Synopsis:
One cool autumn day a
young girl watched a drama unfold before her eyes. Because of her
intervention a lifelong friendship and love developed. This love went
beyond life and death. Lives were changed and barriers crossed. A
respect for and communal with all living creatures were lessons learned
outside of school.
Stimpy was a cat who will never be forgotten
by his owner Emily. After reading about his life and escapades, readers
will not easily forget this heroic, lovable, mischievous, independent,
friendly and loyal cat. Based on real accounts of his life it will open
the readers’ eyes to the real truth about cats. You will never look at
an animal in the same way again.
(Synopsis from Goodreads).
My Thoughts:For those of you that have been following my reviews for a while, you
know I love cats, and books about cats. Cats are one of my favorite
things to read about, whether it's fiction or non-fiction. I feel that
by reading about cats, I learn more about them which helps me to be a
better cat mom. Several years ago, I picked up a book about cats called
Stimpikins. I recently found it when going through my bookshelves, and
decided to give it a try. Unfortunately, I was thoroughly disappointed.
For
whatever reason, I wasn't expecting Stimpikins to be a children's book.
I think that's where most of my disappointment comes from. The story
was written in a way that made the writing seem very juvenile. There
were short, choppy sentences that made the book boring to read. It cut
off the flow of the book, which made it an unimmersive experience. The
other thing that bothered me were the pictures. They just didn't work. I
wish the author or an illustrator would have drawn them by hand.
Instead they used a 3D computer modeling program, which made the
illustrations look off, and downright creepy at times.
However,
there is one thing I did enjoy about Stimpikins. I thought the story
line itself was really cute, even with the choppy writing. You could
really tell that the author had a love of animals, especially cats. The
way she loved Stimpikins, despite all of the adversity the two of them
faced together really moved me. I also liked the random stories about
Stimpikns, especially the one of him and the fish tank. That cracked me
up.
Even though I enjoyed the story line of Stimpikins, there
were many things in the book that I didn't care for. All in all, even
the story line could not make the experience a great one. The writing
style made the book boring at times, and the pictures were often off
because of the method the author used for the illustrations. However, I
do think younger children, perhaps elementary school kids might enjoy
this book more than I did.
I give Stimpikins: 2.5/5.
Want to know more about the author?
Website: http://www.pamreynolds.me/index.htm
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6468869.Pamela_Reynolds
I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. I was in no way compensated for this review.
Synopsis:
Nick and Tesla are
bright 11-year-old siblings with a knack for science, electronics, and
getting into trouble. When their parents mysteriously vanish, they’re
sent to live with their Uncle Newt, a brilliant inventor who engineers
top-secret gadgets for a classified government agency. It’s not long
before Nick and Tesla are embarking on adventures of their
own—engineering all kinds of outrageous MacGyverish contraptions to save
their skin: 9-volt burglar alarms, electromagnets, mobile tracking
devices, and more. Readers are invited to join in the fun as each story
contains instructions and blueprints for five different projects.
In Nick and Tesla’s High-Voltage Danger Lab,
we meet the characters and learn how to make everything from rocket
launchers to soda-powered vehicles. Learning about science has never
been so dangerous—or so much fun!
(Synopsis from Goodreads).
My Thoughts:Lately, I've been making it a major priority in my reading goals to read
more of my physical books. I have thousands of them, and they usually
just sit around collecting dust because I mainly read from my Kindle. I
found the Nick and Tesla series on my bookshelf, and decided to pick up
the first book because I've been in the mood to read middle grade
fiction recently. I thought it was a great start to what seems to be a
promising series.
Nick and Tesla had everything that I love in a
middle grade series. It was filled with all of the tropes that make a
series great, such as the eccentric not all there caretaker. Uncle Newt
had me cracking up laughing several times. Although if he was the kid's
caretaker in the real world, I'm pretty sure he'd lose the kids in a
week or two from being so irresponsible. I also liked that it had kids
that didn't fit the expectations that society places on people. It felt
good to see Nick, Tesla, and their friends use their brains to solve
problems, rather than physical skills. It made the book more interesting
because you could solve the problems with Nick and Tesla while they
tried to work through them.
Speaking of working on things right
beside Nick and Tesla, one of the things that I loved about the book was
the experiments and projects that were included. Unfortunately, I was
not able to do them as I live in an apartment building that doesn't have
a yard that I can use for that type of thing or anywhere to set them
up. However, I did find it interesting to read all of the steps, and see
everything come together in my mind for how it work out. I have a fiend
that has children, and I plan on passing along the full series to her
once I finish it so she can do the projects with them.
All in
all, I thoroughly enjoyed Nick and Tesla's High Voltage Danger Lab. I
plan on binge reading the rest of the series in the next week or two,
and then passing it along to my friend so her kids can enjoy it too. I
can't wait to start the next book in the series tonight, and to see what
kind of crazy hi-jinx Nick and Tesla can get themselves into next. I'm
also excited to see what happens with the mystery character that was
revealed at the end of this book. I recommend this book to older
elementary kids that are interested in STEM.
I give Nick and Tesla's High-Voltage Danger Lab: 4/5.
Want to know more about the authors?
Bob Pflugfelder
Website: https://sciencebob.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sciencebob
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sciencebob?lang=en
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sciencebob/
Pintrest: https://www.pinterest.com/source/sciencebob.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sciencebob
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/ScienceBob
Steve Hockensmith
Website: http://www.stevehockensmith.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/steve.hockensmith.7
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MrHockensmith
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/146628.Steve_Hockensmith
I received this book from the publisher, Quirk Books, in exchange for an honest review. I was in no way compensated for this review.
Synopsis:
Find the confidence to rock out to your own beat.
Melly
only joined the school band because her best friend, Olivia, begged her
to. But to her surprise, quiet Melly loves playing the drums. It’s the
only time she doesn’t feel like a mouse.
Now, she and Olivia are about to spend the next two weeks at Camp Rockaway, jamming under the stars in the Michigan woods.
But
this summer brings big changes for Melly: her parents split up, her
best friend ditches her, and Melly finds herself falling for a girl at
camp named Adeline. To top it off, Melly's not sure she has what it
takes to be a real rock 'n' roll drummer. Will she be able to make music
from all the noise in her heart?
(Synopsis from Goodreads).
My Thoughts:
I feel that we really need more LGBTQ+ middle grade books. There are a
lot of LGBTQ+ fiction and non-fiction in young adult literature, but not
a lot for the younger audiences. Whenever I see middle grade LGBTQ+
books, they move to the top of my to read pile. When I heard that Lisa
Jenn Bigelow was writing a middle grade LGBTQ+ fiction book, Drum Roll
Please, I knew I had to read it. I loved her young adult debut, Starting
From Here, when I read it a couple years ago. Drum Roll Please
definitely didn't disappoint. I loved it just as much as Starting From
Here, if not more.
Drum Roll, Please brought back a lot of
feelings of nostalgia. It reminded me of what it felt like to be
younger, and falling in love with someone of the same sex for the first
time. It also made me nostalgic for those feelings of having your first
real crush, and brought back a lot of pleasant memories from when I was
that age. I think Lisa Jenn Bigelow captures those feelings perfectly.
You know an author has done a great job writing a book when it takes you
back in your mind to a certain place and time, and makes you very
happy.
I also really loved most of the characters from Drum
Roll, Please. I especially loved Adeline. She was so confident in who
she was. I love seeing younger characters that are comfortable in their
own skin, instead of criticizing themselves all the time. I think it
makes for great role models that kids cam look up to. I said I enjoyed
most of the characters because I really didn't like Melly's best friend,
Olivia. I thought was very selfish, self centered, and a downright
crappy friend to Melly throughout a lot of the book, especially after
they get to camp. While I was reading, I kept hoping that Melly would
ditch her to find a more supportive group of friends that would treat
her better.
I loved Drum Roll, Please. After thinking about it
once I was finished with the book, I think it might just be one of my
favorite middle grade books of all time. It's definitely my favorite
middle grade contemporary book that I have read. I'm hoping Lisa Jenn
Bigelow writes a sequel about the next summer at camp. I would really
love to see Melly after she has some time to deal with the issues with
her parents, and her sexuality. I think it would be awesome to watch her
grow even more as a character. I recommend this book to anyone looking
for a cute contemporary book to read. I especially recommend it to
preteens that are just starting to discover that they might be LGBTQ+. I
think it is a great resource that they will identify with.
I give Drum Roll, Please: 4/5.
Want to know more about the author?
Website: https://lisajennbigelow.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lisajennbigelow/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lisajennbigelow
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lisajennbigelow/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4575294.Lisa_Jenn_Bigelow
I received this book from the publisher, via Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review. I was in no way compensated for this review.
Synopsis:
World history has been made by countless lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer individuals—and you’ve never heard of many of them.
Queer author and activist Sarah Prager delves deep into the lives of 23 people who fought, created, and loved on their own terms. From high-profile figures like Abraham Lincoln and Eleanor Roosevelt to the trailblazing gender-ambiguous Queen of Sweden and a bisexual blues singer who didn’t make it into your history books, these astonishing true stories uncover a rich queer heritage that encompasses every culture, in every era.
(Synopsis from Goodreads).
My Thoughts:
Recently, I've been on a kick where all I want to read is non-fiction. I've always loved to learn about different things, and that spark has been reawakened. I especially love learning about LGBTQ+ history and culture. I feel the more I know about it, the better equipped I am to help promote LGBTQ+ equality. I recently decided to pick up Queer, There, and Everywhere. I'm glad I did. It taught me so much that I didn't know about LGBTQ+ history.
I do have to admit, the beginning of the book was incredibly slow. The introduction and the first story seemed like it took forever to get through because the writing style is something I wasn't used to. It was written with a lot of slang and things similar to that so it would appeal to teenagers. That makes sense because the book was intended for a young adult audience, but it made it frustrating to read because it felt like everything was dumbed down.
Other than that, I greatly enjoyed Queer, There, and Everywhere. I found it fascinating to learn about these historical figures in history that were LGBTQ+. Not only did I learn a lot about my favorite historical figures, but I learned about LGBTQ+ activists throughout history that I had never heard of before. I can't wait to do more research on the ones that I had never heard of before. I think my favorite story in the book was about Abraham Lincoln. I never knew anything about him being queer before. I definitely plan on researching further into that because I find it fascinating.
Other than the beginning, I absolutely loved this book. I wish that queer history was discussed more in schools, especially in history classes. Maybe if that happened, some of this wouldn't be such a shock, and the LGBTQ+ community would finally get the recognition it deserves. Maybe people would finally realize it's completely normal if they knew it happened throughout history. I recommend this book to anyone, especially YA audiences, looking for a good non-fiction book to read.
I give Queer, There, and Everywhere: 4/5.
Want to know more about the author?
Website: http://sarahprager.com/
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sarahmprager/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Sarah_Prager
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChq_fgj5kaQU2GlOtSAiIeQ
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7539145.Sarah_Prager
I received this book from the publisher, via Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review. I was in no way compensated for this review.
Synopsis:
In the real world, Eliza Mirk is shy, weird, and friendless. Online, she’s LadyConstellation, the anonymous creator of the wildly popular webcomic Monstrous Sea. Eliza can’t imagine enjoying the real world as much as she loves the online one, and she has no desire to try.
Then Wallace Warland, Monstrous Sea’s biggest fanfiction writer, transfers to her school. Wallace thinks Eliza is just another fan, and as he draws her out of her shell, she begins to wonder if a life offline might be worthwhile.
But when Eliza’s secret is accidentally shared with the world, everything she’s built—her story, her relationship with Wallace, and even her sanity—begins to fall apart.
(Synopsis from Goodreads).
My Thoughts:
Typically, I don't do well with overhyped books. I let the hype get to me, which raises my expectations. Then the book ends up with expectations that it can't ever meet. Therefore, I wanted to wait until the hype died down before reading Eliza and Her Monsters. Recently I thought enough time had passed, so I picked up the book. Let me tell you it was worth all of the hype that was surrounding it, and then some. It became one of my favorite books that I've read this year.
I loved almost everything about Eliza and Her Monsters. If I would have read a physical copy, I'm sure I would have annotated about 90% of the book because I identified with it so much. I saw so much of myself in Eliza. She was a quiet, shy, introverted person who just wanted to immerse herself in fandoms, and wanted to be happy doing what she loved. I think the fact that I was able to identify with her so much is the main reason why I loved the book. I flew through it and ended up reading the whole book in a day. I just couldn't put it down. The character interactions were also on point. There were times in the book where I wished every single one of these characters were real because I think it would be awesome to have them as friends in real life. They are definitely people who I could see myself hanging out with.
If I had to have one complaint about the book, it's that the climax was very predictable. As soon as things started happening between Eliza and the love interest, I knew the plot was going to unfold the way it did. I wasn't exactly sure the details of how it would happen so I did find that part interesting, but I knew that it would. It took away some of the shock value when it finally did happen ( I'm trying to be vague because I don't want to spoil it for anyone). I also found it very predictable the way the characters got over the issues and resolved everything. If it wasn't for that, it definitely would have been a five-star book.
It's not often that I finish a book and want to reread it immediately, but that definitely happened with Eliza and Her Monsters. I wasn't ready for the book to end. Even though it ended in a way that I like, I really just wanted more of these characters and this setting. I'm hoping that the author comes out with a book centered around the characters in the webcomics, kind of like Rainbow Rowell did with Carry On. I loved this book, and I recommend it to anyone who is interested in different fandoms, or anyone who is looking for a place where they belong and don't feel like they fit in.
I give Eliza and Her Monsters: 4/5.
Want to know more about the author?
Website: http://www.francescazappia.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChessieZappia
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chessiezappia/
Tumblr: http://exeuntstormtroopers.tumblr.com/
Pintrest: https://www.pinterest.com/francescazappia/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7009633.Francesca_Zappia
I received this book from the publisher, via Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review. I was in no way compensated for this review.
Synopsis:
The Finnegan brothers are bound to hurt any girl that gets between them. But that doesn't stop Lena. She loves pain with her pleasure. When things get too hot for her to handle, she does the only thing she can do to protect herself... she runs away.
Three years later, Lena is back in town for her father's wedding. She prays she can avoid her past, hoping nobody remembers her parents’ messy divorce or how she disappeared. However, as soon as she arrives, she finds she can't run from her past anymore.
There's no escaping the Finnegan brothers. Not this time.
(Synopsis from Goodreads).
My Thoughts:
Recently I've been going through my backlog of books that I've had for a while and reading them, starting with smallest page count first. I finally got to Misconception by Morgan Black and was so excited. I love the book's gorgeous cover. Unfortunately, that's about the only thing I enjoyed about this book.
I'm not exactly sure where this book started to go wrong for me. It might have been from the beginning. The writing style just seemed very juvenile. The characters weren't written very well. They just seemed like cookie-cutter characters without much individual personality. The main character was ridiculously immature for her age, especially with everything going on around her. She drove me crazy with her whining. The plot was boring. The only reason why I even continued the book is that there was this underlying secret that was hinted at, and I wanted to know if it was what I predicted. It wasn't, which made things kind of disappointing.
This book definitely was not for me. I thought the writing style was very immature, and I didn't care for the characters at all. The book did have an interesting cliffhanger ending. However, I don't think that even that cliffhanger can get me to read more of this series.
I give Misconception: 2/5.
Want to know more about the author?
Blog: https://authormorganblack.wordpress.com/
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/morgan.black.7334
I received this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. I was in no way compensated for this review.
Synopsis:
Adelia has no one to blame for her heartache. She’d been cautioned, many times and by many people. Everyone except her mother had told her it was folly to marry an elf, citing a host of reasons. Adelia knew their warnings were not unfounded. She knew he was very different from her and her kind, he was much older, and he’d had five other wives before her. She didn’t care. She had chosen her path.
(Synopsis from Goodreads).
My Thoughts:
Years ago, I read the book A Merman's Kiss by Laura Lond and really enjoyed it. Ever since then, I've wanted to read her other books but found myself getting distracted by other books that were on my list. Recently, I decided to pick up her book The Sixth Wife. I'm glad I did. I'm kicking myself for not reading it sooner. I enjoyed it quite a bit.
There were so many things I loved about The Sixth Wife. One of the things that made it stand apart from other books was that covered the human's perspective living with elves. In all of the fairy tales, you don't really ever see that, especially later on in the human's life when they have to deal with aging. It was a fresh perspective that really brought something new to the table and made me fall in love with the writing and the characters.
I also enjoyed seeing Ametar's backstory, and learning why he was affected the way he was. When I was reading the book at first, I just thought he was being a complete jerk with one of his rules, even though he did override it. Then once I learned his backstory everything started to make sense. I felt a lot of sympathy for him, and genuinely really started to like him. I also really loved the way the book ended. I don't think the author could have come up with a better ending. It made me so happy that after everything that had happened, the book ended the way it did (trying to be vague because I don't want to spoil it for anyone).
I think Laura Lond is becoming one of my favorite short story fantasy writers, if not one of my favorite short story writers in general. I love the way that she can take a 20-page story and make you fall in love with the characters, the setting, and the plot in such a short time. I definitely plan on picking up more of her books. This time I'm not going to wait 4 or 5 years before I do. I have one clicked some of her books once I was done with The Sixth Wife. I plan on reading them over the summer. I can't wait to dive into more of her work.
I give The Sixth Wife: 5/5.
Want to know more about the author?
Website: http://laura-lond.tripod.com/index.html
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/913887.Laura_Lond
I received this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. I was in no way compensated for this review.
