Review: The Naturally Clean Home: 100 Safe and Easy Herbal Formulas for Non-Toxic Cleansers

The Naturally Clean Home: 100 Safe and Easy Herbal Formulas for Non-Toxic Cleansers by Karyn Siegel-Maier

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I'm already on board with natural cleaners and make many products, which means I've read several books and spent a lot of time researching online. This book, however, would make a great reference to have on hand. It's small enough to fit in the cabinet with your supplies and has ideas on everything from fabric softener to ways to clean copper or keep deer out of your flowerbeds. I've been wanting to expand my understanding of the correct uses of essential oils and this book helped me organize my ideas so that I know when to use eucalyptus or citrus oils or mints. Very well organized and easy to read.



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Review: Ashes (Ashes Trilogy #1)

Ashes (Ashes Trilogy #1) by Ilsa J. Bick

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



A new trilogy to love! I'm new to the whole zombie theme and I'm surprised by how much I like them. And these zombies aren't even the reanimated dead - more like humans that have changed.

One of my favorite things about this book is that the author didn't feel that anything was off-limits. So often, you have a heroine or hero and their love interest that survive everything, regardless of how implausible. In this book, bad things happen to good people. And people that appear good may actually be bad, bad people end up as good. fabulous ending left me wishing that Shadows (thanks, Wikipedia!) was available and ready to read!



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Review: The Nature of Jade

The Nature of Jade by Deb Caletti

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



This was clearly a teen book, yet different from so many. The main character, Jade, is 18 and a senior. She is an excellent student, volunteers at a zoo...and has panic attacks and fears. I liked the elephants, the boyfriend's family, the insight into friends getting ready to separate, and her relationship with her family.

The writing is beautiful and descriptive and the words paint an image in your mind as you read. I'm a Sarah Dessen fan and feel that this book is a strong competitor for hers.

In the book, I wish things were better for Oliver, though. Poor kid never got a break. I would like a second book that explores Sebastian's life and learn what happens to everyone in the next year. Her parents' lives are changing, Oliver's world is turning upside down, Jade is starting a new life - there's so much left to say.




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Review: Enclave

Enclave by Ann Aguirre

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



There's a book out there about the Mole People that live underground in New York's subway tunnels and sewers. Enclave gave me a taste of what life would be like if it were even remotely true. In fact, the Burrowers seemed like the elusive Moles.

Darkness, cramped spaces, abandoned stations and trains, fighting for each meal, living in small communities, life expectancy of 20...Girl15 only knows that existence until she becomes a huntress for her enclave. Raised to fight and kill, she ends up topside and has to deal with a world she never expected to see.

I liked it for its novelty and it's approach to revealing the world as it would appear to someone who has never even seen the sun. It was interesting and the main characters (who I won't name since it would be a bit spoilerish) have different lives and understanding of the world. I liked the ending and will likely read the next book in the series.



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Review: My Big Creative Activity Book

My Big Creative Activity Book by Roger Priddy

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



4 stars is based on my daughter's review. The projects were very kid-friendly and gave her a chance to play with every craft medium in her room - glue, glitter, paper, felt, rocks, markers, paint, etc. We actually covered a schoolbook with a fabric book cover and it was the hit of her classroom. And, I'm happy to report, I finally know how to make those woven hearts you see at Valentine's Day!



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Review: Cake Pops: Tips, Tricks, and Recipes for More Than 40 Irresistible Mini Treats

Cake Pops: Tips, Tricks, and Recipes for More Than 40 Irresistible Mini Treats by Bakerella

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



You know how Bento takes school lunches to a whole new level? Well, this is the Bento of the cupcake world. The ideas are absolutely adorable and I want to make every single one of them. But, like Bento, I look at them and think, "Wow. That is a LOT of time." Will I make them? Some. For events that are really, really important to me. Will I make these for an after school snack? Nope. However, I am happy to say that the level of work necessary is actually less than I expected, which is a relief. I have my candy ready and we'll see how the pops turn out at my daughter's birthday party.



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Review: Make It in Minutes: Felt Accessories

Make It in Minutes: Felt Accessories by Taylor Hagerty

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Truly a book of projects you can make in a minute. Great projects for my 7 year old and I to make together - cards, envelopes, mouse pad, iPod case, etc. If you have felt, embroidery floss and a pair of scissors you can make dozens of fun accessories. Some of these items would be fun crafts for Brownies or slumber parties.



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Review: Soulless

Soulless by Gail Carriger

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I read this book because it was described as steampunk. I like the fashions and accessories and figure a book would be interesting.

I actually liked the book, even more than I had anticipated. The entire social system with the Hive and the Pack mixing with the Queen of England was fascinating. The changed Victorian era with supernaturals and preternaturals was interesting. I do wonder what the octopii were about, though...

For me, the biggest drawback was the romance novel intertwined in what was otherwise a good supernatural story. It was enough of a romance that I didn't reveal what I was reading. A bit of book elitism, I guess.

However, I will read the next book in the series and I'll add more steampunk books to my list.



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Review: Life As We Knew It

Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



My daughter was diagnosed with diabetes five years ago and depends on insulin to live. With that diagnosis, I lost all ability to read any 'end of world' stories as the possibility was simply too overwhelming to consider. This book came up on the GoodReads Recommendations and I debated for awhile and then decided to read it, hoping that as a teen book it would be less intense and perhaps help me get over my fear of the genre.

It was less intense, definitely. The cruel gangs that rape, kill and loot were barely included. Schools continued to exist. People were able to get cash and find food in the beginning. Hospitals stayed open. Less fearsome, however, it was not.

Choosing a teen heroine was an interesting choice. At an age when I would expect a teen to grow up and help deal with the situation, she was selfish and prone to make bad decisions. There were moments, though, when her fears and confusion were clearly age-related and explained her behavior. I gradually realized that this is probably a very realistic response of a teen to such a serious situation. I give the author a lot of credit for finding that balance and doing such a good job of weaving a story around it.

I've already requested the second book in the story and I'm interested in seeing what happens in book 3 when this family comes back to the story again.

Oh, and I've rededicated myself to emergency food storage. I imagine that's a common response to any mom that reads this story and feels for the mother fighting for her children's lives!



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Review: Only Time Will Tell

Only Time Will Tell by Jeffrey Archer

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I was surprised by this book. I've always enjoyed Wilbur Smith's generational stories and this story is a similar, but less detailed, writing style. The book was somewhat difficult to read as the various voices confused the storyline. I can't think of another way to reveal the secrets and logic while maintaining the first person feel of the story but I would have enjoyed it more if a consistent narrator's voice told the tale.

This book could have been much more detailed and I would have loved it. So much had to be skipped to get the entire generation's story told in so few words.

I've already requested book 2 and I'm looking forward to learning more about Harry and Emma!



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Review: The Hunt For Atlantis

The Hunt For Atlantis by Andy McDermott

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Sometimes you just need a book that will drag you along with it's action-packed story until you realize that you're actually enjoying the trip. I think I really needed something more adventurous and the bullets, explosions and bad guys were everywhere in this book. Was it over the top and completely unbelievable? Yes - but it was also a fun read. I liked this more than other books of it's type because it broke a few of the adventure rules - good guys weren't immortal and the bad guys were sometimes hard to find. Definitely a good book if you are in the mood for a huge body count and a unique setting!



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Review: Septimus Heap: The Magykal Papers

Septimus Heap: The Magykal Papers by Angie Sage

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Sometimes a series can lead to fun, entertaining or informational add-on books. Sometimes they can't. The Septimus Heap series is definitely one that could! The book design was awesome and everything was written in the same tone as the books so that if you read the books, you can recognize the characters because they are exactly as you have come to expect them to be. It's not a book that can be read in one sitting, though. Because there isn't a storyline, it's most enjoyed when read a page or two at a time. My only complaint is that this book had to change my mental images of the Heap family. The only one that was drawn as I picture him is Simon! It's funny how we can all read the same story but imagine it so differently. My favorite part focused on the Ramblings. I loved it!



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Review: Land Girls

Land Girls by Angela Huth

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



This book is like Chick Lit meets World War II. Turns out that it's a nice match!

I've never heard of WLA but I found it fascinating - the Rosie Riveter of England. Hard, manual labor and rural living are huge changes for land girls but they attack every task head on and end up blossoming on the farm. Definitely a feel good book. Now I just need to hit google to find out what birth control was like in 1940's England because curiosity is killing me. The mention it briefly and it made me wonder. Apparently it isn't as modern a notion as I assumed!



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Review: Anna and the French Kiss

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I'm a sucker for any book that takes place at a boarding school. Throw in someone that utters words like "trousers" and "brilliant" and I can't help but love it.

This isn't just chick lit, but teen chick lit. While people probably expect these teen stories to be less 'feel good' than adult books, they aren't. It's the innocence and exuberance of youth mixed with lessons learned through love and friendship that make these stories so good.

And did I mention that people are wearing trousers? :)



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Review: Witch Craft: Wicked Accessories, Spellbinding Jewelry, Creepy-Cute Toys, and More!

Witch Craft: Wicked Accessories, Spellbinding Jewelry, Creepy-Cute Toys, and More! by Margaret McGuire

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Excellent book! My 7 year old daughter is into wizards, vampires and other things you would find in a Halloween book. She wants to make almost everything in this book...and I'm tempted to sign us up for a knitting class just because the projects all look like so much fun! We'll be making lots of things from this book! I'm going to look for more from Margaret McGuire - hopefully we can find other themes and extend our crafting fun!



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Review: The Reversal

The Reversal by Michael Connelly

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Disclaimer - this review is for the audio version of this book. For a reason that only Goodreads knows, it is impossible to actually add the audio cd version to my books.

Michael Connelly is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. In the past, I have avoided lawyer-focused books but a friend convinced me to read Lincoln Lawyer. I enjoyed it so much I decided to read more. This is my second Mickey Haller book and it was great! I'll start on a third soon!

In The Reversal, Haller switches sides and works as a prosecutor aside his ex-wife, Maggie McPherson. As much as I liked his approach as a defense attorney, I prefer him as a prosecutor. I don't know that I would want him to change, of course, because the politics of the DA's office would bore me to tears but the role of special prosecutor solved that problem for me.



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Review: Dash & Lily's Book of Dares

Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I'm bookish. Thanks to Dash, I have decided to bring add more quirky and fun words to my conversations and I'm starting with one he used himself. Bookish. That's exactly what I am. And while I don't have an OED, I do treasure my dictionary with it's gilt edged, blue leather cover and hefty weight.

Excellent book. The story was one that I would have loved to have lived. It's a modern day fairy tale, complete with a quest for a missing boot. I loved Lily's extended family and Dash's friends. It was the kind of book that made you smile as you read it.



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Review: Along for the Ride

Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



A girl from a dysfunctional family lives a quiet life on the outside of teen society. A boy you can't help but want to know more about. Girl friends that possess wisdom beyond their years. Classic Sarah Dessen.

What amazes me is that all of her books follow this format yet I enjoy them all! I wish there had been books like this when I was a teen!



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Review: The Radleys

The Radleys by Matt Haig

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I didn't like vampire books. I probably would have if it wasn't for the fact that Twilight was such a horrible book and the nauseating love of 13 year old girls for it made it such a sensation. Realizing this, I had decided to give vampires another chance. I never found the right book, though.

When I saw this on the Goodreads Giveaways list, I was intrigued. It was vampires...but non-practicing and trying-to-be-mere-human vampires. How would that work? What would happen to them? How do you pull it off when you have no reflection? I liked the sound of the book and thought it might pull me out of my anti-vampire rut. I was thrilled to win a copy and hopefully optimistic when I began reading.

Good news - it worked! This family (the Radleys) was a group of misfits trying desperately to belong. Illness, lack of loving connections, a sense of forced propriety and an awareness that something was wrong...the kids were miserable, the father was longing for an old but not forgotten life and the mother was desperate to pretend everything was as it wasn't. And then Clara, in a moment of danger, transforms without intention or understanding and the family is left to make sense of a new life that is also an old life. In the time since the parents became abstainers, vampiric life has changed and the family needs to figure out how to act.

I really liked it. In fact, I stayed up late two nights in a row, unable to put the book down. I think I'm finally over the horridness of Twilight and can welcome the vampire genre into my library!



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Review: The Top 100 Recipes for a Healthy Lunchbox: Easy and Exciting Ideas for Your Child's Lunches

The Top 100 Recipes for a Healthy Lunchbox: Easy and Exciting Ideas for Your Child's Lunches by Nicola Graimes

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



This is my ideal cookbook style! Small, portable, easy to follow and designed so that each page has the same formatting. I loved having servings, prep time, storage and "serve with" recommendations in easy to skim locations on each page.

The recipes themselves are fairly simple. In fact, some are simply a matter of having three ingredients and spreading two on the third. Even the simplest of recipes was useful, though, because it gave me new ideas for boxed lunches. Most were kid-friendly...if you don't count the herrings, sardines and cajun salmon! My favorite was actually one of the most basic - salami, cheddar and pineapple on a stick. Yum!



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