This was one great collection of stories! I listened to them in my car as I drove around and there were many, that after I got done listening to them, had earned the title of the “best story in the whole book” award. I would like to revisit this title in the near future.
I had heard a few of these titles before yet to listen to hours of King’s work was a treat. I liked how King narrated the novel, telling me a bit about each book before that book was read by another individual. This gave a personal touch to the novel and I felt we had made a connection. His stories still amaze me, they each just reach that boundary which we normally don’t cross. We don’t venture too far into this area but just enough to make the experience worthwhile.
It was a long book, the CD’s just kept coming out of the case but it was well worth it. I’ll definitely revisit King Bad Dreams in the future.
If only! Dang, as I drove the streets the Gabe, I kept thinking, if only…… It seemed that Gabe’s mind was finally concentrated on what should have been important many years ago but now, it seemed it was too late. If only he had done this or that, he might not be behind the wheel of the only thing that he feels he has left in this world, searching for an answer.
Alice grips the bag firmly as though it holds her life possessions. Never far from her side, Alice feels a deep connection to its contents. Fran is there for her, again. It’s Fran who helps Alice in her time of need yet I begin to question their story as something doesn’t feel right as the novel picks up speed.
It’s a job and it gives her money. Each shift that Katie works, is different. With the individuals who become frequent guests and those that are just passing through, they all make each day unique at the restaurant. Katie’s had her own share of problems over the year yet this frequent customer intrigues her. I wondered if Katie saw a part of herself in this man and that was why she became concerned with him. As he visits the establishment, Katie begins to wonders about this man and what has caused him to carry such a burden on his shoulder? Day-in and day-out, Katie notices how heartbroken this man is yet, she doesn’t reach out to him.
Leading their own lives, these individuals will merge eventually in this book. I liked how the three parts were laced together and how smoothly the book flowed. I kept thinking that I enjoyed one story over another one but I kept changing my mind on which story I enjoyed more. Each story was different and carried with it, different emotions.
I had a hard time putting this book down in different parts. You know it’s bad when you fall asleep and the iPad hits you in the face (I only wanted to finish the one section I was reading). There were a few parts that I raced to get through as events were building up.
These are the stories that get my adrenaline going. They put a smile on my face when I’m finished as I think about everything that transpired during the book and the ride that I took. It was a fun adventure and one that will stick in my mind for quite a while.
I received an ARC of this book from Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, thank you!
Easy, fast, and great ideas! I liked the ideas behind this cookbook. All of these recipes are made with six ingredients or less. This is a cookbook that should be looked at to get some new ideas and/or one to rethink the foods that you have made in the past or forgot about.
First off, the illustrations in the cookbook are impressive. They just jump right off the page at you as they are bold and take center stage on each recipe as they get the full attention, as you get a close-up view of the dish being showcased.
There are 3 categories, to help you get started, in this cookbook: main dishes, side dishes, and desserts and a helpful index in the back. If you can’t find something in this 206-page cookbook, that’s tempting your taste buds, you must have overlooked some pages.
As I have mentioned before, these are easy recipes and I found a few new ones that I’d like to try and a few that I had forgotten about and/or the Six Sisters Stuff had revamped for me. This cookbook definitely caught my attention (the illustrations helped!) but after reading over the ingredients for some of the recipes, there are some recipes that I would have adjust or skip as they’re not for me.
I would definitely fix the Brown-Sugar Glazed Pork Chops, Enchilada Quinoa, Chicken-Parmesan Pasta Casserole, and Turkey Taco Meatballs. There were so many other recipes that the illustrations looked so good, like the Easy Crab Cakes, Green Beans with Candied Pecans, Italian Roasted Vegetable Medley, and Golden Grahams S’Mores Bars, but I would have to adjust a few things before I could eat them.
Some of the recipes are marked Kid-Approved which means they were approved by the Sisters own children. Also, the ingredients that the Sisters used in the recipes are “normal” ingredients. Like, chicken, canned condensed soup, brown sugar, or cucumbers. They sometimes ask for fresh mint or fresh thyme or an optional item in the recipe but if you are like me, I sometimes substitute what I have in the jar and move on.
It’s a great cookbook if you are looking for something easy or quick. If you’re looking for variety, step-by-step direction, simplicity and ease, this might be your answer.
I liked the idea about this cookbook and in the introduction, it is explained in detailed how this cookbook came about. It’s a song inspired potluck. A song is selected and individuals are invited to prepare/cook something as the tune played. The dish didn’t have to reflect what they were listening to, it was just a reflection of the person preparing the dish. This sounded like an entertaining way to prepare some food, get friends together and get to know one another.
I was entertained with the music choices for some of the individuals chosen for the book. Martha Stewart’s Grape Focaccia’s was paired with Snoop Dog’s “Life of Da Party” and a cocktail prepared by Dave Arnold called Red Skies at Night featuring white run, wildberry honey, red chile flakes and vegetable glycerin that was paired with “Sounds of Silence” by the Beastie Boys. This cocktail looked good until I read the ingredients, as it reminded me of a drink I used to drink, the Slow Comfortable Screw. I guess I got tired of the orange juice.
It’s a very organized cookbook: with the recipes broken down into categories and there is even a list of guests that are included in the book. There’s an index and some tips on how to create your own playlist. Every recipe in the book has an illustration and I enjoyed reading the little paragraphs that accompanied each recipe about how the song was chosen. It was an interesting and fun cookbook and I enjoyed reading the Afterward and Introduction. Unfortunately, the recipes were nothing that I would fix. Spinach Pie, Tuna Pasta a la Popowendy, Thit Kho Tau, Bourbon Raspberry Tea- those are just a few random pages of the book. I did enjoy the book; the idea was fantastic but the recipes were not of my liking.
It was cover love that brought me to this book. After reading the synopsis, I knew that I had to read it. I was amazed how short this book was, yet the story had everything that I was looking for. Yetu needed to find her own life for the honor that was bestowed upon her was difficult.
She was the chosen one. Yetu was chosen to be the historian of her people. You would think, that being selected out of everyone else would be a blessing, yet to Yetu, this wasn’t. To be elected as the historian, Yetu wore this title like a weight. It dragged her down, deeper than she could handle.
As the historian, Yetu collected all the memories of the Wajinru people. Yetu’s job was to hold onto these memories so that they wouldn’t be forgotten throughout the years.
As I read about this, I thought about letting go of my own memories. Imagine, letting go of your memories, can you function? I think my day would be carefree and cold as I feel that my memories play a huge role in who I am and how I function and react each day. I wonder who I would be without my memories.
Now, think about Yetu. She carries all the memories of her people. The good, the bad, the beautiful and the ugly. What a gift and what a burden to know so much information. Yetu knows that being a historian is too much for her but what can she do, she was chosen and she has all the memories?
Yetu is late. The time for the Remembrance has passed and the Wajinru people are restless. Yetu must perform the Remembrance for them and give them the reassurance they need but more importantly, this event will give her some peace. I was hoping that Yetu would talk to the Wajinru and explain her situation, she was in a position of power, they would listen, wouldn’t they?
I really enjoyed this novel. I became a part of Yetu’s journey as she learns more about herself and the Wajinru. I enjoyed the flow of the book and the historical aspects used within it. I am hoping there will be more of this story.
I received an advanced copy of this book from Saga Press in exchange for an honest review.
This graphic novel addresses the issues an earthquake has on young children. Torn from their homes, these children have to deal with the issues of the unknown as their community tries to rebuild.
I liked how the novel immediately begins with some powerful action. Mother Nature begins unleashing her power upon the community, leaving its citizens left to fend for themselves. We follow Matteo, Giulia, and Federico as they learn to live with the aftermath of the destruction.
The devastation from the quake is massive. The citizens are warned not to enter the “Red Zone” but to some that zone is their life and contains everything they have. How can you tell someone to stay away from the only possessions they have?
A make-shift school is immediately constructed while the community tries to rebuild. Why is it taking so long to move forward? What are they supposed to do in the meantime? Each family tries to rebuild their lives and get some structure into their lives, to the best of their ability, but it’s hard when all your possessions are in the “Red Zone.”
I really liked the idea of this graphic novel and I thought, the illustrations were fantastic. We are experiencing more weather-related catastrophes lately and having children understand them is important. The illustrations were bright, colorful and had a great flow. I liked everything about this novel but I thought it was missing a few things. I really had no connections to the characters as I had no background on them. I wished I had known something about them and/or their relationships with other individuals in the novel, so I knew exactly the emotional toll this disaster played on their lives. I know that any tragedy is hard but I felt that my character and emotional connection was not fully engaged while reading this novel. I think this is a good novel to share with children, it’s a good starting point.
I liked it but it didn’t wow me, like I thought and hoped it would. I liked how the three snacks played together but wasn’t it smart Cookie who found the note? I thought it was interesting how Cheese Doodle came up with the interesting ideas and Pretzel was the scared one. Cookie was still the smart one who kept telling Cheese Doodle how his ideas wouldn’t work and then, what happens at the end? Oh, Smart Cookie….I’m sorry
I thought it was a cute story but maybe I’m reading more into the story than I need to be. The pictures were fun and I do hope there is another book that follows this one, as I need to know what happens next.
There were times that I found myself absorbed into the lives
of these two sisters, that I took a break from my own life, sat down and became
a part of theirs. This book covered a
lot time and the issues were staggering.
They led an exciting and eventful trail as they made their way through
life.
I listened to this book on audio and as I tried to go about
my day, I found myself stopping to listen to it. It was no longer, just something to listen
to, but something I had to hear.
The novel began when these sisters were young, their future had
endless possibilities. Unfortunately, their
mother thought differently, and boy, did she irritate me. Each sister tells us their story and about
how each day brought new challenges and adventures into their lives.
I liked how each sister’s life was different. Between the two of them, they addressed
almost every important issue that women face. I thought that this made their lives
interesting. I enjoyed how the girls
cared for one another even though they were so different from one another. This book is rather long and I feel that it
could’ve been shorter and still effectively deliver the same message. 3.5 stars
This book was different. I guess I expected more than what I got from this book.
I liked the color contrast between the inside of the spaceship and space. The inside of the spaceship is a light gray and space is bright and colorful. The idea behind the story is great. I liked the ideas of being out in space, the idea of aliens or unknown beings in space, making friends with other beings, and taking pictures in space.
I wasn’t a fan of the drawings of space nor of the colors of the planets. They looked too cartoonish or like bouncy balls. I thought the depth of the story could have been deeper, or the author could have elaborated on a few of the items that he touched on. I also wasn’t a fan of all the wordless pages in the middle, as I thought there were a lot of them.
This was a children’s book about Randolph taking a spacewalk. Clearing the walk with Ground Control, Randolph must do a few things before taking his walk out in space. When Randolph finally makes his way outside the spaceship, what does he see? This spacewalk is one that Randolph will remember. When he makes his way back into the spaceship, Randolph asks Ground Control if he can take another walk tomorrow.
I listened to this book and what surprised me the most was that I didn’t think this book was a creepy or mysterious as I thought it would be. I was hoping for a good suspenseful story to listen to but I didn’t find that. I really enjoyed the story but I didn’t find it suspenseful, it was more action-packed with a few moments of mystery thrown in.
I thought that there were some really weird things about the house and the family to start with. We didn’t even need to add Rowan to the mix. What’s up with all those cameras and the audio in all those rooms? Can you not have any privacy? What are they afraid of? Then, the technology that supposed to make living in the house easier but seems like it’s overkill. I thought the family seemed a bit off. Did anyone find it strange that the parents left the kids, with their new nanny, on an extended amount of time, immediately after they hired her? I was glad that I had the e-version of this book as there were some things that just didn’t seem to be adding up and I thought I had missed something but as I read through the book, nope ……it was just strange.
I liked the character of Rowan as I thought her true personality came through when she needed it. I liked her determination yet she also had moments of uncertainty. I loved how the author wrote this novel. Important, unknown pieces of the story are fed to us readers throughout the novel as we follow Rowan along in her new nanny position.
I wanted more thrills and chills but in-all, it was a good read. I thought the last half of the book was really good. I’ll be looking out for Ruth’s book. 3.5 stars
One Chapter 