In My Shop: Weddings

Wedding Season is upon us and while I know the world is different, it's important to spread the love and the kindness as much as we can.

Wedding Cards:

I have several to choose from. Here's one.

Bride Charmed Bracelet:

Of course there are other items in the shop that are not wedding specific, but who doesn't love a relaxing bath after a stressful time

Relaxing Bath Salts:

Picture Book Review: You Are Home

I was supposed to be hiking the Grand Canyon again - rim to rim.

Instead, I'm home reading about it...

Not that this book isn't amazing. It's an ode to National Parks. I've been to several and have several more on my bucket list.

If I can't be there, the next best thing is reading about it.

This book has awesome illustrations and is perfect for anyone who loved the outdoors and hiking.

How many National Parks have you been to?

On Your Radar: Girl in the White Van (43)

Title: Girl in the White Van

Author: April Henry

Publisher: Henry Holt Books for Young Readers

Release Date: July 28, 2020

Why It Should Be On Your Radar:

* Creepy

*Thriller

* Family Drama

* Investigation

* Kung Fu Class

* Determination

* Survival 

* Kidnapped

*Teammwork

* Friendship

I couldn't put this book down, but I also didn't want to read it after dark.

** The publisher pushed the dates back on this one. July 28th is the date from Goodreads.

*** ARC sent for review

Library Recommendation: Grab this YA book for your thriller collection. And if you don't have the authors previous books, get them too!

Picture Book Wednesday: Song Picture Books

Playful picture books created from popular song lyrics. These picture books will find a new generation of fans. 

Don't Stop is the story waking up from hibernation. It celebrations friendship, Spring, and new beginnings.

African is the reminder that all Black people are one community, no matter where you live.

Good Vibrations is the story about a girl and her dog headed to the beach. They spread their joy along the journey.

We're Not Gonna Take It is the story of three toddlers who do not want to do anything their parents ask. 

Five more books in the series are planned. Two books, Respect and Move the Crowd will be out in October and (Sittin' on) The Dock of the Bay, Humble and Kind, and These Boots Are Made For Walking will be out in March of 2021.

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Top Ten Tuesday: My Favorite Sports Movies

This week's topic is one that I don't track, so I'm changing it up.

I've been reading several sports books featuring female main characters and I love them.  Last week I talked about why I love them. This week I thought I'd share a few favorite sports movies/TV shows featuring females.

In no particular order:

She's the Man

Cutting Edge

Bring it On

Bend it like Beckham

League of their Own

Center Stage

Dirty Dancing

Another Cinderella Story

Pitch

Make It or Break It

What other girls sports movies are there that I should watch?

Graphic Novel Review: Dragon Hoops

Dragon Hoops follows one California team as they chance the state championship title. They've been chasing the title for years and have gotten to the title game several times...but have come up short each time.

Gene Yang's never been a jock. He's more of a nerd and that has stayed true from his high school days to his teaching days.  When he attempts to find the subject for his new book, he thinks this might be the perfect story to tell.

My Thoughts: And it is. I'm a basketball fan. I played basketball, I watch basketball, and I love reading about basketball. So I knew that I was going to love this book. I loved how the history of basketball was interwoven with the story. I loved learning about the players on the team. I also love stories about the underdogs. It's the story of dreams, hope, and hard work.

Cover Thoughts: Perfect. I love the little bumps on the cover. Genius.

Source: My Library

Library Recommendation: A must have book for high school libraries and public libraries.

Review: Would Like to Meet

Evie's spent the last seven years working as an assistant. But she's been ready for more. Her boss tasks her with getting their only superstar client to write the pages of his contract. Up until now, he hasn't been writing anything.

He seems to be uninspired by the rom-com genre. Ezra doesn't believe rom-coms could happen in real life. When Evie's boss tells her she will be fired if those pages do not get written and delivered, she makes a deal with the devil.

Evie will spend the next two months creating meet-cutes in order to meet someone whom she could potentially love. And Ezra will write the pages. Evie delivers her side of the bargain, mostly through terrible disastrous stories that sometimes compromise her friendships and her job. But it will be worth in the end, right?

My Thoughts: I really really enjoyed this novel. I loved the rom-com mentions. I loved how Evie acted so many of them out. They added so much humor to the story. I love how in doing so, she began to find her confidence. I enjoyed her meetings with Ben and Anette - they made me smile. I loved that in writing up her "Dates", Evie found her writing voice again. I didn't want this book to end, it was just the book I needed. An impressive debut, can't wait to see what comes next from this author.

Cover Thoughts: Cute
Source: My Library
Library Recommendation: A really fun read for your romance collection - particularly your new adult romance collection.

Review: Don't Check Out This Book

Rita B. Danjerous and her daughter May just moved to the sleepytown of Appleton. Rita is the new school librarian and her daughter is in the 5th grade. They stir up the town.

Mrs. Danjerous gets kids reading with her green dot collection - a collection of books that kids don't need to check out of the library. These books contain answers to questions they might find embarrassing. While the students love them, the school board president is not a fan.

In fact, she tries to stop the collection from circulating. While she has a few tricks up her sleeve, she also has her own secrets. Who will win?

My Thoughts: I loved this book. I adored this author and illustrator's series 43 Old Cemetery Road. I loved the puns, the epistolary novel, tethe green dot collection, the friendships (both Rita B. Danjerous and Gladys Friday and Sarah and May). I loved the friendship between the students and how they rallied around books. Another great book for these sister collaborators.  I would love to see these characters again!

Cover Thoughts: Cute
Source: My Library
Library Recommendation: A great book for your school and public libraries - highly recommended!

Also this book is perfect for Banned Book Week and talking about censorship.

On Your Radar: The Switch (42)

Title: The Switch

Author: Beth O'Leary

Publisher: Flatiron Books

Release Date: August 28, 2020

Why It Should Be On Your Radar:

* Sophomore novel

* Switch Apartments/Houses

* Grandmother

*Grief

* Bad Husbands/Boyfriends

* Small town life / London

* Fish out of water

* Humor

* Banter

* A Cute Dog

* Feisty Strong Women

* Friendships

* An ARC was sent for review

And I have to say that I'm much more of a fan of this cover:

Picture Book Wednesday: Runaway Tardis

After a terrible day at her new school, a girl packs a sandwich and runs away. In the woods, she discovers this phone booth where she meets the Doctor, travels to new worlds, and meets a friend. 

A fun book that's perfect for fans of Doctor Who. This sweet story will capture hearts and introduce readers to a different world. Plus the artwork is also great.

* An  F and G was sent for review

Library Recommendations: Grab this book for your library collection. Fans of all ages will enjoy it!

Top Ten Tuesday: Sports Books

This week's topic is why I love girls sports books!

I've been reading a lot of great girl sports books lately, but we need more of them!

Here's why I love them:

The talent - the girls aren't afraid of their talent. They know they are good and they are unapologetic about it.

Which means the main character is usually feminist

And they sometimes want to prove themselves (especially if they are playing on a boy's team)

And they have the heart and the desire to kick butt (Both on the sports field and off the field).

The team - usually a group of girls on the team are friends

The comradery during the sporting times (bus rides, practice...)

Obviously for the sports parts. As a sporty girl myself, I love reading about the games/practices. And it almost doesn't even matter which sport.

Romance - there's usually a side romance story

Have you read any great sports books lately that you think I would like?

Graphic Novel Review: Go with the Flow

Three best friends take the new girl under her wing when she has a period mishap. When they discover there aren't any period supplies in the bathroom, they become irritated. Then they demand change.

My Thoughts: I loved this graphic novel for so many reasons. I loved that the author didn't shy away from period issues, she talked openly about the different kids of periods, the cramps, the terrible feeling, and how no one wants to know anything about periods. It's a great feminist graphic novel about bodies, friendship, and all that drama that comes with being in high school. I loved blogs, letters, protests as the girls tried to take on the high school administration. And the art work was amazing too.

Cover Thoughts: Perfect

Source: My Library

Library Recommendation: A must have for schools and public libraries. 

Romance Review: Undercover Bromance

* Book 2 in the Bromance Book Club * 

One night at work goes terribly wrong for Liv when a very expensive cupcake is ordered and is dropped. The customer is her brother-in-law's friend. Her boss is not pleased. He's even less pleased when she discovers he's been sexually assaulting other women who work there.

Of course she's fired. She's on a mission to take him down and expose him for the creep that he is. But in order to that, she's going to need some help. Luckily for her, she knows just where to turn Braden might be a jerk, but he's partly responsible for her bad night.

She doesn't need much to convince him. He's more than happy to help - and also happy to spend a little more time with her.

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this revenge book - taking down the bad guy was satisfying. No woman should ever have to deal with that kind of behavior. I loved the Bromance Club descending on the bookstore. I love their book talks. I love how they are there for each other. I loved the moments on the farm  - the people and the animals (that rooster). I loved seeing favorite characters from the previous books. I loved the banter between Liv and Braden. They had great chemistry. 

Cover Thoughts: Love it
Source: My library
Trigger Warnings: Sexual Assault and Sexual Abuse
Library Recommendation: Get this series for your adult romance collection!

Blog Tour: Our Friend Hedgehog

I am excited to be a part of the OUR FRIEND HEDGEHOG by Lauren Castillo Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. I couldn't wait to read this book and it didn't disappoint! 

Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

About the Book:

Title: OUR FRIEND HEDGEHOG: The Story of Us

Author: Lauren Castillo

Pub. Date: May 5, 2020

Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers

Formats: Hardcover, eBook

Pages: 122

Find it: 
Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, 
B and N, ibooks, Kobo, TBD, Bookshop.org

From a Caldecott Honor-winning artist comes a cozy classic-in-the-making about finding your friends and sticking together through thick and thin.

"Our Friend Hedgehog feels like a modern-day Winnie the Pooh . It's so warm and full of joy and love. It's got classic written all over it." --Victoria Jamieson, Newbery Honor-winning author of Roller Girl

Sometimes you make a friend,

and it feels like you have known that friend your entire life. . . .

Hedgehog lives on a teeny-tiny island with only her stuffed dog, Mutty, for company. When a great storm carries Mutty away, she embarks on a quest to find her friend. Following the trail of clues Mutty left behind, brave Hedgehog meets a wiggly Mole, a wordy Owl, a curmudgeonly Beaver, a scatterbrained Hen and Chicks, and a girl who's new to the neighborhood, Annika May. With bravery and teamwork, there's nothing that can stop these seven from finding Mutty, but along the way they discover something even more important: each other.

The first book in a new series from Caldecott Honor winner Lauren Castillo, Our Friend Hedgehog: The Story of Us has the feel of a timeless classic, introducing an unforgettable cast of characters who will star in many more adventures to come.

My Thoughts:

I was super excited to read this book because I've been a big fan of Lauren Castillo. I knew from the art work and the snippets I had seen online that I was going to love this book. And I wasn't wrong. This is story about friendship, bravery, love, and new beginnings. This is sure to be a modern classic that readers will love to share again and again. I can't wait to read more about these friends!

About Lauren:

Lauren studied illustration at the Maryland Institute College of Art and received her MFA from the School of Visual Arts in New York City. She is the author and illustrator of the 2015 Caldecott Honor winning book, Nana in the City, as well as The Troublemaker and Melvin and the Boy. Lauren has also illustrated several critically acclaimed picture books, including Kirkus Prize finalist Imagine by Juan Felipe Herrera, Twenty Yawns by Jane Smiley, and Yard Sale by Eve Bunting. She currently draws and dreams in Harrisburg, PA.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram |Goodreads

Giveaway Details:

3 winners will win a finished copy of OUR FRIEND HEDGEHOG, US Only.

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Follow the tour: 

Week Four: 5/18/2020 Adventures in Literature Review 5/19/2020 ❧Defining Ways❧ Review 5/20/2020 Two Chicks on Books Interview 5/21/2020 Lifestyle of Me Review 5/22/2020 Cindy's Love of Books Review