#A Stella highly rated story and author

[melaniem54]

A Stella Releases Day Review: Laugh Cry Repeat by John Inman

RATING 4,5 out of 5 stars

Wyeth Becker is a quiet man. Staid, serious, calm. A librarian. When he meets preschool teacher Deeze Long, he discovers joy for the first time in his life. With joy comes laughter, excitement, and a new way to look at the world through the eyes of the kindest, most loving man he has ever met.

When tragedy strikes and Deeze loses his joy, it is Wyeth who helps him find…

[ash-and-books]

Rating: 3.5/5

Book Blurb: For fans of The Once and Future Witches and Practical Magic, comes an incredibly imaginative, highly anticipated new novel featuring witches, magic, and a road trip across America—from Cherie Dimaline, the critically acclaimed author of Empire of Wild. Lucky St. James, a Métis millennial living with her cantankerous but loving grandmother Stella, is barely hanging on when she discovers she will be evicted from their tiny Toronto apartment. Then, one night, something strange and irresistible calls out to Lucky. Burrowing through a wall, she finds a silver spoon etched with a crooked-nosed witch and the word SALEM, humming with otherworldly energy. Hundreds of miles away in Salem, Myrna Good has been looking for Lucky. Myrna works for VenCo, a front company fueled by vast resources of dark money. Lucky is familiar with the magic of her indigenous ancestors, but she has no idea that the spoon links her to VenCo’s network of witches throughout North America. Generations of witches have been waiting for centuries for the seven spoons to come together, igniting a new era, and restoring women to their rightful power. But as reckoning approaches, a very powerful adversary is stalking their every move. He’s Jay Christos, a roguish and deadly witch-hunter as old as witchcraft itself. To find the last spoon, Lucky and Stella embark on a rollicking and dangerous road trip to the darkly magical city of New Orleans, where the final showdown will determine whether VenCo will usher in a new beginning…or remain underground forever

Review:

A girl who finds a strange spoon with the word SALEM etched on it and soon her life is turned upside down as she is recruited into a network of witches.  Lucky St. James is anything but lucky, she’s currently working dead end jobs, she’s being evicted from her tiny Toronto apartment she lives with her grandmother, and her crush doesn’t like her back. So when she uncovers a silver spoon etched with a crooked-nosed witch and the word Salem, humming with otherworldly energy... something is bound to happen. Hundred of miles away in Salem, witches who work in VenCo are currently looking for the last two witches to fit their coven and beat the deadline of their prophecy... and Lucky just so happens to be the sixth witch they need for their coven. Lucky is soon recruited and now its up to her and her coven to find the last witch before it’s too late... and escape a powerful witch hunter who is bent on killing Lucky. This was an interesting story about a treasure hunt essentially, it doesn’t really have. a lot of magic and certain parts of the book lagged and felt like it was dragging or lost a bit of the moving plot, but overall the end picked up a bit and wrapped everything up. Overall an okay read and I would recommend it for people who like treasure hunt adventures. 

*Thank you Morrow Books and Harper Collins for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

[semper-legens]

35. Fanny & Stella: The Young Men Who Shocked Victorian England, by Neil McKenna

Owned: Yes   Page count: 361 My summary: The remarkable true story of Fanny and Stella, or Frederick Park and Ernest Boulton, two people involved in a landmark sodomy trial in the 1870s, having been found to be in public dressed in women’s clothes. My rating: 4/5     My commentary:

If I could meet anyone from history, I’d want to meet Fanny and Stella.

This is a story that’s interested me ever since I first heard it a couple of years ago; a slice of LGBT+ history that isn’t common knowledge as far as I know. The facts of the case are this - Park and Boulton were arrested at a theatre, where they were dressed in gowns, and charged with soliciting men for sex, sodomy, and offences ‘against public morals and common decency’. They were acquitted after their defence argued the prosecution could not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that they had committed sodomy. (They probably had, but obviously not being prosecuted for it was a good thing.)

Gay men faced a lot of dangers in Victorian England. At this point, sodomy was no longer a capital crime, but those found guilty would face prison with hard labour, which could prove deadly all the same. The police were quick to arrest those suspected, and sometimes quicker to let them go for certain ‘favours’. In the case of Park and Boulton, the pair had possibly engaged in sex work in the past, and had a relationship with a gentleman named Lord Arthur Clinton, and dressed in female clothing both on and off stage - they made a living as actors and female impersonators.

...which, like, here’s the thing. Park and Boulton have gone down in history as gay men, and that could be true. And it’s also true that drag has a long history in gay communities. But spending a lot of time in female dress, taking time with your appearance to the point where people think you’re a woman in drag when you wear men’s clothes (look at this photo and tell me Boulton, on the far right, doesn’t read as a dfab person in drag), and living with a man as his wife, including having calling cards reading Lady Clinton made? That’s points in the trans woman column. I think it’s highly likely that Park, Boulton, or both, could have been trans women and not had the language to express that.

We do this thing, with LGBT+ historical figures, where if there isn’t a smoking gun for them being a certain identity we tend to assume they weren’t by default. But if Anne Lister hadn’t left a literal diary talking about being a lesbian, we wouldn’t have known. Had someone not examined James Barry’s body postmortem, we wouldn’t have known. But that wouldn’t have made their lives any less real, and their identities any less valid. They just didn’t leave us evidence, that’s all. With Boulton, I can point to living with Lord Clinton as evidence - for Park, there are less actions that give these clues. But just because we can’t see it doesn’t mean it wasn’t real or didn’t happen. I just look at the photos we have of them, like this one, and just think - above all, these two were sisters. They lived and they loved and they were who they were. I can’t fault them for that.

Finally, to actually touch on the book itself - it’s weird, I’ve not read a non-fiction book in a prose style. It’s sort of halfway between historical fiction and non-fiction - sure, it has an impressive bibliography, but large sections narrate moments and thoughts that the author is extrapolating and can’t possibly have known. It’s a weird mix, and creates a strange experience. I don’t hate it, but I’d love to see something more factual in style (or explicitly fiction!) about these two.

Next up - back to the world of comic books, for some fabulous killjoys.

[abandonnedfantrashheap]

I received an ARC of Five Feet Apart by @rachaellippincott in exchange my honest review. So a big thank you to @netgalley and to @simonteen / @simonschusterca for the early read! . 🍁SYNOPSIS🍁 In this moving story, two teens fall in love with just one minor complication—they can’t get within a few feet of each other without risking their lives. Can you love someone you can never touch? . Stella Grant likes to be in control—even though her totally out of control lungs have sent her in and out of the hospital most of her life. At this point, what Stella needs to control most is keeping herself away from anyone or anything that might pass along an infection and jeopardize the possibility of a lung transplant. Six feet apart. No exceptions. . The only thing Will Newman wants to be in control of is getting out of this hospital. He couldn’t care less about his treatments, or a fancy new clinical drug trial. Soon, he’ll turn eighteen and then he’ll be able to unplug all these machines and actually go see the world, not just its hospitals. Will’s exactly what Stella needs to stay away from. If he so much as breathes on Stella she could lose her spot on the transplant list. Either one of them could die. The only way to stay alive is to stay apart. But suddenly six feet doesn’t feel like safety. It feels like punishment. . 😷REVIEW😷 I requested this read, because it made me think of The Fault In Our Stars and Everything Everything, and because it is already being turned into a movie, which I thought may say something about the quality of the story. I was right.  This book had my emotions ON HIGH!!  Disclosure upfront, this book deals with Cystic Fibrosis, not cancer. And while I cannot speak to the representation of the illness, I can definitely say that the author told a heart-wrenching story that I think contemporary fans will highly enjoy. We flip between our two protagonists’ points of view, and I really enjoyed both of them as characters. While I was expecting a sad love story, this book really ended up centering around so much more. It focused on Hope, Healing, Sacrifice, and Family. Criers: beware! But, totally worth it! . Rating: 4⭐️ Release date: Nov 20th . https://www.instagram.com/p/Bphnp74noXD/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=cuyjm1h087ho

[wayoutlit-blog]

R E V I E W: T H E   B E C O M I N G   O F   N O A H   S H A W

Title: The Becoming of Noah Shaw

Author: Michelle Hodkin

Star rating: 3.8/5

Buy: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Goodreads

Synopsis:

In the first book of the Shaw Confessions, the companion series to the New York Times bestselling Mara Dyer novels, old skeletons are laid bare and new promises prove deadly. This is what happens after happily ever after. Everyone thinks seventeen-year-old Noah Shaw has the world on a string. They’re wrong. Mara Dyer is the only one he trusts with his secrets and his future. He shouldn’t. And both are scared that uncovering the truth about themselves will force them apart. They’re right. 

Review:

The Becoming of Noah Shaw is a continuation/spin-off of the Mara Dyer series by Michelle Hodkin. The Becoming of Noah Shaw picks up shortly after the events of the Retribution of Mara Dyer and explores the lives of the characters after the life-changing ending of the Retribution of Mara Dyer.

That being said, I do recommend reading the Mara Dyer trilogy before picking up the Becoming of Noah Shaw. Events form the Mara Dyer trilogy, especially the last book, are constantly referenced, and honestly, you’d be very confused if you don’t know what happened prior. 

Plus, Mara Dyer is one of my all time favorite series so I highly recommend picking those books up and then going on to The Becoming of Noah Shaw!!

I was really looking forward to reading the Becoming of Noah Shaw because Noah is 10/10 book boyfriend, but this novel offered a new side of Noah, and all the other characters, that we never got to explore before. I think this has a lot to do with the POV change; the Mara Dyer books were always in the POV of Mara, but now we get to see everything, even past events, through Noah’s eyes.

The Becoming of Noah Shaw has many elements of the Mara Dyer series, like its playful banter, dark humor, and eerie atmosphere. Reading the story from Noah’s point of view was very interesting, especially when it concerned Mara. 

I don’t know if it’s just me, but Mara felt different in this book. She didn’t feel like the Mara from the Mara Dyer trilogy, she was more of a mystery figure in this story, which does get explained in the end but it was just weird reading her like that and there was no prevalent sign to suggest that something was wrong with her, she was just presented in this weird way. You can obviously tell there was a difference from the Mara in the Mara Dyer trilogy and Mara in this book. 

A big part of what I wanted to see from this book was the Noah and Mara interaction. A lot gets resurfaced in this book, Noah and Mara encounter a lot of trust issues, and honestly I was hoping for a dramatic break up at the middle of the book, like Troy and Gabriela ‘Gotta Go My Own Way’ style, just because I was frustrated with this alien Mara that we were getting and that Noah was bottling things up and not communicating. You could definitely feel the strain between them and it added a lot of tension in the book that kept you really interested in how everything would play out.

Character-wise, I don’t know how to feel about Leo; I just get weird vibes and with this safe house that he proposes, we don’t really get to see it or the other Gifted people he talks about, so it just feels eerie to me. I was not expecting the Sophie betrayal, that came out of nowhere, and it’s really creepy to think she was planted in there since the first book in Mara Dyer. I really liked Goose, but I felt like he was randomly brought into the story. Noah just invites him for no reason and he doesn’t add much to the story, other than his funny lines. I know he amplifies the power of others, but it didn’t seem like an essential skill for the story, like his power wasn’t used for a crucial purpose and didn’t really add much to the plot so he was just there.

I was not expecting the end at all, I think that the foreshadowing was a bit weak towards hinting Mara as the villain. I was also a bit confused with the end; I assume Mara was doing the killings as payment for bringing Noah back to life in The Retribution of Mara Dyer.

Which, by the way, I highly recommend rereading or skimming through the Retribution of Mara Dyer before picking up the Becoming of Noah Shaw. There were moments where I was really confused and I had to even put down the book and pick up the Retribution to make sense of what was happening, especially when Stella was telling her version of the story. So definitely know the Retribution of Mara Dyer before reading this, it’ll all make more sense.

Noah and Mara develop this Professor X and Magneto relationship at the end. They do break up (which will bring lots of angst in the next book and I’m really excited) and it seems like all the tension that was built between them explodes at the end. Though I would have liked to see him question her more on the events on the Retribution, just because I was as confused as him. I do see Mara’s point of view at the end of the story, it seems like she was killing in order to protect Noah or keep him alive, so I get why she was doing the killings, but still not cool, girl.

The epilogue blew. Me. Away.

Mara’s grandmother comes in!!

I am assuming that Mara’s grandmother who encounters Noah at the end. I was really shookth when she said “You can call me Mara,” because as far as we know, Mara is a fake name used to tell the story in the Mara Dyer trilogy, so is Mara the grandmother’s actual name? Are they both using the same pseudonym? 

This also adds a lot of fuel to the aging theory in the Mara Dyer series, where Mara is described as looking older for her age and it's hinted that Noah’s healing powers may slow his aging. And at the end, Noah recognizes Mara’s grandmother because he says she looks exactly like the pictures he’s seen from this mother’s pictures and Mara’s house. 

Mara’s grandmother was said to commit suicide either before Mara was born or when Mara was really little, either way, that’s approximately 17ish years ago and Noah says she looks the same as the pictures taken of her from like 20 years ago. So that’s really really interesting and I am definitely curious to see what role she has in The Reckoning of Noah Shaw,

All in all, I definitely recommend the Becoming of Noah Shaw. It is very different, yet similar to the Mara Dyer series, reading from Noah’s POV is very refreshing and you get to see all the characters through his perspective which adds a lot of mystery and you question things you previously accepted in Mara’s narrative. I will be picking up the Reckoning of Noah Shaw and I hope you guys do too, so we can talk about it :).

The Reckoning of Noah Shaw: November 13, 2018

Pre-Order: Amazon, Barnes and Noble 

[mercurygray]

So, I hear you liked TURN.

Apres the Season 4 finale, I know there’s going to be a lot of crying, and hand-wringing, and rewatching, and these are all good and proper things to do in the wake of a TV show you’ve enjoyed.

But after the smoke clears from all of that, you’re maybe going to go looking for your next 18th century fix, just something in between rewatches or while you’re trying to flesh out your next story idea. (Hey, now that we have our canon, go hog-wild on story ideas, guys, seriously.) 

So I’ve saved you some trouble and made you all a helpful list.

Obviously there are a lot of movies and TV shows out there - this is just a selection that I wish more people knew about.

Note: Everyone enjoys a show or movie for different reasons. These shows are on this list because of the time period they depict, not because of the quality of their writing, the accuracy of their history or the political nature of their content. Where I’m able to, I’ve mentioned if a book is available if you’d like to read more.

Before we get to the rest of the list, there are three excellent shows that are either currently on television or about to be very soon:

Poldark (BBC/PBS) is based on a series of books by an author named Winston Graham. It was made into a PBS series in the 70s starring Robin Ellis as the handsome Captain Poldark, who returns from the American Revolution to find his family farm in tatters and his long-time love interest married to his cousin. Drama ensues. The 70s series is worth your time, and the recent remake with Aidan Turner in the title role is also definitely worth a go. (If you like leading men who make terrible life decisions and the women who put up with them, this is totally your show.)

Harlots (Hulu) - If you really loved the TURN ladies, thought Lola and Philomena deserved more than they got, or are just interested to learn more about what life might have been like for the lower classes in London in the 1750s, have we got a deal for you. Harlots follows the lives of 18th century sex workers in this new drama, which was just recently renewed for a totally deserved second season. Female-lead ensemble drama. A little violent at points and deals with some pretty heavy-duty topics like rape, murder, and bastardy, but in a humane and understanding way. Totally bingeable.

Outlander (Starz) - Based on the wildly popular series of books by Diana Gabaldon, this time traveling drama jumps between a couple of different centuries and follows the story of Jamie and Claire, two very strong personalities trying to literally find their place in history. (Hewlett talks about the blade his grandfather picked up at Culloden; that battle forms a critical part of this show’s storyline.) It’s a real pretty show with very high production values.

And, without further ado, the rest of the list!

John Adams:  If you haven’t watched this already, do yourself a favor and go pick it up from the library. Starring Paul Giametti in the title role, this HBO miniseries follows John Adams’ role in the formation of America, through his early days in Congress up through his own presidency. As with any biographical show, characters that we know and love from other media (Rufus Sewell’s Hamilton comes to mind, but see what you think of David Morse’s Washington, too) are presented in a slightly different light and provide some food for thought about how history can be selective in how it remembers us. The costuming is great, the sets are fantastic, and the acting is first-rate.

The Patriot: An oldie but a goodie. Mel Gibson plays a highly fictionalized version of Francis Marion, the Swamp Fox while Jason Isaacs turns in a really stellar hottie we love to hate in Colonel Tavington. A little heavy-handed at times, this is a good movie to laugh over with friends.

Sons of Liberty: I’ll be really honest - for a show from the History Channel, the history on this show is pretty awful. But the cast is pretty. This one’s up to you, really. It fills a hole.

Garrow’s Law: William Garrow was a barrister and a pioneering legal mind in the 18th century, and this show (which ran for 3 seasons) is based on real Old Bailey cases and Garrow’s defenses, while also working in his fraught social life. Were you interested in learning a little more about Abe Woodhull’s erstwhile legal training? This is the show for you.

City of Vice: A miniseries that explains the origins and work of the Bow Street Runners, one of London’s first police forces.  Does a great job of opening up some of the early 18th century underside of London including a smidge of 18th century gay culture.

A Harlot’s Progress: William Hogarth was an 18th century artist, printmaker and social commentator whose “A Harlot’s Progress” famously depicts the downfall of a woman who goes into prostitution. This 2006 series explores the relationship that inspired the ‘Harlot’ piece.

The Incredible Journey of Mary Bryant: At around the same time America was busy trying to figure itself out, halfway around the world another one of Britain’s colonial possessions - Australia - was just getting started. Hundreds of convicts found themselves stuffed in ships and sent to the other side of the world - a sentence deemed almost more humane. This 2005 series with Romala Garai follows a very famous convict, Mary Bryant, and her experiences.

Banished: Another take on penal colonies in Australia. Currently available on Hulu.

Black Sails: A more recent offering from Starz, this show explores the backstory of the pirates in Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island. Lots of great representation issues, a whole lot of ‘how does your story get told’ - and there’s a real big community on Tumblr who loves it and very actively produces all kinds of fic.

Clarissa - Simcoe fans, this one is totally for you. Based on the epistolary novel by Samuel Richardson, Clarissa follows a girl of the same name as the infamous rake Lovelace tries to seduce her. Another look at what how women can be corrupted. Also, for you fandom nerds in the crowd, Lovelace was one of the first characters to inspire fix-it fic. Yes, really! Fix-it fic in the late 1700s. Lovelace is one of the original men for whom the ‘No, really, I can reform him’ trope was created. (Richardson, his creator, was so horrified by this reaction by his fans that he actually revised the book several times to try and make Lovelace even more villainous and irredeemable, with little success. Then as now, women apparently love the idea of a bad boy.)

Amazing Grace - The history of slavery in England and its colonies is complicated and nuanced; this story deals with one of the more famous names from that story, William Wilberforce, and his contribution.

Belle - Based on the true story of Dido Elizabeth Belle, the mixed race daughter of a Royal Navy Admiral. Another look at racial politics in England.

The Aristocrats - One of my all-time favorite TV miniseries and based on the nonfiction book by Stella Tilyard, this show follows the (actual, nonfictional) Lennox sisters, daughters of the Duke of Richmond as they grow up, marry, and adjust to rapid social change from the early 1700s into the 1790s.

The Duchess  - About the same time the Lennox sisters were out in society, so was Georgiana, the Duchess of Devonshire. This is based on (I’m not sure how closely) Amanda Foreman’s biography of Georgiana, one of the leading ladies of her day.

Dangerous Liasons - Another story about corruptible young women, this one has 3 very well deserved Oscars to its name and an absolutely stunning Glenn Close.

Barry Lyndon - a very evocative, sumptuous film by Stanley Kubrick. Short on action, but very, very Aesthetic, as only Kubrick can do.

The Scarlet Pimpernel - Based on the book by Baroness Orczy, The Scarlet Pimpernel is largely considered to be one of the world’s first ‘superhero with a secret identity’ stories. Sir Percy Blakeney uses his identity as a dim-witted fop to provide cover for his activities rescuing French aristocrats from the guillotine during the French Revolution. The 1982 version with Anthony Andrews and the 1999 version with Richard Grant are both a lot of fun.

Speaking of the French, where would we be without them? Our small domestic dust-up with Britain has far-reaching international consequences, setting in motion so many other social movements in Europe. The French, for instance, will have their own revolution several years after ours, which, of course, will lead to a total political shakeup ending with an artillery officer named Napoleon Bonaparte on the throne as Emperor. (You may have heard of him. He goes on to have his own series of large wars and, you know, completely changes the geo-political landscape of Europe. Like you do.)

La Revolution Francaise, filmed for the 200th anniversary of the Revolution, is available on YouTube in it’s entirety with English subtitles! Starts in 1774 and goes through the 1800s. C’est merveilleux.

Marie Antoinette - Sofia Coppola’s wild, modern romp through the life of one of the 18th century’s most notorious women. It may not be great history, but darn me if it isn’t fun to watch.

Farewell, My Queen - Another story about Marie Antoinette - this one is in French.

Nicolas Le Floch: An 18th century crime procedural set at the court of Louis XVI. The whole show is in French, so watch with subtitles, but the costumes are a lot of fun and it gives an interesting picture of the life a character like Lafayette would have left behind when he came to America. (He gets name dropped a few times, actually, though he never actually appears.)

Ekaterina: A 2014 miniseries from Russia discussing the rise of Catherine the Great, the Empress of Russia from 1762 to 1796, contemporaneous to the Revolution. The 18th century is a fascinating time in Russian history and Catherine is a really, really interesting lady. Totally go and read about her.

Anno 1790: A Swedish crime procedural set in 1790s Sweden and following Johann Däadh, a doctor recently roped into the police force. Däadh is a bit of a reformer, interested in the rights of man and giving everyone a chance to be heard. Costumes are fun, and there’s a really great slow-burn romance between two of the characters, one of whom is (gasp) married. This show only ran for one season, but it was a really, really good season.

If you’re still jonesing for period dramas after the rest of this list, here’s a lot of shows and tv series set during the Napoleonic Wars that are also totally worth your time - the Richard Sharpe miniseries, the Horatio Hornblower miniseries, the BBC’s War and Peace, Master and Commander, and then, of course, anything based on a Jane Austen novel.

Have fun!

[sabriputrinada]

Free Download How Stella Saved the Farm: A Tale About Making Innovation Happen audiobook free Book by Chris Trimble

[Book] How Stella Saved the Farm: A Tale About Making Innovation Happen audiobook free by Chris Trimble

How Stella Saved the Farm is a simple parable about making innovation happen. Written by the authors of the New York Times bestselling Reverse Innovation: Create Far From Home, Win Everywhere, Vijay Govindarajan and Chris Trimble.

This story resonates in organizations of all types—public sector, private sector, and social sector, from mammoth corporations to small organizations employing just a few dozen people.

The parable is about a farm in trouble. Bankruptcy, or the grim prospect of being acquired by a hostile competitor, threaten. The farm succeeds only if the team pulls together and innovates.

The main characters in the story—Stella, Deirdre, Bull, Mav, Einstein, Rambo, Maisie, and Andrea—are all like people you know, maybe even yourself. The tale includes an unexpected leadership challenge, an ambitious call to action, a bold idea, countless internal obstacles and conflicts, fears, joys, triumphs, and even a love interest.

It's a story that can be enjoyed by anyone. In How Stella Saved the Farm delivers eight simple lessons to guide innovation initiatives to success. It prepares business leaders to avoid some of innovation's most toxic myths, teaches how to build the right kind of team, and shows how to learn quickly from experience.

Free Download How Stella Saved the Farm: A Tale About Making Innovation Happen audiobook free by (Chris Trimble)

Duration: 2 hours, 30 minutes

Writer: Chris Trimble

Publisher: Macmillan Audio

Narrators: Ari Fliakos

Genres: Ari Fliakos

Rating: 4.33

Narrator Rating: 0

Publication: Friday, 01 March 2013

How Stella Saved the Farm: A Tale About Making Innovation Happen audiobook free Reviews

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[lanalcole-blog]

Author: Stella Tarakson

Genre: Children’s, chapter books, humor

Publisher: Sweet Cherry Publishing

Pub Date: February 22, 2018

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Synopsis:

Taken from NetGalley

Tim Baker thinks his adventures are over until he hitches a ride to Ancient Greece on a stolen vase. Soon Tim finds himself trapped with an army of peacocks and a hero who can’t stop admiring himself. Put that mirror down, Theseus!

Thank the gods his new friend Zoe is there to help. Just don’t tell her dad…

My Review:

I was excited to read the second book in the Hopeless Heroes series, Hera’s Terrible Trap. In the first book Tim meets Hercules when he breaks his mother’s antique Greek Vase, which breaks a curse that had Hercules trapped.

After repairing the vase, Tim is guarding it as best he can, but Hermès still manages to steal it and pulls Tim with it back to Ancient Greece. Tim makes friends with Hercules’ daughter Zoe and together they are off to recover the vase if they can, and hopefully find a way for Tim to get back home.

Along the way they encounter many mythological characters, Stheno, Perseus and Theseus. This book is just as fun as the first one! I highly recommend it for young readers! I can’t wait to read the rest. I would love to have this series on my bookshelf!

Thank you to Sweet Cherry Publishing and NetGalley for the chance to review this fun story, in exchange for my honest review. My opinions are my own.

Here is the first three books in the series.

Have you read this series?

  Happy Reading Friends!❤️

#colecampfireblog, #NetGalley, #bookbloggers, #bookreviews, #chapterbooks, #Hopelessheroes, #HerasTerribleTrap, #Sweetcherrypublishing,

    Book Review~ #Hopeless Heroes, #Hera’s Terrible Trap, #NetGalley, Author: Stella Tarakson Genre: Children’s, chapter books, humor Publisher: Sweet Cherry Publishing Pub Date: February 22, 2018…

[limelightsbooks]

Book Review: Fall by Kristen Callihan

Synopsis

The first time I met Jax Blackwood things went a little sideways. In my defense, I didn’t know he was Jax Blackwood—who expects a legendary rock star to be shopping for groceries? More importantly, a blizzard was coming and he was about to grab the last carton of mint-chocolate chip. Still, I might have walked away, but then he smugly dared me to try and take the coveted ice cream. So I kissed him. And distracted that mint-chip right out of his hands. Okay, it was a dirty move, but desperate times and all that. Besides, I never expected he’d be my new neighbor. An annoying neighbor who takes great pleasure in reminding me that I owe him ice cream but would happily accept more kisses as payment. An irresistible neighbor who keeps me up while playing guitar naked–spectacularly naked–in his living room. Clearly, avoidance is key. Except nothing about Jax is easy to ignore—not the way he makes me laugh, or that his particular brand of darkness matches mine, or how one look from him melts me faster than butter under a hot sun. Neither of us believes in love or forever. Yet we’re quickly becoming each other’s addiction. But we could be more. We could be everything. All we have to do is trust enough to fall.

Review

Rating: ★★★★★

I feel like it’s been an eternity since I’ve read a book by Kristen Callihan. I highly enjoyed the first two novels in this series, so I was overjoyed when this one came out. This is a standalone, but I would recommend to read the previous books before getting to Jax’s story.

I absolutely loved this book from start to finish. I found the relationship between Jax and Stella so beautiful. They were perfect together. The way they were written really made me connect with the characters. The dynamics between the two, and how they interacted with each other, was one of my favorite things in this book. The banter was absolute GOLD. 

I really appreciate the realistic way the author depicted the struggles of a character like Jax, who suffers from depression and anxiety. The slow burn romance was everything, and I just wanted more at the end. This is one of those books that makes you laugh, and swoon, and cry the further you go along with the story. I would definitely recommend this great addition to the series!

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41721680-fall?ac=1&from_search=true

[filtration-products]

The best green innovations of the week

A number of eye-catching and potentially transformational innovations have emerged that could help businesses and nations accelerate the transition to a low-carbon, resource-efficient economy. Here, edie rounds-up six of the best.

This week’s best innovations could drive significant change across the packaging, waste management and fashion industries

In the wake of a new PwC report revealing that the UK is leading the rest of the G20 nations in transitioning towards a low-carbon future by decoupling emissions from economic growth, UK-based sustainability professionals have undeniably had cause for celebration this week.

But the report also served to highlight the gap between the actions of businesses and nations and the pace of decarbonisation required if the world is to meet the aims of the Paris Agreement.

When striving to meet pressing climate targets, it is always worth looking at the green innovations of today that could become mainstream in the coming months and years. With this in mind, this week’s round-up covers a variety of ideas, concepts, products and systems that could help nations and businesses accelerate sustainability commitments.

Plastic-fighting bubbles

With the war on plastics showing no sign of slowing down, innovations designed to tackle the eight million tonnes of plastic finding its way into oceans annually are emerging at breakneck speed. Perhaps most notably, non-profit The Ocean Cleanup this summer deployed a 600-metre-long solar-powered device designed to collect debris of all sizes from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

Another potential solution to the plastics problem comes from Dutch startup The Great Bubble Barrier, which has created a marine air pump that traps debris before it leaves rivers and canals. The pump is set up on the river or canal bed, where it is fed with highly pressurised air. The air then rises from a series of vents along the tubing, creating a barrier of bubbles that is strong enough to trap plastics but weak enough to allow fish and ships to pass through.

Once the plastics are trapped, they are directed to the edge of the water so they can be removed for recycling. The Great Bubble Barrier carried out its first full-scale trial of the technology along a 200-metre-long stretch of the River IJssel last year. This week, it received €500,000 in funding from The Green Challenge to scale up its operations.

A closed-loop model for packaging

On the topic of plastics, packaging is arguably at the epicentre of the business-led plastic phase-outs which are beginning to take shape across the globe. A number of big-name brands have moved to use sugarcane-based bags, for example, while others have replaced all their packaging with card and paper alternatives.

However, Finnish startup RePack has gone one step further in creating a circular system which encourages customers to reuse their mailing bags. The company produces a range of fully recyclable mailing bags which encourages consumers to send them back in exchange for a discount on their next purchase – and is currently reporting a 60% return rate.

Once the mailing bags are collected, they are checked for quality and cleaned before being sent back to retailers for reuse. At the end of their life – which typically lasts 20 uses – the bags can be recycled, with new bags then produced by NGO Social Workers Association.

RePack has been running since 2011, but this week gained recognition from the John Lewis Partnership, which will now assess the feasibility of using its services for online orders.

FSC-certified fashion

Sustainable fashion has proved to be something of a hot topic this year, with innovations such as Reebok’s plant-based shoes and Thread’s recycled bottle backpack coming to market in recent months. In a further move to drive circularity within the fashion industry, chemical company Eastman has created a new kind of yarn made from 100% sustainably sourced wood pulp.

Called Naia, the fabric is produced using entirely closed-loop methods, with all solvents used in the manufacturing and dying process captured for reuse. Meanwhile, textile remnants are collected for recycling, reuse or sale, while wastewater is treated using a bioactive processing plant before being returned to local rivers.

The wood pulp sourced to create the fabric comes from 100% FSC or PEFC-certified sources, according to Eastman. The US-based firm claims that the fabric has a “silky” feel and that it can be washed along with other garments, releasing no plastic microfibres into the water stream in the process. 

Wearable energy generators

Although the adoption of kinetic power is still in its infancy, a number of technologies which combine renewable energy generation with fitness have emerged in recent times, such as SportsArt’s range of kinetic power treadmills, bikes and cross-trainers.

Following this trend, researchers at Pennsylvania State University and the University of Utah have created a wearable generator that harvests energy generated from movement. The device is about the same size as a regular wrist watch and can produce enough electricity to run a personal health monitoring system, provided that the wearer undertakes an hour or more of physical activity each day.

The team behind the prototype, which is made using a crystal material that is able to produce an electric current, believe it could eliminate the need for disposable batteries in fitness tracking devices. The researchers plan to investigate ways of doubling the device’s power output before upscaling production.

AI-powered bins

As the debate around whether the UK should introduce one recycling system across all local authorities amid apparent customer confusion surrounding labelling rolls on, one company has developed a solution which would eliminate the need for customers to read or understand recycling labels.

Polish startup Bin-e recently launched a bin which uses an artificial intelligence (AI) platform to sort recyclable items from non-recyclable rubbish. The device uses weight measurement, data processing and camera-led object recognition to compartmentalise glass, plastics, metals and card and paper, before compacting the contents of each of its compartments prior to waste collection.

Bin-e designed the device with office-based situations in mind and claims it will boost recycling rates while lowering waste collection frequencies – therefore cutting both costs and carbon emissions. The product is already on the market, with each bin costing around $5,800.

Vehicle-based air filters

With the World Health Organisation estimating that seven million people die every year as a result of exposure to airborne contaminants, the need to act on air pollution has never been clearer. Indeed, the UK’s polluted air was declared a “public health emergency” by MPs in 2016, with many urban areas having exceeded their annual air pollution limits just one week into 2018, largely due to road transport.

With this in mind, Danish firm Airlabs has developed a filtration system which removes airborne pollutants from the air inside vehicles. Called airbubbl, the nano-filter-based technology claims to remove 100% of toxic gases including CO2 and nitrous oxide (NOx). During trials, the removal rate averaged 95% across all pollutants.

The device is set to come to the market later this month after Airlabs received a $4m investment from holding firm SGO. The company previously fitted its filtration technology at three bus stop sites in central London as part of a campaign by The Body Shop and more recently installed a unit in Stella McCartney’s new Bond Street store.

Sarah George

Pertaining to our site: Filtration-Products.com site reports on the current stories, R&D and filtration parts fresh from the filter trade. Filtration-Products.com keeps you acquainted on treatment and all the major market techniques including string spun filters, pleated filtration, meltblown elements, bag filters, reverse osmosis filtration, from brands such as Hy-Pro appropriate for air filtration, and anything else the filtration trade has to inform.

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[enemarkgeisler11-blog]

Life On Sky Officially Introduces Collapse From Meerkat.

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Given its own measurements and because this are going to release in Nov, when the Nano is going to likely be actually either readily available for Android or even incoming, this is pretty very likely that the Air will certainly be a little bit even more feature-rich and higher conclusion. I usually deal with a triple-monitor setup, therefore using the MacBook Air carries out really feel a little suffocating. Henry Reich takes you via the globe of organic sensations and makes discovering science cool once more. Men dressed in whites bathrobes as well as high hats spinning in circles does not sound as fantastic as keeping up the upwards or even dance at Rio's Carnival, yet the chance to check out the Swirling Dervishes will definitely alter you in a way you would certainly never expect. Away from the offered items, the Air Computer mouse technology works with a quantum leap toward this end. While you must learn how to read the aid file phrase structure, if you are ever before not sure about a specific criterion just adjoin -Full throughout of your acquire help demand and also scroll down to the guidelines part, where that will inform you a little bit more about each guideline. Add to this unlawful sceneries from episode 2 (6.4 m flows) and also incident 3 (4.6 m streams), as well as you've obtained a GT total from 18.9 million morally dubious downloads. Motorola the producer ought to carry out one thing correct this, 2. closeness sensing unit - This looks like this component which was on call in G1 has been actually removed. However, that's a lot more vital to me that they discover how to think and also ways to be actually lifelong students. Essentially these abilities are going to give them a true conveniences in an active affordable globe ... and they only may create something really awesome en route. 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And also yes that features my 11 + 9 + 1.5 hr tours in order to get back to NZ to go to the household. I really did not discover it at university ... I was actually essentially a little one that just adored computing and also the internet, therefore what I performed was more or less merely investigated and also looked up just what was the very best program, as well as I started discovering how you can use Sony Las vega. And if you intend to begin learning a foreign language without devoting a dime, it's an exceptional spot to start. I have sky III 64 (M5C6) so I am actually reluctant considering that I do not know if this works and also I am actually pretty certain I will certainly loose Microsoft window. I have actually saved a little bit on AirBnB A Visitor's Tales: Ways to Conserve Money On Your Following Excursion Along with AirBnB A Visitor's Stories: Ways to Conserve Money On Your Next Trip With AirBnB Our experts are constantly excited to cut costs while traveling. The most extensive time frame from development in the vaults holdings were during The second world war when countries at the cutting edge from the struggles that desired to safeguard their gold reserves did this through surreptitiously delivering all of them to the safes deep underneath New york. Trainees discover how to acknowledge hate pep talk by reviewing a write-up or even next to evaluating a short video clip. With the aid of a brand-new growth in the world of axe technology, having said that, I reckon I would certainly have stood a better opportunity. Having said that, as opposed to public opinion, carrying out the exact same trait over and over again may certainly not be actually one of the most effective way to learn overseas principles. Aliens, UFOs, Employers as well as a plethora of other dangers are actually out to cease you and do not forget to watch on your diminishing Air Source! Navigation is actually tremendously basic, though children who are actually simply starting to learn English may possess issue observing the spoken guidelines. One Los Angeles-based provider is participating in in to tourists' nostalgia for an even more elegant age from flight. The questionnaire additionally found that 11 per cent of males pay for through money in order that this performs not show up in bank or even bank card claims. http://invaloaredecumparare.com/bactefort-de-unde-sa-cumpere-mai-ieftin-de-ce-acest-produs-compozitia-comentarii/ feature English, Spanish, French, simplified Mandarin, as well as German, so the book app could be utilized with kids knowing a mother tongue or along with any grow older learning new languages. 3 sided memory cards are actually also assisted - for instance while learning a new language, one commonly must remember words, the meaning, and also its own pronunciation - therefore, three sided cards for the three distinction components. You can really conform and fly around in innovative method, adhering to the boundary of your planet and packing new data. Provides an outstanding personal computer experience that educates children about the world. Transmitting documents from my Acer W700 to the P98 Sky was actually extremely swiftly, more than two times the rate of to the DICE Talk 9X, thanks to both the USB 3.0 port and also the eMMC storage space the Slate carries board. Expense Owens, the daddy of the fallen Naval force Tape, has called the raid a dumb objective" as well as required an inspection in to the operation He refused to consult with Trump when both guys goned on the culture when Ryan Owens' body system was actually removed the airplane at Dover Air Force Base. This can be an obstacle for Flower (articulated through Shelter Paschall), Stella (Jessica Paquet ), Vegetation (Eileen Stevens ), Musa (Kate Bristol), Aisha (Alysha Deslorieux), and Tecna (Saskia Maarleveld) yet say goodbye to thus compared to concealing their enchanting trick off the globe as they attempt to lure the villain to all of them.

At that price, that was actually taking on even more functional and qualified activities devices, where there are informative games available, furthermore video games that typically aren't primarily informative, yet perform possess advantages for understanding. Our company spent a great deal of opportunity tuning the engine for 3.0 and also will continue to enhance this later on. The Octopus Sensei are going to present you to many aspects from Oriental that you'll discover throughout your opportunity with the application and also everything is actually simple to follow.

[melaniem54]

A Stella Recent Release Review: Five Dares by Eli Easton

A Stella Recent Release Review: Five Dares by Eli Easton

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Andy Tyler has been the class daredevil since middle school. Over the years, he’s convinced his best friend, Jake Masterson, to perform some dangerous-looking stunts with him. But the dare they attempt on the night of their college graduation goes sideways. The firecrackers explode too soon and both of them end up with badly burned palms.

But hey, nothing gets the…

[fictioncareercreativity]

Into The Future/Afterlife Freestyle Creative Fiction Series episode two by Stella CarrierJuly 12, 2018Into The Future/Afterlife Freestyle Creative Fiction Series episode two by Stella Carrier

Into The Future/Afterlife Freestyle Creative Fiction Series episode two by Stella CarrierJuly 12, 2018Into The Future/Afterlife Freestyle Creative Fiction Series episode two by Stella Carrier start time Greetings it is the year 2123 and I Marilyn Greer am the adopted sister of Irvin Olson. Many people have told me that I look like singer Monica from the 2000s in her Angel of Mine music video and I have two older adoptive sisters one of them looks like Duffy in her Mercy music video and the other sister looks like Amy Macdonald in her This is the Life music area. I work in a neighboring mall in Switzerland for half of the week as a cook in the various eating places and for the other half of the week I cater for various food menus for party events in Australia.  I am able to do this as both malls are affiliated with the same company and I travel both places via train within the 24 hr train service that was added. However the difference between Irvin Olson and myself is that I live in a home in Australia. However, Irvin Olson and some of my friends from various parts of the world try to coordinate schedules to meet up with each other in halfway points for both of us. For instance last year, we both met up at  food truck cities in both Maryland and Virginia as he was also visiting some friends in those areas. These food truck cities also have their own libraries and concert arenas and both music and storytelling museums. Speaking of Storytelling, I was encouraged by both multiple friends and family members to write one of the stories I shared with them. Much to my surprise I  just found out today that at least one company wants to use a fictional story I wrote on an 8 year old cooking prodigy for an animated film. This film is going to take place in one of the storytelling museums which I have been invited to speak at within the next hour or less. Part of what inspired my storytelling and cooking fusion Less than 2 weeks ago I had a sleeptime dream where I was standing in front of a school like building and was being escorted by a female who said that she was a secret sister of Merlin. Before I can ask her more she escorts me into a classroom that looked to have at least 200 other male and female spirits who were watching a live play being performed in the classroom of an 8 year old girl who writes her own cooking books and mentors both other young people and even other adults on the imagination and intuitive skills she has learned from her celestial spirit guides. Some of the things I have seen are even before my waking life. I try to ask more on who she is just out of well meaning inquiry and she replies to me that she has been ordered by 33 of her male spirit guides and my celestial male spirit guides combined to avoid giving me too many details for the time being yet to at least write about her and that she is at least allowed to disclose that her and I had the same mother in one of her lifetimes together over 1800 years ago in another world. I tried to tell some of my family members in waking life they fortunately believed me yet they also playfully teased me and wondered if my subconscious was trying to gently resolve my feelings of belonging and being adopted on top of being intuitively aware of a child that someone I was close to miscarried less than 2 decades ago. However the sleeptime female cooking prodigy I just referenced pledged to tell me more details about her and her life within the next 2 months andor less. Within the next 2 weeks andor less-more details on this 8 year old cooking prodigy and at least one andor more of her celestial spirit guides andor guardian angels both connected to her and Marilyn Greer resourceshttps://www.fantasynamegenerators.com/20th-century-english-names.php#.Wx8w1-4vycw I am definitely in the minority with my comment as I rate Tom Cruise as both a highly gifted man and a charismatic man. Yes I do intend to watch both his Mission Impossible and Top Gun films as well. Aside From That, even though it was scandalous for Katie Holmes to pair up with Tom Cruises's best friend, I could easily understand and guess why she is holding on to her romantic union with Jamie Foxx as he also seems to be a charismatic and self confident man as well. https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/m/41731742-fed0-32c8-a2ec-79d5a684a19a/ss_katie-holmes-is-%27smitten%27-and.html Katie Holmes Jamie Fox Despite His Partying With Other Women by Annita Katyhttps://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/m/41731742-fed0-32c8-a2ec-79d5a684a19a/ss_katie-holmes-is-%27smitten%27-and.html http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-5944247/Katie-Holmes-smitten-let-Jamie-Foxx-despite-humiliating-acts.htmlKatie Holmes Jamie Fox Despite His Partying With Other Women by Annita Katyhttp://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-5944247/Katie-Holmes-smitten-let-Jamie-Foxx-despite-humiliating-acts.html http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2018/07/11/katie-holmes-smitten-with-jamie-foxx-wont-let-go-relationship-report-says.html      Katie Holmes Jamie Fox Despite His Partying With Other Women    by Zoe Szathmary Fox Newshttp://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2018/07/11/katie-holmes-smitten-with-jamie-foxx-wont-let-go-relationship-report-says.html Some of the suggestions featured such as expanded food courts, pop-up stores, supermarkets, and hotels would probably appeal to both many residents of an area as well as tourists, the Tyson's Corner Center Mall in Mclean Virginia, the Westfield Wheaton shopping mall in Wheaton Maryland, the Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda Maryland and the Pentagon City mall in Arlington Virginia are some of the malls that I can think of right off the bat that have some of the features that Daniel N. Kline informatively includes. This is also why I am far from surprised that both of these malls and the businesses near them seem to be super popular with both residents and tourists to these places.https://finance.yahoo.com/news/16-ways-malls-filling-space-112917991.html16 Ways Malls Are Filling Space by Daniel B Klinehttps://finance.yahoo.com/news/16-ways-malls-filling-space-112917991.html amazon yahooThe 10 dollar credit on Amazon online in exchange for purchasing 10 dollars worth of groceries at Whole Foods is a worthwhile from Amazon. One reason why I like this deal is because it is something that both  casual customers of Amazon and Amazon fans can benefit from. https://finance.yahoo.com/video/amazon-prime-day-whole-foods-205248316.htmlAmazon's Prime Day and Whole Foods by Yahoo Finance Videohttps://finance.yahoo.com/video/amazon-prime-day-whole-foods-205248316.html I admit that I intend to see about utilizing Amazon Prime Day on July 16th. I admit as a woman blessed to be able to pay out of pocket I am looking forward the most to seeing some of the Amazon prime videos that are on discounted sale and the 10 dollar online credit for any 10 dollar purchase from Whole Foods. Even my husband thought the 10 dollar online credit was a good deal when I mentioned it to him.https://www.cnbc.com/2018/06/26/amazon-prime-day-kick-off-july-16.htmlAmazon's Prime Day Will Run Longer Than Ever This Year starting July 16 by Lauren Thomashttps://www.cnbc.com/2018/06/26/amazon-prime-day-kick-off-july-16.html I definitely look forward to trying the Taco Bell Nacho Fries again. https://www.msn.com/en-us/foodanddrink/foodnews/taco-bells-nacho-fries-are-finally-back-today/ar-AAzZ790Taco Bell's Nacho Fries Are Finally Back Today by James Chrismanhttps://www.msn.com/en-us/foodanddrink/foodnews/taco-bells-nacho-fries-are-finally-back-today/ar-AAzZ790I can easily understand why Tyson's Corner Center mall in Mclean Virginia made this list.https://www.travelandleisure.com/slideshows/americas-most-visited-shopping-mallsAmericas Most Visited Shopping Malls by Joe Yogerst December 2, 2011https://www.travelandleisure.com/slideshows/americas-most-visited-shopping-malls I saw a microsoft news article and a free local newspaper article on her widely discussed forbes story, her success is undeniable yet my logic/creative intuition is influencing me to avoid commenting further.https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/kylie-jenner-forbes-cover-youngest-made-billionaire-1126269Kylie Jenner Covers Forbes by Lindsay Weinberg 07/11/2018https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/kylie-jenner-forbes-cover-youngest-made-billionaire-1126269I admit that finding this success story on Ashley Graham starring on season 2 of American Beauty is inspiring.https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/ashley-graham-host-american-beauty-star-season-2-1126337Ashley Graham To Host Executive Produce American Beauty Star Season 2 by Lindsay Weinberghttps://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/ashley-graham-host-american-beauty-star-season-2-1126337I am glad that the Taco Bell Nacho Fries Are Back and I intend to buy some within the next 48 hours or less of this online writing. Fortunately my husband is coming along too.https://finance.yahoo.com/news/taco-bell-nacho-fries-watch-180651736.htmlTaco Bell Nacho Fries by Karl Utermohlenhttps://finance.yahoo.com/news/taco-bell-nacho-fries-watch-180651736.html This list does include an abundant amount of information on at least some of the U.S. navy aircraft carriers. I remember temporarily being on one of the aircraft carriers featured in this article the USS Nimitz (around 2004)because the North Island California helicopter squadron I was stationed at through the navy sometimes went with the USS Nimitz for certain schedules. Imagine my surprise years later when I unexpectedly came across a documentary that features what life on the USS Nimitz is like through multiple men and women featured in a tv series called Carrier season 1. I do like that the author featured some of the aircraft carriers across multiple time periods including the modern time period.https://www.yahoo.com/news/100-years-u-aircraft-carrier-124900518.html100 Years of the U.S. Aircraft Carrier by Matthew Moss Popular Mechanics May 22, 2018https://www.yahoo.com/news/100-years-u-aircraft-carrier-124900518.html https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/navy-ships/a20777802/history-of-the-aircraft-carrier/How The American Aircraft Carrier Became King of the Seas by Matthew Moss Popular Mechanics May 22, 2018https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/navy-ships/a20777802/history-of-the-aircraft-carrier/ yahoo food trucksI am glad that Yahoo listed this 101 best food trucks link to reference in the Daily Meal especially since I realize I accessed a link that features 10 of the food trucks.https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/slideshow-101-best-food-trucks-180732018.htmlSlideshow 101 Best Food Trucks in America 2017 by The Daily Meal April 20, 2017https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/slideshow-101-best-food-trucks-180732018.htmlInteresting in a good way if the reunion does happen yet might be just a rumor until confirmed realityhttps://fox43.com/2018/07/11/led-zeppelin-is-reportedly-considering-a-reunion-for-its-50th-anniversary/ Led Zeppelin Reunion by Keith Schweigert https://fox43.com/2018/07/11/led-zeppelin-is-reportedly-considering-a-reunion-for-its-50th-anniversary/ more details on the Top Gun 2 filmhttps://www.express.co.uk/entertainment/films/986541/Top-Gun-2-location-filming-where-Top-Gun-sequel-maverick-filmed-san-diegoTop Gun 2 Location by Gabriella Geisingerhttps://www.express.co.uk/entertainment/films/986541/Top-Gun-2-location-filming-where-Top-Gun-sequel-maverick-filmed-san-diego I originally saw this food truck link in microsoft newshttps://blog.cheapism.com/most-popular-food-trucks/50 Food Trucks Worth Following In Every City by Andrew Lisahttps://blog.cheapism.com/most-popular-food-trucks/ This list features cheap restaurants across the U.S. I admit that I just today knew about the restaurant featured for Maryland.https://blog.cheapism.com/cheap-restaurants-in-every-state-4064/#image=21Americas Best Cheap Eats by Louis DeNicolahttps://blog.cheapism.com/cheap-restaurants-in-every-state-4064/#image=21 That strawberry cheesecake pictured in this Virginian Pilot article looks delish.https://pilotonline.com/life/flavor/restaurants/article_6e9d7f90-8489-11e8-9515-27ab5d455cea.htmlTop 5 Deals and Meals of Downtown Norfolk Restaurant Week by Matthew Korfhagehttps://pilotonline.com/life/flavor/restaurants/article_6e9d7f90-8489-11e8-9515-27ab5d455cea.html msn food trucks I can easily understand why Washington D.C. made the food truck list.https://www.msn.com/en-us/foodanddrink/foodnews/the-top-10-food-truck-cities-in-the-usa/ss-BBJeXaY Top 10 Food Truck Cities In The USA by Amanda McCoy Popsugar 6/25/2018https://www.msn.com/en-us/foodanddrink/foodnews/the-top-10-food-truck-cities-in-the-usa/ss-BBJeXaY https://www.popsugar.com/smart-living/Best-US-Cities-Food-Trucks-44289246Top 10 Food Truck Cities In The USA by Amanda McCoy Popsugar 6/25/2018https://www.popsugar.com/smart-living/Best-US-Cities-Food-Trucks-44289246 songs for me to keep in mind; Sensitized by Kylie Minogue, Rendez-Vu by Basement Jaxx, Mercy by Duffy, Magic by Robin Thicke, This Is The Life by Amy MacDonald, one in a million by aaliyah, Angel of Mine by Monica,Adore by Miguel I preface sharing this freestyle story that I am doing as creative writing therapy both to show appreciation for all who look at my online writings yet to also make this clear; I am humbly and modestly touched at an online communication I received pertaining to someone who wants to become a career coach. However with both modest and brave intent, I must make it clear that I do not plan to become a career coach as I sense that I am destined for a career path(s) completely different from career coach. Rather, I am writing this for other reasons pertaining to wanting to be employed as a career coach one of the reasons I feel comfortable sharing  that my creative fiction genre freestyle writings are a form of creative writing therapy. Additionally, I notice that the more I write, the more my wiser parts of my logic and creative intuition are activated/increase for the benefit of the wisdom I seek for greater knowledge and application of that knowledge in various areas of my life both offline and online.With that out of the way, here is today’s mini story I Stella Carrier Humbly Call Upon What I Imagine To Be The Influence of Benevolent Spirits From the Heavenly Realms, my higher self, and my celestial spirit ally team for creativity in both my writings and all other areas of my life both present and future. I also welcome any and all forms of spiritual assistance and divine intervention in all areas of my life both present and future. I Stella Carrier give thanks for the blessing of a sweet and handsome husband who is supportive of my education and career goals for both present and future.I Stella Carrier feel blessed to be an American born woman who has the freedom to live wherever I desire within the United States regardless of my economic andor career situation.Every Day I Stella Carrier Become More Creative, Intuitive, and Imaginative.Each Day I Stella Carrier increase my self-confidence and become more proficient with sharpening my genius and writing abilities.

[abandonnedfantrashheap]

I received an ARC of Imagine Us Happy by Jennifer Yu (yes, that is the author of Four Weeks, Five People) in exchange for my honest review. So a big thank-you to @netgalley and to Harlequin Teen @inkyardpress for the early read. . ❄️SYNOPSIS❄️ Stella lives with depression, and her goals for junior year are pretty much limited to surviving her classes, staying out of her parents’ constant fights and to hang out with her friends Lin and Katie. Until Kevin. A quiet, wry senior who understands Stella and the lows she’s going through like no one else. With him, she feels understood and less lonely. But to keep that feeling, Stella lets her grades go and her friendships slide. And soon she sees just how deep Kevin’s own scars go. Now little arguments are shattering.. And trying to hold it all together is exhausting Stella past the breaking point. . 💚REVIEW💚 Happy #mentalhealthmonday Booknerds (as hosted by the ever clever, @wherebookscollide)! Today, we’re talking mental illness… So let’s start off with a content warning for emotionally toxic/abusive relationships and depression. This story really accurately depicted the spiral that mental health can often feel like! Stella suffers with depression, and finds herself in a toxic romantic relationship without being able to tell that it is actually abuse. Our love interest suffers his own mental illness, and we see how possessive and unhealthy a relationship (that started out passionate and stary-eyed) can become! We really experience the highs and lows that Stella feels – both with her depression and from her relationship. This story was gut-wrenching and emotional! It will make you cry and it will make you smile! The non-linear story line, introduces us to the story from the end and works it’s way back, really enforcing the idea that Hindsight is always 20/20! I really enjoyed (maybe “enjoyed” isn’t the right word since I was an emotional wreck the entire time) this read and would highly suggest it to anyone who appreciates passionate and sensitive contemporaries! . Rating: 4.5⭐️ Release Date: Already released . https://www.instagram.com/p/BqYNNZzHV0D/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1vusonw6a92v9

[cover2covermom]

I knew after having a record month in January that I was setting myself up for failure in February.  I am going to blame the fact that I went on vacation AND it was a short month.  Yes, that’s it!  Despite all that, I still managed to complete 8 books.  It’s not the 11 books I read in January, but I’ll take it!

Let’s see which books I read and which ones I acquired in February shall we?

*Book titles link to Goodreads

What I read in February:

» A Sparrow in Terezin by Kristy Cambron

Summary of feelings: Much like The Butterfly and the Violin, Kristy Cambron has a very refreshing take on WWII fiction in this book.   I love learning new aspects about WWII which was such horrific time in our world’s history.  Cambron has��a way of finding the beauty (art) in the darkest of places.  I had no idea that thousands of pieces of art were created by children in the Terezin concentration camp.  These drawings, created with smuggled art supplies, were hidden and later retrieved.  This artwork can now be viewed at the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington D.C.  Similar to my feelings of The Butterfly and the Violin, I was not a big fan of the story line that took place in present time, but really enjoyed the storyline that occurs in the past.  In my opinion, both books would have benefited without Sera’s story, but this book especially.

*Part of my SOKY Book Fest TBR

» State of Wonder by Ann Patchett

Summary of feelings: My first Ann Patchett book!  I really loved the premise of this book: a drug company is developing a top secret drug in the Amazon when a company representative dies under suspicious circumstances… I don’t believe I’ve ever read a book set in the Amazon, so I was very excited to pick this book up.  Now this book was very slow to get going, but once our main character reaches the Amazon, things really picked up.  The cast of characters in the book were not likeable, which added to the suspense of the book because you questioned everyone’s motives.  HOWEVER if you need to like or connect to characters to like a book, you may want to skip this one.  I really struggled with my rating for this one as I did have some issues with it, but on the other hand I did enjoy it.  I would probably say my rating is 3.5 stars rounded up to 4

State of Wonder would make for a fantastic film adaptation…

*Part of my SOKY Book Fest TBR

» When the Sea Turned to Silver by Grace Lin

Summary of feelings:  What a beautiful middle grade book filled with Chinese mythology and folklore!  I was fully immersed in this ode to storytelling.  I also adored the gorgeous illustrations included, and only wished there were more… I know, I’m greedy.

*You can read my review here → Kids’ Corner: Diverse Middle Grade Books in Review (Feb 2017) #DiverseKidLit

» The Wolf Road by Beth Lewis

Summary of feelings: This book was way outside my comfort zone, but I am so glad I gave it a go!  Despite the fact that this book made me very queasy at times (blood makes me faint), I am shocked at how addicting this book was.  How can I describe this book to you?  I would classify this one as a “post-apocalyptical psychological thriller wilderness survival story”… is that a genre?  As you can tell, this book doesn’t fit into a specific genre, but has elements of multiple genres.

*Review to come!

» Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

Summary of feelings:  That’s right y’all.  I read a book in verse.  Surprised?  Me too.  You want to know something even more surprising?  I really enjoyed it!   I even put sticky notes into the passages I felt spoke the most to me.

*Review to come!

» The Crystal Ribbon by Celeste Lim

Summary of feelings:  Set in medieval China, The Crystal Ribbon is the story of Jing who is sold into an arranged marriage to be the wife and nursemaid to a 3-year-old little boy.  Life with the Koh’s is not a happy existence, but things get even worse when the Koh’s sell Jing into an even worse situation in order to pay off some debts… Jing decides she must escape and find her way back to her family and the home she grew up in.  I absolutely adored this middle grade book, though I think this book would appeal more to a older middle grade – YA audience.  Since this book only just came out in January, and it is a debut novel, I have not seen anyone else talking about this book yet.  I’m going to need SOMEONE to pick this one up soon.  I would recommend this book to fans of Thanhha Lai and Grace Lin.

*Review to come!

» Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai

Summary of feelings:  My second Thanhha Lai book and I enjoyed this one just as much as Listen Slowly.  I really enjoyed reading a refugee experience, especially since Thanhha Lai went through this herself and states that she shared many of the same experiences that our main character Hà experienced as an immigrant to the U.S. during the Vietnam War.  This was my second book in verse that I read this month, the other one being Brown Girl Dreaming.

*Review to come!

» Symptoms of Being Human by Jeff Garvin

Summary of feelings:  I picked this one up hoping to learn what exactly what gender fluid meant.  You all know how much I sometimes struggle with the YA genre, but I am here to tell you that Symptoms of Being Human is YA done right!  Not only was I educated about all kinds of LGBTQIA+ issues and terminology that I didn’t previously understand, but I was also highly entertained while I was learning.  This book also goes into some deeper issues like suicide, hate crimes, bullying, etc etc, but also has some lighter moments with a touch of romance, friendships, and family relationships.

*You can read my review here → Diverse Young Adult Books in Review: Aristotle and Dante & Symptoms of Being Human

Book Reviews:

Book Review: The Girls by Emma Cline

  Book Review: Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult

Kids’ Corner: Why You Should Read George by Alex Gino with Your Kids

Kids’ Corner: Buy, Borrow, or Pass – Children’s Picture Books (February 2017)

Kids’ Corner: Diverse Middle Grade Books in Review (Feb 2017) #DiverseKidLit

Diverse Young Adult Books in Review: Aristotle and Dante & Symptoms of Being Human

Other Posts:

January 2017 Wrap-Up + Book Haul

February 2017 TBR

Book Event: Brit Bennett, Author of The Mothers

Challenge Updates:

 » Goodreads Challenge

» Diversity Bingo 2017

» I was able to knock out another 5 squares on #DiversityBingo2017!  That is a total of 10 squares.  This month I completed…

• Immigrant or Refugee MC → Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai #OwnVoices

• Black MC (Own Voices) → Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson #OwnVoices

• MC of Color in SFF → When the Sea Turned to Silver by Grace Lin #OwnVoices

• Own Voices → The Crystal Ribbon by Celeste Lim #OwnVoices

• Free Choice → Symptoms of Being Human by Jeff Garvin (Gender Fluid MC)

» Last month (January) I completed..

• MC w/ chronic pain → Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo #OwnVoices

• MC w/ an under-represented body → 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl by Mona Awad

• Diverse non-fiction → Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly

• POC on the cover → Stella by Starlight by Sharon M. Draper

• Non-western (real world) setting → Listen, Slowly by Thanhha Lai #OwnVoices

*Not sure if this challenge is like traditional BINGO where you only need to get a line to “win,” but I’m going for a cover-all

February 2017 Book Haul:

  » A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

» A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab

» The Mothers by Brit Bennett *Signed Copy

» Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman *Signed Copy

*Yes that ugly circular spot on my book is STICKER GLUE!  WHY?!?! Anyone want to let me in on the secret to remove this from my book?!

» The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas *Pre-Ordered

» Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris

So about that 2017 book buying ban… I failed miserably this month, HOWEVER in my defense my ban does not apply to book/author events, which three of these books technically qualify for.   I attended an author even for Brit Bennett, author of The Mothers, so obviously I bought a copy to get signed.  You can read about my experience here → Book Event: Brit Bennett, Author of The Mothers.  I am also attending the V.E. Schwab’s book tour for A Conjuring of Light, so I HAD to purchase the first two books (hardback of course) for her to sign along with A Conjuring of Light… Then we have Norse Mythology.  When I was in the bookstore for the Brit Bennett event, it just so happened to be release day for Norse Mythology.  It was a signed copy ok?  Who would walk away from a signed Neil Gaiman book?!  It was out of my hands!

Which books did you read in February?

Did you buy any books? Which ones?

Comment below and let me know :)

See what I read in February and my #BookHaul in my #Wrapup post! #BookBlogger #Bookworm I knew after having a record month in January that I was setting myself up for failure in February. 

[melaniem54]

Review Tour for Eli Easton's How To Save A Life (Howl at The Moon #4)

Review Tour for Eli Easton’s How To Save A Life (Howl at The Moon #4)

  Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK    Length: 80,000 words   Cover Design: Reese Dante   Howl At The Moon Series   How To Howl At The Moon (Book #1) Amazon US | Amazon UK How To Walk Like A Man (Book #2) Amazon US | Amazon UK How To Wish Upon A Star (Book #3) Amazon US | Amazon UK   Blurb

Rav Miller looked into the terrified, intelligent eyes of the chocolate Labrador on death row, and knew…