February Wrap Up…

Welcome to my February Wrap-Up. I had an okay reading month in February, finishing 4 books (0 books off my TBR). I also received 5 ARC this month. I have reviews up or coming up for these books so as usual this is just going to be a brief rundown of each book I read.

Without further ado, let’s get into my February Wrap Up:

The Great Aussie Easter Egg-and-Spoon Race by Sophie Sayle: This book was wonderful. I love when Holiday themed books are set in Australia so I was very excited to get my hands on this book. Thankfully it was everything I hoped it would be and so much more. The story was sweet and fun, the characters were awesome Aussie animals and the illustrations by Daron Parton were absolutely perfect. I am so glad that I picked up this book as I feel it is a must-have for all Aussie homes this Easter.

Grannysaurus by David Walliams: This book was awesome. As a massive fan of David Walliams, I was excited to get my hands on this book, and I am happy to say it was everything I hoped it would be. The story was fun and witty, and the illustrations by Adam Stower were bright and bold. The pairing of story and images was utterly perfect making for a fantastic book for young readers and their families.

Destination Buchenwald by Colin Burgess: This book was fantastic. As someone with an interest in WWII history, I was surprised that I knew nothing about this story before reading this book, but now that I do I am excited to learn more. This book is equal parts heartwarming and heartbreaking and shows both the good and evil that humanity is capable of. This is one of those books that I believe everyone should read at least once in their lives.

Mim And The Woeful Wedding by Katrina Nannestad: I loved this book. I was excited and a little nervous to read this book after I enjoyed its predecessor so much, but It turns out I had nothing to worry about. This book was everything I had hoped it would be and so much more. The story was fun and interesting, the message was sweet, the bookshop was once again magical and brilliant and I loved catching up with Mim and her family. After reading this book I can’t wait to get my hands on the next Travelling Bookshop book.

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That’s it for my February Wrap Up. I hope you all had a great reading month. Let me know what you guys read this month in the comments section.

Until my March Wrap Up…

Happy Reading…

~>GEM<~

Mim And The Woeful Wedding by Katrina Nannestad

‘The right book might just change your life …

Mim Cohen roams the world in a travelling bookshop, with her dad and brother and a horse called Flossy. Flossy leads them where she will, to the place where they’re needed most … the place where the perfect book will find its way home.

Now Mim has arrived on a charming Greek Island, where a wedding is about to take place. Everyone is excited – everyone, that is, except the bride and groom.

Mim knows they’re here to help Anjelica, the bride. To stop the wedding. To set her free to follow her dreams.

If only Anjelica would read the right book, the one Mim gave her. If only she would stop reading the wrong book.’

I loved this book.

I was a huge fan of Mim And The Baffling Bully so I was both excited and nervous to get my hands on this book. It turns out I had no need to be nervous as this book is every bit as good as its predecessor.

This is one of those books that makes you smile and leaves you feeling warm and happy. The whole idea of a magical travelling bookshop is enough to warm your heart but to then have this really fun and sweet story and some truly funny elements and there is nothing not to love about this book.

Katrina Nannestad has done a fantastic job with the book. The story was wise and moving while also containing a lovely message. The characters were fun and innocent which means that the reader gets to learn with the characters as the story progresses. All of this is perfectly captured by the truly beautiful writing.

What more could you want? How about some awesome images? Okay. Adding to Katrina Nannestad’s wonderful story are fabulous illustrations by Cheryl Orsini. These illustrations are strategically placed throughout the book and perfectly complement the story being told.

I honestly don’t have a bad word to say about this book. If you have a Middle-Grade reader in your life The Travelling Bookshop is definitely a series that you should introduce them to.

Mim And The Woeful Wedding by Katrina Nannestad is the perfect addition to The Travelling Bookshop series.

Pointless Facts 34!

As I am really enjoying compiling Pointless Facts, I am going to stick with my plan of posting a new list every month; at least until it stops being fun for me. So I hope you all enjoy this month’s installment of Pointless Facts.

Let’s jump in, shall we?

Some blood vessels in a blue whale are actually big enough for humans to swim through.

A monastery in Egypt is home to the oldest continually operating library in the world, established in AD 565.

Approximately 90% of the population of Australia lives on the coast.

Greyhounds can run up to 45 mph.

Dorothy Straight wrote her book How the World Began when she was 4 years and 3 months old, making her the youngest person in the world to write a published book.

Australia has the world’s longest golf course which is approximately 850 miles long.

The oldest domestic cat on record lived for 38 years. She was CremePuff of Austin, Texas.

The titular raven in Edgar Allan Poe’s Gothic classic was initially supposed to be… a parrot.

Australia is home to 1,500 types of spiders, and 4,000 types of ants.

All clownfish are born male. They can also all change their sex to female, but they can’t turn it back to male after doing so.

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I hope you all enjoyed today’s pointless facts. Let me know in the comments if these pointless facts were new to you or if you had already come across them.

~>GEM<~

Destination Buchenwald by Colin Burgess

‘The harrowing story of the Allied airmen who experienced the true horrors of Nazism firsthand.

It was the summer of 1944 as liberating Allied forces surged towards Paris following the D-Day landings. For a large group of downed airmen being held in that city’s infamous Fresnes Prison, they were about to face evacuation into the blackest, bloody heart of Germany and experience the most acute evil of the war. Amid great secrecy, those 168 airmen – including several from Australia and New Zealand – were transported on a filthy, overcrowded nightmare train journey that ended at the notorious Buchenwald concentration camp, accompanied by orders for their execution. At Buchenwald, they witnessed extreme depravity that would haunt them to the end of their days. Yet, on returning home, they were confronted by decades of denials from their own governments that they had ever been held in one of Hitler’s most vile concentration camps.

In conducting his original deep research for this book – now completely expanded and updated – Colin Burgess personally interviewed or corresponded with dozens of the surviving airmen from a number of nations, including their valorous leader, New Zealand Squadron Leader Phil Lamason. Destination Buchenwald tells a compelling story of extraordinary bravery, comradeship, and endurance when a group of otherwise ordinary servicemen were thrust into an unimaginable Nazi hell.’

This book was fantastic.

I have a real interest in WWII and have read many books about it, so I was surprised that this story was new to me. As soon as I read the synopsis I knew that I had to read this book and I prepared myself for an emotional reading experience.

I was expecting an emotional read and that is exactly what I got with this book. Reading about what these airmen went through; as well as the civilians who helped them, was equally heartbreaking and heartwarming. While the experiences of the people featured in this book are just a small number of the horrible situations that occurred during WWII, they carry the weight of all the suffering of that time.

One of the things I really liked about this book was that background information was woven into the story for anyone who may not have a lot of previous information about the places and situations that are taking place. This allows for the full scope of the situation these airmen were facing to be understood in a small way.

Colin Burgess has done a wonderful job with this book. The writing was superb; emotional yet factual, the story was perfectly paced, and the historical and statistical information included added to the story instead of slowing it down.

I honestly don’t have a bad word to say about this book.

Destination Buchenwald by Colin Burgess is a must-read for everyone.

Pancake Book Tag…

Welcome one and all to another Wacky Wednesday post. Today I am partaking in the Pancake Book Tag. I hope you all enjoy this quick little tag.

So without further ado, let’s jump straight in:

The Light After the War by Anita Abriel

Ridley Larsen – The Magic Misfits: The Fourth Suit by Neil Patrick Harris

Dear Lover by Samuel Johnson

The German Wife by Kelly Rimmer

The Grandest Bookshop In The World by Amelia Mellor

Ruby Munroe – The Little Wartime Library by Kate Thompson

The Bay by Allie Reynolds

Amy and Roger – Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

Carrie Sutton – The Wrong Siter by Fiona Palmer

The Paris Bookseller by Kerri Maher

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Well, that’s it for me. I hope you guys enjoyed this tag. As usual, hit me up with your answers in the comment section.

Until next time…

Happy Reading… 

~>GEM<~

Grannysaurus by David Walliams

‘A boisterously funny new picture book from David Walliams and Adam Stower, perfect for young dinosaur fans!
One night, Spike creeps downstairs in his pajamas to find that his granny has turned into a dinosaur – GRANNYSAURUS!

There are dinosaurs BOOGYING in the living room. With Brontosaurus, Stegosaurus, and Giganotosaurus, it’s a DINO DISCO!

Spike wants to stay up and party too! How will Grannysaurus ever get him back to bed? Perhaps her next guest, Tyrannosaurus Rex, can help?’

This book was awesome.

I am a pretty massive fan of David Walliams’ books so I was excited to get my hands on this one. I am happy to say it was everything I had hoped it would be and so much more.

One of the things I love most about David Walliams’ books is that they are a little bit naughty, and this one is no exception. For staying up past bedtime, and the occasional smashing, this book has just enough bad behaviour to entertain young readers without being inappropriate.

The fact that this book shows a wonderful relationship between a boy and his Grandma was really sweet and something that you don’t see a lot. Add to that the dinosaurs, music, and funny plot line, and I can see this book becoming a fast favourite for young readers and their families.

As with all picture books, you need illustrations and this book has the most wonderful illustrations by Adam Stower. The illustrations are bright, bold, and engaging and perfectly capture David Walliams’ story. The combination of David Walliams’ words and Adam Stower’s pictures make for a truly wonderful reading experience; this partnership is definitely a match made in literary heaven.

I honestly don’t have a bad word to say about this book and I am so happy to have it on my bookshelf.

Grannysaurus by David Walliams is a must-have for all young readers and their families.

Valentine’s Day Facts!

As I am really enjoying compiling Pointless Facts each month, I have decided to put together a Valentine’s Day Facts post. I hope you all enjoy these Valentine’s Day Facts.

Let’s jump in, shall we?

Candy hearts were originally medical lozenges.

The first heart-shaped box of chocolates was introduced in 1861.

The first valentine was sent in the 15th century.

Not until the 1840s did we get the first mass-produced valentines.

The tradition of giving Valentine’s Day flowers dates back to the 17th century.

Nearly 6 million couples get engaged on Valentine’s Day.

Alexander Graham Bell Applied For A Patent For The Telephone On Valentine’s Day.

Valentine’s Day Is The Second Most Popular Day For Sending Cards.

The Most Popular Valentine Card Recipients Are Teachers.

Esther Howland pioneered the modern Valentine’s Day card.

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I hope you all enjoyed today’s Halloween Facts. Let me know in the comments if these facts were new to you or if you had already come across them.

~>GEM<~

The Great Aussie Easter Egg-and-Spoon Race by Sophie Sayle

‘It’s time for the great Easter egg-and-spoon race, but sleepy Echidna is always trailing behind the other bush babies. Can Echidna keep up with her friends and enjoy all the fun on this special day?’

This book was wonderful.

I have been pretty vocal about my love of Holiday themed books that are Australian focused, so as soon as I saw this book I knew I had to have it for my collection. Thankfully my excitement was rewarded as I absolutely loved this little book.

To start with, Sophie Sayle did a fantastic job with the story. It was filled with great characters, a fun premise, and a great example of friendship and helping others. I also loved that it wasn’t religious in any way making it a great book for all kids.

The characters in this book were one of my favourite elements of this book. I adored that they were a collection of different Australian animals and that each one highlighted things about those animals; like their movements or their laugh.

Sophie Sayle was able to create a great narrative, with fabulous characters, sweet dialog, and a lovely message for young readers while also creating a truly beautiful story that readers of all ages can enjoy.

On top of the fantastic story by Sophie Sayle, this book is filled with amazing illustrations by Daron Parton. Daron’s illustrations are bright and bold while also being rooted in reality which adds a whole new layer to this already fabulous book.

I am of course not the target audience for this book but given how much I enjoyed it I can only imagine how much joy it will bring to young readers and their families.

The Great Aussie Easter Egg-and-Spoon Race by Sophie Sayle is a must-have for all Aussie homes this Easter.

Valentine’s Day Book Tag…

Welcome one and all to another Wacky Wednesday post. Today I am partaking in the Valentine’s Day Book Tag. I hope you all enjoy this quick little tag.

So without further ado, let’s jump straight in:

A STAND-ALONE BOOK YOU LOVE:

Secrets Between Friends by Fiona Palmer

A BOOK YOU LOVE BUT NO ONE ELSE TALKS ABOUT:

The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner 

YOUR FAVORITE BOOK COUPLE:

Rose and Dimitri – The Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead

A BOOK THAT OTHER PEOPLE LOVE BUT YOU HAVEN’T GOTTEN AROUND TO READING:

Anything by Colleen Hoover

A BOOK WITH RED ON THE COVER:

Gangsta Granny Strikes Again! by David Walliams

A BOOK WITH PINK ON THE COVER:

Like A Love Story by Abdi Nazemian 

YOU WERE GIVEN A BOX OF CHOCOLATE. WHAT FICTIONAL BOYFRIEND/GIRLFRIEND GAVE THEM TO YOU?

Fin – The Wrong Sister by Fiona Palmer

YOU ARE SINGLE ON VALENTINES DAY. WHAT BOOK WOULD YOU READ? WHAT TV SHOW WOULD YOU WATCH? WHAT MOVIE WOULD YOU WATCH?

The Little Wartime Library by Kate Thompson

Community

Dirty Dancing

YOU ARE IN THE BOOKSTORE. ALL OF A SUDDEN, YOU GET SHOT BY CUPID’S ARROW. WHAT NEW RELEASE WILL YOU LOVE?

The Paris Affair by Melanie Hudson

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Well, that’s it for me. I hope you guys enjoyed this tag. As usual, hit me up with your answers in the comment section.

Until next time…

Happy Reading… 

~>GEM<~

Back To Reality!

After a month long holiday to the beach I am back home and reality has hit like a sledgehammer.

The moment I got home I was smashed by the heat and the humidity; no more ocean breeze to keep me cool, before I even noticed my massive to do list.

After unpacking; well partially unpacking, I had a good night sleep and now I have no choice but to face reality and start making my way through a month’s worth of tasks.

I have organized my to do list into manageable chunks so that I don’t get over whelmed and end up procrastinating, so that something I guess.

My first and most important task is to try and get back on track on the blog front. I may still have a couple of weeks with missed or sporadic posts but I am aiming to be back to my normal scheduled but the end on the month.

I had planned to do a clean out of old clothes as I unpacked but when I saw the amount of other things I needed to do I decided to push the clean up until later in the year; maybe when I need to start wearing my winter wardrobe.

If I can stick to the plan I have made I should have my to do list completed in just under a week which I am pleased about.

Hopefully I can stick to my plan while still leaving time to relax and decompress.

In fact, I think I will go and start working on the catch up on TV shows section of my to do list; that also falls under the relax and decompress heading in my opinion.

That’s it from me today.

Until next time…

Happy Reading…

~>GEM<~