Category Archives: Book Reviews

Lovely, Romantic, Sweet tale

Posted on May 5, 2015 by Iiiireader

Sweet Girl

By: Rachel Hollis

Rating: 5 of 5

Instead of the simple romance that I expected, reading “Sweet Girl” by Rachel Hollis was more of a real life adventure with romance thrown in. I didn’t realize that it was part of a series (“Party Girl” was the first book and one that I will be reading very soon.) You don’t need to have read the first book, but based on how well written “Sweet Girl” is done, I highly recommend reading both of the books – that way you will know more about the characters.

First of all, the book is very funny. It is told a little tongue-in-cheek and I found myself smiling and laughing my way through it. However, it also deals with very serious issues and it does so in a very responsible way. There is nothing glib about the way these characters feel about things that matter. But just like I find in my life, laughing about little things helps one cope with the hard to imagine and live with serious things.

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Lyrical and beautifully written love story

Posted on May 5, 2015 by Iiiireader

The House of Hawthorne: A Novel

By: Erika Robuck

Rating: 5 of 5

“The House of Hawthorne” is the first book I have read by Erika Robuck though it will certainly not be the last. While I am not generally a read of historical fiction, this one simply grabbed my heart.

The story is told is such beautiful and lyrical fashion, it reads as prose which is completely appropriate for a book written about the love story of two artists – Nathaniel Hawthorne(a renowned writer) and Sophia Peabody Hawthorne(painter and illustrator.)

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Delicious and gorgeous cupcakes and more

Posted on May 5, 2015 by Iiiireader

Buttercream Dreams: Small Cakes, Big Scoops, and Sweet Treats

By: Jeff Martin

Rating: 5 of 5

I have never had a cupcake from Smallcakes – the cupcake business founded by Jeff Martin but am eagerly awaiting the opening of one of their shops in my city in Texas. In the meantime, I have this wonderful book “Buttercream Dreams” with which I can make my own version of some of their tried and true recipes.

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Cute book for anyone who loves Texas

Posted on May 2, 2015 by Iiiireader

Hello, Texas!

By: Christopher S. Jennings

Rating: 5 of 5

This is a cute board book for any toddler who lives in Texas, will be visiting Texas, or has family ties to Texas. It shows a little one see wildlife (flora and fauna) from around the state as well as visiting various famous spots in the state. These include everything from the Johnson Space Center in Houston to the Alamo to the bat’s flying from the bridge in Austin. The book was published a few years ago but it is still applicable today.

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Humorous and fun stories with excellent illustrations

Posted on May 1, 2015 by Iiiireader

The Kind-hearted Monster

By: Max Velthuijs

Rating: 5 of 5

The book actually contains two stories about a kind-hearted fire-breathing monster. The stories are extremely cute and should appeal to young children. The illustrations are excellent and are both beautiful and colorful. They are drawn in a fashion to replicate what a child might draw to illustrate a story.

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Wonderful book for a young toddler

Posted on April 29, 2015 by Iiiireader

First 100 Words

By: Roger Priddy

Rating: 5 of 5

This is a really delightful book to read with a toddler. My grandson and I snuggle up and go through the book page by page – he points to the picture and I saw the word. For some items, I point to the picture and he says the word. It is helping him become more verbal.

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A story which touched my heart

Posted on April 28, 2015 by Iiiireader

Carry Her Heart

By: Holly Jacobs

Rating: 5 of 5

When I first sat down to read “Carry Her Heart”, I was expecting a fairly traditional romance. Instead, the book was a beautiful love story that, while it did certainly encompass a romance, dealt primarily with the absolute and complete love of a mother for her child.

From the first few paragraphs, I was completely caught up in the world of Piper George. I cared about her and how her life would turn out. I spent more time weeping than I thought possible while reading a love story which was certainly more amusing than not. By the end of the book, I felt as if I had closed the book on a friend who I would miss while at the same time, knowing that she would have a good life made parting okay.

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Police Procedural set in Scotland

Posted on April 28, 2015 by Iiiireader

Snared

By: Ed James

Rating: 4.5 of 5

While Ed James has written a number of books, “Snared” is the first of his books that I have read. It is a stand-alone book; however, I think that it has the potential to be the start of a police procedural series set in Scotland about DS Vicky Dobbs.

Vicky is a single mom of a four year old girl. She is juggling her hectic personal life with the increasing demands of her profession. She is having issues about not spending enough time with her daughter (though her mother and father are around to give her an excellent backstop) when a series of escalating crimes start.The book is quite long at close 544 pages. It makes sense if it is the start of a series as the book introduces a great number of characters. If it is truly a stand-alone book, there were a few more characters than necessary.

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Posted in Mystery/Suspense/Thriller | Leave a comment

Very cute story about magical animals

Posted on April 27, 2015 by Iiiireader

Pip Bartlett’s Guide to Magical Creatures

By: Maggie Stiefvater

Rating: 4.5 of 5

This is a very cute story about a girl named Pip who can talk to magical animals and understand their languages. Of course, no one believes her, so when she is having her conversations, most people think she is a little off. The results of those conversations can get her into hot water, too.

She is sent to stay with her aunt, who is a veterinarian for magical animals. Her parents feel this would be a good way for Pip to spend time with the animals she loves as well as keep her out of trouble for the summer. Pip teams up with a neighbor boy names Tomas. Turns out Tomas is allergic to almost everything and is pretty much a hypochondriac about everything else.

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Amusing story of a young Irish boy and his imaginary friend

Posted on April 26, 2015 by Iiiireader

Moone Boy: The Blunder Years

By: Chris O’Dowd and Nick V. Murphy

Rating: 5 of 5

I’ve been a fan of Chris O’Dowd for years and have only been able to see one episode of the television series this book is based upon. The book is a fun story of a young Irish boy, Martin, who is bored and determines that he needs an imaginary friend (IF) in addition to his realsie friend (who is busy all summer on the family farm.