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Owl Diaries: The Wildwood Bakery (Book 7) by Rebecca Elliott

February 6, 2018 by

Source: Purchased
Paperback, 80 pgs.
I am an Amazon Affiliate

Owl Diaries: The Wildwood Bakery by Rebecca Elliott is the seventh book in this series with Eva Wingdale and her elementary school friends. In this book, Eva and her pals are going to help raise money for their friend Mia’s sister, who needs a special chair to help her fly. Not only does this book help children realize that people who are disabled are just like us with the same interests, but it also inspires them to creatively find ways to help their friend.

However, as kids are eagerly crafting ideas to help Mia’s sister, they soon make their plans competitive, eager to see which team will raise the most money and win. Losing sight of the purpose, Eva and her friends must find a way to work together to achieve their goals. Elliott’s characters mirror their human child counterparts — male and female — and they act as elementary kids would.  They are full of ideas and creativity, but they are also eager to show their teacher and others who is the best.

Owl Diaries: The Wildwood Bakery by Rebecca Elliott is another wonderful book in the series that makes learning fun. The questions in the back are an added touch that teachers and parents can use to discuss the reading and get kids to think more broadly about their own school experiences.

RATING: Cinquain

About the Author:

A school project from when Rebecca was 6 reads, ‘when I grow up I want to be an artist and a writer’. After a brief detour from this career plan involving a degree in philosophy and a dull office job she fulfilled her plan in 2001 when she became a full time children’s book illustrator and has since written and illustrated hundreds of picture books published worldwide including the award-winning Just Because, Zoo Girl, Naked Trevor, Mr Super Poopy Pants, Missing Jack and the very popular Owl Diaries series.

She lives in Suffolk in the United Kingdom with her husband, a history teacher and children, all professional monkeys.

Filed Under: children's fiction, Publishers/Publicists, purchased, Read in 2018, reviews, Scholastic Tagged With: ,

Mailbox Monday #465

February 5, 2018 by

Mailbox Monday, created by Marcia at To Be Continued, formerly The Printed Page, has a permanent home at its own blog. To check out what everyone has received over the last week, visit the blog and check out the links. Leave yours too.

Also, each week, Leslie, Martha, and I will share the Books that Caught Our Eye from everyone’s weekly links.

Here’s what we received:

Dead Men Can’t Complain and Other Stories by Peter Clines from Audible.

A cop interrogates a perp in a lizard costume that seems all too real.

An all-powerful superhero protects his city – and they better like it.

An average Joe finds out that being undead isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be.

Including three never-before-published stories, Dead Men Can’t Complain is the first-ever collection of short fiction by Peter Clines, author of 14, The Fold, and other Audible smash hits. Combining equal parts geekery and humor with the occasional dash of horror, Dead Men Can’t Complain is ideal for Clines fans eagerly awaiting his next novel – or for brand-new listeners discovering this Audible favorite for the first time.

None But You by Franky A. Brown, free Kindle.

Anna never expected to see Erick Walsworth again. Breaking off their engagement eight years ago was the worst decision of her life. But her bitter regret is nothing compared to pretending she’s not still in love with him. Especially while having to watch a perfect girl like Piper Ashley hang on his arm.

With circumstances throwing them together and a best friend insisting on playing matchmaker, Anna can’t escape the one question she fears most: What happens if she can’t convince her first love to give her a second chance?

What did you receive?

Filed Under: mailbox monday, meme Tagged With: , , ,

#FridayReads: Louisiana Catch by Sweta Vikram

February 2, 2018 by

I feel like my review time has shrunk and the blog has a lot of empty spots during the week.  It has not been intentional. I’ve missed this space.

As I’ve seen on Facebook and Twitter and Instagram, people talk about what books they’re reading on Friday.

Today’s read is Louisiana Catch by Sweta Vikram.

I’m slowing getting to know the main character Ahana, a woman who has lost much in the short time I’ve been with her.  Her mother has been her rock through her divorce, which is virtually unheard of in India. Through her experiences, Ahana has come to realize she must advocate for women’s rights and to end violence against women and help its victims. But she is still grieving.

It’s clear that this book is timely given the current climate in our government and the media reports, as well as the #MeToo movement. Women’s voices have been made silent too long. I hope that Ahana learns to speak for herself in a powerful way, but I suspect she must face more darkness before she gets there.

I wish work was over more quickly, so I can get back to it.

As a disclaimer, I am putting together a blog tour for Louisiana Catch by Sweta Vikram, so if you are interested, drop me an email.

Filed Under: announcements Tagged With: , , ,

We Are Legion (We Are Bob) by Dennis E. Taylor

February 1, 2018 by

Source: Audible
Audio; 9+ hours
I am an Amazon affiliate

We Are Legion (We Are Bob) by Dennis E. Taylor, narrated by Ray Porter, which was our January book club selection, is a science fiction novel with humor.  I’m not even going to attempt to recap the plot of this hot mess. Think Star Trek with a bunch of star date logs that jump from one Bob to another version of Bob, who has had to rename himself to reduce confusion. This confusion comes not from the fact that Bob replicates himself to complete this inane mission, but from the constant back and forth in time and between characters.

There were moments of humor, but most of it was forced with the narrator believing his jokes were funny and trying to convince the reader that the jokes are funny. The most interesting parts of the novel that raised moral and ethical questions were quick to pass and more time was spent on stupid missions or arguing between Bobs and other characters or even between themselves.

The beginning in which Bob originally finds his brain had been sold to a company 100+ years before and then was used to turn him into an AI was intriguing.  He had to learn to navigate his new environment, its restrictions, its politics, and the fact that his past would be that — in the past. Once launched into space, the only other part of the novel worth exploring is when a planet with inhabitants is reached and the AI must decide whether to play god or allow a species to certainly perish.

We Are Legion (We Are Bob) by Dennis E. Taylor was too disjointed and lacked a purpose — with the only plot line carrying the story being the search for a new planet for a human race that may be no more. In all honestly, I had 2 hours left of the audio and I just couldn’t bring myself to finish it.

RATING: Epitaph

GoodReads Synopsis:

Bob Johansson has just sold his software company and is looking forward to a life of leisure. There are places to go, books to read, and movies to watch. So it’s a little unfair when he gets himself killed crossing the street.

Bob wakes up a century later to find that corpsicles have been declared to be without rights, and he is now the property of the state. He has been uploaded into computer hardware and is slated to be the controlling AI in an interstellar probe looking for habitable planets. The stakes are high: no less than the first claim to entire worlds. If he declines the honor, he’ll be switched off, and they’ll try again with someone else. If he accepts, he becomes a prime target. There are at least three other countries trying to get their own probes launched first, and they play dirty.

The safest place for Bob is in space, heading away from Earth at top speed. Or so he thinks. Because the universe is full of nasties, and trespassers make them mad – very mad

About the Author:

Dennis Taylor is a computer programmer by day, a writer by night, and a snowboarder when in season. He’s read science fiction for many years, and has written his own.

***Book club seemed to enjoy this***

Filed Under: audiobooks, challenges, fiction, New Authors Challenge, Read in 2018, reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

Mailbox Monday #464

January 29, 2018 by

Mailbox Monday, created by Marcia at To Be Continued, formerly The Printed Page, has a permanent home at its own blog. To check out what everyone has received over the last week, visit the blog and check out the links. Leave yours too.

Also, each week, Leslie, Martha, and I will share the Books that Caught Our Eye from everyone’s weekly links.

Here’s what we received:

We Are Legion [We Are Bob] by Dennis E. Taylor, which I ordered with Audible credits for our January book club pick.

Bob Johansson has just sold his software company and is looking forward to a life of leisure. There are places to go, books to read, and movies to watch. So it’s a little unfair when he gets himself killed crossing the street.

Bob wakes up a century later to find that corpsicles have been declared to be without rights, and he is now the property of the state. He has been uploaded into computer hardware and is slated to be the controlling AI in an interstellar probe looking for habitable planets. The stakes are high: no less than the first claim to entire worlds. If he declines the honor, he’ll be switched off, and they’ll try again with someone else. If he accepts, he becomes a prime target. There are at least three other countries trying to get their own probes launched first, and they play dirty.

The safest place for Bob is in space, heading away from Earth at top speed. Or so he thinks. Because the universe is full of nasties, and trespassers make them mad – very mad.

What did you receive?

Filed Under: mailbox monday, meme Tagged With: , ,

Owl Diaries: Baxter Is Missing (Book 6) by Rebecca Elliott

January 23, 2018 by

Source: Purchased
Paperback, 72 pgs.
I am an Amazon Affiliate

Owl Diaries: Baxter is Missing (Book 6) by Rebecca Elliott has Eva looking for her missing pet bat, Baxter. Eva is a very busy and social owl, but Baxter is her best friend and when he goes missing, Eva can’t help but blame herself, blame squirrels, and more. Her anxiety about not finding Baxter is fresh and keeps young kids concerned throughout the whole book.

Kids will learn how to deal with anxiety constructively in this book, as Eva gathers her friends and classmates around to search for Baxter. Even though no one has seen Baxter, they’re eager to help.

Owl Diaries: Baxter is Missing (Book 6) by Rebecca Elliott is another delightful installment that helps kids navigate overwhelming feelings and loss without too much drama. Eva is an owl who looks to solve her own problems the best she can, but can accept help when she needs it. This is an important lesson for growing kids.

RATING: Cinquain

About the Author:

A school project from when Rebecca was 6 reads, ‘when I grow up I want to be an artist and a writer’. After a brief detour from this career plan involving a degree in philosophy and a dull office job she fulfilled her plan in 2001 when she became a full time children’s book illustrator and has since written and illustrated hundreds of picture books published worldwide including the award-winning Just Because, Zoo Girl, Naked Trevor, Mr Super Poopy Pants, Missing Jack and the very popular Owl Diaries series.

She lives in Suffolk in the United Kingdom with her husband, a history teacher and children, all professional monkeys.

Filed Under: children's fiction, Publishers/Publicists, purchased, Read in 2018, reviews, Scholastic Tagged With: ,

Mailbox Monday #463

January 22, 2018 by

Mailbox Monday, created by Marcia at To Be Continued, formerly The Printed Page, has a permanent home at its own blog. To check out what everyone has received over the last week, visit the blog and check out the links. Leave yours too.

Also, each week, Leslie, Martha, and I will share the Books that Caught Our Eye from everyone’s weekly links.

Here’s what we received:

(Amazon Freebies)

Regret by Elizabeth Howell

The tale begins the day before Miss Lydia Bennet’s wedding to George Wickham.

Excited, that finally she will be married to her reckless but handsome beau, Lydia cannot contain her joy. On entering his bedchamber to show him the lace bought for her wedding day, an unexpected sight awaits Lydia. Lying on the floor, Lydia crouches by Wickham’s side, believing him to be jesting or consumed by alcohol. Alas, it is neither – Wickham is dead.

Receiving word from Mr Gardiner that his youngest daughter has been arrested for Wickham’s murder, that day changes the lives of the Bennet family. Caught up in the scandal of Lydia’s intended elopement with the military man, shame now bears down on the family as the youngest Bennet sister faces trial for killing Wickham.

Turmoil pursues, and everyone is required to rally around and be strong. Life will never again be the same. In the middle of the chaos stands Elizabeth Bennet. Considered by many as the most capable of the Bennet sisters, now she has to be strong and consider everyone but herself, and she does. Worried about her father and anxious for her mother, too, her sisters each have personal despair.

Longbourn Revisited by Margaret Lynette Sharp

When news of Mr Bennet’s illness arrives at Pemberley, Elizabeth finds that she must set off for Longbourn without the company of her husband, Fitzwilliam Darcy, who has business in London requiring his urgent attention. What unexpected events will further disrupt the apparent harmony of Elizabeth’s life? Will Hodges, Mr Bennet’s young physician, be captivated by Catherine Bennet, thus fulfilling the desires of Mrs Bennet? Will Mary be left behind to attend to her mother’s selfish wishes?

Three Daughters Married by Renata McMann

After Anne de Bourgh’s unexpected death, Lady Catherine de Bourgh talks herself into believing that Darcy should marry Elizabeth Bennet. This short story assumes the reader is familiar with Pride and Prejudice.

Love Letters from Mr. Darcy by J. Dawn King

How much power is in the written word? Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy is determined to find out.

Crushed beyond measure at the rejection of his proposal, Darcy struggles to explain both the facts and his feelings by letter to the only woman he will ever love. Can such a reticent man find the words to enable Elizabeth Bennet to know the man behind the mask? Will she read his carefully crafted epistle once he delivers it into her hand? Will he catch even a small glimmer of hope?

Affection and respect. Two magical words Miss Elizabeth never expected to hear from the last man in the world she would ever marry, yet they undeniably appear before her eyes in black and white. Devotion and adoration. Humph!

Follow literature’s most beloved couple during the weeks following the disastrous proposal as a series of heartfelt missives has created such havoc in Elizabeth’s heart that she is finally moved to write him back. Will hers be a letter of love as well?

What did you receive?

Filed Under: mailbox monday, meme Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Said Not Said by Fred Marchant

January 19, 2018 by

Source: Purchased
Paperback, 78 pgs.
I am an Amazon Affiliate

Said Not Said by Fred Marchant differs from his previous collections that focused heavily on the Vietnam War and the effects of war on soldiers and those nations caught in war. His poems here tow the line between direct speech to the reader and remaining deafeningly silent, requiring the reader to parse out the meaning of his lines and over-arching themes. In this collection there are poems about the Vietnam War, the Benghazi issues, and the deterioration of his sister.

The poet is both witness and subject, and Marchant has an uncanny ability to not only empathize with “the other” but to inhabit their suffering in a way that makes it his own and requires the reader to take their own ownership of that suffering.

“Twin Tulips” is particularly powerful as the narrator is running his finger down the stem of tulips painted in watercolor that falls down the page like tears she shed as she struggled to hold onto her memories and herself even as her mental faculties stripped them away. There is significant beauty in the sorrow, but there is a longing that remains with the last words — “as long as” — because we often feel the same. We want to hold on as long as we can, even though we know that time in finite for each of us.

This theme is carried through the collection and appears in “Forty Years”:

How the sound of the rust-bucket trawler named Memory followed her
wherever she went, its torn nets dragged across the floor of her being, the
silt clouds and debris fields, a stern winch sounding a lot like pain.

Said Not Said by Fred Marchant is wonderfully rendered and deeply emotional. It tracks the sorrow tied to mortality, but it also demonstrates the connection we share as a humanity. This connection needs to be cherished and never forgotten no matter how we age. It is this connection that imbues us with empathy and understanding — something we need more of in modern society.

RATING: Cinquain

Other Reviews:

Couldn’t resist sharing this old gem.

About the poet:

Fred Marchant is the author of four books of poetry, including Full Moon Boat, The Looking House, and his most recent collection, Said Not Said, all from Graywolf Press. His first book, Tipping Point, won the 1993 Washington Prize from The Word Works, and was recently re-issued in a 20th Anniversary Second Edition. House on Water, House in Air, a new and selected poems was published in Ireland by Dedalus Press. He is the editor of Another World Instead, a selection of William Stafford’s early poetry, also published by Graywolf Press. With Nguy?n Bá Chung, he co-translated From a Corner of My Yard, poems by Tr?n Dang Khoa, and published in Hà N?i. Emeritus Professor of English at Suffolk University in Boston, Marchant is the founding director of that school’s creative writing program and Poetry Center. He lives in Arlington, MA.

Filed Under: challenges, Graywolf Press, poetry, Poetry Reading Challenge, Publishers/Publicists, purchased, Read in 2018, reviews Tagged With: ,

DiVerse Gaithersburg Poetry Reading Recap

January 17, 2018 by

This past weekend’s poetry reading and open mic at the Gaithersburg Public Library was a huge success with more than 30 attendees and 13 poets reading at the open mic after the two featured poets, Sunil Freeman and Luther Jett.

Unfortunately, Kim Roberts was unable to attend and read thanks to that flu! I was really looking forward to hearing her read.  Next time.

I was lucky enough to help Lucinda Marshall with the setup, but my help wasn’t really needed. It was good to try my first Facebook Live for the event.  Thanks to those who popped in to watch.  I hope to do it again in February.

Here are some pictures from the reading and open mic:

So, even if you are not nearby and cannot attend, think about attending the Facebook live on February 11, 2-4 p.m. EST. This event is sure to be a big draw with local favorite and Split This Rock icon, Sarah Browning, reading her poetry.  I’m looking forward to it. She’ll be joined by Alan King and Joanna Howard. View the 2018 calendar.

I hope you’ll join us.

Filed Under: announcements, Events, poetry reading Tagged With:

Spotlight & Giveaway: Darcy’s Hope ~ Beauty from Ashes and Darcy’s Hope at Donwell Abbey by Ginger Monette

January 16, 2018 by

Ginger Monette’s Darcy’s Hope: Beauty from Ashes and Darcy’s Hope at Donwell Abbey have been combined into one volume. I loved both of these books. I cannot recommend them enough, and now you can just buy one volume.

About the new volume:

Escape to the era of Downton Abbey with Lizzy and Darcy! Immerse yourself in a sweeping romantic and drama-filled saga that includes two full-length novels—both Darcy’s Hope ~ Beauty from Ashes and Darcy’s Hope at Donwell Abbey.

~Volume I: Darcy’s Hope ~ Beauty from Ashes (on my Best of 2016 list)

Heartbroken. Devastated. WWI Captain Fitzwilliam Darcy was rejected by the woman he loved and vows, “No more sentimental entanglements!”

But an undercover assignment at a field hospital brings him face to face with his beloved Elizabeth—who’s working with a dashing American doctor and a prime suspect in the espionage plot.

Forced to grapple with his feelings for her, Darcy has only a few months build a lasting bridge to her and uncover the truth before she’s condemned to a traitor’s noose.

~Volume II: Darcy’s Hope at Donwell Abbey (On my Honorable Mentions list last year)

Darcy has won the heart of Elizabeth Bennet. Finally.

Then she vanishes.

Still reeling from the loss, Darcy attempts a heroic feat and only survives by the daring rescue of his faithful batman John Thornton. But the damage is done. Darcy is plunged into a dark and silent world.

Sent to Donwell Abbey to recover, he’s coaxed back to life by an extraordinary nurse determined to teach him how to live and love again. A woman whose uncanny similarities to Elizabeth invite his admiration and entice his affections.

His heart tells him to hold on to Elizabeth.

His head tells him to take a chance with his nurse.

But a secret at Donwell Abbey just might change everything…

About the Author:

Ginger Monette currently writes riveting romances inspired by Donwton Abbey and Jane Austen. Her use of compelling plot, vivid historical detail, and deep point of view has earned her stellar reviews for her Darcy’s Hope saga and a grand prize for flash fiction. Living in Charlotte, NC, Ginger enjoys Pilates, period and Turkish dramas, public speaking, and reading—a full-length novel every Sunday afternoon. Check out the book trailer. Visit her on Facebook.

Visit Diary of an Eccentric for an interview with Ginger.

GIVEAWAY: 1 ebook of The Darcy’s Hope Saga

Leave a comment about in what era you’d like to see Darcy and Elizabeth fall in love.

Comment by Jan. 31, 2018.  Spread the word and leave me a link where you shared and get another entry.

GOOD LUCK!

Filed Under: announcements, giveaway Tagged With: , , ,