The Snowman's Revenge, a review

I recently had the chance to review the children's book "The Snowman's Revenge" by Mark Smythe. It tells the story of a snowy day where the children are kept home from school and they take the opportunity to build a snowman. At the end of the day they go into the warm house, and the snowman decideds he wants revenge because they left him out in the cold.

This was a really cute story that I enjoyed reading with my children. The illistrations were very colorful and captivating, and the story taught a lesson about revenge. My 6 year old has read the book numerous times, and he said he thinks it is funny!

Grade: A

Book was given to me to review from the Cadence Group

Nick of Time, a book

I just finished reading "Nick of Time (A Bug Man Novel)" by Tim Downs. This book is about Nick Polchak, the bug man. He is all set to marry his fiance in a week, and he decides to go to a meeting of the Vidocq society in a faraway city where he is drawn into a murder mystery that could keep him away from his wedding....

This is the first Bug Man novel that I have ever read, so I felt like I was pulled into the middle of a story. That being said, I really enjoyed the story and the characters. I am encouraged to check out the first books at the library. I am a fan of murder mystery type books, and this book was on the lighter end of the spectrum as far as murder goes. A very enjoyable read.

B

This book was given to me by the publisher, Thomas Nelson, to review.

The Soldier's Wife, a book

Wow, what a powerful book. When I received this book to review, I put it to the side as I had a few other books to read first. When I finally made my way to this book, I could not put it down. What a compelling story! The book follows the story of a woman who lives on the Isle of Guersney during WWII. She has 2 daughters and her mother in law to look after while her husband is away fighting in the war. I don't want to give too much away in explination, but just trust me when I say that this is a great love story, and also a tearful tale.

The woman in this book is such a strong character. She is a person that I would like to think I would be like in such a hard time. She does everything possible to protect her children from the horrors of war, and at the same time finds compassion for all people. I would say this is a must read!

A+

The Soldier's Wife by Margaret Leroy was given to me to review from the publisher, Hyperion.

The Keeper of Lost Causes, a book

I recently read the book “The Keepers of the Lost Cause” by Jussi Adler-Olsen. It is a story about a detective that had a traumatic event recently where he is shot. He is having issues dealing with the event, and has not much interest at work when he returns. His boss creates a position for him, at the request of the government, forming a new department for special cases that have been unsolved for some time. He has an interesting assistant as well. We follow the story as he starts to take interest in a case.

I really enjoyed this book. The story was very intriguing, and it really pulls the reader in. The characters are easy to identify with, and you take a genuine interest in the outcome of the case. It is told by two separate characters, but it takes awhile to understand who the other perspective is coming from. It is a really interesting story. If you liked “The Girl Who” stories, this is certainly the book for you.

I was given an electronic copy of the book to review from the publisher, Penguin, through the NetGalley website.

Angel Song, a review

I am not going to spend much time on this book because I had a very difficult time reading it to the end. I found the book to be pretty dull and ordinary, and while I loved the idea behind the book, I didn't think the book followed through. The idea was that an angel was helping a woman through a tough time with a song.

I was given this book to review from Thomas Publishing.

Long Gone, A book review

This is a story about Alice, who is the daughter of rich and famous parents and is trying to make a life for herself without her family's money or influence. She is offered a job as a art gallery manager. She thinks that this is almost too good to be true, and it turns out that the case. Her new boss is found murdered, and she is the prime suspect. As the story progresses, we find out that things are not as they seem.

This is the typical murder mystery, and sometimes that is just the kind of book that you want to read. It is a well written story with an intricate plot and interesting characters.

I would recommend reading this book to those who enjoy a good mystery full of twists and things you wouldn't expect.

This book was given to me in electronic form to review from netGalley by the publishers HarperCollins.

House Divided, a book review

House Divided was a great drama set in Washington DC about scandal and cover-ups in the government. It all started when a murder is being investigated by local police, and the FBI step in to take over the case. From there we follow the winding tale of several intelligence agencies and what happens when people follow their own rules...

This was a very entertaining book with several characters that make you wonder if they are with the good guys or playing for the other team. It also deals with several issues in current events, such as warrant less wire tapping.

I would recommend this book to anyone that is interested in crime mysteries as it will certainly make you think and leave you unable to put the book down! Will be looking for more books from Mike Lawson.

This book was given to me electronically to review from netGalley for the publisher Grove/Atlantic Inc.

Eli and the spaceman, and some cuties....

Here are some cute pictures of Noah and Daddy that I snapped while we were getting ready to watch a movie. I love how they are all snuggly and loving each other! They certainly are cuties!

Then I found a picture of Eli from our trip. He looks like he is next to a spaceman, and I thought he looked cute as well. All my boys in one post, how exciting!

The Revenge of the Radioactive Lady.......

The Revenge of the Radioactive Lady by Elizabeth Stuckey-French was a very interesting book to me. It was advertised by being sold as similar to the movie "Little Miss Sunshine". I loved that movie and thought that this would be a funny book as well.

This was a funny book. It was about a woman that wanted to get revenge on her doctor from many years ago because he used her and other women in experiments with radioactive materials. Bad things happened as a result, and she has fixated on exacting revenge from the moment of her daughter's death from cancer a result of the experiments. She finds the man, and moves near him to kill him. She finds that she can't do that because he is beginning to lose his mind as a result of dementia, and instead decides to make things hard for his daughter's family.

It was a really funny book. I found the characters in the book to be very real and still funny. It is pretty hard who to figure out who to cheer for because all the characters have their own quirks. I recommend this book to anyone that is up for a funny read and is also able to laugh at the funny things in life. It was certainly a pleasure to read this book.

This review book was sent to me by the publishers, Doubleday, in exchange for a review.

More winter...

So here it is, nearing March, and we are in store for more snow storms and winter weather. I love winter, and I love snow. But I think the cold and wind has just about worn out its welcome. Is 30 degree days so much to ask for? Maybe just a half a day of snow? Well, it is the seasons that make it so much more enjoyable when we have hot summer days and the first snow fall. So the drawn out winter is just a way to make me appreciate spring, right?

Riding the horses!

These are just some picture of us visiting the carousel in Salem. It was me, my sis, Eli, Noah, Daphne, and Cyprus that went to Salem, and Josh stayed home sick. Eli had a rough go at the AC Gilbert house, but when we walked to the carousel, everything turned out ok. What an awesome place to visit!

Off we go to Auntie's house!

Over the long holiday weekend we planned a trip to go visit the Cast Iron Farm in McMinnville. This is the third time for me visiting here, second for my boys and Josh's first trip to the new farm. It is always nice to get to see my sister, and I am really excited by her farming endeavor. We went over on a Thursday and came home on a Monday leaving 3 days full of fun. First off we got to help with chores everyday! Then we went to Salem to the AC Gilbert children's museum and the carousel and a big trip to Costco. Unfortunately Josh wasn't up to going on this trip, but it was pretty cool. Eli was not really impressed by the museum, but I think that is because he may have been tired. The next day we went to the Air and Space museum, and that rocked. It is always so much fun to visit my sis, but always sad to leave. Hopefully we will get to hang out again in the future!

At the space museum.......

While we were at Auntie Christine's house, we decided to check out the Evergreen Air and Space museum that can be seen from her back yard. There are mixed reviews for the place. Josh and I thought it was pretty darn cool, but Eli couldn't wait to get out of there. Noah thought it was a nice place to run around inside. Here are some pictures of us there, and even though the kiddos don't agree, it is a must visit place for sure! I think I would like to be closer to these cultural things, so maybe one day we can move near my sister!

Sweet Jiminy, A Book Review

I recently read Sweet Jiminy, a book about a young woman named Jiminy who ran away to her grandmother's house in Mississippi after a hard time in college. While she had not grown up there, she had spent some time there, and found it to be a place she could go to "find herself". In the book we follow Jiminy as she learns some things about the people she knows, and we end up on the case of a long ago murder. The book deals with issues of hatred and race in a way that makes the reader feel as though they are there and experiencing the same issues themselves.

I have never personally experienced any sort of racial tension, even with a very rural upbringing, and found this book helped me to see the issues of people of different races in other parts of the country. I really enjoyed the book, even though it was sad at times. It also has a story of mystery that is both engaging and entertaining. I would recommend this book as a good read, though it isn't exactly light reading.

Will be released April 26th.

I received an electronic copy of this book to review from the publishers Hyperion via netgalley.

Looking at a forcast of snow.....

What a fabulous weekend we had weather wise! Temperatures nearing 50, after months of freezing, and at times below zero weather. It was the first day that my kiddos could go outside and play without freezing! The addition of the backyard fence last spring has enabled me to let them actually play outside without me being out with them. I think that they must get tired of playing inside for months on end, and am so glad to let them run wild for a day at least.

So I looked at the forcast for the week, and would you believe it is supposed to snow! We are planning a trip over the mountain this weekend, so at least we get to enjoy some of the white stuff on the drive!

The Promise of Spring

I really enjoy living in the area that I do live in because I love seasons. I think the most wonderful thing about summer is the idea that Christmas will be here before you know it. I love snow, and I love warm summer days. I also love how spring is just so full of promise after the long months of cold and freezing weather.

Even though we will probably have a few more snow storms, and it won't be time for anything to seriously grow for several more months, now is a great time because I am thinking about what summer has in store. I have already ordered seeds for my garden, and just like every other year at this time, I actually think my garden will be a success. Planning the garden is about as much fun as actually gardening! I even planted some herbs in canning jars that now sit on my kitchen window sill, and that makes me happy as well.

Here's to looking forward to this years growing season!

Elijah's Coin, A Book Review

I have been busy reading, as you can tell by two reviews! I recently had the chance to read a book called Elijah's Coin by Steve O'Brian. I am going to say that the reason I chose this particular book is because it shares a name with my son. It is a fairly short book, around 100 pages. This is a awesome book. I really enjoyed reading it, but is also a book with a lesson. I don't want to give too much away, but the story is about a boy that has had some trouble in his life and is turning to crime when a man named Elijah talks to him about life and how to improve his. It is a very uplifting story and one that was a joy to read. I recommend this book to anyone.

This book was sent to me by the Cadence Group to review.

Sally Sin, A book review

Original Sin: A Sally Sin Adventure was a very entertaining book about a woman that used to be a spy. Over the course of the book, we follow "Sally" through many spy stories and also we have a glimps of her life as a mom. I found the story to be very easy to follow. It is an adventure type book, but it is also very funny and addicting. I would certainly recommend it to someone who needs an easy book, and look forward to future installments of Sally Sin.



This book was a review book from Hyperion via Netgalley. Will be published 7/12/11.