Sporadic Posting

I haven't posted in a while because (as a middle school teacher) I am now back at work full time as the winter holidays are over.  Be assured I am still reading quite a bit (not as much as I'd like, of course) and will try to update as much as possible.  I am keep my goodreads current however.

The Gutsy Girl: Escapades for Your Life of Epic Adventure by Caroline Paul
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book is split into ten chapters, each of which follow the author on one of her adventures. Some examples include her experience paragliding, kayaking through Croatia, and running into a burning building (as a firefighter). I enjoyed all of her stories, and I think young girls would have fun reading about her crazy adventures. On each page, there is some kind of quote or blurb about a "Gutsy Girl" who made history by doing something extraordinary. At the end of each chapter, there is a writing prompt that somehow relates to the moral of the chapter and space to journal. There are also practical survival tips scattered throughout the book, as well as cute maps/checklists/etc to inspire adventure.

I can definitely think of a few girls I know who I'd like to purchase this book for. I think it would be a fun way to get them reading, not to mention inspire them to push themselves a little further every day.

I received an ebook copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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Hostage Taker by Stefanie Pintoff
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Eve Rossi is a hostage negotiator for the FBI who is currently on hiatus after tragedy hits home. She is suddenly summoned back into action, and in order to be successful, she re-enlists the help of her team (called the Vidocq Unit). Mace, Garcia, Haddox, and Eli work with her to figure out who this Hostage Taker is and save innocent lives.

I loved the characters in this book. They are all ex-cons who have been recruited by the FBI to use their skills to catch other bad guys. There was plenty of action and twists, and I never could figure out who the Hostage Taker was until the very end. I can't wait for the next installment!

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All Roads Lead to Hades by K.S. Morgan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received an ebook copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Jamie is living with a horrible past--his entire family was killed in front of his eyes when he was only five years old. The murderer was never found, and since then, he has been haunted by the man who continues to attack the people he loves. Then, a man named Kyle comes out of nowhere and offers Jamie a safe haven. The two grow closer, but Kyle maintains some secrets about his past...

I enjoyed this book and I couldn't put it down! There was a lot of suspense, and I could never figure Kyle out until it is revealed at the end. There was a lot of disturbing content, but I thought it was believable and I never thought it was weird. I would have liked to see a little more character development as we seemed to jump into the action almost right away. Kyle is kind of creepy, and yet Jamie apparently puts a lot of trust into him very quickly. Also, scenes like the Trick-Or-Treating was so cute I would have liked to read more. Overall, I really liked it and I'm looking forward to more from the author.

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In This Together: My Story by Ann Romney
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Ann Romney was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 1998. This is her story about her reaction to finding out she had the disease and what she is doing to deal with it.

I thought the story was interesting to read, if anything just to learn about someone's experiences with MS. Romney wrote in a very easy-to-read manner, but it was very repetitive. It almost seemed like she wrote each chapter in isolation because she would repeat so much.

Time to find more books about people with MS--I'm curious to find out how other people are combating their symptoms, especially those in a more debilitating stage of MS.

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The Mariposa Hotel by Julie Wright
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book is a collection of three short stories following different characters all set within the same hotel.

The first story, The Ghost of 913, was my favorite. Mari is a young maid going to school for a bachelor's degree, with plans of going to law school. Grant is a U.S. Marshall on assignment protecting a key witness in an upcoming trial. He is staying at the hotel Mari works at. I loved these characters and the chemistry between them. Their interactions were really sweet, and honestly, I thought it was a nice change to see how nervous the guy got when interacting with a confident, beautiful woman (who is "only" a maid).

The second story, Butterfly Kisses, was my least favorite. Ridley is a famous photographer and Brooke is a plastic surgeon. I thought their interactions were awkward, especially all of the Tom Hiddleston stuff...

The last story, Dreams Come True, was pretty cute. Raegan is the events coordinator at the hotel and Kevin is a famous producer who is hosting a charity event at the hotel. I liked them together at the beginning of the story, but things get a little weird/complicated when Kevin's niece and his sister come in to the mix. It shifted the focus from the new couple.

Overall, I would recommend this book for the first story itself! I'm looking forward to catching up on the previous two books in the series.

I received a copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

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Grumpy Cat, Volume 1 by Ben McCool
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I am a huge fan of Grumpy Cat, but I'm assuming people who choose to read this graphic novel are fans as well so I'm not going to count that as biased. I loved this book--I thought all of the artwork was very cute and the dialogue seemed to fit Grumpy Cat's personality. I enjoyed the contrast between Grumpy and her sister Pokey. Pokey gets so excited about everything while Grumpy tries to shoot it down. I liked all of the stories, but if I had to pick a favorite it would be "Detective Cats." Grumpy and Pokey dress up like detectives with a film noir theme.

I recieved an ebook copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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