This would make a great coffee table book for a devout Christian, and probably a good book for a youth bible study group. It is not a good book for juThis would make a great coffee table book for a devout Christian, and probably a good book for a youth bible study group. It is not a good book for just sitting down and reading cover to cover (which is my preference for books). It's a bit large and unwieldy for just holding to read, and the font seemed unnecessarily small to me considering that about half the pages barely had anything written on them. Going into this book, I was expecting there to be more background or information provided on each of Jesus' names than was provided (I'm not sure what led me to that expectation, but it was there). What I got was a little bit of information and then some quotes where that particular name was used in reference to Jesus from people who have clearly read at least portions of the Bible or been to church a time or two.
I liked the artwork, but I'm not really sure it necessarily added to the information contained within the book, and without it, the dimensions of the physical book could have been a bit more "normal" and easier to hold. But the artwork did make the book a bit more interesting for me.
Copy received through the Goodreads First Reads Giveaway program. ...more
Several of these would fall under the category of anti-love poem. In fact, some of them are a bit twisted and I would not want to be the narrators lovSeveral of these would fall under the category of anti-love poem. In fact, some of them are a bit twisted and I would not want to be the narrators love interest. This collection of poetry is eclectic in style, and while I would have personally arranged the poems based on poem style, I'm assuming Mr. Vince had a method to his arrangement choice. A couple of the poems resonated with me, and I enjoyed the style or layout for a few others. My one issue with this collection is there were a few grammar errors (the author confuses than and then and uses the wrong one every time he uses one of them).
If you've just been through a bad break-up and are looking for someone who feels your pain, this is the poetry collection for you.
Copy Received through the Goodreads First Reads giveaway program. ...more
I'm going to be straight up honest and say that I have not made anything out of this book yet. I've had it for a while, fully intending to try to use I'm going to be straight up honest and say that I have not made anything out of this book yet. I've had it for a while, fully intending to try to use it because macrame is very much the kind of activity that I would do in my spare time (I'm kind of lacking in macrame essentials though, which I plan to rectify tomorrow by visiting my local craft store). I am, however, the type of person that likes to give handmade presents as gifts, and the holidays are coming up, so I decided to get my book out and give it a look. It has lots of patterns for things that would make great gifts (including snowflake and pine tree tapestry patterns). And the patterns and knot instructions look super simple to follow (although I may still manage to screw them up because I'm notoriously bad at following patterns).
So I will update this review after I actually get something made, but for now this is where it stands.
P.S. If you are a family member or friend that thinks I may be making you something for Christmas, remember that Christmas in July is a thing :) ...more
This book reminded me of The Babysitter's Little Sister books that I loved when I was younger, although it would be better described as Babysitter's LThis book reminded me of The Babysitter's Little Sister books that I loved when I was younger, although it would be better described as Babysitter's Little Sister meets Dora the Explorer because it's set in Mexico and uses some Spanish phrases. It's obviously targeted towards an audience much younger than myself, so it was a fairly quick read for me.
Things that I liked about this book as a parent: First is the font size. It's large and easy to read for both young readers and people with poor eyesight. Second is the lessons taught in the book, and there are a few. This book shows that honesty is the best policy and that just because people look different than you or live somewhere else doesn't mean that they're really all that different on the inside. Third is the Spanish phrases. I liked their incorporation and that most of the time they were followed by the English translation. I also liked the "Say it in Spanish" section at the back of the book that lists all the phrases used and their English translation. And finally, I liked the information provided in the back of the book about Mexico, their money, and what they eat there. And I fully intend to try the recipe for "Enchiladas de Patti" that is provided.
This is a series that I would have no problem giving to my son or daughter to read (although it would probably appeal more to girls since the main character is a girl).
Copy received through the Goodreads First Reads giveaway program....more
This is a cute rhyming children's book about clothes, basically. Some of the animals seemed like a bit of a stretch just to make the rhyme work to me,This is a cute rhyming children's book about clothes, basically. Some of the animals seemed like a bit of a stretch just to make the rhyme work to me, but they did make the rhymes work and my children didn't seem to notice.
The illustrations were colorful and interesting.
Copy received through the Goodreads First Reads Giveaway program. ...more
I read this book in one sitting. Granted it's short and had lots of pictures, but I'd intended to read a few pages and then go to bed, and instead I jI read this book in one sitting. Granted it's short and had lots of pictures, but I'd intended to read a few pages and then go to bed, and instead I just wanted to keep reading until I reached the end. I have not really read a story written in rhythmic prose before, so I have nothing to compare this too, but it had me completely engrossed in the colonial history of Africa, and seemed to be a great way to span a great number of years in a short story. I only rarely even felt like I was missing out on stuff I normally expect from my stories.
There were areas where the grammar and spelling were not very good, although I believe most of those are attributable to the style of writing used, but they were a little jarring for me, and for that I detracted one star from my rating.
Copy received through the Goodreads First Reads giveaway program. ...more
How does a person review a graphic novel? Should I review it like I would a children's book, since there are pictures? Or should I review it like I woHow does a person review a graphic novel? Should I review it like I would a children's book, since there are pictures? Or should I review it like I would a "normal" book because it uses the word "novel." I'm guessing I should probably do a little bit of both.
The illustrations (is that what they're called in comic books?) were well done, I think, although I had a really hard time dealing with the high and tight on Batman. My exposure to Batman prior to this was entirely through movies and cartoons, but in all of those that I've seen, Batman has had more hair than your average soldier. Talking about it, this seems silly, but it really was a big deal to me while I was reading. Beyond that, the pictures were crisp, and when I remembered that I was actually supposed to be looking at them, they did a pretty good job of helping to tell the story.
The writing is where I tend to have issues with comic books/graphic novels. Sometimes I have a hard time figuring out which little box I'm supposed to read next, and if you don't read them in the right order, the story doesn't make much sense. I think this is something that may just take practice, because it seemed to get easier to figure out as I got further into the book, but it's not a skill I have any desire to practice because I am just not really a fan of comic books/graphic novels.
Overall I give this book 3 out of 5 stars because I didn't really enjoy it, and had a difficult time reading it due to it's nature, but I am not a normal reader of the genre, so I don't really feel like I am qualified to rate it, so it gets the neutral rating.
Copy received through the Goodreads First Reads giveaway program.
This book reads a lot like a journal because it basically is. It's not the polished narrative one would expect from a successful author, and it shouldThis book reads a lot like a journal because it basically is. It's not the polished narrative one would expect from a successful author, and it shouldn't be, because Tim Kreider is just a father who made a difficult decision and has chosen to share his experience with the world. The fact that this reads like a journal makes it feel more personal.
I had some difficulty getting through this book because for most of it, it didn't really hold my interest all that much. I did find it interesting to learn about prison visitation practices as that is something I have no experience with, and hopefully will never have any experience with.
There was a lot of focus on religion in this book, and it clearly helped the author get through this very difficult time, but for me it came across sounding a little self-righteous. I don't actually think that's how it was intended to sound, but the religious skeptic in me does not easily trust personal proclamations of religious fervor.
Aside from reading like a journal rather than a polished narrative, the book is structurally sound, with very limited spelling/grammar errors (not more than what I feel is acceptable in a book this size). It is straightforward and easy to follow.
I would recommend this book to people currently going through a tough time that are maybe looking for a little hope when everything around them seems bleak. It just might help.
Copy received through the Goodreads First Reads giveaway program. ...more
I won a copy of this book through the Goodreads First Reads giveaway program in the hopes that I would leave an honest review.
This is the first book II won a copy of this book through the Goodreads First Reads giveaway program in the hopes that I would leave an honest review.
This is the first book I've read by Kathi Daley, and it appears to be the fourth book in the Paradise Lake series. While it can ultimately be read as a standalone, the first chapter felt like a big info dump with a lot of name dropping and it left me kind of reeling. There's a huge cast of characters and I didn't really care about any of them, I just didn't feel any connection. I suspect I may have felt differently if I had started this series at the beginning and built the relationships over time.
While this book is ultimately a mystery, I was still expecting to get a Hallmark cheesy Christmas movie feeling from it based on the title and the cover. I didn't. There were a couple times where I could see it sort of heading that way, but overall it didn't give me a sappy feel-good storyline. That's not a bad thing necessarily, but it didn't meet my expectations.
There were times where the story had a very Veronica Mars feeling to it, but ultimately I felt like it was a rudimentary mystery, almost like the mystery aspect of the story was an afterthought. Also, I never wavered from my original suspect, which I don't consider a good thing when reading a mystery. I want a story that makes me genuinely suspect everyone.
Overall I give this book 3 out of 5 stars because although it wasn't bad, it failed to meet my expectations on three counts, two of which are major for me when reading mystery.
This book reminded me of the cheesy Christmas movies that my mother loves to watch on the Hallmark channel, the ones where you know all along everythiThis book reminded me of the cheesy Christmas movies that my mother loves to watch on the Hallmark channel, the ones where you know all along everything will work out in the end, and two characters will realize just how much they love each other, because those movies are all about the HEA and the good feels. With just a few details changed, this book could easily become one of those cheesy Christmas movies. I guess the point I'm trying to make with that, is that if you are looking for a feel good winter romance, this book will definitely meet your needs.
Copy received through the Goodreads First Reads giveaway program. ...more
This is a cute whimsical story about a girl who eats too many donuts. It's geared to a young audience and I could imagine it being a great early readeThis is a cute whimsical story about a girl who eats too many donuts. It's geared to a young audience and I could imagine it being a great early reader book. It has a repetitive building list of things that get stuck to the Elizabeth donut and from my understanding, that is a good trait in an early reader book. The pictures are relatively simple, but help to demonstrate what is going on with the rolling Elizabeth donut. I am fairly certain my 5 and 3 year old children will really enjoy this story.
Copy received through the Goodreads First Reads giveaway program. ...more
This is a classic example of what I imagine a coffee table book is supposed to look like. You leave it on your coffee table so that you look pretentioThis is a classic example of what I imagine a coffee table book is supposed to look like. You leave it on your coffee table so that you look pretentious when you have guests over to your house. I have small children, so I have no use for coffee table books. There is no looking pretentious with Ninja Turtle underwear and Dora the Explorer socks carefully not quite hidden between the couch cushions. Instead, for the foreseeable future, this book will sit on one of my bookshelves where it will likely go unnoticed by anyone that may visit my house, which is sad, because maybe one of those people could help me understand abstract art.
This book is mostly a picture book, and most of the pictures are abstract, and I really don't understand abstract art. To me, trying to "judge" abstract art is like trying to "judge" non-rhyming poetry. I just can't do it. There is no quantifiable measure of greatness for me to compare them to in order to say "This is really good," or "Eh, I've seen better." Some of the pieces in this collection were more like still lives, and I did enjoy those more, although after reading the interview in the back of the book, several of the pieces made a little more sense to me. I did really enjoy the interview, getting a look inside the artists process for these pieces.
If you enjoy abstract art, or need a new pretentious looking coffee table book, this book would definitely suit your needs.
Copy received through the Goodreads First Reads giveaway program. ...more
I would recommend this book to anyone with a young daughter and to all middle school girls. However, I know that is unrealistic because there are manyI would recommend this book to anyone with a young daughter and to all middle school girls. However, I know that is unrealistic because there are many parents out there that would prefer to shield their children from some of the horrible experiences portrayed in this story. After reading this, I want to start warning my daughter of these dangers now, and she's only 3. While this story is fictional, the experiences are all too real for too many young girls, and I don't think society as a whole is aware of just how widespread this problem is. I certainly never thought about it, and I've been a military spouse stationed overseas in Germany where AFN airs PSA's in place of commercials, several of which talk about the problem of human trafficking, but I always kind of thought it was just a bigger problem in Europe than in the states. This book has made me realize that I'm probably wrong about that and has inspired me to do more reading into this problem. And it's a book I will almost certainly be having my daughter read before she should even have to be aware of these types of problems because our world is just getting more and more dangerous.
Copy received through the Goodreads First Reads giveaway program. ...more
This is a fun little book to help acquaint young children with a few different animals. My children seemed to really enjoy guessing which animal made This is a fun little book to help acquaint young children with a few different animals. My children seemed to really enjoy guessing which animal made the noises before we turned the page to find out exactly who it was. The illustrations for this coloring book are also simple enough that young children like mine (3 and 5) would reasonably be able to color them well.
When asked my 5 year old said, "This is a good book."
Copy received through the Goodreads First Reads giveaway program. ...more
I enjoyed this collection of Jane Austen book covers. It was interesting to read some of the historical notes about each cover and it's comparative stI enjoyed this collection of Jane Austen book covers. It was interesting to read some of the historical notes about each cover and it's comparative style to other books published at the same time.
I did not like the snarky comments about some of the book covers.
While I understand the layout and size/shape of this book, it does not lend itself well to straight reading, and instead sets it up to be more of a coffee table tome or decorative piece in my opinion.
Copy received through the Goodreads First Reads giveaway program. ...more
I think it was very brave of the author to share his experiences with bullying and OCD with the general public by writing about it, and hopefully therI think it was very brave of the author to share his experiences with bullying and OCD with the general public by writing about it, and hopefully there will be people out there that are helped by reading about his experiences, even if it just encourages them to seek help early on. I do not suffer from OCD, or at least not in a debilitating way, although some of the descriptions of OCD experiences hit a little close to home. Being a person who doesn't suffer from debilitating OCD, I still don't feel like I understand it at all after reading this book, and I was hoping that this book would increase my understanding. Many of the authors fears and experiences seem very ridiculous to me, and I just could not relate. I think the writing style may have played a part in that problem, never really making me feel like I was in the author's shoes. I think a good editor could help make this a great book. As it stands I would still probably recommend it to OCD sufferers, as it could help them find solace and the courage to seek help for their condition.
Copy received through the Goodreads First Reads giveaway program. ...more
It's was my first foray into the m/m romance sub-genre. I was not blown away, and will probably not actively seek out more m/m books in the future, buIt's was my first foray into the m/m romance sub-genre. I was not blown away, and will probably not actively seek out more m/m books in the future, but I also didn't hate it and it certainly provided me with some food for thought.
The conflict within and between the characters felt legit, but I'm not really in a position to say that it's realistic because I just can't know, I've never been there and I will never be there.
Copy receive through the Goodreads First Reads giveaway program. ...more
This is exactly the type of book my college writing professor would have had us read for class. It's a collection of interesting, well constructed essThis is exactly the type of book my college writing professor would have had us read for class. It's a collection of interesting, well constructed essays drawing on the life experiences of the author and his close relatives. I found many of the essays quite humorous and at least mildly educational, but furthermore, they've made me interested in seeking out more work by Mr. Appel. I would recommend this book to anyone that likes non-fiction for sure, and college writing professors may want to give it a look as well.
Copy received through the Goodreads First Reads giveaway program....more
Growing up Chelsea Barnes could not wait to get out of tiny little Barrett's Mill and make a name for herself, but when a loan application to get the Growing up Chelsea Barnes could not wait to get out of tiny little Barrett's Mill and make a name for herself, but when a loan application to get the old Barrett's Mill sawmill up and running again lands on her desk she finds herself face to face with her high school rival, Paul Barrett. Will Chelsea follow the numbers or will sentimentality gum up the works?
This book follows the pattern that I have come to expect from traditionally published romance novels. That is neither a good or bad thing as the pattern means the book is a bit predictable which can be a little boring, but it is also sometimes nice to know what to expect from your books. That being said, most indie published romances are equally predictable. Honestly, it's probably hard to be unpredictable when writing a romance without involving a love triangle, but I think that's why we love romance novels because we know that they will almost always end in a happily ever after, and sometimes that's exactly what we need in life.
I really enjoyed seeing the growth in these characters and being reminded of what it's like living in a small town where not only does everyone know you're name but also pretty much everything you've done since the day you were born. That element of small town life really shone through in this story too.
My only complaint is that the characters inner monologue started to feel a bit repetitive at times.
I would definitely recommend this book to just about any contemporary romance fan, especially anyone that's looking for life to slow down, at least for a few hours while reading.
Copy received through the Goodreads First Reads giveaway program....more
This book is like a combination between a fantasy novel and a reality t.v. show, and since I enjoy both of those things, I greatly enjoyed this book. This book is like a combination between a fantasy novel and a reality t.v. show, and since I enjoy both of those things, I greatly enjoyed this book. Because this is a book partially about a television show, most of the characters are two people, and at first it can be a little hard keeping things straight and remembering who is who, although I had a harder time remembering the physical descriptions for most of the characters, and that kind of bothers me. It's also mostly my failing, not the books.
The storyline is very intriguing with a whole lot of mystery about what exactly is going on. There are several hints that were fairly easy for me to pick up on. I imagine most other readers will too. I enjoyed trying to figure out what was going on behind the scenes so to speak.
My one complaint is that some of the formatting is off and there were just a few too many spelling errors for a book of this size (particularly with the words lighting and lightning).
Overall it was a very enjoyable read and I look forward to getting my hands on the next book in the series (at least there better be another book in this series because there are questions I still need answered. I would definitely recommend this book to people that enjoy fantasy and reality t.v. shows.
Copy received through the Goodreads First Reads giveaway program. ...more
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