Ashley

Both 2 and 4 year old adore this book because of the lift the flaps. We often read this multiple times in a row because of how much they enjoy it. Plot is that the paw patrol are trick or treating when Mayor Goodway calls needing their help. They then break in and explore an “abandoned” mansion, with a surprise party waiting for them in the basement.

This book goes over five vehicles (semi truck, monster truck, backhoe, fire truck, and cement mixer). My 4 year old and I really like this book and read it more nights than not. That said, we shelved this book for years because of the difficult buttons.

Buttons are hidden under textured panels. I like that the grill is rough cardboard and the backhoe arm is soft plastic, but it makes it hard to find the button. After many nights, my 4 year old can now find all but one button, but my 2 year old still struggles with most. The monster truck button gives the most problems - even when they know when it is, they struggle to push it and get frustrated. This is an odd choice given the target age of this book (“first touch and feel sound book”).

Here are the sound used:
Semi - long press of the horn
Monster truck - crash/crushing of other cars (sounds similar to rocks dropping into construction vehicle from other books)
Backhoe - chugging
Fire truck - short siren
Cement truck - turning of cement
Last page - button plays all trucks

Like other reviewers, I don't find this the most educational by itself because only one or two lines are used for each vehicle, but it's appropriate for the target audience and it says a lot that the book is entertaining to us at 4 years old and counting. Parents can easily build on the one or two lines for each vehicle while your child(ren) press the buttons.

Hoorah! I learned to read the book to myself before reading with the kids. I don't understand the hype on this one and I'm so happy to avoid my spouse being told he's bad by my toddlers because he's late to everything. Also, it's hard enough when family tells my kids they are bad for being age appropriate, can you imagine if my kids then accepted that label because the bad seed is bad sometimes and good other times?

BLUF: Skip this one.

I was provided a copy of this book from netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review

Okay, okay.. I will fess up. I only downloaded this book from netgalley because my boyfriend's son said the cover looked stupid and I disagreed. I'm sorry – I should have never agreed to review a YA novel as this is one of my least liked genres.

That said, it's not going to stop me from provided an honest review..

This book is part of the Red Eye series, but is very much a standalone.

The plus side: I enjoy the author's writing style. I found that this style moved the story forward and there's a good chance I would enjoy his books under different circumstances

The not-so-good side: I didn't care about the characters in this book. The main character makes so many poor choices - it's unreal. (I don't know anybody who would feel comfortable taking jewelry off of a dead person, even if that dead person is now a skeleton. That is just the start of his poor decisions that I truly cannot understand.) The lead female character is left as a mystery. She is somewhat explained, but she seemed apathetic towards the main character despite being there for him. The best friend is completely ignored, but showed more emotion and caring than the other two characters, which is a shame because he was the least mentioned.

As for my boyfriend's son.. I wouldn't be opposed to him reading this book, but I know it would absolutely drive him crazy. He would yell at the main character for his stupid decisions while, at the same time, criticize him for not punching the bad guy in the face. (Take this with a grain of salt: He's ten, thinks he can take out a bear up with a knife, prefers non-fiction, and only reads if you absolutely force him to.)

Overall, I didn't enjoy the story or make sense of the characters.

BLUF: Great book, I highly recommend this to those who want to learn about habits and/or their own (and spouse's) habit tendencies. 4.5 stars.

This book covers everything you want to know about habits, including the importance of monitoring, the problems with rewards, and (of course) how to make habits work for you.
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“From what I've observed, our Tendencies are hard wired, and while they can be offset to some degree, they can't be changed.” “Yet whatever our Tendency, with greater experience and wisdom, we can learn to counterbalance its negative aspects.”

BLUF: Great book. Great standalone. The story is not suspenseful for the most part, but it is captivating. I highly recommend.

While solving a case regarding endangered species, Forrest Ranger Joe Pickett receives news that they found a girl badly beaten on the side of the highway. They aren't sure, but she resembles his daughter. Joe takes us on a journey to find out what happened to the girl and the endangered species.

Really, the summary does not give this book any justice. CJ Box hooks readers from the start and does not let go. By weaving the multiple vantages into one story, CJ Box will leave you on the edge of your seat. Unfortunately, I cannot say much about this book without giving anything away! Characters are realistic, writing is wonderful, storyline draws you in, and this can be read as a standalone. Only thing I had a problem with in this book is that I don't know Western terms – but there were few are far between.

I will definitely be reading more from CJ Box!

I received this book as part of GoodRead's First Read program

BLUF: Pick this up.

Plot: A Short History of Nearly Everything is exactly as its' title suggests. This text takes us from the beginning of time to our current position – all in laymen terms.

Topics include: The solar system, geology, all things Earth, atoms, plants, dinosaurs, extinction of dinosaurs, Darwinism, quantum physics, global warming, and everything in between.

I almost DNF'd: I listened to the audiobook and quickly thought it would become a book that I would DNF. The Introduction was very difficult to process. It tried to make the book mysterious and appealing by describing what it took to make the reader, and continues on about atoms before it starts into why Bill Bryson decided to write this book.

Thankfully, I didn't: Believe me, I am thrilled that I made it past that first chapter. Bryson writes nonfiction in the form of stories. It's impressive. I have a hard time with nonfiction books because they tend to be dry and I tend to be unable (unwilling?) to retain the information, but Bryson is able to transitions from one topic to another in a seamless manner.

The iffy: I had a good time reading this book. It constantly made me stop and think about the information provided, as well as research the topics to understand a little more about what I was learning. (Don't get me wrong, the book gives enough information, but I have a need to verify and ponder.) Well... one of the things I researched, the idea that “all glass on Earth is flowing downward under the relentless drag of gravity”. Turns out, this isn't true. When one thing isn't true, it makes me wonder what else was written that was not true.

Oh, btw: The book talks about the Swine Flu. Specifically, how it reoccurs often without known reason. I thought this was awesome (erm.. timely) given that this ended up reoccurring soon after the book was published. I love seeing something I read prove relevant.

So... What are you waiting for? Buy it, rent it, read it, enjoy it, reread it! I know I will (preferably with more fact checking, for fun).

BLUF: I'm not a fan of this book, but will likely read the next one anyways.

Cormoran Strike and his steady sidekick are back! After solving the Lula Landry case, Strike has become quite famous. On the plus side, the fame has resolved all traces of the debts Strike used to have. On the flip side, it's a complete bore working for the rich and entitled. When the eccentric wife of a narcissistic artist comes in, urging Strike to help recover her husband from wherever he is pouting, Strike takes the case simply to shake the boredom. As always, the case isn't as easy as it seems.

I just couldn't get into this one. The case was intriguing, but all the characters were written to be awful. I'm certain this is a play on reality or a critic of the publishing industry or elitist groups, but I didn't find it appealing, insightful, or interesting. I will likely find my way into the third book when it comes out, but I'm hoping for something more.

I love this concept. I love that each chapter is from a different point of view. Im bummed that all deaths listed weren't discussed/brought up. Three stars because I liked and enjoyed the book. No additional stars because it felt like something was missing. (Mostly character relationships. The individuals in the chapters were mostly loners who only talked with their parents.)