Book Review/Tour/Giveaway - A Dolly For Christmas by Kimberly Schlapman

 

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the A DOLLY FOR CHRISTMAS by Kimberly Schlapman Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

 

About the Book:

Title: A DOLLY FOR CHRISTMAS

Author: Kimberly Schlapman, Morgan Huff (Illustrations)

Pub. Date: October 6, 2020

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Formats: Hardcover, eBook

Pages: 40

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD, Bookshop.org

From the founding member of Grammy Award-winning country music band Little Big Town, discover the heartwarming true story of a family's Christmas miracle. Cover includes sparkly Christmas glitter!

All Daisy wants for Christmas is a little brother or sister. Her parents have tried everything to make her dream come true, but nothing is working. So Daisy takes matters into her own hands, praying every day and writing a letter to Santa Claus about her one and only wish.

Daisy's parents are touched by her strong belief and grateful for her help, but as they explain, sometimes you have to wait. God will give you the perfect gift when the time is right.

In this heartwarming holiday tale, Kimberly Schlapman shares the true story of the Christmas when her family became whole.

 

My Thoughts: A beautiful true story of a little girls wish of having a baby sibling and how she prayed over it all the time and never gave up hope. Wonderful and inspirational illustrated book about a Christmas miracle.

 

About Kimberly:

Kimberly Schlapman is a founding member of the Grammy Award-winning band Little Big Town. She is also the author of Oh Gussie!: Cooking and Visiting in Kimberly's Southern Kitchen, and hosted the cooking show Kimberly Simply Southern. A Dolly for Christmas is her debut children's book.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

 

About Morgan:

Morgan Huff has been creating art ever since she could hold a pencil. She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a focus in illustration, and she finds inspiration in nature, animals, and the joy of simple yet beautiful moments. She invites you to find her online at morgansketch.com.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

 

Giveaway Details:

3 winners will receive a finished copy of A DOLLY FOR CHRISTMAS, US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

10/5/2020	YABooksCentral	Excerpt
10/5/2020	The Momma Spot	Review
10/6/2020	Bookhounds YA	Excerpt
10/6/2020	Nerdophiles	Review
10/7/2020	Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers	Review
10/7/2020	Gimme The Scoop Reviews	Review
10/8/2020	Simply Daniel Radcliffe	Review
10/8/2020	Little Red Reads	Review
10/9/2020	minnesota_mailer	Review
10/9/2020	Fictitious.fox	Review

Book Review - Purity by Jackson Pearce

Purity by Jackson Pearce

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Favorite Book Quote:  "If you're trying to make love and you end up getting laid, you'll be disappointed."

Synopsis: A novel about love, loss, and sex -- but not necessarily in that order.

Before her mother died, Shelby promised three things: to listen to her father, to love as much as possible, and to live without restraint. Those Promises become harder to keep when Shelby's father joins the planning committee for the Princess Ball, an annual dance that ends with a ceremonial vow to live pure lives -- in other words, no "bad behavior," no breaking the rules, and definitely no sex.

Torn between Promises One and Three, Shelby makes a decision -- to exploit a loophole and lose her virginity before taking the vow. But somewhere between failed hookup attempts and helping her dad plan the ball, Shelby starts to understand what her mother really meant, what her father really needs, and who really has the right to her purity.

My Thoughts: Purity has sat on my shelves for a good while now and when the new year rang in and I was making my January TBR I said how fitting it would be to read it in January on the notion of being "pure" and it being a fresh new year.

Anyhow I liked the writing style and it was easy to read and a quick read and there were things I liked like the ending but I can't say much about that even though it was kinda predictable. I did enjoy "The List" though and how Shelby's friends helped her with that but I didn't necessarily condone some of the things on the list but again not much I can elaborate on there without spoilers.

The story was okay. I think my issue with it is I really couldn't relate much to Shelby. I just have never known anybody who took things so literally I suppose. It was still a fun read.


View all my reviews

Review - Stranger With My Face by Lois Duncan

Stranger With My Face by Lois Duncan
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Published: April 19, 2011
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 235 pages
Format: Paperback
Source: Bought
Rating: 4/5
Author Site: Lois Duncan

Have you ever been haunted by the feeling that someone is spying on you, lurking around your house and yard, even entering your bedroom? Are your friends plotting against you when they say they've seen you do things you know you haven't done? What's going on -- and does Laurie really want to find out?

In one word - Freaky! I stayed up way past my bedtime to finish this story! It was really scary in a neat way. I totally freaked when she was sitting in front of the mirror and her image smiled at her and she realized that she herself was NOT smiling! Ohhhh I love it when things like that happens in movies and it sent a chill over me while reading it here as well!

I despised Laurie's so called friends and boyfriend. I'm like all they had to do if they cared at all was ask her family if she had been home sick but instead they would rather doubt her. That's just not a friend to me which it more or less says she was only a member of their crowd on accounts of her popular boyfriend anyhow but still...

I was not overly excited about "part" of the ending but if I explain I will be spoiling it for anybody whose not read it so I will leave it at that.

Review - Hate List by Jennifer Brown

Hate List by Jennifer Brown
Released: October 5, 2010
Publisher: Little Brown
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 432 pages
Format: Paperback
Source: Bought
Author Site: Jennifer Brown

Five months ago, Valerie Leftman's boyfriend, Nick, opened fire on their school cafeteria. Shot trying to stop him, Valerie inadvertently saved the life of a classmate, but was implicated in the shootings because of the list she helped create. A list of people and things she and Nick hated. The list he used to pick his targets.

Now, after a summer of seclusion, Val is forced to confront her guilt as she returns to school to complete her senior year. Haunted by the memory of the boyfriend she still loves and navigating rocky relationships with her family, former friends and the girl whose life she saved, Val must come to grips with the tragedy that took place and her role in it, in order to make amends and move on with her life.

This was Valerie's story but I could so easily see my younger self and lots of other folks in her and Nick's places. Highschool is hard and I dont mean just academic wise. As Jennifer said lots of folks will believe this story is about a school shooting but it's not. The shooting is the end result of ignorance. Kinda like a pimple that has grown to its extreme and must burst to let out all its poisons.

Nick is portrayed as a villain because he was the one who shot everybody but when it really boils down to it he was just as much if not more so the biggest victim of them all. Dont think I am condoning what he did, but you cant ignore what drove him to it. He didnt just say ok today I think I am gonna shoot up some people.

Valerie is left to pick up the pieces not just of her life but of those around her. Even her own parents have awkward feelings towards her, though she was not the shooter but in fact a hero for stopping the shooting as quickly as it began and blocking one of the intended victims. Valerie's therapist keeps telling her to "See whats really there." I pondered on that statement for a long while during my reading and it made me reflect back to some of my own highschool experiences and the people I "thought" I hated. It's hard when your in a situation to be able to step outside of it and analyze it sometimes but this story made me think about that.

My thoughts are I believe Valerie to be a good person and feel the hate list was just her way of coping with her feelings, by writing them down. I dont think she would have ever done anything further with the list, whereas Nick felt he had to take action...had to remove what he "thought" were his problems.

Jennifer has done a remarkable job of expressing feelings and views from both sides of the equation here and I highly recommend that everybody not just young adults should read this book! If you've ever been bullied, pushed around, felt hatrid, or if you've even been a bully yourself, READ THIS BOOK.

Jennifer's second young adult book, Bitter End, about is available now.