tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61022173292469832872024-03-17T23:04:01.012-04:00Rina's ReadingRina's Readinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06903030487241102205noreply@blogger.comBlogger293125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102217329246983287.post-69303540321400043032019-06-07T13:21:00.001-04:002019-06-07T13:58:06.777-04:00List of Books mentioned in "Mr. Lemoncello's Great Library Race"<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1482844108l/31226744.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1482844108l/31226744.jpg" width="131" /></a>No where online can I find a list of the books mentioned in Chris Grabenstein's <i>Mr. Lemoncello's Great Library Race</i>, the third book in the fantabulous, "wondermous" Mr. Lemoncello's Library series. I've read the first book several times to 3rd, 4th and 5th grade classes.<br />
<br />
Here's the list as recorded on pages 276 and 277 of the book:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><i>The Age of Edison: Electric Ligth and the Invention of Modern America</i> by Ernest Freeberg</li>
<li><i>Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day</i> by Judith Viorst</li>
<li><i>Charlie and the Chocolate Factory </i>by Roald Dahl</li>
<li><i>Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs </i>by Judi Barrett and Ron Barrett</li>
<li><i>The Crossover</i> by Kwame Alexander</li>
<li><i>The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm</i> by Nancy Farmer</li>
<li>The Encyclopedia Brown series by Donald J. Sobol</li>
<li><i>Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library</i> by Chris Grabenstein</li>
<li><i>Everything on a Waffle</i> by Polly Horvath</li>
<li><i>Finding the Worm</i> by Mark Goldblatt</li>
<li><i>Fortunately, the Milk</i> by Neil Gaiman</li>
<li><i>Frindle</i> by Andrew Clements</li>
<li><i>The Gollywhopper Games</i> by Jody Feldman</li>
<li>The Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling</li>
<li><i>Hatchet</i> by Gary Paulsen</li>
<li><i>The Higher Power of Lucky</i> by Susan Patron</li>
<li><i>Horton Hatches the Egg</i> by Dr. Seuss</li>
<li><i>Julie of the Wolves </i>by Jean Craighead George</li>
<li><i>Laughing at My Nightmare</i> by Shane Burcaw</li>
<li><i>Lawrence of Arabia: The Authorized Biography of T. E. Lawrence</i> by Jeremy Wilson</li>
<li><i>The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe</i> by C.S. Lewis</li>
<li><i>Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel</i> by Virginia Lee Burton</li>
<li><i>Oh, the Places You'll Go!</i> by Dr. Seuss</li>
<li><i>Penny from Heaven</i> by Jennifer L. Holm</li>
<li>The Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan</li>
<li><i>Peter Pan</i> by J. M. Barrie</li>
<li><i>Pinocchio</i> by Carlo Collodi</li>
<li><i>The Puzzling World of Winston Breen</i> by Eric Berlin</li>
<li><i>Roget and His Thesaurus </i>by Jen Bryant</li>
<li><i>Seabiscuit: An American Legend</i> by Laura Hillenbrand</li>
<li><i>Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made</i> by Stephan Pastis</li>
<li><i>Unstoppable</i> by Tim Green</li>
<li><i>The Very Hungry Caterpillar </i>by Eric Carle</li>
<li><i>The Westing Game</i> by Ellen Raskin</li>
<li><i>Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West</i> by Gregory Maguire</li>
<li><i>Wonder</i> by R. J. Palacio</li>
<li><i>The Wonderful Wizard of Oz </i>by L. Frank Baum</li>
<li><i>A Year Down Yonder</i> by Richard Peck</li>
</ul>
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<br /></div>
<div>
P.S. Take a look at <a href="https://www.listchallenges.com/books-mentioned-in-mr-lemoncellos-great" target="_blank">this List Challenge</a> to see how many you have read! </div>
Rina's Readinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06903030487241102205noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102217329246983287.post-19921939985744692902015-06-24T16:44:00.000-04:002015-06-24T16:48:17.948-04:00Draven’s Light by Anne Elisabeth Stengl<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI0yrNUpTt8YL1DRb_wQYTgTPj19vC0Kp0WcVOkWvuaCYxmKuo6_z_AjkOgiHB9bpIR-y_X7ggy8vpYDg2axxHoU6flxr8qEzbzbCjOVdAwycFWchhFfgtCP82vLB6gULfo2rKigtO9hg/s1600/Draven%2527sLightCover-compressed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI0yrNUpTt8YL1DRb_wQYTgTPj19vC0Kp0WcVOkWvuaCYxmKuo6_z_AjkOgiHB9bpIR-y_X7ggy8vpYDg2axxHoU6flxr8qEzbzbCjOVdAwycFWchhFfgtCP82vLB6gULfo2rKigtO9hg/s200/Draven%2527sLightCover-compressed.jpg" title="Draven’s Light by Anne Elisabeth Stengl" width="129" /></a><i>Draven’s Light</i> by Anne Elisabeth Stengl. Rooglewood Press, 2015. 189p. (9781942379027) Series: Tales of Goldstone Wood, #7.5 <br />
<br />
One day the Tales of Goldstone Wood are going to be a classic in the fantasy genre. In the mean time you should start reading the books so that you can enjoy this fabulous world before everyone else! This novella is an easy place to start and is a great example of the author’s talent for storytelling. <br />
<br />
<b>Goodreads Summary:</b><br />
In the Darkness of the Pit<br />
The Light Shines Brightest<br />
<br />
Drums summon the chieftain’s powerful son to slay a man in cold blood and thereby earn his place among the warriors. But instead of glory, he earns the name Draven, “Coward.” When the men of his tribe march off to war, Draven remains behind with the women and his shame. Only fearless but crippled Ita values her brother’s honor.<br />
<br />
The warriors return from battle victorious yet trailing a curse in their wake. One by one the strong and the weak of the tribe fall prey to an illness of supernatural power. The secret source of this evil can be found and destroyed by only the bravest heart.<br />
<br />
But when the curse attacks the one Draven loves most, can this coward find the courage he needs to face the darkness?<br />
<br />
<b>My Review:</b><br />
This is a story within a story and not until the very end are we told the connection – one that I didn’t see coming. It’s a smooth transition between the two stories and just like the little girl who carries the water gift up to the Brothers building the Great House and who is being told the story of Draven and the tribe across the river, so the reader will keep returning to hear the story being told by the Kind One.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicgzANYhh32cwWFKm9hp_3FBXOmW6O0vHRvLGZED_XWbxU7jPZ2MF8oka9qtzpEgnZhXE2qiVwqYNlCyrnrGVNAo0Y4PBeAvOuHF7iYajQ_XO_XuKdxL4oVOpDIC6Coi_vwxquZkk1FOI/s1600/akilun.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicgzANYhh32cwWFKm9hp_3FBXOmW6O0vHRvLGZED_XWbxU7jPZ2MF8oka9qtzpEgnZhXE2qiVwqYNlCyrnrGVNAo0Y4PBeAvOuHF7iYajQ_XO_XuKdxL4oVOpDIC6Coi_vwxquZkk1FOI/s200/akilun.jpg" title="a sketch of Akilun by the author Anne Elisabeth Stengl" width="151" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Akilun as A.E. Stengl<br />
imagines him</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Fans of the series will recognize the Kind One as Akilun and the other brother as Etanun. This tale takes place before the events of Dragonwitch though it could be read at any point.<br />
<br />
The story itself is a tale of despair, turmoil, pain yet hope and yearning for Something. Of cruel raids on neighboring tribes (not told about in detail), of stark courage to show compassion, of enduring despite pain and a fight for life against an unseen evil. It is an amazing story that never preaches about good vs evil and the courage to do what is right even though it goes against everything they’ve been taught.<br />
<br />
Even though this is Draven’s story, his sister Ita is the real heroine of the story. But I can’t tell you more because that would spoil the story. <br />
<br />
If you enjoy adventure and brave heroes and heroines than this is a novella worth reading.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpL90DnK_94G0QBLqLBdhn5fibwIm7rkVmbb2P7jrY5HvtOP9ugJUUyJCckhCEZrBLlzt0pWVDzMxm4zu03mX0L03e-X_obbNuhPDak9xkhp__YkgnZfs10Vw1eqihJmy3xxTMziiVbsU/s1600/5butterflies+-+caption.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="75" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpL90DnK_94G0QBLqLBdhn5fibwIm7rkVmbb2P7jrY5HvtOP9ugJUUyJCckhCEZrBLlzt0pWVDzMxm4zu03mX0L03e-X_obbNuhPDak9xkhp__YkgnZfs10Vw1eqihJmy3xxTMziiVbsU/s320/5butterflies+-+caption.png" title="5 stars for Draven's Light - go buy, borrow or beg this book right now!" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<b>Go read it!</b> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1942379021/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1942379021&linkCode=as2&tag=rinsrea-20&linkId=4O7UEME3DQTZQHT4" target="_blank">Buy it from Amazon</a> ($2.99/$9.49) ; <a href="http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?event=AFF&amp;p=1166384&amp;item_no=379029" target="_blank">Buy it from ChristianBooks.com</a> ($8.90 pb); <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=6OqI1zy9HeM&subid=&offerid=239662.1&type=10&tmpid=8432&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.barnesandnoble.com%252Fw%252Fdravens-light-anne-elisabeth-stengl%252F1121697955%253Fean%253D9781942379027" target="_blank">Buy it from Barnes & Noble</a> ($2.99/$9.49); <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/dravens-light/id982598404?mt=11" target="_blank">Buy the ebook from iTunes</a> ($2.99)<br />
<br />
(Ebook/paperback prices good as of June 24, 2015 always double check for yourself)<br />
<br />
<br />
Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher. 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.<br />
<br />
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<i>~~~</i></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Remember - Anytime you visit <a href="http://www.amazon.com/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=ur2&tag=rinsrea-20" target="_blank">Amazon.com</a> or <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=6OqI1zy9HeM&subid=&offerid=239662.1&type=10&tmpid=8433&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.barnesandnoble.com%252F">BarnesAndNoble.com</a> or <a href="http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/home?event=AFF&amp;p=1166384">ChristianBooks.com</a> or <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/?aff=ReadingRina">Independent Bookstores</a> use an affiliate link to get there. Any purchase you make from a link on my site generates a small kickback. You need not purchase the item I'm featuring, any purchase counts. It costs you nothing extra and is an easy way to support this site.</span></div>
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Rina's Readinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06903030487241102205noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102217329246983287.post-85946494988516670752015-06-22T20:26:00.000-04:002015-06-22T20:29:42.472-04:00A Love Like Ours by Becky Wade<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; tab-stops: right 6.5in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv4M5xyA0MrJsodLuuGTr2xUSeeseYLmi2K3k0RxdmtpcPTKCcmnGMrTPnJyr-uJk1JsSxFsbs3l6cQtS5QKcb2kIJSKaD6dwpJKejiXgd2De6iEX8Eozu02dKcAz0bu2rg8tD1s9U2EA/s1600/Love_like_ours.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv4M5xyA0MrJsodLuuGTr2xUSeeseYLmi2K3k0RxdmtpcPTKCcmnGMrTPnJyr-uJk1JsSxFsbs3l6cQtS5QKcb2kIJSKaD6dwpJKejiXgd2De6iEX8Eozu02dKcAz0bu2rg8tD1s9U2EA/s200/Love_like_ours.jpg" title="A Love Like Ours by Becky Wade" width="128" /></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A Love Like Ours </i>by
Becky Wade. Bethany House, 2015. 352p. (9780764211096) Series: The Porter Family,
#3 </div>
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We finally get to meet tall, dark and brooding Jake Porter! And he
is that. Tall. Dark. And brooding. For two books now, <a href="http://rinasreading.blogspot.com/2013/04/undeniably-yours-by-becky-wade.html" target="_blank"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Undeniably Yours</i></a>
and <a href="http://rinasreading.blogspot.com/2014/05/blog-tour-and-review-meant-to-be-mine.html" target="_blank"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Meant to Be Mine,</i></a><a href="http://rinasreading.blogspot.com/2014/05/blog-tour-and-review-meant-to-be-mine.html"></a>
we’ve gotten bits and pieces of his story. And this book doesn’t disappoint. </div>
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<b>Goodreads Summary:</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Former Marine Jake Porter has far deeper scars than the one that marks his face. He struggles with symptoms of PTSD, lives a solitary life, and avoids relationships.</div>
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<br /></div>
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When Lyndie
James, Jake’s childhood best friend, lands back in Holley, Texas, Jake cautiously
hires her to exercise his Thoroughbreds. Lyndie is tender-hearted, fiercely
determined, and afraid of nothing, just like she was as a child. Jake pairs her
with Silver Leaf, a horse full of promise but lacking in results, hoping she
can solve the mystery of the stallion’s reluctance to run.</div>
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Though Jake
and Lyndie have grown into very different adults, the bond that existed during
their childhood still ties them together. Against Jake’s will, Lyndie’s
sparkling, optimistic personality begins to tear down the walls he’s built
around his heart. A glimmer of the hope he’d thought he’d lost returns, but
fears and regrets still plague him. Will Jake ever be able to love Lyndie like
she deserves, or is his heart too shattered to mend?</div>
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<b>My Review:</b></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3z1rhuQpvCAaqVFMjvBrhWQREqsAmoO6WV4seU1A4k4RRR-_pH821Ltf0D8yWLsC6jmQMkqLkfMjaTbGilcsJjHR9MT-GQbjFirh_46aIQpefkLLQWcsAyMgdbyr8-26AMdJLMxcqsYw/s1600/chantal+sutherland.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3z1rhuQpvCAaqVFMjvBrhWQREqsAmoO6WV4seU1A4k4RRR-_pH821Ltf0D8yWLsC6jmQMkqLkfMjaTbGilcsJjHR9MT-GQbjFirh_46aIQpefkLLQWcsAyMgdbyr8-26AMdJLMxcqsYw/s200/chantal+sutherland.jpg" width="155" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Real life jockey Chantal <br />
Sutherland, one of <br />
the inspirations for Lyndie<br />
(<a href="https://www.pinterest.com/beckywadewriter/a-love-like-ours/" target="_blank">from Becky's Pinterest</a>)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Even though
this is Jake’s story in the Porter Family Novels series, Lyndie is who I
remember best. She’s fun, determined, stubborn, creative, caring, strong. The list goes
on. She's exactly who Jake needs. He just doesn't want to accept that fact. Her character traits shine through her actions as the author does a nice
job of showing not telling us. </div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Lyndie’s
neighbor Amber is another memorable character and I really enjoyed the side
story of Amber’s foray back into the dating world. While dragging Lyndie along
with her. :-)<br />
<br />
Plus she’s the same Amber from book one, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Undeniably Yours</i>. Which is also a great book – I just now got
sidetracked and read almost half of it because I’d forgotten the details of
Amber’s past. And as soon as I’m done posting this I’ll finish the book.</div>
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Celia’s
bakery from book two plays an important role in the beginning and the Porter
family gets together for dinner a number of times, so for all you fans of the
first two books, you can see how everyone is getting on. There is a fourth book
coming in the series, so hold on to your hats because the lone Porter girl’s
story is coming next.</div>
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But what I
like best about this book is not the romance – though that is very well written
and the tension of it drives the book, but the issues that the author brings to
light and weaves into her tail. Life isn’t a walk in the park and this book
reflects that. Jake struggles with PTSD. Lyndie’s sister has cerebral palsy. </div>
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If you enjoy
contemporary Christian romance, with an honest take on life then get a hold of
this book.</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzVjftCye8Xxrxac9-ztN-w2PZkAzpLe4Km6jF8aMZDR6Ym1mypk1B4Kuyu7LWfbV0cNLnPS6dbMqPtK2X9axlCVUCNORVZjOqjaTZqoTiza7C_jH6nJJa1W4C5vxT9JARO6urwzjtyDI/s1600/4butterflies+-+caption.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="79" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzVjftCye8Xxrxac9-ztN-w2PZkAzpLe4Km6jF8aMZDR6Ym1mypk1B4Kuyu7LWfbV0cNLnPS6dbMqPtK2X9axlCVUCNORVZjOqjaTZqoTiza7C_jH6nJJa1W4C5vxT9JARO6urwzjtyDI/s320/4butterflies+-+caption.png" title="Four stars: worth the read and the reread" width="320" /></a></div>
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Go read it!
<a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/894140036" target="_blank">Find it at a library near you</a>; <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0764211099/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0764211099&linkCode=as2&tag=rinsrea-20&linkId=FZJC7GGXO5DSN234" target="_blank">Buy it from Amazon</a>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>($11.17); <a href="http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?event=AFF&amp;p=1166384&amp;item_no=211090" target="_blank">Buy it from ChristianBooks.com</a>
($9.99); <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=6OqI1zy9HeM&subid=&offerid=239662.1&type=10&tmpid=8432&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.barnesandnoble.com%252Fw%252Fa-love-like-ours-becky-wade%252F1120581729%253Fean%253D9780764211096" target="_blank">Buy it from Barnes & Noble</a>
($11.25); <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780764211096?aff=ReadingRina" target="_blank">Buy it from an Independent Bookstore near you</a>
</div>
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(Prices good
as of June 22, 2015 always double check for yourself)</div>
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Disclosure:
I received these book for free from the author and publisher via NetGalley. 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.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<i>~~~</i></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Remember - Anytime you visit <a href="http://www.amazon.com/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=ur2&tag=rinsrea-20" target="_blank">Amazon.com</a> or <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=6OqI1zy9HeM&subid=&offerid=239662.1&type=10&tmpid=8433&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.barnesandnoble.com%252F">BarnesAndNoble.com</a> or <a href="http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/home?event=AFF&amp;p=1166384">ChristianBooks.com</a> or <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/?aff=ReadingRina">Independent Bookstores</a> use an affiliate link to get there. Any purchase you make from a link on my site generates a small kickback. You need not purchase the item I'm featuring, any purchase counts. It costs you nothing extra and is an easy way to support this site.</span></div>
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Rina's Readinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06903030487241102205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102217329246983287.post-79820086316237741322015-06-01T07:00:00.000-04:002015-06-02T10:19:01.526-04:00Rooglewood Press Wriring Contest Cover Reveal<br />
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I really enjoyed <i>Five Glass Slippers</i>, not just for the fantastic stories in the book but also because it introduced me to five new authors. Several of which have published some neat books and stories since. This summer I'm eagerly awaiting the <i>Five Enchanted Roses</i> and am quite happy it'll release before I leave the USA to return to my school library job in an African country. The story covers look appropriately creepy and enchanting. But enough about the past contests. Here's what you've been waiting for. :-)<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.rooglewoodpress.com/">Rooglewood Press</a> is delighted to introduce their third fairy tale novella contest—</div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 24.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Five Magic Spindles</span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-R6JDxLfLCaFNtMUk3FUkPaeKooJIF-PyfduglYusJKs53fWte3uNPytf4E9c5jx2EF5YIZsjxmbVwOo__s4KWPxGPSmyF2b1MhfN71LOxiHgVNpoenHhtwV6CLfiP7AayY4hISxQlnc/s1600/Five+Magic+Spindles.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="Five Magic Spindle book cover shows Sleeping Beauty asleep on a wide stone bench with a spinning wheel in the forfront. The color scheme is golden." border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-R6JDxLfLCaFNtMUk3FUkPaeKooJIF-PyfduglYusJKs53fWte3uNPytf4E9c5jx2EF5YIZsjxmbVwOo__s4KWPxGPSmyF2b1MhfN71LOxiHgVNpoenHhtwV6CLfiP7AayY4hISxQlnc/s320/Five+Magic+Spindles.jpg" title="Five Magic Spindle book cover" width="207" /></a></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">a collection of “Sleeping Beauty” stories</span></i></div>
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The challenge is to write a retelling of the beloved fairy tale in any genre or setting you like. Make certain your story is recognizably “Sleeping Beauty,” but have fun with it as well. Make it yours!</div>
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Rooglewood Press will be selecting five winners to be published in the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Five Magic Spindles</i> collection, which will be packaged up with the phenomenal cover you see here. Maybe <i>your </i>name will be one of the five listed?</div>
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All the contest rules and
information (how to enter, story details, deadline etc.) may be found on the
Rooglewood Press website. Just click <a href="http://www.rooglewoodpress.com/#!writing-contest/c22i6"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">HERE</b></a> and you will go right to the
page.</div>
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Rooglewood Press’s first
collection,<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Five-Glass-Slippers-Collection-Cinderella-ebook/dp/B00KWMZ9WA/ref=sr_1_1_twi_2_kin?ie=UTF8&qid=1428080960&sr=8-1&keywords=Five+Glass+Slippers">
<i>Five Glass Slippers</i></a> is available for purchase, and our second collection, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Five-Enchanted-Roses-Collection-Stories-ebook/dp/B00Y49A0B2/ref=sr_1_1_twi_1_kin?ie=UTF8&qid=1432653932&sr=8-1&keywords=Five+Enchanted+Roses"><i>Five Enchanted Roses</i></a> is scheduled to launch on July 27, and is currently available for pre-order<i>. </i>Be certain to get a copy of each and see what previous winners did with their wonderful retellings.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Cover Illustration
Credit:</span></b></div>
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This cover illustration was rendered by Julia Popova, “ForestGirl.” You can find out more about this gifted artist on her website: <a href="http://www.forestgirl.ru/">www.forestgirl.ru</a></div>
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<br />Rina's Readinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06903030487241102205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102217329246983287.post-15471645199950297332015-01-24T06:40:00.000-05:002015-01-24T06:40:06.488-05:00How to Catch a Prince by Rachel Hauck<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; tab-stops: right 6.5in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfph8GyQ7pk-_z1LLYEAQDXMgbhqYgWS1Rzu2Fz1a5ZuAMIyzAUjJV8r8Lm22nJ1zwI9MOnWwn4bVFj3p9ivhctAvdpGUJm11DrenCXdvEEMNMuX3HLYpXt-CFcSbXvA6QLhl-3pLnZss/s1600/how_to_catch_a_prince.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfph8GyQ7pk-_z1LLYEAQDXMgbhqYgWS1Rzu2Fz1a5ZuAMIyzAUjJV8r8Lm22nJ1zwI9MOnWwn4bVFj3p9ivhctAvdpGUJm11DrenCXdvEEMNMuX3HLYpXt-CFcSbXvA6QLhl-3pLnZss/s1600/how_to_catch_a_prince.jpg" height="200" title="How to Catch a Prince by Rachel Hauck" width="131" /></a><i>How to Catch a Prince </i>by
Rachel Hauck. Zondervan, 2015. 368p. (9780310315544) Series: Royal Wedding, #3 </div>
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I quite
enjoyed the first two books in this series, <i><a href="http://rinasreading.blogspot.com/2013/05/once-upon-prince-by-rachel-hauck.html" target="_blank">Once Upon a Prince</a></i> and <i><a href="http://rinasreading.blogspot.com/2014/02/princess-ever-after-by-rachel-hauck.html" target="_blank">Princess Ever After</a></i> and was excited to read Prince Stephen’s
story. Especially given the summary!</div>
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<b>Goodreads
Summary:</b></div>
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Prince
Stephen came to America to escape responsibility. But what he found complicates
his life more than ever.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Corina Del
Rey is happy with her life in Melbourne, Florida. She spends her days engrossed
in her career as a journalist and has her sights set on climbing the corporate
ladder if for no other reason, to distract herself from her dissolving family.
But when she is confronted with the past she fought so hard to put behind her,
she struggles to make sense of her future.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Prince
Stephen of Brighton Kingdom has moved on since the tragic death of his buddies
in Afghanistan. A star professional rugby player, he has no intention of
looking over his shoulder at what could have been.<o:p></o:p></div>
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But when a
notice arrives in the mail requiring his and his wife s appearance before the
courts to dissolve their marriage, he must deal with the questions rumbling
around in his heart. He thought his marriage had been annulled long ago, but
his memories of Corina Del Rey remain close. Does he still love her? Can he
even find her? Above all, can he tell her the truth about that fateful night in
Afghanistan seven years ago? If he does, he might really lose her
forever."</div>
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<b>My Review:</b></div>
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This is a
very fun story with an interesting twist. I’d recommend reading the first book
in the series and possibly the novella <i>A
March Bride</i> before reading this one. The second books deals with a
neighboring kingdom and while King Nathaniel, Stephen’s brother, is in there I
don’t think it’s necessary for enjoying book three.</div>
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This book,
like the other two, is very sigh worthy. What girl at some point doesn’t
daydream of marrying a prince or being an heiress, and being able to wear
stunning gowns? But at the same time it deals with difficult and complicated
issues: Forgiveness. Survivor’s guilt. And the author guides her characters
through those emotions and processing them very well.</div>
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I didn’t
remember Stephen being such an intense and downcast man from the previous
stories but the rest of the royal family were as I remembered them. The family
dinner that Corina was invited to was an excellent scene showing how Susanna is
making her mark on the royal household! </div>
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The
supernatural elements were a bit far-fetched, but it isn’t logical really to want
to call it far-fetched since I do believe angels are sent to look after us from
time to time and we accept much more fantastical occurrences in fantasy tales.</div>
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All in all a
fun read, especially if you like modern day fairy tales and royalty. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzVjftCye8Xxrxac9-ztN-w2PZkAzpLe4Km6jF8aMZDR6Ym1mypk1B4Kuyu7LWfbV0cNLnPS6dbMqPtK2X9axlCVUCNORVZjOqjaTZqoTiza7C_jH6nJJa1W4C5vxT9JARO6urwzjtyDI/s1600/4butterflies+-+caption.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzVjftCye8Xxrxac9-ztN-w2PZkAzpLe4Km6jF8aMZDR6Ym1mypk1B4Kuyu7LWfbV0cNLnPS6dbMqPtK2X9axlCVUCNORVZjOqjaTZqoTiza7C_jH6nJJa1W4C5vxT9JARO6urwzjtyDI/s1600/4butterflies+-+caption.png" height="79" title="4 stars : worth the read and the re-read" width="320" /></a></div>
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Releasing
Feb 24<sup>th</sup>, pre-order it! <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/882191288" target="_blank">Find it at a library near you</a>; <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0310315549/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0310315549&linkCode=as2&tag=rinsrea-20&linkId=SOK7GEQNPVUSRR2M" target="_blank">Buy it from Amazon</a> ($9.99 / $11.95); <a href="http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?event=AFF&amp;p=1166384&amp;item_no=315542" target="_blank">Buy it from ChristianBooks.com</a> ($9.99/$11.99); <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=6OqI1zy9HeM&subid=&offerid=239662.1&type=10&tmpid=8432&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.barnesandnoble.com%252Fw%252Fhow-to-catch-a-prince-rachel-hauck%252F1119739385%253Fean%253D9780310315544" target="_blank">Buy it from Barnes &Noble</a> ($9.99/$11.95); </div>
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(Ebook/paperback
prices good as of January 24, 2015 always double check for yourself)</div>
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Disclosure:
I received these book for free from the publisher via NetGalley. 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.</div>
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<i>~~~</i></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Remember - Anytime you visit <a href="http://www.amazon.com/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=ur2&tag=rinsrea-20" target="_blank">Amazon.com</a> or <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=6OqI1zy9HeM&subid=&offerid=239662.1&type=10&tmpid=8433&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.barnesandnoble.com%252F">BarnesAndNoble.com</a> or <a href="http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/home?event=AFF&amp;p=1166384">ChristianBooks.com</a> or <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/?aff=ReadingRina">Independent Bookstores</a> use an affiliate link to get there. Any purchase you make from a link on my site generates a small kickback. You need not purchase the item I'm featuring, any purchase counts. It costs you nothing extra and is an easy way to support this site.</span></div>
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Rina's Readinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06903030487241102205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102217329246983287.post-65008072630277898852015-01-16T17:59:00.000-05:002015-01-16T17:59:43.303-05:00Cover Reveal: Draven's Light<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmK2Cf9apxSyU8wmhgGFjjn4iiQdSe7HU17z4hgfEe4vYOFf442r2mMRLjJZOmKirEHwbTXwgTfxA_GkIfZtwFozQ3HtvWy75uBpcE4WuA5ppauwnzBCKQ71keCcSmS_c9IdsNyIOluf0/s1600/Draven'sLightCover-compressed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmK2Cf9apxSyU8wmhgGFjjn4iiQdSe7HU17z4hgfEe4vYOFf442r2mMRLjJZOmKirEHwbTXwgTfxA_GkIfZtwFozQ3HtvWy75uBpcE4WuA5ppauwnzBCKQ71keCcSmS_c9IdsNyIOluf0/s1600/Draven'sLightCover-compressed.jpg" height="400" width="258" /></a></div>
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I may be a few hours late in posting this but I am no less excited for this next book in the wonderful Tales of Goldstone Wood series. It isn't quite a novella - bit long for that, but it's also quite a bit shorter than the other books in the series. This past week <i>Golden Daughter</i> arrived at the library and I was amazed at how fat it was. (I read it as a pdf.)</div>
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But let me tell you about <i>Draven's Light</i></div>
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<i>~~~</i></div>
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<b>In the Darkness of the Pit<o:p></o:p></b></div>
</div>
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<b>The Light Shines Brightest</b><o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
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Drums summon the chieftain’s powerful son to slay a man in cold blood and thereby earn his place
among the warriors. But instead of glory, he earns the name Draven, “Coward.” When the men of his tribe march off to war, Draven remains behind with the women and his shame. Only fearless but crippled Ita values her brother’s honor.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The warriors return from battle victorious yet trailing a curse in their wake. One by one the strong and the weak of the tribe fall prey to an illness of supernatural power. The secret source of this evil can be found and destroyed by only the bravest heart.<o:p></o:p></div>
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But when the curse attacks the one Draven loves most, can this coward find the courage he needs to face the darkness?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>Coming May 25, 2015<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>~~~</i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
Anne Elisabeth has shared <a href="http://dravenslightnovel.blogspot.com/p/excerpt.html" target="_blank"><b>an excerpt </b></a>of this compelling tale on the book's website. And she also tells us how this story came about. Quite interesting with some intriguing hints about what we can look forward to. I just love Anne Elisabeth's work (as you well know if you regularly read this blog), but I'm not the only one. Her novel <i>Starflower </i>was awarded the 2013 Clive Staples Award, and her novels <i>Heartless, Veiled Rose, </i>and <i>Dragonwitch</i> have each been honored with a Christy Award.</div>
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Last but not least, here's the link to the giveaway for a chance at one of three advanced reader copies of this book!</div>
</div>
</div>
<br />
<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/0cd5247642/" id="rc-0cd5247642" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<script src="//widget.rafflecopter.com/load.js"></script>Rina's Readinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06903030487241102205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102217329246983287.post-31091475398367564332015-01-12T13:53:00.000-05:002015-01-12T13:53:22.741-05:00The Fault in Our Stars by John Green<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; tab-stops: right 6.5in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxsVpTljN19dKILWsgtyQLVLrzlR-8imCAGrBDPtMpKPF4znRU0L-AHi5FbA7KoAoN9nVXmhktwxWrIiK1Y5k4LX0jlYQ3RWdzfjnBovRTBSRcONQUGfHzeSVUKX_J_BImDqlptuXWRO4/s1600/fault-in-our-stars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxsVpTljN19dKILWsgtyQLVLrzlR-8imCAGrBDPtMpKPF4znRU0L-AHi5FbA7KoAoN9nVXmhktwxWrIiK1Y5k4LX0jlYQ3RWdzfjnBovRTBSRcONQUGfHzeSVUKX_J_BImDqlptuXWRO4/s1600/fault-in-our-stars.jpg" height="200" title="The Fault in Our Stars by John Green" width="130" /></a><i>The Fault in Our Stars </i>by
John Green. Dutton Books, 2012. 316p. (9780525478812) </div>
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I finally got around to reading this last week. What a bleak
outlook on life and eternity! </div>
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<b>Goodreads
Summary:</b></div>
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Despite the
tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has
never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis.
But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer
Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Insightful,
bold, irreverent [yep!], and raw, The Fault in Our Stars is award-winning
author John Green's most ambitious and heartbreaking work yet, brilliantly
exploring the funny, thrilling, and tragic business of being alive and in love.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>My Review:</b></div>
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The story is
engaging and terminal cancer patients do tug at ones heart strings; I never
even came close to crying though. The writing and vocabulary is at a
middle/high school level (for the most part) but the author throws in obscure words (hamartia for
one, but its explained) and doesn’t ever talk down to his audience. I think
that’s perhaps why so many YAs love this book. The author deals with big issues with candor and grittiness but he also lighten things up with laugh out loud
wittiness. </div>
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<br /></div>
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But boy do those kids need their mouths washed with soap. I don’t think I’ve ever read a
book with so much bad language. Which is a sad reflection on American society
because I highly suspect that’s how a lot of teens talk. Though I highly doubt
that even a small fraction could use the college and graduate level vocabulary
Augustus and Hazel use and launch into very prosaic and philosophical
monologues they way they do, especially if they aren’t widely and well read
individuals, just as these two aren’t.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipSJ26zVC0mf3LNB0zR3f7R16GdyklREtuFG6EvZrgpHPl4DW7ebof7V413wCNEg4no8FuE4MKPab3tToFkg56EYsPsDIMV4z0BYqYcvLaUbo-FhmiCofMoB5ln7aMFoHnmBNAu6f6xOM/s1600/what-are-you-waiting-for.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipSJ26zVC0mf3LNB0zR3f7R16GdyklREtuFG6EvZrgpHPl4DW7ebof7V413wCNEg4no8FuE4MKPab3tToFkg56EYsPsDIMV4z0BYqYcvLaUbo-FhmiCofMoB5ln7aMFoHnmBNAu6f6xOM/s1600/what-are-you-waiting-for.jpg" height="200" width="129" /></a><b>**</b>Spoiler alert – not really, you probably heard by now<b>**</b> Augustus and Hazel have sex. Just a short time after their first kiss. Which is another sad reflection on American society. Why is it assumed that having sex is the only way to prove/show how in love or committed a couple is? That’s baloney!<br />
<br />
Especially if the couple is in high school. Especially because he's really just using her. God has good reasons for forbidding sex outside of marriage. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Brains are
amazing organs and one of the neurochemicals it releases during sex is dopamine
which makes you feel good, it creates an addiction to that feeling. To use
Dannah Gresh’s words from her book <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004C43G7E/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004C43G7E&linkCode=as2&tag=rinsrea-20&linkId=V2R6FXMMOZLT3N5W" target="_blank">What are You Waiting for? The One Thing No One Ever Tells You about Sex</a></i>: </div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Dopamine emotionally “attaches” you to the source of pleasure – even if
that source is “just a friend.” … The limbic system was created to store sexual
memory and emotion for us. A little walnut-sized mass called the thalamus…is
the seat of our romantic “heart.” The purpose of the limbic system and dopamine
is to turn the visceral drives of passion into a deep, lasting attachment –
into knowing and being known. But when this gets misused, our system becomes
confused and we feel great pain. (p.42)</blockquote>
</div>
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Out of the 33,000+ reviews on Amazon only 104 mention that the teens (who are underage by
the way) have sex (and use the word sex in their review). And well over half of those were 4 or 5 star reviews. Also
Hazel’s friend Kaitlyn says some very crude things when she finds out Augustus
and Hazel are (semi) dating.</div>
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<br /></div>
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I had
obtained this free for the library using book club reward money, but I don’t
think I’ll be cataloging it and adding it to the library. The collection
development policy states, “All material, particularly fiction,
should promote faithfulness to Philippians 4:8. 'Finally, brothers and sisters,
whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure,
whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or
praiseworthy—think about such things.'” And this book doesn’t align with that at all.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Read this if
you’ve got YAs in your life that love it (or will read it) and if you keep up
with pop culture, otherwise don’t bother.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMFl6es2D4mizKNVbTneS1mBhS9rY-V7zK9t_pdABudtaCIrQrGYAFQI94MNILsmvQWNxfiCqZlc1Sf5TymsbYHAI0qF3lo00wfRr3SUpnxA49Q3RGzIlMEgpPrjhca90zHAPBZHQwnZZk/s320/1butterfly+-+caption.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="1 star means don't waste your time" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMFl6es2D4mizKNVbTneS1mBhS9rY-V7zK9t_pdABudtaCIrQrGYAFQI94MNILsmvQWNxfiCqZlc1Sf5TymsbYHAI0qF3lo00wfRr3SUpnxA49Q3RGzIlMEgpPrjhca90zHAPBZHQwnZZk/s320/1butterfly+-+caption.png" title="1 star for Fault in our Stars" /></a></div>
<br />
<br /></div>
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If you must
read it: <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/738336589" target="_blank">Find it at a library near you</a>; <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005ZOBNOI/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005ZOBNOI&linkCode=as2&tag=rinsrea-20&linkId=DVSKDD7F4CK6KV6V" target="_blank">Buy it from Amazon</a> ($2.99/$6.60/$10.70); <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=6OqI1zy9HeM&subid=&offerid=239662.1&type=10&tmpid=8432&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.barnesandnoble.com%252Fw%252Fthe-fault-in-our-stars-john-green%252F1104045488%253Fean%253D9780525478812" target="_blank">Buy it from Barnes& Noble</a> ($2.99/ $8.32/$10.75)</div>
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(Ebook /
paper back / hardcover prices good as of January 7, 2015 always double check
for yourself)</div>
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<br /></div>
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Disclosure:
I got this from the library. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am
disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<i>~~~</i></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Remember - Anytime you visit <a href="http://www.amazon.com/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=ur2&tag=rinsrea-20" target="_blank">Amazon.com</a> or <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=6OqI1zy9HeM&subid=&offerid=239662.1&type=10&tmpid=8433&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.barnesandnoble.com%252F">BarnesAndNoble.com</a> or <a href="http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/home?event=AFF&amp;p=1166384">ChristianBooks.com</a> or <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/?aff=ReadingRina">Independent Bookstores</a> use an affiliate link to get there. Any purchase you make from a link on my site generates a small kickback. You need not purchase the item I'm featuring, any purchase counts. It costs you nothing extra and is an easy way to support this site.</span></div>
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Rina's Readinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06903030487241102205noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102217329246983287.post-5941630035761565972015-01-06T01:30:00.000-05:002015-01-06T07:35:47.312-05:00Top Ten Most Anticipated Novels For 2015<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD6TPkCN-WL5H-5p2LGHgOmwXU6FVkPZ8jMmqUjRjXYb32FAZjCQCBdOvXFBbTvjn_pHxygNQYiIC64lorf1Xaf_wi9DOKU7Hif34RLZ0WrjtZTraBOYU5x34u8eTGdn-i8emj_ymu0zwA/s1600/TTT3W.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD6TPkCN-WL5H-5p2LGHgOmwXU6FVkPZ8jMmqUjRjXYb32FAZjCQCBdOvXFBbTvjn_pHxygNQYiIC64lorf1Xaf_wi9DOKU7Hif34RLZ0WrjtZTraBOYU5x34u8eTGdn-i8emj_ymu0zwA/s200/TTT3W.jpg" height="153" width="200" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by <a href="http://brokeandbookish.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Broke and the Bookish</a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Top Ten Most Anticipated Novels For 2015
</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The topic is technically 'most anticipated <i>debut</i> novels, but I don't keep track of debut authors very well and there are so many other books I'm looking forward to this year. So I decided to share those instead. Technically my #1 will most likely include debut authors.<br />
<br />
1. <i>Five Enchanted Roses</i> by five different authors</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnnXZoc2LjgB4ETg5O8tzmgFsVWyu4sS1NOG5R_0yvOUhIaykjd-sogrEMOTDid2eNwIv8qsfa6FVae6485P1tg0NBJ57F-ai95aEfkT290r8JzcxP3DoFkSiNI4OOjNAp_ndmeXnJp5s/s1600/EnchantedRosesCover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnnXZoc2LjgB4ETg5O8tzmgFsVWyu4sS1NOG5R_0yvOUhIaykjd-sogrEMOTDid2eNwIv8qsfa6FVae6485P1tg0NBJ57F-ai95aEfkT290r8JzcxP3DoFkSiNI4OOjNAp_ndmeXnJp5s/s1600/EnchantedRosesCover.jpg" height="200" title="Five Enchanted Roses" width="129" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
2. <i>Poison Crown</i> by Anne Elisabeth Stengl</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEher4Yskzx8wL3t3vhq6XvrnnTuwToCnUi1PAWjUjR1W2a-x0EgQmGJLUKygTbZeRGtCOjaR22-0vpKlV_0gahVbVhinbbzkiicQWd7qcYuWT5ObV8GplN7iRBNltvpdv9tsDa8mVL6DDs/s1600/poison-crown_title-reveal_banner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEher4Yskzx8wL3t3vhq6XvrnnTuwToCnUi1PAWjUjR1W2a-x0EgQmGJLUKygTbZeRGtCOjaR22-0vpKlV_0gahVbVhinbbzkiicQWd7qcYuWT5ObV8GplN7iRBNltvpdv9tsDa8mVL6DDs/s1600/poison-crown_title-reveal_banner.jpg" height="116" title="Poison Crown by Anne Elisabeth Stengl" width="200" /></a></div>
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(This banner is from the title reveal. The cover reveal will be sometime this month or next.)</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
3. <i>Always on My Mind</i> by Susan May Warren</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(Ok, so technically this came out in Dec, but I still want to read it! And the next one after it which does come out in 2015: <i>The Wonder of You</i> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeVbMEMBSYmHXAVeWXd65x_VyFUMDANEoYt1vJ_1sPhQoKwe1SaxC-fAbTlz4hfrtSuSWEy5V-2IUsn53qZVErwK08EK-W3NlDxYXK9tjPzV1taIFlVjXwdLsERcMQ18Lv5W7jigFTHDQ/s1600/always_on_my_mind.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeVbMEMBSYmHXAVeWXd65x_VyFUMDANEoYt1vJ_1sPhQoKwe1SaxC-fAbTlz4hfrtSuSWEy5V-2IUsn53qZVErwK08EK-W3NlDxYXK9tjPzV1taIFlVjXwdLsERcMQ18Lv5W7jigFTHDQ/s1600/always_on_my_mind.jpg" height="200" title="Always on My Mind by Susan May Warren" width="132" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaDW1JJlUGVvtOFh0K0dPLGO9bHHRkZjiN2eadzMcHF1wvuNeD8qyiPSKKapUK1XMaUo5GTwRQU97jq63dcPGB8NTmDeB7zn7bZj3hcZmzUMdxiBMpaDKmQGjTUH_VZAro4M_3wN3x8lQ/s1600/wonder_of_you.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaDW1JJlUGVvtOFh0K0dPLGO9bHHRkZjiN2eadzMcHF1wvuNeD8qyiPSKKapUK1XMaUo5GTwRQU97jq63dcPGB8NTmDeB7zn7bZj3hcZmzUMdxiBMpaDKmQGjTUH_VZAro4M_3wN3x8lQ/s1600/wonder_of_you.jpg" height="200" title="The Wonder of You by Susan May Warren" width="132" /></a></div>
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4. <i>The Huntress of Thornbeck Forest</i> by Melanie Dickerson</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwAN9nC26_CExf_TGZE026RJJD6ViOf2kjjCBRIHAOLBsKpK5aXOPborrcZUO61JUCeVqgdN1BWjYY1aCwnWcVGSR3Ckux-pu9jv5JC_0lnHhrfj5wIienq7y3j65VxmxR3JnkCwyZGeY/s1600/huntress_of_thornbeck_forest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwAN9nC26_CExf_TGZE026RJJD6ViOf2kjjCBRIHAOLBsKpK5aXOPborrcZUO61JUCeVqgdN1BWjYY1aCwnWcVGSR3Ckux-pu9jv5JC_0lnHhrfj5wIienq7y3j65VxmxR3JnkCwyZGeY/s1600/huntress_of_thornbeck_forest.jpg" height="200" title="The Huntress of Thornbeck Forest by Melanie Dickerson" width="130" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
5. <i>A Love Like Ours</i> by Becky Wade</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLY6p8VBnPyqt6PZtJJgukK7Ewm6uOL-X1NmLhtNTh5_BHfrrpMw1akyrQR1o1wiC2XmrFADDs1imI_FuUnRSDppCVqBWSByZZ3JAFeIiDsvIRO8KE8ODmTFr0SIXyhVw4SFyFYtQtIsE/s1600/Love_like_ours.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLY6p8VBnPyqt6PZtJJgukK7Ewm6uOL-X1NmLhtNTh5_BHfrrpMw1akyrQR1o1wiC2XmrFADDs1imI_FuUnRSDppCVqBWSByZZ3JAFeIiDsvIRO8KE8ODmTFr0SIXyhVw4SFyFYtQtIsE/s1600/Love_like_ours.jpg" height="200" title="A Love Like Ours by Becky Wade" width="128" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
6. <i>A Worthy Pursuit</i> by Karen Witemeyer</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUrBrE3hNtKwhuyEaw128WTlzbGDr4eUevMz2ujukuO6102rF-rZWIjeUEBcp6K609R2WcDMjZO1OvamXgSJ5Spak3FX0pd2IoFItrIXQHBOv5_hcftK7kQR-gKcmwO8CZ4MgW9buE8Jg/s1600/worthy_pursuit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUrBrE3hNtKwhuyEaw128WTlzbGDr4eUevMz2ujukuO6102rF-rZWIjeUEBcp6K609R2WcDMjZO1OvamXgSJ5Spak3FX0pd2IoFItrIXQHBOv5_hcftK7kQR-gKcmwO8CZ4MgW9buE8Jg/s1600/worthy_pursuit.jpg" height="200" title="A Worthy Pursuit by Karen Witemeyer" width="129" /></a></div>
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7. <i>An Uncertain Choice</i> by Jody Hedlund</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj825VXOaE1wiccYnWj-v9iFSYN3EOUeKFblOHVEbsm3jVQcaDGMNkMQu6U5tWg1wLr_Jvf6KHo6T0c4PVwUPB05UsaL5RD_XBFow5b1ETn4OCCLDHMQdHSIIy2yzzticzllrM6tA43wgQ/s1600/Uncertain_choice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj825VXOaE1wiccYnWj-v9iFSYN3EOUeKFblOHVEbsm3jVQcaDGMNkMQu6U5tWg1wLr_Jvf6KHo6T0c4PVwUPB05UsaL5RD_XBFow5b1ETn4OCCLDHMQdHSIIy2yzzticzllrM6tA43wgQ/s1600/Uncertain_choice.jpg" height="200" title="An Uncertain Choice by Jody Hedlund" width="133" /></a></div>
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8. <i>Taken</i> by Dee Henderson</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOszL7kfpoVaccbwWcFycBK7dLE_XMkAyhcRbuigcJk1NQcAqoi8dGaNHYIonXhzHfQR-1OBrHvEINOaqEyhW4kUIZfSIRjvvxZbW-aDqQHDPksziyiLSSuIY4UhSst32d3chUquptXAE/s1600/taken.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOszL7kfpoVaccbwWcFycBK7dLE_XMkAyhcRbuigcJk1NQcAqoi8dGaNHYIonXhzHfQR-1OBrHvEINOaqEyhW4kUIZfSIRjvvxZbW-aDqQHDPksziyiLSSuIY4UhSst32d3chUquptXAE/s1600/taken.jpg" height="200" title="Taken by Dee Henderson" width="129" /></a></div>
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9. <i style="font-style: italic;">How to Catch a Prince </i>by Rachel Hauck</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgleonfF0jNGtS68oIIWEL0TU-N6DIgZ0JeQu-T5MCzCnYHuw5mCrM06o8tLICWcrzegqSXiWdInkNCyvx-QRyMM0bNs0agddAM-P_4CPH3wydq_gC09qixuJIixonAt7ifw6A3vuUM0jo/s1600/how_to_catch_a_prince.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgleonfF0jNGtS68oIIWEL0TU-N6DIgZ0JeQu-T5MCzCnYHuw5mCrM06o8tLICWcrzegqSXiWdInkNCyvx-QRyMM0bNs0agddAM-P_4CPH3wydq_gC09qixuJIixonAt7ifw6A3vuUM0jo/s1600/how_to_catch_a_prince.jpg" height="200" title="How to Catch a Prince by Rachel Hauck" width="131" /></a></div>
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<i style="font-style: italic;">10. <i>Miles from Nowhere</i> </i>by Amy Clipston</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSavQ-CpF1oSURiz-xisrFzn9dFWcvrJFyLqGIJ6JrmhAXII2ee1JbrhgJHBhyphenhyphenR47-TpZloNcupWfsxZlp7C7Lfs-zAzq68mXLRaW5-4z8NzvpIgRk4ptFpnLgLJ1BAktc5xC2KmWntp0/s1600/Miles_from_nowhere.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSavQ-CpF1oSURiz-xisrFzn9dFWcvrJFyLqGIJ6JrmhAXII2ee1JbrhgJHBhyphenhyphenR47-TpZloNcupWfsxZlp7C7Lfs-zAzq68mXLRaW5-4z8NzvpIgRk4ptFpnLgLJ1BAktc5xC2KmWntp0/s1600/Miles_from_nowhere.jpg" height="200" title="Miles from Nowhere by Amy Clipston" width="131" /></a></div>
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What books are you looking forward to reading this year?</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Remember - Anytime you visit <a href="http://www.amazon.com/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=ur2&tag=rinsrea-20" target="_blank">Amazon.com</a> or <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=6OqI1zy9HeM&subid=&offerid=239662.1&type=10&tmpid=8433&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.barnesandnoble.com%252F">BarnesAndNoble.com</a> or <a href="http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/home?event=AFF&amp;p=1166384">ChristianBooks.com</a> or <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/?aff=ReadingRina">Independent Bookstores</a> use an affiliate link to get there. Any purchase you make from a link on my site generates a small kickback. You need not purchase the item I'm featuring, any purchase counts. It costs you nothing extra and is an easy way to support this site.</span></div>
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Rina's Readinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06903030487241102205noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102217329246983287.post-22233685448012224092014-11-30T15:42:00.000-05:002014-11-30T15:42:38.075-05:00 9 Books & Bookish Gifts to Complete your entire Christmas ShoppingHappy Advent! And happy let's-go-crazy-and-spend-money-and-buy-gifts weekend. Don't forget to support all your favorite bloggers by using affiliate links on Cyber Monday and throughout your online shopping trips.<br />
<br />
I'm an ocean away from friends & family so I have to do a lot of my Christmas shopping online. Here are a few good books and bookish gifts I've found:<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">9 Books & Bookish Gifts to Complete your entire Christmas Shopping</span></b></div>
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<u><i><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Grandparents:</span></i></u></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-xrC06GU3UeQNbJ2n-myHPNHx1Pth2Cjesm_sfoTREq9v9k1uZQfyp5U2Wz67wZeAKmBfvYZAMleGPF1-Zc1rlrpagi8Tu-KZtQiSSMiKhOHoWqbNWsTjPBVvwDNR8AgyygooX7aEvKk/s1600/book-stand-pillow.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-xrC06GU3UeQNbJ2n-myHPNHx1Pth2Cjesm_sfoTREq9v9k1uZQfyp5U2Wz67wZeAKmBfvYZAMleGPF1-Zc1rlrpagi8Tu-KZtQiSSMiKhOHoWqbNWsTjPBVvwDNR8AgyygooX7aEvKk/s1600/book-stand-pillow.JPG" height="180" title="Book stand pillow" width="200" /></a></div>
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<b>Book stand pillow</b></div>
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Give wrists a rest while reading in bed.</div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0019TGO6U/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0019TGO6U&linkCode=as2&tag=rinsrea-20&linkId=IULDZNUTR4V56OGS" target="_blank">Amazon</a></div>
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<u><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Moms and Aunts:</i></span></u><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTC-uXM058IsaLILRH6rm5_MR2XHlMswzxkOs-iOyefoTbN3fh3g4-RDy5zrhTp7HikHa-pj1XjSvGCgi3oTWAdhC10oYRElbY70wz_G1ayrwFTDrmdhH4aQrqFaeVx1u-colwkdFQzMg/s1600/pioneer-woman-cooks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTC-uXM058IsaLILRH6rm5_MR2XHlMswzxkOs-iOyefoTbN3fh3g4-RDy5zrhTp7HikHa-pj1XjSvGCgi3oTWAdhC10oYRElbY70wz_G1ayrwFTDrmdhH4aQrqFaeVx1u-colwkdFQzMg/s1600/pioneer-woman-cooks.jpg" height="200" title="The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl by Ree Drummond" width="159" /></a></div>
<i style="font-weight: bold;">The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl</i> by Ree Drummond<br />
Over 8000 5-star ratings on Goodreads, over 1300 on Amazon, must be good.<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061658197/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0061658197&linkCode=as2&tag=rinsrea-20&linkId=PSL6GGT3ZO7IUASV" target="_blank">Amazon</a>; <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=6OqI1zy9HeM&subid=&offerid=239662.1&type=10&tmpid=8432&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.barnesandnoble.com%252Fw%252Fpioneer-woman-cooks-ree-drummond%252F1101968872%253Fean%253D9780061658198" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a>; <a href="http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?event=AFF&amp;p=1166384&amp;item_no=658198" target="_blank">ChristianBook</a><br />
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<u><i><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Dads and Uncles:</span></i></u></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkRozMQEDXgMGkZAqnVLD-nN_-Hul40znkC9BrP_6Bqq_NUWQtcWAxYt6YsdGIWuHKYvdZ9w36h2OsyACszq8exIHlUtkTQ_m2uYRQ5HXoR3aeS_g-tGBOQX4M8ONIAP0Vv4mN6oi00T4/s1600/auschwitz-escape.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkRozMQEDXgMGkZAqnVLD-nN_-Hul40znkC9BrP_6Bqq_NUWQtcWAxYt6YsdGIWuHKYvdZ9w36h2OsyACszq8exIHlUtkTQ_m2uYRQ5HXoR3aeS_g-tGBOQX4M8ONIAP0Vv4mN6oi00T4/s1600/auschwitz-escape.jpg" height="200" title="The Auschwitz Escape by Joel C. Rosenberg" width="135" /></a></div>
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">The Auschwitz Escape</i> by Joel C. Rosenberg</div>
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Over 1,100 5-star reviews on Amazon and over 1,400 5-stars ratings on Goodreads</div>
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<a href="http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?event=AFF&amp;p=1166384&amp;item_no=336251" target="_blank">ChristianBook</a>; <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1414336241/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1414336241&linkCode=as2&tag=rinsrea-20&linkId=NQHQN7YZVRJPRQ4I" target="_blank">Amazon</a>; <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=6OqI1zy9HeM&subid=&offerid=239662.1&type=10&tmpid=8432&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.barnesandnoble.com%252Fw%252Fthe-auschwitz-escape-joel-c-rosenberg%252F1116188657%253Fean%253D9781414336251" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a></div>
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<i><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><u>Adult nieces, cousins, sisters:</u></span></i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglSzOp5U0WIJDmgbBFg_8lk2fl1z5DiB1yfudc8jOIaG_Jnc4gFILDNbo4lXG3Zbo4eQ9mEcFvA4SR3Vu8w0YnWzR1z1hqbhIaBhTRIs9ZtuCpn2nh5o5Lq43SWUpUn8lh3wiuN4ZPgX8/s1600/golden-daughter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglSzOp5U0WIJDmgbBFg_8lk2fl1z5DiB1yfudc8jOIaG_Jnc4gFILDNbo4lXG3Zbo4eQ9mEcFvA4SR3Vu8w0YnWzR1z1hqbhIaBhTRIs9ZtuCpn2nh5o5Lq43SWUpUn8lh3wiuN4ZPgX8/s1600/golden-daughter.jpg" height="200" title="Golden Daughter by Anne Elisabeth Stengl" width="128" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><b>Golden Daughter</b></i> by Anne Elisabeth Stengl</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Newest book in my favorite series. You know I had to put it somewhere in the list.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0989447855/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0989447855&linkCode=as2&tag=rinsrea-20&linkId=NNJQMXET72JIDZFC" target="_blank">Amazon</a>; <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=6OqI1zy9HeM&subid=&offerid=239662.1&type=10&tmpid=8432&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.barnesandnoble.com%252Fw%252Fgolden-daughter-anne-elisabeth-stengl%252F1120631187%253Fean%253D2940046363142" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a></span><br />
<i><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><u><br /></u></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><u>Adult nephews, cousins, brothers</u></span></i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCXbaN7RN7p9xwGu26R0gOx7JoNURbEHbhFmRrLbzZCV3DXWbBGIDfVT538P4OVuYtUDNJKd2dNTwoWXweJyWnSdSvCmt0nP90iQ1nkviSa3DNRw0hNO_sOEJ1cWjojxJG3iZuTa7Jvts/s1600/sherlock-holmes-amazon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCXbaN7RN7p9xwGu26R0gOx7JoNURbEHbhFmRrLbzZCV3DXWbBGIDfVT538P4OVuYtUDNJKd2dNTwoWXweJyWnSdSvCmt0nP90iQ1nkviSa3DNRw0hNO_sOEJ1cWjojxJG3iZuTa7Jvts/s1600/sherlock-holmes-amazon.jpg" height="200" title="The Complete Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle" width="195" /></a>or <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3t9mXc2s9JrLm24PDgIZgYMoSVYHkhOXVCu4wwspfTbJmE2WGn53lrVdJ8CqmY0SVqZKLwGW-C7teBX3-78cQxi-FXPcQWVQ_r7RFqahPuhk4erGYHaXcCYHLEnNH1W4VnUNcEzjrx-Y/s1600/sherlock-holmes-bn.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3t9mXc2s9JrLm24PDgIZgYMoSVYHkhOXVCu4wwspfTbJmE2WGn53lrVdJ8CqmY0SVqZKLwGW-C7teBX3-78cQxi-FXPcQWVQ_r7RFqahPuhk4erGYHaXcCYHLEnNH1W4VnUNcEzjrx-Y/s1600/sherlock-holmes-bn.JPG" height="200" title="The Complete Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle" width="145" /></a></div>
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">The Complete Sherlock Holmes</i> by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle</div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/161218412X/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=161218412X&linkCode=as2&tag=rinsrea-20&linkId=X7CBO4QSGDSFSG2P" target="_blank">Amazon</a> (a deal on Monday!) or <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=6OqI1zy9HeM&subid=&offerid=239662.1&type=10&tmpid=8432&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.barnesandnoble.com%252Fw%252Fbarnes-noble-leatherbound-classics-the-complete-sherlock-holmes-arthur-conan-doyle%252F1106658800%253Fean%253D9781435114944" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<u><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Teen nieces, cousins, sisters:</i></span></u></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1AcdrzLOY44NYKY13MKjsK1GuTesqvkhiMU-__i2KVLFk6djMJLJ5NaTrf99tM-C0XLHRbk_nFST7jtp2T4JlP_ClN-A3SSSZow-JYDCucw0s-Dif4zWP69UAN25R5QazPE25hk5Oe5I/s1600/live-original.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1AcdrzLOY44NYKY13MKjsK1GuTesqvkhiMU-__i2KVLFk6djMJLJ5NaTrf99tM-C0XLHRbk_nFST7jtp2T4JlP_ClN-A3SSSZow-JYDCucw0s-Dif4zWP69UAN25R5QazPE25hk5Oe5I/s1600/live-original.jpg" height="200" title="Live Original by Sadie Robertson" width="132" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i style="font-weight: bold;">Live Original</i> by Sadie Robertson</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I've enjoyed watching her on Dancing with the Stars this season; I'm sure her book is as warm, friendly, and genuine as she appears.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?event=AFF&amp;p=1166384&amp;item_no=777801" target="_blank">ChristianBook</a>; <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1476777802/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1476777802&linkCode=as2&tag=rinsrea-20&linkId=5KI4Q2D5UXSIROJ4" target="_blank">Amazon</a>; <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=6OqI1zy9HeM&subid=&offerid=239662.1&type=10&tmpid=8432&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.barnesandnoble.com%252Fw%252Flive-original-sadie-robertson%252F1119741908%253Fean%253D9781476777801" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<u><i><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Teen nephews, cousins, brothers:</span></i></u><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9xgl8D10vrWesWpq5mR77W3qrtPkKWAlRFtAFvUCIRbQWhmOi1jrjsEzctCAlSRu16eD0CFkGtbqZEWe378FdHmjBRw29-nW-rY1_lCUcFrcoVgTJkVQkqDLsU8FzliMb51wYVPJ53Sw/s1600/keeper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9xgl8D10vrWesWpq5mR77W3qrtPkKWAlRFtAFvUCIRbQWhmOi1jrjsEzctCAlSRu16eD0CFkGtbqZEWe378FdHmjBRw29-nW-rY1_lCUcFrcoVgTJkVQkqDLsU8FzliMb51wYVPJ53Sw/s1600/keeper.jpg" height="200" title="The Keeper: The Unguarded Story of Tim Howard by Tim Howard with Ali Benjamin" width="134" /></a></div>
<i style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: bold;">The Keeper: The Unguarded Story of Tim Howard</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> by Tim Howard with Ali Benjamin</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The goalie for Team USA during the World Cup in 2014 tells his story. Releases Dec 9th.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0062387553/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0062387553&linkCode=as2&tag=rinsrea-20&linkId=CFSEK6LKGKY2ORJY" target="_blank">Amazon</a>; <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=6OqI1zy9HeM&subid=&offerid=239662.1&type=10&tmpid=8432&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.barnesandnoble.com%252Fw%252Fthe-keeper-tim-howard%252F1120480617%253Fean%253D9780062387554" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a>; <a href="http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?event=AFF&amp;p=1166384&amp;item_no=70715EB" target="_blank">ChristianBook</a></span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<u><i><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Under 10 niece, nephew, cousin, sibling, best friend's kids:</span></i></u></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYqfdgFnPfWtzM7K0WUWnhU9xnlgs-I1nTeDiQrEk2NBEHhwxqi98B4sGZ3yu192x-pwUXRIpoXp1dh3p2vxlK47qkhN8de_xxg9MjQlz_O3q_H8HiYjt4exKQc5ov7KVqkEtStBQsFXM/s1600/jesus-story-book-bible.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYqfdgFnPfWtzM7K0WUWnhU9xnlgs-I1nTeDiQrEk2NBEHhwxqi98B4sGZ3yu192x-pwUXRIpoXp1dh3p2vxlK47qkhN8de_xxg9MjQlz_O3q_H8HiYjt4exKQc5ov7KVqkEtStBQsFXM/s1600/jesus-story-book-bible.jpg" height="200" title="The Jesus Storybook Bible " width="167" /></a></div>
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<b><i>The Jesus Storybook Bible</i> </b></div>
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Over 1440 people gave it a 5-star rating on Amazon</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?event=AFF&amp;p=1166384&amp;item_no=708257" target="_blank">CBD</a> (save 59%!); <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0310708257/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0310708257&linkCode=as2&tag=rinsrea-20&linkId=CZYVD7XDR3W4KGEW" target="_blank">Amazon</a>; <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=6OqI1zy9HeM&subid=&offerid=239662.1&type=10&tmpid=8432&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.barnesandnoble.com%252Fw%252Fjesus-storybook-bible-sally-lloyd-jones%252F1100472254%253Fean%253D9780310708254" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<i><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><u>Friends:</u></span></i><br />
Any of the above (or below)<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<u><i><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">White Elephant gift:</span></i></u></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZFRX9KtffQ72f3u3S3DtU7fuxrmioYqIPnNPByQSlLX5JN_W2Ur3vRYw_dURI7lmzibVsp2qzDcoX8QOWVhByPJOthyphenhyphenZYY1wGfn71FRsO0jnBqei7fZd4UGSdBZ_P8GN0NNQZ0vcCcnA/s1600/book-pillow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZFRX9KtffQ72f3u3S3DtU7fuxrmioYqIPnNPByQSlLX5JN_W2Ur3vRYw_dURI7lmzibVsp2qzDcoX8QOWVhByPJOthyphenhyphenZYY1wGfn71FRsO0jnBqei7fZd4UGSdBZ_P8GN0NNQZ0vcCcnA/s1600/book-pillow.jpg" height="177" title="pillows shaped like books" width="200" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Book Pillows</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KFOSGWA/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00KFOSGWA&linkCode=as2&tag=rinsrea-20&linkId=QIPI3YNAZUR3SKXU" target="_blank">Amazon</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>~~~</i>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Remember - Anytime you visit <a href="http://www.amazon.com/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=ur2&tag=rinsrea-20" target="_blank">Amazon.com</a> or <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=6OqI1zy9HeM&subid=&offerid=239662.1&type=10&tmpid=8433&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.barnesandnoble.com%252F">BarnesAndNoble.com</a> or <a href="http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/home?event=AFF&amp;p=1166384">ChristianBooks.com</a> or <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/?aff=ReadingRina">Independent Bookstores</a> use an affiliate link to get there. Any purchase you make from a link on my site generates a small kickback. You need not purchase the item I'm featuring, any purchase counts. It costs you nothing extra and is an easy way to support this site.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
Rina's Readinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06903030487241102205noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102217329246983287.post-33665631703029816522014-11-15T09:31:00.001-05:002014-11-15T09:31:54.012-05:00Unspoken by Dee Henderson<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; tab-stops: right 6.5in;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje_-cLpT7ZRhQV4nz80UHIVh1OhEUYWQjypBrpm-zT5RB4xKch5o-ovYHjbGUaOtuoH5aatvjvIUODQz_Lm6eivSpR1CHX7VTLSScELO00CP_E4WeOPpYHZjo-1S0Cow3pYMWtzN4g8G0/s1600/unspoken.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje_-cLpT7ZRhQV4nz80UHIVh1OhEUYWQjypBrpm-zT5RB4xKch5o-ovYHjbGUaOtuoH5aatvjvIUODQz_Lm6eivSpR1CHX7VTLSScELO00CP_E4WeOPpYHZjo-1S0Cow3pYMWtzN4g8G0/s1600/unspoken.jpg" height="200" title="Unspoken by Dee Henderson" width="128" /></a></div>
<i>Unspoken </i>by Dee
Henderson. Bethany House, 2013. 441p. (9780764211713) Series: (Not officially
but <i>Full Disclosure</i> and <i>Undetected</i> are related, this one falls
in the middle) </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; tab-stops: right 6.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; tab-stops: right 6.5in;">
Oh my. What a complex book of emotions, fear, sacrifice, hope and
dreams. And I just love that the author mentioned her O’Malley series and
credited them to a character in this book (I hadn’t read <i>Full Disclosure</i> yet and this fun tidbit plays an important part in
that story). <s>I think</s> I’ve found a new favorite author.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Goodreads Summary (edited):<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Charlotte
Graham is at the center of the most famous kidnapping in Chicago history. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The task
force of FBI and local cops found her two abductors, killed them, rescued her,
but it took four very long years. The fact she was found less than three miles
from her home, had been there the entire time, haunts them. She's changed her
identity, found a profession she loves, and rebuilt her life. She's never said
a word--to the cops, to her doctors, to family--about those four years.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
A family
legacy has brought her back to Chicago. Bryce Bishop doesn't know her past, he
only knows she has coins to sell from her grandfather's estate--and that the
FBI director for the Chicago office made the introduction. The more he gets to
know Charlotte, the more interested he becomes. But nothing else is working in
his favor.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>My Review:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Bryce Bishop
is “bored out of his mind” with his life and his enjoyable job running a
high-end coin shop. But both he and the reader don’t know how much that is
going to change when Charlotte Graham shows up in his parking lot. And goodness
what a ride it is.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I really
don’t want to give away any surprises in this story! The intensity of this book
is not in the drama or action, but it simply waiting alongside Charlotte and
Bryce for things to progress, for trust to be built, for cold cases to be
solved. In watching Charlotte struggle through continuing to figure out life 19
years after being held captive for four years.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Some
reviewers have complained about the length – and it is a long book, but who
hasn’t wished a story had been a bit longer just so you could spend more time with
the characters. Some reviewers have complained about the details regarding the
coins in the collection, but I found it interesting and it helps explain the
grandfather’s estate, lets the reader get to know Bryce’s character and is an
interesting glimpse into the world of coin collectors.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The romance
was incredibly sweet and slow and subtle; a very clean romance too. They don’t
make a big deal out of their faith either, the author is quite adept at
creating characters who are Christians – she doesn’t include any sermons and
isn’t pushy. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
If you like
suspense, mystery and romance, then this is a book for you.</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpL90DnK_94G0QBLqLBdhn5fibwIm7rkVmbb2P7jrY5HvtOP9ugJUUyJCckhCEZrBLlzt0pWVDzMxm4zu03mX0L03e-X_obbNuhPDak9xkhp__YkgnZfs10Vw1eqihJmy3xxTMziiVbsU/s1600/5butterflies+-+caption.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpL90DnK_94G0QBLqLBdhn5fibwIm7rkVmbb2P7jrY5HvtOP9ugJUUyJCckhCEZrBLlzt0pWVDzMxm4zu03mX0L03e-X_obbNuhPDak9xkhp__YkgnZfs10Vw1eqihJmy3xxTMziiVbsU/s1600/5butterflies+-+caption.png" height="75" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Go read it!
<a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/830945990" target="_blank">Find it at a library near you</a> ; <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0764211714/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0764211714&linkCode=as2&tag=rinsrea-20&linkId=CW35XSKD3RLMCRRZ" target="_blank">Buy it from Amazon</a> ($13.41/$8.63) ; <a href="http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?event=AFF&amp;p=1166384&amp;item_no=211713" target="_blank">Buy it from ChristianBooks.com</a> ($9.49/$8.67); <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=6OqI1zy9HeM&subid=&offerid=239662.1&type=10&tmpid=8432&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.barnesandnoble.com%252Fs%252FUnspoken-by-Dee-Henderson%253Fstore%253Dallproducts%2526keyword%253DUnspoken%252Bby%252BDee%252BHenderson" target="_blank">Buy it from Barnes & Noble</a> ($13.67/$9.99); <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780764211713?aff=ReadingRina" target="_blank">Buy it from anIndependent Bookstore near you</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
(Paperback/ebook prices good
as of November 14, 2014 always double check for yourself)</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Disclosure:
I borrowed this book from the library. The opinions I have expressed are my
own. Links include affiliate links. I am disclosing this in accordance with the
Federal Trade Commission.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<i>~~~</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Remember - Anytime you visit <a href="http://www.amazon.com/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=ur2&tag=rinsrea-20" target="_blank">Amazon.com</a> or <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=6OqI1zy9HeM&subid=&offerid=239662.1&type=10&tmpid=8433&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.barnesandnoble.com%252F">BarnesAndNoble.com</a> or <a href="http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/home?event=AFF&amp;p=1166384">ChristianBooks.com</a> or <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/?aff=ReadingRina">Independent Bookstores</a> use an affiliate link to get there. Any purchase you make from a link on my site generates a small kickback. You need not purchase the item I'm featuring, any purchase counts. It costs you nothing extra and is an easy way to support this site.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
Rina's Readinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06903030487241102205noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102217329246983287.post-85760209620206104672014-11-09T14:30:00.002-05:002014-11-09T14:51:53.247-05:00Golden Daughter by Anne Elisabeth Stengl<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; tab-stops: right 6.5in;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6ghgjVtmgIneX8Ah5eCWIsPl_pCW9mH8Sc3QdpyPZJ5ChVJPetDqSKd1LDawH5sQuKNWkDhvfArtIob8Cv3dH4Um1goRyWPGrwEyy4NdnpfxxRIuT163wyo7vaUhDoIIv2URgfIG6PCQ/s1600/golden-daughter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6ghgjVtmgIneX8Ah5eCWIsPl_pCW9mH8Sc3QdpyPZJ5ChVJPetDqSKd1LDawH5sQuKNWkDhvfArtIob8Cv3dH4Um1goRyWPGrwEyy4NdnpfxxRIuT163wyo7vaUhDoIIv2URgfIG6PCQ/s1600/golden-daughter.jpg" height="200" width="128" /></a></div>
<i>Golden Daughter </i>by Anne
Elisabeth Stengl. Rogglewood Press, 2014. 570p. (9780989447850) Series: Tales
of Goldstone Wood, #7</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; tab-stops: right 6.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; tab-stops: right 6.5in;">
I don’t even know where to begin in describing how amazing this
book is. Epic, vast, complex, at times humorous, complicated, long (in a good
way) would all be apt descriptions. Even though this is book 7 in the series it
can be read at any time, chronologically it takes place way before <i><a href="http://heartlessnovel.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Heartless</a>, <a href="http://rinasreading.blogspot.com/2012/01/veiled-rose-by-anne-elisabeth-stengl.html" target="_blank">Veiled Rose</a></i> and <i><a href="http://rinasreading.blogspot.com/2012/05/moonblood-by-anne-elisabeth-stengl.html" target="_blank">Moonblood</a></i> and one mortal year after the Faerie
world events of <i><a href="http://rinasreading.blogspot.com/2014/04/shadow-hand-by-anne-elisabeth-stengl.html" target="_blank">Shadowhand</a></i>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Goodreads Summary:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
BEYOND THE
REALM OF DREAMS IS A WORLD SHE NEVER IMAGINED</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Masayi Sairu
was raised to be dainty, delicate, demure . . . and deadly. She is one of the
emperor’s Golden Daughters, as much a legend as she is a commodity. One day,
Sairu will be contracted in marriage to a patron, whom she will secretly guard
for the rest of her life.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
But when she
learns that a sacred Dream Walker of the temple seeks the protection of a
Golden Daughter, Sairu forgoes marriage in favor of this role. Her skills are
stretched to the limit, for assassins hunt in the shadows, and phantoms haunt
in dreams. With only a mysterious Faerie cat and a handsome slave—possessed of
his own strange abilities—to help her, can Sairu shield her new mistress from
evils she can neither see nor touch?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
For the
Dragon is building an army of fire. And soon the heavens will burn.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>My Review:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
This is a cosmically
complex story. As much as I tend to read books in one sitting I knew I couldn’t
with this one. (Though part of that was because I was reading the ARC as a pdf
on my kindle and my kindle didn’t like the large file size.) This is a book I
fully tend to reread as soon as I can get my hands on a physical copy. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
But also the
writing and deep themes that Anne Elisabeth weaves into her stories make it
such that it takes a bit longer to read (a good thing) and to fully absorb the
tale.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrXh7pyfnYPoaHT-C52tiIx1wqV_7hZZ3b2BropIH9o-PyYWQWEZSXkbBE5CrQodEEqM-a0H9L4oKxRof85Ca85k-YD0f__4kwHD2IaqjMyguc9At_QoY3lGn871u9U76fAIPt05EwRpU/s1600/Masayi_Sairu.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrXh7pyfnYPoaHT-C52tiIx1wqV_7hZZ3b2BropIH9o-PyYWQWEZSXkbBE5CrQodEEqM-a0H9L4oKxRof85Ca85k-YD0f__4kwHD2IaqjMyguc9At_QoY3lGn871u9U76fAIPt05EwRpU/s1600/Masayi_Sairu.png" height="200" width="144" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Masayi Sairu<br />
as drawn by AES</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Goldstone
Wood characters are always such “real” people. You get to know them personally.
Eanrin as always was amazing (can he please walk out of the Wood and come
visit?!). Masayi Sairu is a new favorite heroine; to use a crass (sorry Mom!) but
apt word, she’s the epitome of a kick-ass heroine who also keeps a hold of her femininity.
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
As promised
we get to know Sunan’s story and discover in part how he is also the ship
captain in <i>Veiled Rose </i>and <i><a href="http://rinasreading.blogspot.com/2013/11/goddess-tithe-by-anne-elisabeth-stengl.html" target="_blank">Goddess Tithe</a></i>. But there’s still more to
his story! What about the portrait on his wall!? I did enjoy finding out the
origin of Una’s ring – well, the jewels in her ring. :-) But how did they get
to her?!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Lady Hariwan
was a first a bit of a conundrum – do we like her, do we fear her? And by the
end – do we pity her, do we grieve her, or knowing what Ay-Ibunda is in <i>Veiled Rose</i> do we shudder at her? (Back
in January 2012, Anne Elisabeth wrote a <a href="http://anneelisabethstengl.blogspot.com/2012/01/is-for-ay-ibunda.html" target="_blank">blog post</a> about the temple. It’s interesting going back and reading that now.)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitVKOA304m150Pg4dsRN1rV0U-xgV67JlX9ycTgwTQXtKkVlxE3DuEhBFju4LYXu6cnJiqAW_bqBBY2MzmQs-UTEkZZFgPPosIsn0d2eIA1V5rPy0vv-JplCOxVMufQ533dDr6aMrj1YI/s1600/19455Blue_Fire_by_SnowSkadi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitVKOA304m150Pg4dsRN1rV0U-xgV67JlX9ycTgwTQXtKkVlxE3DuEhBFju4LYXu6cnJiqAW_bqBBY2MzmQs-UTEkZZFgPPosIsn0d2eIA1V5rPy0vv-JplCOxVMufQ533dDr6aMrj1YI/s1600/19455Blue_Fire_by_SnowSkadi.jpg" height="200" width="165" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://anneelisabethstengl.blogspot.com/2012/01/and-now-unicorns.html">The Blue Star</a> </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
But more
important than all that is the reason for the story: the night of the
moonblood, and the goldstone. Two vast and very important pieces in the history
of Goldstone Wood that have been hinted at since the very first book are
finally told.</div>
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If you love
fantasy, cosmic epicness, a good moral buried deep in the foundation, and the
most famous bard to roam the Woods, then this is a book for you.<br />
<br />
If you read this before 7pm - 9pm EST on Nov 10, 2014 then join the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/372775129514115/" target="_blank">Golden Daughter Chat Party</a> on Facebook!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpL90DnK_94G0QBLqLBdhn5fibwIm7rkVmbb2P7jrY5HvtOP9ugJUUyJCckhCEZrBLlzt0pWVDzMxm4zu03mX0L03e-X_obbNuhPDak9xkhp__YkgnZfs10Vw1eqihJmy3xxTMziiVbsU/s1600/5butterflies+-+caption.png" imageanchor="1"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpL90DnK_94G0QBLqLBdhn5fibwIm7rkVmbb2P7jrY5HvtOP9ugJUUyJCckhCEZrBLlzt0pWVDzMxm4zu03mX0L03e-X_obbNuhPDak9xkhp__YkgnZfs10Vw1eqihJmy3xxTMziiVbsU/s1600/5butterflies+-+caption.png" height="75" title="5 stars for Golden Daughter by Anne Elisabeth Stengl" width="320" /></a></div>
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Go read it!
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0989447855/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0989447855&linkCode=as2&tag=rinsrea-20&linkId=NNJQMXET72JIDZFC">Buy it from Amazon</a> ($4.99 / $15.29); <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=6OqI1zy9HeM&subid=&offerid=239662.1&type=10&tmpid=8432&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.barnesandnoble.com%252Fw%252Fgolden-daughter-anne-elisabeth-stengl%252F1120631187%253Fean%253D2940046363142">Buy it from Barnes & Noble</a> ($4.99); <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/484003">Buy it from Smashwords</a> ($4.99)</div>
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(E-book/paperback
prices good as of November 9, 2014; always double check for yourself)</div>
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Disclosure:
I received this ARC for free from the publisher and author. 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.</div>
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<i>~~~</i></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Remember - Anytime you visit <a href="http://www.amazon.com/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=ur2&tag=rinsrea-20" target="_blank">Amazon.com</a> or <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=6OqI1zy9HeM&subid=&offerid=239662.1&type=10&tmpid=8433&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.barnesandnoble.com%252F">BarnesAndNoble.com</a> or <a href="http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/home?event=AFF&amp;p=1166384">ChristianBooks.com</a> or <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/?aff=ReadingRina">Independent Bookstores</a> use an affiliate link to get there. Any purchase you make from a link on my site generates a small kickback. You need not purchase the item I'm featuring, any purchase counts. It costs you nothing extra and is an easy way to support this site.</span></div>
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Rina's Readinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06903030487241102205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102217329246983287.post-40833123430672443582014-10-24T15:54:00.000-04:002014-10-24T15:54:26.060-04:00The Bravest Princess by E.D. Baker<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; tab-stops: right 6.5in;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRHpdhoM7GPRDC8IVOfWFe9GJ2TIyAS1RY1WOpRLWafk87_pmKmbjt2Pl5j_UIwQrKt19tRy26CejV_uuYwH2xd4YxqsfbnmnQ9rSg4KdaZRsRf0wCaRTAeFXRWUtorvXoyOh_PFkhEBQ/s1600/bravest-princess.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRHpdhoM7GPRDC8IVOfWFe9GJ2TIyAS1RY1WOpRLWafk87_pmKmbjt2Pl5j_UIwQrKt19tRy26CejV_uuYwH2xd4YxqsfbnmnQ9rSg4KdaZRsRf0wCaRTAeFXRWUtorvXoyOh_PFkhEBQ/s1600/bravest-princess.jpg" height="200" title="The Bravest Princess by E.D. Baker" width="129" /></a></div>
<i>The Bravest Princess </i>by
E.D. Baker. Bloomsbury USA Childrens, 2014. 263p. (9781619631366) Series: Wide-Awake
Princess, #3</div>
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I really enjoyed the first two books in the series, <i><a href="http://rinasreading.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-wide-awake-princess-by-e-d-baker.html">The Wide-AwakePrincess</a></i> and <i>Unlocking the Spell</i>, but it’s been so long since I read them that
I’ve forgotten the details of the story, including how Princess Annie and Prince Liam
met. Which is rather important since they are engaged.</div>
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<b>Goodreads Summary:</b></div>
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Sleeping
Beauty's younger, non-magical sister, Annie, still can't rest while trouble in
the [neighboring] kingdom threatens her good friend, Snow White. Snow White's evil stepmother
has disappeared, and her father wants her married off right away--but who
should she choose? How can she tell which prince is best? It's Annie and her
good friend Liam to the rescue! A hilarious and and fantastical romp through a
fairy tale landscape from beloved author E D Baker.</div>
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<b>My Review:</b></div>
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The first
50-100 pages or so were a bit slow as the story focus mainly on Princess
Gwendolyn’s wedding and then locking up Granny Bentbone who had been captured
in the previous book (I assume). But once Annie and Liam got close to Snow
White’s castle things got a lot more interesting.</div>
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The reason I
enjoyed the first two books so much is the way so many fairytales were re-imagined
and woven into the story. Sadly, that wasn’t the case with this one. Sure there
were the several characters from different fairy tales but it lacked the creativity
and charm of the previous books.</div>
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The
adventure was interesting though and the reader is kept wondering where the
wicked witch is hiding and who she might be disguised as. The </div>
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Fairy tales
very often have a simplistic and idealist view of love and marriage. I liked
that the Snow White looked for more than a handsome face and a brave knight
when choosing a prince. And that Annie and Liam were learning that love
involves caring for the other more than oneself (and recognizing that in the
other) and having the freedom to be themselves. Annie and Liam’s relationship was enjoyable and since this is a children’s book and the two are engaged there were a few times they kissed but that’s all that was said about it.</div>
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If you enjoy
fairy tale retellings then you should read this series. If you enjoy children’s
adventure and romance then this is also a book for you.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBxR0r0eleslnzU7F3QuwwIVPFbCY8JwTShqMlzR2srhvi-gMu-XOK4JgRIz3C8yJXFnFHIQLIK9gtox6sDwhQzLZqlac0vYI_Z73qxvd7Eu_ww1pj2LSVwHrfcXo4cW5aP-HP5MyasO4/s1600/3.5+butterflies+-+caption.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBxR0r0eleslnzU7F3QuwwIVPFbCY8JwTShqMlzR2srhvi-gMu-XOK4JgRIz3C8yJXFnFHIQLIK9gtox6sDwhQzLZqlac0vYI_Z73qxvd7Eu_ww1pj2LSVwHrfcXo4cW5aP-HP5MyasO4/s1600/3.5+butterflies+-+caption.png" height="93" title="3.5 stars for Bravest Princess by ED Baker" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://rinasreading.blogspot.jp/p/my-rating-system.html">(View my rating system)</a></span></div>
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<b>Go read it!</b>
<a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/849210953">Find it at a library near you</a>; <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1619631369/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1619631369&linkCode=as2&tag=rinsrea-20&linkId=N5CGXZA535DZXL7L">Buy it from Amazon</a> ($13.59 / $9.99); <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=6OqI1zy9HeM&subid=&offerid=239662.1&type=10&tmpid=8432&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.barnesandnoble.com%252Fw%252Fthe-bravest-princess-e-d-baker%252F1118063248%253Fean%253D9781619631366">Buy it from Barnes & Noble</a> ($13.86 / $10.49); <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781619631366?aff=ReadingRina">Buy it from an Independent Bookstore near you</a> </div>
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(Hardback /
Ebook Prices good as of October 24, 2014 always double check for yourself)</div>
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Disclosure:
I borrowed this from the library (after purchasing it for the library). The
opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with
the Federal Trade Commission.</div>
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<i>~~~</i></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Remember - Anytime you visit <a href="http://www.amazon.com/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=ur2&tag=rinsrea-20" target="_blank">Amazon.com</a> or <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=6OqI1zy9HeM&subid=&offerid=239662.1&type=10&tmpid=8433&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.barnesandnoble.com%252F">BarnesAndNoble.com</a> or <a href="http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/home?event=AFF&amp;p=1166384">ChristianBooks.com</a> or <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/?aff=ReadingRina">Independent Bookstores</a> use an affiliate link to get there. Any purchase you make from a link on my site generates a small kickback. You need not purchase the item I'm featuring, any purchase counts. It costs you nothing extra and is an easy way to support this site.</span></div>
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Rina's Readinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06903030487241102205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102217329246983287.post-64847650532210690502014-09-23T00:30:00.000-04:002014-09-23T00:30:01.758-04:00Top Ten Books On My Fall To-Be-Read list<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD6TPkCN-WL5H-5p2LGHgOmwXU6FVkPZ8jMmqUjRjXYb32FAZjCQCBdOvXFBbTvjn_pHxygNQYiIC64lorf1Xaf_wi9DOKU7Hif34RLZ0WrjtZTraBOYU5x34u8eTGdn-i8emj_ymu0zwA/s1600/TTT3W.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD6TPkCN-WL5H-5p2LGHgOmwXU6FVkPZ8jMmqUjRjXYb32FAZjCQCBdOvXFBbTvjn_pHxygNQYiIC64lorf1Xaf_wi9DOKU7Hif34RLZ0WrjtZTraBOYU5x34u8eTGdn-i8emj_ymu0zwA/s200/TTT3W.jpg" height="153" width="200" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by <a href="http://brokeandbookish.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Broke and the Bookish</a><br />
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<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Top Ten Books On My Fall To-Be-Read list</span></b></div>
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</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>1. <i>Golden Daughter</i> by Anne Elisabeth Stengl</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdggiISzCtQYyTwK-L6GhK4k0_QmZoXc3cpSUI_Ew4vU7xPJOtERIJ0SoOVc2IR2-92rL4b79heoQuRQnrK440yT_63Twwktx8h75r5MSWTZfypM_KFgMi9OmTucjzrA7QKMm121GsaOM/s1600/golden-daughter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdggiISzCtQYyTwK-L6GhK4k0_QmZoXc3cpSUI_Ew4vU7xPJOtERIJ0SoOVc2IR2-92rL4b79heoQuRQnrK440yT_63Twwktx8h75r5MSWTZfypM_KFgMi9OmTucjzrA7QKMm121GsaOM/s1600/golden-daughter.jpg" height="200" width="128" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
My favorite series! The next book comes out in November! Can't wait! </div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>2. <i>The Vow: the true story that inspired the movie</i> by Kim & Krickett Carpenter </b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDP4aR9-AYV1G8THAoPGbASc6ZxFBwyjKBQfGIzmwhCrDd_hkKLrtljlXU0txsJLX3r3H96BkqxT8EEEv4Qvz12lUC3KTAR17D0MomSJ_X5VP7Va5e22wsBfx6bU-VaFJB_CfuxpVSo5s/s1600/the+vow.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDP4aR9-AYV1G8THAoPGbASc6ZxFBwyjKBQfGIzmwhCrDd_hkKLrtljlXU0txsJLX3r3H96BkqxT8EEEv4Qvz12lUC3KTAR17D0MomSJ_X5VP7Va5e22wsBfx6bU-VaFJB_CfuxpVSo5s/s1600/the+vow.gif" /></a></div>
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While cataloging it for the library I started flipping through it, looks interesting!</div>
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<b>3. <i>The Giver</i> by Lois Lowry</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBW8idw4W2Mb6bXBAiHSnU7n7iFtGyeweIk9msQDghTLM5KSECUUKlADGbT7F5tbHuV79Lcl1AvKcF0sLFIxGpZmEuxv-qz0X5326kCgi9igX1JxEm3XIFgzRzQTzIR1iAhVUb4MFx8vw/s1600/giver.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBW8idw4W2Mb6bXBAiHSnU7n7iFtGyeweIk9msQDghTLM5KSECUUKlADGbT7F5tbHuV79Lcl1AvKcF0sLFIxGpZmEuxv-qz0X5326kCgi9igX1JxEm3XIFgzRzQTzIR1iAhVUb4MFx8vw/s1600/giver.jpg" height="200" width="121" /></a></div>
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Confession: I've never read this book. Yet.</div>
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<b>4. <i>The Silmarillion</i> by J.R.R. Tolkien</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpcFZqNgsQloJhEXF6GQlb7ebPDP32t82jchpVoqan799Yve8-DygXSDYWycwEhc7KZ2xjf7glrXDkmoB5rsjcJJKCg7GUrNHfhwTzSy2AWzyzOkf5lh7cHYxwXx_GJ9BzLOb0bS_6aTw/s1600/silmarillion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpcFZqNgsQloJhEXF6GQlb7ebPDP32t82jchpVoqan799Yve8-DygXSDYWycwEhc7KZ2xjf7glrXDkmoB5rsjcJJKCg7GUrNHfhwTzSy2AWzyzOkf5lh7cHYxwXx_GJ9BzLOb0bS_6aTw/s1600/silmarillion.jpg" height="200" width="152" /></a></div>
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Yeah, this was on a <a href="http://rinasreading.blogspot.com/2013/01/top-ten-tuesday-books-i-will-read-in.html">TTT-read-in-2013</a> list and this years <a href="http://rinasreading.blogspot.com/2014/03/top-ten-spring-2014-tbr-list.html">TTT-spring-TBR</a> list... hopefully this season.</div>
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<b>5. <i>When I Fall in Love</i> by Susan May Warren</b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqumNnqxhz8TXzEdtAGGe-rtXhjy771vCGawc2PL4nTJ_bwoUGzxlYiVuKNxNgFJM3IjIooRjD_Ebj7xxK25EHQRebmAz2-pB1eM1FMtFL4Ggi8SHRJsS-AJanBzj5dzYAN3PowKWa32U/s1600/when-i-fall-in-love.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqumNnqxhz8TXzEdtAGGe-rtXhjy771vCGawc2PL4nTJ_bwoUGzxlYiVuKNxNgFJM3IjIooRjD_Ebj7xxK25EHQRebmAz2-pB1eM1FMtFL4Ggi8SHRJsS-AJanBzj5dzYAN3PowKWa32U/s1600/when-i-fall-in-love.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a><br />
I fell in love with Susan May Warren's <a href="http://rinasreading.blogspot.com/2014/01/happily-ever-after-by-susan-may-warren.html">Deep Haven series</a> last winter and then started her <a href="http://rinasreading.blogspot.com/2014/03/it-had-to-be-you-by-susan-may-warren.html">Christiansen Family series</a>. This is book three in the series.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>6. <i>An Eye for an Eye</i> by Irene Hannon</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-vprcKnVnlGGb03QkRmCm6fjABEBABuFE9mekCF9XnH28mGsyX-CFakuaT3SpjJMzGh1bfcTKr4zoN_HJwIqyL5dejoOFr-BrqAlJMOhtM-xPyR7fPnHZ9asj238bj1XQbk_TiyE1bew/s1600/an-eye-for-an-eye.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-vprcKnVnlGGb03QkRmCm6fjABEBABuFE9mekCF9XnH28mGsyX-CFakuaT3SpjJMzGh1bfcTKr4zoN_HJwIqyL5dejoOFr-BrqAlJMOhtM-xPyR7fPnHZ9asj238bj1XQbk_TiyE1bew/s1600/an-eye-for-an-eye.jpg" height="200" width="129" /></a></div>
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Because I enjoyed Dee Henderson's <a href="http://rinasreading.blogspot.com/2014/05/the-truth-seeker-by-dee-henderson.html">O'Malley series</a> I thought I'd try Irene Hannon's Heroes of Quantico series. Book one certainly kept me turning the pages and I'd love to find out Mark's story.</div>
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<b>7. <i>From Slave to Governor</i> by Perry Thomas</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg0Z-kEkXlUbioYKT72leSLpKxxg6dlW5i5N8TaZJen3kvc3REIlAF-lMzWuN2BEk6AY1D3mO-NY_VCCFF2oai6AgES86m_KIvwYhEqmgV7QWJluFT6svP1vhf2YYjvemRzOq44fx_ZXs/s1600/from-slave-to-governor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg0Z-kEkXlUbioYKT72leSLpKxxg6dlW5i5N8TaZJen3kvc3REIlAF-lMzWuN2BEk6AY1D3mO-NY_VCCFF2oai6AgES86m_KIvwYhEqmgV7QWJluFT6svP1vhf2YYjvemRzOq44fx_ZXs/s1600/from-slave-to-governor.jpg" height="200" width="129" /></a></div>
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I've met the author and my mom really enjoyed this book. But I've never gotten around to reading it. I want to though.</div>
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<b>8. <i>The notorious Benedict Arnold : a true story of adventure, heroism, & treachery</i> by Steve Sheinkin</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBEXlgt0Ip7BkaxSeazHfItXXBxJCKyxyWRQ6UVtZIC61p2839oxH872r6fZy_wfc7Nm9eRG8OspHrOpxK-frQpZ9oEzqdreiY-YAuB4Q_07h_TjieUpeSfKFkvR5bwJYR_m_3cyomFYc/s1600/notorious-benedict-arnold.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBEXlgt0Ip7BkaxSeazHfItXXBxJCKyxyWRQ6UVtZIC61p2839oxH872r6fZy_wfc7Nm9eRG8OspHrOpxK-frQpZ9oEzqdreiY-YAuB4Q_07h_TjieUpeSfKFkvR5bwJYR_m_3cyomFYc/s1600/notorious-benedict-arnold.jpg" height="200" width="135" /></a></div>
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I need to read more non-fiction... And I like American Revolutionary War history. And I really liked <a href="http://rinasreading.blogspot.com/2013/01/bomb-race-to-build-and-steal-worlds.html">the other book by this author</a> that I read. </div>
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<b>9. <i>Thursday's with the Crown</i> by Jessica Day George</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdsmNGlNswPACtevC7sboWrFgZEA9YxK2LZjSKj-MKgOhEFpf4fJGu-meQBb1e57-j5g02vbjj0dbZ1jiYv2K0te42UKLPKZxV0Id-gsd8w11RDGV2WcWh8JD6lzJUaSIhzxZV273VzQ8/s1600/thursdays-with-the-crown.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdsmNGlNswPACtevC7sboWrFgZEA9YxK2LZjSKj-MKgOhEFpf4fJGu-meQBb1e57-j5g02vbjj0dbZ1jiYv2K0te42UKLPKZxV0Id-gsd8w11RDGV2WcWh8JD6lzJUaSIhzxZV273VzQ8/s1600/thursdays-with-the-crown.jpg" height="200" width="131" /></a></div>
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I'm reading the first book in the series to 2nd grade and book two ends on a bit of a cliff hanger, so I'm looking forward to finding out what happens next!</div>
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<b>10. <i>The Bravest Princess</i> by E.D. Baker</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEw8xtazpd1c_QwFcf659Ll6mNo7J77lye5foyatFJMumJlRbsgvSDrJloMNrGy_AOKDNZ33c2DN0Y53Z9nr6Q9p84U78iSh0Psgb-HL_Z-DYAsojqTbbWv4NYG9TT4lDQ6RJzKc9-gR0/s1600/bravest-princess.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEw8xtazpd1c_QwFcf659Ll6mNo7J77lye5foyatFJMumJlRbsgvSDrJloMNrGy_AOKDNZ33c2DN0Y53Z9nr6Q9p84U78iSh0Psgb-HL_Z-DYAsojqTbbWv4NYG9TT4lDQ6RJzKc9-gR0/s1600/bravest-princess.jpg" height="200" width="129" /></a></div>
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This is also book three in a middle-grade series that I've really enjoyed. A fun twist on classic fairytales all jumbled together. Book #1: <i><a href="http://rinasreading.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-wide-awake-princess-by-e-d-baker.html">Wide Awake Princess</a></i></div>
<br />
<b>What books do you want to read this fall?</b><br />
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<i>~~~</i></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Remember - Anytime you visit <a href="http://www.amazon.com/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=ur2&tag=rinsrea-20" target="_blank">Amazon.com</a> or <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=6OqI1zy9HeM&subid=&offerid=239662.1&type=10&tmpid=8433&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.barnesandnoble.com%252F">BarnesAndNoble.com</a> or <a href="http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/home?event=AFF&amp;p=1166384">ChristianBooks.com</a> or <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/?aff=ReadingRina">Independent Bookstores</a> use an affiliate link to get there. Any purchase you make from a link on my site generates a small kickback. You need not purchase the item I'm featuring, any purchase counts. It costs you nothing extra and is an easy way to support this site.</span></div>
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Rina's Readinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06903030487241102205noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102217329246983287.post-92182158826318850012014-07-26T16:24:00.000-04:002014-07-26T16:24:03.180-04:00School Book Saturday: Early Islamic trade & Women's sufferage<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjijLl4gNAdbVjFTMF72DhCMQvq3vhfFW5Wp1CgCctETBT6t7WwoZ8ZnKkwozPHgB7hT0vTixEc0YXRoNjnT1g-fjWXpXvvDLqHkvBU0Kkjq6MnaKlHDv13sQTXMWR3ehRKdOKx8a2n6_0/s1600/trade-and-commerce.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjijLl4gNAdbVjFTMF72DhCMQvq3vhfFW5Wp1CgCctETBT6t7WwoZ8ZnKkwozPHgB7hT0vTixEc0YXRoNjnT1g-fjWXpXvvDLqHkvBU0Kkjq6MnaKlHDv13sQTXMWR3ehRKdOKx8a2n6_0/s1600/trade-and-commerce.jpg" height="200" title="Trade and commerce in the early Islamic world by Allison Lassieur" width="156" /></a></div>
<b><i>Trade and commerce in the early Islamic world</i></b><br />
by Allison Lassieur. Crabtree Publishing Company, 2012. 48 pg. ( 978-0778721796)<br />
Series: Life in the Early Islamic World<br />
Dewey: J381<br />
Reading level: 6.7, Guided Reading: W<br />
Interest level: 5-8th<br />
<br />
<b>Publisher Description:</b><br />
This important book shows how trade and commerce spread with the conquests made by the early Islamic empires. Key topics explored include: transportation by caravans, ships, and boats; monetary systems; famous explorers and traders; interactions with the East and West; economical principles; and coinage.<br />
<br />
<b>My Review:</b><br />
Lots of great maps, examples of Islamic artwork and photos. In addition to the topics mentioned in the publisher's description the book also covers various trade goods including a variety of luxury items and slaves. At the end are ten very short biographies of famous Muslim traders and explorers, there are also two timelines, glossary (no pronunciation guide), additional resources and index. <br />
<br />
I think this would be a good resource for middle schoolers studying Middle Eastern history and learning about trade and commerce centuries ago. This is a series I will consider for my school's library.
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<br />
<a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/601148346" target="_blank">Find it at a library near you</a>; <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0778721795/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0778721795&linkCode=as2&tag=rinsrea-20&linkId=7GM6VYTJHZWMGDJF" target="_blank">Buy it from Amazon</a>; <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=6OqI1zy9HeM&subid=&offerid=239662.1&type=10&tmpid=8432&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.barnesandnoble.com%252Fw%252Ftrade-and-commerce-in-the-early-islamic-world-allison-lassieur%252F1109571457%253Fean%253D9780778721727" target="_blank">Buy it from Barnes & Noble</a>; <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780778721796?aff=ReadingRina">Buy it from an Indie Bookstore near you</a><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirY5oBk_Z5yEBs9rhpmKRV1Hx4R9PY25Xq1CB815CcdQJQPduFftGgg4ks3L8Nc4uHyMAkAEkjRK7e-PQ2GsLq_5iuLJPsDr7kvxUWq9Bjd4GUMj0oeDIooEdCNLQ6PBGevanPba74bws/s1600/goodreads-blank-women's-right-to-vote.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirY5oBk_Z5yEBs9rhpmKRV1Hx4R9PY25Xq1CB815CcdQJQPduFftGgg4ks3L8Nc4uHyMAkAEkjRK7e-PQ2GsLq_5iuLJPsDr7kvxUWq9Bjd4GUMj0oeDIooEdCNLQ6PBGevanPba74bws/s1600/goodreads-blank-women's-right-to-vote.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image from Good-<br />
reads, no cover<br />
available online</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><i>Women's Right to Vote</i></b><br />
edited by Paul A. Kobasa and others. World Book, 2011. 64 pg. (9780716615088)<br />
Series:World Book's Documenting History<br />
Dewey: 324.6<br />
Interest level: 6th-12th<br />
<br />
<b>Publisher Description:</b><br />
A history of the women's suffrage movement throughout the world, based on primary source documents and other historical artifacts. Features include period art works and photographs; excerpts from literary works, letters, speeches, broadcasts, and diaries; summary boxes; a timeline; maps; and a list of additional resources.<br />
<br />
<b>My Review:</b><br />
A very information rich book about women's efforts to obtain the right to vote around the world. I really liked that the book wasn't only about the suffrage movement in America but included other countries around the world - mainly those in the former British Empire.<br />
<br />
I fully expected to find this individual book for sale through Follet or a book retailer. Unfortunately that is not the case. It's a good resource for any middle school report on women's suffrage with lots of pictures, excerpts from letters and books, and at the end a timeline, sources, additional resources, and index.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/647772281" target="_blank">Find it at a library near you</a>; The only place online that I could find that sells it is <a href="http://store.worldbook.com/products/documenting-history-record">World Book as part of a series</a>.<br />
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<i>~~~</i></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Remember - Anytime you visit <a href="http://www.amazon.com/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=ur2&tag=rinsrea-20" target="_blank">Amazon.com</a> or <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=6OqI1zy9HeM&subid=&offerid=239662.1&type=10&tmpid=8433&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.barnesandnoble.com%252F">BarnesAndNoble.com</a> or <a href="http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/home?event=AFF&amp;p=1166384">ChristianBooks.com</a> use an affiliate link to get there. Any purchase you make from a link on my site generates a small kickback. You need not purchase the item I'm featuring, any purchase counts. It costs you nothing extra and is an easy way to support this site.</span></div>
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Rina's Readinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06903030487241102205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102217329246983287.post-34835029548342810242014-07-12T16:58:00.000-04:002014-07-12T21:23:56.383-04:00School Book Saturday: Adams, Shackleton & Obama (Who was/is....? series)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQahwgsMYI7TsV4Y0Er-ku1gmQB4Jg9jXhM3Sgscfpoc1N_oiTf3oKEQEviKw2PZJVKd3O9b4saW8tJRzExWZN2yrVSfGJHoPjDD1ZCuGU3kjPFyoxRw7a8QHlxaOWxiYchPc4YT8vqnE/s1600/who-was-abigail-adams.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQahwgsMYI7TsV4Y0Er-ku1gmQB4Jg9jXhM3Sgscfpoc1N_oiTf3oKEQEviKw2PZJVKd3O9b4saW8tJRzExWZN2yrVSfGJHoPjDD1ZCuGU3kjPFyoxRw7a8QHlxaOWxiYchPc4YT8vqnE/s1600/who-was-abigail-adams.jpg" height="200" width="139" /></a></div>
<b><i>Who was Abigail Adams?</i></b><br />
by True Kelley, illustrated by John O'Brien. Grosset & Dunlap (Imprint of Penguin Group), 2014. 112 pg. (9780448478906)<br />
Series: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/84461-who-was-is">Who was/is…?</a><br />
Dewey: J973.4<br />
Reading level: 4.6<br />
Interest level: 3rd-6th<br />
<br />
<b>Publisher Description:</b><br />
Abigail Adams was a strong woman far ahead of her time. She urged her husband, President John Adams, to "remember the ladies" and despite having no formal education herself, she later advocated for equal education in public schools for both boys and girls. She was also the first First Lady to live in the White House! This biography tells the story of Abigail Adams and her role in America's Revolutionary War period.<br />
<br />
<b>My Review:</b><br />
I enjoyed this brief biography of this truly remarkable woman. It is an excellent introduction to her life and what she did while her husband was away serving the fledgling US government. At one time they didn't see each other for five years!<br />
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The sentences were short; easy for young readers. The pen and ink illustrations show the clothing, housing, tools and modes of transportation of the day. There are a few maps and several boxed inserts focusing on specific events or people in her lifetime. The careers of her husband, John Adams (2nd US president) and son, John Quincy Adams (6th US president) are also told about as they relate to her.<br />
<br />
At the end is a timeline of her life and the world, a brief bibliography including books for young readers and a list of websites (only one didn't work) for further research.<br />
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Great for 3rd to 5th graders looking for a biography of an amazing woman from the American Revolution and the early years of American government.<br />
<br />
4 stars<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/849719094" target="_blank">Find it at a library near you</a>;
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0448478900/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0448478900&linkCode=as2&tag=rinsrea-20&linkId=4CNZLCXGKYZTWAWY" target="_blank">Buy it from Amazon</a> ($4.49); <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=6OqI1zy9HeM&subid=&offerid=239662.1&type=10&tmpid=8432&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.barnesandnoble.com%252Fw%252Fwho-was-abigail-adams-true-kelley%252F1115700124%253Fean%253D9780448478906" target="_blank">Buy it from Barnes &Noble</a> ($4.49); <a href="http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?event=AFF&amp;p=1166384&amp;item_no=478906" target="_blank">Buy it from ChristianBook</a> ($4.49); <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780448478906?aff=ReadingRina" target="_blank">Buy it from an Indie Bookstore near you</a><br />
(Paperback prices good as of July 12, 2014; double check for yourself before purchasing)<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNvu6WsCYfCUdnkD0PHPPgZAwdkTEYoEZCQ-BqiAPe4bHGnhNDZk_hMffIen1ndHkFJOMmDwckyp66pKKCFl9rtShXXxQJgTzobBoUXf-IqMNX905wccN9-vROMOWtG2YNGG8PWkxzhuc/s1600/who-was-ernest-shackleton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNvu6WsCYfCUdnkD0PHPPgZAwdkTEYoEZCQ-BqiAPe4bHGnhNDZk_hMffIen1ndHkFJOMmDwckyp66pKKCFl9rtShXXxQJgTzobBoUXf-IqMNX905wccN9-vROMOWtG2YNGG8PWkxzhuc/s1600/who-was-ernest-shackleton.jpg" height="200" width="139" /></a><b><i>Who Was Ernest Shackleton?</i> </b><br />
by James Buckley Jr., Illustrated by Max Hergenrother. Grosset & Dunlap (Imprint of Penguin Group), 2013. 112 pg. (9780778729563)<br />
Series: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/84461-who-was-is">Who was/is…?</a><br />
Dewey: J919.89<br />
Reading level: 4.6<br />
Interest level: 3rd-6th<br />
<br />
<b>Publisher Description:</b><br />
As a boy he preferred reading sea stories to doing homework and, at age 16, became an apprentice seaman. Subsequently, Ernest Shackleton’s incredible journeys to the South Pole in the early 1900s made him one of the most famous explorers of modern times. His courage in the face of dangerous conditions and unforeseeable tragedies reveal the great leader that he was. His historic 1914 journey aboard the Endurance has all the drama of an action movie.<br />
<br />
<b>My Review:</b><br />
I quite enjoyed learning more about this explorer of the freezing cold. This book was more interesting to me than the Abigail Adams book since I knew (in the recesses of my mind) most of her story and Shackleton's story was for the most part a new bit of history to me.<br />
<br />
The writing is simple and engaging. Kids will enjoy his adventures living in a boat and on ice for months on end. The illustrations are very well done and really enhance the text.<br />
<br />
At the end of the book are two timelines, one of his life and one of world events. There is a bibliography that includes several websites. Nothing listed is specifically geared toward children but students 5th grade and up should find the websites interesting and informative.<br />
<br />
4 stars<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/852221894" target="_blank">Find it at a library near you</a>; <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0448479311/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0448479311&linkCode=as2&tag=rinsrea-20&linkId=3WEX52BZ3L7V42G2" target="_blank">Buy it from Amazon</a> ($4.49); <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=6OqI1zy9HeM&subid=&offerid=239662.1&type=10&tmpid=8432&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.barnesandnoble.com%252Fw%252Fwho-was-ernest-shackleton-jim-buckley%252F1115811908%253Fean%253D9780448479316" target="_blank">Buy it from Barnes & Noble</a> ($4.49); <a href="http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?event=AFF&amp;p=1166384&amp;item_no=479316" target="_blank">Buy it from ChristianBook</a> ($4.49); <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780448479316?aff=ReadingRina" target="_blank">Buy it from an Indie Bookstore near you</a><br />
(Paperback prices good as of July 12, 2014; double check for yourself before purchasing)<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm6lSR2AHHMh3acB3vklvfvyEcLd5xKuF9mSnWA6tl80_VsgMOpyPPGu3Zxxdc6iDZm5OvSar8idmCWXsWV23A9tA1GWQa2okbwSKe7xScpa-O8B_EHW_CTpeVEiN-zdhC0Dj2C9mawbc/s1600/who-is-barack-obama.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm6lSR2AHHMh3acB3vklvfvyEcLd5xKuF9mSnWA6tl80_VsgMOpyPPGu3Zxxdc6iDZm5OvSar8idmCWXsWV23A9tA1GWQa2okbwSKe7xScpa-O8B_EHW_CTpeVEiN-zdhC0Dj2C9mawbc/s1600/who-is-barack-obama.jpg" height="200" width="138" /></a><b><i>Who Is Barack Obama?</i> </b><br />
by Roberta Edwards, Illustrations by Nancy Harrison and John O'Brien. Grosset & Dunlap (Imprint of Penguin Group), 2009. 112 pg. (9780448453309)<br />
Series: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/84461-who-was-is">Who was/is…?</a><br />
Dewey: J973.932<br />
Reading level: 4.9<br />
Interest level: 3rd-6th gr<br />
<br />
<b>Publisher Description:</b><br />
As the world now knows, Barack Obama has made history as [the] first African-American president [of the United States of America]. With black-and-white illustrations throughout, this biography is perfect for primary graders looking for a longer, fuller life story than is found in the author's bestselling beginning reader Barack Obama: United States President.<br />
<br />
<b>My Review:</b><br />
All but the last three chapters are apolitical (for the most part). At that point the story reaches his speech at the 2004 Democratic Convention, his run for US Senate and then of course his US presidential campaign. Since the book was published in 2009 there is no mention of his presidency, but that is for the best since it takes a while before the big picture can be seen and he's currently the president.<br />
<br />
I enjoyed learning more about Obama's childhood and college years. The book doesn't go into very much detail, but it highlights the main events and tells about the many places he grew up. Kids would find this a great source for a biography book report or for a project on the president.<br />
<br />
The Civil Rights Movement is mentioned but simplified and misrepresented to the point that it strongly implies no African-Americans had the right to vote until the 1960s. Which of course is false and misleading since African-Americans had been voting for almost 100 years, though they had quite a bit of difficulty in some southern States. Hence the Civil Rights Movement.<br />
<br />
As with all the books in this series there is a timeline of the person's life and a timeline of world/US events. There are five books listed in the bibliography - two are for young readers and two are Obama's own books. No websites were listed.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/321047146" target="_blank">Find it at a library near you</a>; <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0448453304/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0448453304&linkCode=as2&tag=rinsrea-20&linkId=ESXZ2X3GTYF6BNP2" target="_blank">Buy it from Amazon</a> ($4.49); <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=6OqI1zy9HeM&subid=&offerid=239662.1&type=10&tmpid=8432&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.barnesandnoble.com%252Fw%252Fwho-is-barack-obama-roberta-edwards%252F1102380337%253Fean%253D9780448453309" target="_blank">Buy it from Barnes & Noble</a> ($4.49); <a href="http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?event=AFF&amp;p=1166384&amp;item_no=453309" target="_blank">Buy it from ChristianBook</a> ($2.29); <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780448453309?aff=ReadingRina" target="_blank">Buy it from an Indie Bookstore near you</a><br />
(Paperback prices good as of July 12, 2014; double check for yourself before purchasing)<br />
<br />
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<i>~~~</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Remember - Anytime you visit <a href="http://www.amazon.com/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=ur2&tag=rinsrea-20" target="_blank">Amazon.com</a> or <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=6OqI1zy9HeM&subid=&offerid=239662.1&type=10&tmpid=8433&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.barnesandnoble.com%252F">BarnesAndNoble.com</a> or <a href="http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/home?event=AFF&amp;p=1166384">ChristianBooks.com</a> use an affiliate link to get there. Any purchase you make from a link on my site generates a small kickback. You need not purchase the item I'm featuring, any purchase counts. It costs you nothing extra and is an easy way to support this site.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
Rina's Readinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06903030487241102205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102217329246983287.post-2668983484278815932014-07-08T15:26:00.001-04:002014-07-08T15:26:59.720-04:00Top Ten Blogging Confessions<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD6TPkCN-WL5H-5p2LGHgOmwXU6FVkPZ8jMmqUjRjXYb32FAZjCQCBdOvXFBbTvjn_pHxygNQYiIC64lorf1Xaf_wi9DOKU7Hif34RLZ0WrjtZTraBOYU5x34u8eTGdn-i8emj_ymu0zwA/s1600/TTT3W.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD6TPkCN-WL5H-5p2LGHgOmwXU6FVkPZ8jMmqUjRjXYb32FAZjCQCBdOvXFBbTvjn_pHxygNQYiIC64lorf1Xaf_wi9DOKU7Hif34RLZ0WrjtZTraBOYU5x34u8eTGdn-i8emj_ymu0zwA/s200/TTT3W.jpg" height="153" width="200" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by <a href="http://brokeandbookish.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Broke and the Bookish</a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<u><i>Top Ten Blogging Confessions
</i></u></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<b>1. I am woefully behind on NetGalley reviews.</b> There's even a book or two that I requested last fall that I haven't read yet and a few that I requested this spring that I have read but haven't written reviews for yet. <br />
<br />
<b>2. I read what I want to read, when I want to read it.</b> Which is probably the cause for #1 (well and they have so many books!), but also means I'm terrible at reading ARCs. Especially ebook ones from new to me authors.<br />
<br />
<b>3. I would rather read than write reviews or other blog posts.</b> Hence my irregular posts.<br />
<br />
<b>4. I don't like it when two posts, for whatever reason, end up being posted the same day.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>5. Time zones are tricky things when scheduling posts.</b> When working in Africa I've got an extra 6 hours in a day to get a post scheduled before the US East Coast wakes up. Which is bad for when I'm in the States and have to remember to post and schedule the night before.<br />
<br />
<b>6. I don't read blogs I've subscribed to via Feedly very consistently.</b> There are currently 879 unread posts. But I do like Feedly for the most part.<br />
<br />
<b>7. I have not read Harry Potter, or Divergent, or the second two Hunger Games bks.</b> Maybe someday I'll get around to them, especially since a number of my students enjoy them. But there are so many other books I want to read!<br />
<br />
<b>8. I judge books by their cover.</b> But be honest, you do too.<br />
<br />
<b>9. I have lost a lot of hours of sleep because of books.</b> Unfortunately I also have to be up by 7am during the school year so starting a book at 11pm or midnight and finishing around 2 or 3am doesn't make for a good night's sleep.<br />
<br />
<b>10. There are 346 bks on my Goodreads to read shelf.</b> If I don't add anything more and only read books off that list it would take almost three years. We all know that's not going to happen … such a depressing realization.<br />
<br />
Do you have any blogging or book confessions?
<br />
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<i>~~~</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Remember - Anytime you visit <a href="http://www.amazon.com/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=ur2&tag=rinsrea-20" target="_blank">Amazon.com</a> or <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=6OqI1zy9HeM&subid=&offerid=239662.1&type=10&tmpid=8433&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.barnesandnoble.com%252F">BarnesAndNoble.com</a> or <a href="http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/home?event=AFF&amp;p=1166384">ChristianBooks.com</a> or <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/?aff=ReadingRina">Independent Bookstores</a> use an affiliate link to get there. Any purchase you make from a link on my site generates a small kickback. You need not purchase the item I'm featuring, any purchase counts. It costs you nothing extra and is an easy way to support this site.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
Rina's Readinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06903030487241102205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102217329246983287.post-36578376633172487782014-07-07T22:26:00.002-04:002014-07-07T22:26:58.353-04:00A Blossom Promise by Betsy Byars<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; tab-stops: right 6.5in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg367pujOC_bzam59lwfvxvgL9iX6OHixf3EXi4hmuaINxRc25UdNisb3qMMzFHpSGnYrNu4BuKzHhd-TkqeXMXrxP-CZ6cK4UafLGM2tajTHmMOQdSPbF531WbhpnLk7ZAdcWEVVitoSM/s1600/blossom-promise.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg367pujOC_bzam59lwfvxvgL9iX6OHixf3EXi4hmuaINxRc25UdNisb3qMMzFHpSGnYrNu4BuKzHhd-TkqeXMXrxP-CZ6cK4UafLGM2tajTHmMOQdSPbF531WbhpnLk7ZAdcWEVVitoSM/s1600/blossom-promise.jpg" height="200" title="A Blossom Promise by Betsy Byars" width="130" /></a><i>A Blossom Promise </i>by
Betsy Byars. Holiday House, 2008. 176p. (978082341473) Series: Blossom Family,
#4</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; tab-stops: right 6.5in;">
I needed to read a book by an author whose name started with the
letter B. And it had to be over 150 pages. And I had to be able to get and read
it tonight. This book fit the bill. Unfortunately it was number four in a
series so the jumping back and forth between characters was a bit confusing.
Still engaging though.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Goodreads
Summary:</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The Blossom
spirit endures as the family confronts the frailty of human life in Newbery
Award-winning author Betsy Byars's fourth Blossom Family book. It's a time of
ups and downs for the Blossoms. Maggie is thrilled to be the youngest member of
the rodeo circuit...until she witnesses Mom kissing a handsome bull rider. Back
at home, the family has weathered the worst flood in the state's history. Now
Vern and his friend Michael can't wait to test their homemade raft down at
Snake Creek, but they don't count on the creek's raging current. Hearing their
screams, Pap lassos his old rodeo rope and runs to the rescue when suddenly a
heart attack strikes. As Pap clings to life, the Blossoms must rely on the
strength of their family and pull together as never before.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>My Review:</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Start with
book one, things would make a lot more sense. The characters were all
entertaining and seemed spot on for their ages. I could easily picture the kids
doing and thinking exactly what the author had them doing and thinking.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The story
did start a little slow and jumped from Junior to Vern to Maggie and then back
again so it was a bit confusing. But I got used to it and the method works to
tell what the three kids are up to on a fateful day in the Blossom family
history.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Junior
witnessed Pap’s heart attack and at first thinks Pap died before his very eyes.
The author does a great job soothing Junior’s fears about the moment a person
dies and at the same time teaches kids it isn’t terrible and also is a lesson to
parents that they should talk to their kids about what happens and what is
expected from the child when a grandparent is nearing death.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I’m going to
look up book one, <i>The Not-Just-Anybody
Family</i>, and if it’s anything like this one, I think it would make a good
read aloud. The end of this edition has a reader’s guide, an interview with the
author and several photos of her life. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
4 stars as a children's book</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Go read it!</b>
<a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/212893651" target="_blank">Find it at a library near you</a>; <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B4V7MUK/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00B4V7MUK&linkCode=as2&tag=rinsrea-20&linkId=4XA5WHLUZN64DX52" target="_blank">Buy it from Amazon</a> ($5.38 / $6.26); <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=6OqI1zy9HeM&subid=&offerid=239662.1&type=10&tmpid=8432&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.barnesandnoble.com%252Fw%252Fa-blossom-promise-betsy-byars%252F1002986863%253Fean%253D9780823421473" target="_blank">Buy it from Barnes& Noble</a> ($6.49 / $6.95); <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780823421473?aff=ReadingRina">Buy it from an Indie Bookstore near you</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
(Ebook /
paperback prices good as of July 7, 2014; always double check for yourself)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Disclosure:
I borrowed this as an ebook from the library. The opinions I have expressed are
my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<i>~~~</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Remember - Anytime you visit <a href="http://www.amazon.com/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=ur2&tag=rinsrea-20" target="_blank">Amazon.com</a> or <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=6OqI1zy9HeM&subid=&offerid=239662.1&type=10&tmpid=8433&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.barnesandnoble.com%252F">BarnesAndNoble.com</a> or <a href="http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/home?event=AFF&amp;p=1166384">ChristianBooks.com</a> or <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/?aff=ReadingRina">Independent Bookstores</a> use an affiliate link to get there. Any purchase you make from a link on my site generates a small kickback. You need not purchase the item I'm featuring, any purchase counts. It costs you nothing extra and is an easy way to support this site.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
Rina's Readinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06903030487241102205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102217329246983287.post-43547933071792644842014-06-26T13:23:00.000-04:002014-06-28T00:15:49.214-04:00Rump: The True Story of Rumpelstiltskin by Liesl Shurtliff<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; tab-stops: right 6.5in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdijNwYsQzxbHCaBu18s0X_xDf2I1nAoPJVqzkqCgxnLJuVDg43DdLMfoIr5KRyDdVImdqljTKa6OWzv-KLwySvuHuiynxWQc0ipOeuPpkj7aIBsOxAALqufVbyDaf47jjdEeunauOf9Y/s1600/rump.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdijNwYsQzxbHCaBu18s0X_xDf2I1nAoPJVqzkqCgxnLJuVDg43DdLMfoIr5KRyDdVImdqljTKa6OWzv-KLwySvuHuiynxWQc0ipOeuPpkj7aIBsOxAALqufVbyDaf47jjdEeunauOf9Y/s1600/rump.jpg" height="200" title="Rump: The True Story of Rumpelstiltskin by Liesl Shurtliff" width="132" /></a><i>Rump: The True Story of
Rumpelstiltskin </i>by Liesl Shurtliff. Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young
Readers, 2013. 272p. (9780307977939) </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; tab-stops: right 6.5in;">
Interest Level: 3-6 grade ; Reading level: 4.1</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; tab-stops: right 6.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I saw this
book this spring on another blog somewhere and thought it looked interesting
and something that might appeal to the students at my school. The bonus was
that I enjoyed it as well and it made a flight across the US pass by quicker.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Goodreads
Summary:</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
In a magic
kingdom where your name is your destiny, 12-year-old Rump is the butt of
everyone's joke. But when he finds an old spinning wheel, his luck seems to
change. Rump discovers he has a gift for spinning straw into gold. His best
friend, Red Riding Hood, warns him that magic is dangerous, and she’s right.
With each thread he spins, he weaves himself deeper into a curse.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
To break the
spell, Rump must go on a perilous quest, fighting off pixies, trolls, poison
apples, and a wickedly foolish queen. The odds are against him, but with
courage and friendship—and a cheeky sense of humor—he just might triumph in the
end.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
A Texas
Bluebonnet Master List Selection, Rump is perfect for fans of Gail Carson
Levine's Ella Enchanted or Adam Gidwitz's A Tale Dark and Grimm.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>My Review:</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
A fun middle
grade story. At the beginning there were some phrases I thought didn’t flow,
but either I got used to the author’s writing style or there were just two unfortunate
editorial mishaps at the beginning.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The story
kept me wondering how it would unfold and how Rump could untangle himself
from the mess. Even though I know the classic story.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Very imaginative,
enjoyable story. There are some jokes about Rump’s name that middle schoolers
would find funny, but the author never let it go too far. This is one I’ll be
buying for my school’s library and might consider as a read aloud for 3rd or 4th grade. 3.75 stars</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzVjftCye8Xxrxac9-ztN-w2PZkAzpLe4Km6jF8aMZDR6Ym1mypk1B4Kuyu7LWfbV0cNLnPS6dbMqPtK2X9axlCVUCNORVZjOqjaTZqoTiza7C_jH6nJJa1W4C5vxT9JARO6urwzjtyDI/s1600/4butterflies+-+caption.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzVjftCye8Xxrxac9-ztN-w2PZkAzpLe4Km6jF8aMZDR6Ym1mypk1B4Kuyu7LWfbV0cNLnPS6dbMqPtK2X9axlCVUCNORVZjOqjaTZqoTiza7C_jH6nJJa1W4C5vxT9JARO6urwzjtyDI/s1600/4butterflies+-+caption.png" height="79" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Go read it!
<a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/781277865" target="_blank">Find it at a library near you</a>; <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0307977935/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0307977935&linkCode=as2&tag=rinsrea-20&linkId=TVFV6O6UAWI7HJPI" target="_blank">Buy it from Amazon</a> ($14.04 hb / $5.06 pb / $4.81 eb); <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=6OqI1zy9HeM&subid=&offerid=239662.1&type=10&tmpid=8432&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.barnesandnoble.com%252Fw%252Frump-liesl-shurtliff%252F1112126035%253Fean%253D9780307977960" target="_blank">Buy it from Barnes & Noble</a> ($6.99 pb / $6.99 eb); <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780307977939?aff=ReadingRina" target="_blank">Buy it from an Independent Bookstore near you</a> </div>
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(Prices good
as of June 26, 2014 always double check for yourself)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Disclosure:
I borrowed this book from the library. The opinions I have expressed are my
own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<i>~~~</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Remember - Anytime you visit <a href="http://www.amazon.com/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=ur2&tag=rinsrea-20" target="_blank">Amazon.com</a> or <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=6OqI1zy9HeM&subid=&offerid=239662.1&type=10&tmpid=8433&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.barnesandnoble.com%252F">BarnesAndNoble.com</a> or <a href="http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/home?event=AFF&amp;p=1166384">ChristianBooks.com</a> or <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/?aff=ReadingRina">Independent Bookstores</a> use an affiliate link to get there. Any purchase you make from a link on my site generates a small kickback. You need not purchase the item I'm featuring, any purchase counts. It costs you nothing extra and is an easy way to support this site.</span></div>
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Rina's Readinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06903030487241102205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102217329246983287.post-42901670124030276302014-06-26T05:00:00.000-04:002014-06-26T05:00:07.699-04:00Stephanie Ricker - Five Glass Slippers Blog Tour<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4EN5wRRKzUX8QylYAwcyFoZfyRqt92ArEfAQXg39bnjiv1C3B8RPNjWl5XbtGGKBDJO3q5YkjvLGMcqDiTDeXd1FioSw59V6Uv1g25Zjkgzf4llr6zzI7flISu6hLu6kYqiEnWN9z-VE/s1600/five-glass-slippers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4EN5wRRKzUX8QylYAwcyFoZfyRqt92ArEfAQXg39bnjiv1C3B8RPNjWl5XbtGGKBDJO3q5YkjvLGMcqDiTDeXd1FioSw59V6Uv1g25Zjkgzf4llr6zzI7flISu6hLu6kYqiEnWN9z-VE/s1600/five-glass-slippers.jpg" height="200" title="book cover of Five Glass Slippers" width="130" /></a></div>
Oh my! What a marvelous ball gown! Stephanie Ricker, author of <i>A Cinder's Tale</i>, is the Cinderella of the Day.<br />
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This week is the blog tour (with a fun giveaway!) for <i>Five Glass Slippers</i>, the collection of Cinderella stories that I reviewed a few weeks ago and that released just last week. <a href="http://rinasreading.blogspot.com/2014/06/five-glass-slippers.html" target="_blank">Here's the link to my review</a>.<br />
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And <a href="http://seasonsofhumility.blogspot.com/p/five-glass-slippers-blog-tour.html" target="_blank">here's the link to the blog tour home page</a> so you can be sure to visit Rachel's other's stops on this tour and to find out her favorite dance song, ball gown, and "Cinderella moment" on the main host blog.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVNwpEEZ5rmYG0ILzqe4VdBfWvKJFkwHOhSAgAGAeuw5kmI7tu6ZB6r-XeZ1wfczPmlOeRrUhopRZFnPKtp4WysU4N8v85osD4KCE2yNZb9uKAt77oGCuFT4sDp8KuRDSXNHdK1SDXijg/s1600/Stephanie+Ricker+color.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVNwpEEZ5rmYG0ILzqe4VdBfWvKJFkwHOhSAgAGAeuw5kmI7tu6ZB6r-XeZ1wfczPmlOeRrUhopRZFnPKtp4WysU4N8v85osD4KCE2yNZb9uKAt77oGCuFT4sDp8KuRDSXNHdK1SDXijg/s1600/Stephanie+Ricker+color.jpg" height="131" width="200" /></a></div>
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As she is chatting with us before stepping into her space pod she kindly answered the following question:<br />
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<i>Your story takes place in the far corners of the universe. Do you have a favorite spot in outer space and a picture of it?</i><br />
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<b>Stephanie: </b>Thanks for your question. I’m a huge science fiction fan (surprise, surprise), and I’m fascinated by space exploration in general. I like to browse <a href="http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html" target="_blank">NASA’s astronomy picture of the day archive</a>, and there are tons of beautiful shots there. One of my favorite constellations is the Pleiades (also called the Seven Sisters) because on most nights they’re hard to see; you almost wonder whether you’re imagining them or not. This shot from the Hubble telescope is lovely. Overall, though, I really just enjoy learning about it all, and reading the different fictional representations of life among the stars.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzzg-8wt3-lil7oLXHNqj4hhkpFj15gx58p47xwLaUFTDS_2mKqIpBPMvGHPekep49anLK3RmWDiJqIWdTkQwyyMF-XyYaqTj3SGOXoQ_uSEOGNEcaEmvyFqT8Bj-SbtVn1LfRUS6Iyek/s1600/Pleiades.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzzg-8wt3-lil7oLXHNqj4hhkpFj15gx58p47xwLaUFTDS_2mKqIpBPMvGHPekep49anLK3RmWDiJqIWdTkQwyyMF-XyYaqTj3SGOXoQ_uSEOGNEcaEmvyFqT8Bj-SbtVn1LfRUS6Iyek/s1600/Pleiades.jpg" height="256" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The picture Stephanie sent</td></tr>
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<div style="font-size: 14pt; font-style: italic; margin: 0in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvobKjO71pJflVeisCUB_lpPl22WwsrObKWyCEEUCiNcNMwLKq3iO6RGWcbMRlq0c5MgbDwUuLzzz8cODzZapJINbL3iAEM5yEUrzL8fV59iqt_6dItvied73OXMpBX27chPNQr2YjS7g/s1600/ACinder%2527sTaleTitlePage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvobKjO71pJflVeisCUB_lpPl22WwsrObKWyCEEUCiNcNMwLKq3iO6RGWcbMRlq0c5MgbDwUuLzzz8cODzZapJINbL3iAEM5yEUrzL8fV59iqt_6dItvied73OXMpBX27chPNQr2YjS7g/s1600/ACinder%2527sTaleTitlePage.jpg" height="200" width="129" /></a>About “A Cinder’s Tale” by Stephanie Ricker</div>
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It’s a dangerous life, yet Elsa wouldn’t trade this opportunity to work at Tremaine Station, mining cendrillon from the seething surface of planet Aschen. Nevertheless, when a famous deep space explorer and his handsome son dock their starcraft at the space station, Elsa finds herself dreaming of far galaxies beyond Aschen's blistering heat. There is no time for dreaming, however, when danger threatens the space station, and Elsa and her fellow miners are tested to the limits of their courage.<br />
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About Stephanie Ricker</div>
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Stephanie Ricker is a writer, editor, and tree-climber. She adores the cold and the snow but lives in North Carolina anyway, where she enjoys archery, hiking, canoeing, and exploring with friends.<br />
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Stephanie’s fiction has been published in <a href="http://bullspec.com/issues/bull-spec-7/" target="_blank">Bull-Spec</a>, a magazine of speculative fiction, and in four consecutive editions of The Lyricist, Campbell University’s annual literary magazine. She was <a href="http://www.campbell.edu/artsandsciences/pdf/lyricist/2009-lyricist.pdf" target="_blank">the editor of the 2009 edition of <i>The Lyricist</i></a>, which won first place in the American Scholastic Press Association Contest. Stephanie’s non-fiction has been published in an assortment of medical magazines and newsletters, and her senior thesis on Tolkien was published in <a href="http://www.uncw.edu/csurf/documents/Ricker_000.pdf" target="_blank">the 2009 issue of <i>Explorations: The Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity for the State of North Carolina</i></a>.<br />
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You can find out more about Stephanie and her writing on her blog: <i><a href="http://www.quoththegirl.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Quoth the Girl</a></i>.
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<div style="font-size: 14pt; font-style: italic; margin: 0in;">
<u>Giveaway</u></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdcG5MsMVz4zq3vG_t2muzyVdHr_DjOBmVbgo1oe5ErhAnvG2wG9JhGV7CnXmu0jX8z1q-HipsdjrDllPTXGcFi3sk9zj7WxptnUXJ3k2P_SJC86ozRpAVq4NYjRJJgEdyjWb49cB7shw/s1600/Five+Glass+Slippers+Prize+Pack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdcG5MsMVz4zq3vG_t2muzyVdHr_DjOBmVbgo1oe5ErhAnvG2wG9JhGV7CnXmu0jX8z1q-HipsdjrDllPTXGcFi3sk9zj7WxptnUXJ3k2P_SJC86ozRpAVq4NYjRJJgEdyjWb49cB7shw/s1600/Five+Glass+Slippers+Prize+Pack.jpg" height="320" title="Five Glass Slippers Blog Tour giveaway pack" width="268" /></a>Here’s your chance to be Cinderella of the ball! One lucky winner will receive a
paperback copy of <span style="font-style: italic;">Five Glass Slippers</span>,
several Cinderella-themed items (including a bookmark crafted by <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/belleonabudget">Belle on a Budget</a>, a
journal, and a DVD copy of the Disney movie), as well as special gifts
handpicked by a few of the collection’s authors (a glass slipper cookie cutter
with recipe, freeze-dried astronaut ice cream, and an Apple Tree Inn cup and
saucer). This giveaway is open to <span style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">residents of the U.S. and Canada only</span>.<br />
<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/15cee331/" id="rc-15cee331" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<script src="//widget.rafflecopter.com/load.js"></script>
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<div style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in; text-decoration: underline;">
Kindle eBook Sale!</div>
The <span style="font-style: italic;">Five Glass Slippers </span>collection will be on sale
for <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KWMZ9WA/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00KWMZ9WA&linkCode=as2&tag=rinsrea-20&linkId=OIRUSCED3P4BRL4G" target="_blank">only $.99 in Kindle format</a> for the duration of the blog tour (June 23-28)!
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KWMZ9WA/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00KWMZ9WA&linkCode=as2&tag=rinsrea-20&linkId=OIRUSCED3P4BRL4G" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqhpF7-TSCvHbzbJYUQDvFVnRk3cN3ubdXjNPptqpFALFnLRKB4UdwEFwqseiTSalTKXOj9pE6sC_YCYKoW4ILI-wRk_KMNBB_P61x-tgAebzOrIUTWvXaEGiS7v8r-vBqLlHqTacnZkI/s1600/PurchaseButtonKindle.jpg" height="200" title="Five Glass Slippers on sale for $0.99 June 23-28!" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />Rina's Readinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06903030487241102205noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102217329246983287.post-23525398213050101762014-06-25T05:00:00.000-04:002014-06-25T05:00:03.918-04:00Rachel Heffington - Five Glass Slippers Blog Tour<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4EN5wRRKzUX8QylYAwcyFoZfyRqt92ArEfAQXg39bnjiv1C3B8RPNjWl5XbtGGKBDJO3q5YkjvLGMcqDiTDeXd1FioSw59V6Uv1g25Zjkgzf4llr6zzI7flISu6hLu6kYqiEnWN9z-VE/s1600/five-glass-slippers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4EN5wRRKzUX8QylYAwcyFoZfyRqt92ArEfAQXg39bnjiv1C3B8RPNjWl5XbtGGKBDJO3q5YkjvLGMcqDiTDeXd1FioSw59V6Uv1g25Zjkgzf4llr6zzI7flISu6hLu6kYqiEnWN9z-VE/s1600/five-glass-slippers.jpg" height="200" title="book cover of Five Glass Slippers" width="130" /></a></div>
Ooo-lala! Another lovely ball gown! Rachel Heffington, author of <i>The Windy Side of Care</i>, is the Cinderella of the Day.<br />
<br />
This week is the blog tour (with a fun giveaway!) for <i>Five Glass Slippers</i>, the collection of Cinderella stories that I reviewed a few weeks ago and that released just last week. <a href="http://rinasreading.blogspot.com/2014/06/five-glass-slippers.html" target="_blank">Here's the link to my review</a>.<br />
<br />
And <a href="http://seasonsofhumility.blogspot.com/p/five-glass-slippers-blog-tour.html" target="_blank">here's the link to the blog tour home page</a> so you can be sure to visit Rachel's other's stops on this tour and to find out her favorite dance song, ball gown, and "Cinderella moment" on the main host blog.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLFd7P3c3nyjqtlg0QW_73XK6D4jESlKfI6X_2BiC56Wg4FMvk0F5b-JzuT9GUuwNWcAPKVdtQUDAR1LSXUV8dT-ElXnx2R4nl4x6876vUhH3HqwYknODpsINaCB8tyrkMLoZGq-obe9A/s1600/RHeffingtonauthorpic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLFd7P3c3nyjqtlg0QW_73XK6D4jESlKfI6X_2BiC56Wg4FMvk0F5b-JzuT9GUuwNWcAPKVdtQUDAR1LSXUV8dT-ElXnx2R4nl4x6876vUhH3HqwYknODpsINaCB8tyrkMLoZGq-obe9A/s1600/RHeffingtonauthorpic.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a>As she is chatting with us before stepping into her carriage she kindly answered the following question:<br />
<i>'The Windy Side of Care' takes place in both the country and city. Where would your ideal home be?</i><br />
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<b>Rachel:</b> In a similar situation to that in which I live, actually. I live in the country where I have privacy and beautiful and unimpaired views of nature but I'm only forty minutes from a mall, a movie-theatre, and shops while only one hour from a big old city. As for location, it is my dream to one day own a farm in the Lake District of England/Scotland. :)<br />
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<div style="font-size: 14pt; font-style: italic; margin: 0in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuiI9yRUO5NcAxOkDWkekc-fUkBWTjXYKyJi_k0W3lRFPWH9SbM233B9jY2Oz4i88m2nFk3ef91zc3LHCSer3tbY-2M_5iVo4zXKZ_6NNzFFp6tEQlXG_SMh7eVQLXTvTVXMs4z8u_Ox8/s1600/WindySideTitlePage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuiI9yRUO5NcAxOkDWkekc-fUkBWTjXYKyJi_k0W3lRFPWH9SbM233B9jY2Oz4i88m2nFk3ef91zc3LHCSer3tbY-2M_5iVo4zXKZ_6NNzFFp6tEQlXG_SMh7eVQLXTvTVXMs4z8u_Ox8/s1600/WindySideTitlePage.jpg" height="200" title="“The Windy Side of Care” by Rachel Heffington" width="129" /></a>About “The Windy Side of Care” by Rachel Heffington</div>
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Alisandra is determined to have her rights. She knows that she is the king’s secretly dispossessed daughter, the true heir to the throne. Prince Auguste is an imposter, and if she plays her cards right, Alis will prove it to the world! That is, if charming Auguste doesn’t succeed in winning her heart before she gets her chance . . .<br />
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<div style="font-size: 14pt; font-style: italic; margin: 0in;">
About Rachel Heffington</div>
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Rachel Heffington is a Christian, a novelist, and a people-lover. Outside of the realm of words, Rachel enjoys the Arts, traveling, mucking about in the kitchen, listening for accents, and making people laugh. She dwells in rural Virginia with her boisterous family and her black cat, Cricket.<br />
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In February 2014, Rachel released her debut novel, <i>Fly Away Home</i>, and is excited to collaborate on <i>Five Glass Slippers</i> with her fellow authoresses. She hopes to release her second full-length novel and first mystery (<i>Anon, Sir, Anon</i>) in autumn 2014. For more on Rachel, her current projects, and writing in general, visit her on her blog: <i><a href="http://www.inkpenauthoress.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Inkpen Authoress</a></i>.
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<div style="font-size: 14pt; font-style: italic; margin: 0in;">
<u>Giveaway</u></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdcG5MsMVz4zq3vG_t2muzyVdHr_DjOBmVbgo1oe5ErhAnvG2wG9JhGV7CnXmu0jX8z1q-HipsdjrDllPTXGcFi3sk9zj7WxptnUXJ3k2P_SJC86ozRpAVq4NYjRJJgEdyjWb49cB7shw/s1600/Five+Glass+Slippers+Prize+Pack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdcG5MsMVz4zq3vG_t2muzyVdHr_DjOBmVbgo1oe5ErhAnvG2wG9JhGV7CnXmu0jX8z1q-HipsdjrDllPTXGcFi3sk9zj7WxptnUXJ3k2P_SJC86ozRpAVq4NYjRJJgEdyjWb49cB7shw/s1600/Five+Glass+Slippers+Prize+Pack.jpg" height="320" title="Five Glass Slippers Blog Tour giveaway pack" width="268" /></a>Here’s your chance to be Cinderella of the ball! One lucky winner will receive a paperback copy of <span style="font-style: italic;">Five Glass Slippers</span>,
several Cinderella-themed items (including a bookmark crafted by <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/belleonabudget">Belle on a Budget</a>, a journal, and a DVD copy of the Disney movie), as well as special gifts handpicked by a few of the collection’s authors (a glass slipper cookie cutter
with recipe, freeze-dried astronaut ice cream, and an Apple Tree Inn cup and saucer). This giveaway is open to <span style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">residents of the U.S. and Canada only</span>.
<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/15cee331/" id="rc-15cee331" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<script src="//widget.rafflecopter.com/load.js"></script>
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<div style="font-size: 14pt; margin: 0in; text-decoration: underline;">
Kindle eBook Sale!</div>
<br />
The <span style="font-style: italic;">Five Glass Slippers </span>collection will be on sale
for <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KWMZ9WA/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00KWMZ9WA&linkCode=as2&tag=rinsrea-20&linkId=OIRUSCED3P4BRL4G" target="_blank">only $.99 in Kindle format</a> for the duration of the blog tour (June 23-28)!
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KWMZ9WA/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00KWMZ9WA&linkCode=as2&tag=rinsrea-20&linkId=OIRUSCED3P4BRL4G" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqhpF7-TSCvHbzbJYUQDvFVnRk3cN3ubdXjNPptqpFALFnLRKB4UdwEFwqseiTSalTKXOj9pE6sC_YCYKoW4ILI-wRk_KMNBB_P61x-tgAebzOrIUTWvXaEGiS7v8r-vBqLlHqTacnZkI/s1600/PurchaseButtonKindle.jpg" height="200" title="Five Glass Slippers on sale for $0.99 June 23-28!" width="200" /></a>
Rina's Readinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06903030487241102205noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102217329246983287.post-13353328141813937452014-06-24T13:53:00.000-04:002014-06-24T13:53:18.135-04:00Top Ten Books On My Summer TBR list<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD6TPkCN-WL5H-5p2LGHgOmwXU6FVkPZ8jMmqUjRjXYb32FAZjCQCBdOvXFBbTvjn_pHxygNQYiIC64lorf1Xaf_wi9DOKU7Hif34RLZ0WrjtZTraBOYU5x34u8eTGdn-i8emj_ymu0zwA/s1600/TTT3W.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD6TPkCN-WL5H-5p2LGHgOmwXU6FVkPZ8jMmqUjRjXYb32FAZjCQCBdOvXFBbTvjn_pHxygNQYiIC64lorf1Xaf_wi9DOKU7Hif34RLZ0WrjtZTraBOYU5x34u8eTGdn-i8emj_ymu0zwA/s200/TTT3W.jpg" height="153" width="200" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by <a href="http://brokeandbookish.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Broke and the Bookish</a></div>
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<b>Top Ten Books On My Summer TBR list</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhok5xnQuO57CAq7Xg4dSy9YIzFrHpJj7_2pV0E9Hpi8wSBqnU2Mdj6EztMGagTkM2-Z1nwuvRzA7bTOTmmXD1psXl2XPPXL1-HYSvikllxCrqHuR0Htqg2aR-b2J_2mZBGbHHN0Slyg9c/s1600/TTT-summer-2014-TBR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhok5xnQuO57CAq7Xg4dSy9YIzFrHpJj7_2pV0E9Hpi8wSBqnU2Mdj6EztMGagTkM2-Z1nwuvRzA7bTOTmmXD1psXl2XPPXL1-HYSvikllxCrqHuR0Htqg2aR-b2J_2mZBGbHHN0Slyg9c/s1600/TTT-summer-2014-TBR.jpg" height="320" width="85" /></a>I didn't get around to doing TTT last week and figured I'd to last week's topic since it'll probably be quicker to come up with than this weeks. ;-)<br />
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1. <i>Rules of Murder</i> by Julianne Deering<br />
2. <i>Love Makes a House a Home: A Christian Romance</i> by Kimberly Rae Jordan<br />
3. <i>Heaven Sent Rain</i> by Lauraine Snelling<br />
4. <i>When I Fall in Love</i> by Susan May Warren<br />
5. <i>Caught in the Middle</i> by Regina Jennings<br />
6. <i>The Forbidden Library</i> by Django Wexler<br />
7. <i>Courting Miss Lancaster </i> by Sarah M. Eden<br />
8. <i style="font-style: italic;">The Inimitable Jeeves </i>by P.G. Wodehouse<br />
<i>
9. </i><i style="font-style: italic;">Blades of Valor</i><i> </i>by Sigmund Brouwer<br />
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10. </i><i style="font-style: italic;">Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces that Stand in the Way of True Inspiration</i> by Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace<br />
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What books are you going to read this summer?
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Remember - Anytime you visit <a href="http://www.amazon.com/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=ur2&tag=rinsrea-20" target="_blank">Amazon.com</a> or <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=6OqI1zy9HeM&subid=&offerid=239662.1&type=10&tmpid=8433&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.barnesandnoble.com%252F">BarnesAndNoble.com</a> or <a href="http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/home?event=AFF&amp;p=1166384">ChristianBooks.com</a> or <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/?aff=ReadingRina">Independent Bookstores</a> use an affiliate link to get there. Any purchase you make from a link on my site generates a small kickback. You need not purchase the item I'm featuring, any purchase counts. It costs you nothing extra and is an easy way to support this site.</span></div>
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Rina's Readinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06903030487241102205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102217329246983287.post-49941058886812442672014-06-23T05:00:00.000-04:002014-06-23T05:00:03.431-04:00Elisabeth Brown - Five Glass Slippers Blog Tour<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4EN5wRRKzUX8QylYAwcyFoZfyRqt92ArEfAQXg39bnjiv1C3B8RPNjWl5XbtGGKBDJO3q5YkjvLGMcqDiTDeXd1FioSw59V6Uv1g25Zjkgzf4llr6zzI7flISu6hLu6kYqiEnWN9z-VE/s1600/five-glass-slippers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4EN5wRRKzUX8QylYAwcyFoZfyRqt92ArEfAQXg39bnjiv1C3B8RPNjWl5XbtGGKBDJO3q5YkjvLGMcqDiTDeXd1FioSw59V6Uv1g25Zjkgzf4llr6zzI7flISu6hLu6kYqiEnWN9z-VE/s1600/five-glass-slippers.jpg" height="200" width="130" /></a></div>
Oooohh! Would you look at that? What a lovely dress! Betsy Brown, author of <i>What Eyes Can See</i>, is the Cinderella of the Day.<br />
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This week is the blog tour (with a fun giveaway!) for <i>Five Glass Slippers</i>, the collection of Cinderella stories that I reviewed a few weeks ago and that released just last week. <a href="http://rinasreading.blogspot.com/2014/06/five-glass-slippers.html" target="_blank">Here's the link to my review</a>.<br />
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And <a href="http://seasonsofhumility.blogspot.com/p/five-glass-slippers-blog-tour.html" target="_blank">here's the link to the blog tour home page</a> so you can be sure to visit Betsy's other stops on this tour and to find out her favorite dance song, ball gown, and "Cinderella moment" on the main host blog.<br />
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During a visit to her castle for tea she kindly answered the following question:<br />
<i>Which European monarch would you want to travel back in time to visit and observe for a day?</i><br />
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<b>Betsy: </b>(This is a play-by-play of me answering your question.)<br />
<i>Me:</i> “Mom? What monarchs do I know of besides Henry VIII and Napoleon Dynamite…I mean Bonaparte?”<br />
<i>Mother, Mother, Best and Dearest of Mothers:</i> “Alfred the Great? Good Queen Bess? Boadicea? Victoria?”<br />
<i>Me:</i> “But I don’t want to meet any of them.”<br />
<i>Mother, etc.:</i> “All the Louises of France?”<br />
<i>Me:</i> “I don’t know a thing about any.”<br />
<i>Mother, etc.:</i> “Cleopatra? Cathrine the Great? Ivan the Terrible?”<br />
<i>Me:</i> “Mom, they’re not even European.”<br />
<i>Mother, etc.:</i> “I don’t know. Ask your dad.”<br />
<i>Me:</i> “Dad, what monarch would you go back and visit?”<br />
<i>Daddy-o:</i> “Count Nicholas Ludwig von Zinzendorf und Pottendorf. “<br />
<i>Me:</i> “He’s not technically a monarch.”<br />
<i>Daddy-o:</i> “Charles Martel?”<br />
<i>Me:</i> “…I’ve heard the name.”<br />
<i>Mother, etc.:</i> “Richard the Lionhearted?”<br />
<i>Me:</i> “He ate his enemies.”<br />
<i>Insert long pause in which I research violently on Wikipedia</i><br />
<i>Me:</i> “Do you think I can make Frederick III, Elector of Saxony, count?”<br />
<i>Mother, etc.:</i> “Not a monarch.”<br />
<i>Me:</i> “Shoot.”<br />
<i>Insert another pause.</i><br />
<i>Me:</i> “How about I just write about all the people I didn’t pick and hope it’s interesting.”<br />
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Short story long, I can think of boatloads of historical characters I’d love to hobnob with for a while…Menno Simons, Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, Johannes Gutenberg…but none of them had the good fortune to be born royalty.<br />
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Now I’m curious…do you yourself have a monarch in mind? Because for the life of me I don’t know whom to pick. Help.<br />
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<b>Me:</b> I think we could allow a visit to Count Zinzendorf, he might not be a monarch but he's nobility. Same with Frederick III. Anyone have some more suggestions for Betsy though?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBr480uBU5Jz9HwWuFqm0VZW8Zr6nFcbdz0_twRKy1L7fgAoGYQpAJ7VWrpKJJxD9ijpYgMTmBHM9R8z2JoQc6Bc4TBQH4urYaB2LvksSfMp6w35HKGcxguRNB9XWBHqKp1KWwne-Z4tI/s1600/WhatEyesCanSeeTitlePage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBr480uBU5Jz9HwWuFqm0VZW8Zr6nFcbdz0_twRKy1L7fgAoGYQpAJ7VWrpKJJxD9ijpYgMTmBHM9R8z2JoQc6Bc4TBQH4urYaB2LvksSfMp6w35HKGcxguRNB9XWBHqKp1KWwne-Z4tI/s1600/WhatEyesCanSeeTitlePage.jpg" height="200" title="What Eyes Can See by Elisabeth Brown" width="129" /></a>About “What Eyes Can See” by Elisabeth Brown</div>
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Painfully shy Arella begs her stepmother to let her stay home from the prince’s ball. But kindly Duchess Germaine is determined that her beautiful stepdaughter should be presented at court along with her own two daughters. So, dressed in a gorgeous gown and a pair of heirloom slippers, Arella catches the eye of the crown prince . . . and finds her life suddenly far more complicated than she ever desired.
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About Elisabeth Brown</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioXLspUOnMT10F5T4g7yIsQz5XMTsVIgfeb5KWPaitk7bPy1PnvpwSOi7b2sY0f-AQfKtpD0iR-tmHrcB0y_ICwcPAlbqR4_ZMD62Aa_K38-N-p3LxZrU7PVsv1KirykL-vwoId_z86Go/s1600/Betsy+Brown.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioXLspUOnMT10F5T4g7yIsQz5XMTsVIgfeb5KWPaitk7bPy1PnvpwSOi7b2sY0f-AQfKtpD0iR-tmHrcB0y_ICwcPAlbqR4_ZMD62Aa_K38-N-p3LxZrU7PVsv1KirykL-vwoId_z86Go/s1600/Betsy+Brown.jpg" height="133" width="200" /></a>Elisabeth Brown has always loved words. The third of seven children, she enjoyed being homeschooled through her senior year of high school, and is now studying piano performance at Appalachian Bible College. When she’s ignoring the fact that she should probably be practicing more or doing Greek homework, you’ll find her sewing, baking, reading, singing along to basically any musical ever created, hiking through the woods, or laughing at incredibly silly puns.
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<span style="font-style: italic;">What Eyes Can See</span> is her first published
story, but she also rambles at <i><a href="http://www.metaphoricalcello.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Stretching the Metaphorical Cello</a></i>.
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<u>Giveaway</u></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdcG5MsMVz4zq3vG_t2muzyVdHr_DjOBmVbgo1oe5ErhAnvG2wG9JhGV7CnXmu0jX8z1q-HipsdjrDllPTXGcFi3sk9zj7WxptnUXJ3k2P_SJC86ozRpAVq4NYjRJJgEdyjWb49cB7shw/s1600/Five+Glass+Slippers+Prize+Pack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdcG5MsMVz4zq3vG_t2muzyVdHr_DjOBmVbgo1oe5ErhAnvG2wG9JhGV7CnXmu0jX8z1q-HipsdjrDllPTXGcFi3sk9zj7WxptnUXJ3k2P_SJC86ozRpAVq4NYjRJJgEdyjWb49cB7shw/s1600/Five+Glass+Slippers+Prize+Pack.jpg" height="320" width="268" /></a>Here’s your chance to be Cinderella of the ball! One lucky winner will receive a
paperback copy of <span style="font-style: italic;">Five Glass Slippers</span>, several Cinderella-themed items (including a bookmark crafted by <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/belleonabudget">Belle on a Budget</a>, a
journal, and a DVD copy of the Disney movie), as well as special gifts handpicked by a few of the collection’s authors (a glass slipper cookie cutter with recipe, freeze-dried astronaut ice cream, and an Apple Tree Inn cup and saucer). This giveaway is open to <span style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">residents of the U.S. and Canada only</span>.
<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/15cee331/" id="rc-15cee331" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<script src="//widget.rafflecopter.com/load.js"></script>
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Kindle eBook Sale!</div>
The <span style="font-style: italic;">Five Glass Slippers </span>collection will be on sale
for <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KWMZ9WA/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00KWMZ9WA&linkCode=as2&tag=rinsrea-20&linkId=OIRUSCED3P4BRL4G" target="_blank">only $.99 in Kindle format</a> for the duration of the blog tour (June 23-28)!
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KWMZ9WA/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00KWMZ9WA&linkCode=as2&tag=rinsrea-20&linkId=OIRUSCED3P4BRL4G" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqhpF7-TSCvHbzbJYUQDvFVnRk3cN3ubdXjNPptqpFALFnLRKB4UdwEFwqseiTSalTKXOj9pE6sC_YCYKoW4ILI-wRk_KMNBB_P61x-tgAebzOrIUTWvXaEGiS7v8r-vBqLlHqTacnZkI/s1600/PurchaseButtonKindle.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />Rina's Readinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06903030487241102205noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102217329246983287.post-72798441786624719002014-06-21T03:30:00.000-04:002014-06-21T03:30:00.607-04:00School Book Saturday: Multi-cultural Rice and Electricity <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEQAUXyvADFfEXekt7OrSbVWjBDN2KbLk_6ulZrnmyxcn70_EP7PQ60MyTqjwv2wabDz6om3sdfFnbuAEEy4RTeAuNrLDheyyEsuSiuVR6fuZZ-KyYjUN1zTMV1uNQhL54HvyDG-HgnZI/s1600/everybody-cooks-rice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEQAUXyvADFfEXekt7OrSbVWjBDN2KbLk_6ulZrnmyxcn70_EP7PQ60MyTqjwv2wabDz6om3sdfFnbuAEEy4RTeAuNrLDheyyEsuSiuVR6fuZZ-KyYjUN1zTMV1uNQhL54HvyDG-HgnZI/s1600/everybody-cooks-rice.jpg" height="166" title="Everybody Cooks Rice by Norah Dooley" width="200" /></a></div>
<b><i>Everybody Cooks Rice</i></b><br />
by Norah Dooley ; illustrations by Peter J. Thornton. Carolrhoda Books, 1991. 30 pg. (9780876145913, 0876145918)<br />
Dewey: Fiction<br />
Reading level: 4.4, Guided Reading: M, Fountas & Pinnell: M<br />
Interest level: K-3rd<br />
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<b>Publisher Description:</b><br />
On her way to find her little brother for dinner, Carrie samples each family's dinner in her neighborhood. By the time she tracks down her brother, Carrie has discovered a world of rice dishes in her own backyard.<br />
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<b>My Review:</b><br />
I like this book. Carrie's neighbors are from Barbados, Puerto Rico, Vietnam, India, China, and Haiti while Carrie's great-grandmother came from Italy. Each family makes their rice dish a bit different. The author's introduce all the different dishes while telling a story familiar to any big sister - finding her brother. <br />
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Some of the words might be hard for early elementary kids to read for themselves but not to understand. I think it would make a good read aloud at school or at home. But especially at home since the recipes for all the different dishes are included at the back.
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<a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/20357566" target="_blank">Find it at a library near you</a>;
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0876145918/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0876145918&linkCode=as2&tag=rinsrea-20&linkId=XWTU3TOFGLQLDYD5" target="_blank">Buy it from Amazon</a>; <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=6OqI1zy9HeM&subid=&offerid=239662.1&type=10&tmpid=8432&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.barnesandnoble.com%252Fw%252Feverybody-cooks-rice-norah-dooley%252F1100128569%253Fean%253D9780876145913" target="_blank">Buy it from Barnes &Noble</a>; <a href="http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?event=AFF&p=1166384&item_no=145913">Buy it from ChristianBook</a>; <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780876145913?aff=ReadingRina">Buy it from an Indie Bookstore near you</a><br />
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<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXNZsy3DCPoYwexRfeiCPG_froGSOqFAZxjFI74hhDl8iN84c5FHBG_uRYI6wcWIfBM3p3KCBrJ0Kbw1t_on8Cja3MQJUTyzvmNpNgLd8jcAZ6o_QiyJRxHZHRhm0BUS53BlM-C9VSCJM/s1600/shocking-world-of-electricity-with-max-axiom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXNZsy3DCPoYwexRfeiCPG_froGSOqFAZxjFI74hhDl8iN84c5FHBG_uRYI6wcWIfBM3p3KCBrJ0Kbw1t_on8Cja3MQJUTyzvmNpNgLd8jcAZ6o_QiyJRxHZHRhm0BUS53BlM-C9VSCJM/s1600/shocking-world-of-electricity-with-max-axiom.jpg" height="200" title="The Shocking World of Electricity with Max Axiom, Super Scientist by Liam O'Donnell" width="151" /></a><b><i>The Shocking World of Electricity with Max Axiom, Super Scientist</i> </b><br />
by Liam O'Donnell ; illustrated by Richard Dominguez and Charles Barnett III. Capstone Press, 2007. 32 pg. (9780778729563)<br />
Series: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/65450-max-axiom">Max Axiom</a><br />
Dewey: J537<br />
Reading level: 4.8, Guided Reading: V, Fountas & Pinnell: V<br />
Interest level: 5th-8th<br />
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<b>Publisher Description:</b><br />
Follows the adventures of Max Axiom as he explains the science behind electricity including how it is produced and how electricity is distributed. Written in graphic-novel format.<br />
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<b>My Review:</b><br />
The Max Axiom series does a good job in introducing different science topics to late elementary and middle school students. The story is engaging and the opening scene of Max getting shocked by a doorknob after shuffling on the carpet is something most kids can relate too.<br />
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Electrons, protons, neutrons, renewable energy, batteries, the electrical grid and saving energy are all addressed in this action backed book. At the end is a 'More About…' section, glossary, book suggestions, and internet sites (but first you have to go through Facthound.com, which has a curated list of links that should be accurate, age appropriate, and current).<br />
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An aspect that I especially like since I work at an international school in Africa is that the main character is not Caucasian. My library has four books in this series and I've already ordered this and several others for next school year.<br />
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<a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/71266479" target="_blank">Find it at a library near you</a>; <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0736878882/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0736878882&linkCode=as2&tag=rinsrea-20&linkId=V2U7265M6PYSSXC4" target="_blank">Buy it from Amazon</a>; <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=6OqI1zy9HeM&subid=&offerid=239662.1&type=10&tmpid=8432&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.barnesandnoble.com%252Fw%252Fshocking-world-of-electricity-with-max-axiom-super-scientist-liam-odonnell%252F1100183843%253Fean%253D9780736878883" target="_blank">Buy it from Barnes & Noble</a>; <a href="http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?event=AFF&p=1166384&item_no=78887">Buy it from ChristianBooks</a>; <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780736878883?aff=ReadingRina">Buy it from an Indie Bookstore near you</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Remember - Anytime you visit <a href="http://www.amazon.com/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=ur2&tag=rinsrea-20" target="_blank">Amazon.com</a> or <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=6OqI1zy9HeM&subid=&offerid=239662.1&type=10&tmpid=8433&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.barnesandnoble.com%252F">BarnesAndNoble.com</a> or <a href="http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/home?event=AFF&amp;p=1166384">ChristianBooks.com</a> or <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/?aff=ReadingRina">Independent Bookstores</a> use an affiliate link to get there. Any purchase you make from a link on my site generates a small kickback. You need not purchase the item I'm featuring, any purchase counts. It costs you nothing extra and is an easy way to support this site.</span></div>
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Rina's Readinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06903030487241102205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102217329246983287.post-23337338632812255182014-06-18T03:30:00.000-04:002014-06-18T03:30:00.836-04:00WoW #46: The Princess Spy by Melanie Dickerson<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirgD0GGipKiyQsj_X1zJ1cH9qi7j5i7jo9l8f08NNW2icWqDHofE7OWTMhNYgsOT-rhYPn7A17-PI77YJl0alLfO-kWH8mP7r0z2FoJe5J3ZklMhppu5zINxtuWV25lZbcDaBOcU9l3HBC/s1600/waiting_for_your_letter_by_sugarcream-d35ic5e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirgD0GGipKiyQsj_X1zJ1cH9qi7j5i7jo9l8f08NNW2icWqDHofE7OWTMhNYgsOT-rhYPn7A17-PI77YJl0alLfO-kWH8mP7r0z2FoJe5J3ZklMhppu5zINxtuWV25lZbcDaBOcU9l3HBC/s200/waiting_for_your_letter_by_sugarcream-d35ic5e.jpg" height="176" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="line-height: 23px;">Hosted by <a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Breaking the Spine.</a></span></div>
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"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.</div>
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This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:
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<b>The Princess Spy by Melanie Dickerson</b></div>
<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Zondervan November 2014</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxixA3O4Dj60Wpg6MZIFK2puk0-qTT84zOxY1ierBS0A556MDrjFlo-gRROShwMOoj-rVk_mtRsK5cRIlp-CqoW4w0hVLo3GNWOaxbyybYkBq3G7a-tZUx1dH81rz04HAJcLyExR9REqA/s1600/princess-spy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxixA3O4Dj60Wpg6MZIFK2puk0-qTT84zOxY1ierBS0A556MDrjFlo-gRROShwMOoj-rVk_mtRsK5cRIlp-CqoW4w0hVLo3GNWOaxbyybYkBq3G7a-tZUx1dH81rz04HAJcLyExR9REqA/s1600/princess-spy.jpg" height="320" title="The Princess Spy by Melanie Dickerson" width="213" /></a></div>
<b>About</b><br />
Margaretha has always been a romantic, and hopes her newest suitor, Lord Claybrook, is destined to be her one true love. But then an injured man is brought to Hagenheim Castle, claiming to be an English lord who was attacked by Claybrook and left for dead. And only Margaretha---one of the few who speaks his language---understands the wild story. Margaretha finds herself unable to pass Colin's message along to her father, the duke, and convinces herself 'Lord Colin' is just an addled stranger. Then Colin retrieves an heirloom she lost in a well, and asks her to spy on Claybrook as repayment. Margaretha knows she could never be a spy---not only is she unable to keep anything secret, she's sure Colin is completely wrong about her potential betrothed. Though when Margaretha overhears Claybrook one day, she discovers her romantic notions may have been clouding her judgment about not only Colin but Claybrook as well. It is up to her to save her father and Hagenheim itself from Claybrook's wicked plot
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<b>Why I want to read it</b></div>
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I have really enjoyed this author's other forays into the world of retelling fairy tales. My favorites of hers are <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7826101-the-healer-s-apprentice" target="_blank">The Healer's Apprentice</a></i> and <i><a href="http://rinasreading.blogspot.com/2012/01/book-review-merchants-daughter-by.html" target="_blank">The Merchant's Daughter</a></i>. Her other two books which are also very good are <i><a href="http://rinasreading.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-fairest-beauty-by-melanie-dickerson.html" target="_blank">The Fairest Beauty</a></i> and <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17679368-the-captive-maiden" target="_blank">The Captive Maiden</a></i>. I'm excited that this book continues the tale of the inhabitants of Hagenheim Castle! </span>
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<b>Pre-order it:</b></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KFMNCUS/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00KFMNCUS&linkCode=as2&tag=rinsrea-20" target="_blank">Amazon</a> ($9.66 / $5.12) and <a href="http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?event=AFF&p=1166384&item_no=730989" target="_blank">ChristianBooks</a> ($9.99 / $5.99) and <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=6OqI1zy9HeM&subid=&offerid=239662.1&type=10&tmpid=8432&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.barnesandnoble.com%252Fw%252Fthe-princess-spy-melanie-dickerson%252F1119127351%253Fean%253D9780310730989" target="_blank">Barnes and Noble</a> ($9.66 / $5.99) and <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780310730989?aff=ReadingRina" target="_blank">An Independent Bookstore near you</a> <br />
Prices are good as of June 14, 2014 for pre-ordering the paperback/ebook edition. Please double check for yourself.
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Remember - Anytime you visit <a href="http://www.amazon.com/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=ur2&tag=rinsrea-20" target="_blank">Amazon.com</a> or <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=6OqI1zy9HeM&subid=&offerid=239662.1&type=10&tmpid=8433&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.barnesandnoble.com%252F">BarnesAndNoble.com</a> or <a href="http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/home?event=AFF&amp;p=1166384" target="_blank">ChristianBooks.com</a> use an affiliate link to get there. Any purchase you make from a link on my site generates a small kickback. You need not purchase the item I'm featuring, any purchase counts. It costs you nothing extra and is an easy way to support this site.</span></div>
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Rina's Readinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06903030487241102205noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102217329246983287.post-46299254732546868202014-06-14T02:03:00.000-04:002014-06-14T02:03:31.054-04:00School Book Saturday: Aztecs & AntarcticaAs a school librarian I buy, skim and shelve a lot of non fiction for children and youth. One benefit to being in the States during the summer is that I can borrow stacks of books from the library to evaluate them for my school.<br />
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So I decided to start a (hopefully) regular feature focusing on elementary, middle school and high school non fiction. If anyone else is interested I could even figure out how to do a link up thingy (a very technical blogging term ;-)<br />
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I'd love feedback and opinions! How many books should I write about in each post? Should I group books by topic, by age range, by series, all or some of the previous?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKrJ-zRnjaMM2wnMApGjD4Fcvpa04HIgms58VxTSxn5phyphenhyphensAU93Sm-IHAcEd-Ng6kDTd16Sm1lE_HMJ9cd7zEIvQwKPFJBkmasTOeLKkWzzmhX4EAfkYY2Qq13ud7gNlFUeji6GM_Pc3I/s1600/you-wouldn't-want-to-be-an-aztec-sacrifice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKrJ-zRnjaMM2wnMApGjD4Fcvpa04HIgms58VxTSxn5phyphenhyphensAU93Sm-IHAcEd-Ng6kDTd16Sm1lE_HMJ9cd7zEIvQwKPFJBkmasTOeLKkWzzmhX4EAfkYY2Qq13ud7gNlFUeji6GM_Pc3I/s1600/you-wouldn't-want-to-be-an-aztec-sacrifice.jpg" height="200" width="178" /></a><b><i>You Wouldn't Want to Be an Aztec Sacrifice!: Gruesome Things You'd Rather Not Know</i> (Revised Edition) </b><br />
by Fiona MacDonald, illustrated by David Antram. Franklin Watts (Imprint of Scholastic), 2013. 32 pg. (9780531271049)<br />
Series: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/69410-you-wouldn-t-want-to">You wouldn't want to be...</a><br />
Dewey: J972<br />
Reading level: 5th grade and up<br />
Interest level: 3rd-6th<br />
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<b>Publisher Description:</b><br />
You are a young man of noble family in the Central Valley of Mexico. Your city is about to be visited by your overlords, the Aztecs: fearsome warriors who practice human sacrifice. Will you be one of their victims? This new extended edition includes a map and a timeline of the Aztec civilization, and a selection of chilling facts.<br />
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<b>My Review:</b><br />
This is from a fun series that ought to appeal to kids. However, the students at my school are more drawn to the topic than the fun illustrations. We don't have this book but we do have the Pony Express one and Ninja Warrior. There is absolutely no interest for the pony express, but I've had lots of boys and a few girls ask where the book is about ninjas.<br />
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A few observations I jotted down after reading this book:<br />
- There's no bibliography.<br />
- It does have a timeline, index and glossary.<br />
- How do they know some of that stuff?!<br />
- Makes light of human life / murder / sacrifice. [And it's rather gruesome]<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Walking slowly up the temple steps, you are grabbed by five priests and flung on your back across a sacrificial stone. You see no more..." pg 24</blockquote>
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"You die quickly and with little pain, but the sacrifice is not over yet. the priests cut your heart from your body and raise it high toward the sky to show it to the gods. ... Next, they cut off your head and display it in a skull rack along with hundreds of others. ... Finally, your blood is poured down the temple steps, and your limbs are tossed to the crowds of worshipers below. The warrior who captured you collects the limbs and takes them home. He cooks and eats your sacrificed flesh." pg 26 </blockquote>
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Several grades study the Incas, Mayans and Aztecs which is why I was considering this book. However, since this is a period in history I'm less familiar with and it's not one that we have a lot of easily understood written records of, I would have liked a bibliography to prove that the authors know what they're talking about.<br />
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Aside from the gruesome description of the human sacrifices, I don't like how the texts portrayed human sacrifice as a perfectly acceptable ritual. In a way it's actually good that it's gory because it shows how terrible human sacrifice and cannibalism is.<br />
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<a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/857664346" target="_blank">Find it at a library near you</a>;
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0531238555/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0531238555&linkCode=as2&tag=rinsrea-20" target="_blank">Buy it from Amazon</a>; <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=6OqI1zy9HeM&subid=&offerid=239662.1&type=10&tmpid=8432&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.barnesandnoble.com%252Fw%252Fyou-wouldnt-want-to-be-an-aztec-sacrifice-fiona-macdonald%252F1030036018%253Fean%253D9780531238554" target="_blank">Buy it from Barnes &Noble</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggVKZ9nuD7a0MZeG-W_7D8sZCNN9gv87OnZ8PtgfRqgf-lf30hUyxiv3Y4XKe-mol1aVk_Be1oNbbM0M6LAni7Cop7tu8QFnVML6NB7sWrsB8BWpnxdCHqiReU5aXvOJqZ2ElQgLcMUCc/s1600/antarctic-habitat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggVKZ9nuD7a0MZeG-W_7D8sZCNN9gv87OnZ8PtgfRqgf-lf30hUyxiv3Y4XKe-mol1aVk_Be1oNbbM0M6LAni7Cop7tu8QFnVML6NB7sWrsB8BWpnxdCHqiReU5aXvOJqZ2ElQgLcMUCc/s1600/antarctic-habitat.jpg" height="200" width="178" /></a><b><i>The Antarctic Habitat</i> </b><br />
by Molly Aloian, Bobbie Kalman. Crabtree Publishing Company, 2007. 32 pg. (9780778729563)<br />
Series: Introducing Habitats<br />
Dewey: J577<br />
Reading level: 3rd<br />
Interest level: K-1st<br />
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<b>Goodreads Summary:</b><br />
This detailed description of the snow- and ice-covered continent of Antarctica features birds, seals, and whales of the Southern Ocean.<br />
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<b>My Review:</b><br />
I thought the reading level was more second grade. Most sentences have about 6-8 words. Unfortunately there is no pronunciation guide, especially for 'phytoplankton', 'photosynthesis', 'herbivore', 'carnivore', and 'omnivore'. But all other words and terms should be somewhat familiar to kids.<br />
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Some words are in bold but there is no glossary at the end with definitions, just an index of where those words are found in the book. The words are defined in the text.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Millions of tiny plants grow in the Southern Ocean. They float near the top of the water. These ocean plants are called phytoplankton."</blockquote>
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The photos and illustrations are all nice and enhance the text. But I wish some scale had been provided as it's impossible to tell just how huge the blue whale really is (a full length photo is included) nor how wide the wing span of the albatross is.<br />
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I like that this book doesn't combine the arctic and antarctic regions, the amount of material covered and the illustrations. I'll take a look at the other books in the series and will keep this in mind if/when we need some habitat books for the younger grades.<br />
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<a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/69792113" target="_blank">Find it at a library near you</a>; <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0778729842/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0778729842&linkCode=as2&tag=rinsrea-20" target="_blank">Buy it from Amazon</a>; <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=6OqI1zy9HeM&subid=&offerid=239662.1&type=10&tmpid=8432&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.barnesandnoble.com%252Fw%252Fan-antarctic-habitat-molly-alonian%252F1007942009%253Fean%253D9780778729846" target="_blank">Buy it from Barnes & Noble</a>; <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780778729846?aff=ReadingRina">Buy it from an Indie Bookstore near you</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Remember - Anytime you visit <a href="http://www.amazon.com/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=ur2&tag=rinsrea-20" target="_blank">Amazon.com</a> or <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=6OqI1zy9HeM&subid=&offerid=239662.1&type=10&tmpid=8433&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.barnesandnoble.com%252F">BarnesAndNoble.com</a> or <a href="http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/home?event=AFF&amp;p=1166384">ChristianBooks.com</a> use an affiliate link to get there. Any purchase you make from a link on my site generates a small kickback. You need not purchase the item I'm featuring, any purchase counts. It costs you nothing extra and is an easy way to support this site.</span></div>
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Rina's Readinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06903030487241102205noreply@blogger.com0