The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen

by Carol5 Comments
The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen I don't read many Young Adult novels in general and those that I do read are fantasy more often than not. I am so glad I read this one, though. It is very "teenagey," but I adored Macy, the main character and loved seeing how she grew throughout the book. The story takes place during the summer Macy is seventeen. She is still coping with her father's death, keeping her grief under wraps by trying to be perfect, earn good grades, participate in the "right" activities. She even has the "perfect" boyfriend who is smart, unemotional, focussed on his goals. Macy thinks her summer is planned out for her. While her boyfriend is away at camp, she'll take over his job at the library, she'll help her mom with the opening of the townhouse section of her development, and of course there's always studying for the SATs. Both Macy and her mom are so concerned that...
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I Has a Hotdog by Professor Happycat and ihasahotdog.com

by Carol7 Comments
I Has a Hotdog by Professor Happycat and ihasahotdog.com This is not my usual type of book. To be honest, I'm not a big fan in general of those cute animal pictures with funny captions. That's just not the kind of thing I find funny usually. But I had to review this one, because, you see, my daughter (10) found it hilarious. The day it came in the mail, she told me grandma has the cat one, which must be I Can Has Cheezburger?, then she sat down, looked at every picture, laughing and giggling and showing me one everyone few minutes. And then David got home, and he had to look through it and laugh too. It really is a cute little book. Fun, light-hearted. Probably not something I personally would spend my money on, I can imagine a lot of people really enjoying it. The pictures included here are from the I Has a Hotdog website. Do you know what your dog's...
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A teaser from my Earth Day read

by Carol6 Comments
The revelation of God through creation is so powerful and so obvious, Paul says that no one is excused for refusing to believe our Creator exists. The world is God's apologetic about himself. (pg. 73, Green Like God by Jonathan Merritt) I haven't started reading this one yet, but it does seem like it may fit in well with Earth Day Thursday. Teaser Tuesdays is hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Play along. The rules are easy. Grab your current read, open to a random page, and give us two teaser sentences. Remember, no spoilers. My copy was sent by the publisher for review and the above is my honest opinion. I am an Amazon associate....
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Another Week in the Books

by Carol7 Comments
You know, I don't think I finished a single book this past week. I take that back, I read a couple of books with Amber (10) that were short enough to read in one sitting, including Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears by Verna Aardema, which we've read several times a year since she was like 5. I posted a couple of reviews last week. My favorite though was The Chatham School Affair by Thomas H. Cook. It's probably not for everyone, but I loved it, even if it had me bawling at the end. My giveaways for Montana Legacy by R. C. Ryan and Flirting with Forever by Gwyn Cready are both still open, by the way. Besides watching the hockey play-offs, we had a nice week. It was gorgeous, so we got some yardwork done and some flowers planted. As soon as David gets the garden rototilled, we'll be planting some Romaine lettuce, peas and onions. Saturday, David, Amber and I...
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“Instructions” by Neil Gaiman

by Carol4 Comments
I read a Neil Gaiman poem recently in A Wolf at the Door. The title was "Instructions" which describes the poem perfectly. It's instructions on what to do if you find yourself in a fairy tale. It's cute but true to the fairy tale standards. Help those who ask for it, don't steal from an old woman's house. It's about trust and hope and seeking. Remember: that giants sleep too soundly; that witches are often betrayed by their appetites; dragons have one soft spot, somewhere, always; hearts can be well-hidden, and you betray them with your tongue. At the end, if you follow the instructions, you will return home, safe and sound, although changed by your journey. Of course, we all know that even if you follow the rules, a journey through fairy tale land is dangerous, indeed. You can read the whole poem at The Endicott Studio. It's also on Gaiman's Speaking in Tongues CD and according to the Neil Gaiman Online Store, if  "despite following...
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