Book Review: Girls Who Travel

Katie January 8, 2016 0 Comments

Girls Who Travel was not quite what I was expecting from the title (there’s really only one girl who travels in the book) but I did end up quite enjoying this story.  The main character is Kika Shores.  She had been traveling the world and buying different items and selling them on her website which was doing pretty well but then her year tour was up so she came back to New York.  In New York she is working in an office and finds her cubicle far too constricting.  When she forgets to schedule a meeting for her boss with the head of a big company, she calls the assistant in hopes that “The Vile Bae” will bail her out.  Bae agrees to as long as Kika runs some errands for her, but when Kika’s boss shows up Bae tells him that Kika dropped the ball, again.

Kika ends up losing her job and while her Mom seems to think everything happens for a reason, Kika isn’t so sure.  She wants to get her website back up and running but in order to do that she has to save money to travel to pick out the items to sell!

Kika’s friend Elsbeth ends up calling her and asking if she wouldn’t mind coming to London to au pair for her daughters, Gwen and Mina.  Kika agrees and is off to London with nothing but a backpack.

Meanwhile, she keeps reminiscing about her love Lochlon, an Irish man she met while traveling that she hasn’t seen in quite some time. But now that he is home in Ireland because his father is sick, maybe they can meet up since they aren’t that far apart anymore.

She also seems to have a love-hate relationship with the guy next door, Aston, who she ends up finding out is the heir to the big company that she messed up the meeting with.  She might be interested in him, until she finds out that he doesn’t like to travel! Is that a deal breaker?

But she can’t worry about Aston yet, Lochlon is coming to visit!  And… it’s all down hill from there.  But with a couple of weeks without her cell phone due to a no-technology trip with the family she is the au pair for – will she be able to have her happily ever after?

As I said earlier, I think the title of this book was a bit deceiving, but I did enjoy it.  I couldn’t help but relate to Kika – wants to travel but stuck in a cube just trying to save up enough money to travel. Then she is traveling with Lochlan who has some big secret – Kika thinks it means he was involved in porn but I could tell from the moment he starts telling his story – he was in a boyband!  This was a quick read and very enjoyable.

I received an e-copy of this book in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.

About the Book

A hilarious, deftly written debut novel about a woman whose wanderlust is about to show her that sometimes you don’t have to travel very far to become the person you want to be…

There are many reasons women shouldn’t travel alone. But as foul-mouthed, sweet-toothed Kika Shores knows, there are many more reasons why they should. After all, most women want a lot more out of life than just having fun. Kika, for one, wants to experience the world.

But ever since she returned from her yearlong backpacking tour, she’s been steeped in misery, battling rush hour with all the other suits. Getting back on the road is all she wants. So when she’s offered a nanny job in London – the land of Cadbury Cream Eggs – she’s happy at the prospect of going back overseas and getting paid for it. But as she’s about to discover, the most exhilarating adventures can happen when you stay in one place…

Wise, witty, and hilarious, Girls Who Travel is an unforgettable novel about the highs and lows of getting what you want—and how it’s the things you least expect that can change your life.

Book Review: Uncle John’s Factastic Bathroom Reader

Katie January 8, 2016 0 Comments

Uncle John’s Factastic Bathroom Reader is back in its 28th edition of the book.  The book has over 500 pages of random trivia and fun knowledge that you can learn while spending some time in the bathroom. The reader has information on a ton of topics, to things to Beatles did first and how the Monkees influenced Star Trek. (ok so maybe I only paid attention to thinks involving boybands)  There is a lot of fun stuff to read and you’ll be sure to impress your friends when you repeat some of what you learned to them. Just don’t let them know where you were when you learned it 😉

I received a free e-copy of this book in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.

About the Book

Uncle John got a Factastic facelift for the 28th all-new edition of this beloved book series — now with a classy cloth cover on the outside and a sleek style on the inside! All of Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader favorites are packed into these 544 glorious pages – from little-known history to the origins of everyday things—plus odd news, weird fads, quirky quotes, mind-bending science, head-scratching blunders, and all sorts of random oddities. Oh yeah, and thousands of incredible facts! Feel smarter (and a bit more dignified) as you settle into:

• Weird Body Parts of the Rich and Famous
• The Wild Man of Borneo
• Cryptic Movie Titles Explained
• “Pathological Generosity” and Other Real Medical Conditions
• How to Perform CPR on Your Dog
• When Postal Workers Go Rogue
• Start Your Own Country!
• Animals Under the Influence
• Welcome to No Mans Land
• The Mad Potter of Biloxi
• Saved From the Trash: The “Lost Leonardo”
• The Ten Longest Wars in History
• Stomach-churning Food-Safety Mistakes
• You Swallowed What?
• Incredible Stories of Survival
• The Case of the Stolen Bridge and Other Weird Crime Reports

And much, much more!

Book Review: Happy Birthday Chris P Bacon

Katie January 8, 2016 0 Comments

Chris P Bacon is 2 and this is a great new book that tells you all about his life and how he ended up going from being ready to be euthanized due to malformed back legs to becoming an internet sensation! I really like how Chris P Bacon (funny name for a pig, huh?) helps other kids with disabilities and are different because he is different too.  This is a sweet pig and I was happy to catch up with him and wish him a happy 2nd birthday!

I received a free e-copy in order to write this book. I was not otherwise compensated.

About the Book

Chris P. Bacon is one remarkable pig. Born with malformed hind legs, he was taken to a veterinarian to be euthanized—but luckily, that vet was Len Lucero, who saw that the little guy was special. Chris P. went home with Dr. Len and within a matter of weeks became an Internet sensation and a media darling, winning thousands of hearts all over the world. Before long, he was a famous author, too!

In Chris P.’s first two books, Chris P. Bacon . . . My Life So Far and How to Roll Like Chris P. Bacon, readers watched him treat his pals to ice cream cones, decorate the barn for a hoedown, bake a batch of Pigs in Mud cookies, and much more. Now he’s back—and it’s his birthday! He is turning two, and, boy, is he excited. He can’t wait for a day full of fun, friends, and family (and grapes and Cheerios, of course!). Follow Chris on his big day, starting with his morning rounds on the farm, where he shares his contagious happiness with all of his friends. Watch him prepare for his big party, and finally join him in the celebration and see what his furry and human friends have to say about Chris’s first two years as everyone’s favorite Pig on Wheels!

Book Review: Win or Lose I Love You

Katie January 6, 2016 0 Comments

Win or Lose I love you is a story about Lulu and Max. They are having a Field Day with their animals friends in the woods.  Some of them are being poor winners and some of them are being poor losers so they have to teach everyone how to be a good winner and a good loser. Win or Lose, I love you!

I received a free copy of this book in order to write this review. I am not otherwise compensated.

About the Book

Win or lose, one thing that’s true . . . No matter what, I love you!

Competition can bring out the worst in us, but it can also be an opportunity to learn impactful life lessons. That’s why it’s so important for kids to understand how to handle winning and losing!

Join Lulu and Max as they help Bear-Bear, Goosey, Coyote and the rest of their animal friends in the Field Day contests determine who will be the leader of Lulu’s forest.

But as the animals soon find out, not everyone can win. Sore losers, unkind winners, flaring tempers, and a few tears are taking the fun straight out of Field Day!

Just like Lulu and Max help the animals navigate the ups and downs of the day, with Win or Lose, I Love You parents will be equipped to help children:

• Replace the selfish characteristics of competition with an understanding of how to treat others fairly
• Overcome the tendency to display poor sportsmanship by using Biblical truths to develop a Christ-like attitude
• Reject the labels of winning and losing and embrace that they are loved no matter how they perform.
• Win or Lose, I Love You will show your child that, no matter what, their value is tied to who they are, not how they play!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers <http://booklookbloggers.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Book Review: The Beginners Bible All About Jesus

Katie January 6, 2016 0 Comments

The Beginner’s Bible: All About Jesus is a sticker and activity book.  The book tells the story about Jesus and also has a lot of Jesus related activities throughout like word searches, puzzles and other fun activities.  The book also comes with over 50 reusable stickers to help complete the pages in the activity book.

This is a fun way to teach your child about Jesus and to keep them interested with all of the included activities!

I received a free copy of this book in order to write this review.

About the Book

A sticker and activity book featuring the classic art from The Beginner’s Bible!

The story of Jesus comes to life through age-appropriate puzzles, activity pages, and stickers in The Beginner’s Bible All About Jesus Sticker and Activity Book- featuring classic art and simply written content from The Beginner’s Bible. Priced for impulse purchases making this a great gift.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers <http://booklookbloggers.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Book Review: Cute Emergency

Katie January 5, 2016 0 Comments

Having a bad day? Cute Emergency is here to help. The book is full of adorable animals and captions that are bound to make you smile at least once when you are reading it.  I absolutely loved seeing all the cute puppies, kittens, koalas, hedgehogs and all the other animals throughout.  The captions were pretty funny as well and the book certainly put me in a better mood after reading it!

I received a free copy of this book in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.

About the Book

Puppies in sunglasses. Sleeping kittens. A hedgehog in a teacup.

If the thought of animals in adorable situations makes you feel just a little bit happier, then Cute Emergency is the book for you. Based on the popular Twitter feed, it is the antidote to all of life’s little annoyances. Not even the coldest curmudgeon could stay frazzled when faced with the heart-melting animals and witty captions contained in these pages. So fulfill your recommended daily allowance of cuteness and let furry creatures come to your rescue!

Book Review: The Latecomers Fan Club

Katie January 1, 2016 0 Comments

The Latecomers Fan Club seemed like it would be more about a band, but by the time we are emerged into the story, Nathaniel’s band The Latecomers have already decided to split.  The book begins on New Year’s Eve, with Abby going to work and her boyfriend Nathaniel deciding to not spend the night with her and instead go to a party back home.  It is there he is reunited with one of his old friends, Maggie, and the love triangle of sorts begins.  The chapters alternate between Abby, Nathaniel and Maggie’s poits of views.

Nathaniel decides he is going to break up with Abby and make his dreams come true – that is until Abby lets him know what kind of news she found out on New Years Eve…

Things get a little complicated and for a while neither Abby nor Maggie know about each other, but when Nathaniel decides to get the band back together the two end up in the same room (along with another girl that is involved with Nathaniel) and then things really get interesting…

This was a decent book. It had a nice story line, a bit predictable at times and overall it didn’t wow me. But it was a fairly quick read and had some interesting characters that needed to find themselves and just what it was they wanted to do with their lives.

I received a free e-copy of this book in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.

About the Book

What is it about musicians that makes them so irresistible? If Abby and Maggie could answer that question, maybe they could finally get over Nathaniel.

Abby was first sucked in by Nathaniel’s rock and roll swagger four years ago when a drunken fling turned into a series of drunken hook-ups that became something like a relationship. Now, as New Year’s Eve promises a fresh start, she wants to believe he’s finally going to grow up and take their relationship seriously.

What does Nathaniel hope the New Year will bring? An escape from reality. He’s thirty-four years old and he’s barely making ends meet as an adjunct philosophy professor, which was always only a backup plan anyway. Nathaniel’s real goal was always to make his living as a musician, but his band, The Latecomers, broke up a couple of years ago, and he hasn’t picked up his guitar in months. When he decides to spend the holiday with some high school friends instead of hanging out at the bar where Abby works, he gets the happy surprise of reuniting with his long-lost friend Maggie. Newly divorced, Maggie has just moved back to her mother’s house to regroup.

Nathaniel and Maggie were supposed to be the ones who left central Massachusetts forever to conquer the world. He was going to be a rock star. She was going to take the world of art by storm. He’s never gotten farther than Boston, and her best efforts only left her broke and heartbroken. As they ring in the New Year together, Nathaniel decides it’s time to take control of his life and to start making his dreams come true. He thinks the first step will be easy. All he needs to do is break up with Abby and finally admit his feelings for Maggie. But the New Year has more surprises in store, and nothing is ever as simple as it seems.

Book Review: For the Record

Katie January 1, 2016 0 Comments

Chelsea was previously on a TV talent show, but she didn’t win.  She thought she could go back to her own little world, but then got the call asking to be the lead singer of the band Melbourne that is now going on a 30 city club tour.  For the Record shows life on the road for Chelsea with the band that is trying to tolerate her and her so called best friend who is on the tour as merch girl.

Then teen heartthrob Lucas Rivers gets thrown into the mix – he’s seeing Chelsea but no one seems to be happy about it.  And Chelsea may actually also have a thing for one of the band members as well…

This was a decent book for the YA crowd, but a bit boring for me who has read a lot more, uh, interesting tour stories.  But if you actually are a YA and interested in bands and tour stories, this seemed to have a decent amount of background work put into it about how tours really worked and seemed to be realistic in that regard.  and the relationships seemed legitimate as far as YA novels go as well.

I received a free e-copy of this book in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.

ABOUT THE BOOK
A raw, honest celebration of music, friendship, romance, and life on the road.

Chelsea thought she knew what being a rock star was like . . . until she became one. After losing a TV talent show, she slid back into small-town anonymity. But one phone call changed everything

Now she’s the lead singer of the band Melbourne, performing in sold-out clubs every night and living on a bus with three gorgeous and talented guys. The bummer is that the band barely tolerates her. And when teen hearthrob Lucas Rivers take an interest in her, Chelsea is suddenly famous, bringing Melbourne to the next level–not that they’re happy about that. Her feelings for Beckett, Melbourne’s bassist, are making life even more complicated.

Chelsea only has the summer tour to make the band–and their fans–love her. If she doesn’t, she’ll be back in Michigan for senior year, dying a slow death. The paparazzi, the haters, the grueling schedule . . . Chelsea believed she could handle it. But what if she can’t?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
CHARLOTTE HUANG grew up near Boston, graduated from Smith College, and received an MBA from Columbia Business School. She lives in Los Angeles. When not glued to her computer, she cheers her two sons on at sporting events and sometimes manages to stay up late enough to check out bands with her music-agent husband. For the Record is her first novel.