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Short Stories For Kids
Education and Games
App
Five fun short stories for kids are there in this interactive audio storybook app. With sounds,...
Finn in 1989 - Choice of a Lifeline - Episode One
Games
App
Finn in 1989 is a text-based adventure, soaked in 80's nostalgia. A young boy discovers he's lost in...
Cinderella (As If You Didn't Already Know the Story)
Book
I know, I know. You’ve heard the story a million times before. Mean stepmother. Lots of sweeping....
Merissa (13194 KP) rated Edge (Immortals of Indriel #1.5) in Books
Apr 19, 2023
After reading Emerge I immediately went online to see if Book 2 had been released yet. Instead, I found Edge which is the prequel novella which gives a glimpse of Allie and Aidan's lives before they met. There is a bit of an overlap in time between the prequel and the main story, which helps to tighten up the story, give more depth to the characters (which were already in-depth anyway) and also helps understand the reasons and objectives behind some of the decisions made in the other book.
I loved Allie and Aidan in the full-length book, but reading these insights into them and their lives just makes me love them all the more. This is a story, and series, to get your teeth into and I have loved every moment.
I'm afraid that I now have to stalk Melissa A Craven until I find out when the next book is due out! Absolutely, definitely and completely recommended.
* I bought this book from Amazon after being unable to leave Allie and Aidan behind. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Nov 10, 2015
I loved Allie and Aidan in the full-length book, but reading these insights into them and their lives just makes me love them all the more. This is a story, and series, to get your teeth into and I have loved every moment.
I'm afraid that I now have to stalk Melissa A Craven until I find out when the next book is due out! Absolutely, definitely and completely recommended.
* I bought this book from Amazon after being unable to leave Allie and Aidan behind. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Nov 10, 2015
Nicole Hadley (380 KP) rated Rooftops of Tehran in Books
Jun 18, 2018
<a href="https://awindowintobooks.wordpress.com">Full Review</a>
I received, Rooftops of Tehran by Mahbod Seraji, for free in exchange for a review. The synopsis of the book immediately caught my attention. From the beginning I was excited to read this novel. The story takes place in Iran. The story shows how American involvement affects everyone and not always in a good way. The characters are well developed. The story has twists, that I never expected but kept the story going.
Pasha, Ahmed, Zari and Faheemah are the main characters. Pasha and Ahmed spend many hours on his rooftop talking, joking, dreaming of the love of their lives and contemplating life. Pasha fantasized being with Zari but she was to married off to a childhood friend. While Ahmed wanted to be with Faheemah and ended up dating with the approval of her parents. Pasha and his friends live in Iran in the 1970's where they are skeptical of religion, arrange marriage and the government of their country. The US is viewed as a place of opportunity but as a place that causes problems.
By reading this book I was able to gain insight to middle class life in Iran during the 1970's until the rule of the Shah. This is a coming of age book that appears simple in the beginning but as the story progresses life gets complicated due to arranged marriage customs, and modern ideas from western culture. School is a place that is run by petty tyrants and when rules are not obeyed punishment is what follows. At the core, is the fundamentalism of Iran's future.
The SAVAK is present everywhere and people of all ages feel their impact. SAVAK have an impact on Iranian culture and not in a good way. They cause confusion, heartbreak and even death.
This story is written in a fast paced narrative perspective. The author has developed the characters well. At the end of the story I felt like I was sitting on the rooftop with Pasha experiencing his life, the twists, the secrets and all that effected his life with him.
I received, Rooftops of Tehran by Mahbod Seraji, for free in exchange for a review. The synopsis of the book immediately caught my attention. From the beginning I was excited to read this novel. The story takes place in Iran. The story shows how American involvement affects everyone and not always in a good way. The characters are well developed. The story has twists, that I never expected but kept the story going.
Pasha, Ahmed, Zari and Faheemah are the main characters. Pasha and Ahmed spend many hours on his rooftop talking, joking, dreaming of the love of their lives and contemplating life. Pasha fantasized being with Zari but she was to married off to a childhood friend. While Ahmed wanted to be with Faheemah and ended up dating with the approval of her parents. Pasha and his friends live in Iran in the 1970's where they are skeptical of religion, arrange marriage and the government of their country. The US is viewed as a place of opportunity but as a place that causes problems.
By reading this book I was able to gain insight to middle class life in Iran during the 1970's until the rule of the Shah. This is a coming of age book that appears simple in the beginning but as the story progresses life gets complicated due to arranged marriage customs, and modern ideas from western culture. School is a place that is run by petty tyrants and when rules are not obeyed punishment is what follows. At the core, is the fundamentalism of Iran's future.
The SAVAK is present everywhere and people of all ages feel their impact. SAVAK have an impact on Iranian culture and not in a good way. They cause confusion, heartbreak and even death.
This story is written in a fast paced narrative perspective. The author has developed the characters well. At the end of the story I felt like I was sitting on the rooftop with Pasha experiencing his life, the twists, the secrets and all that effected his life with him.
Rachel Maria Berney (114 KP) rated The Little Shop of Found Things in Books
Dec 9, 2018
Plot (1 more)
Writing
A nice story that is a little too obvious
I was looking forward to reading this, the story sounded very interesting and something that is right up my alley. However, I was underwhelmed and dissapointed.
The Main character is like a cardboard cutout, glossy blonde ringlets, Dr Martens, beautiful singing voice, antique expert and a psychic gift, but no real depth till the end. You want to like her, her gist is interesting. You want to feel for her, looking after her sick mother, innocent and sent to jail, she has had a trying time. You want to root for her, but you can't, she's too 2 dimensional. I found Xanthe tinny and annoying, with an impulse to slap her, had she been real.
I wanted to like the story, love it, it was such a good idea. There are so many good elements, that put together right, should've made the book shine. But the whole book just hangs there, hollow. You don't feel anything much for the characters or their plight, it maybe stirs you a little in the second half of the book, but too little too late. The story plods along and doesn't build up intrigue like it should.
I was dissapointed, expecting so much more, it failed to deliver that imaginational jump. it is nothing more than words on a page, with no depth or room for your imagination. I found Blackburns writing too descriptive, she has a tendency to state the obvious to the reader when readers are not stupid, it is annoying and takes something away from the story. From the descriptions it is clear Blackburn has done her historical research and in that respect, she does bring to life the past.
One of the saving graces of the story is the telling of the relationshop between Xanthe and Samuel, it brings an emotional aspect to the book, that up until that point, was lacking.
Overall the story is predicatable, the writing ok, and the only reason you read to end is the optimistic hope that there will be some kind of twist or an unxpected resolution; you are left feeling underwhelmed and frustrated.
The Main character is like a cardboard cutout, glossy blonde ringlets, Dr Martens, beautiful singing voice, antique expert and a psychic gift, but no real depth till the end. You want to like her, her gist is interesting. You want to feel for her, looking after her sick mother, innocent and sent to jail, she has had a trying time. You want to root for her, but you can't, she's too 2 dimensional. I found Xanthe tinny and annoying, with an impulse to slap her, had she been real.
I wanted to like the story, love it, it was such a good idea. There are so many good elements, that put together right, should've made the book shine. But the whole book just hangs there, hollow. You don't feel anything much for the characters or their plight, it maybe stirs you a little in the second half of the book, but too little too late. The story plods along and doesn't build up intrigue like it should.
I was dissapointed, expecting so much more, it failed to deliver that imaginational jump. it is nothing more than words on a page, with no depth or room for your imagination. I found Blackburns writing too descriptive, she has a tendency to state the obvious to the reader when readers are not stupid, it is annoying and takes something away from the story. From the descriptions it is clear Blackburn has done her historical research and in that respect, she does bring to life the past.
One of the saving graces of the story is the telling of the relationshop between Xanthe and Samuel, it brings an emotional aspect to the book, that up until that point, was lacking.
Overall the story is predicatable, the writing ok, and the only reason you read to end is the optimistic hope that there will be some kind of twist or an unxpected resolution; you are left feeling underwhelmed and frustrated.
Chabadabada
Book and Entertainment
App
Who doesn’t know the story of Puss in Boots by Charles Perrault? “Chabadabada” is a modern and...
TravelersWife4Life (31 KP) rated Star of Persia: Esther's Story in Books
Feb 24, 2021
I love the story of Esther!
This was my first time reading a book by Jill Eileen Smith and I truly liked it. I usually tend to stay away from Biblical fiction, as I want to remember the story as it happens in the Bible. However, I may revisit my stance on that after reading this wonderful retelling of Esther in the Star of Persia. I believe that Jill Eileen Smith helped me see Esther’s story from a completely new perspective that only added to my knowledge of the original Biblical story.
The whole book was liking being inside Esther’s head and seeing what she would have been going through during the virgin selection prosses, through her reign as Queen of Persia. This book also helped give words to the emotions Esther would have been experiencing as she was being taken away from her family, thrown into a completely new world, and knowing that she risked everything for the lives of her people. This book gave me a new respect for Esther and helped me to understand the enormity of what Esther did for the Jewish people. I think that the Star of Persia added to my understanding of that period and showed how amazingly God used an orphan to achieve great things for His people.
I loved the historical accuracy of this book as well. If you read the authors' note at the end of the book, Jill Eileen Smith explains some of the different variants, both Biblical and secular, about the story of Esther. An awesome fountain of facts! It helped me understand more of the intricacies of the Biblical story from a historical standpoint.
I give this book 5 out of 5 stars for the creative insights to the life and times of Esther, for giving me a better connection to the Biblical story, and for the great historical detail that went into making this book so accurate. I highly recommend reading this book.
*I volunteered to read this book in return for my honest feedback. The thoughts and opinions expressed within are my own.
This was my first time reading a book by Jill Eileen Smith and I truly liked it. I usually tend to stay away from Biblical fiction, as I want to remember the story as it happens in the Bible. However, I may revisit my stance on that after reading this wonderful retelling of Esther in the Star of Persia. I believe that Jill Eileen Smith helped me see Esther’s story from a completely new perspective that only added to my knowledge of the original Biblical story.
The whole book was liking being inside Esther’s head and seeing what she would have been going through during the virgin selection prosses, through her reign as Queen of Persia. This book also helped give words to the emotions Esther would have been experiencing as she was being taken away from her family, thrown into a completely new world, and knowing that she risked everything for the lives of her people. This book gave me a new respect for Esther and helped me to understand the enormity of what Esther did for the Jewish people. I think that the Star of Persia added to my understanding of that period and showed how amazingly God used an orphan to achieve great things for His people.
I loved the historical accuracy of this book as well. If you read the authors' note at the end of the book, Jill Eileen Smith explains some of the different variants, both Biblical and secular, about the story of Esther. An awesome fountain of facts! It helped me understand more of the intricacies of the Biblical story from a historical standpoint.
I give this book 5 out of 5 stars for the creative insights to the life and times of Esther, for giving me a better connection to the Biblical story, and for the great historical detail that went into making this book so accurate. I highly recommend reading this book.
*I volunteered to read this book in return for my honest feedback. The thoughts and opinions expressed within are my own.
Nicole Hadley (380 KP) rated Breathe, Annie, Breathe in Books
Jun 14, 2018
<a href="https://awindowintobooks.wordpress.com">Full Review</a>
This story, Breathe, Annie, Breathe, is beautifully written. It is a story about running but beyond that it is a story about death, healing and new beginnings. In order to reach the point where healing can occur and new beginnings happen Annie must first take risks. She is scared about taking risks and loosing someone she cares deeply about but taking risks is part of the healing process. Throughout reading this story, my emotions were all over. I was sad, I was worried, but most of all I was happy. I was happy for Annie. Annie's happiness leaped off the page.
When I started to read this book and discovered it was about running, I suddenly became very interested in the story. I have been running competitively for 18 years (Whoa! That's a long time). In all my years running I have never read a book that is so much about running. It made me happy that someone finally did! Like Annie, running clears my head. If you're worried about something, go running. If you're sad, go running. If you're happy, go running. Running de-stresses your life. I appreciated the fact that Kenneally really captured the atmosphere of running, and especially the running "high." Another aspect I appreciated is how Kenneally shows issues that come with running and through the story the readers learn advice that will help; such as drinking gatorade to replace electrolytes, or using vasaline for chafing. While Annie is not someone who grew up running, she had a goal and took the proper and necessary steps to accomplish that goal. In the process she found herself.
The goal was to run and finish a marathon, a goal her boyfriend Kyle had set out to do but was unable to accomplish because of his death. Kyle wanted to run a marathon but is unable to so Annie decides to run a marathon in Kyles honor even though at the start she could barely run a half mile. Kenneally does not immediately tell her readers why Kyle died. In fact it takes most of the book to know but part of the mystery is what keeps the story going.
Kenneally does an excellent job of developing each character and showing their relationship with Annie; even repairing some estranged relationships. One of the characters, Jeremiah (Jere), has a very special place in Annie's heart and ultimately helps the healing process not by forcing her to heal but by first being a friend (a distraction) and later a boyfriend who helps her to take risks, to do things that scare her just a little. The relationship portrayed between Jere and Annie is realistic. I love that their relationship started as friends but developed to something more.
I recommend this book to anyone who like young adult (YA) literature, love story and most of all an intertwinning of sports and relationships. The story will cause you to look at your relationships and maybe you'll be motivated to train and run a marathon.
This story, Breathe, Annie, Breathe, is beautifully written. It is a story about running but beyond that it is a story about death, healing and new beginnings. In order to reach the point where healing can occur and new beginnings happen Annie must first take risks. She is scared about taking risks and loosing someone she cares deeply about but taking risks is part of the healing process. Throughout reading this story, my emotions were all over. I was sad, I was worried, but most of all I was happy. I was happy for Annie. Annie's happiness leaped off the page.
When I started to read this book and discovered it was about running, I suddenly became very interested in the story. I have been running competitively for 18 years (Whoa! That's a long time). In all my years running I have never read a book that is so much about running. It made me happy that someone finally did! Like Annie, running clears my head. If you're worried about something, go running. If you're sad, go running. If you're happy, go running. Running de-stresses your life. I appreciated the fact that Kenneally really captured the atmosphere of running, and especially the running "high." Another aspect I appreciated is how Kenneally shows issues that come with running and through the story the readers learn advice that will help; such as drinking gatorade to replace electrolytes, or using vasaline for chafing. While Annie is not someone who grew up running, she had a goal and took the proper and necessary steps to accomplish that goal. In the process she found herself.
The goal was to run and finish a marathon, a goal her boyfriend Kyle had set out to do but was unable to accomplish because of his death. Kyle wanted to run a marathon but is unable to so Annie decides to run a marathon in Kyles honor even though at the start she could barely run a half mile. Kenneally does not immediately tell her readers why Kyle died. In fact it takes most of the book to know but part of the mystery is what keeps the story going.
Kenneally does an excellent job of developing each character and showing their relationship with Annie; even repairing some estranged relationships. One of the characters, Jeremiah (Jere), has a very special place in Annie's heart and ultimately helps the healing process not by forcing her to heal but by first being a friend (a distraction) and later a boyfriend who helps her to take risks, to do things that scare her just a little. The relationship portrayed between Jere and Annie is realistic. I love that their relationship started as friends but developed to something more.
I recommend this book to anyone who like young adult (YA) literature, love story and most of all an intertwinning of sports and relationships. The story will cause you to look at your relationships and maybe you'll be motivated to train and run a marathon.
Veronica Pena (690 KP) rated P.S. I Still Love You (To All the Boys I've Loved Before, #2) in Books
Jan 21, 2020
I loved the first book in this trilogy so much so going into this one, I had expectations. I was nervous to see what happened between John Ambrose McClaren and Lara Jean, especially because I found myself being Team Peter all the way. I think that this book, actually just the series as a whole is one that is just so sweet and pure and I think it's a new take on a love story. I feel like young adult and fiction is so saturated with love stories that it's hard to find good ones, ones that feel real and make your heart stop, the kind of romance stories that would make a good movie, ya know? I really think this series is out of the box and I like the diversity that it brings not only to YA but to the entire romance genre in general.
It's clear that this book is a stepping stone between the first and the third. It's not as fast-paced as the first book and the details that end up mattering aren't always the biggest ones. It's definitely a bridge that I hope will bring the first and the third together in a way that rounds out the story and I'm excited to see what happens in the conclusion of the series.
I love Lara Jean as a character and her innocence. I know that I'm not that far out from being 16, going on 17, but it's easy to get caught up in the facets of adult life and having to take care of everything all the time and be serious and have a lot of responsibilities. What I like the most about this series is how it transports you and next thing you know, you're 16, going on 17, and you're falling in love with Peter Kavinsky alongside Lara Jean Song Covey.
It's clear that this book is a stepping stone between the first and the third. It's not as fast-paced as the first book and the details that end up mattering aren't always the biggest ones. It's definitely a bridge that I hope will bring the first and the third together in a way that rounds out the story and I'm excited to see what happens in the conclusion of the series.
I love Lara Jean as a character and her innocence. I know that I'm not that far out from being 16, going on 17, but it's easy to get caught up in the facets of adult life and having to take care of everything all the time and be serious and have a lot of responsibilities. What I like the most about this series is how it transports you and next thing you know, you're 16, going on 17, and you're falling in love with Peter Kavinsky alongside Lara Jean Song Covey.