Freebie Alert

Here's a few Kindle ebook freebies I downloaded today. :)

When You Were Older by Catherine Ryan Hyde
How to Get Dirt by S.E. Campbell
Protector by Tressa Messenger
Kiss of Fire by Rebecca Ethington

Just the Ratings Part III

Oops, this batch should have been part one.  These were read in February!


A Promise Worth Keeping by Cyndi Faria, AF, 2013, Kindle ebook, 30p, Rating=3
Source: own

Clayton has a real mess on his hands. Not only have garden vandals threatened the Remy Estate's Valentine's Day celebration, but Clayton’s girlfriend, Sarah, has proposed to him despite knowing he doesn't believe in lasting love.
By hunkering down in the garden all night, Clayton hopes to at least solve one of his problems and catch the vandals in the act. Instead, will Clayton finally face his fears and become a man worth loving?

title A Thousand Tears: A Short Story

author Martin, J.C.

AF, 2011, Smashwords ebook, 9p, Rating=4
Source: own

A tragic fantasy tale that will hopefully drive home the point: that communication is of foremost importance in all relationships.

Son by Lois Lowry, YR, 2012, Audio CDs, 8.25hrs, Rating=4
Source: library

When the young girl washed up on their shore, no one knew she had been a Vessel. That she had carried a Product. That it had been carved from her belly. Stolen.
Claire had had a son. She was supposed to forget him, but that was impossible. When he was taken from their community, she knew she had to follow. And so her journey began.
But here in this wind-battered village Claire is welcomed as one of their own. In the security of her new home, she is free and loved. She grows stronger. As tempted as she is by the warmth of more human kindness than she has ever known, she cannot stay. Her son is out there; a young boy by now. Claire will stop at nothing to find her child . . . even if it means trading her own life.
With Son, the two-time Newbery Medal–winning Lois Lowry has spun another mesmerizing tale in this thrilling and long-awaited conclusion to The Giver.

The Maze by James Dashner, YA, 2009, Audio CDs, 11hrs, Rating=4
Source: library

When Thomas wakes up in the life, the only thing he can remember is his first name. He has no recollection of his home or how he got where he is. His memory is blank. When the lift's doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade, a large expanse enclosed by stone walls. Just like Thomas, the Gladers don't know how they got to the Glade. All they know is that every morning the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. And every night they've closed tight. Every thirty days a new boy is delivered in the lift. And no one wants to be stuck in the Maze after dark.
The day after Thomas arrives, a girl is sent up—the first girl ever to arrive in the Glade. And more surprising yet is the message she delivers. The Gladers have always been convinced that if they can solve the maze that surrounds the Glade, they might find their way home ... wherever that may be. But it's looking more and more as if the Maze is unsolvable.
And something about the girl's arrival is starting to make Thomas feel different. Something is telling him that he just might have some answers—if he can only find a way to retrieve the dark secrets locked within his own mind.

Just the Ratings Part II

First four was read in April. Last one, beginning of May.


Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume, YA, 2011, Hardcover, audio CDs, 5hrs, Rating=3
Source: library

Davey has never felt so alone in her life. Her father is dead—shot in a holdup—and now her mother is moving the family to New Mexico to try to recover.
Climbing in the Los Alamos canyon, Davey meets the mysterious Wolf, who can read Davey’s “sad eyes.” Wolf is the only person who seems to understand the rage and fear Davey feels.
Slowly, with Wolf’s help, Davey realizes that she must get on with her life. But when will she be ready to leave the past behind and move toward the future? Will she ever stop hurting?

What Jamie Saw by Carolyn Coman, YR, 2000, Audio CDs, 1.5hrs, Rating=3
Source: library

"When Jamie saw him throw the baby, saw Van throw the little baby, saw Van throw his little sister Nin, then they moved."
"Nin's okay-Jamie knows that because his mom was there to catch her. And then Jamie and his mom and Nin moved into Earl's little trailer that loos like a silver toaster up in the hills in the middle of nowhere. Jamie imagines they are the only survivors of some catastrophe, them and Earl, who brings them food and makes sure they're okay. But then there's the county fair and Jamie wants to go. And there's the school and Mrs. Desrochers, Jamie's teacher, who keeps trying to get close. There isn't enough money for Christmas presents and the car doesn't always start and Jamie's mom is worried lots of the time. Jamie just practices his magic tricks and takes things as they come...until one day Van shows up.
"This chillingly rhythmic opening scene left me breathless and hooked...[this] story could have been bleak...instead, it comes laced with spiritual and literal magic."-"The New York Times Book Review.

The Five Chinese Brothers by Claire Huchet Bishop, YR, 1996, Hardcover, 64p, Rating=4
Source: library

The classic story about five clever brothers, each with a different extraordinary ability is "a dramatic retelling of an old Chinese tale". (The New York Public Library)". . . . when Bishop makes the tall brother stretch, the sea-swallower work, or the robust one hold his breath, young children will laugh and laugh".--New York Herald Tribune Books.

The Wedding by Nicholas Sparks, AF, 2003, Audio CDs, 8.5hrs, Rating=3
Source: library

Nicholas Sparks expands on the romantic world he brought to life in THE NOTEBOOK, in which the enduring love of Allison and Noah transcended all barriers. Wilson Lewis is their son-in-law. When his daughter plans a wedding, Wilson contemplates his own thirty-year marriage - and is forced to admit that the romance has gone out of it. Although he is aware that his love for his wife, Jane, has only intensified over the years, Wilson realizes that he is close to losing her. But he wants nothing more than to make their marriage work. Now, with the memories of his in-laws' inspiring life together as a guide, Wilson pledges to find a way to make his wife fall in love with him again.

Starters by Lissa Price, YR, 2012, Audio CDs, 10.25hrs, Rating=3
Source: library

In the future, teens rent their bodies to seniors who want to be young again. One girl discovers her renter plans to do more than party--her body will commit murder, if her mind can't stop it. Sixteen-year-old Callie lost her parents when the genocide spore wiped out everyone except those who were vaccinated first--the very young and very old. With no grandparents to claim Callie and her little brother, they go on the run, living as squatters, and fighting off unclaimed renegades who would kill for a cookie. Hope comes via Prime Destinations, run by a mysterious figure known only as The Old Man. He hires teens to rent their bodies to seniors, known as enders, who get to be young again. Callie's neurochip malfunctions and she wakes up in the life of her rich renter, living in her mansion, driving her cars, even dating Blake, the grandson of a senator. It's a fairy-tale new life . . . until she uncovers the Body Bank's horrible plan. . . .

***Images link to Amazon info/purchase.

Just the Ratings Part I

I've fallen so behind in reviews and with many books for review to read (and several book review requests pending) that I've decided not to do a full review on the fun reads I've done.  Hence, the following are just my ratings (these were read in March):


It's Only Natural by Lorraine M. Harding, NF, 2013, 271p, Kindle ebook, Rating=3
Source: own

By using natural cleaning products, not only will you be saving potentially hundreds of dollars each year but it is also an environmentally sound alternative to toxic, allergy producing house hold cleaning products. These cleaning recipes will not only leave your home and garden chemical free but are safe for children, pets, friendly for those who suffer from chemical allergies and ideal for those who just want to be more environmentally conscious.

Lightning Thief, YR, 2005, audio CDs, 10.25hrs, Rating=3
Source: library

Twelve-year-old Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out of boarding school... again. No matter how hard he tries, he can't seem to stay out of trouble. But can he really be expected to stand by and watch while a bully picks on his scrawny best friend? Or not defend himself against his pre-algebra teacher when she turns into a monster and tries to kill him? Of course, no one believes Percy about the monster incident; he's not even sure he believes himself.
Until the Minotaur chases him to summer camp.
Suddenly, mythical creatures seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Percy's Greek mythology textbook and into his life. The gods of Mount Olympus, he's coming to realize, are very much alive in the twenty-first century. And worse, he's angered a few of them: Zeus's master lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect.
Now Percy has just ten days to find and return Zeus's stolen property, and bring peace to a warring Mount Olympus. On a daring road trip from their summer camp in New York to the gates of the Underworld in Los Angeles, Percy and his friends—one a satyr and the other the demigod daughter of Athena—will face a host of enemies determined to stop them. To succeed on his quest, Percy will have to do more than catch the true thief: he must come to terms with the father who abandoned him; solve the riddle of the Oracle, which warns him of failure and betrayal by a friend; and unravel a treachery more powerful than the gods themselves.

Eat to Live by Joel Furhman, NF, 2003/2011, 380p, Hardcover, Rating=3
Source: library

Hailed a "medical breakthrough" by Dr. Mehmet Oz, EAT TO LIVE offers a highly effective, scientifically proven way to lose weight quickly. The key to Dr. Joel Fuhrman's revolutionary six-week plan is simple: health = nutrients / calories. When the ratio of nutrients to calories in the food you eat is high, you lose weight. The more nutrient-dense food you eat, the less you crave fat, sweets, and high-caloric foods.
EAT TO LIVE has been revised to include inspiring success stories from people who have used the program to lose shockingly large amounts of weight and recover from life-threatening illnesses; Dr. Fuhrman's nutrient density index; up-to-date scientific research supporting the principles behind Dr. Fuhrman's plan; new recipes and meal ideas; and much more. This easy-to-follow, nutritionally sound diet can help anyone shed pounds quickly-and keep them off.

Rings of Trust by Kittie Howard, YA, 2012, ebook, 100p, Rating=4
Source: gift from author

In a segregated South with a sharp racial divide, values are about to clash...
When David Broussard leaves Iwo Jima, the decorated Marine thinks he'll never be in combat again. He wants to be with his family, have an operation to remove wartime shrapnel, and get on with his life. But he can't, not in rural South Louisiana in 1953. The Ku Klux Klan is furious David Broussard's son, Remy, wants to go to a black friend's birthday party. The white supremacists come at the World War II veteran with unbridled fury. Since the Klan operates in secrecy, violence spreads during the night. Hit and run operations terrify those who live along the bayou road.
But something must be done. Moses Dubois is dead, lynched by the Klan. The white-robed supremacists are on the prowl, eager to kill again. When Henri Doucet disappears, David Broussard's idealism collides with the urgent need to protect his family. The Klan's left a note: 'You're next.' David can't act alone. He needs help. But whom to trust?

Return d to Willow Lake by Susan Wiggs, AF, 2012, Playaway audio, 9hrs, Rating=3
Source: library

Sonnet Romano’s life is almost perfect. She has the ideal career, the ideal boyfriend, and has just been offered a prestigious fellowship. There’s nothing more a woman wants – except maybe a baby…sister? When Sonnet finds out her mother is unexpectedly expecting, and that the pregnancy is high-risk, she puts everything on hold – the job, the fellowship, the boyfriend – and heads home to Avalon. Once her mom is out of danger, Sonnet intends to pick up her life where she left off. But when her mother receives a devastating diagnosis, Sonnet must decide what really matters in life, even of that means staying in Avalon and taking a job that forces her to work alongside her biggest, and maybe her sweetest, mistake – award-winning filmmaker Zach Alger. So Sonnet embarks on a summer of laughter and tears, of old dreams and new possibilities, and of finding the home of her heart. At once heartbreaking and uplifting, Return to Willow Lake plumbs the deepest corners of the human heart, exploring the bonds of family, the perils and rewards of love, and the true meaning of home. Profoundly emotional and resonant, this is Susan Wiggs at her finest.

Every Day by David Levithan, YA, 2012, audio CDs, 8.5hrs, Rating=1
Source: library

Every day a different body. Every day a different life. Every day in love with the same girl. Every morning, A wakes in a different person's body, a different person's life. There's never any warning about where it will be or who it will be. A has made peace with that, even established guidelines by which to live: Never get too attached. Avoid being noticed. Do not interfere.
It's all fine until the morning that A wakes up in the body of Justin and meets Justin's girlfriend, Rhiannon. From that moment, the rules by which A has been living no longer apply. Because finally A has found someone he wants to be with--day in, day out, day after day.
With his new novel, David Levithan has pushed himself to new creative heights. He has written a captivating story that will fascinate readers as they begin to comprehend the complexities of life and love in A's world, as A and Rhiannon seek to discover if you can truly love someone who is destined to change every day.

Giveaway: Kindle Fire or $199 in Amazon GC or Paypal

I sure could use the dough! :)

This is a joint AUTHOR & BLOGGER SPONSORED GIVEAWAY!

Kindle Fire HD 7" Giveaway

 

The winner will have the option of receiving a 7" Kindle Fire HD (US Only)

Or $199 Amazon.com Gift Card (International)

Or $199 in Paypal Cash (International)

 Sponsoring Bloggers & Authors

1. I Am A Reader, Not A Writer
2. Feed Your Reader
3. Girls with Books
4. Just Bookin' Around
5. The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl
6. Books, Beauty and Bodacious Deals
7. Author Emma Michaels
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9. Lori's Reading Corner
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11. Author Josh Baker
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22. Author Lena Sledge
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27. Ramblings of a Diva Book Nerd
28. Suspense Author Kim Cresswell
29. Suzy Turner, YA Author
30. Books Unhinged by StacyHgg
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32. Fae Books
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34. Kid Lit Frenzy
35. Author Tressa Messenger
36. Auggie Talk
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39. Reviews by Martha's Bookshelf
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Giveaway Details

1 winner will receive their choice of a Kindle Fire 7" HD (US Only), $199 Amazon Gift Card or $199 in Paypal Cash (International).
Ends 5/31/13
Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the participating authors & bloggers. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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Review: Candy and the Cankersaur by Jason Sandberg

Candy and the Cankersaur by Jason Sandberg, YR, 2012, PDF eARC,32p, Rating: 3.5
Source: provided by author in exchange for an honest review
Per author: As a bedtime story Picture Book it’s aimed for children ages 3-6. As a read-alone Picture Book it’s appropriate for children ages 6-9.

This is the sweet and funny tale of a young girl named Candy and her Cankersaurus Rex! Candy receives a dinosaur as a gift and is determined to train him to be a good pet. This playful homage to Syd Hoff will make all dinosaur-crazy boys and girls happy.

Find Book: Amazon | iTunes | Kobo | Nook

I really liked the illustrations.  It was happy and easy on the eyes.  Moreover, the story started off great with a tone that alluded to a moral message.  It starred a Richie Rich-like protagonist, Candice Wellesley Wellington, Candy for short.  Candy's father was often found too busy to spend time with her so his solution was to shower Candy with rare toys to keep her busy.  One day, Mr. Wellington even managed to find a dinosaur ..yep, Cankersaur Rex, for Candy.  Sweet young Candy of course wanted to train Cank (nickname she called him) to be nice and not bite.  Top that with a jealous boy (Chucky) next door vying for Candy’s attention and you’ve rounded up an interesting crew and potential learning story. However, the ending didn't wow me as I'd hoped.  It was a cute and happy ending but something was off.  Perhaps it wrapped up too quickly and neat and the moral message didn't quite flow with the note that I sensed in the beginning of the book.  My 6yo daughter (she read this too) must have sensed something also because when I asked her how much she liked it, she said it was "in the middle".

The best part of the story that I liked was when Candy's father took the time to help Candy and Chucky find Cank.  It was a moment that a parent can pause to point out to his child that Candy's father really does love Candy and took time for her.  I suppose I wanted that same greatness for the ending, instead it ended with a different sort of goodness.

Find Author: Facebook |  Website

I'm a Fine Artist who also wants to produce the "missing books" from my childhood, the books I wished I'd had.