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AT (1676 KP) rated Cat Tale: The Wild, Weird Battle to Save the Florida Panther in Books

Feb 15, 2020

Cat Tale: The Wild, Weird Battle to Save the Florida Panther

Craig Pittman | 2020 | History & Politics, Natural World, Science & Mathematics

9.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

I ran across Cat Tale on the New Books shelf at my library. I had no real interest in the subject prior to seeing the cute picture on the cover, along with the bright color scheme. I was also drawn to the word, "Weird," in the title. I flipped the book over, and read the praised reviews on the back, so I decided to give the book a try. I'm so glad that I did! Number one, I live in Florida, but am a transplant from the north. So I see a lot of names on counties, streets, schools, etc., and know them from that, but not from what any of the people or places were involved with in their day. So I did get a little basic name history while reading, which was an added bonus.

The book, itself, reads like a fiction novel. Plus, it's pretty funny throughout, which made it that much more enjoyable! I kept looking names and events up to make sure that they were real when the book seemed too fictional. (They were real.) It's amazing how messed up the whole process got while trying to save the species, and how such a small number of people can end up being so detrimental to any project. There were some unforgettable characters (again, real people!) that assisted Florida during this process. I quickly was drawn to the story and information. To me, it ended up being wildly interesting. Without ruining the details for you, I realize that any non-fiction account needs to be taken with an open mind and a grain of salt at times. However, everything that I questioned was information that could be found easily. I wish more non-fiction books were written for smooth reading like Cat Tale was. Craig Pittman took a potentially dry, possibly boring subject, and made it very engaging all the way through. It's definitely worth reading, if you're even the least bit curious. (Or, if you simply like the cover picture and color scheme!)

Kudos

Merissa (13956 KP) rated Cruising in Books

Jan 30, 2018

Cruising

Cate Ashwood | 2017 | Romance

8.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

Cruising by Cate Ashwood

Cruising is a short book, told from dual perspectives, about best friends who are both in love with each, but completely unaware of the other one's feelings. As it is told by both Jake and Dylan, you get the whole picture about why neither of them had made a move before, whilst hoping that they make a move sooner rather than later. Both characters are well rounded, having their own foibles which just makes their cuteness even higher!

This is only a short story, but it is complete in its build up, cruise, and hopefully HEA. The writing was smooth, the pacing perfect, and there were no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading. I thoroughly enjoyed this story, and have no hesitation in recommending it.

* 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!

Kudos

Kyera (8 KP) rated Sorry Not Sorry: Dreams, Mistakes, and Growing Up in Books

Feb 1, 2018

Sorry, Not Sorry is Naya Rivera's ode to her life. It follows her path from childhood stardom (sort-of) to motherhood with all the trials, tribulations, successes, heartbreak and awkwardness in-between. Her honesty in the book is refreshing and makes me admire her more. She's not perfect and no one is, but she has gone through the good and the bad in her life and come out the other side a stronger person. Naya has very relatable stories and advice for any reader. Her story with Ryan is real and makes you root for them, even if they didn't have a picture perfect start. In her book, she says she set out to write something that was real and I feel that she hit the mark beautifully. She is honest, relatable and inspiring. This is one of the "celebrity" books that I enjoyed reading the most, and would recommend it. It's a quick read, so what are you waiting for?

Kudos

Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2538 KP) rated The Caboose Who Got Loose in Books

Oct 16, 2019

Dream but Enjoy the Present

Katy is a caboose, but she doesn’t like traveling at all. She longs for peace and quiet and a stationary life. Then she is presented with the joys of her current life. Will she realize her dream? Will she enjoy life until then?

I hadn’t read this picture book for years until I picked it up recently, and I was immediately struck by the moral of the story. It’s complex, about enjoying your life while you dream of something else, so kids might not fully grasp it, but that doesn’t make it any less good. Of course, kids are mostly going to be interested in the story and pictures. As with all Bill Peet’s books, the pictures are detailed and colorful. The story, told in rhyme, will keep kids’ attention as well although the vocabulary might be a bit too complex for those just learning to read to read on their own.