Search
Search results
Merissa (11839 KP) rated Tight Quarters (Out of Uniform #6) in Books
Jul 10, 2018
Tight Quarters (Out of Uniform #6) by Annabeth Albert
Tight Quarters is the sixth book in the Out of Uniform series, and if M/M Romance mixed in with a Military scenario does it for you, then you really need to check out this series.
In this book, we reunite with Bacon (and yep, that is his real name!). He is none too happy because he has been stuck with babysitting duty for an embedded journalist, one he actually admires and knows is gay. Bacon himself is Pan, and I loved him for it. Now, Bacon has a history, and is a SEAL. Bryant is a gay journalist. Whatever could go wrong?
This is a book of two halves - the first part being with Spencer embedded and them both fighting their attraction. The second is when Spencer is no longer in the team, and they give up fighting. I honestly can't tell you which half I prefer! For differing reasons, both parts are fantastic, and definitely make up the whole.
With stories that need to be written, but jobs that need to be protected, these two face a horrible decision that left me crossing my fingers and hoping for a happy ending. No knowledge of the American Military is needed as Ms. Albert gives out enough information for it all to make sense, without disclosing any secrets.
I keep thinking to myself that this series can't go on for much longer. How many different military stories can one author do? And then Ms. Albert comes out with something new, something refreshing and unique that makes me fall in love with her characters all over again. How many is too many? I don't have the answer to that, but I do know I definitely need more in this series. Absolutely and highly recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
In this book, we reunite with Bacon (and yep, that is his real name!). He is none too happy because he has been stuck with babysitting duty for an embedded journalist, one he actually admires and knows is gay. Bacon himself is Pan, and I loved him for it. Now, Bacon has a history, and is a SEAL. Bryant is a gay journalist. Whatever could go wrong?
This is a book of two halves - the first part being with Spencer embedded and them both fighting their attraction. The second is when Spencer is no longer in the team, and they give up fighting. I honestly can't tell you which half I prefer! For differing reasons, both parts are fantastic, and definitely make up the whole.
With stories that need to be written, but jobs that need to be protected, these two face a horrible decision that left me crossing my fingers and hoping for a happy ending. No knowledge of the American Military is needed as Ms. Albert gives out enough information for it all to make sense, without disclosing any secrets.
I keep thinking to myself that this series can't go on for much longer. How many different military stories can one author do? And then Ms. Albert comes out with something new, something refreshing and unique that makes me fall in love with her characters all over again. How many is too many? I don't have the answer to that, but I do know I definitely need more in this series. Absolutely and highly recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Louise (64 KP) rated Goth Girl: and the Ghost of a Mouse in Books
Jul 2, 2018
Ada Goth lives in Ghastly-Gorm Hall with her father, servants and a few ghosts. Ada’s father likes to keep himself to himself even when it comes to his daughter, he makes her wear clumpy shoes so he can hear her coming. Ada is very much alone in this huge mansion style house until one evening she meets a ghost in the form of a Mouse called Ishmael. Ishmael informs Ada that he was killed by a Mouse trap and that he is to roam the hall for all eternity. Together they go and investigate the rooms in which Ishmael was killed when they come upon some strange things and other denizens.
The book had a lot of characters in it, all shapes and sizes all very whimsical but none have much depth to them, you don’t get to find out an awful lot. I wish Ishmael could have been in the book a bit more than he was. He was introduced in chapter 1 and then didn’t have much involvement. The story is very slow to start off with and only really starts to get going in the second half.
This book definitely had its quirks, I loved the use of the footnotes that were written by ‘The foot’ which made me chuckle. There is also literary references such as Von Hellsung and Hebe Poppins. The Comic book at the back was an added bonus! I didn’t realise this was included when I picked it up.
This book is beautiful, it has a purple ribbon and metallic page edges, inside the cover is decorated in a silver/gold foil and also there is an additional pocket with a miniature comic book called ‘Memoirs of Mouse’. Not only did Chris Riddell Illustrate this book but he also wrote it. I love his artwork, it’s so detailed and definitely stunning to look at all in black and white. Everything was on point regarding presentation.
Overall I rated this 3.5 stars out of 5.
The book had a lot of characters in it, all shapes and sizes all very whimsical but none have much depth to them, you don’t get to find out an awful lot. I wish Ishmael could have been in the book a bit more than he was. He was introduced in chapter 1 and then didn’t have much involvement. The story is very slow to start off with and only really starts to get going in the second half.
This book definitely had its quirks, I loved the use of the footnotes that were written by ‘The foot’ which made me chuckle. There is also literary references such as Von Hellsung and Hebe Poppins. The Comic book at the back was an added bonus! I didn’t realise this was included when I picked it up.
This book is beautiful, it has a purple ribbon and metallic page edges, inside the cover is decorated in a silver/gold foil and also there is an additional pocket with a miniature comic book called ‘Memoirs of Mouse’. Not only did Chris Riddell Illustrate this book but he also wrote it. I love his artwork, it’s so detailed and definitely stunning to look at all in black and white. Everything was on point regarding presentation.
Overall I rated this 3.5 stars out of 5.
Merissa (11839 KP) rated All That Has Flown Beyond (Natural Magic #2) in Books
Dec 3, 2018
All That Has Flown Beyond (Natural Magic #2) by Marina Vivancos
All That Has Flown Beyond is the second book in the Natural Magic series, and it is a series I am thoroughly enjoying.
In this story, we meet Kaiyo and Ahmik. They are both young boys and the reader learns about their horrific loss, and what it like for them now. The story is very sad for a while, and you really get the feel for what is going on. The depression that Kaiyo suffers from is so well-written, it's scary! You can't help but empathise with him, and end up cheering him on as he makes small miracles every day. Seriously, this part was so incredibly written. Either the author has suffered this herself, or she knows someone who has, who can describe it in perfect detail.
Although this is book two in the series, you can actually read it as a standalone, as there are none of the same characters in it from the first one. I found this to be a bit of a shame, as I would have liked to have connected with Damian and Hakan again, if only to see how they are going. I thought when Kaiyo went travelling, this would happen, but I was wrong.
This is a second-chance romance, but primarily told from Kaiyo's perspective. This meant I felt a slight disconnect with Ahmik, and even though I got his reasons for why he did what he did, it didn't really give me much insight to him.
On the whole though, this was an amazing book. It is sitting firmly on my favourites shelf, even though it's not 5-stars. Excellently written, with no grammar or editing errors to disrupt my reading flow. I have no hesitation in recommending this book. An absolute stunner.
* I received a copy of this book with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
In this story, we meet Kaiyo and Ahmik. They are both young boys and the reader learns about their horrific loss, and what it like for them now. The story is very sad for a while, and you really get the feel for what is going on. The depression that Kaiyo suffers from is so well-written, it's scary! You can't help but empathise with him, and end up cheering him on as he makes small miracles every day. Seriously, this part was so incredibly written. Either the author has suffered this herself, or she knows someone who has, who can describe it in perfect detail.
Although this is book two in the series, you can actually read it as a standalone, as there are none of the same characters in it from the first one. I found this to be a bit of a shame, as I would have liked to have connected with Damian and Hakan again, if only to see how they are going. I thought when Kaiyo went travelling, this would happen, but I was wrong.
This is a second-chance romance, but primarily told from Kaiyo's perspective. This meant I felt a slight disconnect with Ahmik, and even though I got his reasons for why he did what he did, it didn't really give me much insight to him.
On the whole though, this was an amazing book. It is sitting firmly on my favourites shelf, even though it's not 5-stars. Excellently written, with no grammar or editing errors to disrupt my reading flow. I have no hesitation in recommending this book. An absolute stunner.
* I received a copy of this book with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Marylegs (44 KP) rated Hush, Hush (Hush, Hush, #1) in Books
Aug 14, 2019
So this book took over a month for me to read, which considering how its not a relatively long book baffles me. I was not compelled to read this book when I had a spare few minutes. I was not finding myself wanting to stay up just a little bit longer to finish the next chapter. It was honestly really lacking in so many ways.
I love reading YA fantasy/paranormal/mystical books. I love them! I have enjoyed series like House of Night, Sookie Stackhouse, Hunger Games, Daughter of Smoke and Bone, I even liked Twilight back before the films. But I just don't get this book at all.
Less than a month after reading it I can barely remember anything that happened. None of the characters were likeable, swoon worthy or even vaguely pleasant. Her mother was frankly useless. The police who randomly seemed to show up completely incompetent and frankly rude (but not in a realistic way).
The 'heroine'.... if you could see or feel how hard my eyes want to roll back into my head thinking about her would give you a better understanding of how I felt towards her. She has no conviction to anything. She isn't even being portrayed as dumb, but that is what she is. Her best 'friend', just vile, not even funny at all.
The main 'love interest' .... called Patch, again with a tendon pulling eye roll. he was the only vaguely interesting character. But even there this book just complete missed the mark with me.
Honestly I have no more words for this book. It seemed to be about nothing at all, and i cant honestly remember any redeeming element of it. Honestly surprised it has 3.something stars on Goodreads. If i could give it less than 1 star I would have. I likely would have given it -Stars. Safe to say i will not be reading any of the others.
I love reading YA fantasy/paranormal/mystical books. I love them! I have enjoyed series like House of Night, Sookie Stackhouse, Hunger Games, Daughter of Smoke and Bone, I even liked Twilight back before the films. But I just don't get this book at all.
Less than a month after reading it I can barely remember anything that happened. None of the characters were likeable, swoon worthy or even vaguely pleasant. Her mother was frankly useless. The police who randomly seemed to show up completely incompetent and frankly rude (but not in a realistic way).
The 'heroine'.... if you could see or feel how hard my eyes want to roll back into my head thinking about her would give you a better understanding of how I felt towards her. She has no conviction to anything. She isn't even being portrayed as dumb, but that is what she is. Her best 'friend', just vile, not even funny at all.
The main 'love interest' .... called Patch, again with a tendon pulling eye roll. he was the only vaguely interesting character. But even there this book just complete missed the mark with me.
Honestly I have no more words for this book. It seemed to be about nothing at all, and i cant honestly remember any redeeming element of it. Honestly surprised it has 3.something stars on Goodreads. If i could give it less than 1 star I would have. I likely would have given it -Stars. Safe to say i will not be reading any of the others.
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated The Favourite (2018) in Movies
Jun 22, 2019 (Updated Sep 25, 2019)
We're at yet another point in history that I'm not familiar with, let's just take that as read for all historical films from now on. As such I don't know how accurately it portrays things.
Our leading ladies each give outstanding performances, Weisz being the stand out of the three. Lady Sarah was the only one who's character seemed consistently believable the whole way through. Coleman gave a strong performance of Queen Anne and her moods. Stone though was the only one that suffered from the quirks of her character, Abigail's change towards the end of the film to a much more grotesque demeanor was not enjoyable.
That wasn't the only thing that was troublesome to watch. The camera work and the transition pieces were some strange choices. Early on we have a scene set in a dark shadowed room that means we're just watching two silhouettes, we see other scenes that are shot in darkened rooms and they're all handled much better than this shot. The other two issues I came across feel very old fashioned. Firstly cross fading transitions, I can't say added anything. Secondly the random fish eye lens, again it doesn't add anything and would be more at home in a sci-fi film than a historical one.
I can't say I enjoyed the film overall. It's a rather bland tale punctuated by overdone lavish moments, unnecessary sex and nudity, and all punctuated with some gratuitous additions of the C word. I'm not even offended by any of these things but none of it felt like it needed to be in the film, I genuinely feel it would have been a better production without some of it.
What you should do
I wouldn't bother with this one, and I'm aware I'm in a minority on this point. Personally I feel like time would be better spent researching the real point in history than this account.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
Lady Sarah's shooting outfit.
Our leading ladies each give outstanding performances, Weisz being the stand out of the three. Lady Sarah was the only one who's character seemed consistently believable the whole way through. Coleman gave a strong performance of Queen Anne and her moods. Stone though was the only one that suffered from the quirks of her character, Abigail's change towards the end of the film to a much more grotesque demeanor was not enjoyable.
That wasn't the only thing that was troublesome to watch. The camera work and the transition pieces were some strange choices. Early on we have a scene set in a dark shadowed room that means we're just watching two silhouettes, we see other scenes that are shot in darkened rooms and they're all handled much better than this shot. The other two issues I came across feel very old fashioned. Firstly cross fading transitions, I can't say added anything. Secondly the random fish eye lens, again it doesn't add anything and would be more at home in a sci-fi film than a historical one.
I can't say I enjoyed the film overall. It's a rather bland tale punctuated by overdone lavish moments, unnecessary sex and nudity, and all punctuated with some gratuitous additions of the C word. I'm not even offended by any of these things but none of it felt like it needed to be in the film, I genuinely feel it would have been a better production without some of it.
What you should do
I wouldn't bother with this one, and I'm aware I'm in a minority on this point. Personally I feel like time would be better spent researching the real point in history than this account.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
Lady Sarah's shooting outfit.
Gareth von Kallenbach (971 KP) rated The Switch (2010) in Movies
Aug 8, 2019
I had one thought when I entered the movie theater to see “The Switch”: what a hodge-podge cast. Leading lady, Jennifer Aniston (Kassie Larson), why she was once the face of 1990’s television! Jeff Goldblum (Leonard), I still think of him each time I encounter the subject of Dinosaurs. And Juliette Lewis (Debbie), she was in that Roller Derby flick, “Whip It” with the girl from Juno. How was a cast like this, enhanced by Arrested Development’s Jason Bateman, as male lead Wally Mars, going to make a film about a woman deciding to have a baby on her own?
None of the characters are perfect and the clothes are less than dazzling but the content and execution of “The Switch” is so honestly human that it manages to be subtly touching. Moreover, “The Switch” provides a new film perspective on love in New York City avoiding the overdone glitz and glamour of say “Sex and the City”.
But what is important to emphasize here is laughter. I didn’t expect to laugh as much as I did. Keep in mind there have been a number of comedic films that have attempted to touch on the subject of single women who choose to have and raise children on their own. I assumed films such as “The Back-Up Plan” and “Baby Mama” had completely covered the topic’s comedic angles, but l was wrong. This film is funny.
Still there were some scenes that could have been cut. The action could have moved at a quicker pace and it takes the first fifteen minutes of the film for the audience to connect with these imperfect characters.
However, “The Switch” is a very layered film; both human and well written while at the same time sharply funny. Moreover, this film is the much-anticipated proof that Jason Bateman does have what it takes to captivate as a lead on the big screen, so long as he has a strange son figure by his side
None of the characters are perfect and the clothes are less than dazzling but the content and execution of “The Switch” is so honestly human that it manages to be subtly touching. Moreover, “The Switch” provides a new film perspective on love in New York City avoiding the overdone glitz and glamour of say “Sex and the City”.
But what is important to emphasize here is laughter. I didn’t expect to laugh as much as I did. Keep in mind there have been a number of comedic films that have attempted to touch on the subject of single women who choose to have and raise children on their own. I assumed films such as “The Back-Up Plan” and “Baby Mama” had completely covered the topic’s comedic angles, but l was wrong. This film is funny.
Still there were some scenes that could have been cut. The action could have moved at a quicker pace and it takes the first fifteen minutes of the film for the audience to connect with these imperfect characters.
However, “The Switch” is a very layered film; both human and well written while at the same time sharply funny. Moreover, this film is the much-anticipated proof that Jason Bateman does have what it takes to captivate as a lead on the big screen, so long as he has a strange son figure by his side
Ross (3284 KP) rated Awaken Online: Dominion in Books
Nov 29, 2019
Another excellent tale in the world of AO
This the 4th "full-length" (though the side quests aren't exactly novellas!) story in the LitRPG series starts of with Jason in his new incarnation as a "Keeper". He has a new set of tools, necromancy spells and abilities to get to grips with, and a new threat to overcome.
For once, the in-game story is split between characters, as we see Jason and Riley take on new training regimes (Jason has finally realised he can't always cower in the background letting his zombies and skeletons do all the work and he has to become better at combat himself), Frank goes on tour to secure the outlying towns of their growing empire, and the baddie Alex plots to get some revenge on Jason for publicly besting him. We also spend time in the real world as a senatorial hearing is opened to look into allegations that Awaken Online may not be safe for its users.
All of the characters develop notably in this book, none more than Jason who has to do some soul-searching, change his in-game role, and also make peace with what the game technology may be doing to his mind and body.
The story is strong, though with a smaller scale in its problem solving than before - the focus is more on Jason and Riley's personal challenges rather than larger quests. It is a little heavy on the admin at times but given how complicated games like this would be that adds to the immersive feel of the book.
The only main gripe for me is the use of the word "tendril" on almost every page, and the occasional use of "overtop" which very much jars when read.
Otherwise, another superb, gripping tome in this online fantasy world.
Next up is Frank's side-quest, hopefully before Christmas (I can't seem to keep up with Bagwell's output and am always at least 2 books behind!).
For once, the in-game story is split between characters, as we see Jason and Riley take on new training regimes (Jason has finally realised he can't always cower in the background letting his zombies and skeletons do all the work and he has to become better at combat himself), Frank goes on tour to secure the outlying towns of their growing empire, and the baddie Alex plots to get some revenge on Jason for publicly besting him. We also spend time in the real world as a senatorial hearing is opened to look into allegations that Awaken Online may not be safe for its users.
All of the characters develop notably in this book, none more than Jason who has to do some soul-searching, change his in-game role, and also make peace with what the game technology may be doing to his mind and body.
The story is strong, though with a smaller scale in its problem solving than before - the focus is more on Jason and Riley's personal challenges rather than larger quests. It is a little heavy on the admin at times but given how complicated games like this would be that adds to the immersive feel of the book.
The only main gripe for me is the use of the word "tendril" on almost every page, and the occasional use of "overtop" which very much jars when read.
Otherwise, another superb, gripping tome in this online fantasy world.
Next up is Frank's side-quest, hopefully before Christmas (I can't seem to keep up with Bagwell's output and am always at least 2 books behind!).
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2119 KP) rated The Lost World (Jurassic Park, #2) in Books
Dec 15, 2019
Scientific Theories Disguised as Fiction Make Desire to Read This Novel Extinct
This book picks up a few years after the original Jurassic Park disaster. It turns out that that the rumors of Ian Malcom’s death were greatly exaggerated, and he has recovered thanks to Sarah Harding. While none of the survivors of the Jurassic Park disaster have talked about what happened, there are rumors. And those rumors aren’t helped by the reappearance of weird creatures on the Costa Rica coast. In fact, wealthy scientist Richard Levine has come up with the theory that there is another island with dinosaurs on it, and he is obsessed with finding it. And it isn’t long before he, Ian, Sarah, and others are heading to the second island to study the dinosaurs, learn more about how they lived, and hopefully learn why they became extinct. Will the scientists be able to prove their theories? Or will some stowaways and other uninvited guests ruin their plans?
I listened to an abridgement of this book over 20 years ago, and I remember thinking this was a decent if unnecessary sequel. I decided it was time for a relisten and this time, a listen of the full book. Turns out, I enjoyed the abridgement better. There is too much time spent rediscovering that the dinosaurs are out there again and trying to locate them. Then, once we arrive, we get lectures, mostly from Malcom and Levine, about how dinosaurs lived and theories about why they became extinct. While there are some suspenseful scenes early on, it’s not until the final quarter that we get the scenes the movie has made famous. And those scenes? Nail bitters even if you know what is going to happen. The ending is much better than the movie’s ending as well, not that this is a high bar. Diehard fans will enjoy this one, but the casual fan has no reason to pick this book up.
I listened to an abridgement of this book over 20 years ago, and I remember thinking this was a decent if unnecessary sequel. I decided it was time for a relisten and this time, a listen of the full book. Turns out, I enjoyed the abridgement better. There is too much time spent rediscovering that the dinosaurs are out there again and trying to locate them. Then, once we arrive, we get lectures, mostly from Malcom and Levine, about how dinosaurs lived and theories about why they became extinct. While there are some suspenseful scenes early on, it’s not until the final quarter that we get the scenes the movie has made famous. And those scenes? Nail bitters even if you know what is going to happen. The ending is much better than the movie’s ending as well, not that this is a high bar. Diehard fans will enjoy this one, but the casual fan has no reason to pick this book up.
Dillon Jacoby-Rankin (202 KP) rated Dice Forge in Tabletop Games
Jan 18, 2020
Dice are customizable. (3 more)
Components are nice.
Game has short play time.
Everyone rolls on everyone's turn.
Results in little to no downtime.
Dice sides are hard to get off if the game is new. (1 more)
Almost no distinct difference between which die is for sun and which is for moon. Very hard to tell the color difference.
Most Interesting Dice Game I've Played
Players: 2-4
Ages: 8+
Time: 45 minutes
Dice: Guys they are customizable!!! Each side of the dice comes off! You can change them. It's so cool. As you play you have to strategize which die to put your new sides on. Which sides to buy with your gold, and think about what your chances are for rolling that side a lot to benefit you the most. I mean they are basically lego dice. It's amazing.
Componemts: The dice are solid but roll a little different than normal dice. You really have to give them a good roll. If you just lasily through them, sometimes they just end up on the same side it was already on because they are larger and heavier than normal smaller dice.
Play Time: 45 minutes is what it says on the box. If you are just playing the game, acurrate. But if you have to teach the game too. It takes longer. The longest part of teaching the game i found is the cards. The gameplay has a simple flow but the cards are all just symbols and I found I needed the reference guide in the rulebook closeby almost every time I play. The symbols just don't explain enough for each card.
Downtime between turns: There is little to none. On your turn, everyone rolls and then the active player may buy new dice sides or buy a card. The only waiting is for the active player to strategize in what they want to buy. But you can be thinking of that on their turns as well.
Ages: 8+
Time: 45 minutes
Dice: Guys they are customizable!!! Each side of the dice comes off! You can change them. It's so cool. As you play you have to strategize which die to put your new sides on. Which sides to buy with your gold, and think about what your chances are for rolling that side a lot to benefit you the most. I mean they are basically lego dice. It's amazing.
Componemts: The dice are solid but roll a little different than normal dice. You really have to give them a good roll. If you just lasily through them, sometimes they just end up on the same side it was already on because they are larger and heavier than normal smaller dice.
Play Time: 45 minutes is what it says on the box. If you are just playing the game, acurrate. But if you have to teach the game too. It takes longer. The longest part of teaching the game i found is the cards. The gameplay has a simple flow but the cards are all just symbols and I found I needed the reference guide in the rulebook closeby almost every time I play. The symbols just don't explain enough for each card.
Downtime between turns: There is little to none. On your turn, everyone rolls and then the active player may buy new dice sides or buy a card. The only waiting is for the active player to strategize in what they want to buy. But you can be thinking of that on their turns as well.
Night Reader Reviews (683 KP) rated Grandma's Garden in Books
Jan 9, 2020
Grandmas Garden by Sudeep Bhuller is a very cute book and I could see it being given as a gift to a grandma who likes reading to her grandchildren. The book states that it is a great visual treat for babies discovering shapes and colors. While it is very colorful the images have soft edges and the shapes are not very well defined.
In this book, children are walked through Grandmas Garden. The bright flowers and fruit trees are pointed out early on. Everything from cats and birds to tiny snails and millipedes are shown. Children also get to see ladybugs, bees, and even butterflies that may be harder to see up close in nature.
I really liked how bright and colorful the book is. It offers many opportunities for parents to have children point out what is being talked about on each page. Reading this book offers opportunities to find the cat or snail and count the ants or birds. Reading this right before taking a child out to plant a seed might be a fun activity. What I didnt like was that at times while reading it out loud it felt as if there should be rhymes when none were present. The flow of the book is disrupted if you try to read it as a story. If you read each page as an individual and not part of a whole it is not as bad.
For target readers for this book, the author was correct in saying that infants and toddlers will enjoy having this book read to them. I know my two years old seemed to enjoy it. I rate this book 3 out of 4. While the book is beautifully illustrated and walks children thought the things they may find in a garden, I can not give it a perfect score. The problem with how the book doesn't flow very well did cause it to lose points with me.
https://nightreaderreviews.blogspot.com/
https://www.austinmacauley.com/book/grandmas-garden
In this book, children are walked through Grandmas Garden. The bright flowers and fruit trees are pointed out early on. Everything from cats and birds to tiny snails and millipedes are shown. Children also get to see ladybugs, bees, and even butterflies that may be harder to see up close in nature.
I really liked how bright and colorful the book is. It offers many opportunities for parents to have children point out what is being talked about on each page. Reading this book offers opportunities to find the cat or snail and count the ants or birds. Reading this right before taking a child out to plant a seed might be a fun activity. What I didnt like was that at times while reading it out loud it felt as if there should be rhymes when none were present. The flow of the book is disrupted if you try to read it as a story. If you read each page as an individual and not part of a whole it is not as bad.
For target readers for this book, the author was correct in saying that infants and toddlers will enjoy having this book read to them. I know my two years old seemed to enjoy it. I rate this book 3 out of 4. While the book is beautifully illustrated and walks children thought the things they may find in a garden, I can not give it a perfect score. The problem with how the book doesn't flow very well did cause it to lose points with me.
https://nightreaderreviews.blogspot.com/
https://www.austinmacauley.com/book/grandmas-garden