Month: December 2016

REVIEW – How This Book Was Made by Mac Barnett

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

A book about creating books! An author (Mac Barnett) tells the story of how an idea becomes a published book. And there is a tiger with a posse, a lot of waiting, pirates, astronauts, and the Great Wall of China.

Really!

A book about creating books!

Review

This is a fun, quirky little book that explains the publication process. An idea becomes a first draft. Then there are several more drafts. Then an editor. And corrections. Then an illustrator. And on and on until a reader finally gets to enjoy it.

The book is funny and silly while also communicating the steps to publication (or the steps to finishing a piece of writing). Readers learn all about the process in a pretty memorable way.

The illustrations are fantastic. I don’t usually gravitate toward this style of art, but the pictures are too clever not to enjoy. The illustrations of the author are my favorite as they really look like Mac Barnett (except for the really long beard).

This is a great collaboration from the team behind the Brixton Brothers middle grade mystery series as well as the picture book Chloe and the Lion.

Rating:  ♥♥♥♥

BOOK NEWS: December 13, 2016

Posted on by Jaymie

Happy Monday!! Tomorrow is release day! I’m really looking forward to many of the books arriving this December! Here are just a few of the books releasing this week that you might be interested in:

Books for Kids

The Story of Rosa Parks – a board book highlighting the life of Rosa Parks
Chicken Story Time – a chicken crosses the road to get to story time at the library
Hedgehugs and the Hattiepillar – a sequel to last year’s Hedgehugs. This time, the hedgehogs enjoy springtime.

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults

Word of Mouse – A new series from the prolific James Patterson and the awesome Chris Grabenstein (author of Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library) kicks off today! This stars a mouse who can read and write and who is on a quest to find his family.
Five Days of Famous – A holiday story about a middle school student who makes a wish that he could be part of the popular crowd. Will he choose to keep his new life? This is on the top of my list of books to read this week.
Mary Bowser and the Civil War Spy Ring – the first book in a new interactive non-fiction series. Use the tools included in the book to solve the mystery while learning about Civil War spy, Mary Bowser. This sounds very cool!

Books for Adults

Ill Met by Murder – Book 2 in the Shakespeare in the Catskills mystery series staring a costume designer for a theater company
Curried Away – Book 4 in the Spice Shop Mystery series.  This one also has a theatrical thread as the director of a local production is murdered.
Star Wars Rogue One: The Ultimate Visual Guide – includes character profiles and vehicle descriptions for the new Star Wars movie releasing later this week.
The Art of Rogue One – another coffee table book about the new Star Wars movie. This book focuses on concept art and how it evolved into the movie we’ll see this December.
What Falls from the Sky – A nonfiction book about a woman who steps away from the connected world for a year, leaving the internet behind and focusing instead on the God who made the universe.

REVIEW: The Christmas Town by Donna VanLiere

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

A fantastic Christmas story! Lauren grew up in a string of foster homes. At 20, she longs for a family – for a place to be known, a place to belong. On a whim one night, Lauren takes a drive and ends up in a town named Grandon. Little by little, the town and its people start drawing her in. But a nice town and nice people may not be enough to overcome a lifetime of pain and disappointment….

Christmas story about hope

Review

Oh, how I adored this book! Even now, a month after finishing it, I remember all the things that made this a special holiday read! This might be my favorite Christmas story ever (after the original, of course!).

Lauren is a fantastic character. I hurt for her past and hoped with her for the future.

I enjoyed how different threads of the book slowly worked together – the girl with a heart defect, the grocery store bagger (my FAVORITE character), the parks and recreation manager, the waitress – all the pieces with potential to help Lauren’s dream come true.

This story begs for an epilogue. Just to see how everything works out.  Just to spend more time with these characters. I think this book would be a perfect story to read each year to kick off my holiday season. I love the theme of hope and the message that God is at work even when we don’t see it.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

 

REVIEW: Behind Chocolate Bars by Kathy Aarons

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

A yummy chocolate truffle mystery! Michelle and Erica start sleuthing again when one of Erica’s comic book club teens is accused of murder. Faith or Faelynn or whatever name she went by was all bad news, but there’s no way this kid killed her. Michelle and Erica are determined to track down the truth – but they have their hands full. There’s a Halloween Festival, things going on in their personal lives, and a whole lot of suspects!

Behind Chocolate Bars by Kathy Aarons

Review

I read a mystery not long ago that was fine but flat. There was no spark. No zing. This  book definitely has zing! The setting – a chocolate and books shop – is different and fun. The characters are a believable team. Even the non-mystery portions of the story with family members and boyfriends are completely engaging. I love reading a book that doesn’t take any work to enjoy.

There are a lot of series regulars to keep track of in this book. Add to it the murder suspects. Readers will need to stay focused to keep track of everyone. The mystery was intricate and therefore satisfying. I figured things out a few pages before the main character. I love when I can puzzle it out.

Finally, this series makes me start to fantasize about trips to our local chocolate shop. They don’t get as creative and fancy as the book does, but it doesn’t matter if the treats are exactly the same. You will definitely be craving chocolate by the time you are done reading!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

 

REVIEW: Twelve Days of Christmas by Debbie Macomber

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

A Christmas romance perfect for the Hallmark Channel! Julia’s neighbor, Cain, is a Scrooge if there ever was one. Terse, grouchy, and no holiday spirit. Julia’s so frustrated, she wants to throttle him! Her friend suggests that she “kill him with kindness” instead. She’s supposed to be building a blog following as part of a job interview anyway. This kindness project could be just what she needs to get the job she wants and survive the holiday season with her grump of a neighbor!

Christmas romance by Debbie Macomber

Review

This is a Hallmark Channel movie wrapped in a book jacket. I could see the movie playing in my head as I read. Maybe Candace Cameron Bure could pay Julia!

This is a sweet, simple Christmas romance. A bit predictable – like those Hallmark movies where things unravel at the 90 minute mark and resolve 30 minutes later. But I enjoyed the characters. I liked how the kindness project worked on both of the leads. It was just what I look for in a Christmas read – a touching story with characters I enjoy. If you saw my post about new Christmas books that came out this year, this was one of the books I wanted to try. I’m glad I did.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

 

BOOK NEWS: December 6, 2016

Posted on by Jaymie

It’s Monday; tomorrow is release day! I’m really looking forward to many of the books arriving this December! Here are just a few of the books releasing this week that you might be interested in:

Books for Kids

groundhogs-runaway-shadowthe-spell-thief

Groundhog’s Runaway Shadow– Sounds like a cute picture book about a groundhog and his shadow
The Spell Thief (Little Legends) – The first book in a series for new readers starring fairy tale legends

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults

who-was-charlie-chaplinwho-was-jacqueline-kennedy  league-of-archers end-of-olympus whatever-is-lovely

everyday-magic-2nd spindle lunar-chronicles-coloring-book

Who Was Charlie Chaplin? – Love this biography series for kids!
Who Was Jacqueline Kennedy? – I’d like to read this one and learn more about Jackie Kennedy.
League of Archers – A young girl is accused of killing Robin Hood. Can she find out what really happened?
The End of Olympus (Pegasus) – Final book in this popular mythology series
Whatever is Lovely: A 90-Day Devotional Journal (Faithgirlz) – This would make a lovely Christmas gift for a young lady on your Christmas shopping list
Everyday Magic – This book for teens is from the author of The Heir and the Spare (Characters from that book make an appearance) about a girl who is blackmailed by her own father into pretending  to date a famous actor.
Spindle – A new spin on Sleeping Beauty from the author of Ahsoka and A Thousand Nights
The Lunar Chronicles Coloring Book – Fans of this re-imagined fairy tale series can now color pictures from the stories.

Books for Adults

frosty-the-dead-man crime-and-catnip prose-and-cons dead-bath-beyond better-off-thread above-the-paw trigger-yappyegg-drop-dead alien-nation love-alicebarna-trends-2017george-lucas-a-life

Frosty the Dead Man (A Snow Globe Shop Mystery) – Book 3 in this mystery series about a snow globe shop
Crime and Catnip (A Nick and Nora Mystery) – Book 3 in this mystery starring the cat of a deceased private investigator
Prose and Cons (A Magical Bookshop Mystery) – I pre-ordered this one months ago after enjoying book one so much!
Dead, Bath, and Beyond (Victoria Square Mystery) – Book 4 in the Victoria Square series
Better Off Thread (Embroidery Mystery) – Book 10 in the Embroidery shop series
Above the Paw: A Paw Enforcement Novel – Book 5 in a police dog mystery series
Trigger Yappy: A Mystery (Roundup Crew Series) – Book 2 (hardcover) in this series centered on a bar and a group of dog-lovers
Egg Drop Dead (A Cackleberry Club Mystery) – Book 7 in this Cafe-based series
Alien Nation (Alien Novels) – I pre-ordered this book the minute I finished the last book in May. This is my favorite series of all time. If you like smart, sassy heroines in action-filled science fiction/romance/mystery stories, check out this series. These definitely are better enjoyed in order.
Love, Alice – A grieving woman digs into an old mystery she discovers through a letter left at the cemetery. I really want to read this one!
Barna Trends 2017: What’s New and What’s Next at the Intersection of Faith and Culture – Check out the latest data from the Barna group
George Lucas: A Life – A new biography of the man behind Star Wars and Indiana Jones

 

 

SATURDAY SMORGASBORD: Fun Sports Books for Kids

Posted on by Jaymie

 

You can’t go wrong with books for kids that focus on the sports they love – or even sports in general. Here are some of my favorite sports books to share with kids.

innings-and-outs-of-baseballThe Innings and Outs of Baseball (Science of Fun Stuff) – I love this early reader series – Science of Fun Stuff and History of Fun Stuff. This particular book focuses on the history of baseball. After the epic World Series victory by the Chicago Cubs this year, baseball is as popular as ever.

 

 

babymouse-goes-for-the-gold

Babymouse 20: Babymouse Goes for the Gold – If you haven’t read a Babymouse graphic novel before, you’re missing out. They are FUN, with great pop culture references throughout each story. This particular one focuses on the Olympics.

 

 

jump-shot

Jump Shot (Barber Game Time Books) – I have enjoyed this series about twin brothers, based on the real-life athletes, Tiki and Ronde Barber. They have books about baseball, football and basketball, but this one is my favorite.

 

 

fantasy-league left-out

Two of the most prolific writers of sports books for kids are Mike Lupica and Tim Green.  Fantasy League – Our family has played fantasy football for years. That made this book extra fun to read. Even though it is written for kids, my husband and I both enjoyed it. It’s about a kid who is amazing at fantasy football. Then he gets to try his skills with an actual football team. Left Out – I haven’t read this one yet, but I have it on my TBR pile. It focuses on a deaf kid who wants to play football and the challenges he faces. I’m really looking forward to reading this one.

athlete-vs-mathlete double-dribble time-out

This series is my favorite of all the sports books! This series is about a set of fraternal twins. One is a basketball star and the other is a star student. When the “smart one” gets recruited for the basketball team in book one, Athlete vs. Mathlete, it starts a series of identity struggles for the boys. “Who am I if I’m not the ‘athletic one’ any more?” In book two, Athlete vs. Mathlete: Double Dribble, the question becomes, “Who are we if we aren’t the best twins in basketball?” And book three, Athlete vs. Mathlete: Time-Out, puts the focus back on the original twins as they try to find their place at a competitive summer sports camp. These would be great for a classroom read aloud where students could talk about the identity struggles of the boys.

what-is-the-world-series what-is-the-super-bowl what-are-the-summer-olympics

Finally, there’s the Who Was series of books. The original series focused on biographies, but they have expanded into Where Is, which looks at amazing places around the world, and What Is which looks at different periods in history and other things. The What Is series includes these sports titles: What Is the World Series? (What Was…?),What Is the Super Bowl? (What Was…?), What Are the Summer Olympics? (What Was…?).

 

Do you have any sports lovers in your life?

REVIEW: Madly (The Potion Diaries) by Amy Alward

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Samantha comes from a long line of alchemists – potion makers without magic but with a gift for mixing and creating potions for whatever ails you. When the princess gets a bad potion, all the alchemists in the kingdom are summoned to join the hunt for a cure. The one who can make a potion to cure the princess wins gold and magic! Too bad for Samantha that her grandfather refuses to join the hunt. She’s just an apprentice. What can she do?

madly potion-diaries

Review

Ever since I first saw the cover for The Potion Diaries, I have wanted to read it. I thought about it all summer long, counting down to the October release date.

Then in September I realized that it’s not a new book, but a re-packaged book. My local library had had Madly, the same story but with a different title and cover, all along!!

The story is fantastic. The potion/magic pieces create the world, but the characters are the story. Stephanie and her family are great. I especially like how the world is set up with magic users and “ordinary” folks. Stephanie has a pretty easy time figuring out the ingredients thanks to her family gift. But actually obtaining those ingredients is another whole story!

The characters made this story for me! And the adventures in getting the potion ingredients kept me turning pages.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

royal-tour

I read book 2, The Royal Tour, right after I finished Madly. It sagged at spots in the middle for me, but it was still enjoyable. I’m glad I pressed through the slow spots. The characters continue to be terrific. I loved seeing more of the princess and Sam’s sister in this book. Major cliffhanger at the end sets up book 3 to be a doozy!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥