Early Reader Review: The Little Christmas Tree by Andrea Skevington

Disclaimer:I received this book from Netgalley and Lion Hudson in exchange for an honest review. This in no way alters my opinion or review.
 

The Little Christmas Tree by Andrea Skevington, Illustrated by Lorna Hussey
Publisher:  Lion Hudson
Publication Date:  August 1, 2015

 

Format: ebook

Rating:
 


 


Goodreads Synopsis:

A charming story about a little fir tree with a special part to play on the night that Jesus is born   A charming story about a little fir tree and what happens on the night when Baby Jesus is born - See more at: http://www.farawaynearbybooks.com.au/... 

Deep in the forest, one dark night, it was so cold the stars were shivering in the sky . . ."   A dark storm is brewing, and the woodland animals sense danger. The grand, proud trees, oak, sycamore, and birch, are determined to fight the storm wind. But the humble little fir tree knows that it is more important to shelter the frightened birds and animals. When the storm wreaks destruction, she alone is unharmed. And far away, that very night, a baby is born in a manger. The angels who herald the baby’s birth scatter shimmering stars as they pass the forest. On which tree do the stars rest? The little fir tree, the one who had shown love. This beautiful Christmas tale is told with exquisite pictures of the woodland animals, and sparkles on the page. 

Review: 
I requested this children's book because I live Christmas themed things. I love Christmas time. It is a time of merriment and love and even though it is cold outside there is warm in homes and fuzzy clothing. I love everything about this time of year. 

The Little Christmas Tree is about a little fir tree who shows its love to woodland creatures on the first Christmas and is rewarded for that effortless decision to care for others. It is a very cute tale and the illustrations are absolutely beautiful. They look like colored pencil sketches and the detail is fantastic. I loved the images more than the tale itself. These beautiful trees and furry little forest critters - you could see every fur and twig. It was lovely.

The story itself is also very heartwarming and I think young readers will enjoy this book very much with their parents.



 

Discussion Day: E-Readers

Today is a Discussion Day here at Cover2CoverBlog. I am trying to start these a little more since they seem fun :) I hope you enjoy and if you have any topic suggestions let me know in the comments.

Today's Topic

E-Readers (Pros and Cons)

Today I want to talk about the E-Reader and all the feels I have as an avid reader using/not using one.

I have always been a reader, I love books, I love hoarding books, and I would be happy to spend my life in a library or bookstore surrounded by them....but e-readers are just so handy! I own an original Kindle but have also been using the Kindle app on my Ipad.

So here are my Pros and Cons to the E-Reader...

PROS You can carry these marvelous devices in bags and purses easily, the Nook is small enough for my husband to fit in some of his pockets.  You can have a bajillion books with you at all times.  Makes packing for trips much easier. Makes accessing your library easier You don't have to lug around piles of books Most devices also have access to the internet so you can post your review and progress as you read, or Google while you are reading...  They are "green," less paper being used. You can adjust to your liking - background color, font color, type and size etc. Some ebooks are FREE! or at least super cheap. I love to save a $$

CONS E-Readers are generally a pretty pricey investment to start - I was lucky enough to be gifted my Kindle from family and my Ipad from my husband You end up spending ALL the money on cheap books, because they are SO cheap. I find myself buying more books because of this fact.I have yet to read most of them :/ You can't flip pages - oh those beautiful pages! It is difficult to leave notes and call them back easily - a normal post-it is a wonderful thing. Book smell - you miss out on it. (Yes, I am the creeper sniffing books) The BIGGEST con of all - they DIE! Imagine, you are at the 'good part' and all of a sudden your battery give out on you!!!! oh the agony!!! To go with the above item - NOW you have to wait for it to re-charge.

Like I said, I love the handiness of the e-reader but there is a lot to be said for just having a good-ole bound book in your hands... As much as e-readers are great I will almost always go for a physical copy.

 What do you prefer? Ebooks or Physical ones? Let me know.

Building the Book Pile #165

Welcome to Building the Book Pile!  A Weekly meme inspired by Stacking the Shelves

Hello Readers, Bloggers, and Awesome people! 

This week was a little better than last, I was actually reading :) Yay. There are so many holiday festivities happening this time of year and everything involves gifts or food so I am feeling super busy but cannot wait for the winter break/ time off work. Since I work at a college I get off from Dec 24- Jan 4th :D ...all the reading time :)

Are you busy with holiday stuff? How is your shopping going?

   
What's Happening?! 

How was your week ? Let me know in the comments.

  Giveaways on Cover2CoverBlog!

Coming up on the Blog...

Discussion Day: E-Readers
Early Reader Review: The Little Christmas Tree by Andrea Skevington (Youth)
Waiting on Wednesday
Early Reader Review: Harley Quinn Vol. 3: Kiss Kiss Bang Stab by Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palimotti (GN)
Blog Tour: Review - Sock Monster by  Stacey Campbell (Youth)
Blogger Pet Profiles!!!: Shreki and Timmy (the lizards) 

 

      

    Books Received this Week

        

 Lux: Beginnings by Jennifer Armentrout - Bought the paperback
The One-Of-A-Kind Cat Book by Ciye Cho- Ebook from the Author for review

Have you missed anything lately? 

• Movie Monday: Water for Elephants 
• Early Reader Review: Spending the Holidays with People I want to Punch in the Throat by Jen Mann (Adult) - 4 stars
• Waiting on Wednesday: The Shadow Queen by C.J. Redwine (YA)
• Cover Reveal: Black Diamond by Ali Dean (YA)
• Blogger Pet Profiles!!!: Cooper (the cat)

Comment and leave me a link to your Round-up/ STS/ Weekly...anything, post and I will happily stop by and say hello!

 Happy Reading!

Blogger Pet Profiles!! - COOPER

Hello lovely readers/ bloggers...

AND THEIR PETS! 

I have realized through my years of blogging that so many of us have pets and they are all adorable and should be shared with the internet world! My pets are my reading buddies and I love them like they are children. 

Here is your chance to share your lovely companions during this holiday time when we are sharing what we are oh so thankful for.

I have 4 pets and will be doing 3 posts to share them with you - there may even be a Linky too - if you are interested in posting and sharing your marvelous pets! 

So this is Cooper ...

Cooper is our short-hair domestic cat, he is also called a Russian Blue because of his grey coat. We have had him for about 5 years now and found him in a pile of trash. Here is the story...

My husband's grandparents had some stray cats living under their shed and obviously they reproduced - we have since had them spayed. There was a super floody- rainy day and the mom cat ran off without helping her kittens. There were about 5 of them and so we collected them to make sure they didn't drown and not knowing if the mother would return (she didn't for a few months), we brought them to a no-kill shelter. One of them was SO cute that we ended up keeping him. He was covered in fleas and so we cleaned him up and he has been our indoor cat ever since.

He was named, uncreatively, because I had a grey Mini Cooper at the time and thus 'Cooper' fit pretty well.

Here is Kitten Cooper...

Playful kitty! Although the one with the scratching post makes him look terrifying and the garland one has his guilty face. He is a huge fan of Christmas decorations and chewing on them.

 

Cats sleep... Cooper is no exception to that rule. He likes to cuddle while I am reading...

So cute...

This is his unhappy face...I was about to take the heating pad away, he stole it went I went to the bathroom.

 Do you want a linky? Let me know :)

Cover Reveal: Black Diamond by Ali Dean

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About the Book

It’s not a place for the weak.
No one here tolerates wimps.
If you can’t handle it, leave.

Welcome to Stark Springs, Colorado, home to the most talented young athletes in the world.

When Roxie Slade snaps into a pair of skis, there’s no one on Sugarville Mountain in Vermont who can keep up with her. Not even the boys. Still, Roxie was shocked when she received a scholarship to Stark Springs Academy, a boarding school that churns out Olympians in each graduating class. Entering as a high school junior, Roxie can’t wait to learn from renowned coaches and train with the fastest ski racers from all over the globe. But upon arrival, Roxie discovers that Stark Springs lives under its own set of rules, and it appears one boy plays dictator.


Ryker Black is not friendly and Roxie cannot fathom why everyone wants to be his friend. Sure, he’s gorgeous and rides a snowboard like it’s his fifth limb, but he’s cold, ruthless, and holds way too much power over the Stark Springs population. Roxie won’t put up with it. She’s here to train, and she doesn’t care about impressing anyone off the slopes. The only problem? Ryker Black doesn’t permit defiance. Not without consequences.

  

About the Author

 

Ali Dean lives in Colorado with her husband, twin toddlers, and golden retriever. In addition to reading and writing, she loves the outdoors- everything from marathon training and biking to snowboarding and skiing.

Find the Author

Amazon | Goodreads | Website 

Waiting on Wednesday: The Shadow Queen by C.J. Redwine

The Shadow Queen by C.J. Redwine
Series: Ravenspire #1
Publisher: Balzer and Bray
Publication Date:  February 23, 2016

Goodreads Synopsis: 

Lorelai Diederich, crown princess and fugitive at large, has one mission: kill the wicked queen who took both the Ravenspire throne and the life of her father. To do that, Lorelai needs to use the one weapon she and Queen Irina have in common—magic. She’ll have to be stronger, faster, and more powerful than Irina, the most dangerous sorceress Ravenspire has ever seen.

In the neighboring kingdom of Eldr, when Prince Kol’s father and older brother are killed by an invading army of magic-wielding ogres, the second-born prince is suddenly given the responsibility of saving his kingdom. To do that, Kol needs magic—and the only way to get it is to make a deal with the queen of Ravenspire, promise to become her personal huntsman…and bring her Lorelai’s heart.

But Lorelai is nothing like Kol expected—beautiful, fierce, and unstoppable—and despite dark magic, Lorelai is drawn in by the passionate and troubled king. Fighting to stay one step ahead of the dragon huntsman—who she likes far more than she should—Lorelai does everything in her power to ruin the wicked queen. But Irina isn’t going down without a fight, and her final move may cost the princess the one thing she still has left to lose.

Why I Am Waiting:
I LOOOOOOVE retellings and this is one of Snow White .... and there are DRAGONS! (for the win) CAN NOT WAIT!
 

Early Reader Review: Spending the Holidays with People I Want to Punch in the Throat by Jen Mann

Source: Netgalley and Ballantine Books in exchange for an honest review. Receiving this book in no way alters my opinion or review.

Spending the Holidays with People I Want to Punch in the Throat by Jen Mann
Publisher: Ballantine Books, Random House
Publication Date:  October 13, 2015

 

Format: Ebook

Rating:
 


 


Goodreads Synopsis: 

From the popular, hysterical and award-winning blogger Jen of People I Want to Punch in the Throat.com comes the next destined-to-be holiday classic! You'll want to make room on your bookshelf next to A Christmas Carol and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer for Spending the Holidays with People I Want to Punch in the Throat.

So, grab a cup of hot cocoa, sit back and enjoy Jen's latest collection of humorous rants dissecting the “most wonderful time” of the year. She unleashes her biting wit and hilarious opinions on everything from cookie exchanges to annual humble brag Christmas letters from over achieving moms to horrifying
Christmas' of her childhood.

In this book you'll find such topics as:

The White Trash Dollhouse

Like a Neon Virgin in Guess Jeans and Swatch Watches

A Very Special Christmas: Hoarders Style

and, of course, the viral sensation: Over Achieving Elf on the Shelf Mommies

Review: 
I wasn't really sure what I was getting into when I saw this book for review. I loved the title and though that it would be funny regardless of what it was. The way I read the title I thought it would be able various people we all want to "punch in the throat" during the holidays but was happy to find out that Jen Mann runs a blog called such and this was a collection of her stories of the holidays.

Now I have to be honest, more than once I had to stop reading and ask myself, 'oh crap is this woman in MY family?'  -- sadly no, but we have lived through some very similar things especially during the holidays so I found this book VERY relatable.

Mann's tales of the holidays are laugh-out-loud funny and I found myself enjoying all of them. I was even sad when the book ended. I will definitely be stopping be her blog to check it out, so if you have no idea who she is and happen on this book, know that, you can still crack-up reading it. This book was a wonderful start to my holiday reading.
 


 

Movie Monday: Water for Elephants

Movie Monday is a new feature at Cover2CoverBlog where I talk about Book-Movie Adaptations. If you have any recommendations let me know in the comments. 

This feature may contain SPOILERS to both the books AND the movies so read carefully.

Today's comparison is... 

Water for Elephants

 

THE BOOK Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen Publisher: Algonquin Books Publication Date:  2006

THE MOVIE Water for Elephants Staring: Reese Witherspoon and Robert Pattinson Release Date: 2011

Another Warning: SPOILERS AHEAD
Disclaimer: Both the Book and the Movie have animal deaths :(

 

I read this book a long time ago and absolutely loved it. It was dramatic and emotional and the characters were vivid and deep and overall it was just a wonderful read. When I saw the movie long after it hit theaters, honestly, I was not all that impressed. So here is why... (caution - spoilers)

In the book I loved the characters and the way the plot played out - it had flashbacks and revelations and these added to the overall theme.We  are introduced to the main character, Jacob as an old man in a nursing home. In the movie we do meet an old man but not in the same context. 

From there the plot continues into the circus and Jacob's story. In the book the circus is run by Uncle Al, a spiteful, angry, terrifying man. However in the movie, August runs the show and so we only really get one villain - that is fine, but Uncle Al and August together really did a number on Jacob and the story. I found this change to be acceptable but Uncle Al in the book was a presence.

Also in the movie Marlena is orphaned and taken in by the circus, obviously out of survival this is important, however in the books she made the choice to go to the circus by running away with August - making their relationship a very different one in the book. All that abuse in the book came out of her choice to run away, not because she was orphaned. Her character, I found, is drastically different in the movie because of this. 

A few other differences include: the reasoning and the plot surrounding some of the animal deaths were altered to better fit the tale woven by the book/movie respectively. And while we are talking about death, the movie also had August try to kill Marlena, whereas the book did not.

Overall the movie was a good one if you aren't comparing it to the book, but I LOVED the book. I laughed, I cried, I wanted to punch August in the face all the time. The movie characters just felt flat to me. I wanted the depth the book gave and in that aspect the movie did not deliver.

Have you read Water for Elephants? What did you think of the book? Did you enjoy the movie? Let me know in the comments.