Book Review: The Boy Who Changed The World by Andy Andrews, Illustrated by Philip Hurst

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ 

This book is about a boy who changed the world by doing small things in the past. The book tells us that everything we do matters. Even how small and insignificant we think it is, it can be life altering to someone. I read the book to my 4 year old son and I was surprised that I was able to make him understand that the things he does now matters even if he thinks he's only a boy. I love the graphics and the colors are perfect for my young son.

My husband who is a guidance counselor working in a school also enjoyed reading this book. The book is perfect to read for preschool kids and preschool teachers, a great addition to your collection of children's books.







Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a review copy of this book free from BookSneeze through the book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Book Review: Storm Born by Richelle Mead

Title: Storm Born
Author: Richelle Mead
Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Zebra; 3rd edition (August 1, 2008)

Ratings:

★ ★ 

My thoughts:

I love LOVE Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy and Georgina Kincaid series. However, this book didn't capture my heart. It took me a whole month to finish the story and i really couldn't connect with Eugenie's life. It was intriguing at first, her job as a shaman but then something's wrong. 

I was looking for a nice romance, yes Eugenie has two guys in her life but perhaps there was too much steamy sex here? I don't know. While with Georgina Kincaid, Anita Blake and Riley Jenson series, there are a lot of steamy sex there but the sex made the books so much more interesting but with Eugenie, it gets boring??

Yes, I will still be reading book 2, I hope it will be a good follow up, hoping I won't be wasting my time reading it. 

About the book:

"Just typical. No love life to speak of for months, then all at once, every creature in the Otherworld wants to get in your pants...

Eugenie Markham is a powerful shaman who does a brisk trade banishing spirits and fey who cross into the mortal world. Mercenary, yes, but a girl's got to eat. Her most recent case, however, is enough to ruin her appetite. Hired to find a teenager who has been taken to the Otherworld, Eugenie comes face to face with a startling prophecy--one that uncovers dark secrets about her past and claims that Eugenie's first-born will threaten the future of the world as she knows it.

Now Eugenie is a hot target for every ambitious demon and Otherworldy ne'er-do-well, and the ones who don't want to knock her up want her dead. Eugenie handles a Glock as smoothly as she wields a wand, but she needs some formidable allies for a job like this. She finds them in Dorian, a seductive fairy king with a taste for bondage, and Kiyo, a gorgeous shape-shifter who redefines animal attraction. But with enemies growing bolder and time running out, Eugenie realizes that the greatest danger is yet to come, and it lies in the dark powers that are stirring to life within her..."

About the author

Scorpio Richelle Mead is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of urban fantasy books for both adults and teens.  Originally from Michigan, Richelle now lives in Seattle, Washington where she works on her three series full-time. Before becoming a writer, she considered a few different career paths. She received a liberal arts degree from the University of Michigan, an MA in Comparative Religion from Western Michigan University, and a Master in Teaching (Middle & High School English) degree from the University of Washington. In the end, she decided writing was the way for her but believes all of her education prepared her for it.

A life-long reader, Richelle has always had a particular fascination with mythology and folklore. When not writing,, she enjoys bad reality TV, traveling, trying interesting cocktails, and shopping for dresses. Lots of dresses. She is a self-professed coffee addict, fights a constant (and losing) battle with procrastination, and has a passion for all things wacky and humorous.

http://www.richellemead.com/

Book Review : Blue Bloods by Melissa dela Cruz

Title: Blue Bloods (Book 1 of Blue Bloods Series)
Author: Melissa dela Cruz
Paperback: 336 Pages 
Publisher: Hyperion Book CH (March 27, 2007)

Ratings:

★ ★

My thoughts:

My first book for the September challenge. I picked up this book since the cover looks good and also I've read a number of good reviews about this series.

Ohwwwkay. Where to start?
 Names and characters. I didn't like the names, especially the main character Schuyler, too weird for me and there were also a lot of characters in this book. I understand that the story needs it but there were a lot, like more than 15 people mentioned in this book that I was having a hard time remembering all of them.

Well the story, at first it was great. The author tried to give a whole new history on how the vampires existed. There were twist and turns however it was presented in a way too complicated and too confusing for the readers.

 The storyline was like reading Gossip Girl with B and S turned vampires. The descriptions of the things like designer clothes, bags, fame and money were unnecessary and can be distracting.

 The author told the story using almost everyone's POV which made it harder to understand. It keeps on jumping to another POV that made it impossible to get to know the characters one by one. I found myself skimming all over the book so I could be done reading it. It didn't have the "peak" which I keep on hoping to read because I've read good reviews on this book. Well, it ended with nothing to think about. I guess I will be okay without reading the sequel.

I didn't like the story but here are some of the positive reviews for this book: read HERE

About the book:

Within New York City’s most elite families, there lurks a secret society of celebrated Americans whose ancestors sailed on the Mayflower. They are the powerful and the wealthy—and in fact, they are not human. They are the Blue Bloods, an ancient group of vampires.

Schuyler Van Alen has never fit in at Duchesne, her prestigious New York City private school. She prefers baggy, vintage clothes instead of the Prada and pearls worn by her classmates, and she lives with her reclusive grandmother in a dilapidated mansion. Schuyler is a loner—and happy that way.

But when she turns fifteen, Schuyler’s life changes dramatically. She has a mosaic of blue veins on her arms, and craves raw meat. The death of a popular girl from Duchesne is surrounded by a mystery that haunts her. And strangest off all, Jack Force, the most popular boy in school, is showing a sudden interest in her.

She wants to find out the secrets the Blue Bloods are keeping. But is she herself in danger?

About the author:

Melissa de la Cruz is the New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of many critically acclaimed and award-winning novels for teens including The Au Pairs series, the Blue Bloods series, the Ashleys series, the Angels on Sunset Boulevard series and the semi-autobiographical novel Fresh off the Boat.

Her books for adults include the novel Cat's Meow, the anthology Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys and the tongue-in-chic handbooks How to Become Famous in Two Weeks or Less and The Fashionista Files: Adventures in Four-inch heels and Faux-Pas.

She has worked as a fashion and beauty editor and has written for many publications including The New York Times, Marie Claire, Harper's Bazaar, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Allure, The San Francisco Chronicle, McSweeney's, Teen Vogue, CosmoGirl! and Seventeen. She has also appeared as an expert on fashion, trends and fame for CNN, E! and FoxNews.
Melissa grew up in Manila and moved to San Francisco with her family, where she graduated high school salutatorian from The Convent of the Sacred Heart. She majored in art history and English at Columbia University (and minored in nightclubs and shopping!).

She now divides her time between New York and Los Angeles, where she lives in the Hollywood Hills with her husband and daughter. - Amazon

Author's website: http://melissa-delacruz.com/