ARC Review: The Angry Little Puffin

Look at the funny little penguin! and What a silly-looking penguin! Hearing this all day long is enough to make any little bird angry, especially when he s NOT A PENGUIN! This is the story of a puffin who is upset that he s constantly mistaken for a penguin. He finally reaches his breaking point and goes on a rant about the many differences between the two. A little girl stops him in mid-speech because she does know the differences, and he listens as she explains to her father why puffins are her favorite. When you are feeling alone and misunderstood, sometimes it only takes the understanding of one small person to turn things around. A charming picture book with 18 fun colorful spreads showing children what frustration and feeling alone looks like from the outside, how to get over anger, and how to reach out to others when they are frustrated.”

I received a free copy of this from the publisher via netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Okay this book is for children but I found myself smiling whilst reading it. The artwork is amazing. So pretty and full colour, just perfect. I liked the story, it was a nice setting and probably would teach kids along the way. I would buy and read this my kids, (when I have some). It was funny and full of love. I would recommend it to anyone who has kids.

I love puffins and penguins, this book made me smile. 🙂

5 out of 5 stars.

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Review : The Testing

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Isn’t that what they say? But how close is too close when they may be one in the same?

The Seven Stages War left much of the planet a charred wasteland. The future belongs to the next generation’s chosen few who must rebuild it. But to enter this elite group, candidates must first pass The Testing—their one chance at a college education and a rewarding career.

Cia Vale is honored to be chosen as a Testing candidate; eager to prove her worthiness as a University student and future leader of the United Commonwealth. But on the eve of her departure, her father’s advice hints at a darker side to her upcoming studies–trust no one.

But surely she can trust Tomas, her handsome childhood friend who offers an alliance? Tomas, who seems to care more about her with the passing of every grueling (and deadly) day of the Testing. To survive, Cia must choose: love without truth or life without trust.

Loved this. It was exciting from the first word. It reminded me a lot of the Hunger Games but in a good way. There is parts I would not recommend to younger or squeamish readers.

There was one character I never trusted the whole way through, but I did trust another and I was completely wrong in my assessment. I like it when the author can fool me like that.

The characters were believable and mostly likeable. Especially Tomas and Will. I felt myself caring about their safety. I am a little worried there is going to be a love triangle in the next book. I hope not.

There are still a lot of questions left to be answered. I am looking forward to book two.

5 out of 5 stars

Review: Dark Frost

I’ve seen so many freaky things since I started attending Mythos Academy last fall. I know I’m supposed to be a fearless warrior, but most of the time, I feel like I’m just waiting for the next Bad, Bad Thing to happen. Like someone trying to kill me–again.

Everyone at Mythos Academy knows me as Gwen Frost, the Gypsy girl who uses her psychometry magic to find lost objects–and who just may be dating Logan Quinn, the hottest guy in school. But I’m also the girl the Reapers of Chaos want dead in the worst way. The Reapers are the baddest of the bad, the people who murdered my mom. So why do they have it in for me? It turns out my mom hid a powerful artifact called the Helheim Dagger before she died. Now, the Reapers will do anything to get it back. They think I know where the dagger is hidden, but this is one thing I can’t use my magic to find. All I do know is that the Reapers are coming for me–and I’m in for the fight of my life.

I loved this book, once again read it really quickly. I am racing through the series just now.
I liked how it got straight to the action and left you wanting more. I admire the amount of work the author puts into giving us false clues. You never know where it might go.
I want Nott as pet, please, I will take good care of her. 🙂
This book has left me wanting more, lots more. I want to know what happens now, I am guessing it will come good in the end but how?

There are some points that are a little obvious but it’s good to let the reader guess where some of it is going, as long as they still enjoy the journey, which I did, very much.

5 out of 5 stars

Review: Kiss of Frost

I’m Gwen Frost, a second-year warrior-in-training at Mythos Acad­emy, and I have no idea how I’m going to sur­vive the rest of the semes­ter. One day, I’m get­ting schooled in sword­play by the guy who broke my heart—the drop-dead gor­geous Logan who slays me every time. Then, an invis­i­ble archer in the Library of Antiq­ui­ties decides to use me for tar­get prac­tice. And now, I find out that some­one at the acad­emy is really a Reaper bad guy who wants me dead. I’m afraid if I don’t learn how to live by the sword—with Logan’s help—I just might die by the sword..

I enjoyed this one more than I did the first. Maybe it’s because you got see a different side of the characters. I like Daphne and Carson, it does any me a little that Gwen keeps referring to Carson as the band geek, there must be other ways to describe him or just use his name? I liked how Gwen seemed to enjoying her time at Mythos more. She was actually learning to use her knowledge to her advantage. Finally.
Logan seems to switch his mood more than he switches clothes. One minute he is not talking to Gwen, next he is making sure she doesn’t go off with some guy. I am surprised he doesn’t have whiplash. Savannah, she doesn’t seem like a very nice person, of course I am guessing that’s on purpose.

I liked the action and the story very much. I actually read this in two or three days, just forgot to put review up.

Did You Know it was Based on a Book? : Heartbeat

I have recently watched the first seven series of Heartbeat (all in the last two weeks). I did not know before that, that one of my childhood favourite T.V.programs was based on a series of books.

I don’t often read crime books, but I maybe a have a try.

Heartbeat is a show set in Yorkshire in the 1960’s. The main character is a village copper. It is sweet, funny and a good show for the whole family. It’s not really the full of drama shows we are used to these days, but I think that’s why I love it, there is something so real and beautiful about it.

If this looks like your kind of things I suggest you check it out 🙂

Top Ten Tuesday: Underrated books

Top ten tuesdays is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, this weeks topic is on underrated books. I have not participated for a long time, but this was one topic I have made sure to contribute too.

1.

This is by far one of my favourite books, it is complex and extremely well written. I would love more people to read this book.

2.

This has had some bad reviews but I really enjoyed it and have read it a few times, enjoying it more with each read.

3.

A charming fun read full of adventure.

4.

Not for some, very like Twilight but I love it.

5.

Fun, creative. I cannot wait for the next one.

6.

Trolls, a new take on trolls, was really really good.

7.

The best book I have read in a long time.

8.

Really good YA book. It was interesting of full of intrigue.

9.

Not the usual kind of thing I read, but I loved every page, could not put it down.

10.

A complex intriguing story that takes the reader on a fantastic journey.

 

Review: The Seven

The castaways from 29 Down have learned to fend for themselves, and it looks like island living may agree with them at least until they’re rescued. But even while they hone their survival skills, the resentments and issues that divide them continue to grow. They’ve chosen a leader but what good is a leader if he can’t keep the team together?

Still enjoying this series, very like the T.V. series. I like the characters and seeing them develop as people, They are growing as a group. It’s funny, full of drama. It’s light enough for young readers but has enough in it for an adult for me.

I would recommend it to anyone who likes light fun reads.

four out of five stars

New Hunger Games Covers

I don’t mind new covers but these ones are not good in my opinion. I think that the cover should suit the theme of the book and this certainly does not suit the dark theme of the hunger games.

In my opinion these are much nicer, simple and elegant, not bright and garish.

What do you think of the new covers?

Could you burn books?

If it came to a life or death situation where you had to burn books to stay alive, could you? Could you be the one to throw them into the fire? Could you sit and watch them burn as you get warm.

I probably could, if it meant life for me and others, but I would do it with a heavy heart.

Harder question. Could you throw your favourite book or series on if that was all that was left?

My favourite is Harry Potter and no I probably could not. I think I would hide them away so no-one else would no where they are, unless I still knew there was more copies. But even then, these ones have been with me for years. Each since I first read them over a decade ago. It would hurt far too much to imagine.

I know I say this now but if it came down to life or death I probably I just like to think that I wouldn’t.

What would you do?

Review: Beauty Queens

The fifty contestants in the Miss Teen Dream pageant thought this was going to be a fun trip to the beach, where they could parade in their state-appropriate costumes and compete in front of the cameras. But sadly, their airplane had another idea, crashing on a desert island and leaving the survivors stranded with little food, little water, and practically no eyeliner.

What’s a beauty queen to do? Continue to practice for the talent portion of the program – or wrestle snakes to the ground? Get a perfect tan – or learn to run wild? And what should happen when the sexy pirates show up?

Welcome to the heart of non-exfoliated darkness. Your tour guide? None other than Libba Bray, the hilarious, sensational, Printz Award-winning author of A Great and Terrible Beauty and Going Bovine. The result is a novel that will make you laugh, make you think, and make you never see beauty the same way again.

I really enjoyed this book. It was so much more than I expected. I thought it was going to be fun and light. What I got was fun but it was full of sarcasm, satire, wit and very funny. It had a lot more depth than I originally gave it credit for. It’s good when a book surprises you like this did for me. I liked how there was a lot of back story to the the characters, they all had their own reasons for going into the beauty pageant. Petra’s story was the most intriguing for me. I did not see that one coming.

If you want a book to keep you guessing, full of action and makes you laugh this book is for you.