Unearthly

Goodreads Says:    In the beginning, there's a boy standing in the trees . . . . 

Clara Gardner has recently learned that she's part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what that is, though, isn't easy. 

Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place and out of place at the same time. Because there's another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara's less angelic side. 

As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she'd have to make between honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny? 

Unearthly is a moving tale of love and fate, and the struggle between following the rules and following your heart.

My Thoughts:

-    This book was alright. I'm not a paranormal romance fan, but this one was okayish.

-    I liked the angel lore and everything. I like the wings and glory and all that. It was interesting.

-    My biggest grief with the story is that the romance takes over! I wish the book had been more about Clara finding out who and what she is, and her discovering her purpose. I wanted the the romance to be a side thing and not the main thing. I also want more about these black wings.

-    This book starts a love-triangle. UGH! I can handle some love-triangles, but I wasn't a fan of this one.

-    I really liked the setting. I live by big mountains too, and the setting felt very much like home. It was nice. 

-    Despite the overbearing romance, I'm going to continue the series. I'm really curious to find out what happens. 

Zootopia

My Thoughts:

-    I LOVED this movie!! It was so much fun!

-    All the animals were SO SO cute! The animators did an amazing job!

-    Voice actors were great! I loved Jason Bateman and Ginnifer Goodwin's performances. Great job!

-    I loved the environment. The world of Zootopia is somewhere I want to live. I love how the city was sectioned off into different climates and sizes. Brilliant!

-    Disney hasn't done an anthropomorphic movie for a while, and I'm so glad they finally made another one. Hooray for John Lassiter!! 

-    There are so many great moments throughout the film, but my favorite scene is the DMV with Flash the Sloth! OMGoodness!! It cracks me up every time!

-    Not only is this movie eye candy with fun characters, but the story is very well done. There are so many great morals, and I love how the movie touches on race and differences in a very tasteful and humorous manner.

-    Great great movie that the whole family will love! 

Andre the Giant: Life and Legend

From Goodreads:    Andre Roussimoff is known as both the lovable giant in The Princess Bride and a heroic pro-wrestling figure. He was a normal guy who'd been dealt an extraordinary hand in life. At his peak, he weighed 500 pounds and stood nearly seven and a half feet tall. But the huge stature that made his fame also signed his death warrant.

Box Brown brings his great talents as a cartoonist and biographer to this phenomenal new graphic novel. Drawing from historical records about Andre's life as well as a wealth of anecdotes from his colleagues in the wrestling world, including Hulk Hogan, and his film co-stars (Billy Crystal, Robin Wright, Mandy Patinkin, etc), Brown has created in Andre the Giant, the first substantive biography of one of the twentieth century's most recognizable figures.

My Thoughts:

-    I was really disappointed with this book. 

-    I was hoping for more of Andre's life and him dealing with his physical condition. Instead the story is about Andre's career as a wrestler and the wresting world. 

-    I wanted more on his role in The Princess Bride. The movie only got a couple pages, and it didn't go into detail on anything. It was just a few fun panels.

-    I didn't like how Andre was portrayed. Cary Elwes describes him as a very kind and gentle soul. He only had high praise for Andre, and this graphic novel paints him in a darker light with very little to no mention of his kinder side.

-    There is a lot of F-bombs. It was a bit ridiculous how often that word showed up. 

-    Overall, I wouldn't recommend this. If you want to know about Andre, read As You Wish.

Burning Glass

Goodreads Synopsis:    Sonya was born with the rare gift to feel what those around her feel—both physically and emotionally—a gift she’s kept hidden from the empire for seventeen long years. After a reckless mistake wipes out all the other girls with similar abilities, Sonya is hauled off to the palace and forced to serve the emperor as his sovereign Auraseer.

Tasked with sensing the intentions of would-be assassins, Sonya is under constant pressure to protect the emperor. But Sonya’s power is untamed and reckless, and she can’t always decipher when other people’s impulses end and her own begin. In a palace full of warring emotions and looming darkness, Sonya fears that the biggest danger to the empire may be herself.

As she struggles to wrangle her abilities, Sonya seeks refuge in her tenuous alliances with the charming-yet-volatile Emperor Valko and his idealistic younger brother, Anton, the crown prince. But when threats of revolution pit the two brothers against each other, Sonya must choose which brother to trust—and which to betray.

My Thoughts:

-    I mostly enjoyed this book. It was good for a debut novel. 

-    I was surprised that the story had a darker tone to it. I liked the ominous feel.

-    I didn't love any of the main characters. I didn't hate them, but I didn't love them. They were just bleh to me. I didn't understand their motives or personalities really. I loved Pia though. Her bright sparkly personality was a highlight of the story.

-    I liked the plot well enough. It kept me interested, and I didn't know what was going to happen next.

-    The whole idea of the auraseer was intriguing. It would be hard to feel everyone's emotions. 

-    I don't think this needed to be a series. This book could stand on its own. I felt like everything wrapped up nicely. 

Dogs of War

Goodreads Synopsis:    Sheila Keenan's captivating stories, paired with Nathan Fox's stunning art, bring the heroic military actions of man's best friend to life!

Some war heroes heard the wind whistling over a hidden trip wire.
Some war heroes sniffed out a sniper 1,000 yards away.
Some war heroes stood tall . . . on four legs!

DOGS OF WAR is a graphic novel that tells the stories of the canine military heroes of World War I, World War II, and the Vietnam War. This collection of three fictional stories was inspired by historic battles and real military practice. Each story tells the remarkable adventures of a soldier and his service dog and is rendered with fascinating and beautiful detail, bringing to life the faithful dogs who braved bombs, barrages, and battles to save the lives of countless soldiers.

Based on the real-life roles of military dogs that served as Red Cross rescuers, messengers, scouts, search-and-rescue teams, sentries, and mascots, DOGS OF WAR captures both the adventure and the devastation brought on by war, as well as the celebrations of life and friendship between boys and their dogs.

My Thoughts:

-    I really enjoyed these stories. They were heart-warming and eye-opening. There should be more non-fiction graphic novels.

-    I loved the three stories, and I like that they covered three different wars.

-    I didn't realize animals played such big roles in war and military. It makes sense that you would use them.

-    The artwork was great. The struggles of war were portrayed without being too graphic. 

-    I loved the relationships between the soldiers and the dogs. It was very touching.

-    Great book! 

The Good Dinosaur

My Thoughts:

-    I wasn't impressed with this one. I usually love Pixar films, but this one fell really flat.

-    I thought Arlo was really cute, and I liked his family a lot. I wish they had done a different story with him and his family.

-    I didn't like the boy, Spot. Why is he the dog? I don't understand all the howling, and it got annoying.

-    I loved the idea of dinosaurs and humans meshing, but I want them to co-exist and be friends. I didn't like that the human was the pet.

-    The best part of the movie was the environment! WOW! It was beautiful and it looked real! 

-    I was really bored for most of the movie. It had fun moments, but they were few. 

National Best Friends Day

Happy National Best Friends Day!!

I just wanted to give a shout out to my besties and tell them how much I appreciate them!

Brady and Leela

We've been friends for forever, and they are always there for us. They help us so much, and they are a lot of fun to hang out with. We lived together for 9 months and didn't get tired of each other. I consider these guys true friends! We're lucky to have them in our lives.

Suey and Jenni

These ladies are always there for a Girl's Night Out. They are amazing listeners, and I really enjoy talking and spending time with them. We've become pretty close in the last few years, and I just love these gals! Our group is growing, and I'm excited to get to know Jenny, Jayne, and Kathy more.

Hubby

 I'm so grateful for my hubby! He is very supportive and serves me every single day. He is an amazing dad, and I'm very blessed to call him my companion.

Genie in a Bottle

From Goodreads:    Abby and her little brother, Jonah, have a magic mirror in their basement that takes them to different fairy tales -- which they always wind up messing up. But sometimes, it's for the better: Snow White doesn't eat the apple, Cinderella gets a job she loves, etc. In this enchanting ninth installment, the siblings fall into the story of Aladdin. They're excited to be in this world of magic carpets and genies ... but making three wishes isn't so easy, and soon hilarities and hijinks ensue! These books are feminist fairy tales for a new generation.





My Thoughts:

-    This book wasn't great, but it wasn't bad either. I liked it, but it is one of those books that sits right in the middle of a rating scale. It is enjoyable, but I think I'm getting burnt out on this series.

-    I really liked the twist on genie in this book. It was fun to see the genie learn new tricks, and she had a fun personality.

-    Aladdin seemed really young. I felt like he wasn't much older than Abbey.

-    The story was a fun play on the original story. I never know how things will change in these stories, but I'm always pleased.

-    I'm still curious about Maryrose and what happened to her. Will I ever get to find out? Does this series end?

Previous Whatever After Books

(covers are linked to my thoughts)

  
  
 

The Magic Finger

Goodreads Says:    The Gregg family loves hunting, but their eight-year-old neighbor can't stand it. After countless pleas for them to stop are ignored, she has no other choice -- she has to put her magic finger on them. Now the Greggs are a family of birds, and like it or not, they're going to find out how it feels to be on the other end of the gun.










My Thoughts:

-    This was a fun and whimsical book. It has Roald Dahl written all over it. 

-    My only complaint is that this book was too short. I wish there had been more about the magic finger did.

-    The title cracks me up! Ha!

-    Gnome really enjoyed this one. We read it in one sitting because she didn't want to stop.

Gnome's Thoughts:

-    I liked where they turned into birds because they had to make a nest.

-    I thought the book was good and funny.

-    I liked all the pictures.

-    It was funny how the ducks stole the house.

Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator

Goodreads Says:    Now that Charlie has won the chocolate factory, what's next? Even wilder adventures, that'swhat! Join him, Grandpa Joe, and, of course, Willy Wonka for the amazing, intergalactic sequel to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory!











My Thoughts:

-    This was a weird book! I realize I'm saying this about a Roald Dahl book, but this was strange even for him. 

-    I felt like there were two parts to the story, and they were disjointed.

-    The story wasn't fun to read, and Gnome was really bored. She didn't want to finish, so I finished without her.

-    Gnome didn't like that there weren't as many pictures in this book as there were in previous books.

-    This is definitely my least favorite Dahl book, and readers could probably skip this one.