Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls

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Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls 
Author: Steve Hockensmith
Source: FSB
Thank you Anna!
* I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review*
  • Paperback: 287 pages
  • Publisher: Quirk Books; Original edition (March 23, 2010)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1594744548
  • ISBN-13: 978-1594744549
SYNOPSIS:
Readers will witness the birth of a heroine in Dawn of the Dreadfuls — a thrilling prequel set four years before the horrific events of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. As our story opens, the Bennet sisters are enjoying a peaceful life in the English countryside. They idle away the days reading, gardening, and daydreaming about future husbands — until a funeral at the local parish goes strangely and horribly awry.

Suddenly corpses are springing from the soft earth — and only one family can stop them. As the bodies pile up, we watch Elizabeth Bennet evolve from a naive young teenager into a savage slayer of the undead. Along the way, two men vie for her affections: Master Hawksworth is the powerful warrior who trains her to kill, while thoughtful Dr. Keckilpenny seeks to conquer the walking dead using science instead of strength. Will either man win the prize of Elizabeth’s heart? Complete with romance, action, comedy, and an army of shambling corpses, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls will have Jane Austen rolling in her grave — and just might inspire her to crawl out of it!

MY THOUGHTS:
I admit that I am one of those few who have never read Pride and Prejudice. Nor have I read any of the other books that play into it.  I am one of those few that never could get into them.  So when I saw the cover for this book, and then the synopsis blurb, I thought I would give it a go.  
 Once I started reading this book,  I couldn’t put the darn thing down!  I was hooked.  I love the flow of the book and everything inside the covers was well written!  The author did a wonderful job of humor, suspense, comedy and dead bodies! I was sucked into the plot and knew I just had to keep reading it. 
A great book that older teens would like as well as the adults.  I will definitely be checking out more of these books in the future!
MY RATING:

Outstanding Book That Will Stay On My Bookshelf
For Rereading!

ALICE IN WONDERLAND & PHILOSOPHY by William Irwin

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ALICE IN WONDERLAND & PHILOSOPHY
CURIOUS & CURIOUSER
Author: William Irwin
Source: FSB
Thank you Julie!
* I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review*
  • Paperback: 240 pages
  • Publisher: Wiley; Original edition (January 12, 2010)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0470558369
  • ISBN-13: 978-0470558362
SYNOPSIS:
  • Should the Cheshire Cat’s grin make us reconsider the nature of reality?
  • Can Humpty Dumpty make words mean whatever he says they mean?
  • Can drugs take us down the rabbit-hole?
  • Is Alice a feminist icon?
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland has fascinated children and adults alike for generations. Why does Lewis Carroll introduce us to such oddities as a blue caterpillar who smokes a hookah, a cat whose grin remains after its head has faded away, and a White Queen who lives backward and remembers forward? Is it all just nonsense? Was Carroll under the influence? This book probes the deeper underlying meaning in the Alice books and reveals a world rich with philosophical life lessons. Tapping into some of the greatest philosophical minds that ever lived—Aristotle, Hume, Hobbes, and Nietzsche—Alice in Wonderland and Philosophy explores life’s ultimate questions through the eyes of perhaps the most endearing heroine in all of literature. 
MY THOUGHTS:
This is one of those books that give you some insight on a book you may have read in the past.  With all the publicity for the movie for Alice in Wonderland that is out right now, this book came at the perfect time.  This book gives you some things to think about and ponder as you go along in the book.  
While this book is not necessarily something I would read again, it was informative and kept me thinking.  I like how they take a different view on the story and give you many things to question.
Overall not a bad book.  One I would only recommend if you are into these sort of books.
MY RATING:


 
Perfect For Rainy Days From the Library!

THE OVERNIGHT SOCIALITE by Bridie Clark

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THE OVERNIGHT SOCIALITE
Author: Bridie Clark
Source: FSB Associates
Thank you Anna!
* I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review*
  • Hardcover: 288 pages
  • Publisher: Weinstein Books; 1 edition (December 16, 2009)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1602860823
  • ISBN-13: 978-1602860827
SYNOPSIS:
From the author of the media sensation Because She Can, a modern retelling of classics My Fair Lady and Pygmalion, The Overnight Socialite tells a timeless story of transformation and unlikely love set against the glittering backdrop of contemporary Manhattan.
MY THOUGHTS:
Are you looking for a quick and fun chick lit book?  Well, then this is that book.  This was my first book by this author and I will say that the cover is what made me want to read it. I know, don’t judge a book by it’s cover, but isn’t it cute?
Yes it is cheesy. Yes it is predictable. Yes it is another rags to riches story.  It is also funny, witty and worth reading every page.  I really enjoyed the story.  A book that doesn’t require a lot of thought process, but will leave you laughing and speeding through the book.  I was sad to see it end. 
Overall a great book for a quick read and chuckle. 
MY RATING:



Very Good! Worth Spending Your Money on!

THE STORY OF EASTER by Gwen Ellis

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THE STORY OF EASTER
Story retold by Gwen Ellis
Illustrated by Steve Smallman
Source: BookSneeze
*I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review*
  • Reading level: Baby-Preschool
  • Hardcover: 36 pages
  • Publisher: Thomas Nelson; Har/DVD edition (March 2, 2010)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1400314615
  • ISBN-13: 978-1400314614
SYNOPSIS:
From the Read and Share Bible brand, this retelling of the Easter story is explained in a way that helps young children understand the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.
Based on the International Children’s Bible, this story walks through the last week of Christ’s life and is told in a way that teaches children about the amazing gift Jesus gave us. Events include His triumphant entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday through His appearance to the disciples and His ascension. The “Can You Retell the Story” activity at the end of the book is a fun way to hide the Word in their heart.
The animated DVD includes a 15-minutes of stories plus coloring pages and other bonus features.
MY THOUGHTS:
When I received this book in the mail, my daughter was jumping for joy! She loved the colorful illustrations and the length was just about right for her.  This was a good book to explain the Christian side of Easter for her.  I like how the book had questions at the end of each little story to help keep her interested in the book as well.  She also enjoyed the DVD that came with the book. It is not like the typical cartoons with all the fancy animation, but it kept her interest for the length of the DVD.
Overall, a great book to introduce the story of Easter in the spiritual way for children.  I would recommend it for 5 or older though only because of the interactive questions in the book.  If you aren’t worried about the child trying to answer the questions, then this would be okay for younger than 5 years old.

MY RATING:

Outstanding Book That Will Stay On My Bookshelf
For Rereading!

STILL SUCKS TO BE ME by Kimberly Pauley (ARC review)

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STILL SUCKS TO BE ME
Source: Publisher
* I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review*
  • Reading level: Young Adult
  • Hardcover: 384 pages
  • Publisher: Mirrorstone (May 11, 2010)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0786955031
  • ISBN-13: 978-0786955039
SYNOPSIS:

Why it still sucks to be me: Here I am some all-powerful (ha), all-knowing (yeah right), in-control (totally not) vampire, and my parents and the stupid Vampire Council still get to dictate everything I do. Not only did they make me fake my death AND funeral (I didn’t even get to go!), but I had to leave behind my BFF Serena and move really far away. Meanwhile my boyfriend George is off “reconnecting with his parents” in Brazil. Land of beaches, bikini babes, and the biggest party in the world. He’s probably going “Mina, who?” Grady asked me to Homecoming and won’t take no for an answer. Did I mention cute but oh-so-complicated Cameron, the only other bloodsucking teen in town? That’s because I’m trying not to think about him, thank you very much. And ugh, Raven. Is she seriously stalking Serena? Vampire super strength can’t fix this train wreck. But can I?

MY THOUGHTS:
This is the second book in the series by this author.  I was so excited to get the chance to read and review this book because I loved the first book Sucks To Be Me.  
We welcome back Mina and her parents as they prepare to leave everything behind and start a new life in a new location.  Mina finds herself being drug off to Louisiana and she soon realizes it is not going to be in a major city like New Orleans.  Again, we get to see the humorous humor that they author does so well and the teenage drama that even a vampire has to go through.  You will find yourself laughing and finishing the book in no time. 
I love the writing that Ms. Pauley does so well and she had me with her first book cheering for more! I am so glad this book is on its way to the bookstores. I do recommend reading the first book in the series first though.  It helps you to understand the teen drama more, but it isn’t necessary. 
MY RATING:



Very Good! Worth Spending Your Money on!