Review: Courage to Soar: A Body in Motion, A Life in Balance

Courage to Soar: A Body in Motion, A Life in Balance by Simone Biles
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

HUGE fan of Simone Biles! Loved watching her at the Olympics in Rio. Simone tells the tale of her life in this extremely inspiring book. Sad family situation, but the story of her grandparents adopting her brought a beam to my face. In this autobiography, a real, honest-to-goodness person shines through. Biles is wonderfully humane, but still a very powerful role model for girls and boys alike. Down-to-earth, funny, and overall terrific, I would recommend this read to readers 10 to forever. Hoping to see Simone Biles at the next Olympics . . .
Hope you enjoy!

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Review: Threads of Blue

Threads of Blue by Suzanne LaFleur
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I positively adored LaFleur's first book in this series, Beautiful Blue World, and have been awaiting this book eagerly. As soon as it came out, I rushed to pick it up from the library. It was a bit of a slow start to me, but it picked up right away. I would be embarrassed that I cried over the train track scene, but I am confident enough in LaFleur's master storytelling to know that many others did too. In conclusion, fantastic read! The series seemed to come to an end, with a bittersweet conclusion that satisfied, but I am still hungry for more novels by Suzanne. Hoping a new book will come out soon!

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Review: Palace of Stone

Palace of Stone by Shannon Hale
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another fresh, brilliant read by Shannon Hale. I felt like it was hard to get through at the start, and left it to the side at a couple points in time, but definitely a worthwhile read. The conspiracy against the new princess, Mira's friend, had me on my toes. Overall, great book! Would recommend for strong readers who enjoy suspense and are looking for a new read.

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Review: Summer Begins

Summer Begins by Elizabeth Doyle Carey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

These cousins' friendship is totally #goals. Light, happy, and intriguing with a touch of mystery - a must read for all ages!

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Review: Unfriended

Unfriended by Rachel Vail
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

ADORED this book! At some points I felt as if I should roll my eyes at all the drama, but honestly, it is pretty spot on. I fell in love with every character - adorable, tough, sensitive Jack; funny, YOLO Clay; bratty, tough, sneaky Natasha; idiotic Lulu and Evangeline; cool, caring Brooke; and above all: the sensitive striver that is Truly. Would recommend this to anyone!

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Hey guys! I went back-to-school shopping the other day and found this cute top at Aeropostale. It. Is. So. Soft! It's like a blanket and pajamas and your dog's fur rolled into one. Best thing ever. I was at the store, and spotted it on a mannequin in the back, so I checked the price tag. It was 44.99! So, with despair, I left it and went to check out some other shirts for 15 dollars. Sitting with all the other 15 dollar tops was that exact same shirt! I asked a worker and she said that it was accidentally placed there and that she would give it to me for 15 dollars! Uh, yes. Bargain and the softest shirt I've ever felt? No brainer. I was looking online to find the picture of this shirt and I found that is actually labeled 15 dollars there! It also comes in burlap, purple, and blue. Go buy it! I love it! It's cute, and so, so comfy. Seriously, go buy it. It will be the best style choice you'll every make! 

Last Meal

  Favorite foods? Easy! Having to stop yourself from eating them? So not easy.

  When is there really ever a time to completely stuff yourself with what you love and not think twice? Sadly, only one occasion. Your last meal.

  Your last meal is a lavish event, a place to spurge (not to mention eat and eat and eat). Therefore, I have created a menu in advance on https://imenupro.com. Feel free to go on the website yourself and create your last meal menu. Just note that you probably should not be planning to eat a full serving of every item you list. I don't think you're that nuts . . . or are you?

Need help finding a book?

Are you tired of opening a great book cover to find it's full of mushy, gushy romance? Or that the vocabulary is way over your head? Look no further! Common Sense Media is here to help!
To find a book, go to commonsensemedia.org. Then under Find Great Media for Kids by Age and Type, click books, and then the button that says GO!
It should take you to a screen that has a list of books and a Narrow results bar. Use the bar to find the book you want.
Once you've found the book, click on the cover. If I was looking at The Girl Who Drank The Moon, it would tell me the genre, author, and links where you can buy it. If you scroll down further, it tells you how many dots out of five in the categories educational values, positive role models, positive messages, violence, sex, language, consumerism, and drinks, drugs, and smoking.
There you have it! Now go find the perfect book!

Cupcake Craze

Cupcakes are a classic recipe for parties, everyday, and books! They're delicious, mouth-watering, delectable with soft frosting . . . warm cake . . . endless flavor . . . is anyone else hungry? To satisfy your cupcake craving, I've shared a couple recipes, books, and cupcake inspiration.

                                               It's Raining Cupcakes by Lisa Schroeder

 

It's Raining Cupcakes is a novel about twelve-year-old Isabelle. Isabelle's worry-wart mother has decided to follow her dream and turn an old Laundromat into a beautiful cupcake shop. Isabelle is forced to help her mom succeed . . . and keep her from giving up. But Isabelle doesn't want to spend another boring summer in Willow! She wants to travel! It seems like Isabelle's stuck in Oregon until she catches wind of a baking competition where final constants get flown to New York City! But Isabelle's best friend Sophie is entering too, there's the cupcake shop to worry about, and then there's Mom!

Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes

I'm sure we all have a chocolate lover in the house. These Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes with some delicious classic Cream Cheese Frosting or Chocolate Icing are just the thing to satisfy!

There is tons of cupcake signs out there, and I just picked one that I thought really shows us how we should live life:

The Cupcake Diaries is a series about four friends who start a baking business. Their adventures are written in diaries. Handy for you, you can find the first four books in one on Amazon.

That's all the cupcakes for now! Hope I didn't make you TOO hungry!

Be Yourself

Today, I just wanted to tell you fantastic readers to be yourself.           
 

Because, as Oscar Wilde said, everyone else is already taken.

How did you be yourself today?

Take a Moment

Take a moment today to thank Jesus for all the blessings he has given you this week. Whether you're going through a rough patch, or it's been smooth sailing, there's always something to be thankful for!

Things to be Thankful For:
1. Chocolate
2. This blog post
3. Friends and family
4. Pets (real and imaginary!)
5. Really, really good movies that make you cry/laugh/pee your pants
6. Good food

Need more things to be thankful for? Check out Kid Presidents 25 Reasons To Be Thankful! video.

Jake and Lily is about two twins who, on their birthday, have always sleepwalked to a train station in the dead of night with the smell of pickles hanging in the air. But that's not all. They know when the other one is hurt, and can never play hide-and-seek because they know exactly where each other is. But, one day, Jake starts to grow apart from Lily. Jake begins to hang out with a group of boys- a group that Lily isn't allowed to join. Lily has never known a Lily Life. It has always been a Jake and Lily Life. Lily tries, with the help of her grandfather, to get a Lily Life, with new friends and a new purpose. Jake starts questioning the guys he is spending time with, and whether or not he should stand up to a bully and make friends with a victim.Told with fascinating voice, this ground-breaking novel will cause readers to question whether they really know who they are.

Break Times

Sorry that I've been on and off with posting lately. Just to be clear, I made a list of my blog break days. Thank you for understanding!

Christmas Break- December 20- January 4
Winter Break- February 17- 20
Spring Break- March 17- 27

Thanks again and a happy 2017!