One Chapter

No Exit by Taylor Adams

I’ve read this book almost 2 books ago and I still can’t get this book out of my head. The ending of the book had more twists than a rollercoaster and boy, do I love rollercoasters. Once the adrenaline rush came, it came crashing down on me again and again, as Darby struggled to outwit her opponents in a war where she mentally or physically she could not rest.

I don’t like snow or driving in snow yet where I live the possibility of snow is about 40% to 50% of my entire year. It’s the unpredictability of snow and how other individuals behave in the snow, that makes me not like to drive in it. Sitting behind the wheel with Darby, the snow creating a lacey veil for the struggling car to stay onto the assigned path, I’m finding myself, holding my breath. Darby was stressed before hitting the road and now, the weather just adds to her frustration. Since receiving the news, Darby just wanted to see her mother but now, just finding somewhere to park her car for a bit, would be a great relief. When the windshield wiper flew off her car, I knew she was in trouble and as she limped into the rest area parking lot, I thought if she could at least stay in her vehicle, she would be fine. But, had she pack her car for winter driving? I had a feeling that she didn’t.

Oh Darby! Making her way into the rest area, Darby takes in her surroundings. The individuals hanging around inside and the location of different parts of this rest area. When she hears that they’ve closed some of the roads due to the blizzard, she immediately began assessing the situation. I wish she would’ve been this detailed before hitting the road, for I think it might have helped her considerably. Darby is now stuck at a rest area with some total strangers, with no cell service and with a phone that’s almost dead. They won’t be coming to clear the roads for quite some time and when Darby goes back outside, she notices someone caged in a van. Yes, I said caged and this someone is a small girl.

Who is this girl? Which one of the individuals inside the rest area owns the van? Oh, the questions just start coming as nothing about what has just transpired is good. Darby can’t keep still as she needs to do something to correct the situation but where does she begin?

Thank goodness that Darby has an almost dead cell phone and no, my friends she hadn’t packed her car for winter driving nor had she prepared herself for any type of an emergency before she left. She’s surrounded by a blizzard, alone, confronted with a nightmare which she has to put an end to tonight.

This was a fantastic, high-energy book. It definitely got my adrenaline going and it still gets me pumped up when I think about it. I would recommend it but with a warning, you might not get any sleep once you start it.

That time of year

Our bushes were beautiful but they were bare. We noticed that the caterpillars hadn’t shown up yet and we were concerned that it has been too hot for them. Then, the next day, they arrived! We counted about 25 of them crawling around on the bushes. This number was a bit less than last year, I can’t take myself away from them when they arrive, I’m constantly checking on them throughout the day and just watching them. After 3 days, all but 1 of them have disappeared. We’ve only located 3 pupas hanging nearby ( we bet the rest are hiding under the bushes) and now, I check on them. This is such an amazing process!!

Tell Me a Tattoo Story by Alison McGhee

While this book has fantastic illustrations and the stories that the father tells his young son are sweet and emotional, I felt disconnected from the characters in the story. I loved the idea behind this story but it felt as if the characters were telling the story, not actually living out the story on the pages.

While mother writes in the living room, father does the dishes in the kitchen and their young son plays with his toys on the kitchen floor. Suddenly, the young boy is tugging on his dad’s shirt and dad immediately knows that his son wants to see his tattoos because “you always want to see my tattoos.” I didn’t understand the next illustration as now, the young boy is hanging off the back of his father as he looks at the tattoo on his father’s shoulder. Did he climb up the back of his father? If his father picked him up, why didn’t he just hold him to let him see it? It looks as if the young boy is holding onto his father’s bare shoulder as he explains the tattoo. Doesn’t that hurt and is the son that strong to hold on that long? The text on the next page annoyed me also as it feels like I’m only hearing part of the conversation: “Did she read it to me over and over and over? She sure did.” So, we don’t hear the young boy speak.

As father explains each tattoo to his young son, I enjoyed the stories that accompanied the tattoos but I didn’t like just hearing the father talk. I wanted to actually hear what the son had to say, I wanted to feel his reactions. Throughout the whole text, the young son doesn’t say anything in the text, yet somehow the father hears him and answers his questions in the text. This annoyed me.

With wonderful illustrations and great stories that explain the father’s tattoos, this book did frustrate me when not all the main characters were given a voice in the text. 3 stars.

The Whale in My Swimming Pool by Joyce Wan

I had to laugh when I saw this book in the library, for what do you do when you have a whale in your swimming pool? For this little boy, he does about everything he can to get the whale out but eventually, he makes the best of the situation. Definitely a book to read in the summer as it will bring smiles to those who have the pleasure to hear it.

“Whoa…a whale?!” What a reaction to have as you arrive at your backyard pool ready to cool off. Right in front of this little boy is a humongous blue whale sitting on his little polka-dotted pool. There are also a few birds perched on the whale’s tail and a small squirrel who is behind the whale, staring up at him with a look of amazement on his face. With his mother in the backyard with him, he tries to tell his mother about the whale but his mother, deeply involved inside her book on her lawn chair, he doesn’t get the respond he was expecting. She mentioned sunscreen and well, the little boy is now taking matters into his own hands.

I laughed at all the different methods he used to get the whale out of his pool. He’s very creative. Finally, when he thinks he’s had enough and the whale can just have his pool, he comes up with a solution that both of them can be winners. But wait, is his day really over? The last page will put a huge smile on your face. Fantastic book – I’m glad I found this at the library!!

Rookie Toddler Board Books

This is a cute board book that will fit perfectly into the hands of little toddlers. There is a lot to love about this book starting with the little half-circle tabs on the side of the book, to help little fingers turn each of the pages. The animals featured inside the book, are realisitcally portrayed. They’re not cartoon pictures or outline drawing of the animals but they include quite a bit of detail.

If the child is just learning their animals sounds or if they are experts, this is a great book for them to read. It’s a funny book to read as the main animal on each 2-page spread makes a sound, they typically should not be making. The correctt animal, whose sound was just emitted, tells the main animal that they do not make that sound. I enjoyed the repeated structure of the book with only the sound and the animals name being changed throughout the book. I like a toddler’s book that isn’t cluttered and this one fits that criteria. The illustrations are bright, simple, and the use of text font sizes was used to get their point across. I really like this series of books as they have a great variety and their books are interesting and engaging- thanks Rookie Toddler. There’s also a bee that’s flying around on each two-page spread that the reader is supposed to find.

Page Example:
On left side of page, a cow – “Quack, quack, QUACK!
I quack all day.
Quack, quack, quack.
Is that what cows say? “
On the right hand corner two ducks – “No! Cows say Moo.”

I thought this was another cute book by Rookie Toddler. They will be reading about how their smile compares to a crocodile and I believe that both, boys and girls will enjoy this book.

The half-circle edges along the side, really helps little toddlers turn the thick pages of this board book. On each 2-page spread, a toddler is showcased on one side and on the other, a crocodile. There is a lot of diversity in the toddlers featured. I liked the simplicity of the book, the large font size, the illustrations (all but one), and the information presented. As the author closes out the book, there is no right or wrong answer, the author allows the reader to figure things out on their own which is a great bonus.

The book features clear, realistic illustrations which is fantastic! Using a large black font, this book is perfect for little ones learning to read and to read to children interested in animals and themselves. As you’re comparing a child’s smile to a crocodile, you’re considering some interesting concepts. Ideas like brushing their teeth, baby teeth, chewing, and how their mouths look when you’re not using them. It’s a fun, entertaining book that toddlers and beginning readers will enjoy.

Example:

“You brush your teeth to keep them clean.” (Picture of a toddler brushing his teeth)

“A crocodile never brushes its teeth!” (Picture of a crocodile’s mouth- I think this was a gross picture- yuck!)

Again, I like these half-stars on the side of the book, for little toddlers to use to help turn the pages of their board books. The illustrations inside are colorful, realistic-looking and they will capture the attention of young readers. There is variety inside this book from eggs, to a pistachio, a seashell, an apple, and also an avocado.

On each 2-page spread, a young child is holding one of the objects in their hands and on the other page, you see the same object, but now you see what’s inside or what could be inside that object. I thought this book was a bit too simple and I thought that the author should have include different items than the ones that they had included. I feel that an apple and an egg are too common and should have been left out which would have left room for something more interesting. Cute book though from Rookie Toddler.

Kate the Chemist: The Awesome Book of Edible Experiments for Kids by Kate Biberdorf,

I was all excited about another Kate, the Chemist book but I felt confused as I looked inside to see what types of experiments, she was featuring this time. I hoped it wasn’t filled with slime recipes but I wasn’t expecting tomato sauce, chocolate chip cookies, defrosting berries, and creating pretzels bites. Perhaps the title of the book threw me off and reading her last book which had another edible experiment. To me, these weren’t experiments, they were recipes that turned into experiments based on how you went about preparing them.

Don’t get me wrong, this is not a horrible book, it’s just that I was expecting something totally different. This book focuses on why something works in a recipe. While doing this, it also provides alternative methods (more experiments) to achieve this result. Take for example the Banana Bread Experiment. To make great banana bread, you usually need overripen, sweet bananas, but what if you only have yellow bananas? Kate has an experiment for this recipe that has the reader doing 3 different methods for ripening your yellow bananas, so you can make the bread. You’re recording your results as you perform the 3 different experiments. Once you get your results, you can continue on with the rest of the Banana Bread Experiment.

For each of the chapters, Kate provides a brief note about the project, a messiness level (most were 2 out of 3), a list of materials needed, whether you need: oven mitts, latex gloves, an adult, wonderful step-by-step instructions with fantastic illustrations, a What Do You Think? Section, and a How It Works: section.

Each chapter is its own experiment (recipe). I can’t say enough about how organized and detailed each chapter is. That is what I love about Kate’s books, she is very detailed-oriented. The illustrations are in color and the directions are detailed, with easy-to-understand language. The What Do You Think? section asks the reader a handful of thought-provoking questions about what they have done and has them think about what might happen had they done something else. I really enjoyed the How It Works section as it goes into detail about why this experiment does its job. This section is quite lengthy which is why I like it also. This section is not a bunch of scientific words but it explains the science behind why the reaction occurred which might be overwhelming to some young readers. You could have an older individual read this section and explain it to a younger child so they could understand it.

I liked reading why these experiments worked as I found it interesting and cooking can be fun, if you make it fun. I feel that some children will be like me and be shocked when they open the book and see what each chapter is about. I’m afraid they will see the book as a cookbook and they’ll want to pass on it while others will love it. If you haven’t seen Kate before, I suggest you check her out. She’s on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and online. This is a great book; I just wished the title was something else. 4.5 stars

Hairpin Bridge by Taylor Adams

Given the evidence, I’d have done exactly what Lena did when she was notified that her twin sister had committed suicide. Sure, Cambry wasn’t completely stable but Lena feels that she knows her sister and that she wouldn’t commit suicide. Cambry was supposed to be taking a break from life, traveling, living in her car, enjoying the world around her so, why would she suddenly decide to end her life by jumping off a bridge? Then, there’s the police report. This piece of paper raises too many red flags for Lena. Why hasn’t anyone else questioned this record? Do they understand all the phone calls Cambry made? What about Cambry’s last message, what did she mean by that? Was it just a coincidence, the contact between Cambry and the same highway patrolman before and after her death? This was one intense read and I ~~wanted~~ needed to know the answers.

As Lena meets Reymond Raycevic on Hairpin Bridge, she wants the full account of what occurred between Reymond and her sister, when the two of them came into contact. As Lena listens, the Montana Highway Patrolman comes off irritated for having to repeat this but nevertheless, he gives Lena what she wants. Whoops! Better slow down Mr. Patrolman, you might just not want to be so overconfident. This is getting good as Lena is a great listener and she’s paying close attention to everything that he’s saying. She’s not giving up until she knows the truth and she’s not putting any trust in the words on the typed-up police report.

Another fantastic book by Taylor Adams, an exciting pursuit that had me turning the pages way past my bedtime! I received a copy of this book from Scene of the Crime Early Read Program in exchange for an honest opinion, thank you for sending me this book.

Luck of the Titanic by Stacey Lee

What I enjoyed the most about this book was how the stories of the book came together. Although the story is mainly about Val and her twin brother Jamie, there are little stories that thread throughout the book that give the story its strength. Val had an agenda and she was determined that what she wanted was best for everyone involved. I had to laugh a few times while I read, when Jamie’s insight was better than hers. Was Val only seeing what she wanted to see? Was it possible for Val to admit that Jamie might know something about their own family?

Val was a great character but she also needed the individuals around her, to shape and mold her. From Mrs. Sloane, to the passengers, to the circus manager, all these individuals pushed and encouraged her which allowed her maturity, within the pages of this book to grow. She was a determined, passionate individual but her mannerism wasn’t the greatest when she approached the gangway to board the Titanic. With her attitude, was it possible for her, to persuade her brother to return to their previous occupation? America was supposed to be the land of opportunity and that is where she wanted to go but now, the Titanic was her playing field.

While I thought this book might be centered on the sinking and the life-saving that accompanied this vessel, I was surprised these events occurred at the end. I learned about the Chinese Exclusion Act and how that effected many individuals, which was new to me. I really enjoyed this book as it provided something different about this time in history.

“Life is a balancing act. You could be killed walking down the street, but you don’t let that fear stop you. You just practice until the fear is no longer part of the equation.”

“An afterlife without one’s loved ones doesn’t seem like a place I’d want to go. Maybe that’s why Jamie likes to study the stars. Whatever the answer is, surely it’s written up there.”

Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi

I highly recommend you listen to this audio as its wonderful. Words can’t express how I felt as I listened to Gifty walk through her days. The burden that she carried on her shoulder was heavy and at times, I wondered how she was going to make it through her day. I felt as if she was just waiting for something miraculous to happen, for something to rip the baggage from her shoulders and set her free!

Every day, Gifty works with her mice, trying to understand their behavior. This is her constant, the thing that keeps her moving. Nana, her talented, gifted brother, is partly responsible for Gifty’s desire to become a neuroscientist. Their mother is the other reason Gifty is going to school. It all started when her star-athlete brother got injured while at practice. The pain killers that he took, eventually led to his death. Now, with her favorite child gone, their mother slips into depression and Gifty is left trying to pick up the pieces.

It was a difficult move and the family struggles as they tried to adjust to life in Alabama. Mother wanted the Chin Chin Man to come and when he finally did, I don’t think he really wanted to live in Alabama. I think he struggled to fit in and when he returned to Ghana to visit, I knew he wasn’t planning on returning to the States. Mother’s grief had consumed her after Nana’s death and it was now consuming Gifty as well. Gifty didn’t know what to do, so she went to work, watching her mice. I liked the honesty that Gifty showed, her frustration felt real. A great emotional read. 5 stars

Mirrorland by Carole Johnstone

This book really wasn’t a thriller to me. I would classify it as a dramatic mystery. I picked it up based on the thriller genre and that the fantastic cover and although, the genre didn’t fit for me, I really enjoyed the book. I listened it on audio and it kept me engaged and I couldn’t wait to get back to it when I had to shut it off. The relationships, a few unknowns, and a few twists, had me talking to myself, as I went about my day.

The story centers around identical twins, El and Cat, who grew up in an older house in Scotland with their mother and their grandfather. It is now 10+ years later and Cat has moved to California and El is now married to Ross, residing in the girl’s childhood home. I thought at first that the idea of them buying this house was sweet but the more that I read, I quickly changed my mind. El has now vanished and they feel that she has died but Cat thinks otherwise. Although, it has been years since the girls have talked, they are twins and Cat returns to Scotland to help find her.

There is a lot of time shifting as you read this book, from when the girls were younger to the current time period, especially in the beginning of this book. I found at times it was confusing at the beginning of the book and I didn’t understand where it would come into play or if it really mattered but in the second half of the book, I was consumed by the book. I really enjoyed the twists and the breakthrough moments that the author spread throughout the book. When they were children, the girls had created a world in the house called Mirrorland. This fantasy world consisted of bizarre and absurd things that children could envision and it is in this world, that El tries to find her sister.

There were times as I read this book that I didn’t know what was the truth and what wasn’t. I liked the idea of Mirrorland and how the girls used it to escape their current life when they were children. Cat was so certain that she knew her sister even though, they hadn’t spoken to each other in years. Coming back to Scotland was hard for Cat. She had left her childhood behind and now, she has to face it again and also see what El’s life has been like. Although it was confusing at times for me, I thought it was a great book.