Danny by Gwendal Le Bec and Yann Le Bec

 Danny the potbellied hippopotamus lived happily in his swampy marsh. On having his teeth cleaned in normal swamp fashion, Danny overhears a worrying conversation that sends him hurrying to find a dentist. And when Danny returns to the marshes, fully fitted with braces, he is the envy of one particular reptile whose gleaming whites lead to a disastrous fate for a city dentist.

    

 This book was just too cute. It portrays the importance of good dental hygiene as well as regularly visiting a dentist in a way that a child can understand it. It would be the perfect story to tell at bedtime or any other time that a child might be interested in hearing a story. The illustrations in the book are, for lack of a better term, ‘super cute.’ I really quite enjoyed this book, and I am sure many others would too. I give it a 5/5 stars.

[I received a free copy of this book on a read to review basis thanks to the Nobrow Ltd and Edelweiss.]

Blue Yodel by Ansel Elkins, Carl Phillips

I received a review copy of this book thanks to Netgalley and its publisher.
“Originated in 1919 to showcase the works of exceptional American poets under the age of forty, the Yale Series of Younger Poets prize is the oldest annual literary award presented in the United States. Ansel Elkins’s poetry collection, Blue Yodel, is the 109th volume to be so honored. Esteemed poet and competition judge Carl Phillips praises Elkins for her “arresting use of persona,” calling her poems “razor-edged in their intelligence, Southern Gothic in their sensibility.”

In her imaginative and haunting debut collection, Elkins introduces readers to a multitude of characters whose “otherness” has condemned them to live on the margins of society. She weaves blues, ballads, folklore, and storytelling into an intricate tapestry that depicts the violence, poverty, and loneliness of the Deep South, as well as the compassion, generosity, and hope that brings light to people in their darkest times. The blue yodel heard throughout this diverse compilation is a raw, primal, deeply felt expression of the human experience, calling on us to reach out to the isolated and disenfranchised and to find the humanity in every person.” –Goodreads
 
      After finishing the first poem, I felt something. I don’t know whether it was shock, joy, terror, or fright but it was something. I’ve only ever once had this happen to me. Poetry isn’t usually the kind of material I read, but this was something different. These poems told stories and those stories meant something. The words created vivid images in my mind that I can’t fully describe. A good lot of the poems had religious ties and that didn’t bother me, even though I am not religious. It wasn’t overly forward with the aspect of religion but rather incorporated the tales of it in a manner that can be enjoyed by anyone.
     However, a few of the poems lacked what I would call ‘the umph factor.’ They were just kind of there. This is why I am rating this book a 4/5 stars. It was a truly wonderful read and I would recommend it to anyone who has an interest in poetry or is just curious. I loved this book very much and am  urging people to read it because it is truly awe inspiring.

Gronk Volume 1 (Gronk #1) by Katie Cook

Gronk is a monster... and not a very good one.

Gronk tells the tale of a young monster who has turned her back on monsterdom (mostly because no one found her scary) and has become fascinated with humans.

She moves in with her human friend Dale and her pets Kitty and Harli, a 160 lb. Newfoundland Dale wants to declare as a dependent to the IRS.
I received this book from Netgalley.

 Alright, short review for a short book. This book was probably the cutest thing I've seen since they decided to add stickers to Facebook Messenger. This story  would be perfect at bedtime, or anytime really! I'm almost certain that almost any child would enjoy this book, no matter the age. 5/5 stars.

Spotlight Post

Delfia thought she was a normal girl about to turn sixteen until her adoptive parents are murdered by creatures from the underworld. Her life gets thrown into chaos as she teams up with her best friend, a strange guy, and a prophetess.

She soon discovers her biological father, Hades, ordered the attack on her and her family because a prophecy names her as the one to take him down. She must first complete a set of tasks to free Persephone, her mother, from the underworld and defeat Hades.

Will she be reunited with her mother or will she get sucked into the underworld?

*Book is geared towards readers that liked Percy Jackson Series, Need Series, Everneath, etc.*

     

 

 

Buy Links:

Amazon

 

Excerpt:

Mondays are the epitome of all evil. It's just a fact. Do you ever get those feelings deep in the pit of your stomach? The ones that make you feel all queasy and anxious? Well, that’s how I feel right now. I am standing at my locker at a way too early hour, and I am in Dragon Bitch mode; which is surprising because today is my birthday. Normally, I love my birthday. I officially turn 16 at 11:59 tonight, and instead of reveling in the excitement, am I staring at my locker without really seeing it. I just keep trying to figure out what’s causing this annoying pinch in my stomach. I jump when I hear the locker next to mine slam shut. Lyla. "Jeez, Lyla,” I huff. “How many times do I have to tell you not to do that? Now excuse me while I find a doctor to remove my heart from my nasal passage." I’m not in the mood for the early morning antics of Lyla Browning, even if she is my best friend. "Soooorrry, but it seems to be the only way to get your attention. I say 'Happy birthday, Dell' and what do you do? You ignore me and stare at your locker. What is up with you?" "Nothing, just a funny feeling." She eyes me for a minute, then shrugs her shoulders and in a matter-of-fact tone tells me, "It's probably PMS." “Yeah, maybe I dunno...” I trail off, the feeling still bugging me. I understand that she is trying to snap me out of it so I muster up some enthusiasm and sing, “Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me.” She perks up instantly, and before I can clamp my hand over her mouth she starts bellowing out “Happy Birthday” in the middle of the hall that is seriously starting to fill up. By the time she finishes, everyone is staring at us, and my face is burning red. “Aww come on, you love me and you know it,” she beams. I smile because I do love her. Lyla and I have been best friends since forever. We first met in kindergarten when this little twerp, Zach Moreno, decided to pull my hair, and she punched him square in the nose. We’ve been joined at the hip ever since then. “But hey, you should be thrilled you’re turning 16.” she nudges me in the ribs a little. “Yeah, I know, but my parents still won't let me get my permit till I’m 18.” “No offense, but your parents are a little...intense.” She says. “What do you mean by that?” I ask getting a bit defensive. “Well, it’s just that lately they seem to be taking your safety to the extreme. You can't have sleepovers anymore, a car or a life. I mean it’s sweet that they care, but I thought parents got more lenient the older you get.” She fidgets with her wavy blond hair, afraid that she has gone too far. The truth is she’s not wrong. My parents are great people, and I love them, but lately they have been too over-protective. When I ask them about it they just tell me, “the real world is full of dangers, kiddo.” and that’s the end of that conversation. “Yeah, I know, I’m sure that is just their way of showing me that they care.” “By the way, are we still on for binge night Friday?” She sees right through my attempts to change the subject. Binge night has been happening every Friday since the 6th grade. We start off at the roller rink and end up at my place with a large bag of cheddar popcorn, candy, and cokes. “Uh, duh.” She says rolling her eyes. She grabs her stuff out of her locker. “Come on, we have homeroom.” I turn to grab my bag out of my locker when the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. Everybody gets those feelings now and then, but it was so intense I had to shiver to shake it off. “Dude, what is your problem? Take a picture it lasts longer.” Lyla clicks her tongue, her usual reaction when something annoys her. I whirl around to see who she is talking to and meet the gray eyes of Alec Hales, who is staring at me intensely like he’s waiting for something to happen. He would be the hottest guy in school if he weren't so weird. He continues to stare at me unabashed. I can’t help but stare back. “Come on,” she grabs my arm. “This guy is freaking me out” She throws him the stink eye, and we head to class. I spend the rest of the morning stumbling through class in a daze worried about that creepy stare. I’ve never seen anything like it. What’s worse is that I’m pretty sure he’s the reason I had a chill that ranked 100 on the creep factor. OK, Dell get a grip, I tell myself as I walk into the cafeteria. I do my normal scan and Lyla’s waiting for me at our usual table in the corner of the room, trays in tow. We are not the least popular students, but we are definitely not a part of the in-crowd. Lyla could be, but she sticks with me. Aside from her slightly crooked nose, she is the picture perfect replica of a Barbie doll, with her blond hair, green eyes, and mile-long legs. You get the picture. Me, on the other hand, my height is OK, not too short or too tall, but my drab brown hair and beanpole body are nothing special. The only thing I have going for me is my clear blue eyes. Lyla always calls them hypnotic. “Ugggghhh,” she whines as she rolls her shoulders back and forth. “I think the teachers are secretly evil demons sent to torture teens with tests on Mondays. Seriously, who wants to take tests on Mondays?” “Who wants to take tests at all?” She throws a piece of lettuce at me. With a mouth full of food she asks, “What are your birthday plans?” “Dinner with the family.” “Same old, same old,” she laughs “maybe we can do something special for binge night like go shopping before the roller rink.” “Yeah, that would be...” I trail off instantly when I feel the same eerie feeling I had by my locker. I lean into Lyla and whisper, “Is Alec staring at me?” She lifts her head up, and I pull her down. “Can’t you be discreet?” I hiss. She subtly does a sweep of the cafeteria and relaxes, “Nope; nowhere in sight. Why do you ask?” “I just got this creepy feeling earlier and again just now. I thought maybe it was his intense stare earlier.” “Wow, I hope your weird doesn't rub off on me. Do you think it happens to everyone when they turn 16?” she jokes. I laugh half-heartedly unable to shake the strange feeling.  

                                  

 

                                                                  About the Author:

 M.J. Austin has always found the world of fantasy preferable to the real world. She channels this love of mystical worlds and creatures into her writing. She is an avid reader and proud bookworm. She has a Master's Degree in Project Management, but her true passion is writing. When she isn't working or writing she is diving into random projects as often as possible. She lives in Tennessee with three children, husband, and three dogs.  

                                 Stalk The Author Blog I Facebook I Goodreads I Amazon

Haunted by Lynn Carthage

Moving to my stepfather's English country mansion sounded so promising. But the Arnaud Manor is neglected and unwelcoming, and I get the feeling it isn't exactly uninhabited. Something wants to hurt us--especially my little sister, Tabby.

Okay, so I might be a little sensitive lately. My parents act oblivious to me, my old life is far away in San Francisco, and the gorgeous guy I just met tells me terrible stories about the infamous Madame Arnaud who lived here long ago, and about missing children and vengeful spirits. The kind of stories that are impossible to believe--until you're living in one of them, fighting to protect everyone you love...

I’m not going to hide the ugly truth with this one, I cried like a baby. I fell in love with the story from the very beginning and I felt like I could read without stopping until the very end. This book was just so different from what I’ve read in the past and it was nice to mix it up a bit.

The characters were very lovable, especially Miles. I loved his attitude towards things. He was a real go-getter so to say. Anyways, this book was almost flawlessly written, the story just flowed so naturally. It is one of those books that you would want to reread just to re-experience it.

In the end, this book is definitely worth the read and I recommend it to anyone that enjoys paranormal fiction or young adult fiction. I give this book a solid 5/5 stars.

An Angel Torched My Homework and Other Lies by Miche Sipes

Synopsis 

Carrie Philips just wants her junior year at Clement Academy to go smoothly. Sure, it’s the first high school in the nation to integrate Norms like her with the Differents. But the Diffs are just typical teenagers with “tiny” genetic anomalies. They’re not really vampires or werewolves or angels or zombies like you see in old movies. The Diffs just have special dietary needs and some unusual abilities. They’re certainly not dangerous or anything—at least that’s what Carrie has always believed, since her dad is a doctor of Different medicine.

But when several of her fellow students are mysteriously assaulted, cracks form in Carrie’s worldview. Cracks she tries to ignore while defending her friends from anti-Diff backlash and solving the mystery of who’s really behind the attacks. Meanwhile, she’s distracted by two criminally cute guys who both seem to like her (and hate each other). Then Carrie uncovers a bombshell that could forever change how Norms and Diffs see each other. So much for a quiet school year.

"What happens when you combine vampires, angels, werewolves and zombies with normal humans? Supernatural insanity! Miche Sipes has created a clever world, filled with lovable characters, unexpected plot twists and lots of humor. I loved this book. 5 stars!" --Lynda Hilburn, author of the Kismet Knight, Vampire Psychologist series

"A refreshing, hilarious blend of every paranormal creature under the sun (or moon), heavy on the fun and light on the angst!" -- Helen Keeble, author of Fang Girl and No Angel

AMAZON | 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Miche Sipes wrote her first play at the age of six and has been writing creatively ever since. Well, if you don’t count the occasional decade-long lapse. Miche has lived in Maryland and Florida, but now calls Colorado home. Whenever she’s not writing—or finding ingenious ways to procrastinate like ironing shoelaces or flossing her cat’s teeth—she can be found hiking in the mountains. Then again, there’s a good chance you won’t find her because she’s probably lost.

WEBSITE: http://michesipes.com/
TWITTER: @MicheSipes
GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7255398.Miche_Sipes
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/MicheSipes

INSTAGRAM: http://instagram.com/weirdcoloradan/

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Seeker by Arwen Elys Dayton

Quin Kincaid has been put through years of brutal training for what she thinks is the noble purpose of becoming a revered ‘Seeker’.

Only when it’s too late does she discover she will be using her new-found knowledge and training to become an assassin. Quin's new role will take her around the globe, from a remote estate in Scotland to a bustling, futuristic Hong Kong where the past she thought she had escaped will finally catch up with her.

DNF 37%
I was so excited about this book when I first got approved for it on Netgalley, but it was actually quite a disappointment. Most of the time I had no clue what was going on. I see this book as appealing to some and confusing to others. If you are interested in this book and happen to see my review, do not let that discourage you from attempting to read this book. You may find yourself falling in love with it or you might find yourself hating it.