Tis the Season for Toy Giving…

With just one child you quickly start gathering tons of stuff in the house. Clothes busting out of the closets, storage bins and the spare room. Blankets piled on every available surface and tucked into toy chests. Then there are the stuffed animals, plastic animals, blocks, trucks, and musical instruments. We literally have buckets of toys in our living room on top of the toys tucked into the corner of every other room. Even the front room is filled with storage bins with even more toys. Solution, give it all away! But… we have another baby that will soon be old enough for these toys… With Christmas just around the corner, and more toys on the horizon, what is a family to do?! Buy a bigger house? Nope. Ask for non-toy gifts!

So for all those family members at a loss on what to get your cute little nieces and nephews this holiday season (or even for birthdays and just because gifts!) think about the below list as an alternative!

·         Season Passes

o   Zoo

o   Museum

o   Butterfly Wonderland

o   Aquariums

o   Amusement Parks

·         One-Time passes

o   Movies

o   Bowling

o   Swimming

o   Theater Shows

o   Sporting Events

o   Disney on Ice

o   Roller Skating

o   Mini Golf

o   Concerts

·         Trip out to (look into any age restrictions):

o   Local Farm

o   Train Ride

o   Ice Cream Shop

o   Special Dinner Out

o   Fire Station

o   Chuckie Cheese, Trampoline Jump Place

o   Hot Air Balloon Ride

o   Zip Lining

o   Helicopter Ride

o   Rock Climbing

·         Lessons:

o   Swimming

o   Sports

o   Gymnastics

o   Dance

o   Karate

o   Musical Instrument

o   Pottery Class

o   Craft Class

o   Horseback riding

·         Family Experiences (wrap up an item they will need for the experience such as a swimsuit or hiking boots)

o   Stay-cation at a local hotel (w/pool or great hiking nearby)

o   Hotel with indoor water parks

o   Camping

o   Road Trip

·         Outdoor Gifts

o   Bike

o   Scooter

o   Roller blades

o   Basketball hoop

o   Trampoline

o   Swing Set

·         Misc.

o   Furniture

o   Bedding

o   Décor

o   Jewelry Box

o   The clothing that is expensive that you normally wouldn’t purchase

·         And my all-time favorite, a gift that keeps on giving…

o   A pet! (present them with an adoption certificate saying you will pick one out together)

“All screens are not created equal”

Pediatricians are dialing back their recommendations on screen time limits for children. 
By Sumathi Reddy
http://www.wsj.com/article_email/pediatricians-rethink-screen-time-policy-for-children-1444671636-lMyQjAxMTE1NDEyNTkxOTU2Wj

A new article, released October 12, 2015, reevaluates screen time limits for kids. As a mom of two kids, one recently turning two, in this technological age I am more than happy to read that this is being reevaluated. “All screens are not created equal” is important to understand. Watching hours of mindless reality TV is not the same as a documentary on the lives of the great killer whales. Watching 30 minutes of kitten youtube videos is different than 30 minutes of facetime with a distant relative.

Personally when I review the TV shows or the phone application I present to my daughter I try to evaluate what it is promoting. I try to limit her to one fun movie (i.e. Tangled and Frozen are a hit because she likes to sing and dance along to the songs and the animals make her happy) and the phone apps are puzzles and encourage her motor skills (i.e. drawing and matching games).

A huge vice I know needs to be corrected is the “background” TV. Growing up the TV was only on when everyone was around to watch it. As I grew up though and lived on my own I liked having music or movies playing in the background for sound because when it was too quiet it meant that every creak was a stranger creeping around ready to bust in. Now, the second I get home the TV is flipped on and stays on till it times itself out long after we fall asleep.

I do get out of the house with my daughter though… as it cools off especially. Now we spend about an hour outside which means an hour away from the constant stream of TV.

Until You’re Mine – Samantha Hayes

Given to me by a coworker, 2 stars. This book had such promise. I do not think the character voices were strong enough to distinguish themselves so the changes in narrator got muddled to the point of confusion. It is almost like the Author was not fully convinced of the storyline she wanted to follow and it could have branched so many ways from page to page. There was a lot of unnecessary character development in the nanny that really had no added value to the story, seemed like the author was just desperately trying to make you see something in the nanny that wasn’t going to be there at the end. Also, you need to pay close attention to details revealed through the different characters perspectives in order to understand their significance and see what a small world the characters reside in. Otherwise these details just seem completely pointless.

I think a rewrite strengthening the character’s individual voices will make this book a million times better as well as rewriting the plot on the back. Maybe just a quick outline of Claudia seems to have a perfect life, Zoe is the much needed nanny to the rescue but is the picture perfect? How far would someone go to have their own child? Right now the summary, I feel, has nothing to do with the actual plotline and goes back to the Author pushing way too hard for what she thinks is the twist.

Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn

Passed along by my Mother-In-Law, 5 stars. I saw the movie first, and the book and movie were both great! The movie did its best to stay true to the story and the variances are easily forgiven and even hard to spot. The voice that tells the story easily carries the reader along on the wicked journey deep into the minds of a psychopath. Obviously the book has more ability to dive deeper into other latent characters and into back story more so you get a bigger and better picture but the movie is a huge compliment. Even if you already know the ending, the book is enthralling. Would definitely recommend it to anyone.

Against the Wall - Julie Prestsater (Against the Wall #1)

Top 100 Free Amazon, 2 stars. This was a super quick easy read. Not a bad book just not fantastic. Typical mousy girl has hot boyfriend and is shocked and devastated when hot boyfriend leaves her for the school tramp (they are all teachers) even though their relationship has been on again off again for the past 10 years…Really women of the world? Why can you not read the signs?!?! But, don’t worry reader, she of course has a hot best friend (also a teacher at the same school) that has been pining after her for years. So naturally she plays the “Oh! I just don’t know!” game deciding between the two which leads to a gigantic miscommunication that leads to heartbreak and then an epic proposal.

Submerged by Cheryl Kaye

Top 100 Free on Amazon, 3 stars. This book was a super quick read and worth the time. It kept you on

the edge of your seat. Though it had some supernatural parts that weren’t fully necessary or fully

explained and a couple blah chapters at the end overall it was a good read!

Adrenaline by John

Top 100 Free on Amazon, 3 stars. Another Amazon free book that is worth a look. It is about a group of

anesthesiologist that are being sabotaged right as merger is taking place and they need to be doing their

best. There are a few side plot lines that do not impact the story that aren’t fully interesting since they

also fail to develop the characters in a meaningful way but overall it was a quick read that wasn’t a

waste of time. Makes you really want to research the important people in your surgery room.

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

This book was given to me by a coworker and it was great! 4 stars! I was born in Russia and adopted out

at a very young age. Though I remember some of the struggles of living in a poor area I thankfully have

not been a war zone or even a natural disaster. This book really makes you see the other side to 9/11.

Yes, our great country was attacked and many lives were list in that attack…and in the following wars.

The flipside though is all the unrest and devastation that hundreds of thousands of innocent people

faced in the Middle East as a result of the choices of a very small group of radical individuals. This book

really helps perspective and being thankful for the things you do have, especially as a woman.

The Buddha Pill: Can Meditation Change You? by Miguel Farias

GoodReads First Read, 3 stars. This book was all about the statistics. It was really interesting to read as

an outsider with no specific vested interest in the outcome of the results. I can only imagine what

people would think if they were for, or against, meditation. The main studies based around prison

therapies but the gist being that what works for some might not work for all and due to everyone being

unique all results are unique. I like to believe that I am very aware of myself, my faults, vices as well as

all the good things. I study my actions and reactions and like to know why I behave the way I do. When I

was younger I avoided looking into myself because I did not like what I saw. Meditation, yoga, religion…

it works for some but not all. I find my “religion” in taking “me time”. Whether that is reading or

painting my nails or just driving home with the windows down being in tune with the moment.

The Accidental Hero by Joshua Graham

Top 100 Free Amazon, 4 stars. This was a short story, 25 pages, and I wished it went on for 400 more. It

had an interesting premise and was very well written. You kind of knew what was going to happen but

you still felt so much for the character in just those few pages that it was worth the few minutes to read.

A.I. Apocalypse (Singularity #2) by William Hertling

Top 100 Free Amazon, 4 stars. Computers are everything. AI is built but the world is not aware of the

power behind it since they aren’t even aware there is a possibility of AI. Seems like I am falling into the

habit of reading series books at random… I think I will add this one to my to-read shelves along with the

400+ already there. Ahhh, if only I could be like Blake Lively in The Age of Adeline (if you haven’t seen

this movie you should! And how I sorely wish it was based off a book but alas… not to be). Anyways,

back to AI Apocalypse, it’s a good read! Lots going on that I have no clue about since I am not super tech

savvy but even with that it kept my interest!

The Four Seasons of Marriage by Gary

Top 100 Free Amazon, 2 stars. Nothing you do not already know through common sense, though some people need to read/see/hear it for it to truly to sink in. I have read a few marriage/relationship books and it was just all the same, different author. Not that it is bad advice, it is good advice, it just did not stand out from the crowd for me.

314 (Widowsfield Trilogy,#1) by A.R. Wise

Top 100 Amazon Free, 3 Stars. I really liked this book for the most part. It was creepy and kept you on the edge of the seat while the action was happening but it got a little too confusing with the jumping around. Reading the Author's description it makes sense what he was trying to do but in practice I got lost, especially since so much was going on at any one point of time.

I told my coworkers about it though since it did have that creep factor that just hooked you right in!

30 Days (30 Days, #1) - K. Larsen

30 Days (30 Days, #1) - K. Larsen

Amazon Top 100 Free book, 1 star.

Didn’t like this book. It had promise and potential. Maybe a more established author with a stronger voice could take this book to a better level. A woman is verbally and mentally abused by her husband and stays in her marriage until it drives her to a suicide attempt. That just lost me as being interested right there… She discovers in recovery that being away from her husband is in fact what she needs to be happy about life. Woohoo… Now though, she is “missing” since she ran away from the psych ward that her husband wouldn’t release her from because he was enjoying the access to her money and a life without her. Yeah…

3:AM Kisses (3:AM Kisses, #1) - Addison Moore

3:AM Kisses (3:AM Kisses, #1) - Addison Moore

Amazon Top 100 Free book, 1 star.

This was just bad… I hate not finishing books I start but this one just was not doing it for me. To get through chunks of it I would read just the first sentence of the paragraphs and even that felt like a waste of time for most the book. I hate giving bad reviews but really, I would not recommend this to anyone. It had one interesting point, the murder of one girl and the attempt on the main girl’s character. If the book was more about that plot line I think it would have been much better and worth the read.

The Intern - Dale Wiley

The Intern - Dale Wiley

Amazon Top 100 Free book, 2 stars.

I unfortunately did not really care for character development around the main character so it was hard to get through most of this book. The kid is an intern in DC and fumbles his way into a conspiracy that leads to the murder of one of the DC representatives. The murder of course is pinned on him and he stays on the run in order to clear his name and not be murdered as well.

3 a.m. (Henry Bins #1) - Nick Pirog

3 a.m. (Henry Bins #1) - Nick Pirog

Amazon Top 100 Free book, 3 Stars.

This book has a really interesting premise. A guy can only stay awake for an hour each day. During this one hour he witnesses bizarre things that lead him to believe a murder took place across the street that The President is involved in. He has to use his one hour every day to solve the crime. I gave the story a three just because it was so unique but overall… really…an hour each day to solve a crime and he is dead to the world otherwise. It is a little too unbelievable.

Never Always Sometimes - Adi Alsaid

Never Always Sometimes - Adi Alsaid

GoodReads First Read winner and a 5 star rating! Ah this book makes you relive your own high school moments and forays into the world. I was a late bloomer and never had a super close friend in school, I was that shy wallflower. I yearned for a friendship like the one is this story. Coed friendships are hard to make and even harder to maintain. Especially through the tender high school/college years. As we get older hormones get in the way along with other relationships.

This story revolves around the girl vying for her mother’s approval which leads to a list of clichés that that the friends never want to commit. Upon finding the list late into senior year they decide that they want the typically high school experiences after all and make a point to cross off every item. Catch is, one of rules is already almost broken as the high school year is coming to a rapid close, #8, never pine silently after someone for the entirety of high school. Breaking these rules leads to adventures together and apart and makes the dynamic duo realize that “never” means missing out on things and how to be more open to life experiences.

Unallocated Space (Sam Flatt, #1) - Jerry Hatchett

Unallocated Space (Sam Flatt, #1) - Jerry Hatchett

Amazon Top 100 Free book, 4 stars.

Really liked the level of detail in this story. The protagonist is well developed and you learn a lot of his past but not enough at the same time so he remains an enigma that you cannot wait to follow through the plotline. This story dives into the darkness that makes up some of the worst of humanity, sex trade and wealth/power dominating in the cruelest ways. While you learn to love the protagonist you hate his initial enemy in the FBI. Whenever an author can invoke such a strong reaction, positively or negatively, I automatically love the book. What is even better is the way the FBI agent’s development through the story that makes you forgive her and like her character, again a trait I love in authors.

Dialogues of a Crime - John K. Manos

Dialogues of a Crime - John K. Manos

Top 100 Amazon Free book, 3 stars.

This book was interesting and kept me hooked. Two young boys become friends and one of these boys happens to be the son of a Chicago mob boss. The boss takes the boy under his wing and treats him like a son/nephew his entire life. When the young kid is arrested in college for a drug related crime (showing an undercover cop where he could buy drugs) he is led to plead guilty by his lawyer and ends up in prison with hardened criminals. While in prison he is brutally attacked and molested before the mob boss is able to buy protection for the kid. Just before his release the boy makes a promise to the ones that hurt him on how they were going to die. He tells the mob boss this promise and 20 years later the cold cases surface. This book brings into question who is innocent and who is guilty. Does one crime leading to another make the follow up a crime? Is putting a man’s life in danger with the mob worth hunting down a killer from 20 years ago for men that committed multiple crimes and brutalities against innocent people? This book has the essence of “playing God” and the cold thrill of a mob mentality of loyalty and the hunt for power. Only three stars because some of the story line is too farfetched which makes it hard to totally fall into and believe the events but overall a great quick read!

The Thriver's Edge: Seven Keys to Transform the Way You Live, Love, and Lead - Donna Stoneham

The Thriver's Edge: Seven Keys to Transform the Way You Live, Love, and Lead - Donna Stoneham

GoodReads First Read winner and a 5 star rating! I have had this book for a while and so glad I was motivated to read it recently. This book followed the motivational thread of “How to Win Friends and Influence People” and “Think and Grow Rich”. While those other books focused on learning how to build relationships with other people this book focused on building a relationship with yourself (maybe start with this book before you hope to the others??? Just a thought…).

This book really gets into the psychology of why we are afraid of our own success and how to overcome the fear in order to chase success. In order to thrive and be successful we need to trust ourselves and the people around us, be humble and suffer humility (good and bad) with our weaknesses and strengths, be resilient, have direction, have vision, be expansive and last but not least be responsible for our success. No one is going to care more about you and your personal success then yourself. Being a victim and having an alibi (if I had more money, if I had more time, maybe before my kids, maybe if I had kids, etc) will not get you on the road to thriving.

This book helps point out the “alibis” and walls we build around ourselves and then provides a workbook like guide at the end of the chapters to help overcome them. Another book to buy, read, markup and read again and again.

Think and Grow Rich - Napoleon Hill

Think and Grow Rich - Napoleon Hill

Another book my husband bought me this book when I took the leap and became a distributor for It Works! And again, this one was AMAZING to read, another 5 Star rating on this one. Just like “How to Win Friends and Influence People” this book was full of common sense items that need to be seen/read/heard in order to bring meaning to them. Again it focuses on the relationships we hold with others as a way to gain things for ourselves. It also points out that your mental state of mind is a huge driving force behind the success you gain or do not gain. I loved the pointers given on mindful mindset and motivational/positive mindset. Another book to buy, read, markup and read again and again over the years.

How to Win Friends and Influence People - Dale Carnegie

How to Win Friends and Influence People - Dale Carnegie

My husband bought me this book when I took the leap and became a distributor for It Works! And it was AMAZING to read so no surprise for my 5 Star rating on this one. A lot of the things written in this book are “Duh” and common sense thoughts but for me sometimes when it is written out and I read it, it hits me harder and makes more sense. It is easy to know something and take advantage of it as a fact without fully comprehending the meaning behind it. Example, people love to talk about themselves because they are the most important person in the world, to themselves. Duh right? Necessary to read, hear and see though when you are attempting to build relationships and get further in life though. Always remember that the other person’s priorities are higher in their mind than yours will ever be. Everyone should buy this book, read it, mark it up and read it again and again throughout the years.

Amazon Free Titles - catching up

Finding My Prince Charming - JS Cooper
Didn't really care too much for this book. The main character and her best friend are abroad for a study program and she decides to have a crazy night and break out of her shell. She ends up in a romance with a prince and unattainable bachelor that all the sudden is attainable... I tired story line :(

The Marketmaker - Michael Ridpath
Liked it. This was an interesting thriller based in a rather dull profession (in my opinion). A young man cannot make enough money as a Russian literature teacher (big surprise) so he joins an investment firm that is looking to branch into the Russian markets. On his way to learning the business though he is sent to Latin America where he sees first hand the dark underbelly of the company he works for. Was a good free read!

The Advocate - Teresa Burrell
Really enjoyed this one. Would recommend it even if its not on the free list anymore. Sabre is a child's advocate lawyer in California and partners with the Atlanta PD to solve this case. There are so many plot twists and little details to keep  up with I didn't want to put this book down.

Preparing for Marriage: What To Do Before (and after) The Wedding - Jim and Teresa Adams
This book made a good point, couples spend so much on weddings but not a lot on their marriages. It has some good points to review and think about even if you have been married for years.

Beautiful Ruin - Alison Foster
It was ok. I really like the male character Nate in the start of the story. I wish their was more character development at the start before it rushed right into the meat of the story but I am a sucker for a broken man.

Forgotten - Maggie Shayne
It was ok. Slight supernatural thriller/mystery story. The main character has psychic tendency's and has a connection to a serial killer dubbed "the slasher". It was interesting seeing all the links develop and you wont guess the ending. Not my favorite though.

The Good Lawyer - Thomas Benigno
Liked it. Loosely the story is based on true events which seems super intense. When the war on drugs began and young mostly innocent kids were getting tossed into the prison system things happened. In this case a young man ended up in prison for showing an undercover agent where to buy drugs. In prison he unfortunately is abused before his best friends father, and mafia leader, is able to buy protection. A few strong words from this young men leads to the death of his abusers. No one researches too much initially and 20 years later it opens up again. The young mans life and loyalty to the aging and dying mafia family is thrown into question leading to police wondering what is justice.

Follow the Crow - BB Griffith
Liked it. This story revolves around the Navajo culture and is supernatural. I really liked the glimpse into the Navajo culture. It was a different thought process that was unique to see. Of course supernatural things that happened brought away from the reality of the culture but the basic gist was there. I wanted to reach into the book and hug Ben the main Navajo character.

Taste for Trouble (Blake Brothers Trilogy, #1) - Susan Sey

Amazon Top 100 Free

Naughty boy next door strikes again!

I liked this one, it was very well written. Even though you start the book thinking, oh yeah another typical romance it was surprising at the end. It was more then just the obvious love interest. There were multiple layers to the story which I really enjoyed.

The main character is from a dysfunctional family and she is looking to control her life and build a "perfect" one. She then runs into a huge messy obstacle of the boy next door and his band of brothers. Her soon to be husband leaves her hours before they say I do for her assistant/maid of honor which also leads to her losing her job. Her only hope to get her job back is to whip the bad boys into shape in order to save her new love interest his promising soccer career.

3 Sleuths, 2 Dogs, 1 Murder - Maggie Pill

Amazon Top 100 Free

This was a cute book, you could tell the author is inexperienced in writing but overall it was a good idea and carried out well. IT was a new take on investigators, not a hunky tall dark and handsome or a blundering young women down on her luck looking for a quick few bucks to get back on her feet. This was three older women, sisters, that investigate in their little town. They get a little bit over their heads with the new case they are working on but, as in all good romantic mysteries, love prevails in the end and they are able to solve the case.

American Wasteland: How America Throws Away Nearly Half of Its Food - Jonathan Bloom

This book was given to me by a friend and I wish I had hundreds of copies that I could pass around. I LOVED this book. It fits into my whole new thought process and life journey.

Recently I joined the It Works! team as an independent distributor and am in love with the community. Feel free to visit my site or reach out to me with any questions <3 kirahindman.myitworks.com or email me at kira.andreyeva@gmail.com

This book though, oh my! I know that food waste was a part of my household growing up and I never thought too much about it other then when I hated the meal and my adoptive parents would say "there are starving kids in Africa" and I would think sullenly "fine ill ship it to them."

Reading this book was a huge eye opener to the extent of waste throughout the whole system before the food even reaches my trash can. I would think every now and then as I saw a bruised apple get passed up over and over again what happened to it at the end of the night but quickly was always distracted by the smell of the bakery or the meat counter that was close by. In my youth I even worked in a grocery store and saw how poorly food was handled. That stint though was short lived and I never saw the full impact of what happened to food in the grocery store. This book though clearly outlines the demise of perfectly edible food. What shocked me more then the grocery store "culling" the food was that it went into the trash cans and ruined (with bleach) or locked up so people could not eat it for free, even if it was still edible. Or that these stores just toss it in the first place instead of donating to the food banks that are always in need of meat, milk and produce especially.

As I start my journey to "be the change I wish to see" (Gandhi) this book was able to open my eyes to all the problems food is faced with and maybe ways I can share with others that are looking to get healthy and change the world, even if it is their little world.

Killing the Beasts (DI Jon Spicer #1) - Chris Simms

Amazon Top 100 Free

This is the first book in the series by Chris Simms and I am so happy it was available on the top 100 free list (though if it is not anymore, I would still recommend it!). This book kept me glued even when I was ready to fall asleep (trying to keep up with an 18 month old and a 15 day old I am pretty tired by the time I get a moment to read).

I really like the unique way that the story was set up. It bounced between the perspective of the detective and some other key characters and opened up the mystery in a way that made you want to jump into the story and scream at the detective on what you know. I find it fantastic when you are able to get so involved in a story that you can almost imagine standing next to the characters. Can't wait to find some more books by Chris Simms!

A Dead Red Alibi (A Dead Red #4) - R.P. Dahlke

Amazon Top 100 Free

Again, I do not usually download the middle of a series because I like to read them from the start. This book was just okay for me. It was a good mystery with a lot going on. Maybe starting from the start of the series I would have known more about the characters and why they were the way they were in the situations presented in this book.

Stephanie Plum detective stories though (Janet Evanovich) made for a better lead female detective in my opinion. I will have to watch the free list to see if another Dahlke book comes along and give his characters another shot.

Love Never Dies - Chris Simms

Amazon Top 100 Free

Chris Simms is an author I can definitely like and read lots of. This book though I only marked as okay since it was a short story and flew by. The idea behind the story is interesting and I would like to see it expanded into a novel!

Shifting Skin - Chris Simms (DI Jon Spicer #2)

An Amazon Top 100 Free

I liked this book, I wasn't aware that it was part of a series until I finished it and now I'm interested in reading the others. This is a British detective story and Jon Spicer, the main detective, is full of faults that make you love and hate him while he works on solving the case of a serial killer that is removing the skin expertly from his victims bodies. I liked the various relationships that were in this story, between the main detective and his significant other, co-workers, and the people he meets along the way. I am happy I downloaded this book (I don't usually download random books in series as I like to read them in order) and would recommend that you give it a try too!

The Princess Diaries - Meg Cabot (The Princess Diaries #1)

I always find books to be better then the movies, but that may just be me. I like that books have the ability to dive into the emotions and thoughts of characters a bit deeper. There really is no page limit on a book where there is a time limit on a movie. I also think that some things are just harder to convey in a movie versus a book (emotions and thoughts behind actions being the main things).

This book was cute and the movie followed it pretty well. I was given the series by a friend and will be reading it sporadically in between all my other books that have been piling up for months. Yeah for maternity leave and having time (hahahaha, yeah we will see how much time with an 18 month old and a newborn plus three furkids...) for reading.

The Bone Clocks - David Mitchell

Goodreads FirstRead

This book was hard for me to get into. My hubby and I tried to watch the movie Cloud Atlas and I marked it as one of the worst movies we watched that year. I then received this book in my mailbox from GoodReads FirstRead and thought I would give it a shot, books do tend to be better then movies.

Overall, the book was not enjoyable and I marked that it was okay. Took me months to get through it (even with the cheating/skimming through chunks). The only saving point was Holly.

The first section of the book was hard to get into, felt like the story was all over the place and I completed several other books before I even got to the second section. Second section had me skimming the pages. Reading a paragraph here and there (I am not proud of this :( I really love to read and pride myself on giving every book a chance). As the character Holly Sykes developed in later parts of the book though I became interested in her character. Cut out all the rest of the book and I would have marked this book much higher.

The story line bounced from one crazed idea to another and most made no sense to me. Maybe reading other books by David Mitchell would provide greater insight into his writing style but with a bad movie and book under my belt I think I will pass on his work for now.

Loose Ends - DD VanDyke

Top 100 Amazon Free

Marked it as just okay. It is about a female PI who is searching for a missing girl. IT crosses over a couple states and overall was a good mystery but I just could not fall in love with the characters or plot enough. It was a good quick read.

Murder in the Family (Hannah Kline Mysteries #3) - Paula Bernstein

Another Amazon top 100 free read.

A murder mystery I found to be okay. The intro to the book eluded to the fact that this was based of a true story and over time was edited to be more fictional. If the murder was true, grisly. Hannah lost her husband to cancer before their child was born and then her sister-in-law is murdered brutally right after a lunch they share. She is understandably falling apart. The mystery in who her sister-in-law was is fascinating and how her secrets led to her death was done well. Then there was of course the love connection that was thrown in, which I did not think really added to the story and why I only thought it was okay overall. Wounded copy meets wounded single mom and BAM a love affair (as I mentioned in my last review, I might be burnt out on romance!).

Love Handles (Oakland Hills #1) - Gretchen Galway

This was a cute book, another free read from Amazon top 100 free.

It was easy to relate to the main characters in a way. Beverly is misunderstood by her entire family and the opportunity to own Fite provided by her grandfather's death comes at an opportune time. Liam is without a lovable farther figure and hoping to gain an inheritance through his hard work and determination to succeed in Fite. The two characters meet and sparks fly.

Coming from a family that holds a lot of drama it was easy to relate to the family issues that are speckled throughout the book. There was also mystery involved in the book which kept it interesting in the end when it turned more romance then plot (I might be getting a little burnt out on romances!).

Tahoe Ghost Boat (Owen McKenna #12) - Todd Borg

An Amazon top 100 free read.

Really liked this book. As I mention continuously I love a good mystery and thriller. This book kept throwing twist after turn after back flip. Owen McKenna is a relate-able guy and nothing seemed overly far fetched or too unrealistic to follow (and you just have to love that his side kick is a Great Dane). Not only is the story line enthralling but it comes with good lessons. The young female character personally has to overcome being victim to the worlds perception of beauty and what makes people worth being noticed (not that being kidnapped should shoot you into stardom but that working hard for what you want is worth more then being naturally gifted).


My former sidekick Great Dane <3 miss the big guy.

Finding Joy: A Christian's Journey to an Unschooled Life - Julie Polanco

Goodreads First Read

I am not Christian or highly religious but I liked the premise behind this book. I was almost two years younger then my peers growing up but education came very easily to me and I was bored most my academic career. When I got to college I struggled a bit because I did not some basic things like how to study or work with teams (I was in a lot of accelerated course and due to the lack of accelerated students group work hardly ever occurred and I had to rely solely on myself). Knowing all this about my own education I do not want my kids to be faced with the same problems. This book brought up many ideas for educating children that do not involve standardized testing and school methods that I can apply with my children. I probably will not have the ability to just home school my children but I can help them during the times I am around to learn in different ways.

Cottonmouth and the River (book one) - CS Fritz and bonus book two...

Goodreads First Read

Really pretty illustrations and the story was good too. A little mystery and a life lesson on the power of promises and those that make you break promises with fancy words. Not really a children's book but definitely worth keeping in the library until the kids are a little older.

Cottonmouth and the Great Gift - book two

Goodreads First Read

Second book in the series that I received with the first which was the actual giveaway.

I liked the first one a lot better. Once again the book was illustrated beautifully but this one did not have a vivid life lesson like the first. Both books ended kind of abruptly but I feel like this one really just cut the story in half while the other one came to a good resting point.

more free reads from Amazon top 100

The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes - Arthur Conan Doyle

As I have mentioned in previous posts I like a good suspenseful book that makes me think. I liked these stories because I was familiar with the characters (Sherlock and Watson etc) but the stories were all new to me. It was fun watching characters that I know in many shapes and forms take on yet another life and face a new adventure every chapter. This was a book that I kept to reading a "chapter" a day so that the stories did not get mixed up or boring.

Ebola K - Bobby Adair

I liked this book! It went really fast and kept me interested the entire time. Yes, some of the scenes were hard to digest and with the recent Ebola scares throughout the states it was more easily believable that this story could happen in real life. Definitely would recommend this as a read to anyone that likes a bit of a terror plot thrown in with humanity being found in young members of society, even if they did lose their way for a while.

The Vanishing Game - William Boyd

This book was almost written like a movie script. Super quick read. It was not that it was bad I just wished it was a lot more developed.

Big Girls Don't Cry - Taylor Lee

Another book that grabbed my interest throughout. I was not in love with the language chosen (too many honeys and sweeties as the characters talked to each other) and there were a lot of super cheesy moments I could have done without. There was also a lot of the main character knowing she looked sexy, I am sorry, if you are avenging your beloved brothers death I would not be winking at myself as I checked out my butt in the mirror... If you can get past these flaws in the story though it was good!

The Articulate Witness - Marsha Hunter

Goodreads First Read

I think this book, even though targeted at someone being a witness for the first time, would be good to review in any situation where you may feel nervous and unsure how to react. Some points made could be beneficial in scenarios such as job interviews. Super quick read, took me about 15 minutes to read it straight through. The intro though suggests you take the time to put it down and complete the exercises that are presented.

Too Many Crooks Spoil the Broth (Pennsylvania Dutch Mystery #1) - Tamar Myers

I ranked this book as OK. This was another free top 100 from Amazon. I like mysteries and this one keeps you guessing as to "who dun it". I am not a huge fan of when people are taken advantage of or needless bickering and this book was full of both. It is also full of references how people are hypocritical when it comes to their religions which is another topic I am not a huge fan of. (This also could be the author not being well educated on the religions?) So while the mystery kept me intrigued the rest of the story I could have done without.

Where She Went (If I stay #2) - Gayle Forman

This is the second book in the If I Stay series that my hubby bought for me for Christmas. The first book was told from the female leads perspective and was really good. This one was told from the male leads prospective and was just as good.

The first book was all about the girl falling into a coma after a tragic car accident and her decision to stay or leave. This second book is set three years later and about how her decision to stay has impacted their relationship. I liked how these two books tie into each other, how his conversation begging her to stay alive, even if he has to let her go, would be better then if she left (died). (Spoiler coming up) How he knows that this doomed their relationship yet could not stop a moment of weakness to beg it of her changes their lives for the next three years in ways he did not want to anticipate. Of course this is fiction and where real life would leave these star crossed lovers doomed they manage to find a way back to each other and rekindle their old passions for each other.

This book is worth the money spent :)

Dying to Read (Cate Kinkaid Files#1) - Lorena McCourtney

Amazon Free Top 100 book. This book I marked as just okay. I liked the murder mystery aspect but the overall book was laced with references to religion that to me felt unnecessary and forced. I am not a religious person though (I was born Russian Orthodox, raised Catholic, chose Christianity and then decided that religion was so warped that I was better just following my morals and values and just being the best person I can be and helping others be the best they can be). This story also felt very young, as in I would have read and loved it more if I was still in middle school/early high school. It is not a bad book though. I like having super easy reads since I am usually too tired to follow a book with a lot of depth and dramatic expressive writing that requires full attention to capture minute details.

First book of 2015! Hot - Julia Harper

Goodreads First Read

Turner, the main character, has waited for four years for revenge for her Uncle Rusty who was blamed for embezzling for the bank he worked for. A robbery occurs at the bank where now Turner works on Saturdays while she waits for a perfect opportunity to exact revenge. When the bank robbers flee the scene Turner robs the safe deposit of the bank owner, and the man she thinks really has been embezzling. FBI agent John MacKinnon comes in to track her down and arrest her. He instantly falls for Turner though and realizes there is a lot more going on then the initial robbery and as he pursues her so is a hired killer. The story line between Turner and John keeps the book interesting but the breaks with the story of the initial robbers just is not appealing. Overall I liked the story though even though much of it is fantasy love story and two bumbling idiots.

To Helen Back (River Road #1) - 2014 read, late review

Amazon Top 100 Free read that I finished last year (all of two days ago, still cant believe its 2015!). Its a murder mystery where everyone has a motive. Maybe I have been reading too much and characters are starting to blend, but (semi spoiler alert but not really) I thought that the reading indicated a male attacker so I was really thrown for a loop at the end. I do not want to re-read the book to discover what the hints were as this was just a good quick read but nothing that required my attention.

Now to gather all the books to read in the new year! I have found some great reading challenges so that should be fun to make a list from the lists (because that is the way I roll).