Terry Treetop and the Lost Egg

Terry Treetop and The Lost Egg is an environmental education book aimed at preschoolers or beginner readers. The book tells the story of Terry Treetop, a boy who loves to climb trees. One day, Terry finds an egg. However, he does not know whose egg it is. He visits a variety of animals in order to return the egg to its mother. 

It has been a rather long time since I have read a young children's book. But children don't change all that much through the ages. They want a fun book that will keep them entertained and is easy enough that they can start to read the words along with you. The Lost Egg mostly fulfills those requirements. There are a few words that are a little out of place in a beginning reader book, like "vowed" or " patiently." I'm not sure that young children will understand the meaning of these words, much less figure out how to read them. Also, the book is laid out in a weird rhyming scheme. It seems like phrases are written just to force the rhyme instead of getting an idea across to the reader. 

The Lost Egg isn't a terrible book, by far. I'm just not sure how interested children will find it. Perhaps if there were fewer animals with a  little more interaction with each or if the author dropped the rhyming scheme in order to pass on more information, the book might be a little more captivating. As it is, I don't think a child would read the book more than once or twice before putting it away for good. 

I received a copy of this book for free. All opinions contained within are solely my own.

Out of the Shoebox

I recently got the chance to review Out of the Shoebox by Yaron Reshef. This is the story of a son tasked with finding long lost information about family members who have been long gone themselves. What will he find out about family members he barely knew?

One day, Reshef's sister receives a phone call about a mysterious parcel of land that their father may have once owned. Unfortunately, their father passed away many years earlier. As a result, she passed the call onto her brother. Shoebox tells Reshef's tale of trying to find the pertinent information required to claim the land parcel and the difficulties he comes across when so many of the people involved are deceased.

I found it very difficult to keep myself interested in the story. Reshef's story-telling style drags on with inner thoughts and too many details. Instead of getting to the point, he gives minute details that are completely unnecessary to the story. And just when you are getting into the mystery of the land parcel, he switches over to find information about family members lost in the Holocaust. I really wanted to like the book but I couldn't bring myself to finish it. I only got about halfway through before I gave up. Maybe one day I will go back to find out what happened with the long lost lot. 

I received a copy of this book for free. All opinions contained within are solely my own.

 

Green Smoothies: The Weight Loss & Detox Secret

I've always been intrigued by smoothies. Like everyone else, I want to eat healthier and be healthier but smoothies always seem to take more effort than they are really worth. So, when I received a copy of the Green Smoothies ebook, I figured I would give it a try. 

There are 8 chapters in the beginning of the book that give you a little information about green smoothies. Ranging from the health benefits of these smoothies to tips on how to make your smoothie tastier, these short chapters should not be skipped. They are only two or three pages each anyway. 

The bulk of the book is made up of various recipes. I haven't had a chance to try every single recipe but they all sound very delicious. My favorite recipes are the ones with nuts in them. Since my daughter got braces in April, she isn't supposed to eat nuts. This is an easy way to make sure she gets the nutritional value from the nuts without taking the chance that she will break a bracket or something. 

I'm looking forward to trying more of the green smoothie recipes. Healthy living, here I come! 

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

The Dream Ten: Where's Tony?

Where's Tony? is the second book in the Dream Ten series by A.D. Erving. Thankfully, for those of us that did not read the first book, there are player profiles in the front and back of the book to try to help us keep track of the book's key characters.

The Dream Ten series are various stories about a New York City youth basketball team. In this particular book, one of their players has gone missing after a semi-final game in the Lower-NYC All-Star League Winter Classic. Concerned, his teammates forgo practicing for their next match-up in order to find him. 

When I heard the book was about basketball, I was a little concerned. I'm not a huge basketball fan but I can read anything so I cracked it open. There actually is very little basketball in the story. The plot mostly revolves around the inner workings of the team and their friendships with each other. There were some super over-dramatic parts (the opening chapter tells us we will meet the devil) but kids that age tend to be Drama Bombs. Overall, it was a decent read. However, I think the book is more appropriate for boys in a 7-10 age range instead of the 7-14 age range it has listed. And, while the book does have some basketball, it feels a little disingenuous to call it a sports book. 

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

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Lost in the Tsunami

I recently finished Lost in the Tsunami by Dorit Silverman. It is the story of an Israeli mother, Anna, trying to find her daughter, Ronny in India. 

We begin with Anna's inability to get a hold of her daughter. None of Ronny's friends have heard from her in a few days and Anna fears the worst. She begins to search for the young woman in the city of Tel Aviv. Eventually, she finds that Ronny has traveled to India. Anna goes to India and finds much more than she was expecting.

First, I would like to say that I did find the plot of the book interesting. As a mother, I can understand the panic that floods your body when you think you have lost your child. With that in mind, I do think that Anna was a little insane about the whole thing. She spent a lot of time screaming at people, which is never helpful. (I'm pretty sure the author wanted something more along the lines of "shouting" or "firmly stating" but "screaming" is what is in the text.) She was also very manipulative, which seemed against her character. Perhaps I am misunderstanding the character but it seemed like she was all over the place.

I would also like to point out that there are a ton of spelling and grammar errors in the book. This makes is extremely difficult for me to recommend it to others. They are all words and phrases that would pass a spell check (for example, a pineapple is pealed instead of peeled) so it is painfully obvious that the book didn't have a professional editor read through it. I almost gave up on the book as a result of the errors but I did plow through to the end. 

Finally, the title of the book is Lost in the Tsunami, but the 2004 Indian tsunami is barely a blip in the plot. There are 23 chapters and the tsunami doesn't take place until chapter 18. The majority of the book takes place in Israel. Anna and her guide don't even travel to India until chapter 15. I find it rather fake to title a book after a world-shaking event when it barely has anything to do with the actual story. 

While I did like Anna's story, there are way too many problems and inconsistencies to give it a whole-hearted recommendation. If, like me, spelling and grammatical errors grate on your nerves, stay away. However, if you can push through the errors, there is a fairly good story to be found. I have warned you, the rest is on your shoulders.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using <a href="http://www.tomoson.com/?code=BOTTOM1e0022dde73648d7321c989787876c38" rel="nofollow">Tomoson.com</a>. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Cogwheels: Ten Tales of Steampunk

Normally, I don't read a lot of steampunk novels. For those of you that aren't sure what "steampunk" is, steampunk is a fictionalized world where steam-powered machinery exists in 19th century civilization. The Time Machine by HG Wells is an example of steampunk fiction.

Cogwheels is a collection of steampunk stories written by a variety of authors. While the title tells us that there are 10 stories, there are actually 12. (Supposedly, the editor's cat required the inclusion of two additional stories with a cat theme.) But, to be honest, if I didn't read the foreword, I wouldn't have known that there were extra stories. I didn't actually count the titles myself. 

Most of the stories involved are fairly short. The one exception is The Clockwork Monk, which actually has chapters. Considering the number of stories involved, I was quite surprised at the variety of plots in the collection. Not one was like another.

My favorite stories were The Clockwork Monk (I'd actually like to read more about this world and its characters) and Midnight Visitors (one of the cat stories). I found the characters to be well-thought-out and very intriguing, even the inner monologue of the cat. But the best part is that the entire world they live in absolutely came to life. The steampunk aspect made their universe interesting and colorful. These two stories may have just made me a fan of the genre.

On the other hand, I was not particularly fond of The Touch of Love (a little too abusive, in my opinion) or Lace, Lavender Salts, and Revenants (for the same reason). Both of these stories revolved around the pain and abuse of other people. While Love featured the abusive love between a human and an automaton, Lace followed this theme by beginning with a rape and moving into murder. If these were longer stories that had ample reason behind the acts, I might not have minded so much. Unfortunately, in short form, everyone seems to be an ass for no real reason.

I think fans of steampunk may not be the best audience for this book. They already know where to go for the really good stories. However, if you are new to the genre and would like to know a bit more, this is a very good place to start. Thankfully, each story ends with a mini-biography on the author so you will know how to find more stories by your favorite. All in all, a worthwhile read.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.


Stretching The Borders


I just finished Stretching The Borders by Yael Shachnay. It took me a very long time to read this particular book. Much longer than it takes me to normally read a book. Don't worry, I'll get into that shortly.

Stretching The Borders tells the story of an Israeli woman, Naomi Raziel. She is currently married to Reuben and they have to children together, Uri and Ayelet. However, Naomi is not truly content in her life. On one fateful day, she meets her neighbor, Avinoam, whose wife is dying. Shortly thereafter, Naomi begins a torrid affair with Avinoam. One that will change their lives forever.

First, I'd like to state that I wouldn't classify this book as a "romance" novel. Yes, there are love stories here. Both Naomi with Reuben and Naomi with Avinoam. But I wouldn't say that is really the driving point of the story. The story is really about Naomi's wish to learn more about herself and try to stay the carefree, wild child she used to be. Everything that occurs within the story is a direct result of that one wish - to be the girl she used to be.

Second, I'd like to note that the book can be very difficult to read. This is why it took me so long. The book is written entirely from the first person perspective. That, alone, is fine. But there are times when the narrating character changes and the book doesn't give us any hints that we are no longer "inside" Naomi. It isn't until you get past the 'Wait, what?' moment and realize that we're now "inside" someone else that things make a bit more sense. In addition, the book is written as a very long letter to an old friend. That makes the character shifts even more jarring.

With both of those points made, I did enjoy the story. Granted, I didn't particularly like Naomi. She is a rather self-centered woman only concerned with how she used to be. While she seems to care for both her husband and children, it feels like a shallow thing that only exists so they can love her more. But, overall, I would recommend the book. Just give yourself plenty of time and patience to finish it.

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I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.



The Darkest Tool

I recently finished reading The Darkest Tool by Gerald Barnes. While this isn't normally the type of book I would read, I was immediately captivated by the writing. The book tells the story of Jonathan Night, a young man who has been thrust into the middle of the battle between angels and demons, God and Lucifer. For everything that seems to go well in his life, there is always some darkness following closely behind. Sometimes it is difficult to tell if these occurrences are a result of his own choices or if someone is making him do things he wouldn't otherwise do.

Despite thoroughly enjoying the book, there are a few down sides. There are quite a few spelling errors. (For example, 'barley' instead of 'barely.') Also, there are a few confusingly slow parts in the last third of the book. However, neither of these are terrible enough to ruin the book as a whole. (And I think you all know what a stickler I am for spelling.) If you are willing to look past the book's flaws, I think you, too, will find a great story with interesting characters.  

This is a sponsored post. All opinions contained in this post are honest reviews from my brain and do not reflect the views of anyone else. 

Paper Towns

PaperTowns Paper Towns is John Green's third novel. It tells the story of Quentin Jacobsen and Margo Roth Spiegelman. Quentin and Margo have been neighbors for their entire lives. When they were children, they came upon a dead body in the park. The story flashes forward to their senior high school year. Quentin, called "Q" by his friends, is in her geeky clique while Margo, generally referred to by her entire name, is the queen of the school. As such, their friendship had fallen to the wayside long ago.

One night, Margo randomly shows up at Quentin's window dressed as a ninja. She convinces him to sneak out and the two go on a bit of a revenge rampage. The next day, Margo doesn't show up to school. Three days later, she is declared missing. Quentin and his friends, Ben and Radar, spend the end of their senior year following the clues that Margo left behind.

I have found that I love Green's style of writing. Maybe it's because I am rather nerdy myself, but I find myself relating to his main characters a little too well. Quentin is a strongly loyal friend and he often thinks too much for his own good. Margo Roth Spiegelman is the popular girl who puts on a fake facade so people don't understand who she really is. As a result, people end up thinking that she is quirky and unusual. The two make an interesting friendship and I do kinda wish there was more of it in the book.

It took me awhile to read Paper Towns. Not because it wasn't interesting but because it doesn't quite match up to The Fault in Our Stars. (Sidenote: I feel like I should have read TFiOS last. It is so good that it sort of ruins other books.) Once I really got into Q's journey to find Margo, I was hooked. The discoveries that Quentin makes about himself and his friends are awesome. There aren't very many people that get to really understand their friends the way that Q does. And I liked that the three of them stick together, even when they don't like each other very much.

In the end, I did enjoy the book. I was a little disappointed in the ending but the ending did make sense. Maybe I've watched too many romantic comedies where...well, you know how those usually end. I don't want to spoil Paper Towns for you. Much like the rest of John Green's books, I do recommend that you read it. Especially if you like solving puzzles. It will force you to see things in a slightly different light.