M.M. Hudson's Blog, page 37
August 8, 2021
#Review: The Midnight Library by Matt Haig #fiction #novel
This book is an incredible poignant look at the time in between life and death.
What may seem like the most depressing and no- life lived, can actually be the life that is being lived beautifully if only it can be seen. Or maybe the life that seems so wonderful is not at all.
Our life's choices not only affect ourselves but for ever single person we encounter.
The author's well written story unfolds in such away that it allows us to take a glimpse into one person's life...their library so to speak and how her different choices of life depended on how she chose. Ultimately she has to choose to live!
Wonderful quotes and references to Waldon and Thoreau only enhance a beautiful book that deserves its 5 stars.
Disclosure: I borrowed a copy of this book from my local library. The views here are 100% my own and may differ from yours. -Michelle
August 7, 2021
Itty Bitty Kitty and the Rainy Play Day by Joan Holub #childrens #series #childrensfiction
Since it was raining today, it seemed appropriate to read this picture book by one of my favorite authors.
Itty Bitty Kitty is anything but itty-bitty. So when it starts to rain Itty and owner Ava get stuck inside.They eventually find things to do but it causes chaos around the house and trouble for mom and dad.
As the rain stops, fun begins again...maybe...but does Itty like being outside? Hmm?
I love the larger than life pet cat with bold colors coupled with the author's fun play with words.
4 stars. Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the author. The views here are 100% my own and may differ from yours. - Michelle
August 6, 2021
Seed School: Growing Up Amazing by Joan Holub #review #childrens #growing #plants
A class full of different seeds are learning about growing and how they will grow. There is one seed with a "hat" that tries to find himself and fit in.
The book starts in the Fall and carries all through the winter into spring. The seeds learn about photosynthesis, which of course, the reader does too.
The seed with the hat sings about growing and tells fun jokes. Eventually, all the seeds grow into something great and so does the "lost" seed. *smiles*
The writing is awesome. The illustrations a bit cheesy for me but do get the point across and do their job.
I give this 5 stars
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the author. The views here are 100% my own and may differ from yours. -Michelle
August 5, 2021
#Review: Outlawed by Anna North #western #historicalfiction #women
This book is a retelling of the Hole in the Wall gang with "Billy" The Kid. This time though, the whole gang is a group of women thrown out of their homes for the most idiotic reason, that is, most of them could not have children.
The story is told in first person from the character, "Doc"
as she tells her tale of living among the gang and treating ailments.
The book was not fast paced as one might imagine, but actually a slow burn kind of western comparable to what you might see in a spaghetti western movie. Descriptions of places and people were ok.
The only real disappointment of the book was the ending. It felt abrupt and more like a cliff hanger. The author definitely left it open for sequels.
Good read overall. 4 stars.
Disclosure: I am incredibly happy to have gotten a copy of this book from my local library. The views here are 100% my own and may differ from yours.- Michelle
August 1, 2021
Seasons of Reading Readathon-High Summer #hsreadthon #readathon
This readathon started today. It is month long for August so you can join anytime. If you don't have a blog you can chime in on Goodreads, Facebook, and Instagram as well. Just make sure, as I am doing right now, that you declare you have started and link back to HEREHave fun!
Michelle
PS. I generally do not list the books I am going to read because I never get as far as I think I will. I have started "Outlawed" and will get that one done for sure.
July 18, 2021
#Giveaway: Diary Of A Minecraft Zombie Books
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This giveaway's Sponsor is:
A Scare Of A Dare, Bullies and Buddies, Nature Calls, Zombie Swap, and School Daze
$32.76
See review HERE.
Through their love for Minecraft and funny stories, they brought the zany adventures of a preteen Minecraft Zombie to life, in order to bring a little joy and laughter to the crazy and emotionally angst filled life of today's preteen.~~~~~~THE GIVEAWAYThis giveaway/sweepstakes is in no way endorsed, affiliated, or associated with Facebook, Twitter or any other Social Media Networking Site. This Giveaway is valid to continental United States residents only, Entrants must be 18+ years of age to enter. This giveaway event will end at 11:59 PM (EST) 8/10/21. The winner will have 48 hours to email their information back to las93063 at gmail dot com or a new winner will be drawn, you may want to put this email address as safe as it could go to spam. The giveaway is not valid where prohibited! By entering you are authorizing us to collect the information on the form below, this information is used only to contact the winner! No purchase necessary, Void where prohibited by law, and the number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Winners are chosen randomly by the Giveaway Tools program. The sponsors are each responsible for shipping of the above prizes. No blog associated with this contest are responsible for prize fulfillment. If you would like to be a sponsor in a giveaway like this please email Laura Smith at las930 (at)gmail (dot) com. If you take an entry you must stay following for the entire contest or you will be disqualified.
July 13, 2021
#Giveaway & #Spotlight: Hits Heathens and Hippos by Marty Essen #Memoir, Humor
Date Published: February 28, 2021
Publisher: Encante Press, LLC
Be inspired, intrigued, and entertained!
Everyone has dreams of what they want to accomplish in life. Marty Essen’s childhood dream of becoming a herpetologist gave way to his dream of becoming a popular DJ, which led to his dream of becoming a big-time talent manager, which morphed into the dream of becoming an in-demand author and college speaker. While he achieved most of his dreams at various levels, he also realized that he didn’t necessarily have to reach the top to find success or happiness. Sometimes “almost” is close enough.
Hits, Heathens, and Hippos: Stories from an Agent, Activist, and Adventurer is a humorous and inspirational memoir that explores relationships and careers and how seemingly minor events can lead to life-changing results. Compelling stories have filled Marty’s life, and he tells those stories in a conversational style that combines his talents as an award-winning author with his talents as the creator of a one-man stage show that he has performed at hundreds of colleges across the United States.
This is a must-read for anyone faced with an unexpected career change, worried about finding and keeping the partner of their dreams, forced to take on bullies (whether individual, political, or corporate), eager for ideas to make life more satisfying, or just in search of a fun-filled adventure.
About the Author
Marty Essen began writing professionally in the 1990s as a features writer for Gig Magazine. His first book, Cool Creatures, Hot Planet: Exploring the Seven Continents, won six national awards, and the Minneapolis Star-Tribune named it a "Top Ten Green Book." His second book, Endangered Edens: Exploring the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Costa Rica, the Everglades, and Puerto Rico, won four national awards. His novels, Time Is Irreverent, Time Is Irreverent 2: Jesus Christ, Not Again! and Time Is Irreverent 3: Gone for 16 Seconds are all Amazon #1 Best-Sellers in Political Humor. Hits, Heathens, and Hippos is Marty's sixth book, and like all of his books, it reflects his values of protecting human rights and the environment--and does so with a wry sense of humor. Marty is also a popular college speaker, who has performed the stage-show version of Cool Creatures, Hot Planet on hundreds of campuses in forty-five states.
Contact Links
Purchase Links
July 11, 2021
Finding Family in a Far-Away Land An Adoption Story by Amanda Wall # giveaway #review #memoir #childrens #nonfiction
Synopsis:
Every adoption experience is uniquely different but the yearning to have unconditional family love is universal. Two Indian sisters, Priya and Ari, experience what it's like to be adopted into a multi-cultural, interracial family. Walk alongside these two charming, dynamic girls as they journey through the adoption transition to a new country full of new experiences!My review:
My Dad was adopted and I have always been fascinated by adoption stories. That is why I wanted to read and review this book. The story is told in first person from the perspective of Priya, the older of the two sister that were adopted by American parents. (This confused me a little bit as the author's name is not Priya.)
Priya begins by telling about their life in India prior to their adoption. It was not the best as they lost their parents and for awhile, fended for themselves. They both were sick children. This was a sad beginning to the book but it also highlighted just a small percentage of things that adopted children may have endured. Eventually sent to an orphanage, the two were adopted and taken to the U.S. on their first airplane ride. It was lucky they were both adopted together.
Fast forward, the girls only being able to speak their own language, navigated many new things and surprises. The book describes things like pets, foods, and even a trip to the zoo. Priya compares and contrasts all these things and the new wonders. I enjoyed this part of the book very much as this being an international adoption, children would have culture shock. It was nice to learn a little about India as well. What was also nice was to see their new parents embraces their differences but did not try to completely change the girls either.
The book to me seemed to end abruptly but it illustrated at the same time that the girls were doing okay and adjusting to their new lives. At the end of the book there is a glossary of terms. Although a nice addition, I think it would have been better to have them in with the read-a-long.
The illustrations were done by the author in line drawing and water color. They were not overly spectacular but at the same time, they were colorful enough and did well with the story. The simplicity of them fit.
Overall, the book was good and I think it did point out some things about being adopted without going into overly too much detail. However, it reads more like a short memoir than about adoption itself. The book is meant for 4-10 year old's.
I give this book 3 1/2 stars.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the author. The review here is 100% my own and may differ from yours. ~Michelle
Where to find the author:
Instagram Website
Giveaway:
Enter the Giveaway:
FINDING FAMILY IN A FAR-AWAY LAND Book Tour Giveaway
July 6, 2021
#Giveaway: @NGKidsBks Dinosaur Books (Ends 9/6)
Welcome To The National Geographic Kids Dinosaur Books Giveaway!This giveaway is part of our Back to School Gift Guide. Stop by to see all the great giveaways and products!
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One Lucky Winner Will Receive a NG Kids Dinosaur Book Bundle Valued at $80+
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WEBSITE ~ FACEBOOK ~ TWITTER Read The Review Here Rules: Use The Rafflecopter Form To Enter Daily. The giveaway ends 9/6 And Is Open To The United States. Entrants Must Be 18 Years Old To Enter. The Winner Will Be Notified Via Email. Are You A Blogger? CLICK HERE To Get A FREE Link Added To One Of Our Giveaways. Just Post And Report! If You Have Any Questions Or Are A Brand/Company And Would Like To Work With Home Jobs By Mom Please Contact Me. Also, To Be Informed Of New Giveaways And Blogger Opps CLICK HERE.
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a Rafflecopter giveawayOne entrant will be selected by the entry form to win a NG Kids Dinosaur Book Bundle. Open for entry in the United States, 18 years and older from 07/06/21 thru 09/06/21. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. This giveaway is in no way endorsed, affiliated, or associated with Facebook, Twitter, or any other social media networking site. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the notification email to claim their prize or a new winner will be selected. Once a winner is drawn and confirmed, the name will be announced on the Rafflecopter form. NG Kids will be responsible for sending the winners their prizes.
Thank You So Much For Visiting Today!#Spotlight & #Giveaway: I Can Be Fun STEM Activities for Kids-4 Book Series by Anna Claybourne & Claudia Martin #STEM
I Can Be... Fun STEM Activities for Kids
Children's Activity Books4 Book Series
Filled with entertaining and educational activities, these full-color books are the perfect way to introduce young children to many of today’s most important STEM subjects.
I Can Be a Math Magician: Fun STEM Activities for Kids
978-0-486-83922-6
Date Published: 10/16/2019
Publisher: Dover Publications
Math is magical with this colorful activity book! It's easy to entertain family and friends as you complete mysterious number squares and "Magic Multiples," play a prime number card game, and draw fractal trees. This book offers a fun and meaningful way to explore how math is an important part of everyday life.
About the Author Anna Claybourne
Anna Claybourne is an award-winning science writer and has authored many books for Usborne Publishing, A&C Black, and Franklin Watts. She writes mainly nonfiction, covering topics such as science, art, wildlife, and fashion. In addition, she has also published books about Shakespeare, myths and legends, and retellings of literary classics. She is based in Edinburgh.
About the Illustrator
Katie Kear is a young British illustrator who has been creating artwork for as long as she can remember. She loves creating new worlds and characters, and she hopes to spread joy and happiness with her art. She is a graduate of the University of Gloucestershire with a First Class BA Hons Illustration degree.
About the Author Claudia Martin
Claudia Martin is the author of many books and online articles for children and young adults. Her favorite subjects are history, current affairs, geography, the natural world, and technology. She lives in London with her family.
Additional Titles
978-0-486-83923-3
I Can Be a Rocket Scientist
Date Published: 10/16/2019
Publisher: Dover Publications
Find out what it takes to become a rocket scientist! With this out-of-this-world activity book, you can make a scale model of the solar system, build a prototype rocket from a plastic container, and try real astronaut fitness exercises. You'll discover Earth's place in space, fun facts about the other planets in our solar system, how gravity works, and lots of other fascinating cosmic information.
978-0-486-83924-0
I Can Be an Awesome Inventor
Date Published: 10/16/2019
Publisher: Dover Publications
Put on your thinking cap and get inventive! Make a musical instrument from glass bottles, use a drop of water to create a microscope, develop your own computer programming language, and more! Filled with interesting fun facts and entertaining activities, this book will inspire you to create your own inventions.
978-0-486-83921-9
I Can Be a Science Detective
Date Published: 10/16/2019
Publisher: Dover Publications
Do you have what it takes to become a science sleuth? Of course you do! Discover how to gather clues and collect evidence to catch a thief, follow instructions to extract DNA from strawberries, take your own fingerprints, analyze handwriting, and much more. While you're having fun inspecting, detecting, and experimenting, you'll be learning all about the intriguing world of forensic science and its important role in real life.
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