Monthly Re-Cap: July 2019 (and BONUS June 2019)

Hello Readers, Bloggers, and Awesome people! 

Woooo summers in Vermont are hot! This no AC thing is getting real old real fast. It can be Autumn now and just stay like that... no snow no hot I would be happy in perpetual fall I think...

July was a great month. there was a lot of reading and school and work, but also a lot of fun reading and friend time and the weather is not SO bad I guess. Prime Day allowed me to get a Fire for all my reading and Audible needs - so excited to own one. I also got one for the Hubs and he is enjoying it too. :) ALL THE READING!! 

~~Books I Read in June~~

                


~~Books I Read in July~~
                                  
                    
I have not been posting TBR posts, but I should probably get back on track doing that... either way, in June and July I read a pretty good number of books.

~~Links to Some Reviews from Books Read in June and July ~~
Beekeeping for Beginners by Amber Bradshaw (NF) - 4 stars
Pirates Don't Go To Kindergarten by Lisa Robinson (Youth) - 4 stars 
When Summer Ends by Jessica Pennington (YA) - 5 stars 
The Camelot Code: The Once and Future Geek by Mari Mancusi (MG)  - 4 stars 
Mr. Lemoncello's All-Star Breakout Game  by Chris Grabenstein (MG) - 5 stars 
Time Management in 20 Minutes a Day by Holly Reisem Hanna (NF) - 4 stars 
Even Tree Nymphs Get the Blues by Molly Harper (Adult) - 3 stars 
Potty Time! by Scarlett Wing (Youth) - 5 stars 
Potty Time with Elmo (Youth) - 4 stars 
10 World Wonders by Gene Lipen (Youth) - 4 stars 
Queen of the Sea by Dylan Meconis (GN) -5 Stars 
Croquette & Empanada by Ana Oncina (GN) - 4 stars
When I Look Up by Ellen DeLange (Youth) - 4 stars 
Revenge of the Library Ghost by Diana Corbitt (MG) - 3 stars 
Mega Bat and Fancy Cat by Anna Humphrey (MG) - 4 stars 
Spiky by Ilaria Guarducci (Youth) - 4 stars

~~ reviews from previous recaps ~~

My Furry Foster Family: Truman the Dog by Debbi Michiko Florence  (MG) - 4 stars
Team Titans: Raven by Kami Garcia (GN) - 5 stars
Through Lya's Eyes by  Carbone,  Justine Cunha (illustrator) (GN) - 5 stars

~~Coming Soon Still~~ 
Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker and Wendy Xu (YA, GN)
The Starlight Claim by Tim Wynne- Jones  (YA)
Jukebox Joyride by Jacob Stein, Jason Rabinowtiz and the Pop Ups (MG)
Snug Harbor Stories by Will Henry (GN)
Rivals! Frenemies Who Changed the World by Scott McCormick (MG)
You are Homes with Me by Sarah Asper-Smith (Youth)
The Okay Witch by Emma Steinkellner (MG, GN)
Bird Count by Susan Edwards Richmond and Stephanie Fizer Coleman (Youth)

Recent Reads: Beekeeping for Beginners by Amber Bradshaw

Source: From Callisto Publishers Club and  Rockbridge Press in exchange for an honest review. This in no way alters my opinion or review.

Beekeeping for Beginners: How to raise your first bee colonies by Amber Bradshaw
Publisher: Rockbridge Press
Publication Date:  June 25, 2019

 

Format: Paperback

Rating:








Goodreads Synopsis: 

Easy beekeeping for new-bees.
Wouldn’t it be great to raise your own bees, have a fresh supply of honey, and bring thousands of healthy pollinators into your yard? Beekeeping for Beginners is a simple, step-by-step guide that helps you learn the fundamentals of modern beekeeping. You (and your bees) will be buzzing with delight.

From picking the right hive and bringing your bees home to surviving winter and collecting honey, experienced beekeeper Amber Bradshaw takes you on an easy-to-follow journey through your first year of beekeeping and beyond.

Beekeeping for Beginners includes:

• Just the essentials―Learn everything you need to know to begin your first colony―written with brand new beekeepers in mind.
• Modern beekeeping―Start your colony off right with guides that feature the newest practices and current, natural approaches.
• Learn to speak bee―Clearly defined terms and a complete glossary will have you talking like a pro beekeeper in no time.
• Begin your beekeeping the right way―and avoid getting stung by mistakes―with Beekeeping for Beginners.

Review: 
I am very interested in Beekeeping but will probably never partake - the hubs would never be sold on it, but since I am interested I was happy to read and review this book.

This book is wonderful for beginners, I learned so much about bees and the cost and the upkeep of being a Beekeeper. The author sections the book into easy to digest chapters, each allowing you to learn so much but not overwhelm you. Along with this each chapter includes images throughout and highlighted words with margin definitions for ease of use - no flipping to the back of the book while trying to take in the info.

Bradshaw shares so much great info and even includes what it cost her to start her hives as well as tidbits that might save you agony in the long-run, permissions, legal stuff, telling your neighbors, pros and cons of materials. Coming from someone that had to go through everything you are about to an phrasing things that way made this a great book. 

If you are looking to learn more about Beekeeping or looking to start for yourself, this is a great beginners book. I will be passing it along to someone who might be more willing to have bees all over the place :).

Early Reader Review: Truman the Dog by Debbi Michelle Florence

Source: From Netgalley and Capstone in exchange for an honest review. This in no way alters my opinion or review.

Truman the Dog by Debbi Micelle Florence
Series: My Furry Foster Family
Publisher:  Capstone, Picture Window Books
Publication Date:  August 1, 2019

 

Format: Ebook

Rating:









Goodreads Synopsis: 

T is for Truman, tricks, and TROUBLE! Truman the black lab might be an older rescue dog, but he's still got enough mischief beneath his collar to keep eight-year-old Kaita Takano and her animal-fostering family on their toes from morning till night. Chewed through and through, the playfully illustrated, Kaita-narrated chapter book promises plenty of canine fun.

Review: 
Such a fun middle grade read. This book is about a family that fosters a dog and all the trouble he causes but also about all the things the family learns during the experience. 

This book is a great example of a book that teaches and is entertaining to kids. Younger readers will learn about what fostering a dog is and means about about pet care and the things that can come up when learning about a new pet. It it a wonderful story about caring for a dog in need.

Kaita learns so much from this experience and it is lovely to be along for the ride with her. I think that this book would be a great addition to a family library, especially those that love pets or are thinking of fostering animals. 

Building the Book Pile #308

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

Hello Readers, Bloggers, and Awesome people! 

Good morning lovely people... 

Last week I didn't post a recap because I was participating in #24in48 all weekend. I made it to 15.5 hours and then had a slight breakdown... 😞 I ended up stubbing my toe SUPER bad and that sent me into a huge crying fit and then I got super discouraged about the whole event and made myself stop. Looking back 15 hours is A LOT of reading sooooo I really was not doing that bad. And truth be told it was a really fun experience and I got so much needed reading in.

This week has been work and lots of school work. I have a week left from today in my 2 classes then in the fall I am back to 1 for a bit and I am thrilled! Two, plus a full time job, chores, and a hobby/blog was rough. I like being busy, but that was a bit much.

How have you been doing? Picked up any great books lately? My TBR is looking somewhat ok right this second so I feel ok asking for recommendations. I may start a poll on my Facebook Page about which non-review book I read next, I have so many... like The Night Circus... still haven't read that! (feel free to shun me).

Thank you all for sticking through my rants as well as my reading, I 💜 you all!

If you enjoy the blog and want to share some love and caffeine, you can buy me a coffee via Ko-fi

Share about your week with me in the comments below!

 

  Giveaways  on Cover2CoverBlog! 

Coming up on the Blog

Early Reader Review: Truman the Dog by Debbi Micelle Florence (MG)
Recent Reads: Beekeeping for Beginners by Amber Bradshaw (Non-Fiction)
 Monthly Re-Cap: July 2019




Books Received Recently...
For Review

    

Snug Harbor Stories: Wallace the Brave Collection by Will Henry - From Netgalley and Andrews McMeel for review.

Texts from Mittens the Family and Friends Edition by Angie Bailey - From Netgalley and Andrews McMeel for review.

Just Us Kids: Shipwrecked by D. Stewart - from the Author (Audiobook)

Bought

    

Used my audible credits to buy the rest of the HP audiobook series...gonna need them
Also picked up Sorry I'm Late, I didn't want to come by Jessica Pan (and read by the author)

Have you missed anything lately? - 2 weeks worth 😮

Recent Reads: Even Tree Nymphs Get the Blues (Mystic Bayou #2.5) by Molly Harper (Audio, Adult) - 3 stars
Recent Reads: Time Management in 20 Minutes a Day by Holly Reisem Hanna (NonFiction, Adult) - 4 stars
#24in48

Recent Reads: Mr. Lemoncello's All-Star Breakout Game (Mr. Lemoncello's Library #4) by Chris Grabenstein (MG)- 5 stars
Recent Reads: The Camelot Code #1 by Mari Mancusi (MG) - 4 stars 
Recent Reads: Pirates don't go to Kindergarten by Lisa Robinson - 4 stars

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!

Early Reader Review: Pirates Don't Go To Kindergarten by Lisa Robinson

Pirates Don't Go To Kindergarten by Lisa Robinson
Publisher: Two Lions
Publication Date:  August 1, 2019

 

Format:  Ebook
Source: Freebie from Amazon First Reads 

Rating:







Goodreads Synopsis: 

Yo, ho, ho! It’s a mutiny against kindergarten!
Pirate Emma is about to start kindergarten! But Emma’s not so sure she’s ready for a new captain and crew. Especially since Cap’n Chu—the roughest, toughest, awesomest preschool cap’n ever—is right down the hall. So Emma decides to head back to the preschool ship to see if she can stir up a mutiny against kindergarten! Is that what she really wants? Or does she just miss her beloved Cap’n Chu? Batten down the hatches, mateys, because the first day of school is going to be stormy!

Review: 
This is an adorable book about a little girl that is not quite ready for the change from pre-school to kindergarten and she is a pirate. This book has two classrooms both that have themes - a pirate theme for one and a space theme for the other and Emma is skeptical of this new space theme, since she is a pirate. She also isn't sure of her new teacher. 

Emma uses her imagination so wonderfully as she learns about accepting change and it is very cute and a fun story. Parents will love this book to talk about changes in school and teachers and readers will love the fun pirate-y scenes and creative pirate theme throughout. 

Blog Tour w/ Giveaway! - When Summer Ends by Jessica Pennington

Blog Tour

About the Book
Aiden Emerson is an all-star pitcher and the all-around golden boy of Riverton. Or at least he was, before he quit the team the last day of junior year without any explanation. How could he tell people he's losing his vision at seventeen?

Straight-laced Olivia thought she had life all figured out. But when her dream internship falls apart, her estranged mother comes back into her life, and her long-time boyfriend ghosts her right before summer break, she's starting to think fate has a weird sense of humor.


Each struggling to find a new direction, Aiden and Olivia decide to live summer by chance. Every fleeting adventure and stolen kiss is as fragile as a coin flip in this heartfelt journey to love and self-discovery from the author of Love Songs & Other Lies.   

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | BOOK DEPOSITORY

 Praise for WHEN SUMMER ENDS

“Bringing the small-town Michigan setting evocatively to the forefront, Pennington’s sophomore novel captures the pleasures of new love.” ―Kirkus Reviews

It is not often that I pick up a romance, but since it is summer time and this book sounded like the warm fuzzies I needed lately, I was super excited to have received it for a blog tour. 

Olivia is having a rough end of the school year, her summer job fell through and her boyfriend is a jerk who decides to break up with her, but she is making the most of everything. She has luckily found a new summer job and is dealing with the loss of her boyfriend constructively.  Aiden is having his own drama, he has an eye issue and is trying to reinvent himself from years of baseball into something that he can do with his loss of sight. He is angry that this is happening and just trying to push through the summer. 

Olivia and Aiden come together at their summer job and form a friendship and then fall for each other, but it is the worst timing ever for Olivia. 

What I liked about this story, even though it is your standard friend to love story, is that Olivia is trying to make the most of her summer - instead of being her typical self she is playing it all by chance - the flip of a coin will decide yes or no to many of her situations. This is great, maybe a bit reckless, but a wonderful growth opportunity for her. Additionally, Aiden learns a lot about himself and what he is capable of with the help of Olivia and so there is growth for both characters and I looooove me some character growth. Throw in parent issues and some resolutions too and this made for a wonderful story. 

Praise for LOVE SONGS & OTHER LIES 

“A captivating read and a great pick for fans of Morgan Matson and Emery Lord!” ―RT Book Reviews

“Filled with lyrics, love, and late nights, Pennington's debut novel will appeal to romance fans of Sarah Dessen and Susane Colasanti.” ―School Library Journal

“Pennington’s debut is a light road-tripping romance about redemption and the love of music.” ―Publishers Weekly

“Reading Cam & Vee's past and present romance reminds me of This is Us! This is going on my keeper shelf.” ―Simone Elkeles, New York Times & USA Today bestselling author

Love Songs & Other Lies is a music-infused romance about a pair of perfectly imperfect teenagers who will have readers rooting for their happily ever after.” ―Katy Upperman, author of Kissing Max Holden

“Boys in bands, second chance romance, and pitch-perfect chemistry. Love Songs & Other Lies hits all the right notes!” ―Gina Ciocca, author of Last Year's Mistake

“Fun and full of heart, with a hero who stole my heart!” ―Katie McGarry, author of Pushing the Limits

 About the Author
Jessica Pennington is no stranger to the combination of love and drama. She’s a wedding planner, after all. A writer since the age of ten—when she sought publication for her poem about a tree—Jessica likes the challenge of finding the humor in a sad situation or highlighting the awkwardness in a romantic one. She lives in a Michigan beach town suspiciously similar to the one in her novel, with her husband Josh and their son, Rory. Love Songs & Other Lies is her debut novel.  

PHOTO CREDIT: SHEENA PEARCE

Find the Author

WEBSITE /TWITTER /GOODREADS / FACEBOOK / INSTAGRAM

Giveaway is open to International. | Must be 13+ to Enter

10 Winners will receive a Copy of WHEN SUMMER ENDS by Jessica Pennington.

ENDS: AUGUST 16, 2019

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