Search Results

Title: Magnificent Mischief of Tad Lincoln Author: Raymond Arroyo Read by: Raymond Arroyo Audiobook Length: 28 min. Get the Audiobook here! Get your physical copy here! Spec Spot What's it about? Tad Lincoln was a fun-loving, compassionate little boy who had a field day growing up and running through the white house while his father was president. He loved playing with his brother, until his brother passed away which brought Tad and President Lincoln even closer through grief. Tad was also the first to, and the reason we do pardon a turkey for Thanksgiving even now. What's it about? This book exceeded all of my expectations! I thought I'd listen to a book about a little boy who played practical jokes in the White house. What I got the story of a little boy who learned about loss and grief too soon and a father son relationship that not only changed our very traditions for the entire country, but a relationship of love and admiration. Yes, Tad had a tendencies to drive the staff of the White House crazy and got away with things few of us parents would allow today, but I couldn't help but to find my own affection for him. And he made me laugh. I think the part that I found coolest was learning why we pardon a turkey for Thanksgiving, a tradition I always thought odd and never really understood. I also really liked the little interview at the end of the audiobook which continued to examine our history. This is going to be one of those books that you'll want to read around Thanksgiving every year. I rate this book a 6 out of 10 Turkeys But that's just what I thought. What did you think? Did you hate Tad? Or did you love him even though he would have been hard to deal with in person? Let us know in the comments.

I missed a lot of chapter kids books and middle school books when I was at the right age to read them. Why? Because I couldn't read until I was in fifth grade and, when I discovered a love for reading, I wasn't going to go backwards! I was going to read what my peers were reading. I couldn't be seen reading books everyone else read in third grade! By 7th grade, I was reading at a college level and asking my mom to provide me with adult books like Stephen King and Dean Koontz. For many years as an adult, I felt like I had to read a certain level of book. I lived in the realm of YA and adult books. It wasn't until I opened the store and realized that I had a very little knowledge and experience with middle school books and I was given ARC (Advanced Reader Copies) of middle school books that I realized what I was missing out on. Since then, I've enjoyed throwing away the age suggestions and reading anything I want, including books I didn't get to read when I was "that" age. With all of that being said, here is a list of Middle school books (some of them bleed into YA books, too but would totally be appropriate for middle school, too), listed in no particular order. I will also be including links to help you adopt any of the books that catch your attention and support us as well easily and stress free. Erika Lewis's Kelcie Murphy and the Academy of Unbreakable Arts is the first in the fantasy series which has some awesome Harry Potter vibes. It was an ARC read for me, but I fell in love right away. This is the story of orphan Kelcie Murphy who finds herself in magical world she didn't even know existed. After trying out to be admitted into the magical school, she begins to learn more about herself, her parents and friendship as she fights bad. I adore Kelcie and so many of the people in her world. I will always be happy to recommend Kelcie Murphy and her school of Unbreakable Arts. This is one of those that I would say, you don't have to be in middle school to love . I'm proof of that. The school for Good and Evil Series by Soman Chainani was given to me as a gift from my husband. I was a little sceptical but, I ended up loving it and devouring the series as quickly as I could. This is the story of two unlikely best friends who are very different from each other who find themselves in a magical world (yes. I, too see the theme here) in which there is a school for good and evil that trains and educates the fairy tale characters we know and love...and some we don't know so well. Of course, things don't go quite as planned and evil raises it's ugly head to be fought by not just the good, but children from both good and evil sides of the school. These books are longer than most (or all) then the rest of the recommended books on this list but it is so worth it. And, as an adult, I couldn't help but laugh over the idea of what makes an evil student. I'm not sure I would consider it evil, per say, but it isn't exactly nice, either. Plus, I totally love how one of the themes of the series is that nothing/nobody is either all good or all evil. I'm sure you've heard of Greg Heffley and Jeff Kinney's Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. To be honest, I didn't include this because it was a book that I loved, but, rather because my son loved these books. He wasn't much of a reader at all, and still isn't, really, but he did like these. I began the series with him and wasn't in love with all the kids because, well, many of the characters are kind of jerks but I know that my son loved the books. He also saw that Greg isn't exactly the good guy in the books, but it got him reading. And I know he's not the only middle school boy who found enjoyment in reading through these books so I felt like I should mention it in this list. Remember how I said I've found my way back to this age group? Well this series, Seriously Wicked by Tina Connolly, was gifted to me from my husband, too. It's also one of those series that has suggested ages from 13-18 according to google but would be fine for audiences a little younger. Honestly, this series feels like a T.V movie rom-com and I'm kind of there for it. This series is about Cam who just happens to be the daughter of a wicked witch. And no, that's not a metaphor. She really is a wicked witch. And Cam isn't. She's just an almost normal girl trying to navigate school, life, friends, crushes and keeping the truth about her mother and home life a secret. They even have a pet dragon! I mean, really?! How can you not check this giggle worthy book out? It's got love, complicated relationships, magic, humor, everything! You're welcome. I'll be honest, when I was thinking up this list, I was thinking the novel Anne of Green Gables by L.M Montgomery. I fell in love with the movies in 6th grade when my English teachers showed it to us. I didn't read the books until a few years latter, but by then, I had already put Anne at the top of my favorite fictional character list (she's still pretty high up there). But, as I was collecting information, links and images to use, I saw the graphic novel and knew that's the one I should go with. A few years ago, I handed my middlest kiddo my phone, opened the reading app and told her she needed to read this graphic novel. Reading is hard for her, so she tends to lean towards graphic novels anyway. I'd tell her she needed to read so many pages or so many minutes a day and she would ask if she could keep my phone longer to read more. Of course I happily said "sure!". She fell in love with Anne, too, and to this day, I think the graphic novel is her favorite version of Anne and her story. My first introduction to Mary and all of her mischievous ways was through the movie when I was a kid. I watched it over and over. I did, at some point, read the book, though I can't tell you when other then I was still in school at the time. I was so excited when I saw that it was on the reading list for middle child a few years ago and happily offered to read it with her. I'm going to be honest about Frances Hodgson Bennett's The Secret Garden and admit that not all of it aged well. There are some scenes and lines that make me feel a gross and they are pretty much all centered around Mary's view of the people who worked for her family in India. My daughter and I had some talks about that for sure as we read the book and talked about it. The story, however, I can't help but love. I debated weather or not I should include The Giver by Lois Lowry on this list. I didn't debate because I don't think it deserves to be mentioned, but becuase of the content. I love the book, but I didn't really understand it when I was in middle school and didn't really fall in love with it until I had to read it in college. My concern comes with content. This is one of those books I'd suggest parents to look into before handing them to your preteen and young teens and think about weather or not their kiddos are mature enough for some of the scenes. I know, for one, my teen isn't at a point to read this book yet, so I get if you don't think yours is ready, either. But those are just some of my favorites, what are some of yours? Did I leave any out that I really need to add to the next one or that I need to read? Let us know in the comments.

Title: Listen for the Lie Author: Amy Tintera Read by: January LaVoy and Will Damron Audiobook Length: 9hr. 17 min. Get the Audiobook here! Get your physical copy here! Spec Spot What's it about? Lucy Chase is content surrounding herself with people who prefer to talk about themselves rather then others. This way, she's less likely to have to talk about the worst night of her life, the night her best friend was murdered and everyone in her small hometown thought she did it, even the people closest to her. So when she is tricked into going back home for her grandmother's birthday at the same time that a popular podcast starts to investigate the murder she was accused of, she's not thrilled. But she has no memory of what happened that night and how she ended up on the side of the road the next morning with her best friend's blood all over her and it doesn't matter how many times people ask, she can't summon the memory to give any answers, not even the podcast host digging around her town in search of answers. And while she doesn't love the idea, he might just be her last chance to finding out what really happened that night. Favorites: Favorite Character: Lucy's grandmother. I mean, yea, she was manipulative at times and I didn't love that, but I loved how fiercely she was willing to fight for those she loved, and she did fight fiercely even if not obviously. Her grandmother was sassy and smart and loving while being funny and interesting. Least Favorite Character: Matt, Lucy's ex and her current boyfriend both. They were both just inconsiderate, selfish jerks. Especially Matt. I just wanted to hit them both! Ugh! Favorite Part: I think her grandmother's birthday party, though there were many times when her grandmother was involved that I really enjoyed. The birthday party, though was filled with so much drama and I couldn't help but to think that her grandmother enjoyed every second of it. Least Favorite Part: The beginning. This time less because it's slow and just not as interesting as delving into the who-done-it and more becuase I didn't like Lucy at the beginning. I was not only not impressed but annoyed and already losing respect for her with her choice of current partner and I hated the way she handled the relationship as a whole. And, in general, my first impression of her was not great. Other Thoughts: One of the first things that I really liked was that in the audiobook, Lucy tells the story from her side but she also listens to the podcast as it's posted. At the points when she listens to the podcast, not only is it scripted like the podcast, complete with introductions and all, but they also have theme music for the introduction, too. It's a little thing, but I appreciated it. I also really appreciated that at some point or another, everyone thought that Lucy had been the murderer, even her (with one exception). And, even though she didn't know if she was to blame or not, she still sought out answers and was willing to accept it if it had been her. While, generally speaking, that's what we would want from a good and likeable main character, it would be an easy choice for the author to make to have her seek out answers in order to prove she didn't do it and manipulate the situations and clues to point away from her in an attempt to protect herself but she didn't. She took it as it came and did with it what she could to find the truth, even if it would hurt her. I would have liked to know more about what happened after they got their answers. I felt like there were a lot of people I would have liked to know what happened to them and who, if anyone, they ended up with. I would have loved to have seen some of the characters confronted and called out on their crap. And, I'd even read another book where Ben Owens checks out another case. Over all, I really liked the book and found myself not wanting to stop listening even when I had to. There wasn't a lot of gore so it's probably closer to a cozy mystery (and I liked it! Surprised?) but there are some triggers such as portrayals and talk of abuse, so you might want to keep that in mind. But I'd totally recommend this book to someone looking for a lore gore mystery told by an unreliable narrator and the twists and turns come more from the revealing of the character's actual selves and secrets then from actions people take. I rate this book a 6 out of 10 microphones But that's just me. Have you read this book? Did you love it or hate it? Did you hate the grandmother and favor someone else? Let us know in the comments.

One of the perks of my job is getting to experience ARCs (Advanced Reader Copy) and, sometimes I find books/authors that I never would have picked up on my own but I end up falling in love with them! I may have made a friend or two because of said ARCs. I also get to experience books and authors that aren't talked about enough. So, I decided to give you the gift of sifting through all of those books and authors, all of those ARCs, the good and the bad (well that I've read in my life thus far) and let you know which female authors you may not have heard of, but I love to recommend, women authors I don't hear talked about nearly enough and women authors I kind of feel like everyone needs to check out. I'm not listing these in any particular order. I'll also include links to help you adopt your own copies and support us all at the same time. S.G.D Singh. Ever heard of her? Well, if you know me I'm guessing you have. One of the first ARC books I ever got was Exiled to Freedom and she broke me. I was touched and effected in ways that I never expected when I opened it. I had to reach out to her! When I did, I learned that this book is actually a departure from her typical work, Urban Fantasy. I had to read all of her books and now, a few years later, I have...at least once. And, while I loved Exiled to Freedom, she wrote a series that quickly became one of my series, the Infernal Guard series. I will always recommend her and her work. Plus, I'm in love with her book covers! Kelsey Ketch is another author I was lucky enough to receive early on. Dark Reflections blew my mind. I was instantly drawn to an idea I'd never heard of before, a girl possessed by a vampire. I fell in love. Since then, I've eagerly read a few more of her books. I have yet to find one she's written that I didn't enjoy. In fact, Bly actually inspired me to seek out The Turn of the Screw by Henry James which inspired Ms. Ketch's Bly. I'm excited to continue chipping away until I have all of the her books. Big Boned by Jo Watson was one of the first ARC books I got that I didn't ask for. I remember opening it up, reading synopsis and being really excited because everything about it screamed me. Then, when I read it, I literally cried because I had never felt so seen in such vulnerable ways as I did in this book. I even reached out to Ms. Jo Watson. She said that this, too was different then what she usually writes, as she usually does Rom-Coms which I adore! Now, in all honesty, I have yet to have the privilege of reading any of her other books, but they are all on my wishlist! They look amazing and from what I've seen of Ms. Watson, I can't imagine them being anything sort of awesome. I love her style and her honestly so much! Erika Lewis's Kelcie Murphy and the Academy of the Unbreakable Arts is the first in a series (the second one is already out and the third should be within the year, as I understand it). This MIddle School series gives a very Harry Potterish feel with more girl power and representation. I adore Kelcie and her friends! Erika Lewis doesn't have a long list of book yet, but she's working on it! I, too am working on working my way through her works, having read both Unbreakable Arts book and eagerly anticipating the third and my next audio book is planned to be The Color of Dragons which she also work on with R.A Salvatore which sounds insanely good with magic and Merlin and all! Update: Just finished The color of Dragons and really enjoyed it! It was meant to be a stand alone, but I kind of wish it doesn't stay that way! Tsara Shelton was my first "Author friend". I met her before I even had my bookstore online. I had a social media account dedicated to my family's experience with Autism and she followed said account. At some point, she shared with me that she had written a book. As I read her book written with humor and honesty, filled with stories of her life and having loved ones with Autism, I felt like the entire book was a message to me, "You're not alone. See? Someone else out there loves coffee and struggles with being a special needs mom and is quirky and imperfect, too! Just breath! You're not the only one." Spinning in Circles and Learning from Myself is just a taste of what you get from her blogs and social media accounts and, I'm so there for it! But that's just what I think. Have you read any of these authors? Who are you excited to read first? Let us know in the comments!

Title: Hunt on Dark Waters Author: Katee Roberts Read by: Simone Lewis and Will Watt Audiobook Length: 9hr. 32 min. Get the Audiobook here! Get your physical copy here! Spec Spot What's it about? When Evelyn finds herself sad drunk at her lover's house, a lover who just happens to be a vampire, and said girlfriend tells her to leave before her mother catches Evelyn, Evelyn doesn't do so happily. In fact, she's so not happy about it that she steals some treasure and manages to go through a mirror that just happens to be a portal to another realm. Unfortunately, it's a realm connected to all realms, and one that isn't as excepting of witches as Evelyn's own. Even worse, she's found by band of protectors, sworn to eliminate all monsters in their realm and the ship's telekinetic captain, hot as he is, isn't so sure that Evelyn isn't one of said monsters. When given the option, Evelyn agrees to join the crew rather than die, but none of them expected that choice to lead to the adventure that lay in front of them now. Favorites: Favorites Character: I'm going to have to go with Bowen. I liked Evelyn a lot. I really liked her sassy, strong attitude, but there was just something about Bowen that I really, really liked. And now, it's not just his magic or that he's hot. There's just something about him that had me looking forward to his chapters. Least Favorites Character: I can't remember his name, but the other ship's captain. There were some of Bowen's team that I wasn't a fan of and I thought might be my least favorite, but ultimately, it's the captain of the other ship. I feel like he was the epitome of toxic masculinity. Strong, unwilling to back down from a fight, won't listen to others and overly connected to his "power", unaccepting of anyone else's ideas or questions. He's right, everyone else is wrong. His way is the only way and if you don't agree, well you will be punished. Favorites Part: There's a part toward the end in which two characters (one of our main characters and another character) find themselves in an altercation and the other of our main characters is not able to be a part of it, though they see it. I'm not entirely sure why, but I found that part really amusing. Least Favorites Part: The beginning. Not becuase there was anything wrong with it, I enjoyed it. It even made me laugh some. It's just that I really liked the parts in the other realm a lot. Other Thoughts: As soon as I saw that this was written by Katee Robert, I knew I had to read this book. I've really enjoyed the Dark Olympus books I've read so far so I suspected that I'd enjoy this one, too. I have to be honest, it had a very different feel then Dark Olympus. So much so, that at times I forgot that the same author wrote both. But, in truth, that just made me like her more! I really enjoyed both universes she's created so far. I love how she handles mythology in a way that's hot, fun, and feels like something new even when it's not exactly something new. I'd love to see more of this world. Now, this is the first in a series and the second book in the series will not be about Evelyn and Bowen (which kind of makes me sad because I like them) but will be about one other character we've already met in this book. I feel like reading that will take me a little outside of my comfort zone and, again, I'm not saying that's a bad thing. WIth all of that said, there are some parts of the story that I wish we could have learned more about then we did, and I'm hoping that in the next books, we'll get to learn more about them. The first one is Lizzie. In a connected thought, I'd like to know more about the different kinds of vampires and how all of that works. I'd also like to learn more about the different realms and how all of that works. I feel like these topics were skimmed over as just normal parts of their universe but they aren't normal in my universe and I'm curious. I love seeing how different legends come to life in different people's stories and heads. All and all, I really enjoyed this book and I very much look forward to reading more from her, especially more in the two universes that I've already seen from her. I rate this book a 7 out of 10 mermaids But that's just what I think. What did you think? Did you love Bowen or did you hate him? Did the relationships end the way you hoped they would? Are you excited to see what's next for this universe? Let us know in the comments.

I don't remember a time when I didn't have access to books, and I mean a lot of books. My mother was a reader and ensured that I had a book case filled with books. I have a lot of memories of reading and being read to as a child so, of course, I made it a point to ensure that my kids had overflowing bookshelves of books, too. Some of them were books I kept from when I was a kid and some were ones that were discovered by or for them. To this day, these books still hold a special place in my heart and will always make me smile. So, for all of you looking for some awesome picture books for the amazing kiddos in your life, here are some of my family's favorite reads; reads that we've read again and again. And, please, let me know if you want more lists like these. Please note that these are in no particular order and these are just some books that my family fell in love. They won't be for everyone and that's okay, too. The Berenstain Bears and the Messy Room by Stan and Jan Berenstain. When I was a kid, I loved all things Berenstain Bears. I had the whole collection (well what was released at that point) and I even continued to get them after I was way too old for them. This was the first book that I met the Berenstain Bear family and, if I'm being honest, I'm pretty sure my mom got this book for me for a reason. But as an adult, I have to say, that I really appreciate the discussion of organization and letting go of broken and out grown. And the pictures are fun, too. Little Quack's Opposites by Lauren Thompson...my daughter loved this book to epicly legendary proportions. My husband and I literally had the book memorized and I had only gotten it becuase I thought the ducks were cute and opposites are good to learn. No joking, the book is falling apart, pages pulling away from the spine from all of it the love it was given and it's sitting on my 14 year old's books shelf because she just can't bear to let her beloved book go. We still talk about her love for this book. And, I mean, their names are Little Quack and Puddle. Could it be any cuter?! Hello Ninja by N.D was added to our family library when my youngest was itty bitty, mostly because my husband called my daughter Baby Ninja even before we knew her gender, so we got excited about all baby things ninja. Thankfully, it was a hit and not only did my husband love the book, but so did my daughter. Even I thought it was really cute. And it might be the reason one of my daughter's first words she was able to recognize the work Ninja. It was the perfect simple, fun bedtime stories for quite some time. And Tango makes Three by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson is a new favorite in or house and I'm not the least bit sad about it. This is the true story of two penguins who fall in love and are gifted the ability to be fathers in a slighting unconventional way. This book was added to our family library for Christmas and as soon as I read it, I was ashamed for not experiencing this book sooner. It's cute, sweet and pulls at our heart strings everytime we read it. And we read it a lot. It's absolutely our go to book for storytime in our house. Are you my Mother? by P.D Eastman was a favorite of mine when I was little. My mom said I made her read it again and again and again. While I don't remember that, I do remember the pictures vividly well. Just seeing the pictures brings on a feeling of comfort and nostalgia. As a parent, I enjoyed listening to my kiddos giggle as the little bird ran around asking anything and everything if if/they were his mother. The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle is a classic. While I didn't find a connection with it when I was a kid, it was the first book that my youngest fell in love with. It was the first book that she asked for and requested on her own. To this day, she still loves the caterpillar and she loves to read it with us as he eats through all of his treats. Of course, she has also fallen in love with Sleep Tight Very Hungry Caterpillar, so I can't promise it's the Very Hungry Caterpillar book or the character. Gamer Baby Role-Playing Games by Moloy Rossiter made me so happy when I learned it existed. As a woman in her 40s who is finally embracing and enjoying her nerdy side, I love that we're finding more and more ways to include and expose our kids to the things that we love and help to bring us happiness. I love that there is a world in which anything, even DnD can become a family thing and not just something on their shirt that they don't understand. I love that these kinds of things, the nerdy side in all of us is being celebrated and normalized. Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina was a beloved book in our house by all three of my kids (even my son who was never a huge book person to my great dismay). This is another one that my daughter made us read again and again. While my son just liked monkeys, my daughter thought it was hilarious how the monkeys responded to the peddler. She made us read this book at least one time a day for I don't know how long. It's one of the books that I will forever keep a copy of because of all of the memories we made reading this bone. Dinosaur Rap by John Foster is amazing! I adore Barefoot Books in all of its awesomeness! All their sing a longs are fun and amazing but Dinosaur rap is our favorite. It's a guided dance safe for a small space. It's my youngests favorite way to get her wiggles out and extra energy. It's a super fun and favorite brain brake from school. And it's dinosaurs so...what could be better than that? I mean, it's amazing! I'm convinced that every home of young kids should have it and every classroom needs it. Your Name is a Song by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow was one of the books my youngest read in Kindergarten and it was one of her favorites. I've always been a fan of unique and not super common names and I love how this book celebrates the power and the beauty in names, especially names that are a little different others in the class. Again, this is one that I think pretty much every classroom should have on their bookshelves. But that's just ten of our favorites (and we love so many books). Which have you read and loved? What did we leave out? Do you want to see more posts like this? Let us know in the comments.

Title: Belle Greene: A Novel of America's most famous librarian Author: Alexandra Lapierre Get the Audiobook here! Get your physical copy here! Spec Spot What's it about? Belle Greene is the novelisation of the story of Belle Greene, the woman who ran the Morgan Library in New York and become not just one of the most successful women of her time, but also the most famous librarian in America. Belle Green was born to a black activist father and a light skinned mother. Living in the early 1900's, identifying as black becuase she had black family, even if she didn't look the part, hindered her and her siblings from chasing their dreams as they imagined. So, after her father decided to leave the family, and the country, and the family matriarch passed, Belle and her family changed their last name, moved and began living as a white family. Belle, a bibliophile through and through, happily set on the path of working among the stacks and the shelves of a college library where she happily began making connections and relationships with some powerful individuals. Soon, she had bibliophiles across the world wrapped around her finger, men infatuated with her and a library that she ran and affectionately called her own. And, while her life was not perfect, she lived a life of adventure as she traveled across oceans, set eyes on some of the most amazing literary works and pushed the limits of what a woman could do while secretly laughing that not only was she a woman, she was a black woman turning the literary world upside down. My Thoughts... Usually, this is about the time where I share all of my favorites but,it didn't feel quit right to do it here. I think it's because the people and the events in the book are real. They aren't some made up characters, born from the mind of an author. I know that things didn't happen exactly as portrayed in the book (we can't know what everyone thought, felt or even said for every part of the book). I also don't want to judge real people too much from the way they are portrayed in one novel. So, instead, I thought I'd just share my thoughts and feelings...which are complicated. . I was disappointed first. I was frustrated and disappointed that one, I'd never heard of Belle Greene before in my life and two, America really sucks sometimes. I hate(d) the role women, black people and black women played in society. The idea that people, like Belle, had to live in fear of being found out and losing everything they worked for and earned just makes my stomach churn. Hearing her story, about what she did and the impact she had, it makes me sad for my younger self and for all of the other girls out there who never got to learn about this strong, determined woman who refused to conform into perfection to please those around her. I loved seeing this woman achieve the seemingly impossible. She's a woman that deserves the be seen, deserves to have legendary status. So why do we not talk about her more? The book isn't perfect and it does skip big gaps in time, but, even though it felt like it took forever for me to read it, (I just read this book slowly and because it took me longer then it usually does, it felt like loooong time), I really enjoyed it. It's made me want to seek out more information about Belle Greene and I'm now convinced that I need to visit the J.P Morgan library someday. I don't think I'll read it again, but I also don't think this is the last of Ms. Greene I'll see, either. Ratings: I give this book a 6 out of 10 precious books But that's just what I thought. What did you think? Has she become one of your heroes, too? Or did you think she wasn't all that special? Have you ever heard of her before? Let us know in the comments.

Title: So You Want to be a Game Master Author: Justin Alexander Read by: Shawn Compton Audiobook Length: 17 hours 42 minutes Get the Audiobook here! Get your physical copy here! Spec Spot Spec Spot I could theorize about why table top RPGs (Role Playing Games) are becoming more popular, but I'll just go with: All the cool kids are doing it now! So You Want to be a Game Master offers a course for those hoping to graduate from being a playable character in games such as Dungeons and Dragons (DnD), Pathfinder and other systems, and become the Game Master (don't forget to use the big booming voice for that title. You've earned it...or are about to). In this book, you'll explore how to be flexible (which you'll need to) how to navigate a world in which there are few rules, how to design campaigns and dungeons and how to run them with your favorite players. While this book primarily seems to lean toward DnD, the book helps game master of a number of table top RPG players become the game master they were destined to be. Other Thoughts First of all, I have to confess that I don't think I was the intended audience for this particular guide book. That's because I happily dived into this book after learning that I would have the opportunity to play DnD with my husband and some of his closest friends and as excited as I was, I knew very little about DnD and how to play it. When I realized (early on) that this book was not written to teach me how to play, but teach me how to be a game master, I decided to keep listening to the remaining 16+ hours because I was bound to learn something about how to actually play the game, right? Well, I did, I can't deny that but there was a lot of info that I didn't need to consume at that time that is now in my head...most of it hidden in file cabinets that I can't access, but it's there. So, please, keep this all in mind as I tell you my thoughts on this book. With that said, I learned a lot about how to play and what things could look like to our DM who is also learning how to be a DM (and he's doing really well, honestly) I even learned some tips that I never would have thought of to use during play, and some suggestions for things that I wouldn't have done yet, but eventually would have learned to do, like gathering information and how to do so. I also found myself really over whelmed by the assumption that I knew the rules and how to play a game I most certainly didn't and with all of the information I didn't need. (While I love storytelling and thought I'd jump to game master soon, I'm terrified of it now) and, probably because I didn't need to know how to run the game rather, how to play the game, there were times when I just felt like the book went on and on and was never ending. But...in the end, I knew I had come out of it with more then I went in and I came to a few tips I knew I wanted to share with you guys. If you are using this for actually running your own game, skip the audiobook and grab the physical copy. This is for a few reasons, but for the purpose of point number one,I'm sticking with the fact that the print and digital copies have visual aids and maps that can be used to actually run your campaigns. They even offer a campaign that you can play or build from. The audiobook just talks about it and refers you to pages you can't actually see...becuase you're listening to the audiobook. Don't feel obligated to read the entire book as a whole. You may very well not need all of this information at first. That's not saying that the information isn't valuable. It is! But, for instance, if you're new to being a Game Master and you're not creating your own maps because they came with the campaign you're running, you don't need to devour the sections that tell how to create (home brew) a map or dungeon. Consuming all 500+ pages can be very over whelming, why turn something that should be fun into something stressful. You can always come back to those sections when you're ready to use that information. I'm not a huge annotator, but this book made me question my ways (and that takes a lot), I'd recommend going into this one with the intention to either annotate or take notes, including ideas that are inspired while reading. Those may include to look further into a monster, or an idea you want to play with while creating a dungeon map or nonplayable character. You'll also want to keep track of terminology (especially if you're newer like me) and some of the general rules they use to help ensure that what needs to go a certain way does. Mark the pages that are currently relevant to you. For me, this usually means post-it notes and page markers (like the baby post-it notes shaped like arrows and such). That way, you can easily find the sections that you are using at that time and you can check the examples to help guide you as you work, or confirm that you are doing it the way it was suggested. I know that I love previously loved books, but this is one I'd suggest you hold on to, even after you've read it. I feel like this is one of those books that would be helpful in a number of situations and to go back to if you take a long break or find that you're just not feeling as satisfied with your work as a DM. That doesn't mean you're not a great DM, it might just mean you need to do some tweaking. Go back to basics, if you will. Don't be afraid of the amount of information collected inside these pages. Especially if you follow some of my tips above. Trust me. You can do this. Take a deep breath. Have fun and take it piece by piece. I'm not sad that this was my first resource for learning DnD. While I agree, I should have started with the gamer guide. I did learn a lot and I've even considered getting a physical copy for some people in my life who have talked about wanting to try their hand at Dming. I may also get a physical copy when I decide to throw my hat in the ring and DM. I just know I'm not there yet. I rate this book a 6 out of 10 D20s But that's just what I thought. What did you think? Did this answer all of the questions you were dying to know, or did it fall short? Did it make you want to rethink being a DM, or confirm that that's exactly the path for you? Let us know in the comments.

We are lucky to live in a society in which most of us have access to libraries, little free libraries or bookstores. We have the option to read audiobooks, e-books or physical books. And, as an avid bookworm (and bookdragon becuase why be just one when you can be both), I could not be happier about that. But, as a mother, a reader and a bookseller, I also see that we still have areas that we need to do better. Creating stories to be loved by others or that share knowledge about something we are passionate about is a dream for many and, it can often feel like we have an over abundance of authors ready to provide us with information and stories. But what if I said that wasn't exactly the case? According to wordsrated.com, in the years of 2015-2019, only 1-2% of writers succeed in getting their works published. Is that lower then you expected? Yea, me, too. And, even though, the percentage of white authors have lowered to 7.48% sine 2010, and the number of African American or Black authors has risen by 0.87% (wordsrated.com), these authors only represent 5.93% of authors. When you look at these numbers, it's no wonder many of us need to actively seek out black and African American authors to read consciously. It's no wonder that many of our family libraries are dominated by white authors, after all, white authors seem to dominate the author's club. So, you may be asking me, why is this an everyone problem and not just a "them" problem? And, yes. It is a problem. Because, if you're like me, you never had to think about or search through the shelves seeking out books that represented you or helped you feel seen. People like me (and I'm guilty of this, too) tend to grow up taking it for granted that we will see ourselves in the books we read and in the authors we love. We become so used to it, in fact, that we don't realize the power that we find in that and we tend to become blind to the fact that not everyone has that luxury. At the risk of stating the obvious, everyone deserves to feel seen and heard. Everyone deserves to have a voice and dream. What we can't forget is that, for many of us, those things are sparked through stories like the books we read and hear even before we are able to read ourselves, and those stories are more important then we cold ever imagine as a child. By seeing ourselves represented in the stories we experience, or self-image, sense of belonging and cultural awareness are all directly impacted. We tend to seek out stories that can see ourselves in, sparking imagination, our self identity and inspiring us to dream big and work hard, because it's possible to achieve our goals, just like those in our favorite stories. By experiencing stories told by members of our own community, we reserve the opportunity to explore our own cultures and people while furthering the values, beliefs, challenges and successes of those who came before us and those who living today. We are taught what is expected of us, what is possible, what can only be dreamed according to society. We derive strength and hope from others whom we relate to. In cultures that are rich with tradition, this becomes incredibly important, as those stories help to pass along the tradition of one generation to another. For example, the African American and Black communities have a strong history of oral traditions, created as a means of preserving their cultures, historis, struggles and lives even when they were refused the basic rights to learn to read and white. By passing stories down through word of mouth, they could share, teach, relay and even keep alive the culture, history, experiences, values, lessons and heroes who were not just important but essential and beloved by those who had the honor or hearing and telling them. The importance combined with the deeply-rooted rhythmic patterns, poetic elements, call and response style come together to form immersive and engaging experiences that can not just teach the next generation but also open important conversations. These narratives woven together by members of the community the story is about, provides an authentic patchwork of experiences and realities faced by the members of the community, giving a voice to it's members and preserving cultural heritages that prove essential to life lived at that time in history. Our modern works are no exception to the rule, often infused with the beaty of oral storytelling while providing an account of society of today and how the culture and the author fit into that society. Combining all of these factors together allow black and African American readers to see themselves in stories of success, celebrate history told not just by one side of the events, but multiple sides. These works create a form of call and response even today and allow the black community to not just see themselves but give them a voice in a world that doesn't always like to listen. They allow a community to see themselves in many facets of life and leaving their mark on the world. And we need that. We need people to stand up and leave their mark to make the world better. It even helps readers engage and become invested in the stories and, maybe, with more inclusion, we'll see an increase of readers. Now, hold on. Sure, we don't all identify as part of the same community. My kids are white. Not all classrooms are majority filled with those who identify as black or African American. These books, these stories are still incredibly important. One more time for those in the back. THESE STORIES TOLD BY MEMBERS OF THE BLACK COMMUNITY ARE IMMENSELY IMPORTANT TO US ALL. When we read stories told by members of other cultures, we not only have the opportunity to learn about that culture in very subtle ways and very big ways, we increase our cultural understanding. We become more informed about other people. We have the opportunity to hear the stories of others and learn form them, forming a better understanding of their experiences through authentic sources. They give us the chance to become more cultural aware as well as an opportunity to open conversation, ask questions and better diversify our own communities. The power of seeing ourselves in our stories not only validates our experiences and gives us a platform to better understand those around us no matter what we look like. Not only does it provide so many healthy and important benefits to those within the same communities, it allows those who are not to learn and grow as a person. And that's why we need more. Why we rave about black and African American authors during the month of February and why we get excited when new or more black or African American authors make their way into the spotlight. They have the power to change the world in ways we can only imagine and that's pretty amazing if you ask me. Share the love. Who are some of your favorite black or African American authors? What genres and age groups do they write for? Tell us in the comments. Websites we used stats from: dopeblack.org wordsrated.com

Title: The Woman in Me Author: Britany Spears Read by: Michelle Williams Audiobook Length: 5 hours 31 minutes Get the Audiobook here! Get your physical copy here! Spec Spot: What's it About? Britany Spears came out of the womb starving for attention. In time, she found that that starvation could be a good thing, for it guided her and fueled her love for the very career she would fall in love with. But the road to becoming woman she is today wasn't easy. It was filled with mixed messages, lies, mistreatment and sorrow, but somehow, she had to make it through. Other Thoughts: I have to be honest, I was kind of disappointed with this read. I jumped on the chance to experience the audiobook mostly for the narrator but I was curious to see more into Britany's life, the good, the bad, the ups and downs. I was curious about her process. Instead, I got what felt more like a response to the media than a well rounded image of her life. I felt like she focused on defending herself from rumours, speculation and accusations that had floated around in the public, then just sharing her story. I suspect that maybe some of that was due to the fact that she desperately wants to be seen as a whole person, not a Barbie doll or the possession of the public but in the process, there seems to be a lot of emphasis on the negative and most difficult parts of her life and very little on the good. I would have like to see more about her first day on the Mickey Mouse Club set, her favorite skits or performances there and how that effected her later career. How did she get from that to the teen idol? How did she make her first CD? What did she write, what didn't she, how were those songs chosen for the CD, how much say did she have? How personal were those pieces to her? What were some funny moments amongst the stars? What it was like preforming at her first award show or being recognized at award shows. But, in stead there was a lot of "This person treated me wrong, this person broke my heart and I suffered this loss". Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that this should have been pulled out of the book, but why not both? I also realize that my opinion may have been effected by the fact that I was never a huge Brittany fan. Granted, I did get her first CD and I knew all the words of Baby one more time, and my best friend in highschool and I used to drive around blaring her second CD but I didn't really follow her closely. I did, however, appreciate hearing her side of what was happening and I respect her for being vulnerable in the telling of said experiences. I know that couldn't have been easy, especially knowing how much crap she had gotten for years. I don't regret reading this book, I just was hoping for a little more and couldn't help but be a little disappointed. All in all, if you like Brittany Spears or you want to read about somebody who's been through a lot but still made it through, you might want to check this one out. What I rate it: I give this book a 5 out of 10 concert tickets But that's just me. What did you think? Did you love it? Did you get exactly what you wanted? Or were you hoping for something more? Let us know in the comments.

Last year (2023) I started tracking my reading even more than I ever had before and I found that I really liked it. I started posting at the end of the month what books I read on a fun tracking sheet (I made my own set this year that you can find here https://www.storybookem.com/post/reading-wrap-up-templates ) and I started recording my reads on a coloring page that I printed off from online. I had no plans for what I was going to do with the print out after the year. I didn't even have much faith that I would keep up on it through the whole year but, believe it or not, I did...mostly. (I seem to have accidently skipped a few books when coloring in the page but most of them are there). My favorite part was that I even found something fun to do with it. I put it in a frame and hung it on the wall of my library. I plan to switch it out each year with the sheet from last year. So, this year, I decided to make my own to use! I wanted one that had at least 100 books on it (I came in at 112) and had decoration on the shelves. While I really wanted more colorable items on the shelves, I was pretty happy with what I got. I'm also pretty happy that the book spines are bigger on mine, so I can write the titles on easier. Let's face it, my 2023 reads are kind of hard to read. So, I thought I'd share it for all of you! Feel free to print it to use for your own reading. This log was designed to fit on a 8x10 piece of paper. Don't worry about filling in every book spine. It just means your shelves have some room for new experiences in the year 2025! Happy reading everyone! Let me know how you like your printed copy! Do you love it? Do you wish it were smaller? Let us know in the comments!

Title: Immortal Longings Author: Chloe Gong Get the Audiobook here! Get your physical copy here! Spec Spot What's it about? Princess Calla is in hiding from everyone, even the family that's still alive, living in a lower income apartment complex and keeping her head down in hopes no one will realize she's the murderous princess who's supposed to be dead. Anton is doing whatever he can to survive after being kicked out of the life of luxury he once had. Now most of his money goes to hospital bills to keep his teenage sweetheart alive even when no one, not even her own family is willing to fight for her. Prince August is privileged and he knows it. While he likes what he's got, he's not exactly thrilled with his current situation. But, as different as they seem, they all have a few things in common. They all have the ability to "jump" or jump out of one body into another using their qi. They all want to win the deadly game that takes place once a year in which 88 players fight til the death until only one is left standing. None of them are happy with the way the King is ruling the land and would love to see him dethroned. They can't achieve their goals alone. They say only one can survive. Which one will it be in the end? Favorites: Favorites character: I really liked Calla. She's not just a strong, kick butt woman, but she's is willing to do what she thinks needs to be done, is determined and has some morals in a world where morals seem to be optional. I can't help but to respect that. But I also like August. Sure he was cocky, entitled and arrogant but he had a charm and he was trying to do what he thought was right by using what he had. While I don't always agree with the choices he made or the way he went about doing getting what he wanted, I couldn't help but to like my time with him. Least Favorites character:The king. This may sound weird but, give me a chance. I could hate him becuase of the way he treats his people and, I must admit, that does play a part in why I dislike him. But I really got a sour taste in my mouth when we met him and he was being announced into the room with drums. He was in his own palace, going to talk to his adopted son and he had drummers follow around with him to play announce his presence as if he was some great deity or saint while all the time he did the bare minimum he needed to for those he was supposed to rule and did as much as he could to ensure a nice, cushy luxurious lifestyle for him. Yea. Not much of a fan. Favorites Part: The end because, while it annoyed me because it just ended and I will have to wait for the second book to come out, it did confirm some of my suspicions which made me feel smart for figuring it out. Other Thoughts? I got to see the author speak about this book and diversity within genres and subgenres at an online conference and I fell in love with the very idea of this book as she presented it. I knew I had to read it. I'm kind of glad that I didn't get it that day and had to wait some before I could get my own copy because if I hadn't, I'd have to wait even longer before the second book comes out and the time I have to wait now already feels like way too much time. I loved that the mythology and inspiration for the culture and society in this story comes from Chinese mythology. I can't put into words how much I am enjoying seeing not just Greek mythology but other culture's mythologies getting a new life and new stories! While this one is dark (as mythology tends to be), it was absolutely hard to put down. I do have to admit, I did find the idea of qis jumping bodies at will kind of creepy. I couldn't help but to feel for the bodies that were jumped in and out of if they had a qi already inside. Not because the other qi dies, but becuase of the confusion those poor people must experience when they get their body back, plus how violated would you feel? Thinking about it just makes me feel kind of creeped out. I don't often think of myself as a control freak, but in situations like this, I start to wonder if maybe I am. I loved the way this story played out. I liked how the romance was there, but not at the forefront, and that each character was flawed but loveable. You kind of felt for all of them, even if you don't agree with their choices or how they survived. So, I'll be eagerly awaiting the next in the series and happily re-read the first book before the second when the time comes out. I really enjoyed this book and recommend it to all dystopian fans. Ratings: I give this book a 7 out of 10 royal crowns But that's just what I thought. What did you think? Did you hate it? Do you wish you cold jump? Who did you want to win? Tell us in the comments.