Why You Should Stop Relying on Amazon Reviews When You Pick Out a Book
& What you should use instead...
There are reviews on every single site, for every single product. And that is probably a good thing.
I mean, if we were shopping in a store, you would touch the product, flip through the pages of a book, maybe try out that pen... all in order to make the best-educated purchase while you were there. And now that we buy so much online, we need others to help us gather this information.
But these reviews are all from strangers... usually. How do we know which reviews are trustworthy?
What I've Been Reading
Quick Lit Reviews
So... My quick reviews have been lacking recently. I keep reading and writing them on Goodreads, but I haven't had the time to sit down and formulate this collection. And to be honest, that makes me sad. I love these posts, and hearing from you all! So here's my list from the last few weeks. I hope you can find a book or two to add to your list!!
I don't know about you all, but January was a crazy month! With school starting again, and sports... well I am glad I have my calendar on an app on my phone that reminds me each day what is coming the next day, and then reminds me with enough heads up for drive times, because wow... life can get chaotic! All that said, I blew through books this month and last as I spent a lot of time waiting in the car for my kids to get picked up and such.
All Things Books
January Collection
"If you don't love to read, you just haven't found the right book." (Tim Green)
There is something about that quote that should catch our attention. Life today, for most, is full of go and movement and next. It can be exhausting, yet so many refuse to sit and relax and be calm. The thing about books is that you can sit and relax physically while you can engage your mind in a way so many screens refuse to do.
The next thing is - since our lives are so fast pace it is hard to know how to pick up a book that might engage, or entertain you. We can rely on the number of five-star reviews on popular online sites (not that we are going to read said reviews, just glance at the number next to the rating), or we can stick to the best sellers lists. But many of us have been burned by a pick from one or both of these methods.
Then, there is the chance of getting a recommendation from a trusted friend, this tends to be our best bet. And for that reason, I try to be as honest as I can with my reviews. Maybe you could come to trust me as a "book" friend who will honestly tell you about a book, and you can decide if you want to pick it up. The plus to allowing me to become your reading pal is once you read a book, you get to come over to this little Cozy Reading Spot and share all about it!
However, there is no way I could read enough books to provide thoughts and reviews on all the genres all of you would be interested in - trust me, I would love to do this for you. Instead, I am going to provide a monthly round-up of great book reviews, observations on genres, really anything related to reading from some of my favorite bloggers.
The goal is that you can find a book you love each month and by 2017 you might just consider yourself a lover of books.
January's Collection
- Jennifer at The Homework Diaries put together a wonderful list of books she wants to read in 2016 with a quick reason why she picked it. It is quite the list full of Christian focus books, homeschooling support and more - some I have read, others I have not. If you are looking for a few suggestions to inspire and encourage you this year still, Jennifer just might have a great suggestion for you. My Must Read Books for 2016
- Joy Forney is going to do a monthly book club - this month they did You and Me Forever... stop by and see their discussion. Joy is always a fun blogger to check in on as she parents and travels... well I won't steal her story if you don't already know. She is asking her readers how they are filling their souls in this new fresh year in order to be more devoted. Stop by for some encouragement, this is especially good for the mamas.
- Jonathan at Eagle Soaring Higher is hosting a great book club facebook group - they just recently started working through The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John C Maxwell. In his introduction blog post, Jonathan goes over the main idea from the book. If you are at all involved in running a business of any kind, you might want to check this out. Introduction to The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership and the Law of the Lid
- Melissa put together an amazing list of books from the '80's for today's teen's... do you remember any of these? I will be honest, there are some on this list that I totally want my kids to read when they are teenagers, but there are others on this list that I'm not too sure I want my kids spending their time on. Plus many of the books Melissa shares are certainly for mature teens. 13 Books From Your '80's Childhood Your Kids Need to Read
- I'm a huge fan of children's books, partly because of the simple timeless wisdom! While this image has been floating around for a while now, it caught my attention yet again this month and reminded me that many lessons can be taught with children's books and that is a beautiful thing. Children's Books Figured Out Life Long Ago
- And because seriously, this picture explains why movies, while a completely different medium, are not the same as reading the book! Facebook image from The Writer's Circle
I hope you found a thing or two from that list that caught your eye, maybe you could reserve a book at your library, or add to your Goodreads to-read list. If you want some encouragement as you find books you love, please join our group on Goodreads, we'd love to be there as you fall in love with books.
"If you don't love to read, you just haven't found the right book." #AllThingsBooks @Reading_List
What was your favorite from the roundup? What would you add?
Leave me a note about anything to do with your book choices from January!
**If you have a great resource for a book, a genre, or anything to do with books, let me know! You are always welcome to share your posts on Thursdays here, but if you want to point me to a great resource, leave a comment, or shoot me a note. I love hearing from you!
Check out these great hops:
What I've Been Reading
Quick Lit Reviews
What did you think of last month's quick reviews? Were they more enjoyable? Did you miss it? Oh, well then, check it out!
What I've Been Reading
October Quick Lit Reviews
What did you think of last month's quick reviews? Were they more enjoyable? Did you miss it? Oh, well then, check it out!
Oh my, what a month I have had! While I now I have two kiddos in school I had thought I would find some more time to read, and the opposite has proven true! Oh well. There is always a period of adjustment. As far as books go, I have been trying to read a variety so I can share with you some of different genres, but I have noticed, my patience for slower moving stories is not very high. So please for give the harsher ratings of some of the books as my season of life is demanding some speed to the plots lines. Isn't it wonderful how there are so many options in books that allow us to pick depending on our moods, or seasons?
Raising Human Beings by Ross W Greene
This is a book that all people need to read who might have any contact with children: teachers, principals, coaches, church volunteers, and especially parents and grandparents. While Greene might be an authority on working with "difficult" children and families, this book is for everyone.
He walks you through, and I mean spoon-feeds you how, steps on how to really communicate with your kid, no matter their age, so that your child will start to build the life-skills to problem solve the hurdles in front of them. I cannot do this book justice with my review, just believe me, this one is worth owning - maybe even buy copies for the other adults your kids are around...
I have to give this book four and a half hearts (the half is because it is still another adult giving you advice on your family...) and completely recommend it.
I wrote an in-depth review here, if you are on the fence on this one, stop by.
Everland by Wendy Spinale
To be honest, this was a fun, cute read. It was interesting how Spindale used the war as her starting point and then the idea of biological warfare, again interesting. But as a whole, this book fizzled by the halfway point.
It is very cliche when it comes to the characters, maybe a little too much like the Disney movie, and not enough real meat to the characters?
Overall I can only give this book three hearts. If you are big Peter Pan fan, you could really enjoy this, at least it's a quick read. Or if you enjoy steampunk or YA fantasy it could be worth the read. Otherwise, you might want to pass on this one.
How to Party with an Infant by Kaui Hart Hemmings
How to Party with an Infant was on a list of adult contemporary fiction for August as a possible best seller so I thought I'd give is a shot.Oh man, this one was not what I expected. I didn't finish it, in fact.
Fair warning, this is full of adult language and adult scenes, of all kinds for that matter.
The story started off really funny, sort of like an off-colored comedian, I even laughed out loud in the gym. But by the fourth chapter I was tired of the language and lack of any real substance, just a lot of whining adults wishing their lives were different. Needless to say, I put it down.
Granted Hemmings is a best-selling author, and the reviews on this one are pretty mixed. If you are a fan of hers, just be ready for something different, I think.
I can only give this book one star, mostly because I didn't even finish it. I would not recommend this to teenagers for sure, and as for adults, well, it's up to you.
Paper Princess by Erin Watt
While some of the scenes are a bit much, I mean leave some of it to the imaginations ladies, this story line moves at such speed you can barely keep up. These are the kind of books you keep reading well past bedtime because you just need to know what happens next.
Ella Harper (a modern take on Cinderella...) finds herself in a new home with the Royals, and this is not your typical family. Money is everywhere. While many reviewers commented on how ridiculous this was, so much money, so little involvement from the father, I'll be honest, it wasn't that much of a stretch from the high school I went to. Sure it was embellished, but not all that much. It's a good look into how corruptable the American teenager can be when given everything plus an extra $1,000 just for fun.
Overall I am torn on this book, I officially gave it a three heart rating, simply because of the racy nature of it, but somehow the story hooked me none-the-less. I would recommend it to those who do not mind reading racy stories, and simply want to pick up a fun read - just fair warning the cliff-hangers in this series will demand you read the rest of the series.
For even more on this book, check out my sneak peek!
Broken Prince by Erin Watt
So this is the second book in above mentioned series. While the first book focused on Ella and how she adapts to her new environment, this second book spends more time on the "ring leader" of the Royal boys, Reed.Imagine a handsome, rich, popular, high school jock, then multiply that by at least 100 and you might start to get an idea of this guy. He is completely over the top, all the time, yet deep down he just wants to know he belongs and is loved by his family. When I started reading the book I really disliked him, but by the halfway point I had changed my mind.
Again, this is really not a teen book so much as an adult book, so while the characters are in high school, maybe this should be a New Adult book? Just be prepared for adult scenes, behavior, and language in this series. As such, I can only give this book three stars too. I really wish these were not marketed to teens, as I would really not want my young teenagers reading this book while in high school. On the flip side, I read this book in maybe two days, and am anxiously waiting for the final book in the series to come out.
For more on this one, check out my sneak peek!
The Artisan's Wife by Judith McCoy Miller
In this Christian Historical fiction, Ainslee becomes the less than willing manager of a tile work copy in West Virginia as part of an expanding family business. While she is fully capable of running the company, her emotions are running high as she takes on a new responsibility, in a new town without the assistance of her sister, which she had been counting on. All in all, she is just like many of the women I know, who start out on a plan, but when life throws curve balls allow their emotions to run high (you know I am talking about myself right?)Overall this is a sweet story, but I never really connected with the characters or their goals. I could only give this book three hearts, because it is well written and has some beautiful scenes. Also, fair warning, the Christianity scenes are really repetitive as it appears like the author is trying to drive home some scriptural points, which for me just was too much. I will read the Bible for scripture, show me how the Truth in the actions of your characters... but again personal feeling here.
If you are still curious, stop over and check out my in depth review!
Tenderfoot by Abby Drinen
This new author has set up quite the world and story in Tenderfoot. This is for the fans of fantasy teen books. The tenderfoots are a group of teens who wake up to find themselves in a whole new world, nothing at all like earth. They have abilities, if they train to use them...As the first book in a series, quite a bit of the book is world building and character development. Once the actions starts, it gets more interesting, which could mean the rest of the series will be very engaging. The downside, there are way too many characters and they each get to share their own POV. This results in some chaotic transitions between chapters.
I gave this book three hearts because for me it was too hard to keep up with all the POVs. This is certainly a teen book, while I can't say it's incredibly clean, it is nothing that wouldn't be in a typical teen TV show. Overall this could be a fun series for book lovers who enjoy a good fantasy world.
If you want more on this book, check out my review.
Check out what I read this past month & let me know what you're reading! #Bookfanatics @Reading_List1 #Currentlyreading
What have you been reading? What caught your eye above? What should I read next?
*** Hey guys, did you know I am on Instagram? I share fun book-themed pictures as well as my daily Women Living Well SOAKing. I would love to see you there! If you want to join in, stop over, and let me know you are following!
What I've Been Reading
July Quick Lit Reviews
What did you think of last month's quick reviews? Were they more enjoyable? Did you miss it? Oh, well then, check it out!
Last Minute Gift Ideas for Book Lovers
The best part of having a book lover on your gift list is that you can order well-priced books from Amazon and get them in a day! Or stop by your local bookstore and grab a few books!
But which books to get them, you say? Here's my list for 2016 to help you out. I'll try to include a few for some of those harder to shop for people too...
What I've Been Reading
June Quick Lit Reviews
For the past year I have been trying to find a balance on here on how to share the random books I pick up to read for fun, with the books I am asked to review from publishers and authors. It is difficult because I want to share a wide variety with you all. And I also want to give fair reviews even if a book isn't my cup of tea.
I asked around with a few bloggers I know, and am going to try this monthly round up of reviews. This way I can share more books at once, while you all can find books that interest you. There will still be full feature reviews, and I am always up for discussion on any book you see here. So if a book in the list catches your eye, leave me a note and I'll give you more details!
Firsts by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn
This modern story of a high school girl's desire to help is completely skewed. While her home life is unconventional at best, her school life is embarking on a swift downward spiral as the story begins.
Clearly the story is for teens, and the subject matter is serious, this one is worth looking into because of the conversations that we need to be having with our kids. Parents and kids alike do not like having "the talk" yet it is so important because if parents are there to listen and talk, someone else will provide the information for curious young minds. While this book will not be for everyone, it is contemporary story that could be an essential tool for some.
I have to give this one four hearts because I completely surprised by how much I enjoyed it. While I am quite a few years removed from high school, it seemed realistic enough to use as a conversation starter.
For more on this one, check out my sneak peek.
The Conspiracy of Us by Maggie Hall
This is a fun, quick paced Teen book with a mysterious twist to it. If you were a fan of The DaVinci Code or even the movie National Treasure this could be a good pick. Avery West seems like a fairly typical teenage girl trying to make it through high school with a mom who often decides to move and start life again. After she sneaks out to a normal high school dance she quickly discovers the reason behind her mother's moves is all because of her own ancestry.
There are some issues with details on the mother/daughter relationship that just do not read realistically, but how else would this crazy adventure happen? This is a trilogy, so be prepared to carve out the time to read it, because Hall ends the book on a serious cliffhanger. No matter what if you read this one, you will have to grab the second book right away!
I only gave this book three hearts, while I enjoyed it, I didn't love it, and won't be reading it a second time.
For more on this one, check out my sneak peek.
Map of Fates by Maggie Hall
This sequel to The Conspiracy of Us picks up pretty much where the first left you, thank goodness. As you would expect, the story continues to twist and turn while taking Avery on a wild ride she could never dream of. This book has more action, and moves quickly, even compared to the first.
I cannot say too much more without spoiling the first book... so you are just going to have to go out and get these! Then we can all wait anxiously for book number three to be released! Go ahead and leave your prediction in the comments below and I'll commiserate with you as we deal with the wait.
I am giving this one four hearts, it was even more enjoyable than the first, and certainly hooked me for the final book.
For more on this one, check out my sneak peek.
Starflight by Melissa Landers
I'll admit, this book was a bit of a stretch for me, as this is firmly in the class science fiction style of space life. However, I was pleasantly surprised. The characters of Solara and Doran quickly became real, and I had to know what would become of them as they raced toward the farthest edges of the galaxy for completely different reasons.
While the setting demands you let go of reality, the aspect of family and loyalty will connect with all people. It is a wonderful reminder of the human need to be belong to a family, a community and how we have to all for individuality inside those communities. This is a teen book, and is perfectly acceptable for all teen readers, so it might be a little boring or predictable for adults, but then again if you are space science fiction fan, maybe not.
I would give this book four hearts as I was surprised how quick I read this one simply because the characters were so engaging.
For more on this book, check out my sneak peek.
Passion Pursuit: What Kind of Love Are You Making? by Linda Dillow & Julie Slattery
So this is a group Bible study that is for married women - and yes it is specific, and yes it will be a challenge to follow through on this one. I ended up in this study because I do not pay attention to what I sign up for as long as it fits into my schedule. And then I tend to stick to things once I start...
I'll be honest, I wanted this study to be everything it was promising to be. There is a lot of hush-hush on the topic of intimacy even in marriage which results in confusion and embarrassment for many. This was evident in our group discussions each week. Yet this book had some fundamental issues about the Sovereign nature of God. Let me just put it this way, God says He is I Am, and as such He cannot have an opinion... What He says about marriage, love, and relationships must be fact because He is the Foundation of our faith and hope... Overall this was a major disappointment because the topic is needed.
I can only give this book and study two stars and that is generous because I feel the topic is one that needs to be discussed more in Christian marriages.
God's Grand Story by Walk Thru the Bible
Another group Bible study, although this one could easily be done on your own if you are looking for a better understanding of the history and importance of the Old Testament for believers of Jesus. I actually led this study for a small group women, which was a new experience for me. And I often felt a little overwhelmed, but it was good for me.
The study is set up with a quick video that gets each group meeting started. Each day of homework takes you through a part of the Old Testament with a goal to see how each part of the history is pointing to the need for Jesus. The nice part is that if you really want to dig into a section, you can as each day's homework can be done in about ten to fifteen minutes. If you would rather stick with the overview, that is fine too. So this study can be wonderful for new believers as well as those who are really looking to be challenged.
I gave this one four hearts because it is a great study, one that that will impact you, although not really one I would want to do again as the lessons have been taught well.
The Crown by Kiera Cass
This much awaited final book in The Selection series was on my to read list since it was announced. I loved the original, so I had to read this Teen romance. Needless to say it was a flop. It was predictable and even the twists were obvious.
The biggest flaw was Eadlyn. She was a spoiled child, who suddenly matured, only to be selfish in the end. It was crazy. The romance between Kile and her, as well as Erik and her, felt stiff and odd. Clearly this book was an attempt to grab on to a strong audience but sometimes it is better to just move on!
I only gave this two hearts, maybe two and half. I did really enjoy Kile, but the scenes he was in were too limited, and Eadlyn is not a character you can get interested in for long. At least the gorgeous dresses on the covers are still there!
If you want more on this book check out my sneak peek.
Check out what I read in June & let me know what you're reading! #Bookfanatics @Reading_List1
What have you been reading? What caught your eye above? What should I read next?
