Please Be Kind, Rewind: 16 November 2014 – 4 April 2015 April 4, 2015

It feels good to be back! After a break for summer, then drama stirring every time I was ready to jump back in, I was afraid I might just hang up my blogger hat. The idea to start a blog for some of the adventures with the kiddos has sparked the desire to fully jump back in the YA blogging world too. I can’t let drama get me down from about what I’m passionate!

Instead of trying to do a FULL recap from NOVEMBER until now, I’ll just let my reading speak for itself and start back with recaps next week. I will recount as best as I can remember on books I’ve gotten. No hope on library books except for what I have on hand now though. I will still include books I get/read with the kiddos, but there will no longer be Tot Time Thursday reviews/posts. All things children’s lit, homeschooling, etc will be over on our new blog Voyages of the Backyard Explorers!

affiliate links used below

Completed: (Starting in November til today)

Perfect Ruin by Lauren DeStefano
Burning Kingdoms by Lauren DeStefano
No Intention of Dying by Lauren DeStefano
The Orphan Queen by Jodi Meadows
The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski
The Winner’s Crime by Marie Rutkoski
The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
The Strange Case of Finley Jayne by Kady Cross
The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross
The Girl in the Clockwork Collar by Kady Cross
The Dark Discovery of Jack Dandy by Kady Cross
Die Once More by Amy Plum
The Madman’s Daughter by Megan Shepherd
Her Dark Curiosity by Megan Shepherd
A Cold Legacy by Megan Shepherd
The Start of Me and You by Emery Lord
The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson
The Crown of Embers by Rae Carson
Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey
The Bitter Kingdom by Rae Carson
Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident by Eoin Colfer
Gilt by Katherine Longshore
The Eternity Code by Eoin Colfer
Artemis Fowl: The Opal Deception by Eoin Colfer
Artemis Fowl: The Lost Colony by Eoin Colfer
The Time Paradox by Eoin Colfer
Tarnish by Katherine Longshore
Brazen by Katherine Longshore
Artemis Fowl: The Graphic Novel

Read with the Kiddos
Ladybug Girl and the Dress-up Dilemma
City Adventures #1: Help Is On The Way! (Lego Reader)
Ten Rules of Being a Superhero (Christy Ottaviano Books)
Ninja!
Bitty Baby and Me
What Is a Princess? (Disney Princess) (Step into Reading)
Scuffy the Tugboat and His Adventures Down the River
Tiny Toons Adventure: Happy Birthday, Babs!
Luke Goes to Bat
The Gingerbread Kid Goes to School (Penguin Young Readers, L2)
Potty (Leslie Patricelli board books)
Dinosaurs Before Dark (Magic Tree House, No. 1)
On the Night You Were Born
The Knight at Dawn (Magic Tree House, No. 2)
A Perfectly Messed-Up Story
Murray’s First Book of Words (Sesame Street First Board Books)

Currently Reading:
Maid of Secrets by Jennifer McGowan
Mummies in the Morning (Magic Tree House, No. 3)
Pirates Past Noon (Magic Tree House, No. 4)

New to Our Shelves:
From My OTSP Secret Sisters (last round and current round)
Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally
Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins
The Archived by Victoria Schwab
The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross
The Girl in the Clockwork Collar by Kady Cross
The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter
Goddess Interrupted by Aimee Carter
The Goddess Inheritance by Aimee Carter
Twisted Fate
The Last Apprentice (Revenge of the Witch)
The Other Queen by Philippa Gregory
The Lady of the Rivers: A Novel (The Cousins’ War)
The White Queen (The Cousins’ War)
The Red Queen (The Cousin’s War)
This Shattered World: A Starbound Novel

From Mary:
Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy, Book 1)
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas
Uninvited by Sophie Jordan

Giveaways/Book Swaps/ARCs
Maid of Wonder by Jennifer McGowan
Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry
Bloodlines by Richelle Mead
Let the Sky Fall
Fairest: The Lunar Chronicles: Levana’s Story
Rebel Angels (The Gemma Doyle Trilogy Book #2)
Extraction by Stephanie Diaz
Rebellion by Stephanie Diaz

Library:
Artemis Fowl: The Graphic Novel
The Artemis Fowl #2: Arctic Incident Graphic Novel 1st (first) Edition by Colfer, Eoin (2009)
Artemis Fowl The Eternity Code Graphic Novel
Artemis Fowl: The Opal Deception Graphic Novel (Artemis Fowl (Graphic Novels))
Captive (The Blackcoat Rebellion)
Maid of Secrets (Maids of Honor)
Tarnish by Katherine Longshore
Brazen by Katherine Longshore
Gilt by Katherine Longshore

Purchased:
Gilt by Katherine Longshore
The Orphan Queen by Jodi Meadows
Maid of Secrets (Maids of Honor)
Maid of Deception (Maids of Honor)
Origin by Jessica Khoury
Juliet Immortal
Venom (Secrets of the Eternal Rose)
The Scorpio Races
Red Riding Hood
Playing Dirty by Jennifer Echols
Pawn (The Blackcoat Rebellion)
The Girl of Fire and Thorns

How’ve you been lately? Read anything good recently? Have you checked out our new blog extension yet? Tot Time Thursday now has its own blog at Voyages of the Backyard Explorers!

Please Be Kind, Rewind: 14-20 September 2014 September 20, 2014

An even better reading week! YAY! I am loving being on a roll. Now, if only I could get completely caught back up and ahead on blogging. That would be fantastic! Working a music festival this weekend and I’m SO excited. Rhythm and Roots is always a blast with great music and it gets bigger and better EVERY YEAR!!! (:

 

Completed:

Remember Me by Romily Bernard (eARC)

 Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz

Masquerade by Melissa de la Cruz

 

Currently Reading:

Revelation by Melissa de la Cruz

 

 

 

 

Read to the Kiddos:
Chick Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin, Jr. 

Chicka Chicka ABC by Bill Martin Jr (Bug’s current favourite!)

One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish by Dr. Seuss

If You Give a Cat a Cupcake by Laura Joffe Numeroffe 

That’s Not My Meerkat by Fiona Watt

Pete the Cat Rocking in My School Shoes by Eric Litwin & James Dean

R is for Race: A Stock Car Alphabet by Brad Herzog

Alphaprints: ABC by Roger Priddy

 
New to my shelf:

 

From the library:

as usual, more audiobooks! (:

We got in a bunch of requested books from the library so we are HAPPY! (:

Please Be Kind, Rewind: 7-13 September 2014 September 13, 2014

Finally a good reading week! (: It’s great to be back in the reading swing of things. I still have a ton of blogging work to get caught up on though. But, progress is better than nothing! (:

 

Completed:

The Young Elites by Marie Lu (ARC)

 Illusions of Fate by Kiersten White (eARC)

Find Me by Romily Bernard

 

Currently Reading:

Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz

Remember Me by Romily Bernard (eARC)

 

 

 

Read to the Kiddos:
Chick Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin, Jr. 

Chicka Chicka ABC by Bill Martin Jr (Bug’s current favourite!)

T is for Touchdown by Brad Herzog

One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish by Dr. Seuss

On the Moon by Anna Milbourne

There’s No Place Like Space by Tish Rabe

I Spy Little Letters by Jean Marzollo

Eating the Alphabet by Lois Ehlert

Planes by Byron Barton

If You Give a Cat a Cupcake by Laura Joffe Numeroffe 

That’s Not My Meerkat by Fiona Watt

Pete the Cat Rocking in My School Shoes by Eric Litwin & James Dean

 

New to my shelf:
The Iron Trial by Cassandra Clare & Holly Black (ARC from my super amazing OTSPSecreSister!)

 

From the library:

as usual, more audiobooks! (:

 

Top Ten Tuesday #41: Beach Bag Reads June 3, 2014

 

Each week, the girls over at The Broke and the Bookish think up a fun theme for the week and participating bloggers around the net join in. The theme for this week is:

Top Ten Books That Will Be in My Beach Bag/Should Be in Your Beach Bag

While I’m not entirely sure we’ll be making it to the beach this year, these are the books that I’ve selected to be in my beach bag or I think would be great beach reads to include in your beach bag! (: And of course, Punk and Bug wanted to include their two beach reads!

1. Taste the Heat by Rachel Harris. I read Seven Day Fiance last year at the beach, and it left me almost needing to run into the ocean to chill out. So, obviously, a book in the same series deserves the same treatment!

2. Beauty Queens by Libba Bray. Mary actually recommended this to me for a beach read last year, but I didn’t get to it, so it’s added back for this year! (:

3. 17 First Kisses by Rachael Allen. This is a super fast contemporary read that I knocked out in an afternoon. I think it would be a perfect beach read!

4. Oceanborn by Amalie Howard. C’mon. It has OCEAN in the name. Of course it’s gonna make the beach reads list! I absolutely loved Waterfell and recommend you read it as a beach read if you haven’t read it. If you have, I recommend Oceanborn! I NEED MOAR LO!

5. The Selection by Kiera Cass. Despite being a dystopian, I think this is a great light read for the beach. I knocked out the whole trilogy in less than a week so I think it’s a perfect beach bag add! 

6. Uninvited by Sophie Jordan. Definitely not light in the dystopian/futuristic setting, but it’s so action packed, it’s a super quick read that makes it a perfect beach bag read.

7. Seven Day Fiance by Rachel Harris. Like I mentioned above, I did read this at the beach and think it’s a good beach read. It’s set in the winter, so with the hot beach reading conditions and the swoony Cane, it’s a perfect beach bag read!

8. Die for Me by Amy Plum. Another quick read with two super swoony guys. I plan on listening to the audiobook at some point this summer, and the drive to the beach may be the perfect time!

9. Pete the Cat: Pete at the Beach by James Dean. This is Punk’s must pack read for the beach! He wants to learn to surf like Pete!

10. Ladybug Girl Goes at the Beach by David Soman & Jacky Davis. Bug wants to be like Ladybug Girl and have a blast at the beach!

Tell us, what are your favourite beach reads? What books will you be taking with you on vacation? It doesn’t have to be to the beach!

Top Ten Tuesday #40: Freebie (Kiddos’ Current Favourite Reads) May 27, 2014

 

Each week, the girls over at The Broke and the Bookish think up a fun theme for the week and participating bloggers around the net join in. The theme for this week is:

Freebie: Kiddos’ Current Favourite Reads

These are a few of the books that are read multiple times a week and sometimes a day. What did you pick for today’s freebie topic? Hope you have a great day! (:

Top Ten Tuesday #30: Favourite Children’s Books (Punk & Bug strike again!) March 11, 2014

Each week, the girls over at The Broke and the Bookish think up a fun theme for the week and participating bloggers around the net join in. The theme for this week is:

Top Ten Favourite Children’s Books (Punk and Bug style!)

Punk and Bug decided today would be a good day to take over on The Whimsical Mama and tell you about their favourite books! They also have decided to tell you about a new feature they’ve been helping mama create. Coming soon is an exciting feature we’re currently calling Tot Time Thursday. We’ll be doing little reviews of books that we read. We already have a few ARCs lined up as well as some of our favourites! We hope you will enjoy it! We haven’t decided how frequently this feature will pop up, but probably every other week or so. And now for our favourite books!

 

Pete the Cat (ALL of them) by James Dean

 

The Lorax by Dr. Seuss

 

Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See? by Eric Carle and Bill Martin, Jr

 

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin, Jr

 

Spot Goes to the Library by Eric Hill

 

Ladybug Girl (ALL of them, Bug’s favourite!) by David Soman and Jacky Davis

 

Llama Llama Nighty Night by Anna Dewdney

 

How Do Dinosaurs… ? (ALL of them!) by Jane Yolen

 

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

 

Go, Dog. Go! by PD Eastman

What are your favourite children’s books? Are any of ours on your lists? Leave your link and mama will come visit your page! What do you think of our new feature idea?

Please Be Kind, Rewind: 23 February – 9 March 2014 March 9, 2014

I’m not exactly on track as I was hoping I would be. But that’s okay. On paper I’m still well ahead. I just have to get it from paper to computer. That’s what I’m working on today while the kiddos are napping. The last two weeks have been busy for my family. Birthdays and drill. Good times! Now it’s back to the grind. I really want to be solidly ahead before my hubby goes to a military class this month. I know thinks will probably get a bit crazy. Kiddos miss their daddy when he’s away for work. We’ll make do! Hope your last few weeks have been going well!

Completed:

A Tale of Two Centuries by Rachel Harris. 4 stars

Cress by Marissa Meyer. 4 stars

Divergent by Veronica Roth. 4 stars

Insurgent by Veronica Roth. 4 stars

Currently Reading:

Allegiant by Veronica Roth

Read to the Kiddos:

Again, I’ve been bad about keeping track. However! I have an idea mulling around in my head involving the kiddos and books, so I will have to get better about keeping track!

New to my shelf:

From the library: (audiobooks)

Pete the Cat Valentine’s Day is Cool by James Dean

Pete the Cat Saves Christmas by James Dean

Pete the Cat Too Cool for School by James Dean

How Do Dinosaurs Get Well Soon? By Jane Yolen

Pete the Cat The Wheels on the Bus by James Dean

Pete the Cat Pete at the Beach by James Dean

Pete the Cat Pete’s Big Lunch by James Dean

How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night? By Jane Yolen

My Farm Friends by Wendell Minor

Pete the Cat Old MacDonald Had a Farm by James Dean

Purchased:

Cress by Marissa Meyer

Witches of East End by Melissa de la Cruz

The Atlantis Complex by Eoin Colfer

100 Days and 99 Nights by Alan Madison (saving this for the kiddos for when deployment rolls around)

That’s Not My Meerkat by Fiona Watt (for the birthday girl!)