Saturday, March 31, 2018

Book Photo Sundays #72: April 1, 2018



Hello everyone! Welcome to "Book Photo Sundays" where you get the chance to showcase photos of your books, bookshelves and book conventions you have gone to!  The goal of this book meme is to basically just post up a photo of the various books you have read or your book hauls on your blog and link back here so that way everyone can check out your wonderful book photos!  You can get your book photos through your Instagram, Tumblr, Twitter, Iphone or any other account where you can get your photos!



#bookphotosundays




So let's get started!

Also, this will be tied into the April Book Photo Sundays Bookstagram Challenge over at Instagram, so please feel free to check it out!



Here are my two book photos of the week! So, for the first photo, I have taken pictures of the most recent Marissa Meyer books which are "Heartless" and "Renegades" and I can't wait to read both of these books!  The second photo is of my two funko pops (Batman and Nightwing) standing in front of a wall of books (which I have been wanting to do ever since I started Instagram)!





Cover Spotlight #7: April 1st, 2018 - April 8th, 2018



Hey everyone!  I just created a new book meme called "Cover Spotlight" where you get to showcase your favorite book covers!  It can be a book cover from a book you've read years ago, a book cover from a book you just recently read or a book cover from a book that you've never read before, but you still love the cover!  You can also feature multiple book covers instead of one for this meme! This is a weekly meme, which means that the meme starts every Sunday, but you have until the Sunday after that week to post your favorite covers!

To tweet your posts, use this hashtag here:




#coverspotlight








I have always loved the cover to this book and hopefully, I'll be able to read this book someday!

[BOOK REVIEW] More Spaghetti, I Say! by Rita Golden Gelman






Title:  More Spaghetti, I Say!

Author:  Rita Golden Gelman

Artist:  Jack Kent

Genre:  Animals / Humor / Food / Friendship

Year Published: 1977

Year Read:  1990 (Re Read: 2018)

Publisher:  Scholastic Inc.


Source:  Purchased

Content Rating:  Ages 4+  (Nothing Objectionable)

Buy on:  Amazon  //  Book Depository 





This is yet another special review where I review one of my most favorite books from my childhood in rhyme, since this particular children’s book is told in a rhyme!

There were two monkeys named Minnie and Freddy,   
Freddy wanted to play, all excited and ready.
But all Minnie wanted was her precious SPAGHETTI,
She wanted that spaghetti more than she wanted to play with Freddy.
More Spaghetti, I say, said Minnie, all happy,
Although Freddy was thinking this was getting too sappy.
With that spaghetti, Minnie did all kinds of things,
Including putting spaghetti on pancakes and ice cream, Minnie sings.
Can Freddy get Minnie off her spaghetti fever?
Read this book just to see her!                                                                                          


Rita Golden Gelman’s writing was just so fun!
I could read this book all day in the sun.
This book made me want to eat some more spaghetti,
If I could eat a thousand bowls of spaghetti, then I am ready!
Minnie and Freddy’s dialogue with each other was wacky and witty!
I wish I had a wacky friend like Minnie in the city!
Although I think it is weird to put spaghetti on everything,
Which just goes to show how wacky this book really is, I sing.
Jack Kent’s artwork is such a delight to see!
All the characters are as cute as can be!
I love the images of spaghetti everywhere,
It really features the prominence of spaghetti in the air!


So overall, “More Spaghetti, I Say!” was such a joy to read!
It is definitely a fantastic book with these words that I heed.
Children everywhere will definitely love the wackiness of this book,
For children ages four and up, it is definitely worth a look!


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Stacking the Shelves #47: March 31, 2018





Stacking The Shelves is a book meme created by Tynga's Reviews and Reading Reality and it is about sharing books that you are adding to your shelves, whether it's physical or virtual.  This means including books that you bought from the store or online, books you borrowed from friends or from the library, books you've reviewed, gifts and ebooks!

Hey everyone! I did a bit more shopping with some books and I finally got John Green's acclaimed book "Turtles All the Way Down!"  I can't wait to read this book!  Also, I can't believe it's the end of March already!  It seems like this month just went by so fast!  I hope everyone has a good Easter this weekend!
 



Books Bought:



From Wal-Mart:










Book Received:



From NetGalley:






Thursday, March 29, 2018

Guest Post: 10 Reasons Why Books Make Us Better by Melisa Marzett (@_customwriting)







Reading books has plenty of benefits being a simple leisure. However, most people disregard this type of activity despite all the benefits. It also prevents older people to have senile dementia influencing brain and its activity. Besides this feature, it also improves imagination and critical thinking.

The book is a universal way to share experiences of the previous generation to the ones to come. Moreover, in such a way parents can share knowledge with their children and teach them to love books since after school or university people usually give up reading since there is no need to do it anymore.

Parents who prefer reading books of this or that genre of literature will be able to help their children do their homework without recourse to a tutor. Reading mothers and fathers set a good example for the younger generation because children tend to copy the behavior of adults.

Studying

It is a scientific fact that people who read a lot memorize information better and faster comparing with those who don’t read at all. Having received new information, our brain immediately starts processing it. In the course of reading, people usually, agree or disagree with the statements, get surprised or upset or feel sympathy towards main characters. Thus, our brain gets used to the fast and effective process of unknown information and every time new information will appear, our brain will quickly process it extracting only necessary one.

Imagination

Imagination might seem unimportant skills and even useless but it is true even if your future profession is not connected with it. People subconsciously absorb other authors’ stylistic devices and his or her style in general. Thus, this knowledge can be used to create something new by means of changing or combining different styles and when the time comes, one can easily use imaginations skills to create something new and original.

Communication

Unfortunately, books are unable to substitute communication with a real person but it can prepare for it. Moreover, it will be much easier if this conversation will be dedicated to the recently read book. It is much better to speak to people who know at least something you like, especially if it concerns favorite books. It is a good opportunity to talk about favorite novels, discuss them, share your point of view, consider other ones, and spend time with pleasure surrounded by people who really like literature as well as you do.

Oratory skills

It is better to start with a statement that orator speech should be mastered on the basis of certain books dedicated to this topic. However, it is only basic knowledge to continue practicing. However, without broad active vocabulary, one won't be able to succeed in communication. That's why reading is so important for people who are eager to master this skill. As a rule, we don't even notice memorizing of words and constructions reading a book but once we need this information, it will appear in our minds. That's how long-term memory and reading is the best way to train it. Unlike short-term memory, all the information will be kept in the brain waiting for the moment to shine.

Other advantages

Most of the advantages are connected with communication. Besides well-developed oral skills and huge active vocabulary, those who read a lot can cite famous writers and philosophers and impress all the collocutors. Thus, all the friends and relatives can find out something interesting speaking to you. This activity is also rather favorable for the memory both long-term and short-term ones since most of the reading material is memorized subconsciously, let alone improvement of imagination, critical thinking etc.

Good way to relax

Reading is a perfect leisure for those who like silence rather than noisy places. It is actually difficult to relax since most of the time people spend at the computer and have problems with sleep like insomnia due to the brain overloading. Simply, our brain can't be turned off. That's why it is better to read at least fifteen pages and go to bed. However, excessive reading in the evening might also cause similar problems so it is better to read in the morning or anytime throughout the day.

Audiobooks are also a good option but they have a much less positive impact on our brain since only aural memory works. Visual memory also should be involved to benefit from reading.

Books vs Movies

On one hand, each book-lover would like to see a favorite book on the screen with all the characters alive. On the other hand, most people disagree with this statement being disappointed by the work done. The writers do their best to create a perfect world on a sheet of paper to enliven all the charters and magical places limited only by our imagination. Thus, it is a great responsibility and hard challenge for the director. Despite the multiple attempts most of the books were poorly filmed. A great example of such poor direction is Atlas Shrugged released in 2011. This series of novels is of the greatest works in the world of literature and the best novels of Ayn Rand. Unfortunately, director and the whole crew could not implement original ideas of the author and as the result; this movie appeared to be a disappointment for the fans of Rand's novels. Despite multiple unsuccessful attempts, we can single out such movies like “Lord of the rings”, “The Great Gatsby”, “One flew over the cuckoo’s nest" proved to be the worthy cinematographic equivalents of the famous novels. The key factors are experience director who actually likes a book that soon will become a movie, good actors, and professional stuff.



About the author: The author’s name is Melisa Marzett and she knows the importance of reading like nobody else. This article is actually intended to show people how many benefits they might have a reading at least an hour a day. Moreover, this hobby really helps her at work. She is a freelance writer working on Essay Rewriters from smartessayrewriter.com for many years delivering high-quality papers on different topics

Wednesday, March 28, 2018

Waiting on Wednesday #83: Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young




Hello everyone! "Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, that is hosted by Breaking the Spine and the purpose of this event is that we spotlight upcoming releases of books that we are excited for!  This will also tie into Wishful Ending's Can't Wait Wednesday post!







This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:






Title:  Sky in the Deep
Author:  Adrienne Young
Expected Publication Date:  April 24th, 2018



OND ELDR. BREATHE FIRE.

Raised to be a warrior, seventeen-year-old Eelyn fights alongside her Aska clansmen in an ancient rivalry against the Riki clan. Her life is brutal but simple: fight and survive. Until the day she sees the impossible on the battlefield—her brother, fighting with the enemy—the brother she watched die five years ago.

Faced with her brother's betrayal, she must survive the winter in the mountains with the Riki, in a village where every neighbor is an enemy, every battle scar possibly one she delivered. But when the Riki village is raided by a ruthless clan thought to be a legend, Eelyn is even more desperate to get back to her beloved family.

She is given no choice but to trust Fiske, her brother’s friend, who sees her as a threat. They must do the impossible: unite the clans to fight together, or risk being slaughtered one by one. Driven by a love for her clan and her growing love for Fiske, Eelyn must confront her own definition of loyalty and family while daring to put her faith in the people she’s spent her life hating.
 



A kickbutt female protagonist who is trying to save her clan?  Sounds awesome!


So, what upcoming books are you looking forward to?  Please respond below!

Tuesday, March 27, 2018

Top Ten Tuesday #64: Top 10 Books That Take Place In Another Country


Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme that was formerly created at The Broke and the Bookish but has now moved to That Artsy Reader Girl. 


This week's top 10 Tuesday topic is "Top 10 Books That Takes Place in Another Country!"  I just LOVE reading books that take place in another country because 1) I'm a HUGE supporter for learning about other countries and 2) I get to experience a WHOLE NEW WORLD whenever I'm reading books that take place in another country (or if we want to go further, ANOTHER PLANET)!

So, here's my top 10 Books that Take Place in Another Country (in no particular order, of course)!



1.  The Deal of a Lifetime by Fredrik Backman (Sweden)








.

2.  The Duke and I by Julia Quinn (Britain)







3. The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman (Britain)







4. Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman (Britain)








5.  Wicked Intentions by Elizabeth Hoyt (Britain)








6. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor (Czech Republic)






7.  The Pleasure of Your Kiss by Teresa Medeiros (Morocco) 






7.  Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning (Ireland) 












9. The Bride by Julie Garwood (Scotland) 







10. The Storyteller by Antonia Michaelis (Germany)