ALPHATUDES: THE ALPHABET OF GRATITUDE by Michele Wahlder

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ALPHATUDES: THE ALPHABET OF GRATITUDE
Author: Michele Wahlder
Source: The Cadence Group
* I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review*
  • Paperback: 128 pages
  • Publisher: Life Possibilities Publishing (January 15, 2010)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0982364504
  • ISBN-13: 978-0982364505
SYNOPSIS:

Alphatudes reveals that gratitude is the unexpected, simple secret of living a joyful life. In a world obsessed with negativity, we must deliberately choose to focus on the positive. Alphatudes uses your earliest grade school victory the ABCs to help you achieve a sustainable shift in thinking that leads to contentment, optimism and peace of mind. An alphatude is defined as: a person, place or thing for which one alphabetically expresses gratitude. Filled with vibrant illustrations, Alphatudes takes you on an inspiring 26-step journey where you ll discover how to: heighten your awareness of life s daily gifts; attract opportunities with a positive mind-set; find blessings in difficult situations; and become free from worry, negativity and resentment.

In honor of this extraordinary book, legendary recording artist Olivia Newton-John has graciously provided a free download of her beautiful song, Grace and Gratitude , with purchase. 
MY THOUGHTS:
This book had brilliant artwork and brilliant insights all the way throughout the book.  It features 26 lessons in the spiritual genre.  Its focus is on how we can use gratitude to understand the lessons it is explaining.  At the beginning of each lesson is a famous quote that were inspiring and goes with each letter.  A book that can be read all at once or spread out over days to get the maximum effect.  A simple book that packs a lot of lessons all in one.

MY RATING:



Very Good! Worth Spending Your Money on!

WE THE CHILDREN by Andrew Clements

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WE THE CHILDREN
Part of KEEPERS OF THE SCHOOL Series
Author: Andrew Clements 
*I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review*

Product Details

Atheneum, April 2010
Hardcover, 160 pages
ISBN-10: 1416938869
ISBN-13: 9781416938866
Ages: 7 – 10
Grades: 2 – 5
 
SYNOPSIS:
 
Benjamin Pratt’s school is about to become the site of a new amusement park. It sounds like a dream come true! But lately, Ben has been wondering if he’s going to like an amusement park in the middle of his town—with all the buses and traffic and eight dollar slices of pizza. It’s going to change everything. And, Ben is not so big on all the new changes in his life, like how his dad has moved out and started living in the marina on what used to be the “family” sailboat. Maybe it would be nice if the school just stayed as it is. He likes the school. Loves it, actually. It’s over 200 years old and sits right on the harbor. The playground has ocean breezes and the classrooms have million dollar views…MILLION DOLLAR views. And after a chance—and final—run-in with the school janitor, Ben starts to discover that these MILLION DOLLAR views have a lot to do with the deal to sell the school property. But, as much as the town wants to believe it, the school does not belong to the local government. It belongs to the CHILDREN and these children have the right to defend it!

Don’t think Ben, his friend Jill (and the tag-along Robert) can ruin a multimillion dollar real estate deal? Then you don’t know the history and the power of the Keepers of the School. A suspenseful six book series, book one, We the Children, starts the battle on land and on sea. It’s a race to keep the school from turning into a ticket booth and these kids are about to discover just how threatening a little knowledge can be.

MY THOUGHTS:
This was my first book by this author.  I had to keep making notes to myself that this was a younger teen book.  It was cute for the age level it is geared toward.  A great series for boys or girls.  Now, I read the ARC of this book, so not all of the artwork was determined yet.  What artwork there was. was well done and fit with the story.  I loved how the author stayed geared towards the younger group of readers out there.  I know younger teens have a hard time finding good books.  This series is well written and should get attention from alot of schools.  A great read for everyone though.
MY RATING:


Very Good! Worth Spending Your Money on!

DEMONFIRE : THE DEMON SLAYERS by Kate Douglas (ARC)

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DEMONFIRE : THE DEMONSLAYERS
Author: Kate Douglas
Source: ARC submitted from the author
*I received this ARC/book free from the author in exchange for an honest review*
  • Paperback: 352 pages
  • Publisher: Zebra (February 23, 2010)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1420109995
  • ISBN-13: 978-1420109993
SYNOPSIS:
Newspaper reported Eddy Marks thinks she knows everything about her quite hometown. She couldn’t be more wrong. Turns out Evergreen, California, is the site of a vortex that allows demons to cross over to Earth, and the only one who can stop them is an unbelievably sexy fallen demon named Dax who has just crashed into Eddy’s life. 
MY THOUGHTS:
First of all, thank you Kate Douglas for giving us a new spin on Paranormal Romance.  After all the vampire, werewolf, and fallen angel books that are out there, this was a great new spin on this genre. 
In Demonfire, we get to read about Fallen Demons!  Are you thinking how is that possibly going to work as a hero of a book?  Well, sometimes demons are tired of being evil too. Sometimes they know there is more than just being mean and killing things.  Enter Dax, our main character of this book.  I enjoyed is soft side and his experiences of firsts throughout the whole book.  I loved his interaction with all the characters and his discovery of love for Eddy.  The romance was beautifully written.  When the steamy scenes did arrive, they were sweet and tender, not get-it-on and dirty.  You could actually feel the love of the characters coming off the page as they made love.  
The only drawbacks I had for this book were how the story progressed.  The same battle kept happening with the same outcome.  Then when the final battle came to a head,  it was over in no time!  I would have liked it better if the battles would have progressed with more speed and the last battle would have meant more and had more bang to it.
Overall, I enjoyed this book.  I will definitely be looking for the next book in this series so I can see what happens to the gang next! Well done Ms. Douglas for bringing Paranormal Romance and Suspense back with a twist!
MY RATING:



Very Good! Worth Spending Your Money on!

LESSONS IN FRENCH by Laura Kinsale

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LESSONS IN FRENCH
Author: Laura Kinsale
Source: ARC submitted from Sourcebooks (Thank you Danielle!)
*I received this book in exchange for an honest review*
  • Mass Market Paperback: 480 pages
  • Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca (January 26, 2010)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1402237014
  • ISBN-13: 978-1402237010
SYNOPSIS:
Laura Kinsale’s unique and powerfully written love stories transcend the romance genre. In this, her first new book in five years, she delivers a poignant, funny, sexy, Regency romance sure to delight her many fans and attract a whole new readership. 
Trevelyan and Callie are childhood sweethearts with a taste for adventure, until the fateful day her father discovers them embracing in the carriage house and, in a furious frenzy, drives Trevelyan away in disgrace. Nine long, lonely years later, Trevelyan returns. Callie discovers that he can still make her blood race and fill her life with excitement, but he can’t give her the one thing she wants more than anything—himself. 
For Trevelyan, Callie is a spark of light in a world of darkness and deceit. Before he can bear to say his last goodbyes, he’s determined to sweep her into one last, fateful adventure, just for the two of them.
MY THOUGHTS:

This cover just screams romance!  This is the first book I have read by Laura Kinsale.  I had heard she has written a lot of dark books, but this promised to be lighter.  While I found the story and plot amazing, if you haven’t read Regency genre’s before, you might get a little confused at first.  The writing style and wording is alot different then stories set in modern days.  Otherwise, this book was a great read with a wonderful romance.  Two people who reunite and recapture the love and lust they once had. Laura Kinsale has sparked my interest in Regency Romance and I look forward to reading more of her books from the past and the future.  Another author I will be adding to my newly discovered authors list!

INFO ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Laura’s Fabulous New Website
Laura’s Twitter
Sourcebooks Casablanca’s Twitter
Our Sourcebooks Spotlight
ShelfAwareness Book Brahmin Feature
Word Wenches Interview
All About Romance Interview
Romance B(u)y the Book Guest Blog
B&N Heart 2 Heart Feature 
EVENTS
2/12 Albuquerque, NM Barnes and Noble Coronado Mall Signing, 6pm
2/13 LERA RWA Chapter Meeting, 1pm
2/14 DFW Tea Readers Brunch, Noon (location TBA)
2/14 Dallas, TX Barnes and Noble Lincoln Park Signing, 3pm
MY RATING:



Very Good! Worth Spending Your Money on!

101 Glam Girl Ways to an Ultra Chic Lifestyle by Dawn Del Russo

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101 Glam Girl Ways to an Ultra Chic Lifestyle
source: Author
*I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review*
  • Paperback: 110 pages
  • Publisher: BookSurge Publishing (October 8, 2009)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1439256330
  • ISBN-13: 978-1439256336
SYNOPSIS:
Every girl dreams of living a glamourous jet-set lifestyle, weather in the lap of luxury or on a tight budget. Dawn Del Russo Author of 101 Glam Girl Ways to an Ultra Chic Lifestyle provides quick cheeky tips to living that swank life. Put together simply each one-liner is illustrated by Barbara Ann Scarrillo with charming, fashionable sketches sure to delight. Indulge in this fabulous quick read. Dawn Del Russo, high profile fashion stylist has been featured in print like US Weekly, Life and Style, InStyle, Glamour, Real Simple, and on Fox 5 NY for her style advice. Del Russo is also a contributing writer for multiple online publications. She has a keen sense of style and trends and is dedicated to helping women find their inner beauty, and confidence starting from the style on the outside. 101 Glam Girl Ways to and Ultra Chic Lifestyle is every women’s secret guide to breezing through life glamourously.
MY THOUGHTS:
When this book arrived in the mail, I immediately started reading it.  The cover was so cute and the pictures and font were so cute and catching.  This is a very quick read. It took me less than 15 minutes to read it.  If you need a quick pick me up for the day, this is a perfect book for that.  Even if you use just one tip a day, your self esteem could even go up a notch.  I loved the tips and some cost a little money, but most are free and all are easy.  Perfect for a gift!  This would even be cute for a girl going off to college as a gift. 
TIP#101
Believe you can do anything!
MY RATING:


Very Good! Worth Spending Your Money on!