*Stacking the Shelves* 15 April 2023

(Titles link to Amazon via Amazon Affiliate links)

Stacking The Shelves is a feature/weekly meme created by Reading Reality in which you share the books you are adding to your shelves, both physical and virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical stores or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

Now, I already have a monthly post I do featuring the books I get in the mail (and it's a lot because I have a serious Goodreads First Reads giveaway addiction), and I'm posting my monthly Read-A-Thon posts again too, which covers the books I receive through Netgalley. So my STS post will feature all the books I've been one-clicking on Amazon. 

On that note, here are the books I picked up this week. All Goodreads First Reads ebook wins unless otherwise specified.

Unlearning to Fly by Russ Roberts

Cultured by D.P. Lyle

When Jasmine Blooms by Tif Marcelo

Quantum Care by Rohit Mahajan

Secondhand Emotions by Will Entrekin

Forever Wingman by Thomas Willard

The Paris Hook-up by Tierney Moore

The Most Important Thing in the World by Kelly Sanford

Lotti and the Big Dream by Charly Froh

Lifeline to a Soul by John K. McLaughlin

And that's all the books I won on Goodreads this past week. I kept my one-click finger in check, but I still have several new books to choose from for my reading desires. 

What new books did you add to your shelves this past week? If you're stopping by from the linkup, please be sure to drop a link to your post below so I can be sure to repay the visit. - Katie 

*Book Blogger Hop* 14 April 2023

We are on to a new week for the Book Blogger Hop hosted by the lovely folks over at Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer. This weeks questions is: 

What is your go-to website to check out book reviews? (submitted by Elizabeth @ Silver's Reviews)

I don't personally usually read book reviews before choosing to read a book. I much prefer to judge them by their covers and decide if I wanna read it that way than trying to figure out if other people thought it was good (and we ALL know how reliable judging books by their covers can be. LOL). That doesn't mean that I don't occasionally read other blogger's reviews though, because I do want to support my fellow bloggers even if the things they say aren't likely to influence my decisions on books. Some of my favorite blogs to read reviews on are Celebrity Readers and Platypire Reviews. I also really like Caroline Andrus - Author. She posts a lot of reviews on her blog. I keep meaning to check out reviews on the blogs that I visit for memes, but have yet to follow through on that, but one day it'll happen, probably. 

What about you? Do you have a favorite place to look for book reviews? Is it my blog? It's okay you can admit I'm your favorite, I won't tell anyone. LOL. If you're stopping by from the linkup, please be sure to drop a link to your post below so I can repay your visit. - Katie 

*Top Ten Tuesday* Books Featuring Animals in Title/Cover

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. Joood - Hooligan of Platypire reviews bossed me into doing this, so I guess this is a thing I do now. 

This week’s theme is books with animals in the title or on the cover. This is actually a theme I've used before for a freebie post I think, but as I wasn't even blogging for over two years, it's been a hot second since that happened, which means I surely have at least 10 more books that qualify. Last time I went with animals on the cover, so this time I'm going to shoot for mentioning animals in the title, but depending on how much I struggle with finding ten, I may use some just with them on the cover. Here we go. 

Damselfly by Chandra Prasad

Horses of the Dawn: The Escape by Kathryn Lasky

Oswald the Almost Famous Opossum by Sara Pascoe

Wolves of the Northern Rift by Jon Messenger

(Fun fact, I talked this author into killing me off in this series. I'm pretty sure I die in book 3.)

Cash-Cow Casa by Kathryn Alesandrini

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Code Name Scorpion by Donna Gustainis Fuller

Dragon's Fire by Anne and Todd McCaffrey

Nine Folds Make a Paper Swan by Ruth Gilligan

The Salmon of Doubt by Douglas Adams

And that is 10 books with animals in the title that currently live on my shelves. Shortly after I started, I decided I wanted to try and not duplicate any animals, and I wanted to work methodically through my shelves starting at my desk. It's also worth noting that I double stack my books so there's two rows on each shelf, and I did not pull out books to scan titles, so these are all just what was visible. I skipped one book because horse would have been duplicated, but if I'd used that book, I wouldn't have made it past my 2nd bookshelf. And this prompt had me worried. 

What animal related books did you feature this week? If you're stopping by from the linkup, please be sure to drop a link to your post below so I can repay the visit this weekend when I have time. - Katie 

*Review* Holly and the Pittie Party by Julian Frischherz

 

Genre: Children's 4-8 years

Published: July 25, 2023

Pages: 32

After her family realizes the puppy they adopted is a pit bull, Holly finds herself abandoned in the city. To make matters worse, many people are unwilling to help her because of the misconceptions about her breed. Holly’s search for love (and food) takes her through the city to a dog park, an animal shelter, and, finally, a fabulous pittie party. Against the backdrop of a culture not yet ready to accept all kinds of dogs, Holly learns that love and belonging are still possible.

I received a copy of this book through Netgalley. This is my honest review. 

This book made me cry, and I'm not even a dog person. But I am a firm believer that you should not ever give a pet as a gift, and that's exactly how this book starts. Then the family realizes the cute puppy that they got for Christmas (I think) is a pitbull and they abandon it on the street where she is left to fend for herself until animal control catches her. She's one of the lucky ones though and ends up in a shelter that puts on an event specifically to get pits adopted and she does find a forever home. 

The illustrations were so colorful with solid lines. They were definitely eye-catching and engaging and absolutely showed the emotions of the story for Holly. I wouldn't want to read this book too many times because I'm pretty sure it would make me cry for several readings, and that is not what I want from a children's book, although I bet that would help the kids understand how wrong it is to give up a pet like that. Overall I give this book 4.86 out of 5 stars. - Katie 

Amazon

Julian Frischherz is based in Baltimore, Maryland, where pit bulls find themselves abandoned in shelters daily. He worked in domestic animal care for four years and wrote little stories for his four-legged clients’ human counterparts. He believes a walk is never just a walk if you have the imagination. Holly and the Pittie Party imagines a world in which all dog breeds are loved equally.

*Review* The Adventures of Chucky the Chicken Turtle by Joe Caballero

 

Genre: Children's 2-7 years

Published: April 5, 2023

Pages: 29

The Adventures of Chucky the Chicken Turtle is a heartwarming children's book about honesty, empathy, integrity, and friendship. Chucky, a friendly and curious little turtle, lives alone in a pond across from a nearby farm. He's always felt different from the others but that doesn't stop him from dreaming of making meaningful connections with others.

One day, Chucky decides to gather up his courage and leave his safe place in search of his tribe. As he explores the world beyond his pond, Chucky faces many challenges and learns important lessons about honesty, empathy, integrity, and the true meaning of friendship.

This touching story encourages children to embrace their unique qualities, practice empathy and kindness, and value the importance of true friendship. With beautiful illustrations and a heartwarming message, “”The Adventures of Chucky the Chicken Turtle” is a must-read for children of all ages.

I received a copy of this book through Netgalley. This is my honest review. 

This is a story about a chicken turtle who wants to make some friends on the farm. Homeboy thinks that no one will wanna be friends with a turtle, so he makes up a fantastical story about how one of his parents was a chicken and the other was a turtle, and he used to have feathers and could fly, until Owl dimes him out because owls are wise and know everything. Everyone assures him that they want to be his friend, even if he is just an ordinary chicken turtle. 

The illustrations were bright, but weird. The bunny looked like a drawing of a human in a bunny costume, and honestly, I feel like most of the animals kind of had that look to them. In addition to that, for some reason the pig was the only animal that was wearing clothes for some reason. And I wouldn't want to read this book more than once. Any time the story used a bigger word, they'd interject the definition by leading with "by the way" and that really got on my nerves by the end. Overall I give this book 2.16 out of 5 stars. - Katie

Amazon

Amazon has no information about the author available. 

*Review* A Very Dinosaur Birthday by Adam Wallace

 

Genre: Children's 4-10 years

Published: June 20, 2023

Pages: 40

Your family will roar with laughter at this funny read-aloud from Adam Wallace, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the How to Catch series. What if dinosaurs showed up at your birthday party? From prehistoric presents to games crashing out of control and your snacks going extinct, it's a dino disaster!

Dinosaurs are big, and strong, and scary, and farty,

So do you really want them coming to your birthday party?

Watch out! Birthdays will never be the same with this silly picture book adventure featuring lively rhymes and hilarious illustrations!

I received a copy of this book through Netgalley. This is my honest review. 

This was a cute rhyming story about how dinosaurs would affect a child's birthday party if they weren't extinct and attended. Although the effects were largely negative, like an anklyosaurus playing pin the tail on the donkey would also bust through the wall like the Kool-aid man, some of them were positive, like being the best at tag by riding a velociraptor. 

The illustrations for this one were really fun. They were also very bright and colorful with some nice shading, especially on the dinosaurs. This is a book I could read a few times without problem because it really was a fun read for a children's book. Overall I give this book 4.36 out of 5 stars. - Katie

Amazon

Adam Wallace is a #1 New York Times, Amazon, and USA Today bestselling author who loves writing stories that make children laugh and get excited about reading and drawing and writing. He also loves taking naps and listening to music. Not at the same time.

Christopher Nielsen is an Australian author/illustrator specializing in bringing joy and wonder to children through his art and storytelling. He works with found textures and printing techniques and puts it all together in Photoshop. When he’s not busy working on picture books, he can be found raising his beautiful young family or playing with his rock band. In 2018 his first picture book saw him shortlisted for the Children’s Book Council of Australia's Crichton Award for best new illustrator.

*Review* When Summer Comes by Aimee M. Bissonette

 

Genre: Children's 4-8 years

Published: April 25, 2023

Pages: 32

Poetic children’s book celebrating nature and wildlife in the summer season.

Summer is the perfect season for families to embrace the outdoors.  When Summer Comes celebrates playing and exploring in the wilderness during the summer months.

   When summer comes,
and the sky soars blue above us,
and the days stretch long and warm before us,
some people head to ball games and outdoor markets.

Instead we gather our gear.

Binoculars.
Hiking poles.
Backpacks.
Butterfly nets.
Shovels and buckets for trips to the shore.

Summer’s the season when we explore.

This follow up to When Winter Comes is about the joy of being outdoors and discovering wildlife during the summer months.

I received a copy of this book through Netgalley. This is my honest review. 

This book didn't rhyme, but it felt like it should have. And I felt that way before seeing it described as poetic. I realize poetry doesn't have to rhyme, but there really was something about this story that made me feel like it should. 

Ignoring the lack of rhymes, it was a fun story detailing all the fun things you can do in nature in the summer time. This family either took a nice long vacation across the country, or they live in like California where you can absolutely hit the ocean, mountains, and forest in fairly short order. Most of the country doesn't have the ocean as a readily available option for summer fun (and I'm jealous!)

The illustrations were colorful and engaging, drawing you into the story with clear lines and solid shading. I'd be fine reading this story a few times before I'd start to get sick of it, probably, although that rhyming thing may change that. Overall I give this book 3.68 out of 5 stars. - Katie  

Amazon

AIMÉE M. BISSONETTE is the author of three picture books, North Woods Girl, Miss Colfax's Light, and Aim for the Skies: Jerrie Mock and Joan Merriam Smith's Race to Complete Amelia Earhart's Quest. North Woods Girl won the Sigurd Olson Nature Writing Award, Midwest Booksellers Choice Award, and Friends of American Writers Award. Miss Colfax's Light was named in ALA's 2017 Amelia Bloomer List and was a recipient of the 2017 International Literacy Association Children's Book Award for Primary Nonfiction.

ERIN HOURIGAN is an illustrator and author in Portland, Oregon. She grew up in Southern California, and studied illustration at Cal State Fullerton before moving to Oregon, where she learned to trade the waves for pine trees and rivers. She draws much of her inspiration from the world around her and loves spending time outdoors, whether it's on a hike or just playing with her dog, Scout.