Review - Humanity Scar: Last Words (Journal 1)

My first book ever read on my Kindle Fire. Humanity Scar: Last Words (Journal 1) by Monique Doucette.

Wow.

Great story.

It really did read like a journal. Almost like I was watching everything play out right in front of me. Wicked suspenseful. And sad.

Each character is developed beautifully, even the ones we're only just introduced to. We get a feeling of where each one is coming from and why they are where they are in this whole story. We see compassion emerge from people who aren't supposed to have any and fear crippling those who would, in any other situation, have none.

We learn alot about Kat through "flashbacks" of the first days after the outbreak. She started out terrified and confused. Not knowing who to turn to or what to do. And we see her as she grows into someone skilled and calculating who, while struggling to survive amidst hoards of festering undead, still believes that there can be good in what's left of the world.

Amazing story. The way I felt about this story is the same way I felt while I was watching Unstoppable. Like what I'd read had actually happened and I almost had to remind myself that no, this wasn't real.

This is a must read for fans of The Walking Dead (comics and television). And if you all read this and want more of Kat's world (even if you haven't read it, you should still check it out!) visit the Humanity Scar website and register! If you don't want to post right away you can sign up and just observe! It's really fun, I promise. And it helps to bring out a creative side that maybe you never knew you had. You won't regret it!

Follow Friday #29

Ok, so for real this time, I'm not here. But thank you anyway to Parajunkee and Alison Can Read for hosting Follow Friday every week.

So, since I have no idea what the question for this week is, I can't answer it.

This is where I am. Missouri at my Aunt's and Uncle's for a week.

Hope you all are ready for a new year! I know I am.

Daring You to Read - Luthiel's Song: Dreams of the Ringed Vale by Robert Fanney

Daring You to Read is hosted every week by Tynga of Tynga's Reviews.

This week I'm daring you to read Luthiel's Song: Dreams of the Ringed Vale by Robert Fanney. I got a signed copy of this a long time ago and it, unfortunately, was misplaced during one of my many moves in the last 4 years. I loved it though. It was the type of fantasy that's my favorite. A completely different world than our own full of magic and adventure.

First Summer's Eve has come and all elves celebrate as the black moon's shadow fades from the world. It is also Luthiel's fifteenth birthday. With it come two extraordinary and dangerous surprises: a Wyrd Stone, its silvery heart a window into a world of dreams and nightmares, and a Blade Dancer, dreaded protector of the Faelands, who bears a dark message. Instead of celebration, Luthiel is given a terrible choice: if she does nothing, someone she loves deeply will die. Or to save a life, she can break the most perilous law of the Faelands, and venture alone to the Vale of Mists. If she chooses the journey, she must race Othalas -- eldest and most feared of all the werewolves -- past great back spiders who weave webs out of nightmares, through glittering mists with the power to reshape flesh, and at last into death by the teeth of dark and ancient Vyrl, who feed on the blood of elves. Either choice will bring death -- unless Luthiel can find the secret in her remarkable Stone, a secret that even the nightmares fear.

Blade Dancers... ::sigh:: But seriously, how are you not running out to find that book RIGHT NOW? ORDER IT OFF AMAZON if you have to! Spiders weaving webs out of nightmares? Ancient monsters using elves as a blood bank? And a remarkable heroine who risks her life to save the life of someone she loves dearly? Doesn't that just sound exciting?!

I loved it. And I've been dying to read the 2nd installment The War of Mists forEVER but I haven't been able to get my hands on a copy. :-(

But I dare you to read it.

How to participate in DYTR

- You choose a book you’ve read, loved and would dare your readers to read!
- The book you choose must be an older release (at least 6 months ago), because let’s be honest, we’re all quite aware of the latest releases.
- Write your own blog post, using the button and linking back to Tynga’s Reviews, inviting your readers to read your chosen book.
- Come back on Tynga’s Reviews and put your link in the linking tool.
- Browse other bloggers Dare and let them know if you’ve read their featured book, or plan on reading it.
- Super easy and an awesome way to discover that special book who might have slipped off your radar!

Homeschool Reading Corner: The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey by Susan Wojciechowski

As full of wonder as Christmas itself, this is a story that will not long be forgotten, one that will be read and treasured for many Christmases to come. A woodcarver's broken and bitter heart warms to the spirit of the season, when he is approached by a widow who asks him to carve a new creche in time for Christmas--and allow her young son to watch. Full color.

This was such a sweet story. One that I'd looked at so many times in my trips to the library, but didn't pick up until just recently.

All this month we've been doing studies on Christmas. From the commercial aspect to the religious aspect. From books like The Nutcracker Ballet by Vladimir Vagin to Spirit Child: A Story of the Nativity which was translated from the Aztec by John Bierhorst.

The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey was a wonderful story. It was heartbreaking and heartwarming all at the same time. We watched as Jonathan went from grumbling and groaning when the widow knocked on his door with her son in tow to him jumping at the sound of the knock and being excited to see them both. We watched his heard heart melt and begin to heal the more time he spends with the two of them and we find that he's not necessarily "Mr. Gloomy" at all. That there is real pain in his life that he just can't seem to get past. At least not in the beginning.

I loved reading this. To both of my girls. And I definitely suggest it for anyone else looking for something wonderful to read to your kids.

Teaser Tuesday #28

Thank you to MizB of Should Be Reading for giving us Teaser Tuesday every week! 
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!

This week's teaser comes from...

Wait...

This week's teaser is a MYSTERY teaser. :-)

Haha.

Once more she found herself in the long hall, and close to the little glass table. "Now I'll manage better this time," she said to herself, and began by taking the little golden key, and unlocking the door that led into the garden. p 50

And JUST incase you need another one...

And she went on planning to herself how she would manage it. "The must go by carrier," she thought; "and how funny it'll seem, sending presents to one's own feet! And how odd the directions will look!" p7

Any guesses?

;-)

Covers Around the World - Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

Honestly, I don't know why it took me as long as it has to do this one. I never even thought to look up other covers for Twilight by Stephenie Meyer.

So here you go. :-) There are some interesting ones.

English language edition

German Edition

English language edition (she looks super weird)


English language edition (I like the black better)

Russian Edition


French Edition (interesting title change)


Thai Edition


English language edition (this is the one I own, I started the series wicked late)

Czech Edition

Korean Edition

I think the Thai edition is my favorite out of the lot. What do you guys think?

Merry Christmas

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas.

In My Mailbox #25

Thanks to Kristi, The Story Siren, for hosting IMM every week.

This week I'm doing mine on Saturday instead of Sunday, since tomorrow is Christmas.

I got another book I'm looking forward to reading from R.G. Bullet called The 58th Keeper. I absolutely LOVED The Caldecott Chronicles Excerpt No. 1, so I definitely have high hopes for this one as well!

The 58th Keeper is the story of a boy called Archy Bass, who stumbles upon a mysterious and powerful relic. The moment he touches it, two warring forces race to find his whereabouts. One side thinks he’s simply too young and too inexperienced to keep it, and the other just want him dead. Hold on to your seats! The 58th Keeper is a roaring trip that takes the reader on the most wonderful and hair-raising scenes imaginable. R. G. Bullet pulls out all stops in his debut novel to deliver an incredible journey with unforgettable characters. This book will resonate with you for ages past the last line.

Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas!

Follow Friday #28

Follow Friday is hosted every week by Parajunkee & Alison Can Read.

Originally, I had a different post ready for this. I was supposed to be skiing and tubing and having all kinds of fun tomorrow at a resort a few hours away.

Obviously, I am not there. Want to know why?

No snow.

Hard to make snow when it's 65 degrees every day. :-X

So on with our regularly scheduled programming.

Q: If you had to spend eternity inside the pages of a book which book would you choose and why?

A. The first book that popped into my head was definitely Pride & Prejudice. The manners, the romance, the landscape. Families were close then. Cared about each other. The second book that popped in to my head IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING Pride & Prejudice was Harry Potter. For obvious reasons. I'd only want to be there if I got to go to Hogwarts though. I couldn't be a muggle. Or a squib. No thank you.

How about you?

Daring You to Read - Humanity Scar by Monique Doucette

Daring You to Read is hosted every week by Tynga over at Tynga's Reviews.

This week I'm daring you to read Humanity Scar: Last Words (Journal One) by Monique Doucette (was released in March for Kindle, is being re-released in paperback!).

Meet Kathryn (Kat) Lacey: a survivor, believer, leader, and slayer of zombies. Faced with overwhelming danger, she tells her story as she fights to stay alive. Her adventure takes place during the tumultuous time following the outbreak of a deadly virus that reanimates its victims. However, there is more to tell within the pages of her journal than a simple account of ravenous corpses.

After everything has been stripped raw, what is left at the core of her existence? What remains when the flesh is torn away? Can it really be boiled down to good and evil, life and death?

Perhaps there is more to the story, something hidden beneath the scar tissue of the human race. I invite you to share this journey with Kat, who is just like you and I: she fights, cries, makes mistakes, and celebrates victories.

This is not your average zombie story. This is a first person account of a survivor battling against all odds. Kat is a woman who is discovering what she is made of and what she truly believes in. She fights to save what is precious to her and protects what she holds dear. This is a story about choosing to become a hero and not looking back.

That's right. Zombies. Like the one over to the right of the page here. (If you all watch The Walking Dead you know who that is ;-) And if you know anything about me, you know how much I love Daryl!)

Anyways, this story falls along the same lines as that television show up there. Zombies aren't boyfriend material. They're not "people" with dreams and aspirations anymore. They don't have hopes for the future. They are mindless shells of what used to be people. And they aren't just partial to brains. They'll take any piece of you. It's an honest to goodness zombie apocalypse. And Kat is struggling to survive through it.

If you want to get an up close and personal look at the world after the zombie apocalypse, you can go to the Humanity Scar website and check it out. It's an online RPG where you post as a survivor yourself. If you're not sure whether or not you want to BE a survivor yet, you can also just sit back and read as an observer of the forum. Get a feel for it. It's a lot of fun and it's really easy to do.

So that's it. I dare you to read it.

How to participate in DYTR

- You choose a book you’ve read, loved and would dare your readers to read!
- The book you choose must be an older release (at least 6 months ago), because let’s be honest, we’re all quite aware of the latest releases.
- Write your own blog post, using the button and linking back to Tynga’s Reviews, inviting your readers to read your chosen book.
- Come back on Tynga’s Reviews and put your link in the linking tool.
- Browse other bloggers Dare and let them know if you’ve read their featured book, or plan on reading it.
- Super easy and an awesome way to discover that special book who might have slipped off your radar!

Book Trailer - Fire by Kristin Cashore

I posted one of these for Graceling, by Kristin Cashore, a while back, thought I'd post one for Fire too. Yes, I know Fire came out a while ago, but I've just been searching book trailers on youtube and found this one. :-P

Homeschool Reading Corner: The Goat in the Rug by Charles L. Blood & Martin Link

I said in a previous HRC post about how my oldest and I were studying the Native American's and the Pilgrims around Thanksgiving time, but how we learned about them separately because of historical inaccuracies.

The Goat in the Rug by Charles L. Blood & Martin Link (illustrated by Nancy Winslow Parker) was a great book to read. It's told to us from the perspective of Geraldine, a goat. She details the process she and her friend, a Navajo weaver named Glenmae, go through to produce a special one of a kind rug.

First of all, I loved how the goat was the "author". And how she actively participated in the weaving process with Glenmae. It was good for my daughter to read because it showed her the value of different kinds of friendships, and how even the most unlikely "person" can play a big part in creating something unique and beautiful.

After reading this book it inspired us to do some research on the Navajo tribe. We learned a few words in the Navajo language, we looked in to how they create some of their pottery and dolls. We discussed the different types of housing and what the function of the different members of the tribe were. Hundreds of years ago as wel as today.

Again, it was a fun read and the illustrations were simple and cute. Very vibrant and colorful. I also enjoyed the picture glossary in the back that showed the supplies Glenmae used and gave what their purpose was.

I also liked it because it was a true story of a Navajo weaver who lived in the Navajo Nation at Window Rock, Arizona. They were able to take a real persons events and make them relatable to children. It was a great tool for learning and I loved it.

Goodreads Blurb:

Geraldine is a goat, and Glenmae, a Navajo weaver. One day, Glenmae decides to weave Geraldine into a rug. First Geraldine is clipped. Then her wool is spun into fine, strong yarn. Finally, Glenmae weaves the wool on her loom. They reader learns, along with Geraldine, about the care and pride involved in the weaving of a Navajo rug -- and about cooperation between friends.

Movie Trailer - The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

So what do you guys think? I kind of wish the release wasn't so far away, but I'm looking forward to seeing it! It's been such a long time since LOTR was "new". I can't wait to see Middle Earth again.

Definitely different than this trailer though (fan made for a school project I believe, and the video's wicked blurry (sorry)).

Review - The Caldecott Chronicles No. 1 by R.G. Bullet

I received this copy of The Caldecott Chronicles: Excerpt No. 1 by R.G. Bullet in exchange for an honest review. And I've got to tell you... honestly? I loved it.

It's a short story so it was a quick read but it was wicked fun and funny throughout the entire book. Aldersley Radclyffe (32nd Earl of Rothshire) is in a gruesome situation but still manages to keep his wits and sarcastic humour about him, and it was just fantastic to read through his letters to his son.

He takes us on his journey to find ammunition after his drunken and lame brother wastes it all shooting through the roof and on the way we get to see him... dispatch... of the "obstacles" he comes across with all the grace and dignity that he can muster. He even finds a few surprises while he's out. One that turns out to be a blessing in disguise.

The story is set just before the turn of the 20th century so the language is a tad bit more sophisticated but it flows well just makes it that much more interesting to read and it was pretty comical given the circumstances of the story.

That was the end of Mrs. Aldeshot - do you remember her? She's been up to the house many a time for Christmas  carols. She was a wonderful mezzo soprano. 'C' all the way up to an 'A'. However, I'm pretty sure she hit a rare 'high A' near her demise.

Not once is the word ZOMBIE mentioned in the book, but boy are they everywhere. The illustrations give us a peek at just how gross and mangled some of them are. I will say, I wish there'd been more illustrations, but I think that's the only issue that I had with the whole thing.

Definitely pick this up if you're looking for something fun to read. It's quick and it'll make you laugh the entire time. Of course there are some parts that'll have you worried, but would it be a good book about zombies if there weren't some nailbiting parts?

Probably, but they make it that much better!

You can visit his website to find out more about the series and also enter to win a Kindle Touch or a Nook Simple Touch! And to keep up with him follow him on Twitter or on Facebook!

Teaser Tuesday #27

Thank you to MizB of Should Be Reading for giving us Teaser Tuesday every week!

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!

This week's teaser comes from The Caldecott Chronicles #1 by RG Bullet.

Note: there's always a risk of getting infected in such close quarters. I didn't want that slime anywhere near me, so I covered my face with my kerchief, put on the ear muffs and stood ready. In the Boer War they used to say, "Wait till you see the whites of their eyes afore you fire," but with these undead, it's wait for the green or yellow of their eyes... or eye. p 48

You can read my review for this one here! Go check it out!

Can't wait to see ya'lls teasers! Happy Tuesday!

Review - Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce

Once I really got in to Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce I couldn't put it down. It took me a while because I've been busy lately and hadn't really gotten a chance to sit down with it, but I'd always enjoyed it when I picked it up.

I must say it was a nice departure from the "Oh my gosh he's a werewolf? That's so hot!" that I've read before. Now, before you say anything... I LOVE Cole from The Wolves of Mercy Falls series by Maggie Stiefvater and I've swooned over Jacob from the Twilight Saga on more than one occasion. I have no problem with THAT kind of werewolf. It just nice to remember that originally, werewolves were bad guys. Hehe.

I liked the fact that Rosie's and Silas's relationship took so long to develop. It didn't seem forced that way. It had me wondering right along with her if he was really just trying to be friendly and she was reading too much into it or if there actually was something there.

Once Scarlett discovered the romance, she kind of started to irritate me. Acting like everyone owed her something. She was really selfish. Everyone had to feel the way she felt about what she was doing. No one was allowed to have a life. Heck, Rosie was SCARED to tell her that she'd been taking community classes. Seriously?

Ok, I get that she was totally wicked heroic at the beginning, saving Rosie's life and risking her own in the process. I get that she's scarred now (literally and figuratively). I get the emotional issues. But to lord it over her for the rest of her life in order to get her to do what you want instead of doing what's best for HER? Selfish. :-\

Maybe that's heartless of me. I just don't agree with making someone pay for something over and over and over and over.

I loved the book. I really did. Despite the selfishness and all that. I think it was phenomenal. It totally grabbed me and wouldn't let me go every time I picked it up. I highly recommend it as a read for everyone.

Covers Around The World - Legacy by Cayla Kluver

This week it's one of my favorites. Legacy by Cayla Kluver (you can read my review here).

In an award-winning YA fantasy debut, 16-year-old novelist Cayla Kluver brings a magical touch to an unrelentingly suspenseful coming-of-age tale. Duty-bound to wed her father's choice in successor to the throne, Princess Alera of Hytanica believes that she is being forced into the worst of all possible fates' a marriage to the arrogant and hot-tempered suitor, Steldor. When a mysterious boy from enemy Cokyri appears bearing secrets and an entirely different view of what's appropriate behavior for a young lady, Alera learns that her private desires threaten to destroy the kingdom. When Narian's shocking past comes to light, Alera finds herself in a shadowy world of palace intrigue and ancient blood feuds, facing an uncertain future with dwindling options - and must learn to decide between right and wrong all alone. Marked by witty, rapid-fire dialogue and dramatic complexity that belie the writer's age, Legacy brings a fresh, new sensibility to age-old questions of duty and inheritance and to a young's heroine's quest to find her true voice.    

This ^ is the cover on the re-release of the story. I like the design for the title, but I think this makes Alera look too old and too modern.

Another earlier US cover.

German cover

I love love LOVE the font they've used for the title.

Portuguese cover

I love the red on this one.

Spanish e-book edition

Italian cover (I think)

Dutch cover

Hungarian cover

Lots of really great covers. Which one's your favorite?

In My Mailbox # 24

Thanks to Kristi The Story Siren for hosting In My Mailbox every week.

This week for review I got:

The Caldecott Chronicles #1 by RG Bullet

Although the word zombie is never used in the Caldecott Chronicles the undead, the ungodly, the beef squad, and stumblers certainly are. The bizarre and gruesome details are narrated in a journal by a very Aristocratic British gent. Get a first hand look on how the Victorian upper class deal with stumbling trespassers and see how one draws ones inspiration from a teenage girl born to kill.

What did you get this week?

*Edit*

I just went out to my mailbox (against my better judgement because it's midnight and below freezing) and found a wicked cool surprise!!

Tears of the Broken by A.M. Hudson! I'm excited! It's beautiful!

When you love someone, there's nothing you wouldn't forgive.

But what about murder?

Ara-Rose will learn that life is fashioned from one tragedy after the next, and that sometimes, the truth people hide from you is nothing you could have imagined.

But Ara has secrets of her own, and she's willing to take them to her grave--a place David Knight will fight to keep her from.

Review - Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers

California's gold country, 1850. A time when men sold their souls for a bag of gold and women sold their bodies for a place to sleep.

Angel expects nothing from men but betrayal. Sold into prostitution as a child, she survives by keeping her hatred alive. And what she hates most are the men who use her, leaving her empty and dead inside.

Then she meets Michael Hosea. A man who seeks his Father's heart in everything, Michael obeys God's call to marry Angel and to love her unconditionally. Slowly, day by day, he defies Angel's every bitter expectation, until despite her resistance, her frozen heart begins to thaw.

But with her unexpected softening come overwhelming feelings of unworthiness and fear. And so Angel runs. Back to the darkness, away from her husband's pursuing love, terrified of the truth she no longer can deny: Her final healing must come from the One who loves her even more than Michael does...the One who will never let her go.

A powerful retelling of the book of Hosea, Redeeming Love is a life-changing story of God's unconditional, redemptive, all consuming love.

I read Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers back in 2008. But I think it deserves a review.

Angel is beautiful. The type of woman that any man would consider himself lucky to have known. But Angel is a prostitute. And has been since she was very young - and named Sarah - thanks to the death of her mother.

When Michael Hosea is in town for supplies he sees Angel walking around with her body guard. Michael feels God telling him that Angel is the woman that he's supposed to marry. But Angel is angry and has zero self confidence despite her beauty. She's damaged and broken and can't even fathom someone loving her without strings attached.

But that's just what Michael does.

And Angel runs.

More than once. It makes me want to walk up to her and slap her and shout "WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM!" Well, her problem is she doesn't feel like she deserves a man like Michael. Someone who loves her despite her past and occupation.

This story is a retelling of the story of Gomer and Hosea. And it's a wonderful romance novel full of compassion and the ups and downs of love. It's a great story of hope and redemption and God's unfailing love.

Being that Angel is of questionable past, there may be sections that aren't really suitable for... younger readers... but other than that I recommend this book to anyone. Christian fiction fans or not.

Follow Friday #27

Follow Friday is hosted every week by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.

This weeks question:

Q: When you’ve read a book, what do you do with it? (Keep it, give it away, donate it, sell it, swap it..?)

A. Heck NO I don't give them away. Or donate them. Or swap them. NOOO way. I keep every book I buy (unless of course I move and the boxes full of my books get lost ::cries::). And they go right up on my bookshelves. Yessiree. Sometimes I let people borrow my books, but I always try to make sure I get them back. I can't part with them.

I definitely agree with Parajunkee, if there was a show about book hoarders I would totally be on it.

What about you guys?

NEW Hunger Games Movie Poster

It's so awesome. I saw it on The Hob and wanted to share it with you all incase you hadn't seen it yet.

Drumroll please.

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Daring You to Read - The Silver Sword by Angela Elwell Hunt

Daring You to Read is hosted by Tynga over at Tynga's Reviews.

This week I'm daring you to read The Silver Sword by Angela Elwell Hunt.

The auburned-haired O'Connor women share a bond far deeper than their striking physical appearance. These courageous, high-spirited women all push against societal limits in this exciting historical, romantic novel that spans generations and countries from 13th-century Ireland to the excitement and mystery of 15th-century Prague.

It is said that as Cahira, daughter of the great Irish king Rory O'Connor, lay dying of a wound from a Norman blade, she beseeched God that others would follow her calling. To Kathleen O'Connor, Cahira's story was nothing more than a fable--until research divulged that the tale was true. As a stunned Kathleen realizes that she herself bears the mark of Cahira, she wonders if she is destined to continue the legacy.

To uncover the answers, Kathleen delves into the past to find the truth about the Heirs of Cahira O'Connor. It is a journey that carries her across generations, from the battlefields of 13th-century Ireland to the castles of 15th-century Prague. It is a past filled with peril, courage, vengeance, love, and sacrifice beyond anything she has ever known.

This is a Christian Historical Fiction novel, and a great one to read. And in a way, it resembles the first novel in the Song of the Lioness series, Alanna. Anika's father is killed and she seeks revenge against the man who's killed him. It's a tale of vengeance, romance, surprise and encouragement.

I dare you to read it.

How to participate in DYTR

- You choose a book you’ve read, loved and would dare your readers to read!
- The book you choose must be an older release (at least 6 months ago), because let’s be honest, we’re all quite aware of the latest releases.
- Write your own blog post, using the button and linking back to Tynga’s Reviews, inviting your readers to read your chosen book.
- Come back on Tynga’s Reviews and put your link in the linking tool.
- Browse other bloggers Dare and let them know if you’ve read their featured book, or plan on reading it.
- Super easy and an awesome way to discover that special book who might have slipped off your radar!

Giveaway WINNER - Experience by Meg Kerr

And we have a winner!

The copy of Experience by Meg Kerr goes to lucky comment number...















Comment numba 5. And that comment belongs to.....

Congratulations Randi! I've emailed you for your mailing address. Please respond within 72 hours so I can send your information to the publisher!

Homeschool Reading Corner: What Really Happened to the Dinosaurs? by John Morris and Ken Ham

Also read during our dinosaur unit study was What Really Happened to the Dinosaurs by John Morris and Ken Ham (illustrated by Jonathan Chong). It was so much fun to read and was great because the unit study was creation based.

It follows Tracker John, a paleontologist from the Institute for Creation Research, and Dino Jr, or DJ for short, on their quest to find out what happened to the dinosaurs. From their beginning straight through to their possible endings.

It explains to the reader what a dinosaur is, when the first ones were found, where they lived. The illustrations were beautiful and the book was entertaining and fun for my daughters (yes, the little one listened to this too) to read through with me.

It brings us through the flood in Noah's day as well as what might have happened to them after the waters receded. That led to a more in depth discussion on Noah's ark which led to an internet search and pictures of where some believe the ark was found in Turkey. Again, reading this book I came across things that I never learned while I was in school. It's great to learn along with Alanna. Proves that even the teacher can be the student.

Goodreads Blurb:

This exciting new adventure will take you through the Garden of Eden and Noah's Ark to discover what really happened to God's magnificent creatures The Dinosaurs!

Review - No Place Like Home by Mary Higgins Clark

Thanks to my dad, again, for supplying me with something to read a few months ago when I had nothing.

No Place Like Home by Mary Higgins Clark was definitely a suspenseful and exciting read with an amazing twist at the end.

In a riveting thriller from the #1 bestselling Queen of Suspense, a young woman is ensnared into returning to the childhood home she wanted to leave behind forever -- and where her hidden past emerges with a new and deadly twist.

Ten-year-old Liza Barton shoots her mother while trying to protect her from her violent husband -- Liza's stepfather. While the death is ruled accidental, the tabloids still compare Liza to the child murderess Lizzie Borden.

Liza's adoptive parents change her name to Celia and try to erase all traces of her past. Widowed after a brief marriage in which she had a son, Jack, she remarries a young lawyer. Celia is happy until, on her birthday, he presents her with a gift -- the house where she killed her mother. On moving in, they find the words LITTLE LIZZIE'S PLACE - BEWARE painted in red letters on the lawn. When the real estate agent who sold the house to her husband is murdered, she becomes a suspect. As she struggles to prove her innocence, Celia and her little son are being stalked by the killer.

Seriously, how could you not want to read it after that?

We go through the process of moving back into Celia's, er, Liza's... whatever you want to call her for now... childhood home with her. Her apprehension and nerves and fear grow right along with your own. When she becomes a suspect in the murder of the real estate agent you want to roll your eyes and shake the people who are accusing her.

She struggles to prove her complete and total innocence in the death of her mother. Tries to find a way to prove that she was trying to defend her, not kill her. That she had actually been aiming for her stepfather, Ted Cartwright, who had, for whatever reason, not been entirely welcome in the house the night her mother died. Think she succeeds?

I switched to the other call as Alex started out the back door. He must have heard me gasp, because he turned quickly, but then I hung up the phone. "The beginning of a sales pitch," I lied. What I had heard was a husky voice, obviously disguised, whispering "May I speak to Little Lizzie, please?"

This was the first Mary Higgins Clark novel that I'd ever read. I tell you, I was not disappointed. It was suspenseful, frustrating, and thrilling all at the same time. The kind of story where you literally find yourself biting your nails as you read. Or at least I did.

If you like mystery and suspense I definitely recommend No Place Like Home as a book for you. Like I said, I hadn't a lot of other options at the time as far as books went at that point in time, so reading this was taking a step out of the general norm for me (I have read others like this, but I don't usually as a rule), but I was glad that I did.

It was published back in 2008 so if you're interested in it you can probably find it in your local library!

Teaser Tuesday #26

Thank you to MizB of Should Be Reading for giving us Teaser Tuesday every week!

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!

This week's teaser comes from my current read Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce.

It was him, the salesman, but it was also... not. He still had shiny blond hair, but now it was speckled across his body like patches of disease. His eyes were enormous and hollow, his mouth twisted and stretched as if his face had been pulled apart at the corners, revealing rows of long, pointed fangs. p 7

I'm loving it so far! Haven't been able to read a lot, but what little I have read is AWESOME!

December RAK

I have not had much luck with RAK so far, but I figured it couldn't hurt to post it for this month. I think the last time I did was back in August. So who knows! :-P

Rules from the Book Soulmates website:

• Sign up each month you'd like to participate in.
• Show off your participation! Grab one of the buttons available :)
• Create a wishlist and post it in the Google Doc located in each R.A.K post for the month.
{Post on your blog, Amazon, where ever as long as there's a link to it.}
• If you choose to do a R.A.K for someone, check out their wishlist and contact that blogger for their address.
• At the end of the month, SHOW US YOUR R.A.K!
{Make a post saying 'Thank You' to whoever granted one of your wishes :)

OPEN TO EVERYONE!

Lets's keep our International bloggers in mind and in our hearts.
Remember, there's always the Book Depository and they offer FREE shipping!

My RAK list for December:

• Tiger's Curse - Colleen Houck
• Tiger's Quest - Colleen Houck
• Luthiel's Song: War of Mists - Robert Fanney
• Wolfsbane - Andrea Cremer
• Iron King - Julie Kagawa
• Iron Daughter - Julie Kagawa
• Iron Queen - Julie Kagawa
• Iron Knight - Julie Kagawa
• Everdark - Elle Jasper
• Forever - Maggie Stiefvater
• Scorpio Races - Maggie Stiefvater
• The Girl in the Steel Corset - Kady Cross
• Wrapped - Jennifer Bradbury
• My Life as a White Trash Zombie - Diana Rowland
• The Iron Witch - Karen Mahoney
• Entwined - Heather Dixon
• The Noble Pirates - Rima Jean 
• The Water Wars - Cameron Stracher
• A Touch Mortal - Leah Clifford
• Ink Death - Cornelia Funke
• Devoted - Hilary Duff
• Everdark - Elle Jasper
• Eye of the Tempest - Nicole Peeler
• Sweetly - Jackson Pearce
• So Silver Bright - Lisa Mantchev
• Tiger's Voyage - Colleen Houck
• Silence - Becca Fitzpatrick
• Passion - Lauren Kate
• Crossed - Ally Condie
• I Am Number Four - Pittacus Lore
• A Touch Mortal - Leah Clifford
• Luminous - Dawn Metcalf
• The Girl of Fire and Thorns - Rae Carson
• The Poison Diaries - Maryrose Wood
• Leviathan - Scott Westerfield
• Behemoth - Scott Westerfield
• Goliath - Scott Westerfield
• I Am Legend - Richard Matheson

That's my list for now! Nothing has to be new! I love ARCS, used/dogeared/torn/worn books. As long as the pages are all where they're supposed to be and nothing is missing! I'm an equal opportunity book lover! And I will love you forever if you send me something!!

Giveaway Winners - Tears of the Broken by A.M. Hudson

Yay! So my first giveaway is OVER. And we have TWO winners who are extremely lucky and get a signed copy of Tears of the Broken by A.M. Hudson.

I just want to say thank you to everyone who did enter! I know you guys won't be disappointed in the book. It's great!

Winners were chosen randomly using one of  those number generator thingies. I counted the number of comments and used that as my guide... er... whatever. I told you I'm bad at that part.

And again, there are TWO different winners.

So without further ado....

And here are the winning comments (I will be messaging you ladies for your information!)

Congratulations! Once I get in touch with you, you have 72 hours to email me with your mailing address so your prize can be sent to you!