Meet Einstein

Meet Einstein by Mariela Kleiner illustrated by Viviana Garofoli

Genre: Easy

Publisher: Meet

Won from Shelf Awareness

Book Description:

Meet Einstein. He is a scientist who loves to study light and gravity. Einstein helps to introduce your kids to science, and show them that they are already great scientists!

Light and gravity are concepts that preschoolers are ready to learn. Help them make the connections in everything they see and do, and teach them that science is all around them.

RECOMMENDED FOR AGES 2-5

Review:

This is a great book to introduce little ones the wonders and joys of science and to Albert Einstein. The illustrations are adorable and the subject matter is fun. At the end of the book is Einstein for parents to help their little one know more about this man and questions to ask your child and start a discussion about science and how it is a part of our everyday life.

Happy Reading!

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IMM

The idea of In My Mailbox is to bring books to the attention of our blog readers and to encourage interaction with other blogs.

Go to The Story Siren, on your In My Mailbox post, so that other people can find more information about IMM.

These are the books that came in my mailbox this past week.

Tuesday

Blood Red Road by Moira Young (Simon and Schuster) via Shelf Awareness

Saturday

Arms Wide Open by Patricia Harman (Beacon Press via JKS Publicity)

Meet Einstein by Mariela Kleiner (Meet Books via JKS Publicity

via Shelf Awareness)

Happy Reading!

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Kat, Incorrigible

Kat, Incorrigible by Stephanie Burgis

Genre Middle Grade Fiction (8-11 year olds)

Publisher Atheneum

Source Sent from publisher via Shelf Awareness

Book Description:
Resentful of her stepmother, her secretive older sisters, and thewhole code of ladylike conduct in early-19th-century England,12-year-old Kat Stephenson takes action. She chops off her hair,learns to use her mother's magical mirror, and fends off bothwell-meaning and threatening adults. Posing as a highwayman, shecaptures husbands for her sisters. There is more than a littlewish-fulfillment here as the ignored younger sister–constantlycriticized for her curiosity and impulsive behavior–discovers herexalted status while providing for her less-adept older siblings. TheRegency world is drawn in broad strokes, and some secondary charactersare more caricature than convincing, but the sisters–clearly close tothe 21st century in their basic outlooks, even if Elissa, the eldest,fancies herself a Gothic heroine–are appealing and their relationshipis believable. Regency romance and fantasy adventure all in one, thisis a satisfying read and a promising beginning to a trilogy that issure to be popular with middle school girls.

Review:
This is a quick read and a good adventure novel for girls. Kat islovable and it’s hard not to want to wrap her up and protect her, eventhough she’s quite capable of taking care of herself. She learnsabout her mother, who died after she was born, and discovers that shewas practicing magic. She tries to fight the Order, but comes todiscover that they can be helpful, but she wants things on her terms.I love her resourcefulness and the fact that she is determined to dowhat she wants even against her family’s wishes.
If you have a daughter who likes magic and adventure then she’ll love this book.
This book was sent to me by the publisher via Shelf Awareness.

Happy Reading!
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Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Just do the following:

1. Grab your current read

2. Open to a random page

3. Share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

4. BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

5. Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Mine is from p.59 of Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson

“Oh, sit down and stop looming over me,” Lightsong said. “You’re making the buzzards jealous.”

Happy Reading!

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Anna and the French Kiss

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Genre: YA Fiction

Publisher: Dutton

From my local library

Book Description:

Anna is not happy about spending senior year at a Paris boarding school, away from her Atlanta home, best friend Bridgette, and crush Toph. Adapting isn’t easy, but she soon finds friends and starts enjoying French life, especially its many cinemas; she is an aspiring film critic. Complications arise, though, when she develops feelings for cute—and taken—classmate Etienne, even though she remains interested in Toph. Her return home for the holidays brings both surprises, betrayals, unexpected support, and a new perspective on what matters in life—and love. Featuring vivid descriptions of Parisian culture and places, and a cast of diverse, multifaceted characters, including adults, this lively title incorporates plenty of issues that will resonate with teens, from mean girls to the quest for confidence and the complexities of relationships in all their forms. Despite its length and predictable crossed-signal plot twists, Perkins’ debut, narrated in Anna’s likable, introspective voice, is an absorbing and enjoyable read that highlights how home can refer to someone, not just somewhere.

Review:

What a refreshing story. I loved this book and Anna and Etienne. I love how Anna thinks she is just friends with Etienne and how they both miss the cues the other is giving.

It’s nice to read a story about how two people can become friends and then fall in love with each other and it’s the most normal thing in the world. Anna and Etienne both have problems with relationships and together they help each other discover things about themselves that they didn’t realize they could do. Paris, for them is the city of love and discovering themselves and how love can conquer all and make you a better person.

Stephanie has written a wonderfully sweet love story that you want to know what will happen to the lovers down the road. If you want a story that reminds you what love can do and how it can transform someone, then you’ll enjoy this book.

I checked this book out from my local library.

Happy Reading!

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IMM

The idea of In My Mailbox is to bring books to the attention of our blog readers and to encourage interaction with other blogs.

Go to The Story Siren, on your In My Mailbox post, so that other people can find more information about IMM.

These are the books that came in my mailbox this past week.

Monday

The Promises She Keeps by Erin Healy (Thomas Nelson)

Friday

Mercy Creek by Matt Matthews (Hub City Press)

Purchased All Facts Considered by Kee Malesky (Wiley)

Happy Reading!

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Radio Shangri-La

Radio Shangri-La : What I Learned in Bhutan, The Happiest Kingdom on Earth by Lisa Napoli

Genre: Non-fiction ARC

Publisher: Crown

From Publisher

Book Description:

When Napoli met the handsome Sebastian at a cookbook party in New York City, she was intrigued by this man who traveled to Bhutan regularly. And when the accomplished L.A.-based journalist (MSNBC, CNN, public radio's Marketplace) researched the country about which he spoke so enthusiastically, she became entranced with Bhutan, a tiny Himalayan kingdom that sits between India and China. This country--dubbed "the happiest on earth" because of its focus on environmental and social progress--is hard to get to, with its remote location and governmental deterrents to tourism, like a per-person, per-day tourist tax. But a friend of Sebastian's needs help with startup radio station Kuzoo FM, so Napoli leaves L.A. and goes to Bhutan for six weeks. She writes, "After more than two decades of reducing even the most complex issues to 1,000 words or less, I was tired of observing life from a distance." While the author turns an eye on her own motivations (nothing further developed with Sebastian), she refrains from tortured navel-gazing and instead shares and reflects on Bhutan's people, history, and customs (from painting phalluses on houses to repel evil spirits to Buddhism's role in daily life). Napoli's adventures at home and abroad, in nature and career and spirit, will delight readers.

Review:

I have heard of the Gross Happiness Product and read Geography of Bliss and have been surprised at how happy people seem to be in less developed countries.

Lisa Napoli was going through a mid-life crisis and embarked on an adventure that would change her life and her perspective on what is happiness. She writes about the scenery and how it can take your breath away and then you see the squalor and how the Bhutanese live from day to day and wonder what makes them so happy.

Over the years as she continues to visit this once isolated country and sees the changes that are bringing Bhutan into prominence, she comes to realize what makes them happy.

If you like travelogues and life altering stories, then you will enjoy this wonderful book.

I received this ARC from the publisher for review.

Happy Reading!

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Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Just do the following:

1. Grab your current read

2. Open to a random page

3. Share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

4. BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

5. Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Mine is from p.5 of Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

It’s so Hogwarts. Only mine doesn’t have cute boy wizards or magic candy or flying lessons.

Happy Reading!

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Emerald Atlas Review

Emerald Atlas by John Stephens (released on April 5, 2011)

Genre: Juv. Fiction ARC

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Reader

From Publisher

Book Description:

An inseparable bond.

An insatiable force.

Kate, Michael, and Emma have been in one orphanage after another for the last ten years, passed along like lost baggage.

Yet these unwanted children are more remarkable than they could possibly imagine. Ripped from their parents as babies, they are being protected from a horrible evil of devastating power, an evil they know nothing about.

Until now.

Before long, Kate, Michael, and Emma are on a journey to dangerous and secret corners of the world...a journey of allies and enemies, of magic and mayhem. And—if an ancient prophesy is correct—what they do can change history, and it is up to them to set things right.

The Emerald Atlas brims with humor and action as it charts Kate, Michael, and Emma's extraordinary adventures through an unforgettable, enchanted world.

Review:

I loved this book. It’s a great new series for fans of the Lemony Snicket books and Harry Potter fans.

The writing is superb and the children are believable. I love the fact that Kate is supposed to take care of Emma and Michael and sometimes feels she let her parents down.

The adventure is fun and the characters they meet are fun loving and you can’t help but get sucked into the story.

There are witches, dwarves and heroes around every corner. I think all 9-12 year olds will enjoy this new series.

I receive this ARC from the publisher for review.

Happy Reading!

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IMM

The idea of In My Mailbox is to bring books to the attention of our blog readers and to encourage interaction with other blogs.

Go to The Story Siren, on your In My Mailbox post, so that other people can find more information about IMM.

These are the books that came in my mailbox this past week.

Tuesday

Radio Shangri-La: What I Learned in Bhutan, The Happiest Kingdom on Earth by Lisa Napoli (Crown Publishers) via Shelf Awareness

Friday

The absolute vale of Mike by Kathryn Erskine (sent to me by Kathryn)

Happy Reading!

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200th Post and book review

Indivisible by Kristen Heitzmann

Genre: Adult Fiction/Inspirational

Publisher: Waterbrook Press

From Publisher

Book Description:

An inseparable bond.

An insatiable force.

Battling his own personal demons, Police Chief Jonah Westfall knows the dark side of life and has committed himself to eradicating it. When a pair of raccoons are found mutilated in Redford, Colorado, Jonah investigates the gruesome act, knowing the strange event could escalate and destroy the tranquility of his small mountain town. With a rising drug threat and never-ending conflict with Tia Manning, a formidable childhood friend with whom he has more than a passing history, Jonah fights for answers—and his fragile sobriety.

But he can’t penetrate every wound or secret—especially one fueled by a love and guilt teetering on madness.

From best-selling author Kristen Heitzmann comes a spellbinding tale of severed connections and the consequences of life lived alone.

Review:

I enjoyed this book and it’s author is new to me. I don’t usually pick up inspirational fiction, but I’m glad I asked for this one.

This book is about forgiveness and finding the love of your life. Jonah and Tia had a relationship that hurt Tia’s sister and because of that they have been beating themselves up for years. When things start happening in their small town it forces them to realize that they need to face their demons and move on with their lives. Sometimes the hardest thing is forgiving yourself for things you did. If you like books about forgiveness and learning to love yourself then you’d enjoy this book.

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review

Happy Reading!

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Fancy Nancy

Fancy Nancy and the Fabulous Fashion Boutique by Jane O’Connor

Genre: Picture Book

Publisher: HarperCollins

Library

Book Description:

Pint-size glamour-puss Fancy Nancy is wholly in her element in this series entry about the often fraught exchange of sibling gifts. After spending her savings on her younger sister’s birthday present, Nancy spots something she’d like for herself. While raising money for it in a yard-sale fashion boutique, she gets into an argument with her little sister, but after some creative reflection, Nancy makes up with her while enjoying the good feelings that come with being generous. With the series’ usual combination of energetic pictures, challenging vocabulary, and spot-on family scenarios—as well as a high gowns-per-page ratio—this is sure to delight fans.

Review:

I love these books because they are fun and you can’t help but love Nancy.

She learns about how to negotiate for something she wants and comes up with a plan to achieve her goal.

This is a great read for little ones and the illustrations are wonderful. I love these books.

I checked this book out from my library free of charge.

Happy Reading!

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OBIT

Another children's author has died. Brian Jacques has passed away.

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Just do the following:

1. Grab your current read

2. Open to a random page

3. Share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

4. BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

5. Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Mine is from p.11 of Indivisible by Kristen Heitzmann

Most people would not get past the surface, but she always looked inside, searching for the best – and the worst. It was inside that mattered, the substance of a person.

Happy Reading!

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The Other Life - A Review

The Other Life by Ellen Meister

Genre: Adult fiction ARC

Publisher: Putnam

Sent by Publisher

Book Description:

What if you could return to the road not taken?

Happily married with a young son and another child on the way, Quinn Braverman has the perfect life. She also has an ominous secret. Every time she makes a major life decision, she knows an alternative reality exists in which she made the opposite choice-not only that, she knows how to cross over. But even in her darkest moments-like her mother's suicide-Quinn hasn't been tempted to visit . . . until she receives shattering news about the baby she's carrying.

Desperate to escape her grief, Quinn slips through the portal that leads to her other life: the life in which she stayed with her exciting but neurotic ex- boyfriend, and is childless. The life in which-as she is amazed to discover-her mother is still very much alive.

Quinn is soon forced to make an impossible choice. Will she stay with the family she loves and face the painful challenges that lie ahead? Or will a more carefree life-and the primal lure of being with her mother-pull her into her other life for good?

This gripping emotional journey is both shocking and poignant . . . as the bonds of love are put to the ultimate test.

Review:

The premise for this book is what prompted me to request it and I wasn’t disappointed.

How many of us have wondered what our lives would be like if we had made different decisions? One of my favorite poems is The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost and this book uses that idea to show us what Quinn’s former life was and could have been if she’d chosen to stay.

I loved how the author transports Quinn from her current life to her alternate life and shows us how agonizing some decisions are and the consequences they entail if chosen.

If you like life altering stories then you’ll enjoy this book coming out on Feb.17.

I was sent an ARC of this book via Shelf Awareness from the publisher for review.

Happy Reading!

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IMM

The idea of In My Mailbox is to bring books to the attention of our blog readers and to encourage interaction with other blogs.

Go to The Story Siren, on your In My Mailbox post, so that other people can find more information about IMM.

These are the books that came in my mailbox this past week.

Monday

The internet is a playground: irreverent correspondences of an evil online genius by David Thorne (Tarcher/Penguin) via Shelf Awareness

Thursday

Indivisible by Kristen Heitzmann (Random House) via Blogging for Books

Happy Reading!

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The Breach Review

The Breach by Patrick Lee

Genre: Adult fiction

Publisher: Harper

Purchased

Book Description:

Lee's debut thriller pits ex-con ex-cop Travis Chase against increasingly dire odds as the action ratchets up like levels in a complex video game. Fresh out of prison, Travis sets out on a solo Alaskan trek, wanting nothing more than quiet time for introspection. Then he encounters a downed plane containing the dead bodies of the United States's first lady and several others, plus hints about a mysterious missing item. Armed with superior firepower and the instincts and savvy of a good cop, Travis tracks down the murderers, who are torturing hostage Paige Campbell to get her father, Peter, to reveal another clue. Travis manages to rescue Paige just as Peter confesses the information and is killed. His last words send Paige and Travis into a dangerous world of secrets and conspiracies, where they slowly learn about the eponymous Breach and meet progressively more menacing foes. It's all here: brilliantly devious enemies; nifty, innovative gadgets and weaponry; hang-on-to-your-hat action; and razor-sharp plot twists aplenty.

Review:

This was a new author to me and boy am I glad I was introduced to him. This is a page turner of a novel with doomsday devices and twists and turns that you don’t see coming.

Travis is part of this game that he doesn’t realize he’s been playing a part in for twenty years. He just wants to start his life over away from Minnesota and the reason for being in prison for 15 years.

When he rescues a young woman from being tortured he begins a journey that will take him from rugged Alaska, to Zurich, to Wyoming. He is a pawn in a deadly game that plays with your mind and makes you question if such a thing is possible.

I highly recommend this book if you love stories of the underdog winning and the bad guys losing.

I purchased this book from my local used bookstore.

Happy Reading!

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The Caliph's House A Revies

The Caliph’s House : A Year in Casablanca by Tahir Shah

Genre: Adult Non-fiction

Publisher: Batam Books

Library

Book Description:

When Shah, his pregnant wife and their small daughter move from England to Morocco, where he'd vacationed as a child, he enters a realm of "invisible spirits and their parallel world." Shah buys the Caliph's House, once a palatial compound, now heavy with algae, cobwebs and termites. Unoccupied for a decade, the place harbors a willful jinni (invisible spirit), who Shah, the rational Westerner, reluctantly grasps must be exorcised by traditional means. As Shah remodels the haunted house, he encounters a cast of entertaining, sometimes bizarre characters. Three retainers, whose lives are governed by the jinni, have attached themselves to the property. Confounding craftsmen plague but eventually beautify the house. Intriguing servants come and go, notably Zohra, whose imaginary friend, a 100-foot tall jinni, lives on her shoulder. A "gangster neighbor and his trophy wife" conspire to acquire the Caliph's House, and a countess remembers Shah's grandfather and his secrets. Passers-through offer eccentricity (Kenny, visiting 15 cities on five continents where Casablanca is playing; Pete, a convert to Islam, seeking "a world without America"). There is a thin, dark post-9/11 thread in Shah's elegantly woven tale. The dominant colors, however, are luminous.

Review:

I want to thank Alyce of At Home With Books for introducing me to this wonderful book. If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to live in a foreign country then you’ll enjoy this story of Tahir Shah and his family moving to Casablanca after living in England and the culture shock he has.

He sets out to renovate the Caliph’s House and discovers how things are in Morooco. The guardians of the house tell him it has jinns living in it. For those Moroccans Jinns are the backbone of their culture. They are part of the Islamic faith. The Jinns make life interesting and frustrating until Shah’s wife tells him to think like a Moroccan and hires some exorcists to rid the house of their unwelcomed guests.

Most people see Casablanca as an enormous thriving city with the latest fashions and fast cars, but the real Casablanca is a die-hard city with traditions that have endured from ancient Morocco.

If you like reading of life in other cultures, then you’ll love this book. In this economy armchair travel is the best deal around.

Happy Reading!

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Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Just do the following:

1. Grab your current read

2. Open to a random page

3. Share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

4. BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

5. Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Mine is from p.6 of The Breach by Patrick Lee

He found a strange comfort in the sound of it, a lullaby suited to this hard and unforgiving place. Within minutes the lightning and thunder were much closer, and almost continous.

Happy Reading!

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