Dear Vampa by Ross Collins, Illustrated by Ross Collins

Dear Vampa by Ross Collins
Illustrated by Ross Collins
Katherine Tegan Books
Published in 2009
ISBN 9780061355349
32 Pages

PLACES TO BUY FROM:

Amazon (Hardback)
Barnes & Noble (Hardback)

CHECKED OUT THE BOOK FROM MY PUBLIC LIBRARY.

APART OF THE GOODREADS 2011 READING CHALLENGE.

Review/Rating:

4 out of 5



Ease of Reading Text: 4 out of 5
Illustrations: 5 out of 5
Plot: 5 out of 5

It's hard to find good neighbors. Though, when the Pires get the Wolfsons as new neighbors, they discover they are as different as day and night. They think the Wolfsons have strange rituals --- staying up all day, liking sunshine, and other non-nocturnal activities. What does this Vampire family do in response to this new neighbor problem?

Who doesn't have problems with new neighbors or neighbors in general? This book puts a new twist and outlook on neighbor problems by using vampires and what appears to be humans. Though, you will find out later that these humans are more than they appear to be. ;) The plot might seem very simple, but it really is very cute and a little bit funny --- it actually made me smile a couple of times.

You can also see/read the text pretty easily, but it gets a little bit hard to see/read when it is against a black background with little white lines on the black. And the type of font they used for the book matches the vampire/supernatural theme of the book very well, which I liked a lot. However, I just wish they made the font a little bigger or made it in bold to make it even more easier to see/read. The illustrations of the book are also very well done and cute.

Overall, I like the book very much, except the font could have used a little work. However, it is still a good read despite that, and I like the twist and supernatural use of the classic neighbor problem since it made the story a lot cuter than if it was just ordinary people. :)

Other Reviews/Author Site:

Ross Collins
Goodreads: Dear Vampa by Ross Collins, Illustrated by Ross Collins
Library Thing: Dear Vampa by Ross Collins, Illustrated by Ross Collins
KinderScares: Dear Vampa by Ross Collins, Illustrated by Ross Collins
Maw Books: Dear Vampa by Ross Collins, Illustrated by Ross Collins

The Sissy Duckling by Harvey Fierstein, Illustrated by Henry Cole

The Sissy Duckling by Harvey Fierstein
Illustrated by Henry Cole
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Published in 2002
ISBN 0689835663
40 Pages

PLACES TO BUY FROM: 

Amazon (Paperback)
Barnes & Noble (Paperback)

CHECKED OUT THE BOOK FROM MY PUBLIC LIBRARY.

APART OF THE BANNED/CHALLENGED BOOKS CHALLENGE.

APART OF THE GOODREADS 2011 READING CHALLENGE.

Review/Rating:

5 out of 5



Ease of Reading Text: 5 out of 5
Illustrations: 5 out of 5
Plot: 5 out of 5

Elmer is different from other male ducklings --- he likes to cook, clean, paint pictures, and other non-masculine things. And because of this, everyone calls him a sissy, even his own father. But will they learn that Elmer is just fine the way he is?

This book is on the ALA Banned and Challenged book list, and I kind of understand why, that is, if I was one of the narrow-minded type of person. Anyways, it has been banned/challenged because it has "gay tendencies", which I could see in some ways.

However, to me, it is just teaching people, children mostly, that it is okay to be different and not like things based on the stereotypical views of today's society. In my opinion, this book teaches a good lesson. Why? Because of the fact that no one likes being judged based on a mold that has been around for decades.

Anyways, besides liking the "don't judge people by stereotypes" lesson, I like the illustrations. They matched the words very well, and were cutely drawn and very bright. Also, the text was very easy to see and read, which is always a plus with children's books since most of them have text that's hard to see/read.

That said, this book is very good if you want to teach your kids not to judge people by stereotypes ans other unfair things.

Other Reviews/Author Site:

Harvey Fierstein
Henry Cole
Goodreads: The Sissy Duckling by Harvey Fierstein, Illustrated by Henry Cole
Library Thing: The Sissy Duckling by Harvey Fierstein, Illustrated by Henry Cole
See the World in Rainbows: The Sissy Duckling by Harvey Fierstein, Illustrated by Henry Cole

The Garden of Eden by Eve Adams

 

The Garden of Eden by Eve Adams

Pseudonym for Stephen Coonts

St. Martin's Press

Published in 2005

ISBN 0312323638

338 Pages

PLACES TO BUY FROM:

Amazon (Paperback)
Barnes & Noble (Paperback)

CHECKED OUT THE BOOK FROM MY PUBLIC LIBRARY.

Review/Rating:

2 out of 5



When Sam Neely graduates from State Police academy, he is assigned to the small village of Eden with the population of 47. He has been thinking that it is just a dull little town with nothing going on, but things suddenly get interesting when Ed Harris finds his wife in bed with his best friend, Hayden Elkins. Afterwords, Ed gives Hayden his wife and tells him that he now has two wives, but it then more things spin out of control. Can the community come together and bring peace back to their little town?

What can I say about this book? Hmmm... it was... ummm... odd --- in the good way, I guess. Though, I really don't know what genre to put on this book. It's mostly about life in the village of Eden, which has a population of 47, and how the community can come together through mostly gossip and trouble. So, I guess, it's mostly a slice of life genre. >.>"

The writing was almost like a diary telling the life of people in the village of Eden --- missing on some details, skipping some parts that would make it more interesting, and a lot of gossip things. ^^; It is told through the point of view of several characters --- Sam Neely, Ed Harris, Anne Harris, Hayden Elkins, Junior Grimes, Diamond Ice, and many more. :| For me, the book would have been better if it was told through the point of view of a couple of them. Though, through telling it through several characters, they were almost like real life people and very believable, and at times, sort of funny. So it has a good point and a bad point --- you got to know the personalities and descriptions through different eyes, but there were so many that it skipped some things that could have made the book better. :(

Also, I like the descriptions and details that the author used, and it seemed liked there was enough, but it could have been more enjoyable. It felt like the author skipped some major scenes that would have made the ending have more sense. It feels like he was trying to write it as a way to understand women since they were pretty much the focus of the books --- but it didn't succeed much. :| Even though some people won't believe that a spouse wouldn't take their other half back after they cheat, I believe it because it happened with my parents. :D Though, I don't think they pretend it never happened --- like the characters do in the book. Though, since I'm their kid (no matter how old I am), they won't discuss things like that with me ;)

So I like how he put the forgiveness in there, despite on how unbelievable it is. The author makes the characters seem human and not hold a grudge, but we all know that isn't likely in real life. Everyone holds a grudge against something --- whether it's another human, country, animal, etc --- sad, but mostly true. So, the no holding grudges and forgiving everything is not like real life, but kind of like utopia. Amazing thought, but with humans being unpredictable, it won't happen anytime soon. :)

Things I didn't like were the fast paced events, which didn't really satisfy you, the off topic things, and kept on adding new problems instead of focusing on just one and build on that (and then add more problems), the amount of God in there --- it's mentioned, then it goes poof, then it appears again (like the author couldn't decide really to add God in the solution of the problems), and how the author made the women's personalities --- gossips, cheaters, nagging, etc.

I will only rate it a two star because it was an enjoyable read, but no higher because of the problems above, which irritate me the most. :| It is pretty much a good summer read since it won't take that much time to finish it.

Oh, just a warning, there are some sex (smut) scenes, but they aren't describe in that much details. ;)

Other Reviews/Author Site:

Stephen Coonts
Goodreads: The Garden of Eden by Eve Adams
Library Thing: The Garden of Eden by Eve Adams

Counting on Grace by Elizabeth Winthrop

 

Counting on Grace by Elizabeth Winthrop

Wendy Lamb Books

Published in 2006

ISBN 9780553487831

240 Pages

PLACES TO BUY FROM:

Amazon (Kindle)
Barnes & Noble (Ebook)

CHECKED OUT THE BOOK FROM MY PUBLIC LIBRARY.

Review/Rating:

5 out of 5



Despite the child labor laws in 1910, at twelve years old, Grace and her best friend, Arthur, are expected to quit school and go work in the mill with her family. With the high-risk job as a doffer, Grace has to learn how to do the work right, so that her family won’t lose any pennies for their household. Grace is noticing that Arthur willingly to do anything to get out of mill, and Grace tries to stop him. She tells him that help will be coming, not to give up hope. When Lewis Hine comes, they believe their prayers have been answered. Though, will Lewis Hine be able to keep the promises he made? Will their hopes be raised by this event, only to be destroyed later?

This book shows a certain creativeness since the author uses a picture that Lewis Hine took of a child working in a mill during the 1900's as inspiration, instead of making it up from thin air. She even adds Lewis Hine into the book, which makes it even more like the actual history. It kind of read like those Dear America or Royal Dairies books. And, like those books, it includes the actual history that the author find out about the photographer and the girl in the 1910 picture.

Counting on Grace is very well written and lets us know how horrible even America's history is --- like involving child labor and how lax the law was enforce during that time. It leaves you thinking and grateful for how Lewis Hine and the Child Labor Commission changed the laws, so that children wouldn't have to work that young and get those injuries like the characters in the book.

Even though it is only a junior level book, it there is enough history, emotion, and description to get you interested and thinking about how different things actually was. So, even though this might be way below your reading level, it is a great read for your children.

Books like this, where it involves actual history, are also my favorite. :)

Other Reviews/Author Site:

Elizabeth Winthrop
Goodreads: Counting on Grace by Elizabeth Winthrop
Library Thing: Counting on Grace by Elizabeth Winthrop
Read, Read, Read!: Counting on Grace by Elizabeth Winthrop
Meeyauw: Counting on Grace by Elizabeth Winthrop

Sweetblood by Pete Hautman

 

Sweetblood by Pete Hautman

Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Published in 2003

ISBN 0689850484

180 Pages

PLACES TO BUY FROM:

Amazon (Paperback)
Barnes & Noble (Hardcover)

CHECKED OUT THE BOOK FROM MY PUBLIC LIBRARY.

Review/Rating:

4 out of 5



Lucy Szabo is a teenage diabetic, and she has a very original theory about vampires. To her, they exist, but not in the usual way, she thinks original vampires were actually slowly dying diabetics before the discovery of insulin. Online, her nickname is Sweetblood, and she visits a Transylvania chat room, where "vampires" goes to discuss anything goth or vampire. However, there is one person different from everyone else that goes there and claims to be a real vampire, and she's not totally sure he's kidding. As she becomes more involved with vampires, goths, and that online guy, her life begins to turn for the worse --- failing classes, bad relationship with her parents, and even the ability to regulate her blood sugar worsens. What will happen when the online guy finds her and invites her to his strange world? Is he just a stalker? Or, is he really a vampire? Will she be able to make the choices she needs to in order to become the person she knows she is?

This isn't really a vampire book since it only really talks about theories of how the vampire legends came about.

I like how the author came up with a theory that vampires were untreated diabetics was very creative and different from anything I have heard before. Plus, it gives an awareness of how much medical technology has developed. Also, it points out how several people who would have died is still alive due to technology, so they are considered "undead". And also, it gives a sense of personal encouragement that even if you think you can't change yourself, you can if you just think about it.

Anyways, it's a pretty good book that points out new thinking and things like that. :)

Other Reviews/Author Site:


Pete Hautman
Goodreads: Sweetblood by Pete Hautman
Library Thing: Sweetblood by Pete Hautman
Teen Book Review: Sweetblood by Pete Hautman
NBPL Teen Book Blog: Sweetblood by Pete Hautman

The Last Sin Eater by Francine Rivers

 

The Last Sin Eater by Francine Rivers

Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

Published in 1996

ISBN 0842335706

324 Pages

PLACES TO BUY FROM:

Amazon (Paperback)
Barnes & Noble (Paperback)

CHECKED OUT THE BOOK FROM MY PUBLIC LIBRARY.

Review/Rating:

5 out of 5



Even though she knows that it is forbidden to look at the sin-eater, at her Grandmother's funeral, she catches a glimpse of the sin-eater. However, either by the curiosity of little girls or a more powerful force, she decides to find the sin-eater to help her get rid of her sin. Will she be able to find what she seeks? And, will the sin-eater be able to help her? Or, will everyone be saved from this encounter?

Been over two months since I have posted this, but I'll try to make a review that is longer than a sentence. >.<

After reading Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers, I decided to read another one of her books to see if I would like it. Well, I kind of like it and I kind of don't. There is more religion down your throat than Redeeming Love, but not so much that you want to stop reading it.

At first, this book kind of starts slow, but after Cadi and some people go find the sin-eater it gets a little bit more exciting. The book has a lot of details almost like her other book that I have read, and the character development is also very good. Also, in the books I have read so far from her has a sense of historical detail in them, which is also very interesting -- especially this one since I had never heard about it until I read the book.

Go read the book. It's not as interesting as Redeeming Love, but it is still well written. :)

Other Reviews/Author Site:

Francine Rivers
Goodreads: The Last Sin Eater by Francine Rivers
Library Thing: The Last Sin Eater by Francine Rivers
Working Girl Reviews: The Last Sin Eater by Francine Rivers
Reading to Know: The Last Sin Eater by Francine Rivers

Asylum by Patrick McGrath

 

Asylum by Patrick McGrath

Vintage Books (Imprint of Random House)

Published in 1997

ISBN 0679781382

254 Pages

PLACES TO BUY FROM:

Amazon (Paperback)
Barnes & Noble (Paperback)

CHECKED OUT THE BOOK FROM MY PUBLIC LIBRARY.

Review/Rating:

4 out of 5



When Stella Raphael's husband, Max, takes a job at a maximum-security mental hospital in the English countryside, she meets Edgar Stark, a patient who murdered his wife, and starts an affair with him. This love affair hurts many around her, however, how will her sanity take to this mismatched affair? How many lives will her selfishness destroy in the process of finding what she truly wants?

Not a supernatural book, but a medical fiction -- another kind of book I like.

Except for the fact that it kind of jumps around too much, it is a pretty good book. Either it was the jumping around or the change from general medicine to psychotherapy gave me too much of a headache. :(

Stella reminds me of too many girls (women) who I have ever met, and if she is considered "insane", does that mean they are also insane? Hmmm... Guess so... Of course, I already knew that half the girls I have met are insane. :P

Anyways, this book has mature themes in it; so don't read if you have a problem with affairs, violence, murder, etc. This book has a lot of issues. >.> Also, the ending is also kind of bad, but if you enjoy sad endings, go ahead and read it -- you'll like it if you love sad endings.

Personally, I hated the ending and the book because, well, it matches real life almost exactly. I like my books with a little bit more fantasy and excitement put into it. :( However, the writing of the author is really good. :)

Other Reviews/Author Site:

Patrick McGrath
Goodreads: Asylum by Patrick McGrath
Library Thing: Asylum by Patrick McGrath
Coffee and a Book Chick: Asylum by Patrick McGrath

Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers

 

Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers

Multnomah Publishers

Published in 1997

ISBN 1576738167

479 Pages

PLACES TO BUY FROM:

Amazon (Paperback)
Barnes & Noble (Paperback)

CHECKED OUT THE BOOK FROM MY PUBLIC LIBRARY.
I OWN A SINGLE COPY.
BOUGHT THROUGH AMAZON.COM.

Review/Rating:

5 out of 5



As a prostitute, the only way Angel can stay sane and survive is by keeping what she hates the most always in her mind, never forgetting it for a second. What she hates the most are men who only use her, and she always thought men are all the same, that is, until Michael Hosea. One day, when Michael saw her walking, God told him to marry Angel, and so he goes to convince her. It takes several visits to convince her and break what she thinks of men, but when Michael is about to give up, an accident causes them to live together. After they arrive at his house, he is faced with a new challenge: Convincing Angel that he really actually does love her. Though, whenever someone thaws her frozen heart, she runs away out of fear. What will it take for Angel to stay and love Michael? Well that depends on if she can face the one thing she always tries to run away from.

I don't normally read Christian fiction, but the summary of the book is what drew me to it --- not the fact it was about religion or had religion aspects in the book. I don't really like Christian fiction due to the fact that normally it is too much religion and not enough plot put into the book --- this book doesn't do that. :)

This book is really inspirational and heart-warming; I was pretty much trying not to cry throughout half of the book. ;) Even though it is a retelling of a biblical story, this book was so good that I couldn't put it down --- I read it in less than 2 days. I love the descriptions she uses (and the author uses a lot of them). :) This book left me thinking of several things that other Christian fiction books don't let me think about --- other Christian books shove religion down your throat. :( Another thing I like about this book, despite being Christian fiction and about God, it doesn't really shove it down your throat --- it has a plot that really gets to people and lets them think about things instead. Though, personally, I was reading it for the romance part of the book. :P And the ending of the book is pretty good --- not really rushed and there's an epilogue chapter to find out what happens to them in the end. :)

I'm not going to post anymore than that because, well, you should really read it. :) Just one more thing, I wouldn't read this if you are immature in thinking, since there are sensitive and serious issues in the book. :)

Other Reviews/Author Site:

Francine Rivers
Goodreads: Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers
Library Thing: Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers
Average Girl Reads: Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers
Tina's Book Reviews: Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers