Welcome to Book Lovers Paradise

Welcome to my attempt at blogging. I am a true to heart bibliophile. Here I will discuss and review books as I read them. You are welcome to do the same. The only rules are no profanity, no politics, no religion, and have fun!
Donna

Friday, June 15, 2012


SUMMER AT FORSAKEN LAKE
BY
MICHAEL D. BEIL
published by Random House Children's Books
received from NetGalley for review

about the book:
With their father en route to Africa for Doctors Without Borders, city-kids Nicholas and younger twin sisters Haley and Hetty are off to spend the summer with their Great-Uncle Nick at his house on Forsaken Lake. Despite some initial doubts, Nicholas is right at home in the country: he learns to sail, learns about his father as a boy, and makes fast friends with a local-girl, the tomboy Charlie.

The summer takes a turn toward the mysterious, though, when Nicholas discovers an old movie that his father made as a boy: it tells the story of the local legend, The Seaweed Strangler, but was never finished. Before long Nicholas wants answers both about the legend, and about the movie. Together, he and Charlie work to uncover the truth and discover some long-buried family secrets along the way.

In this lovely middle-grade novel, Michael D. Beil has invoked one of his own favorites, We Didn't Mean to Go to Sea, as well as other great summer books of years-past.

MY REVIEW


A quiet gentle book that is a perfect choice for summer reading.  This book will appeal to middle graders.  The characters are full of life and engaging.  The story is not too frightening but has just enough suspense to keep the reader entertained and intrigued.  

I recommend this book for  middle graders.  I've added it to my son's summer reading list.



Thursday, June 14, 2012


We'd like to bring to your attention a great new book
SPECTRAL
BY
SHANNON DUFFY
from
TRIBUTE BOOKS
available now

about the book:
Spectral Summary
Convinced she’s a part of the witness protection program, sixteen-year-old Jewel Rose is shuffled around the globe with her family like a pack of traveling gypsies. After arriving at lucky home twenty-seven, she stumbles upon a mysterious boy with magical powers claiming to be her guardian . . . and warning of imminent danger. Despite the obvious sparks between them, Jewel discovers a relationship is forbidden, and the more she learns about dark, brooding Roman, she begins to question who she can even believe — the family who raised her, or the supposed sworn protector who claims they’ve been lying to her all along.

As she struggles to uncover who her family has really been running from, she is forced to hide her birthmark that reveals who she is. With new realities surfacing, unexplained powers appearing, and two tempting boys vying for her heart, Jewel battles to learn who she can trust in an ever growing sea of lies, hoping she’ll make it through her seventeenth birthday alive.

My take on SPECTRAL
Well, I just loved the cover.  It is hauntingly beautiful.
The characters left a bit to be desired.  Couldn't relate to any of them.
The plot, however, was just amazing, and more than made up for the lack of personality with the characters.
Shannon Duffy has a unique writing style.  Even without any great love for the main characters, I was able to enjoy this book.  I'm looking forward to more by Shannon.



3.5/5 stars



about the author

Shannon Duffy's Bio:
Shannon Duffy writes young adult and middle grade fiction. She grew up on the beautiful east coast of Canada and now lives in Ontario, Canada. She is the mom of one boy, Gabriel, her angel. She loves writing, reading, working out, soccer, and the sport of champions-shopping. She is the author of the young adult paranormal romance, SPECTRAL. Her upcoming middle grade fantasy novel, GABRIEL STONE AND THE DIVINITY OF VALTA is scheduled for a January 2013 release.

I'll bet you're asking yourself "where can I get a copy of SPECTRAL?"
WELL, I'm including all the links

Kindle buy link - $2.99

Nook buy link - $4.95

iBookstore buy link - $4.99
Coming Soon

Google buy link - $3.79

Smashwords buy link - $4.99

PDF buy link - $4.95


i would also like to include some important links about Shannon and SPECTRAL

Spectral web site:
  
Spectral Twitter hashtag:
#Spectral

Spectral GoodReads page:

Shannon Duffy's Facebook:

Shannon Duffy's Twitter:

Shannon Duffy's Website:

Shannon Duffy's Blog:

Shannon Duffy's GoodReads:

Tribute Books website:

Tribute Books Facebook:

Tribute Books Twitter:

Tribute Books Blog Tours Facebook:


  








Monday, June 11, 2012


Cheesie and Georgie are back, and this time they're off to the greatest summer camp in Maine. As the oldest of the Little Guy campers, they'll get to make the campfires and choose the sports teams. It's sure to be their best summer yet!

Then disaster strikes. Cheesie and Georgie are put in a cabin with the Big Guy campers, including Cheesie's archenemy, Kevin Welch. Now the youngest—and smallest—of the Big Guys, Cheesie has no choice but to use his brains to fight Kevin's brawn—he challenges the bully to a Cool Duel. The adventure that follows includes a toilet on a wall, a headless skateboarder, a garter snake mustache, and the scariest ghost story ever told. Will Cheesie survive to start middle school? 

With plenty of lists, drawings, and made-up words, Cheesie—with a little help from Steve Cotler—tells the story of the best worst summer ever.

MY REVIEW
Cheesie and his sidekick Georgie are back! This time they are in summer camp in Maine, the best camp in the world! The boys are supposed to have the best summer of their young lives. They are scheduled to be the oldest kids in the Little Guy cabin at camp. Well, guess what? It doesn't happen that way. Through chance they end up the youngest kids in the Big Guy camp. Imagine being the only 11 year olds among a bunch of 13 year old boys...Yea, not too much fun. Between the teasing and bullying, it's not turning out to be such a great summer for Cheesie and Georgie. Cheesie decides to challenge Kevin, one of the big kids, to a 'cool duel'. Now, incidentally, Kevin is the boyfriend of Cheesie's older tweenage sister June, also known as Goon. 


Cheesie must rely on his wits to win the 'cool duel' contest.


Steve Cotler has done it again! (This is Cheesie's second great adventure). The book is written in the form of a diary from the viewpoint of Cheesie himself. Mr. Cotler has the unique ability to teach young readers to learn. He uses real and made up words with kid friendly definitions, as well as tidbits about history and other interesting facts. 


I loved Cheesie's interactions with his older sister Goon. I enjoyed reading about the 'points battle' between the two. This book is full of laughter and learning. Don't forget to visit Cheesie online at CheesieMack.com


Target audience is tween boys. If you liked the "Wimpy Kids" books, you should like Cheesie Mack.



you can learn more about Steve Cotler at




Sunday, June 10, 2012

Night Buddies and the Pineapple Cheesecake Scare by Sands H


NIGHT BUDDIES AND THE PINEAPPLE CHEESECAKE SCARE
BY
SANDS HETHERINGTON

about the story
When pineapple cheesecakes start disappearing from the world's only Pineapple Cheesecake Factory across town, Crosley, a zany red crocodile, enlists the help of young John Degraffenreidt to straighten things out. In this adventure-fantasy, the unlikely pair sneaks out of John's house by becoming invisible, thanks to the I-ain't-here doodad Crosley uses from the bunch of whatchamacallits hanging on his belt.

On the way to the subway they get better acquainted, and John finds out the wacky reason Crosley is red, and also what happens if he gets any water on him. They get on the Night Folks Limited train and ride all the way to the Cheesecake Factory where they meet the giant manager, Big Foot Mae.


There is danger ahead, but the Night Buddies must stay with their "Program" (the Night Buddies word for Adventure) if the world's supply of pineapple cheesecakes counts for anything. And it surely does, especially to Crosley who is totally goofy about the things and never seems to get his fill.

MY REVIEW
What a delightfully fun story. A red crocodile living under the bed, best kind of monster a kid could have in his room. John Degraffenreidt is a young boy who does not want to sleep at night (parents, does this sound familiar?). John and his new friend , night buddie, Crosley the red crocodile, engage in a wonderful adventure. They are going to the only Pineapple Cheesecake factory to discover why the cheesecakes are disappearing.

This is a fantastic story, hopefully the first of many adventures with John and Crosley. It will certainly hold the interest of the young reader. Crosley has his own vocabulary that will keep the reader on his toes. This is a story full of imagination and fun!

"LIKE" THE FACEBOOK PAGE AT https://www.facebook.com/NightBuddies 



we have the incredible good fortune of having Sands Hetherington here today for a guest post.


Thank you Sands Hetherington!

Thanks for having me, Donna.  My little book is called Night Buddies and the Pineapple Cheesecake Scare and it’s due out on the first of June.  I think you’ll like it.  It’s certainly been a hit with a couple of hundred kids I’ve tried it out on in schools.  It has two principal characters: John, a young boy who isn’t ready to go to bed yet, and Crosley, a bright-red crocodile who shows up to rescue him.  Crosley works for Night Buddies Amalgamated, is what is going on.  This organization pairs up kids and crocodiles so they can sneak out on adventures whenever the kids can’t sleep.

Crosley is red because he is allergic to water.  Well, not directly.  If he gets much water on him, he breaks out doing the Black Bottom dance and has to keep going for hours.  Unless he takes his antidote pills.  They stop the Black Bottom quickly enough but turn him red at the same time.  It’s a side-effect.

Crosley has this bunch of little magic whatchamacallits on his belt, and he and John use one to become invisible, and they slip right past John’s parents and out into the Borough.

Adventures are called Programs in the Night Buddies, and tonight’s Program is to go find out why the whole world’s supply of pineapple cheesecakes is drying up.  I should have mentioned that John likes pineapple cheesecakes and Crosley is absolutely goofy about them, so this is a real emergency.

The Program runs way late, of course, and gets crazy and scary, and when it’s finally over and John gets home, he has no trouble falling asleep.  This is the Night Buddies system working.  The very next time John can’t sleep, Crosley will be back.  Alert to readers: the next Program is really long, and our friends get this really cool flying machine and spend the whole night swooping from one wild episode to the next.  You can check it out in this fall.

Very briefly about me: I’m an old man and live on the edge of town with two Saint Bernards named Maggie and Dudley.  I studied literature in college and graduate school and wrote a dozen or so adult short stories.  I gave it up for other pursuits.  In middle-age I produced a son and named him John.  Like the kid in the story, I didn’t give him a middle name.  I became his single parent when he was six.

John is who invented Crosley.  Okay, let me back up: I always read to him from a very early age and without fail.  One night when I was done reading (I think he was six), I may have suggested he make up a companion to finish going off to sleep with.  Then maybe I didn’t; he may have done it on his own.  Pretty soon, though, there was Crosley: red color, goofy name and all.  It was all John.

So at bedtime we started throwing Crosley ideas around and inventing episodes.  This went on for a year or more, and even though we did stop, Crosley had become a real member of the family and would pop up in conversation for years.  Eventually I decided to put him and John into a story.  The problem was, I had to figure out why Crosley was red.  I couldn’t just dump him on the reader like that without explaining.  I could have dropped the red part, but Crosley was such a family pet that I didn’t want to compromise him in any way.  Finally it dawned on me: the business about the water allergy and pills, and then everything fell into place.  Crosley began as a lights-out buddy, so let’s go on and make him a member of Night Buddies Amalgamated, right?  And throw in that he’s a pineapple cheesecake freak and have a pineapple cheesecake emergency, and there’s the whole gist.  But I want to say again that John invented Crosley.  I only explained him and porked him out a bit.

This was my first children’s story.  One thing I discovered is that there is little difference in kids’ fiction and older peoples’ stuff.  They both use characters and plots and backgrounds and dialogue and all the rest of it.  The only difference worth mentioning is that kids’ stories can use magic.

Thanks again for inviting me in.


Sands Hetherington


Thank you Sands.  I loved Night Buddies and look forward to more adventures, umm  'Programs' for Crosley and John.







GARDEN OF THE LOST SOULS
BOOK TWO
OF
FLIN'S DESTINY

about the book:
(from Amazon.com)
After Flin and Flowell get carried away inside the stomach of a giant jellyfish, Flin stumbles upon a leprechaun village just below the Earth's surface. A magical jadestone keeps this village, called Clover Cavern, alive with magic and hidden from others. This stone was once given to the leprechauns by Flin's great-grandfather, Hovgard Newby, hundreds of years earlier. When this precious jadestone is stolen, Flin is asked by Froggit, Head Leprechaun of Clover Cavern, to find it and save the village from death. While Flin is busy trying to find the stone, Flowell, one of his best friends, gets captured by Blade, an evil threat in the underworld, and must be rescued before it's too late.

MY REVIEW


This is the second book in Flin's Destiny series.  It is a middle grade book perfect for the young reader.  
There is a fantastic leprechaun village, Clover Cavern and Flin is recruited by Froggit, head leprechaun, to find a stolen jadestone.


This story is full of fun and adventures.  Appropriate for the middle grade student.  Characters are engaging and the story hold the readers attention.  The vocabulary is challenging but not too difficult.


If young readers enjoyed Cobble Cavern (and I know everyone did!) I strong encourage them to read Garden of Lost Souls.



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