Crunch Time Cam by Jordan Lyons had it all; basketball, sibling competitiveness, a snow day, snowballs with rocks in the middle, sports injuries, struggles with grades, rivalries, drama with friends, and most importantly, great lessons learned!

Full disclosure: I was given a free copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my rating in any way.

While I am a bit out of the target demographic, I still enjoyed this one quite a bit!

It was a fun and very quick read for me. I breezed through it in about a half an hour. A lot of the story sent me right back to my middle school basketball years...


My favorite passages:
The fallen leaves were remnants of a Midwestern Fall that was edging closer to Winter. They were also a sign of a chore for Cam to rake and bag up later.

The afternoon fun turned from a yellow-white to red as the days wore on. The icy blue sky now wore shades of pink signaling less than an hour of daylight left.

"Do you two want to join our snowball fight? We want to get a match in before it gets dark." Cam and Braxton didn't need any convincing. They were ready and willing to join in to the fight.

Cam's teacher smirked. Her intuition was right again. "I know basketball is important to you. Every story problem you make up has to do with how many shots Steph Curry makes..."

Cam realized that in 21, you have no teammates. Out here, you are nothing without your teammates.


My final thoughts:
I would highly recommend this one to any 4th or 5th grader, or, of course, any fans of books targeting this age range.

Hocus Pocus is one of my favorite movies! So of course when I found out that this book was coming out, I could not wait! But did it hold up, or did it disappoint me?

I'm going to break this review into three parts; one for Hocus Pocus, the second bit for the sequel, and the third for the book overall.

Hocus Pocus
Reading this was so much fun! I have watched the movie dozens of times, so reading the tale was a nice treat! I loved that the book really centered on Max so we got to learn more about him. I also enjoyed learning more about Emily and Thackery in the chapters that flashed back to them in 1963.

I had a couple of issues with this read through, one being simply the jump between the witches not understanding the modern world, to suddenly seeming knowledgeable, and then back again. Specifically in the car/broom chase scene where this happened: "Pull over,"Winifred demanded. "Let me see your driver's license." So they don't know what a road or a bus is, or that people wear costumes, but they know what a drivers license is?


My favorite passages from this section:
In the dreams, the edge of the field ran right up to the edge of the wood and then stopped, as if perplexed about where to go next.

Max’s heart slammed against his rib cage, a rubber ball trying to escape this risk-taking madman.

“Oh, look,“ she sighed. “Another glorious morning. Makes me sick!

The house ahead of them was smaller than Max expected, but somehow it seemed to loom above them, as if its spirit were far bigger than the collapsing wooden porch and broken eaves.

Leaves fell around them like confetti in oranges and browns and golds.

"I'll wait outside," said Binx, jumping into the low branches of a nearby tree. "If anything happens, shout for me."
Max eyed the noisy building. "How will you hear us?" he asked.
"I won't," said Binx. "But it might help you feel better.



The All-New Sequel
The second half was... interesting. Let me pause here to say that I did NOT read the synopsis before I dove in, so I didn't know what to expect. However, as this is one of my all time favorite movies, I was SO excited to dive in to see where the author took the story. But once I started reading, I just tried to keep an open mind...

I was thrilled to find out that the main character was the daughter of Max and Allison! I also really enjoyed her interest in photography, but overall I just didn't care for her character. My favorite character by far was Travis; I loved his humor, but sometimes it felt way too forced!

I also really enjoyed that there were a few things thrown in that gave a nod to the first half, like Poppy saying that the only cookies her mom bakes are dark chocolate chip cookies- a nod to Allison and Max's conversation about whether milk or dark chocolate is better in a cookie.

My main issue was that it was so incredibly repetitive. I found myself skimming quite a bit. The main character kept circling around the same thoughts over and over again. Many chapters to new sections gave the readers a little recap of what had just happened, or what they were trying to do, which wasn't necessary in my opinion. It just bogged the flow down.

There were also weird "modern" bits added that just felt forced to me. For example when Poppy is thinking; "I've heard plenty about this particular house of horrors, but confronting it IRL is bone-chilling." Maybe I wouldn't have been to put off if this was in a dialogue section, but having it as part of the narrative just wasn't a hit for me.

I also really didn't like how some of the flow just didn't work. There were a few odd bits where something happened, but then it was brought up again like it had just happened. In one section, a certain character is right by the main characters side, but then she's no where to be found... and the way that it was worded made it seem like she hadn't been there in the first place. It would have worked better if there was a thought about her disappearing instead.

My next complaint was about how the witches returned. When it happened, I was left quite underwhelmed. Because of the last bit of the first book (below), I was REALLY hoping that the story was going to pick up on a new character, not the same three witches again...

Meanwhile, on its podium Winifred's spell book slowly opened its
eye and looked around, feeling the loss of its master. But then it
rose into the air. Jay and Ernie screamed and shook the bars of
their cages at the strange sight. The book soared out of the window
and into the early morning light. It floated above the cemetery and
through the town square, passing the crowd of adults who filed,
stumbling, out of Town Hall after a night of endless dancing.

It continued flying, higher and higher, seeking its master...

It wouldn't stop until it found her.

I actually closed the book and debated DNFing when the witches returned. But I pushed on... I'm not sure it was worth it. The overall story was interesting, but I just didn't care about the characters, the repetition was horrible, and it just didn't keep my interest.

I really disliked the first half of part two, but toward the end, it got more interesting. I did like a few things that were added to the tale to wrap things up, but again, it all felt too neat and rushed. Some of it felt a little late, such as the line "You can never really kill a witch."


My favorite passages from this section:
You don’t need external affirmation, Mom would say - but one could argue that you don’t need cheese fries, either. Both are pretty damn satisfying indulgences.



Overall
I really liked the design of the book! The cover is fun and colorful. I loved the silhouettes that began each section as well as the illustrations on each of the chapters, which were titled in a fun way.

I also really liked the town maps that were included at the beginning of each section. It was really neat to see how the maps changed from the beginning of the tale, to present time.

In the end, I am glad that I had the opportunity to read this. I definitely love the first half and would happily read that time and time again. But the second half? I think I could have done without that one. It was just far too repetitive and a bit boring to me.

I snagged this book as my August Book Of The Month pick, and I'm SO glad that I did!

Sweet Little Lies by Caz Frear is a totally captivating crime novel that will keep you guessing! Many times, I thought I had the plot all figured out, but I had no idea how deep the darkness of this one went! What a crazy web of lies!

Oh my gosh, where to start with this one?!

The very first page totally hooked me! It was just two paragraphs and then four sentences; but those four sentences really packed a punch!

Next, there was chapter is set in 1998. I thought that this set up the story wonderfully! When I turned the page and saw the beginning of the first chapter, I was so ready to dive in to see how the present would connect to the past.

As I read on, I was very happy to see that there were occasional flashbacks that took us back to 1998! These really helped develop the main character and give us more context. I'm a total sucker for when authors use flashbacks in a way that also relates immediately to what is occurring in the present, and this author did that seamlessly. It was also very refreshing to see that this author didn't over do the flashbacks, which can end up bogging down the story a bit.

I loved this authors writing style. It flowed so well and seemed so real! The characters also seemed very alive. Like as a reader, it felt like you actually knew these people! While reading, I found myself really imagining the story playing out in my head; this was made possible by the description of the settings, the wonderful character descriptions, and, my favorite part, the explanation of the expressions on certain characters faces.

Speaking of this novel seeming realistic, I really loved the simple little elements that were added in! Elements such as this very brief addition to a scene: Molly, our cleaner, weaves in and out of our desks, giving an extra spruce to those who take the time to acknowledge her every evening, a cursory swipe to those who think they’re too important to engage.

From the storyline... I don't want to say too much. This is one that you should really just dive into. I will say that time and time again, I was surprised (in a good way) to see the story take a turn. And my goodness... when it all starts coming together... So well done! However, there was one loose end. So of course, I can't help but wonder if there will be another book!

One more thing I wanted to make sure to note: there was a sentence in the beginning that I highlighted immediately. For some reason is just really stood out to me. Much later in the book, a very similar line was added, calling back to that original reference. I LOVE when authors do this!

I cannot believe this is her debut novel! Caz Frear is definitely an author that I will be keeping my eye on! I can't wait to see what she does next!


My favorite passages:
I was eight years old, podgy, with a head full of greasy curls and a mouth full of wobbly teeth, and I was almost certainly wearing my Pokémon T-shirt.

With her licorice-black curls and blossom-pink pout, most boys turned into cartoon clichés around her – eyes out on stalks, steam billowing from ears, blood-red hearts pumping outside their puny adolescent chests.

Thames Ditton Island glistens as evening falls, and despite the reason for our visit, it’s hard not to feel a little festive when faced with the constellation of Christmas lights flickering red, green and white among the dense canopy of trees, illuminating the river and the spectacle of Hampton Court Palace just beyond.

And for that second, the world shrinks to just us. Just his face and mine. Every smell seems to evaporate. Every color ceases to exist. And there’s a silence. I silence so laden with fear and mistrust that it turns everything else abstract and us both to stone.

“Oh, you know what I’m talking about, I’m sure you do. Those sweet little lies you tell yourself to make life more bearable....”

Problem is, while the lie may be sweet as it from your lips, the feeling your guy is always putridly sour. And almost always bang-on.

Molly, our cleaner, weaves in and out of our desks, giving an extra spruce to those who take the time to acknowledge her every evening, a cursory swipe to those who think they’re too important to engage.

“That which does not kill us makes us stronger,” claimed Nietzsche, or Kayne West, depending on your cultural frame of reference...

“To be honest, Boss, I don’t know what shade I want my hair at the moment, so I think I’m going to have to plead the fifth on the bigger questions.”

The most devastating punishments aren’t always the legal ones.

Secrets are just gossip you haven’t been drunk enough to spill yet, you know?


My final thoughts:
This is a book that I just closed 10 minutes ago, and I'm already itching to reread to see what I can pick up on easier in the book now that I know the ending! And man, what a great film this could be!

If you enjoy mysteries or crime thrillers, I highly recommend this one!

Over The Garden Wall Vol. 1 by Jim Campbell, Amalia Levari, & Pat McHale is a cute middle grade graphic novel. While I enjoyed the read, I felt a bit like I was picking up a book in the middle of a series...

Dreamland Melodies
The artwork overall was interesting in this story. The facial expressions of the characters had me cracking up! That was definitely my favorite element.

Greg, the main character, was pretty funny! I loved how he related every situation to a case that needed to be solved!

Robber Raccoon was adorable. I love that the main character named him this and constantly kept a close eye on him as he was supposed to be in the hands of the law.

I loved the frog, Sheriff Funderberker. Throughout the story, he was guiding Greg along. Seeing the frogs facial expression on each panel was too funny! In one instance he even broke with fourth wall and looked at the audience like, “oh here we go...”

The story flowed very quickly, jumping from situation to situation after only a few pages. We saw a giant cat that just wanted a treat, an anxious squirrel, a mole village, dozens of ducks, a witch, and a beaver with a haunting problem... In each situation, Greg was on the case! I loved how nothing seemed to phase him; he just looked at the situation and solved the issue, whether by accident or by thinking it through.


Homeland
This one was very confusing to me at first... All I understood was that the main character was named Anna, her mother has passed on, her father is lost, and that there is a beast out in the woods.

One element of this story that I did like was that one day Anna makes a list of rules. One rule on that list was, “I must not smash crockery in vexation.” And then below that “(Especially that last one)”. I chuckled at this because on the second page, she had smashed a mug.

Later, Anna smashes another mug and in the next scene when you see the list of rules, “I must not smash crockery in vexation” is crossed out.


My final thoughts:
I enjoyed the first story, Dreamland Melodies but Homeland was a bit of a miss for me.

Like I mentioned at the beginning of this post, it really felt like I was missing something with both of these stories... It was like I jumped into the series in the middle of things. Perhaps I should have watched the TV show first? I'm not sure.


I have already checked out Volume Two from the library, so I will be reading that next. We'll see how it goes!

Even though I didn't love the first volume of this collection, I still decided to give Over the Garden Wall Vol. 2 a shot since I had already checked it out from the library.

My thoughts about this one are pretty similar to the first...

Hunt for Hero Frog- Greg/Wirt
This book picks up with the two boys in a tavern. Wirt says they had a rough night but Greg is all excited about it! We then see the story of the night told by Greg first, and it’s very bright and colorful. Then we see Wirt’s version which is much darker... When Wirt finishes his story, he realizes that Greg has left so he leaves to go find him. The rest of this story shows the situations that each boy got themselves into.

I enjoyed this one well enough, though I’m not sure I would pick up the next part of this series. It still just seemed too random...

Pooree The Elephant / The Raft
This one was a total miss for me, I really didn’t like it at all. I didn’t like the artwork, the storyline, the characters, the flow... I didn’t like any of it. I understand that there are lessons in there for the target audience, but I think they could have been done much better. I’m actually a bit grouchy that I wasted time pushing through this one.


My final thoughts:
Overall, this one was a miss as well. I enjoyed the first story well enough but didn't like the second one at all. I doubt I will continue on with this series.

Backseat in The Dark by Milton Dewar is such an interesting tale of suspense. It's a very quick read, but it definitely packed a punch!

My goodness. When I picked this one up, I never could have guessed what I was getting myself into.

This short story is almost like a stream of consciousness from the perspective of the main character. As the reader, we see what is currently happening to him, complete with his narration about the events, sprinkled with flashbacks to past experiences.

I found the main character to be interesting, but it was definitely a bit painful to watch him deal with these events. There were many scenes that made me so nervous for him! I couldn't wait to see what happened next!

I don't want to give anything away, so I will unfortunately have to leave it at that!

My favorite passages:
But the crickets just weren't doing it for me this time around. The chirping was nothing more than a metronome for the drumming of a thunderous heartbeat; the soundtrack for a swelling anger, starring yours truly.

On the passenger side in the distance behind me, there it was. Against the backdrop of the roadside woods, the same shadow, the same darkness, a different moonlight. Logic saw a big ragged triangle, on top of a small circle, on top of a vertical rectangle; an object. Concern saw a large, pointed hat, a head, and a body; a person. Caution said to keep moving. Courage reminded me that I had a gun. Fear said it didn't matter. Anger told my imagination to stop the bullshit. "Eeeing." Again. I slammed the brakes. Denial was silenced by whiplash.

I noticed that the "shadow" I saw in the rear view mirror was gone. According to panic, that's a problem. A big problem.

What was happening was so bad, that it didn't feel real. I felt like I was playing a video game on the largest television set ever, and I was sitting too close to the TV screen.

Dead Princess Walking by L.M. Schukraft is such a fun fairytale retelling! I'm a total sucker for good fairytale stories, but this one was really something special! I couldn't put it down!

Full disclosure: I was given an ARC copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my rating in any way.

Oh my goodness, this was such a fun retelling! I loved how the story started with a bang! Because of this high-action and stressful situation, I was sucked into the tale immediately. After that, there was still a layer of anxiety throughout as the main character continued on her quest. I could not put it down!

The reveal of who, exactly, Snow is was done in such a wonderful way! This easily could have been too over the top or too predictable, but it was spot on. When I read one statement from a certain character, I actually said "Oooh!" right out loud!

Per usual with L.M. Schukraft's work, I adored the characters!

Snow White- The main character, Snow White, was lovely and brave. I really enjoyed watching her internal struggle with trust, bravery, and of course, her magic. I also really enjoyed how real her internal monologues were.

The Huntsman- Her protector, Hunter, was also lovely! He was your typical headstrong and physically strong guy with the potential to be Snow's love interest.

The Sprites- Then there were the Sprites. Oh how I loved the Sprites! Binky was definitely my favorite! I loved how feisty and funny he was! Cynthie was lovely. She was Binky's heart mate, I believe they called it. I loved how she took on a supportive role. Snow White certainly needed that! Then there was Iris, who was such a great leader! She was calm and collected when they needed her the most. I enjoyed learning more about her as she was able to step up toward the end of the book. I wonder if she will play a larger role later.

I was getting nervous with the pacing at one point, as the book was nearing the end and the crew had only found one Coterie Divi. But then I saw that this is going to be a series and I was ecstatic! I cannot wait to read more!


My favorite passages:
His eyes were dark. A blue so dark it felt cold.

My chest started to tighten again as panic tried to get a hold on me. I reminded myself that staying here would mean certain death and leaving would mean living. I couldn't afford to panic now. I had to keep going.

"You see and hear them, too?"
"Hot steaming Unicorn farts! We are real! Now come on!" the Sprite sneered at us as he flew over to the hedge.

His hair stood straight up, fanning his head like the puff of a dandelion in a shockingly vibrant magenta color.

"Whoa! Watch it!" Binks cried out. "Watch where you put those boats you call feet! Sprite without flight down here!!"

"I'm not concerned," I totally was. "I ask again, what is your purpose here?"

I could see my eyes reflected in hers. The golden outer ring was bold as it bled into the deeper pink sea like a setting sun. The inner circle sparkled back at me in coral colors dancing with stars in them.

"Well, make my wings sprinkle glitter, he actually might be useful," Binks muttered as he curled up on a blanket he found.

"She's the dead princess walking."
"Binks!"
"What!"
"That was going to be my line!" I threw my hands up. "You took my line!"


My final thoughts:
If you enjoy light and fun fairytale retellings, you have to check out Dead Princess Walking.

This novel is such a refreshing retelling that will keep you engaged straight through the story. But of course, as it is going to be a series, you will be itching to get your hands on the second book when you finish this one. I certainly cannot wait!

Stay tuned, this book will be available this month!

The Ultimate Guide to Jurassic Park was an awesome collection of features in celebration of the 25th anniversary!

The first few sections of this magazine were short features and then interviews with the cast of the new film. It was fun to read the bits where the actors talked about their characters! I particularly liked the bit where the author of the article poked fun and the internet's uproar about Claire running through the jungle in high heels.

Then there was The Art of the Fallen Kingdom spread. This was so cool to look at and it was interesting to learn more about certain scenes that they highlighted.

Next up were photos from on the set of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. I think on set photos are always fun to look at and I loved the little captions that gave more info about what was going on.

One of my favorite sections on this magazine was the “Top 10 Beastly Moments.” This was fun to see all the intense scenes ranked!

Next up was a section that discussed Jurassic Park complete with interviews from Steven Spielberg, cast members, and other key people. One of my favorite parts about this was learning that the dinosaur noises were actually recorded using real animal noises! For example, the main attack screen of the raptor was created using a combination of a walrus for the low frequency and a dolphin for the higher-frequency. This whole section especially fun for me to read because I was only three when the high release occurred in 1993 and this gave a great look at that time.

The there was an awesome spread about the map of the park! Gosh, I cannot wait to have a home and order my Isla Nublar map!

The next section was all about the creation of the mechanical or body suits that made the dinosaurs come to life! It was so cool to see that some didn’t rely on any CGI! Next up was a section about The Lost World.

Then there was a section that made me teary: Remembering Michael Crichton.

“The script was changed and refined a lot after my draft,
in ways that I think are really very good, I should add.
It all seems very compatible with my ways of thinking- it fits in my mind.”

There was also a section about the gifts and toys now available from the world, such as the Funko Injured Ian Malcolm figure, inflatable dino costumes, legos, and other such things. This section really should have gone last though. Major missed opportunity there! Especially as it was titled "Exit through the gift shop"...

Then there was a section about Jurassic World, complete with some of the artwork similar to what was shared at the beginning for Fallen Kingdom. And lastly, there was a section about the facts. I really liked that the coloring and missing feathers of the dinosaurs were discussed; they left these things out simply because of the CGI limitations and spook factor.


A few of my favorite passages:
Chris Pratt, talking about the new movies- At the end of the day, we’re all trying to make something that will be part of the Jurassic empire and tonally match the previous movies, but we’re going off a new direction.

In typical Jurassic fashion, no one listens to Malcom.

“If I could contextualize each film, I would say Jurassic World was an action-adventure, Fallen Kingdom it’s kind of a horror-suspense film, and Jurassic World 3 will be a science thriller in the same way that the original Jurassic Park was,” Trevorrow says.


My final thoughts:
Overall, I thought this was a very awesome magazine. I'm so glad I was able to pick one up! The only slight bummer was the organization of the features; if they had just organized a few of them differently, it would have flowed much better in my opinion.

I snagged a copy of Lady Mechanika #1 by Joe Benítez at Free Comic Book Day 2018. It took me awhile, but I was finally able to give it a read!

Ugh the first story stopped just as it was really getting interesting! I forgot that many of the FCBD items are just previews... Even so, the first story was wonderfully captivating! I was drawn in immediately as it comic starts with a boom, literally.

I loved the artistic style of this comic! And of course I loved how dark it was as well. Anything Steampunk always looks so cool to me!

I definitely cannot wait to get my hands on a full volume!

Kublai Khan: Khan of Mongol, Emperor of China was such a fun and quick read!

This volume is part of the vast collection of concise historical and biographical works that can be read or listened to in just 60 minutes from in60learning.

Full disclosure: I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my rating in any way.

I'll admit it, when I went into this read, I was expecting it to be a little dry. However, this read much easier than a textbook!

I had so much fun reading this and learning more and Kublai Khan. This volume covered the time before he became emperor when the families would do anything to get their family member into position, what Kublai Khan was like when he was emperor, all of the wonderful things he did for his empire, and how the empire flourished in the arts and sciences, along with the general economy, and ended with the death of his favorite wife and son, soon followed by his own death.

I loved learning that Kubali Khan ruled with compassion, that he created charitable programs to help those in need, that he showed respect for the great religions of the medieval world, and that he helped his region become more literate.

Each chapter began with a quote that would be related directly to something that would come up soon in that chapter. I love it when things like this make use of that! But of course, I'm also just a sucker for quotes in general!

Too much of history in textbooks seems to be glossed over, the authors sugarcoating quite a bit of it. I really appreciated that this volume didn't hold back! For example:

The Mongols were ruthless. They impaled the inhabitants
until the cold stones ran warm with the blood of slain men.

One of my favorite sections was the bit on explosives and crossbows! I always find it so interesting to see how people fought battles in the past. The Thunder-Crash Bombs sound absolutely terrifying:

"They were made of cast iron and filled with gunpowder.
They also had lit fuses connected to them."

My final thoughts:
Definitely an interesting read! I can't wait to check out more from this collection.