Review #268: Vengeance- Kate Brian

Title: Vengeance
Author: Kate Brian
Format: Paperback
Pages: 240
Rating: 5/5 Stars
Summary: After the devastating events at Reed's birthday party, Noelle is determined to put the past to rest, but Reed is adament about rebuilding Billings. Coming up against endless roadblocks from the headmaster, not to mention Billings alumni, Reed will not let her legacy end with a pile of rubble.

As if that weren't enough, old ghosts come back to haunt to the Billings Girls. Reed has been through the ringer in her time at Easton and she starts to wonder if maybe she can even make it out of this place alive.
Review: I've been putting off reading this book for awhile because I love this series and I don't want it to end! But I finally read it and Kate Brian if you read this I NEED MORE!! I want to know what will happen next year with Josh and Noelle leaving and Reed getting to rule. I want to know how the new Billings house will run. I just love the way that Kate Brian/ Kieran Scott writes. I love the mystery and the suspense. This novel was such a fast read that I finished it in a few hours. I just lost myself in this story, in this fabulous world. I hope they make this into a TV series! It would be so epic. I'm excited to read Kate Brian's new series as well.
Overall, this is one of my favourite series (minus The Book of Spells). It's very bittersweet that it has come to an end. Kate Brian is one of my favourite authors. I will read anything she writes. If you love teen girl drama then this book is for you.

About this author

Kate Brian is the prolific author of many books for teens including the Private series, the new Privilege series, and Sweet 16. She lives with her husband in New Jersey. She writes under the pseudonym Kate Brian, instead of using her real name: Kieran Scott.

Review #267: The Iron-Jawed Boy- Nikolas Lee

Title: The Iron-Jawed Boy
Author: Nikolas Lee
Format: Ebook
Pages: 264
Rating: 4/5 Stars
Summary: Two hundred years have passed since the lands of the Outerworld humans were destroyed, save but a handful of rebellious cities. In their ruin, the last gods of Earth, the Illyrians, rose victorious. And ever since, it's with a cruel iron fist they've ruled over their subjects--desperate to keep their thrones.

Fast approaching his teens, Ionikus Reaves knows the gods' malevolence all too well, orphaned by them after their call for a military draft on Eldanar, his home island. But when a power once dormant in Ion boils to the surface, he's whisked off to a hidden world of the island, where he comes face-to-face with the mighty Illyrians.

For Ion is a Guardian--a reincarnated god bound to serve and protect the pantheon he's so quickly learned to hate. Now torn between his obligations as a Guardian and his hatred of the gods he's to guard, Ion finds himself in the middle of a war within himself. A war that could uncover a dark secret of the gods'...and split the pantheon in two.
Review: I received this book free from the author in exchange for an honest review. 
I really enjoyed this book once I got into it. I had a hard time at first because the reader is just kind of thrown into this world not really knowing how it works and I found myself slightly confused at times and having to go back and re-read parts. Otherwise this was an exciting read for middle grade and higher readers who love mythological stories. I loved that this story stemmed from the gods, but was completely original with characters. 
The author did a great job in creating characters with such personalities. I liked each and every one of them, even the bad guys and I look forward to learning more about them in the books to come. I liked the cliffhanger ending, but I did have a feeling that it was going to happen but now I need to know more about it.
This was a great read for all ages with good underlying messages. The Iron-Jawed Boy was a fun and entertaining read that I need more of. I would recommend this to mythological lovers.

About this author

Nikolas Lee was born in Evansville, Indiana, moved with his family to Las Vegas, Nevada, when he was eleven, moved back to Indiana when he was fourteen, then moved back to Las Vegas when he was sixteen. No, neither he, nor his family are under the witness protection program. Though that would be much cooler than the real reason.

He published his first book, The Iron-Jawed Boy, at twenty-two, won an Honorary Mention from the London Book Festival for it, and now, one year and one book later, he’s currently hard at work on the third installment in the Sky Guardian Chronicles: The Iron-Jawed Boy and the Siege of Sol.

His email, you ask? Niklee9009@gmail.com

Review #266: Quidditch Through the Ages- J.K. Rowling

Title: Quidditch Through the Ages
Author: J.K. Rowling
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 56
Rating: 4/5 Stars
Summary: Did you know that: there are 700 ways of committing a foul in Quidditch? The game first began to evolve on Queerditch Marsh - What Bumphing is? That Puddlemere United is oldest team in the Britain and Ireland league (founded 1163). All this information and much more could be yours once you have read this book: this is all you could ever need to know about the history, the rules - and the breaking of the rules - of the noble wizarding sport of Quidditch.
Review: This book was great! It was much more informative than Fantastical Beasts and Where to Find Them. It gave a lot of interesting information about Quidditch (well obviously lol). I do wish that there would have been "pictures" of all of the teams, that would have just added to the book. I felt especially sad for the poor little snidgets and I am very happy that they have changed to golden snitches.
This was a very entertaining read and I learned a lot that I hadn't known about quidditch. I would recommend this book to all Harry Potter fans. I'm hoping J.K. Rowling writes more of these books because I will buy them.

About this author

Although she writes under the pen name J.K. Rowling, pronounced like rolling,her name when her first Harry Potter book was published was simply Joanne Rowling. Anticipating that the target audience of young boys might not want to read a book written by a woman, her publishers demanded that she use two initials, rather than her full name. As she had no middle name, she chose K as the second initial of her pen name, from her paternal grandmother Kathleen Ada Bulgen Rowling. She calls herself Jo and has said, "No one ever called me 'Joanne' when I was young, unless they were angry." Following her marriage, she has sometimes used the name Joanne Murray when conducting personal business. During the Leveson Inquiry she gave evidence under the name of Joanne Kathleen Rowling. In a 2012 interview, Rowling noted that she no longer cared that people pronounced her name incorrectly.

Rowling was born to Peter James Rowling, a Rolls-Royce aircraft engineer, and Anne Rowling (née Volant), on 31 July 1965 in Yate, Gloucestershire, England, 10 miles (16 km) northeast of Bristol. Her mother Anne was half-French and half-Scottish. Her parents first met on a train departing from King's Cross Station bound for Arbroath in 1964. They married on 14 March 1965. Her mother's maternal grandfather, Dugald Campbell, was born in Lamlash on the Isle of Arran. Her mother's paternal grandfather, Louis Volant, was awarded the Croix de Guerre for exceptional bravery in defending the village of Courcelles-le-Comte during the First World War.

Rowling's sister Dianne was born at their home when Rowling was 23 months old. The family moved to the nearby village Winterbourne when Rowling was four. She attended St Michael's Primary School, a school founded by abolitionist William Wilberforce and education reformer Hannah More. Her headmaster at St Michael's, Alfred Dunn, has been suggested as the inspiration for the Harry Potter headmaster Albus Dumbledore.

As a child, Rowling often wrote fantasy stories, which she would usually then read to her sister. She recalls that: "I can still remember me telling her a story in which she fell down a rabbit hole and was fed strawberries by the rabbit family inside it. Certainly the first story I ever wrote down (when I was five or six) was about a rabbit called Rabbit. He got the measles and was visited by his friends, including a giant bee called Miss Bee." At the age of nine, Rowling moved to Church Cottage in the Gloucestershire village of Tutshill, close to Chepstow, Wales. When she was a young teenager, her great aunt, who Rowling said "taught classics and approved of a thirst for knowledge, even of a questionable kind," gave her a very old copy of Jessica Mitford's autobiography,Hons and Rebels. Mitford became Rowling's heroine, and Rowling subsequently read all of her books.

Rowling has said of her teenage years, in an interview with The New Yorker, "I wasn’t particularly happy. I think it’s a dreadful time of life." She had a difficult homelife; her mother was ill and she had a difficult relationship with her father (she is no longer on speaking terms with him). She attended secondary school at Wyedean School and College, where her mother had worked as a technician in the science department. Rowling said of her adolescence, "Hermione [a bookish, know-it-all Harry Potter character] is loosely based on me. She's a caricature of me when I was eleven, which I'm not particularly proud of." Steve Eddy, who taught Rowling English when she first arrived, remembers her as "not exceptional" but "one of a group of girls who were bright, and quite good at English." Sean Harris, her best friend in the Upper Sixth owned a turquoise Ford Anglia, which she says inspired the one in her books.

Review #265: Fantastical Beasts and Where to Find Them- J.K. Rowling

Title: Fantastical Beasts and Where to Find Them
Author: J.K. Rowling
Format: Hardback
Pages: 96
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Summary: A copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them resides on almost every wizarding household in the country. Now, for a limited period only, Muggles too have the chance to discover where the Quintaped lives, what the Puffskein eats, and why it is best not to leave milk out for a Knarl.

Proceeds from the sale of this book will go to improving and saving the lives of children around the world, which means that the dollars and Galleons you exchange for it will do magic beyond the powers of any wizard. If you feel that this is insufficient reason to part with your money, I can only hope most sincerely that passing wizards feel more charitable if they ever see you being attacked by a Manticore.

-Albus Dumbledore

Review: Like any die hard fan of Harry Potter I needed this book for my collection, unfortunately I was disappointed. I found this book to be boring (which I was okay with because it was supposed to be a textbook), but there was so much missing. My biggest complaint was why the hell were there no illustrations? Every textbook I have ever read has had pictures to go with the explanations and that would have made this book amazing. Also I would have enjoyed it more if it was set up like a textbook, like if each creatures information was setup like this: appearance, size, habitat, behaviour, lifespan & stages, reproduction & development, anatomy and interactions with humans, or whatever else applied to them. But it needed organization. The part that I really liked was Harry, Ron and Hermoine's notes. I just wished there had been more of them. Also the book just ended, it needed an end note.

This was an okay supplemental read to the Harry Potter series if you are a young child. As a adult I needed more.

About this author

Although she writes under the pen name J.K. Rowling, pronounced like rolling,her name when her firstHarry Potter book was published was simply Joanne Rowling. Anticipating that the target audience of young boys might not want to read a book written by a woman, her publishers demanded that she use two initials, rather than her full name. As she had no middle name, she chose K as the second initial of her pen name, from her paternal grandmother Kathleen Ada Bulgen Rowling. She calls herself Jo and has said, "No one ever called me 'Joanne' when I was young, unless they were angry." Following her marriage, she has sometimes used the name Joanne Murray when conducting personal business. During the Leveson Inquiry she gave evidence under the name of Joanne Kathleen Rowling. In a 2012 interview, Rowling noted that she no longer cared that people pronounced her name incorrectly.

Rowling was born to Peter James Rowling, a Rolls-Royce aircraft engineer, and Anne Rowling (née Volant), on 31 July 1965 in Yate, Gloucestershire, England, 10 miles (16 km) northeast of Bristol. Her mother Anne was half-French and half-Scottish. Her parents first met on a train departing from King's Cross Station bound for Arbroath in 1964. They married on 14 March 1965. Her mother's maternal grandfather, Dugald Campbell, was born in Lamlash on the Isle of Arran. Her mother's paternal grandfather, Louis Volant, was awarded the Croix de Guerre for exceptional bravery in defending the village of Courcelles-le-Comte during the First World War.

Rowling's sister Dianne was born at their home when Rowling was 23 months old. The family moved to the nearby village Winterbourne when Rowling was four. She attended St Michael's Primary School, a school founded by abolitionist William Wilberforce and education reformer Hannah More. Her headmaster at St Michael's, Alfred Dunn, has been suggested as the inspiration for the Harry Potter headmaster Albus Dumbledore.

As a child, Rowling often wrote fantasy stories, which she would usually then read to her sister. She recalls that: "I can still remember me telling her a story in which she fell down a rabbit hole and was fed strawberries by the rabbit family inside it. Certainly the first story I ever wrote down (when I was five or six) was about a rabbit called Rabbit. He got the measles and was visited by his friends, including a giant bee called Miss Bee." At the age of nine, Rowling moved to Church Cottage in the Gloucestershire village of Tutshill, close to Chepstow, Wales. When she was a young teenager, her great aunt, who Rowling said "taught classics and approved of a thirst for knowledge, even of a questionable kind," gave her a very old copy of Jessica Mitford's autobiography,Hons and Rebels. Mitford became Rowling's heroine, and Rowling subsequently read all of her books.

Rowling has said of her teenage years, in an interview with The New Yorker, "I wasn’t particularly happy. I think it’s a dreadful time of life." She had a difficult homelife; her mother was ill and she had a difficult relationship with her father (she is no longer on speaking terms with him). She attended secondary school at Wyedean School and College, where her mother had worked as a technician in the science department. Rowling said of her adolescence, "Hermione [a bookish, know-it-all Harry Potter character] is loosely based on me. She's a caricature of me when I was eleven, which I'm not particularly proud of." Steve Eddy, who taught Rowling English when she first arrived, remembers her as "not exceptional" but "one of a group of girls who were bright, and quite good at English." Sean Harris, her best friend in the Upper Sixth owned a turquoise Ford Anglia, which she says inspired the one in her books.

Review #264: Legacies- K.T. Smith and Mercy Amare

Title: Legacies
Author: K.T. Smith and Mercy Amare
Format: eARC
Pages: 103
Rating: 5/5 Stars
Summary: We're legacies, we're roommates, and we are both destined to be on Greek row. We’ve dreamed of this our whole life.

The hottest guys, the wildest parties, and the strong bonds of sisterhood. It all seems… perfect. But is this really where we belong?

To top it off, we are both joining rival houses. How can we room with the enemy? How are we going to survive freshman year?

Sorority life might not be as perfect as it seems.
Review: I received this book from from the authors in exchange for an honest review.
Firstly, I just want to say that I love this cover. It is simple yet beautiful and also eye catching. I was very interested in this novel because I love school settings and I love the fact that it is about sororities. I actually thought the girls would maybe do the "right thing" instead of what was expected of them, but I am lead to believe that it will happen eventually. 
I really like both Holly and Mary-Elizabeth. I love that they are opposites but are totally excepting of each other and willing to help the other. I'm really excited to see how Holly will grow and if Mary-Elizabeth will learn anything from her. Also I'm excited to see what will happen on the boy front and how/if the way the pledged will affect their friendship.
This was a fun and easy read that I want more of. If you love contemporary then this read is for you.

Review #263: Guarding Angel- S.L. Saboviec

Title: Guarding Angel
Author: S.L. Saboviec
Format: Ebook
Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
Summary: Guardian angel Enael can’t seem to keep her human Wards in check. They’re the ones who choose their paths before reincarnating—she’s just there to help make sure they stay on track. But it’s not as easy as it might look.

When she meets and falls in love with charismatic Kaspen, a fellow Guardian, Enael’s feelings about Heaven, Hell, demons, and the life she’s known are turned upside down. Worse, angel-turned-demon Yasva, Kaspen’s former love, still holds him in her clutches. Even as Yasva works toward obtaining complete control of Earth, she taunts and haunts Kaspen’s and Enael’s lives.

Now Enael is forced to face her past (which is centuries long and bursting with secrets), her present (which is terribly unfulfilling and full of questions), and her future (which becomes more uncertain as time passes). Armed with a newfound love and fear of losing it all, she must figure out how to save the world—-and the angel she loves. Which side will win? Who will Kaspen choose? Will Heaven and Earth continue to exist, or will everything go to Hell?
Review: I received this book free from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Now normally I don't read too many adult books and normally I'm not a fan of angel books, but Guarding Angel has renewed my faith in both. This was such an original and refreshing take on angels. I was sucked in right from the get go. 
There are numerous secondary characters in this novel but I fell in love with each and everyone of them regardless if they were a good person or not. My favourite character was Tabitha. Her story really touched me. But again I did love all of the characters.
Guarding Angel is a book that really had me questioning if there is something bigger out there than us as humans. It is just an amazing read with perfect characters. I'm hoping for a second book because I need to know if there is a hidden agenda. I would recommend this novel to both those who love and hate angels. It is so much more than "just an angel book".

About this author

Samantha grew up in a small town in Iowa but now lives in the suburbs of Toronto with her Canadian husband and expatriate cat. In her spare time, she reads, writes, and thinks about reading and writing—along with playing the occasional video game or eight.

Review #262: The Stone of Destiny- Laura Howard

Title: The Stone of Destiny
Author: Laura Howard
Format: Ebook
Rating: 4/5 Stars
Summary: Allison thought it was crazy enough when she found out her father, Liam, wasn't entirely human. But now she has to join his magical allies to unravel his former mistress's plans. Aoife wants to keep Allison's parents apart forever.

Despite Allison's efforts to keep Ethan, the only guy she's ever cared about, out of this supernatural mess, fate keeps throwing him back into the mix. 

Will Allison be able to find the amulet that holds the enchantment Aoife placed on Liam and destroy it? Are Ethan' s feelings for Allison strong enough to endure the magic of the Tuatha De Danaan?
Review: I received this book free from the author in exchange for an honest review.

I have been patiently (NOT) waiting foe this book to come out ever since I finished book one, The Forgotten Ones and fell in love. Laura Howard is a very descriptive writer and I love it! Book one flowed perfectly into The Stone of Destiny and I can't wait for book three to be released, because this ended on an almost cliffhanger ending ahha.
I'm loving Sam and I want to see what kind of relationship, if any that her and Allison will have. I like how Allison and Ethan's relationship is growing. But more questions have definitely come up. Another great read from the amazing and talented Laura Howard. And like I saidI need to get my hands on book three when it comes out. I would recommend it to lovers of the Fae.

About this author

*Visit www.laurahoward78.blogspot.com to join Laura's new releases email list and never miss her new books!*

Laura Howard lives in New Hampshire with her husband and four children. Her obsession with books began at the age of 6 when she got her first library card. Nancy Drew, Sweet Valley High and other girly novels were routinely devoured in single sittings. Books took a backseat to diapers when she had her first child. It wasn’t until the release of a little novel called Twilight, 8 years later, that she rediscovered her love of fiction. Soon after, her own characters began to make themselves known. The Forgotten Ones is her first published novel.

Review #261: Chief Wiggum's Book of Crime and Punishment- Matt Groening

Title: Chief Wiggum's Book of Crime and Punishment
Author: Matt Groening
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 96
Rating: 3/5 Stars
Summary: Chief Clancy Wiggum might very well be the dimmest and most incompetent civic leader in Springfield, but as long as he has a gun and badge, most citizens exercise their right to remain silent. After many a late-night stakeout and thousands of early morning donuts, this top cop offers up his procedural wisdom on what it takes to wear the shield, how to keep on the right side of the law, and the real cost of quick and speedy justice. On Wiggum's watch you'll check out the seized property auction catalog, learn the secret language of police codes, find out how to avoid a speeding ticket, line up with Springfield's usual suspects, and get the skinny on Springfield's most wanted criminal...El Barto.
Review: This was another quick and entertaining read. This instalment wasn't as enjoyable as some of the other books but it was still good. I'm glad to have it in my collection.

About this author

Matthew Abram Groening is an American cartoonist, television producer and writer from Portland, Oregon.
Groening is best known as the creator of The Simpsons. He is also the creator of Futurama and the author of the weekly comic strip Life in Hell. Groening distributed Life in Hell in the book corner of Licorice Pizza, a record store in which he worked.
He made his first professional cartoon sale to the avant-garde Wet magazine in 1978. The cartoon is still carried in 250 weekly newspapers.

Review #260: Lizzie!- Maxine Kumin

Title: Lizzie!
Author: Maxine Kumin
Format: Uncorrected Proof (paperback)
Pages: 160
Rating: 3/5 Stars
Summary: Lizzie, age eleven, does not let her wheelchair get in the way of her curiosity. After she is partially paralyzed in a diving accident, Lizzie and her single mom are starting life over in a small town in Florida, where Lizzie’s thirst for knowledge and adventure makes her some unlikely friends and gets her into some sticky situations. Resilient and precocious, Lizzie has a passion for learning new words (especially those with Latin roots) and a propensity for finding trouble, which is how she ends up stumbling upon criminal activities involving seedy characters, beautiful golden monkeys, and murder.
Review: I received this book free from Goodreads First Reads in exchange for an honest review.

This book was not at all what i was expecting and in a bad way. I wanted more of LIzzie's story of being confined to the wheelchair, instead I got a highly unbelievable story. I just found the whole story quite weird. 
I couldn't believe that the main character Lizzie was only eleven. Yes I realize she was mature for her age but she acted like a thirty year old. I couldn't connect with any of these characters. 
I'm hoping that because I received an uncorrected proof that maybe somethings were edited and the final version will be better. There were a few huge consistencies with the story. I don't think I would recommend this story to anyone unless the final copy is better.

About this author

Maxine Kumin's 17th poetry collection, published in the spring of 2010, is Where I Live: New and Selected Poems 1990-2010. Her awards include the Pulitzer and Ruth Lilly Poetry Prizes, the Poets’ Prize, and the Harvard Arts and Robert Frost Medals. A former US poet laureate, she and her husband lived on a farm in New Hampshire. Maxine Kumin passed away in 2014.

Review #258: The Book of Moe- Matt Groening

Title: The Book of Moe
Author: Matt Groening
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 96
Rating: 4/5 Stars
Summary: Moe Szyslak, pug-ugly purveyor at the local waterin' hole, has done it all — from takin' his licks in the boxing ring to performin' backroom surgery. Get to know the man behind the apron strings, the misunderstood mixologist with the gold-plated heart, as he dispenses advice to drunks like it was Duff on draft, recommends some of his signature (and watered down) drinks like the Moe-jito, tries out a pick-up line or two, dreams of actually getting a date, dishes a little on his acting career, and counts his blessings (like babysittin' Maggie Simpson) that make life worth livin' for at least one more day.
Review: I enjoyed this book. It was very entertaining. I gained lots of valuable knowledge from this book lol. I didn't realize before how utterly obsessed Moe is with Maggie, it's rather creepy actually. I liked getting a different view of Moe, especially how good he is when he is with Maggie.

About this author

Matthew Abram Groening is an American cartoonist, television producer and writer from Portland, Oregon.
Groening is best known as the creator of The Simpsons. He is also the creator of Futurama and the author of the weekly comic strip Life in Hell. Groening distributed Life in Hell in the book corner of Licorice Pizza, a record store in which he worked.
He made his first professional cartoon sale to the avant-garde Wet magazine in 1978. The cartoon is still carried in 250 weekly newspapers.

Cover Reveal: Leading Her Witness- Cheryl Ann Smith

Title: Leading Her Witness

Author: Cheryl Ann Smith 

Genre: New Adult
Release Date: October 13, 2014

Publisher:  Tulip Romance
Hosted by: Lady Amber's Tours

Synopsis:
Goons, deadbeats, and murder: A tenacious process server’s unconventional techniques get her into loads of trouble. So much so that her boss jokes that he keeps the coroner on speed dial just in case. Still, most of Andie Dixon’s job is pretty tame if she doesn’t count snapping dogs and homeowners squirting her with garden hoses. That changes when she serves papers on a notorious crime boss and puts her life in real jeopardy. But despite this close call, Andie will not let threats keep her from doing her job. She puts the matter behind her until a hunky U.S. Marshal tracks her down and solicits her help to find the fugitive. Again. At first Andie adamantly refuses, but eventually agrees when she’s swayed by the Marshal’s persistence and rather dreamy brown eyes. However, when crime boss Sammy Gilroy, finds out she’s back and close on his heels, he threatens to make her disappear for good this time.

A fan of romance fiction since the dark ages, author Cheryl Ann Smith loves to throw her heroines into danger, just to see what they’ll do. Her dream of publication came true in 2011 when the first in her historical romance series came out with Berkley Sensation. And just this year, she sold a new contemporary series to Tulip Romance, thus allowing her to mix her crazy sense of humor with suspenseful elements to write about process server, Andie Dixon, the kick-ass heroine Cheryl has always wanted to be.

Cheryl lives in Michigan with her family, two cats and a very hairy dog. She enjoys outdoor adventures and traveling, when she has the time, and hopes to make her first visits to Europe and Australia in the very near future.

Author Links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cherylannsmithauthor
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4488925.Cheryl_Ann_Smith
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Cheryl-Ann-Smith/e/B004A87Y66/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1400427747&sr=8-1
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CherylAnnAuthor
Web: http://cherylannsmith.com/
Blog: http://corsetsandcourtesans.blogspot.com/

Review #257: The Lisa Book- Matt Groening

Title: The Lisa Book
Author: Matt Groening
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 96
Rating: 4/5 Stars
Summary: Pi carumba! You'll be livin' la vida Mensa with ... The Lisa Book.

Whether she's extolling the virtues of vegetarianism and the global village, raising awareness about the world's moral and social ills, or simply playing with her Malibu Stacy doll and dreaming of ponies, Lisa Simpson is a role model for the 21st century! Discover Lisa's lifelong ambitions, gather snappy answers to environmentally insensitive questions, uncover "the Truth" by logging onto her Internet blog, and follow along as she solves a real mystery. From the benefits of being Teacher's Pet to the secret correspondences of Commander–in–chief Lisa's presidential administration you will explore the inner workings of one of America's most progressive eight–year–old minds.

The Simpsons Library of Wisdom

Matt Groening, the creator of "The Simpsons," offers an on–going series of portable and quotable books that will eliminate the need for all religions and philosophies, exalt man's role in the universe, and make the world a better place...sort of. No other television show in history has commented so freely and so humorously on modern times, and there seems to be no end in sight for the sharp satire and pointed parody that The Simpsons serves up every night of the week all around the world
Review: Again, this was an informative book about the character Lisa haha. But like I mentioned in The Bart Book, it only talks about the main character (LIsa) for 50% of the book and the other 50% is about secondary characters. I did enjoy the comic throughout.
This is another fun book to be added to my collection.

About this author

Matthew Abram Groening is an American cartoonist, television producer and writer from Portland, Oregon.

Groening is best known as the creator of The Simpsons. He is also the creator of Futurama and the author of the weekly comic strip Life in Hell. Groening distributed Life in Hell in the book corner of Licorice Pizza, a record store in which he worked.

He made his first professional cartoon sale to the avant-garde Wet magazine in 1978. The cartoon is still carried in 250 weekly newspapers.

Review #256: The Bart Book- Matt Groening

Title: The Bart Book
Author: Matt Groening
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 96
Rating: 4/5 Stars
Summary: The Bart Book is now being released in hardback, as part of the ongoing series: The Simpsons Library of Wisdom.

Bart Simpson, the much–maligned, misunderstood, under–appreciated 'underachiever', comes clean and (God help us!) it's worse than we thought. Now the truth can be told at last as Bart offers up his school survival guide, secret codes, pullable pranks, dream tattoos, favourite El Barto 'tags', and the Christmas list to end all lists (and future visits from Santa). It's the worst, we mean . the best book ever!

In The Simpsons Library of Wisdom, Matt Groening, the creator of 'The Simpsons', offers an ongoing series of portable and quotable books that will eliminate the need for all religions and philosophies, exalt man's role in the universe and make the world a better place ... sort of. No other television show in history has commented so freely and so humorously on modern times, and there seems to be no end in sight for the sharp satire and pointed parody that 'The Simpsons' serves up every night of the week all around the world.

Review: This instalment was better than Comic Book Guy but not as good as Marge. I felt like there wasn't enough Bart in the Bart book. 50% of it was talking about other characters, not that I didn't enjoy what I learned about them, but this is the Bart book not the other secondary characters book.

Despite that, this was still an enjoyable read and I look forward to reading the rest.

About this author

Matthew Abram Groening is an American cartoonist, television producer and writer from Portland, Oregon.

Groening is best known as the creator of The Simpsons. He is also the creator of Futurama and the author of the weekly comic strip Life in Hell. Groening distributed Life in Hell in the book corner of Licorice Pizza, a record store in which he worked.

He made his first professional cartoon sale to the avant-garde Wet magazine in 1978. The cartoon is still carried in 250 weekly newspapers.

Review #255: The Marge Book- Matt Groening

Title: The Marge Book
Author: Matt Groening
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 96
Rating: 4/5 Stars
Summary: Marge Simpson, the woman with the impossibly blue and improbably high hairdo, is a complex woman with an inner life, hopes and dreams, and an incorrigible family that she holds together with a healthy homemade helping of common sense. Join the coupon-clipping queen of discount shopping at the nearby Sprawl-Mart, at a meeting of the school PTA, in the middle of a bodice-ripping romance novel, at a theatrical performance of her one-woman show, or in her crusade against cartoon violence, domestic strife, and suburbia's quiet life of desperation . . . or at least her desperate hop that no one will hold anything that Homer or Bart does against her personally.
Review: This instalment of The Simpsons Library of Wisdom was much better than Comic Book Guy's Book of Pop Culture. I learned a lot about Marge that I didn't know. Did you know that Marge writes a blog about Maggie? Neither did I. Or that she loves to read romance novels? Well now we do haha. I could really connect with Marge and I loved all her sneaky tips to get her family to help her with chores and to get them to eat their food. 
I can't wait to see what the rest of the books will teach me haha.

About this author

Matthew Abram Groening is an American cartoonist, television producer and writer from Portland, Oregon.

Groening is best known as the creator of The Simpsons. He is also the creator of Futurama and the author of the weekly comic strip Life in Hell. Groening distributed Life in Hell in the book corner of Licorice Pizza, a record store in which he worked.

He made his first professional cartoon sale to the avant-garde Wet magazine in 1978. The cartoon is still carried in 250 weekly newspapers.

Review #254: Comic Book Guy's Book of Pop Culture- Matt Groening

Title: Comic Book Guy's Book of Pop Culture
Author: Matt Groening
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 96
Rating: 3/5 Stars
Summary: Comic Book Guy's Book of Pop Culture is an all–new book from the ongoing series: The Simpsons Library of Wisdom.

Allow the portly proprietor of 'The Android's Dungeon and Baseball Card Shop' to guide you through the ins and outs, the fast food takeouts, online dates, things he hates, Wonder Woman dreams, internet schemes, chick flicks, Kung Fu kicks, gaming freaks, fan boy geeks, comic books, condescending looks, Tolkien's Middle Earth, his own middle girth, and every other aspect of pop culture from his own expertly acerbic point of view.

Comic Book Guy's Book of Pop Culture – it's the worst, we mean . the best book ever!

In The Simpsons Library of Wisdom, Matt Groening, the creator of 'The Simpsons', offers an ongoing series of portable and quotable books that will eliminate the need for all religions and philosophies, exalt man's role in the universe and make the world a better place ... sort of. No other television show in history has commented so freely and so humorously on modern times, and there seems to be no end in sight for the sharp satire and pointed parody that 'The Simpsons' serves up every night of the week all around the world.
Review: I love the cover of this book haha. I love Comic Book Guy, but I found this book o be a little boring. I'm not sure why, but it was. I loved all of the illustrations and that we got to see into the life of Comic Book Guy. My favourite illustrations were his many T-shirts. I will be reading the rest of these fun books by Matt Groening, hopefully they are more entertaining than this one.

About this author

Matthew Abram Groening is an American cartoonist, television producer and writer from Portland, Oregon.
Groening is best known as the creator of The Simpsons. He is also the creator of Futurama and the author of the weekly comic strip Life in Hell. Groening distributed Life in Hell in the book corner of Licorice Pizza, a record store in which he worked.
He made his first professional cartoon sale to the avant-garde Wet magazine in 1978. The cartoon is still carried in 250 weekly newspapers.

Review #253: Shades of Earth- Beth Revis

Title: Shades of Earth
Author: Beth Revis
Series: Across the Universe #3
Pages: 369
Format: Hardcover
Summary: Amy and Elder have finally left the oppressive walls of the spaceshipGodspeed behind. They're ready to start life afresh--to build a home--on Centauri-Earth, the planet that Amy has traveled 25 trillion miles across the universe to experience.

But this new Earth isn't the paradise Amy had been hoping for. There are giant pterodactyl-like birds, purple flowers with mind-numbing toxins, and mysterious, unexplained ruins that hold more secrets than their stone walls first let on. The biggest secret of all? Godspeed's former passengers aren't alone on this planet. And if they're going to stay, they'll have to fight.

Amy and Elder must race to discover who--or what--else is out there if they are to have any hope of saving their struggling colony and building a future together. They will have to look inward to the very core of what makes them human on this, their most harrowing journey yet. Because if the colony collapses? Then everything they have sacrificed--friends, family, life on Earth--will have been for nothing.

FUELED BY LIES.
RULED BY CHAOS.
ALMOST HOME.

Review: So despite the obviousness of this cover being terrible and no where near as amazing as the first two, I wanted to finish he trilogy. I loved the first two books in this series but I found this one to be a bit boring and the ending was anti-climatic. And honestly my biggest issue with the book was that the author didn't describe the planet at all. If I had been a shipborn and had never been off the ship, I would have been amazed at anything and everything on the planet and off the ship. Or if i had been deserted on a new planet I would be keeping a journal of what was harmful (the purple flowers), and what was edible or not, and she didn't talk about any of that stuff.

Those amongst other things made me not be able to love this book. I still enjoyed the read, I just wasn't 100% invested.

About this author

Beth Revis wrote her first books as a student in classrooms, when the professors did not hold her interest and she jotted down stories instead of taking notes.

Beth writes science fiction and fantasy novels for teens. Her debut novel, ACROSS THE UNIVERSE, will be published by Razorbill/Penguin in Spring 2011. Beth is represented by Merrilee Heifetz at Writers House.

Beth also runs a blog on writing (http://bethrevis.blogspot.com) and is a participant of a group blog by debut dystopian authors (http://leaguewriters.blogspot.com).

ARC Review: Opposing Sides- C.M. Doporto

Title: Opposing Sides
Author: C.M. Doporto
Pages: 195
Format: eARC
Rating: 4/5 Stars
Summary: Meet college quarterback, Raven Davenport: 
He’s the star quarterback who can’t seem to get his life straight. With a chance of landing a pro-football contract, he struggles to leave behind a lifestyle that can destroy his dreams and impact his legacy forever. When failing grades send him to the writing lab for tutoring he’s unaware that the innocent and proper, Lexi Thompson, is just what he needs to get his life back together.

Meet sheltered and desperate for love, Lexi Thompson: 
She's the daughter of helicopter parents who have sheltered her and kept her under lock and key. The English major finds herself engaged to be married to Collin Norris, her twin brother’s friend and baseball team mate. Collin’s sweet, polite, and damn hot but it’s the lack of spark in their relationship that has her thinking twice before she says "I Do". When she meets bad boy Raven Davenport, taking that leap of faith proves to be harder than she thought. Will she give in to inner desires of experiencing life or agree to her parent’s request to become Mrs. Norris in hope of finding love? 
Meet good boy, Collin Norris:
He’s the son of a preacher who goes to extreme measures to please his father. Baseball and college are his first priority along with maintaining his promise of celibacy until he says “I Do” to his sweet and precious fiancé, Lexi Thompson. But when Lexi demands more of his attention and her sexual advances become unbearable, he shuts down and avoids her. Will his lack of experience jeopardize his relationship, and will he be able to balance the demands of his soon-to-be-wife along with pursuing his dreams of being in the major leagues?
Faith, betrayal, abandonment, love, and heartache surround these college students as they learn the ups and down of being an adult.
Ages : 18+ for adult content and sexual situations
Review: I received this book free rom the author in exchange for an honest review.
This was a short story that packed a punch. It had a variety of topics as well as inspirational underlying messages. This wasn't your ordinary love story... well it really isn't even a love story. It's more about love versus connivence. 
The main character was showing growth right from the get go, and also that with growth comes struggle and later acceptance. Lexi is a strong character to go against her parents, and others to do what was right and stop possible future complications. Not many people would be strong enough to do that.
I'm so mad that it ended the way it did. Hello? Right in the middle of a turning point. GAH!! I had to message the author when I finished to force information from her ahha. Anyone looking for a short, fun NA novel, I would recommend this one to you.

About this author

CM Doporto lives in the great state of Texas with her husband and son enjoying life with their extensive family along with their Chihuahua, Mexican Redhead Parrot, and several fish.

She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism from The University of Texas at Arlington. She briefly worked in the area of Public Relations and Advertising and then pursued a career in the field of Human Resources. CM considers herself a life-long learner and returned to school and earned her Master of Art’s Degree in Organizational Development from Dallas Baptist University.

She writes Young Adult and New Adult Sci-Fi/Urban Fantasy stories about ordinary women who do extraordinary things, become a heroine, and find love along the way. Visit her heroine blog at:http://cmdoporto.com