Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Laugh Out Loud Pocket Doodles for Girls


I just got back from a vacation with family friends, and I wish I had the Laugh Out Loud Pocket Doodles for Girls book, by Rob Elliott, before I left for the vacation. This book is pretty much identical to the boys book, except the cover is purple. I like that there is a version for boys and girls because it always seems that there are problems with toys and books being shared. This way, each child will know which book is theirs, and it shouldn’t cause problems. Also, there are different jokes, so they can ask each other the jokes.

Each page has a joke and an area on the page for a drawing. At the bottom of the page you are told what to draw on the pages. They don’t specifically tell you what you must draw, but they say things like “What is she carrying? Doodle It.”, “Finish the friends and their funny faces”, and “Doodle the Joke.”.

I’m excited to give this book as a gift before my next road trip with someone with young kids. I’m sure it will keep them entertained….at least for part of the trip!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book free from Revell. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Laugh Out Loud Pocket Doodles for Boys


I just got back from a vacation with family friends, and I wish I had the Laugh Out Loud Pocket Doodles for Boys book, by Rob Elliott, before I left for the vacation. This is a very convenient, small doodle book. It would fit perfectly into a bookbag, or car “entertainment” bag when going on a road trip. Each page has a joke and a section of the page that you can fill in with a drawing. A section at the bottom of the page tells you what you should draw on each page, or it gives you an idea about what you can draw.

 

I’m excited to bring this book along with me on my next trip, so I can give it to the kids, and keep them entertained….at least for part of the trip!

 

 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book free from Revell. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Friday, June 19, 2015

Desperate Measures


Desperate Measures is the third book in the Port Aster Secrets series by Sandra Orchard. In the book, Kate Adams is trying to come to terms with the fact that her father is not dead, rather he is in protective custody and Tom Parker knew this secret. As you could imagine, this puts a strain on Tom and Kate’s relationship, and she has chosen to put her relationship with Tom on hold. Add into that the experiments Kate is conducting on her father’s miracle plant, and you have the ingredients for a very fast-moving, interesting book. There is romance, mystery, and suspense that kept me reading this book late into the night.

 

Since I read the past books in the series, I didn’t have any problems following the story line. I think this can be read as a stand-alone book, but I definitely think it would be beneficial for the reader to have read the first two books in the series so they can understand everything that is going on. When finishing the book, I didn’t want to see this series end, but I was happy to be able to see the resolution of Kate’s story. I’m looking forward to reading more books by Sandra Orchard.

 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book free from Revell. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”    

Tuesday, June 9, 2015

Once Upon a Summertime


When Anna Gordon imagined her future, she didn’t think she’d be living in her hometown, managing the Value Lodge. But, that’s just where she finds herself in Melody Carlson’s most recent book, Once Upon a Summertime: A New York City Romance. When Anna runs into her High School friend, and she offers to forward her resume to a friend who is opening a boutique hotel in NYC, she jumps at the chance. Soon she finds herself managing the maids, with her childhood crush, Sean, working as the manager of the hotel! This sets up a perfect opportunity for the two of them to get to know one another better while learning about the new city they live in.

 

Since I really like visiting New York City, I enjoyed reading this book and hearing about the places they were visiting. Also, I really liked the main characters and their work ethic. Although I didn’t know much about a hospitality career before reading this book, I found myself wanting to read more books about it as the book made me think about all of the different aspects that go into running a hotel. I cannot wait to read more books in this series.

 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book free from Revell. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Sunday, June 7, 2015

Untangled


Untangled: Let God Loosen the Knots of Insecurity in Your Life, by Carey Scott, looks at the author’s life and the impact that her traumatic childhood experiences have had on her adult life. She looks at all of the areas of our life that we may feel tangled: marriage, friendships, self-image, and the list goes on. She addresses how God really sees you.
While I initially thought I would read this book as a devotional, it is not necessarily set up to read that way, and I found myself finishing it in only a few days. I did like that the ends of the chapters had Bible verses, a prayer, and questions that you could read to reflect on the topic she looked at.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book free from Revell. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Wednesday, June 3, 2015

Love's Rescue


From the first page of Love’s Rescue, by Christine Johnson, I couldn’t put the book down! The book begins with a hurricane that forever changes the life of Elizabeth Benjamin, a young girl living in Key West with her parents and brother.  Elizabeth’s family felt she needed to marry a proper man, even after the accident that took the use of her brother’s legs. To find a proper match she had to move to Charleston to live with her great-aunt. This move took her away from Rourke O’Malley, the wrecker who she was in love with. After four years, and her mother’s death, she returns back home to find that Rourke has not yet married. Their relationship, along with revelations about her family and escape attempts, kept me completely interested in this book. So much so, I found myself reading it non-stop for two days!

 

I clearly enjoyed reading this book, and I cannot wait to read more books in the Keys of Promise series. I hope the future books focus more on Elizabeth’s brother Charlie. They all are interesting characters that I found to be likeable and relatable. They had difficulties in their lives and had to choose whether to be bitter or give their forgiveness.  

 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book free from Revell. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”