This book demonstrates ten life lessons that will teach you never to go back to your old patterns or make the same mistake twice. They include things like...
Don't pretend to be someone you're not.
Don't trust the wrong people.
Don't forget why you're here.
Don't take your eyes off the big picture.
Don't try to please everyone.

I enjoyed reading this because it has a lot of commons sense approaches to problems that are universal, and gives real solutions to difficult situations. One of the good things about this book is that it focuses on the only thing we can control... ourselves. It gives real hope that our life can change, because we can change ourselves, our habits and patterns, our thinking, and our reactions and choices.

I liked the writing style, and it kept my attention, using both logic and emotions to get important points across. I also liked that the author didn't get bogged down in lengthy descriptions of examples of people who did blah blah and had blah blah problem and fixed it with blah blah solution. There ARE examples of real people with real problems, but the examples are concise and to the point, so that I didn't get bored reading about random people.

This book would be excellent for anyone who is feeling bad about past mistakes, or wondering how they ended up in the same situation again, and wants to change and improve their life.

The best part about this book is the solid Bible-based advice, and the Scriptures and references to godly wisdom that are sprinkled throughout the chapters. No one can hope to change their life for the better without God's involvement in their life, and I loved the way this book keeps the focus on God's power to work in us.

Lucy teams up with Lord Byron and a bounty hunter named Sham to hunt vampires, and the trio flirt and deceive their way through several adventures, always one step behind the notorious vampire, Lady Travesty.

I enjoyed this book in the beginning, but around the midway point a lot of profanity started showing up frequently, and I lost interest in the story. Also I was confused about Sham, the bounty hunter, who is apparently bisexual or something. That whole character made no sense at all, and I did not enjoy Sham's storyline.
There are some humorous bits, and some funny one-liners, but it wasn't enough to keep me engaged. I skimmed through the last 1/3 of the book.


Disclaimer: I received an ecopy of this book from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

Little Minikin is a witch's child, and she hates her mean horrible witchy mother. She wishes she could go to school and make friends with other children, but her evil mother threatens to turn her into a flowerpot if she steps foot outside the dirty house. One day, Minikin decides to defy her mother and ventures out to school while the witch is sleeping, but all the school children are afraid of the witch's child. How can Minikin ever make friends?

What a sweet and charming story! I just love the old-fashioned writing style, and the fairy tale elements.
Minikin is so cute and resourceful. I wanted to give her a cookie and hug, poor thing.
I loved the magic and the various mythical creatures that pop into the story: centaurs, fairies, nymphs, and even the famed Pied Piper.
The plot is a funny mixture of fairy tale and innocent 1950's white-picket fence neighborhood. The characters are hilarious, and I loved all their funny quirks.

I can't get enough of Wallace and his friends! Once again, I wish I could give this comic 10 stars!

Wallace, Amelia, and Spud are off on another set of minor adventures in the woods and creeks around Snug Harbor. They spend their days hunting the Sasquatch, tracking a prehistoric turtle named Gramps, playing basketball, making blanket forts, eating pancakes in the shape of a top hat, and ducking out of their schoolwork.

I love how imaginative Wallace is! He can take the smallest bit of nothing and turn it into a wild adventure, dragging his friends along with him.

Once again, one of the best things about Wallace's world is his quirky family. I love how weird and funny they all are: the fisherman dad, the artistic mom, and the baby brother who eats bugs. They join in Wallace's imaginative world, letting him express himself by wearing weird hats, sticking his head inside a pumpkin, or playing at the Wild West with salt and pepper shakers. Whether it's building a clubhouse, setting up a tire swing, flying a kite, or just sitting quietly to watch a spider spinning its web, Wallace's parents are ready to celebrate childhood right along with him.

I enjoyed the playful art style, and the thoroughly entertaining jokes in this adorable comic!

Disclaimer: I received an ecopy of this book from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

Catherine Morland is on vacation in Bath with family friends, where she is befriended by the scheming Isabella Thorpe. At her very first dance, Catherine falls in love with the charming Henry Tilney and is invited to visit Northanger Abbey to keep his sister company. Catherine's wild imagination paints the Abbey as a Gothic melodrama waiting to happen, and she sees mystery and murder in every innocent corner.

Rereading this book for the third time, I enjoyed it so much more than the first two readings; probably because I'm older and more sensitive to the wisdom and humor in Austen's writing.

When I first read Northanger, I remember being so frustrated with Catherine Morland's character, because she can't see through the social facade of people like Isabella Thorpe. Of course, Catherine doesn't have the experience yet to be able to judge people's character very well. She assumes that other people think and feel just like herself, and she gives them the benefit of the doubt.

But now I recognize that those aspects of Catherine's character really frustrated me, because I AM like Catherine in many ways. Imaginative, sensitive, trusting, gullible, naive, and prone to flights of fancy instead of being rooted in reality.

This time I really enjoyed seeing Catherine learn from her foolish mistakes, learn not to trust the wrong people, and grow into a mature young lady. I see a lot of parallels between her experiences and my own, right down to similar conversations with manipulative people who are always using the same emotional tactics to get what they want no matter what century they live in.

Rather than be frustrated with the characters like I was before, I found them funny this time. Rather than be bored with the slow plot, I enjoyed the minutiae and the clever lines.

Austen is always genius, but sometimes it takes you a little time to fully appreciate just how fantastic her writing is. I adore how sarcastic she is!

I think the first time I read Northanger Abbey, it just wasn't quite the right time in my life for it. But now I enjoyed it thoroughly!

Septimus and his family are threatened again, this time by the ghost of Queen Etheldredda the Awful. Princess Jenna and Septimus team up to stop her from going through with her evil plans to take over the Kingdom, but of course there are many obstacles, magic conundrums, and secrets from the past to be discovered and overcome.

There are so many vibrant characters in these books, and I love the main characters, Septimus and Jenna. I was so interested in the twisty plot! There is a lot going on in every chapter with many moving parts in the plot that wind around each other.
The writing is rich and flavorful, but still concise and pointed. I loved the map in the beginning, and the small illustrations at the beginning of each chapter.

Can't wait to read more from this series!

A disgruntled old ghost has rigged the Questing Stone draw, sending Septimus on a suicide mission against the rules of Magyck Apprenticeship. No matter what Septimus does, he cannot escape the deadly Queste, and he ends up dragging Jemma and Beetle along with him through dangerous forests, and across deadly cliffs, to face the dreaded Foryx monsters and find the secrets of Time.

The world-building gets more and more phenomenal with each book in this series, as we discover further depths of magic and fantasy.
I love how twisty the plot is, where every small detail can have a huge impact on the story. I love the interesting and complex characters and how they all interact.
I am growing to love Beetle's character more and more through this series, and I loved that he played a more central role in this book.
Jemma and Septimus are fantastic characters, as always. Nicko and Snorri also make an appearance from the depths of Time, and magic surrounds everything they do.

Loving this series!

Septimus Heap and the whole gang are trapped on an island, where a mysterious spirit sings an enchanted song to lure ships onto the rocks. But there is more going on beneath the surface of the murky waters around the islands of Syren, and only Septimus and his friends can unravel the mystery in time to stop the Darknesse that threatens the Castle.

I loved this 5th book in the series! I enjoyed the character development, the imaginative plot, the twists and turns and surprises, and of course, the wonderful characters.

There's so much depth to the characters, and I love how they interact and argue and understand or misunderstand each other. So many levels of character dynamics happening in every chapter!

There's so much action in the plot, and many incredibly unique magical elements in the story. I love the detailed world-building, that provides the perfect backdrop for this exciting story.