Review: For Nick by Taylor Dean

For Nick by Taylor Dean, AF -chick lit, 2013, 296p, Rating=4
Source: won a paperback copy; also own a Kindle book edition

Zachary Drake had love in his life--and tragically lost it. He knows it won't come his way again. Andie Parker would do anything for the love of her life.
Even marry a total stranger.
In spite of the unorthodox manner in which Zach and Andie come together, there is no denying that things are unexpectedly good between them, taking them both by surprise. However, when secrets come between them--and trust does not--Andie soon finds herself vowing to never make the same mistake again. But, she'd do it again in a heartbeat and she knows it. She'd marry a hundred strangers if it helped Nick.

She'd do anything for Nick . . . anything.

That office interview hooked me.  A fun cupid moment.  It was an obvious comedy set up for a relationship destined to flourish.  Zach needed to be married to save his company and Andie needed the money.  Andie passed the test.  A match made in heaven, right?  All kidding aside, Zach and Andie's personalities just seemed a great match.  I certainly was rooting for things to go more than just a business arrangement of marriage on paper and appearance.  Sure enough their relationship thrived but wait, Nick might get in the way.  Heck, who was Nick?!  That was the mystery that loomed throughout the majority of the book.  I wasn't crazy about the long stretch tease even though I had a feeling it was going to be good.  Then that misunderstanding sequence, well, it went both sides for me.  I saw Zach as being more sensible than to jump to conclusions so I didn't think that was realistic.  Yet that was the heralding chain that would lead to who Nick really was so I saw where the author was going there.  Then boom!  You find out who Nick was and the waterworks came.  Dang soft heart of mine! 

Funny.  Romantic.  Tender.  All because of Nick.  Beautiful story, Ms Dean.

Teaser Tuesdays: The Faerie War by Rachel Morgan

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB @Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along. Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

The Faerie War (Creepy Hollow #3) by Rachel Morgan

"I tried the finding thing earlier, and it didn't work.  I looked for Jamon and my imagination conjured up an image of somewhere in the air way above the ground.  Oh, yeah, that makes sense.  Jamon's on a pegasus right now." (location: 2049 of 42245)

Review: Reverently, Quietly by Pamela Jensen

Reverently, Quietly: Sacrament Meeting Activity Book by Pamela Jensen, YR, 2014, 58p, Rating=4.5
Source: provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review

When the wiggles come and boredom strikes, it can be difficult for little ones to sit through long church meetings. Reverently, Quietly not only keeps boredom at bay, but also instructs and invites the Spirit. Containing drawing activities, matching games, and coloring pages, all Church--centered, this is a quiet book that all children will enjoy!

The first hour of three hours of church meetings in an LDS church is sacrament.  There the bread and water are passed, hymns sung, and talks offered.  As you can imagine, young children aren't built to sit still very long.  They are a curious and active group so they need to be actively engaged.  They can usually sit reverently through the sacrament ordinance and enjoy singing the hymns but when the speakers start to give their talks, well, you'll likely to find the children bored silly.  So that's when this activity book comes to play.  Its pages consist activities that occupy their little hands by coloring, writing, or drawing.  I like the drawing pages that invite its participants to look towards the pulpit and their surroundings.  For example, "What does the bishop have on today?" (draw it on the blank tie) or "What time does the church clock say it is?" (draw the hands on the clock).  Moreover, this book also includes activities that engage their spiritual minds.  Like, name Nephi's parents or match the characters with the object of their story.  Hence, parents could feel comfort that their child is getting something churchy. 

At first I was conflicted that some pages were duplicated (a few multiplied 3 or 4 times).  Then I saw that those pages that were multiplied made sense to repeat.  For example, the bishop tie activity ..then you can check out the bishop's tie every week!  Consequently, this tells me that the author did her research and considered what children wanted.

Now that you have a taste of what's in the book, does it work?  Well, I tested it on my children yesterday at church.  Off the bat, I thought, "Oh shoot!  I need three of them!".  I have three kids and it was not practical to have all three working on one book at once.  So perhaps perforated pages would have served well in my case.  Anyway, my kids ended up taking turns with it and with each turn the book did capture their attention.  Even my eleven year old found few pages that interested him.  However, it didn't challenge him much so although this book would be appropriate for primary age children (1.5yo to 11yo), I think the younger ones (maybe under 10yo) would find this more suiting.  Overall, they were indeed quietly engrossed and therefore added reverence to the atmosphere.  For that reason, this book did live up to its title promise.  Yay! 

Oh, I could totally see a few of these pages as teaching enhancements, say for sharing time or class time.  But what is the copyright for that? ;)

Still Kicking and Jiu Jitsu

(source)

I'm still alive and kicking but just not here.  No bad news.  Life is just keeping me very busy and leaving me no room for blogging and barely room for reading.  Anyway, I'll be back next week because I have reviews due.

In the meantime, speaking of kicking.  I'm going to do a shameless plug for my brothers' company, "X-Guard Brand".  Specializing in jiu jitsu fight wear.  Please check out their line of products that are "Mat Tested. Cage Proven".  Kids wear available too.  Oh, shipping is free for USA destinations. :)

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Website | YouTube

Here are few items available on Amazon (many more items available on X-Guard Brand website):

Brief Review: False Princess by Eilis O'Neal

False Princess by Eilis O'Neal, YA, 2011, Audio Book CDs, 9hrs, Rating=4
Source: library

Princess and heir to the throne of Thorvaldor, Nalia has led a privileged life at court. But everything changes when she learns, just after her sixteenth birthday, that she is a false princess, a stand-in for the real Nalia, who has been hidden away for her protection. Cast out with little more than the clothes on her back, the girl now called Sinda must leave behind the city, her best friend, Kiernan, and the only life she's ever known.
Sent to live with her only surviving relative, Sinda proves inept at even the simplest tasks. Then she discovers that long-suppressed, dangerous magic runs through her veins, and she realizes that she will never learn to be just a simple village girl. Sinda returns to the city to seek answers. Instead, she rediscovers the boy who refused to forsake her, and uncovers a secret that could change the course of Thorvaldor's history forever.
An intricately plotted and completely satisfying adventure, "The False Princess" is both an engaging tale in the tradition of great fantasy novels and a story never told before that will enchant--and surprise--its readers.

Captivating and interesting story. Comprising a potpourri of elements (fantasy, mystery, romance) that made for an enjoyable read. A great YA find! :)

Winner!

Rafflecopter has spoken.  Congratulations Anne!  You are my No Strings Attached Giveaway winner.  An email has been sent to you with gift claim codes for two Kittie Howard ebooks.

Thank you to those who entered and for the follows.  I truly appreciate the support. 

Until the next time, take good care!!

Wordless Wednesday: How I Feel Today ...

(source)

...and fairly often lately.