Review: The Girlfriends' Guide to Toddlers by Vicki Iovine

Sypnosis: Beyond child development theory and experts, beyond the "shoulds" and the "don'ts" that guilt-ridden parents constantly hear echoing in their ears, there's Vicki Iovine, America's favorite "girlfriend" and mother-in-the-trenches. In The Girlfriends' Guide to Toddlers, Iovine's third addition to her parenting panoply (The Girlfriends' Guide t ...more Beyond child development theory and experts, beyond the "shoulds" and the "don'ts" that guilt-ridden parents constantly hear echoing in their ears, there's Vicki Iovine, America's favorite "girlfriend" and mother-in-the-trenches. In The Girlfriends' Guide to Toddlers, Iovine's third addition to her parenting panoply (The Girlfriends' Guide to Pregnancy and The Girlfriends' Guide to Surviving the First Year of Motherhood) Iovine focuses, for the first time, more on the child than on the mother. (Toddlers always get all the attention, don't they?) Iovine is wise, and not just because she's read all the current parenting literature (she has) or heard it from her famous mythical "girlfriends." Iovine knows what she's talking about because she has four young children and she's been through it all. In her ongoing vision of parenting, humor and a network of friends play an important role, bribery has its place, discipline is sensible and loving, and advice is grounded in the practical rather than the theoretical. From "Eating (or Not)" to "Discipline" to "The Comfort Zone" (Binkies, Bankies, Loveys and Thumbs) to Potty Training ("What's the Big Rush?") to "Sleepy Time" to "Fashion" (yes, it's an issue for toddlers), Iovine continues her mission to inform the contemporary parent, to tell the truth, to boldly go where many child development experts have gone before, and to keep her readers laughing while she does it.


My Review: This book was a great book for anyone with toddlers. While some of it didn't apply to my toddler - mostly the section on food since she is a really great eater and loves trying new things.

I will be keeping this book and will probably refer to it as my toddler gets older and gets into things like potty training and preschool.

I gave this book a 4 out of 5!

Review: The Mommy Diaries: Finding Yourself in the Daily Adventure by Tally Flint

Review: The Mommy Diaries: Finding Yourself in the Daily Adventure by Tally Flint

Sypnosis: Mothering is an adventure to be sure--from diaper changes and potty training to car pools and soccer games, a mom's life is full of adventures with her children. But it's not only about the kids. Mothering is also an adventure in personal growth. And that's what moms are invited to enjoy as they read The Mommy Diaries. With contributions from a variety of authors and speakers familiar to today's moms, as well as insights from fresh new voices, this book will encourage women to catch a fresh glimpse of who they are and how they can grow in the midst of the mothering process. Organized into six sections, each focused on a particular aspect of personal growth as a mom, The Mommy Diaries points moms to the lessons and insights that can be found in their experiences.

My Review: This was a collection of stories about different parts of Mommyhood.

Most of the stories were really interesting and heartwarming, though there are several stories that do have to with the loss of a child / baby / miscarriage that were hard to read.

It is also from a Christian perspective (I didn't realize that it was a MOPs book until I was into it a bit), so there is a lot of talk of God in the book as well.

All in all, I really enjoyed this book and gave it a 4 out of 5!

A lover of reading from the beginning

I've loved reading as long as I can remember. My parents always read to my sister and I, though I was the only one whom my dad read 'The Lord of the Rings' to.

Because of the preschool program I was in, I started reading when I was 4 years old, and I devoured books from then. I went through a stage when all I read was Babysitter's Club Books!

When I was small, I would look at my dad's vast collection of Sci-Fi and Fantasy genre books, and said I would read them all someday. Now that I'm 33 years old, I've read most of the books in his library and have a growing collection of my own.

Since reading is important to me, I started reading to my daughter, Emily, when she was teeny tiny. Now that she is firmly in toddlerhood, we still take time to read a book or two before bedtime. I'm hoping that I'm instilling a love of reading into her as well!

Review: Hominids (Neanderthal Parallax, #1) by Robert J. Sawyer (SPOILERS!)

Hominids (Neanderthal Parallax, #1) by Robert J. Sawyer

Synopsis: During a quantum-computing experiment, Ponter Boddit, a Neanderthal physicist, accidentally pierces the barrier between worlds and is transferred to our universe. He is almost immediately recognized as a Neanderthal, but only much later as a scientist. He is quarantined and studied, alone and bewildered, a stranger in a strange land. But Ponter is also befriended - by a doctor and a physicist who share his questing intelligence and boundless enthusiasm for the world's strangeness, as well as by Canadian geneticist Mary Vaughan, a woman with whom he develops a special rapport.

Meanwhile, Ponter's partner, Adikor Huld, finds himself with a messy lab, a missing body, suspicious people all around, and an explosive murder trial. How can he possibly prove his innocence when he has no idea what actually happened to Ponter?" Contact between humans an Neanderthals creates a relationship fraught with conflict, philosophical challenge, and the threat to the existence of one species or the other - or both. Yet their meeting is also rich in possibilities for cooperation and growth on many levels, from the practical to the esthetic to the scientific to the spiritual. In short, Robert J. Sawyer has done it again.

My Review: Includes Spoilers!
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I really enjoyed this book. The story was very compelling, and the alternative Earth was very well fleshed out.

The only issues I have with it was the science was a bit over my head, and I thought the rape/romance sub-plot between Mary and Ponter was fluff that didn't bring anything to the book.

I was very happy that Ponter got back home, and I probably will get the next book!

I gave this book a 4 out of 5!

Review: Inside Out by Barry Eisler

Inside Out by Barry Eisler

Synopsis:  Torture.
Ghost detainees.
And a massive cover-up that continues even today.

This is the propulsive thriller that only former CIA operative turned bestselling novelist Barry Eisler could write.

Marooned in a Manila jail after a bar fight fatality, black ops soldier Ben Treven gets a visit from his former commander, Colonel Scott Horton, who explains the price of Ben’s release: Find and eliminate Daniel Larison, a rogue operator from Ben’s unit who has stolen ninety-two torture tapes from the CIA and is using them to blackmail the U.S. government.

But other players are after the tapes, too, and to find Larison, Ben will have to survive CIA hit teams, Blackwater mercenaries, and the long reach of the White House. He’ll also have to find a way to handle Paula Lanier, a smart, sexy FBI agent who has her own reasons for wanting the tapes and is determined to get them before Ben does. With the stakes this high, everyone has an angle—everyone but Ben, who will have to find the right alliance if he wants to stay alive.

My Review: This book started out really good - interesting story and a decent amount of action. But in the middle of the book it gets a little muddy - there is several layers of intrigue that get reveled.

But the reason I only gave this book a 2 out of 5, is the book ends very suddenly and nothing is really resolved. It just ends with the main character needing to make a decision, and we don't get to know what he decides.

Though this book seems to be leading into a sequel which was a little annoying anyway.

I gave this book a 2 out of 5.

Review: Demonkeepers (Final Prophecy, #4) by Jessica Andersen

Demonkeepers (Final Prophecy, #4) by Jessica Andersen 

Synopsis:  Lucius is an Indiana Jones wannabe who never quite measures up until a twist of magic brings him powers beyond belief … and reunites him with Jade, the one-night stand he never forgot. Despite the sizzling chemistry between them—and the added power that comes with a love match—Jade is determined to prove that she can be a Nightkeeper warrior in her own right. But as the two race to rescue the sun god himself from the underworld, they learn that kicking a** isn’t enough. They’ll need all their brains and skill—and the love, long denied, that burns between them—to foil the dark lords’ plot.

My Review:  I really enjoyed this book - interesting characters, an interesting setting, and very fast paced.

There were a few things that were a bit muddled, but I figured that this was because it is the 4th book in a series, and I haven't read the other books.

This was a very good paranormal romance, with some sex scenes, but it doesn't overpower the story. I'm going to be getting the first 3 books when I can, and getting the 5th one when it comes out as well!

I gave this book a 4 out of 5!

Review: Firefly: Still Flying: A Celebration of Joss Whedon's Acclaimed TV Series

Firefly: Still Flying: A Celebration of Joss Whedon's Acclaimed TV Series by Joss Whedon

Synopsis: Before the smash hit movie Serenity came Firefly, the cult TV series which started it all and became a DVD phenomenon, selling almost half a million copies.

Set 500 years in the future, Firefly centres around Mal Reynolds, captain of the ship-for-hire Serenity and its eclectic crew of galactic misfits. When he takes on two passengers, a young doctor and his mysterious, telepathic sister, he gets much more than he bargained for…

This third official companion in the much-loved series is packed with unseen photos, costume designs, behind the scenes secrets and much more. 

My review:  As I am a Browncoat, I loved this book. I thought it was really shiny how this book was laid out. I enjoyed reading the quotes from the actors on their characters, along with all the extra information about parts of the show.

The 3 new stories were really good too, though the last one was really sad.

All in all, I'd recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of 'Firefly' and 'Serenity'!

I gave this book a 5 out of 5!