tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28390781298835159952017-12-16T05:55:41.472-06:00Purrfectly BookishHeatherAnne Norburynoreply@blogger.comBlogger51125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2839078129883515995.post-26138588940687302062017-11-20T13:59:00.000-06:002017-11-20T21:08:15.445-06:00Kids' Review: The Peanuts Movie Novelization by Charles M. Schulz<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TulbBHyu6YU/WhMzhfSlFlI/AAAAAAAApjI/EJB443h4G0Uve0IoXARD6WUTKCf3M1UCgCLcBGAs/s1600/Peanuts%2BMovie%2BII.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="478" data-original-width="478" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TulbBHyu6YU/WhMzhfSlFlI/AAAAAAAApjI/EJB443h4G0Uve0IoXARD6WUTKCf3M1UCgCLcBGAs/s320/Peanuts%2BMovie%2BII.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive income&nbsp;</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">if you make a purchase using these links. Thank you!</span></div><br /><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1481441361/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=purrfectlyboo-20&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;creativeASIN=1481441361&amp;linkId=a96871801364b1857ebc51f25e778549" target="_blank">The Peanuts Movie Novelization</a> by Charles M. Schulz (adapted by Tracey West)<br />Publisher: Simon Spotlight<br />Publication date: September 22, 2015<br />My rating: 5 stars out of 5<br /><br /><b>Miss R's Review</b><br /><br />Howdy, I’m Miss R. My mom writes book reviews, but she hasn’t done one in awhile. I’ll be reading books then I’ll review them and take pictures of the book (maybe me with the book).<br />I’ll help kids see what the book is all about! From time to time, I'll have crafts for a recently reviewed book.<br /><br />I have a helper named Bubby. She’ll be starring in my photos. (She also might have something to say in my book reviews.) Bubby is an Easter bunny who got kicked out since she couldn’t stop eating all the chocolate eggs! I found her in the store one day. I brought her home and she’s made many friends.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yQa_vZlnjlo/WhMzhbulkuI/AAAAAAAApjE/Clb1NJs9lKstXisYFOCGP6p0jzdwbAtsgCEwYBhgL/s1600/Peanuts%2BMovie%2BI.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="478" data-original-width="478" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yQa_vZlnjlo/WhMzhbulkuI/AAAAAAAApjE/Clb1NJs9lKstXisYFOCGP6p0jzdwbAtsgCEwYBhgL/s320/Peanuts%2BMovie%2BI.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />The Peanuts Movie book was about a boy named Charlie Brown. He was around the age of ten. Charlie Brown liked the new girl in his school, but he thought she wouldn’t like him. Snoopy, Charlie Brown's dog, writes a love story book. Lucy, a girl at Charlie Brown’s school, is rather snobby. She and the rest of the kids in the school do not let Snoopy in the school.<br /><br />My favorite part of the story was when the Little Red Haired Girl told Charlie Brown that he was the sweetest and kindest person in the school<br /><br />The Peanuts book is a fiction comedy book. It is a twenty one chapter book. I’d suggest it to any age. If you're a kid (or if you are one yourself) that can’t read (but I am sure all of you reading this can read), then your parents could read to you.&nbsp; If you can read, I'd suggest reading it yourself.<br /><br />It was originally written by Charles M. Schulz and adapted here by Tracey West. This book was based on the 3D Peanuts Movie. It has a good story. It follows the movie very well. It's a great book for comedy loving kids (and adults).<br /><br />I loved this book! It's funny and sad (mostly funny if you have watched the movie). They explain the book very well. It's almost like you are in the story. There are pictures in the middle.<br /><br /><b>Publisher's Description</b><br />The Peanuts gang is gearing up for a brand-new adventure in this charming retelling of the holiday season’s biggest animated movie event!<br /><br />There’s a new kid in town, and she’s a smart, kind, beautiful Little Red-Haired Girl. And—good grief!—Charlie Brown finds himself instantly with a crush on her. Will he be able to impress her?<br /><br />Meanwhile, Snoopy is heading out on a fantastical flight of the imagination as the Flying Ace! While on his adventure, Snoopy falls head over heels for Fifi, a spunky, high-flying poodle, in the skies over Paris. But when the dastardly Red Baron captures Fifi, it’s up to Snoopy and Woodstock to take down the Red Baron once and for all!<br /><br />Relive the action, fun, and magic in this incredible retelling of the Peanuts movie that comes with an insert with images from the movie and is sure to be loved by fans young and old!HeatherAnne Norburyhttps://plus.google.com/106807999276845363650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2839078129883515995.post-50338248492080012017-05-02T09:49:00.000-05:002017-05-02T09:49:07.420-05:00Review: Dream Eater by K. Bird Lincoln<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MS889K4/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=purrfectlyboo-20&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;creativeASIN=B01MS889K4&amp;linkId=d681ef63394708cb02506d9dbb7560b5" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zKJsDl6WOjo/WP5EUFmcdEI/AAAAAAAAmEE/GxhiEpkhiB0XRhqI_qCAerHHpOXk_ZvWQCPcB/s400/Dream%2BEater.jpg" width="266"></a></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive income </span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">if you make a purchase using these links. Thank you!</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MS889K4/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=purrfectlyboo-20&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;creativeASIN=B01MS889K4&amp;linkId=d681ef63394708cb02506d9dbb7560b5" target="_blank">Dream Eater</a> by K. Bird Lincoln</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">Publisher: World Weaver Press</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">Publication date: April 4, 2017</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">My rating: 3 stars out of 5</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br></span></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">Publisher&#39;s description</span></h4><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #181818;">Koi Pierce dreams other peoples&#39; dreams.</span><br style="color: #181818;"><br style="color: #181818;"><span style="color: #181818;">Her whole life she&#39;s avoided other people. Any skin-to-skin contact--a hug from her sister, the hand of a barista at Stumptown coffee--transfers flashes of that person&#39;s most intense dreams. It&#39;s enough to make anyone a hermit.</span><br style="color: #181818;"><br style="color: #181818;"><span style="color: #181818;">But Koi&#39;s getting her act together. No matter what, this time she&#39;s going to finish her degree at Portland Community College and get a real life. Of course it&#39;s not going to be that easy. Her father, increasingly disturbed from Altzheimer&#39;s disease, a dream fragment of a dead girl from the casual brush of a creepy PCC professor&#39;s hand, and a mysterious stranger who speaks the same rare Northern Japanese dialect as Koi&#39;s father will force Koi to learn to trust in the help of others, as well as face the truth about herself.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #181818;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br></span></span></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #181818;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">My review</span></span></h4><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #181818;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions shared are 100% my own.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #181818;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-2e216843-c99f-3c6c-e193-eb58a516edaa"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"></span></span><br><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-2e216843-c99f-3c6c-e193-eb58a516edaa"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Dream Eater is based on ancient legends. While the legends of many different cultures are referenced, Japanese legends are most represented here along with some Pacific Northwest American legends. </span></span></span><br></div></div></div><a href="http://www.purrfectlybookish.com/2017/05/dream-eater.html#more">Read more »</a>HeatherAnne Norburyhttps://plus.google.com/106807999276845363650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2839078129883515995.post-38254778624193560362017-04-29T02:30:00.000-05:002017-04-29T02:30:13.189-05:00Happy Caturday #11<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">This is a book blog first and foremost, but it's also a book blog written by someone owned by cats. So every Saturday is officially Caturday here at Purrfectly Bookish. If you have an awesome kitty, doggy, peeg, ratty or any other pet you would like to see here, you can either comment with a link to a picture or email me about sharing your cute pictures on some Caturday Saturday.&nbsp;</span></span><br /><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RO-BqFLXkTo/WQCys5sjmZI/AAAAAAAAmFU/nlJllTEXzOUesKtGo1wZh0NvxUg31LOFwCLcB/s1600/Ava%2Bthe%2BCat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RO-BqFLXkTo/WQCys5sjmZI/AAAAAAAAmFU/nlJllTEXzOUesKtGo1wZh0NvxUg31LOFwCLcB/s400/Ava%2Bthe%2BCat.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Ava from Shawnee, KS, USA</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Ava likes her scotch neat.</span>&nbsp;</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-K6KxKa6gNw0/WQC0iUe7qyI/AAAAAAAAmFo/PWZVsXjJLJocUTwCD7o7bOK4NFStVexzgCLcB/s1600/Lily%2Band%2BPuck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-K6KxKa6gNw0/WQC0iUe7qyI/AAAAAAAAmFo/PWZVsXjJLJocUTwCD7o7bOK4NFStVexzgCLcB/s400/Lily%2Band%2BPuck.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Puck and Lily from Shawnee, KS, USA</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The grass sure is greener on the other side of this window...</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5ye-QTgzxec/WQC1GtSB2HI/AAAAAAAAmFw/uC0Qkt9tVAAphDamMbf9-1g2CYe2HwBvgCLcB/s1600/Smoke%2BStack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5ye-QTgzxec/WQC1GtSB2HI/AAAAAAAAmFw/uC0Qkt9tVAAphDamMbf9-1g2CYe2HwBvgCLcB/s400/Smoke%2BStack.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Smoke Stack from Lone Jack, MO, USA</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YocQBDUNTrs/WQC1lZOX_GI/AAAAAAAAmF0/_zA2VlH1ptEKvgDKgZf8_aX4gyn0FfL5wCLcB/s1600/Penny.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YocQBDUNTrs/WQC1lZOX_GI/AAAAAAAAmF0/_zA2VlH1ptEKvgDKgZf8_aX4gyn0FfL5wCLcB/s400/Penny.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Penny from Lee's Summit, MO, USA</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot;, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div> <script src="//z-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/onejs?MarketPlace=US&amp;adInstanceId=c0ce0a91-b117-4b36-9f61-e8c8ff049614"></script>HeatherAnne Norburyhttps://plus.google.com/106807999276845363650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2839078129883515995.post-37912180177320550542017-04-28T02:30:00.000-05:002017-04-28T02:30:12.865-05:00Kids' Review: A New Friend (The Adventures of Sophie Mouse #1) by Poppy Green<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1481428322/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=purrfectlyboo-20&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;creativeASIN=1481428322&amp;linkId=59809f0acc44d528fed4f80370830e76" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xEQVZf74p20/WQIQZ1hAKgI/AAAAAAAAmIM/uU4ygY66iQw3EN6kT3lEy6YaQDZyYdhHQCLcB/s320/New%2BFriend%2BSophie%2BMouse.jpg" width="240"></a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive income </span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">if you make a purchase using these links. Thank you!</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1481428322/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=purrfectlyboo-20&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;creativeASIN=1481428322&amp;linkId=59809f0acc44d528fed4f80370830e76" target="_blank">A New Friend (The Adventures of Sophie Mouse #1)</a> by Poppy Green</span></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">Publisher: </span><span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">Little Simon</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">Publication date: January 2015</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">My rating: 4 stars out of 5</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br></span></span></div><h4 style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">Publisher&#39;s description</span></span></h4><div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">Springtime has arrived at Riverlake Forest! Buds are blooming on trees, and the air smells of honeysuckles. Sophie Mouse can&#39;t wait to go back to school after the long winter break. But she and her classmates are in for a surprise when they learn that they&#39;re getting a new classmate . . .</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br></span></span></div><h4 style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">My review</span></span></h4><div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">I&#39;m not even sure how I happened to pick this up at the library since it is really below Miss R&#39;s reading level, but there it was on the library shelf. </span></span><br></div><a href="http://www.purrfectlybookish.com/2017/04/new-friend-sophie-mouse.html#more">Read more »</a>HeatherAnne Norburyhttps://plus.google.com/106807999276845363650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2839078129883515995.post-78190122148268110012017-04-27T02:30:00.000-05:002017-04-27T16:27:00.278-05:00TBT Interview: Rebecca Roland, Author of Fractured Days (Shards of History series)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00XBBDQX8/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=purrfectlyboo-20&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;creativeASIN=B00XBBDQX8&amp;linkId=e0035c488a7189ad895bd6a8e4af945b" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gucoJ60riRw/WP9pwgnXllI/AAAAAAAAmE8/yKI2on-uZlstKXcamGKUhpMjSsG6E-_ZgCLcB/s320/Fractured%2BDays.jpg" width="212" /></a>&nbsp;<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FlCbtFSjM9c/WP9p3VmmR6I/AAAAAAAAmFA/xnzCsfnRYCQkSemT8MgJ-Pv2aJS26oC4wCLcB/s1600/Rebecca%2BRoland.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FlCbtFSjM9c/WP9p3VmmR6I/AAAAAAAAmFA/xnzCsfnRYCQkSemT8MgJ-Pv2aJS26oC4wCLcB/s320/Rebecca%2BRoland.jpg" width="290" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive income&nbsp;</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">if you make a purchase using these links. Thank you!</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">This week's throwback is a little different. I'm resharing an interview I did with my friend Rebecca Roland leading up the release of Book 2 of the Shards of History series, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00XBBDQX8/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=purrfectlyboo-20&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;creativeASIN=B00XBBDQX8&amp;linkId=e0035c488a7189ad895bd6a8e4af945b" target="_blank">Fractured Days</a>. The third and final book, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06W5JQZ3Q/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=purrfectlyboo-20&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;creativeASIN=B06W5JQZ3Q&amp;linkId=aab955169ba80e1be990a6c585992464" target="_blank">Shattered Fates</a>, will release next month on May 23rd.&nbsp;</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"></span><br /><div><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;">This interview was first published on my old blog on June 15, 2015.</span></span></div><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><div><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></div><h3><span style="color: #222222;">The interview</span></h3><div><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #222222;">INTERVIEW WITH REBECCA ROLAND, AUTHOR OF SHARDS OF HISTORY, FRACTURED DAYS, THE GRAVEYARD GIRL AND MORE:&nbsp;</span></div><div><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #222222;">1. This is something I’ve always wondered about authors - did you grow up wanting to be a writer/author or is this something you found later in life? If it’s something you’ve always wanted to do, has it turned out to be how you imagined it or very different?</span></div><div><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #222222;">As a kid I loved reading, and in junior high I wrote a mash-up fan fiction piece based on The Hound of the Baskervilles and Def Leppard. It was fun to write, and it entertained my friends. But I never considered being a writer until I was an adult and done with grad school (and therefore had more free time). It really sort of hit me one day that I finally had the time and the drive to do it. When I started submitting short stories and working on a novel I realized I had a lot of work to do to learn more about the craft, but I love the work I've put into it, and I love seeing how much my stories have improved over time.</span></div><div><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #222222;">2. What is your work schedule like when you are writing? Especially with a little one at home?! I can’t seem to get anything done with my two around and they are older (and more independent) than your little minion. On that note, how long does it take you to finish a novel (with all the “real life” and distractions)?</span></div><div><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #222222;">My work schedule has changed a lot as my son has grown. When he was a baby/toddler, prime writing time was during his nap. Now he's five, and he's given up his nap (sob). So I write at all sorts of weird times. Sometimes I write at night, sometimes I write while he's absorbed in a game or TV or playing, sometimes I write during my lunch break at work, and sometimes I leave the house for a coffee shop (like right now). My brain can be pretty mushy later in the day, so it helps if I already know the bones of the scene I'm working on, that way I can jump right into it when I have time.</span></div><div><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #222222;">Of course some things have to go in order to make time for writing. I hardly watch TV anymore, which isn't a bad thing. I read less than I used to, which does bug me sometimes. I think my son is almost at the point where I can try bringing my laptop to the playground and getting some writing done there, but I still feel like I have to watch him a little too much right now to make it easy for me to hold a train of thought. It does take discipline to sit at the computer and write without being distracted by the Internet, but writing time is so precious that I usually get to it without messing around too much. Sometimes I set a timer if I'm more distracted than usual and tell myself that if I write for a certain number of minutes, then I can goof around. I'm totally into bribing myself.</span></div><div><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #222222;">As far as how long it takes to finish a novel, it's taken as long as two years for one and as short as three months for another. As I've learned more about writing, my pace has gotten faster.</span></div><div><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #222222;">3. Where did the inspiration come from for the Shards of History series?&nbsp;</span></div><div><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #222222;">It actually started as a short story I wrote at the Odyssey Writing Workshop. I had a couple of days to turn in a story and didn't have a clue what I would write. I had this dream one night in which there were homes built into the middle of a huge cliff with no obvious way to them. I woke up and wondered what sort of people would live in a place like that and realized that nobody human would. I came up with the Jeguduns, which are winged, wolfish creatures, and then a short story that centered around one of them. The short story felt like part of a bigger story, though, so when I got home I wrote out the rest. I love the rugged beauty of the Southwest, so I incorporated that into my story.</span></div><div><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #222222;">4. Are any of the characters inspired by people you know in real life? Which character in the book is most like you?&nbsp;</span></div><div><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #222222;">Situations and personalities I'm familiar with have definitely made it into the book. I never set out to purposefully model a character after someone I actually know, unless it was some random stranger who I'll never meet again. I'm probably most like Malia. In the first book in the series, she's accused of having her head in the clouds, and that's definitely me. When I'm daydreaming, a nude marching band could pass me by and I'd never notice.</span></div><div><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #222222;">5. When you start a series, do you plan on it being a series from the start or does the story wind up building into a series as you write it?&nbsp;</span></div><div><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #222222;">I didn't plan for Shards of History to turn into a series, although while I worked on it I realized I certainly had plenty of material there for one. So I wrote the first book in such a way that it could either stand alone or continue.</span></div><div><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #222222;">6. How much do you plan a “roadmap” or outline of the book before you start versus letting the characters and story develop and morph as you write?</span></div><div><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #222222;">When I started writing years ago, I wrote by the seat of my pants. I had only the vaguest idea of where a story would end up. I tried outlining, but it sucked all the fun out of the process of creating a rough draft. But with experience I've been outlining more. I have finally put together a process that works for me, takes the least amount of time, and keeps the joy and excitement in the process of writing. I do a 'character interview' where I get to know them and their motivations a bit more. Then I think about how I want the story to end. Where will the characters end up? How will they grow and change? After that I go back to the beginning and plug in the major events. And I always drift away from the outline. Sometimes I figure out something better when I get to a scene, so there's still some spontaneity.</span></div><div><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #222222;">7. What are you working on right now?</span></div><div><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #222222;">I'm working on the third book in the Shards of History series. This will most likely be the final one in the series (at least, that's what I'm aiming for). I'm about ten percent into it and having fun tormenting my characters.</span></div><div><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #222222;">8. Who is your favorite author? What about them inspires you?</span></div><div><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #222222;">I love, love, love Lois McMaster Bujold. She's written a couple of fantasy series, but I really fell in love with her space opera series about Miles Vorkosigan. Her characters are so real that I expect them to jump off the page (especially Miles, who is quite energetic, a little neurotic, and prone to getting in trouble). Miles is also extremely clever, and he's honorable. He would be the sort of friend who might drive you nuts sometimes, but he'd be the first on hand to help out. The series has ranged from the very serious (identity issues, deaths of major characters, class issues, etc) to a comedy of errors to a murder mystery, and all of them taking place in this complicated universe.</span></div><div><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #222222;">9. Do you have any strange or quirky writing habits?</span></div><div><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #222222;">I typically prefer to write with some sort of caffeinated beverage and maybe snacks. I try to eat healthy, but when I'm on a deadline or particularly stressed, I'll turn to chocolate.</span></div><div><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #222222;">10. If the Shards of History series gets optioned for a film, who do you see playing Malia, Enuwal and any other main characters?</span></div><div><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #222222;">Fun question! I think Lynn Collins as she looked in John Carter would make a great Malia. I'd cast Dwayne Johnson as Dalibor. Jimmy Smits would make a great Rasmus, and a younger Benjamin Bratt could play Enuwal. In Fractured Days, Saoirse Ronin would make a great Sersha (and actually, I used a different version of the name Saoirse for the changer's name). She looks sweet, but she showed she can be intense in Hanna. Gemma Ward has the soft look I imagine for Chanwa. I like Nathalie Emmanuel from Game of Thrones for Ankti. And finally, Chris Hemsworth would make a great Muvumo.</span></div><div style="color: #222222;"><br /></div></span></div> <br><br> <script src="//z-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/onejs?MarketPlace=US&adInstanceId=c0ce0a91-b117-4b36-9f61-e8c8ff049614"></script> HeatherAnne Norburyhttps://plus.google.com/106807999276845363650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2839078129883515995.post-65996776505088412622017-04-26T02:30:00.000-05:002017-04-27T16:27:21.477-05:00WWW Wednesday 26 April 2017<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OP6BeCnDYmA/WL7Gy6bJtrI/AAAAAAAAkMA/lJjpn0P2ew8NPxmBrGMDnWE_hpUSGe0jgCPcB/s1600/WWW%2BWednesdays.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OP6BeCnDYmA/WL7Gy6bJtrI/AAAAAAAAkMA/lJjpn0P2ew8NPxmBrGMDnWE_hpUSGe0jgCPcB/s320/WWW%2BWednesdays.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive income&nbsp;</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">if you make a purchase using these links. Thank you!</span></span></div><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">WWW Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted by Sam at&nbsp;<a href="https://samannelizabeth.wordpress.com/category/books/www-wednesday/" style="color: #7c93a1; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Taking on a World of Words</a>. I won't share every Wednesday but I do think it's fun to occasionally check in with what everyone is reading so be sure to share in the comments. If you share your answers on social media, be sure to link to your responses on the main site and visit some of the other contributors.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">The Three Ws are:</span></span><br /><ul style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px 2.5em;"><li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">What are you currently reading?</span></li><li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">What did you recently finish reading?</span></li><li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">What do you think you’ll read next?</span></li></ul><div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;">Currently reading: I first started working with World Weaver Press since they are the publisher for my friend Rebecca's Shards of History series (which you've heard a lot about <a href="http://www.purrfectlybookish.com/2017/02/cover-reveal-shattered-fates.html" target="_blank">here</a>, <a href="http://www.purrfectlybookish.com/2017/03/shards-of-history.html" target="_blank">here</a>, and <a href="http://www.purrfectlybookish.com/2017/04/fractured-days.html" target="_blank">here</a>). I've found the quality of storytelling among their authors to be very good. I'm currently reading another WWP publication, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MS889K4/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=purrfectlyboo-20&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;creativeASIN=B01MS889K4&amp;linkId=397341e0d99f8bfcfc2ab37b2661354c" target="_blank">Dream Eater </a>by K. Bird Lincoln. &nbsp;Miss R and I are currently reading&nbsp;<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0545522439/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=purrfectlyboo-20&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;creativeASIN=0545522439&amp;linkId=2a65eefdde305119548a49b0af21bf60" target="_blank">Wild Born (Spirit Animals #1)&nbsp;</a></span><span style="color: #222222;">by Brandon Mull. I recently received several boxes of hand-me-down books from a neighbor and we picked this book out of that box.&nbsp;</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MS889K4/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=purrfectlyboo-20&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;creativeASIN=B01MS889K4&amp;linkId=397341e0d99f8bfcfc2ab37b2661354c" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zKJsDl6WOjo/WP5EUFmcdEI/AAAAAAAAmEA/IjnJqthhzNcti9X202VWBEPtf1QkabPBgCLcB/s200/Dream%2BEater.jpg" width="133" /></a>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0545522439/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=purrfectlyboo-20&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;creativeASIN=0545522439&amp;linkId=2a65eefdde305119548a49b0af21bf60" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-U9kR9YfEY_s/WP5EUDmkO3I/AAAAAAAAmD8/Mu5r1e2luXknOuzj4NReoa3jpQHsHorQwCLcB/s200/Wild%2BBorn.jpg" width="137" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">Recently finished: Miss R has been on a kick of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1481428322/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=purrfectlyboo-20&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;creativeASIN=1481428322&amp;linkId=c5a9e42886e596c0c45da0c1d437aeef" target="_blank">The Adventures of Sophie Mouse</a>&nbsp;series. These books are really not at her level for reading to herself much less for me reading them to her but she's enjoying them. Each one only takes one or two nights to finish (depending on what time we get upstairs to read). We're waiting to get <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1616205679/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=purrfectlyboo-20&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;creativeASIN=1616205679&amp;linkId=e9936a60239da41bcd20ccab2a0ca700" target="_blank">The Girl Who Drank the Moon</a> back from the library to finish that. On my own list, I've recently finished <a href="http://www.purrfectlybookish.com/2017/04/night-lights-went-out.html" target="_blank">The Night the Lights Went Out</a> by Karen White and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0778315673/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=purrfectlyboo-20&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;creativeASIN=0778315673&amp;linkId=388f3b04119cde04e5f3fe144c997223" target="_blank">The Shop on Blossom Street</a> by Debbie Macomber (review next month). &nbsp;</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1481428322/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=purrfectlyboo-20&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;creativeASIN=1481428322&amp;linkId=707cb63236816bc302e699c4cbc941ea" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JMAVWXHAcl8/WP5Ixku-CnI/AAAAAAAAmEM/1OJKoI6PsUc_zWWdoeK8kvzhK03sRf_1wCLcB/s200/New%2BFriend%2BSophie%2BMouse.jpg" width="150" /></a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://www.purrfectlybookish.com/2017/04/night-lights-went-out.html"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i2wgpsNYAvo/WP5IxnN8VvI/AAAAAAAAmEU/jKZ0YnTd1bo8CGI5CjJu9dePIKRvdlK4gCLcB/s200/Night%2Bthe%2BLights%2BWent%2BOut.jpg" width="131" /></a>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0778315673/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=purrfectlyboo-20&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;creativeASIN=0778315673&amp;linkId=388f3b04119cde04e5f3fe144c997223" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BZQ7y29pGfU/WP5Ix46lXKI/AAAAAAAAmEY/R6yTDcobDNcu9kG03sv0C-ZEHvN2KFHNwCLcB/s200/Shop%2Bon%2BBlossom%2BStreet.jpg" width="136" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">Reading next: I've started three different books that I haven't finished so I will be finishing those! <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06W5JQZ3Q/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=purrfectlyboo-20&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;creativeASIN=B06W5JQZ3Q&amp;linkId=c1035cb378282594efc08102467781ee" target="_blank">Shattered Fates</a> by Rebecca Roland (releasing May 23rd - I will post my review then), <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01JNHFD8Y/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=purrfectlyboo-20&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;creativeASIN=B01JNHFD8Y&amp;linkId=a14296d552288125952318d1110d320c" target="_blank">Daughter of Deaths</a> by Christopher Mannino and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0451237633/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=purrfectlyboo-20&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;creativeASIN=0451237633&amp;linkId=99550b0bf6126753294587e2a2238105" target="_blank">A Witch Before Dying</a> by Heather Blake. &nbsp;</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06W5JQZ3Q/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=purrfectlyboo-20&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;creativeASIN=B06W5JQZ3Q&amp;linkId=c1035cb378282594efc08102467781ee" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gUV5b1N96ag/WKZjLs-6uiI/AAAAAAAAj0A/VCgfFDMblJM_ZVNJ1bO0rwtylur_2eSsQCPcB/s200/Shattered%2BFates%2BFront_halfsize.jpg" width="133" /></a>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01JNHFD8Y/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=purrfectlyboo-20&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;creativeASIN=B01JNHFD8Y&amp;linkId=a14296d552288125952318d1110d320c" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YK024PQ11Tk/WL7L43XB6LI/AAAAAAAAkMA/Jeqh9l8Fglwxj2l4wHha_r12_d0iNv_1wCPcB/s200/Daughter%2Bof%2BDeaths.jpg" width="133" /></a>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0451237633/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=purrfectlyboo-20&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;creativeASIN=0451237633&amp;linkId=99550b0bf6126753294587e2a2238105" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G70cbXjKjFc/WP5K83Cye3I/AAAAAAAAmEk/BQzhnkWeHU4_IEWDmplmx6dwFzIYyV5KACLcB/s200/Witch%2BBefore%2BDying.jpg" width="125" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><br /><br /><br /><div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span></span></div> <br><br> <script src="//z-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/onejs?MarketPlace=US&adInstanceId=c0ce0a91-b117-4b36-9f61-e8c8ff049614"></script> HeatherAnne Norburyhttps://plus.google.com/106807999276845363650noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2839078129883515995.post-17069141711914369972017-04-25T02:30:00.000-05:002017-04-27T16:27:40.233-05:00Review: The Night the Lights Went Out by Karen White<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0451488385/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=purrfectlyboo-20&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;creativeASIN=0451488385&amp;linkId=aa63f2c514bf8b1528626fc4ecf8af50" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fNxQZ8bX8rk/WPioEIhV8CI/AAAAAAAAl1w/r5hz1QZUxOoN03aVNZEiOpVluFAZELWIQCLcB/s400/Night%2Bthe%2BLights%2BWent%2BOut.jpg" width="263" /></a></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive income&nbsp;</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">if you make a purchase using these links. Thank you!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0451488385/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=purrfectlyboo-20&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;creativeASIN=0451488385&amp;linkId=aa63f2c514bf8b1528626fc4ecf8af50" target="_blank">The Night the Lights Went Out</a> by Karen White</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Publisher:&nbsp;Berkley</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Publication date:&nbsp;April 11, 2017</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My rating: 4 stars out of 5</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><h4><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Publisher's description</span></h4></div><div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"></span><br /><div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Recently divorced, Merilee Talbot Dunlap moves with her two children to the Atlanta suburb of Sweet Apple, Georgia. It’s not her first time starting over, but her efforts at a new beginning aren’t helped by an anonymous local blog that dishes about the scandalous events that caused her marriage to fail.</i></span></div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><div></div><div><i>Merilee finds some measure of peace in the cottage she is renting from town matriarch Sugar Prescott. Though stubborn and irascible, Sugar sees something of herself in Merilee—something that allows her to open up about her own colorful past.</i></div><div></div><div><i>Sugar’s stories give Merilee a different perspective on the town and its wealthy school moms in their tennis whites and shiny SUVs, and even on her new friendship with Heather Blackford. Merilee is charmed by the glamorous young mother’s seemingly perfect life and finds herself drawn into Heather's world.</i></div><div></div><div><i>In a town like Sweet Apple, where sins and secrets are as likely to be found behind the walls of gated mansions as in the dark woods surrounding Merilee’s house, appearance is everything. But just how dangerous that deception can be will shock all three women....</i>&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div><h4>My review</h4>I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions shared are 100% my own.<br /><br />This is the second book from Karen White that I have read. The first, The Sound of Glass, was more of an unlikely sisterhood story. This story is more about unlikely friendships and which ones you can trust and which ones you can’t. Ms. White is a master of writing about the Deep South and the Southern Bells and Steel Magnolias who live there. The story telling in The Night the Lights Went Out, as well as The Sound of Glass, was superb.<br /><br />Merilee Dunlap is a recently divorced mother of two, and Sugar Prescott is the nonagenarian who owns the rental house Merilee moves into after her divorce. Both women have secrets and both women need a friend. The story is told from four different perspectives: Merilee’s in current times, Sugar’s in current times, Sugar’s in the past, and by the unknown and observant author of a blog about the goings-on in the quiet little suburb of Sweet Apple, Georgia. I enjoyed this setup, particularly how the author handled Sugar’s flashbacks. So often, flashbacks are included as a way for the reader to know what happened in the past but they aren’t written in a way for the other modern characters in the book to know the information. Sometimes authors don’t keep this information clear and a modern character wounds up “knowing” something from a flashback they never had reason to learn. In The Night the Lights Went Out, Ms. White writes Sugar’s recollections as stories she is sharing with Merilee about her past. But rather than the story be all modern dialogue, the author switches the perspective to a flashback scene with Sugar as the narrator. She does a good job then of not having the “old” Sugar have the perspective of the modern Sugar. &nbsp;I also enjoyed the blog posts. There were times I found myself noticing that we hadn’t heard from the blog author recently and hoped for a new post soon.<br /><br />The side characters are also well developed. Often in novels with such interesting and complex main characters, the side characters become afterthoughts and wind up being a bit two-dimensional at best. Not here. Many of the secondary characters deserve stories of their own. I would have liked to see a bit more of Lindi Mathews, a local attorney and the other working mom at the prestigious private school, but even in her too-few appearances, she is a nuanced character.<br /><br />Now, to my issue with the book, and this one is a personal one so it might not hold true for every reader. I figured out the mysteries early in almost every instance. I’m not sure that it was a fault of the author or if just somehow my brain leapt there on its own accord. There were a few side mysteries that were a surprise and just how far the “back guy” would go was shocking, but all in all, the big stuff? &nbsp;I had it figured out early. And I’m not normally one who tries to solve the mystery early! &nbsp;I really just like for it to unfold in the story and be taken along for the ride! As a result of constantly waiting for the other proverbial shoe to drop, the story wound up being extremely intense for me. Like Dan Brown intense! I was on edge and anxious and wound up having trouble sleeping until I got this book finished in the last couple days. Ack! I am still recommending the book. But I am glad it is over now so maybe my brain can settle down! <br /><br />If you are looking for a light, fluffy chick-lit novel for by the pool, this is not it. It’s only my second Karen White book, but based on what I know so far, her books aren’t it. They are however well written with characters you will love (or love to hate). If you’ve spent any time in the South (for me, 15 years in Mobile, Alabama), I think you’ll like this book. It helps if you can internally read the dialogue with a Georgia accent. &nbsp;I especially enjoyed the blog author’s explanations of some Southernisms. I knew many already but even I learned a thing or two. Lord willin’ and the creek don't rise, I plan on reading more Karen White.&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div></span></div><br /> <br><br> <script src="//z-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/onejs?MarketPlace=US&adInstanceId=c0ce0a91-b117-4b36-9f61-e8c8ff049614"></script>HeatherAnne Norburyhttps://plus.google.com/106807999276845363650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2839078129883515995.post-55423663534041078572017-04-24T02:30:00.000-05:002017-04-24T02:30:06.270-05:00Monthly Manly Review: The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/--FJcque4gjQ/WKOPDBXtZ_I/AAAAAAAAjx4/m47NcfraNckOzZrMhh2Muj8rVHyUIQ_hACPcB/s1600/Montly%2BManly%2BReview.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/--FJcque4gjQ/WKOPDBXtZ_I/AAAAAAAAjx4/m47NcfraNckOzZrMhh2Muj8rVHyUIQ_hACPcB/s400/Montly%2BManly%2BReview.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">Welcome to the Monthly Manly Review. Every month, my husband Jason contributes to Purrfectly Bookish with a book review and a linky so other male readers can share as well. Whether you're a book blogger yourself - or whether some of the female readers have just convinced the men in their lives to write a review - your link is welcome! </span></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/038549081X/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=purrfectlyboo-20&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;creativeASIN=038549081X&amp;linkId=6c91521ca8f64c50278f369ca27a0b89" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KEIhLRYowyQ/WPoAufAU03I/AAAAAAAAl3A/H1wnmByHH6EEPRTQF-0mS9xf02RGRYgewCLcB/s400/Handmaids%2BTale.jpeg" width="256" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive income&nbsp;</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">if you make a purchase using these links. Thank you!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/038549081X/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=purrfectlyboo-20&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;creativeASIN=038549081X&amp;linkId=6c91521ca8f64c50278f369ca27a0b89" target="_blank">The Handmaid's Tale</a> by Margaret Atwood</span></div><div><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">Publisher:&nbsp;&nbsp;Anchor Books</span></div><div><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">Publication date: 1985</span></div><div><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">Jason's rating: 5 stars out of 5</span></div><div><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><h4><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">Publisher's description</span></h4><div><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">Offred is a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead. She may leave the home of the Commander and his wife once a day to walk to food markets whose signs are now pictures instead of words because women are no longer allowed to read. She must lie on her back once a month and pray that the Commander makes her pregnant, because in an age of declining births, Offred and the other Handmaids are valued only if their ovaries are viable. Offred can remember the years before, when she lived and made love with her husband, Luke; when she played with and protected her daughter; when she had a job, money of her own, and access to knowledge. But all of that is gone now...</span></div><div><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><h4><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">Jason's review</span></h4><div><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span id="docs-internal-guid-96b81d21-9096-9bb0-aa8e-c5f40366425b"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"></span></span><br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-96b81d21-9096-9bb0-aa8e-c5f40366425b"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In anticipation of the upcoming series on Hulu, and because it had been sitting on my “to read” pile for approximately forever, I decided to finally crack open </span><span style="font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Handmaid’s Tale</span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> by Margaret Atwood. </span></span></span></div><span id="docs-internal-guid-96b81d21-9096-9bb0-aa8e-c5f40366425b"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"></span></span><br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-96b81d21-9096-9bb0-aa8e-c5f40366425b"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Handmaid</span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> is the story of Offred, a woman living in the near future in Gilead, in what was once part of the United States. Gilead is run by a extreme far right theocratic government, in which social roles (especially those of women) are strictly formalized and limited. Offred (read this Of Fred) is a Handmaid, whose role is limited to that of a reproductive vessel, assigned to powerful men to produce children, as fertility is a scarce resource in this future.</span></span></span></div><span id="docs-internal-guid-96b81d21-9096-9bb0-aa8e-c5f40366425b"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The story follows Offred through her time in the house of the Commander, and her increasingly entangled relationships with him, his Wife, a fellow Handmaid and others. Parallel is some of her backstory, from before the rise of Gilead and her attempts to escape its oppressive government. </span></div><br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In my opinion, there isn’t much “action” in the book, but that isn’t the point. Atwood does a masterful job building tension towards some undetermined negative end (I mean how can such a story end happily?), without the need for car chases, bombs or other Michael-Bay-esque pyrotechnics. The story here is about what happens to Offred as a human, both in her past (finding and losing love and a child) and in her present. Hope is the scarcest of resources here, and just the faint flicker of it is enough to drive the story and our protagonist towards its conclusion. </span></div><br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What is truly wonderful about this story is that is has aged so well. This story, if written in 2015 and not 1985, would stand up just as well. The fact that the issues facing Offred in this story still ring so true is also the most impactful thing about this book. As a woman of child-bearing age, Handmaids are treated by society as not human, but as essentially livestock, being assigned for the benefit of powerful men, and valued only for their reproductive capacities. When those are expired, Handmaids are cast aside. The roles of women in this story are so structured as to be prisons for even the most privileged among them. </span></div><br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Most near-future dystopian fiction I’ve read contains seeds of fantasy, a catastrophic events or series of events that allow the reader to distance themselves from the story, making it enjoyable (and often well-written) brain candy. Atwood, by contrast, keeps her vision of the near-future close enough to retain that link to non-fiction. Given the path of political discourse and human rights over the last 30 years, her story may be more unsettling now than when she wrote it. </span></div><br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Handmaid’s Tale</span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> isn’t my personal dystopia, but I can see it from here.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><br /><link href="http://www.blenza.com/linkies/styles/default.css" media="all" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"></link><script src="http://www.blenza.com/linkies/loc_en.js"></script><script src="http://www.blenza.com/linkies/opt_defaults.js"></script><script src="http://www.blenza.com/linkies/misterlinky.js"></script><script src="http://www.blenza.com/linkies/autolink.php?mode=standard&amp;owner=purrfectlybookish&amp;postid=15Feb2017&amp;meme=12723" type="text/javascript"></script> <script src="//z-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/onejs?MarketPlace=US&amp;adInstanceId=c0ce0a91-b117-4b36-9f61-e8c8ff049614"></script>HeatherAnne Norburyhttps://plus.google.com/106807999276845363650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2839078129883515995.post-28238187808311100632017-04-22T02:30:00.000-05:002017-04-22T02:30:16.083-05:00Caturday #10<span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">This is a book blog first and foremost, but it's also a book blog written by someone owned by cats. So every Saturday is officially Caturday here at Purrfectly Bookish. If you have an awesome kitty, doggy, peeg, ratty or any other pet you would like to see here, you can either comment with a link to a picture or email me about sharing your cute pictures on some Caturday Saturday.&nbsp;</span><br /><div><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ye2zqoCkSWE/WPdUpp5TQMI/AAAAAAAAlw0/yikPUvYXbmMkJOoBlqsH5IpknomC4P6wgCLcB/s1600/Coyote1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="337" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ye2zqoCkSWE/WPdUpp5TQMI/AAAAAAAAlw0/yikPUvYXbmMkJOoBlqsH5IpknomC4P6wgCLcB/s400/Coyote1.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">Frankie from USA</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-x0fqhl99XiM/WPdUkJ8BQsI/AAAAAAAAlww/2410Co6Gma0qaf_R1LZqpfTNsauG6n9swCLcB/s1600/Nala.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-x0fqhl99XiM/WPdUkJ8BQsI/AAAAAAAAlww/2410Co6Gma0qaf_R1LZqpfTNsauG6n9swCLcB/s400/Nala.jpg" width="300" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">Nala from Beaverton, OR, USA</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aEPEDkVXvPo/WPdUzuRl72I/AAAAAAAAlw4/P2peADye7rUvDnuh8qdcCZ_wXvOrtiCpgCLcB/s1600/Paige%2B3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aEPEDkVXvPo/WPdUzuRl72I/AAAAAAAAlw4/P2peADye7rUvDnuh8qdcCZ_wXvOrtiCpgCLcB/s400/Paige%2B3.jpg" width="266" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">Otto and Maggie from Kansas City, MO, USA</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2ZG5Sw9cvyo/WPdU0bPQiPI/AAAAAAAAlw8/E9qjwAuzn041EYl80r05EHRb6ESkFIAnwCLcB/s1600/Harriet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2ZG5Sw9cvyo/WPdU0bPQiPI/AAAAAAAAlw8/E9qjwAuzn041EYl80r05EHRb6ESkFIAnwCLcB/s400/Harriet.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">Harriet from Kansas City, MO, USA</span></div><div><br /></div><script src="//z-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/onejs?MarketPlace=US&amp;adInstanceId=9efb783b-a191-4a6b-9a9c-ce63c9895a8a"></script>HeatherAnne Norburyhttps://plus.google.com/106807999276845363650noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2839078129883515995.post-90424459782870511072017-04-21T09:00:00.000-05:002017-04-24T14:07:50.761-05:00Kids' Review: To Burp or Not to Burp by Dr. Dave Williams and Loredana Cunti<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1554518539/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=purrfectlyboo-20&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;creativeASIN=1554518539&amp;linkId=7f66b7239e69e3a4d5f7f587c8146041" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-t4D6Of4wze8/WPinDLc2CbI/AAAAAAAAl1k/v-US6l9_CFcvbuF6GjGwL2vukqgmVjhIwCEw/s320/To%2BBurp%2Bor%2BNot%2Bto%2BBurp%2B2.jpg" width="266" /></a>&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive income&nbsp;</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">if you make a purchase using these links. Thank you!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1554518539/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=purrfectlyboo-20&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;creativeASIN=1554518539&amp;linkId=7f66b7239e69e3a4d5f7f587c8146041" target="_blank">To Burp or Not to Burp</a> by&nbsp;Dr. Dave Williams and Loredana Cunti</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">Publisher:&nbsp;Annick Press</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">Publication Date:&nbsp;October 11, 2016</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">My rating: 5 out of 5 stars</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><h4><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">Publisher's description</span></h4><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><i><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">Of all the questions astronauts are asked by kids, the most frequent one is “How do you go to the toilet in space?”</span></i><br /><i><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">This book not only answers that question, but many others about the effect of zero gravity on the human body:</span></i><br /><i><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">How do you brush your hair in space? What happens when you sweat? What does food taste like? The best thing is that the answers are provided by Dr. Dave Williams, a NASA astronaut who speaks from first-hand experience. Written for kids ages 7 to 10, this book uses age-appropriate language to explain the different phenomena that astronauts encounter during a mission. The bright, colorful pages, short blocks of text accompanied by photos and humorous illustrations make this a very attractive choice for young readers. The opening message from Dr. Dave empowers kids to follow his example by believing in themselves and following their dreams.</span></i><br /><i><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></i><br /><h4><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">My review</span></h4><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">I won a free copy of <i>To Burp or Not to Burp</i> from the blog <a href="http://www.chaosisafriendofmine.com/" target="_blank">Chaos is a Friend of Mine</a>.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">Growing up in the 70s and 80s, the space program always fascinated me. Unlike so many other kids, I didn’t really want to be an astronaut when I grew up. But space and space shuttles and astronauts were still very exciting. I watched almost every time the space shuttle took off and landed. I cheered when Sally Ride broke the gender barrier (at least in America - the first female in space was Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova 20 years earlier in 1963). I mourned when the Challenger tragedy occurred. </span></span></div><b id="docs-internal-guid-2e216843-8612-bb16-5dce-c0c42b534848" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b><br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">I had an aunt who lived in Houston, TX so I got to visit Johnson Space Center several times. The things that always fascinated more than anything else were the day-to-day requirements of living in microgravity on a shuttle or space station. I LOVED freeze-dried ice cream and Tang and any of the exhibits that showed how astronauts slept or exercised or ate. &nbsp;Those exhibits and that information was always “tidy” for the public eye though. None of it really got into the nitty gritty of how an astronaut (or cosmonaut or taikonaut on the International Space Station ISS now) really went about their day. &nbsp;Dr. Dafydd “Dave” Williams has opened all those doors in this book. </span></span></div><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">Dr. Dave is a retired Canadian astronaut who was part of an assembly mission on the Space Shuttle Endeavor to the ISS in 2007 (he had one previous shuttle mission as well in 1998). &nbsp;Dr. Dave goes into ALL the nitty gritty of life in space: sleeping, exercising, eating, going to the bathroom, burping, farting and more. Spoiler: farts will not jet propel a human in space. Sorry. My daughter thought the book was hilarious and fascinating. It is definitely fun learning. And as someone who really misses the excitement and national unity the space program brought, I really enjoyed reliving my own youthful “space exploration” by learning new things. If you ever loved the space program or if your kids are in love with it now, I really recommend this book! &nbsp;Fun illustrations and humorous explanations would make it interesting even to someone who isn’t as interested in space. </span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qSf4wiVMhRg/WPinTM2vamI/AAAAAAAAl1o/5lqyGQkTZZ41GJklnDenLciiFBmU4g-8ACLcB/s1600/To%2BBurp%2Bor%2BNot%2Bto%2BBurp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qSf4wiVMhRg/WPinTM2vamI/AAAAAAAAl1o/5lqyGQkTZZ41GJklnDenLciiFBmU4g-8ACLcB/s320/To%2BBurp%2Bor%2BNot%2Bto%2BBurp.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div><h4 style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">Miss R's review</span></span></h4><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">It was a good book... kind of disgusting at times. it really makes me feel like I totally need to be an astronaut (I'm being sarcastic). I liked the parts where they taught you how to pee and poop and eat in microgravity - mostly the eating. It looked funny in the pictures they had. I imagine being out in space and walking and immediately floating to the top. I recommend it to kids who want to be astronauts and kids who don't get grossed out by lots of things, because this book is pretty disgusting. It is funny though! </span></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FqocuIRWLxE/WJZNOS5pRsI/AAAAAAAAjj0/AV6XyMO4n1EAnYCQPWk5KmZxe704CeSnACPcB/s1600/Kids%2BConnection.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FqocuIRWLxE/WJZNOS5pRsI/AAAAAAAAjj0/AV6XyMO4n1EAnYCQPWk5KmZxe704CeSnACPcB/s1600/Kids%2BConnection.png" /></a></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif; white-space: normal;">For more reviews of books for children and teens, check out Booking Mama’s feature,&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.bookingmama.net/2017/04/kid-konnection-kelly-twins-books.html" style="background-color: white; color: #7c93a1; font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif; text-decoration-line: none; white-space: normal;" target="_blank">Kid Konnection</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif; white-space: normal;">, posted on Saturdays. If you’d like to participate in Kid Konnection and share a post about anything related to children’s books (picture, middle grade, or young adult) from the past week, you can go to her site to leave a comment and your link.</span></span></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /></div><script src="//z-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/onejs?MarketPlace=US&amp;adInstanceId=c0ce0a91-b117-4b36-9f61-e8c8ff049614"></script>HeatherAnne Norburyhttps://plus.google.com/106807999276845363650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2839078129883515995.post-28859552566856611142017-04-20T02:30:00.000-05:002017-04-20T02:30:15.523-05:00TBT Review: Dead in a Dumpster by B.L. Blair<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0990658406/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=purrfectlyboo-20&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;creativeASIN=0990658406&amp;linkId=cee209e0bf4194cb7684447c5e0d3844" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bgiCsrJieeE/WPAs6w4xuaI/AAAAAAAAloY/gOVLRiY84U0Pp8H-kIFqbcNyic8VIKBRQCLcB/s400/Dead%2Bin%2Ba%2BDumpster.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot;, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive income&nbsp;</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot;, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">if you make a purchase using these links. Thank you!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot;, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0990658406/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=purrfectlyboo-20&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;creativeASIN=0990658406&amp;linkId=cee209e0bf4194cb7684447c5e0d3844" target="_blank">Dead in a Dumpster</a> by B. L. Blair</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Publisher:&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">B. L. Blair</span></div><span id="docs-internal-guid-3707b423-6a2f-f4f6-f6af-7dd5658f4b52"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Publication Date: September 21, 2014</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My Rating: 4 stars out of 5</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">TBT Review Date: </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">December 28, 2015</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Publisher's description</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-3707b423-6a30-a059-7246-990bd991d5a9"></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>When Leah Norwood finds the body of Isabel Meeks in the dumpster behind her store, she can't believe the police consider her a suspect. Sure, she didn't liked Isabel, but then again, neither did anyone else. Isabel had a condescending attitude and a bad reputation. As manager of the antique store, Patina, she had made a lot of enemies. There is Patina's assistant manager, the handsome and charming Trent. Isabel was blackmailing him. There is Patina's owner, the aloof and influential Anthony Thorpe. Isabel was smuggling drugs through his store. And there is the entire drug dealing Cantono family. Isabel had lost a box containing heroin from one of their shipments. That is just to name a few and didn't even include the stranger who was seen arguing with Isabel just hours before her death. The police have too many suspects and too many soft alibis. Leah needs to prove to the sexy new chief of police that she had nothing to do with Isabel's death. Leah loves a good mystery. Can she find the killer before the police arrest her for murder? </i></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My review</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions shared are 100% my own.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-3707b423-6a30-e1a7-713d-8449d49beaf7" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I am not someone who tries to solve the mystery the whole time I’m reading a mystery novel. I also don’t read a lot of mysteries, of course. This one was an enjoyable and quick read. I didn’t feel like the answer to the mystery was super obvious (at least not any more obvious than other possible answers) nor did I think it was too far-fetched. Maybe a little, but not too much. Living in a historic suburb very similar to Reed Hill, I could definitely relate to the tight knit community of business owners and how they all look out for each other.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I had a little trouble with the protagonist’s behavior and brazen choices she made trying to solve the mystery. It seemed unlikely at first that someone would go to the extent she was going to solve a crime that the police were actively working on (and kept warning her away from). The author did attempt to explain her behavior - a love of mystery novels and a personal connection to the victim and case. I think the behavior seemed particularly odd to me because, as I already mentioned, I don’t read a lot of mysteries. Since this was the first in the series, I realize that the author had to start building her heroine and the community around her.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There is a romance angle but it was secondary to the mystery. It set up well for some fun interactions for Leah in future novels of the series. There is a pending love triangle - I’m not a huge fan of love triangles so it will be interesting to see how B.L. Blair handles it in Dead in the Park (Book 2) and going forward. &nbsp;</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2017 Update: I have since started reading a lot more cozy mysteries. I still don't try to guess whodunnits early though. </span></div></span>HeatherAnne Norburyhttps://plus.google.com/106807999276845363650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2839078129883515995.post-65143341842866762972017-04-19T02:30:00.000-05:002017-04-19T02:30:16.762-05:00Cover Reveal: Equus edited by Rhonda Parrish <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-deQr1cbjuTE/WO5hNixHS5I/AAAAAAAAln0/UUhC7A5sl7wJAsK0i7ec92MH4A6bYj1zwCLcB/s1600/Equus%2Bfront.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-deQr1cbjuTE/WO5hNixHS5I/AAAAAAAAln0/UUhC7A5sl7wJAsK0i7ec92MH4A6bYj1zwCLcB/s400/Equus%2Bfront.jpg" width="271" /></a></div><br />Equus edited by <a href="http://www.rhondaparrish.com/" target="_blank">Rhonda Parrish</a><br />Publisher: <a href="http://www.worldweaverpress.com/" target="_blank">World Weaver Press</a><br />Publication Date: July 18, 2017<br /><br />I love working with World Weaver Press. First of all, I love fantasy and they specialize in fantasy, paranormal, and science fiction. And secondly, they are a small independently owned book publisher that really focuses on good storytelling! &nbsp;Win-win!&nbsp;Rhonda Parrish has already released four anthologies in her Magical Menageries series: Fae (2014), Corvidae (2015), Scarecrow (2015) and Sirens (2016). Equus will feature nineteen stories all about equines - both real and imagined. &nbsp;The reader will find horses, unicorns, centaurs and other equine mythology in this installment. I'm looking forward to reading it and reviewing it when it comes out in July. In the meantime, the cover is a lovely teaser to the upcoming release. You can imagine this beautiful creature as a unicorn, a pegasus, or even just a really special horse. If you love horses and love fantasy, plan to check out this anthology when it is released. HeatherAnne Norburyhttps://plus.google.com/106807999276845363650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2839078129883515995.post-76211155709100715012017-04-18T02:30:00.000-05:002017-04-20T07:25:38.867-05:00Review: Aunt Dimity's Death by Nancy Atherton<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0140178406/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=purrfectlyboo-20&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;creativeASIN=0140178406&amp;linkId=376236e547aacae87d1b3930a2b3fde1" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1cKzRglmPQE/WO5UV_ORTnI/AAAAAAAAlnc/t9CdGfdDhygG0ervWEOHh72YaQsTqHBAgCLcB/s400/Aunt%2BDimity%2527s%2BDeath.jpg" width="245" /></a></div><br /><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive income&nbsp;</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">if you make a purchase using these links. Thank you!</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0140178406/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=purrfectlyboo-20&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;creativeASIN=0140178406&amp;linkId=376236e547aacae87d1b3930a2b3fde1" target="_blank">Aunt Dimity's Death</a> by Nancy Atherton</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">Publisher: Penguin Books</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">Publication date: 1992</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">My rating: 4 stars out of 5&nbsp;</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: left;"><h4><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">Publisher's description</span></h4></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><i>Down-on-her-luck Lori Shepherd thought Aunt Dimity was a pretend character in her mother's bedtime stories ... until the Dickensian law firm of Willis &amp; Willis offers the possibility of large inheritance -- if she can discover the secret hidden in letters between Dimity and her mother. Plus 1-pg recipe Beth's Oatmeal Cookies.</i></span></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><h4><span style="color: #222222; font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">My review</span></h4></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"></span><br /><div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">Aunt Dimity was a larger-than-life character in the cherished stories told by Lori’s late mother as Lori was growing up. Reeling from a divorce and now the death of her mother (the only family Lori had), Lori is finding that her strong-willed, stubborn streak has done nothing to help her in life. No husband. No decent job (specializing in rare books maybe wasn’t such a bright idea). Too often, no food!&nbsp;</span></div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"></span><div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><div>On a cold, rainy day, Lori receives a letter from a law firm stating they need to talk to her right away. With nothing better to do than be hungry and miserable anyway, Lori sets out across the city to go see them. She arrives soaked and bedraggled at a majestic building, nestled in among the skyscrapers. Willis &amp; Willis has been hired to draft estate documents and then manage the eccentric requests of their client, Miss Dimity Westwood. Only, to Lori, Miss Dimity Westwood is Aunt Dimity and she’s a fictional character in her mother’s stories.</div><div><br /></div><div>Lori discovers that her mother Beth and Dimity were best friends dating back to when they worked in London together during WWII. As she digs into their pasts and their stories, she finds a sadness in both women that Lori was not expecting. She remembers her mother as someone almost intimidating in the the amount of joy with which she moved through life. Always happy. Always helping others. Seemingly perfect. And Aunt Dimity, as the star of her cherished childhood stories, could do no wrong. Lori learns that her mother was more like Lori than she ever realized and that both women harbored secrets.&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div>On her journey to find answers, Lori is accompanied by Bill Willis, the son of the father/son law firm. At first, Lori is awful to Bill when he does nothing but treat her with respect and grace. The reader will need to bear through some time when you will simply not like Lori. In uncovering the secrets about the best friends, Lori uncovers quite a bit about herself and does grow a lot during the course of this first book in the series.&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div>All in all, Aunt Dimity’s Death was a charming book. I appreciated that there was no murder in this book to make it a mystery. While I do enjoy a good cozy mystery, those series do all hinge on someone getting murdered generally. It was nice to have other mysteries to unravel rather than death for a change. Once I got past Lori’s objectionable personality… once Lori got past Lori’s objectionable personality… the book was quite enjoyable. Fortunately the other characters more than made up for her lacking while she came around. &nbsp;I think the premise of the series is darling and I am looking forward to reading more. &nbsp;</div></span></div><script src="//z-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/onejs?MarketPlace=US&amp;adInstanceId=c0ce0a91-b117-4b36-9f61-e8c8ff049614"></script>HeatherAnne Norburyhttps://plus.google.com/106807999276845363650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2839078129883515995.post-16080404335504561962017-04-15T02:30:00.000-05:002017-04-15T02:30:01.651-05:00Happy Caturday #9<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">This is a book blog first and foremost, but it's also a book blog written by someone owned by cats. So every Saturday is officially Caturday here at Purrfectly Bookish. If you have an awesome kitty, doggy, peeg, ratty or any other pet you would like to see here, you can either comment with a link to a picture or email me about sharing your cute pictures on some Caturday Saturday.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DaRlU2NXUG4/WMNk3pKySnI/AAAAAAAAkQM/AlLXqUxl96cV0AtqSTy_JPzjyDG5rfu6ACLcB/s1600/Peter%2B%2526%2BJames.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Purrfectly Bookish Happy Caturday #9" border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DaRlU2NXUG4/WMNk3pKySnI/AAAAAAAAkQM/AlLXqUxl96cV0AtqSTy_JPzjyDG5rfu6ACLcB/s400/Peter%2B%2526%2BJames.jpg" title="" width="400" /></a></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #f6f7f9; color: #1d2129; font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">Left: Peter Parker- Spiderman aka Maow Maow (because he talks a lot)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #f6f7f9; color: #1d2129; font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">Right: James Howlett - Wolverine aka Squeaker (because he doesn't meow he squeaks)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #f6f7f9; color: #1d2129; font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">from Raytown, MO, USA</span><br /><span style="background-color: #f6f7f9; color: #1d2129; font-family: &quot;helvetica&quot; , &quot;arial&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SIMRyj6lxEI/WOzy-YKS7-I/AAAAAAAAllU/Ibr99yhJv5Q-6jd4ptmFYmePuQsIyAnfACLcB/s1600/Kylie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Purrfectly Bookish Happy Caturday #9" border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SIMRyj6lxEI/WOzy-YKS7-I/AAAAAAAAllU/Ibr99yhJv5Q-6jd4ptmFYmePuQsIyAnfACLcB/s400/Kylie.jpg" title="" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">Kylie from Prairie Village, KS, USA</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rQxw-S3deOY/WOz4rMHfWbI/AAAAAAAAll0/dfnSDnoxQTw9EbHwbnb6C6moy7U7QQanACLcB/s1600/Abby%2B%2526%2BMavis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Purrfectly Bookish Happy Caturday #9" border="0" height="256" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rQxw-S3deOY/WOz4rMHfWbI/AAAAAAAAll0/dfnSDnoxQTw9EbHwbnb6C6moy7U7QQanACLcB/s400/Abby%2B%2526%2BMavis.jpg" title="" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">Abby &amp; Mavis from Overland Park, KS, USA</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-P1DizxyPeg4/WOz9BMzdjEI/AAAAAAAAlmI/ZDzd_EaJd30QVdcWLXtWnrUZLS6PhCVugCLcB/s1600/Raasch%2BDog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Purrfectly Bookish Happy Caturday #9" border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-P1DizxyPeg4/WOz9BMzdjEI/AAAAAAAAlmI/ZDzd_EaJd30QVdcWLXtWnrUZLS6PhCVugCLcB/s400/Raasch%2BDog.jpg" title="" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">Ruby Bean from Lee's Summit, MO, USA</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><span style="background-color: #f6f7f9; color: #1d2129; font-family: &quot;helvetica&quot; , &quot;arial&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><script src="//z-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/onejs?MarketPlace=US&amp;adInstanceId=9efb783b-a191-4a6b-9a9c-ce63c9895a8a"></script>HeatherAnne Norburyhttps://plus.google.com/106807999276845363650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2839078129883515995.post-5806860008064504542017-04-14T02:30:00.000-05:002017-04-19T11:50:16.528-05:00Kids' Review: The Happy Hollisters by Jerry West<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/145286506X/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=purrfectlyboo-20&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;creativeASIN=145286506X&amp;linkId=44baca786bc9120d6032d08710cf8447" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="302" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TrrcVdOj2yA/WO1bWazjV5I/AAAAAAAAlmo/QBIx1gSFBAQa5R4lo0M4Ov5ZbsI5DGNIQCLcB/s400/Happy%2BHollisters.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive income&nbsp;</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">if you make a purchase using these links. Thank you!</span></span></div><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/145286506X/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=purrfectlyboo-20&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;creativeASIN=145286506X&amp;linkId=44baca786bc9120d6032d08710cf8447" target="_blank">The Happy Hollisters</a> by Jerry West</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">Publisher: Doubleday &amp; Company, Inc.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">Publication Date: 1953</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">My rating: 3 out of 5 stars</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><h4><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">Publisher's description (from Amazon on the reissued books)</span></h4><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><i>Hooray, The Happy Hollisters are back! First published in 1953, these charming mystery-adventure stories, faithfully reproduced, are now available in paperback for the very first time! Written for boys and girls between the ages of six and twelve, The Happy Hollisters are wholesome books, with an accent on humor and good, clean fun. Integrity always pays off and right wins over wrong. Parents, grandparents, and teachers will love these books for their healthy celebration of life in simpler times. Kids will be thrilled with the fast-paced action and will not want to put them down. This is a perfect gift for the young reader in your life!</i></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span><i><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"></span></i><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><i>The adventures for the Hollisters begin as soon as they move into their new house on the shore on Pine Lake in Shoreham. First, the moving van carrying their toys and their father's important new invention disappears. Next, they learn that their house may be haunted, with a treasure hidden somewhere inside! Right away they all set out to solve these mysteries. Each one of the Hollister children - Pete (age 12), Pam (10), Ricky (7), Holly (6) and Sue (4) - plays an important role in finding clues, along with their parents who are always ready to join in on the excitement. Even Zip, the collie, and White Nose, the cat, are part of the family, and find thrilling adventures of their own. As the Hollisters explore their new town and make friends, they discover what happened to the moving van, and learn more about the mystery surrounding their new home. Excitement abounds when a secret stairway is discovered. Then, on the trail of a mysterious intruder, their chase leads them to a deserted hut on nearby Blackberry Island. Over seventy action-packed illustrations make the story- and the Hollister family- so vivid that the reader has a feeling of really sharing in on the adventures of this lovable and interesting family.</i></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span><br /><h4><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">My review</span></h4><div><div><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">How times have changed! The Happy Hollisters (Book 1) was published in 1953. Four books were published in the series that year. The series continued to be published until 1969 with a &nbsp;total of 33 books in the series. The series was similar to The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew, both in it being a youth mystery series and in the listed author being a pseudonym. Unlike the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew, which each had multiple authors all publishing under the same pseudonym, The Happy Hollisters were all written by the same author, Andrew Svenson, who modeled the Hollister family after his own family.&nbsp;</span></div><div><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">There are five children in the Hollister family, ranging from ages 4 to 12 when the series starts. Its target audience was a little younger than The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew with their teenaged protagonists. I grew up reading my mother’s Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew books but had never heard of The Happy Hollisters until we learned of it in my daughter’s writing curriculum. A search at the local library found nothing so I posted on Facebook to see if anyone had a copy we could read. &nbsp;We were in luck! &nbsp;A friend, who had grown up reading them, had recently bought quite a few of the books so she could share them with her daughter.&nbsp;</span></div><div><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">Back to that “how times have changed” statement. Boy howdy! I’m not going to get into the pros and cons of letting our children run wild still like the “old days”, but the places and situations these children got themselves into with little adult supervision or intervention is just terrifying! The youngest nearly drowns at one point (unsupervised… fortunately an older sibling sees her) and then later catches her dress on fire! Two of the girls, who know they can’t canoe well, take the canoe out by themselves and are then washed up on a lake island by a storm (because, naturally, they dropped their oars). &nbsp;On the island, one is nearly sucked under by quicksand (this book was apparently a little ahead of its time since the height of the quicksand trope didn’t peak until the 1960s). &nbsp;</span></div><div><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">Even setting all the imperiled, unattended children aside, this book is pretty dark for a children’s book. The Hollisters had a van full of their belongings stolen when moving to their new house… and now there is an intruder paying almost nightly visits. Regularly, the children are the detectives with the parents and the police seemingly doing nothing to help solve the mystery. All this being said, I can also see where this book would be super exciting to a kid. The kids go on great (albeit dangerous) adventures and help solve a crime! &nbsp;And, probably most importantly, get theirs toys back. &nbsp;I imagine Miss R’s review will be very different than mine. We did read this together, which I would recommend for younger kids so you can have a conversation about why some of the choices the kids made were not the safest or best. &nbsp;The series went out of print in 1983 but has been reissued in paperback and ebook starting in 2010 so even if your local library doesn’t have it, it is available again on Amazon and in many other libraries through WorldCat.&nbsp;</span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><h4><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">Miss R's review</span></h4><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">It was a good book - dark, but it has a happy ending. Like most kids' books do. I suggest it for kids who like spooky books. I wouldn't suggest reading it right before bed because it can get you a little scared.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">I liked Holly because she was pretty adventurous. I liked Pete because he was pretty cool but the downside is that he attacks his neighbor Joey who does not-nice things but he shouldn't attack him. He should use his words. I liked Ricky because , of course, he is adventurous like Holly. I liked Pam because she was super enthusiastic. I liked Sue because she was really unsafe and it was amazing how unsafe she was (can you see how sarcastic I'm being?). It worried me that a 4 yo caught her dress on fire and she almost drowned!</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">I recommend it to kids who like action, mysteries and dark humor. &nbsp; &nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FqocuIRWLxE/WJZNOS5pRsI/AAAAAAAAjj0/AV6XyMO4n1EAnYCQPWk5KmZxe704CeSnACPcB/s1600/Kids%2BConnection.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FqocuIRWLxE/WJZNOS5pRsI/AAAAAAAAjj0/AV6XyMO4n1EAnYCQPWk5KmZxe704CeSnACPcB/s1600/Kids%2BConnection.png" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">For more reviews of books for children and teens, check out Booking Mama’s feature,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.bookingmama.net/2010/01/introducing-kids-konnection.html" style="color: #7c93a1; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Kid Konnection</a>, posted on Saturdays. If you’d like to participate in Kid Konnection and share a post about anything related to children’s books (picture, middle grade, or young adult) from the past week, you can go to her site to leave a comment and your link .</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot;, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span></span></div><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <script src="//z-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/onejs?MarketPlace=US&amp;adInstanceId=9efb783b-a191-4a6b-9a9c-ce63c9895a8a"></script>HeatherAnne Norburyhttps://plus.google.com/106807999276845363650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2839078129883515995.post-92127738620124539222017-04-13T02:30:00.000-05:002017-04-13T02:30:10.861-05:00TBT Review: Fractured Days by Rebecca Roland<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tLMNdfqkJV8/WKZn-smHktI/AAAAAAAAj0A/HEBn7265FdQbQGgPHj8vFKU1uYNuv4YPQCPcB/s1600/Fractured%2BDays.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tLMNdfqkJV8/WKZn-smHktI/AAAAAAAAj0A/HEBn7265FdQbQGgPHj8vFKU1uYNuv4YPQCPcB/s400/Fractured%2BDays.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot;, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive income&nbsp;</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot;, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">if you make a purchase using these links. Thank you!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot;, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00XBBDQX8/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=B00XBBDQX8&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=purrfectlyboo-20&amp;linkId=c77d6b7a487847acc0599f32d21dc802" target="_blank">Fractured Days</a> by Rebecca Roland</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Publisher: World Weaver Press</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Publication Date: June 9, 2015</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My Rating: 5 stars out of 5</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">TBT Review Date:&nbsp;July 27, 2015</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Publisher's description:</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Malia returns home the hero of a war she can't remember. The valley burning under the Maddion's invasion, the fate of her late husband, the way she resolved the long-time distrust between the Taakwa people and the wolfish, winged Jegudun creatures--all of it has been erased from her memory. Malia hopes to resume training as her village’s next clan mother, but when the symbiotic magic that she and the Jeguduns used to repair the valley’s protective barrier starts to consume more and more of her mind, she's faced with the threat of losing herself completely.</i></span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>A powerful being known as "the changer" might hold the solution to her vanishing memories. But the Maddion's new leader, Muvumo, also seeks the changer, hoping the being will cure them of the mysterious illness killing off his people. Meanwhile, Muvumo's bride hopes the changer can bring about a new era, one in which she and the other Maddion women no longer need to hold onto their greatest secret.</i></span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review. I do know the author (she is the wife of a dear friend and has become a good friend as well) but my opinions are my own and based on my generally positive view of the fantasy genre.&nbsp;</i></span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My Review</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Rebecca Roland has done it again in the second installment of the Shards of History trilogy (yes, trilogy. She is writing the third book right now). Fractured Days takes us back to the rich and colorful world of the Taakwa and Jegudun, now living in harmony after the Dragon War against the Maddions that Malia won, but can’t remember. Malia just wants to return to her life and remember but there is a unique and unfortunate side effect to the symbiotic magic of the Taakwa and the Jegudun. The Taakwa lose memories as the Jegudun pull power through them. Malia was the main source of that power that lifted the invisible shield back above their valley - locking out the selfish, empiristic Maddions and their deadly fire-breathing dragons. So returning to her life and remembering is a daily struggle. Malia had been set to become the new Clan Mother, training beneath her mother, the current Clan Mother. But how can she ever hope to achieve that status when so much of her memory is gone. And even more terrifying than the lost memories of the war are the present day memories slipping away behind a fog in her mind that threatens to engulf her fully.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">As in <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0615773435/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=0615773435&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=purrfectlyboo-20&amp;linkId=1067997041c50d2a1ea1a6f99d100e6e" target="_blank">Shards of History</a>, Fractured Days switches between the perspective of Malia in the valley and the Maddion leader Muvomo, back at home in the Maddion’s cliffside village. In Fractured Days, another character is heard. Muvomo’s wife, Chanwa, is given voice. In the Taakwa society, women are revered as leaders. In the Maddion, women are treated as chattel, even forbidden from learning to read and write and certainly with no rights in the society. Hearing Chanwa’s voice and seeing her perspective brings greater depth to the story. Fractured Days has a very different feel than Shards of History but is no less intense. Rather than the external conflict of war, Fractured Days is driven by internal conflict. Malia struggles with a very personal battle with her memory loss. Muvomo struggles with trying to lead a dying race who can turn on him at any moment as more and more people die from a mysterious and uncurable illness. Chanwa struggles to hide her secret and to keep herself safe in a world very unsafe for women.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Selfishness is one of the main driving forces behind all the characters in Fractured Days. Muvomo seeks to cure his people primarily to maintain his status as Most Worthy and to have his name written in the historical scrolls. Chanwa wishes for freedom and rights for all Maddion women but ultimately seeks to save merely herself. Even our tortured heroine Malia puts her people at risk in order to regain her memories. The consequences of these myriad selfish acts result in major changes and an uncertain future for all the races in this Southwest US-inspired fantasy world. While Shards of History can stand alone, and you can read Fractured Days without having read Shards of History, Fractured Days leaves the door wide open for Book 3. Since I’m friends with the author, she received an “ARGH!!!” text from me late on the night I finished this book. I can’t wait for book 3. I’ve heard there will be llamas! I whole-heartedly recommend Fractured Days to anyone who likes fantasy and strong female characters. Definitely another 5 star book from Rebecca Roland.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Rebecca Roland is the author of the Shards of History series, The Necromancer's Inheritance series, and The King of Ash and Bones, and Other Stories. Her short fiction has appeared in publications such as Nature, Fantastic Stories of the Imagination, Stupefying Stories, Plasma Frequency, and Every Day Fiction, and she is a graduate of the Odyssey Writing Workshop. You can find out more about her and her work at rebeccaroland.net, her blog Spice of Life, or follow her on Twitter @rebecca_roland.</span><br /><div><br /></div> <script src="//z-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/onejs?MarketPlace=US&adInstanceId=9efb783b-a191-4a6b-9a9c-ce63c9895a8a"></script>HeatherAnne Norburyhttps://plus.google.com/106807999276845363650noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2839078129883515995.post-84190270547563477942017-04-12T02:30:00.000-05:002017-04-12T02:30:13.831-05:00Monthly Wrap-Up March 2017<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u1J7G4IpCPo/WOujClprorI/AAAAAAAAlik/KuyZWTrnUQshOcGQ6bHf4A3p2n9OR5ubwCLcB/s1600/Mar17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u1J7G4IpCPo/WOujClprorI/AAAAAAAAlik/KuyZWTrnUQshOcGQ6bHf4A3p2n9OR5ubwCLcB/s400/Mar17.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_BGBAp2jjmE/WL235ZhrWDI/AAAAAAAAkIY/JZF9Tnt8gw0ahBiSWfjPVdV0fM1anVK-wCLcB/s1600/Monthly%2BWrap-Up%2BFeb17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">The end of March and beginning of April brought some serious craziness to my schedule. I thought about my blog daily! &nbsp;But rarely had the mental capacity to write, prep and schedule posts. Sorry about that! I am working on clearing some things out of the schedule and off of my plate so I can take more me-time... which includes my blog! &nbsp;</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive income&nbsp;if you make a purchase using these links. Thank you!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><h2 style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">Books Reviewed&nbsp;</span></h2><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot;, sans-serif;">&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.purrfectlybookish.com/2017/03/lost-under-a-ladder.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VWqNeNV5IqY/WL3jB2nkQ8I/AAAAAAAAkJQ/0EPN9Q5GDakCpNIeeHanInATAF6qomz3gCPcB/s200/Lost%2BUnder%2Ba%2BLadder.jpg" width="129" /></a></span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"></span></div><h2 style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Throwback Thursday Reviews</span></h2><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.purrfectlybookish.com/2017/03/season-of-salt-and-honey.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3JBmSvDmNAw/WLeYklnlfDI/AAAAAAAAkEU/Aek_apXrBHUlbrcqOtuQwPkr0s0cfwnrQCPcB/s200/Season%2Bof%2BSalt%2B%2526%2BHoney.jpg" width="130" /></a>&nbsp;<a href="http://www.purrfectlybookish.com/2017/03/shards-of-history.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ku_oq7oVM5I/WKZn-la0pgI/AAAAAAAAj0A/9ShEzljtem0K6Xr-TvHgDj-WBKegV4D2wCPcB/s200/Shards%2Bof%2BHistory.jpg" width="133" /></a>&nbsp;<a href="http://www.purrfectlybookish.com/2017/03/sound-of-glass.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xBI_iYYEQDI/WMn_zOvvkUI/AAAAAAAAkVo/h1uCf9qXPOIz4qtne1aPYWcGKiP4WiKrgCPcB/s200/The%2BSound%2Bof%2BGlass.jpg" width="132" /></a>&nbsp;<a href="http://www.purrfectlybookish.com/2017/03/ordinary-grace-krueger.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OdvI_dECkO0/WNQzonUQypI/AAAAAAAAkZU/VW9gwRNw_XQL724-q5KvzF46H5qv4Av1ACPcB/s200/Ordinary%2BGrace.jpg" width="131" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><h2 style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">Kids' Book Reviews</span></h2><div><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.purrfectlybookish.com/2017/03/crenshaw.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mH5jdpdD23M/WMG-69CnM6I/AAAAAAAAkPo/g38qx2yV--QrG6K1BUKFSb594Cd2G7aKACPcB/s200/Crenshaw.jpg" width="135" /></a>&nbsp;<a href="http://www.purrfectlybookish.com/2017/03/girl-who-circumnavigated-fairyland.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8ptYnlzkc6E/WL7L45Qyg2I/AAAAAAAAkMA/3DOxEp7JMykVJQ2um267iTmbz4AkMAO6ACPcB/s200/The%2BGirl%2BWho%2BCircumnavigated.jpg" width="132" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><h2 style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">Other Book-Related Posts</span></h2><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.purrfectlybookish.com/2017/03/www-wednesday-08-mar-17.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OP6BeCnDYmA/WL7Gy6bJtrI/AAAAAAAAkMA/lJjpn0P2ew8NPxmBrGMDnWE_hpUSGe0jgCPcB/s200/WWW%2BWednesdays.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><h4 style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></h4><h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">Reading Challenge Updates</span></h2><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.purrfectlybookish.com/2017/02/2017-reading-challenges.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RUXZdqo_hMA/WJOb1XhXsBI/AAAAAAAAjiE/t0udtwcKzEQhpu6Me8lj1AuBf_1J3hETQCPcB/s320/2017%2BReading%2BChallenges.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;">I didn't tick off any books read on What's in a Name or Diverse Reads though I did add 6 books to my Goodreads Reading Challenge (books to be reviewed soon and some nonfiction books for homeschooling).&nbsp;</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><a href="http://wormhole.carnelianvalley.com/whats-in-a-name-2017-sign-up-page/" target="_blank">What's in a Name?</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;- 2 out of 6 books read</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><b>&nbsp; &nbsp; 2. A Building:&nbsp;</b><a href="http://www.purrfectlybookish.com/2017/02/cards-from-khloes-flower-shop.html" target="_blank">Cards from Khloe's Flower Shop</a>&nbsp;by Isabella Louise Anderson</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot;, sans-serif;">&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</span><b style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot;, sans-serif;">6.&nbsp;A title in which at least two words share the same first letter – alliteration!:</b><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot;, sans-serif;">&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.purrfectlybookish.com/2017/03/lost-under-a-ladder.html" style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot;, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Lost Under a Ladder</a><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot;, sans-serif;">&nbsp;by Linda O. Johnston&nbsp;</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><a href="http://chasingfaerytales.blogspot.com/2016/12/announcing-2017-diverse-books-reading.html" target="_blank">Diverse Reads Book Challenge</a>&nbsp;- 0 out of 12 books read</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot;, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user_challenges/7636043" target="_blank">Goodreads 2017 Reading Challenge</a>&nbsp;- 24 out of 50 books read</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">Instagram Pic of the Month</span></h2><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;">The top Instagram picture this month is of Miss R feeding Bodhi her daily offering of lunch meat. Woe to whoever ignores Bodhi and her pleas for meats!&nbsp;</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/hawchoo/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0WN4poog8sg/WOu37KLZwRI/AAAAAAAAljE/f49BGWjifMQOkLoQdoDMGPnhOgyshuMHgCLcB/s320/Mar17%2BTop%2BInsta.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">Most Popular Blog Post</span></h2><div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0.75em 0px 0px; position: relative; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.purrfectlybookish.com/2017/03/happy-caturday-6.html" target="_blank">Happy Caturday #6</a></div></div><div><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ss58LlP9D4k/WMNmqMXs09I/AAAAAAAAkQw/fsYeiIJPL3YF-_knWu4vtcJRFUOeYXkJQCPcB/s1600/Sheldon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ss58LlP9D4k/WMNmqMXs09I/AAAAAAAAkQw/fsYeiIJPL3YF-_knWu4vtcJRFUOeYXkJQCPcB/s320/Sheldon.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">Most Popular Book-Related Blog Post</span></h2><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;">There was a tie!&nbsp;</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><div></div><br /><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.purrfectlybookish.com/2017/03/crenshaw.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mH5jdpdD23M/WMG-69CnM6I/AAAAAAAAkPo/g38qx2yV--QrG6K1BUKFSb594Cd2G7aKACPcB/s320/Crenshaw.jpg" width="216" /></a>&nbsp;<a href="http://www.purrfectlybookish.com/2017/03/sound-of-glass.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xBI_iYYEQDI/WMn_zOvvkUI/AAAAAAAAkVo/h1uCf9qXPOIz4qtne1aPYWcGKiP4WiKrgCPcB/s320/The%2BSound%2Bof%2BGlass.jpg" width="211" /></a></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br /></div></div> <script src="//z-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/onejs?MarketPlace=US&adInstanceId=9efb783b-a191-4a6b-9a9c-ce63c9895a8a"></script>HeatherAnne Norburyhttps://plus.google.com/106807999276845363650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2839078129883515995.post-35950977965269622012017-04-11T02:30:00.000-05:002017-04-11T11:01:02.773-05:00Review: Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tWSzClVzy8k/WL7L46zQeNI/AAAAAAAAkMA/LMN-l78ubQY0FdtzTD8DWZlJuAzMyqvbACPcB/s1600/Big%2BLittle%2BLies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tWSzClVzy8k/WL7L46zQeNI/AAAAAAAAkMA/LMN-l78ubQY0FdtzTD8DWZlJuAzMyqvbACPcB/s400/Big%2BLittle%2BLies.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive income&nbsp;</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">if you make a purchase using these links. Thank you!</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0425274861/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=0425274861&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=purrfectlyboo-20&amp;linkId=675845bbd731f9e2dd5af618d146443b" style="color: #222222;" target="_blank">Big Little Lies</a><span style="color: #222222;"> by Liane Moriarty</span><br /><span style="color: #222222;">Publisher:&nbsp;</span><span style="color: #222222;">Berkley</span><br /><span style="color: #222222;">Publication Date: July 29, 2014</span><br /><span style="color: #222222;">My rating: 4 out of 5 stars</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><h4 style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">Publisher's description</span></h4><div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><i></i></span><br /><div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><i>Madeline is a force to be reckoned with. She’s funny and biting, passionate, she remembers everything and forgives no one. Her ex-husband and his yogi new wife have moved into her beloved beachside community, and their daughter is in the same kindergarten class as Madeline’s youngest (how is this possible?). And to top it all off, Madeline’s teenage daughter seems to be choosing Madeline’s ex-husband over her. (How. Is. This. Possible?).</i></span></div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><i></i></span><div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><i><div>Celeste is the kind of beautiful woman who makes the world stop and stare. While she may seem a bit flustered at times, who wouldn’t be, with those rambunctious twin boys? Now that the boys are starting school, Celeste and her husband look set to become the king and queen of the school parent body. But royalty often comes at a price, and Celeste is grappling with how much more she is willing to pay.</div><div><br /></div><div>New to town, single mom Jane is so young that another mother mistakes her for the nanny. Jane is sad beyond her years and harbors secret doubts about her son. But why? While Madeline and Celeste soon take Jane under their wing, none of them realizes how the arrival of Jane and her inscrutable little boy will affect them all.</div><div><br /></div><div>Big Little Lies is a brilliant take on ex-husbands and second wives, mothers and daughters, schoolyard scandal, and the dangerous little lies we tell ourselves just to survive.&nbsp;</div></i></span></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><h4 style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;">My review</span></span></h4><div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">I was predisposed to not like Big Little Lies after having finished <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1250069793/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=1250069793&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=purrfectlyboo-20&amp;linkId=97770a25d5600d2c0d3b3b9ef07762ff" target="_blank">Truly Madly Guilty</a> recently and thinking it was just not great. I certainly did not see what the fuss was over Liane Moriarty. I had read <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0425267725/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=0425267725&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=purrfectlyboo-20&amp;linkId=5616b740378b166e1c42a295b72cc037" target="_blank">The Husband’s Secret</a> several years ago for book club and liked it well enough. But Truly Madly Guilty was so off the mark, I only picked up Big Little Lies because of the recommendations of other friends and bloggers. Fortunately I was willing to give Moriarty one more chance. With Big Little Lies, I can definitely see the fuss.</span><br /><span style="color: #222222; font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">Madeline, Jane and Celeste all have children starting kindergarten together and they all have “man” issues. We start the book knowing someone has been murdered. Snippets of police interviews of other parents tell the reader that the murder happened at a big fundraiser at the elementary school. These interview snippets are often hilarious and help lighten the tone of a book filled with some weighty topics. Moriarty covers single parenthood, abandonment, divorce, &nbsp; &nbsp;domestic violence, bullying, murder, secrets, and more.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="color: #222222; font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">The book’s timeline walks us closer and closer to this fateful night. Before we get there, though, we fall in love with the characters. Yes, there is a giant mystery to be solved here, but Moriarty laces so much story telling and so many other little mysteries in along the way that the book is much more than just the big mystery.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="color: #222222; font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">Madeline is a busy body full of verve but with secret doubts about her own aging and parenting skills. Celeste is a beauty who seemingly has it all - wealth, gorgeous husband, darling twin boys - but who has an inner melancholy. Jane is a new single mom in town and such a young kindergarten mother that she is first mistaken for a nanny. When Jane’s son is accused of bullying, the speculations run rampant. Even Jane questions her own child’s innocence. Everyone has secrets and those secrets all come crashing out on the fateful night of the school fundraiser. The author expertly keeps the reader in suspense, carefully doling out information to keep you reading (and reading and reading - often far past your bedtime) to see who gets murdered and who does the murdering. Will your favorite character survive? &nbsp;</span><br /><span style="color: #222222; font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;"></span></span><br /><span style="color: #222222; font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">I am really not a television watcher but I’m looking forward to revisiting the characters in HBO’s miniseries based on the book. And I plan to pick up What Alice Forgot. &nbsp;Moriarty’s books were nearly taken off my TBR pile. Thankfully, I gave her one more chance and I’m so glad I did. I highly recommend Big Little Lies.&nbsp;</span></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: left;"><br /></div> <script src="//z-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/onejs?MarketPlace=US&adInstanceId=9efb783b-a191-4a6b-9a9c-ce63c9895a8a"></script>HeatherAnne Norburyhttps://plus.google.com/106807999276845363650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2839078129883515995.post-56333988722675282342017-03-25T02:30:00.000-05:002017-04-03T15:13:05.615-05:00Happy Caturday #8<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">This is a book blog first and foremost, but it's also a book blog written by someone owned by cats. So every Saturday is officially Caturday here at Purrfectly Bookish. If you have an awesome kitty, doggy, peeg, ratty or any other pet you would like to see here, you can either comment with a link to a picture or email me about sharing your cute pictures on some Caturday Saturday.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MIYrR_MoG_g/WMNrvU-IkJI/AAAAAAAAkRM/fFgt9RxtWDEojzkDjPgf9vgqmYJHUm56QCLcB/s1600/Daisy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="350" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MIYrR_MoG_g/WMNrvU-IkJI/AAAAAAAAkRM/fFgt9RxtWDEojzkDjPgf9vgqmYJHUm56QCLcB/s400/Daisy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">Daisy from Overland Park, KS, USA</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Sun Cat!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DJwYcGzyRso/WMNsVwIep4I/AAAAAAAAkRU/POtNIb0yTskZdkJwMKYVVJrfZi1R4OqiACLcB/s1600/Snowzie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DJwYcGzyRso/WMNsVwIep4I/AAAAAAAAkRU/POtNIb0yTskZdkJwMKYVVJrfZi1R4OqiACLcB/s400/Snowzie.jpg" width="385" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">Snowzie from Prairie Village, KS, USA</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6ny5vJOTGbk/WMNs6M_Dc2I/AAAAAAAAkRY/lW8K9YfVt0oVRORBKAzZ66Rz9gsdzYwtwCLcB/s1600/Maggie%2B%2526%2BJoey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6ny5vJOTGbk/WMNs6M_Dc2I/AAAAAAAAkRY/lW8K9YfVt0oVRORBKAzZ66Rz9gsdzYwtwCLcB/s400/Maggie%2B%2526%2BJoey.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">Maggie &amp; Joey from Lenexa, KS, USA</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Road tripping with their human, Gail</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VTU3k6jaFQI/WMNuC4DlVjI/AAAAAAAAkRk/JzsOPtj2Gf4cexMifdToAFOuGWvddEjNgCLcB/s1600/Millie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VTU3k6jaFQI/WMNuC4DlVjI/AAAAAAAAkRk/JzsOPtj2Gf4cexMifdToAFOuGWvddEjNgCLcB/s400/Millie.jpg" width="350" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">Millie from Shawnee, KS, USA</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span><script src="//z-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/onejs?MarketPlace=US&amp;adInstanceId=9efb783b-a191-4a6b-9a9c-ce63c9895a8a"></script>HeatherAnne Norburyhttps://plus.google.com/106807999276845363650noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2839078129883515995.post-35896921264355946862017-03-23T15:49:00.000-05:002017-04-03T15:11:51.476-05:00TBT Review: Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1451645856/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=1451645856&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=purrfectlyboo-20&amp;linkId=da08680f99d320070ba61af4496fb50c" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OdvI_dECkO0/WNQzonUQypI/AAAAAAAAkZQ/6YBmPSwO2eMpwo6k2kEQpMAXAeH4d1S1wCLcB/s400/Ordinary%2BGrace.jpg" width="263" /></a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive income&nbsp;</span></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"></span><br /><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">if you make a purchase using these links. Thank you!</span></div><br /><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1451645856/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=1451645856&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=purrfectlyboo-20&amp;linkId=da08680f99d320070ba61af4496fb50c" target="_blank">Ordinary Grace</a> by William Kent Krueger<br />Publisher:&nbsp;Atria Books<br />Publication Date:&nbsp;March 26, 2013<br />My rating: 4 out of 5 stars<br />TBT review date:&nbsp;January 29, 2015<br /><br />Publisher's description<br /><br /><i>New Bremen, Minnesota, 1961. The Twins were playing their debut season, ice-cold root beers were at the ready at Halderson’s Drug Store soda counter, and Hot Stuff comic books were a mainstay on every barbershop magazine rack. It was a time of innocence and hope for a country with a new, young president. But for thirteen-year-old Frank Drum it was a summer in which death assumed many forms.</i><br /><i><br /></i><i>When tragedy unexpectedly comes to call on his family, which includes his Methodist minister father, his passionate, artistic mother, Juilliard-bound older sister, and wise-beyond-his years kid brother, Frank finds himself thrust into an adult world full of secrets, lies, adultery, and betrayal.</i><br /><i><br /></i><i>On the surface, Ordinary Grace is the story of the murder of a beautiful young woman, a beloved daughter and sister. At heart, it’s the story of what that tragedy does to a boy, his family, and ultimately the fabric of the small town in which he lives. Told from Frank’s perspective forty years after that fateful summer, it is a moving account of a boy standing at the door of his young manhood, trying to understand a world that seems to be falling apart around him. It is an unforgettable novel about discovering the terrible price of wisdom and the enduring grace of God.</i><br /><br />My review<br /><br />“That was it. That was all of it. A grace so ordinary there was no reason at all to remember it. Yet I have never across the forty years since it was spoken forgotten a single word.”<br /><br />Ordinary Grace follows the lives of two young boys in small town Minnesota the summer of 1961. Death comes often that summer and Frank and Jake find themselves more and more thrust into a grown-up world as they navigate the dynamics of their family and their town.<br /><br />My favorite book is To Kill a Mockingbird. In the sense that this book also focused on the kids' perspective in a small town in a "simpler" time, Ordinary Grace reminded me of To Kill a Mockingbird. I'm sure my enjoyment of Ordinary Grace benefited from my love of the Harper Lee classic. This book was, though, at it's core, a who-dun-it - an enjoyable one at that. Some "conclusions" were pretty obvious from the start but many twists and turns took you by surprise.<br /><br />The father, Nathan, was an almost unbelievably gracious and forgiving man, while the mother, Ruth, played foil with great emotional instability. Probably my favorite character was Gus, a friend of Nathan's from the war, who was constantly a rock upon which the boys could lean and a lighthouse in the dark to help Frank and Jake navigate tough issues. Yet, he was flawed in very real, authentic ways.<br /><br />The one distraction for me was the layout of the town. I don't think the author used a real town or a map of his imaginary town or he was bad at describing directions of things. Many times I found myself "lost" in town (no, the trestle is the OTHER WAY!). Or a description that something was past of the edge of town, with a real sense that it was far away - tucked away on purpose - but then it was only a 5 minute car ride later on. Or a bike ride in the middle of the night from the poor part of town to WAY up in the high rent area - again, earlier depicted as far away - that takes very little time. Given how I mentally "Google map" the books I read, these discrepancies were jarringly noteworthy as I read.<br /><br />All and all, an engaging read. This was a book club selection for me and not something I would have likely picked up on my own.<br /><div><br /></div><br /> <script src="//z-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/onejs?MarketPlace=US&adInstanceId=c0ce0a91-b117-4b36-9f61-e8c8ff049614"></script>HeatherAnne Norburyhttps://plus.google.com/106807999276845363650noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2839078129883515995.post-47110342187200535342017-03-18T02:30:00.000-05:002017-04-03T15:13:27.720-05:00Happy Caturday #7 <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">This is a book blog first and foremost, but it's also a book blog written by someone owned by cats. So every Saturday is officially Caturday here at Purrfectly Bookish. If you have an awesome kitty, doggy, peeg, ratty or any other pet you would like to see here, you can either comment with a link to a picture or email me about sharing your cute pictures on some Caturday Saturday.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OKKw_oSPgZo/WMNp-d3-a2I/AAAAAAAAkQ8/eI03wGQOHxQiwO3E40RNnWMFaDPcVgF-ACLcB/s1600/Peaceful%2BFifi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OKKw_oSPgZo/WMNp-d3-a2I/AAAAAAAAkQ8/eI03wGQOHxQiwO3E40RNnWMFaDPcVgF-ACLcB/s400/Peaceful%2BFifi.jpg" width="386" /></a></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;">Peaceful Fifi from Prairie Village, KS, USA</span></span></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jbYrUnXJl2s/WMNpd00fdaI/AAAAAAAAkQ4/OCBTnxqrT3w55Zh0gqRCDdX6uVdi01JtQCLcB/s1600/Frankie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jbYrUnXJl2s/WMNpd00fdaI/AAAAAAAAkQ4/OCBTnxqrT3w55Zh0gqRCDdX6uVdi01JtQCLcB/s400/Frankie.jpg" width="308" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Frankie from Beaverton, OR, USA</span></span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-idYyM_nBgyY/WMNpVM6eFuI/AAAAAAAAkQ0/yQ5rsZg-0Agb_farEkg8T2GgaJIwH9ssQCLcB/s1600/Goo%2Band%2BPeapa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-idYyM_nBgyY/WMNpVM6eFuI/AAAAAAAAkQ0/yQ5rsZg-0Agb_farEkg8T2GgaJIwH9ssQCLcB/s400/Goo%2Band%2BPeapa.jpg" width="327" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Goo &amp; Peapa from San Francisco, CA, USA</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;">Mother &amp; daughter tabby beauties</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LNu_pAv808Y/WMNqIcIjQDI/AAAAAAAAkRA/WC2FVo-BmNkL6YPhzuvXZRwjyVnXnt60QCLcB/s1600/Molly%2B%2526%2BBabs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LNu_pAv808Y/WMNqIcIjQDI/AAAAAAAAkRA/WC2FVo-BmNkL6YPhzuvXZRwjyVnXnt60QCLcB/s320/Molly%2B%2526%2BBabs.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Molly &amp; Babs from Ocala, FL, USA</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span><script src="//z-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/onejs?MarketPlace=US&adInstanceId=9efb783b-a191-4a6b-9a9c-ce63c9895a8a"></script>HeatherAnne Norburyhttps://plus.google.com/106807999276845363650noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2839078129883515995.post-76722331772385742572017-03-17T11:59:00.002-05:002017-04-03T15:21:06.554-05:00Kids' Review: The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1250010195/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=1250010195&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=purrfectlyboo-20&amp;linkId=90f22cb15421d472c1b792b33ddc6b9e" target="_blank"><img alt="Purrfectly Bookish: The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making" border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JrjpuQIlEoc/WMwJ4LiOpDI/AAAAAAAAkWw/KKxFrwanjG4orA6YOZ8w2mcAGb-TtJIXQCLcB/s400/The%2BGirl%2BWho%2BCircumnavigated.jpg" title="" width="265" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive income&nbsp;</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">if you make a purchase using these links. Thank you!</span></span></div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1250010195/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=1250010195&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=purrfectlyboo-20&amp;linkId=90f22cb15421d472c1b792b33ddc6b9e" target="_blank">The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making</a> by Catherynne M. Valente</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Publisher:&nbsp;Feiwel &amp; Friends</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Publication date:&nbsp;May 10, 2011</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My rating: 4 out of 5 stars</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><h4><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Publisher's description</span></h4><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><i><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Twelve-year-old September lives in Omaha, and used to have an ordinary life, until her father went to war and her mother went to work. One day, September is met at her kitchen window by a Green Wind (taking the form of a gentleman in a green jacket), who invites her on an adventure, implying that her help is needed in Fairyland. The new Marquess is unpredictable and fickle, and also not much older than September. Only September can retrieve a talisman the Marquess wants from the enchanted woods, and if she doesn’t . . . then the Marquess will make life impossible for the inhabitants of Fairyland. September is already making new friends, including a book-loving Wyvern and a mysterious boy named Saturday.</span></i><br /><br /><i><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">With exquisite illustrations by acclaimed artist Ana Juan, Fairyland lives up to the sensation it created when the author first posted it online. For readers of all ages who love the charm of Alice in Wonderland and the soul of The Golden Compass, here is a reading experience unto itself: unforgettable, and so very beautiful.</span></i><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><h4><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My review</span></h4><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I read this as a read-aloud to my daughter. After recently finishing <a href="http://www.purrfectlybookish.com/2017/02/furthermore-mafi.html" target="_blank">Furthermore</a>, it was difficult not to compare the two since they both were heavily influenced by <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1503222683/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=1503222683&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=purrfectlyboo-20&amp;linkId=e89a9b0a4047811366c6b59513cf9363" target="_blank">Alice's Adventures in Wonderland</a>. This book, in many ways, is far more like Alice though since the main character, September, is a "real" girl from Omaha whereas Furthermore's world is not Earth/ours. &nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The iconic Alice in Wonderland "stumbled" onto Wonderland. &nbsp;In... well, this book (I'm not going to name its uber long title each time I reference it), September is a "ravished" child, i.e., she was invited by a resident of Fairyland to go and she accepted. These distinctions, along with a third 'changling" category, make a difference in how a child in Fairyland is treated and how they might get back home (or not) and how they might ever return again to Fairyland again (or not). &nbsp;Without giving away too much, therein lies the heart of this tale. Given the five books plus a prequel in the Fairyland series, you can guess some of September's future in Fairyland.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It is a very colorful world and an extraordinarily confusing place. September is a "chosen one" of sorts, come to help free Fairyland from the tyrannical reign of a girl not unlike September herself, the Marquess. September is faced with many choices along the way that could have led her to just a jolly romp in Fairyland or could lead her to peril, adventure and possibly greatness. In the end, she chooses her new friends above all else and that path definitely leads her on adventure.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">There are some moments of grave peril in the book but September keeps a pretty cool head about her. I think even a sensitive child will be able to manage the dangers in the book without too much fear... they just need to keep on reading or listening a while longer. &nbsp;Not danger or peril, but a sad tale in the book is what was most upsetting to my 9 yo daughter and she did need some extra snuggles after that part.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My daughter and I really enjoyed this book. I think it makes a great read aloud but I also think kids could navigate this book on their own successfully. Miss R is excited to read the next book in the series. &nbsp;I would recommend it for ages 8 to 10ish. Children generally like to read about characters a little older and September is 12. This can be a tight rope to walk at this age and I think the author made September realistically 12 while keeping the content appropriate for the 8-10 yo reader. At nearly 70,000 words, it is on the long side for a middle grade book but you often see this in fantasy books in order to accomplish good world building. World building is well done in (deep breath) The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making. I recommend it!</span><br /><h4><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />Miss R's review</span></h4><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The girl is in a land where there were basically no rules, but the Marquess changed that. The Marquess wanted the land to be safe for all the children who went to Fairyland. She sent September on a quest but wanted September to fail.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I really liked September and A-through-L (Ell). I also liked Saturday and the Green Wind. September was very creative, even in the saddest parts. Saturday was a scaredy-cat but he still was very nice and helps save the day. A-through-L has a really creative name and he also is a wyvern and very smart (but only on anything from letters A to L). &nbsp;The Green Wind I liked because he was green and very comforting to September. He also has the Leopard of Little Winds, a flying cat.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It was a good book. It was a little sad at parts near the end. It was cheery after that though. I would recommend it to anyone who likes adventures and who doesn't really mind just a small section of sad.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /> <script src="//z-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/onejs?MarketPlace=US&adInstanceId=c0ce0a91-b117-4b36-9f61-e8c8ff049614"></script>HeatherAnne Norburyhttps://plus.google.com/106807999276845363650noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2839078129883515995.post-86253817489246571102017-03-16T02:30:00.000-05:002017-04-03T15:20:46.023-05:00TBT Review: The Sound of Glass by Karen White<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0451470907/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=0451470907&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=purrfectlyboo-20&amp;linkId=5d21c9fb6542a0ca35742d9d01e40351" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xBI_iYYEQDI/WMn_zOvvkUI/AAAAAAAAkVk/xOfsoI4vyR4TxtZIFp7VyNb9X80GDG3zwCLcB/s400/The%2BSound%2Bof%2BGlass.jpg" width="265" /></a></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot;, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive income&nbsp;</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot;, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">if you make a purchase using these links. Thank you!</span></div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0451470907/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=0451470907&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=purrfectlyboo-20&amp;linkId=5d21c9fb6542a0ca35742d9d01e40351" target="_blank">The Sound of Glass</a> by Karen White</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Publisher: PENGUIN GROUP Berkley, NAL / Signet Romance, DAW</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Publication date: May 12, 2015</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My rating: 4 out of 5 stars</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">TBT review date: May 12, 2015</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><h4><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Publisher's description</span></h4><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>The New York Times bestselling author of A Long Time Gone now explores a Southern family’s buried history, which will change the life of the woman who unearths it, secret by shattering secret.&nbsp;</i></span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>It has been two years since the death of Merritt Heyward’s husband, Cal, when she receives unexpected news—Cal’s family home in Beaufort, South Carolina, bequeathed by Cal’s reclusive grandmother, now belongs to Merritt.</i></span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Charting the course of an uncertain life—and feeling guilt from her husband’s tragic death—Merritt travels from her home in Maine to Beaufort, where the secrets of Cal’s unspoken-of past reside among the pluff mud and jasmine of the ancestral Heyward home on the Bluff. This unknown legacy, now Merritt’s, will change and define her as she navigates her new life—a new life complicated by the arrival of her too young stepmother and ten-year-old half-brother.</i></span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Soon, in this house of strangers, Merritt is forced into unraveling the Heyward family past as she faces her own fears and finds the healing she needs in the salt air of the Low Country.</i></span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><h4><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My review</span></h4><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I received a complimentary copy of The Sound of Glass in exchange for my honest review. All opinions shared are 100% my own.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">You may have noticed that I've been pretty hard on the last couple realistic fiction books I reviewed. Well, that ends here. In fact, I've had a hard time thinking of anything really critical to say about The Sound of Glass. Karen White has created a wonderful set of characters, broken and flawed, but so very worthy of compassion. [NOTE: a downside to throwback reviews is the references that now don't make sense! The "pretty hard on the last couple" comment is from 2015... not current.]</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">At its core, The Sound of Glass is about an unlikely sisterhood of survivors of domestic violence. They are tied together across decades and by coincidence. Every character has tragedy in their background (or in their present). Each chapter shifts in voice between characters. In current time, there is Merritt, a recent widow of a violent man and Loralee, Merritt's step-mom who is only five years older. With a voice spanning across the decades before, from 1955 to 1993, the reader hears Edith's perspective. Edith is the owner of the grand Southern home that is the backdrop to the story. She was the grandmother of Merritt's recently deceased husband and Merritt finds herself inheriting this old house, half a country (and, practically, a whole world) away from the only home she has ever known in Maine.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Ms. White took a rather complicated story line with a very complex set of characters and wove them beautifully together into a story of new chances and redemptions. My favorite character was Loralee. Though all the characters in the book exhibited strength and grace (even and most especially when they didn't believe themselves to possess either), Loralee was the one who helped build up and fortify everyone else. She had more strength, sass and constitution in her pinky than most of us have in our whole bodies. And she did it all in lipstick and high heels. A reader who has never lived in the South may not find her character believable, but, having lived in Alabama for 15 years (Loralee's home state), I can say she is completely believable - a steel magnolia, indeed.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">When a book covers a trigger issue - in this case domestic violence - I like to touch on it so readers who may be sensitive to the topic can make an informed decision. While domestic violence is a central theme of this book, there are no scenes graphically depicting it. There are references to what happened - a hand broken in a car door, being held under water - but all references are made in remembrance or in the words of a letter. There is one first hand account when the abusive grandson slaps Edith in one of her "flashback" chapters. This book is most about the victims finding themselves again and being strong.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys women's lit, realistic fiction and books set in the South. The book also has a big mystery element to it for those who like a good mystery. Both Merritt and her late husband hid secrets from each other, as such, much of the book is Merritt uncovering his secrets and revealing her own. Be sure to keep a box of tissues handy!&nbsp;</span><br /><div><br /></div> <script src="//z-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/onejs?MarketPlace=US&adInstanceId=c0ce0a91-b117-4b36-9f61-e8c8ff049614"></script>HeatherAnne Norburyhttps://plus.google.com/106807999276845363650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2839078129883515995.post-46471112783058180192017-03-11T02:30:00.000-06:002017-04-03T15:14:02.093-05:00Happy Caturday #6<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">This is a book blog first and foremost, but it's also a book blog written by someone owned by cats. So every Saturday is officially Caturday here at Purrfectly Bookish. If you have an awesome kitty, doggy, peeg, ratty or any other pet you would like to see here, you can either comment with a link to a picture or email me about sharing your cute pictures on some Caturday Saturday.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1wcRC0qOrXE/WMNmp68wtWI/AAAAAAAAkQU/3h86HPU9vpEklhrCdYFsixRvuhPnexQMQCLcB/s1600/Buff.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1wcRC0qOrXE/WMNmp68wtWI/AAAAAAAAkQU/3h86HPU9vpEklhrCdYFsixRvuhPnexQMQCLcB/s400/Buff.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The late Buff from San Francisco, CA</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"This dental floss is terrible!"</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ss58LlP9D4k/WMNmqMXs09I/AAAAAAAAkQc/S-jWucXwMnA_F9t-yiEBaxiHyCVgwrevgCLcB/s1600/Sheldon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ss58LlP9D4k/WMNmqMXs09I/AAAAAAAAkQc/S-jWucXwMnA_F9t-yiEBaxiHyCVgwrevgCLcB/s400/Sheldon.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Sheldon from Overland Park, KS, USA</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">TOE BEANS!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4MO1fQ3UGwI/WMNmqB3HCiI/AAAAAAAAkQY/c5hvLORwUKsfFZIYaKu3lLjcZTLDOTjMwCEw/s1600/Ariel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4MO1fQ3UGwI/WMNmqB3HCiI/AAAAAAAAkQY/c5hvLORwUKsfFZIYaKu3lLjcZTLDOTjMwCEw/s400/Ariel.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Ariel from Lee's Summit, MO, USA</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Making her opinion heard.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t-vIV-qjV_I/WMNnCfl2cqI/AAAAAAAAkQk/l0g1Mh1xjcgeUXKccWSfxMOxtMOkoTWsQCLcB/s1600/Ginger%2BBlue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t-vIV-qjV_I/WMNnCfl2cqI/AAAAAAAAkQk/l0g1Mh1xjcgeUXKccWSfxMOxtMOkoTWsQCLcB/s400/Ginger%2BBlue.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Ginger Blue from Norman, OK, USA</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">So pretty!</span></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span> <script src="//z-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/onejs?MarketPlace=US&adInstanceId=9efb783b-a191-4a6b-9a9c-ce63c9895a8a"></script>HeatherAnne Norburyhttps://plus.google.com/106807999276845363650noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2839078129883515995.post-49726334784862433012017-03-10T02:30:00.000-06:002017-04-03T15:20:23.812-05:00Kids' Review: Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1250043239/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=1250043239&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=purrfectlyboo-20&amp;linkId=cdbdbb70554cf406f18801e86fc5e568" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mH5jdpdD23M/WMG-69CnM6I/AAAAAAAAkPc/dgMa6WysaJYI-N5zcB-x-PnxAARkNsZTwCLcB/s400/Crenshaw.jpg" width="271" /></a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot;, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive income&nbsp;</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot;, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">if you make a purchase using these links. Thank you!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot;, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div><div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1250043239/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=1250043239&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=purrfectlyboo-20&amp;linkId=cdbdbb70554cf406f18801e86fc5e568" target="_blank">Crenshaw</a> by Katherine Applegate</span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot;, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">Publisher:&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 13.2px;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;">Feiwel &amp; Friends</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot;, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">Publication Date:&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 13.2px;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;">September 22, 2015</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot;, sans-serif;">My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars</span></div></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot;, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><h4 style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot;, sans-serif;">Publisher's description</span></h4><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><span style="font-family: &quot;trebuchet ms&quot;, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.2px;"><i>In her first novel since winning the Newbery Medal, Katherine Applegate delivers an unforgettable and magical story about family, friendship, and resilience.</i></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.2px;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.2px;"><i>Jackson and his family have fallen on hard times. There's no more money for rent. And not much for food, either. His parents, his little sister, and their dog may have to live in their minivan. Again.</i></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.2px;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.2px;"><i>Crenshaw is a cat. He's large, he's outspoken, and he's imaginary. He has come back into Jackson's life to help him. But is an imaginary friend enough to save this family from losing everything?</i></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.2px;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.2px;"><i>Beloved author Katherine Applegate proves in unexpected ways that friends matter, whether real or imaginary.</i></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.2px;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div><h4><span style="color: #222222; font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.2px;">My review</span></span></h4><div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.2px;">Oh! The feels! This book will get any parent right in the feels. It is told from the perspective of Jackson as his family is going through really hard times (again!). &nbsp;We all want to protect our children from the harsh realities of the world, especially if those harsh realities involve our own personal finances! Jackson knows what's going on - he's a big kid and wishes his parents would just level with him instead of trying to pretend everything is happy-go-lucky all the time. And just as things are getting really bad, fact-loving, scientist-wannabe Jackson finds his old imaginary friend, Crenshaw, has shown back up in his life.&nbsp;</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.2px;">Crenshaw turns out to be Jackson's Jiminy Cricket, helping him through a really tough time. He is a big, funny cat who always has the right advice. Jackson wishes Crenshaw away - after all, he's too old for imaginary friends - but just like a real friend, Crenshaw isn't going anywhere as long as Jackson still needs him. This book covers some pretty dark topics for a book aimed at elementary kids - homelessness, sick parents, hunger. It would have been hard to pull off in an age-appropriate manner without the plot device of a funny, imaginary friend. For all of Crenshaw's necessity and likeability, I still think he wasn't as refined or as integral to the story as he could or should have been. Either go with the fantasy element of an imaginary friend or not. He felt underdeveloped. &nbsp;I still really liked the book though and would love to have my own big, fluffy Crenshaw following me around. &nbsp;</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.2px;">I would recommend this as a read aloud with your kids. There are a lot of big topics in here that kids are likely going to have questions about and will need a parent's immediate and heartfelt answers. And it's pretty scary - the idea of losing your home and a sick parent. <a href="https://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/crenshaw" target="_blank">Common Sense Media </a>has a few talking point questions you might want to bring up with your kids. This is not a light and fluffy read but I recommend it nonetheless. This is exactly the sort of story that helps develop empathy for others and we need more empathy in the world - now and always.&nbsp;</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span></span></div><h4><span style="color: #222222; font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.2px;">Miss R's review</span></span></h4><div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.2px;">It was a pretty cool book. I like that it's kind of sad and touching but at the end, it's the not happiest but it's pretty nice. I don't want to spoil it.&nbsp;</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.2px;">Crenshaw is a cat. I liked to imagine him as a purple cat but he was supposed to be black and white. He tries to help Jackson be safe. He doesn't really get too come and help Jackson that much. It's only when an imaginary friend's real friend needs help that they can come help them. I think it was a really cute book. I loved Crenshaw the cat.</span></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.2px;">I think it would be good for kids who don't mind a little bit of sadness in their books. It might be too much for kids who are super sensitive to sad stuff. &nbsp;</span></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div><script src="//z-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/onejs?MarketPlace=US&adInstanceId=c0ce0a91-b117-4b36-9f61-e8c8ff049614"></script>HeatherAnne Norburyhttps://plus.google.com/106807999276845363650noreply@blogger.com2
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