Seth's review of Shadows by Michael Duncan

Synopsis:
A stolen text...When the Book of Aleth is stolen, Aaron, captain of the Royal Guard, is ordered by Emperor Therion to reclaim the ancient tome. The mission thrusts Aaron into a world he's never known--a world of elves and dwarves, races long thought extinct; a world where everything he has known and believed is a lie. A secret past... Forced to challenge his long-held beliefs, Aaron and his companions, two soldiers of the Royal Guard and two men of the Dwarvish kingdom of Brekken-Dahl, set out on a quest to recover the Book. Aaron resolves to discover the truth, and rescue the empire he is sworn to protect.

Seth's Thoughts:
Shadows started out fairly stereotypical to anyone who has ever read a medieval fantasy book. It did not get much better from there. I'm not saying it was a bad book. I'm not saying it was good. The characters were strongly written. There wasn't any lagging in the story. It flowed fairly nicely. I just felt underwhelmed by it as I felt I have read it half a dozen times in the past already. 

Seth gives Shadows: 3/5.

Want to know more about the author?
Website: http://www.michael-duncan.net/index.html
Twitter: https://twitter.com/luvtogolf1
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/97941.Michael_Duncan

I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. Neither Seth nor I were compensated in any way for this review.

Dangerously Ever After by Dashka Slater

Synopsis:
Not all princesses are made of sugar and spice--some are made of funnier, fiercer stuff

Princess Amanita laughs in the face of danger. Brakeless bicycles, pet scorpions, spiky plants--that's her thing. So when quiet Prince Florian gives her roses, Amanita is unimpressed . . . until she sees their glorious thorns! Now she must have rose seeds of her own. But when huge, honking noses grow instead, what is a princess with a taste for danger to do?

For readers seeking a princess with pluck comes an independent heroine who tackles obstacles with a bouquet of sniffling noses. At once lovely and delightfully absurd, here's a story to show how elastic ideas of beauty and princesses can be.

My Thoughts:

As much as I liked Dangerously Ever After, I had a couple of problems with it. The first problem is the princess's parents. They let her do horribly reckless things that could seriously hurt her, if not kill her. One example of this is letting her collect broken glass which could seriously injure her. Another example is letting her lean out the tallest turret. If she were to fall out the turret, it would most likely kill her. My second problem with the book is that Princess Amanita is not a very good role model. I don’t know about the younger generation now, but most of my role models were characters in books. Junie B. Jones was a particular favorite role model of mine. With Princess Amanita always doing dangerous things, girls might imitate her thinking it’s cool. If they do they are likely to get hurt. I did love the illustrations in the book They were beautiful. My favorite one was Prince Florian’s castle with the roses everywhere. The story line was good. I just don’t think that it was appropriate for younger children who are easily influenced. 

I give Dangerously Ever After: 3/5.

Want to know more about the author?
Website: http://www.dashkaslater.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dashka-Slater/85310238963
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DashkaSlater
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/25018.Dashka_Slater

I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. I was in no way compensated for this review.

Little Leah Lou and Her Pink Tu by Teasha Seitz

Synopsis:
Little Leah Lou and Her Pink Tu introduces a spunky girl who figures out that disappointment needn’t be more than a passing phase and perception is the key to happiness. Like little girls everywhere, little Leah Lou is obsessed with playing princess and wears her pink tutu wherever she goes. But when she wears her tutu to the zoo, she encounters a giraffe with the munchies and is left with just half a tutu. Her solution to her tutu tragedy will surprise and amuse young readers and wins little Leah Lou the admiration of one of the zoo’s flashiest residents.

My Thoughts:

Little Leah Lou and her Pink Tu is a cute children’s book. I really liked the author's sense of humor. Even though it’s a children’s book, I got a couple chuckles out of it. I liked how resourceful Leah Lou was. When her pink tutu got destroyed, she was only sad about it for a little while. She didn’t sit around and mourn the loss of her pink tutu. She did something about it. She created a pink tu which looked adorable. The book teaches a great lesson. When something bad happens, make the best of it. I really liked all of the illustrations. My favorite illustration is one of Little Leah Lou standing by the peacocks. Her tu is all puffed up and so are all of the peacocks tails. It looks like all three of them have peacock tails. The drawing is really cute. This is a fun children’s book. I recommend it to girls three and older. 

I give Little Leah Lou and her Pink Tu: 5/5.

Want to know more about the author?
Website: http://teashaseitz.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Teasha-Seitz/309279405795973
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TeashaSeitz
Pintrest: http://pinterest.com/teashaseitz/
Google+: https://plus.google.com/112152488543888356710/posts
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6476808.Teasha_Seitz

I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. I was in no way compensated for this review.

Puzzled by Pink by Sarah Frances Hardy

Synopsis:
Not every girl loves pink

Izzie hates pink as much as her sister, Rose, loves it. So when Rose plans an all-pink birthday party with the guests dressed in fairy costumes, Izzie decides to give her own alternative party in the attic, where the guests will be monsters, spiders, ghosts, and the pet cat. But some powerful magic triggers the appearance of yet another guest - an unexpected one. This will be a party nobody forgets!

My Thoughts:

I loved Puzzled by Pink. It reminded me of a children’s version of Emily the Strange. I can identify with Izzie, the main character. As a child, black was my favorite color, and all the girls in school thought I was weird because of it. The book teaches children a lesson. No matter how different someone may seem, get to know them before you judge them. It’s what is on the inside that counts, not the clothes that they wear. Puzzled by Pink also teaches that everyone, no matter how different they may be have something in common with another person. The illustrations in the book are all wonderfully drawn. I loved the ones with the black cat because they remind me of my cat, Sir Pig. My favorite drawing is the one of Izzie going up the stairs and Jinx following her. It’s adorable that they both have the same facial expression and walk the same way. This is a great children’s book. I recommend it for girls four and older. 

I give Puzzled by Pink: 5/5.

Want to know more about the author?

• Website: http://sfhardy.blogspot.com/
• Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4953654.Sarah_Frances_Hardy
• Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sarah-Frances-Hardy-Authorillustrator/354293381264317
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/intent/follow?original_referer=http%3A%2F%2Fsfhardy.blogspot.com%2F&region=follow_link&screen_name=sfhardy2&tw_p=followbutton&variant=2.0

I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. I was in no way compensated for this review.

How to Date a Vampire by Sophie Collins

Synopsis:
For any girl looking for a boy who's more Cullen than caveman, this book is her helping hand to a happy ending. Packed full of quizzes, charts, and fail-safe advice, this guide offers the lowdown on how to successfully date a vampire.

My Thoughts:

See my review of The Vampire is Just not That Into You. I’m kidding. Seriously though, the books were almost identical. I read them back to back. They are both short quick reads. I think they took me about an hour each to read. They are both how to guides when it comes to dating vampires. I really liked the illustrations in How to Date a Vampire. They have an emo/anime feel to them. I didn’t really care for this book. The only reason why I finished it was because it was so short. 

I give How to Date a Vampire: 2/5.

Want to know more about the author?
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/How-To-Date-A-Vampire/312656160391

I bought this book at a book sale. I was in no way compensated for this review.

The Vampire is Just Not That Into You by Vlad Mezrich

Synopsis:
Are you in love with a vampire?  Are you worried that you might not be his (blood) type?  Do you wonder whether that cold stare means he isn’t interested . . . or if it’s because he’s been dead for three centuries (nothing personal)?  Have you tried to coax him out of his crypt with a flash of your neck or a near-death situation that requires him to save you at the very last possible moment?  Have you ever considered what it will be like to introduce him to your mother?

Even though your vampire’s skin is transfixingly translucent, he can still be very hard to read.  Sometimes he’s simply holding back his true feelings, resisting the urge to bite you in the chance that one day you will truly love him.  And other times . . . well, he’s just not that into you.

How can you tell?  Undead dating specialist Vlad Mezrich has all the answers, utilizing quizzes, Top Ten lists, language analysis, real-life (and real-death) testimonials, and fancy charts to show you what you need to do in order to get your vampire and keep him forever.  Once you go vamp, you never decamp – so let this eternally rewarding book show you the way to the vampire of your dreams.

My Thoughts:

When it first came out, I loved He’s Just Not That Into You. When I found out they had a vampire version, I just had to read it. However, I was disappointed. It was probably my own fault that I was disappointed. I didn’t do enough research on the book before buying it. I thought the book was going to be a young adult book but it turned out to be middle grade. It was way below my reading level. I felt kind of silly reading it. Also, I thought it was going to be an actual novel, but it was more of a how to guide. Although He’s Not That Into You was a guide as well, it didn’t have all the charts and quizzes. I think the author thought that this would make the book more fun to read but it didn’t. I’m not quite sure if the author was trying to be like Twilight, or make fun of it with all the references to it. It just did not work. It just made it seem like he was trying too hard to be funny. As much as I dislike the book, there are a few things that I did like about it. The cover is beautiful. I like how the cover is a spoof of He’s Not That Into You, with more of a goth feel. Also when the author was using his humor in a non-twilight way, he was actually pretty witty. He made me chuckle a few times. However, the positives of the book don’t make up for how much I disliked it. 

I give The Vampire is Just Not That Into You: 2/5.

Want to know more about the author?
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/vlad.mezrich

I bought this book at a book sale. I was in no way compensated for this review.

ARC Review: Lost Cat by Caroline Paul

Synopsis:
Caroline Paul was recovering from a bad accident and thought things couldn't get worse. But then her beloved cat Tibia disappeared. She and her partner, illustrator Wendy MacNaughton, mourned his loss. Yet weeks later, Tibia waltzed back into their lives. His owners were overjoyed. But they were also...jealous? Betrayed? Where had their sweet anxious cat disappeared to? Had he become a swashbuckling cat adventurer? Did he love someone else more? His owners were determined to find out. Using GPS technology, cat cameras, psychics, the web, and animal communicators, the authors of Lost Cat embarked on a quest to discover what their cat did when they weren't around. Told through writer Caroline Paul's rich and warmly poignant narrative and illustrator Wendy MacNaughton's stunning and hilarious 4-color illustrations, Lost Cat is a book for animal lovers, pet owners, and anyone who has ever done anything desperate for love.

My Thoughts:

I love books about cats. Whether they are fiction or non-fiction, it doesn’t matter. When I saw a book about a woman whose cat has gone missing, I knew I had to read it. I love my cat and I would be heartbroken if anything were to ever happen to him. I could definitely identify with most of the things the author was saying. Attaching a camera to her cat may have been a little over the top, but I can understand why she did it. I also liked that the book had lesbian characters in it. I know that wasn’t the point of the book and it didn’t impact the story in any way. I just like seeing LGBT characters in books. The book made me chuckle at things that only a "crazy cat lady" would understand. I also felt heartbroken when something tragic happened to one of her cats. Just feeling the authors pain and knowing what she was going through made me cry. I loved this book. I hope to find more like it. I recommend Lost Cat for cat lovers everywhere. 

I give Lost Cat: 5/5.

Want to know more about the author?
Website: http://carolinepaul.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/carowriter

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I was in no way compensated for this review.