Wednesday, March 27, 2019

Review: Dewey by Vicki Myron & Bret Witter


Before I get into my review, just look at the beautiful boy that graced this cover. So fluffy and poised. Dewey was such a handsome cat and I am upset that I never got to meet him or know about him until now.

This is a nonfiction book about a cat who was found inside a library drop box as a kitten. This library is located in a little podunk town in Iowa, named Spencer. The head librarian who is also the author of this memoir, is the one who found the kitten and nursed him back to help. His paw pads were frostbitten and she gave him a bath and she noticed that instead of a gray kitten, he was a beautiful orange.

This book takes us through his 19-20 years of life as the "king" of this library. How he greeted each patron at the door, how he gave everyone attention. He would chose a person to give extra attention to if they were having a bad day. He loved to climb up in the lights. He would eat all the rubber bands and give the staff a run for their money if he swiped one. As he got older, he became a fan of the Arby's Beef and Cheddar sandwiches and they helped with his constipation due to the high amount of salt in those damn things.

The author also gives her life story of how she was raised on a farm, how she had a daughter and an alcoholic husband. She had to have a hysterectomy and her ovaries and uterus were removed. She had breast cancer and had a double mastectomy. This woman went through so much pain and suffering, but that didn't get her down because she had Dewey beside her. She did raise her daughter all by herself. She got her masters in Library Science and she ran the library for over 25 years. She is the definition of a bad bitch.

The only thing about this book that was a total snooze fest was the town history and the insane amount of descriptions of corn and corn silk and husks. I didn't really care about how the town vetoed having a slaughterhouse and there complaining of a Wal-Mart. That didn't connect to Dewey's story at all. The town history could have been left out or edited majorly.

Tuesday, March 26, 2019

BLOG TOUR: The Center of the Universe by Ria Voros


So excited to partner with Rockstar Book Tours to host a tour stop for The Center of the Universe by Ria Voros.



Title: THE CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE
Author: Ria Voros
Pub. Date: April 2, 2018
Publisher: KCP Loft
Formats: Hardcover, eBook
Pages: 512
Find it: GoodreadsAmazonB&NTBD

SUMMARYGrace Carter's mother --- the celebrity news anchor GG Carter --- is everything Grace is not. GG is a star, with a flawless wardrobe and a following of thousands, while Grace --- an aspiring astrophysicist --- is into stars of another kind. She and her mother have always been in different orbits.

Then one day GG is just ... gone. Cameras descend on their house, news shows speculate about what might have happened and Grace's family struggles to find a new rhythm as they wait for answers.

While the authorities unravel the mystery behind GG's disappearance, Grace grows closer to her high school's golden boy, Mylo, who has faced a black hole of his own. She also uncovers some secrets from her mother's long-lost past. The more Grace learns, the more she wonders. Did she ever really know her mother? Was GG abducted ... or did she leave? And if she left, why?

Author Ria Voros (Nobody's Dog, The Opposite of Geek) reaches for the stars here, deftly combining mystery with a passion for science and themes of mother-daughter bonds, celebrity, first love and best friendship.

Facts about astronomy and astrophysics are seamlessly woven into the story and are supplemented by an interview with real-life astrophysicist Elizabeth Tasker, making this the perfect book for readers who love STEM. And even readers who don't have stars in their eyes will love this smart, suspenseful, relatable and literary novel.

REVIEW: Grace Carter is obsessed with the stars, well space and science in general. She is very observant of people and there nervous or agitated ticks. She pictures and thinks of everyone as a type of star. Whether it be celestial stars or famous as in broadcasters and actresses like her mother and grandmother. Her mother is a broadcaster who works long hours and can barely spend time with her kids until she goes poof.. GONE. Grace's grandmother is a semi famous actress who tries to be a Canadian Zsa Zsa Gabor. 

This is a fast paced read that will have you asking what the actual hell is going on with GG. You will be wanting to learn more about the universe and exoplanets and black holes and dark matter. 


Ria Voros is a YA and children’s author, teacher, presenter and obsessive reader. Her children’s and young adult novels have been finalists for the White Pine Award, the Rocky Mountain Book Award, and been a Best Books for Kids and Teens selection. She has an MFA in creative writing from the University of British Columbia. When she’s not writing, teaching or eating sweet things, Ria can be found hiking to the tops of mountains or buying too many books at any bookstore she enters. She lives in Victoria, BC, Canada with her husband, daughter and son.



Giveaway Details:
3 lucky winners will win a finished copy of THE CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE, US Only.


Giveaway Link:

Tour Schedule:
Week One:
3/25/2019- Sweet Southern HomeReview
3/26/2019- Lifestyle of MeReview
3/27/2019- Ramblings of a Book NerdReview
3/28/2019- Book-KeepingReview
3/29/2019- Do You Dog-ear?Review

Week Two:
4/1/2019- Moonlight RendezvousReview
4/2/2019- PopTheButterfly ReadsReview
4/3/2019- A Gingerly ReviewReview
4/4/2019- Here's to Happy EndingsReview
4/5/2019- two points of interestReview

Monday, March 25, 2019

BLOG TOUR: Samantha Spinner Series by Russell Ginns


Rockstar Book Tours is hosting a two week tour for the Samantha Spinner series.


Title: SAMANTHA SPINNER AND THE SUPER SECRET PLANS (Samantha Spinner #1)
Author: Russell Ginns
Pub. Date: February 27, 2018
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Formats: Hardcover, Paperback, audiobook, eBook
Pages: 256
Find it: GoodreadsAmazonAudibleB&NiBooksTBD

Get ready for round-the-world adventure with Sam Spinner and her brother Nipper in the first book in a new hilarious, puzzle-packed series filled with super-secret messages! Perfect for fans of Escape From Mr. Lemoncello's Library and classics like Holes.

SUMMARY
Samantha Spinner's uncle Paul disappeared, and here's what he left:
* Samantha's sister got a check for $2,400,000,000.
* Samantha's brother got the New York Yankees.
* And Samantha got a rusty red umbrella with a tag hanging off its worn handle. The tag says "Watch out for the RAIN."

Thanks a lot, Uncle Paul.

After all the strawberry waffles, stories, and puzzles they've shared, how could he just leave without saying goodbye? And what is the meaning of that mysterious message?

The answer is simple. Sam knows in her heart that Uncle Paul is in danger. And if he taught her anything, it's that not everything is exactly what it seems. Which is why we should pay close attention to that rusty red umbrella, and never trust a monkey at a hula-hoop contest.

The RAIN is coming and Samantha Spinner is about to find herself mixed up in some super-important, super-dangerous, super-secret plans.

Praise for Samantha Spinner and the Super Secret Plans:

"A winning mix of fast-paced action, fascinating facts, bathroom humor, and hidden puzzles...[that is] sure to please action-loving middle-grade readers." --Kirkus Reviews

"Full of adventure and survival,...[and with] characters [that] are likable, realistic, and well rounded...[Samantha Spinner and the Super Secret Plans is] great for [readers of] series like The 39 Clues." --School Library Journal.

REVIEW: While reading this, I was thinking that Russell Ginns has brought a female James Bond to the middle grade scene. Samantha Spinner has been gifted a rusty red umbrella from her Uncle Paul who is in trouble. Her sister Buffy and brother Nipper, awesome names by the way, were also gifted more extravagant items. We follow Samantha through out the world while she does crazy battles and solves puzzles to try and find her lost uncle who was a SUPER SECRET explorer. This will be a perfect read for teenage girls who dream big and it gives a great dose of girl power. If you are big fans of A Series Of Unfortunate Events, then the writing style and the witty dialogue will be right up your alley. 


Title: SAMANTHA SPINNER AND THE SPECTACULAR SPECS (Samantha Spinner #2)
Author: Russell Ginns
Pub. Date: March 12, 2019
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Formats: Hardcover, audiobook, eBook
Pages: 416
Find it: GoodreadsAmazonAudibleB&NiBooksTBD

Get ready for more round-the-world adventure with Samantha Spinner and her brother, Nipper, in the second book in this hilarious, puzzle-packed series filled with super-secret messages! Perfect for fans of Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library and classics like Holes.

SUMMARY
When Samantha Spinner's uncle Paul disappeared, he left presents for his nieces and nephew. Samantha's sister, Buffy, got $2,400,000,000. Her brother, Nipper, got the New York Yankees. Samantha got . . . a rusty old umbrella.

Wow! So unfair, Uncle Paul.

Well, it seemed unfair--until Samantha discovered that the old umbrella holds the plans for a super-secret network of transit systems that covers the globe. It's the ticket to danger and adventure beyond anyone's wildest dreams.

But Uncle Paul is still missing. And Samantha just received a new gift from him: a pair of strange purple sunglasses. Are they another powerful present? A clue to his whereabouts? Or just a bad fashion choice? Samantha and Nipper need to figure it out fast, because . . . here comes the SUN!

Praise for Samantha Spinner and the Super Secret Plans, Book 1 in the Samantha Spinner series: 

"A winning mix of fast-paced action, fascinating facts, bathroom humor, and hidden puzzles . . . [that is] sure to please action-loving middle-grade readers." --Kirkus Reviews

"Full of adventure and survival . . . [and with] characters [who] are likable, realistic, and well rounded . . . [Samantha Spinner and the Super-Secret Plans is] great for [readers of] series like The 39 Clues." --School Library Journal


Russell Ginns is a writer and game designer who specializes in puzzles, songs, and smart fun. He has worked on projects for a wide variety of organizations, corporations, and publications, including Sesame Workshop, Girl Scouts of America, Nintendo, and Scientific American. Russell lives and writes in Washington, D.C. He is the author of Samantha Spinner and the Super-Secret Plans and Samantha Spinner and the Spectacular Specs. To learn more about him, visit samanthaspinner.com and follow @rginns on Twitter.


Giveaway Details:
3 lucky winners will win a finished copy of SAMANTHA SPINNER Series, US Only.



Giveaway Link:


Tour Schedule:
Week One:
3/25/2019- Lifestyle of MeReview
3/25/2019- BookHounds YAExcerpt

3/26/2019- Lone Tree ReviewsReview
3/26/2019- A Dream Within A DreamExcerpt

3/27/2019- NerdophilesReview
3/27/2019- For the Love of KidLitSpotlight

3/28/2019- Brooke's LibraryReview
3/28/2019- Literary GoldSpotlight

3/29/2019- Feed Your Fiction AddictionReview

Week Two:
4/1/2019- Rhythmicbooktrovert - Review
4/1/2019- Kelly P's BlogExcerpt

4/2/2019- Christen Krumm, WriterReview
4/2/2019- Defining WaysExcerpt

4/3/2019- Adventures Thru WonderlandReview
4/3/2019- The Hermit LibrarianExcerpt

4/4/2019- Savings in SecondsReview
4/4/2019- Twirling Book PrincessExcerpt

4/5/2019- Two Points of InterestReview
4/5/2019- Dazzled by BooksExcerpt

Saturday, March 23, 2019

Review: When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon



I have read so many books this month and I think I started this one while I was burning out. I was expecting a cute fun app competition and while it was cute at times, I was just bored and exhausted with trying to keep up with Dimple's revolving feelings toward Rishi. One minute she hates him and then immediately feels guilty.

I loved her sassy attitude at the beginning, but then it just got worse and worse. She did have a selfish attitude but I wish the story revolved more around her app and Dimple and Rishi connecting on that. Rishi was just insta lovey from the very beginning with getting married and having children and providing for them. Dude, you are only 18. Live a little and wait for marriage and kids.

Arranged marriages are a confusing topic for me and I think it is the parents own selfish gain, pop out a couple kids and then eventually sell them off in an arranged marriage LEGALLY.

The friendships were forced in this. I felt no connection what so ever between Dimple and Celia and think she was just put there as a filler.

I also didn't expect Dimple and Rishi to meet so quickly and the author could have made Rishi less creepy and stalker-ish.

I do not know if I will pick up the next two books in this series. I really want to read the newest book coming out this year, There's something about Sweetie. This one focuses on Ashish and a new love interest for him.

Thursday, March 21, 2019

Review: This Family of Mine by Victoria Gotti


For my first read of round 3 of the Buzzword Readathon, I chose This Family of Mine by Victoria Gotti. Victoria Gotti is the daughter of the former boss of the Gambino Crime Family. This is her tell all about her parents child hoods, how they met, how her father was introduced to the "underworld" that is the mafia. She goes into detail about her pregnancies and all of her major health issues.

I have always been fascinated by the Mob culture and everything since I was in middle school. The fascination started when I was in a school play for Bugsy Malone. Bugsy Malone took place in the prohibition era and the bad guys were called the Down & Outs. It had the speak easy's and flapper girls. But none of that is mentioned in this story.

We start off the story with learning about John Gotti and how he had 7 siblings, and that they were crammed into a two bedroom apartment and how his father was abusive and a major gambler. Victori also gives insight into her mother's childhood and how her mother's mother put her into a school for girl because she was born out of wedlock and the father wanted nothing to do with her until she was married to John Gotti.

Victoria goes into her siblings births and the death of her brother and her mother's breakdown over that. I was ugly crying at the part where her mother went to the funeral home and covered her son with a blanket because he was cold. My daughters love blankets and I lost it at that.

Another part that made me cry uncontrollably was the birth of her daughter Justine who was stillborn and the baby was placed into her arms dead and she didn't know that her baby had passed. My heart went out to her while reading about her pregnancies and how she fought like hell for her babies when the odds were very much against her and they were life threatening.

I enjoyed getting to know more from the daughter of a infamous mob boss who didn't like the mob life that her father had. Some people may say that it is all lies to cover the truth. Some may say that it is totally factual and may be too little to late to save face.

Tuesday, March 19, 2019

Review: Winger by Andrew Smith


Wow is pretty much all I can say for this book. I was not expecting to love it as much as I did. It made me laugh out loud multiple times and the humor was very funny. It was a little perverted at times and it owns up to it.

Ryan Dean West is a 14 year old JUNIOR in high school... WHAT??? He goes to this posh school for rich kids, but he has been placed in the O-Hall or "Opportunity Hall for the troubled and delinquent kids who starts fights or hackers. On the first day of the new school year and where we meet Ryan Dean, he is inches away from getting a swirly. If you do not know what a swirly is, it is when some one shoves your head in the toilet and flushes. He talks about how the toilet is freshly cleaned and smelling of lemon scented cleaner.

He talks about all the girls and how super hot they are. The female teacher who supervises the girls hall in O-Hall is a witch who casts spells in Ryan Dean or at least he thinks he does. He tries to get his best friend Annie to kiss him and he becomes best friends with the captain of his rugby team who is also gay and also in O-Hall for fighting.

I enjoyed all the hilarity and jokes and the illustrations throughout the book. The one thing I got annoyed with super quickly is that the sentence "I am such a loser, or I am such a pathetic loser" was on every page or at the end of every chapter. We know you are a loser, you don't have to keep telling us.

The ending did make me ugly sob and I was so upset with how this sweet and friendly character who I will not say the name was killed off like that.

Monday, March 18, 2019

Buzzword Readathon TBR: Round 3

The 3rd round of the Buzzword readathon started today and the main word was When. Then 5 other words were included, so we have Who, What, When, Where, How and Why. I have 6 books chosen to read this week and to be honest, I do not know how many I am going to read. I was excited about all of them and now I am only looking forward to maybe 2 of them. I am going to definitely read those 2 but I am not going to push myself to read the rest if I don't want to. Plus another reason is that I have another book that I am doing a blog tour on and I am wanting to read it now. 








Wednesday, March 13, 2019

BLOG TOUR: The Everlasting Rose by Dhonielle Clayton


I am excited to announce that I will be helping Rockstar Book Tours host a tour spot for The Everlasting Rose, the sequel to The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton.


Title: THE EVERLASTING ROSE (The Belles #2)
Author: Dhonielle Clayton
Pub. Date: March 5, 2019
Publisher: Freeform
Formats: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook
Pages: 352
Find it: GoodreadsAmazonAudibleB&NiBooksTBD

SummaryIn this sequel to the instant New York Times bestseller, Camille, her sister Edel, and her guard and new love Remy must race against time to find Princess Charlotte. Sophia's Imperial forces will stop at nothing to keep the rebels from returning Charlotte to the castle and her rightful place as queen. With the help of an underground resistance movement called The Iron Ladies-a society that rejects beauty treatments entirely-and the backing of alternative newspaper The Spider's Web, Camille uses her powers, her connections and her cunning to outwit her greatest nemesis, Sophia, and restore peace to Orleans. 


Review: The anticipation I have had for this book was through the roof once I got done with the first book. The cliffhanger of her escaping with her guard and heading straight to where her sister Edel was hiding all along. Even though it is smaller than the first and that is understandable through the author's note, it still includes the suspense and thrill of what if's. Princess Sofia, now Queen Sofia is still a major b"itch. There has to be a third book in this series. This story is definitely not over yet and I can feel it in my bones that a third book will definitely blow us all away.


Title: THE BELLES (The Belles #1)
Author: Dhonielle Clayton
Pub. Date: February 6, 2018
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Pages: 448
Formats: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook
Find it: GoodreadsAmazonB&NiBooksTBD

Camellia Beauregard is a Belle. In the opulent world of Orléans, Belles are revered, for they control Beauty, and Beauty is a commodity coveted above all else. In Orléans, the people are born gray, they are born damned, and only with the help of a Belle and her talents can they transform and be made beautiful.

But it’s not enough for Camellia to be just a Belle. She wants to be the favorite—the Belle chosen by the Queen of Orléans to live in the royal palace, to tend to the royal family and their court, to be recognized as the most talented Belle in the land. But once Camellia and her Belle sisters arrive at court, it becomes clear that being the favorite is not everything she always dreamed it would be. Behind the gilded palace walls live dark secrets, and Camellia soon learns that the very essence of her existence is a lie—that her powers are far greater, and could be more dangerous, than she ever imagined. And when the queen asks Camellia to risk her own life and help the ailing princess by using Belle powers in unintended ways, Camellia now faces an impossible decision. 

With the future of Orléans and its people at stake, Camellia must decide—save herself and her sisters and the way of the Belles—or resuscitate the princess, risk her own life, and change the ways of her world forever. 

Dhonielle Clayton (“Dhon” like “Don” or “Dawn”) spent most of her childhood under her grandmother’s dining room table with a stack of books.
She hails from the Washington, D.C. suburbs on the Maryland side, but now lives in New York City. She was an extremely fussy and particular child with an undying love for Cheerios (honey nut only), pink lemonade, and frosted animal cookies. A self-proclaimed school nerd, she loved covering her books with brown paper and filled her locker with Lisa Frank stickers. She loved putting headings on her homework, odd-looking pens and freshly sharpened pencils, and numerous notebooks to fill with her research. On most Saturdays you could find her with her equally nerdy Dad at Crown Books and then the comic bookstore where she stocked up on her weekly reading material. Plus, she was so spoiled that her grandfather took her to the library after school almost daily.

She attended Our Lady of Good Counsel High School because her parents thought Catholic school would keep her out of trouble. She went to Wake Forest University, and studied pre-med until she received a fateful F in Chemistry. This setback prompted her to change her major to English, and earned a BA. She rediscovered her love of children’s fiction by re-reading Harriet the Spy, which pushed her to earn an MA in Children’s Literature from Hollins University and an MFA Writing for Children at the New School.

She taught secondary school for several years – at a pre-professional ballet academy and a private K-8 school. She spent most of her twenties in and out of America – living in London, Paris, a small Japanese town, Bermuda – and wandering the planet. She’s been on five out of seven continents, and has grand plans to reach all of them.

She is a former elementary and middle school librarian, and co-founder of CAKE Literary, a creative kitchen whipping up decadent – and decidedly diverse – literary confections for middle grade, young adult, and women’s fiction readers. She is also COO of the non-profit We Need Diverse Books.

What’s next? She will be enrolling in culinary school in New York City and plans to open up a restaurant in the city of her soul, Edinburgh, Scotland.



Giveaway Details: International
3 winners will receive a finished copy of THE EVERLASTING ROSE, US Only.

Ends on April 2nd at Midnight EST!



Rafflecopter Link:

Tour Schedule:
Week One:
3/1/2019- JrsbookreviewsReview

Week Two:
3/4/2019- Lisa Loves LiteratureReview
3/5/2019- PopthebutterflyReview
3/5/2019- YABC- Excerpt
3/6/2019- Moonlight RendezvousReview
3/7/2019- Feed Your Fiction AddictionReview
3/8/2019- What A Nerd Girl SaysReview

Week Three:
3/11/2019- A Gingerly ReviewReview
3/12/2019- Wonder StruckReview
3/13/2019- Lifestyle Of MeReview
3/14/2019- Pacific Northwest BookwormReview
3/15/2019- Jena Brown WritesReview

Week Four:
3/18/2019- Life of a Literary NerdReview
3/19/2019- Novel NoviceExcerpt
3/20/2019- Here's to Happy EndingsReview
3/21/2019- Ex LibrisReview
3/22/2019- BookHounds YAExcerpt

Week Five:
3/25/2019- Eli to the nthReview
3/26/2019- Smada's Book SmackReview
3/27/2019- Confessions of a YA ReaderReview
3/28/2019- YA Book NerdReview
3/29/2019- Falling for YAExcerpt

Review: Is This A Cry For Help by Emily Austin

  DNF at 40%. I could not continue this whiplash. I was expecting some big drama surrounding the ex but finding out that she broke up with h...