A. Renee Hunt's Blog, page 33
January 23, 2018
Sleeping Beauties
Novel by Stephen and Owen King 
The book's blurb asked: What would the world do if all women vanished? If they went to sleep, but woke up on the better side of life, would that matter to the men left behind? But what if the woman asleep is awakened from that better state- and what would happen to the man who awakened her? That's the premise of Sleeping Beauties, a novel written by the king of horror, Stephen King with one of his sons,
Owen King
. #element-f2be8d9b-e81b-4600-b2c2-a4dd44bcbba7 .waddons-blog-image.hideImage { display: none;}
Now you all know me- I LOVE Stephen King! Even his biggest, most dullest tales have kept me enthralled in some way, shape or fashion. This book had me on the fence. It began with a tardiness that actually caused me to retrieve a refund for the audiobook, I don't know why, but I went back a few days later; I guess I'd been pondering the concept of a world without men. Or according to the book, a world without women. I wanted to know what had happened, so I grabbed the actual book. Do you know that thing cost $33!!? Yes, I bought it. (Sale at V-Stock: BTGO)
Okay, so the story was actually pretty good. King and King work well together. The story carried the feel of Stephen, but offered a newness for me from Owen. The only other King I'd ever read was Joe Hill (pen name of Joseph King ) from my previous review for NOS4A2; remember that? Well, I loved it- boy's got skills! So when I read Sleeping Beauties, I was looking for thrills and kicks! I got them, but they came in a manner that I had to push through.
The story is about men and women apart. It was about discovery and independence. It was also about how to stay blitzed, in order to prevent going to sleep! Sleeping Beauties is one of the craziest rides I've ever taken. It was creative and beautiful, but it was filthy, chauvinistic and piggish. For a reasons, of course, but dang! I guess it was necessary; is prison really as bad as tv says it is? I'm talking about daily life and such... Anyway, the story focuses on many characters, protagonists and antagonists (as with most King tales), and there's a strong message hidden between the lines.
I was impressed with the destination, but the journey had twists and turns that either hooked me or left me waiting. Either way, I own the book and may one day return to it. Maybe; you know I rarely reread a book, and yet I'm constantly purchasing them! Ha- Don't Judge Me!
Anyway, Sleeping Beauties is worth the read. IF you can get past a ton of the quirkiness of characters, the awful lingo (not the grammar- don't get it twisted), the harsh personalities of some and then the drugs (quite necessary), you will enjoy this book! I'm off to the next read.
Cheers!
The book's blurb asked: What would the world do if all women vanished? If they went to sleep, but woke up on the better side of life, would that matter to the men left behind? But what if the woman asleep is awakened from that better state- and what would happen to the man who awakened her? That's the premise of Sleeping Beauties, a novel written by the king of horror, Stephen King with one of his sons,
Owen King
. #element-f2be8d9b-e81b-4600-b2c2-a4dd44bcbba7 .waddons-blog-image.hideImage { display: none;}
Now you all know me- I LOVE Stephen King! Even his biggest, most dullest tales have kept me enthralled in some way, shape or fashion. This book had me on the fence. It began with a tardiness that actually caused me to retrieve a refund for the audiobook, I don't know why, but I went back a few days later; I guess I'd been pondering the concept of a world without men. Or according to the book, a world without women. I wanted to know what had happened, so I grabbed the actual book. Do you know that thing cost $33!!? Yes, I bought it. (Sale at V-Stock: BTGO)Okay, so the story was actually pretty good. King and King work well together. The story carried the feel of Stephen, but offered a newness for me from Owen. The only other King I'd ever read was Joe Hill (pen name of Joseph King ) from my previous review for NOS4A2; remember that? Well, I loved it- boy's got skills! So when I read Sleeping Beauties, I was looking for thrills and kicks! I got them, but they came in a manner that I had to push through.
The story is about men and women apart. It was about discovery and independence. It was also about how to stay blitzed, in order to prevent going to sleep! Sleeping Beauties is one of the craziest rides I've ever taken. It was creative and beautiful, but it was filthy, chauvinistic and piggish. For a reasons, of course, but dang! I guess it was necessary; is prison really as bad as tv says it is? I'm talking about daily life and such... Anyway, the story focuses on many characters, protagonists and antagonists (as with most King tales), and there's a strong message hidden between the lines.
I was impressed with the destination, but the journey had twists and turns that either hooked me or left me waiting. Either way, I own the book and may one day return to it. Maybe; you know I rarely reread a book, and yet I'm constantly purchasing them! Ha- Don't Judge Me!
Anyway, Sleeping Beauties is worth the read. IF you can get past a ton of the quirkiness of characters, the awful lingo (not the grammar- don't get it twisted), the harsh personalities of some and then the drugs (quite necessary), you will enjoy this book! I'm off to the next read.
Cheers!
January 22, 2018
The Greatest Showman
A Spectacular Musical Review 
I've always loved musicals. I grew up on them, from both sides of my family, so seeing The Greatest Showman's movie trailer had me a bit concerned. I mean, yea, Hugh Jackman is amazingly handsome, a fantastic actor and could move like wolverine-ish lightning, but could he sing. Could he really pull off such a elegant performance?
OF COURSE HE COULD!
#element-31937620-7771-4bc1-9da8-90e42f8670f5 .waddons-blog-image.hideImage { display: none;} 
The title says it all- The Greatest Showman is the telling of Phineas Taylor Barnum, though not a biography. This Broadway movie is more like a fantasy. With colors that lit up the large screen, energetic moves that was weren't always from dancing, and lyrics that made you swoon, The Greatest Showman was one of the best bits of entertainment I've seen this year!
But you have to understand, while watching, this is not who Barnum actually was. It's a movie. A really fun movie, but that is all. He really wasn't a good man. He got incredibly rich from the misery of his acts. None were as happy and cheerful, as with he movie. But who wants to know the gory details, right? Especially about Lind and Barnum splitting over financial differences, instead of unrequited love...
All in all, I found myself just as mesmerized with The Greatest Showman, about half as much as when I see West Side Story- a real musical/Broadway play that kicks butt! Hugh Jackman did an incredible job, though he's much older than when Barnum began his circus. Zendaya, a woman I'd never seen before the movie, was sweet and sings beautifully. And Keala Settle has a huge voice. I believe I read this was her first movie.
So if you want to hear an incredible soundtrack, see bright lights and colors that leap from the screen, along with fun jump and shouts- this is your movie. The Greatest Showman will probably wind up in my iTunes library, along with the soundtrack.
Cheers!
The Greatest Showman
Directed by Michael Gracey
Screenplay by Jenny Bicks & Bill Condon
Produced by Peter Chernin
Starred: Hugh Jackman, Michelle Williams, Zac Efron, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson and Keala Settle
December 2017
I've always loved musicals. I grew up on them, from both sides of my family, so seeing The Greatest Showman's movie trailer had me a bit concerned. I mean, yea, Hugh Jackman is amazingly handsome, a fantastic actor and could move like wolverine-ish lightning, but could he sing. Could he really pull off such a elegant performance?
OF COURSE HE COULD!
#element-31937620-7771-4bc1-9da8-90e42f8670f5 .waddons-blog-image.hideImage { display: none;} The title says it all- The Greatest Showman is the telling of Phineas Taylor Barnum, though not a biography. This Broadway movie is more like a fantasy. With colors that lit up the large screen, energetic moves that was weren't always from dancing, and lyrics that made you swoon, The Greatest Showman was one of the best bits of entertainment I've seen this year!But you have to understand, while watching, this is not who Barnum actually was. It's a movie. A really fun movie, but that is all. He really wasn't a good man. He got incredibly rich from the misery of his acts. None were as happy and cheerful, as with he movie. But who wants to know the gory details, right? Especially about Lind and Barnum splitting over financial differences, instead of unrequited love...
All in all, I found myself just as mesmerized with The Greatest Showman, about half as much as when I see West Side Story- a real musical/Broadway play that kicks butt! Hugh Jackman did an incredible job, though he's much older than when Barnum began his circus. Zendaya, a woman I'd never seen before the movie, was sweet and sings beautifully. And Keala Settle has a huge voice. I believe I read this was her first movie.
So if you want to hear an incredible soundtrack, see bright lights and colors that leap from the screen, along with fun jump and shouts- this is your movie. The Greatest Showman will probably wind up in my iTunes library, along with the soundtrack.
Cheers!
The Greatest Showman
Directed by Michael Gracey
Screenplay by Jenny Bicks & Bill Condon
Produced by Peter Chernin
Starred: Hugh Jackman, Michelle Williams, Zac Efron, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson and Keala Settle
December 2017
The Day of the Triffids
A Book & 2 Movies Review!
I've watched various horror and other classic movies with my dad growing up. When I saw the original Thing [The Thing From Another World], after watching Kurt Russel's version from 1982, by John Carpenter, I was highly disappointed. But i never saw a remake of 1962's The Day of The Triffids. I couldn't find it in iTunes, Netflix, Shudder or even Hulu, but good old, reliable YouTube.com had it. Both versions. Yes, there were two! #element-fc83b35d-2924-41a0-98dc-83306c0985c6 .waddons-blog-image.hideImage { display: none;}
So my journey began with the book. One day I thought, let's read The Day of the Triffids, by John Wyndham. It's the story of plants that were somehow infused with alien DNA . The night put on a spectacular light show, leaving anyone who watched the scientific phenomenon without sight. It also allowed the Triffid plants to become ambulatory, lashing out at the the unseeing humans in a carniverous capacity.
The book sucked. Big Time! It was so slow and boring, because instead of focusing on the story and how it affected any one person in particular, as with The War of The Worlds, it acted as some sort of biographical news telling. So once finished, I decided to watch the original movie, produced by George Pitcher and starred Howard Keel and Nicole Maurey. It too was a bust!
That version was boring and shared one death only- and it was highly cleaned up! I kept in mind, in the 60's, horror movies were just beginning to step into actual horror. So as forgiving as I was, I wanted more. So I dug deeper. I found a 2009 version, produced by BBC Loondon. I was thinking, Okay, here's a 2000 version; it's got to give me horror, right? Nope- it was a 2-part, made for TV series. Talk about a let down! I'm sorry but I don't like my dirt so clean- it was not horror!
Filled with popular actors, it gave a much better story, closely related to the book, but improved. BUT, it too wasn't quite the same. To be honest, I believe both movies were terribly different from the book due to the book not offering much to go by. It was a slate on which they painted their own ideas on how the world would have reacted. I was left with a plant-based taste in my mouth that has nothing to do with my being vegetarian.
Now that my curiosity has been loft wanting, I must now go out and seek a new horror to view. Hopefully one that at least gives me some blood! Cheers!
The Day of the Triffids, 1962
Novel by John Wyndham
Screen play: Philip Yordan
Produced by George Pitcher
Directed by Steve Sekely
Starred Howard Keel and Joely Robinson
The Day of the Triffids, 2009
Novel by John Wyndham
Screenplay Patrick Harbenson
Produced by Michael Preger & Stephen Smallwood
Director: Nick Copus
Starred Dougray Scott, Joely Robinson
I've watched various horror and other classic movies with my dad growing up. When I saw the original Thing [The Thing From Another World], after watching Kurt Russel's version from 1982, by John Carpenter, I was highly disappointed. But i never saw a remake of 1962's The Day of The Triffids. I couldn't find it in iTunes, Netflix, Shudder or even Hulu, but good old, reliable YouTube.com had it. Both versions. Yes, there were two! #element-fc83b35d-2924-41a0-98dc-83306c0985c6 .waddons-blog-image.hideImage { display: none;}
So my journey began with the book. One day I thought, let's read The Day of the Triffids, by John Wyndham. It's the story of plants that were somehow infused with alien DNA . The night put on a spectacular light show, leaving anyone who watched the scientific phenomenon without sight. It also allowed the Triffid plants to become ambulatory, lashing out at the the unseeing humans in a carniverous capacity.The book sucked. Big Time! It was so slow and boring, because instead of focusing on the story and how it affected any one person in particular, as with The War of The Worlds, it acted as some sort of biographical news telling. So once finished, I decided to watch the original movie, produced by George Pitcher and starred Howard Keel and Nicole Maurey. It too was a bust!
That version was boring and shared one death only- and it was highly cleaned up! I kept in mind, in the 60's, horror movies were just beginning to step into actual horror. So as forgiving as I was, I wanted more. So I dug deeper. I found a 2009 version, produced by BBC Loondon. I was thinking, Okay, here's a 2000 version; it's got to give me horror, right? Nope- it was a 2-part, made for TV series. Talk about a let down! I'm sorry but I don't like my dirt so clean- it was not horror!
Filled with popular actors, it gave a much better story, closely related to the book, but improved. BUT, it too wasn't quite the same. To be honest, I believe both movies were terribly different from the book due to the book not offering much to go by. It was a slate on which they painted their own ideas on how the world would have reacted. I was left with a plant-based taste in my mouth that has nothing to do with my being vegetarian.
Now that my curiosity has been loft wanting, I must now go out and seek a new horror to view. Hopefully one that at least gives me some blood! Cheers! The Day of the Triffids, 1962
Novel by John Wyndham
Screen play: Philip Yordan
Produced by George Pitcher
Directed by Steve Sekely
Starred Howard Keel and Joely Robinson
The Day of the Triffids, 2009
Novel by John Wyndham
Screenplay Patrick Harbenson
Produced by Michael Preger & Stephen Smallwood
Director: Nick Copus
Starred Dougray Scott, Joely Robinson
The Enchanted Hat
eBook Review by Mary Sue and John Ulutunu? 
What would you do with an enchanted hat? A hat that, randomly changes shape to show function. Would you put it on? Would you see where the hat takes you? That's what David does. A keeper of all things, he happens across a hat that changes his life forever! #element-0e5ead99-3e5d-4837-b2e7-0b90cfa11545 .waddons-blog-image.hideImage { display: none;} 
David is a collector. Whether a leaf, a rock, baseball cards- anything, he will find a place in his room for it and add to it as days, months and years go by. It's driven his parents into debates, but he refuses to stop. One day he happens upon a hat, stuck in the upper branches of a tree. But it's no ordinary hat. It fluidly changes. One second it's a clown's hat, the next a yellow hard hat. Once in David's clutches, he's sent on adventures that would make any collector's day!
The Enchanted Hat is an enigma. I liked the book, but found two things wrong with hit. First, the cover, to me represented a childish tale. It said: I'm about a little boy who just wants to have fun and wear... well, hats! I also thought it was going to be a picture book. The actual story let me know my 12 1/2 year old could have read it. It's strange, but still very likable.
The second thing I found wrong was, for a children's book, it's very wordy. It's over one hundred pages long, but could easily have been shared around fifty or so. It was in the fine detailing of David's thoughts; they could have been shortened a great deal, making the perfect read.
Other than that, David going from rockstar to constructionist and even a scientist on safari was fun. It's what makes children's books amazing and enjoyable. I do suggest that if you chose this book, give it to your nine, ten year old instead of six or seven year old. There are no photos and a lot of conversations and words anyone younger may not have knowledge of.
Cheers! I'm off to the next read!
The Enchanted Hat
John Ulutunu
Amazon Digital Services, Dec. 2015
102 pages
Young Readers
Adventure, Fantasy, Pirates
What would you do with an enchanted hat? A hat that, randomly changes shape to show function. Would you put it on? Would you see where the hat takes you? That's what David does. A keeper of all things, he happens across a hat that changes his life forever! #element-0e5ead99-3e5d-4837-b2e7-0b90cfa11545 .waddons-blog-image.hideImage { display: none;} David is a collector. Whether a leaf, a rock, baseball cards- anything, he will find a place in his room for it and add to it as days, months and years go by. It's driven his parents into debates, but he refuses to stop. One day he happens upon a hat, stuck in the upper branches of a tree. But it's no ordinary hat. It fluidly changes. One second it's a clown's hat, the next a yellow hard hat. Once in David's clutches, he's sent on adventures that would make any collector's day!The Enchanted Hat is an enigma. I liked the book, but found two things wrong with hit. First, the cover, to me represented a childish tale. It said: I'm about a little boy who just wants to have fun and wear... well, hats! I also thought it was going to be a picture book. The actual story let me know my 12 1/2 year old could have read it. It's strange, but still very likable.
The second thing I found wrong was, for a children's book, it's very wordy. It's over one hundred pages long, but could easily have been shared around fifty or so. It was in the fine detailing of David's thoughts; they could have been shortened a great deal, making the perfect read.
Other than that, David going from rockstar to constructionist and even a scientist on safari was fun. It's what makes children's books amazing and enjoyable. I do suggest that if you chose this book, give it to your nine, ten year old instead of six or seven year old. There are no photos and a lot of conversations and words anyone younger may not have knowledge of.
Cheers! I'm off to the next read!
The Enchanted Hat
John Ulutunu
Amazon Digital Services, Dec. 2015
102 pages
Young Readers
Adventure, Fantasy, Pirates
January 4, 2018
Insidious: The Last Key
A Horror Movie Review 
Tonight turned out to be Date Night for my hubby and I, so we headed out to view Insidious: The Last Key (Chapter 4). This series has been one of the best. Guaranteed great jump-scares and painful knuckle crushing, because my husband just can't contain his fear! I wondered if the movie series would go out with a bang and I have to say, it left me ûber-happy... 
I believe this is it. No more from Elise Rainier, but that's okay; she doesn't have to. She handled things like the emotional professional that she is. With each experience, I feel like I know her so much more and love her too.
In this chapter, Elise has to go up against her own ghosts. Someone lives in the house she grew up in and they're visited by some nightmarish haunts she'd grown up thinking were normal. When she decides to help the man, she realizes she's going against more than she bargained for. Emotional closure, a monster who holds the key and... a silver whistle.
Insidious: The Last Key is one of those unnerving masterpieces. The characters are witty and excellent, The Further is just as darker and tenebrous (always wanted to use that word) and the storyline is so freaking good, I'm jealous of Whannel (Specs) for writing it!
I think what helped make this movie great was the fact that you're told where The Further came from. How it all began and who started it all. It's also a sort of loop, but I won't go into details for fear of SPOILERS1 The background information made all the other chapters come together.. Each time, you're given a little more- now that's good writing. It's an excellent ghost story and needless to say, will be added to my movie collection.
Even though Chapter 3 wasn't as great as the first two and this one, the Insidious series will become a classic haunt for anyone who loves horror. Insidious The Last Key opens Friday, January 5th.
Cheers!
Insidious: The Last Key
Written by Leigh Whannel
Directed by Adam Robitel
Produced by Jason Blum & Oren Peli
Cast: Lin Shaye, Leigh Whannell, Angus Sampson, Kirk Acevedo and Josh Stewart
Tonight turned out to be Date Night for my hubby and I, so we headed out to view Insidious: The Last Key (Chapter 4). This series has been one of the best. Guaranteed great jump-scares and painful knuckle crushing, because my husband just can't contain his fear! I wondered if the movie series would go out with a bang and I have to say, it left me ûber-happy... I believe this is it. No more from Elise Rainier, but that's okay; she doesn't have to. She handled things like the emotional professional that she is. With each experience, I feel like I know her so much more and love her too.In this chapter, Elise has to go up against her own ghosts. Someone lives in the house she grew up in and they're visited by some nightmarish haunts she'd grown up thinking were normal. When she decides to help the man, she realizes she's going against more than she bargained for. Emotional closure, a monster who holds the key and... a silver whistle.
Insidious: The Last Key is one of those unnerving masterpieces. The characters are witty and excellent, The Further is just as darker and tenebrous (always wanted to use that word) and the storyline is so freaking good, I'm jealous of Whannel (Specs) for writing it!
I think what helped make this movie great was the fact that you're told where The Further came from. How it all began and who started it all. It's also a sort of loop, but I won't go into details for fear of SPOILERS1 The background information made all the other chapters come together.. Each time, you're given a little more- now that's good writing. It's an excellent ghost story and needless to say, will be added to my movie collection.
Even though Chapter 3 wasn't as great as the first two and this one, the Insidious series will become a classic haunt for anyone who loves horror. Insidious The Last Key opens Friday, January 5th.
Cheers!
Insidious: The Last Key
Written by Leigh Whannel
Directed by Adam Robitel
Produced by Jason Blum & Oren Peli
Cast: Lin Shaye, Leigh Whannell, Angus Sampson, Kirk Acevedo and Josh Stewart
January 3, 2018
A Haunting in Salem
A Movie Review 
Anytime you have a story set in Salem, you naturally expect witches, fire and dark magic. In A Haunting in Salem, you get the witch, dark events and a bit of burning. From the movie’s DVD cover, it says this story was taken from actual events, so was real life as scary as fiction?
#element-232329b0-1823-485d-95fd-a7c2f7f7bc8d .waddons-blog-image.hideImage { display: none;}
The plot centered on the new sheriff of Salem and his family, who’ve moved into a sweet, Victorian home. It’s excessively large, even for four people, but it’d been the dwelling of every sheriff who’d presided over the town for years. While unpacking, everyone experienced strange and unexplainable occurrences, but soon, the entire family is in mortal danger. Sadly, there’ s not a soul around who can help with truth, let alone answers.
The story presents a cycle; the very beginning shows you what happened to the previous family, then the new sheriff, complete with mental issues, came along. What you aren’t given is a reason for it all. Was it revenge? Had the previous sheriffs carried a blood connection, allowing the townspeople to invite them, as a sort of sacrifice? It ended, gifting wonder as to why it even happened.
The cinematography, concerning the town and surrounding views were spectacular! Even the house was lovely, but there really wasn’t much as far as storyline. With little scare, A Haunting in Salem entertained, but disappointed.
Cheers!
A Haunting in Salem
Written by H. Perry Horton
Directed by Shane Van Dyke
Produced by The Asylum
Stars Bill Oberst, Jr., Courtney Abbiati, Jenna Stone and Nicholas Harsin
Anytime you have a story set in Salem, you naturally expect witches, fire and dark magic. In A Haunting in Salem, you get the witch, dark events and a bit of burning. From the movie’s DVD cover, it says this story was taken from actual events, so was real life as scary as fiction?#element-232329b0-1823-485d-95fd-a7c2f7f7bc8d .waddons-blog-image.hideImage { display: none;}
The plot centered on the new sheriff of Salem and his family, who’ve moved into a sweet, Victorian home. It’s excessively large, even for four people, but it’d been the dwelling of every sheriff who’d presided over the town for years. While unpacking, everyone experienced strange and unexplainable occurrences, but soon, the entire family is in mortal danger. Sadly, there’ s not a soul around who can help with truth, let alone answers.The story presents a cycle; the very beginning shows you what happened to the previous family, then the new sheriff, complete with mental issues, came along. What you aren’t given is a reason for it all. Was it revenge? Had the previous sheriffs carried a blood connection, allowing the townspeople to invite them, as a sort of sacrifice? It ended, gifting wonder as to why it even happened.
The cinematography, concerning the town and surrounding views were spectacular! Even the house was lovely, but there really wasn’t much as far as storyline. With little scare, A Haunting in Salem entertained, but disappointed.
Cheers!
A Haunting in Salem
Written by H. Perry Horton
Directed by Shane Van Dyke
Produced by The Asylum
Stars Bill Oberst, Jr., Courtney Abbiati, Jenna Stone and Nicholas Harsin
Eva and Boo at the St. Louis Zoo
A Children's Book by Dee Livers 
My love for children's books never ceases. Eva and Boo at the St. Louis Zoo, by
Dee Livers
, tells the story of a little girl's adventure at the amazing St. Louis Zoo.
First, I must state, I got to meet Dee Livers at an Indie Author Day meet and greet, back in October of 2017 and she was fabulous. Not only did she have a great story to share, but she'd even experienced the loss of respect for the publisher that we shall not name. Find out about her and her experiences by clicking on her name, in the opening paragraph.
(Banner photo credit: mambo look.com) #element-16afc539-880b-4bb4-b77f-19aff7bfe7fa .waddons-blog-image.hideImage { display: none;}
Through a insightful rhymes, you watch Eva with Boo, her teddy bear, walk through illustrations of both educational and historical facts on different areas of the zoo, as well as the animals residing within. One of the drawings I loved most took me back to my son's visit to the Discovery Center, petting the guinea pigs. The story is as close to a visit as you can get in a short story.
Livers, who's also the illustrator, did an excellent job of sharing the experience through the eyes of a little girl, making the story magical. Check out Eva and Boo at the St. Louis Zoo and see for yourself. It'll bring a smile to children of all ages!
Eva and Boo at the St. Louis Zoo
Dee Livers
Dog Ear Publishing, Sept. 2017
26 pages
My love for children's books never ceases. Eva and Boo at the St. Louis Zoo, by
Dee Livers
, tells the story of a little girl's adventure at the amazing St. Louis Zoo.First, I must state, I got to meet Dee Livers at an Indie Author Day meet and greet, back in October of 2017 and she was fabulous. Not only did she have a great story to share, but she'd even experienced the loss of respect for the publisher that we shall not name. Find out about her and her experiences by clicking on her name, in the opening paragraph.
(Banner photo credit: mambo look.com) #element-16afc539-880b-4bb4-b77f-19aff7bfe7fa .waddons-blog-image.hideImage { display: none;}
Through a insightful rhymes, you watch Eva with Boo, her teddy bear, walk through illustrations of both educational and historical facts on different areas of the zoo, as well as the animals residing within. One of the drawings I loved most took me back to my son's visit to the Discovery Center, petting the guinea pigs. The story is as close to a visit as you can get in a short story.Livers, who's also the illustrator, did an excellent job of sharing the experience through the eyes of a little girl, making the story magical. Check out Eva and Boo at the St. Louis Zoo and see for yourself. It'll bring a smile to children of all ages!
Eva and Boo at the St. Louis Zoo
Dee Livers
Dog Ear Publishing, Sept. 2017
26 pages
January 2, 2018
Ghost Wars
SyFy Channel TV series 
Just when I thought the SyFy channel was going under, they found two things that captured me and my heart. First was bringing back Futurama. That's one of my fav shows. Second is Ghost Wars- this is a fantastic show! I binge watched when I found it, the week of Thanksgiving, and once I caught up I was angered that I had to go by the weekly watch. #element-0a75dec2-c7d3-4162-bc6a-9ffc57718509 .waddons-blog-image.hideImage { display: none;} 
The first episode aired on October 5, 2017, telling of a small town with strange goings on. It's also about a guy named Roman Mercer, who has a special talent, or gift. He sees and talks to ghosts. Something that that's pretty handy, considering he can save lives. But these are no normal ghosts- they're killer!
I think I enjoyed it so much, due to the cast. Kim Coates, Vincent D'Onofrio, Avan Jogia, Kandyse McClure and even Meatloaf! Great acting helped, but the story is what captured me. It's simply one of those bad luck towns, like out of a King novel, that is truly in the wrong location The story is creepy, spooky and without many dead spots. I couldn't help but get hooked- watching seven episodes back to back to back!
From what I understand, the ratings weren't very high, but with some luck, season 2 will make it through!
Cheers!
Ghost Wars
SyFy Channel
Created by Simon Barry
Stars Avan Jogia, Kim Coates, Vincent D'Onofrio, Kandyse McClure and Meatloaf
Oct. 5- Dec. 28, 2017
Just when I thought the SyFy channel was going under, they found two things that captured me and my heart. First was bringing back Futurama. That's one of my fav shows. Second is Ghost Wars- this is a fantastic show! I binge watched when I found it, the week of Thanksgiving, and once I caught up I was angered that I had to go by the weekly watch. #element-0a75dec2-c7d3-4162-bc6a-9ffc57718509 .waddons-blog-image.hideImage { display: none;} The first episode aired on October 5, 2017, telling of a small town with strange goings on. It's also about a guy named Roman Mercer, who has a special talent, or gift. He sees and talks to ghosts. Something that that's pretty handy, considering he can save lives. But these are no normal ghosts- they're killer! I think I enjoyed it so much, due to the cast. Kim Coates, Vincent D'Onofrio, Avan Jogia, Kandyse McClure and even Meatloaf! Great acting helped, but the story is what captured me. It's simply one of those bad luck towns, like out of a King novel, that is truly in the wrong location The story is creepy, spooky and without many dead spots. I couldn't help but get hooked- watching seven episodes back to back to back!
From what I understand, the ratings weren't very high, but with some luck, season 2 will make it through!
Cheers!
Ghost Wars
SyFy Channel
Created by Simon Barry
Stars Avan Jogia, Kim Coates, Vincent D'Onofrio, Kandyse McClure and Meatloaf
Oct. 5- Dec. 28, 2017
The Jumbies
A novel by Tracey Baptiste 
When a girl discovers the malevolent monsters mentioned in Haitian folklore are very real, she must fight to save her family, friends and her island home. But is love enough for the battle she's about to face? #element-06e88160-1479-4b2a-bde0-dbcecbf054cd .waddons-blog-image.hideImage { display: none;}
Corinne is a young girl who loves her father with all her heart. But her heart also aches for the mother she lost so long ago. But when a woman comes into her father's life, looking to take over, Corinne enlists the help of her friends and the local White Witch. But when the woman, Severine, gives Corinne information that shakes her entire existence, she's got a decision to make, and a fight to prepare for.
This book was one of the novels on my shelf for homeschool reading. I didn't expect to become engrossed the way I did, finishing the book in 24 hours! Not completely straight through, but in the course of a day and a half- I read it cover to cover!
The creatures described, and the ones I later looked up, where nightmarish and fascinating. The story built up over a course of time that allowed you to care for all involved, but never with lag. The story is very well written and the chapters are broken perfectly, leaving me with a strong curiosity of book two and if it picks up where this one left off. If you enjoy reading with your child, or just a good book on the lore of other countries, this is one for you.
I'm off to the next read. Cheers! The Jumbies
Tracey Baptiste
241 Pages
Middle Grade, ages 9-12
Algonquin Young Readers (April 28, 2015)
When a girl discovers the malevolent monsters mentioned in Haitian folklore are very real, she must fight to save her family, friends and her island home. But is love enough for the battle she's about to face? #element-06e88160-1479-4b2a-bde0-dbcecbf054cd .waddons-blog-image.hideImage { display: none;}
Corinne is a young girl who loves her father with all her heart. But her heart also aches for the mother she lost so long ago. But when a woman comes into her father's life, looking to take over, Corinne enlists the help of her friends and the local White Witch. But when the woman, Severine, gives Corinne information that shakes her entire existence, she's got a decision to make, and a fight to prepare for.This book was one of the novels on my shelf for homeschool reading. I didn't expect to become engrossed the way I did, finishing the book in 24 hours! Not completely straight through, but in the course of a day and a half- I read it cover to cover!
The creatures described, and the ones I later looked up, where nightmarish and fascinating. The story built up over a course of time that allowed you to care for all involved, but never with lag. The story is very well written and the chapters are broken perfectly, leaving me with a strong curiosity of book two and if it picks up where this one left off. If you enjoy reading with your child, or just a good book on the lore of other countries, this is one for you.
I'm off to the next read. Cheers! The Jumbies
Tracey Baptiste
241 Pages
Middle Grade, ages 9-12
Algonquin Young Readers (April 28, 2015)
December 12, 2017
A Christmas Horror Story
A Holiday Horror Movie Review 
A Christmas Horror Story is filled with thrills, chills and a twist that has you laughing so hard, you may crack a rib or two!
The story is broken in to four tales, with each one sharing experiences of holiday misfortune. From a family who steals a Christmas tree from land haunted by creatures, to another who breaks a porcelen figurine of Krampus, to old St. Nick against zombie elves. The stories have you spooked and laughing, all at the same time.
I think the best story for me was on the changeling. That was a cool story, it was spooky and it had a really cool ending. If you enjoy holiday horror, A Christmas Horror Story is one for you. I think you'll have a good time and even a few jumps! Check it out. A Christmas Horror Story
Directed by Steve Hoban, Grant Harvey and Brett Sullivan
Produced by Steve Hoban and Mark Smith
April 30, 2013
A Christmas Horror Story is filled with thrills, chills and a twist that has you laughing so hard, you may crack a rib or two! The story is broken in to four tales, with each one sharing experiences of holiday misfortune. From a family who steals a Christmas tree from land haunted by creatures, to another who breaks a porcelen figurine of Krampus, to old St. Nick against zombie elves. The stories have you spooked and laughing, all at the same time.
I think the best story for me was on the changeling. That was a cool story, it was spooky and it had a really cool ending. If you enjoy holiday horror, A Christmas Horror Story is one for you. I think you'll have a good time and even a few jumps! Check it out. A Christmas Horror Story
Directed by Steve Hoban, Grant Harvey and Brett Sullivan
Produced by Steve Hoban and Mark Smith
April 30, 2013
