her.

This is a pretty straight forward contemporary retelling with no real surprises. Beau and Bett is a quick read, and a light-hearted young adult romance novel.

Book Review: Pretty Reckless (All Saints High, #1)

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Author: L.J. Shen

Format: E-book

Pages: 338

Categories: Bully Romance, Angst, Enemies to Lovers, Revenge, New Adult

Book Blurb:

Penn

They say revenge is a dish best served cold.
I’d had four years to stew on what Daria Followhill did to me, and now my heart was completely iced.
I took her first kiss.
She took the only thing I loved.
I was poor.
She was rich.
The good thing about circumstances? They can change. Fast.
Now, I’m her parents’ latest shiny project.
Her housemate. Her tormentor. The captain of the rival football team she hates so much.
Yeah, baby girl, say it—I’m your foster brother.
There’s a price to pay for ruining the only good thing in my life, and she’s about to shell out some serious tears.
Daria Followhill thinks she is THE queen. I’m about to prove to her that she’s nothing but a spoiled princess.

Daria

Everyone loves a good old unapologetic punk.
But being a bitch? Oh, you get slammed for every snarky comment, cynical eye roll, and foot you put in your adversaries’ way.
The thing about stiletto heels is that they make a hell of a dent when you walk all over the people who try to hurt you.
In Penn Scully’s case, I pierced his heart until he bled out, then left it in a trash can on a bright summer day.
Four years ago, he asked me to save all my firsts for him.
Now he lives across the hall, and I want nothing more than to be his last everything.
His parting words when he gave me his heart were that nothing in this world is free.
Now? Now he is making me pay.

MY REVIEW

I have read only a few books by L.J. Shen and each time I am left saying “whoa, what did I just read?”. Same goes for this book, but maybe even more so. I read her books because I know it will be intense, hot, full of drama, and out of the realm of what I read on a weekly basis. Sometimes I just need a book to break up the monotony of reading the same thing over and over – to cleanse my palate, so to speak. This book did just that.

I can’t say it’s my favorite book from this author. I did keep reading well into the night after 2 a.m., so I can undoubtedly say it is riveting. But I had to process this book afterwards for a bit.

Where do I start? I didn’t read all the Sinners of Saint series, so I don’t know Jamie and Melody’s story just that it was a teacher/student affair but that whole trope is just not my thing.

Daria Followhill is Jamie and Melody’s daughter. She’s a mean girl, a Queen B, and though I didn’t like her I did feel for her because she was crying out for attention and approval. Daria carefully constructs her outside persona to hide what’s goin on the inside. She believes she is unloved and worthless which makes her become an ugly person towards others. So she doesn’t start off as an unlikable person, she has her moments of thoughtfulness but then it’s drowned in jealousy and pain. Penn Scully, is the boy from the other side of the tracks but he’s a survivor despite his circumstances. Penn and Daria make a mistake as kids – Penn did it unknowingly, but Daria was all in on what was happening. The consequences of that mistake come back to haunt them horribly.

This is set in high school, so cue the angst, lots of cursing, sex and drama. There is plenty of it! I like Daria and Penn’s verbal sparring but sometimes she can stoop to being so petty. And Daria has this thing going on with the school Principal 👀 which made me feel yucky, even if the rumors swirling weren’t true. It came close. Daria’s pain and the depths she thought she needed to sink to atone for her sins just made me want to look away. Not even her romance with Penn, which is dysfunctional in itself, could make me feel happy about this story.

I like how Daria’s character develops and when she is at the end of her rope, on the verge of being exposed – thank goodness she finally opens up. Daria needed help. I was mad at her parents, I was mad at Daria, the principal and Via. It was so frustrating. The strained mother/daughter relationship was written well also. It’s so real. Penn’s journey is fairly predictable. He’s the alpha male, he’s poor, falls for the rich girl (in this case, the alpha girl) and he comes out okay. I felt like this story was mostly about Daria and I’m so glad she got some chance to heal at the end.

L.J. Shen is good at what she writes – she pushes the angst, sex, boundaries and her characters are flawed to perfection. They are human. This book was intense and if you like bully romances with an alpha male and an alpha female – then this is definitely a book to pick up. It was just a bit too much for me with the whole punishment thing but still a good story. Now I’m ready for that Followhill family therapy session, because they so need it!😩😅

Book Review: Lady Smoke (Ash Princess Trilogy #2)

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Author: Laura Sebastian

Format: Hard cover

Pages: 496

Category: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance

Book Blurb:

The Kaiser murdered Theodosia’s mother, the Fire Queen, when Theo was only six. He took Theo’s country and kept her prisoner, crowning her Ash Princess–a pet to toy with and humiliate for ten long years. That era has ended. The Kaiser thought his prisoner weak and defenseless. He didn’t realize that a sharp mind is the deadliest weapon.

Theo no longer wears a crown of ashes. She has taken back her rightful title, and a hostage–Prinz Soren. But her people remain enslaved under the Kaiser’s rule, and now she is thousands of miles away from them and her throne.

To get them back, she will need an army. Only, securing an army means she must trust her aunt, the dreaded pirate Dragonsbane. And according to Dragonsbane, an army can only be produced if Theo takes a husband. Something an Astrean Queen has never done.

Theo knows that freedom comes at a price, but she is determined to find a way to save her country without losing herself.

MY REVIEW

The ending of Ash Princess, the first book in this trilogy, made me want to read Lady Smoke right away – but sadly, the sequel fell a bit short for me.

The writing is good. It flows great and I still get drawn into Theodosia’s world but this time they are on a ship, the Smoke, traveling away from Astrea. Theo has claimed her rightful role as Queen but she is a queen without any land. Theo’s character is resilient and she steps into her role as a leader when dealing with her aunt, Dragonsbane, and the leaders of other nations. The Queen of Astrea has never needed a husband to retain her rule but Theo needs an alliance if she wants to defeat the Kaiser and take back her country.

I’m not a fan of the love triangle and not because I don’t like love triangles. Usually I am drawn to one love interest in a love triangle, but with this one I feel like she could go either way and it would be okay. I’m not invested in it at all. But to complicate things more for Theo, she is trying to find a husband.

The political drama is still present in Lady Smoke but I wish there was more of Cress and the Kaiser since they were what made the first book so intriguing. The first part of the book is strategizing what Theo is going to do and so the action picks up in the later half of this book. I did enjoy Theo’s friends/Shadows, I like knowing she has people she can trust. Also, Theo gets to visit the refugee camps in Sta’Crivero and be around some of her people.

Even though this came off as an okay read compared to Ash Princess, I still found it enjoyable because I do enjoy books with political intrigue. I look forward to reading the third book only to see what will happen when Theo fights Cress for Astrea. That should be a good fight, at least I’m hoping it will be.

Monthly Wrap Up: April 2019

I think I did pretty good this month despite all the holiday events my family and I were busy with. I’ve read a lot of children’s books too but haven’t had time to write reviews for them. I’ll be adding more of them for May. So here’s what I read in April: