365 Days of Happiness by Jacqueline Pirtle

Summary

Tamar and PJ: One Great Adventure by Mark F. Geatches

Summary

PJ’s weekend began like any other, but his sense of tranquility was mere illusion.  Hunted down and poisoned by a wicked humanoid strain, PJ slowly loses his health and sanity as a lone giant races to save him.  After centuries of solitude Tamar’s decision to save PJ has unforeseen consequences.  He unwittingly kills Krell, the vorteh Emperor’s son and heir to the throne, placing a mark on his own head.  Now Tamar must perform the nearly impossible task of creating an antidote that will save PJ, while avoiding marauding vorteh death squads.  With PJ’s outcome unknown Tamar makes one final decision.  He confronts Emperor Dedac, sacrificing his life to save the lives of PJ and his family.

No animals, humans, vorteh, or giants were harmed during the writing of this book.  Well, maybe some vorteh were.

My Thoughts

When I received a review request for this book I went back and forth about it a bit.  While I do like retelling, and this one is kind of a ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’ retelling, I just wasn’t completely sold.  I decided to try it and now here I am posting a review!

Tamar and PJ: One Great Adventure is filled with excitement and fun.  I enjoyed the writing most of the time but, sometimes it felt somewhat confusing because of the different perspectives.

Overall, this book was pretty good.  While it wasn’t exactly my particular cup of tea, it just might be yours!  Pick up a copy and see for yourself!  You might love it!

*Note: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Paloma’s Dream by Paloma Rambana (with Hillary Ring)

Summary

In a world where lobbyists are big and carry briefcases, one little girl with an iPad walked into the Florida State capitol and made a big difference.  Meet Paloma Rambana who was just an above average fourth grader until she successfully lobbied the State of Florida legislature to help secure $1 million in funds for blind and impaired kids in Florida.  Born with a rare eye condition called Peter’s Anomaly, Paloma knows what these kids need, and she is on a mission.  Join Paloma as she sets out on her adventure to secure funding for kids, to inspire kindness and activism in people of all ages, and of course to finish her homework before bedtime.

My Thoughts

I love hearing about young people who choose to be world changers!  This girl, Paloma,, is definitely a world changer.  This book, reading the things that she worked so hard to do, is so inspiring!  Paloma’s Dream is a short book at just 79 pages and it is defiantly worth the read!

*Note: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Chicago Eternal by Larry Broutman

Summary

The cemeteries of Chicago preserve the stories of those who built the brawny city by the lake.  Larry Broutman has been researching Chicago’s cemeteries and recording them with his beautiful photography for the past five years.  In the pages of Chicago Eternal, he takes readers on a spectacular tour of death’s domain, which is, in another sense, a celebration of the fullness and flourishing of life.


My Thoughts

At first thought, some may think this to be somewhat of a morbid book.  However, that really isn’t the case at all!  I found this book to be extremely interesting.  When I first picked this book up I just went through every page looking at the pictures.  That, in itself, was very interesting.  Then I went back through and read it.  Reading the historical information that went with each photograph kept my attention all the way through.

At the end you get a little something special!  The 3D photos were so cool and unexpected!  Very neat!

This is a massive, super interesting book!  It is not something that I would typically pick up so I am glad that it was sent my way!

*Note: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Piraroo by Marko Kitti

Summary

Dear Reader,

I’m afraid you’re soon going to meet a tarantula the size of a kitten. You’re also going to bump into a whopper of a seagull who is the British Champion in Poop Bombing. Not to mention an extraordinary, furry creature whose ancestor once belonged to a notorious pirate captain.

You’re also going to meet a ten-year-old boy called Max, the owner of the tarantula, whose life is about to turn upside down in this nail-biting adventure that includes petnappers and disgusting healthy smoothies!

So I am warning you, Dear Reader: Should you decide to read about Max and his animal friends, your life will never be the same again.

Yours sincerely,
MK


My Thoughts

This was a cute little book for children of all ages!  I am not a stranger to books by Marko Kitti and this one is just as good as the others!  I quite enjoyed it!

I do have to say, I am not a fan of spiders.  So, it wasn't my favorite thing to read about! Haha!  However, I did sympathize with poor Max.  When your pet is your family, the love is real!  Also, the illustrations were fun!  I found myself wanting to color them!  I actually might do that later!

Overall, this was a fun book and I recommend reading it to/with the children in your life!  Enjoy!

*Note: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Five Wishes of Mr. Murray McBride by Joe Siple

Summary

With all his family and friends gone, one-hundred-year-old Murray McBride is looking for a reason to live. He finds it in Jason Cashman, a ten-year-old boy with a terminal heart defect and a list of five things he wants to do before he dies. Together, they race against the limited time each has left, ticking off wishes one by one. Along the way, Murray remembers what it's like to be young, and Jason fights for the opportunity to grow old. But when tragedy strikes, their worlds are turned upside-down, and an unexpected gift is the only thing that can make Jason's final wish come true.


My Thoughts

Oh my goodness... this book...

I knew from the start that I was going to like this book.  The summary told me that much.  And then, literally within the first few pages I knew that I was going to enjoy it!

I also love the writing style.  The personalities in this book are so well written and they feel so real!

The Five Wishes of Mr. Murray McBride should really be a movie.  I could picture each scene while reading this book.  It has a great mixture of humor and drama.  I honestly teared up quite a bit with this one.

The ending hit me a little hard, I must say.  It was so good yet I was so upset!  I don't want to spoil it so you'll just have to pick it up for yourself.

I'm so glad this book was sent my way!

*Note: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Memory Tree by John A. Heldt

Summary

Days after barely escaping 1889 with their lives, the Carsons, siblings from the present day, resume their search for their missing parents in 1918. While Adam and his pregnant wife, Bridget, settle in Minnesota, unaware of a wildfire that will kill hundreds, Greg seeks clues in his great-grandparents' Mexico, where he finds love, danger, and enemies. At the same time, Natalie, the ambitious journalist, follows a trail to World War I France, and teen twins Cody and Caitlin rekindle a friendship with an old Pennsylvania friend haunted by her past. In THE MEMORY TREE, the sweeping sequel to RIVER RISING, several time travelers find answers and meaning as they continue the adventure of a lifetime in the age of doughboys, silent movies, and Model T's.


My Thoughts

The Memory Tree is the second book in the Carson Chronicles series.  Not I read the first book, River Rising, and enjoyed it so I jumped at the chance to read this one.  I can't say that I was disappointed.

I do believe that the first time travel book I read was written by John A Heldt.  That book was where I found a love for time travel books.  I have enjoyed all of his books ever since.

While I enjoy all of his books, I'm not sure that this one is at the top of the list.  It's still great, just not my favorite.  I may have enjoyed River Rising more than this one, but it was still quite good.

Thank you, John A. Heldt, for sending this book my way!  I am a fan!

*Note: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.