October Uppercase Box review: If & Then by Emma Mills

October Uppercase Box Review

When I signed up for Uppercase Box I didn't know what to expect.  I thought that it would be a gimmick, but I was so excited when it got here.  I may not use the tattoos until next summer, but I love them!  The Alice in Wonderland is a fun treat, and so are the tin of mints.  They will be nice to keep in my purse.  

First & Then.  This is a book that I have never heard of.  I didn't know what to expect with this book.  However, I was pleasantly surprised!  There were extra insights that you get through uppercase.  There are little sticky notes throughout the book to let you have extras.  Turned out to be fun addition to the book.  

The author wrote part of this while she was still in high school.  So of coarse this book was based in a high school setting.  It kept a strong female character throughout, and tied in a bit of Jane Austin into it.  I found the Jane Austin bits to be trivial and not necessary for the story.

Yet other aspects of the story resonated deeply within me.  We all had those awkward crushes in high school, and I just happened to relate to this particular dynamic a ton!  It talks a lot of the girl being smitten with her best friend, and I was cursed with this.

The author did include a lot of curses, but for some reason it didn't bother me with this book.  Perhaps it was just the fact that it is high school.

One thing that seemed dated to me was the author brought it watching Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure.  That is something my generation (30's) would know, but not high schoolers today.  Since this book is written in a high school lifestyle, it should have correct references.  Teenagers today have probably never heard of Bill and Ted's excellent adventure.

I really liked this book.

Book Review: Spelled

For my birthday I was given $25 to spend from my mother-in-law.  Normally I would spend it at the wool gathering, but I missed it this year.  Instead I made a trip to Barnes and Noble.  My son picked this book off the table for me to read.  I loved to cover!  I mean....what girl wouldn't love those shoes?  However, I regret buying this book.

I tried really really hard to like it.  I made it 60 pages in before calling it quits.  It was supposed to be a popular YA novel, but it seemed extremely juvenile.  The first chapter was enjoyable.  There was a lot of play on words.  That is how the whole book seemed to be designed.  It had potential, but I have trouble tolerating the same lame writing over and over.  It just seemed to be a lot of fluff.

It's probably perfect for a 15 year old, but not an adult that likes reading YA novels.  I will be giving this to my niece.

One thing that you should be aware of is that there is a lot of "cursing" in it.  The author made the character swear A LOT, but changed them to fairy tale swears.  I know some parents have issues with variations of swearing, so I figured it was of note to mention.  

Book Review: The Princess Academy The Forgotten Sisters

I stumbled upon this book a few weeks ago.  I didn't realize that there was a third installment to the series.  I quickly bought it and read it in about 24 hours.  I had just finished a heavier book, so having something nice and light to read was refreshing.

This book follows Miri as she goes to become a tutor for some unruly swamp girls.  It seems an insurmountable task, but she knows that she must succeed because when she does they will own Mount Eskel.  There are lots of twists and turns, and funny moments throughout the book.  It was truly a delight to read.  I am sad that this is the end of the Princess Academy books.

Book Review: The Invasion of the Tearling

The writing in this book is phenomenal. There were a few times where I had to grab a dictionary to look up a word that I didn't know.  It's been a while since something like that has happened to this avid reader!  I loved the challenge.

This is the second book in the Tearling series by Erika Johansen.  The first book was part of my book club book club, but I had to continue the story.  However, I failed to realize that this is part of a trilogy (or more?).  I was 25 pages from the end when suddenly I realized that there was no way this book could end in the span of those pages.  So I looked up, and sure enough book #3 is coming out in June 2016!  Ugh!  I wish I had known.  Needless to say....I have already pre-ordered the next book!  I wish it were out now!  The suspense is going to kill me!  I finished this yesterday and am still reeling at the possibilities of what  could happen.  It's going to be a long almost year!

This book will capture your attention.  More-so than the first book.  There is an element introduced to the story that makes it so much more complex than Queen of the Tearling was.  I don't want to leave spoilers, but just be assured that it is worth your read!

What I don't like about the book is the element of self-harm.  I didn't feel is was essential to the plot to have not one, but TWO self-harming queens in the book.  This is such a touchy subject that I don't understand why the author threw it in there.  Unless she herself struggles with self-harm and views it as a positive thing.  As someone who has self-harmed in the past, I can see how it can be a major trigger for someone else who struggles with it.  This made me very disappointed in the author.

Other than that.....it's a good book!

Book Review: Go Pro by Eric Worre

One of my upline leaders in Jamberry recommended that I read Go Pro.  I was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed the read!  It talks about the basics behind direct sales/multilevel marketing, but he also explains the importance of being an expert.  My favorite theme in the book is the fact that he encourages us to "become a permanent student".  This is applicable in all our lives!  We should always keep learning.  

"In this world you're either growing or you're dying.  So get in motion and grow." -Lou Holtz

Here are some of the quotes that I liked:

"There are no bad experiences and no good experiences, only learning experiences."

"Let go of the outcome and focus on what you can learn from every experience."

"If you outlast people, you'll make it to the top."

"Technology can help us connect with people in ways that are becoming more and more efficient, but nothing replaces face-to-face interaction."

All in all this was a great book.  I suggest that anyone in direct sales read this book because it opens your eyes.  It helps you understand your business more, and will help give you the tools necessary to succeed.  

Book Review: The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

I participate in an online book club through a combination of Tumblr and Goodreads.  This month the two books that were chosen were picked because September is banned book month.  The first book was The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood.  It was banned due to sexuality in the book.

This is not a book that I would have picked to read, but I ended up really loving it.  In short, the current society is overrun, and women lose their rights.  They become baby factories of sort.  It was eerie to read because the way it occurs is plausible in some aspects.  It sort of reminded me of how Hitler corrupted Germany the way he did for WWII.

Margaret Atwood has a strong grasp on writing.  This book is very eloquent and a joy to ready.  I will say that if you like to read the last sentence of the book before the rest of the book DO NOT do that for this book.  The last sentence of the book left me longing for more.  I finished it days ago, and yet I still can't get it out of my mind.

Book Review: What We Knew by Barbara StewartThree

I won this signed copy from a Twitter contest.  I love reading YA novels, so I was super excited. I loved the cover art, but didn't know anything about the book or author.  Most YA novels that I read do not deal with adult issues.  This one did.

I am not a drinker, smoker, or drugs person.  I guess that makes me very clean cut.  So I took issue knowing who this book is marketed for with all the drinking and things that went on.  However, I am not naive enough to think that this is not how most high schoolers behave.  I know they do.

For the majority of the book I felt like this book was disjointed.  It didn't seem to flow well.  It seemed like some things were very abrupt like the author didn't know how to get what she wanted into the story.

Three quarters of the way through the book I started getting anxious while reading it.  It dredged up a lot of emotions from my past that I thought I had dealt with.  So that was a bit unexpected.

The last 20 pages or so were beautifully written.  It is almost as if someone else wrote those last pages.  I really wish the whole book were written with that quality of writing.

I will say that this book does have triggers.  So if you have dealt with any of the following issues I would think twice about this book.
rape
incest
molestation
drug abuse
alcohol abuse

Book Review: brown girl dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

This was one of our book club books for #adultbooklr (tumblr).  I had never heard of this book before, but I was excited to see why it won so many awards.  At the beginning I was concerned that it was just going to be a book written by a black women talking about racial issues.  There were parts of it towards the beginning that caused that fear.  Being a white woman, I am fed up with being told how mistreated the blacks are compared to white.  In my eyes, we are all the same.  Apparently, others don't share that belief.

Anyway, this book was a very pleasant read.  It was full of short, eloquent poems.  I didn't realize how fast I was reading this book.  I finished it in just a few days.  It ended up leaving me feeling good.  It was a very calm book (which is good because I was in the hospital when I read it).  It did talk about the civil rights movement somewhat.  I even learned a bit from it!  (somehow I didn't realize that blacks were trained to sit at counters)

If you are looking for a quick, feel-good read this would be a great option!

Book Review: Shadowshaper

This book was mailed to me by one of my friends to read.  She had gone to BookCon and got this as book swag.  She knew I have been having a hard time, so she thought she would send it to me.  I was super excited to read this book because I love supernatural YA novels, but unfortunately this one left me wanting.  

It has a great concept for the book.  Spirits that get shaped into art.  It's a wonderful concept!  However, I felt that it didn't reach its full potential.  

The first half of the book seemed to have been written by a different person.  I almost couldn't continue the book because I felt that the writing was below what I would expect for a YA novel. I'm sure the grammar would be fine for someone in the 14-15 year old range, but for an adult it seems a bit amateur.    

Once I got through the first half of the book things started to connect better.  The writing seemed to get better, and the plot seemed to come together.  I felt that the plot seemed a bit slow.  Nothing seemed to catch my attention until I was 3/4 of the way through the book.  The last few chapters were great, but I wished the good parts of the book weren't so condensed into the end.  I feel like the author just didn't know how to end the story, so it was abrupt.  It was a very simple, easy ending.  

I had expected more.  Overall, I give it 3 out of 5 stars.  Mainly because I know someone like my niece would love this book.  It would be ideal for a 13-15 year old girl that likes art.  

I loved the cover art of this novel.  I should also say that it was an uncorrected proof, so it is possible a lot of what bugged me about this book has been corrected.  

Book Review: The Dip by Seth Godin

This book was recommended to me by my upline in Jamberry to read, so we could discuss it later.  It's a very short book, so it's a quick read for anyone.  And pretty much everyone should read it.  It has so many possible implications that this book is good for!  I am struggling with severe Postpartum Depression, so while reading this book it helped me come to grips with my situation.  I also figured out some possible coping strategies.

I think this is my favorite quote from the book:
"Never quit something with great long-term potential just because you can't deal with the stress of the moment."

Not only does it help me look at my business in a different light, but it also helps me to remember not to give up this fight with my depression (and trust me....it's a fight!).

There is another quote that I really like about running.  I like it because I am a runner.  No, not really.  This picture is me finishing my first half marathon.  So I am a fat runner.  ;)

"The Dip is not just before the finish line.  It is at mile 20.  Once you see the crowd at the end, finishing is easy." 

Boy is that true!  I encourage EVERYONE to read it.  Even people in junior/senior high school.  It's a simple read with profound thoughts.  

Book Review: The Firebird by Susanna Kearsley

First off, this book was much bigger than I had expected.  I don't mind reading bigger books, but it just threw off my reading schedule a bit.  I think it is a bit different than Susanna's other books.  It was chalk full of beautiful imagery.  Due to her writing I know want to visit so many different places!

The majority of the book moved slow.  Not slow enough that you didn't want to read it, but slow.  It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either.  Until the last quarter of the book!  The last quarter of the book was incredible!

Everything started falling into place.  You were so invested in these characters that you intently felt their pain.  My heart actually clenched up for these characters!  I couldn't put the book down once I reached the last quarter of the book.  That made the whole book worth it!

It's nice that she has tied in many of her other books into this book too.  You don't need to read the other books to love her books, but she will bring a character in from a book here and there.  It makes it fun!  This one made me want to reread the Winter Sea again.

Book Review: The Splendour Falls by Susanna Kearsley

Let me start by saying that I love Susanna Kearsley.  She is my favorite author by far.  This book didn't follow her normal format.  It didn't have the dual timeline like she normally does, and there wasn't really a love interest until three quarters of the way through the book.  Not that I expect there to be a love interest, but it didn't follow the normal format.

This book was more of a mystery than her regular novels.  It was not my favorite book, but it was very endearing.  The way that Susanna writes is so descriptive that it makes you fall in love with the setting of the books, and the characters!

This book was placed in Chinon, France.  This is the second book of hers that I have read that has been set here.  It has made me crave to visit there.  She has made me feel like I have already been there.

All in all it is a decent book.  Not my favorite by far, but decent.  This would not be a book I would recommend to someone unless they love Susanna Kearsley already.

Book Review: A Desperate Fortune

Susanna Kearsley is one of my all time favorite authors!  I was able to meet her shortly after this book came out.  She is as wonderful in person as her writing is.

This book follows the traditional style of Kearsley's featuring a dual timeline plot.  Her writing is extremely descriptive in a way that makes the reader feel like they are there.  However, this book was a bit different.  This book featured a main character with Aspergers.

I loved that she tied in something that is considered a disability in most people's eyes, and made it a strength in this book.  It showed how those with Aspergers think differently, and are very gifted in some areas.

All in all it was a very sweet book.  I loved the dual timeline, and I feel in love with the characters.  So much so that when it ended I couldn't decide if I liked the ending.  I just wanted to book to continue.

I really feel like Kearsley out did herself with this book.