Children Books I Remember

Source: childrensbooksguide.com via Nicole Etolen on Pinterest

And how many have you read? How many do you remember?

I've read 8 and remember 6 vividly.

Review: The Death of Bees

The Death of Bees by Lisa O'Donnell
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Coming of Age
Pages: 336 (paperback)
Source: TLC Book Tours
Author's Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook
Buy it: Amazon | Kindle | B&N | Book Depo

Description:

A riveting, brilliantly written debut novel-a coming-of-age story with the strong voice and powerful resonance of Swamplandia! and The Secret Life of Bees-in which two young sisters attempt to hold the world at bay after the mysterious death of their parents.

Today is Christmas Eve. Today is my birthday. Today I am fifteen. Today I buried my parents in the backyard. Neither of them were beloved.

Marnie and her little sister Nelly are on their own now. Only they know what happened to their parents, Izzy and Gene, and they aren't telling. While life in Glasgow's Hazlehurst housing estate isn't grand, they do have each other. Besides, it's only one year until Marnie will be considered an adult and can legally take care of them both.

As the new year comes and goes, Lennie, the old man next door, realizes that his young neighbors are alone and need his help. Or does he need theirs? But he's not the only one who suspects something isn't right. Soon, the sisters' friends, their other neighbors, the authorities, and even Gene's nosy drug dealer begin to ask questions. As one lie leads to another, dark secrets about the girls' family surface, creating complications that threaten to tear them apart.

Written with fierce sympathy and beautiful precision, told in alternating voices, The Death of Bees is an enchanting, grimly comic tale of three lost souls who, unable to answer for themselves, can answer only for each other.

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To Buy or Not to Buy

Source: bakerella.com via Chronicle Books on Pinterest

I feel weird buying cookbooks because...you know...Pinterest is free. Thoughts?
So are cookbooks as gifts, I guess.

Review: Tricked (Audiobook)

Tricked by Kevin Hearne
Iron Druid Chronicles #4
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Length: 10 hours 42 minutes
Narrator: Luke Daniels
Author's Website
Buy It: Amazon | Kindle | B&N | Book Depo

Description:

Druid Atticus O’Sullivan hasn’t stayed alive for more than two millennia without a fair bit of Celtic cunning. So when vengeful thunder gods come Norse by Southwest looking for payback, Atticus, with a little help from the Navajo trickster god Coyote, lets them think that they’ve chopped up his body in the Arizona desert. But the mischievous Coyote is not above a little sleight of paw, and Atticus soon finds that he’s been duped into battling bloodthirsty desert shapeshifters called skinwalkers. Just when the Druid thinks he’s got a handle on all the duplicity, betrayal comes from an unlikely source. If Atticus survives this time, he vows he won’t be fooled again. Famous last words

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December Giveaway Winners!

RESULTS ARE IN!!

Here are the winners of the all the December Giveaway winners!

Giveaway of Mysteries - Tia
Giveaway of Thoughtful Reads - Alex from a Girl, Books, and Other Things
Giveaway of Historical Fiction - Jennifer from Jennifer's Asylum
Giveaway of Not Quite Chick-Lit -Lily B. from Lily Pond Reads
Giveaway of Nonfiction - Nancy from Unabridged Chick
Giveaway of Romance - Dianna from Stories After Twelve
Giveaway of Big Events - Julie from Red Handed
Giveaway of Historical Fiction 2 - Erin Williams from The Paperback Stash
Giveaway of Women's Fiction - Cyn 209
Giveaway of 2 Mysteries + - Susan from Dab of Darkness
Giveaway of Misc. - Stephanie from The Eclectic Girl
Giveaway of Christian Fiction - Lisa
Giveaway of Maeve Binchy - Shirley from My Bookshelf

Thank you everyone who entered my giveaway : )  I loved reading about everyone's favorite traditions, holiday cheer and fun.  I can't wait to do this again!


The winner will have 48 hours to respond with their address. If there is no response, I will choose a new winner. Thank you everyone for entering the giveaway. The winner was selected by Rafflecopter.

Didn't win this time? No worries, I'll have another giveaway soon to celebrate my two year blogoversary!

Review: Vanity Fare A Novel of Lattes, Literature, and Love

Vanity Fare: A Novel of Lattes, Literature, and Love by Megan Caldwell
Genre: Chick-Lit
Pages: 400 (paperback)
Source: TLC Book Tours
Author's Website | Twitter | Facebook
Buy it: Amazon | Kindle | B&N | Book Depo

Description:

A charming novel about a 40-year-old Brooklyn mother, recently divorced, who starts writing copy for a bakery, discovers a knack for food-related literary puns, and becomes entangled in a love triangle.

Molly Hagan is overwhelmed.

Her husband left her for a younger, blonder woman, her six year-old son is questioning her authority, and now, so is she. In order to pay her Brooklyn rent and keep her son supplied with Pokemon and Legos-not to mention food and clothing-she has to get a job. Fast.

So when an old friend offers Molly a copywriting position at a new bakery, finding romance is just about the last thing on her mind. But the sexy British pastry chef who's heading up the bakery has other thoughts. And so does Molly when she meets the chef's intimidating business partner-who also happens to have a secret that might prevent Molly from getting her own Happily Ever After.

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The Undomestic Goddess (Audiobook)

The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella
Genre: Chick-Lit
Length: 12 hours and 5 minutes
Narrator: Rosalyn Landor
Source: eLibrary
Author's Website | Facebook
Buy it: Amazon | Kindle | B&N | Book Depo

Description:

Workaholic attorney Samantha Sweeting has just done the unthinkable. She’s made a mistake so huge, it’ll wreck any chance of a partnership.

Going into utter meltdown, she walks out of her London office, gets on a train, and ends up in the middle of nowhere. Asking for directions at a big, beautiful house, she’s mistaken for an interviewee and finds herself being offered a job as housekeeper. Her employers have no idea they’ve hired a lawyer–and Samantha has no idea how to work the oven. She can’t sew on a button, bake a potato, or get the #@%# ironing board to open. How she takes a deep breath and begins to cope–and finds love–is a story as delicious as the bread she learns to bake.

But will her old life ever catch up with her? And if it does…will she want it back?

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You Know You've Thought This At Least Once

Source: weheartit.com via Anna on Pinterest

I wish I was this cool! Is it just me or is the next movie eons away?!

Retiring Why I Love Wednesdays

Out with old, in with the new right?!  I've pretty much exhausted my love of things and its been fun.  I've had tons of laughs, enjoyed the comments, and appreciated those who participated.  But for now, I'm moving on.  I'm not quite sure what will be in its place but when I figure it out, I'll let you know.  Hopefully many of you will join in!

Previous Why I Love Wednesday Posts

Which was your favorite Why I Love Wednesday topic?

What type of memes do you like to participate in?

Review: The Secret of Spruce Knoll

The Secret of Spruce Knoll by Heather McCorkle
Series: Channeler #1
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Pages: 338 (paperback)
Source: Author
Author's Website | Twitter | Facebook
Buy it: Amazon | Kindle | B&N | Book Depo

Description:

Following the tragic death of her parents, Eren Donovan moves to Spruce Knoll to live with an aunt she’s never met. Little does Eren know the entire town of Spruce Knoll is filled with “channelers”—a magical group of people who immigrated to the small Colorado town when they were driven out of their own lands.

Channelers are tied to the fate of the world. As the world slowly dies, so do they—and they alone have the power to stop the destruction of Earth. Soon, Eren learns she not only lives among them, but she is one. When she meets local boy Aiden, his charm convinces her that being a channeler may not be all bad though.

As Eren and Aiden’s relationship develops, so too does a mystery in Spruce Knoll. The town holds many secrets—and many dangers. It soon becomes apparent that the untimely death of Eren’s parents was no accident and that her life might be in danger too. Only time will tell if Eren can embrace her unwanted power and protect the only family she has left

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Isn't this a challenge or something?

Source: epicreads.com via Corinne on Pinterest

This is cute! This is a challenge right? I'm guilty of not really paying attention to these types of things when I'm reading. Maybe I should create a map just to see how it would come out.

Review: The One I Left Behind

The One I Left Behind by Jennifer McMahon
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Pages: 432 (paperbook)
Source: TLC Book Tours - Thank you!
Author's Website | Twitter | Facebook
Buy it: Amazon | Kindle | B&N | Book Depo

Description:

Bestselling author Jennifer McMahon is back with a gut-wrenching mystery about an architect whose troubled mother has been found 25 years after being kidnapped-by a killer who is still on the loose.

The summer of 1985 changed Reggie's life. Thirteen, awkward, and without a father, she finds herself mixed up with her school's outcasts-Charlie, the local detective's son, and Tara, a goth kid who has a mental hold over Reggie and harbors a dark secret. That same summer a serial killer called Neptune begins kidnapping women. He leaves their severed hands on the police department steps and, five days later, displays their bodies around town. Just when Reggie needs her mother Vera-an ex-model with many "boyfriends" and a thirst for gin-the most, Vera's hand is found on the steps. But after five days, there's no body and Neptune disappears.

Now a successful architect who left her hometown behind after that horrific summer, Reggie doesn't trust anyone and lives with few attachments. But when she gets a call from a homeless shelter saying that her mother has been found alive, Reggie must confront the ghosts of her past and find Neptune before he kills again.

With her signature style, Jennifer McMahon portrays the dark side of adolescent friendship and introduces characters who haunt the imagination, along with a disturbing web of secrets, betrayals, and murder.

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Novella Mini-Reviews Part 2

This is part two of my novella quick reviews. Even though I didn't love all of the books I read, it was quite rewarding to finish reads so quickly :)  Part One of the novella reviews can be found here.

Heart of the Sea by Christine Warren
Series: The Others #2.5
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Witches
Pages: 25 (ebook)
Author's Website | Twitter | Facebook
Buy it: Kindle (free) | B&N (free)

Description:

In the world of the Others, affairs of the heart are no less complicated. Even when talented witch, Jenny Ferguson, gets caught in a questionable situation with a current friend and former lover by her fiancé no less, she might need more than magic to save her wedding day.

Mini-Review:
This one was actually kind of cute.  The story kept the reader and the fiancé guessing and it really made me wonder about the rest of the series.  There isn't much character development and the plot was quite simple.  But it caught my attention fast, dropped a few intriguing details about their world, and had just the right amount of everything considering the short read.  And it's free!  This book made me consider participating in a witch/witchcraft challenge but it was not to be.




Worth the Risk by Meryl Sawyer
Genre: Romance, Contemporary Romance
Pages: 77 (ebook)
Author's Website
Buy it: Kindle | B&N

Description:

Each and every one of us has the ability to effect change—to make our world a better place. The key is to begin in our own backyards, look at needs within our communities and then decide to do something about them. The dedicated women selected as this year's recipients of Harlequin's More Than Words award have changed lives, one good deed at a time. To celebrate their accomplishments, bestselling authors have written stories inspired by these real-life heroines. In this book, Meryl Sawyer honors the work of Gracie Cavnar, founder of the Recipe for Success Foundation.

This Weekend...

Source: ebay.com via Brikena on Pinterest

This weekend it's going to be me, Scarlett & Rhett, Pecan tarts, and a Cabernet.  Yes Please!
 ("Me" night inspired by Pinterest)

Novella Mini-Reviews Part 1

I don't tend to read short stories or novellas because they usually don't do it for me. But toward the end of the year, I wanted to clean up my reader a bit so I took on a few novellas. So of course...of course...I'm going to share my thoughts.

Baby I'm Yours by Stephanie Bond
Series: Southern Roads #0.5
Genre: Romance, Contemporary Romance
Pages: 48 (ebook)
Author's Website | Blog |
Buy it: Kindle | B&N

Description:

Emory Maxwell has come home to the small town of Sweetness, Georgia, with one goal in mind--to get his childhood sweetheart Shelby Moon to marry him. They've been in love with the second grade, but Shelby's father is determined to keep his daughter in Sweetness, not moving around the country as a soldier's wife. No matter what she chooses, Shelby knows she'll hurt one of the men she loves.
But when a tornado rips through town, will she and Emory lose their chance to be together forever?

Mini-Review:
This little read wasn't bad but the romantic conflict arose and was resolved within the last 7-8  pages.  The build up was cute but in such a short read it probably should have been shorter.  There was a horrible natural disaster at the end which told me that this novella's goal is likely to invest the reader in the problems of the small town and not necessarily Emory and Shelby.  For some, this novella might be enough for that but not for me.  I need a hook and a natural disaster doesn't do it for me.

Daffodils in Spring by Pamela Morsi

Genre: Romance, Contemporary Romance

Pages: 81 (ebook)

Author's Website | Blog 

Buy it: Kindle | B&N (free)

Description:

Each and every one of us has the ability to effect change--to make our world a better place. The key is to begin in our own backyards, look at needs within our communities and then decide to do something about them. The dedicated women selected as this year's recipients of Harlequin's More Than Words award have changed lives, one good deed at a time. To celebrate their accomplishments, bestselling authors have written stories inspired by these real-life heroines. In this book, Pamela Morsi honors the work of Karen Thomson, Founder of Literature for All of Us.

Mini-Review:
Daffodils in Spring almost made me change all my assumptions and skepticism about novellas.  The theme of this short new read is new beginnings.  New beginnings in romance and new beginnings in life.  This story is a complete story in itself.  It doesn't tackle too many issues and the conflict isn't superficial.  It handles time well so it is easy to forget that it is quite short.  The characters were believable and surprisingly well-developed.  It's a little too PG for my tastes.  I wanted a  bit more spice but it was not to be.

Review: Dating Mr. December

Dating Mr. December by Phillipa Ashley
Genre: Christmas, Romance
Pages: 294 (ebook)
Source: My Bookshelf
Author's Website | Blog
Buy it: Amazon | Kindle | B&N | Book Depo

Description:

After a disastrous discovery loses Emma Tremayne both her boyfriend and her high-profile PR job in London, she moves to the Lake District to recover her confidence and live a simpler life. She loves her new job with the tourist board, and she's settling into small town life just fine-until she ends up responsible for a fundraising effort that calls for twelve naked mountain rescuers.

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