Zest Summer Bloggin' Tour

If you have teens stuck on duct tape - this book is perfect for them. I tabbed several that would be great at my library including:

* Gift Bow

* Carnation Pens

* Basic Sticker

* Cupcake Purse (everyone needs one of these)

* Headbands

* Rings

* Bookmarks (We've done this before at the library, but they weren't rounded - nor did they have tassels)

Plus obviously you can build upon each of these ideas. Don't fancy a cupcake purse, create a basketball one instead using the same ideas. 

There are lots of great projects for going back to school

The Set-Up:

After the list of tools you can use and setting up your workstation, there's a chapter on basic duct tape techniques.

Great pictures to go along with the instructions

Levels of ease

Time length it should take to complete each project

List of materials

Highlighted tips

I confess, I'm not a huge lover of vegetables (those who know me, know that's a understatement - I really don't like them at all).  But I really enjoyed reading this book - it made me think about the foods that I do eat and how I could improve my eating habits.

What I like about this cookbook:

* The Set-up (see below)

* Season dishes: I love the alternatives for dishes depending on fresh food

* I love the idea of fresh food

* Each recipe comes from a teen

*Pictures are great
* My favorite part of cookbooks is always the desert section

The Set-Up

Short Essays in the beginning which range from Vegetarianism to Eating Locally
Chapter on basic recipes - staples for your kitchen
Easy to follow recipes

Follow the Tour:

• Summer Bloggin Blog Tour page: http://zestbooks.net/summer-bloggin-blog-tour/

More About the Books:

• The Green Teen Cookbook book info: http://zestbooks.net/the-green-teen-cookbook/

• Sticky Fingers: DIY Duct Tape Projects book info: http://zestbooks.net/sticky-fingers/

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ABOUT ZEST BOOKS: Zest Books is an award-winning publisher of smart and edgy titles for young and new adults that cover timely topics in creative ways by incorporating solid life advice, practical how-to instruction, and humorous commentary. Distributed by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, you can learn more about Zest Books at http://www.zestbooks.net

Contest: You can win ONE of the books: The prize includes an autographed copy of the book of your choice, and may even include a roll of duct tape or a special green-themed cooking tool, depending on which book you choose for your contest. 

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HISTORICAL HEARTTHROBS Timeless Crushes Blog Tour

History comes alive in Historical Heartthrobs, especially when reading it causes you stop and consider the likes of Eva Peron, Lord Byron and Ernest Hemingway as potential members of your dating pool. Some items for consideration: Nikola Tesla was a brilliant inventor who made Victorians swoon, but he seems incapable of swooning back. Che Guevara had the smoldering good looks, but would he only look out for himself in a relationship? And what about Nelly Bly? Was it legal to look that good in 1884? Historical Heartthrobs includes both men and women from a wide range of countries, ethnicities, and historical epochs. Some are artists, some are scientists, and many are political or military leaders, but all have had a lasting impact on human life—and a sizable impact on their admirers as well. 

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Born and raised among the sprawling cornfields of rural Pennsylvania, Kelly Murphy now writes from her child-sized apartment in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. Her articles have appeared in Brokelyn, Brooklyn Based, Chic Today, NCTE’s The Council Chronicle, and various other publications. A Penn State graduate, Kelly currently works in publishing. Hallie Fryd is the author of Scandalous!: 50 Shocking Events You Should Know About (So You Can Impress Your Friends), which was a Foreword Reviews Book of the Year Winner in 2012. 

My Thoughts on the Book:

I really enjoyed learning about some of these figures from history as I didn't know about all of them previously. I loved the set-up of the book: quick biography, why they mattered, a bit on their sex life, best feature, heat factor, and quotes. I love the drawings and the illustrations - they added humor to the book. A really fun book that made me curious about several of the heartthrobs and a great addition to your book collection.

 My Historical Heartthrob Addition: PRINCESS DIANA

The late Diana, Princess of Wales was born Lady Diana Frances Spencer on 1 July 1961 in Norfolk. Lady Diana Spencer married The Prince of Wales at St Paul's Cathedral in London on 29 July 1981.

During her marriage the Princess undertook a wide range of royal duties. Family was very important to the Princess, who had two sons: Prince William and Prince Henry (Harry). After her divorce from The Prince of Wales, the Princess continued to be regarded as a member of the Royal Family.

Diana, Princess of Wales died on Sunday, 31 August 1997 following a car crash in Paris.
There was widespread public mourning at the death of this popular figure, culminating with her funeral at Westminster Abbey on Saturday, 6 September 1997.

Even after her death, the Princess's work lives on in the form of commemorative charities and projects set up to help those in need. ~ From the Official Website of the British Monarchy.

Check out the rest of the tour 

Enter to Win this prize package:  (US only)

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Blog Tour: Super Pop!

If you're a fan of David Letterman's top ten lists, this book is for you! It's a list of Top 10s of books, movies, music, games, and TV shows. I love that it mixes everything up and seeing old and new favorites pop up on a list - like Hunger Games, Game of Thrones, 13 Reasons Why, Party of Five, Once More with Feeling, and Clueless.

Follow the Tour: http://zestbooks.net/super-pop-super-summer-blog-tour/

  Daniel Harmon is the author of Super Pop! Pop Culture Top Ten Lists to Help You Win at Trivia, Survive in the Wild, and Make It Through the Holidays, a pop culture connoisseur, and editorial director of Zest Books. 

Here's where you can find Zest Books / Super Pop!: 

• Zest Books Facebook profile: http://www.facebook.com/zestbook
• Zest Books Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/BooksWithATwist
• Zest Books website: http://www.zestbooks.net
• Zest Books on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/zestbooks
• Daniel Harmon on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/theotherharmon
• Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/zestbooks
• Super Pop! Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15815620-super-pop
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Review: The Prom Book

The Good: A fun filled book of lots of great ideas ranging from planning your prom night to asking the right boy to scheduling your day to hosting a prom party. Metz talks about going to a salon, but she also gives several suggestions on hair styles, make-up tips, and manicure to create at home. There's a great section on budgeting, how to earn money, and what to spend money on. Workout to get in shape, staying safe on prom night, and how to capture lasting memories round out the book. Lots of great and important information mixed with bright pictures make this a book teens will pick up. A book to make prom a relaxing night and important tips to get away from all the drama.

The Bad: Not a great book for libraries as there is room for writing down their thoughts and bulletin board style for pictures of dresses.

PS: Here's an older post on some fun fiction books about Prom!

PPS: Here's a blog post from my librarian blog on book covers and Prom dresses.

Blog Tour: Dear Teen Me

I'm so happy to be a part of the blog tour for this book.

I loved reading it. It was both hilarious and heartbreaking.  I loved getting inside information about some of my favorite YA authors. It felt like going through an old yearbook. The pictures were fun to look through - the many decades of fashion and hairstyles. I tore through this book, not wanting it to end. I hope that teens are as impressed and enlightened as I was; it's a perfect book to share about that awkward stage in life. High school doesn't last forever!

I liked the different formats - most of the entries were letters, but some of them were cartoons/graphic novel formats or lists. I wished there was more of the Q&A sections, I loved those! I had such fun reading about authors and their teen years that I was inspired to write my own letter.

Dear Teen Me,
I'm going to let you in on a little secret you won't discover for a few years. It's OK to be both girly AND a feminist. It's not bad. It's not wrong. Plus you'll have way more fun. Also lighten up a little, you're way too serious. You don't have to speak your mind about everything. Everyone isn't always interesting in what you have to say. It's fine if you have your own moral compass, but you don't have to share it with the world or even your three best friends at the moment. Also you might consider sharing your secrets with them. If you don't change your ways, you're going to be friendless senior year and it's going to be miserable.  Date some of those boys who ask you out, it might be fun. Even if you don't fall for them, it would be nice to say yes once in a while. Also, all the fights you have your parents - most of the time they're right.  It will take you YEARS to realize this. I'm not going to tell you anymore secrets from the future because your mistakes/regrets will shape who you are and you're pretty happy now. I don't want to mess with that. But I will say, keep your head in the books. Books will define your life in ways you never thought possible.
Love,
Your Future Self

PS. This is still one of your favorite pictures of your teen years - the one of you and your sister in front of the tree the day you turned sixteen. God, you loved that black dress. It made you feel older.

For more authors and letters, check out DEAR TEEN ME and be sure to check out the other blog tour stops.