tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15427430547672148082024-03-05T03:17:39.802-08:00Kristi ReadsK.D.Azizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01759009480733530108noreply@blogger.comBlogger431125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542743054767214808.post-57218027639792765462018-03-14T05:59:00.002-07:002018-03-14T05:59:53.046-07:00BFB review: start where you areThis is such a beautiful journal. The cover is brilliant, the motivating inserts are adorable. This would make the perfect Christmas present for the journal nerd in your life! Even if you're like me and have a..erm...SLIGHT notebook and journal addiction, this will make a wonderful addition to your collectionK.D.Azizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01759009480733530108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542743054767214808.post-51558623801109077272017-08-30T19:13:00.000-07:002017-08-30T19:13:38.676-07:00BFB Review: Rewordable<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41aaS1W54PL._SY265_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: #b4a7d6; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="267" data-original-width="498" height="214" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41aaS1W54PL._SY265_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: #b4a7d6;"><b style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start;">· </b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start;">Carefully crafted to make it easy to form longer, more common words</span><br style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start;" /><b style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start;">· </b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start;">Intuitive and fun for 2-8 players of all skill levels (ages 8 and up)</span><br style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start;" /><b style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start;">· </b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start;">Includes 120 cards, 16 tokens, and nifty fold-out rules and poster</span><br style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start;" /><b style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start;">· </b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start;">Variable deck with a fresh linguistic experience every game</span><br style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start;" /><br style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start;" /><br style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start;" /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start;">Every letter counts in a game of </span><i style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start;">Rewordable</i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start;">. Each of the 120 cards has been selected for optimal word crafting. Build a new word and be rewarded. Or add to other players’ words to steal their points. Create the largest lexicon of words by the end of the game to become the </span><i style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start;">Rewordable </i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start;">champion.</span><br style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start;" /><br style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start;" /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start;"> Includes:</span><br style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start;" /><b style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start;">· </b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start;">120 cards with one-, two-, and three-letter sequences, selected through linguistic research, computational analysis, and extensive playtesting</span><br style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start;" /><b style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start;">· </b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start;">16 tokens add different goals, strategies, and rewards to every game</span><br style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start;" /><b style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start;">· </b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start;">Nifty fold-out rules with easy to follow how-to-play diagrams</span> </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #b4a7d6; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start;">The Kickstarter-funded, uniquely fragmented word game</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #b4a7d6;">My Review:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #b4a7d6;">Let me tell you. I love this game as:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #b4a7d6;">-A linguist</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #b4a7d6;">-A writer</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #b4a7d6;">-A reader</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #b4a7d6;">-A mother</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #b4a7d6;">-A sister to two nerds who are better with numbers than words, so I can finally win something TAKE THAT I DON'T NEED MONOPOLY</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #b4a7d6;">But really, this is an excellent game that is not only fun for people who love words and language, but maybe for the kid who is having trouble with spelling. The whole way this game works is that it is easier to make words with the different colored cards, and it can help a kid change their way of thinking. Reading problems? you can split words into cards and <i>get it.</i> Spelling issues? A few rounds of this, honey, that won't be a problem for too long. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #b4a7d6;">9/10 not an actual book but I am glad to have it in my life.</span></div>
K.D.Azizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01759009480733530108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542743054767214808.post-29922913603798922492017-08-30T15:58:00.002-07:002017-08-30T15:58:58.909-07:00Call for donationsAs you guys know, reviewing books is a non-profit endeavor. Currently I'm having to work many hours to make ends meet. If you like my reviews, I'd like to ask if you can donate anything, even a dollar will help go to everyday expenses so I can post more often from not working so much, as well as an appreciation giveaway if I can raise at least 100.00.<br />
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K.D.Azizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01759009480733530108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542743054767214808.post-83439767292073997012017-08-17T11:43:00.000-07:002017-08-17T11:43:31.087-07:00BFB Review: Sinners in the hands of a Loving God<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1498875804l/33163181.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="259" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1498875804l/33163181.jpg" width="207" /></span></a></div>
<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;"><b style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Does God's Wrath Define Christianity? Or Does God's Love?</b><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"> </span><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">In his famous sermon -Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, - Puritan revivalist Jonathan Edwards shaped predominating American theology with a vision of God as angry, violent, and retributive. Three centuries later, Brian Zahnd was both mesmerized and terrified by Edwards's wrathful God. Haunted by fear that crippled his relationship with God, Zahnd spent years praying for a divine experience of hell. </span><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">What Zahnd experienced instead was the Father's love--revealed perfectly through Jesus Christ--for all prodigal sons and daughters. </span><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">In </span><i style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Sinners in the Hands of a Loving God</i><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">, Zahnd asks important questions like</span><i style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"> </i><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Is seeing God primarily as wrathful towards sinners true or biblical? Is fearing God a normal, expected behavior? And where might the natural implications of this theological framework lead us? </span><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Thoughtfully wrestling with subjects like Old Testament genocide, the crucifixion of Jesus, eternal punishment in hell, and the final judgment in Revelation, Zanhd maintains that the summit of divine revelation for sinners is not </span><i style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">God is wrath</i><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">, but </span><i style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">God is love</i><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">My Review:</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">We all know the Angry God trope: Humans were literal pieces of trash, and God sent a flood so he could start the whole game over.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: #d9d2e9; font-size: 14px;">In elementary school (before we learned not to discuss religion or politics) we would have a lot of discussions about this. The Korean Christians and the Catholic Christians stood by the idea that "just because God promised never to flood again, doesn't mean he won't burn the planet to the ground if we get out of hand." The Christians Not Otherwise specified tended to debate "Okay, but we got out of hand again and instead of burning the planet God sent Jesus."</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: #d9d2e9; font-size: 14px;">Zahnd goes through this book describing his transition from team #BurnThePlanet to team #InfiniteSecondChances (Or, you know, his thesis statement) and the bulk of this book is why he changed teams. The references and well written arguments all lead to his conclusion that Jesus is Life itself embodied by love. (Or if you want to romanticize it, the <i>Lamb of Revelation</i>)</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: #d9d2e9; font-size: 14px;">Overall, a well thought out book on God's love and why the Fire and Brimstone trope doesn't necessarily work anymore. Points off for the cover, though. Just doesn't do it for me.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Notice of material connection: I received this book from Waterbrook Multnomah through the Blogging for Books program in exchange for my honest review</span>K.D.Azizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01759009480733530108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542743054767214808.post-39005227868623794202017-07-19T16:50:00.000-07:002017-07-19T16:50:18.638-07:00Tyndale review: WOW! The gospel in four words<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1484059385l/33107255.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="318" data-original-width="318" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1484059385l/33107255.jpg" /></a></div>
<span id="freeText7078883741943255486" style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">For anyone looking for a fresh way to present the gospel to young children, <i>Wow! The Good News in Four Words</i> is a perfect resource. This whimsical and fun book outlines the gospel in a simple and memorable way (for both adults and kids!), using fun words to highlight the story. The book will present Creation/Genesis (Wow!), The Fall (Uh-oh . . .), Redemption/Jesus' Life and Sacrifice (Yes!), Restoration/The New Heaven (Aaahhhh), ending with one last Wow because we get to go out and tell the Good News!</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"> </span><br />
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Durability: The dust jacket did not last long. But the pictures did engage my daughter and keep her from ripping the pages.<br />
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Story: Simple enough, though so simple you would think it would be a board book for a younger audience than a 3 year old.<br />
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Giftability: Fantastic gift for religious families.<br />
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Overall: 4 of 5. Could have been more challenging.K.D.Azizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01759009480733530108noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542743054767214808.post-69636019956738833232017-07-19T16:42:00.000-07:002017-07-19T16:42:48.462-07:00MP Newsroom review: Design your day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1444122770l/25786874.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="357" data-original-width="255" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1444122770l/25786874.jpg" width="228" /></a></div>
<span id="freeText17697952288822991924" style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><b>Days shouldn</b><b>’</b><b>t live themselves. Here</b><b>’</b><b>s a guide to making the most of each one. </b><br /><br />In <i>Design Your Day, </i>productivity guru Claire Diaz-Ortiz introduces the Do Less Method, a productivity and goal-setting model that will help you do more in less time and succeed more often.<br /><br />When it comes to productivity, hard work is half of the battle. The first half—the crucial half—is planning well, and that’s what Claire helps you do, from start to finish.<br /><br />From the big-picture to minutia, Claire walks you through every step of setting <i>and achieving </i>smart goals. She gives tips for brainstorming goals, choosing the best ones, and adjusting them to make them realistic. Then she helps you put key strategies in place to reach them, day-by-day, year-by-year.<br /><br />Whether you want to finish a house project, lose weight, or write a book, <i>Design Your Day</i>—by someone who read 150 books as a first-year mom—is an all-in-one guide to crossing off your to-do list. When you take back your time and strategically use it, you will win more often and enjoy life along the way.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"> </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">My Review:</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">I once read that if you read 5 non fiction books--quality books, mind you, academic ones--on any one subject, you would be an expert in that subject. Claire Diaz-Ortiz is certainy calling herslf a productivity guru, and claims to have read 150 books (were they all on productivity? we don't know) in one year while taking care of a new child.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Let's be fair. This is a pretty good resource to have in a library, or to give to someone who doesn't have pinterest. But these are also not original ideas. This book is not groundbreaking, or even particualrly motivating. The cover is nice, and it's nice to pick this off of a shelf instead of having to sort through pinterest boards. I just don't see this adorable little book swimming in a tank full of actual productivity sharks, who study human behavior for a living.</span>K.D.Azizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01759009480733530108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542743054767214808.post-57520098081070552052017-06-16T11:00:00.000-07:002017-06-16T11:00:22.151-07:00Goodreads Giveaway - Jesus: The life and Ministry<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1473602180l/30758121.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="312" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1473602180l/30758121.jpg" width="210" /></span></a></div>
<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;"><b style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Reflections on Christ, from a beloved spiritual writer</b><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">A. W. Tozer was a man of remarkable knowledge, an avid reader of Christian writers and philosophers from throughout the ages. But he </span><i style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">meditated</i><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"> on the Bible. He was, like John Wesley, “a man of one Book and a student of many.”</span><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Combine this with his poignant writing style and you have works like this one</span><i style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">, </i><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">high thoughts of God brought low, yet no less moving. </span><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><i style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Jesus: The Life and Ministry of God the Son </i><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">features selections from Tozer’s writings on the God-man, Jesus Christ. It follows the chronology of Christ's earthly life and explores classic themes of Christology, helping readers better comprehend and appreciate Jesus’ person and work.</span><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">When you set out to study Christ, you want to behold His splendor the best you can. That’s why writers like A. W. Tozer are excellent guides: they love the Lord, know Him well, and yet have a way with the written word. They're able to lay the weight of glory on the human heart as few can.</span><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Read </span><i style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Jesus </i><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">and appreciate anew the Savior of the world and the power of the written word to glorify His name.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;">My review:</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;">As many of these books I read, you would think I just join a theology class already. On that line of thinking, if I wanted to be preached to I would go to church. If you're writing a book, you need to be aware that you are at once reaching many people and one person. I want to learn about Christianity and God, not be called 'bretheren'.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;">Between the preaching, there were some interesting ideas, not the least among them the meaning of 'in the beginning'.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;">There's a lot of hemming and hawing and "Well answer my question and I'll answer yours" but let's be fair, it's a tough subject to tackle for chapter one.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;">Ultimately, this book is not my cup of tea. But the cover certainly is--I'm a sucker for a god cover.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;">I received this book free through a Goodreads Giveaway. </span>K.D.Azizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01759009480733530108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542743054767214808.post-81293623450137774822017-06-09T10:32:00.000-07:002017-06-09T10:32:07.083-07:00MP Newsroom review: Created for More<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">If you ever feel like your devotions are disconnected from your day, like your quiet time is competing with your responsibilities, or like your spiritual walk is separate from a walk you take through the grocery store, you need this devotional.</span><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><b style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">You were created for more.</b><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Devotions aren't supposed to be isolated from your life; the God who created you also calls you to create-whether that is a business, a family, a book, a photograph, a website, a sermon, or a meal for someone hungry.</span><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">By tying together our daily creations and our characteristics from God, </span><i style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Created for More</i><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"> will remind you of the life God is calling you to. Read your Bible with excitement, let prayer seep throughout your day, and see your devotion to God multiply as you rejoice in creating for Him.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;">My review: </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;">In general, I love devotionals. Particularly daily devotionals. It's like bible study, church, and theology class in 15 minutes a day. What I've been missing from previous devotionals though, is how to pray. I've been praying for a little while now, so I wouldn't say I'm new at it, but the prayer starters in this book are perfect for a jumping off point in each chapter. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;">Devotionals also largely tend to be a solitary thing, but this book happens to have a companion website where you can share and talk about challenges with others who are reading this book. Even the challenges that take two people--hello, Internet! There's a website for that. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;">While this is marketed toward creative people, it's important to mention there are great takeaways for everyone--from how to be humble with god, to how to be content and relax once in a while. It doesn't take much to tweak some of these challenges to apply to someone who works in an office job (*ahem*) if you're not so creatively inclined.</span>K.D.Azizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01759009480733530108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542743054767214808.post-65630395012538744952017-06-06T01:14:00.000-07:002017-06-06T01:14:11.488-07:00BFB Review: When God Made You<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;"><i style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">YOU, you... God thinks about you.</i><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><i style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">God was thinking of you long before your debut.</i><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"> </span><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">From early on, children are looking to discover their place in the world and longing to understand how their personalities, traits, and talents fit in. The assurance that they are deeply loved and a unique creation in our big universe is certain to help them spread their wings and fly. </span><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Through playful, charming rhyme and vivid, fantastical illustrations, </span><i style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">When God Made You</i><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"> inspires young readers to learn about their own special gifts and how they fit into God's divine plan as they grow, explore, and begin to create for themselves. </span><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><i style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">'Cause when God made YOU, somehow God knew</i><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><i style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">That the world needed someone exactly like you!</i></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;"><span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Brandon Text", sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Before we get into the story, let's talk about David Catrow, the Illustrator. </span><span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Brandon Text", sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">The man who drew Molly Lou Melon. The man whose drawings I grew up with, whose drawings I now get to share with my daughter. Catrow's drawings hold a special place in my heart (largely because of the life he brings to curly hair). Thank you, David Catrow.</span><br style="color: #555555; font-family: "Brandon Text", sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="color: #555555; font-family: "Brandon Text", sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Brandon Text", sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Now on to Matthew Paul Turner, who wrote this book. This is a lovely book with a great message for kids, which can place the foundation for deeper conversations about who they are and the extraordinary blessing it is that humans are made in God's image. Everyone is special, unique, and serves a purpose </span><span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Brandon Text", sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">in God's greater plan, whether big or small. This can be a tough conversation to start, but this book opens the door.</span><br style="color: #555555; font-family: "Brandon Text", sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="color: #555555; font-family: "Brandon Text", sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Brandon Text", sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">While I'm not excited to read Turner's other works (25 books and not a real trend on what genre he writes/likes best), I am interested to read his other works. </span></span>K.D.Azizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01759009480733530108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542743054767214808.post-18670437275107737572017-05-25T19:56:00.003-07:002017-05-25T19:56:50.011-07:00Tyndale review: Larger than life Lara<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><i>This isn't about me. This story, I mean. So already you got a reason to hang it up. At least that's what Mrs. Smith, our English teacher, says.</i> </b><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">But the story </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">is</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"> about ten-year-old Laney Grafton and the new girl in her class--Lara Phelps, whom everyone bullies from the minute she shows up. Laney is just relieved to have someone else as a target of bullying. But instead of acting the way a bullied kid normally acts, this new girl returns kindness for a meanness that intensifies . . . until nobody remains unchanged, not even the reader.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">In a unique and multi-layered story, with equal parts humor and angst, Laney communicates the art of storytelling as it happens, with chapter headings, such as: </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Character, Setting, Conflict, Rising Action, Climax.</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"> And she weaves an unforgettable tale of a new girl who transforms an entire class and, in the process, reveals the best and worst in all of us.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">This is a powerful and emotional story, which </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">School Library Journal</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"> called "Thoroughly enjoyable and unexpectedly wry, . . . as intelligent as it is succinct."</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">My Review:</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">There's one thing that I know is true. I knew it from life, and this book brought back a lot of feelings and memories: kids are mean.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Bonus one: As emotional as this book is (even though, pre-motherhood I never would have cried, but....) it gave me hope. It gave me an inspiration to do all that I can to raise my daughter to be kind and strong. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Bonus two: the chapter titles!!!! I love reading, and I loved English class. And I loved writing (even though my writing days are somewhat confined to documentation at work and book reviews right now) Oh, a child after my own heart, As heartbreaking as the book got, the chapter titles kept me going.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Con one: This book is so short! I guess it falls in line with the premise that a fifth grader is writing it, but there's so much more of Laney and Lara's world that I want to know and read about.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Con two: I wish the ending had been more like a fairy tale, but it's also important that it was realistic. So, I guess not really a con?</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Overall, a great read. Thank you Tyndale publishers for letting me review this.</span>K.D.Azizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01759009480733530108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542743054767214808.post-43023175183783169542017-05-20T15:59:00.001-07:002017-05-20T15:59:48.311-07:00Book review: Boss bitch<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span id="freeText13367983900083477332" style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">You don’t need dozens or hundreds of employees to be a boss, says financial expert and serial entrepreneur Nicole Lapin. Hell, you don’t even need one. You just need to find your inner Boss Bitch — your most confident, savvy, ambitious self — and own it.<br /><br />A Boss Bitch is the she-ro of her own story. She is someone who takes charge of her future and embraces being a “boss” in all aspects of the word: whether as the boss of her own life, family and career, the literal boss at work, or, as the boss of her own company. Whichever she chooses (or all three), a Boss Bitch is someone who gets out there and makes her success happen — and so can you.<br /><br />Lapin draws on raw and often hilariously real stories from her own career — the good, the bad, and the ugly — to show what it means to be a "boss" in twelve easy steps. In her refreshingly accessible and relatable style, she first shows how to embrace the “boss of you" mentality by seizing the power that comes from believing in yourself and expanding your skillset. Then she offers candid no-nonsense advice for how to kill it at as the “boss at work” whether you have a high-up role or not. And finally, for those who want to take the plunge as an entrepreneur, she lays out the nuts and bolts of how to be the “boss of your own business” from raising money and getting it off the ground to hiring a kickass staff and dealing office drama to turning a profit.<br /><br />Being a badass in your career is something that should be worn as a badge of honor, says Lapin. Here, she inspires us to rise to the occasion and celebrate our successes — and then keep killing it like the Boss Bitches we are!</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"> </span><br />
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My review:<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: "Brandon Text", sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">From the very first sentence - "To my former self, who would be proud of me now," to the last - And the princess lived happily ever after in her own big castle and with all her own money and she took care of herself--the end," this book turned out to be something I would love to give my daughter one day. Or maybe my sister, since she's graduating much sooner than my daughter will from school.</span><br style="color: #555555; font-family: "Brandon Text", sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="color: #555555; font-family: "Brandon Text", sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: "Brandon Text", sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">To be fair, the Actual last sentence is "if you do give up, fuck you." which I think is equally inspiring.</span><br style="color: #555555; font-family: "Brandon Text", sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="color: #555555; font-family: "Brandon Text", sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: "Brandon Text", sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">I appreciate this book for what it is, and it has some good takeaways- like how to ask for a raise and set boundaries. But the voice of the writing seemed a bit forced. I'm all for reclaiming the title of "bitch" form something bad to something powerful, but the abundant sprinkling of the word (example: "so what's your story, bitch?") seemed like the author was trying a bit too hard to be Britney and we didn't get a chance to see her true voice come out. </span><br style="color: #555555; font-family: "Brandon Text", sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="color: #555555; font-family: "Brandon Text", sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: "Brandon Text", sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">I have all of the respect for Nicole, and would love to pick up her next book. But I was hoping this would be something I could give as a gift to any woman--not just someone I have a 18 year relationship with that knows I don't think it's appropriate to drop 'bitch' into everyday conversation. I look forward to see if Ms. Lapin has more books in store. Maybe her next one we'll get to see her true voice. </span>K.D.Azizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01759009480733530108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542743054767214808.post-83451338246575943732017-05-06T16:23:00.002-07:002017-05-06T16:23:26.550-07:00Book review: Harvest<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My review:<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: "brandon text" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">I wasn't as into this book as I thought it would be. At first, it seemed like something I could use to grow and cook my own food for a family of three in a one room apartment.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: "brandon text" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">I really don't need facial scrubs and I certainly don't have room for a crabapple tree. So I was disappointed. I can maybe use it as a christmas gift for someone who has an actual house with a backyard that isn't forbidden by the HOA to grow food. (If I can find someone like that) but this is not staying on my shelf for long. </span>K.D.Azizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01759009480733530108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542743054767214808.post-72152770986914527642017-04-21T18:24:00.004-07:002017-04-21T18:24:47.980-07:00Coloring book review: The Night voyage<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">This third adult coloring book in Daria Song's Time series follows the little girl on a new nighttime adventure when the conductor of her toy train comes to life and helps her distribute gifts across the world.</b><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">The Night Voyage </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">is an evocatively illustrated story of a little girl who is swept away on the eve of her birthday by her toy train conductor on a magical journey to distribute gifts around the globe. Taking devotees of </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">The Time Garden </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">and </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">The Time Chamber </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">on an imaginative new adventure, </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">The Night Voyage </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">continues Daria Song's wildly successful series with the beautifully intricate art that her fans have come to love, featuring a world of paper cranes, penny-farthing bicycles, trolleys, cityscapes, and hot air balloon-filled skies.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: "Brandon Text", sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">This is the perfect gift!!! I so thank the publishers for sending me a free copy to review. This book has a beautiful cover, sturdy pages that don't bleed, and a fabulous mix of small and large areas to color in. Those who have used coloring books regularly know those teeny tiny details may look pretty but are HELL on your wrists.</span><br style="color: #555555; font-family: "Brandon Text", sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: "Brandon Text", sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Added Bonus: Not religious. I love religious books, don't get me wrong, but if a book is obviously religious it rules out as a gift for a lot of people. </span><br style="color: #555555; font-family: "Brandon Text", sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: "Brandon Text", sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Overall: If you're going to gift a coloring book, gift this one. 5/5</span>K.D.Azizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01759009480733530108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542743054767214808.post-6410422808525493142017-01-14T00:00:00.000-08:002017-01-14T00:00:20.014-08:00Booklook bloggers review: Say and pray devotions<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;">Say and Pray devotions with your little ones today!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;">Your youngsters want to be just like you. How exciting! Help them grow in their faith and learn more about God’s love with Say & Pray Devotions.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;">Say & Pray Devotions features short devotions and lots of labeled illustrations so your little one can practice identifying objects and words on their own! This book is a great tool to start a devotional time with little ones, as it will help you teach them about God, and the labeled pictures will help start a life of faith.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;">This is a nice complement to the bestselling Say & Pray Bible.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;">My Review:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">Children's books are tricky. I did find one child's bible that we loved reading together once, but it had paper pages and is now in pieces. One day my 2 year old will grow and not instinctively rip things--her winnie the pooh anthology has nearly all the pages in it still.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;">Until then, hard pages are a must. This book has them! After reading the book with your little one and pointing out words, actions, and things, your little one can safely look through this book on their own.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;">This book is also a great reminder to be thankful for the little things -- colors, smells, food-- all the tiny things we (well, I) forget to include in my prayers. Things I take for granted. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;">Overall, this is a durable, colorful book that will be enjoyed by all babies of any gender. </span></div>
K.D.Azizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01759009480733530108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542743054767214808.post-42146794743175772502017-01-09T00:00:00.000-08:002017-01-09T00:00:02.052-08:00Booklook Bloggers review: 365 Devotions to Rest<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”</span><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">—Matthew 11:28</span><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><em style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Rest. </em><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">You crave it. Your body needs it. Your tired soul longs for it. But in the madness of your day-to-day rush, how can you possibly find it? Truth be told, when life’s demands overwhelm us, the first thing we sacrifice is our own rest. But God has a different plan for us: He made us to enjoy deep, reviving refreshment in Him. </span><em style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">365</em><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"> </span><em style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Devotions for Finding Rest </em><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">will guide you in a yearlong journey toward embracing His rest in your life. You’ll be amazed as God’s peace and restoration transform you.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">My Review:</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">I read a book fairly recently (Not recently enough to remember the exact title, something along the lines of Minute Tips for Moms) that enlightened me to the idea of 'rest'. Not the type of rest where it's your day off so you dress up and go out with your spouse and then spend 30 minutes packing up your toddler to go to the park, but real actual rest. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">As you grow up you hit this stage where you almost miss being sick, because you remember sitting in bed, no responsibilities but to take care of yourself, and you sleep and color and eat things your mom brings you. And then you realize you're all grown up and no one is going to bring you anything, and if you eat then you also need to make something for your toddler and then you have to help your toddler sit potty and before you know it, it's been three hours into your optimistically-planned 'rest day' full of chores and cleaning and being a mom.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">My husband and I have developed a plan where I get three hours (la, not a whole day) of uninterrupted rest where I might take a bubble bath, might nap, or might just read or color. We do the same for him on my days off as he has the harder job of stay at home dad.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">This devotional is a wonderful way to remind yourself to take a beat and instead of three hours a week, maybe take a half hour each day as well before the kids wake up or after they've gone to sleep. Just like 365 devotions to finding Peace, this book is well presented as a hardback with a foiled (shiny!) cover and bookmark to keep your place. Much recommended. </span>K.D.Azizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01759009480733530108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542743054767214808.post-75421331082167472982017-01-07T00:00:00.000-08:002017-01-07T00:00:12.905-08:00NetGalley Review: The Pie Life<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;">The Pie Life is the ultimate self-improvement playbook for women who work. Now is the time for you to banish the guilt and start living a life you love! Havingworked withthousands of womenover the past two decades, Harvard MBA and best-selling author Samantha Ettus shares the secrets for how you can sustain a thrivingpersonaland professional life at the same time.</span><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;">Incorporating personal stories from hundreds of women including TV writer and producer Shonda Rhimes, news anchor Gayle King, Wall Street maven Sallie Krawcheck, Barnard College President Debora Spar, entrepreneur Liz Lange and Marie Claire Editor-in-Chief Anne Fulenwider, The Pie Lifewill turn everything you know about work/life balance on its head.</span><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;">Transform your life into one that is more satisfying, rich, and delicious than you ever thought possible and join the thousands of women already living The Pie Life.</span><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;">Samantha Ettus</span><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;">@samanthaettus</span><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;">http://</span><a href="http://www.samanthaettus.com/" rel="nofollow" style="color: #00635d; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">www.samanthaettus.com</a><span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: #d9d2e9; font-size: 14px;">You don't know how much this book helped me. Not just with organizing things and prioritizing my life, but with the guilt and the self esteem that happens as a working parent.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;">It's all very well to say "Lean in, Do it ALL!" but to actually attempt to do it ALL is probably unhealthy if you try to make your home-work balance exactly 50/50.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: #d9d2e9; font-size: 14px;">Samantha Ettus is the logical best friend that says "if you work ten hours, commute 2 and sleep 8, you're not going to fit another 10 hours of home time in a 24 hour day."</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: #d9d2e9; font-size: 14px;">Everyone's pie is different. A coworker of mine actually does have a commute longer than an hour because she lives out of state. Another has a daughter, but no wife. Still another has like three dogs. All of our pies are different. My commute slice is actually about 15 minutes. I don't have a walk the dog slice. I do have a book review slice, and a year-round prepare-for-Christmas slice.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: #d9d2e9; font-size: 14px;">If you feel overwhelmed from Leaning In, Grab a slice of Pie with Samantha Ettus. (you see how I made that sound like a commercial? fancy!)</span></span>K.D.Azizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01759009480733530108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542743054767214808.post-14250859203832655962017-01-02T00:00:00.000-08:002017-01-02T00:00:23.788-08:00NetGalley Review: Lists to Love by for Busy Wives<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">It's no secret that there is a wide emotional gap between men and women. Couples crave love, but don't always know how to express it to their spouse. </span><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">LISTS TO LOVE BY FOR BUSY WIVES presents creative, practical ways for wives to bridge that gap and improve their marriage. These thirty lists will carry wives through an entire month of learning to love their husbands more deeply--advice they will come back to again and again. Highlights include:</span><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">8 Expectations for a Great Marriage</span><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">5 Things Husbands Wish Wives Knew</span><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">10 Things Husbands Want to Hear from Their Wives</span><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">7 Things You Should Stop Doing to Your Husband in Public</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">My Review:</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">1. Lists. Just, in General, I like lists.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">2. The emphasis on Communication and watching your words</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Dislikes:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">1. The 'lie back and think of England' approach to sex the author seems to have.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">2. Really, this really got on my nerves. I hated it.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Take these lists with a grain of salt. There was a lot I didn't agree with or didn't fit my particular beliefs or ideals. I will back up the author on the importance of asking your spouse questions, watching your words when talking to them, the importance of saying "thank you" and "I appreciate you", etc. Words are Power, but we all know that.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Overall: not a TOTAL waste of time, but still a bit disappointing. </span>K.D.Azizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01759009480733530108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542743054767214808.post-40287786481114082872016-12-31T00:00:00.000-08:002016-12-31T00:00:18.040-08:00NetGalley Review: Threads of Silk<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1468389604l/31109258.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1468389604l/31109258.jpg" width="216" /></span></a></div>
<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">When I was a child, I thought my destiny was to live and die on the banks of the Xiangjiang River as my family had done for generations. I never imagined that my life would lead me to the Forbidden City and the court of China’s last Empress.</span><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Born in the middle of nowhere, Yaqian, a little embroidery girl from Hunan Province, finds her way to the imperial court, a place of intrigue, desire, and treachery. From the bed of an Emperor, the heart of a Prince, and the right side of an Empress, Yaqian weaves her way through the most turbulent decades of China’s history and witnesses the fall of the Qing Dynasty.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">My Review:</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Once upon a time there was a young girl who wanted nothing more than to take care of her silk worms all day. Then her mother bound her feet. Driven by pain and boredom, she discovered she liked--and was good at-- something else. She was a natural embroiderer. She goes to school, makes a lot of money, and even becomes a very important embroiderer in the Palace.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: #d9d2e9; font-size: 14px;">But things are not all well. There are scenes of assault. There are sacrifices made. There are lies told, and lives lost. And through all that, a mother who never quite acknowledged her daughter as a person.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: #d9d2e9; font-size: 14px;">Likes:</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: #d9d2e9; font-size: 14px;">1. Asian stories always get a star, even if it's east Asian.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: #d9d2e9; font-size: 14px;">2. I liked this. I liked it almost as much as SnowFlower and the Secret Fan.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: #d9d2e9; font-size: 14px;">3. She named her daughter for a Tiger. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: #d9d2e9; font-size: 14px;">Dislikes: </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: #d9d2e9; font-size: 14px;">1. Yaquin's mom! Really, now.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: #d9d2e9; font-size: 14px;">2. The FEELS. But that'll happen.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: #d9d2e9; font-size: 14px;">Overall, I need more books like this. SO MANY MORE BOOKS. I need ALL the books even remotely like this. Definitely something to consider as a gift, but maybe not for younger or easily triggered readers. Some pretty adult stuff happens to our little Yaquin.</span></span>K.D.Azizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01759009480733530108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542743054767214808.post-47165281766194990612016-12-26T00:00:00.000-08:002016-12-26T00:00:19.054-08:00NetGalley Review: A Mortal Song<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1470922362l/30376044.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1470922362l/30376044.jpg" width="211" /></span></a></div>
<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Sora's life was full of magic--until she discovered it was all a lie.</span><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Heir to Mt. Fuji's spirit kingdom, Sora yearns to finally take on the sacred kami duties. But just as she confronts her parents to make a plea, a ghostly army invades the mountain. Barely escaping with her life, Sora follows her mother's last instructions to a heart-wrenching discovery: she is a human changeling, raised as a decoy while her parents' true daughter remained safe but unaware in modern-day Tokyo. Her powers were only borrowed, never her own. Now, with the world's natural cycles falling into chaos and the ghosts plotting an even more deadly assault, it falls on her to train the unprepared kami princess.</span><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">As Sora struggles with her emerging human weaknesses and the draw of an unanticipated ally with secrets of his own, she vows to keep fighting for her loved ones and the world they once protected. But for one mortal girl to make a difference in this desperate war between the spirits, she may have to give up the only home she's ever known.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">My Review:</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">1. Sora, and Sora's Cahracter, and her dedication to help the people who lied to and betrayed her.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">2. Chosen one finds out she's not so Chosen, but tries her best anyway.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">3. ASIAN Representation, yo!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Dislikes:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">1. Chiyo: Come on. Like really, come on. She got on my nerves more than a few times.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">2. Takeo: Clingy, much? </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Overall: I liked the plot, the worldbuilding, and the writing itself. But a lot of things (Chiyo and Takeo and almost everything they did or said) annoyed me. And the Dragonfly! The dragonfly wasn't annoying, but deserved better.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">I can't say it's my favorite book on my shelf right now, but I will say I wouldn't hesitate to gift it to someone else. My sister, maybe.</span>K.D.Azizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01759009480733530108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542743054767214808.post-72113561846036747702016-12-24T00:00:00.000-08:002016-12-24T00:00:15.842-08:00Ebook review: Parasol Protectorate #5 - Timeless<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1327890901l/11324166.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1327890901l/11324166.jpg" width="198" /></span></a></div>
<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Alexia Tarabotti, Lady Maccon, has settled into domestic bliss. Of course, being Alexia, such bliss involves integrating werewolves into London High society, living in a vampire's second best closet, and coping with a precocious toddler who is prone to turning supernatural willy-nilly. Even Ivy Tunstell's acting troupe's latest play, disastrous to say the least, cannot put a dampener on Alexia's enjoyment of her new London lifestyle. </span><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Until, that is, she receives a summons from Alexandria that cannot be ignored. With husband, child and Tunstells in tow, Alexia boards a steamer to cross the Mediterranean. But Egypt may hold more mysteries than even the indomitable Lady Maccon can handle. What does the vampire Queen of the Alexandria Hive really want from her? Why is the God-Breaker Plague suddenly expanding? And how has Ivy Tunstell suddenly become the most popular actress in all the British Empire?</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">SPOILERS AHEAD THERE'S JUST TOO MUCH.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">1. What does the vampire of Egypt want from her? --- Well, it was pretty clear from the moment we found she was on Life Support that she wants death. She wants to die. Immortality isn't all that and a bag of chips, as it turns out.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">2. </span><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Why is the God-Breaker Plague suddenly expanding? --- FLOOTE HOW COULD YOU I EXPECT THIS FROM GENEVIEVE AND THE SUPERNATURALS AND EVEN ALEXIA'S AWFUL SISTERS BUT NOT YOU.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">3. </span><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">And how has Ivy Tunstell suddenly become the most popular actress in all the British Empire? --- She's not. She's really not. She's really only popular in Egypt....for some reason. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Furthermore, can we talk about the utter failure of the vampires trying to kidnap Prudence? I mean, first you take a boy. Then you take a girl who is NOT Prudence. And also, you've already met Prudence so could you not just smell her under the bed???</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">But Alexia, my heart when she thought Conall was dead. My poor baby. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">And I still have a crush on Genevieve, after everything.</span>K.D.Azizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01759009480733530108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542743054767214808.post-28488257079301553792016-12-19T00:00:00.000-08:002016-12-19T00:00:35.148-08:00Ebook Review: Parasol Protectorate #4 - Heartless<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Lady Alexia Maccon, soulless, is at it again, only this time the trouble is not her fault. When a mad ghost threatens the queen, Alexia is on the case, following a trail that leads her deep into her husband's past. Top that off with a sister who has joined the suffragette movement (shocking!), Madame Lefoux's latest mechanical invention, and a plague of zombie porcupines and Alexia barely has time to remember she happens to be eight months pregnant.</span><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Will Alexia manage to determine who is trying to kill Queen Victoria before it is too late? Is it the vampires again or is there a traitor lurking about in wolf's clothing? And what, exactly, has taken up residence in Lord Akeldama's second best closet?</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">My Review: </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">GENEVIEVE HOW COULD YOU. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">But honestly, points off for predictability here. There was just a tad too much foresight here. Although Lord Akeldama comes to the rescue by making sure the Vampires, at least, will stop trying to kill her for a moment. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: #d9d2e9; font-size: 14px;">Felicity remains annoying and petty. Biffy is too sad and I need to give him a hug. (Or a lover but we'll get to that.)</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: #d9d2e9; font-size: 14px;">"Madam, I believe you are having the baby."</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: #d9d2e9; font-size: 14px;">"Not now, I'm busy!" --- you might think this is a trope, but I do know people like this. I admire it in a woman. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: #d9d2e9; font-size: 14px;">Furthermore, I have just one thing to say to Lyall and Alexia: Secrets get you nowhere.</span></span>K.D.Azizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01759009480733530108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542743054767214808.post-47569297599717179312016-12-17T00:00:00.000-08:002016-12-17T00:00:06.873-08:00Ebook Review: Parasol Protectorate #3 - Blameless<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1293436281l/7719355.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1293436281l/7719355.jpg" width="203" /></span></a></div>
<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Quitting her husband's house and moving back in with her horrible family, Lady Maccon becomes the scandal of the London season.</span><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Queen Victoria dismisses her from the Shadow Council, and the only person who can explain anything, Lord Akeldama, unexpectedly leaves town. To top it all off, Alexia is attacked by homicidal mechanical ladybugs, indicating, as only ladybugs can, the fact that all of London's vampires are now very much interested in seeing Alexia quite thoroughly dead.</span><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">While Lord Maccon elects to get progressively more inebriated and Professor Lyall desperately tries to hold the Woolsey werewolf pack together, Alexia flees England for Italy in search of the mysterious Templars. Only they know enough about the preternatural to explain her increasingly inconvenient condition, but they may be worse than the vampires -- and they're armed with pesto.</span><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">BLAMELESS is the third book of the Parasol Protectorate series: a comedy of manners set in Victorian London, full of werewolves, vampires, dirigibles, and tea-drinking.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">My Review:</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">The biggest thoughts: 1. CONALL IS SO STUPID. Even Lyall, in his Beta way, is trying to make him snap out of it and realize he's totally wrong. 2. Does anyone *not* have a crush on Genevieve?</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Alexia loses two sources of supernatural protection, and people are still trying to kill her. So she goes to the people who want to get rid of people like her and her husband. Logic, much? I get that the big bad Vamps can't really get you there, but it's a little frying pan-fire situation, Alexia. Good thing she has Floote on her side. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">People are complaining about the ending, but in my opinion I don't think it warranted a fight. That wasn't the point. All the drama came from lack of communication and feelings of abandonment. How is fighting going to fix it at all?</span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: #d9d2e9; font-size: 14px;">Richy McRich-wolf still gets on my nerves, but I did admire his role in this book. I see you, Channing!</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: #d9d2e9; font-size: 14px;">On that note, it's really hard to write about books in a series without spoiling anything. >< </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: #d9d2e9; font-size: 14px;">4.5/5. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;">Alexia Maccon, the Lady Woolsey, awakens in the wee hours of the mid-afternoon to find her husband, who should be decently asleep like any normal werewolf, yelling at the top of his lungs. Then he disappears; leaving her to deal with a regiment of supernatural soldiers encamped on her doorstep, a plethora of exorcised ghosts, and an angry Queen Victoria.</span><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;">But Alexia is armed with her trusty parasol, the latest fashions, and an arsenal of biting civility. So even when her investigations take her to Scotland, the backwater of ugly waistcoats, she is prepared: upending werewolf pack dynamics as only the soulless can. She might even find time to track down her wayward husband, if she feels like it.</span><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;">CHANGLESS is the second book of the Parasol Protectorate series: a comedy of manners set in Victorian London, full of werewolves, vampires, dirigibles, and tea-drinking.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;">My Review:</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;">My Lord, it got better. I wasn't sure, because once love comes into things I start getting bored. But it got better. I do love that Vieve Lefoux stayed in the series. She's becoming quite the interesting character. There were others who managed the change from Finishing school to protectorate, but they're more of just...cameos, really. No more depth than they had in the first series.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;">Let's talk Scotland. For weeks my house will have a running joke of "Oh my, are you showing KNEES?". And frustrations!!! Conall's behavior, first running off and then AT THE END. And Ivy, please stop being so useless. Just really. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: #d9d2e9; font-size: 14px;">ProTip: Don't read the ending whole at work or school. If you're anything like me, you will be in the WORST mood until you read something happier.</span></span>K.D.Azizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01759009480733530108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542743054767214808.post-7197508106104014782016-12-10T00:00:00.000-08:002016-12-10T00:00:05.221-08:00Ebook review: Parasol Protectorate #1 - Soulless<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1314020848l/6381205.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1314020848l/6381205.jpg" width="198" /></span></a></div>
<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;"><span id="freeText6357013564094295692" style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;"><b>Alexia Tarabotti is laboring under a great many social tribulations.</b><br /><br />First, she has no soul. Second, she's a spinster whose father is both Italian and dead. Third, she was rudely attacked by a vampire, breaking all standards of social etiquette.<br /><br />Where to go from there? From bad to worse apparently, for Alexia accidentally kills the vampire--and then the appalling Lord Maccon (loud, messy, gorgeous, and werewolf) is sent by Queen Victoria to investigate.<br /><br />With unexpected vampires appearing and expected vampires disappearing, everyone seems to believe Alexia responsible. Can she figure out what is actually happening to London's high society? Will her soulless ability to negate supernatural powers prove useful or just plain embarrassing? Finally, who is the real enemy, and do they have treacle tart?</span><span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;">My Review:</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;">So now we know there are people with too much soul who can become immortal, and people with no soul at all--and someone is trying to kill the latter. I'll be honest. Going straight from the finishing school series to this series had an adjustment period. I suggest only launching into this book when you've had ample time to say goodbye to the last series.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;">That said, Alexia (A woman who prefers Libraries to parties - my heart!), Ivy (the goofy best friend), Werewolf McWolferson (Who is a love interest?), and Lord Akeldama(You remember HIM from the powerpuff girls?) are a lovely mix of characters with enough intrigue and action to make you want to launch into the next book right away.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;">Overall, the writing skill and ease of reading remain elevated with Ms. Carriger, and I immediately grabbed the second book as soon as I finished with this one. (Protip: Just buy the boxset. you won't want to wait between books)</span>K.D.Azizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01759009480733530108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1542743054767214808.post-63248805696463180022016-12-07T00:00:00.000-08:002016-12-07T00:00:25.350-08:00Blogging for Books Christmas Gift review: Me - A compendium<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;"><span id="freeText944038158081699160" style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Inventive, hilarious and joyously colorful, this fill-in journal was designed to help kids capture nearly everything that’s uniquely rad about them. With design-savvy, yet completely kid-friendly illustrations, they’re asked to draw or write about a bunch of interesting things — like what their hair looks like, what their band name would be, what they’d bring to outer space, and how they feel about lightning, lizards and pickles. There may or may not be a place for super-secret stuff inside the book jacket. Whether kids complete their entire compendium on a rainy day, or finish it over a year, it’ll become a treasure to look back on and smile.</span><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">My Review:</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">I requested this book for Review because I have a certain 6 year old that is in need of a gift. I was worried it would be plain, and a little boring but the presentation of the artwork and prompts are fun, vibrant, simple, and give kids a voice.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">My first diary was filled very quickly. Each page had one line on it, something like "I like collecting rocks" or "I have a sister" and really I feel bad for my mom for spending all that money on a fashion diary for a first grader who completely wasted it.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">This journal is better. It's designed for kids. It can be used as a regift for their 18th birthday when they thought everyone forgot about their preferred superhero game. Just be sure to store it away instead of throwing those memories out.</span>K.D.Azizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01759009480733530108noreply@blogger.com0