Book Blog Follow and Book Blogger Hop Nov 5

Happy Friday, Everyone!!

It's time for Book Blog Follow Friday hosted by Parajunkee.com and The Book Blogger Hop hosted by Crazy for Books!



My answer to this week's question: Lisa Kleypas, Jennifer Echols, Karen Ranney, the list goes on and on and on and on......

My answer: of course I don't want to lose followers! I love all of my followers and all the readers of my blog!!

If you're visiting for the first time, I'd love to hear from you, so please leave a comment and say hi!! :)

"The Family Dinner" Review

"The Family Dinner"
by Laurie David, recipes by Kristin Uhrenholdt

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Release Date: Nov 3, 2010

Source: sent by publisher

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Summary from goodreads.com:

The producer of An Inconvenient Truth, Laurie David's new mission is to help America's overwhelmed families sit down to a Family Dinner, and she provides all the reasons, recipes and fun tools to do so.

Laurie David speaks from her own experience confronting the challenges of raising two teenage girls. Today's parents have lots to deal with and technology is making their job harder than ever. Research has proven that everything we worry about as parents--from drugs to alcohol, promiscuity, to obesity, academic achievement and just good old nutrition--can all be improved by the simple act of eating and talking together around the table.

Laurie has written a practical, inspirational, fun (and, of course, green) guide to the most important hour in any parent's day. Chock-full chapters include: Over seventy-five kid approved fantastic recipes; tips on teaching green values; conversation starters; games to play to help even the shyest family member become engaged; ways to express gratitude; the family dinner after divorce (hint: keep eating together) and much more. Filled with moving memories and advice from the country's experts and teachers, this book will get everyone away from electronic screens and back to the dinner table.

My review:

This book is so much more than a cookbook! There are lots of tips to keep your family happy during your nightly family dinner. The book features fun, full color photos along with personal stories, games, recipes, and quotes from celebrities. Honestly, how can you not love a book that quotes "Leave it to Beaver"?

" 'Wally, there's nothing old-fashioned about politeness.'
-Ward Cleaver to his son at dinner" (p23)

There are lots of unexpected chapters in "The Family Dinner," including a section on staying green called "Your Green Table." The chapter features lots of environmentally friendly tips for parents and kids. Other interesting chapters are about giving thanks for our many blessings, and conversation starters. There's even a section called "Dinner After Divorce."

And or course, there are lots of family friendly recipes! I know my boyfriend would love the "Caesar Pita Pizza Pies" (p124), a yummy mix of a Caesar salad and pizza. And the very first recipe in the book looks like a show stopper-"Gary's T-Night Tacos" (p9)- and they're meat-less!

I've really taken a few of the tips to heart. I think a meal with no cell phones would be fantastic. It's hard to do but, I think it's worth it to give family undivided attention for that designated time.

Bottom Line: I am so impressed with this book and diversity it offers. This book is going to be on the shelf in my kitchen for along time. I think it would also make a wonderful and thoughtful gift for a special family.

"Another Pan" Review

"Another Pan"
by Daniel and Dina Nayeri

Publisher: Candlewick Press
Release Date: Oct 26, 2010

Source: sent by publisher

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Summary from goodreads.com:

Sixteen-year-old Wendy Darling and her insecure freshman brother, John, are hitting the books at the Marlowe School. But one tome consumes their attention: THE BOOK OF GATES, a coveted Egyptian artifact that their professor father believes has magical powers. Soon Wendy and John discover that the legend is real—when they recite from its pages and descend into a snaking realm beneath the Manhattan school. As the hallways darken, and dead moths cake the floor, a charismatic new R.A. named Peter reveals that their actions have unleashed a terrible consequence: the underworld and all its evil is now seeping into Marlowe. Daniel Nayeri and Dina Nayeri return to reimagine Peter Pan as a twisty, atmospheric, and fast-paced fantasy about the perils of immortality.

My review:

"Another Pan" didn't have quite as much to do with the original Peter Pan story as I was expecting. Certain elements were definitely inspired by the story, like names and characters, but I think I wanted more of the actual plot to be like a modern retelling of the story.

That being said, I did like that certain aspects that mirrored the original story. I really enjoyed trying to figure out the nods to Barrie's "Peter Pan" because sometimes they weren't obvious. For instance, Tina, Peter's second in command was a great take on Tinkerbell. Tina was a tough girl in love with Peter, and definitely jealous of Wendy. Other moments I felt like I was uncovering a secret, such as-aha-that's the pixie dust!

I loved the five stories about ancient Egypt that held the clues to the mystery. The stories were fascinating and I'm glad authors told us the whole stories instead of just hinting or summarizing. I liked the Egyptian tie-in and the fact that the characters were involved in a museum exhibit. This reminded me of one of my favorite television shows, "Unnatural History." Sometimes I wasn't really sure how closely this related to the original "Peter Pan" though.

Sometimes, the villain's point of view slowed the story down, as did some of the adults' viewpoints. I really liked Wendy's father but reading about the villain got tiresome for me. I'd much rather see the story through Peter, Wendy, and John's eyes.

I liked the characters' "Happy Thoughts" compiled at the end of the chapters. It was another great homage to the original story.


Main Characters: 4/5
Supporting Characters: 3/5
Setting: 4/5
Romance: 3/5
Uniqueness: 4/5
Cover: 5/5 (this is exactly what a modern Peter Pan story would look like to me)
Writing: 4/5


Bottom Line:This story is absorbing, and I enjoyed trying to uncover all of the references to "Peter Pan."

Waiting on Wednesday (42)

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine, and it is a way to show off the books you can't wait to be released!!

This week I chose:

"Wrapped"
by Jennifer Bradbury
Atheneum
Release Date: May 24, 2011

The following description is from goodreads.com:

This is Agnes Wilkins’ debut season and already she’s attracting the attention of one of England’s most eligible and desirable men: Lord Showalter. He’s been quite forward about his intentions and Agnes finds this at once thrilling and terrifying. He is handsome and wealthy and has this quirky interest in helping England amass the world’s finest collection of Egyptian artifacts. It could be a good match—but everything Agnes knows about courtship and high society romance comes from A. Lady novels, and it seems to be a rule that men who are too good to be true are usually hiding something. But, what Showalter is hiding is not crumbling finances or boarish behavior. He is deceiving the whole British Empire. He is spy working for Napoleon, his orders smuggled into London in Egyptian artifacts—like the one Agnes pockets while at a mummy unwrapping party at Showalter’s home. Her innocent interest in this trinket (and childish need to keep it) jump starts a chain of events that bring out dangerous characters, dangerous circumstances, and the biggest danger of all—true love. Jennifer Bradbury’s knack for suspense and adventure make this an amazingly rich, wildly compelling and utterly fascinating novel about the secrets in and out of a mummy’s tomb. Keep your wits and trust your heart.

Wow, I need to read this one asap!! Historical YA Romance, you don't see that everyday!! I love it!

What are you waiting for this week??

Winners Announced!! October Paranormal Romance Giveaway and She Smells the Dead

Winners Announced for two Halloween contests!!

The 3 winners of the October Paranormal Romance giveaway are:

Rubynreba
Lindseye
Ambur

The winner of the autographed copy of "She Smells the Dead" by EJ Stevens is:

Brooke


Winners were chosen via random.org random number generator. Congrats to the winners!! I have emailed the winners for their mailing addresses. Winners have 3 days to respond :) A huge thank you goes out to Hachette for sponsoring the first contest, EJ Stevens for providing the book for the second contest, and to everyone who entered!! Congrats!!

Teaser Tuesday (13)

Yay for "Teaser Tuesday" from MizB of Should be Reading!!

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My teaser Tuesday pick:

"It wasn't exactly a satin ribbon plucked from the window of some Bond Street linen drapers shop, but at the moment she would be hard pressed to find a gift more practical or dear."


p 93 "The Devil Wears Plaid" by Teresa Medeiros

Review and Giveaway! "Goddess Girls: Aphrodite the Beauty"

Contest is Closed
Authors Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams have generously provided an awesome Aphrodite the Beauty Swag Bag for one lucky reader of my blog! See contest info after the review!

"Aphrodite the Beauty" (Goddess Girls #3)
by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams

Publisher: Aladdin
Release Date: Aug 3, 2010

Source: sent by author

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Summary from goodreads.com: The Goddess Girls by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams put a modern spin on classic Greek myths!

Aphrodite, the goddess girl of love, can hardly believe she's jealous! But after giving her best friend, Athena, a makeover, she's definitely feeling a little green. It just doesn't seem fair that the god boys who usually fawn over Aphrodite, are now paying more attention to Athena, who doesn't even care. When Aphrodite finds out the nerdy Hephaestus has a crush on her, she learns that love comes in many forms.

My review:

I love reading about the Greek myths and the tales in this series are perfectly told for young readers to learn how fun and exciting the myths are. Each of the characters are lovingly crafted as a young, modern version of the classic figure. The modern twist is there, even while being fully contained on Mount Olympus. The books teach the ancient stories and also teach valuable life lessons to young girls.

After reading the first three books in the series, "Aphrodite the Beauty" was possibly my favorite in the series. It was so much fun while still containing a great message.

Aphrodite has all the boys in school wrapped around her finger. She especially loves the attention from handsome Atlas. Aphrodite decides to give her friend, Athena, a makeover but doesn't really enjoy the result-all of the boys giving Athena attention instead of her. The only boy who still talks to her is Hephaestus, who walks with a limp. She likes Hephaestus but when rumors swirl about them, she starts avoiding her friend. But Hephaestus may be the only one who can help her with a special project.

I loved how this book told the story of Atalanta's race with the golden apples, one of my favorite myths. Hephaestus was such a sweet character, I loved reading about him.

This story was so fun, with crushes on boys and jealousy over other girls getting attention. But the focus was on friendship and being true to yourself before falling for a boy who doesn't deserve your attention. I love the girl power message of these books.
Main Characters: 5/5
Supporting Characters: 5/5
Setting: 4/5
Romance: 4/5 (perfectly age appropriate)
Uniqueness: 4/5
Cover: 5/5 (LOVE all the covers!!)
Writing: 5/5

Bottom Line: I can't' recommend this series enough, both to young readers, fans of Greek myths, and those who want a sweet, fun read with a great message for girls.
Check out my blog for the rest of the week for reviews of the other two books in the series!

More info on the series at: http://www.joanholub.blogspot.com/

GIVEAWAY RULES:


Contest is Closed
Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams are generously providing one lucky reader an Aphrodite the Beauty Swag Bag!! The swag bag was carefully put together by the authors and includes:

* 24-color eye shadow from Claire's
* 7 lip glosses with faux rhinestones
* Multi-color bracelet
* Goddess Girls bookmark
* Autographed copy of Aphrodite the Beauty

All you have to do is follow my blog publicly and leave a comment on this review with your email address!
Please follow publicly or I can't tell that you are following :) Also, if you aren't comfortable leaving your email here, go ahead and leave a comment and then send me an email with your email addy.
Extra Entries:

• +1 Tweet this contest (leave link in comment)
• +1 Post link in sidebar of your blog (leave link in comment)

Rules:

• US only
• Must be a follower to enter
• Extra entries are optional and can all be left in the same comment
• Leave a comment with your email address
• Ends Sunday Nov. 7

Thanks to everyone for entering! Good luck!