Mixed bag of happiness
347810
Arrived in decent timing yet had what seemed to be a coffee stain on the front. I laundered the shirt with spot treatment and it disappeared.  You just don't expect a new shirt to have a spot on it. Overall,  great for though.
2115942
I got a bit confused with some of the characters but they were so individual that it didn't last long. Plus everything came together in the end.  The reader is left with a warm smile
2909491
I'm not a huge Sci-fi reader, but this collection was a fun read.  Like any compilation, it's a mixed bag; a wide range of style and subject-matter (other than the unifying theme of war).  There were some good, some great, and a few I could do without...  worth picking up.
704123
3.5 stars -- I've had this book on my TBR pile for YEARS it feels like.  I'd heard good things, and since she's going to be an author at Utopia this year (again), I wanted to read it before then!  I ended up with mixed feelings about this book.  There were aspects that I adored and totally sucked me in, but there were also quite a few aspects that just rubbed me the wrong way....  And even with this higher rating, I highly doubt I will continue on with the series...I just have way too much to read, and so my standards have shifted, you know?

I found Nalena to be very intriguing from the beginning.  I tend to gravitate towards main characters with self-esteem issues (the bullied in this case), and so my heart ached for her and her precarious situation at school brought on by her mother's paper hoarding.  The problem is that she could be hard to get behind all the time.  Sometimes the way she saw her crush on Garrett had me cringing internally, and that's a me problem all the way.  She just flip flopped in her emotions so much it was giving me whiplash.  Now, quite frankly, this is probably pretty accurate for a 17 year old...but I guess I've lost my memories of those times, so it was so hard to empathize with her.  One minute she's agonizing b/c he can't possibly feel the same way, and the next she's reacting with amazing amounts of hope from the slightest grin from him.  It just didn't work for me personally.  It's funny though, b/c I would start to sympathize with her and get a good feel for her and what kind of character I would be reading, and then it just felt like there was a 180, so it probably aggravated me more than it normally would.

Garrett was intriguing.  I kind of loved him and his whole chaotic family.  I loved how happy and smiling he always was.  I loved watching the siblings fight like real siblings would.  I loved just how gregarious they all could be.  I kind of wanted more from the romance department there, but I'm sure I would get more if I continued with the series.

I can't decide how I feel about Nali's mother.  It's such a strange situation that they're in.  Because of who she is and what she does and what her role is in this paranormal world, there is an excuse for the paper hoarding.  But because she kept that all from Nali, she kind of let her unnecessarily suffer for it, you know?  And I kind of get her reasons, but it's hard.  So I'm just a big old ball of conflict when it comes to her.

As for the the paranormal aspects -- it was amazingly unique.  But at times I had a hard time following it and keeping up with all I was being told.  Now maybe it was just that I wasn't in the right mode for such a detailed world, but I still don't really feel like I "got" all of it, you know?  And sometimes the descriptions for what was happening to Nali (like her first description of the bubble I guess) just weren't enough for me.  I just honestly could not picture it in my head.  Again, this could be just me.  I'm not going to lay this at others feet if I just wasn't having good brain time, you know?  I will say I loved Addo Larry though.  He killed me.

So all in all, I was sucked in to the book, but there were just too many moments of confusion to have me clamouring for the next one.  And quite frankly, I just have too many other books to read to keep going on a book that left me feeling downs as well as ups.
1375813
I devoured this book like it was candy until I got to the happy ending, after which I felt like I feel when I eat too much candy.  It's not the happy ending I mind, of course, but I don't want books that lie to me to get there, and it feels like this one does.

Still, the writer transcends the "Nick Hornby with girl parts" box into which she might have fallen; voice is more important to me than plot in most cases anyway.

But having come to identify with and care for Tyler I wanted, if not needed, to believe in her redemption.  Because through the stories of the redeemed I hope to find paths I myself might tread.

Tyler suffers before her happy ending, but she doesn't work for it; so she doesn't earn it.  She seems, indeed, be trading one unlikely road to happiness for an even less-likely one.
69851
I liked the happiness between the lines. And didn't like the sadness. But thats life
4060820
I enjoy the feel, it could be a little bigger though. I also got black (without choice) its not that relaxing or uplifting of a color.
3965874
This book is, I don't know it gives me mixed feelings. Some parts of me just really enjoys the book and other parts of me is like meh. The story is very interesting and well written. But it feels like something is missing but I cant really say what it is.

The cover is beautiful and do represent the story in some aspect but not in others. This story is a bit different, but that is in a good way. I enjoyed it but I think that due to everything going on around me made me not really appriciate this book as much as I had hoped. The book was a quick easy read. I wish I could tell what I feel is missing but when I don't know myself its hard. I just know I got the feeling that something was missing.

I would recommend for others to read this book because it isn't a bad book or a badly written story, it is just not a book that cought me which is strange due to my love of dogs and animals. The book is worth reading.
2854248
A lovely collection of thoughts and actions for a happier life
2309912
More than half of these poems make me happy. More than half make me blink a tear away, briefly gaze away toward some invisible horizon, and catch my breath until the world resettles around me.
4753137
I've been looking forward to this box all week. When it arrived today I opened the box and was delighted with how beautifully packaged the set is. Two huge chocolate bars on the bottom, and then three smaller boxes on top, all stacked into a nice little tower and tied with a lovely ribbon. The packaging was truly great and didn't need any extra effort on my part to make it look like a gift. You could easily send this to someone in another state and when they open the box they would feel special.

The chocolate covered pretzels were DELICIOUS, I could have eaten the whole bag myself, and the salted dark chocolate bar was amazing. I didn't get to try many of the others because my husband commandeered them.

All in all, I think this is a nice set and would make a really nice gift, but I'm cautious to recommend buying it online since it could melt in transit, which is why I gave it three stars.

My particular shipment came via UPS out of Las Vegas and took three days to get here. Clearly, that was too long in a hot truck because the chocolates had very obviously melted completely and then rehardened, making them look less than appetizing. They still tasted good but I would have been embarrassed if I'd given it as a gift.
785759
The past week has been challenging with the events around the world.  Not a good way to start the year.  One promise I made myself this year was to be kind to myself.  Yoga, pilates and more yoga.  Just repeat the mantra "will what happened today be important to me in a year".  So what does this have to do with the book. Nothing really except the book made me smile and that is all we really need some days.  Just something to put a smile on our face.  Illustrator and author Seabrook has put together a rather clever and darling collection of animals with little one liners.  This is a book that is guaranteed to make you smile and think just a little.  There is the lion smiling all proudly who tells you that "  All power corrupts.  Absolute power is kinda neat", the little bird saying "if you do not agree with me...you are not listening.  The illustrations are really lovely and quite well done. What I really enjoyed about the illustrations is that the author has chosen a wide array of animals, there are meekrats, birds, frogs, penguins, owls squirrels and more.  Even without reading the one liners the  illustrations will have you coming back for more.  The book is lighthearted and just enjoyable.

I may just have to put this by my desk and remember to pick it up when I want a smile.  Or then again I may just have this on my bedside table as a gentle way to end the day.  Wherever I find myself reading through the book again I know that a smile will come to my face.
4768850
This is by far his happiest album - but is that a good thing ?  YUP.  Family Man Bob pulled it all together to make an excellent album that is in part painfully good and in part just painful.  It seems like he got bored  about halfway through but the cuts that prove to be the highlights (sign on  the window & the title track for example) more than outweigh some other  tracks that are mediocre but not overtly obnoxious.  I love listening to  this album because I think his state of mind comes right across -  everything's cool now, I'm married and I'm ok with that.  Its a good  feeling for a good album.
3974096
Oh my god! Everything is good but It might not be a new one.
4813821
I enjoyed this novel.  It is a "feel good" type of fiction where the main character Heather is able to enjoy a happy life after the death of her husband.  I read the novel that comes before this one also.  In both, what struck me though is that the author had Heather almost having everything go too good, too easily.  I'm not sure a perfect husband like Peter could exist, one who is rich and famous, always there for her time after time when she gets upset about life.  The life he provides for her and the children from her first marriage is one made in heaven.  The novel was fun to read but it could have been a bit more realistic at times.
491270
This might leave you with mixed feelings. It's part heartwarming, part sensational.
4640057
A nice relaxed collection of poetry that often made me smile with its randomness. If you're looking for deep metaphors or rhyme schemes, this isn't the collection for you. If however you like curious phrasing, life observations, and little slices of modern day relatable real life, this collection might be great for you.

I found it relaxing, friendly, never intense although at times poignant. The only distraction was line spacing to divide poems into three line stanzas for ease of legibility more than function or purpose. That said, I'd actually give this collection 3.5 stars. A 3 star book would be a good book while a 4 star book would be one I'd recommend to anyone. Having gotten this at a library, I think it's a great library book to see if you enjoy because no doubt some people will really enjoy and consider it a worthy add to their collection.

In short, if you're looking for a relaxing poetry collection with warm smiles and small chuckles, this might be for you.