Enchanted, Inc. by Shanna Swendson

From Shanna Swendson

Enchanted, Inc. is a series I started a few years back and actually forgot about! How I forgot I have no idea...I guess maybe a move from Florida to Texas to California to Canada all in less than 3 years might be how I forgot...

But, in an attempt to find something fun to read I went through my goodreads to-read list and found "Don't Hex with Texas" and fell back in love with this series!

Enchanted, Inc. starts the series off with Katie, a small town Texas girl, finding out she is a magical immune...which explains all the funny things she see's around New York City. This also makes her a valuable asset to Magic, Spells, and Illusions, Inc. Once getting a job at this company anarchy ensues making each book comical and easy to get through.

The protagonist is an easy to love southerner who tries to handle any and all situations with the utmost grace and delicacy. This often can get her in to even bigger predicaments, but it makes the books hilarious and fun to read.

Two of the books I found especially charming. The first would be Damsel Under Stress. Katie, our magical immune and her friends get to go into Central Park and kiss a few frogs that turn into Prince's! Cute huh?! My second favorite would be Kiss and Spell. Katie and her beau Owen get to live out a romantic comedy. It is quite hilarious as the way Ms. Swendson writes the book you don't actually learn what is going on until the characters do! It is super cute and excellently written.

If you love romantic comedies and New York City these books are definitely for you!

There are Rocks in my Socks...

Goodreads

My birthday was yesterday, I turned 34 years old. I've been reading a lot lately and then began thinking about books I really loved as a kid.

Y'all, honestly, and don't hate my lovely mother but she never read Dr. Seuss to me, not that I remember anyway...she was probably Dr. Seuss'd out after my brother 8 years earlier. But, the only book I really remember her reading to me was "'There are Rocks in my Socks!' says the Ox to the Fox".

I remember this book being hysterical. I couldn't get enough of it. I know the copy we had was smaller than the photo to the left and had a purpelish background. The edges were used and the pages well turned.

I remember laughing my self silly when my mom would read lines like, "Eureka! I have it! Just do a flip-flop...

Put your legs in the air so your feet aren't on top
Of the rocks; which will then slide right out of your socks." Or, "With a swish of my tail, I'll give that old tack a good whack that will knock it from under my back!"

These lines are classic and the situations just down right silly. I have always enjoyed reading and it wouldn't surprise me if this book is one of the many reasons why. It has tongue twisters, silly characters, and of course a gullible protagonist. To this day I giggle every time I say, "I have rocks in my socks".


If you have the book at home for your children this is an adorable read along on YouTube:



If you would like to purchase a copy you can use my amazon affiliate link below to purchase at no extra cost to you and help support me in my blogging efforts!



Now tell me, what was your favorite book when you were a child?

Travel the World in Books: Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson

If you recall I have been traveling the world in books! I just completed the read-a-thon for this (where I won two books, thank, Tanya!) and really enjoyed all the activities that went along. I decided for the read-a-thon I would read Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson.

I honestly didn't read much of this during the read-a-thon...why? The begging is horrible! Not horrible as in I it doesn't draw me in, that is the worst part! Davidson is such an amazing writer and so detailed I wanted to read it, but it is so gruesome! 

It started off with the main character, who is down on life and suffers a horrible car crash, I believe somewhere in Minnesota...I placed it there due to another character going to school there, in this crash he is severely burned. This is told in awful detail, I almost couldn't make it through, but I did. It then goes on to discuss his time in the hospital where he then begins to talk in horrible detail about the suicide he is planning once his time is done in the hospital. Again this is such horrible detail that I was on page 99 and was about to return the book and stop reading because I just couldn't take it anymore when Marianne Engle walks into his life. Now I was hooked. Life was about to change for our sad, sad protagonist...and I wanted to see his heart come to life...at least I hoped that is what would happen.

Marianne is always referred to as Marianne Engle throughout the entire novel. I am not quite sure why, but the protagonist always uses her full name, never referring to her by only her first name, I think this keeps you from becoming fully attached to her.

He meets her as she is a mental patient in the hospital. She comes to him in a very matter of fact way and is very familiar with him and he is very confused. But, once she is released from the hospital 

she comes to him often telling stories from friends she had in ancient times to her life before him and with him in ancient Germany.

I picked this book because it said it took place in Iceland. Well, some of it does. It has several settings the story of the physical therapist first takes us to China and Australia, Marianne Engel's first story about Francisco and the love for his wife take place in Italy, then there are Vikings in Iceland, and of course their story in Germany, and finally parts of all the stories come together in Hell.

The way the story is woven is interesting. The author writes as though this is a first hand account, but it is fictional. I found that intriguing, I had never read anything written in this format.

Excerpt from Gargoyle, page 352

Read how the author describes the protagonist, you can really get a feel for how he may look, but it is written as though he is describing himself, interesting right?!

I highly recommend this book. Getting through the first 99 pages in integral to understanding the narrator and seeing why he can have faith in Marianne Engel when she comes to him. They are two people in need and they feed off of one another's faith in the other. 

Normally when I would finish a book such as this I would be horribly sad, but I felt okay when all was said and done. I was actually happy for the characters because I felt as though they would be alright in the end. 

Have you read this book? If not, do you think you want to add it to your to-read list?

Travel the World in Books Read-a-thon Wrap-Up

As many of you know I've been participating in a Travel the World in books reading challenge. Well, the last two weeks has been a read-a-thon. There have been author interviews, book reviews, mini-challenges, and chats! Sadly, since I am a solid 6-9 hours ahead of everyone I do not get to participate in the chats, but I could participate in everything else!

Book I Read

For the read-a-thon I was concentrating on reading one book: Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson

It is a non-fiction piece that takes place in a few different areas, one most notably Iceland. I only have gotten through the first three chapters, not my normal speed but it is heavy. In the very beginning the main character is in an accident and he is burned very badly. The author describes this in full detail and burning is something I cannot handle, but it is integral to the book so I knew I had to read it, but I could only handle it in small doses. I am past that point, but as he talks about the doctors caring for him there is a little more that is hard to handle. He is now at the point where he is explaining in detail how he will commit suicide so once again, I am having to take it slow.  Davidson's writing is very good and I am hooked because I want to know what happens once this possibly schizophrenic woman comes in to his life and changes everything! So, I am hoping to get there sooner rather than later because so far the main setting is a hospital and well, I know what those look like....

Mini-Challenges

There were three mini-challenges during the read-a-thon.

The first was to create a map to record your "journey". I did mine quite a while ago on Pinterest.

Follow Kate Norris's board Around the World in Books on Pinterest.

(I swear there is a map there ;))

Second challenge was to make some book spine poetry!

Wonder

My First Month

The house of Velvet and Glass

Happier at Home

This was based on the fact that we are so new to Holland that you always wonder in that first month what things will be like, but now that we are settled in to our own home, we are so happy and really enjoying our time here. Making great use of all there is to do and see!

The final challenge was a scavenger hunt!

1. Your TBR of books from around the world.
2. A book cover with a flag, map or people dressed in their culture’s traditional clothes.-I didn't have one
3. Book cover from one of your favorite books from around the world.
4. Your favorite reading spot.-My couch ;)
5. Book cover of a nonfiction book from around the world you would like to read.
6. Book cover of a fiction book from around the world you would like to read.
7. Book cover with a foreign country name or city in the title.
8. Book cover with food from another country in the title or on the cover.
9. Book written by an author from another country than where you live.
10. Book set in a country you’d like to visit or have visited.

This was such a fun event to participate in! Thank you so much to Mom's Small Victories, I'm Lost in books, and Savvy Working Gal  for putting this together, thinking of challenges, and having some great giveaways for those who participated! I am so happy to continue this journey of reading and learning about new places.

What have you read lately, I'd love to hear about it in the comments...make my reading list grow! ;)

Happy Sunday y'all!

Books, Books, Books...+a super awesome app recommendation

A couple of month's ago I decided I wanted to finally catch up on a series of books I had been reading for a few years. I knew the next book would be coming out and I still had 10 books to catch up on. The problem with reading books in series is you wind up with a lot of clutter from buying the books, plus that gets expensive....especially when there are 20 books in a series! Usually I use my local library but many times the books weren't coming available and that was frustrating. Plus, I'd have to remember to take the books back and living in rainy, often cold places some days I simply did not want to go out. So, I decided to start searching through my library's website and see what I could turn up in way of finding books to check out through my iPad. I just knew with all the technology available today there had to be something out there....

This was when I found Overdrive Media Console. 

This app is freaking amazing. It is free to download and thousands of libraries in the US use it, a thousand some odd in Canada, plus quite a few other countries. Find out here if your library is included! On the left hand side you can click country and choose your country to then find your library.

I really can't say enough good things about this app. I love that I can browse through my libraries e-book library and audio book library and either borrow items, put them on a wish list, or put them on "hold". If I have to hold a book it saves it under "holds" and tells me what place I am in line and it updates as time goes on. When it is your turn to read a book they send you an email, you log into the app and borrow it. I then download it to my library instead of reading it in the browser so if i am somewhere without internet I won't have any problems reading. I imagine all libraries are different but I can borrow a book for 21 days....once the 21 days is up if there is no waiting list I can renew the book otherwise it forces me to "return" it, meaning they just cut off your access and send the file on to the next person. I love this system because it motivates you to read the books and when I'm waiting for a book I know I will get it in a fairly timely manner. The other bonus is I have cut down on so much clutter and saved a lot of money from not constantly buying books!

Now, as I said earlier this app allowed me to painlessly finish reading one of my all time favorite series....

The Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich!

my stephanie-plum shelf:

How Ms. Evanovich manages to keep these books entertaining is beyond me. I found the series when my Grandmother lent me one after we had moved back to our hometown and I was looking for something new. I began devouring the books. I took a break after book 10 because I was working and moving and doing all kinds of other things. I then picked them back up about two years ago and slowly read through them so I could savor them. Around book 16-18 I did start to get a little miffed with Stephanie because it seemed like the same stupid mistakes were being repeated, but Evanovich managed to over come that in Notorious Nineteen and give the series some new life. These are always a quick read, within a week if I am busy but could easily knock one out a day if I neglected my responsibilities as I have been known to do from time to time on a lazy Saturday. These books are always good for a laugh too. I really do not like reading depressing novels so to get a book in my hands that will make me shed happy tears is something I will flock to.

Now that you know my favorite genre, what is yours? Leave me a comment so we can discuss!

Around the World in Books: A Long Way Gone

Do y'all remember a while back when I posted about joining some other blogger's in an Around the World in Books Reading Challenge?  Well, today I am back to post about the first book I read for the challenge!

I'd been wanting to read this book for quite some time. Back when it came out I was insanely busy with life in general and it went by the wayside. However, when this challenge came up it was the first book that popped into my head. I think this happened for a couple of reasons:

1. I find memoirs to be very captivating
2. The story of a child soldier is one I feel needs to be told and understood so it can hopefully be prevented
3. The setting is unique: Sierra Leone 

However, once I began reading the book my heart went out to Ishmael. You see, Ishmael and I are the same age. Seriously, he was born just days after I was born.

So, this book completely put my childhood into perspective:

• When I was fretting over cowlick not cooperating on picture day in 7th and cut it off, he was running from insurgents.
• I was wielding a curling iron while he was wielding a gun.
• When I was out school shopping and then not wanting to wear certain clothes I'd bought because they weren't what everyone else was wearing, Ishmael was trying to keep the clothes on his back that he'd had for years clean.
• When I complained about going to school, all he wanted to do was go to school.
• When I refused to eat under-cooked steak as my mom "mooed" Ishmael was undergoing reintegration into civilian society.

These things really spoke to me. Do I feel guilty for them, no, and I shouldn't because we were born into two completely different situations. I will say though, this book has made me more grateful than ever for those opportunities I did have and regardless of how silly they seem now, I am happy I got to experience those situations.

A few things from the book that really spoke to me:

"That night for the first time in my life I realized that it is the physical presence of people and their spirits that gives a town life." Chapter 3, page 29

Yes, yes it is . When we were in Orlando back in 2004 or so when a hurricane basically hit the city head on which really shouldn't have happened and people were out of their homes for weeks and weeks we actually found it difficult to sleep at night knowing our neighbours weren't there...in fact, at one point we decided to head back to our parents house on the weekend because it was just too weird without people. So, I could only image crouch in a home where an entire village has fled because they are afraid of the people who may come to "recruit" them to their cause.

Page 54

I loved this page because these kids were finally seeing some normalcy in their lives. Even though they weren't with their families they were being treated like family and had even gotten to a point with others where they could joke around!

I also found it humorous here that even though he grew up with so much less than I did, compared to others in his country he was "soft" so to speak! He didn't have the skills needed to survive in a town other than the one he grew up in-attending school and having his needs attended to!

I think this is a fantastic book and recommend everyone read it! It is a short, quick read only being 200 some odd pages. I am even making my teenager read it. I think she will thoroughly enjoy it as she is the age of Ishmael in the books. 

The writing isn't totally fluid, but as a reader you can sort of see his thought process as he wrote. The other thing I didn't like was he didn't elaborate the ending and I had to search online to find out more about his adult life....wow, that sounded super creepy! ha!

So, on that note, I will leave you to go buy this book and enjoy it.

Travel the World in Books: In Too Deep (Due South Book #1) Review

These last few days, well the last week or two really, have had fall sweeping in here in Amsterdam. We have had a ton of rain, heck, even the leaves are beginning to turn!

It was a fantastic day for running errands! Not cold, but not warm....and just a wee bit of rain to mix the whole walking thing up. Not enough to make it miserable, but ya know, enough to make you feel like your in a movie and can enjoy the rain.

On my walk home I took a bit of a different route because I realized this may be a quicker walk. All in all, I think it will be but I was stunned by the colour of the trees! I know the weather is cooler but I could not believe the colours I was seeing out there!

So, this weather has us turning to more indoor activities. Ok, so mostly reading and video games. But, since I started the Travel the World in Books reading challenge a few weeks back, I've been reading a bit  more than usual.  That is why when I got the chance to review In Too Deep, Due South Book One, I was totally ecstatic! Not only did it take place some where I have never been, but dream of going, it is also within my favorite genre!

I will be honest I didn't have high expectations for the book. The cover is pretty cheesy and the title is just one giant innuendo. I love cheesy, innuendo filled books, but they usually aren't the kinds that you admit you read. I can't promise this book isn't like that, but it at least has a strong, smart main character.

It starts off telling a bit about the main character, Piper, and her career. She is a police officer who is part of a dive squad. The dive part is a part time gig, but she gets assigned dives as needed. She has a hard time with these, but not for the reason I initially assumed....which, was one of the finer points of the book.

Fast forward a chapter or two and she takes a trip to her home town where she see's the man she left the island because of....these are people who are supposed to be in their 30's so when the banter between them turned venomous I almost put the book down thinking geez, really, these people are 30-something I think she can think of more mature behavior for her characters....but, I am glad I stayed because the very next chapter it starts the story a bit from his end! Not from the total beginning, but from the moment she arrived....I love that when an author tells a story from multiple perspectives.

If I continue on I will give too much away, but the book is worth a read. It is engaging, keeps you guessing, and my favorite part-when I'd think I knew exactly where the story was headed, she would veer off in another direction and that is what keeps me engaged as a reader!

Cheesy, romantic, and yet exciting, can't ask for much more from a book! Plus, the kiwi slang is super fun. ;)

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Great Reads!

I am an avid reader. Always have been, always will be. Over the last month I've read a few new & exciting books I want to share!

"The Light Between Oceans".  

(Image Credit: Random House Au)

This is a book about a couple in the early 1900's; they live under extraordinary circumstances. The losses they face and the situations they go through, and how their relationship is quite amazing. I will say, this book is definitely not for the faint of heart. It is a very, very sad story. The ending is sort of happy, but sort of not. It is very bizarre. I'll be honest, I had wished I'd never read it. But, if you are recently having faced the loss of a child it could be the book for you as you may be able to find a connection with the main character.

"Friendship Bread"

(Img Credit: Darien Gee Website)

This is a book about friendship & communities coming together during hard times. This was a feel good book that made me cry a lot, but they were tears of joy for everyone involved. The idea of the story is developed around "Amish Friendship Bread" which winds up bringing the entire community together. If you want a pick me up book (which I needed after The Light Between Oceans) this is a great read! This & the previous book I am reading with the book club from A Bowl Full of Lemons. 

"Ruby in the Smoke"

Book Info

This is actually a young adult novel. I know...go ahead and laugh now, but you know you read "The Hunger Games" Trilogy. ;) It's a story about a young girl in 1800's London who has been orphaned and has to find out what happened to her father in order to truly gain control of his inheritance before it is too late. During a time when women, especially young women like herself, aren't fully educated and aren't really listened to she has to find a way to over come these obstacles and show she is perfectly capable of caring for herself while investigating the interesting events surrounding her father's death. It is a quick, fun read and takes you through the streets of olde London, complete with exciting back alley escapes!

"Family Storms"

This one is about a young girl who at a young age her father walks out on her & her mother. Her mother was never a strong person so after a while she sadly loses it while all Sasha can do is watch. As a young girl who should be in school enjoying life she is left to sell goods on the streets of Santa Monica, CA with her ailing mother. After a time her mother really loses it & her & Sasha wind up being hit by a car on a rainy night. In true V.C. Andrews fashion a rich family swoops into save Sasha. However, this isn't the end of Sasha's troubles. She has to go through all sorts of horrific scandal before she can find her happy ending. I am looking forward to the next book in the series, Cloudburst, as these books seem to be an ode to an earlier VC Andrews.

"Hip Home Ec: Get Crafty"

This book really & truly inspired me to look at my home and caring for my family in a different way. She says to look at each & everything you do as a "craft" or "project", something you want to do for yourself & your family/home this way you will be more likely to do your best. If you do your best then you wind up pampering yourself, your family, and your home. She also encourages you to love the space you live in. It may not be your perfect or ideal space, but it is what you have for right now so loving it to the best of it's ability is what you should do. When doing this you will be happier, your family will be happier, and you will feel blessed all around. This is a great read for anyone; especially those who may feel like they need some extra inspiration in their lives.

This is what I have coming up that I am enjoying/going to enjoy: 

Two of the books are from the Ruby in the Smoke series. I am continuing with my teenage love of VC Andrews, and I had to have a political book in there, plus tons of things about caring for the home. I've never really been a designer or someone who is good with laying out a home/decorating so I am hoping to get better with some of these fun books that also have lots of DIY's in them! Maybe I'll do a few features from each book!! ;)

What are you currently reading? I could use some recommendations!